Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Making Respectful Offerings to All (敬行供養悉令周遍)
Date: November.16. 2016
“We will make offerings to so many countless numbers of Buddhas and construct so many stupas and temples to display Their Virtues. We will make offerings to all Dharma, to conditions and to truth. We actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions with the Four Practices and Great Vows to be replete with infinite great awakening.”
The process of spiritual practice requires a very long period of time. How long does it take? Many, many lifetimes. How much time? Countless kalpas. It will take a very long time for us to cultivate our mind.
An unenlightened mind constantly fluctuates and has many afflictions and so much ignorance. So, we need a long time to absorb the Dharma, to take the Dharma to heart. Where does the Dharma come from? We must seek it from the Great Enlightened Onces, from the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas.
The Buddha was one who reached great enlightenment. Bodhisattvas are those who enact that realization. So, it is from the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas that we must seek the Dharma. Therefore, we must put the teachings into practice.
“We will make offerings to so many countless numbers of Buddhas.” We have been constantly talking about both Venerable Kasyapa and Subhuti, how in their process of attaining Buddhahood, they will make offerings to 300 trillion Buddhas. This means that it will take a very long time. They must interact with countless people and must return time after time to the world while always seeking the Dharma in spiritual practice. They must “make offerings to so many.” They must give, must make offerings to countless Buddhas.
There are many ways of making offerings. They can “construct so many stupas and temples to display Their virtues.”
Pagodas and temples are a way to display virtue. After Buddhas and Bodhisattvas enter Parinirvana, the relics collected from them are stored in stupas and temples. These relics represent their virtue.
“We will make offerings to all Dharma, to conditions and to truth.” Besides these tangible offerings that are used to praise their virtuous actions after their Perfect Rest, we also ordinary make offerings through [the actions of] our bodies. We know we must demonstrate the virtues of the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas.
Bodhisattvas are our role models. Buddhas are our guiding teachers. So, we should try to emulate them and put their teachings into practice.
Putting the teachings into practice is another way of making offerings. “All Dharma, conditions and truth” is talking about how we spread the Buddha-Dharma throughout the world so that everyone can apply it. We must be mindful to recognize the Dharma and must understand the causes and conditions and the true principles within the Dharma.
Where does the world’s suffering come from? Why is there so much suffering in the world? There are natural disasters and manmade calamities. The afflictions in people’s minds are the causes and conditions for these. Their families cause worries and hindrances. Where do these afflictive emotions come from? With causes and conditions come effects and retributions; thus they experience much torment and suffering. So, we must put our efforts into understanding the causes and conditions taught by the Dharma as well as people’s ignorance and afflictions and the ways people are tormented by suffering.
We can deal with these worldly [situations] by applying the Buddha’s teachings to them.
This is also a way for us to make offerings.
We must have a more thorough understanding of the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence and make great efforts to analyze the law of karma.We should also observe suffering in the world and its causation; what is the reason so much suffering has accumulated?
When we understand this, we can bring it together with the Buddha-Dharma, connect it with the Buddha-Dharma.There is so much suffering in the world, but when we apply the Buddha-Dharma to that suffering, we understand that this is how it is.
So, how can we eliminate all these various afflictions?Our minds must be clear about this.We must quickly engage in spiritual practice, which is to actualize the Six Paramitas in all of our actions.
Actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions is what we should quickly implement.We also need “the Four Practices and Great Vows”.
Actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions requires the Four Practices, remember?
Practice with nothing further, uninterrupted practice, extended practice and practice with reverence, these Four Practices, must be continual.They must be practiced without interruption.
We must make the Four Great Vows.
The Four Great Vows are.
“I now 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”.
To become “replete with infinite great awakening” takes a very long time, so we must be truly determined in our resolve.
The previous passage says,
“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.”
Do we know which Buddha “that Buddha” refers to?Name and Appearance Tathagata.
Who was this Buddha during the Buddha’s lifetime?It was Subhuti.
This is saying that it will take him a long time of meeting countless sentient beings.He must walk the Bodhisattva-path life after life and seek the Dharma while transforming others.
This is being repeated for us.
After the prose passages finished, verses were used to help us better remember.
The next sutra passage says,.
“At that time, the World-Honored One again told all bhiksu, ‘Today, I say to you that this man Mahakatyayana, in his future lifetimes, with all kinds of devotional items, will make offerings to and serve 800 billion Buddhas with reverence and respect.’”
