PROLOGUE:

      IN DISCUSSING THEIR NON OBSTRUCTION, IN GENERAL THERE ARE TEN MEANINGS: ONE, FUNCTIONINGS ARE UNIVERSAL AND NON OBSTRUCTIVE THAT IS, IN ALL. THE ABOVE PLACES THOUGHTS, KALPAS, KSHETRAS, DUST MOTES, AND SO FORTH. VAIROCHANA BUDDHA MANIFESTS THE DHARMA REALM'S CLOUDS OF BODIES, WITH BOUNDLESS PEEPS AND FUNCTIONINGS, BECAUSE OF THEIR COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL PERVASION. THE SUTRA SAYS, "JUST AS ONE SEES THE BUDDHA SITTING IN THIS PLACE, IN EACH AND EVERY MOTE OF DUST IT IS ALSO THAT I'M," AND SO FORTH. THERE IS NOT JUST ONE SUCH PASSAGE.

COMMENTARY:

IN DISCUSSING THEIR NON-OBSTRUCTION...life talked before about the two sets of ten bodies, and now we'll talk about their non obstruction. In discussing their principles, IN GENERAL THERE ARE TEN MEANINGS:

1. Functionings are Universal and Unobstructed.

2. Characteristics are Universal and Unobstructed.

3. Stillness and Functionings are Unobstructed.

4. Reliance and Arisal are Unobstructed.

5. True and Response are Unobstructed.

6. Divided and Complete are Unobstructed.

7. Cause and Fruit are Unobstructed.

8. Dependent and Proper are Unobstructed.

9. Secret Entry is Unobstructed.

10.Perfect Penetration is Unobstructed.

Those are the ten kinds of principles, which summarize their non obstruction.

ONE, FUNCTIONINGS ARE UNIVERSAL AND UN­OBSTRUCTED. THAT IS, IN ALL THE ABOVE PLACES THOUGHTS, KALPAS, KSHETRAS, DUST MOTES, AND SO FORTH. Functionings being unobstructed refers to one thought being ten thousand kalpas, and ten thousand kalpas being a single thought, as was discussed before; or perhaps passing through kalpas' many as motes of dust in a kshetra in the Interval of a single thought. What it is talking about here is how VAIROCHANA BUDDHA MANIFESTS THE DHARMA REALMS CLOUDS OF BODIES. Vairochana Buddha sends out clouds of Dharma bodies, which fill the Dharma Realm, which pervasively shine on all living beings enabling them to bring forth wisdom, WITH B0UNDLESS PEEPS AND FUNCTIONINGS. Those kinds of actions and functions are limitless and boundless, BECAUSE OF THEIR COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL PERVASION. There are no places, which are not pervaded through all Dharma Realms.
      THE SUTRA SAYS, in the Sutra text itself, "JUST AS ONE SEES THE BUDDHA SITTING IN THIS PLACE." Suppose you see the Buddha in this place, seated under the Bodhi tree in the Way Place, turning the Great Dharma Wheel. "IN EACH AND EVERY DUST MOTE IT IS ALSO THAT WAY." In every particle of dust as well there is a Buddha seated in the Bodhi Way Place, turning the Great Dharma Wheel having that kind of wonderful functioning, "AND SO FORTH." That means there's more about this in the Sutra passage than the two lines quoted. The Sutra goes on to say, "The Buddha's body does not go, and it does not come; yet it appears in every single country." It is talking about how the Buddha can be seated in the May Place in one spot, yet in every particle of dust his body also appears seated in the Way Place. Has the Buddha then gone to those particles of dust? No. The Buddha's body has not gone, and it has not come. Buddhas neither go nor come. Even so, in all countries, all dust motes, and all lands as many as particles of dust, he clearly appears. Each shows the Buddha in it seated in the Way Place, turning the Great Dharma Wheel, and speaking this wonderful Dharma. THERE IS NOT JUST ONE SUCH PASSAGE. In the text of the Great Mans Expansive Buddha Flower Adornment Sutra, there are a great many places which illustrate this principle, so this is not the only passage that does so.

PROLOGUE:

TWO, CHARACTERISTICS ARE PERVASIVE AND UNOBSTRUCTED. THAT IS BECAUSE, IN THE ABOVE DIFFERENCES OF FUNCTIONING, EACH INCLUDES ALL DEED AND FUNCTIONINGS.

COMMENTARY:

TWO. CHARACTERISTICS ARE PERVASIVE AND UNOBSTRUCTED. The second talks about how the characteristics are not mutually obstructive. THAT IS BECAUSE, IN THE ABOVE DIFFERENCES OF FUNCTIONING, EACH INCLUDES ALL DEEDS AND FUNCTIONINGS.

One characteristic is all characteristics.

All characteristics are a single characteristic.

If taken in general, there are the characteristics of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down: the Four Great Comportments. Within the Buddha's walking, there is also standing, lying down and sitting. Walking is inclusive of all the other characteristics.

