Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Returning From Delusion to Move Toward Bodhi (迷途知返向菩提)
Date: August.02.2017
“Sentient beings’ minds are deluded; due to our Roots and Dusts and ignorance, we wander about in the Six Realms. Now we have been born human, so we should give rise to the thought of being fortunate. We must be mindful, know to turn back from our deluded path toward Bodhi and diligently learn the way of great awakened beings.”
We must be mindful! For us sentient beings, with a single thought of delusion, Roots and Dusts [interact]; our Six Roots come into contact with external states according to the Six Dusts. Starting in this way, greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt come out through our self-indulgence. Once these thoughts have been let out, they are difficult to gather up again. So, in the outside world, as we come into contact with external states, we become just like that poor son who left his wealthy father’s home. Once he left, he forgot the way home and wandered for a period of several decades, for 50 years, or for 20 years, or so on. This shows that, starting from a single thought, when our Six Roots connect with the Six Dusts, we run headlong into the Five Realms and the Four Forms of Birth, remaining in cyclic existence for a long time. Even those who have the affinities to meet the Buddha and engage in spiritual practice still lingered in Small Vehicle teachings, seeking only to awaken themselves. This was in the parable of the poor son, in the Chapter on Faith and Understanding. We spent a long time explaining this as well. This shows how sentient beings have deluded minds in this way; we are deluded. We become deluded through our Roots, through our Five, or our Six Roots. The Five Roots are eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body. These are called the Five Roots. If we add the mind, then it becomes the Six Roots.
And the Five Dusts? They are sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. These are called the Five Dusts. When our sense organs, our Roots, come in contact with sense objects, the Dusts, that give rise to the mind and our mind-consciousness begins to discriminate. We all should be clear about these principles. When our ears hear the sound of someone speaking, “These words are correct; they make sense.” We praise it in our mind. The sound of what is being said is understood by our consciousness. Then we discriminate between correct and incorrect. If someone is mistaken, after we analyze why, we explain it to them. If they are correct, after we analyze why, we must give them praise. This happens in the mind-root.
So, in summary, the Roots and Dusts are inseparable from the mind. Thus we talk about the Six Roots and Six Dusts. There are Six Roots, and there are Six Dusts. The Six Roots and Dusts easily lead us to give rise to ignorance. I see something and I crave it; I want to obtain it. From the love between men and women, to the craving and desire for material things, to the craving for fame, advantage and status, to obtain these people will go to any lengths. This is what creates so many afflictions, ignorance and karma in the world. As the Roots and the Dusts come together, ignorance is produced as a result. Once this kind of ignorance arises, our mind seeks ways to obtain these things. With this intent to obtain, the seventh consciousness is constantly scheming, using so much mental effort, devising ways to get these things. From the sixth consciousness, this rushes into the seventh consciousness. We crave these things day and night, creating afflictions, give rise to ignorance.
There are many who are busy all day with many matters, yet lie awake at night thinking, unable to sleep. This can even get to the point where it turns into mental and physical illness. It is the same; external states set our ignorance in motion, so ignorance enters our thinking, our thoughts. We keep those appearances in our minds and cannot let go of them for a long time. This is called thinking. Our mind is just like a famer farming, continuously cultivating the land. This is how we think. So, with thinking, we impress that image into our minds, and then in the fields of our minds, we are constantly hard at work. This prevents our minds from becoming still. In this way, our ignorance and our afflictions constantly lead us to create karma so we have no control in our cyclic existence and wander lost in the Six Realms. This is why we must always be vigilant!
The suffering of life is found here. Every day I think of those people who are suffering now, wondering when they will receive some good news, when they will find a path they can take, when they can find a place where they can settle down in peace. This flood of refugees now has nothing and no one they can depend on. Where will they be able to settle down, stop and rest, peacefully and stably? This is beyond their control. This is suffering. Because of this, when we are in the Six Realms, even the human realm can be like this, not to mention the hell, hungry ghost and animal realms! Those are all unbearable suffering! This is what it is to wander in the Six Realms. Wandering in the Six Realms is suffering beyond our control!
