Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Revealing the Wisdom of All Buddhas (今欲顯發 諸佛智慧)
Date: November.22.2018
“We must be able to provide beds, clothing, bedding and all kinds of provisions necessary for living, such as water, food and medicine, in order to benefit people and help them to live peacefully and freely. Because we benefit others, we are said to be free. This means we will attain great wealth, great wisdom, blessings and virtue. In everything we do, everything will go according to our will. We will have great freedom; this is known as the fruit of freedom.”
We must mindfully seek to understand this. When we engage in spiritual practice every day, we must “actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions.” We must be mindful and constantly remember that we must have good thoughts in our minds and kindness in our hearts. This is the source of our first step. With a kind heart, when we look at people, we must help them according to their [needs]. As long as there are people [in need], we must help each other. So, we must care for what people need, and we must give them what they need. Those who need [us] the most are those who are poor and suffering in daily living. “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering sentient beings.” In our daily living, we must have a safe and stable place to live in. We must also sleep; after a whole day of work, rest is very important. If there is no place to rest, or if there is no bedding nor bed but [only] wet and dirty floors and so on, how can people sleep? So, we must give them a safe and stable place to live and rest. They need a bed. They need a bed, bedsheets and blankets; they need bedsheets and blankets to make the bed so that they can rest safely and stably. People who are poor and in suffering may not even have a bed. They may have illness and pain in their bodies, and the floor may be wet with water, dirty and contaminated. We can know what [environment] people in suffering [are living in].
See, in Sierra Leone, Africa, we saw from their pictures or from the news reports that there were people suffering from illnesses and barely alive. They said that people were hospitalized, but they were all [sleeping] on the ground, and it was a very dirty place. There was not even a single bed. Not only did healthy people not have beds, even patients in the hospital did not have beds. This is truly unfortunate.
So, in Malaysia, there was a Bodhisattva who happened to be in the business of making hospital beds. Once he heard the news, he willingly donated beds and sent them to Africa. He could not bear [to see them in suffering]. Though he was doing business, he could give rise to such a kind heart. Seeing this, knowing about these news, he acted in response and helped them. In fact, there are many places with people in this kind of misery. Speaking of suffering, there is a small number of people willing to help, so our [strength] is limited. If there were many people willing to [help], wouldn’t they be able to solve many people’s [problems] with “beds, clothing [and] bedding”? This is not just about hospital beds, but also about healthy people. We should not wait to give them beds until they are sick. For healthy people, they may be in a poor financial situation or have just survived a recent disaster such that they do not have beds. If we have the strength, we should gather our strength to help them. So, we have very mindfully developed the “Jing Si folding bed”. Now, wherever it is needed, we will ship it there. Wherever they are accommodating disaster survivors and are in need of [beds], we will ship them over and help [the survivors] get through this difficulty. This requires many people. They must be able to see with their eyes, move their hands and feet and be willing to form aspirations.
[People like this] must be everywhere so that they can help even more people. For those who have these difficulties, [we must give] “provisions necessary for living” to help them get through their difficult lives. This is very important. In particular, for those who are ill or in poverty, “water, food and medicine” are also important. All kinds of supplies [are important]. In summary, when people are suffering, we who have love must quickly help them. As long as we have the opportunity, we should quickly go there to help them. This is what the Buddha taught us.
So, [there are] “all kinds of provisions to benefit people.” As long as there are people who are lacking, we must give and benefit them. This is because we “actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions” in response to all the difficulties that sentient beings experience. So, we are willing to help, and we can give. People encounter all kinds of unfortunate things in life, be it long-term poverty, temporary [difficulties due to] a disaster or poverty and illness combined. These kinds of people really need [our help]. So, we “help them to live peacefully and freely”. They are also people, so we hope everyone can all live peacefully in their lives. This is the mindfulness Bodhisattvas have for sentient begins and their giving through actions. This is also what the Buddha taught us.