In this sutra passage, the Buddha had now begun to bestow a prediction of Buddhahood upon Katyayana, which means Kayaayana will attain Buddhahood in a future lifetime.
He bestowed this prediction on him.
Katyayana must serve 800 billon Buddhas.
Over a very long period of time, he must make offerings and serve [those Buddhas];
this will take him a very long time.
This passage explains the prediction for Katyayana.
The Buddha bestowed this prediction that he will attain Buddhahood in a future lifetime.In the times when a Buddha is in the world, Katyayana will make offerings to and serve Him.
After these Buddhas enter Parinirvana, he will make offerings of stupas and temples.
Afterwards he will again encounter a Buddha, again meet and serve Him, make offerings and undertake His mission.
Then he can start to fulfill the Bodhisattva-path of actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions.
Whenever there is a Buddha in the world, he will make offerings like this.Whenever any Buddha enters Parinirvana, he will make offerings of stupas.He will construct stupas and temples. This is how that future Buddha, before he attains Buddhahood, will personally serve and make offerings to every Buddha.
After any Buddha enters Parinirvana, he will build a stupa, or make an offering of a temple.
This is his process with every Buddha.
So, “Afterwards he will again encounter a Buddha.”After one Buddha enters Parinirvana, he will again encounter another Buddha and similarly “meet and serve Him, make offerings and undertake His mission”.
He will again encounter another Buddha and make offerings to Him in the same way.
“Then he can start to fulfill the Bodhisattva-path of actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions”. This is how he will earnestly make offerings to and express respect for each Buddha.
Whether a Buddha is still in the world, or has already entered Parinirvana, lifetime after lifetime, he will continually cultivate [reverence with] the Three Treasures and engage in spiritual practice with the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.
So, “At that time, the World-Honored One again told all bhiksus, Today, I say to you…”
“At that time, the World-Honored One again told all bhiksus, “Today, I say to you…:” The Buddha, in His compassion and wisdom, taught so listeners could realize the principles. Those who heard it before could listen again; those who had not heard it could listen now. Thus it says He “again told all bhiksus”.
“Now, I will tell you something”. This was the Buddha’s compassion and wisdom as He “taught so listeners could realize the principles”. The Buddha taught according to capabilities. Those sentient beings listening to the Dharma, his disciples, needed to mindfully take the Dharma to heart to connect with the principles the Buddha taught. So, He “taught so listeners could realize the principles”.
Those who heard it before could hear it again. After having heard it, they could continue to hear it again, for only then would they remember it deeply. By memorizing the Dharma, it becomes our own. This was the Buddha’s compassion; He hoped His disciples would listen to the Dharma, so He tirelessly repeated it over and over, until the disciples took the Dharma to heart and it became their own.
“Those who had not heard it could listen now. He repeated it again in verse for those who had not yet heard it, so those coming later could hear it again. The Buddha repeatedly taught the Dharma like this.
“Those who heard it before could listen again; those who had not heard it could listen now”. This is how the Buddha taught the Dharma. after teaching something once, He again taught it in verse; He again taught it in verse; This was the Buddha’s mindfulness.
Now it says, “Today, I say to you”. Now the Buddha was going to teach them again, saying,
“All of you bhiksus, everyone, you must listen mindfully. This man Mahakatyayana…”. He would next tell them about Mahakatyayana. Since there were many in the Sangha who had the same name, He added “maha” (great) in front of it to distinguish him from any others. It was into anyone else; it was this Katyayana who was one of the great disciples.
“Mahakatyayana” means “adorned with language”. Born to a Brahmin clan in a southern kingdom, among all of the disciples of the Buddha, he was “foremost in discussion of doctrine. His prose was vibrant, his words and thoughts flowed; he was naturally adorned with language.”
Everyone reading this will be clear that everything he said was very elegant. No matter how he debated with others, he was always very graceful in his language. When he spoke with others, he was very talented and knowledgeable.
Once a non-Buddhaist came to question Katyayana, “You all say that those who commit evil deeds will in the future remain in cyclic existence or descend into hell and so on, experience many sufferings. But those who have experienced suffering have never come back to tell us, I’ve received punishment and have suffered. I’ve been reborn in a place of great suffering. No one has ever come back and told us this, so how do we know there are future lifetimes? How can you explain this?”
