Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Seeking the Buddha’s Way and Transforming Others (菩薩立願 上求下化)
Date: Febuary.05. 2016
“Bodhisattvas make vows and exercise the Six Paramitas. Seeking the Buddha’s Way while transforming others is the Great Vehicle. Severing delusions of views and thinking turns the Dharma-wheel. The great wisdom of the Buddha Vehicle grants the power of fearlessness.”
In developing aspirations, we must develop Bodhisattva-aspirations. In making vows, we must make Bodhisattva-vows. Bodhisattvas carry out their vows by exercising the Six Paramitas. All of you know about the Six Paramitas. There is giving, then upholding precepts; we need to follow rules. Walking the Bodhisattva-path has always been a way of spiritual practice and cultivation.
“Practicing” is about moving forward outwardly. “Cultivating” is about moving deeper inwardly. Inwardly, we need to take the Dharma to heart. Outwardly, we need to diligently advance on the Bodhisattva-path. This is known as “exercising”; we must continue to advance diligently. We also cannot retreat; we must be patient.
After Bodhisattvas from aspirations, they must put them into practice by exercising the Six Paramitas. Only then are they able to achieve a meditative state. I often say that a meditative state does not come from sitting in meditation. It is cultivated in our daily living, as we drink tea, eat meals and do chores. Everything we do can be a form of meditation in our daily living. Everything the Buddha taught us was in the hope that we are able to “seek the Buddha’s Way while transforming others.” This is walking the Bodhisattva-path.
“Seeking” means “obtaining”. Learning the Dharma and constantly absorbing it is “seeking the Buddha’s Way”. “Transforming others” is giving of ourselves for the sake of sentient beings. It is the giving of the Dharma, giving of wealth and giving of strength. It can also be being a companion to others, accompanying them. This is the “giving of fearlessness”.
The giving of wealth, giving of the Dharma, giving of fearlessness and so on are all things we can do. “Seeking the Buddha’s Way while transforming others” is the Great Vehicle Dharma. For all of us, our afflictions trap us in our thinking. Because of our afflictions, we cannot develop a positive attitude. Because of afflictions and ignorance, our facial expressions are often very unpleasant. This is because we have not eliminated afflictions or changed our habitual tendencies. Our afflictions are hard to eliminate. So, we must earnestly engage in spiritual practice. We must train ourselves to “seek the Buddha’s Way,” to find a way to sever our ignorance, and to “transform sentient beings,” to willingly give to help people while not being negatively influenced by them. This is how we sever our delusions of views and thinking.
“Views” refer to the view of self. “Thinking” is our thought process. “Delusions” are ignorance. We must put an end to our view of self. Sometimes our volunteers must stand outside someone’s door asking to come in. They refuse to open the door, or if they do, they give us a very mean look. In this situation, what is our perspective?
“I’m here to help you, but you’re unwilling to open your door. Clearly you’re at home, but you refuse to let us in. So, what am I waiting here for? I want to help you, buy you won’t let me. So, why am I still standing out here?”
We must go beyond this perspective. That is because we know that helping the person inside is our goal; he is our spiritual training ground. He is in need of our help. We need to first understand his situation, so we can find a way to help relieve his suffering.
Thus, he is a spiritual training ground for us. We need to stay here and continue waiting. We must eliminate our view of self; we must first eliminate this view of self. If everyone has the view of self, [we think,] “I’m the one helping you. How can you show me this attitude?If you don’t want my help, why should I bother?”This is what ordinary people think.
If we are Bodhisattvas, we will genuinely see him as our place of spiritual practice.He is helping us cultivate patience and is allowing us to diligently advance in our practice, to awaken our compassion and our powers of giving.These are the different perspectives of Bodhisattvas and ordinary people.
Bodhisattvas’ perspectives are our and undefiled, helping them move forward.
Ordinary people’s perspectives are filled with ignorance and afflictions, cutting off their roots of goodness.So, we must find ways to eliminate the delusions of views and thinking.These perspectives, thinking and ignorance are what we must sever.
If we do not eliminate afflictions and ignorance, even if we give rise to a thought of goodness, it will very quickly cease to exist.So, we must firmly resolve to cultivate precepts, Samadhi and wisdom and firmly resolve to exercise the Six Paramitas and the Four All-Embracing Virtues in our daily living.Only by doing this can we turn the Dharma-wheel.After taking the Dharma to heart, we can then teach it to other sentient beings.
“The great wisdom of the Buddha Vehicle grants the power of fearlessness.”What we must learn to develop is “the great wisdom of the Buddha Vehicle”.
The Buddha Vehicle is the Great Vehicle Dharma.
