Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: The Six Practices: Ten Actions Part 1(六行~十行行一)
Our current surrounding is tranquil and quiet. Is everyone’s mind clear and translucent? When our surroundings are tranquil, and our minds are clear, then our vows can be vast as an endless void, which is what we strive for when we practice.
If our minds are free of scattered thoughts, then vows vast as the void, we remain unwavering. This is what we practice when we walk the Right Path on a daily basis. We must have faith, vows, and practice; we must have faith; we must establish great vows; and we must put the teachings into practice. All the while, we must also remember that every day, every movement and thought is part of spiritual cultivation. Cultivation is walking the Path. Sutras are a way to the Path, the Path is the road. To learn Buddhism is to travel the road and practice the Buddha’s teachings. Use your mind to listen, and contemplate before practicing the teachings.
Faith, vows and practice are essential in walking the Path. Invoke faith and great vows to practice the teachings of the Buddha. Be mindful in listening, contemplating and practicing.
Previously, when talking about the Six Practices, we also mentioned the Ten Faiths and Ten Abiding Conducts. Everyone, we have discussed in detail how to strengthen our faith, and in what states our minds should reside. Now let us begin on the Practice of Ten Actions.
The Six Practices:
1 Ten Faiths
2 Ten Abiding Conducts
3 Ten Actions
4 Ten Dedications
5 Ten Grounds
6 Equal Enlightenment
For ordinary beings to enter the Buddha’s realm, they must follow the Bodhisattva-path. We are now walking the Bodhisattva-path. Practice is very important, it means further advancement. In other words, when we walk this path we are moving toward our goal, which is the realm of the Buddha. Every ordinary being must follow the Bodhisattva-path to attain Buddhahood. There are ten conditions or states when we walk the Bodhisattva-path.
First is the Practice of Joyful Service. We must be joyful. Second is the Practice of Benefiting Others. We must always strive to benefit others. Third is the Practice of Never-resenting. We must tolerate insults. Fourth is the Practice of Unlimited Service. Fifth is the Practice of Non-confusion. Sixth is the Practice of Skillful Manifestation. Seventh is the Practice of Non-attachment. Eighth is the Practice of Respect. Ninth is the Practice of Good Teachings. Tenth is the Practice of the Truth.
We may not all clearly understand everything on that list. We will first discuss in detail how we can attain the Practice of Joyful Service. Discussing the Ten Faiths and Ten Abiding Conducts we addressed “selfishly meeting one’s needs” in spiritual cultivation. Thus, I asked you whether you reflect back and contemplate what you hear after listening to something. If so, you can practice the Ten Actions.
Listening and contemplating are parts of the Ten Faiths. Once you have established the Ten Faiths, your mind must reside in the Practice of the Ten Abiding Conducts. The previous teachings are all about self-help: benefiting ourselves, building our faith, and following our convictions. Now we must learn how to benefit others, the “never-ending practice of benefiting others.” In addition to cultivating ourselves through the Ten Faiths and Ten Abiding Conducts, we must also learn to benefit others. In previous discussions, we did not mention many ways of benefiting others. So we must address that with the Ten Actions.
The frat practice w must implement is Joy. How can we be joyful? We must know that once we vow to be disciples of the Buddha, we do not practice alone like the Sravakas or Pratyekabuddhas, but we vow to walk the Bodhisattva-path. Not only do we walk the Bodhisattva-path, we must stride toward the wondrous and virtuous state of the Tathagata. So we must march forward with a receptive and joyful heart. We must open our hearts and minds. I say that our minds should be so vast as to embrace the universe. First, we must open our hearts, and expand our vows. When our hearts and vows are made greater, they become infinite. How grand could that state be? Broad enough to embrace the universe.
So I say to everyone, the world is a big family. Regardless of ethnicity, skin color or religious belief, we must include everyone, because we are all one big family. We must take our practice in all directions and embrace the entire universe. We are not speaking of just one planet. There are many planets in the universe. But we are born on Earth, and must make extra efforts to care for and embrace it. We speak of embracing the universe, which is immense, yet within the universe, even the Earth has innumerable living beings. So far, scientists have found Earth to be the only planet populated with people and living organisms. We plead for everyone to open their hearts and care for the Earth. We should be willing to care for all of the creatures on Earth. No matter what situations we face, we must be joyful.
