Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Bodhisattvas Guide People to a Good Place (菩薩大悲 引至善處)
Date: June.01.2017
“Bodhisattvas act because sentient beings are ignorant and create all kinds of deluded karma. Thus they suffer from the oppression of samsara and sink into the evil realms. Bodhisattvas help them eliminate all unwholesome phenomena and guide them to a good place to enjoy peace and stability.”
Do you understand? Bodhisattvas act because sentient beings are ignorant and create all kinds of deluded karma. This means sentient beings, in their ignorance, have created a great amount of evil karma. Good and evil are intermingled in this place where the Five Destinies coexist. It is a very complicated world. So, Bodhisattvas act for sentient beings who create all kinds of karma out of ignorance. They also see how sentient beings suffer from the oppression of samsara, how they wallow in evil realms. This is all due to sentient beings’ ignorance. Bodhisattvas are clear and understand. They seek the path to Buddhahood and transform sentient beings. Lifetime after lifetime they are always “reborn again with their teachers.”
Do you remember? We said this few days ago. Dust-inked kalpas ago, during the era of the 16 novices, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha entered His meditation room, and those who had affinities with the 16 novices all followed those novices. Each novice ascended the Dharma-throne so they could hear the 16 novices teach the Dharma. Starting from that time each individual began following the novice they had affinities with. They followed the 16 novices like this as each gave teachings. This includes you and I now, as well as the sentient beings during the Buddha’s time and even, more than 2000 years later, all the sentient beings today. For such a long time, for dust-inked kalpas, the Buddha spent many lifetimes doing the same for all of the sentient beings that He saw. He did this until His lifetime [as Sakyamuni], when He manifested the appearance of Buddhahood. Before attaining Buddhahood, He manifested the appearance of a Bodhisattva, as well as the appearance of an ordinary person. He always, continuing for many lifetimes, manifested different appearances in accord with sentient beings’ affinities in order to deliver them. This is what a Bodhisattva does. He had done this since that Buddha’s time, starting dust-inked kalpas before, when He was the 16th among those 16 novices. This was Sakyamuni Buddha. Sakyamuni Buddha, in past lifetimes, had continually formed Bodhisattva-aspirations and sought the Dharma while transforming others. All the sentient beings He saw in those lifetimes were like this, creating deluded karma out of ignorance. This is how it was over many lifetimes. The sentient beings He saw over those lifetimes all suffered from the oppression of samsara. They would rise and sink in their suffering. Sometimes when He spoke to sentient beings, they would joyfully accept the teachings and joyfully engage in spiritual practice. But after a period of time they would forget again and in future lifetimes would fall again. This happened over many lifetimes.
Even now in this lifetime, on hearing the Dharma now we may be joyful and engage diligently in spiritual practice, willingly contributing anything we can. But if our karmic conditions or situation changes and our faith is not deep, delusion will arise amidst our faith. Then that diligent mindset will disappear and delusions will be produced in our minds constantly. So, when doubt and delusion arise amidst faith, our minds, whether rising or sinking, become fluctuating and unstable. Even in one lifetime our mind fluctuates, constantly rising and then sinking. This unsettled nature of rising and sinking affects the majority of people. Furthermore, although we formed affinities of listening to the Dharma in this lifetime, our capabilities are still shallow. The ignorance that has defiled us for lifetimes outweighs our ability to listen to the Dharma and eliminate our afflictions. So, there is a veil of darkness [separating us]. Though in past lifetimes we heard the Dharma and had faith, our faith was not very thorough. When those lives ended, in the lifetimes that followed after, with the ignorance that was created in that life, we returned and were reborn according to karma. We were born following our karmic affinities. Then in our next life we were again defiled. We heard the Dharma in our past lifetimes, but because of our severe karma we were again reborn according to our karma. As we then went through that next lifetime, although we had brought with us our habitual nature of listening to the Dharma, causing us to rejoice upon hearing the Dharma and likewise give rise to faith, nevertheless, in that lifetime, as we continually encountered external conditions, we gradually returned to that fundamental state of ignorance.
