Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Infinite Merit and Virtue Dignifies and Perfects(無量功德 莊嚴成就)
Date: July.06.2017
“He had such merits and virtues, thus he was able to attain such a vast land. Within this state, there is such purity, thus the humans and heavenly beings are so elegant. Such outstanding qualities of the noble beings are like a grand ritual of the Three Flawless Studies.”
The Buddha, before bestowing a prediction of Buddhahood upon Purna, first praised the land he would have when he attains Buddhahood in the future as Dharma Clarity Tathagata. There will be so much accumulated in this great and vast land. Furthermore, the scenery in this land will be beautiful. Not only will the scenery be beautiful and magnificent, people there will also be pure in body and mind. This will be a very wonderful world. Isn’t this the state we all pray we can head toward? If we really wish to take “this land,” this place where the Five Destinies coexist, this world that must be endured, and turn it into an ideal world in the future, that is not an impossible task. It can happen as long as we all form the aspirations Purna Maitrayaniputra did, make the vows he did and then put them into practice. When we understand the Buddha’s intent, we transform those the Buddha wished to transform, His mission for the sake of sentient beings. If we were all able to do this, then sentient beings will become purified; everyone’s minds will be clean. Isn’t this what that future land will be like? What everyone accumulates will be so many merits and virtues, and the places they live in will all be magnificent towers, a world of the Seven Treasures.
Starting from the previous sutra passages, [the Buddha] continued to praise that land. As we interact with each other, through spiritual practice we can eliminate afflictions and purify our minds. If we can all purify our minds, then the land will also be clean. So, “He had such merits and virtues, thus he was able to attain such a vast land.” Not only will it be magnificent and clean, the land will also be very vast. Within that state, there will be such purity. If we compare it to the Saha World we are in now, in our Saha World at the present, every place is having a big problem with garbage. This is not only Taiwan’s problem, but the entire planet’s. The garbage problem is very vexing. This has to do with environmental consciousness. If everyone is clear on how to protect the environment, then naturally we can reduce the garbage we produce in our daily living. To protect the environment, purity begins at the source. The things we have used can be recycled and reused. If we recycled and reused everything, what garbage would there be polluting the earth? The problem is that everyone just wants to keep consuming and wasting things. We easily throw things away. Right now technology is very advanced. We continually extract oil and manufacture things that will not rot or decay. If we continue to burden the land with these things that do not rot or decay, then in the future where will we find land on which to grow crops? People wish to live upon this land, but if everything underfoot is garbage, how can we continue to live in the future? Moreover, we are continually manufacturing more, continually polluting the air. The climate is changing, and the air has become polluted; Our bodies are already raising red flags. Many people say that air pollution [affects] people’s health, their trachea, lungs etc.; these problems keep appearing. Once the air becomes polluted, many people also catch colds. [The cold virus] in the air is a contamination created by sentient beings. This kind of contamination exists nowadays in this Saha World that we live in.
This evil world of the Five Turbidities is also where the Five Destinies coexist. All these terms describe our world today. In other words, because for people like us today, the ground of our minds is not clean, we cause many natural disasters. First we pollute the air, then the climate changes, leading to natural disasters. Besides natural disasters, there are manmade calamities. And how are manmade calamities created? By people’s minds! So, we always say [we must] purify the mind. When we clearly understand the principles, naturally the mind will be purified. We keep saying. “Sincere friendship heralds goodness in the world.” We keep hoping that everyone will understand this principle. We must all treat each other with hearts of genuine sincerity. Then this would then be just like Dharma Clarity Tathagata’s world. Within that state, there is such purity; there is no pollution. Everyone’s mind will be very pure, The human and the heavenly intersect; human’s minds and heavenly beings’ minds are mutually in accord with each other. To be reborn in heaven, we must practice the Ten Good Deeds. Thus we can be born in the heavens in the future, Having perfected the Ten Good Deeds, heavenly beings enjoy blessings in the heaven. Human in the human realm can likewise begin practicing the Ten Good Deeds. With the Ten Good Deeds practiced to the fullest, the minds of humans and of heavenly beings naturally intersect and connect with each other. The hope is that everyone’s minds will be sincere. “Sincere friendship heralds goodness in the world.” To do this, people must teach others. “Thoughtful teaching brings blessings and enrichment.” In the world, we mutually influence each other, mutually trust one another and treat each other sincerely and thoughtfully. If we are able to do this, if everyone benefits the world with sincerity, if everyone gives unconditionally, if everyone continues teaching each other with thoughtfulness, we can truly benefit humankind.
