Light Enlightenment

Chapter Nine

 

Sutra:

The many does not have the nature of one,
the one is also without the many.
To cast both aside completely,
is to universally enter the Buddha’s merit and virtue.

Commentary:

The many does not have the nature of one, the one is also without the many. To explain this verse you have to start at the beginning, but there is no beginning. And you can’t go to the end because there isn’t an end. There’s no beginning or end, no one or many, no big or small, and no inside or outside. What is meant by no beginning? It means that there is no start. This is the initial point of the first line of the three solid lines of the Trigram. That initial point of that first line actually isn’t a point; it’s a zero.

The initial point of all three lines of the Trigram Chien are really zero. The zero doesn’t have a beginning or an end, or an inside or outside. It’s not big or small. The zero is so big that it is like the Dharma Realm and so small that it is like a mote of dust bordering on emptiness. It’s so big that there’s nothing outside of it; there’s nothing bigger than it. And it’s so small that there’s nothing smaller than it. At this point it still hasn’t become one. It’s still a zero--a circle. From the point of view of a circle, there isn’t one and there isn’t many. The many isn’t many and the one isn’t one.

You say it’s one but it’s not one, and you try to say that it’s many, but it’s not many either. The one doesn’t become one and the many doesn’t become many. Both aspects are included within it. This state is True Emptiness. But the True Emptiness also has Wonderful Existence. True Emptiness isn’t empty, therefore it has Wonderful Existence. Wonderful Existence isn’t existent. When you’re right within it you can’t see anything, but although you can’t see anything, you can’t say that there’s nothing there. Within is Wonderful Existence.

What is it that we cultivate when we cultivate the Way? It’s just what we’ve been talking about here. This is called the endless circle or the symbol of yin and yang. The Taoists call it endless because the circle doesn’t have an end. In Buddhism it’s called the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom. It’s the original face, the original self-nature, which extends throughout all of empty space and the Dharma Realm. It’s also called the Great Bright Light Treasury. If you can cultivate within the circle until you reach accomplishment, then it changes into the Great Bright Light Treasury. But we break through it--the circle, the Great Bright Light Treasury--and give rise to ignorance and the three subtle marks. What are the three subtle marks?

1. the mark of karma
2. the mark of turning
3. the mark of manifesting

We break through the circle and it becomes one. the zero itself doesn’t have a one or many. We say that it’s many, but it’s not many. We way that it’s one, but it’s not one. If a one is added to the zero then it becomes 10. And if another zero is added it becomes 100, and another zero added makes it 1000, and another makes it 10,000, and another makes it 100,000, and another makes it 1,000,000, and so on. If you want to make a big number then just keep adding zeros until you fill up the entirety of empty space and the Dharma Realm. But even if you do that, you can still add another zero. There’s no end. The beginningless is before the zero becomes one. Once the zero becomes one and you start adding zeros to it, that’s the endless. You could keep adding zeros until you fill up the Dharma Realm. Or you could fill your room, and the highways. You could put zeros everywhere, but you could always add another zero. So, it’s said to be endless. We who cultivate should cultivate the one. It’s said that:

When you attain the one, then the ten thousand affairs are ended.

“When heaven gains the one, it’s clear and clean.” Everything is very pure. When heaven returns the one to zero, then there’s purity. “When earth gains the one, it’s so serene.” When the earth returns the one to zero, then it won’t be destroyed and everything’s very peaceful. “When people gain the one, they’re truly free.” When people return the one to zero, there are Sages. They cultivate and return to the Great Bright Light Treasury. They return to the root and go back to the source. The one changes into the Great Bright Light Treasury and then there are Sages. Why aren’t we Sages? It’s because we haven’t attained the one.

When you attain the one, then the ten thousand affairs are ended.
When you attain the one, then there’s nothing going on. It’s all ended.
What had to be done is already done, the Great Matter has been ended.
You don’t have to undergo further existence.

When the Great Matter of one’s birth and death has been ended, then one doesn’t have to revolve in the wheel of rebirth. Why is there birth and death? It’s because we break the Great Bright Light Treasury. As soon as we break the circle, it becomes one. We should return to the source and cultivate to return to the Great Bright Light Treasury. The Great Bright Light Treasury is complete with everything.