We now already have human bodies. “Now we have been born human, we should give rise to the thought of being fortunate; we must be mindful.” We have now already been born human. Not only have we been born human, we are also to listen to the Buddha-Dharma. We should always consider ourselves fortunate. We must always “be mindful”. Being mindful is to put our heart into things; we must constantly take care of our minds, hold fast to our spiritual aspirations. Since we formed aspirations to engage in practice, we have a very rare and precious opportunity! We already have attained so much! We have been born human and can hear the Dharma. We can form aspirations, we can listen, and after listening, we must take it to heart. On taking it to heart, we put it into practice to truly come to experience the principles the Buddha taught. If we do not go among others, if we only listen, even if we hear volumes of great principles, these principles will nevertheless not seem very connected to us. Let us just take “suffering” as an example. Clearly, every day, we spend our time carefree and at ease; where is this suffering? Even if I say so many things about suffering, you will still not recognize it!
However, when some sort of challenge arises, though this disaster or difficulty did not happen to us personally, we still must hasten to get to that place. Is it a manmade calamity? Wherever there are people suffering, we should join in and go help. When they are in the greatest need, are most helpless, that is when we go there to help.
This is like now（2016）in Serbia. In the process of fleeing, these refugees, though they have scattered to different countries, all have had to suffer wind and rain, sleet and snow or the furious sandstorms of the desert, like in Jordan. We can see this because there are Tzu Chi volunteers there, because there are Bodhisattvas there who have gone into those circumstances with arms wide open to care for those suffering people. Of those people, some were sick. Some had wounds and needed medical treatment. That group of Living Bodhisattvas is doing all they can to get the sick and injured sent to hospitals, to help them and take care of them until they can receive surgery and can leave the hospital. Then they send them back to a safe place and even go to visit them often after that, delivering nutritional supplies and looking out for their health. What Chi Hui and his fellow Bodhisattvas have experienced and felt there is the suffering in the depths of the mind. Although it is not personally happening to him, although it is happening to others who are totally unrelated to him, he cannot bear to let them suffer. So, they are dedicating themselves there, overcoming all kinds of obstacles, using their own money and their strength to mindfully take care of them there. These Bodhisattvas go among the people and experience how life’s suffering comes from forces beyond our control, from collective karma. As far as the eye can see, over an area of five or six kilometers in that great desert, over area that is about five to six kilometers, tents are set up like this across the sands. They have seen this and experienced it. These refugees are from different families, but their suffering is the same. This is sentient beings’ collective karma. All of them in Jordan face this same suffering.
Some have already fled to Europe, to many different countries there. Yet, we have another group there, Tzu Chi volunteers from Europe, who come from more than ten different countries. This group, because of their karmic conditions, had gone [to Europe] for their careers. They had the blessed affinities to go to Europe and establish successful careers there. When other causes and conditions came together, they found themselves with the same mission, ending up within this organization, Tzu Chi. They knew there was a group of people suffering, who had scattered and fled in all directions. They had to pass through one country, which was Serbia. Through a series of causes and conditions we received this news that we could go there and help. Everyone was jubilant and jumped at the chance “I want to go to too!” No one sent them there; it was their own aspiration. This is the Bodhisattva [-aspiration]. With True Suchness, that pure intrinsic nature, they have “unconditional loving-kindness and great universal compassion”. This is the enlightened nature of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. We all have the same enlightened nature in common with all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. It is just that we had one deluded thought. Yet, we are fortunate, for we have already been born human, have heard the Buddha-Dharma and had the conditions to join this organization. We have this sense of mission that wherever there are people suffering in the world, those who are closest to that place will go and shoulder this responsibility. This is our sense of mission. All of them went of their own accord, all converging on Serbia. Actually, to get into that place, they had to overcome many obstacles. They