Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Diligently Transform Sentient Beings (學佛精進度眾生)
Date: December. 24. 2013
We must diligently practice all Buddhas’ teachings of the Path. The Buddha had drawn near to countless Buddhas,
therefore [b]His wisdom is extremely profound. His teachings of the Path are infinite and cannot be measured or calculated. [/b]
We cannot calculate this numerically because He encountered countless Buddhas’ teachings and continuously and diligently practiced them without ever becoming lax. Therefore, the teachings of the Path He attained cannot be numerically calculated. I keep saying that what the Great Enlightened One of the universe realized encompasses the universe and pervades all Dharma-realms. Therefore, it is incalculable. So, the Buddha’s extremely profound wisdom and teachings of the Path are infinite.
Therefore, with His “clever, skillful and non-discriminating wisdom, He taught countless sentient beings according to their capabilities.”
What He attained was non-differentiated wisdom. I often say “show compassion to all equality.” Even though sentient beings have limited capabilities and wisdom, the Buddha uses teachings of the Path that they can accept to teach them. If they have great capabilities and wisdom, He gives them great teachings. Whether they have limited or great capabilities, all sentient beings are taught according to their capabilities by the Buddha compassionately using clever and skillful means. He did this all to help everyone become equal. This is “showing compassion to all equally.” Non-differentiated means that we all have equal, innate wisdom.
We originally have this intrinsic Buddha-nature, and this original, equal wisdom. So how could there be any difference? Because the Buddha is compassionate, He wanted to enable all sentient beings to attain the Buddha’s state of enlightenment. Therefore, He exercised clever and skillful means to give teachings. To do this, He had to exercise impartial and non-differentiating wisdom. There are infinite sentient beings, and He had to teach them according to their capabilities. As I mentioned previously, all Buddhas have strength. They possess the Ten Powers, Fourfold Fearlessness, dhyana, liberation, Samadhi and so on. These are things we all need to work on. We need to calm our minds. If we have not attained a state of dhyana, do not contemplate nor have a tranquil mind, we cannot attain liberation nor enter the practice of the Right Path.
“Deeply enter the boundless Dharma and awaken to the Dharma that has never been attained.”
“Deeply enter the boundless Dharma”. This Dharma is not just vast; it is also profound. We cannot just recognize that it is profound; we must really “enter” it. All Dharma must enter our minds, not just one or two teachings, but countless, boundless teachings.Therefore, “all Dharma arose without a beginning and ceased without an ending”.
How long has this Dharma existed?When did it begin?The Buddha-Dharma keeps stating, “Since Beginnignless time”.This means there was no starting point; it began a long, long time ago.We cannot comprehend it or verbally reason out when this Dharma began.When did our wisdom, our Buddha-nature, begin?We cannot figure it out.It happened a long time ago.“Arose without a beginning and ceased without an ending.”When something is beginningless and endless, that means it has existed for a very long time.
And in the future?It also has no ending.Exactly when does the Dharma come to an end?Right now we talk about Dharma Degeneration because the Dharma is currently in the evil world of Five Turbidities.The defilements in the minds of sentient beings are very severe.Therefore, this is the Era of Dharma Degeneration.This means that the Buddha-Dharma is coming to an end in this present era.
Actually, what we call the end leads to [the beginning of] the next cycle.This is why the Buddha comes to this world to turn the Dharma-wheel.In the Era of Dharma Degeneration, He turns it again, so it begins again.
What moment is this?It is continuously turning.This is called turning the Dharma-wheel.The turning of the Dharma-wheel is indeed beginningless and endless.From the moment it arises to the moment it ceases, the time in between is truly incalculable.It is boundless and cannot be calculated.This is true emptiness.
When the Buddha gave Prajna [teachings,] He said that in the end, there is nothing.
But we must understand that in true emptiness, there is wondrous existence.The Buddha applied His wisdom to meticulously analyze how something becomes nothing.But within this nothingness, there is very subtle and wondrous Dharma.
Therefore, nothing becomes something.
There is much Dharma in this world.What is Dharma?It needs an appearance for other people to see it.These things are inseparable from the temporary union of the four elements.Therefore, everything we can see or feel is Dharma; everything is Dharma.But these things cause sentient beings to form attachments.
This is why the Buddha had to exercise wisdom to meticulously analyze for us that the things we can see are formed by the four elements.What we cannot see are our feelings, the accumulation of afflictions.If we mindfully interpret and understand tangible and intangible things, allow our wisdom to penetrate them, then naturally, things that “exist” become “non-existent,” and within something “non-existent,” there is wondrous Dharma, which is wondrous existence.
Wondrous existence is pure and undefiled wisdom.This pure and undefiled wisdom comes from our intrinsic Buddha-nature.He “awakened to the Dharma that has never been attained”.
The beginning of Lotus Sutra states, “Everyone in the assembly attained what they had never had before”.They rejoiced and pressed their palms together.
This “never had before” was mentioned at the beginning of the Lotus Dharma-assembly, in the introductory chapter.I have also continually mentioned that state.
When the Buddha was about to expound the sutra, many beings came from the ten directions, whether they were the Buddha’s disciples, kings or ministers of kingdoms, the eight classes of Dharma-protectors in heavens, or all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of ten directions.They all emerged and arrived at this Dharma-assembly.