For all beings, He engaged in spiritual practice.For all beings, He attained Buddhahood.Thus, He keeps steering the ship of compassion back to this world.
This is “the great wisdom of the Buddha Vehicle”.
With the power of fearlessness, we are unafraid.
No matter the attitude of sentient beings, it will not be a problem for Bodhisattvas.Bodhisattvas do not allow other’s appearances to cause them to retreat.They have this power of fearlessness.These are practices we must cultivate.
When the Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra, He turned from the Two Vehicles to the Great Vehicle.Originally, the son had a very wealthy father, but he drifted around in other lands, and finding clothing and food was taxing.Just staving warm and having enough to eat were already very difficult.
After living a life of poverty gradually wandered back to his father’s home.He eventually reached his hometown.Arriving at his old house, he stood outside the gate and looked in.When he saw the elder in the house, he did not recognize him as his father.
But he saw that this man lived a life of comfort.Many people surrounded him, and everything around him was a treasure.
As for the things he used, “Covering him was a bejeweled canopy, which was hung with flowered pennants. Perfumed water had been sprinkled upon the earth and many prized flowers scattered everywhere. Treasures had been collected and arrayed, coming and going, being obtained and given away. Having such diverse, dignified adornments, his virtue seemed imposing and deserving of special respect.”
The elder was so wealthy that countless things were “coming and going”.Similarly, “diverse, dignified adornments” is an expression, an analogy.All the people around [the Buddha] were giving and taking in as they engaged in spiritual practice.This dignified group of people inspired respect in other people.
On the surface, the analogy talks about an elder, but the meaning within is about the Buddha-Dharma, about our intrinsic nature, our pure nature of True Suchness.Within everyone is the Buddha’s spiritual home.
The next sutra passage states, “When the poor son saw his father in all his great might and power, terror filled him, and he regretted coming to this place.”
This is about the poor son standing outside the gate and peeking in from the side of the doorway.Inside, he saw a very magnificent room.The elder was actually his father, yet he did not know that.He felt that the person inside had great might and power.
Thus, upon seeing him he felt fear and regret.
“Why did I come here?”
The following passage explains this to us.
When the poor son saw his father:
When the son was young and small, he departed from his father’s home.For several decades he lived in destitution, poverty and hardship.Then he gradually neared his father’s home.Actually, during the Avatamsaka Assembly, those of Two Vehicle had eyes but failed to see.
Today these four disciples themselves reported that they had already received the teachings, which were all for Bodhisattvas.Thus it says, “The poor son saw his father.”
When the son was young and small, he departed from his father‘s home. For several decades, the son lived in destitution, poverty and hardship.”He wandered about and life was very difficult, so he begged for food. Very slowly, “He gradually neared his father’s home”. Without realizing it, he had come home. This is in fact a way of expressing how everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature, but we cannot see this true nature of ours.
The place the Buddha attained enlightenment was where the Avatamsaka Assembly was held. Actually, everyone likewise has this Dharma-assembly within them. However, “Those of the Two Vehicles had eyes but failed to see. Today these four disciples themselves reported”. These four were Subhuti, Katyayana, Mahakasyapa and Maudgalyayana. The four of them had just begun to realize this and knelt in front of the Buddha to repent and openly express that for more than 40 years of listening to teachings, when the Buddha taught the Great Vehicle Dharma, they thought it was only for Bodhisattvas and that it had nothing to do with them.
After listening for so long, they had become very tired, and now they were old. This was what they expressed. They then told the parable of the poor son to show their deep repentance and their profound regrets.
“Today these four disciples themselves reported”. They said of themselves. “[We have] already received the teachings, which were all for Bodhisattvas”. They felt these teachings were not for them, so they had not accepted the abundance of the Great Vehicle Dharma. Through this parable, they compared themselves to the poor son.
The following passage states, “In all his great might and power: This explains the truth of illusiveness, that all phenomena are without true essence and that their existence relies on temporary names and appearances. Likewise, the existence of sentient beings is based upon the skandhas, as the existence of a house depends on ridgepoles and beams.
[The son] saw the opulent interior of the room, how the elder was surrounded by so many people. This shows “his great might and power”. This is a way of expressing “the truth of illusiveness”, which we have discussed in the past. The truth of illusiveness means [everything has] a temporary name and appearance. When people see those with great might and power, they fear them.
Actually, what the Buddha taught, that “All phenomena are without true essence”, is a true principle. Unfortunately, sentient beings take temporary names and appearances and use them to discriminate. It is because we sentient beings have attachments that we replicate our afflictions. Because we replicate our afflictions, our afflictions lead many [factors] to converge, thus giving rise to these appearances.
