Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Awaken Yourself and Transform Others (佛覺為志自覺度他)
Date: May.07. 2015
“We take the Buddha’s awakened state as our aspiration and keep His loving-kindness in our hearts. We awaken ourselves, transform others and make great vows. We meticulously contemplate the wisdom of suchness.”
Don’t we learn the Buddha’s Way to take the Buddha’s mind as our own? This is what I often say. To develop a Buddha-mind, we first awaken to the workings of the world. If we do not understand worldly matters, how can we possibly take the Buddha’s mind as our own? The Buddha’s enlightened state is so tranquil and clear. Living among people, the Buddha does not consider gain or loss. He only works for His one great cause, to share His state of mind and His insights with everyone, so that He can inspire everyone to reach the understanding that everyone has the same awakened state as Him. This awakened state is the same in all of us.
So, we must constantly “take the Buddha’s awakened state as our aspiration.” We must quickly find our own Buddha-nature. This is our vow as Buddhist practitioners. We learn the Buddha’s Way because we want to attain Buddhahood. So, now we must “learn by doing”. By being diligent in our learning, we “awaken through learning.” We must have this kind of mindset to diligently advance in our practice. This is our vow.
What we want to learn is to have the same state of mind as the Buddha “and keep His loving-kindness in our hearts.” Our hearts should be compassionate like the Buddha’s. The Buddha considers all beings as His only child. He treat the four kinds of beings impartially. He “shows compassion to all equally” because He sees them all as equals. He treats them all like His children.
So, with His loving-kindness, He coexists harmoniously with all life. In this world, and in our relationships, there is no need to differentiate between different ethnicities. We are all part of the universe, one of the four kinds of beings. So, we have to awaken ourselves. In addition to ourselves, we also hope that everyone in the world can be the same as the Buddha and have a broad and open mind, one that is truly tranquil and clear, and pure like crystal. We want to reach that kind of state. So, we must establish our resolve and make great vows to transform all sentient beings. When we hear the Dharma, we must share it with everyone. When sentient beings are suffering, we must help them mindfully. How mindful must we be? We must engage in meticulous contemplation. At all times we must be very meticulous as we contemplate the wisdom of suchness.
The “wisdom of suchness” is the nature of True Suchness. This is intrinsic to all of us; we all have this nature that is of one essence with the Buddha’s understanding and the Buddha’s enlightened state. If we meticulously examine the Buddha’s teachings and mindfully seek to comprehend them, there is nothing we cannot achieve. We will be able to find a way to merge our minds with the Buddha’s mind and feel the same compassion; we will look at all sentient beings with that same compassion.
Look at how modern technology has verified the Buddha’s wisdom. Throughout the Buddhist sutras, it is said that when those who practice the Bodhisattva-path save sentient beings, their “head, eyes, bone marrow and brain were all given to others.” When we hear this, we may wonder, “Is that possible?” Yes, it is.
As part of our Mission of Medicine, we have a “bone marrow donor registry” and a “bone bank”.People are willing to donate, so, when a match is found, they are able to do so.
In 2010, in Singapore, there was a young mother whose child had just entered elementary school.She suddenly felt unwell, so she went for an exam.The doctor’s diagnosis shocked her.The only thing that could save her was chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.But could they find the right match?This was the beginning of her suffering.
In Singapore, although they found two matches, those two people were not willing to donate.She had felt a glimmer of hope, but very quickly her hopes were dashed and her whole family was very sad and indeed despair.But the hospital told her that there was still Taiwan.
So, they sought assistance from Taiwan.In Taiwan, after a period of constant searching, three people were found who were suitable donors.One of them was willing to donate, so her hopes were raised again.
The bone marrow donor was in Taiwan and the recipient was in Singapore, so it was as if her salvation came out of thin air.Think about it, didn’t the Buddha say, “head, eyes, bone marrow and brain were all given to others”?
Now if some of us are willing to donate our organs after we die, the whole body can be of use.Even the bones can be removed and stored. Even the skin can be removed and stored.Then patients who need them can make use of them.
Whether it is the heart, liver, kidney, etc., everything in our body can be used to save others.This is the Buddha’s 2000-year-old wisdom; it is that meticulous and thorough.
