Chapter 01: Introduction 

Sutra:

“…who expounded the proper Dharma, good at its beginning, good in its middle, and good at its end, its meaning profound and far-reaching, its words clever and subtle, pure and unadulterated, complete with the marks of pure, white Brahman conduct.”

“To those who sought to be Sound-Hearers, he responded with the Dharma of the Four Truths, by which one crosses over birth, aging, sickness, and death to the ultimate Nirvana; to those who sought to be Pratyeka Buddhas, he responded with the Dharma of the Twelve Conditioned Causes; for the sake of the Bodhisattvas, he responded with the Six Paramitas, causing them to attain Anuttarasamyaksambodhi and realize the wisdom of all modes.”

Outline:

H3. speaking Dharma

Commentary:

What is meant by expounded? It means to speak in an unfixed manner. When expounding, one must have spirit, and express the spirit of the doctrine, the essential points of the Dharma. There is nothing fixed about the way it is done. You should expound the Dharma in accord with the person you are speaking to. To those of an elevated nature, you should speak of the principle of the nature, that is, talk about the principle of the self-nature, saying, “The self-nature is present within everyone, but people are unable to understand the self-nature.” To those who are intelligent, speak about the principle of the self-nature.

To average people you should speak logically, speak of worldly dharmas, even science and philosophy. To the most stupid people, you should speak about cause and effect, as this is most appropriate for those without much wisdom. Therefore, in expounding the proper Dharma there is nothing fixed.

There are four methods to be applied in the art of expounding the Dharma. The first is called “opening” that is, introducing a certain doctrine to people. The second is called “closing”, this means that you must bring to a conclusion the topic you have introduced. If you just open it and don’t close it, then you have a beginning but not an end. If you just close it but don’t open it, then you have an end but not a beginning.

But just opening and closing it is still not enough. You must “turn” it; keep on talking, talking until everyone is rapt with attention, and then you turn off into another direction. Perhaps people are not paying close attention. They find your speech flat and dull and they are dozing off, so you use a clever method, perhaps tell a story or something interesting, to get their attention. Finally, you “intercept”, that is, you again return to the main point. So when you lecture you should have an opening, closing, turning, and intercepting.

The voice should have four qualities. The first is to speak in a low voice. For example, one disciple speaks with this technique, very softly. If you didn’t pay close attention, you wouldn’t even hear him. So you pay attention. But if one pays attention like that for too long, one gets tired. The mind will wander and the sentences will drift off, and after a while one will just quit listening. At that time you should raise your voice and speak louder. When people hear that you have raised your voice, they figure there is an argument taking place and so they don’t want to listen. Then, you should stop suddenly. You quit speaking, and when they hear nothing, they will pay attention again. When you have regained their attention you can continue speaking.

If you really know how to use your voice, then, even if people don’t want to listen to you, they will have no choice. These principles are involved in expounding the Dharma.

Now, the Buddhas expounded the proper Dharma, good at its beginning, good in its middle, and good at its end. What is meant by “good at its beginning?” From the time Shakyamuni Buddha first produced the Bodhi heart up until the time he left home is called the beginning, “good at its beginning”. After he left home, he cultivated all manner of bitter practices, and this is “good in its middle”. After becoming a Buddha, he spoke the Dharma for forty-nine years in over three hundred Dharma assemblies until the time came when he entered Nirvana, and this is called “good at its end”.

You could also say that “good at its beginning” refers to the time when Shakyamuni Buddha was a common person, just like you and me and all living beings. He brought forth the Bodhi heart, sought the Way to the realization of Buddhahood, left the home-life, cultivated and practiced the Buddhadharma. This is called “good in its middle”.

After studying and practicing the Buddhadharma, he walked the path of a Bodhisattva, benefiting living beings, giving up his own body, heart and life, his head, eyes, brains, and marrow, his kingdom, cities, wives, and children in order to benefit living beings. The three great asankheya aeons during which he practiced the Bodhisattva Way could be considered as “good in its middle”. When, in this present life, he became enlightened and realized Buddhahood, that is “good at its end.”

You could also say that the first asankheya aeon of cultivation of merit and virtue is “good at its beginning”. The second asankheya aeon of cultivation of merit and virtue is “good at its middle”. The third asankheya aeon of cultivation of merit and virtue is “good at its end”. So “good at its beginning, good in its middle, and good at its end”,–no matter how you explain it, it’s okay.

Its meaning profound and far-reaching, in expounding the Proper dharma, good at its beginning, good in its middle, and good at its end, all that took place can be related to the “roots” and “traces”. What is meant by “root”? The “root-door” refers to the Buddha as he first put forth the resolve. What is meant by “traces”? The traces are the various modes of practice which he appeared to undertake, the Dharma-doors which he cultivated. His experience was extremely profound and far-reaching.

The Buddha, as he expounded the Proper dharma speaking of the past, present, and future, used words which were clever and subtle. When the Buddha spoke the Dharma, his expression was ingenious. “Clever” means that the Dharma he spoke was exactly appropriate for those who were being taught. “Subtle” means that it expressed a subtle, wonderful, inconceivable state.

Pure and unadulterated, the dharma he spoke was pure, singular. No other dharma-doors were mixed in with it. What Dharma was it? I will tell you: It was the sudden Dharma, the perfect-sudden dharma. Complete with the marks of pure, white Brahman conduct. “Complete” means that there is neither too little nor too much. “Pure” means clear and pure. “White” refers to bright light.

What are Sound-Hearers? You’ve been listening to Sutras for so long. Do you know what they are?

They are one of the Two Vehicles: the Sound Hearers and the Pratyeka Buddhas. The Sound Hearers become enlightened through the cultivation of the Four Truths. They hear the Buddha’s sound and awaken to the Way, and so they are called Sound Hearers. They are of the Small Vehicle. The Small Vehicle is the beginning level of study of the Buddhadharma, also called the Storehouse Teaching. From the Storehouse Teaching, studying more deeply, one gradually progresses through the Vaipulya and the Prajna Teaching, returning from the small towards the great, entering the Great Vehicle Dharma-door.

The Sound Hearers cultivate the Dharma of the Four Truths: suffering, origination, extinction, and the Way. The Four Truths was the first dharma which the Buddha taught. He taught it to the five Bhikshus who, upon hearing this Dharma-door, became enlightened. That is why they are called “Sound Hearers”. They heard the sound of the Buddha’s voice and awakened to the Way.

By which one crosses over birth, aging, sickness, and death, they have been delivered from the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death; they have separated from birth and death, ended birth and cast off death.

To the ultimate Nirvana; They obtain the ultimate Nirvana without residue. It is said,

They’ve done what they had to do.
Their Brahman conduct has been established
They undergo no further becoming.

They’ve already done the work they were supposed to do and succeeded in their cultivation of pure Brahman conduct. They don’t have to undergo birth and death again. That’s the Sound Hearers.

The Twelve Conditioned Causes; also known as the Twelve Links of Causation, are:

1. Ignorance, which conditions
2. actions, which conditions
3. consciousness, which conditions
4. name and form, which conditions
5. the six sense organs, which conditions
6. contact, which conditions
7. feeling, which conditions
8. craving, which conditions
9. grasping, which conditions
10. becoming, which conditions
11. birth, which conditions
12. old age and death.

Ignorance and activity are “the limbs which are able to lead forth,” because they draw out the following conditions.

Consciousness, name and form, the six sense organs, contact, and feeling are “the limbs which are led forth.” Craving, grasping and becoming are “the limbs which are able to produce.” Birth, old age, and death, are “the limbs which are produced.”

The Twelve conditioned Causes can be put together with the Four Truths as follows: The first seven of the Twelve Limbs, “the limbs which are able to lead forth and the limbs which are led forth,” belong to the Truth of Suffering. The following five limbs, “the limbs which are able to produce and the limbs which are produced,” belong to the Truth of Origination.

The extinction of ignorance and so forth up to the extinction of old age and death belongs to the Truth of Extinction. In the contemplation of the Twelve conditioned Causes, one uses a kind of wisdom and this wisdom belongs to the Truth of the Way.

For the sake of the Bodhisattvas, he rightly taught the Dharma for the Six Paramitas. The Six Paramitas are cultivated by Bodhisattvas and the Twelve Conditioned Causes are cultivated by those Enlightened to Conditions, the Pratyeka Buddhas. Pratyeka Buddha is a term which may be interpreted as “Enlightened to Conditions”, or as “Solitarily Enlightened”. When they are born in a period when a Buddha is in the world, they cultivate the Twelve Conditioned Causes and become enlightened, and certify to the fruit. In that case they are known as “those Enlightened to Conditions”. If they cultivate at a time when there is no Buddha in the world they cultivate the Twelve Conditioned Causes and,

In stillness,
Contemplating the myriad things
— they attain them all

In the deep mountain valleys, in the caves and on the cliffs, in the Spring they see the ten thousand things begin to grow. The brooks babble as they flow. The ten thousand things are flourishing. Another year has gone by and they realize that their lifespans have decreased another year. If they don’t hurry and realize the Way, how meaningless it will all have been.

So it is that, in the mountains, they put forth intense effort and apply themselves to their cultivation. When they first begin meditating, I’ll tell you, their legs hurt too. But they bear the pain; they bear what others cannot bear and sit all day without moving. They sit in Dhyana all day, investigating.

