Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Practicing the 37 Practices to Enlightenment (三七道品當勤修習)
Date:March.14. 2016
“At the spiritual training ground of Deer Park, the Buddha thrice turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths. He taught all spiritual practitioners to diligently practice the three Fours and two Fives, the teachings praised by the sages. To gain liberation, to transcend life and death and become a practitioner free and unbound, one must diligently cultivate these.”
Everyone should realize that recently we have been continuously reviewing methods for engaging in spiritual cultivation. This part of the Lotus Sutra thoroughly describes how we should have “faith” and “understanding”. We must have deep faith in the Buddha-Dharma and understand the process of how the Buddha gave teachings. When we listen to and take the Dharma to heart, our understanding must manifest in our actions.
Listening to teachings goes beyond just hearing. If that is all we do, they will just leak away. If after we hear them, we do not understand them, the reason we do not understand is that we have not yet put them into practice. Thus, I always emphasize that we must have faith. We must believe the Buddha was very mindful in giving these teachings. After the Buddha’s enlightenment, how was He to approach sentient beings? With sentient beings’ [limited] capabilities to accept the Dharma, He had to put in a lot of effort.
So, for more than 40 years He expounded the Dharma. In the moment of the Buddha’s enlightenment, He became one with the universe. His ocean of enlightened wisdom is so vast; how much of it can we actually comprehend? The Buddha had to teach with [skillful] means. When He came to Deer Park, where He taught for the first time, that became a place of spiritual practice. He expounded the principles there to transform the five bhihsus, so this was where the Sangha came into being. The Three Treasures, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, were completed at Deer Park. There was a Buddha to teach the Dharma and a Sangha to listen to the Dharma, so the Three Treasures were complete.
What was the Dharma that the Buddha taught? “The Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths.” He had to teach the Four Noble Truths three times for the five of them to understand. Indeed, life is suffering, and suffering arises from causation, from the accumulation of all kinds of things in the world that bring about suffering. Thus, when we listen to and accept the Buddha’s teachings, we hear, “He taught all spiritual practitioners to diligently practice the three Fours and two Fives.”
We can all recite the three Fours. First? The Fourfold Mindfulness. Second? The Four Right Efforts. Third? The Four Bases of Fulfilling Power. Everyone must always remember these teachings. This is the Dharma the Buddha came to teach. “He taught all spiritual practitioners to diligently practice the three Fours and two Fives.”
What are the “two Fives”? The Five Spiritual Roots and the Five Power. Right! We must be mindful. This is the foundation of the Buddha-Dharma, which was praised by the sages. All Buddhas know that for the Dharma to remain in this world, They cannot teach it from the perspective of an enlightened one, but must explain it according to the capacities of sentient beings. This is why They must turn the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths.
With the Four Noble Truths, They begin to turn the wheel in our minds. Then they can start to teach the concept of karmic conditions and then help us understand that it all beings with having this body.
We must first “contemplate the body as impure” so we will not have desires and boundless greed.This is the sequence of the Buddha’s teachings.
The 37 Practices to Enlightenment are the foundation for Buddha’s teachings.In addition to the “three Fours and two Fives,” there are “the Seven and the Eight”.Together, they form the 37 Practices to Enlightenment.
These were the teachings that the Buddha gave and that all the sages praised.This is a true education because it can help us eliminate afflictions and transcend life and death.We are all [trapped] in cyclic existence, facing afflictions and unbearable suffering.
We must find a way to liberate our minds so that we do not cling to life nor are we troubled by death.Four our minds to be liberated, the only way is to take the Dharma to heart.
“To become a practitioner free and unbound, one must diligently cultivate these.”If we can apply these teachings to our minds, naturally we will feel peaceful and at ease.“The mind has no hindrances; there are no hindrances.”
If we practice in this way, we can be liberated from afflictions and can transcend life and death.Therefore, we must practice diligently.
This is the Dharma.I hope everyone will be mindful in listening to and understanding it.
The analogy the Buddha used to describe His relationship with sentient beings was that of a father and his children.He teaches us with the same earnestness!
The previous sutra passage states, “Do not go elsewhere. I will increase your wages, and you will no longer need to worry about utensils, rice and grains, salt, vinegar and the like, all the things you need.”
