Episode 884 – Understanding the Threefold Karma
>> Comprehend, so that your Threefold Karma is guided by wisdom. Know the Path; protect the karma of mind against Leaks. Open up the Path; protect the karma of body against defilement. Teach the Path; protect the karma of speech against error.
>> “I enable those not yet delivered to be delivered. I enable those not yet liberated to be liberated. I enable those not yet at peace to be at peace. I enable those not yet in Nirvana to be in Nirvana.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 5 – The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs]
>> ” In this life and future lives, I am the knower of truth. I am the one with all understanding, the one with all views, the one who knows the Path, the one who opens the Path and the one who teaches the Path.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 5 – The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs]
>> In this life and future lives, I am the knower of truth: In this life and future lives, with the Three Understandings, He has knowledge of the truth. Knowing past lives gives understanding of the past. The heavenly eye gives understanding of the future. Ending Leaks gives understanding of the present. These are also called the Three Insights.
>> With the truth of each, He knows their causes and effects. In this life and future lives, He understands the truth. This is the wisdom of the Buddha’s Three Insights. In the state of clear, verifiable wisdom, all are revealed clearly.
>> I am the one who understands all, the one who sees all: Through mind-consciousness, He understands. Through eye-consciousness, He sees. Through investigation, He views. Through awakening, He understands. With correct views, He comprehends completely, and He penetrates the source of the Dharma.
>> I am the one who understands all: This is the Buddha’s ultimate wisdom, which resonates with the true principles of all things. His relative wisdom is the conventional wisdom which comprehends all matters and appearances.
>> Ultimate wisdom refers to how all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas use their wisdom of truth to see through the principles of reality. It is wondrously profound, tranquil and still, neither increasing nor decreasing. This is called ultimate wisdom.
>> Relative wisdom: This is the wisdom that allows the Buddha to know all worldly and world-transcending Dharma and teach it according to relative capacities. Thus it is called relative wisdom and is also called acquired wisdom.
>> The one who knows the Path, the one who opens the Path and the one who teaches the Path: He knows well all paths and the phenomena which open or obstruct them. He is the one who knows the True Path, the one who can skillfully open and reveal it and the one who can, for all sentient beings, teach the supreme path.
>> The Path: This is the Middle Way of the Buddha, the truth of the supreme meaning. Only the true wisdom of the Buddha is capable of understanding and realizing this.
>> The afflictions of sentient beings can become obstacles to the Path. Only the Buddha can open up the path to our Dharma-nature, which is equal to His. Sentient beings’ capabilities all differ; only the Buddha can teach them through skillful means.
>> Then, We do not have bias toward emptiness, nor toward existence, nor toward neither emptiness nor existence, nor toward both emptiness and existence. By not falling into either extreme, we are in perfect harmony without obstacles. This is known as the Middle Way.
“Comprehend, so that your Threefold Karma is guided by wisdom.
Know the Path; protect the karma of mind against Leaks.
Open up the Path; protect the karma of body against defilement. Teach the Path; protect the karma of speech against error.”
To learn the Buddha’s Way, we must comprehend the great path. To comprehend the great path, we must always protect our Threefold Karma. The Threefold Karma refers to the karma of speech, the karma of body and the karma of mind. Whenever we open our mouths to speak, we must be very cautious. If there is a bit of impropriety in our words, whether we slander [others] intentionally or unintentionally make mistakes in our speech, our virtue will be damaged. Not only will we lose virtue in this lifetime, we will also have to face many karmic retributions in future lifetimes. So, when we engage in spiritual practice, we must be very vigilant of our Threefold Karma. To safeguard our minds, we must not give rise to discursive thoughts; then naturally our conduct will not deviate, and we will not easily create karma with our words. All in all, our Threefold Karma must be guided by wisdom.
Starting with our minds, we must go deeper and give rise to wisdom; then all we create through our Threefold Karma will bring blessings for the world. With our karma of speech, all that we speak will be true principles, which purify people’s minds. With our karma of body, all our actions will be good deeds, which will benefit others. Therefore, we must comprehend [the Path] and let our Threefold Karma be guided by wisdom.
