Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Afflictions Are Like Shackles (煩惱如羈鎖)
In life, many things cause afflictions. However, as Buddhist practitioners, we can reduce these afflictions. Some people keep afflictions in their hearts. Their afflictions are not about the destruction of Nature, or about the suffering of people in the world. Their afflictions revolve around themselves, their romantic relationships or their interactions with others. These are afflictions of love and hate, expectation and resentment, etc. This easily leads to “spiritual typhoons” that wreak havoc in our mind.
We know typhoons arise when weather conditions are unstable and a low pressure system forms. Such a pressure system can’t be seen with our eyes or touched with our hands. When we examine our mindsets and afflictions, we find that they are also formless things that cannot be seen or touched. But when they arise, doesn’t it feel like we are subjected to an imbalanced system of air pressures? They are creating havoc in our minds. Look at the destruction of the land, isn’t that caused by the imbalance of wind, water, fire, etc? This imbalance destroys the land. Isn’t that just like how ignorant thoughts such as greed, anger & delusion destroy the fields of our minds?
Indeed, in Nature, the land provides for and sustains all those living on it. However, humans have caused so much destruction. In the fields of our minds, we had great kindness and compassion equal to the Buddha’s the capacity to care for all things and creatures. But we have destroyed that great compassion and loving-kindness in the fields of our minds. What destroyed that field in the mind? It was affliction. Hence, afflictions are very fearsome.
When afflictions arise, they are akin to an imbalance of air pressure in the world. They will wreak havoc in our minds and destroy the fields of our minds. If we have that self-awareness we can take proper precautions.
The Buddha and the sages who understood the Truth have used numerous methods to teach and guide us. Yet ignorant and deluded sentient beings cannot comprehend those teachings. Thus we keep producing afflictions, which are like enemies. These kinds of enemies are constantly trying to harm us. They can cause fatal damage to our Wisdom-life.
Afflictions can be called our enemies because they can destroy the root of sentient beings’ Wisdom-life.
We learn Buddhism because we hope to nurture our Wisdom-life. Only when wisdom arises can our ignorance be eliminated. But these enemies intend to destroy the roots of our Wisdom-life. This is terrifying! So we must take precautions to prevent afflictions from arising in our minds. “
Afflictions can be called thieves.” They are like thieves and robbers and also like our enemies. Afflictions are like thieves because thieves always want to steal the most valuable things. In our minds, we all inherently have valuable treasures. They are the Four Immeasurables: loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. We are also rich in merits and virtues.
However, if we do not have wisdom, we cannot guard this wealth. Instead, thieves will break in and steal it. In the Lotus Sutra, there is this analogy. We each have a priceless jewel. Though we have this priceless jewel, an object of unlimited value, we have still lived a life of great suffering. We even needed to beg for a living. Then we encounter the person who once placed the jewel on us without our knowledge. When we meet this elder again, he says, “This is odd. Why are you still leading such an impoverished life? I put a priceless jewel (inside your robe). You should sell it. Then you can live a comfortable life.”
When we reach inside and find it, we wonder, “When did I come to have such a priceless jewel?” Do all of you understand this analogy? The Buddha, who fully comprehended the Truth, already told us that are like Him. We possess an abundant wealth of wisdom, but we forgot about it. Therefore we hold on to ignorance and delusion and live as ordinary people. We are constantly entangled in afflictions caused by love, affection, hate and enmity. So we must always take precautions against afflictions, which are like sinister thieves. These robbers enter our minds and steal our inner treasure, which is our wisdom.
Afflictions are like thieves. We must always be on our guard and prevent the treasure in our minds, our wisdom, from being stolen by thieves.
They can “rob sentient beings of all good Dharma.” These kinds of thieves are truly detestable. Ignorance is just the same. It robs us of all the good within us, and causes us to become lost. Evil thoughts can obscure kind thoughts. Evil increases with our audacity. The more evil we do, the more brazen we become and we end up doing things we should not have done. Therefore, we must be very cautious of these afflictions and evil thoughts.
