Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Diligently Cultivating the Four Practices (護持正法 勤四法修)
Date: September.13.2017
“We must safeguard and uphold Right Dharma to allow it to abide in the world. By practicing the teachings and principles, we can realize the fruit. We make vows to widely propagate. Right Dharma in order to bring benefit and joy to the time of the turning of Dharma-semblance. To protect and uphold the teachings in the era of Dharma-degeneration, all sentient beings must engage in the Four Practices.”
Safeguarding and upholding Right Dharma is so important! The Dharma abiding in the world is like the principles abiding in our hearts. If we lack the principles in life, this world will be in chaos. Thus, the Buddha-Dharma has to abide in the world. If the Buddha-Dharma abides in the world, it can preserve the principles of the world and guide everyone’s direction in life. With the proper direction and order to things, in our society, people can live harmoniously and peacefully with each other. Over the past month, beginning from April 1, 2016, every morning, I have heard from outside the entrance people starting to chant the Incense Chant. From this, I know a large group of people has lined up in very orderly way and is beginning to walk forward step by step, reciting the Buddha’s name in a bowing pilgrimage. The people doing a bowing pilgrimage truly formed long and mighty processions!
We watched some old documentation footage; I was very grateful that they had recorded the scenes from 30 years ago. At that time, our hospital was under construction. Everyone was very reverent. They often came to hold bowing pilgrimages. For the bowing pilgrimages at that time, they normally started from the railroad tracks. It was a long procession, starting from the tracks. It was truly very long. Although their clothes were not very uniform, everyone was full of reverence. This footage followed them from the start, all the way to when they entered the Abode. They had recorded from the entrance of the Abode back toward the railroad tracks. We were able to see just how long the lines were. From the straight road, they walked all the way until they curved onto the road to enter [the Abode]. Their voices were clear and loud, and their formation was uniform; they were so reverent. Sometimes, even if it was raining outside, at 2 or 3 in the morning, when it was still dark, they would still begin the bowing pilgrimage. It was raining, and everybody was soaked. Wearing practitioners’ robes, [they prostrated] on the muddy ground. Yet they remained unwavering and full of reverence as they moved forward step by step in this long and dignified procession. [We have] seen this scene so many times in the past. Even today, this tradition is the same. We can hear the long procession outside chanting the Buddha’s name in unison. They too are walking [and prostrating], chanting the Buddha’s name. As they come in from the road outside, we can imagine their uniform appearance.
This year, over a month’s time, we have been able to see them every day, so uniform, so reverent. Furthermore, yesterday and the day before, these past few days, we have seen [disciples] coming back from abroad, one group after another. Every one of them is a Living Bodhisattva oriented toward the Dharma. In their adoptive countries, they are maintaining and upholding Right Dharma. In the Buddhist teachings it is said that the era of Right Dharma would abide in the world for 500 years. Our Sakyamuni Buddha said that Right Dharma would abide in the world for 500 years. The next 1000 years would be the era of Dharma-semblance. After that, [the world] would gradually enter the era of Dharma-degeneration. Thinking about this, I am always very concerned. It has been more than 2000 years since the Buddha entered Parinirvana. Today, the era of Right Dharma has passed and the era of Dharma-semblance has also passed. We are now in the era of Dharma-degeneration. From the time we entered Dharma-degeneration until now, it has already been a long time. What has the Buddha-Dharma turned into? [Compare it to] when the Buddha was in the world. Everything the Buddha taught, what the Buddha awakened to, was the true principles of all things in the universe. Everything the Buddha awakened to comes back to becoming one with the universe. The tangible objects that can be seen in the human realm are all conditioned phenomena. They are things that are created, tangible things formed through convergence. However, these conditioned objects formed through convergence have an infinite amount of principles within them.
Thus, the true principles are called unconditioned Dharma. They are not created by people. They have always existed. Since heaven and earth came into existence, since Beginningless Time, these principles have existed. When it comes to people, we always say, “The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in their nature].” The enlightened nature of the Buddha and the enlightened nature of sentient beings are always equal; this nature always existed. Comparing the enlightened nature of the Buddha and that of sentient beings, the only difference is that the Buddha’s awakened nature has already become one with the universe. So, every one of the celestial bodies in the universe become one with the Buddha’s enlightened nature. This is called “enlightenment”. In the world, there is nothing He does not know, no principle He does not understand. This is the Buddha’s enlightenment. With the teachings the Buddha gave after He attained enlightenment, how could He help sentient beings understand the Buddha’s state of mind, the principles of all things in the universe which He awakened to? This is what the Buddha’s state of mind is. As unenlightened beings, how can we accept this enlightened intrinsic nature of the Buddha? After thinking this over, the Buddha decided to use the most basic teachings that can be experienced by everyone to inspire us. As we have often said, these are the Four Noble Truths. Life is truly suffering! There is unlimited suffering.
