Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Making Offerings and Spreading the Lotus Sutra (供養諸佛 弘通法華)
Date: October.20.2017
“All Bodhisattvas make offerings not just to one Buddha or one land but to Buddhas as numerous as dust particles with their body, life, wealth and all kinds of items of offering.
This is discussing the offerings made by all Bodhisattvas. Beginningless kalpas in the past, they formed vows and aspirations to serve sentient beings, to seek the path to Buddhahood and transformed sentient beings. Thy make offerings to all Buddhas, infinite numbers [of Buddhas]. “Making offerings” refers to practicing giving, forming vows and aspirations and serving others. In spiritual practice, we must give of ourselves, complete dedicating our bodies and life. The body is a vessel for spiritual cultivation. Lifetime after lifetime, since we have this body, we should completely dedicate our bodies and lives to constantly seeking the Buddha-Dharma and the true principles and to constantly serving sentient beings. This is “making offerings”; it is the practice of giving.
This practice of giving is not temporary; it is not just for one lifetime, but something we must do for countless lifetimes. So, it is “not just to one Buddha or one land but to countless worlds and countless Buddhas. For the 2000 disciples, when the Buddha bestowed predictions on them, He used the number of dust particles from 50 worlds being ground to dust, with each particle corresponding to one land, to indicate the great number of Buddhas they will need to make offerings to. So, there are not just one Buddha and one land. There are countless Buddhas who appear in the world. Over infinite lifetimes, [the disciples] must our the teachings into action by practicing giving and making offerings, seeking the path to Buddhahood, practicing the Buddha-Dharma and serving sentient beings. This is what t means to be a Bodhisattvas.
Life after life, Bodhisattvas keep returning to this world to use all their strength in serving others. So those who can “make offerings to Buddhas as numerous as dust particles are Bodhisattvas. It is not just to one Buddha in one land; they must make offerings to Buddhas as numerous as dust particles. Each speak of dust corresponds to a land, and each land has a buddha. If we count them like this, we will see what the Bodhisattvas must do.
So, “With their body, life and wealth….” They completely devote their bodies and lives. They are willing to offer their lives, so what about material things? These too are offered; they give them freely. The sutras, the Jataka Sutra or the sutra about the karmic conditions of the Buddha and His disciples, all these sutras contain. Many stories of causes and conditions. This shows that spiritual practice requires a very long time. We must realize that when we completely devote our bodies and lives in giving to others and walk the Bodhisattva-path life after life, this process will ultimately lead to Buddhahood. Yet, this will take a very long time. So, walking the Bodhisattva-path is very important.
Every day, [we can look back] at history. On this day in past years, what were we doing then? Let us take a look. On May 30 in the year 2000, on this day [in history], a hospital in Ethiopia that we helped [renovate] and expand started operations. This was the Debre Birhan Hospital in Ethiopia, which had been built in 1935. This country was extremely impoverished due to constant civil war. The people had no livelihood, so their lives were very hard. The provincial government was building a hospital since many years, but they would keep interrupting the constructions due to lack of funds. This continued until Tzu Chi, working with Medicine Du Monde from France, helped them finish the hospital construction. It was completed on May 30, 2000. When we saw them at the opening ceremony, everyone was very joyous. Everything we helped them construct was what they needed the most, an operating room, a maternity ward, a blood bank, an examination room, hospital beds etc. This provincial hospital was servicing 180,000 people in the surrounding area, and yet the hospital only had 70 beds. Its construction had been ongoing for many years, but it had never been completed. So, Tzu Chi helped them finish it. This happened on this day in history. When they opened the hospital, it was very bright and beautiful and everyone was very happy. This happened in Ethiopia. It was a bid event, which brought much joy to the people there.
