Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Entering the Buddha to Turn the Dharma-Wheel (十方梵王請轉法輪)
Date: February.22. 2017
“With the innate enlightenment of True Suchness, He journeys on the path of True Suchness. From the seed, He comes to the fruit of achieving perfect enlightenment. He is called the Tathagata. Journeying on the path of True Suchness, He comes down to the Three Realms to transform sentient beings. Therefore, what we call the Tathagata is the manifest Tathagata.”
The Tathagata sounds very far removed from us, because He is supreme and unsurpassed, and we are unenlightened, lowly ordinary people. We have to admit 100 percent that we are unenlightened beings. The Tathagata is supreme and unsurpassed, so the distance between us and the Tathagata seems very far, very far.
Are we really that far away? In our fundamental essence, we are one with the Tathagata. Our relationship with the Tathagata is that the Tathagata is in our body, our mind, and our essence. But we are unenlightened beings. We are unenlightened beings because there are many principles we cannot penetrate. The truths of the Way are far from us; we merely pay lip service to most principles. This is what I say, and this is what you hear. But this is just listening and speaking. “It seems this sutra passage has been explained differently by other people.” Some people chew over the text; for every word and phrase, they search for what the ancients said about it.
Indeed, what did eminent monastics and sages have to say about it? People just search for the principles in the text. When it comes to the text and the principles, do we [look for] the ancient principles that have existed since dust-inked kalpas ago? Are these principles that have always existed the same as the principles that according to the terminology are far away from us? Or are they part of the essence of our minds, part of our original, intrinsic, nature of True Suchness? Are we willing to admit that the Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha from dust-inked kalpas ago [is within us]? “Great Unhindered” means we can go from this end of the road to that end, to the principles of that boundlessly faraway end. In getting to the “Great Unhindered” of that time from our end of the road here, will we be able to make it? Because if we treat it as that Tathagata from dust-inked kalpas ago, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Tathagata, as something apart from us, then it is very far away from us. But we can acknowledge that Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior is the source of the principles, and the principles, from ancient times till now, have always been the same. The principles are the same; it is just that we do not admit it. We keep creating divisions in the principles, trying to differentiate them. We are always searching in the text for other [meanings] and so on. We keep going in circles within the text, never finding our way out. We keep chewing over these words, but we are unable to bite into them.
So, I hope that all of us listen to the Dharma and take it to heart. As for “innate enlightenment of True Suchness,” everyone has innate enlightenment; everyone has an intrinsic nature of True Suchness. We have innate enlightenment and this true nature; it is just that we are far away from them. Are we far away from their essence? Or from these matters and appearances? In essence we are not far, but in matters and appearances we are far. If we can have a clear understanding, we know that over this long time, in this space, already the appearances of space and time, the appearances of matters, have changed.
But principles fundamentally have no appearance. Principles are fundamentally of non-appearance, so they forever remain unchanging. So, we forever have this nature of True Suchness. Our innate enlightenment of True Suchness is forever without appearance and unchanging. But time and space do change. It is because time continually passes that we have terms like dust-inked kalpas. Time and space undergo changes. So, we can measure time with numbers, like more than 2500 years ago. We can calculate times that are relatively recent. The name of the place we live in right now is Taiwan. Over 2000 years ago, there was this matter, this person, and this appearance. So, we say it was around 2500 years ago. This is how long ago it was in the past. There is a certain time and appearance, so there is a distance.
We are know able to know [the distance] from Taiwan to Nepal, which used to be the kingdom of Kapilavastu. Right now (2015), Tzu Chi volunteers are still there. We know that place is more than 3600 km [from Taiwan]. There is this distance; there is this appearance. With the distance, the matter and the appearance, we can conceptualize it, give it a name. So, the Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha from more than 2000 years ago, was born in that era. This Sakyamuni Buddha, of course, had an intrinsic nature and innate enlightenment of True Suchness that were one with Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior from dust-inked kalpas ago. As for Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, this “Great Unhindered” is also one with all of us. We are unable to estimate how long ago this was. We may want to, but even a mathematician, or a mathematician’s disciples, would not be able to calculate this amount of time. This “Great Unhindered” is intrinsic to everyone; it has always existed. It is not only Sakyamuni Buddha who is one with Him.
