Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Great Medicinal Plants (行精進定是上藥草)
Date: September.15. 2016
“Bodhisattvas being taught with skillful means have faith that they can attain Buddhahood. They practice the Six Perfections to benefit themselves and others. With the skillful means of Bodhi, the Buddha used expedient methods in accord with capacities. He widely transformed all with wisdom so they can apply the teachings with ease.”
Do we understand this? “Bodhisattvas being taught with skillful means have faith that they can attain Buddhahood.” Becoming Bodhisattvas is our goal; this is what the Buddha taught us to do. In order to attain Buddhahood, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path. To walk the Bodhisattva-path is to benefit ourselves while also benefiting others. Thus, we must form aspirations. This is what the Buddha taught us. He used skillful means to guide us to realize that life is full of suffering. Taking it a step further, He helped us realize that this is [caused by] karmic cause and effect.
In order to eliminate such suffering, we must practice the Path. This is what the Four Noble Truths teaches us. We can now understand this.
When we reach the state of Solitary Realizers, [we know] a person’s life comes from a father’s sperm and mother’s egg. Then we continue to undergo the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence until aging, illness and death, bringing yet another lifetime to an end. This is what Solitary Realizers have realized. In the process of birth, aging, illness and death, they connect with many different conditions and experience the principle of this world, that everything is impermanent. Through their understanding of this teaching, they were able to eliminate all kinds of afflictions and ignorance. Thus, they were called Solitary Realizers.
However, the Buddha’s hope for us was that we would not only seek our own liberation, like the Hearers and Solitary Realizers who only practiced to benefit themselves. Rather, we should advance beyond this stage and now give rise to Bodhicitta. Bodhicitta is the resolve to walk the Bodhisattva-path. So, we are Bodhisattvas taught with skillful means. We gradually, gradually understand [the Dharma]. Bodhisattvas taught with skillful means that provisional methods that are used to give us teachings.
“Bodhisattva” means we have made aspirations. We are sentient beings who have already awakened. So, we too can attain Buddhahood. Even if the Bodhisattva-path stretches far into the distance, we must have faith in ourselves, “have faith that we can attain Buddhahood.” We must walk from the start to the finish. Throughout this process, we absolutely must have faith as we walk the Bodhisattva-path. On this Bodhisattva-path, we must practice the Six Perfections, giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. These are what we must practice.
Doesn’t everyone we meet give us a chance to engage in spiritual practice? When we go among the multitude of sentient beings, each person becomes our spiritual training ground. When we meet other people, aren’t they all our spiritual friends? We must be grateful for them! They guide us and help us succeed in our spiritual cultivation. What if they create adverse conditions for us? We must still be grateful. Without encountering those adverse conditions, we would lack the opportunity to give to others.
So, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must practice the Six Perfections. In order to benefit ourselves and others, we need to employ many methods.
In the Jataka Sutra, there is a story about a practitioner who gave rise to Bodhicitta and walked the Bodhisattva-path. In order to practice the Six Perfections, he would give away everything he had, giving it all for the sake of sentient beings.
At that time, Sovereign Sakra observed how reverent this spiritual practitioner was. Sovereign Sakra was deeply alarmed. “This person practices such great giving. In the future, His virtues will surpass mine. Will he take my position as Sovereign Sakra?”
Having had this thought, he transformed into an ordinary person and went to speak to this spiritual practitioner. “These people are meant to suffering this life. When you eliminate their suffering, you will receive negative retributions. Here, ask this person who is suffering in hell. Go and ask him.”
The spiritual practitioner asked this person suffering in hell, “Why are you here, suffering such torment?” The person suffering in hell replied, “In my past life, when I was in the world, I was always helping and giving to others. I gave up everything I had to provide relief to others, so now, I suffer from this severe karma and receive these painful retributions in hell.”
The spiritual practitioner then asked this person suffering painful retributions. “If you are suffering painful retributions because of doing good deeds, what about those people you saved? The people I saved were reborn in heaven.
“If that is the case,” the spiritual practitioner replied, “then that is my goal.” “When I save other people, if they are reborn in heaven and I am the only person who will fall into hell, what would be bad about that?”
When the heavenly being, Soverign Sakra, heard this, he felt remorseful and assumed his original appearance. The image of hell disappeared, and he deeply prostrated to the spiritual practitioner. Sakra said to him, “In fact, those who help others are actually the ones how obtain blessings. It would not make sense that they fall into hell. I must repent to you.” And with that, he disappeared.
