Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Enter Taught the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings (入於無量義處三昧)
Date: June. 24, 2013
The Buddha comes to this world for one great cause, which is to help sentient beings realize His wisdom. This is the origin of the great Dharma. Since He is here for the sake of sentient beings, the Buddha wants to help everyone realize. His wisdom and views. However, sentient beings truly have varying levels of capabilities. The Buddha must carefully guide sentient beings according to each of their capabilities. Even though He can tell them, “Your goal is to get there,” they ,may not dare to walk that path. Then the Buddha may tell them, “If you circles around to that other path, you can still get there.” The path they take depends on their capabilities and preferences. However, in the end there is just one path, to the state of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. So, this is how the Buddha guided sentient beings with His compassion and wisdom onto the straight path to enlightenment. For over 40 years, the Buddha used skillful means to teach sentient beings one by one according to their capabilities. Regardless of which method He used, it is encompassed within the Mahayana Dharma. Consider the vastness of this universe; the Earth is only one planet within it. On Earth, there are numerous living beings which are also part of this universe, this endless void. Something that is “great” encompasses everything. So, all skillful means the Buddha teaches are encompassed within the Mahayana Dharma. Since sentient beings’ capabilities are limited, He uses different skillful means to guide them. This is the only way sentient beings can understand, accept and walk in this direction.
The Mahayana: All great Dharma [are taught] according to the capabilities of sentient beings. Therefore, each of these skillful means are encompassed within the Mahayana Dharma.
Because sentient beings do not yet have the capability to accept great Dharma, the Buddha has to guide them with the Hinayana skillful means. Although the teachings are simpler, they contain the same truths as greater teachings. This is just as how, in our world, when children are young, they attend kindergarten, then elementary, secondary school and college. Likewise, in the world there are students who skip from first to fifth grade, or skip from secondary school to college. This depends on their capabilities, on the child’s IQ and knowledge. By the same principles, there are immediate and gradual teachings. Gradual means to go one step at a time, starting with Hinayana teachings. Immediate means those with sharp capabilities hear one thing and realize 1000. By pointing directly to the human mind, they can understand and realize their true nature. [What is taught] depends on sentient beings’ capabilities. So in the beginning,
the Buddha expounded a Mahayana sutra for all Bodhisattvas. What was the sutra? The Sutra of Infinite Meanings, the teachings of the Bodhisattva-path.
The Sutra of Infinite Meanings [shows that] all Buddhas teach the same path to enlightenment.
All Buddhas teach the same path to enlightenment.The Buddhas of the past, present and future are all the same.They all intended to [teach] a Mahana sutra that contains infinite meanings.
So, this was cared for and guarded by the Bdudha.When we read the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, we feel that the verses address the way people live right now.When someone is living an unwholesome life, how do we correct them?When sentient beings are suffering, how do we alleviate their spiritual suffering or save them from physical suffering, and so on?[The answer] is in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, which if truly the Bdudha’s teaching for the world.His teachings are created for this world.So, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings is the teaching of the Bodhisattva-path.Every word in that sutra teaches us how to give and how to help sentient beings.
These are the original teachings of all Bdudhas, which they guard and protect.So when we read and hear the teachings from this sutra, they appear to talk about worldly matters and how Buddhist practitioners can engage with people.Although the teachings look so simple, the Buddha said.He was not teaching skillful means according to sentient beings’ capabilities anymore; He was expressing His original intent.“This Dharma is truly the universal, ultimate truth that arises from the Dharma-realm of one reality.”This sutra truly arose from the Dharma-realm of one reality.There is no other reality; there is only the sole intention of the Buddha, the ultimate truth of this world.
What is the ultimate truth of this dharma-realm/It is universality.Don’t we often speak of showing compassion to all equally?We should all be compassionate and recognize the equality of all sentient beings.All Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, humans and sentient beings are equal in the Dharma-realm, and all intrinsically have Buddha-nature.That is the ultimate truth.So, among teachings created from the understanding that we are all equal, the truest one is expounded in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings.Among the Bdudha-Dharma, this sutra comes the closest to teaching the ultimate truth of this world.
For the assembly, the Buddha expounded the Sutra of Infinite Meanings.It is not the teachings of skillful means which are adapted to sentient beings, but is truly the universal, ultimate truth that arose from the Dharma-realm of one reality.
Therefore, I keep telling you all that the Sutra of Infinite Meanings is the essence of the Lotus Sutra.As the Lotus Sutra reveals subtle and wondrous dharma to us, it does so also through the Sutra of Infinite Meanings.The Sutra of Infinite Meanings is the universal and true Dharma of the Dharma-realm.The Dharma-realm is infinite; sentient beings are infinite; their desires are also beyond measure.This [sutra] is about ways this Dharma can enter the hearts of sentient beings.
So, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings contains the Buddha’s teachings of the Bodhisattva-path.
This is the Buddha’s intention, which He guarded and cared for.
Next, “After the Buddha finished expounding this sutra, He sat in a cross-legged position and entered the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings,His body and mind unmoving.”
After the Buddha finished expounding this sutra, which was the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, He sat in a cross-legged position.Usually at the end of each sutra, after the Buddha finishes expounding it, the assembly is filled with joy, pays their respects and leaves.After the Buddha concludes the teaching, everyone prostrates reverently to show that they have accepted [the Dharma].
Then they leave joyfully.This is the sequence of every sutra.
