Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: The Ten Fetters Part 2(十纏二)
How wonderful it would be if everything in life happened according to our wishes. But in reality, it is not under our control. Even in favorable environments, we still do not know how to make good decisions. Even if we make the right choices, and the conditions are favorable, if we do not act on our decisions, it is our fault, not the fault of our environment. We are the ones who choose not to be diligent.
It is like a person surrounded by cesspools. Those are smelly and filthy pits. If that person were to see a pure spring, surrounded by beautiful lotus flowers, he would think, “If I could get there, how nice it would be!” He prays and prays, but there is no need to pray. If it is right in front of you, just step forward. You will be in that beautiful place, with the pure spring water, surrounded by beautiful lotus flowers. All that is missing is taking a step forward.
This also applies to spiritual practice. The mind alone creates everything. We sentient beings must cleanse our own minds. The Buddha taught us how. As I have said, the only way to wash away filth is with water. The only way to cleanse the filth of ignorance in the minds of ordinary people is with the Dharma. The Buddha taught many methods, based on our circumstances. Sentient beings say, “We know, we know.” They know, but they are not enlightened. That is why ordinary people cannot be happy and lead peaceful, easy lives. They cannot open their minds and are always afflicted.
The mind should be purified. Dharma-water is the only means to eliminate defilements and cleanse the mind. If one listens to Dharma without awareness, one is bound by afflictions.
Yesterday we spoke of the Ten Fetters. Before the Fetters came the Bonds, and before that came ignorance. But whether we speak of ignorance, Bonds, or Fetters, they are simply other names for affliction.
That is why the Buddha taught us this concept. He taught us that these are afflictions and afflictions are suffering. They are entanglements that close off our minds. They bind us and cause us so much suffering. No one else can inflict that pain, only we can. Regarding interpersonal conflicts, we often say, “Do not see disagreements as conflicts.” We must treat them as lessons to learn. There is something to learn from everyone. Everyone is our teacher. Be grateful! No matter how they treat us, whether they guide us or slander us, we must be thankful! Maintaining that sense of gratitude is a way to be happy. If we understand that everyone is our teacher, we will always be respectful. If we understand and learn not to treat disagreements as conflicts but to treat conflicts as lessons, if we can apply these few teachings in our daily lives, we would not need to worry about shame or lack of shame. If we have shame we see and learn from mistakes. If we are shameless we do not see our mistakes, so we do not change. That is the source of karma.
The Ten Fetters: No Shame, No Remorse, Jealousy, Stinginess, Regret, Sleepiness, Restlessness, Drowsiness, Anger and Cover-up.
Now we will talk about the third Fetter. What is binding us? Jealousy. Jealousy also includes envy. Most of our jealousy is already present at birth. You may be wondering, “Haven’t you said that people are born with good natures?” “Didn’t you say our original nature is pure?” “Could this pure nature contain jealousy?” I have told you that jealousy is a habit we have not yet eliminated. We are unaware that jealousy continues to be a part of our lives, lifetime after lifetime. Therefore, afflictions follow and accompany us. They follow us. In all our many lifetimes, we have never broken this habit, so now we are born with it. Sentient beings have a habit of envying other’s virtues and abilities.
The third of the Ten Fetters is Jealousy. Jealousy is the negative feelings that arise in one’s mind when one sees others enjoying honor and wealth.
When we see others enjoy honor ad wealth, we are unhappy. “They are enjoying honor and wealth. What does that have to do with me?” We even think, “They can afford it, so they are able to enjoy luxuries.” This thought, more or less, also stems from jealousy and envy. If we get angry when someone’s name comes up in a conversation, that is a strongly jealous reaction. If we cannot be happy for others, we are slightly jealous. We are born with this habit.
The Buddha taught us to rejoice with others. Their accomplishments are also our accomplishments. We must rejoice with them. At an orphanage in Thailand children are cared for and comforted by Tzu Chi volunteers. As time goes by, people age. These children have people to lean on, to give them loving encouragement. Now they are older, and more than ten of them are already in college. Some have become volunteers or officers in their collegiate Tzu Chi chapter. The love offered by Tzu Chi volunteers in Thailand is so sincere, true, trustworthy, honest and pure. This is sincere love. They embody loving-kindness, compassion, joy and giving in their actions. Just thinking about them makes me happy. This is rejoicing in others. When we are truly happy for others, merits arise.
