Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Subtle, Wondrous, Vast and Boundless True Dharma (實相幽微 廣無邊涯)
Date: December 12.2017
“It is subtle, wondrous, profound and distant, vast and boundless. This means this ultimate truth is the safe and stable land of all Buddhas. No human can reach this. Now the Buddha opens and reveals for us the One True Dharma of Bodhisattvas, leading us to enter the stage of the Tathagata.”
Do you understand? “It is subtle, wondrous, profound and distant,” vast, without boundaries. We can imagine how wondrously profound it is! “Subtle” means it is very profound and very distant. It truly is a hidden, wondrous place. This makes it “subtle”. This subtle place is truly wondrous, profound and distant, vast and boundless. It is very expansive and without boundaries. We say it is profound; it is very deep. We say it is vast; it is very expansive. We say it is subtle and minute; it is so subtle we cannot see it with our eyes. That is how minute it is. It is also very vast, very big, as big as Mt. Sumeru. It is minute and expansive; it is profound, vast and boundless. It is impossible to describe. This Dharma is the state that the Buddha awakened to when His enlightened nature became one with the universe. That subtle and wondrous state cannot be seen with our eyes. Those are the truths and wondrous principles. The true principles are without substance or form. They are very subtle and wondrous. In particular, these principles, when applied to the world, contain all the Dharma of the boundless universe. When drawn in, they can be subtle to the point of being extremely minute. When expanded, they are as open and vast as the boundless universe.
This is the Dharma that the Buddha awakened to and realized. It is present in all places. It exists in all objects. It completely penetrates all matters. This is what the Buddha experienced and awakened to. He spoke of these matters to us. As for these teachings that He expounded, not only did the Buddha awaken to and understand them, we can all understand them too. If we can turn our mind around, there is no Dharma we cannot take to heart. This kind of mind can encompass the universe. This is the spiritual state of the Buddha. “This means this ultimate truth is the safe and stable land of all Buddhas.” Because the Buddha had complete understanding, since He had realized everything, all Dharma was contained in His awakened nature of True Suchness.
So, these ultimate truths “are the safe and subtle land of all Buddhas.” Because They know, They are at peace. There is so much we ordinary people do not know. Because we do not know, we are not at peace. In the present, we cannot know what will happen in the future. Right now, things are this way. The Buddha told us that impermanence happens in an instant. We are unable to understand what we will be like in the next moment. We do not know, and not knowing, we do not feel safe and stable. We [do not know] where our life is going. As we interact with people, [we do not know] if they actually are able to do what we ask them to do, whether they have the patience to bear it, whether they can take on such great matters of the world. [We do not know] this person’s abilities, this person’s resolve, this person’s… etc. With ordinary people, we just cannot [know]. Even though the Buddha wanted to bestow predictions on His disciples, 40 years had to pass before that could happen. Starting from Small [Vehicle] teachings, He gradually entered the Middle Vehicle and then taught the True Dharma of the One Vehicle. With the True Dharma of the One Vehicle, the Buddha freely expressed His original intent. At that time, 5000 people left the assembly. Sariputra requested the Dharma three times for the sake of the people in the assembly. Sariputra understood the Buddha’s intent, but that subtle and wondrous Dharma contained such subtle and profound principles that when he asked the Buddha to open and reveal it to everyone, the Buddha still said, “Stop, stop! There is no need to speak further.” The Buddha observed their capabilities and saw that many were still unable to accept this. Sariputra understood the Buddha’s intent. This Dharma had to be taught, but he understood that the Buddha realized that His disciples’ capabilities were uneven. So, Sariputra had to ask again and again for there to be an opportunity for the Buddha to expound this wondrous Dharma that was so difficult to understand. Because of this, Sariputra asked three times. The Buddha then accepted his request. “Since you have asked three times, how can I not teach it?.”