But after the Sutra of Infinite Meanings was expounded, the Buddha did not indicate that.He was done and that they may leave.He did not.After the Buddha finished expounding this sutra, He sat in a cross-legged position and entered the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings.His body and mind were unmoving. This was a rare sight under those circumstances. It was unheard of, and unprecedented, for the Buddha to finish expounding the sutra and then not move and begin seated meditation. Since the Buddha remained unmoving, those who heard the Dharma dared not move either. They just stayed there and did not leave because the Buddha continued to sit there in a cross-legged position. This shows us that after the Buddha finished expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, He then entered into the state of ultimate truth arising from infinite meanings, which is the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings.
After the Buddha had finished expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, He entered into the ultimate truth that arose from the infinite meanings, which is the Samadhi of infinite meanings.
This shows that after the Buddha finished expounding this sutra, His actions verified that this sutra did not end with the teaching; there are still infinitely more meanings. So this is how He entered into the ultimate truth that arises from infinite meanings. Where is the true Dharma? There is still more to explain. So the Buddha manifested this unusual appearance, which was the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings. Samadhi also means Right Concentration.
Now, first we have to be clear on what it means to “sit in a cross-legged position”. Cross-legged position is to sit with legs crossed and soles facing up. When the left leg is on top of the right, that is called the subduing position. We must subdue our scattered minds and delusions. If the right leg is on top of the left, it is called the auspicious position. While expounding the Dharma, the auspicious position is often used. This is called sitting in a cross-legged position.
Sitting in a cross-legged position means crossing the legs with both soles facing up. The left leg on top of the right is the subduing position, for subduing afflictions. The right leg on top of the left is the auspicious position, often used while expounding the Dharma.
Depending on our habits, right leg on top of the left or left leg on top of the right are both fine. These are ways we sit in meditation. Sitting in a cross-legged position is the way to enter the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings. The Buddha's mind is truly broad and spacious. This state of tranquility and clarity, with vows as vast as the universe, is very still. When we are in this tranquil state, we are already in the state of Samadhi. Another name of Samadhi is Samapatti, which means perfect and universal. This is the mindset of the Buddha, which remains steadfast without any deviation and in state of concentration.
So it is also translated as Right Concentration ,which is a way to transcend all evil. When we sit down and our minds do not stray into deviant thoughts, our minds are in Right Concentration. So this is called Samadhi, which means to focus the mind so it does not become scattered. To abide in ultimate truth is to meditate on the infinite meanings of reality.
Every morning after chanting sutras, before my lecture, everyone sit in meditation like this. Though it is a short period of time, it trains us to focus our minds and thoughts so they do not become scattered. This is [a skill] we need to develop. Can we find a way to enter the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings? This Samadhi came after Buddha explained the ultimate truth, which gave rise to infinite meanings. This Samadhi arose from the ultimate truth. After [expounding] infinite meanings,He then returned to the ultimate truth which is held by these infinite meanings. After giving this teaching, He returned to the state held by these infinite meanings. This means His mind and conduct were one. His mind was already in the state of the ultimate truth of infinite meanings. The same applied to the Dharma He expounded. After He expounded the Dharma, He returned to this state of ultimate truth. This is the trust teaching of infinite meanings.
Entering the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings is, as the Buddha has said, starting from the ultimate truth, giving rise to infinite meanings, and then realizing the absolute, ultimate truth that is contained within these infinite meanings.
So some people ask, “Why did the Buddha enter the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings again? Why did He need to enter Samadhi again?” The Buddha’s mind is always in Samadhi. Why did He need to enter Samadhi again? This is not wrong. The Buddha’s speaks and acts in Samadhi. Since He is always in Samadhi, why did He need to manifest the appearance of entering Samadhi? This tells us that the Buddha’s wisdom always realize the ultimate truth. There is no ultimate truth that the Buddha needs to realize again. Indeed, He was verifying it for us. The Buddha’s wisdom is already at the stage of superme, perfect, universal enlightenment. He does not need to display the appearance of entering or exiting Samadhi. But the Buddha manifested this appearance to suit sentient beings’ capabilities. Because we are in the human realm, everything works according to worldly Dharma, so He must manifest appearance.
The Buddha’s mind is always in Samadhi, so why do we speak of Him appearing to enter Samadhi or exit Samadhi? Buddha’s wisdom always realizes ultimate truth; when does He not realize it? This was [to teach] according to capabilities.
So after the Buddha finished expounding the sutra, the assembly did not disperse. They stayed to listen. Since the Buddha entered Samadhi, the assembly did not disperse. They knew that since the Buddha was in Samadhi, afterwards there must be excellent Dharma to come, that He was probably going to expound on the state of ultimate truth, the principles of infinite meanings. They knew this because their hearts could comprehend the Buddha’s Way. So their hearts, the Dharma and the Buddha were truly connected. Their hearts were connected at the assembly.
So this Vulture Peak Assembly was not just a physical assembly, but a spiritual assembly. The Buddha, the Dharma and sentient beings all come together. So as the Buddha remained in Samadhi, the assembly did not disperse. They waited for more wondrous Dharma. At that moment, the sight of heavenly flowers delighted them and the earth shook. Everyone was very joyful. At this time, the union of their hearts made the assembly magnificent.
After the Buddha finished expounding the Sutra, the assembly did not disperse. After the Bodhi Samadhi, they waited to hear more Dharma. The sight of heavenly flowers delighted them. When the earth shock, their minds were moved. All joyously observed the Buddha and the luminescence from radiating from between His all kinds of rare sights manifested at one time.
So during that time, everyone’s mind were unmoving anticipation. It was not only the Buddha who entered the Samadhi of infinite Meanings. Indeed in that assembly, everyone’s bodies and minds were unmoving. The whole assembly was united as one.
Everyone, learning the Buddha’s Way is a mindset. I hope our minds can penetrate the Buddha’s mind, and in our living, we can practice the Buddha’s teachings. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
