Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Superior Light Illuminates the Universe (大光普照勝諸天光)
Date: January.19. 2017
“The teachings of the Buddha are like drawings in empty space. He teaches without teaching anything; this can benefit all things. He transforms me and all others so we together realize the Bodhi-vow. He used the Four Siddhantas to reveal teachings according to capabilities so all could listen, understand contemplate and practice.”
We engage in practice and listen to Dharma. Actually, how do we engage in spiritual practice? What do we practice? We must put in effort to think about this. Spiritual practice is a very long road. When we engage in spiritual practice, we must have extended practice, uninterrupted practice and practice with nothing further. We must constantly have a reverent mindset. In our daily lives, these are the things that we must cultivate and practice. So, as we engage in spiritual practice in our daily living, without realizing it, we are always accumulating these Four Practices, which are gradually expressed in everyday life.
In our daily living, we can [cultivate] the Four Practices, practice with nothing further, extended practice, uninterrupted practice and practice with reverence. These four practices can be expressed in our daily living. Whether in actions obvious or subtle, tangibly or intangibly, we are always engaging in these four practices in each day and every moment. We are in accord with our spiritual practice as we live our lives, as we pass the days. This is [the nature of] spiritual practice.
Of course, on the Bodhisattva-path in this world, the obvious concepts are known by all. Giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom are things that everyone can say. But are they things that everyone can do? This is something we must ask ourselves. Whether the Six Perfections or the Four Practices, if we are able to exercise them in our daily living, then we are engaging in spiritual practice. We are practicing according to the teachings; these are what the Buddha taught. “The teachings of the Buddha are like drawings in empty space.” This meaning is both very profound and very clear. With everything that the Buddha has taught, after we listen, the teaching is done.
Do we really take the Dharma into our hearts and apply it in our actions? If we hear it but do not take it to heart, it is like [a drawing] in empty space; we look and there is nothing there. In fact, the principles exist, we just do not apply them. If we do apply them, though they are like drawings in empty space…
Look at the earth. As long as we plant a seed in the ground, regardless of the type of seed, once we plant it, it will not take long for a shoot to grow out from the earth. Shoots, saplings, small trees and big trees all add themselves as drawings to the land. On the land are many trees of varying heights.
Or, following the desires of the human mind, on the land an architect can start to draw out tall apartment buildings, wide roads and more. Is this enough? No. Next the highway overpasses are erected. In the past, the environment was very tranquil. It was nature; there were mountains and rivers. This is a drawing in empty space. These are all part of the laws of nature.
But due to the desires in the human mind, this image will change after a few years. The drawing will not be like what it is now. Often, when we have not been somewhere for a long time, when we pass by it again we will naturally be surprised. “How come it is different again? The land used to be like this before, but now there are these buildings. How is it so different?” These are all like drawings in empty space. The drawings are now different from before.
This is fundamentally a law of nature. And, subject to the needs of the human mind, to our desires, pursuits, everything will have changed completely. The Buddha taught the Dharma to help is recognize that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. In its natural state, what does scenery of our mind look like? But with the ignorance and afflictions that we acquired later, we have caused the natural scenery of this state to continually change. It is already different from the past. This is what the Buddha wanted us to understand. All things are impermanent and change constantly. This is how the world is.
So, we must earnestly find a way to return to our mind’s natural scenery. Thus, we say, “He teaches without teaching anything, therefore this can benefit all things.” If we do not understand the principles, but constantly have thoughts of desire, then in accord with the workings of the world, we will constantly change, in a way that causes our society to go astray; it will be completely different. People with knowledge, those who call themselves intellectuals, [also] follow the changes of the world. They are constantly influenced by external changes and cannot grasp their own natural state of mind. There are so many contradictions in them! Toward others, “You must do it this way.”
When they see others do something against the law, they still say, “What you are doing is correct, but you should make it even more correct.” What does it even mean for it to be more correct? However, “You have the power to do it; this is something that you are surely able to do. Other people are unable to do this; it is absolutely necessary that you do it now.” Yes! Others are unable to accomplish it, and even we cannot do it ourselves. But we say to other people, “You should be able to do this.”
