Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Diligently Cultivate the Mind and Body (身心精進福慧雙具)
Date: November. 25. 2013
We are learning the Buddha’s Way. Since we have attained this body and also listened to His teachings, if we do not transform in this life, when will we? Lost within cyclic existence in the Six Realms, we have finally managed to encounter the Buddha-Dharma in this lifetime. We must make good use of this body right now. The body is a vehicle for spiritual practice. With this body, we can listen to the Buddha’s teaching and allow it to penetrate our minds and actions by putting it into practice. If we do not take advantage of this body now, in which lifetime will we do so? We must know that in the Six Realms, “once human form is lost, it takes kalpas to regain it.” In Buddhist Sutras, many passages caution us that attaining human form is not easy. If we cultivate heavenly blessings in this world and are born in heaven, there is no Dharma there. When those blessings are exhausted, we will fall back into the human realm. Here, we become lost and create more karma, so there will we be reborn in our next lifetime?
Human life is impermanent. Although the heavenly lifespan is very long, in time it too will come to an end. However, human lives are so short and miserable. You often hear me say, “One day in the four heavens of the four heavenly kings is 50 years in human years. One day in Trayastrimsa Heaven is 100 years in human years.” Though a heavenly lifespan is very long, it will still come to an end. As this point, we have all attained this body and listened to the Buddha-Dharma, so we must not go astray.
Once we allow these deviant paths into our hearts, freeing ourselves from them will be difficult, and we will be very anxious about leaving them. We will not be able to calm our minds. I often say that we must practice precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. To uphold precepts, we must have Right Thinking, Right Views and Right Mindfulness without giving rise to even the slightest thought. So, we must all take good care of our minds and diligently engage in spiritual practice. If our minds are still and our actions are proper, we will be diligent and not lax. If in this lifetime, our bodies and minds are lax, we cannot focus and advance in our spiritual cultivation. This is because our minds are already scattered. Though we have the karmic conditions to receive the Buddha-Dharma, because our minds are scattered, we become lazy and unwilling to focus on the path to Buddhahood.
“Focus” means to have a mind that is pure and free of discursive thoughts. This is “focus”. If we engage in spiritual practice, we must dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly. “Advance” means we go forward, and not backward.By wholeheartedly advancing forward, we are practicing the True Dharma.If we cannot diligently study and practice, we will quickly become distressed.Not only will we distress ourselves, we will also distress others.This is “affliction from indolence”.
If we are lazy in body and mind, we cannot focus and advance in our spiritual cultivation and we will become distressed.That is affliction from indolence.
Because we are indolent, we degenerate.All afflictions are entangled in our minds and in everything that surrounds us to create distress.This is truly very frightening.
Afflictions follow karma to disturb our minds.Fellow Bodhisattvas, the [chance for] spiritual practice is precious, “rarely encountered even in billions of kalpas.Today, I can see, hear and accept it, so I vow to understand the Tathagata’s true meaning.”“The unsurpassed, profound, wondrous Dharma” is right in front of us, so why are we troubling ourselves by being unfocused?So, we must all heighten our vigilance.
In these past few days, I have been explaining “the indolent one was you”.
This was said in a dialogue between Manjusri Bodhisattva and Maitreya Bodhisattva.
It is a warning to us.
Although this was long and indirect, in the end, [Manjusri] directly said, “the indolent one was you”.“And, Dharma-Master Wondrous Light was I, now present here”.
After that Buddha entered Parinirvana, among the 800 disciples, the indolent one was you.The 800 disciples are likely a metaphor for the Eightfold Noble Path.If we stray even a little from the Eightfold Noble Path, afflictions will quickly enter our minds.The eight princes are a metaphor for our Eight Consciousnesses, which contain the Eightfold Nobles Path.If we cultivate the Eightfold Noble Path well in the Eight Consciousnesses, we will have Right Thinking, Right Knowledge, Right Views, Right Conduct, Right Action, Right Livelihood, etc.This reminds us that as we listen to the Dharma, it must penetrate our minds.
So, Manjusri Bodhisattva pointedly said, “the indolent one was you”.Perhaps he was referring to everyone at the Lotus Dharma-Assembly, implying htat they have all been indolent.Perhaps, to make this more relevant, he is saying that all of us here right now have also been lost and lax.
“And, Dharma-Master Wondrous Light was I, now present here.”“I saw [Sun-Moon-] Lamp Radiant Buddha; His light and auspicous signs were like these.”
Manjusri Bodhisattva said, “Dharma Master Wondrous Light was I.”Who is this“I” ?
We should know that we all have “Three Treasures in our self-nature”.We intrinsically have Buddha-nature.Each one of us has Buddha-nature, and each one of us has formed the same aspiration.Thus, when we are diligent, our bodies manifest Buddha-nature.So, we should firmly seize [this moment].We can also be like Manjusri Bodhisattva.We all intrinsically have Buddha-nature and the wisdom to follow this Bodisattva-path.The Dharma is really this simple.
So, the sutra states, Manjusri Bodhisattva, when he was at Sakyamuni Buddha’s assembly, said, “In the past, I saw Lamp Radiant Buddha when He was about to expound the Lotus Sutra.In that Dharma-assembly, He radiated light from His body and those rays of light and auspicious signs are the same as [Sakyamuni 's] just now”.