After more than 2000 years, in our present time, medical technology is capable of making this happen.From this we can understand that the Buddha-Dharma can be verified in this world.It is intimately related to our lives, so we should take the Buddha’s awakened state as a concrete goal of our learning the Buddha’s Way.
All in all, making the great vows requires a certain state of mind.Since we are learning the Buddha’s Way, we must contemplate it very thoroughly.“Meticulous” means very thorough; we must use very comprehensive wisdom to earnestly contemplate.This we listen, contemplate and practice.
As we listen, contemplate and practice, we must earnestly put our hearts into returning to our pure nature of True Suchness.This is why we must always be mindful as we learn the Buddha’s Way.
After reading the previous sutra passages, the Buddha seems like the “kind father of the four kinds of beings.”
He treats the four kinds of beings in the Three Realms as His own children.These children were undisciplined, mischievous, deluded by the things that they like.They did not quickly leave this dangerous place and time was running out.
So, the father used various methods [to draw them out].
Right outside the door he placed many precious toys to entice them to quickly come and take them.
“If you do not come out quickly, it will be too late for you to get any of this. If you miss out on this, you will regret it.”
This is the general idea of the previous passage.
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.
So, he told them, “The toys you like to play with are rare and difficult to obtain. If you do not take them, you will regret it later.”
Now we will talk about, “Of these, there are many kinds.”
There were many kinds of things.There were “sheep-carts, deer-carts and ox-carts outside the door right now, for you to play with. You should quickly leave this burning house; then I will give you whichever you desire.”
“Everyone, hurry up and come out. Look outside, there are sheep-drawn carts, deer-drawn carts, ox-drawn carts. See, all the things you love are right outside. Hurry outside, these are gifts. I want to give you. It is dangerous inside; come out into safety. Then you can choose to take any one of these things”. This was how the father enticed them. This means that when we compare the ox to the sheep and deer, of course, the ox is very strong. Because the ox is strong, the cart he pulls is very large. The ox-cart is bigger. This is like people with great capabilities. This cart is the Bodhisattva-Vehicle, the Great Vehicle.
These people willingly leave [the burning house], and after they encounter the Buddha-Dharma, they choose the Great Vehicle Dharma. They walk the Bodhisattva-path and go among people to transform sentient beings. They must have the strength and willingness to pull a big cart.
“The ox-cart mentioned is big and the ox is strong. It can carry many things. So, those who appreciate it are likened to those with great capabilities. The sheet-cart and deer-cart are [pulled by animals] with average or weak strength. Those who appreciate them are likened to those with average or limited capabilities.”
As for the sheet-cart or deer-cart, they are used for fun. They are smaller and people who appreciate them are likened to those with average or limited capabilities. These are the Middle Vehicle and Small Vehicle. As we said earlier, Bodhisattvas form great aspirations, establish great vows and transform sentient beings. If one is a Solitary Realizer or Hearer, one will only seek to awaken oneself. This is like picking the deer-cart or sheep-cart. Now, they had all come outside, so everyone could play. This shows that the Buddha’s original vow was to help everyone transcend the Three Realms, the desire, form and formless realms. The desire realm is our desirous thoughts. The form realm is everything in the realm of physical existence. If there are desires in our minds, material objects in our external conditions will entice us and cause afflictions to arise. Thought we cannot see and touch them, these [formless] afflictions fill our minds. These are the Three Realms.
The Buddha hoped that everyone can transcend the Three Realms, turning desire into love and turning selfish desires into selfless great love. If we can do this, we will use the material objects around us to save and transform sentient beings. If we help others without any expectations, our hearts will be pure. This Bodhisattva state of mind is a pure formless realm. They had quickly gone out of the door, but out of their compassion, they wanted to save and deliver sentient beings. So, they went in again to save and deliver them. They are Bodhisattvas.
This was the Buddha’s original intent; He only wanted to teach the true Dharma of the One Vehicle. The Buddha’s original intent was to help everyone return to their intrinsic Tathagata-nature. As part of this process, they must walk the Bodhisattva-path and go among people. They must keep their hearts pure, free of expectations and attachments. Only by developing this state of mind would they be able to “comprehend the great path” and realize the true principles of this universe. This is what the Buddha hoped to teach us, so that we can open the door to our wisdom and be one with the universe.