“What is ignorance, anyway? Where does ignorance come from?” They investigate the Twelve Conditioned Causes. From ignorance, karmic activity arose and karma was created. After karmic activity, came consciousness, and then name and form. After name and form came, the six sense organs. After the six sense organs, came contact and then feeling. Craving followed feeling and grasping followed craving. Becoming followed grasping and birth followed becoming and old age followed birth. They investigate it coming and going, back and forth, and–all of a sudden–they become enlightened! They know that originally their nostrils are pointing down! Although it appeared that they were facing downwards, they didn’t know, for sure, whether or not they faced up or down. Now they know!

Ultimately, do your nostrils face up or down? That is the question. You can ask yourself about your own nostrils.

So they become enlightened and they know that hair grows on the tops of their heads. How strange! They also know that the body is constantly oozing filth from nine orifices and that it will eventually decay and become extinct. At that time they completely understand and enlightened to the continual cycle of production and extinction of all dharmas. They certify to the fruit and are called Solitarily Enlightened Ones. “Solitary” refers to their being born at a time when there is no Buddha in the world.

Bodhisattvas practice the Bodhisattva Way. They benefit themselves and benefit others. They renounce themselves for the sake of other people.

The hells are a place of great suffering and everyone knows that it is no fun to fall into the hells. The Bodhisattvas see the living beings suffering in the hells, and they run off to the hells to suffer along with them.

“What’s the use of suffering along with living beings in the hells?” you might wonder. “What benefit is to be gained from doing that?”

It is of no benefit to the Bodhisattvas themselves, but when they get there they speak the Dharma to the living beings and cause them to bring froth the Bodhi heart. Once they have done so, they will be able to leave suffering and attain bliss. So the Bodhisattvas are not afraid of undergoing any form of bitterness as they teach and transform living beings.

Don’t think that Bodhisattvas are very comfortable. Many of them are very uncomfortable. They are incredibly busy all day long traveling to the north, east, south, and west, to the four points in between, and up and down, to rescue living beings. Why? Because they wish to practice the Six Paramitas and the Ten Thousand Conducts. They want to establish merit and virtue. To rescue a single person is the same as rescuing one living being within their own self-nature. If they do not cross that person over, then a living being in their self-nature remains to be saved. So the Bodhisatvas practice giving, morality, patience, vigor, Dhyana Samadhi, and Prajna.

The Bodhisattvas who are missing even one of the Six Paramitas are not yet perfect. They must practice all six. Sometimes they may try to give things away, but people won’t take them. They may even try to give some money only to hear, “You’ve got too much money. You’re trying to give it to me, but I don’t want it either.” This happens all the time. It’s not easy to practice the Bodhisattva Way! The Bodhisattvas cultivate the Six Paramitas, the six methods of making it to the other shore.

Causing them to attain Anuttarasamyaksambodhi and realize the wisdom of all modes. They cause them to attain the utmost proper, equal, and right enlightenment, to realize the Buddha-fruit, and to accomplish the Wisdom of all Modes. There are three types of wisdom:

1. all wisdom, which belongs to the truth of emptiness;

2. wisdom in the Way, which belong to the truth of the false.

These first two fall into the two extremes of emptiness and existence.

3. the wisdom of all modes, which belongs to the truth of the Middle Way. The first two wisdoms are one-sided, the third is the final meaning of the Middle Way which does not fall into the extreme of emptiness or into the extreme of existence.

“Realization” means that they certify to the attainment of this wisdom. They certify to the fruit of Buddhahood. The three truths and the three wisdoms interpenetrate. Now, in speaking of the wisdom of all modes, the other two wisdoms are also included.

Sutra:

“Then, there was another Buddha, also named Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, and then another Buddha, also named Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, and so forth for twenty-thousand Buddhas all of the same name, Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, and also of the same surname, Bharadvaja.”

“Maitreya, it should be known that all of those Buddhas, from the first to the last, had the same name, Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, and were complete with the ten titles, and that the Dharma they spoke was good at its beginning, middle, and end.”

Outline:

G2. showing Shakyamuni Buddha’s similarity with twenty thousand Buddhas

Commentary:

Previously, in explaining the passage, “Good at its beginning, good in its middle, and good at its end”, I spoke of Shakyamuni Buddha. Actually, the analogy applies not only to Shakyamuni Buddha, but to all the Buddhas in the ten directions, throughout the three periods of time. The Sutra text itself speaks about Buddha by the name of Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness, who spoke the Dharma, good at its beginning, middle and end.

Then, there was another Buddha, that is, after the previously mentioned Buddha named Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, there was yet another Buddha also named Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, and then, after that another Buddha, also named Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, later, after the second Buddha by the name of Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, yet another Buddha appeared and he didn’t take a different name; he was also of the same name.

Why did he take that name? Because it has brightness and all wisdom, and also Samadhi power and morality. The name carries the meaning of morality, Samadhi and wisdom–all of the Three Non-outflow Studies. If you have morality you will not “flow-out” and that’s a non-outflow. If you have wisdom, you will not “flow-out” and that’s also a non-outflow. If you have Samadhi you will flow out even less. You will obtain the state of non-outflow, the perfection of the Three Non-outflow Studies.

The Buddha liked this name and so the first, second and third Buddhas all have the same name. And not only the third, but and so forth for twenty-thousand Buddhas every one of them had the same name. The name sounded very fine, and so twenty thousand Buddhas like it.

And also of the same surname. Not only did they have the same first names, their last names were the same, too. What were they? They were Bharadvaja, a Sanskrit word which means “rapid”, because they became Buddhas very quickly. If you had that name, you probably would realize Buddhahood very quickly, too. Pity you don’t, and so you’re very slow.

The word Bharadvaja may also be interpreted as “sharp-rooted ” because they were extremely intelligent and wise. Where did their wisdom and intelligence come from? It comes from the cultivation of all manner of Dharma-doors. They studied the Sutras; they read and recited the Great Vehicle writings, and so their name means “sharp-rooted”. It may also be said to mean “full speech”. Their speech was perfect; they expressed the doctrines in their entirety; what they said was all in accord with the Buddhadharma. Those are the three meanings of Bharadvaja.

Maitreya, it should be known, Manjushri Bodhisattva says, “Maitreya Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva Invincible, you ought to know that all of those Buddhas, from the first to the last, had the same name, Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, and were complete with the ten titles. The name Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp is a specific name. The ten titles are common to all the Buddhas of the ten directions.

And that the Dharma they spoke was good at its beginning, middle, and end. Right up to the last of the Buddhas, they all spoke Dharma which was good at its beginning, good at its middle, and good at its end. When they first brought forth the Bodhi-heart and began to cultivate, it was good; in the middle, while they were cultivating, it was good; and at the very end, when they became Buddha it was also good.

Sutra:

“Before the last Buddha left the home-life, he had eight royal sons. The first was named Intention, the second, Good Intention, the third, Limitless Intention, the fourth Jeweled Intention, the fifth, Increasing Intention; the sixth, Intention Rid of Doubt, the seventh, Resounding Intention, and the eighth, Dharma Intention. The eight princes were of awesome virtue and self-mastery and each ruled over four continents.”

“When the princes heard that their father had left the home-life and attained Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, they all renounced their royal positions and left home as well. They brought forth the resolve for the Great Vehicle and constantly cultivated Brahman conduct. All became Dharma Masters, having already, in the presence of ten million Buddhas, planted the roots of goodness.”

Outline:

G3. showing Shakyamuni Buddha’s similarity with the last of the twenty thousand Buddhas

H1. similarity of what was seen in the past with what has happened in the present.

Commentary:

Before the last Buddha left the home-life, before the last of the twenty thousand Buddhas had left the home-life, he had eight royal sons. Shakyamuni Buddha had one son, Rahula. The last of this series of Buddhas, Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, had eight sons and each had his own name. The first was named Intention, he had a great heart for the Way, and he had brought forth the intention, the thought, of one with the heart of the Great Vehicle.

The second, Good Intention, he had no bad intentions. He had well brought forth the Bodhi-heart, well brought forth the great heart for the Way, so he was called Good Intention. The third, Limitless Intention, he had brought forth an unlimited, great Bodhi-heart for the Way; this was his intention. The fourth Jeweled Intention, his most cherished, most treasured intention was to seek for Buddhahood. The fifth, Increasing Intention; what intention was increased? The intention to bring forth the Bodhi-heart. The sixth, Intention Rid of Doubt. In cultivation, only fear that you will have doubts. If you have doubts you may take the wrong path. So it is said,

The cultivator’s heart must be free of doubts.
Once doubt arises, it’s easy to go wrong.

When doubting thoughts begin to plague you, in your confusion, you may lose the right road and enter a dangerous path. The seventh, Resounding Intention. His cultivation of the Great Vehicle Dharma was like an echo in a mountain valley. When you bring forth the Bodhi-heart, the Way heart, it works like an echo. You bring forth the heart, and the Buddha knows. The eighth, Dharma Intention.

The eight princes were of awesome virtue and self-mastery. Each of them was very solemn, dignified, and accomplished in virtuous conduct and each ruled over four continents. The term “four continents” refers to a system of one sun, one moon, and one Mount Sumeru, and one set of four continents.