Actually, all of us are one with the universe, are of the same essence as “Great Unhindered.” The principles that permeate the universe have their source there. It is just that we are truly unenlightened beings through and through. Who knows how long ago we came to be in this state of ignorance. I always say this, but the question is whether we actually admit that in the past, since Beginningless Time, we began by creating a single thought of ignorance. Who knows how many countless kalpas have passed. Oh, causes and conditions! Because of the karmic law of cause and effect, our retributions lead us to create new causes. With these causes, we further create positive and negative conditions. Then these positive and negative conditions continually lead to fruition of the effects. From these effects we suffer retributions. Positive and negative retributions cycle continuously in this way, causing us to accumulate endless karmic effects. A seed contains an ocean of fruits. A seed of karma is so small, but it can result in so many karmic fruitions. Across all our lifetimes, for how long have we been accumulating them? How can we return [to our original state]? How do we gather up all the fruits we accumulated and go back to the seed, that tiny seed? That seed is so tiny. How do we return to our innate enlightenment of True Suchness? The method is “journeying on the path of True Suchness.”
We need to return to the principles of our nature of True Suchness. This is what we must return to. “From the seed, [we] come to the fruit.” We are here now because in the past we also gave rise to a single thought of ignorance, to that seed, that cause. So, we have accumulated many karmic fruits. Now, it is those fruits [that we face]; this present lifetime is our fruition. We are reaping our fruits, because in our present lifetime, this is the way things are right now; we were born into different family backgrounds and have lived different kinds of lives, but we all have these karmic affinities, which result in the effect of us all cultivating at the same place of practice. Some have already formed great aspirations and renounced limited love to enter into this greater family. They have the common resolve to shoulder the Tathagata’s mission. Due to their karmic fruits, some have already established their own families. Though they have their own families, they are still able to form great aspirations to first transform those in their families, then dedicate themselves to society. However, all of us have the common resolve to walk the Tzu Chi road, to walk this path through the world.
“The Jing Si Dharma-lineage is a path of diligent practice.” This means we must be diligent and dedicate ourselves to helping others. “The Tzu Chi School of Buddhism is a road of working with people in the world.” We must be mindful, because although each of us has different causes and conditions, we are now all walking the same path. Each of us has the same feeling, that helping people is walking the Bodhisattva-path. When we walk this Bodhisattva-path to go among the people, we will not be influenced by their afflictions and ignorance. After we go among them to help and then come back; we are still the same; it is just that we feel happier and more at ease. By helping that person escape his difficulties and suffering, we gain something inside, “I now have the experience of doing this. It was accomplished by many people working together in unity and harmony.”
In our lives, we can create this kind of seed, and this seed is then stored in the field of our eighth consciousness. In our eighth consciousness, since we gave while remaining undefiled by others and sought no recognition or benefit, we therefore sought nothing in return, so that seed is pure. It then returns to the ninth consciousness, which is our nature of True Suchness. It is pure and undefiled. In this pure and undefiled state, when we give without expectations, this seed is a pure cause. This comes from reverently giving out of our Buddha-nature. Free of expectations, free of defilements, we are simply filled with Dharma-joy, which strengthens our spiritual aspirations to pave this road throughout the world. This is the Bodhisattva-path.
This is what we must “journey on.” Making use of this Dharma is like riding on the great white ox-cart to travel a path of great abundance. So, [we] “journey on the path to True Suchness.” “From the cause” means we start from the Buddha-mind; this is the cause. The Buddha-mind is True Suchness, our intrinsic nature. With this cause, our pure intrinsic nature, we are not seeking anything. It is just that sentient beings are suffering, so we give of ourselves in this way. What is “the effect [we come to”? With seeds of True Suchness and unconditional [giving], we return to our pure intrinsic nature. This is the fruit; in this way, by continually accumulating these fruits lifetime after lifetime, we will achieve perfect enlightenment and be called Tathagatas. No matter how much time has passed since dust-inked kalpas ago and Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, the start is also the present. In the present, we have come journeying on our intrinsic nature from the start. With what starts in the present, we will continue on far into the future. So, [to return to] our pure and undefiled innate enlightenment of True Suchness, which is without appearance and substance, we must take this “journey;” we must walk in this way.
