Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: The Importance of External Conditions (環境能造就一切)
Days go by, and every day, we encounter unspeakable suffering in this world. There are so many man-made and natural disasters. When we return to the starting point of our practice, we look around and see how fortunate we are. We must recognize and cherish our blessings. When surrounded by good fortune, we must always create more blessings.
There is a thin line between disaster and fortune. Their Chinese characters also look similar. Sometimes the difference between them is only in our minds. If we can all maintain peaceful, harmonious and loving minds, there will be no man-made disasters. If everyone’s mind is filled with undefiled love, we will truly live in a bright and harmonious world.
Therefore, everything depends on the mind. It is the same with spiritual practice; the focus is on our thoughts. If we do not take good care of our minds, one deviant thought causes ignorance to stir. As we discussed yesterday, even the slightest stirring of ignorance can have disastrous consequences. So the cause and root of our suffering is our thoughts. As we said yesterday, sense organs and objects entice our minds. If we are not thoroughly clear on the Dharma of the Ultimate Reality, then we do not understand that everyone has a pure Buddha-nature. If we truly understand this, external conditions cannot tempt us. Then our minds would be like the sky: no matter what passes through, it leaves no trace.
Thus, we must cultivate our thoughts. Do not think that ordinary people cannot reach the Dharma-realm. To understand the truth of Ultimate Reality, that is, our pure Buddha-nature, we must study it well, so we can protect it well. Do not be tempted by external conditions.
Conditions remain only conditions. It is when our Six Sense Organs connect with external conditions that these conditions can enter our hearts. There is a saying, “We remain pure if we do not see, undefiled if we do not hear.” If we without seeing, and hear without hearing we do not allow our minds to be defiled. We must practice this among other people train our minds to not react to external phenomena. No matter what conditions you create around me, my mind is calm and I will treat you fairly and respectfully.
If we can all do this, no circumstances can tempt our minds. Our minds will only stir if we react to those phenomena. We have said that deluded thoughts surface suddenly because we do not understand the Ultimate Realm of Dharma, our innate Buddha-nature. Thus we cannot control ourselves in the face of external conditions, and delusions will surface. Just a small disturbance causes gusts of wind. I hope everyone will always remember this.
When facing unfavorable circumstances, if we can see without seeing, hear without hearing we develop the skills to face external phenomena without delusions arising in our minds.
Branch Ignorance stems from Root Ignorance, just like a tree that needs a trunk before it can have branches on which leaves grow abundantly. We can see our minds as the tree trunk and the ground. We can cut off causes and conditions, which are like water, where this water is ignorance or ignorant conditions. If we can eliminate them from our minds, the tree of ignorance will wither.
Naturally, new shoots will not grow from its branches, under any circumstances.
It will wither away completely. A tree of ignorance flourishes because the roots’ absorption powers are strong, as is an ignorant mind that absorbs external phenomena and creates more bad karma. So roots support the branches, and the branches need the roots in order to flourish. Therefore, the most important thing is to cut off the roots. Only when we destroy the roots can we prevent the water of ignorance from continually feeding them. Then evil karma will not ripen into retribution.
Ignorance is like a tree; if we cut off the water of ignorance, the tree will naturally wither and bad karma will not manifest.
Next, we will discuss how “from Root Ignorance arises Karmic action.” Our Root Ignorance can lead to an expression of karma. All our karmic actions originate from our minds; no one can see them. Afflictions emerge when sense organs encounter sense objects and we cannot stop ourselves from acting on them. It is said, “No one knows the evil in our mind.” How would anyone see the afflictions in our minds? They only see our actions. When we are happy, we laugh and rejoice. When we are unhappy, our face sags.
No matter if we express happiness or joy, anger or sadness, it starts when our minds encounter external conditions, and we visibly react to them. That is how Root Ignorance engenders karmic actions. With ignorance, it is easy for sense organs to be pulled to and fro by our circumstances. This becomes an endless cycle. Whether or not we are happy is a state of mind. Our actions reveal our thoughts. From our behavior, we again get entangled with external conditions. The appearances of karma, views, and the world are the afflictions resulting from our sense organs, minds and sense objects. They are subtle, and independent. How are our eyes related to our environment? They are not. If they are unrelated, then how do they get entangled? Through the creation of our minds. Therefore, it is truly amazing.
Therefore, it is truly amazing. When human psychology, physiology, physics, etc. come together, these very subtle things become Branch Ignorance.
Ignorance id created by the combination of the three subtle factors of psychology, physiology, physics.
