Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Listening to Teachings Eliminate Worries (聞法除憂惱)
Date: December.29. 2014
“The Buddha taught earnestly with loving-kindness as His disciples learned industriously. He began with the Four Noble Truths and ultimately taught the Four Great Vows.”
We know that, out of His compassion, the Buddha taught sincerely and skillfully and never gave up on any disciple. He hoped that every single disciple with the karmic conditions to encounter the Dharma could awaken through the Buddha’s teachings. This was the Buddha’s intent [in teaching]. But what about the people who were learning? As they were being taught by an enlightened one, shouldn’t the disciples be mindful, work hard, not waste time and focus on their practice?
The Buddha began by teaching with skillful means to pointedly tell us that life is “suffering” and suffering comes from “causation”. To end suffering, we must eliminate its causation, which is our various kinds of biases, various kinds of ignorance and various kinds of afflictions. We must, one by one, understand each of the sources of suffering, and that it is the accumulation of ignorance, afflictions and desires. After we understand, we have to be vigilant to focus our minds and work hard [to eliminate them].
The Buddha began by teaching about suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. Isn’t this the Small Vehicle Dharma? Actually, this is the origination of the Dharma and true principles. He wanted us to understand this starting point. Ultimately, He lead us to the Four Great Vows. The Four Great Vows are aspirations to walk the Bodhisattva-path. Those on the Bodhisattva-path cannot bear to see sentient beings suffer. There are countless sentient beings, and we vow to transform them all. We want to transform them, but they have so many afflictions.
So, we must also vow to set an example for them. However many afflictions appear, we need to face them with ease and not be troubled by the afflictions and interpersonal disputes that form. Our minds must not waver. This is part of our “vow to eliminate countless afflictions.”
We form great aspirations and make great vows to eliminate all kinds of afflictions. Because we want to learn the Buddha’s Way, we “vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors.” The Buddha-Dharma is boundless, so great, so broad and so profound! The principles are advanced, profound and broad. So, we must make the great vow to mindfully and carefully hear all of it. We must listen to, grasp and apply the Dharma. We “vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood,” because the path to Buddhahood helps us clearly understand everything in the world. All that we hear and perceive is part of the Dharma. If we fully comprehend the Four Great Vows, we will realize that they are the singular path back to our intrinsic Buddha-nature, the great, direct Bodhi-path.
So, the Path begins with the Four Noble Truths, and ultimately reaches the Four Great Vows. We must clearly understand this and be vary focused and mindful as we learn.
In the Buddhist sutras, there is also a passage like this. There was a very earnest bhiksu who recited the sutras day and night. In his room, there was a dog who stayed under his bed. Every day he heard the bhiksu reciting the sutras. The dog always listened very attentively. A few years passed and the dog passed away. After the dog passed away, he was reborn in the kingdom of Sravasti as the daughter of an elder.Ever since she was a young child, whenever she saw a bhiksu or a monastic, she would feel very happy.
Whenever she saw someone begging for alms, she always asked her mother to make an offering.
One day, when she was in her teens, she saw a bhiksu begging for alms, so she immediately ran inside the house and brought out a pot of rice.Her mother had already given some rice to him, but this young woman brought out another pot and followed the bhiksu all the way back to where he engaged in his spiritual practice.She offered this rice to the bhiksunis there and then asked the Buddha, the bhuksus and bhiksunis to allow her to become a monastic.
The Buddha was happy and the Sangha welcomed her.Thus she joined the community of bhiksunis.Every sutra she read felt very familiar to her.This tells us that learning the Buddha’s Way is possible for both the sentient and non-sentient.“His disciples learned industriously”; we should earnestly learn and study.We must mindfully learn the Buddha’s teachings.We must not treat the teachings from the Buddha’s first 40-plus years as limited teachings.
Are the Four Noble Truths, the earliest teachings, very limited teachings?Are they skillful means?Skillful means are wondrous, provisional teachings.Actually, these teachings and the ultimate Great Dharma, correspond to each other.From this, we can understand that all of the teachings of the Buddha are the One Dharma.Everything the Buddha said spoke to all three capabilities.The Great and Small Vehicle Dharma both include subtle and wondrous principles’.The provisional teachings do not deviate from the Great Dharma that leads to Buddhahood.The difference was in the listeners’ mindfulness.So, we all must mindfully realize the teachings of the Buddha.
