Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Diligently Transform All Beings with Compassion (恆慈度化 精勤度眾)
Date: January.26. 2015
“The Buddha taught the Dharma to humans and heavenly beings. Sramanas cultivate for their own awakening. The World-Honored One, forever kind, is teaching constantly. Bodhisattvas accept the teachings to transform sentient beings.”
I want to share this with everyone. The Buddha comes to the world to teach the Dharma to humans and heavenly beings. He does not just teach the Dharma to humans, but He also exercise His wisdom [to teach] the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. The teachings He gives are not only useful for humans, but for the eight classes of Dharma-protectors as well. So, when the Buddha teaches the Dharma, every word pervades the Three Realms. We often say that the Buddha realized the truths of the universe. In the universe, though we may not see them, in addition to humans, “there are always spiritual beings above us.” I often tell everyone, we must be self-disciplined and reverent. Our every thought is like a word spoken by our heart and body. If we are reverent in our prayers, wouldn’t we then be able to connect with heavenly beings and other people? This is called reverence.
A reverent thought can reach all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Dharma-protectors. So, our thoughts, the words of our heart, can pervade the Three Realms, as do the Buddha’s teachings. They reach all heavenly beings and humans. Not only do humans hear them, the Dharma-protectors can also hear them. This shows the [depths of] the Buddha’s reverence.
A reverent mind is like the mind we have when we pray sincerely. It is deeply genuine and true. The Buddha teaches the Dharma to humans and heavenly beings. What do humans do? “Sramanas cultivate for their own awakening.”
The monastics led by the Buddha are called “sramanas,” which can also refer to a group of bhiksus. To these groups of spiritual practitioners, the Buddha expounded the Dharma. However, from what these practitioners heard, they only understood the truths of impermanence, suffering, emptiness and no-self. After understanding these principles that the Buddha taught, they began seeking their own liberation.
“I will take care of myself. I won’t contrive karmic connections with people. I will focus on my own spiritual practice, and disregard worldly matters.” This is how “sramanas cultivate for their own awakening.” So, the Buddha had to exercise loving-kindness. “The World Honored One [is] forever kind.” Being “forever kind” means that He never abandons sentient beings. He is like all parents, who patiently wait for their children to someday set great goals, accomplish great things. This is all parents’ hope for their children.
The Buddha has similar hopes for His disciples. He hopes that all His disciples can understand His heart and mind and understand the Dharma that He taught. In addition to awakening themselves, they should also help others awaken. They must awaken themselves, awaken others and exhibit perfect awakened conduct.
The only thing on the Buddha’s mind is His great cause, to relieve the suffering of all sentient beings. Sentient beings do not only suffer from poverty and [physical] disasters. They [suffer most] from their impoverished hearts.
The Chinese characters for “poverty” and “greed” [look very similar].Sometimes, as we are typing into the computer, when we want to write “poverty,” “greed” appears, or we want to write “greed”, and “poverty” appears.This because these two words look very similar.They only difference is a tiny stroke.Being just a little off, “poverty” can become “greed” and a greedy person can become poor.“Poverty” and “greed” are often intertwined.
Then there is wealth.A wealthy person does not necessarily have spiritual wealth.They may appear to be wealthy, but their hearts are filled with greed.Because of their greed, they feel poor; they are never content with what they have.Because they are not content with their material goods, they always feel poor.They always feel that they are lacking, so they are not willing to share their tangible possessions with other people.
Because their minds are always in that intangilbe state of poverty, in a state of lacking, how can they have enough to help others?
This is a state of poverty.Poverty gives rise to greed; greed leads to poverty.This is very painful; it is truly suffering.
So, the Buddha came to the human realm to teach the wealthy to help the poor.For those without money.He helps them recognize their spiritual wealth and that they can also help people.
Although South Africa’s Zulu Bodhisattvas are lacking in material reasources, they are full of love, so they are spiritually wealthy.
They often travel across national boundaries to Mozambique and Swaziland.They go to those places to inspire the people to open their loving hearts and to guide them to care for their community. Caring for their community made them very happy, so they are happy and spiritually wealthy.
The first Tzu Chi seed in Zimbabwe is also very diligent.He turns the Dharma-wheel every day.During our morning recitation, where he is, he can watch Da Ai TV and follow along with the morning recitation.All alone, he chants and engages in walking meditation.He is very reverent.
