Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Dharma-Children Inherit Great Dharma (一乘大法傳法子)
Date:June.05. 2015
“In the families of this world, fathers pass on their legacy to sons. This relationship is a conditioned phenomenon. The World-Honored One passes on the Great Dharma to Dharma-children. This is the unconditioned Dharma based on True Suchness.”
Recently, we have been repeatedly studying this sutra passage about the guiding teacher of the Three Realms and kind father of the four kinds of beings. The elder of the great house had children who were lost and confused, so he set up three kinds of carts for them, eventually giving them the cart drawn by the great white ox.
This story seems so short. How could it contain so many principles? In fact, the human realm is very vast, and there are so many people! Each person has different views and afflictions. In this world, there are so many complications with people, matters, relationships and principles. We can summarize all this with these words, people, matters, relationships and principles, but from these things are created many complications between people.
So, the Buddha manifested in the world solely to help everyone understand the principles of people, relationships, matters and objects.
[In the parable of] the burning house alone, many of our afflictions are described through analogies to the complications in the house, for instance, the children’s stubbornness, attachments, greed, etc. The burning house is full of dangers. Similarly, in this world, there are many hazards and traps that have been created by people, layers upon layers of hazards buried beneath us. These are all related to the burning house of the Three Realms and to the dazed and confused state of the children in it. These children’s attachments and these children’s stubbornness are all a part of this. There are many principles behind [the interactions of] all these people in the great house.
In summary, “In the families of this world, fathers pass on their legacy to sons.” Isn’t this very simple? The relationship between father and son is passed down from generation to generation. In this world, is there any father who does not wish to pass his business on to his son? In this world, doesn’t every son [hope to] have a close relationship with his father? The son’s family background and growth can be very simple, but the relationship between father and son can be very complicated.
Some fathers love their children dearly and work themselves to death for their sake. Fathers who are wealthy may think, “Because my son will take over this business, I must work harder to build it up. I have a lot, but it’s not enough. I have a big business, but it’s not big enough. I need a lay down a foundation for him which is long, wide, sizable and strong.”
However, the son may not be grateful to his father. He feels, “All my father wants to do is make money. He doesn’t even care about having a genuine father-son relationship.” So, the father’s efforts backfire. Is this kind of life a happy one? Thus, these “conditioned phenomena” give rise to relationships. In this world, there are conditioned phenomena. Father, son, grandson and so on are all labels for “conditioned phenomena”. But they are the basis for our relationships. If propriety is no longer respected in these relationships, parent-children relationships become very complicated.
These relationships are affected by [desires].[Fathers] desire to build up a business.To fulfill expectations and desires, people create many industries in different fields.
Producing new material goods requires more than one industry.With all these things, in order to have future advancements, more industries must be created.
Everything that has been created is conditioned phenomena.In this realm of physical existence, we want to make all kinds of things because of our desires.
Thus, [we disrupt] our relationship and other conditioned phenomena.Whether people’s feelings towards each other or material in the realm of physical existence, all these conditioned phenomena can disrupt our relationships.
The desire hidden within each of our minds has no shape or form, but once it is unleashed, it turns everything in the entire universe upside down.Our desires can extend everywhere.
So, if these conditioned phenomena disrupt the propriety of our relationships, think about how complicated and frightening the effects of that will be.
Once these desires are unleashed, they turn everything upside down.Think about the Three Realms, this burning house; people cling to this place out of confusion, unaware that the fire will burn them.Think about it, don’t these confused children lead very complicated lives?
In the beginning, things were so simple, but when a single thought deviated, it disrupted everything.Conditioned phenomena disrupt so many worldly matters, objects and principles.
The World Honored One was an exception.“The World-Honored One passes on the Great Dharma to Dharma-children.”“This is the unconditioned Dharma based on True Suchness.”
So, the Buddha came to this world to find ways to reestablish these relationships.He explained to us that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature and we must take the Buddha-Dharma to heart to return to our nature of True Suchness.
Our intrinsic nature of True Sickness is “unconfined Dharma,” it is ever-abiding.Thus it contains the principles; these principles are straightforward and orderly.They are not confusing; they are direct.
So, the great and direct path is Bodhi, the great and direct Bodhi-path.We have lost this great and direct Bodhi-path, so the Buddha returned to the world to “open and reveal” the way for us.
