Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Clinging to Emptiness Without Seeking to Advance (執空而不進求)
Date: January.04. 2016
“They only contemplated emptiness, so they took no joy in the wondrous application. They contemplated non-appearance, so they took no joy in seeking Buddha’s wisdom. They contemplated non-contrivance, so they took no joy in transforming others. Their hearts were not joyful, so they no longer sought to advance.”
Everyone, we must constantly encourage ourselves. We must never allow our minds to become fatigued. If we become fatigued to the point that we are not interested in anything, how would that be considered engaging in spiritual practice? Because they are engaging in spiritual practice, some people think, “I already understand that all things are empty, so when it comes to everything else, I’m not interested. I will just earnestly work to benefit myself because all things are empty.” They understand this but cannot go any further, they only understand the principles biased toward emptiness.
Indeed, life is empty in nature; everything that happens is like a daydream. Take us humans, for example. In the past, no telling how long ago, we created many interpersonal conflicts and gave rise to very unpleasant things. Over those many lifetimes, who knows how many negative affinities we formed. Yet all of this is in the past. We must repent what we have done in the past. We must also immediately eliminate those past afflictions. More important is to improve for the future. We must repay the debts we owe. Repaying it happily reduces what we have to pay. And do we hope for anything in return? There is no need. When we understand the Dharma, we do not expect to get anything more.
Throughout this process, if we can proactively go among people and give to others, we are walking the Bodhisattva-path. Doing this is “taking joy in the wondrous application.” We should do everything we can right now. Everything is illusory and empty; we all understand this. But the Buddha-Dharma always teaches us about wondrous existence. Wondrous existence is about taking advantage of our current time, space and interpersonal relationships. These three combine to be a place where we practice wondrous application. We have the causes and conditions in this world that allow us to give. This is the wondrous application of the Bodhisattva-path we have practiced and learned.
In the past, we might have instead said, “I am very tired. I just want to rest.” If we are like this, we “take no joy in the wondrous application.” As we learn the Buddha’s Way, it is the same. We must not just “contemplate non-appearance.” By [only] “contemplating non-appearance,” our spiritual practice becomes biased.
“No matter what I do in the world, isn’t it ultimately empty? So, I can listen to the Buddha-Dharma and engaging in spiritual practice. This I can eliminate afflictions and have no further worries. I have put an end to samsara and no longer undergo transmigration in the Six Realms. I have attained the fruit of Arhatship.” Because of this, we stop at this stage. If we are satisfied with limited realizations and the Small [Vehicle] Dharma, we “take no joy in seeking the Buddha’s wisdom.” We have no desire to advance.
During the Buddha’s lifetime, wasn’t there a group of disciples like this? Over the past few days, we have been talking about “Subhuti and the others.” These four leaders of the Sangha indeed felt this way. “Contemplating non-contrivance, they took no joy in transforming others.” They felt that in the past, the Buddha taught them to “contemplate non-contrivance,” because they had to eliminate afflictions and not contrive affinities. So, because of this, “They took no joy in transforming others.”
Earlier it was about “taking no joy in seeking Buddha’s wisdom.” They felt that their spiritual practice was sufficient. The Buddha wanted them to put an end to transmigration in the Six Realms, and they had already done so, so they felt there was no need to keep advancing.
Next, they wanted to guard against wrongs and stop evil.They did not want to contrive any more affinities, so they did not want to “transform sentient beings”.
This was indolence.In this way, the kind of stillness in their minds was actually complete indifference; they lacked joy in their hearts.Thus, “They no longer sought to advance.” and no longer had any aspirations about moving forward.
The goal of learning the Buddha’s Way should be the attainment of Buddhahood, but they stopped at this Small Vehicle state, the state of Solitary Realizers.
If our lives are like this, that is worrisome.In today’s society, many people simply spend their time on ignorant and afflicted pursuits; we only try to make money, not create blessings.In life, impermanence can strike in an instant.How much life do we still have left, and when will we have made enough money?
We will never feel that we have enough.
But in life, the day will come when we either fall ill or impermanence suddenly strikes.When we reach the end of life, what else is there?If we do not make use of this time and the space, we are like these four elders we had come before the Buddha in order to repent and express what was in their hearts.They had thought that their level of spiritual practice was good enough, so they had stopped advancing.
Now they recognized this, so they can advance toward seeking the path to Buddhahood.
Thus, the previous sutra passage states, “We have been the heads of the Sangha and are already old and decrepit. We said we had attained Nirvana, that there was nothing more to endure, thus we no longer sought to advance to Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”
They believed that since they were now in old age they had already practiced enough.So, they no longer sought to diligently advance.But actually, there was still the most important goal of spiritual practice, which was attaining “Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi”.This supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment is the attainment of Buddhahood.
