Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Respectfully Listen to the Teachings (恭敬聞法弘願顯理)
Date: November.21. 2014
“With great vows, we reveal truths and right teachings. With diligence and reverence, the treasure of Dharma brings Samadhi and wisdom. With the upholding of precepts, we safeguard our true nature and propagate the Path. With dignified demeanor, we transcend the ordinary as the treasure of Sangha.”
When we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must make great vows. After the Buddha-Dharma we learn is taken to heart, we must also put it into practice. We must manifest these truths. In the past we have often talked about “unconditioned Dharma.” Truths are intangible, so we must reveal them through tangible matters and appearances. Therefore, we must make great vows and form the aspiration to express the Buddha’s truly profound, mysterious principles through our behavior. We demonstrate the Right Dharma and teachings. This is our core duty as Buddhist practitioners. So, I hope everyone has this aspiration.
The chant that we recite before reading sutras, the Incense Chant, speaks of “utmost reverence”. Toward the sutra text, we must have an attitude of “utmost reverence”. Indeed, “the sutra is a path, this path is a road to walk on.” This conveys our reverence toward the sutras. We should feel the same reverence toward the road that we walk each day. In the sutras, we read about the states of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. This path and its principles are the road paved by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. We must walk it with great reverence and care so we do not damage this road.
In our daily living, we must be very cautious in working with people. This is another way of showing our reverence. This is also how we diligently advance. This is how the Dharma can exist in our actions; we are walking this road.
So, because we cherish this path, we must walk on it carefully. This is how we protect the Dharma. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have paved this path for us to walk on, so we must advance on it with reverence and great care. We must avoid damaging this path. By walking carefully, we avoid damaging this road. Thus, “With diligence and reverence, the treasure of Dharma brings Samadhi and wisdom.”
If we want to walk this path, we must act in accordance with the Dharma. Every step we take is precious, every sentence we hear is Dharma. The Dharma is in our hearts and in our actions as we walk the path to Buddhahood. Thus our minds will be in Samadhi and have wisdom. When our minds are focused on this path, we will be wise in dealing with people and matters. This is how precepts, Samadhi and wisdom can be a part of our daily living. This is how the Dharma is in our actions.
This requires upholding precepts. We cannot have Samadhi and wisdom without precepts. So, “with the upholding of precepts, we safeguard our true nature and propagate the Path.” We uphold precepts to safeguard our minds and our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. If we can safeguard our nature of True Suchness, we can avoid the influence of external defilements. By maintaining precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, we will not be affected by the constant troubles from people in the evil world of Five Turbidities. We will not be defiled by them. If we can maintain our nature of True Suchness, we have true mastery of the Buddha’s teachings.
Through our body, speech and mind, every move we make, our behavior and our attitude, we can demonstrate the Buddha’s Right Dharma. All of us have this responsibility. We must all shoulder the mission of spreading the Buddha-Dharma. Thus, “with the upholding of precepts, we safeguard our true nature and propagate the Path.”
Then we can demonstrate how, “with ordinary as the treasure of Sangha.”
Indeed, the wisdom in our nature is “no greater in Buddhas and no less in ordinary people.” Within our Buddha-nature, our nature of True Suchness, there is already pure wisdom.
Thus, we monastics must demonstrate this through our conduct. So, the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are made complete by who we are and by our missions. So, in everything we do, we must maintain a dignified demeanor. Since all sentient beings are equal, and since we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, why do we use different terms for the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha? If we can focus our minds with a single resolve and display a body and mind in harmony, we will transcend the worldly and be pure and undefiled. This is what we mean by dignified demeanor.
In the Sangha, we find that this truth, goodness and pure beauty is very tranquil and clear, as pure and free of defilements as crystal. Having this dignified demeanor is very important.
So, as we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must be immersed in the Dharma and constantly use it to dignify ourselves. In the Buddha’s lifetime, although everyone had always admired [Ananda], they also wondered why, among everyone in the Sangha, Ananda was someone whom everyone was happy to see. His dignified demeanor surpassed everyone else; he had a magnificent presence.