Also in Turkey, [an important event] happened on this day. It was last year, in 2015. We went to Turkey to help them set up a school for Syrian refugee children so that they would be able to attend school. Tzu Chi volunteers went from Taiwan to Turkey. They saw the schools there, the schools we provided, and how these children were able to happily go there to study. With sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness. Tzu Chi volunteers with their genuine love very naturally brought this love into [this community]. Whether facing adults or children, refugees or locals, they are always very warm and friendly. With this sincerity, they made both Turkish people and refugees, families who had fled disaster to come to Turkey feel a deep-seated sense of trust and gratitude. In their interactions, everyone was very joyful. From that point on, we began to understand these refugees’ situation. Their suffering is truly unbearable. The [Turkish] people are very sincere; they are willing to take in these refugees and give of themselves for their sake. So, they knew that they must not only help these children go to school, they also felt that for these people, getting sick was their most grievous hardship. If they needed to see a doctor, they had no money. Even when a doctor would see them for free, there was still a language barrier. And even if they did manage to communicate, after seeing a doctor, they still needed money to buy medicine. Of course, they had no money for medicine. The government was at a loss. How were they to look after the health of these refugees.
The mayor proposed a program. He was willing to help them and hoped that Tzu Chi could assist. He said that he wanted to help, and that he had found a space for us. It was a house that belonged to a friend of his who was willing to rent it out to Tzu Chi for just a symbolic amount. He was also willing to remodel this building so it could be used as a clinic. So he started discussing with us and provided us with this news. We too felt that, indeed, there is no suffering in life worse than illness. These refugees had already suffered enough in fleeing [the civil war], and on top of that they suffered from illness without access to medical care. What could we do? Upon receiving the mayor’s proposal, Mr. Faisal Hu passed his message along to us. We were very happy to hear this. We were willing to help them provide medical treatment there, but when it came to doctors, we had to ask them for help to find some. In the end, this was not difficult. Actually, as it turned out, in this refugee camp, there were many doctors who were also refugees. Some were professors of medicine and some were superintendents of hospitals. Some doctors were even in charge of running networks of hospitals. They had all become refugees. When they heard we wanted to provide medical care and were hiring doctors to care for these patients, many doctors suddenly emerged. They were willing to accept Tzu Chi’s offer of employment. Although their salary was minimal, they were willing to accept it. They said that taking care of their compatriots was what made them most happy. They too had fallen into hardship. Being refugees in a foreign country, they too experienced great difficulties. So, they were willing to accept this [job].
So now, in May [of 2016], the clinic in Turkey has already opened for operation. A few days ago, we saw the doctors smiling as they donned their white doctor’s coats again and picked up their stethoscopes to see the patients. The patients were grateful, and the doctors were very happy. This was another international event in May, which we can add to this month’s rich history.
This is why we say, “Every month contains the history of the world; every day contains the history of Tzu Chi.” The people are Living Bodhisattvas. Wherever there is suffering, Bodhisattvas will promptly appear. There are such causes and conditions. Syrian refugees have had their fill of suffering, freedom damager to come to Turkey. This country, Turkey, was able to open its heart wide and accept those who had the causes and conditions to arrive in this city of Sultangazi. The person who gave Tzu Chi this opportunity was Mr. Faisal Hu. He is a Muslim, but he has these causes and conations to have formed a deep affinity with Buddhism. For many years, He has been serving people in Turkey. This time, with these unfortunate Syrian refugees coming to that place, he saw a great opportunity. We were able to help thousands of people. It must be over 2,000 families and children that we were able to serve. Now, we again had this opportunity. This mayor is very compassionate. Although he follows a different religion, he is also an awakened sentient being who was able to open his heart. People with wisdom will exercise their compassion; Regardless of religion, they are willing to work together with us and provide resources to help the refugees.
Indeed, this is what marks a Living Bodhisattva. Our karmic conditions are different, with different circumstantial and direct retributions, but our causes and conditions could converge in the time and space of this world, enabling us to help each other. Actually, this is not a simple matter. This is due to the power of love. This is what it means to be a Bodhisattva, to be an awakened sentient being.
