Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: A Repentant Mind Is Cleansed of Ignorance(懺悔心 滌無明)
Day after day, we listen to the Dharma in such a peaceful and quiet environment. At the start of the day, we awake to the sound of the striking of wooden boards and quickly rise to start our day. First we reverently attend the morning recitation at the Buddha Hall. We line up in an orderly manner, take our places in front of the Buddha’s statue, and follow the sounds of bells, chimes and wooden fish to recite and bow. At that moment, our minds are immersed in tranquility. Only piety exists in this state. This is our daily routine.
This is the environment of spiritual practitioners. This is called “following a path.” When we made a resolve and vowed to practice, we chose this way of life. This is the path of our life. When we follow this course, we are “following a path.” After the recitation, we listen to the Dharma. We live according to our mind and our intentions. But do our minds retain the same level of intention as when we made our initial resolve? If our minds and intention are always aligned, we can lead a very deliberate life- a life with a path. Thus, our spiritual cultivation will be pure and undefiled and we will have a healthy body and mind.
If spiritual practitioners and practice with the same initial enthusiasm and intention, and stay on the right track, then their bodies and minds can remain pure and undefiled.
After reverent veneration, we listen to the Dharma. Prior to listening to the Dharma, we meditate. What do we hear at that time? Quietness. When everything is quiet is there sound? Just the sound of silence. Such sounds of stillness can truly cleanse our restless mind. With the hot weather, it is inevitable to feel the heat during the recitation. With so many people near, it can be truly difficult and taxing. Because the mind is agitated, we may feel hot and become irritable.
However, once we sit, the mind calms down. In connecting with the external environment our minds remain quiet. I often say, “Still, tranquil and clear.” When the mind is still, there are no afflictions or impure thoughts. At this time, our state of mind is still, tranquil and clear. We are clear about external states. I have said previously that when it is very quiet, we can hear the sounds of bugs and birds, and the breathing of the earth. Such moments are very tranquil. It is the sound of nature.
How do we practice the return to nature, and become one with tranquility? Is it difficult? Truly it is. Therefore, we must always repent and purify the defilements of our minds with Dharma water. Dharma can cleanse all defilements of delusion.
Last time we spoke of the topics in groups of five, which all originate from our minds. There were five groups of five topics. We should ask ourselves if we have the Five Minds. Or do we have the Five Hindrances? There were many topics in groups of five. Do we possess those faults? If so, we must openly confess and repent. If we do not openly confess to our faults, it is called concealing evil acts.
The others and I, from Beginningless Time until now, because of the Five Grounding States, or the Five Hindrances, or the Fivefold Stinginess, or the Five Views, or the Five Minds, have created all wrongdoings. Thus, infinite afflictions arise, causing us to remain in the Six Realms of cyclic existence. Today we openly confess and repent all wrongdoings.
Upon hearing what we just discussed, did you evaluate your own minds? Inquiry is important in our spiritual practice. We question and evaluate our minds. What was our initial resolve when we began our practice? What was our intention when we vowed to practice? What was our aspiration? And where is our aspiration now? Has our mindset changed? It seems that as we study each teaching, we find that we have inappropriate mindsets, mindsets of wrongdoing, and have, at times, broken rules. When we evaluate our minds this way, we must quickly remedy the faults. This is called cleansing the mind with Dharma.
In this busy life, I can only try to find methods in the Buddha’s teachings to purify my own mind, and share these methods with you, so that you can cleanse yourselves the same way. Thus, Dharma is like water. Everyone needs to cleanse themselves. I can only show you that this is the water, that it is pure and that you can wash with it. The rest is up to you. Thus, purifying our minds, is dependent on our own actions. So we must be mindful and cleanse ourselves. This is called confessing and repenting.
I often hear of Tzu Chi volunteers, who though lay disciples, are taking the Buddha-Dharma to heart. Hearing one teaching, they have a realization. Those who are sharper may have ten realizations. Those with even higher wisdom may realize 100 or 1000 concepts from one teaching. Hearing on phrase, they may thoroughly understand the truth of life and immediately correct their misdeeds and wrong views. After joining [Tzu Chi], they remedy all past wrongdoings.
