Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Bestowing Predictions on Born of Emptiness (因解空寂授證空生)
Date: November.07. 2016
“In the causal ground, his mind was unhindered, and he always thought of purifying practices. His mind was tranquil and clear because he practiced vows as vast as the universe. His epithet will be Name and Appearance because he understood all phenomena are empty. This seed gave rise to an ocean of fruits of pure virtues, thus Born of Emptiness received a prediction.”
Previously, we were constantly saying that as spiritual practitioners, we must begin with the cause. Causes are like seeds. They are the source of all principles. The source of the principles is what we always talk about, the nature of True Suchness. We all intrinsically have the nature of True Suchness. In the true principles of all things, purity is found at the source. Principles fundamentally have no substance or appearance. However, everything that happens has a cause. This is the principle that we need to understand.
“In the causal ground, his mind was unhindered.” As humans, there are many hindrances in our minds. If we can understand the true principles, we will not have any hindrances. So, we must start from the causal ground; only then will our minds truly be unhindered.
We need to always think of purifying practices. This refers to engaging in spiritual practice so our minds can be focused and in Samadhi. “Carrying firewood and water is also meditation.” Every action can be a practice of cultivating contemplation. This is “always thinking of.” In any place, dealing with any matters or objects, we must always think of purifying practices. Only by practicing this way can our minds be tranquil and clear.
A state of tranquility and clarity is what is most desired by spiritual practitioners. To attain a state of tranquility and clarity, we need to engage in spiritual practice. We need to return to the source and cultivate contemplation as we practice vows as vast as the universe. Our bodies and minds must constantly be at ease, at ease with vows as vast as the universe. Then our spiritual state will not be disturbed by any matter or object. “The mind is without hindrances; there are no hindrances.” This is having vows as vast as the universe.
So, from the sutra passage we read yesterday, we know that Subhuti had been bestowed with a prediction of Buddhahood by the Buddha. Subhuti will also attain Buddhahood in the future. His epithet will be Name and Appearance Tathagata. He will be called Name and Appearance “because he understood all phenomena are empty.” This is because Subhuti is foremost in understanding emptiness. The practice he engaged in was realizing the principles of emptiness.
This seed also give rise to an ocean of fruits. I often liken a cause to a seed, bringing it back to something very subtle. We can return to the most subtle; however, if we keep dissecting this cause, in fact it is the principle. This is why it can bear fruit, as long as the seed converges with conditions like soil, water, air and sunlight. When [these conditions] converge, naturally one can give rise to infinity; infinite seeds arise from one seed. This is how a seed gives rise to an ocean of fruits.
A fruit tree can produce abundant fruits every year that can be harvested and picked. The fruit tree comes from a single seed but can yield abundant fruits for a long time. So, a seed can give rise to an ocean of fruits. As long as we thoroughly understand our nature of True Suchness, naturally we will be clear about the principles. So, we must cultivate pure virtues. After understanding the principles, we need to spend a long time purifying our minds. Ignorance, delusions and so on must be eliminated. If we can always think of purifying practices and no longer be defiled by ignorance and afflictions, then eventually our pure virtues will manifest. So, “Born of Emptiness received a prediction.”
Who is Born of Emptiness? That is Subhuti. He was able to obtain the clear understanding that all things in the universe arise and cease because of causes and conditions. He clearly knew the law of arising and ceasing.
Now as we engage in spiritual practice, we are returning to the source of our nature of True Suchness. We must cultivate until our minds have no hindrances. We also need to constantly think of purifying practice. If we can achieve this, [we fulfill] the aim of our spiritual practice.
The previous sutra passage states that. Subhuti will attain Buddhahood in the future. “His epithets will be. Name and Appearance Tathagata, One Worthy of Offerings, Completely Awakened One, One Perfect in Wisdom and Action, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Tamer, Unsurpassed Guide, Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans and Buddha, the Wrold-Honoerd-One.”
We have often explained this before. When each Buddha attains Buddhahood, they must be replete with the ten epithets. These ten epithets are ten virtues. Only when they are replete with these ten virtues can they be called Great Enlightened Ones.
