Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: True and Skillful, Empty and Wondrous (善巧方便真空妙有)
Date: November. 29. 2013
“The key to the whole day is the morning”. Each day begins at dawn as the sun rises in the east, as mill-, femto- and micro-seconds [pass]. Basically, day and night, time flies by without pausing. Day and night are constantly changing places in an instant. The last micro-second becomes the next one, and they endlessly add up. These micro-seconds are very short, and the [passage of time] is subtle and wondrous. This is a cycle without a beginning or an end.
From what time have these subtle and fine [increments of] time been accumulating and continuously passing by? In fact, none of us can understand this. So, I tell you all that we must seize the present moment and sustain the moment forever. When a good thought arises, we must hold on to it right away. By holding on to it with an unwavering mind and setting it as our direction in life, we can move forward without any reservations. So, if we seize that moment in time, for us it will be everlasting.
In our every thought and action, we must adhere to it. Is life real or illusory? Basically, life passes by over time while we are unaware. Illusory or real, our life keeps passing by. But in our minds, when thoughts stir and give rise to afflictions, the accumulation of these afflictions is very real. Because of this accumulation of afflictions, we create karma. This accumulation of karma is very real to us. The Buddha came to this world to help us understand how the accumulation of karma is created when our minds stir and give rise to thoughts, and how we can resolve this karma, the karmic retributions we have accumulated. Throughout time and space and in interpersonal relationships, this continues endlessly. We ordinary people are confused, so we continuously accumulate karma and have no clarity. The Buddha came to this world to help us understand [these principles]. To achieve understanding is not easy. He wants to help us understand True Dharma. But we do not know where to begin and are unable to comprehend the words He spoke from His heart. The Buddha uses various methods, but we still cannot comprehend it, so He turned True Dharma into skillful means.So He turned True Dharma into skillful means.
Just what are True Dharma and skillful means?The Buddha already spent over 40 years giving teachings with clever and skillful means, solely to help us achieve understanding.But we still have a long way to go.How much farther do we need to go?
These days, science and technology are advanced.In astronomy, it is known that the sunlight we observe on Earth right now actually left the Sun some time earlier.Eight minutes pass before we see that ray of light.This radiated light travels at light speed.
When we calculate the distance with light speed, we see that the Sun is very far.
Clearly, we who live here on Earth depend on the Sun for our survival, yet we are so far away from it.
We receive its light, and the light we receive is light it emitted eight minutes ago.So as far as we can tell, if this light now the same as the light from eight minutes ago?It is the same ray of light, but it feels illusory because it arrives eight minutes later, not instantaneously.
So is this actually real or illusory?Therefore, “Such are time and space; they seem real but are illusory”.Light from the Sun is real light, but it is something that happened eight minutes ago.However our perception is that it is happening in this instant, right now.Distance creates this difference in time.Therefore, it seems real but is illusory.
But “in the real and illusory, indeed there is wondrous existence in true emptiness”.
There really is wondrous existence in true emptiness.
Some say, “That happened eight minutes ago, why do you say it is happening now?”
“Well, it happened eight minutes ago, but I am just seeing it now”.Sunlight travels here in eight in eight minutes, and I have already been speaking for so long.Meanwhile, the emitted light keeps coming in succession, overlapping.It feels so real to us, even though it has to travel so far to reach us before we can feel it.So, what we feel is ever-changing and constantly passing by.
In this world, there is wondrous existence in true emptiness.This true emptiness and wondrous existence cannot be understood except by the Great Enlightened One.
The Buddha had a great awakening and realized the true principles of the universe.
Therefore, we must truly revere and respect the Great Enlightened One of the universe.We must respect and admire His enlightened wisdom.
Indeed, the Buddha has told us that this awakened nature is intrinsic to us all.We have all left it behind, but we can seek external phenomena to meticulously validate [all these principles].Then we call this awakening.But the endless void is boundless.
Time and space are boundless and endless.How do we carry out our pursuit?Life is limited and time is short, so we just need to quickly search within ourselves to find our intrinsic awakened nature, which is the same as the Buddha’s.
Therefore, the Dharma is not far from us. But once we have let go of that nature, we will have to chase after it for a very long time. As I have said, “an ignorant thought creates the Three Subtleties.” The Three Subtleties are very minute, tiny. These afflictions are very small and subtle; they continuously accumulate as we create much karma. Thus, we are constantly covered by ignorance.
