Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Transcending the Three Realms
(斷見修惑出離三界)
Date: February.25. 2016
“All these Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas accompany the practitioners of the Two Vehicles. They transform Hearers and Solitary Realizers by working together with them. Concealing the true to give the provisional, they follow capabilities by using soft, kind and gentle speech. The clear principles and truths of the Great Vehicle are circuitously hidden in the limited teachings.”
Many years ago, we had these care recipients in Hualien. That family still continues to receive our care. An old couple only had one child, a daughter. When the daughter was very young, a car accident caused this young girl’s brain to completely degenerate to the mental functioning of a three year old.
Since then, her parents have taken care of her. They have carried her around since her teens, and now she is in her 30s. Moreover, she is very plump. Her parents have taken care of her for more than 30 years, ever since she was young. Now they are in their old age; they are both in their 80s.
The couple, whenever our Tzu Chi volunteers visit them, is very optimistic. “What else can we do? All we can do is treat her as a living toy.” She is like a living [doll]. “She can’t do anything. Although she’s nearly 40, she still acts like a three year old. But when you talk to her, she’ll smile. Like a three year old, she’s pure and innocent.
We have listened to the Dharma-sister’s advice. She has frequently visited us in these decades. She told us to be understanding, to treat her like any other companion. With her as company, we do not get bored.”
Recently, the mother said, “What we’re more worried about is that we’re losing our strength. We don’t know what we will do in the future.”
Tzu Chi volunteers then told her, “Just focus on the present. Don’t worry about the future. In the future, there will naturally be someone to take care of her.” “You’re right! I won’t worry too much then.” This old couple relies on government assistance to sustain their living. However, when we visit them every month, if we bring something for them, they always say, “We don’t need financial assistance. There are people who are worse off than us. Your visits alone make us very happy. It feels like we’re part of a big family. That alone makes us happy.”
For over a decade, we have been by their side helping them. Over these years, they have opened up their minds. Their lives have also become stable. In this way, they are happy every day.
See, whether rich or poor, or struck by impermanence in an accident, people need Living Bodhisattvas to keep them company. So, “All these Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas accompany the practitioners of the Two Vehicles.” This describes spiritual practitioners.
In the Lotus Sutra, this [sutra] passage has been talking about the poor son. The son is an analogy for spiritual practitioners. This poor son did not cherish his wealthy family. In a moment of abandon, he left and ended up in a life of destitution and hardship. Yet over many decades, he slowly neared his home. This shows that everyone inherently has roots of goodness.
In the past, we listened to the Buddha-Dharma and planted seeds of goodness; moreover, we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. When these causes and conditions mature, we are able to encounter and accept the Dharma. This is how we slowly get closer. When we draw near the Buddha-Dharma, there will be Bodhisattvas around to guide us.Thus, we must show gratitude to every person.
We will see various kinds of situations; when we see states of affliction, we must quickly remind ourselves to be vigilant.When we see states of diligence, we must quickly seize the moment.This is the only way for us to turn from being Hearers and Solitary Realizers and enter the Bodhisattva-path.In the past, I have often mentioned the story of Never Slighting Bodhisattva.
Over many kalpas of spiritual practice, he manifested this same kind of incarnation.When people yelled at him, he did not mind.When they hit him, he ran far away and then prostrated to them, saying, “I dare not look down on you because you will attain Buddhahood in the future.”This is how Bodhisattvas come to this world to transform people.They do this by working together with them.“
Bodhisattvas go among Hearers and Solitary Realizers to engage in spiritual practice with them.
“By working together with them,” by working with them, they can transform them.So, “Concealing the true to give the provisional, they follow capabilities by using soft, kind and gentle speech. Oh, let me talk to you a while.
Though I know much about the ‘true,’ I still want to listen to what you have to say. Following your words and intent, I will first comfort you. Later on, I will guide you.”This is just like how, after the Buddha attained enlightenment, because people’s minds were still unable to accept this state, He had to conceal the true and give the provisional, making use of all kinds of methods to slowly approach us.With a soft, warm and gentle attitude, He spoke kindly with everyone.
“The clear principles and truths of the Great Vehicle are circuitously hidden in the limited teachings.”
The Great Dharma could be expounded right away, but theses clear principles of True Dharma instead had to be taught circuitously.He had to take a very indirect way, using limited teachings to teach those with limited capabilities, to guide them; this is very hard work.
So, the previous passage states, “At that time the elder wanted to entice his son and thus devised skillful means. Secretly, he dispatched two men who were lean, haggard and unimposing in appearance.”
