Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Jewel That Provides Unlimited Benefits
(其人得珠 受用無極)
Date: August.24.2017
“Inside his clothes there was an invaluable jewel. So why, for the sake of clothing and food, did he come to be like this? That person obtained the jewel and should have unlimited benefits. The Two Vehicle practitioners, in the presence of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, planted the seeds of the Great Vehicle.”
Everyone, please be mindful. Every day, as we listen, we must connect everything together. This impoverished person, this intoxicated person, was dead drunk. His friend gave him a jewel, quietly placing it in his clothes. But this drunk, impoverished person was unaware of this. Thus he lived a heard life, wandering around. [He did this] just to get clothing and food, to dress warmly and have enough food to eat, just to sustain his life. For a very long period of time, he lived this unstable, vagrant lifestyle. He truly looked very haggard. In fact, this whole time this person had on him that invaluable jewel, so he should have no difficulties with food and clothing. His life should have been one of abundance, so why was he still in such an impoverished and haggard condition? This is telling us something. Everyone should still remember this sutra passage. The 500 bhiksus received predictions of Buddhahood from the Buddha. When the Buddha bestowed predictions of Buddhahood on these 500 bhiksus, the 500 bhiksus were very happy. So, they came before the Buddha to repent for their past. They had lacked faith, lacked persistence and lacked courage. The reason they lacked courage and persistence was that they did not have enough faith. So, in the past [when] they listened to the teachings given by the Buddha, they understood that life is full of suffering.
More than 2000 years ago, in the Buddha’ era, in what is present-day Nepal, there was the kingdom of Kapilavastu. The way people lived at that time was actually not too different from the way the Nepalese live today. Those who were wealthy were extremely wealthy; that was not too [different from today]. Those who were poor were extremely poor; there is not a big difference these either. Just as today, there were many spiritual practitioners. However, they practiced many different kinds of religions, and each religion had many offshoots. As of now, the Buddha-Dharma in Nepal is in decline. It has become completely different from the Buddha-Dharma we are discussing. That was the Buddha’s birthplace. Why is it that the Buddha-Dharma seems to be in such decline in that place? It is due to people’s minds. Their roots of faith do not run deep. In the Buddha’s lifetime, the Buddha personally led his disciples. These disciples listened to Him teach and from the very beginning had faith. This is because from the beginning He taught about suffering, and in Nepal at that time, suffering was something that could be widely seen. Everyone was suffering! There was suffering from material [poverty] and there were the four castes. Those living as slaves were hardly treated as human beings. They were the lowest class.
Next, there were merchants who engaged in trade. The nobles were the relatives of the royal family. There were also Brahmin practitioners; these were the priestly caste. These religions practitioners each had different ways of engaging in spiritual practice. There were 96 different kinds of religions, and the practice of each religion was different. That was during the Buddha’s era. We are now familiar with the country of Nepal. What we can see there now is due to the devastating earthquake (of 2015). People came from all over the world to help. Thus, Tzu Chi [volunteers] entered that country and [stayed] for a full six months. In this half year’s time, they lived together with the people of the Buddha’s homeland. [The volunteers] walked around the disaster areas and saw the ways of life in this country. The country is very small, and moreover, the land is uneven; there are many hills and mountains. There are very few large pieces of flat land. Clearly, more than 2000 years ago, in this kind of natural environment, the poor people must have been even poorer. There are also so many mountains, so the spiritual practitioners would each engage in practice on their own mountain. The religious beliefs in the cities were very complicated. So, the Buddha started talking about “suffering”. When He spoke of suffering, He could analyze the suffering of many different ways of life, the suffering in people’s daily living, the suffering of impermanence, etc., as well as the suffering of inequality in life. Why do some have so many riches? Why are some so impoverished? Thus He began to talk about causes and conditions. These causes and conditions come from ignorance, from karmic forces created out of ignorance etc. Naturally, they result in this way of life. Everyone could see this and feel this. Everyone understood this suffering. [However], there was a way to attain liberation from suffering and not return to this world again. When we come to this world, everything is beyond our control; this is great suffering. So, everyone hoped that they could liberate themselves from cyclic existence. Focusing on liberating themselves from samara, many people got stuck in this stage of their spiritual practice, They stopped at the Small Vehicle Dharma of the Four Noble Truths and the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence. After the Buddha attained Buddhahood, He spent 12 years teaching the Agama Sutras. The 12 years of teaching the Agama Sutras were all a matter of teaching the principles of the Four Noble Truths. Everyone took in the Agama Sutras and understood them. “The world is filled with so much suffering. I need to properly guard my mind and not contrive affinities with others. So, I must eliminate afflictions. I must believe in what the Buddha said about how every word we say, every action we take and every thought we give rise to are all causes, are all conditions, are all karma.” This was what everyone believed in. Starting from that time the Buddha taught the Agama Sutras for 12 years, calling on many people to listen to the Dharma. For people with shallow capabilities, when they first encountered the Buddha-Dharma, they would understand all this. Hearing about the law of karma, about the suffering people experience and the many analogies given by the Buddha, they could experience all this in their own lives. He spoke of past causes and effects, the Jataka Sutra [about His past lives] and so on. Everyone was very interested in this. In this way, the Buddha-Dharma kept [spreading] during that time. Gradually, everyone understood that the Buddha came to the world in order to save and transform people in the world. After listening to the Buddha teach the Dharma, we must practice according to the teachings. This was taught over the 12 years called the Agama period.
