Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Provisional Path Guides Sentient Beings (妙權引眾生)
Date: July. 17. 2014
The wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle is safeguarded by the Buddha. With analogies and causes and conditions, He gives wondrous provisional teachings. Those who draw near the Buddha walk the Path to seek the Dharma. The difference in unenlightened and noble beings is only a temporary label.
The Buddha comes to this world for the sake of teaching the wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle. The Buddha is always safeguarding the One Vehicle Dharma in His mind, so He can share it with all of us. He hopes we can all take it to heart and have knowledge and views equal to His. So, “the wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle is safeguarded by the Buddha.” He always protects it, because it contains the true principles, the essence of what He realized after He attained enlightenment. This is the great Dharma He wants to share with sentient beings, but based on their capabilities, they could not accept it. So, “with analogies and causes and conditions, He gave wondrous provisional teachings.” He made analogies with all kinds of methods, taught with all kinds of cause and conditions. He used all kinds of skillful means [to teach] very subtle and wondrous principles.
We must not think that practicing skillful means will not help us. We must not see it as a waste of time. Nor should we disparage limited teachings, saying, “What you’re practicing is only skillful means.” Actually, skillful means is just a label. For example, to reach the main road, sometimes we have to pass through narrow roads. Before a road is constructed, there are no [clear] roads. Even without a road, we can keep going, we just have to take the mountains route, which is very arduous. By the same principle, the analogies, causes and conditions wondrous provisional teachings [given by the Buddha] are like connecting roads.
The Buddha always talked about the law of karma, about causes and conditions, about the past, about how the current state of things came from karmic retributions created in the past. He used these examples as teachings, even though they may sound inconceivable. Take this example from the Buddha’s lifetime. One day, Ananda and the Buddha were out asking for alms. [Ananda] saw a seven- or eight-year-old child leading his blind parents and begging for food. When people gave them food, he gave the best to his parents. When there was not enough to eat, he did not eat. He told his parents, “I’m already full.” We can see how filial this child was to his parents, how very caring, reverent and respectful. When Ananda saw this, he was deeply moved. When they returned to the abode in the afternoon, He told the Buddha everything he saw.
The Buddha said, “Yes, I saw them too, I was also very moved. This reminded me of my past. I also once spent a lifetime caring for my parents. When my parents were hungry, I cut flesh from my body as food for them.” Ananda quickly asked, “What were the causes and conditions behind that?” The Buddha began the following story. In ancient times, an incalculable number of years ago, there was a king with 12 children. He divided his land among them and sent them off to govern their own kingdoms. The youngest one was named Well-Abiding. He was allocated a territory by the border, so he also had to guard the border.
One day, a neighboring country wanted to seize his kingdom, so they invaded with an army.King Well-Abiding did not have enough forces to fend off this neighboring country, so he quickly fled with his wife and child.But they ended up on the wrong road and had no more food.They had no strength to keep going.His wife told him, “All three of us will starve to death.I want to give my body to support you two.”When the child heard all this, he said, “You can’t.Parents give life and nourishment to their child.Even if the mother is killed, the child cannot consume his mother’s flesh.This must not be done.”
[His mother asked,] “What should we do?”He said, “Take my body.”How could his parents bear to do that?While his parents were not looking, the child took the knife from his father’s side and sliced off his own flesh.The child told his parents, “Please continue to take flesh from my body, but keep me alive because if you kill me with one thrust, my flesh will begin to rot.We do not know how far we have to go, thus I hope I can stay alive for a long time to take you close to your destination so you can be saved.”
The parents were very moved.Thus, they kept going like this for a time.Though blooding, the child managed to stay alive and provide for his parents.When a heavenly being saw this, he was very moved and appeared in human form.He spoke to the child, “You are using your body to provide for your parents.Don’t you feel regret?Don’t you hate your parents for consuming your flesh?”
The child, named Well-Living, said, “My body was given to me by parents anyhow.The country is in trouble, my parents are in trouble, so it is time for me to repay them.”
The disguised heavenly being said, “What is our motive?Do you wish to go to the heaven realm?”
The child, Well-Living, said “What is so good about going to heaven?Once heavenly blessings are depleted, once that life ends, one may still come back and suffer as a human.So, I do not crave wealth in the human or heaven realm.I just want to be able to provide for my parents with my body, so they can live.And in my future lives, I hope to benefit sentient beings, life after life. I hope that after I attain enlightenment, I can transform all sentient beings.”
