Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Dharma-children Pass on the Dharma-lineage (法子傳燈續法脈)
Date: May.23.2017
“Great Unhindered Buddha observed capabilities to teach if causes and conditions were ripe. Spreading the Dharma is a heavy responsibility and a long path; this is how the Dharma-lineage continues forever. The great vows must be engraved in our hearts, and we must transmit and uphold the Right Dharma so that it will flourish and manifest. The Dharma-children knew the Buddha’s intent and taught the Wondrous Lotus Sutra.”
Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha taught according to capabilities. He would see whether the causes and conditions were ripe. He taught according to the people, time and place. We often say when we are speaking with others, we need to truly look at all of the causes and conditions. Is this the person to tell this to? Is this a suitable time? Is it a suitable place? We must observe the causes and conditions as well as people’s capacities in order to teach according to capabilities. The timing, the causes and conditions, the recipient and so on must all be ripe.
So, spreading the Dharma is a heavy responsibility and a long path. To ensure our Dharma-lineage and wisdom-life can continue on forever, we need to transmit the teachings. The teachings must be continually extended. Look at what happened dust-inked kalpas before, at the time of Great Unhindered Buddha. What a long time ago that was! How long? Can it even be calculated? It cannot be calculated. “Even a mathematician and a mathematician’s disciples” could not calculate it.
Such a long time had passed from then until the era of our Sakyamuni Buddha. During that long time, the Dharma was continually passed down. The principles must remain unbroken. So, the transmission of the Dharma is a heavy responsibility and a long path. If there were not, tracing back into the past, so long ago, already these causes and conditions for teaching the Lotus Sutra, then how would Sakyamuni Buddha now have ripened causes and conditions to teach the Lotus Sutra?
So, when it comes to the Lotus Sutra, as we were talking about yesterday, during Great Unhindered Buddha’s era just in teaching the Lotus Sutra alone there were verses as numerous as Ganges’ sands. It is an extremely long sutra. However, the same Lotus Sutra was, when taught by Sakyamuni Buddha, compiled by later generation into seven volumes. There are seven volumes in the Lotus Sutra. Every year [around Chinese New Year], we always recite the Lotus Sutra. It takes us seven days to recite it. However, in lecturing on the Lotus Sutra, just like we are doing now, we can repeatedly go over a single phrase for several days just to express the meaning in that one phrase. What is this particular phrase trying to teach us about people, matters and objects? To help us gain an even clearer understanding, we go over things repeatedly. We may still have a very long time left to go. There is still much to be said. If all of it were compiled, it would not be limited to seven volumes; there might be many many more.
This is the Dharma; even with a single world, the principles contained within are [so numerous] that if the ocean were turned into ink and used to write out the principles contained in one phrase of Dharma, if we tried to write all of them out completely, even with that entire ocean of ink to write them, we would still never finish. Thus in Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior’s era, when He taught the Lotus Sutra, the verses alone were so numerous, as numerous as the Ganges’ sands. So, by taking the Dharma to heart, it can be applied in our daily living. Even a single word or phrase can be applied so freely and easily. Over the course of a day, how many things in our lives can be encompassed by that phrase or even by one word? This all depends on whether we thoroughly understand the principles; then we can be mindful in this way.
The way the Buddha taught sentient beings was like the way a teacher teaches his students. A teacher must also look at the capabilities of his students. Depending on their ages and capabilities he determines what methods he should use. With first grade students, how does the teacher start to teach them? For instance, in Tainan, in our Tzu Chi elementary and middle school there, the teachers exercise their wisdom in order to find ways to teach the students. For the first-grades in elementary school, the curriculum used by the teachers is to start by telling them stories. The story they told takes place in a country in the world today. The used the Republic of Sierra Leone as the topic for one of their stories. The teacher began by telling the children about a place in the world very far away. There is a country called the Republic of Sierra Leone. This country has long been ravaged by constant war. Because of the war, many children have lost their parents and have become orphans. Many of the orphans have also lost feet and hands. There are many handicapped children there. The teacher wanted to help the students experience how those children lived with a handicap. So, the teacher thought up ways to help the children experience want life would be like with a handicap. The teacher asked the children, “Which hand do you usually write with?” The children all raised their right hands. The teacher then asked them, “Why don’t you use your left hand?” “We’re not used to it; we never us it!” They would never write with their left hand. The teacher told them, “Let’s try writing with our left hands. The teacher gave them paper and has them try writing with their left hands. How would the children write with their left hand? They obediently picked up pens and tried to write? Then the teacher took pictures of the students. The children exclaimed, “Teacher, our handwriting is terrible! Stop taking pictures!” But the teacher went on taking pictures. The children continued writing earnestly, doing the best they could, trying to make their writing look good. This was in Tainan [Tzu Chi Elementary]; they gave the children this experience. “You have always had [this hand], why don’t you use it?” Furthermore, the teacher would sharp with them that they should cherish whatever they had. “The things we have now are things we should know to cherish. You should learn to be content. You all have two healthy hands, so you should be content; you have everything.”
