Belief and Understanding

Chapter 4

 

Sutra:

“…he addressed his workers, saying, “All of you, work hard! Do not be lax.” By this device he draws near to his son, to whom he later says, “Hey, my boy! You should stay here and work. Don’t go elsewhere. I will increase your wages. Whatever you need, be it pots, utensils, rice, flour, salt or vinegar or other such things, don’t trouble yourself about it. I also have an old, worn-out servant you can have if you need him.

So put your mind at rest. I am like your father, so have no more worries. Why? I am very old, and you are young and strong. Whenever you are working, you are never deceitful, remiss, angry, hateful, or grumbling. I have never seen you commit such evils as I have other workers. From now on you shall be just like my own son.”

“Just then the elder gave him a name, calling him his son. The poor son, although delighted at his happening, still referred to himself as a lowly worker from outside. For this reason, for twenty years he was constantly kept at work sweeping away dung.”

Outline:

P4. Knowing his wish to receive and practice.

Commentary:

He addressed his workers saying. “Workers” are those he employs. This is an analogy for the Dharma of the four Applications of Mindfulness. “Speaking to his workers” means that he taught the Four Applications of Mindfulness. They are: mindfulness with regard to the 1) body; 2) feelings; 3) thoughts, and 4) dharmas.

First of all, one contemplates the body as impure. Most people think that their bodies are the most important things. For this reason, they forget about their self-natures. Actually, the body is by no means the real self. You can say, “This is my body.” But you cannot say, “I am my body.” If you get attached and cling to your body, then you will daily grow stupider and more confused. You should understand that the body is not really you. It is yours, like a house which you live in for a while. You cannot say that your body is you. If you lived in a house, you would say it was yours; you would not say that it was you! If you did, everyone would think you were pretty stupid. Our bodies are like houses, too. We live in them and take care of them for a while, but there is no need to get so attached to them.

You should contemplate the body as impure. I have lectured these many times before, but the more you hear it, the more Bodhi seeds you plant. The body is filthy, in fact. When you are alive, it oozes filth from nine apertures. The eyes excrete matter, the nose and ears do, too. There is saliva in the mouth. These are the seven apertures. Add the eliminatory orifices and you have nine. Unclean things pour from them constantly. That is while you are alive. But everyone takes special care of their bodies. They find them good food to eat, nice clothes to wear, and a comfortable place to live in, so that they can enjoy themselves and “feel” good. However, the more comfortable your body is, the more uncomfortable your self-nature becomes. Your self-nature grows defiled, unclean.

No matter how good your are to your body, no matter how much you indulge your emotions and desires, still, when it comes time to die, your body is going to take off. No matter how good you have been to it, it is not going to hang around; it is going to die. When you die, it is not over, by any means. Depending on what you did during your life, you will move to another “home.” If you did good things, you will move to a good “home.” If you committed offenses and planted unwholesome causes, you will move to a bad place. Perhaps you will fall in with the animals. Perhaps you will fall into hells or among the hungry ghosts.

There is nothing fixed about it. Be they men or women, no matter how beautiful they may have been when alive, once people are dead, they stink! After a few days the body starts swelling. Even skinny ones get fat. Then, they turn mottled green. The most handsome man rots. The most handsome woman rots. The body then breaks open and bleeds. At that time, no matter how beautiful they may have been, no one would love them. Why not? It is the same person, but, even if it were your father or your spouse, you would not pay them any attention at all. Even in the most dedicated relationships, there has never been a case of the spouse crawling into the coffin of his or her dead mate. Children do not care to die along with their parents either. Just look at Gold and Silver for an example. No matter how they may love you, they would not accompany you to the grave.

Soon the corpse is crawling with who knows how many worms. Yecchi! A worm in every hairpore. Eight-four thousand hairpores with eighty-four thousand worms. Hah! The worms crawl in; the worms crawl out! They crawl across your face down to your feet and back up to your head again, looking for those good things to eat, blood and meat. Then the birds join in the feast, should the corpse be out in the open. The Peng bird, when short of dragons, will eat human corpses. Once the birds are through with them, there is nothing left but a pile of bleached bones. No one wants the loved one then, for sure. When the bones are burned only ashes remain. So where did your body go? You were so fond of it, now it is gone.

