Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Transcending the Attachment to Self (離我破執契入真理)
Date:July.11. 2015
“All deviant attachments are based on the view of self. Without the self, there are no deviant attachments. All sentient beings, from name, form and the Five Skandhas, generate delusional attachments to the body. This deluded ‘view of self’ drives the mind and spirit to incessant transmigration through the Twelve Entrances and Eighteen Realms.”
I have been talking about how the Three Realms are like a burning house. The mind gives rise to the Three Realms; “The Three Realms are created by the mind.” However, where does our mind come from? We have one because we have a body. Because of our body, we see from the perspective of our “self”. If these perspectives are not correct, and if we are, furthermore, attached to them, we call those “deviant attachments”.
But where do “deviant attachments” come from? From the mind in our body, the mind which leads our body to take action. Therefore, deviant thinking and deviant views easily translate into “action,” and through these actions, we create karma. We create karma in the world, which comes back to reaffirm our “view of self”. Thus, our minds and bodies influence each other.
If we can simplify things again, we can be “without the self”; we can transcend this sense of “self” instead of being constantly attached to it. How can we make the best use of this “self”? By setting aside our “limited self” and returning to our “greater self”. Then, we will treat everything in the world as our equal.
Buddhist sutras often contain the line, “In all of heaven and earth, I alone am supreme.” Why did the Buddha say, “I alone am supreme”? Actually, in this world, we must be in harmony with both heaven and earth, meaning we must be as encompassing as they are. This way of being is called the “greater self”.
Thus, “Our minds can encompass the universe and embrace all the worlds within it.” When our minds can encompass the universe, doesn’t that mean that everything in the world is contained within our minds? When everything in this world is accommodated within our minds, this “greater self” is unsurpassed and supreme. I hope that all of us, when we hear, “I alone am supreme,” can understand the principles behind it. By opening up and expanding our minds to encompass the universe, our minds can embrace everything in this world. By understanding all these principles, we are in a state that is unsurpassed and supreme.
We must understand the world. All things in the world have the same essence as the universe. When we have this understanding, [we have returned to] our nature of True-Suchness. To reach this [true] nature, we must first let go of our limited self and our selfishness, our [attachment] to “self”. “Without the self, there are no deviant attachments”. We must let go of our “limited self”. Without our “limited self,” we will be free of selfishness and biased views. By achieving such a state, sentient beings can be liberated from the contentious attachments of selfishness.
However, for all of us, “All sentient beings, from name, form and the Five Skandhas, [generate attachments].” Unfortunately, sentient beings are selfish and have a limited view of “self”. Therefore, our perspectives are limited by “name, form and the Five Skandhas.” “Name, form and the Five Skandhas” refer to form, feeling, perception, action and consciousness, the Five Aggregates. This body of ours is an example of “form”. Things around us of various shapes and colors, personal recognition, wealth, status, etc are all things that we want and pursue.
When we pursue but cannot obtain them, we feel certain ways. When we do get what we want, we feel something different. So, once there is “form,” we connect to external conditions with our bodies.This evokes a “feeling” in our minds.
So, after form and feeling is perception.The [Chinese] character for “perception” is made up “appearance” [and “mind”].The external appearances we see continue to be kept in our mind.
Thus, in daily living, our minds become imprinted with many appearances and labels.
Everything that we are currently pursuing, everything in the past that did not go the way we wanted and everything we want to have in the future are all appearances that are stuck in our minds.
What comes after “form, feeling and perception?”“Action”; we then take action.If we want personal recognition and wealth, or if we want to possess anything else, we must take action.This gives rise to countless interpersonal conflicts and leads us to create karma.All this happens because of “name, form and the Five Skandhas”.Thus, we “generate delusional attachments”.
We engage in these delusional behaviors.It is because we have this physical body that we form “this deluded view of self”.
Look at all the complications in the world.
Because a certain person is there, they create a certain kind of karma.This is all because we have this human body, a human way of thinking, a human way of behaving, a human way of creating karma and so on.It all arises from our “deviant attachments” and originates with having this physical body.
Our delusional attachment to this illusory life, this short and temporary life, leads us to go about as if everything will be our s for countless generations to come.This therefore “drives the mind and spirit”.
