Practices and Vows of
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva

Chapter Forty, New Edition

 

 

Suppose another person hears this king of supreme vows…If there is a person who can hear of the supreme and wonderful practices of these ten great king of vows of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and as they pass by his ear but a single time is able to give rise to faith, and his mind thirstily seeks supreme Bodhi, if one sincerely seeks wonderful superior Bodhi as earnestly as a thirsty person craves a drink of water, then the merit and virtue he gains will surpass that of the previous person. If one’s mind has just a single thought of seeking for Bodhi, then his merit and virtue will surpass the merit of one who makes offerings of a multitude of jewels as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River to the Tathagatas and adorns all their worlds as mentioned before. His merit and virtue is greater than that of the previous person.

SUTRA: 

Always separating far from bad teachers,
And leaving forever all unwholesome paths.
Quickly seeing the Tathagata Measureless Light,
And perfecting Samantabhadra’s most supreme vows. 

This person well obtains a superior lifespan,
And is well able to attain rebirth in the human realm.
Before long this person will accomplish
These practices of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. 

In the past, owing to a lack of wisdom power,
I have done the five Avīci offenses of extreme evil,
By reciting the great kings of vows of Samantabhadra
In one thought they will all be wiped away. 

COMMENTARY: 

Always separating far from bad teachers. It is said,

When people are close to crimson, they become red.
When we are close to black ink, we become black.
If we contact brown, we become brown.
And if we touch yellow, we become yellow.

You learn to be like the people with whom you associate. In China the saying, “The mother of Mencius selected good neighbors,” concerns the same concept.

Mencius’ family first lived nearby a cemetery where many people were put in caskets and buried. Following tradition their relatives would come to offer pigs and sheep as sacrifices to their deceased ancestors. When Mencius was a child he observed what people were doing, and he would mimic them in his play. So as a little child he would make people out of clay, put them in little fake caskets, and bury them in the ground. Then he made little clay pigs and sheep as sacrifices, and then he’d bow to the ground.

When his mother saw this, she thought, “What good is it for my child to learn these kinds of things? How will he develop in the future?” With that, she moved to another neighborhood.

Where did they move? This time Mencius’ family found themselves next to a slaughterhouse where pigs, sheep, and so forth were killed. Where upon Mencius began to learn and mimic this kind of behavior. When his mother saw this, she disapproved and moved again.

This time they moved next door to a school where Zisi, the grandson of Confucius, was teaching. He taught a group of students who came to the school to study and then returned home for their meals. When his students entered the school, they bowed in veneration to the sacred plaque to Confucius and paid their respects again when they left the school. Thus they performed proper etiquette when entering and leaving the school. When Mencius observed the students, he began to emulate their way of study and respect.

When his mother saw this she said, “It is right to live in a place like this; we should live here,” and she sent Mencius to school to study.

As a young child, Mencius studied for a few days, and then lost interest and didn’t want to study anymore. When his mother was weaving at home on a loom, Mencius told her that he was not going to study anymore. His mother did not say a word, but took out a knife and cut the thread in the middle of the cloth she was weaving.

When Mencius saw what she had done, he knew something was wrong. He knelt before his mother and said, “Why have you gotten angry? Did I do something wrong? Please tell me.”

Mencius’ mother replied, “Stopping your study is just like my cutting the threads before finishing the weaving of this fabric. Do you understand? If you don’t study, you won’t accomplish anything in the future.”

Mencius thought, “If that’s the way things are, then I had better continue to study.” Later he became a great sage. In China he is second only to Confucius. How was he able to become a sage? Because his mother educated him well. She moved three times until she moved to a place where Mencius could have the opportunity to study. Then afterwards he was able to successfully complete his studies. In the beginning, if his mother had not moved when they were living next to a cemetery, Mencius would have grown up to be a cemetery worker. He would have watched over the graves and performed rituals of worship and sacrifice. If they had remained next to the slaughterhouse, Mencius would have grown up to be a butcher who kills sheep and pigs. In the end they moved next to a school, and he became a famous scholar.

The story of Mencius’ education is an example of what is meant by being far apart from bad teachers and drawing near to good teachers. This is the meaning of what I said previously.

When people are close to crimson, they become red.
When we are close to black ink, we become black.
If we contact brown, we become brown.
And if we touch yellow, we become yellow.

