Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Benefiting Self, Others to Become Bodhisattvas (自利利他成就菩薩)
Date: December.05. 2016
“We must perfect the practice of benefiting ourselves and others to become Bodhisattvas. We must give rise to unsurpassed Bodhicitta and abide in it for lifetimes. For trillions of kalpas, we carry out the great vows and broadly transform sentient beings. We will receive the Buddha’s prediction of our causes and effects and attain Buddhahood in the future.”
“We must perfect the practice of benefiting ourselves and others.” This is so clear and obvious. Yet, if we are to perfect [this practice], it will take a long time. We must have a determined mindset that is firmly settled in the Six Perfections, the Four Practices and the Three Flawless Studies. We must perfect them all completely.
Benefiting ourselves is a bit easier. Since we have vowed to engage in spiritual practice, we need to uphold our fundamental duties. We uphold pure precepts and do not commit wrongs; this is fairly simple. However, benefiting others is more difficult. To benefit others, besides practicing and upholding [the precepts] ourselves, we must also go among people. People have habitual tendencies. We all have different habitual tendencies. We all have different afflictions and ignorance and differences in perspective. Ten people will have ten different kinds of afflictions. Ten people will have hundreds of perspectives. To adapt to these different perspectives and be able to go amidst these afflictions and ignorance without being influenced by them is not easy.
When we see sentient beings with negative habitual tendencies, we must not punish ourselves for others’ mistakes. With sentient beings’ mistakes and their negative habitual tendencies, we must be grateful and remind ourselves to be vigilant. This is a beautiful virtue and is also truly benefiting ourselves. We may not yet be able to benefit others, but we are able to increate our own vigilance so that we can awaken ourselves.
This is like holding up a mirror. When we look at that person as our reflection and see that person’s attitude, we detest it. So, we reflect on ourselves; is our attitude also like that? Do we also lead people to feel they detest us? We should be grateful; when we face people who are like negative reflections in the mirror, we can quickly turn around to look at ourselves. Are we also like that negative reflection in the mirror? If so, we must quickly return to the positive and look at ourselves.
When we see someone with a bad attitude, we must quickly display a good attitude. So, we must always have a heart of gratitude. This is truly benefiting ourselves; in this way we can truly eliminate our afflictions and ignorance. In this way, we can perfect our own character. When our own character is perfected, we will naturally form good affinities with others.
As we go among people, we will naturally be seen as trustworthy, as someone who people are happy to listen to. When they can accept and draw close to us, we can then teach them. In this manner, we will be able to benefit them. So, “We must perfect the practice of benefiting ourselves and others to become Bodhisattvas.”
In our process of attaining Buddhahood, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path. “We must give rise to unsurpassed Bodhicitta and abide in it for lifetimes.” This will take a very long time. “Lifetimes” refers to how from Beginningless Time, what we have accumulated lifetime after lifetime has all been on the Bodhisattva-path.
As we walk the Bodhi-path, we continually return to the world. With our awakening and our enlightened nature, we no longer want to create or reproduce afflictions in the human realm. We clearly know the path and will go forward, abiding on the Buddha-path for lifetimes. Thus it says, “For trillions of kalpas we carry out great vows.”
We must have aspirations and make vows. “I vow to deliver countless sentient beings.” The habitual tendencies of sentient beings are countless and immeasurable. They have afflictions and ignorance. However much ignorance and afflictions there are, we must have just as many methods to train and transform sentient beings. So, we must accumulate our skills. Trillions of kalpas is how long of a time it will take. We must always engage in spiritual practice, in uninterrupted practice, extended practice, practice with nothing further and practice with reverence.
We must engage in the Four Practices and Six Perfections in parallel. We will then be able to abide [in Bodhisattva] for lifetimes. We will then be able to, over many lifetimes, make great vows to transform sentient beings. By forming extensive affinities with them, we can widely transform sentient beings. This is what we must work hard on and learn to do.
“We will receive the Buddha’s prediction of our causes and effects.”
Recently, we have talked a lot about [the Buddha’s] prediction of causes. We have strongly emphasized our causes. What causes are we planting in others’ hearts? If a negative cause is planted in someone’s heart, in subsequent lifetimes our affinities with them will entangle us. In the next life, this will be beyond our control.
In our family, even among our immediate family, we will have endless [entanglements], let alone with the myriads of sentient beings. So, we must be careful when [creating] causes. These are seeds. These seeds we plant are our causes. Looking at these causes, how can we benefit ourselves? We must always avoid carrying even three slightest afflictions in our minds. We want to end fragmentary samsara. We also want to end transformational samsara.
