Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Guiding Teachers Greet the World-Honored One (唱導之師 問訊世尊)
Date: November.01.2018
“Bodhisattvas engage in the Four Practices of Bringing Peace and Joy. With their bodies, they put the Dharma into practice in all their actions by cultivating right bodily conduct. With their speech, they can expound boundless wondrous meanings and uphold right speech. With their minds, they contemplate how to carry out proper conduct. They make the great vows and forever uphold the practice of their vows. With great compassion, they engage in the practice of bringing peace and joy.”
We need to be mindful! “Practice” means putting the Dharma into practice. The Chapter on the Practice of Bringing Peace and Joy also tells us that, in order to spread the Buddha-Dharma in the evil world of the Five Turbidities, we must be able to teach and accept the Dharma with peace and joy. This requires us to engage in the Four Practices of Bringing Peace and Joy. [These practices] in body, speech, mind and vows are all part of our everyday lives. Our bodies are intimately connected with our environment through sights and sounds we come in contact with. There is never a time when we are not experiencing bodily sensations. Although we experience the outside world, the outside world is always changing. Someone might come and talk to us, but every word they say disappears with the passage of time. As we listen, we absorb what they say, and the meaning remains in our mind. Even though their words are gone, this meaning remains in our mind. What do the words they say mean?
Every word means something. The sound of a voice disappears in an instant, but we can absorb and understand the meaning. We can absorb it. So, to experience the outside world, we must depend on our physical body. When a person speaks, they must use their body. If they are able-bodied, they can use their mouths to speak. If we are able-bodied and have all six senses, we can use our ears to listen to their voice. When we hear [this voice] with our ears, we will store its meaning in our mind. The Six Sense Organs are all part of this body; so, it is through this body that we experience the world in everyday life. No matter what we hear or see, as soon as we have seen it, that image in here one moment and gone the next.
This is like the images in a movie, which are actually made up of electrons that are continuously [streaming by], second after second. This happens not just in a matter of seconds, but in split seconds. They pass by so swiftly, [creating] a continuous, uninterrupted flow of recorded images. Our present surroundings, the words I am speaking, these present images are all like this too. Similarly, when we use our eyes to see, this is not a passive experience. Our optic nerves are working ceaselessly, firing one after the other. By the same principle, everything we use and everything that exists around us is constantly fading away like this. Yet our bodies are not even aware of this, so we remain undisturbed by it. In any case, as we experience this environment, we hear and see things.
In fact, everything contained [by our environment] comes at us in a continuous flow and disappears just like this. We are not even aware that this is happening! Although our body is unaware of it, our body is actualizing the “principles”. These are the principles, the many, many principles of the world that are so wondrously profound, subtle and intricate. Nevertheless, we make use of them, even when we do not understand them or know that they are there. So, this is how we spend each day. When do we start to grow old? We are unaware of this. We just keep using our bodies each day, without even being aware [that we are aging]. These profound and mysterious principles are impossible for us to understand. There could be a disease in our body, and we might not even know it yet. Because of this, we need to see a doctor when we get sick. It could be that one of our organs is diseased, yet we might not even be aware of it. When a doctor examines us [just by looking], they might not notice anything. They need to observe and question us thoroughly. We have to describe [our symptoms]. “I’m [hurting] here” or “I have [a pain] there.” After the doctor listens to us carefully, depending on their degree of experience, they will say, “Ok, I want to run some more tests.” Then they will use medical instruments to help us diagnose what illness we may have inside our body.
Nowadays, technology is so advanced that [an X-ray] can take a picture in seconds and display it right away. After evaluating [these images], [the doctor will say,] “Oh! There’s a blockage!” “Oh! There is a growth there” or “Oh! This place is ossifying and getting old.” We might not even be aware of these things. When did we start getting old? We have no idea. When did this blockage occur? We do not know this either. Do we have an abnormal growth somewhere? We are not even aware of it! This is the human body. How are we supposed to understand it? In truth, “birth, aging, illness and death” is a very natural process. If we can clearly recognize the nature of life and come to understand these biological principles, this can deepen our understanding of the principles of the mind as well. There is arising, abiding, changing and ceasing; these are the principles of our mind. Right now, we are listening. What we hear may inspire us, yet once we hear it, we forget what we have heard. “This has nothing to do with we.” So, we do not make use of our inspiration. This is what happens. Our [thoughts] “change” and “cease,” and then they are gone. People get inspired, but fail to put the teachings into practice because they cannot relate to them. So, they simply put them aside.
