Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Replete with the Three Insights (三明具足)
Date: August. 16, 2013
Our Buddha-nature is perfect and radiant. It is intrinsically and naturally pure and undefiled, superb and brilliant.
We all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, this perfect and radiant nature. We are naturally born with it. It is pure and undefiled, superb and radiant. We all have this precious jewel inside of us, but unfortunately we do not know it. We all have it, but unfortunately we never exercise it. We have concealed it with layers of ignorance and affliction. We now know this. But where can we find this true nature? What does this true nature look like? There is saying, “Mountains and rivers are easy to move compared to how hard it is to change our nature.” Mountains and rivers can be altered easily and quickly by technology or natural disasters. However, we still have our nature which was originally pure and radiant. It has just been concealed with layers of ignorance has just been concealed with layers of ignorance. So now we exercise our habitual nature. These acquired tendencies have been constantly and repeatedly reinforced to the point where they are now difficult to change.
Actually, if we can undo our habitual tendencies, we can return to our true nature. So some say, “Our natures are hard to change.” Nobody can alter our true intrinsic nature. This Buddha-nature is pure and radiant. We possess it naturally and intrinsically. Nobody can change it. In our present, future and past lives, we all intrinsically and naturally have this perfect Buddha-nature. But because we obscure this true nature, we are constantly influenced by superficial habitual tendencies that are carried from the past on into the future. So, our habitual tendencies are hard to change.
That is why I often tell everyone in spiritual practice, the only thing we need to practice is eliminating our habitual tendencies. If we are vigilant of our habitual tendencies and the way we live, we can slowly return to our pure and radiant Buddha-nature. It seems this should not be difficult, and actually quite simple. But, it is truly not very easy. The Buddha has been enlightened for countless kalpas, while we ordinary beings have been transmigrating through the Six Destinies for the same amount of time. An enlightened one always enlightens Himself. One who is deluded will continually be deluded. There is a fine line between “enlightenment” and “delusion”.
The Buddha-virtues are clearly revealed to guide the deluded to enlightenment. With the three complete and perfect virtues, one is endowed with the ten epithets.
The Buddha had already attained enlightenment a very long time ago,His virtues have already been clearly revealed.So one who has already attained Buddhahood can “guide the deluded to enlightenment” by clearly revealing one’s Buddha-virtues.This lets everyone know that this is the only difference between us and Him.You and he and I all have an intrinsic self-awakened nature that.He has already clearly revealed.I have often said the Buddha manifested the attainment of Buddhahood through eight aspects of His life.He showed these examples so that everyone could resonate with these principles.
So, in this world.He used the appearance of people and matters to lead everyone closer to these principles.This is called “clearly revealing”.A pure and radiant true nature is something we all have; we have just obscured it.Since the Buddha was already enlightened, why do we say that He attained Buddhahood?He already intrinsically has Buddha-nature, but He manifested the attainment of Buddhahood to clearly reveal Buddha-virtues.Through such a process of spiritual practice, one can understand these principles so one can truly take them to heart.They are then revealed to others as “virtuous appearance”.
So, “the Buddha-virtues are clearly revealed to guide the deluded to enlightenment”.The eight aspects of the Buddha’s life use the appearances of people and matters to guide everyone to awaken from delusion.So “with the three complete and perfect virtues, one is endowed with the ten epithets”.
All Buddhas are “endowed with the ten epithets, ” which are Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Completely Awakened, Perfect in Wisdom and Action, Well-departed, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Guide, Tamer, Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans, Buddha the World-Honored One.
These are the ten epithets.
“The ten epithets” are also the ten virtues.The Buddha is worthy of offerings.Because He is replete with virtues, He has returned to this world countless times in the past.He uses different cause and conditions and different appearances over many lifetimes to continually transform sentient beings.So, for many kalpas, the Buddha continued to practice, continued to self-awaken, continued to transform others and continued to interact with other people.He was able to attain Buddhahood because He was replete with ten thousand virtues.
Because He has done this for a long time, for countless kalpas, what He has given and the number of people He transformed are incalculable.So, in each lifetime He is replete with virtues.“Ten thousand” represents a countless number.
Therefore, the Buddha is prefect and replete with all virtues.
He deserves the offerings of those in the heaven, human and the nine Dharma-realms that are below the state of Bodhisattvas of Equal Enlightenment.
[This says] nine Dharma-realms, but we often talk about the Ten Dharma-realms: four noble realms, six unenlightened realms.Do we understand all of them?
Four noble realms: the Buddha, Bodhisattva, Pratyekabuddha and Hearer realms.
These are the four noble realms.
Six unenlightened realms: the heaven, human, hell, hungry ghost, animal and asura realms.
These are the six unenlightened realms.
So, the Buddha is replete with all virtues and is worthy of offerings from those in the nine Dharma-realms.“Offerings” refer to [something]that comes out of our respect and reverence.
These kinds of offerings are offerings of material goods, offerings of reverence and offerings of conduct.These kinds of offerings are offerings of material goods, offerings of reverence and offerings of conduct.
