Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Bodhisattvas Teach with Compassion and Wisdom (菩薩悲智 應機傳法)
Date: July. 03, 2013
Bodhisattvas interact with compassion and wisdom and find opportunities to teach and spread Dharma. One who is at ease with all Dharma is called the King of all Dharma.
With this I want to share with everyone what I have mentioned before. The Buddha, in a state of Samadhi, radiated light from a tuft of white hair between His brows. At this time, everyone was in the same place. Through the light from between the Buddha’s brow, everyone’s minds were united with His mind. In that place, everyone’s state of mind opened up and they could see 18,000 [worlds], even into the way that sentient beings lived in the Six Destinies. As this happened, the conditions that appeared were truly extraordinary. In particular, they could really comprehend and understand the Buddha, He manifested in the human realm and worked during that one lifetime to spread the teachings and benefit all beings. He taught countless sentient beings, awakened their minds and led them all onto the right path. After completing the work of one lifetime, He demonstrated extinction. Great extinction is Parinirvana. After His Parinirvana, in order for Buddha-Dharma to be passed down for thousands of years in the human world as a testament to His presence in this world, and to His teachings that benefit all people, seven-jewel stupas were built for the Buddha’s sariras, or His relics. Everyone could understand this state of mind.
This was a silent and quiet state. Everyone’s minds could experience this state. It must have been a beautiful, penetrating state. Though this state was very magnificent, those who had not yet attained realizations still could not understand it. Some thought, “What does the Buddha’s current appearance mean? What Dharma will He expound next?” So, some people became curious and eagerly awaited [this teaching]. Was the Buddha about to expound the Dharma He had been wanting to teach? Some people wondered, “What kind of Dharma will He teach?” Some were full of admiration, while others were still filled with questions. Bodhisattvas who already thoroughly understood could comprehend the Buddha’s intent. When the Buddha was in Samadhi, people could not ask Him questions. So, these Bodhisattvas had to exercise their wisdom and compassion in the assembly by wisely asking and answering each other’s questions.
Therefore, “Bodhisattvas interacted with compassion and wisdom, found opportunities to teach and spread Dharma.” This was a sight no one had seen before. It is like if right now we were to sit [in mediation] for a long time, [people might start wondering] when the teachings will begin. Some people there had these kinds of questions. Others already knew that it was not yet time for the Buddha to emerge from Samadhi. But, understanding the Buddha’s state of mind, they knew this was to rouse everyone’s sincerity, to inspire everyone’s heart to seek the Dharma.They knew, so a representative stood up to speak, to allow everyone to understand the Buddha’s current state of mind.
Actually, the Buddha has always been the Great King of Dharma.As soon as His mind enters Samadhi, nothing can move Him from that state.We all can understand that the Buddha was in a meditative state.
Next, how did these Bodhisattvas interact?Let us look at this next passage from the sutra.
“At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva had this thought.”
“Now, the World-Honored One manifests signs of miraculous transformation. What are the causes and conditions for these auspicious appearances?”
“The Buddha, the World-Honored One, has now entered Samadhi; these are inconceivable and rare events.”
“Whom shall I ask concerning this?Who can answer?”
“He further thought, The Prince of Dharma, Manjusri, has in the past drawn near and made offerings to countless Buddhas.”
“Surely, he has seen such rare appearances.I shall now ask him.”
This part of the sutra refers to what I just discussed.When this all began, when the Buddha entered Samadhi, no one knew when the Buddha would emerge from that state.
So in his mind, Maitreya Bodhisattva began to think, “Now, who can I find to hold a dialogue with me?Which person truly comprehends the Buddha’s current appearance and the Dharma He will expound?”So, this was Maitreya Bodhisattva’s initial thought.This is to say, Maitreya had already drawn near and made offerings to many Buddhas and had long been a spiritual practitioner.
