Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Buddha’s Radiance, Great, Rare Enlightenment (佛出光明稀有大覺)
Date: January.24. 2017
“The Virtuous One, the unsurpassed great being, is in accord with compassion and wisdom. Bodhisattvas form the great vows and [practice] the Four Infinite Minds. One manifesting the extraordinary auspiciousness of the radiance of great compassion and wisdom must be a great enlightened being who rarely exists in the world.”
Just by reading passage, we can probably understand its meaning. With “Virtuous One, the unsurpassed great being, Virtuous One is a way that we often address others we see them. “Virtuous One!” We hear it so often that it seems like everyone is a Virtuous One. Everyone is called a “Virtuous One.” However, to truly be a Virtuous One is easier said than done.
When we first become monastics, we begin reciting a sutra passage to ourselves, “Virtuous One, receive me; today, I, so-and so…” Do you remember this “Virtuous One”? This means someone who embodies supreme virtue and is perfect and complete in all actions and who is also an Unsurpassed Guide. “The unsurpassed great being” is the World-Honored One, a great enlightened being. A great enlightened being is one who has become perfect in all actions, who as completed actualizing the Six Paramitas in all of His actions. Only then can someone be called “Virtuous One.”
In the past, “Virtuous One” was used only to address someone of the highest and most supreme virtue, but nowadays we call someone “Virtuous One so-and so” [out of courtesy]. Perhaps today it is used too lightly, but it does not matter, for everyone intrinsically has the Buddha-nature. As we often talk about, if you say something long enough, it becomes true. By often calling others “Virtuous One” or “Unsurpassed Guide,” by hearing themselves called this, they know that this is the fundamental responsibility that they should work toward.
This responsibility is to do good, to “refrain from all evil and do all that is good.” A “Virtuous One,” and “Unsurpassed Guide,” is one in accord with compassion and wisdom; their mind should resonate with the Buddha-mind. The Buddha’s mind is one of great compassion, and a Buddha is one who has supreme wisdom. So, He awakens loving-kindness to exercise wisdom, or awakens compassion to exercise wisdom. This is to “exercise both compassion and wisdom.” This is a “Virtuous One, the unsurpassed great being.” These are the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. They are in accord with compassion and wisdom; their compassion and wisdom are complete. This is why we engage in spiritual practice. Over the course of spiritual practice, we go from being a Virtuous One in name to becoming a Virtuous One in essence, until our nature of True Suchness truly accord with the name. This is a “Virtuous One, the great unsurpassed being.”
Of course, we must awaken compassion and exercise wisdom. We cultivate compassion and wisdom in parallel; this is the process of walking the Bodhisattva-path.
So, speaking of Bodhisattvas, we wish to become Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas must make the great vows and practice the Fore Infinite Minds. They begin with Four Great Vows, for the path of all Buddhas is the same; every Buddha shares these vows. every Buddha must undergo making the Four Great Vows and practicing the Four Infinite Minds.
The Four Great Vows are inner cultivation; we make these vows for ourselves. “I vow to deliver countless sentient beings.” The goal of our spiritual practice is to deliver countless sentient beings, myriads of sentient beings. So, “I vow to deliver countless sentient beings.”
In order to deliver sentient beings, we must eliminate our afflictions. If we do not eliminate our afflictions, how can we interact with people? Sentient beings’ suffering is not only of the material kind, the suffering of poverty or hardship. The suffering worse than material suffering is the suffering of torment in body and mind, or the suffering of afflictions that cannot be dispelled, or the suffering of illness. There are many of these!
