Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Transform Difficult People with Skillful Means (設方便化難度)
Date: August. 19. 2014
We all go through birth, aging, illness and death. People form connections as they give birth to and raise each other, one generation after another. So in this world, in generation after generation, we mutually create karma. This is all considered “conditioned phenomena,” so it will all arise and cease. Very subtle and intricate principles manifest the obvious appearances of “conditioned phenomena”. So, “worldly and conditioned teachings are skillful means.”
The worldly and the conditioned are all skillful means. The world-transcending and unconditioned are subtle and wondrous truths. For awakened sentient beings, the Four Noble Truths lead to the Six Paramitas.
We often hear people talk about modern people and about people of the past. We talk about our own past, and also about the past of previous generations. In summary, in the world of each past generation, in that past time and space, [the world] is influenced by each generation creating “conditioned phenomena.” Therefore, each era is different. All these [phenomena] are skillful means; they will arise and cease. The Buddha knows this is the way life works. We endlessly generate ignorance and conflicts, and continuously create and accumulate karma.
So, in this era, in the evil world of the Five Turbidities the Buddha manifested. He appeared in this turbid world at this time. To quickly save the world, He had to start with people’s minds. Therefore, He established various skillful means to help us understand that in this confusing world, there are very subtle and true principles. The vast universe has an infinite, countless number of worlds. In these worlds, there are all kinds of things and countless types of spaces. This is a kind of subtle and wondrous unconditioned Dharma. These very subtle and wondrous principles are contained in all these spaces. All these spaces contain sentient beings and ecosystems. If we read the Buddhist sutras, there are many analyses of the Three Realms. But actually, they exist in the space of a thought. We often talk about a single thought. A single thought [pervades] 3000 worlds. The Three Realms are found in a single thought. Everything is created by the mind. Thus, the mind is like a vast universe. Everything in our daily living, all the subtle and wondrous phenomena, are contained in the universe of our minds. If we can return our minds to a state as vast as the universe, no matter how many worlds exist within it, we can still remain free and at ease.
Thus we will not be constrained by time nor limited by space. Then we will not be troubled by this world or by the confusion that arises in our interpersonal relationships. If our minds can enter this kind of state, then “The world-transcending and the unconditioned are subtle and wondrous truths.” How do we return to this subtle, wondrous truth? “For awakened sentient beings, the Four Noble Truths lead to the Six Paramitas.” As we begin to engage in spiritual practice, we must understand that all things in this world are conditioned phenomena. After a lifetime of hard work, all we have left is the karma we have created. It is either negative karma of positive karma. In our future lives, our karma will lead us and we will not be able to control it.
I hope we can now listen and understand, and take the Dharma into our hearts and actions. Through our actions, we can then transform others. If we can achieve this, we are awakened sentient beings.As awakened sentient beings, we can share the Four Noble Truths with others.Life precisely follows the truths of suffering, its causation, its cessation and the Path.With the Four Noble Truths, we can help everyone understand that nothing in the world rely exists.Ultimately, all things are like a bubble, a dream, an illusion, that is all.They just disappear.
So, in an impermanent life like this, we must quickly seize the moment and go among people to transform them.Thus we practice the Six Paramitas.We must actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions.There are so many sentient beings, and we must teach according to the karmic conditions so sentient beings and the era they live in.We help them understand that in this era based on the way people live, these are the methods suitable for the lifestyles and various capabilities and needs of this era.This is how to actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions.Based on the capabilities of countless sentient beings, we give what they are in need of.
For example, here in Tzu Chi, many people with affinities have come together with the same single-minded aim.As Living Bodhisattvas, we help others willingly.As grassroots Bodhisattvas, we protect the land.
We all come together to enter the Dharma and take it into our hearts.
So recently, everyone is becoming more diligent.Every community holds a study group, and diligently practices [the Water Repentance].
People memorize, recite, chant and sing as well as learn the physical movements and sign language [for the musical adaptation].
Even the elderly learn this.
In Malaysia, four-or-five –year-old children are learning it.Very young children can perform sign language just as well as adults.Then movements are very precise.Similarly, their formations are very exact.
Their teacher not only taught them to sing, chant and sign in an organized fashion, they also helped [the children] to understand the profound meaning contained in the sutras in a way suitable for four-and five-year-olds.