He taught us to benefit [others] like this so that we are said to be “free”. How can we attain freedom? Looking at people, when everyone is safe and free of afflictions, then Bodhisattvas’ hearts are the most peaceful and free, and the Buddha’s heart is also the most peaceful and free. So, to be peaceful and free is to be joyful. When sentient beings are safe, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are at peace. When sentient beings are free of suffering and difficulties, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are peaceful and free. This is what the Buddha taught us. So, “Because we benefit others, we are said to be free.” When we give, it is not just being able to give by ourselves; we still need to teach and guide many people to give at the same time. When everyone is willing to give, sentient beings can attain peace and freedom. If we can do this, poor people in suffering will live peacefully, while those who give “with attain great wealth”. There are wealthy people who are rich in strength, love and resources. They are willing to give. These kinds of people have more than enough love and wealth. Their love is more than enough.
In addition, they have more than enough material wealth. They are the wealthiest people. What about [those who are] poor? People who are poor at heart, even if they own the entire world, still think they do not have enough. So, their greed is boundless. When they see people in suffering, they are not willing to help. If they just give a little bit, conflicts arise in their minds. They think, “I am so rich. It is embarrassing if I only give a little, but I am reluctant to give a lot. So, I would rather not hear nor ask about it. I would rather not care about it.” People like this, regardless of how much worldly wealth they have, are living their lives in great poverty. The people with the greatest wealth are not necessarily those who have great amounts of assets to their name. As long as people are sincere and willing to give, they have great wealth.
Look at Myanmar. Although people there live in poverty, they are willing to help people. From their three meals, from the food their families will eat, they grab a handful of rice before they cook it. They grab a handful of rice from the pot and store it in a [special] jar. They still cook this pot of rice, and the family still has enough to eat. That handful of rice is saved from this meal. They save some [rice] every meal. After a number of days, they have a bid bucket [of rice], and they can help other people in suffering. Although they are poor in name, they are rich in their hearts. They can also help people. Those who can help others have strength. They have strength, meaning that they are rich in strength and love. When [strength and love] are gathered, they have this full bucket of rice. In addition, for a long time, they practice like this every day without stopping. They continue to give buckets and buckets of rice. Think about this; isn’t this having the greatest wealth? In particular, they can help elderly people and those who cannot live on their own to supplement their nutrition. They can also help widows to raise their children and help orphans to grow up. As time passes, they support their family well and are also able to support other people’s families. Everyone gaiters their strength together 300 families can help more than 20 families. Isn’t this [from] the strength they have gathered? As they see other poor families’ children grow up normally and see these elders live healthy and peaceful lives, aren’t [those who give] wealthy? Aren’t they households of great wisdom that create blessings for others and accumulate virtues. People say that a household that accumulates virtues will have more than enough blessings. They save a handful of rice every meal. Although their families are very poor, they still have something extra! They can gather together and support more than 20 families. Look how they live their lives together. The whole village is happy and harmonious.
They have the great love from giving and hearts that gratefully accept [whatever comes]. So, there is love and gratitude in the village. Think about this; isn’t this the happiest thing? They can live in peace and work happily. They have great wealth, great wisdom and great blessings and virtue. “In everything we do, everything will go according to our wishes.” In this way, everyone is joyful. They give willingly and for a long time. When everyone comes together, it is not difficult. If one family must help another family, it will be difficult. There, more than 300 come together to help more than 20 families. This is wisdom. Every family mixes their rice with [that of everyone else]. This is great wisdom and great blessings. “These over 20 families all have part of my [rice]! But we all gave unconditionally, and how we feel joyful and harmonious.” Love is about giving with love to everyone we see. This feeling of ease and freedom [comes from] seeing others have enough food to eat and enough clothing to keep warm. When they do not have any difficulties, our minds will also be peaceful and free. Thus, our minds are joyful. “In everything we do”, we practice doing good, practice conditioned good deeds. Then everything will go as we wish. “Everything will go according to our will”. This means things go according to our wishes. So, “We will have great freedom; this is known as the fruit of freedom”. This is something we must be mindful and seek to understand clearly. So, the previous sutra passage states, “All of you together should have one mind”. We truly must be of one mind together. In helping others, we must be of one mind, and in advancing, we must also be of one mind.
