Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Magnificence of Great Treasures (大寶莊嚴)
Date: February.09. 2015
“All karma we create becomes causes and seeds. Good or bad, they are planted in our consciousness. Throughout kalpas, these seeds never decay, so we will follow our karma. The karmic law of cause and effect is true, not false.”
Over the last few days I have shared this with you. All the good and bad karma we create is stored in our storehouse consciousness. If we do good deeds, we create positive causes. If we do evil deeds, we create negative causes. Whether we do good or evil, all the karma we create becomes seeds. Normally, when we are with other people and see them do things that make us happy, we will joyfully praise them. We will even take joy in their work. The opposite of this is, when we see others doing good deeds, we are unhappy with them. Not only are we unhappy, we may slander them and spread malicious rumors. This creates bad karma. Each evil deed will produce a negative cause, which also becomes a seed. In this way, over our entire lifetime, we do not know how many times we have rejoiced in the good deeds of those we have an affinity with. We also do not know, over our entire lifetime, how many times we have met people we have no affinity with, and no matter what they do, we are unhappy with them and are even jealous of them and slander them. So, we may create good or bad karma. This is because we are ordinary people.
Ordinary people live in a place where the Five Destinies coexist. In a world filled with such a chaotic mix, no matter how much good or bad karma we create, “Good or bad, [seeds] are planted in our consciousness.” Whether these are good or bad seeds, they are stored in our eighth consciousness. “Throughout kalpas, these seeds never decay, so we will follow our karma.” When we create a seed in this lifetime, it may not necessarily run its full course in the next life. Our good and bad karma will cause our next life to be complicated, leading us to create even more complicated karma. Therefore, we continue to store up more karma. If we cannot exhaust our retributions in our next life, they will be carried over to the life after that. Whether we end up as a human, an ox or a horse, that is the result of the karma we have created. All the good and evil we do leads us somewhere in the Five Destinies. Whatever karma we create is stored [in our consciousness].
Based on this principle, throughout kalpas, the seeds never decay. With these good and evil causes and effects, no matter how many lifetimes we go through, we still follow the karma that we have created. The only exception is if we have the good karmic conditions to encounter wholesome and awakened people who have a karmic affinity with us. When they share the Dharma, we will feel happy. We will accept it and change our ways. We will correct all the various mistakes we have made in the past. Making changes is very hard; we must be determined. Since we want to change, we must do it now, not say, “Let me take my time.” If we take our time, we continue to act out of our habitual tendencies and will quickly forget the wholesome teachings. We will still be dragged by our karmic conditions and be drawn deeper into this trap, step by step.
Look at Sariputra, though he engaged in spiritual practice, when faced with just one instance of adversity, his great aspirations and vows immediately vanished. Nonetheless, he had one advantage, which was that in lifetime after lifetime, he continually sought to awaken himself. So, he kept his mind pure and undefiled, without any negative affinities that could pull him away [from his spiritual cultivation]. Thus, he was able to follow Sakyamuni Buddha in spiritual practice life after life. But as for forming great aspirations and vows, because of that one time, he remained stubborn and still clung to [the Small Vehicle].
So even after he came to Sakyamuni Buddha’s place of practice, for more than 40 years he remained unyielding.Finally, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, he finally opened up his mind and formed aspirations and made vows.This is really not an easy matter.
Sariputra already had the karmic affinity to follow Sakyamuni Buddha and engage in spiritual practice for many lifetimes.As for ordinary people like us, who knows how long we have been separated from Sakyamuni?In the past, did we have the karmic conditions to create good affinities with Him?If so, our connection must have been very weak, as we have continued to transmigrate in the Six Realms.Living among the multitude of sentient beings, we still have an unawakened mind that fluctuates; it goes up and down and is not fixed.This is the mind of ordinary people.
We just cannot take care of our mind.We must believe that “through kalpas these seeds never decay”.Through cause and effect we follow our karma.However we create karma, these causes will result in their effects, so we always follow the karma we create.Thus, these seeds will never decay; “The karmic law of cause and effect is true, not false.”
These causes and effects will always exist.So, we must thoroughly cleanse our storehouse consciousness and quickly clear out our bad karma.How do we eliminate [bad karma]?
We eliminate karma whenever conditions appear.When we are among people, we must know how to see into [the truth of] life.
