Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Why Sakyamuni Buddha Attained the Path First (釋迦常勤 先得成道)
Date: September.21.2017
“Upon hearing the predictions, [Ananda] rejoiced firstly because he had deep causes of forming aspirations together with the Tathagata in the presence of Emptiness King Buddha, and secondly because his supreme and magnificent fruit surpassed that of his fellow practitioners. In fact, these came from the truth of the supreme meaning which is empty and without substance of form.”
I hope you all remember what we discussed yesterday. Ananda and the Buddha, countless kalpas ago, in the presence of Emptiness King Buddha, were fellow practitioners. Countless kalpas is a very long time. In their practice, one heard all the teachings while the other diligently advanced. From that beginning, time passed, and after countless kalpas, they were now again together in the same era. Through His practice, Sakyamuni Buddha attained Buddhahood; He had now awakened. Ananda was likewise born into the palace. The day that the Buddha attained Buddhahood was the day that Ananda was born. When Ananda was nineteen, he felt life was illusory and impermanent. Furthermore, he often heard the Buddha-Dharma and realized that seeking truth was the direction [he wanted] for his life. He asked the Buddha to take him as a monastic, and the Buddha accepted. In the Sangha, Ananda showed he was able to form good affinities with others. He earnestly listened to the Dharma and had a very good memory. He was therefore praised by Sariputra and Maudgalyayana. They felt that the Buddha needed an attendant to be by Him day and night, to attend to His daily needs. This would also enable Ananda to listen to the Dharma. Thus Sariputra and Maudgalyayana both recommended Ananda to be the Buddha’s attendant. This was when Ananda was 20 years old. In other words, this happened 20 years after the Buddha started teaching the Dharma. Ananda joyfully accepted, but he brought up three [conditions]. One of these was to request that the Buddha repeat the Dharma He had taught over the past 20 years. The Buddha truly needed to teach this Dharma from the past to Ananda again. This was because Sakyamuni Buddha knew that Ananda was foremost in memory and that Ananda would be the one to preserve the Dharma-treasury. Thus, He had to teach the past Dharma again. The Buddha rejoiced and agreed. Because of this, Ananda followed the Buddha by His side for nearly 30 years. Including the teachings taught during the previous 20 years that the Buddha taught again, Ananda absorbed all the nearly 50 years of the Buddha’s teachings into his mind, to be stored in his memory. Later, after the Buddha entered Parinirvana, Ananda and Venerable Kasyapa compiled the sutras. The sutras we have now exist because Ananda continually taught the Dharma from memory, helping everyone strengthen their memory and spread the teachings by oral tradition. In this way, the Buddha-Dharma was passed down. The Buddha taught the Dharma for over 40 years. Although the disciples still remained as Hearers, as Arhats and Pratyekabuddhas, Small Vehicle practitioners who sought only their own liberation, the Buddha hoped that they would all [realize] that they intrinsically had Buddha-nature. He wanted them all to trust that they could attain Buddhahood. To attain Buddhahood, we all need to be replete with causes and conditions.
Therefore, before the Buddha entered Parinirvana, He began teaching the Lotus Sutra. Just teaching the Lotus Sutra took Him nearly eight years. For over seven years, He taught the Lotus Sutra, the Great Vehicle Dharma of the One Vehicle. The goal was to inspire everyone to turn from the Small Vehicle toward the Great Vehicle. He hoped everyone would form great aspirations, go among the people and use the Dharma to universally nourish them like nourishing the land with Dharma-water. He hoped all sentient beings in the world will be able to accept these principles. In the Chapter on Medicinal Plants, the Buddha spoke of this. When the land is in drought, plants and trees will wither. So, clouds and rain are needed to widely nourish the land. The same principle applies [to us]. In our present era, in this evil world of Five Turbidities, human minds are already in the era of Dharma-degeneration. They have no Dharma. Already, in people’s minds, there is no concept of moral principles. Past moral values have gradually been forgotten by people in the present day. This is dangerous! This is a crisis for humanity.