In interpersonal relationships, there is the suffering of afflictive emotions that cannot be resolved, the suffering of the endless karma we create; there are so many kinds. All these kinds of suffering, when taken together, can be called by one name, the suffering of ignorance and afflictions. The ignorance and afflictions of sentient beings are many, so we must eliminate or afflictions. Only by eliminating our afflictions can we accept the Buddha-Dharma and take it to heart. Although the Buddha-Dharma is profound, we must diligently seek it. Our goal in seeking the Buddha-Dharma is to definitely attain Buddhahood. Thus we are those who learn the Buddha’s teachings. Truly, we learn the Buddha’s teachings in order to attain Buddhahood. To attain Buddhahood, we must mindfully listen to the Dharma. To thoroughly understand the Buddha-Dharma, we must completely eliminate all afflictions. When we have eliminated our afflictions, we when can go among others without becoming infected by their ignorance and afflictions. Furthermore, when we go among others, we can teach them according to capabilities, according to sentient beings’ needs and capacities. We help relieve them of their suffering, and, “Having relieved them from suffering, we then expound the Dharma for them.” Those learning the Buddha’s teachings, those wishing to attain Buddhahood, must make the Four Great Vows.
When we form Bodhisattva-aspirations, our goal is to attain the path to Buddhahood, so we must definitely first make the Four Great Vows. This is something we must do for ourselves. Once we have established the Four Great Vows, as we begin our spiritual practice we cannot lack the Four Infinite Minds. We must first awaken our great aspirations. Once we have developed our great aspiration and have made the great vows, then, of course, the Four Infinite Minds are the things we put into practice outwardly. We externally practice loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. As we go among the people, we cannot bear to let sentient begins suffer. We wish happiness for everyone. As long as everyone attains happiness, we do not seek peace or joy for ourselves.
This way we know how to give. We give without expectations. As long as sentient beings can escape suffering, we never seek peace or joy for ourselves. We continue to single-mindedly walk the Bodhi-path. The goal of walking the Bodhi-path is to reach the state of Buddhahood.
During this process, the Four Great Vows and the Four Infinite Minds are the essential targets for our inner cultivation and external practice, so we give without expectations. Thus we follow the sequence of spiritual practice. How long does this take? Recently, we have continually been speaking about this topic. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, dust-inked kaplas ago, began to, lifetime after lifetime, walk upon the Bodhi-path, internally cultivation the Four Great Vows and externally practicing loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. Dust-inked kalpas before, He had already unified His vows and practice, harmonized His compassion and wisdom. He had fully unified His vows and practice, so He “manifested the radiance of great compassion and wisdom.”
Remember when Great Unhindered Wisdom Buddha sat in the place of enlightenment, He sat for ten small kalpas. All heavenly beings came to protect the place of enlightenment. It took a very long time; then, after contemplation, He harmonized compassion and wisdom. He radiated loving-kindness and wisdom. With compassion, He created blessings for others. This bright and beautiful pure-as-crystal radiance from His heart penetrated everything. This radiance began to shine. The light first appeared in the east. It illuminated the east, then began to be seen in all ten directions. All the Brahma kings in their palaces wondered, “Where is this light coming from?” The light was very different from the light they normally saw. There must have been a reason for it.
Do you remember the previous passages? There must have been a reason for it. Either a Virtuous One had been born in heaven or a Buddha must have manifested in the world. It was an auspicious sign. They all immediately sought the origin of the light. This was great wisdom, great compassion. This was a radiance radiating from the ground of the mind. So, everyone sought out that light, for it “must be a great enlightened being who rarely exists in the world” who is radiating the light.
That is right; great enlightenment comes from great virtue. A Virtuous One, an unsurpassed great being, had come in accord with compassion and wisdom. He formed aspirations and made vows and seized the moment. Though it took dust-inked kalpas, when He manifested that state of mind, His state of mind in that one instant never changed throughout dust-inked kalpas. His state of mind of the Four Great Vows and the Four Infinite Minds that. He had seized in that instant has been eternally sustained until the present. This is what we must continually lay hold of.