So, principles are inherently empty and without essence. “Their existence relies on temporary names and appearances”. They temporarily take on names and appearances.
“Likewise, the existence of sentient beings is based upon the skandhas”. The five Skandhas are things that aggregate; they have such subtle workings. For instance, as humans, when we are born, we are babies. After living for a long time, we grow old. These are all names and appearances. “Likewise, the existence of sentient beings is base upon the Skandhas”. “Skandhas” lead to behavior. With the seeds of karma we carry, we are brought together with these parents. With the union of our parents, our body comes into being. In this way, “The existence of sentient beings is based upon the Skandhas”. This is a very deep principle. All these things come together, and with their workings, with these infinitesimal changes, sentient beings come into being.
Next, “[house] depend on” ridgepoles, pillars and beams; we can build a house with these. What are pillars? Previously, they were made from lumber, from trees. Once the trees are chopped down, they are lumber. Once this lumber is processed and sorted, it can become “ridgepoles” and “beams”. Though they are all wood, their names depend on where they are used. This is often used as an analogy in the Dharma. Everyone should understand this explanation.
When something is false and unreal, it is called illusory. Because His great wisdom illuminates the truth, He is said to have great mighty and power. Then, “[These things] are false and unreal.”
Then, [These things] are dales and unreal.” In fact, if we trace the origin of these things, we will find that “beams” are lumber, and “lumber” was trees. If we trace back the origin of these trees, they were seeds. Without soil and water, nothing would happen with these seeds. Therefore, everything in the world is false and unreal. For this reason, they are called illusory.
Originally, they did not exist. It is through the convergence of many cause and conditions that humans and material things come into being. It is because of the human mind and because of the material things around them that [cause and conditions] constantly converge. He had clearly penetrated these true principles, not just truth if illusiveness and absolute truth, but even the truth of emptiness and wondrous existence in true emptiness. After the Buddha fully understood them, “His great wisdom illuminated the truth.” He had this great wisdom, so He was said to have “great might and power.”
It says that today the son first saw his father’s mighty, virtuous and dignified appearance, how the place he lived was a stately and beautiful house and so on. As for the disciples’ capabilities and reponse, they described from beginning to the end how they received and responded to the teachings.
“It says that today the son first saw his father’s mighty, virtuous and dignified appearance. The son was already by the side of the door and had seen the magnificence of his father. The place the father lived in was also decorated magnificently. In terms of understanding, this describes [the disciple’] opportunities, the developing of their capabilities and conditions. Previously, they did not have the capacity to realize the Buddha’s teachings. Clearly, they had listened to the Buddha teach. Clearly, the Buddha had expounded this Dharma. However, due to their [limited] capabilities, they did not connect with or respond to it. It was as if they were peeking in from the side of the door.Four of the leaders of the monastics, including Subhuti described themselves. “from the beginning to the end”, how they had begun to follow the Buddha and listen to the Dharma. Their mindset while listening was that the Buddha was teaching for Bodhisattvas; this was the source of their disinterest. They had felt this way for many decades.
In fact, the father and son seeing one another is an analogy for the resonance between practitioners and the Buddha, which is incredible. In speaking of this matter, “It was the father who saw the son first, just as how the Tathagata saw their capabilities.”
The Buddha also knew that these disciples were still unable to accept the Great Dharma.
“Terror filled him.” After witnessing how mighty his father was and how dignified that place was, the son was afraid, and he regretted coming to this place.”
“Terror filled him.” Those with limited capabilities had “limited and weak capabilities.” So, “They were timid with the great path.” They were very afraid of the great path and were afraid of going among people. “Those of Small Vehicle capabilities were not able to cultivate and achieve realization of the Bodhisattvas-path.” The Bodhisattva-path is not something that people of limited capabilities can cultivate and realize.Because of that, “they were filled with terror and regretted coming to this place. ”
They wondered, “Why did I come here?” “It is so magnificent inside; Why did I come here? [Magnificence is how] “the Buddha originally desired to give teachings with the Great Dharma.” After attaining enlightenment, the Buddha wanted to give the Great Dharma to sentient beings. However, He then understood that, “Their capabilities were not enough to connect.” Their capabilities were weak, so they were unable to accept it. If they heard the Great Dharma, they would absolutely retreat from their spiritual aspirations.
This was what the Buddha considered. This was why He spent He spent such a long time giving the Agama, Vaipulya, Prajna and Lotus teachings before retuening to the Avatamsaka state. This shows the Buddha’s mindfulness.
He was afraid that, “The great Dharma could not resonate with those of limited capabilities” and that they would retreat.
So, I hope everybody can truly be mindful make an effort to seize the present. Time is running out. So, everyone must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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