Category Archives: Hsuan Hua

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
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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.

Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary

Hsuan Hua’s Stories of Buddhism: Śāriputra’s Failure

Following on yesterday’s post, here’s another example Master Hsuan Hua’s explanation of the basic stories of Buddhism.

See also Using Śāriputra’s Failure to Explain the Meaning of Bodhisattva Mahāsattva

Why was Śāriputra unable to practice the Bodhisattva Path?

Śāriputra was a Śrāvaka, and he once resolved to cultivate the Bodhisattva Dharma and practice the Bodhisattva Path of the Great Vehicle. Before you have genuinely brought forth the resolve for bodhi, nobody will test you. However, as soon as you have truly and sincerely brought forth the bodhi resolve, the gods, dragons, and other spiritual beings of the eightfold division, or the Bodhisattvas, will come to test you. It is sort of like university entrance exams. If you pass, you get in; otherwise, you have to start over again. Śāriputra resolved to practice the Bodhisattva Path, and Bodhisattvas must practice giving. If people want something that you have, you must give it to them. If you cannot fulfill their wishes, then you cannot be called a Bodhisattva.

When Śāriputra was practicing the Bodhisattva Path, he ran into a man who was crying in grief as he walked. The sad scene moved Śāriputra to compassion. As Bodhisattvas must sympathize and be compassionate with all living beings as well as alleviate their suffering and agony, Śāriputra asked the man, “Why are you crying?”

“My mother is sick,” said the man, “and she needs an eye from a living person to treat this illness. But where can I find such an eye? She will not recover without an eye from a living person. I went to all the medicine shops, but none of them carry eyes from living donors. How could I not cry?”

When Śāriputra heard this, he thought, “Ah, his mother is sick. He needs a live eye to cure her. He is very filial, but obviously there’s no medicine shop in this world where one can buy the eye of a living person. Since I have two eyes, I’ll give him one of mine.” Moved by compassion, he gouged out one of his eyes with his hand and said, “I’m here to help. Take this eye and go cure your mother’s ailment. Don’t cry now.”

The man took the eye, looked at it, and suddenly smashed it on the ground. The eye burst like a firecracker going off, and was no more.

“Why did you throw my eye to the ground?” asked Śāriputra.

The man said, “Your old eye is stinky and smelly and just plain useless, you know? What I need is a right eye! You gave me a left eye! Those are two different things. You didn’t even ask whether I needed a left or a right eye before you gouged your left one out. It’s useless, utterly useless. If you really want to help me, then please give me your right eye!”

Śāriputra was already suffering unbearable pain from gouging out his left eye. If he gouged out his right eye as well, he’d be totally blind. “No way! I can’t do any more giving! I can’t give you my right eye. Go look somewhere else.”

“Ah hah!” said the man. “So your Bodhisattva resolve was only half a resolve, eh? It wasn’t total. You could only give one eye. You couldn’t give the other one. Okay. So much for that. We’ll just have to wait awhile, won’t we?”

After saying that, the man flew up into space. He was actually a god who had come to test Śāriputra. He then said, “This time you didn’t pass the test. You can wait another few years.” This is like someone who wants to go to college but fails the exams and has to wait some time before he can try again.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v4, p434-436
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Hsuan Hua’s Stories of Buddhism: The Deer Park

For me, one of the best parts of Master Hsuan Hua’s commentaries is the inclusion of basic stories of Buddhism. The story of The King of Kalinga appeared both in the Hsuan Hua’s commentary on the Vajra Sutra and his Lotus Sutra commentary. I published the Vajra Sutra version earlier because I felt it was more complete. Below is Hsuan Hua’s story of The Deer Park.

Once, there were two deer kings living in the park. One deer king was a former incarnation of Śākyamuni Buddha, many lifetimes and many eons ago. He was the compassionate deer king. The other deer king was a former incarnation of Devadatta. At that time there was a king who went to the Deer Park to hunt. On every expedition, he brought many people with him, and they killed many deer.

So many deer were killed that they were on the verge of becoming extinct. The two deer kings had a meeting and decided that the deer king who was to become Sakyamuni Buddha would go present a petition to the hunting king, begging him for mercy. “What kind of petition shall we present?” asked the other deer king.

