Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Drunk on Ignorance, Sleeping through Life (醉無明酒卧生死關)
Date: August.11.2017
“Alcohol is a toxic drug. Alcohol is toxic water. Alcohol is toxic gas. It is the source of all transgressions and the root of all evil. We must uphold the rules, abide by the precepts, maintain diligence and calm our mind; then, our wisdom-life will be pure and radiant.”
When it comes to alcohol, everyone should know that if we drink it, when consumed in excess, we become drunk. What are the characteristics of being drunk? After alcohol is consumed, in that excitement, whatever it is that we do, we ourselves will not be very clear about it; we become reckless and agitated. In so many matters, it is because of being drunk that someone made mistakes. Not only does [alcohol] result in mistakes, it is also very harmful to our body and mind. Every morning during the Morning Assembly, we hear from every hospital. Volunteers and doctors share about cases. Some suffer from alcohol addiction. For some, the alcohol’s effect on the body’s liver, kidneys, heart, stomach and so on causes extensive damage. This is what happens to our body. If the alcohol poisoning is more severe, they always seem like someone who is drunk; that kind of mental impairment is very scary. How many people in the world have ruined their lives because of alcohol, have harmed their bodies because of alcohol, have broken up their family because of alcohol, have done so many things that cause so much unrest in society, all because of alcohol? Alcohol, for people in ancient times, or in the teachings of the Buddhist sutras, was described using this analogy. “Alcohol is a toxic drug, alcohol is toxic water”; it is like impure water. Alcohol is a kind of toxic gas. Using alcohol will cause our lives and mental abilities to [be misused]. And what about our health? Alcohol does great harm to both body and mind, to say nothing of the harm to our character and to our family. This is especially [true] when it comes to society. So, if we are able to abstain from alcohol, we will benefit our mind, body, family and society. But, to abstain is very difficult. When the Buddha was living in this world, He was teaching in the city of Rajagrha. The king, ministers and the entire community all had great respect and love for the Buddha. The king often led his ministers to get close to the Buddha and listen to the sutras. After listening, they gradually took the Dharma to heart and comprehended it, understanding how the Dharma analyzed the five desires of the world very clearly. With the Dharma in one’s heart, the five desires would gradually be eliminated. Among these people was the prime minister, the advisor to the king, who assisted the king in government matters. After hearing the Dharma, he truly took it to heart and [began] upholding the Five Precepts. He returned home, and his desires had been completely eliminated; he had no desires for wealth or sensual pleasure. This minister’s vices of alcohol, sex and wealth had already been completely eliminated. But, his wife was very displeased that her husband had become like this. Gradually, they distanced themselves from marital pleasures. The wife knew that this was because her husband drew near the Buddha-Dharma. Hearing the Buddha expound the Dharma had changed his perspective on life. So, she transferred her anger onto the Buddha. She could not forgive what the Buddha had done. The couple’s marital pleasure and affection weakened and dissipated like this. One day, knowing this minister, this advisor, had invited the Buddha to receive offerings, the wife thought this was a good opportunity and poisoned the food. When the minister discovered this, he said to his wife, “[You] absolutely cannot do this! The food that you want to offer to the Buddha, give it to me. I am willing to eat this poisoned food for the Buddha.” Of course, the wife would not let him do it. The Buddha arrived and saw the couple arguing, yet He still calmly took His seat. Food had begun to be placed at the Buddha’s seat.
