Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Buddha-Dharma Is Like The Rain and Dew (佛法如雨露)
Date: July. 31, 2013
In learning the Buddha’s Way, every day we should be like the land. When it is nourished by rain the dew, the land always benefits and is bountiful. I have often said, “the Dharma is like water.” If there is no water in the fields of the mind, everything in that land will wither. With water, all the plants and trees of the land are nourished according to their needs. This tells us that we should always be grateful that the Buddha-Dharma can nourish our minds and help our wisdom-life grow. We can sense that because we have acted based on our ignorance for a long time, we have accumulated much karma. Therefore, sentient beings share collective karma. For the sake of profit, we destroy the land. How is the land destroyed? By people’s minds. When we see that it has not been raining, that we may have a drought, we become very nervous and pray for rain. Only with rain can grains be produced to sustain human lives. The fields of our minds also need favorable weather at all times. This is what the Buddha-Dharma [can bring].
The Three grasses and two trees are nourished according to their needs as rain from the skies nourishes the land. Similarly, the Dharma expounded by the Buddha [has nourished minds] for the past 40 years.
The Buddha-Dharma can nourish [our minds]. However, ordinary people are ignorant so they do evil, which means they commit negative actions. We often hear about heavy rainstorms causing huge disasters in countries that are usually arid. People destroy mountains and harm the soil’s water retention for the sake of wealth. This kind of destruction is due to greed and is for the sake of profit. Although a country can make a lot of money by selling off all the valuable wood in their forests all at once, they will bring disaster upon their descendants as a result. So, many generations of gaining wealth by evil actions has resulted in continuous disasters today. Natural disasters may be caused by people’s negative actions.
Not being in accord with the laws of nature is called “going against” it.Going against nature is also a negative action.We must spend a long time to bring nature and people into harmony.
No matter which season it is, whether spring, summer, fall or winter, as humans, we need to truly coexist harmoniously with the earth.If we can live in accord with nature and abide by its principles, we will be safe and well.The Buddha is the Great Enlightened One of the Universe.The Dharma He teaches us is the truth of everything in the universe; it is the true principles of morality and ethics.
Therefore, the Buddha-Dharma is the most virtuous and unsurpassed Dharma and a truly harmonious and beneficial teaching.Nature needs temperate rain and dew.Our minds need the true principles, which is the great Dharma, to guide us so that awe can follow the Dharma as it is turned ( taught).The Dharma is like a wheel that is turned to enter our minds so we can coexist harmoniously with nature.Although this sounds very simple, we must be very mindful to truly understand the subtle details.
So, virtuous Dharma is like rain and dew.The three grasses and two trees are nourished according to their needs as the rain nourishes the earth.The Buddha had been teaching for over 40 years since the night when He saw stars in the night sky and became enlightened.When starlight connected with the Buddha’s mind, at that moment, the Buddha’s mind and the universe were one.At the moment when He became enlightened, the true principles of everything in the universe gathered in His mind, and they became one.
In this very brief moment, the wisdom of His mind was uncovered.Although He became enlightened, HE did not only benefit Himself.After He became enlightened, the Buddha immediately wanted to share this joy with everyone.We often say that the Buddha did not engage in spiritual practice for Himself, but on behalf of all sentient beings.We should remember why Prince Siddhartha began His spiritual practice.It was because he felt that this world was full of conflicts, there seemed to be these unsolvable puzzles.What were these unsolvable puzzles?
Birth, aging, illness and death.Why are humans born?Look at how tiring it is for women to be pregnant for 40 weeks.In particular, women in ancient times suffered many complications in childbirth.Consider Prince Siddhartha’s birth mother.She also passed away due to such complications.Likewise, this must have created many conflicts in the prince's mind. Why did my birth cause my mother's death? When he grew up, he saw people enjoying themselves in luxury, but many people in the country were also impoverished and suffering. Why were there great inequalities between classes?
So, the system of the four castes was also an unsolvable puzzle in his mind. The land is fragile. Sometimes heavy wind and rain cause tremendous disasters. The hills and rivers in the land are fragile. So, is there any joy in this kind of life? Why do people who live a life of debauchery just endlessly indulge themselves? So, he gave up the pleasures of the palace to investigate the profound principles of this world. What are the principles [governing] the interactions of people and nature?Between people, there are so many conflicts and so much inequality. What are the principles behind that？Since ancient times, things have been this way. Where did these problems come from? So, he engaged in spiritual practice and attained Buddhahood on behalf of sentient beings, and then He expounded the Dharma for them.