The compassionate deer king, the former incarnation of Śākyamuni Buddha, replied, “We shall tell the king of the country that every day we will send him two deer for his food. Then our herds will not become extinct, and he will have fresh venison daily. I am sure the king will agree to this. If he does not, pretty soon we will all be dead, and he will not have any deer meat at all. Besides, he cannot possibly eat that much meat. I suspect he lets most of it rot.”

The deer king Devadatta said, “Okay, let’s go appeal to him!”

The two of them went to the palace to present their petition. When they arrived at the gate, they met the palace guard, who immediately drew his sword to kill them. “Don’t kill us!” the two deer cried. “We have come today for an audience with the king. We want to present him with a petition.”

The guard was quite taken aback. “Weird,” he said. “Talking deer!” and he ran to see the king. He said, “For heaven’s sake, two talking deer have come to see you.”

The king raised an eyebrow and looked at the guard, “Talking deer? Oh yes, well tell them to come in, and we will see what kind of strange creatures they are.”

The two deer came in and said to the king, “You’ve been hunting our herds, Your Majesty, and many of our deer have been killed. You cannot possibly eat that much meat every day, can you? If you keep it up, we will disappear altogether, and you will not have any meat to eat. So we have a petition to present to you. Every day we will send you two deer to eat. Then you will not have to go hunting, but you will have meat to eat every day. If you continue to kill us at the rate you have been, you will wipe us out.” Keep in mind, at that time there were no refrigerators.

The king was surprised to hear deer talking like people. Hearing their request, he found it reasonable and agreed. “Every day you can send us two deer,” he said. And that is just what they did. This way, the king was able to eat fresh, tasty venison every day.

One day the deer king who was to become Śākyamuni Buddha appeared at the palace gate to offer himself for the king to eat. The king recognized the deer and said, “You are the king of one of the herds. How can you offer yourself? Have all the other deer in your herd been eaten?”

Śākyamuni, the deer king, replied, “Not only are there still deer in our herds, but their numbers are increasing daily. We two deer kings each watch over five hundred deer. Of the five hundred, only one goes each day as an offering to Your Majesty. Many fawns are born every day. Now our herds have doubled and redoubled. But now, for a special reason, I myself have come as your daily offering.”

“What reason?” asked the king.

“Today’s deer from my herd came with no problems, but in Devadatta’s herd there was an issue. The deer selected to be offered is pregnant. Her baby is due in a day or two, and she begged Devadatta to let her trade places with someone else, saying that once her baby is born she will gladly go to the king for food. But Devadatta would not hear of it. She came to me and asked me if a deer in my herd would trade with her. None of my deer wanted to go, of course. Hence, I volunteered myself and here I am.”

When the king heard this he thought, “How strange! Deer are living creatures, just like people. Why should I eat deer meat every day? They have feelings just like people do.” Then he recited the following verse:

You are like a person with a deer head,
While I am a deer with a human head.
From this day forward only vegetables I’ll eat;
I’ll never, ever eat another living being’s meat.

“You have the head of a deer,” the king said, “but your heart is extremely kind and compassionate. Your heart is kinder than that of most human beings. I may have a person’s head, but my heart is not as good as yours. From this day forward, I will not eat meat.”

Because of this experience, the king was moved to become a vegetarian. This story explains why that park was named the Deer Park.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v3, p226-228
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Hsuan Hua’s 10 Epithets of the Buddha

I keep track of traffic to this website. I do it just for curiosity; there’s no financial incentive to gather in more eyeballs. I suppose I take a certain pride that somewhere between 30 and 50 unique visitors read what I’ve posted here each day. I remember when that average was 10 unique visitors. The five top draws according to recent statistics were:

Top content over the last 28 days

Title Pageviews
500 Yojanas | On the Journey to a Place of Treasures 423
Devadatta 262
The Basic Nichiren Shu Service 122
The Ten Epithets of the Buddha 47
Lotus Sutra Audiobook 40

The popularity of the main landing page is understandable, as is the The Basic Nichiren Shu Service. The fact that Average Time on Page for this site runs more than three minutes is a reflection of the number of people who use this site for their daily practice. A woman who travels a lot for her job thanked me for making this available. Less obvious are Nichiren’s letter about Devadatta and Nikkyō Niwano’s explanation of the 10 Epithets of the Buddha from his Buddhism for Today.