So it all depends on what color you draw near to. When you draw near to good teachers, the same principle applies. On the other hand, if you meet with bad teachers, they will only teach you bad things. They will teach you to harm people wherever you go. They will always teach you to be jealous of others and to obstruct others. This is the way bad teachers are. So you don’t want to draw near to bad teachers but stay far away from them. Keep your distance from them. Therefore the text reads, “Always far apart from bad teachers.” They do not teach you to cultivate good things. Rather they teach you unwholesome things.

And leaving forever all unwholesome paths. If you stay far away from bad teachers, then you can forever leave all the evil paths of existence. If you do not keep far away from bad teachers, then you can fall into the evil paths of existence. Now that you’re able to stay far away from bad teachers, you are able to leave all the evil paths of existence. What are the evil paths of existence? They are the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, and asuras. These are the four evil destinies, which are also called the evil paths of existence. The beings in these evil paths of existence undergo the suffering that is a result of their offenses.

Why does a person undergo the suffering that is a result of their offenses? Since you learned all kinds of evil from bad teachers, you created evil offenses. And having created evil offenses, you fall into the evil paths of existence. Now you are apart from bad teachers, so you can be far apart from all evil paths of existence.

Quickly seeing the Tathagata Measureless Light. When you leave all evil paths of existence, you can go to all the good paths of existence. If the things that people encounter in the world are not evil, then they are good. If you are not doing evil things, then you are doing good things. If you do good, you will have good karma. If you have good, then you can attain good results. What are good results? You’ll be able to quickly see the Buddha. So the Sutra says, “Soon to see the Tathagata Measureless Light.” You will be able to quickly see and to personally behold Amitabha Buddha of the Land of Ultimate Bliss who is known as Measureless Light Buddha and Measureless Life Buddha.

And perfecting Samantabhadra’s most supreme vows. When you reach the Land of Ultimate Bliss of Amitabha Buddha, you will be able to completely perfect the most supreme ten great king of vows of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. This person well obtains a superior lifespan. This person will quickly obtain the most supreme lifespan, which means that he will have a long life.

Buddhism speaks about not being attached to the appearance of a lifespan, but now the text mentions a supreme, long lifespan. Is this not the appearance of a lifespan? This appearance of a lifespan being talked about here is not something that the person sought to attain. This was attained because he stayed far away from all bad teachers, forever left all the evil paths of existence, and saw Amitabha Buddha. In this case even if one did not want a long life, he would still definitely obtain one.

This is not like the situation in our world in which we wish for a long life, but do not attain it. Or we want to have happiness, but do not attain true happiness. When you go to the Land of Ultimate Bliss, your lifespan is measureless and your light is measureless. Amitabha Buddha has a measureless lifespan, and so do we. Amitabha Buddha’s light is measureless, and if we are born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, our light will be measureless as well. Therefore, the text says, “This person well obtains a supreme lifespan.” “Well obtains” means that this is a result of your good karma, not because of your attachments.

And is well able to attain rebirth in the human realm. If this person wishes to teach and transform living beings, then he can return and be reborn among people. And when he’s born among people, everything he does will be perfect. This is called “coming back again according to your vows.” If he does not want to come back, he does not need to. However, if he does want to come back, he can do so very naturally. This is true freedom where you can do as you wish.

Before long this person will accomplish these practices of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. This person refers to the person who cultivates the ten great king of vows of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. Before long he accomplishes all of the merit and virtue of these vows. The practices he perfects are the same without any difference as those perfected by Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. The power of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s practices is the greatest. These practices that you have cultivated and perfected are the same as his.

In the past, owing to a lack of wisdom power. “In the past” means long ago in the distant past. Earlier, the text said,

All the evil karma I have created in the past,
Caused by beginningless greed, hatred, and delusion,
Produced in body, speech, and thought,
I now fully repent and reform of it all.

“All the evil karma I have created in the past, caused by beginningless greed, hatred, and delusion…” Why do we have greed, hatred, and delusion? Because we do not have wisdom, and we are without the power of Prajna. Why do we do evil? Because we do not have any wisdom, we create all kinds of evil karma. One with true wisdom does not create evil karma. Therefore, because one lacks wisdom, I have done the five Avīci offenses of extreme evil. We people are the subjects, which means that we are the ones who are creating or doing. Karma is the object or that which we create.

