Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Making Reverent Offerings with the Mind (虔誠供心奉事供養)
Date: November.18. 2016
“The Sanskrit word prajna means wisdom. Paramita means reaching the other shore. This is saying that all sentient beings have lost their prajna and fallen into samsara, which is called this shore.”
We often speak of wisdom. Wisdom in Sanskrit is “prajna”. Speaking of “prajna,” in the sutras, we constantly see “prajna-paramita.” In fact, “prajna” simply means “wisdom”.
“Paramita” means “reaching the other shore.” This means using wisdom to cross from this shore, of unenlightened beings, to the other shore, of enlightened beings. This is the meaning of “prajna-paramita”.
“The Sanskrit word prajna means wisdom.” Prajna in the direction that we Buddhist practitioners all strive toward.
Unenlightened beings’ afflictions and ignorance exist because we have not yet attained wisdom, because we are still unable to cross from the shore of unenlightened beings to the other shore of noble beings. So, prajna-paramita is always our hope and our direction. We must still work hard in our spiritual practice because we are sentient beings, and as sentient beings we have lost our prajna.
We are sailing in this vast and boundless ocean. Where is our ship going? We have lost our direction and our navigation. Thus, we will always be sinking and falling back to the shore of cyclic existence.
For example, in the past there was King Prasenajit. The Buddha taught him the Dharma, and he listened with great joy. With the greatest reverence, he then asked the Buddha, “Venerable Buddha! Every time I come here to hear you teach the Dharma, I am always filled with Dharma-joy. It’s a pity that I am bound by state affairs. If every time I want to listen I must come to where the Buddha is teaching, then it always take me some time. I have a request I have always wanted to make. Would the Buddha allow me to make offerings to the Buddha for three months? Then I can listen to the Buddha teach daily.”
The Buddha consented. King Prasenajit was very joyful and listened to the Buddha teach the Dharma continually for three months. He was very joyous and said to the Buddha, “Venerable Buddha! During these three months, my merits and virtues have been perfected.”
The Buddha then said to King Prasenajit, “Your Majesty! We must not grow weary of cultivating goodness and accumulating blessings. You must form great aspirations to do good deeds. Spreading the Buddha-Dharma is something that must be done over a long time. It is never-ending. How can you say your merits and virtues have been perfected?”
The king listened and at once repented before the Buddha, saying, “I now make a vow before the Buddha that lifetime after lifetime without end, I will listen to and spread the Buddha-Dharma. I will do virtuous deeds life after life.” This was what he said.
After this, there was another monastic, a bhiksuni named Katyayana.She stood up from among the assembly and with great reverence paid respect to the Buddha; then she put her palms together and told everyone about her past lifetime 31 kalpas ago, there was a Buddha called Dana-sikkirti Tathagata.At that time, Katyayana bhiksuni’s [previous incarnation] was named Pure Black.She was a servant of the lowest caste.
She saw the Buddha entering the city to beg and entreated the Buddha by saying, “Though I am a servant doing hard, manual work, when I see the Buddha’s magnificence, joy arises in my heart. I have a wish to make offerings to the Buddha, and I pray the Buddha will allow me to make offerings with my coarse food.”
The Buddha joyfully accepted it.Then, before the Buddha she made a vow “I pray that lifetime after lifetime I will have the chance to make offerings to a Buddha, that lifetime after lifetime. I could practice the Ten Good Deeds, that lifetime after lifetime. I could listen to the Dharma and that lifetime after lifetime, I would not fall into evil realms so . I could listen to and spread the Dharma in the world.”
Having said this, she told Sakymuni Buddha, “After that, for 31 kalpas, I have never descended into evil destinies. Lifetime after lifetime, I have been born human. When there was no Buddha in the world, I could till use the Buddha-Dharma’s principles to observe the world and see everything clearly. I did good deeds lifetime after lifetime. When there was a Buddha in the world, I could again listen to the Dharma. I am grateful to the Buddha. The Buddha-Dharma has guided my direction. It is like I was in a vast and boundless ocean and my ship had been given a guide, so I continued to approach the other shore. In this lifetime, I was able to meet Sakyamuni Buddha living in this world, and I could listen to the Dharma. So, I can understand what the Buddha teaches.”
