Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Teaching the Three Vehicles According to Capacity (應機並演三乘權實)
Date:June.24. 2015
“With our [nature of] True Suchness, we can awaken to the truths of the universe. The Three Principles and Four States show the infinitesimal changes of impermanence. Intending to teach the Great Dharma, the Buddha considered people’s limited capacities. As it was not suitable to use the Great Vehicle, He had to use skillful means, and apply the Three Vehicles with provisional and true teachings to explain.”
Everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. With Buddha-nature, He attained great awakening by becoming one with the universe. The most important thing in our spiritual practice is to purify our minds so our nature of True Suchness can become one with the universe. This is not impossible. We just need to mindfully experience this. If we are mindful of what happens in the world, we know the four element are not in balance and the mountains, rivers and land are constantly being damaged.
In the western part of Indonesia near the city of Medan, there is a volcano. This volcano has a height of more than 2000 meters. The volcano had been dormant for 400 years; there had been no activity at all. But starting in 2010, the volcano suddenly became active again and began to spit out fire. In 2013, which was last year, the same volcano erupted again, causing lava, or molten rock, to flow down the mountain. It also released a lot of volcanic ash, which reached faraway places. Many people living close by moved away. This was very serious and very dangerous.
This year, on [February 14,] 2014, the volcano erupted again with immense fire and produced lava that continued flow down the mountain. In addition, the ashes kept floating down. Now people have been evacuated 10km away. This is a very urgent situation. The Tzu Chi volunteers in Medan have begun to mobilize. To go from Medan to this volcano, they have to travel over 80km. However, they rushed there to care for people. They visited the six or seven shelters there and saw how people were crowded together. They saw that in one of the shelters there were 600-700 people but only one bathroom. You can imagine how crowded it was in that small space and how poorly their sanitation and other needs were being met.
Tzu Chi volunteers brought supplies such as basic daily necessities for these people displaced by the disaster. They also mobilized doctors from TIMA (Tzu Chi International Medical Association) to provide medical care. The volunteers continued to provide for their daily needs.
Then a few days ago, in the northern part of Indonesia, which is south of the Philippines, a heavy flood occurred. There was heavy rain, and the whole mountain become a rockslide. This was a major disaster, very severe. Tzu Chi volunteers in Jakarta provided help. Special military planes transported the volunteers and the supplies.
See, in Indonesia alone they suffered from the imbalances of water and fire. Both simultaneously occurred in Indonesia. So, it is obvious that there is an imbalance in the four elements [which is seen in] the cycle of formation, existence, decay and disappearance on Earth. Our planet is continuously being damaged, but have humans awakened? Not yet. Although a group of people have acted out of love to go wherever disasters strike, in order to help, they are a small percentage of the population.The proportion of people affected by the disaster is much greater than the proportion of Living Bodhisattvas who help.So, we must continue to inspire everyone to start making changes in their own lives by cutting back and conserving more, praying reverently with good intentions and caring for each other out of love.
If everyone’s heart can become calm, we will realize that in this current era, people’s boundless and insatiable greed leads to frequent manmade calamities and continuous disasters in this world.
If we can calm our minds, we can earnestly reflect on ourselves.The sutras constantly tell us we must repent.Repentance is not about a few people saying, “I repent.”Every single person must engage in self-reflection and repent.Only by reflecting on our own lives will we develop self-control.Only by repenting will we stop our insatiable greed.This is what all humankind must do.
One of the Three Principles describes how the world undergoes formation, existence, decay and disappearance.Right now we live in an era of “decay”.
As for physiological principles, there is the process of birth, aging, illness and death.
Every day we talk about this, but are people vigilant every day about matters of life and death?When it comes to matters of life and death, is it enough just to fear death?We must understand what leads to impermanence.Although the four elements [of the body] are subject to the laws of nature, recently we have seen many anomalies in human physiology.
We learned about one case while we were conducting our winter relief distribution in China.
The mother’s little girl was around seven years old.
One day, when her mother was giving her a bath, she felt something hard in the girl’s stomach.She took the girl to the doctor and discovered that she had tumors in her uterus and her ovaries.
See, she is only a few years old, only around six or seven.Isn’t this very unusual?
A few days ago, I mentioned a young, vibrant girl from Malaysia who came to Taiwan for diagnosis and treatment.She was in her teens, and her problems started with just back pain.The doctors did not know what was going on.She was treated with massage, but she became bruised all over.There was nothing the doctors could do.