When the princes heard that their father had left the home-life, when they heard that their father had already left home and become a monk, and on top of that, had become a Buddha, and attained Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, the utmost equal and proper enlightenment, all eight of them all renounced their royal positions. They didn’t become emperors. They gave up their beautiful consorts and concubines. They didn’t want them. They gave up their kingdoms, cities, wives and children. They renounced their kingdoms, gave away their cities, gave away their wives and children, and left home as well. They followed the last of the Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp Buddhas and left home.

They brought forth the resolve for the Great Vehicle and constantly cultivated Brahman conduct. They always cultivated pure conduct and did so without resting; they were always vigorous. All became Dharma Masters, and went about everywhere explaining the Sutras and teaching the Dharma, having already, in the presence of ten million Buddhas, planted the roots of goodness, doing all kinds of good deeds: making offerings to the Triple Jewel, paying reverence to the Triple Jewel. The eight royal sons cultivated the giving of offerings and practiced the Bodhisattva conduct, cultivating the Buddha Way. They brought forth great Bodhi hearts.

Sutra:

“At that time, the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness spoke a Great Vehicle Sutra named The Limitless Principles, a Dharma for instructing Bodhisattvas of which the Buddhas are protective and mindful. When he had finished speaking that Sutra, he then, in the midst of the assembly, sat in full lotus and entered the Samadhi of the Station of Limitless Principles; his body and mind were unmoving.

Then from the heavens there fell a rain of Mandarava flowers, Mahamandarava flowers, Manjushaka flowers, and Mahamanjushaka flowers, which were scattered upon the Buddha and the entire great assembly. All the Buddha universes quaked in six ways.

At that time the entire great assembly of Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas, Upasikas, gods, dragons, Yakshas, Gandharvas, Asuras, Garudas, Kinnaras, Mahoragas, beings human and non-human as well as the minor kings and the wheel-turning sage kings and so forth, all attained what they had never had before. They rejoiced and joined their palms and, with one heart, gazed upon the Buddha.

Then the Thus Come One emitted from between his brows a white hair-mark light which illumined eighteen thousand Buddha-worlds to the east, omitting none of them. 

Outline:

H2. similarity of what was seen in the past with what is occurring in the present

I1. similarity of the portents

J1. six portents in this world

At that time, right then, when the eight princes left home, the last of the Buddhas named Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness spoke a Great Vehicle Sutra named The Limitless Principles. This Sutra is a Dharma-door for instructing all the Bodhisattvas of which the Buddhas are protective and mindful. All the Buddhas are protective and mindful of this Sutra.

When he had finished speaking that Sutra, he then, in the midst of the assembly, he was right in the assembly of Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas, Upasikas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats, sat in full lotus, drew up his legs into the full lotus position and entered the Samadhi, the concentration, of the Station of Limitless Principles; his body and mind were unmoving.

This passage has already been explained in detail and we can merely read through it here without discussing it further. When the Buddha entered the Samadhi of the Station of Limitless Principles, his body did not move and his mind did not move. His unmoving state of body and mind is an indication that he had attained concentration.

Then from the heavens there fell a rain. It looked like rain, but it wasn’t water. What was it? It was a rain of Mandarava flowers, little white flowers, Mahamandarava flowers, big white flowers. The white flowers, large and small, fell together in profusion, filling the air with a delectable fragrance. The ground was completely carpeted with flowers!

It also rained Manjushaka flowers, small red flowers and Mahamanjushaka flowers, big red flowers. These four kinds of flowers represent the four sets of positions: The Ten Dwellings, the Ten Practices, the Ten Dedications and the Ten Grounds. Which were scattered upon the Buddha and the entire great assembly of Dharma.

All the Buddha universes as many great trichiliocosms as the grains of sand in the Ganges, quaked in six ways. I’m not going to test you now so you don’t have to peek at your old notes!

At that time the entire great assembly of Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas, Upasikas, the four-fold assembly of disciples; gods, dragons, Yakshas, that is ghosts; Gandharvas, the music spirits in the court of the Jade Emperor. Asuras, those who are “ugly” and “without wine”. Garudas are the great golden-winged P’eng birds. Kinnaras are also music spirits in the court of the Jade Emperor. Mahoragas are big snakes, beings human and non-human as well as the minor kings, kings of small countries, and the wheel-turning sage kings and so forth.

There are a lot more than the above-mentioned names, but not all of them have been listed separately. Every one present attained what they had never had before. They had never seen or heard anything like it before. They saw that they had never seen and heard what they had never heard. Now, seeing and hearing, they rejoiced and joined their palms. Seeing the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness display such spiritual penetrations, everyone was happy. They put their palms together and, with one heart, gazed upon the Buddha. They were singleminded as they looked at the Buddha.

Then the Thus Come One, the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness, also emitted from between his brows a white hair-mark light which illumined eighteen thousand Buddha-worlds to the east, from that Buddha-world across Buddha-worlds eighteen thousand in number. The Buddha worlds here represent the eighteen realms. The six quakings mentioned earlier represent the six sense organs quaking. The six sense organs plus the six sense objects, plus the six consciousnesses make eighteen realms. So, the Buddha emitted light shining across eighteen thousand Buddha-worlds which represents the eighteen realms. Omitting none of them, there was no place in which there was a Buddha where the light did not reach; it reached them all.

Sutra:

Just like all the Buddha lands now seen. 

Outline:

J2. six portents in other worlds

Sutra:

“Maitreya, it should be known that there were at that time in the assembly twenty million Bodhisattvas who took delight in listening to the Dharma. Upon seeing this bright light illumine all the Buddha lands, all the Bodhisattvas obtained what they had never had and wished to know the causes and conditions for this light.”

Outline:

I2. similarity of the doubts

Commentary:

Once again, Manjushri Bodhisattva speaks to Maitreya Bodhisattva saying Maitreya, Humane One, it should be known, you should know, that there were at that time in the assembly, in the Dharma assembly, twenty million Bodhisattvas who took delight in listening to the Dharma. They all liked to hear the Buddha speak the Dharma.

Upon seeing this bright light emitted by the Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, illumine all the Buddha lands, all the Bodhisattvas gave rise to doubts; they didn’t understand. Seeing the Buddha emit the white hair-mark light from between his brows which illumined eighteen thousand Buddhalands to the east, they also obtained what they had never had. They had never seen anything like it before and wished to know the causes and conditions for this light. The twenty million Bodhisattvas also wanted to know the reason for the light. Why did the Buddha emit the light? What was the reason?

Sutra:

“There was at that time a Bodhisattva by the name of Wondrous Light who had eight hundred disciples. The Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp then arose from Samadhi and, for the sake of the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light, spoke a Great Vehicle Sutra called the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower, a Dharma for instructing Bodhisattvas of which the Buddha is protective and mindful.”

Outline:

H3. similarity of what was seen in the past with what is about to happen

I1. similarity of persons for whom the Dharma was spoken

Commentary:

There was at that time a Bodhisattva, in the Dharma assembly by the name of Wondrous Light who had eight hundred disciples. The Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp then arose from Samadhi, he came out of concentration, the Samadhi of the Station of limitless principles, and, for the sake of the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light, spoke a Great Vehicle Sutra. It was called the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. It was a Dharma-door for instructing Bodhisattvas of which the Buddha is protective and mindful. 

Sutra:

“For sixty small aeons he did not rise from his seat. Those assembled listening also sat in one place for sixty small aeons with bodies and minds unmoving, listening to what the Buddha said as if it were but the space of a meal. At that time, in the assembly, there was not a single person who grew weary, either physically or mentally.” 

Outline:

I2. similarity of the time

Commentary:

When the Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp spoke the Sutra, how long did it take him? Sixty small aeons. If you’re talking about a long time, sixty small aeons isn’t really too long; if you’re talking about a short period of time, it isn’t exactly short. One aeons is 139,600 years. One thousand of those aeons makes one small aeon. So count it up. How long would sixty small aeons be?

However, one thought is ten thousand years, and ten thousand years is but a single thought. You could also say that one thought is ten thousand aeons, and ten thousand aeons is but a single thought. In the Heaven of the Four Kings a single day and night is equivalent to fifty years here in the world of human beings. In the Heaven of the Thirty-three, a day and night is one hundred years among humans. One day and one night seems like a very short space of time to them.

When people sit in meditation, if they don’t strike up false thinking, they can sit for an entire day and feel as if it were a single second. If you strike up false thinking, it can seem as if a single second lasted, oh, who knows how many years? You sit there, and you can’t sit still. You want to quit sitting and so:

One thought is ten thousand aeons;
Ten thousand aeons is but a thought

When the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness was speaking the Dharma for sixty small aeons he did not rise from his seat. He spoke The Dharma Flower Sutra for sixty small aeons. Why did it take so long? It was because everyone had entered the “delight in listening samadhi”. Although the Buddha spoke the Dharma, he did it from within Samadhi and didn’t rise for sixty small aeons. Those assembled listening also sat in one place for sixty small aeons with bodies and minds unmoving. The Dharma assembly of twenty million Bodhisattvas, gods, dragons, ghosts, and spirits and all the Arhats, Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas, Upasikas and so forth and so on, sat there listening to the Dharma for sixty small aeons.

For example, we are now listening to Sutras. If you pay close attention, and listen singlemindedly, when the lecture is over you will feel as if a very short time had passed. If you don’t pay attention, what is it like? One the one hand you listen to the Sutras and on the other you strike up false thinking, “Oh…it’s still not over. How much time have we got left? Take a look, would you?”

