Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Venerable Maudgalyayana Receiving Predictions (授記目犍連尊者)
Date: November.25. 2016
“They upheld the Dharma of Hearers and abided by the practice of Solitary Realizers. The Buddha in His loving-kindness always keeps the world’s living beings in His thoughts. He hopes they will turn from the Small [Vehicle] toward the [Four] Great Vows and practice diligently while meeting and serving trillions of Buddhas.”
The Chapter on Faith and Understanding is all about the past practice of these disciples. What they practiced was the Dharma of Hearers. After hearing the Buddha’s voice with their ears, they understood the Buddha-Dharma and upheld the practice of Solitary Realizers. How did they understand the Dharma? After they understood the Buddha’s teachings, they feared [the law] of cause and effect and did not want to contrive affinities with sentient beings. They practiced solely to understand the principles for themselves. They did not want to go among people to transform sentient beings, so they remained in the practice of Solitary Realizers.
But the Buddha, “in His loving-kindness, always keeps the world’s living beings in His thoughts.” This was the Buddha’s intent. He came to this world in hopes of passing on the Dharma to all sentient beings, so that they could understand how frightening the law of karma is. [He hoped] everyone would form great aspirations; besides understanding the Buddha-Dharma, He hoped for everyone to spread the Dharma throughout the world. Yet, all of His disciples still remained in the practice of Solitary Realizers; this was the Buddha’s concern.
So, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, He wanted to inspire everyone to turn from the Small to the Great [Vehicle] and enable all to form great aspirations. The Small Vehicle of only benefiting oneself could be turned into benefiting all beings in the world, which is making the [Four] Great Vows. So, they “practiced diligently while meeting and serving trillions of Buddhas.” I have often talked about how we begin forming aspirations as ordinary people, which means we begin to need to walk on the Bodhisattva-path. On the Bodhisattva-path, we still have a long road on which we must practice lifetime after lifetime. We engage in uninterrupted practice, practice with nothing further, extended practice and practice with reverence. Practice with reverence refers to meeting and serving many, many Buddhas.
Subhuti and Kasyapa each must serve 300 trillion Buddhas. Katyayana must make offerings to 800 billion Buddhas, then later, another two trillion Buddhas. See, he must diligently practice while meeting and serving Buddhas for such a long time.
This is like when we begin to walk the Bodhisattva-path. We go among people and believe in the Buddha’s teaching that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature; we treat everyone as a Buddha. We must show respect, gratitude and love as we go among people to give continuously, to give with nothing further, to give for an extended period of time and to give with reverence, then practice the Six Perfections. This is why we must be very mindful.
The previous sutra passage states, “The radiance of that Buddha can be surpassed by none. His epithet will be Jambu[nada] Gold Radiance. Bodhisattvas and Hearers who have eradicated all existence, whose numbers are countless and immeasurable, will dignify that land.”
This speaks of Katyayana. Mahakatyayana will attain Buddhahood in the future. He will be known as “Jambunada Gold Radiance Tathagata.” Because this is in verse form, this was shortened in the verses to become “Jambu Gold Radiance.” This Buddha’s future circumstantial retributions will be that everyone who He engages in spiritual practice with will all be Bodhisattvas and Hearers who have already eliminated all afflictions and ignorance. They are those “who have eradicated all existence.” Such Bodhisattvas and Hearers will be countless and immeasurable. In this way, they will dignify the land.
The next sutra passage talks about another person who will receive the Buddha’s predictions of Buddhahood. When we read the next sutra passage, we will know who he is. “At that time, the World-Honored One again told the assembly. Today I say to you that this man, Mahamaudgalyayana, with all kinds of devotional items, will make offerings to 8000 Buddhas will reverence and respect.”
It was already Maudgalyayana’s turn. “This prediction for Mahamaudgalyayana records the causes of his spiritual practice and the fruits of his attaining Buddhahood.”
This prediction for Mahamaudgalyayana records the causes of his spiritual practice and the fruits of his attaining Buddhahood. The recounting of Mahamaudgalyayana’s causes was the same as that of Katyayana.
The prediction of his fruits, namely his lifespan as a Buddha and the number of kalpas that Right Dharma and Dharma-semblance will abide in the world, are all twice that of the previous predictions.
In “recounting Mahamaudgalyayana’s causes,” his process of spiritual practice will be the same as that of Katyayana, but the effects when he attains Buddhahood [were all double].
