Episode 366 – The Cause will Lead Us to the Effect
>> Lifetimes of accumulated greed and desire turns into turbidity. Attachment to physical pleasures [gives rise to] afflictions, anger and ignorance. Thus the collective karma in this world becomes the turbidity of sentient beings.
>> “I know that these sentient beings have never cultivated the foundation for goodness. They are firmly attached to the five desires, and out of delusion and cravings, give rise to afflictions.”
>> “Desires are the causes and conditions for falling into the Three Evil Destinies, for cycling in the Six Destinies and facing poisonous suffering.”
>> Desires are the causes and conditions: Form, sound, smell and the rest of the five desires give rise to delusion and karma. Just one thought that takes us toward the deviant path creates the negative cause that leads to temptations that are hard to escape from.
>> Falling into the Three Evil Destinies: [The three are] hell, hungry ghost and animal. The hell destiny is the most evil. The hungry ghost destiny is in the middle. The animal destiny is the least evil.
>> Cycling through the Six Destinies: These are the hell destiny, hungry ghost destiny, animal destiny, asura destiny, human destiny and heaven destiny. A destiny is the direction we are headed towards. Sentient beings face retributions based on where their causes lead them. Thus, these are called the Six Destinies.
Lifetimes of accumulated
greed and desire turns into turbidity.
Attachment to physical pleasures [gives rise to]
afflictions, anger and ignorance.
Thus the collective karma in this world
becomes the turbidity of sentient beings.
Human nature is inherently good, However, the greed and desires we accumulated life after life have “become turbid.” This is because we are very attached to physical comfort. Thus we create and accumulate many afflictions as a result of greed, anger and ignorance. This is the collective karma we create that leads to this evil world of Five Turbidities.
Therefore, every day we hear about people who do immoral things or commit inhumane acts. They bring trouble to their family so their family cannot be at peace. Beyond their family, they also disturb society. Because people do immoral and unethical things, society becomes chaotic. This happens all over the world, not only in a single country. Right now, we can see that around the world there are many chaotic situations that arise from troubled minds.
Every one of us is intrinsically good. “Human nature is inherently good.” Our intrinsic nature is good, but we developed habitual tendencies, which we accumulate lifetime after lifetime. What is being accumulated? Greed. Once we open our mind to greed and desires, it becomes turbid. Then our minds cannot be purified. If our minds become turbid, that turbidity will manifest in our behavior. When people cannot stand the speech and actions of people with a turbid mindset, they may become tainted by that turbidity and engage in a tooth-for-a-tooth cycle of vengeance. This is how [turbidity] continues to spread and leads to impurities in humankind.
So, these impurities are present in environments of all sizes. A small-sized environment is a family, a middle-sized environment is a society and a large-sized environment is a nation. This all begins with habitual greed. Greed leads to afflictions of endless anger and ignorance. In summary, people’s collective karma leads to a life of turbidity. However, as long as we have the aspiration, the Buddha will appear in the world and teach Bodhisattvas to transform the world. We have seen examples of this.
In a Pingtung prison, something very novel and touching occurred, [centered around] 30 inmates from the prison. These inmates had learned sign language and repented the karmic obstructions [they created]. On this day, they put on a musical Dharma performance.
There were over 400 people in the audience and every single person was touched. These inmates “entered the sutra treasury” which was a very moving and novel event to them. This was not simply a theatrical performance. The inmates first joined Jing Si study groups, then ate one vegetarian meal each day. On the day of the study group, they ate vegetarian meals all day. On the day of the musical performance, all the prisoners ate vegetarian meals. This is incredible to see in a prison.
Using sign language to “enter the sutra treasury” was really magnificent. Everyone was synchronized and there was strength behind their signing. They repented and made vows with utmost sincerity, so their singing was loud and powerful. Their formation changes were also very well-done. This truly made a huge impact on people.
After their performance, some people went on stage to share that, since they had begun to practice sign language, their lives had changed. The change in their hearts led them to make vows. Truly, with utmost sincerity they vowed to turn over a new leaf and to help others after they were released from prison. Listening to their sharing on stage was indeed very touching.
One of the performers said that, since 2010, the year Tzu Chi volunteers entered the prison and began to share with them, to visit and counsel them, he began to eat one vegetarian meal a day. After eating one vegetarian meal a day, he quit smoking. He completely quit smoking and drinking.