Next, the sutra continues on to state, “His kalpa will be named Bearing Treasures. His land will be called Treasure Born. The land will be level, the ground made of crystal and trees of treasure will make it magnificent. There will be no hills or pits of any kind, no dirt and rocks or thorns nor the filth of excrement. Precious flowers will cover the ground, and everything around will be clear and pure.”
This sutra passage describes how after Subhuti attains Buddhahood in the future, the name of his kalpa will be Bearing Treasures. His land will be called Treasure Born.
His kalpa will be named Bearing Treasures. His land will be called Treasure Born: This predicts that when he attains the fruit, his land will be magnificent and pure, with the Dharma of emptiness and stillness. The name of his kalpa will be Bearing Treasure because his land will be pure and will constantly bear treasures.
“His kalpa will be named Bearing Treasures. His land will be called Treasure Born.” This is the prediction bestowed on Subhuti, the fruitions that he will attain in the future. Subhuti’s era in the future will be clear and pure. His land will be magnificent and pure. His land will be magnificent and pure. “The Dharma of emptiness and stillness” is a state of tranquility and clarity. There, everyone will be able to comprehend the principle of emptiness.
“The name of his kalpak will be Bearing Treasure because his land will be pure and will constantly bear treasures. That land will be very open and spacious.” In this open, spacious and pure land, everywhere one looks is filled with treasure.
Moreover, it will be pure and free of dust. Treasure will appear constantly. This is how Subhuti’s land will be in the future.
Kasyapa was given a prediction of Buddahhood because of his spiritual practice. “In the causal ground, he was replete with a purple-gold radiance.” Thus, his land will be full of radiance. For Subhuti, in his causal ground, he “was able to skillfully understand the principle of emptiness. Therefore, one had the virtue of radiance, and the other, the treasure of emptiness.”
So, there are two [distinguishing features]. One is radiance, the other is the understanding of emptiness. His land will abide in emptiness and tranquility. It will be open, spacious and magnificent. Its space will be full of treasures. So, with emptiness as its treasure, the space of his land will be filled with treasure. All it yields is treasure.
On the day when Subhuti was born, the storehouses in his home were suddenly emptied. After he was born, all of a sudden, these treasures reappeared. These were the phenomena at his births, so he was called Born of Emptiness. He was also called Good Manifestation.
On the day Good Manifestation was born, his household appeared to be empty, but later, again manifested the appearance of many treasures. Thus the Buddha-land of his circumstantial retributions will be called Treasure Born, and the kalpa which will appear in response will be called Bearing Treasures.
This describes the time when Subhuti was born, when there were such unusual phenomena. This is how the legend goes. So, it says “the appearance of many treasures.” Thus, “the Buddha-land of his circumstantial retributions will be called Treasure Born.” The Buddha bestowed on him the prediction that his land in the future will be called “Treasure Born.” “And the kalpa which will appear in response,” the future era that will come in response to him, will be called “Bearing Treasures.” There, everything will be treasure-born. Everything will be a treasure.
So, “The land will be level, the ground made of crystal.” In that land, the ground will be smooth and level, “the ground made of crystal.” “Since the ground of its people’s minds is level, the ground of that realm is naturally smooth and level.”
Crystal is also called “water jade.” “It represents a clarity inside and out.” If we earnestly cultivate our minds so that we are always peaceful in our disposition, our world will naturally be very calm. When the ground of our minds is peaceful, the ground of that realm will be naturally smooth and level. So, in that land, “The ground is made of crystal.”
Crystal is a precious object; it is also called water jade, jade that resembles water. This kind of jade is radiant, clear and sparkling. It is called crystal; “It represents a clarity inside and out.” It is clear and pure both inside and out. Subhuti’s world will be completely clear and pure like crystal. Like crystal it is clear both inside and out. So, “Trees of treasure will make it magnificent. There will be no hills or pits of any kind.”
Trees of treasure will make it magnificent. There will be no hills or pits of any kind: The Bodhi-trees there are magnificent with myriad virtues. Hills and pits represent a mind that is not steady.
