Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Leave the Three Realms to Attain the Joy of Nirvana (出三界苦得涅槃樂)
Date:July. 14. 2015
“Within the Three Realms, delusion and karma lead transgressing and suffering sentient beings to birth and death in cyclic existence. The burning house is an analogy for the Three Realms. The kind father of the Three Realms gives teachings to guide those lost in the maze to escape their suffering and hardship.”
With this, I want to share with everyone that within the Three Realms, sentient beings continue to give rise to delusions and create karma. Out of ignorance, they continue to create karma. Because they created [bad] karma, they must have committed transgressions. If they committed transgressions, they will suffer the consequences. Sentient beings definitely undergo the cyclic existence to birth and death in the Five Destinies, heaven, human, hell, hungry ghost and animal.
Sentient beings definitely transmigrate in these Five Destines. This is like being [trapped] in a burning house, which encompasses all in the Three Realms. We do not need to talk about how painful hell is or how tragic things are in the hungry ghost realm. We can just talk about the human realm. Truly, it seems as if some people are living in a burning house. They suffer greatly.
So, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas come to the world solely for the sake of suffering people. It is not easy for a Buddha to come to this world. It takes a very long period of time to encounter a Buddha in the human realm. He guided everyone to understand the workings of all things in the universe and many principles of the human realm. As long as we can follow the Dharma, as long as we take it in, understand it and put it into practice, then we are applying the Dharma in this world. Listening to the Dharma, teaching the Dharma and turning the Dharma-wheel is our mission.
After we listen to the Dharma, we can brush aside our delusions, which means we have eliminated our ignorance. Then when we interact with people, we will create blessings and good karma. However, if we lack the right karmic conditions, then not only will we not hear the Dharma, we will still have delusions and karma. With bad karma, we will suffer. This is “birth and death in cyclic existence.”
In cyclic existence, “we cannot take anything with us after we die; only our karma follows us to our next life.” We follow our karma to transmigrate in the Six Destinies. This is how we end up in the burning house.
This burning house is what sentient beings who created karma must undergo. So, the Buddha is “the kind father of the Three Realms and guiding teacher of the four kinds of beings.” He manifests in the world to give teachings. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas feel for sentient beings. The Buddha had already left the Three Realms. Seeing sentient beings suffer in the Three Realms, He could not abandon them, so He manifested in this world “to guide those lost in the maze to escape their suffering and hardship.”
We must be very grateful that we have the karmic conditions, the opportunity, to listen to the Dharma. Isn’t this what the sutras explain? All things in the Three Periods are created by the mind, whether in the past, present or future. In the present, we have the causes and conditions to listen to the Dharma. We must also be grateful for having these causes from the past so that in this lifetime, we have these conditions that converge with them. We can listen to the same teachings, and what is even more precious is that we can go out and do the same things.
For example, there is a place in Johannesburg, South Africa where, if students do not do well in their classes, or if they want to make improvements, volunteers will get the students together and give them special tutoring on their classes.Our Bodhisattva [-volunteers] in South Africa started providing lunch to them every day.
But as they distributed lunches to the students, they felt that the students probably needed more than just lunch; they probably needed other material things.They distributed material goods as well.So, besides helping the students, our volunteers got to know their families.
They found that these families were really poor.
Their houses were rundown, and they did not even have beds; they all slept on the floor.
When they did their homework, they laid on their stomach on the floor.Despite the conditions, these children still did very well in their classes.
So, our volunteers began to provide assistance to these families.As for these children, our volunteers constantly interacted with them as well.So, I feel that while in this world, there are many places of suffering, there are Bodhisattvas among the suffering.In them we see hope.
We can say that it is their karma to be born in that place of poverty and suffering.However, they have the blessings to meet Living Bodhisattvas who go to them and help guide them.
So, the causes and conditions of our past lives are truly inconceivable.
In the previous sutra passage, the Buddha calls on Sariputra, saying, “Sariputra, I am just like that elder who saw that all his children had each safely escaped from the burning house. He considered how his own wealth was infinite and equally gave a great cart to all the children.”
After seeing that they had been saved, the elder felt it was not enough.He wanted to give them more abundant wealth.This is like how those Bodhisattva-[volunteers] wanted to give more than just lunch to the students.They also gave them school supplies and cared for their families as well.They hoped these families could then, in turn, show this love to others.
This is teaching the Bodhisattva Way.
