Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: We Purify Our Body by Upholding the Lotus Sutra (持法華者 其身清淨)
Date: October.02.2019
“We must know that all throughout the countless lands of the universe, whenever the Buddha teaches, many people listen. This simultaneous teaching and listening is extremely wondrous. This is extremely profound and hard to describe and cannot be fathomed by the unenlightened mind. This is the great Dharma-door of retaining and upholding, which [returns us to] a state of tranquility and clarity, forever luminous, where the Dharmakaya aids us in the darkness.”
We must seek to comprehend this. We must understand the meaning of “all throughout the countless lands of the universe.” “All throughout the universe” means throughout the endless void. “Countless lands” refers to all the realms [the universe] contains, their spaces and lands, throughout the endless void. There are countless lands, many different countries and many different lands, throughout the universe. “Whenever the Buddha teaches...” No matter where He is, the Buddha reveals the true principles and teaches His true wondrous Dharma. In every place, sentient beings listen there mindfully.
We must mindfully seek to understand that the Buddha-Dharma has always existed. It is just that worldly people fail to understand many matters and principles within the universe. We do not know how to name them or make use of them. After the Buddha attained enlightenment, [He realized] all the principles that had always existed throughout the countless lands of the universe, analyzed them and split them into categories, naming and explaining them to everyone. [The principles] are inherently without appearance. In order to teach the Dharma, the Buddha devised [ways to illustrate them]. When we listen to them, we realize our ignorance, for these teachings are the cure for ignorance. In regards to all the principles behind all the different worldly forms and appearances, after the Buddha attained enlightenment, He clarified them one by one. As we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we move from the shallow to the deep. For all the principles the Buddha taught, when we think about these principles, we realize they are forever unchanging.
Haven’t all these principles existed forever? Now that we understand what the Buddha taught, we must continue to spread it in the future. So, these principles are forever omnipresent throughout the countless lands of the universe.
However, it was only after the Buddha attained enlightenment that these principles were brought to people. So, when it comes to the Buddha, “whenever the Buddha teaches, many people listen.” Wherever the Buddha goes to teach, there will always be many people listening to Him with reverence, mindfulness and care.
So, “This simultaneous teaching and listening is extremely wondrous.” When the Buddha teaches the Dharma, He begins with emptiness, then on to existence, and then He teaches about wondrous existence. There are so many principles that we do not understand at first, yet after the Buddha explains them to us, all who listen can understand them deeply, with great joy. We will comprehend the great path and form supreme aspirations; this is so wondrous! The Buddha awakened to [the principles] and explained them so that sentient beings can accept them and come to realize the principles of the great path; It is so wondrous!
It is so profoundly wondrous that it cannot be described in words. When I think of how I get to teach this Dharma, it really makes me so happy that I cannot explain how much joy it brings me. Hence, it “cannot be fathomed by the unenlightened mind.” As unenlightened beings, this is unfathomable to us.
As we are sitting here now, as I am speaking to you here, all I need to do is look at these words and it fills me with joy yet again, the joy of teaching. When the people listening look at these words, are they able to understand them? Will they take them to heart? I have no idea. We are but unenlightened beings, and this “cannot be fathomed by the unenlightened mind.” Those of sharper capabilities will understand and resonate with the principles, but as for those who do not understand, they still have some ways to go. So, they are unable to comprehend or fathom them, for they “cannot be fathomed by the unenlightened mind.” “This is the great Dharma-door of retaining and upholding.” We must retain all of these teachings and always uphold all that is good. We often talk about the dharanis. “Dharanis” means to “retain and uphold.” “Retain” means retaining all the teachings. The Buddha is omnipresent and the Dharma pervades all space, throughout the countless lands. [The Buddha] taught so many teachings, and those who are willing to listen will be able to absorb them and comprehend them. Once they comprehend them, they will be able to take these teachings to heart and put them all into practice. This is upholding the Dharma and putting it into action, accepting and upholding this Dharma-door? It is, of course, the Bodhisattva Way. This is doing what the Buddha wants us to do, loving all those whom the Buddha loved in this world. All for the sake of the world’s sentient beings, the Buddha engaged in spiritual practice, awakened and taught the Dharma; this was all for the sake of the world’s sentient beings. Once we listen to [His teachings], we can realize and comprehend the great path. Once we understand this, we can delve deep into the Dharma-treasury, and our understanding will grow more comprehensive. At this time, we will be able to lead people harmoniously. This is why we must “retain and uphold.” This is the meaning of “dharani,” to retain and uphold, retaining all teachings and upholding all goodness. “This is the great Dharma-door of retaining and upholding.” When the Buddha teaches the Dharma, we listen. “Whenever the Buddha teaches, many people listen.” They will listen as He teaches the profoundly subtle and wondrous Dharma. For unenlightened beings, this is still very hard for them [to understand]. They are not awakened beings; they are still deluded unenlightened beings. They have no way to achieve this understanding, for they still need to become awakened beings. We often say Bodhisattvas are awakened beings. They are awakened beings because they are able to practice the great Dharam-door of retaining and upholding. Unenlightened beings are different from awakened beings. Bodhisattvas are awakened beings, for Bodhisattvas are able to enter the great Dharma-door of retaining and upholding. These people have returned to a state of tranquility and clarity. Because their minds are very pure, they shine constantly, like a mirror, a mirror that reflects all the shapes and colors of the world with constantly clarity.
