Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Skillful Guide Those with Limited Capabilities (善巧方便引鈍根)
Date: June. 27. 2014
“The tree we wrap our arms around originated from a tiny seed. As things change with causes and conditions, our loving-kindness and great vows expand.”
We must know that the biggest trees in the world originated from a tiny seed. Though the seed may look tiny, it can sprout and grow into a seeding. Indeed, the potential of the seed is not visible to our eyes. This [process of change] is also subtle that it is hard to see with the naked eye, but the seed continues to change according to causes and conditions. The causes and conditions are not visible, either. These are truly subtle and wondrous principles, but within [the workings of] these subtle principles, our “loving-kindness and great vows expand”.
The Bodhisattva-practice originates from these causes and conditions, it encompasses many past kalpas and lifetimes, a very long period of time. For lifetime after lifetime, we have accumulated loving-kindness and vows, compassion and wisdom. We exercise compassion and wisdom on this path. If we can awaken to the subtlety and wonder of causes and conditions, then we will aspire to have great loving-kindness and will make great vows. The closer we get to this principle, the clearer and more certain we will be. Lifetimes of practice bring us closer; walking the Bodhisattva-path brings us closer to achieving the state of the Buddha. All this happens because of causes and conditions. The principle of causes and conditions is truly vast and profound. Thus the Buddha’s teachings are always related to causes and conditions.
I also speak of causes and conditions, analogies along with geyas, and the upadesa texts.
In the previous text [the Buddha said], “I also spoke of causes and conditions.” Whether teachings are in prose or in verse form, they are inseparable from causes and conditions. As for analogies, they show causes and conditions even more clearly. There are many things people cannot understand simply by listening to us talk about them. When we say something, sometimes people do not understand. If people cannot even understand one another when they are talking to each other, how can they understand the Buddha’s subtle and wondrous principles? The only people who can understand are those with great capabilities. This is why the Buddha used various analogies. When people do not understand what we say, we also give “analogies”.
If someone were to say to me, “We have such and such problems.” I will say, “Give me an example. Use a specific instance as an example.” The Buddha taught in the same way. When He observed that people’s capabilities could not directly accept [His] teachings, He decided to teach with various analogies. People may not have been able to comprehend even simple matters, so He had to use even simpler examples to guide them toward understanding. I often tell everyone that for things to be harmonious, we must first be in harmony with others and must be good people. If we always create good karmic connections with others, when we face difficulties we can just talk to them and then there will be no problem. We must learn to be fair and reasonable and not create bad karmic connections, only good ones. This is how we extend long-lasting affection and expand our great love.
If we can be affectionate and loving, as well as pure and undefiled, we will be in harmony with others. When we are in harmony with others, we will do things harmoniously. When we are in harmony with people and matters, it is because we have a thorough understanding of the principles.
So when we encounter any situation, we can “use easily understood teachings to reveal matters and principles that cannot yet be known or understood.”
So, for things that are more difficult to resolve, we can apply simpler [teachings].We must constantly share these simple methods with each other in our daily living.We must guide each other and instill these simple principles in each other.To be a good person, we must do the things we should do.We must have selfless love for people, and we must establish good relationships.Isn’t this very simple?
If we can act in this way, won’t these simple [actions] reveal many principles that we cannot yet comprehend?Actually, all we need to do is to regularly practice these teachings, and naturally the principles will manifest.
So, we “often make analogies” because this is a very simple method.It “enables people to realize the meaning of the principles that are given as a direction”.
How can we guide everyone toward awakening?“I can do this.” “I know.”“If I explain it this way, can you understand?”“I understand.”“Can you do it now?”“Yes.”When people understand how to do things, they can do them more easily.So, this is a direction.How can we teach others?How can we learn from others?This is about how we teach and learn.
When those teaching use simple, skillful methods and those learning have the will, then naturally we can deeply penetrate the principles, and learn the tiniest subtleties of these methods.I knew a lay practitioner named Mr. Lo, [who was an artist] in Hualien.
Years ago, on a tiny grain of rice he engraved the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra, all 200-plus words.
Consider the meticulous skill this required.On that [tiny] grain of rice, he engraved such a profound principle.Mastering this skill takes mindful focus on the subtleties.This means he mindfully carved out the principles.This requires a direction.A direction is something to focus on.We must focus on learning the principle of this subtle and delicate skill; to do it we must be focused.
