Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Carefully Contemplate Causes and Conditions (因緣慎思 離劣攀緣)
Date: July.16.2018
“The Buddha’s teachings encompass the past, present and future. In order to testify to the Great Dharma of the One Vehicle, He explained its causes and conditions. For those of great capabilities, the Buddha revealed the Great Dharma of true cessation. He guided the provisional and Small Vehicle practitioners toward the Great and elucidated the truth of the One Vehicle.”
We must be mindful! The Buddha’s teachings encompass the past, present and future. The Dharma refers to the principles which have existed since Beginningless Time. They did not just arise during the Buddha’s lifetime but have [existed] for infinite kalpas. From Beginningless Time, all Buddhas have always shared the same path and continuously [taught] the Buddha-Dharma that encompasses the universe. As times change, kalpas come and go; as time passes, it has always been like this. Enlightened Ones manifest in this world to guide and transform lost sentient beings. After they have received the Dharma, there is a period of time called the era of Right Dharma. After this, it declines into Dharma-semblance. Then, it further declines into Dharma-degeneration. All Buddhas share the same path. They all follow the time, the kalpas; eras come and go in an endless cycle. As the present Sakyamuni Buddha taught the Dharma, the Dharma He taught encompasses teachings of all Buddhas in the past. So, this Dharma came from ancient times; it is without beginning or end. This Dharma continues on in an endless cycle. The past comes to an end and the cycle begins anew. So, from ancient times until now, past Buddhas have taught [this Dharma] and the present Buddha also taught the same Dharma. What about future Buddhas? They will also do the same. All the teachings of the Dharma encompass the past, present and future. This is just like now Sakyamuni Buddha taught the Dharma [in our era]. He also testified to the Great Dharma of the One Vehicle and had to teach about causes and conditions.
In the same way, He had to teach about the past. The Buddha-Dharma has causes and conditions from the past, based on the era and sentient beings’ ways of life. Noble beings manifest in this world for one great cause, to transmit [the Dharma]. Wherever there are people, there will be stories; these are causes and conditions. Causes and conditions arose between people, so this story was created. Stories are about causes and conditions. For current events, we speak of “people and matters,” but once a period of time passes, these matters become stories. When we tell a story, it is about events that happened in the past. In fact, in the past, that past era was also known as “the present”. Our present will be referred to as “the past” in the future. The people, matters and things of the present will be stories for people in the future to tell. Indeed, speaking of this story, this story came to be because there were causes and conditions. So, the Buddha talked about past causes and conditions from very long ago, and now He discussed them again. So, the Great Dharma has never departed from the law of karmic causes and conditions. The law of karma and the One Vehicle Dharma are inseparable. During the Buddha’s lifetime, there were also people and matters. So, the Buddha came to this world for one great cause. This one great cause is also inseparable from causes and conditions.
Thus, the Buddha began to teach the One Vehicle Dharma, which never departed from the law of karma. “For those of great capabilities, the Buddha revealed the Great Dharma of true cessation.” He taught us how with everything that manifests, when analyzed to the end, there is nothing left. When our lives come to the end, there is also nothing left at all. Whether we engage in spiritual practice or not, in the end, we cannot escape aging, illness and death. Those who do not engage in spiritual practice only create afflictions, accumulating so much [negative] karma. These are negative seeds and negative causes. Similarly, in the end, these people will also die. Death is cessation. This person will no longer exist in this world. People who cultivate virtuous Dharma will also die in the end. The only [difference] is that they reduced evil and decreased ignorance in their lives. Or perhaps they refrained from doing evil and had very pure hearts. Then, they developed their goodness and virtuous affinities. They grew by absorbing much virtuous Dharma and wisdom. They created these virtuous causes and conditions and nourished the field of their minds with the Buddha-Dharma. In the end, their bodies will also perish and they will also die. But in their consciousness, everything in their karmic consciousness will be seeds of goodness. That is the Dharma of their wisdom-life in the field of their eighth consciousness. This is the same for all people. In the end, we all come to “true cessation,” which is nothingness. Moreover, the Buddha taught the Dharma to analyze this for us so that we will not form attachments. There are so many people; they have all kinds of causes and conditions from the past and create all kinds of karma. But amidst the negative karma, there is also true virtuous Dharma. So, when we discuss past causes and conditions, there are so many of them. We humans and animals are equal in nature. So, during the Buddha’s lifetime, He spoke of many causes and conditions and summarized them.
