Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Realize the Teachings through Action (受教實行得自在)
Peaceful days always bring a sense of bliss and happiness. Being safe is such a blessing. How do we stay safe and peaceful? By disciplining our minds.
Fluctuating thoughts create a typhoon in our minds. Our minds will constantly be filled with wind and rain. All this chaos exists in our minds and begets ignorance and afflictions.
The Four Bonds may cause all wrongdoings. The Four Bonds: Bond of Greed, Bond of Anger, Bond of Precept, Bond of Egoism.
Due to our greed, our minds are constantly afflicted. We can never have enough in this world. Unsatisfied desires cause afflictions, but even when things go smoothly, we still delude ourselves. Unsatisfied desires also lead to anger, or ill temperament. When affairs, things, or people around us, do not strictly adhere to our wishes, we will likewise be vexed, this affliction comes from anger.
This same anger and ill-temperament will also bind us. There is a saying about anger: an angry person has “a mad and burning mind.” Being angry is like going insane. The moment we get angry, we lash out at everyone. It doesn’t matter who is front of us; we just vent in anger. After it is over, we know we were wrong and wonder why we have such a bad temper. Despite that, our minds are still bound. We feel embarrassed at seeing the other person.
Some people are braver and will say, “I am sorry. I lost control because I was angry.” Courageous people will admit their wrongs. Others who are not as brave feel sorry, but are still bound. Foolish people, after getting angry, will still argue that reason is on their side. In their minds, they will always believe someone else made them angry that the other person is at fault, not them. This type of affliction, this anger, will bind our minds and cause unspeakable suffering.
When ignorance and afflictions flourish, we become foolish. Foolish people are easily bound by greed and anger. Thus, we cannot be liberated and will experience unspeakable suffering.
Therefore, we need to practice. Since ancient times, when the Buddha was still living, there have been many religions in India. Each had its own way of spiritual practice including the group led by the Buddha. As for practice, each had its own methods and precept. At that time, many different groups were engaged in different practices. For example, the Brahmans alone had many different practices. Some focused on fire, some on water, some on eating, etc., all forms of strange practices.
Of course, Buddha’s group also had precepts. But since everyone had different aptitudes, the Buddha used different teachings accordingly. But some were so stubborn that they thought, “The Buddha said this, so my practice is correct.” Others also claimed the same, and felt only their way of practice was correct. What they did not understand was that in order to teach a myriad of people, all with different afflictions and aptitudes, the Buddha used many different methods.
We can see this in the Lotus Sutra. The Buddha said that for the first 42 years, he taught with Skillful Means. Then he finally taught the “truth without Skillful Means.” Form this, we can know the Buddha’s compassion. To ensure that all beings could use the Dharma to change their various habitual tendencies, the Buddha prescribed different methods, for different illnesses. Yet sentient beings are foolish. They cling to a teaching once they learn it.
This is the Bond of Precept. Are we practicing correctly? We all feel that our ways are correct. The Four Dhyanas, or Four Formless Realms, are not equivalent to Nirvana. But some feel that the Four Dhyanas is the ultimate goal of cultivation and is perfect enlightenment.
But it is still not the ultimate. “Practicing with the wrong assumptions leads to delusions of Nirvana”. They see “non-cause” as the cause, “non-effect” as the effect, so they think their practice will yield the ultimate fruit.
But that is not so. What is truly the ultimate? It is the state of Buddhahood. The Buddha eternally abides in Saha. He repeatedly returned to this mundane world to relieve all sentient beings from suffering, but his pure Buddha-nature was absolutely never diminished. This love for all sentient beings is the same in every Buddha, like the parable of the burning house in the Lotus Sutra. Each Buddha is like a father. The world is like a burning house, all living beings are his children. So when he sees that the house is on fire, he uses Skillful Means to lure his children out.
Therefore, the ultimate is attaining Buddhahood. But ordinary people suffer because they mistakenly cling to “non-cause” as cause, “non-effect” as effect. In short, as ordinary people we should dutifully do our part. We should not allow our thoughts and behavior to go astray. The main principle of the Buddha’s teaching is to do all good and refrain from all evil.
This is possible if we all fulfill our basic duties, play our roles as all Buddhists should. So do not cling to the idea, “my way leads to the best results, but yours is wrong.” It is not like this. We must practice the Buddha’s teaching accordingly.