“You are on the wrong path; turn back quickly.”So, He had to teach with various ways to help us clearly recognize that each lifetime is limited and that we have created causes and conditions, etc.
He helped people clearly see the objects of their desires and their relationships, so they can return to the purest state.He explained relationships, principles and things so that everyone can understand the Dharma and be clear about the principles.Then their feelings can become simple and pure again.This is the one great cause for which the Buddha came to the world.He brought the Great Dharma to this world to pass it on to His Dharma-children.
To receive the Dharma, we also need the right causes and conditions.
For instance, an inmate from a US prison donated 21 canisters of coffee.He also wrote a very emotional letter.
He said, “I’m in prison, so many things are very inconvenient for me.I sent these [canisters of coffee] holing you can sell them for charity and use the money for disaster relief in the Philippines.”How would someone in prison know [about this]?He is even in the US, so far away.
A few years ago, there was a pastor in Las Vegas who brought Jing Si Aphorisms with him when he visited prisons.After some inmates read the Jing Si Aphorisms, they wrote to the Tzu Chi Las Vegas service center.
From then on, we often received letters from inmates.
Each letter is filled with stories.
Tzu Chi USA Headquarters received a package with the canisters of coffee. When this package arrived at the headquarters, one of the volunteers who read the letter said, “This is so moving. Even though he is [in prison], he is still thinking about disasters elsewhere and proactively sent this to us. Buying things [in prison] is so difficult. Since he sent this to us, I will buy one”. She bought it for several hundred dollars. May other people bought [the coffee] until there were only a few cans left. When Faith Corps and Honorary Board members learned about this, they said, “I’ll buy it for US$3000” but did not take it, “I’ll buy it for US$2000” but did not take it, “I will buy it for US$1000” but did not take it. I heard that the remaining canisters of coffee being “sold” for charity being “sold” for charity had raised over US$10,000. People were still making donations.
Once someone understands this kind of love, once someone knows the principles, then cause and conditions will develop. Now, inside many prisons in the United States, there are volumes of Jing Si Aphorisms. We are gradually expanding this program so that inmates can encounter these simple principles of how to be a good person. Then they will realize that the way they used to behave was wrong. With a slight karmic affinity, these people can perhaps be inspired and guided to understand, uphold and act according to the Dharma; in this way, these words are Great Dharma.
Similarly, people who have karmic connections with the Buddha can accept the Buddha-Dharma. Because of the Buddha-Dharma. “Dharma-children are born of the Buddha’s mouth. This is the unconditioned Dharma based on True Suchness”. Indeed, these principles have always been this way. They were not created by anyone. They have always been in place, so after the Buddha unlocked His wisdom, He was able to describe to us this Dharma which has always existed for us to understand it.
So, it is said that “Dharma-children are born of the Buddha’s mouth”. If we can understand and accept the Dharma, we are truly the Dharma-children of the Buddha. If we do not understand, we will never take the Dharma to heart and our wisdom-life will not be nourished by the essence of the Dharma. Then our wisdom-life would not be able to grow.
The beginning of this 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”.
This elder and the three kinds of carts outside were analogies. Sariputra answered Sakyamuni Buddha by saying, “There was no falsehood”.
The Buddha spoke the truth, what is real. What He really wanted to give His disciples were the most abundant teachings, the Great Vehicle Dharma which helps everyone return to their pure nature and attain Buddhahood. He had always planned to help everyone return to their intrinsic nature. The Buddha is like the elder in the parable. Although the elder did not give the children sheep-carts and deer-carts, he gave them a cart drawn by a great white ox. This does not count as a falsehood, as he gave them more than what they needed. In the same way, the Buddha taught the Dharma in the human realm in the hope that we can all return to our intrinsic Tathagata-nature and have pure and liberated [minds]. This was the Buddha’s intention.
In the next sutra passage, Sariputra is still speaking.
“Moreover, this elder knew that his wealth was infinite. He wanted to benefit all of his children by equally giving them great carts. The Buddha told Sariputra, Excellent, excellent. It is as you say.”
