Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Diligently Practice, Do Not Be Undisciplined (精進修行心勿放逸)
Date: November. 19. 2013
We spiritual practitioners must always remember not to crave fame and wealth or be lax. We must avoid these things at all costs. We must not have this kind of mindset or conduct. If we crave recognition and wealth, or if we are lax, that means we “think patience can be achieved without hard work.” Spiritual practitioners have to work hard and endure trials and tribulations to learn to be patient. If we “think patience can be achieved without hard work” how will we engage in spiritual practice? If we practitioners are not diligent and do not make an effort to patiently learn and practice, we cannot spread the Buddha’s teachings.
The Buddha teaches us to be diligent, to realize suffering is an inherent part of life. The source of suffering, its causation is an accumulation of our afflictions. Therefore, we must mindfully and diligently seek and practice the Path to eliminate suffering. If we do not recognize the sufferings in life, the sources of suffering, we will not strive to eliminate them. Then what is the purpose of our practice? Therefore, spiritual practice is about realizing the Buddha’s teachings in our actions. It is not enough to practice ourselves. We must also teach others to practice. We must do it and teach others to do it too. We must set an example for others to follow. Only by so doing can we spread the essence of the Buddha’s teachings.
If we are afraid of hardship, we might as well not practice. We cannot be afraid to work hard if we want to be a model spiritual practitioner. Otherwise, how can we spread the Buddha-Dharma? How can we promote the Buddha’s teachings? So, as we begin to practice, we must make great vows. There cannot be greed and attachment or indolence in our hearts.
Being greedy or lax is defiled conduct in the Era of Dharma-degeneration. Since the Buddha’s lifetime over 2000 years ago, the Buddha-Dharma slowly passed from the Era of True Dharma to the Era of Dharma-semblance and now, we are in the Era of Dharma-degeneration. This happened because the Buddha-Dharma gradually faded from people’s hearts. Whether the Buddha-Dharma can continue to exist or not depends on whether monastic and lay spiritual practitioners can uphold and practice His teachings. If we can do so, the Buddha’s True Dharma will remain in the world. If the True Dharma is not in our hearts, but just its semblance, then it is not True Dharma.
The most important thing is to practice the Buddha’s teachings in our actions.During this period of Dharma-degeneration, not only will True Dharma disappear, people will refuse to go to places with His image to pay their respects.Not only do they not believe in the Buddha, they slander His teachings.Not only do they slander the Buddha-Dharma, they destroy His image.This is what things are like during the Era of Dharma-degeneration.
Buddhist practitioners are lax, and they only pay their respect superficially.They are not diligently [cultivation their minds].Not only that, their conduct is undisciplined.
These are defiled actions in the Era of Dharma-degeneration which defile the Buddha-Dharma, so it cannot be promoted.So, we must be very careful.If our minds are diligent, naturally [our actions] will be diligent.If our minds are lax, we act out craving for offerings of wealth.
Those craving offerings of wealth do not work diligently.They do not help to pass on the Buddha’s teachings.This is defiled conduct in the era of Dharma-degeneration.
Please be vigilant of these at all times.The passage we read earlier stated, “Wondrous Light Bodhisattva had a disciple at that time,” one who was lax and craved fame and wealth.We talked about him before, and now we are discussing it again.“Seeking fame and wealth tirelessly, he often visited the great clans.”
Wondrous Light Bodhisattva lived during the time of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha.All of his disciples waited for predictions of Buddhahood.Predictions of [attaining Buddhahood] were not bestowed all at once, but over a long period of time, one after another.Who was the most diligent and hardest-working?Who had the purest heart?The predictions were bestowed based on that; then they became Buddhas.
Among the 800 disciples, some would receive these predictions soon.Others had to continue to practice because they still had not eliminated habitual tendencies.
Among them was Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva, who sought recognition and wealth and was lax.This reminds us to be vigilant.
Even amid Wondrous Light Bodhisattva’s disciples, who received predictions of Buddhahood, there was still one with these kinds of habitual tendencies.
This reminds us [to ask ourselves,].“Do we have these habitual tendencies?”
If we tirelessly seek fame and wealth, we end up going to visit and flattering the great clans.If we fawn on people with money and recognition, our conduct defiles the Buddha’s teachings.
I have often said that we must impartially show loving –kindness to all.In practicing compassion, we must be impartial.All sentient beings have Buddha-nature.Their [current] lives depend on their past karma, good and bad.If they created more good karma in a past life, they receive blessed retribution, recognition and wealth in this lifetime.But if they created bad karma in a past life or in this lifetime, in whatever they try to do, things will not go their way.Will people like this have the opportunity to attain Buddhahood?The Buddha’s answer is absolutely yes because everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature.