“The Dharmakaya aids us in the darkness.” The Dharmakaya, the Buddha’s teachings, will always aid us in the darkness. When awakened beings look at the world, they will see everything clearly and stay close to the Dharma the Buddha taught. These are “awakened beings.”
This is like that group of Bodhisattvas when returned from Mozambique [in 2019]. They provided emergency relief aid to East Africa, helping them there for a total of 55 days. They devoted themselves to charity there, figuring out how to help them, providing them with their daily needs and helping them construct temporary shelters while also helping them rebuild their homes. All these things were part of our plans, and during the emergency relief process, they were complete one by one.
What can we do next to help them transform their poverty into security? This is the long-term [goal] for three future. So, the Bodhisattvas who went there returned to the Jing Si Abode. Everyone made their report and shared their experiences. They came to report about their mission this time, about the villages they visited to observe their living conditions. Before they build homes for them, they described the prospective blueprints and shared them with everyone. The director of general affairs spoke a lot about the prospective blueprints for building a school.
Next, everyone shared their experiences of all the work they had done and all they had seen and heard in the past 55 days, from their arrival as strangers until they became very familiar with everyone. When they first saw [the locals], it was heartwrenching, but later on, they were very endearing. Although it was heartwrenching, they ended up growing very close to them and could not bear to leave when it was time to go. We listened to how, for 55 days, with no fear of hardship, they experienced the suffering of the local people, feeling their pain. They went to live alongside them so that they would be able to understand them. I am grateful to so many people, for these Tzu Chi volunteers from 7-8 countries who went there to volunteer. I am grateful to our doctors and to the superintendents of our hospitals, Superintendent Lin in Hualien, Superintendent Chao in Taipei, Superintendent Chian in Taichung and Superintendent Lai in Dalin, and the doctors they brought there. I am also grateful to TIMA. We have a large group of doctors with their own private practices. Wherever disaster strikes, their love quickly manifests. They put their own practice on hold, get organized immediately, and go there. In that place, our medical personnel exercised such great potential as they relieved the people of their suffering. They saved [a child] who seemed almost impossible to save. They were able to perform emergency treatment on the spot, while also advising that he be sent to the hospital immediately. As soon as they saw him, they knew that he had to be hospitalized immediately to be saved.
They very next morning, they found that this child was already sitting up [in his hospital bed]. This incredible story was brought about by the love shown by our doctors. They fully realized our [missions] of medicine and charity. They also realized our [mission] of education. When they went there, they even paid a visit to their medical school, to the university there. Seeing that university left them heartbroken. What do the medical school students do once they have finished their schooling? They should let them do clinical training, but it seems they do not have the [resources] to help them develop their medical careers there. This is such a pity.
They lack both doctors and medicine there. Unfortunately, trained medical students get poached [by the business world]. They go into business, into trade and so on. It is a shame that talented people cannot become doctors there. So, when it comes to this university, Tzu Chi University hopes to find was to help the students at this university’s medical school progress to the next level, to really train them well, so that we can bring them to Taiwan and so on. this will also help with the mission of education. As for the middle and primary school, we must mindfully make plans to build schools for them there to give these children a chance to receive education so they can transform their lives.
