20150706《靜思妙蓮華》獨覺深知諸法因緣 (第602集)
（法華經•譬喻品第三）
⊙「慧心安法利生用忍，殷勤精進忍鎧堅固，智鏡能照息滅惑業，於境決斷說分別智。」
⊙「舍利弗！若有眾生，內有智性，從佛世尊聞法信受，殷勤精進，欲速出三界，自求涅槃，是名聲聞乘。如彼諸子為求羊車出於火宅。」《法華經譬喻品》
⊙「若有眾生，從佛世尊聞法信受，殷勤精進，求自然慧，樂獨善寂，深知諸法因緣，是名辟支佛乘。如彼諸子為求鹿車出於火宅。」《法華經譬喻品》
⊙上文，聲聞求羊車。今說辟支佛、或稱獨覺，出無佛之世，宿植善根。
⊙求自然慧：自求獨覺，以獨善自守，不求共他善，觀物變遷，自覺了無生。
⊙其性好習靜，不樂憒鬧，獨求獨習，無利眾之心。
⊙樂獨善寂，深知諸法因緣，是名辟支佛乘。
⊙十二因緣：無明緣行，行緣識，識緣名色，名色緣六入，六入緣觸，觸緣受，受緣愛，愛緣取，取緣有，有緣生，生緣老死。
⊙辟支佛者，已曾於百劫以來聞法，又名緣覺，以觀十二因緣法成辟支佛道法。
⊙辟支佛深知志求，非如聲聞欲求速達而已，而是自力持法行人，從他聞法少，自推義多，故喻如鹿車。
⊙又鹿有迴顧之慈故，優於聲聞，劣於菩薩，是為中乘也。
⊙又辟支佛，出於無佛世，觀四季境象為緣而覺。如觀飛花落葉之外緣，體悟天地自然法則而得成道法，稱為獨覺、辟支佛。
⊙樂獨善寂，深知諸法因緣，是名辟支佛乘。如彼諸子為求鹿車出於火宅。
【證嚴上人開示】
「慧心安法利生用忍，殷勤精進忍鎧堅固，智鏡能照息滅惑業，於境決斷說分別智。」
慧心安法利生用忍
殷勤精進忍鎧堅固
智鏡能照息滅惑業
於境決斷說分別智
要知道，智慧，這個「慧」字，就是平等慧。是學法、修行，無不都是要修一念慈，慈心，那就是心安住在慧，這分慧，大慈、大慧的心，就是安住在法，那就是要利益眾生。但是，必定要用忍，眾生剛強，難調難伏，所以，大慈、大慧的心，雖然利益眾生，也要運用他的忍力。這個忍力，那就是要殷勤精進，「殷勤精進」，要「忍鎧堅固」。
《四十二章經》裡面也這樣說，修行者入人群中，我們用心要利益眾生，卻是眾生有種種不同的習氣，我們面對著這種剛強、習氣惡劣。這種的境界，我們必定要如披著鐵甲，不要去受他傷害。（註）
還有，我們自己對自己，自己的煩惱無明就如魔軍，不斷在湧現，我們必定要有，降伏魔軍這種的魄力，所以要靠「殷勤精進」。要精進，要有如這種武裝的裝備一樣，要好好保護我們，防備著外來的煩惱、無明，或者是內心自起的無明、惡念，這都是修行者要很注意的。
我們若能夠這樣精進，自然「智鏡能照息滅惑業」。前面的慧心，現在智的鏡子，我們的心靈這面鏡子，前面的殷勤精進」，就已經這樣擦拭它，擦好了我們這面內心的鏡子，自然它能夠顯出了，它鏡子的本體，很明，能夠照著外面一切的境界，我們能夠很清楚，能夠分別，分別，我們就不會去做，不對的事情，不會去說不實的妄語。我們做的很清楚，說的很分明，這叫做「息滅惑業」。
因為慧是平等慧，智是分別智，分別外面種種的境界，很清楚，是非分明，發揮我們這分平等的慧心，展現出了利益眾生的志業，很決斷、很確定，對的事情，做就對了。
修行若能夠這樣，我們就不怕在修行路上有差錯。所以，大慈、大慧能夠安法，我們能夠安住我們的法，我們能夠從我們的身心精進，消除種種的煩惱，自然「智」，智的鏡子就會現前。所以人人要用心、用力。
前面的(經)文這樣說，「舍利弗！若有眾生，內有智性，從佛世尊聞法信受，殷勤精進，欲速出三界，自求涅槃，是名聲聞乘。如彼諸子為求羊車出於火宅。」
舍利弗
若有眾生
內有智性
從佛世尊聞法信受
殷勤精進
欲速出三界
自求涅槃
是名聲聞乘
如彼諸子
為求羊車
出於火宅
《法華經譬喻品》
下面接下來，這段(經) 文這樣說：「若有眾生，從佛世尊聞法信受，殷勤精進，求自然慧，樂獨善寂，深知諸法因緣，是名辟支佛乘。如彼諸子為求鹿車出於火宅。」
若有眾生
從佛世尊聞法信受
殷勤精進
求自然慧
樂獨善寂
深知諸法因緣
是名辟支佛乘
如彼諸子
為求鹿車出於火宅
《法華經譬喻品》
前面是為求羊車出火宅，現在是為求鹿車，鹿車而出火宅。
上文 聲聞求羊車
今說辟支佛、
或稱獨覺
出無佛之世
宿植善根
聲聞是求羊車，所以他們要殷勤精進。現在所說的，那就是辟支佛。辟支佛，或者是稱為獨覺，名稱辟支佛，有時候稱為獨覺，獨覺與辟支佛，是同種的修行(者)名稱，所以「出無佛之世」，這種的辟支佛，或者是獨覺，不一定與佛同世，有時候他出生，那個時代無佛，就是只靠著他們宿世，有種了這樣的善根。說不定他們過去，就已經與佛同世，說不定過去修行累世，這個時候再來人間，還是保持著他們那分的善根，所以他們出生在無佛的時代，他們能夠獨覺，覺悟到天地萬物就是這樣，成、住、壞、空，這個道理，所以，他們還要再求，「求自然慧」。
求自然慧：
自求獨覺
以獨善自守
不求共他善
觀物變遷
自覺了無生
因為他體會到人間無常，到底法，要如何才能夠，(對)天地萬物這個無常道理，能夠更深入清楚，能夠瞭解，所以他「自求獨覺，以獨善自守」，這個獨善自守，為了他要修行，所以他還是獨善其身。「不求共他善」，我只要我自己，求得我能夠瞭解就好，不管他人是怎樣。所以這種獨覺是「以獨善自守，不求共他善」。
而若是菩薩就不是這樣了。菩薩，我得一善，拳拳服膺，然後也就要與人共分享。這是菩薩，不過，辟支佛，他就是「不(求)共他善」。他有「觀物變遷，自覺了無生」，這種的能力，他就是這樣看到外面的境界，自己用心去思考、縝思量，很謹慎、很縝密，用心來思量，所以他能夠將這些物，有形的物質，他能夠體會、去瞭解萬物到頭來究竟是空，所以他「自覺了無生」。這種空就無生。他的性就是只在「習」，學習的境界，就是靜，不愛在人群，很熱鬧的地方，「不樂憒鬧」，不愛在人群中。
其性好習靜
不樂憒鬧
獨求獨習
無利眾之心
所以他只「獨求獨習，無利眾生之心」，自己來求法，如何能夠瞭解，這個物其中的道理、人，生死的道理，只是這樣在求，自己修習，沒有一點利益眾生的心。
所以他「樂獨善寂，深知諸法因緣，是名辟支佛。」
樂獨善寂
深知諸法因緣
是名辟支佛乘
因為他是這樣樂獨，自己很喜愛的就是，這種很清淨的地方，他知道，知道諸法，來自於種種的因緣，因為他的心很清淨、他的心很寂靜，所以他去體會這個法，應該萬法都有因緣，聲聞只是能夠到，苦、集、滅、道，知道身體是四大和合。
