Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Goodness Creates Conditions for Transformation (眾生心善有緣化度)
Date: May.12. 2015
“Sentient beings who develop goodness in their hearts have the karmic condition to be transformed. If they cut off their goodness, they cannot be transformed. The Buddha skillfully taught the provisional by expounding the Three Vehicle teachings so that sentient beings could avoid being harmed by the Five Turbidities and the Eight Sufferings.”
Is this world filled with suffering or joy? In this lifetime, we may have been born into karmic conditions which cause us tremendous suffering. However, by talking the Buddha-Dharma to heart, we realize we are blessed, so we become happy.
Some people, even if born in affluent families continue to feel, “I still don’t have enough. I still have many afflictions. So, I feel I’m suffering.”
Some people are poor but feel very content. Recently, we have been talking a lot about a group of people in Africa who have always lived in poverty. Would you say they are suffering? These people are truly Living Bodhisattvas who have manifested in this world and been subjected to the poverty faced by everyone in their countries. They shared stories of how they had faced great difficulties in their lives, and how they came in contact with Tzu Chi and realized the joy that comes from helping others. They helped other people to understand, “I have accepted these volunteers’ teachings and have taken them to heart. I put them into practice as well. I also go out and help people. This is what I gained.” In this way, they clearly proved that even poor people are able to help others and thus live a rich and abundant life.
Whether people experience suffering or joy depends on how they accept their life. Several years ago, there was a senior Tzu Chi Commissioner who brought her good friend to see me. If we compare the two of them, the Commissioner was cheerful and full of smiles; she was very happy as she spoke, while the other seemed to be in low spirits. She frowned and constantly said, “You are so blessed to volunteer with Tzu Chi. Over these years, I have seen how happy and blessed you are.”
The Commissioner replied, “You were the one who introduced me to Tzu Chi. Now I have to bring you here.” I said to her, “You joined us very early on. I want to thank you for bringing this Commissioner into Tzu Chi. But what about you?” She replied, “I feel apologetic. At that time, my business was doing very well so I was really busy.”
I said, “What about now?” She said, “I am embarrassed because at that period of time, my husband said business is booming in China, so we gradually moved our manufacturing from Taiwan to China.”
From this point on, the story poured out of her. She spoke of how, over these past few decades, her husband shitted his life away from Taiwan and gradually spent more time far away in China. He did not want to come back. When she went to visit him, she found that her husband had established another family there. When she came back to Taiwan, she could not accept what she had seen and felt a deep resentment toward him. They had started this business together and built it up from nothing, expanding it greatly. They had worked side by side and built a good life for themselves. When they shifted their manufacturing to China, and their son grew older, the son slowly distanced himself from her. His behavior grew worse; he took drugs and committed all kinds of crimes.
Then she found out about her husband’s affair. So, she became someone this Commissioner now counseled and cared for. The Commissioner said, “She did not know better, so she tried to commit suicide several times. Now I keep her close to me.” I said, “Now it is your turn to bring her into Tzu Chi.” The Commissioner said,“There has been some improvement, she is participating in our recycling work. However, her child hasn’t changed and her husband hasn’t come back.”This is the way this woman’s life is; it is filled with unbearable suffering.
In the past, was she blessed or was she suffering?While she was dreaming about the future, her husband was establishing a family in China her husband was establishing a family in China.She was in Taiwan, still having wonderful dreams.This is the way life works.
So I say, “Sentient beings who develop goodness have the karmic conditions to be transformed.”
That Commissioner had goodness in her heart.Her friend had told her, “With Tzu Chi you can help save lives by donating a little each month.Look at all the people who are donating, even NT$50 or NT$10 can save people.”
It made her very happy to see this, so she became a Tzu Chi member and began volunteering.Gradually she became a Tzu Chi Commissioner.Now, she is over 80 years old.She is healthy and has a blessed family life.She has also continued to help other people.Her volunteer work still makes her happy.
So, once goodness arose in her heart, the karmic conditions were right, and she was able to be transformed by the Dharma.Then she was able to save and transform others.“If sentient beings cut off their goodness,” if their roots of goodness are severed, they cannot be transformed.
Indeed, the woman who complained all the time had also been a Tzu Chi member.I do not know if she has continued to donate.Regardless, now this Commissioner is caring for her.This woman is having a very hard time.
But fortunately, she has a precious benefactor.This Commissioner she had introduced to Tzu Chi in the past is now her benefactor and has led her to join in the recycling work.