Secondly, one contemplates feelings as suffering. Thirdly, contemplate thoughts as impermanent. Thoughts change constantly; the process never ends. Fourthly, one contemplates all dharmas as without self. This line of text enjoins us to cultivate the Four Applications of Mindfulness. In this way one can sever attachments.

All of you work hard! Do not be lax. The workers, that is, the cultivators, are told to work hard. “Working hard” refers to the Four Right Efforts: 1) goodness that has not come forth is caused to come forth: 2) goodness that has already come forth is caused to increase; 3) evil which has not come forth is not permitted to come forth; 4) evil which has already come forth is eradicated. One, in every thought, should attentively cultivate these four and not forget them.

The Four Right Efforts correspond to the first of the Four Additional Practices (explained in detail in the Shurangama Sutra), that of heat. It is like the heat given off by a drill, when drilling to make a fire. In one’s cultivation one applies the Four Right Efforts and begins to feel heat. Then one should increase one’s vigor, and do not be lax. If you gain some skill, do not be satisfied and quit. The harder you work, the more inconceivable your states become. So the text says, “Work hard! Don’t be lax.” Work hard and cultivate the Way. Do not be lax. Do not allow yourself to doze off and take naps and so on. It is extremely important that you do not slack off. It is like drilling for the fire. As you drill, the wood becomes warm. But if you stop for even a second, it will cool off and not catch fire. You must increase your Vigor.

By this device he draws near to his son. Cultivating the Four Right Efforts, he has already become neighbors with True Suchness. To whom he later says, “Hey!” Wake up, right now!! Do not be so confused! “My boy!” “Boy” still refers to the Four Right Efforts, cultivated with vigor. It says, “Boy!” but, basically in cultivation there are neither men nor women. Men should not dwell on the fact that they are men, and women should not dwell on the fact that they are women. Do not think in terms of male or female. That is true purity.

The Four Right Efforts are associated with the yang aspect of cultivating, that is, with vigor and strength. The Four Bases of Psychic Power are associated with the yin aspects, the receptivity, etc. If one merely cultivates the Four Right Efforts, one would not obtain the truly wonderful advantages of cultivation. The Four Right Efforts must be complemented by the Four Bases of Psychic Power. The Four Right Efforts belong to wisdom and the Four Bases of Psychic Power belong to samadhi. Wisdom is “yang.” Samadhi is “yin.” Samadhi and wisdom aid one another. Wisdom aids samadhi, and samadhi aids wisdom. They help one another and give rise to the wisdom of non-outflows.

You should stay here and work. Stay here and work. Don't go elsewhere. Do not go anywhere else. This phrase represents the second of the Four Additional Practices, Summits. When you get to the Summit, you should not move. Stay here and work. You are at the top. Do not run away. This is the highest peak, so where else can you go?

I will increase your wages. Do not run away again. There is no place to run to. If you run, you will fall. You will fall into the hells. If you reach the stage of Summits, you should have Patience, the third of the Four Additional Practices. You may not feel very comfortable at this stage, but you must bear it patiently. If you crave comfort, you will fall to a lowly place, either among the animals, into the hells, or in which the hungry ghosts. It may be hard to take, but you must bear with it. The ancients said,

If the bitter cold strikes not to the bone,
How can the fragrant plum blossoms bloom?

Without experiencing the bitter cold of winter, the plum would not smell so piercingly sweet. If you want to reach the top, you must have patience. So the text says, "Do not go elsewhere." This means, do not go study with the outside ways. If you run off with them, or run back into the world, or yield to your desires and improper thoughts, you will fall. You should keep proper thoughts and cultivate well. "I will increase your wages." This means, "You will obtain to the stage of no outflows.

Originally, you had a body with outflows and nine holes constantly oozing impure substances. If you cultivate the Proper Path, the food of the Proper Path, and the clothing of the Aids of the proper Path, you can obtain the stage of no-outflows. In other words, you will certainly certify to the fruit and break through the Delusions of Views and the Delusions of Thought. You will obtain the stage Beyond Study (Fourth Stage Arhatship) and be without outflows." So the text says, "I will increase your wages," and you will be without outflows.

