Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Diligently Focus on Eliminating the Web of Doubts (專精破疑網)
Date: February. 28. 2014
“Wisdom can wash away all afflictions and serious defilements. It is compared to clean water that can wash away the filth of objects.”
We all know that wisdom can penetrate many of our affliction-induced wrongdoings. Many of our afflictions are caused by our lack of wisdom. So, if we can grow in wisdom, our afflictions can be reduced. Therefore, to eliminate afflictions, we must develop our wisdom. This is like the rising of the sun signifying the passing of the night. Light and dark are opposites. When there is light, darkness ceases to exist. This is an established principle.
So, we hope we can radiate light and clearly see the principles of all things. We must have light in order to see our surroundings. So, wisdom is what we spiritual practitioners must seek. “Wisdom can wash away all afflictions and serious defilements.” The layers and layers of defilement and filth were all formed from ignorance covering [our minds]. Once we use wisdom to eliminate ignorance, naturally the True Suchness of our nature will be able to shine through. This can be compared to how clean water can wash the filth off of all objects.
The nature of the mind is intrinsically pure. All pollutants are defilements. With the water of wisdom, we wash away mental defilements.
The nature of our minds is also the same. It was originally pure, just as many things are clean before being used. But as they are used, inevitably they become dirtied and tainted by defilements. Similarly, when we transmigrate in the Six Realms, we are constantly influenced by our surroundings. So, the layers of filth grow ever thicker. As our habitual tendencies grow stronger, the layers of defilement also grow thicker. So, we must use the pure water of wisdom to wash them away. Thus, as we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must realize the potential of our wisdom and look inward to cleanse our minds. So, I hope that we can accept and apply this wisdom to our minds.
Wisdom, subtle and wondrous: One with such wisdom can faithfully accept Right Dharma, have a clear and keen body and mind, and cultivate purifying practices.
Yesterday, we talked about how “wisdom is extremely profound.” This also means that, if we have wisdom, we must faithfully accept Right Dharma. We must accept and practice Right Dharma. When Right Dharma is in our minds, we must accept and utilize it. When Right Dharma enters our minds, our bodies and minds will naturally become clear and sharp. If our minds can be clear, our bodies can be pure. When we have clear and sensible minds, we can remain pure and have self-respect.This is having a “clear and keen body and mind”.
So, when we engage in spiritual cultivation, we must cultivate purifying practices.
We hope that the habitual tendencies that we have accumulated over countless lifetimes will be washed away by the Buddha-Dharma in this lifetime.[The Dharma] can wash away our ignorance, and at the same time, it can also help us remain pure, have self-respect and cultivate purifying practices.
So, “[This is] wisdom, subtle and wondrous, that is attained by all Buddhas.”
These are the teachings attained by all Buddhas.This section [of the sutra] is still part of Sariputra’s narrative.He asked the Buddha to explain the extremely profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma, because His wisdom is so very deep.“[It] is attained by all Buddhas.”
The state attained by all Buddhas is the same state as Sakyamuni Buddha, a state of subtle and wondrous Dharma.So, Sakyamuni Buddha continuously praised the wisdom of all past Buddhas as extremely profound, subtle and wondrous.Sariputra understood that all Buddhas share the same path.Sakyamuni Buddha and all past Buddhas have the same wisdom and realized the same state.All Buddhas also taught sentient beings with the same methods as Sakyamuni Buddha.This is like tailoring clothing based on a person’s height and width.Based on size, a person may have to wear suitably large clothing.
For children, there are children’s clothes.As these children grow, their sizes change.
Based on the same principle, the Buddha taught according to people’s various habitual tendencies, which may be heavy or light, good or evil, and may lead to severe or mild bad karma.He also had to suit their capabilities.
In particular, for stubborn sentient beings who have accumulated evil karma and developed deeply-rooted habitual tendencies, more than just one method was required.
All Buddhas, the Buddhas of the past and Sakyamuni Buddha of the present, did the same things.This is how “all Buddhas share the same path”.So, the Buddha’s wisdom is subtle and wondrous.“[It] is attained by all Buddhas.”Both Buddhas of the past and the present Buddha attained extremely profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma.
Now, “All Arhats, who are without Leaks, and also those who seek Nirvana.”“All Arhats, who are without Leaks.”
Those without Leaks are called Arhats or “those beyond the stage of laerning”. Without Leaks means that everything has been attained and all afflictions have been eliminated.
This is being without Leaks.
If we are “without Leaks,” we are beyond the stage of learning; we no longer need to learn anything.At the Lotus Dharma-assembly, there were those at and beyond the stage of learning.“Those at the stage of learning” still have many teachings they have not heard, so they must continuously and diligently listen to the Buddha’s teachings.
Those who were “without Leaks” had followed the Buddha for a very long time, so they have heard all of the Buddha’s teachings.
In the Buddha’s Sangha, there were Arhats, practitioners who believed they had practice all they needed to practice and had attained the fruit [of Arhaship].They are “beyond the stage of learning”.They were called Arhats.
