Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Wondrous Dharma Awakens Understanding(妙法其深 隨機契理)
Date: December. 13. 2013
“Extremely profound, subtle and wondrous are all teachings of the Path. All Buddhas intend to teach the Once Vehicle and give teachings for one great cause. They give Dharma and analogies that suit the capabilities of sentient beings.”
This is saying that we recognize the Buddha’s teachings as extremely profound, subtle and wondrous. For over 40 years, the Buddha continuously gave teachings. Based on sentient beings’ various capabilities, He opened various Dharma-doors for them. This is called skillful means. But the Buddha’s original intention was to teach the guide sentient beings to one thing, the One Vehicle teachings. The One Vehicle starts at the state of ordinary beings. After the Buddha attained enlightenment, He pointed directly to our minds, to help us understand that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, a nature equal to the Buddha. But we sentient beings cannot fully comprehend this, so the Buddha had to establish the Three Vehicles.
The Three Vehicles are the Small, Middle and Great Vehicle. The Buddha’s original intent was to teach the Great Vehicle (One Vehicle). But we were unable to comprehend it, so He had to establish many skillful means to guide sentient beings. Indeed, all Buddhas share the same path, so Their minds all contain the principles of the One Vehicle. This means that every Buddha we see is the same. So, “all Buddhas intend to teach the One Vehicle.” Not only do all Buddhas share the same mind, in fact, the Buddha also told us that we also intrinsically have the same Buddha-nature. So, the Buddha “gave teachings for one great cause,” which was to “open and reveal” [His knowledge and views] to sentient beings. He hoped that we can realize and “enter” the Buddhas’ teachings of the Path.
The Buddha already “opened and revealed,” but now, have we sentient beings “entered and realized” [those teachings]? It is said, “Teachers show the way, but students walk the path.” Over 2000 years ago, the Buddha already blazed this broad and straight path for us. Now, 2000 years later, the road is still just as wide and straight. Do we all see this road? The Buddha only comes to this world for this one great cause, to “open and reveal” [His knowledge and views]. Although the Buddha held the One Vehicle in His mind, He still spent 42 years patiently guiding people according to capabilities and using various methods to make analogies. So, He “gave Dharma and analogies that suit the capabilities of sentient beings.” Therefore, we all need to be mindful and constantly examine our minds.
Not only must we be mindful, we must observe our innate nature and ask ourselves, “Have I seen the Path?”“Have I taken the first step? Am I diligent?”“Am I taking in the surrounding scenery?”We still need to really ask ourselves,“What’s the goal of spiritual cultivation?”“Isn’t it to realize the Buddha’s teachings of the Path?”
Therefore, we need to be really self-aware.
The sutra states that in the past, He had already drawn near to countless Buddhas and even “exhaustively practiced all Buddha’s teachings of the Path, He simultaneously forged ahead with courage and vigor.“Thus, His name is widely known.”
This is what I explained earlier.Next, we will discuss how.“He has realized profound Dharma that has never been known before, and teaches according to what is appropriate.”“Yet the direction of His mind is hard to understand.”
After encountering all Buddha’s teachings, He accepted and practiced them and forged ahead with courage and vigor.So His name is already widely-known.Now He has returned to this world and still wants to give teachings.However, the wondrous Dharma and the direction of His mind are hard to understand.“The direction of His mind” refers to how the Buddha teaches according to how the Buddha teaches according to the capabilities of sentient beings.But sentient beings still find “the direction of His mind hard to understand”.They truly want to realize the direction of His mind, but they still cannot really understand it.
So, we know [He had] “realized profound Dharma that has never been known before.”
This Dharma is very profound.“Wondrous Dharma is said to be profound.”What kind of teaching is this?Very subtle and wondrous teachings.When we open a sutra to read it, doesn’t the Sutra Opening Verse speak of “unsurpassed, extremely profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma”?Indeed! It is unsurpassed and extremely profound.
“Unsurpassed” means highest “Extremely profound” means it is very deep.
So, it is both high and deep.
Since His teachings are very subtle and wondrous, they are called “profound”.
The word “Dharma” broadly refers to teachings given by the Buddha.It is just one word, but “Dharma” encompasses all things and all principles in the universe, so it is called “subtle and wondrous”.Thus, “wondrous Dharma is said to be profound”.
Indeed, it is very deep.“The most profound is called extremely [profound]”.
It is immeasurably, extremely profound.The Sutra of Infinite Meanings also mentions that it is very profound.
Wondrous Dharma is said to be profound.The most profound is called extremely [profound].
They teach according to what is appropriate, but the direction of Their mind is hard to understand.They transform sentient beings with what is appropriate and resonant with their capabilities.Those whose roots have not matured still find it hard to understand.
Since the Dharma is so profound and the hard to understand the Buddha had to apply His wisdom and teach according to capabilities.He “teaches according to what is appropriate”.“Appropriate” is what we can accept, suitable teachings.Based on our capabilities, He teaches suitable principles that we can accept.This is “teaching according to what is appropriate.”According to our capabilities, He gives teachings we can accept.So, it is said, when it comes to true principles, the direction of His mind is hard to understand.And this also means that “They transform sentient beings with what is appropriate and resonant with their capabilities”.Based on our capabilities, They [find a way] to awaken our minds and consciousness, to inspire us based on matters, so we can understand the underlying principles.This is doing what is“appropriate and resonant with their capabilities.”Those whose roots have not matured still find it hard to understand. Although the Buddha makes a lot of effort to give these explanations, and some people can accept it, the roots of others are still immature, so they do not understand.
