The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.114).

TZU CHI 114 51 REMINDERS UNDER THE SALA TREES beginning with “the three turnings of the Dharma-wheel” at Deer Park. Because each person’s capacities are different, he had to teach the Four Noble Truths three times to allow all five people to attain complete understanding. In his first teaching of the Four Noble Truths, he explained that life is “suffering”. But where does this suffering come from? Its “causation” lies in interpersonal disputes, greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. Knowing that suffering results from passion, desire, ignorance and affliction, we should strive for “cessation” of suffering. However, to eliminate suffering, we must diligently practise by walking the “Path”. This is why we refer to the Four Noble Truths as “suffering, causation, cessation and the Path”. These words are very simple, but the Twelve Divisions of the Tripitaka are all derived from these Four Noble Truths. When the Buddha thus taught the principles of the Four Noble Truths, the first person to comprehend them was Ajnata Kaundinya. Still, the other four people did not yet understand. Therefore, the Buddha again carefully analysed and detailed the four principles of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. Then, he asked, “Do you understand now?” This time, four people said, “I understand.” The Buddha then explained it once more, and after the third time, finally, all five of them attained Arhatship. The Buddha was the Great Enlightened One with superior wisdom. He had the Four Kinds of Unobstructed Eloquence, and he was able to use all kinds of metaphors to help people accept and believe in his teachings. Nonetheless, even with the Buddha’s wisdom and eloquence, in expounding the Dharma to just five people, he still had to teach three times explaining the same Dharma. So when ordinary Dharma Masters expound the Dharma, among the multitude of sentient beings, how many can comprehend the true principles of the Buddhadharma? Keeping this in mind, when we now listen to the sutras, we must not think that because we have already heard these principles, we can be unfocused. Instead, we should examine ourselves: how many of Buddha’s teachings have we really taken to heart and applied in our daily lives? Learning and practising the Buddhadharma requires us to apply the teachings in our daily lives. So, when listening to the Dharma, we should not aim for things beyond our reach. Rather, we must first lay a solid foundation and practise step by step. In other words, we must take a firm stand on the first level before we can build the second level, and so on. The Sutra of the Buddha’s Bequeathed Teachings is the foundation, the first level, of learning the Buddhadharma, so not only should we study it carefully, but we should also mindfully put its teachings into practice. “Life is suffering.” Looking at everyone here, I think that we are all very blessed. However, when we quietly examine ourselves, we often feel that we are