Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Adornments of Blessings and Wisdom (福慧莊嚴皈心真如)
Date: September. 17. 2014
“If we create blessings as well as cultivate wisdom, we will be like a person with two healthy feet. Then we can steadily practice the Great Dharma and return our minds to pure True Suchness.”
Every day we have the karmic condition to be here with this healthy body, so we must always aspire to create blessings. On the top of that, we must also cultivate wisdom. If we have blessings but not wisdom, we are missing something in our spiritual practice. In addition to cultivating blessings, we must also cultivate wisdom. This is like the many well-meaning people in society who are willing to give and be charitable. Giving charitably cultivates blessings.
In the past, we heard comments that we “cultivate blessings but not wisdom.” In fact, our goal has always been for everyone to cultivate both at the same time. As we help others, we must also broaden our hearts and minds. We do not cultivate blessings for the sake of recognition. We do not cultivate blessings for the sake of merits. We are always giving unconditionally, in accord with the [principle of] Three Spheres of Emptiness.
The Three Spheres of Emptiness help us cultivate wisdom through non-attachment. When we see sentient beings who need help, we feel this sense of compassion and empathy. The term “sentient beings” does not only refer to humans, but includes every living, moving organism. First, let us discuss humans. Perhaps others are not connected to us in any way. Perhaps they live very far from us, and not only that, but are of a different ethnicity and so on. These are people we have no connection with. However, “having unconditional loving kindness” means we must, with great reverence, pray for the four elements to be in harmony around the world so that we can all purify our minds. With pure minds, we can live our days in peace.
What methods can we use to enable everyone in the world to live a blessed life? We must spread the Dharma. Accepting the Dharma can bring purity to people’s minds. If we all do this, this world will be a pure land. If any kind of disaster takes place, we feel people’s suffering as our own and do everything we can to relieve all suffering. This is an example of “great compassion.”
When we give out of great compassion, we expect nothing in return. We are grateful to each other, and work in concerted effort with a sense of unity to successfully help other people. We are grateful to each other, as well as ourselves, for being persistent and accomplishing the mission of helping others. In return, we feel peace and happiness. Asking for nothing in return is wisdom.
Benefiting others and doing good deeds creates blessings. Eliminating afflictions cultivates wisdom. As long as we are free of greed and desires, we will be free of afflictions and hindrances. Therefore, as we cultivate blessings, we must simultaneously cultivate wisdom.
Sometimes, we must ask ourselves whether, as we are cultivating blessings, there are still afflictions in our minds. If there are afflictions and hindrances, that means we have not unlocked our wisdom. If we keep giving, never asking for anything in return so that we are free of all things, that is a kind of wisdom.
We want to be like a person with two healthy legs.All we need to do is think about our destination and our legs will automatically take us there.But if one our legs is in pain, or if one of our legs cannot move, even if the other one is healthy, we cannot simply go wherever we want.So, [in the Buddha’s teachings,] the two legs repent blessings and wisdom.
The Buddha is the “Two-fitted Hibired One” because He cultivated both blessings and wisdom.Replete with blessings and wisdom, He could practice giving and teach the Dharma in hopes that everyone would develop pure minds, be free of afflictions, give unconditionally and walk the Bodhisattva-path; all this brings blessings and wisdom, Blessings and wisdom are like two legs that can help us “steadily practice the Great Dharma”.During the process of spiritual practice, we must always remembered to “return our minds to pure True Suchness”.This is what I often say to you, that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature.But we ordinary people tend to look for it externally, forgetting that we intrinsically have it.
“We practice at the foot of the stupa on Vulture Peak.”In our inner spiritual training ground, there is intrinsic Buddha-nature.This is what we must promptly return to.The term “return to” is used as way of telling us to turn away from a scattered mind filled with afflictions and single-mindedly focus on our vows.When we return to a pure and undefiled mind, our mind is in the state of pure True Suchness.That is our pure Buddha-nature.I hope all of you can comprehend these words.
For a period of time prior to this, the Buddha was constantly telling everyone that we all have an intrinsic nature so that we can all return to it and believe that we intrinsically have it.But how will sentient beings in the future find a way to draw near the Buddha-Dharma?The Buddha then told them to build stupas, temples and Buddha statues.