This is like a student who said that when she sat in meditation she did not meditate but rather waited for the bell so she could get up and be “liberated”. If you do that, how can you work at your meditation? If you do that, then when you sit, you will feel the time drags on, and your legs start to hurt, and your back aches. But if you don’t pay attention to the time, then there’s no leg or back pain; it’s no problem. “Well, who hurts? Who aches?” Just ask and it disappears. They sat for sixty small aeons and did not move in body or in mind. Their bodies didn’t wiggle around or lean this way and that, and their minds also did not move.

Listening to what the Buddha said. They listened to the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness speak the Dharma as if it were the time it takes to eat a bowl of rice, as if it were but the space of a meal. 

At that time, in the assembly, there was not a single person who grew weary, either physically or mentally. In the Dharma assembly, there wasn’t a single person who got tired, and wanted to rest, to take a nap. Nobody wanted to rest or sleep.

If you were one who truly listened to Sutras, you wouldn’t feel that it was tiresome to sit there. You should sit there and the more you listened, the more delighted you would become. “Ah, the Dharma is really wonderful, inconceivably wonderful!” If you don’t truly listen, you sit there and your legs wiggle and your hands jerk around and even though there’s no wind, it looks like you’re being blown back and forth, leaning all over the place.

Or perhaps you get up and pace the floor, or you just look to the east and look to the west. This is because your heart is not truly in it; you aren’t truly listening to the Sutras, and you aren’t tasting their true flavor. If you tasted the true flavor of the Sutras, I’ll tell you, there would be nothing so important that it could interfere with your attendance at the lectures. You would certainly come to listen. “Everyday I miss a lecture, I will not eat,” you’d say. “If I miss lectures for two days in a row, for two days I won’t eat.” If you pushed yourself like that, you wouldn’t dare not come to listen.

Say to yourself, “If you don’t go listen, you won’t get anything to eat!” That’s wonderful dharma. Try it out, if you dare. “So you don’t want to listen to Sutras? All right, no food today. If you go hungry for a day then, next week, you will think, “I’m going to go listen to the Sutra lecture. Otherwise I’ll go hungry!” Besides, not eating is really just not receiving the food of Dharma. In listening to the Sutras one receives the nourishment of Dharma.

Sutra:

At the end of sixty small aeons, having finished speaking the Sutra, the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness immediately announced to the assembly of Brahma, Mara, Shramanas, Brahmans, gods, humans, and Asuras, ‘Today, at midnight, the Thus Come One will enter Nirvana without residue.’”

Outline:

I3. similarity of announcing Nirvana

Commentary:

The Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness spoke The Dharma Flower Sutra for a full sixty small aeons; in all that time not a single person in the assembly grew tired in body or in mind. At the end of sixty small aeons, having finished speaking the Sutra, the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness immediately announced to the assembly of Brahma, the god, Mara, the demon king, Shramanas, that is the Bhikshus who have left home, Brahmans, one of the Indian outside ways who practice pure conduct, gods, humans, and Asuras.

He made an announcement saying, ‘Today, at midnight, the Thus Come One will enter Nirvana without residue. The Thus Come One Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness today will enter Nirvana. The Buddha was born at noon and entered Nirvana at midnight. Noon is yang and night, yin. When the Buddha came into the world, it was as if the entire world was illuminated by the sun, moon and lamplight. After the Buddha crossed into extinction, that is, entered Nirvana, it was like the darkness of the night. Not only was this the case with the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness, but all Buddhas are that way. They appear in the world at noon and enter Nirvana without residue at midnight.

Nirvana is of four kinds, according to the explanation of the consciousness Only School. Some texts give four kinds of Nirvana, but not the three kinds. What are the three?

1. The Nirvana of the purity of the nature. This type of Nirvana belongs to the virtue of the Dharmabody. The Buddha has three bodies: the Dharmabody, the Reward body and the Transformation body. The Nirvana of the purity of the nature belongs to the virtue of the Dharma body, that virtue being that it is not produced or destroyed, not defiled and not pure, not increasing and not decreasing.

2. The Nirvana of perfect purity. This type of Nirvana belongs to the virtue of Prajna.

3. The Nirvana of the purity of expedient means. This belongs to the virtue of liberation.

The virtue of the Dharmabody, the virtue of Prajna, and the virtue of liberation are the Secret Storehouse of Great Nirvana, the three virtues of Nirvana.

The purity of expedient means refers to “from emptiness taking up a false (existence)” that is, what is not produced takes on production and what is not extinguished takes on extinction. Although within the six paths of rebirth, there is no defilement and entry into nirvana entails permanent bliss, all actions and practices are conducted from within the Nirvana of expedient means purity. The three kinds of Nirvana are basically the same as the four kinds of Nirvana.

Here, the text says, Nirvana without residue. The first of the four kinds of Nirvana, is the Nirvana of the purity of the self nature. This corresponds to the first of the three types of Nirvana, the Nirvana of the purity of the nature.

The second of the four types of Nirvana is the Nirvana with residue. What is meant by residue? It refers to those of the Two Vehicles. Although they have certified to the fruit, they still have bodies. Because their bodies remain, they still have suffering. As long as you have a body, you suffer. Without a body, there is no suffering. Why are you greedy, hateful and stupid? It is because you take a thief for your son and search outside. Because you have a body, you have to take care of it; consequently, you are greedy, hateful and stupid. If you have a body, you suffer. If you have a body, you undergo pain. This is called Nirvana with residue.

When you have emptied the body and dharmas, there is no attachment to self or to dharmas, and this is called the Nirvana without residue, the third of the four kinds; here, suffering has been ended, cultivation of Brahman conduct has been established, what was to be done has been done, and one undergoes no further becoming; one need not return to be reborn in the Three Realms.

The fourth is the Nirvana of no dwelling place which corresponds to the third of the three kinds of Nirvana discussed above, that of the purity of expedient means. The Nirvanas with and without residue correspond to the second of the three kinds, the Nirvana of perfect purity.

Sutra:

“There was at that time a Bodhisattva by the name of Virtue Treasury to whom the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness transmitted a prediction, telling all the Bhikshus, ‘The Bodhisattva Virtue Treasury will next become a Buddha with the name of Pure-Body-Tathagato’rhan, Samyaksambuddhah.’”

Outline:

I4. similarity of giving predictions

Commentary:

When the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness announced the news that he was going to enter Nirvana without residue, there was a Bodhisattva present by the name of Virtue Treasury. His virtuous practices were especially complete. The Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness transmitted a prediction to him. What is meant by “transmitting a prediction?” It is to announce a future event, one for which the time has not yet come. The event is still “hanging in the air”. It hasn’t yet “fallen to the ground”. It is also said to be an advance prediction which refers to giving you a prediction in this life for your becoming a Buddha in a future life, saying, “You, in a future age, will be a Buddha with such and such a name…”

Telling all the Bhikshus, ‘The Bodhisattva Virtue Treasury will next become a Buddha’. After I have entered into Nirvana, he shall become a Buddha His name will be Pure-Body Thus Come One. Tathagato’rhan, that is Thus Come One, One Worthy of Offerings; Samyaksambuddhah, One of Proper and Universal Knowledge. Originally the Buddha has ten titles, but here only three are used to represent all ten.

Sutra:

After that Buddha had transmitted the prediction, at midnight he entered Nirvana without residue. 

Outline:

I5. similarity of propagation of Sutra after Buddha’s nirvana

J1. entering nirvana

Commentary:

After that Buddha had transmitted the prediction to the Bodhisattva Virtue Treasury, at midnight he entered Nirvana without residue. In the middle of the night, the Buddha went into Nirvana, he “completed the stillness”.

Sutra:

“Following the Buddha’s crossing over into extinction, the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light upheld the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra for a full eighty small aeons, expounding it to others. The eight sons of the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness all served Wondrous Light as their master. Wondrous Light taught and transformed them, causing them to become firmly established in Anuttarasamyaksambodhi.”

“Among the eight hundred disciples was one named Seeker of Fame, who was greedily attached to profit and offerings. Although he read and recited many scriptures, he did not comprehend them and forgot most of what he learned. For that reason he was called Seeker of Fame. Because he had also planted good roots, he was able to encounter limitless hundreds of thousands of tens of thousands of millions of Buddhas, making offerings to them and honoring them, venerating and praising them.”

Outline:

J2. benefits derived from propagation of the Sutra after the Buddha’s nirvana

Commentary:

Following the Buddha’s crossing over into extinction, the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light upheld the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. He accepted, upheld, read and recited it for a full eighty small aeons, expounding it to others, explaining it to them.

The eight sons of the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness all served Wondrous Light as their master. They bowed to him as their teacher. Wondrous Light taught and transformed them, the eight sons, causing them to become firmly established in Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. He caused them to bring forth hearts which were solid and irreversible with respect to the Utmost Proper and Equal Right Enlightenment, that is, the Buddha-fruit.

They only wished to go forward and had no thought of retreating. They were ever vigorous and never rested. The eight royal sons bowed to the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light as their teacher, and he carried out his responsibilities quite dutifully. He spoke to them all day saying things like, “Don’t be lazy. Don’t sneak off to rest or take naps, and don’t go around stealing food!” That’s how he kept track of them. Even though they were royal princes, they still have to cultivate truly. When Shakyamuni Buddha left the home-life to cultivate, he was by no means lazy. He meditated in the Himalayas everyday. Those who have left home must cultivate the Way if they are to receive the offerings from the ten directions. If you don’t cultivate the Way it can be very dangerous. Don’t think that leaving home is all that easy.

