Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Buddha Taught the Infinite Mahayana Dharma (佛說無量大乘之法)
Date: June. 21, 2013
Our lives are inseparable from our state of mind. Actually, besides focusing on ourselves, we should also expand our hearts to encompass the universe and embrace everything. Therefore, we should understand that because the endless void is infinite, there are infinite worlds. Since there are infinite worlds, there are infinite sentient beings. As there are infinite sentient beings, the desires of their minds are beyond measure. So, we need to understand that within countless worlds, there are countless sentient beings and countless desires. We must open up our hearts to have a broad view of the world. We must understand all things in the universe because we made aspirations and vows to emulate the Buddha. We want to learn the Buddha’s Way because we hope to attain Buddhahood. Attaining Buddhahood is actually very simple. Every person intrinsically has Buddha-nature. Why do we fear that we will not attain Buddhahood? The problem is that the doors to our hearts are shut tightly. We only focus on our own small world. Therefore, our minds are in darkness and no light can shine through to illuminate the boundless world [around us]. We learn the Buddha’s Way to open up our hearts and manifest our pure and radiant intrinsic nature. By doing so, our greater self becomes one with all things in the world. Then won’t we have knowledge about all things in the world? Therefore, we must know that all things in the world are within the endless void. How do we measure the endless void? It is difficult. There is no end and no boundaries. Actually, our intrinsic nature was originally open and boundless. If we know that the world is boundless, we know it contains countless sentient beings. As we are sitting here, there are people to our front, back, left and right. Each person has an entire world within. So far we are only talking about humans.
Also, there is something we cannot see, though we can hear its sound. What kind of sound is it? We all know that it is obviously that of a bird. Birds have their own world. If we wake up even earlier, before there are sounds of birds, there are even subtler sounds. What sounds are there? The sound of insects. Insects have their own worlds. There are countless creatures in this world, so there are countless sentient beings. Each kind of sentient being has countless desires. Just take the mental state of human beings for example. Every person has different desires. With this group that is sitting here right now, if I say, “Take a pen, sincerely and honestly write down what you are thinking and anticipating right now,” the 200 pens and 200 pieces of paper will each be filled with different answers.
Some people may say, “I made a vow.”Each person makes a distinct vow.A vow is also a hope, which is also a form of desire.Desires to attain Buddhahood and to walk the Bodhisattva-path are still desires.However, does everyone have the determination to learn the Buddha’s Way and walk the Bodhisattva-path?Maybe when habitual tendencies manifest, things will change again.Consider how wondrous the world is in this boundless world, each sentient being has different desires, good, evil and neutral.How many people are doing good?How many people are doing evil?Good and evil depend on one’s habitual tendencies.How many truly have good habitual tendencies?“I made aspirations and vows.”“I am set on this course [of action].”“I am completely dedicated to this mission and will never ever change.”How many of these people are there?Some made aspirations then retreated from them.The passion of their dedication and devotion faded.Although they are still earning the Bdudha’s Way, they regressed from Mahayana to Hinayana and cultivate solely for their own enlightenment.Though they have not completely retreated, they have withdrawn from the great aspirations and vows they made.
So after making great aspirations and vows, can sentient progress without stopping?Moreover, habitual tendencies are tough to subdue.Although we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, we also have some evil in us.As we are influenced over a long period of time, it will become a habitual tendency.If people are not receptive to our good words, then we do not need to tell them about doing good deeds yet.There are a lot of people like this.Indeed, sentient beings are hard to train.
The Buddha manifests in the world solely to train sentient beings.
How does He subdue unwholesome habitual tendencies or evil actions and thoughts?He [teaches] according to sentient beings’ desires.It teaches, we must first be accommodating.We need to take the time and the person into consideration so we can use the Dharma suitable for these capabilities and these occasions.
This all depends on the people, time and place.
Because the Buddha is compassionate, He always accommodates sentient beings, and this requires wisdom.Thus, He exercises both compassion and wisdom.He teaches many kinds of Dharma, which must be infinite, because He has to teach according to sentient beings’ countless desires and various levels of capabilities.
The Buddha accommodates sentient beings’ desires and teaches many kinds of Dharma, which are infinite.
At the Vultuer Peak assembly, there were more than 10,000 monastics alone, 80,000 Bodhisattvas and countless Dharma-protectors.
When they assembled around the World-Honored One, Sakyauni Buddha, the fourfold assembly circumambulate Him and respectfully made offerings to honor and praise Him.This showed that the Bdudha’s character is immeasurable.
However big the world is, the Bdudha’s character can [embrace it all].However great supreme, perfect, universal enlightenment is, His wisdom and realizations are just as great.However broad and wide the world is, His wisdom and compassion are just as broad and wide.Indeed, He has supreme, perfect, universals enlightenment.
His enlightenment, His awakened nature, pervades infinite worlds and can accommodate countless sentient beings.He is so great.
Therefore, the Buddha can accept offerings from people, heavenly beings and Dharma-protectors.
For the sake of the Bodhisattvas, He expounded the Mahayana sutra entitled Infinite Meanings; This teaching of the Bodhisattva-path is cared for and guarded by the Buddha.
Does reading this passage give you a warm and familiar feeling? You often recite the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. As I mentioned, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings is the essence of the Lotus Sutra. The Buddha taught the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. It was not only worlds [for Him], it represented His ideals, spirit and even His original intent. This is because He cared for and guarded the teachings of the Bodhisattva-path. What method did He use to teach Bodhisattvas? He used the method of Infinite Meanings to teach everyone to make great aspirations and vows to practice among people and help sentient beings.This was the original intent of the Buddha.
