Subject: Requesting the Turning of the Dharma-Wheel (至誠獻供請轉法輪)
Date: February.14. 2017
“The Buddha’s Dharma-wheel is turned to transform, deliver and enter sentient beings’ hearts. This is called turning the Dharma-wheel. The pure flow of the Dharma-water perfectly reaches everything. The Dharma transforms and nourishes, and not just humans. As carts and ships have wheels that turn, and there is the turning of the four seasons, we thus use the analogy of the Dharma-wheel.”
This is turning the Dharma-wheel. We must very mindfully seek to comprehend what it means to turn the Dharma-wheel. When it comes to the Dharma-wheel, the Dharma is in the Buddha’s mind. The Buddha came to the world for one great cause. He had already returned His nature of True Suchness to its state of [oneness with] the universe. The universe and all the things within it were encompassed by the Buddha’s ocean of enlightenment.
The Buddha hoped to transmit this Dharma into the minds of sentient beings. This is like saying, “I know about this matter, and I understand these principles. This is my first-hand experience. I want everyone to know this method so that they too can experience this.” This basin of water is hot. Soaking in it in the winter is very comfortable. I have experienced this, so I know. Thus, I want to tell everyone that when it is freezing cold, we should quickly soak our feet in hot water. This stimulates our circulation, so we will feel very comfortable. I want to tell you this method so you will know.
But if all I do is tell you and all you do is listen, then you will remain cold. You have to make the effort to heat the water, boil it until it is at this temperature, and then soak your feet in it. Then naturally you will experience this feeling. Naturally your mind and your body will feel very comfortable. This is how the principles work.
The Buddha had already become one with the universe and all Dharma-realms. This came from His compassion. In His compassion, He could not bear for sentient beings to continue transmigrating in the Five Realms; that is suffering! In particular, in the Five Realms, in the human realm, ignorance and afflictions are reproduced. The human world is in chaos, and the suffering is unbearable. The Buddha, in His compassion, wanted to help people to purify their minds, to thoroughly understand the principles. So, He was mindful and worked hard. He continuously put in this effort, and eventually His mind’s nature of True Suchness became one with the universe and all Dharma-realms. There was nothing He did not know, no appearance He did not understand, and no principle He did not comprehend. He wanted to teach us the method for this, to help us understand people, matters, objects and appearances. Then we could open our minds and understand and no longer replicate our afflictions. Only then would the world become harmonious; only then could we be free from cyclic existence. This is the Buddha’s compassion.
We should mindfully accept the Dharma that the Buddha used to transform us by delivering it into sentient beings’ minds. From the Buddha’s mind, the Dharma He attained was turned [like a wheel] to transform sentient beings and be delivered into sentient beings’ minds. So, this is called turning the Dharma-wheel. He took what He understood and [turned it] like a wheel. The Dharma needs a vehicle, needs a wheel, so that from the Buddha’s mind, the Dharma, like a cart’s wheel, can be delivered into everyone’s minds. This is the Dharma-wheel.
So, “The pure flow of the Dharma-water perfectly reaches everything. The Dharma transforms and nourishes, and not just humans.” This means that the Dharma-water is pure. The Dharma-water can nourish our wisdom-life. If we want our wisdom-life to grow, then we need this pure Dharma-water. This is like the land; when all things have water, have moisture, they will grow. Without moisture they will wither, they will dry out. For example, right now in front of me, there are these dried branches. These branches have already dried up. There is no moisture in them. The moisture has been lost, sucked out. Or, they have naturally dried up. This means there is no more moisture. So, after a while, they become dry branches. Once branches have already become dry, even if they are soaked in water, it is impossible for them to sprout and grow. There is no way that will happen.