“Know the Path.” We should know “the Path.” Since we have come to the world to engage in spiritual practice and learn the Dharma, we should understand how to walk the Path and how to completely understand the principles. We must first “protect the karma of mind against Leaks.” We must eliminate all our Leaks, our afflictions, and never let afflictions and ignorance intrude into our minds again. Only when the mind is very clear, when all the principles are understood, is it possible for our wisdom to develop.
Since we “know the Path,” we need to “open up the Path” even more. To be someone who opens up the path, we must protect the karma of body from defilements. We really need to safeguard our own actions and practice a path of goodness.
In our daily living, our every action creates good or bad karma. Do we really want to save people, to help people? Or do we want to indulge in a world of sensual pleasures? Or, do we go out and perpetrate all kinds of evil? This is the karma of the body. We must protect the karma of body against defilement; then we can guide others along this Path. If there are roadblocks, we must guide others to clear away the roadblocks, so everyone can have a smooth road to walk on. This is being one who opens up the Path.
We should also become teachers of the Path by guiding others and teaching it to others. When we teach it to others, we must be very careful to safeguard our karma of speech against error.
During the Buddha’s lifetime, there was a very young child, and when he started to speak, he would always say things like, “Samsara is immense suffering.” Because of this, the name that everyone called him was “Suffering of Samsara.” From a young age, he only spoke kind words. When he met someone, he would teach them about the immense suffering of karma and cyclic existence. One day, he and his friends were walking in the countryside where the Buddha was teaching to an assembly. Quietly, at a spot far off from the Buddha, he paid respects to the Buddha and then sat down and listened to the teachings. The Buddha saw him from afar as the young man drew near and sat down among the audience. The Buddha then changed the topic and started to teach the Four Noble Truths. When Suffering of Samsara [heard this], his joy was such that it seemed as if he found the path he had been seeking all his life. He was able to untie the knots in his heart. When he returned home, he implored his parents to let him follow the Buddha to become a monastic.
Suffering of Samsara thus joined the Buddha’s Sangha and was received by the Buddha as a bhiksu in the Sangha. There, he felt greatly at ease, and his mood was very peaceful every day. He diligently listened to the Dharma; his mind was tranquil and still, and he was inspired by the Buddha’s every teaching. Thus, he attained the fruit of Arhatship. His fellow practitioners saw that he was so peaceful and diligent, and with every word he seemed to “know the Path.” So, someone asked the Buddha, “Venerable Buddha, this bhiksu, Suffering of Samsara, just what were his causes and conditions that he can learn the Buddha’s Way so easily and completely understand all Dharma so quickly?”
The Buddha then began to explain to everyone. In the past, during this Bhadra kalpa, in the time of Kasyapa Buddha, there was a young novice. This young novice was very clever. One day when he looked outside, there was a bustling temple fair taking place, so he quickly went inside and told his master, “Master, it’s very lively outside today. Let’s quickly go beg for alms. We’ll definitely return with full alms bowls.” His master told him, “It’s still early; you must earnestly still your mind. Go sit and meditate.” But while this novice was sitting, although his body was sitting inside, his mind was still outside. So, he said to his master again, “Master, shouldn’t we go out earlier?” The master told him again, “It’s still early; sit quietly.” But his mind was still outside. The third time, the master replied in the same way, and the novice started feeling angry. The fires of anger rose in him and he blurted out, “You’re really stubborn! May you die early!” With that he stood up, and taking his alms bowl, he went out.
Just like that he left. However, as he walked, he reflected, “I didn’t respect my teacher nor honor the Path. I was wrong. I must go back right away to prostrate in front of my master and express my repentance.” Because of this mistake, for 500 lifetimes, he transmigrated in the hell realm.
The Buddha explained how Suffering of Samsara was that novice back then. Although when he had made that mistake, he quickly repented, he had already created karma and had to suffer the retributions. Nevertheless, his blessed karma and his roots of wisdom remained intact, enabling him in this lifetime to be born into a wealthy family, where he safeguarded his karma of speech and often encouraged others to do good deeds. These were the causes and conditions that enabled him to accept the Dharma, become a monastic and attain the fruit of Arhatship.
So, we can understand that everything we say truly creates karma. We must comprehend this in regards to our Threefold Karma. Our Threefold Karma must be carefully protected. Then we will better understand what comes next.
The previous sutra passage states, “I enable those not yet delivered to be delivered. I enable those not yet liberated to be liberated. I enable those not yet at peace to be at peace. I enable those not yet in Nirvana to be in Nirvana.”
