Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Hidden Treasures Within Us (自懷寶藏珍視精進)
Date:March.01. 2016
“Wherein lies the value of our life? We should know to assess ourselves and not cast the hidden treasures within us into the cesspit. If in this life we do not cherish ourselves, we become poor. If we become lax and slacken we will regress; for this we should feel a sense of remorse.”
Wherein lies the value of our life? We should know. We should assess ourselves earnestly. Wherein lies the value of our life? How did we come to this life? What should we do in this life? Where are we going in the future? Where are we going to be in the next life? This is our past, present, future. In our life, we must be very mindful; we should know to assess ourselves earnestly. We assess whether, in this lifetime, we are living for ourselves, our family, society, or whether we are doing nothing.
In fact, Buddha told us clearly that we all have hidden treasures within us. We all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. We all are equal to the Buddha; we all have wisdom equal to the Buddha’s. Just like the Buddha, we can experience the truth of all things in the universe. [We have the] same wisdom and the same awakened nature. Why did Buddha already reach enlightenment, while we ordinary people are still in a state of confusion, with our minds fluctuating as they are influenced by external conditions, where we are unable to be clear on our direction?
In our daily living, our external conditions often cause us to create afflictions, which bury our Buddha-nature. If the light of wisdom cannot shine through, we will be confused by external conditions. This is like casting the hidden treasures within us into the cesspit; we do not make an effort to promptly and diligently advance. “[In] this life we do not cherish ourselves,” so “if we become lax and slacken we will fall; for this we should feel a sense of remorse.” Without a sense of remorse, we will be lax and slack off forever, we will always return to that poor neighborhood.
As we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must often have a sense of remorse. What we have learned must stay in our minds. When our minds are clear, external conditions will not confuse us.
In a Buddhist sutra (the Sutra of Parables), there was a [farmer] who had a piece of land, a very large piece of land. But he was indolent, so after a while, his land was in a state of neglect. Sometimes he thought, “Look at other people’s fields; every plot seems to be very well cultivated. When it’s time, they have a big harvest. But my land is in a state of neglect. What a pity!” This thought arose, so he went to see how others farmed their fields.
He asked, “Your plot of land has a good harvest every year. What methods do you use to cultivate your field?” The owner of the farmland told him, “We constantly nurture the soil. The soil needs to be nurtured. When it’s time to till, we must loosen the soil. The soil needs to be loosened. After it’s loosened, it needs to be flattened; it must be flat and loose. Then at this time we sow the seeds.” This was how he taught him.“At the same time, when you’re farming, the field will need water.”
This man heard that and thought, “I know everything now.”When he started to plant, he had to put the land in order.It was indeed a field full of weeds.He asked people to clean the field, loosen the soil and flatten it out.Thus he was very happy; the method was correct, and now it was the time to sow seeds.
He thought, “If I sow seeds and the soil is loose and flat, if I step onto the soil to sow, won’t the soil become hard? What should I do?”
He thought about it for a while, “Ah, I should be sitting in a chair, and I should hire four people to carry me. I can sow while sitting in the chair. This way, I won’t step onto the soil.”
He then actually hired four people to carry him, while he sowed the seeds himself [from the chair].Many people saw and asked, “What are you doing?”
He said proudly, “Look at my soil; this way I can sow seeds without stepping onto soil. All my soil can remain loose; it won’t turn hard.”Everyone laughed.
To avoid having his two feet stepping on soil, he instead put eight feet stepping on the soil.This is an unenlightened being!
One who engages in spiritual practice should listen to directions, but people want to do things their own way.
This [story] is an analogy for “precepts”.We must have precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.“Precepts” are rules.We must practice earnestly and diligently.If we give rise to indolent thoughts or try to be too clever, we will make big mistakes.So, what brings value to our life?[We are very fortunate] to hear the Buddha-Dharma; this brings value to our life.
But are we putting in the effort?Are we listening to and faithfully accepting and practicing the teachings?
We know ourselves the best, so we must assess ourselves.
Are we seizing each second of life?Are we advancing step by step in the Dharma and precepts?We know ourselves the best.
We must not cast the hidden treasures within us into the cesspit.We need to cherish ourselves.“A single slip may cause everlasting sorrow.”
Once time has passed, it never returns.Once karma is created, it will follow us forever.“If in this life we do not cherish ourselves, we become poor.”If we become lax, slack off and regress, without feeling remorse or repentance, we will continue to fall forever.This is so frightening!
