The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra

Sutra:

"Therefore, IT SHOULD BE KNOWN THAT THE MANIFESTATION OF LIGHT BY THE PRESENT Buddha IS ALSO THUS, BECAUSE HE WISHES TO LEAD ALL LIVING BEINGS TO HEAR AND UNDERSTAND THIS DHARMA WHICH IN THE WHOLE WORLD IS HARD TO BELIEVE, HE THEREFORE MANIFESTS THESE PORTENTS,

"GOOD MEN, IT IS JUST AS IN THE PAST, LIMITLESS, BOUNDLESS, INCONCEIVABLE ASANKHYEYA AEONS AGO, THERE WAS AT THAT TIME A BUDDHA NAMED BRIGHTNESS OF SUN-MOON-LAMP THUS COME ONE, ONE WORTHY OF OFFERINGS, ONE OF PROPER AND UNIVERSAL KNOWLEDGE, ONE OF PERFECT CLARITY AND CONDUCT, WELL-GONE ONE, AN UNSURPASSED KNIGHT WHO UNDERTAKES THE WORLD, A HERO WHO SUBDUES AND TAMES, A TEACHER OF GODS AND MEN, THE BUDDHA, THE WORLD HONORED ONE.

Commentary:

THEREFORE means "because of this reason," that is, because Manjushri Bodhisattva said that he had in the past seen limitless Buddhas manifest such portents, now, IT SHOULD BE KNOWN THAT THE MANIFESTATION OF LIGHT BY THE PRESENT BUDDHA, Shakyamuni Buddha, IS ALSO THUS. You should know that Shakyamuni Buddha now manifests the white hair-mark light, and it is also just as when the limitless Buddhas of the past were about to speak the great Dharma, to rain the great Dharma rain, to blow the great Dharma conch, to Beat the great Dharma drum, and to proclaim the great Dharma doctrine; the principle is the same.

BECAUSE HE WISHES TO LEAD ALL LIVING BEINGS TO HEAR AND UNDERSTAND... Shakyamuni Buddha wants to cause all living beings to hear the Dharma and to understand the Dharma—THIS DHARMA WHICH IN THE WHOLE WORLD IS HARD TO BELIEVE. This kind of Dharma is hard to believe. It is difficult for living beings to have faith in it. Why did the Buddha not speak The Dharma Flower Sutra before? Why did he first speak the teachings of the Three Storehouses, expounding all the Small Vehicle Sutras? It was just because the Great Vehicle Dharmadoor is a Dharma, which is hard to believe; it's difficult to believe. That is why, as it states later in the text, as soon as the Buddha began to speak The Dharma Flower Sutra, five thousand disciples left. They got up and walked out.

Why is it hard to believe? Because it is too wonderful. Why is it hard to believe? Because it is too profound. It is so profound that it is difficult for people, with their ordinary wisdom, to understand it. It is so wonderful that it is difficult for people, with their ordinary thoughts, to understand it. They think about it, and they don't understand it; they ponder it, but they don't know what it means. So, the Buddha did not speak this profound and wonderful Dharma right away.

HE THEREFORE MANIFESTS THESE PORTENTS. So, he displays these states of auspicious signs.

GOOD MEN, all of you good men, IT IS JUST AS IN THE PAST, LIMITLESS, BOUNDLESS, INCONCEIVABLE ASANKHEYA AEONS AGO...I remember, it is just as it was in the past, when, limitless, uncountable, boundless, that is, without a boundary, inconceivable, that is, they cannot be thought of with the mind or expressed in words, asankheya is Sanskrit and means "uncountable"1 aeons ago...THERE WAS AT THAT TIME A BUDDHA NAMED BRIGHTNESS OF SUN-MOON-LAMP...who appeared in the world. His name was Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp.

How did he get that name?

The name of that Buddha has three meanings. The Sun represents the Buddha's wisdom, which is like the sun. The Sun dispels all darkness and gives brightness. Therefore, the Sun represents the Buddha's wisdom. The Moon represents the Buddha's samadhi-power. The Buddha's samadhi-power is like the moon in space. The Lamp represents the Buddha's precept-power. Every Buddha has completely perfected precepts, samadhi, and wisdom. This Buddha's name, then, is Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp.