In the previously sutra passage, Sariputra had quite clearly expressed how the Dharma he heard brought about great joy and how he completely eliminated the web of doubts.
So, this next passage states, “Since I received the Buddha’s teachings, I have never been deprived of the Great Vehicle. The Buddha’s voice is very extraordinary and can rid sentient beings of their afflictions. Having already put an end to my Leaks, hearing this, my worries are also dispelled.”
This describes Sarioputra’s state of mind again.He had received the Buddha’s teachings in the past.For over 40 years, the Buddha,to adapt to different capabilities had given provisional teachings, but Great Vehicle principles exist within them.Sariputra did not understand this before, so he could not help but feel sad.He was sad because he felt the Buddha focused His praises on Bodhisattvas and bestowed predictions of Buddhahood upon them.
Why was it that he still had not received the Buddha’s recognition and prediction?But at this time, “Now,” the time of the Lotus Dharma-assembly, he had achieved this realization.
For more than 40 years, thanks to the provisional teachings the Buddha gave in response to sentient beings, they were not actually deprived of the Great Vehicle.
In the past they felt sad that they were deprived of the Buddha’s understanding and views.Now they understood that they were never deprived of the Great Vehicle.
“I have never been deprived of the Great Vehicle”.The Great Vehicle Dharma He was now teaching was contained in those 40-plus years of teachings; everything He taught contained the Great Vehicle Dharma.It was Sariputra’s own fault he had not understood.
Now he understood this.So, Sariputra was filled with joy.
“The Buddha’s voice is very extraordinary.”Hearing the sound of the Buddha expounding the Dharma helps us thoroughly understand the true principles of all things in the world.
Because the Buda’s voice can reach everyone, it can eliminate the various afflictions of sentient beings.
The Buddha’s voice was subtle and marvelous and really drew people in.Hearing it brought them happiness.This was a virtue the Buddha cultivated.So, His voice was wondrous and extraordinary.
“The Buddha’s voice is extraordinary, surpassing all in the world. It is used to teach the subtle and wondrous Dharma. With Small Vehicle Dharma, He rid sentient beings of their worries. With Great Vehicle Dharma, He rid Arhats of their worries.
Those who [practiced] the Small Vehicle Dharma only sought gains for themselves. Those who focused on limited teachers, upon hearing the Buddha teach, could naturally eliminate afflictions and worries. Ordinary beings sought ordinary teachings and ordinary peace of mind. Small Vehicle practitioners sought Small Vehicle Dharma and temporary relief from their afflictions. They sought Small Vehicle fruits and only wanted to awaken themselves. This is known as the Small Vehicle Dharma, or worldly teachings. These are methods for temporary relief of suffering.
But the Buddha [believed] that even Small Vehicle practitioners could also accept the Great Vehicle Dharma. The Great Vehicle Dharma could now help Arhats get rid of their worries. Arhats were those like Sariputra. Though they had attained the ultimate fruit of eliminating afflictions, they had not yet formed great aspirations. They had not formed great aspirations, so they still had a lingering worry. “At this point [I wonder] when I will be like the Buddha and have His understanding and views so that I willingly form great aspirations and vows to go among the people?” they still had doubts. They did not have enough faith in themselves. By the time these Arhats had arrived at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, they had already eliminated their afflictions.
They had accomplished this with the Dharma they heard from the Buddha. They had eliminated afflictions, one by one, and now, at this assembly, they learned how to awaken their great aspirations. So, these Arhats had already completely eliminated their worries. Sariputra said again, “Having already put an end to my Leaks, hearing this, my worries are also dispelled”. All of his afflictions were completely eliminated. Now, as he listened, even his worries were gone.
“Having already put an end to my Leaks: He was already free of afflictions, but his worries from his attachment to the Dharma had now also been eliminated.”
Worries are a kind of anxiety. Sariputra was no longer anxious. Because he put an end to his Leaks and afflictions, attaining Buddhahood should not be difficult. The Buddha should make that prediction for him. When the Buddha bestowed these predictions at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, he felt that he should be one of the recipients. This was how Sariputra thought of himself.
In addition to him, since he was representative of the Sangha, everyone else there should have also completely eliminated their afflictions and should now certainly receive the Buddha’s prediction of Buddhahood at this assembly. So, Sariputra said, “Having already put an end to my Leaks…”. He was already completely free of afflictions. His worries from being attached to the Dharma had also been completely eliminated. Some people cling to the Dharma.