As He began to teach, 5000 people left. Their capabilities had yet to [mature]. So, there was nothing the Buddha could do. “It is good that they left.” Since these people did not understand, it was better that they left. This is because if you do not understand this Dharma you may instead give rise to afflictions and slander. When a thought of ignorance and slander arises and it harms the Dharma, that person creates negative karma. So, it is very difficult for the Right Dharma to remain in this world. It is not at all easy. This is because it is subtle, wondrous, profound and distant. Vast and boundless, it contains so much. How would we ordinary people be able to understand it? Ordinary people fundamentally have an intrinsic nature of True Suchness. It is just that we would rather be unenlightened, that we are willing to be ordinary beings. We are like the poor son [in the parable]. He was willing to be a servant. This is how we ordinary people are.
The Buddha, in His compassion, used all kinds of methods. He would goad us to spur us on or use analogies to explain or use people, matters and things. All these were [methods] the Buddha used when He come to the world. He lived for the length of a human lifespan, which is really not a long time. He [taught] like this for 40 to 50 years. After [doing this] for over 40 years, He had to open up His [original] intent and expound the True Dharma. So, with what the Buddha understood, He was at the “safe and stable land”. Because He had awakened, out of all the True Dharma, there was nothing the Buddha did not comprehend, nothing the Buddha did not understand. So, the Buddha was in His safe and stable land; He had complete understanding. However, ordinary people have layer upon layer of ignorance. Therefore, “No human can reach this.” Ordinary people are still unenlightened. They still have ignorance. In this way, they are still suppressing their nature of True Suchness, covering their nature of True Suchness. So, they have no way to comprehend the spiritual state of the Buddha. But because the Buddha’s lifespan was in accordance with lifespan in the world. He had to forcefully seize the time to expound the True Dharma and carry out His original intent. So, at this time the Buddha was the only one able to explain the true principles of all things in the universe, these subtle and wondrous principles. Only the Buddha could do this; no one else was able to comprehend them. But this is the way that time [passes]. Though sentient beings still did things their own way and were still in the stage of ordinary people, the Buddha absolutely had to expound this sutra. So, “Now [He] opened and revealed for us.” Only the Buddha could understand this Dharma. With time being so short, if He did not expound it, it would not be passed on to future generations. So, He had to seize the time to “now open and reveal [it] for us”. These was nothing else He could do! The Buddha had taught for such a long time, but how many disciples were actually able to comprehend the Buddha’s awakened state and understand the Buddha’s intent? How many were there? There was only so much He could do. So, “Now the Buddha opens and reveals [it] for us.” He had to expound it.
Therefore, the Buddha said, “Since you have asked three times, how can I not teach it?” But as He began to explain what this state was like, so many people who were listening to the sutra just got up and left. How could He bear this? Did the people who remained all have a deep comprehension? So, it is rare to hear the Buddha-Dharma. It is difficult to know and understand. Actually, if we turn our minds around, our nature of True Suchness will manifest. Whether carrying firewood and water, drinking and eating or working and resting, whether we are in motion or at rest, it can all be done while manifesting our nature of True Suchness. It is just that ignorance has covered our minds. So, this is “subtle and wondrous”.
“Subtle and wondrous” means very minute. In our life, we cannot do without it. We cannot do without the wondrous Dharma of our nature of True Suchness. How could this be absent from our lives?
For example, we eat every day. Food enters through our mouth. Whatever we eat, it will be digested and absorbed by our body. Depending on what kind of nutrient it is, it will be sent to the organ that needs it. In our body, there are so many bacteria. Are they bacteria for healthy digestion that help absorb the nutrients? Or are they bacteria that cause infection so that when we eat food and it enters our stomach, our internal organs are gradually damaged? Nowadays, people eat just to [satisfy their desires]. Illness enters through our mouth. As illness keeps entering through our mouth over a long period of time, our body, constitution, organs etc. [are affected]. Presently, what is most obvious is that we should not drink alcohol. If we drink alcohol, what will be damaged? The lungs, the liver etc. See, isn’t this very subtle and wondrous? In daily living, drinking alcohol, smoking and chewing betel nuts is very widespread. Everyone knows [these are harmful]. But if we ask people to quit, is it easy? It is very difficult.
