Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Abide in the Three Directives
(安住三法 弘經不怠)
Date: December 18.2017
“By embracing all living things with compassion, we ultimately benefit ourselves. Entering this room of compassion is known as ‘wearing the clothing of gentleness and patience’. We transform sentient beings all day, yet do not see any beings to transform. Patience and the Six Perfections can protect us from harmful anger.”
“By embracing all living things with compassion, we ultimately benefit ourselves.” From this passage, we can understand the meaning of compassion. It is out of compassion that we safeguard all sentient beings with love; this is our fundamental duty. We want to enter the Tathagata’s room and have great compassion equal to the Buddha’s, viewing all sentient beings as one with us, having universal compassion this is the Buddha’s unconditional loving-kindness and universal compassion; He is one with the universe. So, “embracing all living things with compassion,” is to protect all sentient beings in the world. In doing so, “We ultimately benefit ourselves.” Being able to learn the Buddha’s teachings, to learn the Buddha’s compassion and cherish all sentient beings [is our benefit]. We might say that it is we who love others, but actually, everyone’s gratitude toward us is also a form of love, a respectful love is also a form of love, a love of respect. Therefore, when we willingly serve others, it will ultimately come back; it will come back to benefit us.
This is entering the Tathagata’s room. When it is sunny outside, we all feel very hot. Or during blizzards of heavy rains, when the snow falls, it is too cold! We need a place where we can take shelter. When heavy rains come, we need to find shelter. By entering the Tathagata’s room, we are sheltered from the wind and rain and do not need to suffer from the freezing cold. In the end, who benefits from this? We are the ones who benefit from entering. The principle is the same. If we have the Buddha’s heart, which is to cherish all sentient beings in the world, in fact, we will also enjoy the gratitude from all beings in the world as well. This is why we must be grateful. Through mutual gratitude, everyone attains some benefit. So, by embracing sentient beings with compassion, we ourselves ultimately benefit. When it comes to us ourselves, we must mindfully seek to experience this. If all sentient beings in the world are at peace, we will naturally be at peace as well. “Entering this room of compassion is known as ‘wearing the clothing of gentleness and patience.’” Great compassion is our room, and gentleness and patience are our clothing. If we enter this room, it will be like wearing a very warm clothing. We need not fear the cold weather. This clothing can also shield us from the wind and cover our bodies. Whether it is winter or summer, we will wear appropriate clothes that fit to cover our bodies. This clothing will dignify our bodies and also protect our minds. Our body and mind both receive protection when we wear this clothing. “We transform sentient beings all day, yet do not see any beings to transform.” We say we want to transform sentient beings, but in fact there are no beings to be delivered. This is because everyone intrinsically has the Tathagata’s nature of True Suchness. We all innately have this capacity and potential. Since everybody has the same potential as we do, who are we going to transform?
So, while we desire to rescue other people, it is actually we who are rescued. As we are rescued by the Dharma, our wisdom-life grows. This is all because, in our past lifetimes, we have been permeated by the Dharma. Now, in this lifetime, we have these conditions, so we are just reviewing the Dharma again. With these causes and conditions, we can then transmit it to everyone else. Those with affinities will naturally draw near us to listen. As they listen, they will naturally feel joy and gain insights. Likewise, they can gain the Buddha’s protection.
As we discussed previously, if sentient beings can hear the Lotus Sutra, even a single line or verse of it, they will be covered by the robe of all Buddhas. As long as we listen to this sutra, give rise to joy and enter it ourselves, begin to enter this door to the Dharma, we can then understand how to apply the Dharma in the course of our daily living. We transform sentient beings all day and spend all day simply applying the Dharma in our daily living. Then, what other teachings are left to teach, left to transform people? Everyone has this innate capacity. Everyone has this latent potential. We can all use this [capacity] to uphold the sutra and spread the Dharma. As long as we follow these guidelines as we walk [out path], then we are always teaching the Dharma in our life.
