Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: The Six Practices: Ten Actions Part 6(六行~十行六)
The Ten Actions:
Joyful Service, Benefiting Others, Never-resenting, Unlimited Service, Non-confusion, Skillful Manifestation, Non-attachment, Respect, Good Teachings, Truth.
The fifth practice of the Ten Actions is the Practice of Non-confusion. Do you remember how to be free from confusion? It must begin with an understanding heart. When understanding manifests, all matters and relationships become easy. The sixth is the Practice of the Ten Actions is the Practice of Skillful Manifestation. With the Practice of Non-confusion, the mind is freed from ignorance and delusion. Following the practice of Non-confusion is the practice of Skillful Manifestation.
When walking, you step forth with one foot, and the other follows. Only then can you advance. To achieve Non-confusion, we need Skillful Manifestation to always have a deep understanding. If we can achieve this, we can get along with everyone. Thus, “When there are differences among a group one does not see the differences. Differences or not, one remains in perfect harmony and is at ease.”
This passage says that if we are understanding and free from confusion then just as the Buddha said, “There are no Views of self, People, Sentient Beings, or a Soul.” So what Self is there? When we cling to the idea of Self, attachments and ignorance arise. When we learn Buddhism, we learn how to be free from the View of Self.
Constantly be understanding. Remain free from ignorance and confusion. In doing so, you can break the attachment to Self and View of Self.
All conflicts are due to the Self. We see “I”, the Self, as most important, thus we become conceited and unable get along with others. To be congenial with others, we must stop clinging to the Self. Only without the View of Self can we be harmonious with others. We must not have View of People either. I often talk about time, space and human relationships. We are all part of mankind, so how can we discriminate against others as poor, rich, noble or lowly? The poor are also people, same as the rich and noble. So we have to respect them.
I always say that when we see others with our Buddha-mind then everyone is a Buddha. Whether noble, lowly, poor or rich, all are people. We should respect and love them. We should uphold equality. If we can do this, then we can work with the wealthy or the poor. We have to educate the rich and spark their sense of kindness. Those with love are most blessed. Thus, with material wealth and love in their hearts, blessings accumulate. They become the rich among the rich. As for the poor, we must try hard to help them and not look down upon them. In Qlingfeng Vullage, there was a small family consisting of a mother and her daughter. Their large extended family also lived in the village, but the two lived alone in horrid conditions. The daughter got out of a bad relationship that caused her to suffer severe psychological stress. As a result, she became mentally ill and isolated. She could not take care of herself, so her mother looked her up. The mother also suffered from bad health. They lived in a filthy house filled with garbage that accumulated over several years.
When we discovered them and wanted to help, the extended family would not allow it. Not only did they object, they also spoke harshly, saying that we were outsiders interfering with their personal affairs. They rejected our help, but our love was unceasing and we did not give up. We tried harder to communicate with the family, and we finally got through to one of them. He told us, “Fine, you can help. If my other family members cause trouble, I will take care of it.” So Tzu Chi volunteers and commissions wasted no time.
Even from afar they could smell a very foul odor. They went inside anyway, but they did not see the daughter. They only saw a very weak, bony old woman. Where was the daughter? She was still locked up and never went outside. She was very dirty all over. That was during our first visit. How could we help her? Naturally, we first clean their living environment, and then communicate with her and wash her body. Finally, we convince the family to get her some medical help as well. It seemed logical to provide aid though carrying it out was not easy. Without sufficient love and courage, one could not even approach them. It required time, patience, and a lot of love to interact with them. Our volunteers whether from other areas or from the local community, all fostered loving devotion. They helped clean up the house, removing truckloads of garbage. It was a very moving scene. One could not help but have a sense of gratitude and respect.
They were all living Bodhisattvas. They even bathed the mother and changed her clothes. In the process of h helping, we found out that the extended family had built-up hard feelings and resentment toward the mother and daughter, and had abandoned them. Their minds were so negative they could not accept the mother and daughter. But seeing us give love and help clean the house cleansed their toxic minds as well. They were deeply moved. So this family, especially the member who acted as the liaison, also helped clean the house. He even said to Tzu Chi volunteers, “If you visit care recipients in the future, please remember to let me know. I’ll definitely join you.”
