Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Poor Son’s Actions and Appearances (窮子的行相)
Date:March.03. 2016
“Greed, anger, ignorance and other afflictions are called delusions. Due to delusion we give rise to all kinds of good and bad karma. This karma brings upon us countless transmigrations through birth and death. Through understanding the principles of the Four Noble Truths and the Links of Existence, we can enter the path of liberation.”
In life, we must take good care of our minds. Once our thoughts go astray, we will be wrong every step of the way. Greed, anger, ignorance and other afflictions combine together and make us ignorant and delusional.
So, having “delusion” means we lack clarity on matters, doubt the principles and so on. So, we will create both good and bad karma, bringing forth countless transmigrations. In our relationships, there may be mutual antagonism. We have loved, but also resented. With love, hate, passion and animosity, we spend our entire lives being entangled, when will we ever be free?
If we do not resolve it in this life, we will bring it into the next life. Greed, anger, ignorance and other afflictions, when combined with “delusion” lead us to constantly create karma. Because of this karma, we will continue to bring upon ourselves countless births and deaths in the future. Will these “births” be in the human realm? Or will we be born in the hell realm? Or will we be born in the animal realm? We do not know.
This happens in response to delusion and karma; it is the suffering brought on by the convergence of ignorant actions. “It is rare to be born human and rare to encounter the Buddha-Dharma.” We have heard the Buddha-Dharma, so we must quickly understand Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence in order to enter the path of liberation.
We must even learn the 37 Practices to Enlightenment and so on; these are fundamental to the Buddha’s teachings, so we should understand them. If we do not understand them, we will forever be entangled by ignorance. Thus, karma drags and entangles us so that this is all beyond our control. Such suffering!
For example, there was a care recipient by the name of Mr. Chen, who is a 60-year-old aborigine. He has always done physical labor. He used to work near Keelung Port for a shipping company. Over 30 years ago, he accidentally stepped on a nail during work. He started treatment after the accident, but the wound never completely healed.
The shipping company laid him off and gave him one million dollars (NT) in severance. He led an undisciplined lifestyle. He had to pay for medicine and for alcohol; how long could he keep up this lifestyle? He spent all his money, but his wound just got worse and worse.
In 2009, he received treatment in a Keelung hospital, but the wound would not close and continued to fester. The social welfare department from the hospital transferred this case to Tzu Chi. The patient had already left the hospital, so where was he staying? The search for this man went on for over a year, but with no success.
Ultimately, the man was never found, and the case had to be closed. Then in 2012, he was hospitalized again. His wound had developed into cellulitis. At that point, his foot was rotting to the bone, yet he still discharged from the hospital.
Tzu Chi took over this case and the volunteers urgently tacked the man down.Finally, he was located in a mountainous area.That area was filled with overgrown weeds that were taller than a man.
How could someone possibly live there?
But following the address, the volunteers pushed through the weeds and finally found a rundown house.Mr. Chen was inside, unable to walk due to his rotting foot.He had laid in bed so long that he already begun getting bed sores.His whole body was riddled with illness.
Volunteers pleaded with him to see a doctor, but he refused.He would only say, “If I go, then my foot will be amputated.”So, he did not want to go.
Tzu Chi volunteers could not do much, so they just provided of this living expenses and often visited and urged him to get treatment.This went on for another year, until 2013.
Doctors from Tzu Chi Medical Association (TIMA) urged him to be treated in the hospital and made sure to bring him there.During his stay the hospital, many specialists, including doctors from plastic surgery, infectious diseases, orthopedics and many other departments, came together to provide his treatment.
His foot was treated by hyperbaric oxygenation.So, his wounds healed, and his [general] condition also improved.
However, follow-up visits were still needed.After his discharge from the hospital, Tzu Chi volunteers began to help him find housing and were able to rent a house near some of our Commissioners and Faith Corps members.
They helped him organize his new house and made sure its furnishings were complete.When he was discharged, they brought him to the new place.
Our Commissioners and Faith Corps members visited him often.TIMA doctors also cared for him at home, dressing his wounds and making sure he came to his appointments on time.
