Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Reap Everything You Sow (分分己力 分分已獲)
In the past few days we talked about views. Of the Five Views, we spoke of View of Self, Extreme View and Perverse View.
Yesterday we ended with Perverse View. Perverse means deviating from righteousness. The Eightfold Path also includes Right View. If our view is not right the way we deal with everything in our daily living will also be improper and will deviate. Therefore, our view must not stray even slightly. Deviance leads to evil, so we must be very careful.
Next is Stubborn View. It is similar to the others. With Stubborn View, we are attached to the Five Views and believe that the View of Self, Extreme View and Perverse View are all correct. We believe that they are true. We insist on our way. Others tell us not to have View of Self. But we say that physical actions are done by the self. We are attached to the Extreme View of Nihilism or Externalism. When others tell us that we are wrong, we defend ourselves and cling to our own views.
We even have Perverse View. When others say that we are deviating, that something is wrong, and ask if we can change a little bit, we may still be adamant that we are right and it is others who should change. We all share that view at times.
When we cling to our own ways and ignore others advice, it is called Stubborn View. And if one clings to these first three Views, it is Stubborn View.
Clinging to the View of Self, Extreme View, and Perverse View, and insisting that these three are right views is Stubborn View.
If we want to engage in spiritual practice, we must do so with diligence. We hear the striking of the wooden board at 3am. Following the rules of the monastery, upon hearing the sounds of the bell and drum; we must get up and prepare to go to the Buddha Hall. That is the monastic rule.
But when you hear the sounds, you continue sleeping thinking, “If I don’t go to practice, it’s my business. It doesn’t concern you. Why are you bothering me?” You still want to sleep. Rules and unity are for others, and have nothing to do with you. Is that correct? No, it is not.
When told of you mistakes, you won’t change. You just do as you please, and refuse to change. This is a bad habit. In this context, it is called Stubborn View. People cling to what they should not and insist on their own way. Such people are quite pitiable.
When possible, we should try our best to encourage, lead and teach them. During Buddha’s time there were also lazy and dissolute Bhiksus. Before the Buddha entered Nirvana, Ananda asked Him, “Even with you here, there are still many lazy individuals in the Sangha who don’t abide by the rules and precepts. In the future, when you are no longer with us, how can we teach such people in our assembly?”
The Buddha said, “Ananda, you should be a compassionate leader, encourage and teach them with your heart. If you are successful, you should be joyous because these individuals helped themselves and could be saved. We should be happy for them. If they do not listen, you should just let it be, and let them go.”
Indeed, after all efforts, if they still refuse to change, we can only let them go. Everyone, if our behavior reaches the point that others have nothing more to say to us and let us be, then it is very sad.
Sometimes we hear people say, “That person wouldn’t listen to anyone’s advice.” Then others say, “We have tried our best, just let him be.” The phrase “let him be” expresses the helplessness felt to ward that individual. Therefore, we should cherish ourselves and have self-respect. This is repaying kindness of our parents and all beings. We should be grateful that the Four Elements of our bodies are in balance to give us health and a clear mind with which to practice.
We should be grateful every day. Being grateful means repaying what we received. Then we are worthy of this body and this life. We should also appreciate all sentient beings, who enabled us to have clothes to wear, food to eat, houses to live in, and a good environment. We must be grateful for the efforts of so many people. So we must be thankful to all beings.
Then as practitioners, we should also be grateful for the Three Treasures. Buddha- Dharma can resolve many afflictions in our minds by giving us the solutions to dispel and eliminate them. It instructs us how to walk the path before us so that it becomes spacious and smooth. Therefore, we should cherish the Three Treasures. Be grateful to the Buddha, to our teachers, and to the Sangha who live among us.
Only with the Sangha can we learn proper Dharma. We should also thank others for encouraging us and helping us move forward. If we cannot be grateful, it means that we have no self-respect. This is because when we are not grateful we will just do as we please. Thus, we have no self-respect and also cannot receive proper teachings. View of Self, Extreme View, and Perverse View lead to Stubborn View, which is doing as one pleases and clinging to one’s views.
Not knowing to be grateful, clinging to one’s own ways, and refusing proper teachings are the signs of lack of self-respect.
Next is View of Deviant Precepts. Because we started our spiritual cultivation, we must do so by our own will; we must take action and be diligent. We must do so by our own will; being passive does not work. To take action means to be active. Since we have made up our minds and resolved to do so, we must take action in our conduct. We must uphold proper precepts, and not follow deviant precepts.
Deviation is a form of clinging. Instead of following the right teachings, we cling to the wrong ones and mistake them as right. We stubbornly cling to what is wrong. Some people cling to the practice of “cow precepts” or “dog precepts.” They believe that we should live like cows. Since cows eat grass they practice by eating grass, too. It isn’t only spiritual practitioners.
