The Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the Worlds

Chapter One, Part Four and Five

Sutra:

Moreover, Forest-ruling Spirit Spreading Flowers Like Clouds gained a passage into liberation of an oceanic treasury of vast, great, boundless wisdom.  

Commentary:

Moreover, to elaborate further on the principles that were not fully discussed earlier, Forest-ruling Spirit Spreading Flowers Like Clouds gained a passage into liberation of an oceanic treasury of vast, great, boundless wisdom. This Forest-ruling Spirit spread and scattered a sea of lotus flowers in cloud-like formations. She attained a sea of vast, boundless wisdom. Such wisdom is immense and without boundaries, like an ocean, so it is said to be an “oceanic treasury.” She attained that passage into liberation.

Sutra:

Forest-ruling Spirit Helping Trunks Grow Tall and Pouring Forth Light gained a passage into liberation of extensively cultivating purity on a universal scale.  

Commentary:

The next Forest-ruling Spirit is named Helping Trunks Grow Tall and Pouring Forth Light. She helps all the trunks of trees to grow taller day by day, and she also emits a pure light. She cultivates the Dharma door of vast purity. Purity refers to the absence of defiled thoughts. Defiled thoughts are thoughts of emotional love. Cultivators of the Way must first cultivate their skill in cutting off desire and getting rid of love. When they have perfected this skill, everything will be pure. This spirit gained a passage into liberation of extensively leading all sentient beings to be engaged in cultivating the Dharma door of undefiled purity on a universal scale.  

Sutra:

Forest-ruling Spirit Producing Sprouts and Emitting Radiance gained a passage into liberation of causing sprouts of various kinds of pure faith to grow.  

Commentary:

These spirits rule over trees. All trees have spirits watching over them. Very large trees are known in Buddhism as “villages of ghosts and spirits,” because ghosts and spirits dwell in them. Be careful when you go near great, big trees, for you might encounter ghosts.

Forest-ruling Spirit Producing Sprouts and Emitting Radiance gained a passage into liberation of causing sprouts of various kinds of pure faith to grow. This Forest-ruling Spirit produces sprouts of pure faith and emits the light of wisdom. She causes all kinds of pure faith to sprout. These are sprouts of bodhi. She attained this passage into liberation. 

Sutra:

Forest-ruling Spirit Auspicious Pure Leaves gained a passage into liberation of amassing all kinds of purity, merit and virtue, and adornment. Forest-ruling Spirit Overhanging Resplendent Treasury gained a passage into liberation of constantly beholding the entire Dharma Realm through a universal gateway of pure wisdom. Forest-ruling Spirit Wondrous Adorned Radiance gained a passage into liberation of universally knowing the ocean of all sentient beings’ practices and creating Dharma clouds.  

Commentary:

Forest-ruling Spirit Auspicious Pure Leaves is very auspicious, and the leaves of the trees she rules over are extremely pure. She gained a passage into liberation of amassing all kinds of purity, merit and virtue, and adornment. Her forests are pure, adorned, and endowed with an accumulation of merit and virtue. She attained that passage into liberation.

Forest-ruling Spirit Overhanging Resplendent Treasury gained a passage into liberation of constantly beholding the entire Dharma Realm through a universal gateway of pure wisdom. She causes all the trees to be pure, as if they had wisdom. She can constantly observe and pervade the Dharma Realm. She attained that passage into liberation. 

Forest-ruling Spirit Wondrous Adorned Radiance gained a passage into liberation of universally knowing the ocean of all sentient beings’ practices and creating Dharma clouds. She knows the practices cultivated by every sentient being, and she disseminates all kinds of Dharma, which spreads over sentient beings like clouds.

This section of text on the Forest-ruling Spirits is quite easy to understand, so a brief explanation suffices.

Sutra:

Forest-ruling Spirit Delightful Thunder Sound gained a passage into liberation of enduring all unpleasant sounds and uttering pure sounds. Forest-ruling Spirit Pervasive Glow and Perfume gained a passage into liberation of universally displaying in the ten directions the state of vast, great practices cultivated in the past. Forest-ruling Spirit Wondrous Light Unique and Sparkling gained a passage into liberation of using all dharmas of merit and virtue to benefit those in the world.  

