Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Eliminate All Leaks, Attain Perfect Enlightenment (漏盡成正覺)
Date: January.08. 2015
“Having listened to the Buddha-Dharma for many decades, many times did Sariputra contemplate it and have doubts. Now he knew he had fully eliminated all Leaks, so he only hoped to attain perfect enlightenment in the future.”
We are listening to the Dharma, just like Sariputra. In his decades of following the Buddha, Sariputra constantly listened to the teachings. He was also foremost in wisdom among the Sangha. We have heard this often and know this well. We all look forward to being foremost in wisdom like Sariputra. However, though Sariputra himself heard and understood the Dharma taught by the Buddha and recognized it as being true, the True Dharma that he understood was only about awakening himself. He fully believed in transmigration in the Six Realms, so he was worried that the slightest bit of afflictions would arise and cause him to create [karma]. He was worried that, once afflictions arose, he would create [karma] and will easily fall [into the evil realms]. Therefore, he wanted to keep his mind pure and free of defilements. To safeguard the purity of his mind, he was unwilling to go among people and strive to create karmic connections. However, he still had attachments.
We previously talked about a story told by the Buddha. Countless kalpas ago, Sariputra was a venomous snake. One day, this snake bit a king, so the king was poisoned by its venom. Many doctors were summoned to treat the king, but they could only watch helplessly as his wound and his condition continued to worsen. Therefore they suggested catching this snake so that he could suck the venom back out.
Many people were mobilized to catch this snake. Once he was caught, the ministers gathered firewood and lit a fire. They hoped that the snake would suck out the venom he injected into the king. They told the snake, “If you do not suck the venom out of the king, we will throw you into the fire.” This snake was unyielding, “Since I injected the venom, I will never take it back. I would rather throw myself into the fire then to suck the venom I injected back out.” So, the snake quickly threw himself into the fire.
The Buddha told this short story to the king and his ministers. This kind of habitual tendency of being stubborn and unyielding had persisted in him from countless kalpas ago up until now. Despite having engaged in spiritual practice for many lifetimes, his tendency to be stubborn had not been changed.
From this passage in the sutra, we can understand that eliminating habitual tendencies is not very easy. So, Sariputra, “having heard the teachings for many decades” still remained stubborn. He clung to Small [Vehicle] teachings and principles biased toward emptiness.
He only hoped to awaked himself and purify his own mind and body.So, when he saw the Buddha praising the Bodhisattvas of the Great Vehicle Dharma, doubts arose in his mind once again.
“Many times did Sariputra contemplate it and have doubts.”He had pondered this many times.Day and night, he kept thinking about this.These were Sariputra’s habitual tendencies which still remained, his bias, his attachment, his stubbornness and his doubts.So, he contemplated it many times and often had doubts.
But at this moment, at the Vulture Peak Assembly, he had already made his resolve.He had strong faith and began opening up his heart and making his vows.He was going to walk the Bodhisattva-path and learn the Bodhisattva Way.
So, at this time, he began to think about himself.“Now he knew he had fully eliminated all Leaks.”He knew he had been cultivating precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.Sariputra was foremost in wisdom.Since he had been cultivating precepts and Samadhi, he had wisdom; this was for certain.
If he could uphold precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, eliminating his stubbornness and doubts would not be very difficult.
So, as we have often discussed, when we engage in spiritual practice, we worry most about being defiled by greed, anger, ignorance, as well as arrogance and doubts.When we hear this, we realize that in the Buddha’s Sangha, even Sariputra, the foremost in wisdom, still had retained his habitual tendencies.
Clearly, spiritual practice is not such a simple matter. Being able to completely purify one’s mind and go among people without being defiled by conflict is not very easy.
So, to walk the Bodhisattva-path, we must make great vows and have an open heart in order to go among people without allowing interpersonal conflicts or even rumors being spread to affect our minds.