For example sometimes we see young children who are very adorable. Whenever they hear the Buddha’s name, they know to put their palms together. Whenever they see a statue of the Buddha, they know to bow out of respect. Even more amazing is how, at our Jing Si Bookstore there are so many adorable little Bodhisattvas. They joyfully listen to the sutras there. Furthermore, during the time we rehearsed for the Water Repentance adaptation, so many children were able to sing and memorize it. They joined in the Water Repentance adaptation and performed sign language, sang and recited. They could even explain it. Seeing this brings joy, but then I think to myself, “How long will these children be able to maintain their innocence?” They had been permeated by the Dharma before, but how long will they be able to maintain their spiritual aspiration and power of mindfulness? A child’s mind will follow causes and conditions. Environmental influences will tempt them, and because of that they may change.
A few days ago, Mr. Stephen Huang asked, “Master, do you remember a long time ago the little girl from such and such a place? She was so determined in her faith. Every time she came she would tell us how he wanted to spread the Dharma in the future, how she wished to develop or missions. She was so cute. [I asked], “Where is she now? She is now grown up and married with children. We never see her anymore.” I replied, “Indeed! This is why I often say that children’s minds can easily change.” Actually, within the phrase “children’s mind can easily change” is a very profound meaning. They had affinities in past lifetimes, but those affinities were weak and shallow. Although they were diligent, their faith was not that deep. Thus, when they came again, they still had fresh memories so the Dharma was still in their hearts. When they were young, what they brought with them was very fresh and pure Dharma; it was still very fresh in their brains. They had returned journeying upon their vows. However, the environmental influences of the desires and pleasures of the world tempted them. They came journeying upon the affinities they had created in the past, and those affinities were not yet finished. Whether they had positive or negative affinities, their ignorance had not yet been eliminated in that lifetime. So, those affinities pulled them into this life. Their faith was not deep, so in this lifetime, their affinities again lead them to meet their enemies on a narrow path. Then they are again led away by them. Case and conditions like thee are terrifying. So now hewn I see these children, I am very joyful, but I also silently send them blessings in the hope that their affinities run deep, that they remain determined in their faith.
We also saw a Malaysian child, so young and adorable, who was standing waiting outside the dining hall. When I took him by the hand, one of the Dharma Masters standing there, said to me, “He is amazing! This child is really amazing! He even tested us!” “How did he test you?” “He asked us which of the 28 chapters of the Lotus Sutra was longest.” One of the Dharma Masters answered him and then in turn asked him, “Do you know which chapter is the shortest?” He could answer immediately. He even knew the length of each of the 28 chapters. Moreover, as we were entering the dining hall, he also told me, “I am coping the Lotus Sutra and have reached the Chapter on Faith and Understanding.” “You are copying the sutra?” He was so young! I never even had a chance to ask him his age. He could not have been more than five or six. Looking at his height, he was probably no more than six or seven, yet he already had such affinities with the Lotus Sutra. He knew which of the chapter in the Lotus Sutra is the shortest and tested the Dharma Masters on which chapter is the longest. It was obvious that he was quite well-prepared. I am convinced that if he were asked which of the 28 chapters was the longest, which chapter was the shortest or what each chapter talked about, he would probably know the answers to all of our questions.
There is another child from Malaysia who comes here during his vacations. He is eight years old now. If you ask him, “What sutra [passage] did you listen to today? It was profound; do you know what it was?” “I know.” “Do you understand it?” “I understand.” He has great faith. “Come, explain it to me.” From then on, whenever there is a little time, he quickly repeats what I spoke of that morning. He just takes a short portion, knowing I do not have much time. He takes one small section, one passage or one or two phrases that I talked about [to share]. He is about eight years old now. He has been returning over the past few years and when he is here he diligently listens to the sutra. With all these young children, we do not know, will they come again next year? Will they come the year after that? Will they come again when they are 20 years old? Will they still remember their promises or the vows that they made? Will they still remember these? Will they be pulled away by external conditions? We never know. I have no idea. Who knows?
