Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Completely Eliminating the Five Aggregates (滅盡五欲 法空度生)
Date: Dec ember 27.2017
“Cessation is eliminating the three delusions, the delusions of views and thinking, dust-like delusions and delusions of ignorance. Deliverance is clearly understanding the two kinds of samsara, fragmentary samsara and transformed samsara. By completely eliminating all Aggregates, we can sit upon the seat of emptiness of all phenomena and deliver sentient beings.”
Do you understand? For the past few days, I have constantly been telling everyone how we must become replete with “great loving-kindness and compassion” and wear “the clothing of patience.” Even more necessary is that we sit upon “the seat of the emptiness of all phenomena.” For the past few days, I have kept sharing this with everyone in the hope that everyone can bear these three in mind, these Three Directives. If we can do this, we will be able to very easily enter the great, perfect teachings, which are the Lotus Sutra. The Lotus Sutra’s Dharma-ocean of wisdom enables us to [move] freely in all directions. Only by entering the door of the Buddha-Dharma and delving into the ocean of the Buddha-Dharma will we truly be able to absorb this Dharma into our hearts and apply it in our daily lives. This will enable us to be free and at ease, for its applications are limitless. No one says, “You can only use it this way.” Actually, depending on our capabilities, our capacity to absorb [the teachings], we will receive whatever we need. This is to leisurely swim in the ocean of Dharma. The way we enter the ocean of Dharma is through these Three Directives. The Three Directives are “entering the Tathagata’s room, wearing the Tathagata’s clothing” and “sitting on the Tathagata’s seat.” To sit on the Tathagata’s seat, we must empty ourselves of everything. Once we empty ourselves, we will be able to realize our mind’s true nature. We cannot realize our true nature when our minds are constantly shackled by afflictions from our external environment. They make it impossible for us to be free and at ease and to deliver sentient beings according to the Dharma. This is because we still harbor afflictions.
What are afflictions? They are delusions of views and thinking. “Views” refers to our attachments to our view of self. “Only what I think is right!” Nowadays, people have very broad perspectives and much common knowledge. Still, our life is very short, and there is much suffering in the world. Our perspectives and thinking may be very complete and expansive, but right before our eyes, there are so many suffering sentient beings. Sentient beings have so many afflictions. How can we ever escape from these afflictions and free ourselves from our complicated perspectives? We must seize the moment and ground ourselves. We may have many thoughts, but not all of them are applicable. Thus, we have delusions of views and thinking; we have many prejudiced views. Even if our considerations are very ideal and complete, our thinking is too unrealistic, too abstract. This is being biased toward emptiness. This will also cause us to become deluded. These delusions are dust-like delusions. We often hear of dust storms. Dust storms occur when it is very dry. When the wind blows in a very far-away desert, the sand and dust from that desert can cover the entire sky. They say that when you look at the sky in Beijing, it is very rare to see blue sky or white clouds. This is because the wind blows from the direction of the dry desert, so the sky often becomes covered by dust. There have also been times when dust storms hit not only Beijing but even Taiwan. It passed Beijing and came all the way to Taiwan. The point is, [we all live] in the same space, upon the same earth. When the earth is too dry and lack rain, naturally, as soon as the wind blows, it will stir up dust and sand. This is like a wind of ignorance; it blows and stirs up our dust-like delusions. During the Buddha’s era, He taught that dust-like delusions are like a dark wind, that they fly with the wind, covering the entire sky.
Our human minds are affected by the sand blown around by the wind of ignorance. In this way, in the ground of our minds, dust-like delusions give rise to ignorance. So, in spiritual practice, [our goal] is “cessation”. We need to master the skill of cessation. It is the skill of eliminating our own [deluded] perspectives. We must widen our perspectives [to look at] what the world truly needs and how we can find ways to help others. These are very practical matters. As we go among sentient begins to transform them, we must take “great loving-kindness and compassion as our room.” To have loving-kindness means that [we seek] for sentient beings to have peace, for sentient beings to be happy and for them to eliminate their afflictions. Without afflictions, they will be healthy and at peace in body and mind. What we wish is that all sentient beings will be at peace wherever they are. [We seek] peace for humankind as well as for all animals. [Wishing for] all people and animals on earth to live together in peace and harmony is called having loving-kindness. The Buddha cared for and loved all living begins in the Three Realms. He was concerned with the state of sentient begins’ bodies and minds. The Buddha came to the world for one great cause. He hoped sentient beings could all attain harmony in their physical and mental environment. This is the Buddha’s mindset.
