Category: TLS Chapter 3

Episode 635 – The Five Turbidities and the Eight Sufferings

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>> “Space has a name but no true substance. People are far from a flawless state and lose their precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. We should contemplate the objects of mindfulness and how the body is subject to constant change, lest we give rise to the Four Inverted Views, the Five Turbidities and the Eight Sufferings.”

>> “This owner was going out when before long, in this abode, a fire suddenly broke out. In an instant, it spread to all four sides and the flames raged fiercely.”

>> “All at once, throughout this area, a fire broke out, setting the house ablaze.”

>> The “four sides” are form, feeling, perception and action, the workings of the mind. The Four Inverted Views, the Five Turbidities and the Eight Sufferings all arise from these. Thus it says, “In an instant, it spread to all four sides.”

>> Sentient beings are oppressed by their suffering. Their grievous moans are called explosive sounds. Their roots are destroyed; this is called quaked and splintered. Their vitality is ended, their bones disintegrated.

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“Space has a name but no true substance.
People are far from a flawless state
and lose their precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.
We should contemplate the objects of mindfulness
and how the body is subject to constant change,
lest we give rise to the Four Inverted Views,
the Five Turbidities and the Eight Sufferings.”

Space has a name but no true substance, thus it is very open and spacious. Only when a space is wide open can it encompass all things in the universe. This is what it means to be open and spacious. As Buddhist practitioners, we must also learn to open up and broaden our hearts. The power of the heart is just like that of space; it is boundless. Boundless “space” is called that because it has no true substance; it cannot be measured. So, we use the name “space” to represent this. It is like when we say, “Always be mindful.” Where is the mind we are referring to? Can we be more full of our mind? How? Our mind is boundless; the Three Realms are created by the mind. This means that our mind can be so open it is boundless or so closed that it is the size of a pinhole. This is reflected in our perspectives and thinking.

Right now, as Buddhist practitioners, we know and understand the principles; [we know] precepts, Samadhi and wisdom are goals of our spiritual practice. However, we ordinary people are far removed from existing in a flawless state. Precepts, Samadhi and wisdom are the Three Flawless Studies.

If we learn the precepts, we must uphold them. We must not violate them, nor should we do anything that is not right. We must guard against wrongs and stop evil. We must prevent discursive thoughts from arising and keep our minds from deviating and going the wrong way. These are precepts; they guard against wrongs and stop evil.

We must also practice “Samadhi.” When it comes to the direction of our lives, how should we decide our course? It is up to us. In spiritual practice, personal recognition, wealth and status must all be put aside. Then our minds can achieve a state of Samadhi.

When we engage in spiritual practice, we must focus. The monastery is our greater family. We should carefully uphold its rules for the sake of the family of this monastery. And this family of the monastery must, for the sake of all sentient beings in the world, earnestly engage in spiritual practice. “The green mountain has no conflict with anything.” We should use our pure minds to cultivate fields of blessings for the sake of all sentient beings. So, we must practice precepts and Samadhi. Once we have made this decision, we should settle our minds so that we can focus on attaining “wisdom.”

Wisdom is pure and impartial. Free from desires and distinctions based on academic attainment, we enter this spiritual practice center to be one in listening to the Dharma and engaging in spiritual practice. How can we experience the principles? How can we eliminate afflictions? To do these things we must listen to the Dharma in a state of Samadhi so that we can understand that the world is impermanent and that there is no permanent self. Regarding “permanence, joy, self and purity,” our [distorted views about them] must be eliminated entirely.

The Three Flawless Studies are precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. We must practice them and take them to heart. We must remain focused on our mission. We must earnestly stabilize our minds and mission. We humans must truly “uphold our mission and follow the path, then our path will be great.” So, we must put our heart into this path we walk.

Thus we should “contemplate the objects of mindfulness and how our body is subject to constant change.” The Fourfold Mindfulness is contemplating the body as impure, contemplating all feelings as suffering, contemplating the mind as impermanent and contemplating all things as being without self. Indeed, the body is impure. There are 36 kinds of impurities. Although the body is impure, when we are healthy and capable, we must take the Dharma to heart and put it into practice. There are so many things in this world which can help us see, help us understand and help us get involved etc. As for the Bodhisattva-path, we must have this body in order to implement it. The body is our vessel for spiritual practice. Although our body is impure, it can transport us along this path. We seek the Dharma to transform ourselves. After we understand, we must then transform others. We should go among the people to purify them while preventing our minds from being contaminated.

Our minds are impermanent; that is how our minds are. Our impermanent mind cannot settle down. If our minds are not settled, though we want to engage in spiritual practice, when we come up against an obstacle, we say, “I don’t want to do this anymore.” But we do not think about how time keeps passing. As each year passes, we grow a year older. How much time do we actually have left to make use of our body and go among people to give of ourselves?

If we are always afflicted by personal matters, then our minds will remain in a state of impermanence. We will find it hard to decide our course of life and have no idea that life is impermanent and painfully short. So, living in this kind of environment, we must seize [the present moment] because “our body is subject to constant change.” What our body is subject to is inseparable from these infinitesimal changes, especially when it comes to feelings. We say, “I’m afflicted [because] I love this and. I want it, but I can’t obtain it, so I feel unhappy and uncomfortable and I also feel very depressed” and so on. These feelings arise because our minds lack Samadhi and our wisdom is insufficient. So, when we are surrounded by an endless [sea] and there is nothing for us to rely on, we will indeed experience great suffering.

Actually, as for our feelings, once we understand the principles, we can naturally turn these feelings around. A feeling can be, “Right now, I feel very cold.” Does this mean that we feel cold every single day? When we feel cold, we must put on more clothes. If we feel hot and sweaty, does it mean we feel hot every day? Not necessarily. If I have a headache right now, does it mean I constantly have a headache? With these feelings, once we change our thinking, [we know] they ultimately will pass. They “pass” due to “constant change.” There are no fixed phenomena; there is nothing that remains unchanging.

Yet our minds are as open and expansive as space, which has a name but no true substance. We need to understand that it is because the mind has this kind of spaciousness that it can encompass everything. It is only because we have this spaciousness that we can decide to [practice] this flawless Dharma, to “comprehend the great path and form the supreme aspiration.” We can form very great aspirations, but we cannot just talk about them. It is no use just to express our aspirations; we must immediately devote ourselves [with action]. This cannot wait; there is no time for us to wait because time is also a process of constant change.

Is there anything in this world that does not undergo these infinitesimal changes? Everything will pass, so “infinitesimal changes” expresses impermanence. Space expresses true permanence, because there is nothing in space itself to undergo these infinitesimal changes. It is a true principle, which is everlasting. No matter how this world changes, space remains forever unchanged. So, we cultivate our minds so that we can achieve a state of “true emptiness.” However, what we need to do now is comprehend “wondrous existence.” Wondrous existence is all around us; we cannot find it by looking far away. If we can experience this, we will naturally be able to return to our intrinsic nature of True Suchness.

So, we must make an effort to be mindful, or else, throughout our lifetime, we will “give rise to the Four Inverted Views” and be completely [immersed in them]. Throughout this lifetime, we will absolutely be immersed in the Four Inverted Views as well as the Five Turbidities and the Eight Sufferings. No matter how we engage in spiritual practice, we are still replete with the Four Inverted Views,

the Five Turbidities and the Eight Sufferings. We ordinary people will always be immersed in the Four Inverted Views. Amidst impermanence, we regard everything as permanent. As we experience birth, aging, illness and death, aren’t we also undergoing infinitesimal changes? Yet we are not aware of them. We believe that we will always have this body. We believe that because we are still young, we still have a lot of time. Because our minds are not focused, we seek out all kinds of things around us. We claim an unhappy life is a happy one, but this happiness is temporary. Along with [misconceptions of] permanence and joy, we also have a sense of self. We exaggerate that into a sense of self-importance. These views on “permanence, joy, self and purity” also means we see the impure as pure. These are our inverted views. Because of them, our lives are filled with the Five Turbidities.

We often talk about the Five Turbidities. Once our views and understandings go astray, we become tainted and will inevitably enter the Eight Sufferings of birth, aging, illness and death, of parting with loved ones, of meeting those we hate, of not getting what we want and the suffering of the raging Five Aggregates. The Eight Sufferings are all around us. In our spiritual practice, shouldn’t we take everything around us and use all of it to understand the Dharma? ․This is the right thing to do. If we look outside of our minds for the Dharma, there is actually nothing to be found. Space has a name, but no true substance. I hope everyone will mindfully realize this.

[The house of] the Three Realms is rotted and old; it has already deteriorated. This home “belonged to one man.”

The Buddha came to this world for one great cause. He wholeheartedly regarded all sentient beings as His children, so He was both a teacher and a father. He was the guiding teacher of the Three Realms and kind father of the Four Kinds of Beings. However, when He came to the world, He only manifested here for 80 years. A period of 80 years is indeed very short. But He lived this [short life] to alert everyone about how little time they have. Our time in the Saha World is incredibly short. This is what our human lifespans are like. So it says, “This owner was going out.” The owner of this large house was going away shortly. “Before long” means in a short while. After the owner leaves this great house, there will be no head of the household.

Before long, something will happen “in this abode.” The following sutra passage states,

“This owner was going out when before long, in this abode, a fire suddenly broke out. In an instant, it spread to all four sides and the flames raged fiercely.”

Before long, this abode, this large house, “suddenly,” in a short amount of time, experienced disasters on all sides when “a fire broke out.” Fire is an analogy for something oppressive. It is actually the imbalance of the four elements which will quickly and constantly press in on us. So, “In an instant, it spread to all four sides.” It could be seen in all directions. Don’t we talk about matters of the world every day? Alas, there has been another earthquake. [Disasters like this arise from] the imbalances of the earth, air, water etc. We constantly hear about the imbalance of the four elements. This is happening unceasingly all over the world, in countries in the east, west, south and north. So, “In an instant, it spread to all four sides. In an instant” means at nearly the same time.

Right now we are in the era of the evil world of the Five Turbidities, where “the flames rage fiercely.” This is an unbearable state. See, spring has arrived. Summer is coming soon. Last summer, the temperature in some countries reached 51 or 52 degrees Celsius. How do people live in those conditions? It is hard to survive [under those temperatures]. Some people even died from the heat. This year (2014), following Chinese New Year, we moved from winter into spring. Yesterday (March 18, 2014), we saw that in the United States it is still snowing heavily; this is abnormal. There are also people who have frozen to death. In sum, when the four elements are not in balance, it may be so cold that people freeze to death, or it may be so hot that people die from the heat. When there is an imbalance of earth, water, fire or air, natural disasters occur. Think about this. Life is truly impermanent. At this present moment, we must heighten our vigilance.

The earlier section was in prose. What we are discussing now are the verses, where the teachings are restated. In the prose section, there is a similar sutra passage that states,

“All at once, throughout this area, a fire broke out, setting the house ablaze.”

This was in the prose section. So, these verses restate what was in the earlier prose section, because what this passage contains is essential. In this world, right now, we must heighten our vigilance. Therefore, the Buddha repeated the teachings in order to help us understand.

So, it said “setting the house ablaze” because this fire has already broken out. This means that disasters in the world are already pressing in on us.

The “four sides” are form, feeling, perception and action, the workings of the mind.

The “four sides” are form, feeling, perception and action, the workings of the mind. The Four Inverted Views, the Five Turbidities and the Eight Sufferings all arise from these. Thus it says, “In an instant, it spread to all four sides.”

Form, feeling, perception, action and consciousness are the Five Aggregates. Within this “consciousness” is [the karma created from] our actions. Through this impure body, we come in contact with objects of desire such as personal recognition, wealth, status and so on. Once we connect with them and have a feeling, our perceptions let our imagination run wild, and we take actions that create karma.

All these actions begin with our body making our mind “feel” temptation by the objects of desire around us. Once it has “perceptions,” many afflictions arise. Thus we begin to take “action.” This is “the workings of the mind.” [The karma] that results from our actions is collected in our “consciousness.” So, our “consciousness” itself does not act. It is through the body, feeling, perception and the actions that we take that we give rise to delusions and karma. Deluded karma comes from creating karma while in a state of delusion. After this karma is created, it is stored in our consciousness.

So, the “four sides” on which disasters arise are form, feeling, perception and action. With these four, we create delusions and karma. Only after we take action will the seeds of karma enter our consciousness. Thus this part of the teachings is not talking about the Five Aggregates, but the “four sides.” The Five Aggregates are form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. These are the Five Aggregates because “consciousness” is included. When “consciousness” is not included,

we talk about the “four sides.” The “four sides” lead the body to create karma. In fact, if our body does not connect to our surroundings, if our eyes, ears, nose and tongue do not come in contact with these objects and give rise to feeling, why would we ever create any karma? It is because the eye-root connects with our external conditions, because the Six Roots connect with the Six Dusts, that we begin to think about how to take possession of things etc. After thinking, we start plotting, and then our state of mind begins to be reflected in our actions. So, all the karma we create in this world becomes karmic seeds, which then enter our eighth consciousness. Everyone should comprehend this clearly.

“The Four Inverted Views, the Five Turbidities and the Eight Sufferings all arise from these.” Because we have this body that takes action, we give rise to these inverted views, produce these turbidities and experience these eight kinds of suffering.

So it says, “The flames raged fiercely.” This is because “causal factors develop gradually and continuously.” When there is a cause, “a seed contains an ocean of fruits.” After a cause is created, it will develop gradually and continuously. We often say that one gives rise to infinity and infinity arises from one. When we give rise to a thought, it may create many causes for afflictions and suffering, which will then continue to [reproduce]. If we have thoughts of seeking something but cannot get what we want, we are already creating afflictions. Once afflictions arise, that is ignorance. So, “The flames raged fiercely”; the flames continuously arises.

“Their grievous moans are called explosive sounds.” These are very fierce.

Sentient beings are oppressed by their suffering. Their grievous moans are called explosive sounds. Their roots are destroyed; this is called quaked and splintered. Their vitality is ended, their bones disintegrated.

In life, these things have fermented for a long time. This continues until the pressure is too great, until we explode. This kind of life is truly suffering. All roots are destroyed, they have quaked and splintered. Vitality is ended and the bones disintegrated.

So, dear Bodhisattvas, as Buddhist practitioners we should not become depressed and frustrated. We should learn to be happy, and our minds must be as open and spacious as the endless void. Also, we must often contemplate the the Fourfold Mindfulness, by contemplating the body as impure and so on. We must not remain in the state of unenlightened beings and give rise to the Four Inverted Views, the Five Turbidities and the Eight Sufferings. With that state of mind, we will never attain liberation and all our spiritual practice will have been in vain. So, when we engage in spiritual practice, we must resolve to transcend our afflictions. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 634 – Understanding the Fires of Bonds and Agents

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>> “‘Bonds’ and ‘agents’ are other names for afflictions. Ignorance and deluded karma bind the body and mind. They bring bitter fruits; thus they are called afflictions. They can cause sentient beings to transmigrate. Floundering in the sea of suffering, we drift with no end in sight.”

>> Yaksas, hungry ghosts and all evil birds and beasts, compelled by hunger, ran in four directions and were peeking through the window lattices. With all these hardships, their fright was immeasurable.

>> “This rotted old home belonged to one man. This master was going out when before long, in this abode, a fire suddenly broke out. In an instant, it spread to all sides and the flames raged fiercely.”

>> This explains that when the master is home, there are no disasters, but when he passes on, then disasters arise.

>> The Three Realms are where the Buddha manifested His transformation-body. His vows carried Him back to the world to transform and deliver sentient beings. So, it says that the rotted old home belonged to one man.

>> When the elder is in the house, he carefully protects his children from the source of the fire. But after he leaves the house, the children, out of ignorance, start the fire.

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“‘Bonds’ and ‘agents’
are other names for afflictions.
Ignorance and deluded karma
bind the body and mind.
They bring bitter fruits;
thus they are called afflictions.
They can cause sentient beings to transmigrate.
Floundering in the sea of suffering,  
we drift with no end in sight.”

Afflictions are very painful! “Bonds” are also called afflictions. “Agents” are also called afflictions. Ignorance is called an affliction. Delusion is also called an affliction. The karma we create out of delusion is also considered an affliction. These are names for the things that bind us. They bind our body and mind. The pressure they put on us feels very heavy and serious.

This is where the sufferings of life come from; these [afflictions] produce many bitter fruits. With the causes of ignorance, we create karma out of ignorance and delusion. So, everything results from causes. Causes lead to afflictions, and afflictions drive us to create karma. Thus, we amass much karma. So, as we continue to create these causes, what we plant will continue to bear fruit. So, what kind of tree will you end up with? No matter what kind of seed we plant, it will ultimately grow and produce fruit. Then the fruit becomes the cause, and that cause will in turn produce fruit.

Within this cycle, if we sentient beings are constantly driven by these “bonds,” we will constantly give rise to afflictions, be led by ignorance and create karma. These bonds constantly drive our mind and body to take action. We have no choice in how we transmigrate among the Four Forms of Birth and in the Six Realms. So, we are constantly floundering in this boundless sea of suffering. In life we “drift with no end in sight.” When can we finally arrive at the other shore?

