Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Attain Buddhahood with Unmoving Body and Mind (身心不動垂得佛智)
Date: December.23. 2016
“We must know that everyone intrinsically has a Great Unhindered Buddha. Shouldn’t we carefully reflect on ourselves to find the flawless Dharma? We can understand this pure, subtle and wondrous wisdom which is unobstructed and superior. This is what sentient beings intrinsically possess, from Beginninless Time to now.”
Please be mindful. We must understand and know that everyone intrinsically has a Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha within, the Buddha-nature which has been present since Beginningless Time. We keep seeking outside of us, seeking that Buddha from so very long ago. How did He come to be awakened? How did He engage in spiritual practice in order to attain Buddhahood? It would be better for us to instead closely examine ourselves, to look inside ourselves and seek the flawless Dharma, the Buddha-nature we all intrinsically have. Everyone has a Buddha-nature, which neither increases nor decreases and is equal to the Buddha’s. It is just that we have been deluded by ignorance.
The true principles of the Buddha-Dharma, which are always deep inside us, have leaked away. This is because ignorance from the outside world continually covers us.
So, let us earnestly and meticulously contemplate and work hard in the field of our minds. In the vast and borderless ground of the mind, we must earnestly seek and find our Buddha-nature, which is the same as Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s. If we can do this, “We can understand this pure, subtle and wondrous wisdom which is unobstructed and superior.”
When “we can understand this pure, subtle and wondrous wisdom,” this very clean, subtle and wondrous wisdom, we understand everything without any obstruction. This [wisdom] is superior to all things, and we inherently possess it. “This is what sentient beings intrinsically possess, from Beginningless Time to now.” This intrinsic nature has been inherent in us ever since Beginningless Time, since long ago in the distant past, for an extremely long time. To this day, it still exists in us. If we believe what the Buddha taught, we earnestly take the Dharma to heart, put the Dharma into practice and go among others to create good affinities, while at the same time observing the Bodhi-seeds that exist within sentient beings’ afflictions. People’s afflictions are Bodhi. Within every sentient beings, there is intrinsic wisdom that is the same as the Buddha’s. So, it is by going among others that we see the appearances of sentient beings. It is among others that we can find that subtle and wondrous, that pure and wondrous wisdom. There is nowhere else we can find it.
The ground of our mind exists everywhere. However vast space may be, our mind is equally as vast. Time, space and interpersonal relations are all inseparable from the fundamental essence of our awakened nature. Let us be a little bit more mindful. We ourselves possess infinite wealth. Let us not let it leak away.
The previous sutra passage says, “The Buddha told all the bhiksus that Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha had a lifespan of 540 trillion nayutas of kalpas.” The Buddha had already sat in the place of enlightenment and destroyed the army of Mara.”
Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha had a lifespan of 540 trillion nayutas of kalpas, which is a very long time. As we explained yesterday, 500 represents the Five Realms, and 40 represents the four forms of birth. Why is Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s lifespan used as an analogy here?Actually, this is already very clear. All of us sentient beings intrinsically have Buddha-nature; it is just that for a very long time, for 540 trillion nayutas of kalpas, we have continually been reborn, remaining in the Five Realms and four forms of birth. “The Buddha had already sat in the place of enlightenment and destroyed the army of Mara.” Actually, in everyone’s’ mind there is a place of enlightenment. We have just not yet destroyed the army of Mara. Many maras of afflictions are still within our minds.
The next sutra passage states, “He saw about to attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, yet the Dharma of all Buddhas had not appeared before him.” He had already been sitting in the place of enlightenment for a long time. He sat in the place of enlightenment, but still could not break through. The Buddha-Dharma still had not appeared because he had still not destroyed the maras. This is why we must be mindful.
When it says here, “He was about to attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, about to” means he was starting to attain it. “He would soon attain it.” It takes such a long time before we can be considered to have attained the Buddha-Dharma. For unenlightened begins like us, wandering in the Five Realms and four forms of birth, how many still have no means to even listen to the Buddha-Dharma? They do not know of the Buddha’s teachings.
But we are very lucky; we have heard it. Not only have we heard it, we have also put it into practice in our actions. At this time we have encountered the Buddha-Dharma and we are “about to” attain it. Thus it says “about to”; we are almost there. We have almost attained the Dharma.
