Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Seeking Out the Ultimate Principle of Light (尋光究理聞大乘法)
Date: February.10. 2017
“Even over 180 kalpas, it is difficult to manifest the awakened nature. It is deeply buried under layer after layer of the realms of Roots, Dusts and Consciousnesses. From afar, we come to seek mindfully and sincerely. Seeking out the ultimate principle of the light, we listen to the Great Vehicle Dharma.”
Previously, from what we have heard in the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City, we have already comprehended this. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha was a Buddha from dust-inked kalpas ago, in Beginningless Time. This represents the intrinsic Buddha-nature we all have. Ever since Beginningless Time, that is, for a very long period of time, due to a single thought of ignorance, we have incessantly reproduced afflictions. The result of this is that now, with everything we face in our lives, we have so many afflictions we cannot resolve. We are not clear where the principles come from, so wherever we go to look for these principles, that seems to be very difficult.
Where should we look for these principles? Actually, they have been around for a long time. The principles have existed since the distant time of countless dust-inked kalpas ago. This is to say nothing of the Brahma kings who [had to travel] to find the source of the light. When Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha attained Buddhahood, His light shone on the Brahma heavens in the east, the southeast and so on. All the Brahma kings saw the light and felt that this light had to have its causes and conditions. This light had to have come from a Great Enlightened One. The Great Enlightened One’s wisdom was about to radiate light; by propagating the Dharma light would then be radiated in this way to shine universally throughout so many worlds.
The Brahma kings had the conviction to follow this light to seek out and find its origin. In going to seek out this light, their minds were very determined. This represents their respect and reverence. So, they had come from afar in this way. Once they met the Buddha, they recounted how for such a long time, the beings in the evil realms had increased while humans and heavenly beings were decreasing. This was described earlier in these long sutra passages.
They contain this kind of meaning. The Brahma kings came to ask the Buddha to expound the Dharma. They expressed their wishes because, over this very long period of time, the number of heavenly beings had decreased while those in the evil realms increased. This period had lasted 180 kalpas. We spoke of this a few days ago. “180 kalpas” is an analogy for 18 Realms. What are the “18 Realms”? They are all in our daily living. Eyes, ears, noes, tongue, body and mind are the Six Roots. Form, sound, smell, taste, touch and phenomena are the Six Dusts. Then there is our mind-consciousness and so on. In this way we connect to external conditions, thus creating a lot of ignorance and afflictions. Because ignorance and afflictions cover our nature of True Suchness, we say, “It is deeply buried under layer after layer of the realms of Roots, Dusts and Consciousnesses.” It is hard for our awakened nature to manifest because of our afflictions and ignorance; our Roots, Dusts and Consciousnesses are burying us layer by layer in this way.
Actually, our nature of True Suchness still exits. It has always been there; it is just covered by ignorance and afflictions. It became covered by ignorance and afflictions in fact due to our own actions. With our Roots and Dusts, the Six Roots connect to the external Six Dusts. As they converge, our consciousness accordingly gives rise to thoughts, reproducing [ignorance].
Thus, with each instance of this reproduction, our afflictions increase, and layer after layer they bury us. So, where should we look? “From afar, we come to seek mindfully and sincerely.” Most important is that we have sincerity. No matter how far we go to search, if we are not mindful and sincere, we truly cannot find what we seek. However hard we look, we will not find it, as we will have lost our direction.
The Brahma kings knew to go from the east to search in the west, from the southeast to search in the northwest. They knew the light’s origin came from a certain direction, so they were able to find the ultimate principles. This direction can only be attained by listening to the Dharma. If we do not listen to the Dharma, we will not know the direction at all. So, we must “listen to the Great Vehicle Dharma.” When we listen to teachings, we also need to find the right teachings. “A slight deviation takes us far off course.” If our wisdom deviates by even a little bit, then our “five chronic afflictions” and “five acute afflictions” can very easily arise. So, “A slight deviation takes us far off course.” We need to look in the correct direction to find where the principles are.