Even if we already know that we must engage in spiritual practice, is the direction of our spiritual practice only something for us to talk about or something that we read about in a text? After reading many books and learning the teachings in the sutras, we have absorbed a great deal of knowledge, but we may not have taken the principles to heart. If this is the case, the Dharma-water is not nourishing our wisdom-life.

Take a look at a computer or tablet. Whenever we want to know something, with our knowledge and the touch of our fingers, information on all kinds of things in the world can be summoned to appear right in front of us. Nowadays, technology is advanced. Seeking knowledge is not difficult, but seeking the Dharma is still difficult.

The Dharma is the method for engaging in spiritual practice, for crossing from this shore to the other. If we depart from this shore and only go halfway, though we know we must engage in spiritual practice, if we cannot let go of our afflictions and cannot eliminate them, then naturally we will still be “floundering in a sea of suffering,” still “drifting with no end in sight.” We will still be subject to causes, bonds, agents, these afflictions, ignorance, delusion and karma. They still bind us, so we still face countless bitter fruits and

continue to reproduce our afflictions. A seed contains an ocean of fruits. Though the cause is just a little thing, when there are sufficient causes and conditions, it will grow over time. After several years, it will produce flowers and bear fruits. Soon after, there will be an abundance of fruits. Similarly, if we create a lifetime of karma, karma of ignorance, the effects may well extend over many lifetimes before being exhausted. Thus, a seed contains an ocean of fruits.

We need to quickly [understand] that though the cause may exist only in our minds, when the fruit of our ignorance manifests, we must quickly face it with gratitude. We must take the fruits that manifest, these people, matters and objects, as reminders to be vigilant and cautious. By eliminating a karmic fruit that has manifested, we will not feel its effects again, nor do we have to face it again. We can use our understanding of the truth that everything is empty and the conditions of “wondrous existence in emptiness” to transform negative karmic conditions into positive ones. Then, as we take the Buddha-Dharma to heart, naturally we will form good affinities with others and will not create more negative karmic causes, negative conditions or negative effects, nor continue to cycle among them. So, we must constantly heighten our vigilance.

Earlier, we talked about what is invisible, the “yaksas and hungry ghosts and all evil birds and beasts.” What is visible and can be seen are the habitual tendencies of sentient beings, which arise from a lack of nourishment by the Dharma.

Yaksas, hungry ghosts and all evil birds and beasts, compelled by hunger, ran in four directions and were peeking through the window lattices. With all these hardships, their fright was immeasurable.

They feel “hunger” because their minds have not been nourished by the Dharma at all. So, “Compelled by hunger, [they] ran in four directions,” constantly experiencing the four aggregates of form, feeling, perception and action; they keep cycling among them.

Regarding the Dharma, it feels like we are using a tube to look at things or looking outside through a single small window. Obviously the world is vast, but we only open a small window to look through, so the scope of what we can see is very small. Our minds should encompass the universe, yet we limit what we see. The Dharma is as vast as a great ocean, but we grasp at certain teachings and become attached to them, calling them the Dharma while saying that anything else is not the Dharma. Actually, if we can make use of any teaching and use it to change our outlook on life, then it is all the Dharma. So, we should be mindful and open-minded to understand that principles are meant to be applied. We cannot just stay in a corner and only look at that corner without looking at the whole picture. We take one corner as an example, but we must respond to the whole. Our minds must be open and expansive.

So many of the difficulties that we face are the numerous afflictions that we brought on ourselves. Indeed, the world itself does not contain that many difficulties, it is our mind that is filled with numerous difficulties. So, “With all these hardships, their fright was immeasurable.” When we have not thoroughly understood the truth, what we know is incomplete. We know just a little bit. We may be attached to what is said, to what is written or to something else. We have not fully taken everything to heart. This is why, “Compelled by hunger, [we] run in all directions.” This happens when we have not accepted the principles.

It is said, “Wealth enriches the house while virtue enriches the body.” If there is an abundance of Dharma in our hearts, naturally as we interact with people and things we will gain an abundance of experience. So, as we engage in spiritual practice, we must be mindful and apply the Dharma to our daily living, as we interact with people and things. This is how we should live our lives. If we can apply these methods, we can perfect our character and attain Buddhahood. When we are in harmony with people and matters, we are in harmony with the principles. So, we say that learning the Buddha’s teachings is learning how to interact with people and things in our daily living.

Next, the sutra states,

“This rotted old home belonged to one man. This master was going out when before long, in this abode, a fire suddenly broke out. In an instant, it spread to all sides and the flames raged fiercely.”

Look at “this rotted old home” that “belonged to one man.” This is talking about our home; this is a parable about a house. There are people living in this house, and the house has a master. Naturally, the master will do a good job of keeping the house in good shape. Moreover, he will take good care of this family. He upholds family duties and ethics; he is filial to his elders and provides an education for the younger generation. With these morals and virtues, he maintains order in the family to help everyone live in harmony.

This explains that when the master is home, there are no disasters, but when he passes on, then disasters arise.

It is said, “When the master is home, there are no disasters.” Everything is peaceful; when the master is home, there is peace. When he passes on, then disasters arise. If the person who looks after the family is no longer there, disasters will then begin to arise. Why is this? Because there is no master of the house. Without a master, things become easily disordered. In a state of disorder, people lack direction, so the household will be in danger. This is an analogy for the Three Realms,

which are like a big house. What is needed in order to look after everyone’s mind in the Three Realms? The master was “going out,” and the interior of the house had already rotted; many years had already passed, so this house had gradually begun to deteriorate. Because many days and months had passed as it weathered wind, frost and snow, the house had grown old and had slowly rotted. The people living in this house might not always be there. Sometimes they come back, and sometimes they leave. This is the way life works. This is a kind of analogy.

Although the Buddha comes to this world, He repeatedly leaves and then returns again. He came to engage in practice among humans, and as various Buddhas appeared in the world, He endlessly engaged in spiritual practice in Their presence. This went on until He was born in the kingdom of Kapilavastu as Prince Siddhartha. That was His final body before becoming a Buddha. After he was born, he manifested an appearance to show us how to engage in spiritual practice. Through his spiritual cultivation, he showed us that though he was born into a noble household and grew up in a kingdom where people were separated into four castes, he understood the suffering of sentient beings. In order to overcome the views of sentient beings that caused inequality, he had to examine an abundance of principles. This was necessary in order to find a way to eliminate the discrimination in their minds. So, he decided to give up the lay life and leave the palace to engage in ascetic practice. After some time passed, He attained Buddhahood.

After attaining enlightenment, He experienced the intrinsic nature of. True Suchness that is one with the universe, the state of mind felt when our intrinsic nature becomes united with the world and the universe. The Buddha wanted to bring our minds together with all things in the universe. He wanted to share that state of “greater self” with everyone, but sadly. [His audience] did not have the capacity. So, in the end He had to use various means to teach the Dharma according to their capabilities. All of you know about this because I have repeatedly shared this with you. I feel that we must constantly experience matters in this world [in order to understand].

So the Buddha, while in this world, observed sentient beings’ capabilities in order to give them suitable teachings. He used various methods like the Three Vehicles, the Five Vehicles etc. to teach according to capabilities.

However, time still continued to pass by. After teaching the Dharma for more than 40 years, the Buddha was advanced in years, so He “was going out”; it was nearing the time for Him to leave. This refers to the Buddha’s “transformation-body,” which is His incarnation in the Saha World.

So, the sutra states, “This rotted old home belonged to one man.” This “one man” represents the Buddha, the guiding teacher of the Three Realms and kind father of the Four Kinds of Beings.

The Three Realms are where the Buddha manifested His transformation-body. His vows carried Him back to the world to transform and deliver sentient beings. So, it says that the rotted old home belonged to one man.

Similarly, in college and high school in Taiwan, groups of students are assigned to one guidance counselor, [who feels,]. “This group of students is my responsibility.” This is a system we have in this world. As a noble being who has transcended this world, the Buddha felt sentient beings were all like His children. Those whom He loves and wants to protect and teach are all sentient beings in this world. So, He is like a teacher and a father. Thus He is called the guiding teacher of the Three Realms. He treats the Four Kinds of Beings as His only son. He saw all of these living beings equally, as if they were His children. So, He is a kind father to them.

But His time in this world was limited, and the time was approaching when He would enter Parinirvana. So, “This master was going out” expresses how the Buddha was close to Parinirvana. He was about to leave this Saha World; there was not much time left. This would happen “before long.” He was about to leave this world and did not have much time left. This was going to happen soon. There was not much time left; after He left, this home, the Three Realms, this rotted house, might soon experience a major disaster.

As part of His preparation for entering Parinirvana, He gave the Lotus teachings. With this, He hoped to teach the Bodhisattva Way, so He used many analogies. If we can all accept this one teaching, with this same teaching we can all return to our pure Tathagata-nature. I would understand your Buddha-nature, that you are very pure and undefiled. You would also understand that I am also pure and undefiled. With this pure and undefiled state of mind, we would work together for the suffering beings of this evil world of Five Turbidities and devote ourselves to providing them with immediate support. Otherwise, this “house” does not have much time left. It may soon be overwhelmed by disasters.

This is what the Buddha meant by, “This master was going out, when before long, in this abode, a fire suddenly broke out.” This means that disasters will become more concentrated, so we need even more people to form aspirations and walk the Bodhisattva-path. This is why we feel a sense of urgency and must recruit Living Bodhisattvas quickly. We must not be attached to our limited self or be limited in our perspective. This will lead us to fight each other and give rise to conflict; this makes our lives hard.

So, everyone, as Buddhist practitioners we must be mindful. The Buddha came to this world; He manifested in the Three Realms and showed His transformation-body in the Saha World. He was born in response to this world of ours. As He engaged in spiritual practice in this world, He taught the principles behind [His actions] and shared and taught the Dharma that He realized. But in the end, His time was limited. However, in this home, this great house of the Three Realms, the elder must never stop teaching. He teaches the children to always be cautious and prevent fires from starting.

When the elder is in the house, he carefully protects his children from the source of the fire. But after he leaves the house, the children, out of ignorance, start the fire.

Although this elder, [the Buddha,] never stops teaching His children, the sentient beings in the Three Realms, He must call on them to be cautious and prevent a fire from starting. No matter what He taught, it was all to have us be mindful and faithfully accept and practice the teachings. Otherwise, when He leaves this house, when He leaves this Saha World, all these children will again give rise to countless afflictions, again play with the fire and burn themselves.

So, everyone, as Buddhist practitioners, we must be mindful. We must listen, take the Dharma to heart and, if there is any teaching we can apply, we must put it into practice. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 633 – Uphold Precepts; Distinguish True from False

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>> “A deluded mind is the cause of all deviant action. With pride, arrogance and self-importance, we are conceited and look down on others. Filled with doubt and suspicions, we are deluded and go against the principles. Although we uphold precepts, we cannot distinguish between true and false. In the chronic darkness of ignorance, we hesitate and cannot set our resolve.”

>> “Their hair was matted and unkempt, and they were destructive and treacherous. Oppressed by hunger and thirst, they screamed and ran wildly.”

>> “Yaksas, hungry ghosts and all evil birds and beasts, compelled by hunger, ran in four directions and were peeking through the window lattices. With all these hardships, their fright was immeasurable.”

>> Yaksas and hungry ghosts are metaphors for [states of] the human mind that lead us to not follow the correct path or to hold extreme, deviant or perverse views. All evil birds and beasts are metaphors for the arrogant, self-indulgent and perverse views of unenlightened beings.

>> [They] ran in four directions and were peeking through the window lattices: These are likened to narrow views and knowledge, superficiality, being unable to see the principles. These leave us no satisfaction, no ease or freedom.

>> Compelled by hunger, they ran in four directions: This is an analogy for the desire realm’s acute and chronic afflictions, the appearance of afflictions regarding matters and principles. “Compelled by hunger” refers to a mind that has Leaks, one that does not crave the taste of the path.

>> Together they form the Ten Afflictions, in which the chronic afflictions are greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt, and the acute afflictions are view of self, extreme views, deviant views, stubborn views and views of deviant precepts.

>> Peeking: Peeking is not an appropriate way to observe. Though they observe repeatedly the principle of the emptiness of all phenomena, their minds have many hindrances and they cannot understand correct principles.

>> They peek through the window lattices: They observe emptiness but cannot achieve freedom from obstacles. Peeking through lattices in the four directions is like looking at the world through a pipe. It is a metaphor for narrow views and knowledge, superficiality, being blind to correct principles. These provide no satisfaction, no ease or freedom.

>> The understanding and views of those of limited capacity are shallow and inferior. They cannot receive and believe the supreme and wondrous Dharma. Even more difficult is finding joy in faith, accepting and upholding the teachings. When teachings of the path are absent in the mind, ignorance, bewilderment and fears are boundless.

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“A deluded mind
 is the cause of all deviant action.
With pride, arrogance and self-importance,
we are conceited and look down on others.
Filled with doubt and suspicions,
we are deluded and go against the principles.
Although we uphold precepts,
we cannot distinguish between true and false.
In the chronic darkness of ignorance,
we hesitate and cannot set our resolve.”

For this reason, every day I ask that we all reflect on our nature and examine our mind. Have we lost our way? Have we gone off course? This is why we must take good care of our mind every day. If our mind has gone astray, we must quickly [rein it in] and bring it back to our original nature. Yet, we constantly lose our way and do not know how to find our way back to our original state. This is what we call a deluded mind.

When we are deluded, we lose our original, intrinsic nature. This is “the cause of all deviant action.” Once we are deluded, our actions deviate. With deluded thoughts and actions, very easily, “With pride, arrogance and self-importance, we [become] conceited and look down on others.” All this happens because we mistakenly believe that we are already something special; thus we have a sense of self-importance and look down on others. This state of mind also arises out of doubt. People with doubts have no faith in anyone else. In fact, this is because they do not have faith in themselves. Their abilities are actually very limited. Without steady and mindful practice, they develop improper views and understandings. Unable to [justify] their views and understanding or to strongly believe in the Right Dharma, they have no solid ground to stand on, so they have doubts about other people.

To sum this up in one sentence, “When we look at others with the mind of a demon, every person will look like a demon to us.” This is delusion. When our minds are deluded, we will violate the principles. So, “We are deluded and go against the principles.” If our minds are deluded, our understanding of the principles will go astray. So, though we are engaging in spiritual practice, “[while] upholding precepts, we cannot distinguish between true and false.” We may say we are engaged in spiritual practice and are upholding the precepts, but if the precepts we are upholding are not the proper ones, then are they true or false, right or wrong? We will be unable to tell the difference. So, we are in “the chronic darkness of ignorance,” in which our minds do not have. Right Samadhi, Right Understanding or Right Views. This results from having a deluded mind.

It is like being in the chronic darkness of ignorance. This prevents us from exercising our wisdom and hinders our diligent practice of the Right Dharma. Thus we waste the time that we have. Sentient beings lost in this darkness, even if they are engaging in spiritual practice, are still wasting their time. This is not to mention that our life, our time, is limited. Yet we still loiter outside the door of the Right Dharma, unable to move forward.

The previous passage states,

“Their hair was matted and unkempt, and they were destructive and treacherous. Oppressed by hunger and thirst, they screamed and ran wildly.”

I already explained this passage before. We humans lack a sense of shame [and propriety], so we must earnestly organize our mind. If our mind is orderly, our appearance will be too. But if our mind is disorderly, our appearance will be disheveled. If our mind is open and pure, the way we live will be well-regulated. But if our mind goes astray, it will become “destructive and treacherous, oppressed by hunger and thirst, screaming and running wildly.” A mind without any principles lacks the nourishment of the Dharma-water. If our mind lacks this water, panic easily arises. People like these can be seen everywhere. Their understanding is not correct, yet they proclaim loudly that they are right.

We discussed this before. The next passage speaks of,

“Yaksas, hungry ghosts and all evil birds and beasts, compelled by hunger, ran in four directions and were peeking through the window lattices. With all these hardships, their fright was immeasurable.”

Through mindful understanding of this passage, we realize that “yaksas, hungry ghosts and all evil birds and beasts” are all metaphors for how our mind neglects to uphold the right path or how we do not follow the rules in our behavior. These are metaphors for our states of mind.

Yaksas and hungry ghosts are metaphors for [states of] the human mind that lead us to not follow the correct path or to hold extreme, deviant or perverse views. All evil birds and beasts are metaphors for the arrogant, self-indulgent and perverse views of unenlightened beings.

In this world, as long as we fulfill our responsibilities, uphold our duties and are mindful of our behavior, then in this way, our lives will be peaceful and proper. If the mind does not “follow the correct path,” it will “hold extreme, deviant or perverse views.” If people want to practice but the precepts they uphold are incorrect, following these deviant precepts will easily lead them into deviant practices. If this happens, their sense of right and wrong will be inverted, and they will be unable to clearly discern whether certain methods are proper or not.

So, as we are engaging in spiritual practice, we must also uphold our mission and follow the path. We must strictly maintain our moral integrity and earnestly uphold our resolve on the Bodhi-path we are diligently seeking. But we have strayed from the path to awakening. We claim to be engaging in spiritual practice, but [our views] are mixed up. Though a method is right, we will say that it is not right; even though a method is not right, we will insist that it is the right thing to do. We have a misunderstanding of right and wrong, thus we are unable to truly realize which is the right path to follow in our spiritual practice. We have already become deluded and lost.

