Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Apply the Dharma to Great Uses and Practices (法用於大用行於大用)
Date: August. 02, 2013
Are we thinking carefully every day? Are we contemplating whether we overlook things as we learn the Buddha’s Way? We may believe that as long as we listen to and know the Dharma, that is enough. That is not. After we know it, we need to experience it, and then apply it to dealing with people and matters in our daily living. When something favorable happens to us, are we so pleased that we forget about everything else? When we encounter something tragic, do we feel completely indifferent? If we are, then we are too biased toward emptiness. The Buddha taught us not to be attached to existence or biased toward emptiness. [Then we are in a state of] true emptiness and wondrous existence. As Buddhist practitioners, we need to learn the Middle Way. We learn the Buddha’s Way so we can apply it. Apply it to what? To great uses. After we do so, we will still have strength left over. Besides loving the people around us, we will have extra strength to also love all sentient beings and things in the world. We need to have such unselfish Great Love. With His every thought, this was what the Buddha wanted to help us sentient beings understand.
For instance, there is an entrepreneur with a very large business. In China, he has many afflicted companies and also many employees. Although his business is very successful, he has just one regret. He has a son who is not interested in his business at all. But he always had the great hope that his son would take over his company. So sometimes when he visits me he says, “Master, if my son is willing to succeed me, naturally I can relinquish [the business] and have more time to help you.” When I hear this, I feel that he sees this as an imperfection in [his] life. One time, he brought his son here. So I asked him, “Why are you not interested in your father’s business at all?” He answered, “I truly am not interested in this kind of business. Whenever I hear about it, I get a headache.” Then I asked, “What are you most interested in?” He said, “As long as I make a living, I’m fine. I do not need to have so much.”
Sometimes, I feel if a person is not ambitious and does not have a great goal or aspiration, it is very hard to force one on him. However, as the entrepreneur I spoke about came in contact with Tzu Chi more and more, he gradually became more open-minded. His son also started to understand that a big business does not benefit just one person. I asked him, “Aren’t you aware that hundreds of thousands of people rely on your family business to live securely? Have you ever thought about this?”
“rely on your family business to live securely?Have you ever thought about this?”He answered, “No, I haven’t.But I can reconsider my decision.”Later, he seemed to have started to be more interested in [the business].Whether he will succeed [his father], I still do not know.
Father-and-son relationships are like this.This also happened to a world –transcending saint, the Buddha.He had a limitless Dharma-fortune that could be given to countless Dharma-sons.But were theses Dharma-sons willing to accept it?This world-transcending saint had great Dharma, but He could not get His Dharma-sons to hear, enter and realize it.
Even ordinary people, when they hear the Dharma, will also become very happy.However, they only seek to benefit themselves.Though some become monastics like the Buddha, they only seek one thing, that after they understand the Dharma they can transcend the many afflictions in this world.[They] only seek to benefit themselves.Likewise, those with greater capabilities may say, “After I listen to the Buddha expound Dharma, if my spiritual practice allows me to escape cyclic existence in the Six Realms and transcend the three lower realms, I will be very satisfied.”These people also act only for themselves, not on behalf of all sentient beings in the world.This is called benefiting oneself.Ordinary people only want to benefit themselves; they do not want to also benefit others.
So, these are Hinayana practitioners.Whether they are Pratyekabuddhas or Hearers, if they become monastics like the Buddha and they only stay at this stage, it is really a pity.So, they are attached to emptiness and stillness but not existence.They are diligent, but attached to emptiness, “to tranquility and clarity”.But they lack what comes after, making “vows as vast as the universe”.
As they aspire , they need great vows.Their vows must be truly great vows.Not only must they form great aspirations and make great vows, they must remain unwavering.
Consider those who assisted the Buddhda’s assembly.Manjusuri, Universally Worthy, Maitreya, Guanyin.They are all called “Buddha-sons” in particular, Manjusuri Bodhisattva is also called the Dharma-son.So, many Buddha-sons will help pass down the Dharma-lineage.These great Bodhisattvas have “vows as vast as the universe and remain unwavering.”Regardless of when the Buddha comes to the world, these Bodhisattvas will also come to help Him.Thus, they form great aspirations, make great vows.
So if we are attached to a certain stage, we will not seek to grow and advance.We just want to be free and relaxed, and able to make a simple living.Therefore, we will not consider the many people who rely on us for their living.Then we are just like the entrepreneur’s son.In the same way, he still takes his time to consider [his choices].The Buddha saw how these disciples, for several decades, have not want to form great aspirations, make great vows.So, He compared them to “scorched seedlings and inferior seeds.”
If the seeds are not very good, if they are not plump and of high quality, even if they encounter favorable conditions after they are planted, they will not germinate.So, the Buddha compared them to “scorched seedlings and inferior seeds”.They are truly not very good seeds.When the Buddha was alive, there were many such things that concerned Him.
They are truly not very good seeds. When the Buddha was alive, there were many such things that concerned Him. So, He said this to motivate His disciples. When people did not want to form great aspirations and make great vows, they truly disappointed the Buddha.
To surmise: Think about how the Buddha had long wanted to reveal His original intent. But ordinary people seek solely to benefit themselves without also benefiting others. They cling firmly to emptiness and stillness and do not seek advancement. The Buddha compared them to scorched seedlings and inferior seeds.