Sitting, standing, and lying down are each inclusive of all the other characteristics too. In that way characteristics do not obstruct one another. They are mutually non obstructive. The non obstruction of characteristics is also talking about the Eight Characteristics of the Buddha's Accomplishment of the Way not interfering with each other.

      THE EIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BUDDHA'S ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE WAY

1. Descending from the
   Tushita Heaven.

2. Dwelling in the womb.

3. Emerging from the womb.

4. Leaving home.

5. Cultivating the Way.

6. Accomplishing the Way.

7. Turning the Great
   Dharma Wheel.

8. Entering Nirvana.

Before he has even emerged from his mother's womb, he has already perfected those characteristics. Therefore, in the Sutra text it says that when the Bodhisattva is in his mother's womb, using his power of free and easy spiritual penetrations, he makes appear the profoundly subtle characteristics of manifesting in all Dharma Realms' Way Places and Dharma Assemblies. It says that while in his mother's womb he makes appear the profoundly subtle characteristics of manifesting all the spiritual powers of all Buddhas. This too is done very clearly in minute detail.

      Therefore, in the Chapter on Leaving the World it says, "Disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva," the great Bodhisattva, "has ten kinds of profoundly subtle characteristics." What are the ten? 1) After descending from the Tushita Heaven and while dwelling in the womb of his mother (Queen Maya), he makes appear the profoundly subtle characteristics of first bringing forth the resolve for Bodhi, up to and including the Position of Anointment of the Crown. When someone is about to become a Buddha, the Buddhas of the ten directions anoint him on the crown with water from the four great seas, which is the Position of Anointment of the Crown. 2) While dwelling in his mother's womb, he makes appear his dwelling in the Tushita Heaven. 3) While dwelling in his mother's womb he makes appear his first being born. 

4) While in his mother's womb, he makes appear the Position of Virgin Youth, one of the Ten Dwellings. 5) While still in his mother's womb, he also makes appear the states of dwelling in the royal palace. 6) While in his mother's womb, he makes appear his leaving home, which comes after his being born and living in the royal palace. 7) In his mother's womb, he also makes appear his ascetic practices while cultivating the May the six years in the Snowy Mountains and all that happens then: going to the Bodhi tree and accomplishing proper enlightenment. 8) In his mother's womb he also makes appear his turning of the Great Dharma Wheel, and 9) while still in the womb he has already make appear the characteristic of his entry to Nirvana. 10) He also makes appear, while still in his mother's womb, all the doors of practices cultivated by all Bodhisattvas, and makes appear the Thus Come Ones' comfortable spiritual powers all those limitless Dharma doors. Those are the ten kinds of profoundly subtle characteristics, which the Bodhisattva Mahasattva makes, appear while dwelling in his mother's womb. That's why it says, "characteristics are pervasive and unobstructed." In his mother's womb he: has already made appear his speaking the Dharma of the Three Vehicles and the One Vehicle. It has appeared already. So Sakyamuni Buddha's Eight Characteristics of Accomplishing the Way are mutually non obstructive. The one characteristic of dwelling in his mother's womb is replete with all the other characteristics, and this is true of every other characteristic too.

PROLOGUE:


      THREE, STILLNESS AND FUNCTIONINGS ARE UNOBSTRUCTED, BECAUSE THERE IS NO PRIVATE REALIZATION.

COMMENTARY:

Previously, in the second, it stated that characteristics are pervasive and unobstructed, and so in the previously discussed differences of functioning, each includes all deeds and functionings. Every function includes all functions, and so characteristics do not obstruct one another. Now THREE, the third, states that STILLNESS AND FUNCTIONINGS ARE UNOBSTRUCTED. Stillness refers to quietude, and quietude is samadhi, so stillness is samadhi. Because he is constantly within stillness, he is constantly in samadhi. However, although he is constantly in samadhi, he still has boundlessly many functionings. It's not the case that he doesn't have any functioning while in samadhi. In samadhi he is still able to:

Benefit and save beings, and
            Aid others without a given method.

That is, he teaches and transforms all living beings, with no predetermined method; which is just to say:

Kuan yin Bodhisattva Appears in the body of a Pratyekabuddha to teach living beings.

If someone needs to be crossed over

By the body of a Buddha, within samadhi:

      He makes appear a Buddha body,

      
      And speaks the Dharma for them.


      If someone needs to be crossed over
            By a Pratyekabuddha body, within samadhi he manifests the body of a Pratyekabuddha, and speaks Dharma for that living being. Whatever conditions of potentiality are required to save a living being, in samadhi he makes those kinds of bodies appear, and goes to teach and transform the living being. When he benefits creatures, he doesn't have a fixed method. This is also functioning, the functioning and stillness being non obstructive. He is always in samadhi, and yet always teaching and transforming living beings. He is constantly within the states of teaching and transforming living beings, and yet constantly in samadhi.

Kuan Yin Bodhisattva Appears in the body of a
Pratyekabuddha to teach living beings.