In summary, in our spiritual practice, we should earnestly make the best use of our time and be firm in our spiritual aspirations. We should train ourselves now so in the future we can safeguard our aspirations. We must always form Bodhisattva-aspirations. Bodhisattvas must go through many lifetimes. Before attaining Buddhahood, Sakyamuni had already been a Bodhisattva for dust-inked kalpas. Whether or not He was already among the Dharma Bodhisattvas or was coming and going as a human in the world, appearing in the same way as everyone else, He always walked the Bodhisattva-path. Before attaining Buddhahood, those who willingly give to help sentient beings are called Bodhisattvas. There are Dharmakaya Bodisattvas and newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas are those for whom the Dharma forever remains unchanging in their mind. This is like the Bodhisattvas who we often call on now, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjusri Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva Earth Treasury Bodhisattva and so forth, all the Bodhisattva who are named in the sutras. However, of those with affinities with our world, there are none who surpass Guanyin Bodhisattva and Earth Treasury Bodhisattva. When Earth Treasury Bodhisattva came to the world, he continually made the same vow. The Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, described in the Earth Treasury Sutra the karmic connection between Earth Treasury Bodhisattva and the human realm, how he has followed sentient beings in their suffering over the course of their many lifetimes, He did this not only here in the human realm, but in the hell realm as well. He comes and goes both in this world and in hell. So, when we see the places of greatest suffering in the world and see people willing to go to these places to help them and to save them, these are all “Earth Treasury Bodhisattvas”. It says in the Earth Treasury Sutra that Earth Treasury Bodhisattva manifests in trillions of different bodies. He does not fear any hardship; he is fearless, with a courageous spirit; people like this are Earth Treasury Bodhisattvas.
And Guanyin Bodhisattva? She is the same. Guanyin has the greatest affinities with the world. Sentient beings are ignorant and adrift, but they know of the Buddha-Dharma, and know that in times of difficulty they can call upon Guanyin Bodhisattva. Guanyin Bodhisattva [vowed], “If 1000 places pray to me, I will manifest in 1000 places”. Wherever it is that sentient beings are, she is always willing to give to help sentient beings who are suffering. Wherever sentient beings are confused or lost in ignorance, she goes there to deliver them from their maze. If we suffer from ignorance and afflictions, someone may suddenly come along and tell us, “You need not be afflicted. Worldly matters are illusory and impermanent”. They teach us these principles and open our hearts. “Now I understand; my heart feels very grounded. Now I can face the reality and clearly recognize the world for what it is. I understand now”. Someone like this is also a Guanyin Bodhisattva. If 1000 places pray, I manifest in 1000 paces”. In the sea of suffering, ones who deliver the lost are Bodhisattvas. So, when it comes to Bodhisattvas, everyone can be a Bodhisattva. For dust-inked kalpas, Sakyamuni continually cultivated the Bodhisattva-practice. The Dharma and His great vows were always in His mind. So, for dust-inked kalpas He remained on the Bodhisattva-path. Therefore, “Bodhisattvas act because sentient beings are ignorant and create all kinds of karma of delusion. Thus they suffer from the oppression of samsara and sink into the evil realms”. This is all the sentient beings that Bodhisattvas have seen and encountered over such a long time, so in order to “help them eliminate all unwholesome phenomena”, in order to eliminate the evil causes and evil karma created by sentient beings, Bodhisattvas continue coming to the world. They do so to help these sentient beings completely understand their unwholesome phenomena. Everyone receives retribution for their own karma. If we do not change, we cannot eradicate these unwholesome phenomena. Bodhisattvas come lifetime after lifetime following these sentient beings. They teach them, in their lack of understanding, to be able to understand. From not being able to understand the teachings, they must help them to accept the Dharma and understand it. This is a very tiring process.
