Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Internalize the Wonderful Dharma (對機就是妙法)
People are always bound by the union of the Roots, Dusts, and Consciousness. This is foolish ignorance’s constant influence. It creates human desire, love and hate, passion and conflict and enmity and conflict, which lead to disaster.
Isn’t this the play performed every day on the world’s stage? Whenever the TV is turned on, there is usually a soap opera. All these soaps are about human desires, love and hate, passion and conflict. In society, not a day goes by without conflicts caused by the pursuit of self-interest. Thus, many disasters occur.
This is because ordinary people, due to their sense organs and sense objects forming a three-way union with consciousness, begin to become entangled. Because of this, all of our ignorance manifests. It is very difficult to stop. Let us reflect on our lives. Can we change in time?
The union of the Roots, Dusts and Consciousnesses binds us, ceaselessly drawing out our ignorance. It creates human desires, love and hate, passion and conflict, pursuit of self-interest, which all lead to disaster.
Every single day there is constant contact between our sense organs and sense objects. Right now what you are experiencing is contact with the sense object of sound. The words that I am speaking are heard by your ears. I am speaking; you are listening. Is it entering into your consciousness? Are you listening mindfully? Yes. What did I talk about yesterday? You do not quite remember. Today you do not quite remember the talk I gave yesterday. The seed was not planted well. You heard it, but did not listen. It was not kept in your Storehouse-consciousness. If you do not internalize the teachings, [you will not remember them].
Do you remember the conflicts you heard yesterday, the people who were not satisfied with you? Do you remember? You do! “Someone said something about me. But I am really not like that. How could he say that about me?” Or, “I don’t want people to know what I did. Why did he tell you and why would you come and tell me? Now so many people know. I only wanted him to know.” Look, we remember all these things. We are now in a messy entanglement. “I only wanted you to know. Don’t tell anyone else.” Except the person we just told will say, “She said not to let anyone else know. But it is okay if I just tell you.” Won’t that person then do the same thing? This becomes a messy entanglement.
Listening to people is simple; we just need to distinguish good speech from bad. If it is something positive, we can learn from it. This is the Dharma; if we can internalize it, it is wondrous Dharma. If the Dharma we hear enters our hearts, it can open our Wisdom-eyes.
When studying Buddhism, we want to transcend the ordinary and become sages. But we are entangled in ordinary affairs, in constant bondage, so how can we transcend the ordinary and draw near to the state of a sage? It is so far out of reach.
For now, we must keep the Dharma close. The closer we are to the Dharma, the farther we are from ordinary afflictions. The union of Root-Dust-Consciousness binds us; when can we finally be free from this bondage? Ignorance means undergoing endless transmigration throughout the Six Realms. Once you allow this ignorance to arise it truly goes on without end.
Haven’t I often said to everyone, “An ignorant thought causes the Three Subtleties; external states lead to the Six Coarse Marks.” This is from only one ignorant thought. We have the same pure nature as the Buddha. But because that first thought was polluted, our habits keep us in messy entanglements.
With the outside world as our conditions, our Roots connect with the Six Coarse Marks. We begin to crave certain things, and we create karma.
So, this part of the repentance text says, “We disciples, from Beginningless Time until today may have allowed our eyes to be deluded by forms and crave things colored black, yellow, green, crimson and purple, as well as rare and precious treasures.”
Take a look at these things. From Beginningless Time until now, we may have seen the outside world with our eyes and been enticed by objects of all shapes and colors.
I saw an article in the news about a collector who had acquired a dinosaur egg that was millions of years old. By now it is a fossil, and it is worth a fortune. I think the number I saw was $200 million USD. It was surprising that someone was willing to pay such a high price. How long does one lifetime last? This collector was willing to spend so much to buy a single egg. All we have to do is look at it, and our consciousness feels that we are willing to buy these things and to pay this price.
If this money were used to help people, how great would that be! So many countries suffer from natural disasters and poverty. Some people are homeless; some people are starving with no food or water. Who knows how many could be saved with this money? Think about it; in our views, our perspectives, and in the world we see with our eyes, our consciousness is discriminating.
With this taint of desire, we can be defiled by anything, of any shape or color. There is yellow, red, green, crimson, purple, so many shapes and colors. Some say red flowers are pretty; others say they prefer white flowers. Looking at these shapes and colors, everyone sees something different; they crave and are attached to different things. Moreover, there are “rare and precious treasures.” This refers to objects that are valuable and intriguing. “I am interested in this, I love it.”
