Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The cause of Our Practice Is Diligence (因行精勤不惹魔事)
Date: October.13. 2016
“In his land, his family and followers are many, and even the maras protect the Buddha-Dharma. Great provisional means reveal the path so all can reach the path to Buddhahood. They are outside protectors and followers who can practice without obstructions. Because of his diligent causal practice, he has the effect of not attracting mara-deeds.”
We said previously that when Venerable Kasyapa attains Buddhahood in the future, his land will be called Radiant Virtue. The people there will all be wise, Bodhisattvas that have formed great aspirations. The people there will be kind, and even if there are still those who do not wish to listen to the Buddha-Dharma, they will nevertheless protect the Buddha-Dharma. This is what we spoke of previously.
In that land, “His family and followers are many, and even the maras protect the Buddha-Dharma.” This is truly not easy to accomplish. All of this comes from spiritual practice. In the causal stage of spiritual practice, if our minds are very pure and undefiled by any afflictions, if we can constantly maintain simplicity in our way of living, without any greed or desire or any kind of discursive thoughts arising in our minds, then as we go among others, our minds will remain undisturbed by people, matters and objects. This is the level we must achieve in our spiritual practice. Venerable Kasyapa, in past lifetimes, lifetime after lifetime, had already engaged in these purifying practices. So now, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, the Buddha bestowed a prediction upon him.
The epithet the Buddha predicted for him upon attaining Buddhahood in the future is Radiant Light, and his land will be called Radiant Virtue.
For Venerable Kasyapa to engage in spiritual practice and attain Buddhahood, he will need to go through a process of serving and meeting 300 trillion Buddhas. He must still serve 300 trillion Buddhas to gain that experience.
Spiritual practice is not that easy. However, [to serve] 300 trillion Buddhas I hope we can all look upon everyone we meet as a Buddha, as those who are giving us experience. In this very lifetime, how many people will we encounter who can help us gain experience? With all of them, we give rise to joy, respect and gratitude. Since we have formed great aspirations and made great vows, we must go among people to create good affinities; we must go among people to nurture wisdom.
So, whenever we meet someone, if we look upon each person as Buddhas, then perhaps in our future lifetimes, with all the people we meet life after life, the many good affinities we create will help us attain Buddhahood sooner. This was the Buddha’s intended meaning when He made a prediction of Buddhahood for Kasyapa.He made a brediction of Buddhahood for Kasyapa.The Buddha wished for us to experience His intent.
“In his land, his family and followers are many, and even the maras protect the Buddha-Dharma.”
This is an extremely peaceful, pure and magnificent land; the people, matters and objects are all likewise magnificent. It is a place without any defilement, without even the slightest afflictions.
In spiritual practice, “Great provisional means reveal the path so all can reach the path to Buddhahood.” This means that even the maras there have healthy minds and do not disturb the Buddha-Dharma. They also protect it.
This is like how people worship with incense. They may not necessarily have faith in the Buddha, but they know enough to show respect to the Buddha.In this way, gradually, they too will have the opportunity to hear the Buddha-Dharma in the future and reach the path to Buddhahood.These are called skillful means.
Great provisional means reveal [the path].
The Buddha-Dharma must be [taught] like this; people are guided along the way step by step.So, “They are outside protectors and followers who can practice without obstructions.”
These are outside protectors.We who have formed aspirations to become monastics and engage in spiritual practice are inside [protectors] of the Buddha’s teachings.
Those outside, people in society who listen to the Dharma or those who do not listen the Dharma, are all outside protectors.They can also practice the Bodhisattva-path.These are the “outside protectors and followers who can practice without obstructions”.
They do not obstruct the Buddha-Dharma.
They too can protect the Buddha-Dharma and create blessings among people.Not only do they not create obstructions, they can also protect the Buddha-Dharma.
So, “Because of his diligent causal practice, he has the effect of not attracting mara-deeds.”
Because of past spiritual practice, long periods of diligent spiritual practice, in the future our retributions will allow us to not be disturbed by maras.As our causes do not attract mara-deeds, our causes will not obstruct the Buddha-Dharma.
Moreover, we will even protect the Buddha-Dharma.This is a result of past lifetimes.In this lifetime, when he attains the fruit of Buddhahood, his land will never be disturbed by maras.
When Sakyamuni Buddha was in the world, there were very many mara-deeds.This was in fact His “great provisional means [to] reveal”.In the Buddha’s time, in Kapilavastu, there were many interpersonal conflicts.This is the Saha World, and Sakyamuni Buddha chose to be born in such a land and attain Buddhahood here.