Commentary:

Forest-ruling Spirit Delightful Thunder Sound . Delightful sounds are sounds that please the ear and that one is happy to listen to. This spirit gained a state of the Buddha and a passage into liberation of enduring all unpleasant sounds and uttering pure sounds. Unpleasant sounds are not delightful to hear, while pleasant sounds are delightful. Praise is an example of pleasant sound, while insults are examples of unpleasant sounds. Whether or not the sounds she hears are delightful, this spirit is able to bear them and produce pure Dharma sounds. She attained that passage into liberation.

Forest-ruling Spirit Pervasive Glow and Perfume gained a passage into liberation of universally and simultaneously displaying in the ten directions the state of vast, great, boundless doors of practices that she cultivated in the past in order to get rid of her bad habits and faults. That is her passage into liberation.

Forest-ruling Spirit Wondrous Light Unique and Sparkling , whose light stands out from that of other Forest-ruling Spirits, gained a passage into liberation of using all dharmas of merit and virtue to benefit all those sentient beings in the world.

We who are students of the Buddhadharma should learn a little bit, and then put that little bit into practice. That’s the important thing. If you learn something, but fail to apply it, then it’s the same as not learning it. After listening to sutra and Dharma lectures, we must diligently reflect upon ourselves and actually practice the principles we have learned. Never fear that you know too little. Only fear that you cannot cultivate. No matter how much you know, your knowledge is useless if you don’t apply it

At Gold Mountain Monastery, we have sutra lectures and Dharma talks every single day. The Buddhadharma is like the blood in our veins. It cannot stop flowing. After listening to the Dharma, we must cultivate in accordance with it. Otherwise, we would be wasting our time.

In particular, if you are still young, if would be worthless to devote valuable time to the study of the Buddhadharma if you do not follow through with actual practice.

Whether you are Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Shramaneras, Shramanerikas, Upasakas, or Upasikas, you ought to bring forth great courage and vigor. Open your eyes and take a look at the present state of the world. There is not a single peaceful place in the world. People everywhere are nervous and fearful, as if walking on the edge of a cliff or treading on thin ice. That’s how dangerous the situation is. Everyone is afraid that a third world war is about to break out. If we want to avert such a disaster, we must reflect upon ourselves and change our own hearts and minds. Is the world messed up? No. Are human beings messed up? No. It is people’s minds that are messed up. Since people’s minds are messed up, there is no peace in the world.

When people’s minds are at peace,
Serenity prevails under heaven.
When serenity prevails under heaven,
The commonwealth of peace and prosperity is achieved.

The present state of the world is caused by the deterioration of people’s minds. Students of the Buddhadharma should aim to reform people’s minds. We should cure people’s mental illnesses, their illness of being born and dying. See how Asian Buddhism is declining day by day? We must not let American Buddhism decline, but should instead cause it to flourish more with each passing day.

If we want Buddhism to flourish, we must cultivate diligently. No one at Gold Mountain Monastery should be lazy and sneak off to take a break. Everyone should do the work together and cultivate together. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be much point to our living in this icebox together. We eat only one meal a day, and many people sleep sitting up. If, in spite of all this, we fail to cultivate diligently, then our efforts are in vain.

Take a look at Guo Zhan. Since I criticized him for dozing off during the sutra lectures, he now stands up to listen to the sutras. I see that Guo Hang is still dozing off as he listens to the lectures. He is constantly in the sleeping samadhi. I don’t know when he will come out of it.

Good advisors, time is precious. Don’t squander it casually. At all times, you should call your own name and ask yourself, “What am I doing here?” This evening it was originally Guo Zhan’s turn to lecture, not mine. However, since I am going to Seattle tomorrow, I will not be here tomorrow evening or Thursday. Therefore I am lecturing one night earlier. Tomorrow evening, since I will not be here, I invited Dharma Miaojing (“Wonderful State”) to lecture in my place. Even when I am here, I want to ask Dharma Master Miaojing to speak in my place, since I’m getting old and the younger generation should do more. However, he always excuses himself saying that his throat is hoarse. My throat is in much better condition than his. So I am only asking him to lecture on Wednesday and Thursday evening. He can probably lecture two evenings without getting tired out.

