Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Free from Dust, Bodhisattvas Play In This World
(菩薩離塵遊戲人間)
Date:June.03. 2015
“Bodhisattvas free themselves from dust to play effortlessly in the world. They give willingly, take joy in this and never tire. They develop their wisdom-life among people. On the path of awakened sentient beings, they feel free and at ease.”
As Buddhist practitioners, to walk the Bodhisattva-path we must first free ourselves from dust. We must first brush aside our afflictions and let go of them. The Buddha came to the world for one great cause, to “open and reveal” the Dharma in the hope that we will all understand the principles and keep ourselves from creating karma. So, we must free ourselves from dust, which is the defilements of afflictions. We have the potential to become Bodhisattvas while we are in this world if we can free our minds from dust and defilement. If we have a pure, selfless and undefiled mind, we can play effortlessly through the world. By hearing the Buddha-Dharma in this world, we can understand the Three Realms. Then when our terrifying desires arise, we can protect ourselves with precepts. When we see things of all shapes and sizes, we must guard against wrongs and stop evil. When something does not belong to us, we must not have improper thoughts about it. Then we will not be tempted [into action] by anything. On top of this, we must purify our hearts. Even if there are many objects of desire and the potential for instant pleasure somewhere, we will not want to linger there.
Look at this passage of the sutra text. We have already spent a very long time talking about this “burning house”. The “burning house” is the human realm. It is not just the human realm, but everything we have created. When the Six Roots (sense organs) connect with the Six Dusts (sense objects), that triggers the Six Consciousnesses. If, before anything reaches the seventh consciousness, we can eliminate any kind of desire, our thinking will naturally be pure. If our thinking is pure, then naturally in everything we do we will be able to live as if we are playing in the world. Everything we do will be done with the understanding that this is how life is.
Then we can interact with people with great ease and live with a sense of playfulness. For instance, recently in the Philippines, our “cash for work” program has come to an end. We have now begun distributing cash assistance and relief aid. We have seen people there experiencing all kinds of hardship. Some of these residents went from having a lot to having nothing, from living harmoniously with their families to being separated from them forever. How have these people managed to get by?
Fortunately, there were Tzu Chi’s Bodhisattva[-volunteers], who gathered from all over the world to get involved in the efforts there and contribute to these disaster survivors. There was an 80-year-old grandmother who was left all alone with her granddaughter. Their roof had flown off, and everything in the house was scattered about. Their lives were already difficult to begin with, and after this natural disaster, the suffering was unbearable; everything seemed hopeless. Then Tzu Chi volunteers appeared and gave them the necessities they needed right away. Upon receiving these things, they were so happy. In particular, upon receiving loving comfort from the volunteers, they felt very grateful. Their spirits were raised. The grandmother said to her granddaughter, “You must study hard in school and I will stay by your side and watch you grow up.” Now they have the strength to start anew.Yesterday, after they received relief aid from us, upon their return home, they saw that it was 15,000 Philippine pesos.
They said to each other, “this must be wrong. There are only two of us, so we should only receive 8000 pesos.”
They gave us the wrong amount.“We should return the extra 7000 pesos right away.”Holding hand, grandmother and granddaughter returned to where we were distributing aid.
They said, “Thank you for your monetary assistance, but we received an extra 7000 pesos. There are only two of us, so we want to return it right away.”The Tzu Chi volunteers were very moved and accompanied them back to their home.Looking up, they saw there was no roof.Looking inside, they saw that everything had been completely damaged.
The volunteers could see that the emergency items they received a few of days ago, blankets, rive, oil, grass mats, etc., had already been put to use in their daily living.The grass mats were laid out on the ground, the blankets were being used and the bags of rice had been opened and used in their cooking.
The items provided to them by Tzu Chi were what they had immediately needed.The money that Tzu Chi had provided them with could have been used to sustain their lives or to buy corrugated metal sheets for a new roof, but they were not greedy about the extra money that they had received.
One of the volunteers asked, “You had the excess money in hand; why did you come back to us to return it?”The young girl the granddaughter said, “This is not what we were supposed to receive. Tzu Chi volunteers have told us, We should always be grateful. When we feel grateful, we do not feel greedy, so we felt that we should return it.”
What we have seen and heard during the time we have spent with the survivors there, giving to help them, shows how the volunteers were constantly teaching.