The princes, the eight sons of the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness, after leaving home made offerings to limitless hundreds of thousands of tens of thousands of millions of Buddhas. Having cultivated both blessings and wisdom to perfection, they all realized the Buddha Way. 

What is meant by cultivating blessings and wisdom? Making offerings to limitless hundreds of thousands of tens of thousands of millions of Buddhas was the cultivation of blessings. Reciting and maintaining hundreds of thousands of tens of thousands of millions of Sutras which the Buddha had spoken was the cultivation of wisdom. Through accepting, maintaining, reading, and reciting, making offerings and paying honor, they perfected their blessings and wisdom and later became Buddhas.

The very last to become a Buddha was one named Burner of the Lamp. Among the eight hundred disciples was one named Seeker of Fame. The Bodhisattva Wondrous Light had eight hundred disciples. One of them was called Seeker of Fame. Now, the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light was the Bodhisattva Manjushri. He was the master of the eight princes, and taught them all to become Buddhas. The last of the eight princes was called Burner of the Lamp. He was Shakyamuni Buddha’s teacher and transmitted the prediction of Buddhahood to Shakyamuni Buddha. This means that the Bodhisattva Manjushri was Shakyamuni Buddha’s grand-teacher, his teacher’s teacher.

Manjushri now acts as Shakyamuni Buddha’s disciple. The grand-teacher is now the disciple. What is the principle involved here? In the Buddhadharma, “TheDharma is level and equal with nothing above or below”. Everything in the world is, without exception, just like a play. People all watch the play and then, when it’s over, they go home. Manjushri Bodhisattva acted in the Saha world as the disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha and Shakyamuni Buddha’s teacher was Manjushri Bodhisattva’s disciple. So, take a look: “The Dharma is level and equal, with nothing above or below”, and so when Shakyamuni Buddha became a Buddha, Manjushri Bodhisattva had not yet done so, and so now he is Shakyamuni Buddha’s disciple.

Among the eight hundred disciples was one named Seeker of Fame. He just loved to seek fame and profit. What was he like? He never cultivated; he just laughed and joked all day. He ran around outside, climbing on conditions at the homes of the wealthy people and influential officials. He schemed for his own advantage and he didn’t cultivate. He didn’t recited Sutras. Well, he recited them, but his heart wasn’t in it. He recited them over and over, but couldn’t remember them. Why not? Because his heart was heavy laden with schemes for climbing on conditions. If you can’t remember your Sutra recitations, you should take a clue from Maitreya Bodhisattva for a warning. He couldn’t remember the Sutras because he was too involved with climbing on conditions and seeking fame.

Why can’t you remember your Sutra recitations? It’s because, in your heart, you also seek fame and climb on conditions; you seek fame and profit. If you put down those two words “fame and profit”, then you’d be able to recite any book at all after reading it only once. You wouldn’t have to put forth any special concentration to memorize it. Why? Because you’d have no other thoughts. Without thoughts of greed, hatred, or stupidity or climbing on conditions, your intelligence and wisdom would come forth.

Who was greedily attached to profit and offerings. See? Even Maitreya Bodhisattva had that flaw. He was greedy for profit, craved offerings, climbed on conditions, and got stuck on profit and offerings. Profit just means money. He was greedy for people to give him a little cash, like monks nowadays who receive offerings of money in little red envelopes. They open them up and if there is a sizable amount of money in them, they are delighted. That is what is meant by being greedily attached to profit and offerings. If they get a little less, they grimace and groan. This is just a manifestation of greed for offerings. If you are truly a person of the Way, if won’t matter how much they give. A little is a lot and a lot is a little. A little and a lot–it’s all the same.

For example, last Saturday on the eighth day of the lunar month, one disciple saw that people were making offerings to the Dharma Master. Basically, I wouldn’t even bring this matter up because it is likely to sound as if I’m asking for offerings, but unless I talk about it, no one will know. She saw that the Chinese people were all making offerings and so she also gave an offering. At the time I didn’t know how much was in it. Later on, I opened it and saw that it was a penny. I was extremely happy.

You say, “How could a penny make you happy?”

Although it was only a penny, it showed that she had a sincere heart. I think on that day she didn’t have any money and so she only gave a penny. That night, she made another offering of four dollars and told me, “I didn’t have any money today.” I said, “I know. Your penny made merit and virtue for you perhaps as much as giving a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand dollars would have, because you were sincere.” In the Buddhadharma, as long as you are sincere, you obtain merit and virtue regardless of how much money you give as an offering. If you do not have a sincere heart, even if you give a lot, it’s still a little. If you have a sincere heart, if you give a little, it’s still a lot. You need only make offerings with a true heart.

Although he read and recited many scriptures, at that time the Bodhisattva Seeker of Fame, Maitreya, one of the eight hundred disciples, read and recited Sutras. Like now in the morning, the three who have left home along with several laypeople, recite the Shurangama Mantra, The Vajra Sutra, and The Heart Sutra. It would be good to recite the Great Compassion Mantra twenty-one times to seek a response and whatever you seek, you may obtain. If you recite the Great Compassion Mantra, the lecture hall will be filled with a rare fragrance as that state arises when one recites it.

If you recite Sutras sincerely a rare fragrance may also manifest. How does that happen? When you recite the Sutras, heavenly maidens will scatter flowers and the fragrance will manifest. But you must recite with a sincere heart, in the same way that you must make offerings to the Triple Jewel with a sincere heart. If you have a sincere heart, when you recite a single sentence of the Sutra, you can startle heaven and move the earth. The ghosts and spirits in heaven and earth will all know about it. If you don’t have a sincere heart, you can recite the entire Sutra and all you do is strike up false thinking.

What false thinking do you strike up? You think, “I’m reciting the Sutra today. I wonder if anyone will send me offerings? I’m reciting the Sutra so I can get offerings.” If you have that kind of false thinking, then no one will make offerings to you. Why not? Because your heart is filled with the wish for offerings and so they will not appear. If you have thought, it is false thought. The thought arising is just false thought. Without thought, you may obtain a response. If you do not seek offerings, and they come, that is a response.

Although he read and recited many scriptures, not one Sutra, but a lot of them, he did not comprehend them. He couldn’t remember them. If you can’t remember them, then you remember the first part and forget the last part, or remember the last part and forget the first part. If you remember the first and the last, you forget the middle part, and you can’t recite it. You have to listen to the others and follow along with them. If you do that, the merit and virtue is theirs, not your own. Do you understand? You must be able to recite them on your own. You must comprehend them, recite them yourself, understand them and be well-versed in them. Well-versed, you can recite them from the first part to the very end remembering them all.

Now, he read and recited them but couldn’t remember them. And forgot most of what he learned. He didn’t really recite. He recited the first part and forgot the last; forgetting a whole lot of it. For that reason he was called Seeker of Fame. I believe that he probably did not give himself this name. Someone else probably gave it to him saying, “All you do is seek fame and seek profit. We’ll just call you Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva!”

Because he had also planted good roots, although he was called Seeker of Fame, he had also planted many good roots and cultivated many practices, cultivating blessings and cultivating wisdom. He was able to encounter limitless hundreds of thousands of tens of thousands of millions of Buddhas, making offerings to them and honoring them, venerating and praising them. He made offerings to limitless Buddhas, honored them, venerated and praised them.

Sutra:

“Maitreya, it should be known, could the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light have been anyone else? I, myself, was he. And the Bodhisattva Seeker of Fame was you, yourself!”

Outline:

J3. correspondence of the past and present

Commentary:

Maitreya, it should be known, could the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light have been anyone else? Do you know who he was? He wasn’t anybody else but–who? I, myself, was he. He was just me–Manjushri Bodhisattva! Do you remember? And the Bodhisattva Seeker of Fame, just who was he? You, yourself! You, Maitreya Bodhisattva, you were the one who sought fame and profit. But now, you’re improved yourself a lot, and made a lot of progress compared to the way you used to be.

Sutra:

“The portents now seen do not differ from those, and so, in my estimation, today the Thus Come One is about to speak a Great Vehicle Sutra called The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower, a Dharma for instructing Bodhisattvas of which the Buddha is protective and mindful.”

Outline:

F4. the conclusion

Commentary:

The portents now seen, when Maitreya Bodhisattva heard Manjushri Bodhisattva give away his previous identity as the Bodhisattva who sought fame, he had already gotten rid of his mark of self; consequently, he wasn’t embarrassed and he didn’t feel, “All you do is talk about my bad points. You’re really rude.” He didn’t think that way at all.

Manjushri Bodhisattva said to him, “I now see Sakyamuni Buddha emitting the white hair-mark light, along with the other portents, six in all, and they are just the same as those previously manifested by the Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp. They do not differ from those. “Those” refers to the portents manifested by the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp Brightness; “now” refers to those now manifested by Shakyamuni Buddha. The portents are the same.

And so, in my estimation, because of this, I now calculate, think about it. Actually Manjushri Bodhisattva didn’t need to think about it. He knew it all along. But he accords with worldly methods and says, “I have thought it over and it is my considered opinion that today the Thus Come One is about to speak a Great Vehicle Sutra called The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower, that was its title, a Dharma for instructing Bodhisattvas of which the Buddha is protective and mindful.”

