Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Remove Impurities to Retain the Steadfast and True (去糟糠存貞實)
Date: June. 16. 2014
We must resolve to safeguard our minds and perfect purifying precepts to be as impeccably flawless and pure as jade. When we are radiantly clear and flawless, inside and out, our external practice and internal cultivation will be consistent.
I always think about how the Buddha’s teachings are focused on the mind. Each of us only has to take care of one mind, so why is it so hard to do? I always say, “We must uphold our vows and follow the Way, then our path will be great.” Since we aspire to engage in spiritual cultivation we need to make vows. Once we make vows, we must uphold them. If we are able to uphold and protect them, our bodies and minds will be pure.
So, we “resolve to safeguard the mind and perfect purifying precepts.” If we can establish a [firm] resolve and safeguard our minds, safeguard this aspiration, then naturally we will uphold precepts, which guard against wrongdoings and stop evil. We must try to uphold precepts and do so perfectly, thus remaining pure. By “perfecting purifying precepts” we [protect] our wisdom-life. The essence of wisdom-life is very important, so we must carefully safeguard our minds. Not only must we “perfect purifying precepts,” we must be “as impeccably flawless and pure as jade.” We must be a like a piece of jade. When is a piece of jade valuable? When it is perfect and flawless, inside and out.
Similarly, our spiritual aspiration must be safeguarded, so it can be perfect, pure and clear as jade. If our minds are pure, then our lives in this world will be of value. If our minds are very pure, we will naturally treat people and matters with sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness. We will have no hidden impurities. So, the value of life is not just in external appearances, but also in being “radiantly clear and flawless, inside and out.” Indeed, we must safeguard our minds so that they remain pure and perfect. Our external practice must also be consistent with our internal cultivation. This can be compared to a piece of jade, valued for its purity and absolute flawlessness. Spiritual practitioners’ value lies in their firm spiritual aspirations, which remain undefiled. As was mentioned in a previous section of the sutra, some Buddhist practitioners were self-arrogant, without faith, or overbearingly arrogant. These disciples of the fourfold assembly could not listen to or clearly understand the Dharma. They felt that since they had listened to the Buddha’s teachings for more than 40 years, these new teachings were likely to be very similar.
Thus, there were those with overbearing arrogance, self-arrogance or lack of faith within the disciples of the fourfold assembly. As the Buddha was about to teach the great Dharma, 5000 people left the assembly. These people were arrogant and conceited; they were also unwilling to follow rules. Their “upholding of the precepts was flawed, but they defended their own imperfections.” They still concealed impurities in their minds and did not want to eliminate their mistakes.They refused to remove them, preferring to keep them hidden within.Thus, they “defended their own imperfections”.
These people were unwilling to correct their mistakes because they had limited wisdom.
As the Lotus teachings were about to be given, 5000 people got up and left.“Those with limited wisdom left.”This was mentioned in the previous section.“Those with limited wisdom left.”Unable to accept the great Dharma, 5000 people left.
The ones such as these in the fourfold assembly were 5000 in number.They did not to see their own faults.Their upholding of the precepts was flawed, but they defended their imperfections.So, those with limited wisdom left.
Then the following section of the sutra states, “The chaff within the assembly was gone, due to the Buddha’s awe-inspiring virtue.Those people, lacking blessings and virtue, were incapable of receiving this Dharma.The assembly was free of branches and leaves; only the steadfast and true remained.”
“Those with limited wisdom [who] left” were “the chaff within the assembly”.Have you ever seen people harvesting rice?After the rice stalks are cut off and left out to dry, they are put into the winnower.The blades of the winnower mill the grains by separating the rice from the husk.Thus, the chaff does not remain; it is naturally eliminated through the process.
These 5000 people were the same.They had overbearing arrogance, or self-arrogance, lacked faith or had limited wisdom.These people were the chaff within the assembly.
They were like empty husks, which, when the wind rises, naturally fly away.So, we must be sincere and steadfast, not like empty husks.
We must take the Dharma to heart.Once we do, each of us will be a true seed.If we do not take the Dharma to heart, we will be like empty husks of grain, lacking any Dharma inside.