To give an example, yesterday afternoon. I had a video conference with [our volunteers in] Serbia. I saw a group of adorable Bodhisattvas. They were there in Serbia. They were all sitting on the ground. They found a space in the hotel, and they all sat on the ground. They all looked so relaxed and at ease. Tzu Chi volunteers from 12 countries had gathered together there. Everyone looked so joyful surrounding the screen. I thought there were 11 countries but they told me, “There are 12 countries.” I exclaimed, “You’ve added another!” They told me, “Slovakia”. This country borders Hungary, it is north of it. There is a man named Peter from there who is a friend of Mr. Zhong. When Peter heard his friend was in Serbia, he was just about to take a vacation. He felt, “Instead of having fun on my vacation, I would rather join in to help others. I think I will be very happy doing this.” This is what he was thinking, so he made the decision to begin the 14-plus hours journey. The train ride alone took 12 hours. Then, to get to [the camp at] Sid, where our Tzu Chi volunteers were, he had to take a bus for another two-plus hours before arriving there. It took him 14 hours in all to meet up with the Tzu Chi volunteers. So, now we have volunteers from 12 countries. The images of Tzu Chi volunteers there [show] how their small [contributions] given over time flowed like a long thin stream into the people’s hearts there to nourish them. So every day, in that place, volunteers came and went in the refugee waystation. This was the first stop along the refugees’ route. Others were stationed in the places where refugees were temporarily staying. In these two places, Tzu Chi volunteers, from March 1 to 6 (2016), distributed relief goods daily, whether there were many people or few. Over those six days, they have already distributed aid to more than 1500 people. They gave little by little in these distributions. They said there were actually many difficulties, but everyone was very happy. Everyone there leaned to us “the power of gentleness”. In that place, they had soft and gentle hearts and learned how to face [the refugees]. Having set foot upon that land, they had to find ways to help this group of people who had come from afar, people who had suffered so much. This is like the kind of heart parents have, the way they treat their own children. They treat the refugees as their beloved children. They held the clothes up against the refugees. “Will this fit you right?” After the refugees put on the clothes, they ask, “Does it look good?” They were just like parents with their children. Whether the refugees were elderly, young, or children, they treated them the same. They helped them find clothing, put on hats and scarves, shoes and socks. They helped them assemble an outfit so they could try it on. They made sure everything fit them properly. After they are outfitted, they were given a charm that was a wood cutout of the word “peace”. We have been using this “peace” charm in Taiwan. These volunteers had great wisdom; they brought so many of these charms with them. Thus they could give each refugee a charm. This made them very happy.
At the Sid train station, at the refugee camp there, they interacted with the refugees in this way. With each family they met, every story they heard, they would comfort them and so on. This is keeping them company with love. Some had been turned back and sent to that place. With the power of love, from March 1 to 6, [our volunteers] stayed there, near the train station. Both the children and the adults there could neither go out nor go back. It was truly hard for them in that place. Still, for the children, they were more free here than if they went home. If they were to return to Syria, they would face gunfire every day. They would be very scared. In this place, they felt they were very free. Because children do not know what is going on, they do not realize that even though they were safe there, the next meal was never guaranteed. They could only rely on others’ help. Each day, a local NGO there would give them bread or some dry rations. This is how they lived.