When we drink alcohol, in addition to harming our own body, we are also stirring up trouble. When we are intoxicated, we harm ourselves as well as other people. What was fine can become a disaster. Everyone in this world can see how so many incidents in society come from people getting drunk and causing trouble. It moreover damages their own bodies.
If we thoroughly understand the principles and accept the Dharma, we can control ourselves. In a place where alcohol is present, where it is sold, we should not touch it; we must not drink it. This way, our body and mind will stay healthy. We will be clear-headed, and we will not make the wrong choices. Is this something we are able [to control]?
When it comes to smoking, we also know it causes great harm to the lungs. We must not do it! The government has also put much effort into advertising this fact. But it is up to us. despite the contaminants and temptations in our environment, if we can exercise self-control and completely quit smoking and drinking, we will not go against the Dharma and we can protect ourselves. It is the same with betel nuts. Chewing them causes oral cancer. We know we should not do this. it we are determined not to chew them, we will also not cause [our surroundings] to seem unsanitary, and we will not damage our own character. These are all things we can do ourselves. Why can’t we find the resolve to do them? This is what happens to ordinary people.
Ordinary beings reproduce this kind of ignorance. This is beyond our control. The external environment entices us in this way, and we therefore keep sinking downward. Our nature of True Suchness is in our daily living. These are the principles of the body. The principles of the body, our physiology, are [affected by] the objects of desire that tempt us un our external environment. All these are things that the Buddha would constantly warm us about. But no natter how He warned us, the ignorance and afflictions of our minds as well as our nature of True Suchness, are all in a place that is “subtle, wondrous, profound and distant”.
Why can’t we eliminate these afflictions? Why does this kind of ignorance often appear? People tell us, “Shouldn’t you change your habitual tendencies? However, we simply refuse to change, causing people afflictions. This is how we are. This causes other people to feel helpless. This is also “subtle”. It is very dark. We keep going down a road of darkness and ignorance, continuing although we know it is the wrong path. Since it is not right, why don’t we listen to what others tell us? when our habitual tendencies are expressed in such an unwholesome way, why do we refuse to accept the warnings other people are giving us? we are walking toward the darkness. This is also considered subtle; we are going to a subtle and dark place.
The Dharma is also subtle. Subtle also means it is very minute. This Dharma is so subtle, so wondrous. Once we turn our minds around, our nature of True Suchness manifests. Attaining enlightenment is becoming one with everything in the universe. In this safe and stable land of the Buddhas, we are also able to be very much at ease. The Buddha was already in a safe and stable land. For sentient beings’ sake, He had to come to this world. He accepted having the same lifespan as a human. Thus, He came to teach everyone, sharing His state of mind.
No one was able to understand, but the Buddha still had to teach. What did He teach? “The One Dharma of Bodhisattvas.” He wanted to lead everyone to “enter the stage of the Tathagata”. The stage of the Tathagata is a safe and stable land. This is the stage of the Tathagata. But to enter the stage of the Tathagata, the first condition is that we have to eliminate all our habitual tendencies. This is the only way for our nature of True Suchness to manifest and for the Buddha to open and reveal to us how to walk the Bodhisattva-path. Only by going among people and seeing the afflictions of sentient beings are we able to refine it to achieve “the one True Dharma, leading us to enter the stage of the Tathagata.”
This is the path all Buddhas share. Every Buddha goes through this process; He must walk the Bodhisattva-path. On the Bodhisattva-path, among ignorance and afflictions, He refines [Himself] to reveal. His nature of True Suchness, which He can them apply in this world. We must mindfully seek to realize this.
Let us look at what the precious sutra passage says. “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.