So, “All of you together should be of one mind, don the armor of diligence and form firm resolve. The Tathagata now wishes to reveal and proclaim the wisdom of all Buddhas…”.
Sakyamuni Buddha told everyone, “You must be very diligent and mindful. You must don the armor of diligence.” This is like preparing to enter the battlefield. Our noble army will fight the maras. We must not doze off and [succumb to] the mara of sleep or the mara that disturbs our minds. These maras are what we must defeat. This is why we must be diligent. So, we must don the armor of diligence. After listening to the Dharma, there is nothing we cannot do; the power of great freedom is actually that simple. We were just saying how ordinary people like us can do it. Seeing others in suffering, our hearts cannot bear it. When others are suffering while we are enjoyed comforts, how can our hearts bear it? We cannot bear it, so what can we do? We must give. Everyone must come together to give. When we see those in need rescued and safe, see those who were lacking having received help, we who give attain a sense of freedom and ease. Ordinary people like us can also attain a sense of freedom and ease. Just like we just said, we must firmly uphold this aspirations. To form great aspirations, we must begin with small actions. To form great aspirations and make great vows, we must begin with little drops. To attain Buddhahood, we must start at the state of ordinary beings. So, we should accept what the Buddha taught us. In the present passage, [the Buddha] is speaking to the great Bodhisattvas, but we have just formed our initial aspirations. This is what great principles are like. In fact, small stories begin from ordinary people. We must be diligent and focused on listening to the Dharma. We must “form firm resolve”. “The tathagata now wishes to reveal and proclaim the wisdom of all Buddhas”. Now, the Buddha began to teach how all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas formed aspirations, the origin and roots [of this]. So, we must mindfully seek to comprehend the Dharma that the Buddha is about to teach.
The next sutra passage continues with, “… and all Buddhas’ power of freely using spiritual powers. Their power of a lion’s swift vigor and. Their power of mighty and fierce great strength”.
All Buddhas have so many powers, “the power of freely using spiritual powers, the power of a lion’s swift vigor” and “the power of mighty and fierce great strength”. These are powers that all Buddhas have attained. Great powers must be continuously built up from small [actions]. [From small actions], how long will it take? It will take a very long time, continuously building them up. This is the key point that the Buddha was about to begin talking about. If we want to understand the power to freely use spiritual powers, the power of a lion’s swift vigor and the power of mighty and fierce great strength, we must earnestly listen with patience. “All Buddhas’ power of freely using spiritual powers” refers to how “All Buddhas have attained great freedom”. They are already greatly at ease.
All Buddhas’ power of freely using spiritual powers: All Buddhas have attained great freedom, and Their spiritual powers are unhindered. The Buddha’s Dharmakaya is His nature of wisdom. The Buddhas Sambhogakaya is His appearance of wisdom. The Buddha’s Nirmanakaya is His spiritual powers.
In His lifetime in the world, the Buddha did everything He could. Sentient beings who had affinities with Him heard the Buddha-Dharma one after another. Those who had affinities with Him slowly drew near to Him one after another. Those who drew near went from the Small Vehicle to the Middle Vehicle. They slowly drew near to the state of the Great Vehicle, so the Buddha’s mind was peaceful and free. We saw that the Bodhisattvas from other lands and from this land all came. The Buddha’s manifestations from the ten directions had also arrived. So, as the Buddha was at the Dharma-assembly, His mood was peaceful and free. This is His mighty virtue. “[His] spiritual powers are unhindered. His spiritual powers are very pervasive, reaching such vast and open [spaces]. So, He could influence so many people to comprehend those principles, the true principles of the universe. The Buddha had said what He needed to say. In response, people throughout a vast and open [space] received it. So, His spiritual powers were unhindered.
