Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Practice the Paramitas with the Truth of Suffering (契苦諦行六度)
Date: October.18. 2016
“All sentient beings have the one nature of True Suchness. We should practice and uphold the Six Perfections to dignify the world. When we connect with the truth of suffering, we make great vows of compassion. By actualizing them in all actions, we will be able to achieve magnificence.”
We must all be mindful! For so many days, we have been continually describing Radiant Light Tathagata’s future land of Radiant Virtue. All who gather there are virtuous and wise. In that land, the ground is made of crystal, and trees of seven treasures line the roads. All in all, it is a magnificent land. To have such a pure land is not impossible; “All things are created by the mind.” As long as everyone’s mind is pure, as long as everyone’s mind is open and broad, lovingly reverent, carefully disciplined, as long as everyone has a mind like this, naturally the land will be pure. This is not impossible; it only requires that all sentient beings realize that everyone has the one nature of True Suchness.
It is just that our nature of True Suchness is covered by afflictions. So, “We should practice and uphold the Six Perfections to dignify the world.” If we want our land to be clear and pure, the ground of our minds must be clear and pure. To have a clear and pure mind and to eliminate ignorance, we must accept and uphold the Six Perfections to dignify the world. This is like sweeping our room. We may sweep the entire room clean, but if it is empty, will it look dignified? We must hurry and decorate it. We decorate the room with a picture, or a painting, calligraphy, or a pot of flowers, etc. [We] put our heart into decorating it. When, apart from being pure and clean, our environment is also decorated, it will look very comfortable and dignified.
The Hearers or Solitary Realizers who practice for their own benefit have eliminated their afflictions. Their minds are free from afflictions, but they lack something. What is lacking? They lack giving and lack the Six Perfections. They also lack the resolve to go among people and share the methods they have understood with all people so they too can eliminate afflictions, so they too can eliminate ignorance. This will enable our spiritual homes, the room of everyone’s minds, to be very clear and pure. Then they must further teach and guide people to actualize the Six Perfections in all actions. This will naturally bring dignity.
Thus, we must understand the truth of suffering and connect with the truth of suffering. To connect means to experience intimately. We call this to connect. I often tell everyone that we must connect with the Buddha-mind. To connect with the Buddha-mind, we must connect with the Buddha’s principles, what the Buddha has taught us. We must very closely and intimately take the Dharma deeply into our hearts. This is called connecting with the Dharma.
The Buddha placed great importance on all of us first recognizing suffering. Where does suffering come from? He constantly warns everyone to be aware that after we understand suffering, we must contemplate the cause of this suffering. Once we come to the human realm, the sufferings of the world include those of our body, the sufferings of birth, aging, illness and death. Furthermore, in the course of birth, aging, illness and death, we are continually pursuing [things]. We pursue what we crave, what we love.
We want it, but will we get everything we want? That is impossible! So, we suffer from “not getting what we want.” There are people we love and people we have [negative] affinities with. Yet we often have to be with those we do not like while we have to be apart from those we love. This is “meeting with those we hate” and “parting from those we love.” This all happens in our daily lives. Thus we stir up the “suffering of the raging Five Aggregates.”
These are intimately intertwined with the process of our life. Isn’t this suffering? In addition, the four elements are out of balance in the world; earth, water, fire and air are out of balance, causing calamities to strike everywhere.
In Nepal, after the [April 2015] earthquake, so many people were filled with despair. To connect with the truth of suffering, we must fully understand the principles of suffering, as if we were experiencing it ourselves. When we witness their great suffering, [we must] imagine ourselves in their place. Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital’s superintendent, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital’s superintendent and Guanshan Tzu Chi Hospital’s superintendent have already brought medical and charitable relief to Nepal. They went to provide disaster relief, save lives, perform surgeries for survivors and so on. They truly connected with the truth of suffering.
In that place, everything that that they hear and see [helps them understand].
For example, Vice Superintendent Lai was there when a strong aftershock occurred. It was a magnitude 7.3 quake. We were distributing relief supplies there. [These doctors] immediately provided first aid. On their return, I asked them “Were you scared?” They replied, “Yes, but if there is a chance, we would be willing to go there again.” This is “making great vows of compassion.” This is the Bodhisattva-mind.
This is practicing the Six Perfections. It is the universal vow of all Buddhas. Before every Buddha attains Buddhahood, He must make the Four Great Vows and practice the Four Infinites Minds.
