20210624 知因識果守口欲Curbing Our Desires and Respecting All Life
We live under the same sky and on the same land, and the COVID-19 virus has spread over the world. We must protect one another against it. (We must also protect all animals.) For that, the most important thing is to curb our desire for meat. Only to satisfy our desire for the transient taste of meat, we humans have consumed countless animals. A piece of meat means an animal killed, and the way animals are killed for food shows how cruel humans are.
See, the livestock could've otherwise lived in natural habitats. Yet, people lock them up in tiny spaces and keep stuffing them with feed. They are unable to escape from confinement. They have no freedom and are helpless. What's worse, they eventually get killed. Due to their bad karma, they were born in the animal realm and are overpowered by humans. They end up (being killed,) hung upside down, chopped into pieces, and fried in hot oil or cooked in boiling water.
While enjoying their meals, many people like to eat pieces of meat one after another. Now, we should urge everyone to awaken and refrain from eating meat. Where are COVID specimens collected from? Mouth and nose. We crave the smell of meat and eat it through our mouths, and now, COVID specimens have to be collected from our noses and mouths.
To enjoy fresh air, we must make the environment cleaner. We must live in harmony with animals by respecting them. Every living being carries germs, good or bad. Even healthy people have good germs in them. When we live in harmony with animals, we will not come in contact with bad germs they carry. This is how we can stay safe and well.
The pandemic has taught us crucial lessons. At a time like this, we must calm down and listen to expert's advice. Let us calm our minds and curb our desires instead of letting them run wild. Let us stop to think about ourselves. Over these few days, I've often mentioned that the Chinese character for "think" consists of two parts. The upper part means "field" while the lower part means "mind." We must think and contemplated deeply. Please be mindful because we can benefit ourselves by doing so.
We must harbor a calm and still mind and reflect on whether today we've done good things or we've done things that make us regret. This is how we guard our minds at all times. We must calm our minds, work to protect Mother Nature, and be grateful to her for providing us with abundant resources and sustaining our lives. When Nature's elements are in balance and when natural resources are in an equal distribution, we can all be safe and well and this world will be very beautiful.
The four seasons alternate, displaying beauty, goodness, and truth. Where else can we find "truth"? In people's pure, true nature. All beings, including us humans and animals, and all matter are empty in nature. They exist only when causes and conditions come together. This is the reality of true emptiness and wondrous existence. If we analyze the nature of emptiness and wondrous existence with wisdom, we will find this world very interesting.
Everyone, please remember to guard our minds. We should no longer kill animals. This is how we can clearly separate ourselves from the realm of animals. If we do not kill animals and create bad karma, in our future lives. In all, we must all value the Dharma highly. Many activities are cancelled due to the pandemic. We can cultivate a calm and still mind, contemplate the Dharma, and listen to Dharma talks more often.
You can listen to my Dharma talks again through cassette tapes and videos. All the relevant content can be found online too. With just a few taps on your mobile devices, you can read, hear or watch my Dharma talks. These can serve to remind us and guide us to take each step firmly on the path of goodness.
We must seize opportunities to do good. Otherwise, day after day, we may give rise to afflictions and create bad karma instead of doing good. In all, we must all guard ourselves at all times.
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