Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Peaceful Patience Brings Clear Wisdom (安忍戒定神智洞達)
Date: December.07. 2016
“To be peacefully patient and unwavering is to practice the Dharma of precepts and Samadhi. When we enter the inconceivable state, obstructions turn around and our wisdom opens up. We see into matters and principles and are able to understand all sutras and discourses. Our spirit and wisdom will be crystal clear, and with great eloquence, we will joyfully expound the Dharma.”
When ordinary people engage in practice, they need to be peacefully patient and unwavering. At all times in our lives, we should be at ease, our minds at peace. We must not worry over again and loss in all things. If we want to be at peace and at ease, we must be patient. If we have no conflicts with people, with the world, or over matters, naturally we will be peaceful. This is patience.
When interacting with people, matters and things, we should cultivate contemplation with a peacefully patient mind. All of this requires us to be unwavering. Only then can we practice the Dharma of precepts and Samadhi. The Dharma of precepts and Samadhi are our flawless studies. We should not let what we have cultivated to leak out again. This is where we need to put in hard work; we must practice to be peacefully patient and unwavering. We must abide in the power of precepts and Samadhi.
So, “when we enter the inconceivable state,” naturally, “obstructions turn around and our wisdom opens up.” If we are full of afflictions, our wisdom cannot open up, so we must brush aside all our afflictions and obstructions. If our obstructions turn around, naturally our wisdom will manifest. This requires having the aforementioned peaceful patience, cultivating contemplation and remaining unwavering in Samadhi. This requires the Dharma that we regularly cultivate in our daily interactions; only then will we have a way to enter the inconceivable state.
Only then will obstacles be turned around. “We see into matters and principles and are able to understand all sutras and discourses.” If our wisdom opens up, naturally we will see into matters and principles. These are worldly matters and true principles. True principles are without form or substance, but they come together to form worldly matters. When we can see into matters and let go, “The mind has no hindrances.” Then naturally, our wisdom-life will grow, and the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms naturally appear.
Thus, we “understand all sutras and discourses.” “Our spirit and wisdom will be crystal clear, and with great eloquence, we will joyfully expound the Dharma.” Spirit and wisdom refers to all of our wisdom. When our wisdom has completely opened up, naturally there is nothing covering our minds. Everything has completely opened up. This is what crystal clear means. When our wisdom has truly opened up, we will joyfully expound the Dharma without obstructions.
This requires us to earnestly be mindful. For example, Maudgalyayana also heard the Dharma. After receiving a prediction of Buddhahood, he also wanted to turn around obstacles and open up his wisdom. The Buddha’s teaching were able to flourish at one time in this world thanks to Sariputra and Maudgalyayana, two of the Buddha’s greatest assistants.
But it was Venerable Maudgalyayana who was most resented and envied by non-Buddhist practitioners. There was a group of Nigrantha ascetics that truly hatred Maudgalyayana. It was because of him that the Buddha-Dharma had kept flourishing. They believed if Maudgalyayana were to die, it would naturally impact Sakyamuni Buddha greatly.
So, the Nigranthas planned to find assassins. They paid to hire someone to think of a way to kill Maudgalyayana. At that time, Maudglyayana knew all this. He had been using his spiritual powers to come and go without leaving a trace, leaving the assassins no opportunity to kill him.
One day, Maudgalyayana had a thought. He thought about whether, in past lives, there remained karma that he had not eliminated. The karma he created in past lives, the negative causes and effects, had not yet been eliminated. This lifetime should be his final incarnation. He did not want to be born into this would again and attract the retribution of karmic forces. So, one day, he willingly and happily let go.
He would not use spiritual powers to travel. Just like that, he left the abode where the Buddha taught as usual.
The group saw Maudgalyayana and started following him. They tracked Maudgalyayana to a place in the wilderness. The group surrounded him and started beating him. They used their hands, knives, sticks and so on. Maudgalyayana wanted to eliminate his karma. This lifetime, he was ready to enter Parinirvana, so he did not resist. That is how he was beaten and seriously wounded.
Everyone believed him to be dead. They dragged him into the bushes and left him. Maudgalyayana used the last of his powers of Samadhi to restore his body. Holding on to life, he returned to the abode. He bowed before the Buddha and bid Him farewell, saying “Venerable Buddha, I want to enter Nirvana.”
The Buddha said to him, “If you want to enter Nirvana, first expound the Dharma to these bhiksus. Talk to them.”