Consider all the desires in this world. The ignorance of the world originates from thought “An ignorant thought creates the Three Subtleties. These three are very subtle and profound. To resolve such ignorance is really not easy. Although greed, anger and ignorance are only three words, and everyone knows about them, is it possible for someone to not be greedy? This is very difficult. Is it possible to prevent someone from losing their temper?
For a long time we have transmigrated in the Six Realms, where we have been habituated into these tendencies. Therefore, our unfulfilled desires lead to anger “If I cannot get it, nobody else can even think about getting it”. So, people destroy each other. Consider the number of people in this world who kill out of passion or for money. So many people hurt, kill and destroy each other by any means possible because of enmity, hatred and resentment. This is the case among people; isn't it the same among countries? We see in this world that greed leads to anger, and then they result in ignorance.
Look, although these are three simple words, is it easy for everyone to understand them thoroughly and eradicate these types of thoughts? That is not easy. There is no way to instantly get everyone to understand the spiritual state of the Buddha. Moreover, this depends on each person's abilities. There is a line in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, “Tiny drops fall first to cover the dust of desire”. If we want to investigate the Buddha-Dharma, even though our capabilities are limited, we can still be nourished by this rain and dew. When there is no rain and dew on the land, with a slight wind in the morning, and the rising of the sun, the land will dry up. Then dust will fly when the wind blows. This means that if the land is moist and damp, naturally a little wind of ignorance will not cause our dust of delusions to fly around. So, people are like the three grasses. Some have small roots, stems and capacities.
A person with limited capabilities may want to seek the Dharma but has not developed great aspirations and vows. He is willing accept the Dharma but does not have altruistic intention such as Hearers, Arhats and Pratyekabuddhas seek to understand the Dharma to benefit themselves. However, they cannot put it into action. They are the three grasses. The two trees refer to those with great capabilities who develop great aspirations.This is the mindset of Buddha and Bodhisattvas who seek the Buddha’s Way in Mahayana teachings and further actualize it.
Therefore, people [accept the teachings] according to their capabilities. So, the three grasses and two trees are nourished according to their capabilities.
Next, the rain nourished the land. On the land, all are nourished regardless of capabilities. Big trees absorb a lot. Small grasses absorb a little. So, for over 40 years, the same Buddha- Dharma was taught, and sentient beings were nourished according to their capabilities.
He adapted to His listeners’ capabilities, He taught provisionally according to their levels. Now He desired to use Dharma-rain that was impartial and of the same quality to fully saturate everything. this is the great Dhama-rain. The minds of sentient beings is store the seeds of Bodhi. Only Dharma-rain can nourish them so wisdom- life can grow.
For the past 40 years, He has adapted to the listeners’ capabilities.Previously, we talked about how He laught provisionally according to their levels. The Buddha did that for a very long period time. But He has started [something new] today. Today refers to day of the Lotus Dharma-assembly on Vulture Peak, which us in our minds. We are always in the pagoda there. So when we are at the Lotus Assembly, He said “Dharma-rain is impartial and of the same quality.” He wanted to tell everyone that the skillful means of past were for people with limited capabilities. From now on, we need to develop great aspirations and make great vows. Everyone should enter the Bodhisattva-path. Although in the past the teachings were split into the Three Vehicles or the five Vehicles, these were all actually skillful means. Only the One Vehicle is the great Dharma, which I the Bodhisattva-path. This is the great Dharma-rain, which is starting [to fall] now.
So, “sentient beings’ minds store Bodhi seeds.” Everyone has that seed in his or her mind. Only the Dharma-rain can nourish and develop our wisdom-life.Fellow Bodhisattvas, we all truly possess such Bodhi seeds in our minds. But there are weeds growing in our minds too. We engage in spiritual practice to remove weeds.
Lay practitioners need to seek the Right Faith. We do not learn the Dharma for spiritual blessings but for liberation. We seek a mind that is not blinded by ignorance. We want to remove ignorance and superstition.
I the past, in India, there were many superstitions. So, for the sake of sentient beings, the Buddha sought the Right Faith and perfect enlightenment. Thus, He engaged in spiritual practice. Now we should do the same and eliminate superstition. In order to seek the Dharma, we must develop great aspirations, make great vows. So, everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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