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Tuesday, October 27, 2015

【靜思妙蓮華】20150925 - 福慧眾寶莊校嚴飾 - 第661集 Adorned by Treasures of Blessings and Wisdom



20150925《靜思妙蓮華》福慧眾寶莊校嚴飾(第661集)
(法華經•譬喻品第三)

⊙「得法入心妙無窮,智慧法藏富無量,善緣法種勤耕耘,因核果海法莊嚴。」
⊙「長者大富,庫藏眾多,金銀琉璃,硨磲碼瑙,以眾寶物,造諸大車,莊校嚴飾。」《法華經譬喻品第三》
⊙長者是能證之佛,大富庫藏眾多等,是所證之法,如恆沙功德。從因至果所及累累無窮,故云:長者大富。
⊙庫藏眾多儲,喻六根等具一切法。及地下盛物曰藏,喻諸行具一切法。
⊙四諦六度等具一切法,喻修如富屋,內藏無量寶。
⊙其實一一法中,具一切行及一切法;一一行中,具一切法及一切行。故名庫藏眾多而大富也。
⊙明車體。金銀琉璃硨磲碼瑙四寶,喻一真法界。言事事物物,一微一塵盡足為一真法界,融攝一切萬法。
⊙眾寶兼攝萬德。性具諸法,總名為寶。從性起修,名之為造諸大車。
⊙子多行多,車則隨多,名之為諸。一一車體,無不高廣,名之為大。又須示方知,起修名造,即車之體也。
⊙莊校嚴飾,即長行所言眾寶莊校,這是總說莊嚴,種智具有福慧二嚴。

【證嚴上人開示】

「得法入心妙無窮,智慧法藏富無量,善緣法種勤耕耘,因核果海法莊嚴。」

得法入心妙無窮
智慧法藏富無量
善緣法種勤耕耘
因核果海法莊嚴

我們每天都沐浴在這法流之中,每天看到法,感受到法,法能夠入心,那種妙的境界,不知我們大家有沒有體會到?平時人對人、事對事,世間的人事,總是紛紛擾擾,若能夠心靜下來,一一詳細思量它,根本這就是這麼簡單的事情啊!若想到「簡單」,心就沒有掛礙,沒有煩惱了。這就是要法入心。

有時候,再好好地想:是啊,人生為什麼這麼複雜?因核果海啊!無量劫以前,無數生世以前,我們就是結這樣的緣,造這樣的因,所以就會變成了,人間事物的複雜。這也是要心再會法,才有辦法解開心的煩惱。這只能說可以言宣,但是無法體會,也必定我們要身體力行,才體會得到。

所以「得法入心妙無窮」。自己身體力行,那種的歡喜、輕安自在,這是別人沒有做體會不到,我們再怎麼說,他還是體會不到。唯有他聽我們的話,我們將他帶進來一起做,這樣,體會到付出,接觸之後的歡喜,所以「妙無窮」。


這是要智慧,「智慧法藏富無量」。我們學法,法入心,才能夠智慧,同樣是人,因為習氣不同,所以人間就有,是非、人我的分別。這個是非,我們若又分不清,我們無法分別是非,所造作的,那就是惑與業。


是啊!我這樣付出,怎麼沒受到人家讚歎呢?我們是非清楚的人,我們就會知道,這是一個修行的道場,我們的付出,在結善緣、造福業,有這個因緣,讓我結善緣,有這個因緣,讓我造福業,我憑什麼要人家,來向我誇獎、讚歎呢?不用啦,本分事,時時感恩,這是我的道場。這就是有智的人。

吃虧就像吃補,滋養我們的慧命,付出就是我們的道場。這就是真實智的人,這就是智慧。


因為我們的生命與天地眾生,是同為一體,所以慧叫做平等慧,不分別人種,不分別國界,不分別生命的種類,總是開闊的心胸,天地為一體,這叫做慈悲等觀。所以,智是分別智,慧是平等慧,就是與大地眾生同為一體,回歸我們真如法藏,自己我們的這個內心,真如法就是藏在平等慧之中。若能夠這樣,就是「富無量」。