So, “Bodhisattvas help them eliminate all unwholesome phenomena and guide them to a good place to enjoy peace and stability”. These are Bodhisattvas. In the beginning, we talked about Bodhisattvas. Now at the end we are talking about the heart of a Bodhisattva. They cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer. Wherever there is suffering in the world, they keep coming to guide sentient beings in eliminating all kinds of unwholesome phenomena. This requires teaching; for a long time they had to teach them the Dharma and guide them. Sentient beings are stubborn. When should we indulge them and when should we be strict with them? This indeed is never easy [to determine]. They have but one goal; they hope for all sentient beings to be able to enter a good place, to reach a place of peace and stability where they are no longer rising and sinking. We must listen to the Dharma and take it to heart so our minds can truly reach the other shore. We cross from the state of unenlightened beings to the state of Bodhisattvas. This is the t rue place of peace and stability. Despite being in a world of suffering like this, a world where there is so much danger, Bodhisattvas’ minds remain free and at ease. They can serve as guiding teachers, coming and going despite these dangers, all to guide sentient beings to a good place where they can attain peace and stability. This requires them to have faith and understanding deep in their hearts. Only by taking the Dharma to heart can we achieve this kind of peace and stability.
The previous verse states, “I saw that you were extremely exhausted and along the way wanted to retreat and go back. Thus with the power of skillful means, I provisionally conjured up this city. Now you should advance diligently and reach the place of treasures together”.
The Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, used a conjured city. He set up stage after stage [of teachings]. The segment of the Four Noble Truths was one conjured city. After that came the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence, then later still came the Prajna teachings. He taught in stages like this, after which they could again advance until the stage of the Lotus teachings. As He guided them through these stages, He saw that in the process of walking, over this long time of spiritual practice, they had become exhausted and wished to rest. He temporarily let them rest a little, then thought of other methods, of using skillful means. “Far up ahead, you can see a city through the mist. It is not too far ahead. Look, you can already see it! Just move diligently a little further ahead. Thus they had arrived at the true emptiness of the Prajna teachings.
Next He taught of wondrous existence. “Wondrous existence” means they already understood true emptiness, so next came the wondrous existence in emptiness. This is what we truly are striving for. It is subtle, wondrous and rare. It is refined from our understanding of emptiness. This “wondrous existence” is the place of treasure.
The next passage says, “I am also like this, beings the guiding teacher for all. I see all these seekers of the Path become indolent and weary along the way. They cannot be delivered from samsara nor from the dangerous paths of afflictions”.
Once Sakyamuni Buddha explained the conjured city, He then took another tack and said, “I am also like this.” this was Sakyamuni Buddha speaking He told them how He was like that guiding teacher, how He had seen these spiritual practitioners who had been seeking the path, yet had become lax along the way and wanted to retreat. He wanted to tell them to go a step further, to seek wondrous existence amidst emptiness, to find this everlasting path. By this time, everyone had already become indolent and weary. They wanted to abandon their resolve to continue advancing forward. They had become lax, so they were unable to be delivered from samsara. They thought “the dangerous paths of afflictions” was already behind them. But it was not yet! Ahead of them, there was still a section of road to cross before reaching the safest and most stable place, the place where that is most guaranteed. Then when they next come back to the world, they will not allow afflictions or ignorance to defile them or tempt them.
This was how the Buddha guided those spiritual practitioners with the utmost sincerity. These are “thoughtful teachings”. This is how earnest and sincere He was in teaching us, helping us arrive at a peaceful and stable place. So, it says that He guided everyone. “I am also like this, being the guiding teacher or all.”
I am also like this, being the guiding teacher for all: He is the one to guide people to enter the path to Buddhahood. Or, in the dark night, He guides sentient beings to walk in the direction of the right path. The Buddha is also like this, being the teacher who guides sentient beings.
