Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Newly-Inspired Bodhisattvas Fear This Sutra (新學菩薩 聞經驚疑)
Date: December 11.2017
“In the past, the Buddha had not bestowed predictions upon the Hearers because the door was not yet open. The Hearers were alarmed, frightened, doubtful and afraid because they had not yet developed Bodhicitta. To these newly-inspired Bodhisattvas, the ultimate truth had yet to be revealed. They had now reached the true path of Bodhi leading to true and perfect enlightenment.”
From [the sutra text], we can understand that the Buddha had not previously bestowed predictions of Buddhahood upon the Hearers. This is because this door was not yet open. The Buddha observed their capabilities. The capabilities of sentient beings had not yet matured. So, He bestowed predictions on the Bodhisattvas; this door was not yet open. These people were still unable to comprehend the Buddha’s original intent, the Bodhisattva-path He safeguarded. This was because their capabilities and conditions had not yet reached [that level]. What about the Hearers? The Buddha could predict that if these Hearers were to hear that they all had to form great aspirations and walk the Bodhisattva-path, they would be scared and fearful and their minds would give rise to doubt. This is because these Hearers had not yet developed great resolve; they had not yet aroused their aspirations to seek the Great Vehicle Dharma. So it says, “They had not yet developed Bodhicitta.” This is because the Hearers, when it came to going among people to transform sentient beings, were still very fearful and afraid. After much effort, they were finally able to [use] the Dharma to personally experience how all the suffering in this world comes from giving rise to discursive thoughts and accumulating all sorts of ignorance and afflictions. After much effort, they now understood this. Having understood this, they had now finally put an end to their own afflictions and ignorance. They worried that if they were to go among people wishing to transform sentient beings, they might instead become contaminated by them. So, although the Hearers listened to the teachings, when it came to forming this aspiration, they still did not have much faith in themselves.
Therefore it says, “The Hearers were alarmed, frightened, doubtful and afraid.” This was because their aspiration to walk the path to awakening, to step onto the great Bodhi-path, this door in their minds, had not yet been opened. So, “To these newly-inspired Bodhisattvas, the ultimate truth had yet to be revealed.” Among this group of spiritual practitioners, this was not the case for everyone. There were still some people who understood and were willing to form aspirations. However, they still fell a little short in terms of having faith in themselves. They wanted to form aspirations; these newly-inspired Bodhisattvas already understood that the Buddha hoped they would go among people. But although they wanted to form aspirations and had given rise to initial aspirations, “The ultimate truth had yet to be revealed.” They were not yet able to firmly express this. Although they had the aspiration, they lacked the power of vows to manifest it. This is what these newly-inspired Bodhisattvas were like. Even though they had the aspiration, their power of vows was not yet very firm. It was half-hearted. On one hand, they were afraid that they would be contaminated if they went among people, but on the other, they faithfully accepted the Buddha’s teachings and really wished to go among the people. So, these newly-inspired Bodhisattvas’ minds were split in half.
This was because the ultimate truth had yet to be completely revealed. “They had not reached the truth path of Bodhi leading to true and perfect enlightenment.” This was the time when the Buddha began to freely carry out His original intent and teach the Lotus Sutra. The Buddha also bestowed predictions of Buddhahood upon Sariputra. Previously, we [talked] about how the Buddha had begun bestowing predictions of Buddhahood upon the Hearers in sequence. At this time, they had already reached the true path of Bodhi. They recognized that this road was the true path, one that they could advance along. These newly-inspired Bodhisattvas had not been learning the Buddha’s teachings for very long but they had formed aspirations to practice the Bodhisattva-path. They did not yet have quite enough faith, so they were “newly-inspired Bodhisattvas.” In the previous [passages] we have already seen the Buddha bestow predictions upon the Hearers. So, they had also begun to reveal the true path of Bodhi from within their minds. Now, in this sutra, the Buddha gave the Lotus teachings, and they had already comprehended that this is the true path, the One Vehicle, the only path by which Buddhist practitioners can attain Buddhahood. They now had faith that they had “reached the true path of Bodhi” the road to “true and perfect enlightenment”. We need to comprehend this.
