Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: He Came to the Saha World to Transform All Beings (為度眾生 來去娑婆)
Date: March. 29, 2013
Sakyamuni Buddha (釋迦牟尼佛) came to this world for one great cause to “reveal and manifest” His wisdom and view so sentient beings can “realize and enter” them. But when it comes to knowing, sentient beings have either sharp or dull capabilities. Those with sharp capabilities, can instantly attain realization. Those with dull capabilities, have to hear things over and over again, for an unknown period of time before they achieve realization. I have mentioned that for five bhiksus(五比丘) alone, the Buddha had to expound the Four Noble Truths three times(三轉四諦法輪). So for the many sentient beings there are, He has to adjust to the range of all capabilities. The Buddha has made this vow since Beginningless Time He had always made this vow to transform all sentient beings. But the capabilities of these many sentient beings are not the same, so He has to be patient.
Therefore, He established the Five Period of Teachings(五時設教) to resonate with all sentient beings’ different capabilities. If one has sharper capabilities, with one sentence or one principle, once can realize ten things. Some people can absorb things quickly. For the Avatamsaka(華嚴) teachings, only the Dharmakaya-Bodhisattvas(法身大士), those with superior capabilities, could accept them, while others could not. So the Buddha had to teach through skillful (施權) means He did so in the Agama Period(阿含). During the Agama Period, within those 12 years, most people had built up confidence in the Buddha-Dharma. Then began eight years of Vaipulya teachings(方等), during which He took the next step to explain that everyone has Buddha-nature. During those eight years, people gradually realized, “The Buddha said if we are willing to practice earnestly, we also can attain Buddhahood.” But they did not have much confidence. So after eight years passed, the Buddha expounded the Prajna teachings(般若).
People had begun to believe in Buddha-nature and that they could attain Buddhahood, so the Buddha took them to the next step of not being attached to existence. So He opened the door to Prajna. The Prajna teachings are a discussion on emptiness. We all have clear wisdom; it is inherent in all of us. It is pure, profound, flawless, and untainted. Since it is untainted, everything is clear and radiant, is empty. When people hear about emptiness, those with superior capabilities, those who understand, will know that yes, we all have the same intrinsic nature and pure wisdom as the Buddha. But ultimately, we strive to have no hindrances and to attain the ultimate state of Nirvana(涅槃), which is the calm, luminous land of the Buddha. Those with superior capabilities had understood this thoroughly at the Avatamsaka Assembly. These Dharmakaya-Bodhisattvas have been practicing since Beginningless Time.
Therefore they have transcended and left behind all confused, dream-like states. But those with average of inferior capabilities go through the Agama, the Vaipulya, and eventually the Prajna, the state of emptiness. This is quite a long process, but everyone has begun to very gradually understand. So after reaching the state of emptiness, then what? Even if they have faith, then what? Then they realize that there is still wondrous existence. There is wondrous existence in emptiness if we all believe in this, we will have no issues with others.
If we have no issues with others, there will be no conflicts, and we can be free fro any kind of erroneous thinking. If we have no issues with anyone, what else is there to want? Everything is fine. Without that sense of striving, there will be no affliction and no sense of gain or loss. Without all these desires, what is our course? It is the course toward attaining Buddhahood. We must penetrate, see through everything in the world. When we see through that hazy state, that road in front of us will be the right one. This is the broad and straight Bodhi-path, which is clear and apparent. When we follow this path, we are following the Bodhisattva-path.
So the Buddha began to expound the Lotus Sutra. This is the great cause for which the Buddha came to this world. In deed, Sakyamuni Buddha came to this world to teach us by example. He was also born into this human realm. He too grew up in this world. He also went through birth, aging, illness, and death. He appeared in the same form as all people but He had a different mindset. Ordinary people think only about instant gratification. They think about today's happiness and pleasures. They do not think about all the contradictions in the world. Even though in their external surroundings, they can see birth, aging, illness, and death, or spring, summer, autumn, winter, the changing of seasons, etc, they continue living their lives without awakening their own minds.
At that time, Prince Siddhartha awakened his mind. He thought, “I should leave the palace so I an devote myself to the path of discovering the truths of life.” Therefore, he left home. The path he walked was very difficult. Was that moment, over 2000 years ago when Prince Siddhartha began his practice, the beginning of his path to Buddhahood? No. Sakyamuni Buddha has been enlightened for an inconceivable number of eons(不可思議阿僧祇劫) for a very long time. This is an incalculable amount of time. It is hard to say how many tens of thousands or tens of millions of years ago. So we use the term asankhya kalpas (無量阿僧祇劫) to describe an inconceivable number. We ordinary people cannot express in numbers these inconceivable asankhya kalpas(不可思議阿僧祇劫).
I have explained the term kalpa(劫) previously as a length of time that cannot be expressed numerically but could be described with an analogy. The average human lifespan was originally ten years, and increased by one year by every century. This continues to happen every century. One year is added, then another, then another until the average human lifespan is 84,000 years. Consider this; how much time did this take? Does that process stop once we reach 84,000-year lifespans? Is this called one kalpa? This is only the increasing part, but there is also a decreasing part. Starting with an 84,000-year lifespan for every 100 years, one year is subtracted. Another year is subtracted. This subtraction continues until the average human lifespan is 10 years. This is one increasing and decreasing kalpa(一增減劫). How long is this period of time?
