Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Undefiled, Pure and Flawless (無垢清淨 無漏實相)
Date: October.07.2019
“The ultimate reality of all Dharma is the embodiment of the principles. When we become undefiled and pure, we will reach a state of flawlessness. When we cultivate our Six Roots and realize the flawless ultimate reality, we will have achieved complete understanding.”
Let’s not forget that year, nor the aspiration [we formed at that time]. Time passes by so quickly. When I recall the last few decades, time truly has passed by so quickly. In 1979, I was inspired to build a hospital in Hualien. At that time, as soon as I had this thought, I made this my firm aspiration and began to take steps toward [this goal]. It was a very difficult journey, and I am truly grateful for the many people [who helped] along the way. The hospital was completed in 1986 and was able to begin its operations. Thinking back on that time, we had nothing, yet within several years, we were able to go from this one thought of building a hospital in Hualien to formally announcing [our plans]; we hoped that everyone would support us in completing the hospital and beginning operations. Let us mindfully recall this journey, for [many of us] should have these memories. I am also very grateful for how our medical mission has [developed]. How many people have we saved from illness? We have taken in and protected [the health] of so many people in Hualien. All those who came in and [were diagnosed] were treated immediately so that they could continue to live healthy lives. We should really think about this.
This year [2019], our hospital in Hualien has made international rankings and is even considered the number one hospital in Asia. Clearly, the quality of our medical care is high. I owe my gratitude to our many Bodhisattvas in the medical profession; there are so many to be grateful for. Once our medical [mission] was established, we realized the importance of education. So, we began our next step, which was to establish a nursing school. This was the beginning of Tzu Chi’s mission of Education. Starting in 1989, our nursing school began to offer a two-year program, followed by a five-year program, thus advancing along this path.
I remember at that time, when we started the two-year program, we had 107 students, Tzu Chi volunteers came to wish them well! Over 20,000 people came to celebrate the opening of the school, with our 107 students in our [first] two-year program. When I think back to that time, it warms my heart. [In June 2019], I watched the graduation ceremony for our Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology, which was the [old] nursing school from that time. They held their graduation ceremony at Jing Si Hall in Hualien. Although I could not personally attend, due to attending a meeting, I was able to watch the live video feed directly from Jing Si Hall, which was broadcast to us. As I watched this truly dignified scene, the graduation ceremony looked so orderly. The scene within Jing Si Hall was truly touching. In the afternoon, the principal and the family members [of the students] also came to visit the Abode.
A family member expressed how touched she was. She started crying before she even said anything. This woman from Malaysia said that when she first sent her child to Hualien, she could not bear to see her go. This child had always been attached to her mother and had never left her side. Suddenly, as she was about to [move] to Hualien, the mother and daughter could not bear [the thought of] being apart. [The mother] worried, “Will my daughter adjust to this place? Will she get used to it? How about the food? Will she eat well? Is she living well? Is she safe?” She had so many worries. Later, one of our Tzu Chi mothers stayed in frequent contact with [her], often taking photos of her daughters’ [day-to-day activities] and sending them to her mother in Malaysia. “You can relax. You see? Your daughter is getting along with everyone. This is her life and so on...”. She sent [these photos] very often so that [this mother] could learn about her daughter’s life in Taiwan, her studies at our TCUST and the environment, the friendly people, her education, etc. This mother cried as she spoke, saying, “I am so grateful!” In fact, here in Taiwan, there are so many Tzu Chi mothers like this one who took such good care of her daughter. During her trip to attend [the graduation], this Tzu Chi mom got in touch with her and said, “You don’t have to worry about a thing. Come stay at my house. My home is your home. Your daughter is my daughter.” [This mother] said, “I am so touched.” This is at the school. In addition, our school was able to offer a lot of support and teach the students many things, [including cultivating] a decent demeanor.
