Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Three Thoughts of Great Compassion (大悲三念)
I often say appearance is determined by the mind. Cultivate loving-kindness and manifest a virtuous appearance so you can embrace sentient beings and help them transform. Appearance is very important. The appearance of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas makes people happy. This is obtained through cultivation.
But many people are attached to appearance alone, so they fail to cultivate their virtue. No matter how fancy someone looks on the outside, there is no way his mere appearance can bring happiness to others. We want people to be joyful and respectful, so we must work really hard in our practice so as to manifest virtue.
We all know that in the Middle East, women’s dress is very conservative. It is meant to protect honor and virtue. This kind of dress has slowly fallen out of favor. Middle Eastern countries have already started to open up and reform. People have also started following the latest fashions and trends. The youth wear clothing that is not as conservative as before. To each her own; everyone chooses to wear what she likes. But in metropolitan areas, young people started dressing immodestly; all kinds of strange dress appeared. In the Middle East, conservative Muslims feel dressing this way undermines women’s virtue and violates their religious views.
Now religious police roam the streets. If they see someone with strange dress, these police will try to suppress this kind of dress. Actually, this type of dress is found not only in the Middle East, but all around the world.
In Taiwan it started a few decades ago. When this type of women’s clothing appeared, women’s attitude also changed. As a result, we began to worry that our society’s morals would become as strange as these fashion trends. It is not only people’s clothes; their hair is also strange. Some boys already wear hairspray to stick their hair straight up. They are everywhere in the streets. When people see them, they become frightened. In the past we called it “raising one’s hackles,” which describes when someone is so angry that their hair stands up. Actually it describes animals when they are threatened and want to protect themselves. Their instincts take over and their hair stands up. This appearance suggests no self-cultivation, anger, a bad temper, like one is “raising one’s hackles.” This is not a good appearance. But today’s youth change their appearance in these ways. Women do it as well. How can we have social and familial ethics or a peaceful society? It all depends on people’s minds.
Everyone has a set of morals. Religion can provide us that moral definition. Religion can be our inner moral guardian. We are the only ones who can alert ourselves. Otherwise, as appearances become more and more messy, ethics become messy, and society does as well. We want to earnestly maintain our ethical and virtuous appearance. We cannot be unaware. It is very important for Buddhists to mind their appearance.
If people’s appearance is messy, their ethics and society will likewise be chaotic. To maintain our ethics and morality, we must always be self-aware, and work hard to cultivate and manifest virtue.
Don’t we often hear people say, “You look different.”
What is different?
They can’t say.
They just feel that looking at you now makes them happy, that you are more beautiful.
Where does beauty come from?
It is hard to say.
Before you would get all dressed up, but would look tacky. Now everything is very simple; you are not wearing colorful garments, but the same simple clothes each time they see you. They don’t know why, but they always feel that you look dignified.
Yes, this is correct. You don’t have to get dressed up or do strange things with your appearance. We want to raise the moral standards that we hold I our minds. If we can improve our morality, we will naturally have a Buddha-like appearance. Since we practice according to the Dharma and all the methods that the Buddha taught us, the Buddha is in our actions. If the Buddha is in your heart, and you act according to the Dharma, the Buddha will be in all your actions. Appearance is determined by the mind.
How can people look dignified? By training the body and mind with a heart of kindness and compassion. Practice with a heart of kindness and you will naturally manifest a virtuous form. Then you can help sentient beings transform. When they hear your name or see you image, they become happy and enjoy being close to you. So, appearance is very important; we should not be unkempt.
This passage mentions “the 32 Marks and 80 Physical Characteristics.” We want to become Buddhas. How can we prove that we have attained Buddhahood? When we have the complete 32 Marks and the 80 Physical Characteristics of the Buddha. At the beginning of all the Sutras, Ananda is mentioned. When the Sutras were being compiled, Ananda was focused on the Buddha’s teachings, so the Buddha manifested in his actions. So when people read “Thus I have heard,” they may wonder if Ananda became a Buddha, or if the Buddha appeared with Ananda’s body. Ananda originally had 30 marks of dignified appearance. He was completely focused on the Buddha and manifested the Buddha in his actions. So, by the time he recounted the teachings, his 32 Marks were complete. This is all dependent on the mind. Through the explanations of these passages, we can learn that in order to come to the Human Realm, the Tathagata manifested a body in the Saha-world. Through a long period of spiritual cultivation, He complete 10,000 practices, so His body manifested the 32 Marks. They indicate His cultivation. Of course, many of them are subtle His human appearance, His head, forehead, eyes, ears, tongue, nose, or fingernails, pores, hands and feet, etc., all of His actions, His bearing, and His manners made people happy upon sight. So, the 32 Marks were complete. Every mark show the Buddha’s virtuous form. Although Ananda’s appearance was very stately, he still hadn’t become a Buddha; he still lacked two marks. But the Buddha’s virtuous form was complete. If the 32 Marks are complete, the 80 Characteristics naturally follow. The 80 traits are very hard to describe.
