Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Making Offerings with Purity and Faith (法藏無量 專志精勤)
Date: October.06.2017
“The Tathagata-garbha contains an infinite amount of Buddha-Dharma, as numerous as the Ganges’ sands. We must be diligent in learning the Buddha’s Dharma-treasury, the principles and essence of True Suchness, so we can enable sentient beings to quickly enter the Dharma-treasury and reach the other shore. The Tathagata-garbha contains more Dharma than the amount of sand in the Ganges. This is called the Buddha’s Dharma-treasury.”
I hope you can all understand this. The Tathagata’s Dharma-treasury, the Tathagata-garbha, is True Suchness. It is the true principles. So many times, I have spoken to you all about the Tathagata-garbha, and I hope you can all continue to deepen your understanding of it. True Suchness is the true principles pervading the universe. These true principles are stored within our minds as well as within [everything in] the universe. This is what we call the Tathagata-garbha; it is the true principles. “The Tathagata-garbha contains an infinite amount of Buddha-Dharma, as numerous as the Ganges’ sands.” Everyone [should] understand this. There is infinite Buddha-Dharma contained within. We should be very clear on this. As long as we very diligently [enter] the Buddha’s Dharma-treasury, [we find] the principles and essence of True Suchness.
We frequently discuss how everyone intrinsically has a nature of True Suchness. You have probably all wondered, “Where exactly is this True Suchness? Truly, where in our body, in which organ, does this True Suchness reside?” There is no answer to this question! Even if we dissect the entire body, we will never be able to find this True Suchness. True Suchness is the true principles. We [must be] extremely diligent; our minds must be focused without distractions, we must be unfailingly diligent, and our will to practice must be firm. With focus and a firm will to practice, we will give rise to deep faith in the Buddha-Dharma. With deep faith, naturally we can begin to understand where to find the Buddha’s Dharma-treasury. If we expand our view, it is everything in the universe. If we bring it back, it is our nature of True Suchness. This is the Buddha-Dharma. “The Buddha’s Dharma-treasury is the principles and essence of True Suchness.” I hope everyone can mindfully comprehend that the essence of the principles is to be found right here.
Ananda safeguarded and upheld the Dharma-treasury. The Dharma-treasury is True Suchness, and True Suchness is the Dharma-treasury. They are one and the same; they are the principles and essence of True Suchness. Principles have no form and leave no trace, yet they pervade the universe and exist everywhere. This is the nature of true principles. Thus, “We can enable sentient beings to quickly enter the Dharma-treasury and reach the other shore.” If we can all diligently [enter] the Dharma-treasury, we need to merely dance around the subject or become trapped in [the discourse of] the Dharma. Actually, the Buddha-Dharma is for us to put to use by practicing it in our daily living, when we go out among people and in [caring for] our own minds. It helps us be constantly vigilant and reverent. In our daily living, it constantly reminds us to “refrain from all evil and do all that is good.” It constantly reminds us that all things are impermanent and that we need to seize the moment to practice diligently. We must seek to comprehend this and be diligent. Once we understand all these principles, we will all seize the present. [In fact], there is never a “present” because the present disappears with each passing second. It is forever passing, passing, passing us by. So, our life is in the “past”.
But at all times, at this “present moment,” we must seize the time right now. As we listen right now, in this instant, if we do not take a phrase to heart, it too will pass us by. In terms of time and space, although we are still sitting in this place, time has continued to flow past us. The Buddha-Dharma is rare to encounter. Now that we have heard it, if we take it to heart, whatever we encounter in our daily living, [we can say], “Oh, this is Dharma!” The Dharma accumulates bit by bit over time.
Take the Tzu Chi Monthly magazine as an example; reading the first issues we published, we can see that each issue was filled with [donor’s] names. [Some donated] five dollars, some just two or three dollars, but it all added up. Most people are only aware of the bamboo bank era and the [daily] fifty cent donations. They never saw these donations of two dollars, three dollars or five dollars in the monthly magazines’ donor records. In the beginning, we reported every [donation] this way to have something to provide verification. From the earliest [donor list] in the magazine all the way to [the present] bamboo banks, [the donations] have accumulated little by little. Is it difficult to contribute such a tiny amount? No, not at all. Everyone is able to do it. Even for people in great hardship, when the take a bamboo bank, they too are able to accumulate [money to donate]. The amounts they contribute are not small!
