Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Spreading the Right Dharma (弘揚正法國界祥和)
Date: November.15. 2016
“The Buddha-land is dignified by Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas teach the Dharma to transform countless beings. The land is harmonious and peaceful because the Right Dharma is propagated. The people diligently cultivate the magnificence of blessings and wisdom.”
During the last few days we have heard about Subhuti’s prediction from the Buddha. His land will be full of treasures, and everyone there will form great aspirations and cultivate Bodhisattva practices. All the people there are so advanced in spiritual cultivation. We can see that when the people in a country engage in spiritual practice, treasures will definitely accumulate there. The country will certainly become very dignified, since everyone acts according to principles.
So, as we walk this path, everywhere we look the surroundings will be beautiful, with rows of precious trees and a ground strewn with precious flowers. If our minds are beautiful, the surroundings we see will be very beautiful. When our minds are in harmony, every place becomes a dignified place.
So, “This Buddha-land is dignified by Bodhisattvas.” Look at how there is now a group of doctors in Nepal. These doctors, these Living Bodhisattvas, are there because there was a disaster in Nepal. Thus they all went together to Nepal. It has already been more than a month now. Just the teams of doctors from Taiwan have gone through many rotations; this is now already the seventh shift in that place. There is also a group of doctors from Malaysia who are there now.
They came across an elderly woman. She was constantly coughing among the crowd and was gasping for breath. There was a Malaysian doctor, a Dr. Chen, who quickly went and supported her. She saw her gasping like that, unable to stop coughing; what could be done? While there, the doctor understood she had chronic asthma and that she urgently needed an inhaler. They had the medication, but no inhaler. Inspired, Dr. Chen picked up a plastic beverage bottle. She took the plastic bottle, cleaned it thoroughly, then cut it so that she could place it over the old woman’s nose and mouth. With her nose and mouth covered like this, she then poured the medication through the mouth of the bottle, so the fumes from the medication could reach this old woman’s airways through her mouth and nose. Though she was gasping, she was able to inhale and exhale. After a while, the old woman said, “Oh, now I feel more comfortable.” She was no longer gasping for breath.
There was another cause as well. She looked as if she was seriously ill. Her facial color did not look good, and she was thin and weak. It turned out to be kidney disease. She told them that each dialysis treatment costs 3000 rupees. She had to have dialysis twice a week. She told them that her husband’s retirement money had almost run out because of her dialysis, so she was not able to be treated for her disease. She had no way to receive dialysis.
Our doctors felt this was unbearable. Everyone tried to find a way to have her evaluated so she could be provided with long term help and quickly sent her to get dialysis. That woman seemed to find precious benefactors in her life who hoped she would quickly regain her health. The second time they saw this woman, the color of her face had already changed. She was glowing and radiant. She was very joyful and also very grateful.
They also saw a disheveled youth who was filthy from head to toe. His hair was very long, and his body was dirty and unkempt. After receiving guidance from Tzu Chi volunteers, when people saw him next, no one recognized him. He introduced himself, “When I was here several days ago, that was how I looked. But an auntie from Taiwan gradually convinced me, to get my hair cut right away. After my haircut, I immediately went to bathe, and now here I am.” “Wow, you look so different!” His mind has been transformed, and thus his life changed. Isn’t this how “Bodhisattvas teach the Dharma to transform countless beings?”
Bodhisattvas listen to the Dharma, teach the Dharma and practice the Dharma. The Dharma is spread by putting it into practice. The Buddha’s birthplace, Nepal, the kingdom of Kapilavastu, is currently affected by disaster, and Bodhisattvas from the eight directions have come to provide assistance. They came from eight countries, from different places, all very far away, thousands of kilometers away, and assembled in that place. This shows how. “The land is harmonious and peaceful because the Right Dharma is propagated.”
In that country, many people have crossed borders to get there to advance Right Dharma. Look at that youth who, when the disaster happened, gave up on himself. Once his heart was washed clean by the Dharma and his thoughts transformed, he began to take care of his appearance, and was changed into a brand new person. He was changed into someone ready to help rebuild his country, someone willing to dedicate himself to others, a person who is able to go and help others. This is “people diligently cultivating the magnificence of blessings and wisdom.”
As long as everyone has the will, they diligently go among the people to serve. They not only give without expectations; by putting the Buddha’s teachings into practice, they can also turn people’s lives around and help everyone develop their good thoughts. So, the Dharma must be spread by people. Wherever the Dharma is, that is the Buddha’s country. Everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature, and when everyone exercises their nature of True Suchness, that is when the Dharma is spread among the people. So, let us always be mindful.