When we help others, [we know that] everyone possesses Buddha-nature. Regardless of our ethnicity, we all have a nature of True Suchness. In this life, someone may be a Syrian, but in a future lifetime, he might be Taiwanese. In the cycle of life and death, we are reincarnated according to our circumstantial retributions. So, we must all help one another. This is what it means to be a Bodhisattva. This is what it means to make offerings. In their current situation, they are in need. They will also be Buddhas one day, so whatever their need now, we must quickly go help them. This is practicing giving. Practicing giving is also called making offerings. Making offerings to Buddhas is done by seeking the Dharma. We must be respectful and make offerings with utmost reverence, make offerings in accordance with the teachings. We need to transform sentient beings. Sentient beings intrinsically have Buddha-nature. It is just that due to karmic retributions, they fall into places of suffering. Bodhisattvas must quickly give of themselves to help these future Buddhas, these sentient beings who are suffering right now. These are the offerings that Bodhisattvas make. We must not stop at one Buddha or one land. It is not only for one Buddha or for beings of a single country; [our offerings] must reach a vast number.
Ten or twenty years ago, we went to Ethiopia. The hospital I just spoke about was the second project we worked together on. We completely rebuilt that provincial hospital. The precious time, we likewise went to a very desolate area, a very rural area, to help them build health centers and health clinics. We likewise went there to serve. In addition to building two health centers, we also helped them train their nurses in how to prescribe and apply medicine. We also built 15 health clinics for them. That was in 1993. It was the first time we collaborated with Medicines Du Monde, and it was the first time we went to Ethiopia. We helped them by building two health centers as well as 15 health clinics. In this way, since early on, we have been serving [there]. This is making offerings by helping others; we serve them by relieving their hardships. At that time, in many villages, we built water stations. They had no potable water, so we helped them build water stations. What they needed, what they lacked, we helped provide to them. Whatever hardship they were suffering, we always helped them. This is not just in one country; in many countries, when people are suffering, we can go there to serve, to help them.
Thus, we can “make offerings to Buddhas as numerous as dust particles.” There are so many people we have helped. There is no way to count then all or to divide them by ethnicity or religion. They are all people. They are all future Buddhas. Everything we are able to give to others is considered offerings. It is not just about prostrating to the Buddha and making offerings [to Him]. “I engage in spiritual practice before the Buddha and respectfully give [to Him]. This is making offerings.” This is not it. There are always many opportunities to and there are so many things we can do. So, as long as we are willing to put [the teachings] into practice, we will be able to reach any place, no matter how far away. Then, our footprints will be preserved in history.
For example, on the screen we saw Mr. Andy Hsu. He also went [to Ethiopia]. Mr. Xie Jinggui also went there, as did Mr. Xu Xiangming. We could name many others who have left their footprints in history out of willingness to serve. So long as we are willing to serve others and take action by going to these places, isn’t is this dedicating our bodies and lives? They dedicate themselves and even pay themselves as they keep going back and forth to these very distant places. They go not once, but many times over. Thus, [they make offerings] “with their body, life, wealth and all kinds of items of offering. Some people hear this [and think] that being a Bodhisattva means sacrificing one’s life. Really, to dedicate one’s life is very simple. When we make use of this life to turn our bodies into vessels for spiritual cultivation and use our strength in the service of others, this is dedicating our lives! This is very simple. Willingness to make use of our physical abilities and to go out to help others is what makes someone a Bodhisattva. And so, if people help us with something, we will say, “Bodhisattva, thank you!” aren’t they making an offering of their energy? They are using their vitality to help us in this way. Indeed, [they are Bodhisattvas].