We also need to have compassion. There is so much suffering in the world. Sentient beings create karma and suffer the retributions lifetime after lifetime. When we die, we cannot bring nothing with us; only our karma follows us to our next life. What will be bring with us from this lifetime? In accordance with the law of nature, everyone will leave this life empty-handed. But in face, we will carry immeasurably heavy karma with us; the force of this kamra will then drag us along. Among delusions of views and thinking life after life we have been ignorant and unclear. Therefore, we create karma. The Buddha could not bear this, so He came to the world with the hope to help everyone gain understanding. Those with affinities accepted the Buddha-Dharma and clearly understood the principles of the world. They knew about the Four Noble Truths and understood the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence. The Buddha also taught them to proceed forward by eliminating their afflictions, attain clarity and no longer create more afflictions. With pure minds, [He taught them] to go among people and actualize the Six Perfections in all actions. This is entering the Bodhisattva-path. When we seek liberation from samsara, we start from a state of ignorance, not knowing why we suffer or why we are born. It was in such a world that the Buddha manifested to guide us to understand that the cause of our suffering is the accumulation of deluded views and thinking. Because of this, we create afflictions. We must understand this and, once we understand it, find a way to completely eliminate all of our afflictions. To do this, we need Dharma as water. Dharma-water cleanses our spiritual defilements. So, we must listen to and contemplate the Dharma and recognize that we must eliminate these afflictions. We must quickly practice this virtuous Dharma. In this way, He gradually guided us until we learned how to eliminate our afflictions. After we understand the law of karma, we will form great aspirations and make great vows to go among people, enabling our bodies and minds to be at ease. Once we know suffering and understand its causes and conditions, we become determined to go among people and actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions. We seek the Dharma and transform sentient begins. Thus, we go among people to help even more people attain understanding. This is the Buddha’s mindset. To help even more people understand, through the Lotus Sutra, He wanted to help everyone comprehend the past teachings about “existence” within the Buddha-Dharma. What “exist” is our karma, good and evil karma. This was [taught] during the Agama period. Thus, the Buddha told us many [stories] about the karmic law of cause and effect. This is real; this is “existence”. Next came the Vaipulya and Prajna periods, [when He taught] “emptiness,” to empty ourselves of everything. Clearly, life is impermanent. Everything can change in an instant; it is all empty. What use then is it to seek fame and profit? Everything we own in the world in the end amounts to nothing but emptiness. Everything is like a dream, an illusion, a drop of dew or a flash of lightening. The Diamond Sutra from the Prajna period says this.
However, if we see everything as empty, we might become biased towards emptiness and ignore the law of karma. Living like that would make us give rise to discursive thoughts, which would create afflictions in us again. As for these delusions, although everything is “empty,” without any substance at all, there is still dust-like ignorance. In this way, we still give rise to afflictions. We still need to face sentient beings, so we must [understand] “existence”; we must go out to learn about all worldly phenomena. The Buddha taught about “existence,” the prajna of “existence,” the wisdom of “existence”. We must mindfully seek to comprehend this. After entering the wisdom of emptiness, we must further heighten our awareness. As we empty ourselves of everything; we must not forget about the law of karma. Thus, the Buddha hoped for this Dharma to be very complete, to unite “emptiness and existence” with the “middle view”. This is the teaching of the Middle Way. We must recognize “existence,” the existence of cause, conditions, effects and retributions. This is the natural law that has existed from ancient times until today. Why else would we keep talking about things that happened dust-inked kalpas ago? So, this “existence,” this wondrous existence, exists within the law of karma. However, we cannot remain solely attached to this. the Buddha taught about emptiness, that we must empty ourselves. But when we are biased towards emptiness, we practice without trying to practice. “Practicing without trying to practice” is a good thing, but if we deviate too much [toward emptiness], we ignore the law of karma. So, the Buddha had to quickly unite the concepts of “emptiness” and “existence” and teach us to practice the Middle Way. This is what He taught during the Lotus period. This is the Dharma-door of the Lotus Sutra. We must be very mindful of this. there is existence and there is emptiness; [seeing] wondrous existence in [true] emptiness is the Middle Way.
I keep telling everyone this. I cannot say I am completely without attachments, but knowing that the world is like this, we should make every effort to give of ourselves. “Existence” is why the Buddha came to the world. He came for one great cause. Otherwise, after attaining Buddhahood, He would not need to return to care for all beings. But after He attained Buddhahood, He remained in a different land. Even when He was about to enter Parinirvana, He continued to teach earnestly, hoping that everyone would put their effort into passing on the Dharma after He entered Parinirvana.