Virtuous Dharma becomes causes and conditions that we will bring with us into the future. Evil practices will bring us negative retributions in the future. So, whether we create positive causes and attain positive effects or commit evil deeds and attain negative effects, this all follow the law of karma. The same applies for our afflictions and ignorance. When it comes to afflictions and ignorance, we reap what we sow. However, this ignorance can be eliminated. So, the Buddha taught the Dharma to teach us how to eliminate our afflictions and ignorance. Thus, He thoroughly analyzed how the things we fight over are all a matter of name, fortune, status, wealth, sex, fame and so on; after the Buddha analyzed these things, they all amount to nothing. In the end, they are all empty. There is only one thing [left], which is our karmic consciousness. [Have we stored] virtuous karma or evil karma? Virtuous karma is “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all action.” [The Buddha] ceaselessly accumulated many causes. Throughout lifetime after lifetime, He accumulated the causes and conditions of virtuous karma. Through constant accumulation, “He perfected His cause and approached fruition.” He approached this fruit very naturally. This is the fruit of becoming a virtuous sage and attaining Buddhahood. In the same way, Buddhahood is attained when causes and conditions come together. This is “wondrous existence”. The process is to practice the Bodhisattva-path, which requires us to recognize “true emptiness”. When we give unconditionally, no matter how laborious it is, we are joyful and willing. This is due to our power of vows. So, we give without expecting anything in return.
This is similar to how in the Buddha’s lifetime, there was a story. A very, very long time ago, there was a woman who said to her husband, “Our family is not very wealthy. We have used up almost all our savings, you need to figure out how we are going to make a living.” Her husband replied, “What can I do to make a living?” His wife said to him, “You can do what our ancestors did and go hunting.” Her husband also felt that he was home all day, and his family really did need [an income]. So, his wife encouraged him and prepared some hunting tools for him. He took these tools and began heading for the snowy mountains. In the snowy mountains, a herd of elephants lived in peace and freedom. But these elephants had a realization. They realized that as they hid deep in this mountain, their greatest fear was encountering hunters. If a hunter were to see them, he would definitely kill them. What would be the goal of killing them? It would be for their tusks. So, this herd of elephants came to this realization on their own. One of the elephants among them took his ancestor’s tusks and stored them in a certain place. Later on, it was his father’s turn; the elephant’s father also passed away. He took his father’s tusks and hid them too. He also had tusks himself, so he was always afraid that if he were to encounter a hunter one day, he would lose his life over his tusks. So, one day, while walking in the peaceful forest, he suddenly discovered a human. This elephant was very kind. He thought, “This man will discover me anyway. I might as well greet him myself.” So, He made a sound with his trunk. The hunter followed the sound and came over. Seeing him, the elephant asked him, “Why did you come here?” Of course, the hunter said, “I came here for your two tusks. People make a living by hunting in the forest. So, that is why I came.” The elephant said, “If I give them to you, will you come back again?” The hunter said to him, “If I had these tusks, I could bring them back and trade them. Then I could enjoy a life of luxury. Why would I trouble myself to come back here?” So, this elephant said to him, “That is good. I will give you some tusks. But you have to promise that you will not return to disturb any animals in the forest.” The hunter agreed. So, the elephant took his ancestors’ tusks, carrying them with his trunk. He gave the tusks to the hunter.
