Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Creating Blessings and Accumulating Virtues (造福利人 行善積德)
Date: September.14.2017
“The meritorious create blessings to benefit others; this is called ‘merit’. Doing good deeds and accumulating virtues is called ‘attainment’. Good deeds have the merit of nourishing us and benefiting [others]. To actualize the Six Paramitas is to be replete with good deeds, merits and virtues.”
Being mindful is diligently cultivating oneself! What does it mean to be a Buddhist practitioner? Why do we want to learn from the Buddha? What does it mean to learn from the Buddha? To learn is to emulate! We must emulate the Buddha in all respects. We must completely absorb all the teachings and the principles He taught. We must take each phrase of the Dharma to heart and put it into practice in our daily living. This is being a Buddhist practitioner. The Buddha had compassion for all sentient beings. He came to this world for one great cause. Sentient beings are suffering! In this world, myriad sentient beings are suffering. There needs to be teachings in order for everyone to awaken the goodness in their hearts, form Bodhisattva-aspirations and walk the Bodhisattva-path to benefit everyone. This is “merit”.
This is listening and taking the Dharma to heart. After taking it to heart, we must truly listen, contemplate and practice. After listening, we must earnestly contemplate. When it comes to the Buddha’s teachings, if we can apply them, we must do so immediately. If we cannot, we must earnestly cultivate our minds. How can we develop the strength to help others? How can we take the Buddha’s teachings to heart? Why do we still have habitual tendencies that we haven’t been able to change? The Buddha-Dharma clearly teaches us to eliminate our afflictions, dissolve interpersonal conflicts and open up our hearts. We must put effort into being understanding. We must understand that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. In life, because of ignorance, people go astray, create [negative] karma and experience suffering. So, we need to be accommodating. When someone is in difficulty, is suffering, we must go and help them. We should not nitpick about every little thing. This is what the Buddha-Dharma teaches us, to not take issue over so many things. “All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, like a drop of dew or a flash of lightening and should be contemplated as such.” [The Buddha] has already taught us this. Once things are in the past, just leave them there. They are like a drop of dew, a flash of lightning. Lightning disappears as soon as it flashes. Once it is gone, it is gone. We still need to eliminate interpersonal conflicts and help those who are in difficulty. This is how we eliminate the habitual tendencies we have accumulated in our minds. Because of something that happened, we cannot let go of the past. Because we cannot let go, we constantly keep accumulating afflictions. These habitual tendencies then become mental ailments. For us to be physically healthy and have strength, [we must] have strength of mind. [We need] the strength of mind to overcome our ignorance and afflictions. The mental strength to overcome afflictions is what is called wisdom. This is what allows us to grow our power of wisdom.
Yesterday, I once again shared with everyone that throughout my entire life I have been practicing to not seek for three things. I do not seek for my body to be healthy, but wish only for wisdom and clarity of mind. This is because our wisdom-life is more important than our life in this world. Our lives [pass] with the passing of time; we grow old, and in the end we die. However, our wisdom-life is everlasting. If we do not quickly exercise the power of our wisdom-life, if the power of our mind is not robust, then our wisdom, our wisdom-life, will not grow. So, “I seek not for health, but only for wisdom and clarity of mind.” We must not have any discursive thoughts, but have a little more clarity, a little more understanding. This is the first thing I wish for. Second, “I seek not for everything to go my way.” In this world, at what time can we have everything play out the way we want? Eight or nine out of ten things do not go our way. Most things do not go the way we want. So, why aggressively seek that? That applies especially to our desires. Ordinary beings have desires; there are so many things we want, that we seek. Such expectations bring suffering and afflictions. So, “I seek not for everything to go my way, but only for perseverance and courage.” When things do not work out the way we want, we need to have perseverance; we must be steadfast in our resolve. Perseverance is something we must all learn. We must work hard; this is what create “merits”. Moreover, we must have courage. Otherwise when we do not get what we wish, we get disappointed; lacking success, we will suffer blow after blow. If this is the case, then won’t we forever remain very fragile and weak? So, we do not need to seek for everything to go our way. We need to see whether or not we have resolve and courage.