Is there merit in this type of joy? Yes. What kind of merit? The merit of internal spiritual cultivation. So when you hear how capable some people are, how they have done much good, and how I praised them, you will not be jealous. In this way we will be full of admiration. Why will we admire them? Our humility “I’m humble. I couldn’t do this and they have done it. So they should be admired and praised.” If we cannot achieve something, we should be happy for those who can. That is the inner virtue of humility.
Outwardly, we express courtesy and rightful recognition of others’ achievements. We will always give credit where credit is due. Those who praise and admire others will also be praised and admired. Those who love others will also be loved. If we can be loved and praised, and we can love and praise others, we have eliminated jealousy from our minds. This is what we should learn in our daily lives.
Those who can love others will be loved. Those who can admire and praise others will be admired and praised. Those who give and receive love and admiration can eliminate jealousy from their minds.
Next, is Stinginess. Stinginess is the unwillingness to give. As we seek wealth and enjoyment, we strive to possess many things. So although we own a lot of property, we are unwilling to give any of it away. This is stinginess. Those with stingy minds want to possess everything. They want everything, but refuse to give anything away. They “do not give to the poor and downtrodden.” They do not give. They just look at the sick, the old, the poor and refuse to help. Stingy people are also greedy.
They are likely to make money immorally because they are not willing to give away anything. They can bear to see those in need suffer, without offering any help, because they are greedy. A greedy person relentlessly collects worldly goods. They will “commit a wide range of bad deeds” and bring suffering upon themselves.
The fourth of the Ten Fetters is Stinginess. To be stingy is to be miserly. One who is stingy is unwilling to share any worldly wealth or wealth of Dharma.
The following story appeared in a Sutra. In ancient times, a long time ago, there was a city. The city was very rich and was surrounded by a beautiful landscape. In it there lived a family whose wealth rivaled that of nations. The family was probably the richest in the country. Although the family was rich, it was a small family. The household had only one young Brahman. He was very young. But he diligently studied the Brahman teachings. Where were his parents? They had passed away when he was very young. Their riches could not prolong their lives.
Fortunately, the young man had a good caretaker to manage his wealth. One day, when the caretaker saw that the young man was already an adult, he put all the property, ledgers and jewels into a big iron chest and placed it before the young man. When he opened it he saw many treasures. The caretaker told his master, “You are an adult now. I have managed your family’s wealth for many decades. Now that you are an adult, I should explain all this to you.” So he explained the items one by one.
The young man began to think “For seven generations, my family accumulated all of this. Clearly they were very wealthy. But where are they now? They could not take any of this with them. It was all locked in this iron chest. Life can be long or short. My parents passed away at such a young age. What can these material possessions do for our lives? Nothing at all. Besides, we cannot take them with us when we die.” So he thought, “I should transform these things into something I can take with me.” He made an announcement to his employees, to the caretaker and servants. He said, “Starting from today, I’m going to use everything I own and I will bring it all with me when I die.”
Everyone just started at each other. “How’s that possible? You can use those things now, but how can you take them with you? ”
He said, “Go tell the king that I have many things I want to share with the country’s poor.”
He told the king he wanted to donate all the wealth of his family. He told his servants, “Go, spread the news. Tell everyone if they do not have anything to eat or wear or… In any case, tell the poor people to all come here. He exchanged all his riches for grains and cash. Then he spent a long time traveling around the country with the grains and cash, giving money and food to the poor, cash and medicine to the sick. After some time, he finally gave away his entire fortune. From then on, he was without burden. He stepped onto the path of spiritual cultivation with freedom and great peace.
This story is about a person who saw the cesspool around him, the state of ordinary existence. He saw the pure spring water and stepped forward. His mind was free of defilements, and pure water sprang continuously from his mind. Isn’t the lotus flower in his mind blooming brilliantly? There is only one way to eliminate stinginess, greed, and jealousy. If we can eliminate all those things, we can be happy, peaceful, and at ease. That is the Dharma the Buddha taught. So everyone always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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