The Buddha saw that people’s causes and conditions were nearly ready; it was time to go to the next level. So, the Buddha taught the Vaipulya. The Vaipulya Sutras begin the gradual move from Small [Vehicle] teachings to the Great Vehicle Dharma. He began to change direction. He wanted to help everyone know there was more than just the law of karma, that one reaps what one has sown. We must that the law of karma is not a matter for us alone. It is about how we interact with other people. We need to treat people with love and compassion and forgive them when they create karma. “All conditioned phenomena,” everything created by people, still in the end returns to formlessness, “like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow”. In the end, nothing is left. He told everyone to be mindful of impermanence. For eight years, He taught the Vaipulya. This was the Vaipulya period. There are not just small sufferings in life. There is great suffering! Great suffering is caused by great causes and conditions. With great causes and conditions, we must form great aspirations. He spent eight years [teaching this]. Everyone seemed to understand this Dharma, but [in fact] they were not so clear. What does “impermanent and illusory” actually mean?
Next, the Buddha spent a period of 22 years to expound the Prainaparamita Sutras. “Prajna” means wisdom. He wanted to awaken everyone’s wisdom. He took things with existence and analyzed and broke them down until they returned to emptiness. From existence, He broke them down until there was nothing left. This was all about “emptiness”. In teaching emptiness, He used very profound principles to elevate everyone’s wisdom. For these 22 years, realizing these principles from emptiness was very difficult work. Clearly, things have existence. Clearly, these are things that people need, things that people can experience. How could we view them as being non-existent? The Buddha spent a very long time, 22 years, to analyze the many principles of formation, existence, decay and disappearance. He also analyzed the numerous conditioned phenomena we can see in the world and how these phenomena come from the convergence of unconditioned Dharma. This was even more profound! Because of this, in the 22 years of the Prajnaparamita Sutras, everyone began to understand “emptiness,” how all things are empty [in nature]. “Since everything is empty, I will let all my ignorance return to emptiness. By doing this, I have already attained the ultimate. I have accomplished this. I am not contriving affinities. I understand the principles of life’s suffering. I know that everything in the past, present and future comes from the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence. I understand these principles as well. Regarding the principle of emptiness, the great principle of great emptiness, I already understand that all things are empty. So, I will not be attached to these afflictions and delusions. I have let go of everything. In this way, haven’t I already attained the ultimate Great Dharma? Getting to this stage is good enough for me”. [In this way], the Buddha spent 42 years in the past teaching. Doesn’t this add up to 42 years? 12 years of Agama teachings and 8 years of Vaipulya teachings totals 20 years. Adding the 22 years of the Prajnaparamita Sutras, it had already been 42 years.