Practice the Buddha’s teachings accordingly. If we are attached to thinking that our practice is correct while others’ is not, then we are bound by Precept.
After the Bond of Precept, comes the Bond of Egoism. Our minds often focus on others, and not on ourselves. We do not know what to do, but we are constantly thinking and calculating, and, at times, troubling ourselves. These complications are vexing and are another type of bond.
Do you remember that we have discussed Egoism in the past? When we encounter a problem, we do not self-reflect and calmly contemplate it. Instead, we are often deluded by external conditions. So we should adjust our thoughts properly.
Our minds are easily influenced by external conditions. If we cannot calmly contemplate, and we cling to personal biases, we are bound by Egoism.
Sometimes, even thought we may be inferior to others, we still believe that we are on par with them. Such a state of mind, regardless of its validity, lacks proper self-reflection. It is purely based on our own thinking.
There was a case in the Sutra that illustrated this point. A man was very pleased with his wife. He thought she was very elegant and refined. However, as he looked closely, he found a flaw: her nose was unattractive. He saw other women who had beautiful noses. So he thought my wife’s nose is unappealing, other women’s are beautiful, so if I replaced my wife’s nose with that of another, then I would be very satisfied.
Thus, he really cut off another woman’s nose, came home and told his wife to come out quickly. Before she realized what was happening, he lifted his knife and cut off her nose, and tried to affix the new one. So the wife screamed in pain. Unfortunately, this happened in the ancient times. Nowadays, if the nose is injured or detached, if we rush to the hospital plastic surgeons can fix it, restore it. However, back then, once it was cut off, the nose was gone. Even if he could attach another nose on his wife's face, would that make her more beautiful? Natural beauty is most appealing. Holding false, illusory thoughts is wrong.
Today we still see people like him. When they see how well others are practicing, how others are praised, supported and respected, they think they are the same. So they feel they themselves should be respected and admired as well. So they continue to brag about what they can accomplish, and heap praise on themselves. Is this a display of inner virtues? If one possesses inner virtues, one will be respected by others for one's actions. If one lacks inner virtues, one's actions will be unnatural, and it will be impossible to obtain the respect of others.
Therefore, when, with Egoism, we see others, we want to be better than them. Whatever the external conditions are, those are the conditions we want. It takes some time for us to learn, to uphold precepts and practice. This is the process of cultivation. If we are unwilling to learn, how can we uphold precepts? If we cannot practice internally, how can we expect to act properly?
I often speak of merits and virtues. Inwardly, being humble is meritorious. Outwardly, being accommodating is virtuous. If we do not thoroughly eliminate afflictions from our minds, and if we do not overcome our ignorance, we will be controlled by external conditions. Whatever conditions arise, our minds rise and fall with them, and we cannot get along with people. If our minds are not well-cultivated, our actions will not be respected, and it will be impossible for us to be on par with others. We are still very far from the Buddha's state, so we have not reached the ultimate. We are still in the mundane world, far from even the first stage of attainment. We have just resolved to practice, so we should be humble and disciplined.
I often speak of vigilance and humility. We should not desire external states, or get angry. If we desire, we will be bound by greed. If we get angry, we will be bound by anger. If we believe that we uphold our precepts well, then we will be bound by the belief that whatever we uphold is proper. If we are bound, or continuously compare ourselves or believe we are on par with others, this is arrogant and conceited, and wrong. So when learning Buddhism, it is most important to be disciplined and humble, so we will not be bound by afflictions.
If we are constantly disciplined and humble, willing to learn, uphold precepts, and practice, then we will not be controlled by external conditions, or bound by greed, anger, precepts, or egoism. Thus, we can be liberated and at ease.
Everyone, lay and monastic people are the same. If we can refine and humble ourselves, then we are making an effort to practice. Thus, inwardly being humble is meritorious. If we are well-cultivated internally, it will show through our actions, in how we respond to people and matters. This is virtuous.
I often mention this saying, "If we perfect our affairs and relationships, our principles is perfect." If we cannot exist in harmony with others, how can we accomplish anything? If affairs or relationships are unsatisfactory, then we are not acting based on principles. Therefore, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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