Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Treat Ignorance By Training the Mind (無明欲熾調心為藥)
Date: May.01. 2015
“Ignorance and desires blaze due to the lack of wisdom-water. The wondrous Dharma that can save the world must be used to train our minds. Everything is created by the mind; this is the Dharma of perfect enlightenment. The mind and the Buddha are equal in great compassion.”
Isn’t the purpose of spiritual practice to help all of us train our minds? If we do not train our minds well, ignorance will arise, which opens the door to many obstacles. If we can train our minds to be stable, the mirror of our clear wisdom will manifest. So, we must always be mindful in training our minds.
During the Buddha’s lifetime, something like this happened in His Sangha. When the Buddha was at Jeta Grove, there was a group of bhiksus following Him to engage in spiritual practice. The environment of Jeta Grove was beautiful. In springtime, all the flowers were in bloom and the trees flourished. There were also many flowers and grasses. These beautiful springtime images were very enchanting.
Among [the monastics] was a group of four bhiksus. As they sat there, one of them said, “If we could spend every day in this place, we would feel peaceful and at ease. We could also enjoy the scenery of the mountains and of the flowers. If we could do this, then we would be very happy.” Another bhiksu said, “If I could be with a few friends and relatives and have a drink, sing a little song and dance together, enjoying the song and dance, that would be so wonderful.”
Another bhiksu said, “If I could live in this kind of state and also have plenty of wealth and treasures, beautiful clothing, an extravagant cart and horses and so on, so that I am the envy of everyone who sees me, if I could live in such a state, that would be so wonderful.”
Another replied, “Indeed, I would add one more thing to this state, which is a beautiful wife and concubines. They would be dressed beautifully, have wonderful singing voices and play instruments. If we could enjoy this kind of life, wouldn’t that be the most delightful thing? Playing and enjoying ourselves in this place would be such a wonderful pleasure in life!”
When He heard this, the Buddha felt, “They already took vows and left the lay life. However, their minds are still connected to those states. This is really a pity. It is precious to hear the Dharma and have the aspiration to become a monastic, yet their minds are still connected to these various states, causing these thoughts to stir in their minds.” The Buddha, in His compassion, called to them. He told them, “Everyone should know that life is impermanent. After the spring passes, the blazing heat of summer comes. If it is dry, all the flowers will wilt. Come autumn, all the leaves on the trees will wither. The beauty of this world is impermanent.
“Also, if you want to gather in a group and enjoy yourselves, remember that, no matter how close you are, you will eventually have to part. If you want wealth and treasures, you must understand that they never truly belong to us. We must also know, if we want beautiful wives and concubines, and the pleasure and entertainment they provide, we must know we will suffer from parting with those we love and from meeting those we hate. Nothing in this world is everlasting. We must all understand this. With your current thinking and mindset, if you continue to connect with conditions that will be very hazardous. That could evoke and lead you toward depression and fear; it is a path to danger and even death.”This is what the Buddha told these four bhiksus.
So we have said, “Ignorance and desires blaze.”If ignorance and desire arise, they will ablaze like a fire.
Similarly, if the fields of our minds are not nourished by Dharma-water, desire will cause the fields to become completely dry, which is very hazardous.
Recently we have spoken of the Three Realms as a great house with many people living in it.If people’s undisciplined minds become impatient from being arid and parched, they will not be able to calm down.So, the house of the Three Realms has been decaying in this very dry state.But the people within are still unaware.Under these circumstances, being in this great house is very hazardous.Not only is it dangerous, already “all at once, a fire broke out”.This fire is ablaze on all four sides.This is how the Buddha warns us to quickly start training our minds.
We must aspire to save the world.As the fire begins to burn all around us, we must quickly find ways to extinguish it, or, if the fire has grown too big, we must quickly escape.
This is how we save this great house.
To save the world, we need wondrous Dharma.The first method in this wondrous Dharma if to train our minds.
