Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Blessings and Wisdom in Offering and Teaching (供佛修福 說法修慧)
Date: July.20.2017
“Bodhisattvas, to transform sentient beings, use this clear and pure Dharma-eye to universally observe all phenomena. They are able to know and practice this Dharma to be able to realize this path. They also know all kinds of skillful means.”
We have been talking every day. We have also been listening every day. The Dharma is inseparable from the way we cultivate our minds. In the external world, how can we dedicate ourselves to helping others? In this human world of ours there are all types, in different environments, with different experience and different types of suffering. How can we discover all this suffering? After we discover this suffering, what feelings do we have in our minds? Do we hear but not see? Or do we see but not hear? Or do we hear but not feel anything? We may feel, “These people are far away from us; all these people have nothing to do with us. It is enough that we heard about it. We just take a look and move on. Those people have nothing to do with us at all.” Do we use this kind of mindset to look at life in this world? If the answer is yes, then no matter how many teachings we have heard, we merely understand the teachings; we understand but do not practice them. We are unable to accomplish this. In that case, have the principle truly entered our hearts? There is still a long way to go.
As we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must learn to understand and apply them. With the Dharma, we must benefit people; we must apply the Dharma to benefit all life. Then we are truly learning the Buddha’s teachings. “Bodhisattvas, to transform sentient beings, use this clear and pure Dharma-eye.” This clear and pure Dharma-eye is the pure Buddha-nature that everyone intrinsically has. With our pure Buddha-nature, we observe the suffering of sentient beings. We cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer, so we will naturally go to relieve their suffering. If we can go among people to relieve suffering without being contaminated, maintaining the purity of our hearts, then we are Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas are enlightened sentient beings. Bodhisattvas share in sentient beings’ suffering. It is because there are sentient beings that there are Bodhisattvas. These worldly terms are in contrast to each other. So, suffering sentient beings are the spiritual training ground for Bodhisattvas. Recently, I have shared with everybody that this is truly the training ground and these are truly Bodhisattvas. There is much suffering in the world nowadays. Now, modern technology and transportation are all very advanced. With advanced technology, no matter from how far, we can access the information right away. Some things happen in remote places, as far as 10,000 kilometers away. Whatever happened there, the messages can be sent back to us right away. This advanced technology can transmit the information without any hindrance.
What about transportation? We must quickly go there to help the people. It is very far, more than 10,000 kilometers away. Are we able to reach there? Yes, we can. We quickly pack our luggage and carry them on our backs. First, we just need to complete the paperwork, so we can travel there without any obstacles. It all happens quickly; they leave in the morning and arrive in the evening. They then send the information back to us, what they saw and heard. This is how we rely on modern technology. With all the suffering in the world, this allows us to have pure eyes and ears, so we can hear it and can see it and understand what it is they need over there. Then, we must quickly make up for [what they lack]. Shortly thereafter, those things will be sent and arrive. Whether volunteers, or material aid, both arrive quickly. So, we must be grateful.
2000-plus years before this modern era, the Buddha taught the Dharma to His disciples. In that era, He lived in this world. This was precisely the time for Hearers and Solitary Realizers to receive the state of mind that the Buddha had awakened to and wished to share. He wanted them to eliminate ignorance and wanted to help them understand cyclic existence in the Six Realms, sentient beings’ Four Forms of Birth, the suffering in the world and so on. He wanted everyone to recognize suffering and thus engage in practice. That should have been enough for that era. But in that era, the Buddha was also preparing for the future, for our present era. He wanted to open up this path for us. He hoped that everyone would realize that the future world would be an evil world of the Five Turbidities. In this evil world of the Five Turbidities, sentient beings will be surrounded by danger. In this world, there will be much suffering.
So, He encouraged everyone to awaken their love. “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering sentient beings.” If spiritual practice is only done internally, with our unenlightened habitual tendencies, we easily will waver [in our resolve]. Sometimes, we feel a burst of eagerness and will be very earnest and diligent. But with our habitual tendencies, when the slightest external disturbance arises, our spiritual aspirations are easily shaken. Because of this, it is easy for us to become indolent and regress.
