Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Fundamental Delusion Gives Rise to Afflictions (由根本惑生諸煩惱)
Date:August.03. 2015
“The creation of all negative karma begins with fundamental delusions. Our attachments and bonds drive us to give rise to all afflictions, which pervade throughout the ten directions of space and extend throughout the three periods of time. Desire, form and ignorance stir up the flames of the Three Realms.”
“The creation of all negative karma begins with fundamental delusions.” We ordinary sentient beings do not realize that in our daily living, we constantly engage in many kinds of erroneous behavior, and in this lack of awareness, our minds give rise to fundamental delusions. These fundamental delusions are also called fundamental ignorance.
What we have been describing are the afflictions and ignorance of sentient beings and the natural tendencies of birds and beasts, which are similar to our unenlightened states of mind. So, we must constantly heighten our vigilance and never allow our minds to develop the same tendencies as the birds and beasts. We must carefully distinguish ourselves from them. Drawing this distinction will bring us back to our human morals so that we can purify our minds and develop our wisdom-life.
So, “Our attachments and bonds drive us”. We often become bound by our entanglements. The “bonds” that trap us bind us up tightly. Thus, our minds are bound and become entangled in afflictions. Because these afflictions that arise from our fundamental ignorance entangle our minds, in our daily living they surface quickly before we even realize it.
When we see a particular person, hear a certain voice or see certain conditions, our greed arises and we do everything we can to [get what we want]. Even though we have listened to the teachings, when we come in contact with these conditions, these [afflictions] quickly surface in our minds, greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, doubt, etc. In this way, amidst external conditions our minds constantly become entangled and endlessly give rise to many afflictions. Thus, we are already deluded. “Delusion” is really the same as “ignorance”; ignorance is also referred to as delusion.
So, delusion and ignorance are “bonds [that] drive us”. They create serious afflictions! When it comes to these afflictions, over the course of a day, or a year or an entire lifetime, won’t they certainly “pervade throughout the ten directions of space”? Don’t they fill our minds, spreading north, south, east and west, northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest, up and down, in all the “ten directions of space”? They also “extend throughout the three periods of time.”
To “extend” means to go through [time], from the past to the present and into the future, from our past lives to this life and then into our future lives. This happens through [time]. [Afflictions] extend from the past into the present. If we still cannot let go, we will extend them even further into the future. Even with matters of yesterday, today, tomorrow we are unable to let go, to say nothing of matters of our past lives, our current life or our future lives. The same principles apply.
So, [afflictions] “extend throughout the three periods of time,” thoroughly penetrating past, present and future. They continue to expand across [time and space], endlessly growing outward. This is what happens with our afflictions.
Where do these afflictions come from? Desires, forms and formless [thoughts]. In the desire, form and formless realms, ignorance stirs up the flames of the Three Realms.So, we must make an effort to be mindful.
Everyone knows the Three Realms: they are the three states of our minds desires forms and formless [thoughts].This is all in our minds.With desires we instantly become greedy; we want it right away.We begin to think about it every day and eventually develop serious afflictions.This is what happens in our minds over the course of our daily living.
All sorts of vicious creatures were running back and forth in places that smelled of urine and feces where filthy things flowed.Dung battles and other insects were gathered on top.
We should all understand that life is full of suffering.In these passages we are reading about the lives of birds and beasts.The way they live brings deep suffering.
Take “during beetles and other insects” for example.They live their lives in filthy places where they are “running back and forth”.
Whether they walk on four legs, slither about without any legs or fly [with their wings], they are found everywhere throughout our world, above, below and around us.
In particular the environments some live in are composed of animal manure and urine.That is also where they reproduce because that type of filthy environment contains what they need to live.Their eggs are laid and hatched there.They live in this environment all of their life.
When we see them we may feel pity and wonder.“why were they born in such an environment?”Actually our human lifespan tend to be short; a human life is really not that long.
Yet within this short lifespan, we create so much negative karma.We destroy mountains and rivers, disrupt people and society and so on.So, when heavenly beings look at humans, they wonder “Why are their lives so sad?”
“There is poison in their minds and their afflictions and ignorance are very severe.”
This is what they think when they see us.
Yet when the noble begins see heavenly beings, they also feel pity for them.Although heavenly beings live for a long time and enjoy many pleasures they do not have any spiritual aspirations.
“It is hard for the wealthy to learn the Way. ”
They waste their time in enjoyment.After they deplete their blessings the Five Sings of Decay manifest.Then they will fall [into a lower realm].
So, when noble beings see heavenly beings, humans and animals they feel sad for the beings of the Three Realms.
Therefore, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas hope that with the conditions we encounter in the world, we can understand suffering and immediately engage in spiritual practice so that we can quickly become awakened.
Next, it states, “Jackals and foxes were chewing, trampling, sucking and gnawing on corpses whose bones and flesh were scattered about.”
Jackals are very similar to foxes.These animals are very clever but also full of doubt and very suspicious.There are many foxes that look similar but some are smaller.Their coloring is tawny and their tails are bigger.So, even though they look like other foxes they can be distinguished by their coloring and their tails.
They live in similar places usually in places that are dangerous to get to.This is to ensure their safety; it keeps people from destroying their homes.
Thus, they tend to live in places that are dangerous and hard to get to though to them these places are safer.To us they seem very dangerous.
When evening falls their howls can be heard.
So, they were thought to be monsters.This kind of fox was thought to be a monster.
“Chewing” means that when these animals are eating something they bits down on it.As they eat they bits down to crush and gnaw on things.
They gnaw on the parts they cannot chew and swallow the rest.
When they eat they bite down and then swallow.This is their way of living.This is an analogy for “our greed for external conditions” as “we grasp at what we want”.
