Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Transcend Illusory Appearances For Enlightenment (離虛妄相恆持正覺)
Date:November.13. 2015
“Listen to the True Dharma of the One Vehicle and transcend illusory appearances. Absorb the Dharma to nurture the roots of wisdom and steep yourselves in the fragrance of virtue. See and hear the One Vehicle Dharma to eternally sustain perfect enlightenment. The Dharma can be square and round, with different appearances depending on its application.”
The True Dharma of the One Vehicle calls us to transcend illusory appearances. When it comes to all the tangible, material things in this world, we should be clear that all of them arise from a convergence [of factors]; this is the Law of Dependent Origination. No matter what kind of material thing it is, causes and conditions must converge for it to arise.
Once conditions disperse, we see that things are truly illusory. Therefore, we must realize that we have to “transcend illusory appearances.” If we can transcend illusory appearances, we will not be so attached to ourselves, which causes severe afflictions and much suffering. Thus we need to “absorb the Dharma to nurture the roots of wisdom and steep [ourselves] in the fragrance of virtue.” If we often listen to the Dharma, our roots of wisdom will grow. We need to steep our minds in the Dharma. By taking the Dharma to heart, we can get rid of our bad habitual tendencies and cultivate wholesome virtues in our minds. By doing this, the virtues in our minds and our earnest inner cultivation will be expressed externally in our behavior. These are “virtuous appearances.”
So, if we steep our hearts in the Dharma, the Dharma will stay in our minds, and all the actions we take will be virtuous. People will feel that we are well-cultivated. Our everyday behavior will inspire a sense of respect in others. This is “virtue”. When we give of ourselves and those efforts are recognized by others, we emit “the fragrance of virtue.”
“See and hear the One Vehicle Dharma to eternally sustain perfect enlightenment.” Everything we see and hear is inseparable from the True Dharma of the One Vehicle. Therefore, the Dharma must always be in our minds, and our minds must always uphold this Dharma, the Dharma that leads to perfect enlightenment. “The Dharma can be square and round.” The Dharma can be square, or it can be round. This means that when we apply it, it will manifest many different appearances.
It is like water. The Dharma is like water. If you have a square container, the water you pour will fill that square shape. If you have a round container, the water you pour will fill that round shape. Regardless of the shape of the container, the Dharma can take on that shape. As long as we have the Dharma in us, we can apply it no matter the circumstances. This is making use of the Dharma.
All of you are listening to the Dharma right now; there are even children who listen very diligently. An eight-year-old child visited us this year from Malaysia. His name is Jingyang, “Little Bodhisattva Jingyang.” Ever since kindergarten, he has gone with his mother every day to listen to the Dharma. He has never stopped going. When he visited me last year, I asked him, “Can you understand the teachings you hear?” At that time, I was talking about the sheep-cart, deer-cart, etc. I tested his knowledge, and his answers were all correct. He even took notes. When I looked at his notes, not only did his notes include what I said, he had also taken everything he had understood and listed it out item by item. Isn’t this “absorbing the Dharma to nurture the roots of wisdom” and “steeping [oneself] in the fragrance of virtue”?
This child is loved by everyone who sees him.
He is truly diligently listening to the Dharma.
Also, through listening, he has realizations, which he then records in writing.
He is able to listen to this profound Dharma, to “listen to the True Dharma of the One Vehicle and transcend illusory appearances.“Though this Dharma is very profound, he is able to internalize it.Doesn’t this tell us that, “The Dharma can be square and round”?
If he could not take the Dharma to heart, he would not be able to express what he had heard and understood in words.This is an example of “steeping [oneself] in the fragrance of virtue.”It is truly amazing.
The previous sutra passage states, “Again, Sariputra, for those who are arrogant and indolent and for those who cling to the view of self, do not teach this sutra. Unenlightened people have shallow intelligence. They are deeply attached to the five desires, and as they listen they cannot understand. So, do not teach it to them either.”
Those who are arrogant and indolent do not have the reverence and the genuine desire to accept this Dharma.They are not focused.
If there are people like this, we should not teach this sutra to them.Because they cannot understand it, hearing it will cause afflictions to arise in them.
Not only would they be unable to accept it, they would feel afflicted and slander it.People like this are “unenlightened people [with] shallow intelligence.”They seek knowledge for their own personal gain.
They do not seek to comprehend the principles for the sake of the truth itself.They do not have this aspiration, so all they acquire is knowledge, not wisdom; “They are deeply attached to the five desires.
Thus, after listening they still cannot understand.”Their causes and conditions are not yet mature.
The next passage states, “If people do not believe in, and instead slander this sutra, they cut off all the worldly [seeds] and seeds of Buddhahood.”
If people do not want to believe in this sutra, do not want to believe in the profound principles of the True Dharma of the One Vehicle, if they refuse to believe in it, they will end up slandering it.Slandering virtuous Dharma and severing people’s roots of goodness will have karmic effects.
If people do not believe in and instead slander this sutra:
Flawed karmic causes and effects are worldly seeds; flawless karmic causes and effects are seeds of Buddhahood.