瞭解這個「四諦」道理。但是獨覺，他自己用心去體會：到底人是四大和合，到底是什麼因緣，在這個人間，各種的生活、起心動念，人與人之間一切的因緣，為什麼你會生在這樣，這麼文明富有的國界，為什麼我會生在那種，這麼下劣、貧窮、苦難，真的是無知的世界？為什麼我不能讓這樣的父母生？偏偏我的父母就是這樣的人生？這全是眾生各有因緣。所以他很用心在這個因緣法。
因緣，大家知道了，有「十二因緣」——無明緣行，行緣識，識緣名色，名色緣六入……，緣，就一直緣下去，總共有十二，一直到老病死。這種的因緣會合，這樣讓我們的一生，不斷在人間，不斷在造緣，善惡緣、不斷在造善惡業，所以我們人生不斷複製，這樣生生世世，在六道之中，無不都是十二因緣。
十二因緣：
無明緣行 行緣識
識緣名色
名色緣六入
六入緣觸 觸緣受
受緣愛 愛緣取
取緣有 有緣生
生緣老死
緣覺是用心，完全獨覺，很獨善、很清淨，一直到心很了悟，這個「十二因緣法」，所以叫做辟支佛乘。這種獨覺的根機，就是已經「百劫以來」從很久很長時間以來，全都有聽法。
辟支佛者
已曾於
百劫以來聞法
又名緣覺
以觀十二因緣法
成辟支佛道法
所以我們常常說，要多聽，要多薰習。有的人說：「那個怎麼那麼聰明，這樣字拿來一看，這樣一目了然。」「這個人讀前世書啦。」我們常常，以前的老人都是這樣說。
所以，佛法裡面，我們也是很肯定，這種的獨覺就是過去生，千百劫以來都有在聞法，就是生生世世於法精進，就是安住在法的當中。所以，再來人間，觸境，接觸到那個境界，他就能夠覺悟，這也叫做緣覺——緣著這個境界而覺悟。
這真的也是了不起！因為他生生世世都在聽法，他知道，聽法，光靠別人說，我們聽，僅是這樣而已，不夠，就是要身體力行，自己去用心。
緣覺，「非如聲聞欲求速達而已」，不只是這樣而已，他是自力持法的人。自己知道法之後，自己除了獨善其身，他的心修得很清淨，煩惱不入心來，他精進、他穿忍辱鎧，他對他自己內心的魔軍，他已經都降伏了，沒有內心的煩惱再來困擾他。這種叫做緣覺、獨覺、辟支佛，他是用他自己用功，自力持法，這樣身體力行的人。
辟支佛深知志求
非如聲聞
欲求速達而已
而是自力持法行人
從他聞法少
自推義多
故喻如鹿車
所以「從他聞法少」。他們已經千百世來聞法，見到這個境界，一切都是了如指掌。他體會了「真空」的道理，所以一切的煩惱不在他的心裡了，已經一切一切，都沒有一點點的惑，他也不會再去造業。所以，這完全消除了，所以他可以聽法不必聽那麼多。
他「自推義多」。一件道理，他能夠去普遍瞭解，告訴你們一切物質四大和合，不是只說花，不是只說草，其實四大和合，花草樹木以及，我們所坐著的地板、所蓋的屋頂，我們日常走的路等等，所接觸的一切無不都是，「一理通，萬理徹」，四大和合的道理、十二因緣的法，我們全都很瞭解，所以這種已經一切都很清楚。千百劫來，一直薰習、薰習，道香、德香，這種就是從「聞、思、修」來，所以，他能用這分的覺悟，來瞭解一切。這就是譬喻鹿車，鹿的車。
因為羊，牠就是只這樣吃草，一直去了，牠不再回頭來照顧羊群。而若是鹿，牠就是邊吃草，一邊牠會回頭看，這種學法，就是要瞭解前面的境界、過去的道理，這就是如鹿一樣，所以「有迴顧之慈」。
又鹿有迴顧之慈故
優於聲聞
劣於菩薩
是為中乘也
已經開始瞭解道理，與事無爭，與人無爭，與世無爭，這已經非常有慈悲的心，是慈所以「優於聲聞」，比聲聞更高。但是「劣於菩薩」，與菩薩比起來，哇！就不同了，所以他叫做中乘。
又辟支佛
出於無佛世
觀四季境象為緣
而覺
如觀飛花落葉
之外緣
體悟天地
自然法則
而得成道法
稱為獨覺、
辟支佛
辟支佛出生在無佛的時代，「觀四季境象為緣而覺，如觀飛花落葉之外緣」，他只是這樣看到這個境界，秋天已經葉落了，現在已經是秋天了，看境界就知道入秋了，所以「體悟天地自然法則」，光是看到那個境界，就分別出春、夏、秋、冬，這就是他的境界，如這樣叫做獨覺，也叫做辟支佛。
「如彼諸子，為求鹿車，出於火宅。」就是像這樣，他獨善獨善「樂獨善寂，深知諸法因緣」，這類的人，叫做辟支佛。「如彼諸子，為求鹿車，出於火宅。」這就是修行的過程。
樂獨善寂
深知諸法因緣
是名辟支佛乘
如彼諸子
為求鹿車
出於火宅
各位，學佛都有層次。佛陀時代的聲聞，是依佛的聲音，來瞭解法的道理，他聽，總是根機不整齊。有的聽了，瞭解佛在說的法；有的聽了，好像知道，又好像不知道，聽了之後，法要住在心裡很難，因為都是有漏──聽很快就忘記了，聽法之後，還是行為與這個法，會兩相背。真正聽法，有法入心，行如法的人不很多。所以，不精進，自然智慧那面鏡子就模糊了，鏡面模糊了，於那個境界，種種的法就不清楚。
所以，修行必定要安住於法，這個慧，要啟發我們自己的慧，培養啫慈心，這個慧力安住在法中，來利益眾生。要走入人群中，一定要用忍，我們才不會被外面傷害到，不會被自己的煩惱來傷害。所以我們要時時多用心。
[註]《四十二章經》佛言：「人為道，譬如一人與萬人戰，被甲、操兵、出門欲戰，意怯膽弱乃自退走，或半道還，或格鬪而死，或得大勝還國高遷。夫人能牢持其心，精銳進行，不惑于流俗狂愚之言者，欲滅惡盡，必得道矣。」
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Solitary Realizers’ Deep Understanding of the Interdependent Arising of All Phenomena (獨覺深知諸法因緣)
Date:July.06. 2015
“A mind of wisdom abides in the Dharma, benefits all life and exercises patience. With earnestness and diligence, our armor of patience will be firm and solid. Mirror wisdom can reflect and extinguish deluded karma. That which help us be decisive about conditions is called discerning wisdom.”