After 42 years, the Buddha began to see that it was about time. So, the Buddha changed direction and taught the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. With the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, the Three Vehicles were merged, returning to the One Vehicle. With past limited teachings and teachings for those of average capabilities, the 12 Link, the Vaipulya and the Prajna, those of average capabilities had already begun to understand that all things in the world are illusory and impermanent and empty in nature. This is considered the Middle Vehicle. At this point, the Buddha was shifting to the Great Vehicle. Now, the Prajna teachings are also considered part of the Great Vehicle, but for Small Vehicle practitioners, they are teachings biased toward emptiness. [This was] what they understood. When it comes to Prajna, to profound wisdom, they had only understood a portion of it. They were biased toward emptiness. They were unable to understand very thoroughly, to penetrate the principles of true emptiness. Only by thoroughly comprehending true emptiness would they be able to realize wondrous existence. The Buddha was now adding this part. From their attachment to and bias toward emptiness, He guided them to understand that emptiness is very comprehensive. All things in the universe are without exception empty and illusory. However, within the principles of emptiness and illusion, there are principles we cannot see, the true principles. So, He gave [many examples] of how, throughout the universe, time works differently. In the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, one day is 50 years in the human world, while 100 years in the human world is one day in Trayastrimsa Heaven. He began to explain this kind of distance. We should know that the advancements in modern technology [have shown] that we are in a tiny corner of the universe. In this solar system that we often talk about, among the eight planets, Mercury is the closest to the sun. Next is Venus; one year on Venus passes more quickly than one year on Earth. Earth is the third closest planet to the sun. So, one year for us is 365 days. Then there are planets that are even farther away. For the farthest planet, the time it takes to revolve once around the sun, one year on that planet, is more than 160 years for us on Earth. This had been calculated by modern scientists. This is just in our solar system. There are so many worlds in the universe! Just in our solar system, there are eight planets. There is also an incalculable number, countless trillions of stars. In the sky, there is an asteroid that we humans have given the name “Tzu Chi”. This asteroid in space was only recently discovered. It was an asteroid yet to be named; there are still many asteroids that are unnamed. Several years ago (in 2010), a group of astronomers discovered this asteroid. They gave this asteroid the name “Tzu Chi”. This has been registered internationally. They brought us the certificate showing that this asteroid was named “Tzu Chi”, letting us know that in the sky there is a celestial body called “Tzu Chi”. So you all know, in the sky there is [an object with this name].
These things are all general concepts that the Buddha shared with us. [He talked about] how there are many heavens. One day there may be several thousand years in the human world. This is what the Buddha awakened to at the start regarding the worlds in the universe. So, there is Trayastrimsa Heaven. There is also Tusita Heaven. Those are all training grounds for Bodhisattvas.
In summary, this is how the Buddha described the universe. We humans are now verifying this [picture] through modern science. The solar system is in a small corner of the universe. In this place, we are able to see Mercury, Mars [etc.] When comparing the way things are there to the way they are here, how does time pass there? These things have already been confirmed. So, the Buddha was able to tell us and help us understand that each world in this vast universe and each star has its own lifespan. Earth also has a lifespan. Hundreds of millions, billions of years ago, Earth came into being. Right now, humans are growing in number, causing destruction to the earth. With manmade calamities and natural disasters, naturally, it will enter the stage of extinction. Formation, existence. Decay and disappearance. In the end leads to the Three Major Calamities. Right now, the Three Minor Calamities continuously occur. The Three Major Calamities have also begun to occur with higher frequency. The more things humans keep producing, the more destruction we cause. So, this is what the Buddha already told us to help us understand true emptiness in all aspects. It is merely a question of time.
So, time and space are principles we need to understand in parallel. All things are empty [in nature]. This means there is true emptiness in all aspects of this universe. within true emptiness, there is wondrous existence. Earth is just one of the plants in the universe. This was what the Buddha told us.
So, in the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, the Buddha hoped that from limited teachings, we can enter the Buddha’s door. [He hoped we can] gradually advance and open up our minds more and more until “our hearts encompass the universe, until we can realize. The true principles of the universe. This is what should happen.
So, “The Three Vehicles merge into the One Buddha Vehicle.” this was after the Lotus period [began]. The Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra for eight years. After more than seven years, He was finally about to enter Parinirvana. In the city of Kusinagara, under a pair of Sala trees, for one day and one night. He expounded the Mahaparinirvana Sutra. he did this to calm everyone’s heart. The principles of “permanence, joy, self and purity” are all teaching us to be mindful. He then returned to the [teachings of] “suffering, causation, cessation and the path”. In the midst of “suffering and causation, we thoroughly understand the principles and can earnestly eliminate all kinds of afflictions. Our minds must return to the great Bodhi-path.
The great Bodhi-path is the Great Vehicle Dharma that teaches. Going among people and proactively saving sentient beings in this world. Among people, “permanence, joy, self and purity” is a mindset. When we go among people with this state of mind, afflictions are Bodhi. We must always [maintain] “permanence”. [What is] “permanence”? The Buddha-Dharma; it is everlasting. If we can become one with the Buddha-Dharma, that is “permanence”. The Dharma will exist forever. When our hearts have experienced the Dharma, isn’t this permanence? There is true emptiness, but there is [also] wondrous existence. This wondrous existence returns to true emptiness. True emptiness is without afflictions or obstacles. But within it there exists everlasting wondrous existence. This is the Great Dharma; it is our nature of True Suchness. It is also that shining jewel. We have this jewel on us, but we are unaware. It has very abundant [value], but we are still very poor. Thus, we only know a limited amount of Dharma. The principles are so great, but all we know is a tiny bit. This is because we ordinary people have too many afflictions. There is so much Dharma, so where do we start? Since we want to understand, we have to seize the moment and be very mindful.