It is precious to be born human. The Buddha told us that. In billions of kalpas, it is rare to attain the human form [even once]. In the past, were we in the Three Evil Realms? Did we experience suffering in hell? Were we in the animal realm, deluded and foolish, only to be slaughtered by humans? Or were we in the hungry ghost realm, enduring all kinds of torment? The Three Evil Realms are full of unbearable suffering. These were in our past. Are we scared? After hearing the Buddha-Dharma, we are scared. Since we are scared, we must earnestly practice. It is rare to be born in the human realm. In the human realm we see all kinds of wholesome and unwholesome people. When we see a wholesome person doing good deeds, do we take joy in that? As other people do good deeds, when we see it, we respect them and take joy in it. In addition to taking joy in it, we also join in. Haven’t we done this? We have, so we should celebrate it, because it is rare to be born human. When we see others do good deeds, we praise them. With a joyous heart, we praise them and then happily join them in doing things that serve people. As we do things that help suffering sentient beings, in helping to make up for what they lack, we feel very fulfilled. When we give of ourselves to provide what they lack, we feel very satisfied. We gave more than we need; thus we are able to give of ourselves to make up for what others lack. This is because we have more than we need; we are able to help others. What this shows is that we have the strength to help others overcome their difficulties. This makes us even more happy. This happiness we feel is not just taking joy in the merits of others, it is joy in what we have done ourselves. This is being filled with Dharma-joy. Only in the human realm. Is it possible to attain this?
It is rare to attain human form, but we have now attained it. Since we have attained what is hard to attain, how can we not seize this life? So, we must earnestly make use of this lifetime. Moreover, over the course of this lifetime, we must take good care of our minds, this aspiration in our minds. So, we must “seize the present and sustain it forever.” In the present, thought after thought arises in instant after instant. Though it only lasts for a fleeting moment, a very short period of time, we must not allow this aspiration to cease. This is why I have recently been talking about practice with nothing further, extended practice and uninterrupted practice. This aspiration that arises in an instant must be sustained forever. This is because as time passes moment by moment, thoughts arise moment by moment. So, we must earnestly seize and sustain [our aspiration]; we must put our effort into forever maintaining our virtuous thoughts and our love and creating blessings to benefit others. This is diligently cultivating oneself.
We must not be afraid to take on responsibilities. It is rare to be born human. Everyone shares responsibility for the world, especially we Buddhist practitioners. The spirit of Buddhist practitioners is the perseverance that arises from coming to this world for one great cause. The Buddha came to this world hoping to save all sentient beings in the world. This is impossible for one person to do alone [that strength] would be too small. Thus, the Buddha had to teach a very large number of people. When everyone forms Bodhisattva-aspirations and puts the teachings into practice, when we pool our strength together in this way, this power is tremendous. When we take responsibility, we should not seek to reduce our burden. We must hope to increase our strength. I hope we can purify people’s hearts and awaken the love within them. When everyone comes together with this aspiration, then naturally, at the same time, we will universally reach many different spaces. In this world, the land is vast, and sentient beings are very numerous. At the same moment in time, the love of so many people, the common aspiration of so many people, can spread far and wide. In an instant, we can accomplish so many good deeds. So, everyone must take on responsibility; we must shoulder the Tathagata’s family business. Everyone shares responsibility for the world. We often say that as the Buddha’s disciples, we must shoulder the Tathagata’s family business. The entire world is one family, and the suffering of the world’s sentient beings is our responsibility. So, we must not seek to reduce our burden, but instead wish to grow in strength. This is truly [the Buddha’s] one great cause. This is what it means to learn from the Buddha. So, we must diligently cultivate ourselves.
“The Jing Si Dharma-lineage is a path of diligent practice. We pass on the Dharma-essence and make great vows.” Yesterday in the Jing Si Hall, I saw an exhibit of the verses I regularly write. I have always intended for them to be collected and passed on to future disciples. We must remember that “Jing Si Dharma-lineage is a path of diligent practice; We pass on the Dharma-essence and make great vows”. I hope future disciples will undertake these tasks. Not only must we uphold our family tradition, the Jing Si Dharma-lineage, but also the “Tzu Chi School,” this “road through the world”. We must all exercise compassion and wisdom and cultivate the Four Infinite Minds. For the sake of all sentient beings, we must have loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. We must have this kind of stillness in our minds. We must not disrupt our minds. When it comes to worldly matters, though the world is vast, suffering and difficulties are many and afflictions are as numerous as dust, we must earnestly practice and train. We must train ourselves to transform afflictions into Bodhi, earnestly accumulate our wisdom and awaken the compassion in everyone. So, “With compassion and wisdom, we exercise the Four Infinite Minds”. We Jing Si disciples must all understand these four verses of teachings.
