Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Regard Precepts as Teachers (依四念處戒德為師)
Date: September. 02, 2013
Every day, we have to constantly alert ourselves that another day is passing. This moment is the start of another day. At the beginning of each day, we must seize that moment and make good use of time. By making use of time, we will not lose our spiritual aspiration, which we must maintain at all times. Earlier, I talked about how Manjusri Bodhisattva used the moment the Buddha manifested light as a skillful way to talk about Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha and how He also came to this world and manifested [amazing] appearances before teaching the Dharma. Using the name of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha as an illustration, he made everyone aware that the Buddha came to this world to teach according to the capabilities of sentient beings. But from the start, the Buddha wanted everyone to know that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature, that everyone has the same potential to reach a state of mind equal to His. But, sentient beings could not comprehend this. So, He wanted people everywhere to attain all-encompassing wisdom. The majority of us think that being a Buddhist is about asking for the Buddha’s blessing or the Bodhisattvas’ protection. We ask for recognition and wealth, a longer lifespan, and so on. We believe that all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are here to respond to the desires of sentient beings.
On the contrary, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas come to teach sentient beings to eliminate desires and cleanse the mind of greed. This is the goal of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas when they come to this world to teach.
Think about how, in life, some people keep pursuing things but are never satisfied. Some people do not ask for anything. “I am content. I am joyful. I am happy. I have enough.” So, isn’t this the way to be peaceful and at ease? So, we Buddhist practitioners must constantly rely on the Fourfold Mindfulness. We must carefully guard our minds. Aside from learning about suffering, its causes, its cessation and the path to its cessation through the Four Noble Truths, we have to also dwell on the Fourfold Mindfulness. Everyone knows that the Fourfold Mindfulness are:
Contemplate the body as impure. Contemplate feelings as suffering. Contemplate the mind as impermanent. Contemplate all things as having no self. All of us should understand these principles. We must remember to contemplate and self-reflect. The Mindfulness of the Body is to “contemplate that this physical body is completely impure.”
Moreover, our body is normally protected by our skin. But if we get ulcers from an internal imbalance of the four elements, of if we accidentally cut ourselves, the wound may fester.
Then this body will be one of the most foul-smelling things in the world. So we should contemplate the body as impure. Even the best foods we eat will still become feces. Every day, we need to have bowel movements, otherwise we will become ill.
Therefore, what exactly should we provide for this body? Even expensive clothing is still used for covering our bodies and keeping ourselves warm in the winter. That is all. Do we really need something like mink fur or animal skin to cover our whole body to keep warm? Some think those wearing mink are the most noble. Thus, they live a confused life. They only strive for things of the sake of this impure body in terms of food, clothing, shelter and so on. For the sake of this body, think about how much we have toiled and how hard we have worked. If we keep thinking, “I want that,” then we must quickly reflect and contemplate the body as impure.
Next is the Mindfulness of Feelings: 2. Mindfulness of Feelings. Contemplate that experiencing positive and negative feelings all lead to suffering.
To contemplate feeling as suffering, look at the positive and negative feelings we experience. When our minds encounter people, environment, matters or objects, a good experience will lead us to feel happy. We are satisfied when things go our way and feel very happy. With those who rub us the wrong way or those with whom we lack affinity we feel very unhappy. This is how anger, hate and enmity begin with our experiences of feelings.
3. The Mindfulness of Mind. Contemplate that consciousness is impermanent, constantly arising and ceasing.
The third is the Mindfulness of the Mind. We must contemplate our minds. Two days ago I talk about how the first six consciousness perceive external conditions for the seventh consciousness to process. After we start to take action, that is stored in our eighth consciousness. In other words, before the eighth consciousness, there are the seventh, sixth and fifth, etc. When we are mindful of these, we see they are constantly and ceasing.
So, we must constantly contemplate how thoughts arise, abide change and cease. Our minds can give rise to a happy thought, then we change our minds and become unhappy. We may give rise to a good aspiration, but soon we become lazy and create karma again. This is the working of the mind. Thoughts are impermanent; they constantly arise and cease.
4. The Mindfulness of Phenomena. Contemplate that all things arise from causes and conditions and has no [permanent] self.
The fourth is the Mindfulness of Phenomena, to contemplate all the things as having no self. We have to carefully observe all things in the world. For the sake of our bodies, we crave and toil and suffer. Is it worth it? In the end, don’t we all go through birth, aging, illness and death? This is what we need to contemplate. This is a law of this world, that no material object in the world of physical existence will last forever, including our minds. Even our thoughts are not firm and unchanging.
