The Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the Worlds

Chapter One, Part Two

 

3) Heavens of Contentment (Tushita Heavens)

Sutra:

Moreover, Celestial King Contentment gained a passage into liberation of encountering the turning of the wheel of Perfect Teaching each time a Buddha appears in the world.

Commentary:

Moreover, the next Celestial King is named Contentment. If people are content, they will always be happy. If they aren’t content, they will always be miserable. Maitreya Bodhisattva is content at all times, and so he is always happy and never worried. This Celestial King is the same way. What does being content involve? It means ridding ourselves of the thoughts of greed, anger, and delusion. If we are greedy, we won’t be content. For instance, if someone originally did not even have a single dollar, but now he has a million, he ought to be content. However, he’s not satisfied.  He thinks, “Wait till I get ten million, then I will be satisfied.” When he makes ten million, he still feels it’s not enough. He aims for a hundred million. By the time he gets a hundred million, he aims for two hundred million. And when he gets that, he wants three hundred million. He is never content. Without contentment, we will never be happy.

With contentment, we will be happy. People who know how to be content will be happy even if they are poor. People who are not content will be miserable even if they are rich and honored. This Celestial King gained a passage into liberation of encountering the turning of the wheel of the Perfect Teaching each time a Buddha appears in the world—of the past, present, and future. The Buddhas of the three periods of time and the ten directions appear in the world and turn the Dharma wheel of the Perfect Teaching. What is the Perfect Teaching? (The two major schools of the Teachings School in China have slightly different designations):

The Five Teachings According to the Xianshou School

1.    Small Teaching
2.    Initial Teaching
3.    Final Teaching
4.    Sudden Teaching
5.    Perfect Teaching

The Small, Initial, and Final Teachings are called “half-word” teachings. The Sudden  and Perfect Teachings are called “full-word” teachings.

The Eight Teachings According to the Tiantai School

1.    Storehouse Teaching
2.    Connective Teaching 
3.    Separate Teaching
4.    Perfect Teaching
5.    Sudden Teaching
6.    Gradual Teaching
7.    Secret Teaching                             
8.    Unfixed Teaching

There are eight teachings in the Tiantai School. In the first set of four, the Storehouse, Connective, and Separate Teachings are “half-word” teachings. The Separate Teaching clarifies the “full-word” for the “half-word” teachings. The fourth, the Perfect Teaching, is a full-word teaching. The next set of four—Sudden, Gradual, Secret, and Unfixed Teachings—do not belong to the Perfect Teaching.

Now the text is referring to the Perfect Teaching. The Buddha is turning the wheel of the Perfect Teaching; he is expounding Great Vehicle sutras such as the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, the Surangama Sutra, the Amitabha Sutra, the Vajra Sutra, and so forth. Those are all Great Vehicle sutras. Since this Celestial King is content, he has attained a perfect dharma door called Wheel of the Perfect Teaching.

Sutra:

Celestial King Happiness Like an Ocean and a Cowl gained a passage into liberation of obtaining the pure bright body that pervades space.

Commentary:

Celestial King Happiness Like an Ocean and a Cowl gained a passage into liberation of obtaining the pure bright body that pervades the entirety of space. “Pure” refers to the Buddha’s basic nature, and “bright” refers to his wisdom. This Celestial King has obtained such a state. He understands the basic substance of the Buddha’s Dharma body, thus gaining passage into the liberation of the pure, bright body.

Sutra:

Celestial King Banner of Supreme Merit and Virtue gained a passage into liberation of making an ocean of pure vows that dispels the world’s sufferings.

Commentary:

Celestial King Banner of Supreme Merit and Virtue is so named because his lofty merit and virtue is like a jeweled banner. He gained a passage into liberation of making an ocean of pure vows that dispels the world’s sufferings. It’s not easy to dispel the world’s sufferings. Most people think the world is a happy place, and so they do not wish to go anywhere else. They mistake suffering for bliss. There are hundreds of millions of sufferings in the world, and there is no way to exhaustively discuss them. In general, there are three sufferings, which further expand into eight sufferings. And to discuss them in further detail, there are limitlessly many sufferings.

The Three Sufferings

1. The suffering within suffering: Basically, suffering is hard to take, but here, suffering is added upon suffering. For example, some people are poor to start with, and yet they still have a little shack that shelters them from the wind and rain. But they do not get enough to eat and are miserable. When, on top of that, their little shack gets burned down in a fire, then they experience suffering within suffering, suffering that stems from suffering.

2. The suffering of ruin: Originally, these people are not in suffering. They are rich and honored, endowed with wealth and status, and respected by everyone. However, in a series of unfortunate circumstances, they lose their official position, or their wealth. They are ruined. As their wealth and honor deteriorate, they experience the suffering of ruin.

3. The suffering of process: Although some people do not   have to experience the suffering within suffering undergone by poor people, or the suffering of ruin endured by rich people, nonetheless, they progress from youth to their prime, from their prime to old age, and from old age to death. Thought after thought, their life continues flowing and shifting
without stop. They are unable to control this process. They may want to always enjoy the prime of their lives; nonetheless, sickness and old age come upon them. And then death arrives. They have to experience the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

The Eight Sufferings

1. The suffering of birth: Being born is like what a live turtle feels when its shell is ripped off: an anguishing experience.