In fact, the Buddha-Dharma guides us solely in hopes that we can reach the ultimate. We are still walking along this path, but we must not deviate in our direction. Previously, we discussed, “Just as dry earth and wet mud are both near the water….”
Just as dry earth and wet mud are both near the water, the Buddha opened the door of skillful means, teaching the provisional to reveal the ultimate truth. He taught the provisional for the sake of the true. People did not know that the provisional teachings were skillful means. Thus, the door of skillful means was closed and the ultimate truth was not revealed.
The process of spiritual practice requires hard work. Although we have faith int eh Buddha-Dharma, we must also completely eliminate our afflictions, accept the Buddha’s teachings and demonstrate the practice of benefiting ourselves while benefiting others while being without afflictions or greedy pursuits. This requires us to advance wholeheartedly. If we carry afflictions with us as we engage in spiritual practice, isn’t that just like working hard to dig through the earth on that plateau? Even though we really want to learn from the Buddha and attain Buddhahood, we still carry our afflictions with us. Learning from the Buddha and attaining Buddhahood is like being on a plateau. If we bring afflictions with us as we engage in spiritual practice, we are still at the stage of dry earth. We must know that we have to eliminate ignorance. If we have unwholesome habitual tendencies, we must put an end to them immediately. We must eliminate our habitual tendencies. If we do not eliminate our habitual tendencies, afflictions will continue to cover our nature of True Suchness, layer upon layer. They will cover it, layer by layer. They cover it like defiled things. These defilements are covering our minds. The Buddha taught us in hopes that we can all take care of ourselves and others, that we can mutually take care of each other. We are always promoting unity, harmony, mutual love and concerted effort. Tzu Chi Volunteers must have unity in their interpersonal relationships, be in harmony with one another and treasure and care for one another.
There is a street in Changhua where some Tzu Chi volunteers live. The people of this street, this entire street, are all like one big family. The neighbors treat one another with love and care. The entire street consists of 15 households, 60 people. One this street, everyone is like one big family. When they leave their houses, no one ever needs to lock the door. Usually, when people are home, others will come inside and sit for a while, strengthening their relationships. “If I’m not here, I don’t need to lock the door. My mind is at peace because. I know my neighbors will look after things for me.” For example, when the postman goes there to make a delivery, so long as one person sees the postman, that person will accept all the mail. So, the postman only has to make one drop-off for the entire street. If someone is not home, so long as one person there sees the postman, the person can receive the mail on their behalf. Once everyone comes home, that person will then distribute it house by house. This is how well they get along. Everyone puts out their clothes to dry and then goes to the office, goes to work. If it rains, they do not worry. They do not need to rush back to bring their clothes in. So long as there is someone there, they will quickly bring all the clothes in for every family. They get along as harmoniously! This is truly hard to come by in this world. When someone comes to collect utility bills or something needs to be done, they will all say, “No problem, I’ll cover it for them. I’ll take care of it for them, I’ll tell them when they get back.” Look at this ; isn’t this the beauty of living in a benevolent place?
This is what Confucius was saying. The greatest blessing is a peaceful society. In addition to having harmony in our family, we should also choose a place where neighbors live in harmony. This is what people with wisdom do. Confucius said, “If we choose a place without benevolence, how can we be considered wise?” When we choose where we will live, if we do not choose to live in a harmonious place where everyone lives in unity, harmony and mutual love, if we do not pick a place life this, then we will are lacking wisdom.
However, this environment is created by people, by human minds. The Buddha wanted to teach all of us to live in harmony. We must be friendly to our neighbors. Then our family will be at peace, and other people’s families will be at peace. We understand the Buddha’s teachings and thoroughly understand the principles. If other people can also come to understand them, to thoroughly understand the truths of the Dharma, then won’t everyone’s minds be in harmony? For everyone to be of one mind is not an impossible thing.
The Buddha hoped He could teach us to be like this. I often say that those who are united in mind will be united in action. During the performance of our sutra adaptations, thousands of people, nearly ten thousand people, can be united in one voice and in one action, by being united in this action and united in this voice, aren’t we united in one mind? Aren’t we united in one direction? This is the goal we must pursue, that of harmony among people.