Therefore, many doesn’t have the nature one. The one is the many and yet the one isn’t the many. This principle is really easy to talk about but to actually live its meaning isn’t easy. Why isn’t it easy? It’s because it’s not easy to be without a mind of discrimination and to not be attached to numbers. You get attached and say, “This is one and that is many, that is many and this is one.” You should be without attachments.

To cast both aside completely, If you can be that way then both of them are cast aside. They’re gone. There isn’t one and there isn’t many. The many is the many and the one is one. Casting aside means not having attachments. You shouldn’t become attached to either one or many.

This is to universally enter the Buddha’s merit and virtue. If you’re able to be without attachments to the numbers of one and many, then you won’t have a discriminating mind. If you can be without a discriminating mind then you will have limitless merit and virtue. When your merit and virtue is limitless then you will universally enter into the Buddha’s merit and virtue. The Buddha’s merit and virtue and your merit and virtue are the same because you don’t have a discriminating mind. The thing that is hardest for living beings is to be without a discriminating mind. They always discriminate states when they come up.

Faced with states, one gives rise to greed and love and so there is view delusion.
Confused about principles, one gives rise to discrimination and so there is thought delusion.

View delusions and thought delusions aren’t easy to break through. There are 88 categories of view delusions and 81 categories of thought delusions. If you are able to be without attachments then you’ll be able to universally enter into the Buddha’s merit and virtue. How can you enter into the Buddha’s merit and virtue? The meaning is that the Buddha’s merit and virtue universally enters into--that is, it permeates--your merit and virtue. Your merit and virtue and the Buddha’s become the same. The Buddha doesn’t need to enter or leave anything. “Enter” means that you do the entering. It’s not the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who enter. “Universally enter” means that you accomplish the Buddha’s merit and virtue.

The many does not have the nature of one,
The one is also without the many
To cast both aside completely,
Is to universally enter the Buddha’s merit and virtue.

The one and the many mutually rely on one another. They can be likened to roots and branches. Perhaps the one is the root and the many are the branches, or the one is the branches and the many are the roots. Perhaps the one relies on the many or the many relies on the one. they mutually are roots and branches. There are four meanings here:

1. Mutually supportive: Mutually supportive means that the one and the many both stand. They both are existent, both present. Why? They mutually help each other. The one helps the many and the many helps the one. They are mutually present. They are mutually existent. This meaning is encompassed in the first two lines of the verse, which say:

The many does not have the nature of one,
The one is also without the many.

2. Mutually harmful: This obstructs that and that obstructs this. They obstruct each other and do each other in. Both are destroyed. With one, there can’t be many, and with many, there can’t be one. The one and the many obstruct each other and so neither has any power. Their appearances obliterate each other so both disappear. Neither are able to stand alone. This is represented in the third line of the verse:

To cast both aside completely.
Neither of them can exist.
There’s neither many nor one.

3. Mutually present: This is present and that is present. But in this case it’s a mutual existence, not an individual stand as in the first meaning. This means that they coexist. It means that although this is used to support that, this is not destroyed by the presence of that. In other words, the one helps the many, but the mark of many isn’t harmed by the presence of the one. It’s still many, but the many comes from the one. This is also the many helping the one, where the mark of the one is not harmed by the presence of the many. Although it gathers in the many, it still exists as one. The many doesn’t obstruct the one and the one doesn’t obstruct the many. The one and many exist within each other.

4. Mutually annulled: This and that don’t exist. But unlike the second example, here, the one helps the many to the point that the mark of many no longer exists. That is because the strength of the one is so great, the mark of the many is no longer evident. The opposite is also true. The many uphold the one to the point that the mark of one no longer exists. In this way they annul each other and there’s no one or many. This is just a general outline of these four meanings.

The meaning of one and many can be divided into only four divisions, but if one were to expound and give a detailed explanation there are ten doors. The ten doors also pertain to the doctrines of one and many. What are the ten doors? I believe you all know and basically I don’t want to lecture them in such detail, but in counting you have to count clearly. If mathematicians’ numbers aren’t clear, then they don’t pass. I’m not mathematician, but all of you have studied math so I’ll tell you in general.

1. The isolated establishment of single numbers:

This refers to single numbers, not double ones. It means “only one”. In this first door, the one is one and the many are many.

2. The simultaneous appearance of double figures: They both manifest at the same time; they are not sequential. In this second door, one and many manifest at the same time.