This is like [our volunteers] in Zimbabwe. Mr. Chu has already spent many years in [Zimbabwe]. For a long time now, the locals there have been receiving Tzu Chi’s spirit and principles. We help them [by providing] tangible materials and inspire them with this intangible spirit and principles, mobilizing them with love. In the past several years, they have sent volunteers back [to Taiwan] to become certified. Every year, they train [new volunteers] and send them here to be certified. Although there are not many of them, they are very dedicated. After they come back [for certification] and then return, their diligence is evident in how they put the teachings into action. They belong to a very different culture, with a very different [way of life]. Yet the Dharma they have learned here, those spiritual principles, these methods, are brought back with them. Even though the environment in their country is so different from ours, though they live [without many] material resources and face many other [challenges] in their lives, having taken these teachings back with them, they apply the same [love] in their interpersonal relationships. With this love, and their mutual care and concern, they are able to guide each other. They will always be able to feel this love, this selflessness with which they care for others. Everyone knows how it feels to take care of others. Everybody knows that taking care of others is a way of being close to people. This is the love and gratitude people feel for one another.
Recently [in 2016], around May or June, on one occasion, volunteers from seven or eight regions planned a gathering. One of the volunteers said, “Since so many people will be gathered here, why don’t we hold an activity? For this activity, let’s do a street clean-up. There is a place in the market that is dirty and disorganized. Why don’t we learn from the spirit of the Cash for Relief Program?” Although they had not used this program before, they appealed to everyone’s spirit of serving others with love through their actions. In that filthy place with poor sanitation, they [planned to] set out and help the local people clean up and care for their neighbors. Everyone gathered together, and after their meeting, they thought, “This is great! They also do this in Taiwan, caring for the community and guiding others to also contribute with the power of their love.” And so, this was how they started. There were 70 volunteers or so from that area along with over 100 people from eight other places. Altogether, there were over 200 volunteers. They attracted everyone’s attention as they cleaned the street with so much joy. The street was very messy. It was very dirty; the sanitation there was poor. At dawn, they set out to begin cleaning. Volunteers from more remote areas took two buses and then walked to join the local volunteers. There were over 200 people cleaning that street; it was quite a big team. Everyone looked so spirited and joyful. They cleaned from morning until noon. Turning around to see [their work], the road looked good as new. It looked so clean and welcoming! Everyone was so happy, and they began to sing. They sang there in the streets. All the songs they sang went something like, “Thank you Master Cheng Yen for guiding and transforming us with the Dharma. Tzu Chi’s teachings have opened our hearts. They bring us happiness and joy every day.” They recited and sang this all along the way. Another 10 or 20 minutes down the road, they saw a place that was even more filthy. Before they arrived, that place was a garbage heap; it was like a mountain of garbage. That place was a market, where people sold various items. Yet when they walked in, the smell was terrible. All kinds of [trash were strewn around], but the more than 200 volunteers did not mind at all. They were still very happy and began to clean the entire space. They sorted all the garbage that needed sorting and cleaned everything that needed cleaning. They made the market very lively. [Others] watched this group of volunteers who had suddenly [appeared], and were joyfully singing and holding their cleaning tools as they entered the marketplace. They happily cleaned up the garbage, working from noon to dusk. When everyone saw it [afterwards], it was completely different. The vendors, who were there since early morning and the customers, stood there discussing what had happened. “Where did they come from?” Someone said, “They came from Taiwan; they [are called] Tzu Chi. They often come here to distribute goods.” Another said, “These are our own local people, who brought the spirit of love from Taiwan. They brought it to us here.” Everybody, the businessmen and their customers started to discuss this. Some people were deeply moved by this. After the group finished the cleaning, from noon to evening, some of the people doing business there approached them and said, “Thank you for what you have done. You took this unsanitary, smelly place, and in half a day, you transformed it completely. We all feel so ashamed. When we were doing business and selling our goods here, we just dumped all our trash here. From now on, we will not keep dumping our trash.” One of them said, “I hope that since I do business here, I can also work to maintain this place and keep it clean. I want to be like you.” This happened recently in Zimbabwe, Africa.
This is giving with love. Would you say that we gave them the Dharma? it is was simply that our [volunteer] seeds were willing to carry the methods of Tzu Chi over there with them and combine it with the principles of the Jing Si Dharma-lineage. [This is] the Jing Si Dharma-lineage and the Tzu Chi School of Buddhism. The Dharma-lineage is our spirit and principles. The school is how we apply these methods in action. Once they accept and affirm them, they combine the two together and bring them back [to their country]. Over a few years, starting from a small area, they gradually expanded. Now they have already influenced the local people. Today, their reach continues to expand. For those who are volunteers now, we can see that they also have seeds of love. [They] had to take two buses and transfer twice, then walk to the site. These people have been certified already; for everyone to gather there like this, we can see that in the land they have cultivated, the seeds have already begun to sprout. Gradually as their reach grows wider, these seeds will also grow in number. They have cultivated that land by serving others, and sprouts of Bodhi have already begun to appear. In due time, they will naturally grow into a forest of Bodhi. This is how people exert mutual influence.
