Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Ananda’s Causes and Conditions (阿難因緣 持法不忘)
Date: September.20.2017
“We formed aspirations at the same time and upheld [the Buddha-Dharma] together but we practiced in different ways. At that time, Ananda took delight in hearing all, while I always diligently advanced. He who heard all attained the Dharma-words of Emptiness King Buddha. Thus He was strong in discussion but weak in self-cultivation.”
This verse comes from a sutra commentary. Sakyamuni Buddha and Ananda, in a lifetime many lifetimes ago, innumerable kalpas ago, formed aspirations at the same time and accepted and upheld the Buddha-Dharma together. But while accepting and upholding [the Dharma], each person’s practices and methods differed. “At that time, Ananda,” meaning Ananda’s incarnation at that time, “took delight in hearing all,” while [Sakyamuni Buddha] at that time, in His spiritual practice, “always diligently advanced.” So, “he who heard all,” meaning Ananda, “attained the Dharma-words of Emptiness King Buddha.” All the teachings expounded by Emptiness King Buddha were at that time taken in by that spiritual practitioner. So, at that time, that practitioner only put effort into listening to and discussing the Dharma. That was all he did. He was attached only to the words and to discussing [the Dharma], and spent less time on his own spiritual practice. He was “weak in self-cultivation”. When it came to his own practice, he truly did not put as much effort into it.
Indeed, if we spend all our time reading and reciting [sutras], we will understand many things and be able to discuss and reason very well, but when it comes to putting them into practice, we cannot do it; we are weaker in this. In this way, our efforts are misdirected. At that time, countless kalpas ago, these two practitioners both practiced at the training ground of the same Buddha, but the way they practiced differed. Ananda at that time was partial to listening, while the other person, today’s Sakyamuni Buddha, placed his emphasis on diligently advancing. Indeed, [he focused on] diligence. This is one of the Six Paramitas that we need to realize in all our actions. [This practitioner] put the Six Paramitas, giving, precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom, into action. This was what the other spiritual practitioner did. In this way, the Buddha described how, in spiritual practice, how each person practices, the effort he puts in and what he attains all depend on each individual’s attitude in his spiritual practice, whether he truly puts the teachings into practice.
There is also another story about Ananda’s and Sakyamuni Buddha’s [practice] in a past lifetime. When the Buddha was in the world, there was a group of bhiksus who were wondering what Ananda’s causes and conditions were. Why was Ananda’s memory so good? Ananda took everything the Buddha taught to heart; he never forgot a single word. Just what were the causes and conditions that allowed him to gain the respect of so many people? How could he seek the Dharma from the Buddha in such a perfect and complete way? And how could he so harmoniously interact with his fellow practitioners? He was completely unstinting with the Buddha’s teachings but always freely shared them with everyone. There were lay practitioners outside the Sangha who did not have the chance to request teachings from the Buddha. Ananda was able to pass on the Buddha’s teachings to those lay practitioners as well. Everyone was always so grateful, respectful and loving toward Ananda. What were his causes and conditions?
The Buddha then began telling everyone, “Everyone, listen carefully. Of course, in spiritual practice, every person receives karmic retributions according to his actual cultivation and practice. Ananda is no different.” He then told them about how, numberless and countless kalpas ago, a very, very long time ago, there was an old bhiksu who engaged in spiritual practice with a novice monk by his side. The master loved the novice, but he was also very strict. He assigned him homework, to recite sutras every day. He had to finish reciting his sutras, but he also had to go out to beg every day. This novice really loved to study, so the homework the master gave him made him very happy. However, as he went out to beg for alms, [the result depended on] causes and conditions. Sometimes, as soon as he arrived at a house, someone was able to give him a sufficient amount of food. He could then joyfully return home while it was still early enough for him to finish his homework, finish reciting his sutras; he was then very happy. But sometimes when he went our begging, he had to go not only to one household, but to four, five or even six households. Sometimes courses and conditions made it difficult. After begging, too much time would have already passed, so he would not be able to return until very late. When he came back so late, he still had so much homework to do that he was unable to finish it. The master would then scold him severely. This made him very afflicted, very troubled. Making his master