This is the way the world is; when things do not go the way we want, if we compare ourselves to other people, then we will realize how blessed we are.
Although we have afflictions, we already understand that we have created them ourselves.We created the causes of afflictions, resulting in the effect of being afflicted.Now that we understand this, we can willingly accept [the results of] the unwholesome causes and conditions we created in the past.This is because while among sentient beings, we can see this happen.So, we can eliminate our own karmic obstructions and create blessings [by helping] others.Thus, we can safeguard our minds and not be affected by sentient beings.
Sometimes, even when we are suffering greatly, we can still help others.In this big organization of Tzu Chi, don’t we often hear about this and see it happening?Tzu Chi volunteer are Living Bodhisattvas who engage in spiritual practice among people.
Some of them live a tough life themselves, but they still do their best to help others.Although their lives are hard, they feel very content and grateful.Doesn’t this make them Living Bodhisattvas?Aren’t they eliminating karmic obstructions?
This is something we must be very careful of; we must take good care of our minds, because the law of karma is always truly in effect.Only we can increase our own [good] karma; only we can weaken and eliminate our karma.Eliminating bad karma and increasing our wisdom all depends on us.
The previous sutra passage states, “Sariputra, when you manifest as a Buddha, although it will not be in an evil world, because of your original vows, you will teach the Three Vehicles”.
When this Buddha appears in the world it will not be in an evil world.In that land, everyone will be practicing the Bodhisattva-path.“Because of your original vows” means that that [future] Buddha is now Saripurtra, who was starting to follow his original vows and walk the Bodhisattva-path; starting now, he will practice the Bodhisattva-path.The first time he made these vows was not in this lifetime.Countless lifetimes ago, he had already formed this aspiration.But because of one single event, his aspirations vanished.Now he was restoring that initial aspiration.
“Because of [his] original vows” means he wanted to restore the vows he made.This was why he aspired to carry out, the teaching of the Three Vehicles.
Because sentient beings’ capacities varied greatly, to teach all sentient beings to attain Buddhahood, he has to make use of the Three Vehicles to guide every sentient beings to form great aspirations, make great vows and walk the Bodhisattva-path.
The next sutra passage states that this Flower Light Tathagata will appear in such a magnificent land.How long will this period of time be?It will be a great kalpa.
That kalpa is named Great Treasure Adornment.Why will it be named Great Treasure Adornment?Because in that land, Bodhisattvas are considered great treasures.
This starts with that country. Whether [we calculate] the time from the lifespan of a Buddha or a human, that kalpa is named Great Treasure Adornment. Right now, in our Saha World, how many countries are there? Different countries have different names. In that country, in that time and that place, that era will have the same name as the country, that is its kalpa, its era. In our Saha World, for example, what is the average lifespan?
Nowadays, very few people live past 100 years. The average lifespan is around 70 years. A few days ago, I saw a news report about an old man in Bolivia who is 123 years old. He lives by himself on a remote hillside. Though he [is old], he still moved around easily, walking even faster than his interviewers. His posture was very straight. His speech was clear, his actions were energetic. He was still very nimble. See, there are still people in this world who live for more than 100 years.
When I was in Taipei the last time, I saw an 102-year-old elderly Bodhisattva. He did not need any assistance to walk up stairs, nor does he need any help going down the stairs. When he visited me, he stood up very straight. He was not hunched over and did not look worn out. He is not only long-lived, but also healthy. In this world, some people have long lifespans, while others may have very short ones. This averages out to about 70 years.
In summary, from the Buddha’s lifetime until now, if the average lifespan decreased by 1 year, after every 100 years, it would have decreased by over 20 years. If we use modern science to calculate the average lifespan, the number is quite close. So in the end, just how long can people live in this world? The name of that county, that kalpa, is Great Treasure Adornment. That era has a name, much like how we have a name for the current era we live in.
“Why will it be named Great Treasure Adornment? Because in that country, Bodhisattvas are considered great treasures in that era, that country will consider Bodhisattvas to be great treasures”. This is because in that country, there are many Bodhisattvas. Let us understand the word “kalpa”. Kalpa is a unit of time. Kalpa is a Sanskrit word. It means a very long period of time. It means a very long period of time. This very long period of time is very difficult to calculate.