So, we want to transform sentient beings, but though we transform sentient beings all day, we do not see any sentient beings to transform.
From the start, everyone innately has this latent potential. They intrinsically possess this potential. So long as they can accept this idea, they can naturally begin exercising this potential for transforming themselves and others. They have taken the Dharma to heart. These past few years, those who came back to become certified. And constantly serve others with love. By serving with love, what they attain in return is receiving gratitude from others. Thus gratitude and love form and endless cycle. This is how it grows. Everyone intrinsically has Tathagata-nature; we all have this potential that we can exercise. I am truly grateful.
Simply hearing the news they report back and seeing the pictures they send makes my heart feel joyful. There they have transformed themselves and ithers and continuously pass on the teachings. Even the smallest seeds can exercise great potential.
While watching Da Ai TV, I saw that around 400 or 500 young volunteers [from Jing Si Bookstore] came to Guandu. At that place, they performed a musical sutra adaptation. They started with the Medicine Buddha Sutra, then the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, and even the Lotus Sutra, with “A Lotus Emerging from the Mud”. This lasted more than two hours. The children ranged from 3to 12 years old. These 400 to 500 children also brought their parents and grandparents. There were more than 2000 people are Tzu Chi’s Guandu campus. This is truly transforming sentient beings. Downstairs and upstairs, every available space was packed with people. These children guided and transformed three generations of their families. Some families had three generations [come], including parents and grandparents. Some even had great grandparents, and all four generations were gathered there. Those who performed all agreed to be vegetarian; they had to uphold this precept to be qualified to participate in the performance. This is also one of the purposes. This is also using the power of love.
It has been a long period of nurturing them; since age 3 to 4 until now, in middle school. Several children are now attending Tzu Chi Middle School in Hualien. That day, they also went to Taipei to pass on their experiences. They went to teach the newer young volunteers, “This is how to host [the show]. This is how you stand on the stage. If you still have time, speak a little slower. If time is almost up, you need to speak faster. If people have not shown up yet, you can speak about how you are feeling to speak a little longer. If people are waiting, then you should stick to the script.” They used this approach to teach them and accompany them. Even these young volunteers are working with generation after generation. This is transmitting the Dharma.
I am very grateful; with the Dharma as its source, these songs were composed and arranged with [sign] language. Each performer was one who transmits the Dharma. beginning with the composer, Mr. Kuo, and the creative direction of Tzu Chi Yue, what began as tiny seeds continuously developed and flourished. Now in Africa, they are also able to perform; they also have seeds there. This is [why] we must spread the Dharma.
So, the Lotus Sutra is now emphasizing how we must spread the Dharma. we need to enter the room of compassion, “Great compassion is the room, gentleness and patience is the clothing and the emptiness of all phenomena is the seat; being here at this place.” The most important thing in this chapter is upholding the sutra. We need to diligently uphold the sutra and earnestly spread the Dharma. When we have this Dharma, the seeds will sprout. We need to be like these seeds; we need to work hard to cultivate the field of our minds and sow the seeds of love there. Naturally, the seeds will grow densely together, until they grow into a large [forest]. This is what it means to spread the Dharma; this is the power of love. Therefore, we must not say, “I am one who spreads the Dharma” but merely cling to how we are spreading the Dharma. actually, “we transform sentient beings all day yet do not see any beings to transform.” We are transforming sentient beings every day. However, as the Dharma spreads further, others are already going out to transform people. Once others accepted the Dharma themselves, they too began to spread the Dharma, passing it down through the generations. Everybody has the innate potential to do this. so, we must earnestly put pour heart into it; we need the power of our long-lasting love, [giving constantly] with utmost sincerity continuing to just do it.
“Patience and the Six Perfections can protect is from harmful anger.” We need to be mindful; spreading this sutra requires a lot of patience. Regarding the story in Zimbabwe we just spoke of, is spreading the Dharma really that simple? They also underwent many trials. Those children we just talked about, for so many years, from such a young age, have been able to accept the teachings. Their parents have been so supportive throughout. This is not easy either, is it? They have made it through many challenges that required a lot of patience and resilience in order to continually overcome. This is why we must have patience and practice the Six Perfections, [which are] giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. We must practice the Six Perfections continuously. To do this, we need to have patience, the patience of the Six Perfections. This patience can guard against anger, arrogance and the tendency to lose our temper and give rise to [deviant] thoughts. With patience, we will naturally prevent these; it “can protect us from harmful anger. If we have this anger and ignorance, they can damage our spiritual aspirations or cause us to give up halfway through. We must work hard to prevent this. We must put on the clothing of patience. Wearing it, we can praise others’ virtue while concealing faults and end evil and do good. We must work toward this continuously.