2. The suffering of old age: This is also very painful. Our eyesight fails and we cannot see clearly. Our ears do not help out, and so our hearing fades. Our ears want to resign and take retirement pension; they refuse to listen to anything anymore. If we say good things, our ears refuse to listen; if we say bad things, our ears refuse to listen; and even if we say things that are neither good nor bad, our ears still refuse to listen. They say, “Since we are getting our pension, we are not going to be bothered with any of this.”

Our teeth make our lot even worse. When they fall out, nothing we eat tastes good any more. Food that we eat becomes flavorless. Moreover, we can’t bite into hard food. Our hands also refuse to cooperate. We try to pick up a pair of chopsticks, but our hands do not obey orders. We want them to do as they are told, but they refuse by saying, “We won’t take refuge with you.” Your legs follow suit, saying, “Since the hands are not cooperating with you, we legs will also not help you out. If you want to take a step forward, we will take a step backward.” Would you say that was suffering or not? At that time, we will not be in control of our own body. The suffering of old age is very hard to take. Even if you aren’t able to take it, still, you have to take it. You have no other choice. Even if you have a doctor, he cannot cure your sickness of old age. He has no such remedy. He will say to you, “Not only can I not cure you, I can’t even help myself. I also wish to not grow old, but I have no remedy for that. How could I help keep you from aging?”

3. The suffering of sickness: From old age, sickness comes forth. Whereas before, in aging, our four limbs refused to cooperate, now, we actually get sick. Our head aches so badly that we can’t even get into the car or hop on an airplane to go somewhere.

4. The suffering of death: After sickness, comes death, which is like what a live cow feels when being flayed. When a cow is skinned alive, can you imagine the suffering it undergoes? When caught in the crossfire of these eight sufferings, people lose control. At usual times we may recite the Buddha’s name, but at the time of death, many people even forget how to recite. At usual times we may recite sutras, but when on the brink of death, many people forget how to recite the sutras. We need not speak of holding mantras!

The remaining four sufferings are:

5. The suffering of being apart from those you love.
6. The suffering of being together with those you hate.
7. The suffering of not getting what you want.
8. The suffering of the raging blaze of the five skandhas.

Those are the eight sufferings. And, if we were to speak of these in greater detail, there are actually innumerable sufferings. Right at the moment of a child’s birth, it starts to cry, saying, “Ku! Ku!” [Note: The words for “suffering” and “crying” have similar sounds in Chinese]. Right at the moment of birth, an infant is already aware of suffering. The Saha world is burning with a myriad sufferings and filled with a myriad evils.

However this Celestial King is able to dispel all the suffering of the world, and he is able to bring forth pure vows that are as profuse as the ocean. The Buddha is able to dispel worldly suffering. At the level of planting causes, he brought forth pure vows. Celestial King Banner of Supreme Merit and Virtue gained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Celestial King Quiescent Light gained a passage into liberation of manifesting a body everywhere to speak the Dharma. Celestial King Good Eyes gained a passage into liberation of universally purifying the realms of all sentient beings.

Commentary:

The next Celestial King is named Quiescent Light. “Quiescent” means concentration. From within this concentration he releases the light of wisdom. He gained a passage into liberation of manifesting a body everywhere to speak the Dharma. He understands how the Buddha appears in all places to speak the Dharma for beings. He has understood this state and gained this passage into liberation.

Celestial King Good Eyes regards beings with kind eyes, and so beings have many affinities with him. He gained a passage into liberation of understanding how the Thus Come One works at universally purifying the realms of all sentient beings. From defilement, sentient beings are led to purity; they transform their delusion into wisdom, their arrogance into humility and courtesy, and their greed and anger into kindness and compassion. Sentient beings turn all their defiled dharmas into pure dharmas. He universally purifies sentient beings, enabling them to turn away from confusion, return to enlightenment, leave suffering and attain bliss. This Celestial King gained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Celestial King Moon at Jeweled Peak gained a passage into liberation of having access to an inexhaustible treasury used in universally transforming those in the world by appearing before them often. Celestial King Courageous Strength gained a passage into liberation of revealing the state of all Buddhas’ Proper Enlightenment.

Commentary:

Celestial King Moon at Jeweled Peak gained a passage into liberation of having access to an inexhaustible treasury used in universally transforming those in the world by appearing before them often. This Celestial King understands how the Buddha teaches and transforms inexhaustibly many sentient beings by means of the dharma door of the inexhaustible treasury. This Celestial King attained this passage into liberation.

Celestial King Courageous Strength is very brave, robust, and strong, able to subdue all celestial demons and adherents of externalist ways. He gained a passage into liberation of revealing the state of all Buddhas’ Proper Enlightenment. When a certain Buddha realized Proper Enlightenment, what kind of state appeared? What kind of practice does a Buddha cultivate to reach Proper Enlightenment? This Celestial King understands this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Celestial King Vajra Wonderful Brightness gained a passage into liberation of making firm all sentient beings’ resolve for bodhi, rendering it indestructible.

