Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: The Eight Powers of Transformation (八自在我)
The Ten Powers, Fearlessness, Three Thoughts of Great Compassion eternal bliss, wondrous wisdom, and the Eight Powers of transformation
Yesterday, we spoke of the Three Thoughts of Great Compassion. Afterwards, I kept thinking about this.
Indeed, we need to be mindful of the Buddha. He truly is the Great Healer of this world. With our human perceptions, although we are in the same environment and see or hear the same thing, our reactions can differ greatly. I often hear people say, Some have said, “What Master said seemed to be scolding me, so I must change promptly. I do indeed have that problem, so I must change at once.”
Others will say, “I have already done so much, but the Master is still not pleased with me.” Feeling the statement was directed at them, they become very unhappy. We ordinary people have a disease of the mind. When treated according to the symptoms, those with superior aptitudes absorb the Dharma and put it to use. But those whose “immunities” are slightly off are unable to accept the cure. Not only do they reject it, it may even have the opposite effect. This all depends on our aptitudes. The diseases of our minds are due to our unenlightened state. Even after we know the Buddha’s teachings the things we want to say may not be perfect. If they were, others would not reject them; everyone could use them.
So, we still need to practice. Sometimes, I hear that someone found certain things I said to be very useful. They felt the teachings were specifically for them. But sometimes I hear from people that when I said something, it made someone very upset so they said that they were quitting. So, I thought to myself that I have not cultivated enough virtue. If I did, everything I said would be perfect. So, I need to self-reflect.
The Buddha is like a great doctor who can cure the diseases of all beings. One prescription can be used by all people. Of course this is a large dose of medicine. But the Buddha can give you this cure in such a way that you will not reject it. It can also increase your vitality. Only a truly great and wise doctor can accomplish this. So, we need to “always think of the Buddha as the Great Healer.” We also need to be more diligent in dealing with the mental diseases of all beings. We cannot cure them all; we are still only medical interns.
We also need to “always think of Dharma as a curative medicine.” Since the Buddha teaches according to conditions, every Dharma cure can be absorbed and used by different people. The Dharma is truly amazing. But there is so much Dharma. We must learn all 84,000 Dharma methods. No matter when or where, we must apply them in all our relationships. The Buddha’s medicine has no expiration date. The Sutras are invariable, everlasting. The truth is eternal. We just have to choose which medicine to take. There are 84,000 different medicines, since they must adapt to the 84,000 afflictions of sentient beings. If we think of the Dharma as a curative medicine, then we may feel that we do not have enough time to truly and completely understand these medicines.
So, we still must personally experience all of the many prescriptions that Buddha gave out. These skillful teachings are adapted to the aptitudes of all beings. We need to always think of the Dharma; it is the cure for all beings in the world, and even for this world itself, the place where we all live.
And we need to think of the Sangha. Yesterday we talked about the Sangha as “compassionate caregivers,” like mothers full of love for their ill children. Studying Buddhism is learning Buddha’s compassion. If our love has not been perfected, we ourselves still have spiritual illness. If we cannot heal the illnesses of our minds, our love will never be complete.
In the news, we heard about a disaster someplace, a large fire. We could see a mother who might have escaped and leapt to safety. But thinking of her child, she rushed back in, and grabbed her child tightly, using her body as shield against the flames. We could talk endlessly about a mother’s compassionate love. There are many examples to describe love, to describe the heart of a caregiver. A mother’s true, beautiful, kind love is the most perfect.
In studying Buddhism, we need to learn this kind of complete and perfect love. I heard a doctor share a story. One of the residents at Da-lin Hospital was doing midnight rounds to check on the patients and see whether they were comfortable and breathing well. When he saw a mother watching over her child, he took care not to disturb them so that she could rest well to continue caring for her child. This resident, this young doctor, was protective and loving. This is a good doctor, using a mother’s heart. He said that just as that mother watched over her child, he was watching over the patients, a doctor guarding patients’ health with love. This mind is the same as a practitioner’s mind.