“He is the one to guide people to enter the path to Buddhahood.” He wanted to guide them in taking one step further, onto the path to Buddhahood. Or, in the dark night, He guides sentient beings to walk in the direction of the right path.” This was the Buddha’s resolve. He had already guided us over and over, constantly bringing us to cross each stage of ignorance on this dark path. Then He told everyone, “Keep moving ahead, for the truly radiant great path lies ahead.” The Buddha was like this; He is “the teacher who guides all sentient beings.” the Buddha is the guiding teacher who guides all sentient beings, because, “I see all these seekers of the Path become indolent and weary along the way.”
I see all these seekers of the Path become indolent and weary along the way: This refers to those who along the way had become lax and retreated. Having heard the Dharma from the Buddha, they dedicated themselves to seeking the Path, but along the way their minds gave rise to indolence and weariness. They retreated from the Great to learn the Small.
This is saying that they had become indolent along the way, retreating from their spiritual aspirations. They had lost their will to move forward. They had listened to the Dharma from the Buddha. Since Beginningless Time, for dust-inked kalpas, they had continually followed Sakyamuni Buddha. Since the time of the 16 princes, they had constantly been following Him over the course of many lifetimes. They too had once been diligent and “dedicated themselves to seeking the Path.” They too had once been like this, very sincere and diligent, yet unexpectedly, along the way their minds gave rise to indolence and weariness, so their past diligence was now being wasted. This means that they had eliminated their ignorance of [views and thinking in] the Three Realms, but had not yet eliminated dust-like delusions. So, despite their diligence, once they encountered challenging conditions, they turned around and unexpectedly gave rise to indolence and weariness along the way. They did not have very firm faith to continue advancing forward, because they still had dust-like ignorance. Thus it was impossible for them to be thoroughly firm in the pure thoughts of faith. This is what the Buddha worries will happen to us.
So, despite having once been so diligent, what made them want to retreat along the way? It was truly such a pity. Retreating from the Great to the Small is a pity. So, indolent and weary means they had become lax. They had developed indolence, which covered their minds.
An indolent mind: Because sentient beings’ minds have been covered by indolence, they cannot advance to diligently cultivate the practice of the path of the One Great Vehicle. This is called an indolent mind.
Our minds become lax because they are covered by ignorance. “They cannot advance to diligently cultivate the practice of the path of the One Great Vehicle.” This is how we humans are; when faced with a little ignorance, our sincere faith becomes completely covered, making it impossible to raise our spirits and diligently and earnestly engage in the practice of the One Great Vehicle path. Their minds had already given rise to indolence. This is called an indolent mind. A speck of dust-like ignorance can expand until it buries the faith in our heart. Then we become indolent. So, “Indolence can obstruct diligence.”
Indolence can obstruct diligence, increase defilements and create karma. This means people of indolence will nurture defilements. Therefore, being driven to act among all kinds of defiled things is also called indolence and weariness.
When indolence arises it can obstruct our diligence. When our diligence is obstructed, our defiled karma will continually increase, as will the ignorance within our minds. Once we stop being so diligent, our minds begin to become defiled. Then our afflictions and ignorance return again to cover us. This way “indolence nurtures defilements.” People who become indolent are like this because of a single thought of ignorance. They were diligent in the past, but the arising of that single ignorant thought causes them to become lax and regress and thus nurture defilements. This is like being contaminated by germs. A small amount can multiply into a lot. It is terrifying how they keep reproducing. This is ignorance. “Therefore, being driven to act among all kinds of defiled things is also called indolence and weariness.” All kinds of ignorance compel us, drive us on. We are continually urged to move in the direction of ignorance and afflictions. Thus we continue to regress further. This is what indolence does. Once our mind becomes indolent, once ignorance arises and the mind becomes lax, it will nurture our defilements of ignorance. As these defilements are nurtured, we are naturally encouraged [to act]. The ignorance drives us to create even more karma and abandon our spiritual aspirations and discard our virtuous thoughts. Evil like this continues to compel us and drive our minds, allowing our ignorance to increase even further, making us even more lax and causing us to stray even further from the Buddha-Dharma. This is terrifying. So, “They cannot be delivered from samsara nor from the dangerous paths of afflictions.”