The Buddha had 32 Mark, The Buddha had 32 Marks and Ananda had 30, so when people saw him, they felt a sense of respect and affection. What causes and conditions led Ananda to be born in the royal family and to be related to the Buddha? The Buddha and Ananda were very far apart in age. They day the Buddha attained enlightenment, was the day Ananda was born. So, “Ananda” means “joy.” His birth and the Buddha’s enlightenment brought everyone happiness. When the Buddha returned to the palace to transform His relatives. Ananda was among those who followed the Buddha to become a monastic.
Exactly what blessings did Ananda create in his past lives? What led to his becoming the Buddha’s attendant in this lifetime? In addition, every word of the Buddha’s teachings entered his mind. Once he took them to heart, he never forgot them.
So, what blessed karma did Ananda create in his past lives? What were his causes and conditions? They were all discussing this. So, the Buddha began to tell this story. Countless kalpas ago, a Dharma Master and a novice monk engaged in spiritual practice. The Dharma Master deeply cared for the novice, but was also very strict with him; he constantly expounded the Dharma for him. Every day, this novice had to memorize and recite the teachings his master gave. However, the novice also had to go out each day and beg for alms door to door. The road between the deep mountains and the city was very long. If things went smoothly, he could come back early and would have time to recite his master’s teachings. If he came back late, the master would strictly discipline him. If he could recite the sutras well, his master would be very happy.
So, this novice was determined to be diligent. One day, it was already very late, but his alms bowl was still empty. So, this novice was very worried as he walked along the road. At this time, an elder saw him and asked, “Young novice, what are you so worried about? You look like you have a lot on your mind.” The young novice told the elder, “My master cares about me very much, but the training he gives me is very strict. Every day, I have to memorize the many teachings that he has given me. I have to be able to recite them. This takes time. But I also have to beg for alms every day. If things do not go smoothly. I cannot return home until it is very late. Today for example, when I go back. I will certainly be punished by my master.”
When the elder heard this, he smiled and respectfully said to the novice, “You face such difficulties! You are quite a rare person, so diligent for one so young. Come to my house every day at the same time and I will make offerings to you regularly. Then you can return to your master on time every day to diligently listen to and recite and Dharma”. The novice was very gland to hear this. From then on, every day he was able to return to his master on time to diligently listen to the Dharma. He worked hard to take it to heart so he was able to memorize and recite every sentience and every word without fail. In this way, he was able to smoothly engage in spiritual practice.
At this point, the Buddha said to everyone, “Do you know? That Dharma Master was Burning Lamp Buddha, the novice was me. And that elder was Ananda. Countless kalpas ago, when I first engaged in spiritual practice, Ananda supported me so I could focus on my spiritual practice without trouble and worries. Lifetime after lifetime, he has protected my spiritual aspirations so I could engage in spiritual practice. Similarly, in this lifetime he is by my side, taking care of my daily living. Because Ananda had been with the Buddha lifetime after lifetime, making offerings and supporting him, in this present lifetime, the Dharma was able to penetrate Ananda’s mind, and not a single word or sentence was lost. They all remained in his mind.
This is why today, we have sutras to recite and teachings to hear. So, we must be grateful to Ananda. This is the Buddha and Anada’s journey of spiritual cultivation. Each and every one of us has this mission.
“With great vows, we reveal truths and right teachings. With diligence and reverence, the treasure of Dharma brings Samadhi and wisdom. With upholding of precepts, we safeguard our true nature and propagate and Path. With dignified demeanor, we transcend the ordinary as the treasure of Sangha.”
So, we must resolve to engage in spiritual practice. As the previous section of the sutra states, “Sariputra, you should know”.
“Sariputra, you should know, I see Buddha-children resolutely seeking the path to Buddhahood, countless trillions of them”.
For the Buddha’s Sangha, Sariputra was their representative for requesting the Dharma. So, the Buddha said to Sariputra, “I see Buddha-children”. He saw all of them as children born of His speech. They took the Dharma He taught to heart and developed their wisdom-life. This made them Buddha-children. [They] “resolutely seek the path to Buddhahood”. Many of them had already made vows and begun to walk the path to Buddhahood. There were many like this. The next section of the sutra states,
“All of them, with hearts of reverence, come to the place of the Buddha. They have previously heard from all Buddhas the skillful teachings of the Dharma”.
