Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Let Go of Desires (貪著當捨離)
Date: June. 30. 2014
“In a life of suffering, we are greedy and stingy and do not accept the Buddha’s teaching of the Bodhisattva-path; instead we practice the Small [Vehicle] Dharma for liberation. Thus we distance ourselves from the Great [Vehicle] Dharma.”
Suffering accumulates in our lives; this is so painful. But we may feel, “There is no suffering; every day is the same.” This reflects our state of confusion. If we do not feel we have suffered in life, we must promptly be grateful. But then we must contemplate this more deeply. Though we do not feel we have suffered, consider that we still go through birth, aging, illness and death. We also suffer being apart from loved ones, being together with those we hate and being separated in life and by death. These are the sufferings in life.
Moreover, life is impermanent and no one can predict the changes in their own lives. Isn’t this suffering? The Buddha knows we live in a state of confusion, so He comes to this world to help us recognize and make us aware of suffering. We must also recognize collective karma, which causes suffering in the world through the imbalance of the four elements. Furthermore, He tells us that manmade calamities come from imbalances in people’s minds. By accumulating the causes of suffering, we are subject to collective karma. Then He explained to us the many paths that will lead us back to our intrinsic nature.
If we can all listen to and take in His teachings, we can diligently walk the road to which He led us and we can follow the principles of this Path. By doing so, the sutras, the principles of all things in the world, will be clear to us. Then naturally we will return to our pure intrinsic nature.
Unfortunately, we continue to accumulate the causes of suffering and are still immersed in greed, stinginess and attachment. We are even unwilling to use the Buddha’s teachings to open our hearts so we can step onto the great, direct path. Rather, we still rely on what other people say; we take in and cling to their words.
This is like a story from the Buddha’s lifetime when He was at the abode in the Jetavana Grove. One morning before dawn, a heavenly lord who had already taken refuge with the Buddha wanted to come and pay respect to Him. However, when he arrived, it was still dark and the Buddha was sitting in meditation. The heavenly lord thought that this was not the time to disturb Him, so he waited outside the dormitory. It just so happened that he stood close to a bhiksu named Kokalika. Kokalika was someone who had been listening to Devadatta’s slanders of Sariputra, Maudgalyayana and others. Kokalika took in everything he heard, and then he spread negative things about Sariputra and Maudgalyayana. He slandered them with his harsh speech.
When this heavenly lord heard him, he knocked on his door and said, “Kokalika, do not slander Sariputra and Maudgalyayana. You should have pure faith when it comes to Sariputra and Maudgalyayana. Sariputra and Maudgalyayana are very pure and gentle, and are already engaging in purifying practices. You should not slander them nor accept incorrect information and use it to slander these pure spiritual practitioners.”
Kokalika asked the heavenly lord, “What about you?Have you taken refuge with the Buddha?”“Yes,” said the heavenly lord, “Yes, I have already taken refuge with the Buddha.”
“Did the Buddha tell you that you have already attained the fruit of Anagamin?”“Yes, the Buddha said I have already attained the fruit of Anagamin.”“Since you have already attained Anagamin, you should practice never returning,” implying that he should not bother himself with worldly matters.“Why do you, a heavenly lord, care about our Sangha’s affairs?”
When the heavenly lord heard this, he realized he could not reason with this person, so he did not continue debating with him.After leaving Kokalika’s dormitory, he came before the Buddha and paid his respects.Then he told the Buddha about his conversation with Kokalika at the dormitory.After hearing the story, the Buddha praised him.“Heavenly lord, you are right.People like this, no matter what you say to them, will remain attached to deviant teachings.Devadatta instilled incorrect principles in him, so he clings to them.Therefore, no matter what you say to him you will not be able to change his mindset.”During the Buddha’s lifetime, there was such a heavenly Dharma-protector but even among the bhiksus were some who were stingy, greedy and had attachments.
What were they greedy and stingy about?They focused on the suffering of samara, so they quickly sought only to awaken themselves.Because that was all they wanted, they only tried to maintain pure minds and actions.However, they also accepted mistaken perspectives, so they slandered honored monastics in the Songhai.In this way, Small Vehicle practitioners did not thoroughly understand principles, so they went astray.