This is just like the story of a man who was suffering in hell. After a long time, he had finally caught sight of a thread of spider’s silk dropping from above. So, he quickly grabbed the silk and, with great effort, steadily and carefully climbed up. He clung to the silk and kept climbing up. But suddenly, he heard a noise from below. When he looked down, his mind became disturbed. He was afraid those below would weigh him down, so he thought to shake the silk, not wanting those below to follow him up. Because of this shaking motion, the silk broke at the top, and he fell back down again. Aren’t sentient beings’ hearts just like this? The karma from the afflictions we create is so heavy. We have so many [afflictions] and such deep and heavy karma; it is difficult to extricate ourselves. Now, after much difficulty we have an opportunity, a chance for us to seize. There is a thread of spider silk for us to follow that will allow us to find our intrinsic nature. This is not easy at all. With just a little bit of disturbance, our [path] becomes obscured and falls back into total darkness again. Once again everything is covered by ignorance. This is what we unenlightened beings are like. If we only listen to the Dharma but never encounter the right circumstances, if we have never been trained through experience, we will not know or understand. We will not understand the suffering we hear about because we have never experienced it ourselves. We do not know what suffering looks like. When sentient beings suffer, that is precisely when. Bodhisattvas go among them. They go to explore the causation of suffering, to understand the karmic law of cause and effect. From the different environments people live in, we can understand different kinds of suffering. This is something that must be trained through experience. Then we know, “This is called suffering; this is how suffering comes together. I am willing to give of myself to help them, to relieve them from their suffering.” This is how Bodhisattvas go among people, which is the way Buddha wanted to teach us. That is why He told us to turn from the Small Vehicle to the Great Vehicle Dharma. He hoped we could all form Bodhisattva-aspirations to transform sentient beings. He hoped that we would all protect our clear and pure minds. This clear and pure mind, the Dharma-eye, is the Buddha-mind. It is our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. We must maintain it well. We form aspirations to go among people to “universally observe all phenomena”. Where is the source of the truth of suffering? What is it that creates this suffering? After we understand all theses questions, we find out that the teachings of suffering, the principles of the truth of suffering, are actually found among the people. “I know, I know.” When we truly know this, this is the truth of suffering the Buddha taught, the true principles of suffering. After we understand it, we must put it in action. We mobilize our minds and begin putting the Dharma into practice. We go among people to apply the teachings we have learned. This wisdom has already entered our minds, so no matter what kind of suffering we encounter, we can give with the appropriate method to help them. Is it tangible, like [material] scarcity? Or is it intangible, like afflictions and troubles? No matter what, we can give to them in time. “They are able to know and practice this Dharma.” Whatever Dharma is needed by sentient beings, we “have Dharma to transform them”. We have the methods to help them, so we say we “have Dharma to transform them”. Because of this, after we help others, “We are able to realize this path.” We realize the teachings and we put them in action. Our mission will be complete; we will have finished the job. We are very happy to give like this. So, we are “able to realize this path”.
In whatever we give every day, we always do it according to the teachings. Thus, everything we accomplish is something we “realize”. This means we applied this method successfully and it was very suitable for everyone to use, so our hearts are filled with joy; we can call this a small realization. So we have said that since dust-inked kalpas ago, we have continuously gone among people to help. Whatever sentient beings need, we give it to them at the right time. So, “They also know all kinds of skillful means.” What kind of skillful means should we use to help others? We must always be mindful of this.