3. The annulment of both marks: There isn’t one and there aren’t many.

4. Comfort and non-obstruction: One can be many, many can be one--with ease and without obstruction. Nothing is artificial, it is very natural and unhindered.

5. Coming and going without moving: One enters the many and remains within the many. the many enters one and remains within the one. They remain unmoving. They come and go but do not move.

6. Mutual support without strength: They mutually support one another. The many supports the one and the one supports the many. They mutually support one another but are themselves without strength.

7. A lack of knowledge of one another: The one doesn’t know of the many and the many doesn’t know of the one, because each of them doesn’t have a nature of its own.

8. Strength and function intertwined: They mutually support one another. One helps the many, many helps the one, and they are mutually connected.

9. The absence of a nature of their own: One doesn’t have a self-nature; many doesn’t have a self-nature.

10. Ultimate separation from words: This state ultimately cannot be talked about.

These ten can be explained more extensively.

1. The isolated establishment of single numbers: This refers to line one and two of the above verse:

The many does not have the nature of one,
The one is also without the many.

These two dharmas both are non-existent. If in the many there isn’t one, then the many can’t exist. If in the one there isn’t many, then one doesn’t exist. This is what is meant by “only one” the one doesn’t exist but it’s still there. The many don’t exist but they are still there. Within the many the nature of one is not found, and within the one the many cannot be found. So they are isolated. This also carries the meaning of the one is the many. The many are accomplished from the one, so it says there is one. This is what is meant by abnegating oneself and accomplishing others.

2. The simultaneous appearance of double figures: This is talked about in the later verse. One knows that by means of the one there are therefore many. One knows that because of the one there are the many, and because of the many, there is the one. Similarly where there is no one, there are also no many. And when there aren’t many, there also isn’t one. So, they both manifest at the same time without a before or after .It’s like two horns on a rabbit. No, not a rabbit, it’s an ox. Rabbits don’t have horns, right? If you look for horns on a rabbit or hair on a turtle, you won’t be able to find any. This door is like the two horns on an ox or a ram.

3. The annulment of both marks: What is the meaning of this? This is like the third line of this verse, “to cast both aside completely.” The two marks are both gone.

4. Comfort and non-obstruction: This means that you just do as you please. There’s no way that you can’t. It’s all as you like it. If you want one, then it is one, and it doesn’t destroy the mark of many. If you want many, it can be many. The one is many. It’s very comfortable and unobstructed. There are no obstructions. Whenever you want one, it’s one. And whenever you want many, it’s many. That is why it is called comfortable and non-obstructed.

5. Coming and going without moving: If the ne enters the many, then it is still present within the many. And if the many enter into the one, the many is still present. Therefore, coming and going, they are unmoving. This is like two mirrors. If one person stands in front of both mirrors then his image appears in both mirrors, but the person hasn’t moved.

6. Mutual support without strength: Because the one is in the many, many has no power to support the one. Because the many is in the one, the one doesn’t have any power to support the many.

7. A lack of knowledge of one another: Because they mutually depend on each other, neither has a nature of its own, nor does it know of the other. they don’t have a substance or function. Enlightenment Leader Bodhisattva speaks this principle in a verse:

All dharmas have no function, nor any substance or nature.
Therefore, none of them know of each other.

Dharmas have no function of their own. Nor do they have any substance or self-nature. They don’t have a self-nature of their own and they don’t know about one another. So, none of the worldly dharmas know of one another.

8. Strength and function intertwined: This was spoken of before. Within the one there is the limitless, and within the limitless there is the one.

9. The absence of a nature of their own: They mutually arise from conditions and mutually rely on one another. You rely on me and I rely on you, and there’s no self-nature or substance. Therefore, all substance and nature are empty.

10. Ultimate separation from worlds: To talk about one and many is merely an irrelevant discussion. You should leave the mark of words. “Separation from words” means that it can’t be spoken. What can’t be spoken? The one. You can’t say it’s one, and you can’t say that it’s not one. You can’t say that it’s both one and not one, and you can’t say that it’s not one or not, not one. it’s apart from words and speech, apart from these four propositions and impossible to express. It can’t be talked about. You can’t say that the marks enter into one another. You can’t say that it enters the mark without it destroying the mark. You can’t say that it’s not reached and not entered or that it’s mutually intertwining. There is a verse that describes this state.

