Episode 424 – Compassion Transforms the Deluded Multitudes
>> “Deviant and proper can be hard to distinguish; a small deviation will lead us far off-course. Wholesome causes and conditions help us stay on the Right Path. When we take great love to heart, we can transform sentient beings.”
>> They are deeply attached to the five desires, like a yak obsessed with his tail. They smother themselves with greed and cravings; blind and in darkness, they see nothing. They do not seek the Buddha of mighty power, or the Dharma which ends suffering.
>> Thus, “they are immersed in deviant views, hoping to shed suffering through suffering. For the sake of these sentient beings, I give rise to great compassion.”
>> Deviant views refer to non-Buddhist heretical teachings. When we are in the web of deviant views, our afflictions will destroy right wisdom and we will stray from purifying precepts. In seeking liberation from pain, we instead fall into heretical paths.
>> Instead they are immersed in deviant views, hoping to shed suffering through suffering: Those on the heretical path also seek to be liberated from suffering and distress. They seek ways to transcend suffering and attain joy, but they let go of proper beliefs and slander Right Dharma. Not believing in good and bad karmic retributions or that proper causes and conditions give rise to goodness, they are deeply immersed in deviant views. All of this happens because they deny the karmic law of cause and effect. Hoping to shed suffering through suffering, ultimately they cannot eliminate suffering. Thus their suffering will never end.
>> Some smear themselves with ash, walk around naked, act like cows and dogs, or willingly eat what animals eat. They engage in these ascetic practices, but such earnest actions bring no benefits. They desire to shed suffering, but instead create causes of suffering. How could it be possible to escape suffering this way?
>> For the sake of such sentient beings, I give rise to great compassion: The Buddha sees sentient beings as His children. With loving-kindness and compassion, He safeguards all sentient beings. He exercises wisdom to establish and give provisional teachings, to guide people to Right Dharma and to awaken their compassion.
“Deviant and proper can be hard to distinguish;
a small deviation will lead us far off-course.
Wholesome causes and conditions help us stay on the Right Path.
When we take great love to heart, we can transform sentient beings.”
When we learn the Buddha’s teachings, it is most important to go in the right direction. If we deviate even slightly from our course, we may end up far off-course. So, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must recognize our direction clearly.
“Deviant and proper” can sometimes be “hard to distinguish.” In learning the Buddha-Dharma, some think that because cultivating ascetic practices is not easy, it is a superior form of spiritual cultivation. Some people believe that since life is full of suffering, if they make haste to engage in spiritual practice and face all their suffering in this lifetime, they can completely escape suffering in the future. They think they will attain the ultimate fruit. Is this line of thinking right or wrong? According to the law of karma, as are the causes and conditions, so are the effects and retributions. We have absolutely no control over this.
In our past lives, we created these causes. In a state of confusion, we created these causes and conditions, that then came to fruition in this lifetime. Indeed, by creating causes of suffering and forming the conditions of suffering, in this lifetime, we will face painful retributions when they converge. Those of us who understand this principle will joyfully and willingly accept and bear the retributions we face this lifetime. We will not complain or be afflicted by them. This is how we accept the law of karma.
Some people who grow up in poor surroundings, complain about everything, resent their parents, resent their family and everyone around them. These feelings of resentment and hatred “are causes of animosity.” The things they do because of their suffering may reproduce unlimited suffering.
Some spiritual practitioners say, “In this lifetime, I need to seek out suffering as part of my spiritual practice.” They do not live normal human lives and consider this their spiritual practice. They are “blind and in darkness, and see nothing. Blind” means their minds are blind. We should engage in spiritual practice by following the laws of nature. Our minds must overcome our desires and our selfishness, so we can eliminate our greedy mindset. This is most important. Then we need to open up our hearts and transform personal love into great love. This is how we truly follow the law of nature. There are [many] natural and man-made disasters, as well as people who live in illness or poverty. When we encounter suffering beings, we should exercise our inherent goodness and give with wholesome love. This is the way to practice Right Dharma.
Thus, we say, “Deviant and proper can be hard to distinguish.” What is the correct way to engage in spiritual practice? We just need to accept the laws of nature. Against the backdrop of the laws of nature, we can, with clarity, see through people’s state of confusion. We must take good care of our minds and resist the temptation of our confused desires. That is the right thing to do. Thus, “deviant and proper”, can sometimes be very hard to distinguish. Still, “a small deviation will lead us far off course,” so we must be mindful.