Yesterday, Mr. Huang came back to Hualien to tell me that he had just returned from Serbia. He stayed in Serbia for almost ten days. He told me whom he met, what he saw and everything he encountered. He had two observations. One is that sentient beings suffer so much! When he spoke of the refugees there, they had so many different kinds of sufferings! Of course, he told me a lot about it. What about the other observation? He was touched. He was very touched by the Tzu Chi volunteers who came from different nations. They came from different countries, and all were very successful in their careers, but because they all have the same love in them, from their different countries, they came and gathered in this place. He said, at the beginning, that everybody had their own way of doing things. However, they continued to adjust to each other, to find ways to use the right methods so that everyone could reach their goal in coming there. Very quickly, they began to have mutual respect and started praising each other. With this method of unity, harmony, mutual love and concerted effort, everyone was quickly able to interact with each other very joyfully. This was what I heard yesterday. He arrived yesterday in the morning, and he continued to share again in the afternoon. He talked about many things so we could understand that, living in that place, everyone had to overcome many difficulties. But, for the sake of those suffering, we had to find ways to approach them, had to find ways for the locals to be able to cooperate in unity with us, to lend us their strength. This required that every day, everyone mindfully adapt to each other and mindfully give. This was what he said yesterday. Sometime in the afternoon, we received a phone call from Serbia. They were on the way to catch a train around 3pm when we happened to receive the call. They saw that Mr. [Rubi] Pfaff, who had gone back to Germany for a couple of days, had now quickly returned to Serbia. I saw him [in the video conference]. I also saw Mr. Cheng from France, Mr. Yang, Shu-wei and others; several of them were there. With a smartphone, I could see all those volunteers there. Everybody spoke with one voice. “We are grateful, Master. We are all safe here, see? Yes, I am grateful to you all for doing this”. I could hear their voices and see them. In fact, at this time yesterday morning as I was giving the teaching, they were also there listening to it, listening to the Dharma. When it is the morning here, it is a little past 10 there, 10 pm. So, as I am talking right now, they are also listening over there I heard that local time, yesterday very early in the morning, they went out at a little past 4 am to the refugee camp in the south, where 700-800 refugees reside. They went out before dawn, and the trip, including breaks, took them seven hours. They left at around 4 in the morning, and by the time they arrived the southern town Preserve it was already 11 am. They began to go into nonstop action, quickly entering the refugee camp.
Fortunately, over there, everything went smoothly because of the very good communication they had [with the camp]. So, we could enter the camp as soon as we arrived. Those refugees were stuck there, unable to move forward. There were more than 800 people stopped there. This old abandoned factory was being used for the refugees to settle down temporarily. There were more tents outside the factory. Of course, in this place, the Serbian [government] also hoped for a solution. They knew that these refugees’ forward progress would be very slow. This is because many European countries had already closed their borders. It would be very hard for them to move forward. So, there were several camps for refugees. The camp they had just arrived at held more than 800 people. When we began to distribute the winter clothes, we asked them to neatly [form a line] so they could receive aid in sequence. We saw in the pictures how they all lined up very neatly. The winter clothes for the refugees were of various sizes, so with each piece of clothing, they had the refugees try it on right away. As soon as they got their clothes, they would go outside and quickly put them on to see if they fit. Then we saw those outside the tent. Some volunteers were interacting with them, and some were taking care of the children, giving out charms with “peace and safety” on them. Every one of them, both the adults and the children, were very happy to receive these “peace and safety” charms. Right now, these refugees ask for nothing other than peace and safety. So, when they go these peace and safety charms, they were all very joyful. There were a total of 22 Tzu Chi volunteers there. After they finished the distribution, it was already past noon. I am very grateful to the manager of the local refugee committee. He know that our volunteers were all vegetarians, so they prepared some delicious vegetarian food to treat them. This means we had already formed good affinities. By the time they returned to meet with everybody, it was already very late. I believe that everyone was very happy to participate in the distribution. In yesterday’s [video] call, I looked at everyone and asked them, “Have you all recovered from your colds?” They answered me with a big smile and told me, “Master, our colds have gone!” Were they just trying to comfort me? However, they all looked healthy again. I hope that they all stay healthy. This how Bodhisattvas, enlightened beings, transform sentient beings with the clear and pure Dharma-eye, which is the Buddha-mind. They go among people to understand a place, how the people have endured suffering and what things we need to help them. There are many local charity organizations; how should we establish connections so that, in the future, we can help those refugees in transition again? We saw how Serbia was very mindful of the refugees. Take the refugee camp in the south, for example. They had set up an education station to let the children draw pictures. When we saw the pictures they drew, we could see that some of them are very talented, but when we saw them our hearts went out to them. They drew hearts with arrows that went through the hearts. From this, we could see what was really going on in the children’s minds. So, the refugee camp was also very mindful. They let children draw and taught them. If anybody caught a cold or got sick, there was also a medical station.
