Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Understanding the Three Directives (明了三軌 廣為演說)
Date: Dec ember 25.2017
“We must understand the Three Directives. Compassion gives rise to all goodness. Gentleness shields us from all evil. The emptiness of phenomena brings tranquility to all appearances. We must go among people with no fear in our hearts expound it for all, teaching individually.”
We must mindfully seek to understand this. [The Buddha] has always hoped that everyone would have deep faith in and comprehend the true principles of the perfect teaching. In the Lotus Sutra’s Chapter on Dharma Teachers, the Buddha put His heartfelt effort into how, after He entered Parinirvana, the Dharma would be passed down in the future, and furthermore what was most important was the spirit and ideals of the Lotus teachings. This was in regard to the future. In the Buddha’s lifetime, the future era He worried about most was the era we are living in now. He worried about this evil world of the Five Turbidities. What teachings could be used to treat it? Only the perfect teachings. These perfect and harmonious teachings adapt to the world’s turbidities, ignorance and afflictions. What is needed is teachings like the Lotus Sutra to treat this present era. So, He put much effort into transmitting this sutra’s teachings. He constantly expressed His one great cause for coming to this world. He opened and revealed these teachings in hopes that sentient beings could all return to their nature of True Suchness, be equal to the Buddha and have the same awakening as He did. That nature of wisdom pervades the universe; it is one with the universe. This is the Buddha’s greatest hope, that everyone can comprehend the Dharma. However, sentient beings are covered by ignorance. Layer upon layer, we have continuously and repeatedly covered our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. With this thick layer of ignorance, what is the method that we can apply to touch our nature of True Suchness so that our intrinsic nature can converge with the world, the universe and the true principles of the Dharma? It is because we are covered by layer after layer of ignorance; otherwise, our minds could become one with the universe. Why is it that our lives are so complicated? Originally, they were very simple, but then out of ignorance, we created many complications. So, we are constantly troubled. The Buddha has already taught the Four Noble Truths. [Life is] suffering! However, we continue giving rise to complications, giving rise to ignorance and giving rise to afflictions. We continuously give rise to and reproduce them. So, our thoughts become more complicated, and we add suffering to our existing suffering. In this present world, is there anyone who is very happy, at ease and at peace? We all have deep, serious afflictions. This is despite the fact that every morning, we all studiously pay respect to the Buddha. We recite the Sutra of Infinite Meanings over and over again or do the bowing ceremony for the Lotus Sutra. We show reverence for every verse and allow every single word to penetrate our hearts so we can be one with all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. However, bowing to the sutras is just bowing, and reciting the sutras is just reciting. We also have the chance to sit and listen to the teachings, but listening to teachings is just listening, too. This can just be living according to routine. If so, that would be such a pity! Our routines in life become very natural to us, and we do not take them seriously.
For example, every day as part of our living, it is natural for us to go sleep, natural for us to wake up. When we get out of bed, it is very natural for our bodies to do everything to start our day and walk out of our dorm rooms. These actions are all part of our daily routine. We do not know to be grateful we can do all this. Every day, we can go about our routine without being aware of it. Everything is so simple, yet we do not know to feel grateful. If one day we cannot fall asleep when we want to, or cannot get out of bed when we wake up, that is when things will become troublesome. Our minds and bodies will not be in harmony; this is called falling ill. We are blessed to be in good health. However, we may completely neglect our health. We do not know to cherish it, and we do not know to be grateful for it. Those who know to cherish it continue to live simple, regular lives. If we can do this, we should also seize the chance to, while living this simple life, put extra effort into listening to the Dharma. We can apply it in our daily living. When we make use of it in life, and it resonates with our Dharma-nature, we [apply] the teachings we heard in the morning, like what it means to have “great compassion as the room”. When we have great compassion as the room, when we see a person with a heavy load, we should immediately lend a hand and help carry it. When we give him some help, this is to have “great compassion as the room”. This is such an easy thing to do. We cannot bear for people to overexert themselves. If we can give him a part of our strength, as we work together he will feel at ease, and we will feel happy. This is how we interact with people. Together we all go into this room of great compassion. We give all we can to do the things we ought to do. We give our strength to lighten their burden and suffering. This is great compassion. This home of the mind is the room of our heart. We can express empathy. Isn’t this easy for us to do? We can do it. Of course, if we can start by being mindful of even the smallest gestures, then our living will come together with the Dharma. We need to take care of each other. When someone is physically unwell, when they are ill, we have to put effort into caring for them. We accompany them, care for them and understand how they are doing physically and the kind of treatment they need. We must accompany them, care for them and watch over them. This is an even deeper level of loving-kindness and compassion. With this love, we delve deeper layer by layer and expand it bit by bit. We can “transform others who live with”. As we live together and practice together, we care for one another at the same time and mutually awaken the love in each other. What is so difficult about this? It is not difficult. We just go from the shallow and to the deep, expand form the small to the big, extending even to people we do not know. With unconditional loving-kindness, we exercise universal compassion. This is also how our charity work began. It is the hope that everyone, all living beings, can have peace and joy. That is great loving-kindness.