We often hear similar stories [in Tzu Chi].During the Buddha’s lifetime, He saw how these stubborn sentient beings were suffering, yet not aware of it.For people like her, the Buddha “skillfully taught the provisional”.
He used many methods, including the karmic law of cause and effect.[I asked the woman,] “Do you understand now?”
“Yes, I do.”“Since you understand, have you awakened?”
“It is difficult! Whenever I think about this, I feel hateful and very angry.”This woman knew what it meant to be awakened, but whenever she recalled what happened, she was not able to awaken from her hate.She was still trapped by it.Not even the Buddha could do anything about this.
Still, the Buddha continued to teach with various methods in the world, hoping that one day people will become awakened.Even if they do not awaken in this lifetime, at least He has planted a cause in them.
Thus He expounded “the Three Vehicle teachings.”Do these people have roots of goodness?If they do, they have the karmic condition to be transformed.If they have severed their roots of goodness, they really cannot be transformed.
Sentient beings transmigrate in the Six Realms.If they give rise to kind thoughts, they may be born in the heaven realm or with great riches in the human realm, to be the wealthiest among the wealthy.If their roots of goodness are severed, they will fall into the Three Evil Destinies, the hell, hungry ghost or animal realm.Or they may be the poorest among the poor and face unbearable suffering as humans.
So, the Buddha taught the Dharma in the hope that their karmic conditions will mature and they will no longer be harmed by the Five Turbidities and the Eight Sufferings.
See, isn’t living in this world like being in a burning house?
I have been talking about the parable of the burning house, an analogy for sentient beings’ severe afflictions
Our habitual tendencies are quite severe.Though the elder ceaselessly called to his children, “My children, please get out immediately,” these children were still deluded and remained in the burring house.Therefore, the elder came up with many methods [to entice them to come out].
Similarly, Sakyamuni Buddha gave many teachings, all to help deliver every sentient beings, to help them all escape this burning house.
The previous sutra passage states, “Then, the elder…”
He had been yelling to his children, telling them that outside the burning house were rows of sheep-carts, deer-carts and ox-carts.They were already outside.He told them, “Your favorite things are outside. Come on! Get out of the house.”
Hearing that their favorite things were outside, they became motivated [to leave].They began competing with each other to get out quickly.This signified that people were slowly starting to awaken and diligently practice so as to eliminate their afflictions. There were eliminating afflictions and turbidities so they could immediately leave this burning house.
Then, the elder saw that all his children had safely made their way out and were all at the crossroads, sitting out in the open; they had no more obstacles. His mind was composed and full of joy and jubilance.
Only after accepting the Dharma could they let go of their afflictions and rush out nimbly, diligently and courageously. There, at that time, "The elder saw that all his children have safely made their way out and were all at the crossroads, sitting out in the open." They were safe because they had already accepted the Buddha-Dharma. The crossroads were the truths of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path, the foundation for learning the Buddha- Dharma. They had recognized the suffering in the world. When we think about this carefully, we realize we suffer the moment we are born. We felt excruciating pain when we left our mother's womb, when our raw flesh came in contact with the air. That shock all over the body cut us to the bone. That trauma to our nerves caused us to cry out. All babies cry when they are born. That is suffering. However, our memories of this faded away. Gradually, we move from being children to being teenagers, then young adults and middle-aged. Then we move from the prime of life into old age. Our time in this world is painfully brief; our lifespan is very short. If you are from a wealthy and noble family, after enjoying yourself, what are you left with? You will still have afflictions. You may not worry about food, clothing or housing, but you will still worry about growing old and falling ill. Worst are the afflictions surrounding death; the older you get, the closer that day becomes. How can we say that we experience no suffering? Not to mention, over the course of our lives, the people we love cannot always be our side. This is "suffering of parting from those love". After same time, we constantly encounter people we do not like. We keep hearing and seeing them, which deeply vexes us. This is "the suffering of meeting those we hate" Whether they are our family, friends, etc... even if we do not want to see them, we end up constantly hearing their name or seeing their person. We resent them, yet always hear how successful and happy they are. In this way, other people's success can vex us deeply. This is "the suffering of meeting those we hate". There are various kinds of suffering in our minds, such as the suffering of the raging Five Aggregates.
How can we possibly say we are free of suffering? Since we are suffering, we need to understand the cause of our suffering. We must first understand [the Four Noble Truths] " This is suffering; you should know it" "The is causation; you should end it" and so on. The cessation of suffering is what we must attain and the Path is what we must practice. Doing this is the foundation of learning the Buddha's teachings.