The people replete with seven kinds of evil can be generally said to have two transgressions:
The first is lack of faith, and the second is mistaken understanding.
How many kinds of causes and effects are there?“Flawed karmic causes and effects are worldly seeds.”Here, “flawed” means having Leaks, or afflictions.If we cannot take the True Dharma to heart and cultivate precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, our minds will be filled with afflictions and we will be completely lacking in moral character.
Precepts help us prefect our moral character.
Samadhi helps us absorb true principles.
Wisdom helps us understand the true principles of life.
However, if we do not cultivate these three, we have flawed karmic causes and effects.We unenlightened beings all carry this type of [karma] with us.Thus, we often say that we cannot take anything with us when we die; only our karma follows us to our next life.
We brought [flawed karma] of unenlightened beings into this world.This is not something we had control over.This is “flawed,” the flawed worldly seeds.Flawless karmic causes and effects are the seeds of Buddhahood, the seeds of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
“Flawless” means we have already absorbed [and cultivated] precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.
When we often listen to the Dharma, we understand the principles of causes, conditions, effects and retributions.So, when it comes to our marl character, we will already be very vigilant.
Then we have “flawless karmic causes and effects”.
We will listen, contemplate and practice.
After we listen to teachings, we will earnestly contemplate them and then mindfully engage in spiritual practice.These are flawless karmic causes and effects.
As we mentioned yesterday, there are seven types of evils.People with these evils may be arrogant, indolent,may cling to the view of self, etc.There can generally said to be two types of transgressions.
“The first is lack of faith, and the second is mistaken understanding.”The first is the refusal to believe.
The second one is misinterpretation.These transgressions result in seven types of evil, seven types of mistakes.They are very dangerous.
So, next we talk about how, “because of lack faith,” because people do not believe, “they deny the karmic law of cause and effect”.
They think there is no karmic cause and effect.
Because of lack of faith, they deny the karmic law of cause and effect and cut off their worldly seeds.
Actually, in our daily living, every move we make, every word we speak, creates causes and results in effects. If I do not open my mouth, I will not make a sound. If I do not make a sound, you will not hear anything. By the same principles, all our actions are subject to the law of cause and effect.
Therefore, we cannot deny the law of karma. If we deny the law of karma, we will either interpret the Dharma incorrectly, or discount it. We may even slander it, or give the wrong explanation. That results in “cutting off our worldly seeds”. The principles are in this world, and we cut ourselves of from them.
“Because of mistaken understanding, they cannot distinguish the deviant from the correct”. Why did we misunderstand? Because we did not have enough knowledge, or because heretical practitioners intentionally slandered and distorted the teachings. All this may happen if we do not thoroughly understand the depth and profundity of these principles.
So, “They cannot distinguish the deviant from the correct from what is incorrect.
Because of mistaken understanding, they cannot distinguish the deviant from the correct. The Right Dharma is obstructed for them, while they accept and practice deviant teachings. By practicing themselves and teaching others, they cut off sentient beings’ seeds of Buddhahood. Because of these two transgressions, they are said to slander this sutra.
If we go astray or become obsessed, we can be easily obstructed. “The Right Dharma is obstructed for them, while they accept and practice deviant teachings”.[We] may lead other people to accept deviant and incorrect teachings. We need to constantly be vigilant of this.
In this world, the Buddha-Dharma, over the more than 2000 years from the Buddha’s lifetime to now, has gradually become only prayers to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for protection and blessings. This is not what it is; the Dharma is something we must take to heart so we can thoroughly understand the principles and learn how to manifest these principles while living amongst people. This is the Right Dharma. Some not only practice; once they internalize deviant teachings, they will share them with other people. “They accept and practice deviant teachings, practicing themselves and teaching others”. Thus, “They cut off sentient beings seeds of Buddhahood”.
The Buddha comes to the world to teach sentient beings that they all have the nature of True Suchness and can all attain Buddhahood. They all have this pure nature. However, if we make deviant interpretations, we are cutting off the seeds of Buddhahood, blocking the opportunity to attain Buddhahood and the opportunity to accept the Right Dharma. This is from incorrectly interpreting [this sutra] or discounting it or slandering it. This is called “slandering this sutra”.
Next we discuss, “They cut off all worldly [seeds] and seeds of Buddhahood”. How many types of seeds of Buddhahood are there in this world? There are three types of [karmic seeds].
They cut of all worldly [seeds] and seeds of Buddhahood: These include the three seeds of Buddha-nature. The sprouting of seeds is the producing cause. Like a lamp that illuminates objects, that which shows the hidden is the revealing cause.
When we discuss the three types of causes, it is like how, when we light a single candle, tens of thousands candles can be lit from it. If we can do that in this space, we see that the intensity of light from one candle and the illumination of thousands of candles are drastically different. So, I hope everybody can accept the Right Dharma and spread the true principles among people. If we can all do this, this world will then be bright and harmonious. This is how the Buddha-Dharma should be applied in this world. Like a lamp that illuminates objects, “That which shows the hidden is the revealing cause”. It reveals what is in the places we cannot see. Once we shine a light on them, even deeply hidden and concealed principles will be revealed.