If we have the will, then when people are suffering we will have a way to transform them. This is what happened in Keelung. There was a man who was severely impaired by mental illness. He is only a little more than 50 years old, and he was living alone. For more than ten years, he had shut the door and closed himself off, not daring to go outside. His older sister was very worried about him. She would always deliver food to him. This is what he relied on to survive. Sometimes his sister would say to him, “If you don’t come out, I might not deliver food to you anymore! F or several days she did not bring him anything, but he still would not open his door and still refused to go out. Because of this, his sister was very worried and continued bringing him food. His sister’s daughter, his niece, saw how worried her mother was for her uncle. She started to take on her mother’s worries. One day, at the beginning of 2012, this niece found out that Tzu Chi helped people; she saw this in the Da Ai TV channel and was suddenly inspired. She called up Tzu Chi. Tzu Chi volunteers in Keelung received this message and started to send home visit teams to see him. Once he opened the door, they saw that it was very moist and damp inside. The roof leaked, and it was very filthy. When they saw this man’s appearance, his hair growing down to his shoulders and his entire face dirty, covered in grime, [they felt] he hardly looked human. When the Tzu Chi volunteers saw him, they felt very sad. In the dim lamplight, seeing a person like this, a family member like this, everyone truly felt very sad. So, they put their heart into getting close to him. At that time, this man was only 54 years old, but he looked like he was an old man in his 70’s. our Bodhisattva-volunteers were very patient. They approached him with sincere love. They made trip after trip to care for him and have heart-to heart conversations.
Gradually, he began to talk more. Through their conversations, they learned that he was very kind-hearted, but his mind was uneasy and fearful. His mind was filled with fear and doubt. He said, “What if I lose balance and fall?” this was what he was afraid of. It turns our that his mind was full of fear. He was so fearful that he did dare to open the door and walk outside. This was because he was afraid of falling. The Tzu Chi volunteers began to feel like they needed to give him some confidence. Bodhisattva-volunteer Gao Lihong was in charge of home visits. She was the leader for this particular team. Going from Keelung to Wanli [where this care recipient lived] takes over 40 minutes each way by car. This man A-han, definitely needed people to constantly counsel him, accompany him, talk with him and infuse him with confidence. Because of this, she entrusted this care recipient to Fang Jinlai, who lived in Wanli, to Fang Jinlai and Luo Shuhui. Those two became responsible for his case. Every day, they took turns to visit him, to talk with him and help him.
Actually, there was also another person, Liu Ruiqiang, who also lived in Wanli. He was one of our care recipients a few years ago. Volunteers kept accompanying him until he later underwent our volunteer training and became a certified volunteer. So, he also devoted himself to these dfforts. In summary, everyone united their efforts. These people in Wanli came together to form a team, and they constantly kept him company and took care of his health. They have accompanied him for three to four years. One time, they needed to take A-han to see a doctor. When he went to leave this time, not only had they cleaned him up very nicely, as they began to help him leave the house, they told him, “We brought some clothes for you to change into.” He said, “I’ll go buy clothes myself.” He went out to buy clothes on his own! The clothes he wore were all very clean, and he had picked out the entire outfit, he bought them himself and put them on. Furthermore, over these three to four years, in the last two or three years, he adopted a bamboo bank and began to save up. He knew that he wanted to help others. He had now returned to living a normal life. When [Huang] A-ming interviewed him, he broke out in a smile. A-ming said to him, “Your clothes are very new! You must have just bought them. The creases of new clothes are still there.” He was very happy. He felt that he was in control of himself again. He could go outside on his own and pick out the clothes he wanted to wear to be interviewed on Da Ai TV. Nowadays, he is also doing recycling work. Changing someone’s life is not impossible.