So, “Journeying on the path of True Suchness, He comes down to the Three Realms”, particularly to where the Five Destinies co-exist, to where there is the most suffering in life, the desire realm. Sakyamuni Buddha chose the desire realm. The desire realm is filled with human desires, yet He escaped those thoughts of desire. In order to pursue the true principles, He left the palace to seek the Path, to find the principles. Then He attained perfect enlightenment. After attaining perfect enlightenment, all desires were transformed into “form.” They were merely appearances; His mind did not dwell on these appearances to give rise to discursive thoughts. Then He transcended the form realm to reach the formless realm. With His enlightened intrinsic nature, He was selfless and without attachments. With His completely pure mind, He went among people to teach sentient beings.
This is “journeying on the path of True Suchness [to] come down to the Three Realms to transform sentient beings.” He came down from above with a single purpose, to transform sentient beings. His one great cause was to transform sentient beings, to open and reveal for us so we know the principles are like this. He diligently taught us, life after life, repeatedly returning and always engaging in spiritual practice with. His innate enlightenment of True Suchness. He manifested spiritual practice for everyone to see and taught them these principles, while He Himself remained undefiled. This is the “manifest Tathagata.”
He manifests to transform accordingly, responding to sentient beings’ capabilities and to the matters and appearances in this world at this time. So, He comes to the world, returning to deliver and transform sentient beings. Since the Buddha taught us in this way, we should [believe] what Sakyamuni Buddha taught, that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. The place of enlightenment where Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha sat is in our mind as well. Would the Dharma-wheel be turned? That also takes place in our minds. So, the nature of True Suchness, the landscape of our mind, can be either long or short, noble or ordinary. We can be a noble being or an unenlightened being. It can take a long time, or it can happen now. This is the Dharma; it is very profound and also very practical. In our daily living, depending on how we use it, we will have that experience of it. This is not saying how we need to seek it out in order to attain it. It is always there.
By understanding one principle, we can understand 10,000. So, do we really need to hear so many teachings? Do we really need to learn that many things? Actually, what we need to learn is within us, within our intrinsic nature. So, let us put our hearts into comprehending it. The previous passage was still about the Brahma kings. On arriving at Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior’s place of enlightenment, they saw the 16 princes there at the assembly, as well as many heavenly beings who arrived there first. Brahma King Wondrous Dharma led everyone in requesting the turning of the Dharma-wheel, asking Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel. With one mind and one voice, together they requested the Dharma from Him. Thus, they “spoke in verse.”
So, the previous sutra passage says, “We only pray the one honored by heavenly beings and humans will turn the supreme Dharma-wheel, beat the Great Dharma-drum and blow the Great Dharma-conch. Universally let fall the Great Dharma-rain to deliver countless sentient beings. We all take refuge in and entreat You to teach with the deep and far-reaching tone.”
This was earlier, when many Brahma kings, with one mind and voice, had asked the Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel. Then once again in verse, they reverently entreated the Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel.
In the next passage, it says, “At that time, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha silently consented.” Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha likewise silently consented. “For those from the southwest all the way to those below, it was also like this.”
Brahma King Wondrous Dharma came from the south. Before the south, there were the Brahma kings from the east and southeast. So now, all these heavenly beings were already at the place of enlightenment. Thus, “For those from the southwest all the way to those below, it was also like this.”
For those from the southwest all the way to those below, it was also like this: There are ten directions. In the sutra, it only speaks of those from the east, the southeast, the south and above. The six [other] directions: The southwest, the west, the northwest, the north, the northeast and below.
Actually, for those from the southwest all the way to those below, it was the same. These Brahma kings and their palaces were [the same as] the previously mentioned ones from the east, the southeast and the south; in fact, south was mentioned, but there is also southwest and above and below. They are the same, when the south is mentioned, we know there is also the southwest. These Brahma kings, and those above and below, were the same. They were all illuminated by the light; the Brahma-palaces were all lit up. Everyone was curious about this auspicious sign, so they went north in search of [its origin].
From the example of one direction, we already understand the others. After the south, the southwest, above and below all came. So, of the six [other] directions; there was still the southwest, west, northwest as well as north, northeast and below in addition to the previously mentioned three, there are six more directions. Actually, the scene was the same for all of them. So, “Those in these six directions also, because of the light, asked in astonishment.”
