Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Buddha Knows the Minds of Sentient Beings (佛知眾生心)
Date: January.16. 2017
“From the depths of our hearts, we seek the Dharma and make vows; our great vows are deep and firm. We resolve to seek supreme perfect enlightenment and are determined in our will to practice. With deep faith in the Buddha’s great awakening and original vow, we faithfully accept [the Dharma] without doubt.”
In our spiritual practice, we need to, “from the depths of our hearts, seek the Dharma and make vows.” In addition, “Our great vows are deep and firm.” This is very important. Spiritual practice must be done earnestly. We cannot simply say, “I’ve formed aspirations and made vows, so I’m engaged in spiritual practice. I practice whenever I feel like it.” This is “causal practice.” “I practice whenever I am happy.”
What if we aren’t happy? Does that mean we don’t need to practice? If we only engage in practice when we are happy, then our spiritual practice is just preventing ourselves from becoming unhappy. If we are unhappy, we have afflictions. With afflictions, we give rise to ignorance. When ignorance arises, we multiply our karma. So, we must engage in extended practice, practice with nothing further.
We must practice all the time. Regardless of whether we are happy or not, regardless of the outside circumstances, we must always remain determined in our hearts. Since we have formed aspirations, they must be from the depths of our hearts. It seems like whenever I speak about the depths of our hearts, I never seem to be able say enough, because how can one describe what is in the depths of one’s heart?
What is in the depths of our hearts has permeated us completely. Since we have come into contact with the Buddha-Dharma, by knowing it, we can guide our hearts in the right direction. So, we should have faith and understanding in the depths of our hearts. We must have faith. We must put effort into mindfully understanding the Buddha’s teachings. Then they have completely permeated the depths our hearts. We do not practice only when we have free time, or only when we are happy; this is not how it is. We must practice from the depths of our hearts; we must experience the teachings ourselves. No matter what environment we are in, from the depths of our hearts we seek to thoroughly understand and experience the truth of the Buddha-Dharma. When we are suffering, this allows us to understand suffering.
Suffering arises from countless numbers of afflictions and ignorance. This is how ignorance is; it can cause conflicts to arise for no reason. It is very obvious that we have been concentrating single-mindedly on our mission; why then should others criticize us? Why do people misunderstand? “I am worried! I am troubled!” This is suffering.
This is why we must be careful; we must be even more careful. We have been serving like this, and our intentions have not changed; they are very pure and true. Yet others still criticize us. Ah, this is all due to causes and conditions! We did not form good affinities with them in past lifetimes, so we must form better affinities with them now. If we can do this, it is coming from the depths of our hearts. When we encounter challenges, we should reflect upon ourselves; if we are wrong then we change. If we are not wrong, then we work even harder. This comes from the depths of our hearts. Only when our minds are like this can we move forward in seeking the Dharma.
When we have no doubts about the Dharma, as situations caused by ignorance appear, we accept them gratefully. We examine ourselves to see if we are wrong. If we are not wrong, then these are simply causes and conditions. They are manifestations of the Buddha-Dharma, circumstances for us to engage in spiritual practice. Only when we come from the depths of our hearts will our spiritual aspirations be firm. Only then will our great vows not be altered by external conditions. When we come from the depths of our hearts, our will to practice will be firm, and we can make great vows that will not waver.
So this is why, “From the depths of our hearts, we seek the Dharma and make vows.” Only when our great vows are deep and firm can our [understanding] be deep and firm. We must be very mindful of this.
One very simple phrase can give us a very deep reminder. So, “We resolve to seek supreme perfect enlightenment and are determined in our will to practice.” Our resolve is to seek supreme perfect enlightenment. From the state of unenlightened beings, we begin to learn the Buddha’s teachings. We advance forward step by step, unafraid of how long it may take, even if it takes lifetime after lifetime. As long as our resolve is firm, then lifetime after lifetime, we will always have causes and conditions that will lead us along the path toward Buddhahood. We need not worry, because in our present lifetime we have sown the seeds; in this lifetime we cultivated the causes.
Everyone should remember “cultivating causes;” we must spend a very long time putting the teachings into practice. These causes are all seeds. After a long time cultivating the correct causes, naturally the direction of our resolve will be to seek the path to Buddhahood. So it says, “We resolve to seek supreme perfect enlightenment.”
