Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Transcend Defilements to Attain Magnificence (六度十力離垢莊嚴)
Date: February.19. 2015
“With a pure heart and mind, make the [Four] Great Vows. Resolve to follow the Path without regret. Practice the Six Paramitas to reach the other shore. Be free of defilements to reach the magnificent state of Bodhisattvas.”
We must always maintain a pure heart and mind. Only with a pure mind can we make great vows and sustain our initial aspirations of the [Four] Great Vows. We do not engage in spiritual practice for own sake, but for the sake of all sentient beings. When the world is peaceful, our daily lives will be peaceful. Thus, we absolutely must begin with ourselves by resolving to follow the Path. After we form aspirations and make vows, we must sustain our resolve. There must be no regrets in our minds at all. “Resolving to follow the Path without regret” is such a pure and admirable state of mind; every spiritual practitioner should be replete with it.
Therefore, the path we must follow, the methods we use, are the Six Paramitas. We practice giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom until we reach the other shore. This is the direction of our spiritual practice. We must resolve to follow the Path and never have any regrets. Thus we practice the Six Paramitas for the sake of the world. Not only can we transform ourselves, but we can also transform others, ferrying them from the shore of ordinary beings to the shore of sages, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas. We must travel back and forth between these two. Thus we can “be free of defilements to reach the magnificent state of Bodhisattvas.” With a pure heart and mind, at all times, we can leave our defilements behinds. We can maintain a pure mind and dedicate ourselves to helping others.
We practice the Six Paramitas for their sake and guide everyone so that they can avoid going down the wrong road and can keep moving forward. Naturally, in a state free of defilements, these contaminants will never disturb us again, nor lead sentient beings down the wrong road. When we listen to the teachings, we may feel like the road is very long and a lot of times still has to pass before we can attain Buddhahood. When Sariputra received the prediction of Buddhahood from the Buddha, though he was happy that he finally had faith that he would be able to attain Buddhahood, though he believed he would attain it, he still had a long way to go on this path. This will take a very long time and requires countless lifetimes of transforming sentient beings among the people.
Thus, he must be replete with the Six Paramitas in order to repeatedly return to this world. He repeatedly returns from the other shore. This is called returning on the ship of compassion. Returning on the ship of compassion means he goes to the other shore and then comes back. He comes back to engage in spiritual practice, transform people, form good affinities, do good deeds and benefit people. He transforms people and ferries them to the other shore. To reach the other shore, our ordinary minds must cross the 1000-foot swells of the river of afflictions. Our afflictions are like turbulent waves, so we need to have a guide who knows a way through the waters so that we can avoid these turbulent waves. Thus, we need someone who willingly aspires to subdue sentient beings’ afflictions to help us understand how to calm our minds and eliminate our ignorance.Then, our intrinsic nature can manifest, and we will also aspire to walk the Bodhisattva-path.This means we have reached the other shore.
So, lifetime after lifetime, as we repeatedly come to this world, we must practice the Six Paramitas.We repeatedly come back to turn the Dharma-wheel and transform the minds of sentient beings.
Once the wheels in their minds begin turning, they will reach the other shore.Because of this, people in society can transcend defilements.They can completely free ethemselves from afflictions and defilements, so that this world can be harmonious.A harmonious society is a comforting and blessed place.
This is the state of Bodhisattvas, a cvery magnificent state.
Everyone who does good deeds is a Bodhisattva.Thus everyone can “be free of defilements to reach the magnificent state of Bodhisattvas”.
For example, in Indonesia, during this year’s Buddha Bathing ceremony, there was a very unique scene right outside the Jing Si Hall.There was a group of people wearing white hats and blue uniforms.These 180 young people wove back and forth through the assembly.This group of 180 youths, dressed tidily, were responsible for guiding people to enter the Jing Si Hal in an orderly fashion.After guiding everyone to their place, it was the time for the bathing of the Buddha.
The youths stood there to direct them on how to stand properly, how to bow respectfully to the Buddha, how to receiver the flower, and so on.They were all from an Islamic bording school, so the students from this school are all Muslims.More than 10,000 of the students there have formed very good relationships with Tzu Chi.
Whenever Tzu Chi holds an event, they always come to volunteer.
Look at this magnificent state in the world!