This seems to be something we would hear often.“Do your work earnestly and do not leave; I can give you even more benefits. If you do your job earnestly, I will double your wages. The value in staying here to work will increase.”
Hence, “I will increase your wages.”
If you work harder and give more of yourself, the value of what you are paid will increase.
The more important question is, what are you working so hard for?In ancient times people would say, “For a meal; so I can eat my fill.”
In the past, they focused on upholding their duty.
Sustaining their life and eating their fill were their reasons for working hard.Eating their fill is not enough for people now.They desire more and more things, so their greed is bottomless.
Because of their insatiable greed, no matter how much they have, it is never enough.
In conclusion, people cannot clearly distinguish between a life of blessings and one of suffering.
In the Buddha’s analogy, we are clearly like the son of a wealthy family.We could have stayed at home and enjoyed riches and prosperity.
Yet instead, a discursive thought arose, and we wandered away.
Over a long period of time, we have passed through the Five Realms, including the human, hell, hungry ghost and animal realms.We have transmigrated between them.
The four forms of birth are transformation-born, moisture-born, womb-born and egg-born.
We have transmigrated between them.This is all brings much suffering.
We sentient beings are in this state of delusion, so it lasted “ten, twenty, and even fifty [years]”.
The poor son had been pandering about for more than 50 years.This is an analogy.
It is actually describing how we sentient beings, in a state of confusion and delusion, have fallen into the Five Realms and become [spiritually] impoverished.
The Dharma, our inherent wisdom and the abundance of teachings we had have all leaked away.Thus we are like the poor son who had no property and had no money on him.Every day, he had to work so he could eat.He had reached that state of impoverishment in his wanderings.
When the father discovered his son, he used various methods to painstakingly approach him.
Once his son was close by, he also took off his magnificent clothing in order to approach him.
The Buddha lived the same way as regular bhiksus.
He wore “clothes for cleaning excrement,” what we call “blessed-field robes”.He lived the same way as the rest of the Sangha.This is just like how the elder took off his necklace and magnificent garments to dress like an ordinary person.
With His wisdom,the Buddha used such a simple story to convey wondrously profound principles. Can we listen to the Dharma like any other story? Absolutely not. Our time in this world is very short.
If thousands of years pass as if in a second, our lives of a few decades can be thought of in terms of [milliseconds], or microseconds, such a short time. So, how can we waste any time? We must not! “We may not encounter [the Dharma] for billions of kalpas”.
There is no telling how much time it has taken for us to encounter the Buddha-Dharma at this time. So, [He told us], “Do not go elsewhere, and I will increase your wages”. If we engage in spiritual practice this way, we can be filled with Dharma-joy every day. “Yes, thought I have to wake up very early, this means that I will not become lax today and I will be free of hindrances. I am just like you. I am also very earnest and diligent. I am very happy today, because I heard the Dharma and my mind has no hindrances”. So, this is already worth it.
If we keep listening, there is more value. Thus, “I will increase your wages. You will no longer need to worry about utensils, rice and grains”. No matter what we need to use or what we need to eat, we will have it all. But eating plain rice and grains is flavorless and does not taste good. Thus, we still need “salt, vinegar and the like”.
This is a parable for how the Buddha used all kinds of methods. The teachings He gave included the Four Noble Truths and the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. Are these the complete teachings? These teachings are only there to guide people to develop an interest in the Dharma. In fact, what the Buddha wanted to do was to give us a foundation for the Buddha-Dharma, so we can advance to the higher levels. To climb a tall building, we need to start from the bottom. As we climb up each floor, our perspective becomes different. The higher we go, the more open and spacious our perspective is. This is what the Buddha-Dharma is like.
The Buddha hoped that our states of mind could be the same as His when He attained enlightenment, that tranquil and clear Avatamsaka state. When we return to our nature of True Suchness, our minds are undefiled, free of afflictions and can encompass the universe. This begins from the way we are as people; from the way we interact with others. As we interact with others, we must not be contaminated by their afflictions. As we do our work, we must not be hindered by other people’s habitual tendencies. This is having true resolve and great vows. With this kind of resolve and great vows, our minds will not be disturbed.
“Do not go elsewhere”. When it is the right thing, we should just do it; we must not be indecisive and uncertain. This [section] is using this analogy for teaching with all kinds of methods. Whatever utensils we need, or rice, grains, salt and vinegar, we will have it all. “You will no longer need to worry”. We must not give rise to discursive thoughts again. We must be thoroughly mindful.