We listen to the teachings every day, but how many of them are we really able to put into use? Actually, every single teaching is intimately connected to our daily lives. [This includes] the value we put on our body. If there is something we should be doing, we should do it; we need to be proactive. As for things we should not do, we should prevent ourselves form doing them. When it comes to our body, we rely upon it, for the body is a vessel for spiritual cultivation. We must rely on our body to engage in spiritual cultivation, for only then can we put the Dharma into practice.
So, “With their bodies, they put the Dharma into practice in all their actions.” Thought our body, we come in contact with the outside world. Once we understand the value of life, we will know what we must do. What must we do? We must put the Dharma into practice. The Six Paramitas are giving, precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. We can apply the Six Paramitas any time we deal with people, matters and objects. Giving can be simple. A kind word, spoken mindfully, can alleviate a person’s troubles. A single kind word can put a person’s mind at ease. Giving with our bodies is even simpler. If people are busy, we can hurry to lend a hand and help them. If it takes someone an hour to complete a certain task, if we lend them a hand, it may only take them 40 minutes to finish it; this is giving our bodily strength and out time. When we use our physical strength to help others, it reduces the time that they have to work, so this is also a type of giving. It is very easy to give of ourselves. Giving and upholding the precepts are ways we use our bodies in life to faithfully fulfill our duties.
When it comes to our actions, we should be mindful of the Four Demeanors. This is spiritual practice. As we go about the actions of spiritual practice, we must always maintain an air of spirituality so that others can see from our bodies the demeanor we cultivate through spiritual practice and [the level] of our cultivation. Every word we utter and every action we take is an expression of our innermost being. Since we engage in spiritual practice from deep within, our demeanor will naturally become dignified. This is what our body is capable of.
Through this example, we know that in order to perfect our spiritual practice, we must use this body as a vessel for practice by which we can transform sentient beings. Whenever we do anything that others see or hear and whenever we do something to help them, we must “actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions”. Whatever afflictions or suffering sentient beings experience, we can always gather the strength of many people to help them and to meet their needs. These are all things we use our bodies to do. Moreover, it is through our bodies that we “cultivate right bodily conduct”. We must rely upon the Dharma. We can absorb the Dharma, apply it with our bodies and use it physically and mentally so that our conduct and speech will be proper. This all happens when we take the Dharma to heart. We rely on the Dharma to inspire us and we rely upon our bodies to manifest our skillfulness in spiritual practice and transforming others.
So, they must rely upon one another. The Dharma relies upon the body to manifest its applications. So, they are interdependent. We also rely upon the Dharma and must take it to heart before we are able to put it into action. So, with right conduct, we can do good deeds. “With their speech, they can expound boundless wondrous meanings and uphold right speech.” When it comes to our speech, so long as the Dharma is in our heart, everything we say will make sense to others and serve to guide others and teach them the Dharma.
Then, whatever thoughts are on our mind, we will naturally be able to express them through our speech exactly as they are. We use our body to practice “right bodily conduct”. “With their speech, [Bodhisattvas] can expound boundless wondrous meanings and uphold right speech.” Both our conduct and our speech are so important. So, “With their minds, they contemplate how to carry out proper conduct.” Our minds are constantly thinking, but if we take the Durham to heart, then the Dharma will be in our thoughts. Whatever we contemplate, whatever we think about, our minds will always be full of this Dharma, which is infinite and boundless. When it comes to our [life’s] direction and our plans [for the future], we must always “carry out proper conduct”.
So, “With their minds, they contemplate how to carry out proper conduct.” This is how our minds must become. So, by “forever upholding the power of great vows,” naturally, our actions, speech and thoughts will always head in the right direction, and we will naturally make great vows. In every moment and every second, our body, mind and speech must never deviate from our vows. This depends on our power of vows. When we make vows, our minds will always be focused on the Dharma. Whenever something arises in our mind, it will be spiritual, inseparable from the Dharma and inseparable from this contemplative state. This comes from making great vows. This is like visiting a sick person. When we see that they are conscious but cannot express themselves, we give them a pen and paper so that they can express themselves. At this crucial moment, we should know what is on their minds and what is most important to them. When someone is unable to speak their most important [thoughts], they might still be able to use a pen and paper to write them down.