This is also to teach without teaching anything. This is not the way that the Buddha taught us. When [these people] are faced with many things, they can talk without saying anything is this correct or incorrect? We already know this in our heart. The Buddha wanted us to clearly right from wrong, to be able to discern true and false. In the world, there are things that are very right and things that are very wrong. Things that are correct must be made more correct.
In doing them we must even better, because the Buddha-Dharma is endless, and spiritual practice continues without interruption. During the time that the Buddha taught the Dharma, for over 40 years, he used all kinds of methods to teach us. For the mistakes unenlightened beings make, He used the Five Precepts and [stories of] causes and conditions to alert us. Everyone has their own suffering and afflictions, but He still patiently guides all of us but He still patiently guides all of us.
The suffering in the world is caused by the accumulation of karmic conditions. We must prevent these karmic conditions. We must avoid creating such conditions; then naturally we will not experience this effect. We must strictly abide by our precepts. So, He talked about suffering and the precepts He analyzed the suffering in the world so as to help us understand the law of karma and to teach us to abide by the precepts. This was the first step of His teachings.
He also told us to be practice and practice the Ten Good Deeds, to cultivate blessings for humans or heavenly beings, blessings to be born a human or a heavenly being. Thus the Buddha taught according to capabilities. He gave us teachings so we can slowly see our way back and slowly draw near our nature of True Suchness.
Because our nature of True Suchness is pure, He began to teach us the precepts. Precepts can guard against wrongs and stop evil. They can prevent wrongdoings, so we will not be defiled again. Even if we begin with the Five Precepts, we must put effort into upholding them. This is what most lay practitioners do. Every one of us, all of us, as we start listening to the teachings, begin our spiritual practice with the Five Precepts and the Ten Good Deeds.
Next the Buddha taught the teachings of the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. Life is truly full of suffering, and this suffering is in the substance of our mind. In our mind we have the intrinsic nature of True Suchness. Then things began when we gave rise to a single deluded thought. Thus [the Buddha] taught the [Twelve] Links, how we are born into this life and what kind of process we go through, etc.. The Dharma the Buddha taught is like empty space, as vast and spacious as the universe. It encompasses all Dharma-realms of the universe, permeates the whole universe. When it is implemented, it is like the drawings in the air. Each of these drawings of the world, the mountains, seas, rivers and land, the natural states, etc. are all replete with the principles.
Doesn’t the Chapter on Medicinal Plants thoroughly explain the principles of all things in the world? So, these drawings in empty space are the scenery of our minds. Everyone’s nature of True Suchness, the Dharma, all return to the emptiness of the universe. We must understand this clearly. All the phenomena of people, matters and things on earth should be thoroughly understood by us.
This is what the Buddha taught us. Similarly, if we do not take good care of our mind, as external states are constantly changing, it will also become completely different. When nature is destroyed, the original scenery of the earth will change. So, we must put effort into listening to the Dharma taught by the Buddha.
Though He taught without teaching anything, whatever the Buddha taught, if we accept and apply it, naturally it can benefit all things. If after it is taught, we do not apply it, the Dharma still returns to a state of emptiness. It returns to being a principle. If we accept the principles, we will be able to use them to benefit things. When everyone accepts the Buddha-Dharma, it is this simple. In our daily living, as we [engage in] the Four Practice, naturally, “He transforms me and all others so we together realize the Bodhi-vow.”
As the Buddha taught, everyone has a “self” [your] “self” has desires [my] “self” also has desire. All of you also refer to yourselves as “me”; your “me” also has desires. I hope that by listening to the Buddha-Dharma, we can thoroughly understand and take the Buddha-Dharma into our mind to develop our wisdom-life, to increase our wisdom. This is what we desire. There are an infinite number of “me.” It is not just this one “me.” So, when Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior attained Buddhahood, everyone was very happy and they asked Him to expound the Dharma to “benefit me and all heavenly beings.” Heavenly beings and humans, all things in the world, are able to benefit. Thus “He transforms me and all others.”