Whatever you need, the food of the Proper Path and the clothing of the Aids to the Path, you shall have. Be it pots, utensils, rice, flour. "Pots and utensils" represent the Four Dhyanas. "Rice" represents the emptiness of beings (people), while "flour" represents the emptiness of dharmas. The wisdom of the emptiness of beings (people) is a coarse wisdom, while the wisdom of the emptiness of dharmas is a subtle wisdom.

Why is it we cannot put anything down? Because we have not seen through to the emptiness of people. Why can't we let go of anything?" Because we have not realized the emptiness of dharmas. Thus, we cannot put anything down, and we cannot pick anything up. People and dharmas must be realized as empty; it is not good enough just to speak of them as empty.

Long ago, when Shakyamuni Buddha was still in the world, a layperson asked him to come to his home for offerings. All the Bodhisattvas, great Bhikshus, and the Buddha went there, leaving a young novice at the temple to watch the door. While he was watching the door, another layperson came and asked the Sangha to receive offerings at his house. Since there was no one at the temple but the young novice, off they went. The layperson fed him a delicious, rich lunch, and he ate his fill. However, it is not okay just to eat and run. If you receive offerings of food, you must make an offering of the Dharma in return. The layperson gives wealth, and the left-home person gives Dharma.

After lunch the Sangha always lectures on the Dharma, but the young novice did not know how to speak the Dharma! He knew how to eat lunch, for sure, but he had no idea how to speak the dharma. The layperson was unaware of this, and he knelt very respectfully and asked the young novice to teach him the Dharma. According to the Indian custom, the layperson bows and listens to the Dharma in that position. As he was kneeling there, not raising his head, the young novice employed his great spiritual powers. He got up from his seat, sneaked out, ran back to the temple, and locked himself in his room. The layperson had been kneeling for some time, waiting for the Dharma, without hearing any words of wisdom. After about half an hour he raised his head and the young novice was nowhere to be seen! People and dharmas both were empty! What do you think happened? He got enlightened on the spot, understanding the principle of the emptiness of both people and Dharmas! He certified to the First Fruit of Arhatship.

He ran to the temple to thank the novice whom he found locked in his room. When he knocked on the door, the young novice was terrified to think he had been followed. In his extreme agitation, he also got enlightened and certified to the First Fruit! That was how it was when the Buddha was in the world. The layperson and the novice both certified to the Fruit and understood the emptiness of people and dharmas. Now, however, it is the Dharma Ending Age, very few people can understand the emptiness of people and dharmas.

"Rice" and "flour" also represent the Proper Path.

Salt represents impermanence. One should cultivate the contemplation of impermanence. Vinegar represents the contemplation of suffering. "Salt" and "vinegar" represent the Aids to the Path. Rice and flour represent the food of the Proper Path. Without salt and vinegar, rice and flour are difficult to eat just plain. Likewise, although the Proper Path should be cultivated, it is not easy without the Aids to the Path.

What are the Aids to the Path? The Thirty-seven Wings of Enlightenment, that is: the Four Applications of Mindfulness, the Four Bases of Psychic Power, the Four Right Efforts, the Five Roots, the Five Powers, the Seven Bodhi Shares and the Eightfold Path.

The Four Bases of Psychic Power are:
1. Zeal;
2. Vigor;
3. Mindfulness;
4. Thought.

Zeal means that you should be zealous in your cultivation. You should enjoy cultivating. Then you should be vigorous. You should be constantly vigorous in the six periods of the day and night. With vigor you will then be mindful. The last is "thought" which just refers to dhyana. You think about your topic, "Who is mindful of the Buddha?" or "Before my parents gave birth to me, what was my original face?" By means of the contemplation of the Four Bases of Psychic Power, one can give rise to various types of samadhis.

The Four Bases of Psychic Power Complement the Four Right Efforts. The Four Right Efforts alone will not enable one to gain the state of non-outflows. The combined cultivation of the Four Right Efforts and the Four Bases of Psychic Power and the Four Applications of Mindfulness bring forth the wisdom of non-outflows. So the text says, "Salt or Vinegar or other such things," and this includes the other Dharmas such as the Five Roots, the Five Powers, and so on.

Don't trouble yourself about it. You should not doubt yourself. You should deeply believe in these dharmas and have no doubts.