Some painted colored Buddha-images adorned with the marks of hundreds of blessings.Whether they did it themselves or directed others, they have all realized the path to Budhdahood.
Buddha-images painted by skillful painters can evoke happiness in people who later view them.Out of this feeling of happiness, people begin to reverently pay their respects.This feeling of reverence can lead them to listen to the Dharma and to purify their minds so they can actualize the Buddha’s teachings.This is one of the skillful means [we can practice] after the Buddha’s Parinirvana.
So, “Whether they did it themselves or directed others, they have all realized the path to Buddhahood.”Not only would they paint it themselves, they are also willing to teach others so they can also paint it with joyful hearts.With this sense of joy, the image of the Buddha will gradually instill a pure aspiration of attaining Buddhahood.
However, if a person is an ordinary painter, he will simply paint as others instruct and thus not put his heart into it.That image has passed through his mind like water passing through a pipe; afterwards, the pipe remains dry.After the water has flowed through it, there is no water left in the pipe.
Therefore, [when painting,] we must use our minds.Whatever Buddha-image we have in our minds, let us mindfully paint that image.Then we will paint with reverence.In order to paint the Buddha’s image we need to purify our behaviors and all aspects of our lives.This is adopting purifying precepts.We need to nurture loving-kindness and compassion in our hearts.Only then can we “do it ourselves or direct others to do it”.
Only in this way can we truly internalize the image of Buddha in our minds.
Let us look at “adorned with the marks of hundreds of blessings”.Yesterday we said that,[in order to create adornments,] we must uphold precepts. Not only do we need to uphold the precepts, we need to begin with practice of giving. Through giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom, with these six practices we create good causes.
All sentient beings can do the Ten Good Deeds. This brings blessings and virtues. These are the things we do mindfully. After goodness arises in our hearts, we put that into practice. This is called doing the Ten Good Deeds. You are probably familiar with them. The three of the body are no killing, no stealing and no sexual misconduct. These are the three good deeds of the body. The four of speech are no harsh speech, no lies, no flattery and no gossip. These are the four good deeds of the mouth. The three of the mind are no greed, no anger and no ignorance. They make up the Ten Good Deeds. Refraining from evil is a way of doing good deeds. This how we do the Ten Good Deeds. This brings blessings and virtues.
“Adorned with the marks of hundreds of blessings: Practicing giving, upholding precepts and the rest of the Six perfections creates good causes. When all sentient beings do the Ten Good Deeds, the blessings and virtues they create will include the blessings of cultivating all Buddha-Dharma. This is the nourishment from hundreds of blessings”.
The blessings of cultivating all Buddha-Dharma are the nourishment from hundreds of blessings. If we are doing good deeds, we need to simultaneously cultivate [our minds]. To do this, we must constantly be permeated by [the Dharma]. Similarly, if we are near a fragrant place, our bodies will be permeated by that scent. [People may ask,] “Where did you come from? How come you smell so fragrant?” If you stand in a perfume store for a while, after you walk out, your body will smell nice. If you are around a smelly place like a cesspit, [people may ask,] “Where did you come from? How come you are so smelly?” This is how we become permeated. Based on the same principle, if we are always around wholesome people and do good deeds with them, we achieve a state where “the mind is without hindrances, therefore there are no hindrances”. If we wholeheartedly learn the Buddha-Dharma, we are “adorned with the marks of hundreds of blessings”.
How can we achieve being “adorned with the marks of hundreds of blessings?” We must practice according to the Six Perfections and the Ten Good Deeds. If we could cultivate the Six Perfections in a myriad of actions, that would be even better. I have previously discussed Four Noble Truths along with the Six Paramitas. What kind of virtuous Dharma must we choose to practice? The Buddha-Dharma beings with the Four Noble Truths, through them we can understand the absolute truths of life. Then we can put the Six Perfections into practice. The Four Noble Truths help us cultivate ourselves. The Six Perfections help us benefit others. This is how the Buddha-Dharma works together with the virtuous Dharma of the world. These are “the nourishment of blessings and virtues”, the accumulation of blessings and virtues. The virtues of blessings and virtues of merits are slightly different.