Learning the Buddha’s Way is the same; we must have this kind of focus.That is our direction.How can this principle help us ordinary people return to the Path?How can we be aligned with the principles to enter the sutras and take them to heart?This is also part of our direction.This is how analogies are used.There are “analogies along with geyas” in the text.
What is a “geya”?Geya is Sanskrit for “corresponding verses,” which can also be called “repeated verses”.
This means that the prose is very important, so [its meaning] needs to be restated.
This is like the passage we are discussing now, which is in verse.We just finished discussing the section in prose. Because it is very important, its meaning is rested in verse.This allows us to chant it again.So, these are “corresponding verses,” or “repeated verses”.When the sections of the sutra are repeated, they are restated in verse.
Previously, we mentioned the word “hymn”.Those were sections of verses composed line by line like poetry.They are also akin to Jing Si Aphorisms, which contain [great] principles in a few lines.They are like hymns or chanted verses.
A “geya” is a restatement.After reciting the long-form prose, there is concern that we may overlook the importance of the text.So, these verses are recited again in order to demonstrate the text’ importance.Thus, [the Buddha] taught through analogies, and even had we repeat the important principles aging [in verse].
So, [He spoke of] “analogies along with geyas”.These help us to engrave the meaning of the text more deeply into our minds so we can always remember it.Some people say, “Learning sutras is a merit.”If we cannot remember something, we cannot take it in and then manifest it in action, so how can that be a merit?We learn sutras to awaken our deluded minds so we can see the principles of this world and develop our wisdom.If we study hard, we can apply [the teachings].Only through both internal cultivation and external practice can we attain “merit”.If learning the sutras does not lead to internal cultivation or external practice of the teachings,then what is the use of listening to the sutras? I hope that when we recite and listen to sutras, we can comprehend the principles. Various methods are taught as analogies and repeated so we understand and remember. This is “analogies along with geyas”. When teachings are given mindfully, we must accept them with gratitude.
Next are upadesa texts. Upadesa texts refers to “discussions of the meaning”. Upadesa texts: It is Sanskrit for “discussions of the meaning. It refers to the discussion between all Buddhas and their disciples after teachings are given, and the texts wherein all Bodhisattvas use questions and answers to discuss the matters and principles of the Dharma.
This sutra contains many principles, but the meaning behind them cannot be thoroughly revealed. So, there are also “discussions of the meaning”. This means that after the Buddha expounded the teachings, the disciples did not understand them, so they engaged in a discussion about the meaning of what the Buddha taught each day. What were the causes and conditions for teaching these principles? The principles seem to be more than what is on paper. There may also be hidden principles. These are the things people discussed. So sutra texts may contain these discussions of the meaning.
Similarly, sometimes when we read a book, we may set a time to share what we have learned with other people. After listening to us, other people may think, “You have this kind of insight?” “Actually, I have some insight too”.
The same line of text will yield different insights. When we share and discuss our realizations, that is also “discussion of the meaning”. Bodhisattvas also ask questions of, and answer, each other. Afterwards, they also engage in debate to determine who is right or wrong, and so on. Each can raise various topics. The same sentence can start many discussions. The more discussions there are, the clearer things become. The principles become more abundant. These are upadesa texts.
I also speak 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.
Then there are those with “dull capabilities” who “delight in Small [Vehicle] Dharma”. Some people are not as sharp. When people listen to teachings, some are more capable of realizing them. They can “hear one and understand ten”. Whatever the principle they grasp more than one thing from one teaching. There are many additional principles hidden within a principle. Thus, when some people hear this teaching, they know there are other principles within it. So, they can “hear one and understand ten”. Some people hear 100, but cannot understand one. Their capabilities are just different.
In the assembly, there were also some with dull capabilities. When we were discussing the prose section, these people were mentioned. They “claimed to have attained what they had not and to have realized what they had not”. They were those with overbearing arrogance who thought they were so great. But there was another type who thought, “I don’t know anything. I don’t understand what I hear. I’ll believe whatever other people say”. They could not distinguish whether the principles were true or false.