Commentary:

Celestial King Vajra Wonderful Brightness’s bodhi resolve is as adamantine as vajra. He never retreats from this resolve. This vajra wonderful brilliance is a light of wisdom. He gained a passage into liberation of being like the Buddhas in making firm all sentient beings’ resolve for bodhi, causing them to never retreat from it and rendering it indestructible. The bodhi resolve is never extinguished. One brings forth the bodhi resolve at all times. It is as solid as vajra and there is no way to destroy it. This Celestial King attained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Celestial King Banner of Stars gained a passage into liberation of drawing near to all Buddhas during their time in the world and observing the skill-in-means they use to tame and subdue sentient beings.

Commentary:

The Celestial King named Banner of Stars gained a passage into liberation of drawing near to all Buddhas during their time in the world and observing the Dharma they speak, cultivating all practices taught by the Buddhas and seeing how the various skill-in-means they use to tame and subdue sentient beings. Although sentient beings are hard to tame and subdue, being so stubborn, the Buddhas manage to tame and subdue them by means of various skill-in-means. This Celestial King attained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Celestial King Wonderful Adornment gained a passage into liberation of fully knowing sentient beings’ thoughts in a single thought and manifesting according to their potentials.

At the time Celestial King Contentment received the Buddha’s awesome might, contemplated the multitudes of the Heavens of Contentment, and spoke the following verse.

Commentary:

Celestial King Wonderful Adornment has the finest and most wondrous adornment. He gained a passage into liberation of understanding that all Buddhas have the power of fully knowing sentient beings’ thoughts in a single thought and manifesting according to their potentials.

Complying with sentient beings’ potentials and what they like, the Buddhas appear at the opportune time to speak Dharma and teach and transform them. He attained this passage into liberation.

At that time, Celestial King Contentment, the King of the Tushita Heaven, received the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, and contemplated the multitudes of the Heavens of Contentment. Since he knew it was fitting to teach them with verses, he spoke the following verse.

Sutra:

The Thus Come One, vast and great, pervades the Dharma Realm.
Towards all sentient beings he is completely equal and level.
Everywhere responding to the multitudes, he expounds doors of wonder,
Causing them to enter inconceivable, pure dharmas.

Commentary:

The Thus Come One’s Dharma body, vast and great, pervades the Dharma Realm. Towards all sentient beings he is completely equal and level in his compassion, teaching and transforming them. Everywhere responding to the multitudes, to the potential of all sentient beings, he expounds doors of wonder, clearly explaining subtly wonderful, inconceivable dharma doors, thus causing them to enter inconceivable, pure dharmas. He enables sentient beings to attain pure, wondrous dharmas, unsurpassed bliss and perfect, great enlightenment. That is the original intent of all Buddhas. The Sutra says, “inconceivable” pure dharmas. They cannot be conceived of with the mind.

Sutra:

The Buddha’s body appears everywhere in the ten directions.
Without attachment, without obstructions, it cannot be grasped.Those in the world can see his various physical features.
Thus enters the god Happiness Like a Cowl.

Commentary:

The Buddhas’ body appears everywhere in the ten directions. The Buddha’s Dharma body manifests in lands throughout the ten directions, teaching and transforming all sentient beings, causing them to bring forth the unsurpassed resolve for bodhi and accomplish bodhi’s fruition.

However, it is not the case that the Buddha deliberately displays his spiritual powers so as to impress upon sentient beings that his spiritual powers are the greatest. No, that’s not case. Rather, the Buddha teaches and transforms sentient beings so they can quickly accomplish the Buddha Way. It’s for that reason the Buddha manifests the wondrous functioning of spiritual powers. Yet, although the Buddha manifests the wondrous functioning of spiritual powers, he is not attached to them.

Without attachment means not being attached to true emptiness; and without obstructions means not being attached to wonderful existence. Because the Buddha is not attached to true emptiness, there is wonderful existence. And because wonderful existence is not obstructed, there is true emptiness.  It cannot be grasped or attached to. You can neither grasp nor reject true emptiness and wonderful existence. Grasping, you won’t attain them; and you cannot reject them, either. They can neither be grasped nor be rejected. That is the state of true emptiness and wonderful existence. And because there is wonderful existence, those in the world can see his various physical features. Those in the world are able to see the Buddha’s various marks, his thirty-two marks and eighty subsidiary characteristics. Thus enters the god Happiness Like a Cowl. That Celestial King attained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

In the past, the Thus Come Ones cultivated numerous practices.
Their pure, tremendous vows were deep like the ocean.
All Buddhadharmas were brought to perfection.
Supreme Virtue knows this skill-in-means.

Commentary:

In the past, the Thus Come Ones cultivated numerous practices while at the level of planting causes. This includes the Six Perfections and the myriad practices of the Bodhisattva Path. While at the level of planting causes, in his quest for the Dharma, the Buddha gave away his own body, life, wealth, country, city, wife, and children. He gave away all of his external wealth as well as his internal wealth.

For example, if someone was sick and needed blood, the Buddha donated his blood to help that sick person. If someone needed an eye to cure his sickness, the Buddha gave away his eye. If someone needed bones or marrow to cure his sickness, the Buddha gave away his bones and marrow. At the level of planting causes, the Buddha cultivated many practices to benefit sentient beings. Their numerous pure, tremendous vows were deep like the ocean. These vows were devoid of any defilement. The Buddha cast out desire and severed love. “Pure” means being without desire and defilement, without the fetters of love.

