Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Buddha-Children Learn Skillful Means Well (佛子所行 善學方便)
Date: July.10.2017
“Only those of great wisdom can shoulder the responsibility of the Great Dharma; this is what Bodhisattvas do. The Small [Vehicle] Dharma is easily practiced; it is what Hearers do. All Bodhisattvas know that people take delight in the Small and fear the Great, therefore they hide their ultimate perfection and keep the Small Vehicle practitioners company to skillfully deliver them.”
Only those of great wisdom can shoulder the responsibility of the Great Dharma. This is the work Bodhisattvas do. The Buddha came to the world to teach the Great Dharma, hoping everyone would comprehend. The Dharma is something for everyone to cultivate; everyone can put the Dharma into action. Unfortunately, sentient beings have a thick layer of ignorance and severe karmic obstructions. So, for us to truly understand the principles of the Dharma, we still have a long ways to go. We may know the terms and understand the meaning of all the principles that the Buddha taught, but actually awakening our aspirations and being willing to put them into action is still very difficult. So, what we need is great wisdom and great courage. Not only do we need great wisdom to comprehend this great path of the Buddha-Dharma that we can walk, we also need to actually walk the path. If we know the path’s direction but dare not take the path, dare not put the Dharma into practice, we will be unable to go among the people. So, to go among the people and practice the Bodhisattva-path, we must have a spirit of great wisdom and great courage. We must also be willing to shoulder the Tathagata’s mission. This is shouldering responsibility; we need to take this on.
The Buddha came to the world and manifested engaging in spiritual practice, attaining Buddhahood and teaching the Dharma. In the end He too grew old and fell ill, then entered Perfect Rest, Parinirvana. His lifespan was only 80 years in all. The time He spent teaching the Dharma was not even 50 years. He engaged in spiritual practice because the Dharma needed to be transmitted; this required a very long time. It required those listening to the Dharma to be able to quickly understand it, sincerely put it into practice and then go among the people. Only with the Dharma in their hearts and sense of responsibility in their actions would they have a way to deliver sentient beings. This is why the Buddha, in the Lotus Sutra, had such a sense of urgency. But there was only so much He could do.
We began with the Introductory Chapter and have continued up until now. Beginning in the Chapter on Skillful Means, the Buddha laid bare His original intent and announced to everyone that everything He was teaching them was for all to experience the true wisdom of the Buddha. This began in the Chapter on Skillful Means and continued in the Chapter on Parables and on until the previous chapter, which brought up how long this process was. That was the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City. It explained the causes and conditions behind Sakyamuni Buddha’s attaining Buddhahood. How long ago did this begin? Dust-inked kalpas ago, a very long time ago. This is telling us that after we form aspirations, we still need patience and perseverance. We must earnestly respect and revere the Dharma. Lifetime after lifetime, we engage in practice with nothing further, extended practice. How else do we practice? Reverence.
Indeed! We must be very mindful. We must “practice with nothing further,” so that no time is left unused. Since distant kalpas we have [practiced with] “nothing further”. We have not allowed any time to slip away. We must seize the time, never letting even a little moment slip away. We are wholly focused on the mission of transforming sentient beings. “Uninterrupted practice” is practicing without interruption, life after life. “Extended practice” means it happens over a very long period of time. For dust-inked kalpas we must unceasingly “practice with reverence”. We must have great reverence for the Dharma. Whether for the Dharma, people, matters or things, we must have respect for everything. So, we must all be very mindful! From the Parable of the Conjured City, we must apply [what we learned] with the teachings of the Four Practices; we must earnestly try to mindfully experience this. The Buddha wanted everyone to engage in “practice with nothing further, uninterrupted practice, extended practice and practice with reverence.” Only by engaging in spiritual practice with this attitude will we be able to attain great wisdom and the power of great courage.
Then we are “great heroes with great power”. To shoulder the mission of the Tathagata, we must have great courage. Only with great wisdom and great courage can we shoulder the Tathagata’s mission. So, [shouldering] the Great Dharma is what Bodhisattvas do. The True Dharma of the One Vehicle is what Bodhisattvas should cultivate. The Buddha came to the world for one great cause, to encourage everyone to practice the Bodhisattva-path. The Bodhisattva-path starts as a sense of mission; we must first establish the great vows, resolve to [carry out] the great vows. We must form our resolve and “vow to deliver countless sentient beings, vow to eliminate endless afflictions, vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors and vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.” This is what we must ask of ourselves. What is our purpose in learning all this? Going back to that first vow, “We vow to deliver sentient beings.” We seek to attain Buddhahood with the goal of delivering sentient beings. Delivering sentient beings is the spiritual training ground for attaining Buddhahood. If we do not go and deliver sentient beings, how can we possibly attain Buddhahood? The goal of attaining Buddhahood is for the sake of delivering sentient beings. These reflect each other. So, as we practice we need loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. We must cultivate our compassionate hearts. Even with people not connected to us in any way, we hope all sentient beings will be safe and happy. We hope their minds will be pure and without afflictions, with their minds following the goodness in their heart every day.