Yesterday, I saw everyone demonstrate how we live our lives at the Jing Si Abode. The Tzu Chi School of Buddhism practices compassion and wisdom among people. We begin with [cultivating] “sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness”. “With sincerity, we vow to deliver all sentient beings”. “With integrity, we vow to eliminate all afflictions”. “With faith, we vow to learn the Dharma-doors”. “With steadfastness, we vow to attain Buddhahood”. Doesn’t the Jing Si Dharma-lineage require us to make the Four Great Vows and cultivate “sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness”? It does! This is our diligent practice on the path of the Jing Si Dharma-lineage. In our minds we cultivate” sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness”. This is making the Four Great Vows. “I vow to deliver countless sentient beings. I vow to eliminate endless afflictions. I vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors. I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood”. These are all based on sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness. I hope that everyone will diligently cultivate themselves. “The meritorious create blessings to benefit others; this is called ‘merit’”. “Doing” means taking action, putting into practice. “Doing good deeds and accumulating virtues” is called ‘attainment’”. We must earnestly take action to do good deeds. By doing good deeds we accumulate these virtues. So, “With virtue comes attainment”.
Ananda had received a prediction of Buddhahood. The time will be very long; his lifespan will be very long. This length of time, this lifespan, shows that his mind will have returned to the true principles. The true principles will already have become one with Ananda’s wisdom. This comes from Ananda spending life after life serving as an attendant for the Buddha. He constantly absorbs the Buddha’s principles into his heart and puts them into practice. So, we must also learn how we can, lifetime after lifetime, little by little accumulate virtues. “The virtuous attain”. All virtue comes from doing good deeds. To do good deeds, we must practice “loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity”. The Tzu Chi School of Buddhism starts with loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. “Great loving-kindness without regret brings infinite love. Great compassion without resentment brings infinite vows. Great joy without worries, brings infinite joy”; we are very happy. “Great equanimity without expectations brings infinite grace”. We must be grateful for the grace of the Buddha, of sentient beings and of the heaven and earth. We have received so much grace, so we should give with equanimity. Thus, we must go among people; then we can reach attainment. We give everything we have, little by little. With loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity, naturally we will give of ourselves. Though we do this without expectations, imperceptibly, the virtues and principles will come together in us. “The way of great learning lies in illumination luminous virtue.” “Illuminating luminous virtue” means that we need deep understanding. We take the great principles of the world into our hearts and practice them among people. This is how our life and the true principles, the entire universe, become one. This is why we need to give to others. So, “Great equanimity without expectations brings infinite grace”. We have received so much grace. So, we must constantly give of ourselves. Then, naturally we will be able to attain.
What will we attain? What Ananda attained was a prediction of Buddhahood. His epithet will be Mountain-Ocean-Wisdom Free Unhindered King. In the future, Ananda’s Buddha-land will be called. Forever Upright Superior Banner. This Dharma will often appear before many people, drawing many people in the direction of the Buddha’s truth and principles. This is “Forever Upright Superior Banner”. Ananda’s future land will have ground made of crystal, very clean and pure. This is what Ananda will attain. So, “We work together like a perfect translucent sphere of crystal”. This is the ground of our minds. This is what we hope to attain in the future. We want to attain predictions of Buddhahood and be like Ananda. But [for that to happen], the ground of our minds must be like that now, as clean and pure as crystal. “A forest of Bodhi-trees flourishes from one root. Throughout the world, the same Dharma can be reach everywhere at the same time. A forest of Bodhi-trees flourishes from one root, a Bodhi-root. The Jing Si Dharma-lineage and the Tzu Chi School have spread all over the world.
Just look at Tzu Chi volunteers now. Yesterday, volunteers from 31 countries gathered here, and there are another 20-some countries that were not represented. Clearly, this one Bodhi-root has rapidly spread all over the planet. So, “We are all united in cultivating the fields of blessings together. [So many volunteers] has came back. We see how they are cultivating fields of blessings in this world. They all deeply plant the roots of wisdom.” we are all very clear on this. the Tzu Chi School of Buddhism was establish in this way. This is how the Dharma-lineage can be unceasingly passed down.
For 50 years, we have had [the philosophy] that “The meritorious create blessings to benefit others”. We must all unceasingly diligently cultivate our minds. Our good deeds and virtues must be constantly, earnestly accumulated, no matter how long it takes. When the Buddha bestows predictions, regardless of which disciple. He will still have to undergo a lengthy process of spiritual practice in the future. So, we must do good deeds and accumulate virtue; then in the future, we will still attain something. Although we give without expectations, we will still attain something. We continue in this way to be permeated by [the Dharma] in life after life. As Buddhist practitioners, this is how we must practice.