As long as Bodhisattvas have the will, they can bring harmony to their neighborhood. As long as we have the aspiration to save people, we can even help a person who has shut himself off for more than ten years. We just need to spend a long time, taking turns. When we first brought him out of the house, when we first brought him to see a doctor, Tzu Chi volunteers had to help groom him and clean him up. When he needed to go out, Faith Corps members would carry him on their back. He did not dare go outside, so they carried him into the car. When he was interviewed, he himself shared, “This Dharma-brother carried me in and out of the house each time. As he carried me, I felt in my heart, ‘Do I really not have the strength to walk? Would I really fall?’ I should not continue to burden thus Dharma-brother.” He started to think like this. gradually he tested walking [outside] on his own. Then, when they accompanied him to the doctor, they would not need to carry him; they just needed to stay by his side. During these three to four years, they kept coming and going to accompany him to the doctor’s office. Later, they accompanied him to do recycling work. Eventually he was even able to be interviewed by Da Ai TV with such a sense of ease. This required a big group pf people united in mind, working in concert to accompany him. Now, he is already 58 years old. When we first met him, he was 54. Now, he is already able to give of himself to help other people.
This is like how the Buddha, coming to the world, opened the door of skillful means, then opened up the provisional to reveal the true. In this way He guided us, patiently teaching us until finally leading us unto the Bodhisattva-path. Those who have entered the Bodhisattva-path, these Bodhisattva-volunteers, once lived a life of confusion too. Now, they can walk the Bodhisattva-path so steadily. Many people have had similar journeys. This is how the Buddha put his heart into helping sentient beings with wisdom. Everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature, and the Buddha’s teachings help sentient beings eliminate their ignorance and afflictions and reveal their intrinsic nature of True Suchness. This is the Buddha’s love. We must have firm faith and trust that everyone is equal to the Buddha, that everyone can attain Buddhahood. So, we must have faith in sentient beings. It is just that sentient beings do not have faith in themselves, so they harbor these fears and do not dare to accept this or go among people. This is because we sentient beings still carry ignorance that we have yet to eliminate.
So, let us look at the previous sutra passage. “This Lotus Sutra treasury is deep and unyielding, remote and distant. Nobody can reach it. Now the Buddha teaches and transforms to help people become Bodhisattvas and this He opens and reveals it.
They were all afraid. They did not dare to accept the teachings of this sutra. This was because they thought that the Lotus Sutra and the teachings that the Buddha expounded were so deep and unyielding. Not just anyone would be able to enter them. The road they had to walk was still very long. Everyone was scared. [This was like the parable of] the conjured city; although a guide led the way, those who followed felt the road before them was full of danger and still very long. They kept creating dangers and difficulties ahead; they had no self-confidence. The guide in his wisdom said, “Look, there is a city not much farther along, a place where we can stop and rest.” This is just like how the Buddha patiently guided everyone. Although it was far away, if they continued walking, they could reach it. It was not impossible to reach. Yet they all though that “No one can reach it.” Except for the Buddha, who else could possibly reach it? So, “Now the Buddha teaches and transforms to help people become Bodhisattvas and thus He opens and reveals it.” Now, in the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha had already been very candid. He opened up the teachings He had long hidden to help everyone understand them. So, He opened and revealed [the Dharma] to teach everyone to walk the Bodhisattva-path.
The Buddha in the next sutra passage then said, “Medicine King, if there are Bodhisattvas who hear this Lotus Sutra and give rise to alarm, doubt, dread or fear, you must know that these are newly-inspired Bodhisattvas.
The Buddha again called to Medicine King. This was to make everyone listen carefully. This was to help everyone understand. As they listened to the sutra, they felt fear and doubt. Why did they experience fear and doubt? Because they were newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. These people still lacked firm faith in themselves.
This explains that those who are alarmed or doubtful upon hearing this sutra are Bodhisattvas who have recently formed aspirations to learn the path to Buddhahood. New learners have their arrogance.
Bodhisattvas who recently formed aspirations to learn the path to Buddhahood have yet to firm spiritual aspirations. not only are their aspirations not yet firm, they also bring habitual tendencies with them. With these habitual tendencies, they still have arrogance and doubt. With doubt comes arrogance. Thus, they are unable to fully, faithfully accept [the teachings]. Why do they have such arrogance? There are seven or nine kinds of arrogance, many different kinds of arrogance. These are all afflictions. Because they have afflictions and doubts, they are still self-conceited. So, they have a mindset of arrogance and doubt.