We discussed this up to here yesterday. Yesterday [the volunteers there] also told me, “What they requested most was an additional change of underwear”. There is no place to wash up there, but [clean] underwear is still very important. Of course, the food they eat is very crude. What could we do to help them eat a little better? We must try to match their local cuisine. We want to avoid causing them stomach problems. So, we have to be very careful. They have been fleeing for a long time. Could we give them a real meal with hot soup and fresh vegetables to eat? Yesterday, I also brought this up with the volunteers. They too hope that one day [soon], those who are stuck in that place can receive our “distribution of love”, so we can provide them with a substantial meal. Because a hotel there has already given us use of their kitchen, and Mr. Yang, one of our volunteers from Germany, is a chef, he could make his specialties for them. This is something we discussed yesterday.
To sum up, the power of love is there. In that place, each family faced their own challenges. But when we give to them with love, they can temporarily let go of their worries and temporarily connect emotionally with others. With their compassion, [the volunteers] establish very good friendships. At another waystation, one of those temporary shelters, every morning when they arrive, [the volunteers] led the local volunteers to first tidy up the environment, to clean areas like the bathrooms. This was how they guided them. Now, when refugees see Tzu Chi volunteers there, whether adults or children see them, they always place their palms together in greeting. We see children there too. There was one family of eight; there were many children. The oldest sister cared for her younger siblings. When they saw Tzu Chi volunteers, all the children, old and young, stacked their hands up like this as they placed their palms together. The big ones, the middle ones and the young ones all stretched out their hands placing their hands-on top of each other this way, thus putting their palms together. This was very beautiful. All of the children broke into bright and innocent smiles. In their hearts, when they see Tzu Chi volunteers this sense of respect and joy arises. This is an example of how the Five Destinies can coexist in one place. Some local people there are fairly well of. Some live ordinary lives. There are poor people too, and refugees on top of that. For them, each day feels like a year. They wish to get to the destination they pray for, yet they are not able to overcome the obstacles. So, those people feel very sad. Nevertheless, Tzu Chi volunteers are there, and the local people have gotten to know them. Yesterday, they were all very happy. They told me, “Master, in this country we have already obtained. NGO status for Tzu Chi! We are now officially allowed to distribute supplies and do relief work here”. I told them, “With your sincerity, you have already broken the record. Whenever we go to a country, to register as an INGO, an international charity organization is never easy. In the space of a few days to receive this certification from that country is quite amazing”. This comes from showing love with utmost sincerity. “Sincere friendship heralds goodness in the world”. This is love. That country is happy Tzu Chi volunteers are there. They have seen the sincerity in the volunteers, so they gave them this recognition and trust by issuing NGO status to them. This makes me very happy. This is how people influence one another.
So, “Thoughtful teaching brings blessing and enrichment to the world”. With an abundance of love, we are able to inspire others like this. This is in our world. For this world to be a pure land in the future, people’s minds need to mutually act on each other in this way. This is in Serbia.
Actually, it is the same in other places. It is the same in Jordan as well. There are many heart-warming stories there too that also have to do with refugees. They helped pull those refugees out of hell, helped relieve their suffering from illness and helped them deal with surviving while they are stuck there. For a long time, four or five years, they have been temporarily allowed to live there. They say it is temporary, but it has been 5 years. So, we must be mindful. If we can purify people’s minds, we can transform ordinary people into noble beings. Thus, “Such outstanding qualities of the noble beings are like a grand ritual of the Three Flawless Studies”. If everyone here engaged in spiritual practice, then, as “the human and heavenly intersect”, everyone would be purifying people’s minds. By gradually learning to do this, naturally we will come to live in a land like this and cultivate the Three Flawless Studies this way. If everyone were to do this, if in our land and upon our earth, all of humankind were to do this, then wouldn’t we be living in a pure land? This is not impossible. It is possible. So, we should earnestly be mindful.
The previous sutra passage says, “There will be countless asankyas, billions and trillions of nayutas of Bodhisattvas in that assembly. They have attained great spiritual powers and the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms, so they can skillful teach and transform all kinds of sentient beings.
