Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Planting Seeds of Enlightenment with Compassion (諸佛慈念助成道種)
Date: January.28. 2016
“The Buddha-nature of intrinsic enlightenment is pure wisdom. He sincerely sought to inspire and guide us, yet these words, which suited our capabilities, are still somewhat obstructed when entering our hearts. The minds of sentient beings are such that, though they often listen to the Dharma, they constantly let it leak away. The compassion of all Buddhas is such that Their every thought is on planting the seeds for sentient beings to attain enlightenment.”
We can understand how earnest the Buddha was in hoping that sentient beings could accept the Dharma, have faith in and understand it. This was what the Buddha intended. He constantly told us that everyone has the innate enlightenment of Buddha-nature. With utmost sincerity, He constantly guided us so that our minds might come together with His and be one with our pure Buddha-nature.
He used all His efforts to inspire and guide us, but, “The words which suited our capabilities were still somewhat obstructed.” He mindfully taught the Dharma and mindfully adapted to people’s capabilities. Sentient beings might have great or limited capabilities, so the Buddha used both the Great and Small Dharma to teach according to their capabilities.
Nevertheless, sentient beings remained the same; they listened to the Dharma and took it to heart, but they still had some obstructions. Isn’t this what ordinary people are like? We are happy when we hear the Dharma. “This is very applicable to me! I guess I should change my ways; fine, I will do it gradually.”
Making changes is not that easy because there are obstacles. What is it that obstructs people? Habitual tendencies and afflictions. These are what obstruct them.
So, “The minds sentient beings are such that, though they often listen to the Dharma, they constantly let it leak away.” This is rather unfortunate. If we have listened to the Dharma and have been able to apply even a few short sayings in our lives, we will have attained realizations. There are people who often recite these teachings, but when they encounter challenges, [the Dharma] leaks away again. They do not know how to apply it. Even if people remind them, “Don’t you remember? Losing your temper is a form of temporary insanity?” They say, “I’ve already lost my temper. I can’t control it. I’ll do things differently next time. Then shouldn’t you apologize to him? I’m still angry. Let me take this slow.”
We know that even if the teachings leak out for a while, we have virtuous friends by our side who will always remind us of them. But having already lost our tempers, when it comes to changing we are “taking it slow”. After losing our tempers, will we apologize? If we are still angry, we may wait a little before apologizing. We may understand these principles [and say,] “I know, I know,” but if we let them leak away, then want to replace them, that will take time. This is what makes us sentient beings. This is what makes us ordinary people.
So, sentient beings are constantly listening to the Dharma while often letting it leak away. “The compassion of all Buddhas is such that Their every thought.” The compassion of all Buddhas is in Their every thought. What is Their every thought on? “On planting the seeds for sentient beings to attain enlightenment.” This applies to all Buddhas, not just Sakyamuni Buddha. Every Buddha has this resolve. With Their every thought, They hope that sentient beings will become the seeds of enlightenment. Once planted, one seed gives rise to infinity. Nowadays, people with resolve continue to find ways to transmit the Dharma.They out up Jing Si aphorisms everywhere, in the streets and alleyways, in hopes that someone will see that phrase on the wall.This is done by people who are very dedicated.
People with this kind of resolve are like Buddhas with Their resolve.They “take the Buddha-mind as their own.”Having “taken the Buddha-mind as their own,” they hope that everyone will, in any place, find a saying that reminds them to be vigilant, a saying they can accept and make use of.This is in the hope that with each person, one will give rise to infinity, and they will become the seeds of enlightenment.As one person transmits the Dharma to another, they become the seeds if enlightenment.
In the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, it states, “One gives rise to infinity, and infinity arises from one.”When a single rice seed is planted in the earth, the stalk will become laden with grains of rice.As hundreds of grains of rice are produced, they can be grown into seedlings and then sown.Then each will generate hundreds more.
Hundreds turn into thousands, tens of thousands; there will be a countless, infinite number.This was the Buddha’s hope.People with resolve will sow the seeds.These people sow the seeds of Dharma, which is also the Buddha’s intent, that great compassion in every thought.
In fact, this was how the Buddha came to transform sentient beings.He hoped they would form great aspirations.If we form great aspirations but then retreat again, that seed will soon dry out.
So, this is the previous passage; let us listen to it again mindfully, so we are ready for the teachings to come.
