Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Karmic Conditions for Making Great Vows (宏誓因緣履正行)
Date: June. 26. 2014
The focus of spiritual cultivation is walking the Bodhisattva-path. “Bodhisattvas, over many lifetimes, diligently cultivated themselves and transformed others. For lifetimes they made the great vow to practice the teachings of the Path.”
Over lifetimes, Bodhisattvas continued to practice and listen to the Buddha’s teachings. They did this not just for one lifetime, but for lifetime after lifetime. Over many lifetimes, they remained the same, minds focused and not scattered, advancing and never regressing. With this diligent attitude, they widely practice the Six Perfections. This is the process every Bodhisattva undergoes.
Life after life, they make great vows. In each lifetime, they earnestly engage in spiritual practice to transform themselves and others, and to awaken themselves and others. In each lifetime, they make vows regarding future lifetimes. They are Bodhisattvas. Though walking the Bodhisattva-path is tiring, they are unafraid of hard work. Life after life, these great vows continuously accumulate and certainly do not disappear after one lifetime. Not at all. They will continue to make these same vows. At the end of this lifetime, they make another vow. After completing this task, they make another vow. This is perseverance. We do this forever, not just for one lifetime.
So, the Buddha often talks in terms of many lifetimes, or countless kalpas. Things that happened long ago, from that distant past until now, still have not changed their course. These Bodhisattvas remain among the people, leaving only to return. This is called returning on the ship of compassion. They continuously come to this world solely because of their great vow to practice the teachings of the Path. Truly, making these kinds of great vows is fundamental to being a Bodhisattva, to walking the Bodhisattva-path. The Buddha comes to the world solely to inspire us to make great vows. So, from the Small Vehicle, He guides us to the Great Vehicle. With the Small Vehicle, we only awaken ourselves, which is a shame. If we understand the principles of this path, then why would we [choose to] walk it alone? Why wouldn’t we invite everyone to walk this safe path together? By understanding the principles [behind it], we know this path is safe. We must also have faith that when we reach the end, everyone will reach it along with us.
Take the Six Perfections for example. If we can practice giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom, we can also teach others to do it with us. With all the suffering sentient beings undergo, how do we call out to them and then safely lead them through the rapids of this long and tumultuous river? What kind of boat should we use to help everyone cross this turbulent river of ignorance together. Ignorance is just like a great river. If we have a very sturdy boat, we can ferry many people at the same time across this turbulent river of ignorance. This river is very wide. If we were to cross from this shore to the other all by ourselves, we would just take a small bamboo raft. Thought we can cross the river with a bamboo raft, it would be very dangerous. A small boat cannot withstand wind and waves, especially those on this river of afflictions. If we use a large boat, then we can safely carry many people across.
By the same principle, with the Small Vehicle, we only awaken ourselves.A single person is very lonely.If we face the turbulent river of ignorance alone, our spiritual aspirations may be very weak.Our boat may capsize; perhaps we may easily give up on our practice.But if we are in a [supportive] environment, when we think about giving up we will have many people around to encourage us.We will guide, support and assist each other.By engaging in spiritual practice in such a place, [our aspirations] will be safe.
So, the Buddha led us from the Small Vehicle t to the Great Vehicle, in the hopes that we would go among people and keep moving forward on this great Bodhi-path.This is why when the Buddha teaches the Dharma, He utilizes various methods.We have previously talked about how He “may speak of sutras”.Sutras are corresponding teachings.
All sutras correspond to the Buddha’s mind as well as sentient beings’ capabilities.He may also speak of gathers and previous lives of disciples; He may also speak in verses of short sentences so we can easily remember them and engrave them in our minds.
Perhaps I may speak of sutras, gathers, previous lives of disciples, previous lives of Buddhas, or things that have never been.