This wondrous cure for the world does not exist only within Buddhism. No. it is completely universal. These great, natural principles that are inherent in every religion. This great Dharma is perfect and completely; [all religions] are inseparable from this. so, this is the mindset we must learn, a heart that encompasses the universe. Recently, I have been telling everyone that there seems to be both existence and enptiness. Indeed! There is both existence and emptiness in the world. There is existence, so we need to have great loving-kindness and compassion. We must wear the clothing of patience. “Great compassion is the room. Gentleness and patience are the clothing.” This is all part of “existence”.
However, on the other hand, “The emptiness of all phenomena is the seat. When we empty ourselves of everything, that is wondrous existence in true emptiness. Being able to give is “wondrous existence,” but doing so without hindrances is “true emptiness”. This is why we must eliminate our delusions of views and thinking as well as dust-like delusions and ignorance. There three types of delusions are what we must thoroughly understand and eliminate.
So, the Buddha was about to enter Parinirvana, this the highest, final state [also] known as “cessation and deliverance” but before doing so, He placed great emphasis on ensuring the transmission of this sutra. So, before reaching “cessation and deliverance,” He worried whether, in the future, this sutra would be transmitted to future generations; [this sutra] is the medicine for saving the world.
“Deliverance” means “clearly understanding the two kinds of samsara, fragmentary and transformational samsara.” The Buddha had completely eliminated not only delusions of views and thinking and dust-like delusions but also all ignorance. The Buddha also thoroughly understood fragmentary samsara. Since He came to this world, He followed [the laws of] a lifespan in this world and manifested cessation. However, this cessation was not [true] cessation. He still returns on the ship of compassion. He is the guiding teacher of the Three Realms. He is not like us ordinary beings whose destinies are beyond our control as we are dragged along by our karma. Not at all. The Buddha has clear understanding; He comes to deliver sentient beings. He completely understands everything. When it comes to fragmentary samsara. Everyone in the world experiences fragmentary samsara. Even though He had become a Buddha, He still had karmic causes and conditions, and He had to manifest cessation. So what about transformational samsara? This refers to our mental states. The Buddha already clearly understood everything. He was not like us unenlightened beings. Who spend lifetime after lifetime without control. The Buddha came to the world with complete understanding and clear awareness. Seeing the shapes and forms of this world and hearing the sounds of this world never swayed the Buddha’s mind. Having only loving-kindness and compassion, He patiently endured the stubbornness of sentient beings in the human world. The Buddha, in both life and death, remains forever in the state of “cessation and deliverance”. [His mind is] “tranquil and clear”. The Buddha’s mind is forever tranquil and clear. He had “vows vast as the universe”. He is always with all beings in the Three Realms.
The Buddha is our great compassionate father and the guiding teacher of the Three Realms. It was just that He manifested this appearance and was born into this world, like any other human. He went through childhood and adolescence, but his thinking was very unconventional. He could see the world’s suffering. Manifesting in this world, he understood its pain. But how could he guide sentient beings? He had to manifest an appearance. He had to undergo spiritual practice and attain enlightenment . after awakinging through spiritual practice, after attaining Buddhahood, He took the appearance of a monk who was in the process of spiritual practice. He needed to go among people. This was how He manifested this process.
In fact, whether transformational samsara or fragmentary samsara, the Buddha always clearly understood them. In accord with [the laws of] human life, the Buddha manifested entering Parinirvana. He showed us cessation and deliverance, how to “completely eliminate all Aggregates”. “All Aggregates” refers to the Five Aggregates, form, feeling, perception. The Aggregates encompass all material things in the world and how [they interact] with our minds and consciousness. He had completely eliminated all of these. We unenlightened beings. Each have our own mind; we each have our own consciousness and our own way of thinking. Everyone is different. However, the Buddha had clear understanding. So, He wanted to teach us how, with our intellect and consciousness, we should face our external environment. As we experience all kinds of sounds and forms, if we can have a very clear understanding, we will not be influenced by these external states. Thus, He had completely eliminated all Aggregates. These Aggregates are the accumulation of afflictions. This accumulation is the convergence of many causes and conditions. This accumulation is what we call “aggregates”. So, [we are] inseparable from these Five Aggregates, inseparable from form, inseparable from feeling, inseparable from perception and inseparable from action and consciousness. Form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness function in this way. The way we act and the expressions we display are inseparable from these things. So, we should know that, in the end, all these things ultimately return to the eighth consciousness. We must understand this clearly. So, once we have done everything, with the Tathagata’s room and the clothing of patience, we are prepared to go among people to give everything, talking the emptiness of all phenomena as our seat. This is “sitting upon the seat of emptiness of all phenomena and delivering sentient beings”. This is the seat we sit on, the seat of delivering sentient beings and entering among people without being influenced by any phenomena, without getting afflicted.