We saw that Serbia has already been preparing to help refugees to settle down temporarily. This is what Serbia is currently putting in place. I saw all those Bodhisattva-volunteers there. They did not care about themselves even though they were very tired. They all left their businesses behind and dedicated themselves to helping these refugees. For instance, yesterday Mr. Huang told me that he wanted to go back there soon. After he quickly checked up on his company, he would rush back to the refugee camp to work together with everyone there to help [the refugees]. These are living Bodhisattvas. They seize every second; their schedules are packed. I hope that, at this moment, in that place, those diligent volunteers are listening now. You must all be very mindful and pay attention to your safety in all things. This is just like the “peace and safety” charms we gave them, which they were so happy to receive. We also want to be safe and at peace and filled with Dharma-joy.
So, it is the same for us. The Dharma is not something that only mattered 2000-plus years ago. The Dharma is found in the present. In particular, in each minute and each second, we can live our lives in the Dharma. The Dharma is for us to apply. So, “They also all kinds of skillful means”. Since we know we are facing the world, what method should we use to face the world so that we are able to give?
The teachings of the Buddha were given in anticipation of us sentient beings in the evil world of the Five Turbidities, for when we must form Bodhisattva-aspirations. Suffering sentient beings are the Bodhisattvas’ spiritual training grounds. We must understand this thoroughly.
Here, let us look at the previous passage. “He knows all capabilities, sharp or dull, and constantly teaches the purifying Dharma. He freely expounds the meaning of suchness and teaches billions of people, enabling them to abide in the Great Vehicle Dharma. Thus He purifies his own Buddha-land.
In the Buddha’s time, he praised Purna Maitrayaniputra. This was hos process; he comprehended the Buddha’s mind and understood what the Buddha had taught, then out the teachings into practice life after life, not just for one lifetime. He had gone among people for many lifetimes. So, “He knew all capabilities, sharp or dull.” He was always going among the people, so he knew all their habitual tendencies. In listening to the Dharma, did they have sharp or dull capabilities? could they accept the teachings as soon as they heard them? Or did they need to hear it many times before they could understand it? This was how Purna Maitrayaniputra used his wisdom to observe things. He could observe sentient beings and teach them according to their capabilities. so, he “constantly teaches the purifying Dharma. He freely expounds the meaning of suchness.” He taught so many teachings that the Buddha taught because of this, for a long time. He never a let a moment go to waste. Thus, he was able to teach so many people; he “teaches billions of people. This was accumulated over time. So, he “enables them to abide in the Great Vehicle Dharma.” He guides them patiently so not only could they the Buddha-Dharma and know to engage in spiritual practice, they could also form great aspirations, Great Vehicle aspirations. So, this is called the Great Vehicle Dharma.
In fact, when we help others and practice the Great Vehicle, we are purifying our own Buddha-land and forming good affinities with sentient beings. Suffering sentient beings are the spiritual training ground for Bodhisattvas, so Bodhisattvas will teach and transform sentient beings.
Next, [the sutra] continues, “In the future he will future give offerings to infinite, countless Buddhas, protect and help to promote the Right Dharma and purify his own Buddha-land as well.”
Purna not only taught and transforming sentient beings, he also continued to give offerings to infinite, countless Buddhas. Moreover, he made his offerings through actions, expounding the Buddha’s teachings to transform sentient beings. he practiced what the Buddha practiced to save and transform sentient beings. this is to “protect and help to promote the Right Dharma,” which is to do what the Buddha wanted to do. This accumulated over a very long period of time.