Maudgalyayana followed the Buddha’s instructions and expounded the Dharma for the bhiksus. He spoke of his life with the Buddha and of his experiences. So, after speaking like this a while, he again went to the Buddha and prostrated, and just like that, he departed and left. Before long, after he had gone down the mountain and was sitting there, he again was found by non-Buddhist practitioners. “Maydgalyayana is still alive!” They found a large boulder and pushed it down onto him.
That is how Maudgalyayana died and entered Parinirvana. That is the manner in which his karma was changed. It was his last incarnation.
This news spread, and King Ajatasatru was very angry. “These non-Buddhists are so ruthless! This was a great man from the Buddha’s Sangha. [These practitioners] dared to kill. Maudgalyayana, foremost in spiritual powers.” So, he issued the order to have them captured. These people were also punished. All of the bhiksus were very sad. They went to the Buddha [and asked what to do]. They were all very sad. “Venerable Buddha! Did Maudgalyayana have to go and be killed like that by those non-Buddhists? Didn’t You know this would happen?”
The Buddha said, “This was Maudgalyayana’s final incarnation. Maudgalyayana’s wish was to exhaust his remaining karma. He wanted to eliminate the karma accumulated over many lifetimes.”
Everyone asked Him to explain just what karma. Maudgalyayana had created in his past lives. The Buddha told them that countless lives before, there was a young man whose mother and father had both lost their sight. He was very filial toward his blind parents. Later, after getting married, his wife became very unhappy with her in-laws. She always had to attend to them. So, she thought of ways to manipulate her husband.
The man’s beautiful wife was always telling him lies about his parents, so he gradually developed an aversion toward them and became less filial and obedient. Then, one day, he used a cart to take his parents to a distant mountain forest. He dragged his parents out and beat them to death. In his past life he committed this terrible, unfilial and disobedient transgression.
That is why in this life, the non-Buddhists hated, envied and killed him. The reason his body was smashed by a stone was due to causes from another lifetime. He was a fisherman, and the lives he took were countless in number. So, because of this he suffered this retribution of many lifetimes of bad karma. This lifetime was his final physical retribution. After hearing this, everyone understood. Cause and conditions and karmic forces are terrifying!
For so many lifetimes, he created so much karma. Even with spiritual practice, in the end his accumulated karma from past lives had to be repaid in full in this lifetime. So, his whole body was smashed. This shows that all his accumulated karma from many past lives took effect in this life. So, we all should know that when we are meant to face retributions, we will always have to face them.
Precepts, Samadhi and wisdom are what we need to cultivate; the Dharma is what we must clearly understand. Only then can we transform karma and open up wisdom.
So, this passage states, “With the wisdom of the Buddha, none of them will retreat. After that Buddha enters Parinirvana, the Right Dharma will abide for 40 small kalpas and Dharma-semblance will be the same.”
“With the wisdom of the Buddha, none of them will retreat” refers to Maudgalyayana [on attaining Buddhahood]. Now the Buddha bestowed a prediction of Buddhahood on him. He told Maudgalyayana of the magnificence of his land after he attains Buddhahood, and in particular his lifespan; how long will it be? How many kalpas long is his lifespan? A lifespan of 24 [small] kalpas. This is very long! This Tamalapatra Sandalwood Fragrance Tathagata, that is, Maudgalyayana when he becomes a Buddha, has a lifespan as long as 24 small kalpas. Moreover, in that land, there is no one in the Four Evil Destinies. They are all in good destinies. Everyone is wealthy and follows the rules. Furthermore, these people will have already attained the fruits of Arhat. All have the Three insights, Six Spiritual Powers. All have great might and virtues. The passage puts it this way. Specifically, “There are innumerable Bodhisattvas.”
Not only are there many Bodhisattvas, who have formed great aspirations and made great vows, what is most rare is that they “practice diligently with firm resolve.” With the wisdom of the Buddha, “None of them will retreat.” For those Bodhisattvas, “after that Buddha enters Parinirvana”, they will similarly transmit Right Dharma. How long will Right Dharma be transmitted? For 40 small kalpas “And Dharma-semblance will be the same.” This is the arrival of the Dharma-semblance era. Though [Right Dharma] will last 40 small kalpas, it too will pass, and the transmission of the Dharma will gradually weaken. But it will still be as long as 40 [small] kalpas.
The next passage says, “All these disciples of mine are replete with might and virtue. These 500 in number will all be bestowed with a prediction that in their future lifetimes they will attain Buddhahood.”
This means we now return to Sakyamuni Buddha’s place of practice. These disciples of His were all “replete with might and virtue.” They had all been engaged in spiritual practice. These disciples replete with might and virtue were His senior disciples, like Sariputra, Maudgalyayana, Katyayana, Kasyapa and so on. These were His senior disciples. They had already received predictions.
