Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Pure Nirvana Is Perfect and Unhindered(清淨涅槃圓融無礙)
Date: January.31. 2014
“Pure Nirvana is replete with an infinite number of subtle and wondrous merits. It is non-arising and non-ceasing, as pure as the endless void. All sentient beings are equal and all have such intrinsically tranquil nature. This is the state of Nirvana.”
The Buddha taught us solely because He hoped we could all realize that our intrinsic nature was originally pure. So once again, I want to share the concept of pure Nirvana with everyone. Nirvana is always pure and “replete with an infinite number” [of wondrous merits]. Those with this pure nature indeed have a broad and spacious [state of mind]. No matter how many of us exist, our individual worlds do not hinder each other’s. Thus, we should understand that within you and me, he and you, within all of us we each have a pure state of mind, and intrinsic Buddha-nature.
This comes from subtle and wondrous merits and is non-arising and non-ceasing, as pure as the endless void. Our intrinsic nature has always been like this, in a state of non-arising and non-ceasing. How do we attain this state? By engaging in spiritual practice and accumulating an infinite number of merits. Perhaps all of you still remember that the Buddha Himself once said He drew near countless Buddhas and diligently practiced; lifetime after lifetime. This creates subtle and wondrous merits. No matter how many Buddhas there are, each one of these infinite Buddhas shares the same path and teaches skillful and suitable means. This is because Buddhas meet the world’s needs. They come to this world in different time periods and circumstances. Every Buddha, in dealing with different eras, gives sentient beings different skillful means. Thus, every Buddha [teaches] “skillful means suitable for capabilities.” Their teachings suit that time period and the capabilities of those sentient beings. This comes from their infinite and countless subtle, wondrous merits. If we can persist in spending such a long period of time being taught by each Buddha, continuously accepting and realizing Their teachings, we will accumulate many merits.
Perhaps you may wonder, “Sakyamuni encountered so many Buddhas, but what about us?” We have no idea whether we have even met one. We also do not know which [Buddha’s] teachings we can practice. If you wondrous such things, then I suggest that you treat every single person as a Buddha. Truthfully, each person has suitable wondrous Dharma. If we listen mindfully to their perspective and the way they deal with things, they are constantly teaching us. If we treat others with respect, we will certainly encounter Buddhas because every person will be a Buddha to us. Therefore, we must constantly cultivate our sense of respect.
Therefore, to make offerings to countless Buddhas is not very difficult.And to learn the Dharma form these Buddhas is also very simple.This is how we can accumulate infinite, countless subtle and wondrous merits.In this world, where can we find so many Buddhas to make offerings to?Each of us has the Three Treasures in our nature.
Every interaction is an opportunity for us to practice deference and respect, to engage in spiritual practice.
Therefore, our hearts must always remain pure.A pure heart is [in a state of] Nirvana.
When we are in harmony with people and matters, we are in harmony with [true] principles.This is true, wondrous Dharma.When we deal with external phenomena with a pure heart, we can be in harmony with everything.This is called pure Nirvana, which is also as pure as the endless void.Our hearts, our Buddha-nature, are indeed as pure as the endless void.
All sentient beings are equal; all life forms are equal.This applies to all beings, not just humans.So, [encounters with] all sentient beings are opportunities for spiritual practice, let alone those with other humans.So, we all have the same pure, intrinsic Buddha-nature.All sentient beings are equal because [they have] “an intrinsically tranquil nature, which is called Nirvana”.
Nirvana means harmonious, tranquil and still, pure and unhindered.Therefore, if we clearly understand the principles of Nirvana, we can apply these principles at all times in our daily living.So, if we can always face everything with respect and a pure mind, we can [practice], life after life, as Sakyamuni Buddha did.
What is meant by life after life is the past, present and future.We can also say that in “life after life,” the past could be a previous life, or yesterday.There is not must difference between the two.This lifetime and today are also the same.Our next life is the same as all future lifetimes.As long as we have a pure heart, we can recognize that because of past causes and conditions, in this lifetime, we are able to form good causes and conditions with the same people again.
So, we can joyfully interact with each other and pool our strengths to complete tasks.
So, pure causes created in the past led to the pure effects of the present, so now we can create blessed causes together to form good conditions and effects for the future.
If every one of us faces every day and every matter with this mindset, we have found our intrinsically tranquil nature.We can all attain this nature because we all originally had this pure, tranquil and still Buddha-nature.So, Nirvana is our pure intrinsic nature.We have to be mindful.
Learning the sutras goes beyond just the words.After we understand the meaning behind them, we must apply them to our daily living.This is how the Dharma-marrow can penetrate our wisdom-life.With this marrow, we create the blood cells that sustain our wisdom-life.So, I hope everyone can apply every word of the teachings to their interactions with other people.
Moreover, “The Buddha used the power of skillful means to reveal the Three Vehicle teachings so that sentient beings, who are attached to everything, may be guided and released.”
The Three Vehicle teachings are for Hearers, Solkitary Realizers an Bodhisattvas. They have different capabilities so the methods for teaching them must also be different. When it comes to Hearers and Solitary Realizers, the Buddha has said that “they are attached to everything”. Even these spiritual practitioners are attached to many things, biased toward the small and attached to emptiness, not to mention ordinary people who do not engage in spiritual practice. They are even more stubborn.