After everybody accepted the Buddha-Dharma and understood the Four Noble Truths, they left and" safely made their way out". So, they were "setting out in the open" As long as we understand the suffering of the world and the fundamentals of the Buddha-Dharma, we can gradually eliminate afflictions so that "[We] have no more obstacles". The road of our spiritual practice will no longer be obstructed. Therefore, "[The elder's] mind was composed and full of joy and jubilance". This is what we discussed previously.
The following sutra passage states, "The children each said to their father, You said that you many fun toys, such as sheep-carts, deer-carts and ox-carts. Please give them to us now".
After these children had emerged from the house, they said to their father, "You agreed to give us the various things we love. What exactly are you going to give us?” This means they were beginning to ask their father for certain things. Similarly, we Buddhist practitioners seek something from the Dharma; we know we must seek it. The meaning of this sutra passage is that "The children heard that their father would give them what they wanted". When the Buddha gives us what we desire, that means He is teaching, that He is giving us the Dharma. When He teaches, what kind of capacities do we have to accept it? He must teach according to our capabilities.
“The child heard that their father would give them what they wanted, which is an analogy for teachings given according to capabilities. Instead of the three carts the children wanted, their father actually only gave one great cart.”
Were these children [suited to be] Hearers? They would seek the sheep-cart and be taught about the various sufferings in life for them to earnestly contemplate. Those with higher capacities were taught how they came to be born human. They could earnestly contemplate the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence.
The Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence are for people with the capabilities of Solitary Realizers. People with great capabilities were taught the Six Perfections. The Six Perfections allow them to transform themselves and others. They practice giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom, which is the practice of the Bodhisattva-path. This is the cart drawn by a large white ox. The ox-carts were very big. With these large ox-carts, they could not only can transport themselves but also transport others. This is what we can do with a big ox-cart.
A few days ago, we talked about how, in Myanmar, when we provided disaster relief, we found out the farmers had to borrow rice seeds. This was why the farmers remained poor.
In addition to providing them with seeds, They had a bountiful harvest, and, not having to repay anyone for the seeds, they could even donate a part of their harvest to Tzu Chi so we could help other people. They loaded the extra rice onto an ox-cart and brought it to us as a way of giving back.This is what Great Vehicle practitioners do.
After they were saved and reaped a bountiful harvest, they wanted to help other people. This shows sentient beings’ [differing] capacities. Some people just want to save themselves and do not think about saving others. Some, after hearing the Dharma, just want to take things slow; thus there are many Hearers. Many people have heard the Buddha-Dharma, but a fewer number put it into practice. There are also quite a few people who, after hearing the Dharma, only seek to awaken themselves.
In the end, to have people who accept the Dharma and put it in practice by giving and transforming sentient beings is the Buddha’s true goal in tirelessly expounding the Dharma in the world .This is symbolized by, “Their father actually only gave one great cart”.
The elder did not just want to give them sheep-carts and deer-carts. The elder intended for every child to have a great cart, which was the ox-cart. So, if sentient beings develop goodness, they will have the conditions to be transformed. This is an analogy for how, “responding to their capacities and conditions, the Buddha manifested a body accordingly.”
If sentient beings have goodness in them, then they have the conditions to be transformed, and responding to their capacities and conditions, the Buddha manifested a body accordingly.
For the practitioners of the Bodhi-path, the Buddha set an example to guide them to connect to True Suchness and achieve a Buddha-body of universal enlightenment.
The Buddha comes to the world in response to sentient beings who have the capabilities and karmic conditions. So, He manifested in the human realm as a rule model for spiritual practice .He manifested the attainment of Buddhahood. He did this to teach us how to walk the path of spiritual practice.
“For the practitioners of the Bodhi-path, the Buddha set an example to guide them to connect to True Suchness and achieve. Universal enlightenment.” In this way, He helped everybody understand that they intrinsically have Buddha-nature and have the potential to attain Buddhahood.
If we walk the same path, we will naturally discover our nature of True Suchness. To do this, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path. We must go among people so we can realize the principles of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. Only by doing this care we learn who to eliminate our afflictions and have a way to move forward steadily along the Bodhisattvas-path. Then we return to our nature of True Suchness, our original enlightened nature our original.
So, I always say that if we have a smooth road in this world it will connect with the Bodhi-path. This is the Bodhisattva-path we must walk. Living Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering sentient beings. Wherever these is suffering, Bodhisattvas will appear. When Bodhisattvas appear,people have a change to be save and delivered. There must be capabilities and conditions; this must continue so we can transform each other.
Dear Bodhisattvas, we must be mindful every day; we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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