It is as if the human mind experiences a drought. What does land in a drought look like? Land in a drought looks like what we now often see in news footage. In many countries, the land is cracked. The entire land is cracked in this manner. This is because there is no water. The farming of grains and vegetables has halted. No one can continue to farm, because without water, they cannot plant any seeds. In the world around us, we can see what a lack of water does to the land. Those droughts can be compared to how our minds are in drought. When we lack moral principles, that is like having no water to nourish our minds.
Therefore, our minds, the land of our minds are also experiencing drought, a disastrous lack of water. The Dharma enters people’s hearts but is unable to nourish them, because this Dharma-water in their heart has not been truly absorbed and applied. If, when we hear the Dharma, we can take it in and apply it, then this land has water to nourish it. However, if there is no Dharma, the land experiences drought. Even if there is water, even if it rains, when water conservation is not done right, once the rain has fallen, the water will just run off. The land will still be just as dry; [the water] cannot be utilized.
This is similar to us humans. Although we keep listening to the Dharma, we do not retain it in our minds and fail to apply it. When we come back to the reality of people and matters, our minds again become disrupted. There is still no Dharma-water nourishing the fields of our minds. If we think everyone else is wrong, that only we are right, if we make others look bad and only want to beautify ourselves, such a world is like just having a bucket of water and looking after one pot of flowers without realizing that outside the pot everything is in drought. We only tend our own flower pot. The outside world is in a drought, and there is no water. In a few days, the water in the pot will dry up. The lack of water in the pot will be even more severe than that of the land. The flower will wither in its entirety.
As humans, our perspectives are very shortsighted. We should know that the entire land is in drought. The land needs rain and dew to nourish it. What this means is that everyone needs this. The Dharma is not for us to hoard for ourselves. It is not enough for us to know the Dharma, escape cyclic existence and eradicate afflictions. In fact, the Dharma is for all people to have in their minds. We must all eradicate our afflictions and change our afflicted and mistaken mindsets. Only then will society and the world benefit as a whole. If we want to say how to eliminate disasters, what we need to do is for all sentient beings to create blessings. We must create blessed karma together in order to eradicate disasters in the world. This means we need clouds and rain in the sky in order to nourish the land. When the entire land is nourished by rain, the grains and plants on this land can be revived and provide for the world. This is a true principle.
We can not just look after ourselves, [thinking]. “It’s enough that I listen to the Dharma.” How much of the Dharma we hear can we actually apply? Just changing our own habitual tendencies is already very difficult. We are very stubborn. We are never able to make our minds open up a bit more, expand a little wider to accommodate others. We all have strengths and weaknesses. If we can magnify people’s strengths a little and minimize their weaknesses, we can get along with each other. This is benefiting people. When everyone puts their strengths to use everyone can be beneficial and useful for society and for other people.
If we only display our own strengths and magnify other’s weaknesses, as one individual, even if we have great strengths, we still only have two hands. What can we actually accomplish? So, we should minimize other’s weaknesses and minify other’s strengths. When all of us make use of our strengths to together give of ourselves for society, we will be able to truly benefit people. So, it is important to benefit other people. This means we must form great aspirations and make great vows.
