Category Archives: Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary

Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary

The Great Reward for Listening to and Reciting the Lotus Sutra

Having mostly read books on the Japanese perspective on the Lotus Sutra, I find it fascinating to read Master Hsuan Hua’s Chinese tales about the benefits of the Lotus Sutra. This example comes from Chapter 4 and the Parable of the Rich Man and his Poor Son

“Wages” refers to the value contained in the Dharma Flower Sūtra. How much value is there? The value of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Sūtra is indeed inconceivable, subtle, and wonderful.

This reminds me of a story about a person who lived during the Jin dynasty in China and recited the Dharma Flower Sūtra. There was a Dharma master at the time named Tanyi, who was not a person but actually a pheasant. Where did he come from? Previously, in a place called Yuhang, there was a Dharma master named Fazhi who lectured exclusively on the Dharma Flower Sutra. Once, a pheasant came to listen to his lectures. The pheasant came to every one of his lectures for seven years. Then it died.

Someone thought, “Listening to sūtra lectures must not be beneficial at all. The pheasant died listening to them. Let’s stop listening!”

Well, the pheasant may have died, but that very night, Dharma Master Fazhi dreamt of a young boy who spoke to him, saying, “I am the pheasant who used to come to your sūtra lectures. I have died, but because of the power of listening to the Dharma Flower Sutra, I will not be born again as a pheasant; instead, I will be born as a human. I will be born in the household of Layman Wang at the foot of the mountain tomorrow, and in the future I plan to renounce the home life under you.”

About three or four years later, Mr. Wang invited Dharma Master Fazhi to lunch, and as soon as he walked in the son said, “My Dharma Master has come!” Because of his dream, Dharma Master Fazhi knew that the boy was a reincarnation of the pheasant. He said to the son’s father, “Your son used to be a pheasant.” Then he took off the boy’s shirt, and sure enough, there were three feathers on his back. That was proof that he was telling the truth. Mr. Wang said, “Oh, so he was a pheasant. Now [that he has been reborn as a human], he can cultivate.” Therefore, when the boy was seven years old, he allowed his son to leave home.

After the boy left the home life, he concentrated on reciting the Dharma Flower Sutra. He built a hut for cultivation called the Dharma Flower Vihāra, in which he recited the Dharma Flower Sutra for more than ten years. One day a woman came carrying a basket with a white piglet and two garlic bulbs in it. She was wearing eye-catching clothes and appeared to be a promiscuous woman. She wanted to stay overnight at the vihāra, explaining that she had been searching for medicinal herbs in the mountains all day but had not found any. She was afraid of wolves, insects, tigers, and other wild beasts that roamed about those mountains, so she was persistent in wanting to stay. Dharma Master Tanyi refused. “I cannot allow a woman to stay here. Go find some other place.” There was no other place nearby, however, so she was determined to stay with him.

There was no way for him to convince her to leave, so he had no choice but to let her spend the night on a heap of hay. That night, something very strange happened. In the middle of the night, the woman started crying and complaining that her stomach hurt. She insisted that he come help her massage her stomach. What do you think he did in the face of such a demonic obstacle? He wrapped his staff in a cloth and rubbed her stomach with the staff from a distance. That way he did not have to touch her. In a while she felt better.

The next day at dawn, the woman rose up into space, her brightly colored clothes turned into five-colored auspicious clouds, her white piglet turned into an elephant, and the two cloves of garlic turned into two lotuses; the elephant sat on one, and her feet rested on the other. She spoke to him from space, saying, “You have cultivated well. I am Universal Worthy Bodhisattva. In a few days, you are due to join my Dharma assembly, so I decided to test you in advance. Your Bodhi resolve is really firm. You have passed my test, and in the future you will be one of my retinue.” Then auspicious light radiated throughout empty space. The emperor saw it, too, and later built the Dharma Flower Monastery there.

Think about it: A pheasant heard the Dharma Flower Sūtra and invoked such a great response. If we people hear the Dharma Flower Sūtra, we should invoke an even greater response.

Let me tell you another story. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty in China, there was a bhikṣuṇī by the name of Daoji [Aiding the Way]. Her other name was Zongchi [Total Retention]. She was a disciple of Patriarch Bodhidharma, and she lived alone in a hut for her entire life reciting the Dharma Flower Sūtra. When she died, they buried her next to the little hut. After seven or eight years, a blue lotus grew out of her grave. When the emperor found out about this, he came to see it and ordered the grave opened so that he could see where the blue lotus had grown from. They found it growing from her mouth. This is inconceivable! Why did the blue lotus grow out of her mouth? It was because she recited the Dharma Flower Sutra when she was alive. This is an example of the inconceivable consequences of reciting the Dharma Flower Sūtra.

There was another bhikṣuṇī named Huashou [Flower Hands]. She staunchly upheld the precepts, never breaking any of them. She also recited the Dharma Flower Sutra. Every time she finished reciting one roll of the Dharma Flower Sutra, a lotus would appear on the lines of her hand. As she recited the sūtra all her life, there were blue lotuses all over her hands. The emperor asked her to visit him, and when he saw all the lotuses on her hands, he gave her the name Flower Hands.

These are some of the inconceivable events that have occurred in China as a result of people reciting the Dharma Flower Sutra. To say nothing of hearing me explain the entire sūtra, just hearing the name of the Dharma Flower Sūtra means that one has great good roots.

You ask, “Well then, do all of us who are listening now have good roots?”