In Dharma Clarity Tathagata’s land, there will be many Bodhisattvas like this; they all will have attained great spiritual powers as well as the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms. They can all educate one another with thoughtful teachings so in that country everyone will be able to turn from the Small Vehicle ti the direction of the Great. This describes that land; it is very precious.
The next sutra passage then says, “The number of Hearers cannot be know by calculating or comparing. All of them are replete with the Six Spiritual Powers, the Three Insights and the Eight Liberations. That Buddha’s land will have such infinite merits and virtues dignifying it and bringing it to fruition.
That place, in addition to Bodhisattvas, to the asankyas of Bodhisattvas, which means countless numbers of them, will also have Hearers. These are those who listen to the Dharma, they listen to the Dharma and practice it. “The number of Hearers cannot be known by calculating or comparing.” There are still more of them. All of them will have attained the Three Insights, Six Spiritual Powers and Eight Liberations. These Spiritual Powers, Insights and Liberations can all be seen in those Hearers, who have already been gradually cultivating them.
The number of Hearers cannot be known by calculating or comparing: This expresses that those who use their ears to hear the Dharma are many in number. Those who teach and transform the different kinds of sentient beings do so according to their individual kind.
Hearers, who hear the Dharma through their ears, can then pass on the teachings to others, can teach and transform sentient beings. according to their kind, they teach them in accord with their capabilities. just by listening to the Buddha-Dharma, they can begin to form aspirations and teach and transform according to capabilities. this is the future land of Dharma Clarity Tathagata. There will be many Bodhisattvas and incalculable numbers of Hearers, who all teach each other in turn. These people are all the same, whether Hearers or Arhats, they are replete with the Six Spiritual Powers, Three Insights and Eight Liberations. The Three Insights and the Six Spiritual Powers, are the virtues with which Arhats are replete. Because they have engaged in spiritual practice, they already have the Three Insights and the Six Spiritual Powers. The Eight Liberations “are eight kinds of meditation to abandon the entanglements of the defiled phenomena in the Three Realms. These are the Eight Liberations.
Do we still remember? The Three Insights are”insight into previous lives insight of the heavenly eye” and “insight into ending all Leaks.” For the Hearers and Arhats, these are called the Three Insights. In Buddhas they are the Three Understandings.
Everyone should still remember this. so, “insight into previous lives is “insight into one’s own or others causes and conditions in all previous lifetimes. When I know my own past, and I know your past as well, this is “insight into previous lives.” [knowing] the relationship between you and I in the past is called “insight into previous lives.”
Next is the “insight of the heavenly eye”. This is the “insight of knowing what will happen to oneself or others in all future lifetimes.” “Previous lives” is knowing the past. The “heavenly eye” is being able to see into the future. This is our relationship in this life; what will we be like in the future? This is “insight of the heavenly eye.” We often say, we do not know why we came into this world. This is because we are ignorant of our past. When we came to this life, why it is that we have [negative] affinities? Why it is that we have good affinities? What were our karmic affinities in the past like? We do not know. We have no “insight,” no insight into previous lives.” We have this kind of relationship now. In the future, will we also be able to be born in the same era and engage in spiritual practice together? This we cannot see; we also cannot see the future. This is because we are unenlightened beings.
However, Hearers and Arhats have engaged in spiritual practice and already attained the “insight of the heavenly eye. They know the future and the things that will happen between themselves and others.
Insight into previous lives: This is the insight of knowing what happened tp oneself or others in all previous lifetimes. Insight of the heavenly eye: this is the insight of knowing what will happen to oneself or others in all future lifetimes.