Every day he pays respect to the Three Treasures and to me, as if I were there.He has my photo there and every day he shares the experiences of his [volunteer] work with me.Before going out, he also tells me, “Today, I am going here and there,. I will be doing this and that.”He shows me respect as if I were there.
This disciple of mine is very far away, on the other side of the Earth.All by himself, he has motivated people who live in poverty and hardship.
Now, in Zimbabwe, there are several thousand Tzu Chi volunteers.We have seen their volunteer training classes.They do not have a large [building] for this.The biggest space they have is out under the open sky and on the bare earth.That big piece of land is very uneven covered in sandy soil and small and big rocks.People simply sit on the ground.They do not have evenly laid out floorboards like ours.We also have kneeling cushions; they do not.The ground is their kneeling cushion.
The earth is their classroom.The sun shining bright is their brightest lamp.Everyone in these open-air classes is very mindful.As the lessons are written on the white board, they all face the lecturer, who teaches them Tzu Chi’s Ten Precepts.
Of course, this lecturer is Mr. Chu [the first seed].As Mr. Chu speaks, a local volunteer translates.Even under such difficult circumstances, the students take the Dharma to heart.
Think about this; in Africa they are now turning the Dharma-wheel.This Dharma-wheel began turning over 2000 years ago because Sakyamuni Buddha could not bear to abandon sentient beings.[That is] the Dharma He taught at that time.
So, we talk about how the Buddha is “forever kind”.His loving-kindness is everlasting.In the human realm, over 2000 years ago, the Buddha taught us to walk the Bodhisattva-path.He did this out of compassion, because “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering sentient beings”. The Buddha knew that in His future, which is our present day, life would be filled with suffering and both tangible and intangible impoverishment, because greed leads to poverty, which causes great suffering.
In the Buddha’s compassion, He “taught the rich to help the poor” and “helped the poor to realize their riches”. As people interact with each other, they can turn the Dharma-wheel to “teach constantly”. In the Buddha’s compassion, His one great cause in this world is to turn the wheel of His mind to [deliver the Dharma] into the minds of sentient beings. This is how “the World-Honored One, forever kind is teaching constantly. Bodhisattvas accept the teachings to transform sentient beings”. If we can all realize the Buddha-mind, we will respect our teacher as if He were here and we can take the Dharma deeply to heart.
Sakyamuni Buddha is our great guiding teacher. If we respect the Buddha, even if we are removed from Him by over 2000 years, we respect Him as if He were still here. So, we must reverently make an effort to accept the Buddha’s teachings and take on the responsibility for all sentient beings. Therefore, we “transform sentient beings.”
Bodhisattvas recruit more Living Bodhisattvas. They turn the afflictive habitual tendencies of people in this world back into something pure. With pure minds, people can accept the Buddha’s teachings. In this way, people can open up their minds and go into the world to transform sentient beings. This is very important, so we must be mindful. The previous sutra passage states,
“I am certain to become a Buddha, revered by heavenly beings and humans. I shall turn the unsurpassed Dharma-wheel to teach and transform Bodhisattvas.”
“I can become a Buddha. And when I become a Buddha, I will be revered by heavenly beings and humans. Then, I shall turn the Dharma-wheel, and I will teach and transform all Bodhisattvas”. Sariputra began to have this confidence in himself. He believed he would become a Buddha in the future and be able to transform sentient beings and teach them the Bodhisattva Way. So, with this,
“At that time, the Buddha told Sariputra, I, now, amidst the great assembly of heavenly beings, humans, sramanas, Brahmins and others, declare that in the distant past, I have been in the presence of two trillion Buddhas, and for the sake of the unsurpassed Path, have constantly taught and transformed you”.
This passage says “constantly taught and transformed you. I have constantly taught and transformed you”. This is Sakyamuni Buddha reminding Sariputra of this once again. At this time, the Buddha was talking to him among many people. Not only were there people, there were heavenly beings; the eight classes of Dharma-protectors and so on were all there. There were also sramanas and bhiksus, as well as the country’s elders, ministers, etc. In this assembly, they all listened to the Dharma.
At this point, the Buddha said this; He said it amidst the whole assembly. The Tathagata repeated again how, “in the past He gave provisional teachings”. In the past, He used skillful means. He taught with skillful means in order to adapt to sentient beings’ capacities. So, “In the past He gave provisional teachings and was now revealing true teachings”. This was the Buddha repeating Himself again.