Next, the sutra continues, “In this life and future lives, I am the knower of truth. I am the one with all understanding, the one with all views, the one who knows the Path, the one who opens up the Path and the one who teaches the Path.”
The Buddha again expressed Himself to let everybody know, “In this life and future lives, with the Three Understandings, [I have] knowledge of the truth.”
In this life and future lives, I am the knower of truth: In this life and future lives, with the Three Understandings, He has knowledge of the truth. Knowing past lives gives understanding of the past. The heavenly eye gives understanding of the future. Ending Leaks gives understanding of the present. These are also called the Three Insights.
The Three Understandings or Insights mean thorough and unobstructed understanding. They are a very clear and complete understanding. There are three of these [insights]. There is “insight into previous lives, insight of the heavenly eye” and “insight of ending all Leaks.” The Three Insights are insight into previous lives, which gives thorough understanding of the past, insight of the heavenly eye, which gives thorough understanding of the future, and insight of ending all Leaks, which gives thorough understanding of the present
With the truth of each, He knows their causes and effects. In this life and future lives, He understands the truth. This is the wisdom of the Buddha’s Three Insights. In the state of clear, verifiable wisdom, all are revealed clearly.
Since the Buddha understood the past and completely understood the present, He, of course, thoroughly understood the future as well. His understanding was complete and unobstructed. This was why the Buddha said, “In this life and future lives, I am the knower of truth.” He said this so all would have faith. With regard to all that He had understood about the past, present and future and all the principles He wanted to teach us, He hoped we could have deep faith and understanding. So it says, “With the truth of each….” The Three Understandings are real comprehension.
We need to know the causes and effects, since everything follows the law of karma. Whether in the past, present or future, we need to thoroughly comprehend this. Thus, “He clearly verifies this state of wisdom so that all is revealed clearly.” First, we need to understand the law of karma. So, this was the Buddha’s wisdom of the Three Understandings, His knowledge of the past, present and future. He also very clearly verified for us this state of wisdom.
Next it states, “I am the one with all understanding, the one with all views.”
I am the one who understands all, the one who sees all: Through mind-consciousness, He understands. Through eye-consciousness, He sees. Through investigation, He views. Through awakening, He understands. With correct views, He comprehends completely, and He penetrates the source of the Dharma.
The Buddha again verified that. His mind-consciousness understood all. “The eye-consciousness is views.” So, He is “the one with all understanding, the one with all views.” This was because He saw all things with His eyes, and anything He saw with His eyes, He comprehended with His mind. Thus, He used His eyes to investigate and understand the principles. “Awakening is understanding. With correct views, He comprehends completely, and He penetrates the source of the Dharma.” So, this is not only [talking about] our physical eyes, but about our perspective. What the eyes come in contact with externally, the mind-consciousness realizes internally; this is our perspective. The Buddha could understand a thing just by looking at it. This was why the Buddha was the one with all understanding and the one with all views. For all things, He penetrated the source of the Dharma. This was the Buddha’s understanding and views.
I am the one who understands all: This is the Buddha’s ultimate wisdom, which resonates with the true principles of all things. His relative wisdom is the conventional wisdom which comprehends all matters and appearances.
So, “the one with all understanding” means the Buddha had “ultimate wisdom.” Since the Buddha was replete with ultimate wisdom, “His wisdom resonated with the true principles of all things.” What about “His relative wisdom”? This is “the conventional wisdom which comprehends all matters and appearances”
“Ultimate wisdom refers to how all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas use their wisdom of truth to see through the principles of reality. It is wondrously profound, tranquil and still, neither increasing nor decreasing.” This is called “ultimate wisdom.”
In this state, the wisdom-life of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is already pure and undefiled. So, when it comes to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, all things neither increase nor decrease, for they are not concerned with loss or gain. Because their spiritual state is tranquil, the true principles of all things in the world are integrated into their ocean of enlightenment. This is “ultimate wisdom.”
Relative wisdom: This is the wisdom that allows the Buddha to know all worldly and world-transcending Dharma and teach it according to relative capacities. Thus it is called relative wisdom and is also called acquired wisdom.