We must understand wisdom, which also includes impartial wisdom. Learning the Dharma and practicing it is all about cultivating loving-kindness. To do so, our minds must abide in impartial wisdom. With the great wisdom and great loving-kindness, we can abide in the Dharma. This is how we can benefit sentient beings.
However, we also need to exercise patience because sentient beings are unyielding and difficult to train. With the Buddha’s loving-kindness and wisdom, He could benefit sentient beings, but He also had to exercise His patience.
Patience requires earnestness and diligence. “With earnestness and diligence, [His] armor of patience will be firm and solid.” The Sutra of 42 Sections also says that spiritual practitioners go among the people, and though we put our hearts into helping them, they will exhibit various habitual tendencies. To deal with people’s stubbornness and negative habitual tendencies, we must put on something like armor so that we will not be injured by them.
As for dealing with ourselves, our afflictions and ignorance are like an army of maras which endlessly appear in our minds. Therefore, we need to have the courage to subdue this army. This requires us to practice with “earnestness and diligence.”
We need to be diligent, which is like armor that offers protection, to earnestly protect ourselves from afflictions and ignorance in our surroundings and the ignorance and unwholesome thoughts that arise in our own minds. Spiritual practitioners need to pay careful attention to these things. If we are able to do that, “Mirror wisdom can reflect and extinguish deluded karma.”
Before, we spoke of a mind of impartial wisdom, and now it is a mirror of discerning wisdom. We all have this mirror in our minds. With that “earnestness and diligence” mentioned, we have already wiped this mirror clean. Cleaning the mirror of our minds will naturally reveal this mirror’s essence, which is bright and clear and can reflect its external conditions. If we can see clearly, we can discern things, so that we will not commit any wrongdoings, and we will not say anything that is false.
When we are very clear about what we do and about we say, we can “extinguish deluded karma.” Wisdom includes both impartial wisdom and discerning wisdom. When we can discern various conditions, we can clearly distinguish between right and wrong. By exercising our impartial wisdom, we can demonstrate our mission of benefiting sentient beings. We will be very decisive and certain. When something is right, we will just do it. If we can achieve this in our spiritual practice, we will not be afraid of making any mistakes as we engage in spiritual cultivation.
With great loving-kindness and great wisdom, we can abide in the Dharma and diligently cultivate our body and mind to eliminate various kinds of afflictions. Then the mirror of wisdom will naturally manifest. Therefore, everyone needs to be mindful and make this effort.
The previous sutra passage states, “Sariputra, if sentient beings who have inherent wisdom hear the Dharma from the World-Honored One, faithfully accept it, attentively and diligently practice and want to quickly escape the Three Realms, seeking Nirvana for themselves, they are following the Hearer Vehicle. They are like those children who left the burning house to seek the sheep-cart.” The following sutra passage states, “If sentient beings who have inherent wisdom hear the Dharma from the World-Honored One, faithfully accept it, attentively and diligently practice, seek natural wisdom, take joy in solitude and tranquility and deeply understand the interdependent arising of all phenomena, they are following the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle. They are like those children who left the burning house of seek the deer-cart.”
The first group left the burning house to seek the sheep-cart.This group left the burning house to seek the deer-cart.
In the prior text, Hearers sought the sheep-carts.
Here it discusses Pratyekabuddhas, also known as Solitary Realizers.
They are born in an era when there is no Buddha, but have planted roots of goodness in past lives.
Hearers seek the sheep-cart.That is why they attentively and diligently practice.Now we are discussing Pratyekabuddhas.Pratyekabuddhas are also called Solitary Realizers.Practitioners called Partyekabuddhas are also called Solitary Realizers.
Solitary Realizers and Pratyekabuddhas describe the same kind of spiritual practitioner.
“They are born in an era when there is no Buddha.”
Pratyekabuddhas, or Solitary Realizers, are not necessarily born in the era of a Buddha.They may be born in an era when there is no Buddha so they have to rely on the roots of goodness they planted in their past lives.
Perhaps in a past life they lived in the same era as a Buddha.Perhaps they have engaged in spiritual practice for many lifetimes, so when they return to the world this time, they still have those roots of goodness.Even if born when there is no Buddha, they are able to realize on their own that all things in the world follow the principles of formation, existence, decay and disappearance.So, they seek to learn more.They “seek natural wisdom”.
[They] seek natural wisdom:
They seek solitary realization for themselves.Only benefiting and protecting themselves, they do not seek the collective good.They observe the changes in material objects and awaked to the truth of non-arising.
Because Solitary Realizers have realized the impermanence of the world, they want to find ways to enhance their understanding of the principle of the impermanence of all things in the world.Therefore, “They seek solitary realization for themselves, only benefiting and protecting themselves. Only benefiting and protecting themselves” means that in their spiritual cultivation, they only seek to awaken themselves and “do not seek the collective good.”
The only seek understanding for themselves, and do not care whether others understand.
So, Solitary Realizers only care about benefiting and protecting themselves.“They do not seek the collective good.”
As Bodhisattvas, we must do more than this.
Whenever we learn something beneficial, we must earnestly practice it and then share it with others.
This is what Bodhisattvas do.
However, Pratyekabuddhas “do not seek the collective good. They observe the changes in material objects and awaken to the truth of non-arising.”They have this ability; they can perceive the world around them and mindfully and carefully contemplate it.They are cautious and meticulous in their thinking.So they can realize, by observing tangible things, that all things are ultimately empty in nature.
They “awaken to the truth of non-arising”; this emptiness is non-arising.Their disposition is to focus on “learning”.They need a quiet place in order to learn.They do not like crowded, lively places.“They do not enjoy bustle and noise.”They do not like being in a crowd, so they “seek and study on their own and have no aspirations to benefit others.”
They seek the Dharma by themselves to figure out the principles behind the working of thing and behind the human cycle of birth and death.They seek to learn and practice on their own without any desire to benefit sentient beings.
So, they “take joy in solitude and tranquility and deeply understand interdependent arising. [They] are following the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.”
Because they take joy in solitude, they like places that are tranquil.They understand that all phenomena arise from causes and conditions.Because their hearts are pure and their minds are tranquil, they are able to understand this Dharma, that all things arise interdependently.
