Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Cultivating Merits to Attain a Flawless Body (修功養德 身無過失)
Date: September.25.2019
“A day can seem like three years, so how can we idly let it pass us by?” If we loosen our grip, it will vanish and become the greatest regret of our lives. “Things arise and cease in an instant. Time has no true nature,” This is why time is considered “false”.
Today, at this moment, I look at myself. Who I am today, at this moment, is different from who I was before. My past [self] is no longer present. Who I was in days gone by will never be returned to me. This is [what happens] “with each passing day.” Time passes so quickly, so we say, “A day can seem like three years, so how can we idly let it pass us by?” We know that we must seize our time. If we loosen our grasp even slightly, then our time will vanish right away. With each fleet second and minute, our time has disappeared; this is the greatest regret of our lives. As time [passes], [things can] truly change in an instant. Our new self [develops], while our old self [is left] in the past. The changes [that occur in the cycle of] arising and ceasing are the laws of nature; how else would we experience aging, illness and death? This is all due to “the aggregate of action.” As our bodies undergo infinitesimal changes, we are not aware that we are aging. [This process] actually happens in [each] moment, taking place imperceptibly. When do we age? We are continuously aging. At what moment did our lively, young and healthy cells gradually weaken and [die away]? We do not know [precisely] when this happened. Due to the aggregate of action, they arise imperceptibly and cease without our realizing it either. Thus, “things arise and cease in an instant. Time has no true nature.” There is no true nature in “time”. Time has no true nature.
[Someone] might say, “I made an everlasting promise.” But [it cannot last] forever, for time has no [permanent] nature. If each second had a true [and lasting] nature, then [each one] would last permanently. In the vast space of this universe, and especially in the human realm, time has no true nature, for it flows on endlessly. So, we must all be very vigilant and aware that, “Time has no true nature.” We all [exist] in this kind of emptiness, for time has no true nature and is ever-changing. [In the course of] time, is there any appearance that remains unchanging?
Let us consider [this story] about a group of medical Bodhisattvas from Malaysia, who came to the abode for a diligence [retreat]. They came to experience life at the abode, so the Dharma masters [here] made arrangements [for them to follow] our daily routine. These dozens of people [all went to work in the fields]. [The Dharma masters] told them, “Cultivating this field is a part of our routine. There are [weeds], and it is our turn to do [this task]. So, let us all pull the weeds.” So, joyfully, this group [set to work]. “Ah, why are the weeds everywhere? Where is the angelica root? The angelica root is among the weeds.” In the beginning, they felt unsure. Although they are doctors, and some of them are Chinese medicine doctors, with both Chinese and Western doctors attending, [even though] the Chinese medicine doctors often use angelica root, they did not know what angelica looks like when it grows in the field. As for finding the angelica root among the weeds, some of them were unsure [what to do]. So, the Dharma masters at the Abode taught them. “These are weeds. These weeds can be pulled like this.” So, indeed, they uprooted the weeds just like that. After weeding the area, the Dharma masters said, “This is angelica.” Finally, they saw what [it] looks like. The angelica was hidden by the weeds. Removing the surrounding weeds meant removing them [from the entire field], because the whole field of angelica was completely covered in weeds. So, they spent a long time uprooting weeds. Finally, after all the weeds were removed, the angelica appeared. “Ah, this feels so relaxing.” This field of angelica is such a treasure, with no weeds. Angelica provides hope. In Chinese medicine, angelica root has many medicinal uses. Doctor say, “Angelica helps with blood flow.” They began to talk about [the ways it can be used].