I’m telling everyone this good news tonight, so you can go home and tell your friends and relatives to come listen to the wonderful Dharma being lectured in a wonderful state. Don’t miss this marvelous opportunity. I’ll be back on Friday. During these two days, you will get to study some wonderful Dharma and then you can bury the crude dharma you learned before.

Sutra:

Forest-ruling Spirit Luster and Flavor of Flowers and Fruits gained a passage into liberation of being adorned with a treasury of merit and virtue gained through enabling everyone to see the Buddhas appear and to recollect them with constant reverence and never forget them.

At that time, Forest-ruling Spirit Spreading Flowers like Clouds received the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, universally contemplated the multitudes of Forest-ruling Spirits, and spoke the following verse.  

Commentary:

Forest-ruling Spirit Luster and Flavor of Flowers and Fruits causes sentient beings’ prajna flowers to bloom, so that they bear the fruit of bodhi. She emits the light of prajna and reveals the flavor of ghee. That’s the meaning of her name. She gained a state of the Buddha and a passage into liberation of being adorned with a treasury of merit and virtue gained through enabling everyone, all sentient beings, to see the Buddhas appear in the world and to recollect them with constant reverence and never forget them. Through such merit and virtue, she is adorned with particularly fine hallmarks. The abundance of merit and virtue makes it a treasury, a beautiful and adorned treasury of sublime merit and virtue. She attained that passage into liberation.

At that time, Forest-ruling Spirit Spreading Flowers Like Clouds received the Buddha’s awesomespiritual power, universally contemplated all the multitudes of Forest-ruling Spirits, boundlessly many of them, not just one, and spoke the following verse to explain certain principles which were not fully explained earlier. 

Sutra:

In the past, the Buddha cultivated practices for bodhi,
Achieving perfect blessings, virtue, and wisdom.
Endowed fully with all of the powers,
He emerges in the world with resplendent light.  

Commentary:

In the past, the Buddha cultivated practices for bodhi . In the past, the Buddha accumulated the practices for bodhi, so that starting out with a little, he gradually acquired a great amount. This accumulation took him from the near to the far, from the shallow to the profound, from not having any to having them. The Buddha started out being the same as sentient beings. However, he vigorously cultivated all manner of practices. In the beginning, he had no practices. So, he went from nothing to something. Then, when he had something, he went from one bodhi practice to many bodhi practices. He did not bypass even the smallest opportunity to do good. Therefore, starting out with a little, he accumulated a lot. He did all kinds of difficult ascetic practices. He was able to endure what most people found unendurable and cultivate what most people could not cultivate. In this way, he amassed a large quantity of bodhi practices, thereby achieving perfect blessings, virtue, and wisdom. Having perfected both blessings and wisdom, he is known as the Doubly Perfect Honored One.

Endowed fully with all of the powers . The Buddha has cultivated the Ten Powers to perfection. Upon realizing Buddhahood, he emerges in the world with resplendent light.

The Sino-American Buddhist Association at Gold Mountain Monastery was established out of the Buddhist Lecture Hall. In the beginning, some people founded the Buddhist Lecture Hall. Later on, it became the Sino-American Buddhist Association. Since the establishment of the Sino-American Buddhist Association in 1968, we have held Buddha recitation sessions and Chan sessions annually. These sessions have quietly gone by without much notice. Every year we hold them, but even the people right here in San Francisco are not aware of them, not to mention people elsewhere. Why not? First of all, it’s because we have not done any publicity. Our intention is to cultivate honestly. If other people hear about our sessions and wish to participate, they are most welcome. But even if no one knows, we continue to hold our sessions regardless. We don’t advertise, “Hey, there’s a Chan session going on! You ought to make offerings to these cultivators who have attained the state of freedom from thought.”