These students have graduated to serve people in a professional environment. There are so many of them, and they have all earned praise from others. But we must be very grateful for that time in the past. The construction took place very quickly. [Yet, when] our hospital first opened, we found that nurses were hard to recruit in eastern Taiwan. So, we had to train people immediately. Particularly in Hualien, in eastern Taiwan, there were many young women in the aboriginal [community] who needed a vocational school in the area, which could enable them find a stable career in service to their local [community]; our nursing school would [come to fill this role].
Once we made up our minds [to build it], we began to make all the preparations, and the school was constructed very quickly. By 1989, the school was complete, and operations could begin. The family members who attended the graduation ceremony were all deeply moved. There were distinguished guests from other places, along with groups from Japan and several other countries who attended. They all expressed, “To see such a dignified and beautiful ceremony, with the etiquette [shown at this] Tzu Chi event is [truly rare indeed].” This was the praise that all of our distinguished guests from abroad and other places [expressed] to us.
In fact, as I watched the live broadcast, I also had great praise for them in my heart. From this praise, I suddenly gave rise to gratitude. To whom was I grateful? I was [most] grateful for Professor Yang Sze-Piao. Since our school was built very quickly, we did not have time to appoint a principal. That year, in our time of need, I asked Professor Yang Sze-Piao, “Would you please be our interim principal?” He accepted without a second thought. Even as an interim principal, he happily accepted the position.
This year, [in 2019], he is 100 years old. From the year we began to construct the hospital, in order to build it, we had to find a way to bring doctors here to ensure that the hospital could operate smoothly. I truly owe Professor Yang Sze-Piao much gratitude. At that time, he was the superintendent at National Taiwan University Hospital, but he cared about Tzu Chi and wanted to help.
[Also], Assistant Superintendent Tu, who was serving as the assistant superintendent at Nation Taiwan University Hospital at that time, along assistant superintendent, these two assistant superintendents both joined our construction committee, the construction committee for the hospital. [Assistant Superintendent Tu] also cared a lot about helping us [build] our hospital, and although it was very difficult, we were able to finish our construction smoothly. Although there are not many doctors there, they have made our hospital what it is today, and the quickly of [medical care] in eastern Taiwan has continuously improved. We owe our gratitude to this person.
Every time I see him, I think of the Tzu Chi meetings over the last 30 or so years, and whether it was a meeting for our medicine mission or education mission, he was never absent, not even one. Many of his wise suggestions helped our missions of medicine and education to become very successful, which has allowed us to keep moving forward. So, Professor Yang Sze-Piao, in my mind, will always forever be a truly healthy person. Professor Yang Sze-Piao, despite being 100 years old, has aged like an evergreen tree. His lifespan is long and boundless like the pine tree, which stays green forever. Everyone in Tzu Chi should recognize this Living Bodhisattva, who has helped our education mission greatly. Professor Yang Sze-Piao is “the Centenarian Doctor.” His story will be broadcast on his birthday, at 8 o’clock [on June 4th], as a birthday present to him. I am looking forward to it; it will [show] the value his life [has given] to this world so that his story can teach even more people. His spirit and his life have been exemplary, especially in the fields of medicine and education. This is very rare.
At this time, we must never forget that thought, and we must never forget that year. For so many years, his service has been truly memorable. Everyone, please be mindful as we seek to realize and understand this. [This program] has recorded all of these precious footprints of this life and [his work] as a benefactor of our lives and [Tzu Chi’s] missions. I truly cannot express my gratitude enough.
Now, let us mindfully read the synopsis and the Buddha-Dharma it contains. “The ultimate reality of all Dharma is the embodiment of the principles. When we become undefined and pure, we will reach a state of flawlessness. When we cultivate our Six Roots and realize the flawless ultimate reality, we will have achieved complete understanding.”
