Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Suiting the Intent of All Buddhas (適悅諸佛本懷)
Date: June. 25, 2013
At the Vulture Peak assembly, the Buddha had entered a state of meditation and finished expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. After He finished, He entered the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings and His body and mind remained unmoving. In that place, under those circumstances, [He manifested] auspicious appearances. This let everyone know that there were many infinite teachings to come after the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, so He hoped everyone would settle their minds. Because He entered a state of meditation, everyone understood; in the past after the Buddha finished teaching, He was done, and they could happily make obeisance and leave. However, this time the Buddha quickly sat and entered Samadhi. So, everyone realized the Buddha’s intent, and they also sat down to wait for His further teachings of wondrous Dharma. During that time, the Buddha’s mind was unmoving. Every person’s mind was also tranquil as they waited.
In fact, after the Sutra of Infinite Meanings was expounded, their faith was strengthened. Therefore, they made the Four Great Vows to treat afflictions. We all need to know the Four Great Vows. “I vow to deliver infinite sentient beings. I vow to eliminate endless afflictions. I vow to learn infinite Dharma-paths. I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.” Every one of us should understand these Four Great Vows. Isn’t the Dharma-path we have learned meant to be used to transform all sentient beings? To transform beings and teach them the Dharma, the most important thing is to end afflictions. This is a cycle of goodness. To turn the Dharma-wheel, we must make the Four Great Vows. Otherwise, why are we learning the Buddha’s Way? The most important goal is to attain Buddhahood. If our path is separate from the Four Great Vows, we are not really on the path to Buddhahood. So learning the Buddha’s Way is all about the Four Great Vows. Only by constantly going through this cycle can we enter the Buddha’s path. Therefore, we must diligently practice the Six Perfections in all our actions to benefit ourselves and others. As we learn Buddha’s Way, we benefit ourselves, attain perfect enlightenment and guide others closer to the Buddha-Dharma. Therefore, this is the Dharma-path of benefitting self and others.
Enter the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings, with body and mind unmoving. Make the Four Great Vows to treat afflictions, transform sentient beings and attain Buddhahood. Practice the Six Perfections in all actions to benefit self and others.
Next we will talk about “at that time,” which was when the Buddha sat in meditation. Everyone’s mind began to settle. What a dignified and solemn scene it was. Everyone’s mind was very tranquil. At that time,
“there fell from the heavens a rain of Mandarava flowers, Mahamandarava flowers, Manjusaka flowers and Mahamanjusaka flowers.” “These were four kinds of flowers that were scattered from the sky. All the Buddha-worlds quaked in six ways.”
Mandarava means agreeable; Manjusaka means soft.So, together they meat agreeable and soft.
Some flowers were big, some small; some flowers were red, some white.This meant the flowers were beautiful.This was the description in the sutra.Let us imagine that state.They were at Vulture Peak, not in a lecture hall but in the wilderness on the mountains.They were likely under the trees.
The Buddha had already entered the state of the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings.Every person’s mindset was different.Some had great powers of Samadhi, just like Bodhisattvas who had great spiritual roots and grat wisodm.When they sat down, the state of their minds was also quite dignified, and they entered a state fo meditaion.
Tehre were also those at or beyond the stage of learning.In particular, [let us examine] those starting out at the stage of learning.After they heard the Sutra of Infinite Meanings and then saw [the Buddha enter] this state, they wondered what was happening.This had never happened before.Why was this Dharma-assembly so different?
At such a dignified momnet, perhaps the stirrings of a gentle breeze caused the leaves to fall and flowers from trees to scatter.Flowers and leaves constantly drifted down.In that state, “the sight of heavenly flowers delighted them”.When they saw flowers and leaves falling like this many people felt joyous.Therefore, it was described as a sight that delighted them and brought them joy.Seeing flowers and leaves scatter and fall may bring us pleasure.When we are in such a state of tranquility, even very subtle things can move us deeply.