Remember?In Amoghasiddhi Buddha’s time, Maitreya and Sakyamuni Buddha formed their spiritual aspirations at the same time.They both engaged in spiritual practice together at the feet of the same venerable Buddha.One focused completely on practicing wisdom and one practiced compassion.The practice of compassion is to go among people, to care for and transform sentient beings.The other focused on his own enlightenment and wanted to understand.Amoghasiddhi Buddha’s teachings, and so practiced solely to benefit himself.Around this time, Amoghasiddhi Buddha began preparing to enter Parinirvana.Before entering Parinirvana, each Buddha gave blessings to future Buddhas, predicting the order in which those who had followed and practiced with Him would become Buddhas.Our present Sakyamuni Buddha also gave similar blessings in the Lotus Sutra.
In the past, Amoghasiddhi Buddha did the same.At the time He gave predictions, He looked among His disciples to see in what order they would become future Buddhas in the Saha Would.
After examining them, He said to Sakyamuni Bodhisattva, “In the future, after I enter Parinirvana, Sakyamuni Bodhisattva will succeed me in the Saha World as the Buddha.”“Then Maitreya Bodhisattva will succeed Sakyamuni Buddha in the future.”“He will also attain Buddhahood.”
Everyone had the same question:Wasn’t Maitreya Buddha foremost in wisdom?He thoroughly comprehended the Buddha-Dharma; so why was the prediction given to Sakyamuni to attain Buddhahood first?In that moment, Amoghasiddhi knew that everyone had this question, so He began to explain.Since Sakyamuni also practiced to benefit others, he had enough affinities with sentient beings.Therefore, he would attain Buddhahood first.Maitreya Bodhisattva, though he had much wisdom, had not created enough connections with sentient beings.It is easy to cultivate one’s own wisdom; to form affinities with sentient beings is harder, and requires more time.
Now according to what the sutras say, Maitreya Bodhisattva is still in Tusita Heaven, the training ground for Bodhisattva; he is training to come to the human world. Tusita Heaven is also a way to describe the place; the human realm where Bodhisattvas are trained to form affinities with sentient beings. The worlds of Buddhas are subtle and wondrous. However, all of this is to explain that though Maitreya Bodhisattva engaged in spiritual practice at the same time as Sakyamuni Buddha, Sakyamuni had already attained Buddhahood, while Maitreya continues to uphold Buddha-Dharma. It is the same lifetime after lifetime; whenever a Buddha manifests in the human realm, Bodhisattvas are also in the human realm, endlessly returning to save sentient beings and to uphold Buddha-Dharma out of compassion. He was presently following Sakyamuni Buddha, but in the past he had drawn near to and made offerings to all Buddhas. He was “one lifetime away from becoming a Buddha”. This one lifetime is one lifetime in the world of Buddhas; it is not the same a lifetime in the human realm, but one in the heavens.In Tusita Heaven, he awaits the maturing of his causes and conditions in the human realm. Then, he will enter this world and become the next Buddha.
In the past, he endlessly drew close to the Buddha and made offerings to all Buddhas; with Manjusri; he was one of the Buddha's foremost disciples. When he encountered these causes and conditions, he comprehended them at one glance. Actually, Maitreya Bodhisattva understood all, the Buddha's present inner state of mind, and the appearance He was manifesting. Thus, he did not have any doubts. Indeed, Maitreya Bodhisattva had no questions; he only appeared that way to engage a discussion. He was the initiator, giving another a chance to respond. “But as this sutra was about to be proclaimed, to benefit future assemblies, he especially manifested doubt here.” Here, he purposely expressed, “I also do not know, I should find someone who can help us understand, who can explain to us.”He represented everyone in looking for someone who was more believable. Who could this person be? So, “Because he asked simple questions, the answers were revealed”. Thus he began to ask questions. It was really this simple. He already knew all, but he wanted everyone to further understand so he found another person to affirm this. Two witnesses are better than one. The reason was this simple “Because he asked simple questions”. He simply initiated the conversation, “The answers were revealed”. His answers revealed that the entire wondrous. Dharma was going to be expounded at this time. So, “the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Sutra was about to be expounded”. He hinted this to everyone.
Maitreya had already drawn near and made offerings to all Buddhas and was one lifetime away from becoming a Buddha. He, along with Manjusri Bodhisattva, was among Sakyamuni Buddha's foremost disciples. But because this sutra was about to be proclaimed, to benefit future assemblies, he especially manifested doubt here. Because he asked simple questions, the answers were revealed. He hinted that the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Sutra was about to be expounded.