This means that, by that time, their causes and cognitions have come to an end. So, it will be impossible for them to recover their vitality. It is the same for all of us. We need to immediately be nourished by the Dharma-water. We have [healthy] seeds and a field in our mind. Our seeds have always been in the fields of our minds, but at this time we are lacking Dharma-water. With Dharma-water, the ground will become moist. When seeds have soil and moisture, naturally they will sprout. The causes and conditions of the air will help, will assist this phenomenon. Naturally when causes and conditions come together with the seeds, the seeds will develop roots and sprout. Their vitality will be so exuberant. This is like everyone’s nature of True Suchness; we have allowed afflictions and ignorance to continually cover it. It is already dirty and lacking clean water.
The Dharma is like water; the Dharma is the same as water, so, “the pure flow of the Dharma-water” means we need the pure Dharma-water to perfectly reach everything. Water takes the shape of its container; so long as there is water, whether the container is square, rectangular, or even round, it will always follow that shape. When the water is poured into a square container, it will be square. If there is tube, then the water will follow this tube, this pipe and continue flowing through it. Whether the pipe is thick or thin, the water will likewise flow through it. Dharma-water follows sentient begins’ capabilities; water follows the shapes of all things. So, with sentient begins’ different capabilities, we need the Dharma; the Dharma adapts to sentient beings’ capabilities. Water adapts to the shapes of all things and, according to what they need, nourishes them in this way.
So, the pure flow of the Dharma-water can adapt to any shape; this is what is meant by “perfectly reaches everything.” There is nothing it can’t reach. As long as we have the Dharma and are willing to apply it, naturally the Dharma adapts to capabilities to deliver and transform sentient beings. It is like water; regardless of the shape, as long as there is water it will be able to flow to every part. So, the Dharma transforms and nourishes. The Dharma is for transforming and delivering all beings, for saving all beings. Everyone is clear on this Dharma.
Look at this current chapter, the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City. In addition to Sakyamuni Buddha, it describes Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior from dust-inked kalpas before. Even long ago, before Beginningless Time, this has always been there. It is just that over a very long time our nature of True Suchness has been affected; as thoughts continually go astray, our every step is mistaken. So, we have long been in this state of afflictions and ignorance where we continue to let pure water leak away, and our defilements continue to pile up. Thus we become unenlightened begins in the Five Realms and four forms of birth. The pure Dharma has leaked out, so we have fallen into the Five Realms.
But this Dharma still exists; it is still there. The wheel of goodness is still turning; the principles have not disappeared. So, spiritual practitioners’ intrinsic nature continue to follow the Dharma, true principles, as it continually turns and as they continue to transmigrate life after life. In the sutras, in the Buddha’s Jataka Sutra, before the beginning of beginningless kalpas age, there are many stories. The Buddha’s Jataka Sutra tells how He began to engage in spiritual practice beginningless kalpas ago. He too accepted the Buddha-Dharma and followed the Dharma in His practice. He cultivated teachings of goodness and upheld virtuous precepts. By following teachings of goodness and precepts, some are reborn in the heaven realm, in different kinds of heavens. There are great and small [good deeds], so people create great or small blessings. Depending on the great and small good deeds, their blessings and precepts, they will transform and be reborn in different heavens, such as the Brahma heavens; the Brahma heavens include Akanishtha Heaven (the highest heaven). Though they enjoy heavenly blessings there, they still have a small amount of dust-like afflictions they have not eliminated. There are still a few principles they are unable to understand. So, they still need to seek the Dharma and need to be more diligent.
The Lotus Sutra, the Great Vehicle Dharma, not only transforms sentient beings in the human realm, but also those in the heaven realms, including Akanishtha Heaven. Brahma kings would also receive the light, receive the radiance of the light. When the Buddha practiced in the human realm and attained Buddhahood, there was this ray of light. Heavenly begins in the desire realm then came to protect the Dharma. So, heavenly beings, Dharma-protectors, from the desire realm, [stayed there] as the Buddha sat for ten kalpas Great Unhindered Superior Wisdom Buddha sat for ten kalpas in His place of enlightenment, a very long time. To thoroughly understand the original principles requires a very long time.