The Buddha taught the Great Vehicle Dharma to guide us toward the path of the Great Vehicle, to help us open and expand our minds and pave a broad, direct, great Bodhi Path for everyone to walk together. This was the Buddha’s goal in teaching the Lotus Sutra. The Buddha always wanted to help us all believe that we can attain Buddhahood. He therefore started to bestow predictions of Buddhahood, one after another. This began in the Chapter on Parables, where Sariputra received a prediction. Then in the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions, four other disciples received predictions. In the Chapter on 500 Disciples Receiving Predictions, 500 people, or 1200 people, received predictions. Next, those at and beyond learning were about to receive predictions. Ananda represented those who were at and beyond the stage of learning. Now, the Buddha had bestowed predictions on Ananda, so next, many people would receive predictions. Ananda was the Buddha’s attendant. Ananda himself was very humble, hiding the Great and revealing the Small. He had yet to attain the fourth fruit, because he needed to stay by the Buddha’s side and attend to the Buddha’s daily needs. However, everybody knew him. Many people had already had their names called to receive predictions from the Buddha, but [at that time], Ananda had not yet been called. The Buddha had not yet opened His mouth to call out Ananda’s and Rahula’s names. They were both the Buddha’s close relatives. In the Sangha, they were also well-respected and loved by all. Among the disciples, among the fourfold assembly, they were most respected by all. Why had they not heard the Buddha bestow predictions on them?
The Buddha knew everyone was very sincere. With sincere hearts, they wanted to know Ananda’s and Rahula’s [future]. At the same time, they wanted to learn about their own futures. So, the Buddha began to bestow predictions on those at and beyond the stage of learning, starting with Ananda. In the previous sutra passage, Ananda was introduced. He had now received the Buddha’s prediction, with the epithet Mountain-Ocean-Wisdom Free and Unhindered Buddha. Ananda’s epithet had already been determined. His future world had also been determined, named “Forever Upright Superior Banner.” What about Ananda’s lifespan as a Buddha? His lifespan in the future will be incalculable, impossible to measure. This was what the Buddha said. This Buddha’s lifespan will be incalculable; we have no way to measure this lifespan which is countless billions of [kalpas]. This represents how the principles have no end and no beginning. There is no number [that can describe this]. So, it is said to be countless billions of kalpas; this is impossible to calculate. This symbolizes how the principles exist forever. I always want everyone to make sure to remember this. When we listen to the Dharma, we cannot just listen and let it pass by. Ananda represents the Dharma-treasury. Ananda represents all the true principles. The Buddha has already said that Ananda is the one who upholds the Dharma and the Dharma-treasury. So, the Dharma is everlasting.
Ananda had listened to it and understood it, so he got to hear this prediction. The Buddha also mentioned the karmic affinities between Ananda and Himself. Whey will Anand have such a long lifespan after attaining Buddhahood? What karmic conditions will allow him to be replete with the 30 Marks and looks so dignified? Why was Ananda’s awakened nature so bright? Why could he gain respect from so many people and be loved and admired by them? Everybody had this question for the Buddha, hoping He would share Ananda’s karmic conditions. Although nobody opened their mouth [to speak], the Buddha knew everyone’s intentions, so He started to talk about Ananda and Himself, about their causes and conditions. They were not just closely related in this [life]. Actually, countless, infinite kalpas ago, they were already Dharma-relatives. They were fellow learners, fellow practitioners. But these fellow practitioners upheld different practices. Ananda rejoiced in hearing the Dharma, but Sakyamuni Buddha’s practice at the beginning was the practice of diligence, of actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions. They were practicing in the same training ground, but their aspirations differed and their order [of attaining Buddhahood] differed.
This is just like now; there are so many of us all here in one place, practicing in one spiritual training ground. Each of us has different habitual natures and different capacities in our spiritual practice. This principle is the same. This is in the previous sutra passage. “Upon hearing the predictions, they rejoiced”. Everyone who heard the predictions, especially Ananda, upon hearing [felt], “Oh, how joyful!” Firstly, he rejoiced over his deep karmic affinities [with the Buddha]. It turned out hat, countless kalpas ago, he had been the Buddha’s fellow practitioner. He had formed aspirations at the same time as the Tathagata, and they had practiced at the same time, in the presence of Emptiness King Buddha. So, Ananda rejoiced! Second, he rejoiced over his exceptional fruition. When he attains Buddhahood in the future, His lifespan as a Buddha will be very long, spiritual and his land will be very pure. It will eternally be very clear. The era of Right Dharma will be very clear and will last a very long time, double the length of His lifespan. This is the era of Right Dharma. What about Dharma-semblance? In the same way, time will pass and the length of Dharma-semblance will be twice that of Right Dharma. In this way, the Dharma will be continually passed down. So, Ananda was very joyful.