The universal vows of all Buddhas are “I vow to deliver countless sentient beings, I vow to eliminate endless afflictions, I vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors” and “I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.” These are the Four Great Vows. These vows are indispensable for every Buddha, as is putting them into action. With vows, one must take action and put them into practice, which is [practicing] loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity.
The Six Perfections are what we need to actualize in all actions. Because sentient beings have countless sufferings and layer upon layer of afflictions, we must manifest the most supreme wisdom and put it into practice in all our actions. If we are able to do this, that will make the land where we attain Buddhahood in the future magnificent.
So, the previous passage states, “His land will be clear and pure; the ground is made of crystal, and numerous trees of treasure, line the roadsides. Golden cords border its roads, and all who behold it are filled with joy.”
This sutra passage [refers to] how, because he cultivated seeds in the causal ground, his fruit will be to attain that land. That fruit, the effect, is to have such a magnificent land.
The next sutra passage states, “Pleasant fragrances are constantly emitted, and myriad types of flowers are scattered. All kinds of wonders make the land magnificent. The land is level, without hills or pits.”
It sounds so magnificent. This describes a very level land, an environment very tranquil and clear. Pleasant fragrances are constantly emitted; pleasant fragrances can be smelled everywhere.
What kind of scent makes such fragrances? Actually, the fragrances come from human bodies. How is that?
Because everyone there upholds the precepts, the Threefold Combined Precepts. “Because the fragrance of virtue of the Threefold Combined Precepts permeates all, pleasant fragrances are constantly emitted.”
Everyone upholds the Threefold Combined Precepts. I will explain this in a moment. With precepts, we can cleanse our bodies. We can not only cleanse our bodies, but also emit pleasant fragrances. The fragrances being emitted have three varieties. The first comes from our body’s pores. In the body of every person, there are very tiny pores. These very tiny pores “constantly emit the scent of invaluable ox-head sandalwood.” Ox-head sandalwood is a kind of wood. This kind of wood is very fragrant. The most valuable kind grows on a certain mountain. The shape of that mountain looks like an ox head. Thus, on this mountain, the fragrant wood that grows there is called ox-head sandalwood. It is a kind of fragrant tree. The scent of this fragrant tree will be emitted from people’s bodies. That scent smells as fragrant as that tree.
The second kind of fragrance is the scent of blue lotus flowers constantly being emitted from their mouths. The scent of blue lotus flowers is very pure. In that land, it is emitted from people’s mouths.
The third is the scent of the flowers and fruits on the trees of treasure. Before a flower yields fruit, it emits a scent, so these “constantly emit all kinds of scents”. All the fruit trees will emit fragrances.
There are three kinds of fragrances there:
1.The pores of people’s skin constantly emit the scent of invaluable ox-head sandalwood. These fragrant trees grow on Ox-Head Mountain, hence they are called ox-head sandalwood.
2.The mouth constantly emits the scent of blue lotus flowers.
3. The flowers and fruits on trees of treasure constantly emit all kinds of scents.
Next we discuss the Threefold Combined Precepts. We just talked about three kinds of scents. These three kinds of scents are emitted from human bodies. If we want to say why they emit those fragrances, it is because they are upholding the precepts. The threefold Combined Precepts refer to, first, the “precepts of discipline and etiquette.” We must uphold the precepts and rules and keep ourselves away from contamination. To keep our minds and bodies pure, we must uphold these precepts.
The second is “precepts of virtuous teachings, which is to say that all of our virtues must be put into practice. We have personally experienced the wonderful feeling of helping others. We feel joyous at doing good deeds. Such Dharma-joy is a realization, “properly realizing all teachings that must be cultivated and realized.” This is the realization of the teachings that we should cultivate. We have now experienced them.
Third is “precepts of benefiting all sentient beings.” We must seek to benefit all sentient beings. “Benefiting and giving joy to all sentient beings” is not only to give by providing relief, but also to help them be safe and happy. We must eliminate their sufferings and allow them to attain benefit, safety and joy. “Benefiting and giving joy to all sentient beings” is part of the Threefold Combined Precepts.
The Threefold Combined Precepts:
1.All precepts of discipline and etiquette: This refers to properly keeping away from the phenomena from which we must keep away.
2.All precepts of virtuous teachings: This refers to properly realizing all teachings that must be cultivated and realized.