Suffering in the Three Evil Destinies, transmigrating in the Six Realms and being born as one of the four kinds of beings are beyond our control.They truly bring unspeakable suffering.
The compassionate Buddha came to the human realm for one great cause, to teach us how to walk this path in the right direction and to find our pure Buddha-nature again.
This recent section of the Lotus Sutra has been telling the story of the poor son.The Buddha was like the elder who could not bear to let his son wander; He could not bear to let sentient beings remain in a state of confusion.So, He established various skillful means, like sending the two messengers.
Of the two, one is an analogy for Bodhisattvas, and the other is an analogy for the Dharma.Only Bodhisattvas can make use of the Dharma to go among people and transform sentient beings.
So, the previous sutra passage states, “Then the two messengers set out at once to find the poor son, and when they had found him, they told him the above matter.”
They approached him.After they approached him, they invited him to work in that place.“If we work there, our lives will be stable. They pay there is not bad. If you go, we’ll go with you.”This was the skillful means they used to approach that poor son and bring him back.This was the wisdom of the father.This is also the compassion of the Buddha.
The following sutra passage states, “At that time, the poor son first asked for the value of his wages. Then he followed them to clear excrement. When the father saw his son, he pitied him and saw fault.”
At that time, the poor son, this poor person, went to that place and asked first, “How much do I get paid for working here? By doing this type of work, how much money do I get?”So, he “first asked for the value of his wages.”Then he followed them to clear excrement. “How much money can I get for doing this work?”
The son negotiated his wages like this. The father saw this from afar. “When the father saw his son, he pitied him and saw fault”. After having wandered for a long while, he finally returned to this environment, yet he was still haggling over wages. “If I’m doing this job, how much will I get paid?” So, the father had to be very compassionate. He watched his son from afar and saw his son had such [limited] capabilities. The father carefully observed the actions and behavior of his child.
This is just like the way the Buddha observed the capabilities of sentient beings to see what means He could use to suit their capabilities. So, the Buddha observed our every action.
With compassion deep in His heart, He mindfully established means to teach according to capabilities. So, this is saying that the poor son “first asked for the value of his wages”, which means disciples “yearned for cessation and were hence willing to practice the Path”.
At that time, the poor son first asked for the value of his wages: They yearn for cessation and are hence willing to practice the Path. Hence, “He first asked for the value of his wages”. They accepted what was previously described, which suited their wishes, so they competed to get out of the burning house. They thought, “I have heard this.
When the Buddha began to talk about suffering, causation , cessation and the Path, I understood it. I engage in spiritual practice to eliminate my suffering. To eradicate suffering, I must first eliminate my afflictions and my karmic affinities with others.
The source of all suffering is the contriving of affinities with people. When I see external conditions, my mind connects with these external states to create much karma. I understand this principle now. So, what I first need to attain is a [state of] not contriving affinities with others. If my mind never connects with external conditions, I can attain a state without future births. Within the Six Realms, I can attain cessation of transmigrating in the Six Realms. This is what I can get in my spiritual practice”.
Thus, he “first asked for the value of his wages”. So, “They accepted what was previously described, which suited their wishes”. They wanted to first accept the Four Noble Truths and Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence.
In the past, when the Buddha wanted to teach, because we sentient beings could not understand, the first thing the Buddha wanted us to know was the suffering in the human realm. After listening, some felt, “I already understand”. Next, to know was the [Twelve] Links. When one ignorant though arises, the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence begin, and we continue to be reborn. We also create karma, and so on. They did not want that and left, “I have already attained this value”. So, “They accepted what was previously described”.
“Previously described” was the Dharma described previously, when the Buddha first turned the Dharma-wheel; they felt that this was enough. So, it “suited their wishes. They were like this, like the children in the burning house. The elder saw it was dangerous and quickly set up three carts outside, a deep-cart, a sheep-cart and a great white ox-cart. When the children saw them, they rushed outside. However, they had not yet understood the importance of the great white ox-cart, “so they competed to get out of the burning house but only for the sake of the Small Vehicle, only for the sheep-cart or deer-cart.
Now they heard the Buddha talking to the Bodhisattvas about the Great Vehicle Dharma. the Buddha did not say, “You are Small Vehicle, and you are Great Vehicle. So, to you who have Great Vehicle capabilities, I will teach you the Bodhisattva Way”. The Buddha did not say that, but they assessed themselves. They thought, “This is my spiritual practice. This is where I belong. The Buddha is encouraging Bodhisattvas to go among people to transform sentient beings. That has nothing to do with me”. So, they did not ask for it and took no interest or delight in it.