He came to teach these beings who were full of ignorance and afflictions to eliminate their suffering without delay, to elevate their true nature, their pure intrinsic nature, and manifest their goodness in order to help others.This was how the Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, used great provisional means to reveal [the Path] so all could reach the path to Buddhahood.This is how He taught and transformed everyone.
Even if people were not entirely ready to accept the Buddha-Dharma, they would nevertheless protect the Buddha-Dharma.
This was His “diligent causal practice”.
So, we must do our best not to obstruct others, for if we obstruct others in our lifetime, if we remain in conflict with others, our minds will mutually be unbalanced, and when we meet in future lifetimes, there will be debts to be repaid.
With the karmic law of cause and effect and the good and bad causes between us, there will always be conflict.
So, in this lifetime, we should earnestly plant wholesome seeds and avoid planting negative seeds.
The previous sutra passage states, “In that country, there are countless billions of Bodhisattvas. The assemblies of Hearers are also countless in number.”
Hearers are those who listen to the Dharma.
There are also many spiritual practitioners there.“There are no mara-deeds.”
There are not any obstructions.
“Although there are Mara and Mara’s subjects, they all protect the Buddha-Dharma.”
This is a very magnificent and peaceful world.
Let us look at the next passage which says,
“At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, then spoke in verse.”
Venerable Kasyapa had received a prediction of Buddhahood from the Buddha.
The passage where the Buddha described his future epithet and his future land had already concluded, but since it is so important, He wished to repeat the passage, so He repeated it again in verse.
“At that time the world-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, then spoke in verse.’ I announce to you bhiksus, with my Buddha-eyes I see that Kasyapa, in a future left time after countless kalpas, will become a Buddha’.”
This passage is repeated in verse.Why is it repeated in verse?To express the meaning of the prose again.Among the writings [in the sutras,] sometimes the “prose is extensive and the verses simple”.
This implies that the meaning contained in the long-form prose is extensive, while that in the verses is much simpler, allowing us to remember it a little more deeply.
Or, the “verse is extensive and the prose simple”.
The passages spoken now in verse are more emphatic than those previously in prose.
It had been lightly expressed in the prose,but by repeating it again in the verses, it perhaps explains it even more extensively. So, let us even more mindfully try to understand.
Repeated verse: This restates the meaning of the previous prose. As for the words and sentences, sometimes the prose is extensive and the verses simple, or the verses extensive and the prose simple. The meaning and principles are sometimes profound in the verses and shallow in the prose. In the text, earlier and later passages differ from each other. The prose may be revealing, the verses hiding, or the verses revealing and the prose hiding. What is in the prose may not be in the verses, or the verses may have what the prose does not. This is all done to mutually reveal the meaning of the sutra, to allow people to understand it easily and also allow those who come later to be able to hear it in its entirety.
“The meaning and principles are sometimes profound in the verses and shallow in the prose”. If principles in the prose are more profound, then the verses will be shallower; it the verses are more profound, then the long-form prose will be shallower.
So, “In the text, earlier and later text passages “differ from each another”.
The earlier and later passages differ. Some are profound, some shallow, some extensive, some simple. They mutually supplement each other.
“The prose may be revealing, the verses hiding”. What is stated quite clearly in long-form prose may remain tersely hidden in the verses.
“The verses [may be] revealing, the prose hiding”. What is not very obvious in the prose will be very obvious in the verses so that we can understand better.
“What is in the prose may not be in the verse”. It may be that there is something in the prose that is not contained or is tersely passed over in the verses.
“Or the verses may have what the prose does not”. What is not in the prose may come out more in the verses, supplementing what is missing in the prose. Thus, without exception, “This is all done to mutually reveal the meaning of the sutra”.
The prose helps us to understand, and the verse strengthens our memory. This serves to deepen our understanding of the meaning of the sutra.
[This is] to allow people to understand it easily. This text is profound. We need to look at how we can present it. [This] allows people to understand it easily and also allows those who come later to be able to hear it in its entirety”.
If some came later, they missed the earlier part. By repeating it again, those who came later are able to hear it again. This is another reason for repeating in verse.
“This is how the Buddha teaches the Dharma with skillful means to help all sentient beings be able to understand and awaken. Thus, these are called ‘easily understood words’”. This was why the Buddha taught in verse, which is one of the twelve divisions of teachings.
This was how the Buddha, in His compassion, used all kinds of methods and various skillful means so that sentient beings could hear it. Then He repeated it again, so those who already heard it could hear it again and better understand it.
“Thus, these are called ‘easily understood words’”. He used words that are very easy to understand. He used words that are very easy to understand. This was why the Buddha repeated Himself in verse. This is also one of the 12 divisions of the teachings. When the Buddha taught, this is one of the 12 kinds of the teachings used, the verse that follows the long-form prose”.
