Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Receiving Predictions of Buddhahood (二乘領解得佛授記)
Date: October.04. 2016
“When Mahakasyapa and the others heard the Buddha bestow predictions of Buddhahood upon Son-of-Sari, they used analogies to show their awakening and recounted the Parable of the Poor Son. They did so to guide Two Vehicle practitioners, the Hearers and Solitary Realizers, to gradually enter the perfect teachings. When Two Vehicle practitioners understand the One True Dharma, they enter great Bodhi.”
When we read this passage, we should all understand it clearly. In the Chapter on Faith and Understanding, Venerable Kasyapa began to [share his understanding] of Sariputra receiving the Buddha’s prediction of Buddhahood. Venerable Kasyapa, Subhuti, Katyayana and Maudgalyayana, these four disciples, represented the Sangha in coming before the Buddha to express that they finally had faith and understanding. They had faith in the Buddha’s teaching that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature and that everyone can attain Buddhahood. They understood that everyone already possesses a treasure trove of Dharma.
This was like the poor son; he originally had this, but he left his home and wandered aimlessly. Regardless of how tiring it was, his father pursued his son, constantly searching for him. But his son was out in the world, stumbling around alone for more than 50 years. This is the cyclic existence of the Five Realms in which unenlightened beings wander. Sometimes, we are born in heaven. Sometimes, we are born in the human realm. Sometimes, we fall into the Three Evil Realms. This is how we transmigrate in the Five Realms.
It had not been easy for them to encounter the Buddha-Dharma and be born in the same era as a Buddha. So, they knew that they must listen to the Buddha’s earnest teachings. They finally understood this. So, when they used the poor son as an analogy, the Buddha was joyful at what the four of them expressed.
Next, the Buddha used even more profound teachings [and spoke of] “one appearance and one flavor.” Actually, He regarded all equally. The Buddha converged with the true principles of the universe to the point that all sentient beings became equal to Him. With one appearance and one flavor, He taught the same Dharma to everyone.
However, we all have different capabilities. Once everyone understands that the Dharma is of one appearance and one flavor, [we know] it is given equally to everyone, out of His loving heart. It is we who have not changed our habitual tendencies; it is not the Buddha who discriminates between sentient beings. We all must reflect on ourselves and repent.
If people do not reflect on their mistakes, they lock up their minds and do not take in the Dharma. Then, when they go among people and encounter afflictions, they will only complain about this. People like this are unable to accept the Dharma. They do not take in any teachings, so they have no way to face the tests of life. This is such a pity.
Therefore, we must all be mindful. So, this verse says, “When Mahakasyapa and the others heard the Buddha bestow predictions of Buddhahood upon Son-of-Sari.” Mahakasyapa and the others, these four, in the Chapter on Parables, at the moment the Buddha bestowed His prediction on Sariputra, all had an awakening. “They used analogies to show their awakening.” In the Chapter on Parables, Sariputra attained understanding, and the Buddha bestowed a prediction of Buddhahood on him. So, it was the same for these four; at that moment, seeing the Buddha affirm Sariputra, the four of them also came [before the Buddha]. In the Chapter on Parables, they had already attained understanding, so they recounted the Parable of the Poor Son.
“They did so to guide Two Vehicle practitioners, the Hearers and Solitary Realizers, to gradually enter the perfect teachings.” At that moment, the Two Vehicle practitioners, the Hearers and Solitary Realizers, already fully understood; they had gradually entered the perfect teachings. In the past, the gradual teachings were used to lead everyone one step at a time. They had heard the teachings up to this point and had eliminated afflictions. They thought this was enough to enter Nirvana, that they would not come back to this world with their karma. They believed this was crossing into extinction.
However, in the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha kept announcing that what He was teaching was of one appearance and one flavor, the One True Dharma, the One Vehicle. The Buddha cast aside the Three Vehicles to emphasize to everyone that there is only one vehicle, not three, because the “One” is that all people are equal and all can attain Buddhahood. The teachings that He expounded were like this; everyone has a part in them. It is not that some people do not receive it, but that their own capabilities [determine what they can accept], and their own habitual tendencies have not yet been eliminated. So, now we understand that this method of teaching is complete and perfect, thus we gradually enter the perfect teachings.
“When Two Vehicle practitioners understand the One True Dharma, they enter great Bodhi.” As the Chapter on Medicinal Plants concluded, the Buddha’s true intent was His hope for the Two Vehicle practitioners, those already engaged in spiritual practice, to now understand and be able to experience the One True Dharma. Then they would begin forming great aspirations and enter the teachings of great Bodhi.
This was the Buddha’s intent. Now we begin the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions. The Chapter on Bestowing Predictions: They were able to receive predictions, because they had engaged in spiritual practice, eliminated delusions of afflictions and ignorance, resonate with the Buddha-mind and attained the truth. In accord with the principles, the Buddha gave confirmation and bestowed predictions of Buddhahood on them. This is like how worldly rank or status are passed down; thus there was the bestowing of predictions.