We [form] wholesome causes and conditions by encouraging and helping each other succeed in staying on the Right Path. Then this will be the most precious time and space for us to engage in spiritual practice because we are all helping each other to form wholesome causes and conditions and encouraging each other to walk the Right Path. In this kind of environment, we can learn that, “When we take great love to heart, we can transform sentient beings.” We seek the Buddha and the Dharma. The Buddha’s perfect enlightenment and right understanding and right views are what we must emulate. By accepting the karmic law of cause and effect, we can overcome our greed and our attachment to pleasure. When our minds can overcome these desires, we will work hard, live frugally and benefit others. This is how we engage in spiritual practice.
Let us look at the following sutra text, “Instead they are immersed in deviant views.” We have said previously, “They do not seek the Buddha of mighty power, or the Dharma which ends suffering.”
This is something we have discussed.
They are deeply attached to the five desires, like a yak obsessed with his tail. They smother themselves with greed and cravings; blind and in darkness, they see nothing. They do not seek the Buddha of mighty power, or the Dharma which ends suffering.
This is an analogy about how greed, desire and cravings can blind us. We are just like a yak obsessed with his long tail and who uses his entire body to protect that tail. He is always looking at his tail instead of getting a clear look at what is ahead. This is an analogy. This applies to our spiritual practice also. Sentient beings are deluded, but spiritual practitioners may not have the proper views and understanding. Then, “they do not seek the Buddha of mighty power.”
With His compassion and wisdom, the Buddha guides us to enter His understanding and views and to diligently cultivate the. Five Spiritual Roots and the Five Powers. He can guide us to advance forward, but we contrarily are unwilling to seek the Dharma, nor do we want to learn how to eliminate our ignorance. Thus we face karma created out of afflictions. Most ordinary people are like this, so “[they] are immersed in deviant views.” Even if they want to engage in spiritual practice, they may still head in the wrong direction and go astray, so they cling to deviant views of spiritual practice and cannot be awakened.
Thus, “they are immersed in deviant views, hoping to shed suffering through suffering. For the sake of these sentient beings, I give rise to great compassion.”
The Buddha sees that those who are deeply immersed in deviant views may want to eliminate suffering. But instead they sink deeper into it and create more causes of suffering in order to shed painful retributions. This is what some foolish sentient beings do. The Buddha [acted] “for the sake of these sentient beings.” The Buddha gave rise to great compassion. This is what the Great Enlightened One does. Actually, all Bodhisattvas are the same. They are awakened sentient beings, who give rise to great compassion among people.
Deviant views refer to non-Buddhist heretical teachings. When we are in the web of deviant views, our afflictions will destroy right wisdom and we will stray from purifying precepts. In seeking liberation from pain, we instead fall into heretical paths.
Thus, “they are immersed in deviant views, hoping to shed suffering through suffering.” These are people with deviant views, which “refer to non-Buddhist heretical teachings.” The Buddha-Dharma has always been a broad and open path. As long as we follow the laws of nature and avoid clinging to our desires, naturally we can slowly eliminate our ignorance and cultivate proper practices. The spiritual practice that the Buddha taught us is a road that is very smooth and easy to walk. But, some people choose the wrong path, so “they are immersed in deviant views.”
These are not proper Buddhist practices. They are heretical practices, which are deviant. If people enter the deviant path, it is like being caught in a net. This net has been dropped from above. In the past, people used nets to catch birds. If birds are caught in a net, no matter how they struggle, they cannot escape. For fishes in the water, if we cast a net, and fishes swim into the net, they also cannot escape, no matter how they struggle. As for humans, if our perspective deviates even slightly, it is like being caught in a net. If we are filled with ignorance, we will forever be trapped by this net. So, “our afflictions will destroy right wisdom.” Right wisdom is destroyed by afflictions. When virtuous friends show us the way, we say, “So this is the way! I should follow you.” But if we have not broken out of that net, afflictions and ignorance will soon rise again and these spiritual practices based on right wisdom will quickly be destroyed. This is how deviant understanding and views can destroy Right Dharma.
The Buddha often said, “The lion’s parasites eat the lion’s flesh.” The Buddha-Dharma is, in fact, a very complete and solid set of true principles. It is most threatened by Those with perspectives shaped by deviant views are like [the parasites on] a great lion. The king of lions is greatly admired by all and none dare to intrude upon him. But the tiny lice on his body, the parasites in his fur, feast on his flesh. This is saying that the Buddha-Dharma is firm and strong, but inside there are small insects like lice that attack it, like those with deviant understanding and views. So, “afflictions will destroy right wisdom,”
and the spiritual practices based on right wisdom. “We will stray from purifying precepts.” Purifying precepts lay out a course for us to stay on. Our morals are damaged by the kinds of improper views we just mentioned. This is very frightening. Therefore it is said, “A small deviation will lead us far off course.” Whether we are teaching at spiritual practice centers or elsewhere, if the teachings deviate just by a tiny bit, it makes a great difference and “we will stray from purifying precepts.” We seek to be liberated from suffering, but instead we fall into a heretical path. So, we must be grounded in the way we engage in spiritual practice and avoid weird and odd methods. We must have proper understanding and views.