If one is fettered by love, pulled along by emotion, and encumbered by material things, then one is not pure. The Buddha made vows to the effect that in life after life he would leave the home-life, cultivate the Way, hold the precepts, cultivate samÁdhi and wisdom, and free himself from all defiled dharmas. Not only did he vow to do this in one lifetime, but he would do this every lifetime, all the way till he reached Buddhahood. He would cultivate pure practices of removing himself from filth. He brought forth those pure, great vows that were deep as the sea and as high as Mount Sumeru. These vows were so deep that you cannot fathom their source, and so lofty you cannot see their summit. These great pure vows were loftier than the mountains and deeper than the ocean.

All Buddhadharmas were brought to perfection, filling the world, so as to teach and transform all sentient beings. The Buddha, having perfected Buddhadharmas himself, also enabled all sentient beings to obtain perfect Buddhadharmas. Supreme Virtue knows this skill-in-means. The Celestial King Banner of Supreme Merit and Virtue knows this expedient dharma door, this inconceivable state.

Sutra:

The Thus Come One’s Dharma body defies conceptualization,
Casting reflections throughout the Dharma Realm.
Everywhere he elucidates all dharmas.
The god Quiescent Light gained this liberation.

Commentary:

The Thus Come One’s Dharma body defies conceptualization. It cannot be conceived of with the mind or described with language. The Dharma body pervades all places, casting reflections throughout the Dharma Realm. The Buddha’s Dharma body is everywhere. It is nowhere, and yet everywhere. There is no place where it is, and no place where it isn’t. What kind of state do you think this is? Though you may try to think about it, you won’t be able to know precisely. Everywhere he clearly elucidates all dharmas. The Buddha’s Dharma body reaches every corner, for what purpose? He is unlike we people who when we go places, check out if that place is fun or not, determining whether there are amusing sights and sounds. We might visit famous sites; however, the Buddha is not like that. The reason why the Buddhas go to all places is to clearly elucidate all dharmas, so that sentient beings can understand. The god Quiescent Light gained this liberation. That Celestial King attained this passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Sentient beings are fettered and covered over by karma and delusion.
Prompted by pride, arrogance, and indulgence, their minds drift and wander.
The Thus Come One speaks still and quiescent dharmas for them.
Good Eyes knows this from reflecting, and his heart rejoices.

Commentary:

Sentient beings become deluded, create karma, and undergo the retribution. They are fettered, as if bound up by ropes so they cannot move, and covered over, as if they are placed in a large crock with the lid shut tight. They cannot move about freely. They are unable to get out of the large crock and are in constant darkness. In this country, everyone advocates freedom; however, they misunderstand freedom. People do not discipline their children, insisting that lack of discipline is freedom. After their children do bad things, even if their parents want to discipline them, the children refuse to be disciplined. That is all part of being fettered and covered over by their karma and delusion.

Prompted by pride, arrogance, and indulgence...Pride means looking down on everyone else. Arrogance means being bloated with a sense of ego and being impolite and rude to people. As for indulgence, many Americans like this one. Indulgence means not following the rules. If you tell them they should follow the rules, they will oppose you, saying, “What rules do you mean? You follow your own rules; don’t try to make me follow the rules.” Some go so far as to persuade others to not follow the rules.

Their minds drift and wander. That means they don’t follow the rules. The Thus Come One speaks still and quiescent dharmas for them. Don’t get nervous or go berserk. The Thus Come One is speaking still and quiet dharmas for you, and so you should keep quiet. Good Eyes knows this from reflecting, and his heart rejoices. This Celestial King understands this state, and his heart is happy.

Sutra:

The True Teacher of all those in any world
Manifests to rescue beings and bring them back
To a serene haven universally revealed.
Moon at the Peak enters this in depth.

Commentary:

The True Teacher of all those in any world...This does not mean just one world, but all worlds. And these worlds further divide into three kinds of worlds:

1. the world of Proper Enlightenment
2. the environmental world
3. the world of sentient beings

When the Buddha abides in a world, he is in the world of proper enlightenment. The environmental world is depended-upon retribution, which includes the mountains, rivers, and the great earth. And the world of sentient beings is “primary retribution.”

Another way to explain this is: this world, that world, measurelessly many worlds; this realm, that realm, measurelessly many realms; the land, that land, measurelessly many lands. All of that is implied in the words, “all those in any world.” The Buddha is a true teacher for all beings in those worlds, someone who truly understands the truth. A true teacher is different from teachers of deviant sects or externalist ways, who usually are selfish and aiming for their own benefit; who often laud themselves and deprecate others.

The Buddha, being a genuinely great teacher, is selfless and has no thoughts of benefiting himself. He is completely fair and unbiased, greatly compassionate and egalitarian. He teaches all sentient beings, whether they are good or evil. He causes good sentient beings to increase and further their good roots. He influences evil beings to change their evil ways and head towards the good. The Buddhadharma does not reject even a single sentient being. The Buddha is a true guiding master within and beyond the world. He is able to lead us from the path of darkness onto a bright path; he can teach us to change our ignorance and affliction into wisdom and Bodhi, turn away from confusion and return to enlightenment, renounce the deviant and follow the proper. That is a true teacher.

Why does a Buddha appear in the world? He wishes to help sentient beings to leave suffering and attain bliss, and end birth and death. He manifests in the world to rescue beings and bring them back to Proper Enlightenment from the path of confusion. The Dharma Flower Sutra says, “The Buddha appears in the world for the sake of one great matter.”

