Issue 275

These are the four questions.
1. When compiling the sutras, what words should each sutra start with to represent the Buddhist Canon?
2. When the Buddha was in the world, his disciples lived with him. After the Buddha enters nirvana, with whom should they live with?
3. When the Buddha was in the world, the Buddha was our teacher. After the Buddha enters nirvana, which venerable one should be our teacher?
4. How should we treat evil natured Bhikshus?

At that time, the Buddha responded as follows.
1. During sutra compilation, start each sutra with these four words — “Thus I have heard”.
2. Dwell in the Four Types of Mindfulness. The Four Types of Mindfulness pertains to the body, feelings, the mind and the Dharma. Contemplate the body as impure; contemplate feelings as suffering, contemplate the mind as impermanent; and contemplate the Dharma as without a self.
3. When the Buddha was in the world, the Buddha was our teacher. After the Buddha enters nirvana, take the pratimoksa as our teacher. This is the master for all bhikshus and bhikshunis.
4. Give evil natured Bhikshus the silent treatment and ignore them.

“Thus I have heard” is to end the doubts of the multitude. At the time of sutra compilation, the assembly suddenly had three doubts. How did it come about? Prior to the time of sutra compilation, Ananda had certified to Fourth-fruition Arhatship. At the time of sutra compilation, no one opened the door for Ananda to enter the venue. Ananda let himself in through a crack in the door. Although the other members of the sutra-compilation assembly had certified to fruition, no one could surpass Ananda’s excellent memory. Ananda was a provisional manifestation in that life. In his past lives, Ananda had been an attendant to all the buddhas of the past. When Shakyamuni Buddha became a buddha, Ananda was born and became Shakyamuni Buddha’s attendant. As an attendant, his duty was to prepare for sutra compilation.

As soon as Ananda ascended the Dharma seat, the assembly suddenly had three doubts.1st: Did Shakyamuni Buddha come back to life and not enter nirvana? What prompted this doubt? When Ananda ascended the Dharma seat, his appearance was majestic and his features were similar to Shakyamuni Buddha’s. The only difference is that Ananda is three-finger-widths shorter than the Buddha. That’s why the assembly thought Shakyamuni Buddha came back to life. 2nd: Did a buddha from another buddhaland come? 3rd: Maybe Ananda has certified to the fruition of Buddhahood. All these three doubts vanished as soon as Ananda uttered these four words — “Thus I have heard”.

In sutra compilation, “Thus I have heard” serves four functions. First is to eliminate everyone’s skepticism. Second, to abide by the Buddha’s last endorsements. Third, to end arguments. Fourth, to differentiate from non-Buddhists. Since Ananda was quite young at the time of sutra compilation, some of the senior elders such as elder Kasyapa, Ajñāta-kaundinya, Subhuti, and others might say, “What kind of experience and knowledge could a young person like yourself have to compile the sutras?” If Ananda said he wrote the sutras, it would be unavoidable that the assembly would argue, “What you are saying is completely wrong. The Buddha did not say that.” But once Ananda said, “Thus I have heard,” no one argued. Why? Ananda heard everything from the Buddha; Ananda did not make this up himself. Hence, this ends arguments.

Fourth: To differentiate from the non-Buddhists. At that time in India, this was the concept of non-Buddhists: all dharmas are not apart from existence and non-existence. They believed that the myriad dharmas are either “existent” or “non-existent”. Existence and non-existence embody all of their dharmas. For this reason, the non-Buddhist texts begin with the two words “ah” and “ga”. “Ah” is non-existence; “ga” is existence. To differentiate from non-Buddhists, the Buddha gave the instruction to start each sutra with these four words — “Thus I have heard”. This means that ‘thus is the Dharma that I, Ananda, personally heard from the Buddha.’ “Thus” fulfills the condition of faith; “I have heard” fulfills the condition of hearing. Why not “the ears have heard” instead of “I have heard”? It is because “I” represents all six senses in the body.

At one time. Why not denote a specific year, month and day of the time the Buddha spoke the Dharma in a certain place? It is because worldwide, different calendars are used. January in one country could be February in another country, or even March/April in others. Since there is no way to pinpoint a precise time, the Buddhist sutras just say there was such a time. If there were a fixed time, archeologists will inevitably spend their brain cells to do research. The Buddha did not want to waste the archeologists’ brain cells and energy, so the Buddhist sutras used “at one time”, denoting there is such a time. This fulfills the condition of time.