So, “This means a Bodhisattva gives offerings to not just one Buddha, in one land. In the future he will further give offerings to infinite, countless Buddhas.”
In the future he will further give offerings to infinite, countless Buddhas: This means a Bodhisattva gives offerings to not just one Buddha, in one land, but to all Buddhas, as numerous as dust. He will be able to use his body, life, wealth and all kinds od devouopnal items to make offerings to all Buddhas throughout the ten direactions.
This was not only for the infinite, countless Buddhas from the past. Under Sakyamuni Buddha, he also made offerings, He made offerings of his actions; he constantly made offering to the Buddha and walked the path the Buddha walked. This was all an offering to the Buddha. there was also the future after Sakyamuni Buddha’s time, Purna will still be in this world. Life after life, he will still engage in spiritual practice. he will also give offerings to infinite, countless Buddhas. He will treat all sentient beings as Buddhas to make offerings. Isn’t Never-Slighting Bodhisattva like this? “I dare not look down on you, because all of you are future Buddhas. Purna Maitrayaniputra was likely the same. Now, in Serbia, we have a group of Bodhisattvas who are helping those refugees there with such reverence. This is also like making offerings to the Buddha, to infinite, countless Buddhas. The principle is the same.
So, it is “not just one Buddha” and not just on one land. Look at our Bodhisattva-volunteers who came from different countries and are gradually joining in the effort. Some from Malaysia, some from Singapore, some from Netherland and so on. the volunteers are from many different places, including Italy and other countries. They have already begun going there again. We see these volunteers from different countries. In the refugee camps, aside from Syrian refugees, there are also Iraqi and Afghan refugees. So, in this place, we have Bodhisattvas who come from many countries and also refugees from many different countries. In order for us to give like this, we must seize this opportunity [to serve]. So, “To all Buddhas. As numerous as dust….” In any case, we have many opportunities to give. “He will be able to use his body, life, wealth and all kinds of devotional items to make offerings throughout the ten directions.” These volunteers are all willing to give. They left businesses behind and just focused on doing good deeds. There are some like this! There were some who had caught the flu, but they did not take a break. They kept moving forward bravely. They are all able to give universally, while spending their own money and strength.
Yesterday I also asked Mr. Huang, “How much will it cost your each trip?” Just for himself alone, each trip takes 50,000 to 60,000 NTD, not to mention the other costs. It depends on how long they stay there, the accommodations and the meals. No matter how much more, or how much longer, they just continuously give of themselves. This is giving with the power of love. So, “protect and help to promote the Right Dharma” means “He outwardly manifested the appearance of a Hearer of the Small Vehicle to help to promote the Right Dharma.”
To protect and help to promote the Right Dharma and purify his own Buddha-land as well: He outwardly manifested the appearance of a Hearer of the Small Vehicle. Inwardly he secretly had the true mind of a Bodhisattva of the Great Vehicle and purified his own Buddha-land.
He had a bhiksu’s appearance, that of a monastic, and lived the same kind of life as the Buddha. The Buddha lived the same life as His disciples in a place of spiritual practice. A spiritual training ground like that is where we can realize many teachings. Then we can go out to teach, and people can believe us. These are disciples taught by the World-Honored One, teaching people through their lives in the world. They know the Buddha’s teachings look like this, that Buddhist spiritual practice is like this. This is like our group of Bodhisattva-volunteers, those lay practitioners. They held the distribution in that place. In the local refugee committee, the staff knew our volunteers were vegetarian. So, they prepared vegetarian food for the 20-plus volunteers who came from different countries [to help]. These compassionate people sat together at one table. This is the appearance they manifested in public to show people [who we are]. For instance, when Zusong (Sean Tan) arrived and went to the refugee camp, as soon as the refugees in the camp saw him, they shouted, “Taiwan Tzu Chi”. Those [people] in the refugee camp recognized the uniform on this young man. He looked like he was from Taiwan, so they shouted, “Taiwan Tzu Chi” and put their palms together. This was from his appearance.