They cared for him constantly.When he was leaving the hospital, the staff meticulously made a pair of shoes that lessened the pressure on his feet.We could see how our rehabilitation specialists and our doctors put their hearts into making that pair of shoes and personally put them on him.
“Is it comfortable when you walk around? Yes, it’s very comfortable.”He walked in that pair of shoes until recently, when doctors made another pair that fit his feet even better.This new pair gave him more freedom to walk.
Now he can walk, ride a bicycle and do recycling work.He said, “I want to quit drinking. There are so many Dharma-brothers and sisters constantly caring for me. Now, I can buy groceries and take care of myself. I can also do recycling work.”We are still caring for him.
Tzu Chi covers his rent and living expenses.To make it easier for him, we also got a bicycle so he can freely go to the recycling station.He has yet to recover fully, so he must return for treatment frequently.
During that period, he suffered so greatly; he was in hell on earth, but then he was saved.Now in his life, he is “relieved from suffering.”
Tzu Chi volunteers continue to interact with him, guiding him to do recycling work so he may protect the earth and also sharing principles for living [a good life].He has begun to accept these principles.
Hopefully the rest of his life will be positive.
Although he had a very difficult past, in a past life, he may have formed [good] affinities with sentient beings, so as he grew old, at his most difficult time, some Bodhisattvas appeared and came together to help him and save his life.
So, this the law of karma at work.He had already suffered his retributions, thus benefactors appeared in his life.This is “karmic causes and conditions”.
So, we must know that life is full of suffering.
We must be clear about the law of karma so that we can slowly be liberated from suffering.Thus, the Lotus Sutra teaches us with matters of the world, using all kinds of things as analogies, so that we may understand the Dharma better.This is a very profound sutra, so we must be mindful.
We have talked about the previous sutra passage.
“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.”
The poor son had now already arrived and knew what his wages would be for his work. When he began to work, his father saw him and thought, “Clearly, my son has how much wealth, but he is still asking about what work he must do and how much his wages will be.” He was being petty.
So when the father saw his son, “He pitied him and saw fault”; he felt sad. Why would his son act this way? So, “later, on another day”.
Yesterday, I talked about his; it describes the states of the Buddha, the Two Vehicle practitioners and ordinary people. After the Buddha attained enlightenment, He wanted to share His state of mind, to say, “Everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature; all of you can be just like me” and attain this state of mind to experience the great truths of life. Everyone has this nature, however, no one is able to accept it.
So, for the Buddha, “later, on another day” means. He concealed the truth and gave the provisional. In His awakened state, He went among people. He had to be just like ordinary people and speak in ways that they could understand, like the Three Turnings of the Four Noble Truths.
But practitioners of the Two Vehicles thought, “I have received the Buddha’s teachings, and I know that all suffering in life comes from karmic causes and effects. Our karmic retributions result from our own doings.
So, in our relationships with others, we cause each other to create karma. The entanglement of karmic forces beings with an ignorant thought in our minds. So, now that I understand this process, if I want to eliminate ignorance, I should not contrive affinities with people”. This is the thinking of Two Vehicle practitioners, of unenlightened beings.
The Buddha’s enlightened state is still far away from them. So, for unenlightened beings and practitioners of the Two Vehicles, “another day” refers to their state of mind. They had different mindsets, which is referred to as “another day”.
Next, the sutra passages states, “Looking through the window, he saw the figure of his son in the distance, scrawny, haggard and downcast, filthy with the impurities of muck, dust and dirt”.
This refers to different states of mind. So, “Looking through the window” means that with a window, there is an inside and an outside. Looking out from the inside to the outside is the explanation of the Dharma. “This was not the correct main door”. This is analogy is that when we look out from the inside of a window, we are not looking from the main door.
“Looking through the window: This was not the correct main door. This is a metaphor for how the Buddha used provisional wisdom to adapt to those with limited capabilities. This is because the son was outside of the window, separated from the elder. It was not the elder who was biased in his vision; [the Buddha] had to use the partial teachings of the Two Vehicles to save and transform them. Thus it says, “looking through the window”.