Our mind and spirit are constantly driven while in this environment.Within the states of the Three Realms, so many difficult matters are oppressing and disturbing our body and mind.
Thus we are driven by our “delusional I attachments to the body,” because we mistakenly believe that this body will last forever.Thus we form “this deluded view of self” that continually “drives our mind and spirit”.
Our mind and our spirit are constantly driven by these afflictions, hence our “incessant transmigration through the Twelve Entrances and Eighteen Realms”.
What are the Twelve Entrances?The Six Roots are our eyes, ears, nose, tongue body and mind.The Six Dusts are form, sound, smell, taste, touch and thought.Together they comprise the Twelve Entrances.
What about the Six Consciousnesses?They arise when the Six Roots connect with the Six Dusts.All these combine to form the Eighteen Realms.
When this body of ours comes in contact with a “form” in the world, in that state, the “dust” and our “consciousness” and our “root” are all connected.“Dust” refers to the sense objects around us.We must make an effort to comprehend this.
Right now, as I sit here speaking, my “body-root” is here and.I use it to look at all of you.The presence of your “form-object” gives rise to happiness in my mind, so I experience joy in my “mind-consciousness”.
I am happy to see your diligent practice and to see you earnestly listening to teachings.You remind me of how, all across the country, Tzu Chi volunteers are diligently practicing.They leave the house before dawn.Many of them leave their house before 5am.
At this time of the morning, they gather in their spiritual practice center to listen to the teachings together.What their “eye-root” see is a television screen with me speaking.
They can see my image, and they can also hear my words.Their “eye-root” can do this because of modern technology.I am sitting here in Hualien and they are in Keelung, Pingtung, Hengchun Kaohiung, Taichung, Taipei etc., in more than 200 local practice centers and we can all gather together at the same time.
This includes not only volunteers in Taiwan, but in Malaysia and Singapore as well.They are also very diligent.Even volunteers in jordan are with us.Because of the time difference, they are six hours behind us; but they are not a second behind in their study.
As I teach here in the morning in Taiwan,Chi Hui is listening to me at night in Jordan.
Over all these months and years, he has diligently practiced every day. He seeks the Dharma, listens to it and upholds his vows while following the path. This is the perspective we apply to our lives. What perspective do we use for our lives? Is it one of deviant understanding and deviant views, which will cause us to fall, or is it a perspective that helps us increase the value of our life? We must make good use of this body, because, “If we do not transform ourselves in this life, in which life will we transform ourselves?”
If we are diligent and mindful, naturally we will be able to eliminate deviant attachments and the views of self. Our selfish and limited sense of self will naturally be eliminated.
When we open up our minds broadly, what we will be pursuing are the truths of all thigs in the universe. We must return to our nature of True Suchness. Then this [pure] nature can be united with the universe. “In all of heaven and earth, there is none like the Buddha”. In all of heaven and earth, it is the awakened ones who are able to comprehend all things and unite with the entire universe. This is called the “greater self”.
When we can achieve the “greater self”, we can be one with the world and can understand the truths of all things in the universe. “In all of heaven and earth, I alone am supreme” means that if we can open up our minds to unite with the truths of the universe, we will be unsurpassed and supreme.
So, we must not be self-centered or small-minded, thinking only of ourselves, working only for the sake of our own benefit. This would be very painful.
Recently, we have been discussing the analogies of birds, beasts, ghosts, etc. for the sole purpose of breaking through our attachment to, understanding of and view of self.
The previous passage states, “They would catch a dog by his two legs, attacking and causing him to bark. They would stretch his legs over his neck, scaring the dog but pleasing themselves”.
Teasing dogs and making them angry makes some people very happy. When two dogs fight with each other, all it takes is for one to bark, and then the entire pack of dogs will bark. This teaches us that, in spiritual practice, when we accept the Dharma, we must abide by the Right Dharma. If we deviate from it even slightly, that slight deviation can take us far off course. Not only will be wrong, we will also guide others wrongly.
This is just like when a single dog barks; many other dogs join in and bark with him. The same principle applies here. Therefore, I hope we can all mindfully realize this kind of perspective. If we allow our attachments to lead us astray, then our words and deeds will lead others astray in turn.
This human form is precious, as is the Dharma. So, we must earnestly make use of this body to put the teachings into practice and to be an exemplar of the Buddha-Dharma with proper speech and action. When we go among people, this must be our goal.