overcame all these obstacles one by one. They have already been there for close to a month. Already the officials in that place have come in contact with our Tzu Chi volunteers. Tzu Chi volunteers’ spirit, their example of love, deeply touched the local people there. These Bodhisattvas in that place are like farmers sowing seeds. Once the seeds are planted, they can begin to sprout. I hope that those who encounter our Tzu Chi volunteers in that country give rise to joy and also make vows. I hope these people are Bodhisattvas-seeds of goodness. Nearly a month has passed. Now (March 2016), they have begun helping locals affected by floods. The people in small towns in the disaster areas have still not recovered. They hoped that Tzu Chi volunteers would go and assess the situation there. They have already gone to see and have now finished their preparations to go provide relief and conduct distributions. For close to a month, the cause and conditions have been like this; since March 1 (2016), the refugees’ road has been blocked. So, those refugees are stuck there in Serbia. There are several hundred stuck there. We have been working with them during this time, working to create affinities with them. Their faces were full of worry and suffering. All were worried, all were suffering. There faces were full of sadness, but our Tzu Chi volunteers gradually began interacting with them. They held a birthday celebration for them, led the children in activities. When the adults saw the children happily playing, their faces broke out in big smiles. When it was time for refugees from one country to celebrate their New Year, we also held New Year’s festivities for them. So, because we wanted to follow their customs, we helped them hold activities like these. After holding several activities like this, we opened the doors to their hearts. From pictures sent back over the last few days, we can see all of them now in groups smiling. Our Jing Si Instant Rice has arrived. Over the past few days, they have been demonstrating this Jing Si Rice. We provided different flavors for them, which they heartily enjoyed. Some of them had different religions and could not eat cabbage. We know to respect their religious rules. We quickly separated it into different kinds, ones with cabbage and others without. We separated them so they would be able to follow the precepts of their religion. This is respect. Our respect extends even to what they eat. These Bodhisattvas in that place showed such respect in their love, leading everyone to feel mutual gratitude. They have traveled a long way, having gong from Taiwan to Europe to develop their businesses or to study and seek knowledge, then had the chance to go among the refugees. They came to understand many things. Isn’t this how, “Wisdom comes from experience”? Our wisdom-life is realized by going among people and handling matters. This is why we must always be mindful.
We must understand the Buddha-Dharma, verify the Buddha-Dharma, prove the teachings the Buddha gave. Where is suffering? We must put our hearts into this. So, it says, “We must be mindful”. We must mindfully uphold our spiritual resolve, must mindfully seek to experience the principles that the Buddha taught. So, for sentient beings, all suffering begins with a single thought, which leads us to create karmic causes and effects. Thus, we suffer and without any control, become lost. We must mindfully uphold the Buddha’s teachings, then we naturally find our way back from being lost. In the midst of delusion, we must awaken and move toward the Bodhi-path, toward the path to enlightenment. We must “diligently learn the way of great awakened beings”. Great awakened beings are Bodhisattvas. They are walking directly toward the state of Buddhahood. In the Lotus Sutra, this is the essence of the teaching we need to understand. I hope everyone will always be mindful as we seek to realize this.
Come, let us look at the previous sutra passage. “Those 500 Arhats, Uruvilva Kasyapa, Gaya Kasyapa, Nadi Kasyapa, Kaludayi, Udayin, Aniruddha…”.
The Buddha had previously bestowed predictions upon Kaundinya, but there were in fact still 500 more disciples. This is when He began naming them. There are still more, it was not just these.
There are more in the next passage, including “Revada, Kapphina, Vakkula, Acyuta, Svagata and the others, [who] will all attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. They will all share the same epithet and be called Universal Radiance.”
So, many others likewise received predictions. The Buddha began bestowing predictions upon many. We have already spoken about many, including Uruvilva Kasyapa, Gaya Kasyapa, Nadi Kasyapa, Kaludayi, Udayin and Aniruddha. Next there is Revada, Kapphina, Vakkula, Acyuta, Svagata and others. All of these many people will similarly be able to attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, but all will share the same epithet. They will become Buddhas one after the other, and all will have the same name. They will be called “Universal Radiance.”