What is that great matter? It is the great matter of sentient beings’ birth and death. He brings beings back to a serene haven universally revealed. He universally reveals this to sentient beings. It’s not the case that the Buddha teaches only good sentient beings and does not care about evil sentient beings. He guides both good and evil beings, causing them to turn away from confusion and return to enlightenment, renounce the deviant and follow the proper so they can arrive at a place of comfort and joy. What kind of a place is that? It means being without greed, anger, and delusion. Just that is comfort and joy.

If you are without afflictions, greed, anger, and delusion, naturally you will arrive at a place of comfort and joy. You have to bring forth the mind of precepts, samadhi, and wisdom. If you can hold the precepts, then you will be in a place of comfort and joy. If you can cultivate Dhyana-samadhi, then you can reach a place of comfort and joy. If you can cultivate prajña wisdom, then you will come to know a place of comfort and joy. After you understand and no longer have distress and vexation, then you arrive at a place of comfort and joy. When you are confused and are fraught with affliction, then you aren’t in a place of comfort and joy. Celestial King Moon at the Jeweled Peak enters and understand this liberation in depth.

Sutra:

Inconceivable is the state of each Buddha.
Pervading all dharma realms,
They enter all dharmas and reach the other shore.
Courageous Wisdom sees thus and rejoices.

Commentary:

Inconceivable is the state of each Buddha of the ten directions. That is a general way of explaining this line. Or, “each Buddha” can refer specifically to Śākyamuni Buddha.

“But that won’t work,” someone protests. “Each refers to each and every Buddha, so it cannot be restricted to Śākyamuni Buddha alone. That would be incorrect.”

You may insist it is incorrect; however, I insist this is a correct way of speaking. Why? The demonstrative pronoun translated as “each” can variously mean “all” or “one.”  Since we are lecturing on the Flower Adornment Sutra, which was spoken by Śākyamuni Buddha, it is fitting to say that the sutra is right now referring to Śākyamuni Buddha. Śākyamuni Buddha can represent the Buddhas of the ten directions. The Buddhas of the ten directions are identical with Śākyamuni Buddha; Śākyamuni Buddha is identical with the Buddhas of the ten directions.

Do not have a great attachment, recognizing only Śākyamuni Buddha but not the Buddhas of the ten directions. On the other hand, do not have a small attachment, recognizing only the Buddhas of the ten directions, but not Śākyamuni Buddha. You should be without the notion of great or small and cast out all attachment, because each Buddha shares an identical path. A reference to one Buddha includes each Buddha; a reference to each Buddha includes one Buddha.

And what are we discussing about each Buddha? We are discussing each Buddha’s state. It is an inconceivable, wonderful state, not something that ordinary people’s minds can understand. It cannot be conceived of with the mind or described with language. It is like space. Can you conceive of space? No, you can’t. However, although you cannot conceive of it, it does not go beyond your single present thought. Your single present thought is also like space in that it is without boundaries.

Pervading all dharma realms...The Dharma Realm is extremely vast, so vast that there is nothing outside it. The Dharma Realm is also extremely small, to the point that there is nothing inside it. What does “all” dharma realms mean? It means all sentient beings. All sentient beings are all dharma realms. The mind of every sentient being is illumined by each Buddha’s light. They enter all dharmas and reach the other shore. This causes sentient beings to enter and understand all dharmas, and cultivate according to all dharmas. Mere understanding does not count. We have to rely on the dharmas to cultivate, and then we can arrive at the other shore. Progressing from stupidity to wisdom, we will arrive at the other shore of wisdom.

By changing our greed and stinginess and being able to give, we can arrive at the other shore of giving. If we did not uphold the precepts before, we can now uphold the precepts, and by doing so, arrive at the other shore of morality. If we were afflicted with hatred and a huge temper, but now we understand the Dharma, then we are able to be patient. Once our hatred is dispelled, we will arrive at the other shore of patience. Originally we may have been lazy, but having understood the Buddhadharma, we become vigorous and can arrive at the other shore of vigor. Originally we may not have liked sitting in chan, but having entered all dharmas, we cultivate dhyana-samadhi and will be able to arrive at the shore of dhyana-samadhi. We were stupid to begin with, but now we cultivate prajña and will be able to arrive at the other shore of wisdom. In every aspect, we can arrive at the other shore.

Celestial King Courageous Wisdom sees thus and rejoices. Having understood this state, he is very happy.

In a previous section, the sutra text brought up “a place of comfort and joy.” Someone has a question in his mind. “The Western Pure Land is a place of comfort and joy. But is it really the case that just by getting rid of greed, anger, and delusion, we can arrive at that place of comfort and joy?”

That’s right. The Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is indeed a place of comfort and joy. However, it is too far away from us, being hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhalands away and so it is not easy to get there. But, if we can be without greed, anger, and delusion, right then and there we can be in that place of comfort and joy. Why bother to run so far away to find a place of comfort and joy? I will now speak a couple lines for you, to help you understand that the place of comfort and joy is right before you. What are these lines?

When our nature is settled and the demons are subdued, every day we are happy.
When discursive thoughts do not arise, everywhere is peaceful.