In this way, they can express their wishes and whatever is going on in their minds. People never stop thinking about their children and grandchildren. People ever stop thinking about many different things. They cannot let them go. Even though they cannot express themselves, they wish to use pen and paper to write down [their thoughts]. The principle is the same. Sentient beings have afflictions and ignorance, but they still have aspirations and vows. When Bodhisattvas form aspirations, they must also make great vows. These vows come from our firm resolve that arises once our mind is inspired. The power of vows of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is timeless. Bodhisattvas can return to the world for lifetime after lifetime relying upon their power of vows to “forever uphold great vows”. What is this power of vows? “With great compassion, they engage in the practice of bringing peace and joy”. This is great compassion. This great compassion is “unconditional loving-kindness and universal compassion”. Other people may not be related to us in any way, but nonetheless, their suffering still makes us feel uneasy. So, when sentient beings get sick, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will also feel sick. When sentient beings are healthy, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will feel healthy. We must seek to understand this clearly, because in the following sutra passages, the Bodhisattvas will ask after the Buddha’s health. What we should learn from this is that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are always in accord with sentient beings. When sentient beings are sick, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will also feel sick. When sentient beings are afflicted, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will be the same. They also become uneasy and anxious. We must mindfully seek to understand this.
The previous sutra passage says, “At that time, the fourfold assembly, also due to the Buddha’s spiritual powers, saw those Bodhisattvas filling the empty space of infinite trillions of lands. Among the assembly of Bodhisattvas, there were four guiding teachers. The first was named Superior Practice. The second was named Boundless Practice. The third was named Pure Practice. The fourth was named. Peacefully Abiding Practice”.
As previously mentioned, the four guiding teachers were the foremost among those many Bodhisattvas. “Superior Practice” refers to bodily [conduct]. When our bodily [conduct] is upright and we uphold the pure precepts, we will go among people to transform sentient beings. “Boundless Practice” refers to speech, to the propriety of our language and speech. This so-called “right speech” enable us to guide sentient beings, awaken their minds and lead them in the direction of proper conduct. This is speech.
The third was “Pure Practice”. Our mind must be pure. All afflictions and ignorance arise in the mind. The most important thing in spiritual practice is to work hard to eliminate our afflictions and ignorance and return to our pure Tathagata-nature. When our mind is always focused upon thoughts of goodness, we will have loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity for sentient beings. When we have no other thoughts but these, this is the meaning of “pure practice”.
The fourth is “Peacefully Abiding Practice”. This refers to the virtue of Bodhisattvas in uniting their body, speech and mind in the service of sentient beings. They practice loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity for a long time and make vows to transform sentient beings over the course of many lifetimes. They sincerely vow to transform all sentient beings. These are our Four Great Vows. In order for Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to reach their goal of attaining Buddhahood, they must carry out these Four Practices.
The next sutra passage says, “These four Bodhisattvas were, among that group, the foremost guiding teachers. Before the assembly, they each placed their palms together, looked at Sakyamuni Buddha and spoke to Him in greeting”.
Among those many Bodhisattvas, there were four who served as representatives, for “among that group of Bodhisattvas, these were the preeminent leaders”. These four Bodhisattvas led these numerous bodhisattvas here.
These four Bodhisattvas were, among that group, the foremost guiding teachers: Among that group of Bodhisattvas, these were the preeminent leaders. They did conditioned good deeds by actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions. Guiding teachers serve as sentient beings’ teachers.
These four came in front of all the Bodhisattvas and drew nearest to the Buddha. So, “these preeminent leaders” walked at the very front of the assembly of Bodhisattvas. This means they were closest to the Buddha. This was because they “did conditioned good deeds by actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions”. This means they also led everyone else in doing conditioned good deeds. [They did] conditioned good deeds. Everything they did was a good deed. They did many good things among people, and not just by themselves; they also guided and taught others to do conditioned good deeds like these.
Thus, it says they “did conditioned good deeds”. What does it mean to do conditioned good deeds? It means “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions”. It means going among people to teach the Bodhisattva Way, to guide everyone in carrying out the mission of Bodhisattvas. These are “guiding teachers [who] serve as sentient beings’ teachers. They go among people to guide and transform them. These are everyone’s guiding teachers. We talked earlier about all the different numbers used here. These numbers kept falling and falling. We yalked about this earlier. When people spread [the Dharma] and teach and transform others, they will naturally guide others. When people form aspirations to learn, once they have leaned, they can teach and transform others. In this way many people will be transformed will say, “I know, I understand. I am willing to put the Dharma into practice. They will gradually increase until they become very numerous.
