Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Predictions for Hearers Who Form Aspirations (授記聲聞發希有心)
Date: December.29. 2015
“To penetrate the Dharma of the One Reality is to see the Path and have deep faith. To uphold Great Vehicle practices and cultivate the Path is to have understanding. To follow the Buddha and listen to the Dharma is to be a true Hearer. Skillful means and analogies awaken the aspiration to seek Bodhi.”
Everyone, think about this. The Buddha’s Way is very profound, but it is also found in our daily living. What we must pay particular attention to is how our minds can enter into the Dharma of the One Reality, which means that in our daily living we must seek to experience and understand how to walk and pave this road through life.
Only by paving a smooth road through this world will we be able to enter the Bodhi-path. When we understand the Dharma, we know that life is impermanent. When we understand the Dharma, we know that all things are without self. Since everything is impermanent, without self, why are we so often taking issue over things? So, once we understand these teachings, we must penetrate the True Dharma. We must not [cling] to the illusions of this world.
Recently, we have often been saying, “Impermanence can strike in an instant.” When we live in peace and safety every day, if we keep going about our lives in the same way, then even if every day we hear about how impermanence can strike at any moment, we are still unable to truly experience this. When impermanence strikes, in that moment, we must dedicate ourselves with body and mind to find a way to give to others. Haven’t we profoundly experienced this recently? In Penghu, a TransAsia Airways jet crashed. This plane took off from Kaohsiung. As the plane was about to arrive in Penghu, for some unknown reason it suddenly crashed. It fell on top of houses in a residential area. See, this happened in an instant.
There was the sound of a loud crash. Then this news was broadcast on television. Tzu Chi volunteers from the Siaogang district in Kaohsiung immediately gathered at the airport, awaiting the arrival of [the victims’] families. They began to accompany and comfort them.
On Penghu, Tzu Chi volunteers quickly divided into groups; some went to the funeral homes and prepared to chant for the deceased. Others went to the hospital and quickly assessed how to provide comfort. These volunteers are Bodhisattvas. When impermanence strikes in the world, in that instant, they share the same resolve. This is True Dharma; these are the true principles. They tell us of “impermanence”. They tell us of being “without self”. They tell us that, “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering sentient beings.” Thus, we must have deep faith in the Dharma that the Buddha taught; we must “uphold the Great Vehicle practices and cultivate the Path [to] have understanding.”
We must not only have faith, not only have deep faith, but we must also “cultivate the Path”. How should we walk this road? Actually, Tzu Chi volunteers in the greater Kaohsiung area, knowing that Penghu had insufficient manpower, proactively organized themselves to go to Penghu to help. They remained there for one week. This is how Tzu Chi volunteers went to help.
One week after the crash, in Kaohsiung, after dark, in the middle of the night, a loud noise was heard. This was a gas explosion. An underground pipeline carrying what people nowadays call propylene had been leaking. Sections of several roads exploded in succession one after another. That same night, that is, in the early morning of August 1st, starting at 2am. Tzu Chi volunteers began preparing breakfast for people. This was how quickly the culinary team assembled. Think about it, they were able to react so quickly because they were of the same heart and mind. They knew that major damage had been done. After midnight, they received news that many had been injured and sent to the hospital and that over 20 people had been killed and had been transported to funeral homes.
The Tzu Chi volunteers designated to help at the hospital went there, while those who were to chant for the deceased at the funerl home went there. We saw that so many people were of the same mind. This is to truly "uphold the Great Vehicle practices and cultivate the Path." Because we understand, when an incident happens, we know what needs to be taken care of and in what ways people may need our help. In that instant, we can all comprehend this, so we gather our love and strength. This comes from the aspirations and vows we form on a regular basis. This world is a Bodhisattva training ground. These [volunteers] are very-well-trained, thus they "uphold the Great Vehicle practices".
We do not wait until something happens to us before we try to find a way to apply the Dharma; no. When something happens, all of us can come together as if of one mind to find a Way to help others because we regularly listen to the Dharma; we must apply the Dharma by going among people. This is "cultivating the Path". This comes from the understanding we develop on a regular basis.
All together, we have mobilized for more than 15,000 volunteers shifts. The local volunteers in Kaohsiung have been giving to others every day. Bodhisattva-volunteers from outside Kaohsiung have also mobilized to provide support. This is truly moving!
An earth-shattering disaster should bring about a world-changing awakening. When sentient beings are in difficulty, Bodhisattvas immediately help them. So, as people who regularly listen to the Dharma we should apply this Great Vehicle Bodhi-path and walk the Bodhisattva-path.