In these six directions, likewise, all were astonished upon seeing the light. So, they asked each other about it. We already said before that in searching for the light they had arrived at the place of the Buddha. “In requesting that He turn the Dharma-wheel, each of them were the same. Hence it says ‘all the way to those.’” The situation of those in these six directions was the same as that of the earlier three. Similarly, all began asking one another, “My palace is like this, what about yours?” They had all seen that light and all had a happy appearance and mindset, so they collectively sought the answer and came together to investigate this sign. They all decided to go in the same direction. From the southeast, they headed northwest in their search. Though each came from a different direction, they all went in the same direction to search. This was the origin of the light. The place the light originated did not move.
The principles are everlasting, unmoving. Dust-inked kalpas ago they were unmoving. Now they are still unmoving. True principles are forever unmoving. Only in terms of matters and appearances are there east, west, south, north, the four intermediate directions, above and below, these are the ten directions. Matters and appearances have a direction; the true principles are unmoving. So, “Hence, it says ‘all the way to those.’” The earlier text said, “all the way to those.” “From the southwest all the way to those below, it was also like this.” In this passage it says “all the way to those.” “All these Brahma kings saw the light and discussed together.” All of them saw this ray of light, so they all gathered together to discuss it. Where was this light actually coming from?
All these Brahma kings saw this light and discussed together. They came from each direction to prostrate before the Buddha, scatter flowers, offer their palaces and ask [for the Dharma]. All were the same.
“They came from each direction.” Each came from a different direction, from the east, west, south, north, the four intermediate directions, above and below, all different directions. “They came from each direction” and arrived together at the same place, at the place of enlightenment of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. Arriving at the Buddha’s place of enlightenment, they paid respect to His, scattered flowers, offered their palaces to Him and earnestly entreated the Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel. Each of them did the same. So, we should mindfully seek to comprehend these principles. The principles exist forever and are unchanging. They are forever the same, without beginning or end. These are the true principles.
The next sutra passage then says, “At that time, in the 500 trillion lands above, all the Great Brahma Kings each saw with their own eyes, in the palaces where they stayed, a brilliant illumination, powerfully radiant, which had never happened before. They jumped with joy and gave rise to a rare and precious aspiration.”
Previously we discussed three directions. Now we are speaking of those from above. Earlier we discussed those from the east, the southeast and the south, and we just spoke of six other directions. Now, there is above. Put together these are the ten directions. All those in Brahma heavens came in the same way, so they joyfully passed through trillions of lands. These Brahma kings came from the Brahma heavens above, for they had also seen this light. So, the light shone not only horizontally, but also shone upwards and downwards. It shone throughout the ten directions, the eight directions as well as above and below. The Light illuminated those above and below, and they “saw this extraordinary and auspicious sign.” Even those above saw this extraordinary and auspicious sign. It was a wondrous and auspicious appearance, a very harmonious auspicious sign.
“Therefore, they gave rise to joy.” The Brahma kings above were very happy too. “In the spiritual practice of Bodhisattvas, they always cultivate the Six Perfections to benefit all sentient beings. So, with each other, they all gave rise to and jumped with joy.”
When this auspicious light was seen in the Brahma heavens above, everyone there was very happy. This must come from a Bodhisattva engaging in spiritual practice, always cultivate the Six Perfections to benefit all sentient beings. Thus they could give rise to joy with each other, this happiness that caused them to jump for joy. Upon seeing that auspicious sign, this was their feeling. When we are together with good people, with people advanced in spiritual practice, in our hearts we will feel very joyful and at ease. We will feel very fortunate. The principle is the same. This light was the principles, and the reason that this light shone was because someone had accumulated [these practices]. This is why the light shone, why they were very happy and jumped for joy.
The next passage says, “They immediately went to visit one another to discuss this matter.” The light was actually very gentle, very harmonious. It was that kind of light. So, everyone felt great joy and came together to discuss it.
“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 Sikhin spoke in verse for those in the Brahma heavens.”
The name of this Brahma king was Sikhin. The Brahma king from the south was Wondrous Dharma. This one was called Brahma King Sikhin. Now they were in this place. The earlier Brahma kings asked this question, and now those at this place did the same. Astonished at the light, Brahma King Sikhin “gathered them together to discuss and inquire.” He gathered all the Brahma kings together to discuss where the light was coming from. They all inquired amongst themselves.
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?: They sought the source of this auspicious sign of radiance. Therefore, they discussed this matter together.