We have just heard about how Sariputra clung so stubbornly to his attachments.So, we must always remained ourselves to be vigilant.Since we want to go among the people, our hearts must be [all-embracing].It is only when we interact with people that we can be mindful of every thought that arises.Despite having such great wisdom, Sariputra still gave rise to these thoughts.At this point, he said that he had put an end to his Leaks.He had completely “eliminated all Leaks” and had even let go of the old afflictions he clung to.
So, he had “eliminated all Leaks”.All his afflictions had been eliminated.He clung to only one thing, the hope of attaining perfect enlightenment.“He only hoped to attain perfect enlightenment in the future.”He had completely let go of all other afflictions and attachments, had completely eliminated them.
All he hoped for was to attain perfect enlightenment; this was his wholehearted resolve.
Sariputra had finally eliminated all afflictions and changed the habitual tendencies he had developed over countless kalpas until no one remained.Thus Sariputra was now ready to begin receiving.Buddha’s predictions of his attaining Buddhahood.
The previous section of the sutra states, “I often saw the World-Honored One praising all Bodhisattvas. And so it was, day and night, that I pondered such matters.” Sariputra often saw the Buddha praising the Bodhisattvas.Seeing this, his mind became conflicted.“Why can’t receive the Buddha’s praise? Why can’t I receive His recognition and prediction?”
Now he had realized that he had had too many habitual tendencies to shoulder this great responsibility.So, now Sariputra began to reflect on himself, and with thorough contemplating, he understood.Once he eliminated his afflictions and ignorance, he would be able to shoulder the Buddha’s missions.He would make great vows, go among the people and transform sentient beings, uphold the purity of his mind and fully take on the responsibility of passing on the Buddha-Dharma and transforming sentient beings. This was now Sariputra’s state of mind.
Next, the sutra states, “But now as I listen to the voice of the Buddha teaching according to circumstances, the Dharma is flawless and inconceivable, leading all to engage in spiritual practice.”
That tells us that the Buddha’s voice is soft and kind. Each word of Dharma is penetrating and clear and can enter people’s hearts. The Buddha may have taught the Dharma according to sentient beings’ capabilities, but He gave these teachings patiently and with mindfulness, patience and love. Though sentient beings varied greatly in their capabilities, the Buddha still gave them suitable teachings in accordance with their capacities and needs. “He gave suitable teachings according to capabilities”. He taught them according to their levels of understanding.
“But now as I listen to the voice of the Buddha teaching according to circumstances: The Buddha earnestly gave teachings. Though giving teachings according to capabilities and circumstances, He only used the Great Vehicle Dharma, which is flawless and inconceivable, to inspire and teach.”
Regardless of the Dharma the Buddha taught, He had only one wish. Regardless of what kind of Dharma it is, it contains the true principles of the One Vehicle. Regardless of how many methods He taught with, they are inseparable from the wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle. For instance, just explaining to everyone Sariputra’s state of mind alone took a very long time in order to help people understand why, if Sariputra was foremost in wisdom, he had not yet comprehended the ultimate reality within provisional teachings, the One Vehicle Dharma. That was because he still had not completely eliminated his habitual tendencies, so the Buddha could not open up His heart to directly teach the Great Vehicle He intended to.
Despite having such great wisdom, Sariputra was still just one of the myriad sentient beings with different capabilities.
Actually, the Buddha only taught sentient beings the flawless, inconceivable Great Vehicle Dharma, this One True Dharma, to guide and inspire them. This was the Buddha’s intent. But we sentient beings each have different capabilities. We have many strengths, but we also have some shortcomings that obstruct our path.
Every sentient being has these shortcomings, so the Buddha had to gently and patiently guide them. So, “the Dharma is flawless and inconceivable, leading all to engage in spiritual practice”. The Buddha hoped that everyone could mindfully accept [this Dharma] and that everyone could arrive at a place where they can practice True Dharma, where they can shoulder the Great Dharma, [reach enlightenment] and transform sentient beings. The Buddha hoped that all His disciples could shoulder the responsibility of the Great Dharma.