This is how Ananda accumulated [virtues]. “Good deeds have the merit of nourishing us and benefiting [others]. Doing good deeds has these [results]. It can unceasingly nourish us; this is Dharma. The more we do, the more we understand the Dharna, the principles of the Dharma. If we do not do anything, we will be unable to experience them, unable to understand. When we go among people, we understand that this world is filled with suffering. Looking at ourselves, we constantly feel gratitude. We find that we have more blessings than other people. This kind of nourishing Dharma is constantly nourishing us, awakening us. It helps us give to others, create good affinities with sentient beings and have Bodhisattvas as virtuous friends. We are always together with cirtuous friends.
Yesterday I saw how so many people at the same moment in time, over 30,000 people in nine countries and regions, simultaneously participated in a sutra-adaptation. Moreover, in every place, even in the smallest [offices], people likewise recited the Lotus sutra for several day’s time. Over 200 spiritual training centers, our offices and service centers, every day recited the Lotus Sutra at the same time. Everyone recited together in this way. There were over 20,000 people participating. Everyone was at the Lotus Dharma-assembly. This is nourishment we are continuously nourished by the Dharma. The affinity enabling this is that we are all part of the big Tzu Chi family. Everyone in the world is one family, the Tathagata’s big family.
So, we view the world’s sentient beings as part of our family. Our virtuous friends, our family members, are so great in number. As we go among people, “Good deeds have the merit of nourishing us and benefiting [others].” By actualizing the Sin Paramitas, we are replete with good deeds, merits and virtues. The Six Paramitas [help us become] “replete”. The word “replete” means to have all we need. We must be replete with good deeds, merits and virtues. I hope that everyone will be mindful. Each of us must cherish this precious human body. We must earnestly accumulate [virtues] and seize the time to sustain the Dharma forever. We must sustain good thoughts at all times. This is how we can benefit people, eliminate our afflictions, form Great Vehicle aspirations and make great vows. This is what we need to be mindful of. This is the Dharma-lineage and School of Buddhism that we practice. the first 50 years of Tzu Chi have already passed. We are now at the beginning of Tzu Chi’s 51st year. This is the first day. So, regarding this Dharma-lineage. And this School of Buddhism, I hope everyone will diligently cultivate themselves. That is the only way to accumulated good karma and achieve virtue. This takes mindfulness.
So, the previous sutra passage states, “As for these countless trillions of asankyas of kalpas, those who attempt to calculate the number will be unable to know it. Right Dharma will abide in the world twice as long as His lifespan and Dharma-semblance will abide in the world for twice as long as Right Dharma.
We spoke about this yesterday. Ananda’s lifespan will be incalculable. In particular, Right Dharma will last twice as long as his lifespan, and Dharma-semblance will last twice as long as Right Dharma. This is [four times] as long. Clearly, the principles are limitless, without beginning or end.
The next sutra passage states, “Ananda will be Mountain-Ocean-Wisdom. Free Ungindered King Buddha, whom countless trillions of Buddhas, Tathagatas of the ten directions, as many as the Ganges’ sands, will all praise for His merits and virtues.”
With great prudence, the Buddhacalled on Ananda He had such an intimate tone of voice when He once more called, “Ananda”.
Ananda will be Mountain-Ocean-Wisdom. Free Unhindered King Buddha: the Buddha called to Ananda, cautioning him that [only] after long kalpas have passed will the era of the future. Mountain-Ocean-Wisdom Free Unhindered King Buddha come.
The future Mountain-Ocean-Wisdom Free Unhindered King Buddha [will appear only] after lengthy kalpas, far into the very distant future, That will be the era Mountain-Ocean-Wisdom Free Unhindered King Buddha. this is the future that the Buddha spoke of “Ananda, in the future you must persevere. Your heart must be as pure as it is now. You must keep the Dharma in your heart; you must put effort into keeping the Dharma in your consciousness. In the future, you will pass down the Dharma for a very long time. For this reason, “Countless trillions of Buddhas, Tathagatas of the ten directions, as many as the Ganges’ sands, will all praise [Him] for His merits and virtues.”
Countless trillions of Buddhas, Tathagatas of the ten directions, as many as the Ganges’ sands, will all praise [Him] for His merits and virtues: All Buddhas from the ten directions will speak with one voice and praise that Buddha’s vast merits and virtues.
