Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Make Offerings with Utmost Sincerity (身心至誠行供養)
Date: January. 07. 2014
“Listening to the Dharma and encountering Buddhas is difficult. Listening, contemplating an practicing, and having faith, vows and actions is difficult. Respecting and drawing near [Buddhas] is difficult and practicing even more so. With utmost respect in body and mind, make offerings through actions.”
This tells us that listening to the Dharma is really not easy. There are billions of people in the world but how many have a chance to listen to the Dharma? To be able to live in the same era as the Buddha is even more difficult. Yet, the Buddha-Dharma remains in the world. When we listen to the Dharma, we need to do so respectfully. After listening to it, we must also contemplate what it is really trying to tell us and how it can help us walk this broad path that the Buddha is teaching us. If we can make this vow, we need to accept and practice His teachings. Therefore, as we listen and contemplate, we must also engage in spiritual practice.
In our practice, one thing we cannot lack is “faith”. We need to have path, we need to make vows and we need to put them into practice. This is how we truly listen, contemplate and practice. Some people may listen to teachings and then contemplate them. Not only do they contemplate them, they write commentaries about them. By listening, contemplating and writing, they show that they are studying the Dharma. But they need to ask themselves, is it out of Right Faith or for academic purposes that they listen, contemplate and then write such commentaries? Those who write commentaries may not necessarily be people who have faithfully accepted and practiced [the teachings]. They may not have made vows and are only working hard for academic achievement, so they are not spiritual practitioners. Although you can listen to the Dharma and contemplate its meaning, you may not have established faith, vows and practices. This is why “having faith, vows and practices is difficult.”
To listen and to contemplate are relatively easy, but to put it into practice is not easy at all. The value is in the physical practice. So, we choose to “be respectfully and draw near the Buddha.” Although it is also not very easy, it is at least easier than actual practice. Some may seem to have deep faith in the Buddha because they often visit temples and make offerings to Dharma Masters. They do all kinds of things except putting the teachings into practice.
At the temple, [they are asked,] “It’s noon, will you stay to eat with us?” “No, I already have a date with friends.” [They find] eating even a single vegetarian meal very difficult. This type of person is not a minority. They draw near temples, but are not practicing in their internal training ground.
Externally, they appear respectful and are always visiting spiritual training centers.
Are not practicing in their internal training group are always visiting spiritual training centers.Internally, they are unable to make progress.Therefore, “practicing is more difficult than being respectful and drawing near.With respect in body and mind, make offerings through actions.”
More importantly, when we go to temples and pay respect to the Three Treasures, we must engage in spiritual practice.With utmost sincerity of body and mind, we make offerings of conduct.Offerings of conduct are more important than material offerings.
So as we learn the Buddha’s Way we must always listen with our hearts.
In listening, we must be very respectful, feeling how very precious it is to encounter the teachings.As for the Dharma after listening, we must utilize and practice it.
Although encountering the Buddha is difficult, if there is Dharma in our hearts, we can then realize the Buddha within.And if the Buddha is in our hearts, naturally there will be Dharma in our actions.
So, the Buddha and the Dharma must remain in our hearts.If we respect them, the Buddha and the Dharma will always be with us and in our actions as we go about our days.Then, encountering the Buddha is not difficult.We can listen, contemplate and practice.As long as we have faith, make vows, take actions, in every moment, we are listening to teachings.
The following verses in the sutra states, “The assembly of the Buddha’s disciples have made offerings to all Buddhas.[They] have exhausted all Leak and are living in their final bodies.But even people such as these do not have the power required.The assembly of the Buddha’s disciples.”
This is the Buddha speaking to His disciples at the Lotus Dharma-assembly.“[They] have made offerings to all Buddhas.”These disciples, in the past, had [good karmic] affinities with all Buddhas.Likely, they made offerings to all Buddhas or had followed them in spiritual practice when.They were in this world previously.
Making offerings to and serving all Buddhas means they draw near to and respect them.Material offerings are not a necessity.The most important way to make offerings is to practice with utmost sincerity.
Of course, when the Buddha was living in this world, He also needed life-sustaining goods.So, offering things to sustain His life was called an offering of wealth.At the same time, they were not only contributing material goods; they also made offerings of respect courtesy.This manifested through their bodies and minds, through heartfelt sincerity and physical displays of respect.They aspired and vowed to practice [teachings] in their dealings with people and matters.This is putting the Dharma in to practice, which is an offering of the body and mind.So, there are offerings of wealth, of reverence and of conduct.
These are the three types of offerings.When these three are offered together, that is indeed an offering of utmost sincerity.Even if there is no “wealth,” no offering material goods, it does not matter.In the past, in India, there were many poor people, but they drew near the Dharma with great reverence.They made their offerings through reverence.
When we enter a monastery, we respectfully prostrate to the Three Treasures to show our respect for Dharma Masters and spiritual practitioners.This is also [an offering].And when we treat everyone and all living beings with the same respect, it is also an offering of reverence.Because we all have the Three Treasures in our self-nature, we all have the chance to attain Buddhahood
Didn’t Never-Slighting Bodhisattva believe this? So, “reverence” is very important. In addition to respecting the Three Treasures, we treat everyone with respect and courtesy.