我們若知足,人人都很富有。我們最近一直在說南非、南非,因為他們能夠去付出,因為他們願意付出,這個心的財富滿滿,這種「智慧法藏富無量」。

我們的眼睛看,他們住得那麼破爛,那麼小的房子,他們怎麼快樂得起來?因為他們的心,心門已經打開了。佛陀的法,就是要啟開眾生的心門,讓我們了解,其實人生什麼都是因緣假合。

這些非洲的菩薩,本來就是樣樣都「空」,所以這時候接觸到,「我能夠付出,我樣樣都『有』了。」這種,來時是空空,付出,將這個東西,付出給別人,別人已經有了,我自己輕安。像這樣的心情,真的是很奧妙。這個「得法入心妙無窮」,他們已經心打開了,法得入心了,所以「妙無窮」。

「善緣法種勤耕耘」。這就是與佛有緣,聽聞到佛法,他們歡喜,身體力行,將愛,真誠的愛,去耕耘他們的心地。將那心地耕耘起來,因緣成熟,為它播下種子,結上了善緣。

所以說,「因核果海法莊嚴」。「因」是一顆種子。這個種子,有時候,那個真正的基因,種子裡面那個「因」,因種,實在是很微細,只要因緣會合,有土地,有水,有陽光,有空氣,這樣,這顆種子變成了大樹,大樹結果纍纍。這只要有一個人肯發心,就能有很多很多的善因緣,去付出,就能得到無量的善果報。這實在是光想到就歡喜了,真的是「得法入心妙無窮」。啟發人人的智慧,讓人人能夠回歸真如法性來,這更加歡喜。

所以,像前面的(經)文,我們一直在說,長者為了那些孩子,門外設三車,誘引他們出來了。出來了,父親能安心坐下來了。孩子平安出來,還要向父親討說:「您要給我的車子是在哪裡?」那位父親希望給孩子,所愛的是大型車,有大量的財寶,趕緊來拿去。這就是法藏,妙法藏。

下面這段(經)文再說,「長者大富,庫藏眾多」,真的庫藏很多,因為長者大富,庫藏很多,所以「金銀琉璃,硨磲碼瑙,以眾寶物,造諸大車,莊校嚴飾。」

長者大富
庫藏眾多
金銀琉璃
硨磲碼瑙
以眾寶物
造諸大車
莊校嚴飾
《法華經譬喻品第三》

就是這位長者他的大富,所以說,長者就是能證之佛。

長者是能證之佛
大富庫藏眾多等
是所證之法
如恆沙功德
從因至果所及
累累無窮
故云:長者大富


現在說長者就是佛,那個「大富庫藏眾多」,那就是佛所證的法,如恆沙功德一樣。這宇宙間萬物,無不都是收攝在,佛陀的智慧大海中,所以這就是財富,「庫藏無量」,那個「多」,很多、很多,多到像恆河沙。

所化「如恆沙功德」。功德就是有修有得,這才叫做功德,他有下功夫,他的心有體會到。所說的「得」,不是我們世間人說得名、得利,不是,所得的是他接觸到,在內心那個法喜,無處不在,無法不知,這種的「得」,這叫做功德。你有用功,你才有那麼多的心得,「得者,德也」。

所以「從因至果所及累累無窮」,這就是功德。他下功夫,「從因至果」,生生世世,累累生生,他無不都是為法在探討,身體力行去接觸,生生世世,所以說,一直就是在,結善緣、造福業,累生累世所結出來的果,所以「累累無窮」。「故云:長者大富」,他的大富,那就是法無窮盡。所以說「庫藏眾多」,那就是累積,就像倉儲。

庫藏眾多儲
喻六根等
具一切法
及地下盛物曰藏
喻諸行具一切法

這個倉儲,就譬喻,「六根等具一切法」。六根、六塵、六識,我們的眼、耳、鼻、舌、身,與外面色、聲、香、味、觸,我們會合。修行者的接觸,就是利益人群;而若凡夫,六根與六塵的接觸,就是起貪念。