Of course! If you did not have good roots, you would not even be able to walk in the door. Or you might walk in but immediately want to run off. You would not be able to stay very long. It is not that simple. The value of the Dharma Flower Sūtra is inconceivable. This current lecture series on the Dharma Flower Sūtra is also inconceivable.

There was also a Dharma master named Fayun who specialized in lecturing on the Dharma Flower Sūtra. He was wonderfully eloquent and intelligent. He lectured extremely well. Another monk made a vow to make offerings to this Dharma master. He also vowed that in every life he would be just like Dharma Master Fayun, including having the same appearance, same eloquence, and making the same vow. That night he had a dream in which a voice said, “Do not think it is easy to be like him. He has been lecturing on the Dharma Flower Sūtra since the time of Buddha Lamp Shining with the Brightness of Sun and Moon. This is not something he has just picked up. That is why he is so incredibly good at it. If you want to be like him, it will take much time and work.” The lecturing of this sūtra is also a wonderful practice that is difficult to encounter.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v5, p69-73
Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, LS32, LS45

Hsuan Hua’s Expedient Explanation

Following yesterday’s post, here’s another example of
Chinese Master Hsuan Hua’s perspective. Here he explains the “expedient” employed by the rich man to entice his poor son to come to him in Chapter 4.

SUTRA

“Then the elder, wishing to entice his son, contrived an expedient. He secretly sent two people, haggard and wretched in appearance and lacking dignity, saying to them, ‘You may go there and gently tell the poor fellow that you can take him to a place where he can work and earn twice as much. If he agrees, bring him back and put him to work. If he asks what work he is to do, you may tell him, ‘You are being hired to sweep away dung, and the two of us will work along with you.”

COMMENTARY

Then the elder, wishing to entice his son, contrived an expedient. In this context, “then” refers to a time when those of the Two Vehicles were cultivating the position of the path of insight and the position of the path of cultivation – that is, the realization of the first, second, and third fruition of Arhatship. These stages are referred to as being in a “poor village.” The Buddha was just about to contemplate the potentials of living beings in order to develop a plan to teach them using an expedient method.

He secretly sent two people. “Two people” refers to Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas who were transformation bodies of Bodhisattvas. The Buddha had instructed the Bodhisattvas to transform themselves into Śrāvakas or Pratyekabuddhas.

To explain it in terms of the Dharma, “two people” refers to the four noble truths and the twelve links of dependent arising that the Buddha uses to teach living beings.

To explain it in terms of the teaching, “secretly” and “sent” refer to the complete-word teaching and the half-word teaching respectively, which are two classifications of the Buddha’s teaching. The complete-word teaching is the perfect teaching, which is exemplified in the Dharma Flower Sūtra. The Tripiṭaka teaching, the inter-related teaching, and the distinct teaching are classified as the half-word teaching.

To explain it in terms of people, “secretly” refers to one who secretly practices as a Bodhisattva, and “sent” refers to one who assumes the appearance of a Śrāvaka.

To explain it in terms of the provisional and the ultimate, “secretly” refers to the ultimate teaching and “sent” refers to the provisional teaching. Therefore, Bodhisattvas are represented by “secretly,” and Śrāvakas are represented by “sent.” “Secretly sent two people” means the Bodhisattvas transformed themselves and manifested as Śrāvakas.

Haggard and wretched in appearance. Those of the Lesser Vehicle do not cultivate wholesome physical characteristics. They are concerned about suffering, emptiness, impermanence, non-self, and impurity. They think everything is really just suffering, an incredible amount of suffering, so they are motivated to cultivate. They find nothing worth being attached to; it is all empty and meaningless, which also motivates them to cultivate.

Furthermore, observing the twelve links of dependent arising, they realize that all phenomena are impermanent and that there is nothing to cling to, so they want to cultivate. They also cultivate the contemplation of non-self in order to be free from attachments.

Additionally, they cultivate the contemplation on impurity, seeing everything as being impure. They think, “Oh! The troubled world of the five turbidities is impure, and the body is impure; everything is impure.” Seeing everything as being impure, they seek purity.

Seeing everything as impermanent, they wish to attain permanence, joy, true self, and purity. They cultivate the principle of the one-sided view of emptiness that perceives only the empty character of existence. Because they have not awakened to the principle of the Middle Way, they have no desire to cultivate wholesome physical characteristics such as the thirty-two hallmarks and the eighty subsidiary characteristics of a Buddha. Hence, they are “haggard and wretched in appearance.” If the Buddha manifested the ten-thousand-foot Nişyanda Buddha body, those of the Lesser Vehicle would not believe in him, so the Buddha instructs the Bodhisattvas to disguise themselves as Śrāvakas or Pratyekabuddhas, haggard and wretched in appearance.

And lacking dignity. “Dignity” is a metaphor for the ten powers and the four kinds of fearlessness. In disguise, the Bodhisattvas appear to lose the ten powers and the four kinds of fearlessness; thus, they now look the same as those of the Two Vehicles.

The elder had the attendants disguise themselves as penniless people and sent them to the impoverished village where the poor son stayed, saying to them, “You may go there and gently tell the poor fellow that you can take him to a place where he can work and earn twice as much.” Likewise, the Buddha sent the Bodhisattvas, disguised as Śrāvakas, to those of the Two Vehicles, telling them not to chase after those of the Two Vehicles and hurriedly explain the Great Vehicle Dharma to them in the manner they had before. He told them to speak slowly, telling those of the Two Vehicles that they would take them to a place where they could cultivate to the position of the Path of insight and the position of the path of cultivation – that is, the first, second, and third stages of Arhatship.