Hearers only reach the state of understanding suffering, causation, cessation and the Path.They know the body is composed of the four elements, and they understand the Four Noble Truths.
But Solitary Realizers mindfully realize that even though the human body is a union of the four elements, there must be causes and conditions behind the life they lead and the thoughts they have in this world. There are causes and conditions behind all the relationships in their lives. Why is one person born in a nation that is highly developed and wealthy while another person is born into a very poor and harsh place of much ignorance?
“Why couldn’t I have been born to those parents, and was instead born into this kind of life?” this is all due to causes and conditions. Pratyekabuddhas mindfully learn the interdependent arising of all phenomena. As for causes and conditions, everyone knows the. Twelve Links of interdependent. Arising ignorance gives rise to volitional formation, volitional formation to consciousness, consciousness to name and form, name and form to the six entrances, and so on. There are a total of 12 links. They end with aging, illness and death. The convergence of these causes and conditions brings us into this life. Then in this world we endlessly create positive and negative conditions and good and bad karma. In our lives we never stop reproducing these so life after life, we remain in the Six Realms. All this is due to the Twelve Links.
“The Twelve Links of interdependent Arising: Ignorance gives rise to volitional formation, volitional formation to consciousness, consciousness to name and form, name and form to the six entrances, six entrances to contact, contact to sensation, sensation to craving, craving to grasping, grasping to becoming, becoming to birth, birth to aging and death.”
Solitary Realizers seek realizations by themselves. They seek their own awakening and purity so that they can attain a deep realization of the Twelve Links of Interdependent Arising. This is the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle. When it comes to the capacities of Solitary Realizers, for hundreds of kalpas already, for a very long period of time, they have been listening to the Dharma.
“Pratyekabuddhas have all gone through hundreds of kalpas of listening to the Dharma. They are also called Solitary Realizers. They contemplate the Twelve Links on the path to becoming Pratyekabuddhas.
We constantly say that we need to listen more to teachings and let them permeate us. Some people wonder, “How can that person be so smart? Once he reads those words, he completely understands them. Oh, that person was well-read in a previous life”. We used to hear this answer often as an explanation. Within the Buddhist teachings, we also recognize that Solitary Realizers must have spent many kalpas in their past lives listening to the teachings. Life after life they diligently practiced and also abided in the Dharma. So, when they return to the world and connect with external conditions, they are able to attain realizations. Thus they are also called Realizers of Conditions, they awaken by connecting to external conditions. These practitioners are truly exceptional because they have been listening to the Dharma for many lifetimes. They understand that just listening to the Dharma, just relying on what other people said, is not enough. They have to put it into practice and be mindful.
So, Solitary Realizers are unlike Hearers, who only seek to quickly understand. That is not all they do. These practitioners rely on their own strength to uphold the Dharma. After understanding the Dharma, aside from practicing to benefit themselves, they also cultivate purity in their minds. Afflictions cannot penetrate their minds because they diligently practice and wear the armor of patience. They have already subdued the army of mara’s in their minds, so they are not troubled by their afflictions. These people are called Realizers of Conditions, Solitary Realizers or Pratyekabuddhas.
They rely on their own efforts to uphold the Dharma. They are people who put the Dharma into practice.
“Pratyekabudhas have a deep understanding and resolve to seek the truth. They are unlike Hearers, who only seek to quickly understand. These practitioners rely on their own strength to uphold the Dharma. They rarely listen to others’ teachings and mostly deduce the meaning themselves. They are likened to [those who seek] the deer-cart”.
“They rarely listen to others’ teachings. They have listened to the teachings for hundreds, if not thousands, of lifetimes. Upon seeing external conditions, they understand everything very clearly. Since they understand true emptiness, there are no afflictions in their minds. They have gradually eliminated their delusions, so they will not create more karma. Because these have been completely eliminated, they do not have to listen to that many teachings. They can “deduce the meanings themselves”. From one principle, they can understand everything. When I say that all material things exist because of the convergence of the four elements, I am not just talking about flowers and grasses. The union of the four elements brings about flowers, grasses, trees, the floor we are sitting on, the roof above our heads and the roads we are walking every day. This is true for everything we come in contact with “By grasping one truth, we understand all truths. We have fully understood the workings of the four elements and the Twelve Links of Interdependent Arising.
So, Pratyekabuddhas have a clear understanding of all of this. For hundreds and thousands of kalpas, they have been learning and have been permeated by the Path and by virtues. This comes from listening, contemplating and practicing. Thus they are able to awaken and understand everything.
This is analogous to the deer-cart. Sheep only focus on eating grass and going their own way. They do not look back to take care of other sheep. As for deer, as they eat the grass, they turn their heads to look around. This way of learning Dharma is about understanding the conditions before them and the past principles [that led to the present]. So, they are like deer. Therefore, we say, “They have the loving-kindness [of deer].”
They have the loving-kindness of deer who turns their [to look after the others]. They are more advanced than Hearers, but not yet at the level of Bodhisattvas. Thus they are considered the Middle Vehicle.
They have begun to understand the principles, so they have no conflicts over matters, with people or with the world. They have great loving-kindness and compassion. Therefore, “They are more advanced than Hearers.” They are at a more advanced stage. However, “They are not yet at the level Bodhisattvas.” Compared to Bodhisattvas, they are still very different. Therefore, they are Middle Vehicle practitioners.
Pratyekabuddhas are born in an era when there is no Buddha. “They observe the changes of seasons, the conditions that lead to their realization.” They observe condition like floating flower petals and falling leaves.”
All they need to do is see these conditions. In the autumn, the leaves have fallen. Just by looking at our surroundings, we can already tell it is autumn. By observing this, “They awaken to the natural laws of heaven and earth.”
Just from observing our conditions, we can tell whether it is spring, summer, autumn or winter. This is the level they have attained.People like that are Solitary Realizers, also known as Pratyekabuddhas. “They are like those children who left burning house to seek the deer-cart.”
In this way, they only seek to awaken themselves. They “take joy in solitude and tranquility, and deeply understand the interdependent arising of all phenomena.” These people are Pratyekabuddhas. “They are like those children who left the burning house to seek the deer-cart.”
This is their process of spiritual practice. Everyone, there is a sequence to learning the Buddha’s Way. The Hearers who lived in the Buddha’s lifetime relied on the Buddha’s spoken teachings to understand the principles of the Dharma. The listeners had varying capabilities. Some listened to and understood the Dharma. Some listened and seemed to understand, but also seemed not to understand. After listening to the Dharma, it is very hard to retain it, because we have Leaks. We hear it, then forget it very quickly. After listening to the Dharma, our behavior may still contradict the Dharma. People who can truly listen to the Dharma, take it to heart and practice according to it are very few in number.
Without diligent practice, the mirror of their wisdom would not be clear. If that mirror is blurry, the various teachings would not be clear to them. So, when we engage in spiritual practice, we must abide in the Dharma. We must awaken our wisdom and cultivate loving-kindness. With the power of wisdom, we abide in the Dharma and benefit sentient beings.
