Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: The Nine Bonds (九結)
As spiritual practitioners, we must always take good care of our minds. With clear minds, we can clearly see the Way. If our minds are unclear, the path to spiritual cultivation is blurred. So we should always try to maintain a pure mind.
In the Sutra of Collected Dharma, the Buddha said something similar about wisdom. He said, “Good people, sentient beings with distorted wisdom are constantly defiled by afflictions.” Let’s look at the meaning of this passage. Each of us has innate wisdom, but afflictions arise when we are confused. Afflictions distort our wisdom. What happens when wisdom is distorted? Our pure wisdom is then defiled by afflictions. These defilements cover our wisdom so it is concealed in the same way that it is obscured by ignorance. It is like grime sticking to a clear mirror. Thus defilement and attachment begin.
The Buddha once said, “I can help transform sentient beings. As the past Tathagatas, through vows and actions, accommodated all capacities, habits and beliefs, I am non-discriminating among all actions.”
The Buddha worked very hard, because after sentient beings’ wisdom was defiled by ignorance, they became confused and got lost in their path of life. The Buddha came to the Human Realm for them. He said, “Transformation is possible.” He was confident that He could transform them. Why did the Buddha have such confidence? Because He believed that each person has an innate Buddha-nature and wisdom equal to His own.
Since it is intrinsic to their being, He was confident He could transform them. That was His vow, and the vow of all Tathagatas, hence He said, “the vows and actions of past Tathagatas.” If every Buddha had not vowed to transform sentient beings, they could not have attained enlightenment. The Buddha practiced in order to transform sentient beings, and His practice led to Buddhahood. Buddha attained enlightenment for the sake of sentient beings. He worked hard to transform them. He practiced to reach the state of Buddhahood, so that He could expound the Truth and forge a Path for them. Those were the Buddha’s vows and actions.
His vow was so great that He could accommodate all sentient beings. Sentient beings have a mess of afflictions. There are so many individuals, each with a different affliction. Collectively, there are 84,000 afflictions. When sentient beings yield to desires, they create different types of karma, so the Buddha adapted teachings to different capacities, habits, beliefs. Sentient beings already have habits, which are natures that develop over time, not their original Tathagata-nature. Their natures are developed over many lifetimes, or are influenced by things in their environments. So roots and natures are developed.
Roots refer to the five senses: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body. Our habits become our nature. Because we have the habits of ordinary people, our thoughts are influenced by external conditions. Some people practice folk religions. When people in rural areas get sick, they ask spirits and cast lots to find a benefactor, of a doctor. Some cast lots, some ask spirits. They say the spirits guided them. They would rather believe in the existence of those goods than not, and sometimes a coincidence may reinforce their belief. This is the mind following a belief. When a belief is defined by the five senses and external conditions, it becomes blurred. But these are our habits, so the Buddha had to transform people one by one. When the Buddha lived among the people, He did not discriminate between them based on capacities, natures, or beliefs.
“Among all actions” refers to all karmas, capacities, natures, beliefs, etc. We each have our own thoughts, actions, and karma, so the Buddha was very compassionate and treated everyone equally. We often say we should broaden our minds to encompass the universe. We should embrace everyone regardless of nationality, ethnicity or religion. As Buddhist practitioners, we must emulate the vast capacity of the Buddha’s mind. Thus, we should always take care of our minds and maintain right intentions, so that we do not go astray. There are so many sentient beings, all with different habits. Distorting a single wise thought can afflict our minds and bring unspeakable suffering.
Buddhist practitioners should emulate the vast capacity of the Buddha’s mind. We should not discriminate among all actions, and always take good care of our minds, so that they are not defiled.
Earlier we spoke of the Nine Ordeals. All sentient beings are born with the burden of karma, which continues to accumulate. We suffer and are worn down from karma’s effects in life after life. This applies to all ordinary people. The Buddha said the accumulation of karma over multiple lifetimes, and the entanglement of retribution not only affect ordinary people, but Buddhas as well. Karma follows us. When causes and conditions converge, even the Buddha experienced retributions. Those were the Nine Ordeals.