The teacher wanted to help them understand why they must be filial to their parents, why they must do good deeds and how they can work in harmony with other people.We saw that the children have taken the Dharma to heart.The children responded, when asked, “Do you understand this?” with “I understand.”“How are you going to practice this?”“By begin filial to my parents, and being a good friend to other people.”“And how are you going to practice this?”“In the past, I always spoke to people with an unfriendly face; now, I always smile when I see people.I speak good words and help people.”
You see, these four-and five –year-old children already have a deep understanding of the Dharma, and know the principles of being a good person.
In Taiwan, there is a group of adorable elderly Bodhisattvas.They live in Kaohsiung and are part of the sign-language team.One is very courageous and also joined the study group.As an elderly person, she said, “I can’t read. I don’t understand Mandarin.How can I learn this?”Others told her, “We are studying this so we can learn.If you don’t understand Mandarin, I’ll explain it to you in Taiwanese.”That is how she studied.In the beginning, she said, “The Year-End Blessing ceremony is coming, so we have to begin practicing.”
Then she said, “Oh, if it’s like last year, then we have to learn one song.”
A commissioner said, “This year, we are not learning only one song, but an entire book of songs.”“How is that possible?”“It’ll be possible, Master said so.”So, they started practicing.To explain [the signs for] stealing, the teacher told them, “Thieves who steal keep quiet and do not say a thing, so cover your mouth as if wearing a face mask.”The elderly Bodhisattva said, “That’s right.If we were thieves, we would feel ashamed.Ashamed to face others, we will wear face masks.”You see, this is a form of skillful means.To transform sentient beings, we must help them understand the Dharma.We must [teach] children to do good deeds.The same Buddhist text can be understood by four and five-year-olds, and 70 or 80-year-olds can also follow along.They do not have dull capabilities, but are very sharp.All we need to do is apply the right methods for their capabilities.This was how the Buddha used various methods to transform sentient beings.But can sentient beings practice accordingly?
As we discussed earlier, there are many sentient beings with severe karma.Various causes and conditions hinder them, or other people obstruct them, or they have mental obstacles and so on. Their minds give rise to all kinds of afflictions, so even if they hear the Dharma, it is the same as if they had not heard it. For many people living in the Buddha’s lifetime even though the encountered Right Dharma, the teachings did not seem to affect them at all. So, “they do not hear Right Dharma”. These people are difficult to transform.
“Nor do they hear Right Dharma. Such people are difficult to transform.”
Since they cannot accept Right Dharma, how can they be transformed? We have already talked a lot about this. Everything from improper knowledge and views, to pride, arrogance, jealousy, greed, anger, ignorance and so on are all always we obstruct ourselves.
“Therefore, Sariputra, I establish skillful means for them, speak of ways to end suffering, and demonstrate Nirvana.”
The Buddha called to the initiator of the assembly, Sariputra. He called on Sariputra again as a way to remind everyone else. He just mentioned many obstacles to accepting the Dharma. Self-inflicted obstacles, obstacles from others, obstacles from conditions or from various matters prevent us from listening to the Dharma. Even if immersed in the Buddha-Dharma, many people may be too inflexible to accept it.
“Such people are difficult to transform: Stubborn people are difficult to teach inflexible sentient beings are difficult to help and transform. Because they do not seek liberation, it is hard for them to be helped and transformed.”
“Sariputra, such people are difficult to transform. Why are they difficult to transform?” Because they are very stubborn and unyielding, they are very difficult to teach and transform. In addition to being obstructed by all kinds of causes and conditions, the defilements within them have covered their pure minds. So, these people are still very unyielding, which means they are difficult to transform and teach. Their minds are difficult to tame because they are stubborn. So, “they are difficult to help and transform”. This is because “they do not seek liberation”. It is because difficult to tame and stubborn sentient beings do not want to be liberated. So what? “If it makes me happy, why can’t I do it?” No matter what other people say, they do whatever they want. They are not afraid that doing something wrong will lead to negative results for them. So, they do not seek liberation and are very difficult to transform.
“It is hard for them to be helped and transformed”. How can we save them? How can we transform them? It is very difficult.
“Sariputra, I establish skillful means for them”. For these sentient beings, He had already established many skillful means. What kinds of skillful means? “Such are the kinds”, there are many various kinds. We cannot explain how many “kinds” there are. They are all used to teach sentient beings.
