Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Giving Suitable Teachings for Sentient Beings (隨順眾生隨宜而教)
Date: April. 07. 2014
“The Buddha, according to the capabilities of sentient beings, gives teachings that are not unreal or false and are perfect, immediate or gradual. Suitable teachings are given, so all can understand them.”
This is telling everyone that when the Buddha came to this world, His original intention was to directly teach us all the wondrous principles of the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle. But, He worried that with sentient beings varying capabilities, they would find His intention very difficult to understand. So, the Buddha gave teachings suited to their capabilities. To people with limited capabilities, He gave them simple teachings they could accept. To people with deeper, sharper and greater capabilities, He gave immediate teachings or perfect teachings of the principles, which they could accept. No matter who He was speaking to, though the depth of the teachings differed, the principles were never unreal or false. So, “the teachings are not unreal or false.”
He also sometimes used perfect teachings, which are very complete. These perfect teachings were indeed complete, but for sentient beings with limited capabilities, those with lesser capacities, the profound principles taught by the Buddha were taken in and accepted as simple teachings. Those with great capabilities, even when the Buddha gave simple teachings, could still receive and accept them as very profound principles. The Buddha was perfect, so He expressed everything perfectly. Each perfect teaching was accepted differently by those with different capabilities. These were the perfect teachings He gave.
Sometimes He gave immediate teachings by pointing directly to people’s minds to help them see their true nature, but sentient beings’ capabilities were not mature yet. Some who accept the prajna teachings, the principle that all phenomena are empty, come to believe that nothing truly exists, so they feel there is no point to spiritual practice at all. Their attachment to emptiness leads them astray. The capabilities of these people are not yet mature. So, the Buddha also gave gradual teachings.
For example, the Agama Sutra is mostly about the karmic law of cause and effect. But some people get stuck on this principle and become attached to these gradual teachings. This is another way to go astray. So, whether the Buddha gave partial, perfect, immediate or gradual teachings, He constantly taught many principles. Therefore, none of the Buddha’s teachings were unreal or false. However, the capabilities of sentient beings to attain understanding and realizations were not uniform. But since the Buddha knew that [their realizations were based on their capabilities,] He established teachings that suited them.
Clearly, this took a lot of hard work.Before giving the Lotus teachings, the Buddha repeatedly reminded everyone, “My Dharma is extremely profound and wondrous, too difficult for sentient beings to understand”.For more than 40 years, He had constantly given teachings, but people were still attached to [their own views].
So now, the Buddha wanted them to let go and clear out whatever they had accepted in the past, so they could start afresh.The Buddha reminded Sariputra of this again because this teaching the Buddha would expound was taught by all past Buddhas when it was time.They had also given this teaching, “but like the blossoming of udumbara flowers, those moments are very fleeting”.This means that [the Buddha] constantly gave teachings, but sentient beings, with their capabilities, may encounter the Buddha’s true teachings and realize His knowledge and views sometimes only for an instant, just like the [blossoming of] udumbara flowers.
Yesterday we talked about how udumbara flowers only appear once in a great while.
How often do they blossom?As I said, once every 3000 years.Once every 3000 years.
What does this tell us?It takes such a long time; how many lifetimes will it take for us to see it?The Buddha also keeps telling us, “we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature”.With a single thought, we can return to our intrinsic nature.This is like encountering a truly rare udumbara flower.
We have already been covered by ignorance.To truly [lift those layers of] ignorance and reveal this pure intrinsic nature is really not that easy.“Those moments are very fleeting.”How long will it be before our minds can encompass the universe and last forever, through the past, present and future?Who knows how long it will take for our minds to always be pure and have clear understanding.The Buddha’s teachings for sentient beings are fundamentally not different; they are equal.The differences are found in sentient beings’ capabilities.
Because He had to teach to differing capabilities, the Buddha’s time was limited.So, He had to seize this moment to bring together [His past teachings] so everyone could understand that the Small and Middle Vehicles He taught are ultimately part of the Great Vehicle.He had to explain this very clearly so that He could help people understand how everything He had done in the past could be understood as part of this overarching teaching and be passed onto future generations.This was His purpose.
This was His goal in giving the Lotus teachings.
Although 5000 people had left and the remaining people sincerely wanted to listen, the Buddha was still worried.So, He told Sariputra, “You and the others must believe.He was not just speaking of Sariputra.Because Sariputra had requested the teachings on behalf of everyone, the Buddha told Sariputra that everyone had to believe, “You and the others must believe.”He wanted them to have faith and respect, so they will not misunderstand the teachings.If they do not listen carefully and do not take the True Dharma to heart, naturally they will interpret it incorrectly.In this way, they will commit transgressions.
So, the Buddha said again that His teachings “are not unreal or false”. In previous passages, this was what the Buddha repeatedly reminded people of.