Yesterday, this Bodhisattva from Hualien all gathered together here. In this place, they shared everything that they have accomplished of late. I was so happy listening to them; I reveled in this [atmosphere] of Bodhisattvas. Every one of them is a Bodhisattva who uses their sincerity to help those in suffering. They go three times a week to the prison in Hualien to teach the Dharma and help [the inmates], they also go to juvenile detention centers to aid [the youth] and keep them company. In the remote countryside, they find ways to look after the seniors etc. There is nowhere they will not go. So much love of this world is found in the se Tzu Cho volunteers’ every action. They give of their time and give of the power of their love. By serving others like this for such a long time, they are accumulating countless [merits]. Aren’t they “as numerous as dust particles”? “As numerous as dust particles” means that if we tried to count every instance one by one. If we wanted to say, “I have formed affinities with this many people” or “This is how many people I have helped,” the number would be impossible to calculate. We [have helped so many in this life], not to mention life after life; isn’t that making offerings as numerous as dust particles? There is no falsehood in this; it is the truth. If in this way we tried to count [the good deeds] done in just a single day by all Tzu Chi volunteers around the world, how many have they accomplished? It is incalculable. All at the same time, we are working on earthquake relief in Ecuador, while in Sri Lanka, we are launching [flood relief] efforts.
Moreover, in Canada, we ae still engaged in [wildfire relief]. Isn’t this a great number of people engaged in helping others? In a few days, we will begin large-scale relief for [the drought] in Vietnam. We are making preparations right now. In a few more days, [our volunteers] will set out to go to Vietnam. There are so many different countries where we have already accomplished a great deal. In the present, we are continuing our work. In the future, we will continue without rest. We must prepare to set out on new journeys. You see, in this space, at this time and in our interactions with others, we are constantly making the offerings of Bodhisattvas. If we look at things from this perspective, as we listen to the Dharma, we can attain a very clear understanding. Otherwise, as we listen to the Dharma, it will go in one ear and out the other. [When we hear things like] numberless dust-inked kalpas of time, Buddhas as numberless as dust particles” or “dust-inked kalpas of lands”, as these things real or are they false? If we seize the present moment and, based on the present, contemplate past, present and future, we find there is never a “present”. What we call the present has already passed; the present is [already] the future. We must utilize all these countless moment to give of ourselves and accomplish [our practice]. Think about it, aren’t they like dust particles? With time as dust particles, can’t we second by second accomplish [offerings to] countless people and matters? So, we must have faith [in the sutras].
The previous sutra states, “The Buddha told Medicine King, ‘After the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, if there are people who hear the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, even one verse or one phrase, and give rise to a thought of joy, I also bestow on them predictions of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.’”
Here, Sakyamuni Buddha is explaining to Medicine Bodhisattva what will happen when the Tathagata enters Parinirvana. Before, He talked about when He was in the world. As long as people are willing to form aspirations, with this thought, there is a seed. This thought of joy when we hear even a single line or verse, whether we wish to uphold it or rejoice in it, it all becomes seeds. Those who do this will have the karmic conditions to gradually come to know the Dharma, enter into it and put into practice among people. Because they will have this opportunity, the Buddha bestowed predictions on them. It will be the same in the future for one who hears a sentence or a verse and gives rise to a thought of joy, the Buddha also bestowed predictions of Buddhahood upon such future sentient beings.
Thus, more than 2000 years ago, the Buddha already bestowed predictions upon us. See, we are now also listening to the Lotus Sutra. We have not merely heard one sentence of it; we have already gone though ten chapters. Who knows how many lines we have heard. Whether prose or verse, we have heard them all. Does this bring joy to our hearts? We should be very joyful. I myself am very joyful. I trust that more than 2000 years ago, I also received the Buddha’s predictions for the future, which is now the present. We should have faith in this. This is what the Buddha said in this sutra passage. If future sentient beings are able to listen to the Lotus Sutra, even one sentence or one verse and give rise to a single thought of joy, for people like that, He also bestowed predictions. This confirms for us we have already received predictions of Buddhahood. So, we must be even more earnest and have even stronger faith.
Next, [the sutra] continues, “Furthermore, if there are people who accept and uphold, read and recite, explain and transcribe even one verse of the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, reverently viewing this sutra as the Buddha….”