So, Arhats are those beyond the stage of learning.This also means that Arhats diligently engaged in spiritual practice without becoming indolent.They were very diligent.They diligently and mindfully practiced the Buddha-Dharma.This is called being diligent and focused.
All Arhats, who are without Leaks:
They are called Arhats, or those beyond the stage of learning. Arhats are said to be diligent in spiritual practice, and they do not become indolent. So, Arhats have the power of diligence and focus.
The Buddha inspired Hearers and Arhats according to their capabilities. They were also very diligent, focused and had put a lot of effort in their spiritual practice. So, they could realize the fruit of Arhatship. “Those beyond the stage of learning” are those who are “without Leaks”. Everything to be learned has been mindfully comprehended.
[They] have now fallen into a web of doubts and wonder why the Buddha said this. Those who seek to be Realizers of Conditions.
Next, “they now have fallen into a web of doubts”. These Arhats, those without Leaks, thought that they had pretty much learned and understood everything. But, they had only completed the course of the Small Vehicle. Indeed, what the Buddha was praising now was the Dharma in His mind, which He intended to share with everyone, the wondrous True Dharma of the One Vehicle, also known as the Great Vehicle teachings. After the Great Vehicle Dharma was spoken by the Buddha, these Arhats who had ended Leaks, “had now fallen into a web of doubts”. They all began to doubt again. They were filled with confidence and felt they had already attained the fruit. But after the Buddha once again praised the great One Vehicle Dharma, at this time, these Arhats, who had already attained fruits, these Arhats “fell into a web of doubts”.
Doubts cause delusions. When these two get entangled with each other, they become like a web or a net. A net can catch birds if it is in the air; it can catch fish if it is in the ocean.
When birds fly in the sky, they soar freely in that vast open space. Birds fly freely in the sky, but when a net is cast, the birds become trapped and struggle to move in that constricted space. This means that they have lost their freedom, and furthermore, they will soon lose their lives. If this net were cast in the ocean, no matter how big the ocean is, the net would catch the fish swimming leisurely and joyfully under water. Fish are very happy when they are in the water. But, when the net is pulled up from the ocean, the fish are taken from the water, and they struggle in the net. Most of them will die in the net, on top of having suffering from leaving the water. So, when we have doubts, our minds seem to be trapped in a net or web.
Our minds may be covered by ignorant thoughts, such as greed, anger and delusion. So, when our minds are in this net, we face unbearable suffering. Not only do we face suffering in this lifetime, for countless lifetimes, we have been constantly struggling. So, our minds have been continuously entangled in hatred and enmity, all the way up to today. What about the future? This continues without end. This is how, in our lives and our minds, we are trapped by the net of ignorance and doubts.
From all Buddhas, we listen to teachings that eliminate the web of doubts.
Perhaps we had Buddhas in the past, but we did not practice diligently. Perhaps in the past, we were fellow practitioners of Sakyamuni Buddha and had also encountered many Busshas. Skyamuni Bussha was focused and diligent and had made offerings to countless Busshas in their countless spiritual practice centers. He was very diligent. We have also encountered many Buddhas, but we were lazy. So, Sakyamuni Buddha, and perhaps we also received His teaching, lifetime after lifetime, we did not practice diligently.
Because Arhats were more diligent than us, when they lived in the Buddha’s time, they accepted His teachings. So, while they were living in the Buddha’s time, they had listen to teachings and eliminated the web of doubts. This was what Arhats did.But, they had only cut the Small Vehicle net. Now that they heard the Great Vehicle Dharma, the ultimate really of the One Vehicle, they began doubting again. They wondered if their spiritual practice was a waste, was for naught？At that moment, Sariputra spoke for everyone in that state of mind. Because all Buddha’s have “wisdom, subtle and wondrous, the Dharma attained by all Buddhas [caused] these Arhats, those without Leaks, to fall into the web of doubts again. They could not realize the state of the Buddha.
So, “Those who seek to be Realizers of Conditions.” There were also those who sought to become realizers of Conditions there were who sought the great Nirvana and those wishing to be “Realizers of Conditions.” They were called “Solitary Realizers.”
Realizers of Conditions enjoy solitary awakening. They are Solitary Realizers.
Even “Solitary Realizers,” who could comprehend the principles of the world and could understand the impermanence of all things in the world, still could not understand [these teachings]. Those who had attained Four Fruits of Arhatship had already attained.They believed that by realizing that state, they had already attained the fruits. But they still could not understand the Great Vehicle Dharma the Buddha was teaching, the wondrous One Vehicle Dharma. Those at the assembly could not understand it. Even Realizers of Conditions, those who have attained their own awakening and a certain state of cessation, those who have transcended the world, still could not understand.
In summary, the Buddha’s teachings gathered all these small Vehicle practitioners and showed them the straightest and broadest path. This was the Buddha’s final teaching. Since it was the Buddha’s final teachings, we must be even more mindful and apply the power of our focus to realize these boundless principles of all things in the universe. We must really put our hearts into accepting them and not allow this web to trap our minds so that we lose our freedom. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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