In fact, these came from the truth of the supreme meaning which is empty and without substance or form. Even the length of his lifespan goes back to the truth of the supreme meaning, which is the principles. His lifespan comes back to the principles, to these very profound principles. Right Dharma is everlasting in the human realm. It is just that the human mindset is gradually covered by ignorance. We gradually become surrounded by ignorance. Actually, the principles of the truth of the supreme meaning will always exist in the human mind. It is just that they are without shape or form. If someone asks where True Suchness is, I tell everyone that True Suchness is the truth. Where is the truth? We cannot see it. But for things that have been created, if we analyze them, don’t they all contain principles of matter? They all [contain] principles.
Thus, we need to experience and analyze many different principles that bring many different materials into existence. Within all material objects, there is one common thing, called “principles”. Principles and truths exist [in them]. In the same way, if we could fully comprehend the principles, [we could be like] Ananda, attain Buddhahood and have an infinitely long lifespan, countless billions of kalpas long Right Dharma and Dharma-semblance would also exist forever, it is just that, in our minds, we have habitual tendencies. As we engage in spiritual practice, we must cultivate our minds so that those habitual tendencies, our habitual nature, can be corrected. We can then [reach] our awakened nature. Our awakened nature naturally returns to the ocean of wisdom, unlocking the wisdom within us. Then, no matter what we see, nothing will go against our wishes. The people, matters and things we encounter will not make us give rise to afflictions. This is what an awakened person is like. They have nothing but compassion for all beings. these issues are unrelated to us, yet our hearts go out to all suffering beings. these are the great principles of unconditional loving-kindness and universal compassion. So, the Buddha always rejoices and willingly gives with great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy and great equanimity. This is how He goes out to serve among people. This is the principle. So, we must be very mindful.
The previous sutra passage says, “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.’”
In “Ananda and others, the word “others” means that it was not just Ananda. There were also many other people. This included Rahula, as well as several thousands of the people who in the future. Were at or beyond the stage of learning, those who were waiting to receive predictions. in the past, there was not only Emptiness King Buddha. there were also Burning Lamp Buddha, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, the Sun Moon Lamp Radiant Buddhas [etc.]. for all these many Buddhas from the past, in their places of practice, you and I, all of us, may have been there. We may have lived in those Buddhas’ times. So, in this sutra passage, the Buddha said, “I and Ananda and others were in the presence of Emptiness King Buddha. “Others” here means that many people had such causes and conditions.
In continues, saying, “At the same time, we formed aspirations for Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Ananda always took delight in hearing all, while I always diligently advanced. Therefore I have already attained. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”
Everyone, we must be mindful! Ananda ”always took delight in hearing all.” He was very happy to listen to the Dharma. But Sakyamuni Buddha always diligently advanced. Therefore, He has already attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. They formed great aspirations at the same time, the great spiritual aspirations attaining supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment. This was [the Buddha] and Ananda. Although He said “with Ananda and others, this speaks of Ananda in particular. In the presence of Emptiness King Buddha, they formed aspirations at the same time, aspirations for Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. This is the great spiritual aspiration to attain supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment.
As the same time, we formed aspirations for Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: At the same time, they formed the aspiration to attain the great Bodhi-path of supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment.
Although they practiced at the same place, there were still many people who remained within the Small Vehicle Dharma. But in the presence of Emptiness King Buddha, at that time, there were two who, at the same time, formed Great Vehicle aspirations. One was Sakyamuni Buddha, and the other one was Ananda. Ananda was happy to hear the Great Vehicle Dharma and wanted to form Great Vehicle aspirations. But when Sakyamuni Buddha heard the Great Vehicle Dharma, He immediately, in addition to feeling happy, put it into practice, practicing the Six Paramitas in all actions and diligently advancing. So, Emptiness king Buddha was a Buddha that Sakyamuni Buddha met three great asankya kalpas ago, a Buddha He encountered. From this we know how He had been practicing Sakyamuni Buddha, three great asankya kalpas ago, was practicing in the spiritual training ground of that Buddha called Emptiness King Buddha.