Sutra:

At that time Manjushri, in the midst of the assembly, wishing to restate his meaning, spoke verses, saying:

I recall that in ages past,
Limitless, countless aeons ago,
There appeared a Buddha, one honored among people,
By the name of Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp,
That World Honored One proclaimed the Dharma,
Taking limitless living beings across,
Causing countless millions of Bodhisattvas
To enter the wisdom of the Buddhas.

Outline:

E2. verse section

F1. extensive reference to what was seen in the past

G1. similarity with the first Buddha

Commentary:

At that time Manjushri, in the midst of the assembly, wishing to restate his meaning, thinking to repeat the principles once again spoke verses, saying:

I recall that in ages past, Manjushri Bodhisattva says, “I, myself, remember that in the past, a long time ago, limitless, countless aeons ago,there appeared a Buddha, one honored among people, a Buddha who was venerated by both gods and humans by the name of Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, that World Honored One proclaimed the Dharma,the wonderful Dharma of the Great Vehicle, taking limitless living beings across.He saved and liberated an unlimited number of them; it is not known how many beings he saved, causing countless millions of Bodhisattvas, to enter the wisdom of the Buddhas.

Sutra:

Before that Buddha had left home,
The eight royal sons born to him,
Seeing the Great Sage leave his home,
Also followed him to practice Brahman conduct.

Outline:

G2. similarity with the last Buddha

H1. similarity of what was seen in the past with what has already occurred in the present

Commentary:

Before that Buddha had left home,before the Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp had left the home-life, the eight royal sons born to him, seeing the Great Sage leave his home,they knew that their father, the Great Sage, had left home, also followed him to practice Brahman conduct. They also renounced their kingdoms, cities, wives, and children; they gave them away, and followed their father to leave home and cultivate the clear, pure Brahman conduct.

Sutra:

The Buddha then spoke a Great Vehicle
Sutra by the name of Limitless Principles;
Amidst the assembly, and for their sake,
He set it forth in extensive detail.

When the Buddha had finished speaking the Sutra,
Seated in the Dharma-seat,
He sat in full lotus and entered the Samadhi
Called the Station of Limitless Principles.

From the heavens fell a rain of Mandarava flowers,
And heavenly drums of themselves did sound,
While all the gods, dragons, ghosts and spirits,
Made offerings to the Honored One;
And, within all the Buddha lands,
There occurred a mighty trembling.
The light emitted from between the Buddha’s brows
Manifested all these rare events.

Outline:

H2. similarity of what was seen in the past with what is occurring in the present

I1. similarity of the portents

J1. similarity of the six portents in this world

Commentary:

The Buddha then spoke a Great Vehicle,the Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp spoke a Great Vehicle Sutra, Sutra by the name of Limitless Principles; amidst the assembly, and for their sake. In the Great Assembly, he set it forth in extensive detail. For the sake of the assembly, he spoke it in fine detail, explaining the wonderful principles of the Sutra.

When the Buddha had finished speaking the Sutra, the Sutra of Limitless Principles, while seated in the Dharma-seat, he was then sitting on the Dharma seat where one sits while lecturing on the Sutra. He sat in full lotus and entered the Samadhi. He crossed his legs, sat in the lotus position and entered the concentration called the Station of Limitless Principles. That was the name of the Samadhi.

From the heavens fell a rain of Mandarava flowers. At that time the gods sent down a rain of little white flowers and big white flowers, as well as little red flowers and big red flowers. And heavenly drums of themselves did sound. In the heavens, the celestial drums sounded without being struck. While all the gods, dragons, ghosts and spirits, the gods and all the dragons and all the ghosts and spirits made offerings to the Honored One. They all made offerings to the Buddha, to the Dharma and to the Sangha.

And, within all the Buddha lands, at that time, in all of the lands of the Buddha, there occurred a mighty trembling. The light emitted from between the Buddha’s brows, the Buddha emitted white hair-mark light from between his eyebrows which manifested all these rare events. A great many rare and unprecendented things appeared.

Sutra:

The light illumined to the east
Eighteen thousand Buddha lands,
Revealing the places of living beings’
Karmic retributions of birth and death.

Seen, too, were Buddha lands adorned
With a multitude of gems,
The color of lapis lazuli and crystal,
Illumined by the Buddha’s light.

Seen as well were gods and people,
Dragons, spirits, and Yaksha hordes,
Gandharvas and Kinnaras,
Each making offerings to the Buddha.

Thus come ones, too, all were seen
As they naturally accomplished the Buddha Way,
Their bodies’ hue like mountains of gold,
Upright, serene, subtle, and fine,
As, within pure lapis lazuli
Would appear an image of real gold.

The World Honored Ones in those assemblies
Proclaimed the profound principle of the Law.
In all the Buddhas’ lands,
Were Shravaka hosts, uncountable;
Through the illumination of the Buddha’s light
Those assemblies all were fully seen.

There were also Bhikshus who,
Dwelt within the mountain groves,
Vigorously upholding the pure precepts
As if guarding brilliant pearls.

Also seen were Bodhisattvas
Practicing giving, patience, and so forth,
Their number like the Ganges’ sands,
Illumined by the Buddha’s light.

Seen too were Bodhisattvas who
Had deeply entered Dhyana Samadhi,
With bodies and minds still and unmoving
They sought the Way unsurpassed.

Bodhisattvas, too, were seen who knew
The Mark of Dharmas’ still extinction;
Each one within his Buddhaland
Spoke Dharma, seeking the Buddha’s path.

Outline:

J2. similarity of the six portents in other worlds

Commentary:

The light illumined to the east, the light shone into the eastern direction. How far did it shine? Eighteen thousand Buddha lands. The eighteen thousand Buddha lands represent the eighteen realms of sense. Revealing the places of living beings’. The Buddha pointed out the places of all living beings’ karmic retributions of birth and death, where they were born and died, died and were reborn, the karmic retributions of their births and deaths.

Why is there karmic retribution?

It is because we people give rise to delusion. Giving rise to delusion is the production of ignorance. Once there is ignorance, then there is karmic activity, and karma is created. After karma has been created, one necessarily undergoes retribution. In the light of the Buddha these various circumstances appeared.

Seen, too, were Buddha lands adorned.Some people saw other Buddha lands decorated with a multitude of gems, various kinds of treasures were used to ornament the Buddhalands. The color of lapis lazuli and crystal. Some of the lands were adorned with lapis lazuli and others with crystal illumined by the Buddha’s light. It was through the illumination of the Buddha-light that these things were revealed.

Seen as well were gods and people. Not only were all the lands with their splendid and beautiful adornments seen, but also seen were all the gods in the heavens, dragons, spirits, and Yaksha hordes. The dragons were there, and the spirits and the ghosts and so forth. Gandharvas and Kinnaras,the two classes of musical spirits, each making offerings to the Buddha. The gods, dragons and the rest of the eight-fold division all brought forth their hearts to present offerings and make offerings to the Buddha.

Thus come ones, too, all were seen. Also seen were all the Buddhas in other lands as they naturally accomplished the Buddha Way, they brought forth the Bodhi-heart, good in the beginning, good in the middle and good at the end, right up until they became Buddhas, naturally realizing the Buddha path. Their bodies’ hue like mountains of gold. Their bodies were the color of golden mountains, the color of burnished, purple-gold. Upright, serene, subtle, and fine. The Buddha has thirty-two marks and eighty minor characteristics and is very majestic and fine. As, within pure lapis lazuli, it is just like within a pure cylinder of lapis lazuli would appear an image of real gold.

The World Honored Ones in those assemblies, all the limitless Buddhas in the assemblies in the other Buddhalands proclaimed the profound principle of the Law. They set forth and make known the extremely deep purport of the Dharma in all the Buddhas’ lands.In all the Buddha lands in other worlds were Shravaka hosts, uncountable, through the illumination of the Buddha’s light. Because the Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp emitted the white hair-mark light illumining them, those assemblies all were fully seen.

There were also Bhikshus who, there were those who had left home, Bhikshus or Bhikshunis dwelt within the mountain groves. They lived in the mountains, deep in the woods, in secluded valleys–places where no one ever goes–vigorously upholding the pure precepts. They were vigorous day and night. Day and night, they never rested. In what way were they vigorous? They forgot about eating; they forgot about sleeping; they forgot about wearing clothes.

Then what did they think of? They only thought to cultivate the Way with vigor. They were perpetually vigorous in the six periods of the day and night–always vigorous.

What are the six periods of the day and night? During the day, there are three: the beginning of the day, the middle of the day and the end of the day. During the night, there are also three: the beginning of the night, the middle of the night, and the end of the night.

In the six periods of the day and night, they cultivated. They vigorously upheld the pure precepts, the clear, pure precious precepts as if guarding brilliant pearls. The kept the clear, pure brilliant vajra precepts just like the dragon stands guard over his dragon pearl.

Those who have left home who uphold the precepts 1% have 1% of light; those who hold them 10% have 10% of light. If you hold them a full 100%, you will have 100% of light. The light is produced through the precepts, through Samadhi, and through wisdom. If you don’t hold the precepts, you will have no light. If you would like to have light, you must hold the precepts. Cultivating is not simply done to obtain light, but even up to the realization of Buddhahood, unless you keep the precepts, you won’t be able to realize Buddhahood. Therefore, if you would like to become a Buddha, you must keep the precepts. The precepts are the most important thing.