Therefore, life can be very illusory because delusions continuously arise and continuously cover [our pure nature]. Indeed, every day we live in a state that seems real but is illusory. But within the illusory, there is something real. To understand this is very difficult.Therefore, to understand this better, we need to make an effort to study both True Dharma and skillful means.
The Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra to inspire in everyone the desire to seek the True Path. This is why He radiated light and manifested auspicious signs. Through Maitreya and Manjusri’s dialog, the teachings of ancient Buddhas were used as a comparison to how Sakyamuni Buddha was now about to reveal the True Dharma in the Saha World. We already clearly understand the setting. It was set forth in the introductory Chapter, or the Preface. The opening section is the Sutra’s Preface. At the beginning of the teachings, the causes and conditions for it are mentioned as the origins, or the Preface.
Every sutra is divided into three parts: “Preface, Main Teachings, Transmission.”
“Preface: The Preface gives the outline of the sutra.”
“Main Teachings: The Main Teachings are the main text of the sutra.”
“Transmission: Transmission encourages spiritual practitioners to lean and pass it on.”
We are just now getting into the Main Teachings. I have spent a long time just on the Sutra Preface, on its opening. I am just now beginning to really delve into the sutra. This part is called Main Teachings and has a total of 19 chapters. These 19 chapters being with the Chapter on Skillful Means. So, this is the first chapter in the Main Teaching.
As sutra is divided into the Preface, Main Teachings and Transmission. The last part is about spreading it. The Lotus Sutra has a total of 28 chapters. We have already covered the Introductory Chapter. Then in Main Teachings, there are 19 chapters. This only adds up to 20 chapters. In the end, there are another 8 chapters about how to transmit these teachings. So, now I am just starting to discuss the Main Teachings section.
The Introductory Chapter reveals why they wondrous Dharma is being taught. In these past two days I have been telling you all that the Introductory Chapter is truly very meandering and tactful. It helps us bring everyone’s minds together; it attracts our attention. We can clearly see that in the Buddha’s time, He had already been teaching for 42 years before finally starting to freely carry out His original intent. And He still had to reveal it in such a tactful and meandering way for people to value and pay attention to it. This is to say nothing of people these days; how long must we talk and how much must we say for them to find it important and pay attention? Besides valuing and paying attention to it, how do we let these teachings enter our minds, or even put them into practice? That still seems very far off.
It already takes eight minutes for sunlight to reach the Earth, who knows how long it will take for us to understand the True Dharma and for the principles to penetrate our hearts. This is truly very hard to predict. Therefore, we are only now beginning to discuss meanings [contained in] the Lotus Dharma. The original teachings of the Buddha can only be revealed through such roundabout ways. So, “Subsequently comes the core of this sutra.” The Preface is very tactful and indirect. It winds and turns in this way to adjust and focus people’s minds.
“The Introductory Chapter is very tactful and indirect. It revealed the intention for giving the wondrous teachings. Subsequently comes the core of this sutra.”
In summary, the fact is, our wisdom is very weak. We say people today have sharp capabilities, but they are actually very poor, very dull. They are not that sharp. Our knowledge is still unclear, .like light that has been dispersed. This is what we ordinary people are like. Now we must focus our wisdom and thoughts, so we can understand the Buddha’s teachings.
So, the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra is the Buddha’s original [teaching], just as the One Vehicle Dharma is the only way to attaining Buddhahood. The Buddha was now teaching the only way to attain Buddhahood. Similarly, to go from point A to point B, will you take some kind of car? Or, take a plane? Or, take a jet, which is even faster? The last is like Great Vehicle teachings.
A knowledgeable person is instantly awakened. Suddenly, in an instant, he can awaken. For a person with dull capabilities, this happens gradually. And the Lotus Sutra is the great Dharma of the One Vehicle that can help us quickly develop inspiration and understating. The Lotus Sutra is focused on explaining the principle of the One Vehicle. Please pay attention and focus your minds, so you can comprehend the Buddha’s teachings.
“The Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra is the original [teaching] of all Buddhas, just as the Dharma of the One Vehicle is the only teaching to attain Buddhahood.”
Let us think, the Great Enlightened One realized the truths in the universe. With one though, He traveled across 3000 worlds. In the time it takes to eat a meal, He traveled through 10 trillion Buddha-lands. Clearly, the universe is very expansive. The unenlightened could not recognize this. [The teachings of] Sakyamuni Buddha from over 2000 years ago are now gradually being verified by science. So, let us humble ourselves and avoid being too self-absorbed or too conceited. Otherwise, the light of our wisdom will be dispersed and lost. We must focus it. So everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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