Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: The Six Practices: Ten Faiths Part 2 (六行~十信行二)
These past few days we have discussed the Six Roots, Six Consciousness, Six Perceptions, Six Sensations, and Six Practices. The Six Practices are the essential six paths to Buddhahood that we must follow in our spiritual cultivation.
Next, we will analyze each of the Six Practices. First the Ten Faiths, which we discussed yesterday. “Faith is the source of the Path and mother of all virtues; It nurtures all the roots of goodness. So without faith, we cannot enter the right door, specifically, the door of the Tathagata family. This shows the importance of having faith.
We must also enforce our faith with vows. So cultivation starts with faith, which guides us to make vows. Only then can we complete the Ten Faiths. Thus, the Practice of Ten Faiths is the first gateway of our cultivation, and the skillful way of the Bodhisattva-path. No one can attain Buddhahood by merely hearing the Buddha’s name or by attaining a single realization. It is impossible. We all need to go through this journey. Thus, faith is very important. Once our faith is firm, we can vanquish all false thoughts. It is terrifying to have delusions arises in our faith. When delusions arise, our pure faith will be easily influenced. Yesterday we discussed the power of Mindfulness.
The second is Mindfulness. Mindfulness is even more important. Once “true faith is realized,” our mind can be rid of delusions and attain clarity. Then our faith will become well-rounded and complete. It is not possible to reach enlightenment within one lifetime of practicing Buddhism. But in our journey of spiritual practice, we will be able to easily resolve many afflictions and dire situations so long as true faith is realized with clarity. This requires us to have firm and persistent conviction. In this way, regardless of how many rebirths we have had, once we have established this conviction, we will carry it with us life after life, just as the Buddha and Bodhisattvas return to this world, over and over. As I have often said about habits, if we can habitually foster our faith, we will not forget it even after various rebirths.
Hence, we must have clear and firm determination.
If we cultivate strong faith with determination, we can come back life after life with strong vows.
Next is Diligence. Having conviction is not enough, we should also be diligent. People say, “I have a good heart. I also recite Buddha’s name, and believe in Buddhism. I have never committed any evil. So I have a good heart.” In essence, they have a good heart and carry good thoughts. But they lack one thing-action. If we have a kind heart, we must do good deeds. A good heart without good deeds is not enough. Therefore, the third practice is diligence. With a diligent mind, one can attain “complete and pure focus and clarity.” When we are diligent, we are focused and not scattered, progressing and not regressing. We must be focused and pure. This is called being complete and pure, very focused and clear, like the transparent sphere of crystal. It is quite clear. I am using an object as a metaphor to describe the mind. In fact, the diligence of our mind should be equally transparent. We need to move forward and never pause.
In the practice of diligence, if our minds can clearly see through things, we are focused. If we have strong faith and move forward, we are progressing.
This is the sole purpose of learning Buddhism to cultivate the mind and establish faith, then move forward diligently. This is called putting practice into action. If one practices without action, it is not spiritual practice.
We often say, “one’s wisdom cannot grow without experience.” Some people practice by isolating themselves and avoiding contact with the outside world. It is not right to call this spiritual practice. There is a saying, “Before enlightenment, first make good affinities.” While creating good affinities, we are still undefiled by afflictions. This is also called being clear and astute. The Buddha came to this world to deliver all sentient beings. Without good affinities, he could not do so. So we must create many good affinities with others. This is diligence with an uncontaminated mind. Therefore, this is called being complete and pure, clear and astute. The Dharma is wonderful, very thorough, untainted, pure and true.
Everyone, it seems hard merely listening to such practice. In dealing with others, protecting our minds from external influences and afflictions is not so easy. Indeed, it is not easy. So it is called spiritual practice. Ordinary people find it difficult. Since we want to advance to the levels of sages and saints, we need to transform difficulty into non- difficulty, and accomplish impossible tasks. No matter how arduous the task, with diligence, nothing is difficult.
No matter how arduous things are, for diligent practitioners, nothing is difficult.
If we can transform difficulty into ease, we can enter the realm of the sages and saints.
Therefore, we need to be mindfully diligent and forge ahead towards what is true and pure. The purpose of spiritual practice is to return to our true, innate nature. When dealing with people and matters, we should always maintain such innocence and purity. We need to be more mindful in order to allow our pure, true nature to emerge and not be contaminated. Then we can practice diligently in this life.
