Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Buddha Impartially Teaches the Great Vehicle (平等視子授大乘法)
Date: May.28. 2015
“Innocent children are pure and easily taught. He guides them to True Suchness and opens the Buddha’s understanding and views. Thus they will all be replete with the understanding of Right Dharma. A compassionate mind is without differentiation.”
All children are inherently born with roots of goodness. It is often said of human nature, “Human nature is inherently good.” Small children seem so young and innocent. But as they gradually grow in knowledge, as they live in certain environments and receive certain teachings, they are influenced by their relationships. So, our lives are shaped by our surroundings, along with characteristics we are born with. Though some are born into a wonderful environment, in their past life they may have developed and reinforced strong habitual tendencies. So, from a young age they are unwilling to learn. No matter the environment or what they are taught, their mischievous attitudes and unwillingness to learn are constantly surfacing.
Some people were obedient as children. Without being taught, they would be well-behaved. However, as they grew up and their environment changed, they became completely different people from the well-behaved children they were before. That is because, as we say, causes and conditions have converged. Negative causes and conditions followed them, so, suddenly they were led astray by these negative causes and conditions.
Life is very complicated. People’s habitual nature is influenced by the karma they created in the past. Consequences, good or bad, are all determined in this way. Therefore, when we engage in spiritual practice, we must always be mindful. We must learn the Buddha’s Way with a pure and simple heart and not allow our afflictions to hinder our learning of the Dharma. Otherwise, even if we listen, our afflictions will stand in the way, so we cannot take the Dharma to heart. And in our hearts, we will always feel a sense of dissatisfaction and unhappiness; thus the Dharma in our hearts cannot give rise to Dharma-joy. Therefore, if we have the resolve to accept it, the Dharma will be ours. Without this resolve, without respect for the teacher, we will not value the Dharma. Then we will never to able to understand. Even if there is no language barrier, we still cannot internalize the Dharma. If this is the way we are, we no longer have the [pure] heart of a child, we already have a heart filled with afflictions.
If everyone had the heart of a child, we could be easily taught. Then, having accepted the Dharma, we could be guided toward True Suchness. If we take the Dharma to heart, we can automatically connect with our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. This is possible when our minds are not hindered by afflictions. If we are free of afflictions and confusion, naturally the Dharma can enter our hearts, verse by verse, drop by drop.
So, the Dharma is like water. Even afflictions can be washed away, bit by bit. So, gradually He “opens the Buddha’s understanding and views.” We also hope that our understanding and views will approach those of the Buddha and that we can also unlock our wisdom and manifest the ocean of enlightenment in our hearts. In this way, “We all possess the understanding of the True Dharma.”
The understanding of the True Dharma is something we cannot deviate from as Buddhist practitioners. On the road of life, if we deviate even slightly and make a mistake, our direction in life may be completely thrown off. How many decades of life do we have? These decades will pass by very quickly. We must clearly know our course and stay on it. We cannot let the slightest affliction confuse our minds.
Each day, the Dharma can, bit by bit, nourish our minds.I hope we will irrigate our minds with Dharma-water so our wisdom-life can grow.There are already seeds in the field of our minds.However, without water and the right conditions, the seeds will always be dry.Without moisture, the seeds will not be able to sprout and grow.Therefore, I hope everyone will be mindful.
The Buddha treats all sentient beings equally.It is because they have varying capabilities that the Buddha had to teacher with various methods.Still, some people were unable to accept the teachings.
Do you remember this story?Before the Buddha entered Parinirvana, Ananda could not stop crying.Aniruddha saw Ananda crying outside and said, “Ananda, this is a crucial moment; why don’t you ask the Buddha some questions?”
“What should I ask Him about?”
Aniruddha told him, “You need to promptly ask about this.
During His lifetime, in the Sangha there have been people who are very stubborn and hard to train. After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, if these bhiksus in the Songhai are unwilling to learn, how should we handle that? After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, how can we continue to pass on the teachings? After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, how can the disciples who follow the teachings take on responsibility for passing them on?”
“Ananda, you need to ask Him these questions right now.”
[Ananda said,] “Venerable Buddha, when You are here were regard You as our teacher. After You leave the world, who are we supposed to regard as our teacher?”
The Buddha said, “Regard precepts as teachers.”
Ananda then asked, “Even while You are in the world there are bhiksus who are unwilling to learn. After You enter Parinirvana, what method should we use to teach them?”