Next is “insight into ending all Leaks.” “Insight into ending all Leaks” is “the insight of using the wisdom of noble beings to completely eliminate all afflictions.” What we practice is to take in the Dharma we hear and let it leak away. Whether precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, or listening, contemplation and practice, after taking these to heart, we should not let them leak away. If we listen to the Dharma and quickly forget, that means it has leaked away. After we listen, we must remember and understand. Only when we understand all of the principles will we truly be “without Leaks”. When we are “without Leaks,” the Dharma will remain in our hearts. “Ending all Leaks” is putting an end to all afflictions and ignorance. The Dharma we hear leaks away because we still have afflictions. As we engage in spiritual practice, we must completely eliminate our afflictions. Then when we take the Dharam to heart, it will not leak away as soon as afflictions arise. So, this is “insight into ending all Leaks.” When we eradicate all afflictions, when we put an end to all afflictions, we have the wisdom of noble beings. these three are in Arhats called the Three Insights and in Buddhas called the Three Understandings.
Next are the Six Spiritual Powers. The Six Spiritual Powers are “the spiritual powers attained by the noble beings of the Three Vehicles. The Three Vehicle [practitioners], the Hearers, the Solitary Realizers and Bodhisattvas, all have them. So, these [powers] are “the power of the heavenly eye, the power of the heavenly era, the power of knowing others’ minds, the power of knowing previous lives, the power of transporting oneself” and “the power of ending all Leaks.” If Hearers, Solitary Realizers and Bodhisattvas all have these powers, then what about Buddhas? Buddhas have the three Understandings. They have perfected the Six Spiritual Powers and the Three Understandings.
The Eight Liberations are meditative states. Another name for them is the Eight Abandonments. “Abandonment” and “liberation” mean the same thing. “These are the eight kinds of meditation to abandon the entanglement of the afflictions of the Three Realms.” This means the mind is without hindrances. In the Three Realms, there are all kinds of ignorance and afflictions. When we have completely abandoned them, when we have cast them all behind us, this is “abandonment”. If we have already completely liberated ourselves from all the afflictions that entangled us, that is called the Eight Liberations.
Of course, this requires spiritual practice. We must practice until our minds are settled and we manifest wisdom. We must always remain in a state of Samadhi.
The Eight Liberations: 1. Liberation through contemplating external appearances when material desires arise. 2. Liberation through contemplating external appearances when no material desires arise. 3. Liberation of purity fully confirmed by the body. 4. Liberation through the state of concentration of boundless space.
There are several varieties of this Samadhi. First is “liberation through contemplating external appearances when material desires arise.” Although our Six Sense Organs connect with the Six Sense Objects, when we see these things, we thoroughly understand them. Our minds connect with them, yet these external states never hinder our minds. We remain unhindered by external conditions. This is called “liberation”. From this example, everyone should understand what comes after.
Next is “liberation through contemplating external appearances when no material desires arise.” When we mentally prepare and want to go see something, this is “material desires arising”. Upon seeing it, we do not keep it in our minds to hinder us. Or, if we do not prepare yet suddenly see something, it still does not affect us. Something may suddenly happen to us; it may follow our wishes or go against them, but our mind remains unhindered by it. Without any preparation, something good may suddenly happen, or something unpleasant may suddenly happen, perhaps troubles may come our way, yet our mind can still be without hindrances. We just do what needs to be done, take care of what needs to be taken care of, and once done, that is enough. If we can thoroughly understand, our minds will truly remain unhindered.
Third is the “liberation of purity fully confirmed by the body.” We should “contemplate the body as impure, contemplate all feelings as suffering, contemplate the mind as impermanent and contemplate all things as being without self.” Our bodies indeed are unclean, but if we thoroughly understand that the body is a vessel for spiritual cultivation, then we will use this body to seize the present moment and earnestly take the Dharma to heart. In this way, we can use this body to engage in spiritual practice and attain realizations about all things in the world. Then all the pain and suffering in the world will not [negatively] influence our mind. This is a mind without hindrances.
Fourth is “liberation through the state of concentration of boundless space.” We understand the principle of emptiness, understand that everything is empty. We may have material [desires] in our minds, but we remain unaffected by them. Even without [desires] we may suddenly encounter external states, yet will still not be influenced by them either. Regarding our body, we understand that life is impermanent. We understand this. We experience how precious hearing the Dharma is. So, we need to seize the time to practice, listen to and do the things we should. Then we will never be hindered by a particular time or space. We are “liberated through the state of concentration of boundless space.” Wherever we are, “We have this aspiration as we walk this path.” This is because we “listen to this Dharma”.