The mouth wants to speak, but words fail,
The mind wants to think, but thoughts fail.

This principle and this state can’t be understood through speech. But if you don’t speak of it, you’ll even more not be able to understand. If you speak of it and cause people to cultivate and certify to the ocean-like fruition of the self-nature, then at that time you’ll know. One and many are that way and the two dharmas of defilement and purity are also the same way. The principle is the same.

Sutra:

When living beings and lands
are entirely still and quiescent
and without reliance or discrimination,
then they are able to enter into Buddha’s bodhi.

Commentary:

When living beings and lands, Living beings are the proper retribution and countries are the dependent retribution. Proper and dependent are the two kinds of retributions. Are entirely still and quiescent. When one uses the Buddha eye to contemplate, one sees that all living beings and lands are still and quiescent. And without reliance or discrimination. At that time there’s no proper or dependent retributions. They are characterized by still quiescence. “Still” means unmoving. Then they are able to enter into Buddha’s bodhi. If you don’t have so many discriminations “then you can enter into the Buddha’s Bodhi.” They are able to enlighten to the Way that the Buddha cultivated.

Sutra:

Of living beings and lands,
Neither one nor many can be obtained.
To well contemplate and observe in this way
is knowing the meaning of the Buddhadharma.

Commentary:

To living beings and lands. Living beings, lands, and the Buddha are referred to as the three worlds. Living beings are the sentient world, lands are the material world, and the Buddha is the world of proper enlightenment. This is what is meant by the three worlds. Living beings are sentient and lands are like utensils which serve them. Utensils are things like a tea cup or a bell. The utensils (material) world refers to the mountains, rivers, the great earth, houses, buildings, and so forth. And the Buddha is the world of proper enlightenment. But, in looking at this you shouldn’t discriminate any of it.

Neither one nor many can be obtained. Basically none of it exists. there isn’t one and there aren’t many. If you try to find either of them, you won’t be able to. To well contemplate and observe in this way. To be able to not have a discriminating mind and to skillfully contemplate this wonderful principle, is knowing the meaning of the Buddhadharma. You’re able to clearly and distinctly understand the meaning of the Buddhadharma.

Sutra:

At that time, light passed through a million worlds and everywhere illumined a million worlds to the east. It was also like this in the south, west, north, the four intermediate directions as well as above and below. Within each of those worlds there were a billion Jambudvipas, reaching up to a billion Ultimate Form heavens. All of these were clearly revealed in this light.

Just as in this place one could see the Thus Come One seated on his lotus flower treasury lion’s throne, with Bodhisattvas as many as fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands circumambulating him, so too, in each of those billions of Jambudvipas there were billions of Thus Come Ones seated in the same way.

Because of the spiritual power of the Buddha, in each of the ten directions there was a great Bodhisattva, who was accompanied by Bodhisattvas to the number of fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands, who came to the Buddha’s place.

Their names were Manjushri and others. They came from countries called golden colored world and others and the Buddhas they served were called Unmoving Wisdom Thus Come One and others.

At that time, in the presence of all those Buddhas, the voices of the Manjushri Bodhisattvas in all those places, rang out in unison as they spoke verses:

Commentary:

After Manjushri Bodhisattva, that greatly wise, enlightened sentient being, finished speaking the above verse, At that time, Shakytamuni Buddha, beneath the Bodhi Tree where he accomplished Proper Enlightenment, emitted from the soles of his feet a light which passed through a million worlds. It passed through more than a million worlds to the east. And everywhere illumined a million worlds to the east. The light from the soles of the Buddha’s feet universally illumined a million worlds in the east. The east itself can be further divided into ten directions.

It was also like this in the south, west, north, the four intermediate directions, northeast, northeast, southeast, southwest, as well as above and below. The Buddha’s great light pervasively illumined all those worlds. Within each of those worlds there were a billion Jambudvipas. Every world had a billion southern Jambudvipas, a billion eastern Purva-videhas, western Apara-godaniyas, and northern Uttarakurus. There were a billion Heavens of the Four Kings, a billion Suyama Heavens, a billion Trayastrimsha Heavens, and a billion of all the other heavens.