This passage says, “The ultimate reality of all Dharma is the embodiment of the principles.” We must listen and take in the Dharma every day. We must understand it very well to grasp the ultimate reality of all Dharma. The Dharma is inherently without form or appearance, yet it is lasting and able to be passed on; the Dharma can be transmitted forever. Because the Dharma has no form or appearance, it can be passed on forever, from generation to generation. If we apply its principles as we handle our worldly matters, then in everything we do in the world, we will manifest the essence of the principles. Even if we are just walking, as long as we are physically healthy, our feet will be able to walk very steadily. Our ability to walk steadily depends on our body being healthy. When we can take one step after another, steadily walking forward, this shows that we are physiologically sound; all aspects of our body are [as they should be]. According to these principles, our physiology gives us the appearance of humans, which enables us to do [a variety of] things.
Our bodies and our thoughts are naturally produced by causes and conditions, and [our particular] causes and conditions perpetuate the karmic law of cause and effect. These causes and conditions lead us to where we are born, where we live and our perspectives in life; we are led along by these intangible causes and conditions. This is how causes and conditions work. This is like what we just said about how building the hospital began from a single thought. When this thought came to mind, I contemplated it over and over again. “Yes, we have to build it”. We had to actualize it; we had to actually do it. This was very difficult, but the result of this difficult journey was that a hospital was built. This is “the reality”.
When it was still thought, it was a “principle”. Our minds are also a product of causes and conditions. When causes and conditions converges, I gave rise to this thought. When our minds are inspired, we give rise to bodily action. We contemplate, and then we give rise to action. As cause and conditions continue to converge, everyone’s causes and conditions come together. We had the conditions for everyone to believe in us and support [our efforts].
So, when I talk about all those to whom we should be grateful for our hospital, there are so many stories. This is “the ultimate reality of all Dharma”. Several decades ago, I gave rise to this thought. Throughout this journey, many people came to help and support us. Why did they believe in a person who had nothing, yet came to appeal to build a hospital? [It took] many people in society, in particular, people like Superintendent Tseng, Superintendent Tu and [Professor] Yan Sze-Piao, these people high up in society, to be able to believe in this monastic who said she wanted to build a hospital. They said, “We will support her”. They did not ask if I had any money; they always believed in me. Whether we had money or not, this group of people in society said, “Master wants to build a hospital. She has no money and wants to build a hospital. We should all help her”. This is how, all along the way, the “principles” became “reality”. As the causes and conditions [for this thought] came together, they progressed toward action, [resulting in] “the embodiment of the principles”. This intangible, amorphous thought [then became] a concrete physical structure, and then on tangible construction after another, until [the hospital] was complete. Another way to say this is that by uniting the Buddha-Dharma with worldly matters, we were able to apply the Dharma in the world.
If we did not do this and only talked about knowing the profound mysteries of the Dharma, without putting them into action, then ultimate reality could never manifest. Without this ultimate reality, how could there be any embodiment of the principles? The principles would be there, but they would lack any concrete embodiment.
So, to manifest the ultimate reality of our teachings, we must always begin with the principles. The principles are invisible, so we must accept them and put them into action. Thus, when t he principles manifest in matters, this [reveals that], “the ultimate reality of all Dharma is the embodiment of the principles”. In this way, we can grasp the Buddha-Dharma and its numerous profound mysteries and then, we can use simple worldly matters to share them with everyone like this.
So, “When we become undefiled and pure, we will reach a state of flawlessness”. We must reach this undefiled state; we must have faith in our own selflessness and in the love that everyone has [in their hearts]. [So,], we must be absolutely pure; none of the [small donations] we collected were ever used for our own livelihood. Every grain of sand, every drop of water and every bag of cement was [put to use] according to the donors’ loving intentions with which these things were donate and securely assembled. So, every wall and every brick was raised in this way. Only when everyone’s bit of strength came together could we assemble this magnificent structure.