If our nature is settled and we have the power of concentration, all demons are subdued, and every day we will be happy. If we do not indulge in false thoughts, at all places we will be happy and at ease. Isn’t that just a place of comfort and joy? Cultivators of the Way must find that place of comfort and joy within themselves. Do not go outside looking for it. A place of comfort and joy outside is not our own. Our own place of comfort and joy is the genuine place of comfort and joy.

Someone else says, “Although the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddha lands away, if we recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, we can arrive at that land of bliss.”

I say that if we can recite Amitabha’s name, we will find the land of bliss right here. We don’t have to go to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. If we really are mindful of Amitabha Buddha, would we still be having thoughts based in greed, anger and delusion? The absence of those thoughts is the Land of Ultimate Bliss. It’s a shame that our mindfulness has not reached that level. However, if we are able to recite, then we will arrive at that place of comfort and joy.

Sutra:

Sentient beings ready for transformation
Head towards bodhi upon hearing of the Buddha’s meritorious virtue.
He causes them to abide in the ocean of blessings, forever pure.
Wonderful Brightness contemplates thus.

Commentary:

Let us suppose sentient beings are ready for transformation. Originally these sentient beings were not fit to be transformed, but now even they have to be transformed by the Buddha. They head towards bodhi upon hearing of the Buddha’s meritorious virtue. Basically, these sentient beings do not deserve to be taught, having engaged in the ten evils and the five rebellious acts, They violate the Five Precepts, engaging in killing, theft, lust, false speech, and taking intoxicants.
They also perform the ten evil deeds:

three evils of the body: killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct;
three evils of the mind: greed, anger, and delusion;
four evils of the mouth: harsh speech, duplicity, irresponsible speech, and lying.

However, if you can turn the ten evils around, they become the Ten Good Deeds. If you do not turn them around, they remain the ten evils. The five rebellious acts are: patricide, matricide, shedding the Buddhas’s blood, killing an Arhat, and disrupting the harmony of the Sangha. Basically, sentient beings who are guilty of those faults cannot be taught and transformed. But now, upon hearing about the Buddha’s merit and virtue, they make the resolve to attain bodhi. He, the Buddha, causes them to abide in the ocean of blessings, forever pure. The Buddha helps them so their bodhi resolve is never destroyed. They live in a sea of blessings and virtue and remain forever pure. Celestial King Vajra Wonderful Brightness contemplates this state, understands it thus, and attains liberation.

Sutra:

In oceans of lands numerous as motes of dust in the ten directions,
All beings flock to the Buddhas and congregate
To pay respects, make offerings, and hear the Dharma.
Adorned Banner perceives thus.

Commentary:

In oceans of lands numerous as motes of dust in the ten directions. Those who have heard the sutra will know what the ten directions are, but those who haven’t will not. The ten directions are: east, west, south, north, above, and below—that makes the six directions. Then add the four intermediate points: southeast, southwest, northeast, northwest. Together they make up the ten directions. Now there are seas of Buddhalands in the ten directions, as many as there are motes of dust. Our world is only one among many worlds, as numerous as motes of dust. Most ordinary people are not aware of this.

All beings flock to the Buddhas and congregate. This refers to lands and worlds as many as motes of dust. In every world there is a Buddha teaching and transforming sentient beings. And every sentient being can in the future bring to realization a Buddha’s land. All Buddhas’ places include the places of Buddhas of the past, present and future, throughout the ten directions. All sentient beings assemble at those places; they arrive to hear the Buddhas talk about the dharmas of not being upside down. Whereas all sentient beings only know upside down dharmas, the Buddhas teach them how not to be upside down. This means calming their mad thoughts and smashing their ignorance. Why are people upside down? Because they have ignorance. From ignorance sentient beings gives rise to delusion, create karma, and undergo various kinds of retribution. Great Master Hanshan spoke a set of verses and brought the point across very well:

In a single thought, the mad mind comes to a stop.
The Surangama Sutra says the same thing:
“When the mad mind stops, with that stopping is bodhi.”

Sense faculties and defiling objects, inside and out, are clear and penetrating. The six sense faculties inside—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind; and the six defiling objects outside--form, sounds, smells, tastes, objects of touch, and dharmas, all of these emit great light.

Turn around and smash through empty space.
Flipping around, he is able to smash right through empty space.
The myriad phenomena arise and vanish on their own.
The myriad phenomena: mountains, rivers, and the great earth;
all the houses and buildings and so forth, are allowed to come into being and disappear on their own.

Great Master Hanshan composed this verse right after his enlightenment, describing his vision after his awakening.

They flock to all Buddhas’ places to pay respects, make offerings to the Buddhas, and hear the Dharma at those Buddhas’ Dharma assemblies. Adorned Banner perceives thus. That Celestial King has obtained this inconceivable state and gained this passage into liberation.
 
Sutra:

Inconceivable is the ocean of sentient beings’ thoughts.
Without dwelling, movement, or a place to rely.
In a single thought, the Buddha sees it with total clarity.
The god Wonderful Adornment understands this well.

Commentary:

Sentient beings are “born from a confluence of many conditions.” There are many categories of sentient beings, and those in each category are born because of their individual causes and conditions. The thoughts of sentient beings are like an ocean. Although the Dharma Realm is vast, it does not go beyond sentient beings’ thoughts. Although you may feel that sentient beings’ minds are small, nonetheless, they include the Dharma Realm. For this reason we say, “The Buddhadharma, the dharma of sentient beings, and the dharma of the mind—these three dharmas are not different.” The Dharma Realm is great, and so is the scope of sentient beings’ minds, and so is the Buddha’s nature.