Venerable Maudgalyayana was once walking along the Ganges River.
He sat down there to meditate and suddenly saw on the shore of the Ganges many hungry ghosts by the banks of the river. They all wanted to go there to fetch water to drink. One of the hungry ghosts came over in front of Maudgalyayana and asked him for guidance. “If I put the water into my mouth, it feels like my body is burnt by boiling soup, like all my organs being scalded. What kind of karma did I create? What kind of transgressions? Why am I experiencing such terrible suffering?”
Venerable Maudgalyayana answered him.
“In your previous life, you were a fortune teller. You told people their fortunes and earned a living on that profession. You predicted people’s fortune, yet you would praise or slander at will. You would tell them good fortunes or bad depending on your own whims, causing people to be very frightened. Then you told them you could change their fate.
By telling fortunes or offering to change fate, you cheated people out of their money. So, you have received this karmic retribution.”
Then a second ghost came to ask a question. He said, “My body is constantly bitten by many bronze snakes and iron dogs. The skin and flesh of my body have all been eaten up. Each gust of wind feels like a sword. The skin and flesh then grows back and recovers. This happens again and again. I constantly suffer from such bodily pain. What kind of evil karma is causing this suffering?”
Venerable Maudgalyayan answered, “In your past life, you killed chickens, ducks, pigs, sheep and such to offer sacrifices to the gods. You engaged in this kind of profession. You see, you killed chickens, ducks, sheep, pigs and others. After you killed them, you threes them into a boiling pot, then plucked off their feathers or fur. The number of living beings you killed like this was countless and immeasurable. So, in your present life, you must receive this type of karmic retribution.” This suffering was unbearable.
Next, a third [hungry ghost] came over and asked, “Look at my shape. My stomach is so large, but my arms and feet are like sticks, as thin as dry sticks. My throat is like a needle’s eye. I really want to eat; I am very hungry, but I cannot swallow at all. I cannot get any food. What causes and conditions do I have?”
Maudgalyayana replied to him. “In the past you were an official. As an official, you exploited people. You were a corrupt official who exploited many people. When people could not afford to pay, your tortured them cruelly and made them suffer terribly. So, you are receiving this karmic retribution.”
A fourth one asked, “When I open my mouth, I have many tongues. These tongues are all rotten; when I move them, look, they are all bleeding. With these bleeding and rotten tongues, I cannot eat anything. What karma have I created?
Venerable Maudgalyayana answered him. In your former life you liked stirring up enmity. Your gossip caused conflicts among people, bringing much misfortune to people in the world. That is the karma you created in you past life.”
What Venerable Maudgalyayana explained to the four hungry ghosts helped them open their minds and understand. “I willingly accept this! In the past, I have done such evil things. Now I have fallen into the hungry ghost realm.” They began to repent, constantly repenting over and over and constantly making vows over and over. This is one of the stories of Maudgalyayana.
“At that time, the World-Honored One,” as the sutra passage says, “the World-Honored One again told the assembly, Today I say to you,” Now He was talking to everyone. This means that He had already bestowed predictions on Katyayana.
“At that time” refers to the moment in time after He gave Katyayana a prediction of Buddhahood. Following this, He turned to them and spoke, saying to the assembly, ‘“Today I say to you.’ Everyone, listen carefully! Now I want to tell you, this man, Mahamaudgalyayana….”
This passage talks about Mahamaudgalyayana.
“Maudgalyayana” can be translated as “of the bean-pickers.” “Bean-picker” was his ancestral name. His given name was “Kolita,” which refers to the poplar tree, a kind of plant. His ancestors wished to have a son, so they prayed to this tree and had a son. “With all kinds of devotional items, [he] will make offerings to 8000 Buddhas,” Mahamaudgalyayana, in the future, with all kinds of devotional items, will make offerings to 8000 Buddhas.” In the future, there will still be 8000 Buddhas; he has to make offerings to so many Buddhas. “These are items that can be used to make offerings. He uses all opportunities and conditions to make offerings and serve.”
What does he use to make offerings? [He uses various] items. He will give everything to the best of his ability. Whether food, objects or so on, they are all included in this. Whatever he can offer, he will seize the opportunity, seize the cause and conditions and surroundings. With such uninterrupted [and extended] practice, and practice with nothing further, [he] will make offerings and serve in this way.