Followers of non-Buddhist religions can quell delusions through the cultivation of ascetic practices. However, quelling delusions doesn’t mean that one severs them. Those delusions still remain; they have not yet been cut off. There are coarse delusions, subtle delusions, delusions as innumerable as dust and sand, delusions arising from incorrect views, delusions arising from incorrect thoughts, and delusions of ignorance. “Gently tell the poor fellow” means slowly explaining to them the four noble truths – suffering, the aggregation of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the Path. “A place where he can work” refers to severing delusions arising from incorrect views and delusions arising from incorrect thoughts. “Take him to a place where he can work” means taking him to a place where he can cultivate and attain the position of the path of insight.

The ascetic practices that non-Buddhists cultivate can quell delusions but cannot cut them off. Once delusions are quelled, one thereby gains birth in the heavens of the realm of form or the realm of the formless. Those non-Buddhists who say, “Let’s ascend to heavenly paradise!” are of this type. One who has quelled delusions but has not yet cut them off can still ascend to the heavens. Being born in the heavens does not mean ending birth and death; one still remains within the three realms, which is the same as being in the burning house.

“And earn twice as much” represents the realization of the fourth stage of Arhatship. If you teach them the four noble truths and the twelve links of dependent arising and they cultivate accordingly, they can end birth and death and realize the fourth stage of Arhatship, thereby:

Transcending the three realms
And breaking the constraints of the five elements.

This is to “earn twice as much.”

If he agrees, bring him back and put him to work represents the readiness of those of the Two Vehicles to be saved.

If there are living beings with such potential, then save them; if there are no such living beings, then stop. “If he agrees, bring him back and put him to work” represents making those of the Two Vehicles walk the Path. If he asks what work he is to do, you may tell him, “You are being hired to sweep away dung.” To sweep away dung can be likened to cleaning out toilets. It is a metaphor for cultivating the first two of the four noble truths: suffering and the aggregation of suffering. It also means to cast out delusions arising from incorrect views and delusions arising from incorrect thoughts. When cultivating the position of the path of insight and the position of the path of cultivation, one needs to sever delusions arising from incorrect views and delusions arising from incorrect thoughts – that is, to cut off ignorance. Originally, those of the Two Vehicles focused on cultivation concerning suffering and emptiness and did not care about purifying the Buddhalands, bringing living beings to perfection, or practicing the Bodhisattva Path. Because of that, they can simply do the work of sweeping away dung.

And the two of us will work along with you means those of the Great Vehicle will work side by side with those of the Lesser Vehicle. Those of the Great Vehicle will lead those of the Lesser Vehicle toward the Great Vehicle. “Work along with” represents those with potential for the provisional teaching and those with potential for the ultimate teaching cultivating together, exemplified here by Bodhisattvas and Śrāvakas working together.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v5, p63-67
Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, LS32, LS45

Hsuan Hua’s Translation of Lotus Sutra Symbolism

Chinese Master Hsuan Hua’s 14-volume commentary on the Lotus Sutra offers a number of what are for me “new” perspectives. Here’s an example where Hsuan Hua explains the meaning of the rich man’s visible wealth in Chapter 4.

SUTRA

“His father, from the first, had set out seeking his son, but in vain. He settled midway in a city. His household was one of immense wealth, with limitless fortune and treasures of gold, silver, vaiḍūrya, coral, amber, crystal beads, and other such things. His granaries and storehouses were overflowing, and he had many servants, vassals, and assistants as well as numerous elephants, horses, carriages, cattle, and sheep. Не profited from trade with other countries; he had business transactions with many, many merchants and vendors.”

COMMENTARY

His father, from the first, had set out seeking his son, but in vain. “His father” is an analogy for the Buddha. The Buddha taught living beings the Great Vehicle, but living beings preferred the Lesser Vehicle, as if they had run far, far away to another country. Therefore, the Buddha set out searching for his sons, his disciples. However, they did not have the potential for the Great Vehicle, so they did not meet up with the Buddha. Having sought his son, the Buddha’s Great Vehicle disciples, in vain, he settled midway in a city. “Midway” refers to being in between the realm with residue, attained through skillful means, and the realm adorned with true rewards. The Buddha stopped there, no longer teaching the Dharma or teaching living beings, and was considering entering nirvāṇa.

His household was one of immense wealth, with limitless fortune and treasures. Although the Buddha wanted to enter nirvāṇa, he thought, “I have so many Dharma treasures, yet I have no one to pass them on to, that is, to continue the work of teaching living beings. Who am I going to bequeath my family property to?” “Immense wealth” refers to the twelve literary categories of the Tripiṭaka, and “limitless fortune” refers to the countless Dharma treasures.

Of gold, silver, vaiḍūrya, coral, amber, crystal beads, and other such things. There are gold, silver, vaiḍūrya, and coral. Coral is a treasure from the ocean. There are also amber and crystal beads. Crystal beads are like wish-fulfilling pearls with which one can obtain everything one wishes. There are also all kinds of other treasures. These refer to the Buddha’s thirty-seven factors of awakening: the seven factors of awakening, the eightfold path, the five roots, the five powers, the four foundations of mindfulness, the four kinds of right effort, and the four steps to spiritual powers. There are also the four noble truths, the twelve links of dependent arising, the six pāramitās, and other Dharma treasures.

His granaries and storehouses were overflowing. Granaries are where grain is stored, and storehouses are where other valuables and precious objects are stored. Overflowing granaries and storehouses are metaphors for the Buddha’s possession of countless Dharma treasures.