Reaching up to a billion Ultimate Form heavens. All of these were clearly revealed in this light. Every world and every heaven, all the way up to the Ultimate Form Heaven, was brilliant with light-just as in this place one could see the Thus Come One seated on his Lotus Flower Treasury Lion’s Throne. All the living beings in every world saw Shakyamuni Buddha seated on his Jeweled Lotus Flower Treasury Lion’s Throne, With Bodhisattvas as many as fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands circumambulating him. The great Bodhisattvas all came and circumambulated the Buddha. So too, in each of those billions of Jambudvipas there were billions of Thus Come Ones seated in the same way.

Because of the spiritual power of the Buddha, in each of the ten directions there was a great Bodhisattva, who was accompanied by Bodhisattvas to the number of fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands. Each and every great Bodhisattva led a retinue of Bodhisattvas to the number of fine motes of dust in ten Buddhalands, who came to the Buddha’s place. They all went to where Shakyamuni Buddha was seated beneath the Bodhi Tree on his Vajra Jeweled Seat.

Their names were Manjushri and others.They came from countries called Golden Colored World and others, and the Buddhas they served were called Unmoving Wisdom Thus Come One and others. They respectfully made offerings to all those Buddhas.

At that time, in the presence of all those Buddhas, the voices of the Manjushri Bodhisattvas in all those places, rang out in unison as they spoke verses. At the original Bodhimanda of all those Buddhas, all the Manjushri Bodhisattvas at the same time brought forth a sound and spoke the following verses.

Sutra:

With unequalled wisdom and boundless Dharma,
He transcends the sea of all existence and arrives at the other shore,
And his lifespan and brilliance are beyond compare.
This is the power of expedients of the one with merit and virtue.

With a clear understanding of all the Buddhadharma.
He constantly contemplates the three periods of time without weariness,
Although he accords with states he does not discriminate.
This is the power of expedients of the one who is difficult to conceive of.

Commentary:

This verse praises the Buddha’s wisdom which is incomparable and his Dharma which is boundless. With unequalled wisdom and boundless dharma, The Buddha has the greatest wisdom. There’s no living being who has wisdom as great as the Buddha’s. Therefore, none of the living beings in the nine realms of existence can fathom the Buddha’s wisdom.

The nine realms of existence are:

1. The realm of Bodhisattvas

2. The realm of Sound Hearers

3. The realm of Those Enlightened to Conditions

4. The realm of gods

5. The realm of asuras

6. The realm of humans

7. The realm of animals

8. The realm of hungry ghosts

9. The realm of hell-beings

None of the beings in these nine realms can fathom the Buddha’s wisdom. The Buddha’s wisdom is unequalled and no one can compare to it. “And boundless Dharma.” The Buddha’s Dharma is boundless. He transcends the sea of all existence and arrives at the other shores, He transcends the triple realm,

1. The desire realm

2. The form realm

3. The formless realm

and the 25 realms of existence. Because there are a lot of realms within the realms of existence, they are likened to a sea. The Buddha transcends them and arrives at the other shore of Nirvana. And his lifespan and brilliance are beyond compare. His life and the brilliance of his light are also such that no living being can match them. This is the power of expedients of the One with merit and virtue. This is the power of expedients possessed by the one who has perfected his merit and virtue and has reached the fruition of Buddhahood. The Buddhas have the power of such expedients.

With a clear understanding of all the Buddha Dharma, The Buddha understands all the Buddhadharma of all the Buddhas of the three periods of time. He constantly contemplates the three periods of time without weariness, He constantly contemplates and investigates the Dharma of all Buddhas without getting tired. Although he accords with states he does not discriminate. Although he accords with states when he contemplates and investigates, he doesn’t make discriminations about the states. This is the power of expedients of the one who is difficult to conceive of. This is the power of expedients obtained by one who has the inconceivable state of the Buddha’s fruition.

Sutra:

Delighting in contemplation of living beings without the thought of beings,
Universally viewing all destinies without the thought of destinies,
He constantly dwells in the stillness of dhyana, his mind unfettered.
This is the power of expedients of unobstructed wisdom.

Commentary:

Delighting in contemplation of living beings without the thought of beings, The Buddha always observes all living beings. He also takes care of, teaches and transforms them. But although he teaches and transforms them, he doesn’t have the thought of teaching and transforming, or of the merit and virtue from doing so. A passage from the Vajra Sutra says:

I must cause all living beings--those born from eggs, born from wombs, born from moisture, born by transformation, those with form, those without form, those with thought, those without thought; those not totally with thought; and those not totally without thought--to enter Nirvana without residue and be taken across to extinction.