In the world, there is suffering from formation, existence, decay and disappearance. When it comes to all things in the world, though we speak of when Earth came into being, we do not know about this. However, the Buddha said that there was “formation”; it had an origin, a start. But when it comes to “existence,” human beings are living in a very tiny corner of the universe. That place is called Earth. This planet, this tiny part of the universe, has so many things on it; there are mountains, rivers and land, and contained within, we can find infinite principles of objects. Do the mountains, rivers and land have life? Yes. This is their principles. The land has its own principles. The mountains also have their own principles. With the advancement of science, we can comprehend [these principles] one by one. There are so many things; within the mountains, we can find many minerals. Human beings are very smart. This intelligence is an offshoot of our enlightened nature. Actually, we do have that enlightened nature, but because our enlightened nature has been permeated by our desires, it has already become covered. With desires, greed, anger and ignorance, once we know about something, we want to obtain it. In order to obtain these things, we cause more destruction the more knowledge we have. So, we live here on this planet, but since human beings began to have these desires we keep causing damage to it. What will it look like in the future? It will go through decay and disappearance. If we use the Buddha-Dharma to explain the present world, among the four kalpas, there is the time of “formation”. “Kalpas” refers to periods of time. There is the time of “formation”. There is the time of “existence”. There is the time of “decay”. There is the time of “disappearance”. Which of these kalpas are we in now? Which period of time are we in right now? We are in the kalpas of decay. Who is causing this destruction and decay? The destruction is caused by human beings. For humans to live on the earth, we need the air in the atmosphere and the sunlight from the sun. The air sustains us. However, due to our desires, we cause damage to acquire materials, crude oil below the ground, metals and coal from mines and so on. We continuously cause pollution to the air and the earth. With the increase in population, our damage to Earth has accelerated. This is why we have climate change and erratic weather patterns. The four elements are out of balance. This is what the Buddha said, “When the four elements are out of balance, there will be frequent disasters.” What should we do about this? We need to safeguard and uphold Right Dharma. Only Right Dharma can bring purity to people’s hearts. Where is Right Dharma now? After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, Right Dharma abided in the world for only 500 years. When the Buddha was still in the world, people who had practiced and attained realizations were the ones who had accepted the Buddha-Dharma with sincerity and put the teachings into practice. In this world, they absorbed the Buddha-Dharma, put it into practice and passed it on. Practitioners like that who engaged in practice according to the Dharma only existed for 500 years. Gradually, 5000 years later, though people still taught and practiced, there was no one who attained the fruits. They had gradually disappeared. Why is that? While there were still the appearances of teaching and practicing of the Dharma, they were merely appearances. People had already deviated from the True Dharma, from Right Dharma. Several days ago, I was talking about how while Ananda was still in the world, he led the Sangha. In his old age, he heard how the Buddha-Dharma passed down orally in the Sangha had already deviated. Ananda attempted to correct it. However, at that time, Ananda was already 120 years old. Clearly, for the Buddha-Dharma, several generations of Buddhist practitioners had already passed. The young man who Ananda was trying to correct had to go back to ask his master. [He said], “I met Ananda, and he corrected these teachings”. His master answered, “Ananda is old, and his memory has deteriorated. So, you should just listen to what I teach. Continue to follow what I told you and recite and repeat this. That is good enough”. After hearing this, Ananda thought, “It is difficult for Right Dharma to abide in the world”. The practitioners who practiced with Ananda had all passed away. Ananda was the only one left. A single tree cannot block the wind. A great tree, regardless of how big it is, still cannot block the wind. After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, while Ananda was still alive, Right Dharma already gradually declined; that is to say nothing of 500 years later, when of course Right Dharma was rarely to be seen. People did not place importance on the Dharma, so in practicing precepts, Samadhi and wisdom as well as listening, contemplation and practice, they continuously had Leaks. With Leaks, the Dharma kept leaking out.