But the next passage says, “these 500 in number.” Here, “these 500 in number” indicates that, after them, there were still more disciples with limited capabilities. Those with great or average capabilities had already received predictions. There remained disciples of limited capabilities who needed to be given a prediction as a whole. “If you are willing to practice, since everyone inherently has Buddha-nature, someday you will certainly attain Buddhahood.”
Thus, all 500 disciples were bestowed with a prediction of Buddhahood.
“[They] will all be bestowed with a prediction. These people should also receive predictions. These limited-capability Hearer-disciples had already heard two cycles of Dharma and analogies. They saw disciples with great or average capabilities receive predictions. Disciples of great capabilities [could be seen] when the Buddha began teaching the Dharma. For instance, in the Introductory Chapter, we see Manjusri Bodhisattva and Maitreya Bodhisattva in a dialogue. Next, in the Chapter on Skillful Means, Sariputra heard the Buddha praising the Buddha-wisdom, the Buddha Vehicle and the wondrous principles of absolute truth. Sariputra had an awakening, so he asked the Buddha to expound the Dharma to make it clearer.
He asked three times, but the Buddha declined three times. Only after did He begin teaching, in this process, in the Chapter on Parables, Sariputra received a prediction. This was the first cycle, when disciples of great capabilities received predictions. Sariputra alone received the Buddha’s first prediction.
Next, the [disciples] of average capability were Kasyapa, Subhuti, Katyayana and Maudgalyayana. They were considered to have average capabilities. Through the Chapter on Parables, the Chapter on Medicinal Plants, and the analogy of the poor son, [they] began to attain great realizations. This was the second cycle.
Follow this, there was still a third cycle. So, it says these two cycles [of teaching] had already been heard by these disciples with limited capabilities. Our of His compassion, the Buddha initially intended to tell everyone not to worry, to comfort them. “The Buddha worried that disciples of limited capabilities might, facing the great cause of reaching Buddhahood, feel inferior for their limited capability and insignificant strength.” He worried these disciples might feel inferior, so with His compassion, the Buddha first reassured and comforted them. “All of you can attain Buddhahood, all of you can receive a prediction.”
“You and I all share causes and conditions from past lifetimes.” “Causes and conditions from past lifetimes” means that with those causes and conditions, in the future, in the [Chapter on] the Conjured City, He would continue with another passage. That is, He would continue for a third cycle in the future, this passage would continue.
These causes and conditions from past lifetimes are what is said in the Chapter on Conjured City, that the fundamental teacher, in the past, was the 16th prince. This again explains the Lotus Sutra’s affinities. We should know that listening to, upholding and widely spreading the Lotus teachings is the greatest cause and condition for attaining Buddhahood.
As Buddhist practitioners, we know that the Buddha’s disciples had already been engaging in spiritual practice. In practice, the causes and conditions for receiving predictions of Buddhahood are either deep or shallow. It depends on how our causes were created. “Causes and conditions from past lifetimes” means those who should receive predictions from Sakyamuni Buddha will surely receive them.
So, It says, “You and I all share causes and conditions from past lifetimes. I will now speak; all of you must listen well.”
Everyone should listen earnestly. In the future, these 500 disciples could receive predictions of Buddhahood. “Put your mind at ease.” This was the Buddha’s mindfulness; He truly spared no effort. Look at this passage. “You and I all share causes and conditions from past lifetimes.” “You and I both have causes and conditions.” He first quickly pacified everyone. “I soon will teach. You should earnestly wait and listen, listen to how, in the future, you can attain Buddhahood.” Thus this was a “promise in advance to speak.” He promised them that He would bestow predictions on them. “You should be self-disciplined and carefully focus your mind.” “Do not let it become scattered. You must wait for the time when I will bestow predictions.”
I will now speak: He promised in advance to speak. All of you must listen well: He admonished so as to captivate their minds. For these 500 disciples, He specifically indicated that they would be bestowed with predictions. This was the conditions for the next passage and the third cycle of teaching the Dharma.
So, during the time of the Buddha, although disciples who followed the Buddha engaged in spiritual practice, they had many habitual tendencies. The Buddha still needed to mindfully put everyone at ease. They had heard others receive predictions, and He worried they were not at ease. He worried they had sense of inferiority. This is how He pacified them, [saying], “You need not worry, I will bestow a prediction on you.” Look at the Buddha’s heartfelt efforts! Sentient beings still have habitual tendencies, so we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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