I often say, “Courtesy is a principle”. If we truly want to comprehend principles, we need to be courteous in our actions. Therefore, respect and courtesy are very important. We do not necessarily need to make material offerings. More important are offerings of conduct and reverence. Our reverence and our will to walk the Bodhisattva-path are more important.
Thus, among the three types of offerings, reverence and conduct of the body and mind are more important than anything else.
So, in our daily living, can we practice the Four All-Embracing Virtues in society as we go about our work? Yes, we can awaken our kindness and give charitably. We can also work collaboratively and help each other. This is also giving of one’s strength. We must choose the courses of action that benefit others. This is the giving of wealth. Furthermore, speaking kind words is also a form of giving. We can speak a little softer and choose to say positive things that may encourage people to work together and help each other. We must often speak in this way. As we work with others, we must help and guide each other, so we can recruit Living Bodhisattvas. The Four All-Embracing Virtues can give rise to all this. This is also a form of offering. When we live in society, we are constantly making offerings. So, making offerings is important.
“They have exhausted all Leaks.”Leaks are afflictions. “Ending all Leaks” means that when all afflictions are eliminated, we can thoroughly understand everything. So, we must “eliminate afflictions of the Three Realms”.
In the desire realm, there are afflictions of views. In the form realm, there are afflictions of thinking. In the formless realm, there are afflictions of delusions. The afflictions of the Three Realms arise from the mind. With these afflictions in our minds, if we want to end all Leaks, we must eliminate views, thinking and delusions. To do this, we must eliminate afflictions of the Three Realms. After we thoroughly eliminate these views, thinking and delusions, what principles won’t we thoroughly understand? If we must make offerings to all Buddhas, will we thoroughly understand all principles? Not yet, if we only make offerings but do not eliminate ignorance and views, thinking and delusions, how will we thoroughly understand the principles? The only way to understand and thoroughly realize the Buddha’s profound, wondrous Dharma is to completely and our Leaks. Only by completely eliminating our afflictions can we achieve thorough understanding.
Therefore, Arhats have already thoroughly exhausted these delusions of views and thinking. Nothing in the world troubles them, so they do not have afflictions and have attained the fourth fruit of Arhatship, no longer trapped in samsara in the Three Realms. They have also attained spiritual powers.
Transcending samsara in the Three Realms means being free of views, thinking and delusions. They can eliminate thoughts that arise and cease in their minds, so they are no longer subject to cyclic existence in the Three Realms. They have also attained spiritual powers, such as “the power of ending all Leaks.” They have already eliminated these delusions, the obstruction of “knowledge”. They ended all Leaks and eliminated afflictions, so they could attain the fourth fruit of Arhatship. “Living in their final body” means that this physical body is their last form of “existence”. I have spoken about fragmentary samsara. We experience cyclic existence in fragments because the law of karma leads us to this world for decades at a time. This is called fragmentary samsara.
During fragmentary samsara, the law of karma is not within our control. But Arhats are engaged in purifying practices. They thoroughly understand the Four Noble Truths, so they have begun to purifying body and mind. They can eliminate and wash away the greed, anger and ignorance in their minds. So, this is their “final body” because they will completely eliminate these afflictions. There are also “final body Bodhisattvas” who are experiencing their last lifetime in cyclic existence. There are also newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. They are all engaged in spiritual practice. Whether they are Arhats or newly-inspired Bodhisattvas, they believe that by following the Buddha, they are “living in their final body.” This is what they believe, but there is still a long way to go. This final body has not yet achieved the Buddha’s universal enlightenment. But Bodhisattvas of equal enlightenment and the enlightened Buddhas will not abandon sentient beings.They take the next step of returning to this world and form great aspirations and vows. So, Bodhisattvas have resolved this: “There are countless sentient beings, and I vow to deliver them all.” “The path of the Buddha is unsurpassed, and I vow to accomplish it.”
They must have this level of [commitment]. This is not about their fragmentary existence. To just say, “I have thoroughly understood everything.” “I am free from afflictions.” “I have accomplished my attainment” This is still not enough. Although they are “living in their final body, even people such as these do not have the power required.”
What are they still incapable of? Of accepting great teachings. In their wisdom, they still cannot comprehend the most profound Dharma in the Buddha’s heart. They still cannot comprehend it.
Although they are getting closer, cycle by cycle, this part of the sutra states, “even people such as these do not have the power required”.It is difficult to teach this Dharma, to demonstrate this Dharma to everyone, even though it is within you and me, within all of us. We engage in spiritual practice, and we think “I already know [everything],” but what we know are external principles. We still have not looked within and found principles of the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle.We are not there yet, so we “do not have the power required.”
Therefore, we must put our hearts into this, always be mindful and consistently make progress. Then we can reach the stage where we can listen to the Dharma and unite it with our minds. This is why we must mindfully listen to the Dharma. When listening, contemplating and practicing, we need to have faith, make vows and take action.
We need to respectfully draw near the Dharma, so the Dharma will not leave our hearts. We must practice it, in body and mind, with utmost sincerity. We also need to make offerings of conduct.
The offerings I just mentioned are offerings made through our behavior. We must deeply respect everyone because we are encountering future Buddha and past Bodhisattvas all around us.All in all, if we constantly cultivate this reverence for people and matters, naturally we will respect the Buddha and Dharma. This utmost sincerity is an offering Alright everybody, as we learn Buddha’s Way and listen to teachings, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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