所以說起來,庫藏是在哪裡呢?在我們的六根塵裡面。同時,做了之後,回歸進來是識,在我們的第六識、第八識,六、七、八,我們所做了之後的結果,就是回歸在這個地方。但是,覺者,不只在這個第八識,他還有第九識,第九識,那就是真如本性。佛陀他累生世,就是用功、用功。

這個識他過濾之後,完全沒有煩惱,一切、一切都是很乾淨,淨如琉璃,所以就是第九識,這是我們凡夫還體會不到的,但是藏在第八識裡。因為第八識,還有與煩惱無明混合其中,所以我們應該要再用功了。

所以「六根等具一切法」,有惡法,有善法。再者,不只是藏在倉庫,甚至埋在地下。地下,埋在地下,叫做「藏」。放在倉庫,那叫做「庫」;「藏」,埋在地下,你們看,水晶、金、銀,很多東西都是在礦裡面,所以,寶物不離開天下大地,全都有含藏著。這是佛已經體會之後的智慧,不一定是倉庫藏的,已經天地之間,藏著這種智慧妙法,沒有一樣不知。

譬喻「諸行具一切法」。看我們如何做,那就是我們要做,開口動舌,舉步動足,無不是善惡的業。我們所造作的,而我們若能夠惡業都不做,都是為善,這就是善因果報。

所以「四諦六度」。我們還是不離開「四諦六度」

四諦六度等
具一切法
喻修如富屋
內藏無量寶

我們知道人間是「苦」,所以在這個「集」當中,我們能夠「滅」除了集,集來的苦因,我們將它滅除,我們就是要修行於「道」。這個修行,要如何修呢?就是六度。六種的方法,讓我們能夠修行於道,讓我們能夠滅除煩惱,讓我們能夠知道這一切的苦因。


所以「具一切法」。我們這個庫藏,就是在我們的內心,我們身體力行都是具一切法。譬喻「修如富屋」。人家說「富潤屋,德潤身。」我們要如何讓這間房子,這樣非常莊嚴,讓那個庫藏裡面都是無量的寶,不要去隱藏著危險的,或是不好的東西?修行善法,那個庫藏完全是珍寶。所以「其實一一法中,具一切行及一切法」。

其實一一法中
具一切行及一切法
一一行中
具一切法及一切行
故名庫藏
眾多而大富也

每一個法,其中又有具無量的法。光是一個布施,你就能說很多很多的布施。大概說起來,財施、法施、無畏施。財施,就能說很多。

所以說一一法中,又再包含很多的法,一一行中也是同樣具一切法。我們舉手動足,開口動舌,起心動念等等,這樣有這分的善念,那就要有付出的善行。所以這種具一切法及一切行,所以叫做「庫藏眾多」。你若沒有造作,這個倉庫還是空的。儘管倉庫蓋好了,你若不去行,有心無行,沒有東西可放,所以我們還是要身體力行。

「金銀琉璃,硨磲碼瑙」。這就是表示這輛車的車體,用寶物,用四種的寶物,來打造這輛車。這輛車的車體,金銀、琉璃、硨磲、碼瑙,就是四樣寶,就是譬喻「一真法界」。

明車體
金銀琉璃
硨磲碼瑙四寶
喻一真法界
言事事物物
一微一塵
盡足為一真法界
融攝一切萬法

什麼叫做「一真法界」?簡單說來,就是事事物物都在一真法界之中,或者一微一塵,非常微細的塵,就是沙塵,裡面還是一樣,就是「盡足為一真法界」,都容納在這萬法之中。

不是也曾聽過,一沙一世界,一葉一如來。一塵一世界啊!我們要知道,裡面所包含的是多少的法。光是一粒沙塵,你拿去顯微鏡看一看,那粒沙塵在顯微鏡,就能分析這粒沙塵之中,它含藏著是什麼樣的金屬?含藏著什麼樣的物質在其中?所以說起來,一沙也是一世界,這無窮盡,無窮盡的法,法界。所以因為這樣,叫做所有都容納在這萬法之中,萬法就是「一真法界」,所有所有歸納在這一真法界。所以這全都是寶物。「眾寶兼攝萬德,性具諸法」。