In order to go among people, we need patience so we with not be harmed by external conditions or by our own afflictions. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
（法華經•譬喻品第三）
⊙「慧心安法利生用忍，殷勤精進忍鎧堅固，智鏡能照息滅惑業，於境決斷說分別智。」
⊙「舍利弗！若有眾生，內有智性，從佛世尊聞法信受，殷勤精進，欲速出三界，自求涅槃，是名聲聞乘。如彼諸子為求羊車出於火宅。」《法華經譬喻品》
⊙「若有眾生，從佛世尊聞法信受，殷勤精進，求自然慧，樂獨善寂，深知諸法因緣，是名辟支佛乘。如彼諸子為求鹿車出於火宅。」《法華經譬喻品》
⊙上文，聲聞求羊車。今說辟支佛、或稱獨覺，出無佛之世，宿植善根。
⊙求自然慧：自求獨覺，以獨善自守，不求共他善，觀物變遷，自覺了無生。
⊙其性好習靜，不樂憒鬧，獨求獨習，無利眾之心。
⊙樂獨善寂，深知諸法因緣，是名辟支佛乘。
⊙十二因緣：無明緣行，行緣識，識緣名色，名色緣六入，六入緣觸，觸緣受，受緣愛，愛緣取，取緣有，有緣生，生緣老死。
⊙辟支佛者，已曾於百劫以來聞法，又名緣覺，以觀十二因緣法成辟支佛道法。
⊙辟支佛深知志求，非如聲聞欲求速達而已，而是自力持法行人，從他聞法少，自推義多，故喻如鹿車。
⊙又鹿有迴顧之慈故，優於聲聞，劣於菩薩，是為中乘也。
⊙又辟支佛，出於無佛世，觀四季境象為緣而覺。如觀飛花落葉之外緣，體悟天地自然法則而得成道法，稱為獨覺、辟支佛。
⊙樂獨善寂，深知諸法因緣，是名辟支佛乘。如彼諸子為求鹿車出於火宅。
【證嚴上人開示】
「慧心安法利生用忍，殷勤精進忍鎧堅固，智鏡能照息滅惑業，於境決斷說分別智。」
慧心安法利生用忍
殷勤精進忍鎧堅固
智鏡能照息滅惑業
於境決斷說分別智
要知道，智慧，這個「慧」字，就是平等慧。是學法、修行，無不都是要修一念慈，慈心，那就是心安住在慧，這分慧，大慈、大慧的心，就是安住在法，那就是要利益眾生。但是，必定要用忍，眾生剛強，難調難伏，所以，大慈、大慧的心，雖然利益眾生，也要運用他的忍力。這個忍力，那就是要殷勤精進，「殷勤精進」，要「忍鎧堅固」。
《四十二章經》裡面也這樣說，修行者入人群中，我們用心要利益眾生，卻是眾生有種種不同的習氣，我們面對著這種剛強、習氣惡劣。這種的境界，我們必定要如披著鐵甲，不要去受他傷害。（註）
還有，我們自己對自己，自己的煩惱無明就如魔軍，不斷在湧現，我們必定要有，降伏魔軍這種的魄力，所以要靠「殷勤精進」。要精進，要有如這種武裝的裝備一樣，要好好保護我們，防備著外來的煩惱、無明，或者是內心自起的無明、惡念，這都是修行者要很注意的。
我們若能夠這樣精進，自然「智鏡能照息滅惑業」。前面的慧心，現在智的鏡子，我們的心靈這面鏡子，前面的殷勤精進」，就已經這樣擦拭它，擦好了我們這面內心的鏡子，自然它能夠顯出了，它鏡子的本體，很明，能夠照著外面一切的境界，我們能夠很清楚，能夠分別，分別，我們就不會去做，不對的事情，不會去說不實的妄語。我們做的很清楚，說的很分明，這叫做「息滅惑業」。
因為慧是平等慧，智是分別智，分別外面種種的境界，很清楚，是非分明，發揮我們這分平等的慧心，展現出了利益眾生的志業，很決斷、很確定，對的事情，做就對了。
修行若能夠這樣，我們就不怕在修行路上有差錯。所以，大慈、大慧能夠安法，我們能夠安住我們的法，我們能夠從我們的身心精進，消除種種的煩惱，自然「智」，智的鏡子就會現前。所以人人要用心、用力。
前面的(經)文這樣說，「舍利弗！若有眾生，內有智性，從佛世尊聞法信受，殷勤精進，欲速出三界，自求涅槃，是名聲聞乘。如彼諸子為求羊車出於火宅。」
舍利弗
若有眾生
內有智性
從佛世尊聞法信受
殷勤精進
欲速出三界
自求涅槃
是名聲聞乘
如彼諸子
為求羊車
出於火宅
《法華經譬喻品》
下面接下來，這段(經) 文這樣說：「若有眾生，從佛世尊聞法信受，殷勤精進，求自然慧，樂獨善寂，深知諸法因緣，是名辟支佛乘。如彼諸子為求鹿車出於火宅。」
若有眾生
從佛世尊聞法信受
殷勤精進
求自然慧
樂獨善寂
深知諸法因緣
是名辟支佛乘
如彼諸子
為求鹿車出於火宅
《法華經譬喻品》
前面是為求羊車出火宅，現在是為求鹿車，鹿車而出火宅。
上文 聲聞求羊車
今說辟支佛、
或稱獨覺
出無佛之世
宿植善根
聲聞是求羊車，所以他們要殷勤精進。現在所說的，那就是辟支佛。辟支佛，或者是稱為獨覺，名稱辟支佛，有時候稱為獨覺，獨覺與辟支佛，是同種的修行(者)名稱，所以「出無佛之世」，這種的辟支佛，或者是獨覺，不一定與佛同世，有時候他出生，那個時代無佛，就是只靠著他們宿世，有種了這樣的善根。說不定他們過去，就已經與佛同世，說不定過去修行累世，這個時候再來人間，還是保持著他們那分的善根，所以他們出生在無佛的時代，他們能夠獨覺，覺悟到天地萬物就是這樣，成、住、壞、空，這個道理，所以，他們還要再求，「求自然慧」。
求自然慧：
自求獨覺
以獨善自守
不求共他善
觀物變遷
自覺了無生
因為他體會到人間無常，到底法，要如何才能夠，(對)天地萬物這個無常道理，能夠更深入清楚，能夠瞭解，所以他「自求獨覺，以獨善自守」，這個獨善自守，為了他要修行，所以他還是獨善其身。「不求共他善」，我只要我自己，求得我能夠瞭解就好，不管他人是怎樣。所以這種獨覺是「以獨善自守，不求共他善」。
而若是菩薩就不是這樣了。菩薩，我得一善，拳拳服膺，然後也就要與人共分享。這是菩薩，不過，辟支佛，他就是「不(求)共他善」。他有「觀物變遷，自覺了無生」，這種的能力，他就是這樣看到外面的境界，自己用心去思考、縝思量，很謹慎、很縝密，用心來思量，所以他能夠將這些物，有形的物質，他能夠體會、去瞭解萬物到頭來究竟是空，所以他「自覺了無生」。這種空就無生。他的性就是只在「習」，學習的境界，就是靜，不愛在人群，很熱鬧的地方，「不樂憒鬧」，不愛在人群中。
其性好習靜
不樂憒鬧
獨求獨習
無利眾之心
所以他只「獨求獨習，無利眾生之心」，自己來求法，如何能夠瞭解，這個物其中的道理、人，生死的道理，只是這樣在求，自己修習，沒有一點利益眾生的心。
所以他「樂獨善寂，深知諸法因緣，是名辟支佛。」
樂獨善寂
深知諸法因緣
是名辟支佛乘