The Buddha said, “Ignore them,” which means to let them be.“Try to move them with your compassion if you cannot transform them, then let them be.”
Let them be.That seems so resigned.In the end, the Buddha could not do much with those disciples who were unwilling to learn.Aren’t there people like them right now?
Each one of us, as spiritual practitioners, need to ask ourselves, “Are we willing to learn? In this community of spiritual practitioners, this Sangha, have we organized ourselves with precepts? As we our interact with people, are we able to manage ourselves with love?”
We should all cherish ourselves; we should all abide by precepts.Then we will be the Buddha’s pure and undefiled disciples forever.We will be like young children.When children are born, when they are little, they are so adorable
To them, there is no such thing as good or evil.
They accept whatever they are taught “Innocent children are pure and easily taught. He guides them to True Suchness and opens the Buddha’s understanding and views. Thus they will all be replete with the understanding of Right Dharma. A compassionate mind is without differentiation.”
The Buddha treats His disciples like His only son.He unceasingly guides them to help everyone achieve the same understanding and views as Him.He always teaches with the True Dharma and treats everyone with impartial compassion, hoping that everyone can accept the teachings.This is the meaning of this sutra passage.
Now, these young children are all my children, and I love them all impartially.I have these great carts covered with the Seven Treasures, countless in number.I should give them to each [child] with an impartial mind, so that they are not treated differently.
The Buddha seeds all of His disciples as young children to be cherished.His love is impartial.This is an analogy for how.“All beings have transcendent, flawless seeds.”
Whoever they are, the Buddha treats all His disciples the same, because all beings are replete with flawless seeds, in particular, with transcendent ones.This is the nature of True Suchness; it is something that everyone has.
Thus, I have often said that we are clearly equal to the Buddha. [He attained Buddhahood] because He had this seed, which sprouted. In fact, our minds also contain this seed, this transcendent and flawless seed. No one can take it away from us. Lifetime after lifetime, we bring this seed with us. Sadly, we have lacked the causes and conditions to be nourished by Dharma-water. Right now we have the karmic conditions to live in the same environment and apply the Dharma the Buddha taught in the past to the world we live in right now.
So, right now we “equally listen to the Dharma”. We also “equally put it into practice”. We have all formed aspirations. We have all come to be in the same place to engage in spiritual practice together. We all accept the Dharma with the same mindset and all must have that same wisdom. This is inherent to all of us. So, “Everyone practices, learns and absorbs the benefit of the Dharma together”. Isn’t this something we should cherish? Since this is the case, “[We] are all equally the Buddhas children”. We are all disciples of the Buddha. This is because all of us, including me and all of you here, received the Dharma at the same time.
“Now, these young children are all my children, and I love them all impartially: This is an analogy for how sentient beings equally possess transcendent, flawless seeds equally listen to the Dharma and equally put it into practice. Reaching the truth of the Dharma, we attain wisdom. Everyone practices, learns and absorbs the benefits of the Dharma together. Thus we are all equally the Buddha’s children. So, with impartial compassion, He taught each the Great Vehicle Dharma.”
We are all equal in the mind of the Buddha. We are all disciples of the Buddha. We need to all form aspirations and make vows to be the Buddha’s children forever and have pure, undefiled hearts like those of young children. If we accept the teachings this way, everything we take in would be the Great Dharma. The passage continues with, “I have these great carts covered with the Seven Treasures countless in number. I should give them to each [child] with an impartial mind”. This passage is an analogy for an impartial heart. “The Buddha views all sentient beings equally, friend and foe alike”.
“This refers to how, with an impartial heart, the Buddha views all sentient beings equally, friend and foe alike. He gives to each with an impartial mind, so that they are not treated differently. Thus He has cultivated impartiality toward all things”.
To all sentient beings, the Buddha is “the kind father of the four kinds of beings” and “the guiding teacher of the Three Realms”. He never abandoned any of His disciples. If they were unwilling to accept teachings, He would simply let them to. Even if they were unwilling to learn in that life, they might have the causes and conditions to accept the Dharma in their next. For instance, Devadatta was so terrible. He constantly hurt the Buddha and created trouble for the Sangha. In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha still gave him a prediction that in the future he will attain Buddhahood. This is because it was due to Devadatta that the strength of the Buddha’s spiritual aspirations could be proved.