These causes and conditions the Buddha spoke of seem inconceivable when we hear it now.But in the present day, as countries invade each other and as people endure tremendous hardship as refugees, they may have to consume human an flesh to survive.This is even happening in our present time.Look at the world now and think about the world in the past.
Truly, since ancient times, the Buddha has been giving provisional teachings with analogies, expressions and causes and conditions.So, we must be “those who draw near the Buddha and walk the Path to seek the Dharma.”We must believe that the Buddha has always safeguarded the wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle within His mind.
Now the time had come for Him to expound the Great Vehicle Dharma.He used analogies, causes and conditions and expressions to help everyone understand it better.We must draw nearer to the Buddha-Dharma and put it into action by walking the Path.Then we are true seekers of the Dharma.
Actually, “the difference in unenlightened and ordinary beings is only a temporary label”.Because all provisional teachings teach us that by being filial, doing good deeds and diligently engaging in spiritual practice to eliminate afflictions, we can attain the Dharma we need to cleanse our minds and draw near our intrinsic nature of True Suchness.People who cultivate themselves in this way will become noble beings.
Unenlightened beings are full of afflictions, which is why they are unenlightened.
Afflicted, they create much karma.
What about noble beings?They are pure in body and mind and work to benefit all people.[In discussing] “unenlightened and noble beings”, there are certainly differences between good and bad people. But this is only “temporary,” only a label. When we call someone an “unenlightened being,” that is label we given him; it is a temporary label. “Noble being” is also a label. So, if we understand all this, we will no longer cling to status, fame or fortune; we can brush them all aside.
Thus, as we have discussed previously, “If Hearers or Bodhisattvas hear the teaching I will give, from a single verse, they will become Buddhas, without a doubt”. Now we are going to talk about, “In the Buddha-lands of them directions, there is only the One Vehicle Dharma, not two or three. The exception is when the Buddha teaches skillful means by using temporary labels to guide sentient beings”.
Given the text we just discussed, we should understand this passage very clearly. “In the Buddha-lands of them directions, the “ten directions” are where Buddha lands-are found, in the east, west, south, north, the four intermediate directions, above and below”. These are the “ten directions”. East, west, south, north, with northwest, southeast, [etc.,] the intermediate directions, make eight. [With the addition of] above and below, these are known as the “ten directions”.
The Buddha-land of ten directions: Worlds with sentient beings in the east, west, south, north, the four intermediate directions, and above and below are the Buddha-lands of ten directions.
The ten directions of east, west, south, etc. are worlds with sentient beings. In our world of sentient beings, we can identify these ten directions. How many living beings are here, just on this planet? Besides humans, there are many animals, great and small, subtle and tiny organisms, and even microscopic insects, and so on. All these are part of the world of sentient beings. Clearly, it encompasses so many things. These are the “ten directions”.
As for “sentient beings”, if we engage in spiritual practice, we become “awakened sentient beings”. If we do no engage in spiritual practice, we only focus on “my birth”, “my death”, “my illness”, “my pain”, “my wealth”, “my poverty”, “my joy”, “my happiness”. All unenlightened beings [focus on themselves]. So, the Buddha engaged in spiritual practice, life after life. After His enlightenment, the Buddha clearly understood all things in the universe and all worlds of sentient beings. This is great enlightenment.
Thus, in the “ten directions” of the Saha World, in this Buddha-land, the Buddha gives teachings for sentient beings in this world. “This is only the One Vehicle Dharma”. In fact, everything He teaches ultimately leads to the One Vehicle Dharma. “In the Buddha-lands of ten directions”, there are so many true principles, but in the end, there is just the “One Vehicle Dharma”. Thus, there are “not two or three”. There are no other vehicles, those are just temporary labels. Yet, we need the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence to enter the Great Vehicle. As I said earlier, no matter which route we take, no matter which route we take, the important thing is to reach our destination. Traveling these roads is just part of the journey. Ultimately, where do we wanted to go? That is our real destination. So, [these other teachings] are just a skillful way of entering the Great Vehicle, that is all.