“All others” refers to all things in the world, [including] heavenly beings, humans, as well as all sentient beings. For all sentient beings on Earth, if human beings engage in spiritual practice, then all sentient beings can feel at ease and safe. If we do not cultivate our minds, the weak will be eaten by the strong, and those with no strength bullied by those with more. So, we always hope that everyone is able to accept the Right Dharma taught by the Buddha. We spiritual practitioners have likewise accepted the Buddha’s teachings. So, we must have mutual respect for one another and praise one another.
In the past, there was a saying that, if those in the Sangha respect one another, the Buddha-Dharma will prosper in the world. Indeed, in an organization of practitioners, we should respect each other. And spiritual practitioners who live together should be grateful toward one another. For all the Dharma Masters [at the Abode], I often express my gratitude. Every day, when I go to the dining hall, I am very grateful! We have this great family that is spread all over the world. We have so many people who have extended their hands, formed their aspirations and willingly given of themselves. Thus, we are able to have this [place] that people all around the world call home. So, I am constantly grateful! This is all to help everyone be able to accept the Dharma. At this spiritual training ground for Bodhisattvas, we find ways to practice the Six Perfections and the Four Practices. This is to “together realize the Bodhi-vow.”
I myself and all of you are together in this spiritual training ground, and together we can realize the Bodhi-vow. “He used the Four Siddhantas to reveal teachings according to capabilities so all could listen, understand contemplate and practice.” Once the teachings are revealed, we listen, then [try to] understand. Then we must contemplate them and earnestly practice them! These are the Four Practices. We must often ask ourselves, “Have we begun to practice the Six Perfections?”
“He used the Four Siddhantas to reveal teachings according to capabilities.” Does everyone remember “the Four Siddhantas?” “The worldly life siddhanta” is for the world, “the individual siddhanta” is for human beings, and “the curative siddhanta” is for the greed, anger, arrogance and doubt of sentient beings. Whatever defilement they have in their mind, we are able to use the Dharma to treat it. In the end, the Buddha used the “supreme meaning siddhanta.” This is the Great Vehicle Dharma. He hoped that everyone can walk the Bodhisattva-path by going among people to train themselves, to form good affinities and to understand the ignorance, afflictions and delusion in the world.
We must be very clear and help others turn afflictions into Bodhi. I have been talking about this every day. I hope this can strengthen everyone’s understanding and memory. I hope everyone is very mindful of this. The supreme meaning is the One Vehicle. The Buddha hoped that everyone can truly be mindful and walk the Bodhisattva-path. We must walk forward on the Bodhi-path in order to reach the state of Buddhahood. This is a path we must go through, no matter how long it will take. This is because life after life, our mind has been covered by layers of afflictions. Now, we must start forming aspirations to eliminate as many afflictions as possible. We should not wait until future lifetimes. In this lifetime, we must eliminate all the afflictions, layer by layer. This is where we must engage in spiritual practice.
The previous sutra passage states, “The dark places within the lands of those worlds that the mighty light of the sun and moon was not able to illuminate all became clear and bright.”
The Sun and the Moon are within our solar system. The Sun is always shining; it is always bright. But it is the workings of our own mind that have obstructed the light, this radiance. We unenlightened beings did this ourselves. If we created many afflictions and ignorance, or have severe negative karma, we will never be able to see the light. The light will be forever obstructed by these. So, it speaks of “The dark places within the lands of those worlds. Those whose minds are covered up by [afflictions] are unable to obtain the principles. They cannot listen to the Buddha-Dharma and cannot open the door to their minds. Naturally, the light is unable to shine in. So, the mighty light was not able to illuminate; “The [sun] and moon were not able to illuminate.” This light has always existed, but sentient beings closed the door with ignorance. Layer by layer, it is concealed by [ignorance]. So, if the ignorance is not eliminated, the light of the sun and moon are unable shine through. Then even if we listen to the Buddha-Dharma, it is like drawing in the air; it is the same as not having listened. In this way, the mighty light of the sun and moon, the true principles of the Buddha-Dharma have not entered our mind. With the Dharma, even if light cannot shine in, as long as the causes and conditions mature and the door of ignorance is opened that the true principles enter and everything becomes bright.