Let us try to understand Manjusri Bodhisattva. In the past, Manjusri Bodhisattva, at the time of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha, was a Dharma Master named Wondrous Light. He had 800 disciples, who spread the Lotus Teachings.
I keep talking about the 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas. I keep thinking about whether there is one Buddha or 20,000, whether there is one Buddha or 20,000, each here for a period of time. For 20,000 of Them to successively attain Buddhahood, how long would that take? A very long time. It is incalculable. The number of Buddha,20,000, is very big. How can this be explained?
This is likely a metaphor for blessings and wisdom. Blessings cannot be created in one lifetime. It is often said that Buddhahood can only be attained after three great asankya kalpas of spiritual practice. Why does it take such a long time? The longer the time, the more things they can do, the more people they can meet and create good karmic affinities with. Over many, many lifetimes, they walk the Bodhisattva-path and create good karmic affinities with sentient beings. These good karmic conditions between Bodhisattvas and sentient beings are formed until perfected. When they have awakened themselves and others and perfected everything, they have attained Buddhahood. So, the number 20,000, if we understand it in terms of blessings and wisdom, means we need a very long time to cultivate infinite blessings and infinite wisdom. When these blessings and wisdom come together. Buddhahood is achieved.
By speaking of the past 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas, he showed that the present Sakyamuni Buddha is like Them and has ample blessings and wisdom. The methods for transforming beings were based on the Eightfold Noble Path. So, the 800 disciples are a metaphor of the Eightfold Noble Path. In particular, the eight princes are a metaphor for the Eight Consciousnesses. So, we have been explaining this for a very long time. With this as the context, now we can return to discuss how Sakyamuni Buddha was about to expound the Lotus Sutra in that setting. So, these 800 disciples spread the Lotus teachings.
In the past, 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas also expounded the Lotus Sutra in the end. After They had all entered Parinirvana, Wondrous Light Bodhisattva continued on to use the Lotus Sutra to teach the 800 disciples and eight princes. The Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra is [part of the path shared by all Buddhas] . As Bodhisattvas cultivate actions and vows, they create merits to become great Dharma Masters. We call Manjusri a Bodhisattva. But here, we say Dharma Master Wondrous Light or Wondrous Light Bodhisattva. Indeed, for a Bodhisattva to cultivate blessings and wisdom, most importantly they must teach and transform sentient beings. So, they are called great Dharma Masters.
Great Dharma Masters cultivate merits through actions and vows. They must continually accumulate merits. In accumulating these merits, they must put [the teachings into] practice. Without practice, they will not be able to attain all merits. So, merits come from practice and require earnestness and diligence. This is [the connection] between merits, actions and vows.
Bodhisattvas practice to cultivate all merits, actions and vows. They are great Dharma Masters who skillfully safeguard the Tathagata’s Dharma-treasure.
Merits come from spiritual practice. Actions and vows are the realizations of our aspirations; we must act our vows. This is how we [fulfill] actions and vows; only then can we be great Dharma Master who skillfully safeguard Tathagata’s Dharma-treasure.”
To be great Dharma Masters, we must strive to protect the Tathagata’s Dharma-treasure, the true principles, free of biases and deviations completely pure and clean Dharma. This is the Tathagata’s Dharma-treasure.
“They could proclaim Dharma to the assembly and enable all sentient beings to attain great peace and joy.”
They did not just strive to protect the Dharma, but also to apply it. They taught it according to the capabilities of sentient beings. Those they have a karmic affinity with can accept the Dharma. Without the right karmic conditions, the Dharma cannot be applied. I just said that “20,000” represents having both blessings and wisdom. They continuously accumulated them and created karmic affinities with sentient beings. These karmic affinities must be protected over a long period of time. This is wisdom. By safeguarding and exercising wisdom, “they could proclaim Dharma to the assembly.” This is a blessing.
Thus, with blessings, they can thoroughly create good karmic connections with sentient beings, so they can receive [the teachings]. “They could proclaim Dharma to the assembly enabling all be beings to attain great peace and joy.” If they are inspired and can receive teachings, naturally they will peaceful and joyful.
I often say, “Blessing is the joy gained through doing wisdom is the freedom gained with understanding.” If we truly accept the Dharma and very willingly help others, we will be very joyful every day, free of afflictions and laziness. Afflictions accompany laziness, and laziness accompanies afflictions. This leads us to continuously degenerate.
If we can accept the Dharma, we naturally want to give and to act on great vows. By doing this, by giving in this way, our minds can realize the Buddha’s principles.Our minds must be focused; having focus is [a virtue]. When we are focused, goodness naturally arises. This comes from understanding the true principles of the wondrous Dharma. “Today, I can see, hear and accept it, so I vow to understand the Tathagata’s true meaning.” This is what it means to have understanding. We must work on accepting the Buddha’s Dharma and focus on understanding His true principles. Then we can attain great peace and joy.
Fellow Bodhisattvas, truly our mind can help us attain Buddhahood or cause us to enter an evil path. Thus, as we engage in spiritual practice, we must safeguard our minds well, “Goodness can protect the Tathagata-garbha. That is very important. “To promote the Dharma to all beings, we must have proper thoughts and actions and share the teachings we realize with everyone. This helps everyone attain peace and joy. So, we must make an effort to practice this true, subtle and wondrous Dharma. Everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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