Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra

A Detailed Exposition by Living Buddha Lian Sheng, Grandmaster Sheng-Yen Lu

Translated into English by the True Buddha School Vimala Sutra Translation Team 

Discourse 43, 16 October 2022 - Chapter One—Buddhaverse (Continued)    

Chapter One—Buddhaverse

Ever-Miserable Bodhisattva/the Bodhisattva who Suffers for Sentient Beings,
Root of Joy Bodhisattva,
King of Joy Bodhisattva, 
Debating Sound Bodhisattva

Let’s just talk about these four bodhisattvas:

Ever-Miserable Bodhisattva/the Bodhisattva who Suffers for Sentient Beings,
Root of Joy Bodhisattva,
King of Joy Bodhisattva,
Debating Sound Bodhisattva.

Look at this name—Ever Miserable! The Chinese translation of this bodhisattva’s name is mind-boggling. Is this bodhisattva always miserable? No, that’s not what it means. This bodhisattva has a compassionate heart; he empathizes with sentient beings and suffers when sentient beings suffer. 

For example, in this war between Russia and Ukraine, many homes were destroyed, and husbands, wives, and children became separated—isn’t it miserable? Of course! Look at the number of lives this pandemic has taken! COVID attacks many families, and when a family member dies because of it, happiness is shattered. At the beginning of the pandemic, no vaccines or medicine were available, so when the infection reached people’s lungs, they died! Is that not miserable? Some of them were disciples from our school who died only a few short days after infection. Families who were very happy and harmonious before are now in grave misery. At one point, so many people died that they could not be buried properly due to lacking facilities.

A few disciples from Taiwan Lei Tsang Temple are in the funeral business. They offer funerary services—chanting rituals, selling coffins and caskets, and providing burial or crematory services. The great number of deaths from this pandemic caused their businesses to boom so much that they couldn’t stop smiling. Other than these few people,  others suffered greatly! 

In addition, famines exist even to this day, as stated by the United Nations. The Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation, led by Fo-Ching, focuses on helping people in need, including those we do not even know. We intend to do as much as we can to help. We put forth our hearts and try our best to alleviate the suffering of sentient beings; we help those without food, who suffer from famines, disasters, plagues, wars, lack of education funds, and more problems.

Lotus Light Charity Society, previously led by Master Changren, built many water supply systems in remote, dry, and deserted areas of China so the locals could easily access water. They didn’t even know the people there! Lotus Light Charity Society has done a lot of good deeds, as has Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation.

The Ever-Miserable Bodhisattva does these things. He is the first to show concern for the welfare of the land and its people, and the last to savor the joy after everyone has been taken care of. This idiom was spoken by Fan Zhongyan.

Ever-Miserable Bodhisattva suffers because sentient beings suffer. He is miserable seeing the sufferings of wars, pandemics, famines, disasters, poverties, and so on. He shows concern for those who lack money to attend school and those who are ill. He always helps others and empathizes and cares for sentient beings. This is the Ever-Miserable Bodhisattva. Now, do you understand? There is a reason why he is miserable.

Root of Joy Bodhisattva

The next one is Root of Joy Bodhisattva. Joy is the basis for this bodhisattva, who does good deeds in all situations. Say, when you help Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation or Lotus Light Charity Society, you do it with joy. You also give to whomever you happen to see or hear about—as you please. You often help those in need or donate money when needed. So, a bodhisattva who starts and completes good deeds with joy is called the Root of Joy Bodhisattva.

The next one is: 

King of Joy Bodhisattva.

Like the Root of Joy Bodhisattva, this bodhisattva also has joy as a starting point. He then immerses himself in the world to especially help sentient beings in misery—deliberately and passionately—like the greatest philanthropist performing the greatest charities for every being. Both the Root of Joy Bodhisattva and the King of Joy Bodhisattva act with joy. Joy is one of the four immeasurables, i.e., loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity.

But why is there “king” as part of his name? He is a king because he has equanimity and does not discriminate among sentient beings. He helps those he knows and does not know, likes and dislikes, friends and foes. Thus, he is called king!

Many people only help people they like and feel reluctant to help people they don’t like. “Augh, I hate you so much, so why would I want to help you? No. I don’t care! You do not care about me, so why should I care about you? We do not like each other anyway.” The King of Joy Bodhisattva would never think this way! He helps all people, no matter what.

Can you do the same? Highly improbable! For someone you despise, you will not even like the way they walk. You wouldn’t want to use the same toilet they used, and you wipe the chair they sat on before sitting on it. You find it dirty. Are you like that? Do you like certain people but not others? You like those who have good affinity with you. Otherwise, you treat them like they’re thin air; you don’t even look at them. This is not right! 