What about “relative wisdom”? This refers to the principles of the mundane world. As for the afflictions of ordinary people, the Buddha needed to comprehend them one by one. The Buddha, in His wisdom, thoroughly understood the ignorant mindsets of myriad sentient beings. This was the Buddha’s “relative wisdom.” He could gauge sentient beings’ capabilities. He knew what kind of Dharma they needed and sought. The Buddha had to truly understand this. This was His “relative wisdom” ․Relative wisdom: This is the wisdom that allows the Buddha to know all worldly and world-transcending Dharma and teach it according to relative capacities. Thus it is called relative wisdom and is also called acquired wisdom. This wisdom enables knowledge of all Dharma, whether worldly or world-transcending, and the Buddha was replete with it. So, He repeatedly returns to the world, “teaching it according to relative capacities.” This was His “relative wisdom,” also called “acquired wisdom.”
Next, it states, “the one who knows the Path, the one who opens up the Path and the one who teaches the Path.”
The one who knows the Path, the one who opens the Path and the one who teaches the Path: He knows well all paths and the phenomena which open or obstruct them. He is the one who knows the True Path, the one who can skillfully open and reveal it and the one who can, for all sentient beings, teach the supreme path.
This means that. “He knows well all the phenomena which open up or obstruct the path.” He is the one who knows the true path, who can skillfully open and reveal it, who can teach sentient beings the supreme path.
This world is the evil world of Five Turbidities, and there are many obstructions. The Buddha is the one who can open and reveal for us how to take action. He is “the one who can, for all sentient beings, teach the supreme path.” This explains that the Buddha is “the one who knows the Path, the one who opens up the Path and the one who teaches the Path.”
This Path, this road, is the Buddha’s Middle Way, the truth of the supreme meaning. It does not deviate toward one side or the other, but goes straight down the middle. Clinging neither to existence nor to emptiness, it is found in true emptiness and wondrous existence
The Path: This is the Middle Way of the Buddha, the truth of the supreme meaning. Only the true wisdom of the Buddha is capable of understanding and realizing this.
If we engage in practice and grasp the principles, then feel that the law of karma is frightening and that cyclic existence is immense suffering so we do not dare to return anymore, this is attachment to “existence.” With the existence of the law of karma, we no longer wish to form affinities with other sentient beings. If we are attached to “emptiness,” we strive to enter Nirvana; worldly matters no longer matter to us. The Buddha practiced the Middle Way. Everything is empty, indeed; all is illusory. However, suffering exists in the world. If we do not quickly go among people to earnestly help them understand the law of karma, if there is no one to teach the Path, then sentient beings will be lost and confused, and there will be much suffering. So, the Buddha wanted to again encourage people. Truly repaying the Buddha’s grace means going among people. This is called the supreme meaning; this is the Middle Way.
The afflictions of sentient beings can become obstacles to the Path. Only the Buddha can open up the path to our Dharma-nature, which is equal to His. Sentient beings’ capabilities all differ; only the Buddha can teach them through skillful means.
As we learn the Buddha’s Way, aren’t we learning to be just like Him? “The afflictions of sentient beings can become obstacles to the Path.” The Buddha understood all without obstruction. He had the Three Understandings, but we ordinary people do not have these insights. The afflictions of ordinary sentient beings obstruct so many paths for us. So, only the Buddha could open up the path to our Dharma-nature, which is equal to His. He could open up the path for us and help us understand that we all inherently have Dharma-nature. All of us are equal to the Buddha. This principle is the same for all. It is just that as sentient beings our capabilities are not the same; we are all different. Thus, “Only the Buddha can teach us through skillful means”
Then, “We do not have bias toward emptiness, nor toward existence, nor toward neither emptiness nor existence, nor toward both emptiness and existence. By not falling into either extreme, we are in perfect harmony without obstacles. This is known as the Middle Way.”
This was the way the Buddha taught the Dharma when He came to this world. The Buddha taught “emptiness,” and He spoke of “existence.” It is in between emptiness and existence that the Buddha’s true path lies.
Everyone, as Buddhist practitioners we really need to be well-grounded and put effort into being mindful. “Know the Path; protect the karma of mind against Leaks. Open the Path; protect the karma of body against defilement. Teach the Path; protect the karma of speech against error.” Thus, our “Threefold Karma is guided by wisdom.” So, we must always be mindful.