In His heart, the Buddha understood, but nonetheless, the Buddha still picked up the food in His hand to eat it. The minister was standing beside Him and said to the Buddha, “Venerable Buddha! You absolutely cannot eat it! Do not eat it.” But the Buddha simply asked, “Why can’t I eat it?” This minister said to eh Buddha, “Venerable Buddha! It is because this food has poison in it.” The Buddha still maintained a smile and said to the minister as well as the assembly, “The world has poisons. The three poisons of the world are more toxic than those in this food. Of the world’s three poisons, I am able to eliminate all of them completely, so what of this trifling poison in the food? It is nothing. Like that, He took the food to eat it. This wife personally saw how the Buddha was so filled with loving-kindness; He was so serene and dignified. From the time He came in, He was so at ease, sitting in the place of honor to receive offerings. Her husband had also already told the Buddha that this food was poisoned. She mindfully observed the Buddha’s attitude. The Buddha still held a smile on His face. His expression did not change in the least; there was no fear and no angry glares of blame. There were none of these at all. The Buddha’s still gazed with eyes of compassion at the wife and the minister. Eh told them of the world’s three poisons. No matter how strong the poison, none are as toxic as the world’s three poisons. What are the world’s three poisons? They are greed, anger and ignorance. He was already implying that the behavior of acting on sexual desires [causes] problems. This type of desire, which is hard to eliminate, leads to this type of poison in the mind. Her greed caused resentment toward the Buddha, so she felt anger. This came from a single thought of ignorance. This lack of clarity is called ignorance. These are the world’s three poisons. This wife understood the Buddha’s teachings of the three poisons. When the Buddha looked at her with eyes of compassion, suddenly, she felt ashamed. So, she had seen that the Buddha clearly knew the food was poisoned, yet He had said, “I can fully eliminate the world’s three poisons, to say nothing of these trifling poisons. How could they harm me?” He then picked up the food to eat it. The wife quickly came before the Buddha, pressed her head to the ground in prostration and begged the Buddha, “You absolutely cannot eat it! Do not eat it! I had a moment of confusion. In my mind I have the three poisons that the Buddha just mentioned. My mind was already poisoned, which is why I poisoned the food and why I wanted to harm the Buddha. I know and I understand. Venerable Buddha, please accept my repentance.” The minister was so happy to see this. Everyone praised this; so, he went to the wife’s side and they both came before the Buddha to take refuge in the Buddha. With this beginning, this couple became Dharma-protectors, protecting the Buddha-Dharma and working hard to be diligent. This story shows us “the source of all transgressions and the foundation of all evil.” That is alcohol. Besides alcohol being like a toxic drug, like toxic water and toxic gas, it is in fact the foundation of all evil. When we humans make mistakes and a thought goes astray, at the source, we are like someone who is drunk. [This is] “the root of all evil”. There are many evils that come from this ignorance; this is like a drunken or crazy person. They create many kinds of evil thoughts. So, this ignorance is like someone who is drunk. Once drunk, they become addicted. This is like how we, as sentient beings, continuously reproduce ignorance. This “alcohol addiction” is already so severe that we are unable to be clear-minded. But, if we are determined and make up our minds, then even one who is addicted to alcohol, one who gets the shakes when he does not drink it, one who has such a very strong addiction, as long as we are determined to quit and are able to endure, we will be able to regain a clear-minded consciousness and a healthy body. In our organization was a volunteer who, before joining Tzu Chi, he also once lived this kind of life. Because he woke up and awakened, he was willing to quit; those around him kept him company and helped him successfully quit drinking. Now he goes among people, forming good affinities and protecting Right Dharma. This is “upholding the rules and abiding by the precepts.” He will not transgress again, especially as he “maintains diligence and calms his mind”. It is not only about abiding by the precepts and rules; we must also be very diligent and focus with singled-minded resolve. We must settle our mind and be single-minded in our resolve. This kind of Living Bodhisattvas has the Buddha’s heart and their teacher’s mission. It is with this sense of mission that they put the teachings into action. Then at all times “our wisdom-life will be pure and radiant”. 2002
Every day we will be clear. Every day, we will listen to the Dharma. Every day, we will put it into practice. There are many Living Bodhisattvas like this. Once we turn our minds around, we [turn] from alcohol to the pure precepts. That life of drunkenness becomes one of pure precepts. The Dharma is like ambrosial dew entering our minds every day, nourishing our wisdom-life. This Dharma is like the ambrosial dew that enters our minds and nourished our wisdom-life. This is how ordinary people are. Before we are awakened, we are like this; we spend every day with toxic drugs, toxic water and toxic gas. This source, the root of all evil, leads us to continuously reproduce afflictions and ignorance. We should be very clear on this. So, as Buddhist practitioners we must truly be mindful at all times.
Let us look at the previous sutra passage, “World-Honored One, this is a parable of a man who went to a dear friend’s house, got drunk on wine and laid down. At that time, his dear friend had official business and had to go. He took a priceless jewel and fastened it inside the man’s clothes, giving it to him and leaving”.