This was done by putting the Dharma into practice, by opening up their arms to embrace the survivors and comfort them.They consoled and were even able to motivate them.To the survivors, life seemed gloomy and hopeless.The volunteers guided and energized them, helping them regain their hopes and move on with their lives.The volunteers raised their spirits and helped them become energized.
By working hard, the survivors earned money from our “cash for work” program.With their labor and their strength, they cleaned up their own neighborhoods and were able to earn money for doing it.
A man who was part of the program said, “The first day I received my wages from the Tzu Chi volunteers they taught me not to waste my money, but to do something for my wife and children.”He said, “With money I received that first day, I immediately bought thins that my family could eat and use.”He bought rice and oil so that his children would have food to eat.
He said, “Even though once I spent these 500 pesos they are gone, the volunteers words will stay with me forever.”
This is the effect of Living Bodhisattvas who come from all over the world to give with utmost sincerity.
A few days ago, the president of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce was on a video conference with me when he said, “One behalf of the Chinese people here, I want to express our tremendous gratitude. Thank you all for being willing to come here. Those few days after the disaster first struck, there was a terrible smell from all the corpses. The animal carcasses also gave off a stench. Yet despite the foul odor so many volunteers have come here to help out. They have also mobilized so many people to join the cleanup efforts. So, we are all very grateful.”
Indeed!Living Bodhisattvas are not afraid of hard work.
[The disaster area] was smelly, filthy and also very chaotic.But people spent their own money to get there and were undeterred by the difficulty of the journey.Think about it, aren’t they like Bodhisattvas who have freed themselves from dust?They are playing effortlessly through the world!Those affected had no prior connection with us, and they lived so far away.Yet, Tzu Chi volunteers were willing to go there and do their part.They treated strangers as part of their family and willing gave of themselves.
One of the volunteers who just returned asked me, Master, can I go back again?“[I said,] “Isn’t it very tiring to be there?”“The people there really need our help, and I feel like I have to go.”So, there were volunteers who kept going back.They give willingly, take joy in this and never tire.
In this world of suffering and hardship, when we willingly go into these situations, we take joy in this and never tire. From the bottom of our hearts, with genuine love, we say, “I am willing”. Then we can experience this joy from taking action. Once we have chosen this kind of path, we are willing to go repeatedly to help. “I am willing” implies an eagerness to give and to keep helping others in this world without complaining about being tired or how hard it is. When we take joy in this and never tire, we are indeed growing our wisdom-life.
This is how our wisdom-life develops and matures. This world is filled with impurities, and the turbidity of afflictions creates much suffering in this world. So, Bodhisattvas must go among people. Though people have myriad afflictions, Bodhisttvas do not become defiled by them. They remain uncontaminated, so “Bodhisattvas free themselves from dust”. Their minds are already pure. Bodhisattvas minds are very healthy, as if they have a strong immune system. If our state of mind is proper and correct, we can go among people without being affected by them.
There are so many kinds of people. Every person is a sutra [for us to read]. By learning about their lives, we attain more wisdom. This is why Bodhisattvas go among the people. When the Buddha taught His disciples, why did He insist that they all walk the Bodhisattva-path in order to attain Buddhahood? This is because by going among people our wisdom-life will grow.
The Buddha, in the Lotus Sutra, constantly taught with analogies. He constantly mentioned that spiritual practice always takes place in the human realm and always requires us to remain strong in the face of suffering and hardship. By willingly walking the Bodhisattva-path, we can travel in peace and with great ease. This is how the Buddha-Dharma helps us cherish being born as a human. We are grateful for the body our parents gave us. We are grateful to the Buddha for opening up the right path for us. We are grateful to sentient beings for enabling us to sustain our physical life, and we are grateful for the appearances they manifest that help our wisdom-life grow. We are also grateful for the heavens and earth. This is the Fourfold Grace.
Because of the Fourfold Grace in our lives, we must cherish the body we have and use it to walk the Bodhisattva-path. The parable of the burning house contains an abundance of teachings, which constantly remind us to be vigilant. Every one of them is True Dharma. Because we cannot understand True Dharma, the Buddha used the analogy of the burning house.
The previous passage starts with “Sariputra said”. The elder had set up three kinds of carts outside the house but ended up giving them the great cart. Was he thus being deceptive? The Buddha asked Sariputra to answer this question. He called upon Sariputra to answer, asking him. “By doing this, was the elder being deceptive?”