“We feel others’ pain and suffering as our own.” That is universal compassion. When we have unconditional loving-kindness and universal compassion, we will have no regrets or resentment in life. This is how we practice together, live together and transform each other. Even with people who have no connection with us, it is the same. “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering beings.” Thus, our living-kindness and compassion expand to include those who have no connection with us. We cherish and love these people in the same way. This is what “great compassion as the room” means. This is the first of the Three Directives “compassion gives rise to all goodness”. This is what we must cultivate all the time. This is very simple. It is something we can accomplish.
So, “Gentleness shields us from all evil.” Indeed, we need to be more accommodating. “Our heart can encompass the universe and embrace the boundless worlds within it.” We must open up and broaden our minds. Mount Jiuhua is Earth treasury Bodhisattva’s place of practice. A manifestation of Earth Treasury Bodhisattva was born in Korea. In the past, when I taught the Earth Treasury Sutra, I told this story. There was once a prince in Korea who delighted in the Buddha-Dharma. He yearned to go to China, where the Dharma was flourishing. So, he left Korea, abandoning his glory and wealth and his life as a member of the royal family. He was alone, with only a dog by his side. He traveled by boat, simple canoe. It was just a plain wooden boat. The boat drifted with the wind to Anhuii Province in China, where he walked following the road. When he saw the magnificence of this mountain, he was so happy. He walked on the trail along the mountain, following it until he found a cave in the mountain. In the cave, he began to engage in spiritual practice. He dedicated himself in his practice and calmed his mind. He lived in nature, and all the land was his storehouse of food. He could sustain himself by picking wild plants. Every day, he sat in meditation. There was group of poets who loved to hike and recite poems, write couplets and search for inspiration there. One day, they saw this spiritual practitioner. He was so dignified and at peace. Every time they came, they saw how simply he lived and how he calmly engaged in spiritual practice. They were very moved, so they requested teachings from him and learned his life story. Later, when they learned he came from Korea and was a prince of the palace, these poets admired him even more.
So, they spread the news. After the lord of the mountain learned of this, he came to see for himself. Sure enough, this young, dignified spiritual practitioner had actually been here for such a long time. “I am the lord of this mountain, yet I didn’t about this. I haven’t fulfilled my duty as a host. So, from then on, he and his son came every day. Once they came, they would request teachings and happily listen to the Dharma. then they saw that many people came here out of their admiration for the Dharma. so, the lord of the mountain himself and his son took refuge under the practitioner. He said to the spiritual practitioner, “It seems like you came to this place to understand the Dharma, and now you are already very clear on it. Everyone comes to seek the Dharma from you. You should have a place for that. Think about it, on this piece of land, where do you think would be a good place for our spiritual practice center? Master, please point out a place. For our spiritual practice center so that everyone who comes to seek the Dharma will have a place to go.”
Then, this spiritual practitioner said, “If this is the case, I don’t know how much land we need or where it should be. How about I throw my robe in the air, and wherever its shadow extends, the area under its shade, will be my spiritual practice center? Delighted. The lord of the mountain said, “Your robe is so small. How is it big enough for a practice center? The spiritual practitioner said, “ it will be enough!” so, he took his robe. And threw it up into the air. Just as he threw his robe into the air, a cloud happened to block the sun, so they entirety of Jiuhua Mountain was covered in shadow. The load of the mountain was so happy. “It turns out that this land belongs to Master. This place can be the spiritual practice center where you transmit the Dharma forever.” This mountain was of a particular shape. It had peak after peak, resembling mine lotus flowers. From then on, it was called “Jiuhua [mine flowers] Mountain”. Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui Province is Earth Treasury Bodhisattva’s place of practice.
