Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Ultimate Nirvana is Tranquil Extinction (究竟涅槃常寂滅相)
Date: August.16. 2016
“Bodhisattvas engage in spiritual practice by using wisdom to observe whether [sentient beings’ capabilities] are mature. Since the Dharma has already matured, it is never destroyed, even over many kalpas. It is like the nature of heat, which can enable all things to grow on the earth. All seeds and all kinds of medicinal plants will ripen.”
The spiritual practice of Bodhisattvas is to use wisdom to observe the capabilities of sentient beings to see if they are mature. Once [their capabilities] mature, they share the Dharma they have learned with sentient beings. Regardless of what sentient beings need, we can use love to help them. Whether people are facing physical suffering or suffering of the mind, or the suffering of the impermanence of the world and all kinds of other afflictions, once the causes and conditions are mature, Living Bodhisattvas get involved in these communities and in this way seize the causes and conditions to spread seeds of goodness.
If the causes and conditions are not yet mature, even if a person wants to sow seeds, they must wait for the right season. In order to plant the right seeds, spiritual practitioners and all Bodhisattvas must also wait for the right time to be able to transform sentient beings.
We see people in this world make a momentary error in judgment. This slight deviation causes mistaken behavior. Then they are sent to prison.
There is also a group of Living Bodhisattvas; for many years now, for such a long time, Tzu Chi volunteers have regularly gone to visit detention centers in order to share the Buddha-Dharma as well as what they have seen in the world, that one wrong thought leads to 1000 wrong steps. They share true stories for them to hear. Those who are serving their sentence hear these sincere and true stories the volunteers tell. They listen and are touched. From deep within their hearts, they give rise to repentance and self-reflection. There was one person who was incarcerated in Taichung. He was a young prisoner. He said that ever since he was young, he had carelessly fallen in with a certain group and started taking drugs. One drug led to another and he began to lose control of himself. So, he went against his parents in many ways and got mixed up in the [wrong elements of] society. Now, he has lost his freedom. He thought about his father who had cancer and how, up until his last breath, his father would constantly think of his son. The son was in prison and had no way to see his father in his last moments. He was in spiritual anguish; he felt he had not been filial.
Although he regretted it, it was already too late. He has now listened to the Tzu Chi volunteers who come regularly to show their care. In particular, the sincerity they bring, this expression of true sincerity and love, shows that the volunteers always hope people can change from the past and work for the future. The son reflected on himself, so he became very earnest in finding a way to change himself. Then in the future, after he is released, he can make it up to his mother. Now he uses Jing Si Aphorisms to write letters to repent to his mother. Use Jing Si Aphorisms as a bond, he can connect with his mother’s heart. The son keeps expressing that if he has good behavior in prison, he can be paroled early and fulfill his duties as a son. Thus he can be filial to his mother and make up for his past. He not only wants to be filial, he also wants to dedicate himself to go among people and do good deeds.
This is how, once a seed has matured, over the kaplas it will not be ruined; his spiritual aspirations will be firm. Truly, they will not be destroyed over the kalpas.
The warden of Hualien Prison was also very touched. He is grateful to Tzu Chi volunteers for their regular visits. A group of inmates have already changed and understood how they must have a sense of mission. They want to learn handicrafts. In prison, they earnestly learned this skill. At the beginning of the year, they had finished their craftworks and had them sent to the Jing Si Abode. For example, they made [a model] based on the Jing Si Abode. It was very meticulously hand-crafted. They put great care into carving and engraving it. I feel that this hand-carved model has such wondrous detail. After seeing it, I was so stunned and touched.
This is how heartwarming life can be. People intrinsically have Buddha-nature, but it has been [covered by] mistakes. Once causes and conditions have matured, they can also change and transform. They can be delivered and step onto this smooth and even spiritual path. This is very touching.
“Bodhisattvas engage in spiritual practice by using wisdom to observe whether [sentient beings’ capabilities] are mature. Since the Dharma has already matured, it is never destroyed, even over many kalpas.” As long as seeds of good thoughts are quickly sown, once the time is ripe, naturally causes and conditions will mature.