The goat cart, the deer cart, Nirvana, these are just labels. They are all used as analogies. The Small Vehicle is like the goat cart, the Middle Vehicle is like the deer cart, and then there is the big cart, the ox cart, and so on. The small cart is an analogy for the Small Vehicle, and the big cart is an analogy for the Great Vehicle. Even the Buddha’s teachings on Nirvana are just temporary labels to the Dharma. These are just a means to guide people “In truth, there is just the ox cart of the One Vehicle” that will ultimately lead us to the true, ultimate Bodhisattva-path. We have to walk the Bodhisattva-path, in order to truly return to our pure intrinsic Buddha-nature.
“There is only the One Vehicle Dharma: The labels of Two and three Vehicles are only temporary names. But they are skillful means that guide people to the Great Vehicle. Take the goat cart, the deer cart, Nirvana and the conjured city for example. Those are temporary labels, used to guide others. In truth, there is just the ox cart of the One Vehicle to lead us in the end to the truth, ultimate Bodhisattva-path”.
As we work among people, “infinite Dharma-doors will readily appear before us, we understand all Dharma”. We must work with infinite sentient beings. This is how we practice the Bodhisattva-path. Among sentient beings, we must not lose our spiritual aspirations or become affected by various worldly afflictions that may weaken our will to practice. We can continue to train ourselves here. Each sentient being is like a sutra, so infinite people will manifest infinite Dharma; thus they can increase our wisdom.
There is a common say. ‘Without experience, we cannot grow in wisdom”. Experiences are created by people. The more people we meet, the more experience we will have. Since wisdom comes from experience, with every new person we meet, we will learn one more bit of Dharma. This is worldly Dharma.
So, everything is a teaching. The Buddha talked about Two and Three Vehicles, but they actually do not exist only the teachings on Six Paramitas and the Four Infinite Minds. This Dharma is the most true.
In summary, the Buddha wanted to teach us to walk the Bodhisattva-path. “The exception is when He teaches skillful means.” His teachings lead everyone to this broad and true path, the True Dharma of the One Vehicle.To do so, the Buddha guided us with skillful means. This is just the label for the process that is actually helping us reach the great path.
So, the wisdom of the provisional path is skillful means. The provisional path is skillful means that benefit sentient beings. So, He kept talking about “wondrous provisional teachings” to [explain] how these were very good teachings that guide us to benefit sentient beings. They teach us how to benefit sentient beings, because in our spiritual practice, we have to benefit sentient beings.
Based on the karmic conditions of those with great and limited capabilities, the Buddha gave teachings accordingly. Those are all called skillful means. It was through these methods that guided them.
The exception is when the Buddha teaches skillful means: The wisdom of the unobstructed provisional path is skillful. The provisional path is the way to benefit sentient beings. Based on the conditions of those with great and small capabilities, He gave teachings to them all. Categorically, these are called skillful teachings.
“[He teaches] by using temporary labels.” All kinds of temporary labels are used. So, what is actually true in this world? Indeed, we all utilize temporary labels. Each of us has a different name, but all of us can be labeled the same thing, which is “human.” But we give ourselves different names, which are temporary labels.“Therefore, the labels of all things are illusory and not real.” These are illusory ad unreal names, not the true essence. These temporary labels are really not true principles. They do not reflect true principles.
For example, when it comes to a “poor” person, if we call him “wealthy,” will he really wealthy? He still will not be wealthy because he lives in poverty. So, if we call him “wealthy,” will that make him wealthy? No, that is not possible. So, the label is temporary, it is a skillful means.
[He teaches] by using temporary labels: The Dharma does not inherently have a name. For the sake of humans, He utilized temporary labels. Therefore, the labels of all things are illusory and not real, are not the true essence. For example, when the poor are called wealthy, that is temporary [false] label.
So, “He guided all sentient beings” with these kinds of skillful means, so everyone can enter the Buddha-Dharma. In this sutra’s Chapter on the Dharma Master, there is the following passage, “With this, He guided all sentient beings and gathered them to listen to teachings.
He used various skillful means to gather everyone to listen to the True Dharma. The Buddha had to use this arduous process to give teachings. He had always safeguarded the True Dharma to share with everyone. Yet, nobody comprehend it, so He had to use all kinds of methods to guide everyone to mindfully listen to teaching.
When we listen to and practice the Dharma, then we can attain our ultimate goal in listening to the Dharma. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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