“You must take the true principles of the Dharma and constantly pass them down. All Buddhas, countless Buddhas, not just me, will praise you. When you attain Buddhahood in the future, your lifespan will be very long. Right Dharma will abide for a long time, as will Dharma-semblance, throughout numberless kalpas. I will not be the only one who praises you. Countless trillions of Buddhas, Tathagatas of the ten directions as many as the Ganges’ sands, will also praise you together. They will praise your vast merits and virtues. This is because in the past you helped to proclaim the Buddha-Dharma, serving as an attendant to Buddhas and one who passes down the Dharma. So, all those Buddhas of the ten directions will praise you with one voice. That Buddha, the future Mountain-Ocean-Wisdom Free Unhindered King Buddha will have vast merits and virtues”.
Sakyamuni Buddha praised Ananda in this way. From the way He praised Ananda, it is impossible for us to analyze exactly how vast Ananda’s virtues and merits are. That Ananda’s lifespan will be countless kalpas, that it will be very long, is an indication of his merits and virtues. We also often say that kind-hearted people who cherish life, who protect living beings and lobe each other, that people like this will have a very long lifespan in the future. In the Sutra on Causes and Effects, as well as anytime cause and effect is mentioned, this is what it says. Clearly, this is the case for Ananda. For a very long time, he will accumulate goodness, so his lifespan will be very long. He loves and protects the life of sentient beings, and the wisdom-life of sentient beings. Aside from their life, he must also help develop sentient beings’ wisdom-life. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings says, “Having relieved them from suffering, [Bodhisattvas] then expound the Dharma for them.” [We must] relieve sentient beings’ suffering and [save them] when they are in danger. When sentient beings’ lives are being threatened, Bodhisattvas quickly go to their aid; they help them and save their lives. To those without food, they give food. To those without clothes, they give clothes. To those without medicine, they give medicine. By protecting the life of sentient beings this way of course the effect they will attain in the future will be the effect of health and longevity. The Buddhist sutras often talk about this. So, now the Buddha is bestowing a prediction of Buddhahood upon Ananda. Ananda will not just spend lifetime after lifetime protecting the lives of sentient beings, but will also help them develop their wisdom-life. Because of this, Ananda’s lifespan will be limitless; it will be immeasurably long, incalculable. It will not only be Sakyamuni [who praises him]. Sakyamuni Buddha Himself said that Buddha as countless as the Ganges’ sands will all praise him together with one voice. They will praise Ananda’s longevity. Right Dharma will abide for so long that the time will be incalculable. This was what Ananda accomplished; the spiritual practice he engaged in. So, “After that Buddha, the Dharma will abide in the world for an extremely long time.” Even compared to other Buddhas, he is extraordinary.
After that Buddha, the Dharma will abide in the world for an extremely long time. He is extraordinary among Buddhas. If he had not performed the causal action of fulfilling the great vow of protecting and upholding the Dharma-treasury, how would the fruits of virtue that He attained be so grand and great?
Previously, the Buddha predicted that Sariputra, the four great disciples and the 500 disciples will become Buddhas in the future. Ananda was more extraordinary than all of them. His teachings will abide for so long; this is very extraordinary. “If he had not performed the causal action of fulfilling the great vow of protecting and upholding the Dharma-treasury, how would the fruits of virtue that He attained be so grand and great?” If Ananda had not, throughout his accumulated past lives over dust-inked kalpas, continually protected and upheld the Buddha-Dharma and helped pass it down for a long time, how could he have received a prediction of such great fruits of virtue? This was because in Ananda’s past lives, he had the cause of the great vow to protect and uphold the Dharma-treasury. He put the Dharma into practice. With this cause, with this seed, because of this, his fruits of virtue will be so great. Otherwise, how could this be possible? So, we must be mindful. We must always understand why the Buddha came to this world. It was not that He wanted to teach the Dharma all by Himself. He hoped that everyone everywhere can understand the path to Buddhahood, form the supreme aspiration, delve deeply into the sutra-treasury and have wisdom as vast as the ocean. He hoped that everyone can lead the people harmoniously, without any hindrance. This was the Buddha’s intent. Ananda realized the Buddha’s intent, so with the Buddha’s teachings, he upheld the Dharma-treasury. He held fast to the Buddha’s Dharma-treasury for lifetime after lifetime. In other words, the true principles of enlightenment being able to spread throughout the world is thanks to Ananda and [what he did] for dust-inked kalpas and during the time of the Buddha. We have the Dharma to listen to now because Ananda is constantly in the world, passing on the Dharma. In the future, he will do the same, lifetime after lifetime until he attains Buddhahood. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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