Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Manifesting According to Conditions (應機示生滅)
Date:March.23. 2016
“The Buddha used the power of skillful means to manifest being born and entering Parinirvana. He exhibited first becoming a monastic and then continuing until He reached Buddhahood. He demonstrated how to eradicate evil and practice goodness to transform all sentient beings. Through His lifetime of teachings, He completed all and manifested the appearance of birth and death.”
Spiritual practice is a very long path. The Buddha did not come to the world to transform sentient beings for only one lifetime. Lifetime after lifetime, He continuously adapted to capacities and to causes and conditions to set an example in this world. His vow was to guide all beings in the Three Realms, to lead them in the right direction. He viewed all sentient beings as His children. With the suffering sentient beings faced, how could He help them to take the principles to heart?
As we have discussed recently, “He shed His honored status for a humble one.” He set aside His dignified, enlightened Dharmakaya and lived like one of us. He went among people to help everyone understand that “I have already attained Buddhahood.
But I will likewise go through birth, aging, illness and death. I do not have a long time; my lifespan is only 80 years.” When the Buddha was in His old age, His elderly appearance was the same as everyone’s. He was also subject to suffering from illness.
In this way, He manifested birth and death so He could be seen as equal to everyone else. This was just the Buddha exercising His wisdom. For more than 40 years, He taught the Dharma and even manifested the kinds of suffering experienced during spiritual cultivation. At the same time, He also manifested the dignified appearance of one who had attained enlightenment.
He willingly set aide His dignified Dharmakaya to go into the world. So, “He exhibited first becoming a monastic and then continuing until He reached Buddhahood.” He began life in the comforts of the palace. Then he renounced it to walk the path of spiritual practice. This was a very taxing and uneven path.
The natural environment and the warmth and coldness of people were all experienced by Him. He went through many difficult situations before eventually attaining Buddhahood.
After He attained Buddhahood, He used all kinds of methods to set an example. He explained the affinities between His disciples and Himself. He also explained why He was slandered by people and talked about the karma He created in past lives.
In this life, when He was slandered by others, He still remained calm and composed as they slandered Him. When there were conditions that put pressure on and threatened to destroy the Sangha, He still led His disciples with the open and spacious mind of a spiritual practitioner. With an open mind and pure thoughts, He provided guidance to His disciples by setting an example. He demonstrated how to eradicate evil and practice goodness using all kinds of methods. When sentient beings experienced suffering, He shared with everyone what happened to Him in His past lives.
The same was true for His own conditions. “If I had not created this cause in the past, I would not face this effect in the present.” In this way, He used past causes and conditions as analogies. He used what was presently happening to people and the ways they treated each other as analogies. This is all Dharma.
The same was true for His own conditions.
“If I had not created this cause in the past, I would not face this effect in the present.”
In this way, He used past causes and conditions as analogies.He used what was presently happening to people and the ways they treated each other as analogies.This is all Dharma.
These are ways to transform sentient beings.
So, His lifetime of giving teachings was already complete; sentient beings had the blessings for the Buddha to manifest in this world, but with their collective karma, only the Buddha-Dharma could remain in the world, not the Buddha Himself.
He “manifested the appearance of birth and death”.This was how the Buddha spent His time in this world.Before He was advanced in age, He hoped that these children could accept the Dharma, that His disciples could accept His Dharma.He was like the elderly father who had great wealth but whose child was still wandering about.
Even when the son came home, he still did not have great aspirations.This is like how the Buddha was surrounded by many disciples, but no one among the disciples expressed a willingness to shoulder the responsibility of transmitting the Dharma in the future.
This is because of our karma as sentient beings; we are too unyielding.The poor son had been wandering about, but the elder already used skillful means to draw him in.He even spoke to him and was very close with him.This went on for a long while 20 years passed, during which [the Buddha] used the Two Vehicles to guide them.
The Small Vehicle is the Hearer and Pratyekabuddha, or Solitary Realizer, Vehicles.
He used these methods to let Hearers gradually listen to the principles and continue listening until they knew what the Dharma really was.
Beyond the “existence” of karmic cause and effect, there were also the Vaipulya sutras.
We should not only benefit ourselves, but also benefit others.
Upone entering the Vaipulya teachings, everyone slowly understands that truth of the worldly is that everything ultimately is empty.
However, cause and conditions bring us back among people.We have to go among people again to train, create blessings and cultivate wisdom.Only after realizing much Dharma this way can we attain Buddhahood.
This is what the previous passage explained 20 years had passed during which he worked mindfully.