There was another class where the teacher used the same method. She asked them, “How do you write when you write?” The children held up their pencils to show the teacher. “This is how we write.” The teacher then told them, “Now hold your pencils below your [elbow] and write like this.” They replied, “How can we write like that?” The teacher told them, “Some people have lost their hands. How else could they write? They have to train themselves to do it like this. They are like warriors who bravely undergo training.” The children tried to hold their pencils here and write with them. How is one supposed to do this? The teacher helped teach them how and the children also thought up ways of holding their pencils to write. Holding the pencil here with their arm to write was very difficult, but they had to come up with ways of holding their pencils to write. This is education. These were the lower grades. The teachers used these ways to help their students understand that there are countries in the world where there is much warfare, and because of that warfare, children have lost their parents, have lost their families, have lost limbs and have become crippled. Human pain and suffering like this were used as examples in the classroom. They used these sufferings as a way of training the students’ abilities and potential for good. This is also a very mindful way of teaching.
How did they train the middle school students? For middle school students, teachers wanted to train them to be able to get along with others in their lives. In order to get along with others, they must be able to communicate. Communication goes both ways; it is not one-way street. We need two-way communication in our lives; you and I must both communicate with each others. Only when you and I can communicate can we have a life that is more complete. What can one accomplish all by oneself? The cooperation of many people is needed. This mutual interaction depends on our learning to communicate with each other. The teacher thought of a way of teaching them. How could they resolve difficult problems? How could they empathize with others? For me to communicate with others, I have to understand the hearts of others. So, they gave them an interactive assignment. [One would say,] “I want to have a certain kind of blueprint. I want it to be like this and like that.” [The other would say,] “I hear you, I hear you. I will listen carefully to what you describe and then I will try and draw it.” However, one must tell the other what they want, then the other must draw it. As they did this, they asked students for ideas. One came up with [a sentence to draw]. He said “Chopsticks must be boiled. Chopsticks must be boiled.” The sentence was, “Chopsticks must be boiled.” He said this very quickly. When everyone heard this, “Chopsticks must be boiled,” they wondered, “What did he say? What are we supposed to draw?” They then asked, “Can you repeat it again?” They only got to hear it one time; there were no repeats. They had to try to figure out what was said. They really had to think about it. The teacher later told them, “Ok, work with a partner. Using that topic, one of you describe it while the other draws it.” Then the one would begin explaining to the other this phrase “Chopsticks must be boiled. I will tell you what kind of thing this is.” One would explain what this thing was, and the other had to draw a picture of it. Everyone had a different topic. One person said, “It is a very round place, a place we go to every day.” What was he referring to? He had come up with this riddle while the other tried to draw what it was. The teacher began trying to explain to them, when we see, when we listen and when we speak, we must seize the moment. We only have one chance, so what exactly is it that we are hearing? Once we hear it one time, we must know what it is. We must be able to see into people’s hearts to be able to empathize. They try to tell us what is in their minds; however they express it, we must be mindful in listening. We listen to what that person is trying to say and see what is in their heart. When we communicate with each other, we need to understand each other. In order to draw this picture, one of them would listen and try to figure out what it was. “You speak, I draw. As you speak and I draw, after you say it once, what should I draw?” I take what I think I heard. “Let me describe it to you; it should be drawn lie this”. Then I draw something we can look at. So, this is listening, seeing and speaking, or seeing, listening and speaking. Both are fine. You need to say it. I listen; what did I hear? What did I get out of it? I hear it and I understand it. Then I have to be able to quickly explain it. I hope I can quickly explain it and hope it can be quickly drawn. So, this is just like how we listen to, teach and transmit the Dharma. When we hear the Dharma, we then want to teach the Dharma to others. Having heard it ourselves, we wish to then describe it for others, so that people can know and understand it. With this method, we can keep transmitting it; the Right Dharma can continue to be passed on. This is called transmitting the Dharma. Which teachings are we transmitting? The virtuous teachings. The start by talking about extreme suffering, about the lives of those crippled children, and then talk about using empathy. By listening empathetically to what others are trying to say, they can develop their potential for goodness and learn to dedicate themselves to others. So, for the sake of Sierra Leone, they all began exercising their abilities by [donating] things they had. “Does your family have any clothes that you don’t wear? Do you have any clothing that is too small? Do you have any pens at home you don’t need? Any extra pencils or crayons? Do you have any extra notebooks, or other things that you don’t need? If you have anything extra, then you can donate it”. There was clothing that was donated, as well as many other useful things.
