Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Taming Evils to Bring Harmony to the World (調禦諸惡 人間合和)
Date: October.24.2018
“By always keeping patience in our thoughts, we can tame our minds so that evil will not arise. When the world is harmonious, disputes will cease. When we encounter suffering, we will be able to be as enduring as the earth. The right path can eliminate all deviance and eradicate all greed, anger and delusion.”
We must be mindful! We must engage in uninterrupted and extended practice. We must practice with nothing further and constantly practice with reverence. We must earnestly strive [to accomplish this]. For a long period of time, we must always be mindful of our actions. This is the mindset practitioners ought to have. So, we must “always keep patience in our thoughts.” Continuously, for a long period of time, without letting any time go to waste, we must constantly maintain this mindset and engage in spiritual practice. In our spiritual practice, as we face matters and people, what mindset should we have? We must always remember that there are many things we must endure. Because we live in the Saha World, we must endure everything in the Saha World. We must be able to endure it, for only then can we truly traverse the Saha world smoothly with peace and joy. This is what spiritual practitioners must know. During this time, in the previous Chapter on the Practice of Bringing Peace and Joy, [we discussed how] the Buddha used great efforts to teach us in this way. He hoped that we all would [make] vows, that we would all vow to use the Four Practices of body, speech, mind and vows to advance the Buddha’s teachings in the Saha World. Since we have formed these aspirations, we must apply these four methods of practice in our every thought.
Constantly, in our every thought, we must remember the Four Practices and apply them in our body, speech, mind and vows. Regarding our bodies, [we must apply this practice] in our daily living, in interacting with people and dealing with matters and things. In everything we experience with our body and everything we face, we must patiently endure. If the environment [changes] and we are unable to endure it, our thoughts will arise and stir, thereby creating afflictions.
So, we must earnestly bring our minds into Samadhi. That is, we must take good care of our thoughts. With the Four Methods and the Four Practices, in our daily lives we must not forget our direction. Our direction is [taking] “great compassion as the room, gentleness and patience as the clothing and the emptiness of all phenomena as the seat.” Thus, we must have patience. Everything is empty. What is there to take issue with? What is there to be afflicted by? There is nothing. Our minds must be tranquil and clear. No matter what conditions arise, our thoughts must return to the “emptiness of all phenomena as the seat.” With tranquility and clarity, there are no obstacles for our mind.
Therefore, we must always cultivate diligently. The words expressing this Dharma may sound simple. While they are simple, we must accumulate [the Dharma] by diligently putting them into practice over a long time. Diligently cultivating ourselves for a long time is called “taming our minds.” Our minds are wild and undisciplined. As we transmigrate among the Six Realms, our minds have become disorderly and chaotic. This has happened for countless lifetimes.
In the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City, we continually talked about the transmigration in the Six Realms. Those who do good deeds go to heaven; those who uphold the precepts remain in the human world. Those who do not do good deeds or uphold precepts and moreover commit evil fall into the asura realm or hell realm, the hungry ghost realm or animal realm. [Transmigrating] in the Six Realms is the result of us losing our aspirations a long time ago. A thought in our mind made us lose our aspirations. When ignorance arises, our minds become disordered. When a thought of greed or desire arises, with this condition, this seed of karma begins to produce karmic fruits. Thus, this seed of causes and conditions gives rise to infinite [seeds]. One good thought brings infinite [good thoughts], and [the same is true] for negative thoughts. The principle is the same. So, in the Six Realms, we do not know, in our past countless lifetimes, what we have done. We do not know how many times we have experienced the Six Realms. Thus, we are very lucky that in this life, we have encountered the Dharma. Perhaps we could encounter the Dharma because we had past limited karmic conditions. Although we faced negative karmic retributions and transmigrated in the Six Realms, we still have limited causes and conditions. We often speak of the “tug-of-war between good and evil” and often speak of the karmic storehouse, our karmic consciousness. The storehouse consciousness for karmic is the eight consciousness. Whether we create good or evil karma, both the good and evil karma are stored in the storehouse consciousness.
Within this storehouse, no matter what we store within, the things that we store more of will be the first to come out of the storehouse. Only when they have been removed can we then see the fewer items. As for the items fewer in number, when are they able to come out? Since they are fewer in number, they will come out much later. Perhaps earlier, our ignorance and afflictions let us to continuously transmigrate.