Emptiness King Buddha was a Buddha Sakyamuni Buddha met three great asankya kalpas before. Forming great aspirations at the same time means they were fellow practitioners. They formed the same aspirations, but the way they put them into practice were different. At that time Ananda took joy in hearing all, while [Sakyamuni] always diligently advanced. Ananda and [the Buddha] formed great aspirations at the same time. They were fellow practitioners in the presence of Emptiness King Buddha and simultaneously formed aspirations. They were fellow practitioners who simultaneously formed great aspirations and truly cultivated the Dharma. But putting teachings into action and listening to the Dharma are different . by putting the teachings into action, one attained Buddhahood earlier. For the one who just listened to the Dharma there, it will still take a very long time before he attains Buddhahood. According to the prediction of Buddhahood that the Buddha bestowed on Ananda, it will still be a very long time in the future before Ananda can attain Buddhahood. Think about it, three great asankya kalpas ago, two people simultaneously formed great aspirations. Although they formed Great Vehicle aspirations, one just wanted to hear the Great Vehicle Dharma, took joy in hearing the Great Vehicle Dharma, while the other put the teachings into practice, actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions. “Ananda [took delight in] hearing all, while [Sakyamuni] always diligently advanced.”
Ananda always took delight in hearing all, while I always diligently advanced: Ananda was joyful in nature and always took joy in hearing all and in taking in the Dharma, while I always practiced diligently and rigorously advanced by carrying out the Dharma and upholding it.
Back then, “At that time, Ananda took joy in hearing all, while [Sakyamuni] always diligently advanced.” This was three great asankya kalpas ago. Ananda’s disposition was like this. He just loved listening to the sutras. He abided in the Dharma; he “took joy in hearing all and in taking in the Dharma.” He just loved listening to it. After listening, all the Dharma entered his heart and was stored in his mind, just like Ananda [in the Buddha’s time]. Ananda was always the Buddha’s attendant, and all the words spoken by the Buddha were stored in his mind. He took in the Dharma. Now, [Tzu Chi volunteers] like to say, “We take in the fragrance of Dharma.” Indeed, we listen. As we listen, the Dharma becomes our own. We take this fragrance that comes from the outside and take it in. Naturally, [with fragrance] on our bodies, when we go out, others can smell it. “Hey, why is there such a fragrance on your body? Is it the fragrance of jasmine? Is it the fragrance of magnolias?” It depends on what flowers we are perfumed with. When we are permeated, naturally we are fragrant. The principle is the same. Ananda constantly took the Dharma to heart, but he did not put it into action. So, three great asankya kalpas ago, Emptiness King Buddha’s teachings stayed in Ananda’s mind. Now, Sakyamuni Buddha’s teachings were also retained within Ananda’s mind. So, in the future, there will still be a long time when he needs to put them in practice. Once replete with affinities with sentient beings, he can then attain Buddhahood.
This is just like Maitreya Bodhisattva, who [also] practiced with Sakyamuni Bodhisattva in the same lifetime. In Amogasiddhi Buddha’s time, the two of them were fellow practitioners. One practiced diligently and received predictions from Amogasiddhi Buddha first. In the future, the first to receive predictions and attain Buddhahood was Sakyamuni Bodhisattva. Next, it will be Maitreya Bodhisattva. He will follow after Sakyamuni Buddha. He will be Maitreya Buddha. This is because Maitreya Bodhisattva took joy in hearing much Dharma and in cultivating wisdom, but His affinities with sentient beings were not ripe. Sakyamuni Bodhisattva’s affinities with sentient beings were ripe because he had practiced diligently and had gone among people to transform sentient beings. He was replete with affinities with all beings. Thus, Sakyamuni Buddha received the prediction to attain Buddhahood sooner than Maitreya Buddha. This principle is the same.