Who was going to provide the answer? The Text goes on, “When the World-Honored One manifested signs of miraculous transform action”. Maitreya Bodhisattva wanted to speak of the present conditions. The World-Honored One had manifested the appearances of miraculous transformation. With His spiritual powers, He manifested the appearances of transformation. This had not happened before. After He finished teaching, everyone [usually]paid their respects and then left. That was the end of each sutra.
But after teaching the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, the Buddha did not stand up from His seat. Everyone watched the Buddha remain very still and enter Samadhi, radiating a fine light. So, the state of this assembly was different from the Dharma- assemblies of the past. Thus it was extraordinary. So these were “appearances of miraculous transformation.
When he World-Honored One manifested miraculous transformations, flowers rained from the heavens, the earth shook with six kinds of quakes, and the light He radiated spread and revealed miraculous transformations. All these are auspicious appearance.
In that state, the light He radiated spread, so the state of the assembly became transformed. These were Six Auspicious Signs attributed to the Buddha prior to His delivery of the Lotus sutra, signs He was about to teach.
He began expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. After He finished, the auspicious appearances included His entering Samadhi, the rain of flowers and the shaking of the earth. Also, in their minds, there was the auspicious appearance of everyone’s eagerness and joy. Another was light radiating from between His brows. When He was to begin expounding the Lotus Sutra, these six auspicious signs were complete.
This shows that the Lotus Sutra was not the same as other sutras.In order to inspire everyone’s respect, elevate their earnestness and raise awareness to seize the moment, these six auspicious appearances were manifested. They were unusual and had not happened previously. But they happened then. So, it roused sincerity in everyone’s minds and a longing in their hearts.
Therefore, the six Auspicious signs are what all Buddhas of the ten directions and Three Period will definitely manifest before expounding the Lotus Sutra.
So, all Buddhas share the same path. Each Buddha’s teachings are given according to the capabilities of sentient beings by first using skillful means. Therefore are Vaipulya, Prajna, and Lotus [teachings]. Of course, after first attaining Buddhahood, He taught the Avatasamka [teachings]. When each Buddha attains enlightenment in the human realm, due to the afflictions of sentient beings, He must deeply enter their hearts and teach according to their capabilities. In the end, because each Buddha’s original intent is to manifest true Dharma, He must teach the Lotus Sutra.
The state and place where He teaches this sutra must have these Six Auspicious Signs. This is the path of all Buddhas. When we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must understand the Buddha’s intent He comes to the human realm solely to transform sentient beings so they can enter the state of Buddhas, have the same Buddha-mind.Thus, they can comprehend all worldly affairs, understand the source of suffering, know how to be liberated from collective karma, and know how to turn this collective karma into a collective pure land. If everyone’s minds can be clear and pure, then the Saha World can also become a pure land. This requires us to understand the Buddha’s state of mind in order to truly enter the Buddha’s world.
To learn the Buddha’s Way, we must inspire and look after one another. So at this assembly, Bodhisattvas interacted with compassion and wisdom. Actually, Maitreya Bodhisattva was one who already understood the Buddha’s state of mind. But in order to confirm it and be meticulous, so that everyone world have even greater faith, he was the initiator who sought a responder.
So, he looked for that person.
The Bodhisattva’s compassion and wisdom refer to Maitreya and Manjusri Bodhisattvas. One is compassionate; Maitreya is “compassion” Manjusri is “wisdom.” so, compassion and wisdom interacted; the two have joined together to teach according to capabilities.
At that moment, they initiated this opportunity to teach all these people “One can be at ease with all Dharma.” In all this Dharma, where can freedom be found? It is in the mind of the Buddha. So, we call Him the King of All Dharma. Indeed, the Buddha is the King of All Dharma; the source of the Dharma is His mind. So, the Dharma is the Buddha’s mind. How do we inspire everyone’s understanding? Before we start, there must be certain causes and conditions. So everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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