Hello, everyone. Welcome to this episode of the podcast provided by the Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated of Australia.
Today, we continue our discussion of Chapter 20, “Bodhisattva Never Despising.” This chapter tells a story about our original teacher’s past lives, revealing through his actions what true humility is and demonstrating the profound and far-reaching effects of the law of cause and effect.
The Buddha recounts a story from an immensely long time ago, during the era of the Buddha Awesome Sound King.
At that time, there was a Bodhisattva monk named Never Despising. Why was he called this? Because no matter who he met—whether they were monks, nuns, laymen, or laywomen—he would respectfully bow to them, praise them, and say this very sentence: “I deeply respect you. I dare not belittle you. Why? Because you are all practicing the Bodhisattva path and will become Buddhas.”
This Bodhisattva did not focus on reciting sūtras; instead, he spent all his time bowing to others. Even if he saw the fourfold assembly from a distance, he would specifically go up to them, bow, and repeat his phrase: “I dare not belittle you, because you will all become Buddhas.”
However, those among the fourfold assembly who were filled with arrogance and afflictions became very angry at his words. They hurled insults at him, calling him an ignorant monk, and claiming that his predictions were false. They said, “We don’t need such empty predictions from you!”
Despite the constant abuse, Bodhisattva Never Despising never got angry. He always maintained his humility. When people threw sticks and stones at him, he would run away, but still, he would shout from a distance, “I dare not belittle you! You will all become Buddhas!”
This went on for many years. When Bodhisattva Never Despising was about to die, he heard in the air the twenty thousands of myriads of koṭis of verses of the Lotus Sūtra that had been expounded by the Buddha Awesome Sound King. He was able to perfectly retain them. Because of this, his six sense faculties were immediately purified, and his lifespan was extended by two hundred myriads of koṭis of nayutas of years.
From then on, he widely taught the Lotus Sūtra to others. When the people who had once despised him saw that he had attained great transcendent powers, eloquent preaching ability, and profound meditative stability, they all felt reverence, believed in him, and followed his practice.
The Buddha then revealed an astonishing fact to Bodhisattva Gainer of Great Authority: “Bodhisattva Never Despising of that time was none other than myself.” It turns out that the Bodhisattva Never Despising was our very own teacher, Śākyamuni Buddha. The Buddha said that if he had not upheld, recited, and taught this sūtra to others in his past lives, he would not have been able to swiftly attain supreme, perfect enlightenment.
As for the fourfold assembly who once slighted Bodhisattva Never Despising—because of that single thought of anger—they did not meet a Buddha, hear the Dharma, or see the Saṅgha for two hundred koṭis of kalpas. They even suffered great torment in the Avīci Hell for a thousand kalpas. But after their karmic debts were paid, they met Bodhisattva Never Despising again, were taught by him, and finally awakened the thought of supreme enlightenment.
The Buddha concludes by revealing once more: “Those in the fourfold assembly who slighted this Bodhisattva at that time were no one else. They are the five hundred Bodhisattvas, including Bhadrapāla, the five hundred nuns, including Lion Moon, and the five hundred laymen, including Sugatacetanā, who are all here in this assembly now, and who will never regress on the path to Anuttarā Samyaksaṃbodhi.”
This is the profound secret of cause and effect. Bodhisattva Never Despising’s respectful heart and every word of praise for others determined his own future. By saying that others would become Buddhas, he ensured that he himself would become a Buddha.
Thank you, everyone.