Take Devadatta for example. He used the Buddha’s words to stir up members of the Sangha by saying, “This is my understanding of the principles. If you follow me, you can more quickly transcend life and death”. With these deviant teachings, he would take the Right Dharma out of context, and began to incite others to follow him. Some people, upon hearing what Devadatta said, believed him. So, during the Buddha’s lifetime, the Sangha experienced a division. He had such overbearing arrogance and “claimed to have attained what he had not”, so he left the Buddha’s Sangha to establish his own.
“Those with dull capabilities delight in Small [Vehicle] Dharma: This type of practitioners tend to be stubborn and dull-witted and are not proactively diligent. Though they listen to , contemplate and practice teachings, they go along with what others say without distinguishing the deviant from the correct, believing they can attain realizations regardless. Thus, they happily believe everything and practice Small Vehicle Dharma”.
So, those with dull capabilities, cannot discern right from wrong. They say what other people say, and do whatever other people tell them to do. So “this type of practitioners tend to be stubborn and dull-witted in nature”. What can we say to them? These people may say, “Ok, I will do what you say”. But if we say, “No, this is not right”. They will say, “But this is what that person said”. They cannot be awakened. People like this are stubborn and dull-witted. They “are not proactively diligent”. They cannot differentiate for themselves what is right and what is wrong. “They go along with what others say without distinguishing the deviant from the correct”. They do what others people say without discerning right from wrong, and without judging whether the path has deviated or not. They just do what other people say.
In doing this, they “believe they can attain realization regardless. They believe that the path that other people are leading them on is the correct path and thus keep following them. People with “dull capabilities delight in Small [Vehicle] Dharma. These people “happily believe everything and practice Small [Vehicle] Dharma.” Whatever people say, they do. They are constantly unable to focus because they have no direction. Those who “happy believe everything and practice Small [Vehicle] Dharma have dull capabilities.” Their capabilities are not sharp; they are very dull.
The Buddha, for the sake of these people, taught various skillful means. The Buddha could not bear to abandon even those with dull capabilities so He taught them suitable Small Vehicle Dharma. He actually did so to guide them back to the ultimate One Vehicle Dharma. So, the Buddha treated all sentient beings equally. Because these people with dull capabilities only delight in small Vehicle Dharma, they cling to sufferings of samsara. They only know that “the Buddha said samsara is suffering, so they tried to transcend it.
That are attached to doing this, and refuse to progress further. There were many like this following the Buddha. They sought only to awaken themselves. “Why do I need to keep diligently practicing?” I only seek to be liberated I don’t care about other people. The things that I do are only for my own [liberation]. They cannot understand, so they not advance to practicing great Dharma.
Therefore, the Buddha must use skillful means to teach them about the Small Vehicle Nirvana and guide them through fragmentary samsara. So, He taught the Small Vehicle Nirvana. These were the Buddha’s exhaustive efforts to educate sentient beings.
The Buddha, according to capabilities, gives all kinds of skillful limited teachings. The true teaching is the great One Vehicle Dharma, which describes the ultimate. But those with dull capabilities enjoy the Small [Vehicle] Dharma cling to the afflictions of samsara.So,they only seek to be liberated from samsara. As for the Buddha’s extremely profound and wondrous Dharma, they cannot understand it, and they cannot begin to practice the great Dharma. Therefore, the Buddha first taught the Small Vehicle Nirvana.
Unfortunately, as sentient beings, the majority of us have dull capabilities. The Buddha used “analogues along with geuas and upadesa texts, but those with “dull capabilities” who delight in Small [Vehicle] Dharma would not really try to comprehend the truths contained within. They were only focused on awakening themselves because they were attached to [ending] samsara. They knew that samsara is suffering, so they were attached to Small [Vehicle] Dharma and the ways to transcend samsara, nothing more. So, we learn the Dharma, which is really small and fine, like a tiny seed. It contains many subtle and wondrous causes and conditions and principles. When we aspire to expand our loving-kindness and make great vows, that is also a result of causes and conditions.
For those with “dull capabilities” who “delight in Small [Vehicle] Dharma”, their karmic conditions have not yet matured. But they still have the same intrinsic nature of True Suchness as the Buddha, so the Buddha will not abandon them. So, we must always be grateful and always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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