Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: The Eleven Universal Agents Part 3(十一遍使三)
Previously we talked about the third of the Eleven Universal Agents, the View of Eternalism, which we hold despite our understanding of the nature of impermanence as the Buddha taught it. The whole world is impermanent.
For example, if we went out in the garden and locked at the plants two days ago, yesterday, and today, we would see that they are growing. We plowed the ground yesterday or the day before, or a few days before, and rid the garden of all weeds. The soil was completely turned. But if you look again in two or three days, there will be little green sprouts shooting up everywhere. This is an example of impermanence.
Even if you have already gotten rid of something, it keeps coming back. Should we say the weeds are permanent or not? If we say “permanent,” then we should not have tried to get rid of them. If we say “impermanent,” why do they keep coming back? Which is it, permanent or impermanent?
The Buddha taught us that all things, including our mental state and the world outside, are impermanent. Leaves fall in autumn and grow back in spring. This shows impermanence; leaves fall, but later sprout again. This is the manifestation of abiding Dharma-nature. Still, it is wrong to be attached to permanence.
All things in the universe are impermanent. However, the nature of all things is permanent. The trees cannot always remain green. Leaves fall in autumn. This is impermanence. In spring, the new sprout germinates. This is the manifestation of abiding Dharma-nature.
The fourth Agent is View of Nihilism. View of Nihilism refers to the belief that when something ceases to exist, nothing is left. Right now there is something, but when it is gone, it is gone. This is View of Nihilism. But if there is nothing, when we pull out the grass, why does it just grow back in a few days? This is because the seed is still there. It is like people. For instance, medicine has advanced. Professionals can diagnose a disease. First they ask you about your family. “Did your father have this disease? Did your grandfather? My father didn’t, but my grandfather did.” This is called atavism. This is human genetics, or the human karmic seed.
The karmic seed does not disappear. But there are people who say, “I can give in to all my desires. I will do whatever I want, because after I die, there is nothing.” This is View of Nihilism. One does not know that “the innate nature of all things is permanent.” Everything has its nature. Its nature is never destroyed. This is like life on Earth. There are four seasons. The Earth exists in the vast universe. Cold and hot both come from its original nature.
People are the same. Our karmic force likewise never ends. We live life after life, but our innate nature is the same. Ordinary people have their innate nature, but their surroundings tempt them, whether in their past lives, present live or future lives. The environment in our past lives may influence how we act in this one. After we create karma, many seeds and habits enter our Eighth Consciousness with this karma.
So our past life has already been lived. When that karma was exhausted, that life should have ended. But the karmic seeds have entered our Eighth Consciousness, so we follow karma and are reborn. Our future life is now this life. In this life, the place we are born, our family environment, and the larger social environment, etc., all cause us to have different habits. Although we may have the same intention and vow to become monastic, or have the same mission and enter Tzu Chi together, our habits are different. Even if you vow to become a monastic living in the monastery, I believe you still bring habits from your previous way of life into this spiritual training ground.
Everyone’s habits are different. Some have good habits. They will not dispute with others. They have good dispositions. Some people had bad habits in the past, such as short tempers. Now they have become monastics and listen to my teachings, and think “I should change.” They can change right away. They can transform past habits. Now that they are in a monastery, they must be committed to cultivation and upholding their responsibilities. That is their innate nature.
Our innate nature is pure. Innate nature and Buddha-nature are alike. But life after life we accumulate habits in different environments and carry them around, creating much karma. Life after life, we may endure much suffering, or enjoy many blessings. But regardless of how painful a past life was, eventually every life ends. We may receive much and enjoy many blessings, but that too will pass. However, we do not realize all kinds of habits may have been brought from our past lives. So because of this pollution, instead of our pure, innate nature, we let our karmic consciousness lead us. Our true innate nature is obscured by karmic consciousness.
People usually only discuss up to the Eighth Consciousness. But I remind everyone that we have a Ninth Consciousness. The Ninth is obscured by the Eighth. It is our pure, innate nature. But what we use daily is karmic consciousness. Our innate Buddha-nature is polluted by the karma we bring into this life. In this life we have affinities with our parents and our environments.
So I often mention Circumstantial Retribution. We receive Circumstantial Retribution, which manifests as the families and environments we are born into. We were reborn into this life where, because of different past environments, different habits formed. Everyone lives together with different habits, causing so many conflicts. In our practice, we should clearly understand the views of Eternalism and Nihilism.