So, I often say, “The Buddha transform “those He has karmic affinities with.” Actually, this affinity arises when causes and conditions have matured. Only then can we receive appropriate teachings.
Next, the Buddha said, “Sariputra, from the time I attained Buddhahood, I have, by means of various causes and conditions and various analogies, [taught sentient beings].”
This was what Sakyamuni Buddha told Sariputra next because now He has teaching the Lotus Sutra to Small and Middle Vehicle practitioners in hopes they could “turn from the Small to the Great”. They were already on the Buddhist path, so He hoped they could further make greater aspirations and dedicate themselves to the truths of the Buddha’s One Vehicle, which is to walk the Bodhisattva-path.
So, He directed [His teachings to] those who had attained the fruits of Arhatship. They only thought of self-liberation and wanted to enter Nirvana, the state of cessation. The Buddha further wanted them to be inspired anew and develop great aspirations. So, He wanted to help them put their hearts into realizing [His teachings]. At the assembly, He called to Sariputra again. This means He wanted to talk to everyone “Sariputra” also refers to all those who followed the Buddha to become monastics. He called Sariputra because he represented the Sangha. So, the Buddha called to Sariputra again to help them become more attentive.
“I” is how the Buddha referred to Himself. Since He became the Buddha, for a very long time, He used various opportunities and analogies to teach according to capabilities, “by means of various causes and conditions”. The Buddha’s teachings are based on causes and conditions.
“Various causes and conditions: The Buddha’s teachings are based on causes and conditions. In the Buddha’s noble teachings, from the simple to profound, everything He says is related to the truths of the law of karma.”
I often say that the law of karma is something we Buddhist practitioners cannot ignore. Karmic retribution is something the Buddha had taught His entire life to everyone from the Small, Middle to Great, the Small Vehicle for limited capabilities, the Middle Vehicle for average capabilities and the Great Vehicle for great capabilities all do not diverge from the law of karma. Thus, “the Buddha’s teachings are based on causes and conditions.” His mission is to help everyone see the same guiding principles. “Causes and conditions” is the principle for the arising and ceasing of all things.
“In the Buddha’s noble teachings, from the simple to profound”, all teachings of the Path are related to the law of karma.
The way we form aspirations, how we engage in spiritual practice and what we accomplish are all based on the law of karma. But the Buddha applied His wisdom to come up with [many methods to teach this]. So, for those with limited capabilities, He taught simpler principles. As their capabilities gradually mature, His teachings go from simple to profound. So, “everything He says is related to the truths of the law of karma,” which are Absolute Truths and principles.
So, the sutra stated that [He used] “various causes and conditions” and “various analogies.”
Various analogies：With things that were known, [He] revealed things that were not yet known.
Analogies are used when I understand something and try to tell you but you still do not understand. What can I do? I use matters to reveal principles. I can explain things you do not understand with [concrete examples] to help you realize this. Therefore, “[He] revealed things that were not yet known.”
If you do not understand yet, I will teach you through an analogy. How do I do this? For example, let me tell you about the “wind.” What does “wind” look like? It is invisible. But when you see a tree swaying, you know the wind has started the blow. Because it is blowing, a tree is swaying. This is how “a moving tree teaches us about wind.” This is how analogies work. We analogize matters and forms to the Path and principles.
Therefore, we should understand that analogies are crucial to many teachings. Because we have dull capabilities, the Buddha had to use objects and matters as analogies to describe principles.
So, as for the Dharma, I often say, “The Dharma is like water; the Dharma-rain of Tathagatas nourishes all living things.” These are all analogies. Trees on the land need water the way the minds of us sentient beings need the Dharma. So, we make these analogies, “The Dharma is like water; the Dharma-rain of Tathagatas nourished all living things.”
So, “first establish an analogy, then match it to the teachings of the Path. First I give the analogy, then I will tell you that the Dharma is as such. “This is like mentioning someone who desired a beautiful flower.” This is just like telling the story about a person’s desire. He saw a beautiful flower, but this flower grew on a tree that was partly hanging over a creak. Because he wanted to pick that flower, he disregarded the danger and climbed the tree, so he could reach the flower. In a moment of carelessness, he fell into the creek and [was swept away]. This is another analogy.
This story is an analogy for “how sentient beings crave the Five Desires. This explains that we have desires, which are cravings and a form of greed. When he saw that flower, he craved it, so he became greedy and wanted to grasp it. So, the Buddha told this story as an analogy for how we sentient beings live in cyclic existence; we are immersed in and floating along the sea of samsara. These are all considered analogies.
Many teachings use analogies to help people comprehend and penetrate them. So everybody, we must understand that from the time the Buddha attained enlightenment, for over 40 years He continuously used causes and conditions, various analogies, to teach us. When He proclaimed His teachings, how much of it could the people listening during His lifetime really understand? Now, over 2000 years later, how much of His Dharma can we comprehend? We must all ask ourselves this question. We know ourselves the best. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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