And he had many servants, vassals, and assistants. Not only does the Buddha have many storehouses for his Dharma treasures, he also has many servants, vassals, and assistants. “Servants, vassals, and assistants” is a metaphor for expedient Dharmas. Servants can do all kinds of work, such as sweeping the floor or cooking, among other things. In the same way, expedient Dharmas can be used in any way. All of these represent the many skillful means of a Buddha.

As well as numerous elephants and horses. “Elephants” is a metaphor for the three contemplations in a single thought in the Great Vehicle: the contemplation of emptiness, the contemplation of the provisional, and the contemplation of the Middle Way. Emptiness is the provisional as well as the Middle Way; these three do not differ from one another. These are represented by “elephants.”

“Horses” represents the three contemplations in succession. First one contemplates the empty, then the provisional, and finally the Middle Way. The contemplation is performed in sequential order, step by step, bringing Bodhisattvas of the distinct teaching to the fruition of the Great Vehicle.

The aforementioned three contemplations in a single thought indicate that the three aspects – the empty, the provisional, and the middle – of any phenomenon are present within the same instant without sequence, in that, within the same thought, emptiness is the provisional and is also the middle. Followers of the perfect teaching possess the seeds of the Great Vehicle. With sharp faculties, they reach attainment suddenly, without having to cultivate step by step. This is called the three contemplations in a single thought, whereas “horses” is a metaphor for the three contemplations in succession, which require step-by-step cultivation. There are also carriages of all kinds.

Cattle and sheep. “Cattle” represents the realization of emptiness through analyzing phenomena into their component elements and the realization that all phenomena are intrinsically empty. These two realizations bring living beings of the interrelated teaching to the Great Vehicle. “Sheep” represents bringing Śrāvakas to the fruition of the Great Vehicle. The Vehicle of Pratyekabuddhas is not mentioned here because, when the Buddha was in the world, Pratyekabuddhas were Śrāvakas and Śrāvakas were Pratyekabuddhas. “Numerous” cattle and sheep represent those with dispositions toward the Lesser Vehicle, who are countless.

He profited from trade with other countries. What does “trade” represent? It implies that our mind gives rise to the myriad phenomena, and the myriad phenomena will eventually return to the mind. “Profited” refers to the benefits attained through teaching and transforming living beings. It is like earning interest on a savings account. When the Buddha saves living beings and brings them to the fruition of the Great Vehicle, it is like earning interest. “Other countries” means the interest earned extends everywhere throughout the three realms.

He had business transactions with many, many merchants and vendors. The price of merchandise is set during business transactions. “Merchants” are businessmen who travel around. “Vendors” refer to those who stay in one place to do business. The vendors and merchants represent those with Great Vehicle and Lesser Vehicle dispositions – the Bodhisattvas and Śrāvakas respectively – who were many in number.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v5, p31-35
Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary

What Master Hsuan Hua Taught

Chinese Master Hsuan Hua has a very detailed view of what Buddhism involves and what the practice of Buddhism should look like. But his teaching are not rigid, at least when judged from what he says in his 14-volume commentary on the Lotus Sutra. Below are a few quotes that illustrate this.

Five Schools; One Buddhism
Although Buddhist literature generally describes five schools of Buddhism – Chan, Teaching, Vinaya, Esoteric Practice, and Pure Land – they are essentially the same, ultimately one and nondual. Not only are they one, there is not even “one.” If there is not even “one,” how could there be five? Those who truly study the Buddhadharma should understand this point.

Some people say, “Reciting the Buddha’s name is the highest Dharma-door, and investigating dhyana is incorrect.” Others say the opposite. This shows that they do not understand the Buddhadharma. For those who truly understand the Buddhadharma, “all phenomena are Buddhadharma; none can be grasped.” Since none can be grasped, why “add a head on top of your head”? Don’t look for trouble. If you really understand the Buddhadharma, you will understand that nothing can be grasped. But if you tell people who do not understand the Buddhadharma, “There is nothing at all – nothing!” they will feel disappointed. That is why the Buddha taught the provisional Dharma to lay the groundwork for the ultimate Dharma and the provisional wisdom to prepare for the ultimate wisdom. But in the end, what does ultimate wisdom look like? When ultimate wisdom is attained, one returns to where there is nothing to attain. The true character of all phenomena is devoid of characteristics, yet nothing is not characterized by it. That is the true, ultimate wisdom.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v3, p203

All Religions Are Part of Buddhism
I have something to tell you: Those of you who do not believe in what I say may be reassured that you will not be struck dead by lightning. If you do not believe in the Buddha, you will not be struck by lightning either. Go ahead and refuse to believe. Later, when you have thought it over clearly, you will come back and believe. Now, if because you are confused, you believe in other religions, that is all right, because when you finally wake up, you will come back to Buddhism. Why do I say this? It is because no matter what religion you believe in, it does not go beyond Buddhism. All religions are parts of Buddhism. However, there are long ways around, and there are shortcuts. If you believe in other religions, you will have a longer walk. If you believe in Buddhism, you have got a head start. As the saying goes,

A waterfront pavilion gets the moonlight first.

If you believe in Buddhism, you will understand sooner, awaken faster, and become a Buddha sooner.