“The Buddha’s Dharmakaya is His nature of wisdom”. What is the Buddha’s Dharmakaya? It is wisdom. He comprehended the principles and became one with the universes. These principles are the Buddha’s Dharmakaya, which is His wisdom. The nature of wisdom is the Tathagata-nature. When we return to our innate enlightenment, this intrinsic nature is wisdom. The Buddha told us, “The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different in their nature”. Speaking of sentient beings and the Buddha, the Buddha’s mind is the same as that of sentient beings. thus, if ordinary beings like us can eliminate ignorance, sentient beings’ minds are the Buddha’s mind. We can also return to our nature, our enlightened nature. So, sentient beings and the Buddha are no different in their mind and wisdom-nature, it is just that the Buddha had eliminated all ignorance; He has no delusions in mind. He does not even have a single speak of dust; having returned to “great perfect mirror wisdom”.
We knew this and had already told us all that we have “universal equality wisdom”. Not only the Buddha has this, everyone has it. Now, we must bring forth our “profound discerning wisdom”. We must be careful in all matters and earnestly contemplate and think everything. In our daily living, our Roots connect with the external Dusts, creating the Consciousnesses. We must be mindful of this. Recently, I have been telling everyone about this over and over again. In regards to what the Buddha-Dharma taught, people think, “These are Buddhist teachings that we can find in sutras and books”. In fact, in our daily living, everyone is using it. It is just that we have not brought together “the principles” with “matters and appearances”. if we bring them together, it turns out that the principles are what we use in our daily living. We intrinsically have the nature of wisdom. where do we find the Buddha-nature? We must find it within ourselves. Speaking of the Buddha’s Dharmakaya and His has already widely spread them to everyone. Everyone has listened to and understood them. But, having understood them, have we used them? We have these views and consciousnesses but have we put them into practice? If we do not put them into practice, we only know of [the concepts]; our bodies have not experienced them, and we are unable to [truly] comprehend them. Then this is only [superficial] knowledge. We must go and see and experience it. When others are [sharing], “Wow, they spoke so well”. They created something out of nothing. How much had they accomplished? Only those who have done it can know, so they brought it back to share with us. This is mindfulness. They originally had this picture in mind. They originally made preparations, wishing to do it. This is “all-accomplishing wisdom”. if we do not draw this picture ourselves and want to accomplish it, if this is not the case, without being there personally, the state will just be a state; we will not be able to comprehend it. If we have set this picture in our minds and we ae determined to do it, we do not need to go to the site. We only need to hear [people say], “it is completed,” and we will roughly understand what the environment is like. If they bring back a picture, [we may say,] “Oh, this is what it is like. Without having to go to that place, [we say] “Oh, I know clearly now”. If we have not been to that place, have not drawn this image in mind, thought about how to do it or had anything to do with this matter, then even if we now hear about how they did this, however much we hear, that picture is just a picture for us. Even though they film a video for us to watch, [showing that] this is what it is like, our experience will not be profound. Our spiritual power of joy and ease does not reveal itself. This is the only difference. This is the difference between our nature of wisdom [and the Buddha’s].
This is like when we were in Funing County. As the tornado passed through, hundreds of houses were instantly [destroyed]. The group of people who suffered from the disaster are descendants of Confucius. They are his descendants. However, their lives were difficult. Having encountered such a disaster, what could they do? They could not rebuild [their homes]. The government wanted to help them and give them money [to settle elsewhere], but the families would be separated. Wouldn’t this be very unfortunate? We could not bear to see it. Since we had the causes and conditions to receive such news, the local Tzu Chi volunteers, our Bodhisattvas in China, had already gone to care for them.
After understanding [their situation], they brought the information back to us. We could not bear to see them separated like this. I am always grateful to Confucius. I am grateful to Sakyamuni Buddha for giving the Buddha-Dharma to us, and I am also grateful for Confucius’s spirit and his ideals on education. I have also read the “Analects” and deeply influenced by it, so I felt we need to repay him. So, we must quickly design [houses].