I told them, “Angelica leads the way.” To enable the flow of gi and enrich the blood, angelica is [a key ingredient] in many medicines. So, if our body is unwell, if the four elements are imbalanced, we need to take medicine. In Chinese medicine, angelica is essential. It provides for our body by helping to balance what is imbalanced. So, it takes time, soil and manpower to plant angelica. [In this case], do we say “time is fales,” and “it has no true nature”? Indeed, [but we must still] seize the time; otherwise, how can we lament having allowed our lives to idly pass? No matter what kind of time [we have], whether it is [real or illusory], we must actually [treat it] like that field. If we quickly uproot the weeds, then the angelica will be [revealed]. If we just [stand] there thinking, “Time is false,” then as we stand there waiting, the weeds will grow taller and taller with the passage of time. Then, the angelica in the field will lose its nutrients to the weeds; it will be unable to [grow] in that soil because the weeds will keep taking its nutrients. The weeds are very hardy and continuously take up [more space], [until] there is no room for the orderly angelica. This is what happens [when time passes in vain. This is the principle.
So, we must be mindful of time. Even when we do not make good use of our time, it is still passing us by. If the time that passes is spent on nothing, then our ignorance and afflictions, layer after layer, [will grow] like the field of weeds. In our spiritual practice, as we cultivate the field of our minds, [we will encounter] afflictions. So, like farmers, we must earnestly eliminate our afflictions like we eliminate weeds. By mindfully eliminating them, our true nature will be revealed. Thus, our innate nature highly values the Dharma and cherishes time. We must cherish our time and value the Dharma. Recently, I have been lamenting that we are in the era of Dharma degeneration.
As an example, everyone holds a cell phone in their hand. Now, whenever I teach the Dharma, everyone will take out their cell phones. [I might] begin to say, “According to our causes and conditions, the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence have created [our current situation]. Following our causes and conditions, we experience suffering and joy.” [Yet], on their cell phones, by [simply] tapping the screen with the tips of their fingers, everyone can look up [the meaning of] “the law of cause and effect.” There, [they find it] explained very clearly, so they no longer want to listen. It is so easy to look up these teachings, so why do they need to sit here all day? Thus, they no longer respect their teachers, nor the teachings. Nowadays, this is what most people do.
When they want to learn a skill or craft, their minds are already scattered. So, no one wishes to make use of their time, which is considered “false” [to begin with]. We come to this world for our entire lifetime, but we have not truly [made use of our lives], so the time we have spent is consider false. Thus, we have borrowed false time in this life. We have waited idly and wasted our time; as time passes, we keep waiting. As we wait, time continues to pass us by, and we spend it on eating and enjoying ourselves, [arguing] with others and forming grudges. Thus, our afflictions and ignorance continuously entangle us for our entire lifetime. To truly cherish time and love the Dharma, how can we stand this? How can we bear to do this? If we slightly let go of our time for a moment, it disappears. This is something [we will] greatly regret. Because we understand that thing arise and cease in an instant, we must be very mindful.
The most important parts of spiritual cultivation are the precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.
“We must uphold precepts, Samadhi and wisdom and become as unwavering as a mountain. As awakened sentient beings, our mind becomes the Buddha-mind. We must be earnest and diligent and practice ceaselessly. When we think only of the pure precepts, we will guard against wrongs and stop evils. By cultivating merits and virtues, we will attain a flawless body.”
In life, we live in confusion and reciprocate our habitual tendencies. This is how ordinary people live. The confusion and habitual tendencies of ordinary people are what we must eliminate. So, we must earnestly accept and uphold precepts so that the matters and people we encounter do not confuse us. We must be mindful and treat all matters and people properly, according to the principles. This is how we can safeguard our bodies. When we uphold precepts and rules, we are guarding against wrongs. To prevent wrong actions and wrong attitudes, we must accept and uphold [a proper] demeanor just as the Buddha-Dharma teaches us. This is also [a function of] precepts. Precepts prevent us from wrongdoing, so we must uphold them resolutely. In Buddhism, we safeguard and uphold our demeanor in order to guard against wrongs and stop evils.
