Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: The Nine Ordeals Part8(九惱八)
In spring, nature flourishes with lush grasses and trees; it is a very beautiful state. Our minds should be the same. Just like in springtime, joy arises in the heart. If we are always happy, it feels like spring.
Happiness is having an open mind. If our minds are bound, how can we be happy? The Chinese characters for “happiness” are “open mind.” This means to let our minds be spacious. Opening up brings happiness. Why are we unhappy? Because our minds are bound by something called affliction. If we ask, “What’s the matter? Why so unhappy?” They answer, “I don’t know. I feel like my mind is stifled and suffocated.” There must be a reason why they are unhappy and are all wrapped up with something. Of course, it becomes complicated.
So we must constantly take care of our minds. Hopefully our minds can be peaceful and very harmonious. When we let spring arrive in our minds, naturally our hearts open up and we become happy. We will be filled with Dharma-joy. We must use wisdom to observe everything. Everything has its reason for being. If we can see the truth of things, joy arises in our minds. That is happiness.
If one’s mind can be like the land welcoming the arrival of spring, one is open and joyful. In so doing, one has the clear wisdom to reflect the truth of all things. Thus the mind is naturally filled with Dharma-joy.
However, most people are often tied down by things and afflictions. So they are unhappy and become ignorant. A passage in the text states, “the grasping mind is known as greed.”
The grasping mind is known as greed. When we take pleasure in the Five Sense Objects, greed and attachment give rise to deluded karma. Thus we are bound and unable to be freed. This is called Bond of Greed.
Greed, or grasping, is elicited by external conditions. Sentient beings see pleasures of the Five Sense Objects. Greed arises when things bring us happiness. Why are we happy? Because we like these things. Some cling to the Five Sense Objects: form, sound, smell, taste, touch. Yes, we desire these objects. Everything we see is called form. Between people, from inspires lust, which brings about disaster and a deep desire for things. If there is something that we like, we will strive to have it. We want to obtain what we like. Also we do not want others to have it, so confrontations arise. Major conflicts lead to war between countries, medium ones occur within societies, and minor ones between people. To possess something, we exclude others. This is a terrible mindset.
Most people experience disturbances of the mind. When “greed and attachment arise” due to the Five Sense Objects, naturally “all deluded karma arise.” Delusion means we are not even aware of what we did wrong. Delusion and ignorance are caused by greed, and lead to confusion. This is karma.
When a thought of greed and attachment arises, one loses purity of the mind. One is unaware of one’s mistakes in conduct, speech and thoughts. This is deluded karma.
With a single misstep, we are tied down, unable to be liberated. It is painstaking. In life, a single wrong thought leads us to take happiness in the Five Sense Objects, so we become deluded and confused. As it becomes complicated, we continue to entangle ourselves even more, and cannot be freed. This is the Bond of Greed. Greed ties us down due to thoughts arising from desires. When we see external conditions, thoughts arise uncontrollably. That is how we begin to create karma. This is the state of ordinary people. They are still in a deluded state.
Yet the Buddha also began His cultivation as an ordinary man. Before attaining enlightenment, He was also deluded at times. So the Buddha used the manifestation of His Nine Ordeals to demonstrate, to let us know that difficulties still emerge during spiritual practice. Life after life, whenever we become deluded and create karma, we will carry that karma with us, without knowing when retribution will occur. Thus we must understand the concept of Cause and Effect. We have reached the eighth Ordeal. This is the story of Devadatta dropping a boulder on the Buddha and injuring Him.
The Buddha said that a long time ago in Rajagrha, there was an elder named Sutan whose family was very wealthy. The wealthy elder had two wives. The first wife gave birth to a son named Sumati. The second wife’s son was named Suyasamati. They were brothers. Sutan eventually grew old. Although he was rich, time was unforgiving. When he was about to die, he called the older son to his side, “I am leaving much wealth to you. You are older and should know to cherish your brother. In the future, when you split households, you should divide the wealth fairly.” The he died. The wealth was truly great, and half of it was a large amount. So the older son, Sumati, was reluctant to split it up.
He and Suyasamati seemed to get along well. One day he took him sightseeing at a mountain. The older brother took the younger’s hand; they seemed truly close. They walked up the mountain hand in hand. But when they reached a very high cliff, Sumati pushed Suyasamati off when he wasn’t paying attention. Sumati then also pushed some rocks down to crush him. Of course Suyasamati died after falling and being crushed. At this point, the Buddha paused and said, “Sariputra, did you know the elder was a previous incarnation of my father King Suddhodana? Sumati, the older son of the elder, was I, Sakyamuni. Suyasamati is the present-day Devadatta. Our affinity originated from our past lives, countless eons before, when I pushed him off the cliff. I killed him many Kalpas ago.” That karma meant Devadatta would not let Sakyamuni off for many lifetimes. Life after life, wherever one was reborn, the other was also reborn. In every life, this karmic retribution manifested. Although I have completed my cultivation and attained enlightenment, the karma and retribution remain.”
Then the Buddha spoke of the time He was practicing at Vulture Peak. Vulture Peak was very rugged. One day when the Buddha was walking by, Devadatta suddenly pushed a boulder off the cliff. He aimed at the Buddha’s head. It would have crushed Him, but a mountain god diverted it. As it rolled down, the mountain god pushed it aside and it shattered. But a piece of it had shot into the Buddha’s foot, causing it to bleed. That was a remnant of karma. Fortunately the mountain god was there otherwise the boulder would have rolled down, crushed the Buddha’s head, and ended His life. Fortunately the Buddha was protected.
So the Buddha said, “this is called unexhausted karma.” As Buddhist practitioners, we must be careful. In the “Sutra of Collected Dharma” there is a saying, “Worldly phenomena have many flaws.” There are many flaws in this world. From the Buddha’s past lives, we see that the Human Realm is full of temptations, which cause our minds to be restless. A restless mind easily creates karma. How long do we need to wait? Until we “reach Nirvana and perfect tranquility with infinite merits.”
Nirvana is calm and illuminating, where the mind is absolutely tranquil and has accumulated many merits. The Tathagata had already attained Nirvana while He was still in this world. He kept an impartial mind after attaining Nirvana. The state of Nirvana is not running away or avoiding the external world. No. the Buddha said, “After arraigning Nirvana in this world, one sees everything as equal.” This next phrase is important, “Do not abide in the world or in Nirvana. Be unwavering in benefitting all sentient beings. After He entered Nirvana, He did not say, “I am in perfect tranquility. No one should come and bother me.” That is not Nirvana. He did not think He had to leave this world in order to practice, nor did He have to remain in the world to attain fame and fortune. No. He did not abide in the world or in Nirvana.
So His mind was not attached to anything. He was not tied to a certain place. The Buddha was single-mindedly “unwavering in benefitting all sentient beings.” He would not give up on His vow to benefit all sentient beings. That is tranquil Nirvana. The state of the Buddha is called Perfect Enlightenment. It is simply being unattached to everything. This is the state of Perfect Enlightenment.
Worldly phenomena have many flaws. Nirvana is tranquil with infinite merits. After attaining Nirvana in this world, the Tathagata sees everything as equal. He did not abide in the world or in Nirvana and was unwavering in benefitting all sentient beings. “Sutra of collected Dharma.”
So I hope everyone can face each day with a simple mind. Use good and simple thoughts. With a simple stroke, draw a circle. Isn’t it complete and fulfilling? The mind should not fluctuate. Once the mind is disturbed, it becomes truly messy. This is ignorance and delusion.
Everyone, we must truly be mindful at all times. There is no other way to practice, there is only maintaining pure thoughts. So everyone still be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)