Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Blessings and Wisdom of our Final Incarnation (無漏福慧為最後身)
Date: October.24. 2016
“When we eliminate all afflictions, we are flawless in purity, Samadhi and wisdom. After cultivating blessings and wisdom for countless kalpas, we will be in our final incarnation. With flawless cultivation of contemplation, we can realize the fruit of the stage beyond learning of the Two Vehicles.”
Spiritual practice helps us to eliminate afflictions. When our afflictions are eliminated, our hearts can be pure and undefiled. With an undefiled heart, we can be in Samadhi and through Samadhi, develop wisdom. Precepts, Samadhi and wisdom are the Three Flawless Studies.
These are what, as spiritual practitioners, we cannot lack in our everyday practice. We must practice these for countless kalpas, not only for a short three or five years. Our ignorance and afflictions have accumulated in us over many kalpas. Our ignorance occupies and controls our minds. This is something that cannot be eliminated in one lifetime.
It is like trash; if a lot accumulates if we do not regularly clean up this filth, then we must put effort into clearing it all up. This cannot be done in one or two days. So, we must patiently clean it out every day. In our space, the place where we will live, we also need time to clean everything anew, so how much more so for our spiritual home, our nature of True Suchness?
Our pure intrinsic Buddha-nature is undefiled wisdom. So, it is said that to have pure and undefiled wisdom, we must find a way to clean out our spiritual home, our mind. Actually, we must earnestly build this ourselves.
The capacity of our minds is the extent of our wisdom. If our minds are as vast as the universe, then the true principles of the universe will enter our minds. When our minds have no limits, when they are without bounds, in an infinite state, infinite teachings can enter our minds. To reach such an infinite state, our minds must be completely pure and settled. This is not accomplished in only one lifetime; we must practice for countless kalpas. What should we practice? We must cultivate both blessings and wisdom.
To cultivate blessings, we must go among people. We must form good affinities with sentient beings. Among myriad sentient beings we seek to be able to [recognize] afflictions.
How can we then eliminate these afflictions? We must use wisdom. We must go among myriad sentient beings to cultivate blessings and develop our wisdom. Then in our spiritual practice, this will be our final incarnation.
In the process of our spiritual practice, we must start as Hearers, then Solitary Realizers. We begin by using our ears to listen to the Dharma and understand its principles. Then we must mindfully cultivate contemplation. We must earnestly contemplate and earnestly practice for a long time.
What do we practice? The Four Noble Truths, the Twelve Links and the Six Perfections. These are inseparable from precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. We practice all of these together. First we listen, then contemplate, then put them into practice to experience them. We must do all of these at the same time; then we can cultivate blessings and attain wisdom. In their final incarnation, Hearers and Solitary Realizers have eliminated all afflictions.
But the Buddha also wanted them to go further, to not only benefit themselves, but also turn from the Small to the Great.
The Buddha hopes we learn the principles.
We must not continue to create negative affinities.We should clearly create positive affinities.We must go among the myriads of sentient beings to experience the origins and principles of afflictions and ignorance.Then we can find ways to prevent ourselves from being [carried away] by ignorance from being dragged along by external conditions without any control.
If we do not go among the myriad sentient beings, how will we have a way to eliminate dust-like ignorance and delusions?After being trained and tempered by dust-like ignorance and delusions, after undergoing this Bodhisattva-practice of going among people to develop our wisdom-life, then we are able to have “flawless cultivation of contemplation” and “realize the fruit of the stage beyond learning of the Two Vehicles”.
In this process, the stage beyond learning of the Two Vehicles is called the final incarnation.After attaining our final incarnation, we must still continue to improve; we must become Bodhisattvas.
We must be completely pure and not fear being contaminated by sentient beings.This is why we must mindfully practice.We must practice to eliminate afflictions and become flawless in purity, Samadhi and wisdom.This will require a long time, so we must use our subtle and intricate wisdom to cultivate contemplation and engage in the flawless [studies].
As ordinary people, if we want to engage in spiritual practice, we cannot deviate from these teachings.
At that time, Mahamaudgalyayana, Subhuti, Mahaktyayana and others all trembled in apprehension.
They wholeheartedly put their palms together and gazed reverently upwards, never lowering their gaze for a moment.
In previous passages, the Buddha bestowed a prediction of Buddhahood upon Venerable Kasyapa.Afterwards, there were still the other disciples who also looked forward to the Buddha calling their names and bestowing predictions of Buddhahood upon them.