Whether [attachments to] emptiness or existence, we empty ourselves of them all [to reach] perfect harmony; this is taking emptiness as our seat. Without attachments to existence or emptiness, we can be in perfect harmony with everything. In our work of delivering sentient beings, we must continually advance. This is something we absolutely must do for the sake of suffering sentient beings.
We must listen to the Dharma, take it in and understand it. And then go out to experience it ourselves. We must transform others by working alongside them. In our interpersonal relationships, we must always be mindful. So, we should mindfully experience the Dharma. we must not merely cling to the teachings we hear, whether to [the teaching of] the world, to the matters and things of the world, or to thoughts of emptiness. If all we do is think about all these ideals nut we never put them into practice, that is an empty [practice]. Our lifespans are limited but the karma we create keeps accumulating every minute.
So, we must make the most of our time and quickly absorb these perfect teachings. We must not let a single drop leak out. For a period, we always talked about “Leaks”. Indeed! We must not let the Dharma leak away. Time passes by without a trace, se we must not allow it to leak away. We should take advantage of our time to accomplish everything. We must be very mindful.
The previous sutra passage says, “When they teach this sutra, if people denounce them with harsh words and attack with knives, sticks, bricks or stones, they will bear the Buddha in mind and will thus patiently endure. In trillions of lands, I manifest my pure, solid and strong body. For countless billions of kalpas, I expound the Dharma for sentient beings.”
In this sutra passage, [the Buddha] again advises us that upholding the Lotus Sutra, expounding the Lotus Sutra, listening to the Lotus Sutra and practicing the Lotus Sutra are truly not easy things to do. Since the Buddha first began teaching, he already warned us many times to help us heighten our vigilance. “Stop, stop, stop! There is no need to speak further!” this was because this sutra is difficult to have faith in and understand. To have faith and understanding is difficult. Moreover, what it co9mes to this sutra, to accept it is even harder. Many obstacles will stand in our way. Now, in the Chapter on Dharma Teachers, this is illustrated. “When they teach this sutra, if people denounce them with harsh words….” Some people have severe prejudices. They are unable to accept it, so they insult and revile us with harsh words. Some people are like this. It is fairly easy to deal with revilement. We just need to use “Guanyin [Bodhisattva’s] wondrous power of wisdom.” Guanyin hears sentient beings’ suffering and turns the sounds of their revilement into undefiled sounds as she goes to save and transform sentient beings. This is Guanyin’s great compassion. She patiently endures sentient beings harsh words, evil speech and evil deeds. This is the Dharma-door of Guanyin. Guanyin Bodhisattva’s way of thinking is also described in the Lotus Sutra. When we recite the Chapter on the Universal Doors, aren’t there many [examples] of this? [It describes] how, in times of trouble, we can recite Guanyin’s name. In this part of the Lotus Sutra, it says we must bear the Buddha in mind and take the Buddha’s mind into our own. “They will bear the Buddha in mind and will thus patiently endure.” People may curse us with harsh words, use knives or sticks to threaten us or be harsh and unyielding in how they treat us. But because we keep the Buddha in mind, because we have taken the Buddha into our hearts, we should be able to patiently endure. When wearing the clothing of patience, we are sheltered from all sentient beings’ evils. We must put an end to unwholesomeness, saying, “Come on! Let’s not argue! There is no need to make excuses for ourselves.” We need to fix our mind in Samadhi and use this power to do what we should do. So, we must have this state of mind. We should “bear the Buddha in mind and will thus patiently endure”.
For the sake of sentient beings, we must contemplate [the Buddha] with deep faith. Thus, we need patient endurance.