It further speaks of people who in the future accept and uphold, read and recite and explain [this sutra]. This demonstrates their faith. After listening to this sutra, they give to faith and understanding. In their hearts, they have faith, so they are willing to accept and uphold it. If they have the sutra in front of them, they open it and read it, or else they recite it from memory.
“Furthermore, if there are people who accept and uphold, read and recite [and] explain [this sutra]: With faith, they accept and uphold the teachings. If they have the sutra, they open it and read it. Without the sutra, they recite it in their minds. They explain the sutra according to its meaning.
Each day, as part of our morning lecture, everyone is already engaging in recitation. Whether chanting mantras or reciting sutras, many people come to know them by heart. If we are less familiar with them, we need the sutra text to read until we know it very well. This is learning by heart and reciting in our minds. We always hold them in our hearts. If I ask you about the Heart Sutra, could you recite it from memory? Of course! It is only [260] characters long. How could we not be able to recite it? If you have not recited it aloud yet, you recite it in your mind and contemplate it inwardly. This is what it means to recite in our minds. Reciting it oneself, so no one can hear, that is reciting in one’s mind. “They explain the sutra according to its meaning.” [This means] they understand it. “I am very familiar with this sutra. I can read it, recite it and explain it.” They can explain the sutra according to its meaning. Moreover, they “transcribe even one verse of the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, reverently viewing this sutra as the Buddha.” Not only must we accept, uphold, read and recite, we must also earnestly transcribe this sutra. This is how we reverently view this sutra as the Buddha.
Transcribe even one verse of the Wondrous Lotus Sutra and reverently view this sutra as the Buddha: This is transcribing this wondrous sutra in paper. Even if it is only a single verse, they revere the sutra highly, regarding it as the Buddha Himself.
When we transcribe it, as we form each character, we do so with reverence from our hearts. As we copy each word, we learn it by heart. As we write it, we come to understand it. So, as we transcribe the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, in addition to helping our memory, other people will see us as we write it, which allow us to transmit it. So, using a clean piece of paper to write on, we copy down this sutra. Even if we copy down just one verse, meaning four lines, as we write each verse down, we must be very reverent. When the ancients copied the sutras, they were extremely reverent. They would sometimes even pierce themselves and use their blood as ink to write down the sutras. Thus, they literally dedicated their body to ensuring that this sutra could be transmitted. This was the reverence with which they transcribed the sutras. We must write each line with deep reverence. We must respect this sutra. We must be as reverent as if the Buddha Himself were before us.
This Dharma is the Buddha’s Dharmakaya, so we must treat the sutras as if. Whether the Dharma is, the Buddha is there also, so we must be filled with reverence. “This first explains that they accept, uphold and make offerings to this sutra, if even a single verse of it.” This is due to “compassionate vows in past lives”.
This first explains that they accept, uphold and make offerings to this sutra, if even a single verse of it, due to compassionate vows in past lives. Accept and uphold: This means that with faith they accept and uphold the meaning of this sutra in their hearts and never forget or lose it.
We must be willing to mindfully accept and uphold this sutra. We must earnestly protect this sutra. We must not only preserve it but also mindfully and reverently transcribe it. In our past lives, we made these vows ad formed aspirations to spread this sutra. so, to “accept and uphold” means to faithfully accept and uphold the meaning of this sutra in our hearts. We have already vowed to accept and uphold it for lifetime after lifetime. Our wish is that in the course of our lives, we will not forget this sutra. This is not just in this life; [we hope that] in future lives, we will also have the conditions to encounter this sutra. When we see this sutra, we become especially joyous. We want to have it, understand it. And explain it. This means that in our lives. It has made a deep impression, not just in this life but in our future lifetimes also. In our past lives, we formed a lasting affinity with this sutra. Since dust-inked kalpas ago, since the 16 princes’ Dharma-assembly, we have this enduring affinity. This is why, in this present time and place, we can expound and listen to the Lotus Sutra. Simultaneously, in differing countries, we are all listening to Lotus Sutra. This is all due to our karmic affinities.