In the past, we never heard it, so we did not know that the Dharma is like this. After we hear it, we think “Oh, it is like this!” This way, all of a sudden, in this place, there are so many people. If we all take the Dharma to heart at once, [you say], “I have realized it,” [and he says], I also understand it.” They mutually realize and understand that they share the same mission and walk the Bodhisattva-path together. Facing the light, with their back toward the darkness, the darkness has already passed, and brightness is ahead of them.
If this is the case, “The sentient beings there could all see one another,” since in front of them it was all illuminated. And all said… This kind of brightness has already illuminated the places of darkness. See, for the people there, when the light shines through, many people suddenly appear in front of them. People who are in the darkness are unable to see if others are also in the darkness. Suddenly, they see each other, because of the light shining there, people are able to see one another. Why did all these people suddenly appear in here? These people have always been here, but covered by ignorance. Once ignorance is opened up, the light shines through, the light of our mind. We will be able to see the light.
This way, we can understand everyone, while others can also understand us. We are able to mutually understand one another. The ignorance and misunderstanding from the past had covered up our minds. Once we get of anger and hatred, we realize that others actually treat us well, that they are helping us to develop our strength. We can mutually help one another in the same way.
We clearly see people there, but we think they have nothing to do with us. Actually, this person has a lot to do with us. If we can understand one another, this is also called seeing one another. This is because we can realize the principles.
The following sutra passage says, “Moreover, the realms of His lands, the palaces of all heavens, and even the Brahma king’s palaces all quaked in six ways. The great light illuminated all universally and filled the entire world. It was superior to all heavenly light.”
This sutra passage next talks about the realms of His land and the palaces of all heavens. With “the realms of His lands,” what lands are we referring to? Of course this is from the time of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. That era was dust-inked kalpas ago, such a long time before. This was the land. There were all the heavens of the desire realm. In the Saha World that we are in now, there is also all the heavens of the desire realm, that of the Four Heavenly Kings, or Trayastrimsa, all the way to the floating heavens above.
In the sutra, many different worlds are mentioned. These are all unknown planets. On those planets, are there life forms, are there humans or heavenly beings? No matter, we are all within the Dharma-realms of the universe. Earth is also within the universe. If we think about it, we are also heavenly beings because we are also floating in the universe. For any planet or star, they are all floating in the universe, travelling their prescribed paths across space. So, the realms of His lands refers to the confines of our planet Earth. We have our planet Earth. Our planet Earth is the area that Sakyamuni Buddha vows to come to He was willing to come here, where the beings of the Five Destinies coexist, this Saha World, the world of endurance, because the environment in the world is like this. The environment on Earth was once very beautiful, but because of human beings’ discursive thoughts, we made it ugly, we damaged it. Because human beings’ minds do not follow rules, many interpersonal conflicts are caused and we create many calamities, pollute the atmosphere and more. This is also a world within the vast universe.
Dust-inked kalpas previously, in Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s era, I believe there must have been earth, sky, land, scenery, palaces and more. So, these are the realms of His lands; they include all of these places, “as well as the palaces in which all heavenly beings in the desire realm lived.”
In the sixth heaven of the desire realm, King Mara also hopes for more heavenly beings. But there are also some people whom King Mara worries about, those who are engaged in spiritual practice, and thus have already transcended samsara; they will not be born in the heavenly realm. [King Mara] worries that there will be fewer heavenly beings, so no matter where, King Mara will sometimes appear to disturb practitioners. This is often seen in the sutras.
In fact, where is this King Mara? He is in our mind! In everyone’s minds, in spiritual practitioners as well, we all have afflictions and ignorance that trouble us. These mara-states can cause people to go astray; when their pure minds disappear, desires and possessiveness will grow. Practitioners can also have a possessive mind! They may also be affected by maras of the mind, controlled by King Mara.
This King Mara we speak of is our afflictions; we all have them in our minds. When we want to engage in spiritual practice, we must eliminate these afflictions in our minds. So, we must put effort into being mindful. Thus, all the realms of the Buddha’s lands, as well as the palaces in which all heavenly beings in the desire realm lived, “even the Brahma kings’ palaces, all quaked in six ways” They all quaked in six ways, such as when the Buddha attained Buddhahood and when the Buddha expounded the Dharma. There would be these six kinds of quaking.