It is good that they watched out for themselves, but they also accepted other people’s mistaken perspectives, so they began to slander others.Therefore, we must be very careful.
As part of a group of spiritual practitioners, do we also have this kind of mindset?We may only seek our own awakening so we can take care of ourselves alone.If we not only take care of ourselves alone, but also slander others, that would make us Small Vehicle practitioners.Then we have not really accepted the Buddha’s teachings to practice the Bodhisattv-path.Although the Buddha taught according to sentient beings’ capabilities by using various causes and conditions to expound Small Vehicle Dharma, everything He said led people onto the Bodhisattva-path.This was the Buddha’s goal.
However, some people may stop halfway and may easily deviate onto the wrong path.
So, if we only practice Small Vehicle Dharma and only think about our own liberation, our narrow minds cannot tolerate others.Then how can we attain liberation?That will lead us farther and farther away from the Buddha’s great Dharma.We may even act against [true] practices.Then we are people of limited capabilities who delight in Small [Vehicle] Dharma.
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.
As we discussed yesterday, the Buddha used various analogies, geyas, and upadesa texts to enhance our memory through repetition.No matter how many teachings we have heard and how many sutras we have read, we should [study them] again through geyas.“Geyas” are repeated verses.We recite the sutra again as short verses to help us commit the teachings to our minds.After listening to the Dharma, we must commit it to memory.Then later we can recite a section so we can discuss it and share our realizations.Through our mutual discussion, we study the text to understand its implications. Sutras are very profound. We must carefully study them because each sentence contains great principles.
Additionally, “the upadesa texts” are discussions of the meaning. Through discussion, we can understand the principles and meanings. But [some] “delight in Small [Vehicle] Dharma”. Within the Sangha were those with dull capabilities who could not comprehend the great Dharma. They still maintained and were attached to their own states of mind, or they simply repeated what others said and clung to the negative things they heard. These people had “dull capabilities” and “delighted in Small [Vehicle] Dharma, greedily clinging to cyclic existence”.
Those with dull capabilities delight in Small [Vehicle] Dharma and greedily cling to cyclic existence. Despite encountering countless Buddhas, they have not walked the profound, wondrous path. They are troubled by myriads of afflictions, so for them I speak of Nirvana.
Then this passage goes on to state, “Those with dull capabilities delight in Small [Vehicle] Dharma, and greedily cling to cyclic existence”. They knew that cyclic existence is suffering, so they sought liberation. Then they remained in that mindset, so they remained narrow-minded.
Take Bhiksu Kokalika for example. Think about it, can this kind of person really become liberated from birth and death? Because he went astray, he was already on a deviant path. Thus, “despite encountering countless Buddhas” [over countless lifetimes of spiritual practice, he had “not walked the profound, wondrous path”. He and people like him who could encounter the Buddha, become monastics and engage in spiritual practice in the Sangha, could do so because of their karmic conditions. His causes and conditions might have originated in time spent with countless Buddhas. Thus, he aspired to engage in spiritual practice. However, due to his dull capabilities, he only delighted in Small [Vehicle] Dharma. He did not “walk the profound, wondrous path, so he has not truly accepted the Buddha-Dharma. People like him went against the principles of the Buddha and did not diligently practice the great Dharma. Thus they did not penetrate this wondrous path and “were troubled by myriads of afflictions”. So, they were still immersed in the suffering of cyclic existence in the Six Realms. Furthermore, they became troubled by the many afflictions on this deviant path.
The Buddha saw there were still people like this in the Sangha. He knew about them but did not reject them. Instead, He included them. Even though their capabilities [were limited], He still gave them teachings about Nirvana. “So for them I speak of Nirvana”. He taught them ways to eliminate birth and death, but He first used the Small [Vehicle] Dharma to calm their distracted minds because these people could not [yet accept] the great Nirvana. This means that He first gave them Small [Vehicle] Dharma to help control their discursive thoughts. [Skillful means] could help them get through this stage, until their capabilities matured. All sentient beings have this problem; we “greedily cling to cyclic existence”.