The teachers for the upper grades began guiding the upper grade students into action. So much clothing was donated. What could be done? It all had to be organized. He students from the upper grades began organizing all the clothing. They lined up all the desks in the laboratory classroom. They lined up all the desks, organizing it all very nicely. They brought in the clothing and then split up the load to work together. What sizes, adult or children clothing, summer or winter, [it all had to be sorted]. Then the teacher told them that the clothing needed to be folded. Children nowadays, upper grade students! For them to fold clothing was not easy. It all had to be folded into the same size. Even though different people were folding, it all had to be folded to the same size. Their clothing folding skills [improved] piece by piece as they trained their hands. They all brainstormed ways for everyone to be able help. Finally, it was all sorted well and so on, then it was stacked and packed it into boxes. The clothing was sorted piece by piece into boxes. It was divided by size and so on. The clothing was all folded and packed neatly into the boxes. This was [the work] of the upper grades, making use of their potential for goodness.
The teachers all worked together harmoniously to develop this type of educational curriculum. In the lower grades, they needed to awaken the love in their hearts, to help them understand that there is much suffering in the world. In the middle grades, they wanted them to understand how to have empathy. For the upper grades, they began helping them to exercise their potential for goodness. This is teaching according to capabilities. So, “Spreading the Dharma is a heavy responsibility and a long path; this is how the Dharma-lineage continues forever”. This is the spirit of our education mission. From kindergarten, to elementary and middle school, the methods are different. Even elementary school education is divided into lower, middle and upper grades for their education. The teachers cooperated harmoniously in teaching students to successfully carry out this great responsibility of donating to help Sierra Leone. You see, this is our Dharma-lineage; this is what needs to be transmitted. This kind of education is good education. It awakens the love inside children.
“The great vows must be engraved in our hearts, and we must transmit and uphold the Right Dharma so that it will flourish and manifest”. As a teacher, if one does not make the great vows, it will be impossible to educate one’s students. It is the same for us in our spiritual practice; we also must make the great vows. We do not engage in spiritual practice only for our own generation, but for later generations in the future as well. We must have faith that we did not begin only in this lifetime. With our causes and conditions from many past lifetimes ago, we have continually been influenced. With these causes and conditions, we have the affinities at this time to come together in this era. How do we transmit the Dharma in this era, how do we educate people, so that these wonderful, virtuous teachings can flow long into the future? This is making the great vows. “The great vows must be engraved in our hearts”. These are engraved forever in our hearts, from past lives to our present lives and on into future lives. So, we “engrave [them] in our hearts and transmit and uphold the Right Dharma so that it will flourish and manifest”. Then the Right Dharma will remain forever in the world and not become buried or forgotten. So, “The Dharma-children knew the Buddha’s intent”. The 16 princes left the lay life to engage in spiritual practice, thus becoming Dharma-children. They heard the teachings and understood the process of spiritual practice, with the Great, Middle and Small [Vehicles]. Those with limited roots and limited capabilities used the Small Vehicle. Those with average roots and average capabilities were given the Middle [Vehicle] teachings. The Great Vehicle was imparted to those with great roots and great capabilities. This is how these Dharma-children learned about the Buddha’s intent, so they continued to form aspirations, make vows, and ask the Buddha to turn the Great Dharma-wheel.
So, the previous verse says, “The Buddha knew the minds of His children and their practices in previous lifetimes. He used countless causes and conditions as well as all kinds of analogies to teach them the Six Paramitas and all kinds of spiritual powers. He distinguished the True Dharma, the paths practiced by the Bodhisattvas, by teaching the Lotus Sutra, its verses numerous as Ganges’ sands.”