Countless trillions of Buddha-children have aspired to seek the path to Buddhahood with utmost reverence. We should remember that many months ago, we discussed how, as the Buddha began to expound the Lotus Sutra, some could not accept it, and 5000 people had already left the assembly. Thus, of those remaining at the Lotus assembly, “all of them [had] hearts of reverence”. All of them there [listened with] hearts of reverence. “They come to the place of the Buddha”. There were some who had already left, but others still continued to arrive. More and more people came to the Lotus assembly to listen to the Dharma. With reverence, they went to where the Buddha was, to the Dharma-assembly on Vulture Peak, [the place] where He was teaching the Lotus Sutra. “The fourfold assembly surrounded the Buddha”. People continued to come before the Buddha.
“All of them, with hearts of reverence, came to the place of the Buddha: The fourfold assembly surrounded the Buddha. All of them, with heart of reverence, showed respect to the Buddha-Dharma by putting palms together reverently. Hoping to listen to the perfect teachings, they came to the place of the Buddha”.
While He was expounding the Dharma, many people reverently surrounded the Buddha. “All of them, with hearts of reverence showed respect to the Buddha-Dharma by putting palms together reverently.” As everyone listens to the Dharma, they show reverence through physical action by putting palms together respectfully.
We all know that Chi Hui in Jordon, when he turns on Da Ai TV every day and watches Life Wisdom or Wisdom at Dawn, will kneel with his palms together. [In this era], there is still a disciple who is so reverent, not to mention those during the Buddha’s time!
So, “[they] show respect to the Buddha-Dharma by putting palms together with reverence, hoping to listen perfect teachings.” What they wanted to hear was the Buddha freely carrying out His original intent, giving these “perfect teachings.” These teachings are not the Three Vehicles, but the One Vehicle of ultimate reality. They are “the perfect teachings. [They] come to the place of the Buddha.” All these people came to where the Buddha was at the Vulture Peak Assembly. “They have previously heard from all Buddhas the skillful teachings of the Dharma.” These people had all heard the Dharma from past Buddhas.
Even Sariputra, a leader of the Sangha, led everyone in saying to the Buddha, “We the bhiksus have, in the past, listened to the Dharma and accepted teachings from all Buddhas.”
Sariutra led everyone in saying this. In the past lives they heard Buddhas teach the Dharma. “The skillful teachings of the Dharma” must have been how past Buddhas taught as well. It should be the same with the present Buddha.
The World-Honored One, for more than 40 years, had given wondrous provisional teachings of the True Path. The Agama, Vaipulya, Prajna and so on, contain all the past teachings for training us. Thus it is said, “They have previously heard from all Buddhas the skillful teachings of the Dharma.”
Sakyamuni Buddha spent more than 40 years teachings wondrous provisional teachings of the True Path. Those are the Three Vehicle. Because sentient beings’ capabilities varied, the Buddha had to make references to past causes and conditions, for example, why people who saw Ananda felt happiness and respect. If He told them that they intrinsically had a nature of True Suchness, that they inherently had this dignified demeanor and crystal-pure nature of True Suchness, none of them would be able to comprehend it.
So, He had to tell a story from many kalpas ago about the novice, his master, and even Burning Light Buddha. These kinds of causes and conditions [were shared by all Buddhas]. This is what past Buddhas did and what the present Buddha is doing. Those were “wondrous provisional teachings. They were “of the True Path, still in line with True dharma.”
So the Buddha gave the Agama, Vaipulya, Prajna and Lotus teachings and at the very beginning, the Avatamsaka. These are the Five Periods of Teachings. So, He taught according to capabilities. Indeed, He had already given all these teachings. After all this time, now the moment was right; He had brought them to the right point. Whether those listening had great, average or limited capabilities, the time was right for all of them to come together on the True Path. That is the wondrous Dharma being taught now, the principes contained within the Lotus Sutra. Now, the time was right for Him to expound the true Dharma.
Everyone, we must be mindful in earning the Buddha’s Way. The sutra is a path, a road. This is what we must constantly put into practice. We must propagate and protect the Dharma so it can be passed on without end. This is our mission. Therefore, all of us must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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