This is like [the tale] of a Brahmin who lived when the Buddha was in this world. After the Buddha had attained enlightenment, when the Buddha taught the Dharma, this Brahmin gradually listened and came to understand that the Buddha’s teachings of enlightenment were superior to the Brahman teachings which he had been cultivating for decades. So, although he was a Brahmin, he nerveless shad great respect for the Buddha. One day, he came to listen to the Dharma. After the Buddha had finished teaching, he seized the opportunity to quickly go before the Buddha. After reverently prostrating himself in respect, he asked the Buddha, “May I ask the Buddha, how many spiritual practitioners will be able to attain Buddhahood in the future?” The Buddha replied, “Those attaining Buddhahood in the future will be as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.” That Brahmin rejoiced upon hearing this, placed his palms together in respect and departed. However, as he left the abode, along the way home he thought about how those who attain Buddhahood in the future would be as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. That is due to hearing the Dharma and understanding it, then walking the road of spiritual practice until they are able to attain Buddhahood. “What about me? Who knows how long I waited in the past until I met this Buddha now, so why don’t I immediately seize this moment? How long did I wander in the past without ever meeting a Buddha? How many Buddhas have appeared in the past? I do not know either. I presumably never met a Buddha before! Many Buddhas are to appear in the future. If I take refuge in the Buddha-Dharma now, then maybe I will be one of those as many as the Ganges’ sands who attains Buddhahood. If I do not seize the opportunity now, I will not be among those as many as the Ganges’ sands who attain Buddhahood. I should at this time immediately ask the Buddha to let me become a monastic. I have already met a Buddha in this lifetime, how could I pass up this opportunity?”
He hurriedly returned, entered the abode, then said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, I have faith that in the future there will be those as numerous as Ganges’ sands who will one by one attain Buddhahood. May I ask how many have already attained Buddhahood in the past?” The Buddha again replied, “There have been as many Buddhas as the sands of infinite Ganges rivers who have appeared in the world and attained Buddhahood Buddhahood in the past.” The Brahmin became even more resolved to become a monastic. “In the past, Buddhas as numerous as the sands of infinite Ganges Rivers appeared in the world. Already so many have attained Buddhahood, but surprisingly I have never met a single one. Since I have now encountered a Buddha in this lifetime, I will definitely not let this opportunity go by.” With palms placed reverently together, he said, “Venerable Buddha! Buddhas as number as the sands of infinite Ganges Rivers have appeared in the world in the past, but surprisingly I have never met any of them. Those as numerous as the sands of infinite Ganges Rivers will also attain Buddhahood in the future. If I do not engage in spiritual practice now, I may not be able to meet those Buddhas as numerous as Ganges’ sands in the future. Venerable Buddha! I am already so old and the practices I cultivated were off track. Even after decades of spiritual practice, my mind was still not clear. I did not know the principles; all was dark and I still did not see the path ahead of me. I did not know how to walk my path in the future. I am already so old, but since the Buddha has attained Buddhahood and taught the Dharma, I have listened to Your teachings over and over.” “Listening to the teachings over and over” means coming to listen to the teachings again and again. “Every time I listen to the Dharma, I feel like I gain so much from it. I know how to walk the path in the future. It is just a pity that I am so old. Will the Buddha be able to accept me and let me become a monk so that I can concentrate on listening to the Buddha-Dharma and walk the enlightened path of the Buddha, in the hopes of having a chance to attain Buddhahood in the future?”
The Buddha was happy and said, “Welcome bhiksus!” With that, the Sangha had the addition of this elderly Brahmin spiritual practitioner. He was diligent after becoming a monk, constantly and earnestly practicing and learning, eliminating much ignorance and many afflictions. He eliminated them one by one.
One time, among the bhiksus, the Buddha saw this elderly Brahmin among all the bhiksus. From his appearance of spiritual cultivation, [the Buddha] saw how earnest and mindful he was in his practice, so the Buddha offered him praise. Many bhiksus turned around to look at him and, sure enough, he rally was that mindful in spiritual practice. They asked him, “Elderly Practitioner, how do you practice that you learn so quickly?” He replied with one sentence, “The practice of learning the Buddha’s Way is to form aspirations and make vows with the Four Infinite Minds and the Four Great Vows. I vow in future lifetimes to internally cultivate the Four Great Vows and externally practice the Four Infinite Minds. This is what I heard the Buddha teach. This is my inner vow, to every day seize the moment, with no interruption. This is my future vow and my present practice.”
