Episode 367 – The Endless Cycle of Existence in the Six Realms
>> As long as heaven and earth exist, karmic forces will be present. The Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms are an endless cycle of existence. With a pure mind, we must earnestly practice the Six Perfections. By listening to and practicing Right Dharma, we will benefit all sentient beings.
>> They take a tiny form in the womb: From just one thought deviating, karma leads us to take a tiny form in the womb. Like a person who takes drugs we become physically addicted, and cannot mentally free ourselves from it. Thus we take on a tiny form in one of the Four Forms of Birth.
>> Life after life, [their karma] continues to grow: the causes and conditions of rebirth grow and extend continuously. “Growing” is horizontal expansion. “Extending” is vertical extension. This leads to retributions of cyclic existence and being born as one of the Four Kinds of Beings.
>> “Little virtue and few blessings and are pressured by all kinds of suffering.”
>> People with little virtue and few blessings are those who do not often benefit others.
>> For beings in the [hungry] ghost realm, their bodies are like burning mountains while their minds are like boiling woks. For beings in the human realm, their actions do not benefit others, and their minds are often troubled. In the heaven realm, they indulge in pleasure and idleness and cannot encounter Right Dharma. Their lives are long.
>> The sentient beings in the Five Realms are lost and have not awakened. They are pressured by all kinds of suffering. They cannot control their lives and face unbearable suffering.
As long as heaven and earth exist,
karmic forces will be present.
The Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms
are an endless cycle of existence.
With a pure mind,
we must earnestly practice the Six Perfections.
By listening to and practicing Right Dharma,
we will benefit all sentient beings.
To learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must be focused and sincere. As long as heaven and earth exist, karmic forces will be present. The Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms are an endless cycle of existence. We must wholeheartedly and with a pure mind, earnestly practice the Six Perfections. By listening to and practicing Right Dharma, we will benefit all sentient beings.
In addition to that, we often discuss countless kalpas to remind ourselves that time is endless. Exactly how long ago did time begin? We do not know. When exactly did we start to create karma? We started before Beginningless Time, countless kalpas ago, which is an incalculable amount of time. I believe that our minds gave rise to that first thought quite some time ago. All in all, as long as the earth and heaven exist, karmic forces will also be present. The question is simply whether we are creating bad karma or blessed karma.
With the influence of this karma, where will we be heading? [Among] the Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms. We have no control over where we go. Because we are still ordinary people, we continue to cycle endlessly through the Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms. When can we stop this endless cycle so that we can make the choice to come and go freely? This is like all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, [who come] because sentient beings have delusions and ignorance. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas come to this world or choose to go through the Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms solely because they want to help sentient beings. This is how they come and go freely.
So now, we must seize this present thought in each moment and every second. When a good thought arises, we must immediately hold on to it. This is how we seize the present moment. If we can keep holding on to this good thought, we can forever sustain the aspirations and vows we formed. If, when we suddenly give rise to this thought, we hold on to it and persevere; then our minds will be pure. Once we form this aspiration and hold on to it, cravings, desires and affections and so on, will not confuse our minds. Then we can earnestly practice the Six Perfections.
Doing so is the way of Bodhisattvas. We must really seize the opportunity to listen to and learn Right Dharma. After we listen to it, we must work hard to uphold it. We must seize every good thought that arises in every second.
At Tzu Chi, we are recruiting Living Bodhisattvas. Every [Tzu Chi] location in every country is currently a Bodhisattva training ground. With certification at the end of the year, many different countries will send the newly-inspired Bodhisattva[-volunteers] to Taiwan to be certified [as Commissioners]. We can see that in every country, the pre-certification trainings are very intense.
Right now (in 2012), South Africa is doing this. In Lesotho, their training is just as strict as Taiwan’s. Even though they are far away from us, in order to keep Right Dharma in this world and to spread Tzu Chi’s ideals, they must [learn] the Bodhisattva-path properly. So, the stages of their training match the ones in Taiwan. Every step leaves a clear impression.
When I see them, I feel very moved. They do not have the kind of buildings we have. Though they were using canvas tents, their place of practice looked very dignified. They also began by singing the Tzu Chi Foundation Anthem. When [they] sang the anthem [in Chinese], we could hear from the video that they were very much in unison. When we saw them on video, they looked orderly. They even read Tzu Chi’s Ten Precepts, reading them in English.