The following sutra passage states, “The Tathagata is just like this. Acting as the father of all sentient beings, He sees countless billions of sentient beings using the door of the Buddha’s teachings to leave the suffering of the Three Realms, that fearsome and treacherous path, and attain the joy of Nirvana.”
The Tathagata, like that elder, is “the father of all sentient beings”.He is the kind father of the four kinds of beings.“He sees countless billions of sentient beings,” which means a great number of them.If a great number of sentient beings can directly enter the door of the Buddha’s teachings, if they have the karmic conditions to enter it, then naturally they can gradually leave that fearsome and treacherous path.After leaving the Three Realms, that fearsome and treacherous path, we will be safe and free of fear.
Why is that?Because we have “attained the joy of Nirvana”.With “the joy of Nirvana,” we will be free of afflictions.This is because we already understand that afflictions will tempt us to create bad karma.
Now, we understand that afflictions are results of delusions, karma and ignorance.We also understand that we must listen, contemplate and practice, and cultivate precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.So, we will protect ourselves; we will stop evil and guard against wrongs.This is how we can remain safe.
Our minds are no longer oppressed by these afflictions, so we are safe and at ease.This happens when we escape the Three Realms.
The Tathagata sees all sentient beings leave the suffering of the Three Realms, and attain the joy of the Four Noble Truths.
With boundless Buddha-wisdom, He uses the Great Vehicle to equally teach all sentient begins so that attaining Nirvana is not exclusive to only certain individuals.
After we understand the Dharma, naturally we will be peaceful and at ease.Thus, we “attain the joy of the Four Nobel Truths” and the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence.
We understand all these principles, so we leisurely swim in the ocean of the Dharma.
This is called “joy,” or “attaining the joy of the Four Noble Truths”.We eliminated the afflictions we have accumulated.Thus we are on our way to a state of “cessation”.We do our best to eliminate these afflictions, then we walk onto the Budhi-path.
If we take the teachings into our hearts, we can face suffering, emptiness, impermanence and the natural cause of life with composure.We will not be afraid.We will not be worried.This is “attaining the joy of the Four Noble Truths”.
Then, “with boundless Buddha-wisdom…”.
If we can understand the Dharma,then we can experience how the Buddha’s wisdom is infinite and boundless. The Buddha’s wisdom is truly one with the universe. His ocean of enlightened wisdom is boundless. So, “He uses the Great Vehicle to equally teach all sentient beings”. With compassion, He impartially teaches the Dharma to guide sentient beings. After He guides us to understanding, we must look within ourselves. Because we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, the Buddha hopes that we can realize this Buddha-nature and become one with the universe like He did. This what the Buddha hoped when He taught sentient beings.
“Attaining Nirvana is not exclusive”. The Buddha does not favor any one person. He hopes countless billions of sentient beings will be saved. The Buddha treats everyone equally. It is just like how the elder equally distributes his wealth to his children. “He sees countless billions of sentient beings using the door of the Buddha’s teachings to leave the suffering of the Three Realms”. This is His hope for many sentient beings. Where are these sentient beings? In the Six Destinies.
In the endless Six Destinies, using the door of the Buddha’s teachings is also using the door of skillful means. This refers to the complete principles taught in the Agama sutras. “Suffering” refers to the fruits of suffering in the world.
“In the endless Six Destines…”. These Six Destines are the heaven, asura, human, hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. These are the Six Destinies. So, sentient beings “in the endless Six Destinies” truly experience unbearable suffering. The Buddha uses teaching methods to open this door and educate sentient beings. “The Buddha-Dharma is inseparable from the workings of the world”. We understand the many working of this world. If we do not understand how to live in this world, how can we learn to transcend the world?
“To enter the door of the Buddha’s teachings…”. We must first understand the causes behind the suffering of sentient beings in the Three Realms. So, we must continuously go in the and out of the door of the Buddha’s teachings. We go in to listen to and accept the Dharma, and we go out to interact with people to comprehend their suffering. So, having learned these teachings, we go freely in and out of the door of teachings.
The teachings contained in the Agama sutras are very complete principles. Among the teachings the Buddha expounded, the Agama sutras explain the ways of living in this world, how ignorance and afflictions arise in people’s minds and how people form good and bad karmic connections with each other. In the Agama sutras, these principles are thoroughly explained.
Suffering, the fruits of suffering in the world, also result from causes created in this world. So, causes, conditions, effects and retributions are fully explained in the Agama sutras.
Why are we on a “fearsome and treacherous path”? We must first understand this before we can find ways to leave this fearsome and treacherous path in the Three Realms and attain the joy of Nirvana.