In China, the offerings given during a recitation session could last a monastery for a whole year. The income from one recitation session would more than cover a whole year’s expenditures. During Chan sessions, many people would make offerings in order to create affinities with the assembly. The offerings would pour in—huge quantities of rice, oil, flour, and so on. In the United States, on the other hand, since we have not resorted to any tactics to get offerings, we haven’t received any. If we were clever at using exploitative strategies, perhaps the offerings would be even more abundant than in China. Why do we refrain from using any strategies or maneuvers? We are determined to practice sincerely and leave it to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to take care of us. When the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the eight divisions of gods, dragons, and Dharma-protecting spirits see us truly working hard, we will naturally obtain a response. However, if we are not really applying ourselves, then we ought to be very ashamed of receiving offerings. There is a saying which goes:

Before the three thoughts are ended,
Even water is hard to digest.

If we constantly think about the past, present, and future, we will have difficulty receiving even the offering of a sip of water.

If the Five Contemplations are understood,
Even gold can be absorbed.

At noon we chant, “The Buddha told the Bhikshus: While eating, observe the Five Contemplations.” The Five Contemplations are:

• Consider the amount of work involved to bring the food to where it is eaten.
• Consider whether or not one’s virtuous conduct is sufficient to enable one to accept the offering.
• Guard the mind from transgression, of which greed is the principle cause.
• Properly taken, the food is like medicine, to keep the body from wasting away.
• This food is accepted only in order to realize the Way.

If we can practice these Five Contemplations, then we can digest even gold. Don’t take this literally and think that if you eat a piece of gold, your stomach will be able to break it down. This line means that you deserve to eat the finest and most expensive foods.

The Chan session begins tonight. Our Chan session differs from those held in China. In China, Chan sessions are basically “eating sessions.” In the evening the cultivators are served steamed dumplings with sesame oil. This is the case even at Gold Mountain and Gaomin Monasteries. The bigger the dumplings, the more energy the cultivators have. The more sesame oil, the more slippery their mouths. With slippery mouths, they get slippery heads. “Slippery heads” refers to people who join the session in order to eat sesame oil dumplings. Many old Chan cultivators, who have cultivated for so long that their hair has turned white, their teeth have fallen out, their ears have gone deaf, and their eyes no longer see well, are still attached to sesame oil dumplings. If one place doesn’t offer sesame oil dumplings, they will go to another. They search out the place with the best-tasting sesame oil dumplings. I am not slandering Chinese cultivators by saying that they are attached to food. I’m simply telling the truth. This is one point where our session differs from those in China.

In our session, no sesame oil dumplings or other snacks are served. What do I mean by snacks? Sometimes, during sessions in China, when you were sitting there you might be given two or four guiyuan (dried longans) to eat. Crackers might be passed out at another period. In yet another period, you might get a piece of rice-crisp to eat. That deep-fried rice-crisp tastes even better than what he had today. Sometimes you would be given peanut candy as a way to create affinity. The laypeople all wanted to make offerings to the cultivators who had attained non-thought, but they were actually causing them to have thoughts of eating. Sometimes tea is served, and one can tell whether a person is a seasoned cultivator by the way he holds his teacup. The teacup has to be held in a certain way. Drinking tea, eating crackers and sesame oil dumplings, one comes to have a perpetually stuffed belly. If one cannot even fit anything in one’s belly, how can one expect to accomplish anything?

In our Chan session, we start in the early morning and alternately walk and sit. Sometimes milk or tea is offered, but there is nothing to eat. It is quite austere. Our session is one of austere practice. We try to practice what others cannot practice. During this “birth and death” session, you must keep the words “birth and death” before your eyes. Don’t forget about birth and death. Don’t decide, “I haven’t had enough sleep. I’m really tired. I might as well sit here and enter the sleeping samadhi.” If you do that, you’ll achieve nothing. You must renounce life and forget about death as you participate in the session. Paying no heed to birth and death, diligently apply effort in the session. Be determined to attain the benefit you ought to attain. Don’t just follow the crowd, mindlessly walking and sitting when you see others doing so. Don’t think, “I just follow everyone else. When I see someone else doze off, I doze off too.”

I will tell you that in all the Chan sessions I participated in, the proctor never had to hit me with the incense board, because I never slept. I sat in the Chan Hall during the daytime, and at night I continued sitting in the hall. The words “rest” and “sleep” were not part of my vocabulary. In my student days, I never wasted a single second. I constantly worked at developing my skill.