Let us understand what this phrase means. It means that “we have insatiable desires”. This is greed.
Greedily cling to cyclic existence: Greed is having insatiable desires. With a strong sense of greed, we cannot free ourselves from cravings for wealth. Clinging gives rise to ignorance, which creates Leaks that trap us in cyclic existence with endless afflictions.
We just discussed the attachments of spiritual practitioners. However, ordinary people are also greedy. With a strong sense of greed, they cannot be free from cravings for wealth. They are always craving wealth. With such a mindset, when they see what other people have, they want to quickly be like them and own what is fashionable. This is why our recycling Bodhisattvas have [so much to sort through]. As they sort recyclables, they find many things that are still usable but were thrown out as trash. This is all because of people’s desires. We are greedy for new things, so we get rid of the old ones. This mentality pervades our society. Greed and attachments will give rise to ignorance “which create Leaks that trap us in cyclic existence with endless afflictions.” Thus, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom leak away, and we fall into samsara and afflictions. The Buddha wanted to pull us up one by one, but we fall down again.
Indeed, we have “Leak that trap us in cyclic existence with endless afflictions.” If our capabilities remain limited, we will only seek to awaken ourselves and practice to liberate ourselves from samsara. We want to be liberated, but if we are unwilling to understand the profound and wondrous Buddha-Dharma, attaining liberation will not be that easy.
Thus, [some people] refers to start practicing. The Buddha began expounding the great Dharma, so we must begin [our practice] anew.
Because of their singular focus on seeking liberation from cyclic existence, they cannot understand the Buddha’s extremely profound and wondrous Dharma, nor can they begin to practice the great Dharma. Therefore, the Buddha first taught the Nirvana of the Small Vehicle.
In the past, the Buddha gave us Small [Vehicle] Dharma so we could take a short break. This is like a conjured city. As we practice, [the Buddha says], “We are almost there we have arrived, rest here.” However, after a while, the Buddha then says, “This is not it. If you really want to attain ultimate Nirvana, that tranquil and still state, you still have a ways to go. This is just a convenient place for you to take a break.”
This is the Small [Vehicle] Dharma the Buddha taught unlock the purity in people’s minds. From this point on, we must develop great aspirations and move forward. Yet those with limited capabilities delight in the Small [Vehicle] Dharma and stop when they think, “I am already pure; this is good enough.”
At the conjured city, the Buddha tells us we still need to move forward so we can ultimately return to our intrinsic Tathagata-nature. So, we wants us to keep moving. People with limited capabilities will stop at that stage, so “they cannot understand or begin to practice the great Dharma.” They do not to start out again, so they stop at this. They are unwilling to move forward and t listen to or understand the great teachings.
However, the Buddha would not leave them there. That would be like taking a child somewhere and saying, “Come on, just a little further. If a child throws a tantrum [and stops], the parents must go back and use various means to comfort him. And try to get him to keep moving forward. Therefore, “the Buddha first taught the Nirvana of the Small Vehicle.” This was the initial teaching.
As I often mention, “Nirvana” means pure and clean. The purifying teaching of the Small Vehicle is to remain undefiled by impurities of the world and to eliminate our cravings and desires. These are a part of the Small Vehicle Dharma, which was taught first.
So, since we engage in spiritual practice, even if we only practice Small Vehicle teachings, we should at least be content and do our duty. We must not have cravings and attachments or desire offerings or wealth. We absolutely must not.
Therefore, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path and practice the Great [Vehicle] Dharma. We cannot stop with the Small Vehicle. Not only can we not stop, but we also must not crave wealth.
As we engage in spiritual practice, we must first purify our minds so various afflictions will not encumber us. We especially must not crave others’ wealth.
As we engage in spiritual practice, we must realize how suffering accumulates in life. We cannot be entangled by stinginess and greed. We must also accept the Buddha’s teaching, which is to walk the Bodhisattva-path. We must also be constantly vigilant about whether we have gone against the Buddha’s great Dharma. We must never stray from the Buddha’s great Dharma, but follow Him closely. After reaching the conjured city, we must start off again on the broad Bodhi-path. So, we should always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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