The World-Honored One teaches us to enter the Tathagata’s room. The Tathagata’s room is the World-Honored One’s state of enlightenment. Thus, “The World-Honored One teaches us to enter His room.” “His” hear refers to the great self of the Buddha.
The World-Honored One teaches us to enter His room, wear His clothing and sit upon His seat. Without these Three Directives, how can we promote the sutras as Dharma teachers? The five kinds of Dharma teachers use these Three Directives to direst themselves. Thus it says they peacefully abide in these directives and use these to transform others, teaching the Dharma with hearts that never grow indolent.
The Buddha has already attained enlightenment, united as one with all things in the universe. This is the Buddha’s room; this is entering the Tathagata’s room. “Entering His room” means “entering the Tathagata’s room”. “Wearing His clothing” means wearing the Tathagata’s clothing”. “Sitting on His seat” means “sitting on the Tathagata’s seat”. “Without these Three Directives, how can we promote the sutra as Dharma teachers?” without these Three Directives, without entering the Tathagata’s room, wearing the Tathagata’s clothing, without these guidelines, how can we promote the Dharma and benefit others? So, only by [practicing] these teachings can we become teachers who teach the Dharma, or those who expound the sutras.
There are five kinds of Dharma teachers. As the sutra previously mentioned, there are five kinds of Dharma teachers. These five kinds of Dharma teachers use Three Directives to direct themselves. “Thus it says they peacefully abide in these directives and use these to transform others, teaching the Dharma with hearts that never grow indolent.” Everybody should remember the Three Directives that I just mentioned a moment ago. “Entering the Tathagata’s room, and sitting on the Tathagata’s seat are the Three Directives. “Great compassion is the room, gentleness and patience is the clothing, and the emptiness of all phenomena is the seat.” These are “the Tathagata’s room, clothing and seat”. These are the Three Directives. Only when we abide by these can we always remain diligent.
Who are the five kinds of Dharma teachers? Let us review one more time. 1. Those who accept and uphold this sutra. 2. Those who read this sutra. 3. Those who recite this sutra. 4. Those who explain it. 5. Those who transcribe it. These five kinds are the ones “who promote the Lotus Sutra.”. they are called “the five kinds of Dharma teachers”.
The sutras must be passed down. During the Buddha’s era, He encouraged everyone to read and recite, meaning they needed to memorize the sutras. It was not like now, when it is so simple to print. Now we can just reach out hand and pick it up. They did not have this back then. Back then, they had to read, recite and memorize. They had to know [the sutras] by heart. Without printing, they needed people to transcribe and copy sown the entire sutra so it could be disseminated more widely for people to read. Thus, it was necessary to uphold, read, recite and transcribe this sutra. This is how the sutras were spread. Most important of all is expounding the sutra and putting it into practice. This is the most important.
As the previous sutra passage says, “The Tathagata’s room is a heart of great loving-kindness and compassion toward all sentient beings. The Tathagata’s clothing is a heart of gentleness and patience. The Tathagata’s seat is the realization of the emptiness of all phenomena.”
We have explained this previously. Everyone must be mindful. “They abide peacefully in these, and then, with hearts that never grow indolent, for all Bodhisattvas and the fourfold assembly, they teach this Lotus Sutra extensively.”
First, we need to abide peacefully in these Three Directives. Then, we need to be diligent and not grow indolent. “For all Bodhisattvas,” for all newly-inspired Bodhisattvas, as well as the fourfold assembly, we must expound the Lotus Sutra. These were all newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. There are both male and female lay and monastic practitioners; this is called the fourfold assembly. To “abide peacefully in these” means to “abide peacefully on the seat of compassion, patience and the emptiness of phenomena”. We must all be clear on this. “Dharma teachers use these Three Directives to discipline themselves”. Those who teach the Dharma must take these three practices as rules to guide them. They must have these rules to follow. Thus it says, “abide peacefully in these”. When we expound the Dharma, if we do not have standards for ourselves, if we do not have these kinds of rules, then we are not qualified to expound the Dharma.