Inconceivable is the ocean of sentient beings’ thoughts. There is no way to think about it or describe it with words. “The wonderful Path lies on the tip of a hair.” Because it is too wonderful, it cannot be conceived.

It is without dwelling. The mind of sentient beings is unattached. Therefore the Vajra Sutra says, “Bring forth the mind that dwells nowhere.” It is also without movement. It is thus, thus unmoving, always clear, bright, and understanding. Prajña wisdom manifests. And it is without a place to rely. Where would you say your mind is? When the First Chan Patriarch Bodhidharma first arrived in China, most Chinese people did not like him, an Indian. They refused to talk to him, especially Cantonese people. Patriarch Bodhidharma’s Chinese probably was not very clear, and the Cantonese people asked him, “What are you talking about?” in their dialect, which was unintelligible to Patriarch Bodhidharma. Since he could not make any sense talking with the adults, he tried talking to the children. When the children saw this person with a full beard and huge eyes, they were so scared that they ran away crying. Then the mother of the child came out of the house and said, “Oh, it’s a ghost!” She called Patriarch Bodhidharma a ghost. Would you say that was a false accusation or not?

Patriarch Bodhidharma said, “Alright, I’ll go to Nanjing.”

In Nanjing, Dharma Master Shenguang was lecturing on the sutras. He lectured so well that blossoms fell from the heavens and golden lotuses welled up from the earth. Patriarch Bodhidharma asked Master Shenguang, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m lecturing on the Sutras,” replied Master Shenguang.

“Why are you lecturing on the Sutras?”

“To teach sentient beings how to end birth and death!”

“Oh, you’re teaching sentient beings how to end birth and death,” said Patriarch Bodhidharma. “The words are black; the paper is white. With what are you enabling sentient beings to end birth and death?”

At that time, Master Shenguang was not aware that Patriarch Bodhidharma was a Chan Patriarch. The Patriarch did not come wearing a sign around his neck that said, “I am the First Patriarch Bodhidharma. Do you recognize me?”

He did not put up a sign, and so Master Shenguang failed to recognize him. He said, “You Indian monk! You are slandering the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha!” Thereupon he took out his iron recitation beads. Each bead was as big as an egg, and the whole string of beads reached all the way to the ground. Unlike my recitation beads that are made of star-moon Bodhi seeds, Master Shenguang’s beads were cast in iron. He brandished those beads and struck Patriarch Bodhidharma across the face. The Patriarch did not have time to dodge the attack, and two of his teeth were knocked out. He did not dare spit his teeth out. Why? It’s said that if the teeth of a sage fall to the ground, it won’t rain in that place for three years.

There’s actually no scientific evidence for that legend. But since Patriarch Bodhidharma did not want sentient beings to suffer on his account, he swallowed his own teeth. From this incident we have a saying in Chinese, “After your teeth have been knocked out, you swallow them into your stomach.”

Having swallowed his teeth, Patriarch Bodhidharma thought, “You can lecture the sutras and teach people to end birth and death, but I’m leaving.” Can you imagine a Patriarch getting his teeth knocked out and then swallowing them? He resumed his journey and left Nanjing. On his way he came upon a parrot in a cage. The parrot asked him,

“Mind from the West, mind from the West,
Teach me a way to get out of this cage!”

Since the Patriarch found someone who recognized him, who knew his sound, he said to the parrot:

“To get out of the cage, to get out of the cage,
Stick out your legs, and close both eyes!
That’s the way to get out of the cage!”

The parrot said, “Okay!” Thereupon Patriarch Bodhidharma left. When the parrot’s owner came home, the parrot stretched out its two legs and lay there with eyes closed. The owner thought, “How could my parrot have died?” He opened the door of the cage, reached in, and took the parrot out. He held the parrot in his palm and examined it. “Strange, there doesn’t seem to be any injury…How could it have died?” The owner could still feel the warmth from the parrot’s body—was it the case that the parrot had not completely died? He opened up his hand, and right at that moment, the parrot sprang up and flew away! The trick to get out of the cage worked. The parrot was free.

After Patriarch Bodhidharma left, Master Shenguang ran into trouble. He had just finished lecturing his sutra, when a messenger from King Yama came. The ghost of impermanence said, “Dharma Master, King Yama is throwing a party and invites you to settle your accounts with him. We have to figure out how many sutras you have lectured and recited, how many sutras you still haven’t lectured or recited, and what will happen to you in the future.”

Master Shenguang was taken by surprise. “Oh, King Yama wants me? Is it all right if I don’t go?”

 “Absolutely not,” said the ghost. “No matter how slippery you are, you won’t be able to slip through King Yama’s hands. Even if you become a slippery ghost, we’ll still be able to track you down.”

“Isn’t there someone whom King Yama can’t control, who has ended his birth and death?”

The ghost told him, “Yes, that black-faced, bearded monk whose teeth you just knocked out—King Yama cannot do anything to him. He is a Sage who has realized the fruition.”

Master Shenguang then pleaded with the ghost of impermanence, “Please do me a favor. In the future, I’ll treat you to tea.”