Do you still remember?In this story, the poor son had run away.They seized him but could not drag him back, so they had to let him go.He returned to a life of poverty and suffering.The elder felt for him.He never had any thought of abandoning his son, but he still had to let him go first.
Then he began to devise skillful means for enticing his son to come back.To approach his son, he had to devise skillful means.
“Secretly, he dispatched two men.”These two would go and approach his son,.If these two men looked impeccable and were very neatly and lavishly dressed, his son would immediately avoid them on sight.So, these two men had to put on clothes that made them look like they were impoverished.They “were lean, haggard and unimposing in appearance.”
That was the appearance they took on.Thus, “You can go to the poor son.”
This sutra passage states, “You can go to the poor son and gently tell him that these is a place to work where he can earn a wage twice the normal value. If the poor son agrees, then bring him here and put him to work.
Now the two of you will go and get close to this young man. You must gradually talk to and get close to him. Don’t frighten him; ;just tell him, It is hard for all of us to make a living. We know of a place with work for us to do. With this chance to make money, our lives can become very stable. Let us all go together. If you go, we will go with you.”
When the poor son became convinced to come, the men were to come with him and work by his side.
This was the mindful thinking of his father.
“He dispatched people to the place where the poor son was” means that they were to “go to the poor son”.The Buddha dispatched Bodhisattvas to teach and transform those in the Two Vehicles.
This is an analogy for what the Buddha asked the Bodhisattvas to do.Bodhisattvas must be mindful.
When it comes to people of limited capabilities, they must keep them company and help them transform from the Small to the Great.
For those who only aspire to awaken themselves, Bodhisattvas must use the Bodhisattva-path to slowly bring them in.“By going through the same lives and matters.” means that to approach a person, they must be of a similar appearance.Even if that person goes begging, they must also look like beggars.
They must play the part of someone begging for food.
“They go through the same lives and matters in order to go to the poor son”. This is how they go and approach someone; using this method, they draw near that person. In every way that they interact with them. They must be more warm and gentle; this is using “loving speech”. This is considered “gentle speech”. By teaching gradually, they slowly entice others.
“He saw those of limited capabilities from afar”. From afar means that they are still very far away. They are far way because, with their limited capabilities, they do not have great resolve or vows. As they still have limited capabilities, they are a long distance away. The distance between Bodhisattvas and Hearers and Solitary Realizers is still very large.
You can go to the poor son and gently tell him: He saw those of limited capabilities from afar, those having no resolve or great vows. Thus He slowly gave provisional, limited teachings which were suitable to those limited capabilities.
As they have no great resolve or vows, they are unwilling to go among people. Thus, we should take time to share gradual teachings with them and slowly guide them along. “Gave” is talking about teaching. We must use this kind of method to teach with limited and provisional teachings in order to suit their capabilities. So, “He gave provisional, limited teachings which were suitable to those limited capabilities”. When it comes to people with limited capabilities, we should teach according to capabilities. We should adjust to them and say what they enjoy hearing. We should get close to people they are close to and say things to their liking.
By using this method, [we can] “gently tell him”. This is like growing closer to the poor son. “Clear principles are circuitously hidden to suit those in the limited teachings”. These must still be concealed. We are all already Bodhisattvas or Buddhas; concealing this and using this kind of method to approach them is “not like the Great Vehicle method, which directly chases and seizes them”.
In the past, the Great Vehicle Dharma was used right away. Seeing the poor son, the father quickly dispatched people to bring him back. They tried to forcibly bring him back so the poor son struggled out of fear and fainted. Thus, instead of bringing him back directly, they slowly approached him, drew near him and spent time with him, saying what he liked to hear and accompanying him.
So, “There is a place to work refers to views and practice”. As we engage in spiritual practice, we must work with “views and practice”. When it comes to “views by eliminating the two delusions of views and practice, we can realize the true principles and transcend the Three Realms”.
In our perspectives, as we have mentioned before, we have the Ten Afflictions, comprised of the five chronic afflictions and the five acute afflictions. The five chronic afflictions are our greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. We must eliminate these. Moreover, as we engage in spiritual practice, we still have extreme views, deviant views, etc. We must eliminate these, too. This is part of engaging in spiritual practice.
We have delusions of views and delusions of practice, so we must eliminate these two delusions. If we do not, we will be unable to transcend the Three Realms and will be unable to realize the true principles. We will not be able to attain true realization.
We need to eliminate all afflictions of greed, anger, ignorance and so on. This is “the place to work on eliminating delusions”.