The land will be like this. “Trees of treasure will make it magnificent.” There will be no hills or pits. The ground there will be level, and the trees will be orderly. They are called trees of treasure. These are Bodhi-trees, the trees of enlightenment. This is just like us sentient beings. If everyone has an awakened mind, we will naturally be orderly. When our minds are orderly, our land will be too. The sights in such a place will also be orderly and will inspire joy in people seeing it. So it says, “Trees of treasure will make it magnificent.”
“Hills and pits” represent a mind that is not balanced. In that place, there will be no such things. There will be no hills and pits, nor highs and lows. Everything will be level and orderly. This means that everybody will have a level mind, a mind without imbalance.
Moreover, “no dirt and rocks or thorns, nor the filth of excrement” will be there. There will not be dirty and filthy things. There will be no dirt and rocks, nothing of the kind. There will be no rocks, stones, mud, sand pits, none at all. There will be no thorny plants such as screw pines or pricking bamboo there.
Not dirt and rocks or thorns, nor the filth of excrement: Dirt and rocks hurt people’s feet, and thorns prick people. These represent vicious thoughts of killing and harming others. Defiled places of excrement and vicious thoughts of harming others do not exist in this land.
So, “Dirt and rocks hurt people’s feet, and thorns prick people. Dirt and rocks can hurt people’s feet, and thorns can prick people’s bodies. Such things will not exist in this land. Those things only exist as a result of evil thoughts in people’s minds. There are no “dirt and rocks or thorns, defiled places of excrement.”
Don’t some people today wear piercings all over their body? Some people will hurt others for no reason. This kind of mindset, these poisonous thoughts, are just like thorns that prick people or like dirt and rocks which hurt people. This kind of intangible mindset is constantly filled with thoughts of hurting others. This is truly the evil world of Five Turbidities.
“Defiled places of excrement” refers to “vicious thoughts of killing and harming others. These “do not exist in this land. In the future when Subhuti attains Buddhahood, his land will be very magnificent. Everything will be a treasure. There will be no such phenomena as “dirt and rocks or thorns,” nor “defiled places of excrement.” None of those will exist there.
So, what will exist there? “Precious flowers will cover the ground, and everything around will be and pure.
“Precious flowers will cover the ground, and everything around will be and pure: The Buddha-lands are dignified with myriad causes of goodness like many precious flowers covering the ground. The land where Subhuti attains Buddhahood in the future has five magnificent purities.
All that can be seen there is myriad causes of goodness. This land is so magnificent. Being able to be born in that land requires the convergence of many virtuous causes and conditions. Only people who have engaged in spiritual practice will be born in that land as their circumstantial retribution. Those who have blessings, who have engaged in spiritual practice and thoroughly understood the principles, will as their circumstantial and direct retribution, be born in that land.
So, “The Buddha-lands are dignifies with myriad causes of goodness like many precious flowers covering the ground.” It is just like this, so pure. In addition, the land is adorned with flowers. In the land where Subhuti attain Buddhahood in the future, there will be five kinds of magnificence. With these five kinds of magnificence, whether being radiant or open and spacious, all that is seen will be treasures. Furthermore, the land keeps producing more treasures. All of these come from the cultivation of virtues, which make that land magnificent and pure.
In this land, everyone has accumulated the causes of goodness through practicing good deeds in this world. If we practice many good deeds in this world and continue doing this in the future, we will keep accumulating blessings and wisdom, lifetime after lifetime.
Our afflictions will be constantly reduced, lifetime after lifetime. As our blessed conditions increase, naturally our circumstantial and direct retributions will lead us to be born in blessed lands. When our minds are free of afflictions, we will certainly be born in a pure land. This depends on whether or not we can engage in spiritual practice with a true and sincere mind. Do we all have this aspiration, to go among people without being contaminated by them? We need to give to others without expectations and to constantly grateful. “The mind is without hindrances; there are no hindrances.” Have we prepared ourselves for this state of mind?
We need to constantly make preparations for attaining Buddhahood. Therefore, we must pave the great and direct Bodhi-path. We must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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