Next we will discuss how afflictions are formed. We will discuss this in depth. Besides the Nine Ordeals, there are the Nine Bonds. The Nine Bonds: Craving, Anger, Arrogance, Ignorance, View, Grasping, Doubt, Jealousy, Stinginess. An “ordeal” is just an effect. The Bond is actually the cause. Why are there cycles of hatred and retaliation? Because our minds are bound.
Everything was originally simple, like one simple circular stroke, a perfect circle. If we could view the galaxy, and look at the planets from space, we would see that everything is round. The Earth, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and so on are all round. It is this simple. The whole universe is organized in the ways of roundness.
Let’s consider humans. Each mind is like a universe. Thus, “The mind should encompass the universe.” The mind is a microcosm, the universe, a macrocosm. Each of us is a universe unto ourselves. A small microcosm resides in the mind. So if the mind remains simple, if it is “round”, or harmonious, then our relationships and conduct will be harmonious, and our mind will be in harmony with principles. If we allow simple things to become complicated, then the results will be complicated and chaotic. They become a tangled mess. It is not only tangled, it will influence everything around. The mind can be truly frightening.
If our mind is unbalanced, we will experience a spiritual breakdown. As long as we keep things simple and do not think ourselves into a dead end, people and matters will naturally be perfect. Extreme mental agitation will cause a spiritual breakdown.
So we seek simplicity. If complications arise, the Nine Bonds are created. Simply said, the nine types of bonds entangle us and cannot be undone. They are another term for afflictions, so Bonds are afflictions.
What are the nine types? They are Craving, Anger, Arrogance, Ignorance, View, Grasping, Doubt, Jealousy, and Stinginess. These nine Bonds tie us down, causing us to suffer.
Thus, the Buddha said, “Sentient beings create all karma from delusions.” Ignorance and afflictions are delusions. Bonds are afflictions, afflictions are delusions, delusions create confusion. All these things can make us confused and lost. If we are deluded, if our minds are a mess, everything becomes a conflict. If our minds are clear, we can settle all conflicts as they arise. Then our lives are stable. However, we must clearly understand the conflicts. We cannot allow our minds to become entrenched in opposition.
A single biased view can give rise to afflictions and delusions. Our dislikes turn into resentment, and then into jealousy. Thus, the Nine Bonds continue to generate endless entanglements. A single deluded thought easily creates issues about even simple matters or relationships. This then causes hatred and resentment. It is exhausting. We create much karma because of delusion. Hence, “create all karma.” Karma will keep arising.
Sometimes we think, “Strange… it didn’t seem like anything, so why did this happen? It’s strange how relationships develop.” Why would a clear and pure mind purposely allow itself to become contaminated? Even onlookers cannot comprehend it. It is quite strange! What is causing all this? The Bonds. The Bonds not only delude the person involved, but others as well. Whatever we think, the same will happen and our minds will be clouded, like trying to see flowers through a thick fog.
So we should know that “Delusions arise from our thoughts. Sentient beings suffer from delusions. This is how afflictions cause delusions to arise. People who slander, envy, hate or resent are suffering as well. If they were not, they would not feel resentful nor would they feel hateful or jealous. They would not have a heart of retaliation. This is very painful. These Bonds tie us down so we “cannot escape the cycle of the Three Realms. If we cannot unravel them, we will experience unspeakable suffering.
A Bond is something that binds. All sentient beings exist in the cycle of the Three Realms because ignorance creates karma, which creates the Bonds of suffering.
As we learn the Buddha’s way, we should emulate the Vastness of His mind. The microcosm, the small universe in our minds, should be simple and harmonious. If we are harmonious in conduct and relationships, then we are in harmony with principles.
Everyone, everything accumulates over time. One deluded thought could lead to the accumulation of karma. Time allows us to complete our practice. We must follow the path of Buddha’s enlightenment. Everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)