After Sakyamuni Buddha heard this bhiksuni Katyayana say this, He said, “Katyayana bhiksuni, for 31 kalpas, in your Threefold Karma of body, speech and mind, you have always upheld the Buddha’s teachings and faithfully put them into action.”
The Buddha said, “Among my disciples of Hearers, in terms of realizing the Dharma by listening, Katyayana bhiksuni is the foremost.”
This is also a way of confirming that spiritual practice takes countless kalpas.This is particularly [clear] now, as He bestowed predictions on Katyayana that he must still serve 800 billion Buddhas.This would be a very long time.
When each Buddha appears, he reverently serves Them all, and after each Buddha enters Parinirvana, he will also make offerings and build stupas and temples.We have already talked about this.
“After all these Buddhas enter Parinirvana, he will build temples and stupas for each, with heights of 1000 yojanas and widths and lengths precisely equal, 500 yojanas.With gold, sliver, crystal, mother-of-pearl, chalcedony, pearl, rose [stone] and other treasures, these Seven Treasures, he will build stupas and temples. ”
This is what was said previously.To engage in spiritual practice be able to encounter the Buddha-Dharma lifetime after lifetime is truly not easy at all.
This is like Katyayana bhiksuni.Her causes and conditions came from her vow.Life after life, she could encounter the Buddha-Dharma and make offerings to the Buddha-Dharma, to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.
If there were no Buddha, Dharma or Sangha, she would make offerings to all practitioners and practice the Ten Good Deeds.This demonstrates that when we have formed this aspiration, we will make offerings lifetime after lifetime.We use the most precious materials for offerings.
The next passage further says that besides using the Seven Treasures to build stupas and temples, with many “flowers, strings of jewels, fragrant oils, scented powers, incense, silken canopies and hanging banners, he will make offerings to the stupas and temples.”
Not only would he build stupas and temples, he would also constantly use many of the world’s treasures in making offerings.
“With all kinds of flowers, strings, of jewels” means he will use many kinds of most precious and magnificent treasured flowers. When we see the most beautiful things, we call them treasures. Things that we consider to be very valuable are all called treasures.
So, he will use “all kinds of [treasured] flowers and treasured strings of jewels”. He will use both flowers and treasures such as strings of jewels.
Strings of jewels are made of jade. Jade is worn to adorn the body. It is a treasure worn to decorate the body. He will also use it for offerings.
“Fragrant oils, scented powders and incense” are kinds of woods, fragrant wood. Fragrant oils are derived from these woods. They can be applied to the body and hands. They are very fragrant and called fragrant oils. In making offerings to the Buddha these fragrant oils signify purification.
When the body sweats, it gives off an unpleasant odor. If we see a Buddha, we want our bodies to be pure; when we visit a temple, we also want to be pure. So, in addition to purifying our bodies, these fragrant oils can also be used as pure things that are offerings to the Buddha and the Sangha.
So, fragrant oils are offerings to the Buddha. This is like how in this world, incense is able to purify defilements; it can eliminate fiery afflictions. The powder of fragrant wood when applied to the body will remove impurities. “Scented powders” are finely ground incense. It is ground into very small particles agarwood, sandalwood and so on are made into incense to burn. When lit, they emit a fragrance that people use as an offering.
In brief, they are used to cleanse and eliminate impurities. These types of incense are fragrant and are used to demonstrate utmost respect. As is the worldly custom, when people worship deities or the Buddha in a temple, they burn incense as a way to show reverence. This is how people of the world demonstrate their piety. Its purpose is to “dispel negative energy”. Actually, in terms of negative energy, only the true Right Dharma can rid us of deviant views and understanding. This is “from the standpoint of ultimate truth”.
We cultivate all merits and virtues, which demonstrates piety. This is also a kind of merit and virtue. Just burning incense cannot get rid of negative energy. That is done by reverently listening to the Dharma and making offerings to the Right Dharma, to help the Right Dharma be passed on. This is true merit and virtue.
So, the fragrance of incense “spreads to all places everywhere”.
“Silken canopies, hanging banners” are fabrics woven from yarns of the highest grade and made into hanging banners. Silken canopies are “large coverings made of fine silk cloth”.