眾寶兼攝萬德
性具諸法
總名為寶
從性起修
名之為造諸大車

這很多的寶藏,就是譬喻這麼多的寶,那種微細到,像一微一塵這麼的微細,無不都是含攝在一起,都包在一起,這萬德莊嚴,真的是這個法的莊嚴,「從性起修」,開始我們要修行了,所以「名之為造諸大車」,要從我們的內心,真正要發露出來。

所以,這些孩子多了,他就要造很多,因為這麼多眾生,他就要用很多的法。

子多行多
車則隨多
名之為諸
一一車體
無不高廣
名之為大
又須示方知
起修名造
即車之體也

所以「一一車體」,一一的車體,無不都是高廣,這個車體愈來愈大,愈來愈要讓他們知道,裡面的寶物有多少,這就是「莊校嚴飾」。這就是在長行文中所說的「眾寶莊校」。這是「總說莊嚴」,種智、一切種智,全都包含在福慧二項莊嚴。

莊校嚴飾
即長行所言
眾寶莊校
這是總說莊嚴
種智具有
福慧二嚴

所以,各位菩薩,學佛,聽法一定要入心,我們若能夠法入心,真的那個境界是微妙無窮。所以我們人人時時要多用心。

Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Adorned by Treasures of Blessings and Wisdom (福慧眾寶莊校嚴飾)
Date:September.25. 2015

“When we take the Dharma to heart, the wondrous are limitless. With the wisdom of our Dharma-treasury, our wealth is infinite. We must diligently cultivate the seeds of Dharma and good karmic connections. A seed leads to an ocean of fruits, and the Dharma is magnificently adorned.”