So, this pure and undefiled state comes from a selfless heart, which remains uncontaminated by worldly desires. [For all those involved], our direction never deviated, even slightly. For several few decades now, our direction has remained correct, without any deviation or mistakes, [and we remain] very pure and undefiled. Thus, undefiled and pure [means] that we have no greed in our hearts. All of our commissioners and Faith Corps members serve others without expectations and encourage our regular donors to [make small individual contributions] to our global headquarters to be put to the best use, [not only for] construction, but also for disaster relief projects. So, all of our commissioners remain undefiled and uncontaminated [by external temptations]. They are all very pure and work for the sake of Tzu Chi’s development and Tzu Chi’s charitable mission.
In this world of Tzu Chi, everyone serves with undefiled purity. So, to be “flawless” is to be pure. Their mission is pure, for it makes use of so many principles. When discussing the scope of our work, we must follow the principles and be grateful that everyone’s hearts are pure and undefiled. [This purity] is returned to Tzu Chi, bit by bit, and we credit the completion of our missions to [this purity] and to the principles found within the Buddha-Dharma, which enable us to complete them. So, to discuss the principles behind this, it is because we are free of afflictions that our mind is undefiled and free of discursive thoughts. It is this same principle that enable us to achieve this state of flawlessness. To be flawless is to be free from ignorance and from the worry that we will do the wrong thing. Our greatest worry is when we do something wrong and fear that others will find out. This is the greatest worry in our minds. What flaw are we most afraid that others will find out about? [Perhaps] we are greedy, and in our greed, we take what belongs to others for ourselves. This is something we cannot face in our life and cannot explain clearly. Because this is absolutely wrong, we must sincerely repent.
When we make mistake in life, we need to repent. When we are mistake about matters or principles, especially in the public sphere, we must repent. So, by engaging in spiritual cultivation to guard against wrongs and stop evils and following the precepts without ever going astray, this is how we can become flawless. We uphold the precepts and practice the Dharma, upholding the precepts and our practice as we deal with worldly matters. In this way, we can complete [our goals] and benefit sentient beings. We will be free from any flaws. So, this is what it means to be “flawless”.
When we are pure from the beginning, then what comes after will naturally be flawless. When we commit no misdeeds, we will be “flawless”. “We cultivate our Six Roots and realize the flawless ultimate reality”. This all [relates to] our Six Roots, our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind. With our eyes, we are able to see what is in the world. Is it precious or worthless? Is it rich or poor? It is this world beautiful or ugly? With our ears that can hear, we can discern between right and wrong. With our nose and tongue, we can learn what the external environment of our lives is like; [these organs help us] to sustain ourselves so that we can serve the world with a healthy body. These Five Roots, along with our mind[-root], together constitute the Six Roots. When we see and hear accurately, when our bodies put the Dharma into action without deviating from the path, when our way of thinking is not mistaken, then this [state of] “flawlessness” has been achieved by way of our Six Roots.
[So], we use the principles to handle matters, following the principles to accomplish the things that we must do. So, “the flawless ultimate reality is when we are able to manifest the flawless principles without any mistakes. So, this requires us to have complete understanding. We must never forget that year, nor the thought [that started it all]. [For all we have done] in our meaningful lives, we must remember them well so that we never forget [and are able to] “bear witness for the times and write a history for humankind”. We can all make this kind of record. This is like the case of Professor Yang Sze-Piao [who has already reached] the age of 100. He is still looking at X-rays and absolutely will not give up [his work]. This is truly not an easy thing. He has held the course of his life’s mission with great precision, never allowing it to slip away; this is how he lives his life, which is truly praiseworthy. This is what it means to live a flawless life. To reach the state of flawlessness, we must work hard to be mindful.
Continuing on, the previous passage states, “As for all the sprouts within the trichiliocosm, such as the heavenly beings, human beings, asuras, the beings of hell, ghosts and animals, these forms and appearances will all be reflected within their bodies”.
We have discussed this passage previously; it is very simple, so we must remember it.
“The palaces throughout the various heavens all the way up to the summit of existence, the Iron Ring Mountains, Mt. Meru, Mt. Mahameru and all the great seas will all be reflected within their bodies.”