All of you have deep, thick, good roots. You are endowed with intelligence and wisdom. You ought to realize the importance of this session. In this year’s Chan session, I insist that someone must get enlightened. If no one becomes enlightened, then after the session everyone will receive one hundred strokes of the incense board. If you feel you can bear that, then don’t get enlightened. If you don’t think you can take it, you’d better get enlightened. If you are really scared, you can back out before the Chan session starts. That’s acceptable. Once the session begins, however, you cannot retreat. Once you enter the Chan Hall, you bid farewell to birth and death, and you are not allowed to leave. Even if you die, we will simply stick your body under the meditation bench and not carry it out. If you haven’t died, then you have even less reason to casually leave. We are setting up the threshold of life and death. If you are not on the side of life, then you are on the side of death. If you are not on the side of death, then you are on the side of life.

If you cannot renounce death, you will not gain life in return.
If you cannot renounce the false, you will not achieve the true.

That is the threshold of Gold Mountain Monastery. This year’s Chan session differs from past sessions. First of all, we have a good advisor from Hong Kong with us. “What is a good advisor from Hong Kong coming to our Chan session for?” you ask. I’ll tell you, it’s not that he has not attended Chan sessions before. He has been in Chan sessions, but now he’s come to see what a Chan session in America is like. He wants to see if it is very beautiful. [Note: The Chinese name for America is ‘Beautiful Country’.] So, all you Americans should be nice and beautiful. Don’t show your ugly side. By your ugly side, I mean things like breaking down in tears during the session and crying, “How can I endure this? I’ve got to leave!” If the good advisor from Hong Kong sees that, he will laugh so hard his front teeth will fall out.

Secondly, there are two other good advisors. They are not from Hong Kong, Taiwan, or New York. They are from Gold Mountain Monastery. Who are they? You know them very well, and so do I. Before I tell you who they are, you feel they are very rare. Once I tell you, they will seem very ordinary.

“We have a lot of Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas, and Upasikas at Gold Mountain Monastery. Who could these two good advisors be?” you wonder.

One of them is Guo Yu, and the other is Guo Dao. Today, they took the bus from Garberville and have come back in time to join our Chan session. After the Chan session, they will resume their Three Steps One Bow pilgrimage to pray for world peace. The first time they telephoned, I asked them whether or not they were going to attend the Chan session. They said they would do as I told them. Today they called again to say that they were not going to follow instructions, but were going to come back for the Chan session. When they asked for my permission, I told them they were most welcome to join the session, but that they must get enlightened.

Everyone should make sure not to miss the opportunity to join this year’s Chan session. No matter what, you should be determined to recognize your own original face. If any of you fail to recognize your own face, don’t think about leaving Gold Mountain Monastery. You’ll be locked up in jail here. That’s a general introduction to this year’s Chan session.

Tell Guo Yi to go buy some more ginger. During the Chan session we will boil ginger soup to drink in the morning. I still have some ginseng left, so I will offer everyone ginseng tea. That way, no one will have to engage in idle thinking about stealing ginseng. Today somebody gave me some longan fruit, which I will offer to the assembly during the session.

During the session, we need not hold the full morning and evening recitations. The Three Refuges ceremony will suffice. We also need not hold the meal offering ceremony or recite the offering chant at the dining hall. We just go over to take our meal, and once we finish we should immediately return to the Chan Hall to do walking meditation. After the head of the assembly finishes his meal, he should strike the wall with the incense board, giving the wall more to “eat,” so to speak. The sutra lecture will be replaced with an instructional talk at 7 p.m. during the session.

In most places traditionally there is a “resting” sitting period, usually from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., during which anyone who wants to sleep may do so, either sitting on the Chan bench, or going back to their own room. This year we can also have this expedient. We didn’t have this during the fourteen week Chan session. But this year if we allow people to sleep for an hour during that time, perhaps they will not doze off so much at night. All of you should look into it and see if you want to try it out. It doesn’t matter to me. If you want to sleep, go ahead. If you want to stick to the old way, you can keep on sitting. It’s up to you. I’m just making a suggestion.

Did we used to have a sutra lecture on Sunday during the Chan sessions? I don’t remember anymore. During this two-week Chan session, we won’t have a sutra lecture on Sundays. We will simply concentrate on attending the session.