Dharma is like water that can cleanse all wrongdoings. Be courageous in repenting openly. Vow to no longer do evil. Then we can create a whole new life.
To be pure, we must first remove our past faults and begin to live our life in a new way. Did we only have five faults in the past? Is that all? The Buddha was truly compassionate we had so many faults in our minds. When the mind connects with objects and consciousness, it can cause many wrongdoings.
Thus, life becomes very complicated. Are we all clear about this now? With mercy and patience, the Buddha also taught us about groups of sixes. Thus, we need to know that from Beginningless time until now, from group of one, two, three, four and five, [we have committed said mistakes]. We should seek to learn teachings that are from groups of six. We all know there are many things that come in six that tempt us to do evil. There are also many that will assist us.
So the text also says, “The Six Roots create all wrongdoings.” What are the Six Roots? They are: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. These are the Six Sense Organs.
As I speak to you, I am not disconnected from my Six Sense Organs. In the morning, before the striking of the boards, some people are already awake and have already started using the Six Sense Organs. Only in our sleep are the Six Sense Organs at rest. The moment we awaken, either by the tapping of the boards or by our own biological clock, our Six Sense Organs start working. For example, upon hearing the tapping of boards, our ears engage with the sense object. When we hear the sound, our eyes follow suit and open. Here in the monastery, one room is shared by many people. Our eyes then connect to people and objects.
The eyes, ears and nose connect with the external conditions. After a tranquil night, the earth is nourished by morning dew. We can smell the trees and earth in the air outside. After coming to the Buddha Hall, we speak using our mouths. Next is the body. After the recitation, you sit and use your ears to listen, while I use my mouth to speak. Our bodies possess the Six Sense Organs. The first five are tangible, while the last is formless. It is the mind. It is called consciousness. Since the mind is intangible, how can it be an organ? The function of this organ is to perceive. If we close our eyes and someone who is carrying something comes before us, will we know who it is? The person is still is the same, but with our eyes closed we cannot tell who it is. What is he wearing? Is he standing or sitting? It is impossible for us to know. We still have our eyes, only they are closed. When we open our eyes, and look at the person we realize we do not know him. This is how we discern with our consciousness. We do not know the person. We have never seen the object he is carrying. What is it called? We do not know. This is the sense organ of mind that senses and perceives.
Of the Six Sense Organs, the first five are tangible. They are eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body. The last one is formless. It is the mind, which can sense and perceive.
Everyone, to learn Buddhism we must start at the moment of our initial resolve. Before we made the vow, what type of lives were we leading? We should make timely corrections of our misdeeds. Once we have made a vow to practice, we should adapt to the rules of spiritual practice. Regardless of the day or time, we must follow the proper path. If a path is what we have resolved to follow, our lifestyle must be adjusted to this path. We must move forward so that we can reach our final destination. A tiny deviation in the mind can lead to a great divergence.
Now that we have vowed to practice spiritually, we should follow the right path, so that we can reach the other shore of Nirvana. A slight deviation in the mind can cause us to deviate far from the path.
Possessing a benevolent mind is not enough. No one sees our minds. What makes it benevolent? Someone may ask, "Are you angry?"
"I am not angry."
"If not, why are you not smiling? Why is your tone so bad?"
Through the workings of the Six Sense Organs, wrong thoughts arise and manifest in our actions. They leave a bad impression on others. Others will perceive our character as terrible. Thus, even in a large monastic community, if we cannot cultivate our spiritual character, we will not be successful in our cultivation. Cultivation and character-building heal our hearts and minds.
From now on, we should be prepared to be mindful of our Six Sense Organs. Starting from today, pay attention to reactions of the eyes to forms, of the ears to sounds, the nose to smells, tongue to tastes, body to sensations, etc. Be mindful of your consciousness. There is not much time left. Make good use of time, this space where we practice, and interactions with other practitioners. We must be thoroughly aware.
Everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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