Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Awaken to the Truth and Understand the Principles (覺諦明理悟諸法)
Date:July.13. 2015
“All phenomena are like dreams like dew, bubbles, or shadows. The mind is intrinsically tranquil, it has always had the nature of emptiness. With the deluded view of existence, one sees flourishing and decay. The arising of passion causes bonds of suffering. In this dream, one acts and faces consequences. What is the harm or benefit? Awaken to the truth and understand the principles of the cycle of phenomena.”
Life is truly filled with unbearable suffering, because in this illusory world, we are not mindful of how everything is illusory, so we end up following illusory phenomena through this cycle.
So, “All phenomena are like dreams, like dew, bubbles or shadows.” Phenomena are like dreams that we have, like dew, bubbles or shadows. In fact, they are all empty! The dream we had last night no longer exists when we wake up in the morning. Not only is life like a dream, it is also like dew.
Look at the leaves and the grass. See how they have dew on them. Where did the dew come from? The moisture of the earth comes together and condenses into water. There is water on the grass but it did not come from rain or people watering it, so it is called “dew”. In fact, it is water. There is water on the grass but it will likewise drip off and then disappear. Bubbles are also made up of water. If we strike or stir up the water, “bubbles” from. There may also be foam, which is also water. Bubbles are also made up of water. In fact, many things are in essence “water,” but every appearance has a different name.
Water is a real thing. If we humans do not have water, we cannot live. Nothing in this world, including trees and grass, can grow without water. So, water is a true phenomenon, and it can be found everywhere. Everything our eyes can see contains water.
Does iron or steel contain water? Without water, they cannot become iron or steel. Steel is mined from the mountains. Does the soil contain water? Of course, the soil contains water. Everything on the planet, mountains, rivers, etc., comes from the union of the four elements. After being shaped by natural processes, fire is fire, water is water, earth is earth and air is air. Yet, they all contain traces of each other. The various elements have always been there. From various objects, certain things can be separated and extracted. So, [this potential] was there from the beginning. Then we humans use various methods to draw out and combine specific elements to turn them into something with a different name.
So, all phenomena have an essence that is true. This is just like how we humans all intrinsically have the nature of True Suchness. Yet, that intrinsic nature that was once pure has been covered over by various defilements, so we have formed different habitual tendencies. We form these different habitual tendencies because, having been enticed by worldly things, we become [covered by] so much ignorance, so many desires and afflictions. This is a natural cycle, but because of our attachments, we must take this natural cycle, the True Dharma, and apply it to our illusory and dream-like lives.
Thus, “All phenomena are like dreams, like dew, bubbles or shadows.”Ultimately, when we analyze everything, we see that in fact everything is a [temporary] convergence, once the parts disperse, nothing is left.This is like our minds.
“The mind is intrinsically tranquil.”Everyone’s mind has always had the nature of True Suchness and “has always had the nature of emptiness”.This is not the first time that I am telling you that everything around us is empty in nature and that our nature of True Suchness was originally tranquil and still.In that tranquility and stillness, there is absolutely nothing.But because we are deluded, we have “the deluded view of existence”.Because of this delusion, we think that these things are truly ours.
Thus, we become attached to them.So, “[We] see flourishing and decay.”Look at the cycle of the four seasons.In autumn, the leaves begin to change color.When we enter wintertime, all the leaves are gone.Then spring arrives, and plants begin to bud again.This is something we humans can observe in this world, in this life.
In fact, this [cycle] is a law of nature but we get attached to certain things.
Modern people have made much technological advancement.In the past, when we grew vegetables, the season we were in determined the kind of vegetables we planted.Now we grow them with artificial methods, so we can eat the same vegetables all year around.By demonstrating our cleverness we are disrupting the cycle of the seasons.So, we are deluded, not clever.
Clever people are in a state of delusion.So, “With the deluded view of existence,” we bring things into “existence” and thus we “see flourishing and decay”.So, life in this world ahs become more and more removed from the natural world.
“The arising of passion causes bonds of suffering.”The passions of ordinary peel are delusions.Our passions arise from a deluded state, and we do many deluded things in that state.Thus we become entangled in much suffering,This is like dreaming.
“In this dream one acts and faces consequences. What is he benefit or harm? When we are dreaming, even if we dream that we have achieved much, upon awakening, it is all empty!”