He said this began in November 2011. As two of the Pingtung Commissioners, Luu Jing and Tzu Mu, interacted with these inmates, they realized their inherent goodness. So, they wanted to help them to cleanse their minds with Dharma-water. They asked the inmates, “Can we come here once a week to lead a study group for you?” Upon hearing this, they said, “Yes.” And so, inmates voluntarily signed up for the Jing Si study group.
Then in July 2012, I suggested to [the Commissioners], “Don’t we use the [Water Repentance] to cleanse defilements from our minds? You can share with them this way of ‘entering the sutra treasury.'”
When they began teaching sign language, at first they felt, “This is impossible. They cannot even stand and sit properly. How can we teach people with such poor posture?” They were very worried. However, they put their hearts into [teaching] and interacted with them frequently through the Jing Si study group. Slowly, they “molded” them with patience, love and confidence. The result was evident. The performance given by the 30 people on stage was very powerful and also had an air of spiritual refinement. The more than 400 people in the audience, without consciously realizing it, sat up straight and showed great respect. The prisoners ate vegetarian meals all day that day and expressed their deep repentance and made vows with utmost sincerity. Everyone in the audience was deeply touched.
So, we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, but due to a momentary lapse in judgment, our minds can go astray. We may fall into a trap we cannot escape from. This is the way our minds work. This comes from “lifetimes of accumulated [greed and desires].” These lifetimes of accumulation began with one single thought of greed.
Look at [these inmates], some of them have already been in prison for a very long time. Having lost their freedom, they place the blame on people in society and feel resentment toward their families for not providing them with a good path in life. There is much resentment in their minds. Their bodies are in a physical prison that restricts their freedom. Their minds are in a mental prison they constructed for themselves. They are serving a sentence there. They may be thinking, “Once I get out of prison, I am going to do such and such.” They may cause more harm to others.
But if we give them a chance, by sharing the [Water Repentance] teachings, they can adjust their attitudes and change for the better. Once this happens and they are separated from the influence of unwholesome friends, after they leave prison, they have a great opportunity to lead new lives.
Look at these inmates in the Pingtung prison. Tzu Chi volunteers went in to counsel them with these teachings. These people are Bodhisattvas. You see, the Buddha comes to the world to train these kinds of Bodhisattvas so they can tame stubborn sentient beings. This is the Buddha’s one great cause; He comes to this world to give these teachings. If we can all accept the teachings, we can then teach them to others.
So, as the Buddha said in the previous passage of the sutra,
“I know that these sentient beings have never cultivated the foundation for goodness. They are firmly attached to the five desires, and out of delusion and cravings, give rise to afflictions.”
These people have never cultivated the foundation for goodness, so we need to give them this opportunity. If no one cultivates the field of their minds, if there is no farmer to cultivate it, then the seeds cannot be sown. So, we need Bodhisattvas to be farmers for the fields of people’s minds. This is why the Buddha teaches all of us to be Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas are the farmers for the fields of people’s minds.
Next, we will discuss,
“Desires are the causes and conditions for falling into the Three Evil Destinies, for cycling in the Six Destinies and facing poisonous suffering.”
Isn’t this what happened to the inmates in prison? They all have these various causes and conditions. “Firmly attached to the five desires, [their] delusion and cravings [give] rise to afflictions.” These are their causes and conditions. In this world, there are prisons. But when people leave this world, they may end up “falling into the Three Evil Destinies.” All this results from karmic conditions.
If our minds are trapped by causes and conditions created by our desires, naturally our minds will remain closed and the evil inside will continue to multiply. That would be like living in a filthy place without cleaning it. If we do not clean it out and keep adding more filth to it, naturally these destructive things will accumulate.
We must understand that we must not have even the slightest evil thought. When our minds give rise to thoughts, they cannot be even the least bit evil. If our minds give rise to an evil thought, we must immediately repent and make vows with utmost sincerity. We must do this right away. Otherwise, we will easily fall “into the Three Evil Destinies,” the hell, hungry ghost and animal destinies. That would be suffering added to suffering.
Let us examine how “desires are the causes and conditions.” What causes and conditions converge? Sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch are the five desires we connect to. By connecting to these five desires, we may fall into the many traps around us. When our eyes connect with external phenomena, we take them into our minds. Then our mind-root gives rise to thoughts like, “I want what I saw,” or. “I want to experience that state.” This is how we continuously give rise to [karma]. Our eye-roots do this, and so do our ear-roots.