So, now with a few seeds of goodness like this, we encounter the manifestations of the seeds of goodness. We are now able to listen to the Buddha-Dharma and can quickly seize [the opportunity] to listen, contemplate and practice. We form aspirations to learn the Dharma, so we must earnestly contemplate it and form aspirations to engage in practice. Since we actually are able to have so much time to engage in spiritual practice, we must earnestly tame our minds, for our minds are “wild and undisciplined”. If we do not properly adjust ourselves, with our small amount of good karma, these few good causes and conditions, our bad habitual tendencies will easily drag us away. So, we must work hard to tame our minds, or the monkey of our minds will jump up and start running around everywhere. We must seize this time while we have clear understanding. As we listen, contemplate and practice, we clearly know we engage in spiritual practice. We must quickly take the Dharma to heart and settle our minds, clean the monkey of our minds so that he will not continue jumping and running around. This is called taming [our minds].
So, “We can tame our minds so that evil will not arise.” We must constantly stifle these evil thoughts. We must not let our emotions [run loose] and vent our emotions for no reason. As sentient beings, our emotions are all brought about by ignorance. When we are wrong and someone reminds us about it, we can lose control of our emotions, causing us to cry or yell or even become depressed. These days, people tend to become this way no matter how light or serious the matter. They cannot withstand any [challenges]. How could they engage in spiritual practice with such fragile resolve? If it is not that people have weak resolve, then it is that they are arrogant and proud. Arrogance and pride are also evil thoughts.
So, being very strong, proud or arrogant, having such unyielding attitudes, is wrong. Those who are overly fragile can be overwhelmed by a slight reminder or by experiencing a minor adversity; they are unable to open their hearts. Such afflictions are common in our age. People are either very unyielding or very weak. This is the mindset of people nowadays.
We must heighten our vigilance, just as when we prepare for a typhoon. When a typhoon is about to arrive, we must quickly set up preventive measures so that it does not causes disaster. The principle is the same. The climate gives rise to storms, while human minds have their temperaments. Some ordinary beings have temperaments that are unyielding and unrelenting. Others have a weak nature which makes them unable to withstand things. In our spiritual practice, we must be very vigilant of ourselves. People ask, “How should I practice?” This is how we practice. We must practice by taming and training the mind. We are practicing the Middle Way. We cannot be unyielding. When we need to be firm, [we must use] the power of gentleness. We must also not be too soft and weak. When situations arise, we will be gentle and harmonious, for we must wear “the clothing of gentleness and patience”. Why must we be patient?
Because [we must take] “great compassion as the room”. So, we must be able to endure. We have this resilience. So, while we are very firm, we are neither arrogant nor proud; we are not unyielding. We simply must have this patience. We must mindfully seek to comprehend this. There are many terms, so I ask that we are all earnestly mindful and earnestly seek to tame our minds. Our minds must be enduring; we must be very patient so that we can endure and not become arrogant, proud or weak. We must have patience. knowing that we must be patient, we must tame our own minds. This is of the utmost importance. So, “When the world is harmonious, disputes will cease.” In the world, what is very important is that we have unity and harmony. With unity and harmony, all disputes cease.
The same principle applies to us as we engage in spiritual practice. This is especially true in Tzu Chi’s [volunteer] system. As Bodhisattva-volunteers who form aspirations, how do we bring harmony to the many matters of the world? How do we have people strive in the same direction? In what way should these living Bodhisattvas go among people? This also requires methods.
There are so many living Bodhisattvas; Tzu Chi’s dedicated volunteers each have their own families and careers so how can they all mindfully unite in harmony? We have [established] Unity, Harmony, Mutual Love and Concerted Effort, four different [teams]. When it comes to unity, we must be “united with principles and the Dharma”. At the core, we need the principles and the Dharma. This is unity.