For those who come for the 10 Epithets of the Buddha, I offer Master Hsuan Hua’s explanation from his commentary on the Lotus Sutra.

What does Tathagata mean? It’s given the following interpretation: “By following the true Path, one attains perfect awakening.” One moves forward on the true, down-to-earth path, the path that truly leads to Buddhahood. The path to Buddhahood is real, not an illusion. Moving forward on this true path, one attains the perfect awakening and becomes a Buddha. This is one way to explain it.

The best explanation of the term Tathagata, however, is found in the Vajra Sutra, which says that “The Tathagata does not come from anywhere, nor does he go anywhere. That is why he is called the Tathagata.” He doesn’t come from anywhere, but does he go anywhere? He goes nowhere as well. So he is known as the Tathagata or Thus Come One. Tatha [“thus”] represents stillness. Agata [“come”] represents movement. Movement does not obstruct stillness, and stillness does not obstruct movement. Movement itself is stillness, and stillness itself is movement. Movement and stillness are one.

Why is movement itself stillness and stillness itself movement? Why is there movement? Movement appears in contrast to stillness. Why is there stillness? Stillness appears in contrast to movement. Stillness is produced from movement; movement comes from stillness. This is why movement and stillness are one; they’re dual yet nondual. Even though they’re dual, they’re actually one. They’re like water and ice. Water is ice, and ice is water. The principle is the same. Therefore, movement does not obstruct stillness, and stillness does not obstruct movement. Stillness at its extreme becomes movement, and movement at its extreme becomes stillness.

We human beings move around during the day and remain still at night. However, while in stillness there is movement, and in movement there is stillness. During the day, people are generally on the move, but some may choose to sleep. Sleeping is stillness, and waking is movement. At night, most people sleep, but some don’t. That’s movement. Tathagata is the first of the ten titles of the Buddha.

One Worthy of Offerings
Living beings, for their part, should make offerings to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The Buddha, for his part, is worthy of receiving offerings from gods and humans. It is said,

To every supplication, there will be a response.
No entreaty will be left unanswered.

What is meant by “To every supplication, there will be a response”? Making offerings is a form of supplication. For example, those who make offerings to the Three Jewels hope to receive blessings and wisdom. Those who seek blessings and wisdom may make offerings to the Three Jewels.

One of Right and Universal Knowledge
Right knowledge refers to the understanding that the mind gives rise to the myriad phenomena; universal knowledge refers to the understanding that the myriad phenomena arise from the mind. It is said,

The Buddha taught all Dharmas in response to the minds of living beings.
In the absence of minds, what use would Dharmas be?

One of Perfect Clarity and Conduct
“Clarity” refers to the Buddha’s brilliance–that is, his wisdom. “Conduct” refers to the strength of his cultivation. Because the Buddha is perfect in both wisdom and cultivation, he is One of Perfect Clarity and Conduct.
Sugata, Knower of the World
Sugata is translated as “one who goes well,” meaning that the Buddha has gone to a good place. As Knower of the World, he understands everything in the world. There is no phenomenon, be It mundane or transcendent, that he doesn’t understand.
Unsurpassed One
Only a Buddha can be called the Unsurpassed One; other living beings cannot. Bodhisattvas are called Great Ones and are also known as Surpassed Ones. Buddhas are Unsurpassed Ones, for no one is above them.
Subduing and Regulating Hero
To subdue and regulate is akin to driving a car in a certain direction. To drive a car, you have to turn the steering wheel. Driving is similar to subduing and regulating. In northern China they have horse chariots that are driven by people. The driver cracks the whip, and the horse moves forward. To subdue and regulate is also similar to driving a horse cart. The Buddha is a great hero who subdues and regulates those in the three realms: the realm of desire, the realm of form, and the realm of the formless.
Teacher of Gods and Humans
The Buddha is a teacher of both the beings in the heavens and the people on earth.
Buddha
The Buddha has perfected all three kinds of awakening: self-awakening, the awakening of others, and the perfection of self-awakening and of practices. It is said,

Having perfected the three kinds of awakening and accomplished the myriad virtues,
one is called a Buddha.

World Honored One
The Buddha is honored both in the world and beyond.
Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v4, p34-36

In Volume 6, which covers Chapters 5, 6 and 7, Hsuan Hua expands on what Buddha means in discussing the 10 epithets in  his commentary on Chapter 6, Conferring Predictions.