Why have the palaces all become illuminated like this? “They sought the source of this auspicious sign of radiance. Therefore, they discussed this matter together.” All came together to consider it. These principles inspire in us these feelings of joy. It is so gentle, almost as if of a gathering of Bodhisattvas. It seems like a great spiritual practitioner is giving off a gentle radiance. Where is it actually coming from? What kind of person has attained Buddhahood? It must be the radiance form one who has long practiced the Bodhisattva-path and attained Buddhahood. In the past they asked, “Has a Virtuous One been born in heaven or is it a Buddha?” Here they are not saying that a Virtuous One had been born in heaven. Here they are asking, “It is a Bodhisattva, one who has walked the Bodhisattva-path for a long time, who has now attained Buddhahood?” This is what Great Brahma King Sikhin believed.
So, “Then, amidst that assembly was a Great Brahma King named Sikhin. This is the king of the Great Brahma Heaven. Due to his practice of Samadhi, he transformed his mind of many desires into the fires of wisdom, hence the name Sikhin (fire).”
He had great wisdom. Previously there was Great Compassion and Wondrous Dharma, now there was also Wisdom. Moreover, in the very beginning, from the east, there was one called Saving All. With these four Brahma kings [as representatives], loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity were already there in that place. “Equanimity” is wisdom. Having let go of all desires, having let go of all afflictions and ignorance, nothing remained. So, his mind was always in Samadhi. As he engaged in spiritual practice, he was in Samadhi. This was Great Brahma King Sikhin. He had completely transformed and eliminated all his desires, had let go of them.
So, “His mind [of many desires became] the fires of wisdom.” Wisdom is a kind of radiance. Fire means radiance, “hence the name Sikhin (fire).” “Sikhin” [also] means “topknot.” This Brahma king “originally cultivated the Samadhi of flaming light.” In his past spiritual practice, he cultivated the Samadhi of flaming light. Visualizing fire, visualizing radiance and so on, was how he entered Samadhi. Of course, he had done this in his past lives; he continually practiced the path of radiance. So, he had cultivated the supreme good deeds, upheld the supreme precepts and practiced the Bodhisattva-path in the human realm as well. This is why he had been reborn in heaven, in the Brahma Heaven in particular. So, he was called Sikhin.
This king originally cultivated the Samadhi of flaming light. He has eliminated the delusion of the desire realm.” He had totally eliminated the delusions of the desire realm “and is named for this virtue.”
By engaging in this kind of spiritual practice, He cultivated the unsurpassed, supreme good deeds and upheld the supreme precepts. We spoke of this yesterday, how by continually serving others, one becomes replete in the Ten Good Deeds and can be reborn in the Brahma heavens. He eliminated all unenlightened desires, but he still had the slightest traces of dust-like delusions. So, he had practiced the Bodhisatta-path, but he had still been reborn in the Brahma heavens to enjoy heavenly blessings. This is Brahma King Sikhin.
Brahma King Sikhin was the heavenly lord of the form realm. He often expounded to heavenly beings the Dharma of renouncing desires. When all Buddhas manifest in the world, he is also the lord who requests the Dharma-wheel. He spoke in verse for those in the Brahma heavens.
“[He is] the heavenly lord of the form realm.” As the heavenly lord of the form realm, where there is form but no desire, he enjoys many blessings. But though his mind was amidst these blessings, he did not give rise to desires. He often expounded to heavenly beings the Dharma of renouncing desires; he taught them to renounce desires, how to transcend desires. He understood these principles very well. “When all Buddhas manifest in the world,” he asked Them to turn the Dharma-wheel. He would arrive to request the turning of the Dharma-wheel. He was the main person to entreat the Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel. When Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha remained silent, he was the main person to entreat Him to turn the Dharma-wheel. So, “He spoke in verse for those in the Brahma heavens.” The main person to request the turning of the Dharma-wheel had appeared.
Now, with the following passages, the lords who requested the Dharma had arrived, meaning that the Brahma kings from all ten directions had all gathered there. All had arrived and paid respects in the same way. All had arrived. Then the next passages talk about how they requested the teachings. The Buddha was waiting for the right opportunity, so He had consented silently until now, when Great Brahma King Sikhin, the lord of the form realm, had arrived. So, we should know that the Buddha-dharma is always unmoving. Within everyone’s pure intrinsic nature, the principles inherently exist in everyone, in our innate enlightenment of True Suchness. The inherent wisdom of True Suchness is something everyone has. The principles, no matter how far [they seem], are here right now. Therefore, as we listen to the Dharma, let us always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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