The sutra verses we chant contain an abundance of principles, as do stories about His disciples’ previous lives.[The Buddha] explained how the way a disciple lived in a previous life led to certain karmic conditions in this one.He may also talk about His own previous lives, however inconceivable they may be.He developed such great aspirations and made such great vows that [sustained Him] as He went through the Six Realms, the heaven, human, [asura], hell, hungry ghost and animal realms.He was not defiled by desires in the heaven realm, nor was He affected by afflictions or obstructed by anger in the asura realm.
In the human realm He set an example for us by becoming awakened to transform sentient beings.Though He endured many torments in hell, in the midst of that extreme pain.He still wanted to transform sentient beings.
Earth Treasury Bodhisattva was so moved by the way the Buddha withstood suffering because of the great vows [He had made] that he made this following vow.“I will not attain Buddhahood until hell is empty.”This is a great vow; it is inconceivable.Yet Earth Treasury Bodhisattva had deep faith.He had deep faith in the Buddha’s teachings, so he believed and practiced the Dharma.He vowed to be in the place with the worst suffering, and to teach the sentient beings there.This is why he vowed, “If hell never becomes empty, I will never become a Buddha.”
This is fully in line with the role of Bodhisattvas, which is to transform sentient beings.
Therefore, we have great respect for Earth Treasury Bodhisattva.What we respect is his great vow, which is based on the Buddha’s example of doing something we normally think impossible.[He spoke of] “previous lives of Buddhas or things that have never been”.Many inconceivable things happened in the Buddha’s previous lives, such as manifestations of various spiritual powers.
These powers, mentioned by the Buddha, seemed to foretell the future.We now have technology that helps us manifest these spiritual powers.Long ago, we would have said, “How could we see something so far away from here?That is impossible.”But now, it is possible.We constantly say we are manifesting the powers of Transportings Ourselves, of Heavenly Eyes and of Heavenly Ears.Through video conferencing, we can see and understand what is going on in other places.
This is something found in this present era, not something [written in sutras] if the past.
This is something we can see, hear and understand right now.This is something we can all do in our lifetime.
But sentient beings stop at the stage of “conditioned phenomena”. Later we will talk about “conditioned phenomena”. Of course, we must make great vows and clearly understand unconditioned Dharma. Nature is not something that can be contrived by humans, so we call it “unconditioned Dharma”. When we speak of things humans can contrive, that is called “conditioned phenomena”. When it comes to conditioned phenomena, we may sometimes wonder, “Is that possible?” As long as we have the will, nothing will be impossible for us.
So, we really must mindfully learn [the Dharma]. Doing all this requires making great vows. The Buddha, lifetime after lifetime, did not deviate from His great vows. He often spoke of His “previous lives or things that have never been”. We ordinary people still cannot comprehend this, so for us they are “things that have never been”. But in the Buddha’s “previous lives,” lifetime after lifetime, He leisurely swam in the Dharma-sea and continued to return on the ship of compassion in order to transform sentient beings. To do so, the Buddha taught many methods.
Next, we will talk about how He “also speaks of causes and conditions, analogies along with geyas, and the upadesa texts. Those with dull capabilities delight in Small [Vehicle] Dharma and greedily cling to cyclic existence”.
This is telling everyone that the Buddha teachings with various methods, everything from long prose in the sutras, to very short verses, or analogies of various methods, all of which are related to causes and conditions. Thus, “I also speak of conditions and causes”. Everything, the long prose and short verses, were about causes and conditions. The previous lives of disciples and Buddhas were also related to causes and conditions. Thus He “also speaks of causes and conditions”.
I also speak of causes and conditions: All the teachings given by the Buddha are inseparable from causes and conditions. Causes are what arise [and grow]. Conditions assist in their arising. All conditioned phenomena that arise must be created by other conditioned phenomena. This is the law of arising and ceasing.
As for causes and conditions, “all the teachings given by the Buddha are inseparable from causes and conditions”. What are causes? Causes are what arise [and grow]. Conditions assist in their arising”. Causes are things that can grow. Consider a seed. A very big tree must begin as a tiny seed. A seed is very small, such a small thing, but within that small seed are even tinier things so small we cannot see them with our naked eye. We must use a microscope to look for the “causes” contained in this seed. In modern science, these are called “genes”. Something like a gene is not visible to the naked eye. This invisible “cause” is contained within the seed, so when it converges with the right conditions, the seed will sprout and then gradually, between the earth and the sky, it will grow to be a 100- or 1000-year-old tree.