We often speak of the Unity team. In the Unity team, because of their experience, [its members] understand Tzu Chi core concepts. When the Dharma, heart and vows are unified, that is the core. This is the Unity team. The Unity team is united with principles and the Dharma”. The Harmony team “knows the Dharma and makes plans”. The Unity team [members] have been involved since the beginning and until now. Back then, there were not a lot of people. With the things they have experienced, all the way from the beginning, they have come to understand many things over the past several decades. This is why they are in the Unity team. But there are not many such people. So, these Unity team members need to continue to pass down [their experience] and train a group of people who has also participated. They are also experienced [volunteers], but they were not there at the start. Since they did not clearly understand the experiences of the earliest days, we had to quickly train them. We had things to do! There were many things to do, so more people came in; people kept coming in. according to the order they came in, they came to understand more and more things and gained more and more knowledge as we trained them. In this way, the Unity teams passed on [their experience] to the Harmony team. In this way, [the Dharma] is passed down, and [the Harmony team] knows the core of the Dharma and how to plan for events. How should we divide up into groups? How can we serve others? How can we combine guiding people and passing down the Dharma? [The Harmony team] must “know the Dharma and make plans”.
What about the Mutual Love [team]? They “carry out actions according to the Dharma”. With a set plan, they must carry it out. The Mutual Love [team] follows the methods of [the Harmony team] to bring in more people and pass down [the Dharma]. [The Mutual Love team] passes it down to the multiple Concerted Effort teams. How can we carry out [our missions] and take root in the communities? How do we carry them out in the towns and villages? So, as we carry them out, we must further divide into [smaller teams] because there are townships, villages and neighborhoods. These are smaller teams, the Concerted Effort teams.
In the Concerted Effort teams, there are some families with both a Faith Corps member and a Tzu Chi commissioner, with husband and wife joining together. Tzu Chi commissioners have their functions, while Faith Corps members have their functions. We have separate teams for Faith Corps and commissioners. These teams work together in unity and harmony. Every team includes about 20 families. These families know each other and [ask each other], “In our community, are there any neighbors that are in need? We must go help them, but what method shall we use?” This is how [they help with] matters within the village, within the neighborhood. If [the matter is on] a township, village or neighborhood level, we need to bring several”. Concerted Effort teams together. With several concerted Effort teams, we may need care from the Mutual Love team. For everyone to come and care for each other in townships, villages and neighborhoods, this requires the Mutual Love team. If this reach is to be expanded, if we need to extend to towns and cities, we require the Harmony team. How should we plan this [event]? How will [volunteers from] counties and cities work together? This depends on how much work there is and how extensive our plans are that we wish to carry out. We must know the Dharma, follow the Dharma and spread the Dharma.
In this way, we can expand our reach level by level. We must put effort into planning it, and of course, we must not deviate from being “united with principles and the Dharma”. We cannot depart from being “united with principles and the Dharma”. This is unity. So, we often say that “Unity is Concerted Effort”. This is the same idea. This is our Dharma, and this is how the Dharma-lineage is passed down. Thus, “When the world is harmonious, disputes will cease”. In this way we will be orderly, unified and harmonious. We must be unified, harmonious, mutually loving and concerted in our efforts. In this way, the Dharma-lineage will be harmoniously passed down.
This is what the Dharma is like. By following this principle, disputes will cease. For the sake of those suffering in the world and for this world that must be endured. “When we encounter suffering, we [must] be able to be as enduring as the earth”. This group of Bodhisattvas must endure with patience. We have the Dharma and an orderly [system]; this is what our School of Buddhism must be like. In facing the suffering of sentient beings, “We will be able to be as enduring as the earth”. Having opened the door, we must walk on the path. On this earth, “The right path can eliminate all deviance”. We open up the right door and walk the right path so we can eliminate all deviance. What we want to walk upon is the right path, so we “eradicate all greed, anger and delusion”. If we want to eliminate all deviance and walk the right path, everyone must eliminate greed, anger and delusion. Why are we always in the Six Realms? We constantly transmigrate in the Six Realms in this way because we give rise to thoughts of greed that disturb our nature of True Suchness. Our [nature of True Suchness] has become disturbed. So, at this time, we must return home. We constantly speak of returning to our nature of True Suchness. On this path, we have already been listening, contemplating and practicing. Since we are practicing, we must tame our minds. In taming our minds, we must have a patient heart, and in doing this we must rely on methods. We must cultivate ourselves with these teachings and put them into practice externally. “When the world is harmonious, disputes will cease. We can tame our minds so that evil will not arise by always keeping patience in our thoughts”. This is all a matter of internal cultivation. We must all earnestly engage in cultivation. When we begin to utilize our potential, we must be mentally prepared so that. “When we encounter suffering, we will be as enduring as the earth”. Our hearts must be peaceful and stable like this. We want to open the door squarely and pave the path correctly, so we must eliminate all greed, anger and delusion. If there are obstructions at the door, we must immediately eliminate them. We must walk the right path. So, we must “eliminate all greed, anger and delusion”. Greed, anger and delusion are what we must eliminate. So, we must earnestly seek to comprehend this. So, “There are worlds below the ground”. The Bodhisattvas abided in empty space.