Actually, if we can imagine the incredible dignity of the 32 Marks, these 80 characteristics will naturally follow. They are the most complete manifestation of beauty and virtue. We have said, “The fragrance of virtue permeates everything.” When one completes the true path, people will sense the fragrance of virtue. No matter which way the wind blows, this fragrance permeates everywhere. The fragrance of virtue, without any wind, still wafts to the ten directions. This is a kind of description. It is not like spraying perfume. The virtue that flows from the Buddha’s heart always causes people to feel very happy, as if smelling sweet fragrance. This feeling is truly indescribable.
Next, “The Ten Powers, Fearlessness, Three Thoughts of Great Compassion eternal bliss, wondrous wisdom, and Eight Powers of Transformation.”
These are all the Buddha’s virtue. We want to engage in spiritual practice, so that whatever afflictions or situations we find ourselves in, we can persevere and eliminate all afflictions. We will not be led into the traps of desire. To achieve the Ten Powers and Fearlessness, we must cultivate our virtue to that degree. Then our minds can be free from the traps of desire. If we can reach the Buddha-realm, then we have the Ten Powers and Fearlessness.
The Ten Powers:
1. Knowing right and wrong under all conditions.
2. Knowing karmic retribution in the Three Periods.
3. Knowledge of meditation, liberation and Samadhi.
4. Knowledge of relative capabilities.
5. Knowledge of many types of understanding.
6. Knowledge of different conditions.
7. Knowledge of all paths.
8. Knowledge from unobstructed Heavenly Eye.
9. Flawless Knowledge of past lives.
10. Knowing how to eliminate habits.
What are the Three Thoughts of Great Compassion? First “thinking of the Buddha as the doctor.” All beings are truly ill. The planet is also ill, especially now. We should believe that the Buddha is the Great Healer. Only the Buddha’s teachings can rescue the world. We should always be mindful of the Buddha. Buddha can cure our mental and physical illness, and all the symptoms of illness in the world.
Second, “think of the Dharma as curative medicine.” If we can accept the Buddha’s teachings, we can be cured. If we only listen, but do not practice, it is like going to the doctor, but not wanting to take the medicine. Our disease will get worse. Everything in the world is ill, so think of the Dharma as a life-saving medicine.
Third, “think of the Sangha as caregivers.” The Sangha are people who spread Buddha’s teaching. As practitioners, we must have a sense of purpose. The burden is heavy, the road far. We want to spread the Buddha’s teachings. It is just how a doctor needs a nurse to look after the patients. There are also resident physicians. All of these residents and nurses are there to look after patients. If the resident is not mindful while prescribing medication or does not look after the patient afterwards, it is hard for the patient to recover. So sentient beings can think of the Sangha as caregivers.
Three Thoughts of Great Compassion:
1. Think of the Buddha as the doctor.
2. Think of the Dharma as curative medicine.
3. Think of the Sangha as caregivers.
We ourselves must rouse the spirit of a kind mother treasuring her infant. So we must cultivate kindness. We want to look after all beings and all things with kindness and compassion.
Everyone is ill right now. We want to cultivate the Four Virtues of Nirvana, Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity, then the Eight Powers can be complete. This is what we should cultivate now. We will explain more on the Eight Powers later. Everyone, appearance is determined by the mind. Cultivate loving-kindness and manifest a virtuous appearance so you can embrace sentient beings and help them transform. This is our responsibility now. If we cannot reach the Buddha-realm, we can at least be caregivers for the ill. The Burden is heavy, the road far. Everyone, always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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