So, all heavenly beings in the desire realm came to protect the Dharma. Only after sitting for ten small kalpas in His place of enlightenment did He begin to awaken compassion and wisdom. After then kalpas of spiritual practice, in the end He awakened compassion and wisdom. This means He had to have universal compassion for sentient beings, to work for the sake of sentient beings. As this thought arose within Him, He exercised His wisdom. So in the span of a thought, He became enlightened.
After ten kalpas, He became enlightened in an instant. In that instant, He had universal compassion. This is the practice of compassion. Though is it very good to have unconditional loving-kindness, in the end we need to have universal compassion. We hope for everyone to be happy and at peace. This is the Buddha’s loving-kindness.
But when sentient beings suffer hardship, we must feel their suffering as our own suffering. Feeling sentient beings’ suffering as our own is universal compassion, thus we exercise both compassion and wisdom. So, bringing everything together and exercising compassion and wisdom, in that instant He attained enlightenment.
Then, all heavenly beings began scattering flowers as an offering. With this ray of light, the light of awakening, the principles immediately reached the Brahma heavens. The Brahma heavens quaked and were illuminated by the radiance. This began in the east. I hope everyone can recall that the Brahma kings of the east were represented by Saving All.
From the very beginning, what this representative of the Brahma kings hoped for most was for the Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel. He had also passed through 500 trillion lands, from a remote and faraway place, to come to the place of enlightenment of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. He scattered flowers and made offerings with the goal of asking the Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel. This was because he wanted to “save all.” This was his aspiration. He still had slight traces of afflictions. He hoped that in the future. He could turn the Dharma-wheel like the Buddha. How did the Buddha attain Buddhahood? How was He able to deliver sentient beings? “[He] liberated suffering sentient beings by opening the path to Nirvana.” This is why when Brahma King Saving All [asked the Buddha] to turn the Dharma-wheel, his goal, his hope, was through “power of great compassion to deliver suffering, afflicted sentient beings.” This was Brahma King Saving All’s goal in asking the Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel.
And the Brahma kings of the southeast? Their representative was called Great Compassion. Great Compassion also used the same method to ask the Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel. As Great Unhindered Superior Wisdom Buddha had remained silent, he asked Him once more. Only by His revealing matters and appearances would there be a way to transform sentient beings. Because evil realms were full of sentient beings and those in the heaven realms had diminished, he asked the Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel, to reveal matters and appearances. Because sentient beings right now have dull capabilities and many afflictions, matters and appearances need to be used to help everyone more clearly understand. So, he hoped for the Buddha to use simple and obvious principles to teach and transform sentient beings. This is how the previous. Brahma kings from the east and from the southeast wanted to save all; they hope everyone could forever be in a tranquil and still state o Nirvana, where all would be pure and free of afflictions. This is loving-kindness. What about Great Compassion? He had universal compassion for sentient beings and felt sentient beings’ suffering as his own. He knew those in the evil realms were increasing and those in virtuous realms were diminishing. As sentient beings’ capabilities were dull, they needed matters and appearances [to understand]. So, the Brahma king of the southeast had this mindset when he asked Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel.
After these, now it is the south. The Brahma kings of the south are represented by Wondrous Dharma. Now we will go on to discuss just how Wondrous Dharma came to ask the Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel. Similarly, because of an illuminating radiance, he came from the south to the north. He went north in his search. Previously, those in the east went west toward the source. Now, those in the south went toward the north. It was the same; the source of the radiance [was viewed] from different directions. As they looked toward the origin of the light, these terms, east, south, west and north, appeared.