Every day we are bathing in this stream of Dharma. Every day we can see and experience the Dharma. When we can take the Dharma to heart, we are able to be in a wondrous state. Have all of you experienced this? Normally, conflicts arise with people and matters, so dealing with them can become very troublesome. If we can calm our minds, think carefully and examine complicated matters meticulously, they actually turn out to be quite simple!
If we keep things simple, our minds will be free of hindrances and afflictions. To do this, we must take the Dharma to heart.
Sometimes, in thorough contemplation, [we may wonder,] “Indeed! Why is life so complicated?” Because a seed results in an ocean of fruits. Infinite kalpas and countless lifetimes ago, we formed these karmic conditions and created these karmic causes. As a result, matters and things in the world have become very complicated. So, we must understand the Dharma in order to resolve our afflictions. This is something we can talk about, yet we may not be able to experience it yet. We must put the teachings into practice in order to experience them.
So, “When we take the Dharma to heart, the wondrous are limitless.” The happiness, peace and freedom that comes from putting teachings into practice is not something other people can experience without actually doing it themselves. No matter how we describe it, they still cannot experience it. Only if they listen to what we say and we then bring them to volunteer with us will they realize the joy that comes from giving and coming into contact with others.
So, “The wondrous are limitless.” This requires wisdom. “With the wisdom of our Dharma-treasury, our wealth is infinite.” Only by learning the Dharma and taking it to heart can we develop wisdom. We are all human but because our habitual tendencies differ, in this world we form discriminations that bring interpersonal conflicts. If we cannot clearly distinguish right from wrong, if we are unable to make this discernment, we will give rise to delusions and karma.
“That’s right! With everything I’ve done, why aren’t people praising me?” If we can clearly discern right from wrong, we will understand that this is where we engage in spiritual practice. By giving of ourselves, we are creating good affinities and good karma. We have the conditions to form good affinities, we have the conditions to create good karma; so why would we expect people to praise and admire us? That is unnecessary! If we think of [giving] as our duty, we will always feel grateful for having this place for spiritual practice. This is how people with wisdom think.
They take negative circumstances like a supplement to nourish their wisdom-life and take giving as their place for spiritual practice. Such people have true wisdom. With their wisdom, they realize that our lives and those of all beings are interconnected. This wisdom is called impartial wisdom. With it, we do not discriminate between ethnicities, nationalities or different kinds of life. If our minds are always open and accepting, we see all things as one. Thus, we will have equal compassion for all.
So, we have discerning wisdom and impartial wisdom, thus we realize that we are one with the world and all living beings and have returned to the Dharma-treasury of True Suchness within us. The Dharma of True Suchness can be found within impartial wisdom. If we have this, “Our wealth is infinite.” If we are content, we will all feel very wealthy.
Recently we have said a lot about South Africa.
Because they are able and willing to benefit and give to others, their hearts are brimming with spiritual wealth.
“With the wisdom of [their] Dharma-treasury, [their] wealth is infinite.”When we see that they live in such dilapidated and tiny houses, [we may wonder,].
“How can they be so happy?”
It is because they have already opened up their minds.
The teachings of the Buddha are for opening the door to sentient beings’ minds and helping us understand that everything in life is in fact a temporary union.These African Bodhisattvas had originally only experienced material “emptiness”.But now they have discovered, “I am able to benefit others. I already have everything that ‘exists’”
When they met us, they felt they had nothing.Then they began to give of themselves to help other people, so those people had what they needed, and the volunteers themselves felt at peace.This kind of feeling is truly wondrously profound.“When we take the Dharma to heart, the wonders are infinite.”
They have already opened up their minds and taken the Dharma to heart, so “The wonders are infinite.”So, “[They] must diligently cultivate the seed of Dharma and good karmic connections.”Because of their affinities with the Buddha, when they hear the Dharma, they feel very happy.When they put the teachings into practice, with sincere and genuine love, they cultivate the fields of their minds.After cultivating the fields of their minds, when causes and conditions mature, they can sew seeds on that field; thus they create good affinities.
“A seed leads to an ocean of fruits, and the Dharma is magnificently adorned. ”
A “cause” is like a seed.Sometimes, with a seed, the actual genes inside of it are the “causes”; they are in fact very tiny and hard to detect.When causes and conditions come together, when there is earth, water, sunlight and air, that seed will grow into a large tree.
That tree will produce many fruits.All it takes is one person to form aspirations, and many people can have the opportunities to give to others and attain countless positive karmic retributions.Just thinking about it brings me joy.
Indeed, “When we take the Dharma to heart, the wonders are limitless.”This can awaken everyone’s wisdom and help them return to their pure nature.This brings me even more joy.This is like the previous passage.We have been talking about how the elder, for the sake of the children, set up three kinds of carts outside the door to entice them to come out,Once they were outside, the fatter was relieved and able to sit down.
After the children were in a safe place, they asked their father, “Where are the carts that you promised us?”Of course, the father hoped the children would choose the big cart.He had a large quantity of valuable treasures, and he hoped they would quickly take them.This is the Dharma-treasury, the stored of wondrous Dharma.

The next passage states, “The elder had great wealth, and his storehouse was filled.”There was truly so much in the storehouse.Because the elder had great wealth, it was full.
There was “gold and silver, crystal, mother-of pearl and carnelian. With these many precious objects he created these great carts, which were magnificently adorned.”

This was the great wealth of the elder.So, it is said that the elder is a realized Buddha.

The elder is the Buddha who attained realizations, and the storehouse filled with wealth of all kinds is all t he Dharma that He had realized.
His merits and virtues are as numerous as the Ganges’ sand.From the cause to the effect, He has accumulated them boundlessly.Thus it is said that the elder had great wealth.

