(Continued from issue #302)
At this point, should we not be happy? Although we have created so much offense karma, we still have the chance to become Buddhas. Why? A few days ago, I told you I wanted to buy insurance for someone. Now someone is buying insurance for us. Who bought insurance for us? Earth Store Bodhisattva. He guaranteed in advance that we, living beings who created bad karma, will all become Buddhas. This is equivalent to buying insurance for us. Those of us who now hear Earth Store Sutra need not be worried or unhappy because we all have the chance to become Buddhas. Why? Earth Store Bodhisattva is our underwriter who long ago guaranteed that we, living beings with bad karma, can become Buddhas. He takes full responsibility for this happening. Until we become Buddhas, Earth Store Bodhisattva will not attain Bodhi. We ought to be elated.
Since I am so happy about this sutra passage that we lectured on today, I wrote an English song for you to sing. The song is called “I am Very Lucky to Meet a Good Knowing One”. Who is the Good Knowing One? It is Earth Store Bodhisattva. Meeting Earth Store Bodhisattva, we have a guarantor who guarantees in advance that we will become Buddhas. How do we know? Just read what he repeated three times to the Buddha, By this, we know Earth Store Bodhisattva’s kindness and virtue are as high as the heaven and as deep as the earth. His kindness is as profound and as lofty as the saying, “Looking up, yet immensely higher; drilling in, yet evermore firm.” Earth Store Bodhisattva’s state is inconceivable.
At that time, the Buddha praised Earth Store Bodhisattva and said, “Excellent! Excellent! I will help you in this work you so willingly undertake. When the vast vows that you keep making throughout so many eons are fulfilled and all those beings have been saved, then you will be certified as having attained Bodhi.”
At that time, the Buddha was very happy to hear Earth Store Bodhisattva guaranteeing that all beings will quickly become Buddhas, so he praised and said, “Excellent! Excellent!” Good indeed! Good indeed! Earth Store Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha three times. The Buddha praised him with “excellent” twice. The Buddha values him and regards him highly. Earth Store Bodhisattva is truly a Great Bodhisattva.
“I will help you in this work you so willingly undertake, that you delight to do. I will help you fulfill the vast vows that you keep making throughout so many eons.” This vast vow is represented by the Four Vast Vows:
Living beings are numberless,
I vow to deliver them
Afflictions are endless,
I vow to cut them off.
Dharma doors are countless,
I vow to study them all.
The Buddha’s Way is unsurpassed,
I vow to realize it.
Now, everyday, every one of us, should ask ourselves, “Living beings are numberless, I vow to deliver them.” Have I delivered people to the shore of perfection, or have I been delivered by people? We need to reflect this way, “Did I believe in Buddhism, then convert to Catholicism? After I started believing in Buddhism, someone said Jesus was the greatest for being nailed on the cross, so I started believing in Jesus. Do situations like this occur? If so, you are converted by others instead of converting others. “Living beings are numberless, I vow to deliver them.” Did you do it? How about “Afflictions are endless, I vow to cut them off; Dharma doors are countless, I vow to study them all; the Buddha’s Way is unsurpassed, I vow to realize it.” We should always ask ourselves every day whether we have fulfilled these vows. “Afflictions are endless, I vow to cut them off.” Are my afflictions cut off? Do I get mad when someone is slightly rude to me? Do I react with the fire of ignorance? If situations like this occur, then I have not ended my afflictions. Even if there’s no such occurrences, I still need to undergo more tests before I can ascertain that I have cut off afflictions. Your understanding of Buddhadharma is only superficial if you have not cut off afflictions. When you have cut off afflictions, then you have entered the sea of Buddhadharma and immersed in its contents.
“Dharma doors are countless, I vow to study them all.” The number of paths to the Buddhadharma is infinite; 84,000 is just a general number. How can the paths to the Buddhadharma be limited to only 84,000? There are immeasurable and limitless Dharma Doors, that’s why we say “Dharma doors are countless, I vow to study them all.” It is not enough that I know the Shurangama Mantra by heart. The Buddhist Canon is like a great ocean. It is not the case that after learning a bit of Buddhadharma, a drop of Buddhahddharma, a hair strand of Buddhadharma, a mote of dust, a grain of sand and other miniscule amounts like these, that you already understand the Buddhadharma. You need to really dig in the Buddhadharma; drink the water from the ocean of the Buddhadharma. If in one gulp you can drink dry this great ocean, then you understand the Buddhadharma. If not, you need to study more.
“The Buddha’s Way is unsurpassed, I vow to realize it.” Without the need to be proven, we know that we are not Buddhas yet. If we were Buddhas, we would not have any problems, everything would have been resolved. Do not pretend to be Buddhas when we are not. For instance, someone claims, “Oh! Not only am I a Buddha, you are also a Buddha. Everybody is a Buddha.” Well, tell me, what Buddha are you? An afflicted Buddha? A greedy Buddha? A hateful Buddha? A deluded Buddha? Which one? People who make such false claims are shameless. Do not follow these kind of people who proclaim they are Buddhas when they are not, who proclaim that they have attained the Way when they have not. Do not follow these arrogant people.
So Earth Store Bodhisattva, you made these four vast vows When will this happen? There is no time to reckon; it is till the end of infinity. If so, then would Earth Store Bodhisattva never certify to Bodhi? Worry not. Earth Store Bodhisattva has attained Bodhi many eons ago. Otherwise, he would not have such great spiritual powers and such enormous wisdom. This is an inconceivable state.
Therefore, do not worry about Earth Store Bodhisattva not certifying to Bodhi; he already did long time ago. Now, he is waiting for you to attain Bodhi, for me to attain Bodhi, and for him/her to attain Bodhi. He is waiting for you, me and him/her. What is Bodhi? Why do we need to certify to bodhi, and what good does it have? Bodhi is Sanskrit for awakening. What is awakening? Awakening means not muddled. That’s right; just now someone said it means no more ignorance. Correct! Hence, quickly cut off your ignorance, shatter your ignorance, and then you will attain Bodhi.
(To be continued …)