Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Causes and Conditions for Entering the Way (入道之因緣)
Date: July. 22, 2013
I often say, “Faith is the source of the Way, the mother of merits. It nurtures all roots of goodness.” To develop our wisdom-life, we must begin with “faith,” and we have to have “understanding”. We need to “have faith and understanding.” We need to have solid faith and a deep and profound understanding. If we have these, then we can diligently advance. Time flies like an arrow; it truly passes very quickly. Our diligent practice must be even quicker than time, since, in our short human lifespan, we live in a state of impermanence. So, we must be diligent. So, “Having faith in, understanding and upholding diligent practices is the Bodhisattva-path.” Those who can [practice] diligently are already on the Bodhisattva-path. We have to seize the moment. Once we choose to do the right thing, we have to seize and preserve that resolve forever. After we develop this aspiration, it has to remain very solid, starting from now all the way through endless future lifetimes. To always hold firm to this aspiration is called preserving that resolve forever.
Therefore, whether adverse or favorable conditions manifest, we can always be courageous and resolute. To be resolute means to be firm in our decision and never waver in our spiritual aspiration. I often say, “It is easy to make an aspiration, but hard to persevere.” This is the key problem in spiritual practice. Worldly traps and desires are everywhere, thus ordinary people are easily affected by worldly desires. So even if faith arises, when conditions appear, it declines again. So, we must be solid in this aspiration and unwavering in our commitment to our mission. No matter what conditions appear, “having faith in, understanding and practicing diligence is the cause and condition for entering the Way.” Whenever we face circumstances, we still resolutely have faith and understanding. Our faith is deep. We need to have a deep and resolute faith, which is the cause and condition for us to diligently enter the Way.
Having faith in, understanding and upholding diligent practices is the Bodhisattva-path. When adverse or favorable conditions manifest, one can be courageous and decisive. Therefore, having faith in, understanding and practicing diligence is the cause and condition for entering the Way.
We want to enter the Way of the Buddha, the awakened path of Bodhi; [whether we can do so] depends on us. We cannot lack the cause and condition of diligence. Next, “having faith in, understanding and practicing Samadhi” means that after having faith in and understanding diligence, we must also practice Samadhi. Only with diligence can we enter Samadhi.
In the past, people said that carrying water and firewood is also meditation. True Samadhi is not sitting in quiet meditation; it is about having a mind that is unaffected by external conditions. So, no matter what circumstance appears, our states of mind remain unmoved.This is what we call Samadhi.With Right Understanding and Right View, we “uphold our vows and practice untiringly”.We begin to properly uphold our vows and work on our practice.
Everything in this universe, every state, is a wondrous truth.Consider any condition.As long as we are mindful, we can see its wondrous truth.When adults educate children in Malaysia, at what age do they begin?At the age of four.Can children as a young as three or four understand what is said?They do understand!Often, deep principles are used to educate these children.Look at how these very young children can accept and practice the Dharma and uphold the vegetarian precept.They start with a piece of paper.They simply let the children draw on it.Then they say, “Since you used it, you need to know its origin.”With this, they begin the children’s lesson on nature.
[First,] the children stand under the bright sun, and sweat.Then [the teachers] bring them under a tree.“Is it cool [here]?”“It’s very cool!”“Standing under the sun was very hot!”“Should we be grateful for this tree?”“Yes, we should be grateful!”“If we are grateful, we must love this tree.”
“Do you love it?”“We love it!”“Why do you love it?”“Because we are grateful let us hug the tree.”
The children and teacher hold hands and hug it.As they hug the tree, they touch and cherish it.
The teacher then asks, “What happens if this tree is cut down?”The children then ask, “Why will it be cut down?”“Why will it be taken away?”“Because we need to make paper.”“Paper is made from trees?”
The teacher begins applying wisdom to guide the children to feel connected to the tree.After their feelings develop, the children know that if humans cut it down, the water and land will not be preserved.When the tree is there, it absorbs the rainwater, its roots can protect the earth, and rain can enter the earth’s water ways.When such profound principles are in the children’s hearts, they can grasp [these connections] one by one.Though children are naive, their hearts are very pure.
They understand, so when they hear the tree is to be cut down, they become saddened.
The teacher says to them，“The tree is cut down to make paper.”“How do you normally use paper?”They can even be taught to make paper, so they know that making paper is very difficult, so when now they use paper, they realize how they have been wasting it.See, using this method on three-or four-year-old children helps them understand profound and wondrous principles.
In other words, when we learn the Buddha’s Way, the Buddha also teaches us in a similar fashion.
He uses very subtle principles to guide us.He teaches us that these subtle principles.He teaches us that these subtle principles contain something wondrous contain something wondrous.Even with very tiny things, He uses the most wondrous principles to explain them to us.So, we cannot underestimate small things.
Some small things are so small that our eyes cannot see them.Yet, the Buddha can use more apparent things to slowly guide us to penetrate the very minute, subtle things that we cannot see but still contain principles.This is the Buddha’s wisdom.Thus, we must practice diligently, “upholding our vows and practicing untiringly, and not become lazy.
Time flies quickly like an arrow. So, we must uphold our vows. Time can slip away, but we cannot let go of our mission. We must uphold our vows and follow the Way; then our path will be wide. I say that often, too. So, we want to uphold our vows and practice. There is truly a lot we want to learn. There is also much to hear.