angry and moreover being unable to finish his homework made him very vexed. Every day he was the happiest when he was able to finish his homework and see his master happy. Seeing his master happy, he was happy too. When he could not finish his homework, it made his master angry, and he too felt very vexed. When he begged for alms, if he had the karmic conditions to immediately fill his bowl, his “measuring vessel,” then he would return very early. If not, he had to [stay out] longer. One day, it took him a long time since in the village [he had gone to], the places where people lived were farther away. At the first house, He received nothing because it was a poor household that was unable to give anything to the novice. To reach the next house, He had to walk a long way and there, he was only given a little. The third house he went to was empty. He saw that, before he could reach the seventh house, it had already gotten quite late, yet he had only a little bit in his bowl. Standing there, he knew he had to go home, but he was vexed. [He thought,] “What shall I do? I have certainly been away too long. When I get back, my master will be angry for I will never finish my homework today. This makes me very upset as well!” So, he stood by the roadside, crying. In that place, an elder how had gone out on business and was returning to town saw the novice crying by the roadside. He approached him and asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you standing here crying?” [The novice] told him the reason, how he worried that upon his return to the temple his master would be angry and how he would be unable to finish his homework. He poured out every detail of his problems for the elder to hear. Upon listening to the novice joy arose in the heart of the elder. He saw how diligent and endearing this novice was and how his master cherished him and guided him by requiring that he take the Buddha-Dharma deeply to heart. The elder felt great reverence and admiration, so he said to the novice monk, “Come, do not worry. My house is not far inside this town. You can come to my home every day. I will have something prepared for you, so as soon as you enter the city, you can ask for alms at my house. Then you won’t have to spend so much time to adequately fill your bowl so that you can go back fully satisfied.” The novice monk was very happy. From then on, every single day, he promptly went out and promptly returned. He worked hard every day, grateful for his master’s teachings and for his patron’s offering which allowed him to make best use of his time to study earnestly and diligently.
Having told this story to that point, the Buddha told everyone, “Bhiksus, you should know that the elderly master was Burring Lamp Buddha, the elderly master Ananda and the novice was me. Ananda, in his past lives, continuously made offering to me, enabling me to complete my spiritual cultivation. Burning Lamp Buddha, at that time, appeared as an elderly bhiksu in order to teach me.” This must have happened a very long time ago. Burning Lamp Buddha was a very ancient Buddha, and even before he had become a Buddha, he was that elderly bhiksu. Think about how long ago this was! At that time, there was a young novice who worked so diligently. That was Sakyamuni Buddha. At that time, seeing such a spiritual practitioner, the elder was very happy. Thus he continuously provided for him, supporting him in order to give him ample time and help him fulfill [his potential] in his studies, in his diligent effort and in expressing his respect and gratitude to his master. [The Buddha then said,] “The elder was Ananda. Lifetime after lifetime, throughout my process of spiritual practice, regardless of what forms we took or of our circumstantial and direct retributions, we always lived in the same time and [Ananda] always safeguarded and supported me. Ananda likewise safeguards and supports me now. He supports me in my living and he safeguards the Dharma. In this way, Ananda has always delighted in listening to the Dharma and delighted in safeguarding the Buddha-Dharma. He has always been like this.” Indeed, this is spiritual practice. The fruits we attain depend on the seeds we plant. That the Buddha-Dharma has been able to continuously remain since so many kalpas ago, that it could be continually passed down, was because of spiritual practitioners like this. There must be [people with] such aspirations to continually go among people, to be reborn among people. With people who practice like this, who safeguard [the Dharma] like this, there will always be people who carry on the Buddha-Dharma. This was what the Buddha told the assembly about those past causes and conditions.
So, these were [Ananda’s] causes and conditions. Thus, as Buddhist practitioners, we must be very mindful; as are causes and conditions, so are the effects and retributions. We should know that spiritual practice requires a very long time. To be able, in different environments, with different circumstantial and direct retributions, to encounter the Buddha-Dharma is something that we must truly cherish!