因為他是這樣樂獨，自己很喜愛的就是，這種很清淨的地方，他知道，知道諸法，來自於種種的因緣，因為他的心很清淨、他的心很寂靜，所以他去體會這個法，應該萬法都有因緣，聲聞只是能夠到，苦、集、滅、道，知道身體是四大和合。
瞭解這個「四諦」道理。但是獨覺，他自己用心去體會：到底人是四大和合，到底是什麼因緣，在這個人間，各種的生活、起心動念，人與人之間一切的因緣，為什麼你會生在這樣，這麼文明富有的國界，為什麼我會生在那種，這麼下劣、貧窮、苦難，真的是無知的世界？為什麼我不能讓這樣的父母生？偏偏我的父母就是這樣的人生？這全是眾生各有因緣。所以他很用心在這個因緣法。
因緣，大家知道了，有「十二因緣」——無明緣行，行緣識，識緣名色，名色緣六入……，緣，就一直緣下去，總共有十二，一直到老病死。這種的因緣會合，這樣讓我們的一生，不斷在人間，不斷在造緣，善惡緣、不斷在造善惡業，所以我們人生不斷複製，這樣生生世世，在六道之中，無不都是十二因緣。
十二因緣：
無明緣行 行緣識
識緣名色
名色緣六入
六入緣觸 觸緣受
受緣愛 愛緣取
取緣有 有緣生
生緣老死
緣覺是用心，完全獨覺，很獨善、很清淨，一直到心很了悟，這個「十二因緣法」，所以叫做辟支佛乘。這種獨覺的根機，就是已經「百劫以來」從很久很長時間以來，全都有聽法。
辟支佛者
已曾於
百劫以來聞法
又名緣覺
以觀十二因緣法
成辟支佛道法
所以我們常常說，要多聽，要多薰習。有的人說：「那個怎麼那麼聰明，這樣字拿來一看，這樣一目了然。」「這個人讀前世書啦。」我們常常，以前的老人都是這樣說。
所以，佛法裡面，我們也是很肯定，這種的獨覺就是過去生，千百劫以來都有在聞法，就是生生世世於法精進，就是安住在法的當中。所以，再來人間，觸境，接觸到那個境界，他就能夠覺悟，這也叫做緣覺——緣著這個境界而覺悟。
這真的也是了不起！因為他生生世世都在聽法，他知道，聽法，光靠別人說，我們聽，僅是這樣而已，不夠，就是要身體力行，自己去用心。
緣覺，「非如聲聞欲求速達而已」，不只是這樣而已，他是自力持法的人。自己知道法之後，自己除了獨善其身，他的心修得很清淨，煩惱不入心來，他精進、他穿忍辱鎧，他對他自己內心的魔軍，他已經都降伏了，沒有內心的煩惱再來困擾他。這種叫做緣覺、獨覺、辟支佛，他是用他自己用功，自力持法，這樣身體力行的人。
辟支佛深知志求
非如聲聞
欲求速達而已
而是自力持法行人
從他聞法少
自推義多
故喻如鹿車
所以「從他聞法少」。他們已經千百世來聞法，見到這個境界，一切都是了如指掌。他體會了「真空」的道理，所以一切的煩惱不在他的心裡了，已經一切一切，都沒有一點點的惑，他也不會再去造業。所以，這完全消除了，所以他可以聽法不必聽那麼多。
他「自推義多」。一件道理，他能夠去普遍瞭解，告訴你們一切物質四大和合，不是只說花，不是只說草，其實四大和合，花草樹木以及，我們所坐著的地板、所蓋的屋頂，我們日常走的路等等，所接觸的一切無不都是，「一理通，萬理徹」，四大和合的道理、十二因緣的法，我們全都很瞭解，所以這種已經一切都很清楚。千百劫來，一直薰習、薰習，道香、德香，這種就是從「聞、思、修」來，所以，他能用這分的覺悟，來瞭解一切。這就是譬喻鹿車，鹿的車。
因為羊，牠就是只這樣吃草，一直去了，牠不再回頭來照顧羊群。而若是鹿，牠就是邊吃草，一邊牠會回頭看，這種學法，就是要瞭解前面的境界、過去的道理，這就是如鹿一樣，所以「有迴顧之慈」。
又鹿有迴顧之慈故
優於聲聞
劣於菩薩
是為中乘也
已經開始瞭解道理，與事無爭，與人無爭，與世無爭，這已經非常有慈悲的心，是慈所以「優於聲聞」，比聲聞更高。但是「劣於菩薩」，與菩薩比起來，哇！就不同了，所以他叫做中乘。
又辟支佛
出於無佛世
觀四季境象為緣
而覺
如觀飛花落葉
之外緣
體悟天地
自然法則
而得成道法
稱為獨覺、
辟支佛
辟支佛出生在無佛的時代，「觀四季境象為緣而覺，如觀飛花落葉之外緣」，他只是這樣看到這個境界，秋天已經葉落了，現在已經是秋天了，看境界就知道入秋了，所以「體悟天地自然法則」，光是看到那個境界，就分別出春、夏、秋、冬，這就是他的境界，如這樣叫做獨覺，也叫做辟支佛。
「如彼諸子，為求鹿車，出於火宅。」就是像這樣，他獨善獨善「樂獨善寂，深知諸法因緣」，這類的人，叫做辟支佛。「如彼諸子，為求鹿車，出於火宅。」這就是修行的過程。
樂獨善寂
深知諸法因緣
是名辟支佛乘
如彼諸子
為求鹿車
出於火宅
各位，學佛都有層次。佛陀時代的聲聞，是依佛的聲音，來瞭解法的道理，他聽，總是根機不整齊。有的聽了，瞭解佛在說的法；有的聽了，好像知道，又好像不知道，聽了之後，法要住在心裡很難，因為都是有漏──聽很快就忘記了，聽法之後，還是行為與這個法，會兩相背。真正聽法，有法入心，行如法的人不很多。所以，不精進，自然智慧那面鏡子就模糊了，鏡面模糊了，於那個境界，種種的法就不清楚。
所以，修行必定要安住於法，這個慧，要啟發我們自己的慧，培養啫慈心，這個慧力安住在法中，來利益眾生。要走入人群中，一定要用忍，我們才不會被外面傷害到，不會被自己的煩惱來傷害。所以我們要時時多用心。
[註]《四十二章經》佛言：「人為道，譬如一人與萬人戰，被甲、操兵、出門欲戰，意怯膽弱乃自退走，或半道還，或格鬪而死，或得大勝還國高遷。夫人能牢持其心，精銳進行，不惑于流俗狂愚之言者，欲滅惡盡，必得道矣。」
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Solitary Realizers’ Deep Understanding of the Interdependent Arising of All Phenomena (獨覺深知諸法因緣)
Date:July.06. 2015
“A mind of wisdom abides in the Dharma, benefits all life and exercises patience. With earnestness and diligence, our armor of patience will be firm and solid. Mirror wisdom can reflect and extinguish deluded karma. That which help us be decisive about conditions is called discerning wisdom.”