Do you still remember? When Manjusri Bodhisattva and Maitreya Bodhisattva had their dialogue in the Introductory Chapter, had their dialogue in the introductory Chapter, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha was the name shared by 20,000 Buddhas in sequence. All Buddhas share the same path. From one Buddha to the next, a great length of time may pass, but they will all have the same name. Why is that? Come, let us look at those who will attain Buddhahood in the future. Next is Revada.
Revada: He was also called Temporary Union due to the causes and conditions that he once encountered two ghosts fighting over a corpse and thus awakened to the principle that a human body is a temporary union. He therefore became a monastic and attained the truth.
Revada’s other name was “Temporary Union”. This is because of a time when Revada was walking along the road, and passing a spot with a pavilion, felt very tired. He sat down and proceeded to doze off. While sleeping, it seemed that he saw two ghosts who were fighting over a corpse. Those two ghosts were fighting back and forth, the first saying, “This corpse is mine!” and the second saying, “You’re wrong. This corpse is mine!” The first said the corpse was his, and the second also said the corpse was his. The ghosts were pulling this corpse back and forth. Then they saw that there was someone there. It was Revada. They called to him, “Come, come, come. Help us by weighing in on this. I say this corpse is mine, and he says it is his. Come and judge our logic.” But Revada felt, “What logic could there be?” Why are two ghosts fighting over one corpse? There is no way I can judge this for you.” Of these two ghosts the first began pulling Revada toward him saying, “You must agree with me!” The second also pulling him saying, “You must bear witness on my behalf! You must say that this corpse is mine!” Both of them pulled him so hard that his body was ripped apart. The fright of this woke him [and he thought], “Oh my! Whose corpse was that? I was just ripped apart. This body I have now, whose is it really?” It was then that he realized that the human body is only a temporary union. This is a truth. The human body is actually like an illusion; it is merely temporary union. That is correct! This is the Buddha’s teaching. From then on, he thoroughly understood this. These were Revada’s causes and conditions.
Next was Kapphina. Kapphina was also called “Accomodation”.
Kapphina: He was called Accommodation. It is said that he was caught in the rain and stayed in the same accommodations as the Buddha. The Buddha taught him the Dharma, and thus he attained the truth. So, he is called Accommodation.
There is a legend about his causes and conditions that tells of how one day he was traveling. India is very big, so at times travelers had to pass thorough places where there were no people and finding places to stay was difficult. On his journey, there was suddenly a great rain. Through the heavy rain, he saw a house far off in the distance. He hurried toward that house and asked the owner if he could stay there. “It is raining and has gotten dark. It looks like I will be unable to continue. Will you let me stay here for the night?” This owner was very kind, so he let him stay. However, when he went inside and was about to get ready for bed, another bhiksu suddenly arrived and asked the owner to stay there. The owner joyfully said yes, “But I only have one room for you to stay in. Someone already came before. Now that you too are here, you may need to share a room with him.” The bhiksu went in and when the bhiksu who had first arrived saw this was a spiritual practitioner, that he was a bhiksu, joy arose within him. The two of them could share a room; it was great! He gave the other bhiksu the place he had originally prepared for himself. Feeling the stray he had piled up to sleep on was still too thin, he even went and got more straw to make the bed even warmer. Then he gave it to the spiritual practitioner, inviting him to sleep upon it, to sleep on the warm bed of straw while he himself slept on the floor. As this happened, that spiritual practitioner began teaching the Dharma to this caring person. This was Kapphina. Only later did Kapphina find out that this bhiksu was in fact the one of legend, the one everyone praised, the famous Sakyamuni Buddha! He rejoiced, for how could he be so lucky as to share a room with the Buddha! This was how he ended up asking to take refuge. These were Kapphina’s causes and conditions for becoming a monk. Thus, he was called “Accommodation”. While in the same room as the Buddha, the Buddha delivered him through His teaching, and with that he became a monastic. Thus, his name was “Accommodation”. The next is Vakkula.