Therefore, they had teachings and principles but were more lax in their spiritual practice. They did not have very rigorous ways of practicing. Furthermore, in the period of Dharma-semblance there were only appearances. It appeared the Buddha-Dharma was still there, and people would follow these appearances in their practice. However, that true sincerity had already vanished. Right Dharma had gradually retreated. The Buddha says, “All things are created by the mind”. The Dharma lives in our mind. The Dharma is intangible. Externally, when it came to tangible, conditioned phenomena created by people, people [seemed to] practice the Buddha-Dharma. But with the temptations of the external world, with these conditioned phenomena that are a convergence of [causes and conditions], afflictions came together and formed and Right Dharma gradually diminished. However, the true principles are always pure; they exist forever. These principles always abide in people’s minds. This is why we say that we all intrinsically have Tathagata-nature. Everyone’s awakened nature still exists. We just need to have utmost sincerity in willingly accepting the Buddha-Dharma and practicing according to the teachings. When we have the good thoughts of listening to, expounding and transmitting the Dharma and are free from greed, anger, delusion, afflictions and ignorance defiling us, naturally, Right Dharma abides in people’s minds.
This is like what ordinary people say, “Justice lies in everyone’s mind”. The principle is the same. So, as long as we form aspirations, make vows and “safeguard and uphold Right Dharma to allow it to abide in the world, by practicing the teachings and principles we can realize the fruit”. By practicing diligently, we can also realize the fruits. Isn’t this what we [are studying] now in the Chapter on Those at and beyond Learning of the Lotus Sutra? We just need to have this mindset of practicing according to the teachings. We follow the principles in this manner, walking forward on this great, direct Bodhi-path. There are many good deeds and good people in the world. We need to put good deeds into action; good people must persist in doing good deeds. This is the principle. We must not violate the principles of being good people. In this way, we can gradually keep the principles of spiritual practice and good thoughts always in our minds.
Yesterday, we had a very special guest, the director of the White House Center for Faith-based Initiatives, appointed by Pres. Obama. He visited Hualien yesterday. He is a Christian. Yesterday, he had a discussion with me. He lamented the current mindset of people and the many disasters in the world today. What he was trying to say was, he wanted to know why people’s mindsets have become like this. I told him what we do as Tzu Chi volunteers. He praised Tzu Chi volunteers. He had also visited our recycling station. He had seen many senior citizens doing recycling and really enjoying it. Seeing these Tzu Chi volunteers, he said he understood. As an official dealing with religious groups, he routinely attends many events hosted by the United Nations and has encountered Tzu Chi volunteers. Though he was touched by them, he did not have a thorough understanding [of Tzu Chi]. After coming to Taiwan, he had enhanced his understanding about Tzu Chi. He said he clearly understood why people are so happy doing volunteer work and how these senior citizens can be so healthy. They are happy to do recycling in order to protect the earth. he had joined the volunteers in doing [recycling], talked to these seniors and hugged them. He was wondering exactly how they could have the mindset to act like this. During my conversation with him, he inevitably asked some questions that came from deep in his heart. He had been wondering how this organization could be so beautiful. I told him this is from the good thoughts in our minds. He wanted to find the source of this good thought. I told him that the volunteers are all inspired to act themselves. That they are inspired to act themselves means they have already cultivated this habitual nature. When it comes to the Buddha-Dharma, I told him, the Dharma teaches about past lives and present lives. Everyone has deep faith in this. Thus, this path of goodness has continued from the past to the present and is carried on into the future. This is [positive] habits, the influence of [positive] habitual tendencies. He was very interested in this conversation. So, I gradually brought up some principles of religion in our discussion. Time passed quickly in this way, and there was not enough time to fully express ourselves. I have great hopes that the leaders of that powerful and prosperous nation can better understand the significance of environment protection.
Last year (2015), during the [United Nation’s Climate Change Conference] in Paris, France, everyone demonstrated common knowledge but there was no common vision and more importantly no common action. This was because people worry about their own interests. So, to ask everyone to reduce their pollution and follow industrial production is very difficult. Because it is difficult, the pollution just continues. So, how can we protect this planet Earth? I hope everyone, everyone, not only a small number of people but all of humanity, can have common understanding, common vision and take common action. Only then can we reduce pollution. Of course, if we reduce industrial activity, profits will be reduced But if everyone only thinks about this, they throw away everything to fight for [profits]. So, this is the era of Dharma-degeneration. The era of Dharma-degeneration is characterized by greed, anger, delusion and ignorant thoughts. People do not think about caring for the world. Only when the air is pure and fresh and the earth is healthy and sound can human beings have peaceful lives with abundant [material necessities]. [However], people only care about what is right in front of them. Thus, we must now earnestly make vows. We must make vows to “deliver countless sentient beings.” We hope that all sentient beings can understand this principle. Thus, we need to make vows to “propagate Right Dharma.” I hope everybody can awaken the true principles and Right Dharma in their minds. Once everyone has awakened to this, naturally the world can have peace.