This is a place that allows us to work hard. We must put effort into spiritual practice. The place where we have taken refuge is a place to practice the Buddha-Dharma, and at this place of spiritual practice, we can completely eliminate afflictions of greed, anger, ignorance and so on. A place of practice is not necessarily a temple. All of the Buddha-Dharma is our place of practice. When the Buddha-Dharma is in our minds, we have an inner spiritual training ground. When we know the Dharma, we will know how to eliminate the five acute afflictions and the five chronic afflictions.
The delusions of not understanding the principles of seeing the Path is the delusion of views. The delusion of not understanding spiritual practice along the Path is the delusion of practice.
Greed, anger and ignorance are what we must eliminate on a regular basis. So, “the delusion of not understanding the principles seen on the Path” means that though we engage in spiritual practice, if our perspectives deviate, we will easily head toward a deviant path.
We must be straightforward in spiritual practice. In this place for practicing the Right Dharma, we should earnestly uphold and practice. Right Understanding and Right Views, never deviating from this Dharma again.
A slight deviation takes us far off course. As we engage in spiritual practice, if we go astray even slightly ignorance, afflictions and delusions will enter our minds.
“The delusion of not understanding spiritual practice along the Path” means that we are unable to understand the course of our spiritual practice.
As spiritual practitioners, we must be mindful. Listening to the Dharma is not enough; we must put it into practice to be able to experience its truth. If all we do is listen, what this person says makes sense, and what that person says makes sense too. This person says it is a gradual process; that person says we can immediately awaken.
In this world, is it possible to attain enlightenment right away? Can we achieve anything without any effort?However, unenlightened minds tend to grasp at fast and easy ways. We can be greedy in spiritual practice, too.
So, if we think we do not need to practice, that we can attain the fruits without the labor, that is a very treacherous path.
Now by practicing the [Four] Noble Truths and [Twelve] Links, we can eliminate delusions and escape the sea of cyclic existence. Thus, “He can earn a wage twice the normal value.”
If we are learning the Buddha-Dharma, what method should we use to understand it? That would be the [Four] Noble Truths and [Twelve] links that the Buddha used to gradually entice and teach us. The Four Noble Truths and Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence are what we have constantly been discussing.
The Buddha made use of these teachings to help us recognize sufferings in the world and the karmic law of cause and effort. Only by understanding them can we eliminate our ignorance and delusions. Only by applying the Four Noble Truths and Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence are we able to escape the sea of cyclic existence.
In this world, the time between birth and death is truly dilled with suffering. So, coming to this place to engage in spiritual practice is worthwhile. It is has value many, many times over. So, we must make an effort to be mindful.
Before, they practiced the Five Precepts and the Ten Good Deeds to escape the Three Evil Destinies. Now the practice of the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence enable them to escape the Three Realms. So, it is twice as valuable.
In the past, we practiced the Five precepts and ten Good Deeds, in order to escape the Three Evil Destinies. If we have practiced the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds, being replete with the Ten Good Deeds closely abiding by the Five Precepts brings us back to the human realm. Thus we will fall into the hell, hungry ghost or animal realm.
Then, if we understand the four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of cyclic Existence, naturally we will not fall into the Three Evil Destinies. “To escape the Three Realms, we must take th next step of eliminating all afflictions. Then we can escape the burning house of the Three Realms. The Chapter or Parables explain this clearly. This is twice as valuable.
Engaging in spiritual practice is much better compared to continuing to undergo the ups and downs of unenlightened beings. When we understand the wisdom of the Dharma, our [thinking] will definitely be different from other unenlightened beings.
So, this is multiplying the value [of our lives]. Practicing the Four Noble Truths enables one to eradicate delusion and attain Nirvana, thus the benefit is twice as much, or even more.
So, whether lay spiritual practitioners who practice the Five Precepts, Ten Good Deeds or we [monastic] spiritual practitioners who come to this practice center and must abide by hundreds of precepts, we must be mindful. We each have our roles, whether we are lay or monastic practitioners, so we must truly be mindful.
Though Bodhisattvas conceal the true to give the provisional, when we go among people and are with them, we need to nurture a mindset of treating people with gradually, respect and love. If we can constantly say to people, “I’m so grateful you have come to keep me company, them with one mind, we will dedicate ourselves to worldly matters. This is practicing the True Dharma.
“I’m grateful! Living Bodhisattvas like you and him have come to keep me company.” Thus, we must be grateful to every person. Because we are grateful that we are surrounded by Bodhisattvas, we should be respectful, just like Never Slighting Bodhisattva. We all express gratitude and respect together for one reason, to exercise pure and selfless great love. This is our undefiled Buddha-nature. The nature of True Suchness we all have is pure and undefiled great love. If we can do this, we will be true spiritual practitioners. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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