From the unenlightened state, we have continued to seek all along the way even if it takes as long as dust-inked kaplas. It does not matter how long it may take. Over this this process of dust-inked kalpas, we have already been through so many lifetimes that there is no way to even calculate them all. Not even a mathematician and his disciples could calculate them all; they are impossible to calculate. Even after such a long time, lifetime after lifetime, we are still firm in our resolve and our vows, determined in our will to practice. This requires that all along our path, from the depths of our hearts, “We resolve to seek supreme perfect enlightenment.”
Supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment is Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. This is compassion and wisdom in perfect harmony. With firm spiritual aspirations, we must continue like this for many lifetimes. For countless lifetimes in the future, not to mention in this very lifetime, we must go deeper into our hearts; our resolve to seek the Dharma and our great vows must be deep and firm. We “resolve to seek supreme perfect enlightenment.” Thus, being “determined in our will to practice” is very important.
So, “With deep faith in the Buddha’s great awakening and original vow, we faithfully accept [the Dharma] without doubt.” This is the kind of mindset we should have. From the depths of our heats, we need deep faith, “deep faith in the Buddha’s great awakening and original vow.” This great awakening is that of Great Unhindered Wisdom Supreme Buddha or Sakyamuni Buddha or our own intrinsic nature. We all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. As long as we can mindfully go among the people, forming great aspirations and making great vows, among the endless afflictions of sentient beings, we can create good affinities with sentient beings. With those infinite sentient beings, “Afflictions are Bodhi.” We use all of those afflictions to train ourselves in the ultimate hope that these realizations can continually accumulate in our innate awakened nature.
From the beginning, what we can understand accumulates bit by bit. These small awakenings, small realizations, will accumulate, becoming bigger realizations, and then bigger realizations will again accumulate until we have a great awakening. This is why we should not take even the smallest bit of Dharma lightly.
Yesterday we had a group of kindergarteners here. Although we had a board meeting yesterday, a board meeting for the mission of education, and a group of adult Bodhisattvas were there, their time was taken by the little Bodhisattvas. It began in the afternoon. When everyone had again gathered together, that large group of little Bodhisattvas came in. They stood in the hallway, blocking the door. Starting there, they began the song, “Prayer,” with great reverence and loud voices. The children in the hallway began singing “Prayer” loudly and clearly began singing “Prayer” loudly and clearly.
When “Prayer” was finished, I was coming out of my study, and they were lined up so neatly there. I watched as that group of little Bodhisattvas kneeled down and began singing another song. I cannot tell you what the name of the song was, but it was the way those little Bodhisattvas formed aspirations and made vows. This was their song.
Then they presented me with an invitation and said to me, “Master, we have come especially to invite you. You must remember to watch us on Da Ai TV on August 8th for the live broadcast. Master, you must watch us!”
They recited a very long [invitation]. Meanwhile the group of adult Bodhisattvas stood inside waiting for the meeting to begin. I stood outside and waited for those little Bodhisattvas to finish everything they had to say. They again made vows before me, vowing that for lifetime after lifetime they would follow me. And some wanted to become Pure Practitioners.
Wow, that a group of young Bodhisattvas I have! They started last year or the year before, when they were even younger. They come once a year, and when I go to Taipei, they show up every morning. They have been coming since they were very small, and now some of them are already in their first or second year of primary school.
Last year and the year before, when they came and stood before me, they were squinting their eyes, still half asleep. They are not like that anymore. They are already directing others!
These are little Bodhisattvas. Day by day they are growing older, and their spiritual aspirations are strengthening. Their will to practice is becoming more firm. One child, when three or four years old, participated in the Water Repentance performance. He practiced together with his grandmother. When he returned home, he would put on the music. He would bring up the videos and practice sign language by watching on the computer. After several months of this, of his grandmother and the others practicing while he sat off to the side and followed along, he in fact became a little teacher himself. When an elderly Bodhisattva would forget, she would say, “Come here, little Bodhisattva! Come and teach Grandma.” This was someone else’s grandma. He would teach that grandmother by saying, “Not like that! This hand is in front, and the other hand is behind. I am facing you, so when I do it like this, you do it like that.”
That child, who was four years old at the time, is now already in his third year of primary school. He is a third grader. He was also among the group [yesterday] and was one of the leaders, a big brother leading the group. I saw this little Bodhisattva, and I also saw the adult Bodhisattvas inside. I saw how when small virtues accumulate, they eventually become great virtues.