There are worlds below the ground. [The Bodhisattvas] abided in empty space, which is the depths of the Dharma-nature and the ultimate ground of the profound methods. Being below [the Saha World] does not mean it is here. Being in emptiness does not mean it is there.
We previously spoke of the Bodhsiattvas emerging from the earth that split open and abiding in empty space. We must remember this. “[The Bodhisattvas] abided in empty space, which is the depths of the Dharma-nature”. Regarding the Dharma, everyone must know that the Dharma-nature is bottomless. It is so deep that it is bottomless. It is also “the ultimate ground of the profound methods”. Profound methods refer to the Buddha-Dharma. The Buddha-Dharma is like the sky, and “our vows [are] as vast as the universe”. Our vows must be like the sky, but they must be tranquil and clear. This principle in the Sutra of infinite Meaning is something we must understand clearly. In this vast universe, in this world, what is below the ground is bottomless. “Being below [the Saha World] does not mean it is here”.
Actually, below that there is something further below. Look around us. When the sun sets, the moon rises. Once the moon has set, the sun begins to rise. This is how the sun and moon are is the moon really in the sky or is it below the earth? Is the sun on the side of a mountain or on the ocean’s surface? This is a cycle. So, planets [such as]. Earth orbit in the universe, around the sun. It also revolves. This does not belong to any of the directions. It is not above or below, nor does it lean towards the left or the right. So, “Being in emptiness does not mean it is there. Being below the earth does not mean it is here”. Thus, it is not fixed, but it pervades throughout the universe. This is the Dharma, “the stage of ultimate truth”. We must mindfully seek to comprehend this. The Buddha-Dharma is very profound, deep without bottom and broad without boundary. It is truly vast and lofty.
Thus, we must be very mindful. We must be mindful of the Dharma. We must recall what we previously learned. Previously I constantly told everyone that after listening to the Dharma, we must constantly recall it.
The previous sutra passage stated, “The Bodhisattvas, upon hearing the sound of Sakyamuni Buddha’s voice, all came up from below. Each of those Bodhisattvas was a leader who instructed and guided a great assembly.
We must all understand what we previously said about how “there are worlds below the ground. We must comprehend that our earth is within the universe, in empty space. So, we cannot have doubts about “below the ground”. [Plants and stars] are certainly rotating. They are there in the starry sky around us, throughout this universe. [These Bodhisattvas] all came up from below. This is just like the sun rising form the sea or the moon doing the same. The principle is the same. “Each of those Bodhisattvas was a leader who instructed and guided a great assembly.”
We were just speaking of the “4-in-1” system, of our perspectives and our [volunteer] structure. In the “4-in-1” structure of our Dharma-lineage, there are fewer experienced volunteers and more [less-experienced] ones. This is just like a class of students. Among dozens of students, there is only one teacher. The principle is the same.
So, there will be a leader, someone who leads and teaches. Those they teach are many! They have many followers. So, “They each led a retinue as numerous as the sands of 60,000 Ganges Rivers”. Take teachers for example. How many students do you think they teach in their lifetime? They teach one class every year, continuing on this way each year. Some teachers also serve as homeroom teaches and so on. So, the principles is the same. Those who transmitted and spread the Dharma had large retinues. So, the Buddha compared the retinues to the sands of 60,000 Ganges Rivers.
“They each led a retinue as numerous as the sands of 60,000 Ganges Rivers. There were also those who led retinues as numerous as the sands of 50,000, 40,000, 30,000, 20,000, or 10,000 Ganges Rivers [and so on].
The number they led depended on their own karmic conditions. We previously mentioned that [this refers to] “the Six Paramitas”. Please mindfully recall this again.