The next passage states, “There were also many ghosts, their bodies long and large. Naked, black and gaunt, they have long abided there”.
“There were also many ghosts” is an analogy for the afflictions of view of self. When we have this physical body, we are, at every turn, overly suspicious, or perhaps, everything we see and do is biased.
I always say that I am very grateful when Tzu Chi volunteers gather at the same time and share the same state of mind. When people perform the musical adaption of teachings, don’t their many voices carry the same tune? No matter how many people join in, it is the same. All these individuals are reading the same verse and following the same rhythm with their body, in their steps and hand gestures. When they do this, they are in the same state of mind. In body, speech and mind, many people are in the same state at once. They share the same teachings and state of mind, so they can produce this beautiful appearance. This is truth, goodness and beauty in the world. When we all share Right Dharma in the world, that is the most true, good and beautiful thing.
If we can all steadily walk the Right Path without deviating from our course, our procession will truly be beautiful. This comes from sharing a common commitment. However, we humans draw distinctions between “you”, “me”, and “him”. Every person has a set of biases.
These biases are centered around the “self” Regarding this “self”, everyone has “mixed-up views and confused thinking.” We are confused because each one of us is lost in different things. Everyone’s thinking is different. Good people’s thinking contains right understanding, right views and right teachings of the Path. The thinking of people who have gone astray will be negative and filled with afflictions, continually causing problems in the world, in their families, in society, etc.. Thus, they are lost and deluded in their thinking and idea, their perspectives are all mixed-up.
So, they have “deluded attachments to the body.” For the sake of personal gain, they have willingly done many shameless things. They have deviated from morals and virtues. So, “Deluded attachments to self” “extend through all three periods of time.” “This is the meaning of their bodies [are] long and large.” Once we create these afflictions, we cannot immediately extricate or liberate ourselves from them, and they will extend into the future extend through past, present and future. Thus they “extend through all three periods of time.” The karmic causes and conditions we have created resulted in the retributions we currently face. And now we create karmic causes and conditions that will extend into the future. This is why ghosts are used as an analogy for our minds. There are ghosts, demons and spirits in our minds. Because of this body, we create negative karma and will continue to do so for a long time. Thus, “Their bodies [are] long and large.”
There were also many ghosts, their bodies long and large: This refers to afflictions caused by view of self. The view of self: The mixed-up views and confused thinking that there is an existent self.Perverse calculations for the sake of the body are called “view of self.” The deluded attachments to the self extend through all three periods of time. This is the meaning of “Their bodies [are] long and large.”
Therefore, I say to everyone, “All deviant attachments are based on the view of self.” These deviant attachments of which I speak all arise from our view of self. Because we have this physical body we have these perspectives. If we transcend these perspectives, we will no longer have these [attachments]. However, sentient beings are constantly immersed in “name, form and the Five Skandhas.” Because we are always like this, we continue to form deluded attachments.
This world is inherently illusory. Yesterday has already passed, not a trace of it remains. However, yesterday we may have been attached to doing certain things today. We continue to plan for the wrong things. That is a delusional attachment. What about the right things to do? “In all of heaven and earth, I alone am supreme.” This comes from having a greater self.Have our minds encompassed the universe? Have we embraced all the truths of the world? We have not made an effort to calculate how much time has passed by already. How much Dharma a have we obtained so far? How much of it have we applied?
If we have applied and shared it, how many people have we benefited? Is it enough to just do this in this lifetime? No, it is not, because there are still lifetimes to come. This giving without expectations, giving continually without ceasing, must continue in our future lifetimes. We must go beyond ourselves and return to our greater self. Our pure intrinsic nature must become one with the universe.
In all of heaven and earth, I alone am supreme“ means only by realizing the truths can we attain the most valuable and precious greater self.
“Great self” does not refer to the body of a single individual, but rather to the truths of all things. The truths of all things in the universe are all encompassed within wisdom. This is the “greater self.”
Everyone, as we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must contemplate everything from the perspective of all things in the world. If we “share responsibility for the world.” If this is our starting point, we will have a way to thoroughly comprehend all the principles of this world and take them to heart.
To sum it up, I hope that everyone can think on this carefully and always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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