Yesterday, we talked about small medicinal plants. From wheel-turning sage kings to Sovereign Sakra, these are all still in the Five Vehicles; they are still like small medicinal plants. When it comes to Hearers and Solitary Realizers, they are like average medicinal plants, since they have not yet formed great aspirations.
So, the Chapter on Medicinal Plants helps us understand, from what the Buddha taught, that these are skillful means, “With the skillful means of Bodhi, the Buddha used expedient methods in accord with capacities.” He taught the Bodhi-path with skillful means to pave a convenient path for us to walk on. This is an expedient method, adapted to the scope of our capacities.
Actually, the Buddha’s goal was to “widely transform all with wisdom so that they can apply the teachings with ease.” The Buddha did this for sentient beings. He widely transformed all sentient beings in the hope that they would all gain wisdom. He wanted to unlock sentient beings’ wisdom so that we could understand and awaken to the Buddha-Dharma. When we willingly aspire to transform the myriads of sentient beings, He helps us to apply [the teachings] with ease. This was what the Buddha taught us. So, we must have faith.
In the previous sutra passage, it says, “Those who know the flawless Dharma can attain Nirvana, give rise to the Six Spiritual Powers and gain the Three Insights. They live in solitude in the mountain forests, constantly practice Samadhi and attain the state of Solitary Realizers. They are the average medicinal plants.”
Our minds must always be as if in a remote mountain forest. Although we are among the people, we must not let them disturb our minds. Like living in solitude in the mountain forests, our minds must constantly be in Right Samadhi, like the Solitary Realizers. They observe that the world is impermanent, which makes their resolve very firm. However, they still were like average medicinal plants. Although they had understood the teachings, they had yet to reach the peak and form great aspirations.
Next in the sutra passage, it says, “Those who seek the state of the World-Honored One are sure that they will attain Buddhahood. They practice diligence and Samadhi; they are the great medicinal plants.”
We must now begin to understand “great medicinal plants.” What we now seek is “the state of the World-Honored One.” With hearts full of faith, we “are sure that [we] will attain Buddhahood.” By walking the Bodhisattva-path, we will be able to attain Buddhahood. So, “They seek the state that the World-Honored One has realized. Since the Buddha is capable of realizing it, and I also have an intrinsic Tathagata-nature, I should also be able to realize it. They will engage in spiritual practice, and they vow to attain the fruit of Buddhahood.”
In order to attain Buddhahood, we must earnestly engage in spiritual practice. Our goal is to reach the state of Buddhahood. “They practice diligence and Samadhi; they are the great medicinal plants.
They practice diligence and Samadhi; they are the great medicinal plants: They practice diligence and the superior Samadhi of tranquil extinction. As they hope to attain Buddhahood, they are more advanced than Two Vehicle practitioners. They are called great medicinal plants. This explains how great medicinal plants receive nourishment.
We must practice diligence, charitable giving and upholding precepts. We must be diligent; we must practice patience and diligence in order to achieve Samadhi and wisdom. So, we must begin to practice diligence, which incorporates all of these [practices].
When we practice diligence and Samadhi, we are like the great medicinal plants. In our spiritual practice, we must be diligent. As for “superior Samadhi of tranquil extinction,” we must be diligent and must practice until our minds abide in tranquil extinction and we cannot be defiled by anyone at all. “As they hope to attain Buddhahood,” means that they most look forward to attaining Buddhahood.
“They are more advanced than Two Vehicle practitioners.” Compared to Two Vehicle practitioners, the Hearers and Solitary Realizers, they are at a more advanced level because they form great aspirations.
Thus, “They are called great medicinal plants.” This means they are the greatest medicinal plants. Because the Dharma-rain nourishes them, it allows these medicinal plants to treat the most fundamental illnesses.
“Bodhisattvas being taught with skillful means have faith that they can attain Buddhahood.” This is the nature of Bodhisattvas taught with skillful means. They already practice the Six Perfections to benefit themselves and others. However, they have the appearance of abiding. Although we formed aspirations, we are still abiding in this world. So, we have the appearance of abiding. This means that since we are born in this world, “As we have been born, we abide in this world; this is the appearance of abiding.” Or, on an even shorter time scale, this refers to how “each thought” [arises temporarily] and continues on.
In this world, there is birth, aging, illness and death. We must seize the time we have while we are alive in this world to listen to the Buddha-Dharma. We must seize each moment. Even if we have a momentary aspiration, we must continue to sustain it. Short seconds accumulate into hours, which turn into months and years. We must seize the moment and sustain it forever. We must persist in these good thoughts. This is “the appearance of abiding.” This is why we must be mindful to “eliminate attachments to the Dharma.”
