Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Teaching Principles with Skillful Means (方便教釋權實無妄)
Date:June.04. 2015
“With skillful means, He patiently taught based on the principles. By adapting to conditions, He guided them with provisional teachings. He taught simply according to capabilities, while the meaning within was profound. His language was skillful, and in the end, led them to understand the path.”
Leaning the Buddha’s Way is inseparable from skillful means. With skillful means, we can patiently guide others. We are still adhering to the principles as we use various methods to explain the Dharma. There are people for whom this Dharma is useful, so we use skillful means to share our understanding with other people in a skillful manner. Thus, “With skillful means, He patiently taught.” Of course, we must take the Dharma to heart and be able to practice it. Only then can we help other people see, listen and understand it. We must also “adapt to conditions.” After observing people’s capabilities, should we give these teachings as strict rules or as principles that are more harmonious? This is also related to “skillful means”.
Thus “[We] guide them with provisional teachings.” We must also devise teachings according to their capabilities so they can take the Dharma to heart and then guide them to move to forward in their lives, heading in the right direction, with steady and sure steps.
Of course, if the principles are too profound, people cannot understand them or put them into practice. Therefore, we must “teach simply according to capabilities, while the meaning within is profound.” They have to be able to walk this road in order to understand how smooth it actually is. If they have a proper goal, though they are still far away from it, their journey will be steady and enjoyable, so they will keep walking forward. Therefore, we must use “language that is skillful.” After hearing the Dharma and taking it to heart, if we speak about it with various methods, those who have been listening a long time will eventually be moved. Being moved, they will give rise to faith. Faith will then lead to action, which will also lead them to realize the principles. So, the Dharma truly must be put into practice.
We often talk of the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. Previously, we discussed the Four Right Efforts, the Four Bases of Fulfilling Power and the Fourfold Mindfulness. As I have shared with everyone, the foundation for practicing the Lotus teachings is also the 37 Practices Enlightenment. I often say that for a group study, it is best to use the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. This is what we should be reviewing constantly.
When Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, Tzu Chi volunteers around the world mobilized. They provided emergency relief starting when things seemed the darkest; everything was in ruins and people did not have even a shred of hope. In an instant, they had been plunged into what felt like the dark depths of hell. A group of Living Bodhisattvas went to help them right away. They contributed and helped by raising funds. This is like what happened in Honduras and the Dominican Republic; you may still remember what happened in 1998 with Hurricane George. A string of seven or eight countries all suffered a great deal of damage. That year, Tzu Chi volunteers in Taiwan mobilized. We gathered all of these material things and meticulously organized everything with love. In addition, we solicited donations. Therefore, it was possible to conduct a series of relief distributions in many of those countries.
The Dominican Republic, Honduras and El Salvador are now all places where the seeds [of Tzu Chi] have been planted.We have seen how in the Dominican Republic, they have begun to mobilize people there.
We understand that education is essential for the local children.When we discovered that the children [we worked with] had no school to attend, we built a school for them right away.The school was built on a mountain of trash.
After we cleaned up and removed all the trash, that piece of land was dedicated to education, as part of “Project Hope”.The teachers and principal are very mindful.
In December of every year, Tzu Chi volunteers deliver a Thanksgiving present to them.This year, at the beginning of December, which was the beginning of this month, they gave apples as gifts to the children.At the same time, they told the teachers about the major disaster in the Philippines.
The teachers then shared this information with the children.They told them “Those who help others are more blessed then those who are being helped. No one on earth is too poor to help other people. Those with money can give money, those who are able can lend a hand. If you can give even a little bit out of love, you will be helping others.”
This is what the teachers shared.When students in the afternoon classes heard this news, they began to donate the change they had on them.There was a very poor student who brought a bag of corn flour.
He told his teacher, “Teacher, I really don’t have anything to give. My family doesn’t have much, but I can give this bag of corn flour. This is not much, but this is all I have.”
There was also another student who, after depositing his loose change, said to his teacher, ”Teacher, I also have this package of noodles, please send it to the Philippines for me.”
Though these children were very poor, “No one on earth is too poor to help other people,” so they did whatever they could.