9. Buddha.
What is a Buddha? Those who have heard the Dharma before will understand what Buddha means. Those who have not heard the Dharma will not know it. The Buddha is just a person, and a person is a Buddha. On the other hand, the Buddha is a Buddha and people are just people. We cannot assume that since the Buddha is a person, people are also Buddhas. The Buddha is a person who cultivated and then became a Buddha. How about people? If people cultivate, they can become Buddhas: if they do not cultivate, they cannot. Therefore, it is also said that the Buddha is a living being and that living beings are Buddhas. The Buddha is a living being who cultivated to become a Buddha, so living beings have to cultivate to become Buddhas. You cannot fail to cultivate yet claim to be a Buddha. That’s impossible! Even though the Buddha is a living being, he also has to cultivate. If, in the beginning, the Buddha had not cultivated, he would not have become a Buddha either.

Buddhahood is realized through cultivation, but how do you cultivate? You must first awaken yourself rather than demanding that others awaken. As the saying goes,

Awakened, one is a Buddha;
Confused, one is a living being

When you awaken, you are a Buddha among living beings. When you are confused, you are a living being who has not realized your Buddha nature. The only difference between the two is that one is confused and the other is awake. To awaken is to truly understand.

Those who are self-awakened are distinguished from ordinary people, who have not awakened. Not awakened to what?

They have not awakened to their own faults and offenses; they have not awakened to the fact that they have created so much karma. Luckily, the karma we have created has no physical form. Though empty space is truly vast, if our karma had shape and form, it would surely fill up the whole of space and break it open. But because karma doesn’t have a physical form, we don’t have to worry about storing it anywhere.

Nevertheless, it never leaves you; it follows you everywhere and all the time. Unawakened, you are an ordinary person. Self-awakened, you are no longer the same as ordinary people.

Your own awakening, however, does not have any merit; you still have to create merit. How do you do that? By awakening yourself and awakening others. You should think, “Having awakened myself, I will use the same methods and principles to awaken all living beings, so that everyone will attain awakening.” To awaken others is to walk the Bodhisattva Path, which distinguishes one from those of the Two Vehicles. Even though you are self-awakened and have awakened others, you’re awakening and practice has not yet reached perfection. To perfect your own awakening and the awakening of others is the perfection of awakening and of practices. There are three kinds of perfection in awakening-the perfection of self-awakening, the perfection of bringing others to awakening, and the perfection of awakening and of practices. When you perfect the three kinds of awakening and accomplish the myriad virtues, you will be called a Buddha.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v6, p95-96
Blog, Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, LS32, LS45

The Peril In Disparaging the Lotus Sutra

As mentioned yesterday, Master Hsuan Hua did not see the Lotus Sutra as the ultimate teaching of Śākyamuni, as Zhiyi or Nichiren did. But while Hsuan Hua saw the Avataṃsaka Sutra – Flower Garland Sutra – as the king, he still warned people not to disparage the Lotus Sutra. Here’s a sampling from his commentary on Chapter 3, A Parable.

Those who don’t believe this sūtra / And who disparage it / Will destroy their disposition / For Buddhahood in this world. If people do not have faith in the Dharma Flower Sūtra and denounce it, they disconnect from their potential for realizing Buddhahood in this world. Destroying one’s disposition for Buddhahood is very serious; the karmic offenses of someone who does this are extremely grave. If one cuts off one’s disposition for Buddhahood, the potential for the hells comes forth. When the potential for the hells comes forth, one might fall into the hells. Why did I lecture on the Śūraṅgama Sūtra before lecturing on the Dharma Flower Sūtra? The Śūraṅgama Sūtra is not as strict on this point. So, whatever you do, be sure not to criticize the Dharma Flower Sūtra.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v4, p471

SŪTRA

O Śāriputra! This Dharma seal of mine
Is spoken because I wish
To benefit the world.
Wherever you go,
Do not proclaim it carelessly.

COMMENTARY

O Śāriputra! Although Śākyamuni Buddha was speaking directly to Śāriputra, he was also speaking to you, to me, and to all living beings of the present. In speaking to Śāriputra, he was also speaking to all Buddhists and Dharma masters who propagate the Buddhadharma by expounding the sūtras and teaching the Dharma.