The previous sutra passages also said they took no interest or delight in it. So, they remained in the Small Vehicle. “This is like first asking about the wage; asking for the value shows it suits their wishes.
Followed them to clear excrement: This is like first asking about the wage; asking for the value shows it suits their wishes. Clearing excrement is competing to get out. Two Vehicle practitioners yearn for cessation and hence practice the Path. Thus, first asking for the value of his wages is asking for the value of cessation and the Path, then clearing the excrement of suffering and causation.
“After asking for this wage, I’m satisfied”. “Clearing excrement” is “competing to get out”. “I would rather do this type of work”. This is like how “Two Vehicle practitioners yearn for cessation and hence practice the Path. Thus, first asking for the value of his wages is asking for the value of cessation and the Path”. Bodhisattvas would not do this Bodhisattvas only think of saving others. They go among people to transform sentient beings. Being able to give is the value they get from saving sentient beings. However, Small Vehicle practitioners want to obtain something for themselves, to eliminate the suffering of future lifetimes.
So, they bargain and haggle; they bargain and haggle over the value of the wage. They are only concerned with what they can attain. They only seek to benefit themselves. So, “furthermore, first forming the aspiration to seek the liberation of the Two Vehicles, the Hearer and Solitary Realizer Vehicles”, is call “asking for the value.”
“I will first practice the Two Vehicles well, attaining the [state] of not contriving affinities with sentient beings.” “Life is so carefree like this! What joy!” “I can live a life without responsibilities.” “This is the value [of this wage].”
Then they practice contemplation of the Fourfold Mindfulness to subdue and eliminate the afflictions of views and thinking. This is called clearing excrement.
“Then they practice contemplation of the Fourfold Mindfulness.” They understood what the Buddha said, “If you practice like this, then you will not need to transmigrate.” So because of this, they began to practice the Fourfold Mindfulness. “Contemplate the body as impure, contemplate the mind as impermanent and contemplate all things as being without self.” When we mindfully and carefully seek to understand this, we realize that our bodies are truly impure. Moreover, we will realize that everything is impermanent, and our minds are in a state of constant change it is not easy to keep firm spiritual aspirations.
Even when we form the aspiration to engage in spiritual practice, are willing to engage in spiritual practice, before ling, we become lax and indolent. This is the course of our spiritual practice. How do we subdue our minds? “Elimination.” To subdue our minds, we need to “eliminate, eliminate afflictions of views and thinking.” So, “This is called clearing excrement.”
This is what we must work hard on; we must eliminate all kinds of afflictions. Do not say, “How can you compare spiritual practice to clearing excrement, to something [lowly] like cleaning garbage?”
In fact, garbage in the world must be cleaned up, but cleaning up the garbage within us is what takes true mastery.
So, “When the father saw his son, he pitied him and saw fault” Pity represents the Buddha’s compassion for sentient beings. He saw disciples of the Two Vehicles taking no interest or delight in, finding no happiness in, going among people to create blessings. This was taking no interest or delight in the “dignified appearance of blessings and virtues.”
Disciples in the Two Vehicles were not interested or delighted They did not have such thoughts. They were unwilling to go among people to create good affinities. So, He “saw fault” in their not having a [diginified] appearance interpersonal relationships require mutual effort. If we are unwilling to interact, unwilling to be in harmony with others, naturally others will not like us when they see us. If we see others as unlikable, others will dislike us as well. This way, we have no “dignified appearance of blessings and virtues.”
So, blessing must be cultivated among people. “He pitied and saw fault” means “He saw fault in their not seeking the Great.” Since we are engaged in spiritual practice, why aren’t we forming great aspirations? So, this is “seeing fault;” “They attained the Small yet lost the Great”. Since we want to engage in spiritual practice and we have now heard the Buddha-Dharma, why do we not form great aspirations? “So how could He not think them pitiable?”
Everyone, to learn the Buddha’s Way we must make an effort to cherish ourselves. We must increase the value of our own life. [To increase] the value of our life, we need to first be benefactors in other people’s lives. Then, naturally everyone will be our benefactors in life to help us develop wisdom-life. If we become lax, slack off and regress, we must quickly have a sense of remorse.
Subhuti, in front of the Buddha, first repented and was remorseful, then confessed his [views of the] past. He described the process of how his acceptance of the Buddha-Dharma was just like that poor son. So, what about us? We must earnestly reflect on ourselves, know to repent and be remorseful. We must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