If we cannot prevent the thieves of affliction from stealing all goodness from our minds, we will become lost and deluded. Good thoughts will be obscured by evil. Then evil will increase with our audacity. “Afflictions can be called raging rivers that can carry sentient beings into the sea of suffering and rebirth.”
Our afflictions are like raging rivers. Do you know what a raging river is like? It has large ad fierce currents. In other countries we often see the whole landscape destroyed by heavy rain. Due to climatic imbalance, heavy downpours and torrential rain cause mudslides that wash rocks and soil down mountainsides. What was once a very tranquil, beautiful landscape suddenly becomes folded after the torrential rain.
The waves and currents are tremendous. They sweep away people and buildings. Homes are destroyed in the floods caused by these severe storms. We have seen houses floating in the water, carried along by the tumultuous currents. We have also seen many large trees uprooted and washed away by the floodwaters. The most heartbreaking sight is people struggling in the water. It is so dangerous! Their families call to them and try to grab them, but they are too far away.
When we see footage like this, we can imagine the tremendous destruction to the land and all living creatures caused by the imbalance of the elements. Let us now return to people’s minds. Afflictions are like raging rivers that carry sentient beings into a sea of suffering & rebirth. Because of our afflictions, we end up in the Three Evil Realms of Hell, Hungry Ghosts and Animals. Once we exhaust the karma that brought us there, we return to the Human Realm. If we still have bad habits and are still stubborn and obtuse, we will continue to create bad karma. Even when we return to the Human Realm, many things are out of our control.
We may be born with physical defects or be very stubborn and deluded. We may even be vicious and cruel. It is difficult to explain why our minds react in certain ways. It is like being swept into a turbulent river. We have no control. This is truly frightening. Therefore, afflictions are like raging rivers that “can carry sentient beings into the sea of suffering and rebirth”.
“Afflictions can be called shackles. They can confine us in the prison of rebirth so we cannot break free.”
Everyone, afflictions are like shackles that bind us. They are like chains. Look at criminals serving heavy sentences. People can hear them approach by the sound of their shackles. Sometimes when we volunteer at the hospital, we see police officers posted outside a ward. Then we know what is going on. When we comfort the patient, we can see many chains beside the sickbed. Seeing that, we may think to ourselves, “It is painful enough to be ill. Being confined to this bed is already unspeakable painful.”
Just like the Iron Bed Hell described in the Earth Treasury Sutra, when one is sick, one feels suffocated, as if in an extremely crowded place. With so many chains added to the experience, it is agonizing! This person had committed a serious crime in the Human Realm. So the punishment he received included being chained by visible shackles. Actually, don’t our afflictions do the same? Life itself is full of suffering. Our freedom is already limited. To that we add afflictions like passion, love, etc. and further bind ourselves. The ropes of love, hate, greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt are invisible; they are in our minds. They constantly entangle us. How sad!
Thus, afflictions are like shackles that entangle and bind us so that we cannot break free. They “can confine us in the prison of rebirth.” Indeed! Sentient beings can never transcend the Six Realms because they are bound by these shackles. Therefore, afflictions are like raging rivers. Afflictions are like thieves. Afflictions are like shackles. Afflictions are like enemies.
Everyone, afflictions alone can cause us tremendous suffering and create havoc among people. If we have the right mindset, we will have good thoughts and follow the rules of conduct and propriety. This is intrinsic to us, this is Truth. This is how we remain balanced and calm. It is our normal state of mind. If the mind loses its inner balance and harmony, there will be problems with our mindset. When those problems arise, when we are entangled by love and hate, greed, anger, ignorance & doubt appear. Therefore, all our suffering comes from afflictions and ignorance.
Everyone, we learn Buddhism to eliminate afflictions and ignorance. However, if we miss this opportunity, we will quickly fall into the prison of rebirth. Life is impermanent, so we must seize every moment and reflect on ourselves each day. Now that we are aware, we must immediately get rid of afflictions and ignorance. Hence, it all comes down to the mind. As we learn Buddhism, we must be more self-aware. Therefore, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水).
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