THUS COME ONE is one of the Buddha's ten titles. Every single Buddha has his own particular name. Like the Sutras, the Buddhas have specific and common names. This Buddha's specific name is Brightness of Sun-Moon Lamp; it is a name, which only this Buddha has. The common name is common to all Buddhas, The ten titles which follow are common to all Buddhas; all Buddhas are known by these ten names.

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1 -wu liang shu

In the beginning, every Buddha had one hundred million names. Why did they have so many names? What's the use of that? It was because each of the one hundred million names represented their adornment of the ten thousand virtues, their virtuous practices. Later, because living beings couldn't remember so many names clearly, they were decreased to one hundred thousand names. But that was also quite a few and so they were reduced again to ten thousand names. Ten thousand names were still too many; after all, if one Buddha had ten thousand names, then ten thousand Buddhas would have a billion names, and so they were reduced again to one thousand names. Every Buddha then had one thousand names, but that, also was too many, and so they were reduced to one hundred. One hundred proved to be too many; it took too long just to say a Buddha's name, and so later the Buddhas' names were reduced to ten and all Buddhas had these ten titles, ten common names.

Some people who don't understand the Buddhadharma, some Chinese people, for example, say "Thus Come One Buddha." In fact, the Thus Come One is the Buddha and the Buddha is just the Thus Come One. They say, "Thus Come One Buddha," thinking that only one Buddha has the name "Thus Come One" and that the other Buddhas are not called "Thus Come Ones." Actually, every single Buddha is called "Buddha" and "Thus Come One." So those who don't understand the Buddhadharma sometimes say very strange things.

1. THUS COME ONE: What is meant by Thus Come One?
The Vajra Sutra says, "Because he comes from nowhere and goes nowhere, he is therefore called the Thus Come One." He neither comes nor goes and so he is called the Thus Come One. You may also explain the title by saying, "Thus" means that mounted on the Way, which is Thus, he "comes" to realize the proper enlightenment. Further, "Thus" means unchanging and "Come" means to accord with conditions. "Thus" is stillness; "Come" is movement. Movement and stillness are one "thusness." Movement is stillness, and stillness is movement. Movement does not obstruct stillness, and stillness does not obstruct movement. The meanings of the title Thus Come One could be greatly expanded upon, but we shall now proceed to the second of the ten titles:

2. ONE WORTHY OF OFFERINGS: One Worthy of Offerings means that the Buddha ought to receive the offerings of people and gods. People in the world should make offerings to the Buddha, and people in the heavens should also make offerings to him. He is one worthy of offerings of people and gods. People in the world should make offerings to the Buddha, and gods in the heavens should also make offerings to him. He is one worthy of receiving their offerings and should receive them.

3. ONE OF PROPER AND UNIVERSAL KNOWLEDGE: Proper and Universal Knowledge involves understanding that the mind produces the ten thousand dharmas, and that all the ten thousand dharams are not apart from the current thought in our minds. Understanding that the one current thought of the mind can produce the ten thousand dharmas is said to be Proper Knowledge. To know that the ten thousand dharmas are only the mind that all dharmas do not go beyond one current thought of the mind is said to be Universal Knowledge. Proper and Universal Knowledge vertically exhausts the three limits: the past, present and future, and horizontally pervades the ten directions.

4. ONE OF PERFECT CLARITY AND CONDUCT: Clarity refers to wisdom. Conduct refers to blessings and virtues. He is complete with blessings and virtues and is complete with wisdom.

5. Well-gone One: He has gone to a good place, to the very best place.

6. UNSURPASSED KNIGHT WHO UNDERSTANDS THE WORLD, The Buddha understands all dharmas, both mundane and transcendental, and so he is one who understands the world.

The Buddha is an Unsurpassed Knight. The Bodhisattvas at the level of Equal Enlightenment have one small, minute particle of production-mark Ignorance, which they have not yet destroyed. Because they have not broken through that one particle of ignorance, one particle of the Dharmabody remains as yet unmanifested. Therefore, they are Equal Enlightenment Bodhisattvas and they are called Surpassed Knights, because above them there is still the Buddha. The Buddha has reached the level of Wonderful Enlightenment and so he is called the Unsurpassed Knight.