“Kasyapa already received a prediction. Will I be called next?”
They were anxious, anxious that they might not be included.So, they “trembled in apprehension”.They were afraid and anxious.
Their hearts were uneasy.
So, “They wholeheartedly put their palms together.”
They kept waiting and “gazed reverently upwards”.This shows how eagerly they waited, “never lowering their gaze for a moment”.This was what we discussed yesterday.I already introduced Mahamaudgalyayana.
Next, Subhuti also had his causes and conditions.
Subhuti:
Also called Born of Emptiness.
While still in his mother’s womb, he knew the [truth] of emptiness and stillness.
He is also called Venerable Good Manifestation, because when he was born, he manifested a good appearance.
When translating “Subhuti” into our language, it becomes “Born of Emptiness”.When his mother was pregnant, no matter what she saw she could realize that “Everything is empty.”His mother’s understanding of what she saw was different than before she was pregnant.
So, that was while his mother was still pregnant, to say nothing of when he was born.When he was born, everything in the family’s storehouses suddenly disappeared for no reason.Everyone was panic-stricken.
Why, when the young heir was born, did all their storehouses suddenly become empty?
So, they invited a fortune teller to read the newborn’s fortune.The fortune teller said, “This is a lucky omen. It relates to the fundamental principles of all worldly matters. As soon as this child was born, he could realize all principles of the world.”
So, this was an auspicious sign, a lucky omen.When his mother was pregnant with him, she could completely penetrate whatever she saw to realize all principles, matters and objects are inherently empty.
So, they named him “Good Manifestation”.
Once he was named, all the things in the storehouses reappeared in their original places.
Thus later, some people would call Subhuti “Venerable Good Manifestation”.When he was born, the things in his home disappeared.After he was named as such, all treasures returned, a good manifestation.
Subhuti means “good and auspicious”.
On the day that he was born, his house became completely empty.His parents were amaed. A fortune-teller predicted that this was an auspicious sign. Thus, he was given this name. Another meaning is “good karma”. His natural disposition was kind and virtuous, and he never competed over material things. When he renounced the lay life, he attained the truth by witnessing emptiness.
Subhuti also means “good and auspicious”. After he was born, as he grew up, “His natural disposition was kind and virtuous”, meaning he was benevolent and kindhearted, “and he never competed over material things”.
When he renounced the lay life, he “attained the truth by witnessing emptiness”. After hearing the Buddha’s teachings, he learned that all matters and things were composed of the four elements. Matters are afflictions, which can stir up trouble. All these things are empty. He understood these principles, so it is said, “He attained the truth by witnessing emptiness”.
He also practiced loving-kindness and attained the Samadhi of no conflicts. He skillfully protected his Threefold Karma, thus he received the name Good Karma. He was also called Born of Emptiness, because when he was born his house became empty, hence the name.
Form what he heard, saw and understood, everything returns to emptiness. “He also practiced loving-kindness”. He was very compassionate. He knew that things are empty in nature, yet he was also very compassionate. Starting when he was young and later when he engaged in spiritual practice, he was always considerate of other people.
[He] “attained the Samadhi of no conflicts”. He had no conflicts with people, no conflicts over matters and no conflicts with the world. This shows he had a very open mind. “He skillfully protected his Threefold Karma” of body, speech and mind. He remained very firm, protecting this state of mind.
So, he reached a flawless state and could keep his Threefold Karma pure. This is practicing precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, which brings purity. With such a pure mind, among the Buddha’s disciples he was respected by everyone.
So, after engaging in spiritual practice, he returned to his hometown to transform his parents. Actually, his parents already had faith in the Buddha-Dharma. When he lived at home, he inherited his parents’ faith in the Buddha-Dharma. He understood it thoroughly and thus renounced the lay life. His original lifestyle was a very wealthy one. After he renounced the lay life, he followed the Buddha’s rules. He would also go out with his alms bowl. When he went to beg for alms, he had one rule which was to only ask the rich and not the poor. This went on for some time. In the Sangha, many started to talk about him. The bhiksus criticized him, saying that he looked down on the poor people and that he loved visiting rich household for alms in order to get more abundant food.
Later, he explained himself to everyone. He said, “This is not what I think. I am simply thinking of the poor and suffering; their life is already full of difficulties. If we asked them for alms, they would need to find an extra portion for us. They do not have enough to eat themselves, so how can they make offerings to us?