3. Precepts of benefiting all sentient beings: Benefiting and giving joy to all sentient beings.
First, we must uphold the precepts. Second, we must understand the virtuous teachings and practice them all. Third, we must put them into action to enable all sentient beings to be free of suffering and to have safety, stability and joy. There are the Threefold Combined Precepts.
If we are able to do this, naturally, “Myriad types of flowers are scattered.” There are flowers of multitude forms and types. There are all kinds of flowers in that country, as well as all kinds of fragrances. This shows that we “practice countless proper and true good deeds. Because he used one mind to engage in myriad actions, myriad types of flowers are scattered.”
Every one of us can do countless good deeds with one thought. But one thought can also give rise to endless affliction and ignorance and lead us to commit countless evil deeds. Both are due to a single thought. So, with kind thoughts, everything will be good. Thus, “Myriad types of flowers are scattered” means dignity and beauty manifest everywhere. All that the eyes come into contact with is “all kinds of wonders making the land magnificent.” This means that Buddha is replete with Ten Powers.
All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas possess the Ten Powers, the [Fourfold] Fearlessness and the Eighteenfold Distinctive Dharma.
When we do things, we all experience both success and failures. Buddha’s and Bodhisattvas’ direction is certain, and they simply do what must be done without fear. They have ten kinds [of powers]. These are called by many names. “The Ten Powers, the [Fourfold] Fearlessness.” There are ten kinds [of powers] as well as the Eighteenfold Distinctive Dharma. They also have the Eighteenfold Distinctive Dharma. This is to say that all Buddhas are already internally full of wisdom. The wisdom of the Buddha already pervades the entire universe. All principles of the universe are contained within His mind. Thus, “All Buddhas are internally full of wisdom.” Their minds are equal to the entire universe.
Nothing is incomprehensible to Them.
Thus, “All Buddhas are internally full of wisdom and externally manifest the virtues of the [Fourfold] Fearlessness.”
This refers to how all Buddhas are internally full of wisdom and externally manifest the virtues of the [Fourfold] Fearlessness. All Their merits and virtues of wisdom transcend all things in the world This is not a state that ordinary beings, Two Vehicle practitioners or Bodhisattvas are able to reach. Hence these are called Distinctive [Dharma]. [Radiant Light] will have the Thirty-Two Marks and the Eighty Excellent Characteristics. Thus it says that all kinds of wonders make the land magnificent.
The Buddha, because He fears nothing, externally manifests the virtues of fearlessness and ease. So, “All Their merits and virtues of wisdom transcend all things in the world.” There is nothing in the world whose principles the Buddha is unaware of. This kind of wisdom is fundamentally indescribable. Ordinary beings, Two Vehicle practitioners and even Bodhisattvas are unable to reach [His wisdom]. Hence, It is called Distinctive Dharma.
In addition to all this, the Buddha also has the Thirty-Two Marks and the Eighty Excellent Characteristics. There are many details to these, but we are unable to analyze them one by one now. In summary, the virtues and merits the Buddha has accumulated throughout His past lives [are countless]. This kind of magnificence surely is not a state we ordinary beings can reach.
So, because of this, it says “all kinds of wonders.” This all depends on the Buddha’s magnificence; all Buddhas must reach this level. This is attaining Buddhahood Therefore, In the future, Venerable Kasyapa will also be able to reach such a state This is what is meant by “all kinds of wonders.” The land is wondrous, and the appearance of that Buddha is magnificent.
“The land is level, without hills or pits” “[This is] because his mind does not discriminate between high and low.” We must diligently engage in spiritual practice. If our minds are level, the land will be level. If our minds are pure, the land will be peaceful. It is the same principle.
Thus, “[It is] without hills or pits.” This means we must eliminate greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt, the view of self, extreme views, deviant views, stubborn views and the view of deviant precepts as well. This is being completely “without hills or pits.” These are all the [afflictions] we ordinary people have, the afflictions we must eliminate so that our [minds] can be even and level, completely “without hills or pits.” There will be no pits, so the land will be very level.
In summary, we must be mindful. If we want to actualize the Six Perfections in all actions, we must connect with the principles of suffering, begin to form aspirations and make great vows. The Four Great Vows and Four infinite Minds are the universal vows of all Buddhas. This is the path that Bodhisattvas must follow. So, all our actions determine this magnificence. The magnificence of the land is that Buddha’s circumstantial retribution. There are so many wise people coming together, and the environment is so magnificent. This is the result of spiritual practice Where there is a cause, there is an effect. Therefore, we must have faith, and we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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