“There were also those who led retinues as numerous as the sands of one Ganges River or one half of the sands of one Ganges River or one quarter, all the way down to one thousandth, one millionth, one billionth or one part in a nayuta.” This is today’s sutra passage, so please be mindful. This means that there were already so many retinues who, after the ground split open, emerged from the ground. So many of them emerged from the ground. The substantial numbers here represent how so many teachings constantly emerge from our thoughts. So many thoughts constantly emerge in our minds and in our memories. The principle is the same. The Dharma can be explained in different ways. We must not let the numbers bog us down. We must be earnestly mindful of the numbers.
This is like what we previously said, “the sands of 60,000 Ganges Rivers”. This gives us a metaphor for actualizing the Six Parmaitas in all actions. What about [50,000]? That refers to the Five Eyes. We use these terms to explain to everyone is this really [what it means]? This is to help everyone not get bogged down by the numbers and instead return to the Dharma. If we think about the Five Eyes, ordinary [physical] eyes, heavenly eyes, Hearer’s eyes [etc.], all of these eyes refer to “views”. Views here means perspective. People at each level have their unique perspectives and ways of thinking. Some have the perspective of a Bodhisattva. Others have the awakened perspective of the Buddha. These are five distinct kinds of perspectives. We use this to help everyone understand the Dharma. This is returning to the Dharma, using all these numbers to return to the Dharma. In a similar way, just now, we talked about very large numbers. Starting from now, we will talk about smaller numbers. “There were also those who led retinues as numerous as the sands of one Ganges River or one half of the sands of one Ganges River or one quarter, all the way down to one thousandth, one millionth, one billionth or one part in a nayuta”.
There were also those who led retinues as numerous as the sands of one Ganges River or one half of the sands of one Ganges River or one quarter, all the way down to one thousandth, one millionth, one billionth or one part in a nayuta: From more to fewer, they decreased sequentially. There were also those who led retinues as numerous as the sands of one Ganges River, all the way down to one part in a nayuta [of the Ganges’ sands]. This is the second level, where there were more teachers and fewer disciples than the previous level.
In this way, the number is continuously decreasing until perhaps it might be zero in the end. We must collect these many different numbers that can spread and encompass the universe and bring them back [to the principles]; actually, the principles are intangible. We must consider the many principles in this way. If we have this understanding, we will have a clearer understanding when we hear them. So, it says, “from more to fewer”. It decreases sequentially like this. In the teachings we continue to give now, [the numbers] are decreasing like this. “There were also those who led retinues as numerous as the sands of one Ganges River” [and even] “one part in a nayuta [of the Ganges’ sands]”. “Nayuta” refers to an infinite number. It continuously decreases from such a large number until it is the sands of the one Ganges and even until one part of an infinite number. The number is continuously split, split until it becomes very tiny. The number in terms of Ganges’ sands is decreased. These sands of infinite Ganges Rivers is decreased until one part in a thousand, in a million, in a billion, in a nayuta, one part in an incalculable number. This is to say [it becomes] very tiny. In terms of modern science, it reaches molecules, a small number of molecules, even atoms and so on. It is divided all the way to quantum particles. In the same way, it is continuously divided. So, we previously said, those who wrote the commentaries on the sutra divided [this part] into eight levels. What we previously spoke of, 60,000, 50,000, 40,000, 30,000, 20,000, 10,000 were categorized as the first level. Now we are at the second level. In this way, we keep dividing these numbers level by level.
This is what the second level is like. “There are more teachers and fewer students than the previous level”. The “teachers” who are mature are increasing in numbers. So, “There are more teachers and fewer students”. Those who had to be transformed decrease in number, and those who could transform others increase in number. Isn’t this “bringing purity to people’s hearts”? Everyone is capable of accepting the Dharma and becoming purified.
The following sutra passage states, “There were also those with retinues numbering in the thousands of trillions, in nayutas”.
It says “nayutas”. Having finely divided these infinite numbers, it continues, “There were also those with retinues numbering in the trillions. There were also those numbering in the billions, millions, all the way down to ten thousand. There were also those with one thousand, one hundred, all the way down to ten [disciples]. There were also those who led five, four, three, two or one disciple”.
Starting with great numbers of sentient beings that needed to be transformed, it kept decreasing. Why did it decrease? It was because more and more had already been transformed, attained [awakening]. In terms of “retinues,” we must now consider the “retinues”.