“Transformational” refers to thoughts and ideas. In our thoughts and ideas, we give rise to discursive thinking in response to other people. This is called transformational [samsara]. “At first, I treated him well. How could he suddenly change like that? So I rejected him.” These are the biases we have. Since we are engaging in spiritual practice, we need to benefit ourselves.
If we think “How could he have changed like this?” We need to immediately heighten our awareness and ask “Have I changed?” This is benefiting ourselves; other people are our spiritual training ground. How do we benefit others? This depends on us. So, these are the causes.
The Buddha wanted to see how we could benefit ourselves and others and succeed on the Bodhisattva-path. Thus, “We will receive the Buddha’s prediction of our causes and effects.” In the end, if we are able to encounter a Buddha when He is in this world, that is, in His final incarnation, we will receive that Buddha’s prediction, of our causes and effects, that we will attain Buddhahood in the future.
Now, it is Maudgalyayana who has already begun to receive the Buddha’s prediction. This is something that Buddhist practitioners must mindfully comprehend.
The previous sutra passage states, “For infinite kalpas he will uphold the Buddha-Dharma. After all those Buddhas enter Parinirvana, he will build stupas of the Seven Treasures with high markers, golden poles, and use flowers, fragrance and music, to make offerings at the stupas and temples of all Buddhas.” After each Buddha enters Parinirvana, he will still respect Him just as if He was still there. How can we [learn from] the Buddha’s life and all that He manifested? It is not only physical images of the Buddha; all Dharma must be manifested in different forms. The Dharma is intangible and without substance or appearance. But in order to pass down the Dharma, [Maudgalyayana] must build stupas and temples, and there must be spiritual practitioners. A temple must have practitioners, so that the Buddha-Dharma can be passed down. Thus, there is a need to build stupas and temples. He must also show his reverence and respect in the temples’ surroundings.
By cleaning the temples or stupas, he beings dignity to them.
Next it says, “When he has gradually fulfilled the Bodhisattva-path, in the land of Joyful-Intent he will attain Buddhahood. He epithet will be Tramalapatra Sandalwood Fragrance. “That Buddha’s lifespan will be 24 kalpas.”
That is a very long time. The previous [disciples], Katyayana, Subhuti, Kasyapa and Sariputra, will all have a lifespan of 12 small kalpas. But Maudgalyayana ’s will be 24 small kalpas. That is a very long time to abide in the world. As for “gradually fulfilled,” the sutra states that after serving many Buddhas, after each Buddha enters Parinirvana, in every lifetime, he will still spread the Dharma. So, he will build stupas, create temples, make offerings to the Sangha and dignify temples. They will all be very magnificent.
In this way, he will have “gradually fulfilled the Bodhisattva-path.” When a Buddha teaches the Dharma, it is always the perfect One Vehicle teachings. So, why does it say gradually? Actually, this is probably telling us the meaning of “gradually;” it is telling us that “He remains the same from beginning to end.” Thus he gradually fulfills the Bodhisattva-path.”
Beginning with that first thought, we accept the Buddha-Dharma. We form aspirations and begin to have a mindset of not retreating. We often hear, “If you sustain your initial aspiration, you will surely attain Buddhahood.” If we can maintain our initial aspiration, that is the beginning. The first time we hear the Dharma, the first time we form an aspiration, we must have a mindset of “listening to Dharma with joy and forming aspirations,” this is the mindset we must have. We must do this for a long time. We must all form supreme aspirations, must aspire to “abide for lifetimes in Bodhicitta.” So, this is the meaning of “gradually.”
Form that initial thought, for a long time, he must continually persist until he attains Buddhahood. That is “when he has gradually fulfilled the Bodhisattva-path.” In lifetime after lifetime, he will always walk the Bodhisattva-path.
Actually, we can immediately realize the truth; we can quickly have this awakening. Awakening to the principles is very simple. However, in our process of spiritual practice, it is when we go among people and “with matters [that] we must cultivate gradually. By cultivating gradually to turn from the Small to the Great, we begin to fulfill [this path].”
We understand the principles, but can we withstand our challenges? If we cannot withstand this constant training, immediate realization of the principles is useless. After we immediately awaken to the principles, we must still go through matters. As we go among people, as we interact with people or handle matters, how should we act? How should we practice? So, for accumulated lifetimes, with “matters we must cultivate gradually.”
The principles are fairly simple to understand, but to truly complete our mission of spiritual practice, we must gradually practice in this world. So, “By cultivating gradually to turn from the Small to the Great, we begin to fulfill [this path].” This is what it means to fulfill.