In the past, he had this attachment; he clung to the Dharma he practiced. This is known Dharma-attachment. Now he had completely eliminated his attachment to the Dharma and his attachment to self. The door to his mind opened up and all of his doubts, regrets, afflictions and worries were completely abandoned and eliminated.
“Having already put an end to my Leaks…”. This refers to how we ordinary people have Leaks. We keep letting things leak out. We hear the Dharma, then soon forget it. And even if we remember it, for many people, though they may hear the Dharma, their habitual tendencies continue to manifest in their living and actions. Leaks indicate the presence of habitual tendencies. Though we have heard many teachings, we are still attached to the self and to the Dharma. Attachment to self arises from habitual tendencies. Attachment to the Dharma means we persist in our thinking. Despite other people’s explanations, we only think we need to take care of ourselves. Though others tell us to form great aspirations and give to others, we may not feel we have that ability. There are many ways to be attached to the Dharma. All of our afflictions are known as Leaks.
“The eyes, ears and so on of ordinary beings, their Six Senses, allow [the Dharma] to leak out, so desire and greed become anger and ignorance. Thus afflictions are called Leaks.”
Leaks work through the Six Senses, the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind. In our extern conditions there is form, sound, smell, taste, touch and thought. These are the Six Senses and the Six Sense Objects that [converge] in our minds. So, our minds bring external phenomena together in our Six Consciousnesses. The Six Consciousnesses also contain interpersonal conflicts and complex emotions. These are all things introduced from the outside.
So, the Six Senses are the sources of Leaks. The Dharma leaks out, and sense objects become stuck in our minds. This is how the Six Senses allow the Dharma to leak out. The Dharma-water was intended to be used to wash away these defilements. But if we cannot retain this Dharma –water, the afflictions will be stuck in our minds. This is how the Dharma leaks out.
“So, desire and greed become anger and ignorance.” Desire and greed change and become an accumulation of anger and ignorance. Because of our cravings, we go astray, if we cannot get what we want, our desire will turn into anger. Anger causes us to lose our temper and become deluded and act in ignorance ways. We must mindfully consider how our poisonous thoughts can injure others. This is because we have not retained the Dharma. We have allowed it to leak out. Because we cannot retain it, it has leaked out. So, we say we have Leaks.
“Having reached the ultimate fruition of the Three Vehicles, we fully eliminate these afflictions with noble wisdom.
Though practice, we can end our Leaks. Ending Leaks means eliminating all afflictions so the Dharma remains in our minds. If we can clear out our afflictions, the Dharma can enter our minds. Once we put an end to these afflictions, we can directly and wholeheartedly achieve the ultimate fruit of the Three Vehicle.
The ultimate fruit of the Three Vehicle comes from fully understanding the Small, and Great Vehicle. That noble wisdom can be put to use so we can apply the Buddha’s understanding and views to our hearts and minds and eliminate all kinds of afflictions, one by one.
Consider the Da Ai Drama, “The Sky Ourside the Palms of the Hand.” It is about a woman who worried constantly. “Why did the fortune teller me….” Her mind would fluctuate and never be at ease. This is how ordinary people are. After she encountered the Buddha-Dharma, her mind naturally became more calm. An open heart and mind can change fate by giving rise to blessings.
With the Buddha-Dharma, ordinary people can change their lives and mindset and change evil into goodness. This is also true for already practicing the Three Vehicle, Hearers Arhats, Bodhisattvas. If people can understand the Three Vehicle Dharma and use it to change their mindset, they will have noble wisdom. Then they will be able to eliminate all kinds of afflictions. This is how to put an end to Leaks.
So, “listening to teachings eliminates worries.” If we listen to Dharma with a pure mind, we can take the Dharma to heart, and our wisdom-life will naturally grow.
Whatever matters we encounter, we can find a corresponding principle. If we clearly understand the principles, then these afflictions and ignorance will be transformed into Bodhi and become nourishment for our Bodhisattvas-practice. Then, how could there be any interpersonal conflicts? We must not allow these kinds of worldly sights and sounds to influence us negatively, so we avoid being depressed. If we cannot change our minds, we cannot transform our conditions. Our spiritual aspirations are like the sky, fundamentally clear and pure as crystal. So. What is there that can influence us? As we learn the Buddha’s Way, I hope everyone will always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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