This teachings long indeed in order to be able to teach everything suitably and make very clear analogies, of course there had to be many teachings. We must take them all in mindfully.
The next verse says, “That Buddha, having finished teaching the sutra, entered Samadhi in His meditation room and sat single-mindedly in one place for 84,000 kalpas. The novices, knowing the Buddha had not yet emerged from Samadhi, taught the Buddha’s supreme wisdom to the countless billions.”
“That Buddha” refers to Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha spent 8000 small kalpas [teaching this]. It took Him such a long time, 8000 small kalpas, to teach the Lotus Sutra.
That Buddha, having finished teaching the sutra, entered Samadhi in His meditation room: That Buddha, after 8000 small kalpas, had finished teaching the Lotus Sutra. He then entered His meditation room and abided in Samadhi. Having taught the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, He entered Samadhi in His meditation room to wait for the princes to repeat the teaching and to form affinities.
By that time, the Buddha had already engaged in spiritual practice for a long time, sat at the place of enlightenment for a long time, “sat at the place of enlightenment for ten kalpas.” This was a very long time. Once He attained Buddhahood, many came to request the Dharma. So, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha had already agreed to teach the Dharma. Furthermore, to teach the Great Dharma, He expounded the Lotus Sutra for 8000 small kalpas. This was a very long time. After He finished teaching the Lotus sutra, He “entered His meditation room and abided in Samadhi.” “Having taught the Lotus Sutra,” or as said before, “After teaching this sutra, with the Lotus Sutra fully taught, He entered Samadhi in His meditation room” and began to sit quietly in meditation, He had to wait, wait white the 16 novices repeated the teachings again. The Buddha rested to allow those who requested the Dharma to hear it. After hearing it, they needed to transmit it. The 16 novices had requested the Dharma and listened to it, so now it was time for then to go and transmit it. Thus, they repeated the teachings. So, for you, after you listen to the Dharma, together you will hold study groups to discuss what you have heard and what the meaning is. However, the 16 novices had listened to the Lotus Sutra for 8000 kalpas. They listened very mindfully. When the Buddha finished the sutra, He rested. As He rested, they were all very diligent and repeat the teachings again and again. They wanted to see, if after listening, the Dharma they taught and the Dharma that Great Unhindered Buddha taught were the same or not. What was the meaning? Could everyone apply it? All had heard the Buddha teach the Dharma. After the Buddha finished teachings, He rested. Then it was the turn or the 16 novices to again repeat the teachings. With their understanding, when they taught the Dharma again, would people’s understanding, [or their teachings], like people’s understanding of the Buddha’s, allow them to attain realizations? This would qualify them as teachers. They were also fellow students, who mutually spurred on and encouraged each other. So, everyone “sat single-mindedly in one place for 84,000 kalpas.”
And sat single-mindedly in one place for 84,000 kalpas: This means being unified as if of a single mind and sitting in one place for 84,000 small kalpas.
Over 84,000 kalpas, over this very long period of time, everyone had to be unified as if of a single mind. Everyone’s minds had to be unified so they could accept the teachings with one mindset. So, “Unified as if of a single mind and sitting in one place….” All of them sat together in that place. For how long? For 84,000 kalpas. We have already been here for [40] minutes. As we have been sitting like this, our legs have already begun to become sore. We are starting to tire mentally and physically. How could we possibly “sit single-mindedly in one place for as long as they did?” This is because dust-inked kalpas ago those people had very pure and simple minds. They were so earnest in seeking the Dharma. It was that kind of time. So, “The novices, knowing the Buddha had not yet emerged from Samadhi….”
The novices, knowing the Buddha had not yet emerged from Samadhi: The 16 novices knew the Buddha entered His mediation room to sit and had not yet emerged from Samadhi.
“The 16 novices knew that the Buddha had taught the sutra for such a long time.” He spent 8000 kalpas just to teach the Lotus Sutra. It took such a long time to finish. Of course He needed to rest. Yet, He remained in meditation for a long time and still had not emerged. So, those novices, know how precious time was, felt they should not waste it. Thus, they “taught that Buddha’s supreme wisdom to the countless billions.”
They taught that Buddha’s supreme wisdom to the countless billions: For their assemblies, they taught the supreme wisdom of the Tathagata. This is praising the 16 novices for promoting and circulating the Lotus Sutra.