We hoped that we could help prevent these families from becoming separated. There were more than 280 families in total. We went there and built a village for them. We are grateful to the local leaders for working with the families of [Confucius] and for working with us.
Finally, after a year, now, we can see that their village has been rebuilt. Around 280 houses have been completed. We saw from the footage that they brought back that they had the wish to rebuild their Confucian ancestral hall and that it was now finished. We hope this place can return to being a school in the future. During the construction, they also introduced [Tzu Chi’s] humanistic culture to the people there. I heard our Tzu Chi volunteers say the same when they returned. They constantly interacted with people there. I heard that [the locals] began to quit smoking and drinking. They also placed great importance on environment protection. As they returned and said a few words, I understood clearly. This was a blueprint from ideas. Ever since the disaster, we thought how to complete the project from the start. Beginning from the ideas, we completed them one by one. This is returning the workings of things in the world to the principles. This is conditioned good deeds. In this way, we did it, gathering many people.
With their power of love, everyone got involved in giving and completing [this task]. Things will not just appear from the blueprint that one person came up with. Having thought of it, we also need people to act and give of themselves like this; we need them to be wholly responsible as they serve. Then they can complete this thing. So, regarding the process of completing it, with just a little bit of information, we could understand it. The principle is the same. [We] have always had this Dharmakaya, the nature of wisdom. We must take action based on principles. How do we establish the principles in our minds? How do we apply [the principles] in regard to people, matters and appearances? When people are suffering, how do we use our manpower to help them? This is how, through “matters,” we bring together the “Dharma” and the “principles”.
This is what the “principles” are like. So, if we can understand “all-accomplishing wisdom, profound discerning wisdom” and “universal equality wisdom,” next will be “great perfect mirror wisdom”. This appearance will have already emerged and become complete. This is the Buddha-nature that we all intrinsically have. We must take action with “all-accomplishing wisdom” and complete what we [aspire] to do. From this aspiration and our strength, we all give of ourselves to accomplish it. The principle is the same.
So, the Buddha-Dharma is the same as the worldly Dharma. We just said that even beds, blankets and clothes are things that we all [need]. To all ordinary people, [giving these] is also doing good. This is called “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions”. This is how we must return to our Dharmakaya’s intrinsic nature of True Suchness. That is the nature of wisdom. This is not saying that only great [actions] are the Dharma. In fact, even small things are also the Dharma, so we must continuously accumulate them.
So, “The Buddha’s Sambhogakaya is His appearance of wisdom”. This is the Buddha’s dignified appearance. The Buddha’s tangible [Nirmanakaya] is what we saw when He was born in the world, came to the world to engage in spiritual practice, attained Buddhahood in the world, taught the Dharma in the world and so on. He displayed His wisdom in the world. So, “The Buddha’s Nirmanakaya is His spiritual powers”. His Dharma has such spiritual powers; it is very pervasive. It has the spiritual energy from the convergence of the true principles of the universe. This is His spiritual powers; [His Dharma] is all-pervasive. So, He began by [emitting] a ray of light, “which manifested perfectly all throughout”
He began by [emitting] a ray of light, which manifested perfectly all throughout. Then the stupa of Seven Treasures emerged, He thrice transformed [the pure lands] and [His manifestations] gathered like clouds. At the Vulture Peak Assembly, the Tathagata revealed these matters of His many manifestations who came. Along with the Bodhisattvas who came, this was all referred to as His “power of freely using spiritual powers”.
When the Buddha began to teach the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha emitted a ray of light from the tuft of white hair between His eyebrows, illuminating 18,000 worlds to the east. Everyone should still remember this. From there on [He taught] up until “the stupa of Seven Treasures emerged”. Many Treasures Buddha’s stupa came to bear witness. At Vulture Peak, Many Treasures Buddha bore witness to the Buddha’s teaching of the Lotus Sutra. So, at that place, the Buddha thrice transformed pure lands at Vulture Peak. We talked about this in the sutra passages.