This is having “gentleness and patience as clothing”. Those who intend to engage in spiritual practice form great aspirations to seek the Dharma and to transmit the Dharma, and thus begin to spread the Dharma.
People also say that that Earth Treasury Bodhisattva did not only “transform the living,” but also wanted to “transform the dead”. This was because Earth Treasury Bodhisattva could not bear to see people commit evil in this world and fall into hell in the future. So, he made this vow to not only transform all sentient beings, but to not attain Buddhahood until hell was empty. This is Earth Treasury Bodhisattva’s great vow. Just think; isn’t this the room of great loving-kindness and compassion and the clothing of gentleness and patience? With gentleness, he stops all sentient beings from committing evil. Even if they commit evil and fall into hell, he will go to hell to save and transform them. His vow was the same as the Buddha’s. he accepted the Buddha’s teachings. The Buddha also made the same vow.
The Jataka Sutra says He began to form aspirations in hell. He could not bear to let the beings there suffer. He saw that sentient beings ended up in hell because they committed evil in the human realm. For this reason, He came to the human world life after life, all for this one great cause, to transform all sentient beings, to teach them to guard against wrongdoing and stop evil. This requires using the clothing of gentleness and patience shield against and prevent evil from arising again. The emptiness of all phenomena is the seat.
“We must realize the emptiness in all appearances.” This means that our minds must be very pure. We transform all sentient beings, but without any sense of an “I” who transforms them in some way. We just put all our efforts into transforming them. When they are happy, we experience Dharma-joy. by taking joy in other’s merits, we eliminate our greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. The Five Aggregates are all empty, so we completely empty ourselves of the afflictions of our bodies and minds. With minds tranquil and clear our vows are simply as vast as the void. Our hearts can encompasses the universe. This is such a broad, open state of mind. “We must realize the emptiness in all appearances.” It is completely empty. We go among people with no fear in our heart. Since we are not greedy for fame or wealth, when we teach the Dharma, among sentient beings, what is there to be afraid of? We are not doing it for personal gain, but for the benefit of all sentient beings, for the sake of transforming all beings. Therefore, we have no fear in our hearts. So, we must “expound it for all, teaching individually. It is not for us. we are teaching for the sake of all beings. This is not for recognition, not for wealth, but for everyone to comprehend the principles of the Dharma, for everyone to accept them and put them into practice in their daily living. This is such a simple and free wat to live. This is our only purpose. As we walk the Bodhisattva-path, there will be no interpersonal conflicts; all people return to being one with the universe. This is universal compassion. This is the Three Directives the Buddha taught us.
We must understand the Three Directives. Compassion gives rise to all goodness. Gentleness shields us from all evil. We must realize the emptiness in all appearances. We must go among people with no fear in our hearts, and expound it for all, teaching individually.
This passage is very important. I hope that everyone will deeply engage it in their hearts. The previous sutra passage likewise said, “[Those] who have not heard the Lotus Sutra are still far from the Buddha’s wisdom”.
Medicine King, you must know that people like these who have not heard the Lotus Sutra are still far from the Buddha’s wisdom. If people hear this profound sutra, it ultimately clarifies the teachings for the Hearers. It is the king of all sutras. Once they have heard its truth and contemplated it, you must know that these people are near to the Buddha’s wisdom.
The Lotus Sutra is what the Buddha constantly wanted to pass down to future generations. He went among people to see if its teachings could be heard more widely. If people have not heard the Lotus Sutra, “[they] are still far from the Buddha’s wisdom”. They are very far from the Buddha-wisdom. So, “If people hear this profound sutra, it ultimately clarifies the teachings for the Hearers.” If we can hear this sutra, we can ultimately understand that the teachings for Hearers are not the ultimate. So, we must immediately enter the perfect and abundant great teachings, the True Dharma of the One Vehicle. We must enter it immediately.
Thus, we need to know that this sutra is “the king of all sutras”. The Buddha was quick to shift and release the Hearers’ and Solitary Realizers; Small Vehicle attachments. He quickly opened up the perfect and harmonious true teachings, which are the Lotus Sutra. The Lotus Sutra contains both Great and Small Vehicle teachings. So, it is the king of all sutras. “Once they heard its truth and contemplated it,” after everyone had listened, they6 had to put effort into being mindful.