As I have previously shared, offerings of material goods are when we pay respect to the Buddha using incense, flowers and fruits. When we make these offerings, the area has to be clean. So, temples have monastic attendants who keep the Buddha-hall very clean. This is what we mean by offerings of material goods.
Next is sincerely paying respect. Every morning, don't we reverently prostrate to the Buddha? This is an offering of reverence. Offerings of conduct are the most important. What are offerings of conduct? Whatever the Buddha taught, we must respectfully accept and uphold. Each time the Buddha finished teaching, all were joyful, then they paid respect and left.after listening, we are very happy and can also understand [His teachings]. Once we understand, we put them into practice. This is how we offer our respect.
There are three kinds of offerings: offerings of material goods, offerings of reverence, offerings of conduct. What are offerings of conduct?
So there are three kinds of offerings, not just offerings of material goods, but also offerings of reverence from the heart. Reverence cannot be seen by others unless we put it into action and take on the Buddha's mission. The Buddha came here for on great cause to teach the Dharma to transform sentient beings. Whatever we can understand, we can practice. We also have share the Dharma with other people right away. Then they can also hear and accept the Dharma, and then actualize it. This is a true offering, one of actions and spiritual practice.
Next, [the Buddha] is called Completely Awakened. The Buddha is the Great Enlightened One of the Universe. There is nothing that He does not know.
Completely Awakened：[He has] supreme, perfect, universal enlightenment so He is Completely Awakened.
What He has realized cannot be expressed in ordinary people's words. The Buddha is already completely awakened. How much does He know? Very much what the Buddha understands is the great universe, which is the great trichiliocosm. The Earth that we live on is. The Earth that we live on is in the Solar System, which is only one thousandth of a small chiliocosm. So, we are on [ a planet] in the Solar System, [ which is a very small piece of the universe]. How much can we actually know? Even if we completely understand all things and all creatures on Earth, the extent of our knowledge only covers the limited area, especially compared to [what the Buddha knows].
Consider how deep and profound His principles are.
The enlightenment of the Completely Awakened is not something we ordinary people can realize. We ordinary people live or lives in a daze. During our short lifetimes of a few decades, how much can we understand? But fortunately, we encountered the Buddha-Dharma. We should establish our faith and believe in the Buddha's teachings. The Buddha's enlightenment is complete, supreme, perfect, universal enlightenment. This enlightenment is truly all encompassing. So, we must make an effort to believe in His teachings.
Next, Perfect in Wisdom and Action means one is replete with the Three Insights: the Three Insights .
What are the Three Insights?
1. Insight into past lives.
2. Insight into cyclic existence.
3. Insight into ending all Leaks.
We ordinary people enter and leave the world according to our karma. What karma did we create in our previous lives? How did we come to be here, with these parents, in these living conditions, living this kind of life? Why do we encounter these kinds of people? Why do these certain things happen?Why? We are in a daze; we do not know. This is because we lack “insight into past lives.”
The Buddha knows what causes and conditions. He created in each lifetime, and how they led to certain karmic retributions in this world, and so on He knows this very clearly. We do not even know we came into this world let alone how we will leave it. In this cyclic existence, we do not know how we came to be born, how we will die, or when we will die. This is called impermanence.
So the Buddha taught us about impermanence. Indeed, when we speak of past lives, we must speak of cyclic existence in the Six Realms. So the Buddha told us what we must do to be born in the heaven realm. We need to practice the Ten Good deeds to be born there. How can we be born into the human realm? We need to uphold the Five Precepts to remain in the human realm and retain this human form.
If we cannot perfect the Ten Good Deeds or uphold the Five Precepts, we may fall into asura next, then the hell, hungry ghost or animal realms. So, the Buddha has the wisdom to have “insight into past lives.”We ordinary people are not even close to His level. Therefore, we must give rise to respect and accept and practice [His teachings.]
We just spoke of “offerings.” We need to sincerely offer our respect to the Buddha and out [His teachings] into practice. We need to accept whatever the Buddha taught us, such as the Ten Good Deeds and Five precepts. We can even transcend these by giving without expectations. Then we may have a mind free of worries. This is the “insight into ending all Leaks.”
We all have Leaks, or afflictions. Clearly the Buddha-Dharma is great. But after we have heard it, we allow it to leak away. This is because we are ordinary people. So we must end all Leaks, which is to eliminate all afflictions. We must cleanse the impurities from our minds, so that they can become clean and free of afflictions. Then the Dharma can stay in our hearts. This is insight into ending all Leaks. These are the Three Insights.
One replete with the Three Insights can clearly understand one’s own and others’ cause and conditions from all past lives, can attain ultimate liberation from all phenomena with Leaks, and can attain the stage of no Leaks.
Fellow Bodhisattvas, the Buddha was replete with the ten virtues. He even clearly revealed His virtues in order to transform and guide us onto the right path of enlightenment. Since He clearly revealed His virtues, we need to really have faith in the Buddha so we can accept His guidance and walk in the direction He pointed. Then we can escape delusion and awaken. This is what we must do. So “with the three complete and perfect virtues, one is endowed with the ten epithets.
For the next few days, we must carefully contemplate this. So, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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