Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Compassionately Turning the Dharma-wheel (心轉法輪慈悲等觀)
Date: November. 06, 2013
At this moment, are our minds serene? The Sutra of Infinite Meanings tells us we can “freely go in and out of water or fire.” It tells us that after we behold our true nature, our minds will be very free and can go anywhere, at any time. [Wherever we go], we are free and at ease and will be free from external influences, such as people, matters, objects in the physical world. To be understanding and at ease is the greatest goal of our spiritual practice. Therefore, every day we must remember to maintain an unwavering mindset while seriously dealing with our conditions. This is how Bodhisattvas play effortlessly. We are earnest about the Dharma and are very generous as we deal with things in the world. This is like playing, so our minds will be free of afflictions. Only when the Dharma penetrates our minds can we share it with others.
“Such are the manifestations of the Dharma-wheel, pure, boundless and inconceivable!”
This is also passage from the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. The Dharma-wheel refers to the Buddha’s teachings. His Dharma is like the wheels on a cart. When the wheels start moving, this cart moves forward. With this same logic, if someone sets the Buddha-Dharma in motion, it will naturally travel through this world. So, we call this “turning”. Once the wheels start spinning, we will keep moving forward. We can keep going straight to a distant place or cover a lot of ground in our surroundings. There is no place we cannot reach. This is comparable to how the Buddha’s Dharma can spread universally to all places. So, just like turning a wheel, our Dharma can be set in motion and can move forward.
Dharma-wheel: The Dharma expounded by the Buddha is passed on and spread to teach and transform sentient beings. Like the turning wheels of a car, there is no place it cannot reach.
“[It] is passed on and spread to teach and transform sentient beings.” I often say we must understand principles. The Buddha’s teachings are found in our daily living. Once we are awakened, we must turn [the wheel] and pass it on by teaching others. So, “it is passed on and spread to teach and transform sentient beings.” This is our mission. So, such are the manifestations of the Dharma-wheel. The Dharma and the wheel are similar. If the wheel does not turn, the Dharma will not turn. The Dharma will not turn if the wheels of our minds do not turn. If we do not turn the wheels of our mind, just knowing something is ineffective.Aside from you, many others must collectively create good karma to turn around the suitability of society.
So, we must turn our mindset and spread the Dharma.Then “its boundless purity will be inconceivable”.After our minds receive the Dharma.If the Dharma penetrates the mind, it will naturally be pure.The scope of the Dharma is so vast that it cannot be measured.
I previously said that the Dharma is “extremely profound, truly profound” and inconceivable.So, if we can understand these teachings, naturally, our minds’ boundless purity will be inconceivable.
The purification we speak of is to “transcend the faults of evil actions, transcend the defilements of afflictions”.
Then our minds will have completely eliminated greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt because the Dharma has penetrated our minds, so we understand all people, matters and objects.We have already transcended unreal and illusory appearances.
When we “transcend the faults of evil actions,” we will no longer have these faults.
To “transcend the defilements of afflictions” means our minds will not give rise to afflictions.
Therefore, we must truly allow the Dharma penetrate our minds, so we can eliminate all kinds of afflictions from our external conditions.Therefore, it is very important to have a pure mind.
A pure mind. Our faith [must be] pure.A mind that gives rise to pure faith and is not distracted or afflicted is a pure mind.
So, our faith must also become pure.We must realize that if we deviate even slightly from [Right Faith], we may end up far off course.So, “our faith [must be ] pure,” and we must have faith in the Right Dharma.For a pure mind to eliminate afflictions, we need to rely on our faith.I often say, “Faith is the source of the Way, mother of merits.It nurtures all roots of goodness.”All of our merits and virtues arise from faith.
If we have Right Faith, we can constantly grow in wisdom.“It nurtures all roots of goodness.”If we have pure faith, Right Dharma and Right Mindfulness will always remain in our minds, so we will not be enticed by external phenomena.“A mind that is not distracted or afflicted is called a pure mind. Our faith must be very pure, and” we must not have afflictions.
What follows is a classic story from a Buddhist sutra.There was a kulapati (clan chief) who had faith in the Three Treasures and had utmost respect for them.Every time he visited a monastery, he most enjoyed prostrating respectfully to and looking up at the image of Manjusri Bodhisattva.The golden image of Manjusri Bodhisattva was luxuriously adorned with seven treasures and held the sword of wisdom to sever afflictions.