So, we also have the chance to attain Buddhahood.
In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha continued to encourage everyone to keep advancing to benefit themselves and others.
The following passage continues with, “In the past, the World-Honored One expounded the Dharma to us for a very long time. We were always present, but our bodies had become tired and lax, and we only contemplated emptiness, non-appearance and non-contrivance.”
This is similar to what we said before.They repented before the Buddha and said everything that was on their minds.“World-Honored One, You have expounded the Dharma for so long. Whenever You taught, we were always present. Arising, abiding, changing and ceasing, we understand these principles [of the mind]. Material things go through formation, existence, decay and disappearance; there is no such thing as a true appearance. We have heard these principles before and have grown tired of hearing them.”
Listening to teachings can also get tiring.They believed that over such a long period of time they had heard everything they needed to hear.So, what was the Dharma that the Buddha had been teaching?
“After attain enlightenment, for the first three periods of seven days, the Buddha gave the Avatamsaka teachings.”
“ Three periods of seven days” is three weeks, so how many days is that?21 days.For the first 21 days, from the time He attained enlightenment, when His mind and all things in the universe were united as one, from that instant, His mind was in the Avatamsaka state.
The Avatamsaka state is tranquil and clear; it is such a beautiful state.In that state, His mind traveled freely about the universe to realize the truths of all things, and then He expounded this Dharma for great Bodhisattvas; those were all Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas.That Dharma-assembly was very dignified; it was the state of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
However, the Buddha’s one great cause for coming to the world, the true audience He wanted to teach to, was the myriad of sentient beings.At that time He wondered, “How can this state be understood by ordinary people? What methods can I use?”In the end, He decided to teach according to capabilities.
So, He adjourned from [teaching] this state of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and retained it in His mind.Then He began teaching the Dharma according to sentient beings’ capabilities.
Thus, at Deer Park He began to turn the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths. Moreover, at Deer Park the Sangha was formed. Three or more monastics was called [a Sangha], not to mention five. Thus, the Sangha was formed. He then expounded the Dharma many times. For 12 years, He gave the Agama teachings. He taught the Agama sutras over 12 years. Aside from the Four Noble Truths, He taught the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. These were the states of Hearers and Solitary Realizers. After 12 years had passed, the Buddha began giving the Vaipulya teachings. In the Vaipulya, He raised the level of teachings to enter the Great Vehicle Dharma and expanded everyone’s horizons by analyzing matters and material things.
The growth of a tree begins with a seed. With soil, water, air and sunlight, the seed will begin to grow. If the seed is cut off from the air, the result will only be “emptiness”. Principles like these were taught beginning with the Vaipulya teachings.
Then He wanted to help everyone understand even more thoroughly the origin of these principles, where this seed comes from. Thus, He entered the state of Prajna. The Prajna teachings were all about emptiness; all things are empty in nature. Emptiness does not just apply to material things. Even when it comes to our bodies, “The Five Aggregates are empty in nature”. These are the Prajna teachings, which include the Diamond Sutra, the Prajnaparamita Sutra, etc.
The Agama sutras were taught over 12 years, the Vaipulya sutras for eight years and the Prajna sutras for 22 years. Doesn’t this add up to 42 years？After 42 years had passed, He began to turn toward the Lotus [teachings]. The Lotus Sutra was taught over more than seven years. On the Buddha’s last day, He taught the Parinirvana Sutra. This was known as the Lotus period. In summary, [He taught] for a very long time.
The Buddha also taught the Lotus Sutra over many years. Starting with the Introductory Chapter，then the Chapter on Skillful Means, the Chapter on Parables, and so on, there were 28 chapters altogether.
Though everyone had heard these [teachings], the Buddha still started from the beginning. So, the teachings started from “existence”, then went to “emptiness”, and then to “wondrous wisdom”, that extremely profound and unsurpassed Dharma.
Only then did people comprehend that the past teachings, the Agama, Vaipulya and Prajna sutras, were principles that would be needed in the future to attain Buddhahood, were part of the path to Buddhahood. He had already taught these for over 40 years.
Thus, they inevitably said, “World-Honored One, You had expounded the Dharma for a very long time. We were always present, but our bodies had become tired and lax”. They were very honest. At this time, they expressed to the Buddha that after listening for so long, they had grown tired of doing so.
“We of the Two Vehicles were all present, and though we listened to the Great Vehicle Dharma, we had no intent to pursue, practice or realize it. Thus, it says, “Our bodies had become tired and lax.”