It is just like right now.Our surrounding is very quiet.With just the sounds of my voive and of birds in this very quiet and peaceful moment, our minds are in a very beautiful spiritual state.Therefore, the state of those at the Vulture Peak assembly was probably even more wondrous and joyful.
“When the earth shook, their minds were moved, all joyously observed the Buddha.”Everyone felt the land shaking.This was a peaceful moment.When they saw the rain of flowers falling, the whole earth filled with peace and ease.At this time, all joyously observed the Buddha.
The sight of heavenly flowers delighted them.When the earth shook, their minds were moved.All joyously observed the Buddha and the luminescence radiating from between His brows.All kinds of rare sights manifested at one time.
One fo the Buddha’s 32 marks is a white tuft of hair that radiated light.This luminescece came from the area between His eyebrows.Our face is very important.Actually, why did people from ancient times have their facial hair threaded?There is a kind of hair on our faces that resembles felt.When the light hits it from different angles, it is reflected in different directions.So, He had a tuft of hair that curled clockwise.This was one of the Buddha’s marks, “luminescene radiated from betweeen His brows.”“All kinds of rare sights manifested at one time.”This was the state [they experienced].
The Bdudha sat and faced a certain direction and when the light shone on Him and with everyone observing Him so joyously, there came this appearance of luminescence radiating from between His brows.This section described the feelings of the people who were there.With their mindset at that time, what they saw was a dignified manifestation.
Earlier I mentioned that there were four kinds of flowers.In the old days, they were translated as
small white flowers and large white flowers, small red flowers and large red flowers.There were various sizes.So the four kinds were also small and large agreeable flowers and small and large soft flowers.Everyone felt agreeable and very happy.
This explained why when the flowers fell, everyone felt agreeable and very happy. They felt not only joyful but comforted. This was their spiritual state. In fact, in “The Complete Lotus Sutra,” it says
the 40 years ago, [He] guided with skillful means. Each achieved small fruits, so this was slightly agreeable.
After the Buddha attained enlightenment, He shared the Buddha-Dharma with sentient beings. They had varying capabilities and strong habitual tendencies, so the Buddha used skillful means and offered provisional teachings. “Provisional” teachings skillfully suit these stubborn and heavily afflicted sentient beings. So, He used various methods to slowly guide them and helped them sweep away layer after layer of afflictions so gradually, the light of their wisdom could slowly manifest. This required so much hard work. He had to suit sentient beings environments and their capabilities. He used different methods to carefully guide them.
For instance, when we are washing something with a deeper stain, we start by using a coarse brush. Then we use a softer brush. After that , we use an even finer brush for careful polishing. Afflictions are like these stains. Thus, He had to use many methods to eliminate sentient beings' various kinds of afflictions. So in those 40 years, He guided them with skillful means. Skillful means are various methods that suit the capabilities of sentient beings. Based on the person, the time or the location, He used certain methods to guide them so these afflicted sentient beings can gradually come to an understanding. Subsequently, the would achieve small fruits. Once they understood, they gradually began to change. These are small fruits. Upon seeing their transformation, we are happy. This is called slightly agreeable.
After a long period of time, we finally see people begin to change. Then we feel reassured and comforted. But they do not yet have thorough understanding, so we must still continue to mindfully guide and teach them.
So for over 40 years, this was what the Buddha did for sentient beings, for humankind. He taught them with skillful means.
Now, this sutra proclaimed the absolute reality of One Vehicle; this suited the original intent of all Buddhas. This is called greatly agreeable. [Starting with the Lotus Surta,] He pointed directly to our intrinsic nature. This is the true Dharma.
The real goal of the Buddha when He comes to this world is to teach people the Dharma they can accept, which is the Bodhisattva-path. All Buddhas of the past, present and future share the same Dharma and path. So “this suited the intent of all Buddhas”. Every Buddha's original intent includes [the intent to] teach the subtle and wondrous Dharma of the Bodhisattva-path.
