Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Final Incarnation(覺後身成應身佛)
Date: November.10. 2016
“He constantly cultivated the virtuous fruits of Brahma-conduct, so he will meet and serve trillions of Buddhas. He upheld the practice of the Small Vehicle, contemplating emptiness and stillness, but did not cultivate the Great Vehicle practice. Though many kalpas have passed, he has not attained the great fruit of universal, perfect enlightenment. He must form great aspirations and fulfill the great path. Then he will attain Buddhahood.”
In our spiritual practice, we must form great aspirations. The Buddha bestowed predictions of Buddhahood, and for each disciple to receive one, he had to have the causes and conditions. The causes are from their practice in the past. This continued up until this life when Sakyamuni Buddha attained Buddhahood. After meeting Sakyamuni Buddha, these principles practiced in the Sangha. In their spiritual practice, each person had their own different methods of spiritual practice.
For example, Sariputra was known for being foremost in wisdom. After the Buddha said one thing, he could apply that principle to everything else. When the Buddha told him one method, he could understand the entire direction the Buddha was indicating.Sariputra was foremost in wisdom.
As for Venerable Kasyapa, he upheld a perseverant resolve; he remained determined as he engaged in purifying Brahma-conduct. As for Subhuti, the Buddha was now about to bestow a prediction on him.
Subhuti was foremost in understanding emptiness.
These were the different practices they each had followed in the past and now upheld within the Buddha’s Sangha. They each had different ways of spiritual practice. However, they all shared a common trait, which was practicing only for their own benefit. They single-mindedly engaged in practice in order to eliminate afflictions.
So, because of this, they stuck to merely benefiting themselves and wanted to avoid forming more affinities with sentient beings. So, they “constantly cultivated the virtuous fruits of Brahma-conduct.”
These were their causes in the past. They eagerly pursued the Buddha-Dharma in order to eliminate afflictions. For a long time this had been their direction in spiritual practice. Now, these causes and conditions had matured, and Sakyamuni Buddha manifested to attain Buddhahood. They could live at the same time as a Buddha and practice together in the Sangha. Yet they still remained in the state of Hearers and Arhats. They did not want to go among people. They did not dare to form great aspirations.
Nonetheless, in their spiritual practice, they had constantly cultivated Brahma-conduct and were already replete with the virtuous fruits. Now the Buddha merely needed to inspire them, encourage them to form great aspirations. This was precisely the moment that they needed the Buddha to inspire them, so the Buddha bestowed predictions on them. Now it was Subhuti’s turn. “He will meet and serve trillions of Buddhas.”
In the process of bestowing the prediction, the Buddha told him that before he attains Buddhahood in the future, he will meet and serve 300 trillion Buddhas.
But in the past, “He had upheld the practice of the Small Vehicle, contemplating emptiness and stillness.” Subhuti was foremost in understanding emptiness, so he understood completely the principles of all people, matters and objects in the world, that everything is empty. No matter how much fame, wealth or status one has, in the end nothing but emptiness remains.
Subhuti understood this very well, so he did not want to go among people and thus did not practice the Great Vehicle.He only practiced the Small Vehicle.Therefore, “Though many kalpas have passed, he has not attained the great fruit of universal, perfect enlightenment.”He had not attained universal and perfect enlightenment.He was not able to attain it.
Supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment is the attainment of Buddhahood.No matter how much he practiced to benefit himself, if he did not form great aspirations or go among people to transform them, then he would never, even after many kalpas, after a very long time, be able to attain universal, perfect enlightenment. He would never attain the great fruit, never attain great awakening and reach Buddhahood.He could not do it.
So, we want to attain Buddhahood.As Buddhist practitioners, we wish to attain Buddhahood. As Buddhist practitioners, if we do not want to attain Buddhahood, why do we bother to learn to Buddha’s Way?
However, to attain Buddhahood, we cannot do without spiritual practice.The goal of spiritual practice is to eliminate all afflictions.
We must cultivate purifying Brahma-conduct.
Cultivating purifying Brahma-conduct is a path we must walk to attain the fruit of Buddhahood.
However, Small Vehicle practitioners only seek to benefit themselves.They must first purify them selves.After they purify them selves and their minds are undefiled, they can them uphold their resolve on the path, with the Four Great Vows and Four Infinite Minds.They must remain steadfast as they go among people so they can create great blessed affinities with sentient begins.Only by gong among people can they attain great wisdom and develop their wisdom-life.
So, “He must form great aspirations and fulfill the great path. Then he will attain Buddhahood.”
We must not stay stuck in the Small Vehicle.