We must safeguard and uphold Right Dharma to allow it to abide in the world. By practicing the teachings and principles, we can realize the fruit. We make vows to widely propagate Right Dharma in order to bring benefit and joy to the time of the turning of Dharma-semblance. To protect and uphold the teachings in the era of Dharma-degeneration, all sentient beings must engage in the Four Practices.
“We make vows to widely propagate Right Dharma” means to we wish to “bring benefit and joy to” means to we wish to “bring benefit and joy to the time of the turning of Dharma-semblance”. The era of Dharma-semblance has already passed That was the era when here were still appearances of teaching and practicing. Now the time has turned from Dharma-semblance, so we need to protect and uphold [the teachings] in the era of Dharma-degeneration, we need to uphold the teachings to return to Dharma-semblance and further return to the era of Right Dharma. In order to return to the era of Dharma-semblance, we need to continuously propagate the teachings. We need to go back to the principles as in the time when the Buddha was still in the world. Actually, we can still return to a state where the Buddha lives in people’s hearts. Everyone inherently has Buddha-nature.
I often speak of having “the Buddha’s heart and the teacher’s mission”. When we recite the Buddha’s name, we [need to] bring the Buddha’s heart into our own heart. Let us all make vows together. As your teacher, I make vows, and as my disciples, you make vows. Everybody makes vows to uphold Right Dharma for everyone in the world, so that everyone’s heart can turn toward goodness and everybody can have principles in their heart. Regardless of their religion, people [need to] have good thoughts, [need to] have the right principles, the correct principles in their minds. We should all be grateful to each other, respect each other and love each other. This is Right Dharma, we have then returned to Right Dharma. Although it is now the era of Dharma-degeneration, the most important thing is to return to the era of Right Dharma. Thus, “All sentient beings must engage in the Four Practices.” We need to continuously call on everybody to engage in the Four Practices. Each time people arrive at the end of their bowing pilgrimage, I always ask, “Are you filled with Dharma-joy?” “We are filled with Dharma-joy!” “Do you feel reverent?” “We feel very reverent!” Indeed! Since you feel reverent, you must engage in practice with nothing further, uninterrupted practice, extended practice and practice with reverence. If we can practice these four methods, then we have the Four Great Vows. We “vow to deliver counties sentient beings.” We must never let the Dharma leak out. “Leak out” means being lost. We must never let Right Dharma be lost. This is “practice with nothing further.” “Uninterrupted practice” means we need to inch by inch pave the road we walk with love. Every bit of awakened love must be connected like a chain. This is called “uninterrupted practice, meaning that our practice has no interruptions.” We also need to have “extended practice”. Whether 2000 years ago, or now, 2000 year later, even over such extended periods of time, we must always remain reverent.
With our present mindset, we still have an endless future. Tzu Chi has been around for [half a century]. I hope Tzu Chi can last for countless [half-centuries], for lifetime after lifetime. In the past, the era of Right Dharma lasted for [half a millennium]. I hope Right Dharma can last countless numbers of [half millennia]. For Right Dharma to always abide in the world we must rely on having mutual respect, regardless of our religion, ethnicity or nationality. We each other, we need to have “practice with reverence”. This is how Tzu Chi puts the Buddha-Dharma into action in this world. Three Four Practices are also among the teachings of the Buddha. So, in summary, we must be very mindful. I saw so many people this morning coming in via three routes. One was from the big road, one along the bowing pilgrimage path, and another from our vegetable garden. Each procession was very long as it approached. [The three] symbolized precepts, Samadhi, wisdom. Everybody needs to guard against wrongs and sop evils. With this mindset, we uphold the precepts. Everybody must abide in this mindset of good thoughts, so we need to remain in Samadhi. When everyone is free from discursive thoughts, then naturally, we will not have greed, anger or ignorance. These kinds of delusional thoughts will not arise and we will maintain our wisdom. This is having precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, without Leaks and with nothing further. We also need to listen, contemplate and practice. Many people are listening to the Dharma. After listening to it, we need to contemplate it. If it makes sense, then we must put these teachings into practice; we need to listen, contemplate and practice. I hope everybody will be constantly mindful in practicing precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, listening, contemplating and practicing.
After speaking for so long about this verse, let us now review yesterday’s sutra passage. “The land will be clear and pure, the ground made of crystal. The kalpa will be named Pervading Wondrous Sound. That Buddha’s lifespan will be countless trillions of asankyas of kalpas.”
This describes the appearance of Ananda’s land when he attains Buddhahood in the future. We discussed this yesterday. The next sutra passage says, “As for these countless trillions of asankyas of kalpas, if people were to try to calculate the number, they still would be unable to know it. Right Dharma will abide in the world for twice as long as his lifespan and Dharma-semblance will abide in the world for twice as long as Right Dharma.”