“I establish skillful means for them: Such are the kinds of skillful means used to teach sentient beings. They are all [taught] for the purpose of transcending the cycle of suffering, and attaining Dharma-joy.”
The Buddha meticulously and patiently came up with various means to guide and teach sentient beings. All these methods are to help sentient beings transcend the cycle of suffering. They cycle of suffering takes us to the Three Evil Destinies, which are the hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. So, He said, “I establish skillful means for them”. For these sentient beings, He establish many skillful means solely to help each of them escape this cycle of suffering and attain great Dharma-joy. They will happy when they listen to the Dharma and do good deeds.
Now we have been holding short retreats [for our volunteers]. They work with the monastics in the fields and lean to converse with the land. Each retreat, before they go home, they share what they have learned with me. “As I was weeding, I found it very difficult to uproot the weeds. Similarly, in our minds, there are many weeds and discursive thoughts that are very hard to uproot”. Or, “when we strike the rocks with a hoe, it helps us realize how stubborn people are. If you are inflexible and I am also inflexible, we will get into an argument”. People learn more by doing this than going to a Seven-day Buddhist retreat. So, this is [learning] Dharma by conversing with the land.
So, how can we attain Dharma-joy? By interacting with people. When the Dharma is in our hearts and in our actions, we apply it and share it with one another. This is called turning the Dharma-wheel.
We turn it for each other. We use various means to teach according to sentient beings’ capabilities and autualize the Six Paramitas in all actions.
The Dharma is ever-present in our daily living. When we share the teachings in our lives and share our experiences with each other, we turn Dharma-wheel for each other. So, if the Dharma makes us happy, with a sense of playfulness, we will share our realizations and teach and transform each other. The skillful means established by the Buddha can be applied in our daily living and can also [be taught to others].
Thus, the Buddha said,
“[I] speak of ways to end suffering and demonstrate Nirvana.Here, the Four Noble Truths are explained. Because of the severity of the Five Turbidities, the great Dharma was hard to teach, so [the Buddha] had to use the Four Noble Truths as skillful means to gradually guide people. “Suffering” refer to the truth of suffering and includes the causation of suffering.“Ways” are the path to its cessation.
The Buddha uses all kinds of methods to establish skillful means. What are skillful means? We may say they are skillful means, but actually they “demonstrate Nirvana.” Nirvana is [the state of] tranquility. When we are troubled, our minds waver. The mind’s overall appearances keep wavering. To instantly help sentient beings understand their minds and recognize their nature is not easy at all. [Teaching] this great Dharma is not that easy. So, the Buddha teaches according to the way people live in the evil world of the Five Turbidities, by teaching the Four Noble Truths as skillful means to gradually guide them.
Though these are called skillful means, they are True Dharma for this world. [When the Buddha speaks of suffering] it includes the truth of suffering and its causation. “Causation” is the accumulation of various karmic conditions which result in suffering. So, in the “ways to end suffering” both suffering and its causation are included. “Ways” are the path to the cessation of suffering, the way we must practice. At the end of our spiritual practice is Nirvana. “[He] demonstrates Nirvana.” Nirvana means to be tranquil and still. Amidst the chaotic life of sentient beings, in the [evil] world of the Five Turbidities, it is possible to purify our minds.
This is truth of the “cessation” of suffering. The “cessation” of suffering is Nirvana.
To reach the state of non-arising and non-ceasing, our state of mind must be very pure and clean. In this era of severe turbidities, how can we purity ourselves? The only way is to mindfully realize the Buddha-Dharma. So, what we must experience and understand is “conditioned phenomena, which are all skillful means.”
All conditioned phenomena are skillful means. Only world-transcending, unconditioned Dharma is the true and wondrous principles.
To truly lean the Buddha’s Way, we have to begin with the skillful means taught by the Buddha and go all the way to the Bodhisattva-path. We must accept the Four Noble Truths, then keep going until we actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions. We can teach all kinds of methods to each other by turning the Dharma-wheel in this world. We can do this; it is not impossible.
By conversing with the land, communicating with trees and so on, we can understand [how they undergo] subtle and infinitesimal changes.One seed can turn into a big tree. All of this is Dharma. So, only if we are mindful and meticulous can we enter that wondrous state. Thus, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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