7. A HERO WHO SUBDUES AND TAMES. To subdue means to use compassion to teach and transform living beings. Depending upon the kind of Dharma-door a living being likes, the Buddha uses just that Dharma-door to cross him over. To tame means that the Buddha uses awesome virtue and dignity to control living beings, to receive all living beings. Living beings who see the Buddha are respectful and stand in awe of him. They revere the Buddha's awesome virtue and stand in awe of the Buddha's majesty. The Hero is a great hero, that is, a man. The Great Hero subdues and tames all the living beings in the world and so he is known as the Hero Who Subdues and Tames.

8. TEACHER OF GODS AND MEN: The Buddha is the Master of the gods in the heavens and also of the people in the world.

9. THE BUDDHA: The Chinese transliteration of the word Buddha is -fo t'o yeh, usually shortened to -fo. Translated, it means "the enlightened one.1

There are three kinds of enlightenment: self-enlightenment, the enlightenment of others, and the perfection of enlightenment and practice.

What is self-enlightenment? How does it differ from the other kinds?

a. Those with self-enlightenment are different from common people. Common people are all unenlightened. They have not awakened and they don't know that "There is no peace in the Three Realms; it is just like a burning house." They don't know that this world is just like a raging fire and that it is very easy to be burnt to a crisp in it. There is not a single place in the Three Realms that is peaceful; it is just as dangerous as being in a flaming building. So the common people are not enlightened. Those who are self-enlightened differ from common people. They have awakened themselves. They have certified to the attainment of the fruit of Arhatship.

b. The Enlightenment of Others: How do those who enlighten others differ from the self-enlightened. Self-enlightenment is the realm of the Arhat. The enlightenment of others is the realm of the Bodhisattva, the Bodhisattva resolve. The Bodhisattva himself is enlightened, and he thinks that enlightenment is not bad at all; it's extremely subtle and wonderful in fact, it's very happy. Since he has obtained this subtle wonder and happiness as well as an understanding of the doctrines of the world, he also causes everyone to obtain this wonder and joy, these advantages. So, he takes that which he has experienced in his path of cultivation and teaches it to others. He speaks it for them all to hear.

For example, a certain layman now wishes to be one of self-enlightenment who enlightens others. Tomorrow he is going to the university to lecture on the Buddhadharma. This is just self-enlightenment and the enlightenment of others. Although he has not claimed to any particular fruit, he has chosen to bring forth the Bodhisattva resolve: "I know as much as I know, and I'm not afraid people will say that I lectured well or poorly. I'm going to go ahead and lecture." That is the Bodhisattva heart, which self-enlightened, enlightens others. Besides, I have great faith in what this layman says. Why? Because he is very eloquent. He takes the principles from Chinese and puts them into English in an inconceivable way. This is just the enlightenment of others. If one can constantly bring forth the Bodhisattva heart and not work for fame or profit, and not think, "I'm going to lecture and when I'm done, I'll be famous," or "When I'm done lecturing, I'll get so much money," this is self-enlightenment and enlightenment of others.

1 -chiao che.

Don't take this matter lightly! Any one of you can become self-enlightened and then enlighten others. I'm lecturing the Sutras to you here and although it's not 100% fine, still, you can expand on what I say. For example, if I lecture one doctrine, you can obtain ten from it. If I speak about the Thus Come One and say just a little bit, you can investigate the term in the Buddhist Sutras and find a lot of different ways to explain it, and you can compare and collate them. I hope that all of you will self-enlighten and enlighten others. Regardless of whether you are male or female don't be afraid! Don't say, "If I speak, will they laugh?" So what if they laugh? Laughter is just laughter after all. Pay no attention to them! "Let them laugh, but I'm going to lecture!" You should bring forth this kind of Bodhisattva heart; this is self-enlightenment and enlightenment of others. Although self-enlightenment and the enlightenment of others is the resolve of a Bodhisattva, it is still not the same as:

c. The Perfection of Enlightenment and Practice. The Buddha is one who has perfected both enlightenment and practice. He has perfected his own self-enlightenment and also his enlightenment of others. He has perfectly finished both these jobs and so he is called the Buddha.