The Buddha-Dharma exists in this world. If we seek Buddha- Dharma outside this world, we will not find it. That is like finding turtle fur and rabbit horns; it is not possible. Do rabbits have horns? Do turtles have fur? Not at all. So, the Buddha-Dharma must exist in this world. Buddha-Dharma exists for the sake of this world. So I often say, “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering beings”. Buddhahood cannot be attained in heaven or hell. Beings in heaven are too blissful; with a long lifespan and abundant materials goods, they remain immersed in enjoyment and pleasure. They do not know about worldly suffering. What about hell? There is too much suffering; the suffering never stops. That is why it is called unremitting hell. Beings ceaselessly suffer and are tormented, tortured, etc.. They have no time to hear the Buddha-Dharma. They have no opportunity. Not only that, there is no way [they could listen]. The suffering is already overwhelming, how would they have any energy to listen to the Dharma?It is best to be in the human realm, where the Five Destinies, joy and suffering are intermixed. Spiritual practice has to take place in this world. So there is a saying, “It is difficult to attain human form and to hear the Dharma, especially to have done both. If we do not awaken in this life, when will we have the opportunity again?” If we do not make use of this physical existence, how long will we have wait to attain human form again to transform ourselves?
Therefore, we must be very mindful and seize this moment to hear Mahayana teachings. And through the Tzu Chis School of Buddhism, we, fellow Bodhisattvas, must truly interact with people. In recognizing suffering, we realize our blessings. In the face of suffering, we nurture compassion. In this world, we see so much suffering. We must be like Bodhisattvas and help others. We have time because, compared to those in hell, we are much more blessed. Compared to us, heavenly beings are immersed in happiness. They do not see suffering, so they do not recognize it. They have no awareness of it so they do not have the opportunities that we have in the human realm.This is why we say, “Give unconditionally and also be grateful”. [Other] are giving us the opportunity to serve. So, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings mentions that there are many aspects of society that arise from our minds and are created by our bodies. How do we give others teachings? How do we give others teachings? How do we help them? This is what we are learning from the wisdom in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. Therefore, we must be very grateful for the Sutra of Infinite Meanings as the essence of the Lotus Sutra. So right at the start, we entered into the essence of the Buddha- Dharma, thus we should not retreat; we must be diligent.
So, the Buddha taught the Bodhisattva-path.How, so we accept the Bodhisattva-path? First, we have to know that all who expound the Dharma must first observe whether sentient beings’ capabilities have come to fruition before giving teachings. Though He is now teaching Mahayana Dharma, the Buddha is still teaching according to capabilities. When people are ready for the Hinayana teachings, He uses skillful means. When they mature into Mahayana [practitioners], He gives them Bodhisattva teachings. This is the Buddha’s wisdom.
This is just like what happened to Sariputra in the Sutra. The Buddha entered a state of Samadhi but at first, people did not understand. Three times Sariputra asked the Buddha [to speak]. The Buddha decided the time was not yet right. Sariputra asked the Buddha to expound the Dharma again and again. The Buddha observed the time and capabilities to seize the right moment; it must not be too early nor too late. The timing had to be just right. He had to judge when timing and the capabilities were exactly right.So, He waited until karmic conditions were ripe. When the cause and conditions were ready, He started to expound the Dharma.
One who expounds the Dharma has to observe if the capabilities of sentient beings are ripe before giving the teachings. Sariputra and others asked the Buddha three times to expound the Dharma. He began to speak this wondrous Dharma because the cause and conditions had ripped.
The Lotus Sutra was constantly taught to Bodhisattva when the Buddha was alive and has been passed down since then. Who taught it? The Buddha. The Lotus Sutra is the Dharma the Buddha taught. He expounded the Dharma according to capabilities, based on the time, the people and what needed to be developed. Based on their capabilities, the received certain teachings from the Buddha.
In the Vulture Peak assembly, most who came had already made great aspirations and vows. Even Arhats, bhiksus and bhiksunis can to learn which direction to follow in their spiritual practice. So, the Buddha also hoped that those who sought to enlighten only themselves or cultivate the practice of Arhats would advance to the nest level and make great aspirations and vows.So, aside from the 80,000 Bodhisattvas, there were also monastics. They were His target for teaching the Bodhisattva-path. He hoped these people would make great aspirations and vows.
The Dharma He expounded in this sutra was not for achieving birth as a human or heavenly being. He did not just teach the Dharma of this world, of heaven or of the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. He did not just teach Hinayana Dharma either. What He taught at this time was Mahayana Dharma.
The one who taught the Dharma was the Buddha. He taught according to capabilities. Therefore, the Dharma He taught the Bodhisattva was not the Dharma of human or heavenly birth, nor was it Hinayana Dharma. It was Mahayana Dharma.
When we practice the Buddha-Dharma in this world, we must transcend ourselves and attain a state of selflessness, which is infinite. The endless void is infinite. There are infinite worlds, with infinite sentient beings, and their minds desires are countless. The purpose of this is to everyone reach the state of Bodhisattvs reach the state Bodhisattvas. So, to teach the Bodhisattva-path. The Buddha had to accommodate sentient beings’ desires and teach many kinds of Dharma, which are infinite. Therefore, we already return to this infinite. So, everyone should work hard to study the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. Then we will be able to quickly comprehend the methods taught in the Lotus Sutra. So everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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