This is like when we recently held our 50th anniversary celebration. Tzu Chi volunteers from more than 30 countries returned here. Among them was a volunteer from a country unfamiliar to us, a country called Venezuela. Although we often hear of his country, I was not aware that we had seeds like this in that country, Venezuela. This is truly inconceivable. I remember back in 2015, when I was in Guandu. Many people came there, and among them, accompanied by a Tzu Chi commissioner, was a Chinese woman who needed someone to translate for her. Which language did she speak? She Spoke Cantonese. I do not understand Cantonese, so someone had to translate for us. She was from Venezuela and, as it turned out, was already doing Tzu Chi work. She was doing Tzu Chi work there. How come I did not know about that? The cause and conditions that led to this began back in 2014. Because her younger sister who was living in Texas had become sick with cancer, she went to visit her. It was there [in Texas] that she heard about Tzu Chi. Because of her sister, she heard about Tzu Chi. [Hearing about Tzu Chi], joy arose in her. She participated in activities there in Texas, and thus got involved. Starting at that time, she formed aspirations and made vows to begin doing Tzu Chi’s work in Venezuela. Sure enough, after she returned, she began going to visit the poor to learn about how they lived. Knowing there were many poor people in Venezuela, she went to the slums, visiting [families] one by one. Each of them was very pitiful. Among them was a family that was deaf-mute; they were suffering even more [than others]. Their child needed to go to school, but the parents were both deaf-mute and the family was poor. From then on, she began to help them, the poorest people in that place. This was her first case. Due to this, a church learned that she was doing charity. The pastor there introduced her to other poor people. She went and saw them as well and was able to help them too. As her caseload grew, she hoped others would join in, so she began promoting adopting bamboo banks. Based on what she heard and saw in Texas, she reused empty milk containers and fashioned them into piggy banks similar to our bamboo banks. She then invited everyone to put in a little money each day with which that they could accomplish great things. She also began inviting others to go with her to see those living in poverty, “We can help those who are in great difficulty”. She began like this and then kept going.
From the beginning of 2015 until April of 2016, she held three large-scale charity distributions. Besides helping poor families in difficulty, wherever they were, by sending things to their homes, from last year through this year, she also held three large-scale aid distribution. She did this with the money that they had collected through the bamboo banks. Those who helped her were her family members. Her husband was very supportive, and there were also her two sons and her daughter as well as her daughter-in-law, and even her nephews. Her sister and nephews were all there. She gathered her entire family together to let them all experience the joy that comes from helping others. All her family and relatives, as well as her friends were invited by her to come and do good deeds. However, she goes beyond doing good deeds. When she visited Taiwan in 2015, she came to the Abode to volunteer and later went to Neihu in Taipei to see the recycling station. She wanted to learn how she could bring the spirit we have in Taiwan, our Dharma-lineage and School of Buddhism, back to Venezuela to promote them there. This was because Venezuela is very poor. In particular, during the past few years they have had a water shortage. For the last few years, oil prices have been weak. The country has nothing but its oil export. All of their food is imported from abroad. They really have nothing. All they have is oil. So when the price of oil is down, they have nothing. This has led to inflation, making the poor even poorer. There is so much suffering there! Those who are sick, those suffering from cancer or HIV, can only wait to die. This is natural there, just waiting to die. Because of the current inflation, even with money, people cannot buy things. Things are very expensive. [Our volunteer] herself has a supermarket, so she helps people in difficulty, one by one. Every month she gives a sack of corn flour and two kilograms of white rice to those people in need. This is what she has been doing the whole time. When she came back this time, she had many stories to tell. She told of how in 2014 she discovered Tzu Chi, how she formed aspirations, what she did when she returned and how she interacted with the local people. She had so many stories. Yet, on the day everyone shared their experiences in the Hall of Gratitude, after she shared her story, she came before me. She said, “Master, I have come to thank you.” I told her, “Your story really touched my heart.” She said, “I wish to requite your kindness I want to thank you Master.” Of course, I could not understand her Cantonese, so someone helped me translate. She told me she wanted of thank me I asked, “What do you have to thank me for?” She said, “One day while driving my car, two policeman holding guns stopped me.” [I said,] “Are you sure? Were they really the police?” “It’s true, they were policemen. Why would the police rob anyone?” She said, “They wanted to take my car.” They put a gun against her head, against her temple. At the moment, she raised her hands. On her wrist, she wore the prayer beads I had given her. When she raised her hands, the beads glowed. [Seeing them], the police got scared and ran away. Because there was so little time, I could not hear the story in its entirety; she just told me this part. Anyway, this was really incredible. Hearing her story reminded me of how the same thing happened in South Africa. Once, when [our volunteer] was robbed, she stuck out her hands When they saw the shining prayer beads, the gangsters ran away. Those were gangsters, but in Venezuela, it was police officers. She talked about how lacking public safety is there. It is really inconceivable. Anyway, I was truly very moved by her. She has silently been helping others since 2014, through 2015 and right up until now. She had come back once before in 2015, but it seems I did not recognize her. We speak different languages, and she did not meet with me that time. So, now in 2016, I have finally heard her and met her. That was her circumstantial retribution. She was originally from Guangdong, so why did she go there? She has lived [In Venezuela] for 30 years already and adapted to life doing business there. However, it is very poor there. Moreover, there are constant natural disasters and the price of oil has plummeted. They are also suffering a drought. So, the news media are reporting that the country is in chaos. The president has decreed that government workers will only work two days a week. Moreover, they have moved their clocks forward so they get up half an hour earlier in the morning and go to bed half an hour earlier at night. This is to save electricity since their electricity comes from hydropower. Furthermore, the children’s schools are closed on Fridays. So, in the entire country, people are dissatisfied and have taken to the streets. The weather is very hot and everyone has become very hot tempered. Thus, they have destroyed many storefronts. From the images seen on the news, many business owner’s shops have been destroyed, their windows broken and the stores looted. That is the news I have seen.