Medicine King, if there are Bodhisattvas who hear this Lotus Sutra and give rise to alarm, doubt, dread or fear: When they heard the World-Honored One teach the wondrous Dharma of the perfect teaching, its extremely profound principles made them give rise to doubt, dread, alarm, terror, fear and fright.
So, here it says, “When they heard the World-Honored One teach the wondrous Dharma….” This refers to the newly-inspired Bodhisattvas . [He told] Medicine King that he must know that “If there are Bodhisattvas who hear this Lotus Sutra and give rise to alarm, doubt, dread or fear….” These people had just heard the World-Honored One expound the wondrous Dharma of the perfect teaching. The perfect teaching is the Lotus Sutra, with its perfect principles. “Its extremely profound principles,” these principles which are very profound, “made them give rise to doubt [and] dread”. There were doubts in their minds. This is so profound, who could possibly reach it? Aside from the Buddha, who else could do this? Naturally, they gave rise to fear, to alarm, terror, fear and fright. They were afraid! In one word, they were afraid. “You should know that these are newly-inspired Bodhisattvas”. These were people who had just formed aspirations.
You should know that these are newly-inspired Bodhisattvas: This refers to those who are newly-inspired. If Bodhisattvas who have already formed great aspirations are alarmed and fearful upon hearing this sutra, they must be new learners.
“Bodhisattvas who have already formed great aspirations….” They had formed initial aspirations, had begun to form great aspirations. But they were truly “alarmed and fearful upon hearing this sutra”. When He let them actually listen to this sutra, they became alarmed and fearful. They were very scared, terrified. This was the case for newly-inspired Bodhisattvas at the beginning of their learning. Why were they like this? These Bodhisattvas had already formed aspirations, but they had merely formed initial aspirations, initial aspirations to seek and attain Bodhicitta. So, they “only recently formed aspirations to seek Bodhicitta.”
These Bodhisattvas only recently formed aspirations to seek Bodhicitta. If they are born in a remote area or into a household with deviant views, they will be unable to transform others and will ruin their own roots of goodness. This is like how true gold lying in the mud will never deteriorate, but if copper and steel lie in the mud, they will decay. This is why newly-inspired Bodhisattvas must not be born in a remote area or into a household with deviant views.
They want to seek the path to awakening, but after forming this aspiration, if they are “born into a remote area or into a household with deviant views, they will be unable to transform others and will ruin their own roots of goodness.” In walking this path, some may deviate from it. Perhaps they are surrounded by deviant views. Perhaps their family or some people close to them have defiant views, or perhaps they are walking on a remote road and are unable to truly enter into the heart of the great Bodhi-path to awakening; they are merely walking along the periphery. Perhaps they are surrounded by family members with deviant views. If so, “They will be unable to transform others”. They will only think to transform themselves and will not dare transform others. In this way, they “ruin their own roots of goodness”. Not only are they unable to transform others, even transforming themselves will be difficult. This is because they are unable to truly reach universal and perfect enlightenment. They are still only halfway; they are still unable to reach the Buddha’s ultimate destination. This is like how we Buddhist practitioners are still on the road.
It is like looking for water on a high plateau. We are thirsty and want water, but we bring afflictions with us into our work. This is the same principle. “This is like how true gold lying in the mud will never deteriorate, but if copper and steel lie in the mud, they will decay.” We can be like real gold. Even if it lies in a latrine pit or in some muddy or filthy place, buried there for a long time and discovered a thousand or ten thousand years later, the quality of the gold will not have deteriorated. What about copper and steel? If they are in the mud or buried in a latrine pit for a period of time, they will corrode, rust and so on. This is how gold differs from copper and steel. So, “This is why newly-inspired Bodhisattvas must not be born in a remote area or into a household with deviant views.” Their resolve is not yet very resolute; their spiritual aspirations are not yet firm. Worst is if they are walking on a remote path. Walking along the periphery in this way, a slight deviation causes a great divergence. Perhaps they have drawn near deviant views and approached an unwholesome crowd of people. This is all very dangerous. This is not truly having a nature of the mind like gold. We must be very vigilant of this in ourselves. We must form aspirations, firm aspirations, and move in the right direction.