So, “In trillions of leans, I ….” When the Buddha says “I,” when we hear this word “I,” what we should think of is that, wherever the Lotus Sutra may be, the Buddha’s entire body will abide there. This is to say that the Lotus Sutra is the Buddha’s Dharma-body. During the Buddha’s lifetime of teachings, His o0ne great cause was always to lead us to walk the Bodhisattva-path. So, we should realize that the Buddha is everywhere. This is because the Dharma, the True Dharma, exists in every place. The true principles will remain forever. So, the Buddha says, “In trillions of lands, I manifest my pure, solid and strong body.” This is because the Dharma, even throughout the course of eternity, will never disappear; it can never be destroyed. The true principles are eternally true. So, it says, “I will manifest my pure, solid and strong body.” His body will never become defiled; it is solid and strong and cannot be destroyed. This is like our intrinsic Buddha-nature. For lifetime after lifetime, though we turn to ash and bones, we bring with us our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. it is the same in other [realms]. By creating blessings, we are born into the heaven and human realms; by creating karma, into the hell and animal realms. Yet the Buddha taught that all beings have the Tathagata’s enlightened nature. This [nature] is very solid and strong. Because we all have this intrinsic Buddha-nature which is pure and undefiled, as long as we listen to and absorb the Dharma, we can bring out our nature of True Suchness and our wisdom equal to the Buddha’s. then, we can understand all things in the world. As long as we can do this, our bodies will be very solid, strong and pure.
“For countless billions of kalpas, I expound the Dharma for sentient beings.” This sutra is the Buddha’s entire body, the Buddha’s Dharmakaya, which is everlasting. As long as we are very mindful in taking the true principles that the Buddha awakened to into our own hearts and then go on to spread and teach them to others, the Dharma will remain [in the world] forever.
The next sutra passage says, “After I enter Parinirvana, if there are people who can expound this sutra, I will transform and dispatch the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis and pure men and women to make offerings to these Dharma teachers and to guide sentient beings to gather together so they can hear the Dharma.”
This is very clear. This was discussed previously in the prose and is explained more simply [here]. Everyone should more or less understand this. after the Buddha enters Parinirvana, if people expound this sutra, meaning, “After I enter Parinirvana, if there are people who can uphold this sutra, who can read and recite, explain, transcribe and explain this sutra and put it into practice….” [This refers to] people who can both teach and practice [this sutra].
After I enter Parinirvana, if there are people who can expound this sutra: After the Buddha enters cessation, if there are people who can expound this sutra…. Parinirvana: This means our great liability ceases forever. It is also translated as entering cessation and rest. Because “rest” is “cessation,” it can abbreviated to “entering cessation”. Another explanation: Parinirvana refers to cessation of obstructions and deliverance from suffering.
So, Parinirvana means that “our great liability ceases forever. It is also translated as entering cessation and rest.” The word “Parinirvana” means that our great liability ceases forever. It is like when we [say that] we end our troubles once and for all. No matter how much suffering we have in life, how many afflictions, how much wealth, how much fame, doesn’t it all cease in the end? We leave with nothing. no tangible things belong to us.
What ordinary people [seek], things like fame and fortune, will all disappear when this body ends. The Buddha was already at the stage of great Nirvana. He already understood everything. So, [another translation is] “cessation and rest”.
This means putting all interpersonal conflicts to rest and eliminating all afflictions of views and thinking and delusions of ignorance. Thus, “cessation and rest” is another translation [of Parinirvana]. So, “rest” means cessation. “Rest” means nothing remains of our afflictions or conflicts; we are completely free from things of the past. To be able to do this, we must begin practicing now instead of waiting until life has passed us by and there is nothing left for us. otherwise, when this life is over, [we] ordinary people just carry more karma with us. however, noble beings always abide in Nirvana. They come to this world and, when their conditions are exhausted, they leave. [Then] they are completely at rest, for they are in the state of Nirvana. This is called “entering cessation”.
“Parinirvana” also refers to the cessation of all obstructions and delivering all suffering and sentient beings. Clearly, it is not that at the end of His days, the Buddha entered Nirvana. It is not as is commonly said that the Buddha entered perfect Rest and is now gone. He is not gone! This is how He comes and this is how He goes. He has forever eliminated all hindrances and afflictions. He comes to deliver suffering sentient beings. This is true Nirvana, true, genuine cessation and rest. He had eliminated all afflictions. He will never again have all these afflictions since He has eliminated all shapes and forms.
[The sutra] continues, “I will transform and dispatch the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis and pur men and women to make offerings to these Dharma teachers.”
This is speaking of the fourfold assembly. Everyone knows this. [Male and female] lay and monastic practitioners make up the fourfold assembly. [We need to] make reverent offerings. Those who teach the Dharma are worthy of our reverence and respect, “[They will] guide sentient beings to gather together so they can hear the Dharma.”