As we said yesterday, everyone’s minds will have supreme goodness and everyone’s bodies will uphold supreme precepts. With hearts that are good and pure, by cultivating pure precepts, naturally everyone will be happy and the most safe; in that land, everyone applies the Dharma in their interactions. Nothing causes them to give rise to afflictions. In this land everyone is without worries. All around them, everything they see is a treasure! This era will last a long time. It will last so long because everyone follows the Great Dharma. Everyone practices the Bodhisattva-path in their living. They mutually respect, love and encourage one another. They engage in extended practice, uninterrupted practice and practice with nothing further. Because of this, the era will last a long time, and it will be such a good environment. So, we should put effort into mindfully engaging in spiritual practice.
Currently, the world is filled with the Five Turbidities. In the future, Dharma Clarity Tathagata will also be in this place, will likewise be on this same land. He will engage in spiritual practice here, and it is here that He will attain Buddhahood. In the future, this place will be full of treasures; it will be a bright and luminous land. This represents our state of mind. When everyone’s mind is kind, everything in the environment will be kind. When everyone’s mind is pure, we will be surrounded by a pure land. I hope we can mindfully draw near the Dharma.
“The Small [Vehicle] Dharma is easily practiced; it is what Hearers do.” It is simpler to practice the Small Vehicle Dharma because the Great Vehicle Dharma, the Bodhisattva-path, requires going among people and transforming sentient beings. The sentient beings we will encounter are filled with afflictions. Thus many actions are led by afflictions. Sentient beings each have different habitual tendencies; they are difficult to train and very stubborn. Thus, it is necessary to use the Great Dharma. In this time of great change, sentient beings have great afflictions and suffer great disasters, so they need great Bodhisattvas, who apply great wisdom and make use of the Great Dharma as they go among the people.
So, practicing the Great Vehicle Dharma is a heavy responsibility. It takes great wisdom and great courage to shoulder it. This is a heavy responsibility; this is what Bodhisattvas do.
With the Small Dharma, people seek their own awakening. This is easy to practice. These are the Hearers. “I will just take responsibility for listening to the Dharma. I just need to listen earnestly.” But if we only listen, do we truly understand? After we understand the Dharma, we still need to put it into practice. Are we actually able to go among people? Are we willing to exert ourselves to give to sentient beings? The answer is no. “I just listen and understand. Having understood it, I can also teach it. But if you ask me to actually go among people and serve them, I cannot do it.” This is a Small Dharma [practitioner]. With the Small Dharma, we only care for ourselves, so the practice is easy. Listening to the Dharma is enough for them. Actually going among people is something they cannot do.
However, “All Bodhisattvas know that people take delight in the Small.” Among those who practice with Bodhisattvas, there are those who listen and understand. When these Hearers take the Buddha’s voice to heart, understand it and comprehend the Buddha’s intent, [they feel,] “I am willing. I am willing to give to others like this.” This is like Purna Maitrayaniputra. He had already heard and understood the Dharma, was practicing it and had formed great aspirations; he was already a Bodhisattva. He “inwardly secretly practiced as a Bodhisattva and outwardly manifested as a Hearer.” So, “all Bodhisattvas” are like this disciple. They “know that people take delight in the Small”. Among those Hearers, most are happy to benefit only themselves. Most people only delight in the Small Dharma. Why do those who delight in the Small Dharma only wish to listen to the Dharma and only seek to awaken themselves? It is because they “fear the Great”. Everyone is afraid. They are afraid of the Great Dharma. Taking on the Tathagata’s mission is frightening! Because of this, people who form Bodhisattva-aspirations begin by “hiding their ultimate perfection”.
