Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Tathagata’s Wisdom Is Vast and Profound(如來知見 廣大深遠)
Date: December. 19. 2013
“From Beginningless Time until now,over indeterminate time and space, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have steered the ship of compassion on the Dharma-sea to the Saha World of endurance for the great work of transforming sentient beings. They established skillful means in order to practice the Paramitas.”
I want to share with everyone about “from Beginningless Time until now”. Truly, how long ago was this? We cannot say how long. This time and space are truly immeasurable. Thus, it is said, “Though the universe has bounds, our vows are boundless.” The universe is vast, and this place, time and space are very extensive. But, our will cannot be measured. It is based on the aspirations and vows we have formed. The Buddha has already clearly told us that all sentient beings intrinsically have Buddha-nature.
However great the aspirations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are, ours should be just as great. However, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are already enlightened, and we are just beginning to seek our awakening. Ordinary beings seem so insignificant compared to the Buddha. But, we are also essentially replete with the same great, infinite Buddha-nature and have had it since Beginningless Time. So, though we are at the stage of ordinary people we can still make great vows like the Buddha. So, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have already attained Buddhahood and became enlightened, but they cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer so they continue to return to the world and “steer the ship of compassion on the Dharma-sea.”
All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have wisdom as vast as the sea. So in this Saha World, they made use of this Dharma-sea. Whether they establish skillful teachings, or use clever skillful means, they devote themselves to the world in many ways. They teach us until we understand and once we do, continue to lead us forward. This is how they steer the ship of compassion. They use various methods to give teachings, which make up the Dharma-sea.
Indeed, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have, since Beginningless Time, continuously returned to this world on the ship of compassion. So, Sakyamuni Buddha’s [teachings] come from past spiritual practices that [He learned] from countless Buddhas. So, clearly in this time and space, since an endless time before, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have already been giving teachings, which make the Dharma-sea, and They continuously return to the world, sailing on the ship of compassion. Indeed, for such a long time, They have been coming to the Saha World.The Saha World is the world of patient endurance.We need patience in order to live in this world because there is so much suffering.
Those who come to this world are ordinary beings who have no control and have to follow their causes and conditions.Every person is led to this world by causes and conditions they created in the past.Since we are in this [physical world,] we must live according to the way the world works.People who are blessed will be born in wealthy, civilized nations.
People who are more blessed will be born in very well-off families and in very good societies and peaceful environments.This is because in past lifetimes, they have created good causes and conditions.Therefore, when they come to the Saha World, they are among the blessed.Blessings are not something we can just choose to have in this lifetime.Based on causes and conditions in our past lives, we can come to this world and encounter good circumstantial and direct retributions.Direct retribution come from blessings we ourselves created in the past.
Circumstantial retribution comes from karmic affinities we created with others.These lead us to be born in a certain country, a certain society and a certain family.So, our circumstantial spatial and direct retributions depend on [karma] we created in the past.
The majority of people who come to this world will suffer.
Look around the world; those who are starving and live in the poorest countries have this circumstantial retribution.This is due to past bad causes and conditions.Even if Buddhas and Bodhisattvas go to these countries, they cannot do much.This is similar to how those in heaven cannot attain Buddhood.Because they live in comfort, they do not see suffering at all.Thus, they become lost in their comfort.Everyone has [the same] intrinsic nature, but based on circumstantial retribution and blessings, come may be born in heaven.
Those who are born into a blessed world will not strive to walk the Bodhisattva-path.
Those in hell cannot engage in spiritual practice nor can they listen to the Buddha-Dharma.For those who are completely isolated from the outside world, they may feel like they are in hell, and that kind of living is unspeakably painful.The Saha World is where Five Realms coexist.[Where we go] depends on the karma we created.
All Five Realms can pretty much be seen here.
In this world, we see people we enjoy themselves as if they are in heaven.In this world, we see people who suffer as if they are in hell.In this world, we can see hunger, poverty and lack of development.This is like the hungry ghost realm.So, the hell and hungry ghost [realms] are in this world.There is also the animal realm, which we can see everywhere.We can see all kinds of living beings.So, this world is where the Five Realms are intermixed.This all depends on our minds.We can engage in spiritual practice in this world because we can listen to the Dharma here.
In the human realm, we can see suffering to recognize our blessings.We can also create blessings.So, the Buddha comes to this world to teach through various skillful means, to give us analogies to help us see and feel [the Dharma] and understand that we must seek awakening.The Saha World is well-suited for spiritual practice. Though it is a world we must patiently endure and is filled with suffering and impermanence, the Buddha-Dharma is in this world. So we can promptly realize these profound principles. If these teachings seem very simple and obvious, why don’t we seize them right away?
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, in Their compassion, give teachings in the Saha World. They crossed the Dharma-sea on the ship of compassion to transform sentient beings. In the Saha World, this is Their one great cause. As I said previously, the Buddha established teachings and various skillful means to practice the Paramitas in order to transform sentient beings. Therefore, we must put our hearts into accepting the Buddha’s teachings.