Who creates bad karma? Whoever does not cultivate good dharma cultivates evil dharmas. Whoever cultivates evil dharmas is the one who creates evil karma. If there is a doer, then karma will be created. Therefore, there is a subject and object. When karma is created, then the creator who made it must undergo the results of what he has done. Therefore, the text mentions, “extreme evil.”

What is extreme evil? There are five actions that are classified as the most evil:

• Killing one’s father
• Killing one’s mother
• Killing an Arhat
• Creating a schism in the harmonious Sangha
• Spilling the Buddha’s blood

In the world, people are basically incapable of killing their fathers, but there is a type of person who is capable of doing this. This type of person can commit the ten evil karmas and the five rebellious acts.

The next one is killing one’s mother. In truth, the world has had many instances of people murdering their fathers but very few instances of people killing their mothers. Nevertheless, it still happens. A few months ago the newspaper reported the story of a child who had killed his mother. This happened in the United States, and the child was 15 or 17 years old. I do not know if you saw this story. The boy’s mother was a widow and had been raising her son alone for over ten years. He was her only child and was attending high school.

One day the mother told her son she wanted to paint a picture of him in the nude, and she asked him to take off his clothes. The son did not want to do this, but his mother insisted. The son was very obedient, however, and so at her urging, he took off his clothes and modeled for his mother. She painted all day, from ten in the morning until ten at night, but still had not finished.

Now his mother was not just focused on painting all this time, but at times she was also eyeing her son. Eventually she went up to him and hugged him. Then she tried to force him into having sexual relations with her. The son became extremely frightened and adamantly refused to do this. At this point the mother took out a handgun from her pocket and told him, “If you don’t shoot and kill me, I must have you.” Then she gave the gun to her son and told him to shoot her. Her son was mentally confused by this situation and shot and killed his mother.

After the killing, he reported it to the police who brought him to court and charged him with murder. Then, later at a hearing, he confessed the whole affair in great detail. In the end, I do not know what the result of this case was. This is an example of killing one’s mother. When this kind of incident occurs, it is often due to some special circumstances.

Killing an Arhat means to kill one who has realized the fruition of an Arhat. This is also one of the five rebellious acts. Another of the five rebellious acts is creating a schism in the harmonious Sangha. The Sangha is called a harmonious assembly. The Sangha is harmonious in six ways, and Sangha is not just one or two people. There must be at least four people to be a Sangha.

The Sangha is harmonious in six ways.

• Harmonious in body, they dwell together. Members of the Sangha do not fight or argue with each other.

• Harmonious in speech, there is no contention. When the Sangha is together, they do not argue or gossip about rights and wrongs, and they do not gossip about others or themselves. Being harmonious in speech they do not contend with each other. The Vajra Sutra discusses the Samadhi of Non-Contention. Those who have renounced the life of a householder and live together should not contend. They should attain the Samadhi of Non-Contention. As soon as you contend, you have the appearance of a self and others. When you have the appearance of self and others, there is right and wrong. If there is right and wrong, then there is a winner and a loser. When there is a winner and a loser, there is the appearance of living beings, and from the appearance of living beings, comes the appearance of a lifespan. Having these four appearances prevents you from gaining true samadhi-power. This is what is meant by “harmonious in speech they do not contend.”

• Harmonious in thought, they are happy together. One’s mind should also be harmonious. You should not think that you have your own thoughts and I have mine, and that my thoughts need not be harmonious with yours, and yours need not be harmonious with mine. Everyone should have harmonious minds and be happy together. In this way everyone is very happy and joyful.
  
• Being harmonious with respect to benefits, each gets his share. When there are good things, they should be enjoyed by everyone together. It is not that one person alone enjoys them. When there are benefits, everyone is treated equally. You get some good from it and I get some benefit from it as well. This is called “being harmonious with respect to benefits, each gets his share.”
  
• Harmonious in views, they have a common understanding. The viewpoints of everyone should be the same. For example, when studying the Buddha-dharma, everyone should agree and share a common understanding. Their views must be harmonious.
  
• Harmonious in the moral precepts, they cultivate together. Everyone cultivates and upholds the moral precepts together.