The Buddha also told us that “[To know] all Buddhas of the Three Periods, [know that] all things are created by the mind.”
Everything, even past, present and future Buddhas must begin with the mind.So, “Everything is created by the mind; this is the Dharma of perfect enlightenment.”The Dharma is a method of achieving balance.It can help us balance and stabilize our minds so that we retain our pure intrinsic nature and reach a state where our minds is equal to the Buddha’s.This requires applying great compassion.
We must know that everyone lives together in the greater house of this world.So, everyone’s minds must be pure.
Right now, the macrocosm of the world is in an era where there is an imbalance of the four elements.
Good and evil are mixed up in people’s minds.Most people have a strayed from the path of morality.So, what should we do.We must quickly think of a way to help everyone to be more proactive and call out in one voice.The voice of one person is too weak.We need to bring more people’s voices together and call out in unison.This is the only way for the Buddha to not be doing this alone.
If the elder is by himself, he would be very lonely.So, as Buddhist practitioners, we must have this awareness.
The previous sutra passage states, “I should now devise skillful means to allow all my children to avoid this harm.”
We spoke of this before.The elder repeatedly called to them, but the children remained inside.So, he had to quickly think of various methods to draw them out.These children have been immersed in desires, so he had to find methods based on what it was that delighted them in order to draw them out.This was the compassionate father, the elder of the world, the world-transcending enlightened one, the Buddha.
The next passage states, “The father knew his children, that each had his or her own preferences for all kinds of precious toys or unusual objects, which would surely bring them joy.”
This explains the Three Vehicles. The Buddha wanted to share the enlightened state He had attained with everyone so that everyone’s minds would be in a state equal to the Buddha’s. sadly, their habitual tendencies were already quite severe, so He had to teach the Three Vehicle Dharma.
“The father knew his children, that each had his or her own preferences: This explains the reason behind the Three Vehicles. He knew that they each had preferences, things which they sought, just as the Buddha knew sentient beings’ abilities gave them strong or weak powers of wisdom. He considered their capacity to accept and apply the Dharma before giving it to them.”
Next, “He knew they each had their own preferences and things which they sought.” This is an analogy. The Buddha knew that among sentient beings some had exceptional capabilities and some had very limited capabilities. Therefore, He had to mindfully contemplate and evaluate them to see what kind of people they were and what types of methods He would need to use. The Buddha always observed their capabilities and taught accordingly. According to each person’s “habitual nature as the cause”, He allowed them to attain “spiritual practice as the effect”. Each person’s habitual tendencies determined the teaching that each could accept. This was the cause. Then, the effect depends on their capabilities and how they engage in spiritual practice.
“This also shows that their habitual natures were the cause, and their own spiritual practice was the effect. The directions each followed to attain merits were all different. This is why the Tathagata first adapted to their preferences in order to teach the Dharma.”
Those with great capabilities walked the Bodhisattva-path. Those with average capabilities observed the state of four seasons and so on. In this way, each followed their own capabilities to “attain merits”. Those who walk the Bodhisattva-path engaged in internal cultivation and external practices. Those with average capabilities only engaged in internal cultivation. Their spiritual practice was focused on themselves. This has a certain effect. Although engaging in internal cultivation to “purify their own minds” likewise allows them to attain virtues, they are not Bodhisattvas who go among people. The Dharma they spread is not that of the Four Great Vows so it does not result in that great virtue.
So, they each engaged in their own practice, and each attained their own virtues. Thus, “They were all different”. The Tathagata adapted to their preferences and used various treasures and various valuables to entice them from that place. Depending on what they wanted, they could quickly come out to get it. This is the mindfulness of the Buddha.
“Most people take pleasure in various valuable and precious objects, things they can admire and play with, and are attached to desires and sensory pleasures. This is an analogy for the Two Vehicle practitioners, who only take joy in liberating themselves. They are attached to benefiting themselves and take joy in their own teachings.”