When people hear this sutra, they will all be afraid. This is because it is subtle, wonderous and distant. So, as it was very vast and very distant, they felt afraid. But this is precisely what we need to learn; our goal is to become equal to the Buddha and reach that safe and stable land. Aren’t we going to the state of the Tathagata? The Buddha opened up [the intent he kept hidden] for many years, for over 40 years or rather for dust-inked kalpas. He was going to open and reveal this intent in His mind to everyone, but everyone was still unable to understand. So, “Bodhisattvas who hear this Lotus Sutra five rise to alarm, doubt, dread [and] fear”; they are still afraid. This is like the 5000 who left the assembly. “You must know that these are newly-inspired Bodhisattvas”. Those who remained were newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. They were willing to listen and form aspirations. although these newly-inspired Bodhisattvas were afraid, they were willing to experience this Dharma; they had begun to form great aspirations.
The next sutra passage says, “If Hearers hear this sutra and give rise to alarm, doubt, dread and fear, you must know that these are people of overbearing arrogance.”
This refers to those still in the state of Hearers. They had not yet formed great aspirations, but they were still willing to listen. After listening, they felt fright, doubt and fear. People like this are people of overbearing arrogance. These people have arrogance and pride. They have not eliminated their arrogant thoughts. The Lotus Sutra is the perfect and wondrous one true teaching. But when the Hearers heard it, they gave rise to alarm and doubt. This is because many Hearers had, in the past, been non-Buddhist practitioners. The followed the Buddha and became monastics, but their habitual natures still remained. The non-Buddhist teachings [were very different] from the Buddha’s right understanding, right views and Right Dharma. They had also listened to these and could accept and understand them, so they wanted to eliminate afflictions, to end cyclic existence. But now, the Buddha began telling them to go among people. So, they felt alarm, doubt, dread and fear.
Alarm, doubt, dread and fear: In the era of Dharma-degeneration, people take what Mara says as the True Dharma and take the Buddha’s Right Dharma as untrue.
“Alarm, doubt, dread and fear” means this is the era of Dharma-degeneration. It was like this when the Buddha was in the world, let along in the world of the future. The Buddha was very worried about the future, after His entering Parinirvana. In the precious sutra passage, the Buddha was worried about what would happens after He entered Parinirvana. His greatest hope was that those who upheld the Dharma would all strengthen their will to practice. This was because the Buddha was worried about the Dharma in the future.
In the future there would be the eras of Dharma-semblance and Dharma-degeneration. After the era of Dharma-semblance comes the era of dharma-degeneration. We are now in the era of Dharma-degeneration. So, “People take what Mara says as the true Dharma and take the Buddha’s Right Dharma as untrue. Now when we listen to the Dharma, we must listen very intently. The Buddha had begun to expound this sutra, and to teach this sutra, we must speak according to people’s capabilities. If we do not speak according to capabilities, some people may hear it and spread it, and their slight deviation. All it takes is a slight difference. Or they will use this sutra to lead people astray. Or they may slander this sutra. This refers to [the Buddha’s] future, which is our present. We hear so many discussions on the Lotus Sutra.
Some people can practice according to teachings. They know this sutra is the kind of sutras. This sutra is about walking the Bodhisattva-path; it is the path of saving [people in] the world. This sutra is suited for the changes that will take place in the world in the future. It is a sutra that adapts to the era. Just as water takes the shape of its container, it adapts to the capabilities of the era. So, this sutra is the Bodhisattva-path. The Bodhisattva-path arises because of suffering sentient beings. Whatever suffering sentient beings experience, we must take on the appropriate role to counsel them and relieve them of suffering.
Some people are still very stubborn. They cling to the way words are explained. “The text is explained in this way. He did not mention this part. He did not tell us to go out and save people. He only told us to make offerings.” They do not know that “making offerings” mean to give to others. Because they do not know, they do not think about how the Buddha first said, “Amazing! Amazing! All beings possess the Buddha’s nature of wisdom.” They do not comprehend this Never-Slighting Bodhisattvas prostrated to every person he saw. “I do not dare slight you because you will attain Buddhahood in the future.” These are all ways of reverently making offerings.