“Everyone attained what they never had before”. In the past, they often listened to His teachings but things seemed ordinary. However, this Dharma-assembly seemed very extraordinary. So, this is to “attain what has never been attained”. This refers to what has never happened in the past and is being experienced for the first time. This has never been experienced before, so now they feel such joy. At that Dharma-assembly, they all felt this joy that they had never experienced before. They can “attain what has never been attained” because they “deeply entered the boundless.” Their minds have already deeply entered a vast, broad and profound state. This is also a state of “emptiness”. All things are inherently empty. In that state, there are no hindrances and the mind is truly clear and at ease. But in that clarity, there is the subtle and wondrous joy of “attaining what has never been attained.”
Therefore, the Buddha once again called out, “Sariputra, the Tathagata can make various distinctions, tactfully giving all teachings. His speech is gentle and delights the hearts of multitudes.”
The Buddha spoke to Sariputra to keep reminding everyone to be earnest. Sariputra and all of us must understand that “the Tathagata can make various distinctions”, He is able to distinguish all forms in this world, one by one, and analyze each of them for us. His analysis helps us understand that afflictions come from coming in contact with people and matters, and so does joy and so on. The Buddha explains each thing, one by one. He does this by “tactfully speaking,” which is using skilful means. He uses various methods to make analogies and give explanations. He tactfully teaches according to what sentient beings can accept based on their capabilities.
As He gives teachings, “His speech is gentle”. The Buddha’s teaching is something everyone enjoys listening to. When they listen to it, they feel happy. The reason is that in the past, the Buddha had created many good affinities with sentient beings. Therefore, in whatever way He gives teachings, they all feel very comfortable as they listen to Him. This is because He speaks in a “soft tone.”
“The Eight Tones: beautiful tone, soft tone, harmonious tone, respectful and wise tone, non-effeminate tone, unerring tone, deep and far-reaching tone and inexhaustible tone.”
The Buddha had Eight Tones. When He used His “soft tone,” people sitting near Him did not find His teaching loud. But for people who sat far away, the volume was also just right. This was His “deep and far-reaching tone.” He had both a “soft tone” and a “deep and far-reaching tone.” When sentient beings heard His voice, they always felt joyful. Whether the Dharma actually penetrated their hearts or not, whenever they heard the Buddha’s voice, they just felt joyful. So, He “delights the hearts of multitudes”.
The word “Tathagata, what does it mean? It is one of the ten epithets of all Buddhas.
“Tathagata: It is one of the ten epithets of all Buddhas. [This epithet] refers to True Suchness. One the path of True Suchness, He goes from causes to fruition and attains perfect enlightenment.”
This epithet refers to True Suchness, which is also our intrinsic nature. We are “on the path of True Suchness, which is the One Vehicle Dharma. Thus, the Buddha’s True Suchness is His intrinsic nature, which contains the great teachings of the true One Vehicle. This is “the path of True Suchness. He goes from causes to fruition.” The “cause” is the Buddha-nature, His pure, intrinsic nature contained the true and wondrous principles wondrous principles of the Great Vehicle to come back to this world. Therefore, “[come] to fruition” means manifesting the attainment of Buddhahood in this world, so we could see Him and have a Historical record of Him.
Thus, things come “to fruition”. He comes to engage in spiritual practice, attain Buddhahood and give teachings; this is how “He goes from causes to fruition.”
Then He “attains perfect enlightenment.” Because He worked very hard, He manifested the process of engaging in spiritual practice and attaining Buddhahood. Throughout His life, He went through the Eight Aspects and manifested various appearances. Therefore, from attaining perfect enlightenment, to teaching the world, to entering Parinirvana, these are all ways He gave teachings throught His lifetime.
Earlier I spoke of a “soft [tone]. [The Buddha used] skillful teachings and a soft tone that sentient beings enjoy hearing and joyfully accept.
This is because “with a mind of infinite great compassion, the Buddha spoke in tactful tones that were agreeable to sentient beings.This enabled those who heard it to be joyful and to let go of their stubbornness.”
The Buddha always has this mindset, on of infinite compassion. He has the Four Infinite Minds, loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity, as well as the Four Great Vows.We recognize that these infinite minds converge to form this state of mind so that He can transform all sentient beings.
That is why He “spoke in tactful tones that were agreeable to sentient beings.” “Sentient beings” refer to all living beings. This enabled those heard it to be joyful and to let go of their stubbornness.” So, it is said to be “gentle.” Even the most stubborn sentient beings, when they listen to the Buddha’s teachings, will become happy.
In summary, when we learn the Buddha’s Way, we follow the process of the Buddha’s spiritual practice. We follow His footsteps, His trail, to move forward.Sakyamuni Buddha Himself spoke of how He drew near to countless Buddhas in the past and had very diligently practiced various teachings of the Path. Shouldn’t we also do the same? This is why we must begin making vows like the Four Great Vows We can probably recite them, “There are countless sentient beings, and I vow to deliver them all.”
There are infinite Dharma-paths, And next? “Buddhahood is supreme, and I vow to attain it.”
Indeed, these are the Four Great Vows. We must transform sentient beings, learn many Dharma-paths, eliminate all afflictions and attain Buddhahood.In the process of eliminating afflictions and attaining Buddhahood, He made these vows and had to be replete with the Four Infinite Minds Great loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity are what He manifested for sentient beings to practice.Then naturally He drew near to the hearts of sentient beings, so He could transform, guide and teach them. This is His goal for coming to this world, and this is the path we must learn when we practice the Buddha’s Way.
This path has been established, so we must focus on diligently moving forward. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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