Hearing stories like this is very moving.Something similar happened in Honduras.In 2011, another major storm struck Honduras.We have been building houses for them since then.These villagers who have received assistance from Tzu Chi have also joined us as volunteers, one by one.After learning of the disaster in the Philippines, everyone there began to call on people to help.They wanted to do a charity sale, so everyone donated whatever they could.Some people had clothing, so they donated clothing.Some had shoes, so they donated shoes.
Whatever they had at home, they were willing to give. Some storeowners also gave in the same way.They collected certain items and then [donated them to] our charity sale.Though we did not have a great many things to sell at this charity sale or things of great value, it was the people’s intentions which made them very valuable.
Although Honduras is a poor country, everything people did added up.
“Nurture any goodness that has already arisen. Quickly give rise to goodness that has not arisen.”Everyone was giving rise to goodness.But we must also “quickly eliminate the evil that has already arisen” and “prevent evil that has not arisen from arising”.I am not sure what kind of information reached the inside of an American prison, but one of the inmates there learned about the major disaster that struck the Philippines, so he bought coffee from the prison commissary.Then he sent somewhere between 10-20 canisters of coffee in a package to Tzu Chi USA Headquarters.He included a simple message.“I hope you can sell them for me and use that money to support the Philippines disaster relief.”
When we shared this story of what we received, his love created a ripple effect.Some people who saw these coffee canisters bought them out of love, for a few hundred [US] dollars.
There was also a man, Mr. Gao, who was very moved by the story of this inmate who had lost his freedom, yet still wanted to donate money to help and sent these coffee canisters in spite of the difficulties.He was very touched and said, “I will buy it out of charity.”He gave US$1000.
People “bought” these canisters as a sign of love; no one actually took them home.
It happened that there was a person who had just come back to the US from Manila after helping with the disaster relief.
Chi Jue had personally gone to the disaster area and seen the hardship people faced. When he returned to the US and heard about this inmate with such a loving heart, he wanted to help his efforts succeed. So, he donated US$3000 to “buy” this coffee. Another person donated US$2000. All together, by this point, more than US$6000 was raised. See, this is love. We see cycles of love and ripples of love. What can be considered the Buddha-Dharma? Teachings that awaken the love in people’s hearts. That is what we call the Buddha-Dharma. “Refrain from all evils; do all good deeds”. This is the teaching of the Buddha.
So, when we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must not look down on “skillful means”, for they are the True Dharma. Good words and good deeds will create an endless cycle and “in the end lead them to understand the path”. No matter what methods we use, in the end, we can come together with the path and the true principles. True principles invariably teach people to do good and to eliminate their afflictions. The Buddha’s teachings make Him “the guiding teacher of the Three Realms” and “the kind father of the four kinds of beings”. In His approach to teaching sentient beings, He views them as His children. This is the compassion of the Buddha.
He is the same as the elder of the great house who could not bear to see his children burned by a fire and thus used various methods to draw them out. “Come out quickly!” When all else failed, he came up with a skillful way to do this. He set up three kinds of carts outside to draw them out. By doing this, was he deceiving them? Certainly not. It was to save them that he used various methods to convey to them that they should “leave quickly and not remain in that dangerous place”. After the various things he said to them did not work, he enticed them to come out with material goods.
So, in the previous sutra passage, Sariputra understood the Buddha’s intent, so he replied to His question with great care “He did this to save people, that was his original intention. These people were able to preserve their lives and be unharmed by the fire. They could emerge safely. This is a benefit they have already received.”
“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”.
Life is the most valuable thing. Nothing else is as valuable. So, being safe is already like attaining “something that brought them joy”. They had already attained something vary valuable. The elder had planned from the beginning to show them a few things that would entice them to come out. Then once they came out, he was going to give them all that he had. So, there was nothing false in what He said. The next sutra passage states,
“World-Honored One, even if this elder did not give even the smallest carts to the children, there was nothing false in what He said”
“World-Honored One, in order to save the children, the elder said various things to draw them outside. Since they have all emerged safely, even if he did not give them anything, even if he did not give them the smallest cart, what he said would still not be considered false”. He did this to save them and keep them safe, so what he said was not false. Sariputra emphatically said again,
“What is the reason? This elder first had this thought, I will use skillful means to lead my children out. These were the causes and conditions, so he spoke no falsehood”.