The next sutra passage states, “There are also the old messengers who will help you when you need it. You may put your mind at ease”.
This is telling everyone again that in this place, there is not only work that can sustain a stable living, there are also “the old messengers who will help you when you need it”. When we need it, there are many people like us who will work together with us, who will practice and work together. This can help put everyone’s minds at ease.
“There are also the old messengers”. What does this mean? Remember in the previous sutra passage, the elder saw the poor son at the door. The son quickly turned and ran away, but having seen his figure, the elder quickly dispatched two people to invite him to come back. This was when he “secretly dispatched” two people. Do you still remember? These two people are analogies for Bodhisattvas and skillful means. They had to quickly go after him.
There are also the old messengers: These were those secretly sent after him to practice and attain realizations together.
“To practice and attain realizations together”, they went to where he was to bring him back. But, if they tried to bring him back forcibly, that is like using Dharma that is too strong; sentient beings will be afraid. “You want me to benefit others? I cannot even benefit myself; how can I benefit others?” So, they have no interest in this. They are like the son who is unwilling to return. When he was being pulled forcibly, he fainted. He struggled mightily. He was frightened, so he struggled. Thus he fainted and lost consciousness.
The elder said, “Do not drag him back.” “Wash his face with some clean water to wake him up and then let go. We will think of another method.” “There are also the old messengers.” These are the people sent after the son. Once these people came back, the elder thought of how they could take off their necklaces and magnificent garments, so they could work alongside the son.
So, “[They] will help you when you need it. He would have companions, so many people who would accompany him when he needed them. This is like “practicing right practices.”
[They] will help you when you need it: While practicing right practices to enlightenment, if something is not clear we must not give rise to doubts and troubles, but instead ask our senior fellow practitioners. They will instruct us step by step; thus, if we have a question we should ask.
We practice the proper teachings of the Path, the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. We begin with the “three Fours,” then “the two Fives, the Seven and the Eight.”This Dharma helps us gradually understand. Practicing together is not just copying what other people do.
When we practice and attain realization together, there is nothing we do not understand. This is how work should be done. This is how we should engage in spiritual practice. The underlying principle is the same. This is how work was done at the elder’s place. This is how we practitioners should engage in spiritual cultivation.
If we do not understand something, we must not let that question remain on our minds, “but instead ask our senior fellow practitioners.” People who are new here do not know anything about how things work. We must always ask people. Instead of being arrogant and proud, we must frequently ask questions. “They will instruct us step by step.” Those people will teach us.
When spiritual; practitioners like Hearers and Realizers draw near Bodhisattvas, Bodhisattvas will guide them step by step. This is very important. This is how to engage in spiritual practice. We practice together with companions, so when we do not understand, we should ask. When we have questions, we should raise them. In this way, when “old messengers” accompany us, we can earnestly do our work without worries.
“You may put your mind at ease.” This refers to the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers. With the “two Fives,” when we “attain the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers, our mind is at ease and our intention is firm.” If we have these roots and powers, we can be at ease, and our spiritual practice will be very stable.
Roots refers to “what can give rise to something.” “These roots give to all virtuous Dharma.”
If tree roots are planted firmly, there will always be new seedlings in the grove. For there to be an abundance of leaves, for a tree to blossom and bear fruit, its roots must be very strong. This is how it produces and abundance of fruit. This is the meaning of “can give rise to.” In the same way, “The Five Spiritual Roots give rise to all virtuous Dharma.”
When the Five Spiritual Roots are firm, they produce strength. The Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers support and strengthen each other. Thus they are called the Five Powers.
Starting with the roots, after we plant a seed, the roots will grow. Three roots are very powerful. For example, after a banyan tree is planted, its roots can break through the thickest of walls. This is strength; with roots come power.
Thus, we must mindful on our daily in our daily living. To learn the Buddha’s Way, we must understand the process of engaging in spiritual practice. We absolutely must not become lax. At Deer Park, the Dharma-wheel of Four Noble Truths. We must not overlook this Dharma, as it is our foundation.
If a house is built on an unstable foundation, that is very dangerous. So, we must build a very stable foundation. All Buddhas share the same path, the Dharma which is “praised by the sages.” We must always be mindful of this.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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