We must understand wisdom, which also includes impartial wisdom. Learning the Dharma and practicing it is all about cultivating loving-kindness. To do so, our minds must abide in impartial wisdom. With the great wisdom and great loving-kindness, we can abide in the Dharma. This is how we can benefit sentient beings.
However, we also need to exercise patience because sentient beings are unyielding and difficult to train. With the Buddha’s loving-kindness and wisdom, He could benefit sentient beings, but He also had to exercise His patience.
Patience requires earnestness and diligence. “With earnestness and diligence, [His] armor of patience will be firm and solid.” The Sutra of 42 Sections also says that spiritual practitioners go among the people, and though we put our hearts into helping them, they will exhibit various habitual tendencies. To deal with people’s stubbornness and negative habitual tendencies, we must put on something like armor so that we will not be injured by them.
As for dealing with ourselves, our afflictions and ignorance are like an army of maras which endlessly appear in our minds. Therefore, we need to have the courage to subdue this army. This requires us to practice with “earnestness and diligence.”
We need to be diligent, which is like armor that offers protection, to earnestly protect ourselves from afflictions and ignorance in our surroundings and the ignorance and unwholesome thoughts that arise in our own minds. Spiritual practitioners need to pay careful attention to these things. If we are able to do that, “Mirror wisdom can reflect and extinguish deluded karma.”
Before, we spoke of a mind of impartial wisdom, and now it is a mirror of discerning wisdom. We all have this mirror in our minds. With that “earnestness and diligence” mentioned, we have already wiped this mirror clean. Cleaning the mirror of our minds will naturally reveal this mirror’s essence, which is bright and clear and can reflect its external conditions. If we can see clearly, we can discern things, so that we will not commit any wrongdoings, and we will not say anything that is false.
When we are very clear about what we do and about we say, we can “extinguish deluded karma.” Wisdom includes both impartial wisdom and discerning wisdom. When we can discern various conditions, we can clearly distinguish between right and wrong. By exercising our impartial wisdom, we can demonstrate our mission of benefiting sentient beings. We will be very decisive and certain. When something is right, we will just do it. If we can achieve this in our spiritual practice, we will not be afraid of making any mistakes as we engage in spiritual cultivation.
With great loving-kindness and great wisdom, we can abide in the Dharma and diligently cultivate our body and mind to eliminate various kinds of afflictions. Then the mirror of wisdom will naturally manifest. Therefore, everyone needs to be mindful and make this effort.
The previous sutra passage states, “Sariputra, if sentient beings who have inherent wisdom hear the Dharma from the World-Honored One, faithfully accept it, attentively and diligently practice and want to quickly escape the Three Realms, seeking Nirvana for themselves, they are following the Hearer Vehicle. They are like those children who left the burning house to seek the sheep-cart.” The following sutra passage states, “If sentient beings who have inherent wisdom hear the Dharma from the World-Honored One, faithfully accept it, attentively and diligently practice, seek natural wisdom, take joy in solitude and tranquility and deeply understand the interdependent arising of all phenomena, they are following the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle. They are like those children who left the burning house of seek the deer-cart.”
The first group left the burning house to seek the sheep-cart.This group left the burning house to seek the deer-cart.
In the prior text, Hearers sought the sheep-carts.
Here it discusses Pratyekabuddhas, also known as Solitary Realizers.
They are born in an era when there is no Buddha, but have planted roots of goodness in past lives.
Hearers seek the sheep-cart.That is why they attentively and diligently practice.Now we are discussing Pratyekabuddhas.Pratyekabuddhas are also called Solitary Realizers.Practitioners called Partyekabuddhas are also called Solitary Realizers.
Solitary Realizers and Pratyekabuddhas describe the same kind of spiritual practitioner.
“They are born in an era when there is no Buddha.”
Pratyekabuddhas, or Solitary Realizers, are not necessarily born in the era of a Buddha.They may be born in an era when there is no Buddha so they have to rely on the roots of goodness they planted in their past lives.
Perhaps in a past life they lived in the same era as a Buddha.Perhaps they have engaged in spiritual practice for many lifetimes, so when they return to the world this time, they still have those roots of goodness.Even if born when there is no Buddha, they are able to realize on their own that all things in the world follow the principles of formation, existence, decay and disappearance.So, they seek to learn more.They “seek natural wisdom”.
[They] seek natural wisdom:
They seek solitary realization for themselves.Only benefiting and protecting themselves, they do not seek the collective good.They observe the changes in material objects and awaked to the truth of non-arising.
Because Solitary Realizers have realized the impermanence of the world, they want to find ways to enhance their understanding of the principle of the impermanence of all things in the world.Therefore, “They seek solitary realization for themselves, only benefiting and protecting themselves. Only benefiting and protecting themselves” means that in their spiritual cultivation, they only seek to awaken themselves and “do not seek the collective good.”
The only seek understanding for themselves, and do not care whether others understand.
So, Solitary Realizers only care about benefiting and protecting themselves.“They do not seek the collective good.”
As Bodhisattvas, we must do more than this.
Whenever we learn something beneficial, we must earnestly practice it and then share it with others.
This is what Bodhisattvas do.
However, Pratyekabuddhas “do not seek the collective good. They observe the changes in material objects and awaken to the truth of non-arising.”They have this ability; they can perceive the world around them and mindfully and carefully contemplate it.They are cautious and meticulous in their thinking.So they can realize, by observing tangible things, that all things are ultimately empty in nature.
They “awaken to the truth of non-arising”; this emptiness is non-arising.Their disposition is to focus on “learning”.They need a quiet place in order to learn.They do not like crowded, lively places.“They do not enjoy bustle and noise.”They do not like being in a crowd, so they “seek and study on their own and have no aspirations to benefit others.”
They seek the Dharma by themselves to figure out the principles behind the working of thing and behind the human cycle of birth and death.They seek to learn and practice on their own without any desire to benefit sentient beings.
So, they “take joy in solitude and tranquility and deeply understand interdependent arising. [They] are following the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.”
Because they take joy in solitude, they like places that are tranquil.They understand that all phenomena arise from causes and conditions.Because their hearts are pure and their minds are tranquil, they are able to understand this Dharma, that all things arise interdependently.
Hearers only reach the state of understanding suffering, causation, cessation and the Path.They know the body is composed of the four elements, and they understand the Four Noble Truths.
