Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Practicing the Lotus Sutra to Approach Nirvana (修習法華 得近泥洹)
Date: December 06.2017
“Working the dry earth without stopping refers to entering the ground of dry wisdom. By continuing to work, we progress gradually. The moist earth is a metaphor for hearing the Prajna teachings. Reaching the mud is a metaphor for hearing the Wondrous Lotus Sutra.”
We must mindfully seek to comprehend this passage. In our spiritual practice, have we truly attained wisdom? Listening to the Dharma is all about being able to unlock our wisdom. In the past, we were foolish. From the moment we are born, we spend our lives among other people and become defiled by the afflictions and ignorance of the world. We just drift with the currents. This is how we live out our lives. Now that we have heard the Buddha-Dharma, the principles of life, we must open up our minds. We must not merely focus on our own self-interest. We now understand that if we care only about our own self-interest, we will inevitably take issue over things and stir up conflicts. This will cause us many afflictions. Therefore, we need to have clear understanding. Thus, we need to seek the Buddha-Dharma, open up our minds and let go of our view of self. We need to learn to accept [the Dharma] and, just like the Buddha, realize the true principles of the universe. In interpersonal relations, we need to learn how to be accommodating of other people and how to be of service to others.
This is how we Buddhist practitioners learn the principles through people and matters. But if all we know about people and matters is, “I know, I know! Life is impermanent. I know that I must not take issue with others. I will just focus on my own self-awakening!” then it is as if we are standing on a high plateau, trying to dig a well. But as we dig this well atop the high plateau, all we see is dry earth. We put in a lot of effort, but the soil is still completely dry. This is like how, when we learn the Dharma, at the start we work very hard. In term of people and matters, we attain comprehension of birth, aging, illness and death. [We learn about] the Eight Sufferings of life, birth, aging, illness, death, parting with those we love, meeting those we hate, not getting what we want and the raging Five Aggregates. Together, these make up the Eight Sufferings.
Even in a single human lifetime, no one can escape from these Eight Sufferings. Now we know that there is no end to this; [it will last] countless lifetimes. In particular, we understand that if we increase our ignorance, in our next life, we may not be born human; in our next life, we may be born as animals. We have all seen what it is like to be an animal. The animals we can see in this world have no control over their lives. They are hurt and slaughtered by people on a whim. This is life in the animal realm. These living creatures are also sentient beings. Some people are born into hardship and suffering, as if in a hungry ghost realm in this world. We often see such situations. This world has so many poor, suffering nations. Aside from poverty, people there experience natural disasters, manmade calamities, starvation and so on. [Those places] are like hell on earth or like a hungry ghost realm on earth. This is all outside of our control. We thoroughly understand this, so we decide to engage in spiritual practice. Only through spiritual practice can we cultivate human and heavenly blessings or attain liberation from cyclic existence.
Those who cultivate human and heavenly blessings only know they should create blessings and have no interest in learning the Buddha-Dharma. They have no interest in listening to the Dharma, so they do not wish to join the community of Buddhist practitioners. They only listen and learn from the outside. Being outside, they know they need faith. “A family that accumulates blessings will have abundant fortune.” They take this in, so they are willing to engage in practice. Thus, they worship heaven, the gods and the earth; they keep worshipping. They are also willing to do some minor good deeds. However, they have not entered the Buddha-Dharma. They have not taken it to heart or understood it. Some people worship and feel, “I am a Buddhist. I worship the guardian god of this land and the god of the city. I worship the spirits. I worship…” and so on. They pray to all the gods they know, thinking that by praying to these gods the gods will protect them, bless them etc. This is seeking human and heavenly blessings.