This is like when an entire group of Taichung Bodhisattvas returned here. I asked them, “Why have you returned?” “To see Master and to let Master know that we have all prepared our minds well. We are being very diligent. They told me how they are diligently advancing and safeguarding their spiritual practice center how they recruit [volunteers], how they distribute aid and do good deeds. When they distribute aid, they use the day of the distribution to recruit care recipients [to become volunteers]. [They told me] how they get people to come in how they interact with them, and how, through the gift of tangible material goods, [the recipients] experience intangible loving care. This is what they shared with me. They are also very diligent in the way they do the bowing ceremony to the Lotus Sutra. They told me that they have done this for 30 over years without stopping. [They have done this] since the time when our office on Minquan Road in Taichung was a Japanese-style dormitory building. Now, at this same place on Minquan Road they have renovated and rebuilt [the office]. Yet they have never stopped to rest; for 30 years without interruption, they have done the bowing ceremony to the Lotus Sutra. I was greatly moved by them. “Master, every month, we are in sync with the Abode. Whether [reciting] the Water Repentance Sutra or the Earth Treasury Sutra, we are always in sync with you.”
Wow! This is not easy! They never rest! Moreover, on the 24th of every month, they do a bowing pilgrimage. On those noisy streets, they carry out a bowing pilgrimage. “There is so much traffic there! How can you carry out a bowing pilgrimage?” They told me, “when there isn’t much traffic. We have people who help direct traffic. We have a bowing pilgrimage there every month! We start bowing on the road and keep going until we are inside”. They are very diligent.
So, they are never lax when it comes to the Dharma. In fact, when they listen to the Dharma lecture each morning, there are always at least 50 people at Minquan Road, just in that one place, paying respects to the Dharma, bowing to the Dharma and chanting the sutra, they have never grown lax. Hearing them all share together here was truly very moving.
There are also indigenous people from Hualien and Taitung who left their homes and moved to the Central Region decades ago to find work. Once they [moved], they were unable to go back. They no longer have any houses or land back home. They have been away for several decades now and there is also a second generation. They still continue to work, relocating to wherever the work may be. Now they are older and have children, but they have no permanent place to live. Tzu Chi made a proposal to Taichung City to see if the local government there could set aside some land. We would be willing to construct housing for them and help them settle permanently in Taichung so they do not have to be itinerants anymore. This would give them a permanent place to live a place where future generations could reside. They city government has already set aside two places of land to help them. When I was in Taichung, after I spoke with the mayor about this, I started to tell our Taichung tzu Chi volunteers and they formed aspiration and made vows[ to help give] those from Hualien and Taitung who had ended up [in Taichung] a place where their future generations could settle.
In any case having heard about how they have upheld [the Dharma] for 30 years like this and that they will help give these suffering people a home where they can settle permanently.
[I feel that] they are truly Living Bodhisattvas. It is with this kind of dedication that we must give of ourselves by going among people to serve them. So, this is “doing conditioned good deeds”. These are “conditioned good deeds”. By “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions, guiding teachers serve as sentient beings’ teachers”.
Next, [the sutra passage] says, “Before the assembly, they each placed their palms together, looked at Sakyamuni Buddha and spoke to Him in greeting”. These are the leaders who went before the assembly. These four Bodhisattvas led all the other Bodhisattvas. Reverently, with palms together, paying respect wanting to take to the Buddha, they went to greet and ask after the Buddha.
So, in the next sutra passage, they said, “World-Honored One, are You free of illness and worry? De You practice in peace and joy? Do those who should be transformed easily accept the teachings without exhausting the World-honored One?
This is what they said. They addressed Him respectfully and said “Venerable Buddha, “World-Honored One, are You in good health? Are You free of illness?” “Free of illness” means not sick. “How is Your health?” Are Your free of worries? Does anything cause You to worry? Are You healthy and without worries?” this was what they meant. They asked Him things like, “Are You able to live in peace and joy?” This is because by the time of the Lotus Dharma-assembly, the Buddha was getting old. So, those Bodhisattvas came to pay their respects and wish Him good health.
So, this is what it says in the sutra passage. This was a form of etiquentte.
World-Honored One, are You free of illness and worry?”: They asked the World-Honored One if He was free of illness and worry, if He was able to live in peace and joy and if He could practice the right path with ease.