So, “yaksas and hungry ghosts” are metaphors for [states of] the human mind. [Like thoughts,] they come and go without a trace. Their workings cannot be seen, yet they can still go astray. Thus, the yaksas are a metaphor for when our mind neglects to uphold the right path.

“All evil birds and beasts” are metaphors for “the arrogant, self-indulgent and perverse views of unenlightened beings.” People may be haughty and arrogant. Being “arrogant” means having a heightened sense of self-importance. Being “self-indulgent” means lacking restraint. When people are self-important and lack restraint, they have already gone astray. They already have deviant views, on top of which they are arrogant and self-indulgent.

In this day and age, people’s sense of morality and the abilities they should all have have grown increasingly weaker. Today, computer technology is much more powerful. People are very well-educated, and much of their life revolves around work. Who will take care of household matters? Most people do not know how anymore. When it comes to family life, many people do not know how to cook or how to wash their clothes. For meals, people go out to eat and then go home after they have eaten. So, there is not much of a family life.

Today, we see young children, barely a year old, who already know how to use cell phones. They are constantly immersed in an illusory state. From a young age, children are immersed in an illusory world rather than one that is grounded. Young people are caught up in that illusory world. People who are 65 are now considered old, and so [Taiwan] is now facing the problem of an aging society. This is about the ethics of family relationships, not the problem of an aging society.

The elderly contributed so much to society during their younger years and now, at 65 years old, their minds are still sharp; they can still give of themselves to others. In Tzu Chi for example, there are many elderly volunteers who are willing to help protect the planet and give to help others. They are still very capable. When they were young, they abided by duties and ethics of family relationships. They were filial to their parents, started their families, raised their children and built their careers. Now in our current times, they are considered to be part of the problem of an aging society. This is truly tragic.

Actually, in this world today, our views and understandings have become distorted. If we do not quickly return to a more humane state of mind, if we do not return to having respect for our family duties and relationships, then in the future the problem of an aging society will become much more serious. If we all uphold our duties and bring our lives onto the right track, our minds will [return to the state] in which. “Human nature is inherently kind.” We will not be like the birds and beasts that we have been talking about, or the yaksas, hungry ghosts and kumbhanda demons. We will be free of such afflictions.

The next part of the passage states, “Compelled by hunger, they ran in four directions and were peeking through the window lattices.”

[They] ran in four directions and were peeking through the window lattices: These are likened to narrow views and knowledge, superficiality, being unable to see the principles. These leave us no satisfaction, no ease or freedom.

“Compelled by hunger, they ran in four directions” is an analogy for how limited our knowledge is. Having these “narrow views and knowledge” is like standing before a window and “peeking through the window lattices. Peeking” means we are standing in a small place next to the window and looking out. To put it simply, our views and knowledge are obstructed; they are narrow in scope. Thus our views and knowledge are very limited and very superficial.

This superficial knowledge “leaves us no satisfaction.” We may know something, but what we actually know is limited. If we are asked to explain, there is a limit to what we can share. This is how I often feel. There are many true principles, but I understand so few of them. Thus, I am not satisfied with myself. Moreover, when it comes to moral principles or the Right Dharma taught by the Buddha, if we have not mindfully [experienced] it, of course, we will feel ungrounded in our minds. “These leave us no satisfaction.” If our minds are not grounded, we will feel uneasy. In this way, “compelled by hunger, [we] run in four directions.”

․Compelled by hunger, they ran in four directions: This is an analogy for the desire realm’s acute and chronic afflictions, the appearance of afflictions regarding matters and principles. “Compelled by hunger” refers to a mind that has Leaks, one that does not crave the taste of the path.

“Compelled by hunger, they ran in four directions.” This analogy is to help us better comprehend “the desire realm’s acute and chronic afflictions.” Do you all remember this? There are “acute” and “chronic” afflictions.

Together they form the Ten Afflictions, in which the chronic afflictions are greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt, and the acute afflictions are view of self, extreme views, deviant views, stubborn views and views of deviant precepts.

These [afflictions] will drive our body into action. Thus, they are also called “agents.” Agents are afflictions. These are divided into “acute” and “chronic” which all relate to our thoughts and actions. “Compelled by hunger, they ran in four directions” is an analogy for cyclic existence. Without [practicing] Right Dharma, we will remain in the Three Realms. In the Three Realms, we are entangled by the Ten Afflictions. Thus we transmigrate in the Four Forms of Birth. Do you know what the Four Forms of Birth are? Womb-born, moisture-born, transformation-born, (egg-born). These are the ways in which we may be reborn. This happens when we are “compelled by hunger. Hunger” is when our stomach is empty, like when there is no Right Dharma in our mind. Thus, we continually transmigrate through the Five Destinies as the four kinds of beings.

“Peeking” means sneaking a look; it is not an appropriate way to observe.

Peeking: Peeking is not an appropriate way to observe. Though they observe repeatedly the principle of the emptiness of all phenomena, their minds have many hindrances and they cannot understand correct principles.

“Though they observe repeatedly the principle of the emptiness of all phenomena,” although they can see the Buddha’s teachings of “the principle of the emptiness of all phenomena,” which is the principle of true emptiness, their minds remain stuck in a state of many desires.

“The principle of the emptiness of all phenomena” helps us to comprehend that we must see through things and let them go. Yet, although some people comprehend “the principle of the emptiness of all phenomena,” they have a strong desire to possess things, thus their hearts are filled with afflictions. Although they may know the Dharma, they are unable to put it into practice. Thus their minds are not one with the principles. They only know of “emptiness,” but know nothing of “wondrous existence.” They do not know how to benefit others and go among people to give to them. They only know that everything is empty; they do not know about wondrous existence. Thus they easily become biased toward either “nihilism” or “eternalism.” Like “peeking through the window lattices,” this only gives them a limited perspective. So, “They observe emptiness, but cannot achieve freedom from obstacles.” Although everything is empty, there are still many obstacles within us because we continue to have many desires and many undisciplined thoughts.

They peek through the window lattices: They observe emptiness but cannot achieve freedom from obstacles. Peeking through lattices in the four directions is like looking at the world through a pipe. It is a metaphor for narrow views and knowledge, superficiality, being blind to correct principles. These provide no satisfaction, no ease or freedom.

So, “peeking through lattices in the four directions” is the way they look through the windows. They view the world through a small space, so they cannot see everything outside, only what is framed in that space. This is as if looking through a pipe; they cannot see everything outside, just what can be seen through its [narrow] opening. This is truly a shame.

“Looking at the world through a pipe,” everything we can see is within that narrow field of view. This is an analogy for narrow views and knowledge. What we see is so limited. We cannot see the correct principles and we cannot feel at ease, as we lack groundedness in our minds. Because of this, “With all these hardships, their fright was immeasurable.”

The understanding and views of those of limited capacity are shallow and inferior. They cannot receive and believe the supreme and wondrous Dharma. Even more difficult is finding joy in faith, accepting and upholding the teachings. When teachings of the path are absent in the mind, ignorance, bewilderment and fear are boundless.

Thus, “The understanding and views of those of limited capacity are shallow and inferior.” Indeed, they are superficial, and. “They cannot receive and believe the supreme and wondrous Dharma.” Truly supreme and wondrous Dharma is not something they can receive and believe. Moreover, they cannot experience the joy that comes from faithfully accepting and upholding these teachings. Putting them into practice would be even more difficult. Not only can they not faithfully accept them, but even if they did, putting them into practice is no easy matter.

If we can “uphold our mission and follow the path, then our path will be great,” but if our mind does not follow the path, if we do not understand the Dharma, there is no road for us to follow. Thus we become confused about the teachings. If we are walking but have no sense of direction, we will become afraid. So, our “fears will be boundless.” In summary, if we are not precise in the direction of our learning and practice, we will not be able to find our way, or we will be very confused about where we are, which will give rise to fear and uncertainty about which way to go. If we just keep going, will we be on a flat and smooth road?

I hope that all of us can mindfully walk the Bodhi-path. We must make an effort to be mindful so that we do not become deluded. If confusion arises in our mind, we will go astray in many of our actions. If this happens, our mind will become very arrogant and proud, very self-important and deluded etc. We would be unaware of all this. Indeed, what we understand is very limited. But in this illusory world, we have developed a sense of self-importance. So, we must constantly remind ourselves to be vigilant and always be mindful.

Episode 632 – The Ten Afflictions Drive Our Transmigration

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>> “The Ten Afflictions, greed and the others, drive and control the mind and spirit, causing transmigration in the Three Realms and giving rise to craving and the five desires. With anger, rage and impatience we hatefully go against what is proper. With delusion and ignorance we mistakenly give rise to deviant views.”

>> The Ten Afflictions: Also called the ten fundamental afflictions 1. Greed: cravings of the five desires 2. Anger: rage and impatience 3. Ignorance: foolishness and lack of clarity 4. Arrogance: pride and self-importance 5. Doubt: suspicion and jealousy.

>> 6. View of Self: attachment to the body of the Five Aggregates 7. Extreme Views: attachment to the two views of eternalism and nihilism 8. Deviant Views: slander and denial of the law of cause and effect; the ruin of all good things 9. Stubborn Views: taking what is not the effect as the effect 10. View of Deviant Precepts: attachment to incorrect precepts.

>> The Ten Afflictions is another name for the Ten Agents. Delusions about principles are the “acute afflictions.” Delusions about matters are the “chronic afflictions.”

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“The Ten Afflictions, greed and the others,
drive and control the mind and spirit,
causing transmigration in the Three Realms
and giving rise to craving and the five desires.
With anger, rage and impatience
we hatefully go against what is proper.
With delusion and ignorance
we mistakenly give rise to deviant views.”

A single thought, a right thought, can lead us toward the great Bodhi-path. A single deviant thought can lead us to the hungry ghost or animal realm, where we live in suffering. So, when we learn the Buddha-Dharma, we need to follow Right Dharma. In the previous few days, I have been explaining the analogies of birds and beasts, goblins and monsters, yaksas and so on. They each have their own way of living. Only we humans have incorporated all these ways of living in our minds. If we humans practice diligently in this world, we can become Bodhisattvas and attain Buddhahood. However, this world is also very hazardous. Once we give rise to confusion or ignorance, those thoughts can lead us to fall into the hell, hungry ghost or animal realm. This all depends on the karma we create in this world.

[We create karma] because of the Ten Afflictions, which drive and control our mind and spirit. Where do they drive us to go? Through transmigration in the Three Realms, the desire realm, form realm and formless realm. These three realms reflect three states of mind; they exist in our minds. So, these Three Realms begin with having cravings and the five desires. Then we give rise to greed, anger and impatience. With greed, anger and ignorance, we compete with and take from each other, mutually take issue with one another. People live like this because thoughts of greed arise in them. Then they fight for things, and when they cannot get them they feel impatient, become enraged and depart from the path of proper conduct.

Look at the world right now; there are so many manmade calamities. This is indeed worrisome. Many tiny effects compound and in the end trigger a heavy windstorm.

Just look at the Syrian refugees. Recently our volunteers from. Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) went to the Syrian refugee camps in Jordan. In Jordan alone, there are already more than 600,000 refugees. Yesterday (in 2014), this group of TIMA volunteers returned from Jordan. They gave us a detailed briefing with pictures and explanations. As Dr. Ye recalled his experience in Jordan, he choked up in tears. There were several times that he could not speak. This is because he could not bear their suffering. Even though he was physically back in Taiwan, his heart was still in Jordan. This shows his compassion.

Indeed, just from looking at the pictures, we already felt very sad, to say nothing of the people who actually went there. So many refugees are living in the tent areas, under very crude conditions, in very cold temperatures. During the summer, when the sun shines brightly, it can feel as hot as a furnace. When it is cold, it can be as cold as an icy hell.

See, this is how disturbances in a society can negatively impact the lives of so many people, break up their families and destroy their homes. This has affected countless people, and it all arose from [people who], “with anger, rage and impatience, hatefully go against what is proper.” These few words describe foolish and ignorant people who “mistakenly give rise to deviant views.” They did not have an upright mind and did not practice according to Right Dharma, so they gave rise to craving and the five desires in the Three Realms, committing actions that led to the loss of their humanity and the destruction of many people’s homes and lives.

Therefore, when a thought arises in our minds, what we end up doing can be truly earth-shattering. These actions are inseparable from “the Ten Afflictions, greed and the others, [which] drive and control the mind and spirit.” What exactly are the Ten Afflictions? These refer to ten fundamental afflictions.

The Ten Afflictions: Also called the ten fundamental afflictions 1. Greed: cravings of the five desires 2. Anger: rage and impatience 3. Ignorance: foolishness and lack of clarity 4. Arrogance: pride and self-importance 5. Doubt: suspicion and jealousy.

Of the ten fundamental afflictions,

the first is the “cravings of the five desires.” Greed is the origin of all transgressions, the root of all afflictions. These all arise from greed.

The second [affliction] is “anger.” Because of anger, we have rage and impatience. Once it is let loose, anger cannot be controlled, and we will continue to commit wrongdoings and do evil things until the very end. People with anger are described as asuras. Unclear about matters or principles, they just keep losing their temper. On a small scale this damages their relationships; on a large scale this disrupts entire societies. On an even bigger scale, this destroys nations, causing death and the destruction of families. All this starts with “anger.”

The third [affliction] is ignorance. Once we are in a state of ignorance, we will not understand the principles. This is foolishness and lack of clarity. Are we going in the right direction or not? We do not know which road is the one we really want to take, so we keep getting lost. We are like the foolish and ignorant children in the burning house of the Three Realms. They thought it was fun to play with fire because they did not know what was good or bad for them. This is an example of ignorance, which is also lack of clarity.

The next [affliction] is arrogance. We often say that arrogance is pride. Pride gives rise to arrogance, to the seven kinds of arrogance and eight kinds of pride. These many kinds of arrogance lead to severe afflictions.

The fifth [affliction] is doubt. When people want to approach us, we may be suspicious. “How will this person treat me? Will they benefit me or cause me harm?” Because our suspicions create imaginary fears, our minds will always be filled with darkness, and we will have trouble seeing the light around us. So, when dealing with people, we are filled with doubts and suspicions.

At the beginning of March [2014], [there was an incident] at Kunming Railway Station. A group of masked people entered the train station and attacked civilians for no reason. Many people died on the scene, and over 100 people were injured. People were not only injured, but very scared. People were physically harmed, and their minds were also full of fear. Their family members were especially worried. Therefore, the hospital asked for volunteers to provide comfort to the survivors. They selected three groups of volunteers. One was college students majoring in social work. They hoped that these young people would be able to provide social services in the future, so they let them go among the survivors to learn to provide emotional support and comfort. The second group asked to work with survivors was psychotherapists. Lastly, the hospital also hoped that Tzu Chi volunteers could be involved.

Tzu Chi Bodhisattvas willingly accepted their invitation and began to exercise the most sincere love and feelings of great empathy to keep the survivors company. They took care of each family’s mental wellbeing and the mental wellbeing of each survivor.

Among the survivors was an elderly grandmother. She was among those attacked. The attackers slashed at her throat, and her larynx was ruptured; this was a very serious injury. She was sent to First People’s Hospital and stayed in the Intensive Care Unit until her throat had healed until very recently, when her throat had healed enough for her to be in a regular hospital ward. This elderly woman was very scared. Whenever she saw people, she felt terrified and would not allow people to go near her. This was how fearful she was. The relatives of this elderly woman came to Tzu Chi volunteers for help. “Can you help my mother? Can you help comfort my mother so that she will not be so afraid?”

Tzu Chi volunteers began to show her their genuine love and gentleness so that she felt safe with the volunteers. She let them get closer, allowed them to hold her hand, caress her forehead and so on. Eventually, the elderly woman smiled. In their time with her, Tzu Chi volunteers also gave her something useful. They gave her a decorative charm that said “peace” like the ones we pass out during. Chinese New Year. They also gave her red envelope from our Year-end Blessing Ceremony. At that moment, the head of one of the departments happened to visit her as part of his rounds. When he saw the grandma at peace with a smile on her face, he felt that Tzu Chi volunteers made a very big difference in those ten-plus days.

Of course, the Tzu Chi volunteers worked with many people over the course of every day at the hospital. This is just one story.

Some people are suspicious when they meet others because they have suffered tragedies like this. This grandmother was about to get on a train or perhaps get off a train, we do not know, but suddenly, these masked people [attacked] and her throat was nearly severed. Her larynx was cut open; it was very terrifying. It is not surprising that after almost dying, she became very fearful at the sight of people. However, she was approached by Living Bodhisattvas so she can now find peace in both body and mind.

If she had continued to be plagued by doubt and suspicion, even if she recovered physically and went home, the shadow [of trauma] would follow her for the rest of her life, and she would be suspicious of everyone. That would be very troublesome. Fortunately, she had this affinity [with Tzu Chi]. How could she get rid of her suspicions? With the help of Living Bodhisattvas. How can we eliminate our greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt? Only by walking the right path, following right understanding and right views.

6. View of Self: attachment to the body of the Five Aggregates 7. Extreme Views: attachment to the two views of eternalism and nihilism 8. Deviant Views: slander and denial of the law of cause and effect; the ruin of all good things 9. Stubborn Views: taking what is not the effect as the effect 10. View of Deviant Precepts: attachment to incorrect precepts.