Additionally, our mission of humanistic culture, DA Ai Tv, sent staff over there together with their director. Seeing the level of [unity] they had, this was truly the “four [mission] working in harmony” in that place. In addition to the charity work they did, providing emergency relief and making plans for the future, there were the missions of medicine, education and humanistic culture as well. Since they were there during the Buddha’s birthday, they also held a Buddha-bathing ceremony. The Great Enlightened One of the universe was shining brightly in that place. I asked them, “How did you happen to have a crystal statue of the Great Enlightened One of the universe there?” They replied, “Some [volunteers] had come back from Australia, and they wanted to go [to Africa]. They brought some crystal Buddhas with them. Someone else from Taiwan also brought a few”. They put them all together, the [statues] from Australia and from Taiwan, arranging the crystal statues of the Great Enlightened One in that place. Sparkling and translucent, the Buddha never become defiled by dust. Whenever dust lands upon them, they just need to be dusted and wiped off. Yet, [the locals] had no idea who the Buddha was. They arranged those Buddhas in a majestic display, with flowers and water. They took those magnificent crystal Buddhas and lined them all up there. Our doctors and Tzu Chi volunteers there led the local volunteers and the other locals in the Buddha-bathing ceremony. They also called out in Chinese, “Prostrate to the Buddha” and “Receive the flower”. All in all, everyone was very reverent.
The way we bring charity and religion together, “for Buddha’s teachings, for sentient beings”, was very apparent there. It was truly great opportunity a true convergence of karmic conditions. Because Mozambique is suffering, our Tzu Chi volunteers went there to find ways to help these people rid themselves of poverty and gain stability. So, so long as you and I give rise to compassion, so long as every one of us gives rise to compassion, we will be able to protect them with blessings, using our blessings to protect this place in East Africa. By bringing our blessings there, we will transform their poverty into blessings so that they may learn how to do good deeds and create their own blessings. They need someone to teach them this. Only Bodhisattvas leave lotus blossoms in their footprints.
In [Africa], you can see it whenever the weather is good, the soil there is very thick. Whenever you take a step there, it leaves a footprint. You can see how each step is like a lotus blossom. Since they are our Tzu Chi volunteers’ footsteps, it is like they are treading on lotus blossoms. Wherever they go, the lotus grows; the lotus grows in their footsteps. Through their traveling there, I hope that in this place, people will be able to turn their poverty into blessings, which they can slowly turn into wealth. This all depends on us to give rise to the aspiration for everyone to go there with love and help them. There is truly hope for this. When I look at the local volunteers in particular, they are all so beautiful! From their videos, I have watched how those [local] volunteers move things and arrange them. On their heads, they carried sack after sack of provisions. Whenever they carry something, they do not hold it in their arms, but place it atop their heads. They carry it on their heads in a very orderly fashion. They do not put it up there and just take off, no. Once they place it on their heads, then walk away step by step, their body swaying this way and that, step by step, each following another, walking in a line and singing songs as they go. This is just like circumambulating the Buddha. They never take a wrong step, just like when we circumambulate the Buddha. Seeing them like that, one after the other, each carrying a sack on their head was such a beautiful scene! Those local volunteers carried the provisions on their heads in such an orderly fashion. The way they carry the provisions for distributions atop their heads was both disciplined and beautiful. For our local volunteers to go from our chapter in Maputo to the disaster area, they had travel over 1200 kilometers these seed volunteers were over 1200 km away; how would they be able to get there to volunteer? We had to invite those seed volunteers to go there. They could speak the language, and they knew the culture. But over 1200 km away, what could they do there? They made a vow that they would move there. “If you move there, what are you going to do?” Five representatives came out and [one] said, “I want to go there to teach them tailoring, to teach them to sew”. She would take empty rice and bean sacks and teach them how to sow those empty sacks into bags, bags that could be carried by hand or worn on the back. This would be just like our handicraft factory. She said, “I will take a sewing machine there and teach them how to sew handicrafts”. The one next to her said that she would take a really huge pot with her. She said, “I am going to be a volunteer chef so I can cook for everyone”. I will bring this pot and these utensils, and I will make use of my skills there. “I can cook each day to fill everyone’s tummies, and the volunteers can keep on working each day”. The one in the middle held a photo in her hand. She said, “I want to go spread the Dharma. I will bring a phot of Master so I can spread Tzu Chi’s teachings there”. Another one held a bamboo bank in her hand. Holding this bamboo bank, she said, “I’m going to go there and tell the story of how Tzu Chi started with the bamboo bank, and how small contributions build up to be capable of helping others. I will teach them the importance of giving”. Yet another volunteer held a hoe in her hand. She said, “I will teach them to grow vegetables. I will teach them to farm”. Each of them had their own unique abilities. They all planned to bring these various items over 1200 km away and settle down in this place to guide the disaster survivors to become Tzu Chi volunteers in the long term. In that city [of Beria], an area hard hit by the disaster, they want to guide [the survivors] to become Tzu Chi volunteers. They have formed such great aspirations.