If what we want is to transcend cyclic existence, we know we [need to learn] the principles of the Buddha-Dharma. However, we only seek to benefit ourselves without caring for others. We each reap the fruits of our individual practice. This is “working the dry earth”. Atop the dry earth of a waterless, high plateau, we constantly dig into the earth, hoping to reach water. This is like entering the ground of dry wisdom. Although we work very hard and attain some wisdom, this wisdom is very superficial. We do not have water to nourish us. We have the seeds of wisdom, but without water to nourish them, our seeds of goodness and wisdom cannot develop. We need the causes of wisdom before our blessed conditions can sprout froth. We need to cause of wisdom and the conditions of blessings to converge [to realize] the true principles. However, if we merely cultivate wisdom without cultivating blessings to nourish others, we will be stuck there in the dry wisdom. This is known as the ground of dry wisdom.
As for working continuously, true Buddhist practitioners diligently listen to the teachings and then mindfully take them to heart. By doing so, we already understand our direction. We know that in order to reach water, we have to go where there is an aquifer. Only there will we be able to find water. If we remain atop our high plateau where there is no water and keep working hard and putting in effort only to benefit ourselves, that is like digging for water in dry earth. We lack a direction. We must have a direction and put our heart into advancing toward it. We need to work hard and earnestly serve others. Through gradually progressing, we will [eventually] see moist soil. As we move in the right direction toward the aquifer, we will start to see moist soil. Once we see moist soil, we know there must be water down below. This is an analogy for “hearing the Prajna teachings”. Once we arrive at the state of Prajna, the state of true wisdom, we learn that everything is empty. What human or heavenly blessings can we seek? They do not exist! What self is there to free from cyclic existence? If we have yet to eliminate our afflictions and harbor afflictions and our own attachments, as we make these efforts, how can we possibly realize the true principles? We have yet to empty ourselves [if the “self]. Although we have heard the Prajna [teachings], we have not yet let go of our view of self.
We have already heard the Prajnaparamita Sutra. However, our sense of “self” still remains. True prajna means emptying ourselves of everything. Once we reach the state of true emptiness, even our sense of self disappears. In this state of prajna with no self, we no longer act for our own sake. Instead, we work to benefit everyone in the world. This is selflessness, having no self-interest. Rather than seeking to benefit ourselves, we seek to benefit the world. We seek peace and liberation from suffering for all sentient beings in the world. We do not seek this for ourselves. We have already reached a state without the view of self, of people or of lifespan. When we no longer have any of these, we have truly entered the state of the prajna of true emptiness.
So, when it comes to “working,” we have started to put effort into [digging] above the aquifer. When we see moist earth, it is like having entered [the teachings of] the Prajnaparamita Sutra; we have obtained wisdom. However, merely finding wisdom is not enough, so we must continue digging deeper. This is because with this wisdom, we understand true emptiness. But true emptiness contains “wondrous existence”. Once we can [understand] wondrous existence, this means we are about to reach pure water. The purifying quality of this water can wash away all afflictions and defilements. So as we continue to dig beyond the moist earth, we will find mud. When this mud starts to appear, we know that right beneath it is pure water. “Reaching the mud” is an analogy for already having heard the Wondrous Lotus Sutra. [The lotus] grows from the mud yet is not defiled. This pure water [underneath the mud] is the Buddha-Dharma that we must seek. So, [practicing] the Buddha-Dharma in the world, we must be very mindful. If we only practice the Small Vehicle Dharma for our own sake, if we only practice limited teachings, but hope to obtain great benefits, that will not be possible.
During the Buddha’s lifetime, as He taught the Dharma to His disciples, He taught them using analogies. The Buddha told His disciples of how, in the distant past, there was a very poor person. Although that person was very poor, he still had a little bit of money that he had earned through labor. He had only this small amount of money, but he saw people from wealthy families, very rich families, with great amounts of money. Through his own work, he could only earn a little. He kept thinking to himself, “If I compare my few coins to the kind of money those people have, it is truly too little. With so little money, what is the point of keeping it at all?” He was about to throw it into the [river] when a person who was nearby quickly stopped him. He said, “Why do you want to throw your money into the water?” He replied, “This is so little money. Look! Others have so much! They are so rich! How can what little I have compare to theirs?” The person next to him then told him, “Even though your small amount of money cannot compare to what those rich people have, this small amount of money can still sustain your life for several days. How can you simply throw it away?”