So, when small realizations accumulate, they eventually become a great awakening. This is our original vow. If we have deep faith in the depths of our hearts, it will naturally turn into [the Buddha’s] great awakening and original vow. “We faithfully accept [the Dharma] without doubt.” Starting dust-inked kalpas ago, we already had deep faith without doubts.
Yesterday we were talking about the Bodhisattvas from Durban and their journey. Actually, their mission was to spread the Dharma, bring purity to people’s minds and send love into these places. When the rice arrived from Taiwan, they began distributing it. There was another very moving story form this time. There was a very poor family with a women who suffered from diabetes. Her lower leg had ulcerated so badly that it had begun to small. When they first went to see her, their hearts went out to her and they very meticulously washed her leg, then applied medicine and dressed it. They told her, “Eat only vegetarian food. Now, with this rice, do not eat too much at each meal. Eat vegetables along with the rice, and your leg will definitely improve.” Originally, the doctor wanted to amputate, but then that group of Bodhisattvas appeared, bringing her rice and telling her to eat vegetarian food. She faithfully accepted and did what they told her. She ate what they told her to eat, and the next time that they went to see her and change her dressings, they exclaimed, “Wow, your leg is so much better!”
She was very happy and told our Bodhisattvas from Durban, “The doctor told me there was no need to amputate.” “Why?” “Did the doctor change your medication?” “No,” she said, “It was this rice.” She had finished the rice. She had told the doctor this. The doctor asked, “What have you been eating? A foot in this state does not require amputation.” She replied, “I showed him the rice bag and told him I had eaten this rice. I told him this was rice from Taiwan, and I had eaten only vegetables along with it, that I had eaten only vegetables and rice, nothing else.” The doctor then told her, “You should continue what you are doing. Your foot doesn’t need to be amputated.”
This was her faith. She faithfully accepted this deep in her heart. The symptoms of her diabetes were alleviated, and there was no need to amputate. Now she wears our basic volunteer uniform and has started farming [to feed the orphans]. This is something that has happened recently.
There was also a time when those South African volunteers were driving through a very dangerous place and came upon an automobile accident. They did not know when it had occurred, but there was a man lying there. The driver was lying by the roadside and was injured, but the locals told them not to get out. They said, “We have to get out Master has taught us to love others. If someone needs our help, we should not doubt, but instead promptly put our love into action. We have to go and check on that person.” So, they stopped the car. The man was indeed seriously injured. Many people began gathering around them. The locals all gathered around. Our volunteers numbered about six or seven. They knew that it was not safe there, that if they left their vehicle there with everyone gathered around like that they might not be able to save the man, and the things in their vehicle could possibly be stolen.
So, our Durban volunteers said, “Several of you stay here and watch the car so no one takes anything from inside. You others go at once to report it and get the police to come without delay to take this man to the hospital”. You see, this happened 500 or 600 kilometers away. Durban was 500 or 600 kilometers from that place. They had made the trip five or six times already and stayed two or three days each time they went, getting involved in relief work, or teaching people to grow vegetables and so on. They had planted all these seeds.
So, they were able to give these commands. Sure enough, the police arrived and handled it. They were relieved to hand it over to the police. The police had come, so they were sure to send the injured man to the hospital. Feeling relieved, they continued on their way. This comes from deep in their hearts. They did as they had been taught, practicing the Bodhisattva-path in the world. This is deep faith; they did not doubt what I had taught them and would handle whatever situation they encountered. They are truly amazing!
Their black skin is a different color than ours. They do not understand our language; it must translate for them. Every day, on the computer, they watch “Life Wisdom” and “Wisdom at Dawn.” They never miss a day. These have been translated into English, so they can watch. What they absorb in this way is so deep. Given that this is our own language, can we still say that we do not understand? Putting it into practice is easiest. Gaining understanding just by listening is truly difficult. So, after we listen, we should put it into practice. Just by itself, the depths of our hearts is such a great principle.
The next sutra passage says, “May you liberate us and all kinds of sentient beings. Separately reveal to us and enable us to attain this wisdom. If we can attain Buddhahood, then other beings can do likewise.”
We already spoke previously of how after becoming a Buddha, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha was already teaching the Dharma to transform the world. The 16 princes had also already formed aspirations to leave the lay life. They frequently asked the Buddha to teach the Dharma further. For the Dharma to be spread, there must constantly be people asking questions. Only when people frequently request the Dharma can the Dharma unceasingly be passed down. So, this is the passage where the 16 princes requested the Dharma. Everyone should still remember.