The certified African Commissioners looked very refined in their cheongsam. They also gave a demonstration of wearing the uniform, how to walk and where to put one’s hands. They showed this very clearly. They also showed how to sit in a chair with both of their feet flat on the ground, not leaning sideways or rocking back. This training was very strict. We can imagine what it will look like for people of a different skin color and body shape to wear a cheongsam and properly follow all of Tzu Chi’s etiquette. We can already picture how wonderful this large group of Bodhisattvas will look.
There are not only rules for sitting or for lying down and resting; they meticulously taught the Four Demeanors, how to walk, stand, sit and sleep. They used both live demonstrations and videos. This was really eye-opening, very touching and incredible.
There was an elderly woman shown whose family has received help from Tzu Chi. In 2007, her family suffered hardship and Tzu Chi helped them. She experienced the sincerity and thoughtfulness of the Tzu Chi volunteers. Their love really touched her heart. She began to work hard and vowed to be someone who could help others. So, she became an apprentice and started training to be a Commissioner.
She brought her two grandchildren with her. To help her focus on the trainings, Tzu Chi volunteers babysat for her. The volunteers from Taiwan held these young children. [This image of] Taiwanese grandmothers holding them [like their own] grandchildren showed that everyone in the world is one family. They did this to fulfill this Bodhisattva’s wish. This was the act of awakened sentient beings. They helped others to succeed in their practice and walk the Bodhisattva-path.
Although this woman was poor and received assistance from us, she aspired to help others as well. She used her body, her physical strength, to help many AIDS patients by cleaning their homes and keeping them company. She even raised ten or fifty cents at a time from her friends and family. Every little bit really adds up to something big. As long as people have the will, there is nothing they cannot achieve. This was in Lesotho.
Today is the last day of this training in South Africa. Volunteers from eight locations gathered there. This year (2012), 74 people completed the training.
When we see the diligence of these Bodhisattvas, we should remind ourselves that there is nothing in the world we cannot do. Even people living in poverty and hardship can find a way. “With a pure mind, earnestly practice the Six Perfections. By listening to and practicing Right Dharma, benefit all sentient beings.” The Tzu Chi volunteers in South Africa are doing exactly this. This place is so poor, has so many hardships and is so far away from us, but people there believe in the Buddha-Dharma and firmly practice. Tzu Chi’s Bodhisattva-path in the world. Their willingness to accept and practice the Buddha-Dharma is very [precious].
We must know, as long as heaven and earth exist, karmic forces will also be present. Cyclic existence in the Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms is endless. The most important thing is our minds. We must persevere and take good care of them. We must also practice the Six Paramitas and benefit all sentient beings. This is very important.
Previously we mentioned how sentient beings create various causes and conditions so they fall into the Three Evil Realms and cycle through the Six Destinies, suffering greatly. What kind of suffering is that? Aside from their experiences in this world, they “take a tiny form in the womb; life after life, [their karma] continues to grow.”
“They take a tiny form in the womb.” The Four Forms of Birth are womb-, egg-, moisture- and transformation-born. Why did we take form in the womb? Because we all have desires. Once we have desires, we endlessly experience cyclic existence.
They take a tiny form in the womb: From just one thought deviating, karma leads us to take a tiny form in the womb. Like a person who takes drugs we become physically addicted, and cannot mentally free ourselves from it. Thus we take on a tiny form in one of the Four Forms of Birth.
In the Six Destinies, heavenly beings are very tall and big. To describe the size of heavenly beings, we must measure them in yojanas. So, we can imagine how big they are. Compared to them, we are like ants. When we compare ants to humans, aren’t they very tiny? Compared to heavenly beings, we are like ants. We are really very insignificant; we start as a tiny form in the womb.
Besides humans, other living beings [also begin like this]. When dogs look at people, they lift their heads. When people look at dogs, they lower their heads. There are many creatures even smaller than dogs that have also taken form in the womb. Why do [womb-born] sentient beings end up with such different appearances? “From just one thought deviating, karma leads us to take a tiny form in the womb.” When a thought goes astray,
if we have upheld the Five Precepts, we may still be reborn in human form. If we did not uphold the Five Precepts, combined with the other karma we have created, we may be reborn in the form of an ox, horse, dog, pig, goat, chicken or duck. These are just animals we can name; there are many more that we cannot. Indeed, depending on the karma we create, it “leads us to take a tiny form in the womb.”
“Like a person who takes drugs, we become physically addicted.” This is how we humans are. Once a thought goes astray, we cannot save ourselves. We are like drug addicts who have no control. They know they are addicted and should quit, but they cannot because quitting is so painful. Even if they work hard and finally succeed in quitting, their will may still be weak. If someone beckons them with the crook of a finger, they cannot help but go over and start using again. This is truly “becoming physically addicted;” we cannot help but face unbearable suffering. We cannot free our minds. Though we clearly know doing this is wrong, though it is painful, we cannot free ourselves.