From 9:30-10:30 in the morning, we can also have some instructional talks. Everyone should discuss it and see whether you can take turns giving talks. Find out who is willing to speak. If no one is willing, then we don’t have to have talks. Whoever is willing to speak may give instructional talks. However, during a Chan session, instructional talks are considered an interruption. So, it’s fine to have them, and it’s also fine not to have them.

Sutra:

The Thus Come One, in the past, universally purified
Limitless ways of compassion, equal to the number of sentient beings.
And so he can benefit beings in the world.
The Spirit Helping Trunks Grow Tall understands thus.  

Commentary:

Limitless ways of compassion. Compassion has the function of alleviating the suffering of all sentient beings. There are immeasurable, boundless ways of compassion. Exactly how many are there? Their number is equal to the number of sentient beings. However many sentient beings there are, that’s how many ways of compassion there are. The Thus Come One, in the past, universally purified. “Thus Come One” is one of the ten titles of a Buddha. It means that, “traveling the Way which is Thus, he ‘comes’ to realize Proper Enlightenment.” Once upon a time, the Buddha cultivated all kinds of practices, causing them all to be pure and regulated. And so he can benefit beings in the world. The Buddha is able to be of benefit to the sentient beings of the world. The Forest-ruling Spirit Helping Trunks Grow Tall understands thus. She understands this passage into liberation. 

Sutra:

If beings see the Buddha but once,
He will surely lead them into the sea of deep faith,
Universally showing them the Path of the Thus Come Ones.
This is the liberation of the Spirit Wondrous Sprouts.  

Commentary:

If there are beings who see the Buddha but once . It is not easy for sentient beings to see the Buddha. It is even more difficult to get to hear the Buddhadharma. People who are able to go to a stupa or temple and see the Buddhas are people with tremendous good roots. Those without good roots have no opportunity to see the Buddhas, the Dharma, or the Sangha. The Triple Jewel—the Buddhas, the Dharma, and the Sangha—is not easy to get to see. If there are sentient beings who get to see the Buddha or an image of the Buddha, he will surely lead them into the sea of deep faith. The Buddha will enable these beings to gain a profound understanding the Buddhadharma, which is as vast as the sea, and to bring forth deep faith. The Buddha, by universally showing them the Path of the Thus Come Ones, enables sentient beings to cultivate the Buddha Path and realize Buddhahood. This is the passage into liberation of the Forest-ruling Spirit Wondrous Sprouts, who causes sprouts of various kinds of pure faith to grow. 

Sutra:

The merit and virtue accumulated in a single pore
Could not completely be described in oceans of eons.
The expedient means of the Buddhas are inconceivable.
Pure Leaves understands this profound meaning.  

Commentary:

The merit and virtue accumulated in a single pore . Within a single pore, the Buddha can display the lands of all Buddhas throughout the ten directions. Ordinary people do not understand this state. The merit and virtue accumulated in just a single one of the Buddha’s pores could not completely be described in oceans of eons. Even in measureless, boundless, innumerable, unspeakable, unspeakable eons, as profuse as an ocean, one could not finish talking about the merit and virtue in even a single one of the Buddha’s pores. Why? That merit and virtue is infinite. The expedient means of the Buddhas are inconceivable. The expedient Dharma doors of all Buddhas cannot be mentally conceptualized, nor can they be verbally expressed. Forest-ruling Spirit Auspicious Pure Leaves understands this profound meaning.  

Sutra:

“I recollect how the Thus Come One in the past
Made offerings to limitless Buddhas in lands like dust motes.
Before each and every Buddha, his wisdom gradually grew bright.”

The Spirit Resplendent Treasury understands thus.  

Commentary:

Forest-ruling Spirit Overhanging Resplendent Treasury says,“ I recollect how the Thus Come One , limitlessly many eons in the past, / Made offerings of various articles and money to limitless Buddhas in lands like dust motes. / Having made offerings before each and every Buddha, he became adorned with blessings and wisdom, and his wisdom gradually grew bright and increased day by day.” The Forest-ruling Spirit Overhanging Resplendent Treasury understands thus. She understands this state. 