The Buddha's state is an inconceivable state. Most ordinary common people see him as not doing anything. However, he is turning the Dharma Wheel, teaching and transforming living beings, and doing limitless and boundlessly many kinds of work. Therefore, there is a passage of Sutra text in the Inconceivability Chapter that says:

Every Buddha, in a single instant of thought, (right within one thought), can completely make appear all Buddhas of the three periods of time teaching and transforming living beings.

Within a single thought instant, he makes appear all the Buddhas of the past, all the Buddhas of the present, and all the Buddhas of the future, in their Way Places, doing the work of teaching and transforming all living beings that kind of functioning. However, although he can appear as going to all other worlds, nonetheless it is:

Without leaving the samadhi of still extinction of all Buddhas.

He has never left samadhi. That is what is called the inconceivable state of all Buddhas, and so samadhi and the inconceivable, wonderful functionings in stillness are non-obstructive of each other.

      BECAUSE THERE IS NO PRIVATE REALIZATION. "Private" means secret and partial. "No private" means that with no secretiveness and no partiality there is then realization. Realization of what? Realization of that kind of samadhi, that kind of functioning which benefits beings with no fixed method. Actually it could have said, "premeditated" for "private." Using "private" in the meaning of "non partial," it refers to being:

Greatly public with no selfishness. It also means that his thought should be of benefiting others and not of benefitting himself, without any thoughts of selfishness or self benefit; and so he has accomplishment.

PROLOGUE:

FOUR, RELIANCE AND ARISAL ARE UNOBSTRUCTED, BECAUSE THERE IS SUDDEN APPEARANCE WITH NO THOUGHT, DUE TO THE POWER OF THE SEA SEAL.

COMMENTARY:

FOUR, RELIANCE AND ARISAL ARE UNOBSTRUCTED. Now, in the fourth, it is reliance and arisal that are not obstructive. Before it was the employment of the non-obstruction of stillness and functionings. How there is reliance upon that employment for arisal, BECAUSE THERE IS SUDDEN APPEARANCE WITH NO THOUGHT. There is no thought. It is not saying, "I want to do this or that." One doesn't have false thoughts like, "This place doesn't suit me, but that place does, and so I'm going to go there," or, "That place does not suit me but this place does, and so I'm going to come here." It doesn't work that way. There is sudden appearance without thought. One does not use thought:

When one reaches no thought,

Just that is the Way.

In cultivation, if you can cultivate to the point of no thought, to being "a person of the Way with no thought," then that is good. In sudden appearance without thought, how does one appear without thought? It is DUE TO THE POWER OF THE SEA SEAL, the Sea Seal emission of light. The Sea Seal was discussed before. It talked about Mount; Sumeru having the seas of fragrant water, and how all the characteristics of all worlds were imprinted within those seas, which is called the Sea Seal emission of light.

The Sea Seal emission of light is also like the planet. Our planet now revolves, and as it revolves there appear the moon and all the stars. That is all a function of the Sea Seal, an employment of the Sea Seal emission of light. The Buddha has that kind of samadhi as well, which is called the Sea Seal Samadhi. Within that samadhi, why is it that all living beings appear within the Buddha's treasury of light? And that the Buddha's light makes an imprint in the mind of all living beings? That is all the operation of the power of spiritual penetrations of the Sea Seal.

In the Worthy Leader Chapter there is a passage of text, which says:

      Perhaps he makes appear the shape of a virgin lad or virgin maiden, or of a heavenly dragon or an asura, up to and including of a mahoraga, and so forth. In accordance with their likes, he causes them all to see. The living beings' shapes and characteristics are all different from each other. Their behavior and their sounds are also limitless. All such as that he can make appear, due to the power of the Sea Seal Samadhi.

The Buddha may make appear the shape and characteristics of a virgin lad or maiden. He may make appear the shape and characteristics of a heavenly dragon, or those of an asura, a being that Tikes to fight or as a mahoraga, a huge python snake. He makes each particular being see what ever that living being likes. The living beings' shapes and characteristics are all different from each other. The kinds of behavioral karma that they create and the kinds of sounds that they utter are also limitless and boundless. He is able to make appear all of those various and infinite kinds of shapes, characteristics, behaviors and sounds. How does he do it? It all appears due to the power of spiritual penetrations of the Sea Seal Samadhi of all Buddhas.

PROLOGUE:

TRUE AND RESPONSE ARE UNOBSTRUCTED, BECAUSE THE RESPONSE IS THE SAME AS THE DHARMA. BEING OF ONE FLAVOR AND EQUAL.