This [passage] is in verse from. The previous long-form prose [section] also explains this very clearly. Everyone should still remember them very clearly.
Continuing on, this passage says, “All Buddhas and Hearers, Buddha-children and Bodhisattvas, whether alone or among people teaching the Dharma, will all manifest.”
We can understand this clearly. Who does “all Buddhas and Hearers” [refer] to? Everyone should also be very clear on this. “All Buddha” refers to all the Buddhas throughout the ten directions. As for Hearers, whatever the Buddha teaches with His voice, they [listen and] accept these teachings. By hearing what the Buddha teaches with His voice, they “realize the principles of the Four Noble Truths”. Everyone knows the Four Noble Truths, for we have repeatedly discussed suffering, causation cessation and the Path. Everyone should understand the principles of these four words very clearly.
All Buddhas and Hearers: [Hearers] listen to the Buddha’s teachings and realize the principles of the four Noble Truths. They are able to eliminate their delusions of views and thinking, comprehend the nature of all phenomena and understand the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence. Thus, they realize and enter the teachings of the path and cultivate the Dharma-door of the Four Noble Truths. Those who realize the path fully comprehend that the nature of all phenomena is inherently empty and understand the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence.
Hearing these principles, they understand them, so their minds are free of ignorance. “They are able to eliminate their delusions of views and thinking”. When we are very calm, we will make no mistakes; upholding the precepts well without any deviation, we can thus eliminate our delusions of views and thinking. [This refers to when] our views, understanding and ways of thinking are deluded. The delusion [comes from] ignorance. [When] we do not become trapped by our thoughts, and we can perceive matters very clearly and see the bidder picture, then we will make no mistakes; this is [how we] “eliminate delusions of views and thinking”. [We must also] “comprehend the nature of all phenomena”. We have listened to the Dharma for so long, so we should also understand this. There are principles behind hardness and softness. If [an] object is firm and hard, then depending on the object, which principles of physics could cause the object to become soft? [Such] material objects are governed by their principles. This is to say nothing of our body and mind; for any substance that has a form, we can learn about its nature and appearance. The nature [of an object] is its principles, while its appearance is the part that we can see.
[So, next is] “understanding the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence”. We already understand the Four Noble Truths very clearly, which are suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. Every tangible object in this world is subject to the law of cause and effect, including our own bodies, [as explained by] the12 Links of Cyclic Existence. This includes all of these tangible objects, none of which depart from the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence. We must mindfully seek to comprehend this. “Thus, they realize and enter the teachings of the path and cultivate the Dharma-door of the Four Noble Truths”. In the beginning, when we follow the Buddha’s teachings and start to engage in spiritual practice, we also begin by entering the Dharma-door of the Four Noble Truths. If we do not understand worldly suffering, nor how karmic conditions are accumulated in our interpersonal relationships, if we do not understand these things, we will be unable to endure this world. So, we must understand the Dharma-door of the Four Noble Truths. Once we are able to realize the path, [we will] “fully comprehend that the nature of all phenomena is inherently empty and understand the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence”. We go from emptiness to existence, and from existence, [we return to] emptiness. [Just as] the world undergoes formation, existence, decay and disappearance, all objects undergo [this same] cycle. [Likewise], living beings all go through the cycle of birth, aging, illness and death. This is all [derived from] the same principle.
Buddha-children and Bodhisattvas: There are both great and little Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas who have just formed initial aspirations to go among people are little. Bodhisattvas of deeper aspirations, vows and practice are great.
[So, it says], “Buddha-children and Bodhisattvas”. Buddha-children and Bodhisattvas consist of both great and little Bodhisattvas. Those who have just formed initial aspirations to go among people are little Bodhisattvas. “I have just formed aspirations. For now, I just want to study”. Don’t we call children little Bodhisattvas? It works the same way for adults. When they have just formed initial aspirations, they are still inexperienced. This is a little Bodhisattva. Those who profound vows are great Bodhisattvas because they are very experienced. So, they are called great Bodhisattvas.