With hearts that never grow indolent: Though we may be compassionate and patient and understand the empty nature of phenomena, if we are still indolent, promoting this sutra will be difficult. Thus, this sutra says, “with hearts that never grow indolent”.
So, [we need], “hearts that never grow indolent”. We have these Three Directives, and we must be very diligent. We must have great resolve within. Otherwise, the sutra is very long, and its Dharma very abundant. It is the cure which adapts to this world. We cannot just read this sutra. We must [observe] the modern way of living, and determine which teachings to apply. For this, we must be mindful and very patient. This will not happen quickly; it takes a long time. We must use Dharma to guide and mobilize people in a way suitable to their lifestyle. And so, we need to be very patient and never grow indolent.
“Though we may be compassionate and patient and understand the empty nature of phenomena, if we are still indolent, promoting this sutra will be difficult”. Though we may be compassionate and patient, and understand the empty nature of phenomena, we [may still] retreat from our diligent resolve. Even though we are patient and understand the teachings, we may still be a little indolent. For example, these past two days, many said to me, “Master, should you rest for a day or two?” But I had to persist. Why is that? Though I have been feeling slightly unwell the past few days, if I stopped to rest because I feel slightly unwell, how could I [promote the sutra]? So, I kept on going, passing each day in the same way. So, I cannot be indolent. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings says, although his body was ill, though the ferryman was in poor health, he still knew how to steer the boat and could still ferry passengers across so he could not be indolent. He still had to work diligently to deliver people and serve as the ferryman. So, “Though we may be compassionate and patient and understand the empty nature of phenomena, if we are still indolent,” then we must be aware that “promoting this sutra will be difficult”. Promoting this sutra will be difficult, and we will not be able to teach it to completion. I am also worried about this; will I be able to teach it completely? This sutra is truly very long, and the world changes a lot. I am truly very worried.
“Thus, this sutra says, ’[We must have] hearts that never grow indolent.”’ All we can do is persevere; we can never grow indolent. We must teach the Dharma as long as we live. No matter how long our lives will last, life follows the state of things, follows the laws of nature. This is the only way.
Next it says, “We use this to transform others.” We must use this teaching, the Three Directives, to transform and deliver. “So it says to teach the Dharma with a heart that never grows indolent.” We cannot become indolent. We must follow the Three Directives; we must enter the Tathagata’s room, wear the Tathagata’s clothing, and sit on His seat. We must take this Dharma, this sutra, and continually pass it down, not be indolent.
As we teach in this way, we use this to transform others, so it says to teach the Dharma with a heart that never grows indolent. Thus, the Buddha taught us to enter His room, wear His clothing and sit on His seat. Without these Three Directives, how can we promote the sutra as Dharma teachers?
“Thus, the Buddha taught us to enter His room, wear His clothing and sit on His seat. Without these Three Directives, how can we promote the sutra as Dharma teachers?” Therefore, these Three Directives are essential. Moreover, we must never grow indolent. “For all Bodhisattvas and the fourfold assembly, they teach this Lotus Sutra extensively.” So, it was for all Bodhisattvas and the fourfold assembly that they expound the Lotus Sutra. This is teaching the Dharma for the sake of others.
For all Bodhisattvas and the fourfold assembly, they teach this Lotus Sutra extensively: This is teaching the Dharma to others. This says that those who teach the Dharma must maintain these directives and never succumb to indolence again. These are the directives for teaching this sutra in the era of Dharma-decay. Only in this way can they teach this sutra to Bodhisattvas.
