Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Froming Great Vehicle Aspirations With Deligence(勤修精進發大乘心)
Date: December.15. 2015
“We need deep wisdom and Great Dharma, just as a big container must have a big cover. With an awakened nature and ocean of wisdom, we can know inexhaustible teachings. The Tathagata is one with compassion, impartiality and the wisdom of all Dharma.”
What are we actually cultivating when we engage in spiritual practice? Every day we say that the most important thing is to seek the Buddha-Dharma. Once we can “comprehend the great path,” we must “form the supreme aspiration.” After forming this supreme aspiration, we should further deepen [our understanding]; we must delve deeply into the sutra treasury to comprehend just how deep the Buddha-Dharma is and just how expansive it is.
Some people say that “delving deeply into the sutra treasury” means spending all day in the sutra library, just reading books all day long. They consider that to be “delving deeply into the sutra treasury.” That is not it. To “comprehend the great path,” we must put the Dharma into practice and walk on this broad path.
In our daily living, people, matters and objects are our sutras. Just as there are infinite sentient beings, so too is there infinite Dharma. When we are amidst sentient beings, amidst people, matters and objects, we must try to realize the principles of the world. This is how we truly delve deeply into the sutra treasury.
Among people, there are so many sutras to be found. So, we need to be mindful, and we must have wisdom. For our wisdom to be deep and the Dharma vast, our minds must be opened as broadly as possible. Amidst infinite sentient beings and infinite Dharma, we must seek to realize [the principles]. Then we can penetrate the minds of sentient beings and “harmoniously lead the people.” We must transform ourselves, and we should also transform others. When we are walking in the right direction, we should also lead many other people to walk the same path. Thus we need “deep wisdom and Great Dharma.”
This is like how a big water tank must have a big cover. However big a container is, it must have a cover of corresponding size. This is to say, we must have great capacities. Then, when we widely transform sentient beings, we can deliver them all “without obstructions.”
Thus we said, “A big container must have a big cover.” This also applies to our awakened nature, our ocean of wisdom. Unenlightened beings only see one side and not the other; there is a limit to what we know. We only know about what is in our daily living. Our parents gave birth to us, then we grew up in this environment. As our environment [changes], though unaware of it, we too are growing older. We live our lives according to our environments. We study, establish families, start our careers. As we live in this environment, matters and things trouble our minds, so we give rise to delusions and create all kinds of karmic forces out of greed, anger and ignorance. This goes on for a whole lifetime; thus we age, grow ill and die. Where is the value of our lives to be found? We have never thought about this.
Now that we are learning the Buddha’s Way, we should know that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. Everyone has this potential. We walk the Bodhisattva-path because we want to attain Buddhahood.
This goes on for a whole lifetimes; thus we age, grow ill and die. Where is the value of our lives to be found? We have never thought about this. Now that we are learning the Buddha's Way, we should know that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. Everyone has this potential.
We walk the Bodhisattva-path because we want to attain Buddhahood. If we want to return to our intrinsic nature, we must use the broad and great path that the Buddha gave us. That is the Bodhisattva-path. Sentient beings experience countless sufferings, so Bodhisattvas have countless methods, because "Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering beings, "
Sentient beings experience much suffering. Apart from birth, aging, illness and death, there is also parting with those we love, meeting those we hate, the raging Five Aggregates. Being parted in life or separated by death is a natural part of life, as is impermanence.
We hear and see so many people wailing in grief. This is unbearable suffering. In places where there are Tzu Chi volunteers, when cirumstances like these arise, they rush to offer comfort and care. We see impermanence in this world, and the sutras also remind us unceasingly that life is filled with suffering and impermanence. We also always ask the question, "Will impermanence strike before tomorrow arrives?" We often say that we cannot always wait for tomorrow, because impermanence may strike at any time.
Indeed! Impermanence actually arrives before tomorrow. We do not need to look as far as tomorrow; it can happen in an instant. In life, impermanence strikes suddenly. We cannot think, "I'll wait until I'm older," or "I'll wait until this project is complete, and then I'll do good deeds." This is not the way. We must act promptly.
Life is indeed impermanent. So, we must be mindful and have deep faith in the Buddha's teachings. If we can comprehend them with deep faith, we must promptly form aspirationans and make vows because the world is full of suffering. If we aspire to walk the Bodhisattva-path, if we elevate the way we look at life to a higher level, we can expand the capacity of our hearts. For us to be able to safeguard the minds and bodies of sentient beings, when they experience physical suffering, we must immediately comfort their minds. Thus, we can pull them out of their suffering "Having relieved the from suffering, Bodhisattvas then expound the Dharma for them." As Buddhist practitioners, we must become a big container with a big cover.