Actually, where do we go to look? We need to shine the light back on ourselves. In fact, these principles are within ourselves. The problem starts with us, not with others. So, there is a passage of a Bodhisattva asking, “Just how we do find the principles of the true Bodhisattva-practice?” Sakyamuni Buddha was in deep contemplation and began to reply to this Bodhisattva. Countless kalpas ago, a very long time ago, there was a sage. He was born in an era without a Buddha, but he had continually searched for principles and ways to engage in spiritual practice. Since ancient times, spiritual practice has been for the sake of benefiting sentient beings, but what methods should be used to awaken compassion and benefit sentient beings? He thought to himself that, other than compassion, he would need wisdom. Wisdom would require [the teachings given by] Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the enlightened ones, those who first awakened. With teachings they gave after becoming enlightened, he could then practice according to principles. Only then could he truly benefit sentient beings.
To save sentient begins, there had to be a method. But where would he find this method? It would have to be from those how were already awakened, from the principles They comprehended and the teachings They gave. But where would he find them? So, he had this thought and prayed to find enlightened ones or for the opportunity for someone who had heard the teachings of enlightened ones to pass on to him the Dharma that the enlightened ones had taught. Then he would be able to understand the principles taught by enlightened ones of the past and could follow these principles to engage in spiritual practice.
This was because there was no Buddha at that time. It was a time without the Buddha-Dharma. He hoped that there might be correct teachings that had been handed down, that someone who had heard and knew the teachings could transmit them. If this were the case, then he would be willing to use his body to give unconditionally. If the one with the Dharma asked him to do something with his body, he would definitely be able to do it.
During the time he had these thoughts, King Mara, who liked to play tricks on people, wanted to give him a hard time. King Mara appeared and said to him, “I have heard [the teachings] before. I can teach this Dharma for you, but are you able to do what I ask?” This sage said, “I have said before that if someone is able to recount the right teachings of perfect enlightenment, I am willing to meet any conditions.” [King Mara] said, “If you are able to peel off the skin of your body to use as paper, take the blood of your body to use as ink and use the bones of your body as a pen, then whatever I say, using your skin as paper, your bone as a pen and your blood as ink, you will write it down. If you are willing to do so, then you can use this method to record my words.”
This sage heard this and felt, “I am willing because in my past lives, I have gone through countless lifetimes, in an unknown number of different bodies, and I believe I have not attained the teachings. In this lifetime, I was again born in a time without a Buddha in the world. The teachings are so difficult to hear. Today, I am able to meet someone who is willing to teach me the Buddha-Dharma. Even if you want me to use my skin as paper, my blood as ink and bones to write, this is a precious opportunity, so I am willing.”
So, he truly peeled his skin off for paper. The blood began to flow, so he used the blood; he gathered and collected it. Then, he pulled out his bones as well. King Mara saw this and was shocked. These conditions were just to give him a hard time; he did not expect his spiritual practitioner to be so earnest. Actually, King Mara did not have any Dharma, so he was scared and disappeared. However, this spiritual practitioner felt, “Even though the one that was going to teach me the Dharma is gone, my resolve is the same and has not changed.” He prayed, “Is there someone somewhere who has heard the Buddha-Dharma and is willing to expound it for me? Even if I have to peel off all my skin, use up all my blood or take out all my bones, I am willing.”
At that time, he moved [a Buddha] who was 32 realms away from that world. That is, He was 32 lands away. From that distance, this Buddha was touched, so He manifested in front of this spiritual practitioner and taught the Dharma for him. He told him the methods of cultivating blessings, virtues and Samadhi. He taught him how to engage in spiritual practice and benefit others and how to walk the Bodhisattva-path. He taught him how to go among the people to attain the Buddha-Dharma and comprehend the suffering of the human realm. He began to tell him the teachings of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. He taught all this to this spiritual practitioner and explained the teachings to him in great detail. He even healed his bleeding body and regrew his skin and bones. Very soon, he recovered.
From this point on, this spiritual practitioner followed the principles of the Four Noble Truths to seek out the Dharma of causes and conditions. At the same time, he went among the people to truly benefit sentient beings. This is how he began to engage in spiritual practice life after life according to this Dharma. When He reached the end of this story, Sakyamuni Buddha said to this Bodhisattva, “I was that sage in the past. Countless kalpas ago, to seek the Buddha-Dharma, I let go of my life, peeled my skin for paper, used my blood as ink and took my bone as a pen. With that kind of diligence, in this lifetime, I was able to attain Buddhahood. The amount of time it took was so long.”
This is to say, if spiritual practitioners truly wish to engage in spiritual practice, then we must have patience and diligence. To actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions, we must be able to withstand practices like this.