The sixth [affliction] is “view of self.” Our sense of “self” comes from having this body. We often say that the greatest liability in life is having this body; all the karma we create comes from the actions of this body. Greed by itself only exists in the mind. Ignorance also only exists in the mind. The greed, anger and ignorance in our minds can only manifest through the actions of this body. So, by having this body, we get “attached to the body of the Five Aggregates.”

Does everyone know the Five Aggregates? Form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. These are the Five Aggregates. We are clearly living in a state of impermanence, going through birth, aging, illness and death, day after day, second after second. With the aggregate of action, we are in a state of constant change, but we do not understand this, so we constantly cling to our form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. “I saw this thing and I love it. I want to do this, so I must fight for it to happen” and so on. We think that we will always be the same. We do not understand birth, aging, illness and death. We do not understand formation, existence, decay and disappearance. We also do not understand arising, abiding, changing and ceasing. Because we do not understand these principles, we develop “the view of self. As long as it makes me happy, why not do it?” People who think this way have the “view of self.”

Those with “extreme views” do not follow the right course and deliberately go astray on a deviant path. They are “attached to the two views of eternalism and nihilism.” For the last two days we have talked about eternalism and nihilism. People who believe in eternalism do not recognize the impermanence of life. People who believe in nihilism believe that after this one lifetime, there are no subsequent ones. They do not believe in the law of karma so they act recklessly, fearing nothing, not worried about consequences. This comes from believing in nihilism.

The eighth [affliction] is “deviant views,” the slander and denial of the law of karma. Not only do they not believe in it, they also slander the law of cause and effect. If people want to do something good, they will prevent them from doing it by saying it is wrong to do those kinds of things. All these actions are caused by “deviant views.” Deviant views cause us to go astray and make one mistake after another. Unable to take joy in others’ goodness, we instead prevent others from doing good.

The ninth [affliction] is “stubborn views.” When people abandon reasonable principles, it is truly quite sad.

The tenth is “view of deviant precepts,” which refers to deviant spiritual practices. A few days ago, we talked about how people go astray in their spiritual cultivation and engage in practices using fire, or practice by living as a cow, dog, etc. They believe that [to eliminate] the karma they created in the past, in this lifetime they must take on all kinds of physical suffering and endure them all; this is what they consider as spiritual practice. So, they burn themselves with fire or live in very filthy conditions, living like cows and dogs and eating what cows and dogs eat. They believe this is spiritual practice.

So, people’s various afflictions can be summarized as these Ten Afflictions, which are the fundamental afflictions.

The Ten Afflictions is another name for the Ten Agents. Delusions about principles are the “acute afflictions.” Delusions about matters are the “chronic afflictions.”

Greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt are the five chronic afflictions. When we see objects, thoughts arise in our mind. Once our mind gives rise to these thoughts, even after the matter has passed, thoughts about it continue to arise. These are called “the five chronic afflictions.” The view of self, extreme views, etc. are the five acute afflictions. They all lead the body to take action. When we think about doing something, we immediately act on it. With this physical body we very quickly move and take action, causing all kinds of tragedies. If we have thoughts without taking action, those [afflictions] are considered “chronic.” If we have these states of mind and then take action, when these come together, [disasters] will immediately result. Such afflictions and ignorance will lead us to create delusions and karma.

Recently, I have been telling everyone to develop a deep understanding of “delusions. Delusions” are the formerly mentioned greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. “Karma” is what the view of self, extreme views, etc. drive us to do, such that we create karma. We have this body, so we create karma. For so many days, you have listened to the teachings about birds and beasts, goblins and monsters and so on. I hope they can help you all quickly understand more clearly the Ten Afflictions. I spent a long time in explaining them so that everybody can more easily understand them.

Actually, there is more to say on this. There are so many people in this world, so there are countless afflictions. Therefore, we must constantly listen to teachings. Although some say, “I have already heard them,” still, after expounding the teachings in prose, the Buddha repeated them in verses to help everybody gain a better understanding. The sutras constantly repeat themselves, to help everybody heighten their vigilance. So, we must constantly contemplate carefully and always be mindful.

Episode 631 – Good and Evil Are Created by the Mind

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>> “The Three Realms are created only by the mind. The orientation of our minds follows good and evil karma. Good karma leads to heaven and human realms; evil karma to realms of yaksas and hungry ghosts who practice violence and evil. With a thought, we speedily move in that direction. Hungry ghosts are always oriented towards places of starvation and defilement.”

>> “There were also many ghosts with heads like an ox’s. They might eat human flesh, or they might eat dogs as well.”

>> “Their hair was matted and unkempt, and they were destructive and treacherous. Oppressed by hunger and thirst, they screamed and ran wildly.”

>> Their hair is matted and unkempt, and they are destructive and treacherous: Some cling to eternalism, while others cling to nihilism. They do not know clearly right from left, and turn back and forth in circles. Like those with matted and unkempt hair, those who follow extreme and heretical views have an appearance that is ferocious and evil.

>> Oppressed by hunger and thirst, they screamed and ran wildly: They hold extreme views and heretical views, but they are strongly attached to those views and have no nourishment of virtue. They lack the water of Dharma-nature to draw on. This is analogous to being oppressed by hunger and thirst.

>> Learn and practice careful contemplation, and do not by any means be biased. Those who are destructive and treacherous are without the virtues of learning the precepts and being in Samadhi; they are lacking the practice of the right path. This is like being oppressed by hunger and thirst.

>> They claim to know when they do not. Each expresses his or her own views and pronounces and promotes evil doctrines, as if crying out. They follow evil practices and transmigrate endlessly without rest. This is like being driven to scream and run wildly.

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“The Three Realms are created only by the mind.
The orientation of our minds
follows good and evil karma.
Good karma leads to heaven and human realms;
evil karma to realms of yaksas and hungry ghosts
who practice violence and evil.
With a thought,
we speedily move in that direction.
Hungry ghosts are always oriented towards
places of starvation and defilement.”

Recently we have been saying that. “The Three Realms are created only by the mind.” Our mind encompasses the formless, form and desire realms. We have to examine our mind to learn about and experience these states. Outside of the mind, there are no phenomena; all phenomena are created by the mind. The Three Realms are also states of mind.

In the formless realm, there are afflictions that arise from the delusion of ignorance. In the form realm, there are relationships and material things between people, so afflictions arise from our plotting and fighting. In the desire realm, when we interact with our surroundings, our greed and our desire for pleasure give rise to confusion and delusion, which lead to suffering from afflictions.

In summary, whether desires give rise to forms, or whether forms lead to formless afflictions, “The Three Realms are created only by the mind.” These are all states of mind. So, if the orientation of our mind changes along with our good and evil karma, then as our desires grow greater, our afflictions and cravings to possess things will likewise grow. The more they grow, the more intense this fighting will be. So, we follow our good and evil karma to constantly change our orientation; this all happens in our minds.

When in a state of confusion and delusion, if the karmic causes and conditions are there, we sometimes have the good affinities in the midst of that confused state to hear a sentence, experience a situation or encounter an environment that guides us and helps awaken us from our confusion and afflictions. We will understand the mistakes we have made, return to our [pure nature] and start all over. In this way, once a thought of goodness arises, we will [do good deeds] and create blessings. This likewise depends on our minds. So, our mind changes in orientation, following the good and evil karma we create. In that unenlightened state, “[Karma can be] good, evil or indeterminate.”

Do we have a mind of goodness? Or do we have a mind of evil? Among good and evil karma, good karma leads to the heaven and human realms. To create good karma, we uphold the Five Precepts. To go a step beyond upholding the Five Precepts, we need to practice the Ten Good Deeds.

You all know the Five Precepts. They are no killing, no stealing no sexual misconduct, no lying and so on. As for the Ten Good Deeds, three are of the body, four are of speech and three are of the mind. [The three of] the body are no killing, no stealing and no sexual misconduct. The four of speech are no lying, no harsh speech, no gossip and no flattery. The three of the mind are to have no greed, no anger and no ignorance. By practicing the Ten Good Deeds, we will be reborn in the heaven realm. So, abiding by the Five Precepts ensures that we will reborn as humans and abiding by the Ten Good Deeds leads us to heaven. This is where good karma leads.

What about evil karma? If we are oriented toward evil, we will enter the realms of yaksas and hungry ghosts. Doing evil leads us to the Three Evil Destinies, the hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. Evil karma is also created only by the mind.

The mind changes very quickly; “speedily” means at a fast rate. The orientation of our mind can change very quickly, in the space of a thought. This is our habitual tendency as ordinary people.

People often ask, “Are you doing that right? I believe it is right.” The immediate response is, “I believe it is right.” Then someone else says, “If you do it that way, such-and-such will be the result, so please think this through.” Even after thinking, a stubborn person, someone who feels self-important, will be too stubborn to admit it, even though he knows he is wrong. It is obvious, after analyzing the situation, that this is the wrong way to do it, and he will likely not succeed. But since he said he was going to do it this way, he clings to his delusions and does not awaken.

People like this constantly reinforce their habits. They know they are wrong but refuse to change; they continue to stubbornly go down that road. Being attached to that kind of mindset is truly frightening.

If we are stubborn and repeat our mistakes, if we obviously know we are wrong but deliberately keep going in the wrong direction, we are in an inflexible state, much like how “hungry ghosts are always oriented towards [places of] starvation.” The Dharma is right there, but they are unwilling to accept it. Because they refuse to accept it, their hearts will always remain empty. If they never take the Dharma to heart, they will never feel steady and grounded, just like hungry ghosts. Without the nourishment of the Dharma, their wisdom-life will be very weak.

This is life; some people are forever willing to remain in this world of severe turbidity. Moreover, they are unwilling to accept the Dharma in order to nourish their wisdom-life. So, they are willing to remain in this turbidity, this unclean place. This is what we see in life. So, in learning the Buddha’s teachings, we must truly always be mindful. All conditions exist in our minds. We must orient our minds in the right direction. For example, right now, we are all diligently practicing. In the morning people gather together to listen to my morning Dharma lecture.

Every morning, people wake up around 3 am, leave their house after 4 am and arrive at their spiritual practice center to listen to the teachings a little after 5 am. Right now it is winter; it is very cold, and sometimes it is raining. But people are undeterred by the wind and rain. After engaging in this diligent practice, everyone says they are full of Dharma-joy.

I sometimes ask them, “Isn’t it hard to get up so early in the morning?” They answer, “Only at the beginning. But now I feel a sense of fulfillment. To wake up early, I go to bed early. After I started waking up early, I felt that after listening to the Dharma and hearing everyone share their realizations, I am filled with Dharma-joy. Then, when I go to work and start my work day, I feel like somehow I have plenty of time to do things, and I am very happy. I do not get tired at all during the work day. Whenever I encounter an issue, I can resolve it very harmoniously. Whenever there is a problem, I can solve it quickly.” This is what people who come to the Abode, both from Taiwan and abroad, have said to me. Some people also earnestly take notes. I see how earnestly they write; every word in their notes is written neatly.

If they truly take the Dharma to heart this way, they can apply it in their daily living. By taking every drop of Dharma-water to heart, they have nourished their wisdom-life and have completely eliminated their afflictions. This is the proper method for listening to the Dharma and learning the Buddha’s teachings.

So, we have already discussed a lot about the previous passages. Birds and beasts, hungry ghosts, yaksas, goblins, and monsters have different kinds of habitual tendencies resulting from the karma they bring. In fact, all these different lifestyles put together are nothing other than the human mind. When we talk about things in Three Realms, our minds are actually in these three states, the desire, form and formless realms. This is how we torment ourselves. In this state of ignorance, it is as if we are being cooked and roasted in a pan.

These many objects of every shape and color, or these ghosts and spirits that are intangible and formless and make us terrified, are all descriptions of our mind.

So, the previous passage states,

“There were also many ghosts with heads like an ox’s. They might eat human flesh, or they might eat dogs as well.”

If everyone understands what I said earlier, the meaning of this passage will be clear to them. The next sutra passage states,

“Their hair was matted and unkempt, and they were destructive and treacherous. Oppressed by hunger and thirst, they screamed and ran wildly.”

“Their hair was matted and unkempt.” Everybody understands that this describes hair that is disheveled, that has not been cared for at all. In the past, if people let down their hair, it meant their minds were not disciplined. That was the reasoning. It says, “They were destructive and treacherous.” If someone does not take care of their appearance, it means their mind is also in disarray. When their mind is in disarray, that is reflected in their appearance. “They are destructive and treacherous” is how this is explained.

Their hair is matted and unkempt, and they are destructive and treacherous: Some cling to eternalism, while others cling to nihilism. They do not know clearly right from left, and turn back and forth in circles. Like those with matted and unkempt hair, those who follow extreme and heretical views have an appearance that is ferocious and evil.

“Some cling to eternalism, while others cling to nihilism.” When our minds become scattered, some spiritual practitioners may cling to “eternalism” while others may cling to “nihilism.” Since we are engaging in spiritual practice, we know about the karmic law of cause and effect. So, we should not further create negative karmic connections. We should create good connections. We should not commit wrongdoings, but should benefit everyone. We believe in the karmic law of cause and effect, but some people deny it. Since they do not believe in the law of karma, they believe that once this life ends, there is nothing after that. [Their attitude is] “If I have liquor today, I will get drunk today.” They try to indulge in this life to the fullest and do not care about the future.

But those who cling to eternalism say, “I am human this lifetime, so I will be human in future lifetimes. If I do not properly engage in spiritual practice in this lifetime, I can do it in the next.” Although they believe in future lifetimes, they do not comprehend the law of cause and effect or realize they have to pay their karmic debts. If they cause a lot of harm in this lifetime, the karmic retribution they face in future ones will be terrifying. But they do not understand this. They think they will always be human, and if they do not cultivate themselves this life, they can always do it in future lifetimes. However, they may not have the karmic conditions to engage in spiritual practice in the future. They may face so much torment their whole lives that they do not even have time to breathe, but they do not realize this.

So, it is not right to cling to eternalism or nihilism. We must believe in the law of cause and effect. Otherwise, we will lack clarity. “They do not know clearly right from left,” so they keep going in circles. If we let our hair down, and then shake our heads around, looking forward and backward, left and right, in the end, we do not know whether we are going forward or backward, left or right. Without taking the Dharma to heart, we just keep turning around in circles, just like how, if we keep shaking our heads, spinning our hair all around, in the end, we will be dizzy, and our hair will be messy. This is like holding “extreme and heretical views.” Such a ferocious appearance, with such long and unkempt hair, represents people’s confused thinking.

Next it states, “Oppressed by hunger and thirst, they scream and run wildly.”

Oppressed by hunger and thirst, they screamed and ran wildly: They hold extreme views and heretical views, but they are strongly attached to those views and have no nourishment of virtue. They lack the water of Dharma-nature to draw on. This is analogous to being oppressed by hunger and thirst.

Being “oppressed by hunger and thirst” is an analogy for “extreme and heretical views.” People’s attachment to these views is so strong; they just can never get past this obstacle. They clearly know that their methods will not work, but they have such strong attachments. They cling to their views and understanding and to their belief in permanence. “It’s fine; things just turned out this way. I’ll start over next time. I am wealthy in this lifetime. When I am reborn, I will likewise be this wealthy.” They do not know where their wealth comes from. They have no idea, so they keep competing with others and keep taking things from them. They do not know that the blessings they created in the past are the reasons they are successful in making money in this lifetime. Instead of creating blessings in this lifetime, they keep trying to satisfy their insatiable greed. They work so hard in their pursuits. All these things they work so hard to obtain in the end leave them with karmic debts that they have to repay in future lifetimes.

They do not know this, so “They are strongly attached to those views” and “have no nourishment of virtue.” They do not care about doing good deeds. They are only concerned with their income, so they do not want to give and create blessings. Therefore, they have no virtues. They do not cultivate inwardly or practice outwardly. These people have no spiritual nourishment or thoughts of goodness in their minds at all. Outwardly, they do not do any good deeds, so they create no nourishment of virtue. “They lack the water of Dharma-nature to draw on.” They lack the water of Dharma-nature that allows us to develop our wisdom-life. This is analogous to “being oppressed by hunger and thirst.”

Learn and practice careful contemplation, and do not by any means be biased. Those who are destructive and treacherous are without the virtues of learning the precepts and being in Samadhi; they are lacking the practice of the right path. This is like being oppressed by hunger and thirst.

This is the way life is. As we learn and practice, we must think carefully. We must be cautious so as to never go astray. Our minds must be oriented in the right direction; they must not deviate in the slightest. Otherwise we would be like “those who are destructive and treacherous.” They do not practice precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. Not having learned precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, they do not believe in these teachings and therefore do not cultivate virtuous Dharma. Their actions constantly deviate more toward evil. So, “those who are destructive and treacherous” have no Dharma in their minds. They lack the right path and virtues from practicing precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. Lacking the teachings of the right path is like being “oppressed by hunger and thirst.” These evil ghosts have no Dharma in their minds.

They claim to know when they do not. Each expresses his or her own views and pronounces and promotes evil doctrines, as if crying out. They follow evil practices and transmigrate endlessly without rest. This is like being driven to scream and run wildly.