The Buddha had long wanted to reveal His original intent. However, He waited for the right time. He was not just thinking and speculating about us, the listeners. He also had to consider when each of His disciples could accept this teaching. So in the previous passage, the Buddha wanted to expound the great Dharma, let fall the great Dharma- rain, blow the great Dharma- conch, beat the great Dharma- drum, and proclaim the great Dharma- doctrine.
At this assembly, the Buddha had already began to consider this. But had the time arrived yet? The Buddha could not wait any longer. So, He had to proclaim the great Dharma- doctrine at this moment. So, even those who had not made great aspirations but were present, as well as future sentient beings, all will have the opportunity [ to listen]. He proclaimed this great Dharma so that at least He could plant a seed of joy in their hearts. Some were joyful after hearing the Dharma, then paid their respects and left. The Buddha felt that it was still good that they created merits by rejoicing. He was going to teach this regardless, but He hoped that after they listened they would be joyful and accept the teachings.
So at this Dharma- assembly, whether everyone made great aspirations or not, the time had arrived to expound the great Dharma. He also hoped that those with limited capabilities who listened to this Dharma would be joyful and accept the teachings.That is like receiving the dew of Dharma- water and being nourished by it. Perhaps then these seeds can germinate, and their sprouts will be healthy and strong. So, He still expounded the great Dharma because all sentient beings inherently have Mahayana seeds. Each one of us has this. This is why I often tell everyone that the Buddha said, “The mind, Buddha and living beings are the same”. As long as you have the heart, naturally you will have the same intrinsic nature as the Buddha. So, everyone intrinsically has a Mahayana seed.
At this time, some will hear Dharma and happily receive the teachings, like seeds being nourished, and then sprouting. All fundamentally have Mahayana seeds, therefore speaking this great Dharma is like letting fall the great Dharma-rain.
So, the Buddha wanted to “let fall the great Dharma-rain, blow the great Dharma- conch”.So during this time, if He did not promptly teach this, it would be too late for Him. As for sentient beings, after He taught this, some formed great aspirations and made great vows. As for those with average capabilities, maybe they began to accept it. Moreover, this Dharma could be passed to future generations. So, the Buddha let fall the great Dharma- rain because
He desired to invigorate the Mahayana doctrines. He must blow the great Dharma- conch and beat the great Dharma-drum to energize everyone and incline them toward the ultimate great Dharma. Thus, He freely carried out His original intent.
I hope everyone will walk in the direction of the Mahayana-path and develop great aspirations. Previously, I talked about “good men”. Indeed, to be a good man is to be a true man,
one who has courage, engages in great practices, accomplished great things. This is called a “a true man”. A true man takes on responsibilities for his family and society.He even makes a greater vow, which is to shoulder the responsibility for the world.
So, one who is perfect in all worldly and world-transcending virtuous practices is called a “good man,” or a “great man.”
Those who only should responsibilities for their families or careers are only considered real men or men.Whether they do is just for themselves.However, if they can benefit the world with unselfish Great Love, if they [engage in] worldly, virtuous practices then they are called good men, or great men.
Good men, I have in the presence of past Buddhas, seen such auspicious appearances. After radiating this light, They immediately expounded the great Dharma. Therefore, it should be known that the manifestation of light by the present Buddha means He will also such.
Manjusri Bodhisattvas told Maitreta Bodhisattva, “Good men, I, Manjusri, in the presence of past Buddhas, have seen such auspicious appearances.” So, Manjusri Bodhisattvas said that “In the past, I have seen past Buddhas do the same thing, sitting in mediation and radiating light. After radiating light, They started to expound the great Dharma.” This means that all Buddhas share the same path.Every single Buddha had this auspicious appearance before teaching the great Dharma. Therefore, now we should understand that the present Buddha was doing the same. After radiating light, He will also expound the great Dharma.
Because He wishes to lead all living beings to hear and understand this dharma, which is difficult for all in the world to believe, He therefore manifests appearances.
If you ask him why the Buddha radiated light, [he will say] such is what he has seen in the past and now Sakyamuni Buddha is likely doing the same.The most important reason He radiated light was to lead all living beings to hear and understand all. Before they heard it with their ears, they saw it first with their eyes. This light enabled them to focus on the ignorance in their minds so they can naturally and gradually eliminate it. Then they will be inspired to ask questions and thus seek the Dharma. This also helps them to realize that this is no ordinary teaching. The Buddha is probably going to share extraordinary thoughts.
This is the meaning behind radiating the light. It reminds us to listen mindfully. This shows everyone that the Dharma, which is difficult for all in the world to believe, will not be taught as soon as people sit down. After people sat down, they still needed to patiently wait.So, we should know that this sutra, the truly great Dharma, this is difficult for all in the world it believe cannot be easily heard whenever we wish. What is difficult to believe and also to hear will now be expounded by the Buddha.
So we need to understand that every day, no matter what Dharma we hear, it is not enough to just listen. After we listen to the teachings, we must think about and consider these passages and what they mean.
So as we learn the Buddha’s Way, listen to Dharma, we must meticulously and carefully contemplate it so it can enter our hearts. Only by applying it to our daily living can we benefit all sentient beings in the world. So everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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