This kind of awakening reveals the principles of the One Vehicle. Originally, there were not even Two [Vehicles], so how could there be Three Vehicles? We have the Two Vehicles and Three Vehicles because the Buddha observed that sentient beings had varying capabilities. This is why He developed the Three Vehicle teachings.
In the Buddha’s original intent, there is actually just the One Vehicle, that which helps everyone return to their pure intrinsic Buddha-nature.
“The Buddha’s original intent is to teach the true Dharma of the One Vehicle. There was originally no second or third vehicle. But since sentient beings like the Three Vehicles, they do not know they are skillful means and do not progress after attaining realizations.”
“There was originally no second or third vehicle”. They were taught according to sentient beings’ interests. It was according to their preferences and inclinations that the Buddha established the Three Vehicle Dharma.
But people did not understand that these are skillful means. They cling to the state of a Solitary Realizer and to attaining realizations.
In fact, to truly attain realizations, they must practice the Bodhisattva-path and experience the compassion of the Buddha’s mind. Then this is a true realization. But people do not realize that they are practicing skillful means.
They “do not progress after attaining realizations.” They think that just by sitting in meditation, they will be able to awaken and attain realizations. It is not that easy! But nowadays everyone says that this is what Buddhist practitioners should do. So, we have to really be mindful and follow the Buddha’s teachings.
“Those who practice mediation can be greedy for the joy of Samadhi.” Those studying the teachings’ meaning can become attached to the wondrous language.
These are all attachments. “But they did not know” that these are teachings that the Tathagata gave sentient beings in order to teach according to their capabilities.
But they did not know that the Tathagata wanted to enable sentient beings, with these teachings adapted to their abilities, to escape from samsara and no longer wallow in the Six Realms.
People do not understand, so they are still in the burning house and do not try to get out. To help draw these people out, the Buddha used carious skillful means in hopes that everyone can escape samsara and not be attached to or stuck in cyclic existence in the Six Realms.
These three carts are analogies. The ox-cart is an analogy for the Great Vehicle, the quest to realize fundamental Dharma-nature. This is the only one that can help us return to our intrinsic nature of True Suchness and acquire “subsequently attained wisdom.” By attaining this subsequently attained wisdom, the things we comprehend through taking action, we can perfect the fruit of Buddhahood. That is all-encompassing wisdom.
All the beginning of our discussions we constantly mentioned, which is Buddha-wisdom and our intrinsic mature of True Suchness.
As for the cart itself, the ox is very strong so the cart is very large. The cart is like “subsequently attained wisdom.”
Because the ox is so strong, imagine how many things we can fit in the cart. It can indeed carry heavy burdens.
Then the passage continues, “You should quickly leave this burning house; then I will give you whichever you desire.” Everyone must hurry up and get out. This is directed at the Two Vehicle practitioners.
The Two Vehicle practitioners, as they have not yet realized the Dharma-nature, cannot attain this cart. But because they have heard of this ox-cart, they can proceed from this and finally attain it.
People with great capabilities practice the Great Vehicle and are already free. As they want to shoulder the Tathagata’s mission. They have already escaped [the burning house] and go among people to save and transform them. Those who are still inside are still inside are attached to the state of Samadhi and attached to the words. They claim to be studying, but they are still attached to this place and remaining within their own limits. They do not want to earnestly contribute. There are two kinds of people liked this.
Solitary Realizers are one; Hearers are the other. Both practice for their own benefit. Buddhist practitioners like this have “not yet realized the Dharma-nature.” This means they have not yet experienced it. They “cannot attain this cart”; they cannot yet do this. They do not want to pull this heavy burden, so they choose the sheep-cart or deer-cart. Because they do not want a big responsibility. When they engage in spiritual practice, they only care about their own liberation. Therefore, it is impossible for them to attain the ox-cart.
“But because they have heard of this ox-cart…” they have heard about the Great Vehicle, but they are unwilling to practice it. There are many people like this, and they end up choosing the sheep-cart or deer-cart.
Whether they choose the sheep-cart or deep-cart, it is fine as long as they can get out. The Buddha felt that the priority was to get them out right away. Once they make an effort to accept the Buddha-Dharma, there is hope for them. Even if we are solitary Realizers or Hearers, in the long run we can also from [great] aspirations. At least we understand the law of karma and will not create negative cause and conditions.
In summary, the Buddha-Dharma is wondrous, so we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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