“Fearsome” is about birth and death in this world.
Fearsome: This is about birth and death in the world. It is the burning house of the Three Realms. The joy of Nirvana is the world-transcending fruits of joy.
People are most worried about illness and death. They have already been born, and aging is part of the natural course of life. No matter how old we are, if we fall ill, we feel suffering. Will we die of this illness or not? If we hear we will die, we will be very afraid. In this way, they fear birth and death.
Actually, ordinary people are not afraid of birth, just death. Some people say, “Master, it has been a few years, but our daughter-in-law still isn’t pregnant yet”. So, people are truly not afraid of birth, many people want other people to give birth. But in the instant people are born, they experience unbearable suffering, like the stabbing pain of being flayed. This is suffering! But after that moment passes, they forget about it and begin to grow up. Contaminated by the environment of society, they gradually grow up, develop negative habitual tendencies and then replicate their afflictions. So, this is a very scary matter; it is very fearsome. Because we often lose our way, we are very scared.Because we often lose our way, we are very scared.
So, now that were are no longer lost, no longer on the path of delusion, we must be mindful to not enter that fearsome situation enter that fearsome situation. So, we must have very clear views about birth and death.
We see examples of this among several of our Commissioners, such as Mr. Li, a teacher from Kinmen Right before he died, he was constantly smiling. He wife asked him, “Why are you smiling?” He said, “I have returned to Master’s side.” He wife then quickly said to him, “If you return to Master’s side, what about me?” “Go back to Kinmen to do recycling work.” He smiled and fell asleep. This was how he passed away He left us with the impression that death can actually be a peaceful process. This was how he passed away.
So, when we engage in spiritual practice, we must understand birth and death; then naturally we will be in a state where we are not scared and not worried. We can now attain “the joy of Nirvana” because we understand the Four Noble Truths. We also understand the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. In life, because of a thought of ignorance, the Six Coarse Marks manifest, carrying us into the human realm. It is through the Twelve Links that we come into and leave this life. With the karma we created in the past, when a thought of ignorance stirred, that lead causes and conditions to bring our parents together. This is how we were created, and we remained in the womb until we struggled painfully to get out. We felt unbearable pain throughout our body, so we screamed. Then we began another life as a human being. Thus, we began to create karma again. Indeed, transmigration is endless and very taxing.
Now that we understand and have attained all these principles, we can attain world-transcending fruits of joy we can attain world-transcending fruits of joy.To do this, we must truly take the Dharma to heart “Without putting an end to causation, we cannot escape the fruits of suffering.” It is impossible. We have to put an end to “causation” in order to escape the fruits of suffering.
This is Small Vehicle Nirvana. Without putting an end to causation, there is no way to escape the fruits of suffering. Without cultivating the path, there is way to attain the fruits of joy. This is explained by the parable of the children safely escaping from the burning house and reaching a state of fearlessness.
If we do not put an end to “causation, we will continue to create and accumulate karma.” Then how can we escape the fruits of suffering? It is like when we are washing things. If we do not clean up the filth around us, no matter how we wash our things, the filth in our surroundings will get them dirty again. After washing things, we must find a clean place to put them; we must separate them from the dirty things so that they will not get contaminated again.
Otherwise, no matter how we wash things, if they are still in filthy surroundings, they will get dirty again. Therefore, no one can truly attain happiness without engaging in spiritual practice. So, we must put an end to “causation” and cultivate “the Path.” If we do not put an end to “causation,” then we can never escape the fruits of suffering. If we do not engage in spiritual practice, we will never be able to attain happiness.
After hearing the Dharma, we say, “I understand.” But if we have not experience it for ourselves, we will not realize that saving others is a very joyous thing and helping others is blessing. “Yes, I understand, I understand.” However, if we do not experience it ourselves and give of ourselves, how do we know how happy we can be? We truly do not know. “Only the person who drinks”. We must experience it for ourselves.
Spiritual practice is about putting the Dharma into practice, this is how we can attain true happiness. “This is explained by the parable of the children reaching a state of fearlessness.” These children have left the burning house and reached a safe place where they do not have to worry.This is spiritual practice.
Among the sheep-cart, the deer-cart and the ox cart, the elder saw elder saw the children eventually choose the cart drawn by the great white ox. Likewise, when we choose the Bodhisattva-path, the Buddha will feel at peace. So, we must be mindful when we learn the Buddha’s Way We must be mindful in our daily living. So, we should be self-disciplined, cautious in our thinking and always mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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