Katyayana explained, “It is like someone who transgresses in the world. He has already committed a crime and has been caught and imprisoned. Think about it; can they return to tell you what their suffering was like in prison? This is not to mention that one day in hell lasts as long as a kalpa in this world. When people suffer in hell. Unremitting Hell is constant suffering. How can they return to the world to tell you of the sufferings which they experienced there? There is absolutely no way to escape hell, so how could they possibly return?”
The non-Buddhist then asked, “And the good people? Those who do good deeds are reborn in heaven. Why don’t they return to the world and tell everyone of the pleasures that they have experienced in heaven? ” Katyayana replied by saying, “It is like someone failing into a latrine. Having gone to such lengths. Having gone to such lengths to finally get out, once they have gotten free and have cleaned their bodies and are furthermore living in a dignified place, do you really think they would wish to jump back into the latrine again? The latrine is so foul and filthy. Do you think they would return? They would not. This world is full of turbidities.One reborn in heaven would not wish to return to this world.”
When [questions] like these regarding heaven and hell were asked by non-Buddhist practitioners, Katyayana was very graceful in the way he debated with them. They were all ultimately convinced by him.
So, “He foremost in discussion of doctrine.” This was Katyayana. “In his future lifetimes, with all kinds of devotional items…” These were things used as offerings.
In his future lifetimes, with all kinds of devotional items: These are things to be used as offerings. They are also called offerings for the Way. These are the things with which we can make offerings of material objects, reverence and conduct to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas Flowers, fragrant oils, incense, food, lamps and so forth can be respectfully offered.
Thus, he is able to make offerings. He must make offerings to many Buddhas. These are things used to make sufficient offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of material objects, reverence and conduct.These are offerings.
Material offerings are things we often used to speak of. Things used as material offerings include flowers and incense, or food, or oil for lamps. These are all materials used for marking offerings.
Paying respect with a heart of reverence is called making offerings of respect.
Then there is conduct, How is this done? Through giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom, the practice of the Six Paramitas. Using these Six Paramitas, actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions, is making offerings of conduct.
The Six Paramitas, the Four Practices, the Four Great Vows, the Four infinite Minds, etc. are all ways to make offerings of conduct. This way “[He] will make offerings to and serve 800 billion Buddhas.”
He will use these kinds of material objects, a reverent attitude and putting teachings into action, going among people, transforming sentient beings and other similar conduct, to make offerings. This is “the state in which he makes offerings, the state of mind he uses to make offerings to the Buddha.”
[Katyayana] will make offerings to and serve 800 billion.
Buddhas: The state in which he makes offerings is that of Bodhisattvas who, to cultivate roots of goodness, merits and virtues, undertake the mission and make offerings to all Buddhas, enabling all those around to be lacking in nothing.
“[He is like] Bodhisattvas who, to cultivate roots of goodness, merits and virtues, undertake the mission and make offerings for all Buddhas.”
Bodhisattvas who actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions use this kind of spiritual practice, these roots of goodness, these merits and virtues, in order to “undertake the mission and make offerings to all Buddhas.”
So, Buddhas do not want your offerings of incense and flowers. Those merely express what is in your heart. It is not that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas actually want these things from you. No, these just show what is in your heart. Most important is our respect and our putting the Dharma into action. These are the best kind of offerings.
“[They] enable all those around to be lacing in nothing.” This is how he will make offerings. This is the state of mind Katyayana will use in the future to make offerings.
“With reverence and respect” means. “He can give rise to reverence to make offerings to and serve Buddhas.” This is expressing sincere respect, respect for the Buddha’s teachings. Putting them into practice like this, forming great aspirations, making great vows, is the best kind of offering. The previous [passage] is about “[what he does] when a Tathagata is in this world.” Next it says that after a Buddha’s Parinirvana, “He makes offerings of stupas and temples.”
So, lifetime after lifetime, when there is a Buddha in the world, we should make offerings with our bodies and minds.
After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, the Dharma will remain in our minds, and we will still put it into practice. When we see temples and stupas, we should always give rise to reverence. This is how we learn the Buddha’s Way. When learning the Buddha’s Way, we should always be mindful and use it in our daily living. We must find ways to eliminate afflictions and take the Dharma to heart in our daily living. So, let us always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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