The chaff within the assembly:The empty husk of grain is used as an analogy for bhiksus who were proud and arrogant and for those who were coarse and evil.
They knew nothing, but were very arrogant.
It is also an analogy for those of limited wisdom who think they have exceptional wisdom; when in reality, they were the chaff among the spiritual practitioners at the assembly.
See, “the chaff within the assembly” is using the analogy of an “empty husk of grain”.
The inside of the husk is empty, there is no grain of rice within.It is an empty husk of grain.This is an analogy for arrogant people.Arrogant bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas were like the chaff.“Those who were coarse” and evil refer to people who were careless and could not meticulously take in the Dharma.They listened without retaining anything.People who were careless did not truly want to learn the Buddha’s teachings.
“They knew nothing, but were very arrogant.”
There was nothing to them, but they were still very arrogant and conceited.These people had very limited wisdom, or none at all.Their knowledge was very superficial, so they did not know deep and profound principles.They only looked at the surface of things, so they were said to have worldly cleverness.Their wisdom was shallow and basic, but [they] “thought they had exceptional wisdom”.They believed, “I know and understand everything!”
“The Buddha gave one teaching, but I already know the next two, and the next ten teachings.Hearing Him once, I already know everything.I have understood all of the Buddha’s teachings over the past 40 years.”With this kind of mindset, they would not mindfully listen to the Buddha’s perfect and wondrous principles of the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle.
These people of limited wisdom believed that they already knew everything, but in reality they were the chaff of spiritual practitioners.If we cultivate our minds, everyone will look a Buddha to us.When we are respectful and grateful to everyone, we are like full grains of rice.
Those whose hearts are truly full will naturally respect the Buddha, the Dharma and other people. They are true spiritual practitioners. So, when we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must truly practice to take in the teachings. If we only look like a monastic and merely claim to engage in spiritual practice, the Buddha would not approve of that.
So, “due to the Buddha’s awe-inspiring virtue”, those 5000 people left the assembly. He can be compared to a winnower. The Buddha wanted to weed these people out of the assembly, so that when taught the True Dharma they would not deviate further. Otherwise, they might disrupt the teaching. So, the Buddha waited to see whether there were those who were capable of accepting the Dharma. Those who were incapable would naturally eliminate themselves. Thus, 5000 people left. This was “the Buddha’s awe-aspiring virtue”. These people left “due to the Buddha’s awe-aspiring virtue”.
“Awe-inspiring virtue: Awe-inspiring means having a magnificent and influential demeanor that can subdue the evil and unwholesome. Generally, speaking, the virtuous are those who are wholesome, just and honorable. This is the meaning of virtue.
What is “awe-inspiring virtue”? It is “having a magnificent and influential demeanor”. The sight of the Buddha truly commands people’s respect, so they will well-behaved in front of Him. Regardless of the kinds of bad habits they have, they will behave before the Buddha. This is called being “influential” and being capable of “subduing”. This is what it means to be “awe-inspiring”. The Buddha commanded respect on sight. This is His awe-inspiring virtue. When people see the Buddha, their minds naturally becomes subdued, and they can regulate their bad habitual tendencies. This is the meaning of “awe-inspiring”.
What about His “virtue?” Virtue is goodness. His virtue is true, perfect kindness, just like the virtues of Confucius, “gentleness, kindheartedness, respectfulness, frugality and humility”. Confucius was warm and kind toward people. He was “majestic but not aggressive”. Confucius may have appeared majestic, but he never appeared aggressive. His dignified demeanor was “gentle but strict, majestic but not aggressive”. These were his virtues. Confucius was a worldly sage who was “gentle but strict, majestic but not aggressive,” and had virtues of gentleness, kindheartedness, respectfulness, frugality and humility. These are the virtues of saints.