So, we just said, “Even over 180 kalpas, it is difficult to manifest the awakened nature.” Indeed, because our awakened nature has been covered by our Roots, Dusts and Consciousness’s, with layers and layers of afflictions and ignorance deeply burying us, what kind of methods can we use to eliminate our ignorance and afflictions? This requires us to find the principles. To find these principles, we must put our hearts into it and be very mindful. We need a long period of time and great reverence to seek out this origin of light. Because the light was shining from very far away, the Brahma kings went to seek the light. By following the direction of the light, they went to seek these ultimate principles. This was all to learn the Great Vehicle teachings. They wanted to hear the Great Vehicle Dharma. We need to know that if principles can be truly comprehended, taken to heart and put into practice, if they can be truly realized; only then are they the true principles. If we hear them [and say], “I know, I know,” we only know, but we have not realized them. Or after realizing them, we still do not put the principles into practice. We need to absorb the Dharma as our own, just like the cells in our bodies that can create nutrients for us. So, we often speak of Dharma-marrow, which is like the bone marrow in our bodies. When our bone marrow is healthy, it has the ability to produce blood.
The principle is the same; Dharma is also like this. It must become our own and, in our own bodies, create the nutrients we need. We need to absorb the Dharma into our heart and have it become our own. So, we must use wisdom and contemplation in order to truly allow our consciousness to experience and understand. To awaken to the Buddha-Dharma, we must work from the outside inward and from the inside truly put in effort. If we [are trapped by] our Roots, Dusts and Consciousness, even if we may already know these principles, our Roots will still be entangled and defiled by external Dusts. Then our Consciousness will naturally be covered by layers of ignorance. So, we must be very mindful.
The previous sutra passage states, “At that time, all the Brahma kings, having praised the Buddha in verse, each spoke these words: We only pray that the World-Honored One will have mercy on all and turn the Dharma-wheel to transform and liberate sentient beings. Then the Brahma kings, with one mind and in one voice, spoke in verse.”
Previously, the Brahma kings had come seeking this light and saw Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. They sincerely made offerings to Him, scattered flowers and circumambulated Him and asked Him to turn the Dharma-wheel. We have already explained this previously. Everyone then repeated themselves in verse to show their sincerity. This was in hopes that the Buddha would teach the principles through matters and appearances. This is also what we spoke about yesterday.
“The Great Noble One turns the Dharma-wheel to manifest the appearance of all Dharma” and deliver suffering, afflicted sentient beings, enabling them to attain great joy.”
The principles are intangible, so they hoped that the Buddha would explain these principles through matters and appearances. Only then could they understand. Sentient beings are afflicted and deluded and always suffering. So, to transform suffering sentient beings, [they must be freed from their] constant entanglement in matters and appearances. Now the teachings they were asking for were the principles for how they could resolve the afflictions and ignorance over the matters and appearances of the world. If people could be clear about the afflictions and ignorance afflictions and ignorance over matters and appearances, it would “enable them to attain great joy.” This is what I explained yesterday.
The next sutra passage states, ‘“As sentient beings listen to this Dharma, they attain the Path or are born in heaven, so those in all evil realms will diminish, and those who are patient and good will increase.’ Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Tathagata silently consented.”
If sentient beings could [listen] to the Buddha using matters and appearances to explain [the Dharma], then these suffering sentient beings could eliminate their afflictions and attain joy. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha joyfully and silently consented. He was to begin speaking soon, but it was not time yet. So, He was silent.
Sentient beings who hear the Dharma can attain joy and be born in the heaven realm. “They attain the Path or are born in heaven.” Only with the Dharma can one attain the Path.
“As sentient beings listen to this Dharma, they attain the Path or are born in heaven.” So, “Due to sentient beings listening to this perfect and great teaching of the Great Vehicle, they will either attain the noble path or be born in the heavens.”
We want to listen to the Great Vehicle teachings. After we have heard them, we are then able to understand the principles, know how to walk and in what direction we should go. The human realm is vast and hazy, and it is hard to know how to walk our path.
With regard to the path, the Buddha taught, “The sutra are a path” and “This path is a road to walk on.” How should we walk on this path so that we can walk it correctly, so that we can truly attain the teachings? With the ultimate principles, we eliminate delusion to work toward awakening; we turn delusion into awakening, turn knowledge into wisdom.