So, what causes are we actually talking about? The first one is “opening for sentient beings the Buddha’s understanding and views”.
The first is opening for sentient beings the Buddha’s understanding and views, which reveals the direct cause of the seeds of Buddhahood. The seeds that produce the fruit of Buddhahood are Bodhisattvas giving rise to Bodhicitta and actualizing the Six Perfections in all actions.
This is opening and revealing the Buddha’s understanding and views. If we all have the seed of Buddhahood, we must spread this Dharma to open the understanding and views of sentient beings. Everyone has wisdom equal to that of the Buddha, it is just that our afflictions have covered it. Now, the One Vehicle Dharma is showing us how we have accumulated afflictions in the past and how we can brush them aside to reveal the understanding and views we have which are equal to the Buddha’s.
This is planning “the direct cause of the seeds of Buddhahood.”
If we have Right Faith, we will have the proper cause, which is the seed of Buddhahood, our nature of True Suchness is one with the universe and lets us understand all the truths of the world. This is known as the Buddha’s understanding and views, which are “the seeds that produce the fruit of Buddhahood.” This is like how Bodhisattva give rise to Bodhicitta and actualize the Six Perfections in all actions.
The second kind of [cause] is “observing the ultimate reality of all phenomena, which shows the revealing cause of the seeds of Buddhahood. This is enlightened wisdom that can reveal and understand our true nature.”
This is the “revealing cause.” It helps us thoroughly understand the principles contained inside the seed, so it is “the revealing cause of the seeds of Buddhahood.” We can achieve the “enlightened wisdom that can reveal and understand our true nature.”
What is our intrinsic nature? A nature of True Suchness, which all of us have. This enlightened wisdom exists in all of us.
How about the third cause? It is “understanding that small acts of goodness all result in Buddhahood. This shows the assisting cause of the seeds of Buddhahood.”
All of us should understand that, “Small acts go goodness all result in Buddhahood.” Many drops of water make a river. Many grains of rice make a bushel. Every little bit adds up. In order to walk the great Bodhi-path, we need to take that first step. A journey of thousands of miles must begin with a first step.
Therefore, we need to understand the workings of causes and conditions. We should not belittle those small acts of kindness. They create small amounts of karmic conditions. As these small karmic conditions accumulate, they can become great karmic conditions.
Thus “Heretics and unenlightened beings do not believe that the accumulation of small good deeds to Buddhahood, thereby cutting off the worldly assisting cause of the seeds of Buddhahood.”
Heretics and unenlightened beings do not believe that the accumulation of small good deeds to Buddhahood, thereby cutting off the worldly assisting cause of the seeds of Buddhahood. They slander this sutra, destroy the eyes of humans and heavenly beings and cut off Bodhicitta. All this cuts off the direct cause of the seeds of Buddhahood in the world.
During the Buddha’s lifetime, weren’t there heretical practitioners that caused damage to the Buddha-Dharma? Devadatta did that too. In his arrogance, he went astray, slandering the Dharma and hurting the Buddha every chance he had. This is to “destroy the eyes of humans and heavenly beings.” Thy eyes of humans and heavenly beings can lead our views and understanding astray.
This is like damaging our physical eye. Our mind’s eyes will go astray because of slandering [the Dharma]. This is like abusing [our eyes] and causing them to become ruined, so that we are unable to see clearly.
This means we cannot clearly recognize Right Dharma. This “cuts off Bodhicitta.” “Bodhi” means enlightenment. By severing the path in the mind toward enlightenment, we “cut off the direct cause of the seeds of Buddhahood in the world.” This direct cause for attaining Buddhahood in the world may be cut off in this way.
So, “If the right Dharma is not practiced, the seeds of Dharma are cut off.” If we faith to make good use of Right Dharma, we will constantly cut off the seeds of Buddhahood.
“Thus we do not give rise to aspirations nor realize the noble path. This cuts off the seeds of the Sangha.” If we refuse to form aspirations and prevent others from becoming monastics, we are cutting off the seeds of the Sangha.
Based on exceptional teachings, based on these noble teachings it can be said that we cut off the seeds of Buddhahood and the seeds of the Three Treasures. This happens when we are not mindful enough. The seeds of Buddhahood are the seeds that produce the fruit of Buddhahood. The practices of the Bodhisattvas are the seeds of Buddhahood.
One of the Buddhist sutras states, “The seeds of Buddhahood are sown in the fields of sentient beings’ minds. From them sprouts perfect enlightenment.”
The Lotus Sutra also has a similar saying. The Chapter Skillful Means states, “The seeds of Buddhahood arise through conditions. This is why They teach the One Vehicle.” The seeds for attaining Buddhahood come from karmic conditions. For this reason, the Buddha expounded the One Vehicle.
So, when we transmit the Buddha-Dharma, we need to be very mindful in spreading the seeds of Buddha-Dharma and opening up everyone’s eyes of wisdom. This is the goal we need to work hard towards. So, we must always be minds.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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