"To follow the Buddha and listen to the Dharma is to be a true Hearer." During the Buddha's lifetime, things were peaceful, and the population was small. People simply listened to the Buddha teach about how to cultivate their minds. However, the Buddha always wanted the Dharma be passed on, continually transmited from that time on.
So, more than 2000 years ago, during the later years of the Buddha's life, He changed to teaching about the Six Paramitas the Six Perfections, which is the Bodhisattva-path. He hoped that everyone could understand these principles.
He did not just want us to listen to and take the sounds into our hearts; the Buddha changed His direction and told us, "These are skillful means". Thus, He used many methods to create analogies. In hopes that everyone could understand that the Dharma must be unceasingly transmitted; it is without beginning or end. Perhaps back then, we were among those at the Lotus Dharma-assembly. Some people had a keener power of undrtstanding. After accepting the Dharma, they passed it on, lifetime after lifetime. Other had a more limited power of understanding so even as they listened to the Dharma, afflictions arose in them. Thus, they remained unenlightenef beings. Now that we are listening to the Dharma again, we must develop our minds and our wisdom. Through these skillful means and analogies, we understnad that life is full of suffering, so we must aspire and vow to seek the Bodhi-path.
Thus, "To penetrate the Dharma of the One Reality is to see the Path and have deep faith." We must put [the Dharma] into practice. Cultivation the Path enhances our understnading. The more we join in, the more we understand; the best way to help people becomes more clear. So, when we take the Dharma to heart, we manifest it in our actions. Today's world is in great need of the Bodhisattva-path.
So, when we take the Dharma to heart, we manifest it in our actions. Today’s world is in great need of the Bodhisattva-path. It is in need of Bodhisattvas, so we must recruit more Bodhisattvas.
Previously, we began discussing the Buddha’s ten main disciples, We are already very familiar with Sariputra.
Next, “Wisdom-life Subhuti, Mahakatyayana, Mahakasyapa and Mahamuadgalyayana were all introduced one by one. Once these main disciples heard the Dharma at that assembly, they attained realizations one by one. At the same time, they asked the Buddha about what they “heard from the Buddha”. They expressed that the Dharma they had just heard from the Buddha was something “they had no heard before”. They “heard from the Buddha teachings they had not heard before. ”
“When the Buddha predicted Sariputra would attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, they gave rise to a rare aspiration and were joyful and jubilant”.
This expresses that Subhuti and the others, the four of them, had already heard the Chapter on Skillful Means and then the Chapter on Parables and had seen Sariputra receive a prediction of Buddhahood from the Buddha. So, they were all very happy. Using themselves as an example, they said, “Since Sariputra could receive the Buddha’s prediction of Buddhahood, this means we are not far off. Let us wait for the Buddha to bestow predictions of Buddhahood upon us. We certainly have a part in this”. Thus, “They were joyful and jubilant” to “hear teachings from the Buddha that they had not heard before”.
[They] heard from the Buddha teachings they had not heard before: This indicated that Subhuti and the others had heard the Buddha teach the Chapters on Skillful Means and Parables, and taking themselves as examples, they knew that like Sariputra they had a part in the attainment of Buddhahood. Thus they were joyful and jubilant.
Having heard that in the future they could attain Buddhahood, that they could receive this prediction from the Buddha, of course they were joyful.
[What they] heard from the Buddha: Their joy came first from listening to teachings of skillful means and more recently from the teachings on Parables.
This came from listening a very long time ago. We understand that this Dharma was the wisdom accumulated by the Buddha over countless kalpas of spiritual practice. Now that He was in the human realm, He had to teach in a way people could understand. Thus He taught with skillful means.
The Buddha used all kinds of worldly things as analogies to teach the Dharma. With the Dharma, He analyzed all kinds of things in the world; thus they were all able to understand. These were teachings they had not heard before. At the Lotus Dharma-assembly, the Buddha used many analogies in the Chapter on Parables to help them gain a greater and clearer understanding.
They had not heard these before. Although Sariputra was considered a Hearer, he was now able to, like a Bodhisattva receive a prediction of Buddhahood. In the past, the Buddha only bestowed predictions of Buddhahood upon Bodhisattvas. Now, even Hearers had the chance to attain Buddhahood. The Buddha began bestowing these predictions upon Hearers. This was also a teaching they had never heard before. Therefore, everyone was joyful.
Subhuti and the others had already realized the wisdom of the emptiness of samsara. Before, in the Prajna Dharma-assembly, He had lectured on the principles of emptiness, and they had thus attained a small part of the ever-abiding Dharma-nature of the Great Vehicle wisdom-life.