“In the land of Joyful-Intent, he will attain Buddhahood.” So, after attaining Buddhahood, his circumstantial retribution is the “land of Joyful-Intent.” His land is called Joyful-Intent. In this place of circumstantial retribution, “he will attain Buddhahood.” “Facing the sense objects of the Six Dusts, he can be at ease with all changes. Because of all his manifestations from his spiritual power of transporting himself, it says that it is in the Land of Joyful-Intent that he will attain Buddhahood that he will attain Buddhahood.”
The sense objects of the Six Dusts refers to when our Six Roots interact with the Six Dusts around us. He has already thoroughly understood this. Thus, he can change and become free and at ease, knowing that the objects of the Six Dusts are illusory and impermanent. Why should he take issue with people? In matters, naturally he had an open heart and pure thoughts.
These objects of the Six Dusts did not influence his spiritual aspirations, so he was free and at ease. No matter how objects of the Six Dusts changed, he was already free and at ease. This was how he engaged in spiritual practice. “Because of all his manifestations from his spiritual power of transporting himself.” It is because he possessed spiritual powers that his future circumstantial and direct retributions will be “in the land of Joyful-Intent.” This is how he will attain Buddhahood.
“That Buddha’s lifespan” will be 24 kalpas. This refers to how that Buddha, Maudgalyayana after he attains Buddhahood, will have a lifespan of 24 small kalpas. That is such a long time. It will be twice as long as Katyayana’s lifespan.
The next sutra passage states, “He constantly teaches heavenly beings and humans the path to Buddhahood. There are Hearers as countless as the sands of the Ganges with the Three Insights, Six Spiritual Powers, great might and virtue. There are innumerable Bodhisattvas who practice diligently with firm resolve.
This is to say that in the land of joyful-Intent, he will constantly teach the Dharma for humans and heavenly beings. “They are Hearers as countless. There will be many monastics. There are not only many heavenly beings or humans who are believers in the Buddha-Dharma; there will be even more monastics, as many as the sands of the Ganges. It is clear that in that land, in the future there will be many engaging in spiritual practice. All will be able to attain the “Three Insights,” “Six Spiritual Powers” and have “great might and virtue.” The Hearers in that place will attain the fruit of Arhatship and will already possess the Three Insights and Six Spiritual Powers. They will all have great might and virtue.
Everyone knows the Three Insights. Every Buddha is predicted to receive the Three Insight and Six Spiritual Powers; the insight of the heavenly eye, insight into previous lives and insight into ending all Leaks. Everyone should remember this. In the past, we have frequently spoken of this.
And the Six Spiritual Powers? The power of the heavenly eye, of the heavenly ear, of transporting oneself, of knowing others’ minds, of knowing past lives and of ending all Leaks; these are the Six Spiritual Powers. Everyone should remember these.
There are all the fruits of Arhatship. So, those Hearers will have already arrived at this level. Every bhiksu and Hearer will all have great might and virtue. These are his future circumstantial and direct retributions. Not only will practitioners who are Hearers hear the Dharma being spoken, there will also be Bodhisattvas.
“There are innumerable Bodhisattvas who practice diligently with firm resolve. There are many Bodhisattvas who make great vows. [The number of] Small Vehicle practitioners is as many as the sands of the Ganges. Actually, the Bodhisattvas who form great aspirations are also countless. It is impossible to count them [all]. Bodhisattvas like these whose vows are firm and diligent in spiritual cultivation.”
So, as Buddhist practitioners, we must constantly and continually keep our every thought on walking the Bodhi-path. Time is like this, slipping away every second. Our life is the same; it is constantly decreasing. How much time do we really have left? Can we afford to start over?
The time when we truly start over is at the end of our life. When our lives reach their end, we will come again to this world and must gradually form aspirations for spiritual practice again. Are we able to carry it with us, starting today? If we are incapable of doing this now, when we reach the end of our life, if we cannot bring that initial aspiration with us, then we will be led by our karma.
But if right now, we can promptly earnestly cultivate our initial aspiration, although we follow our conditions when we go, this seed of ours will create future conditions that will help us. Even if there are adverse conditions, they are favorable conditions for us. This is because we have right affinities, positive and favorable conditions. Our positive and favorable conditions are even stronger than beneficial adverse conditions because we have already had this thought and have already [planted] these good seeds for many accumulated lifetimes. The karma we created in the past has led us. But, the conditions we are cultivating now are positive conditions and causes. We can turn them into assisting conditions for future lifetimes. Virtuous friends and favorable conditions are also very important.
So, though we constantly say time is running out, actually, as long as we have this resolve to quickly accumulate good affinities, when our life reaches its end, we will still have good conditions to help us. This depends on us; we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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