This part explains that the elder is the Buddha, and “His storehouse filled with wealth” was the Dharma realized by the Buddha as numerous as the Ganges’ sand.
[The truths of] all the things in the universe were encompassed within the Buddha’s ocean of wisdom.
This was His great wealth.
“The storehouse was infinite.”It was filled with [treasures] as numerous as the Ganges’ sands.So, “His merits and virtues are as numerous as the Ganges’ sands.”
Merit and virtue are attained through practice; that is the only way.He had put in so much hard work to attain these realizations.The “attainment” spoken of here is not the worldly attainment of wealth and fame.No.
What He had attained was the Dharma-joy in His heart that He experienced.[His mind] can be everywhere, know everything.This is the attainment of merits and virtues.
Only through great effort can we attain so many experiences and realizations.“The virtuous attain.”So, “From the cause to the effect,He has accumulated them boundlessly”. These are merits and virtues.
[The Buddha’s] hard work took Him “from the cause to the effect”. In lifetime after lifetime, His sole purpose was to investigate the Dharma, put it into practice and experience it. In this way, He always formed positive affinities and create good karma. These efforts bore fruit over many lifetimes. So, “He has accumulated them boundlessly. Thus it says the elder had great wealth”.
His great wealth was the limitless Dharma, thus it said, “His storehouse was filled”. He had accumulated this like filling”. He had accumulated this like filling a storehouse.

The reserves contained within the storehouse are an analogy for how the Six Roots are replete with all Dharma. Then the treasure that is kept underground is an analogy for how all actions are replete with all Dharma. This storehouse is an analogy for how “The Six Roots are replete with all Dharma.

The Six Consciousnesses [arise] when the Six Roots, eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body, and the Six Dusts, form, sound, smell, taste and touch, converge with each other. For spiritual practitioners, this contact allows them to benefit everyone. But for the ordinary person, when their Six Roots connects with the Six Dusts, greed arises. So, in the end, where is the storehouse? In the interaction of the Six Roots and Six Dusts. At the same time, after we take action, and the results come back, that is consciousness, our sixth, seventh and eighth consciousness. The consequences of our action come back to these states. However, an enlightened being does not stop with the eight consciousness; he can access the ninth consciousness as well. The ninth consciousness is the nature of True Suchness.
The Buddha, through lifetimes of hard work, was able to filter His consciousness so that it was completely free of afflictions; everything in it was clean, as pure as crystal. So, it became the ninth consciousness. This is what we ordinary people are still unable to experience, though it is stored in the eighth consciousness, because the eighth consciousness still contains a mix of afflictions and ignorance. So, we must continue to work very hard.
“The Six Roots are replete with all Dharma”, with both wholesome and unwholesome teachings. Moreover, not only are things stored in the storehouse, some things are even buried underground. Things buried underground are concealed. Things kept in the warehouse are stored. Concealed means buried within the earth. You see, crystal, gold, silver, etc., are found within ores underground. So, treasures can be found everywhere; the earth contain them all. These treasures are like the wisdom realized by the Buddha, which is not just kept in a storehouse. Throughout the universe, this wondrous Dharma is everywhere. There is nothing He does not know.
“All actions are replete with the Dharma”. This depends on what we do, so we need to take action. Every time we open our mouths or move our bodies we create either good or bad karma. If we completely refrain from creating bad karma in all that we do and only do what is good, then we will receive positive karmic retributions. So, it comes back to “the Four Nobble Truths and the Six Perfections”. Our live are inseparable from “The Four Noble Truths and the Six Perfections”

The Four Noble Truths and Six Perfections, etc., are replete with all Dharma. This is an analogy for how our spiritual practice is like a house of wealth that contains infinite treasures inside.

