Issue 293

I will use expansive expedient means to help beings in the Six Paths who are suffering for their offenses, for living beings in the six realms who are suffering and creating offenses. Since every thought and every action of living beings in the Saha world constitute offenses and karma, they are the beings that suffering for their offenses in the six realms. The six realms are heavenly beings, humans, a suras, hell-beings, hungry ghosts and animals. I vastly established various, not just one, expedient practices. Only when they have all been liberated, have all left suffering behind and attained bliss, realizing Buddhahood soon. Only when all beings have become Buddhas will I myself become a Buddha. If there is one being who does not become a Buddha, I will not become a Buddha either. ‘If yet a single being has not accomplished Buddhahood, accordingly I will renounce nirvana’s bliss.’

From the time he made that great vow in the presence of that Buddha, Lion Sprint Complete in the Ten Thousand Practices Thus Come One, until now, a period of time that lasted hundreds of thousands of nayutas, a Sanskrit term denoting a very large number, of inexpressibly, another term signifying a very large number, many eons have passed, yet he still is a Bodhisattva who has not realized Buddhahood.

Another time, inconceivable Asamkhyeya eons ago, there was a Buddha named Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One. That Buddha’s life span was four hundred billion asamkhyeya eons.

Another time, not just three great asamkhyeya eons, but much longer, inconceivable and ineffable number of asamkhyeya eons ago, there was a Buddha named Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One. Enlightenment-Flower is the cause; Self-Mastery King is the effect; Enlightenment-Flower is the root; Self-Mastery King is the branch. This means that he cultivated the flower of enlightenment at the causal level and certified to the effect of a samadhi self-mastery king. What do we use to cultivate the flower of enlightenment? We use concentration/ samadhi. By what means do we realize the effect of a self-mastery king? It is also through concentration/ samadhi. With concentration as the cause, the resulting effect is concentration. With samadhi as the cause, the resulting effect is samadhi; samadhi’s cause bears samadhi’s effect. Hence, he’s called Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One. Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King is the Buddha’s unique name; Thus Come One is a general name for all Buddhas.

That Buddha’s life span…there are three explanations for the Thus Come One’s lifespan according to the Dharma Flower Sutra. There are three other explanations according to the Sixteen Contemplations Sutra. The Chinese character for lifespan consist of two words – 壽 longevity/ long span of life + 命 life.

First, the Buddha’s Dharma body’s True Thusness is inseparable from all dharmas. The true thusness of the Dharma body is never apart from the myriad dharmas. This is longevity. It takes the original principles as its life. This is not easy to understand. Here, it takes the original principles as the Buddha’s life, which is also the dharma body.

What about the retribution body? With the true marks of wisdom, states and wisdom mutually correspond – states are wisdom; wisdom is states. The Buddha’s states are wisdom; wisdom is likewise states. The Buddha uses wisdom to illumine all states. This is called states and wisdom mutually corresponding; they are non-dual. When states arise, illuminate them accordingly, then let them go accordingly. The Buddha recognizes and understands every state that arises; he is not obstructed by states due to failure to recognize them. Although states and wisdom are two, they become one. This one principle serves as the Buddha’s longevity; wisdom serves as the Buddha’s life. This explanation is based on the Buddha’s retribution body.

Speaking in terms of the response body, it is called the transformational response body. A response body has over 100 years span each term. Living over 100 years and not dying, that is longevity. The transformational response body – transformation body, response body, lives out their span of life according to the causal conditions. These explanations are based on the three bodies according to the Dharma Flower Sutra.

According to the Sixteen Contemplations Sutra, it is a different set of explanations. How come? The sutra says that the response body demonstrates both coming into being and ceasing to be. The Buddha manifested coming into being and ceasing to be, as shown by his coming into the world and entering nirvana. This is called coming into being and ceasing to be. Manifesting coming into being and ceasing to be has a beginning and an end. This explains the life span of a Buddha’s response body. What about the retribution body? Once attained, the retribution body is forever. Once we attain the Buddha’s retribution body, we have it forever. This is called having a beginning but no end. This is the life span of the Buddha’s retribution body.

What about the life span of a Dharma body? It is neither a long span nor a short span. Since it is impossible to say how long the life span of a Buddha’s Dharma body is, it is neither long nor short. It does not have a beginning and it does not have an end. This is one explanation of the Buddha’s Dharma body. I believe it is very difficult to understand. This particular Buddha’s life span was four hundred billion asamkhyeya eons. This refers to the life span of the Buddha’s retribution body and response body.

During his Dharma-Image Age, there lived a Brahman woman endowed with ample blessings from previous lives who was respected by everyone. Whether she was walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, gods surrounded and protected her. Her mother, however, embraced a deviant faith and often slighted the Triple Jewel.

During his Dharma-Image Age…There are three eras in Buddhism. There is the age of Proper Dharma, the age of Image Dharma, and the age of Dharma on the Decline. During the age of Proper Dharma, bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas and upasikas all cultivate sincerely and certify to the fruition. During the Age of Image Dharma, there are fewer cultivators. Most people focus on the superficial aspects, such as repairing stupas and building temples. People enjoy doing merit by constructing Buddhist temples and Buddhist stupas; they like to seek for blessings but not for wisdom. This is the Dharma-Image Age where people are steadfast in constructing temples. The Proper Dharma Age lasts one thousand years; the Image Dharma Age lasts one thousand years; the Decline of Dharma Age lasts ten thousand years. We are now in the Age of Dharma on the Decline, when people are strongly contentious. After Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One entered nirvana, it was the Age of Image Dharma.

There lived a Brahman woman. Brahman is an externalist sect in India. This sect cultivates purity. They are vegetarians and don’t eat meat. They also speak of cultivating the Way. They adhere strictly to celibacy, so they are also known as descendants of purity. Purity denotes complete absence of sexual conduct in men and women. If there is sexual conduct, then it’s not pure.

Brahmans also cultivate the practice of distancing themselves. However, they fail to arrive at the essence and the ultimate principles. This is an ancient religion in India. Even nowadays, there are still many religions of this sort in India. Yoga, for example, derives from Brahman teachings. In China, Brahman teachings correspond to Taoism, which also practices purity. During the Image Age of Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One, there was a Brahman woman who was endowed with ample blessings from previous lives. Although she was a Brahman woman, she had done many good and meritorious deeds in lives past. That is why she is endowed with ample blessings from previous lives.

Who was respected by everyone. When people see her, they admire her and respect her. Why? It is because she created lots of merit in past lives and accumulated blessings. Whether a person’s appearance is good or not depends on his or her merit from past lives. If a person created meritorious deeds in past lives, he/she will have a perfect appearance. Without meritorious deeds, one’s features are imperfect, or ugly.

The Buddha has 32 hallmarks, and 80 subsidiary characteristics. He is adorned with a hundred blessings. What makes a hundred blessings? One thousand good deeds generate one blessing; 10,000 good deeds generate ten blessings; 100,000 good deeds generate 100 blessings. Because Shakyamuni Buddha has the adornment of a hundred blessings, he attained the 32 hallmarks and 80 subsidiary characteristics. People’s appearances are in accordance with the causes and conditions of the past. Whether someone is beautiful or not depends on his or her past lives. This Brahman woman was respected by everyone; people liked to listen to what she said and agreed with the things she did.