This was the elder’s plan from the beginning. Because the children did not want to come out, he had to use skillful means to draw them outside. The elder already “first had this thought”. In his heart, he was already prepared to entice them to come out by various means. Therefore, there was nothing false in what he said. The way Sariputra answered the question demonstrated his respect.
He respected and believed that the World-Honored One had not said anything false. Not only did the children emerge with their lives intact, once they came out, they were all given an ox-cart. He gave them such a great gift; how could that be false or wrong? It could not.
“Sariputra respectfully expressed his belief that the World-Honored One had not said anything false. He only wanted His children to escape the fire. By further giving them all great carts equally, he did not commit the fault of speaking a falsehood.”
After they came out. “In the end he did not give the smaller carts, but equally gave each a great cart”.
“In the end he did not give the smaller carts, but equally gave each a great cart; this describes the elder’s original intent. But the small and great carts were part of his original intent.”
After they came out, he gave everyone a great cart. This describes how the elder’s original intent was to give them the great cart. Similarly, the Buddha originally wanted to teach us the Great Vehicle Dharma, but we were unable to accept it. Thus, the Buddha had to find a way to get sentient beings to open their minds so they could take in the Dharma.
The burning house was dangerous. Everyone needed to quickly make their escape. However, they had so many afflictions that they could not leave through the door. This shows how we sentient beings cannot accept the teachings because they are too great our greed and attachments are immense. So, we are unwilling to leave. This is why the smaller carts were needed. The sheep-cart and the deer-cart were placed outside for people who had not yet eliminated their afflictions.
Sariputra emphatically restated, “What is the reason? This elder first had this thought, I will use skillful means to lead my children out. These were the causes and conditions, so he spoke no falsehood.”
Because the elder had spoken this way, this was what originally in his heart. This is an analogy for how “the Great Vehicle that the Buddha is formally teaching now does not conflict with the Three Vehicles that were skillful taught in the past.”
This verifies that the Buddha would, at this Dharma-assembly, begin to “formally teach the Great Vehicle.” “Setting aside the skillful for the direct He began to teach the supreme Dharma.” He began to teach the Great Vehicle Dharma.
This an analogy for how the Great Vehicle that the Buddha is formally teaching now does not conflict with the Three Vehicles that were skillfully taught in the past.
[It] does not conflict with the Three Vehicles that were skillfully taught in the past.” Now He was going to teach the Great Vehicle. We already know that, in the past, the Buddha had established the Three Vehicles for Hearers, Solitary Realizers and Bodhisattvas. We also know that now the Buddha wanted to teach the Bodhisattva-path. The Bodhisattva-path He was going to teach did not conflict with the teachings for Hearers and Solitary Realizers.
These Hearers and Solitary Realizers should be able to accept the Bodhisattva-path now, for Sariputra was one of them.This was intended for everyone to see. You see, in the past, Sariputra was among the Hearers and Solitary Realizers. Now, having come to the Lotus Dharma-assembly, he had begun to attain realizations. After gaining understanding he made great vows, so he was worthy of receiving this prediction that he would attain Buddhahood in the future. It was at the Lotus Dharma-assembly that Sariputra received this confirmation. So, there is no falsehood in what the Buddha said.
We must believe that the Buddha’s teachings are very organized and sequential. This was why teaching the Lotus Sutra and the Great Vehicle Dharma did not conflict with what He had taught in the past now the great could encompass the small; this refers the past provisional teachings and the True Dharma He was now teaching.
This is also like why the elder set up the three kinds of carts outside the burning house; it was for the sole purpose of guiding the sentient beings inside the burning house of the Three Realms to transcend these Three Realms and eliminate afflictions; He did this with various methods.
So, “With skillful means, He patiently taught cased on the principles. By adapting to conditions, He guided them with provisional teachings. He taught simply according to capabilities, while the meaning within was profound. His language was skillful, and in the end, led them to understand the path. The Great [Vehicle] Dharma He now taught does not conflict with the Small [Vehicle] Dharma that He had taught in the past.
The Small Vehicle Dharma also leads ultimately to the Great Vehicle Dharma. This was the Buddha’s intention. He hoped everyone would return to their nature of True Suchness and be equal to the Buddha in realizing the true principles of all things in the universe. This was what the Buddha intended, as well as the intent if the elder. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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