The King of Joy Bodhisattva practices equanimity. He helps people with and without affinity, and he helps those he doesn’t like. He gives without asking for anything in return. If you can do that, you are the King of Joy Bodhisattva. I ask you now, can you do it? It is very difficult. If you don’t like someone, you should help them even more, and without asking for anything in return. It really is not easy to be this bodhisattva.

The next one is:

Debating Sound Bodhisattva.

This bodhisattva is exceptional in speaking dharma as he understands Buddhist principles and knows all kinds of dharma. He can teach with eloquence and without any hindrances answer any questions asked. He masters the four kinds of debates and the eight kinds of sounds—called the unhindered dharma. He has no hindrances with respect to buddhadharma—he understands it all.

The first kind of mastery is called unhindered meaning. He is unhindered in understanding and conveying the meanings of all dharma. He knows the meaning of each dharma, say, the meaning of Kalacakra. He understands and can explain them all. This is unhindered meaning or unhindered dharma.

The second kind is unhindered speech. He can speak many dialects and understands and speaks many languages. What is a dialect? Taiwanese is one example. In the past, speaking Taiwanese dialect in Taiwan was prohibited, and anyone speaking it would be fined. 

Say, he can speak Indonesian, “Selamat pagi! Selamat malam.” He speaks Malay when he travels to Malaysia, speaks American English in America and British English in Britain, Spanish while visiting Spain, Japanese in Japan, and so on. Wow! That is amazing. This is called unhindered speech.

There is a story in Christianity. One time, upon the passing of Jesus, his disciples gathered. The Holy Spirit descended upon them, and suddenly everyone spoke in various dialects. I wish the Holy Spirit would descend upon me so I could speak English fluently. [Speaking in English,] “My grandfather was Lu Chang with the address in Chiayi, Taiwan. He had many stores in the East Market selling oil and rice. He was a rich man, and had six wives. But after World War II, due to fire, all changed to zero.” After that, nothing was left, leaving the next generations to suffer. How miserable! I wish I could speak English too. I just casually speak it, and you can just casually listen—don’t take it too seriously.

The next kind is unhindered happiness. His buddhadharma brings spiritual joy to everyone. The voice of the Debating Sound Bodhisattva is incredibly pleasing, like the eight sounds of the Tathagata. This Sound refers to the eight sounds of the Tathagata. What are they? 

The first is the marvelous and sublime sound or voice. 

Second, is the kind, soft, and gentle sound. It is very pleasant, unlike our mantra chanting. The Kalacakra mantra chanting today is still acceptable since the Kalacakra deity is powerful. But not every mantra should be so intense. Such forcefulness in chanting is disagreeable to many, and they find it very disconcerting.

Kurukulla mantra should be gentle and loving, “Om gu-lu-gu-lie chu-li so-ha.” Kurukulla is a love deity, so if you are too intense, everyone, including your prospect, will run away. Am I right? For magnetizing dharma, harmonious sound/voice will make people listen willingly and generate loving feelings. I hope you understand, especially the team who makes the mantra chanting recordings. Listen!

All sound is harmonious and full of grace in Sukhavati, Amitabha Buddha’s Western Realm of Utmost Bliss. The peacocks, parrots, kalavinkas, jivajivakas… all sing beautiful and harmonious sounds. The soft breeze caresses the seven tiers of railings, seven layers of nettings, and seven rows of trees and generates a harmonious sound. Upon hearing it, all beings there are mindful of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and delight in practicing the thirty-seven enlightening factors.

There is a disciple, dharma sister Wu Kaili from Singapore. Please tell us about the wonderful sound of Sukhavati you heard the other night. [Wu Kaili replies,] “One night, I dreamt I was floating, and someone asked me where I was going. I said I wanted to go to Sukhavati. Then I heard the Padmakumara mantra chanted so marvelously; I’d never heard anything like it. It is truly sublime, and I felt very happy. Thank you, Grandmaster.” She went to Sukhavati in her dream and heard the graceful and harmonious sound.

Upon hearing such a sound, you would feel great joy. In Sukhavati, you are spontaneously mindful of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha and naturally meditate and cultivate spiritually. There is no other way. It is impossible not to!

There are also the sound of wisdom, the sound of no discrimination, the sound of no flaws—no errors, ill intents, or bad thoughts, the everlasting sound—always remembered once you hear it, and lastly, the endless sound that is perpetual. These are the eight sounds of the tathagata.

The Debating Sound Bodhisattva possesses the eight sounds of tathagata and masters the four kinds of unhindered debates.

Om mani padme hum. 

Next discourse on the Vimalakirti Sutra: ~ to be continued... ~

Previous discourse on the Vimalakirti Sutra: Discourse 42, 15 October 2022 - Chapter One—Buddhaverse (Continued)

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Full webcast of 2022.10.16 Kalachakra Homa Ceremony (Rainbow Temple, North Bend, USA) and dharma discourse with English interpretation: https://youtu.be/uCMMIOGlIWI