As for Samadhi, we can reason by analogy that, in the world, our minds follow our external conditions. Our minds are not focused, and they keep wavering. Within a matter of seconds, how many thoughts [run through our minds]? We tell ourselves, “I must collect myself. I must stay focused; I must focus my mind”. However, the mind we want to focus has already turned several times to a certain place and to things we [like to] think about. We want to focus our minds, but our thoughts keep turning to the outside world. We must safeguard our minds to focus them, by guarding against wrongs and stopping evils. Wisdom is the most important part of spiritual cultivation. When it comes to all we see and hear in the world, and the way we treat people and matters, [we say], “I understand all of this. I understand this; I know this [already]”. However, we really do not understand. Our understanding [merely comes from] our “superficial sense organs”. [Our understanding] is superficial. What others say, what we hear, what we know and the principles and meaning they contain have not been fully considered in our minds. So, we have only a superficial understanding of the external forms colors [that we see]. For us to [truly] understand, it is even more necessary to exercise our wisdom. This is what we have previously referred to as “transforming consciousness into wisdom”. We must put effort into mindfully “upholding precepts, Samadhi and wisdom,” until we become as “unwavering as a mountain”. Whether in body, mind or perception, we must go steadily in the [right] direction and [become] as “unwavering as mountain”. For instance, when Tzu Chi was founded in 1966, since that first thought, since the causes and conditions [which first] gave rise to that thought, I have maintained my resolve to this day. During this time, no matter what conditions we have encountered, [we have held to] two words, “patient endurance”. We must endure! We must endure the external conditions of interpersonal conflicts, of tangible and intangible matters. As we encounter external conditions, this is how we transform consciousness into wisdom. When others have their own views and do not understand the principles, we must persevere; we must understand ourselves and go one step further to understand others. Once we understand others, we must further reflect upon ourselves. If we understand ourselves very well, then we can have faith in our selflessness. With this mindset of endurance, we benefit others. This is transforming consciousness into wisdom. With wisdom, we learn to persevere in upholding the right mindset and not being affected by our surroundings. This resolve is very important. So, we must be as “unwavering as a mountain”.
Right now, we are unable to calculate how many people [we have helped]. In the space of a single thought, by first [understanding] the principles, we can subsequently transform many people. When ordinary people transform their mindset, everyone willingly practices the Bodhisattva-path. “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering sentient beings”. When we practice the Bodhisattva-path, we can save countless people; we cannot calculate [how many we can save]. As for this kind of accumulation, the Buddha-Dharma talks about infinite numbers, as infinite as the sands of the Ganges River. When we compare this [amount of] sand to time and [think in terms of] people, matters and things, there is no end to our analysis. So, for our minds to be unwavering as mountains, we must uphold precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. “As awakened sentient beings, our mind becomes the Buddha-mind”. To learn the Buddha’s way, our first thought is to [emulate] the Buddha. “The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in their nature]”. [We have] the same awakening. [However], because we are still ordinary beings and remain in the human realm, we see things as long and short and discriminate between appearance. Through our disagreements with others, we give rise to appearances of afflictions. However, we want to change, and we have faith in the Buddha. In addition to having faith in ourselves, we also have faith in the Buddha. The Buddha underwent His process of spiritual cultivation [to reach] His objective of attain awakening. He then went among people to transform all beings. The Buddha was able to cultivate and [attain] this awakening, so He began to go among people to explain the nature of His awakened mind and explain the nature of His awakened mind and spread it throughout the human realm. He declared that we all have this awakened nature and that we can all attain Buddhahood. This is the Buddha’s awakening. And with our faith in the Buddha’s awakening, we follow His goal of attaining enlightenment. However, we are still ordinary beings. So, we are called “awakened sentient beings”.
No matter what circumstances we encounter, we must remember we are Buddhist practitioners. So, the word “awakened” must go first. To be a good person, we must realize we cannot take issue over things. As we learn from the Buddha’s mind, [we realize] that the Buddha’s mind is the same as our minds, and our minds are the same as the Buddha’s mind.