We held a video conference, and I asked them, “How many people can you [train] now?” More than 500 [I said], “One Guanyin Bodhisattva is not enough”. Do you think you can make tow, or even ten?” They all formed this aspiration. “Alright, how about 6000?” They are preparing to transform 6000 people, which means training 6000 volunteers. It made me really very happy to hear them share about these experiences. They have all taken the Dharma to heart.
There was one from Maputo who had injured her foot and could not wear shoes. She was not worried about the pain. She just kept on working and kept on walking until our TIMA doctors arrived there and bandaged her foot and treated her. She kept on working even as they treated her. I heard that by the time they returned, she was able to wear shoes again. There was still another volunteer who had been hit by a car and had injured her hand. They put her arm in a cast and then into a sling. She said, “I feel so bad! I’m so sorry!” Is the person who hit me alright? Is there any way you can find out for me? She was not looking to argue with him. Instead, she wished to say, “I’m sorry I got in your way and you hit me. Are you ok?” She had turned it around and was so understanding. This is truly hard to imagine. As soon as they hear the Dharma, they can put it into practice, and they can be so earnest. Even after being hit by a car, she was able to maintain this kind of [mindset]. Someone said to her, “Your hand is broken and you need to rest!” “My hand is broken, so I’m letting it rest, but my other hand still works I don’t need to rest my other hand!
So, she kept on working. This is the Dharma.
I said, “I haven’t even give this teaching yet”. The student surpasses her master. She has taken the Dharma to heart. Even after the accident, she still demonstrated the courageous sprit of lion. This is no easy matter. If I wanted to tell all their stories, I would never be able to finish them. These are all true stories. Every one of [these volunteers] has lived through their own suffering for [living there] is like hell on earth. They experience all sorts of suffering there. Our Bodhisattvas who are protecting East Africa are just like Earth Treasury Bodhisattva. At Jiu Hua Mountain [in Anhui], a prince from Korea disembarked. He walked up the mountain, chose a spot and built a shack to engage in spiritual practice. When the lord of the mountain discovered this, he said, “You work so hard at your spiritual practice that people are coming here in droves to be near you”. What if I were to give you a piece of land? He said, “I don’t need a big piece of land”. The size of a monk’s robe is enough. How could a piece of land the size of a robe be big enough for your spiritual practice? As long as this robe can shade me, I can continue my practice, and it can serve as my spiritual training ground. The lord said, “Then that is what I will give you”. When he flung off his robe and was about to raise it up, the sun was really strong. Once he raised it up, a dark cloud [passed before] the sun, and that cloud covered all of Jiu Hua Mountain, a great piece of land. So, the lord of the mountain was deeply moved. He said, “That’s great!” This entire piece of land belongs to you for you to use as your spiritual training ground so that everyone can come and help you”.
This is the story of Jiu Hua Mountain. That one robe covered all of Jiu Hua Mountain, turning it into a spiritual training ground. And in East Africa? From each of the many footprints we leave there sprouts a lotus blossom, each creating a blessing that will cove East Africa in blessings.