An example is Mr. Yang in Taichung. He was actually our one of care recipients. He was not very old, only in his 40s or 50s, but he had severe diabetes. He lived by himself, and his diabetes became so severe that his feet had to be amputated. During that time, he suffered unbearably! That was in 2008. Then Tzu Chi volunteers discovered his case and started to help him. They only gave him NTD 3000 a month, but this man truly knew gratitude. He felt that when he was in his time of greatest suffering, Tzu Chi volunteers not only gave money each month, but more importantly frequently went to chat with him and encourage him, to offer him companionship and provide daily necessities. He felt that the NTD 3000 was a lot. “You came here to care for me, and I always had everything I needed. I am so grateful!” He gradually recovered his health, and once he got a little better, he asked them to stop. In 2012, he said, “Please, please, stop my [subsidy]. Great effort went into obtaining this money! I want a bamboo bank, please give me a bamboo bank. I am going to start driving a taxi.” That was just what he started to do. He had a bamboo bank in his car, and as he drove every day, whenever he received NTD 100, he would quickly put NTD 10 into the bamboo bank. In this way, sometimes he could save more than NTD 100 in a day. Every month, he brought it to the Taichung Office. Every month, he gave at least NTD 1000, 2000 or 3000. Depending on his customers, he would also out in some extra. While he drove his customers in the taxi, he would tell them about Tzu Chi. He told them what Tzu Chi does to help people, and his passengers could feel a warm sense of community. This happened in Taiwan. In Taiwan, people like him, the rich among the poor, are quite numerous!
There are others [like him] in Malaysia. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, many people have adopted bamboo banks. When they wanted to build the Jing Si Hall in Kuala Lumpur, they brought the bamboo bank movement [from Taiwan] across the sea to [Malaysia]. In order to help build it, everyone took a bamboo bank. In this way they handed out “10,000 bamboo banks to enable everyone to give”. Whether wealthy or poor, everyone gave all the same. In particular, there was a school which was very special. Tzu Chi volunteers started to help the children of Indian descent in this school by paying part of their tuition or transportation fees and so on. At this school, the teachers started promoting doing good deeds as good educational [principle]. Thus, the children started using their small change to do good deeds every day. So, in this school, starting in 2014, the students began to put coins in the bamboo bank every day. There were ten teachers who had all the students in the school take turns managing the bamboo banks every day. They all took turns managing the bamboo banks. The students would carry the bamboo banks around so that everyone could put coins in them. They took turns doing this. The students were so joyful. Through the experience of helping others and doing good deeds every day, the quality of the education for all the students at the school completely transformed. Because all the children promoted good thoughts, they worked harder in their studies. The children from rich families and the foreign students from poor families, the Indian children, all got along very well. One student said, “Every day, I put in [one ringgit].” This is a child whom we had been helping. His one Malaysian ringgit corresponds to 10 Taiwanese dollars. He said that doing this is what makes him the happiest every day. At the Buddha Bathing Ceremony, people could “bring their bamboo banks home”. They used a giant urn into which they placed long pieces of bamboo with a very wide circumference, through which everyone could pour in [their donations]. Thus, as the bamboo banks returned home, in a very short time, this giant urn was filled up. This was all from small contributions. Each and every coin carried many stories and much love. Some of those children in the school came from very poor families, but [these families] were happy to help their children do good deeds. This was because Tzu Chi had helped their children afford the bus to school, have enough school supplies and pay their registration fees without issue. So, when they gave the children their allowance, they could use it to buy candy or put it into the bamboo banks; it was up to the children to decide. Surprisingly, the children would compete to do good deeds. They reduced their snack consumption and did more good deeds, and many of them adopted a bamboo bank. This is how they have expanded [this movement] in Malaysia. Both rich and poor have adopted bamboo banks. These bamboo banks are now very common in Malaysia. It is how the power of love can be gathered. Thus, “We can enable sentient beings to quickly enter the Dharma-treasury and reach the other shore”. This is also like Mr. Yang, who was able to [give back] so quickly. Although he was very poor, he was able to donate over NTD 1000 every month, sometimes more than NTD 2000 or 3000, into the bamboo bank. This was a person we had helped in the past. Still, his health was very poor, and he later passed away. He passed in early 2016. The most comforting thing for him was that, in his life, he met Tzu Chi volunteers who enabled him to do good deeds. Every day, as he drove his passengers, he would do good deeds. From 2012 until his passing, over those four to five years, he donated a total of more than NTD 100,000. This was how [his donations] accumulated. At the end of his life, he felt that he had no regrets. He was very joyful, for he carried this love, so much love, with him into the next life. I believe that this was his past life, that he has already returned to the world for his next life. With a joyful heart, he left the world, and with a joyful heart, he will return again.