“It is like the nature of heat, which can enable all things to grow on the earth.” It is like our earth, where things require the nature of heat. Heat comes from the sun as well as the many trees, plants and forests. This is a mutually beneficial cycle. In this vast space, in this universe, the sun brings all things here into fruition. All things also contain their own nature of heat; thus, the earth is able to sustain all things.
“All seeds and all kinds of medicinal plants will ripen.” This is how [all things on] earth grow together. All exist together. All benefit each other. This requires the four elements to be in harmony. In this vast space, we must follow the principles. All principles combine together to form all things. This is why we need the Buddha-Dharma.
The previous sutra passage says, “Sentient beings abide in all kinds of places. Only the Tathagata, the viewer of truth, clearly understands them without obstructions. Like the forests of vegetation and trees and all kinds of medicinal plants and so on, they themselves do not know whether their natures are great, average, or small.”
Sentient beings all abide in their own place. Whether it is big trees or small plants, they each have their own place. With the Buddha’s wisdom, He can observe all without any kind of obstructions. With these forests of vegetation and trees and all kinds of medicinal plants and so on, although what they all need is rain and dew, each is watered according to their own capabilities. They are still receiving the Dharma according to their own capabilities.
The next sutra passage says, “The Tathagata understands this Dharma of one appearance and one flavor, that the appearances of liberation, of distancing, of extinction and of the tranquil extinction of ultimate Nirvana ultimately return to emptiness.”
The Tathagata understands all things on earth. When it comes to "one appearance and one flavor,” “one appearance" is "the essence of sentient beings' mind." The mind of sentient beings and their body are of one appearance. "One appearance" is the nature of True Suchness.
The Tathgata understands this Dharma of one appearance and one flavor: One appearance is the essence of sentient beings' minds. This explains the True Suchness of One Reality. One flavor is the teaching of the Tathagata. This explains the principles of One Reality.
This is what the Tathagata understands about all sentient beings, the nature of True Suchness. This is something that we all share. But, it is "the essence of sentient beings' minds." "This explains the True Suchness of One Reality." Different kinds of sentient beings have different natures. The nature we talk about here is habitual nature. This person's temperament is good; that person's habitual nature is not so good. Either way, they are still people. The [billions] of us all have different natures and different minds.
But, despite these differences, deep in our minds, there is "the True Suchness of One Reality." Every one of us has this intrinsic nature of True Suchness. "One flavor is the teaching of the Tathagata," which contains the principles of One Really. This is just like rain. The rainwater can nourish the earth.
So, the "appearance" is water. "Flavor" is the flavor of plain water. Although water is plain to the taste, it can nourish all life like human; we truly need water like human; we truly need water.
One appearance means that the minds of sentient beings all share the same appearance of True Suchness. This is also the one earth. One flavor means that the Dharma of the One Vehicle is all explaining the one principle. This is also the one rain.
"The Tathagata understands this Dharma of one appearance and one flavor [and] the appearance of liberation, of distancing [and] of extinction." The appearance of liberation is the "absence of the appearance of cyclic existence."
The appearance of liberation is the absence of the appearance of cyclic existence. The appearance of distancing is said to be the absence of the appearance of Nirvana. The appearance of extinction is the non-appearance of both cyclic existence and Nirvana. When even this non-appearance is absent, that is the Middle Way of neither existence nor non-existence.
People suffer because they suffer birth, aging, illness and death. In the process of birth, aging, illness and death, we have many afflictions that cause our minds to be disturbed, that cause our minds to suffer. In this way, we are tormented, this is truly suffering. We need the Dharma to nourish our body and mind. This way, we will be able to be liberated. To be liberated is to be free of cyclic existence. "The appearance of distancing" is "the absence of the appearance of Nirvana."
Actually, being liberated from cyclic existence is called tranquil extinction, also known as Nirvana. Extinction is the extinction of afflictions; this is called tranquil extinction. We now form aspirations and begin to not just seek our own benefit. So, "the absence of the appearance of Nirvana" is not only seeking self-liberation but also going among people. We cannot keep seeking only our own liberation and just eliminating our own afflictions. We must use this body to go among people and transform sentient beings.