This hunter was very happy to receive these tusks and took then to the market. Eh originally planned to go home first, but then he thought, “I should trade in these tusks and eat a full meal first. Otherwise, if I go home, I will have to give the money to my wife and I will end up with nothing left.” Greed arose in his mind. He took the tusks to the market and went to a restaurant. There was a man in the restaurant who saw this man carrying ivory tusks. The man in the restaurant thought, “I should take advantage of this man and get some benefit myself.” So, they each had their own agendas. When the hunter entered, this man earnestly greeted and welcomed him. The man in the restaurant took the tusks he was carrying and set them down. Very eagerly, he prepared alcohol and food for the hunter. When [the hunter] was satiated and drunk, the man took out a contract and said, “I want to buy these tusks from you. Let’s write an agreement. What will you pay for it? How much will you buy it for?” Because the hunter was drunk, he thought it was best to have drinks and food. So, [the man] wrote, “This man can drink here. This is how long the can drink, this is how much he can drink and this is how long he can eat here”. In fact, the time stated was a short period. This contract gave few benefits to the hunter, but he was paying a great price. The restaurant let him drink and eat a small amount for a short period of time. They let him drink until he was drunk.
After several days, he came back to drink again. But the man in the restaurant said, “You have used up what was in your account.” “Impossible! My ivory tusks were so valuable. How could this be impossible? Every day you are drunk. You don’t even know how many days have passed. Didn’t you see? We wrote this together. Your thumb print is here.” There was nothing he could do, so he left. He thought, “If I go home empty-handed, I don’t know what my family will do to me. So, [I need] more tusks. I have to go back to that mountain and get more tusks from that elephant.” So, he returned to the mountain. When he reached the snowy mountains, he saw the same elephant there. The elephant said, “Didn’t you bring the tusks back? Didn’t you…” “Yes! But I had a moment of foolishness. I was drinking and spent it all. I don’t know how to face my family”. This elephant went back to get his father’s tusks and brought them out. He give them to this person and told him, “I will give also these to you, but you cannot come back here again.” “This is enough. As long as I can answer to my family, it’s fine”. Then he left again. In fact, he had only gone halfway when he had a thought. I will trad these tusks. When I trade them, I will get enough money to marry another wife. Why should I go back home? I will remarry and start a new family. I don’t need to go back home.”
But also this time, the same thing happened. Because he got drunk, he passed by this restaurant again and was again cheated out of his money. He was always drunk and could not sober up. Once he had eaten his way through it all, he went back [to the mountain] again. When he returned to Snowy Mountain this time, he did not dare to meet the elephant. He thought, “I should shoot him with an arrow. I’ll shoot him before he can see me”. The elephant just happened from a bath in the pond and to come out was a bit tired, so he went to sleep there. Seeing that the elephant was sleeping, [the hunter] took an arrow and shot him from far away, hitting the elephant between the eyes. So, blood continuously flowed [from the wound]. The elephant awoke and opened his eyes to see which direction this arrow had come from. He looked in that direction. As expected, that same man had returned. The elephant again said to this person, “With my strength now, I am still able to kill you but I do not want to kill you because my ancestors engaged in spiritual practice in this place. I know I am in the animal realm due to the forces of karma. I want to use this life to engage in spiritual practice. I am not willing to take another life. So, I will not take your life. I will fulfill your wish. But you must be quick. Hurry up and take my tusks. I will use my body to protect you. I can bear this; quickly take my tusks. Then, you must leave immediately. Otherwise, you will be killed. I will not allow my relatives to create the karma of killing. You must leave immediately”.