In short, the world has already become like this. At this time, the Buddha-Dharma is needed to bring purity to the world. Ananda safeguarded and upheld the Buddha-Dharma, passing on the Buddha’s Dharma-treasury. If we hope to bring purity to the world, without Dharma-water to nurture and wash the dirt from people’s hearts, this is impossible. Therefore, we must be very mindful.
Let us take a look at the previous sutra passage. “At that time, newly-inspired Bodhisattvas in the assembly, 8,000 in total, all gave rise to this thought, ‘We have not yet heard the great Bodhisattvas receive such predictions. What were the causes and conditions for these Hearers to receive such predictions?’”
They had never heard the Buddha bestow such predictions upon great Bodhisattvas, so how was it now possible for these Hearers, those at and beyond the stage of learning, to attain such predictions from the Buddha? Everyone had questions in their minds, but they did not express them. In their minds, they were all waiting for the Buddha to explain the causes and conditions for this. So, “At that time…”. Before this was the [repeated] verse; here [the prose] starts again.
“At that time, the World-Honored One knew the thought in the minds of those Bodhisattvas, so He told them, ‘Good men, I and Ananda and others were in the presence of Emptiness King Buddha.’”
We were must talking about Burning Lamp Buddha, but this was in another lifetime with [a Buddha] called Emptiness King Buddha. In the same way, the two of them engaged in spiritual practice together. So, the World-Honored One already knew the thought on everyone’s mind. So, “The World-Honored One knew that these newly-inspired [Bodhisattvas]….” They were newly-inspired Bodhisattvas, so He referred to them as “good men”. They had already formed Great Vehicle aspirations, so He called them good men. Thus, He explained to those newly-inspired sentient beings, revealing the manifest. Everyone had started to have questions, so the Buddha now began to relieve them of their doubts.
At that time, the World-Honored One knew the thought in the minds of those Bodhisattvas, so He told them: The World-Honored One knew that these newly-inspired Bodhisattvas gave rise to doubts, so He explained to them. He knew their thoughts, thus He revealed the manifest to relieve their doubt.
“Good men I and Ananda [and others] were in the presence of Emptiness King Buddha.” The Buddha and Ananda in one lifetime practiced together during the era of Emptiness King Buddha. “Ananda and all Arhats….” There were also many Arhats there, not just Ananda. Those Arhats were the present disciples, those who had already attained Arhatship. Besides Ananda, there were many others as well in the presence of Emptiness King Buddha. This was very long time ago, in the time of a very ancient World-Honored One. Burning Lamp Buddha was already very ancient, let along Emptiness King Buddha who lived in an even more distant past. That was the era of Emptiness King Buddha.
All good men, I and Ananda others were in the presence of Emptiness King Buddha: The Buddha, Ananda and all Arhats in the very distant past [practiced] in the presence of an ancient World-Honored One.