When she came to Taiwan, to Tzu Chi’s Dalin Hospital, they examined her carefully and discovered that her illness was also the result of a tumor.By the time she arrived in Taiwan, she could not move a muscle.The suffering and pain she experienced was like that of hell.
Nowadays, among our medical cases, there are many rare disorders.They are also considered anomalies.
Moreover, life is impermanent.We do not know when something like this will suddenly occur.
Although the body is part of us, we cannot fully grasp its workings.What is even more intimate to us, is the psychological principle of arising, abiding, changing and ceasing.
Consider our minds.We listen to the Dharma, but does it “abide” in our minds?Right now, we hear and understand the principles of matter and how our planet, this world, goes through formation, existence, decay and disappearance.Once it enters the stage of “decay,” disasters will multiply.The three major and three minor calamities are fearsome.
However, if they occur far from us, we will forget them quickly.In this ecosystem of the world, how did things become so imbalanced?Because of the collective karma of sentient beings; every sentient beings creates karma, and all this karma is gathered together.
So, we generate pollution and cause damage.This all comes from our minds.A negative thought that arises can lead us to commit countless evils.So, we engage in spiritual practice and listen to the Dharma to inspire positive thoughts to arise in our minds and in the minds of others.
Good and evil are determined by a single thought.We must promptly benefit others, do good deeds and realize the truths of all things in the world.
We must awaken. The Three Principles and Four Stated encompass so many [truths]. The principles of the Buddha-Dharma in this world are intimately connected with our lives. After the Buddha attained enlightenment, He originally wanted to teach the Great Dharma. “Intending” means, in His original thinking, He wanted to teach the Great Dharma. But, after contemplating this, He realized that sentient beings’ capabilities were too limited, so “it was not suitable to use the Great [Vehicle]”. He could not use the Great Vehicle Dharma in speaking with sentient beings because they could not understand or experience it.
Thus, “He had to use skillful means”. He used skillful means by establishing and making use of the Three Vehicles. Humans seek blessings and wisdom and pursue wealth, recognition and gains. The Buddha had to use these kinds of teachings to help everyone understand, “You must recognize the law of karma. If you do good deeds and benefit everyone, you will indeed attain blessings”. By teaching in this way, everyone could accept what He said.
When Hearers listen to this teaching, they can understand the principles of impermanence, suffering and emptiness. [They say,] “I’m afraid. I don’t want to come back to the human realm, so I will earnestly engage in spiritual practice”. These are Hearers.
Next, there are Solitary Realizers. Solitary Realizers say, “I understand. Even if the Buddha does not say anything, I can still achieve understanding. By observing various phenomena myself, without analysis from anyone else, I can understand the concept of impermanence. I can understand that all things are empty in nature.” these are Solitary Realizers. However, they only benefit themselves. So, the Buddha taught something closer to the true principles of the Great Vehicle, which is the Bodhisattva Way. This is how the Buddha put great care and effort into teaching, always hoping that people could overcome their desires for material things, for recognition, wealth and status. Then they can advance in their practice. By giving to others without expectations and excercising great love, they walk the Bodhisattva-path.
“He applied the Three Vehicles with provisional and true teachings to explain”. For people with limited capabilities, He taught the Small Vehicle Dharma. For people with great capabilities, He taught the Great Vehicle Bodhisattva Dharma. This was how the Buddha came to this world and patiently guided people. So, as we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must have the resolve to keep advancing.
In the previous sutra passage, the Buddha began to say that “Sentient beings are not yet able to avoid birth, aging, illness and death worry, sadness, suffering and afflictions”.
All these kinds of afflictions are found in the Three Realms and burn like fire. This is like being in a living hell, a spiritual hell. This suffering is unbearable! In this state, they have no way to understand. If they only pursue worldly things and become afflicted over them, how could they possibly understand the Buddha’s wisdom?
Next, we discuss the following passage.“Sariputra, I am just like that elder who had physical strength but did not use it; instead he earnestly used skillful means to endeavor to save his children from the hardship of the burning house and then gave them all precious great carts.”