Just like that, this elephant allowed him to take his tusks, and he left. After the Buddha told this story, He told everyone, that hunter was one of the evil bhiksus in the Sangha. From many lifetimes, he wore a monk’s robe to cheat [people] to obtain much profit. The elephant was King Bimbisara. King Bimbisara engaged in spiritual practice and cultivated blessings. So, in countless lifetimes, he became a king. This story is not about one of the Buddha’s own past lives. It is about King Bimbisara. So, this tells us that we should be mindful. Sometimes, the Buddha taught about His disciples’ past lives. Sometimes, He talked about the causes and conditions of His own past lives. It does not matter if it is lay people or disciples. Even spiritual practitioners have such instances where in their past lives, they had such evil habitual tendencies. Lay people also have virtuous thoughts. These are the causes and conditions that the Buddha wanted to teach. So, a spiritual practitioner is not necessarily more cultivated than a white-robed practitioner.
A white-robed practitioner is a lay person. The determination of lay people to engage in spiritual practice can also be very firm. Though they have karma, though they have not transcended the afflictions of living in the world, they have cultivated blessings. Life after life, they return to this world and are always blessed to become kings. So, this is what they create and bring along in their karmic consciousness. So, “For those of great capabilities, the Buddha revealed the Great Dharma of true cessation”. [To attain] cessation, we must engage in purifying practices.
So, “He guided the provisional and Small Vehicle practitioners toward the Great”. He used causes and conditions to guide everyone. Although [practitioners like these] have virtuous thoughts, they have not aspired to transcend the world. Without world-transcending Dharma, they still cultivate blessings in this world. Thought they say they want to engage in practice, they are not practicing sincerely. They still fall into this state where their practice is flawed. So, the Buddha taught the law of arising and ceasing, so everyone would understand more clearly how this is all in the mind. So, we must work hard to cultivate our minds. Otherwise we are “practicing in name only;” the roots of wisdom have yet to reach deeply into our minds. The nature of wisdom has not yet entered our mind, so we are carrying our habitual tendencies into our spiritual practice. Though we wear a monk’s robe, our mind is uncultivated and we continue our cyclic existence in this world. This evil bhikus was like this in the past live. During the Buddha’s lifetime, he became a part of Devadatta’s faction.
So, “He guided the provisional and Small Vehicle practitioners toward the Great to help everyone form great aspirations and vows. In walking the Bodhisattva-path, we must protect our minds, always training ourselves so that whatever environment we are in, we will not waver. So, He “elucidated the truth of the One Vehicle. This is what all of us must earnestly cultivate with our Six Roots.
The Six Roots are the causes, and the Six Dusts are the conditions. We must carefully protect ourselves. When our eye-root encounters the dust of form, we must carefully discipline ourselves, for our consciousness arise accordingly. The same goes for all our other roots. This is called causes and conditions. We must carefully contemplate this.
The Six Roots are the causes, and the Six Dusts are the conditions. We must work hard to “protect ourselves.” We must be very vigilant to guard our minds. Otherwise, our Six Roots will connect with the external Six Dusts and we will give rise to discursive thoughts. Then we will easily be enticed by external things. When our eye-root encounters the dust of form, this is when we must carefully discipline ourselves.” We must be earnestly vigilant and uphold our precepts. “Our consciousness arises accordingly. This consciousness arises. The same goes for all our other roots. When our other roots, the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, connect to states in the external world, we naturally give rise to discursive thoughts. This is just like that drunk man. His wide told him to do out, so he went out. He was not careful and gave rise to greed. He went and got the tusks time and again and indulged in drunkenness. This is what happens. This is due to “causes and conditions.” These causes and conditions are what we must earnestly contemplate. Our minds must constantly engage in spiritual practice. We must earnestly and carefully contemplate how. “All conscious beings are equal in nature.” We are conscious beings. we preciously spoke of “conscious beings;” this refers to all living beings. So, we are all equal in nature. This is true for both humans and animals. So, we must mindfully seek to comprehend this.
The previous [sutra] passage says, “They also do not draw near to any brutal amusements such as wrestling, combat, natas or so on or any kind of illusory entertainment.