The Buddha will lead them all to enter Nirvana and save them. Although he saves them, he doesn’t have the attachment of saying living beings. “Without attachment” means to be without thought. Although he saves living beings he doesn’t have the thought of crossing them over to extinction. He would never say, “I teach and transform living beings. I save living beings. I teach and transform so many people. So many people take refuge with me.” If you think that way, then you are attached. If you don’t have attachments, then you won’t give rise to thoughts and you won’t have an attachment to saying living beings.

Universally viewing all destinies without the thought of destinies, The Buddha sees all destinies. “All destinies” refers to the four evil destinies.

1. The destiny of the asuras

2. The destiny of the animals

3. The destiny of the hungry ghosts

4. The destiny of the hell-beings

The evil destinies are the places where beings with offenses dwell. “Without the thought of destinies” means that he doesn’t have the thought of the evil destinies. The Buddha sees the worst living beings as being future Buddhas, and he doesn’t have any attachment to this thought. He’s not attached.

He constantly dwells in the stillness of dhyana, his mind unfettered. The Buddha forever abides in Dhyana concentration, still quiescence. In the stillness of Dhyana, his mind is not impeded by anything. He has no attachments, no impediments, and no false thinking. “His mind unfettered” means that there is no false thinking. With no false thinking, the mind is not bound up. There won’t be any impediments. This is the power of expedients of unobstructed wisdom. This is the thought of already arriving at the state of no impediments and no attachments. It’s the great expedient power of the Buddha which brings about this kind of state.

Sutra;

He penetrates all Dharmas by means of good and clever means,
Diligently cultivates the Way of Nirvana with proper mindfulness,
And, by being separate from inequality, delights in liberation.
This is the power of expedients of still quiescence.

Commentary:

He penetrates all Dharmas by means of good and clever means. In this world all things speak the Dharma. Not only do they speak Dharma, but in addition, they do so with good and clever means. All these things which speak Dharma are the good, clever, and wonderful expedient means to cross over living beings. They are not unnatural methods of teaching and transforming. That would be difficult for living beings to take. Good, clever, expedient Dharma doors are set forth after one contemplates the root nature of living beings.

Contemplate the conditions, bestow the teaching and speak the Dharma to suit the person,
Just as one dispenses medicine that’s appropriate for a given sickness.

The medicine is prescribed according to what kind of sickness a person has. That’s what is meant by “good and clever means.” “Penetrate” in this case means that one understands all dharma, has deeply entered the Storehouse of Sutras, and has wisdom like the sea. All dharmas are penetrated without obstruction. In this world, absolutely everything speaks the Dharma. If you can penetrate all worldly dharmas then you have also penetrated all transcendental dharmas. But if you can’t penetrate worldly dharmas then you’ll never be able to penetrate transcendental dharmas. Therefore, if you can understand worldly dharmas then you’ll see that all the mountains, rivers, and the great earth are speaking the Dharma. Those that have sentience speak sentient dharmas, and those without sentience speak insentient dharmas.

If you understand dharmas and are not obstructed by them, then you will be able to penetrate all dharmas. “All dharmas” in this passage includes worldly and transcendental dharmas. But you must first understand worldly dharmas. Diligently cultivates the Way of Nirvana with proper mindfulness, To understand all dharmas you must first cultivate according to the Buddhadharma. And to be able to cultivate according to the Buddhadharma you must have proper mindfulness. “Proper mindfulness” means that at all times you should return the light and reverse the illumination and take a good look at yourself. You do this in order to make sure that you don’t go down a deviant road. Not only do you not want to go down a deviant road, but you don’t even want to think of improper things.

“Diligently cultivate” means to not be lazy, to always work hard in applying your effort, and to be vigorous. No matter what you do you should be vigorous. And don’t think that because you’re young you can wait until later to apply your effort at cultivation. Take a look and see how many young people die. King Yama won’t wait for you. So, young people shouldn’t wait. But old people shouldn’t think, “I’m so old, there’s no use for me to cultivate. I won’t cultivate.” That is wrong too. Old people should also diligently cultivate. You should diligently cultivate precepts, samadhi, and wisdom. You shouldn’t be lazy. “The Way of Nirvana” refers to the Dharma of not being produced or destroyed. It’s the Dharma of birth and death. There’s no birth or death. It means that you cultivate the Way of no birth and death.

