Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: The Realm of the Bodhisattvas (菩薩的境界)
The Buddha taught us to maintain the Buddha-mind and walk the Bodhisattvas-path. If we are always transmigrating in the Five Realms only those born in Heaven will enjoy long life and abundant blessings. This is because of the kind deeds they did. They accumulated many blessings and ascended to Heaven to enjoy longevity and blessings.
For humans, there is more suffering than joy, and life is short. Life is truly suffering beyond words. What joy is there in this world? Is it found in indulgence in material objects? Material objects are impermanent; they are simply a composite of many things. Things that have come together will eventually fall apart. So all material objects are illusory.
If we possess material wealth, such as property, cash and treasures, can we possess it forever? Each if the objects could last forever, human life is not long. The emperors and kings of the past all left behind their empires after their deaths. So nothing is truly joyful; even if joy exists, it is limited. Life is short and suffering is abundant.
In the human realm, there are truly many worrisome matters. We worry about gain and loss, the impermanence of life and the fragility of the land. These are all worrisome. We should be always vigilant and reverent. We must be reverent and cherish nature. I have been reminding everyone that besides respecting nature, we must be grateful for everything. We must have respect for everything. Since we respect all creatures, we should especially respect other people.
So, in daily life, we should nurture gratitude, respect and unconditional love. This is the mindset of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. With this mindset, whether one is rich or poor, one’s life will be simple and undefiled. One’s mind will be without afflictions. With the mindset of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, we will always be immersed in Dharma-joy. Then, we will not be tainted by material objects. We will be joyful as we seek the Dharma. This is the Realm of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
By understanding gratitude, respect and love, we will remain untainted by material objects. Our minds will always be immersed in Dharma-joy. This is the Realm of the Bodhisattvas.
The Three Lower Realms consist of the Realms of Hell, Hungry Ghosts and Animals. This all depends on the karmic causes that sentient beings create. When the karmic seeds mature, the retribution appears. I often speak of karmic ceruse and effect; we reap what we sow.
One in the Hell Realm suffers beyond words. There is a Hell known as Unremitting Hell. This means that the suffering and punishment there are continuous and uninterrupted. The Yaksas and demons punish beings without stopping, so it is called Unremitting Hell.
One is punished day and night for several Kalpas. The punishment is ceaseless, thus it is called Unremitting Hell-Earth Treasury Sutra.
The Earth treasury Sutra says of the Iron Bed Hell, “In Hell, one being’s suffering fills the realm.” It means that. When we are ill and in great pain, we are so immersed in our own agony that even if someone is on the next bed screaming in pain, we are unaware that someone else is suffering as much as we are. So, in Unremitting Hell there is no room, no space. There is no pause, no stopping.
Some people also suffer like this in this world, with one disaster occurring after another. The hardships they suffer continue to pile up, one after another. We hear of such cases from our volunteers, who visit care recipients that are poor or ill. There are families where everyone is sick, or poor and disabled. Perhaps their bodies seem healthy, but they may have some sort of mental illness. This is Hell on Earth.
Next is the Hungry Ghost Realm. We know the origin of Ullambana. Maudgalyayana wished to know where his mother’s retribution brought her. After receiving the Buddha’s teachings, he understood cause and effect. His mother was a very harsh person who had disrespected the Three Treasures, killed many beings, and often slandered others. She did not speak kind words, perform kind deeds or have good thoughts. He remembered how she was when she was alive, so he was sure that she had descended into Hell. During the summer retreat, he used his spiritual powers to enter Hell. There he saw a group of hungry ghosts, and his mother was among them.
When his mother recognized him, she begged him for food. He could not bear it. As the foremost practitioner of spiritual powers, he was able to hand a bowl of rice to his mother. She hungrily took the bowl with both hands, but as she opened her mouth to eat, a flame shot out and burned all the food into coal. She could not eat. There is a saying, “burning with hunger.” She had no food to eat, and no water to drink. It felt as if her stomach was on fire. This burning was emitted from her mouth as flames.
Maudgalyayana was devastated. Even with spiritual powers, he was helpless in the Ghost Realm. He could neither take on her karma nor eliminate it for her. What could he do? After coming out of his meditative Samadhi, he went before the Buddha. He bowed and reported the incident to Him. The Buddha sighed, “This is truly difficult. One must accept the karma one creates. Karma is like Mount Sumeru; it can’t be altered. This is retribution for her karma.”
But Maudgalyayana continued to implore the Buddha for a way to reduce his mother’s karma.
The Buddha said, “Maudgalyayana, you were unable to achieve it by yourself. Although I have achieved enlightenment, I’m unable to alter the karma of sentient beings. Only the collective virtue of many practitioners is powerful enough to alter your mother’s karma.”
“How can I gather so many people?”
The Buddha smiled. “Maudgalyayana, the summer retreat is almost over. During this time, many have been single-mindedly practicing with vigilance and reverence to learn the Dharma.” Everyone’s mind is still and pure. They have attained realization and achieved the first and second stage of Arhatship. If you use this opportunity to make offerings and create good affinities, the effect will be powerful enough to release your mother’s karma.”
Maudgalyayana hurriedly made arrangements to reverently and respectfully make offerings to each and every practitioner. A large number of monastic practitioners accepted these sincere and reverent offerings. They all gathered together and sincerely prayed for his mother.
The effect was so powerful that not only Maudgalyayana’s mother but all the beings in the Hungry Ghost Realm who were suffering with her were released at the same time. I am touched each time I think of this story. A single person, even if it is the Buddha, is unable to eliminate sentient beings’ karma. It requires many vigilant and reverent individuals to join forces to accumulate enough power.
The story of Maudgalyayana continued to spread in China. In India, people eat with their hands. So they much wash their hands before eating. Maudgalyayana respectfully held a bowl of water in front of all the practitioners for them to wash before he made his offerings. So, during the Ullambana ceremony, people lay out a bowl of water so the spirits may wash. This is the origin of the tradition. At that time Maudgalyayana, who had been practicing diligently for a very long time, reverently made offerings to these practitioners, and allowed them to wash before offering the meal.
We know that the seventh lunar month is the month of gratitude and filial piety. Maudgalyayana thought about his mother. We should also emulate Maudgalyayana and seize the moment to repay the kindness of our parents. How can we help our parents hear the Dharma and understand the need to practice? We may have the intention to stay by our parents’ side and make sure they are satisfied materially, but we do not know what karma they have created, so we may not be able to help them in the future. It is best to lead them to Buddha’s teachings and to practicing the Bodhisattva-path. This is the fundamental method of helping parents.
The Realm of Hungry Ghosts is harsh. Beings are burning with hunger. So if they are given a bowl of rice, it will be burned by the flames from their mouths. Hungry Ghosts face many hardships.
The Animal Realm is visible to us. The suffering of animals is beyond their control. No one wished to be an animal. Whether they are walking or flying, bird or beast, all animals suffer immensely. People fear them on sight. These animals also suffer from retributions. Tigers, leopards, wolves, eagles, hawks, poisonous snakes or scorpions, etc., all can be very dangerous. Even the birds in the air can be ferocious. They continuously attack and eat other animals. The strong eat the weak. Creatures like snakes, tigers and wolves attack people on sight. They can be very dangerous.
Everyone, within the Five Realms, one can only practice in the Human Realm. Although there is more suffering than joy during our short lifetimes, we should seize the moment to practice. We must have the mind of a Buddha and walk the Bodhisattvas-path. If we can do so, if many people can come together to treat others with vigilance and reverence, love nature and respect all life, we can eliminate our karma, and minimize the effects. I hope everyone can be safe from suffering. We should always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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