Those who “received predictions” did so because they engaged in spiritual practice and eliminated their afflictions and ignorance. Why did the Buddha bestow predictions? Because the Two Vehicle disciples had engaged in spiritual practice and thus eliminated their afflictions and ignorance. They had gradually eliminated them. Some disciples began to resonate with the Buddha-mind. Their minds were in accord with the Buddha’s mind, so they “resonated with the Buddha-mind and attained the truth.” They understood the Buddha’s intent to point them towards the great, direct Bodhi-path. He had begun to guide them, so they should have realized the Buddha’s intent and already seen this path clearly.
“In accord with the principles, the Buddha gave confirmation and bestowed predictions of Budddhahood on them.” Because they resonated with the Buddha-mind and had already discovered this path, as it should be according to the principles, He gave confirmation and bestowed predictions. The Buddha wanted to confirm this for them.
“That is right; you now understand. You are in accord with my intention and my mind. My mind is the same as yours. Your thoughts are the teachings I have shared. This is like how worldly rank or status are passed down,” just like a king passing his crown to the prince. It is passed down, from generation to generation.
An entrepreneur’s assets are passed to his son. The principle is the same. “Thus, there was the bestowing of predictions.” Because of this, there is the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions.
If you remember, previously in the Chapter on Medicinal Plants, at the end it said, “Of all you Hearers in the assembly, none will cross into extinction. What all of you are practicing is the Bodhisattva-path, and by gradually practicing and learning, you will all attain Buddhahood.”
The Buddha was reminding everyone again, saying, “you Hearers in the assembly,” which also includes the Solitary Realizers. “None [of you] will cross into extinction. Your spiritual practice does not stop here. What all of you are practicing” means everyone was engaged in spiritual practice. The Buddha hoped that not only these four, but all His disciples, could understand that they should not remain Hearers or Solitary Realizers, only practicing for their own benefit. He wanted everyone to open their minds and form great aspirations and make great vows to walk the Bodhisattva-path. The Bodhisattva-path is the true path.
We must go among people to practice and learn, must go among people to temper ourselves. This is how we gradually practice and learn. If we can do this, we will be able to attain Buddhahood. This sutra passage is meant to encourage us and is also a kind of confirmation.
The Chapter on Bestowing Predictions starts out saying, “At that time, the World-Honored One, having finished His verse, spoke to the assembly and called out these words, My disciple Mahakasyapa, in future lifetimes….”
Now, it begins with the Buddha “having finished His verse” and calling out to everyone. After the long-form prose of the Chapter on Medicinal Plants, He continued with repeated verses. Everyone should remember this. Now, in the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions, the Buddha “spoke to the assembly.” Again, He addressed everyone and “called out these words.” He used a loud voice and raised His tone, saying, “My disciple Mahakasyapa, in future lifetimes….” “Everyone, listen carefully, “My disciple….” Think about it, this was said with such warmth.
Venerable Kasyapa persisted in ascetic practice, so he was able to eliminate his attachments. His mind had returned to emptiness. This was what the Buddha was praising.
“ So, “bestowing predictions” means that “The World-Honored One made predictions for His disciples about their future lifetimes. This is predicting the cause and effect.” This refers to future events. Predicting the cause means that because he engaged in spiritual practice, the effect would be his attaining Buddhahood. So, “Here He bestowed a prediction on Mahakasyapa about his causal practice for attaining Buddhahood in the future.”
Why was he able to receive the Buddha’s prediction of Buddhahood? “For those who receive predictions, the degree to which they follow the Buddha differs.” This is the course of his spiritual practice.”
“For those who receive predictions, the degree to which they follow the Buddha differs depending upon the power of their vows, their meritorious practice in serving the Buddha differs depending on their causes, conditions and ability and their epithets on attaining Buddhahood differ depending on their causal practice.”
Why did Kasyapa receive a prediction of Buddhahood? It was because of his spiritual practice, the degree to which he followed the Buddha. The degree to which they followed the teachings was either great or little. Each person was different. Some of them listened, yet their habitual tendencies remained the same. Venerable Kasyapa had completely eliminated his past indulgences and his past [lifestyle]. He completely let go of them. Since he was engaging in spiritual practice, he completely adopted the Buddha’s teachings. Therefore, he had great capabilities.
So, “The degree to which they follow the Buddha differs depending upon the power of their vows.” Kasyapa had that vow, that power. So, in “serving the Buddha,” drawing close to the Buddha, their “meritorious practice differs.” In their resolve to draw near the Buddha, each person was different. So it “depends on their causes, conditions and ability.” Their skills and their ability, how they followed the Buddha and how they accepted the Dharma, their firm spiritual aspirations and their causes and conditions for practice all depended on their causes and conditions.
The Buddha bestowed predictions in sequence, and “Their epithets on attaining Buddhahood differ.” Everyone will attain Buddhahood at different times. By what karmic conditions are they able to attain Buddhahood? Where will they attain Buddhahood, and what will be their epithet? This “depends on their causal practice.” This depends on their causes.