The next passage says, “The World-Honored One knows sentient beings and the thoughts we have in the depths of our hearts. You also know the paths we practice and know the strength of our wisdom, as well as our desire, delights, the blessings we cultivated and our deeds and karma from previous lives. Since the World-Honored One knows them all, please turn the supreme wheel.
“The World-Honored One knows sentient beings and the thoughts we have. This means that the Buddha, in His great wisdom, understands everything about sentient beings. Now, in the depths of everyone’s hearts, faith had been awakened in them. Furthermore, it had permeated them completely. With sincerity, from the depths of their hearts, they sought the Buddha’s teachings. So, these are “the thoughts we have in the depths of our hearts.” They are thoughts of great reverence.
The World-Honored One knows sentient beings and the thoughts we have in the depths of our hearts: The World-Honored One, with great loving-kindness, knows that sentient beings have formed aspirations and established the resolve to request teachings from the Buddha. This is what is in the depths of our hearts and in all thoughts that are in our minds.
The World-Honored One had great loving-kindness. Sentient beings, in the depths of their hearts, were very sincere, in seeking the Dharma. The Buddha, the World-Honored One, in His great compassion, could understand that those sentient beings had formed aspirations and made vows; they resolved to seek teachings from the Buddha. I believe the World-Honored One knew all this. This is what was in the depths of their hearts. We should be very sincere in asking the Buddha to teach. We do not seek teachings casually. The vows with we seek the Buddha’s teachings come from the depths of our hearts.
This is what is in the depths of our hearts “and all the thoughts that are in our minds.” In all that we think, all we consider, in each and every thought, we listen to, practice and contemplate the Dharma. We listen to, contemplate and practice the Dharma. Then we [have it] in the depths of our hearts.
Moreover, the “depths of our hearts” means “He knows sentient beings and the desires, delights and superior understanding in their minds.” What is in the depths of their hearts was reverence which had permeated them completely. So, [He knows] their desires and delights. Nothing else was important to them; the Dharma was most important. So, it says it was their desire and delight. Since the Dharma was so important to them, as they heard the Dharma, in an exceptional way, they understood; with this superior understanding it was their desire and delight. They listened very mindfully to the Dharma, and with the awakening they achieved upon hearing it, they understood and attained realizations.
The joy that they then felt was a “superior understanding.” It was an exceptional understanding. The Buddha-Dharma is so amazing, and they had experienced and understood it. So, their aspiration to seek the Dharma was extremely profound, extremely profound! They were “extremely profound and their faith was a strong.”
Truly, they put their hearts into listening, and as they took it in, even with profound teachings, they could “delight in superior understanding.” Upon hearing a single phrase, they could understand ten or a thousand. Thousands and thousands of principles could be revealed from just a single phrase. Thus their aspirations were “extremely profound and their faith was strong.” They had faith.
The depths of our hearts: Their aspiration to seek the Dharma is extremely profound and their faith is strong. Their resolve to seek the profound fruit of Buddhahood is firm and steadfast. They have deep faith in the Buddha’s original vow of compassion and wisdom, without even the slightest doubt.
Thus, “Their resolve to seek the profound fruit of Buddhahood is firm and steadfast.” They had made great vows, so what they sought in their extended practice over many lifetimes of cultivating causes, their direction and their aspirations, lay in “seeking the profound fruit of Buddhahood.” Lifetime after lifetime, in the seeds which they had long cultivated, their direction was toward the fruit of Buddhahood. They were very determined. So, “They have deep faith in the Buddha’s original vow of compassion and wisdom.” All of them believed very much in the Buddha’s original vow of compassion and wisdom. They did not doubt it one bit.
Next it says, “You also know the paths we practice and know the strength of our wisdom.” The Buddha already understood the deep faith and understanding of those sentient beings seeking the Dharma. He knew they had not merely listened, but had put it into practice upon hearing it. Putting it into practice, they went among people, did good deeds, resolved delusions and helped sentient beings transform confusion into awakening. They had gone among the people like this, working for sentient beings, forming good affinities and transforming their afflictions into Bodhi. The Buddha knew all these things they did, their wisdom, how they practiced the Path, how they applied wisdom to go among the people.
So it says, “You also know the paths we practice and know the strength of our wisdom. “[The Buddha] also knows sentient beings causes and conditions in previous in previous lives.” Their causes and conditions were that they had practiced lifetime after lifetime, over this very long period of time. These were their “deeds and karma on the paths they walked throughout accumulated lifetimes.” Over so many lifetimes, which paths had they actually walked? Of course, they walked paths of goodness; these were the causes they cultivated for so long.