I have a lot of disciples who listen to the sūtra lectures for a while and then run off. I do not pay any attention to them. If you want to run, then run. When you have run far enough, you will come back. Before you have run enough, of course you are going to want to run. But it is no problem. It is just like the five thousand who walked out. It is also like eating. When people are full, they do not care to eat. Once they get hungry, they start thinking about food again. One’s attitude toward the Buddhadharma works the same way. If you think you do not need the Buddhadharma now and you are not hungry for it, you may run off. When you have run until you are hungry again, you will come back for some more.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v3, p155-156

Practicing the Bodhisattva Path
Bodhisattvas care about others. They don’t care about themselves. They benefit others, not themselves; they help others, not themselves. Bodhisattvas help others, but they don’t cling to the thought of having helped them. They just do it and forget about it. They regard helping others as helping themselves. They don’t go around bragging about what they have done. They do not seek to make a good impression on people. It’s enough that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas know what they did. It doesn’t matter to them whether other people know what they have done.

Furthermore, when you practice the Bodhisattva Path, you must not disturb other living beings. If you want to cultivate, do not cause other living beings to have afflictions. If you upset even one person, then you have not perfectly walked the Bodhisattva Path for that one person. If you upset two people, you have failed to perfectly walk the Bodhisattva Path for two people. You must not cause others to become afflicted. Do not hurt other people with your words or obstruct them with your actions. You must strive to never let a single word or action upset others. Only then will you succeed in your cultivation. You should not think, “I can ignore other people and do whatever I like and say whatever I please. Are you angry? Do you have afflictions? Well, the more afflictions you have, the better. The bigger they are, the better.” If you have thoughts like these, you will not be able to cultivate the Path; and if you try, you will run into a lot of demonic obstacles in your cultivation. If you cause others to have afflictions, they will do the same to you. In the future you will encounter many demonic obstructions.

If you wish to cultivate the Path or leave the home life to cultivate, you must take care not to obstruct others. You must always keep a close watch over your body and mind to see if you are doing things incorrectly, saying improper things, or causing others to have afflictions. You should always look within yourself. Turn around and seek the cause in yourself. Avoid causing others to have afflictions. That itself is the Bodhisattva resolve. Bodhisattvas should bring forth an irreversible bodhi resolve and be irreversible in practice, position, and mindfulness.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v4, p445-446
Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, LS32, LS45

Five Sharp Afflictions

Yesterday’s post on The Troubled World of the Five Turbidities mentions the “five sharp afflictions,” which arise much faster than the dull afflictions – greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, and doubt. Here is Master Hsuan Hua’s explanation of the Five Sharp Afflictions from his commentary on Chapter 3, A Parable.

What do yakṣas and evil ghosts represent? Starting from “Chi, mei, and wangliang / Were everywhere” onward, these lines of verse represent the five sharp afflictions. Previously, we talked about the five dull afflictions, which act slowly. Sharp afflictions are keen, fast, and intense. The five sharp afflictions also turn people upside down, causing them to form attachments and do deluded things.

The five sharp afflictions are as follows:

  1. Views of individual identity. One is always attached to one’s body. You work for your body all day long, buying it some candy to eat, some perfume to wear, some nice clothes and delicious food, as well as finding it a nice place to live. You think, “My body is just me!” Actually, that’s wrong. How is it wrong? The body can only be said to belong to you. You can say, “It is mine.” But you can’t say, “It’s me.” Why not? The body is like a house. When you are living in a house, you cannot tell people, “My house is me.” You can just say, “This house is mine.” Ultimately, your body is not you. It is not your master. If you cling to your body and take it as the basis of your identity, you are making a mistake. … Your mind is the true master; the body is merely a house. You are the master who lives in a particular body. This everlasting, true mind and pure, brilliant inherent nature is the true self. It Is also called the tathāgatagarbha as well as the Buddha nature. So do not think that your body is you. It’s yours, but it’s not you. The real you neither comes into being nor ceases to be, is neither defiled nor pure, and neither increases nor diminishes. However, instead of recognizing the real you, you recognize the “false self” and think that the body is you. …
  2. Extreme views. What is an extreme view? The view of annihilationism and the view of eternalism are the two extreme views held by non-Buddhists. Those who believe in annihilationism believe that when you die, it is like a lamp going out. It’s all over. You will not undergo any retribution for good or evil. Regardless of whether you have been good or bad, everything ends with death. There is no rebirth. They do not believe in cause and effect. They do not believe that you can become a Buddha if you do good deeds or that you can become a ghost if you do bad deeds. They do not believe in the existence of Buddhas and ghosts. In fact, they do not believe in the notion of people either. They feel that people are no different from grass and trees that grow and die. When one dies, another is born, but the same being is not reborn again. One dies and another takes its place. Those who die are forever dead; those who come into being are born anew. That’s the view of annihilationism. Because they do not believe in the cycle of cause and effect, they do not accept the concept of transmigration in the six destinies. … For example, some religions say that there is only one supreme deity in the heavens. That is an example of the extreme view of eternalism. Eternalism and annihilationism are two non-Buddhist views. In these teachings, no matter how good you are, you can never become that supreme deity. As long as you believe in that deity, you can go to the heavens even if you committed crimes. But if you don’t believe in that deity, then you are bound for the hells regardless of your virtuous behavior. This does not seem quite fair. It almost appears as if the deity would accept bribes and likes to be revered and worshipped. Annihilationism and eternalism are both extreme views. They are not in accord with the Middle Way. …
  3. Erroneous views regarding moral practices and austerities. These erroneous views refer to the disciplines cultivated by non-Buddhist sects. They take what is not a cause as a cause and what is not an effect as an effect. What does that mean? They cultivate futile ascetic practices through which they think they can attain nirvāṇa and ultimate bliss. For example, some of these groups may open the heavenly eye by cultivating these ascetic practices and see cows, dogs, pigs, and chickens that have been reborn in the heavens. Then they imitate those animals. They eat grass along with the cow instead of eating regular food. They think that the cow was reborn in the heavens because it ate grass. They imagine that eating grass is the purest form of vegetarianism-purer than just abstaining from meat. They consider it the optimal vegetarian diet. They assume that eating only grass is true cultivation; otherwise, how could cows be born in the heavens? Therefore, they take up the discipline of eating grass and living like a cow. … These ascetics hold erroneous views regarding moral practices and austerities. The ascetic practices in these examples are futile. Although they do not lead to any spiritual attainment, there are people who like to practice them.
  4. Wrong views. This refers to improper views. For example, people who cultivate the Path should be filial to their parents, but those with wrong views don’t think this is necessary. “What’s the point of being filial to your parents? It’s their job to have children. You don’t have to be filial to them.” Killing is wrong, but they say, “The more you kill the better.” The [first of the] five precepts prohibits killing, yet they instruct people to kill. Wouldn’t you say that this is a wrong view? Stealing is against the law, yet they use all kinds of methods to teach people how to steal. Sexual misconduct is wrong, but they encourage people to engage in it. One shouldn’t lie either, but they condone lying. They say, “Don’t listen to that person who is telling you not to lie; he himself is a liar! He’s just deceiving you. How could he not be lying? Don’t believe in that.” This is a wrong view. Taking intoxicants is against our precepts, but they think that it doesn’t matter. Some people like to smoke and claim that, in the five precepts, the precept against taking intoxicants doesn’t include tobacco. “Smoking isn’t breaking the precepts,” they say. These are all wrong views. Some people are against being vegetarian, saying, “You are vegetarian and do not eat any meat? But all those cows and sheep are raised to be eaten. If you don’t eat them, what use are they?” In general, they will oppose what is right and come up with plausible reasons to persuade you to accept their wrong views.
  5. Views of attachment to personal views. People with such views want to take whatever they see and make it their own. They will use any means necessary to benefit themselves. They are very selfish.