Saints and sages in this world, such as Confucius, all have these virtues, to say nothing of the Buddha, who was a world-transcending saint and the Great Enlightened One of the Universe. He had awe-inspiring virtue; He was wholesome, just and honorable. So, the Buddha’s awe-inspiring virtue can subdue sentient beings “bag habitual tendencies.” Though He could subdue them, spiritual practice still depends on each individual. Those who truly wanted to accept the Buddha-Dharma naturally stayed. Those who were not sincere naturally left. This was “due to the Buddha’s awe-inspiring virtue.” Those people lacking blessings and virtues.” They were lacking, which means having very little of something. The 5000 people who left were “those who did not see their own faults, or those whose “upholding of precepts was flawed”, or those who concealed their own imperfections. These people with limited wisdom believed themselves to be clever. They were referred to as “those people”. They were “lacking blessings and virtues”. This is describing those who “had no blessings and were incapable of receiving the great Dharma”. Because they did not have blessings and wisdom, they were incapable of receiving the great Dharma.
“Those people, lacking blessings and virtue: Those who did not have blessings were incapable of receiving the great Dharma, so in the end, the Buddha’s awe-inspiring virtue intimidated them. The wind blew away the empty husks, leaving the steadfast and true. Those were the 5000 people who left the assembly.”
These people were like empty husks. When the wind blew, they flew away because they were empty inside. “In the end, the Buddha’s awe-inspiring virtue intimidated them”, so those who refused to listen decided to leave. “The wind blew away the empty husks, leaving the steadfast and true.” Empty husks are blown away, leaving only the true and solid grains.
Thus, 5000 people left. The Buddha said, “It is better that they left.” Otherwise, they might have misconstrued the Buddha’s intent and slandered the Dharma. One slightly erroneous thought about the Dharma could have led them far astray. So, only the steadfast and true remained. The ones that remained were all steadfast and true.
Only the steadfast and true remain: The Dharma is free of delusional affections and eliminates unreal and false thinking; therefore, it is true. The sutra states, “All that [He] expounded was true and real.”
“The Dharma is free of delusional affections and eliminates unreal and false thinking.” There is no delusional affection in this Dharma; it is very real. The Buddha taught sentient beings that they could be enlightened beings who are free of delusions. We must have enlightened love and not be deluded by affection.
So, if we understand that “The Dharma is free of delusional affections and eliminates false thinking, our minds will be free of anything unreal and [our minds and actions] will be consistent.
Therefore, our minds will be free of false thinking and discursive thoughts. This is what it means to be “true.” A passage in the Lotus Sutra states, “All that [He] expounded was true and real.” The Buddha’s teaching were all true and real. Those who listen to His teachings were also truly sincere, so they learned the True Dharma.
Everyone, as we learn Buddha’s Way, we must mindfully listen. The Buddha always told everyone to listen attentively, or to “listen well.” To “listen well” means to listen attentively. The Buddha again called on Sariputra. Since these people were sincere, they would stay to listen to the Dharma.
So, “Sariputra, listen well.” Since everyone was willing to stay and listen, they must listen carefully. Telling Sariputra was like telling everyone, because he was their representative.
So, the Buddha said, “Sariputra, listen well, for the Dharma obtained by all Buddhas, through the power of infinite skillful means, is taught for sentient beings.”
All Buddhas, not just Sakyamuni Buddha, share the same path. Their journey of spiritual practice and the Dharma they attained are true and real. They all teach the True Dharma for sentient beings. Because sentient beings have varying capabilities, all Budhhas who come to this world first teach sentient beings with infinite skillful means.
All Buddhas have this power and ability.
So, when we communicate with each other, we must also apply skillful means, while at the same time using the power of truth. We cannot indulge too much in skillful means and let ourselves go, otherwise, we will be unable to bring our minds back which would be problematic.
So, the power of the Buddha’s wisdom is also the power of skillful means. Previously, we mentioned “wondrous skillful means.” Truly subtle and wondrous provisional teachings have “the power of skillful means.” “[The Dharma] is taught for sentient beings. So, in learning the Buddha’s way, we must believe in what the Buddha says. His only [goal] in teaching the Dharma is for all of us to return to our true intrinsic nature.
Therefore, as Buddhist practitioners, we must have the resolve to safeguard our minds and perfectly cultivate purifying precepts. [Our minds] must be as impeccably flawless as jade in order to be of value.
Dear Bodhisattvas, spiritual practice means to “uphold vows and follow the Way, then our path will be great”. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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