10. The World Honored One. What is meant by The World Honored One? Honored means the most lofty, the most venerable, the most highly esteemed. There is no one higher than the one who is honored. "I honor you, I respect you, I admire you," this is the meaning of "honored." World means this world. Is the Buddha merely honored by those in the world? No. He is honored by those in and those beyond the world. The people in the world must pay respect to the Buddha and the people beyond the world also must respect the Buddha. Because he is honored by those in and beyond the world, he is called The World Honored One. If spoken in detail, the title World Honored One could be explained for several years without finishing. Now, I have explained the meanings of the Buddha's ten titles in a very general way. If you wish to look into them more deeply, you can do so on your own.

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 BRAHMA CONDUCT.

Commentary:

What is meant by EXPOUNDED? It means to speak in an unfixed manner. When expounding, one must have spirit. In expounding you must 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 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 their self-nature." To those who are intelligent, speak about the principle of the self-nature.

To average people you should speak logically, speaking 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 "closing," that is, you must bring to conclusion the topic you have introduced. If you just open it and don't close it, then you have a beginning, but no end. If you just close it but don't open it, then you have an end but no beginning. But just opening it 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 tasteless, 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, having got their attention, 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 a certain layman here uses this technique. He speaks very softly. If you didn't pay close attention, you wouldn't even hear him. So you pay attention. But if you pay attention like that for too long, you'll get tired. Your mind will wander and the sentences will drift off, and after a while you'll just quit listening. At that time you raise your voice, speak louder. When some people hear voices raised, they figure that people are arguing and so they don't want to listen. Then you stop suddenly. You quit speaking, and when they hear nothing, they will pay attention once more. When they have started paying attention again you can continue.

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 EXPOUND THE PROPER DHARMA, which is all there is time for today. Tomorrow we will talk about its being good in the beginning, middle, and end.

WHO 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 "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 the Bodhisattva benefiting living beings, giving up his own body, heart, and life; his head, eyes, brains, and marrow; his kingdoms, 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, Shakyamuni Buddha 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 in 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.

IT’S 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 the "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 Dharmadoors that 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 UNMIXED. 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 BRAHMA CONDUCT. Complete means that there is neither too little nor too much. Pure means clear and pure. White refers to bright light. The marks of Brahma conduct: Brahma conduct means pure conduct, clear and pure practice.

Sutra:

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;

Commentary:

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 Shravakas, or Sound Hearers, and the Pratyeka Buddhas or those Enlightened to Conditions. 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 Hinayana. 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 Teachings, returning from the small towards the great, entering the Great Vehicle Dharma-door.

The Shravakas 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.

TO CROSS 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 ULTIMATE NIRVANA. They obtain the ultimate Nirvana without residue. It is said,

They've done what they had to do

Their Brahma conduct has been established.

They undergo no further becoming.

They've already taken care of the work they had to do. They have already succeeded in their cultivation of pure Brahma conduct. They don't have to undergo birth and death again. That's the Sound-Hearers.

Sutra:

To THOSE WHO SOUGHT TO BE PRATYEKA Buddhas, HE RESPONDED WITH THE DHARMA OF THE TWELVE CONDITIONED CAUSES;

Commentary:

The Twelve Conditioned Causes are:

1.Ignorance, which conditions...

2.activity, which conditions...

3.consciousness, which conditions...

4.name and form, which conditions...

5.the six sense organs, the six sense organs which condition...

6.contact, contact which conditions...

7.feeling, feeling which conditions...

8.craving, craving which conditions...

9.grasping, grasping which conditions...

     10.becoming, becoming which conditions...
          11.birth, birth which conditions...
          12.old age and death.

The Twelve Conditioned Causes are also known as the Twelve Limbs. Ignorance and activity are "the limbs which are able to lead forth," as 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 and 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 until 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. Since I have explained these twelve many times before, I shall just bring them up briefly.

Sutra:

FOR THE SAKE OF THE BODHISATTVAS HE RESPONDED WITH THE SIX PARAMITAS..

Commentary:

For the sake of all the BODHISATTVAS he rightly taught the Dharma of the Six Paramitas. The Six Paramitas are cultivated by Bodhisattvas, and the Twelve Conditioned Causes are cultivated by those Enlightened to Conditions and 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 the 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 ten thousand things

they attain it 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 trees are fresh and shimmering;

The springs are churning, flowing swiftly;

The appearance of the ten thousand things reveals their rejuvenation;

And I am aware of my own life's decline.