These are the six kinds of harmony, and when these six kinds of harmony prevail it is called a harmonious Sangha. However, if you sow discord and create mischief that will create disharmony in the Sangha. As a result, you are displeased with me and I’m displeased with you. And you are jealous of me and I create obstructions for you. This causes the Sangha assembly to be in disharmony. This is called creating a schism in the harmonious Sangha.

To spill the Buddha’s blood is another of the five rebellious acts. Some people say that since we have been born after the time of the Buddha, we cannot spill the Buddha’s blood. However, whatever you do that harms Buddhism can be called spilling the Buddha’s blood. If you destroy the jewel of the Buddha, this is spilling the Buddha’s blood. What is destroying the jewel of the Buddha? For example, smashing a Buddha statue. Although it is an image, it is the same as spilling the Buddha’s blood. Or perhaps one burns a picture of the Buddha. This is also called spilling the Buddha’s blood. There is also the jewel of the Dharma. All the Sutras are the wisdom-life of the Buddha’s Dharma-body. The Brahma Net Sutra says, “Wherever there are Sutras, there is the Buddha.” This refers to the Buddha’s Dharma body. Therefore, if you burn or destroy the Sutras, that is also called spilling the Buddha’s blood.

Members of the Sangha cultivate according to the Buddha’s teachings so that in the future they will become Buddhas. If you create discord in the Sangha, that is also called spilling the Buddha’s blood. To be disrespectful to the Three Jewels and to do harmful damage to them is also called spilling the Buddha’s blood. It is not necessarily the case, then, that a Buddha must be in the world for you to spill the Buddha’s blood. Now the Buddha has already entered Nirvana, but all of the Buddha’s teachings still exist. If you do not protect the Buddha’s teachings, but rather do harm to them or do the same to a particular monastic, then you have spilled the Buddha’s blood. These are all classified under the five rebellious acts and are all considered to be extreme evil.

“The five Avīci offenses of extreme evil I have done.” “Extreme evil” means that there is no evil that is greater than this. The retribution for doing acts of extreme evil is to fall into the Avīci Hell. Avīci is Sanskrit, and means “uninterrupted,” and there are five ways this hell is “uninterrupted.” The first is “uninterrupted with respect to time” or “uninterrupted with respect to kalpa.” Kalpa is also Sanskrit and it means “division of time.” What is meant by uninterrupted with respect to time? From the first day to the last day that one enters the Uninterrupted Hell, there is not a single moment in which the pain and suffering cease. The suffering continues without interruption, and so it is said to be uninterrupted with respect to time.

The second is “uninterrupted with respect to form,” referring to bodily form. When one falls into this hell, one sees one’s body filling up the entire hell. Even if there are many people in the hell, one still fills up the entire hell, as do the others, without obstructing one another. You have your hell, and I have mine, and everyone sees himself filling up his own hell. This is the meaning of uninterrupted with respect to form.

The third meaning of Avīci is “uninterrupted suffering.” This refers to the suffering undergone when you fall into this hell. In this hell, there is also the Hell of the Mountain of Knives, the Hell of the Pot of Boiling Oil, the Hell of the Iron Trident, the Hell of the Iron Hammer, the Hell of Saws, the Axe and Chisel Hell, the Iron Net Hell, the Iron Donkey Hell, the Iron Rope Hell, the Iron Horse Hell, and so forth. All of these different hells cause one to undergo suffering. And because this suffering never stops, it is called “uninterrupted suffering.”

The fourth meaning is “uninterrupted retribution.” It does not make any difference whether you are Chinese or any other nationality. Whoever goes to this hell, must undergo the retribution of that hell. You must undergo that kind of retribution of suffering. This is called “uninterrupted retribution.”

The fifth is “uninterrupted life.” When you fall into this Avīci hell, you undergo myriad births and myriad deaths in a single day and night. How is it that each day and night one is born a myriad times and one dies myriad times? In this hell you undergo the retribution of suffering to such an extreme that you die. After you die, a wind called the “clever wind” blows on you, and you come back to life again. In this way, in a single night and day you are able to die and be reborn myriad times. This is “uninterrupted life.”

By reciting the great king of vows of Samantabhadra, in one thought they will all be wiped away. If you are able to recite this Chapter on the Great King of Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, then in a single thought you can destroy all of your offenses. They will all be wiped away very quickly. All of the five uninterrupted offenses will be simultaneously eliminated.

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