So, “we” refers to these four [leaders] who spoke on behalf of the Two Vehicle practitioners. Those Two Vehicle practitioners who were present had “listened to the Great Vehicle Dharma, [but] had no intent to pursue, practice or realize it.”
Although they had listened to the Buddha teach the Great Vehicle Dharma to Bodhisattvas, they believed it was intended only for Bodhisattvas. “It has nothing to do with me”. So, they “had no intent to pursue, practice or realize it”.
Thus, they said, “Our bodies had become tired and lax”. If people listen to someone speak every day, they may get tired of listening. All of you should ask yourselves, “Do we have this same kind of attitude? ” “We only contemplated emptiness, non-appearance and non-contrivance”. By contemplating only these things, we think everything is “empty”and that we need not form attachments, meaning attachments to the appearance of things. We must eliminate afflictions; what else is these to do? These is nothing more to do.
So, this is also saying that we must engage in “contemplation among the Three Samadhis”. The three kinds of Samadhi are “the three gates of liberation”.
The three kinds of Samadhi are “the three gates of liberation.” These people only cultivated liberation, only contemplated emptiness, non-appearance and non-contrivance. That was all they did. The two Vehicle practitioners, the Hearers and Solitary Realizers, practice the Four Noble Truths, the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, the Sixth Meditations and so on. All of these teach us methods for eliminating our afflictions. The concentration we have when we do this is called Samadhi.
But these people stopped at this state of Samadhi. When we “contemplate emptiness”, we will “observe that all worldly phenomena arise interdependently and are also illusory and unreal.” This comes from “contemplating emptiness.”
So, because of this, since all things are illusory and unreal, there is no need to keep afflictions in our minds, and we can let go of issues of the past, or of the future, as well as our afflictions.
“Emptiness” is also called the “view of emptiness.” This is contemplating all phenomena as sufferings, impermanent and being without self. It is contemplating everything as impure.
In this world, we “contemplating all things as being without self, contemplate the mind as impermanent and [contemplate] many things as being impure. If we then grow weary of and renounce the world, why would we create impure karma for the sake of these unwholesome things?
So, [contemplating] non-appearance teaches us to eliminate [attachment] to appearance.
The Samadhi of non-appearance means observing that all appearances in the world are illusory and have a “temporary existence. Which of them are real? All of them are only temporary. Our appearance and our label constantly change; is there ever any kind of everlasting appearance?No, there is no such appearance. Without an appearance, there can be no label. So, what is there to be attached to? Thus, we awaken and realize non-appearance. This is Nirvana. Then we will not contrive affinities for the future. This puts an end to our cyclic existence in the Six Realms. This is the “extinction of all afflictions as being without any appearance to grasp.”
The “Samadhi of non-contrivance” is “the observation that all phenomena are illusory existences, thus resulting in not seeking anything.”
Since we contemplated emptiness earlier, [we realize] all appearances are “empty” and that everything has an illusory existence. But then some do not continue to seek anything. When Living Bodhisattvas take in the Dharma, whenever [a disaster] occurs somewhere, they will immediately come together and combine their strengths to be able to save lives, etc..
This is making use of the True Dharma in the world. If people take a more passive approach, they simply learn the Dharma that all things are illusory. If they do not take the Dharma to heart, it truly is illusory.
So, “non-contrivance” means not bringing anything into being. They felt they had pretty much done everything. They feel they had pretty much heard all the Dharma. Thus, they did not behave in a way that advanced their practice. So, having “observed all conditioned Dharma, they did not wish for anything more. ”
All phenomena are conditioned Dharma, which arise from a convergence [of causes and conditions].
As I have said to everyone before, the Dharma is without substance or appearance. It is because we sentient beings have afflictions that we create all kinds of karma, which then come together, resulting in “suffering” and “causation.”
In order to understand why there is so much suffering in the world, we must thoroughly realize the causation that is accumulated through the karma we create. Therefore, we must awaken and practice according to the path. To eliminate our suffering, we must walk the path right away. If we are mindful, what is the path that we must be practicing?
What the Buddha wanted for us to practice was the great Bodhi-path. This means we must walk the Bodhisattva-path; that is the true path.
Everyone, when learning the Buddha’s Way we cannot say, “Yes, I have heard the Dharma. I am tired of listening to it. I do not seek to advance. If we are like this, that would be a pity. From the way the four elders expressed the thoughts on their minds, we must compare ourselves to them and ask, “Are we thinking these thoughts? If we are, we must quickly remind ourselves to advance in our practice and always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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