Sutra:

In a single thought, the World Honored One fully apprehends
The ocean of the actions of all sentient beings
Such vast, great, unobstructed wisdom
Is understood by the Spirit Wondrous Adorned.  

Commentary:

The ocean of the actions of all sentient beings . All sentient beings includes those born from wombs, eggs, moisture, and transformation. Every sentient being has his own behavior, his own karma that he creates, and his own thoughts. This is the process of becoming deluded, creating karma, and undergoing retribution. Creating limitless karma, one must undergo limitless retribution. In a single thought, the World Honored One fully apprehends

all this. In a single thought, the Buddha can know the thoughts of all sentient beings. The Vajra Sutra says, “The Thus Come One completely knows and sees the various thoughts of all sentient beings.” There is nothing the Buddha does not know or understand. Such vast, great, boundless, unobstructed wisdom, / Is understood by the Forest-ruling Spirit Wondrous Adorned Radiance. She understands this state. 

Sutra:

The Thus Come One’s tranquil, exquisite voice proclaims forever,
Evoking matchless, great happiness in everyone.
Comprehending according to their inclinations, each becomes enlightened.
This is the method of practice of Thunder Sound.  

Commentary:

The Thus Come One’s tranquil, exquisite voice proclaims forever, invariable and constant, evoking matchless, great happiness in everyone. Sentient beings are happy to the extreme; their joy is unparalleled. Having heard the Thus Come One’s quiet, subtle sound and comprehending it according to their inclinations, each become s enlightened to the profound principles therein. This is the method of practice of Forest-ruling Spirit Thunder Sound.  

Sutra:

Manifesting great spiritual powers, the Thus Come One
Extends throughout every land in the ten directions,
Enabling all to see the Buddha’s past cultivation.
Pervasive Glow and Perfume enters this passage.  

Commentary:

Manifesting great spiritual powers within the unmoving Way-place, whereby he can transform something into nothing and nothing into something, the Thus Come One has infinite transformations and can mysteriously appear and disappear. He extends throughout every land in the ten directions and manifests his Dharma body, enabling all to see the Buddha’s past cultivation. All sentient beings see the practices cultivated by the Buddha. Forest-ruling Spirit Pervasive Glow and Perfume enters this passage into liberation.

We have discussed the Thus Come One, the Buddha, and the World Honored One. The Thus Come One is just the Buddha; the Buddha is just the World Honored One; and the World Honored One is just the Thus Come One. These many names all refer to one entity—the Buddha. “Buddha” is an abbreviation of the Sanskrit word Buddhaya, which means “Awakened One.” An Awakened One is one who has gained great understanding. The Buddha is the most intelligent person around, both in the world and in the transcendental realm. Not only is he intelligent, he can teach all sentient beings to be intelligent and to become Buddhas.

For that reason, Buddhism can also be called the Teaching of People and the Teaching of Sentient Beings. You are included in Buddhism, whether you believe in Buddhism or not. All sentient beings have the opportunity to become Buddhas sooner or later. Buddhism is absolutely egalitarian. It is public-spirited and impartial. Anyone who puts the Buddha’s teaching into practice can attain wisdom. Anyone who does not cultivate according to the Buddhadharma will not attain wisdom. One who attains genuine wisdom is truly liberated. One who is truly liberated has left suffering and attained happiness.

Why do sentient beings become sentient beings? Since they are totally upside down, mistaking right for wrong and wrong for right. They cannot distinguish right from wrong, and so they do many deluded things. People study the Buddhadharma in order to learn how not to be upside down. When we are not upside down, we will attain purity. Once we attain purity, we will be happy.

[Answer to a question:] The “ten thousand virtues” simply refer to the myriad virtues which adorn the Buddha. There is no other meaning. In asking this question, is he hoping to be upside down, or not upside down, or upside down yet not upside down?

All sentient beings wish not to be upside down, and yet they are upside down. The Buddha wishes not to be upside down, and indeed, he is not upside down. He truly understands things and is not muddled. If you can recite “Namo Amitabha Buddha,” then why is that after you die, your body cannot recite? If you have a soul or a Buddha nature, what does it look like? Who is it? That’s what we’re looking for: Who is the one who recites “Namo Amitabha Buddha”? That’s the way to develop the sense of doubt in investigating Chan.

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