We are living on Earth. The Earth is in a solar system. This solar system contains planets. These eight planets orbit the Sun as they rotate around their axis. This is how they move. For Mercury to orbit the Sun, we calculate that it takes about 88 Earth days. For Venus, it takes 225 Earth days to complete one orbit of the Sun. What about Earth? For the Earth to orbit the Sun, it takes 365 days. As for Mars, since it is relatively far from the sun, when it revolves, it takes 687 Earth days to orbit the Sun. For Saturn, it takes even longer. It takes 10760 Earth days. Then there is also Uranus, which takes 30799 days to orbit the Sun. [30799 Earth days] is equal to about 84 years on Earth. There is still Neptune. The time it takes to orbit the Sun is quite long! It takes 165 Earth years.
In summary, “time” is very difficult to calculate. Units of time [are relative], so they are difficult to define. A kalpa is a long period of time, and there are even longer periods of time. What we are discussing now is only one solar system that occupies a small part of the universe. Therefore, we cannot definitively say that this is how long one day is.
So, we use sayings like as long as the earth and the heavens exist” or [concepts] like kalpa. A kalpa is a way to distinguish a period of time. How can we distinguish these period? Buddhist sutras tell us how. This is a difficult number to calculate.
When the average human lifespan is 84,000 years, with the passage of every 100 years, it grow shorter by one year. This decrease continues until the average human lifespan is ten years. Then with the passage of every 100 years, the average increases by on year. This increase continues until the average is 84,000 years. The time it takes for this decrease and increase is called one small kalpa. 20 of these increase and decrease is one medium kalpa. The time it takes for a world to form, exist, decay and disappear, this long period of time, is one great kalpa.
According to the Buddhist sutras, when the average human lifespan is 84,000 years with the passage of every 100 years, the average human lifespan is ten years. Think about it, how long would this take? It is very hard to calculate.
Our world is increasingly turning into the evil world of Five Turbidities, with many natural and manmade disasters. During natural disasters, the Earth is damaged and people are hurt or killed. Manmade disasters also constantly occur, so life becomes increasingly unpredictable.
Thus, although the world population is large, both manmade calamities and natural disasters have caused many injuries and deaths. Thus, as time passes in this evil world of Five Turbidities, people’s lives will be [shortened]. Then, when the average human lifespan is ten, people will awaken and reflect in themselves, so their lifespan will gradually increase again.
It will increase by year every 100 years, until the average human lifespan reaches 84,000. The time it takes for this decrease and increase is called one small kalpa. One decreasing kalpa and one decreasing kalpa form one small kalpa.20 small kapla comprise one medium kalpa. Four medium kalpas become one great kalpa. One great kalpa is truly a very long time.
In summary, 80 small kalpas comprise one great kalpa. This very long period of time is a “kalpa”. All this time is still just one great kalpa. So, this means that in the world of Flower Light Tathagata, His time there will be very long, and the human lifespan will also be very long.
“Why will it be named Great Treasure Adornmant? Because in that country, Bodhisattvas are considered great treasures.”
This is because in that country, the true and wondrous Dharma of the Great Vehicle is used to adorn the Bodhisattva training ground. Everyone practices the True Vehicle, the wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle. Everyone walks the Bodhisattva-path.
Thus, in this reward-land, everyone is Bodhisattva. Yesterday, we mentioned circumstantial retribution and direct retribution. No matter what we do, the things we are doing now [determine] what kind of country we will be born in next life. If we now feel that in the era of Flower Light Tathagata, in that country, that place, the world will be very prosperous and people there will be a long lifespan, then we must immediately begin to create blessed karmic affinities. We must take good care of our mind and not allow it to be polluted. Then we will not have to come back to this defiled and turbid world. Even if we do come to this turbid world, we still must form great aspirations and vows and vows to practice giving among the people while training our minds to not become polluted by all of these turbidities. We must train ourselves to do this.
“All karma we create becomes causes and seeds. Good or bad, they are planted in our consciousness. Throughout kalpas, these seeds never decay, so we will follow our karma.” Since they will last a very long time, we must be careful with the karma we create. We must believe in the law of karma; the causes we create will determine the fruits we reap and the kind of place we are born into. All of this depends on us. We face the consequence of our own actions.
Good deeds bring good retributions and blessed [rewards]. In summary, all our causes and conditions originate with us. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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