“With reverence and respect” means that he not only makes offerings, but also has “reverence and respect.” “He will make offerings by practicing in both body and mind.” How will he make offerings? There are offerings of wealth. “Wealth” refers to material offerings. There are also offerings of “reverence.” This means prostrating using his body as an expression of his [reverence] for the Buddha. This is prostrating using his body.
What about conduct? The Dharma the Buddha teaches must be heard, taken to the heart and applied in our daily living, and we must also walk on the Bodhisattva-path. This is [the offering of] conduct. This is practicing in both body and mind. This offering of conduct is [an offering of] “reverence and respect.” When a Buddha is in this world, as the preceding sutra passage talks about, “he [makes offerings] with reverence and respect.” After a Buddha enters Parinirvana, he will still have the same mindset. I have explained this before.
The preceding is when a Buddha is in the world. The following is after a Buddha’s Parinirvana. The previous four verses are predictions of the fruits that he will attain. They explain the appearance of the land, the appearance of the blessed fields, the appearance of his body and the appearance of his family and followers. His lifespan, Right Dharma and Dharma-semblance are omitted in the verse.
I have talked about the preceding four things before. The accounts of causes and predictions of effects were made to help us clearly understand that his land is the future [result] of his causal practice. This is the process of spiritual practice. The appearance of his future land, the land he will attain in the future, is depicted in a later sutra passage. This refers to the appearance of his land, the appearance of his blessed fields, as well as the appearance of his body and that of his family and followers. These are the Four Appearances.
Every disciple receiving the Buddha’s prediction will attain the Four Appearances of his land, the blessed fields he will cultivate as a Buddha, his dignified body, his spiritual family and so on. They are “predictions of fruits he will attain.”
“His lifespan, Right Dharma and Dharma-semblance, the eras of Right Dharma and Dharma-semblance, are all skipped over like this. In the passage on Maudgalyayana, they are omitted like this.
The next sutra passage says, “After all these Buddhas enter Parinirvana, he will build stupas and temples for each, with heights of 1000 yojanas and width and lengths precisely equal, 500 yojanas. Gold, silver, crystal, mother-of-pearl, chalcedony pearl and rose [stone], the Seven Treasures, will be used to build them.”
This is the future. At first, Maudgalyayana’s future process of spiritual practice in making offerings to 8000 Buddhas. He serves the Buddhas with reverence and respect. Then he also needs to build stupas with heights of 1000 yojanas and width and lengths precisely equal, 500 yojanas.”
We talked about this before. The width is 500, the length is 500 and the height is 1000 yojana. One yojana is equal to 40 li. It is very long and wide. This is not impossible. Consider the trip we made to Afghanistan. When we went there for disaster relief, we saw how an entire mountain in Afghanistan, a mountain stretching very long like this, was craved with huge Buddha statues. It was not just one statue; there were many Buddha statues of various sizes. There were also caves. Every hole of the caves was carved with some stories from the Jataka Sutra. The Dunhuang Buddha Grottos have many [images] too. This refers to the era of Dharma-semblance. This shows how they made offerings to the Buddha when the Buddha no longer was in the world. These express the Dharma taught by the Buddha and the dignified appearance of the Buddha in a form visible to everyone’s eyes so we can give rise to reverence and respect.
This is the era of Dharma-semblance. Right Dharma exists when a Buddha is in the world. After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, His disciples, these noble beings, are still in the human realm and [pass on] the Dharma the Buddha expounded and the Buddha’s way of spiritual practice. Then it is just like when a Buddha is in the world. This is called Right Dharma.
Gradually, the Buddha’s disciples age and die, and each generation is less like the previous. With changes in lifestyle and the changes of the times, gradually it turns into Dharma-semblance.
What about Dharma-degeneration? That is the destruction of Buddha-Dharma, when all temples are destroyed and all statues of the Buddha are destroyed. This happened for a time in mainland China. The huge Buddhaa in Afghanistan were also destroyed. This is called Dharma-degeneration.
So, the Right Dharma and Dharma-semblance are followed by Dharma-degeneration. Our present world is in such a state, so we must be mindful. We need to seize the present because we can still hear the Buddha-Dharma and we can still make offerings reverently with our bodies and minds. So, we should always be grateful and show reverence to the Buddha-Dharma in this lifetime. We must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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