Because there are so many sentient beings, we must listen to them and learn even more paths. So, we talk about "an awakened nature and ocean of wisdom"; as we all intrinsically have an awakened nature, we must immediately eliminate all of our ignorance so our wisdom can become as vast as the boundless ocean. No matter how many ways sentient beings suffer we have just as many methods and the wisdom to help them and relieve their suffering.
So, if we open up our ocean of wisdom, this wisdom can discern all things in the world, and naturally, the things we know will be endless; that Dharma will be plentiful. No matter what happens in this world, we can promptly make use of our discerning wisdom. With great precision, we can discern all matters and appearances; this is discerning wisdom.
There is discerning wisdom, and there is also imparial wisdom knowing everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature is impartial wisdom. Thus, "We can know inexhaustible teachings". These teachings are worldly Dharma. By applying discerning wisdom, we thoroughly grasp the workings of the world. These are inexhaustible teachings. So, "The Tathagata is one with compassion, impartiality and the wisdom of all Dharma." The Buddha is compassionate and impartial; He treats all sentient beings equally. A person like this is one with "impartiality and the wisdom of all Dharma". This is the Tathagata. With this sense of impariality, He helps all of us understand that we can all attain Buddhahood. He also taught us to develop discerning wisdom to discern the workings of things in this world. These are the Buddha's compassionate teachings.
So, we must be mindful of them "We need deep wisdom and Great Dharma". Every day we continue to talk about how we can draw closer to the Buddha-Dharma take it to heart and apply it in our daily living. Wasn't this described in the earlier sutra text?
It states, "And if there are Buddha-children among the assembly who, with purity of mind, all kinds of cause and conditions, analogies and expression, speak the Dharma without hindrance, for people like this, you can teach this sutra."
Everyone should still remember the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms. As we have internalized many teachings, we have the “wisdom of unobstructed Dharma” and the
wisdom of unobstructed meaning.” We should be clear on the principles of the Dharma. With “wisdom of unobstructed rhetoric,” we also have the “wisdom of unobstructed joy in speaking.”
After we take the Buddha-Dharma to heart, we must exercise the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms. Going among people with a pure mind, we share the 12 divisions of teachings of the Buddha’s Tripitaka. This is making use of causes and conditions. Sentient beings have different capabilities, so we must use of the Tripitaka, the sutra treasury, vinaya treasury and the abhidharma treasury.There are also 12 categories of methods we can use to teach according to capabilities. This is very important.
If we can do this, we will be able to accept the subtle, wondrous True Dharma of the One Vehicle, which is the path to attaining Buddhahood.
The next sutra passage states, “If there are bhiksus who, for the sake of the wisdom of all Dharma, seek the teachings in all four directions, put palms together in reverent reception and joyfully accept and uphold the. Great Vehicle sutras, refusing to accept even a single verse from any other scripture, for people like this, you can teach this sutra.”
This is telling us that when we learn the Dharma we must focus our minds with a single resolve. So here, “If there are bhiksus who, for the sake of the wisdom of all Dharma…” is referring to spiritual practitioners; it is saying they clearly have minds such that once they give rise to [great] aspirations, they begin to feel a sense of joy that they can benefit sentient beings.
“[They] take joy in the Great Vehicle. “Joy” is happiness. The Great Vehicle teaching is to transform ourselves and others. We must first seek to understand and investigate the Buddha-Dharma, to understand the true principles. Once we know our direction, we can begin to be mindful and experience how great and broad this path is. Having eliminated our ignorance, our minds can encompass the universe and become completely illuminated. With this experience and knowledge of how to apply this Dharma, we can open up our mind to encompass all things. This is called the wisdom of all Dharma.
The wisdom of all Dharma is Buddha-wisdom, also known as all-encompassing wisdom. Thus in the sutra text, is stated previously, “Practicing earnestly and diligently, they seek all-encompassing wisdom, Buddha-wisdom, natural wisdom and untaught wisdom.
This is what we seek. We intrinsically have Buddha-nature, so this is our natural wisdom and untaught wisdom. Unfortunately, we unenlightened beings are covered by ignorance. In learning the Buddha-Dharma, we need to come up with ways to eliminate the ignorance that is covering us. If we can eliminate that ignorance, naturally we will be able to discover our wisdom of all Dharma, Buddha-wisdom natural wisdom and untaught wisdom.Together, they are called all-encompassing wisdom. We must still practice diligently.