Whether we believe in permanence or impermanence, everything is subject to the influence of karmic seeds and forces. Clinging to Eternalism is undoubtedly not right. However, clinging to Nihilism and claiming there is no cause and effect is also a wrong view.
The world is impermanent. But we are usually not aware of impermanence, so we fight with people. Yesterday we said that People fight one another because of selfishness. This can lead to great tragedies. Not only do people fight each other, they also fight with things.
We talked about the elephants of Bangladesh. They have their own world. Now they are protected as an endangered species. Elephants in the past were used for labor, and in India, they were once used in battles during war. So at that time the lives of people and elephants were intertwined. People used elephants then. Now we do not need to use this kind of animal for their strength and labor.
Now we have listed the elephant as an endangered species to be protected yet many, because of selfish interests, destroy the mountain forests and kill them. Do animals have a spiritual nature? They do. Elephants have very high intelligence. They also have emotions and can recognize their masters as well as those who have mistreated them. All it takes is for their habits to manifest and, like people who endured the unendurable, they will strike back. It is like our pollution of the environment through industrialization. See how the climate is striking back. So nature is originally permanent. If people continue to destroy it, impermanence will manifest. Impermanent things constantly decay. But we must know, amidst the decay, there is the nature of “permanence.” We should always try to understand that there is the cycle of cause and effect.
Everything in the universe follows this cycle. The climate follows the turning of the seasons. Trees, the earth-they all change with time, people even more so. People follow the Six Realms of transmigration. The Buddha said if we do well and practice the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds, we will receive heavenly rewards. But in practicing Buddha-Dharma, not only do we practice the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds, we must also transcend. How do we transcend? By giving unconditionally. We follow the Bodhisattva-path, and give only for the benefit of all beings. We do not ask for any reward. In this way, our nature will naturally become pure and return to its original state, which is like the Buddha-nature. Only then are we “practicing Buddha-Dharma.”
Buddhist practitioners should uphold the Five Precepts, and practice the Ten Good Deeds. Furthermore, they should give without asking anything in return. By returning to the pure, innate nature, which is like the Buddha-nature, they are truly practicing Buddhism.
Practicing Buddhism id aspiring to become Buddha. Since we want to become Buddhas, why do we still quarrel with others? If we are giving, what is there to quarrel about? When the habits of our minds are eradicated, we return to our innate nature. We must not mistakenly believe in Nihilism or cling to Permanence. We spoke of Eternalism earlier. Now we are discussing Nihilism. Do not believe that being happy is all there is. Some think there is nothing bad about quarrels, or there is no such thing as bad affinities. As long as they can live a life of ease and enjoyment, they will be happy. They think everything is all about them, and afterwards, there is nothing. They avoid thinking about attracting bad affinities, and how they will affect their future. They do not realize these things, and they become shameless.
They always do all kinds of evil with heads high. We should know not to believe that after dying, there is no other life. This is absolutely not so. If we do not come back as humans, we may come back as animals. Our nature does not end. Furthermore, in the Six Realms if you cannot be born in heaven, you may be reborn in hell. If you cannot be born as a human, you may be reborn as an animal. Do not believe that you are not connected to animals. We are absolutely connected.
Look at the elephants. People tried to exterminate them, so they attacked. They looked for those who mistreated them, and destroyed their homes. Was it not the cycle of cause and effect? As long as consciousness exists, as long as it can discriminate, the cycle of retaliation continues. The cycle will absolutely continue in this life and into the next.
We should know to not have View of Nihilism. Every day we must pay attention. If I create bad affinity with you today, tomorrow it will not be pleasant to see each other. The bad affinity from this life will carry forward so that in the next life the obstacles between us will be very great. It is like a shadow. When you walk down a road in the sun, wherever you go, your shadow will follow. We cannot take karmic force lightly. In our daily lives, we should have wisdom. Do not treat disagreements as conflicts. If you have conflicts, take them as education. While dealing with conflicts, we can clean and purify our minds and let our wisdom develop. This is spiritual practice. Everyone must be mindful. We cannot cling to Permanence, but we also cannot have View of Nihilism. This is something we must always practice. Remember, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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