Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Two Hindrances of Sentient Beings (眾生二障 在纏礙道)
Date: May. 12. 2014
“Sentient beings are confused and closed off because of the two hindrances. In this way we are bound and disturbed by afflictions. In order to open and reveal, the Buddha manifested True Suchness to enable the mind to return to its intrinsic purity.”
This is telling everyone that we all still have attachments in our minds. Sentient beings cannot escape from the two following hindrances. The two hindrances are the hindrance of affliction and the hindrance of knowledge. These two hindrances cause us to be confused, deluded and closed off.
Since Beginningless Time, we have been transmigrating within the Six Realms, lost and confused, and unable to help ourselves. After we leave this lifetime, what will our next lifetime be like? Will we enjoy blessings as heavenly beings? Or will we return to the human realm? The human realm is full of turmoil. We do not know what kind of family we will be born into. We might also be born into the hell, hungry ghost or animal realms. We do not know, because we have been obstructed by the two hindrances, of affliction and of knowledge. These two hindrances are obstructing us.
We come into this world and have the chance to encounter and listen to the Dharma. If we do not fully seize this opportunity and strive to be mindful, won’t we be the same as other ordinary people? We will be just as lost and confused. This state of delusion and confusion closes the door to our minds. Only when the door to our minds is opened can we see the light of our wisdom. We are like a house. If all the windows are tightly shut and the door is closed, how then can the sunlight come in? The inside is dark and nothing can be seen. What is inside? How is it decorated? Even though we are inside this house, we have no idea. If we need something, we do not know where to find it. This is what it is like to have a closed-off mind.
If we listen to the Dharma but do not apply it, it is like keeping the door and windows shut, and keeping our minds in the dark. So, of the two hindrances, the first is the “hindrance of affliction,” which affects all ordinary people. The second is the “hindrance of knowledge” or the “hindrance of intelligence”. We are hindered because we believe we know things. We may know and understand the Dharma but we have not yet accepted the Right Dharma. Instead we end up with evil knowledge, views, and teachings.Thus we hinder the Right Dharma and pursue deviant knowledge and teachings.This is the hindrance of knowledge; it hinders the understanding of the Right Dharma.
So, “In this way we are bound.”We are disturbed by afflictions.We all intrinsically have a pure Buddha-nature, but afflictions have bound us like ropes, so we are trapped and cannot free ourselves.This is being a Tathagata-in-Bonds, so it says, “In this way we are bound.”Our intrinsic nature has been bound by afflictions.We are trapped by them.We all know about afflictions and are familiar with greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt.However, we continue to live a life of greed, anger, and ignorance.We only think about the suffering of not getting what we want.We suffer from not attaining desired wealth, not having the children we want, and not achieving the recognition we desire.We keep seeking and wanting more.We do [good deeds] to create merits and see whether things will go our way, whether we can get everything we want and satisfy all of our desires by gaining wealth, children, and longevity.
Trying to extend the length of our lives if very difficult.
But over our lifetime, we seek to satisfy our desires for wealth, offspring and a long life.This short lifetime is full of afflictions that we continuously multiply.Why do we continue to entangle ourselves with external conditions so that we cannot attain liberation?We live this way in this lifetime, but what about our next life?As Buddhist practitioners, we must always heighten our awareness and not allow ourselves to become tempted by worldly desires and pleasures.
Otherwise, ignorance arises and entangles us.
We all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, but the tangled rope of greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt is endless and continues to tie us down.This is how our afflictions constantly disrupt our lives.If we carefully contemplate the question, “What is the most important thing in life?”We realize that we need to listen to the teachings.So, we listen, contemplate and practice.We must immediately put the Dharma into practice.This is our everlasting work, which allows us to reduce our layers of affliction life after life.
If we cannot eliminate them all in this lifetime, then we must continue to do so in our next life.
However, our spiritual aspirations must be firm Sakyamuni Buddha came to the world life after life, for countless lifetimes, to continuously engage in spiritual practice.We cannot think that if we cannot penetrate the Dharma in this life, that we will just continue to be trapped in the Six Realms again in future lifetimes.