Isn’t that group of Tzu Chi volunteers in Serbia in fact listening to this Dharma? Unhindered by space, they can go to many different places. Wherever they go, after they arrive they give in the same way. This is not being hindered by the conditions, the environment.
The Eight Liberations: 5. Liberation through the state of concentration of boundless consciousness. 6. Liberation through the state of concentration of nothingness. 7. Liberation through the state of concentration of no thought nor non-thought. 8. Liberation through Samadhi of complete cessation.
Fifth is “liberation through the state of concentration of boundless consciousness.” As for consciousness, everything we have ever done is stored in this consciousness of ignorance. Seeing external conditions, we connect with them, then our sixth and seventh consciousnesses lead us to take action, which all comes back to the eighth consciousness of ignorance. Ignorance is stored in the eighth consciousness. So, we are subject to many entanglements. Now we are “liberated through the state of concentration of boundless consciousness.” When our minds are empty, when our minds are very open and spacious, they can encompass the universe and the boundless worlds within it. Our consciousness is boundless. Our consciousness is liberated; it can travel leisurely and freely.
Sixth if the “liberation through the state of concentration of nothingness.” There is no place that is not a place of practice, no place we cannot attain liberation.
Seventh is “liberation through the state of concentration of no thought nor non-thought.” There is no thought; what is the use of thinking so much? But there is also thought; when it is something we should do, through tranquil contemplation, we must very clearly and deeply consider how we should go about it. “No thought” means we do not think the way ordinary people do; that is “desire”. For the sake of the Dharma, we must earnestly, mindfully seek to understand. “Nor non-thought” means we are not totally without thought. We must still think, still try to comprehend through calm contemplation. Calm contemplation refers to how, with worldly matters, we must find a way to transcend worldly afflictions, to use a world-transcending spirit to carry out our missions in this world while remaining undefiled by other people. This is “liberation through the state of concentration of no thought nor non-thought.” We remain undefiled by the world, but our thinking is calm contemplation. It is meditation, a pure way of considering things, a pure way of thinking. All this helps us take the Dharma to heart and apply the Dharma among sentient beings. This is “wondrous existence in emptiness,” true emptiness and wondrous existence. We must exercise our pure nature of True Suchness without becoming defiled.
Eighth is “liberation through Samadhi of complete cessation.” After all afflictions are completely eliminated, we are completely liberated. These are the Three Insights, Six Spiritual Powers and Eight Liberations. We should try to thoroughly understand them. So, “That Buddha’s land will [be] such.” The land Dharma Clarity Buddha gains in response will be like this. The people there will all be like this Dharma Clarity Tathagata gains this Buddha-land in response to His virtues. His land will be like this, will have the previously stated circumstantial and direct retributions. We often speak of these. In the past we have continually discussed circumstantial and direct retributions. When sentient beings are reborn in this place at the same time as Dharma Clarity Buddha, the land will be like this.
There are “infinite merits and virtues dignifying it and bringing it to fruition.”
This is due to their many accumulated merits and virtues. Earlier we also said that much merit and virtues have to be accumulated to dignify and bring this kind of land to fruition. This was what Dharma Clarity Buddha accomplished. The sentient beings He created affinities with though His spiritual practice will all gather together in that place. That state will be one of such purity. So, “Humans and heavenly beings have such elegance.” There, the human and the heavenly intersect; it is truly a beautiful state. “The noble beings have such purity.” Those noble beings there will be so pure. “They are without defilement or attachment.” Everyone’s minds are free of these. “Outside of their minds, there is no phenomena covering them.” There are no defilements, none of the kinds of things people are attached to, not at all. They will be “tranquil and clear, with vows as vast as the universe.” In the future this is the land Dharma Clarity Tathagata brings to fruition. If we are earnestly mindful, we will be in this land in the future as well. So, let us always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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