The Buddha stopped there and said “People in this world are just like this. Some people are very ignorant. They hear the Buddha-Dharma and know that the Buddha-Dharma is good. They are even willing to become monastics. But when they leave home to join the Sangha, they expect to be like everyone else. They expect to be like the virtuous practitioners who receive abundant offerings from lay devotees. Having become monastics, though they need not worry about food, the offerings they receive cannot compare with those received by eminent monks of great virtue. People’s reverence toward them and the offerings from the lay devotees cannot be compared to their own. The difference is still great. Thus, they say, ‘Here in the Sangha as I engage in spiritual practice, I feel that I am still not equal to others’”. The Buddha stopped here and said, “This is ignorance. Your mind is full of afflictions. You have yet to attain virtue, yet you already think of comparing yourself to people of high virtue. Their high virtue comes from earnest practice; they have eliminated the afflictions in their minds. They manifest a virtuous appearance and demonstrate virtue in their practice. Thus, they receive the respect from people who frequently request the Buddha-Dharma. So of course the offerings and respect they receive from people will be different! One’s virtue must be cultivated through diligent spiritual practice. In order to attain the virtue of wisdom, we must eliminate afflictions at all times. Only by cultivating blessings and wisdom will we receive offerings from others”.
The Buddha said these words to help his disciples understand, to help them realize that blessings and wisdom are accumulated over many lifetimes. They cannot simply form aspirations to join the Sangha and then compare themselves to seasoned practitioners. When they constantly compare themselves to others, they are like that ignorant person who could only earn a small amount of money from his work. When they enter the Sangha, they need not worry over getting food to eat. They no longer need to labor out in the world. They do not have to worry about their three meals; 1000 households can provide rice for their bowl. But if they have not yet engaged in practice and still desire respect and offerings from people, they are like that foolish person. Whether they are lay practitioners, ordinary people who know little of the Dharma, or [monastics] who have entered the Buddha’s door and practice in the Sangha, if they are only practicing for themselves, then they are all ignorant. We have now entered the Buddha’s door and diligently engage in spiritual practice. We look only at this lifetime, without any thought of our countless past lives. How much wisdom have we actually cultivated? How many good connections have we truly formed? We only know about the present; we do not know the past. Thus we should be content with what we have and focus on the present. We must earnestly do what is right. This is what is meant by “working”. We must work diligently and gradually draw near [our goal]. As long as we have the right direction, we will draw closer, step by step. Naturally, as we advance through the Agama, Vaipulya and Prajna [teachings], we realize that we need not take issue over worldly matters; we know that life is painful and short. In this life, we learn how to obtain wisdom from the Dharma, and we obtain our blessings by going among people. By cultivating good affinities among people and obtaining wisdom from the Dharma, we cultivate both blessings and wisdom. This is how we can gradually advance. Only then can we advance from the moist soil to reach the mud. We can then dig even deeper to reach pure water that can nourish the land. This water enables seeds of goodness to grow into a forest of merits and virtues. We need to follow the principles in this order.
As Buddhist practitioners, this is the kind of faith and patience we need. We need a pure mind to explore the Dharma. The Dharma is inseparable from worldly phenomena. Isolating ourselves from the world to seek the Dharma is like seeking fur on a turtle’s shell or horns on a rabbit’s head. Can fur be found on a turtle’s shell? Can horns be found on a rabbit’s head? We will never find such things! We must [seek things] according to the principles. All living beings have their own principles. In this universe, all things have their principles. They must follow their own principles and their own laws. This is our true direction in learning the Buddha’s teachings.
The previous sutra passage says, “He continues to work without stopping”. On that high plateau, he digs a well in search of water. It is a place without water. He wishes to find water in a place like this, but he is still very far from it.
This is what the previous [passage] says He continues to without stopping until he begins to see moist earth, and gradually reaches the mud. In his mind, he is certain that water must be close. Bodhisattvas are also like this.