…whether alone or among people teaching the Dharma, will all manifest: Whether alone or among people, when expounding the various teachings, they will all manifest within the bodies of the people.
“…whether alone or among people teaching the Dharma, will all manifest”. Whether they are great or little Bodhisattvas, as long as they do not stray from the principles, their [level of experience] does not matter. Everyone starts out as inexperienced. Little Bodhisattvas [start out as] inexperienced, [but] if they share the principles [correctly], then they are also able to teach the Dharma. Even if they are by themselves, as long as there is one person [to listen], they can teach [the Dharma]. As for teaching [the Dharma] before a big crowd, [we must] understand the Dharma very deeply [to] be able to teach the Dharma before a big assembly. Thus, while “teaching the Dharma, [they] will all manifest”. Whatever their level of experience, can this person teach small groups of people? Are they able to teach large groups? Are they experienced our inexperienced? People like this can use various [examples] to teach the Dharma, for this has all manifested within the bodies of these spiritual practitioners. The spiritual practitioner understands which teachings [certain] people can understand, [so] they can teach them accordingly. When it comes to Pratyekabuddhas or Hearers, they understand others’ capabilities, the level of their spiritual practice and what kind of people they are able to teach.
Thus, “When they are alone, they abide in the practice of meditation, calm contemplation and Samadhi to manifest their radiant bodies. When they are among people they go among people to manifest their bodies, teaching the Dharma to others”.
These kinds of people have such a deep practice of meditation that, when it comes to the level of experience [others] have attained, [these people will be able to] tell how profound [others’] level of experience is. They will know in their hearts the extent of others’ experience. “When they are among people…”. This kind of person is able to teach the Dharma before the assembly, and because they have this level of experience, with this kind of skill, they can thus teach before the assembly and attain the benefits of this. When the assembly hears this person’s words, they are able to attain the Dharma and gain insights from it, and this spiritual practitioner is also able to [gain] understanding. Thus, “They go among people to manifest their bodies, teaching the Dharma to others”.
Will all manifest: All their forms and appearances will manifest within the bodies of practitioners. When their nature and body are flawless, they will transcend fragmentary samsara. The ordinary body cannot escape fragmentary samsara. It is only because they are pure that they are able to reflect all.
People like this “will all manifest” within spiritual practitioners. Their minds understand things very well. Through the bodies of all practitioners, they read, recite, transcribe and put the Dharma into action. These are very well-cultivated people. This kind of spiritual practitioner clearly understands the lives of all beings. They understand them very clearly, clearly discerning their forms and appearances. “When one’s nature and body are flawless, they will transcend fragmentary samsara”. For this kind of spiritual practitioner, their mind is flawless and free of afflictions. Their nature and body have transcended fragmentary samsara. In this life, we have no control over birth, aging, illness and death. However, there are spiritual practitioners who can transcend fragmentary samsara. These [practitioners] have attained the Path. So, “The ordinary body cannot escape fragmentary samsara”. [Our experience] of our bodies in life [has shown us] what is permanent and what is impermanent, so we can clearly discern between Dharma-nature and physical appearances. This means spiritual practitioners can comprehend life’s principles and clearly understand how they come and go in life. “It is only because they are pure that they are able to reflect all”. This is because they already clearly understand all worldly matters, including people’s bodies, behaviors and so on. Thus, listening to the Buddha’s teachings, taking them to heart and practicing them is [what makes] a true spiritual practitioner. So, we must understand this very clearly.
Dear Bodhisattvas, we must constantly study the Buddha-Dharma. The Dharma is inseparable from the mind; the mind is inseparable from the Dharma. The Dharma is inseparable from worldly matters, and worldly matters are inseparable from the Dharma, so matters and principles are one. Our actions must not deviate from our words. So please, everyone, we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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