This Dharma seal of mine / Is spoken because I wish / To benefit the world. The Buddha uses the Dharma seal of ultimate reality to certify that all living beings have the potential to realize Buddhahood. This Dharma seal is the most honorable and noble. It is not something to be used casually. The Buddha is speaking it now because he wants to benefit all living beings. What is meant by “benefit”? It refers to benefiting oneself as well as others. This Dharma seal is used to help all living beings. There are three worlds – the sentient world, the material world, and the world of perfect awakening. To “benefit the world” refers to benefiting the sentient world. The Buddha teaches the Dharma Flower Sūtra to benefit the sentient world.

Wherever you go, / Do not proclaim it carelessly. This Dharma is venerable and noble. You should not propagate it casually. Wherever you go, be sure not to criticize the Dharma Flower Sūtra casually. If you explain the Dharma to those who are not ready to hear it, they will disparage it. Then not only will you have failed to save them, you will have caused them to fall into the hells. Why should you not carelessly speak the sūtra? People might fall into the lower destinies because of you. Upon hearing this sūtra, most people will criticize it. They might say things like, “How can this be? How can it be that, without accruing any merit, we can still become Buddhas? That is just too good to be true. People are just people. How can they become Buddhas? The sūtras mislead people.” Those who utter a single sentence of criticism, such as “The sūtras mislead people,” will fall into the hell of incessant suffering. This principle will be discussed in more detail later in the sūtra. It is out of fear that people might criticize the sūtra and fall into the hells that the Buddha warned Śāriputra not to teach the sūtra casually. You can only explain the Dharma Flower Sūtra to those with the disposition for the Great Vehicle, who will bring forth faith upon hearing this text.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v4, p459-461

Some of you may be thinking, “[people failing into hell for slandering the Lotus Sūtra] is all the Buddha’s fault. If he had not taught the Dharma Flower Sūtra, nobody would fall into the hells. He taught the Dharma Flower Sūtra, and as a result, many people have fallen into the hells. Why? They criticized the Dharma Flower Sūtra. If the Buddha had never taught the Dharma Flower Sūtra, it would be impossible to criticize it. If no one criticized it, no one would fall into the hells. So in the end, it more or less amounts to Śākyamuni Buddha sending people to the hells.”

Do you think this argument is sound? Think about it and make your own judgment. This person argued no one would fall into the hells if Śākyamuni Buddha had not taught the Dharma Flower Sūtra, but because he did, many people have gone to the hells. The argument should not be one-sided. This person seems to be arguing in favor of living beings and against Śākyamuni Buddha. If you develop an argument from the perspective of living beings, you should also do that for Śākyamuni Buddha. I now present an argument from Śākyamuni Buddha’s side.

You may say that if Śākyamuni Buddha had not taught the Dharma Flower Sutra, no one would have fallen into the hells. But if Śākyamuni Buddha had not taught the Dharma Flower Sūtra, no one would have become a Buddha either. If someone falls into the hells, you cannot blame the Buddha, because he was very clear in saying that criticizing the sūtra is a grave offense. Since you already know that it is an offense, you should not criticize the sūtra. If you do not criticize the sūtra, you will not increase your risk of falling into the hells.

But if you insist on going ahead and criticizing this sūtra even more just to spite the Buddha, you will fall even deeper into the hells. There is not the slightest doubt about this. Śākyamuni Buddha warned us that whoever disparages the Dharma Flower Sutra will fall into the hells or turn into a hungry ghost or an animal and suffer in the three lower realms for countless eons. So why would you want to disparage the Dharma Flower Sūtra? If you do, you are deliberately pitting yourself against the Buddha. If nobody disparages it, nobody will fall into the hells. Therefore, you cannot say that people fall into the hells because the Buddha taught the Dharma Flower Sūtra.

