Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Lotus Sutra Preface(2) 法華經序(二)
Date: March. 18, 2013
Every day, with utmost sincerity we enter this place of spiritual practice. From across the entire universe, we invite all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to gather. This sincere thought can pervade the 3000 worlds and reach all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas so they will hear the voice of our heart.
You may remember a story I have told before. There was an honest county magistrate who was uncorrupted and upright, who treated all the people in the county like his own children. He truly cared for them like a parent, so he was loved and respected by all. When he grew old, he retired and returned to the countryside. But as he had been honest all his life, his family had no savings, and were very poor. He also brought his daughter back to the village with him.
A few years later, this aging magistrate got sick. What could they do once he got sick? They had no money to see a doctor and they lived in a very rural area; what could they do? His daughter thought of praying to the Buddha, but she had to lock after her father and could not go to the temple to pay respect. What could she do? A Dharma-Master told her, “If you are sincere, no matter how far away you are, your reverent thoughts can be heard by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. So every day at home, set up an incense table by the door that faces the temple. Pay your respects there every day, and pray sincerely. That will do.”
Because she was mindful, after she heard the Dharma-Master’s words, on her way home, she counted her footsteps and kept track of the time. So she knew that going from her home to the temple took this many steps, this much time. Every morning by the incense table, she sincerely paid respect in this way: The number of steps to the temple was the number of times she prostrated. Each prostration equaled one step. After that, she circumambulated the Buddha. She was very devout. Perhaps her devotion was felt; her father got better day by day. After he recovered, this young lady kept up this ritual every day, in the hopes that her father would be happy and healthy.
In that same year, a young scholar placed first in the National Exams and then returned home to pay respect to his ancestors. The scholar’s mother felt that her son had been blessed by the Buddha. Since he had fared so well, when he returned home, she felt he should first pay respect at the temple. So, the scholar's mother sent someone to the temple with this message, “My son, the scholar, will light the first censer of incense.” So that morning, nobody else went to light the incense. The scholar arrived very early. But when he showed up, there was already incense in the censer; three sticks of incense were burning. He thought, “My mother clearly said that I will light the first censer of incense. How could this happen?” “That's ok, I will come earlier tomorrow.” He arrived earlier the next day, but again three sticks of incense were already lit.
The scholar was very unhappy. The Abbot said, “That is odd. Really, none of us lit that first censer of incense. Why are there 3 sticks of incense every day?” The scholar thought it was strange. Since monastics do not lie, it was impossible that they had done it. Thus he said, “Ok, I will stay here tonight. Tomorrow morning, I will see who lights the incense.” So that night he stayed in the temple. In the morning, before dawn, he was watchful. Indeed, there was clearly a girl. Indeed, there was clearly a girl. He clearly saw the figure of a girl. The temple door was not yet open, but she was already inside. She prostrated sincerely and then walked in a circle around the Buddha.
He told this to the Abbot. Then it occurred to the Abbot, “The girl you mentioned actually exists. She is the daughter of a former county magistrate. When he retired, he returned here.” “Not long ago, the county magistrate fell sick. His daughter was very devoted and watched over him, day and night. She sincerely wanted to pray here, but could not come. Once I told her to set up an incense table by her door and prostrate towards the temple. Perhaps her piety is the reason that at this time every day, as she is praying, the power of her sincerity brings her presence here.”
The scholar heard this story and thought it was inconceivable such a thing could happen. So he went to visit the former county magistrate. When he saw the daughter serve tea, he was startled. Undoubtedly, she was the girl who lit incense and prayed early in the temple. The scholar was very moved, and greatly admired the girl's beauty. So, he went home and told his mother, “Quickly, send someone to propose marriage”. Thus, this wonderful union came to be. The county magistrate had a scholar as his son-in-law and this became a story that people in the village loved to tell. They all enjoyed recounting this tale.
So, from this we know that if we reverently pay respect to the Buddha, if we are sincere, miraculous things will happen. This is a form of devotion. If we are devout, the thoughts arising from our sincerity will be heard by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and pervade the 3000 worlds. Depending on the strength of our piety, even heavenly Dharma-protectors will come and protect us forever.
So in our spiritual training ground, every day we practice with great sincerely. For the Dharma-protectors who guard this place, we feel a sense of gratitude and respect. Let us give rise to a sense of veneration and reverently invite them to guard us.
一念虔誠遍三千
上達諸佛菩薩聽
諸天護法恆守護
虔敬迎請慈悲護念
靜思法脈慈濟道場
共修法A sincere thought can pervade the 3000 worlds, and reach all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. May all Dharma-protectors forever safeguard us. May we reverently invite them, with their compassion, to guard this Tzu Chi training ground, where the teachings of the Jing-Si Dharma-lineage are practiced.
This is the Tzu Chi School of Buddhism, the Jing Si Dharma-lineage. In Tzu Chi, the method we use for group practice is to bow to and chant the Lotus Sutra. In Jing Si Hals across Taiwan, and in all our offices, when we practice together, aren’t we bowing to and chanting the Lotus Sutra? So, we revere and treasure every word in the Lotus Sutra Preface, thus we bow and chant sincerely. This is a characteristic practice of Tzu Chi. This mental training ground is also called the Jing Si Dharma-lineage, the Tzu Chi School of Buddhism.