“By the time that period was over, the appearance of his mind came to embody faith.”
He began to understand.
“He came and went without difficulty. But he still remained there in the Sam place as before.”
He learned about how the elder conducts business.As the elder engages in trade, how does he import goods and how does he export things?What are his profits like?
As part of the elder’s household, even though the son was doing manual labor, the father could gradually approach him and gradually promote him over time so he could better understand how the business was conducted.
But, he was still doing manual labor.
Thus it says he was “in the same place as before”.He thought, “I am simply an employee. I will just do my best to fulfill my duties.”And so, he was still stuck at that place.
The next passage states, “World-Honored One, at that time the elder became ill and knew that he would die before long.”
This passage is still part of the parable Subhuti was telling.He spoke of how the son was drawn inside so he could understand how the business worked.Nonetheless, he was still stuck.Although he understood the principles, he was still stuck at that place.
A long time had passed, and the World-Honored One had grown old.The Agama period lasted 12 years, the Vaipulya period for 8.By then, nearly half of His [time] had passed.
For 20 years, He had been teaching in this way as He gradually grew older.
Then came the Prajna period, and after that the Lotus-Nirvana period.By then, He was nearing 80, was in His 70s.
Thus, “At that time the elder became ill. ”His body was already developing illness.At the same time, the worries in His mind grew.“Who would transmit the Dharma? Who would accept and passé down the teachings?”The Buddha had more of this kind of worry.Thus it says, “He knew he would die before long.”
How much time did He have left?Subhuti was using this parable to convey the Buddha’s state of mind.The Buddha was already advanced in age.He was also very worried.
We know all this by now. This is an analogy for “the transition period of the Prajna teachings”. He had already entered the 20-year Prajna period. Now, after the Prajna period, He was transitioning into the Lotus period.
The Buddha was already in His 70s. From the Agama period, to the Vaipulya period, to the Prajna period, He had constantly been walking this path. Now He was advanced in years. This is analogous to how the [poor son] was still befuddled and unaware. The elder was mindful and quickly called for him to come back, but he became so scared that he fainted. The elder had to have water splashed on him to wake him up. Then he found a skillful way of bringing him back by hiring him to do manual labor at the house, clearing away excrement and filth.
This conveys how, during the Prajna period, the Buddha taught that everything was empty, how nothing existed. All things are empty in nature. With this, they could reach a state of “no self”. This is analogous to splashing cold water on the son’s face to quickly wake him up. There is nothing worth being attached to. Thus, they could completely eliminate afflictions and realize all principles.
[They saw] that was people interact, our thoughts arise in an instant so that we replicate so many afflictions. For the sake of profit, regardless of cost, we ruin mountains, rivers, the land, etc. So, during the Prajna period, [the Buddha] wanted to help everyone awaken.
In the Prajna teachings, He spoke of [unions] of the four elements and how, if we keep analyzing a human being, ultimately, there is nothing there. Nothing is left, just a pile of bones; that is all.
Thus, he “enticed him to come home. How did the father entice the son to come home? After sprinkling cold water upon his face, he gradually persuaded him. “Do not worry. That place is a place where we can make a living”. He slowly enticed and approached him. This “leads us to understand how the Buddha used the Small Vehicle Dharma to teach and transform while simultaneously giving the provisional teachings of the Great Vehicle”. After the Agama period and the Vaipulya period, He began to enter the Prajna period to help them come and go without obstacles.
Haven’t we discussed this previously? After the Prajna period, people could come and go without obstruction. This shows that they have already understood the teachings the Buddha gave during the Prajna period.
He “incorporated the Great Vehicle truth of emptiness. He analyzed the truth for us so we could follow our minds to enter our nature”.
The Buddha began to teach the Great Vehicle Dharma to sentient beings with the “truth of emptiness”, that all is empty in nature. So, we must open up our minds and not take issue with anything. This all comes from the Prajna teachings’ careful and meticulous analysis; if the elements of this or that are separated, there is nothing there. This includes the beginning of each life. Without the father’s sperm or the mother’s egg, a human would not be born. What unites the sperm and the egg is desire. If it were not for desire, the sperm and egg would not come together, and a human being would not be born.
The greatest liability in this world, what creates the most trouble, is “human beings”. We realize this from the Buddha’s gradual analysis. With “the Great Vehicle truth of emptiness”. “He analyzed the truth for us so we could follow our minds to enter our nature. He analyzed this in detail for us to explain and help us understand how, from the mountains and rivers to the human body, in all things, if the four elements are separated, there is nothing left.