Now the sutra states, “Sariputra, all Buddhas teach according to what is appropriate, but their intent is hard to understand. “What is the reason? I gave countless skillful means according to various causes and conditions”.
This sutra passage reminds everyone once again that “all Buddhas teach according to what is appropriate, which means They teach according to capabilities”.
Teaching according to what is appropriate:
The Buddha teaches what is suitable for the capabilities of sentient beings.
For over 40 years, the Buddha taught what was suitable for the capabilities of sentient beings, whether partial, perfect, immediate or gradual. He used various methods in the Agama sutras, the Vaipulya sutras, the Prajnaparamita sutras, etc. He taught what was suitable for the capabilities of sentient beings. Yet, people only believed in the Dharma that they could understand. He “taught according to what was appropriate, but His “intent was hard to understand”.
Their intent was hard to understand. It was hard to know, understand and realize. This means that the working of a Tathagata’s mind is difficult for sentient beings to know, understand and realize.
Sentient beings, regardless of how the Buddha taught, were limited by what their capabilities could understand. They still could not understand His real direction. I really empathize with the Buddha’s mindset. How can one teach in a way to help people by very clear about their direction? Not only must they clearly understand it, they must also put it into practice and keep walking in the right direction. Indeed, this is very difficult. Buddhas adapt to sentient beings’ capabilities, but sentient beings still cannot understand Their direction, Their intended course. The real meaning behind Their words, the Buddha’s knowledge and views, was something they still could not understand. Therefore, “Their intent was hard to understand”.
“What was the reason?” what could the Buddha do about this? He said “I gave countless skillful means according to various causes and conditions”. Because sentient beings had dull capabilities, they could not understand His intent. So, what was to be done? He had to use skillful means, countless, varying skillful means He used things like birds chirping, insects buzzin as analogies [for the teachings]. Yet they still could not comprehend the teachings. So, the Buddha used “countless skillful means according to various causes and conditions” to help sentient beings accept and understand the Dharma. The Buddha did everything He could think of.
Countless skillful means:
it is said that Bodhisattva-practitioners guide sentient beings, so those who have not penetrated noble teachings can penetrate them according to various causes and conditions. He enabled those whose capabilities have not matured to mature and those whose capabilities have matured to enter the teachings of the Path, to uphold all rules and precepts, to guard against wrongdoings and stop evils.
All kinds of skillful means enable sentient beings to attain benefits. Thus, they are skillful and suitable.
We just mentioned that the Buddha “taught according to what was appropriate. Appropriate teachings are suitable for the capabilities of sentient beings. He gave them teachings that they could use. This was how He taught. Sometimes He gave very simple teachings, like, “You must be among those doing good deeds; you must not be among those doing bad deeds.” Do you remember this Jing Si Aphorism?
Over ten years ago, outside many elementary schools were arcades. When the students were dismissed from class, they immediately rushed to nearby arcades. One such student was a fourth grader from Pingtung. His teacher taught Jing Si Aphorisms in class.
One day, the teacher taught them, “You must not be among those doing bad deeds; you must be among those doing good deeds.” After her class over, the school day ended and the child headed home. When he passed by the arcades, he was happy and was about to rush in as usual. As he set one foot in, with his other foot still outside, this phrase suddenly came to him, “You must be among those doing good deeds; you must not be among those doing bad deeds.” So, he quickly withdraw the foot that was already in the door.He returned and run until he reached his home. When he saw that his younger brother was already home, he said, “Brother, hurry and put down your book bag. Let’s do some cleaning. Our room is like a pig sty, so let’s help Mom with some chores. She already has too much to do.”
So, the two brothers put down their book bags and began to clean up their room. He turned around to tell his younger brother, “You must be among those doing good deeds.” Indeed, this work would not be possible without either one of them. “We cannot wait to do good deeds or to be filial.”
Are such simple teachings useful for children? Yes. But do children really know where they are heading? They may accept this teaching and find it useful. But what is their direction?Where does the Buddha-Dharma lead? What must be the extent of their good deeds? They must cultivate the Six Perfections, giving, upholding percepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. Good people who engage on these practices are Bodhisattva, so the direction they go in is the Bodhisattva-Path. Then they may decide to continue moving in that direction; this was the Buddha’s intention.
The Buddha’s mind and intent are difficult for sentient beings to truly know and understand; comprehending His intention is very hard. Because the workings of His mind were hard for sentient beings to know, understand and realize, the Buddha “taught according to what was appropriate.” He gave teachings according to capabilities that were suitable for their daily living.
But, the Tathagata’s intended direction was still difficult for sentient beings to know and understand, so naturally it was difficult for them to realize. This was why the Buddha was very worried. He did not know what methods to use to help sentient beings understand and then head in the right direction, so everyone could head in the same direction.
Thus, the Buddha taught the dharma impartially, the difference was in sentient beings’ capabilities. So, we must work hard [to understand this.] Everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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