They knew they should seize the time. The Buddha had entered His meditation room, and no one knew how long it would be before He emerged. So, they quickly made use of the time. They formed aspirations to spread the Dharma, to teach and transmit the Dharma, so they led everyone to split up. There were many who had listened to the Dharma who wanted to hear it again. The 16 novices repeated it again for them. Everyone’s interest was still very high; they were diligent and earnest. Each followed the novice they had affinities with. So, “Each sat upon the Dharma-throne” and taught the Dharma to their assemblies. What they taught was the supreme wisdom of the Tathagata, which is the Lotus Sutra. So, this is praising the 16 novices for promoting and circulating the Lotus Sutra. This passage expressed Sakyamuni Buddha’s intent. He spoke this passage to express His praise. After accepting the Buddha-Dharma, they were so sincere and diligent. While the Buddha rested, they promptly made use of the time and proactively took on the responsibility for the mission of spreading the Dharma. This is praising them.
The next passage continues like this, “They each sat upon the Dharma-throne and taught this Great Vehicle sutra. After that Buddha entered silent repose, they propagated the Dharma and aided in its transforming of others. Each one of the novices delivered sentient beings numbering in the 600 trillions, as numerous as the Ganges’ sands.”
The novices began to teach the Dharma. “They each sat upon the Dharma-throne and taught this Great Vehicle sutra.”
They each sat upon the Dharma-throne and taught this Great Vehicle sutra: This praises the princes for passing on the lamp. They each sat upon a proper and broad throne and taught the Wondrous Lotus Sutra to their assemblies.
This is also expressing praise; it is also praising them. He praised the novices for transmitting the Dharma as I they were passing on a lamp. When we light a candle, we hope that more and more people will light their own candle from that flame. Everyone has a candle inside themselves. When we pass on the light from this candle, everyone’s candles will be able to burn brightly. This is praise. Passing on the lamp means spreading the Dharma. “They each sat upon proper and broad thrones and taught the Wondrous Lotus Sutra to their assemblies.” Each of those novices led those who had affinities with them. They led them to a suitable place and sat down, then began directly teaching them the Lotus Sutra. “After the Buddha entered silent repose, they propagated the Dharma [to transform others].” This was those novices’ aspiration.
After the Buddha entered silent repose, they propagated the Dharma and aided in its transforming of others: After the Buddha had entered His room and sat in silent repose, they propagated the wondrous Dharma and aided in its transforming of others. Silent repose: A peaceful state of tranquility.
All Buddhas share the same path. Their one great cause in the world is none other than teaching sentient beings. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha had already taught the Great Dharma and now momentarily rested. The 16 novices then took on this responsibility. So, they used this time to “propagate and aid the Dharma in transforming others.” They helped to reveal it. Although at that time Great Unhindered Buddha was still in the world, still teaching and transmitting the Dharma, now those who had heard the Dharma seized time to help spread the Dharma. Those who had heard the Dharma had to strengthen their ability to understand the Dharma. After they understood it, they also had to encourage everyone to continue to pass on the Dharma. This is to “aid in its transforming of others.” They would aid the Dharma in flourishing and delivering and transforming sentient beings. They did it not only for that era, but for the sake of those in the future, and the future’s future. There needed to be even more people who experienced and understood this Dharma. So, while the Buddha was sitting silently in His meditation room, they “propagated the wondrous Dharma and aided in its transforming of others.” This was the aspiration of those novices.
Entering into “silent repose” is entering into tranquility; body and mind are relaxed and peaceful. They allowed the Buddha to rest there, His mind silent, tranquil and still, in a state of Samadhi. “Each one of the novices delivered sentient beings.”
Each one of the novices delivered sentient beings: All the novices separately practiced transforming others. The sentient beings they delivered numbered in the 600 trillions, as numerous as the Ganges’ sands.
With each who had an affinity with the novices, they would earnestly [lead] the people they had the affinity to transform and separately practiced transforming them. Those sentient beings they delivered would then go on to transform and deliver others. So, Great Unhindered Buddha taught the Dharma, and the 16 novices transmitted it. As the 16 novices transmitted the Dharma again, there were so many people there listening again. Those who listened again then spread it to others, continually passing it on in this way to people numbering in the 600 trillions, as numerous as the Ganges’ sands. The teaching was constantly transmitted like this. I teach you the Dharma and then you go teach it to others. Then they again go teach it to others still. This continues on in this way. That is why we say “One gives rise to infinity; infinity arises from one.” The Sutra of Infinite Meanings is trying to explain this to us. We mindfully accept the Buddha-Dharma. We listen and take it in, and after listening we gain realizations. With these realizations, we go and save others.