This principle sounds very deep, but when we mindfully comprehend it, we realize it has to do with our minds.
[In the line], “The elder became ill”, the elder is an analogy for the Buddha. He was already old, and He was ill. “Just as sentient beings fall ill, the Buddha also fell ill”.
As sentient beings fall ill, the Buddha also fell ill. Before entering Parinirvana, He manifested pain in His back. This can be expressed as, “The elder became ill”. Because sentient beings and the world continued to develop problems, worries arose in the Buddha’s mind. His time here was also at an end. So, sentient beings suffer from illnesses of the mind, and the Buddha also fell ill.
This demonstrates that He was interconnected with the world. This was not just due to problems with humans, but to the many problems developing in the world.
“Before entering Parinirvana, He manifested pain in His back”. When the Buddha was walking, He suddenly experienced back pain. He was in discomfort. “Ananda, quickly help me find a flat rock and spread the sitting mat; I need to rest. My back hurts, I cannot keep
going.” He could not continue walking, so He asked Ananda to help Him find a place [to sit]. He “knew that [He] would die before long.” He understood that it was almost time to enter Parinirvana. “When there were karmic condition, He responded.” This conveys that, when there were karmic conditions between Him and sentient beings, He would manifest by being born into the world.
And knew that He would die before long: When there were karmic conditions, He responded by manifesting being born into the world. When these conditions were exhausted, He entered Parinirvana. Thus, “He would die.” “When these conditions were exhausted, He entered Parinirvana.”
The Buddha understood this. When karmic conditions came together, the palace would be the place for His circumstantial retribution His karmic connections with these parents led to His direct retribution. He grew up in the palace environment. Actually, in experiencing this life of comfort and wealth, he saw the distinct separation of the four castes. The way the suffering slaves lived was in such extreme contrast to his life. Thus he was inspired to start the process of spiritual practice. His entire lifetime was very brief, after 80 years, He was about to enter Parinirvana.
“Now, His conditions for transforming others, for manifesting in the world, were ending.” The conditions for His transformation-body to manifest in the world and transform sentient beings were about to be exhausted. He did not have a long time left in the world. At this time, His back hurt. This was a warning sign that He did have much time left in this world. So, “The Buddha’s transformation-body had the conditions to transform [beings].” When the conditions were there, He came to this world to transform sentient beings. He was born into and lived in this world as long as the causes and conditions were there.
“All those who could be transformed had already been transformed.” Those who had the conditions to be transformed had almost all been transformed. Those without the conditions, those not yet transformed, had already created the conditions for their transformation. “Thus, His transformation-body entered extinction.”
For those without the karmic conditions, at least by coming to the world at this time, though they were still without conditions, they had created the conditions to be transformed by Him in a future lifetime.
So, they arranged to meet in a future life. Those not yet transformed had already created the conditions for their transformation.
“Thus His transformation-body entered extinction.” His time was almost up He was about to enter Parinirvana.
“Now the Buddha’s conditions for transformation were about to come to an end.” He was approaching the time for Parinirvana; there was not a lot of time left. Thys it says, “He would die before long.”
Everyone, as Buddhist practitioners, we must earnestly seize our causes and conditions. Though the Buddha is not present, the space and time we exist in in the present era the space and time we exist in the present era are the same space and time as in the Buddha’s era.
This “space” is between heaven and earth, “under the heavens and on top of the earth.” It is just that the space the Buddha was born in is a bit farther from us. The kingdom of Kapilavastu is presently. Nepal, and we are now living in Taiwan, but we are still on the same planet, under the same sky. The time we live in is far removed from His time, more than 2000 years in our world, it has been more than 2000 years. But in Trayastrimsa Heaven, it has only been a little more than 20 days.
So, seeing this from the state of the Buddha, this is a short time. He is still waiting for the right time to come to the human world again. This is because He has made an arrangement that for those people with the conditions, He will come to transform them in a future lifetime.
Thus, we transform each other. As we come and go, we must seize the time to transform each other as we come to the world. In this lifetime, if people are happy to see us and laugh along with us, they will listen to what we say.
If there are people who have affinities with us, we can guide people in place of the Buddha, just like Earth Treasury Bodhisattva, who saves sentient beings in hell. This is why we say, “We have to stop people at the doors of hell.” This means that we transform people in the human realm and prevent them from creating karma so that they will not fall into hell.
Thus we can help Earth Treasury Bodhisattva attain Buddhahood more quickly. “Until hell is empty, I will not attain Buddhahood”; this is the vow of Earth Treasury Bodhisattva. So everyone, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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