COMMENTARY:

      FIVE, the fifth kind of non-obstruction, is that TRUE AND RESPONSE ARE UNOBSTRUCTED. The Buddha has a true body and response bodies. The true body is the Dharma Body, and the response bodies are the transformation bodies, the reward bodies. Now what is important is the discussion of the Dharma Body and the response bodies. The Dharma Body is Vairochana Buddha. The response body is Sakyamuni Buddha. Sakyamuni Buddha and Vairochana Buddha basically are of one substance and are not two different things. That is why it says BECAUSE THE RESPONSE IS THE SAME AS THE DHARMA. The response body is the Dharma Body, BEING OF ONE FLAVOR AND EQUAL. They are the same, with no differences. So in Number Five of the Sutra it says:

The markless body of the sameness of true suchness,

The pure Dharma Body, of light undefiled,

With limitless bodies of wisdom and stillness,

Universally responds through the ten directions,

      And speaks the Dharma. The body, which has no characteristics, of the sameness of true suchness, is just the Dharma Body of pure, undefiled light. The Bodies of wisdom and stillness are also limitless and boundless. In the Dharma Realms of the ten directions, it proclaims and speaks the wonderful Dharma. That is why it says that the response bodies and the Dharma Body are the same and of one flavor, with no differences.

PROLOGUE:

SIX, DIVIDED AND COMPLETE ARE UNOBSTRUCTED, BECAUSE EACH AND EVERY BOW DIVISION IS REPLETE WITH THE ENTIRE BODY.

COMMENTARY:


      SIX, DIVIDED AND COMPLETE ARE UNOBSTRUCTED. The divided bodies are just the transformation bodies, and the entire, complete body is the Dharma Body. The divided bodies and the Dharma Body are also mutually non-obstructive. The entire body is also what is referred to by "complete" here. BECAUSE EACH AND EVERY BODY DIVISION IS REPLETE WITH THE ENTIRE BODY. Therefore, the body of Vairochana Buddha and the body of Shakyamuni Buddha are such that each and every body division is replete with the entire body. All of the divided bodies are the entire body, and the entire body is the divided bodies. The hands and feet, ears and eyes, up to and including a single hair-pore of each and every divided body all have the entire body of Vairochana Buddha, Nishyanda Buddha. Therefore, in the Manifestation of Marks Chapter it says:

In each and every hairpore of the Thus Come One,

Are seated all Buddhas of all kshetras like motes of dust.

Within every hairpore there are Buddhas many as the fine motes of dust in limitless and boundlessly many kshetras, seated in the Way Place, turning the Wheel of Wonderful Dharma.

In The World Rulers' Wonderful Adornments Chapter of the Flower Adornment Sutra it also says:

All of the marks of the Buddha's body,

Completely make appear limitless Buddhas,

Who universally enter the worlds of the ten directions,

Within each and every mote of dust. The Buddha has thirty-two marks and eighty minor characteristics, and in each of those appear limitless Buddhas. Within each and every characteristic there further appear all limitless Buddhas. And all of those limitless Buddhas furthermore universally go everywhere throughout the worlds of the ten directions, within each and every mote of dust. Within each fine mote of dust there is a Buddha accomplishing the Way, turning the Dharma Wheel, teaching and transforming living beings, and entering Nirvana—they all have that:

*Because the nature of each single hair

Is not different from the entire body.

Each of the natures, many as those of each of the Buddha's hairpores, does not differ from the Buddha's entire body. They are the same. Therefore, in the Appearances Chapter it also says:

"All of you disciples ought to know that the bodhisattva Mahasattva... Within a single hairpore of the Thus Come One there are all living beings, and the Thus Come One within that single hairpore turns the wheel of Dharma and teaches and transforms all the living beings."

*Now we've lectured to this point, and some people are saying, "I don't believe that. If there are limitless living beings in a single hairpore and the Thus Come One teaches and transforms every one of them, he will never finish." Not bad. Of course he never finishes teaching and transforming them. If he finished teaching and transforming them, the Buddha would have nothing to do. The Buddha, too, would be out of a job. Consequently, since the Buddha does not want to lose his job, he takes his time teaching and transforming living beings.

*It's just the way you translate Sutras. You translate them slowly, and don't want to translate fast and finish translating them, for fear that if you finished translating them you would have no work to do, and would be out of a job. It's the same principle. If you don't believe that there are living beings within the Buddha's hairpores, we won't talk about the Buddha, We'll talk about you and me.

 *In your hairpores there are also limitless living beings, as there are within mine. However, you have not yet crossed over your living beings, and so you have not yet become Buddhas, and are unable to turn the Dharma Wheel.  You just know about large living beings, and do not see small living beings. Within each and every person there are as many living beings as there are living beings in the world. Why is that? It is because you are the same as the living beings. You are mutually perfectly fused without obstruction.

*There is a wireless connection between all of your living beings and the living beings of living beings. They know about each other. You all recognize each other. So sometimes your living beings move from you to me, and my living beings, not wanting to live on me, move over to where you are. They can move house. It's just that they won't give you advance notice when they are going to move, and wait for your approval before they do so. They don't need to do that, nor do they require passports, for Immigration can't keep track of them.

