Issue 302

After the division bodies of Earth Store Bodhisattva merged into a single form, sadly  wept and said to the Buddha…Why would Earth Store Bodhisattva be sad? There are four meanings:

1) He is sad for beings in the six destinies for creating karma and not reforming. All devas, humans, asuras, beings in the hells, hungry ghosts and animals undergo transmigration in the six destinies. They create karmic offenses, but they do not know to reform and repent of their offenses. This is the first meaning.

2) He is sad for all beings who are obstinate and difficult to teach. Living beings are the most obstinate. Tell them about the Buddhadharma and they refuse to listen. Talk to them about subjects other than the Buddhadharma and they are very happy. For example, you tell someone, “So and so is the best. He has an excellent education and character. Everything about him is good.” This person will not pay much attention to what you say.

If you talk about how bad so-and-so is, how clever his ways of trickery are, how he managed to do bad deeds without people knowing it, this person will listen attentively, eager to know the evil ways. If you tell them ways to be good, such as, “Study the Buddhadharma,” they are not interested to learn. If you say, “Take this drug and you will experience some amazing discoveries,” they would take the hallucinogen and become dazed and confused as if they were drifting to the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Recreational drugs are most awful, but they will take it once, twice, until they take it countless times. Everything changes for him when he takes drugs. He feels bigger than the universe. Afterwards though, he experiences fatigue, headaches and body aches. Some do not even want to go to work at all, lying there like a dead person. Still, he does not awaken. He wonders, “Why am I feeling this way?” Maybe the dosage is not enough. If I take a bit more, I may be enlightened immediately and succeed instantaneously.” Isn’t this utmost stupidity! You tell them to study the Buddhadharma, they refuse and secretly break the law and take this kind of stuff. This is how obstinate beings behave. Difficult to teach. You teach him to study Buddhism, he is not happy; you make up some fraudulent tricks, he digs right in despite the harm he brings himself. You see! This is the human mind. Thus, the second kind of sadness grows out of compassion for obstinate beings who are difficult to teach, too obstinate.

3) What is Earth Store Bodhisattva’s third sadness? It is because the Tathagata’s wisdom-sun will be setting soon. The Buddha is equivalent to the sun, and he will enter nirvana soon. Therefore, Earth Store Bodhisattva is sad that the sun of wisdom is setting.

4) What is the fourth sadness? It pertains to the great matter entrusted to him by Shakyamuni Buddha in the palace of the Trayastrimsha Heaven. Earth Store Bodhisattva is entrusted to teach and transform all beings until Maitreya comes to the world. He is entrusted to deliver them to the shore of Buddhahood and for them to encounter the buddha and receive predictions of their Buddhahood. This is a very important responsibility and Shakyamuni Buddha gave this important duty to Earth Store Bodhisattva. This is the fourth sadness.

The division bodies of Earth Store Bodhisattva merged into a single form; wept sadly and said to the Buddha, “Throughout long eons till now, I have been receiving the Buddha’s guidance and from that have developed inconceivable spiritual power, and great perfect wisdom. Inconceivable refers to being unfathomable and ineffable. “Spiritual” means magnificent beyond measure. You have no way to know this kind of spiritual power which is magnificent beyond measure. If you want to rescue beings, you certainly need to have spiritual power. However, if you have spiritual power but no wisdom, it does not work. You must be replete with great wisdom to regulate your spiritual power; and you need your spiritual power to enhance your wisdom. With wisdom and spiritual power working together, you will be able to rescue beings.

My division bodies fill worlds as many as grains of sand in millions of billions of Ganges River. In each of those worlds, I transform myself into millions of billions of bodies. Each body rescues millions of billions of people, helping them to return respectfully to the Triple Jewel, escape birth and death forever, and reach the bliss of Nirvana. Even if their good deeds within the Buddhadharma amount to as little as a strand of hair, a drop of water, a grain of sand, a mote of dust, or the tip of a hair, I will gradually take them across, liberate them, and help them gain great benefit. I only hope that the World Honored One will not be worried about beings of the future who have bad karma.”
In that way he addressed the Buddha three times: “I only hope that the World Honored One will not be worried about beings of the future who have bad karma.”