In the spring they see the trees and plants budding and they are very beautiful. The brooks babble as they flow. The ten thousand things are flourishing. Another year has gone by and my life span has decreased by a year. If I don't 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 began meditating, I'll tell you, their legs hurt, too. But they bore the pain; they bore what others cannot bear and sat without moving. They sat in Dhyana meditation all day long, investigating...

"What is ignorance, anyway? Where does ignorance come from?" They investigate the Twelve Conditioned Causes. From ignorance there arose karmic activity, karma was created. After karmic activity came consciousness and after consciousness came name and form. After name and form came the six sense organs. After the six sense organs came contact and after contact came feeling. Craving followed upon feeling, and grasping followed upon craving. Becoming followed grasping and birth followed becoming, and old age and death 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 grew facing downwards, they didn't know, ultimately, 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. They know that hair grows on the top 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 enlighten to the continual cycle of production and extinction of all dharmas and they certify to the fruit and are called Solitary Enlightened Ones, "Solitary," because they are born at a time when there is no Buddha in the world.

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

The hells are a place of suffering and everyone knows that it is no fun to fall into the hells. But 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 forth the Bodhi-heart. Once they have brought forth the Bodhi-heart, they will be able to separate from suffering and attain bliss. So the Bodhisattvas are not afraid to undergo any form of bitterness as they teach and transform living beings.

Don't think that Bodhisattvas are very comfortable--like Kuan Tzu Tsai Bodhisattva --many of them are very uncomfortable. They are incredibly busy all day long travelling to the east, west, north, and south, the four inter-mediate directions, and up and down, to rescue living beings. Why? Because they wish to practice the Six Crossings Over and the Ten Thousand Conducts. They want to establish merit and establish 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 Bodhisattvas 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 someone 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 Crossings Over, the Six Paramitas, the six methods of making it to the other shore.

Sutra:

CAUSING THEM TO ATTAIN ANUTTARASAMYAKSAMBODHI, AND TO REALIZE THE WISDOM OF ALL MODES.

Commentary:

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 Wisdom’s: All-wisdom, which belongs to the side of the Truth of Emptiness; Wisdom in the Way, which belongs to the side of the Truth of the False. These two fall into two extremes. The third is the Wisdom of All-modes, which belongs to the Truth of the Middle Way. The first two wisdom’s 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. It is the Final Meaning of the Middle Way. REALIZATION means to certify to the attainment of, to certify. They realize it, they certify to it, they certify to the fruit, they realize Buddhahood, they certify to the Buddha-fruit. The Three Truths and the Three Wisdom’s interpenetrate. Now, in speaking of the Wisdom of All-modes, the other two wisdom’s 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,

Commentary:

Previously, in explaining the passage, "Good at its beginning, good in its middle, and good at its end," I spoke of Sakyamuni Buddha. Actually the analogy applies not only to Shakyamuni Buddha but also to all the Buddhas of the ten directions throughout the three periods of time. The sutra text itself speaks about Buddhas by the name of Brightness of Sun Moon Lamp, 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 called Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp Buddha. Why did he take that name? Because it has brightness and also wisdom, 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 also not "flow out" and if you have samadhi you will "flow-out" even less. You will obtain that state of non-outflow, the perfection of the Three Non-Outflow Studies.

Don't compare the moon to wisdom and the sun to samadhi. You have to explain it the way you heard it. Don't take off on your own, setting up your own sect. You'll have to become a Patriarch at a slower pace. Don't try to be one here at the beginning.

The Buddhas like this name and so the first, second, and the third Buddha all had the name Brightness of Sun-Moon-Lamp. And not only the third, but AND SO FORTH FOR TWENTY-THOUSAND BUDDHAS every one of them of the same name, ALL OF THE SAME NAME, BRIGHTNESS OF SUN-MOON-LAMP. The name sounded very fine and so twenty thousand Buddhas liked 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 that means "rapid,"¹ 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.

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The Sixth 'Patriarch's Dharma Jewel, Platform Sutra. The founding text of Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism, consisting of the teachings and autobiography of the Venerable Master Hui Neng, the greatest of the Chinese Ch'an masters. With illuminating, contemporary commentary by the Venerable, Master Hua--Hardbound, 380 pp. $10.00.

THE WONDERFUL DHARMA LOTUS FLOWER SUTRA