So, of the Dharma, we say “the pure flow of the Dharma-water” must adapt to these kinds of terms. Whether it is somethings we term “square,” whether the water basin is a square container, or whether it is a round, circular container, there is no shape, no container, that water cannot enter. So, with Dharma-water, “The Dharma transforms and nourishes.” The Dharma has always existed, and when it comes to water, there has always been water on this planet. It is only because water has been here that there ae living things. If there had been no water, then there would be no living things. So, there has always been water. Similarly, since before Beginningless Time [the Dharma] has been here. But we are like those tree [branches] that have dried out and been broken off. There is no moisture in them. The way, we are unable to absorb the Dharma; it is impossible for us to be revived. We have been completely cut off from the Dharma. So, the Dharma transforms and nourishes, and not just humans. It is not just given to the human realm. Actually, those in the heaven realm need the Dharma too. “As carts and ships have wheels that turn…” This applies to both carts and ships; ships also have wheels, the ones with wheels are called ferry boats. Ferry boats are powered by a wheel. Only when this wheel turns can it move. Airplanes also need wheels. In conclusion, anything that transports things needs to have wheels. Even machinery that manufacture things also needs to have wheels. So, our teachings also need to have wheels. We need the Dharma-wheel. To transmit [the Dharma] from the Buddha’s mind into the minds of unenlightened sentient beings, it is necessary to use a Dharma-wheel; this wheel is an analogy for the Dharma.
The Dharma has always been there; it is just that we do not know how to apply it. So, [the Buddha] turns this wheel into sentient beings minds. This is like the four seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter. These periods of time, also turn like a wheel. Every year, we have the four seasons. After spring, summer, autumn and winter, another year has passed. The principle is the same. This is wheel that is continually turning. Things that can turn are called wheels.
The earth does the same in the void of space, it turns as it follow its orbit So, we experience light and darkness every day. It unceasingly revolves and rotates; even now it is turning. So, the Dharma-wheel is turned in hopes that everyone can thoroughly understand. So, we must be earnestly mindful of the Dharma. The Buddha-Dharma has always existed. It is like the water on Earth There has to be water on the planet in order for plants and other living things to arise. Living things and plants and so on all exist because of water. For us humans to nurture our wisdom-life, we must also have Dharma-water.
This is what the previous passage says. These passages are very similar, and we have continuously discussed them. “In all of our palaces, the brilliant illumination is powerfully radiant. This is not without causes and conditions. We had better investigate this appearance. Hundreds and thousands of kalpas have passed without us ever seeing such a sign. It must be a Virtuous
One born in heaven of a Buddha manifesting in the world.”
Let us go over this again. This was the light seen by the Brahma kings of the south. “At that time, 500 trillion Brahma kings went along with their palaces. They each used their mantle to hold all kinds of celestial flowers and together went to the north to seek out this sign.” Because they were in the south, they went north to search for the source of the light.
The next passage says, “They saw Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Tathagata in the place of enlightenment beneath the Bodhi-tree, sitting on the lion throne. All heavenly beings, naga kings, gandharvas, kinnaras mahoragas humans, non-humans and so on respectfully surrounded Him.”
In addition to heavenly beings, there were the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. This includes all of the sentient beings in the Three Realms. It includes the heavenly beings of the Brahma heavens, they are also sentient beings. It includes all deities, humans and animals. The Five Realms are all included here. The four forms of birth and the Five Realms are all included in this. They have all gathered together at Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s place of enlightenment.
The next sutra passage says, “And they saw the 16 princes asking the Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel. The all the Brahma kings prostrated out of respect for the Buddha, circumambulated Him thousands of times and scattered celestial flowers upon Him.”
At the place of enlightenment, the 16 princes were already present; they were present at this assembly. The 16 princes were the ones who had asked the Buddha to turn the Great Dharma-wheel. “The sons of a king are called princes.” And the Buddha?
“As Dharma is taught from the Buddha’s mouth, it gives birth to Dharma-children and nurtures their wisdom-life.” So, they were called Buddha-children. They asked [the Buddha] to turn the Dharma-wheel. It was the 16 princes who had asked the Buddha to turn the Great Dharma-wheel. Upon hearing the Dharma, they were very happy, and they understood; the sounds entered their ears as Hearers. Then they awakened to the impermanence of all things in the world, so they wanted to know how to end cyclic existence. How could they deliver all sentient beings? Thus, the 16 princes asked the Buddha to again turn [the wheel] of the subtle and wondrous Great Dharma.