The hospital is a training ground. The doctors, nurses and technicians are practicing together, saving lives, and increasing their own Wisdom-life. They need to seek the truth and save beings, so they constantly do medical research. They are very mindful towards patients and take care of them. They use their knowledge and wisdom to help their patients. Think about it; isn’t a hospital a great place for spiritual cultivation? It is filled with love. There are great doctors, pharmacists, and caregivers full of compassion. We need to keep this in mind. In our universe, in our relations with others, we need to keep these three teachings in our minds and in our practice. If all practitioners can unify the Three Thoughts of Great Compassion in their hearts and minds, then this is the most perfect and complete love. These are the Three Thoughts of Great Compassion.
Three Thought 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
If we can achieve this, the Four Virtues of Nirvana will be complete. Everyone knows that Nirvana is the state of purity, beyond birth and death. Sentient beings become one with the spirit of this Greater Self. Permanence means no birth and no death. The Buddha has left behind all afflictions, all the things that bind. So Bliss means not being bound by afflictions. Although all of us have Buddha-natures, we are bound fast by afflictions; we are “Tathagatas in Bonds”. Everyone should remember this phrase clearly. Everyone has the intrinsic Buddha-nature, but we suffer in the bondage of afflictions.
When we reach the state of Nirvana, we have completely escaped these afflictions and they cannot bind us any longer. This is Bliss. It cannot be created nor destroyed. It is eternal Bliss.
Self, here, is the Greater Self. It is completely selfless. We all have a “selfish” self. In Japan they use the character “selfish” to represent “I”. A selfish mind thinks, “My child” “My wife” “My loves” “My land” “My house” “My business” “Mine, mine, mine….” Everything is mine. Everything is caught up in “me”. These are afflictions.
For the Buddha, the Earth, sentient beings, even the whole universe is His Self. He has no self, so He is the universe’s Great Awakened One. He hoped that we would embrace the whole world, all living things, and even the whole planet with love. We should love everything on Earth. “The Earth is me. I am everything living in the world.” This is the Great Self. Monastic practitioners need to completely give Great Love. This is the Great Self. In addition, our Lay Priests also use the spirit of Great Self and Great Love to let go of their small “self”; the concept of family no longer binds them. They can expand their hearts to serve the people. Although they live the life of the laity, they cherish all sentient beings. Their actions are those of great Bodhisattvas. This selfless Greater Self finds no fetters in personal relationships. It can roam freely everywhere in the universe. The Greater Self is pure and undefiled.
These are the Buddha’s Four Virtues of Nirvana. Permanence, Bliss, Self and Purity. In addition to the Four Virtues, there are Eight Powers of Transformation.
Eight Powers of Transformation: 1. Transforming one body into many 2. Revealing many worlds in a speck of dust 3. Flying anywhere with a vast but light body 4. Manifesting in an infinite variety of forms 5. Using all six senses interchangeably 6. Obtaining all Dharma as if there is no Dharma 7. Speaking one verse with eternal meaning 8. Pervading the entire universe with one body
First, “Transforming one body into many” When they suffer, I grieve. This is transforming one body into many.
Next, “Revealing many worlds in a speck of dust” This is saying that, actually, the Earth is like a speck of dust in the great universe. Compared with other stars or planets, it is quite tiny. So “revealing many worlds in a speck of dust” means having a vast and limitless mind.
“Flying anywhere with a vast but light body” Although we are here, our minds can embrace the universe. Our thoughts quickly reach all Dharma-realms. This is wisdom.
The fourth is “manifesting in an infinite variety of forms” These are sentient beings. The Buddha constantly manifests in the Saha-world. He has never stopped coming. It is only that we do not understand. Everyone, as Buddhists, we truly need to see all people as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Sentient beings appear in all forms. So, we also need to be respectful.
Fifth is “using all six senses interchangeably.”
Sixth is “obtaining all Dharma as if there is no Dharma” We cannot be arrogant. Do we understand all 84,000 teachings? Not yet. One teaching gives rise infinite meanings. We just need to mindfully penetrate one Dharma. Naturally, all Dharma is infinite. The infinite is encompassed in the One Dharma, so the Dharma exists as if there is no Dharma. This is the Great Dharma.
Seventh is “speaking one verse with eternal meaning” We just talked about the Dharma being everlasting. It lasts for infinite Kalpas. One good verse can be passed down through infinite ages.
Eighth is “pervading the entire universe with one body” No matter where our bodies may be, we are vast and infinite.
Everyone, do not have a mind of attachment. Learning Buddha’s way is learning purity. Our pure minds are as vast as the open sky. So, we should always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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