Purna Maitrayaniputra hid. He hid his Bodhisattva form and practiced alongside everyone else. Actually, his inner spiritual practice was already perfect and complete. His practice of the Great Dharma was perfect and complete, and he had accumulated virtues and affinities. The virtues and the karmic affinities with all beings he accumulated were very complete, enough for him to become a Bodhisattva. But, he hid his ultimate perfection of virtues. Thus, he still manifested as a Hearer. So, “They keep the Small Vehicle practitioners company to skillfully deliver them”. He hid his Bodhisattva form and lived together with everyone else, listened to the Dharma like everyone else. Like them, he had questions and brought them up to the Buddha. He was no different from anyone else there. Actually, he was always earnest and diligent. He would take the Dharma he understood and spread it on the Buddha’s behalf, promoting the spirit of the Great Vehicle. This was Purna Maitrayaniputra. He would go out, make good use of that time, t hen quickly return to again accompany everyone else. Again he diligently listened to the Dharma and fulfilled all of his duties as a Hearer. He still listened the Small Vehicle. When he went out, he would manifest the Great Vehicle Dharma to transform sentient beings. This was Purna Maitrayaniputra. He “inwardly secretly practiced as a Bodhisattva while outwardly manifested as a Hearer”.
He hid this power of love within his heart. The world needs this love. Love can transform sentient beings. Seeds of love can be sown in people’s hearts. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far away a place is, we can sow seeds through the power of love. We may spread them far away, and we may have to wait long, but when the time comes, we will see them germinate. We will see them sprout and watch as they grow into small trees. So, even a desert can become an oasis!
Five years ago there was a big earthquake in Japan. On the March 11 (2011), the ground suddenly shook and, 15 minutes later, a tsunami came and completely swept away many families. Some lived, and others did not. With this single wave of a tsunami, everything was swallowed by the sea. There was not only a tsunami, but also a fire. There was a great fire. Not only this, but a nuclear power station was also damaged, and the radiation from it leaked out. Everyone was so nervous. It felt like the end of the world. Those who managed to flee were able to stay alive. Those who could not are buried at the bottom of the ocean. The number of injured neared 20,000. Those who vanished or died numbered more than 10,000 in all, close to 20,000. This was a great disaster for Japan.
Even more terrifying is the radioactivity. The radiation is still present in that place in Japan. Fukushima Prefecture and the 20 square kilometers surrounding it is still an area no one dares to go near. Now, when some of our [Da Ai Tv staff went to shoot footage on the fifth anniversary, we saw that before going into that area, they had to be covered in protective gear to guard against the radiation. They had to cover their entire body before they entered that area. There was no trace of humans there. They did not even see a single car there. There was nothing. It was truly just like a city of the dead. This is how the world, in an instant, can turn into a city of the dead. Originally, it was also a tourist area, but at this time there are no traces of any human presence. They only met one person there. This man was 56 years old. He was the only one left in the entire village. His name was Mr. Matsumura. He said that back then, he had wanted to stay with his relatives or friends, but no one would let him stay with them because his village had been so close to the radiation. So, no one dared take him in. Thus he had to return to Tomioka, to this place. Now he lives all by himself in that village. He said when he returned, he cared form the animals that still alive there. All the people had run away. Now, after five-plus years, there were still cats and dogs there. So, he lives with those animals. He is only person left, and it has been five years now.
Last year, [around Chinese New Year in 2015], at the end of the lunar year, two days before New Year’s, an earthquake struck Tainan before daybreak. After this earthquake happened, mist of the world heard about it. The Japanese people in northeast Japan, those from Fukushima, upon hearing about this earthquake, formed this aspiration. They remembered how Tzu Chi volunteers had helped them in the past, how they received Tzu Chi’s assistance 5 years ago. They still had the letter [that came with our assistance] and the envelopes it came in. they had kept both. When the two [Da Ai Tv] staff we sent went to interview people, on their way into the village, one of them was hit by a car. Our staffperson was injured. Although he was hit by a car and was knocked to the ground, he still managed to protect his camera and uphold his mission. He hurt his foot, but protected th camera. When this happened, an old couple hurried over to ask, “Are you hurt anywhere? When they saw him wearing our uniform, they knew he was with Tzu Chi. After talking with them, he found out those two elderly person had also help from Tzu Chi in the past. They had received relief funds from Tzu Chi, and Tzu Chi volunteers has spent some time accompanying them. So, they treated him very warmly. Later, when someone else realized that Tzu Chi had come to conduct interviews, he came and gave directions for our Da Ai TV staff and introduced them around.