But Solitary Realizers mindfully realize that even though the human body is a union of the four elements, there must be causes and conditions behind the life they lead and the thoughts they have in this world. There are causes and conditions behind all the relationships in their lives. Why is one person born in a nation that is highly developed and wealthy while another person is born into a very poor and harsh place of much ignorance?
“Why couldn’t I have been born to those parents, and was instead born into this kind of life?” this is all due to causes and conditions. Pratyekabuddhas mindfully learn the interdependent arising of all phenomena. As for causes and conditions, everyone knows the. Twelve Links of interdependent. Arising ignorance gives rise to volitional formation, volitional formation to consciousness, consciousness to name and form, name and form to the six entrances, and so on. There are a total of 12 links. They end with aging, illness and death. The convergence of these causes and conditions brings us into this life. Then in this world we endlessly create positive and negative conditions and good and bad karma. In our lives we never stop reproducing these so life after life, we remain in the Six Realms. All this is due to the Twelve Links.
“The Twelve Links of interdependent Arising: Ignorance gives rise to volitional formation, volitional formation to consciousness, consciousness to name and form, name and form to the six entrances, six entrances to contact, contact to sensation, sensation to craving, craving to grasping, grasping to becoming, becoming to birth, birth to aging and death.”
Solitary Realizers seek realizations by themselves. They seek their own awakening and purity so that they can attain a deep realization of the Twelve Links of Interdependent Arising. This is the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle. When it comes to the capacities of Solitary Realizers, for hundreds of kalpas already, for a very long period of time, they have been listening to the Dharma.
“Pratyekabuddhas have all gone through hundreds of kalpas of listening to the Dharma. They are also called Solitary Realizers. They contemplate the Twelve Links on the path to becoming Pratyekabuddhas.
We constantly say that we need to listen more to teachings and let them permeate us. Some people wonder, “How can that person be so smart? Once he reads those words, he completely understands them. Oh, that person was well-read in a previous life”. We used to hear this answer often as an explanation. Within the Buddhist teachings, we also recognize that Solitary Realizers must have spent many kalpas in their past lives listening to the teachings. Life after life they diligently practiced and also abided in the Dharma. So, when they return to the world and connect with external conditions, they are able to attain realizations. Thus they are also called Realizers of Conditions, they awaken by connecting to external conditions. These practitioners are truly exceptional because they have been listening to the Dharma for many lifetimes. They understand that just listening to the Dharma, just relying on what other people said, is not enough. They have to put it into practice and be mindful.
So, Solitary Realizers are unlike Hearers, who only seek to quickly understand. That is not all they do. These practitioners rely on their own strength to uphold the Dharma. After understanding the Dharma, aside from practicing to benefit themselves, they also cultivate purity in their minds. Afflictions cannot penetrate their minds because they diligently practice and wear the armor of patience. They have already subdued the army of mara’s in their minds, so they are not troubled by their afflictions. These people are called Realizers of Conditions, Solitary Realizers or Pratyekabuddhas.
They rely on their own efforts to uphold the Dharma. They are people who put the Dharma into practice.
“Pratyekabudhas have a deep understanding and resolve to seek the truth. They are unlike Hearers, who only seek to quickly understand. These practitioners rely on their own strength to uphold the Dharma. They rarely listen to others’ teachings and mostly deduce the meaning themselves. They are likened to [those who seek] the deer-cart”.
“They rarely listen to others’ teachings. They have listened to the teachings for hundreds, if not thousands, of lifetimes. Upon seeing external conditions, they understand everything very clearly. Since they understand true emptiness, there are no afflictions in their minds. They have gradually eliminated their delusions, so they will not create more karma. Because these have been completely eliminated, they do not have to listen to that many teachings. They can “deduce the meanings themselves”. From one principle, they can understand everything. When I say that all material things exist because of the convergence of the four elements, I am not just talking about flowers and grasses. The union of the four elements brings about flowers, grasses, trees, the floor we are sitting on, the roof above our heads and the roads we are walking every day. This is true for everything we come in contact with “By grasping one truth, we understand all truths. We have fully understood the workings of the four elements and the Twelve Links of Interdependent Arising.
So, Pratyekabuddhas have a clear understanding of all of this. For hundreds and thousands of kalpas, they have been learning and have been permeated by the Path and by virtues. This comes from listening, contemplating and practicing. Thus they are able to awaken and understand everything.
This is analogous to the deer-cart. Sheep only focus on eating grass and going their own way. They do not look back to take care of other sheep. As for deer, as they eat the grass, they turn their heads to look around. This way of learning Dharma is about understanding the conditions before them and the past principles [that led to the present]. So, they are like deer. Therefore, we say, “They have the loving-kindness [of deer].”
They have the loving-kindness of deer who turns their [to look after the others]. They are more advanced than Hearers, but not yet at the level of Bodhisattvas. Thus they are considered the Middle Vehicle.
They have begun to understand the principles, so they have no conflicts over matters, with people or with the world. They have great loving-kindness and compassion. Therefore, “They are more advanced than Hearers.” They are at a more advanced stage. However, “They are not yet at the level Bodhisattvas.” Compared to Bodhisattvas, they are still very different. Therefore, they are Middle Vehicle practitioners.
Pratyekabuddhas are born in an era when there is no Buddha. “They observe the changes of seasons, the conditions that lead to their realization.” They observe condition like floating flower petals and falling leaves.”
All they need to do is see these conditions. In the autumn, the leaves have fallen. Just by looking at our surroundings, we can already tell it is autumn. By observing this, “They awaken to the natural laws of heaven and earth.”
Just from observing our conditions, we can tell whether it is spring, summer, autumn or winter. This is the level they have attained.People like that are Solitary Realizers, also known as Pratyekabuddhas. “They are like those children who left burning house to seek the deer-cart.”
In this way, they only seek to awaken themselves. They “take joy in solitude and tranquility, and deeply understand the interdependent arising of all phenomena.” These people are Pratyekabuddhas. “They are like those children who left the burning house to seek the deer-cart.”
This is their process of spiritual practice. Everyone, there is a sequence to learning the Buddha’s Way. The Hearers who lived in the Buddha’s lifetime relied on the Buddha’s spoken teachings to understand the principles of the Dharma. The listeners had varying capabilities. Some listened to and understood the Dharma. Some listened and seemed to understand, but also seemed not to understand. After listening to the Dharma, it is very hard to retain it, because we have Leaks. We hear it, then forget it very quickly. After listening to the Dharma, our behavior may still contradict the Dharma. People who can truly listen to the Dharma, take it to heart and practice according to it are very few in number.
Without diligent practice, the mirror of their wisdom would not be clear. If that mirror is blurry, the various teachings would not be clear to them. So, when we engage in spiritual practice, we must abide in the Dharma. We must awaken our wisdom and cultivate loving-kindness. With the power of wisdom, we abide in the Dharma and benefit sentient beings.
In order to go among people, we need patience so we with not be harmed by external conditions or by our own afflictions. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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