The sutra then states, “Sariputra, the knowledge and views of the Tathagata are vast, great, profound and far-reaching, limitless and unhindered.”
The Buddha told Sariputra again that the knowledge and views of the Tathagata are vast, great, profound and far-reaching “limitless and unhindered.” Unhindered, the Buddha’s wisdom is like the speed of light he can travel through Dharma-realms and all states very quickly. Unhindered means He has such understanding. This is the Buddha’s wisdom. The Buddha’s intrinsic nature and clear knowledge and views are different from our ordinary knowledge and views.
As ordinary beings, we have limited knowledge and views, so we practice with our limited capabilities. How wise we are determines how much we know. But the Buddha’s wisdom is infinite and boundless, vast and profound.
Here “vast and great” means “The Tathagata’s Samadhi is broadly encompassing. It includes all things The world of sentient beings is inseparable from the mind. Thus it is called vast and great”.
This is talking about a Tathagata’s Right Knowledge, Views and Concentration. Thus, the Buddha is single-mindedly focused in Samadhi. The Buddha-mind is free of discursive thoughts, so His mind can be open and encompassing, universally accommodating. Thus, it is said, “the mind encompasses the universe and embraces everything.” The Buddha’s mind can encompass the great void, which is the universe. So, He can broadly encompass all things.
Although modern technology is very advanced, we still do not know how big [the universe] is. It is infinite. This broadly encompassing mind includes all things. All things are contained in the Buddha’s mind in His pure and undefiled Buddha-nature, His [Tathagata-] storehouse.We ordinary beings have a karmic storehouse, the eighth consciousness. All the karma we create is stored in the eighth consciousness. When we surpass the eighth consciousness, we will find our pure and limitless true nature. Therefore, it is broadly encompassing and includes all things. All things are in the Buddha’s pure and undefiled wisdom-sea.
“The world of sentient beings is inseparable from the mind”. Our world is inseparable from our minds. As I just said, beings of the Five Realms co-exist here because everything is created by our minds. Everything we ordinary beings do is within the Five Realms. But if we engage in spiritual practice, we understand that “all Buddhas of the Three Periods, [like all things,] are created by the mind.”
The Three Periods are past, present and future. If we form aspirations now, our minds can get close to Buddhas in the past, listen to His teachings now and carry this resolve into the future. Our minds only have one direction, which is to move toward the Buddha and walk on the straight Bodhi-path. If we can do this, in the state of sentient beings, we will be inseparable from this mind. Everything is created by the mind; the Five Realms are created by the mind. So, we can also create hell or surpass the Three Periods. This is all inseparable from the mind and thus [the mind] is called “vast and great” because the Buddha’s mind is so vast and great.Therefore, we must be mindful. Not only is it vast and great, but also profound and far-reaching.
That is “the Buddha’s wisdom is serene and profound. When He speaks, the sound goes from near to far and extends in ten directions. For those who are close, it is not loud for those who are far, it is not soft. This is from realizing the extremely profound, serene and far-reaching One Vehicle.”
This is how the Buddha achieves merits with His wisdom. Wisdom is like an ocean and must be conveyed through sound. After the Buddha attained realization, if He had not expounded the Dharma, how could it have spread? So the Buddha teaches for one great cause, to “open and reveal” it to sentient beings. After realizing it in His mind, He spoke the Dharma through His mouth.
So “when He speaks, His teachings are spread through sound, go from near to far and extend in ten directions.” [His voice] is clear to those near and far. “For those who are close, it is not loud.” People who listen from close by do not feel that it is too loud.
When some people speak, as soon as they open their mouths, they scare people. Their voice are too loud. With this kind of sound, not only will people be unable to accept it, it may repel them.
But when the Buddha speaks, although His voice is close by, it sounds soft and clear. People who are far away, do not feel that it is too soft; they can also hear it clearly. So those who are near do not find it too loud, and those who are far away do not feel it is too soft. “This is from realizing the extremely profound, serene and far-reaching One Vehicle.” This is called a profound and far-reaching tone.
The principles spoken are very profound, but with this sound, people can hear clearly from far away. Not only can people faraway hear it [people of a different era can also hear it. From His lifetime until now, over 2000 years later, we can still listen to His teachings.
In summary, we must always have this mindset. By being mindful, our minds can draw near to the Buddha’s mind. We are not limited time and space. As long as we are reverent, we can draw closer to His mind.So, we must be mindful and not be lax for even one second. “From beginningless Time until now over indeterminate time and space, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have steered the ship of compassion on the Dharma-sea to the Saha World of endurance for the great work transforming sentient beings in the Saha World of endurance is not only the responsibility of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. We all share this responsibility.
So, we must work on absorbing the Dharma and establishing skillful means in order to practice the Paramitas and help sentient beings cross from this shore of afflictions to the other shore of joy.
Every day, volunteers in the hospital are doing the “great work of transforming sentient beings” and establishing skillful means to open people’s minds in a place of suffering, so they can become joyful and at peace. So, we are treating minds then illnesses, or the illnesses and then the minds.
In summary, we can do these things right now. Everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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