What a majestic presence! So every time he visited the monastery, he particularly admired Manjusri Bodhisattva's [sacred] image. So, after some time, he had a wish “Manjusri Bodhisattva, I admire your wisdom and your image. I know if I had wisdom like yours, I could penetrate the Buddha-Dharma, which is as boundless as great oceans. I keep hoping that you, Manjusri Bodhisattva, will manifest a physical form, so I can see you in person. I vow to make offerings to 1000 monks, and I hope you will be among them, so I can see your physical manifestation”. After the went home, he reverently made lengthy preparations. Finally, this Dharma-assembly for making offerings to 1000 monks began. At this most reverent and grand occasion, he set out a fancy and extravagant chair. Then the monks came, one after another. As this was happenings, he saw a man who looked ragged. This man was very disheveled, ugly and dirty, and he arrived hobbling and limping on a cane. He ignored the many empty seats, but strutted and limped to sit in the very extravagant and elevated chair. The kulapati then said, “Please come down, I planned for someone else to sit here”. Since [the man] refused, he was yanked off the chair. Then the kulapati went back to waiting by the door hoping that [Manjusri] would come. But when he turned around, [the man] was back on the chair. Again, the kulapati tried to coax him to come down. Again, the kulapati tried to coax him to come down, but he refused, so he was pulled down again. This happened again and again.
After this happened seven times, the kulapati showed displeasure and said, “Today I am waiting happily and reverently to welcome the person I admire most. Why do you keep sitting on this chair”? Then, he pulled the man off again. The kulapati 's mood was very downcast. After the Dharma-assembly ended, he returned to the temple and went before the Manjusri Bodhisattva image again. He bowed and prostrated; then he described the wish that was in his heart and the disappointment he felt. But, he did so very respectfully. Then he went home. That night in his sleep, he dream of the magnificent Manjusri Bodhisattva, adorned with jewels and extravagant clothing, walking toward him.
At the sight of Manjusri Bodhisattva, he quickly prostrated respectfully. Manjusri Bodhisattva said, “Weren't you looking forward to seeing me in person? Yes, but I never got to [see you]”. Manjusri Bodhisattva said, “I was there. I sat on the chair seven times, and you pulled me down all seven times”. The kulapati was startled awake. He felt very upset [ and realized]. “When Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifest in this world, their appearance is not fixed. I have often heard this principle, so why couldn't I apply it to my daily living? I also know the Buddha's teachings of impartially showing compassion to all. When we are compassionate, we must be giving, in that giving we must be impartial”.
“So, why did I discriminate based on appearance?” He felt very repentant. After he woke up, he went to the temple at dawn and prostrated before Manjusri Bodhisattva again and repented. He knew that Manjusri Bodhisattva applied his wisdom to transforming sentient beings and was teaching him to have a pure mind that is not attached to appearances.
When we believe, we must have a pure mind free at expectations. This is what I mean when a say that we must give unconditionally. Not only that, we must also express our gratitude we know how to treat people and deal things. Without allowing our minds to be defiled. We learn to form good affinities with all beings and how to deliver the Buddha’s teachings into people’s minds. This is called the Dharma-wheel.By turning the wheels of our own minds, we can propel the Dharma into the minds of others. The turning of the Dharma-wheel is something we learn every day.
As previously discussed in the Lotus Sutra, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha praised Wondrous Light Bodhisattva by saying, “You know my mind, therefore you can comprehend all of my teachings” This is how the minds of teacher and disciple were connected
So, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha further said, “You should wholeheartedly advance with vigor, and avoid lack of restraint, for Buddhas are indeed difficult to meet, encountered but once in millions of kalpas.”
The “you” here was used by the Buddha to refer to every person at the Dharma-assembly. They all needed to be wholeheartedly diligent, which is to arouse Bodhicitta, to cultivate good karma, to not give up, to transcend all thoughts of being lax.Good karma results from the Six Perfections and from not giving up. We must not give up easily .We must diligently advance in and cultivate these practices. We cannot give up on this aspiration to walk the Bodhisattva-path. So, we must transcend all desire of beings lax.We must be very hardworking and diligent and not avoid doing good deeds. That is not the right thing to do.
When we study the Dharma, we must understand how to believe, to have faith without discursive thoughts. We must have faith in Buddha’s teachings and no longer have deluded beliefs, afflictions or additional expectations.We must just wholeheartedly believe. Both the Sutra of Infinite Meanings and the Lotus Sutra say that we must wholeheartedly focus without distractions and diligently move forward on the Bodhisattva-path. We must transcend a lack of restraint, so we do not spend time on doing nothing.We must seize the moment and our opportunities to just do it. We should know that encountering the Buddha in this world is difficult. It is “once in 100 million kalpas”. A lot of time has to pass for a Buddha to be born to this world. [After eras of] True Dharma, Dharma Semblance, are were in the Era of True Dharma or the Era of Dharma Degeneration?
Let me tell you, everything is created by the mind. If the Buddha is in our minds, then His Right Dharma is in our minds. So, I hope everyone will always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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