Next is "the appearance of extinction." After "the appearance of distancing" is "the appearance of extinction". After liberation and distancing ourselves from the mindset of only benefiting ourselves, we then get to the appearance of extinction. This is "the non-appearance of both cyclic existence and Nirvana."
Regarding this cycle of birth and death, we have already freed ourselves from it. We are now receiving the Buddha-Dharma. We are firm, like a seed that will not spoil over the kalpas. We sustain our original aspiration, firmly holding on to this thought. We are already very at ease. "When even this non-appearance is absent..." When even non-appearance is absent, that is when we are completely at ease.
In this lifetime or in future lifetimes, with firm spiritual aspirations, we journey on the Dharma to come to the world. "That is the Middle Way of neither existence nor non-existence." This refers to the Bodhisattva-path; it is called "the appearance of extinction." “The appearance of the tranquil extinction of ultimate Nirvana” means we must keep going until we reach the final level. We are now learning the Bodhisattva Way. We must solidify our spiritual aspirations until we reach the state of the Buddha.
Thus, all “ultimately returns to emptiness.” We absolutely must not have any attachments.
[The appearance] of tranquil extinction of ultimate Nirvana ultimately returns to emptiness: The appearance of Nirvana is free from all appearances. Thus it is the appearance of tranquil extinction. The Chapter on Parables says, “All phenomena, from the very beginning, have borne the marks of perfect tranquility.”
So, “The appearance of Nirvana is free from all appearances.” We must eliminate [attachment to] all appearances. There is only the appearance of Nirvana, which is tranquil and still. We must have vows as vast as the universe. This is to realize “the appearance of tranquil extinction of ultimate Nirvana.”
This was in the Chapter on Skillful Means; do you still remember? “All phenomena, from the very beginning, have borne the marks of perfect tranquility.” The Dharma is fundamentally still and tranquil. All the principles, all the Dharma, are all so completely natural, so calm and still. All things originate from causes and conditions coming together. If causes and conditions separate, there will be no appearances to converge.
Everything returns to emptiness. “The Tathagata understands that this True Dharma ultimately return to emptiness.”
The Tathagata understands that this True Dharma ultimately returns to emptiness. With this Dharma, He ultimately perfects absolute emptiness and stillness. The Bodhi with which we reach the ultimate is wondrous existence and true emptiness. The Tathagata already thoroughly understood that the True Dharma ultimately returns to emptiness. It is the same when it rains; the sun’s heat turns the rainwater into vapor, so that it can return to the sky.
So, we say, the True Dharma ultimately returns to emptiness.
“With this Dharma He ultimately perfects absolute emptiness and stillness.” This Dharma truly is ultimately perfect, and the most perfect Dharma is absolute emptiness and stillness. This is the Dharma we must pursue. How do we free our mind to leave behind the constant disturbances, the pollutants and turbidities, that oppress our minds and cause so much suffering? Now, what we need the most is the Buddha-Dharma. The Dharma cleanses our minds’ defilements and helps liberate us of all afflictions. Once we ourselves are liberated and free of afflictions, we must walk among people with firm spiritual aspirations to purify sentient beings.
Thus, “The Bodhi with which we reach the ultimate is wondrous existence and true emptiness.” [In seeking] the Dharma, we must not always be attached to emptiness. We must be free from all appearances. To be liberated, we must eliminate our attachment to the appearance of self and others. So, we must bring the Dharma with us as we go among the people. This way, we will have a way to elevate others, so we can all go from a road of mistakes back to the great, direct Bodhi-path. This is truly the wondrous existence and true emptiness we must learn.
We should know that the Buddha loves all life in this world like His only son. The guiding teacher of the Three Realms, the kind father of the four kinds of beings, knows sentient beings are all wrapped up in turbidities How can the Buddha not be worried? Thus, the Buddha needs us all to eliminate afflictions and use our pure minds and the pure Dharma to go among people and transform sentient beings. This is His greatest hope. Therefore, we must all constantly be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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