“He continues to work without stopping.” He is digging for water on a high plateau, continuously digging, working very hard. He must know that as he continuously digs downward, he is digging in the right direction. Once he has found the aquifer, “He begins to see moist earth.” Searching continuously, he keeps [digging] through the dry earth until he finds moist earth. He has now seen moist earth. He “gradually reaches the mud”. He gradually starts to see mud, which means there is water. “In his mind, he is certain that water must be close.” He knows that the water is now close. “Bodhisattvas are also like this.”
Digging a well is like this. First we see mud, then we find water. This water is not yet clear; it is very muddy. So we must continue to dig down until we reach clear water, until the water we draw up is clear. This is how it works when digging a well. [The water is found] underground. So if we need water, we need to work very hard for it.
The next sutra passage continues with, “As for those who have yet to hear and understand and have yet to be able to practice and learn. The Lotus Sutra, you should know that these people are still far from Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”
We already know this. if we have not yet heard this sutra, the Lotus Sutra, or having heard it, if we have not yet understood its meaning, this shows that we still lack dedication. We must put our heart into our spiritual practice and absorb the principles of the Lotus Sutra. We have not genuinely absorbed [its teachings]. We have yet to do this.
So, people like this are still lacking in dedication. As a result, they still have afflictions; they are not yet free from afflictions. It is as if they are on that high plateau; they are still at the ground of dry wisdom. They only understand worldly matters. They completely understand these. With suffering, causation and cessation, they know they must seek the Path. However, they merely understand suffering and the causation of suffering. They do not know the way to seek the Path. So, how can we bring cessation to our afflictions? We still harbor afflictions as we engage in spiritual practice. This is like digging for water on a high plateau. We still have afflictions to eliminate, so we are not able to attain liberation.
“You should know that these people are still far from Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Thus you should know that” we should know that, these people are still far away from the state of perfect and universal enlightenment. “Just like seeing only dry earth” means that it is still a long way to the aquifer, that it is still a long way to perfect and universal enlightenment.
“Just like seeing only dry earth” refers to when we first begin to put effort [into our spiritual practice]. We only understand suffering and causation, that is all. How can we reach cessation? The direction of the Path us still unclear to us. so, at this point, we have [only] entered the ground of dry wisdom. We understand worldly matters and firmly believe in the suffering, emptiness and impermanence of the world. We understand these very well.
However, when it comes to bringing to cessation the source of the accumulation of suffering, how do we follow this Path? The direction is still unclear to us. thus we are still stuck on the dry earth. We are still far away from water. Since we are still far away, we need to move closer. By using this analogy, we are able to understand.
Still being far bur drawing nearer is an analogy for knowing that only through this sutra can we attain the Three Wisdoms of perfect contemplation and draw near to the fruit. This is not the listening, contemplation and practice of the Agama, Vaipulya and Prajna teachings.
Just like the Buddha said to His disciples, we must not underestimate small [accomplishments]. At the beginning, we must take the first step. With our tiny virtues, to compare ourselves with those of great virtuous conduct would be foolish. So, we monastics who have entered the Buddha’s door should earnestly engage in spiritual practice following our rules. We must not compare ourselves with others. We each have our own causes and conditions. Other people have the causes and conditions that they created in their past lives. Thus, in their relationships with others they will have good affinities. However, our own affinities with people are still very far from theirs. So we must be even more earnest; we must form good affinities with people. We must seek wisdom from the Dharma and seek blessings among people, by going among people. Among people, amidst [all kinds of] afflictions, we will have a way to experience and converge with the Dharma. This is something we must put our heart into experiencing. If we [study] the Dharma in isolation from people, we will never truly experience it. This is like seeking pure water in the dry earth; it is simply too far away. This is because we are not going in the right direction; while there is water underground, we are not [digging] toward the aquifer. So we must continue to work. To find which direction the water is in. Then we will naturally reach moist earth and mud, and digging deeper, we will find water.