It was the harm caused by Devadatta that helped strengthen the Buddha’s perseverance and develop His wisdom. This is why the Buddha was grateful to Devadatta. Thus, He also gave Devadatta this prediction. Compared to the predictions He gave the others, when Devadatta attained Buddhahood he would remain in the world for even longer and transform even more sentient beings. This was how the Buddha treated sentient beings; He was impartial and repaid resentment with virtue. The Buddha “gives to each” with an impartial mind, regardless of whether they are friend or foe. The Dharma He taught was the same; what we can accept depends on our capabilities. The Buddha did not treat people differently.
If we can accept the Dharma, we can benefit greatly from it. If we refuse to accept it, that is our loss. All this depends on us because the Buddha taught the Dharma equally. “Thus He was cultivated impartiality toward all things”. This is what the Buddha has always done. This is also an analogy for “how sentient beings equally possess transcendent, flawless seeds”.
“This is an analogy for how sentient beings equally possess transcendent, flawless seeds, equally listen to the Dharma and equally put it into practice. Thus we are all equally the Buddha’s children, and the Buddha, with impartial compassion, teaches each the Great Vehicle Dharma so that we are not treated differently.”
As I mentioned earlier, we must have faith in ourselves. The Buddha also confirmed this for us by always saying that the mind, Buddha and sentient beings [are the same]. As long as we have the resolve, we can have the same mindset as the Buddha. We must believe that we are all replete with these transcendent and flawless seeds, these pure seeds.
As we listen to the Dharma together, we will form aspirations together. Thus we are all equal; we are all Buddha-children. “So the Buddha, with impartial compassion, teach each the Great Vehicle Dharma so that we are not treated differently.”
Indeed! Since this is the case, shouldn’t we diligently practice? The Buddha “has already perfected His practice.”
When Sakyamuni Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra, He was preparing to enter Parinirvana. Seven years prior to entering Parinirvana, he started to give the Lotus teachings. So, He had “already perfected His practice;” His karmic affinities with this world had ended. The Buddha could have stayed in this world for a kalpa, for a long period of time, but King Mara wanted Him to enter Parinirvana, because if He had been in the world, many would have transcended the Three Realms. Then King Mara would not be able to cause trouble in the world. He thought to cause chaos so that the Buddha would not teach for too long.So, he disrupted Ananda’s mind. The Buddha said three times, “If the world still needs me, I will stay here for a kalpa.” He esaid it three times, but Ananda did not respond. So, King Mara told Sakyamuni Buddha, “See, no one in this world needs you. Your work is done. You should do as You have promised.” You said that when Your affinities with this world have ended, You would enter Parinirvana. So, it is time You enter Parinirvana.”
See, this is what happened after the Buddha had perfected His practice. This was because Ananda did not reply and tell the Buddha, “The world really needs you. Because he did not respond in this way, the Buddha thought that, as King Mara said, His work was done and His affinities had ended.
Now the Buddha has already perfected His practice. His teachings of wisdom are infinitely abundant. His conditions for transformation are mature, thus He loves all impartially and gives each the great cart. In the same way, He has now reveakled the Great Vehicle, which teaches the Bodhisattva Way. By upholding the Great Dharma, we can turn the Great Dharma-wheel.
The Buddha has already “perfected His practice. His teachings of wisdom are infinitely abundant.” Although His affinities had ended, His teachings of wisdom were still infinite. There was still much Dharma [to be taught]. As the conditions for transformation had matured at this time, it was time for Him to teach the Great Dharma. This teaching spoke to all three capabilities. At the Lotus Dharma-assembly, He taught everyone equally with the Great Vehicle Dharma, regardless of their capabilities, the Buddha’s affinities were about to end, so He needed to quickly teach this Dharma.
Thus “[He] gave each the great cart.” This is an analogy for “revealing the Great Vehicle teaching.” The Great Vehicle Dharma was used to teach Bodhisattvas. To complete His mission in this world, he had to let everyone know that they all inherently have these flawless seeds. So, He hoped that everyone could earnestly accept the Dharma. Like drops of water, it nourishes our wisdom-life and helps it grow quickly.
The teachings given the Buddha were “the Great Vehicle, which teaches the Bodhisattva Way.” He hopes all could walk the Bodhisattva-path. “By upholding the Great Dharma we can turn the great the Dharma-wheel. We must all quickly accept the Dharma and continue to teach it to each other. That is how we turn the great Dharma-wheel. Therefore, we must not hesitate anymore. We need to earnestly accept the Dharma and not allow afflictions to prevent us from absorbing the Buddha-Dharma. We must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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