Quaking is just a word used to describe this. It is when the essence of our mind is shaken that we feel deeply moved. Then our ignorance can be transformed into a pure Bodhi-mind. These are the six kinds of quaking. They occur not only in the human world but “even the Brahma kings’ palaces,” that is, in the 18 levels of heaven. In the form realm, there are 18 levels of heaven. All quaked in six ways. How can we understand the 18 levels of heaven? This is not very important for us. The most important thing is that in our mind, we must eliminate our desires layer by layer. All quaked in six ways refers to the Buddha entering the womb, being born, becoming a monastic, attaining enlightenment, turn the Dharma-wheel and entering Parinirvana. These are the “six times [of quaking].” When the Dharma began to be taught in the world, “The earth quaked and radiance shone.” “Those with the affinities, even if far off in other places, also awakened. Those without the affinities even if close, still remained unaware.” Clearly, the Buddha-Dharma was now in the world, so the land turned from darkness to light. This is like the ground of our mind and the essence of our mind. In our minds, we must clearly discern right from wrong and distance ourselves from afflictions and ignorance.
We must have the flawless Dharma in our mind; when we take the Dharma to heart, we cannot let it leak away. “Those with the affinities, even if far off in other places, also awakened. Those without the affinities,” even if close, still remained unaware. Truly, with the Dharma, even if someone is far off in other places, they can take the principles to heart, are able to put them into practice, can give rise to reverence in their heart and understand [the Dharma]. But for people without affinities, even if close, even if right next to it, they will not respect the Dharma they hear and will be unable to take it to heart.
When our mind turns away from enlightenment, we turn toward objects of desire. We should turn away from desire toward awakening. For spiritual practitioners, all the past dust of ignorance must be shaken off. It must be completely eliminated. But while we are clearly within the pure principles that surround us, we still turn away from these principles, from the pure Dharma. In this way, we intentionally stir up afflictions. This is “turn from enlightenment toward desire.” We go against enlightenment, and thus, in the state of ignorance, we attract afflictions. If we truly have affinity with [the Dharma], naturally we will “turn away from desire towards enlightenment.” We will let go of our ignorance and return to our pure enlightened nature. So, it is a matter of whether we have the affinity or not.
Thus, the Buddha always wanted us to train ourselves by helping people. We must go among people and form good affinities. This means that we should not only care about whether we are right. If we forget about others and think that only we are right, we will not be able to form good affinities.
If we are unable to see the root of affliction, how can we completely eliminate afflictions to help ourselves return to purity? We must go among people; this way, we can see others’ mistakes and analyze the pure principles. We should be able to do this among people.
The Sutra of Infinite Meanings, as I have always told everyone, says that every person is like a sutra. So, infinite Dharma-doors will readily appear before us when we go among the people. Where else can we go find the Dharma?
Next, we will talk about how “The great light illuminated all universally and filled the entire world.” The six kinds of quaking alerted everyone’s mind. Everyone is about to fall asleep from listening, so the shaking will shock them. Then they will pay more attention. These six kinds of quaking are the shaking of the essence of mind. Immediately afterwards comes, “The great light illuminated all universally.” We must take this principle to heart.
“The great light illuminated all universally and filled the entire world. There was a great radiance universally illuminating all. It filled all of the worlds in the state of transformation.”
All these states appear in the scenery of our mind. We are able to experience all of these worlds. “It was superior to all heavenly light. The Buddha’s radiant light surpasses all.” When the Buddha’s radiance shines, it surpasses all other things. “How can heavenly light be compared with it?” The Sun and Moon are not the only bright lights. Actually, the light of the Sun and the Moon can be covered by obstacles. However, the true principles of the Buddha-Dharma cannot be covered by obstacles. It is only our own ignorance that covers these true principles. No object can obstruct the light of the principles. It is our own ignorance that covers the light.
So, the Buddha-Dharma is everywhere. Its radiant shines on all places. I hope that everyone can constantly be mindful on the Bodhi-path. We move forward firmly in small steps. If every step is firm, naturally we can transform from ordinary people into noble beings and transform afflictions into Bodhi. I hope everyone can always be more mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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