Because people do not cultivate their minds with the Dharma, they insist that they are always right and teach whatever they want without accepting others’ views. They have gone astray and continue to “pronounce and promote evil doctrines.” They are constantly crying out like this. Not only have they gone astray, they also encourage other people to join them. With these deviant practices, naturally they will transmigrate endlessly. Once deviant thoughts arise in their minds, naturally they will be trapped in cyclic existence and they will call on others to join them in their actions.

This is why we must choose carefully when we decide to engage in spiritual practice. We must earnestly do the homework assigned to us. By earnestly doing this homework, we are making the effort to take the Dharma to heart and manifest it in our practice. “The Three Realms are created only by the mind. The orientation of our minds follows good and evil karma. Good karma leads to heaven and human realms; evil karma to realms of yaksas and hungry ghosts who practice violence and evil. With a thought,” very quickly, “we speedily move in that direction.” So, we must take good care of our minds, or they may deviate very quickly. If we go astray in the space of a thought, we will be like “hungry ghosts [who] are always oriented towards [places of] starvation.” We must be extremely careful and eliminate ignorance and afflictions right away, or else our mind will be filled with turbidity. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 630 – Awaken to the Truth and Understand the Principles

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>> “All phenomena are like dreams, like dew, bubbles, or shadows. The mind is intrinsically tranquil, it has always had the nature of emptiness. With the deluded view of existence, one sees flourishing and decay. The arising of passion causes bonds of suffering. In this dream, one acts and faces consequences. What is the harm or benefit? Awaken to the truth and understand the principles of the cycle of phenomena.”

>> “Naked, black and gaunt, they have long abided there. They would make loud and awful noises while crying out for food. Then there were many ghosts with throats like needles.”

>> “Then there were many ghosts with heads like oxen. They might eat human flesh, or they might eat dogs as well. Their hair was matted and unkempt and they were destructive and treacherous. Driven by hunger and thirst, they screamed and ran wildly.”

>> “The ghostly guards of hell have heads shaped like oxen or heads shaped like horses.” As the Surangama Sutra states, “Spirits of the deceased see an iron-walled city, fiery snakes and fiery dogs, tigers, wolves and lions.”

>> The ox-head jailers are known as the wardens of the king of hell. With human hands and an ox’s hooves and head, they have the strength to move mountains. They are an analogy for the afflictions of extreme views, which begin with inflated view of self. An ox head has two horns, so this is an analogy for the Two Extreme Views.

>> They might eat human flesh, or they might eat dogs as well: They do not know positive causes and effects, nor can they distinguish negative causes and effects, so they cling blindly to nihilism or eternalism. This is like eating human flesh, and is an analogy for damaging the paths of goodness to the heaven and human realms. Eating dogs is likened to practicing evil deeds.

>> When practitioners are practicing Samadhi and unwholesome thoughts suddenly arise, they discriminate between the self and phenomena. They wonder if the self ceased in the past, which allows the self of the present to exist. With this train of thought, they speculate through the Three Periods of Time.

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“All phenomena are like dreams,
like dew, bubbles, or shadows.
The mind is intrinsically tranquil,
it has always had the nature of emptiness.
With the deluded view of existence,
one sees flourishing and decay.
The arising of passion causes bonds of suffering.
In this dream, one acts and faces consequences.
What is the harm or benefit?
Awaken to the truth and understand
the principles of the cycle of phenomena.”

Life is truly filled with unbearable suffering, because in this illusory world, we are not mindful of how everything is illusory, so we end up following illusory phenomena through this cycle. So, “All phenomena are like dreams, like dew, bubbles or shadows.” Phenomena are like dreams that we have, like dew, bubbles or shadows. In fact, they are all empty! The dream we had last night no longer exists when we wake up in the morning.

Not only is life like a dream, it is also like dew. Look at the leaves and the grass. See how they have dew on them. Where did the dew come from? the moisture of the earth comes together and condenses into water. There is water on the grass but it did not come from rain or people watering it, so it is called “dew.” In fact, it is water. There is water on the grass but it will likewise drip off and then disappear.

Bubbles are also made up of water. If we strike or stir up the water, “bubbles” form. There may also be foam, which is also water. Bubbles are also made up of water. In fact, many things are in essence “water,” but every appearance has a different name. Water is a real thing. If we humans do not have water, we cannot live. Nothing in this world, including trees and grass, can grow without water. So, water is a true phenomenon, and it can be found everywhere. Everything our eyes can see contains water.

Does iron or steel contain water? Without water, they cannot become iron or steel. Steel is mined from the mountains. Does the soil contain water? Of course, the soil contains water. Everything on the planet, mountains, rivers, etc., comes from the union of the four elements. After being shaped by natural processes, fire is fire, water is water, earth is earth and air is air. Yet, they all contain traces of each other. The various elements have always been there. From various objects, certain things can be separated and extracted. So, [this potential] was there from the beginning. Then we humans use various methods to draw out and combine specific elements to turn them into something with a different name. So, all phenomena have an essence that is true. This is just like how we humans all intrinsically have the nature of True Suchness. Yet, that intrinsic nature that was once pure has been covered over by various defilements, so we have formed different habitual tendencies.

We form these different habitual tendencies because, having been enticed by worldly things, we become [covered by] so much ignorance, so many desires and afflictions. This is a natural cycle, but because of our attachments, we must take this natural cycle, the True Dharma, and apply it to our illusory and dream-like lives. Thus, “All phenomena are like dreams, like dew, bubbles or shadows.” Ultimately, when we analyze everything, we see that in fact everything is a [temporary] convergence, once the parts disperse, nothing is left.

This is like our minds. “The mind is intrinsically tranquil.” Everyone’s mind has always had the nature of True Suchness and “has always had the nature of emptiness.” This is not the first time that I am telling you that everything around us is empty in nature and that our nature of True Suchness was originally tranquil and still. In that tranquility and stillness, there is absolutely nothing. But because we are deluded, we have “the deluded view of existence.” Because of this delusion, we think that these things are truly ours. Thus, we become attached to them. So, “[We] see flourishing and decay.”

Look at the cycle of the four seasons. In autumn, the leaves begin to change color. When we enter wintertime, all the leaves are gone. Then spring arrives, and plants begin to bud again. This is something we humans can observe in this world, in this life. In fact, this [cycle] is a law of nature but we get attached to certain things. Modern people have made many technological advancements. In the past, when we grew vegetables, the season we were in determined the kind of vegetables we planted. Now we grow them with artificial methods, so we can eat the same vegetables all year around. By demonstrating our cleverness, we are disrupting the cycle of the seasons. So, we are deluded, not clever. Clever people are in a state of delusion. So, “With the deluded view of existence,” we bring things into “existence” and thus we “see flourishing and decay.” So, life in this world has become more and more removed from the natural world.

“The arising of passion causes bonds of suffering.” The passions of ordinary people are delusions. Our passions arise from a deluded state, and we do many deluded things in that state. Thus we become entangled in much suffering. This is like dreaming. “In this dream, one acts and faces consequences. What is the benefit or harm?” When we are dreaming, even if we dream that we have achieved much, upon awakening, it is all empty! So, “What is the benefit or harm?” The same thing applies to this life.

Therefore, we must awaken. “Awaken to the truth and understand the principles of the cycles of phenomena.” We must awaken quickly. After awakening to the true principles, naturally the laws of nature of this world will be very clear to us. We cannot let the “Five Skandhas,” form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness, influence our lives without us being aware of them. If we let the days pass without doing anything, then every day our lives are being shortened, while our karma continually increases. We must be vigilant to quickly eliminate our delusions and ignorance and quickly guard against doing the wrong things.

These past few days we have been talking about how all things in the world, birds and beasts and everything else, can all be [related] back to our minds. In our minds, they are afflictions and ignorance. This how the minds of sentient beings are. So, the minds of sentient beings are like intangible evil ghosts.

“Naked, black and gaunt, they have long abided there. They would make loud and awful noises while crying out for food. Then there were many ghosts with throats like needles.”

We have talked about this before. Some people lack a sense of shame. As humans we must behave like proper humans. We must wear clothes, show courtesy to one another and be neat. That is what we consider human, someone with a sense of shame [and propriety]. As spiritual practitioners, we must follow the rules of spiritual practice so that we will not deviate from the path. Yet, we ordinary people are confused, so we increasingly lose our sense of shame. This happens because in our lives, we have developed these habitual tendencies over time and also carry them through the past, present and future. Thus, it is said, “They have long abided there.”

“They would make loud and awful noises.” Though what we say is incorrect, we keep talking, thinking that the way we practice is correct. So, we keep teaching others and keep talking about how wonderful the Dharma is. We keep sharing loudly with others, but we have not taken the Dharma to heart. So, we are like ghosts “with throats like needles.” They can only make loud noises; they cannot take the Dharma to heart. They are just like hungry ghosts. Their stomachs are big, yet their throats are as thin as needles. They cannot take in the Dharma, but they still continue to yell. This image is a metaphor. We must humbly seek teachings and open up our hearts to be more encompassing so we can earnestly take good teachings to heart.

The next passage states,

“Then there were many ghosts with heads like oxen. They might eat human flesh, or they might eat dogs as well. Their hair was matted and unkempt and they were destructive and treacherous. Driven by hunger and thirst, they screamed and ran wildly.”

This passage describes many ghosts “with heads like oxen.” This is also a kind of metaphor. Is there really a hell? When it comes to hell, some people say, “I can’t see it.” If you cannot see it, that does not matter; we can describe it for you.

“The ghostly guards of hell have heads shaped like oxen or heads shaped like horses.” As the Surangama Sutra states, “Spirits of the deceased see an iron-walled city, fiery snakes and fiery dogs, tigers, wolves and lions.”

This is saying that when we die, our spirit can see the great ring of iron mountains. The Earth Treasury Sutra contains this description. These layers of iron had to be forged one by one, so this is called the great ring of iron mountains. Inside the great ring of iron mountains, there were snakes that seemed to be made of fire. Their entire body was covered in fire, and they also spit out fire. The dogs were the same. There were even tigers, wolves, lions and more. All the fierce animals manifested in hell, completely covered in flames.

Moreover, some of the guards in hell had the forms of ghosts. Some had heads shaped like oxen or horses. The ox-head jailers are also known as “the wardens of the king of hell.” Ox-head wardens serve the king of hell. In the sutras that we recite, they mention ox-head wardens of the king of hell. These jailers are “wardens of the king of hell.” They have the head of oxen, the hands of humans and the hooves of oxen. They are very powerful and are analogies for “afflictions of extreme views.”

The ox-head jailers are known as the wardens of the king of hell. With human hands and an ox’s hooves and head, they have the strength to move mountains. They are an analogy for the afflictions of extreme views, which begin with inflated view of self. An ox head has two horns, so this is an analogy for the Two Extreme Views.

These “afflictions of extreme views” can be found in most people. The Buddha-Dharma is the Middle Way. We must walk toward the Middle Way. If we follow the truth, we will not go wrong. Yet, some end up going astray. So, this is an analogy for “afflictions of extreme views,” which are improper views. With improper views, we will stray from the path.

That is “an inflated view of self”; this all begins with a “view of self,” So, the ox-head warden is very tall and large. He has a very large body and great strength, and two horns like an ox. This ox-head warden has horns. These two horns are an analogy for the two extreme views; people end up staying either to the left or right. This will cause many problems.

Next, “They might eat human flesh or they might eat dogs as well.” They may eat human flesh or other kinds of flesh. Basically, they eat all kinds of animals. “They do not know positive causes and effects.” They do not recognize positive and negative causes and effects. They do not know that creating positive causes will yield positive effects. They just do not understand this concept. Furthermore, they cannot distinguish them from negative causes and effects. They do not understand that by committing evils, they will face negative karmic retributions. They do not even want to try to understand this. They do not recognize the law of karma and and cannot distinguish between good and evil; they just keep creating karma. They blindly cling to the “view of nihilism” or the “view of eternalism.”

They just do what makes them happy in the moment. “I want to do it, and I am powerful enough. I am able to take possession of everything.” This is as if they are eating others’ flesh. It is an analogy for “damaging the paths of goodness to the heaven and human realms.” With negative thinking, negative views and negative thoughts, we will deny the law of karma, which damages the paths of goodness. As for “eating dogs,” that is an analogy for “practicing evil deeds.”

They might eat human flesh, or they might eat dogs as well: They do not know positive causes and effects, nor can they distinguish negative causes and effects, so they cling blindly to nihilism or eternalism. This is like eating human flesh, and is an analogy for damaging the paths of goodness to the heaven and human realms. Eating dogs is likened to practicing evil deeds.

Some people do not advance in their practice of good and moral principles. When we depart from moral principles, everything we do will be wrong.

This is also saying that “when a practitioner is practicing Samadhi,” in our mind, “unwholesome thoughts [may] suddenly arise.” We are spiritual practitioners. Obviously when we engage in spiritual practice, we must cultivate the paths of goodness. But as we engage in spiritual practice, we might have strayed from the Dharma. So, our actions have gone astray as well. When unwholesome thoughts suddenly arise, we may go astray and thus “discriminate between the self and phenomena.”

When practitioners are practicing Samadhi and unwholesome thoughts suddenly arise, they discriminate between the self and phenomena. They wonder if the self ceased in the past, which allows the self of the present to exist. With this train of thought, they speculate through the Three Periods of Time.

Actually, there is a relationship between “self” and “phenomena.” With a “greater self,” we are one with all phenomena. Yet, some people “discriminate between the self and phenomena.” They have separated them.

“They wonder if the self ceased in the past, which allows the self of the present to exist.” Some people do not admit they have a past “self,” thus they are denying the law of karma. “With this train of thought,” this line of thinking, they just debate eternalism and nihilism. They are just constantly debating whether there was a self in the past or no self in the past. Either it did not exist in the past but exists now or perhaps this self existed in the past and also exists in the present. We may be our self of the past, or we may be the self of the present. Because everything is unclear, they “speculate through the Three Periods of Time.”

People with this deviant thinking and view are only focused on the Three Periods, the past, present and future. They become stuck in this thinking. Many people ask, “What was I in my past?” There are places people go to ask, “What did I do in the past? What will happen to me in the future? I want to ask this person about my causes and effects in the Three Periods of Time.” Is this the right thing to do? We do not need to know what happened in the past. However, we must believe that since Beginningless Time, we have been influenced by our habitual tendencies. We planted the karmic causes which created our current conditions, so we must seize this present moment.

We must make an effort to be mindful in our daily living. All phenomena are dreams. Actually, all phenomena are one with the true principles in all of us. We must not depart from truth to live in a dream or get caught up in the outside world.

Our minds were originally empty and tranquil. But for as long as we have been in this world, we always want to take and possess. In the end, isn’t this all empty? So, “With the deluded view of existence, one sees flourishing and decay.” You will see that this is very lush, and that is very dried up. Flourishing and wilting is part of the cycle of the four seasons. Yet, now people are turning the world upside down. Because we have the unenlightened minds of ordinary people, with our unenlightened cleverness, we cause much suffering for this world. “In this dream, one acts and faces consequences. What is the harm or benefit?” We should “awaken to the truth and understand the principles of the cycle of phenomena.” Only in this way will we clearly understand. Everyone must mindfully realize this. We must not deviate in the slightest, otherwise we will go very far off course. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 629 – Transform Oneself and Others with Right Dharma

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>> “In India, there were 20 religious doctrines that taught how to be free from all bondage. Those that held nakedness as a correct practice would worship while naked, even in winter. This custom from the heretical doctrine of nakedness, a deviated path of ascetic practices, keeps one stuck in the Three Realms. When Right Dharma abides in the mind, one goes among people to save others.”

>> “Naked, black and gaunt, they have long abided there. They would make loud and awful noises while crying out for food. Then there were many ghosts with throats like needles.”

>> Naked, black and gaunt, they have long abided there. This refers to one of the 20 religious doctrines. To demonstrate that they have freed themselves from all bondage, they hold to nakedness as right practice. Their nakedness indicates that they have no shame. Their blackness and gauntness show that they are not nourished by the Dharma. They have no merits nourishing or aiding them, so they are gaunt.

>> They do not practice the virtuous Dharma, which shows they have no shame. This is the meaning of naked. With negative actions, they deludedly inflate their egos. Those who cling to the view of self cannot escape from the Three Realms. Thus it is said they have long abided there.

>> They make loud and awful noises. Awful noises will definitely echo back to them. Beset by the suffering of both hunger and cold, they cry out seeking nourishment. This represents how the view of self and greed correspond with one another. With minds that cling to a sense of self, they pronounce and proclaim the existence of “I.” Thus it says that they make loud and awful noises. They hope that by making these sounds, they can achieve the fruit of the path. Thus it says they cry out for food.

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“In India, there were 20 religious doctrines
that taught how to be free from all bondage.
Those that held nakedness as a correct practice
would worship while naked, even in winter.
This custom from the heretical
doctrine of nakedness,
a deviated path of ascetic practices,
keeps one stuck in the Three Realms.
When Right Dharma abides in the mind,
one goes among people to save others.”