In the previous passage, it states, “He knew that he was old and worn out and still possessed so much wealth. Gold, silver and treasures filled his vaults to overflowing.”
This was how the disciples described that the Buddha was old already, and the disciples themselves were also old.So it says, “He knew.”
They were thinking about themselves and about how the Buddha was also very old.
“[He] still possessed so much wealth. Gold, silver and treasures filled his vaults to overflowing.”This means the Dharma is a treasure, and there is an abundance of it.The Buddha’s wisdom “filled His vaults to overflowing”.The Buddha’s mind was filled with an abundance of wisdom; this is how it was described.
But the sutra passage continues with, “With no heirs to succeed him, once his life finally came to an end, his wealth would be scattered and lost, for he had no one to entrust it to. This is why he thought of his son so earnestly.”
[The elder] was sad; he was getting old.What was the use of having all that wealth?He had no children to pass it on to.
With no heirs to succeed him:
The Buddha wished for all sentient beings to be replete with world-transcending.
Great Vehicle aspirations.
If there were no one to transmit and uphold the Great Vehicle Dharma, that would be like having no heirs.
“[He had] no heirs to succeed him. The Buddha wished for all sentient beings to be replete with world-transcending. Great Vehicle aspirations.”
The Buddha hoped that all sentient beings would be replete with world-transcending Great Vehicle aspirations.Because of the state He achieved after His awakening, and because sentient beings also have this nature of True Suchness, [the Buddha] hope that, with this capability deep within them, they would transcend the world and quickly allow this potential to surface.
To transcend the world, they must have Great Vehicle aspirations, which is their nature of True Suchness.They cannot bear for sentient beings to suffer, so they take working with sentient beings as their place of practice.
It is only by interacting with sentient beings that we are able to truly purify our minds of afflictions and ignorance.If we do not polish our minds by going among people, we will never truly eliminate our afflictions.
So, to transcend this world with our nature of True Suchness, we must make Great Vehicle aspirations and go among the people.If it were not for people who had the world-transcending spirit to shoulder the Great Vehicle mission, there would be no one to transmit the Dharma, and no one to uphold the Great Vehicle Dharma.
If no one shoulders this mission, “That would be like having no heirs.”The Buddha had many disciples; at least 1200 of them were by His side.Though there were so many,even people like Subhuti admitted to the Buddha that they were unwilling to form great aspirations. It was as if there was no one who could pass it on. So, this was very sad.
“Once [the elder’s] life finally came to an end, when the Buddha entered Parinirvana, the Dharma-path would be cut off and annihilated”.
Once his life finally came to an end: Once the Buddha entered Parinirvana, the Dharma-path would be cut off and annihilated, for there was no one to entrust it to. If the mind-seal was not passed on, His mind would be filled with regret.
If no one was willing to transmit it, how could the Dharma abide in this world? The great Bodhi-path that connects the state of unenlightened beings to the state of the Buddha is very long. It must be [preserved] in each generation, so there has to be someone to transmit the Dharma.
Once the Buddha enters Parinirvana, if no one transmits the Dharma, the path would be cut off, and the Dharma would cease. [At the Lotus Dharma-assembly], this was something Subhuti worried about.
Not only was the Buddha worried, so were Subhuti and others. They knew of the Buddha’s worries that no one would transmit the Dharma in the future. They realized this at that time, but they were already old and worn out. “There was no one to entrust [the Dharma] to. No one could pass on the mind-seal.
How do we transmit the Buddha-mind? “By taking the Buddha-mind as our own. By taking our teacher’s mission as our own. Taking the Buddha’s mind as our own, taking our teacher’s mission as our own”, is there anyone who is actually putting this into practice? Thus, “His mind was filled with regret”. Subhuti and the others all understood why the Buddha was worried. They recalled how, in the past, they had remained only in the Small Vehicle, only benefiting themselves. Their Great Vehicle aspirations had disappeared. The aspirations they had formed when they first took refuge with the Buddha had dwindled and stopped. They remained in the Small Vehicle, biased toward “emptiness” and focused on themselves, thus they had wasted their time.
Now that they were in their old age, they inevitably felt remorse and regret over this. They were repentant and regretted this deeply. They were advanced in years, as was the Buddha. How would the Dharma continue to be transmitted?
Thus, they used the analogy of a person who was advanced in years. His child was undisciplined and had ran away, but no matter how undisciplined that child was, as the father grew old, he hoped that his child would return.