To turn our ordinary knowledge into wisdom, we will need the Buddha to use many different methods to teach us. As for the people who hear it, if their capabilities are greater, then they can attain the noble path. If their capabilities are lesser, they can cultivate the virtuous Dharma of the Ten Good Deeds to be born in the heaven realm. In this way, many people will engage in spiritual practice and attain the Path; and those who are patient and good will increase.
All this must be attained from the Buddha-Dharma. After hearing the Dharma, “Those beings in the evil realms will gradually decrease. Those who practice and uphold gentle persistence and patience as well as cultivate virtuous Dharma will increase and benefit.”
After hearing the Dharma, if we can uphold it, we will be form, gentle and patient. If we want to engage in spiritual practice, we must have strong spiritual aspirations; we must be firm in our will to practice. I often say, “Being a monastic is the work of a great person.” If we engage in spiritual practice but are not determined and courageous, we cannot renounce the lay life to become a monastic and engage in spiritual practice. So, we must have a resolute will and be firm in our practice.
However, our hearts need to be very gentle. When we go among people, there are inevitable many things that do not happen as we would have liked. When we are among people, nine times out of ten we feel that things are not going our way. What should we do? We need to endure. Among people, we need to have patience. When matters and appearances manifest, we need to use our skills. Whatever kind of difficulty we face, we must overcome it. When we are entangled by appearances, we need to have gentle forbearance; we need to be gentle and patient. We must be firm, gentle and patient; only then are we able to make things harmonious. When things are not going our way, what should we do? We need to be firm, gentle and patient. Then we are able to make things harmonious.
So, [Those] cultivating virtuous Dharma will increase and benefit. People who cultivate good Dharma will gradually increase in number. When we are among the people, if we can persist in being form, gentle and patient, with the teachings, we can form many good affinities with people. In dealing with matters appearances, we can be in harmony with all principles in life and form good affinities with people.
In interacting with others, we can gain much wisdom because everyone has different habitual tendencies. Each person had different afflictions. If we “have Dharma to transform them, from amidst ignorance and afflictions we can turn them around. This will increase our own wisdom. The people around us will benefit, and we ourselves will benefit too. So, improving people’s views will increase our wisdom and wisdom-life. So we must be very mindful to comprehend these principles.
“Those who attain the Path become sages and noble beings of the Three Vehicles. Those who receive blessings go to all the heavens in the three Realms. Therefore, those in the evil realms diminish.”
We should try to understand this Hearers understand from listening to the Dharma. Solitary Realizers use external states to comprehend the principles and awaken. Bodhisattvas go among people without being defiled and can benefit sentient beings. These are the Three Vehicles.
If we can practice all the Three Vehicles, we will approach the state of sages, noble beings. So, “Those who receive blessings go to all the heavens in the Three Realms.” If we walk the path of the Ten Good Deeds, we can also attain heavenly blessings. In the past, we spoke about heavenly beings and their karma of the Ten Good Deeds, how they earnestly implemented the Ten Good Deeds. Not only muse we practice the Ten Good Deeds, we must also uphold precepts. Then naturally, in the Three Realms, the desire, form and formless realms, we [can be born in] the heavens, like Brahma heavens. We have been speaking about the Brahma kings coming to hear the Dharma. So, in their past lives, they had practiced the Ten Good Deeds and upheld the Five Precepts. These people who cultivated purity enjoy blessings and were born in the heavens.
Therefore, those in the evil realms diminished. For those who are already practicing, if they were not born in the heavens, they were born as sages or noble beings. So, beings in the evil realms, in hell, naturally diminished.
Thus, “patient and good” refers to those who are “able to listen to the Buddha-Dharma; they are spurred on to do good.”
We need very firm aspirations and are spurred to serve others. This does not mean we are forced to do this. We encourage ourselves and continuously encourage each other to create this power to do good. This is the meaning of “patient and good.”
So, “At that time, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Tathagata silently consented. The Buddha heard their request and did not refuse.” He expressed consent by silence.
At that time, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha heard heavenly beings ask for the teachings. They hoped for those in good realms to increase and those in evil realms to decrease. They ask the Buddha to use matters and appearances to explain the principles to help everyone attain a clearer understanding. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior understood. He had already understood this, so Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha “silently consented.”