In any case, we should be mindful, since this is all part of our history, the future history we will create in Tzu Chi. So, I must be sure at this time to tell everyone that we should record this now as our history. Everything the Buddha taught in the Lotus Sutra is part of the Dharmakaya, which is pure as crystal. Everything sentient beings do in the countless lands of the world is reflected in that pure body. By the same principle, when our minds is pure, when we are pure of body and mind, then our heart will be filled with the Dharma. When they heard of the suffering there, so many [of our volunteers] traveled there. So many people took what they saw there, brought it all together and told us about it here; aren’t their experiences reflected in our bodies and minds? If we use the mirror of our mind to illuminate that place, then they will also have hope there. This will become our future history.
[The sutra passage] continues, “When Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas and all Buddhas teach the Dharma, their appearances will all be reflected within their body”.
This is what it said in the previous passage. Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas all have different states of mind. As for the Dharma that Hearers listen to, the Buddha must teach them the Dharma with the teachings suitable for Hearers. As for people with Pratyekabuddhas-capabilities and what they seek, He teaches the Dharma by using what Pratyekabuddhas would like to know about the world. What Bodhisattvas seek is to benefit sentient beings, so the Buddha teaches them with the Six Paramitas. After they all listen, with Hearers listening to the Hearer-Dharma, Pratyekabuddhas listening to the Pratyekabuddhas-Dharma and Bodhisattvas listening to the Bodhisattva-Dharma, they can all expound the Dharma the same way that all Buddhas teach the Dharma. Just as the Buddha teaches the Hearer-Dharma, Hearers can also spread the Hearer-Dharma. When Bodhisattvas listen to the Buddha teach the Bodhisattva-Dharma, they can also spread the Bodhisattva-Dharma just like how all Buddhas expound the Dharma.
So, as they all listen to the Dharma, they can all go on to teach the Dharma. So, “Thus has they heard, and thus they teach”. They teach the Dharma that the Buddha taught. When it comes to these matters, “their appearances will all be reflected within their body”. This varies from person to person; they listen to teachings of different depths, and the capabilities they must accord with are all different. So, wherever they read the sutra, it is as if they are right before the Buddha’s Dharamakaya. Depending on the sentient beings they encounter, they would experience different kinds of Dharma. So, “When Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas and all Buddhas teach the Dharma, their appearances will all be reflected within their body”.
Let us continue on today with, “At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke in verse”.
At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke in verse, “If someone upholds the Lotus Sutra, their body will be extremely pure, like clear crystal, and all sentient beings will rejoice upon seeing them”.
He previously spoke of “the body” and the merits and virtues of a pure body. Now, He reiterates this in verse. “If someone upholds the Lotus Sutra, their body will be extremely pure, like clear crystal, and all sentient beings will rejoice upon seeing them”. At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, repeated Himself in verse.
So, “If someone upholds the Lotus Sutra, their body will be extremely pure”. This means their bodies will be very pure. “Those who uphold the sutra uphold their aspirations without erring toward evil and uphold their practice without making mistakes. They are extremely pure in body, mind and action”.
The meaning of this passage is clear. If we are people who uphold the Lotus Sutra, we will uphold our aspirations without ever erring toward evil and we will put it into practice without mistakes. We will never make mistakes. Not only will we never make mistakes; everything we do will be good. All the movements of our mind and body will always be very pure and undefiled. So, we will be “like clear crystal,” and “all sentient beings will rejoice upon seeing us”. We will be like crystal, and all sentient beings rejoice when they see us, for we will be “shining clearly inside and out”. We will shine both inside and out, like something completely translucent and clean. So, “All sentient beings will rejoice upon seeing us”. They will be very happy when they see us. We should know that the merits and virtues of upholding the Lotus Sutra come from inward cultivation and outward practice. “Merits” come from inward cultivation. “Virtues” come from outward practice. Not only are we capable of inward cultivation, we also have the opportunity for outward practice. These are known as merits and virtues.
Bodhisattvas, we should be mindful. We must listen mindfully to the world’s suffering. Living Bodhisattvas put the Dharma into practice, for, as it says in the Lotus Sutra, “the body has 800 merits and virtues”. With everything we do, we are putting the Dharma into practice. We all need to be a little more mindful. The sutra contains the true principles, the true principles from all throughout the universe. We must put them into practice in infinite worldly matters. So, we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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