I want to share with everyone that in India, during the Buddha’s lifetime, there were 96 religious doctrines. Among these 96 religious teachings, there were 20 which were biased toward ascetic practices. These ascetic practices encompassed all kinds of suffering. The wish “to be free from all bondage”

was their state of mind and they did actually engage in spiritual practice. They did this in the hope of transcending the sufferings of the world. Religious practitioners in those times also wondered why there was suffering in life, where suffering came from and why [people] suffered. They did not discover that “suffering” came from “causation,” but they knew that they were suffering, and if they wanted to transcend suffering, they would have to engage in ascetic practice.

Ascetic practice included various methods that caused great torment to the body. It was a life of painful trials. Their only goal was to free themselves from what was keeping them bound in the Three Realms where they faced all kinds of suffering. How could they be liberated? They would practice according to these methods, to these teachings, which were to use various ways of living to torture themselves. One of these methods “held nakedness as a correct practice.” They thought this method of spiritual practice was correct. It was also an ascetic practice. They wore no clothing, even in winter, which caused them to feel very cold. They worshipped ghosts and spirits while naked. With a naked and bare body, they engaged in these practices.

They believed that their ancestors passed down these methods for spiritual practice. Actually, these methods of practice were paths that had gone astray. I often say that, when we engage in spiritual practice, a slight deviation can lead us far off course. This kind of “deviated path of ascetic practice” still “keeps one stuck in the Three Realms.” These practitioners remained in the Three Realms. They wholeheartedly hoped that they could transcend the Three Realms to avoid the suffering of cyclic existence, but once they deviated from the path, they remained stuck in the Three Realms, unable to escape.

They did not know that the Three Realms are actually states of mind; the Three Realms are [created by] our minds. These practitioners did not understand this truth. If they understood this truth, they would know that “Right Dharma [must] abide in the mind.” When we take the Buddha-Dharma to heart, naturally we will be able to eliminate our desires, and we will not be affected by afflictions or our external conditions. Once we have transcended our discursive thoughts, we will not be trapped in the Three Realms, and our minds can achieve liberation in this lifetime.

Spiritual practice focuses on having. “Right Dharma abide in the mind.” If Right Dharma abides in our minds, we will be free from our limited self and have “a mind that encompasses the universe.” Naturally, our minds will be open and expansive so we can accommodate everything in the world. Moreover, regarding sentient beings, we will have “unconditional loving-kindness and universal compassion.” We will naturally go among people to listen to what they are saying in their hearts and understand their “suffering” and “causation.” After understanding, we will naturally learn the Buddha’s teachings to seek the Dharma and the right path and to realize how we can eliminate afflictions. Then these principles will circulate in our minds. Naturally, when Right Dharma circulates and abides in our minds, we will be able to go among people to transform them. This is the direction of our spiritual practice. To engage in spiritual practice, we must learn to keep the Dharma in our hearts, go among people. This is the true practice of Right Dharma.

So, yesterday we said, “There were many ghosts, their bodies long and large.” We have discussed this before. Ghosts and spirits come and go without a trace; they are likened to the many afflictions in our minds. These attachments and afflictions extend throughout the past, present and future. These kinds of attachments will always be with us. Even when it comes to spiritual practice, we are attached to our biases. As we just said, some engaged in spiritual practice while naked, believing that this had been passed down from their ancestors. The principle is the same; these people are attached to deviant practices the way we are attached to our afflictions throughout the past, present and future. Thus, they are described as having “bodies long and large.”

In our minds, afflictions and ignorance may come and go without a trace. After this continues for a long time, we cannot remain focused on Right Dharma or earnestly engage in spiritual practice to take the Dharma to heart. If this was the way things were in the past, we must now heighten our vigilance and walk on the right path with reverence.

Next, it states,

“Naked, black and gaunt, they have long abided there. They would make loud and awful noises while crying out for food. Then there were many ghosts with throats like needles.”

“Naked, black and gaunt, they have long abided there.” Let us examine these words. Regarding those more than 20 religious doctrines, as we just said, what they expressed was that they wanted to be free from all bonds, so they engaged in spiritual practices that caused them deep suffering. “Others cannot bear it, yet I can. This is the skill that I have mastered because I want to transcend suffering in the Three Realms and no longer be trapped in cyclic existence.” This is their stance on their practice.

Whether they practiced with fire or water or by living like an ox or dog, etc., they were all willing to face this suffering. Some even practiced by not wearing any clothes. During the coldest time of the year, they still refused to wear any clothing as they paid their respects to ghosts and spirits. They considered this a proper spiritual practice. This actually represents shamelessness. We humans should have a sense of [propriety]. We must wear clothes. Not only must we wear clothes, we must wear them neatly. This is etiquette. We wear clothes to cover our bodies. In particular, when it is cold, they keep us warm. Not only is wearing clothing part of being human, we must wear it neatly as a part of human etiquette. If we walk around naked, we are shameless [with no sense of propriety].

“Black and gaunt” is a metaphor for how they had not been nourished by the Dharma. The Dharma is spiritual nourishment that can nourish our wisdom-life. Heretical practitioners have gone astray, so they cannot accept Right Dharma. Thus, they cannot nourish their wisdom-life, which becomes black and gaunt. It has become shrunken because it has not been nourished by Dharma-water. It is like a fruit laid out in the sun and has become dehydrated so that it is completely dried out and shriveled. The principle is the same. Our wisdom-life must be nourished by Dharma-water. Without the Dharma, our wisdom-life will wither. If we humans do not eat any food, we will become black and gaunt. This description signifies a lack of Right Dharma. Without Right Dharma, we have no sense of shame [or propriety]. If we do not take Right Dharma to heart and are cut off from Dharma-water, naturally we will be black and gaunt.

Naked, black and gaunt, they have long abided there. This refers to one of the 20 religious doctrines. To demonstrate that they have freed themselves from all bondage, they hold to nakedness as right practice. Their nakedness indicates that they have no shame. Their blackness and gauntness show that they are not nourished by the Dharma. They have no merits nourishing or aiding them, so they are gaunt.

“They have no merits nourishing or aiding them.” They do not have these merits. They do not attain merits through this practice, so they are just abusing themselves. This is not right. They have deviated in their spiritual practice, so, “They do not practice the virtuous Dharma.” They believe that their spiritual cultivation will help free them from these bonds and transcend the Three Realms, but they have gone astray. In particular, they do not practice virtuous Dharma among people. This also shows they have no sense of shame.

If spiritual practitioners are only trying to benefit themselves and do not think to show compassion to other people, this is not right. This also shows they have no shame. Those who see other people doing good deeds but belittle them are also said to have no shame. Not only do they not take joy in others’ merits, they slander those people. These people have no sense of shame. So, this practice of “nakedness” is mistaken. People should have a sense of propriety and a clear course of spiritual practice.

They do not practice the virtuous Dharma, which shows they have no shame. This is the meaning of naked. With negative actions, they deludedly inflate their egos. Those who cling to the view of self cannot escape from the Three Realms. Thus it is said they have long abided there.

“With negative actions, they deludedly inflate their egos.” They think everything they do is correct and that their spiritual practice is something special. With these negative actions, they deludedly inflate their egos; they cling to “the view of self.” Those who “cling to the view of self” [think] that their views are most correct. As for the principles, they think they are the only ones who understand. They have obviously gone astray, but they think what they are doing is right so they argue with people over every little thing. They are attached to their own views and have a high opinion of themselves. With this inflated ego, they have no respect for other people. People like this are said to be “clinging to the view of self.” As to this “deludedly inflated ego,”

we must treat others with a sense of propriety when engaging in spiritual practice. Showing “gratitude, respect and love” seems like a simple thing, but people with deluded self-importance cannot do any of this. Thus, “With negative actions, they deludedly inflate their egos”; they always “cling to the view of self.” Such people cannot escape from the Three Realms because they have trapped their minds in [the states of] the Three Realms. Within this burning house of the Three Realms, they suppress and pressure themselves. This is indeed a pity. So, “They have long abided there.” The attachments of ordinary people or those with deviant practices and deviant views will keep them abiding in the Three Realms. They are entangled by the afflictions in the desire, form and formless realms.

Next, we will discuss, “They make loud and awful noises while crying out for food.” Because they do not attain the nourishment of Right Dharma, they are starving and will “make loud and awful noises.”

They make loud and awful noises. Awful noises will definitely echo back to them. Beset by the suffering of both hunger and cold, they cry out seeking nourishment. This represents how the view of self and greed correspond with one another. With minds that cling to a sense of self, they pronounce and proclaim the existence of “I.” Thus it says that they make loud and awful noises. They hope that by making these sounds, they can achieve the fruit of the path. Thus it says they cry out for food.

Obviously there is good Dharma in front of them, there is spiritual nourishment, but they do not approach it. Instead, they keep going the wrong way down the wrong path and making loud and awful noises; they think that only they are right, and everyone else is wrong. They shout and yell loudly,

so “Awful noises will definitely echo back to them.” They are just shouting loudly without properly engaging in spiritual practice. They talk at length about principles and criticize the wrongs of others without understanding their own faults. The more loudly they shout, the more they harm themselves. However, they do not understand this, so they are “beset by the suffering of hunger and cold.” In fact, the Dharma that can nourish them is clearly in front of them, but they deliberately do not take in any of it. This is why they lack the nourishment for their spiritual practice. They feel that life is suffering, but all they do is complain about this suffering. They feel that everything is unfair, “Why do some people’s lives go so smoothly, while mine is like this?” They continue to complain about many things. This is like “crying out seeking nourishment.”

In fact, spiritual practice is not about arguing. We practice by cultivating our own minds. This is an analogy for the view of self and the appearance of greed, how greed appears in response. Greed is endless. We previously said that in the state of greed, one feels impoverished. We never feel like we have enough. No matter how much we eat, we will still feel hungry. We see this in Alzheimer’s patients. Even though they have just eaten, they ask, “Why haven’t I eaten yet?” They have completely forgotten that they just ate. After a while, they say again, “I’m hungry, why didn’t you give me anything to eat? You ate just a moment ago. No, I didn’t. I’m still hungry.”

In our lives, we experience a similar illness. Because we ordinary people have these kinds of afflictions in our minds, we have a similar illness. The afflictions in our minds will naturally manifest as physical symptoms. So, we feel poor and lacking. Because we have not taken the abundance of Dharma into our minds, naturally we will never realize and retain it. Thus, Right Dharma does not firmly abide in our minds, so we can never attain Right Dharma. Thus, we will “make loud and awful noises while crying out to seek food.” We will still continue seeking.

“With minds that cling to a sense of self, they pronounce and proclaim the existence of ‘I.'” We just keep talking about “I, I, I,” saying to people, “You must listen to me,” We ourselves are starving [without the Dharma], but we still call to others, “Come listen to my teachings.” Even if there is no Dharma in us, we still “pronounce and proclaim.” This really shows attachment to “self. Listen to me and practice the way I practice.” Practicing with fire or nakedness or living as an ox, dog and so on are taken as proper ways to engage in practice when they are not. So, “They make loud and awful noises.” Clearly, they have not taken the Dharma to heart, but they still want people to listen to them.

“They hope to achieve the fruit of the path.” They tell people, “If you listen to me, you can achieve the fruit of the path.” Some people say, “I am transforming others. If you listen to and believe in my teachings, I will attain merits.” There are some people who teach like this, which is a mistake. The Dharma must abide in our hearts [first]. We need to transform ourselves with the Dharma before we transform others. We must have enough understanding ourselves before we can find a way to transform others.

So, “There were many ghosts with throats like needles.” This is an analogy for “the affliction of stubborn views.” We stubbornly cling to our views and “cannot accept those of others.” We may not accept others’ suggestions and always think that we are correct.

Actually, if we do not listen to others and also do not understand much ourselves, it is like our throats are constricted and we cannot swallow the Dharma even if it is there. This is like being unable to swallow something even after it is in our mouths. All this happens because of deviant thinking. So, everyone, as Buddhist practitioners it is most important to learn to take Right Dharma to heart. Only when the Dharma is firmly in our hearts can we can go among people to purify their hearts with the Dharma-water. We must not be like heretical practitioners who see a permanent self where there is none and see permanence where there is none. These are all incorrect views. The Dharma must abide in our hearts so that we can transform ourselves and then others. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 628 – Transcending the Attachment to Self

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>> “All deviant attachments are based on the view of self. Without the self, there are no deviant attachments. All sentient beings, from name, form and the Five Skandhas, generate delusional attachments to the body. This deluded ‘view of self’ drives the mind and spirit to incessant transmigration through the Twelve Entrances and Eighteen Realms.”

>> “They would catch a dog by his two legs, attacking and causing him to bark. They would stretch his legs over his neck, scaring the dog but pleasing themselves.”

>> “There were also many ghosts, their bodies long and large. Naked, black and gaunt, they have long abided there.”

>> There were also many ghosts, their bodies long and large: This refers to afflictions caused by view of self. The view of self: The mixed-up views and confused thinking that there is an existent self. Perverse calculations for the sake of the body are called “view of self.” The deluded attachments to the self extend through all three periods of time. This is the meaning of. “Their bodies [are] long and large.”

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“All deviant attachments are
based on the view of self.
Without the self,
there are no deviant attachments.
All sentient beings, from name,
form and the Five Skandhas,
generate delusional attachments to the body.
This deluded ‘view of self’
drives the mind and spirit
to incessant transmigration through
the Twelve Entrances and Eighteen Realms.”

I have been talking about how the Three Realms are like a burning house. The mind gives rise to the Three Realms; “The Three Realms are created by the mind.” However, where does our mind come from? We have one because we have a body. Because of our body, we see from the perspective of our “self.” If these perspectives are not correct, and if we are, furthermore, attached to them, we call those “deviant attachments.” But where do “deviant attachments” come from? From the mind in our body, the mind which leads our body to take action. Therefore, deviant thinking and deviant views easily translate into “action,” and through these actions, we create karma. We create karma in the world, which comes back to reaffirm our “views of self.” Thus, our minds and bodies influence each other.

If we can simplify things again, we can be “without the self”; we can transcend this sense of “self” instead of being constantly attached to it. How can we make the best use of this “self”? By setting aside our “limited self” and returning to our “greater self.” Then, we will treat everything in the world as our equal. Buddhist sutras often contain the line, “In all of heaven and earth, I alone am supreme.” Why did the Buddha say, “I alone am supreme”? Actually, in this world, we must be in harmony with both heaven and earth, meaning we must be as encompassing as they are. This way of being is called the “greater self.” Thus, “Our minds can encompass the universe and embrace all the worlds within it.” When our minds can encompass the universe, doesn’t that mean that everything in the world is contained within our minds? When everything in this world is accommodated within our minds, this “greater self” is unsurpassed and supreme.

I hope that all of us, when we hear, “I alone am supreme,” can understand the principles behind it. By opening up and expanding our minds to encompass the universe, our minds can embrace everything in this world. By understanding all these principles, we are in a state that is unsurpassed and supreme. We must understand the world. All things in the world have the same essence as the universe. When we have this understanding, [we have returned to] our nature of True Suchness. To reach this [true] nature, we must first let go of our limited self and our selfishness, our [attachment] to “self. Without the self, there are no deviant attachments.” We must let go of our “limited self.” Without our “limited self,” we will be free of selfishness and biased views. By achieving such a state, sentient beings can be liberated from the contentious attachments of selfishness.

However, for all of us, “All sentient beings, from name, form and the Five Skandhas, [generate attachments].” Unfortunately, sentient beings are selfish and have a limited view of “self.” Therefore, our perspectives are limited by “Name, form and the Five Skandhas” refer to form, feeling, perception, action and consciousness, the Five Aggregates. This body of ours is an example of “form.” Things around us of various shapes and colors, personal recognition, wealth, status, etc. are all things that we want and pursue. When we pursue but cannot obtain them, we feel certain ways. When we do get what we want, we feel something different. So, once there is “form,” we connect to external conditions with our bodies. This evokes a “feeling” in our minds.

So, after form and feeling is perception. The [Chinese] character for “perception” is made up “appearance” [and “mind”]. The external appearances we see continue to be kept in our mind. Thus, in daily living, our minds become imprinted with many appearances and labels. Everything that we are currently pursuing, everything in the past that did not go the way we wanted and everything we want to have in the future are all appearances that are stuck in our minds.

What comes after “form, feeling and perception? Action”; we then take action. If we want personal recognition and wealth, or if we want to possess anything else, we must take action. This gives rise to countless interpersonal conflicts and leads us to create karma. All this happens because of “name, form and the Five Skandhas.” Thus, we “generate delusional attachments.” We engage in these delusional behaviors. It is because we have this physical body

that we form “this deluded ‘view of self.'” Look at all the complications in the world. Because a certain person is there, they create a certain kind of karma. This is all because we have this human body, a human way of thinking, a human way of behaving, a human way of creating karma and so on. It all arises from our “deviant attachments” and originates with having this physical body. Our delusional attachment to this illusory life, this short and temporary life, leads us to go about as if everything will be ours for countless generations to come. This therefore “drives the mind and spirit.” Our mind and spirit are constantly driven while in this environment.

Within the states of the Three Realms, so many difficult matters are oppressing and disturbing our body and mind. Thus, we are driven by our “delusional attachments to the body,” because we mistakenly believe that this body will last forever. Thus we form “this deluded ‘view of self'” that continually “drives our mind and spirit.” Our mind and our spirit are constantly driven by these afflictions, hence our “incessant transmigration through the Twelve Entrances and Eighteen Realms.”