And, by being separate from inequality, delights in liberation. “Delights in liberation” means that you’re constantly free. What is liberation? It’s not having attachments. If you have attachments then you can’t be liberated. If you don’t have attachments then you’re free and liberated. What is true liberation? True liberation means that you end your own birth and death. Ending your own birth and death shows that you’ve applied. Your efforts until it’s taken you all the way home.

Then if you want to live, you can live. If you want to die, at any time you can die. That doesn’t mean that you commit suicide. It doesn’t mean that you kill yourself by taking too many sleeping pills. It means that you can come and go as you please. It means that your coming is bright and that your going is clear. You know how you came and you know how you’re going to go. That’s what’s meant by “Your coming is bright and your going is clear.” You have power over birth and death. You can sit there and if you want to enter samadhi and can do so for several days. Yet you can leave samadhi any time you please. That’s true freedom. That’s liberation. Liberation and freedom means that you’re in control.

If you’re not in control, then when the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water separate and scatter, your hands will shake and your knees will get weak. You won’t know what to do. You won’t be in control. Everyone should pay really close attention to this. Liberation is freedom over birth and death. There are no hindrances or impediments. You’re free and comfortable in your coming and going throughout the Dharma Realm. If you want to go to the Eastern Crystal World then you can. If you want to go to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, then you can go there. You can go wherever you want to go.

At that time you’ll be really free and you won’t have to buy a plane ticket to travel around. Wouldn’t you say that was freedom? It’s really comfortable. That’s liberation. You don’t need a passport and you can go wherever you want for a holiday. “By being separate from inequality” means to be apart from all unequal things. This is the power of expedients of still quiescence. That is what it’s like when you attain the great power of still quiescence.

Sutra:

He has the ability to exhort others to go towards the Buddha’s bodhi;
He tends toward and enters All-Wisdom which is like the Dharma realm,
And uses goodness to transform beings so that they enter into the truth.
This is the power of expedients of the mind that dwells in Buddhahood.

Commentary:

He has the ability to exhort others to go toward the Buddha’s bodhi; This says that perhaps there is a living being who has resolved his mind on Bodhi, and who is able to teach and transform living beings and cause them to resolve their minds on Bodhi. He tends toward and enters All-Wisdom which is like the Dharma realm, He can cultivate and practice the limitless and unbounded wisdom of the Dharma Realm. And uses goodness to transform beings so that they enter into the truth. Why should one have wisdom? Because if you have wisdom you can contemplate the potentialities of all living beings and then teach and transform them. But in order to teach and transform them, you must use goodness and cause them to resolve their minds on Bodhi. Some, if they can’t be taught by goodness, however, have to be taught by using evil to transform them.

What does it mean to use evil to transform them? It means that some living beings receive difficulty and suffering to the ultimate point which causes them to understand that everything in the world is impermanent, full of suffering, and oppressive by nature. Having met with the calamities, disasters, and various difficulties that arise, they resolve their minds on Bodhi. So, using goodness to transform living beings is best, but sometimes by using evil one can teach and transform living beings. Evil can also be telling you to wake up--to see the state ans awaken to it. When faced with a situation, you should become awakened to it. I often tell you that there is nothing in this world that isn’t speaking the Dharma. Good and evil can both be used to teach and transform living beings.

Everything’s speaking the Dharma. Tiger speak the dharma of tigers, elephants speak the Dharma of elephants, cats speak the dharma of cats, dogs speak dog dharma, and mice speak the dharma of mice. They’re telling you to understand how cause and effect’s cycle isn’t off by even a hair’s breadth. If you understand then you can enter into the truth. “Truth” refers to true and actual principle. It’s not false. The principles are true and the Way is true. This is the power of expedients of the mind that dwells in Buddhahood. At this point you constantly abide in the Buddha’s greatly kind and compassionate mind, which contains great joy and great renunciation. You constantly dwell in the four unlimited minds of the Buddha. In order to bring that about, the Buddha brings forth his powers of expedients.

previous   next   Contents

Chapter 9 pages:  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11

return to top