We must not draw near to these unwholesome games. Nor do they draw near to candalas.” These do business killing, raising livestock, trapping, hunting and so on or killing without reason; these are all evil acts. “If people like this ever approach them, they will teach the Dharma for them but without any expectation.” We cannot place any expectations on these people. These people sometimes come to ask about the Dharma, but we should not immediately think, “You have to change!” We must not have any expectations for them. Still, if they come to ask, we can answer them without any expectations.
The following the passage, “They also refrain from drawing near to those who only seek to be Hearers, whether they are bhiksus bhiksunis. As for upasakas or upasikas, they do not pay them their respects either.
We do not need to interact with them too much. “They also refrain from drawing near to those who only seek to be Hearers, whether they are bhiksus or bhiksunis.” These people only want to listen with no intention of genuine cultivation. So, these are not people we should draw near to.
They also refrain from drawing near to those who only seek to be Hearers, whether they are bhiksus or bhiksunis: This refers to male and female monastics who seek the fruits of the Small Vehicle. Two Vehicle practitioners stagnate in emptiness and stillness and fail from great aspirations. Those who draw near them will distance themselves from Bodhi.
So, monastics who “seek the fruits of the Small Vehicle” only want to listen to the Dharma and do not dare to put the teachings into practice. “Two Vehicle practitioners” refers to Hearers and Solitary Realizers. They are stuck in emptiness and peace. All they cultivate is the practice of emptiness and peace. These people will not progress. So, we must not draw near to them. These people “fail to form great aspirations. Those who draw near them will distance themselves from Bodhi.” If we are like this, we will not progress in our spiritual aspirations upon the Bodhi-path.
“As for upasakas or upasikas, they do not pay them their respects either. These are good men and good women.” These are upasakas and upasikas who are “Small Vehicle practitioners in the Fourfold Assembly. They only seek [to gain]; “I make offerings expecting to gain blessings.” We need not interact much with such people. Our paths are different. These people who seek something in return only wish to acquire a field of blessings. They do not truly want to serve and help others by doing good deeds. They only seek to get the blessings of the Three Treasures in return, it is not easy to teach them at all. So, “since they walk on a different path,” we need waste our time there.
“If they are in a room or a place for walking meditation.” If they are in a room or a place for walking meditation, “or a lecture hall, Bodhisattvas should not remain there with them.” We do our best [to avoid them], since we have own way of spiritual practice. So, “if people like ever approach them, they will teach the Dharma in a suitable way but do so without expectations.”
[Following] this sutra passage is easier said than done. “If they are in a room,” in a space we share, we will not want to be diligent. If there are such people living and practicing with us in the same place, whether we are in the same room, in the same spiritual training ground “or a lecture hall, [we] should not remain there with them.” This is what the sutra passage says. If we do not listen to this clearly or misunderstnd it, we will take it literally and ignore them. We cannot go that. We must still form good affinities. In other words, if we are in this place and some people do not want to walk this path, we need not continually force them or scold them, for this will give them afflictions. Of course, in our interpersonal relationships, we need to have love, the awakened love we always talk about. For those seek to benefit themselves, these selfish people, have their own state [of mind]. We still need to get harmoniously with them. So, if they “ever approach them….” Sometimes they come to look for us on their own, and we do not need to argue with them and say “You are wrong. You cannot do this!” or “How can you be so selfish?” We need not say anything, because that is the way they are. Sometimes, they will come on their own. “If [they] ever approach them….” People like this might have some time and, with good intentions, come wishing to speak with us. At times like this, “If [they] ever approach them,” meaning occasionally, “they will teach the Dharma in a suitable way but do so without expectations.” When these people come, we can casually chat with them and teach them a little. But if they are unwilling, we do not need to force them.
They will teach the Dharma in a suitable way but do so without expectations: Since these people have yet to be transformed by the Great Vehicle, there is no harm n going along with their Small Vehicle aspirations to teach them in a suitable way. Also, we must do so without any expectations.