Instead they are immersed in deviant views, hoping to shed suffering through suffering: Those on the heretical path also seek to be liberated from suffering and distress. They seek ways to transcend suffering and attain joy, but they let go of proper beliefs and slander Right Dharma. Not believing in good and bad karmic retributions or that proper causes and conditions give rise to goodness, they are deeply immersed in deviant views. All of this happens because they deny the karmic law of cause and effect. Hoping to shed suffering through suffering, ultimately they cannot eliminate suffering. Thus their suffering will never end.
Thus, “those on the heretical path also seek to be liberated from suffering and distress. They seek ways to transcend suffering and attain joy.” They also seek to be liberated from afflictions. They know having afflictions is not right, so they diligently seek [to eliminate them]. This is why they engage in spiritual practice. As spiritual practitioners, they seek ways to be liberated from suffering and attain joy. When these practices, which are spiritual practice in name only, deviate even slightly, they cause a lot of trouble.
If we create negative causes or causes that lead to suffering, attaining wholesome or joyous fruits from them is completely impossible. This happens when people set aside proper beliefs. Having set aside proper beliefs, they will slander Right Dharma. They do not know if they are on the right path, yet they slander the way that others engage in practice as being wrong. These are all considered deviant views. They do “not believe in good and bad karmic retributions,” nor even that “proper causes and conditions give rise to goodness.” To practice with the “right” causes and conditions is practicing true virtuous Dharma.
But they deny all this. Instead they slander other people’s Right Dharma and virtuous practices. Some may also say, “The Buddha-Dharma is based on the law of karma. Those who are facing suffering and hardship have created these bad causes themselves, so they are facing their painful retributions. How can you help them? Helping them goes against the law of karma.” There are people with this kind of perspective. Others accept this [as truth] and then no longer want to help others. These people slander Right Dharma and the law of karma. They deny all these. Thus they are “immersed in deviant views.” They deny the karmic law of cause and effect with these deviant views. Thus, “hoping to shed suffering through suffering, ultimately they cannot eliminate suffering.” This is certain. “Thus their suffering will never end.” If they create more causes of suffering while they are suffering, how will they ever eliminate painful retributions?
Some smear themselves with ash, walk around naked, act like cows and dogs, or willingly eat what animals eat. They engage in these ascetic practices, but such earnest actions bring no benefits. They desire to shed suffering, but instead create causes of suffering. How could it be possible to escape suffering this way?
There are many kinds of spiritual practice. In the Buddha’s time, people engaged in spiritual practices such as taking cow droppings or dog feces and smearing them over their clean bodies. Or they ate foods normally given to cows and dogs. They thought that by acting like cows and dogs, they would not fall into the animal realm. They claimed that living this way was a form of spiritual practice, but “such earnest actions bring no benefits.” We must diligently cultivate precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. If we do not cultivate them and think we can end suffering by enduring suffering, then go live like animals, that is a great pity. These teachings practiced by some in ancient India are not beneficial to our spiritual practice at all. So, though these people want to shed suffering, instead, they create causes of suffering. When they create causes of suffering, they do not create any blessings, nor do they cultivate their wisdom, yet they hope to escape suffering. Is this possible? It is not possible.
Dear Bodhisattvas, to learn the Buddha’s teachings, our thoughts and actions must be proper; Only then can we accept the Buddha-Dharma. The Buddha treats all beings as His only son and is equally compassionate to all. In this way He acts to safeguard all beings and exercises wisdom and loving-kindness to establish and give provisional teachings. He did this to help ignorant sentient beings attain the Buddha’s Right Dharma.
Thus, “for the sake of such sentient beings, I give rise to great compassion.” This is His loving-kindness and compassion. He treats all sentient beings as His only son. [Guiding] sentient beings to attain Right Dharma is the Buddha’s one great cause for coming to this world. To guide sentient beings into Right Dharma, He gave rise to great compassion. This is the proper teaching of the Buddha.
For the sake of such sentient beings, I give rise to great compassion: The Buddha sees sentient beings as His children. With loving-kindness and compassion, He safeguards all sentient beings. He exercises wisdom to establish and give provisional teachings, to guide people to Right Dharma and to awaken their compassion.
I hope everyone will stay on the right course as we learn the Buddha’s teachings and not stray from it. We can benefit others by giving. We must not only think about how we can escape our own suffering. Actually, if we are on the right course, our giving helps liberate others from suffering, which helps liberate us from our afflictions. If we can do this, we are practicing Right Dharma. All right everyone, please always be mindful.