This Dharma is very subtle and wondrous, but it was the Dharma of the Great Vehicle. This is what the princes asked the Buddha to teach. When the Buddha consented to teach the Dharma, this light began radiating outwards. The Buddha had consented to teach the subtle and wondrous Great Vehicle Dharma, so this light radiated.
“Then all the Brahma kings prostrated out of respect for the Buddha [and] circumambulated Him thousands of times.” This was in accord with etiquette and propriety. As each arrived, each acted in accordance with this etiquette to express their respect. This is setting an example.
So, “With utmost sincerity, they prostrated out of respect.” They prostrated this way, with their heads and faces touching the ground. This was an expression of utmost reverence in. India, this was the etiquette practiced. Their circumambulating the Buddha was also an expression of respect. They scattered celestial flowers upon the Buddha. After they paid their respects, they scattered celestial flowers upon the Buddha.
And [they] scattered celestial flowers upon Him: The most sincere and respectful flowers of the heart are reverently presented as wondrous offerings.
They did not only fall upon the Buddha’s head; they were also scattered upon the tree. They scattered flowers as offerings. Filling the sky, falling from the sky, the flowers dignified the place of enlightenment. “The most sincere and respectful flowers of the heart” are also an expression of reverence. Hearts blooming like flowers symbolize great joy. This etiquette, presenting flowers in this way, expresses joy. In this way, they reverently presented wondrous offerings.
“The flowers they scattered were like Mt. Sumeru. They were used to make offerings to both the Buddha and the Bodhi-tree. Having made offerings with flowers, they each offered their palaces to that Buddha and said these words, ‘Please look upon us with mercy and benefit all of us.”’
The scattered flowers were like Mt. Sumeru. They scattered them not only on the Buddha’s head, but made offerings to the Bodhi-tree too. Not only did they show respect to the Buddha, they also scattered flowers on the Bodhi-tree, because the Buddha had sat beneath the Bodhi-tree. So, clearly the flowers rained down from high up. With the flowers they scattered, the Bodhi-tree also became covered in celestial flowers. They demonstrated respect for the Bodhi-tree.
“Having made offerings with flowers, they each offered their palaces to that Buddha.” This demonstrated that they made offerings with everything they had. Starting with “each of their palaces,” they made offerings with everything they had. This reverence was in the hope that the Buddha would benefit them, benefit [all of them] and teach the Dharma. So, with their unsurpassed [reverence] the [flowers] piled up so high. Their expression of supreme, unsurpassed reverence accumulated as high as Mt. Sumeru.
The flowers they scattered were like Mt. Sumeru. They were used to make offerings to both the Buddha and the Bodhi-tree: [The flowers] were piled up high to request Him to turn the Dharma-wheel beneath the Bodhi-tree.
So, they asked the Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel with supreme, unsurpassed reverence. [The flowers] were like Mt. Sumeru, coming down from high above. With this kind of reverence, they made offerings to the Buddha and asked the Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel.
“Having made offerings with flowers, they each offered their palaces to that Buddha.” This way, “What they used [for themselves] was given for the Buddha to use.”
Their mindset was intangible, but their offerings were tangible. This is “what they used.” What was inside the mind is truly intangible, yet they wanted to express it. Whether they were respectful or not would not matter to the Buddha anyway, but they still wished to express it through their etiquette toward the Buddha. To the Buddha, what use were these things? They just represented heavenly beings’ giving, showing “I am the most reverent. I am willing to give everything I have.” These were things “they used.”
“[They] said these words,” ‘Please look upon us with mercy and benefit all of us.’ They prayed the Buddha would embrace them for they sought blessed retribution.”