If we still practice the Small Vehicle, no matter how we practice, we are still only focused on ourselves.We must understand that if we only purify ourselves and everything else remains impure, then we alone will be pure while our surroundings are all defiled.If we are awakened and have understanding but others are still covered by ignorance, will we be able to continue to bear it?We will not be able to bear it!
So, we must form great aspirations and go among people to bring purity to everyone.
Then, they can realize principles like us and walk on this great, direct path with us, on the Bodhisattva-path.This is how we benefit both ourselves and others.
Benefiting both ourselves and others is the goal of spiritual practice.
The previous sutra passage we explained says.
“May great disciples Subhuti will attain Buddhahood. His epithet will be Name and Appearance. He will make offerings to countless trillions of Buddhas, and following these Buddhas in Their practice, he will gradually fulfill the great path.”
The Buddha called on Subhuti, adding “my great disciple”.That means he was a very close disciple.All the principles the Buddha taught were understood by Subhuti.
“He will make offering to countless trillions of Buddhas.”He will have to train for such a long time.Furthermore, he will need the experience of going among countless sentient beings to explore many principles of life.Then he will be able to attain Buddhahood.
So, he needs to meet trillions of Buddhas.
In the past, I have discussed this with everyone.If we treat every person as a Buddha, then everyone is a Buddha.
Everyone is a person who can receive our offerings, respect and service.
As we face suffering sentient beings, we can think of each sentient being as a future Buddha with intrinsic Buddha-nature.Then aren’t we making offerings to the Buddha and serving future Buddhas?
So, it speaks of “300 trillion Buddhas”.In this place, he will make offerings to countless Buddhas.
“Following these Buddhas in Their practice, he will gradually fulfill the great path.”
According to the Buddha’s teachings, the Buddha came to the world life after life, always going among people for the sake of suffering sentient beings.Now, we have formed greet aspirations, so we must also come to the world life after life before we are able to attain Bodhi.
Next, the sutra passage states, “In his final incarnation, he will attain the 32 Marks and will be upright, proper, pleasing and wondrous, like a treasure mountain. His Buddha-land will be foremost in purity and magnificence. All sentient beings who see it will love and take joy in it. In his final incarnation.”
Means he must constantly practice in this way, in the presence of 300 trillion Buddhas.After undergoing this spiritual practice, the final incarnation he will attain in the end comes from practicing until reaching perfection. That will be his “final incarnation”.
By attaining Buddhahood, he will have the 32 Marks. When he is replete with the 32 Marks, he has attained the final incarnation of universal, perfect enlightenment. This is when he attains perfect enlightenment, the moment when he attains Buddhahood.
In his final incarnation, he will attain the 32 marks: In his final incarnation of equal enlightenment, he will become a Sambhogakaya Buddha, a pleasing and wondrous Buddha of the ten bodies replete with all Marks and Characteristics.
“He will become a Sambhogakaya Buddha”, meaning he will manifest as a Buddha in this world. Sakyamuni Buddha was such an example. More than 2000 years ago, in what is presently Nepal, He was born in the kingdom of Kapilavastu. He manifested in the world to engage in spiritual practice. With His attainment of perfect enlightenment, He manifests in the world. This is a Sambhogakaya Buddha.
A Sambhogakaya Buddha’s body has the 32 Marks. He is replete with the ten epithets, such that everyone has great respect for Him. So, He is known as the “World-Honored One, a pleasing and wondrous Buddha of the ten bodies replete with all Marks and Characteristics”.
The Buddha’s ten bodies are mentioned in the Avatamsaka Sutra. “The Buddha’s ten bodies harmonize with the Three Periods”. The Three Periods are the past, present and future.
As the Avatamsaka Sutra states, the Buddha’s ten bodies that harmonize with the Three Periods are the sentient-being-body, Buddha-land-body, karmic-retribution-body, Hearer-body, Solitary-Realizer-Body, Bodhisattva-body, Tathagata-body, wisdom-body, Dharma-body and emptiness-body.
The ten bodies of the Buddha start with “the sentient-being-body”. When we look at sentient beings, we must regard them as Buddhas. The Buddha constantly comes to the world. in the past, present and future, the Buddha constantly manifests in the world. So, this is “the sentient -being-body”.
The “Buddha-land-body” [refers to how] when a Buddha attains Buddhahood, He has a name for His Buddha-land. At present, our land is called the Saha World. Sakyamuni Buddha manifested in this land, in the Saha World, to transform others, so it is called the “Buddha-land-body”.
With “the karmic-retribution-body” the Buddha, in this world filled with karma, manifested among sentient beings [affected by] karmic forces and retributions. He manifested a body in such a place, so it is called the “karmic-retribution-body”.