“The Dharma is flawless and inconceivable, leading all to engage in spiritual practice: After he complete eliminated afflictions and achieved the flawless and inconceivable Dharma, he comprehended the Buddha’s intent to enable sentient beings to uncover the Buddha’s understanding and views and attain perfect awakening at the place of enlightenment.”
So, he had “completely eliminated afflictions”. Just from reading what Sariputra expressed, we can understand that he had begun to eliminate his afflictions; they had been purified. We can also understand that Sariputra had taken the flawless and inconceivable Dharma into his heart. Though the text mentions Sariputra, if Sariputra understood, the other disciples should be able to understand as well. This is because Sariputra represents all the disciples at the assembly. So, after hearing Sariputra express the doubts and regrets in his heart, everyone else should have had the same feeling. If Sariputra could eliminate his afflictions, then everyone else should be able to do the same.
So, we know that Sariputra had now completely eliminated his afflictions and attained flawless and inconceivable Dharma; he had already attained this. He had also realized the Buddha’s intent. So, the Buddha began to express His intent, to share the subtle, wondrous Great Dharma, the True Dharma of the One Vehicle. Now, everyone was close to understanding the Buddha’s intent, which was to enable sentient beings to understand the Buddha’s understanding and views. This was the one great cause for which He came to the world; He hoped that everyone would be able to awaken their pure intrinsic nature.
So, the Buddha was only here go guide us, to wake us up. He hoped that we can have faith in ourselves. We must have faith in ourselves in order to accept His teachings, only then can we realize His intent. Therefore, the Buddha hoped sentient beings can realize understanding and views equal to His understanding and views contain all things in the universe; His mind can encompass the universe. If we all have the Buddha’s understanding and views, we can attain perfect awakening at the place of enlightenment. This was the Buddha’s vow, “leading all to engage in spiritual practice”. He hope all people could awaken to realize that they also have Buddha -nature. This was His greatest hope.
So, the Buddha gave teachings suitable for sentient beings’ capabilities. “He gave provisional teachings that contained wondrous principles.
The Buddha gave teachings according to capabilities and circumstances. He gave provisional teachings that contained wondrous principles but He only used the great Vehicle Dharma, which is flawless and inconceivable to lead people. He enable sentient beings to uncover the Buddha’s knowledge and views and attain perfect awaking at the place of enlightenment.
For over 40 years, although He only expounded skillful means, we should realize that each teachings contains subtle and wondrous Dharma. This also applies to all things in the world. When you see these weeds on the land and pull at the top of them, their roots may still be in the ground, connected to seed pods, which are connected to [other] roots connected to seed pods and so on. This weed is called nut grass. It is known for being very hard to eliminate them completely.
To our eyes, it is just a weed on the ground. That is commonly known as nut grass. It is difficult to eradicate, but it can actually be used to treat illnesses. This is the wonder of the natural world.
Crops and grains also arise from the land. Different vegetables contain different nutrients and many have a “hot” or a “cold” nature [according to Chinese medicine].
Think about all that exists in this world; isn’t everything wondrously profound? “He gave provisional teachings that contained wondrous principles. The wondrous principles within things are the flawless and inconceivable Great Vehicle Dharma that are revealed to all sentient beings. The Buddha wants to show everyone that all things contain true principles. With His wisdom, He taught sentient beings, hoping that everyone can understand the Buddha’s understanding and views and attain perfect awaking at the place of enlightenment.This is the only wish the Buddha had for sentient beings.
I think to myself now, how can I repay so many people? People have giving so much to Tzu Chi and to all sentient beings in this world. I only hope that everyone will listen to the Dharma more often and take more of it to heart. When everyone takes it to heart and puts it into practice, that makes me most happy. Everyone has this potential. Everyone can [awaken]. So, let us constantly listen to the Dharma and always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