In the past, He had taught with skillful means. Now, He was revealing true teachings; the Dharma-door of One Reality was now being taught. He had begun teaching everyone that they must carry out the work of Bodhisattvas.
“Here the Tathagata described how, in the past He gave provisional teachings and was now revealing true teachings, teaching the Bodhisattva-practice. Amidst the great assembly; The Buddha taught the heavenly beings, humans, sramanas, Brahmins and others in this great assembly. Clearly, he did not only teach this to a few.”
He was now about to teach everyone the principles of how to be a Bodhisattva. He was about to begin. So, among this assembly though the Buddha addressed Sariputra, He was actually telling this to everyone.
“In the past , I have been in the presence of two trillion Buddhas, and for the sake of the unsurpassed Path, have constantly taught and transformed you”.
“Two trillion Buddha” signifies a very long time, a great expanse of time.
How long? It stretches back further than the era of Never Slighting Bodhisattva, because in the Lotus Sutra, there is the Chapter on “Never Slighting Bodhisattva”. His spiritual practice took him through learning from two trillion Buddhas.
In fact, Never Slighting Bodhisattva is the present Buddha, Sakyamuni. This means Sakyamuni Buddha was in the presence of two trillion Buddhas, engaging in spiritual practice. As He engaged spiritual practice, He unceasingly remained among the people to teach them. See, Never Slighting Bodhisattva went among the people, and when people saw this spiritual practitioner being so humble, they bullied him, cursed at him, and beat him. Yet he always felt joyful and expressed his gratitude and respect forward everyone. As he prostrated to everyone, he also told them, “I dare not slight you because every one of you will be a Buddha in the future”. Never slighting Bodhisattva treated everyone as a future Buddha and continued to teach them. With this method of practice, after engaging in this spiritual cultivation, he became the present Buddha, Sakyamuni. So, Sakyamuni was once. Never slighting Bodhisattva. Of course, I will discuss this more later on in the Lotus Sutra in [the Chapter on Never Slighting Bodhisattva]. I will talk more about what he did in the lifetimes of those two trillion Buddhas.
Never Slighting [Bodhisattva], during the lifetimes of the two trillion. Awe-inspiring Voice King Buddhas and Supreme Penetration and Wisdom Buddha, was a prince. To seek the unsurpassed path, he diligently advanced in his practice. Then in this lifetime, I attained supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment. During that lengthy period of time, I also constantly taught you and the others.
Do we still remember the previous [passages]? When Sakyamuni Buddha entered Samadhi in the Introductory Chapter, He remained in that state for a very long time. So, Maitreya Bodhisattva questioned Manjusri Bodhisattva. “You must know the causes and conditions behind the Buddha acting so differently today, entering Samadhi and radiating light. What are the causes and conditions for this?” Manjusri Bodhisattva began his answer by describing Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas. Then there is Supreme Penetration and Wisdom Buddha, who had 16 sons. There 16 princes also left the lay life. After they renounced secular life, they constantly listened to this Buddha’s teachings.
After this Buddha finished teaching, He likewise entered Samadhi. While He was in Samadhi, these sixteen princes taught the Dharma to everyone. They formed karmic connections with sentient beings and turned the Dharma-wheel.
This created the causes and conditions for them to attain Buddhahood in the future, and also for the present Buddha, Sakyamuni, to attain enlightenment. Sakyamuni Buddha [engaged in spiritual practice] over countless, infinite kalpas, not just the time of two trillion Buddhas. This means that for such a long expanse time, He unceasingly engaged in spiritual practice for the sake of this world. The goal of spiritual practice is to attain Buddhahood.
The goal of attaining Buddhahood is to turn the Dharma-wheel and use the teachings contained. To completely transform the world so that everyone can experience the truths of all things in the universe. This must start in the human realm. Only by eliminating afflictions and can we understand our minds, realize our true nature and attain Buddhahood.
So, dear Bodhisattva, we must learn the Bodhisattva-path. We cannot be Bodhisattva in name only; we must become actual Bodhisattvas.
Starting now, we must go among the people. There is no one we will not transform, and no place we will not go. Only by forming this kind of aspiration will we truly be “forever kind”. To reach the Buddha’s state of forever teaching with loving-kindness and compassion, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path and not only seek to awaken ourselves. So, everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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