*You're saying, "The more you talk about this, the less sense it makes. I've never seen my living beings move house, and I also don't know anything about your living: beings moving." If you knew, they you would be a Buddha. You don't know because you don't see them. These living beings I'm referring to are even tinier than a mote of dust, smaller than the most minute particle. Yet on your body, when it sweats for example, there are one does not know how many living beings in every bead of perspiration. When you take a bath, a lot of filth comes off your body, and there are a lot of living beings in that filth. After you have bathed and the water runs into the sea, the living beings move somewhere else.

*Every body has limitless and boundlessly many living beings to it. How many living beings are there in the world? However many there are, your body has just that many living beings. It's just that right now you have not yet taught them. You are unable to teach and transform those living beings. So we ordinary, common people also have limitless living beings it's simply that we haven't crossed them over. How much the more so all Buddhas. All Buddhas certainly:

Sit in a fine mote of dust and turn the Dharma Wheel;

On the tip of a hair make appear kshetras of the Jeweled King.

This is a wonderful and inconceivable state. That is why it says that the divided and the complete are non obstructive. Divided up there is non obstruction, and united there is no obstruction, because each and every body division is replete with the entire body. Every single divided and transformed body is also replete with the ability and functions of the Dharma Body.

PROLOGUE:

SEVEN, CAUSE AND FRUIT ARE UNOBSTRUCTED, BECAUSE THERE IS NO OBSTRUCTION OF THE PRESENT CAUSE.

COMMENTARY:

SEVEN, CAUSE AND FRUIT ARE UNOBSTRUCTED. Cause is the seed; fruit is the harvested fruit obtained. The cause does not obstruct the fruit, and the fruit does not obstruct the cause.

The cause is just the fruit, and the fruit is just the cause. Divided, one says they are cause and fruit. If they are united, they are non obstructive. They do not obstruct each other. Therefore, when Shakyamuni Buddha first brought forth the thought, he accomplished right and equal enlightenment. So, what is cause is fruit.

      The principle of cause and fruition (effect) requires considerable discussion, but now we will discuss it simply. If the Sutra it says:

All the spiritual transformations
      Of the Buddhas of the three periods of time,
            Without exception all appear,
            Right within the light.

In the places illuminated by the Buddha's light, none of the spiritual penetrations and transformations of all Buddhas of the three periods of time is not to be seen. None of their merit and virtue fails to be accomplished. It also says that the Buddha, due to the power of his previous vows, manifests all spiritual penetrations, and that none of the lands of the ten directions fails to be illuminated. Add so the merit and virtue which they cultivated in the past on the causal ground is constantly proclaimed within nets of Tight which he emits, which constantly proclaim those doctrines, constantly speaking that wonderful Dharma.

Therefore, in the Sutra it also says:

Within every Buddha's body,

For a million kalpas, inconceivable,

Cultivating the Paramitas,

Adorning and purifying Buddha lands.

It says that in the body of every Buddha of the ten directions and the three periods of time, "for a million kalpas, inconceivable," that is, limitless kalpas, there is the inconceivable state of cultivating the Paramitas. They constantly cultivate the dharmas of arrival at the other shore. This is unlike us who cultivate two, three or four years and then say, "This is totally meaningless. Let's retreat!" They are not that way.

All Buddhas throughout a million kalpas cultivate all of the Paramitas without retreating, and adorn and purify Buddha lands as well. Therefore, their cause and fruit are unobstructed. The time of planting the seed is the time of reaping the fruit, and the time of reaping the fruit is also the time of their cultivation of the cause. After they have accomplished Buddhahood- their state upon the causal ground- they still are constantly proclaiming that kind of wonderful Dharma, BECAUSE THERE IS NO OBSTRUCTION OF THE PRESENT CAUSE.

PROLOGUE:


      EIGHT, DEPENDENT AND PROPER ARE NON-OBSTRUCTIVE, BECAUSE THERE IS OBSTRUCTION OF THE PRESENT DEPENDENT.

COMMENTARY:

      EIGHT, DEPENDENT AND PROPER ARE NON-OBSTRUCTIVE. What is meant by "dependent"? The dependent is the world of things, and is called the dependent retribution. What is the "proper"? The proper is our bodies, and is what is called proper retribution. Proper, retribution must rely upon dependent retribution to exist, and that is why it is called "dependent" retribution. The bodies we receive as retribution are proper retribution. Speaking from the point of view of ordinary, common people, dependent retribution and proper retribution are very clearly distinguished. If one speaks from the point of view of the Buddha's two retributions, dependent and proper, the dependent is the proper, and the proper is the dependent. Dependent and proper are non-obstructive. What is the body is just the country, and the very country is the body. Why is that? When the ten bodies were discussed, wasn't there a country body? The country body is just the dependent retribution body. The Buddha is able to create all sorts of shapes by transformation. He can turn into a sun and shine upon living beings, and he can transform his body into a moon and shine upon living beings. All the stars and planets are transformations of the Buddha's transformation body.