Therefore, once we understand worldly matters, once we perceive the matters of the world and clearly understand the Four Noble Truths, we must begin to use methods to attain cessation. The method we must use to eliminate suffering is following “the Path”. [Following] this path requires the two feet of blessings and wisdom. We must be replete in both of these [to follow] the path that has been paved for us. We need to put our heart into this. When the Buddha taught the sutras, He always taught them to us simply and clearly. A man worked hard for a small wage and, comparing himself to rich people, wanted to throw what little money he had away. At that moment, someone advised him, saying, “Although this is a small amount, you can sustain yourself with it for a while”. This is the correct [mindset]. Without an understanding of the Dharma, one who is in great difficulty might compare himself to one who is wealthy. How can he make such a comparison? The idea is the same. So, as we enter the Buddha’s door we must gain thorough understanding. We must be clear on all worldly phenomena. We cannot treat the Buddha-Dharma carelessly; we must be very diligent. So, for us who want to learn the Buddha-Dharma, [the Buddha] used worldly phenomena to help us see. From these worldly teachings, we must return to the true principles of the Buddha-Dharma.
To speak about this is simple, but it is not so easily accomplished. Therefore, we must be mindful; we must work hard. On the high plateau, we already have dry wisdom, so we should know by now that we need to [dig] in the right direction. It is only through “this sutra” that “we can attain the Three Wisdoms of perfect contemplation”. “This sutra” refers to the Lotus Sutra, which encompasses the Three Wisdoms.
The Three Wisdoms: [Wisdoms from] listening, contemplation and practice. Wisdoms from listening is wisdom that can be attained from listening to the Buddha-Dharma. Wisdom from contemplation is wisdom that can be attained from contemplating the principles of the Buddha. Wisdom from practice is wisdom that can be attained from diligently practicing meditation and Samadhi.
Are you all familiar with the Three Wisdoms? They are listening, contemplating and practicing. Wisdom from listening is wisdom that arises from listening to the Buddha-Dharma. By listening, we will be able to realize and understand. Thus, wisdom from listening is wisdom attained by listening to the Buddha-Dharma. Wisdom from contemplation [comes from] contemplating the Buddha’s true principles. We must put our hearts into thoroughly understanding His principles. In this way, we will be able to grow in wisdom. If we listen to the Buddha-Dharma but do not retain it, we will only understand worldly matters. If we have not taken the Dharma to heart and then carefully contemplated it, we will thus never be able to attain true wisdom. So, we must engage in contemplation. [We must] listen, contemplate and practice. So, “wisdom from contemplation” is “wisdom that can be attained from contemplating the principles of the Buddha”. Wisdom from practice comes from diligent practice. With diligence, we must practice meditation and Samadhi. Meditation is cultivating skillful contemplation. Through cultivating contemplation, we gain Samadhi. Like this, [we develop] the wisdom of Samadhi. This comes from listening, contemplating and practicing. We listen to the Dharma and attain wisdom. We must then engage in mindful contemplation. After contemplating, we must put the teachings into practice. We must follow the Buddha-Dharma’s guidance and engage in practice accordingly. So, within the Buddha-Dharma, this particular sutra encourages us to go among people. We must follow the Buddha’s teaching, walk the Bodhisattva-path and not isolate ourselves from sentient beings. We must go among people and exercise the Six Paramitas in all our actions. These are the Three Wisdoms.
This sutra contains the perfect teachings. We must put in diligent effort. “Contemplation” is observing our thoughts and diligently engaging in contemplation. Only in this way will we draw near the fruit. We must mindfully [learn] the Lotus Sutra. “This is not the listening, contemplation and practice of the Agama, Vaipulya and Prajna teachings.” Not only with the Agama [teachings] but also with the Vaipulya and Prajna, we must listen, contemplate, and practice. But if we stop there, we will deviate in our direction. We will lean toward “existence” or “emptiness”. Coming to the Lotus Sutra, “existence” and “emptiness” are brought together. Wondrous existence is found in true emptiness; existence and emptiness form a complete whole. This means that we must not be attached to the law of cause and effect of the Agama and just stop there. We need to continue forward toward the Vaipulya, which broadens our minds. Then, we must enter the Prajna where we understand that everything is empty. Impermanence, suffering and emptiness all become clear to us. This is “listening, contemplating and practicing”. We need to understand this and not become stuck at that stage.