But, if there is a cause and no conditions, the seed cannot grow. A large tree grows out of the land. Only where there is land can the seed grow. But if a seed is placed upon the desert floor, where the sun is blazing and there is no moisture, this seed still lacks conditions. It needs sufficient conditions to grow. Beside soil, it also needs water. Aside from water, it needs sunlight. Aside from sunlight, it still needs the wind for the circulation of air. In this way, the seed grows when the four elements converge and help it to grow.
So, “Causes are what arise and grow. Conditions assist in their arising”. Take humans for example. Where did we come from? From the meeting of our parents’ sperm and egg. After we are born, we are still affected by causes and conditions. In order for us to stay alive, we need various conditions to converge on Earth. Not only must we live in this world, but we must also seek wisdom. We need more than just worldly knowledge and cleverness. We must also seek world-transcending wisdom, which surpasses worldly knowledge.
What we need is True Dharma, which is the Dharma of True Suchness that allows us to return to our intrinsic nature. The Buddha can plant the seed of Buddhahood in sentient beings by helping them discover their intrinsic Buddha-nature. This is the same principle. Indeed, for species of trees to reproduce, individual trees have to reproduce seeds. This is similar to our karmic causes.
If we so not diligently find the cause within, then nourish this seed with the Buddha-Dharma, we will be stuck in the desert life after life, unable to grow our wisdom-life.
So, the “cause” is very important. The group of people here with us are our assisting conditions. We engage in spiritual practice in a monastery, in which we have many spiritual friends. With spiritual friends, virtuous friends, we will encourage each other.
So, this is “all conditioned phenomena that arise.” The convergence of cause and conditions is called conditioned phenomena.” We all have intrinsic causes, but what we need are assisting conditions. So, these are “cause and conditions.”What they create are called “phenomena.” All things we can create are called phenomena. A house is “phenomena of construction.” We cannot simple carry over some steel beams, pour some concrete and end up with a house. We need to know how to build it. This is also “phenomena.”
All conditioned phenomena in the world are created by bringing things together. People must put them together. This is how things are created; this is conditioned phenomena.
“This is the law of arising and ceasing.” Anything that is conditioned is subject to the law of arising and ceasing. For decades or even centuries after a house is built, it undergoes arising and ceasing. This is how the world works. Any conditioned phenomenon is subject to the law of arising and ceasing.
So, we need to be able to understand that “those who observe the arising of things can deeply contemplate that the Three Principles and Four States of Phenomena all arise and cease and are imperanent.”
What are the Three Principles and Four States? As I have told everyone before, in this world here on Earth, all material objects follow the principle of matter. All things in this world go through formation, existence, decay and disappearance. This is the principle of matter. Things come to be and then cease to be.
Following the principle of life, we go through birth, aging, illness and death. The principle of the mind is that thoughts arise, abide, chant and cease.These are the Three Principles and Four States, which are contained in conditioned phenomena. All these things go through arising and ceasing and are impermanent.
Therefore, in order to understand the law of arising and ceasing, we must be particularly aware of the fact that all arising and ceasing, gathering and parting is inseparable from the union and separation of cause and conditions.
Everyone, we must understand the law of arising and ceasing. We must understand the law of karma. If we really understand cause and conditions, we will know that everything is formed by cause and conditions converging. Whether cause and conditions unite or separate depends on the specific cause and conditions. They may be separating or coming back together.
Things cease when the conditions separate. Things [form] with cause and conditions unite. So, I hope we can all keep the Dharma in our hearts. Whenever we do something, we must mindfully do it well.
We must not allow our minds to deviate and end up doing the wrong thing. That is how we create karma. If our minds remain on the right [path], everything we do comes from our great vows. So, we must always mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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