If we think this way, then we must quickly [be determined that] if we cannot achieve a clear understanding in this lifetime, then we will do that in the next.If we cannot fully eliminate our afflictions in this lifetime, we will continue to eliminate them in the next.In thinking this way, we can continue [our practice] life after life.
The Buddha taught [the Dharma] to enable us sentient beings to manifest our True Suchness.
He comes to the world and sees that we sentient beings have dull capabilities.For a long time, so long it is counted in kalpas, for such a long time, for countless kalpas, we continuously, cycled through the human realm. The Buddha also transmigrates with us. Thus, He does not give up on sentient beings. Despite our dull capabilities, He still patiently teaches us. The Buddha compassionately teaches for one reason, so we “manifest the True Suchness”. He hopes that sentient beings can manifest their nature of True Suchness. So, He enables our minds to return to our initial purity, to return to our intrinsic nature. So, the Buddha comes to the world life after life to establish various skillful means according to sentient beings’ capabilities. With various causes and conditions, with analogies and expressions, He illustrates all teachings for sentient beings because our capabilities are [limited].
I believe everyone knows the story of “Maudgalyayana Saving His Mother”. Maudgalyayana was the Buddha’s disciple, and he had great spiritual power. However, his mother was very deluded. No matter how much he tried to counsel her, she clung stubbornly to her delusions. So, he insisted on leaving home to become monastic. Though her son had attained the fruit of Arhatship, she still fell into hell and faced all kinds of suffering and hardships. So, we face the consequences of our own actions and must accept them. The confusion and delusion of sentient beings is truly very frightening. Maudgalyayana did his best to fulfill his filial duties by saving his mother. He also relied on the virtuous actions of others and on everyone’s collective efforts to create blessings for his mother. See, beings entangled is very tiring. This is what life is like.
The Buddha cannot bear to let people suffer, people like Maudgalyayana ’s mother and Guang-Mu’s mother. There are many people like them. In this world, there is so much greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, jealousy and doubt, so people do not accept the Right Dharma. How many people does this describe? Some people are tormented in hell. The lifespan in hell is very long. When I started teaching the Earth Treasury Sutra, I discussed how beings there lived long lives and face much suffering. This kind of suffering is truly indescribable.
The Buddha penetrated the suffering of the Three [Evil] Destinies and saw the way people in the world continuously created karma and afflictions, and descended into hell. In this world, we sentient beings face collective karma. So, a person may experience the hell hungry ghost and animal realms on earth; this is commonly seen in this world. The Buddha could not bear this, so He continuously utilized various causes and conditions and analogies to awaken everyone so they recognize suffering. Once we recognize suffering, we can be aware. Once we are aware, we can seize the moment and promptly engage in spiritual practice. He helps everyone to realize the law of karma, that we face the consequences of our own actions. To eliminate our own karmic retributions, if we do not repent diligently, if we do not receive blessings and guidance, it will be very difficult. The Buddha comes to the world and with various causes and conditions, with analogies and expressions, gives teachings to sentient beings.
Thus, He has given many teachings. “All Dharma” refers to many kinds of teachings. The teach according to capabilities, the Buddha had to establish as many teachings as there are sentient beings, so that can take the teachings to heart and accept them. This is how He “proclaimed all Dharma.” Countless sentient beings require countless Dharma-doors.
So, we must “vow to transform countless sentient beings.” There are so many of them “We vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors.” Since there are so many sentient beings, they require so many Dharma-doors. So, the Buddha “proclaimed all Dharma.”
As Buddhist practitioners, to deal with people’s myriad ignorant thoughts, we must learn many teachings to know which ones to use reach certain sentient beings’ hearts. That is why we must be able to grasp one truth to understand all truths. The Buddha intended to teach only one truth, that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature.
So, “that is the One Buddha Vehicle teachings.” Indeed, the Buddha only wanted to teach one truth, that we can all attain Buddhahood because we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. As I just mentioned, we are like a house with windows and doors, there are many treasures and splendid decorations inside. Everything is decorated well, but we have shut the doors and the windows so that sunlight cannot shine through. Even though there are fine treasures inside, if we cannot fine them, then we cannot easily access the things we need.This is what our minds are like. Our minds is like a house. We have tightly shut the entrances, so the Buddha uses various methods to get us to open our doors. If we open this door, our wisdom-door will open and the light of wisdom will actually shine upon us from within. We can be illuminated by our own light of wisdom; we do not need to use other people’s light, which is wisdom.