The highest-grade fabrics are used to make these canopies and banners.
Canopies are used when the sun comes out, like we would an umbrella. They are things used to block the sun. In ancient times, for the high officials or people of noble or high status, people would specifically use canopies. To show reverence to the Buddha, canopies were also used in the manner of umbrellas.
Then there are hanging banners. These are used to demonstrate reverence. They are festive and a way to show great respect. “Offerings to the stupas and temples [are made] before those Buddhas are born and after They enter Parinirvana”. Constructing stupas and temples is entirely for making offering to the Buddha and the Sangha, whether when a Buddha is alive, building halls or monastic abodes, or after He enters Parinirvana, using stupas and temples as offerings. Stupas and temples are also called halls and towers.
Next it says, “After this, he will further make offering to two trillion Buddhas, also in the same way. after he makes offerings to all these Buddhas, he will fulfill the Bodhisattva-path. ”
This means it will still take a very long time. He is not finished after serving 800 billion; there will be still another two trillion Buddhas.It will take a very long time.
After those 800 billion Buddhas, he will need to construct stupas and make offerings. Then after that, he will meet another two trillion Buddhas. He will continue in this way to fulfill the Bodhisattva-path in lifetime after lifetime. His causal practice will thus truly be perfected. We should know that Katyayana was someone with such excellent spiritual practice.
Furthermore, he heard the Buddha teach, spread and expound Dharma, all with such clarity. He would still have to [serve] so many Buddhas.
Let us think; what about us? We are now still ordinary people. We may have heard a little Dharma, or may taught spread a few verses. “Master says that we must practice the Buddha-Dharma this way.” We just spread it like this, and we think we are engaging in spiritual practice.
Actually. “We cannot even uphold one practice.” This is because we still have not thoroughly internalized it. Can we truly accomplish the practices of the Ten Good Deeds?
Although many people already practice the teaching of the Ten Good Deeds, as we practice the Ten Good Deeds, do we get of our afflictions? If not, then how can we carry on the wisdom-life of the Buddha? How can we continue on the path to Buddhahood?
We can only sigh and say, “It is difficult, very difficult!” Therefore, in regard to our spiritual practice, it cannot just be on the surface. We cannot superficially pay respect to the Buddha nor superficially engage in spiritual practice. Our minds must be sincere and reverent. If our minds are reverent, we will be able to take these principles to heart. This is why we must be mindful.
So, “After this, he will further make offering to two trillion Buddhas, also in the same way. Before those Buddhas are born or after They have entered Parinirvana, this is how he makes offerings no differently from before.
It will be the same way, whether for the first 800 billion Buddhas or the two trillion Buddhas afterwards. This is how he will practice. His mindset of making offering will be the same. Therefore, we need much patience in spiritual practice. This is equal to 2.8 trillion Buddhas total, such a long period of time.
“Making offering with one’s mind is wisdom.” The mind that makes offerings is wise. We need to have reverence from our hearts. This is wisdom.
To make offerings with service means to contribute, to do things. Making this kind of offering of service is indeed a blessing. This is why we say that we should accept the Dharma with reverence. This is wisdom.
As we listen to the Dharma, we must teach and transmit the Dharma as well. This means that everyone needs to listen to the Buddha-Dharma with a mind of serving and making offerings, as well as with reverence. This does not mean when we draw near the Buddha, we must use all kinds of treasures, material treasures, to make offering. It is not like that; it is that everyone must have a mind of reverence.
I have said in the past that of the offering of material things, of reverence, and of conduct, among these three offerings, the offering of conduct is most important. With conduct, there will be reverence. When we physical follow the Buddha’s teachings and practice accordingly, this is the true offering.
“After he makes offerings to all these Buddhas, he will fulfill the Bodhisattva-path. ” We must physically put the teachings into action. This is the utmost reverence. So, “Making offerings with one’s mind is wisdom; making offerings with actions creates blessings. To fulfill all practices is the Bodhisattva-path.”
Being able to fulfill these practices is called the Bodhisattva-path.It may not sound like much, but the principle is truly profound. When we transform treasures into a reverent mind and constantly serve the Buddha-Dharma and put the teachings into practice, this is the highest offering. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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