We talked about this section yesterday. These 500 bhiksus had already awakened and had come before the Buddha, all with the same heart. They made the analogy of being like someone who was drunk on wine. This man had gone to a dear friend’s house. Becoming drunk, he fell asleep. The friend had official business and left. Seeing how he had already fallen on hard times, [the friend] quickly took a jewel of priceless value and put it on the man’s body. The friend was unable to wake the man and, having urgent official business, left. We talked about this yesterday. He “had official business and had to go”. This means it was not a private matter. As all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas transform sentient beings, when causes and conditions are exhausted and other affinities have matured, they have to leave. This is like entering Parinirvana. Or, for some reason, they must first leave this place and go to another place. This is a type of analogy. With causes and conditions, affinities come together and are then exhausted. When causes and conditions converge, [Buddhas and Bodhisattvas] will teach people. When conditions are exhausted, it is time to leave. This is why I constantly ask everyone to seize the causes and conditions and not let one second go to waste. Sometimes the Dharma is right before us, yet we do not know how to earnestly seize it. Once time slips away it is gone. Time goes by so fast. Since we have let the conditions slip away, we truly must wait a long time for the next conditions. So, we must earnestly seize the moment. We must seize the time and the conditions.
The next sutra passage says, “The man, drunk and asleep, was unaware of this. After he got up, he went traveling and arrived in other lands. For the sake of clothing and food, he had to seek with great effort. It was extremely difficult. If he attained even a little, he would be content”.
This man was still asleep, so [his friend] took that jewel and placed it there for him. He was still unaware, still sleeping. But his friend had already left. By the time this drunken man awoke and was sober, his friend was no longer there. He had likewise left this place and gone to another place. This drunken man also did the same thing. This parable refers to “being deluded by the alcohol of afflictions”.
This parable refers to being deluded by the alcohol of afflictions. Unable to peacefully abide in the Buddha’s teachings, one retreats and falls into the “other lands” of transmigrating in cyclic existence.
Alcohol is likened to afflictions. Having afflictions is like continuing to drink alcohol. A drunken person always says, “I am no drunk; I can still drink”. This is the same principle. So, we are “unable to peacefully abide in the Buddha’s teachings”. it is the same when drunk; after awakening from drunkenness, people will then head to the next place. They cannot peacefully abide [in one place]. They will likewise continue to wander and go elsewhere. They will leave again. So, “Unable to peacefully abide in the Buddha’s teachings, one retreats and falls into the other lands of cyclic existence”. A virtuous friend gave him precious Dharma, but he was still like one who was drunk; he did no know. He likewise woke up and traveled on to another place. This analogy talks of being drunk all one’s life and then, after sobering up, still not knowing. “After he got up, he went traveling”. This means he went on to another place, where he continually remained drunk. He was so drunk that by the time he awoke, he was already in another place. Isn’t our life like this? We do not know our future or where we will go. Our life is spent in a drunken state like this, continually intoxicated, continually poisoned by alcohol. By the time we wake up again, we are already in a different realm. Will we really return again to the human realm? Or will it be the animal realm? Or perhaps the hell or hungry ghost realm? We do not know. We have already “retreated and fallen into the other lands of cyclic existence”. We have already gong to another place where our entire life is spent in drunken confusion. As ignorant sentient beings, aren’t we like this? Toxic alcohol, toxic water and toxic gas have deluded us such that we continue to let our minds lost our intrinsic nature. We continue to create evil karma. The root of this evil karma continues to remain uneliminated. However, everyone has this precious jewel on them, which is our nature of True Suchness. 3005
It is just that we are unaware. We carry this precious jewel yet do not know, so we travel to other places. Thus, “The man, drunk and asleep, was unaware of this.” although he had this precious jewel, he was not aware of it.
The man, frunk and asleep, was unaware of this: Because their roots and abilities were shallow, they had no power of knowing past lives. They forget about matters of past lives, just like people who are drunk and completely unaware.
Because their roots and abilities were shallow means that sentient beings’ roots and abilities were shallow. So, “They had no power of knowing past lives.” They also forget about matters of the past, so they were like someone who was drunk. We humans are like this. perhaps in a past life, we also heard the Dharma. Now in this life we are also amidst the Dharma, but we simply have not awakened. So, we do not have the power of knowing past lives and forget the matters of the past. This is “just like people who are drunk.” It is because our capabilities are too shallow. Everyone possesses the intrinsic nature of True Suchness. We all have this precious jewel, but we are unaware of it. “Being drunk, asleep and unaware is and analogy for “thick and heavy ignorance.”