“Since these people have yet to be transformed by the Great Vehicle….” They are very difficult to transform! It is better to go along with their aspirations. We should not force them. So, “They will teach the Dharma in a suitable way.” If they have questions, we answer them. We need not force them by saying this is the only way. “Also, we must do so without any expectations.” We need not keep demanding that they must listen to us. We are anyway just teaching them a little. As long as everyone is happy, it is good. “We must distance ourselves from bad friends and avoid contriving affinities with them.” These are friends who are not very good, so we should distance ourselves from them.
We must distance ourselves from bad friends and avoid contriving affinities with them. Those who seek the fruits of Hearers have Small Vehicle aspirations. If Bodhisattvas replete with Buddha-wisdom encounter these Small Vehicle practitioners, they can accord with their conditions to embrace them and bring them in. But for these newly-inspired Bodhisattvas, practitioners who have just begun to hear the state of the One Vehicle, if they draw near to them, then they [will be influenced] by the Hearers, who each have their own realizations that they have attained through their practice.
“Avoid contriving affinities [with] bad friends.” These people practice with us in this space, but our paths cannot completely come together in harmony. Even then, we need not reject them, but we must take good care of ourselves. So, “[They] avoid contriving affinities with them.” We must avoid contriving affinities with them, but we should not reject them either. We need not take issue with them. So, “Those who seek the fruit of Hearers have Small Vehicle aspirations.” They only want to listen [to the Dharma] or be in a state where they are free and leisurely. They just want to spend their days in leisure. We do not need to talk much with these Small Vehicle practitioners. We must mindfully engage in our own practice as a role model for them; that is all we can do. So, “If Bodhisattvas replete with Buddha-wisdom encounter these Small Vehicle practitioners, they can accord with their conditions to embrace them and bring them in.” We use our own actions to influence them. Influence does not mean we are reprimanding them or forcing them to listen to us. We act as a role model for them to see. According to conditions, we urge them a little. We should not place any expectations upon them. This is unnecessary. However, these are newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. What we discuss now is for the sake of the newly-inspired, whose spiritual aspirations might not be very firm. These past few days, we have been saying to the newly-inspired that these are the people we should not draw near to, these are the occupations we should not draw near to, such and such ought to be avoided. We fear our aspirations are not yet firm and our will to practice will be influenced by them. So, these newly-inspired Bodhisattvas must do their best to distance themselves from what was mentioned previously, such as brutal and dangerous amusements, hunting games, as well as those who practice the Small Vehicle. We must not allow any of these things to influence our mind as we form great aspirations to engage in spiritual practice. So, since we are not deeply rooted in the Dharma and our aspirations are not yet firm, we must not draw near to them. Within the sphere of spiritual practitioners, so people practice toward the Small Vehicle, seeking to benefit themselves, and reject the Great Vehicle Dharma. We discussed this earlier. In the evil world of turbidities, evil bhiksus engage in practice, but they are unwilling to accept the Great Vehicle Dharma. So, they argue against it and reject it. They slander those who truly practice the Great Vehicle Dharma. Everyone should still remember this. So, as newly-inspired people, we must not draw near to these people. If we draw near to such people, our great aspirations will be harmed. So, we must not do it. This is [advice] for newly-inspired Bodhisattvas who have just begun to hear of the One Vehicle state of mind and have just formed aspirations; if they draw near the people we just mentioned, they will influence them and harm their great aspirations. So, we must avoid drawing near to them. So, “If they draw near to them, then they [will be influence] by the Hearers, who each have their own realizations that they have attained through their practice.” If we draw near to them, they will surely have their Small Vehicle Dharma and their principles, which will influence us. Likewise, our paths are different. If our aspirations are not jet firm, we will easily be influenced by them. So, “These Bodhisattvas may be diverted by them. This will cause them to regress.”