There are Ten Shramanera Precepts and Two Hundred and Fifty Bhikshu Precepts. The study of the precepts is the most important. Those who have left home absolutely must follow the precepts. If they do not, they are no different from lay people. Therefore, if you wish to realize the Buddha Way, you must start out by holding the precepts. That is why, in The Dharma Flower Sutra a great emphasis is placed upon the precepts. The precepts prohibit one from talking casually or in a confused manner, speaking in terms of right and wrong. You cannot, through your speech, cause living beings to become afflicted. It is said,

Guard your mouth, collect your thoughts
And with your body, don’t transgress.
Don’t cause trouble for any living thing.
Stay far away from useless bitter practices.
A cultivator like this can save the world.

You should guard your mouth:

“How do I do that?” you ask.

Just don’t confusedly prattle. Keep your mouth shut like a bottle. Don’t talk all day, talking about the useful and talking about the useless. If you do that, you are not guarding your mouth.

Collect your thoughts: If you collect your thoughts, then not only will you never say harmful things, but you will not even have evil thoughts within your mind. Your mind won’t think about other people’s rights and wrongs and your mouth won’t agitate about them. Your mind will not think about “right and wrong”.

With your body, don’t transgress: You cannot break the precepts with your body.

Don’t cause trouble for any living thing: You should not hinder any living being in the world. To say nothing of people, you shouldn’t even cause trouble for an animal or an insect.

Stay far way from useless bitter practices: Don’t adopt bitter practices which are unbeneficial to you, to society, or to the world in general.

A cultivator like this can save the world: One who cultivates like this can teach and transform living beings.

Therefore, they keep and hold the precepts just as they would guard a precious jewel. Perhaps you have a precious pearl, or perhaps a night-light pearl, or a wind-proofing pearl, or a water-proofing pearl, or a fire-proofing pearl. If you have a wind-proofing pearl you will not be bothered by windstorms. With the water-proofing pearl, the floods won’t come, and with the fire-proofing pearl then everyone in your neighborhood will be able to borrow its light and their houses will not catch on fire. If you had such a precious gem, wouldn’t you take special care of it? You would always protect that jewel. Holding the precepts is just like guarding such a precious gem and so the text says, “As if guarding brilliant pearls.”

Also seen were Bodhisattvas, within the white hair-mark light emitted by the Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, all the Bodhisattvas were seen, a great many of them, practicing giving, patience, and so forth. They cultivated the Six Perfections. The previous verse spoke of the Bhikshus practicing the Perfection of Morality. Now, the Perfections of Giving and Patience are mentioned. “And so forth,” refers to the remaining Perfections, that is, Dhyana Samadhi, Vigor and Prajna–all six are included.

Giving is of three kinds: the giving of wealth, the giving of Dharma, and the giving of fearlessness. If you have money, you may give money, if you understand the Buddhadharma, you can give Buddhadharma. If you help others, causing them to get rid of the fear in their hearts, that is called the giving of fearlessness. Patience is also of three kinds: Patience with production, patience with dharmas and patience with the non-production of dharmas. And so forth…all the perfections were practiced. Their number like the Ganges’ sands. How many Bodhisattvas were there practicing the Six Perfections and the Ten Thousand Conducts? There were as many as the grains of sand in the Ganges River. They gave away their kingdoms, cities, wives and children.

Now, when I was lecturing this Sutra three weeks ago, I said that someone had given his wife away and there was a wife who asked me, “If someone was able to give his wife away, wouldn’t it be possible to give one’s husband away?” I told the questioner, “You should go at this gradually. Don’t be so nervous.” This problem is very difficult to solve, however, and so I told her, “If you want to give away your husband, you’ll first have to find someone who wants to take him. If someone wants him, you can give him away; but if no one wants him, who are you going to give him to?” To date, she hasn’t found anyone to take him. In the future, if she finds someone, she can give him away. For now, she’ll just have to wait.

No doubt from ancient times until the present day, this is the first person who has ever wanted to give away her husband. And just who is this person? I don’t know either! But I thought I’d tell you about it anyway.

So there were as many Bodhisattvas as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, and they were illumined by the Buddha’s light. Because the light of the Buddha shone on them, all these states were visible.

Seen too were Bodhisattvas who, not just all the ones mentioned above, but again there were seen Bodhisattvas who had deeply entered Dhyana Samadhi. What is meant by “deeply entering?” It means that, with their full attention devoted to their work, they meditated throughout the six periods of the day and night. If you don’t meditate throughout the six periods of the day and night, then you haven’t deeply entered. Those who cultivate the Way must do it with a true heart. Without a true heart, how can you expect to attain the Way? You must offer up your true heart and then not only can you attain the Way, but you can become a Buddha. So bring forth your heart and make it solid, sincere and constant.

Your heart must be solid. You can’t say, “Today, I have a solid heart, but tomorrow I’m likely to change.” When tomorrow comes and you have changed, you are not longer solid. A sincere heart means that you actually and responsibly do the work. Constant means that you must persevere. It’s not just a matter of day and night, but at all times, constantly, you must be the same.

Last summer, during the study and meditation session, many were very sincere in their study of the Buddhadharma. They were sincere to the point that they even studied when it was time to sleep. The summer session was a very short period of time. You brought forth the heart to cultivate the Way for that time, but you must cultivate and study the Buddhadharma like that forever. That counts as being true. Deeply entering Dhyana Samadhi means to work hard at one’s cultivation, constantly.

With bodies and minds still and unmoving. Still and unmoving means that they had entered Samadhi. They didn’t fret, thinking, “My legs hurt!” and then rearrange them, or “My back aches,” and then lean backwards against the wall. They didn’t do anything like that because their bodies and minds were still and unmoving. They sought the Way unsurpassed. They used determination and skill like this to seek the supreme path.

Bodhisattvas, too, were seen who knew, the Mark of Dharmas’ still extinction;also seen were very many Bodhisattvas who understood the mark of the still extinction of dharmas; the mark of still extinction is just the mark of Nirvana. Nirvana is just still extinction and still extinction is just Nirvana. They knew the wonderful aspect of Nirvana. Each one within his Buddhaland, each one of the Bodhisattvas within his own land, spoke Dharma, seeking the Buddha’s path. They taught and proclaimed the Buddhadharma. By speaking the Dharma, one increases one’s blessings and wisdom, and they dedicated the merit and virtue thus accrued to the Buddha Way.

Sutra:

Then the four-fold multitudes
Seeing the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp
Manifest great and powerful spiritual penetrations,
In their hearts all rejoiced,
And inquired, each of the other,
“What is the reason for these events?”

Outline:

I2. similarity of the doubtful thoughts

Commentary:

Then the four-fold multitudes, at that time the Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas and Upasikas, seeing the Buddha Sun-Moon-Lamp; when they saw the Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp manifest great and powerful spiritual penetrations; reveal the strength of his majestic spiritual penetrations and wonderful functions, in their hearts all rejoiced. All their hearts were happy; this represents the portent of happiness. And inquired, each of the other,each of them had his own doubts and so they asked each other, “What is the reason for these events?” Just what is this all about? What’s happening?

Sutra:

The Honored One, revered by gods and humans,
Just then from Samadhi did arise,
And praised the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light:
“You act as eyes for the world,
All return to you in faith; you are
Able reverently to hold the Dharma-store.

Dharma such as I do speak–
You alone can certify to its understanding.”
The World Honored One having praised him,
And caused Wondrous Light to rejoice,
Then spoke the Sutra of the Dharma Flower.

Outline:

H3. similarity of what was seen in the past with what is about to happen in the present

I1. similarity of the persons for whom the Dharma was spoken

Commentary:

The Honored One, revered by gods and humans, that is, the Buddha, just then from Samadhi did arise. He was very tranquil, very comfortable, and then he emerged from Samadhi. What Samadhi did he emerge from? The Samadhi of the station of limitless principles.

“Arise” means that he came out of Samadhi. And praised the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light. The Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp praised him saying, “You act as eyes for the world.” You are the eyes of the people in the world. You are the world’s bright-eyed learned advisor. You are the eyes for everyone and everyone relies upon you, Wondrous Light, to be their eyes. Why? All return to you in faith; you are. Everyone in the world finds refuge in you, pays respect to you and has faith in you. They look up to you. And why? Able reverently to hold the Dharma-store. It is because you can uphold the treasury of the Buddha’s Dharma and cultivate according to the Dharma, propagate the Dharma, and teach and transform living beings according to the doctrines the Buddha taught in the Sutras.

Dharma such as I do speak–the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra which I speak, you alone can certify to its understanding. Only you, Bodhisattva Wondrous Light, can understand and certify to this kind of wisdom and know of the wonderful points found within the Sutra. The World Honored One having praised him, the World Honored One Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, having thus praised the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light and caused Wondrous Light to rejoice, He caused the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light to become very happy. So you see, Bodhisattvas also like to be praised.

So, no matter who it is, take care not to speak ill of them. You should say things like, “You are truly fine. Your heart is good, and you are nice looking too.” No matter how ugly they are, don’t just blurt out things like, “You’re really ugly!” If you do that, they’ll detest you. Even though they are ugly, if you bring it up, they aren’t going to like it. If you don’t mention it, there won’t be anything they can do.