So, He “revealed these matters of His many manifestations who came”. His manifestations [represent how] the Buddha’s spirit, ideals and principles have become widespread. Everyone can accept them, apply them, promote them and spread the Dharma in the world. So, “He [revealed] these matters of His many manifestations who came”. So, principles became matters for people to make use of. “Along with the Bodhisattvas who came” refers to how, besides the spirit and ideals, there is also putting them into action. “This was all referred to as His ‘power of freely using spiritual powers”’. They were able to exercise it to help people. When sentient beings are saved, Bodhisattvas and all Buddhas are peaceful and free.
In this way, there are no hindrances in what they do, as they are constantly giving. So, “Now countless Bodhisattvas emerged. They praised [the Buddha] for 50 small kalpas. This all seemed like half a day”.
Now countless Bodhisattvas emerged. They praised [the Buddha] for 50 small kalpas. This all seemed like half a day. This precisely revealed the causes and conditions of those He had transformed throughout the kalpas since attaining Buddhahood. He freely responded to their thinking. So, it says “now [the Tathagata] wishes to reveal [all Buddhas’] power of freely using spiritual powers”.
Doesn’t the previous passage talk about this? They continuously praised [Him], and 50 small kalpas seemed like half a day. “This precisely revealed [the causes and] [conditions] since He attained Buddhahood.”
Everyone must be mindful to review what we previously explained. “50 small kalpas” was like half a day. We must go back and recall it. This was one of the descriptions. This especially “[revealed] the causes and conditions of those He had transformed throughout the kalpas”. [This revealed] the causes and conditions of those He had transformed throughout the countless kalpas since He attained Buddhahood. “He freely responded to their thinking”. Lifetime after lifetime, He continuously taught the Dharma according to sentient beings’ affinities whichever realms sentient beings were in, He followed and went to all of them. The Buddha never left them nor abandoned them. He transformed sentient beings in the Five Realms like this for a long time and in all-pervasive space. “So, it says ‘Now [the Tathagata] wishes to reveal [all Buddhas’] power of freely using spiritual powers.’” Now, the Buddha will talk about the past causes and conditions and how, for these sentient beings, He could come and go to with freedom. “[All of the Buddha’s power of a lion’s swift vigor” refers to how, “According to sentient beings’ capabilities, He taught the absolute, definitive teaching”.
All Buddhas’ […] power of a lion’s swift vigor: According to sentient beings’ capabilities, He taught the absolute, definitive teaching”. This is the power of a lion’s swift vigor. He started with the Avatamsaka Assembly and ended with the Lotus Assembly. Inbetween, He opened the Three Vehicles and now entered the One Vehicle. Yet we should know that all His life, His original intent for appearing in this world was for the sake of one matter along. He was like a swift and vigorous lion. Thus, a lion’s strength and speed is used as an analogy for the Buddha’s mighty virtue and vigorous courage.
With the Buddha’s patience, He helped people understand and form aspirations, going from the Small to the Middle and then to the Great [Vehicle], all the way until they could open their hearts and understand and be willing to form aspirations. This is the Buddha’s power of a lion’s swift vigor. He helps them thoroughly understand the principles; according to their capabilities, He helps them understand the Buddha-Dharma. This is the Buddha’s wish for them throughout lifetime after lifetime. So, we must be able to comprehend the intent in the Buddha’s mind. So, “He started with the Avatamsaka Assembly and ended with the Lotus Assembly.” After He attained enlightenment, in that instant, His mind entered the “Avatamsaka [state].” That state is the state of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. At that place, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas invited Sakyamuni Buddha to teach the Dharma. At that place, He [held] the Avatamsaka Assembly for 21 days. After that, once He returned, He began to contemplate how to teach the Dharma to sentient beings in the Saha World. He kept [teaching] up to the Lotus Assembly. So, He began from the Avatamsaka [period] and ended at the Lotus [period] in this place. So, we must thoroughly comprehend the state of the Buddha’s mind. In the instant He attained enlightenment, He had thoroughly comprehended the true principles in the universe and knew the state of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas like the back of His hand. The true state of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas is Sakyamuni Buddha’s state of mind. This state had already existed. So, He [taught] all the way to the Lotus Assembly. During this time, He “opened the Three Vehicles and now entered the One Vehicle.” With these Three Vehicles, He had now guided people into the One Vehicle and turned them from the Small to the Great. The “Three Vehicles” are skillful means, and the “One Vehicle” is the True Dharma. He had now entered the “One Vehicle. Yet we should know that all His life, His original intent for appearing in this world…”. He [maintained] one aspiration His entire lifetime. The Buddha’s original intent was only for one cause. What He hoped for was for sentient beings to always have the same state of mind as the Buddha.