So, “What is the benefit or harm?”The same thing applies to this life.Therefore, we must awaken.“Awaken to the truth and understand the principles of the cycles of phenomena.”
We must awaken quickly.After awakening to the true principles, naturally the laws of nature of this world are very clear to us.
We cannot let the “Five Skandhas,” form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness
influence our lives without us being aware of them.
If we let the days pass without doing anything, then every day our lives are being shortened, while our karma continually increases.We muss be vigilant to quickly eliminate our delusions and ignorance and quickly guard against dong the wrong things.
These past few days we have been talking about how all things in the world, birds and beasts and everything else, can all be [related] back to our minds in our minds they are afflictions and ignorance.This now the minds of sentient beings are.So, the minds of sentient beings are like intangible evil ghosts.
“Naked, black and gaunt, they have long abided there. They would make loud and awful noises while crying out for food. Then there were many ghosts with throats like needles.”
We have talked about this before.Some people lack a sense of shame.As humans we must behave like proper humans.We must wear clothes, show courtesy to one another and be neat.That is what we consider human,someone with a sense of shame [and propriety].
As spiritual practitioners, we must follow the rules of spiritual practice so that we will not deviate from the Path.Yet, we ordinary people are confused, so we increasingly lose our sense of shame.This happens because in our lives, we have developed these habitual tendencies over time and also carry them through the past, present and future.
Thus it is said, “They have long abided there. They would make loud and awful noises.”
Though what we say is incorrect, we keep talking, thinking that the way we practice is correct.So, we keep teaching others and keep talking about how wonderful the Dharma is.
We keep sharing fondly with others,but we have not taken the Dharma to heart. So, we are like ghosts “with throats like needles”. They can only make loud noises; they cannot take the Dharma to heart.
They are just like hungry ghosts. Their stomachs are big, yet their throats are as thin as needles. They cannot take in the Dharma, but they still continue to yell. This image is a metaphor. We must humbly seek teachings and open up our hearts to be more encompassing so we can earnestly take good teachings to heart so we can earnestly take good teachings to heart.
The next passage states, “Then there were many ghosts with heads like oxen. They might eat human flesh, or they might eat dogs as well. Their hair was matted and unkempt and they were destructive and treacherous. Driven by hunger and thirst, they screamed and ran wildly”.
This passage describes many ghosts “with heads like oxen”. This is also a kind of metaphor. Is there really a hell? When it comes to hell, some people say, “I can’t see it”. If you cannot see it, that does not matter; we can describe it for you.
“The Ghostly guards of hell have heads shaped like oxen or heads shaped like horses”. As the Surangama Sutra states, “Spirits of the deceased see an iron-walled city, fiery snakes and fiery dogs, tigers, wolves and lions”.
This is saying that when we die, our spirit can see the great ring of iron mountains. The Earth Treasury Sutra contains this description. These layers of iron had to be forged one by one, so this is called the great ring of iron mountains. Inside the great ring of iron mountains, there were snakes that seemed to be made of fire. Their entire body was covered in fire, and they also spit out fire. The dogs were the same. There were even tigers, wolves, lions and more. All the fierce animals manifested in hell, completely covered in flames. Moreover, some of the guards in hell had the forms of ghosts. Some had heads shaped like oxen or horses. The ox-head jailers are also known as “the wardens of the king of hell”. Ox-head wardens serve the king of hell. In the sutras that we recite, they mention ox-head wardens of the king of hell. These jailers are “wardens of the king of hell”. They have the head of oxen, the hands of humans and the hooves of oxen. They are very powerful and are analogies for “afflictions of extreme views”
The ox-head jailers are known as the wardens of the king of hell. With human hands and an ox’s hooves and head, they have the strength to move mountains. They are an analogy for the afflictions of extreme views, which begin with inflated views of self. An ox head has two horns, so this is an analogy for the Two Extreme Views.
These “afflictions of extreme views” can be found in most people. The Buddha-Dharma is the Middle Way. We must walk toward the Middle Way. If we follow the truth, we will not go wrong. Yet, some end up going astray.