So, “Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi” means he was close to attaining Buddha-wisdom. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi is supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment. It says, “He was about to attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi,” the supreme wisdom of truly and impartially awakening to all true principles. Everyone had this. The noble caste has this awakened understanding, as do the lower castes and the untouchables. Everyone had this enlightened nature. It is equally present in all sentient beings.
Not only humans, but all animals, all in the Five Realms and four forms of birth, have this enlightened nature too. All are equal. This is viewing all with equal compassion. Viewing all equally with compassion is supreme wisdom. It is the true principle; it is supreme wisdom.
“Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas had not appeared before him.” Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas had not appeared before him:
Having awakened to the Path, he could see the Dharma of all Buddhas close enough to be right in front of him. Yet there was still a little unrevealed. He was now about to attain it. Hence it says it “had not appeared before him.”
Even after such a long time he had still not fully penetrated those principles. He had only come close to attaining them, but had not yet truly attained them.
He had spent so much time seeking the Buddha-Dharma, but because of the maras, because he had not yet destroyed the army of Mara, therefore, “The Dharma of all Buddhas had not yet appeared before him.” That is, “Having awakened to the Path, he could see the Dharma of all Buddhas, close enough to be right in front of him.”
But he was still missing something. “There is still a little unrevealed.” He clearly knew, but still could not see it completely. There was a little bit unrevealed to him, which means “He was now about to attain it.” Now, sitting in the place of enlightenment, he had drawn very near to the Path. He just had not yet destroyed the army of Mara. He knew almost all of the principles, but there were still impurities in his mind. He was off by a bit because of these impurities, such as discursive thoughts. He had not completely eliminated the army of Mara.
The next sutra passage says, “In this way, one small kalpa and then ten small kalpas passed, as he sat in the lotus position with body and mind unmoving. Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas still did not appear before him.”
This went on for such a long time!
He sat in the Bodhimanda, the place of awakening. One small kalpa passed and nothing manifested. Then ten small kalpas passed. From the first moments through the long kalpas, he spent such a long time, from one small kalpa through ten small kalpas. During this time, he was waiting until he could destroy Mara, which took him a long time.
So, for such a long time, “He sat in the lotus position.” Do your legs hurt? Sitting for a long time hurts, but this is part of the process of spiritual practice. We still have those thoughts of “pain.” “How can my legs possibly hurt so much? Why I time passing so slowly?” This is what happens after a long time. To sit from the first kalpa to the tenth kalpa while in the lotus position would be truly tiring.
“He sat in the lotus position. This is to cross the legs and sit with them on top of each other.” This is called “sitting in the lotus position.” The legs are crossed and brought together, stacked upon each other. It is called “sitting in the lotus position.”
The Buddha’s sitting posture is to sit with legs crossed. There are two types of this posture: the subjugating maras posture and the auspicious posture. First taking the right leg and placing it upon the left, then taking the left leg and placing it on the right is called the “subjugating maras posture.”
First taking the left leg and placing it upon the right leg is called the “auspicious posture.” These postures require us to put in our efforts. So, “He sat in the lotus position with body and mind unmoving.”
He sat in the lotus position with body and mind unmoving: This means he did not leave the Bodhi-tree in performance of the great Avatamsaka.
His body and mind were unmoving. This is “not leaving the Bodhimanda.” Beneath the Bodhi-tree, he remained in the Bodhimanda. He sat there ceaselessly contemplating the Dharma. Though he continuously contemplated the Dharma, “Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas still did not appear before him.”
Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas still did not appear before him: Despite long focusing his mind in stillness, he still had not achieved complete awakening and enlightenment. Hence it says it “still did not appear before him.
Although he mindfully sat in the lotus position like this, sitting in this great spiritual training ground, the Dharma still did not appear before him. “Despite long focusing his mind in stillness” means he had to settle his mind, yet “He still had not achieved [awakening].” He had not yet attained it. He knew almost all of the Dharma, but when it came to realization, he had yet to realize that awakened state. “[Without] complete awakening and enlightenment, [it says] still did not appear before him. He knew all of the Dharma, yet he still could not attain complete awakening and enlightenment.