These people follow different religions, but the love they share is the same.Interacting with each other out of love is also a way of tirning the Dharma-wheel.If people do not separate themselvesw from others, nor discrimiante based on religion, the magnificent state of Bodhisattvas will be in this world.t
The previous sutra passage states,.“At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke in verse.”This refers to the section before the Buddha bestowed a prediction fo Buddhahood on Sariputra.He fully explained the subtlety and wonder of the Bodhisattva-path through this world.
In order to transform sentient beings’.Small Vehicle Dharma-wheels into Great Vehcile Dharma-wheels, He spent a very long time teaching the Dharma to the Sangha.
During that time, Sariputra’s state fo midn wavered back and forth until he formed aspirations and made vows.The era and the land in which Sariputra will attain Buddhahood will be magnificent.
At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke in verse: Sariputra, in a future era, will become a Buddha, an honored one of universal wisdom, with the name Flower Light.He will transform countless beings.
This is a very important sutra passage.Because of this, it had to be repeated again so we will not forget.After we listen to it, we must go back to review the Dharma that was taught earlier.This is the way for us to take the Dharma to heart and to remember these teachings.
When Sariputrta becoems a Buddha in the future, He will be an honored one of universal wiasom, no long biased toward emptiness.He has already formed Great Vehicle aspirations to go among the people. Once will be a honored one of universal wisdom. His wisdom will be completely universal, which means He will thoroughly understand the true peinciples of all things in the universe. This enlightened one of great dignity will be called Flower Light Tathagata.
He will transform countless sentient beings and make offerings to countless Buddhas. this will take a very long time.
Having made offerings to countless Buddhas and perfected the Bodhisattva-practice, the Ten Powers and other merits and virtues, he will realize the unsurpassed way. After countless kalpas have passed, there will be a kalpa named Great Treasure Adornment and a world named Free of Defilements, pure and without flaws.”
This passage describes the future Buddha, Flower Light.After making offerings to countless Buddhas and transforming countless beings, Sariputra will have perfected the Bodhisattva-practice. Without perfecting the Bodhisattva-practice, how can he attain Buddhahood?
In the process of attaining Buddhahood, he has to taught and transformed by many Buddhas. I always tell everyone that we must go among the people, as they all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. When we are among the people, we must treat with gratitude and respect. Sentient beings can help each other succeed. Sentient beings can teach each other.
So, when we go among people we can “perfect the Bodhisattva-practice”. Furthermore, we can perfect “the Ten Powers and other merits and virtues”. The Ten Powers come from bringing various kinds of wisdom together. Only when we have these ten kinds of powers will it be possible to train sentient beings.
“Having perfected the practice of Bodhisattvas, one will always contemplate all things with the Then Powers ad profound discerning wisdom so everything will be clear, and one’s thorough understanding will be unhindered. This is the use of the ten kinds of powers of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.”
To “realize the unsurpassed way”, he has to perfect the Ten Powers, so that he ca go among people without being influenced by them. He can also ferry them from the shore of ordinary people and afflictions to the shore of forming Bodhisattva-aspirations. This requires the merits and virtues that come from perfecting the Ten Powers and realizing the unsurpassed way. “After countless kalpas have passed” means a long time still needs to pass. The name of that era will be “Great Treasure Adornment”. The name of that world will be “Free of Defilements”. This will be a world that has transcended defilements”. It is very pure, “pure ad without flaws”. This is in the sutra passage we are discussing today”.
“Having made offerings to countless Buddhas” requires us to perfect Bodhisattva-practices. To perfect Bodhisattva-practices, we must cultivate what Bodhisattvas must practice. What must Bodhisattvas practice? Do all of you know? The Six Paramitas, giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. Each Buddha must first perfect of the Six Paramitas. Other than the Six Paramitas, [we must also understad] the Four Noble Truths. We need to understand that suffering in life arises from “causation”. With suffering, causation, cessation and the Path, the Four Noble Truths, and the Six Paramitas, we also must understand how people come and go from life through the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence. We have discussed them before. How do people become humans? How do we come ad go from our lives? Why do we leave and come back in another life? Where do we go when our lives end? Then, we must always contemplate all things with the Ten Powers and profound discerning wisdom.
Then we can understand everything because the power of these ten kinds of wisdom are directed at understanding sentient beings’ various kinds of habitual tendencies. Bodhisattvas need to understand these tendencies and how to eliminate them. There are ten of these powers in total, which all require profound discerning wisdom. This wisdom is very subtle and wondrous. We must exercise our wisdom to observe the afflictions of various sentient beings in this world and know what methods to use to understand the afflictions they have accumulated and how to treat them with the Dharma.