“He also knows the strength of sentient beings’ wisdom.” The Buddha must have known of the good deeds they practiced and the causes they cultivated in past lifetimes. The Buddha knew all of this. What level had their wisdom reached? The Buddha would have known this as well. So it says, “You also know the paths we practice and know the strength of our wisdom. The Buddha understood all of this.
Furthermore, “You also know the paths we practice.” This refers to the “different destinies that sentient beings walked in over many lifetimes through the karma they created.”
You also know the paths we practice. This refers to the different destinies that sentient beings walked in over many lifetimes through the karma they created, such as practicing the Five Precepts and the Ten Good Deeds to walk in the human and heaven destinies, or practicing the Four Noble Truths and Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence to follow the Two Vehicles’ destinies and so on.
Sentient beings, for lifetime after lifetime, since kalpas as numerous as dust particles prior, have walked in many different destinies through the karma they created. It is the same for Buddhas. Wherever in the Five Realms of four forms of birth, there are sentient beings with the affinities, They would also go to deliver them, to walk the Bodhisattva-path. These were the causes They cultivated. It was not only in the human world; in all the four forms of birth and Five Realms, they practiced the Bodhisattva-path. They practiced the Five Precepts, Ten Good Deeds, the Dharma of the human and heaven realms, practiced the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. During their process of spiritual practice over dust-inked kalpas in the world, in all the four forms of birth and Five Realms, they carefully upheld the Five Precepts and practiced the Ten Good Deeds.
They upheld the Five Precepts not only as humans; They also went elsewhere to deliver people, to help them understand that some in the animal realm are very good-natured. No matter how humans step on them or abuse them, they seem to disregard it. Even if they are more evil [-natured], if we shoo them away or disturb them, they just continue in an unconcerned manner. Otherwise, if they have no targets, naturally the evil [-natured] ones will leave. It is evident that there is both good and evil in the animal realm as well.
Since there are also asuras in the animal realm, naturally there are some who uphold precepts too. Some cats and dogs who come here have to eat a vegetarian diet. Some say cats and dogs cannot maintain a vegetarian diet for very long, but there are many cats and dogs who come here. Three meals a day they come here to eat. They have already chosen to eat a vegetarian diet. You see, in the animal realm, there are those with good natures as well!
In any case, they can follow the Five Precepts and the Ten Good Deeds. Those in the human and heaven realms also uphold the Five Precepts and the Ten Good Deeds. They practice the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. This is their spiritual practice; wherever they go, it is the same. With the Dharma, they are not driven by karma; rather they vow to go to (different) places to teach sentient beings.
So, He “knows the strength of our wisdom. He knows the capabilities of sentient beings, whether superior of inferior, sharp or dull, diligent or lax.”
[Even] we already know all of these, to say nothing of the Buddha who knows better. The Bodhisattvas can understand these sentient beings’ capabilities, “whether superior of inferior, sharp or dull, diligent or lax.” This is nothing compared to how the Buddha knows the sincerity of listeners of the Dharma, how they practiced over dust-inked kalpas. As for those people with roots of goodness, the Buddha understands them even better. He knows the sentient beings’ “desires, delights and the blessings (they) cultivated.”
Our desires, delights and the blessings we cultivated: This is what sentient beings think and do, what they desire and delight in, as well as what blessings they cultivate.
The Buddha knew all about sentient beings. He understood what they desired and delighted in regarding their spiritual practice. This was their desire and their delight. Most important to them was spiritual practice. Spiritual practice was what they “desired and delighted in;” they took joy in cultivating blessed karma and going among people, going among sentient beings in order to help them. This was what they desired and delighted in. For those who listened to the Dharma from the depths of their hearts, what most interested them and what made them the happiest was doing good deeds. So, “This is what sentient beings think and do.”
In the Five Realms, what they thought and did, their every thought, was of going among people to save and deliver sentient beings. Not that they had the chance to meet a Buddha, they needed even more to listen to the Dharma. For these people who wished to hear the Dharma, this is “what they desire and delight in, as well as what blessings they cultivate.” The practice they wanted to cultivated and put into action was going among the people. These were “deeds and karma from previous lives.” Their previous lives refers to times long ago in the past. This is what they had continually been doing all along the way, during that long period of spiritual practice. They were forever going among others to help them. These were “deeds and karma from previous lives.”