My division bodies fill, appearing everywhere in, worlds as many as grains of sand in millions of billions of Ganges River. In each of those worlds, I, Earth Store Bodhisattva, transform myself into millions of billions of bodies, incalculable and immeasurable. Each body rescues millions of billions of people, helping them to return respectfully to the Triple Jewel. Why pay respect to the Triple Jewel? Before taking refuge with the Triple Jewel, all beings are on the outside. Outside of what? Outside of the Buddhadharma. After taking refuge with the Triple Jewel, they “desert the deviant and return to the proper”, they “leave behind darkness and go to brightness.” Therefore, you must return respectfully to the Triple Jewel and take refuge with the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha…escape birth and death forever, and reach the bliss of Nirvana, which is a happiness with the four elements of permanence, joy, true self, and purity.

Even if their good deeds within the Buddhadharma amount to as little as a strand of hair, a drop of water, a grain of sand, a mote of dust, which are the lightest, the smallest, the tiniest, the most minute unit of goodness. How heavy is a strand of hair? It is the lightest. A drop of water is the smallest. A grain of sand is the tiniest. A mote of dust the most miniscule.

During the Shurangama Sutra lectures, I spoke of the “mote of dust bordering upon emptiness.” It is a mote of dust we can see divided into seven parts, becoming the mote of dust bordering upon emptiness. It is the smallest unit, hereby describing how small the good deeds that living beings do. Or the tip of a hair. This does not refer to the hair from your head. This refers to the infinitesimal hair structures on your body, such as the thinnest, though the hair on your head is already very light and tiny.

All living beings, albeit doing only so little good, plant good roots by doing so. I will gradually take them across, from suffering to happiness, liberate them, and help them gain great benefit. What is great benefit? Is it making a big fortune, earning a large profit? Making a big fortune is not great benefit. Then is it holding a high office? That is no benefit either. It is getting you to become a Buddha! You see, is this a great benefit or not? Who will make sure you become a Buddha? Earth Store Bodhisattva. Earth Store Bodhisattva will use his great spiritual powers, great wisdom, and various inconceivable wonderful dharma to make it impossible for you to refuse. Like the saying, “One wants to stop but cannot”, you want to stop and say, “I will not study Buddhism anymore,” but you have no way to stop. This is the marvelous part. Who can make you this way? It is our great advisor, Great Vow Earth Store Bodhisattva. He has such wonderful function. This is called great benefit.

I, Earth Store Bodhisattva, only hope that the World Honored One will not be worried about beings of the future who have bad karma.” Why does he tell the Buddha not to worry? He means that he will take the responsibility, and to entrust him with this responsibility. He told the Buddha, “Do not be concerned. I will not become a Buddha until all beings become Buddhas.” He made the vow, “Unless the hells are emptied, I will not become a Buddha; only when all beings are saved, will I attain Bodhi.” Therefore, I asked the World Honored One not to worry, let me, Earth Store, shoulder this responsibility.

In that way he addressed the Buddha three times…He said it once, a second time, and a third time. This shows the gravity of the matter, taking this seriously. This is like reading the Constitution three times to pass it. Read it once and ask, “Any objections?” Read it a second time and ask, “Do you agree?” If there are no objections after reading it three times, then it passes. So, did what Earth Store Bodhisattva say pass? No, this is not the same. Repeating his hope three times is Earth Store Bodhisattva’s way of communicating his earnestness. Saying it only once may make him appear irresponsible. Saying it a second time still lacks sincerity. Therefore, he repeated a third time to the Buddha, “I only hope that the World Honored One will not be worried about beings of the future who have bad karma.” I, Earth Store, take full responsibility for them. I will definitely rescue beings who have bad karma and ferry them to Buddhahood.