These Bodhisattvas may be diverted by them. This will cause them to regress. Or, due to differences in views, this may lead to disputes. It will hinder the progress of their practice. So, it is best not to draw near to these people.
As Bodhisattvas who form Bodhisattva-aspirations, we will be influenced by Small Vehicle practitioners’ principles. Their analyses will influence our Great Vehicle aspirations. These aspirations of ours will be diminished. This is because Small Vehicle practitioners’ greatest hope is to avoid people. They want to cultivate themselves and eliminate afflictions. They do not want to mingle with people. So, they do not want to practice the Great Vehicle. In the Chapter on Faith and Understanding, didn’t Subhuti and the others, the four elders, came out and repent? In the past, they practiced for their own benefit, fearing they would give rise to discursive thoughts. They were unable to go among people, so they wanted to avoid [people]. Now, as we form Great Vehicle aspirations, if we do not avoid the Small Vehicle Dharma, we may easily be influenced by it. This is why forming great aspirations is so difficult! Look at how, after the Buddha bestowed predictions on His disciples, they received the predictions and formed great aspirations yet were afraid and did not dare to remain in the Sara World. They wanted to go to other lands. They all feared the stubborn people in this world. That is to say nothing of those newly-inspired! Their will to practice was not yet firm. Their power of vows was not very solid. They were easily diverted by the Small Vehicle principles.
So, the Buddha wanted us to be on our guard. Others, why would we have to avoid these bhiksus, bhiksunis, Small Vehicle practitioners and Hearers? This is because Hearers have their or principles. They can also influence those who form great aspirations. That is why the Buddha asked them to avoid these people. Those who have recently formed Great Vehicle aspirations have to avoid so many [people and things]. As Great Vehicle [practitioners], we must not place expectations on them. So, we need to avoid them.
So, “Due to differences in views, this may lead to disputes”. In this case, they will express their principles and we will express our principles. As our perspectives and thinking are different, in that place, this may lead to disputes between us like we previously said about “Lokayatas and Vama-Lokayatas”. Likewise, non-Buddhist teachings also have their principles. There are some that accord with principles of the world, as well as some that oppose such principles. The Buddha wanted
to prevent these disputes. It is better not to draw near to them. With careful contemplation like this, we cultivate our own firm resolve to practice. We need not go there to contrive affinities. So, we must not seek out disputes, but care for our own spiritual aspirations, lf we argue with them in that place, this ‘’will hinder the progress of [our] practice’’. It will instead obstruct our practice. ‘’So it is best not to draw near to these people’’. lt is best not to debate and argue with them. Because of this, He told us to avoid them; we must not go to that place.
ln summary, in our spiritual training ground, we must value harmony. This sutra passage tells us to avoid them. It is not telling us to reject them; it is telling us to avoid them. So, ‘’lf [they] come to ask about the Dharma,’’ if they have the intent to come, we can talk to them in a Suitable way. ‘’However, though we teach this wondrous Dharma of the Great Vehicle, after we teach it, we must not expect that they will necessarily be able to accept it.’’ They want to learn about us, so we go along with their intent and, explain it to them for a while. We tell them our intent and our perspectives, but we need not force them either. lf we are too forceful, this will lead to disputes. We need not force them. “However, though we teach this wondrous Dharma of the Great Vehicle, after we teach it…”. We teach the Great Vehicle Dharma just to let them know our perspective. We should not argue with them. “We must not expect that they will necessarily be able to accept it”. We should not expect them to accept [our teachings]. So, we must place no expectations on them. If we can do this, that is most harmonious for us. So, we must listen mindfully. We are not here to reject anyone. In spiritual training grounds, harmony is precious. We simply have different views and perspectives. We cannot influence their actions. They have their practice; we do what we must do. They have their practice; we do what we must do. We have our own perspective. We willingly benefit others and go among people. We should not try to influence each other; then we will get along with each other. We must be truly mindful not to misunderstand this. Therefore, we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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