We just mentioned that time keeps passing in this manner. After such a long time, Ananda will attain Buddhahood. His lifespan will be very long, billions and trillions of kalpas. Also, in the future, Right Dharma will abide in the world for a very long time, so long that it is hard to calculate. “Kalpa” is a [Sanskrit] word that means a very long period of time. A lifespan starts at ten years, and every hundred years that pass, it increases by one until the average lifespan reaches 84,000 years. Then starting from 84,000, the lifespan decreases by one year every hundred years until it reaches ten years. When the human lifespan is so short, it means the karmic forces of sentient beings are very severe. They are so severe that the three major and three minor calamities constantly occur until a great world war breaks out, as people’s minds are not at peace. Then when the three major calamities occur, water, fire and wind will destroy the entire earth. This is when the karma of sentient beings is at its strongest. Therefore, the more severe our karma, the shorter our lifespan. So, “People would have difficulty in calculating the number of those kalpas”.
As for these countless trillions of asankyas of kalpas, if people were to try to calculate the number, they still would be unable to know it: Even after passing through these countless trillions of asankyas of kalpas, people would have difficulty in calculating the number of those kalpas. That Buddha’s lifespan is long and distant; unenlightened beings are unable to comprehend it. This lifespan is so long and distant that it is already beyond measure.
This is a very long time. Such a cycle of increase and decrease is called one small kalpa. Twenty small kalpas make up one medium kalpa. Four medium kalpas equals one large kalpa. So, 80 small kalpas is equal to one large kalpa. Is this a long period of time? It is a very long time. This is not something calculable, not something we can use numbers to count. We cannot calculate it. Ananda’s lifespan [back then] was already so long. Ananda’s lifespan when he attains Buddhahood will be impossible to calculate.
The Great Sage is free from samsara and reaches the ultimate, everlasting path. Even using multiplication upon multiplication, we will still not reach the end of these kalpas. It is like dust-inked kalpas, which are incalculable in numbers.
“The Great Sage is free from samsara”. Ananda will already be free from samsara and will have returned to the principles. The principles are everlasting. For a Great Sage, the mind abides in the principles. The principles are everlasting, so the time cannot be calculated. Because he will be free from samsara, he will “reach the ultimate, everlasting path”. That path is everlasting. The principles are everlasting; the kalpas are multiplied over and over, [He will] pass through dust-like kalpas; this is even harder to calculate. This is the terminology used in the Dharma to describe extremely long periods of time that are impossible for us to calculate. “Right Dharma will abide in the world for twice as long as his lifespan and Dharma-semblance will abide in the world for twice as long as Right Dharma”. This is even longer.
Right Dharma will abide in the world for twice as long as his lifespan and Dharma-semblance will abide in the world for twice as long as Right Dharma: Right Dharma will abide for twice his lifespan and Dharma-semblance will last even longer, four times the amount of his lifespan.
The era of Right Dharma of Sakyamuni Buddha lasted for 500 years. The era of Dharma-semblance lasted 1000 years. Thus, “Right Dharma will abide for twice His lifespan” and the era of Dharma-semblance [will last] for twice as long as Right Dharma. It keeps being multiplied. So, the era of Right Dharma is twice as long. The era of Dharma-semblance is even longer than the era of Right Dharma. In summary, the length of time is so long. This is about time, space, and [relationships]. As for the principles, they abide in our minds forever. Our minds need to return to our nature of True Suchness. Our nature of True Suchness is like Ananda’s [Buddha-] land. It is a “perfect translucent sphere of crystal”. Tzu Chi volunteers are Living Bodhisattvas. Although they have spread to over 50 countries, they all share the common characteristic of a pure and undefiled love. They help others while asking nothing in return and moreover say they are grateful to them. This reverent gratitude is what we mean by purity. “Working together like a perfect translucent sphere of crystal, a forest of Bodhi trees flourishes from one root. We are all united in cultivating the field of blessings together and deeply plant our roots of wisdom on the Bodhisattva-path”. As Tzu Chi volunteers, we should be very mindful. In this way, we form a “perfect translucent sphere of crystal”. [To engage in] the Four Practices, we need sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness. We need to face the world with this mindset. We must engage in the Four Practices, make the Four Great Vows and practice the Four Infinite Minds. The Four Great Vows is our Dharma-lineage. The Four Infinite Minds is our school of Buddhism. Sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness is the Dharma-lineage. Loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity is the school of Buddhism. If we have a direction and advance diligently, Right Dharma can abide in the world forever. So, everyone, please always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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