The Hearer-body” refers to the same process of spiritual practice. Those who engage in practice as monastics must mindfully listen to teachings. Hearer receive the teachings through their ears. This is the “Hearer-body”. “The Solitary-Realizer-Body” is also to teach everyone that after hearing the Dharma, we must understand principles. The world is impermanent. The principles of the Dharma do not only exist when there is a Buddha in the world. When there is no Buddha in the world, the world is still filled with principles. It is just that ordinary people do not know them. As a Solitary Realizer in His past lives, He was constantly nourished and tempered by the Buddha-Dharma.
So, when He was born in the world, although there was no Buddha present, He could still understand. He saw the phenomena of the four seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter. In this way He experienced and awakened to the principles of all things. However, He was still a Solitary Realizer. He knew there were these [principles], yet there were still contradictions He could not break through. He still had delusions and ignorance, so He was called a Solitary Realizer.
A” Realizer of Conditions” lives in a Buddha’s era. When there is no Buddha present, the same person is called a “Solitary Realizer”. Next is the “Bodhisattva-body”. Though the Buddha manifested among Hearers and Realizers of Conditions, though He manifested as a [monastic] practicing in the Sangha, He was actually in His Bodhisattva-body. He went among people to transform sentient beings. This was the “Bodhisattva-body”. He became a monastic as an enlightened great Bodhisattva, a great enlightened sentient being. So, this is called the Bodhisattva-body”.
The “Tathagata-body” means He came to this world journeying on the Dharma of True Suchness. This is called the “Tathagata-body”.
A “wisdom-body” has the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms, all-encompassing wisdom, wisdom of enlightenment, etc. All kinds of wisdom exist in the Buddha’s ocean of enlightened wisdom. So, this is called the
wisdom-body.”
The Buddha’s "Dharma-body” is everlasting. The Dharma the Buddha taught over 2000 years ago still exists in the world today. It not only still exists in the world, it is everlasting. In time, space and interpersonal relationships, the Dharma exists everywhere. This is the absolute truth. The principles are everlasting.
The “emptiness-body” permeates the entire universe. The Buddha attain great enlightenment, which is [realizing] everything in the universe, and permeates the Dharma completely. So, this is the “emptiness-body.” As the Avatamsaka Sutra states, “The Buddha’s ten bodies harmonize with the Three Periods.”
They go from the past, from countless past lifetime to the present and then over many kalpas into the future. These periods are all filled with these ten bodies. He must constantly go among people and be born in these bodies in the world.
This is expressing that we must go among people. In whichever universe or world, we must return and go among people by talking the same form as them. Through this process, we must in the end become monastics and concentrate on spiritual practice, form great aspirations and go among people. This cycle of goodness is the process of spiritual practice.
“In his final incarnation, he will attain the 32 Marks and will be upright, proper, pleasing and wondrous, like a treasure mountain.”
He will be very magnificent. “He will be upright and dignified, greatly pleasing and wondrously good.” He will have an excellent body, like the king of a treasure mountain.
Everyone takes joy in a treasure mountain. Inside a treasure mountain, everything is a treasure. The Buddha’s body and mind are both treasure.This is “greatly pleasing and wondrously good.
“His Buddha-land will be foremost in purity and magnificence. All sentient beings who see it will love and take joy in it.” All sentient beings who see it will love and take joy in it. Because “compared with other Buddha-lands, this one is the most supreme circumstantial and direct retributions, all those who see it will take joy in it. ”
Compared with other Buddha-lands, this one is the most supreme. So many treasures are gathered in this place. The things that people admire the most and love the most will all be in this land.
Because of his wondrous circumstantial and direct retributions, all people who see it will be happy. “All those who see it will take joy in it.” This is was the principle that Subhuti cultivated. He completely understood that emptiness is purity, and purity is the most thorough and true principle.
So, “He will bring to fulfillment a pure and magnificent Buddha-land.” This is the land where Subhuti in the future will attain Buddhahood and where he will “transform countless sentient beings. Of the people that this Buddha teaches, most have Bodhisattvas. All of them have sharp capabilities and can turn the non-retreating wheel.”
For this Buddha, in this place, in this land, everything is very pure and magnificent. It is very pure and magnificent land. The sentient beings He transforms there are countless in number.
For this Buddha, all the people [He teaches] are all Bodhisattvas who have affinities with this Buddha. They and the Buddha are born in the same land; this is the result of their collective good karma. They gather together and practice together there.
All in all, we must form great aspirations and make great vows. Then in our future land, “All good people will gather together. They are all great Bodhisattvas who will come to the same place and practice together. This depends on the causes that we cultivate now, which will result in retributions in our future land. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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