Although they had to wear protective clothing and the area was abandoned, this person was willing to take them to his home. People are supposed to wait 30 years before they can return. Right now, no one dares to return. He took this opportunity to fetch some things. He also had to seal himself in protective clothing. Right now in Japan, the area within a radius of 20 kilometers of the nuclear power plant is a place no one dares to enter. If they do, they must wear protective clothing. When we conducted interviews in the area, everyone knew what had happened in Taiwan. So, they put a call out to repay Taiwan [for our help]. They all raised funds to send. This is love. We had once sown seeds of love in that place, and they responded with love at this time. This is truly the power of love. This is the work of the Great Vehicle, practicing the Great Vehicle in this world. So, we should be mindful.
In the precious sutra passage, we read that his future name will be Dharma Clarity Tathagata. His kalpas will be called Treasure Bright, and his land will be called Pure Kindness. “That Buddha’s lifespan will last countless asankyas of kalpas. His dharma will abide for an extremely long time. After that Buddha enters Parinirvana, stupas of Seven Treasures will be erected filling the entire land.
This means that Buddha’s lifespan will be long, and the Buddha-Dharma will abide a long time too. In this passage, Purna Maitrayaniputra is receiving a prediction of Buddhahood and the Buddha’s praise. This was in the [previous] passage.
So, the next sutra passage says, “At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke in verse.
He had already introduced Dharma Clarity Tathagata and what His land in the future will be like, His lifespan, how long the Dharma will remain in the world and the magnificent appearance of that world. These were all introduced one by one. So, He “restates His meaning”. Now, He will repeat Himself once again to help everyone remember even more clearly.
This sutra passage states, All of you bhilsus listen carefully to the path that the Buddha-children practice. because they have learned well skillful means, they are inconceivable. They know that everyone takes delight in the Small Vehicle Dharma and fears the great wisdom.
Everyone, listen carefully. The Buddha. from the bottom of his heart, called to the Sangha again. “All of you practitioners, are you listening?” Maitrayaniputra was very mindful in his practice. He inwardly was so close to the Buddha’s intent, outwardly earnestly delivered sentient beings and lived very harmoniously with the other monks. He manifested living together with them as a Small Vehicle practitioner, when in fact his mind had already advanced to the level of Bodhisattvas. Everyone must mindfully comprehend this. so, they had to “listen closely and carefully yo what He was saying”. He wanted all of them to listen carefully to what He was telling them right now. “The path of advancing in virtue the Buddha-children walk….”
All of you bhiksus listen carefully to the path that the Buddha-children practice: The Buddha called out sincerely to the Sangha to loisten closely and carefully to what He was saying about the path of advancing in virtue the Buddha-children walk. “Buddha-children” isimplicitly referring to Purna.
The “Buddha-children” He is referring to right now includes Purna. The Buddha includes him among the Buddha-children. It is a very affectionate term. “Buddha-children” are those who pass on the Buddha’s wisdom-life, who carry on the Buddha’s mission of delivering sentient beings. thus, they are called “Buddha-children”. Purna Maitrayaniputra was one of them.
“Sentient beings [who] accept the Buddha’s teachings and precepts are called “Buddha-children”. “This is also a general name for Bodhisattvas, those who “ensure the seeds of Buddhahood continue and will never be cut off.” So, they are called “Buddha-children”.
Purna was not only one the Buddharecognized as one of the Buddha-children. Actually, all who form Bodhisattva-aspirations and practice the Bodhisattva-path are generally called “Buddha-children”. They continue on the Buddha’s wisdom-life and ensure the Buddha-Dharma remains interrupted. Those who carry on the Buddha-Dharma are called Buddha-children.
In the Chapter on Parables, it also says, “It was not until today that I realized that I am a true child of the Buddha.” In the past, in the Chapter on Parables, there was this sutra passage. “Born from the Buddha’s mouth and transformed by the Dharma, I have realized my part in the Buddha-Dharma.” This is what those disciples felt. It was only then that they knew that all of them were Buddha-children. The Buddha teaches the Dharma through speech, and their wisdom-life grows from this sound. So, “Because they have learned well skillful means, they are inconceivable.”
Because they have learned well skillful means, they are inconceivable: The Buddha-children have such diligence and are well able to learn the wisdom of skillful means. With the merits and virtues of focus and diligence, they are thus beyond what the mind can conceive or what speech can explain.