He may turn into a stream or river:

A river, stream, lake or sea, turning into a great ocean. There are also many living beings within that ocean, and there he teaches and transforms living beings. He may turn into water, or into fire, or into air, or into earth. The four elements earth, water, fire and air—are all transformed from the Buddha's Dharma Body, as are all the streams. Therefore, the dependent does not obstruct the proper, and the proper does not obstruct the dependent. Dependent and proper are perfectly fused without obstruction.

If he wants to be the dependent, he is the dependent. If he wants to be the proper, he's the proper, BECAUSE THERE IS NO OBSTRUCTION OF THE PRESENT DEPENDENT. Nonetheless he does not obstruct the present dependent retribution. It's not to say that since, for him, the dependent is the proper and the proper is the dependent, that it makes our present dependent retribution disappear, that it obstructs it so it runs away. It would not obstruct it, never block it. Therefore, this state of perfect fusion without obstruction and non-obstructive perfect fusion is not one that ordinary, common people can understand. So the more I talk, the more confused I make you:

      "What's this all about? What is this all about?" If you want to understand, then you need to cultivate bitter practices, not fear suffering, and not fear difficulty. Don't yearn for comfort. Don't seek to be free and easy right now. If you're free and easy now, in the future you won't be so free and easy. If right now you are not free and easy, in the future you will be free and easy.

All of you investigate these principles and see if you understand them. If you understand it, then this Dharma is very wonderful. If you don't understand it, this Dharma instill wonderful—it's just that you don't understand it yet.

PROLOGUE:

NINE, the ninth, is that SECRET ENTRY IS UNOBSTRUCTED, BECAUSE ENTRY TO THE REALM OF LIVING BEINGS IS JUST LIKE THE TATHAGATA STORE WHICH, ALTHOUGH IT BECOMES LIVING BEINGS, DOES NOT LOSE ITS OWN NATURE.

COMMENTARY:


      NINE, the ninth, is that SECRET IS UNOBSTRUCTED. Secret entry means entry in the midst of non-knowing and non-awareness. Entry into what? BECAUSE ENTRY TO THE REALM OF LINING BEINGS...It is entry into the realm of Bodhisattvas, and entry into the Dharma Realm of Buddhas. Secret entry is unobstructed. Although you do not know and are unaware, nonetheless it still impartially and equally makes secret entry. What is this like? 

It is like the water of the ocean, which secretly enters into the earth. All you have to do is drill into the surface of the earth anywhere, and there is water. That water has secretly entered from the ocean. Although there is secret entry of the water of the ocean into the earth, nevertheless the ocean has no mark of secret entry. It doesn't say, "My water is going to enter you, earth."

      It IS JUST LIKE THE TATHAGATA STORE WHICH, ALTHOUGH IT BECOMES LIVING BEINGS, DOES NOT LOSE ITS OWN NATURE. The nature which secretly enters in the secret entry into living beings is just the Thus Come One's Store Nature. Living beings also secretly enter into Buddhas. So why is there no distinction between living beings and the Buddha? It is because they are the same. From the point of view of the Buddha, he has returned to the origin and gone back to the source and returned to the Thus Come One's Store nature. "However, discussed from the point of view of living beings, it also is not lost. Therefore, it says that white it becomes living beings, it still has not lost the nature, which has secretly entered. Just as in the sea waves arise due to the wind, and it doesn't matter-whether it's the waves or the water of the sea, both have a moist nature. Having the nature of moisture—wetness—is analogous to the Thus Come One's Store Nature. When there are waves, the nature of moistness is not lost; and when the moistness is in the water, the nature of moistness also is not lost. Consequently, the Thus Come One's Store Nature of living beings and the Thus Come One's Store Nature of the Buddha are the same. It's just that we have not yet been able to go back to the source, and so although we have the Thus Come One's Store Nature, we are unaware of it. Now, upon hearing, we know that everyone has the Thus Come One's Store Nature, so everyone should find that Thus Come One's Store Nature. How does one find it? Through cultivation. Through using effort. If you use effort and cultivate and become enlightened, that is called obtaining the Thus Come One's Store Nature, and understanding your originally existent Buddha Nature.

PROLOGUE:


      THEREFORE, IN THE CHAPTER ON APPEARANCES IT SAYS, "THE BUDDHA'S WISDOM SECRETLY ENTERS THE MINDS OF LIVING BEINGS." IT ALSO SAYS, "THERE IS, WITHIN THE MINDS OF LIVING BEINGS, THE BUDDHA, WHO HAS ACCOMPLISHED RIGHT ENLIGHTENMENT," AND SO FORTH.