[Thus], “Our mind becomes the Buddha-mind”. This is the state that we ordinary beings hope to awaken to. [So], this is our direction, and we must practice accordingly [in order to advance]. As we engage in this practice, we must be “earnest and diligent”. We cannot stop half way, so we must “practice ceaselessly”.
This group of Bodhisattvas from Malaysia came before me to share an honest account of their experiences on the path of Tzu Chi. Of course, previously, [they told us] many [stories] of great compassion, about how they connected with and relieved the suffering of sentient beings. Whether [those people] were poor, ill, experiencing difficulties or confused, they still brought this same. Tzu Chi spirit and dedicated themselves to [helping them]. However, after they all finished sharing, they arranged another intimate sharing session. Everyone said, “Master, I must repent to you that several years after joining Tzu Chi, there was a period of time when people, mattes or family affairs caused me to cease [Tzu Chi work] for several years”. I could not bear to hear this. We must not let a second [of our time] pass idly! It was just that people, matters and their family enterprises caused their [journey on] the Bodhisattva-path to cease for a couple of decades. What a pity! This is truly lamentable. We must “be earnest and diligent and practice ceaselessly”. This means we must not stop [our practice]. If it is the right direction, we pursue it. If it is the right thing to do, we just do it. I am grateful that [we have been able to] sustain [our resolve] until now, without the slightest deviation. Having journeyed this way, I myself can feel at ease. How much more time is there? So, I say, “I feel at ease”.
Now, I just want to seize my time and [fulfill] my aspiration to [finish teaching] the Lotus Sutra. As for this aspiration of mine, how many karmic conditions [do I have to realize it]? How much can I finish teaching? Our “Dharma-lineage and School of Buddhism” are something I hope everyone can earnestly put effort into practicing. If we aspire to learn the Buddha’s resolve, once we begin to follow the correct path, we must not stop. Let us return to our initial aspiration and earnestly contemplate that single pure thought. So, “When we think only of the pure precepts, we will guard against wrongs and stop evils”. We must still return to being as unwavering as a mountain and [having] this kind of purity. This is truly something we must cherish. We must remember to think only of pure precepts to guard against wrongs and stop evils.
Furthermore, we must “cultivate merits and virtues”. When we cultivate merits and virtues, we do not do it for ourselves. We do not seek to be repaid. Of course, we are doing well! However, are we earnestly correcting our habitual tendencies? Everyone has developed habitual tendencies over repeated lifetimes and kalpas. “I am kind hearted, and I do good deeds. I also give without expectations. However, if I cannot agree with something, then I would say…. My temper has [always] been like this. Just let me shout loudly and scold them first”. With this kind of temper, how can we guard against wrongs and stop evils as we just discussed? No one wants to see us throw a tantrum. No one wants to see us loudly scolding others. Have we changed this habitual tendency?
However, the human realm is troublesome, and sentient beings are difficult to transform. This is why the Buddha praised “the angry Vajras”. Depending on our environment, it [may be] best to just cultivate ourselves. If we wait until others become angry when they speak to us, we harm ourselves and also do not benefit others. As we engage in spiritual practice, we must quickly learn from what we hear. We must guard against wrongs, stop evils and earnestly “think only of the pure precepts”. When others give us [advice], we must take it to heart because [they only want] the best for us.
If we wish to engage in spiritual practice, we must change our past bad habitual tendencies. We must learn the rules [of good conduct], do the things we should and practice the teachings we should practice. If we can do this, this is “cultivating merits and virtues”. If we do not do this, “I intend to do it this way! So what? This is just how my temper is”. In this way, we cultivate merits but no virtues. So, we must be very mindful. If we can [cultivate merits and virtues], then “we will attain a flawless body”. If everyone can take in this passage, when we continue on, everyone will understand clearly.