These five sharp afflictions obscure your genuine wisdom. They are like five servants surrounding you, preventing you from acting naturally. You are controlled and made to listen to these five servants, who encourage you to make bad choices. Students of the Buddhadharma, now that you recognize these five sharp afflictions, you must wield your sword of wisdom and slay them all. Only after that can you transcend the three realms.

This has been a general explanation of the five sharp afflictions. If one were to explain them in detail, one could talk for eons but never finish.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v4, p327-338
Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, LS32, LS45

The Troubled World of the Five Turbidities

In Senchu Murano’s translation of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddhas says in Chapter 2, Expedients: “Śāriputra! The Buddhas appear in the evil worlds in which there are the five defilements. The worlds are defiled by the decay of the kalpa, by illusions, by the deterioration of the living beings, by wrong views, and by the shortening of lives.” In Master Hsuan Hua’s translation these defilements are called turbidities.

Śāriputra, all Buddhas appear in the troubled world of the five turbidities: namely, the turbidity of the kalpa, the turbidity of afflictions, the turbidity of living beings, the turbidity of views, and the turbidity of life spans. In order to universally save living beings, all Buddhas of the ten directions may appear in the world that is turbid and troubled in five ways. The five turbidities are:

  1.  The turbidity of the kalpa. What is meant by kalpa? Kalpa means time. There is no such thing as time. The past, present, and future are perceived only because living beings discriminate. Thus, the kalpa comes into being. Kalpa is a Sanskrit word translated as “measure of time.” In what way is time a turbidity? Time is made turbid by the offenses of living beings.
  2. The turbidity of afflictions. This refers to the five dull afflictions – greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, and doubt – mentioned in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra. These five primary afflictions are the roots from which all other afflictions are derived. In addition to the five dull afflictions, there are also five sharp afflictions, which make up the turbidity of views discussed below. These sharp afflictions arise much faster than the dull afflictions.
  3. The turbidity of living beings refers to living beings’ various good and bad causes, resulting in various good and bad karmic results. Each person has created negative karma; therefore, all living beings are sullied.
  4. The turbidity of views refers to the five sharp afflictions: views of individual identity, extreme views (concerning annihilationism and externalism), erroneous views regarding moral practices and austerities, views of attachment to personal views, and wrong views. These views are also turbid.
  5. The turbidity of life spans. Living beings are allotted a certain amount of time in any given life span to play out their karmic consequences. Therefore, life is itself turbid.

What is “turbidity”? Let me give you an example. When you stir water that has some mud in it, the water becomes murky and unclear; this water is described as turbid. Similarly, these five turbidities taint our world. That is why it is known as the troubled world of the five turbidities.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v3, p108-109
Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary

Turning the Dharma Wheel of the Four Noble Truths Three Times

Turning the wheel of the Dharma appears throughout the Lotus Sutra. What that turning includes is detailed in Chapter 7 after the enlightenment of Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Tathāgata, who is said to have “turned the wheel of the teaching of the four truths three times, making twelve proclamations altogether.” In his commentary of Chapter 2, Expedients, Master Hsuan Hua explains what it means to turn the wheel of the teaching of the four truths three times.

To teach these five bhikṣus, Śākyamuni Buddha turned the Dharma wheel of the four noble truths three times. What does that mean?