Below the eighth consciousness, everything we do follows the principles of impermanence, constantly arising and ceasing. Not only is everything impermanent, fundamentally, everything is Empty. So, “contemplate all things as having no self”. Is there a “self” that exists? There is not. So, we should understand the Fourfold Mindfulness as four kinds of contemplation in our minds. If we can thoroughly comprehend our body, our feelings, the arising and ceasing of our mind-consciousness, and all things in the world, we are dwelling on the Fourfold Mindfulness. The Fourfold Mindfulness makes us more vigilant. Do we need to take issue with others? With Right Thinking, Right Views and Right Dharma, shouldn't we appreciate what we have? Do we really need to ask for more? Do we really need to ask that everything happens as we wish? The things in this world that satisfy us now are impermanent and have no self. Why should we spend so much time on taking these small side roads?Why can't we peacefully abide in the mindfulness of Right Dharma? So, being mindful of Right Dharma begins with contemplating the body, the mind and surrounding matters and objects. Then we are truly learning the Dharma.
In this way, we can then follow precepts “Regard precepts as teachers”. When the Buddha was in this world, He had to enter Parinirvana at some point. So, Ananda asked the Buddha, “Venerable Buddha, even when You are in this world, there are six groups of bhiksus that are difficult to subdue. After you enter Parinirvana, what will happen to this Sangha? Who will we rely on as our spiritual teacher?” The Buddha then said, “Regard precepts as teachers”. Everyone has to follow the rules. They are our best teachers. So, I often say that everyone has to follow systems and rules. In this way,we will not go astray.
We also have to understand Mahayana Dharma. The Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra to set aside skillful means and reveal the true Dharma, which is the Mahayana Dharma. So, we have to work hard to understand this Right Dharma of the Mahayana. The Buddha came to this world for this great cause, for these subtle and wondrous principles. So, let us begin to prepare our minds to carefully receive the Buddha's wondrous Mahayana Dharma. Actually, to be clear the Buddha's Mahayana Dharma solely teaches the Bodhisattva-path. In the sutra, the text talks about needing to practice among people. The Bodhisattva-path is not about avoiding people; it is about interacting with people. So when we promote the Bodhisattva-path, this is very important.
Abide by the Fourfold Mindfulness. Regard precepts as teachers to understand the wondrous Mahayana Dharma. Go and practice among people to promote the Bodhisattva-path.
The Buddha diligently taught for over 40 years. This took a lot of hard work. Within those teachings, was concealed the wondrous Dharma, in the hope that everyone could find their own intrinsic nature. But they were stuck on awakening only themselves. Those with these limited capabilities and wisdom could only be taught limited teachings. They truly failed to live up to the Buddha's forty-plus years of hard work. So now, I will tell the story of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha.
In the past, He manifested in this world and was named “Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant”. He can to this world to expound the Dharma according to sentient beings' capabilities. He also taught the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence.In is name, “sun” represents wisdom, “moon” represents compassion, and “lamp” represents illumination. He applies wisdom, compassion and illumination to guide sentient beings on a certain course, which is a path of right understanding and right view.
Next is the beginning of the story of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha. This is a supreme and wondrous teachings. Not only was there such Buddha. Who came to this world to expound the Dharma countless kalpas ago, later there continued to be other Buddhas.
Then, there was another Buddha, also named Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant. He also had the same name, He was called “Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant. Then, there was another Buddha, also named Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant.”
You see, there have already been many Buddhas in the past. “There were 20,000 Buddha, all with the same name.” not only did these Buddhas share the same path, they also shared the same name, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant, and also the same surname, Bharadvaja.”
This shows that altogether there were 20,000 Buddha with the same name and even the same surname. They had the same name, surname and teachings, which were supreme and wondrous.This shows us that our Buddha–nature had been intrinsic since ancient times. For an incalculable amount of time, our self-nature has been perfect and radiant.
This perfect, radiant and natural Buddha-nature was shared by all Buddhas. They were all called by this name [because of] the wisdom, compassion and illumination.So, they had the same name and surname, which was “Bharadvaja.”At that time in India, Bharadvaja meant “sharp capabilities” and is sometimes translated as such. Sharp capabilities refers to supreme wisdom, which is supreme, perfect and universal enlightenment.
Bharadvaja is translated as “sharp capabilities.” It is one of the 18 great Brahmin surnames.
In ancient India, Brahmins were very arrogant. One Brahmin said. “I am the most enlightened. I have the sharpest capabilities and am the wisest.”As Manjusri Bodhisattva was also in India at that time, because the Vulture Peak assembly was in India, he used the surname of their noblest and wisest tribe to describe these [Buddhas].
Therefore, everyone. In earning the Buddha’s Way, we really have to, have consideration for our spiritual training group and always abide in it. Since we are engaging in spiritual practice, we want to dwell on the Fourfold Mindfulness. We contemplate the body the body as impure, and know it is a vessel a vessel for spiritual cultivation. Do not use this body to create all kinds of karma. Know how to really do among and interact with people to really and truly help them. This is what truly gives value to our bodies. So, “dwell on the Fourfold Mindfulness, regard precepts and virtues as teachers.”
We need to seek and understand the wondrous Mahayana Dharma. It will open the way for us to go among people to promote the Right Dharma and uphold the Bodhisattva-path. This is the true goal of learning Buddhism. So everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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