This is analogy for how “the Buddha used [window] to adapt to those with limited capabilities”. He did not look from the main door; the main door is an analogy for the Buddha’s enlightened state. But in getting people to this enlightened states, He still could not get them in the door. [The son] was working outside of the door. The elder looked out through the window to see how to adapt to the poor son working there. He was thinking, “What method should I use?”
So, [the Buddha] “used provisional wisdom to adapt to those with limited capabilities”. Inside, the elder was thinking, “What methods and skillful means would be suitable for this child so that he could accept them?” This meant he was looking through the “window”.
Because his son was outside of the window, he was looking through the window from inside. The elder was not biased, but he could do no more. “[The Buddha] had to use the partial teachings of the Two Vehicles to save and transform them”.
“Partial teachings”, as I have mentioned before, are the Small Vehicle teachings. “Complete teachings” are Great Vehicle teachings. this is the process of transformation. The analogy is for Two Vehicle practitioners. The Buddha had to use skillful means for the Hearers and Solitary Realizers by teaching them the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. He also gave the Agama, Vaipulya and Prajna teachings.
This way, He gradually approached them and helped them accept the teachings. They already understood that they could get rid of afflictions, but they had not yet formed great aspirations.
So, it was not easy to get rid of afflictions, but they were part of the way there. So, this was called “partial teachings.” The “partial teachings” were used to transform, so this is called “looking through the window.” “Looking through the window, he saw the figure of his son in the distance.”
“Distance” tells us that he looked at his son from far away. This also shows how “from the Small to the Great” there is a big distance.
The son was working in the distance, while the father was in the house. Looking through the window, it was far away. He was at that place doing rough and dirty work. He was very far from being a child of wealth.
So, when we talk about the Dharma, the distance between having the capabilities for limited teachings and those for great teachings is quite large. This is a “distance.”“Saw” means he understood quickly.
He saw: This means he easily recognized his son and wanted to receive and welcome him.
When the elder saw his son the door as he was turning around to leave, he only saw his silhouette, but he could still tell that was his son, so he quickly sent someone to go after him. This shows that the Buddha always cares about sentient beings are always in his heart. As soon as He see an opportunity, He immediately seizes the chance to get close to them.
Thus, “easily recognized his son, means that the elder recognized him on sight, then quickly planned ways to get close to him. This is “seeing him in the distance.”
“His son” is indicating that a long time ago, not only in this life, this child must have been someone who he was close to in the distant past. They had formed affinities long ago, so “He saw the figure of his son in the distance.”
So much time had passed like this. But he saw his child, who was “scrawny, haggard and downcast, filthy with impurities;” he had endured mush suffering.
These practitioners lack the strength to adequately listen to and practice the Dharma; thus it says [the son] was “scrawny.” Lacking cultivation of blessings and virtue, they have insufficient causes and conditions; thus it says he was “haggard and downcast.” These are metaphors for afflictions. Dust and dirt symbolize ignorance and are metaphors for negative karma.
Seeing that they “lack the strength to adequately listen to and practice the Dharma” means their capacity to listen is limited; they have not listened to much Dharma. They only understand the Dharma superficially or is has not penetrated their minds at all. So, their wisdom-life is “scrawny,” unhealthy. They “lack the strength,” so they are therefore considered “scrawny.” “Lacking cultivation of blessings and virtue, [with] insufficient causes and conditions, we are thus “haggard and downcast.” We are unable to have a dignified appearance. If we have a dignified appearance, all our actions will make others happy. That all comes from cultivating good affinities with sentient beings and creating great blessings. This way we will have both wisdom and blessings.
But if we lack the karma of blessings and virtues, it makes us appear “haggard and downcast.” This means our afflictions have not ended.
“Ignorance” is symbolized by “dust and dirt.” Ignorance is like dirt all over our bodies. This is negative karma. Because there is more negative karma than good, we become “scrawny, haggard and downcast” and “filthy with impurities.”
When we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must cultivate ourselves inside and out. We must eliminate our inner afflictions, and we must treat others with more kindness. If we can form good affinities with everyone, we will naturally have a dignified appearance of blessings and virtues. We must truly walk the great direct Bodhi-path. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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