The Bodhisattvas came to ask after the Buddha, to ask if His days were peaceful and whether He had any worries or not. While transforming sentient beings in a world so difficult to endure as this and transforming people with such afflictions. Venerable Buddha, are You able to live in peace and joy? Living in a world so difficult to endure as this must be very difficult for the Buddha! Is this a peaceful and joyful place? Do You feel peace and joy in Your heart?” What they meant was, “These sentient beings are so stubborn and difficult to tame. Venerable Buddha! Has it been easy to transform them? Are things going as You would like? Have they been easy to transform?” What makes the Buddha happiest is when sentient beings are able to be transformed. This is what gives the Buddha the most peace, what gives Him the most peace and happiness. These Bodhisattvas asked the Buddha, “Are these people easy to transform?” If they were easy to transform, the Buddha’s mind would be at peace and He would be happy, so this is why they asked Him “if He could practice the right path with ease”. Is it easy to practice the right path in such a stubborn and chaotic world as this? Is it easy to practice the right path here? Is it possible to serve others? Is there a possibility? Is there a way? Obviously, these Bodhisattvas who had emerged from the earth also cared about this Saha World that must be endured. So, they came to greet the Buddha and to pay their respects to Him. This is why they asked Him, “Are sentient beings easy to transform?” They asked if He was free of illness and worry.
Free of illness and worry: They asked the Tathagata if He was in peace and joy. This Tathagata was already free of the Leaks and the Five Skandhas so how could He have illness or worry? This is to show that [the Bodhisattvas] accorded with the worldly Dharma and followed this land’s usual etiquette, so they had to ask about illness and worry.
They knew He should be at ease, but the Bodhisattvas asked after Him anyway in order to accord with the etiquette of the world. As it was, the Buddha was already free. He was already free from the Five Skandhas. The Five Skandhas are form, feeling, perception, action and consciousness. He was free of physical and mental obstructions, but those Bodhisattvas asked after Him anyway, for the Buddha-Dharma is tied to worldly Dharma. The Buddha and those Bodhisattvas did due justice by following the customs of this world. So, we often say that “etiquette” is the principles. The principles are what we must follow. This is what we call etiquette.
“When their illness of afflictions is mild, sentient beings are easy to transform, and He does not become exhausted.”
When their illness of afflictions is mild, sentient beings are easy to transform, and He does not become exhausted. In greeting the Tathagata, they asked about His mission to transform sentient beings.
When sentient beings’ afflictions are mild, they are easier to transform. When their afflictions are more severe, they can be very difficult to transform. When their afflictions are numerous, though we might teach them now, their habitual tendencies will still come back. They will retain their habitual tendencies. They are hard to teach and very stubborn. “I already told you about this! Why are you still like this? I taught you like this! Why haven’t you changed?” This is truly a troublesome and painful [process]. However, if we all hasten to eliminate our own afflictions and ignorance, if we are more mindful and focused, naturally, our afflictions will no longer intrude upon us and our power of vows will strengthen. If our power of vows is not strong, then our body, speech and mind will become very weak. So, we must strengthen our power of vows, hasten to correct our mistakes and hasten to accept [the Dharma]. Only by accepting the Dharma will we be able to correct our mistakes. So, sentient beings are indeed hard to tame. Just thinking about it is painful. Just thinking about it can be exhausting. So, because of this, “in greeting the Tathagata,” the Bodhisattvas asked about His mission to transform sentient beings. Was His mission going well? Faced with so many hardships in a world so difficult to endure where sentient beings are so stubborn, was it very difficult to do these things there? This was how they asked after the Buddha. This was a form of etiquette. They knew the Buddha was completely liberated, but because of how the world was, they asked after Him like this.
Do those who should be transformed easily accept the teachings without exhausting the World-Honored One?: Do those sentient beings who can be transformed easily accept the teachings? When people have the capabilities to easily accept transformation, their teacher will not become tired.
“Do those who should be transformed easily accept the teachings without exhausting the World-Honored One?” Were the sentient beings whom the Buddha had already transformed easy to teach? “Those yet to be transformed are still out there, but as for those You have transformed who have since become Your disciples, were they easy to teach?” Had it been easy? Had these people added to the Buddha’s troubles? Of course they did! Having so many disciples must have been very burdensome, very exasperating! Did they add to His exhaustion? Did they add to His troubles? They actually increased them greatly! This is normal, but the Buddha transcended this. So, did the beings He was able to transform “easily accept the teachings”? Did those sentient beings easily accept the teachings? Were those sentient beings’ capabilities such that they were easily transformed? This was a teacher who served to transform others. Was this very difficult for Him? To be honest, it must have been very difficult. This was “the Tathagata’s transformation-body”.