For wealthy households, if I go and ask them for alms, they will not be lacking in food”. He was always thinking of others and could not bear to ask the poor for alms.
So, he asked the rich and not the poor. But Venerable Kasyapa did the complete opposite. He begged alms from the poor and not the rich. Mahakasyapa explained it like this, “I only ask the poor for alms. I ask the poor and not the rich. My reasoning is that in past lives, the poor did not create blessings. So, in this life, they are poor. I hope that these poor people will have a chance to plant fields of blessings. By having the opportunity to make offerings to monastic practitioners, they can create blessings. In the future life, they will avoid starving and will no longer lack food to eat. I hope they will eliminate the seeds of poverty so they can turn from being poor to wealthy.”
He hoped that these poor people could plant thoughts of giving in their minds. Then, in the future, they could become rich and have the opportunity to leave such an impoverished environment. This was Venerable Kasyapa’s [reasoning]. In the past, we discussed why he begged from the poor and not the rich. He asked a poor woman for a bowl of ice porridge which was rancid and not at all clean.
Still Venerable Kasyapa asked the poor woman for this bowl of [rancid] porridge. The poor woman said, “This bowl of porridge is already rancid; it is not clean.” Venerable Kasyapa did not look down on it. He said, “This is also an offering. So, the poor woman poured this bowl of rancid porridge into Kasyapa’s alms bowl.
Venerable Kasyapa worried that the poor woman did not believe him, so he held this bowl in front of her, this bowl of filthy porridge, and drink in front of her.
The poor woman was happy and felt, “I have been unable to make offerings, but today, Venerable Kasyapa sincerely received my offering I am sincerely grateful.” After she passed away, she was reborn in the heaven realm.
So, in summary, how Venerable Kasyapa begged for alms and how Subhuti begged for alms were two completely opposite methods. One of them begged from the rich, the other begged from the poor. The Buddha disapproved of both their methods. Both were incorrect; neither of them was right. So the Buddha scolded them both and said, “Both of you are incorrect. Whether begging from the poor or the rich, both of you are at the extremes and not following the Middle Way. Actually, we must go along with conditions. When begging for alms, we follow affinities. Today when I head out, wherever I am, I start at the first house. Whether they are rich or poor, I will meet them and [give them a chance]. At this first house, I will beg for alms. If they do not have the causes and conditions, I will take my empty alms bowl to the next house. If the second house s poor and does not give me enough food, but only a little, I will go to another, the third household, even up to the seventh household. Today, my causes and conditions will be thus. Some people do not give me anything. Some people give me very little, not enough. I can still go to a second, third or even up to the seventh house.”
“If today my conditions are to have only a bit, if today’s blessings are meager, then that is how it is I will not walk to the eighth house. This was the Buddha’s method of asking for alms. If one household fills my alms bowl, then I only need to vise one house.” This was the Buddha’s system for asking for alms.
Whether the household was poor or rich, [monastics] used the same “measuring vessel.” The alms bowl was called the “measuring vessel.”
This amount in our alms bowl is to help nourish our body for today. It holds enough to sustain us perfectly. The Buddha system of begging for alms was in fact not to choose between poor and rich. It should not matter how dirty or how clean. Those who renounce the lay life must have a solemn and majestic demeanor when begging from each house in sequence.
The “sequence” is visiting the first, then the second, begging in this order. So, Subhuti took the Buddha’s teachings to heart and corrected himself. He naturally changed his way of asking from the rich and not asking from the poor he began to follow the Buddha’s teachings and begged from both the rich and the poor. He began changing his ways.
As for Kasyapa, he thought, “I want to cultivate ascetic practices; I want to face suffering sentient beings.” The Buddha knew this was Kasyapa’s weakness, so He let him continue. The Buddha could not do anything about it. Although his method was incorrect, he was unable to change his ways, so the Buddha let him be.
In conclusion, when learning the Buddha’s teachings, we must be very pure. We must place great importance on the law of karma. In the Sangha, conflicts still existed. They all equally engaged in spiritual practice, but there were those who were critical of others. Think about it; in the past, the Buddha’s Sangha was like this, society was already like this, to say nothing of the present?
In spiritual practice, we must understand that when it comes to the Dharma, everything return to emptiness. How can we allow our nature of True Suchness to be constantly expressed in our daily living? This is the direction of our spiritual practice. So everyone, please always be mndful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