A single human body has six transcendent sense organs. The eyes see forms, the ears hear sounds, the nose smells scents, the tongue tastes food, the body feels sensations and the mind discerns.
“A single human body has six transcendent sense organs”. Here, “transcendent” refers to the standard and merits that we must cultivate, like upholding “precepts, Samadhi and wisdom”, as we mentioned previously. If we can achieve all of these things, then, “Our mind becomes the Buddha-mind”. The principles [behind this] are what make the sense organs that are on the human body “transcendent”. We [read this] before in a previous passage from the Lotus Sutra, in the Chapter on the Merits and Virtues of Dharma Teachers. [There], it discusses how the eyes see forms, the ears hear sounds, the nose smells scents and the tongue tastes food. We have discussed all this before. The “tongue” has its functions. In addition to being able to eat and taste whether something is sweet or savory, and besides knowing [how to] eat to provide nourishment for our bodies, [the tongue] also enables us to speak. Of course, even when we eat, we should know whether what we are eating is nutritious. We must not eat anything we should not eat. For us to speak [would be impossible] if we did not have our mouth and tongue. If we wish to speak, we must distinguish between good and bad words. So, some words are bad, [some] sow discord and [some are] harsh speech. The four kinds of karma of speech [are] harsh speech, lies, flattery and gossip. We must be aware of them all. In particular, we [must refrain from] gossip. Gossiping [means] seeing [a certain] matter here but sharing it erroneously elsewhere, causing both sides to turn against each other and to become enemies. This is [the result of] “gossip”. So, not only must we not gossip, we must also be able to teach the Dharma. We must take in good teachings, so that [the Dharma] in our minds can be taught to others through our mouths, enabling everyone to absorb them, so they can change their lives and transform sentient beings. These are the tongue’s merits, so this is why it has 1200 merits. [Whether an organ has] 1200 merits or 800 merits was discussed previously. Now, we will continue on to talk about “the body”. [Regarding] our bodies and minds, “the body feels sensations and the mind discerns”. In a moment, we will discuss these sensations the body feels.
Previously, we talked about, “King Brahma, King Mara, Freedom, Great Freedom and heavenly beings such as these will always go wherever they are. When Buddhas and Their disciples hear their voices as they teach the Dharma, they will always retain and protect it. Sometimes, They will even manifest”.
This was the previous sutra passage. [To understand what] we are listening to now, we must understand the past [teachings].
Continuing on, the sutra passage says, “Furthermore, Constant Diligence, when good men and good women accept and uphold this sutra by reading, reciting, explaining and transcribing it, they will attain the 800 merits of the body”.
Furthermore, Constant Diligence, when good men and good women…: The Buddha again chose Constant Diligence as the recipient of the teachings and clarified that the body has 800 merits.
In this next passage, the Buddha goes on to say, “Furthermore, Constant Diligence, when good men and good women…”. This “Furthermore, Constant Diligence,” means He took Constant Diligence Bodhisattva as the recipient of the teachings once again. This is because the passage [is about] diligence; the eyes, the ears, the nose and the tongue must all rely on diligence to be transformed from inferior to transcendent. So, we must be diligent. [Thus], the Buddha still took Constant Diligence as the recipient of teachings. So, He called out again and took Constant Diligence as the recipient of. His teaching about why the body has 800 merits.
The body can feel sensations and know whether something is adverse or favorable, painful or pleasurable. When the body and an object are in contact, it has awareness. When the body and object are separated, it is unaware. So, among its three portions of merits, it lacks one portion. Thus, we should understand why the body-root has only 800 merits.
The body can feel sensations, and it can know whether circumstances are adverse or favorable, or whether [they are] painful or pleasurable. These are all sensations that our bodies can feel. So, “When the body and an object are in contact, it has awareness”. My body is in contact with this object; as I sit here, I am in contact with this chair. Reaching out, I can touch this table and know that [it] is about the right height for me. It is perfect for me to lean on, to place objects on and to read from. This is what our bodies are aware of when they come into contact with an object. I am aware that I am comfortable right now. As you sit there, you have an awareness of whether or not you are comfortable. I do not know [your situation]. It is your body, so only you are aware of it.
