Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Teach the Buddha-Dharma to Those Who Lack Blessings (貧無福慧佛法教富)
Date: October. 27. 2014
“The Buddha saw that cyclic existence in the Six Realms is suffering. Sentient beings create negative karma and do not cultivate goodness. Lacking wisdom, they seldom create blessings. Helping the poor and teaching the wealthy [leads them] to a safe place.”
This tells everyone that the Buddha saw how sentient beings in the cyclic existence of the Six Realms truly face unbearable suffering. Yesterday we said that the Buddha used Buddha-eyes to see that all sentient beings were “impoverished and lacking blessings and wisdom.” If someone has a flourishing career, with many assets, a high status and great fame, are they living a life of abundance? In the Buddha’s eyes, they still are not. Sentient beings in the Six Realms are still poor and lack many things. All they are doing is creating karma, without cultivating goodness. So, as stated in the Sutra of 42 Sections, people face the Twenty Difficulties. “It is difficult for the wealthy to learn the Path. It is difficult for the poor to give charitably.”
Rich people do not only find it difficult to learn the Path. If it is hard for them just to learn the Path, why would they be willing [to practice it by giving] away the things they had made such a great effort to attain instead of fully enjoying those things themselves? If they give too little, they lose face among their wealthy friends. However, they are unwilling to give too much. Do people like this lead an abundant life? Materially, they do, but spiritually they are still lacking. So, people like this do not cultivate goodness.
On the other hand, if someone really wants to give but they themselves are poor, what are they to do? So, “It is difficult for the poor to give charitably.” This is what the Buddha said in the Sutra of 42 Sections.
So, sentient beings in this world “create karma and do not cultivate goodness.” That is because “lacking wisdom, they seldom create blessings.” Wealthy people may not understand the idea of giving or the law of karma. They may lack the wisdom to understand this. Because they do not understand these principles, they will not create blessings or cherish all sentient beings on earth. The wealthy create even stronger karma. There was a woman who had a realization; she wanted to engage in spiritual practice and join Tzu Chi as a volunteer. But it was too late because she soon became ill. When she first fell ill, she spoke at length about her younger days. She had been very capable and made a lot of money early in her life. But she did this only for the sake of enjoying life’s pleasures, especially indulging in her cravings for tastes. She told of how, just to satisfy a craving, she consumed an incalculable number of lives, swallowing them and then digesting them in her stomach. As a result, she developed this kind of illness. No matter what kind of torment sentient beings have suffered, she had also experienced it.
So, “lacking wisdom, they seldom create blessings.” This probably describes many people. So, the Buddha comes to the world to “help the poor and teach the wealthy” so they can reach “a safe place”. He hopes to give all sentient beings, even poor people, a chance to encounter the Buddha-Dharma, put it into practice and give to others.
For the past few years, Tzu Chi’s seeds have been sown in impoverished countries around the world.Bodhisattvas are sowing seeds everywhere.
In South Africa, there are many poor people.We have a team of Bodhisattvas[-volunteers] there, guiding and teaching them.Over these past few decades, we have seen radiant dark-skinned volunteers become Bodhisattvas, one after another.These [new] Bodhisattvas further sowed seeds.Some people have expressly gone to South Africa to learn from them, such as Mr. Zhu from Zimbabwe.
In these past four of five years, he has been watching Da Ai TV so he has found Tzu Chi and listened to my talks.Since then, whenever he faced adversities, he solidified his spiritual aspirations and began to practice charitable giving.
He began by [addressing] the children’s lack of school supplies by giving them writing materials.Then he discovered that the children were all malnourished and that there were patches caused by ringworms on their heads.He could not bear this and began to care for them by helping to shave their heads and apply medicine.
Several thousand children benefited from his care.When the parents began to notice that this Chinese man from Taiwan was so loving, they were moved, and came to help.
Later on, he made a special trip to South Africa to learn from the volunteers there.He traveled over 1000km to meet with Michael Pan.When Mr. Pan saw the depth of his sincerity, he made a special trip to Zimbabwe to see the ways that Mr. Zhu had helped people there and to give advice and support.
He said he wanted to emulate the reverence of Jihui [a volunteer in Jordan,] and transform people locally.He also wanted to gain Michael Pan’s resolve.He hoped to combine the strengths of these two people in himself.So, he has been leading the efforts in Zimbabwe by himself.
