Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Evil Creatures As Analogies for Afflictions (惡蟲橫走喻瞋惱)
Date:July.01. 2015
“As for circumstantial retributions, the great house is like the Three Realms. The destruction caused by ignorance is like a burning house. In delusion we create karma, leading us to face a rocky road. As for direct retributions, in the house of the raging Five Aggregates, we are lost and sink in the net of delusion. The body of the aggregates faces aging, illness and the Eight Sufferings.”
Circumstantial retributions, direct retributions and the burning house of the Three Realms, haven’t we often discussed these topics in recent days? We clearly understand these concepts. “As for circumstantial retributions,” in Buddhist sutras we find the analogy, “The great house is like the Three Realms.” We are in this great house, as if in the great big house of the Three Realms. It is ruined by ignorance just as if this large house has been covered in debris [because] no one makes repairs, and no one maintains it. This is how a house falls into ruin and ends up surrounded by fires burning on all sides. This represents our ignorance. Ignorance rages as if there is a fire burning in our minds. Look at fires; one spark can burn up a prairie. One minor affliction can cause raging fires in our minds, so they are filled with a fog of smoke. Think about it; with the destruction caused by ignorance it is as if our minds are filled with fire and smoke which actually prevent us from seeing our nature of True Suchness. So, this all comes from delusion and the karma we create. Delusion is ignorance. With this kind of delusions and confusion, all the people, matters and objects in the world delude us so that we “create karma, leading us to face a rocky road.”
In the past and present, we constantly create karma. Some create karma as tremendous as Mt. Sumeru. Some transgressions are as deep as the great ocean. There are many such highs and lows, so this road through life is very hard to walk on.
Direct retributions have to do with our body, with the raging Five Aggregates. Why does our body suffer so much illness and pain? Because of the karma we created out of confusion in our past and present lives. Thus, under the influence of the Five Aggregates, we take action. Whether created by our thinking or the deviations in our beliefs, it is our body [that takes action]. It is because we have this body that we create karma. The sources of numerous evils and transgressions are the actions of our body. So, direct retributions are what happens in this house of the raging Five Aggregates. Each of us has a body, which is like a house. If we do not earnestly engage in spiritual practice, our physical conduct, all the things we do with our body will all be improper. Some people say, “To make a living, I have to kill [animals],” or “I have to cause damage to the earth,” or “I have to…” We do many things we should not do. We can create so much karma that if we have not faced all the consequent karmic retributions in one lifetime, we will continue to face them in the next. Some people may seem to live an enjoyable life as they create karma.
They will still face their retributions; it just might be in a future lifetime. In this way, we cannot take anything with us when we die; only our karma follows us to our next life. When our time in this world is at an end, what will we bring with us when we leave? We bring the karma we created out of delusion. All the karma we created out of ignorance, regardless of how tremendous or how deep it is will, in the future, all be concentrated in the Five Aggregates and our direct retributions. Form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness are the Five Aggregates. Everyone should know them because we have been emphasizing them recently.
Our “form” is our body.Our body is [a temporary union of elements].This body of the aggregates arises from the convergence of different factors; “Aggregate” is also called “Skandha”.
The convergence of many tiny, exquisite elements gave us this human form.A body arises from the convergence of many tiny, exquisite elements.
Previously, we spoke of 36 impure elements.
Our bodies, ranging from the skin to the bones, all the way to the internal organs, altogether have 36 types of impure elements.Every element and every organ contains tiny bacteria.
There are countless kinds of them, just like in the larger universe.The body alone is the accumulation of elements of many different names, of many different things.
Consider how the human body has so many impurities and unclean elements.However, for the sake of this body, we have created so much karma as tremendous as mountains, as deep as oceans.Indeed, we have created all this karma.
Thus, the Five Aggregates are raging, and as we go through birth, aging, illness and death, our body undergoes infinitesimal changes.In this way, our impure body constantly creates karma and keeps deteriorating as we age and fall ill.We do not realize that we are in a constant state of deterioration, so we continue to create karma.This is called “the raging Five Aggregates”.
“People are lost and sink in the net of delusion.”
We may be lost on the ocean of our own minds like a boat lost on a great sea.As we keep sinking, it is as if we are in a net of delusions.
Indeed, a small deviation in life can lead us far off course.
Previously, we mentioned, “There were 500 people living inside.”
There were 500 people living inside.