Our minds are just like this. This is not just talking about the mind of a drug addict, no. This describes all of our minds. Besides tangible [physical] suffering, there is the intangible suffering of our minds. We cannot escape the desires in our minds, so we continue to be reborn in the Four Forms of Birth. Thus we face unbearable suffering and in “life after life, [our karma] continues to grow.” Over each lifetime, [our karma] continues to accumulate.
This is why we often talk about ignorance. It is the reason that, lifetime after lifetime, we continue to multiply our karma. So, with lifetimes of causes and conditions, it “continues,” [meaning that] it continuously grows.
Life after life, [their karma] continues to grow: the causes and conditions of rebirth grow and extend continuously. “Growing” is horizontal expansion. “Extending” is vertical extension. This leads to retributions of cyclic existence and being born as one of the Four Kinds of Beings.
Of the two words, “grow and extend,” growing means “horizontal expansion.” Increasing land area is an example of horizontal expansion. Extending means “a vertical extension.” When we construct buildings, we add one floor after another. This is “extending.” An increase in height makes a thing taller; this is “extending.” When something “grows,” it is widening. Becoming taller is extending. Growing taller is to “extend.” Whether we are growing or extending, in life after life, through this constant process of expansion and growth, we continue to create karma. So, life after life, causes and conditions continue to grow and extend continuously and our karma increases.
If our blessed karma grows, that is wonderful. Life after life, increasing our blessed karma will help us develop our wisdom-life. If our bad karma grows in each lifetime, our suffering will be unbearable. Unfortunately, we sentient beings have.
“Little virtue and few blessings and are pressured by all kinds of suffering.”
People have little virtue and few blessings. Most people rarely benefit others and mostly commit bad deeds and create negative karma. Who has little virtue and few blessings?
People with little virtue and few blessings are those who do not often benefit others.
These people are stingy and greedy and are reluctant to give. Clearly they have the ability to help others, but they are not willing to do so and do not do any good deeds. These are people with little virtue and few blessings.
We are pressured by all kinds of suffering. Having all kinds of suffering is very painful. In hell, there is the suffering of hell. In the animal realm, there is animal suffering. Hungry ghosts suffer in the hungry ghost realm. Humans suffer in the human realm. There is even suffering in the heaven realm.
Everyone, what kind of suffering is in hell? Being pressured by all kinds of suffering. Suffering in hell is indescribable; their body endures endless suffering. Because there was boundless evil in their minds, they face suffering in hell.
In the animal realm, they physically consume other beings. We see big fish eat small fish. Beings of the same species and appearance will also consume one another.
In the hungry ghost realm, their bodies ache. For the hungry ghost realm, we know the story about Maudgalyayana trying to give his mother a bowl of rice. Flame erupted from her mouth and burned the bowl of rice to ashes. It was as if her whole body was engulfed in fire and a fire was raging in her mind. This is what it is like in the ghost realm.
In the human realm, our actions may not benefit others. If our body commits actions that do not benefit sentient beings and our minds are often tempted by cravings and desires, we will always be troubled.
For beings in the [hungry] ghost realm, their bodies are like burning mountains while their minds are like boiling woks. For beings in the human realm, their actions do not benefit others, and their minds are often troubled. In the heaven realm, they indulge in pleasure and idleness and cannot encounter Right Dharma. Their lives are long.
And in the heaven realm, “they indulge in pleasure and idleness and they cannot encounter Right Dharma.” Heavenly beings cannot hear the Buddha-Dharma; they must come to the human realm to hear it. So, they have not heard Dharma for a long time. Since their heavenly lifespan is very long and they have not heard the Dharma for a long time,
they indulge in pleasure and idleness and live a mixed-up life. All they want is to enjoy pleasures, and once they deplete [their blessings] they will still fall into the Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms.
They have no control over this. In the Five Realms, the Five Destinies, or the Six Destinies if we add the asura destiny, they will take form in the womb. This is truly unbearable suffering.
The sentient beings in the Five Realms are lost and have not awakened. They are pressured by all kinds of suffering. They cannot control their lives and face unbearable suffering.
So everyone, human beings learn the Buddha’s teachings best because we can listen to the Dharma. If we do not listen to Right Dharma, we humans have many chances to create bad karma. Therefore, we must be vigilant and always be mindful.