We know that life is “suffering”, so we must be engaged in creating “causation”. Thus, we can bring those causes to “cessation”; we can eliminate the accumulation of the causes of suffering. Therefore, we must practice “the Path”. How do we engage in this spiritual practice? Through the Six Perfections, six methods which help us practice the Path, eliminate afflictions and understand the causes of all suffering. So, [our actions are] “replete with all Dharma”. Our storehouse is in our minds and the actions of our body are replete with all Dharma.
The metaphor is that “Our spiritual practice is like a house of wealth”. It is said that, “Wealth enriches a house as virtue enriches a body”. We must find a way to help this great house become very magnificent and ensure that our storehouse only contains infinite treasures and will not hide anything that is hazardous or unwholesome.
If we practice virtuous Dharma, it will be filled with precious treasures. So, “Actually, each and every teaching is replete with all practices and teachings”.

Actually, each and every teaching is replete with all practices and teachings, and each and every action is replete with all teachings and practices. This is why it is called a storehouse, for it contains so much wealth.

Within every teaching lies infinite teachings. Even if we just talk about giving, we can discuss many different ways to give. Generally speaking there is the giving of wealth, the giving of the Dharma, and the giving of fearlessness. A lot can be just about the giving of wealth. So, it is said that each and every teaching contains many other teachings, and each and every action is likewise replete with all the teachings.In every move we make, every word we speak, every thought we think, etc., if there is goodness in our minds, we will practice good deeds like giving.
Thus our actions are replete with all the teachings and all practices, and the “storehouse is filled.” If we did not create [good] karma, then our storehouse would be empty. Even if we have finished building our storehouse, if we do not practice, even if we have the intention then we have nothing to put in it. Therefore, we still must practice the teachings.
Gold and silver, crystal, mother-of-pearl and carnelian describes the bodies of these carts. These four kinds of treasures are used to construct the bodies of these carts.

Gold and silver, crystal, are four kinds of treasures. This is an analogy for “the one true Dharma-realm.”
What is “the one true Dharma-realm?” to put it simply, every matter and thing exists within the one true Dharma-realm.Moreover, even the most minute of dusts, a tiny speak of sand or dust, is the same inside; each are “complete true Dharma-realms” and contain all things.

Have we nit hears the saying, “The world in each grain of sand, the Tathagata in every leaf?” within each speak of dust is an entire world!We must know that it contains so much Dharma. Though it is a tiny speak of sand, if we put it under the microscope and look at it, we can analyze its composition and determine what kinds of metals it contains, along with the other materials that make it up.
So, we can say that an entire world exists inside that grain of sand. This Dharma-realm-realm is without bounds and limits. Therefore it is said that it contains all things. Absolutely everything is encompassed by the complete true Dharma-realm; it is all contained within the true Dharma-realm. Thus, [the teachings] are treasures. “the many treasures are replete with a multitude of virtues.”

The many treasures are replete with a multitude of virtue. Our natures are replete with all Dharma, which are generally referred to as treasures. Spiritual cultivation begins from our nature. This is what is meant by the creation of these great carts.

The many treasures act as metaphors for precious things. These things are as minuscule as a tiny speak of dust and contain and encompass all things together. The magnificence of the multitude of virtues is truly the magnificence of the Dharma.
“Spiritual cultivation begins from our nature;” thus we can begin our spiritual practice. “This is what is meant by the creation of these great carts.” The Buddha wanted to help reveal this nature inside of us. It was because there were so many children that He had to create so many carts. It was because there were so many sentient beings that He had to use so many teachings.

As there were many children with many practices, there were many carts created for them. This is why it says “these carts.” Each and every cart’s body was tall and wide. This is why it says “these great carts.” He also had to reveal this for them to know it. The beginning of practice is called creating, which is making the body of the cart.

“Each and every cart’s body” was tall and wide. As the carts were physically bigger and bigger, He wanted people to understand more and more that there are many treasures within them.

This is how the carts were “magnificently adorned.” This is expressed in the prose passage, where it states, they were “decorated with all kinds of treasures.” This shows how they “embody magnificence.”All-encompassing wisdom contains the two-fold magnificence of blessings and wisdom.

So, dear Bodhisattvas, as Buddhist practitioners we must listen to the Dharma and take it to heart. If we can take the Dharma to heart, we will indeed be in a state with limitless subtle wonders. So, we should always be mindful.

(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)

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