They cannot be delivered from samsara nor from the dangerous paths of afflictions: Samsara is the place in which sentient beings are sinking. They cannot be delivered from samsara’s sea of suffering or from this dangerous, difficult and evil path, with all the robbers of afflictions.
If we are like this, we will definitely sink once again into samsara with no way to escape. “The dangerous paths of afflictions,” these dangerous paths full of afflictions, continue to extend out in front of us. So, we should be very mindful to try to experience the Buddha-Dharma, to take it to heart on a very refined level and never allow ourselves to be tempted by coarse external appearances to go astray. So, samsara is the place in which sentient beings are sinking. Samsara is where we are dragged from one lifetime into the next, lifetime after lifetime, a place where ignorance is created and multiplied, a place into which we keep sinking. This is samsara. We are dragged around beyond our control, in the four forms of birth and the Five Destinies. This is samsara, the place in which sentient beings are sinking. It is like a swamp. This is not like sinking in water, but more like sinking in a mud hole. We keep sinking in a muddy swamp, with no way to pull ourselves out. The suffering is unbearable. “They cannot be delivered from samsara’s sea of suffering or from this dangerous, difficult and evil path, with all the robbers of afflictions.” We are always amidst the robbers of afflictions. Afflictions are like robbers. We have accepted the Dharma in the past and also formed aspirations before. We made the great vows; we did all of this before. But the robbers of afflictions gradually took all of these things away. Thus the teachings we had gradually disappeared. The Dharma kept disappearing, kept leaking away. It is because the Dharma leaks away that these are called the robbers of afflictions. They are just like thieves. Originally, within everyone’s hearts, there was a storehouse of treasures, but the robbers of afflictions carried off all of our precious things. For instance, if we do not uphold the precepts or maintain our Samadhi and wisdom, then these things will continue to leak away.
So, this “dangerous, difficult and evil path, with all the robbers of afflictions” is samsara. We are dragged into samsara, and samsara is where our afflictions are created. When we speak of samsara and afflictions, they continue to repeatedly [create] each other. This is the suffering of sentient beings; this is where our suffering lies. “The Bodhisattvas who wish to deliver all beings have hearts of great compassion.” The many Bodhisattvas who come to this world come expressly to deliver all sentient beings. Bodhisattvas must be replete with great compassion. With great compassion, we will give rise to supreme Bodhicitta. Great compassion is supreme Bodhicitta. It is supreme because it is the highest state of awakening. Bodhisattvas are called enlightened beings. If truly we wish to deliver sentient beings, then we must seek the path to Buddhahood, seek awakening from our confusion. When we can awaken ourselves, we are then able to awaken others; if we wish to awaken others, then we must go among confused sentient beings to achieve awakening. So, this why we often hear, “I was taught a lesson this time.” When we go among confused sentient beings to give, we are very happy when [things go] right. But at times things do not go as we would like, so we become dejected. This is when we say, “I was taught a lesson.” This is why we need to be mindful.