So, this is analogous to the elder “earnestly thinking of his son. Thus, it says he was old and worn out, increasingly thinking of his son with affection”.
In his old age, he hoped his child would return. Otherwise, what would he do with all his wealth? This is how worldly people think, and the Buddha-Dharma is inseparable from the workings of the world. “Thus, it says he was old and worn out, increasingly thinking of his son with affection”. His longing for his son grew in its fervor. This is how people in this world feel.
So, the Buddha’s mind was constantly likened to a father’s mind. The Buddha regarded all sentient beings as His children, just like His only son, Rahula. This was the Buddha’s mind, a father’s mind. But in the same way, He had gotten old. Therefore, Subhuti and the others felt a sense of regret. “Those who had formed Great Vehicle aspirations had already retreated from them”.
“Those who had formed Great Vehicle aspirations had already retreated from them, so this was like having no heirs, because the Small Vehicle practitioners could not shoulder responsibility for the Dharma”.
“Those who had formed Great Vehicle aspirations” refers to their aspirations when they first took refuge with the Buddha. When they first began to learn from the Buddha, they had hoped to a attain great awakenings and reach Buddhahood just like Him. But those who had formed Great Vehicle aspirations had since retreated from them; they remained stuck in the Small Vehicle. “This was like having no heirs”. Thus even having children made no difference.
Subhuti evaluated himself in this way and thought back to his past. He felt sorry for the Buddha, regretting [what he had not done]. How was this different from having no children? No wonder the Buddha lamented this in His old age.
“The Small Vehicle practitioners could not should responsibility for the Dharma.” If they could not should this responsibility, how could they take responsibility for the Great Vehicle and go among the people to transform sentient beings? They were only concerned with themselves. If they could not carry out fundamental responsibilities, how could they shoulder the mission of going among people to transform them?
Small Vehicle practitioners were unable to do this. “Once his life finally came to an old,” once He had entered Parinirvana, what would happen then?
“His wealth would be scattered and lost, for he had no one entrust it to”. What would happen at that time? If none of His disciples were willing to transmit it, to form great aspirations and should the responsibility, “once He entered Parinirvana, the Dharma-path would be cut off and annihilated.”
The Dharma and the path would be completely cut off and annihilated. The path would be cut off and annihilated, “for there was no one to entrust it to.”
This would be very sad! So, “This was why he thought of his son so earnestly.”
This was why he thought of his son so earnestly: He earnestly thought of His disciples. If the mind-seal was not passed on, then when could He give the Two Vehicle practitioners predictions of Buddhahood and pass on the torch? For all sentient beings, He indicated the pearl hidden in their clothes.
He thought about His disciples so earnestly because He could not pass on the mind-seal. When would He finally be able to “give the Two Vehicle practitioners predictions of Buddhahood and pass on the torch?” When would the Two Vehicle practitioners finally be able to realize the Buddha-mind, truly be able to receive the Buddha’s predictions of attaining Buddhahood and pass on the Buddha’s torch?
Someone needs to hold up the torch to help people walk this path. This was what the Buddha deeply worried about.
Thus, “For the sake of all sentient beings, He guided them along their path. The Buddha wanted to tell us that everyone is in possession of a precious pearl. We are like the poor son. In fact, this pearl had always been in his pocket. He carried it around with him in his wanderings. He sought food and clothing and suffered from could and hunger, all the while never knowing that there was a valuable pearl on him. This is the delusion sentient beings.
The Buddha was already old. When would His children actually return? Would His prodigal children ever return to shore? How would the son who had wandered off ever be able to gradually return to the elder’s side? This wandering child begged for food and clothing; he never had enough to eat or was warm enough as he drifted about.
As we constantly remind everyone, we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, yet we wander in the four forms of birth and the Six Destinies. We should always remember this.
So, when the Buddha transmits the Sharma to us with utmost sincerity, to teach and guide us, there will be no more obstacles for us when we take it to heart. And, after we listen to the Dharma, we will not let it leak away again and go against what He intended for us. The Buddha’s every thought was on sentient beings, hoping everyone would become the seed of enlightenment. As they form more affinities with other beings, one gives rise to infinity, giving them the spiritual nourishment for attaining Buddhahood. This is what we should be mindful of.
Otherwise we will be left many regrets. Subhuti had become aware of this himself, so we must do the same for ourselves. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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