To teach requires softness. So, all heavens rained down small and large agreeable flowers to signify that this sutra was teaching the Bodhisattva-path, which was also a softening teaching. [Talking about] softness signified that the mindsets of those who listened to the Dharma were no longer stubborn and had already accepted the Buddha-Dharma. When everyone's state of mind is agreeable and softened, that is the time to teach the Mahayana Sutra of Infinite Meanings. In the future, it will circulate among people. So, if we can all realize this, we can turn the Dharma -wheel as we interact with others. Therefore, this must agree with the minds of all beings so that it will subdue all stubborn minds and transform them into soft and gentle minds. This is the function of this Dharma.
Therefore, all heavens rained down small and large agreeable flowers to signify that this sutra is teaching the Bodhisattva-path, a softening Dharma.
So, this sutra speaks of “incomparably stubborn sentient beings [who were] not softened. Each were subbed over 40 years.”
40years ago, He used slightly softening methods. Now it used greatly agreeable and softening methods. Agreeable means that it suits their minds. These flowers suited the minds of the assembly to various degrees.Hinayana Teachings were slightly agreeable. Teachings that people with sharp faculties could instantly accept were greatly agreeable. When we hear the Dharma, happiness arises. Then the conditions we see with this state of mind will make us very happy and subdue our affliction.
Mandarava means agreeable. Mahamandarava means greatly agreeable. This means it suited the minds of the assembly. Manjusaka means softening. Mahamanjusaka means greatly softening.
“Fell from the heavens” means a dazzling array of flowers that keeps drifting down from the heavens above us.
The expounding of this sutra reveals the cause action of the Buddha-vehicle, therefore these flowers were the auspicious response.
Next, there are six kinds of shaking, each with its own meaning. If we hear about an earthquake, we become worried. But this quaking is the analogy for a state.
There are six kinds of “shaking”: trembling, rising, quaking, reverberating, roaring, bursting. Something shaking is called trembling.Going up and down is rising. Making a sound is quaking. Colliding is reverberating. Making a great sound is roaring. Varying of sounds is bursting.
You all already understand this. Look at how flowers move when the wind blows. This is called shaking.In an earthquake, we feel lifting and falling. This is called “rising”. It is said that earthquakes result when tectonic plates converge and collide with each other. In particular, “making a great sound is roaring,” and “varying of sounds is bursting”.With a very loud sound, the ground is indeed moving. In fact, the six kinds of shaking mentioned here. In fact, the six kinds of shaking mentioned here are not called earthquakes. All aspects of “shaking” can be categorized into these six kinds.
So all phenomena are inseparable from the Six Roots, Six Dusts and Six Consciousnesses. Six Roots are eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind. Any phenomena that these roots come in contact with will cause shaking in our minds.There may be shaking in our external conditions, in the Six Dusts. There may also be shaking in our Six Consciousnesses, etc. Roots, Dusts and Consciousnesses comprise the Eighteen Realms. In these states, we will constantly feel that phenomena cause phenomena cause “invisible and visible shakings”
The meaning within this is that the shaking causes all Roots, Dusts, Consciousness to loosen and fall away and lead sentient beings to enter the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings. “Shaking also frightens all demons and warns those who are indulgent.”So, I often share with everyone that there are many world-shattering disasters, so there must be world-awaking realizations. In particular, when we are listening to Dharma, we must be focused and single-minded. We must not become deluded or allow afflictions to mesmerize our minds.
All phenomena are part of the six kinds of shaking within the Six Roots, Six Dusts or Six Consciousnesses.Invisible and visible shaking causes all roots, dusts, consciousness to fall away and leads sentient beings to realize the state of the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings. Shaking also frightens all demons and warns those who are indulgent.
If our minds are pure, naturally all states are wonderful states. Even when the wind blows and causes leaves and flowers to fall, it feels like these flowers are falling from heaven. In conclusion, [we must turn] our state of mind into the Buddha-state.If we are mindful and tranquil, we are in a wonderful state. So everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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