When they first formed aspirations, they already knew to advance toward perfect enlightenment and knew the true nature of all teachings. They were replete in their wisdom-body and did not need to be awakened by others.
“When they first formed aspirations, they already knew to advance toward perfect enlightenment.” This speaks of how we formed aspirations. In each of our past lives, for dust-inked kalpas, we must have continuously trained ourselves. We have already drawn very close to our nature of True Suchness. We have encountered the Buddha-Dharma in this life. When we hear the Buddha-Dharma, we [can] hear one thing and realize 1000. When we hear it, it feels very familiar. When we hear about this direction, this road sounds very familiar to us. It is because in the past we may have repeatedly traveled this road, repeatedly come and gone. We might have, over accumulated lifetimes, already been walking on this path. So, when we formed our initial aspirations, we already knew the direction; we knew we were heading toward perfect enlightenment. When we heard the Buddha-Dharma, our hearts gave rise to joy, We instantly attained realizations and could understand that the Buddha’s teachings is the right direction. With right knowledge, right views, right understanding, right mindfulness, right thinking and so on, we began to draw near. The direction of our minds was correct; we diligently advanced in the right direction. This is having faith and being without doubt.
So, they “knew the true nature of all teachings.” They deeply understood, understood all the Dharma. With all the dharma taught by the Buddha, not least the skillful means He taught in the past, the Great Vehicle of the Vaipulya and the Prajna, they were capable of accepting it all. Whether teachings of “emptiness” or “existence,” they understood them all very well, Within all existence, impermanence strikes in moment. In the end, everything is ultimately empty. From the principle of emptiness, they comprehended that within “emptiness,” there is still the true nature of True Suchness. They are already very clear on these principles. All they needed to do was to form great aspirations and steadfastly walk among people. From among their afflictions and ignorance, they refined themselves to the point that the true Bodhi-path of awakening appeared. They knew that going among people is the one great path to awakening. Thus, they knew the true nature of all teachings.
So, "They were replete in their wisdom-body and did not need to be awakened by others.” They knew that with wisdom they could be clear on and understand everything along the way. This is like Sakyamuni and Maitreya, the two Bodhisattvas. One was already replete in wisdom; that refers to the wisdom-body. The other was replete in causes and conditions. He just needed to supplement His wisdom coming from benefiting himself, He was already replete with blessed affinities from benefiting others. He just needed to add a bit of wisdom, benefiting himself. Thus, he attained Buddhahood earlier. This was Sakyamuni Buddha.
As for Maitreya Bodhisattva, he had continuously perfected His wisdom, but he still lacked sufficient affinities with sentient beings. With wisdom, he understood that he needed to engage in spiritual practice himself, to walk this road himself, to create blessed affinities himself. So, “He did not need to be awakened by others”. People with wisdom know that it is not about having other people give us blessings. It is about taking action ourselves. We must earnestly create blessed affinities and earnestly cultivate wisdom; this is what we must mindfully comprehend.
So, by forming initial aspirations, we can stabilize our minds, This is not an easy feat. For most people, after forming aspirations, their minds keep advancing and retreating, fluctuating and down. But being able, as soon as we form aspirations, as soon as we hear the teachings, to develop firm resolve, is truly precious, a very difficult feat. These people already knew the true nature of all things and were already replete in their wisdom-body. People with wisdom know that they have to engage in spiritual practice themselves. We ourselves have to eat to feel full. We have to walk the road ourselves to reach [our goal]. This is the truest of all principles. We must engage is spiritual practice ourselves in order to attain Buddhahood. If we can understand this very simple principle, we be able to form great aspirations, make great vows and go among people to transform sentient beings, without doubt and without fear. We will be able to accomplish whatever we want. We can create harmony among people or we can help a person impaired by mental illness, find a way to change his life, and [create a new future] where He likewise walks the Bodhisattva-path; he now saves money to help others and is able to make the effort to cherish the earth by doing recycling work. Everyone can attain Buddhahood; all it takes is for everyone to always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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