The Buddha fulfills the condition of a host. The Buddha has self-enlightened, has enlightened others and has perfected his enlightenment conduct. Because he has perfected the three types of enlightenments and he is replete with the myriad virtues, he is a Buddha. This Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, is the teaching host of the Saha World. Actually, Shakyamuni Buddha has become a Buddha numberless millions, even infinite eons ago. However, he saw that the time had ripened for living beings in the Saha World of Southern Jambudvipa, so he came and manifested becoming a Buddha so that all beings will become Buddhas and be liberated from the cycle of birth-and-death. Dharmas spoken by the Buddha are real and true, we must all accept these principles deeply. If we negligibly let the Buddha’s teaching go in one ear and out the other, we will certainly not reap any benefit. We must actually practice truly and honestly, without even a hair’s breadth of deceit.

Was in the Trayastrimsha Heaven. This fulfills the condition of place. Speaking Dharma for his mother. Shakyamuni Buddha ascended to the Trayastrimsha Heaven to cross over his mother. Seven days after the Buddha was born, the Buddha’s mother, Lady Maya, passed away and was reborn in the Trayastrimsha Heaven. ‘Maya’ is Sanskrit. It means “great magic” or “illusions”. The Buddha’s mother has been the mother of the past thousand Buddhas; she came to be every Buddha’s mother. As strange as it sounds, this is what happened. She came to be the Buddha’s mother and after the Buddha realizes Buddhahood, he speaks Dharma for her. This is like a drama that worldly people enact. Actually, if you understand this world, everything would seem like a play. This is the truth in life. Once you understand this one true principle, you will understand other true principles.

Most people do not know how to really watch life’s drama unfold; they only look at the agenda, which includes sadness and joy, being separated and being together, plus the other emotions, i.e. joy, bliss, sadness, fear, love, hate, desire. People who understand see through all these and realize that life is but an illusion and transformation. “All conditioned dharmas are but dreams, illusions, bubbles and shadows. They are like dew drops and lightning, contemplate them thus.” When the Buddha taught living beings, he was in the Samadhi of playfulness; he did not treat this as a big deal. Unlike the Buddha, most of us cling to everything and cannot let go of anything. We fail to see that everything is perfectly integrated and unobstructed; and, that all states are but illusory and unreal. Failing in this aspect, we are bound to our attachments.

The role of the Buddha’s mother, Lady Maya, is to be the Buddha’s mother — of a thousand Buddhas. After every Buddha realizes Buddhahood, he will go to the Trayastrimsha Heaven to speak the Dharma for his mother. This holds true for every Buddha. But before the Buddha speaks the dharma, a Wheel-Turning Sage King or Shakra has to request the Dharma. Who requested that Shakyamuni Buddha go and speak the Dharma in the Trayastrimsha Heaven? It was his father, a Wheel King. He told the Buddha, “You should go to the Trayastrimsha Heaven to speak the Dharma for your mother and cross her over.” The Wheel King requested Dharma from Shakyamuni Buddha. Some sutras say it’s Shakra who requested the dharma. Shakra is the lord of the Trayastrimsha Heaven, whose former incarnation was that poor woman who renovated a temple. Having renovated a temple, she became a heavenly lord, Shakra. Since Shakra knew that the Buddha’s mother was in Trayastrimsha Heaven, he requested the Buddha to speak the Dharma at the Trayastrimsha Heaven. Regardless of which version, the general idea is that someone had to request the Buddha to speak the Dharma.

What Dharma did Shakyamuni Buddha speak for his mother? Earth Store Bodhisattva’s Fundamental Vows Sutra. This is a Dharma on filiality. Everyone should be filial to his or her parents. Why? It is because our parents are our roots. By being filial to your parents, it is like showering yourselves with nourishment. When we practice filiality, it is like lavishing our roots with fertilizer. If you are not filial to your parents, you will definitely have no future. If you can be filial to your parents, your roots are well tended, leading to luxuriant growth, heralding a bright future. As the saying goes, “Sturdy roots lead to lush branches; deep roots lead to luxuriant foliage.” Hence, Shakyamuni Buddha spoke this dharma. What follows are the different principles the Buddha expounded for his mother.