Usually when we are engaged in group practice, we bow to and chant the Preface of the Lotus Sutra. I hope that when we practice together, when we bow to and chant the Lotus Sutra, we do so with a mindset of utmost sincerity. As I mentioned yesterday, in addition to our sincere contemplation of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas across the universe, our offerings of incense and flowers likewise pervade all Dharma-realms. That is an expression of our piety, and it dignifies our place of practice. In every moment, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas grace us with their presence and surround this place, so we must be very sincere in the way we bow and prostrate. We hope to thoroughly understand this Mahayana Sutra and the principles of the intrinsic and the manifested, and to thoroughly comprehend the Dharma, the analogies, etc. Whether one aspires to practice the Mahayana-path or only to follow the Hinayana, everyone can understand this Mahayana Dharma, and turn from the Hinayana to the Mahayana. I hope we can all awaken and realize Buddha-Dharma from deep within our hearts.
Thus, the Preface states that we need to take refuge. We need to sincerely take refuge and dedicate our body and life to spiritual practice because we hope we will be able to “transcend the sea of life and death”.
【法華經 序品第一】
我今誓皈依
願超生死海
Today we vow to take refuge.
May we transcend the sea of life and death.
The sea of life and death is a state of mind. Does everyone die only once in a lifetime? No, our thoughts are constantly arising and ceasing. So, let us turn thoughts that arise and cease into something ever-lasting and with vows as vast as the endless void, remain unwavering. Thus we can “transcend the sea of life and death”. So, we are not simply speaking of a lifespan of several decades, or of a century. Definitely not. We are now speaking of the arising and ceasing of every thought.
I often tell everybody that these Four States of Existence, arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing, all take place in our minds. Good thoughts arise and cease. A good thought arises, but then quickly ceases. So, when we make a vow, we cannot persevere to the end because we cannot maintain our will and tend to quickly change our minds. This is a form of laziness and this is how evil thoughts arise. Evil thoughts also arise and cease. We should remember to first turn our present thoughts into everlasting ones. We can transcend arising and ceasing thoughts. This is what we must thoroughly understand and then practice with perseverance. So, let us sincerely prostrate.
【法華經 序品第一】
一心頂禮
本師釋迦牟尼佛
一心頂禮
過去多寶佛
一心頂禮
十方分身釋迦牟尼佛
一心頂禮
盡法華經中及十方三世一切諸佛
We wholeheartedly prostrate to our Fundamental Teacher, Sakyamuni Buddha. We wholeheartedly prostrate to the Many Treasure Buddha of the past. We wholeheartedly prostrate to the meanifestations of Sakyamuni Buddha in all the ten directions. We wholeheartedly prostrate to all Buddhas in the Lotus Sutra and of the ten directions and Three Periods of Time.
We bow to our Fundamental Teacher, Sakyamuni. Sakyamuni Buddha is the founder of our religion, the Great Enlightened One of the universe. So, we must prostrate very sincerely, and also “bow to the Many Treasure Buddha of the past. This Buddha came to this world as a witness, to testify at the Lotus Sutra Assembly so that we would more strongly believe that Buddhas of the past, present and future share the same path. The Many Treasure Buddha of the past verified the Dharma expounded by the present Buddha. So, we must bow with gratitude and prostrate to “all Buddhas in the Lotus Sutra and of the ten directions and Three Periods of Time.” We need to be aware that there are many Buddhas in Lotus Sutra. In the process of chanting the Lotus Sutra, we need to keep in mind that many, countless worlds exist. How many are there above and below? They cover the universe of the ten directions and Three Periods of Time. There are Buddhas all across the universe. At the Lotus Sutra Assembly, there are many Buddhas from all ten directions.
【法華經 序品第一】
一心頂禮
妙法蓮華經
法華會上佛菩薩
妙一寶“We wholeheartedly prostrate to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at the Lotus Sutra Dharma-assembly.”
Aside from the Buddha and Bodhisattvas in the boundless void, there are some who were listening to the Buddha expound the Dharma at the Lotus Sutra Assembly. When we pay respect, we must bow down and visualize this image, that we are surrounded by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. We must have this devout mindset when we prostrate.
In the past, alone in my small cottage, I prostrated until I was filled with Dharma-joy. One time, as a bowed down, I suddenly felt surroundings filled with a luminous light, very gentle, like the moon at the moon at the Mid-Autumn Festival, so perfectly round and radiant. It was a very gentle and tender light. With great reverence, I felt that that state was filled with a beautiful, perfect and soft light.
At the Lotus Sutra Assembly, this kind of state emerged constantly. Though I was not doing it for a long time, I bowed and chanted with great sincerity, so that state manifested. You know, such Dharma-joy is indescribable. Every time I prostrate, when my head touches the ground, I think of that state.
Everyone, this sincere state of mind is absolutely not illusory or unreal, not a visual or auditory hallucination. Absolutely not. We must all train our minds so that when we face any person, matter or condition, we will use a selfless and pure mind to deal with everything. As we chant the Buddha’s name and prostrate with a pure and selfless mindset, that is called sincerity.
So everyone, if every morning we treat this training ground as the assembly at Vulture Peak, at the moment we will have instantly pervaded the 3000 worlds and also be present at Vulture Peak during the time when the Buddha taught. So, as long as we are very sincere, a distance of over 2000 years means nothing. With a heart of sincerity, we have already returned to the Buddha’s Lotus Sutra Assembly at Vulture Peak. Sincerity in prayer is very crucial, especially when bowing to and chanting the Lotus Sutra. Every word in it precious, so we must chant every word sincerely. Everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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