“At that time, the World-Honored One, having finished His verse.” “At that time, the World-Honored One, having finished His verse: The Buddha said “at that time” because it was for those with suitable conditions that He taught the Parable of the Medicinal Plants. This was so important that He repeated it in verse. The time He finished was “that time.”
The Buddha had finished expounding the Chapter on medicinal Plants, so “at that time” refers to the period right after, right after He spoke the verses in the Chapter on Medicinal Plants. “It was for those with suitable conditions that He taught.” The Chapter on Parables [was] their understanding; the Buddha taught the Chapter on Medicinal Plants, and the Chapter on Medicinal Plants also included many repeated verses. These are all very important teachings.
So, at this time, the Chapter on Medicinal Plants had also concluded. “He spoke to the assembly and called out these worlds.” He spoke to everyone. “He announced to all in the assembly as He spoke these words. My disciple Mahakasyapa, in future lifetimes….”
Who was Mahakasyapa? Everyone knows; he was someone everyone recognized, the one who led the Sangha. At that time, he was leading the Sangha; in the future he would pass the Dharma on to Maitreya. This made Mahakasyapa a very important person. “The future exists because something existed before, which was already gone past.” “Before” refers to the past. Thus He says “in future lifetimes.” Mahakasyapa had causes and conditions from his past lifetimes, as well as his present causes and conditions, so because of the present, there will be a future.
What happened in Mahakasyapa’s past? There were life after life of karmic causes, the causes and conditions of his previous lives But, in his present life, he engaged in spiritual practice. In his spiritual practice, he was distinguished by the practices of “Dhuta.” “Dhuta” means ascetic practice. What others could not bear, he could endure. In what areas did he have to endure [hardship]? In clothing, food and housing, he persisted in hardship. “Enduring ascetic practices was what he specialized in, and thus, He was called the foremost in ascetic practice.”
This was what the Buddha appreciated about Mahakasyapa. Mahakasyapa was originally married, but fortunately, both wanted to engage in spiritual practice. It was only their parents who pushed them to marry and they fulfilled their parents’ wishes. But, while they shared the same room, they slept in separate beds, and they agreed that in the future, they each would engage in spiritual practice. So, they both maintained their physical purity.
Later, after the many twists and turns of life, their wishes came to fruition. After their parents grew old and passed away, and as the two were both willing to engage in spiritual practice, they went their separate ways. Kasyapa told his wife, “I will leave first. If I can find a suitable, truly virtuous sage or noble being, a spiritual practitioner that I wish to follow, I will let you know, and you can come to engage in spiritual practice.”
Just like that, he renounced the lay life. He searched all around, and after three years, he met the Buddha. From that point on, he listened to and persevered with the Buddha’s teachings. He could accept them all, and he could bear what others could not. Others could not bear ascetic practices, but he was able to bear them. He was so close to the Buddha’s heart. At the Vulture Peak Assembly, the Buddha held up a flower, and Kasyapa smiled. This subtle action by the Buddha of holding up a flower was not understood by anyone else. Only Kasyapa reacted and smiled, and the Buddha praised him. This story is about transmitting the Dharma of the mind, the Buddha’s mind, which Kasyapa was able to understand. So, in the Zen School, this story is told frequently. This is called transmitting the Dharma of the mind.
“The Buddha passed the supreme Dharma to Kasyapa to prepare for His Parinirvana and pass on His Wisdom-life.” The Buddha’s wisdom-life was to be inherited by Kasyapa. “[He] also knew he must teach the Buddha’s understanding and views.”
Kasyapa also knew he must teach the Buddha’s understanding and views and manifest the Buddha in his nature. Matching mind with mind is called bestowing predictions of Buddhahood.
Mahakasyapa had already attained understanding. What the Buddha had taught, Kasyapa now realized and understood; he had the understanding and views. What the Buddha had revealed to him was taken deeply into his heart. “Manifest the Buddha in his nature” means he already understood the Buddha in his nature. “Matching mind with mind” means Kasyapa’s mind was matched with the Buddha’s mind. As for the Buddha’s original intent, Kasyapa was in accord with the Buddha-mind. So he saw the Path, this path of spiritual practice, which is the great, direct Bodhi-path. “[This is] bestowing predictions of Buddhahood. Matching mind with mind” is called “bestowing predictions of Buddhahood.”
[The Dharma of] one appearance and one flavor had been understood by Kasyapa, so he received a prediction of Buddhahood. Thus, this sutra passage first says that Venerable Kasyapa received predictions of Buddhahood from the Buddha.
Therefore, as Buddhist practitioners, we must be mindful. [Attaining Buddhahood] requires a long time, a very long period of time. We must go among people and temper ourselves. We must gradually enter the Bodhisattva-path. Then, surely, we will all attain Buddhahood. This is what the Buddha confirmed for us. This depends on changing our habitual tendencies and eliminating our afflictions. In this way we can test the progress we have made. So everyone, please always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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