The fourfold assembly are the monastic and lay practitioners, each with male and female practitioner. The Lotus Sutra is not just for monastics to teach to laypeople. Not at all. Monastics must also earnestly listen to the Dharma. Only by mindfully listening to the Dharma do we have a way to pass down the teachings for the mutual benefit of the fourfold assembly. Whether we are monastic or lay practitioners, we transmit it for the fourfold assembly. As Buddhist practitioners, as long as someone aspires to learn the Dharma, we must mindfully expound the teachings for them. To do this, we must use these Three Directives. We must never be indolent; we need to be diligent. We must do this for the sake of newly-inspired Bodhisattvas in the future. There are always newly-aspired Bodhisattvas; they may be monastics or lay practitioners. We must continuously expound the Dharma to them. This is “teaching the Dharma to others. This says that those who teach the Dharma must maintain these directives and never succumb to indolence again.” Those who teach the Lotus Sutra have this only this thought in their mind. It is so simple and pure; they single-mindedly vow to transmit the Dharma and uphold this sutra by reciting, reading, transcribing and expounding it. It is that simple and pure. They “must maintain these directives and never succumbing to indolence again.” They single-mindedly resolve to put the teachings into practice, They abide completely within this sutra and its teachings. The sutra and its teachings have already endowed our lives with an abundance of Dharma. If we apply this sutra in our lives. If we apply this sutra in our lives, there will be no complicated matters. We must keep this in mind. “Those who teach the Dharma must maintain these directives and never succumb to indolence again.” We must “enter the Tathagata’s room, wear the Tathagata’s clothing, and sit on the Tathagata’s throne.” We must keep these in mind and not become indolent. “These are the directives for teaching this sutra in the era of Dharma-decay.” In this era of Dharma-decay, these are the directives of those who expound the sutra. These Three Directives are the Tathagata’s room, the clothing of patience, and the throne of the emptiness of phenomena. These must be our guiding principles as we expound the Dharma in the future. “Only in this way can they teach this sutra to Bodhisattvas.” With pure minds and firm determination. With pure minds and firm determination, we will naturally be able to [teach this sutra] in this era of Dharma-decay, this era of turbidity. Right now, we are living in the era of Dharma-decay. In this evil world of turbidities, it is crucial to mindfully delve deeply [into the Dharma]. “ Those who are learning must also cultivate and practice like this.”
Those who are learning must also cultivate and practice like this, so that they can attain Buddhahood in future lifetimes. Thus, to benefit living things, compassion is foremost, and we must take patience as our foundation. In teaching the Dharma, we must be rooted in selflessness, Those who can practice the Three Directives to promote the great teachings are thus called Dharma teachers.
We who want to expound this sutra and the people listen to it must both be like this. Those who expound it must be pure-hearted, and as those who listen must also be determined and pure-hearted. So, “By practicing like this they can attain Buddhahood in future lifetimes,” They must also abide by these teachings. This sutra is the path to Buddhahood. This is the path we must follow. The people who lead us have also walked this path, and we who follow them must walk it as well. This is the path to Buddhahood, which leads us the Tathagata’ room; it guides us to enter the Tathagata’ room, to wear the Tathagata’s clothing and to understand the empty nature of all phenomena. We are all walking to this place together, this is the path for Buddhist practitioners to attain Buddhahood. We learn [the Buddha’s teaching] to attain Buddhahood. If we learn without hoping to attain Buddhahood, then what is the point or learning? We learn the Buddha’s teachings to attain Buddhahood, “Thus, to benefit living things, compassion is foremost, and we must have patience as our foundation.” We must have compassion and enter the Tathagata’s room. With great loving-kindness and compassion, we enter the Tathagata’ room. Gentleness and patience are the clothing. This means that patience is necessary to be able to continue [in our practice], whether it is with our body or mind, our state of mind or our physical conduct. We must have a patient state of mind, completely eliminate our afflictions and maintain a focused, settled and determined mind to practice the perfect teachings of the Lotus Sutra. We must have this kind of determination to listen, learn, and expound; we must be able to do this. “In teaching the Dharma, we must be rooted in selflessness.” I am not the [only] one who can expound the Dharma. In fact, many people can expound the Dharma. Once we hear the Dharma, we digest it, comprehend it and put the teachings of this sutra into practice, applying it in our lives and integrating it into our dealings with people and matters. It should be that simple. So, we must be mindful. “In teaching the Dharma, we must be rooted in selflessness.” Since the emptiness of all phenomena is the seat, those who expound the Dharma have no Dharma to expound. We can expound the Dharma all day, yet do not see any Dharma to expound. Therefore, there is nothing for us to cling to nor any reason to be arrogant. “Those who can practice the Three Directives to promote the great teachings are thus called Dharma teachers.” We must abide by the Three Directives of the perfect teachings. The Lotus Sutra is the perfect teaching. It is the king of all sutras, foremost among them. So, we must be earnestly mindful. We need to earnestly listen to this sutra and apply its teachings in our daily life so that the teachings will become our own. Otherwise, the Dharma will leak away as soon as we hear it. We must always return to the Tathagata. We return to the Tathagata’s [state], where there is no Dharma to expound. There will be no one to listen to the Dharma, nor anyone to teach it either. We will have already returned to true emptiness. So, when we hear it, we must bring wondrous existence back to our hearts. We must not only return to true emptiness. When we listen to the Dharma, we must take it in as wondrous existence and apply it. So, we must always be mindful.
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