Look at teachers; in the past, they too were once students. Their teachers taught them and after they finished teaching, the students aspired to become teachers as well. They aspired to become teachers who would teach children in the future. Generation after generation, the times differ. So, each teacher uses their own methods, making use of their realizations to awaken their own students. The methods they use to teach them are like those we just mentioned earlier. Similarly, the 16 novices listened to the Buddha teach the Dharma and they too had their own realizations. They shared their realizations with the fellow practitioners whom they had formed affinities with, so they too could make use of their realizations to share them with others. You see, from “one” it spreads to so many; then they too can transmit it. This way the teachings are transmitted endlessly. Thus it says, “as numerous as the Ganges’ sands.” The ability to teach and transmit is truly great.
Numbering in the 600 trillions, as numerous as the Ganges’ sands: What were the causes and conditions that when they taught the Dharma, the sentient beings they delivered were neither nor fewer? We must know that sentient beings are those with deluded thoughts. 600 trillion represents the purified Six Roots.
“What were the causes and conditions that when they taught the Dharma, the sentient beings they delivered were neither greater nor fewer? We must know that sentient beings are those with deluded thoughts.” There were a great many causes and conditions. some had already listened to and transmitted so many teachings. As they each went to teach the Dharma, the numbers of those who taught were neither greater nor lesser. This was an issue of the causes and conditions of their spiritual practice. when Great Unhindered Buddha taught the Dharma, the 16 novices penetrated the Dharma so deeply. The understanding in their minds was so deep. They were able to take what they realized and teach it to many others. Those many others must have been those who had practiced at the feet of Great Unhindered Buddha. it was probably those same people. In the future, they should also attain Buddhahood. With those 600 trillions, like the Ganges’ sands, why was it that in the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City, only those 16 novices attained Buddhahood? Why didn’t those 600 trillion all also attain Buddhahood? This was due to the causes and conditions and merits and virtues of their spiritual practice. all of them were different.
“What were the causes and conditions that when they taught the Dharma, the sentient beings they delivered were neither greater nor fewer?” with each individual, in the process of cultivating cause and conditions in listening to and teaching the Dharma, in the depth of their efforts, in how they put it into practice, in whether they practice it or not, in whether they take action or not, all of this depends upon the causes and conditions of each individual. Sone people hear the Dharma and say, “Now I know!” You know, but have you experienced, understood? “I’m taking my time.” Or, when they are asked, “Can you do it?” they reply, “I,m getting ready to.” Yet, they still have not done it!”
So, do we apply the Dharma we are listening to? The number neither increases nor decreases. So, we should know, “Sentient beings are those with deluded thoughts.” Because we listen to the Dharma with an unenlightened mindset, though the Dharma being taught is the True Dharma, we are listening with a mind of deluded thoughts.
So, although many listen to the Dharma, those who genuinely listen are the ones whose Six Roots are purified. If we are not mindful or have deluded thoughts, then nothing will either increase or decrease. If we listen to the Dharma with still thoughts, then our Six Roots are purified. It serves to purify sentient beings’ Six Roots. The Six Roots, as we know, are the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind. In our daily living, we make contact with everything through our eyes. Through our eye-root, our ear-root and so on we encounter external forms, sounds and other states. What kinds of thoughts do we have in our minds as we encounter these external states?
As we listen to the Dharma daily, are we using a pure mind, one with the Six Roots purified, or is our mind full of deluded thoughts? When “the Six Roots are purified, we are “no longer influenced by the five desires.” We spoke of this before, how people can remain unaffected by any worldly phenomena. Worldly phenomena start from the five desires. When the five desires become purified, when our thoughts have become purified, this means that “The Six Roots are purified.” The Six Roots will all be pure. If we can accept the Dharma in this way, the Dharma we spread and apply can purify people’s minds.
Everyone, as we mindfully listen to the Dharma, mindfully teach the Dharma and mindfully transmit Dharma, we must respond to all kinds of capabilities, just as teachers must do with their students. Everyone has this responsibility. Whatever people’s capabilities may be, we should awaken the love in everyone’s hearts and help them to appreciate how precious the things that they have are and how terrifying the law of karma can be. Sierra Leone exists upon the same planet as we do, but that country and the people’s live are filled with so much suffering. We should earnestly cherish what we have. So, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings let us always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
