Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Do Not Be Attached to Your Own Views (莫偏執己見)
Date: April. 01. 2014
We can hear the rain outside; a typhoon is passing through today. We humans, living in nature, must always remain vigilant and reverent and pray for everyone’s safety. The sound of the rain is so loud. Let me share with you a story about a group of people who lived in the Buddha’s time but could not comprehend His principles. Thus, some of them ended up on a deviant path. Moreover, during the Buddha’s time, many people engaged in [strange practices]. There were over 90 forms of spiritual practice. Therefore, religion was very complicated, and it was impossible for Him to guide everyone onto the correct path. The Buddha hoped to forge a proper path [for them to follow], so He focused on His spiritual cultivation. After He attained enlightenment, He just had one thing on His mind. Because He realized that every person has the same intrinsic nature as Buddhas, He wanted to share His realizations with them all. However, people did not have the sharp capabilities to instantly accept this, so He had to give all kinds of teachings to suit their capabilities. This was the way the Buddha gave teachings when He was in the world.
During that time, bhiksus, as part of their daily living, had to go out and ask for alms. One day, the bhiksus left earlier than usual. To ask for alms, they had to wait until people finished cooking before they could go door to door. It was still early, so this group of bhiksus waited in the lecture hall of a non-Buddhist group. They stayed in that place to rest until it was time to ask for alms. At that moment, these non-Buddhists were discussing teachings.Their discussion was very animated. [These bhiksus] heard them say, “My principles are the true ones.” Other also said, “No, my principles are the real ones.” Yet another said, “No, my understanding is the correct one.” Basically, they were fighting with words. They seemed to be attacking each other, arguing nonstop. As these bhiksus listened to them, they felt very fortunate that they could follow the Buddha. The Buddha taught Right Dharma, and every single principle He taught applied to all things in the world as well as basic human morality. These great principles all made perfect sense.The more they listened to these non-Buddhists argue so vehemently, the more blessed they felt.
With this sense of happiness, when the time came, they went to ask for alms, house by house.Afterwards, they reconvened at the abode.They ate, washed their hands and feet, then prepared to listen to the Buddha’s teachings.The Buddha came and sat before them.After they all sat and settled down, this group of bhiksus gave Him their report.They talked about how they rested at the lecture hall of this non-Buddhist group before going out to ask for alms, that they heard these practitioners arguing [so fiercely] with each other that they all started using harsh words.They attacked each other with harsh language, basically insisting their own views were correct.
The bhiksus reported this incident to the Buddha.After the Buddha heard this, He smiled and told them, “My bhiksus, you must know that thoroughly understanding principles is not that easy.”Then the Buddha told the following story.Many kalpas ago, which was a very long time ago, there was a king named Mirror-Face.He had great reverence for the Buddha-Dharma and studied the teachings.He had only one wish, to transmit the Buddha’s Right Dharma to everyone in the country, so they could understand, accept and then practice it.
But at that time, he felt powerless to do so.Though he was the king and governed the country, he could not guide people’s beliefs and thinking in the same direction.He observed that his country’s citizens all believed in deviant and erroneous teachings.Thus, he was very worried for them.It is very hard to attain human form, and once people did, it would be a pity if they did not hear the correct teachings of the Buddha.So, King Mirrior-Face thought about what to do.He came up with an idea and issued a command to his ministers.
“Travel the country, find those who were born blind and bring them here.”At the same time, he ordered for all the elephants in the palace to be gathered in the same place.Then the king said, “Please ask these blind people to stand next to the elephants and reach out to touch them.”
Some reached out and touched an elephant’s trunk.Some touched an elephant’s leg.Others touched an elephant’s stomach.Yet others touched an elephant’s ears.After everyone reached out and touched something, the king gathered them and asked, “Now do you know what an elephant looks like?”The blind people said, “Yes, we do.”The blind people said, “Yes, we do.” “So, what does and elephant look like?” “What is it shaped like?” The people who touched the ear said, “An elephant is like a giant fan”. The people who touched the stomach said, “No, an elephant is like a drum”. Those who touched the trunk or leg said, “That is not right. Based on what I felt, I think an elephant looks like a giant column”.