COMMENTARY:


      THEREFORE, due to the previous statement that from the point of view of living beings there is no loss of the Thus Come One's Store Nature, and from the point of view of the Buddha there is not the least increase of the Thus Come One's Store Na­ture, nor is it the slightest bit decreased on the part of living beings, therefore, IN THE CHAPTER ON APPEARANCES, The Great Means Expansive Buddha Flower Adornment Sutra’s Appearances Chapter, there 1s a passage of Sutra text. IT SAYS, "THE BUDDHA'S WISDOM SECRETLY ENTERS THE MINI'S OF LIVING BEINGS." The wisdom of the Buddha secretly enters the minds of living beings. IT ALSO SAYS, in the same chapter, "THERE IS, WITHIN THE MINDS OF LIVING BEINGS, THE BUDDHA, WHO HAS ACCOMPLISHED RIGHT ENLIGHTENMENT," AND SO FORTH. In every single living being's mind there is the wisdom of the Buddha. All have that wisdom.

      Didn't it talk in the previous section about breaking open the mote of dust and bringing forth the Sutra scroll? It's as if there were a great Sutra scroll,

In size equal to the Three Thousand Realms,

Found inside a single mote of dust,

And each and every dust-mote were that way;

And there was a person of bright wisdom,

Whose pure eyes completely, clearly see,

Who breaks the dust, brings forth the Sutra scroll,

Benefiting all the living beings.

The Buddha's wisdom also is that way,

Pervasive in the minds of living beings.

By false thinking beings are bound and tied;

      Unaware of it they do not know. Each and every fine mote of dust has that great Sutra scroll in it. All the fine particles of dust of all lands have that great Sutra scroll in them, but stupid people do not know about it. They don't realize that there is a great Sutra scroll in the fine motes of dust. But there is a person with wisdom, who, upon seeing the great Sutra scroll, says, "Oh, there is a great Sutra scroll within that fine mote of dust!" He opens up the dust, brings forth the Sutra scroll, and benefits all living beings.

The Buddha's wisdom is like that too. The minds of living beings are replete with the Buddha's wisdom, even though they are all tied up by false thinking. It doesn't matter what type of person in the world, each has its own false thinking. Children have the false thinking of children. Adults have the false thinking of adults. Men have the false thinking of men, and women have the false thinking if women.

What kind of false thinking do children have? They strike up false thinking about wanting to drink milk, or they think about eating candy. Or else they may think about going all over the place to see if they can find some strange objects they've never seen before. Adults think, "How can I get rich? How can I become the richest person in the world? Not just; one of the ten richest, but have more money than all the ten richest people in the world put together?" That's the kind of false thinking they have.

      Onassis was like that. He had false thoughts about getting rich. He got hold of an old beat-up boat, and after doing some business and making some money he bought a good boat. Then from having one good boat he bought ten boats; from ten a hundred, then a thousand; and now he has become a great shipping magnate. That all came about from false thinking, wouldn't you agree? If you don't believe it, then look into it.

Men have the false thinking of men, and women strike up the false thinking of women. What is the false thinking of men? Although it's said that men strike up the false thinking of men, it's certainly not the case that what they think about is men. What they think about is women. Men think about women, and when women strike up the false thinking of women, it's also not the case that they are thinking about women. They are thinking about men. They think, "This man is so fine! That man is terrible!" They strike up that kind of false thinking.

We who study the Buddhadharma also strike up the false thinking of studying the Buddhadharma, saying, "How does one explain this Sutra? How does one read this character?" that kind of false thinking. "How does one translate this?" However, that's just being bound up by false thinking. In the quote from the Sutra it says that living beings in that kind of state do not become enlightened. Their not being enlightened is just false thinking.

Now you may say, "If I didn't strike up false thinking, then I wouldn't be able to do anything." But I tell you, if you were able not to strike up false thinking, then you would be able to do it. If you could manage not to have false thoughts, then your inherent wisdom would manifest, which would be the appearance of the wisdom of a Buddha. Once the wisdom of a Buddha appeared, then:

Without a teacher, you would understand yourself.

Without my explaining it for you. You would be able to do it yourself. You would understand it by yourself. You would say, "Oh, that's what it's all about!" Even if you didn't recognize a character, you would be able to explain and pronounce the character anyway. Why is that? It's because you would have the wisdom of a Buddha, which has secretly entered into your mind. If you are able to expel your false thinking, then that is true and actual wisdom.

So it says the Buddha's wisdom secretly enters into the minds of living beings. The Buddha's wisdom is like the water of the great ocean, which flows throughout all the four great continents under heaven. After having flowed through them, it then flows to each and every place that has water and that has no water—to every single place.

Therefore, in the Appearances Chapter, it also says there is a Buddha within the minds of living beings; and so there are people who say:

The mind is just the Buddha,

The Buddha is just the mind.

When you bow to the Buddha, which Buddha do you bow to? While you are bowing to the Buddha, there is a Buddha in your mind. As there is a Buddha in your mind, when you bow to the Buddha, it is the Buddha within your mind. The Buddha in your mind is also the Buddhas of the ten directions, and the Buddhas of the ten directions are within your mind. If there were no Buddha in your mind, then you would not be able to bow to the Buddha. If you were unable to bow to the Buddha, then would the Buddha in your mind have run away? No. It would just still be secret and hidden.