This was the Tathagata’s transformation-body, which accords with the human world. Thus, they followed the worldly customs to extend their greetings. In terms of His true body, there is nothing adverse or favorable.
Because the Tathagata had come to the world in His “transformation-body,” He was the same as other people in the world. His demeanor was a worldly one. He had the same physical body as ours. He felt the cold and the heat just like we do. His was just the same, and so was His physical form and appearance. Although the Buddha’s mind was liberated, He was physically the same as everyone else. He had the same body as everyone else. So, the Bodhisattvas asked after Him like this. “Thus, they followed the worldly customs to extend their greetings”. They were following the worldly etiquette. In order to live in this world, the Buddha also went to beg for alms each day. He had to drink and eat every day to sustain His physical health. He was just like everyone else. So, out of common courtesy, they asked after the World-Honored One. “In terms of His true body, there is nothing adverse or favorable”. These Bodhisattvas came to greet the Buddha and asked. “Are these sentient beings easy to transform?” This was a very ordinary occurrence. There was nothing unreasonable about this; it was very reasonable. They were just following etiquette, being polite.
They asked if sentient beings were easy to transform: The body is a vessel for spiritual cultivation and is inseparable from daily living, so their first question [was about His health]. As for their question about whether sentient beings were easy to transform, the Tathagata gave the teachings so that sentient beings would accept the path of transformation, so they asked about it next. “They asked if sentient beings were easy to transform. The body is a vessel for spiritual cultivation, and is inseparable from daily living, so their first question [was about His health].”
We just said in the beginning that “Bodhisattvas engage in the Four Practices of Bringing Peace and Joy. With their bodies, They put the Dharma into practice in all their actions.” Bodhisattvas “actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions.” They actualize them through their bodies. This is why the body is a vessel for spiritual practice. As we go about our daily living, spiritual practice is part of everyday life. Doing good deeds is also part of everyday life. So, they are “inseparable from daily living.” Our bodies are essential to our daily living. So, they asked after the Buddha’s well-being. They then asked the Buddha, “Has it been easy to transform sentient beings?” “The Tathagata” came to give teachings to the world so that “sentient beings would accept the path of transformation.” Since this must be done in stages, it is truly not easy at all. However, since those Bodhisattvas had come to that great Dharma-assembly and were already at Vulture Peak before the stupa of Many Treasures Buddha, they went to the past and present Buddhas to pay their respects. Also, to those whom the Buddha came to transform and the multiple manifestations of the Buddha that had already been transformed, they paid their respects to them all one by one. The manifestations of the Buddha followed the Buddha’s teachings to actualize the Dharma by teaching and transforming sentient beings, so [the Bodhisattvas] also revered them greatly. Paying one’s respects to the Dharma and the Buddha, this form of etiquette, is something that all Bodhisattvas [practice].
Though they practice the Bodhisattva-path in different places, they all practice “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions.” They were still people’s teachers, and they still came to the Dharma-assembly to pay their respects in accordance with etiquette. So, the Buddha-Dharma is nothing other than worldly Dharma. Worldly etiquette is the principles. As Buddhist practitioners, we must learn and practice the principles. We were just discussing how diligent the Bodhisattva-volunteers from Taichung are. Their diligence is tangible. When it comes to the Dharma, the efforts they are making show how this Dharma is inseparable from the body and mind. They are truly very diligent. In their everyday life, they act in accordance with the Dharma. They put the Dharma into action in accordance with the teachings. This is what we must learn to do. There are so many things [to learn]. It is not that because we know a lot, we are automatically diligent. When we know a lot but do not practice any of it, no matter how many teachings we know, if we do not put them into action, it will all be a waste.
When I hear of everything they have done, I feel truly joyful! In short, transforming sentient beings so that they willingly accept the Dharma and put it into practice is the greatest offering we can make. This is the power of love. It creates more teachers and less students. We go from [having disciples] as numerous as the sands in 60,000 Ganges Rivers to as few as three, two or one. When we can transform sentient beings, their afflictions will become less and less, and their knowledge and wisdom will increase. This is the aim of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. We will not remain unenlightened beings forever, always needing. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to transform and teach us. We will also transform others in the future. We too are Buddhas, we too are Bodhisattvas, we too can go out and transform others. In this way, there will be more and more of us.
To sum things up, as we learn [the Dharma], with learning comes understanding, and with understanding, we can teach others. We do this all in hopes that everyone will aspire to help others and always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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