So, Ananda just listened to the Dharma. [It is not enough] to just listen to the Dharma; we must put it into action. So, “while I always practiced diligently and rigorously advanced” speaks of Sakyamuni Buddha. Ananda was just listening to the Dharma while [Sakyamuni] was diligently advancing. It was just like Sakyamuni Bodhisattva and Maitreya Bodhisattva. Sakyamuni [Bodhisattva] practiced diligently and went among people to form good affinities. So, Sakyamuni was the first to receive predictions of Buddhahood. “Hearing all” means “he attained the words of Emptiness King Buddha”. Ananda heard all. As Emptiness King Buddha taught the Dharma, he was very joyful and kept absorbing it all.
Hearing all: He attained the words of Emptiness King Buddha. Thus he was strong in discussion but weak in self-cultivation. So, he still lingered at the causal door. Advanced diligently: He attained the wisdom of Emptiness King Buddha and engaged in all actions. He was replete with all virtues, so He ascended to the stage of fruition.
“He was strong in discussion” His strength was that he always listened, so he enjoyed debating with people, discussing the Buddha-Dharma and its meaning. His weakness was in self-cultivation. He was not good at going among people or at practicing diligently. This was his weakness. His strength was listening to the Dharma and using the Dharma to debate with people. This was his strength. His weak point was in self-cultivation. “So, he still lingered at the causal door”. He was still at the causal [door], still cultivating the causes. He had yet to attain the fruit. To attain the fruit is to truly attain Buddhahood. This is called attaining the fruit. At this moment, he was still at the causal ground, and he still needed to practice. Only by going among people to form affinities with sentient beings can he attain Buddhahood. Diligently advancing means [Sakyamuni] attained the wisdom of Emptiness King Buddha. He was able to diligently advance. At that time, Sakyamuni heard Emptiness King Buddha’s Dharma, but he did not just rejoice. He was able to understand the Buddha’s intent and comprehend the Buddha’s wisdom. When we began, in the Chapter on Skillful Means, the Buddha kept [praising] the Buddha’s wisdom, [saying] we must comprehend the Buddha’s intent in order to comprehend His wisdom. At the time when Sakyamuni Buddha practiced in the presence of Emptiness King Buddha, He listened to the Dharma. He had already attained Emptiness King Buddha’s wisdom then. He comprehended the Buddha’s original intent. So [while listening], He also engaged in actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions by going among people. “He was replete with all virtues.” His special strength was to cultivate all virtues. He cultivated merits internally and practiced virtues externally. So, among people, “He ascended to the stage of fruition.” Because of this, he has attained universal and perfect enlightenment.
“Therefore, I have already attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.” Sakyamuni Buddha, the Tathagata, “single-mindedly and diligently” advanced with whole-hearted resolve.
He was always diligent. He diligently went among people and diligently actualized the Six Paramitas in all actions. Therefore, “He attained Buddhahood before [Ananda]”. Everyone, in spiritual practice, we must listen to the Dharma. But after listening to the Dharma, we must put it into action. We just listen, debate and talk about it but do not cultivate that sense of virtue. We only put effort into taking in the Dharma but do not whole-heartedly go among people. [This is like] taking care of our own flower pot but not caring about the drought that is affecting the entire land. We need to nourish the fields of everyone’s minds. This is what we must learn Sakyamuni Buddha took care of Himself but at the same time cared even more for others, for all sentient beings in the world. Thus, He Himself attained the benefit of the Dharma-water nourishing the fields of His mind, and He also took this Dharma-water to nourish the minds of all sentient beings in the world. This is Sakyamuni Buddha’s virtue and the fruit He attained. So, we must all always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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