The elder could have gone inside and physically dragged them out one by one. He had physical strength, but there were so many and not enough time. So, he earnestly used various methods to teach them. “You must avoid the fire. This is a dangerous place. Get away from it and do not go back in”. We often see images like this one news reports. We can see that the house is one fire, but some people feel that they still have something inside. Perhaps a loved one is inside, or their children or grandchildren. Some people have not made it out. Not knowing whether they are still alive, people want to rush back in. if others try to physically restrain them, they may or may not be successful. Even if others drag them away, who knows if they would right away rush toward the house again. It seems that physical strength is not enough, so one must “earnestly [use] skillful means. The elder explained the principles, one by one. After using what they [wanted] to entice them to come out of the house, he then let them choose among the options.
The three carts were the sheep-cart, the deer-cart and the ox-cart. After the children left the house, he showed them the carts to help them understand. First they had to have a way to control their desires so they could then understand the principles.
“He had his physical strength but did not use it. He intended to teach the Great Dharma, but could not find the appropriate circumstances. Thus with skillful means, He used the Three Vehicles. This explains how suitable teachings are true yet provisional”.
“He had his physical strength but did not use it”. This was like how the Buddha considered teaching the Great Dharma. He “intended to”, but after contemplating it, He “could not find the appropriate circumstances”. He could not teach the Great Dharma to others. Thus “He had to use skillful means and apply the Three Vehicles”. The Buddha decided to teach the Three Vehicles because they were clear and could help us understand. These “suitable teachings” are actually “true [Dharma]”.
In His heart, the Buddha would not abandon sentient beings. Every one of us can attain Buddhahood, so the Buddha would not abandon us.
Thus He used “suitable teachings.” He did this by teaching according to our capabilities because He ultimately wanted us to attain the Dharma, to understand the principles. He wanted to teach the True Dharma. “Instead [He ] earnestly used skillful means.” He had to use various methods to earnestly “teach skillfully with wisdom” so everyone could “let go of all afflictions.”This requires various methods.
He taught skillfully with wisdom so they could let go of all afflictions. With all these various skillful means, He taught and transformed sentient beings, all to lead them to transcend the cycle of suffering and attain Dharma-joy.
Hearers were also taught with the Buddha’s skillful means. Solitary Realizers were as well, so they could, from the provisional teachings, exercise their wisdom to be able to “let go of all afflictions.” With various skillful means, “He taught and transformed sentient beings.” He opened and revealed teachings for them with the sole purpose of enabling them to “transcend the cycle of suffering” so they could stop transmigrating in the Six Realms He hoped that everyone could freely come and go, just like how Buddhas and Bodhisattvas freely come and go in this world to transform sentient beings.
Only by understanding the principles can we attain Dharma-joy.
“The Buddha’s resolve was the Great Vows.” “He considered how to save sentient beings, to see if they could quickly escape the burning house of the Three Realms.” This is the compassion of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, just like the father who wanted his children to leave the burning house. So, he drew them out of the house to accept the teachings and then gave each of them a cart drawn by a great white ox and covered in many treasures.
He helped them understand, “The sheep-cart and deer-cart are too small” “Look at this great ox cart” “It is so magnificent.”“A canopy covered in the Seven Treasures adorns this cart.” “See, it looks so magnificent and luxurious.” “You can have company; it can carry other people as you yourself arrive at your destination.” [The final destination] is the Tathagata’s supreme and perfect enlightenment and His “unsurpassed, extraordinary wisdom.”
The Buddha hoped that His disciples and all humankind could be receptive to this virtuous Dharma.
The Tathagata attained supreme enlightenment and possessed unsurpassed, extraordinary wisdom. In the midst of all sentient beings, He gave the lion’s roar, turned the wondrous Dharma-wheel and attained great freedom. This is His inconceivable power of fearlessness.
“In the midst of all sentient beings, He gave the lion’s roar.” The Buddha expounded the Dharma in this world, but sentient beings were lost and in a stupor.
He had to roar like a lion to turn the Dharma-wheel. A lion’s roar can cause a mountain to vibrate. A lion’s roar can cause a mountain to vibrate. So, it is said He roared like a lion to shake people’s minds [awake]. He used the Buddha-Dharma to rattle their minds. He came to “turn the wondrous Dharma-wheel” to help everyone accept the Dharma and attain great freedom. “This is His inconceivable power of fearlessness.”
We often say, “We feel very moved.” “When I hear the Dharma, I am moved.” We cannot just be moved, we must be rattled. Something so powerful must really rattle our minds so we can awaken our nature of True Suchness. If the Dharma can shake us [awake] and help us achieve profound enlightenment, only then can we suddenly become one with the universe.
So, He “roared like a lion, hoping that we could truly awaken.” Indeed, at all times we must contemplate carefully and always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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