The ghost said, “There’s no need to treat me to tea. You can treat me to some snacks.”

“Well, in that case, we can see each other in the future,” said Master Shenguang, “but now I have to go look for the black-faced monk.”

Master Shenguang was in such a hurry that he only managed to put on one shoe. He carried the other shoe in his hand and ran down the road. He followed Patriarch Bodhidharma all the way to Shaolin Monastery at Bear’s Ear Mountain. The Patriarch sat facing a stone wall for nine years, and Master Shenguang knelt by his side for nine years. Think it over. You are also seeking the Buddhadharma, but have you knelt for nine years? Have you knelt for nine months? Or nine days? Or, for that matter, nine hours? If you haven’t, you are way behind Patriarch Shenguang. And if you wish to become a Patriarch, you have to put in more work and make progress.

Someone says, “This is the nuclear age. Even if one wishes to be a Patriarch, one doesn’t have to kneel for nine years. Nine seconds should be enough.”

Well, if you can manage to do it so quickly, you’re much better off than Master Shenguang. He knelt for nine years. One day, it was snowing outside. Master Shenguang nagged Patriarch Bodhidharma again, “Patriarch, please transmit the Dharma to me. I’ve knelt here nine years, which amply shows my sincerity.”

Patriarch Bodhidharma said, “Hah! You knocked off two of my teeth, and now you seek the Dharma from me. Okay, what’s happening outside?”

“It’s snowing,” replied Master Shenguang.

“What color is the snow?”

“It’s white.”

“When red snow starts coming down, I’ll transmit the Dharma to you,” said Patriarch Bodhidharma. “But you won’t stand a chance if red snow doesn’t fall. To the end of time, I won’t transmit the Dharma to you!”

It was not the case that Patriarch Bodhidharma was still angry because Master Shenguang had knocked off his teeth. Rather, he was just testing Master Shenguang to see what he would do.

At that moment, Master Shenguang had a sudden flash of insight. Seeing a knife hanging on the wall, he took it down. If there had been someone beside him, this person would have wondered, “Is he going to kill Patriarch Bodhidharma?” But the Patriarch still sat facing the wall, paying no attention to any of this. “If you want to kill me, go ahead,” was his attitude.

Master Shenguang went outside with the knife and chopped off his own arm. The way I look at it, Master Shenguang had a great temper! If he didn’t have a fiery temper, why did he have to chop off an entire arm? He could just as easily have cut off a small piece of his own flesh, and enough blood would have flowed out and dyed the snow red. Since he had a furious temper, he said, “All right, I’ll show you!” and he chopped off his arm. The blood gushed out and turned the snow crimson. He took some of the blood-stained snow into the cave and showed it to Bodhidharma, “Look, the snow from the sky is red!”

Patriarch Bodhidharma saw that Master Shenguang was truly sincere, and so he said to him, “I haven’t come to China in vain. I will transmit the Dharma to you.” Thereupon he transmitted the Dharma to Master Shenguang. But Master Shenguang did not feel that was enough. He had a problem. What problem? He said, “Patriarch, although I have obtained the Dharma, my mind is in great pain.”

Patriarch Bodhidharma said, “Fine, bring me your mind and I’ll make the pain go away.”

Master Shenguang looked for his mind above and below, in the four quarters and the ten directions throughout the entire Dharma Realm, but he could not locate his mind. His mind was not inside, not outside, and not in the middle. Thereupon he said to Patriarch Bodhidharma, “Although I search for my mind, I can’t find it.”

The Patriarch replied, “Then I have helped you settle your mind.”

It was very strange. Right after that, Master Shenguang felt the pain in his mind go away. That was the dharma door of “the mind sealing the mind.” At this point, everyone should ask himself or herself, “Do I want to be like the parrot and escape from my cage so I can go out and play?” If you aren’t even aware that you are imprisoned in a cage, there’s nothing to be said. However, if you are aware that you are trapped in a cage and not free, then you should hurry and look up Patriarch Bodhidharma!

In a single thought, the Buddha sees it with total clarity. Our mind is nowhere and yet everywhere. In a single thought, the Buddha is able to clearly know all the thoughts in sentient beings’ minds. He can perceive them all clearly. The god Wonderful Adornment understands this well. That Celestial King is especially good at understanding this Dharma.

Remember: Whenever there are people in the hall, our own people should move forward and take up the bowing cushions in front. It’s not the case that Bhikshus have to stand at the place for Bhikshus, or Bhikshunis have to stand at the place for Bhikshunis, or the male and female novices have to take up another row. If the laypeople see that there is room up front, you should move up. Don’t leave empty bowing cushions in front, while people have to kneel on the floor at the back. That’s not good. The floor is cool. People could catch cold from the moisture on the floor. Although people can show their extra sincerity by kneeling on the ground, right now it is not necessary for them to do so.

In the future, if they wish to kneel on stone, or iron, or diamond, they can do as they please. That is, after they have gained true understanding. As of right now, they still haven’t reached that level of skill. It’s not yet time. Some people still experience pain in their legs, even when they kneeling on the bowing cushions. They would feel even more pain if they had to kneel on the ground. In the future, after they truly understand the Buddhadharma, things can change. But since they haven’t completely understood the Dharma right now, it’s not necessary to make them undertake too many ascetic practices.

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