Since Śākyamuni Buddha taught the Dharma Flower Sutra, just think of how many people it has inspired or will inspire to bring forth the bodhi resolve and attain Buddhahood in the future. More living beings will become Buddhas than will fall into the hells. I think those who will fall into the hells must be extremely ignorant, for they don’t believe anything at all. They know very well that Śākyamuni Buddha said that it is an offense to criticize the Dharma Flower Sūtra, yet they will do so. Who can save living beings like that? Actually, there is someone. Who is that? It’s Earth Store Bodhisattva. The Earth Store Sūtra describes how he saves this type of living being from the hells. When they have fallen into the hells and suffered enough to learn their lesson, Earth Store Bodhisattva will go down into the hells to teach the dharma to them. At that time they will finally understand. Their karmic offenses will be eradicated, and they will be reborn in the heavens or among human beings. Therefore, don’t worry about the people who criticize the sūtra and fall into the hells. Just select a good path for yourself and go forward. Do not worry about offenders or be upset about those in the hells.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v4, p495-497

People who study the Buddhadharma are supposed to take care of themselves and not mind other people’s business. There is a saying:

Others’ wrongs, others’ obsessions,
Are their bad karma and their transgressions.

Therefore, do not buy stock in someone else’s unwholesome “company” and become a shareholder. If you know they are not making money, then why do you still want to take a loss? Why insist on doing business in the red? If you see other people getting afflicted, you should stop and think, “Oh, affliction is really no good. I should sever it.” Do not inspect other people’s clothes and say, “Hey! Your clothes are stained and dirty,” without realizing that your own clothes are even dirtier. Don’t wash others’ clothes for them and forget about washing your own. The vow goes, “Buddhahood is unsurpassed; I vow to realize it.” You should all cleanse your own minds and hearts. Sweep out all those deluded thoughts. Don’t allow them to race back and forth in your minds.

What is a deluded thought? Thoughts about anything that you dislike are deluded thoughts of affliction. Thoughts about what you like are deluded thoughts of happiness. All your thoughts are deluded thoughts. You are either liking something or disliking it. Liking is deluded thinking, and so is disliking. What is to be done? Just let it go! If you let it go, then there won’t be any more liking or disliking. That is the ultimate truth of the Middle Way. You will no longer give rise to afflictions or have any worries.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v4, p412-413
Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary

Tasting the True Flavor of the Buddhadharma

As mentioned yesterday, Master Hsuan Hua didn’t hold the Lotus Sutra as the highest teaching of the Buddha, but that doesn’t mean he did not revere the Lotus Sutra. From the first volume of his 14-volume commentary, he makes his position clear.

The Buddha taught the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, the Āgama sūtras, the Vaipulya sutras, and the Prajña sutras over a period of several decades in order to pave the way for the Dharma Flower Sūtra. The previous teachings of the Avataṃsaka, Agama, Vaipulya, and Prajña Dharmas are known as “using the provisional for the sake of the ultimate.” Why did the Buddha teach those Dharmas? It was all for the Dharma Flower Sūtra. Now, in the Dharma Flower assembly, the Buddha “relinquishes the provisional to establish the ultimate.” That is, he discards the provisional and expedient Dharmas that he had taught previously and only preserves the Dharma Flower Sūtra.

The Dharma Flower Sūtra is the true mind of the Buddha. The Dharma Flower Sūtra is the true body, the Dharma body, the transformation body, and the reward body of the Buddha. Students of the Buddhadharma who have not thoroughly understood the Dharma Flower Sūtra have not yet tasted the true flavor of the Buddhadharma. The genuine and wonderful principles of the Buddhadharma are contained within the Dharma Flower Sūtra. That is why this Dharma is called “wonderful Dharma” and why the lotus flower is the metaphor for this sūtra.

The lotus flower is the king of flowers, the most precious of all. The lotus flower emerges from the mud yet is undefiled. Even though it is rooted in the mud, the flower is separated from the mud by water. It is said, “While in the muck, it transcends the muck.” The lotus flower is a wonderful flower, and this wonderful lotus flower is the most precious of all flowers. Similarly, this sutra is the ultimate sutra. There is a saying in Buddhism: “The Śūraṅgama is for opening wisdom, and the Dharma Flower is for becoming a Buddha.”

To open wisdom, one must study the Śūraṅgama Sūtra; to become a Buddha, one must learn the Dharma Flower Sūtra. In this way, the Dharma flower Sūtra and the Śūraṅgama Sūtra are the two most important sūtras in Buddhism. The Dharma Flower Sūtra is especially so, because all other sūtras were taught in preparation for the Dharma flower Sūtra. Thus it is the king of all sūtras. It is most rare and wonderful, beyond words and description, that we are now able to study the Dharma flower Sūtra.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v1, p12-13