The Buddha-Dharma must be applied in this world. Since these future Buddhas are suffering, why can we not quickly go to make offerings to them? How can we not immediately go to relieve their suffering? In the Jataka Sutra, the Buddha formed aspirations in hell as well as in the animal realm. He was constantly transforming sentient beings in the Six Realms. So, the Buddha wanted to teach us the Dharma and freely express His intent to help our minds penetrate everything. When [our minds] are pervasive and vast, we can take this subtle Dharma and make it vast and boundless. It can become very widespread. This very small, very subtle and minute Dharma can thus spread everywhere. This is something we should be able to understand.
So, the Dharma does not have to cause alarm, doubt, fear or dread in the beings of the era of Dharma-degeneration. This comes from “taking what Mara says”. This is what happens; Mara causes disturbances. He is desirous for receiving offerings etc. With worldly knowledge and cleverness, he entices people, using many teachings to lead them astray. People take these as the true path. They think this is the true path, so “They take the Buddha’s Right Dharma as untrue”. They wonder, “What does the Buddha-Dharma have to do with worldly matters?” As I just said, the subtleties of the Dharma and our lives are intimately related. Why do we eat these particular kinds of things? These different grains and plants are each made of different components; they have a different makeup. They each have different nutrients. There are nutritious plants. There are also poisonous plants. Some poisonous plants can cure illnesses, while others cause people to die, gradually causing their body to rot away. There are so many kinds. All of this is Dharma. All of this is principles. Whether principles of medicine or food, they are all very subtle and minute. Subtle and minute things can be expanded to become very vast. When we draw them back in, they are all part of our nature of True Suchness. These kinds of subtle and wondrous principles encompass the universe.
When we draw all the principles of the universe back in, that is our nature of True Suchness. So, these true principles are what we must mindfully seek to comprehend.
So, “Bodhisattvas and Hearers who hear this sutra and give rise to alarm and dread are all on the dry earth. They have yet to reach moisture and mud,” let alone see water. So, “Those who are alarmed and doubtful refuse to take on responsibilities. Those who are full of dread and fear lose what they have upheld”.
On the surface, they hear the Dharma and understand but they have not yet encountered the water of true principles, the Dharma-water. This is like digging in the dust; when the wind blows, dust flies in the air. [This is because] there is no water. Once there is water, seeds are able to sprout. So, we must put our heart into comprehending this. If we have not seen mud, how can we possibly see water? So, there are two kinds of newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. One kind is the Hearers; another kind has already begun to form aspirations. However, they have not yet heard the principles of the Lotus Sutra. They have only heard what came before. They have not yet heard the perfect teachings. They do not dare go among people to benefit sentient beings. So, this is not yet perfect. Therefore, they still carry ignorance with them. They give but expect things in return. They benefit themselves but do not yet know they should benefit others. Thus, they are still on dry earth. They have not yet seen mud, to say nothing of water.
So, “Those who are alarmed and doubtful refuse to take on responsibilities.” This section is telling us very clearly that people with doubts are not willing to take responsibility. “Those who are full of dread and fear lose what they have upheld.” those with dread are afraid “This is a waste of my practice to eliminate afflictions. I have not been contaminated by people nor contrived affinities. Now you want me to go among people and contrive affinities with them. I am afraid I will be contaminated by them.” So, “Those who are full of dread and fear lose what they have upheld. Those who are alarmed and doubtful. refuse to take on responsibilities.” These are the two kinds of people. Who will care for future sentient beings? Who will spread the Dharma and transform them? This is the alarm, doubt, fear and dread [they felt] toward this sutra. “You must know that these are people of overbearing arrogance.” These are people of overbearing arrogance; they only take care of their own minds. “They are like those 5000 people who left their seats.” They are like those 5000 people who left. “The Buddha wants to teach the Bodhisattva Way. How can I possibly do this? I don’t want to take on responsibility,” “and I also don’t want to contrive affinities with people again.” 5000 people left the assembly. So, “The Hearers who hear this sutra and give rise to fear and dread” must have the habitual tendency of overbearing arrogance. They are still bringing their habitual tendencies and the teachings they heard long ago along. They think they have already attained perfection due to their non-Buddhist teachings or their past habitual tendencies. So, they have not yet eliminated their habitual tendencies. Those habitual tendencies are doubt and arrogance. Of greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt, though they have practiced to eliminate greed, eliminate anger and eliminate ignorance, arrogance and doubt have not yet been eliminated. So, these people will not listen. They did not enjoy listening, so they left.