Sariputra answered, “Venerable Buddha, not at all! How could this be considered deceptive? World-Honored One, the elder wanted to quickly get his children out of the burning house in order to preserve their lives, so he used various methods to achieve that. By setting up the three kinds of carts, he saved their lives. How could what he said have been false?” “Why?” Sariputra responded in an emphatic tone,
“What is the reason? He protected their bodies and lives and each attained something that brought them joy. Furthermore, he used skillful means to rescue them from the burning house”.
This shows that Sariputra already understood the Buddha’s intent, that He wished to help the listeners develop an even clearer understanding. Therefore, Sariputra answered by saying, “This elder, out of love for his children, skillfully set up the three kinds of carts to entice his children to leave the burning house”. He was acting according to their needs. Knowing what the children felt they needed and “in accordance with what they each desired, he gave them the things they wanted”. That was why he set up these three kinds of carts.
In the end, he gave them the cart that was the best and would make them most happy.
“Sariputra understood the Buddha’s intent and thus answered: “The elder only wanted to help all his children to escape the fire. Thus he promised them the three carts in accordance with what they each desired so they each could get what made them happy. Those who had sought the small, instead attained the great and were joyful”.
Actually, what the children wanted were the smaller sheep-carts and deer-carts. That is why they ran outside. However, when they saw the cart drawn by the great white ox, they felt even happier.This was because this ox-cart had already been decorated with priceless treasures.It was particularly beautiful and attractive. Moreover, they could travel with companions. So, of course the ox-cart was the best option.Thus He was able to “keep their bodies intact.”
If their bodies were not damaged by the fire, they would still have their lives. This in itself makes them very fortunate and is something they should be grateful for. Moreover, “the Buddha gave provisional teachings in accord with capabilities.” To get them to come out, He devised skillful means. He used skillful means because even though. He wanted to give them so much, their capabilities were limited. So, He said things like, “There are sheep-carts and deer –carts, carts drawn by sheep and carts drawn by deer.” “Hurry up and come out.”
In fact, the elder was already mentally prepared to give them the great ox-cart, not the small carts. He mentioned the small carts because that was what they though they wanted. This is an analogy for how the Buddha gave provisional teachings in accordance with people’s capabilities. This is an analogy for how the Buddha taught He originally wanted dot guide us to walk the Bodhisattva-path so we could ultimately attain the goal of becoming a Buddha.
But beforehand, the Buddha had to devise the Three Vehicles.The Three Vehicles are the Hearer, Solitary Realizer and Bodhisattva Vehicles. In face, He ultimately wanted to teach us the Great Vehicle, the Bodhisattva Way.
Furthermore, according to their capabilities, the Buddha gave provisional teachings understanding by exercising His skillful wisdom.Understanding the One Vehicle’s True Dharma is true wisdom. Understanding the provisional teachings of the Three Vehicles lead to escape the buring house and be liberate from the suffering of the fire.
“Understanding the One Vehicle’s True Dharma means that we already understand in our hearts” that what the Buddha used in the past was skillful means and provisional wisdom. This understanding is true wisdom. Out of true wisdom, the Buddha gave provisional teachings; this was why He established the Three Vehicles. Thus we “understand the provisional teachings of the Three Vehicles.” The Buddha knew [our capabilities], so He used the Three Vehicles as a guide to help us along the way. These skillful means are absolutely essential teachings in this world.
We must use these way of living in this world to enter the Bodhisattva-path. For the sake of those who are suffering, we give of ourselves. By taking on the suffering in this world, we can develop our wisdom. This demonstrates how mindful the Buddha was; He applied His wisdom to transform all beings. So, Bodhisattva must free themselves from dust and impurities.
Playing effortlessly in this world, they see [life] as a game. No matter how others criticize us, we must also treat it as part of the game. When something is the right thing to do, we must do it. Whether we are on the right course depends on whether we are on the path of awakened beings. Are we walking the Bodhisattva-path? Are we willingly giving to others? Are we giving our of genuine sincerity so we take joy in this and never tire? Have we absorbed the Dharma by interacting with other people? Are we walking this road with a sense of peace and great ease?
All of this is a part of the Buddha’s goal in giving the Lotus teachings. In this [parable of the] burning house, there is much True Dharma for us to mindfully delve into. So everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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