What are the Twelve Entrances? The Six Roots are our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind. The Six Dusts are form, sound, smell, taste, touch and thought. Together, they comprise the Twelve Entrances. What about the Six Consciousnesses? They arise when the Six Roots connect with the Six Dusts. All these combine to form the Eighteen Realms.

When this body of ours comes in contact with a “form” in the world, in that state, the “dust” and our “consciousness” and our “root” are all connected. “Dust” refers to the sense objects around us. We must make an effort to comprehend this. Right now, as I sit here speaking, my “body-root” is here and. I use it to look at all of you. The presence of your “form-object” gives rise to happiness in my mind, so I experience joy in my “mind-consciousness.” I am happy to see your diligent practice and to see you earnestly listening to teachings.

You remind me of how, all across the country, Tzu Chi volunteers are diligently practicing. They leave the house before dawn. Many of them leave their house before 5am. At this time of the morning, they gather in their spiritual practice center to listen to the teachings together. What their “eye-root” sees is a television screen with me speaking. They can see my image, and they can also hear my words. Their “eye-root” can do this because of modern technology. I am sitting here in Hualien, and they are in Keelung, Pingtung, Hengchun, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Taipei, etc., in more than 200 community practice centers, and we can all gather together at the same time.

This includes not only volunteers in Taiwan, but in Malaysia and Singapore as well. They are also very diligent. Even volunteers in Jordan are with us. Because of the time difference, they are six hours behind us; but they are not a second behind in their study. As I teach here in the morning in Taiwan, Chi Hui is listening to me at night in Jordan. Over all these months and years, he has diligently practiced every day. He seeks the Dharma, listens to it and upholds his vows while following the path.

This is the perspective we apply to our lives. What perspective do we use for our lives? Is it one of deviant understanding and deviant views, which will cause us to fall? Or is it a perspective that helps us increase the value of our life? We must make good use of this body, because, “If we do not transform ourselves in this life, in which life will we transform ourselves?” If we are diligent and mindful, naturally we will be able to eliminate deviant attachments and the view of self. Our selfish and limited sense of self will naturally be eliminated. When we open up our minds broadly, what we will be pursuing are the truths of all things in the universe. We must return to our nature of True Suchness.

Then this [pure] nature can be united with the universe. “In all of heaven and earth, there is none like the Buddha.” In all of heaven and earth, it is the awakened ones who are able to comprehend all things and unite with the entire universe. This is called the “greater self.” When we can achieve the “greater self,” we can be one with the world and can understand the truths of all things in the universe. “In all of heaven and earth, I alone am supreme” means that if we can open up our minds to unite with the truths of the universe, we will be unsurpassed and supreme. So, we must not be self-centered or small-minded, thinking only of ourselves, working only for the sake of our own benefit. This would be very painful.

Recently, we have been discussing the analogies of birds, beasts, ghosts, etc. for the sole purpose of breaking through our attachment to, understanding of and view of self.

The previous sutra passage states,

“They would catch a dog by his two legs, attacking and causing him to bark. They would stretch his legs over his neck, scaring the dog but pleasing themselves.”

Teasing dogs and making them angry makes some people very happy. When two dogs fight with each other, all it takes is for one to bark, and then the entire pack of dogs will bark. This teaches us that, in spiritual practice, when we accept the Dharma, we must abide by Right Dharma. If we deviate from it even slightly, that slight deviation can take us far off course. Not only will we be wrong, we will also guide others wrongly. This is just like when a single dog barks; many other dogs join in and bark with him. The same principle applies here. Therefore, I hope we can all mindfully realize this kind of perspective. If we allow our attachments to lead us astray, then our words and deeds will lead others astray in turn. This human form is precious, as is the Dharma. So, we must earnestly make use of this body to put the teachings into practice and to be an exemplar of the Buddha-Dharma with proper speech and action. When we go among people, this must be our goal.

The next sutra passage states,

“There were also many ghosts, their bodies long and large. Naked, black and gaunt, they have long abided there.”

“There were also many ghosts” is an analogy for the afflictions of view of self. When we have this physical body, we are, at every turn, overly suspicious, or perhaps, everything we see and do is biased.

I always say that I am very grateful when. Tzu Chi volunteers gather at the same time and share the same state of mind. When people perform the musical adaption of sutras, don’t their many voices carry the same tune? No matter how many people join in, it is the same. All these individuals are singing the same verse and following the same rhythm with their body, in their steps and hand gestures. When they do this, they are in the same state of mind. In body, speech and mind, many people are in the same state at once. They share the same teachings and state of mind, so they can produce this beautiful appearance. This is truth, goodness and beauty in the world. When we all share Right Dharma in the world, that is the most true, good and beautiful thing. If we can all steadily walk the right path without deviating from our course, our procession will truly be beautiful. This comes from sharing a common commitment.

However, we humans draw distinctions between “you, me,” and “him.” Every person has a set of biases. These biases are centered around the “self.” Regarding this “self,” everyone has “mixed-up views and confused thinking.” We are confused because each one of us is lost in different things. Everyone’s thinking is different. Good people’s thinking contains right understanding, right views and right teachings of the path. The thinking of people who have gone astray will be negative and filled with afflictions, continually causing problems in the world, in their families, in society, etc. Thus, they are lost and deluded in their thinking and ideas; their perspectives are all mixed-up.

So, they have “deluded attachments to the body.” For the sake of personal gain, they have willingly done many shameless things. They have deviated from morals and virtues.

So, “Deluded attachments to self extend through all three periods of time. This is the meaning of ‘their bodies [are] long and large.'” Once we create these afflictions, we cannot immediately extricate or liberate ourselves from them, and they will extend into the future extend through past, present and future. Thus, they “extend through all three periods of time.” The karmic causes and conditions we have created resulted in the retributions we currently face. And now we create karmic causes and conditions that will extend into the future. This is why ghosts are used as an analogy for our minds. There are ghosts, demons and spirits in our minds. Because of this body, we create negative karma and will continue to do so for a long time. Thus, “Their bodies [are] long and large.”

There were also many ghosts, their bodies long and large: This refers to afflictions caused by view of self. The view of self: The mixed-up views and confused thinking that there is an existent self. Perverse calculations for the sake of the body are called “view of self.” The deluded attachments to the self extend through all three periods of time. This is the meaning of. “Their bodies [are] long and large.”

Therefore, I say to everyone, “All deviant attachments are based on the view of self.” These deviant attachments of which I speak all arise from our view of self. Because we have this physical body we have these perspectives. If we transcend these perspectives, we will no longer have these [attachments].

However, sentient being are constantly immersed in “name, form and the Five Skandhas.” Because we are always like this, we continue to form deluded attachments.

This world is inherently illusory. Yesterday has already passed, not a trace of it remains. However, yesterday we may have been attached to doing certain things today. We continue to plan for the wrong things. That is a delusional attachment. What about the right things to do? “In all of heaven and earth, I alone am supreme.” This comes from having a greater self. Have our minds encompassed the universe? Have we embraced all the truths of the world? We have not made an effort to calculate how much time has passed by already. How much Dharma have we obtained so far? How much of it have we applied? If we have applied and shared it, how many people have we benefited?

Is it enough to just do this in this lifetime? No, it is not, because there are still lifetimes to come. This giving without expectations, giving continually without ceasing, must continue in our future lifetimes. We must go beyond ourselves and return to our greater self. Our pure intrinsic nature must become one with the universe. “In all of heaven and earth, I alone am supreme” means only by realizing the truths can we attain the most valuable and precious greater self. “Greater self” does not refer to the body of a single individual, but rather to the truths of all things. The truths of all things in the universe are all encompassed within wisdom. This is the “greater self.”

Everyone, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must contemplate everything from the perspective of all things in the world. If we “share responsibility for the world,” if this is our starting point, we will have a way to thoroughly comprehend all the principles of this world and take them to heart. To sum it up, I hope that everyone can think on this carefully and always be mindful.

Episode 627 – We Calculate Gain and Loss Due to View of Self

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>> “All afflictions come from attachment to the existence of the self. Without the self, none of these things exist. One thought of attachment to self gives rise to bonds. With a view of self, we are attached to calculating gain and loss.”

>> Kumbhanda demons were crouching or squatting in the dirt and occasionally jumping up one or two feet into the air, travelling up and returning, lazily indulging in this game.

>> “They would catch a dog by his two legs, attacking and causing him to bark. They would stretch his legs over his neck, scaring the dog but pleasing themselves.”

>> “They would catch a dog by his two legs, attacking and causing him to bark. They would stretch his legs over his neck, scaring the dog but pleasing themselves”

>> Attacking and causing him to bark: When dogs bark at each other, it is like heretical teachings being transmitted.

>> They would stretch his legs over his neck, scaring the dog but pleasing themselves: Putting the dog’s legs over his neck is like claiming that deviant precepts can lead to Nirvana. They cause the dog to be scared in order to please themselves. It is an analogy for the many people in India who upheld deviant precepts [in the Buddha’s time]. This is the view of deviant precepts.

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“All afflictions come from attachment
to the existence of the self.
Without the self, none of these things exist.
One thought of attachment
to self gives rise to bonds.
With a view of self,
we are attached to calculating gain and loss.”

All afflictions come from “attachment,” attachment to the existence of the self. Indeed, if it were not for the “self,” what would “I” be attached to? It is due to a sense of self that when “I” come into contact with any of the matters and things of this world, “I” may take issue with other people over them.

Because of this body and our sense of “self, I” have needs, “I” want to grasp things, “I” want to be satisfied, “I” want to be happy, “I” am very afflicted, “I” am very angry. These afflictions and all of our attachments arise from our sense of “self.” Without “the self, none of these things exist.”

Due to “one thought of attachment to self,” we “give rise to bonds.” It is as if we have been bound by a rope. The entirety of our lack of freedom, all of our afflictions and all of our sufferings are encompassed by this sense of “self.” Like a thick rope or a large fishing net, this is completely covering us, binding us and trapping us.

This is due to having the view of self. This is part of our views. Therefore, among the Five Turbidities, there is the “turbidity of views.” When it comes to views, everyone’s perspectives are different, so we get into endless arguments over them and “are attached to calculating gain and loss.” Don’t manmade calamities and conflicts all begin from our perspectives?

Look at the manmade calamities in the world, such as the incident at Kunming Railway Station [in 2014]. In the station, countless people come and go. Every one of them has a sense of “self.” Each “self” has their own perspectives, direction and goals. Some people may be filled with hope as they pass through the station. Others might be very afflicted. So, there are millions of different views there.

Out of nowhere, a gang of [eight] individuals rushed into the crowd and attacked everyone they saw. Many died and hundreds were injured. They were quickly divided by the severity of their injuries and sent to 12 different hospitals.

At this time, local hospitals started accepting volunteers. They invited students and teachers from the social work department of a nearby university. There were also therapists and Tzu Chi volunteers. They knew that Tzu Chi volunteers had experience caring for people in hospitals and working everywhere in the community, whether holding winter [relief distributions] or providing assistance where needed. For many years, Tzu Chi volunteers have done things scrupulously and showed genuine sincerity as they gave to others. So, the Tzu Chi volunteers were invited to help.

Tzu Chi volunteers were very careful and mindful. They helped the survivors with utmost sincerity and the heart of a Bodhisattva. The upper-level administrator of this hospital worked [closely] with the Tzu Chi volunteers and the daughter of this administrator even said to her mother, “Seeing Tzu Chi volunteers, my mind is at peace.”

These volunteers also have a sense of “self.” This “self” is a greater self that is selfless. “I came to this world to give to others.” Having accepted the Buddha-Dharma, we must eliminate afflictions and not be attached. We must abide by our precepts. Also, we must form great aspirations to go among people and benefit them. Tzu Chi volunteers around the world share this same sense of “self,” which is pure and undefiled. Filled with selfless great love, they see the world as one big family. Everyone in the world is our loved one.

In this state of mind, we completely let go of our limited self, our attachment to self and our view of self. When others suffer from a wound, we feel their pain in our hearts. We make no distinction of things only belonging to us; we wholeheartedly offer them to all people.

But other people have formed attachments; they hold on to certain perspectives. Why would these perspectives lead that other group of people to suddenly go into the train station and attack others even though they were complete strangers and had not done anything to them? Why did they attack them? In what way were they trying to affect the state of society? They must have had their goals. This is also due to their perspectives. When people deviate in their perspectives, this causes chaos in society.

We know that in this world there are countless “I’s.” Each of us is very attached to this sense of “I” and “mine.”

Is there anyone who isn’t attached to their sense of “self”? With all our attachments, even though we live in a state of impermanence, we do not normally think about how impermanent things are. So, we continue to cling, to fight and to argue without thinking about the impermanence of things. We also have many “views of self.” These turbid thoughts cause chaos and manmade calamities in the world. This all arises from “the self.” Without this sense of “self,” there would not be any of these [problems].

We are all the same way, so let us think a little more clearly; what do each of us want to do with our “self” so that this “self” can be truly valuable, so that this “self” can truly benefit people? When [Typhoon Haiyan] struck the Philippines, Tzu Chi volunteers worldwide began to raise money for disaster relief. Among them was an elderly couple from Malaysia. They saw [the fundraiser] on Da Ai TV and called the Tzu Chi volunteers to say, “Please come see us; we want to donate money. We feel so sad for people in the Philippines.” This was an elderly couple.

When Tzu Chi volunteers visited them, the couple joyfully welcomed them and donated RM 1000, which is equivalent to NT 10,000. The volunteers shared with them about Tzu Chi and how some people donated certain amounts to become Honorary Board Members. The couple discussed this and replied, “We are very advanced in years and cannot do volunteer work ourselves. However, we can donate money.” So, they wrote two checks for what amounted to NT 2 million. The elderly couple knew that for this big organization to do so many good deeds it needed contributions from many people.

The elderly couple had worked hard in their youth and were now frugal in their old age. They had eight children, and all eight are very successful because of how they had been raised. Now, although they are advanced in years, this couple is very frugal. They really grasped the principles. They knew of the disaster in the Philippines and that many people’s love was needed to help. This was their sense of “self.” They thought, “Although I cannot go to help, I will still do everything I can.”

Though sharing this human existence, some humans benefit the world, and some have different views on what to do. So, when we listen to the Dharma, we must unceasingly reflect inwardly and adjust our actions outwardly. When we can act in a way that our “selves” are in harmony, the world will become beautiful and our interactions will be filled with warmth. We will love and work with one another. Isn’t this the best state for the world to be in?

The previous sutra passage states, “Kumbhanda demons were crouching or squatting in the dirt.”

Kumbhanda demons were crouching or squatting in the dirt and occasionally jumping up one or two feet into the air, travelling up and returning, lazily indulging in this game. We can imagine what gourd-shaped ghosts would look like.

The mother of demons cared only for her own children and not for those of other people. So, she captured human children to her own children. After the Buddha transformed her, she had the heart of a kind mother. Although her appearance did not change, her heart did. She became a kind mother who protected sentient beings. She sent children to those who wanted them and protected those who were suffering from illness. We often see examples of this in the world.

[These demons] would “occasionally jump up.” In spiritual cultivation, some people deviate in their practice because they only seek to escape the Three Realms. Some think that living in the desire realm with this body causes great suffering and that if they can transcend this physical state they will be able to enjoy themselves. They may reach the form realm or the formless realm,

but they cannot form great aspirations. Then they remain stuck in the states of the formless realm and the form realm and eventually fall back to the desire realm. Thus they have not been fully liberated. Even if we go from the desire to the form realm, there are still afflictions there. Even if we ascend to the formless realm, there are still traces of delusion there. That state is not fully safe; we still remain in the Three Realms, which are like a burning house.

Although we say, “I know; I am clear about this,” though we know and are clear, with this “knowing” and “clear understanding” have we actually transcended these realms? If we have not, we will quickly return to [where we started]. So, “one or two feet in the air” means that sometimes we go from the desire realm to the form realm, then from the form realm to the formless realm. However, we still have not transcended all three.

How can we transcend the Three Realms? Starting with interpersonal conflicts, we must not think about our “self.” If we are not selfish, there is nothing for us to take issue over because our greater self loves everyone equally. When we consider the whole world as one, we can “show compassion to all equally.” When everyone is equal in our eyes, what is there to take issue over? Nothing.

So, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path; only Bodhisattvas can reach the state of “showing compassion to all equally” that transcends the Three Realms. In addition to listening to the Dharma, we are able to eliminate our afflictions, By eliminating afflictions, we can again go among the people. By interacting with people, we learn the truth of suffering in the world, the principles of suffering. By understanding where suffering comes from, we can heighten our vigilance and deepen our sincerity in seeking the Buddha-Dharma. This is the Bodhisattva-path.

Let us not “travel up and return, lazily indulging in this game.” Some people in this world are frivolous and do not care about anything. They do not follow the rules of the world, so their family relationships are disrupted and society loses a sense of order. By acting this way, they are “lazily indulging in this game.” This is why the world is not at peace.

The following sutra passage states,

“They would catch a dog by his two legs, attacking and causing him to bark. They would stretch his legs over his neck, scaring the dog but pleasing themselves.”

“They would catch a dog by his two legs” means they “force him to adopt a certain posture.”