“Emptiness King,” this name, in fact refers to the truth of the supreme meaning, the highest and most supreme true principles. This is the truth of the supreme meaning. “Truth” refers to true principles; “The truth of the supreme meaning has always been empty and still.” All Dharma is without shape or form. The highest and most supreme principles are without shape or form, so “The truth of the supreme meaning has always been empty and still. He was able to be free and at ease in the Dharma of the emptiness of all phenomena.” He understood clearly all principles. He has already comprehended these principles a very long time ago. His mind was free and at ease. This speaks of the Buddha’s kinship with Ananda in His present lifetime. Ananda was Sakyamuni Buddha’s younger cousin. From the point of view of the relative truth of the world, Ananda was the Buddha’s younger cousin. In terms of kinship, they were [cousins], but in a past lifetime, the Buddha and Ananda in the presence of Emptiness King Buddha, formed aspirations at the same time. They formed great aspirations at the same time. They not only formed aspirations, they formed great aspirations. The two formed aspirations at the same time. They once formed great aspirations and made great vows at the same time. In the era of Burning Lamp Buddha, one was an elder and the other diligently entered the Sutra-treasury. [Practicing] under his master, he was very diligent. That was Sakyamuni Buddha. The other lived a lay life but was committed to support that spiritual practitioner, ensuring that he did not lack in his daily living. That was in the era of Burning Lamp Buddha. During the era of Emptiness King Buddha, the two were both at His Dharma-assembly. The two had both become monastics and had both formed aspirations, great aspirations, at the same time. From this we can see that Burning Lamp Buddha was even earlier than Emptiness King Buddha. Because one was a younger novice monk and the other a great elder in the secular world, it is clear that in Burning Lamp Buddha’s era a causal seed had been planted which accumulated over lifetimes until the era of Emptiness King Buddha, when the causes and conditions matured and both became monks. When [causes and conditions] had ripened, the two formed vows at the same time. This is talking about their causes and conditions.
Emptiness King Buddha: This refers to the truth of the supreme meaning which has always been empty and still. He was able to be free and at ease in the Dharma of the emptiness of all phenomena. This means the Buddha in this lifetime has a kinship with Ananda. Though they were cousins, in a past lifetime, the Buddha and Ananda had originally, in the presence of Emptiness King Buddha, formed great aspirations together.
In our spiritual practice, [people] form different aspirations in each era. If we keep accumulating the seeds of diligence then naturally, with the causal seeds of the Dharma, our understanding of the truth of the supreme meaning will deepen. The deeper our roots, the clearer we understand the Dharma. This is the truth of the supreme meaning. Sakyamuni Buddha already attained Buddhahood, and Ananda has already been continually permeated by the Buddha-Dharma lifetime after lifetime until he now was very close to the Buddha. Moreover, everything the Buddha taught enter Ananda’s mind. Ananda’s wisdom already completely contained the true principles. The truth of the supreme meaning was completely contained in Ananda’s mind. Ananda and the Buddha, in the past era of Emptiness King Buddha, at the same time formed great aspirations and practiced together. The direction of Ananda’s practice drew ever closer to the Buddha’s. He was becoming more and more diligent and more dedicated. In their present lifetime, they were very close; they were cousins in the palace and practiced at the same spiritual training ground. The Buddha passed on the Dharma while Ananda accepted the Dharma, until the Dharma-treasury was in Ananda’s mind. The Buddha now began to share how these Arhats had all in that era, the era of Emptiness King Buddha, been fellow practitioners. The Buddha had already attained Buddhahood, and Ananda had drawn near to the Buddha’s side as the one safeguarding the Dharma-Treasury. However, there were still many there who were at and beyond the stage of learning, who were still practicing the Small Vehicle. At that time, the Buddha bestowed predictions on all of them. He bestowed predictions on all those who had affinities to practice together with Sakyamuni Buddha in the past. Sakyamuni Buddha already attained Buddhahood, and He had now bestowed predictions upon those fellow practitioners one by one. It would take time, but they all had faith; for a long time in the future, they will still have to earnestly accept and uphold [the Dharma]. In the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City, it described the era of the 16 princes. They were fellow practitioners there as well. Thus, they practiced at the same training ground, practicing together at that time and continuing since then. That was Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior. Now, we are talking about the era of Emptiness King Buddha. Clearly, in their spiritual practice, for many lifetimes, one after the other, they never let this seed be lost. But when it comes to our own karmic conditions, some people have firm spiritual aspirations, so they go among people lifetime after lifetime, turning afflictions into Bodhi. Their spiritual training ground is among people, so they continuously practice. Others are [ordinary] sentient beings who multiply their ignorance and afflictions, living their life like this. This is why we say that diligence is so important. I often think of how everyone often listens to the Dharma, but is still unable to truly understand the Buddha-Dharma. So how can we understand the truth of the supreme meaning? The truth of the supreme meaning is a principle without form or substance. We are all attached to things with shape and form, creating our own afflictions, bringing unbearable suffering. I hope that in regard to the Dharma, we can be mindful, mindful in our daily living and not allow tones of voice, expressions or interpersonal conflicts to shake our faith or the direction of our spiritual practice. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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