Upon hearing this, all rejoiced and made vows to the Buddha; all were willing, hoping to also be included among those as numerous as the Ganges’ sands who would attain Buddhahood. This was the time when the Buddha was in the world. There were those who worked so hard, who truly seized the moment and sustained it forever. They actualized the Four Great Vows, internally cultivated the Four Great Vows. This was their aspiration, to in the future go among people and exercise loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. If we want to achieve this, actually that [Brahmin] can be our role model.
The previous sutra passage says, “All of our palaces are brightly illuminated like never before. What are the causes and conditions of this? We had better explore this together. It must be a Virtuous One born in heaven or a Buddha appearing in the world that caused this great radiance to illuminate everything in the ten directions”.
We just talked about this type of virtue; with compassion and wisdom in harmony, this kind of mind has a pure radiance. The first ray of light shone toward the east, then the palaces in the Brahma heavens in the ten directions were bathed in radiance. All of the heavenly beings, searching for the source of this light, came from the ten directions.
The next passage says, “At that time, all the Brahma kings from the 500 trillion lands went along with their palaces. They each used their mantle to hold all kinds of celestial flowers. Together they went to the west to seek out this sign.”
At that time in the 500 trillion lands, the radiance shone across all space; It was so extensive. The 500 trillion lands, the lands of the Brahma heavens, had all received the summons of this light. So, as those in the Brahma palaces had already received the summons of the light, the Brahma kings searched together. They all gathered together to discuss it, and in their discussion they asked, “Where did this ray of light come from?”
“Together, they discussed this.” Remember? We spoke of this yesterday. “Together, they discussed this.” Where was this light coming from? Look, it is from the west. So, “They headed west to seek out the radiance. They reached the Buddha and paid reverence, praised Him and made offerings to Him.”
At that time, all the Brahma kings from the 500 trillion lands went along with their palaces: This explains that together they headed west to seek out the radiance. They reached the Buddha and paid reverence, praised Him and made offerings to Him.
These are the Brahma palaces of the east, who went west to seek the Dharma. “For the heavenly beings of the form realm, their circumstantial and direct retributions are replete and follow them wherever they go.”
For the heavenly beings of the form realm, their circumstantial and direct retributions are replete and follow them wherever they go. Therefore, it says all Brahma kings went along with their palaces, and each used their palaces as offerings to the Buddha.
In the Brahma Heaven of the form realm, everyone’s lifespan is very long. Heavenly beings emit a radiance from their body; their lifespans are long and their pleasures great. Time for them also passes very slowly. So, [their retributions] “are replete and follow them wherever they go.” “Therefore, it says all Brahma kings went along with their palaces.” They took all the things in their palaces, their people and their palaces, with them. All of their thing followed the heavenly beings, so they could enjoy their heavenly blessings wherever they went.
So, these were their pleasures; they took their Brahma palaces with them. “Each used their palaces as offerings to the Buddha.” This is a description, an expression. Their palaces and everything in them are representative of their reverence, their willingness to dedicate body and mind. These were not just material things; they completely dedicated their innermost selves. This expresses their most reverent respect. So, “They each used their mantle to hold all kinds of celestial flowers.”
They each used their mantle to hold all kinds of celestial flowers: They used their mantle as a vessel to hold fragrant things, to hold and store all the wondrous flowers in the heaven realm.
It was like they had taken all of their things and had wrapped them up in a cloth, so that all the things they wished to take could be carried together with them. They did not need to wrap them; the things just came along with them, as if they were transported by a machine. This means that heavenly beings, wherever they decide to go, will arrive there with all their things. This is how the Brahma kings of the east journeyed to the west. By talking about one direction, we can know all 10. All of the others were the same. “They used their mantle as a vessel to hold fragrant things.” All of their things were fragrant.” Their things were fragrant and magnificent. They were all wrapped up inside. It was like they had taken all of their things, their most precious things, and put them inside. They were stored inside. Inside was magnificent incense and flowers and all manner of vessels.