So when we are talking about an inconceivable number of asankhya kalpas(阿僧祇劫) that is a very long time. The purpose of this is to help us understand that our Buddha-nature is intrinsic. The Buddha attained enlightenment and has practice for an infinite number of kalpas. He went through a process of spiritual practice. Why did He want to attain enlightenment? Because of sentient beings, He manifested this form to attain enlightenment. I often ask, “Who was the Buddha practicing for?” One the surface, it seemed like He was practicing for Himself. We can also contemplate these questions ourselves. Why is there birth, aging, illness, and death? Why is there spring, summer, autumn, and winter? Why were there four castes? The poor live a hard life, go through birth, aging, illness, death, and separations; what is the reason for all this suffering? The Buddha wanted to solve the problem of these contradictions on behalf of the sentient beings that were suffering tremendously in the four castes. How would He reconcile the matters of birth, aging, illness, death, the suffering of being parted by death or separated from loved ones? When the Buddha was a crown prince, instead of enjoying himself, he practiced for the sake of sentient beings and attained Buddhahood for the them.
釋迦牟尼佛
時成佛道以來
已經不可思議
阿僧祇劫
為度眾生 無有休息
數數示生 數數示滅
Since Sakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment, an inconceivable number of asankhya kalpas have passed. To transform sentient beings, He has never rested and has manifested countless births and deaths.
So He came to this world and has never rested. He did not just come over 2000 years ago. Four countless previous kalpas, He aspired to stay within the Six Realsm. This time He was in the human realm as Crown Prince Siddartha(悉達多太子). Though He was honored as a Prince, He also searched for path to enlightenment for others. He had already attained enlightenment, yet He manifested a body to set an example for our spiritual practice. Part of this practice is renouncing family ties. We understand this principle as part of practice so we will be free from family attachments. Without such attachments, we will not suffer from parting with our loved ones, will not feel the pain of separation. If we renounce family ties and become monastics, we will be free of family attachments and can focus on the path to understanding life and death.
In the 4 Noble Truths, and the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence (四諦十二因緣), the Buddha clearly explained that we must first understand the Truth of Suffering, of the Cause of Suffering, of the Cessation of Suffering and of the Path to the Cessation of Suffering. We must practice this and contemplate the body as impure, all feelings as suffering, the mind as impermanent, and all things as having no self. We can come to realize all this. Then how do people come into being? From the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence.
十二因緣
無明、行、識、名色
六入、觸、受、愛
取、有、生、老死
The 12 Links of Cyclic Existence: Ignorance, Volitional Formation, Consciousness, Name and Form, Six Sense Organs, Contact, Sensation, Craving, Grasping, Becoming, Birth, Aging, and Death.
Our intrinsic nature was originally pure. Then beginning with an ignorant thought, we developed the Six Coarse Marks. So the conditions of Six Coarse Marks tempt and lead us to ignorance. It is said, “An ignorance thought causes the Three Subtleties. External Conditions lead to the Six Coarse Marks.” (一念無明生三細, 境界為緣長六粗) We face these circumstances because external conditions attract our Six Roots, our sense organs. Because of the Six Roots, we take many actions. So through the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence, we can understand how humans come into being. This is the course of our spiritual practice.
We should be grateful. The Buddha already told us that sentient beings have the same intrinsic nature as Buddhas, and He gave us a lot of wisdom to absorb. However, if we absorb a lot of wisdom but do not apply it, that does not count as enlightenment. We have to apply it. We may renounce family ties, have no worries about family, engage in spiritual practice, and avoid forcibly creating karmic connections. But is doing this enough to attain Buddhahood? This is not enough. We have to go among humankind. After we understand these principles, our minds will not be tempted by external conditions. Whatever external conditions arise, we will be respectful and grateful, and we will give unconditionally with great love. Sakyamuni Buddha was once the Never-Slighting Bodhisattva (常不輕菩薩) in a past life, He attained this understanding, “No matter what external conditions I face, I will prostrate, be respectful and grateful because everyone can attain Buddhahood.” This is also what the Buddha taught us in the Lotus Sutra. After practicing for countless kalpas and accepting the teachings from countless Buddhas, He could understand all this, open His mind and push aside interpersonal conflicts and afflictions, whether they were real or illusory. Whether something was real or illusory did not matter to Him. Whether it was emptiness or existence, He was not attached to it. That is why He kept coming to this world and manifesting the way to attain Buddhahood. When He attained Parinivana did He enter and abide in the tranquil pure land? No. He still continuously comes to this world, without ant rest. He comes to transform sentient beings; there are still many ignorant sentient beings. Even though the Buddha manifested death, He still keeps coming back for sentient beings without rest. He has manifested “birth and death countless times.”(數數示生, 數數示滅). He keeps coming to this world, going through birth, aging, illness, and death until the end of each life. After the end of each life, He comes to the beginning of a new life. He has come and gone countless times, without any rest. “He manifested birth and death countless times.”
So we can understand that it has been a very long time since Sakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment. Fellow Bodhisattvas-practitioners, we must have a sense of gratitude. Every day we have to purify our hearts until they are clear. We live in this evil and turbid world so the wonderful lotus flower in our hearts has to emerge from the muck. A lotus arises from mud but remains undefiled. Only among interpersonal and worldly conflicts can our bright lotus flower bloom and grow. I hope everyone will always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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