“I announce to you bhiksus, with my Buddha-eyes I see that Kasyapa, in a future lifetime”. The Buddha again roused all of the bhiksus. “Everyone listen clearly. With my Buddha-eyes. I have seen Kasyapa in a future lifetime”.
To pick out a person and see the entire process of his becoming a Buddha is not a simple thing to do. It takes enlightenment, the vision of great enlightenment, to pick out a person to bestow a prediction on.
So, “with my Buddha-eyes” means. He chose Kasyapa and [saw] his future lifetime. The Buddha is called the Great Enlightened One. Of all true principles of all things in the universe, there are none He does not understand, none He has not fully penetrated, none He does not thoroughly understand. So, He is called the Great Enlightened One.
A Great Enlightened One is called a Buddha. The vision of an enlightened one can “capture the true appearance of all phenomena”.
All phenomena He sees, all material objects and all substances, are seen with His Buddha-eyes. At a glance He knows the causes contained in material things, their seeds and so on. He analyzes them very clearly. These are called Buddha-eyes.
The Buddha is called the Great Enlightened One. The eyes of an enlightened one are called Buddha-eyes; they are eyes that can capture the true appearance of all phenomena. The Buddha-eyes can see into everything, beyond emptiness and existence, to the inconceivable principles.
“The Buddha-eyes can see into everything, beyond emptiness and existence”. From the Buddha’s point of view, phenomena are not empty for they contain the true principles.
Yet, neither are they truly real, for only by the convergence of many principles do they come into being. Thus, looking at all things with the Buddha-eyes, one can see beyond emptiness and existence, to the inconceivable principles.
So, “in a future lifetime” refers to the Three Period of Time. The Three Period are past, present and future, the past, the present and the future.
In a future lifetime: The Three Period of Time are the past, the present and the future, when spoken of in relation to the present moment. If the present moment is taken as the center, the moments that come after it are the future. When speaking of the Three Period, lifetimes subsequent to the present one are future lifetimes.
“There are Three Period of Time in relation to the present moment. In relation to the present moment.” As for the present, when I say “the present,” how any “Three Period” have passed? When I speak of “the present moment,” that “present” of which I speak of now is no longer the “present” I just mentioned, because that “present” has already passed. If I say it again now, by the time I say it, it has already passed. Then there is another “present.”
So, the present becomes the past in an instant. Time is always passing by the second, so we must be sure to always “seize the present moment and sustain it forever.”
In this moment, we can form an aspiration, make a good vow. If we always maintain our initial vows, we will surely attain Buddhahood. So, “If the present moment is taken as the center, the moments that come after it are the future.”
The moment after it is the future. The present moment has already passed, and future moment are what will come next. So, “when speaking of the Three Periods in relation to lifetimes” means the Three Period [can refer to] period of time that are very short, the passing of moment after moment, and can also refer long periods of time, such as how long heaven and earth have existed. This is a very long time.
So, “Lifetimes subsequent to the present one are future lifetimes. Everything after our present lifetime is called future lifetimes. Everything prior to our present lifetime is called past lifetimes. The seeds we have brought from our past lifetimes determine our retributions in our present one. With the retributions in this lifetime, we again create causes for the future.
In our present life we receive retributions and give rise again to causes for the future.
So, the karmic law of cause and effect cycles continually in this way. By engaging in spiritual practice and caring well for our minds, we naturally will be at peace. We will clearly and thoroughly understand all of the teachings, and no mara-deeds will disturb us. If we can do this, we can make use of the shortest spans of time and accumulate them over long periods of time. We should earnestly seize the moment and look after every thought.
So, “after countless kalpas” means he had practiced so long like this in the past and would also do so in the future. He still has a long time to go. Thus, “[He] will become a Buddha.” The Buddha-eyes were able to see this clearly. “[We have] fundamental limits in [knowing] time.” The time in the past and the time in the future “are not things that sentient beings have the ability to comprehend.”
These periods of time are so long that they are not things the minds of sentient beings have the ability to comprehend. Even an instant of time is not something we are able to comprehend. Even when we speak of an “instant” in time, we are too slow. By the time we say “this very instant,” it is too late to analyze it.
So, extremely short times and extremely long times, are nothings that we as ordinary people can ever understand through the power of our minds. However, after the Buddha became enlightened, He thoroughly analyzed them for us. We only need to mindfully listen and use our wisdom to comprehend [the teachings]. The Buddha-Dharma is actually something that forever exists in our daily living, and Bodhisattvas exist through our actions.
So, I always tell everyone to “seize the present moment and sustain it forever. If we maintain our initial aspirations, we will surely attain Buddhahood.” This is why I always tell you that we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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