Most people “take pleasure in various valuable and precious objects”. The things that people can play with or admire are the things that are craved by many people. Some people are happy when they see wonderful things, so they want to take them, to possess them. Clinging to them, they lose their resolve. They remain immersed in that state and do not want to move forward or exercise the pure potential of their nature. They remain immersed in and greedily cling to that state. This is an analogy for Two Vehicle practitioners, who only seek to awaken themselves.
This is true whether they are Solitary Realizers or Hearers.
Solitary Realizers realize on their own that all things in the world are impermanent. They are like Sariputra, who had stopped with the [realization of] true emptiness. He could not penetrate wondrous existence, how to transform sentient beings to help them return to their intrinsic Tathagata-nature. After penetrating the principles, he had made use of them himself. He understood “true emptiness”, but not the Buddha’s original intent. The Buddha’s heart was as vast as the universe. “His mind encompassed the universe”. He saw the Three Realms as His own house and sentient beings in the Three Realms as part of His own family, His own children. This expansive and spacious mind is truly in a state of “wondrous existence”.
Meanwhile, Sariputra had stopped with realizing the principles of “true emptiness” and sought only to awaken himself.
Others still had desire in their minds. These Hearers are like the four bhiksus we just spoke of. They were in a place of spiritual practice but still allowed discursive thoughts to arise.
You see, these Hearers had heard the Buddha expound the Dharma, yet this was still their state of mind. Their mind were still fluctuation.
So, these are all Small Vehicle practitioners. They have not yet realized great principles, so the Buddha had to use various methods to draw them out. This is how the Buddha teaches according to sentient beings’ capabilities, based on what the practitioners would accept. What exactly do they want?
So, when it comes to joy, the two Vehicle practitioners only take joy in liberating themselves. “They are attached to benefiting themselves and take joy in their own teachings.” This is [the mindset] of ordinary practitioners. They had not yet taken the Great Vehicle Dharma still swelled on the Two Vehicle Dharma.
Those with great capabilities originally studies the Great Vehicle. “This is the meaning of knowing each had their own preferences.”
Those with great capabilities had originally studied the Great Vehicle. This is the meaning of knowing each had their own preferences. The various precious toys are the Four Truths, Twelve Links, Six Paramitas, etc., which are rare Three Realms. Thus they are called unusual objects. He knew what enlightened beings took joy in, so he directly gave them what they liked.
The Buddha already “knew that they each had their own preferences.” In the past, they had developed great aspirations and had maintained their capabilities up to the present.
So, they could quickly accept the Great Dharma and go out to transform sentient beings. thus, “the various precious toys are the Four Truths, Twelve Links, Six Paramitas, etc.”
“Four Truths” refers to the Four Noble Truths. “Twelve Links” refers to Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. The Six Paramitas are the teachings of the Bodhisattva-path, giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. The Six Paramitas are truly “rare in the Three Realms. Thus they are called unusual object.”
This Dharma really is very precious. We understand that enlightened sentient beings are Bodhisattvas who would certainly be delighted with it, so He gave them their favorite Dharma. They form great aspirations and make great vows, so the Buddha taught the Six Paramitas to them.
Engaging in spiritual practice is like the way farmers cultivate a field. The field cannot survive without water. See the many countries experiencing droughts now. The ground is cracked and left uncultivated. If the fields are unplowed, crops cannot be harvested. Thus, the people’s lice are in crises.
If we do not cultivate the fields of our minds, we will lose our wisdom-life. When there is ignorance in our minds, it is like an arid land with dried out grass, the slightest spark of fire will set it ablaze. So, we must have the water of wisdom. Then we can earnestly use our wisdom to train our minds. If our minds are trained well, the mirror of our minds will be like a flooded paddy, which reflects the moon in the sky so the image of a bright moon appears. The mirror of our minds is just like this. We must exercise great compassion to go among the people.
Suffering, causation cessation and the Path, the Four Noble Truths, must be understand along with the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence of our past, present and future. Most importantly, we must practice the Six Perfections. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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