Therefore, it still did not appear before him. He knew all the Dharma but that instant of enlightenment had not yet arrived. So, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha “gave rise to compassionate contemplation.”
In this way, Great Unhindered Buddha gave rise to compassionate contemplation on the meticulous methods to transform sentient beings. This refers to the present Buddha’s 21 days of contemplation, of wishing to transform all, which is in alignment with forming the aspirations of the [Four] Great Vows and [Four] Infinite Minds.
After going through this, he continued contemplating there, and compassion began arising within him, thoughts of compassionate contemplation on the meticulous methods to transform sentient beings. How should he transform sentient beings? He considered it very carefully and meticulously. During this time, he had already begun caring about sentient beings. This was just like the “21 days of contemplation, of wishing to transform all, which is in alignment with forming the aspirations of the [Four] Great Vows and [Four] Infinite Minds.”
It was only then that this began. During this period of 21 days, the Buddha began to have a thought that resonated with the minds of all sentient beings. This is the [Four] Great Vows. The Four the Great Vows and the Four Infinite Minds were what he then very meticulously began to consider.
So, “He attained true Bodhi.” From this aspect, he kept on contemplating “and reached the other shore of true wisdom. He had already realized the essence and wondrous truth of all Buddhas’ wisdom.”
He attained true Bodhi and reached the other shore of true wisdom. He had already realized the essence and wondrous truth of all Buddhas’ wisdom. This is like how the present Buddha looked upon the morning star and in an instant His enlightened nature became one with the universe and all Dharma-realms. His nature had awakened to the truth.
From contemplation, He meticulously and thoroughly considered how He would arrive at that state. This was the present Sakyamuni Buddha. “This is like how the present Buddha looked upon the morning star.” Sakyamuni Buddha sat beneath the Bodhi-tree and saw the morning star. His mind was concentrated upon the earth’s sentient beings.
Then “In an instant His enlightened nature became one with the universe and all Dharma-realms. His nature has awakened to the truth.” It was then that His mind really and truly, in the span of an instant, became one with the universe and pervaded all Dharma-realms. His realization was instantaneous he saw the bright morning star and connected to it.
So, “He contemplated for 21 days. He attained Buddhahood.” And after that? “For 21days, He observed the tree and practiced walking meditation.” He practiced walking meditation and contemplated how to teach the wondrous Dharma to transform sentient beings.
After His enlightenment, He decided to transform sentient beings. Whatever our spiritual practice is, in the end, we must still care for sentient beings. This was at the end [of His practice], when He realized how sentient beings suffered and used His compassion to engage in contemplation, considering how He could transform them. For 21days, He observed the tree and practice walking meditation. In the Bodhimanda, He still observed the tree and walked around the tree. He walked around and around it, contemplating how to teach the wondrous Dharma to transform and deliver sentient beings.
So, in the Chapter on Skillful Means there is this sutra passage. Do you all remember it? “When I first sat in the place of enlightenment, I contemplated this tree and walked in meditation.” For three periods of seven days, I thought over matters such as these. The wisdom which o achieved is foremost in its subtlety and wondrousness. But sentient beings have dull capacities, are attached to pleasures, blinded by delusion. When it comes to beings such as these, how can they possibly be transformed?”
This was in the Chapter on Skillful Means. We already chanted this sutra passage before, and we already listened to the explanation. We should all put our hearts into remembering this from the past, to remembering the Dharma we heard in the past.
“With body and mind unmoving” means that with the body unmoving, “One is awe-inspiring, tranquil and still.” With the mind unmoving, “One tranquilly extinguishes deluded thoughts.” This is “with body and mind unmoving.”
Whatever spiritual practice we may engage in, let us practice until body and mind are unmoving. So, this is why must learn the Buddha’s Way. We learn the Buddha’s Way for no other purpose but learn how to focus our minds. We must constantly experience how the Buddha-nature never leaves us. Our wisdom comes from the knowledge we gain in daily living. If we transform knowledge into wisdom, we can give while seeking nothing in return. In any time, in any space, when we are among people in the world, that is when our Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha manifests. So, let us always be more mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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