Subhuti and the other main disciples had already attained the fruit [of Arhatship]. They were constantly by the Buddha’s side, listening to the teachings. Aside from listening to the Dharma, they also transmitted the Buddha-Dharma to others. They traveled to spread the Dharma, and then returned to His side to listen to more. Thus, they “sought the Buddha’s Way and transformed sentient beings”. They were able to go everywhere to spread Dharma. Thus, they had already attained a small part of the ever-abiding Dharma-nature of the Great Vehicle wisdom-life”. They had already begun to touch upon the essence of the Great Vehicle Dharma.
In the Chapters on Skillful Means and on Parables, they had gradually attained realizations. At this point, they let go of the sheep-cart and deer-cart and turned toward the great white ox-cart. This means that their Great Vehicle wisdom-life was beginning to grow, and they began to make vows. “Through the truth of emptiness, all things can come to fruition”. By first understanding the principle of emptiness, they could easily let go of greed, anger and ignorance.
It is through the truth of emptiness that all things can come to fruition. This means when conditions converge, things arise.When conditions disperse, things cease .
So, emptiness, the principle of emptiness, can accomplish a lot. We can eliminate afflictions from our minds; we can master this skill. Then we can further understand how conditions converge to give rise to things and how when conditions disperse, things will cease.
All phenomena are impermanent, constantly changing and never abiding. Due to the merits of their deep understanding that all phenomena are empty, these four disciples were known as “Wisdom-life.”
“All phenomena are impermanent, constantly changing and never abiding.” As the minutes and seconds continuously pass by all phenomena in the world and the universe are undergoing changes. As for human life, in the same way, [our body] is constantly changing. We experience “birth, aging, illness and death” with changes that happen in every passing moment.
The rising and setting of the sun also happens with the infinitesimal changes that happen in every second. “Deep understanding that all phenomena are empty” mean they had all attained these principles. They worked on internal cultivation and realized [the Dharma] through external practice. This created merits and virtues. Their appearance as spiritual practitioners came from their internal cultivation.
So, they had already understood internal merits and external virtues. Therefore, these four people were all addressed as “Wisdom-life.” At the start we mentioned “Wisdom-life Subhuti.” Actually, any monastic could be addressed as “Wisdom-life.” All of us have eliminated our desires and left our loved ones for the sake of listening to the Buddha-Dharma and dedicating our lives to the words and to all things in the world, this is spiritual practice. So, all spiritual practitioners can be addressed as “Wisdom-life.”
This passage also states, “When the conditions ripened, they could hear teachings they had not heard before.” The causes and conditions had ripened, and they had come to the Lotus Dharma-assembly. At this time, the Buddha started teaching according to capabilities to incorporate people of limited capacities and guide them toward developing greater capacities and toward walking the Bodhisattva-path.
The causes and conditions for this were ripe. In the past, “They had not heard this.” So, now the Buddha said, “[In] the Two Vehicles, everything [I] taught was skillful means to draw [you] to enter the Great Vehicle.”
The Two Vehicles are the Small and Middle Vehicles. These practitioners had stopped at that state of spiritual practice. The Buddha now told them that they must continue to advance. There is more than just the sheep and deer carts there is also the great white ox cart.
So, everyone must diligently advance. These words were what they “had not heard before.” The Buddha had not spoken these words before. He began speaking them now.
Then “The Buddha predicted that Sariputra would attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.” Subhuti and the four others said, that, “[Hearing] Bodhisattvas receiving predictions of Buddhahood was not surprising.” The Buddha had always bestowed. But hearing a Small Vehicle practitioner receive such a prediction was very surprising. This was very inspiring to them.
When they heard Bodhisattvas receive predictions of Buddhahood, they were not surprised. Now that they heard Hearers receiving predictions of Buddhahood, they were astonished. They is why they were joyful in body and mind. From this they knew that the Two Vehicles are also part of the One Vehicle. This is why they were joyful in body and mind.
So, “They gave rise to a rare aspiration.” Starting now, those who had not formed aspirations before did so. Thus, they could also receive a prediction of Buddhahood from the Buddha. “From this they knew that the Two Vehicles are also part of the One Vehicle.” Thus, they were happy, body and mind. This passage expresses what these four, the Buddha’s main disciples, felt in their hearts. This is why we must be mindful. The Buddha-Dharma is found in the world. The Buddha-Dharma is in our daily living. The Dharma we listen to regularly can be applied in a time of need; then everyone can give with mindfulness and jubilance. This world is our place of spiritual practice, a Bodhisattva training ground. The way of helping everyone so that they feel comforted and at peace is the Bodhisattva-path. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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