If many people compliment our bravery and loyalty, we begin to change for the worse. We become people who are strong and powerful but are harmful to others. We become the black sheep in the flock, the ruffians and hoodlums of society, and do all sorts of things in order to hear praise from other people. This is from [attachment to] sounds and forms. Once we experience sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, they are hard to let go of.
Desires are the causes and conditions: Form, sound, smell and the rest of the five desires give rise to delusion and karma. Just one thought that takes us toward the deviant path creates the negative cause that leads to temptations that are hard to escape from.
Even if people want to change their causes and conditions, when their “brothers” call, they will go off with them. So, [change] is very difficult. Even if people know that they have made mistakes and want to change, they may not have a chance, because there are too many external influences. This is “just one thought that takes us toward the deviant path.” Improper, incorrect thoughts are called “deviant.” Once an improper thought enters our minds, it “creates a negative cause.” If we plant a negative cause, “that leads to temptations.” Then finding a way to escape will be hard. If we are being led by our temptations, we are “falling into the Three Evil Destinies.”
Falling into the Three Evil Destinies: [The three are] hell, hungry ghost and animal. The hell destiny is the most evil. The hungry ghost destiny is in the middle. The animal destiny is the least evil.
The Three Evil Destinies are the hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. As we all know, “hell is the most evil.” Those who commit all kinds of evils will definitely fall into hell. This is the place of greatest suffering. This is hell. What about the those in the middle? They are not as evil. They just tend to be greedy, stingy and jealous. These people are considered moderately evil and will fall into the hungry ghost destiny.
They refuse to give to others, or they take away people’s food or water. When the harvest is poor, they raise the price for food. “I have the goods, but I refuse to give them to you. I have water, but I will not let you drink it.” They fall into the hungry ghost destiny. The animal destiny is the least evil. This is for people who have no morals. People who lack manners and ethics will easily do immoral things. Because of this, they will fall into the animal destiny. This is why we see so many animals in the world.
There are many hungry ghosts in this world; in Africa, in many impoverished countries there are many who [starve like this]. We can see all these [destinies]. Does hell exist? Yes it does. We see hell in this world. After disasters, there is so much devastation. People suffer from physical injuries, from being parted from their loved ones and many other difficulties. In the hospital, many people undergo surgery, or have a broken leg, a broken foot and so on. So, [hell] exists. We can see [suffering] in this world,
let alone [the suffering of] hell. Besides the pain of a physical hell, a mental hell causes unbearable suffering. Take the Pingtung prison for example. Loss of freedom also leads to suffering. This is like cycling in the Six Destinies.
Cycling through the Six Destinies: These are the hell destiny, hungry ghost destiny, animal destiny, asura destiny, human destiny and heaven destiny. A destiny is the direction we are headed towards. Sentient beings face retributions based on where their causes lead them. Thus, these are called the Six Destinies.
The Six Realms are the Six Destinies, the hell destiny, hungry ghost destiny, animal destiny, asura destiny, human destiny and heaven destiny. “Destiny” is the direction we are headed toward. Where we will go depends on [the karma] we have created. Based on what we have done, we are led naturally in “the direction we are headed.” That is “the direction we are headed towards.”
The retributions that sentient beings face are “based on where their causes lead them.” Because we created these causes and conditions, in the future, we will head toward that retribution. These are the Six Destinies.
“[We] face poisonous suffering.” Why? Because sentient beings are ignorant, “they do all kinds of unwholesome deeds.” Thus, they follow “the karmic fruit of this cause.” Because they follow this cause and create karma, they suffer from karmic retribution. Then naturally, they “face poisonous suffering.”
Dear Bodhisattvas, we must truly form Bodhisattva-aspirations. This is not impossible. The state of Bodhisattvas is not far away from us. As the Buddha gave us teachings, if we accept them, we can achieve this state right now. Look at the Pingtung prison as an example. A few Bodhisattvas were very brave and entered the prison. Earth Treasury Bodhisattva vowed to go to hell, our Living Bodhisattvas aspired to go into the prison. See, they transformed over 400 inmates at once.
In particular, more than 30 inmates began to eat vegetarian meals and uphold precepts. They wholeheartedly “entered the sutra treasury.” I believe these 30-plus people will also transform their fellow inmates. Therefore, we who live so freely in this world should all form aspirations and take good care of our minds. We must be earnest and diligent, not indolent. This is all about our minds. So, we must always be mindful.