Based on what they felt, that sensation determined the image, they had of an elephant. So, they said an elephant was like such-and-such a thing. Because of this, they began arguing. None of them wanted to concede. They each felt something different, so they all argued for what they thought was true.
Then King Mirror-Face told his ministers, “Explain [the truth] to this group of people. So, the ministers began to describe the appearance of an elephant to these blind people. “What you have touched is only part of an elephant. All of you are right. But all of you are wrong to cling to your views. Indeed, the ear is like a fan. It is only one of an elephant’s body parts. Some of you touched a leg. An elephant has four ledges and a trunks. As you have said, they feel like columns. Indeed, an elephant is very large, so parts of it do seem like columns. That is also correct. As for those of you who felt that an elephant is like a drum. Indeed, an elephant is very big, and the round part you felt is very much like a drum. But, that is only part of its body, only one of its many aspects.”
However, the blind people were still doubtful. “I did not feel the things you mentioned. What I felt was such-and-such”. Those who felt the ears stubbornly still said it was like a fan. Those who felt the legs and trunk still stubbornly said it was like a column. Those who felt the stomach still stubbornly said it was like a drum.
This led King Mirror-Face to sigh. He said, “There seems to be as many kinds of elephants as there are blind people here. But all elephants are basically the same. It is just that each person is attached to a different [aspect of the elephant]. Even after someone explained it to them, they still cannot comprehend the true appearance of an elephant. We are all like them, we each cling to our own views. We each cling to our own perceptions. Because of our attachments, each of us think we have attained the true principles. People of this world are like this. Because of our attachments, we can never draw near the Buddha’s Right Dharma. This was how King Mirror-Face exercised his wisdom to
guide the people in his kingdom, to help all of them thoroughly comprehend the Buddha’s teachings, the One Vehicle Dharma.
He used an analogy to explain how, when we listen to teachings, we become attached to one of them. And worse than those who become attached to the Buddha’s teachings are those who do not even hear His Dharma, not even the Small Vehicle teachings, so they follow deviant paths. They practice according to deviant paths and teachings. This was how, during His lifetime, the Buddha exercised wisdom, He frequently used analogies that referred to things that happened long ago. When it comes to teachings, there is Right Dharma as well as deviant principles.
Sentient beings, for the most part, cling to deviant teachings. So, they have deviant knowledge and views, thus, sentient beings suffer. Their suffering comes from their minds. With minds filled by deviant knowledge and views, they do not have the chance to connect to connect with Right Knowledge, Right Views or Right Dharma.
Therefore, they continuously grow in ignorance and suffer the consequence of not being able to liberate their minds. They reproduce their afflictions and often create bad karma, because they cannot understand the true principle of the law of karma.This is why the Buddha gave teachings according to capabilities. When this group of bhiksus heard the arguments between those non-Buddhist, they found them very amusing. They wondered why they did not believe in the right principles and were continuously arguing over these incorrect and deviant ideas. Hearing the ridiculousness of these other principles, they thought about how they were lucky to be by the Buddha’s side and listen to Him give teachings. So when they returned to their abode, they shared their experience with the Buddha and asked for His guidance. Then, the Buddha used the teaching about the blind men touching elephants to explain people’s attachments to their own views.
In discussing the Lotus Sutra, we hear that, for a very long time, the Buddha wanted to give true teachings, the subtle wondrous principles of ultimate reality. But He could not teach these because people were like the blind men touching the elephant. They still had attachments, and in addition, gave rise to overbearing arrogance.
Therefore, the Buddha was still waiting. He had to wait for quite a long time. May we all, with utmost reverence and diligence, respect heaven and earth and, with gratitude, pray for the safety of the world and the safety of all people. As time continuously passes, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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