Sometimes when a dog sees humans, he will put up a posture; he will also “adopt a certain appearance” and make certain gestures as if to assert dominance and keep them from approaching. This kind of posturing is a metaphor for clinging to heretical precepts, which is “the view of deviant precepts,” which means taking improper precepts. This is having “the view of deviant precepts.” This is a type of attachment.

Next is “attacking and causing him to bark.” When dogs assume this certain posture, they may start barking at people. Once one dog barks, many other dogs will bark along with him.

Attacking and causing him to bark: When dogs bark at each other, it is like heretical teachings being transmitted.

Have you heard this before? All it takes is for one dog to start barking to cause a group of dogs to respond to him and also start barking. So, “attacking and causing him to bark” means that once the dog is in this posture, he then makes noise, which in turn triggers more noises. This is like when there is an incorrect teaching, but people spread it anyway. Though they are spreading incorrect teachings, some people will accept them anyway. There are many similar [deviant] practices that have a hold on people’s minds.

Like the way the barking of a single dog will trigger the barking of many other dogs, once one person does something wrong, other people may respond by following suit. “I don’t know if this is the right thing to do, but someone told me about it, so I will pass it along.” They do not subject it to calm contemplation, so they lack the “cultivation of contemplation” to still their minds. They have not experienced that concentration, so their minds follow what other people say.

“They would stretch his legs over his neck, scaring the dog but pleasing themselves.” Some people stretch the dog’s legs over his own shoulders. They feel this is spiritual practice. That position is very painful. In the end, if people think spiritual practice should be like this, they have “the view of deviant precepts.” Deviant precepts say, “You cannot do any of that. You have to do things this way.” This shows how we can deviate in our spiritual practice and lose our path. Things are complicated without a path; we end up following the wrong precepts. So, they “scare the dog but please themselves.” They take joy in scaring the dog or in the dogs’ fighting with each other. This is “scaring the dog but pleasing themselves. They would stretch his legs over his neck” as a training method. Whether people train the dog or the dogs [dominate] each other in groups, this is an analogy for the people in India who upheld deviant precepts [in the Buddha’s time].

They would stretch his legs over his neck, scaring the dog but pleasing themselves: Putting the dog’s legs over his neck is like claiming that deviant precepts can lead to Nirvana. They cause the dog to be scared in order to please themselves. It is an analogy for the many people in India who upheld deviant precepts [in the Buddha’s time]. This is the view of deviant precepts.

During the Buddha’s lifetime, there were many heretical teachings. Things nowadays are also very complicated. There are many people who uphold deviant precepts. So, the Buddha’s analogy described how people have deviated from Right Dharma to engage in improper ways of practice. They are engaged in spiritual cultivation; it may not seem like it, but they are. However, their way of practicing has deviated [from the right path]. So, in spiritual practice, we must be mindful and must not deviate from our path of practice. If we stray from the path, a slight deviation will cause a great divergence.

We must remember that all afflictions arise from our sense of “self. How can ‘I’ engage in spiritual practice”? If “I” am to earnestly engage in practice, my direction must be correct. When “I” am engaged in spiritual practice, I must not deviate in the slightest. When “I” am among people, I must humble myself. Our “limited self” must become a “greater self,” because we all share responsibility for the world. So, we must not feel self-important. That will cause trouble in our surroundings. [Instead,] we must exercise both compassion and wisdom in the world.

So, this “self” can do many good things in the world, but if we cling to a sense of “limited self,” then our selfishness will grow until we consider the entire world as belonging to us. With this slight deviation in our minds, we will cause all kinds of trouble in this world. In summary, the power of love comes from our “selfless greater self,” so we must not cling to our “limited self.” If we do, the results will be unimaginable. Thus, we must constantly remind ourselves to be mindful of the “self” so we do not deviate from the path. We must always be mindful.

Episode 626 – Kumbhanda Demons Represent Deviant Precepts

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>> “If the direction of our spiritual practice is off by a tiny amount, we may seek a better birth in the heaven realm but fall and return to the desire realm. With deviant thinking and biased actions, we cling to confusion and cannot awaken.”

>> “They were laying, nursing, procreating, each hiding and safeguarding [their young]. Yaksas were contending with each other to seize and eat them. Having eaten their fill, their evil thoughts became even more fierce. These sounds of clashing and fighting were deeply terrifying.”

>> “Kumbhanda demons were crouching or squatting in the dirt and occasionally jumping up one or two feet into the air, travelling up and returning, lazily indulging in this game. They would catch a dog by his two legs, attacking and causing him to bark. They stretch his legs over his neck, scaring the dog but pleasing themselves.”

>> Kumbhanda means pot-shaped because they are shaped like pots. These are frightful demons. They crouch, which looks like sitting, or squat, which is actually sitting. This is like how heretical practitioners take deviant precepts. They cling to deviant paths as the correct path. This is seeing the wrong cause as the cause. One example is taking cow or dog precepts.

>> To jump up is to leave the desire realm; one foot into the air is leaving the form realm, while two feet is leaving the formless realm. They always travel up and return, rising and falling in cyclic existence. This refers to futile effort.

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“If the direction of our spiritual practice
is off by a tiny amount,
we may seek a better birth in the heaven realm
but fall and return to the desire realm.
With deviant thinking and biased actions,
we cling to confusion and cannot awaken.”

In cultivating our actions, we are also cultivating our minds. The focus of our spiritual practice is our minds. If our [initial] direction is off by a tiny bit, we will end up far off course. Some may seek a better birth in heaven, or in the formless and form realms. They want to transcend the desire realm. But if the direction of their thinking is off, they will “fall and return to the desire realm.” People seeking to be born in a higher realm, if they are not careful, will easily fall down. They end up back in the desire realm.

The slightest deviation in our thinking or action is the difference between going to heaven or falling into the human realm or hell. This is what happens if our mind goes astray or if we make mistakes in our behavior. We may be off only slightly. Where is this slight difference found? In our deviant thinking and biased actions. [The direction of] our thinking must be correct. As we engage in spiritual practice, we talk about following the Eightfold Right Path. Everything from our thinking and views to our actions and livelihood must be right.

“Deviant” means we have gone astray. If we stray from the right path, we have deviated. This slight deviation has led us far off course. After making an initial mistake, we keep going in the wrong direction. So, we cling to delusions and do not awaken. Once we deviate we will cling to that course, making it hard to return [to the right path]. Thus, the course of our spiritual practice is very important.

The previous sutra text states,

“They were laying, nursing, procreating, each hiding and safeguarding [their young]. Yaksas were contending with each other to seize and eat them. Having eaten their fill, their evil thoughts became even more fierce. These sounds of clashing and fighting were deeply terrifying.”

As we discussed yesterday, this includes those hatched from eggs and those born with four legs or two, those who are nursed. Thus it says, “laying, nursing, procreating.” This is an analogy for karmic cause and effect. “A seed contains an ocean of fruits.”

Recently (2014), Tzu Chi volunteers from central Taiwan collected some seeds for me to see. When I look at the seeds, I find them wondrous. Some seeds have natural patterns. These different patterns are very beautiful. No matter how we look at it, no matter whether the seed is big or small, it inherently has a tree hidden within it. Once the tree grows, it will endlessly produce fruits. So, “the seed” is very powerful.

Nowadays, people are concerned about atomic or nuclear power. Everyone is concerned about this. We recall the earthquake in Japan that triggered a tsunami; to this day, it continues to cause problems and create all kinds of hidden dangers. This is truly terrifying. Indeed, we can say that seeds like these exist everywhere, and they can contain both good and evil.

We humans are the same. Our genes are like these seeds; the modern term for them would be genes. The Buddha-Dharma describes them as “causes.” The law of karma tells us the causes we create will mature and manifest as certain appearances, which are the “effects.” These are [hidden and safeguarded]. The causes we have created determine the karma we bring with us. These are our karmic causes. The karma we create is contained in these causes.

The source of the “cause” is karma so the Buddha-Dharma describes this as “karmic seeds” or seeds of karma. In all of our actions, in everything we say, if we speak kind words, that will bring people happiness. If we are on the right course, we should keep walking. Thus, we say, “Just walk on” and “Just do it.” By speaking kind words and being on the right course, everything we do will be right. As a result, everyone will be pleased. When we benefit everyone, the karmic causes we create through our actions are also stored in our karmic consciousness. I do not know if everyone can understand this.

In summary, all things in the world, including the Four Forms of Birth and sentient beings’ way of life, etc., arise from karmic causes. First there are causes, then there are effects. This is this karmic cycle of cause and effect. [The causes are each hidden and safeguarded]. We cannot take anything with us when we die; only karma follows us into our next life. This is what we are “hiding and safeguarding.”

We use yaksas as an analogy for how each of us has different causes and effects. Yaksas are invisible to us, much like karmic forces we cannot see.

People say to other people, “Evil spirits seem to be guiding you.” Others might say, “You are bound by the five ghosts.” What are the five ghosts? Form, sound, smell, taste and touch. These are called the five ghosts. Some like to drink, gamble, indulge and so on. Once they are deluded, it is as if living ghosts are pulling them along. These people are not very different from yaksas. While we cannot see what yaksas look like, in our interpersonal interactions, we will encounter [people] like yaksas and ghosts. They destroy our wisdom-life, damage our character and so on. This is a way of describing yaksas who are

“contending and fighting with each other.” Sometimes, we have so many unwholesome friends that when a spiritual friend tries to wake us up, that group of unwholesome friends [prevents this]. Then the five ghosts will entangle us again. This is due to the law of karma. We brought karmic causes and conditions with us, thus we encounter these things in our lives.

So, “Yaksas were contending with each other to seize and eat them.” People often say they have mutual karmic debts. “I work so hard just to keep providing for you.” This could be between men and women, husbands and wives, fathers and sons and so on. It could be someone not related to us in any way, yet they still bind or control us, and we must keep providing for them. There are many such cases. So, “Having eaten their fill, their evil thoughts became even more fierce.” These kinds of people exist among us. “These sounds of clashing and fighting were deeply terrifying.” This is the state of our world.

The next sutra passage states,

“Kumbhanda demons were crouching or squatting in the dirt and occasionally jumping up one or two feet into the air, travelling up and returning, lazily indulging in this game. They would catch a dog by his two legs, attacking and causing him to bark. They stretch his legs over his neck, scaring the dog but pleasing themselves.”

See, these kumbhanda demons are one of the eight kinds of demons. They specialize in eating people’s vital essence. They have an ugly appearance, with a body shaped like a pot. Their neck is skinny, but their body is large, like a winter melon. Their entire [body] is very fat, but their arms and legs are skinny. They have a really ugly appearance.

Look at the way young people and middle-age people not only put on pale foundation and red lip stick, they also apply blue, green or black eyeliner. They add many colors around their eyes. Actually, when you apply all kinds of makeup, people cannot tell [what you naturally look like]. So, aren’t we just like kumbhanda demons?

In fact, in Buddhist sutras, there is a similar description. The kumbhanda demon described is actually the mother of demons in the. Sutra on the Mother of Demon Children. This demon had 1000 children. To raise her 1000 children, she hunted the children of other people to feed her own children. During the Buddha’s lifetime, when He heard about this, He was determined to tame the mother of demons.

How could He tame her? With His wisdom, the Buddha called on the bhiksus and Ananda. “Go, from among the 1000 children of the mother of demons, bring me the youngest one.” The bhiksus went to find her children. They captured several of them and brought them all to the Buddha. The Buddha hid all the children, especially the youngest one. When the mother of demons came home from snatching other people’s children to feed her own children, she wondered why so many of them were missing. In particular, her favorite, the youngest child, was also gone.

Then someone told her, “The bhiksus took your children.” She kept crying and looking for her children. When she saw the bhiksus outside the abode, she asked, “My children, where are my children? Why did you take my children?” A bhiksu said, “Don’t you have many children? Let some of them follow the Buddha.”

So, the mother of demons quickly went before the Buddha and begged Him, “Please return my children.” So, the Buddha released several of her children. “There is one still missing. Why is my youngest child not among them?” The Buddha said, “You already have so many children. Will missing one make that much difference?” The mother of demons said, “You cannot keep him; I really cherish this child.” The Buddha said, “What about the other children? Can they follow me? No, I cannot lose a single child.”

The Buddha said, “But you normally hunt the children of others and eat them so that other parents have lost their children and cannot even find a trace of them. How do you think these parents feel?” At that moment, the mother of demons began to awaken. “Yes, I must put myself in their shoes. When I thought I lost my children, I felt tremendous suffering. I have caused so many parents to suffer. That was wrong of me; I realize that now. I am willing to take refuge with You and abide by Buddhist precepts.” The Buddha allowed her to take refuge with Him, and the mother of demons became one of the Buddha’s Dharma-protectors and helped fulfill sentient beings’ [wishes]. When someone was sick or wanted children, she took care of them like a kind mother.

The kumbhanda demon does in fact look like that. If a woman gave birth to that many children, how could her appearance not become unkempt? This happens to everyone. Women can apply makeup to look beautiful. But if they use [too much] in their old age, they will lose the natural beauty of the elderly. Humans are most beautiful when they look natural. Most importantly, they must have the heart of a kind mother.

The kumbhanda demons have bodies shaped like pots. They are shaped like pots. Because they are shaped like pots, people are scared at the sight of them.

Kumbhanda means pot-shaped because they are shaped like pots. These are frightful demons. They crouch, which looks like sitting, or squat, which is actually sitting. This is like how heretical practitioners take deviant precepts. They cling to deviant paths as the correct path. This is seeing the wrong cause as the cause. One example is taking cow or dog precepts.

These “kumbhanda demons were crouching or squatting in the dirt.” Due to the shape of their bodies, they find it difficult to sit. Another way of describing this is, due to their disheveled form, they cannot sit properly. So, “they crouch, which looks like sitting.” To actually sit down is not easy for them. Sitting is not too different from crouching. So, they “squat, which is actually sitting.” This is how they sit; it is very difficult for them. You can imagine the appearance of their bodies. If someone is very fat, weighing well over 100 kilograms, they will find getting up, sitting down, crouching and standing to all be very difficult. “This is like heretical practitioners who take deviant precepts.” Heretical practitioners have deviated in their spiritual practice, so they are attached to the wrong kinds of precepts. When we cling to deviant precepts, we see the wrong cause as the cause and the wrong effect as the effect. Everything we do would be wrong and this would be the opposite of cultivating ourselves.

In ancient India, there were over 90 types of religious practices, including those that involved fire or water or living like cows or dogs. Some practiced living in cow excrement and eating it and so on. They chose to live like cows and dogs. However cows or dogs lived, they lived the same way. They went naked as part of their practice. This is analogous to the ugly appearance of kumbhanda demons. The appearance of these demons is an analogy for the deviant practices of heretical practitioners. The Buddha used this [analogy] to help us realize that we must enter the right path and avoid deviant paths.

“Occasionally jumping up, one or two feet into the air.” For some [heretical] practitioners, it is not that they do not practice; they do engage in spiritual practice. But in their spiritual practice, they “occasionally jump up. To jump up” is to leave the desire realm.

To jump up is to leave the desire realm; one foot into the air is leaving the form realm, while two feet is leaving the formless realm. They always travel up and return, rising and falling in cyclic existence. This refers to futile effort.

In “one or two feet into the air, one foot” means leaving the form realm, while “two feet” is leaving the formless realm. They want to leave the Three Realms. In the hope of doing that, they seek out methods of spiritual practice. They “occasionally jump up” means they leave the desire realm, or the form realm or the formless realm. This is what this means. “They always travel up and return.” They rise for a moment and then fall again. This actually describes our minds. When we listen to the Dharma, [we say]. “I understand; I know I can’t be greedy. I must eliminate my greed.” Or, “I know that my mind is afflicted and. I must let go of my afflictions. I must be vigilant to avoid having afflictions.” But how long can we maintain that state? For how long can we be free of afflictions? Soon, we will fall back into a state of greed, anger and ignorance.

“You want me to be vegetarian? That’s fine. Can I start with one meal a week? Okay, use this skillful means of being vegetarian for one meal per week. Can you try to do it for three meals per week?” They think about it, “Fine, three meals. Can you go a step further and be vegetarian three days per week? That’s harder. I know it’s harder, but give it a try? I will try.” After they do it for three days, “Try for another three days next week? It’s too hard.” Then they retreat again.

Living in this world, we are filled with desires, so abiding by precepts feels very difficult. So, “Jumping up one or two feet up in the air, they always travel up and return, rising and falling in cyclic existence. This refers to futile effort.” I often hear people say, “They have also decided to be vegetarians now. Really? Yes, once a week. What’s the use of doing it one day a week?” This is what people’s minds are like, constantly rising and falling.

Everyone, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must be mindful. In being mindful, we have a dignified appearance, which reflects our virtue. “Wealth enriches the house as virtue enriches the body.” We must earnestly engage in spiritual practice, otherwise, we would not be able to see what is truly around us in our daily living. “Yaksas, evil ghosts or kumbhanda demons” may appear around us at any time, but we cannot tell. Are they Bodhisattvas or mothers of demons, or kumbhanda demons, etc.? As we live in the world, there are many goblins and monsters around us. In our lives, they may lead us into traps.

Therefore, dear Bodhisattvas, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must learn the Bodhisattva-path. In this desire realm, we must not let ourselves be led astray by demons. A slight deviation can cause a great divergence, so everyone, please always be mindful.