The Buddha told Hearers and Solitary Realizers, “You must realize this is how sentient beings are. They are attached to all things”. Here, “attached to everything” means at all times and in all places, they form attachments to all things. This is why the Buddha said, “Sentient beings, who are attached to everything, may be guided and released.” The Buddha comes to guide sentient beings solely to eliminate their attachments. This is the reason the Buddha comes to teach skillful means in the world.
So next it says, “The Buddha used the power of skillful means”. Skillful means are easy methods.These are simpler teachings that suit these people’s capabilities and are easier for them to understand. So, they are called skillful means and are how He “cleverly gave provisional teachings.”
The Buddha used the power of skillful means: He cleverly gave provisional teachings. The Tathagata said: Those who practice giving attain great wealth. Those who uphold precepts are reborn in heaven. Those with patience are freed of anger and hatred. Those who are diligent will be replete with all me. Those with Samadhi can eliminate all distractions. Those with wisdom can let go of all afflictions.”
The Buddha preached virtuous, suitable practices to teach according to capabilities. This means the Buddha was telling us, “Those who practice giving attain great fortune” because we sentient beings ling to the idea of wanting everything to be as we wish it. We want to have money and to be very wealthy, so if by giving we can attain wealth, we will willingly practice giving.
The Buddha said, “Those who uphold precepts are reborn in heaven.” People who uphold the Five Precepts and do the Ten Good Deeds will certainly be born in the heaven realm. When people hear this, they believe that they must quickly begin upholding precepts.
In this world, wealth and life are short-lived, so they want to go to heaven, where life is long and joyful. So, in this lifetime they will make haste to uphold precepts and do the Ten Good Deeds.
The Buddha also said, “Those with patience are freed of anger and hatred.” We all frequently lose our tempers, but that will only bring us suffering. After we lose our tempers, we will feel very unhappy and uneasy. The Buddha then told everyone, “If you want to be broad-minded and happy, you must have patience”. Take a step back to see the big picture. Then patience can overcome anger and rage.
“Those who are diligent will be replete with all merits.” By being diligent, we can create a lot of merits. Then we are like the Buddha, who made offerings to countless Buddhas and practiced Their teachings to accumulate merits. This is a way to demonstrate diligence. Therefore, by being diligent, we can be replete with merits.
He then talked about Samadhi. “Those with Samadhi eliminate all distractions.” Sometimes we want to engage in spiritual practice, but we cannot seem to concentrate; our minds are full of distractions. So, the Buddha taught us to cultivate a state of Samadhi, to practice sitting or breath-counting meditation. By focusing on the nose, we focus our minds. There are many methods. However, we have to be careful in how we enter Samadhi; it requires a certain method. Indeed, the greatest state of Samadhi is doing everything in a meditative state. This means that, whatever our bodies are doing, our minds are completely focused on it. If we become distracted, who knows what kind of harm we could cause. So, no matter what we are doing, we must be in a state of Samadhi.
“Those with wisdom can let go of all afflictions”. The Buddha taught that, with wisdom, we can shed all afflictions. Therefore, we must learn to practice self-control. When we do things, we must be focused, and we must use wisdom to analyze all situations. This is also a skillful means taught by the Buddha. These are all suitable skillful means that He established for ordinary people.
For Buddhist practitioners, He opened the Dharma-door of the Six Paramitas. These are six methods, each more profound than the previous, each more beneficial to this world. These are the skillful means of the Buddha. He used various skillful means to teach sentient beings, solely to enable them to transcend this endless cycle of suffering. This is why the Buddha used skillful Dharma to gradually help everyone become more diligent.
With only these Six Paramitas, these six methods, He began with the most unreceptive people, to teach them so they would understand, “Those who practice giving attain great wealth.” Actually, what is wealth? I often say that wealth is a state of mind. But we sentient beings are stubborn, so He has to keep guiding us in this way until we can finally understand His principles. Then He tells us that there are those who are wealthy among the poor, people who happily practice giving even though they do not have much money.
Thus, the practice of giving can actually transform the stingy and greedy. Upholding precepts can transform transgressors. Patience can transform the angry. Diligence can transform the lazy. Samadhi can transform the distracted. Prajna, wisdom, can transform the ignorant.
These are skillful means the Buddha had taught sentient beings according to their capabilities. So, He “revealed the Three Vehicle teachings.” Those were all provisional teachings skillfully given. These cannot help us reach the ultimate, wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle. This is why the Buddha had to spend so much time bring those of the Three Vehicle capabilities to the same level. This helps us all realize that we cannot linger on Small Vehicle attainments. We must joyfully move toward the Great Vehicle.
“Revealing the Three Vehicle teachings: When expounding the Three Vehicle teachings, He was still giving provisional teachings and had not yet expounded the True Dharma. Sentient beings linger on small attainments and take no pleasure in going toward the Great Vehicle. Therefore, the Buddha guides them with the great Dharma.”
This is what the Buddha wants to teach us. He guides us all to enter the great Dharma the principle of “the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle.” These teachings are not designed with any specific person in mind. Not at all. Right now, we must all share the same perspective. In our hearts, we all have the boundless. Buddha-nature, a broad and open mind. This boundless heart and pure, undefiled Buddha-nature are what we all intrinsically have. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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