So, we say that we “protect and help to promote the Right Dharma and purify his own Buddha-land as well.” When we go out in public, our appearance can truly show where we came from. [Purna] “outwardly manifested the appearance of a Hearer of the Small Vehicle to help to promote the Right Dharma.” This is also helping the right Dharma. “Inwardly he secretly had the true mind of a Bodhisattva of the Great Vehicle.” He was a monastic with the mind of a Bodhisattva. These lay practitioners also have the same resolve for spiritual cultivation. So, our aspirations are all the same, the true aspirations of Great Vehicle Bodhisattvas. It does not matter what our appearances are; we have the same aspiration. “Inwardly secretly practicing as a Bodhisattva” is “the true mind of Great Vehicle Bodhisattva.” This is “purifying his own Buddha-land.”
Next, [the sutra] continues to state, “He will constantly apply all skillful means to teach the Dharma without fear, will transform incalculable numbers of people, enabling them to attain wisdom of all Dharma, will make offerings to all Tathagatas and will protect and uphold the treasures of the Dharma.”
This is Purna Maitrayaniputra’s causal practice to attain Buddhahood. Before he can attain Buddhahood, he needs to accomplish so many things. This is because of the “infinite time and space.” It has been a long time, dust-inked kalpas. So, “[He will] apply all kinds of skillful means and manifest all kinds of appearances.” Across his many lifetimes, in different eras, he will manifest a different appearance among people. “[He will] manifest all kinds of appearances to expound all kinds of teachings.” All this must be in accord with both principles and capabilities. It is in harmony with the principles and also in accord with capabilities. “He will often apply all skillful means to expound the Dharma without fear.”
He will often apply all skillful means to expound the Dharma without fear: He will often apply many clever skillful means to expound the wondrous Dharma without any fear in his mind.
He will apply all kinds of skillful means to expound the Dharma without fear. We mentioned this previously. He had the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms, and the Fourfold Fearlessness. We explained these before. Therefore, he had no fear. “He will often apply many clever skillful means to expound the wondrous Dharma.” He applied all kinds of skillful means to expound many wondrous teachings for everyone to apply. With all the kinds of appearances and suffering in this world, we need different kinds of skillful means to enter sentient beings’ hearts. This is called wondrous Dharma, or skillful wondrous Dharma. “Without any fear in his mind” means he still expounded the Dharma for sentient beings with ease. So, “He will transform countless people, enabling them to attain wisdom of all Dharma.” The sentient beings that he transforms will be incalculable in number. He spent many lifetimes to achieve one goal, which was to “enable them all to attain the wisdom of all Dharma.” This was how Purna Maitrayaniputra put his heart into helping others. Over a long time, in the boundless universe, these things have accumulated. “[He] will make offerings to all Tathagatas to protect and uphold the treasures of the Dharma.” This will take such a long time, with extended practice, practice with nothing further, uninterrupted practice and practice with reverence. It actually will take such a long time, lifetime after lifetime, putting the Four Practices together and cultivating them in this way.
“[He] will make offerings to all Tathagatas and protect and uphold the treasures of the Dharma.” So, “Making offerings is cultivating blessings; expounding the Dharma is cultivating wisdom.”
We can make offering to all Buddhas; all these sentient beings before us are Buddhas. Sentient beings are the spiritual training grounds for Bodhisattvas, so we must treat all sentient beings as Buddhas. Thus, Tzu Chi volunteers conduct relief work with respect. We are grateful and respectful. Giving without expectation is gratitude and respect. It is the same as making offerings; it is also cultivating blessings. The Dharma we heard must be verified among people. So, we need to expound the Dharma to them. Expounding the Dharma is also cultivating wisdom.
Dear Bodhisattvas, we must mindfully listen to the Dharma and put it into practice with a heart of gratitude and respect. If Bodhisattvas can put the Dharma into practice, we should give them our blessings and also express our gratitude! Let us always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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