“Together they went to the west to seek out this sign.” Along with these things, the most respectful material offerings were brought with them. They went west, from the east to the west, to seek out this sign. “The Buddha’s light reached the east, so they sought the truth of the source of light and thus went to the west to [seek] the appearance of the Dharma.” Since the Buddha’s light shone toward the east, they all looked out toward the west for the source of the light. This was the source of the true principles. The true principles came from the west. This is talking about the radiance; the radiance represents the principles. They were radiant, like a ray of light. “When they saw that Buddha in the place of enlightenment…” They searched the west and had already seen the Buddha’s place of enlightenment. “They began to understand that this light was not from a Virtuous One being born in heaven.”
When they saw that Buddha in the place of enlightenment, they began t understand that this light was not from a Virtuous One begin born in heaven. It was the light of a Buddha appearing in the world. The Brahma kings had this thought, so together they discussed exploring it.
At that time, when the light began to shine in the Brahma Heaven, they all thought, “Perhaps a Virtuous One has been born in heaven?” Has someone with virtue, who practices the Six Paramitas in all actions, who is replete with abundant virtue, been born in heaven? They had these kinds of thoughts. Then they changed their minds. The light was so abnormal that it must be the light of a Buddha born in the world. At first they thought it the light of a Virtuous One, but they later changed their minds. After following the light and finding it, they realized the light was after all the light of a Buddha being born in the world. So, “The Brahma kings had this thought.” Then they changed their minds like this. The source of the light was an auspicious sign, a lucky omen; that was the source of the light they sought.
Together, “They discussed it.” So, they had all thought about it and together already come to one [conclusion], to search in the direction of the west to search in the direction of the radiance.
Thus they saw the Buddha; they arrived at His place of enlightenment. When they first saw the Buddha, reverence arose in them and they requested that He teach the Dharma. We spoke of this earlier, how “The sentient beings who were in darkness were surprised at this sudden appearance, [This was] the distance between clouds and mud.” This is saying that, having seen the Buddha in His place of enlightenment, having seen Him attain complete and perfect enlightenment there, they saw that the ray of light did not just shine on the Brahma palaces; it did not just shine toward the east. It shone to the east, west, north and south, as well as above and below. The east, west, north and south, the southeast, the northeast and so on, the eight directions, as well as above and below, all ten directions, all received the light. It shone below, in those dark places, in places where sentient beings lived in darkness, where they could not see the principles, in places where they could not see the light. When the Buddha attained Buddhahood, the ray of light shone forth. The Buddha’s principles, the principles of truth, cannot be obstructed by anything. There are other spaces where the sun and moon do not shine, because those spaces are cut off and obstructed. There is no difference been night and day, because there is something blocking the light.
So, it blocks both the sun and the moon. However, nothing can block the principles. Everyone can receive them. Heavenly beings can receive them. In the hell and hungry ghost realms, if causes and conditions permit, they can also be received.
So, these are the principles. Fundamentally, the Buddha had one great cause; it was for those in the Five Realms and four forms of birth, these sentient beings, that He came. The true principle is that He became enlightened for the sake of sentient beings. So “The sentient beings mentioned earlier who were in darkness were surprised at this sudden appearance.” They felt very shocked. Why was there suddenly light in this place? “It was like the distance between clouds ad mud.” With the distance between clouds ad mud, the clouds represent heaven, while mud represents the earth. The clouds float in the sky. They are so free and unfettered! The mud is like the mud in a swamp. It is so dirty and filthy. It is a place you can sink into. The divide between the two is great. So, it says this “is like the distance between clouds ad mud.” The difference between heaven and earth is great.