Two Vehicle practitioners have eliminated their afflictions and their attachment to a sense of self. However, they must still strive to eliminate their attachments to the Dharma.
“Having eliminated attachments to the Dharma: Though Two Vehicle practitioners have eliminated attachments to a sense of self and other, they still have attachments to the Dharma and are unable to let go of appearances. Ultimately they cannot cure the illness of ignorance. Only by resolving to advance diligently can they surpass the Two Vehicles. Then they are likened to great plants.”
The Two Vehicle practitioners are able to eliminate their attachments to a sense of self and others. Because they understand causes and conditions as well as the suffering of this world, they know there is no need to cling to this human form. However, when it comes to the Dharma, they still cling tightly to it. They cling to the Dharma of emptiness. Since all things are empty, [they believe that] all “existence” is illusory. In the end, it is all empty. This was the idea they were attached to; this is called attachment to the Dharma.
Because they were attached to the Dharma, they could not let go of appearances. They had no way to eliminate this attachment to the Dharma. They still could not let go of appearances. “Ultimately they cannot cure the illness of ignorance.” They are thus unable to cure the illness of ignorance. “Only by resolving to advance diligently can one surpass the Two Vehicles.” Thus, we must now practice the Six Perfections, and we must be very diligent in eliminating our attachments to both a sense of self and to the Dharma. Only by not cling to these will we truly eliminate all appearances of ignorance and realize true emptiness and wondrous existence.
“Surpass the Two Vehicle” means they are the “great medicinal plants.” “In the Six Perfections, diligence is ultimate.” In the Six Perfections, diligence is the most important because it encompasses giving, upholding precepts and patience.
In the Six Perfections, diligence is ultimate. The Great [Perfections of Wisdom] Treatise says: Giving, upholding precepts and patience are worldly and common practices. If we want to cultivate Samadhi and wisdom, we must diligent. Now we use diligence to encompass all the other Perfections.
Practicing the Six Perfections requires giving upholding precepts and patience. However, we must persist in our diligence so we can persist in practicing giving. Only with diligence can we properly uphold precepts. Only with diligence can we have patience with the world. Charitable giving and upholding precepts are basically worldly and common practices. We must have diligence so that we can truly practice all of the Six Perfections.
If we do not have diligence we cannot complete the Six Perfections. Upholding precepts is also important. We must diligent, and we must upholding precepts. Upholding precepts requires diligence.
“Precepts are prohibitory regulations. They can prevent us from creating negative karma of body, speech and mind.” Upholding precepts is very important since they help us guard against wrongs and stop evil.
The Three Flawless Studies begin with precepts. “Precepts can give rise to Samadhi.” Only when we follow precepts can our minds attain Samadhi. “Samadhi can give rise to wisdom. With Samadhi, we naturally give rise to wisdom. “That is why those who learn the Path must first uphold precepts.”
Diligence encompasses the Six Perfections. Practicing the Six Perfections comes from being diligent. Precepts are what allows us to have concentration. In order to have Samadhi, we must uphold the precepts. All virtuous Dharma must start with upholding precepts. So, we “must first uphold precepts.”
“If we cultivate all virtuous paths diligently, without indolence…” If we want to cultivate virtuous Dharma, we must be diligent and never indolent. Our upholding precepts and patience will continue without interruption, and we will not let ourselves slack off.” We must uphold precepts, and we must have the patience to endure the unwholesome phenomena of the world.
The world is like a web of ignorance. As we encounter many difficulties, we must have the patience to “continue without interruption and not let ourselves slack off.” We cannot be undisciplined.
As Buddhist practitioners, we must practice earnestly and diligently. When the Buddha revealed the Five Vehicles, in addition to the aspirations to practice the Hearers and Solitary Realizer Vehicles, in fact the later Bodhisattva teachings and the Ten Good Deeds and Five Precepts can all be merged together.
“Lay Bodhisattva-practitioners cultivate wisdom.” Lay Bodhisattva-practitioners aspire to give and practice the Six Perfections and practice the Six Perfections. Practicing the Six Perfections is not difficult. Lay Bodhisattva-practitioners just need a change of mindset to make use of their present circumstances. They must maintain an unwavering mind. With this mind of diligence, “Lay Bodhisattva-practitioners cultivate wisdom.” So, we must go among people. Every person is a spiritual training ground for our wisdom-life. When we see each person, we must think “Oh, I am so grateful!” Even if we have a negative affinity, we must be grateful.
Living Bodhisattvas must also be determined and work together harmoniously as a team. When love joins our hearts together and spreads all over the world, the world can truly become a pure land. We then have a way to save all sentient beings. So everyone, please always be mingful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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