Part 6 – 1
Subhuti said to the Buddha, “World Honoured One, will any sentient beings develop genuine faith by hearing these words?” The Buddha said to Subhuti, “Don’t talk in that way. In the last five hundred years after the death of me, the Realised One, there will be those who keep the precepts and do good deeds, conceive faith in these words and consider it to be true. You should know that because those people have planted roots of goodness, not with one, two, three, four, or five Buddhas, but with infinite thousands of myriads of Buddhas, they will conceive pure faith on hearing these words for even a moment.”
Commentary:
To plant roots of goodness with infinite thousands of myriads of Buddhas means to see all the Buddhas, to attain enlightenment by seeing all things as they are, and to conceive pure faith means that we become faith itself through realising that we are the Buddha itself.
The key point of this paragraph is how we ourselves can be those who the Buddha predicted would conceive pure faith upon reading, or hearing these words. No matter how many people may conceive pure faith, it is of no use at all if we can’t conceive pure faith. No matter how many Buddhas others may have planted roots of goodness with, it is not as good as if we see a single Buddha upon reading, or hearing these words at this moment.
The aim of Buddha’s talks such as this is not to let us accumulate knowledge through literal understanding about certain facts but to lead us to conceive pure faith by planting roots of goodness through seeing and hearing his words as they are. Put simply, the Buddha’s intention in delivering his talk is to show the true-Self rather than to state certain facts.
So, keeping it in mind that the Buddha said, “Not a word have I said” on his deathbed lest we should be deluded by his words, we should try to see and hear what is beyond words hidden in each of his words instead of being satisfied with intellectual understanding. This is why ancient masters would say that the Sutras are no better than Mara’s talk if we are deluded by words.
Student: “How can I plant roots of goodness with infinite thousands of myriads of Buddhas?”
Master: “Don’t be deceived by the words not preached by the Buddha.”
Student: “Who has planted roots of goodness with infinite thousands of myriads of Buddhas?”
Master: “They are those who can see the Buddha upon hearing, or reading these words.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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