The “elder” mentioned is an older person of great virtue and prestige” who is also “cautious and genuine”. It is not an easy matter for a person to be considered an “elder”. An “elder” has to first be old enough. In ancient times, someone had to be over 60 to be called an “elder”. “An older person of great virtue and prestige” is someone who is known for having virtue. He does everything very cautiously and is very genuine toward others, which means he is very honest. Faith, steadfastness, sincerity and integrity are part of the character of someone considered an elder. He has to be old enough and behave in a way that is of great virtue and worthy of respect. This kind of person can be considered an “elder”.
In the past, the elder drew his children out of the house by promising them these three kinds of carts. In the end, he only gave them one kind of cart. This was something unexpected. “Originally, I only asked for this much, but I actually received so much more”. They originally wanted [something smaller], but in “seeking something small they got something big”, so they should be pleased beyond expectations. They should be overjoyed.
People in this world say, “I have built up such a big business so that I can leave it to my child”. The child says, “I don’t need this from my father. I don’t want it. I don’t want to rely on him.” If this is the case, it does not matter how wealthy the father is. However wonderful the Buddha-Dharma is, if people are unwilling to accept it, it is of no use. Therefore, this all depends on karmic conditions. Furthermore, when we are doing things, we have to be very cautious, we have to be very cautious. This elder has great virtue and prestige, he does things very cautiously and is a very genuine person. What this elder gave to his children greatly surprised them. “I thought I would only get this much, but actually I got so much more”.
This is because this elder gave with great live. “He wanted to benefit all of this children by equally giving them great carts.” The elder wanted to benefit these children, so he gave them a cart drawn by the great white ox.
“To benefit [others] is something Bodhisattva practitioners want to do. If we are willing to engage in Bodhisattva-practice, we must practice “leading all sentient beings whether through giving [or through other means].”
What is the Bodhisattva-practice? It is cultivated through “charitable giving, charitable giving” or “kind words.” When we speak, we must use good words, helpful words and educational words. Perhaps we can engage in “conduct that benefit others.” Then everything we do will benefit people. Perhaps we can cultivate through engaging in the same kind of work, or working with those who want to do something together.These are the Four All-Embracing Virtues, the foundation for being a Bodhisattva.
To be a Bodhisattva, we must practice the Four All-Embracing Virtues. All sentient beings need us to bring them these “benefits.” This is an essential part of Bodhisattva-practice.
To benefit: This is describing how Bodhisattva-practice, whether through charitable giving, or through kind words, or through conduct that benefits others, or through engaging in the same kind of work, lead all sentient beings to attain peace and joy. This is the meaning of “to benefit.”
To [benefit] all sentient beings, we must earnestly use the power of love to give to everyone. Then, people can attain peace and joy. Look at the inmates in prison who received books of Jing Si Aphorisms. Through only a few simple sentences, they took those simple principles to heart.Thus they were able to stabilize their minds and change their behavior. After they are released, they will likely change their ways and become a completely different person. This is how we “benefit” them.
So, this cart drawn by the great white ox brings benefits to all sentient beings. When the Buddha heard what Sariputra said, He was very happy “Excellent! Excellent! It is as you say.” This is a double praise. “Excellent! Excellent!” means the Buddha very happy, praising him for proper and correct answers. This elder did not say anything false, as his intention was that with his abundant wealth and his love for his children, he would give his children an abundance of things. This is just as the Buddha loves sentient beings as His own children and hopes that every disciple can attain the Great Dharma, the True Dharma of the One Vehicle. The same principles apply here.
So, He was very happy with Sariputra’s answer and praised him twice. This was because “the Buddha would not say that His own words are not false.” The Buddha would not say, “What I say is very true.” He let others say, “The Buddha spoke the truth, what is real. What the Buddha says is right.” If Sariputra said this, everyone would be more convinced.So, He asked Sariputra to answer His question and was very satisfied with his response. This is the reason everyone will regard the Dharma with more respect, have more confidence in it and find it to be more powerful. Because of this, the Buddha praised him doubly.
When Sariputra, as one heard the Dharma, understood and realized the principles, then shared what he learned, this proved that there was nothing false in the Buddha’s teachings.
As we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must place great importance on this. Through we are discussing the parable of the burning house, if we make and effort to be mindful, then aren’t the people, matters and objects that we face everyday, no different from the people, matters and objects of the Three Realms? If we are mindfulm the Dharma is right before us. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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