Next is Wisdom. We should be more mindful with practicing our wisdom. Wisdom is the “manifestation of a pure mind.” It is when purity and diligence enter into our minds and manifest. As we just discussed, we should be diligent without being defiled, and develop wisdom through experience.
When one’s mind is diligent and undefiled while dealing with people and matters, this is called Wisdom. Wisdom is the manifestation of a pure mind. Pure means the most wholesome and clean. With a pure mind, one perceives all people, matters and objects as undefiled. There is a saying, “Seeing others with Buddha’s mind, they are all Buddhas.” This is using wisdom, mindfulness and purity to perceive others.
Then our minds will naturally remain pure and clear. This is genuine wisdom. Such wisdom has always existed in our minds. Such wisdom has always existed in our minds. The mind is like a mirror. It is always bright and clear. If we can comprehend this Dharma, this ignorance and these afflictions, we can peel back our layers of ignorance, and eliminate them one by one. Then naturally our clear mirror, the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom, will naturally manifest. This is called genuine, pure wisdom. The most important, aspect of spiritual practice is developing wisdom. If we can maintain this thought in our minds and be pure and clear in our daily life, life will be very loveable. We will create many good affinities with others. We will love everyone we meet, and others will live us. Such respect and love is all based on our wisdom.
In the midst of complicated relationship with people and things, we should carry a heart of purity with no defilements, and apply this pure wisdom in our daily living. This is wisdom.
It is very important to have the manifestation of this pure wisdom in our daily life. However, to gain such wisdom, it is important to achieve the fifth stage, Samadhi. Samadhi requires determination. Without faith and constant mindfulness, how can we be diligent? Without diligent how can wisdom manifest? When wisdom arises, maintaining such pure wisdom requires determination and Samadhi.
Samadhi means "to persist and uphold clear wisdom" and to remain "still everywhere." Only with this Samadhi can we use clear wisdom, regardless of how noisy and complex the surroundings, or how troublesome the matters we encounter. With Samadhi and Wisdom everything around us is calm and quite.
We often talk about stillness and clarity of mind. Regardless of outside defilement, our minds remain still. Nothing can influence us. Like the saying, quietness in the midst of turmoil, our cultivation should not be to leave an active environment for a quiet place to calm the mind.
In fact, the mind is more chaotic when we are in a quiet place. We often hear that people with depression so not like to leave their homes. As they isolate themselves, depressing thoughts constantly arise, and their minds cannot calm down. We should encourage such individuals to venture outside and join other people in conversation or work.
At our recycling centers there are many people who had depression and could not calm their minds. They often isolated themselves, which led to more troubling thoughts and suffering. Many of our volunteers tried to encourage and help them, by talking to them, hoping to open the doors to their hearts and ease their suffering. They led these depressed individuals out of their homes and into our recycling centers. Interacting with people really cheered them up. They had company and the task of saving the Earth. The result of their work contributes more kindness and purity to the world. They felt they had meaning in their lives and became happy with such work. They were loners, isolated from the outside world with no friends and family around. They were very unsociable. In such a tranquil state, their minds were still in turmoil. Delusions would keep arising, and life was unbearable. So guiding them to work with companions naturally and gradually diminished their false thoughts.
While working, they no longer focused on themselves. They forgot about their surroundings and the afflictions associated with "me."
Therefore, as long as we can train our minds to not be impacted by our surroundings, this is Wisdom, or Samadhi. We often ask, "What were you thinking about that you didn't notice me pass by?"
Those were false thoughts. But when you are so into your work that you're unaware of others passing by it is also good because you are focused. This is persisting and upholding wisdom and remaining in stillness everywhere. If our minds can be "focused in one state," constantly within the state of stillness and clarity, such Wisdom will allow us to work without being influenced by our surroundings. This is Samadhi.
Persist and uphold wisdom, remain tranquil and silent. If the mind can be focused in one state and not be affected, this is Samadhi.
Everyone, there are stages in spiritual practice. We must follow the Six Practice of the Buddha. To enter the path to Buddhism, we must cultivate these Six Practice. The first is Ten Faith, which consists of various mental stages the stages of Wisdom and Samadhi. We have discussed up to the fifth faith. Everyone, faith is the mother of the Path and virtues. Please always be mindful. If we do not start our journey with pure faith, we cannot create the rest of the path.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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