[What we accumulate] in the past, present and future “can enable sentient beings to quickly enter the Dharma-treasury”. Didn’t he already enter the Dharma-treasury? His mindset was such that, although he was ill for the last several years, Mr. Yang still drove his taxi and still aspired to do good deeds. As for “reach the other shore”, at the end of his life, he gave rise to a joyful heart and “reached the other shore”. “The Tathagata-garbha contains more Dharma than the amount of sand in the Ganges”. Truly, everything in the universe is Dharma. in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, everyone can “teach the rich to aid the poor” and “help the poor to realize their riches”. This was how, by awakening the love in both the rich and the poor, they were able to build such a large spiritual center there. This time, when the bamboo banks full of coins were “brought back home”, [the volunteers] said it should be set aside for the Thrangu Tara Abbey in Nepal. This temple was damaged in the [Nepal] earthquake, so we adopted this temple in order to restore and renovate it. All this money, each and every coin, was set aside for Nepal, to renovate that spiritual practice center. Because of the earthquake, this temple was on the verge of collapsing. To be able to do this good deed, think about it, doesn’t this require “more Dharma than the amount of sand in the Ganges”? There is so much sand in the Ganges! This is all contained in the Tathagata-garbha, in the true principles. With the true principles of the universe, as long as we can, little by little, take this Dharma to heart, the power of small contributions can enable us to do [great] good deeds such as building a spiritual practice center. There are so many things we can do. Thus, “The Tathagata-garbha contains more Dharma than the amount of sand in the Ganges”. It does not matter how great the distance; Taiwanese [volunteers] provided relief in Nepal, and Malaysian [volunteers] also participated. So many countries came together to do this. This place, the Buddha’s birthplace, is actually a very small country. Yet there are so many loving people in the world who share the single thought to give of themselves for this country.
Thus, time, space and interpersonal relationships are all contained within the Dharma-treasuries of infinitely many Buddhas, within the true principles. Everything we do is in accord with the true principles. In our daily living, we must mindfully realize that everything is Dharma, that it is all Right Dharma. This is all what, during the Buddha’s lifetime, He taught us about going among people, forming great aspirations, transforming sentient beings and going out to help sentient beings. This is what we must work hard to do. We must put our efforts into every way that we can bring purity to people’s hearts.
So, the previous sutra passage says, “At that time, the World-Honored One looked to those at and beyond the stage of learning, 2000 in total. Their minds were softened, tranquil, clear and pure, and they single-mindedly observed the Buddha.”
The Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, at that time, after bestowing predictions on Ananda and Rahula, turned His gaze toward those over 2000 people. They were all filled with anticipation, wishing for the Buddha to bestow predictions on them. The Buddha understood the wish in their hearts. Thus, at that moment, Sakyamuni Buddha looked to “those at and beyond the stage of learning. Their minds were softened”.
Joy arose in these people’s hearts. In the past, they practiced only for themselves, but now they had formed great aspirations. They now wanted to go among people; they had formed this aspiration. Everyone’s mind was softened, tranquil, clear and pure. Their past afflictions were all eliminated, even their afflictions caused by [their attachment] to their limited self. Their afflictions and ignorance had all been eliminated. Their minds were as clear as a mirror, very pure and bright. “They single-mindedly observed the Buddha.” they watched the Buddha with a hopeful gaze. The Buddha also looked at everyone. They had all begun to form aspirations, because they had now all comprehended the Buddha ‘s intent.
The next sutra passage continues, “The Buddha spoke to Ananda, saying, ‘Do you see those at and beyond learning, 2000 in total? Yes, I already see them.’” The Buddha then said, “Ananda, all these people will make offerings to many Buddhas, Tathagatas as numerous as the dust particles of 50 worlds.
The Buddha called out Ananda’s name. “Ananda! Look, do you see this? look at these more than 2000 people.” Because Ananda was the Buddha ‘s attendant and would in the future compile the sutras, he needed to witness how this scene looked. So, the Buddha called Ananda to get this attention. “Have you seen these people, those at and beyond the stage of learning? Have you seen them? They are so many!” Ananda started to pay attention. “Take a look at these people.” Ananda replied, “Yes! indeed, I have seen them.” The Buddha again called out, “Ananda, all these people will make offerings to many Buddhas, Tathagatas as numerous as the dust particles of 50 worlds. Between the teacher and His disciple, one called out while the other replied. This was to let everyone, the more than 2000 people, know that the Buddha had begun to bestow predictions on them. Before these 2000 people at and beyond the stage of learning, in front of the entire Sangha, the Buddha asked Ananda [these questions] so that everyone would understand that the Buddha was truly beginning to bestow predictions. it was now their turn. This made them all feel relieved and joyful.