Vakkula: He used the medicinal haritaki fruit to make offerings, thus for 91 kalpas, he would not fall into the evil realms and could enjoy blessings in the heaven and human realms. His body was always free of disease, and in his final body, he attained Arhatship.
Vakkula too had a long karmic connection with the Buddha. Of course, to put it simply, he too was an ordinary person in the past. However, there was a time, a very long time ago, about 90 kalpas previously, when he had a virtuous thought. He saw a spiritual practitioner, and a virtuous thought arose in him. So, when he saw a spiritual practitioner whose body was in pain, he used a very valuable medicine, the haritaki fruit [to treat him]. It was said to be a medicine that could treat 10,000 illnesses and prevent death. This legendary precious medicine was what he gave to the ill monk. Because of this karma, “For 91 kalpas, he would not fall into the evil realms”. Moreover, he “could enjoy blessings in the heaven and human realms”. His devotion was such that he used a very a precious medicine to treat a sick monk, thus he himself was never sick. In the end, when he met Sakyamuni Buddha, “In his final body, he attained Arhatship”. Now, he too had received the Buddha’s prediction. These were his causes and conditions.
There was also Acyuta. Acyuta is also called Culla Panthaka. Sometimes he is called Culla Panthaka, and other times he is called Acyuta. It means “elder born by the side of the road”.
Acyuta: He was also called Culla Panthaka. It means “elder born by the side of the road”. Svagata: He is also called Panthaka. It means “younger born by the side of the road”.
His story is also very remarkable. His mother was from a rich family, the daughter of a wealthy man. However, her husband was relatively poor, so her family, the wife’s family, did not approve. She could only follow her husband on a journey far from her family. On the long road, she became pregnant. After traveling for many months, she gave birth by the roadside to this son called Acyuta. Having a child under such circumstances, if she went with her husband, the road ahead was unclear; where would they go? It would be better to return home. It would be best to return to her parent’s house. But on her way back, there was still a long road ahead and she became pregnant again. She became pregnant, and before reaching home, she again gave birth by the roadside. This one, “younger born by the side of the road,” was Svagata. Svagata and Acyuta were brothers. Acyuta was the elder born by the roadside. Svagata was the younger born by the roadside. The elder and younger brothers took refuge with the Buddha and practiced the Buddha-Dharma together. This is their story.
So, everyone disciple of the Buddha has their own journey. They are all the same as us. We all have our own stories. Among the Buddha’s disciples, everyone has their own stories, their own backgrounds. Although everyone’s background differs, everyone similarly has intrinsic Buddha-nature. Everyone can attain Buddhahood. So, “[They] will all attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi”. These disciple named will all be able to attain Buddhahood. So, “They will all attain supreme and perfect enlightenment”. As long as we earnestly engage in practice, we will all return to our nature of True Suchness. We likewise will be able to attain supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment. So, “They will all share the same epithet and be called Universal Radiance”.
They will all share the same epithet and be called Universal Radiance: The 500 disciples will share the same epithet.
These people will attain Buddhahood one after another. They will share the same name. They will be in different eras, but will share the same name. They will be called Universal Radiance. All of the 500 disciples will be the same. It was not only these people; all 500 disciples will have the same name. the Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas of the past all had the same name, so why not those receiving predictions from the Buddha now?
So, “He first bestowed a prediction on Kaundinya and the other 500 disciples because the 500 disciples were currently at the Dharma-assembly, and Kaundinya was the most senior of them”.
So, He first bestowed a prediction on Kaundinya. On that occasion, there were 500 people there. So, Kaundinya was the one who, of those 500 disciples present when the Buddha was teaching, first to receive the Buddha’s prediction. So, we must be mindful. I told everyone yesterday how the Buddha took seven or eight years to teach [the Lotus Sutra]. at a given time, the number present might differ. At that time, there just happened to be 500 there. So, all of these 500 received predictions. We must take the Dharma to heart. Let us always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