Once, the Buddha was walking through a village with His disciples. The weather was very hot. Finding a place in the woods, the Buddha said, “Come, let us rest a while in this place”. Around the place where they sat down to rest, the leaves kept falling. Therefore, the ground was covered with leaves. The Buddha casually grabbed a bunch of leaves in His hand. He said to the bhiksus, “Everyone come see how many leaves are in my hand”? Everyone looked and thought “We need to count the leaves grasped by the Buddha one by one to know how exctly many there are, but without counting we can tell there are quite a few”. The Buddha then said, “Let me tell you this. You have all followed me for a long time. The Dharma that I have expounded does not even amount to the leaves in my hand. The teachings that have not yet been expounded is more than all the leaves that fall from all trees in this world”. In other words, the Buddha has not yet expounded a great number of teachings. Clearly, the number of subtle principles of everything in the universe, whether tangible or intangible, hidden in the Buddha's mind are indeed very numerous .
So in the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha to began to carry out His original intent, which is to take these subtle principles from His mind and share them with everyone. So, He can further strengthen our intent to seek the Dharma and our causes and conditions to enter the Bodhisattva-path. Everyone must cherish the causes and conditions for entering the Bodhisattva-path. The Bodhisattva-path has Six Perfections. They are giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. Samadhi maintains our causes and conditions. We want to make a vow and then remain unwavering in upholding it. “May our vows be as vast as the boundless void”. No matter what kind of conditions manifest, they do not cause our minds to waver. Thus, “upholding our vows and practicing untiringly is having Samadhi”. When we no longer waver in our vows, we are in a state of Samadhi”. Therefore, upholding our vows is the cause and condition for entering the Way.
Having faith in, understanding and practicing. Samadhi is entering the Bodhisattva-path. Upholding our vows and practicing untiringly is having Samadhi. Upholding our vows is the cause and condition for entering the Way.
Next is “having faith in and understanding wisdom. Samadhi begins with faith and understanding. Then we can enter the Buddha's wisdom.
So, wisdom is the Bodhi-path. This is the path to clear understanding, so wisdom is the cause and condition for entering the Way.
Then “[our mind] is trqnquil and clear, our vow vast as the void, remaining unwavering for countless eons. Infinite Dharma will become readily apparent. ”Everyone, this is the state of Samadhi.
The sutra states, “I also see Bodhisattvas with the peace of Dhyana, palms pressed together with 1000 or 10,000 verses, they sing the praises of the King of Dharma.
Maitreya Bodhisattva said to Manjusri Bodhisattva”. In the past, I have seen Bodhisattvas with their minds in the peace of Dhyana with palms pressed together. In a state of Samadhi, reverence arises in their minds. They reverently praise the King of All Dharma.They use various verses, also called gathas, which are poetic verses of praise. So, we all need to use Prajna wisdom to practice Samadhi. We cannot just think that by sitting in mediation we can reach a certain state. Not at all. Samadhi is used in our daily living, in facing all matters with our wisdom. I have said that the [truths] of heaven, earth, all beings, and kinds of phenomena are all in our wisdom and Samadhi. So, we must respect and love nature and collectively create blessed conditions. We have to be respectful.
Next, “I also see Bodhisattvas of profound wisdom and solid resolve, who are able to question all Buddhas and accept and retain all they have heard.”
The wisdom of Bodhisattvas is profound, and their resolve is solid. They can question all Buddhas. What we do not know, we must hurry and ask. With doubts come questions, and thus awakening. Therefore, we need to clearly understand each and every principle.
After listening, we must be earnest and diligent in applying this Dharma. Do not forget it right after hearing it. This is not the way. So, this part of the sutra is describing, “The Bodhisattvas seen practice Prajna Paramita. These Bodhisattvas practice the Buddha’s way with wisdom of intense effort.”
This practice of intense effort does not only take place inside the monastery, within the forest or in places of silence. They use this practice of intense effort in the face of all challenges.
When we encounter these situations, they allow our spiritual aspirations to remain firm. We truly want to be tested so that our spiritual aspirations will not waver under any circumstances. The Bodhisattvas-path has always been like this; it is not focused solely on our own enlightenment. If we have questions, then we have to quickly ask. If we can ask, then naturally our surroundings will not disrupt our minds.
Next, “I also see Buddha-sons with perfect wisdom and Samadhi. With infinite analogies, they expound the Dharma to the assembly. Joyfully, they preach the Dharma to transform all Bodhisattvas. They defeat the troops of Mara and beat the Dharma-drum.
Buddha-sons refer to the Buddha’s disciples, who were already replete with perfect wisdom. They used various infinite analogies to expound the Dharma to the assembly.
The previous passage was about seeking the Dharma from the Buddha. Now, they were going to expound the Dharma so they still needed to be replete in Samadhi and wisdom to transform others with infinite analogies.Thus, “with infinite analogies, they expound Dharma to the assembly. Joyfully, they preach the Dharma to transform all Bodhisattvas.” They are very joyous. When we are replete in wisdom, we have already realized fundamental wisdom. we already thoroughly understand, so we preach more and more joyfully. To preach Dharma is not the least bit distressing. The more we preach, the more joyous we are because when we speak, the merits come back to us. We preach joyfully and are very happy.
“Defeat the troops on Mara, beat the Dharma-drum.” To defeat Mara is to defeat afflictions. troops are the surrounding afflictions; if we let surrounding afflictions cover our minds, then we cannot understand the Dharma,So, we must defeat the troops of Mara and beat the Dharma-drum to let the sound ring out. With one beat of this drum, the sound can warn everyone to quickly awaken, not be deluded and endlessly transmigrate in the Six Realms. So, I hope that everyone can awaken. This is [why we] beat the Dharma-drum.
Fellow Bodhisattvas, when learning the Buddha’s Way we must deeply believe and understand how subtle and wondrous His teachings are. In our live we cannot underestimate them. We must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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