When the Buddha first taught the five bhikṣus, he said:

Recognize that suffering is oppressive.
Recognize that the aggregation of suffering happens through attraction.
Recognize that the cessation of suffering can be realized.
Recognize that the Path leading to the cessation of suffering can be cultivated.

This is the first turning of the Dharma wheel. Suffering is oppressive. The aggregation of suffering is the cumulative effect of afflictions. Suffering can be brought to an end, leading to the stillness of nirvāṇa, with its four virtues: permanence, joy, true self, and purity. The Path leading to cessation can be cultivated. This describes the first turning of the Dharma wheel (the indicative turning).

In the second turning of the Dharma wheel (the hortative turning), the Buddha said,

Suffering is to be understood.
The aggregation of suffering is to be severed.
The cessation of suffering is to be realized.
The Path leading to the cessation of suffering is to be cultivated.

In the third turning of the Dharma wheel (the evidential turning), the Buddha said,

I have understood suffering and need not understand it further.
I have severed the aggregation of suffering and need not sever it further.
I have realized the cessation of suffering and need not realize it further.
I have cultivated the Path and need not cultivate it further.

The Buddha said that he knew about suffering, had cut off his afflictions, had attained the four virtues of nirvāṇa, and had realized the thirty-seven factors of awakening.

Affliction is a kind of “guest dust.” It comes not from the host but from the outside. In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, we read about guest dust. Ājñātakauṇḍinya became awakened because of these two words “guest dust.” “A guest,” he said, “does not stay forever; at some point, a guest will leave.” Ājñātakauṇḍinya became awakened because of the two words guest dust and is therefore known as he who “understood the fundamental essence” and “the first to become awakened.”

As the Buddha said to the five bhikṣus, “You should realize the cessation of suffering. You should cultivate the Path leading to the cessation of suffering,” Ājñātakauṇḍinya understood and immediately attained realization.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v3, p230-232
Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, LS32, LS45

Hsuan Hua’s Ledgers

Following on yesterday’s post Hsuan Hua and the Four Vast Vows, I offer this short explanation from Chapter 4, Understanding by Faith.

Some of them were counting
His gold, silver, and other valuables.
His expenses, earnings, and assets
Were noted and recorded there in the ledgers.

There were people estimating the value of his gold, silver, and other valuables. All of his expenditures and revenues were noted and recorded in the ledgers. Just as merchants document their business transactions, we who study the Buddhadharma write things down because we wish to elaborate upon key principles with detailed explanations. For example, we write out a commentary for a sūtra so that those who do not understand certain principles may read the commentary and gain understanding. The ledger represents the four vast vows:

Living beings are boundless; I vow to save them all.

Afflictions are endless; I vow to cut them off.

Dharma-doors are countless; I vow to learn them all.

Buddhahood is unsurpassed; I vow to realize it.

If someone makes the four vast vows, his or her name is said to be “written in the ledger” to become a Buddha. Taking the four vast vows is considered to be evidence that the individual will become a Buddha. Writing account ledgers is an allegory for cultivating.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v5, p136-137
Blog, Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary

Hsuan Hua and the Four Vast Vows

Master Hsuan Hua offers this explanation of the Bodhisattva’s Four Great Vows in his discussion of Chapter 3, A Parable, in the Lotus Sutra and the description of the characteristics of the Great Cart given to the children who escape the Burning House of the Triple World.

The first of the four vast vows is, “Living beings are boundless; I vow to save them all.” The beings in our inherent nature are countless and limitless. You must first save beings within yourself before you can save beings on the outside. If you have not finished saving the beings within yourself, you cannot finish saving living beings on the outside. Although you have saved living beings, you should not become attached to having done so. You should save all living beings yet have no attachment to having saved them.

The second of the four vast vows is, “Afflictions are endless; I vow to cut them off.” Our afflictions arise without our intending to produce them. We try to avoid having afflictions, yet afflictions still arise. Without realizing how it happens, ignorance manifests. The Heart Sutra discusses twenty types of subsidiary afflictions. Without cause or reason, afflictions arise. One vows to sever these afflictions, but they continue to arise. We would be well-off indeed if we had as much money as we had afflictions. Then we’d always have money – no need to work for it. It’s too bad we don’t have as much money as we do afflictions. Afflictions are never-ending. Money is not. Once you use it, it’s gone. But there are people who think afflictions are the best thing. They get angry and think it’s more fun than eating dumplings. Is this strange or not? Giving rise to afflictions will burn away one’s virtues and Dharma wealth. That is why the Buddha taught all living beings to sever afflictions. Afflictions must be cut off.

The third vow Is, “Dharma-doors are countless; I vow to study them all.” Last year you studied the Śūraṅgama Sūtra. This year you are studying the Dharma Flower Sūtra, the Heart Sūtra, the Vajra Sūtra, and the Earth Store Sūtra; and soon we will have lectures on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra as well. Each sūtra has its own principles. How many doctrines would you say there are? There are as many as the grains of sand in the Ganges, as many as motes of dust. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra in its original form has as many chapters as the motes of dust in ten trichiliocosms. How many is that? It is as many as those dust motes. If you can count how many dust motes there are, then you know how many chapters there are. If you can’t, don’t ask me, because I am just like you.