Being drunk, asleep and unaware refers to how, due to their and heavy ignorance, though they seek, they cannot remember. What is called being drunk on the wine of ignorance is being asleep at the juncture of life and death. Ignorance is very thick. For someone who has heavy ignorance, no matter what we say to him, although he may say, “I know, I know. I am so smart; how can I not know?” this ignorance is still very thick. His bias is still very heavy. This is ignorance. It is like one being drunk and not yet awake.
So, “Though they seek, they cannot remember. The Dharma had entered their minds, but they were unable to put it to use. They had already forgotten it. It is like amnesia, like losing their memory. Their memories have all been forgotten. So, this is “what is called being drunk on the wine of ignorance.” We are drunk on this wine of ignorance. Our lives are hazy and unclear as if we were drunk on wine, like a drunk person who has already been poisoned by alcohol. We are drunk on the wine of ignorance, so we are “asleep at the juncture of life and death. We drunkenly lie down, unaware. This is being drunk on the wine of ignorance. Lying down is like sleeping at the juncture of life and death.
I often say, “Will impermanence strike before tomorrow comes? Every morning we wake up, we should be grateful. We must quickly seize the moment. We must earnestly seize the time we have today. If we do not earnestly make use of this time, we will be like one who is drunk on the wine of ignorance and cannot get up. Lying down is lying at juncture of life and death. Life is so short; how much longer will we sleep? This is true indolence; it is so pitiful.
So, we should increase our diligence and make the best use of this life. We must earnestly accept the Dharma, drink the ambrosial dew of the Dharma to nourish our wisdom-life. We must not become drunk and poisoned by alcohol, thus wasting our time. We must put our hearts into this. So, “After he got up, he went traveling and arrived in other lands.”
After he got up, he went traveling and arrived in other lands: This means they left this life and transmigrated to other places.
Because at the time, he was drunk, and he fell asleep. He was still drunk on the wine of ignorance. Even though all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and virtuous friends have already told us that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature and that everyone’s wisdom is the same as the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, although we have heard this, we ourselves have not felt it yet. “I am still me. Where is this wisdom-nature of mind?” Being unable to feel this ourselves demonstrates a very shallow root of wisdom. because people do not believe it, how could they feel it? They are still drunk on the wine of ignorance. So, this continued until, “After he got up, he went traveling and arrived in other lands.”
This means “He left this life and transmigrated to other places. By the time he wanted to know, it was too late. He was already in the next life. He left this lift and transmigrated to be born in another place. Truly, it was already too late.
After he got up, he went traveling: This refers to how their roots of goodness are about to sprout. They renounced suffering and sought joy. Whether in the heaven or the human realm, they cultivated blessings and engaged in spiritual practice.
After he got up, he went traveling is an analogy for how their roots of goodness are about to sprout. He had already woken up. When he woke up, this root of goodness began to sprout, giving rise to aspirations. We cannot get drunk and wait until we are asleep at the juncture of life and death. Although we are drunk, we must reach that moment of sobriety. Waking up gives us a chance for our roots of goodness to come forth in this life. When roots of goodness begin to sprout, we begin to “renounce suffering and seek joy.” This is like our spiritual practice. in the past, we were also confused, before we drew near the Buddha-Dharma, we were still dwelling in drunkenness. Later we ghad the causes and conditions to receive the Buddha-Dharma. Our roots of goodness began to sprout. We also understand the Four Noble Truths; cyclic existence is so frightening, so we renounce it. [We] “renounce suffering and sought joy.” We know that in life we are continually transmigrating in the Six Realms, in the Four Forms of Birth and Six Realms. Now we must act quickly; we must quickly awaken from the confusion we have been in for infinite kalpas. We must quickly renounce that past kind of life. We must quickly start over, seeking joy and the Buddha-Dharma. The Buddha-Dharma can free us from the afflictions in our spirit. The Buddha-Dharma teaches us to lay down the heavy burden of ignorance. By being able to let go of this burden, we can understand how to shoulder the Tathagata’s mission and go among the people. It is the same carrying pole, but are we carrying the burden of ignorance, of cyclic existence, or are we carrying the mission of the Tathagata? Living Bodhisattvas go among the people to serve. In this kind of life, we still have a carrying pole, but we are carrying blessings and wisdom. one side carries blessings, the other, wisdom. this is how the Tathagata shoulders the Tathagata’s mission.