At the Buddha Bathing Ceremony there, this year, there were over 45000 people in attendance.Looking at all the pictures he sent back, each one was very moving, especially as the things they used in Zimbabwe were all very crude and simple.Last year we built nine temporary classrooms there.Without them, children would be attending classes sitting on the dirt, under the blazing sun.Their green blackboards has turned so pale that the chalk marks could not be seen at all.Many dozens, close to 100 children, in each class sat in these conditions.A tiny blackboard was hung up high.
Did they tables? No.Did they have chairs? No.The ground was their table and chair.
Or else they used rocks.They were so poor and in spite of facing great adversity, they were eager to learn.They were so earnest our hearts went out to them.
So, on their behalf we asked children in Taiwan to donate stationery, pencils and paper.
We also prepared chalkboard paper for them.This allowed them to have a simple classroom with a black board that they could see clearly and plenty of paper and pencils.Their parents were very grateful for this abundance of supplies and the thoughtfulness behind the gift.
So, the number of volunteers there slowly grew.Look at how many of them came back last year.When they watched our performance of “From Vow to Action,” I told Mr. Zhu, in particular, “Go back, and see if your volunteers can [put together a performance]”.
Upon hearing this, he paused for a while, then very eagerly he said, “I will.”
So, in this most impoverished place with just one single [certified] volunteer, they have manifested a [Dharma-] ship and performed “From Vow to Action.”Right away, we saw them form a ship, in a sharp contrast of colors.
They are wearing white clothes, which, when they extend their hands and reveal their faces, showed off their black skin. This contrast looks very nice. But what moved me was that their steps were in such unison. What moved me even more was their recitation of “tranquil and clear with vows as vast as the universe, they remain unwavering”. They sang so very clearly and in such unison you could not tell that they [were not Chinese], that they were African. They spoke the words along with the melody, and in unison, engaged in walking meditation. They also held the simplest Buddha Bathing Ceremony. They used the reusable bowls we sent them as the basin for bathing the Buddha’s feet by filling them with water; After bowing to the Buddha’s feet, they dabbed their fingers with that water. They used wild grasses and flowers [in the ceremony]. They picked them and arranged them. Their sense of reverence expressed great dignity.
Afterwards, they began dedicating merits. They did not ask the attendees to kneel, but when the music for dedicating merits signaled the beginning of their prayers, everyone spontaneously knelt down. The sight of over 4500 people with their palms reverently pressed together filled me with great joy.
Everyone, this is the way of “helping the poor [to lead them] to a safe place”. That place had poor public order and was very poor. There were many kinds of suffering there. All it needed [to begin to change] was one seed. “Once can give rise to intinitiy”. So, I cannot help but feel grateful for the Living Bodhisattvasa in the world who help to relieve the suffering of sentient beings. This is what the Buddha taught us.
With Buddha-eyes, the Buddha contemplated sentient beings’ suffering in the Six Realms. Sentient beings are poor and lack blessings and wisdom, so we gradually inspire people to be volunteers. “Having no money is not a problem, be revere it. Being poor doesn’t matter. With your efforts, we can help even more people”. Those who do not have money give the strength, but they also put into practice the spirit of the Bamboo Banks. “This really is helping the poor to realize their riches. There are many such moving [stories].
Yesterday we discuss now the Buddha said, “Sariputra, you should know I use Buddha-eyes. Yesterday we talked about how the Buddha is endowed with five kinds of eyes. The Buddha-eyes of the Buddha encompassed the physical eyes of ordinary people, the heavenly eyes of hearing beings, the wisdom-eyes of Hearers and the Dharma-eyes of Bodhisattvas. These are all [aspects] of Buddha-eyes. He came to teach Bodhisattvas and guide Hearers and heavenly beings. This all begins with His Buddha-eyes.
He used skillful means to teach the Dharma [so the teachings] would abide in people’s minds. So, with His Buddha-eyes He observed “that living beings in the Six Realms are impoverished and lacking blessings and wisdom. They enter the treacherous path of cyclic existence, where they suffer unremittingly”.
Sentient beings in the Six Realms are impoverished and lacking blessings and wisdom. They indicate the presence of the Five Turbidities. We always talk about the evil world of the Five Turbidities. Sentient beings create much karma that leads to “turbidity of sentient beings”.