Though we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, we have been talking about how, as unenlightened beings, our habitual greed, anger and ignorance still abide. As spiritual practitioners, we may say we are not greedy for anything, but regarding anger, can we actually say, “I never lose my temper; I am never arrogant or proud?” Can we? Because we still have ignorance, since anger, delusion, arrogance and doubt remain, we must continue to work hard; we must diligently seek the Dharma to transform ourselves.
These who take joy in the Great Vehicle and, for the sake of the wisdom of all Dharma, diligently seek the Buddha-Dharma to transform themselves are the monastic Bodhisattvas who accept and uphold the Great Vehicle. Thus it says: If there are bhiksus who [act] for the sake of the wisdom of all Dharma.
We hope to transform ourselves, and we also to transform other people. These wishes make us “monastic Bodhisattvas who accept and uphold the Great Vehicle.” As monastic Bodhisattvas, although we have left the lay life, we are not focused on our own awakening; we want to walk the bodhisattva-path.
During the Buddha’s lifetime, the bhiksus did not know that they could attain Buddhahood. They thought benefiting themselves and eliminating their afflictions was enough. They did not know that they should also transform all sentient beings. At the Lotus [Dharma-assembly], they learned that in addition to transforming themselves, they must also transform others. This is the true path that will return them to their Tathagata-nature. That means walking the Bodhisattva-path and seeking the Great Vehicle Dharma.
Next the sutra states, “[They] seek teachings in all four directions, put palms together in reverent reception.” This demonstrates their diligence.
The ability to know and understand all inner and outer phenomena is known as “the wisdom of all Dharma.” As we have already made the Four Great Vows, [including] the vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood and the vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors, we seek in all four directions. This is the start of seeking the teachings.
“The ability to know and understand all inner and outer phenomena” means that, inwardly we must cultivate ourselves, and outwardly we must experience people, matters and things. We must have clarity about everything and not just be focused on our own spiritual practice. When it comes to the phenomena, matters and people of this world, if we do not understand the principles behind them how can we reach the state of the Buddha?
Thus we must develop “the ability to know and understand all inner and outer phenomena, [which] is known as ‘the wisdom of all Dharma;’” this is Buddha-wisdom, the ability understand all worldly matters, to comprehend all worldly and world-transcending things.
If we want to attain the wisdom of all Dharma, the most basic thing we must do is make the Four Great Vows.What are the Four Great Vows? What is the first one? “I vow to deliver countless sentient beings.” The second? “I vow to eliminate endless afflictions.” The third one? “I vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors.” The fourth one? (I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.) Yes, “I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.”
If we wish to attain the wisdom of all Dharma, we must make the Four Great Vows. To do this, “We seek in all four directions. We must be constantly seeking. Regardless of whether we are eliminating afflictions or attaining Buddhahood, we must earnestly form aspirations and make vows.
The Dharma-doors are truly pervasive; we just need to be mindful. This is why it says “all four directions.”
The Four Great Vows are also four kinds of directions; they are four great intentions. Thus, there are infinite Dharma-doors. Where are these infinite Dharma-doors? Among all sentient beings. Therefore, we must be mindful.
We do not have to seek far away; we can find them right here. Thus, we should have a heart of deep reverence; from the moment of our initial aspiration, we “put palms together in reverent reception.”
We often say, “if we can sustain our initial aspiration, we will surely attain Buddhahood. When we aspire to engage in spiritual practice to transform sentient beings, we must always maintain that aspiration. Thus, we “joyful accept and uphold the Great Vehicle sutras.”
By accepting the teachings, [when we encounter the many appearance in the conditions around us, we must always maintain a sense of joy.
We often say, “willingness brings happiness.” No matter how tiring the work is, “Willingness brings happiness.” So, it is “pleasing to both mind and body.” “I am willing; this is what I want to do. I am doing what I vowed to do. Wherever there are suffering sentient beings, I will go to that place.” Because we formed Great Vehicle aspirations, we very willingly and joyfully give to others. This is the Dharma-door of the Great Vehicle sutras.
Why are we so willing to do this? It is because “With the deep power of faith, we can accept.” If our power of faith is deep, we can accept the Buddha-Dharma. When we accept it with an unwavering resolve, a firm power of mindfulness, we can “uphold” it. So, to “accept and uphold” means we have deep faith and a stable mind.
When we receive something into our minds, we call that “acceptance.” If we remain unwavering from beginning to end, if we do not forget the faith we had when we formed our initial aspirations, we are “accepting and upholding.” Thus, it says “[They] joyfully accept and uphold.”
Dear Bodhisattvas, we have already formed Bodhisattva-aspirations. There are infinite appearances of people, matters and things, so how can we adapt to them all? We must use the Tathagata’s impartial wisdom to find a way to help sentient beings. To do all of this, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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