This is what Buddha-children are like; they are very diligent and “well able to learn the wisdom of skillful means.” They already formed great aspirations and made great vows to deliver sentient beings. To deliver sentient beings, they must learn to be like the Buddha, to utilize [skillful means] well and teach according to capabilities. In response to sentient beings’ capabilities, they give them the teachings they need, slowly and patiently guiding them to plant seed after seed in their hearts. This takes skillful means. \
So, everyone must use “the merits and virtues of focus and diligence.” To go among people, we must be very focused on the Buddha-Dharma. Being focused means not being scattered; we must be diligent and not distracted. When we are completely focused, going among people we will accumulate wholesome affinities and blessed karma. This is all called merits and virtues. Being earnest in inner cultivation and being focused and diligent in external practice is how we will transform sentient beings. “They are thus beyond what the mind can conceive or what speech can explain.” All this takes a very long time to accumulate. Life after life they go among people to accumulate affinities whit sentient beings. Their merits and virtues from giving to others are not something we sentient beings, we ordinary people, can calculate. This is beyond our ability to calculate. If we try to imagine how many lifetimes [Purna] spent accumulating merits and virtue, we will not be able to calculate it in our minds, let alone explain it in speech. How much merit and virtue did he accumulate anyway? This means it took a long time. He engaged in uninterrupted practice, extended practice, practice with nothing further and practice with reverence. So Filled Son of Loving-kindness, “as a Bodhisattva, manifested the appearance of a Hearer. This is how he had learned well the skillful means of the Buddha.”
Filled Son of Loving-kindness, as a Bodhisattva, manifested the appearance of a Hearer. This is how he had learned well the skillful means of the Buddha. He merged with the crowd without their knowing. He entered the defiled world but remained undefiled. Thus, it says he had “learned well.”
This is Filled Son of Loving-kindness. Do you know who Filled Son of Loving-kindness is? Purna Maitrayaniputra. He was also called Filled Son of Loving-kindness. Purna was a Bodhisattva who manifested as a Hearer. In this way, he diligently learned the Buddha’s skillful means. So, skillful mans are also very important. Do not say, “I practice the Great Vehicle Dharma. Skillful mans is a Small Vehicle teaching.” Actually, skillful means is truly the way to transform sentient beings. However, Filled Son of Loving-kindness, Purna Maitrayaniputra, “merged with the crowd without their knowing.” He dedicated himself to people, yet those people never knew this. Neither the bhiksus nor the Hearers knew that Purna Maitrayaniputra had these Great Vehicle aspirations, this great wisdom and great courage, that he had already entered the Bodhisattva-path. No one knew these things. So, he “entered the defiled world but remained undefiled.” He went among people without being defiled by them. People’s afflictions and ignorance never influenced his thinking. Thus, his spiritual aspirations remained firm. This was Purna Maitrayaniputra. While using skillful means, he went among people and remained undefiled. This means he had “learned well”. It was because he learned the Buddha’s teachings. Skillful is another word for clever. Clever means skillful.
Skillful is another word for clever. Those who are clever apply their wisdom. The principles, in truth, are not three; it is with the power of skillful means that they are thus taught as the Three [Vehicles]. Thus, this is called clever.
“Those who are clever apply their wisdom.” To figure out how to employ skillful means, we must be able to apply wisdom. So, “The principles, in truth, are not three.” The true principles are the One True Dharma. There are not actually Three Vehicles. In fact they are the same; there is only one. “The principles, in truth, are not three.” There is [only] the One Vehicle Dharma. “It is with the power of skillful means that they are thus taught as the Three [Vehicles].” To skillfully address all beings’ capabilities, it was taught as the Great, Middle and Small Vehicles. “Thus, this is called clever.” These are clever and skillful means. So, to benefit sentient beings, we must rely upon skillful means. “This conduct is hard to conceive of.” Taking these actions, doing these things, doing the work of Bodhisattvas, is truly inconceivable and difficult to fathom. So, “Having attained the Dharma of manifestation but without learning well skillful means, one cannot do it.” He had already understood this. He had cultivated this high moral character, but he still manifested a very humble status. If we cannot do this, “without learning well skillful means,” we would not be able to go among people in this way. So, “They know that everyone takes delight in the Small Vehicle Dharma and fears the great wisdom.” Because sentient beings and Hearers took delight in the Small Vehicle Dharma, he had to be together with these practitioners of the Small Vehicle. “[They] feared the “great wisdom of the Bodhisattvas.” The people who took delight in the Small Dharma were afraid the burden would be too heavy, that they would be unable to give like that. For this reason, the Hearers took delight in the Small Vehicle Dharma and “feared the great wisdom of the Bodhisattvas.” Those who are Bodhisattvas, who formed great aspirations, know that these people are like this, so they must “manifest” an appearance and come down to their level. They must interact with everyone, engaging in practice side by side and transforming them by working together. So, we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