“As for those who can listen, contemplate and practice, you must know that they can draw near to Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi”.
That is what the sutra passage goes on to say. “As for those who can listen, contemplate and practice…. This is just like what was said previously, “When it comes to all the Tathagata’s teachings,” we need to mindfully “contemplate, examine and remember them without forgetting and continue to work without stopping”.
We must be extremely mindful in comprehending this. After listening, we have taken in the teachings. How will we know which direction to take in the future? The direction we must walk in is the one that the Buddha taught us, so we must examine [His teachings]. We must “remember them without forgetting and continue to work without stopping”. This is like building a road. First, we need to take measurements. From our current position, we must be aligned to the state of Buddhahood. To align with the state of Buddhahood from the ground of unenlightened beings, we need to take careful measurements. We must truly bear in mind and contemplate, over and over, the teachings we have heard in terms of our lives and the lives of sentient beings in this world. We all need to examine these things mindfully. The Buddha-Dharma is more than words on paper. It is not just something we hear and leave in our mind. We need to apply [the Dharma] to the world; this is the true direction of the Buddha-Dharma. So, we need to examine it and remember it without forgetting and continue to work without stopping. We must work very hard so that in our perspectives, we keep the Buddha-Dharma in our lives. It is our wisdom-life and what we [must] contemplate. We must experience and comprehend it in the world. So, if we are able to do this, “You must know that [we] can draw near to Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi”.
You must know that they can draw near to Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi” Gradually seeing the moist earth and mud refers to reaching Nirvana, which is also called “cessation and deliverance”. It means a complete cessation of afflictions and deliverance from samsara.
We need to practice like this, keeping our direction aligned. By hearing, contemplating, our direction will be correct. Like this, we will be able to examine [the world]. We can examine everything in the world. Then we will comprehend and understand. This must be our direction, to [relieve] the suffering of all beings with the heart of the Buddha. How can we dedicate ourselves among people and understand their suffering and afflictions? This is where we must unlock our wisdom and refine ourselves. This is our direction.
“[He] gradually sees the moist earth and mud.. the mud represents Nirvana. Nirvana is also called “cessation and deliverance. There is suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. We need to attain cessation of all suffering. This applies not just to our own suffering. We need to eliminate all the various kinds of suffering from afflictions and ignorance in life. Sentient beings’ afflictions five rise to ignorance. As ignorance multiplies, the world cannot be at peace.
So, in terms of the “self,” we must think of “the greater self,” not “the limited self”. We must practice toward this “greater self” and not cling to our “limited self”. This is how we can reach cessation and deliverance and truly cease the world’s suffering. This is a state of clarity and tranquility. This is where we must put in our efforts, in seeking to benefit both ourselves and others. We must cease our own suffering and also the suffering of sentient beings. The complete cessation of afflictions means completely eliminating our own afflictions, while also seeking to eliminate the afflictions of all sentient beings so that they can be completely pure. So they become absolutely free of afflictions.
So, deliverance from samsara is represented by the mud. The mud [symbolizes] having attained liberation. Liberation means “They can draw near to liberation Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi,” which is “supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment”. Having attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi mean having already awakened and realized the Path. Awakening and the realization of the Path are represented by the mud. It is also called Nirvana, or “cessation and deliverance”. This is supreme, perfect, universal enlightenment. This is Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
Dear Bodhisattvas, as Buddhist practitioners, we must not be Bodhisattvas in name only. We must be Bodhisattvas who put the teachings into practice and benefit others. As we ourselves engage in spiritual practice, we must not do so just for our own benefit; we also need to benefit others. We must not merely seek to bring peace to our own surroundings but to benefit the entire world so that everyone can be peaceful and at ease. Only then will there be true harmony on earth, a pure land in the world. We truly need the Dharma-water to cleanse our hearts. Our wisdom-life is still very dry, so it needs the constant nourishment of Dharma-water. [To find] Dharma-water, we must work hard before we can absorb it and nourish our wisdom-life. This all depends on us, so we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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