[They will] guide sentient beings to gather together so they can hear the Dharma: They transform and guide all sentient beings to gather in one place so they can hear the wondrous Dharma. they transform all kinds of sentient beings according to their capacities. They guide and transform them with the Three Directives.
The Buddha [dispatches] those people. We just need to form aspirations to teach. Even though teaching the Dharma is very difficult, this is the Buddha’s entire body; we will have the causes and conditions for many people to gather to listen. This is a matter of causes and conditions. Now, in this era of Dharma-degeneration, in this evil world of the Five Turbidities, it is difficult to get to hear this sutra. Nonetheless, [we have these] Karmic conditions. When I now teach this sutra, [it goes] through the “cloud” down to the earth. There are so many countries around the world [where there are people] who can hear us, who receive these sounds and images. They too are listening to the Dharma [live]. This is also accomplished by way of the causes and conditions of this era. [It does not matter whether], those listening are many or few. Some [places] have one or two people listening together, some a dozen people, some 40 or 50 and some 100 or 200 people. This is happening in different countries, in different locations, but there are still people there listening. This is how the Buddha’s entire body, the Lotus Sutra, is now found everywhere. As long as we have the will, we will be able to hear it.
So, “[They] guide sentient beings to gather together so they can hear the Dharma.” Modern technology is an assisting condition that enables the Dharma to become very widespread. So, they guide them, which means “They guide and transform all sentient beings to help them gather in one place.” Those who have the affinities can gather together to listen to the Lotus Sutra. They transform all kinds of sentient beings according to their capacities. “They guide and transform them with the Three Directives.” In doing this, to transform all kinds of sentient beings according to their capacities, we must make use of the Three Directives. You should all know the Three Directives. There is the Tathagata’s room; “Great compassion is the room, gentleness and patience are the clothing” and “the emptiness of all phenomena is the seat.” We must use these methods that suit this world and the forms suffering takes in the world, to inspire people from any country. They all have the causes and conditions to accept great loving-kindness and compassion and the teachings of gentleness and patience. They are able to go among the sentient beings in this world of suffering to help them. This [work] requires a great number of people to experience and understand this.
So, “those who have been transformed and dispatched by the Buddha,” those who are dispatched by the Buddha, “in the previous passage,” as discussed earlier in the prose, “are people who are willing to abandon their pure Karmic retributions out of sympathy for sentient beings and be born in this world.” We saw this passage before about those who are willing to listen to the Lotus Sutra and accept this sutra. They are willing to accept it, uphold it and put it into practice. People like this “abandon their pure karmic retributions.” They willingly abandon their own pure karmic retributions. This is like all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas Manjusri, Maitreya, Guanyin and Earth Treasury all listened to the teachings at that assembly, when the Buddha was in the world. These [Bodhisattvas] were already very accomplished in the past; some had already attained Buddhahood, Guanyin Bodhisattva had already attained Buddhahood as Clear True Dharma Tathagata. The same was true for Manjusri; he too had attained Buddhahood. Those with such pure karmic retributions, including great Bodhisattvas like Maitreya or Earth Treasury Bodhisattva, all came to assist at the Dharma-assembly. When the Buddha taught the sutras, they also came. This was the mindset they had; they willingly went among people to deliver and transform sentient beings. This was “out of sympathy for sentient beings.” They were willing to again go among people and listen to the Dharma to help the Buddha transform the sentient beings of the Saha World. There were many such Bodhisattvas there. Their listening was just a display. They had all actually always understood it, but were willing to enter among people. Everyone intrinsically has this kind of pure wisdom, this pure intrinsic nature. Yet in order to transform sentient beings, they had to take on this form. So, we must sympathize with sentient beings; we must transform sentient beings. This sutra is the way to Buddhahood. This is the sutra that all Bodhisattvas protect, that they safeguard and uphold. It is the teaching that all Buddhas bear in mind. If we can earnestly and mindfully seek to comprehend it, we can attain understanding. Although the Buddha has entered Parinirvana, His way of thinking remains forever. Our thinking as sentient beings is defiled, [covered by] dust-like ignorance. The Buddha is completely purified and clean. He clearly understands fragmentary and transformational samsara. Whether in body or mind, He is completely purified. In this way He came to the world, in the hope that everyone would earnestly continue to pass on this Dharma. As Buddhist practitioners we must accept the Buddha’s teachings. So, we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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