In our daily living, after we listen to the Dharma, do we bring the Dharma into our interactions with people and matters? We must mindfully contemplate this. do we take small and simple actions with empathy? We must earnestly contemplate this. do we have the room of great compassion? Are we wearing the clothing of gentleness and patience? Have we emptied ourselves of all afflictions, ignorance and attachment? We must earnestly contemplate this. “We must know that these people are close to the Buddha’s wisdom.” These people are already very close. If they, after listening to the sutra, can earnestly contemplate [the teachings] and actualize them in their daily living, we will know that these people have gradually drawn near the Buddha’s wisdom.
“Those who teach this sutra must enter the Tathagata’s room, wear the Tathagata’s clothing and sit on the Tathagata’s seat. They must go among people without fear and teach it for all individually.”
These are people who have understood contemplated [the teachings]. Their life is one with the Dharma; they are very diligent. They uphold the sutras, accept and teach the Dharma. people like this have already entered the Tathagata’s room put on the Tathagata’s clothing and sat on the Tathagata’s seat. When practitioners like this are among the people, they should be able to lead them without fear and teach them the Dharma. This sutra passage is very important.
The next sutra passage continues with, “Great compassion is the room, gentleness and patience are the clothing and the emptiness of all phenomena is the seat; being here, they expound the Dharma.”
What we know and understand now is to have “Great compassion as the room, gentleness and patience as the clothing and the emptiness of all phenomena as the seat.” If we can peacefully abide in the Tathagata’s room, wear the Tathagata’s clothing and sit on the Tathagata’s seat, then starting now, we must expound the Dharma. expounding the Dharma is more than just talking. It is putting it into action with body and mind. Every move we make, every word we say, is to expound the Dharma for sentient beings. This is what we do in our daily living. This is how we “enter the room, wear the clothing and sit in the seat to expound [the Dharma].” this is being in accord with the Dharma. this is more than just talking all day long; it is making the Dharma a regular part of our daily living. With every action we take and every word we speak, we are able to influence people.
Great compassion is the room, gentleness and patience are the clothing and the emptiness of all phenomena is the seat; being here, they expounds the Dharma: Only those who enter the room, wear the clothing, and sit in the seat to expound [the Dharma] are said to be in accord with the Dharma.
So, “Compassion gives rise to all goodness.” We must cultivate our compassion. With compassion in our actions, naturally we can give rise to all that is good. This is not just about being good as individuals. Our goodness can influence others to be good. This is how we guide people. With a heart of reverence, we can be beneficial friends to each other, be good friends to each other, be spiritual friends to each other. This is compassion. This is giving rise to all goodness. “Gentleness shields us from all evil.” We must use a gently and open heart to be accommodating to others and earnestly guide them to understand.if they have mistaken thoughts and actions, if we are good friends with them, when they have erroneous thoughts, we can promptly correct them. When they go astray in their actions, we can promptly approach and counsel them. By treating them gently and going along with them, we can ”shield them from all evil”. This is to guard against wrongs and stop evil. This requires the practice of gentleness. Then there is “the phenomena that arise through emptiness and causes and conditions”. We can comprehend the emptiness of all phenomena. This is because after we understand the Dharma, we recognize that everything is empty. The Five Aggregates are all empty.
What are the Five Aggregates? Everyone already knows. Because we listen to the Dharma, we understand the Five Aggregates, which are form, feeling, perception, action and consciousness. These are the Five Aggregates. In the world, we see things of all shapes and colors and hear [all kinds] of sounds. Will the world’s sounds and forms delude our minds? They will! We are all deluded by these sounds and forms. Thus, we a consciousness of greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt arises. In their daily living, this is what ordinary beings are like. They are confused by forms. Because we are confused by forms, we end up feeling great discomfort. So, we have afflictions.” I can’t get what I want. “So, I experience the feeling of suffering.”
Because of external forms, we take action. We act the way we want to act, creating all kinds of karma that is then stored in our consciousness. Whether [through the workings of] the sixth, the seventh or the eighth consciousness, it is stored in the consciousnesses of afflictions. The eighth consciousness if full of afflictions. This is due to the Five Aggregates.