The name and appearance of affliction is simple. The problem lies in how our minds interact with external conditions. They say to catch a band of thieves, you must first catch the leader. If we can find the source of the problem, then it is easy to fix. That is why we must know our own minds.
So, I often tell people to self-reflect. We must often examine our own minds to see if they are calm, to see whether they will prevent our sense organs from reacting to sense objects. Is our understanding informed only be knowledge or also by wisdom? Let us talk about knowledge. When we refer to intellectuals, we are actually saying they are knowledgeable. To know is to see with the eyes and understand. What do we understand? When we see a tree, how do we know it is a tree, and not a blade of grass? Grass grows from the soil and is small and flexible.
That is knowledge. To understand, we observe and recognize that the bigger ones are called trees, and the ones covering the ground are called grass. We can differentiate various types of grasses and weeds. We can also distinguish specific trees. They ability to differentiate is knowledge.
Wisdom is not just about distinguishing between things in our environment, but also to have a complete, open and clear understanding that is undefiled. That is true wisdom. Prajna is even more important.
If we have wisdom and Prajna, we can then reflect on our own nature. We do so to know the true nature of the Dharma-realm, that our innate nature is pure. Therefore, it is most important to have wisdom. If we lack wisdom, much ignorance will arise. Now we speak of the fifth Grounding State, where ignorance abides. It is also called Root Ignorance.
The Five Grounding States, Delusions form Mistaken Views. Cravings in the Formless Realm. Ignorance.
What do the first four. Grounding States talk about? They concern illusions born of our views and thoughts. That is all ignorance. The first four are Branch Ignorance.
Simply put, the Four Grounding States are afflictions in the Three Realms; the Desire-, Form-, and Formless Realms.
First is Deluded Views of All Phenomena; all the delusional views in the Three Realms. All delusional views, which are our opinions and perceptions, pervade the Three Realms. Our usual understanding and thinking is extensive and encompasses a large number of things. This is the first Grounding State.
The second is Cravings in the Desire Realm. Our desires constantly give rise to delusions. As we have just discussed, this is also based on our perceptions. When desire surfaces, we become perplexed and confused. Once these desires arise in our minds, all of our thoughts and thinking become more intense. The Chinese words "thought" and "thinking" are formed by two characters. "Thinking" is composed of "appearance" and "mind." "Thought" is composed of "field" and "mind." Fields need to be cultivated. So when we encounter external conditions, our minds will continuously create and produce ignorance. Thus they're called Delusional Thoughts.
Third is Cravings in the Form Realm; all the Delusional Thoughts in the Form-Realm.
The Form Realm can be everything that we can see, whether it is a grain of sand or a speck of dust. Everything we can see can cause thoughts of affliction to arise. Everything in our environment, all that we can see or touch can cause afflictions in our minds. Those are all Delusional Thoughts. Fourth is Cravings in the Formless Realm, which are all the Delusional Thoughts there. We just talked about what we can see, now these are things we cannot see, but they still delude us. We often stay in one place while our minds wander afar. Although we own this thing, we are already thinking about getting something better. Wouldn't that be nice? We want something good, but soon we want something better. That is why we sentient beings have endless afflictions, with no limits. Thus, we are constantly trapped in the boundless Sea of Suffering. All that we suffer in life is caused by ignorance. As I have mentioned before, these Four Grounding States combine with ignorance to become the Five Grounding States.
Everyone, where do all these afflictions come from? They all originate from our minds. Thus, there is a saying, "Human beings are born with no evil." Everyone is born without evil. In the Ultimate Realm of Dharma, everyone is born pure. But we defile ourselves, when we habitually approach evil, the knowledge we gain creates evil. We acclimate to it. Thus, "All people are born with good nature" but change as they learn. So we see and learn a lot. If we gradually approach evil, then we will end up planting evil roots. If we draw near evil or laziness, we become degenerate. We must stay close to diligent people. If we are near them, we will become diligent. If we near lazy people, we become degenerate and lazy. This is habitual influence from the environment.
The environment can determine everything. If we remain close to diligent people, we will walk on the path of diligence. If we befriend lazy people, our minds will become lazy and degenerate. This is habitual influence.
Thus, if we are habitually influenced by evil, we will plant roots of ignorance, and we will always be in the dark. It is up to us to decide if our minds are in darkness or light.
We should treasure our circumstances, and cherish our blessings. Only then can we create more blessings for ourselves and for others.
Everyone, please always be mindful and watch over your minds. We must clearly see sense organs and objects, keep them apart, and not allow objects to enter our minds. Please take good care of your Wisdom-life.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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