You see, that is example of sparking change on others so they can join us. Everyone has prejudices. Some of the rich have their own bias, so we put forth efforts to guide them. The poor have the problem of closing their hearts, living self-despairing or self-destructive lives, just like this family. We had to open their doors to help them. This family had issues, so we needed to open the door to their hearts and spark their sympathy, especially toward their own family. If we have this kind of Skillful Manifestation, then “when there are differences among a group, one does not see the differences.” We appeared before the family, letting them know that we should all love others, especially those related to us. When there are differences in ethnicity, appearance or condition, then at first minds are different. In order to transform different states of mind to be the same, we need love in our hearts.
As I said earlier, “one does not see differences even when there are differences.” Although their mental states were different from ours, we could help them change so that, we do not feel the differences. Later on, they had the same mindset as us. So with love, we transcended the View of People, View of a Soul, and View of Sentient Beings. When transcending all these fixations, our minds and hearts are wide open and can embrace everything. So “we remain in perfect harmony and is at ease. If we opens our heart.” Among people and with all phenomena, we should remain in harmony regardless of difference and embrace all. This is called Skillful Manifestation.
Have a broad and spacious heart to accommodate everyone. Treat all people and things with equality. This is the Practice of Skillful Manifestation.
If you have a spacious heart, no matter what type of group you enter, you will be welcomed. Moreover, among the poor, you will be their benefactor. Tzu Chi volunteers are very well-loved among the elderly. When we visit convalescent homes, they say, “What took you so long? We miss you.” You see, this is also Skillful Manifestation, and everyone is happy. With all sentient beings, not only should we not cause harm, we must love them. We believe that all beings possess Buddha-nature. So we respect and love all forms of life. Thus, the Buddha said we must carefully purify the love in our hearts, the love that is our innate mature. We should therefore eliminate desires. Selfish love and desires are very dangerous. With such desires, the Views of Self, People, Sentient Beings, and a Soul all arise. That is how our views become discriminatory.
In the Sutra of Forty-two Chapters there is a passage in which the Buddha said, “He who indulges in desires is walking against the wind with a torch. His hand will surely be burnt.”
So when learning Buddhism, we have to constantly purify our minds. When our minds are purified and calm external conditions will not affect us. When selfish love arises, as the Buddha said, it is like holding a torch against the wind. When the wind blows against us, the fire will surely burn our hand. Like in the case I just mentioned, the girl was affected by love. She was too attached to romantic love and desires. So when her love life had problems, she was traumatized and become ill. That kind of life is like holding a torch against the wind, and burning one’s hand.
The Bodhisattvas-path does not contain selfish or desirous love. A Bodhisattva’s love is to heal the wounds of sentient beings and to help those who are suffering. So in a single charity case, we can see the Buddha-Dharma, the Skillful Manifestation taught by the Buddha. “Skillful” means without evil. Whenever we are among a group of people, whether they share our aspirations or not, as we interact with them, we will certainly be welcomed. Whether we are among the rich, among the poor, or among those with evil thoughts, we can always help them change. Although we are different, if we do not let others sense the dissimilarities, we can get along with everyone and change their hearts with our actions. As such, “one remains in perfect harmony and is at ease.” They are at ease, and we are also at ease. We gradually led that family to do good and accept the mother and daughter. The family now accepts the mother and daughter. Isn’t that “remaining in harmony and ease despite differences?” They are joyous and we have Dharma-joy. They have obtained happiness, and we have obtained Dharma-joy.
Everyone, when we learn Buddhism, we should be mindful every day. The external environment should not affect our minds and convictions. We should possess the loving kindness of Guan Yin, and the unwavering conviction of Earth Treasury Bodhisattva. If we can do this, then we can practice Skillful Manifestation anywhere. Everyone always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
首頁 