This was the listeners’ request for the teachings. Though the Buddha remained silent, He had not given up; He would still explain again. So, “The Buddha heard their request and did not refuse.” With His silence He indicated consent; this is how all Buddhas share the same path. He wanted to teach; once the time was right, He would definitely teach and not decline. However, the time was not right. He had to wait until everyone had arrived. Because not everyone had arrived, He only silently consented.
The next sutra passage states, “Then, Bhiksus, in the 500 trillion lands to the south, all the Brahma kings each saw their palaces illuminated by a great radiance, which had never happened before. They jumped with joy and gave rise to a rare and precious aspiration.”
The Brahma kings I had mentioned before were those seeking the light from the southeast. Now there were others, those from the 500 trillion lands to the south. This is to say that, again, the other Brahma kings, from the south, had also discovered their palaces were illuminated. This meant the same thing as it did for those from the southeast. Everyone was very joyful.
And, “In each of their minds, they gave rise to a rare and precious thought. These Brahma kings from the south, because of the light, asked in astonishment, and Brahma King Wondrous Dharma” brought the discussion together to explore this.
Each one of these Brahma kings, from deep in their hearts, gave rise to this wondrous joy. “They gave rise to a rare and precious thought.” Brahma kings, these heavenly beings, are joyful every day. Every day, they are joyful. But when they saw the light this time, when it suddenly radiated and shone, every person in their hearts similarly gave rise to this indescribable joy. So, “These Brahma kings from the south, because of the light, asked in astonishment, ‘Why is it that today when I see this light I am so joyous?’” They asked each other this. “I don’t know why today I am so joyous.” The other replied, “Indeed, I also don’t know why I am so joyous.” All of them were in the same state of mind. Each person gave rise to this joy. It was a kind of surprise, as this was a joy that they had never felt before.
[In the south it was] Brahma King Wondrous Dharma. At this time, Brahma King Wondrous Dharma gathered them together to explore this matter. This was because at that place, among all the Brahma kings, there was a Brahma King named Wondrous Dharma. This Brahma King Wondrous Dharma gathered everyone together, saying, “Everyone, let us together find the origin of this light.”
The next sutra passage states, “They immediately went to visit one another to discuss this matter. ‘What are the causes and conditions behind all our palaces having such a radiant light?’ Then, from amidst that assembly, a Great Brahma King named Wondrous Dharma spoke in verse for those in the Brahma heavens.”
This individual, Brahma King Wondrous Dharma, Brahma King Wondrous Dharma, began to seek the light. So, he began to investigate this together with everyone. The Brahma king from the south was named “Wondrous Dharma.” The precious one was “Great Compassion,” but now this one is named Wondrous Dharma. The Brahma King from the southeast is called “Great Compassion”. Now, the Brahma King from the south is called “Wondrous Dharma.” He “could skillfully expound wondrous Dharma for all heavenly beings.” This Brahma King often gathered those in the Brahma heavens. They were all very diligent. They were very diligent in [seeking] the Dharma. They had already practiced the Ten Good Deeds and upheld the Five Precepts. They practiced goodness, upheld the Five Precepts, so they placed great importance on the Dharma.
Therefore, he gathered everyone together and “spoke in verse for those in the Brahma heavens.” Brahma King Wondrous Dharma, with his wondrous Dharma and wondrous tone, expounded the Dharma for everyone. He repeated himself in verse. As he expounded the Dharma, he placed great importance on it. Where did the light come from? This Brahma king from the start placed great importance on and wanted to find ways to seek the Dharma.
Indeed, how was the Dharma to be found? Everyone in the Brahma heavens practiced good deeds and upheld the precepts. But even as they enjoyed heavenly blessings and long heavenly lifespans, their lifespans would still come to an end. People in the world today talk about auspicious ages. Some have lived for well over 100 years. One day, they too will reach the end of their lifespans and pass away. Brahma King Wondrous Dharma also had this kind of thinking. Blessings will end, lifespans will end, and they will still be trapped in cyclic existence. So, in regards to the Dharma, he sought the ultimate wondrous Dharma. He valued it greatly. Thus, he is called Wondrous Dharma. He gathered all the heavenly beings together to find the origin of this light. He thought of how they should find it. He spoke in verse to repeat himself. This is someone who showed respect for the Dharma.
He wanted to find the fundamental answer as to how one could engage in spiritual practice to ultimately end cyclic existence. This is the true ultimate Dharma. We Buddhist practitioners must always be like this. We must be very mindful. Every day and every moment, we should mindful. In each minute and second, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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