So, this is an analogy for “afflictions of extreme views”, which are improper views. With improper views, we will stray from the path. This is “an inflated view of self”, this all begins with a “views of self”. So, the ox-head warden is very tall and large. He has a very large body and great strength, and two horns like an ox. This ox-head warden has horns. These two horns are an analogy for the two extreme views, people end up staying either to the left or right. This will cause many problems.
Next, “They might eat human flesh or they might eat dogs as well”. They may eat human flesh or other kinds of flesh. Basically, they eat all kinds of animals. “They do not know positive causes and effects”. They do not recognize positive and negative causes and effects. They do not know that creating positive causes will yield positive effects. They just do not understand this concept.
Furthermore, they cannot distinguish them from negative causes and effects. They do not understand that by committing evils, they will face negative karmic retributions. They do not even want to try to understand this. They do not recognize the law of karma and cannot distinguish between good and evil, they just keep creating karma. They blindly cling to the “view of nihilism” or the “view of eternalism”. They just do what makes them happy in the moment “I want to do it, and I am powerful enough. I am able to take possession of everything”. This is as if they are eating others’ flesh. It is an analogy for “damaging the paths of goodness to the heaven and human realms.”
With negative thinking, negative views and negative thoughts, we will deny the law of karma, which damages the paths of goodness. As for “eating dogs,” that is an analogy for “practicing evil deeds.”
They might eat human flesh, or their might eat dogs as well: They do not know positive causes and effects, nor can they distinguish negative causes and effects, so they cling bindly to nihilism or eternalism. This is like eating human flesh, and is an analogy for damaging the paths of goodness to the heaven and human realms.Eating dogs is likened to practicing evil deeds.
Some people do not advance in their practice of good and moral principle. When we depart from moral principles, everything we so will be wrong. This is also saying that “when a practitioner is practicing Samadhi, in our mind, “unwholesome thoughts [may] suddenly arise.” We are spiritual practitioners. Obviously when engage in spiritual practice, we must cultivate the paths of goodness. But as we engage in spiritual practice, we might have strayed from the Dharma. So, our actions have gone astray as well. When unwholesome thoughts suddenly arise, we may go astray and thus “discriminate between the self and phenomena.”
When practitioners are practicing Samadhi and unwholesome thoughts suddenly arise, they discriminate between the self and phenomena. They wonder if the self ceased in the past, which allows the self of the present to exist. With this train of thought, they speculate through the Three Periods of Time.
Actually, there is a relationship between “self” and “phenomena.” With a “greater self,” we are one with all phenomena. Yet, some people “discriminate between the self and phenomena.” They have separated them. “They wonder if the self ceased in the past, which allows the self of the present to exist.”
Some people do not admit they have a past “self,” thus they are denying the law of karma. “With this train of thought,” this line of thinking, they just debate eternalism and nihilism. They are just constantly debating whether there was a self in the past or no self in the past. Either it did not exist in the past but exist now or perhaps this self existed in the past and also exists in the present. We may be the self of the present. Because everything is unclear, they “speculate through the Three Periods of Time.” People with this deviant thinking and view are only focused on the Three Periods, the past, present and future. They become stuck in this thinking.
Many people ask, “What was I in my past?” There are places people go to ask, “What did I do in the past? What will happen to me in the future? I want to ask this person about my causes and effects in the Three Periods of Time.” Is this the right thing to do?
We do not need to know what happened in the past. However, we must believe that since Beginningless Time, we have been influenced by our habitual tendencies. We planted the karmic causes which created our current conditions, so we must seize this present moment. We must make an effort to be mindful in our daily living.
All phenomena are dreams. Actually, all phenomena are one with the true principles in all of us. We must not depart from truth to live in a dream or get caught up in the outside world.
Our minds were originally empty and tranquil. But for as long as we have been in this world, we always want to take and possess. In the end, isn’t this all empty?
So, “With the deluded view of existence, one sees flourishing and decay.” You will see that this is very lush, and that is very dried up. Flourished and wilting is part of the cycle of the four seasons. Yet, now people are turning the world upside down. Because we have the unenlightened minds of ordinary people, with our unenlightened cleverness, we cause much suffering for this world. “In this dream, one acts and faces consequences.” What is the harm or benefit?”
We should “awaken to the truth and understand the principles of the cycle of phenomena.” Only in this way will we clearly understand. Everyone must mindfully realize this. We must not deviate in the slightest, otherwise we will go very far off course. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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