Regarding “retinues”, it says, “from where it speaks of the retinues as numerous as the sands of 60,000 Ganges Rivers all the way down to one thousandth, one millionth, one billionth or one part in a nayuta of the Ganges’ sands”. These large retinues “use the Ganges’ sands as a unit”. There are many grains of Ganges sand, and in this way it sequentially decreases.
“There were also those with retinues numbering in the thousands of trillions, in nayutas. There were also those with retinues numbering in the trillions. There were also those numbering in the billions, millions, all the way down to ten thousand one thousand, one hundred, all the way down to ten [disciples]. There were even those who led five, four, three, two or one disciple”. In this way it keeps getting finer and finer.
From before, it continuously decreases sequentially, decreasing by countless billions, by an incalculable number until it reaches ten thousand. From the countless number of the sands of the Ganges River, it continuously decreases until we can call it billions, then ten thousand, then one thousand, then one hundred and then ten.
They decrease sequentially from the previous level, from nayutas, to billions, to ten thousand, to one thousand, to one hundred, to ten all the way down to five, four, three, two and one. The sutra speaks of their retinues in sequence, going from more to fewer.
In the past we have talked about how many “zhao”. What [number] is beyond a “zhao”? In any case, there are many names for numbers. In this way, it continuously decreases until we can describe it and calculate it. This number decreases from large to small. “Down to five, four, three, two or one”. In this way, it continues to decrease, describing their retinues in sequence; it describes how large retinues they had. It continues to speak of the retinues’ numbers in this way. These were the sentient beings to be transformed.
So, in this sutra passage, if we are not very mindful, we will not be able to understand it since the numbers, these astronomical numbers, are truly large.
“There were also those with retinues numbering in the thousands of trillions, in nayutas” Here, we have already reached the third level. “Disciples decreased and teachers increased”.
This is how it is divided. At the top level, it is already impossible to further divide. It is continuously divided until the third level. “Disciples decreased and teachers increased”. At this point, we know that the disciples became fewer, while the teachers became more numerous. Those who do not understand principles decreased, and those who understood the Dharma and principles increased.
“There were also those with retinues numbering in the trillions”. Now we can say this is the fourth level, with retinues in the trillions. Disciples decreased, while teachers increased. Those capable of transforming others increased.
Then, “There were also those numbering in the billions, all the way down to ten thousand.” Those able to be transformed numbered in the billions down to ten thousand; this is the fifth level. Thus, disciples decreased and teachers increased. “There are also those with one thousand, all the way down to ten [disciples].” This is the sixth level, where “there were fewer disciples and more teachers.” Thus, as the disciples, those who must be transformed, decreased, those who understand principles naturally increased. “There were even those who led five, four, three, tow or one disciple.” This is the seventh level, where there “were even fewer disciples and more teachers.”
There were also those numbering in the billions, millions, all the way down to ten thousand: This is the fifth level, where there were fewer disciples and more teachers. There were also those with one thousand, one hundred, all the way down to ten [disciples]: On the sixth level, there were fewer disciples and more teachers. There were even those who led five, four, three, tow or one disciple: On the seventh level, there were even fewer disciples and more teachers.
From the perspective of ordinary beings, that of heavenly beings, that of Hearers all the way to that of Bodhisattvas, we can thus slowly enter the Buddha’s perspective. In this way, the Dharma is constantly, ceaselessly exercising its ability to transform sentient beings. We must rediscover our nature of True Suchness. Unenlightened beings in the Six Realms have lots of afflictions. From sentient beings transmigrating in the Six Realms to the state of heavenly beings, to the state of Hearers, to the state of Bodhisattvas and so on, these afflictions and ignorance continuously decrease. The Dharma constantly enters our hearts. The ground of our hearts have split open, and we can see the Dharma. This Dharma-seed has already sprouted. It has begun [to grow] from a sprout to a seedling, to a small tree and then a large one. This large tree [is like] the Unity [team]. One gives rise to infinity and infinity arises from one. We ought to use this as a metaphor in order to help everyone understand this clearer.
If not, the Dharma will be hard to teach; we will not be able to teach it. Things that are difficult to teach are naturally hard to understand. So, we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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