If we can listen to and understand the Dharma, we know the Five Aggregates are completely empty. This is because the Five Aggregates arise through the accumulation of causes and conditions. if there is no cause, conditions will not form. The world is becoming more and more complicated. It used to be so simple and pure and people could earnestly engage in practice. However, the world became increasingly complicated. As we absorb more knowledge, we become more clever. This causes our minds to be entangled by the phenomena of causes and conditions. this is the state of ordinary beings. The causes and conditions of the Five Aggregates entangle them, bind them. So, after we understand the Dharma, we will know that all phenomena are empty, and we will no longer allow these phenomena to entangle us and bind us. we can attain liberation. If we can understand that all phenomena are empty, we can return to a very simple way of life. All the world’s complications and ignorance are manmade; as they are manmade, we must return to nature. It is that simple. We can follow the movements [of nature]. The earth is very simple; it revolves around the sun. there is a distinction between day and night, which comes from the orderly rotation [of Earth]. We live on this planet, and we should follow nature in our living. Originally, everything was very simple, but then humans created complications as they followed these causes and conditions. this resulted in much afflictions and ignorance. This comes from not understanding the Dharma.
If everyone can understand the Dharma, we will understand that [all phenomena] “are ultimately without true substance”. If we delve into the Five Aggregates, we will find that nothing has true substance. Would we say that “form” is true substance? Isn’t the convergence of many causes and conditions required for each thing to come into being? Is there anything that easily comes into being? Even a blade of grass or a drop of dew requires the convergence of causes and conditions. for there to be grass there has to be seeds, soil, moisture and air. To have moisture we need vapor. The heat of the sun creates vapor in the air. At night, the warm air turns into dew and settles on the ground. Many things need to come together for there to be a blade of grass or a drop of dew. This is the cycle between the grass and dew. The dew can nourish the grass, because the dew returns to the earth. This is the workings of the principles of nature.
Unfortunately, we humans create much ignorance. So, we must understand that all things return to emptiness. This is how what we call dew is formed but dew returns to the earth. This is a cycle of nature. Unfortunately, we become so attached to it. If we delve deeply into it, we realize there is no true substance. Things are empty and still. Everything is fundamentally so spacious and empty. It is that simple. So, we must mindfully enter the Dharma.
Compassion gives rise to all good. Gentleness shields us from all evil. The phenomena that arise through emptiness and cause and conditions are ultimately without substance and are said to be empty and still.
Our life is naturally bountiful. This is because, we understand the Dharma of all things in the world and their principles. The principles are empty and still, but they are very wonderful. If we can truly become one with the Dharma, the happiness in our hearts is Dharma-joy. With the Dharma in our hearts, that sense of happiness will give us a sense of abundance. Why pursue all kinds of things and produce ignorance, afflictions and complications that fill our world with suffering? Complications are ultimately suffering. The source of suffering, its causation, is accumulated in this way. All things are inherently empty. But within that emptiness is an abundance of wonderful Dharma. Everything on earth is beautiful. In the mountains, the rivers and the land, in all these cycles, the principles inside are all so plentiful. They are pure. They are natural. They are very abundant. In our state of confusion, we do not try to understand this. We just cling to the people, matters and objects right before our eyes and are entangled by them. The more entangled we are, the more complicated things become. So many things look and sound like they are principles. But when we delve deeper, we realize that are ignorance. From this state of ignorance, we analyze them and return to a tranquil and clear state. There is such clarity ! Most importantly, we must have vows as vast as the universe. With “vows as vast as the universe,“ our minds must “remain unwavering.” Emptying ourselves of everything brings ultimate clarity. This is what it means to be pure and undefiled. When we think about it, life is just this simple. Amid complications, we must always find a way to realize that ultimately all substance is empty. This requires mindful dedication.
When we have ignorance, it is from the convergence of causes and conditions. In fact, these are layers and layers of Karmic consciousnesses, that continuously extend our causes and conditions across lifetimes. Amidst the Five Aggregates, we create Karma. When we do not understand principles, we continuously create karma. Then it returns to our sixth consciousness, our seventh consciousness and our eighth consciousesses. These consciousness of afflictions and ignorance are beyond our control, and will extend across all our lifetimes. This is not the ultimate state. So, we must go and seek out the true appearance, substance and nature of the truth. That is the ultimate. The ultimate realization is that there is no true substance. Principles have no inherent substance; they are completely tranquil and clear. To achieve this tranquility and clarity, we must make vows as vast as the universe, stabilize our minds and have deep faith. Our minds must remain unwavering. This is the only way for us to completely experience and understand the perfection of the Three Directives. We cannot grasp them with a complicated mind. To sum it up, we need simplicity. Simplicity is the True Dharma. So, we must clearly understand the Three Directives. It is that simple; there are just three, a heart of compassion, clothing of gentleness and the emptiness of all phenomena. It is this simple. What is there we cannot accomplish? We make them part of our daily living. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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