Therefore, we must contemplate all things so everything will be clear. “Everything will be clear” means that when everything is clear to us, we understand everything, without obstacles. So, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have perfected the application of the Ten Powers. To cultivate the Bodhisattva-practice, we must go among people to train ourselves. We must understand their disposition before we are able to turn them back toward their intrinsic Buddha-nature. Ordinary beings must return to their pure Tathagatas-nature, and Tathagatas must perfect all these wholesome Bodhisattvas-practices.
Each Buddha must first cultivate the Bodhisattva-practice of doing wholesome deeds and forming blessed conditions. We must benefit this world and create good affinities with sentient beings.
I constantly tell everyone about the causes and conditions of Sakyamuni Buddha and Maitreya Bodhisattva. Maitreya Bodhisattva was very wise.
At one time, they engaged in spiritual practice together. How did the Buddha of that time decide the order in which they would attain Buddhahood? He entered up choosing Sakyamuni Bodhisattva first because He was replete with good affinities with sentient beings. So, he would attain Buddhahood before Maitreya. Though Maitreya had wisdom and understanding, he did not form enough karmic affinities. Because his affinities were insufficient, he will attain Buddhahood after Sakyamui. Therefore, I constantly tell everyone that we must treat everyone with gratitude respect and love. If we are always grateful, respectful ad loving, we will form good karmic affinities. Before attaining Buddhahood, we must first form good karmic affinities. Then we can be like [Sakyamui] and attain Buddhahood more quickly.
“The state of realizing the workings of things and their principles is indestructible and unsurpassable.
Thus, [having perfected] the Ten Powers and others merits and virtues, he will reqalize the unsurpassed way.
In summary, in order to attain Buddhahood, we must have perfected all wholesome Bodhisattva-practices and blessed conditions so we can realize the wisdom of ultimate reality and wondrous existence.
When we interact with others to do good deeds and form good affinities, we will gradually understand the way life is and the workings of sentient beings. At the same time, this is how we develop our wisdom so we can understand everything.
Because sentient beings’ appearances are connected to the Buddha’s True Appearance, once we realize one, we can understand the other. Sentient beings’ afflictions arise from “causation.” Understanding this, we know we have to go among people in order to walk the path to Buddhahood. Once we have this understanding, we will truly comprehend the workings of things and their principles. The workings of people and matters can be thoroughly understood with the principles of the state of Buddhas and Bodhisattva.
The working of things are learned from sentient beings, and principles are learned from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. These principles can then be applied to dealing with matters in the world. So, they are “indestructible.” If we can apply the True Dharma in this world, there is nothing that can destroy these truths.
This state is also unsurpassable. There is no other teaching that can surpass this true and wondrous Dharma. Because there are many deviant paths, we must apply the Right Dharma in this world. No deviant teaching can surpass the Buddha’s Right Dharma, thus, “The state of realizing the workings of things and their principles is indestructible and nothing can surpass it”.
Thus, “[having perfected] the Ten Powers and other merits and virtues, he realized the unsurpassed way.” “After countless kalpas have passed” means spiritual practices like this take countless kalpas, which is a very long time. “There will be a kalpas named Great Treasure Adornmant and a world named Free of Defilements, pure and without flaws. It is free of the transgressions of evil acts.
Being pure and without flaws means being free of the transgressions of evil acts, being free of the defilement of afflictions, and abiding in a clear, pure and firm Bodhisattva state of mind.
“Pure and without flaws” means we are free of the transgressions of evil acts. We will no longer make mistakes and will not deviate from our course, so we are free of the transgressions of evil acts. When we are free of the defilement of afflictions, all our afflictions will be eliminated and we can become pure and without flaws. Then naturally we can eliminate all hindrances. Thus, the name of this world will be Free of Defilements, which means it has no impurities. Free of the transgressions of evil acts, we will be free of afflictions and abide in a clear, pure and firm Bodhisattva state of mind.
So, with a pure heart, we can focus on our initial aspirations and make the Four Great Vows. We must strictly maintain our moral integrity and walk on this path without regrets. We must persevere in actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions and ferry sentient beings to the others shore. When we can free ourselves from defilements, we bring dignity to the Bodhisattva-path we walk. This is something everyone can do. It is not impossible, as long as we have the will. Therefore, everyone must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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