In front of the Sangha, the Buddha asked Ananda, “Do you see those at and beyond learning, 2000 in total?” we must know that for those in the Sangha who listened to the Dharma, one could only see their appearances and behavior. How could one know their thoughts? So, the World-Honored One asked this of Ananda.
“We must know that for those in the Sangha who listened to the Dharma, among the more than 2000 people listening to the Dharma, “one could only see their appearances and behavior.” When people looked [at each other], they could only see each person’s form and appearance. They only saw the external form. The Buddha wanted to help Ananda look [more deeply]. “Look at these people’s appearances; do you understand what is in their hearts?” so it says, “How could one know their thoughts? Do you understand their thoughts? He made this Ananda’s assignment. “Have you seen? Everyone’s face has a different appearance. Human minds differ as much as their faces. Actually, there are so many of us. Each one of us is defferent. When I see John Smith, I will call him “John Smith.” I will not call him “John Doe.” Everyone has their own name. however, common to us all is that the all have one head with seven orifices. The universe and its creations are wondrous. As humans, we all have the same basic features. The ears are at the eras’ position. The eyes are at the eyes’ position. It is the same for everyone. Yet, for some reason. John Smith looks like John Smith while John Doe looks like Jhon Doe. We can always clearly recognize each person. There are so many people, but we are all different.
Moreover, everyone’s mind is different. Some are both clever and wise. Some are clever, sone are wise. People with mere cleverness will keep taking issue with others. Thus they might harbor ill intentions. This means they take advantage of their cleverness. To do many things that are harmful to others as well as themselves. People who are clever like this will do things that harm others while not benefiting themselves.
Maybe, in a moment of greed, they use their cleverness to do things they thought would be beneficial to themselves, but they are willing to cause harm. And do things that hurt other people. They too are humans. However, some people are wise. In their wisdom, they are not concerned for themselves but instead always try to help others. Mr. Yang, whom we just mentioned, though he has already passed away, had a joyful and happy mindset. He was not very old, but he was very content, because he had encountered Tzu Chi volunteers who inspired love in his heart. For four or five years, he lived frugally every day, and by doing so, he was able to make monthly donations of more than NTD 1000, 2000 or 3000. Taken together, he was able to donate such a large sum of money. Furthermore, [while driving] his taxi, he told many others about the good deeds of Tzu Chi. Despite his physical illness and pain, he refused to say, “I am ill. You must come help me. You should come spend time with me and constantly give me things. I am disabled. Living like that is fine by me. No, he stopped [Tzu Chi’s subsidy]. “I can make a living. I can drive a taxi. Actually, although he was ill, he drove a taxi. He did not die from his diabetes but due to intestinal cancer. However, even with diabetes and cancer, he was willing to go out and drive every day. In this way, he could do good deeds, and he did not need to accept help from others. Isn’t this wisdom? Over four or five years of driving people in his taxi, how many good affinities did he form? The money he saved [totaled] more than NTD 100,000 which he donated to help others. You see, this is wisdom. With wisdom, we make good use of things. With cleverness, we use things negatively. Whichever way [we act], we are human but human minds and perspectives are different. This is what the Buddha wanted Ananda to see. “Do you see these people?” He reminded Ananda, “Look at these people’s appearance and disposition. Do you know these people’s thoughts?” This was what the World-Honored One asked Ananda, the assignment He gave him. So, Ananda replied, “Yes. Indeed, World-Honored One, I have seen them. I can see all of these people just as You are seeing them now. Everyone’s appearance is different. I also see the tranquil, clear, pure and softened minds of these people. I see this too.” So, he said “Yes, [I have seen them].” That was his answer. He answered very reverently. “I have truly seen them. I truly see that these people’s minds have been softened”. Not only did he see their appearances, but he saw that their minds were softened and that their minds were tranquil, clear and pure. They had eliminated their afflictions and ignorance. Their minds were reverent, sincere and focused. These people’s gaze was focused, and with reverent minds, they observed the Buddha. “The anticipation in their minds, I have seen this too.” This was Ananda’s answer. “All these people” refers to the 2000 Hearers. This was Ananda’s dialogue with the Buddha.
“I already see them” means [he could see that] “everyone was of one mind of pure faith.” Ananda could now understand this. He saw that the thoughts on all these people’s minds were the same; They had a mindset of pure faith. These people shared the same clear and pure thoughts. In the depths of their minds, they gave rise to faith; each one of them had very deep faith. Although everyone had a different appearance, they shared the same clear and pure mindset. Everyone had the same thought on their minds. The Buddha called to Ananda, “Come, look at these people’s appearances”. Ananda began to truly mindfully observe them. He could clearly discern [their minds]. This was how the Buddha trained Ananda. He had to be able to observe their appearance and know how to look at their form to trust their heart; by looking at their appearance, he could trust what was in their heart. This was the dialogue between the Buddha and Ananda. “[They] will make offerings to many Buddhas, Tathagatas as numerous as the dust particles of 50 worlds.”