Open your heart to accommodate others with joy. Practice this in everything that you do; we are realizing the human Bodhisattva-path together. This is the Practice of Joyful Service.
In the Jing Si Aphorisms, there is a saying that I often share, “Work willingly and accept the results joyfully.” This willingness is when you wish to be a Bodhisattva, and vow to ascend to Buddhahood from our ordinary state via the long Bodhisattva-path. We should open our hearts to love everything and extend our love to include others. Humans are the most intelligent beings on earth. Since we vow to follow the Bodhisattva-path, we must love all living beings.
In the Buddhist Sutras, especially in the Jataka Sutras we read that while He practiced the Six Paramitas, the Buddha treasured all living beings. If we want to learn Buddhism, we must learn spirit of the Buddha. The intention of the metaphors in the Sutras is to inspire the heart of everyone. We should sacrifice ourselves to save others, protect all living beings, and lead everyone to pledge to inspire others. Buddhist practitioners should not fear hardship. Only when we are willing to bear difficulties can we accomplish our goals.
To learn Buddhism is to learn the Buddha’s spirit. Do not be intimidated by challenges. Be willing to work and be happy to bear all hardships. Only when we are willing, can accomplish our goals.
We must be willing to work and also bear difficulties in the process. You may still remember Afghanistan in 1998, when the [Bamiyan] Buddha statue was still there, we had already entered the country and experienced dangerous situations. Stephen Huang and other Tzu Chi volunteers boarded a plane that was riddled with bullet holes. They used tape to cover them before boarding this was the plane they used to transport medicine and food to Afghanistan.
I still remember they only had four parachutes for six passengers. They said when the plane in the air, there were still gunmen on the ground, and the plane was already full of bullet holes. If something happened, how would they divide the four parachutes among the six of them? Considering the purpose of their trip was to transport medicine was to transport medicine and food to the region, they decided that the four parachutes should be used to drop the supplies to the ground safely, and that saving their own lives was secondary.
The story was shared when they returned home safely. They knew there was a very slim chance of safely leaving the country after entering it. They took advantage of the darkness of night to cross the border, navigating by the light of the moon and stars. They had to pass each inspection point occupied by soldiers surveying the areas. They had to flee from the soldiers to survive. What a challenge! That was their first adventurous mission.
When they returned there a second and third time, it was due to war. Everyone was fleeting to the mountains or highlands. It was snowing when our supply trucks arrived at the refugee camp. We saw that many people died because of the war, including small children and the elderly. These imagines resurface in our minds. We waited for the relief goods to arrive, worrying that they were robbed or detained along the way.
At the time, we entered through Uzbekistan, where many dangers awaited us. So we waited. It was already dark by the time the supplies arrived. In the footage, we can see by the light of the truck headlights that the snow was everywhere. The headlights of the truck snow the depth of footprints they left. It was heartening watching these people unloading the trucks so late night during a snowstorm. Their footprints were so deep and fresh in the snow. The unloaded goods were arranged in a long line. By the time they returned to the truck for more their footprints had already been covered by more snow and new ones were made. This was very memorable. Those were historic footprints made under the starlight. They were footprints of Bodhisattvas who by difficulties or danger, and continued to help willingly. After they lined up the goods, dawn arrived, people came, and the distribution began. Such joy, the recipients of the goods were delighted and people who gave felt content, peaceful and at ease. Working willingly and joyfully is the first step to being a Bodhisattva. That is the path toward Buddhahood, a wonderful and unsurpassed virtue. To move in the direction of Buddhahood, we should always maintain a heart of joy and dedicate our efforts to realizing the Bodhisattva-path in this world.
Being joyful in doing our work is the first step to being a Bodhisattva. Moving toward Buddhahood, we should always maintain a heart of joy and dedicate our efforts to realizing the Bodhisattva-path in this human world.
Everyone, the first of the Ten Actions is joyful Service. Please always remember. Ten Faiths, Ten Abiding Conducts or Ten Actions; they are all important on our path to Buddhahood. So, everyone should always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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