So, “when the body and object are separated,” it is no longer aware. If I leave this place, then I can feel [I am not touching] this chair. If I leave this location, and I go inside to sit on another chair, then this feeling when I sit is different. I no longer have an awareness of this place, as I am already connected to that location and am aware of what I am in contact with there. So, “Among its three portions of merits, it lacks one portion”. [As for] “merits,” [we may experience a certain] sensation, but have we practiced giving in any way? If not, then we did not [gain] merits. This function [of our bodies] does not particularly benefit others; they just have this function [of sensation]. “Thus, we should understand why the body-root has only 800 merits”. [We might say], “I understand, I can see this”. But if [we] do not take action with our bodies, then we will not attain the merits of willingly taking action; we have this function [but attain] no merits. We have the [ability] to stand here and look over there by making use of our body’s Six Roots. The Five Consciousnesses of the body that we previously discussed have these functions. From here, [our vision] can reach over there, [whether it is] near or far. In the case of the tongue, when some [food] is brought before us, we can use the function of our mouths and our tongues to understand whether it is bitter or sweet. Our eyes can see far away, and we can see clearly. [But] to eat, the food must be brought before us. Each [organ] has its own function, and these functions are very complete. “With attainment comes virtue.” Through what we attain and create, we [gain] merits and virtues.
However, if we have a function but do not [put it to use], or if this root does not have a certain function, then we gain no merits [from it]. So, when it comes to merits, among three portions of merits, “[the body] lacks one portion,” so it is incomplete and [thus] has only 800 merits. Now, our bodies are like this. [If we can] “accept and uphold this sutra by reading, reciting, explaining and transcribing it, [we] will attain the 800 merits of the body.”
…accept and uphold this sutra by reading, reciting, explaining and transcribing it, we will attain the 800 merits if the body: We must accord with it, faithfully accept it and truly engage in spiritual practice. Every verse and every line of this sutra describes an incredible state of transcendence that the minds of unenlightened beings can neither conceive of, discern nor fathom.
This is the body; it enables us to do these things. [When we] engage in spiritual practice, we can use our bodies and, in this way, we accept and uphold the sutra by reading, reciting, explaining and transcribing it. By doing these things, we attain 800 merits. So, this means we must “accord with it, faithfully accept it and truly engage in spiritual practice.” This is what the sutra [says], so we [must] follow the sutra’s teachings and go help others [by] teaching them according to the sutra. So, in this sutra, every verse and every line “describes an incredible state of transcendence.” Looking back to earnestly consider this, we can understand many meanings within, “that the minds of unenlightened beings can neither conceive of, discern nor fathom.”
With our unenlightened minds, we must still abide by rules from the beginning and earnestly look back with a pure heart.
Because practitioners who uphold this sutra are transcendent and undefiled, they start to excel at upholding this sutra. Only then can they comprehend the Great Path, resonate with it in body and mind and accord with the incredible state of Buddhahood.
“Because practitioners who uphold this sutra are transcendent and undefiled, they start to excel at upholding this sutra.” We must depart from worldly matters and, as we discussed before, “uphold precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.” Thus, we must depart from worldly matters; we must practice and uphold [precepts] well in order to know how to uphold the sutra; only then can we comprehend the Great Path and resonate with it in body and mind. How can our minds resonate with the rules of our body and accord with the incredible state of Buddhahood? Ordinary beings can only achieve this by putting in great effort. So, our body has only 800 merits. If we do not cultivate our bodies, we create infinite causes for future trouble, for our karma is also created by our bodies. If [we use it to] engage in spiritual practice according to the teachings, then we can attain the 800 merits [of the body]. So, everyone, we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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