Overbearing arrogance is being content with attaining a little and saying we have realized what we have not. This is like Subhuti and the others, who were foremost in the Sangha yet did not give rise to joy in the Bodhisattva Way.
So, “Overbearing arrogance is being content with attaining a little.” When these people attain just a tiny bit, they feel they have already attained a great deal. “I have listened briefly, I now understand it all!” This is called “overbearing arrogance. Every day it is more or less the same!” Yes, every day is more or less the same. Every day we have to sleep. Every day we have to eat. Every day is about the same. By the same principle, every day we have to hear the Dharma. It is because we hear the Dharma every day that the nourishment of the Dharma can help us develop our wisdom-life. This is just like how we eat three meals a day. By eating three meals a day, the bounty of nature can provide nourishment for our physical lives. So, because of this, we must nourish both our physical life and our wisdom-life. Thus, every day we must listen to the Dharma. But people with “overbearing arrogance” are content with attaining a little, “I have listened for quite a while,” “I already know just about everything”. This is called “overbearing arrogance.” Since they are satisfied with a little, once they attain a tiny bit of Dharma, they feel they know everything. They “say they have realized what they have not”. They have not yet attained realizations; they do not yet have thorough understanding. They have just reached the dry earth. They have not yet seen mud; they have not yet seen water. But they feel that they have already attained realizations. So, “This is like Subhuti and others, who were foremost in the Sangha yet did not give rise to joy in the Bodhisattva Way.” In the Chapter on Faith and Understanding, Subhuti led four people to go before the Buddha to repent. In the past, the Bodhisattva-path did not inspire delight in them. They did not accept it joyfully. This is what Subhuti had already expressed. Before he expressed this, he did not take delight in the Bodhisattva-path. The Bodhisattva-path of going among people to transform sentient beings did not make him joyful; he still sought only to benefit himself.
As Buddhist practitioners, we must open our minds. I often say that although [the Dharma] is very subtle and minute, we must take this subtle [Dharma] and expand it, until it encompasses the universe and pervades all Dharma-realms. If the subtleties we expand are our afflictions, there will be no peace in the world, the four elements will be out of balance and there will be natural and man-made calamities. This is the result of evil karma created by sentient beings due to their afflictions and ignorance. Thus, their range is so vast, bringing suffering to sentient beings all over the world.
However, the Buddha wants us to know that afflictions are Bodhi, We can turn afflictions into Bodhi. If we are able to create so many afflictions, we can also widely cultivate blessed affinities. By opening our mind’s eye wider and arousing our awakened nature, True Suchness will appear to us. Throughout the universe and all Dharma-realms, it exists in all places and in all things. The wondrous existence of True Suchness, that true essence, will manifest in the things of every shape, kind and color. Principles are intangible, but the form of every object contains the principles of that particular thing, These are principles. Though we constantly talk about [the principles], have they disappeared from our memory? There may be things that happened long ago, Where are the people I love and respect the most? Now I must say, it is that big group of African [volunteers], our “black pearls.” They live in the midst of suffering, in the mud, yet they shine so brightly. As soon as I share that memory, we go to that place. That environment, the people and their way of life are all contained in our memory. This is how it is. So, it is said that something tiny, something subtle, profound and unfathomable, when expanded, pervades the entire universe. Therefore, we must be mindful. The enlightened nature of the Buddha-Dharma is everywhere. We Buddhist practitioners just need to, at every moment and every second, always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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