The previous sutra passage also says, “Since that man had already arisen, he traveled to other lands seeking clothing and food to sustain himself.” But supporting himself was extremely difficult. When he obtained a little, he felt content and did not wish for anything better. He was unaware that inside his clothes there was a priceless jewel.”
This is what our lives are like. We have this jewel on us, but we are still in a state of confusion. We still go to other places and find it hard to survive. Obtaining a little, we feel content. Once we obtain a little bit of Dharma, though we are still in a state of delusion, we have the karmic conditions to enter the Sangha and engage in spiritual practice. however, like ordinary people, we still find it difficult to support ourselves. We are in this prosperous and wealthy family, yet we are still like the poor son, satisfied to receive a low wage we can survive on. that is all we seek; we are unwilling to seek anything better. This expresses that we are unaware that inside we have this precious jewel. This is what wew sentient beings are like; this is how pitiful we are we are suffering here, without awareness or understanding.
The next sutra passage says, “The close friend who gave him the jewel later saw this poor man. After he had earnestly reprimanded him, he showed him the jewel he had fastened. When the poor man saw this jewel, his heart was filled with great joy. Rich with all kinds of wealth, he could freely enjoy the five desires.”
Everyone should already more or less understand. The close friend, the elder who gave him that precious jewel, after placing it in his body, left in order to deal with other matters. This is describing how the Buddha was born in the Saha World and “again saw those who, in the presence of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, had often listened to the Dharma and had been transformed by Him.”
The close friend who gave him the jewel later saw this poor man: The Buddha appeared in the Saha World and again saw those who, in the presence of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, had often listened to the Dharma and had been transformed by Him.
[Like with] the poor son, actually, infinite kalpas ago, in the era of the 16 princes, the Buddha already taught them the Great Dharma. However, they transmigrated in the world, life after life. In the same way, the Buddha continuously taught the Dharma, continuously taught and transformed [them]. Yet they still had limited causes and conditions and never formed great aspirations. So, all they received was Small [Vehicle] Dharma, because they had small causes and small conditions. thus, for countless lifetimes, they followed this affinity. The responsibility is on us on the receiving end. The Dharma is so plentiful but they could only take in a little. So, when the person who gave the jewel saw him, the man was still in this haggard state. thus, “He earnestly reprimanded him.”
After he had earnestly reprimanded him: For 20 years he had constantly made him clean excrement and eliminate delusions of views and thinking. The Vaipulya reproaches [the Small Vehicle] and the Prajna eliminates [delusions]. This is the meaning of “earnestly reprimanded”. After he had earnestly reprimanded him: This means the close friend reprimanded him with earnest words. This refers to how all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas came to transform the world. Their causes and conditions for transformation had now come to an end.
It had already been 20 years. This is like the poor son in the parable in the Chapter on Faith and Understanding. For dust-inked kalpas, we have always been in the Three Realms, or in the Four Forms of Birth and Five Realms. This is truly very exhausting. In the Three Realms, there are the afflictions of the desire realm, form realm and formless realm. The difference is whether they are light or severe. So, “He had constantly made him clean excrement”. The Buddha-Dharma is always helping us eliminate the afflictions and ignorance in our minds. In the Three Realms, there are afflictions of the desire realm, afflictions of the form realm and afflictions of the formless realm. These light and severe afflictions can all be addressed by teachings of the Dharma, so “He constantly made him clean excrement.” The Dharma always calls on us to eliminate our ignorance, to eliminate our afflictions. It asks us to eliminate delusions of views and thinking. The delusion of views in the desire realm, the delusion of thinking in the form realm and the dust-like delusions of the formless realm these very subtle delusions, all these delusions are called afflictions. These are found in the Three Realms. The Buddha came to the Saha World, and everyone had the affinity to be in the same place. The Buddha taught us the Agama, expounded the Vaipulya and proclaimed the Prajna. With the Vaipulya Sutra, He began to reproach us. He began to tell everyone, “Do not be attached to the Small Vehicle Dharma. You must form Great Vehicle aspirations.” There is not just minor suffering, not just personal suffering. There is suffering in the world, between people. So, we must earnestly eliminate the ignorance in our interactions. This is why we must go among people. We cannot seek only to benefit ourselves and stay away from people. We must do more than that. Next, we come to the Prajna period. The Prajna teaches that all things are empty, everything is illusory etc.. The principles are more advanced, eliminating so many of our delusions of views and thinking to help us completely empty [ourselves of them]. However, we were still unable to comprehend them. So, toward the end, He still earnestly berated us. He reprimanded everyone with earnest words. The close friend thus said loudly, “What is the matter with you? I clearly gave you this [jewel]. Why are you still in such a haggard state, still falling to live up to expectations, still drifting about?” This reprimand is an analogy. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifested in the world to teach and transform. They constantly, over and over, give us teachings in this way. With causes and conditions, we undergo lifetime after lifetime of fragmentary samsara. After the causes and conditions for each fragmentary lifetime ends, we come back again. After these causes and conditions come to an end, we still continue drifting in the Three Realms. “He showed him the jewel he had fastened”.