With this kind of reverence, they began speaking to the Buddha. “Please look upon us” was an expression of utmost reverence. In their minds, they hoped for only one thing. “Please” indicated their thinking, that the only thing they hoped for was, “Venerable Buddha!” “Look upon us with compassion and mercy. Please benefit us!”
There is a limit to heavenly blessings. How could they put an end to cyclic existence? They had to ask the Buddha to teach them out of compassion. They still had slight traces of subtle delusions they had not yet eliminated. There were still a few principles they could not understand. “Venerable Buddha, please be merciful and give us teachings to help us understand.” So, “They prayed the Buddha would embrace them, for they sought blessed retribution.” They were still seeking, because their heavenly blessings would soon end. If they fell again, what could they do? So, they still asked the Buddha to embrace them.
The next passage then says, “As for the palaces that we offer, may you honor us by accepting them. My reverence is such that. I want to make offerings with everything I have.”
We often hear people say this “I want to make all the money I can, do all the business I can. But all that I do, Master, is in preparation to [donate] all of it.” This is the mindset some people have. The minds of humans and heavenly beings are the same; all are seeking blessings! But the blessings sought by the Brahma kings were both blessings and wisdom. As I mentioned previously, they sought benefit for all sentient beings, not only for themselves. When they offered all their palaces, they hoped He would “honor us by accepting them.”
They were below Him; those making offerings were below, and the Buddha was sitting high above. So, to make offerings with respect, they had to raise them high up, while Buddha had to reach down to accept them. Actually, this was all intangible, but this way of showing respect was their attitude, their expression. Their intent was to ask something of the Buddha. “Venerable Buddha, you know our intent. Please accept these things.”
So, “At that time, all the Brahma kings in the presence of the Buddha, with one mind and in one voice, spoke in verse.”
“May the Buddha please accept the things we have offered.” This is how the heavenly beings felt when they made their offerings. Such was their reverence. Yes, we must be reverent. As we are learning the Buddha’s teachings, if we are lacking this reverence when we interact with each other, we will unable to be of one mind.
I often talk about “unity, harmony, mutual love and concerted effort.” Last is “concerted effort.” Only when we act in concert will the world and all societies be at peace. To act with concerted effort, we must have mutual love. We must love one another, and with mutual love we can focus our efforts to life any burden. If something is very heavy, one can say, “Everyone, I will also offer my strength so I can take some of the burden off of you.” If we all give of our strength, we can help relieve the burden on one another. With this kind of thought, our strength will be in concert.
Without this kind of thought we may say, “You take the heavier end; give me the lighter end.” However, we may not even carry the lighter part and instead pull it the wrong way. Then no one can move. “I will hold on; you help to pull. If I just hold on to this heavy object, the person in front is carrying the burden, as I pull the other way. Not only are we not helping to lift the back, we are pulling it the wrong way. If this is the case, how can society be harmonious? If we do not understand, if we have no empathy, how can there be mutual love? So, we must have mutual love.
Mutual love comes from harmony. We must love everyone we can see. For those we cannot see, we may say, “Yes, I do love them.” But most important are those we can see. We must be in harmony with them. When we listen to them talking to each other, we know their speech is harmonious. They are very supportive in their speech, offering mutual support and mutual praise. We can hear this in people’s voices. From their expression, we can tell they are kind. As people speak to one another, [others wonder,] How are they so kind?” This can be seen and heard; this is harmony. Only with harmony is unity possible.
Unity, harmony, mutual love and concerted effort is utmost reverence. As people interact with each other, they need to treat one another with reverence, because everyone is a Buddha.
Dear Bodhisattvas, truly, we must respect on another and turn the Dharma-wheel for each other. They young Bodhisattvas always say, “Grandmaster, we want to make a vow to be your little Dharma-protectors, to be those who spread the Dharma.” Indeed! They protect and transmit the Dharma. Even these very young children aspire to this; similarly, all of us should spread and protect the Dharma. For the Dharma to be in the world, we must have unity, harmony, mutual love and concerted effort. Let us always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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