This is because the Buddha’s light shone there; the Buddha’s light shone there, which means the principles reached that place. If the principles reached there, then there will be great hope. This is like now in Nepal, we already have a group there and the Tzu Chi International Medical Association has also sent doctors there to work together with local doctors, working with these doctors to hold free clinics so in the future they can care for the local people. Our Medical Association consists of doctors who want to form an association, to recruit and invite doctors, to invite those who share their mission. Doctors with aspirations form a fellowship and go together to serve the poor, the sick and the suffering. So, our doctors now have formed a medical association [in Nepal]. Kaohsiung’s Dr. Hong has gone there many times to interact with those doctors.
There is also education. We have Principal Zhu, from Kaohsiung, and her sister. I feel those two sisters have special affinities, for they shared the same womb. They are twins. They look alike each other and were born from the same womb. They grew up together and came to have the same ambition; both chose to be teachers. The two teachers joined our Teachers Association. They both have a lot of self-respect and are very positive, For 10, 20, more than 20 years now, these two sisters’ resolve has been very similar. Their actions are also similar. They are in their 40s or 50s now. Neither is chubbier than the other. If one gets chubby, the other gets chubby. If one gets thin, so does the other. When I see these two, I always ask them, “Are you Principal Zhu or Teacher Zhu?” This is because one is a principal and the other is a teacher. The two are always together. Whenever I see them, I will always ask first, “Are you the principal or the teacher?” The two of them look exactly alike. Their attitudes and voices are the same. One this trip to Nepal, they arrived three or four days ago. Yesterday e teleconferenced and I asked, “Are you the principal or the teacher?” Both sisters went there. I see that both of them have already visited many schools. At every school they visited, they used their [experience] in the Teachers Association to find ways to try to recruit those teachers who share their mission to educate the children. Their talks with the teachers are always enjoyable. In each of the schools they visit, they observe.
Some schools are truly facing unbearable suffering.
There is one school like this where they also accept students with disabilities, including those who are developmentally disabled. The school was already very run down, but after this earthquake, the school had become dangerous. Many of the classrooms had collapsed. They went there and saw how much the teachers loved the children. The principal was very grateful to see the Tzu Chi volunteers and teachers.
Actually, this place had its causes and conditions. At the first school we went to in that place, we said to them, “Please give us the invoices and receipts for the things that we sent you.” They said, “What did you send us?” when we told them what we sent they said, “No, we did not receive them.” It turns out we had spelled the name wrong, so the things were delivered to the wrong place. What could be done about the wrong delivery? This school still needed the items. The principal was very good. He hurried to find out where those things had been sent to. Luckily, it was a place that had not been registered with us. It was not in our registration log, but in spite of being sent to the wrong address, it turned out they needed these items even more. That place indeed was full of love. The children all sat upon the ground. The different grades were all in one classroom, but the teachers lovingly cared for them. Upon seeing our Tzu Chi volunteers they thanked us. “Thank you for the things you sent us. We were really in need of them. The working of karma are inconceivable. Though the things we sent were sent to the wrong address, they ended up, after all, at the right address. Although they were sent to the wrong school, that school was in dire need of them. If they had not been delivered to the wrong place, we would never have known about that school.
As we say, the workings of karma are inconceivable. Didn’t we end up seizing these causes and conditions? This like the Brahmin we discussed before. The elderly Brahmin asked the Buddha, “How many will attain Buddhahood in the future? As many as the sands of infinite Ganges revers.” Over a long time, if there are many spiritual practitioners, there will be many who attain Buddhahood. He left at that point, but outside he again gave rise to a thought, “How could I have forgotten to ask how many have attained Buddhahood in the past? I have now already encountered a Buddha. Will I be among those who attain Buddhahood in the future?” thus he hurriedly returned. You see, with these causes and conditions he seized the present moment.
With the causes and conditions there in Nepal, perhaps they also seized the present moment. We had sent those things to the wrong place, but in sending them to the wrong place, it was actually a place that was in need of them. The workings of karma are truly inconceivable. So, we must earnestly, constantly be mindful to seize the present moment and sustain it forever. Let us always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