I also have an old, worn-out servant you can have if you need him. This represents spiritual powers which can act as extra hands and arms for one. It is an inconceivable state. They can save you a lot of work. Why does it says, "old and worn out?" Because these spiritual powers are extremely weak, soft, as if old, and falling apart. If you need the spiritual powers, you can have them. All you have to do is cultivate the Four Bases of Psychic Power. So put your mind at rest. This refers to the Third of the Four Additional Practices, that of Patience. At this stage one must stand securely in Patience, rest securely in Patience. One must not indulge in false thinking.

I am like your father. The Buddha says that he is like our father. At this point the Elder has not said right out, "I am your father." He has merely indicated that he is like a father. The poor son, that is, those of the Two Vehicles, do not know that they really are "sons" of the Buddha and that in the future they will become Buddhas.

So have no more worries. Why? Do not worry, and do not go somewhere else, because I am very old. The Buddha has reached the end of the Path and has perfected both the virtue of wisdom and the virtue of cutting off. And you are young and strong. "You" refers to those of the two Vehicles. They dwell at the beginning of the Way. They have not perfected either the virtue of wisdom or the virtue of cutting off. They lack these two virtues entirely, as a matter of fact. They are, therefore, said to be young.

Whenever you are working, you are never deceitful, remiss, angry, hateful or grumbling. "Whenever you work" refers to the Five Roots: faith, vigor, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. Because he has the root of faith, he is not deceitful. Because he has the root of vigor, he is not remiss or lazy. Because he has the root of mindfulness, he is free from anger, and because he has the root of concentration, he has no hatred. Because he has the root of wisdom, he speaks no words of resentment.

I have never seen you commit such evils as I have the other workers. Since he has the Five Roots, he gives rise to the Five Powers. He does not commit such evils. Cultivating the Four Applications of Mindfulness, the Four Right Efforts, the Four Bases of Psychic Power, the Five Roots, the Five Powers, all these dharma-doors, keeps you free from deceit, laziness, hatred, anger and grumbling--evils others often commit.

The "other workers" are those of outside ways. They cultivate unbeneficial bitter practices.

From now on, from today forward, you shall be just like my own son. Just then the elder gave him a name, calling him his son. This refers to the Fourth of the Four Additional Practices, that of Supreme Mundane Dharmas.

The poor son, although delighted at this happening, still referred to himself as a lowly worker from outside. He referred to himself as an outsider. Although he had met up with the Great Vehicle Buddhadharma, he still thought of himself as belonging to the Small Vehicle. He did not think he was really of the disposition of the Great Vehicle; he did not think he was really the Elder's son.

For this reason, for twenty years he was constantly kept at work sweeping away dung. For twenty years, he worked at sweeping out the dung of the delusions of views and thought. Twenty years can also represent the principle of unobstruction and the principle of liberation.

Sutra:

“After this, they trusted one another, and he came and went without difficulty. However, he still stayed in the same place as before.”

Outline:

M4. Bequeathing the inheritance.
N1. The inheritance.
O1. The son's familiarity and trustworthiness.

Commentary:

After this, means after he had been clearing away dung for some time, getting rid of the delusions of views and thought completely, they trusted one another, and he came and went without difficulty. Those of the Two Vehicles had gained some attainment in their cultivation of the Way, and they believed in the Great Vehicle Dharma. After this, they did not feel that it was all that difficult to cultivate the Great Vehicle Dharma.

However, he still stayed in the same place as before. Although the Two Vehicles knew that they had a share in Great Vehicle Buddhadharma, still they remained in the Small Vehicle and were unable to give up the Small Vehicle teaching. Thus they remained at the level of the Small Vehicle, finding it difficult to change their thinking. People's habits are hard to change. The Buddha taught living beings, hoping that they turn away from the Small and go towards the Great, that is, to cultivate the Great Vehicle Dharma, but living beings do not want to change.

When The Lotus Sutra was lectured, at the very beginning there were five thousand who retreated, that is, got up and left the assembly. It is definitely not easy to hear the Buddhadharma or to cultivate it. The Buddha most compassionately taught living beings, hoping that they would all become Buddha, but living beings just want to slide down. The Buddha tries to raise them up, teach, and save them, but they always want to retreat, saying that they cannot become Buddhas. They "stay in the same place," they remain in the Two Vehicles.

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