After all, they were born looking like that and there’s no place they can go to complain about it. But if you say, “You’re grotesque!” they will most certainly get angry at you. “Oh, yeah? Well, I’ve got something to say about that,” they’ll sputter. “I’ve got a belly full of temper and nowhere to put it. Since you say I’m ugly you can just take that, Buddy!!” And so the Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp praised the Bodhisattva Wondrous Light and then spoke the Sutra of the Dharma Flower.

Sutra:

For a full sixty minor aeons
He did not rise from his seat.
The supreme and wondrous Dharma that he spoke,
The Dharma Master Wondrous Light
Was fully able to receive and hold.

Outline:

I2. similarity of the time

Commentary:

For a full sixty minor aeons, the Buddha Brightness Sun-Moon-Lamp spoke The Dharma Flower Sutra for a full sixty small aeons, during which time he did not rise from his seat. He didn’t get up from the Dharma seat for sixty small aeons while he spoke the Sutra. The supreme and wondrous Dharma that he spoke, the most supreme, unsurpassed, deep, subtle and fine Dharma the Dharma Master Wondrous Light was fully able to receive and hold. He understood all the doctrines in the Sutra. He relied upon that Dharma to cultivate, accepted it, maintained it, and accordingly taught it to others.

Sutra:

The Buddha, having spoken The Dharma Flower,
And caused the assembly to rejoice,
Later, on that very day,
Announced to the host of gods and humans;
“The meaning of the real mark of all Dharmas
Has already been spoken for all of you,
And now at midnight,
I shall enter into Nirvana.

You should single-heartedly advance with vigor,
And avoid laxness, for
Buddhas are difficult indeed to meet,
Encountered but once in a million aeons.”

Outline:

I3. similarity of announcement of Nirvana

Commentary:

The Bodhisattva Manjushri said, “The Buddha, having spoken The Dharma Flower, after the Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp had spoken the Sutra and caused the assembly to rejoice, and caused those assembled to be filled with the bliss of Dharma and gain unbounded happiness, later, on that very day, “later” means not long after that, very shortly after that, on that very same day. Which day? The day when he finished speaking The Dharma Flower Sutra.

Announced to the host of gods and humans; he told those in the heavens and those among the humans as well as those of the entire eightfold division, “The meaning of the real mark of all Dharmas”, “All dharmas” means every dharma, all the eighty-four thousand Dharma-doors which the Buddha taught. All dharmas, as I often say, can be interpreted to mean “one single dharma,” in this case “all dharmas” because if there are too many, one can’t remember them clearly. It would be better for me to explain it as “one kind of dharma.” Then if you remember one kind of dharma:

One is just the limitless.

If you understand the one kind of dharma, then you can hear one and understand ten, and you will be able to understand the other eighty-four thousand Dharma-doors as well:

Understanding one, all are understood–
Clear about one, clear about all.

If you can’t understand that one dharma, how are you going to be able to understand a lot of them?

Someone once asked me, “Of the eighty-four thousand Dharma-doors taught by the Buddha, which is the most lofty? Which Dharma-door is number one? Which is most important?”

You could say this question is problematical; you could also say that it isn’t. If you don’t understand, it’s problematical. If you understand the Dharma, then it’s no problem! When he asked, I answered him in terms of his question and said, “Of the eighty-four thousand Dharma-doors, eighty-four thousand are the most lofty, eighty-four thousand are number one and eighty-four thousand are the most important.” Why did I say that?

Of the eighty-four thousand Dharma-doors, there is not one which is not for the purpose of curing the eighty-four thousand sicknesses of living beings. You need only apply that one Dharma-door which will effectively cure your sickness and that Dharma-door becomes number one, the most lofty and the most important. Why? Because it is useful to you. If it was of no use to you, suited for an illness other than the one you had, it would then become unimportant. It would not be number one, it would not be the most lofty Dharma-door. Now, speaking in terms of the real mark of all dharmas: What is it? The real mark of all dharmas is the real mark of the number one dharma, the real mark of that most lofty, importrant dharma.

And what is the real mark?

The real mark is no mark. There is no mark. If you have a mark, then it is not the real mark. The real mark is not marked, and yet there is nothing unmarked. All marks are born from the real mark. Although they are born from the real mark, the real mark itself, in its basic substance, is without a mark. Because in its basic substance, it is unmarked, it is therefore able to give birth to all marks. If it had a mark, then it could not be considered the real mark, for it would be empty and false.

The Vajra Sutra says, “All with marks is empty and false. If you can see all marks as no marks, then you see the Thus Come One.” That is why we say that the real mark is unmarked and yet there is nothing which is not marked by it. This means that all dharmas are just that dharma. So the word “all” can be considered as an auxiliary particle, not as meaning “many”. This way only one dharma is referred to. Which one? The meaning of the real mark, the doctrine of the real mark. The Dharma Flower Sutra speaks the Dharma-door of the doctrine of the real mark.

The meaning of the real mark of all Dharmas, has already been spoken for all of you.The Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp said, “Now I have already spoken to you the doctrine of the real mark of all dharmas. I’m done speaking. And now at midnight, I; “I” says the Buddha Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp, referring to himself, “now, in the middle of the night, shall enter into Nirvana. I have done what I had to do and so I should assume the position of permanence, happiness, true self, and purity. I should enter Nirvana.”

Why did the Buddha enter Nirvana? There were many reasons. The most important reason was to prevent people from becoming dependent upon him. The Buddha could have postponed his entry into Nirvana indefinitely except for the fact that his disciples followed him, studying the Dharma under him everyday, and some of them might have become jaded. How? They might have gotten lazy, remiss, and thought, “It doesn’t matter whether I cultivate or not because I can be with the Buddha everyday.”

For example, I am now lecturing the Sutras to you everyday and you can see your Master here everyday. You think, “When the Master lectures Sutras, I take notes, but I don’t have to study them now. I’ll wait until I have more time and then read them again.” You take notes but you don’t study them, you put them high on the shelf for safe-keeping. However, after a time, you forgot all about them until the time comes when…you’ve completely forgotten!

However, in the human sphere there is “grief and joy, separation and reunion.” If I, for special reasons, should have to leave all of you, at that time you may want to listen to the Sutras, but you won’t be able to. You will wish to study the Buddhadharma and you will then realize how difficult it is and you’ll get out your old notes and review them, going over all the doctrines in the Sutras which the Dharma Master had taught you in the past. If I had never left, you would never have looked at your notes.

Shakyamuni Buddha spoke the Dharma for forty-nine years and some of his disciples may have grown lax. This was not the case for Shakyamuni Buddha alone; every single Buddha, when he sees that some of his disciples have become dependent upon him will leave them and enter Nirvana. In this way, they don’t become dependent upon him. It is a method for teaching living beings.

Therefore, he charged them saving, “You should single-heartedly advance with vigor.” Just because he was afraid they would get lazy, he exhorted them, saying, “You who cultivate the Way, Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas and Upasikas should concentrate singlemindedly and be vigorous. Don’t be lax and don’t be lazy. Cultivate the Way with a single thought. Don’t strike up false thinking. Don’t have a divided mind. That’s what is meant by single-heartedly advancing with vigor. Be vigorous by day and vigorous by night; day and night, always, always be vigorous. Cultivate and work hard. Hard work is cultivation and cultivation is hard work. Be vigorous and single-hearted.

And avoid laxness, for you must not be lazy! Little Shramaneras, Big Shramaneras, Bhikshus of the Sangha, Bhikshunis of the Sangha: do not be lax! Do not be lazy! Do not leave home and fail to cultivate. To leave home and not to cultivate is to neglect the Dharma; it is then just as if you had never left home. The ancients said,

All day long, you can count up others wealth,
When you haven’t got half a cent yourself;
If the Dharma you fail to cultivate,
You’re making the exact same mistake.

Bank-tellers, for example, handle other people’s money all day, counting it up, “One thousand, two thousand, ten, twenty thousand, thirty thousand, fifty thousand, one hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, one million, ten million, one hundred million–too much money!” But none of it belongs to them. They just count it up for other people.

If you do not cultivate the Buddhadharma, it’s just like counting other people’s money.

Those who have left home must cultivate the Way. If you do not cultivate and insist upon being lazy, then do not leave home. Now, we are vigorous in the day and night. In the morning people recite Sutras and at night they recite Sutras, such as The Vajra Sutra. This is a very good idea because you should cultivate and you should not be lazy! You should think over the doctrine presented here in the Sutra: You should single-heartedly advance with vigor and avoid laxness, for laxness just means being lazy and not cultivating.

Buddhas are difficult indeed to meet.The Buddhas, all of them, are extremely difficult to encounter. Encountered but once in a million aeons. It says a million aeons but it may be several thousand, ten thousand millions of aeons before you meet with a Buddha appearing in the world.

Sutra:

All of the disciples of the World Honored One
Hearing of the Buddha’s entry into Nirvana,
Each harbored grief and anguish,
“Why must the Buddha take extinction so soon?”
The sagely Lord, the Dharma King,
Then comforted the limitless multitude:
“After my passage into extinction,
None of you should worry or fear,
For the Bodhisattva Virtue Treasury,
With respect to the non-outflow mark of reality,
In heart has penetrated it totally;
He will next become a Buddha,
By the name of Pure Body, and
Will also save uncounted multitudes.