Previously those sentient beings lived this kind of past life. “The good and bad deeds and karma they had done” means the Buddha knows that they had good [karma] and not evil. “Refrain from all evil and do all that is good.” Those now before the Buddha listening to Him teach the Dharma, had done this. “Refrain from all evil and do all that is good.” What interested them and what they took joy in was going among people to deliver sentient beings. Now that they had again met a Buddha in the world, of course their resolve to listen to the Dharma still came from the depths of their hearts. This is how they had been, lifetime after lifetime.
So, “The Buddha has the insight into past lives.” “He knows the causes and effects of the karma sentient beings created in the past.” The karma sentient beings created in the past, their karmic retributions, whether they had roots of goodness or whether those roots were deep or shallow, the Buddha already knew all of this.
The Buddha “also knows the paths we practice.” Earlier the passage said, “You also know the paths we practice and know the strength of our wisdom.” The Buddha already knew all of these. So, “Since the World-Honored One knows them all, please turn the supreme wheel.” The World-Honored One already knew all this. “The supreme Dharma-wheel” refers to all of the Buddha’s teachings. “Since the World-Honored One knows them all,” since He knew all those sentient beings, those who were then before Him, since He knew all their delusions and afflictions, He must transmit the supreme Dharma.
Look at those people. They had been like this in the past. For a long time, they had had deep faith in the Buddha’s teachings. They had been like this for many lifetimes. Although they had walked the Bodhisattva-path, it was inevitable that they still had small traces of afflictions, a small amount which they still could not fully understand. Since they had not yet attained Buddhahood, they were still not perfect and complete. Now they had a Buddha to teach them, a Buddha who knew that the teachings they had practiced in the past were all good teachings that had benefited sentient beings.
Now He should turn the Dharma-wheel for them. Turning the Dharma-wheel is giving the teachings. That is because in this passage they are requesting the teachings. It also describes how these people had already faithfully accepted the Buddha-Dharma in the depths of their hearts for a long time and how they had already put it into practice. Now they again had the causes and conditions to be before the Buddha and request that the Buddha turn the Dharma-wheel for them and teach them the Dharma.
In the previous passages, they “requested that the Buddha teach according to their capabilities.” They requested the Buddha teach in accord with the capabilities before Him, with how they had been in the past, “according to their thoughts and actions, their capabilities in following the Path, the strength of their wisdom and blessings, their character in accepting the Path and their deeds and karma in previous lives.”
The Buddha must have known the thoughts and actions of these people, what their capabilities were in following the Path. Whether their capabilities were great or limited, whether they were deep or shallow, the Buddha would know all of this. As for the strength of wisdom gained from already having gone among people lifetime after lifetime, over dust-inked such a long time, the strength of their wisdom and blessings that they had created by going among people, the Buddha would know all of this, along with their character in accepting the Path and everything they had done. The Buddha-Dharma also emphasizes character. What they had practiced was so meticulous. They were Bodhisattvas of outstanding character.
You see, this was their karma from previous lives. Their karma, the karma they had created, was always in the direction of goodness, all to transform sentient beings and to walk the Bodhisattva-path. The strength of their wisdom and blessings and their character in accepting the Path were all very good. These were practices from previous lives.
So, “Their causes for attaining the Path can be great or small, shallow or deep. The Buddha knows all of this, therefore He teaches the Dharma according to their capabilities.” at this place, the Buddha understood and knew all of this. Were their capabilities deep or shallow? The Buddha knew all of this.
The passage above described Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha in His place of practice. When He attained Buddhahood, heavenly beings and humans came to be Dharma-protectors as “He sat for ten small kalpas.” After He became enlightened and had compassion and wisdom in perfect harmony, heavenly beings’ and humans’ causes and conditions had already ripened. The 16 princes’ caused and conditions had also already ripened. From Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, starting in Beginningless Time, this Dharma had continually been passed down until these present causes and conditions [had ripened].
Everyone, where is Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha? He is in our heart. “Great unhindered” refers to our nature. Our nature is inherently equal to the Buddha’s nature. Everyone inherently has Buddha-nature. Everyone inherently has this kind of wisdom. understand that in our storehouse consciousness, there us a Wisdom Superior. This is
Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. This has been inherent in everyone since Beginningless Time. I hope that we cherish the Buddha-nature that is intrinsic in all of us. It is just that it has become obscured by being covered with ignorance. So, let us put effort into always being mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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