Look at our Tzu Chi volunteers.They are Living Bodhisattvas.We often see them in the news. When they receive reports of people who need special care, these Living Bodhisattvas quickly visit them. They may see that the house is filthy, they may see old, sick or disabled people, but they are absolutely not afraid of the filth or of people's illnesses. They extend their arms to embrace them to clean and help them wash to clean and help them wash. Such people are living Bodhisattvas. To walk on the Bodhisattva-path, we must have equal and universal compassion. We must not seek recognition and fortune or flatter the rich, wealthy and powerful. Instead, we must spread our love to pave a path that leads to awakening. We must stay on the Bodhisattva-path and lead others onto the same path.
So, we must know not to crave fame and wealth. Also, we cannot treat well-known families, the rich, famous or powerful, differently. We have to treat all sentient beings equally. If we do not do so and are lax and greedy, we will quickly be immersed in the sea of desires or lost in the mountains of fame and wealth.
Some people pay respect to the Buddha to gain a reputation as a practitioner. They falsely manifest a dignified demeanor but are not truly earnest and only speedily seek what is seen externally. This is respect for the sake of recognition. This is based on the same principle.
Some people seek to learn the Buddha-Dharma but they do not seek to learn the principles. Their attitude is “I pay respect to the Buddha so that everyone know I pay respect to the Buddha. Since people who pay respect to the Buddha are known as kind people, I dot this so people will know I am kind and that I am learning the Buddha-Dharma. People like this only practice for the sake of gaining a reputation of being a spiritual practitioner. They are not cultivation their hearts at all; they only care about external appearances. “They falsely manifest a dignified demeanor”. So people will think that they have a good presence. In front of others, they pay respect to the Buddha and appear to practice the Buddha's teachings to develop a good reputation. But they only manifest this appearance in front of others. Actually, they are not earnest and do not have self-respect.
As spiritual practitioners, we must have respect for ourselves. How do we show this respect? By loving ourselves, by cherishing ourselves. As we practice the Buddha-Dharma, we must be solemn. We should not falsely manifest these dignified demeanor only when we are with other people and then be sloppy and undisciplined when we are not. This is wrong. We have to be the same whether people see us or not. We have to respectfully and diligently practice the Buddha-Dharma. We have to respect ourselves and others, as well as the Buddha's teachings.
If we can respect the Buddha's teachings, we can respect ourselves. Once we respect ourselves, naturally we will respect others. So as we learn the Buddha's Way and pay respect to the Buddha, we must do so with utmost reverence. We must absolutely not practice for the sake of gaining a reputation.
We must seek the Dharma with deep reverence. We cannot only seek a [practice] that is external, only for others to see. We must begin with our hearts. If we practice for others to see, we are paying “respect for the sake of recognition.”
He cast aside his recitations, neglected, forgot and dialed to comprehend them. These were the causes and conditions for his name “Seeker of Fame.”
If “seeking fame and wealth tirelessly, [we] often visit great clans, then we are “casting aside the recitations.” Even though we are reciting the sutras, there is no Dharma in our hearts. This is called “casting aside the recitations.”
This means that we just recite the words; they do not stay in our hearts. If the words are not in our hearts, how can we practice the principles? If there is no Dharma in our [actions] or heart, we will drown in the sea [of desires]. Then we “neglect, forget and fail to comprehend them.If we forget the contents of the sutras immediately after reading them, we “neglect, forget and fail to comprehend them.” We will not fully understand the teachings.
This is not beneficial to our spiritual practice, and we are wasting our time and our lives.Then we are practitioners in name only and lead empty lives; this is truly not beneficial for us. Not only does this harm our spiritual practice, this is like abandoning our efforts to spread the Dharma.“these were the causes and conditions for these were the causes and conditions for his name, ‘Seeker of Fame’” People like this are seekers of fame. Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva was one of Dharma Master Wondrous Light’s 800 disciples.Even though he was one of the 800 disciples and a Bodhisattvas who sought the Bodhisattva-path, he still had such habitual tendencies. So, he was called Seeker of Fame.
By seeking fame, he became undisciplined “Yet he also practiced many good deeds, Yet he also practiced many good deeds, enabling him to meet countless Buddhas” allowed him to meet many Buddhas.
In short, we often see undisciplined practitioners. They often stay close to people of fame and wealth. They seek out and flatter the rich, famous and powerful.It never occurs to them that practicing the Four Infinite Minds, loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity is a spiritual practitioner’s true duty.
They never think about this. If they are biased toward fame and wealth and “often visit great clans, they are undisciplined”. But some can still earnestly practice good deeds and create good karmic affinities. Therefore, they still have roots of goodness and their [good karma] will not dissipate.
So, we must at least create good karmic affinities with others. I often say, “Before attaining Buddhahood”. Even if we are lax and undisciplined but can create good karmic affinities and practice giving, then our [good karma] will not dissipate.
However, it will take a very long time for the Dharma to enter our hearts. As we learn the Buddha’s Way, I hope we will all remember to be diligent and avoid self-indulgence. We must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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