These types of objects are called treasures, but they are still rocks. Rocks are truly everywhere. So why is it that certain kinds of objects become treasures when we are able to determine how old they are through research?
Things that can be used are all treasures; things that cannot be used are waste. I have said, “If you did not have any food to eat, even if you were in jewels head to toe, you would still be starving.” If you do not have any clothes to wear, even if you were covered in precious stones, you would still be freezing. The things we can use are the things we should treasure.
When your perspective is correct, all the objects in the world are equal. All are worth treasuring.
The things that can be used are treasures. Things that cannot be used are waste. If your perspective is correct, all objects in the world are equal. All are worth treasuring.
But it is even more necessary to treasure people. In interpersonal relationships, we act as one another’s causes and conditions. How can we live without other people? If our reasoning is correct, then each person is our benefactor.
So, we often say, “Repay the kindness you have received; save those who are still in suffering.” We need to repay the Four Graces of our parents, our teachers, sentient beings, and the Grace of Heaven and Earth, which is made up of the Four Elements, earth, water, fire and wind. We are born in this place, so we need to be grateful. Wind is the air, clean, fresh air. Fire is the Sun. Then there is water. How could we live without water? And the Earth supports countless living beings. We also live on this Earth. How can we not be grateful for Heaven and Earth?
What you are grateful for has to be treasured. If we have gratitude, respect and love in all our actions and relationships, won’t everything be a treasure? We do not want to be deluded by “things colored black, yellow, red, green, crimson and purple; and rare and precious jewels.” These all act as causes and conditions. Sense objects and forms elicit our craving. Then our bodies will become attached. The Sense Organs will become active. The outside environment draws our Six Root s into action. First the Six Roots perceive, then our greedy thought rush out, leading to entanglements.
Thus, we are caught in messy entanglements. If we know about this and Understand the principles, then our minds can be very tranquil. We can treasure all things with a heart of gratitude. We can respect all people with a heart of gratitude.
Next, it says, “We may been attached to male or female, tall or short, white or black forms. Seeing these seductive forms, we let unwholesome thought arise.
We were just talking about objects. Now we are talking about people. Look, all material things lead us to create karma.
When it comes men and woman, we all have views, thus we say, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Once in a while, we may see a woman who is not very beautiful and a man who is not very handsome. Why are they so madly in love? Why does she love him against her parents’ wishes, leaving her family behind? Later, when they are together, will their happiness continue on?
Can a couple’s love last forever? It cannot. In this kind of society, how many families are like this? It feels like people are very paradoxical, very hard to understand.
So, how do we explain this? Karma. This is their karma. Someone people love and hate each other. One moment they are fighting, the next, they have made up. These relationships are so exhausting. They live their lives without a purpose.
Sentient beings are truly mixed up.
People says, “Wild flowers are more fragrant.” They pursued someone with great difficulty. Once married, they toss them aside like straw sandals ,unloved and go outside seeking affairs. This way, they become infected with many diseases.
These days, it might be something like AIDS. In the past , it was syphilis. Isn’t this “seeing seductive forms” and “letting unwholesome thought arise?” In her relationships within the family, a woman should be virtuous, protect the family, look after and teach the children, help her husband and be filial to her elders.
But now, if we talk about these things, who will listen? “I have to work. I don’t have any way to raise my children.”
People these days have become derailed. It is the same with men. “Seeing seductive forms”, many “let unwholesome thought arise.” People always live in the material world, which entices our consciousness. Our consciousness meets the outside world. Our sense organs make contact with the physical world which causes our ignorance to arise. Because of this, there is the union of the three: Roots, Dusts, and Consciousness unite and bind us. Naturally, our foolish ignorance arises endlessly. This is why we say ,since Beginningless Time, for an unknown amount of time, there has been human desire, love, hate, passion and conflict. In society, how many sexual relationships have, brought about chaos and ruined families?
Due to greed for wealth, kindness is repaid with hatred. These conflicts arise from pursuit of self-interest. They stir up and provoke disasters. How miserable!
Everyone, you must listen so that what you hear enters your Storehouse-consciousness. Only then will we avoid chaos in our daily living.
So, we need to always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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