“The virtue of blessings and virtue of merits: When we externally do flawed good deeds we attain blessings. When we internally realize. Buddha-nature and flawless wisdom, we attain virtues. With internal cultivation and external practice, we exercise both compassion and wisdom. This is adorning ourselves with the virtue of blessings.”
“When we externally do flawed good deeds, we attain blessings.” Some people do not want to engage in spiritual practice, but they know that benefiting others creates merits, so they do good deeds. “If you ask me to do good deeds, I’m happy to do that. But if you ask me to practice and uphold vegetarian precepts, or ask me to do other things, I can’t do that. I don’t have time for that right now. But I will donate or do things to create merits”. These are “flawed good deeds”. If we only create blessings for [merits], these are “flawed good deeds”. Does they yield blessings? Yes, they benefit people. Thus we say, people who cultivate blessings will go to heaven or come back to the human realm for blessed retributions.
Sadly, once their blessings are depleted, the mix of good and evil karma [manifests], so afflictions will cause their minds to waver. Among asuras, there are blessed people. Among fortunate people in the human realm, there are asuras as well. They will constantly lose their temper and get into conflicts with others. If they create this kind of karma, it inflicts great damage to the human realm. Man-made calamities also originate from asuras.
Asuras have angry minds. They have much greed, anger and ignorance. Though blessed, their minds are still deluded by greed, anger and ignorance. So, when we cultivate blessings, we must also cultivate wisdom. We have to eliminate anger, greed and ignorance to truly practice precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. Only this truly brings merits and virtues. Therefore, “When we externally do flawed good deeds,” we “attain blessings”. “As we internally realize Buddha-nature and flawless wisdom, we attain virtues”. This comes from working on our minds. Internal cultivation brings merit, external practice brings virtue.
Only by simultaneously cultivating both will we have both merits and virtues. Thus we must internally realize Buddha-nature. As I have just shared with you, a person must have two healthy legs so “they can steadily practice the Great Dharma”. Through internal cultivation and external practice, we and external practice, we “return our minds to our nature of pure True Suchness”. This is the virtue of merits that comes from internally realizing our Buddha-nature.
If we only want to create virtue of blessings, we only have blessings, so we will attain blessed retributions, but will not eliminate afflictions from our minds.Then [these deeds] are flawed. But, if we can simultaneously cultivate “flawless wisdom, then our future will be [harmonious]”. So, engaging in inner cultivation and external practice cultivates blessings and wisdom. This is the adornment of blessings and virtues, the wisdom of the virtue of blessings. That is adornment.So, as we cultivate blessings, we must also cultivate wisdom “Merit” comes from working internally on our minds and working externally on our practice. This is inner cultivation and external practice. As we give unconditionally, we must also be grateful. This is how we cultivate wisdom and create blessings.
Indeed, we must be grateful to each other. Dear Bodhisattvas, in learning the Buddha’s Way, we must learn to attain purity in body and mind. We do this ourselves and direct others to, as well. For lifetime after lifetime, we must have unceasingly cultivated virtue of blessings. Then in all our subsequent lifetimes, or just this lifetime, our spiritual lives are still very rich and we can encounter virtuous friends.
If we encounter virtuous friends, we can accept their advice and guidance we can accept their advice and guidance.Then we can transcend obstacles. If we meet someone who wants to lead us astray, we must refuse and draw near the wisdom of our virtuous friends instead. This diligent spiritual practice yields the nourishment of blessings and wisdom.
Whether they did it themselves or directed others, they have all realized the path to Buddhahood: Cultivating the virtue of blessings in previous lives will yield abundant treasures in this life.We will encounter virtuous friends, transcend all obstacles and diligently engage in spiritual practice.This is the nourishment of the virtue of blessings.
If we can put our effort into doing it ourselves and directing others to do it, we will accept wholesome teachings and guidance form everyone around us. This is how we accumulate this nourishment. So, “They have all realized the path to Buddhahood”.
[Blessings] can even come from painting Buddhas, building temples and stupas and so on. Though these are blessings for the human realm, if we can slowly receive the guidance of virtuous friends and can take the Dharma to heart, we will put in the effort to diligently cultivate our minds.This is the “adornment of the virtue of blessings.” Therefore, I hope that in our daily living we will always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