This is like the Buddha at the Avatamsaka Assembly where He had the same state of mind as all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. This is the Buddha’s one great cause. So, this is His only great matter. ”He was like a swift and vigorous lion. Thus, a lion’s strength and speed is used as an analogy for the Buddha’s mighty virtue and vigorous courage.” So, [the time when] the Buddha formed an aspiration in one thought was Beginningless kalpas ago to us, an incalculable time. Speaking of the Buddha’s mind, He began to form aspirations from that thought. So, I often tell everyone to “seize the present moment and sustain it forever.” We must uphold the “present moment” our entire lifetime. With the initial aspiration, 50 kalpas seemed like half a day. The state of the Buddha’s mind is clear. The state of the Buddha’s mind is clear and thorough. This is His original intent, which has never changed. So, “The assembly that emerged from the ground now was made up entirely of Bodhisattvas.”
The assembly that emerged from the ground now was made up entirely of Bodhisattvas who had all attained the wisdom of all Dharma. This precisely revealed that for many kalpas, the Tathagata’s original intent for appearing in this world was for the sake of one matter alone. So, it says “now [the Tathagata] wishes to reveal [all Buddhas’] power of a lion’s swift vigor.”
Those who emerged from the ground now were all Bodhisattvas. For a very long time, they had accepted the Dharma, received teachings and engaged in training. “They had all attained the wisdom of all Dharma.” These people all had the wisdom of all Dharma. It revealed “the Tathagata’s original intent for appearing in this world for many kalpas.” This revealed that the Buddha had taught so many people, so it certainly took a very long time. These people’s achievements showed how much time He had taken. So, this is the Buddha’s original intent in appearing in this world. It was like this in the past and the present. So, it “was for the sake of one matter alone. So, it says ‘now [the Tathagata] wishes to reveal [all Buddhas’] power of a lion’s swift vigor.”’ Indeed! They had the power of a lion’s swift vigor. This is what we must mindfully seek to comprehend, “[All Buddhas’] power of a lion’s swift vigor.”
“All Buddhas power of mighty and fierce great strength” refers to how “the perfect teaching of the Great Vehicle totally eliminates the Three Delusions.” We must eliminate all of them. So, “He perfectly reveals the One Nature. This is the Buddha’s power of mighty and fierce great strength.”
Indeed, this is the Buddha’s power of mighty and fierce great strength. Every Buddha who was about to attain Buddhahood had to have the same thought as this. This thought came from His initial aspiration. That initial aspiration is the most important. So, we want to attain Buddhahood. The goal in learning the Buddha-Dharma is to attain Buddhahood. If we want to attain Buddhahood, we must begin from the thought of that initial aspiration and sustain that thought all the way. To reach the Great, we must begin from the Small. We must begin with doing small and detailed things to be able to reach the point of forming great aspirations and making great vows. Then, we can truly “actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions, perfect causes and attain fruition” and reach the state of Buddhahood. Certainly, there are still many principles, and we will never have enough time [to explain them all]. We must seize this moment and earnestly and mindfully remember them. We must remember the past [principles] to bring them together with our present. When the principles are one [with us] and we implement them in our daily living, naturally, matters, appearances and principles will be in our every word and every part of our lives. We must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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