Master Chin Kung - Essence of Vajra Sutra # 3 A - 金剛經要義

(English subtitles) Buddhist Master Chin-Kung (淨空法師), 1927-2022, talks dharma.
Subtitles:
Time flies, today is the third day of Buddha Seven. We have been talking about some important scriptures in the Vajra Sutra.
1:00
Their meanings are profound and broad. We are most afraid of misunderstanding the meaning of the scriptures. If we misunderstand, we will be hurt instead of benefiting. This is the difficulty in explaining the Prajna Sutra. There were so much difficulty in the ancient records of the past. In the Tang Dynasty, the masters who lectured on sutras felt this way.
Therefore, there were not many people who lectured the Prajna Sutra in history.
2:00
However, this sutra cannot be left unexplained. Since we want to explain it, we must explain it clearly and thoroughly so as not to cause misunderstandings in the listeners. This is a very important principle.
We say that before, "The Dharma should be relinquished. Let alone the non-dharma." Then should you give up the Dharma? If you give it up, you won’t learn Buddhism. Can you not practice Buddhism? So you must understand its true meaning.
The Buddha is afraid that we will be obsessed. We must learn the Dharma and practice it, but we must not cling to it.
3:00
This is true of dharma, and so is the worldly matter. Our body still lives in this world. Every day, we have to wear clothes and eat, work, and socialize. We cannot give up all these things. It would be wrong to give them up. Especially the Mahayana Bodhisattva, think about it, if a Bodhisattva gives up and lets go of all these things, what sentient beings can he deliver?
If a Bodhisattva wants to deliver sentient beings, he must be in contact with the mass, share the light and dust with all sentient beings. Isn't it very clear in the Four Approaches Dharma?
4:00
The principles of taking care of sentient beings are the four approaches dharma. The first one is generosity, that's to form a dharma bond and form a good bond with all living beings. Buddhas do not ferry those who have no predestined bond. What is predestined bon?
When living beings see you, they are happy and willing to listen to your teachings, so there is a predestined bond, and it is matured. If you really want to help him and are willing to help him, he refuses and repels, that's no predestined bond.
The Buddha indeed is able to ferry all sentient beings.
5:00
When we first learned about Buddhism, we had many doubts about the Dharma. Generally speaking, we especially doubted whether the Buddha really had perfect wisdom and capability. The Buddha never tells lies and teaches us not to tell lies. If we look at it from this perspective, especially what is said in the Vajra Sutra, "The Tathagata is a true speaker, a honest speaker, a thus speaker, a non-deceitful speaker, and a non-exotic speaker". Viewing from this perspective, In Buddhism, the Buddha is complimented with the consistency between his words and deeds, and there is absolutely no exaggeration. We have to ask: Suppose there is a person who has committed the five rebellions and ten evils, and at the end of his life, he will fall into hell.
6:00
Is the Buddha able to lead him to be enlightened at once? Indeed, the Buddha does have this capability. If he does, why can't the sentient beings who have committed all kinds of sins get ferried? You can not blame the Buddha, but it's the sentient beings' disobedience and refusal to accept. What can you do? The Surangama Sutra said very thoroughly, “The madness of one’s mind does not rest, rest is bodhicitta.” You see it's solved in just one word. What is madness? That's one's delusion, discrimination, and attachment. When letting go of these vexation, one will be perfectly enlightened.
7:00
The Vajra Sutra teaches us to believe in the Buddha, and that is not ordinary faith. The first half of the sutra tells us that “Pure faith gives rise to reality of prajna,” which is said from the rational point of view; The second half of the sutra tells us that “faith is not rebellious”, that is said from the matter. The rationale and matter is one, not two, this “not rebellious” means that it has to do so. It is not allowable if we disobey, and that's what is called faith is not rebellious. What kind of person can achieve success? Whoever believes it will be achieved.
8:00
However, Buddha told us that, as a practitioner, not only is it crucial to cultivate wisdom, but it is also crucial to cultivate blessings. If there is no blessing, there are obstacles. So after attaining Buddhahood, Buddha is called a honorable man with two perfection, that is his wisdom and blessing are both perfect. Buddhism teaches us to cultivate both blessings and wisdom, and we must cultivate blessings. Those who do not have blessings will have a lot of obstacles in practicing, and those who have blessings have few obstacles, so blessings and wisdom are equally important.