Our wisdom, our Buddha-nature is equal to the Buddha’s. So, out of His compassion, the Buddha comes to teach all of us the One Buddha Vehicle. But sentient beings could not realize it, so He established the Three Vehicles. He established all Dharma in the hope that all teachings could have a harmonious relationship.
He Proclaimed all Dharma: All Dharma has a harmonious relationship; the teachings can go together without interfering with each other. As one Dharma accommodate other Dharma, it thus becomes a part of them. If one Dharma encompasses other Dharma, then those others become part of it.
We need to apply the Buddha’s teachings because the purpose of listening to the Dharma is to the principles into practice. We must allow the Buddha-Dharma to merge with our minds. if we just listen and do not take in anything, then our door is still shut and the Buddha-Dharma is still outside. If we do not open the door to our hearts, the Dharma is kept on the other side. If we can open the door and let the light in, everything will be illuminated. So, “all Dharma has a harmonious relationship; the teachings go together without interfering with each other.” This is similar to adding water to freshly squeezed milk; the two will blend together. Once mixed, we cannot distinguish the water from the milk, as they all blend into one. The principle is the same.
So, if we take the Dharma to heart, it becomes a part of our essence. But we humans have attachments and hindrances of afflictions because we keep the door shut. Even though we know the Dharma exists,we cannot let go of our attachment. “As one Dharma can accommodate other Dharma, it thus becomes a part of them,” which shows true emptiness and wondrous existence.
We realize that we must let go of our attachments. Is there any need for so many attachments? We must truly take in the Buddha-Dharma. The Buddha carefully gives explanations according to sentient beings’ capabilities. Therefore, He established many teachings that suit our capabilities. If we accept the Dharma, then we realize the Buddha-Dharma is used to transform sentient beings. If we thoroughly penetrate the teachings, then we will not be attached to thinking that our teachings are correct, that others are wrong. We must not do that.
So, “one Dharma can accommodate other Dharma.” Accommodate others is letting go of attachments. Thus, we must adapt to other sentient beings. During evening recitation, [don’t we chant] “accommodating sentient beings’ capabilities. ” The Buddha teaches the Bodhisattva-path to adapt to sentient beings’ capabilities. If we adapt to sentient beings’ capabilities we “accommodate others.” This is accommodate sentient beings.In this way, it thus becomes a part of them. All Dharma can be applied by sentient beings and all sentient beings can accept the Dharma and let go of attachments. If we truly accept the Dharma, we must use it to accommodate sentient beings of all capabilities. Then everyone can accept the teachings.
“If one Dharma encompasses other Dharma, then all others become part of it.” If we spread the teachings to everyone and everyone can accept our teachings, then we will all be unified as one. We practice the same Dharma and have a pure intrinsic Tathagata-nature that is equal to all Buddhas, so we are all future Buddhas. As long as we accept the Buddha’ teachings, we are all equal to the Buddha. If we accept the Buddha’ teachings and share it with everyone else, then we can also feel that other people are just like us, with the same Buddha-nature and wisdom.
So, “as one Dharma accommodates other Dharma” we can let go of attachments. To truly learn the Dharma, we must reach all. When we speak of “delivering all sentient beings,” we are not referring to the ritual performed in the seventh lunar month, but rather to the Dharma that we have received, that we now understand and can share with other sentient beings. If sentient beings accept the Dharma, then we have delivered them.
We are one, as our Buddha-nature is one. Thus, one Dharma encompasses other Dharma. The one Dharma is the One Buddha Vehicle. We use the One Vehicle to encompasses everyone, to transform and deliver them so that their minds become one [with ours]. This is the Buddha-mind. Thus “all others become part of it, as one entity. We are all one, which is the True Suchness of our nature.
Dear Bodhisattvas, in learning the Buddha’s teachings, we must learn to be one with the Buddha and to live together with sentient beings. If we can do so, the world will become the Bodhisattvas’ pure land. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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