Sentient beings are stubborn and hard to train. If we are “taught a lesson” by someone, if we are unable to transform this person, that is alright; there are still others. We must gradually cultivate our affinity with them. When we have cultivated this affinity, we can then go back and deliver them. This requires constant [effort]. We must not say that we could not save them once, so we will give up on them, that they are impossible. It is not impossible, as long as we have the resolve. “It is impossible” in an expression of helplessness. Actually, there is nothing that is “impossible”. There are so many teachings. With a single word of Dharma, if we had a ocean made entirely out of ink and used it to write out this Dharma, we would never finish. If we wanted to explain all the meanings of the Dharma contained in this word, we could never finish. Clearly the principles contained within this one phrase of the Dharma are enough for us to constantly seek understanding. We realize how they apply in the present moment, and if courses and conditions are not yet mature, we simply wait for another opportunity to extend the principles of that same phrase to similarly deliver that same person. We cannot see these principles, but there is so much they encompass. So, sometimes when we have time and join evening recitation, we dedicate our merits by saying ,”Though the universe has bounds, our vows were boundless.” The Dharma is the same; though the universe has bounds, the Dharma-realms are boundless. The states of the Dharma are so bread and vast. The mind is Dharma; our pure mind is pure Dharma. So, this is why I often tell you, “Our hearts encompass the universe and all the boundless worlds within it.” This is Dharma. So, “This supreme Bodhicitta is the vow to become a Buddha.”
This supreme Bodhicitta is the vow to become a Buddha. The vow to become a Buddha is the will to transform sentient beings. The will to transform sentient beings means to embrace sentient beings so that they give rise to minds of being born in a land with a Buddha.
This Bodhicitta is supreme Bodhi. All of us from an aspiration, from an aspiration to attain Buddhahood. We not only want to awaken ourselves, but also to deliver other sentient beings as well. We must not merely deliver ourselves from samsara. The myriads of sentient beings in samsara are also our responsibility. So, we must seek supreme Bodhicitta, which is the vow to become Buddhas. We want to become Buddhas; we wish to attain Buddhahood and be like the Buddha in attaining supreme, universal, perfect enlightenment. “The vow to become a Buddha is the will to transform sentient beings.” Our vow to attain Buddhahood is the resolve to deliver other sentient beings. This resolve is the will to become a Buddha. This requires us to be very diligent, for if we become indolent ourselves, then how can we possibly deliver others? So, we must always be very diligent and not become indolent halfway; we must not do that. We still have so many beings to deliver “The vow to become a Buddha is the will to transform sentient beings.” So, “The will to transform sentient beings means to embrace sentient beings so that they give rise to minds of being born in a land with a Buddha.” Our vow to deliver sentient beings means we must embrace all sentient beings. Embracing means we encompass all of them. We hope that these sentient beings can be reborn in Buddha-lands. There are no Buddha-lands in hell, and we have no Buddha with us in our world here today. We can only rely on the Buddha’s teachings being repeated for us to listen to. After we listen to them, we can transmit them. We listen to, teach and transmit the Dharma. We rely now on the teachings being transmitted orally from person to person. We hope everyone’s mind will return to the Dharma. When everyone returns to the Dharma, when all are upon the right track of the Dharma, then there will come one day when a Buddha appears in the world and we can engage in spiritual practice and receive predictions on the presence of that Buddha. The next Buddha we await is Maitreya Buddha. We hope that with our spiritual aspirations now, we will be able to penetrate deeply into Sakyamuni Buddha’s teachings. By penetrating deeply, we remain form in our spiritual aspirations until Maitreya Buddha comes to the world. At that time, we will be together with a Buddha in the world. Then we can sit at the foot of that Buddha and listen to the Buddha-Dharma. This requires us to be diligent. With our vows to become Buddhas and our vows to deliver sentient beings, we must embrace all beings to deliver them. Then all may be reborn in lands with Buddhas. We must not lose sight of this vow. So, in learning the Buddha’s teachings, we must be completely focused on the mind. The ability to move forward depends on the mind. If we stop, we have become lax. If we give up on the Dharma, we have become indolent and weary; we will already have abandoned our resolve to walk this road. We must be very mindful in our daily living. In our external environment and conditions, in whatever challenges that might arise, we must face everything with a very clear mind. We must safeguard this mind and never let some small challenge turn us away from seeking the Buddha-Dharma. I hope in the future when a Buddha is in the world we all can listen to the Buddha-Dharma at the feet of the same Buddha, and similarly at the feet of that Buddha receive predictions of Buddhahood. This is our direction as Buddhist practitioners. So, let us always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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