“[He saw] the sentient beings in the Six Realms: He clearly saw the Five Turbidities. Poverty comes from lack of blessings. Ignorance comes from lack of wisdom. When ignorant and poor sentient beings are gathered in one place, there is turbidity.”
Poverty results from lack of blessings, from lack of love and lack of material resources. Poor people lack the resources to benefit others. Many rich people lack the love to give to others. These are all forms of poverty. “Poverty comes from lack of blessings, from not benefiting others. Ignorance comes from lack of wisdom”. Everything began with an ignorant thought, which leads to greed and desires.
Anger comes from constantly fighting over things. When we cannot get what we want, our afflictions will be bottomless. All this is due to ignorance. Because they are ignorant, they lack wisdom. Thus they “lack blessings and wisdom”. Because they are missing love in their hearts, they lack blessings and wisdom when ignorant and impoverished sentient beings come together, this results in turbidity. The more we fight over things, the more we disregards the suffering of sentient beings. In this way, our ignorance multiplies continuously and produces more turbidity. So, we “enter the treacherous path of cyclic existence”.
“The treacherous path of cyclic existence: In the Six Realms, all sentient beings are led by delusions and karma to cycle through birth and death. This cycle of birth and death is like a whirling fire and is the treacherous path of cyclic existence. By contemplating the Three Periods, we know one born in the human or heaven realm can die and fall into the evil realms. Isn’t this a treacherous path?”
“Entering the treacherous path of cyclic existence.” In the Six Realms, heavenly beings and all sentient beings are led by ignorance and karma. Heavenly beings are born in the heaven realm, die, and sometimes fall into the evil realms. Extremely good people are born in heaven. Because their good [karma] was strong, they reap their blessings first, but there are still negative causes and conditions with them. Once their blessings are depleted, they face negative retributions. They may instantly fall into one of the evil realms. There is much ignorance in all of us. Normally people cannot see whether their minds are full of unwholesome thoughts and afflictions. This is their delusion. The karma of delusion leads to birth and death, death and birth. In this way, we go through birth, death and rebirth. We go through birth, aging illness and death. After we die, “we cannot take anything with us except karma,” which follows us into our next life. Where will we be reborn? That is unknown. Creating blessings leads to rebirth in the heaven and human realms and doing evil leads to rebirth in the Three Evil Realms.
In this way, we go through birth and death and rebirth. They cycle of birth and death is like a turning wheel. We are turning within a wheel of fire; thus it is a treacherous path.
With His Buddha-eyes, the Buddha can contemplate the Three Periods. Whatever we did in our past lives will lead to certain retributions in this life. Blessed people are reborn in the heaven and human realms. But, when those [blessings] are depleted, they still fall into the evil realms. Think about it, isn’t this a treacherous path?
Whether we cultivate blessings or fall into evil realm, we continuously undergo cyclic existence. Thus we “suffer unremittingly.”
[It is] where they suffer unremittingly: The sufferings of sentient beings’ bodies and minds arise from hunger and illness, wind and rain, cold and heat, whippings, hard labor, and other conditions of suffering. Because there all kinds of sufferings, it is said that suffering is unremitting. The endless cycle of birth and death is like a whirling wheel of fire.
The sufferings of sentient beings’ bodies and minds arise from hunger and illness. We should know this; we can see it, some people are truly impoverished. They do not have enough food to eat, nor warm clothes to wear. They live in places that are rundown and subject to cold winds and so on. These sentient beings face hunger, illness, wind and rain, cold and heat. Some sentient beings are even born as livestock. Not only do they work hard, they are even whipped. This is all suffering. These conditions create various create various kinds of suffering. Not only so they suffer, they continue to create suffering, so their suffering is unremitting.
Thus, “the endless cycle of birth and death is like a whirling wheel of fire.” Truly, this is unbearable suffering. This is because we create and not enough blessings. If we do not create blessings or virtues, we will end up in the cycle of birth and death and transmigrate. We can actually create benefits in this world.
As long as we accept the Buddha-Dharma and understand the karmic law of cause and effect, we can help the poor and teach the rich. Thus we can bring physical and mental peace, unlock their wisdom and being benefit to all. This is done with the Buddha-Dharma. As long as we can take it in, we can naturally act on it. This is how we take the Dharma to heart and manifest it in our actions. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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