Therefore, when it says in the minds of living beings there is a Buddha who has accomplished right enlightenment, it means that he became a Bodhisattva, then became an Equal Enlightenment Bodhisattva, and then became a Wonderful Enlightenment Bodhisattva, and within your mind has already become a Buddha, has already turned the Wheel of Dharma, and has already taught and transformed living beings. It's just that you don't know about this wonder.

      There are some people who are saying, "Just now, Dharma Master, when you were talking about having false thinking—it really was that way. Those were just the types of false thoughts I was having. I don't know if you really knew it, or if you just guessed it. And I don't know if you were talking about me. All the unclean false thinking that I keep strik­ing up, and all the unclean things I do, are just not following the rules. Yet for me not to follow the rules is one thing; but I don't want you to know about it, and that's another matter. When I do things that are wrong, I don't want you to know about it. Although you said I was having that kind of false thinking, and was doing unclean things, probably that was just a lucky guess. You probably don't actually know. And since you don't actually know, I don't want to be frank and tell you. We'll just drop it, and the uncleanliness can get more plentiful day by day. It does not matter." But if you let those unclean things Increase day by day, then you will get more stupid day by day, and blacker. When you become black to the extreme degree, then you'll go running off to the hells. Once you get to the he11s you will realize, "Ah! If only I had known I would end up in such a black place as this, I would have repented and reformed long ago! I, would have been frank and repented arid "reformed before such and such a Dharma Master, and have changed my ways and started anew."

      But at that time, it won't be of any use at all. You will already have taken the loss. It will be "too late for regrets. Why is that? It's just as when a person in the world pays no attention to what the laws of the country are like. If the country's laws state that if you murder someone you commit such and such a crime and will be put in prison, he says, "I don't believe it. What’s 'prison' anyway? I'm still going to murder people." So he casually murders someone, and the police arrest him and lock him in prison. Then he says, "Oh! Now I know! Now I won't dare murder anyone else. Let me out! I won't murder people anymore. Before I thought you were just joking with me, but now I know it's for real. So tell the judge to forgive me."

The judge then says, "Forgive you? Can you bring the person you murdered back to life? You were cracking that joke: if you can bring the person you murdered back to life, then we can set you free."

At that time, as much as he would like to, he has to say, "I can't do it. I can't bring the person I killed back to life."

So the judge says, "well, then, there's no way I can set you free." So it turns out the judge can't do anything, and he himself can't do anything either. It's the same when you commit of tenses and turn up in front of King Yama and try saying,

"Be compassionate. King Yama. You're a Bodhisattva, you'll forgive me, won't you?"

King Yama just says, "Ah, you previously deliberately violated although you clearly' knew it was wrong. You were very clear about the fact that it was not right to do wrong things, so why did you keep on doing wrong things? Now you're beseeching me, but if in the past you hadn't done wrong things, then there wouldn't be any problem, right?"

You say, "well, I've already done them. What can I do now? Can't you think of something I can do?"

King Yama says, "Can you take back the things you've done wrong? Make it so you didn't do those wrong things? Is that possible?"

You say, "I don't have those spiritual powers."

Then King Yama says, "Then there's no way I can avoid sentencing you to the hells." That's the way it goes.

As to following the rules, those who like to follow the rules follow the rules, and those who like not to follow the rules go ahead and break the rules. I'm not going to pay any attention. That way you will all be greatly delighted. I may not be paying any attention, but there is someone who is, although I won't say who.

PROLOGUE:

THERE IS FURTHERMORE THE GATHERING TOGETHER OF ALL LIVING BEINGS INTO A SINGLE HAIRPORE. SKILL AT TRANSFORMATIONS KING OF GODS SAYS, "YOU SHOULD CONTEMPLATE A SINGLE HAIRPORE OF THE BUDDHA: ALL LIVING BEINGS ARE FOUND WITHIN IT," AND SO FORTH.

COMMENTARY:

THERE IS FURTHERMORE THE GATHERING TOGETHER OF ALL LIVING BEINGS INTO A SINGLE HAIRPORE. The Buddha is, moreover, able to collect all living beings within a single hairpore. Therefore, SKILL AT TRANSFORMATIONS KING OF GODS, the King of Gods named Skill at Transformations, SAYS, "YOU SHOULD CONTEMPLATE A SINGLE HAIRPORE OF THE BUDDHA." He says, "You should take a look. Take a look at what? Take a look inside a single hairpore of the Buddha: ALL LIVING BEINGS ARE FOUND WITHIN IT," AND SO FORTH. He says that inside one single hairpore of the Buddha all living beings are present. Why are all living beings inside a single hairpore of the Buddha? It's because he gathers them in. He uses his power of spiritual penetrations as a Buddha to gather all living beings inside a single hairpore. The wisdom of the Buddha also enters into the minds of all living beings. The gathering in of living beings does not obstruct the entry of the Buddha's wisdom into the minds of all living beings. Therefore, this is known as the non-obstruction of secret entry. This kind of state of non-obstruction is that way.



To be continued