And so “After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, people who properly engage in these six kinds of practice are called Dharma teachers.” “Six kinds of practice” refers to “accepting and upholding, reading and reciting, chanting, explaining, transcribing and making offerings.” These are the six kinds of practice.
We accept and uphold, read and recite [it]. “Chanting” refers to singing [the text], singing it in a loud voice. Then there is explaining, transcribing and making offerings. These are the six kinds of practice. Thus, we do not stray from this Dharma. Whether we are accepting and upholding it or reading and reciting it, this all effective. When we chant it loudly, the sound of it fills the air. At the beginning of the “Chapter on Dharma Teachers, [it mentions] 80,000 Bodhisattvas, including the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. If we chant each line loudly and clearly, the right classes of Dharma-protectors will hear, and this will bring them great joy. Each line and each verse bring its own merits and virtues. So, when we chant them, our voices should be loud and clear. This also brings merits and virtues. One who is replete with the six kinds of practice is what we call a Dharma teacher. Chanting in a loud voice as if teaching to the Dharma-protectors is something that brings merit and virtue.
Reading and reciting: Reading this sutra aloud. Chanting: Reciting it and taking it to heart. Explaining: Elucidating and expounding it. Transcribing: Copying, inscribing, printing and circulating the sutra and so on.
Once again, when we read and recite, we must do so with a resounding voice. When sone people read the sutra, they do not wish to read it aloud. But actually, when we read aloud it is like teaching the Dharma to the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. This is because while our minds are focused on reading out the sutra, they also clearly comprehend the Dharma in it. This is our state of mind as we teach the Dharma. We must “read this sutra aloud”. There is also “chanting” when we do not have the sutra text, we use our memory to chant it aloud in a resounding voice. Wherever we are, anywhere and everywhere, the eight classes of Dharma-protectors will hear us. We also do this for ourselves, so that we are able to take the Dharma to heart.
“Explaining” means elucidating the meaning of this sutra. When everyone is listening together like this, we must seize this opportunity to explain it. Then, there is “transcribing, which is either writing, engraving or printing the sutra to circulate it.
We need to be very dedicated in making offerings in many different ways. What should we use to make an offering? We use “flowers, perfumes strings of jewels, scented powders, fragrant oils, incense, silken canopies, hanging banners, clothing and music or even putting our palms together in reverence.”
These are ways to make offerings. As Buddhist practitioners, we can make offerings in many different ways to give wit sincerity from our hearts. Even putting our palms together is a kind of offering. We make offerings, prostrate and so on, not to mention our daily morning recitation. So, when we are earnestly mindful, everything we do becomes an offering.
There are five ways to teach the Dharma. The first is accepting and upholding the sutra. The second is reading the sutra. The third id reciting the sutra. The fourth is explaining the sutra. The fifth is transcribing the sutra. These are the five was to teach the Dharma. These five represent ways that we can advance the Lotus Dharma. They are all ways to teach the Dharma.
If no one accepts or upholds it, the Lotus Sutra will quickly disappear. If no one reads or recites it, there will be no way to understand the Dharma. We must read, recite, and explain the sutra so we can ensure that it is passed down. This is very important these are the five ways to teach the Dharma and advance the Lotus Sutra. I hope that we can be mindful in doing this. I hope that as Buddhist practitioners, we will have the mindset of making offerings in every situation. To male offerings is to practice giving, giving to other with utmost reverence. The Dharma the Buddha taught is for us to put into practice. It is not just for us to recite, to listen to or to seek. He gave us this Dharma for us to put it into practice and to give of ourselves for others in this world. We should seek the Buddha- Dharma and take it to heart; we should transform sentient beings, putting the teachings into practice. In this way, we always be making offerings, to past Buddhas as well as future Buddhas. We should make offerings to the people right before our eyes, for they can all attain Buddhahood. In sum, when we [make offerings] everywhere, we easily reach “as numberless as dust particles”. This means to every day practice giving and be reverent. So, we must all always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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