For ordinary people, there is only ignorance on one side and afflictions on the other. This kind of ignorance and delusion creates so much karma of afflictions. Sentient beings’ burdens get heavier and heavier. This ignorance is continuously reproduced, so the burden becomes heavier and heavier, and the karma created multiplies and grows heavier. It continues to pile up. What about for the Tathagata’s mission? When we understand, we can put everything down. We give without expectations; we completely let go. When sentient beings are saved, we rejoice. This is the Tathagata’s mission. We will be peaceful and at ease; this is joy. “Whether in the heaven or the human realm, they cultivated blessings and engaged in spiritual practice. Whether it is in the heaven or human realm, there are those who are blessed, those who have an average life or those who are poor. It is still the same. If we have the Buddha-Dharma, we will be filled with spiritual wealth, just like heavenly beings in the human world; we create blessings and engage in practice. “[He] arrived in other lands” is saying that “Ignorance is covering their understanding.
In the past, our ignorance covered us. Now we have begun to understand the Dharma. How should we peel back the ignorance that has been covering us? In the past, we did not know. Now, we still do not fully understand, but we already know that our clothing contains a precious jewel. However, for ordinary people, “Ignorance is covering their understanding.” We are able to understand, but ignorance is still covering us.
And arrived in other lands: With ignorance covering their understanding, they did not know to head toward the source and seek the clothing and food of the Great Vehicle. Hence it says they arrived in other lands to seek the clothing and food of the Small Vehicle.
When covered in ignorance, [we think,] “I know, I know. The Buddha says that sentient beings all “intrinsically have Buddha-nature.” We know, but we are still covered by our ignorance. How do we remove it? We still “do not know to head toward the source and seek the clothing and food of the Great Vehicle. Everyone is still stuck in the Small Vehicle. We understand suffering and want to eliminate it. We “renounce suffering and seek joy.” But we have not completely eliminated ignorance. We cannot, do not know to, go toward our original nature of True Suchness to seek the clothing and food of the Great Vehicle. We have not yet sought these. So, we must still diligently advance. We must diligently pursue the Great Vehicle and seek the Great Vehicle’s clothing of gentleness and patience. We must seek “the seat of the emptiness of all phenomena”. We must continuously nourish our wisdom-life, so we must have the “Great Vehicle’s clothing and food”. So, “Hence it says they arrived in other lands to seek the clothing and food of the Small Vehicle”. These Small Vehicle practitioners did not yet know to go in the direction of the Great Vehicle to seek clothing and food. The 500 bhiksus expressed themselves with the analogy of a man who was drunk. “Although a dear friend gave us a precious jewel, we were still drunk. When we finally awoke, we went to other lands. Although they had begun to seek clothing and food, they still did not understand to seek the clothing and food of the Great Vehicle. They still sought clothing and food in the Small Vehicle. This was the analogy they gave for themselves; the 500 bhiksus made this analogy for how they simply stuck to the Small Vehicle. “For the sake of clothing and food.” For the sake of clothing and food, they still had to put great effort into seeking.
For the sake of clothing and food, he had to seek with great effort: This is an analogy for how they were afraid of cyclic existence, so they again formed aspirations to practice and diligently sought liberation.
This is like the [parable of the] poor son. Its meaning is like the parable of the poor son. It means the same thing. So, it is an analogy for how “they were afraid of cyclic existence, so they again formed aspirations to practice and diligently sought liberation.” They only knew to be afraid of cyclic existence. Although the Buddha taught them the Four Noble Truths, they simply felt, “I know; I do not want to return to cyclic existence, I do not want to be in samsara. So, they formed aspirations to engage in practice, but they only sought liberation, only sought to liberate themselves. Therefore, this was how in the past, they remained stuck in this state, “seeking clothing and food. These are the provisions of limited teachings.” They merely lingered in the Small Vehicle. What they obtained was the provisions of limited teachings that nourish [only the self]. With this food, they only nourished themselves.
“Great efforts” mean “they did not recognize Right Dharma and [did] not seek right practices.” They did not seek to understand what the Buddha was teaching them. The Buddha did everything for one great cause, hoping that everyone will return to their intrinsic nature of True Suchness. The path we must take to reach our nature of True Suchness is the Bodhisattva-path, is going among the people. However, they still did not know this and just continuously remained in the Small Vehicle Dharma. They still did not understand this practice of the Great Vehicle. So, “It was extremely difficult. If he attained even a little, he would be content.”