As to Dharma-doors, there are the Great Vehicle Dharmas, the Lesser Vehicle Dharmas, the four noble truths, the six pāramitās, the twelve links of dependent arising, the thirty-seven factors of awakening… How many Dharmas are there? There are 84,000 Dharma-doors. If we were to study one Dharma-door every day, we would need 84,000 days. How many days are there in our lives? There are 365 days in a year, 3,650 days in ten years, and 36,500 days in one hundred years – so we would be dead before we finished studying. National Master Qingliang lived to be 101. How can we ever finish learning all wisdom and knowledge? We can never finish learning. If not, should we quit studying? No. Even though we cannot finish studying, we still need to study. “Dharma-doors are countless; I vow to study them all.” If we do not study, we will not learn. So we must keep studying. …

The fourth vow Is, “Buddhahood is unsurpassed; I vow to realize it.” In this world, there is nothing higher than the realization of Buddhahood. Becoming a Buddha is the most honorable accomplishment both in and beyond this world. Therefore, the Buddha, the World Honored One, is the most honored both within and beyond the world. Buddhahood is the ultimate refuge and final accomplishment. Before becoming a Buddha, one is simply a confused being in the nine Dharma realms. After becoming a Buddha, one is completely clear, without any confusion. This is why we vow, “Buddhahood is unsurpassed; I vow to realize it.” We vow to become Buddhas. Not only will we become Buddhas, we will lead all living beings to realize Buddhahood together.

These four vast vows are truly magnificent. “I vow to save the living beings of my inherent nature. I vow to cut off the afflictions of my inherent nature.” You can’t just run around telling other people that they should cut off their afflictions. You can’t walk up to someone and say, “You are studying the Buddhadharma, yet you still have so many afflictions. You still have a terrible temper. Just what meaning does all your study have?” You are not supposed to be looking at others’ faults. You are supposed to watch over yourself….

The four vast vows are very important. They are represented in the text by the phrase “with golden cords strung around them.” The four vast vows are like cords of gold braided together. You have to be vigorous. Don’t ever forget these vows. Always base your cultivation upon these four vast vows.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v4, p408-412

These vows, which are know in Nichiren Shu Buddhism as the Four Great Vows, are derived from T’ien T’ai Buddhism. There’s an excellent discussion of how these vows are derived from the Four Noble Truths in a 1983 article by Robert F. Rhodes. (PDF)

Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary

Hsuan Hua’s Perspective: Siddhartha’s Three Wives and Yaśodharā’s Delayed Birth of Rāhula

In contrast to the story about The Deer Park, some of Master Hsuan Hua’s stories diverge from more common traditions. Consider this explanation of Rāhula, Śākyamuni’s son, and Yaśodharā, Rāhula’s mother.

Rāhula was Śākyamuni Buddha’s son. The Buddha had three wives. His senior wife was Gopika, his middle wife was Yaśodharā, and his junior wife was Mṛgadāva. Rāhula was the son of his second wife, Yaśodharā. After giving birth to him, Yaśodharā encountered a lot of problems and was involved in a scandal. Why was that? She did not show signs of pregnancy until after the Buddha had left the home life. Naturally, the entire Śākya clan was outraged. They said, “She’s certainly been up to no good. Her husband has been gone for six years. How could she have a son?” The truth was that Rāhula had been living in his mother’s womb for six years. Of course, no one could believe this. The Śākyans were furious and wanted to punish Yaśodharā for her infidelity by sentencing her to death.

Malicious rumors spread through the streets and all over the country. Everyone knew that the Buddha had been away for six years, but his wife had given birth to a son. Even though the palace maids had sworn before the Buddha’s father that Yaśodharā had not been unfaithful and that the child was indeed Śākyamuni Buddha’s, no one believed her innocence. It was thought to be impossible!

Left with no choice, Yaśodharā swore, “If I have behaved improperly, then when I jump into a pit of fire, my son and I will be burned to death; but if I am blameless, the heavenly spirits will protect us from the fire.

Consequently, a large pit was made and filled with lots of wood, and a roaring fire was lit. Holding Rāhula in her arms, she jumped into the fire. Miraculously, the fiery pit turned into a pond, and a lotus emerged to support her and Rāhula. After witnessing this, the king realized that his daughter-in-law had been wrongfully accused. Everyone in the country acknowledged this was an extraordinary situation and stopped criticizing her.

Rāhula means “covering and obstructing.” Why was he called Covering and Obstructing? In one of his past lives, when he was a child, he plugged up a mouse hole with a piece of wood for six days before removing it. As a result, in this life he had to bear the consequence of having to stay in his mother’s womb for six years. We should all consider this carefully: cause and effect is truly remarkable. Even though Rāhula was the Buddha’s son, he still had to undergo the retribution of spending six years in his mother’s womb because of this misdeed of plugging up a mouse hole. That was how he got the name Covering and Obstructing.

Another possible interpretation would be from Yaśodharā’s point of view. Because of Rāhula, she had to face a lot of troubles and adversities. The obstacles that she faced came from her son. That could also explain the name Covering and Obstructing.

Ultimately, where did Śākyamuni Buddha’s son come from? Was he really Śākyamuni Buddha’s son? Yes, he was. Did Śākyamuni Buddha have his son in the same manner as ordinary couples do? No. When Yaśodharā expressed her desire to have a son, the Buddha pointed his finger at her, and she became pregnant. This may sound like a myth, but in Buddhism there are many such myths. Yaśodharā’s pregnancy was inconceivable. There is no way to verify it

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v2, p92-94

Google’s AI Mode search is helpful here. If you ask, “Which Buddhist school says Siddhartha had multiple wives and that his son, Rahula, was born years after he became the Buddha?” you find that Hsuan Hua’s story follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda tradition. The Widkipedia entry for Rāhula has more on this.