The previous sutra passage says, “The number of Hearers is beyond calculation. They have all attained the Three Insights, possess the Six Spiritual Powers, abide in the Eight Liberations and have great might and virtue.”
We have already explained the Three Insights and Six Spiritual Powers, and at the same time the Eight Liberations, which are the Eight Abandonments. We are already quite clear on these. “Abandonment” refers to abandoning evil and turning toward the good, abandoning coarse and heavy ignorance and afflictions and moving toward the fine, subtle and exquisite Buddha-Dharma, constantly advancing forward. There are eight methods for this. We have already explained them, so let us be mindful.
The next sutra passage says, “That Buddha will expound the Dharma and manifest the infinite spiritual powers and transformations, which are all inconceivable. All the heavenly beings and humans, numbering as many as the sands of the Ganges, will put their palms together, listen to and accept the Buddha’s words.”
We can clearly understand this.
“That Buddha will expound the Dharma and manifest the infinite.” Which Buddha is “that Buddha”? Do you remember? Subhuti. When Subhuti attained Buddhahood in the future, his epithet will be Name and Appearance. “That Buddha will expound the Dharma.” This refers to this Buddha, Name and Appearance Tathagata. The time during which He will expound the Dharma will be a very long period of time.
That Buddha will expound the Dharma: While that Buddha, the World-Honored One, expounds the Dharma, if there are people who take joy in learning the Right Dharma, He will, according to their capabilities, teach with skillful means. This enables them to listen to the Dharma, understand and accept it and cultivate the causes to realize the effect.
“If there are people who take joy in learning the Right Dharma.” When that Buddha expounds the Dharma, during the era when Name and Appearance Tathagata expounds the Dharma, there will be people who will delight in listening to it. What they will listen to joyfully will be the Right Dharma. What that Buddha will expound, during His lifetime of 12 small kalpas, will be the Right Dharma. Because they can listen to the Dharma for a very long period of time, they will be joyful; this is all Right Dharma.
“He will, according to their capabilities…” During that era of Right Dharma, the Buddha will expound the Dharma according to the capabilities of those sentient beings. Everyone will likewise be able to learn from the Buddha’s skillful means and thus experience joy and apply the Dharma. When that Buddha expounds the Dharma, those countless sentient beings, according to their capacities, will all take joy in listening to the Dharma.
So, “This enables them to listen to the Dharma and understand and accept it.” They are joyful because they can take the Dharma to heart. So, everyone can “cultivate the causes to realize the effects.” The causes are [crated in] the processes of putting the Dharma into practice. Every day is a cause. Interacting with people and dealing with matters is the process by which we create causes. When brought to fruition, they yield effects. This is cultivating the causes to realize the effects. Working hard in listening to the Dharma, achieving understanding, serving others and attaining realizations are all seeds. These are the causes.
“Because Name and Appearance Tathagata uses His spiritual powers to expound the Dharma in empty space, the sentient beings in His land are all devout in their faith and take joy in goodness and uphold the Right Dharma of the Great Vehicle.”
Because Subhuti was foremost in understanding emptiness, when he attains Buddhahood in the future, this will be his cause. The cause of his practices continually is the understanding of emptiness. By completely understanding the principles, he could take things that exist and analyze them until reaching that completely pure and undefiled state. This was his understanding of emptiness.
So, He “uses His spiritual powers to expound the Dharma in empty space.” He expounds the Dharma in empty space. “The sentient beings in His land are all devout [and] take joy in goodness.” Everyone in His land is very reverent. Being “devout” means being reverent. They are exceedingly certain and focused, and they cultivate their contemplation. They are already firm in their resolve. This kind of power of Samadhi is what is meant by being devout in faith. They are very firm in their faith. So, they take joy in goodness; all do good deeds, so their good causes and their good seeds continuously accumulate.
Thus, they are “all devout in their faith and take joy in goodness and uphold the Right Dharma of the Great Vehicle.” Everyone upholds the Right Dharma of the Great Vehicle.
“[He will] manifest infinite spiritual powers and transformations.” There are some with such faith that “He only has to expound the Dharma.” Since faith has arisen in them, their root of faith is deep, so they just need the Buddha’s teachings to continually be passed down to them. Then they can continually accept them. “For those without faith, He must manifest spiritual powers.”
This Buddha expounds the Dharma in empty space. By using these spiritual powers, He can subdue and captivate those unbelievers so that faith and respect will also arise in them. When they have developed their faith, He can again begin to expound the Dharma. In that land, He is truly expounding the Dharma; He uses many different methods to captivate sentient beings there. These methods are inconceivable!