There were kites, owls, hawks, and vultures, crows, magpies, pigeons and doves.
This burning house of the Three Realms can be the Three Realms of the world as well as the desire, form and formless realms of our minds where we continuously give rise to afflictions.
Our body is constantly going through the process of aging, illness and death.Unaware of this, we keep creating karma.
For those who can be guided by the Buddha, He uses the Five Vehicles and Six Teachings to help us discover our nature of True Suchness, a state equal to His.
The Buddha hopes that we can clearly recognize and understand how many types of afflictions we have due to our body and mind.
So, He uses various methods to draw analogies.
The birds that fly in the sky are proud and arrogant, with eight kinds of pride and seven kinds of arrogance.These kinds of pride and arrogance are our afflictions.
The next sutra passage states, “There were snakes, vipers, scorpions, centipedes and house centipedes, geckoes and millipedes, weasels and rats. All sorts of evil creatures were running back and forth.”
These are all called creatures, which should refer to beasts that walk.But in ancient times, the word for “creature” was the same as “insect”.A long time ago, animals were also called “creatures”.For example, tigers were called “big creatures”.Snakes were called “long creatures”.These are analogies for the Ten Afflictions.
Previously, we mentioned “afflictions of arrogance”.There are five chronic afflictions and five acute afflictions.Birds are used as analogies for the afflictions of arrogance.
So, birds and beasts can be used as analogies for all Ten Afflictions.“Sankes, vipers, scorpions, centipedes and house centipedes,”
These are analogies for the afflictions of anger.
There were snakes, vipers, scorpions, centipedes and house centipedes:
These are analogies for the affliction of anger.Their poison is like a heart of anger.
Previously we discussed the afflictions caused by arrogance.“Kites, owls, hawks and vultures” fly high up in the sky.This is likened to arrogance.
Now we speak of the analogies for anger, for losing one’s temper, which are these animals.
Their poison is an analogy for an angry mind.
Our minds are filled with the poison of anger.
With anger, whenever we think about what someone has done to us, upon that provocation, there will be fire in our belly.When “Our belly is filled with fire,” we are filled with anger and hate.Those who provoke us will be hurt.
There are three types of anger.
Anger without reason
Argumentative anger
One type is “anger without reason”. “Whether I am right or wrong, I am going to lose my temper. Even if I am wrong, I will still be angry”.
Indeed, some people do not ask, whether something is right or wrong”. If they make a mistake in their work, they take it out on other people. They know that they were in the wrong, yet they say, “If it weren’t for you. I wouldn’t have made that mistake”. Clearly, this was their mistake, but they put the blame on other people. Some people say, “As for me, I’m angry at myself”. If we get angry with ourselves, what can we do? Can we bow [in apology]? What can we do about this anger? This is indeed tormenting.
The second type of anger is “anger with reason”. Second, anger with reason: When people are truly giving us trouble, we feel justified in our anger. “
Other people may actually be in the wrong, but they do not admit it, so we get mad. “You admitted you’re wrong. Even so, I still cannot forgive you. I will never forgive you in this lifetime.” Even though we have a reason to be mad, that they were wrong and we were right and what we did was correct, the anger we feel is just as [painful]. “You took advantage of me. You bullied me. I will never forgive you. If I cannot exact my revenge in this lifetime, I will get justice in the next lifetime.” Imagine what this is like. If we are so angry we never forgive anyone, that will be so painful! We often see people like this in the world.
The third type is “argumentative anger”.
“Third, argumentative anger: We strongly cling to our understanding as right and that of others as wrong.”
Our reasoning can be clear. But sometimes there is ambiguity. People still want to argue until they win and others lose. Both sides are constantly fighting. What is the consequence of this fighting? Both sides are hurt. In this way, “We strongly cling to our understanding as right”. We think what we know and understand is absolutely correct. “You understanding is wrong!” other people’s understanding is absolutely wrong.
Whether they are right or wrong, we always say they are wrong. Whether we are right or wrong, we claim that we are right. We argue over this endlessly. This is unbearable suffering.
So, “the large types of vipers have a very large body and are also poisonous.” Their “excessive poison can infect without contact”. Their poison is so powerful that even if we do not touch them they still can infect us the viper is a kind of snake that can hurt us even if we do not touch it. This is [an analogy for] “anger without reason”.