He showed him the jewel he had fastened: The time had come for the Lotus Sutra teachings and to reveal the Buddha-nature. This was like pointing out the shining jewel inside his clothes.
At this time, the friend made him aware of the precious jewel. “You have this precious jewel on you.” This refers to the Lotus period. The Lotus Sutra was taught to reveal everyone’s Buddha-nature. He could not wait any longer. He could no longer continue as in those 12, 8 and 22 years. Now, He did not have many years left. So, in this time period, He had no alternative but to begin. Whether we could understand or not, He had to “reveal the Buddha-nature”. He had to tell everyone that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. This Buddha-nature is what we must mindfully experience. Actually, the Buddha-nature is the principle of True Suchness. Every one of us journeys on this kind of Dharma to come and go life after life. Those who are deluded have no control over their coming and going. Those who are awakened journey on the Dharma of true Suchness to return to this world to teach. If we are deluded, we will follow our past karma to come to this life. We still come and go in the same way. However, the principle is the same. So, He “revealed the Buddha-nature. This was like pointing out the shining jewel inside his clothes.” In the clothing of gentleness and patience, He showed us our true Buddha-nature. Thus we must be very mindful. So, “When the poor man saw this jewel, his heart was filled with great joy.”
When the poor man saw this jewel, his heart was filled with great joy: When the Hearers were able to see the Buddha-nature, just like a poor man attaining treasure, their joy was indescribable.
Some of the Hearers, the 500 disciples, said this. “We have all already listened [to the Dharma]”. These Hearers had listened and, having heard it, recognized and understood that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. Actually, [this is true for] all of us. The Buddha has always said that we all have Buddha-nature equal to the Buddha’s and an ocean of enlightened wisdom just like the Buddha’s. Everyone intrinsically has this. However, we were never able to experience this. At this point, in any event, the Buddha has already spoken what is true, telling us that in the future we too will attain Buddhahood. “I believe this because the Buddha speaks the truth. He speaks what is true, what is real; He does not speak falsehoods. In the future, after a very long time passes, I too will attain Buddhahood. Clearly, I truly have Buddha-nature.” So, “Seeing the Buddha-nature, just like a poor an attaining treasure, their joy was indescribable.” They truly believed it. They were like a poor man attaining treasure. This happiness was indescribable. [They were now] “rich with all kinds of wealth.”
Rich with all kinds of wealth: As for the Dharma-wealth of merit, virtue and infinite wisdom, he was replete in all of these. Thus, it says “rich”.
“It turns out that I am actually a rich person!” So, the wealth of merit and virtue is what we must quickly accumulate. In the future, for numberless lifetimes, we must go among people to accumulate virtues, accumulate the Dharma-wealth of merit and virtue. “[Along with] infinite wisdom, he was replete in all of these. So long as I am willing to give, it turns out I can accumulate many merits and virtues. When causes and conditions mature, I can realize all principles.” So, “He was replete in all of these. This is “being rich, rich with all kinds of wealth. He could freely enjoy the five desires.” As was said previously, the five desires [refers to] the five world-transcending desires. Form, [sound,] smell, taste and touch are part of the process of spiritual practice, of being in the state of right understanding, right views and right Samadhi. So, “He could use them according to conditions, broadly, freely at ease. Thus it says, ‘freely enjoy the five desires.’” Indeed! We have heard so many teachings. Everything we have seen, all of sentient beings’ ignorance, us our Bodhi, the Bodhi of spiritual practitioners. We should take the world’s suffering as a Bodhisattva’s spiritual training ground. “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering sentient beings.” If we have not opened up our hearts to cherish and take joy in all living beings, how can we “embrace boundless worlds”? how can “our hearts encompass the universe”? we must open up our hearts, because in the end we want to become one with the universe. if we do not gradually open up our minds right now, we will not be able to accommodate other people; how then can we possibly encompass the universe? If we do not have the openness of the universe, how can we embrace the boundless worlds within it?
So, all of the suffering in the world can become our spiritual provisions. It constantly reminds us to be vigilant, constantly reminds us to be mindful. We must be mindful in the world. The Buddha-Dharma can be found in our own lives. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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