So, “One mind gives rise to myriad actions; the Two Truths are in perfect harmony.” [These] are all inconceivable: One mind gives rise to myriad actions; the Two Truths are in perfect harmony, without obstructions in principles and matters. He can manifest infinite spiritual powers and transformations. This is the effortless and wondrous ability of Name and Appearance Buddha. How can this be comprehended by thinking and discussing?
The sentient beings there, when they listen to the Buddha’s teachings, can fall focus their minds single-mindedly. So, they wholeheartedly listen to the Buddha. Because they single-mindedly [listen], upon understanding the Dharma, they can accomplish myriad practices.
See, [volunteers] travel thousands of kilometers and are able to cross over countries [and borders] to go to [Nepal] in order to save and transform sentient beings. In that place, “The Two Truths are in perfect harmony.” The Two Truths are the “truth of emptiness” and “truth of existence,” or “absolute truth” [and “worldly truth”]. These are the Two Truths.
In emptiness, there is perfect harmony. This is “wondrous existence in emptiness.” In that place, they are spreading the Dharma. They can save sentient beings without being attached, yet always respectful. This is perfect harmony in matters and principles. We are not attached to the role of being a savior, nor do we consider ourselves superior to others. This is not how we are.
With all people and matters, we respect all. When others are suffering, we mindfully help them. Mindfully helping others is the principle. This kind of loving consolation is the manifestations of matters people can see. These are the people and matters. Dealing with matters like this, we handle them in perfect harmony.
So, “The Two Truths are in perfect harmony.” Without obstructions in principles or matters, we can handle things very well. So, “He can manifest infinite spiritual powers and transformations.” This is how we want to be. Everyone, please remember and understand this. It is like the young man who gave up on himself. Now he has been changed into a person who is able to help others. His life was transformed after just a few words.
So, “This is the effortless and wondrous ability of Name and Appearance Buddha.” This is how He is; His actions are effortless. His methods are wondrously profound, giving without seeking anything in return and transforming sentient beings by applying many different methods.
This is “effortless and wondrous ability, giving without seeking anything in return.” “How can this be comprehended by thinking and discussing?” [It is not to say], “Let me think this over again.” “Is it possible that the Buddha taught like this?”
Actually, If we mindfully consider this, it is not very difficult. Even a few words can transform a life, so we need to say, “That is inconceivable; that is impossible.” It is possible!
Thus, “All heavenly beings and humans, numbering as many as the sands of the Ganges, will put their palms together, listen to and accept the Buddha’s words.” There are so many. “There are many people in this Dharma-assembly.” Everyone in the assembly put their palms together as they listened to the Buddha expound the Dharma. As the Buddha gave the teachings, everyone faithfully accepted them and put them into practice.
So, “Those who listen to the Dharma all put their palms together.” This expresses “reverence and respect through their Threefold Karma.” The Threefold Karma is the karma of the body, speech and mind. Putting palms together respectfully with our body, verbally giving praise and [expressing] respect from the mind is what is meant by “expressing reverence and respect though their Threefold Karma.”
Those who listen to the Dharma all put their palms together. This expresses reverence and respect through their Threefold Karma. It also indicates that with the true principles of the Middle Way, unbiased toward emptiness, they listen to and accept the Buddha’s words and practice according to the Dharma. “It also indicates [the] true principles of the Middle Way, unbiased toward emptiness.” Though this Middle Way, which has no bias, no [attachment to] emptiness, through the true principles of the Middle Way, we express our respect.
The Eight Liberations we spoke of yesterday also contain this meaning. So, “They listen to and accept the Buddha’s words and practice according to the Dharma.” This is how they listen and how they practice.
“That Buddha’s lifespan will be 12 small kalpas.” “Right Dharma will abide for 20 small kalpas.” “Dharma-semblance will also abide for 20 small kalpas.”
This will be the length of that Buddha’s lifespan, the length of Right Dharma, and the length of Dharma-semblance This is the predication of Subhuti’s fruitions when he attains Buddhahood. The Buddha gave this predictions to Subhuti to help him have even firmer faith in the future. So, his lifespan and his turning [of the Dharma-wheel] in that land will be the same as Kasyapa’s. The predictions for Venerable Kasyapa were the same. What Subhuti will attain in the future is the same.
So, let us put our efforts into beings mindful. If we are mindful, when reborn in the future, I trust that in our circumstantial retributions we will find ourselves together with Bodhisattvas, in a very dignified land.
So for now, let us make the best use of our time, space and relationships to resonate with the Buddha-mind and dedicate ourselves to helping others. Then the time we spend in spiritual practice will naturally make us even sturdier, so we can diligently advance step by step. Let us always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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