There are also “scorpions”. They are large creatures that crawl on the ground. They are like “long creatures” and “can harm people upon contact”. If we deliberately touch them, they will sting us. If we touch them unintentionally, they will also sting us. They are also very poisonous. As for centipedes, they “get angry and move quickly”. They possess anger and can move quickly.
“Centipedes get angry and move quickly. House centipedes slither slowly. These are analogies for people who like to argue.”
A centipede has many legs. When I lived in the wood cabin, as I was reading, I saw such a big centipede on the table. It was really so long and so big. Once it heard a sound, just a slight knock, it ran away quickly. “House centipedes slither slowly [like slugs]”. Wherever slugs pass, they seem to leave a layer of glue; their passage leaves behind a layer of something white, or slightly transparent, and sticky. This is the trace they leave. They are like people who enjoy arguing. If we make anger a part of our daily living, we always speak very loudly and argue with others. After the argument, is everything over? Not yet, the conflict still remains. Whether we were right or wrong, we still cannot calm our minds. The argument may still be ongoing.
Perhaps, after the argument, we are still followed by this conflict this is like a [slug]. There is another group, “geckoes and millipedes, weasels and rats. All sorts of evil creatures were running back and forth”. These are analogies for the affliction of anger. This kind of poison is related to an angry heart. “Geckoes” are like what we call a house lizard. They are similar species. They crawl around on their four feet. Occasionally, they climb up walls. This is what geckoes are known for.
“Geckoes are also called house lizards. In the past, their blood was poured on the skin of the women of the palace in order to test their chastity. This is what geckoes were known for”.
In ancient times, people living in palaces fed geckoes with cinnabar and [took their blood] to make a type of potion. Drops of the potion were placed between the eyebrows of palace maids; its shape resembled a plum blossom. It could verify whether these women had remained chaste. In the palaces of ancient times, people used this type of method to control the women of the palace.
Next are millipedes. This type of creature has many legs, very similar to centipedes but they are not poisonous and not harmful. This is an analogy for those like to be alone.
This is an analogy for who like to be alone. Of people slightly touch them, they will run away very quickly. This is the behavior of this type of creature. “[There were] weasels and rats. All sorts of evil creatures were running back and forth.” [Weasels] have a kind of red and yellow color.
They are rodents, similar to rats. Some of them are very large. I recall there was a sugarcane filed at Dalin [Tzu Chi] hospital. While we were cutting down sugarcane, we saw rats this lone and this big. I am not exaggerating. It was not actually a rat, but a mole; this kind of rodent can burrow into the earth and eat mice. This is the way these creatures are.
So, these are ‘weasels and rats. [Weasels] are yellow in color, and “They can crawl into holes to eat mice.” When it rains, they do not stay on the ground. They climb up trees and hand upside down. This is how they live.
Next we speak of rats. People talk about plagues spread by rats. These rats are liked the ones in people’s houses. Weasels can ear rats. These rats often live in people’s houses, where they sometimes carry rodent-transmitted diseases.
So, we always tell Tzu Chi volunteers, when they go to help clean up other people’ s houses, they have to remember to bring buckets and bleach. By spraying a bit of bleach water, we moisten the dust before sweeping it up. Then the dust will not fly all over the place. This is because this type of rodent can spread disease through their feces.Once the feces is dried, it will resemble powder. When we try to sweep it up, it flies all over. This is how the disease is spread.
Therefore, once this type of illness emerges, we need to quickly heighten our vigilance. The best prevention method is to keep the interiors very clean. When we clean, we must protect ourselves by wearing facemasks and dampening the dust.
In summary, in our lives, we can have so many different kinds of mindsets. Though we have been born human, our habitual tendencies are similar to those of animals.
So, we must always engage in spiritual practice and cultivate our human nature. If we can cultivate our human nature well, we can draw near our Buddha-nature. If we bury our human nature, we become more like animals, whether they are animals that fly, walk or crawl. All these animals are poisonous in their own ways. These poisons are an analogy for the kinds of mindsets we humans have. Thus, the karma we humans create leads us to walk a very rocky road. Our karma is as tremendous as Mt. Sumeru and as deep as the great ocean. Whether in the mountains or on the plains, this road is truly difficult to walk.
Thus, the goal of our spiritual practice must be to return to our nature of True Suchness. To return to the nature of True Suchness, we must go back to our human nature. So, we must constantly heighten our vigilance. In everything we do and think, we must contemplate carefully and always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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