It is now a popular trend to eat raw food. People enjoy eating raw food; they call this natural therapy. They don’t eat anything except uncooked leafy greens and salads. Is this right or wrong? It is true that greens are edible. However this is extreme attachment. If they do not eat anything else, we hear that their health will be affected. This also taking Deviant Precepts.
While sitting in meditation, someone, someone saw a dog ascending to heaven upon its death. Then rumor spread that if one practiced. Living like a dog, one would also go to heaven. So some practiced the “dog precepts.” What are the dog precepts? Dogs eat filthy things. We see dogs and cats licking their own excrement and sometimes swallowing it. Some people may follow this practice. This is incomprehensible.
There are Six Realms. If someone accumulated blessings in the past but also violated precepts, he or she would be born in the Animal Realm for breaking precepts. When the negative karma has been exhausted, he or she will attain birth in the Heaven Realm. Thus the Law of Cause and Effect is very clear, whether we receive it sooner or later. Bad cause, bad effect good cause, good effect.
After receiving this karma effect, there is still our other karma. It is like a convict being jailed for his criminal acts. After serving time, if his family circumstances are good, he can still go home and enjoy life. The meaning is the same. Thus, a practitioner may say that during meditation he saw a dog ascending to heaven upon death, and then start to hold dog precepts. That is wrong.
If we believe in cause and effect, and know right from wrong, we will know that when good causes are stronger, the effects come first. After blessings are exhausted, residual karmic effects manifest and one may fall into the Three Evil Paths of Hell, Hungry Ghost, or Animal. When heavenly blessings are exhausted, we still fall.
If our evil deeds are stronger, we are born in the Three Evil Paths first, whether Hell, Hunger Ghost, or Animal, but our merits remain. Once the bad karma is exhausted, we go to heaven. That is all very clear. Good or bad, sufferings or blessings, we reap what we sow. We accumulate merits by doing good deeds, but if we do not cultivate virtue, we make mistakes easily. Making mistakes is doing bad deeds. These bad acts cannot be offset by doing good. It is impossible. Good and bad are quite distinct.
So we suffer the effects of our own doings.
The Law of Cause and Effect is quite clear. Wrongdoings or blessings, we accumulate karma and bear the consequences ourselves.
Without that understanding, a person is without proper view and has View of Deviant Precepts. Then he follows deviant precepts and holds fast to them. Some people say that spiritual practice in Buddha's time required wearing cast-off rags. During Buddha's time, monastic practitioners didn't work for money, but they still needed clothes. They would use people's discarded clothes, Nowadays, it is called recycling.
Sometimes these discarded garments might be torn, so they would cut a piece of cloth to patch them. So monastic clothing is referred to as "robe made of patches". As the robes received more wear and tear, the monks kept patching them up. Spiritual practitioners do not wear colorful garments. It's fine to wear used clothes if they are clean. Holes can be patched. That is why it is called a robe made of patches. Recycled clothing was called cast-off rags.
But in today's world, it is not the same. But some people still cling to the old ways. A few years ago, I saw a monastic person who purposely sewed patches on his new robe. There were so many, which made the robe very bulky. I felt sad seeing this. Spiritual practice has to conform to the times, yet we should maintain its integrity. Thus, our robes are only either gray or black, not red, green or other colors with the exception of the patriarch's robe. Our lifestyle should be very simple, but it is unnecessary to purposely look unkempt and patch a whole robe. However, some people behave like this. It is called View of Deviant Precepts, obstinately clinging to one's views.
Some insist on fasting after noon. Circumstances in the Buddha's time were different, especially not being able to eat after noon. When people who observe this rule come here, they create a rush to eat before a certain hour. It is also inconvenient when travelling. Why can't we adapt to conditions?
In fact, when it is noon in Taiwan it is midnight in the United States. There are many other examples. These days we must adapt to the situation. However, we should retain our basic qualities. We must observe the integrity of our life. In other situations as well, we should have a mindset of being allowing and accommodating while remaining unmoving. So we should not hold wrong precepts. Otherwise it becomes View of Deviant Precepts.
Taking the wrong precepts and rules to be correct and observing them diligently is View of Deviant Precepts.
We willfully cling to wrong precepts, while not following monastic precepts or societal rules. Abiding by cow precepts or dog precepts, etc., is wrong. These are not the causes of being born in Heaven. This is incorrect cause and effect, as I have mentioned previously. Can a dog be born in heaven? Yes, when it exhausts its karma of being a dog, and has remaining good karma or blessings. Can a deity be born as a dog? Yes, when he exhausts his blessings, he'll suffer retributions in the Three Evil Paths.
We should hold this view, which is the proper view of cause and effect. Therefore, we should be mindful. If we are not mindful, we easily take the wrong path. A minute deviation causes a great divergence. We must constantly safeguard our minds from the external environment. We must have an unwavering mind and resolve to uphold the missions and follow the path. In doing so, the path will be very spacious. By walking the path properly, we do not deviate.
Therefore, please remember these Five Views. After hearing my daily talk, when you resume your everyday life, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水).
首頁 