It was extremely difficult. If he attained even a little, he would be content: This refers to how they were afraid of the length of the path to Buddhahood. Once they attained Small vehicle Nirvana, they gave rise to an abiding attachment to it and would advance no more.
They felt that it was already very difficult just training themselves. If they had to go among people and they gave rise to a discursive thought, to come back to spiritual practice would be very difficult. It would take kalpas to come back; this is scary. So, “It was extremely difficult.” They lingered in a state where, “If he attained even a little, he would be content.” They already felt very satisfied. “This refers to how they were afraid of the length of the path to Buddhahood.” If they took the true path to Buddhahood, the Bodhisattva-path, it felt too long; it was very scary. In the parable of the conjured city, the guiding teacher wants to lead us on our path; we were also afraid. “It is so far; we are fine stopping here” or “Going back is closer and safer.” This was their state of mind. So, “Once they attained the Small Vehicle Nirvana they gave rise to an abiding attachment to it and could not advance. This is how we sentient beings are. No matter how we engage in practice, we still only do so for ourselves. This is very difficult. So, [there were] “the ascetic practices of non-Buddhist teachings, like worshiping fire, water and so on.”
Difficult: The ascetic practices of non-Buddhist teachings, like worshiping fire, water and so on. They were happily attached to the small fruits, thinking they had done all that was needed.
Some want to take shortcuts, so they go in direction of deviant teachings, such as practicing with fire or practicing with water, thinking they could finish in this life, that using this kind of ascetic practice, they could attain liberation. “Being content with only a little, they were happily attached to the small fruits, thinking they had done all that was needed. Or they followed the Buddha’s teachings and had few desires, remained content. If they did not astray, they practiced only to benefit themselves, thinking that everything they needed to practice had already been practiced. So, “For the sake of clothing and food, he had to seek with great effort. It was extremely difficult.”
For the sake of clothing and food, he had to seek with great effort. It was extremely difficult: Their bodies did not possess the strength of patience, and they lacked the garment of shame and remorse. Their minds lacked the nourishment of Dharma and were without the flavor of ambrosial dew.
They knew to seek spiritual nourishment but it was hard to get enough for just themselves, to say nothing of seeking enough to benefit sentient beings. That would be even more difficult. They had this kind of fear in their minds. This was why “Their bodies did not possess the strength of patience, and they lacked the garment of shame and remorse. Their minds lacked the nourishment of Dharma and were without the flavor of ambrosial dew.” They were lacking these teachings. Even if the Great Vehicle Dharma enters our heart, without Dharma-joy, listening to the Dharma will seem to be a very difficult thing. They had not yet found joy in listening. If we find joy in listening, naturally, we will put it into practice. by putting [the Dharma] into practice, others’ suffering can be resolved. That joyful state of mind is truly felt kind of joy. [When] we serve others, the thought of joy that is within our minds. Is Dharma-joy. Naturally we will feel, “What is so difficult about the Great Vehicle Dharma?” they were just not willing to do it. This is why, “Their bodies did not possess the strength of patience, and they lacked the garment of shame and remorse. They felt, “I am satisfied like this. I am very satisfied.” We humans obtain just a little bit of something. And feel we are very satisfied. It should not be like this. we still have so much ahead of us that we must continue t seek out. Gentleness and patience are the clothing, yet we have nor put them on we have not yet attained the true flavor of the Dharma, if we obtain the true flavor of the Dharma, we can taste the flavor of ambrosial dew. So, we must earnestly be mindful.
In life, aging, illness and death are like a prison. It is truly very taxing; it really takes lot of hard work to seek the Small Vehicle. We are only seeking basic shelter; but if we can block the cold, relieve our hunger, we feel this is good enough. But we will still always feel cold. After we wear our clothing, it is still not enough. After we eat and are full, we will be hungry again. This is the Small Vehicle; this Dharma is not sufficient. If we can have sufficient Dharma, with gentleness and patience as our clothing, Dharma-joy and meditative-joy as our food, then we can always survive. Then what difficulties would we have in seeking the Great Vehicle Dharma? So, in practicing the Dharma, we must not feat; by benefiting others we in fact benefit ourselves. We must not be poisoned by intoxication. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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