[They] will make offerings to many Buddhas, Tathagatas as numerous as the dust particles of 50 worlds: From now on, they will make offerings to as many Buddhas, Tathagatas, as the number of the dust particles of 50 worlds.
Sakyamuni Buddha turned to Ananda started to openly tell these people that in the future, they will make offerings to so many Buddhas, Tathagatas as numerous as the dust particles of 50 worlds. Beginning from that time, they will need to practice under. “[Buddhas] as numerous as the dust particles of 50 worlds” if we ground 50 worlds into dust and then try to count the number of particles, would we be able to count it? It would be impossible. It is like the [kalpas] since Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, which are like many trichiliocosms ground to dust; that is the number. It is similar here, [where it talks about] “the dust particles of 50 worlds.” If [50 worlds] were ground to dust and we counted the particles one by one, that represents the extremely long time they will need to undergo, [learning from] Buddhas as numerous as dust. One grain of sand [corresponds to] one world and one Tathagata; this is how many there will be. “As many as the dust particles of 50 worlds”. That is many they will be, an infinite number. These people will need to practice for such a long time, for an infinite amount of time, before they can attain Buddhahood in the future. All of this will happen in the future. I always say to you all that each person is a Buddha. We must all treat others as Buddhas and make offerings to them. Because everyone is a future Buddha, right now, we must earnestly make offerings to these many future Buddhas. Take our Tzu Chi volunteers, the way they form this kind of aspiration. Even for our aid recipients, they always give their gratitude, respect and love. They bow deeply at the waist as they give of themselves to help them. This is making offerings to future Buddhas. This is not only happening in one place. Look at the many countries in the world.
Ecuador is an example. The (April 2016) earthquake wrought destruction throughout the country. Some houses crumbled into ruins, and there were piles and piles of rubble. Tzu Chi volunteers went to this country and began an effort there to help them quickly clear the rubble. The Tzu Chi volunteers are still there, leading a Cash for Relief program. After finishing work in one big city, they went on to a second city and continued the Cash for Relief program there. Some volunteers are from the united States, and some are from South America. The second team of volunteers is there, and now a third team may be going. [Helping Ecuador] does not only mean going there in person. We also had to prepare shipments form Taiwan. Those aid supplies are already in route. They are being shipped overseas to be delivered to the United States. From there, they will then be shipped to Ecuador. The journey across the vast ocean is very long. After passing the United States, when they arrive in Ecuador, they must further be transported by land. It takes more than 40days before they can arrive. Just imagine, as the goods depart from Taiwan, how many people’s came together for this! One group of people has gone to [Ecuador] to offer comfort and mobilize the people there. Now, the people there have even begun to adopt bamboo banks. It is their turn to promote the spirit of bamboo banks. As each small donation accumulates, they can help others in turn. As they teach and transform each other, over time, everyone accumulates good affinities. No one is unrelated to us; we are all interconnected. On a global level, this is how the power of love connects us all. Just imagine, forming affinities with Buddhas as numerous as the dust particles of 50 worlds, is that really something difficult? As we accumulate [affinities] wvery day, the most important question is always whether we have purified our minds. This is most important. Have we eliminated our ignorance? We must eliminate our ignorance and nurture our love’ love reminds us to ask ourselves, “Have we brought purity to our minds?” and when our minds are clear, do we always bear pure, faithful thoughts in mind? Making offerings to Buddhas is not difficult; everyone is a Buddha. the most important thing is to have a mindset of pure faith. Can we safeguard it? Can we uphold this pure, faithful mindset? This is our true spiritual practice. when we truly take the Dharma to heart, truly practice the principle of True Suchness is and the Buddha’s Dharma-treasury and take the principles and essence of True suchness into our hearts, only then can we truly very quickly understand these principles and transform from ordinary people into noble beings. [We must abide in] this mindset of pure faith. So, I hope that we can all always be mindful. “The Tathagata-garbha contains an infinite amount of Buddha-Dharma, as numerous as the Ganges’ sand. If we can deeply understand this, forming affinities with Buddhas is nit difficult.it is keeping a pure and faithful mindset that is more difficult. However, this depends on establishing our resolve and remaining focused without distractions. If we can do so, then attaining Buddhahood will not be difficult. So, we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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