Chewing:
Chewing is using one’s teeth to bite, gnaw and grind up food.They will chew the tasty parts and discard the parts they do not want. This is like our greed for external conditions; we grasp at what we want. Heretical practitioners have doubts and thus do not have faith in the True Dharma. Hence they do not know the causes and effects of birth and death in cyclic existence and thus deny and throw out the true principles.
Because of the attachments in our hearts, in our spiritual practice, we often focus on one thing without regard for the rest. The same principle applies to their way of life; when they eat they tear things apart and chew slowly with their teeth. They simply throw away what they do not want. This is what heretics do. They have doubts, so they do not have faith in the Right Dharma; they cling to their methods of spiritual practice instead of developing proper beliefs. They think that by engaging in such practices they can realize the fruits [of awakening] and become liberated from cyclic existence. They cling to this shortcut because they have not comprehended the truths of suffering, causation, cessation, and the Path. They choose their own methods of practice. They do not practice according to the teachings. When it comes to the truths of life, they deny the law of karma. They do not believe in this true principle. This is a form of greed.
They are greedy for immediate results from their spiritual practice. This is a kind of greed. In fact, all our afflictions arise from the five acute and the five chronic afflictions. The five chronic afflictions begin with greed.
The affliction of greed has two varieties.
1. Greed of the powerful: Those with this kind of greed seek to obtain things through dominance. In their greed they only think of themselves, they abuse others and bully the weak, causing great suffering for the people. They are like jackals.
2. Greed of the powerless: Those with this kind of greed want to beg from or cheat others. They take advantage of good people by relying on and ganging up with powerful people who abuse others.
There are two kinds of greed. The first is “greed of the powerful”. Greed of the powerful means we seek to obtain thins through our power. Many people nowadays have this insatiable greed. They want to be on the very top. The big dominate and bully the small. This causes suffering for the people; this “poison” spreads throughout the world. People like this are like jackals.
“Jackals and foxes” are very cunning like this.
The second kind is “greed of the powerless”. When we have this greed, we want to acquire things by “begging from or cheating others”. When someone is very powerful, we attach ourselves to that person in order to prosper by association. We have no power so we associate ourselves with someone who is very powerful. Along with them, we “take advantage of good people”. There are also many people like this.
Whether the strong are bullying the weak or the weak are aligning with the powerful, the same kind of karma is created. People “gang up with powerful people who abuse others”.
People without power rely on other people’s power to do bad things to get what they want. This is how they go about things.
Another way is like “Sucking and gnawing on corpses, whose bones and flesh were scattered about”.
Chewing, trampling, sucking, gnawing on corpses, whose bones and flesh were scattered all around: The creatures stamped and trampled on them. They would chew on the small pieces and trample the extra pieces. Sucking out the blood is called sucking. Breaking bones with ones teeth is called gnawing. This is an analogy for insatiable greed.”
We see this with dogs or some other animals, most commonly with dogs. When they begin to eat something, they hold it down with their paws as they bite it. This is what “sucking and gnawing” refers to. They step on it with their paws to claim it, then they begin to eat it. We often see this. While they hold something down with their front paws and are gnawing away at it, if they see something else they want, they hold down what they have with back paws and grab the new thing with their front paws. We can see the way they live. When they “suck out the blood”, they have ripped open the insides. The animal in their jaws is completely crushed. When the strong eat the weak, this is what happens. They still gnaw on the bones with their teeth. We see this kind of interaction between animals, the strong biting the weak and the weak struggling and dying in the jaws of the other animal until their body is destroyed. The stronger animal is eating the flesh and blood while his teeth are still gnawing on the bones. This is “an analogy for insatiable greed”. Indeed, this is very sad to look at and also very scary.
As for “corpses”, animals that have been chewed up may not have been completely devoured. Their guts may be laid bare in a bloody mess after their bodies are destroyed. This is an analogy for the five sense objects.
“The corpses are the analogies for the five sense objects. Scattered about means that when a pack of wolves is lying in rest out in the plains, they leave things in disarray; this is why it says scattered about. Insects will chew and eat thoroughly, but the creatures sucking and gnawing on the corpses leave remnants, thus bones and flesh were scattered about. Because they do not eat it all, the extra is scattered and dropped around the plains.”
As for “corpses, animals that have been chewed up may not have been completely devoured. Their guts may be laid bare in a bloody mess after their bodies are destroyed. This is an analogy for the five sense objects.
The corpses are the analogy for the five sense objects. Scatted about means that when a pack of wolves is lying in rest out in the plains, they leave things in disarray; this is why it says scattered about. Insects will chew and eat thoroughly, but the creatures sucking and gnawing on the corpses leave remnants, thus bones and flesh were scattered about. Because they do not eat it all, the extra is scattered and dropped around the plains.
The five dense objects are form, sound, smell, taste and touch. Don’t we humans desire these sense objects? Form, sound, smell, taste and touch are the things we are greedy for. How are we that different from the strong animals that bully and snatch things away from the weak? This is our greed. Even as we are working, we still think about and desire those things that are scattered about. When animals fight over something in the bushes, they tear at it until it becomes a mess. They may eat, then rest, then tear at it again.This state of chaos is what is referred to as “scattered.”
Insects are the bugs that arise [on corpses]. When other animals eat corpses, whatever is left looks very messy. “Bones and flesh scattered around describes what happens after the strong eat the weak. There is such a mess there. This is like what happens with humans.
After manmade calamities occur, isn’t the trail of destruction that is left considered a scattered state? This indicates that things are not eaten cleanly, bits and pieces are scattered all over the place. Why would we go and destroy the good things around us? Why would we bring conflict into a life that is going smoothly? This is what people are like.
In order to obtain [what they desire], some people hold many business dinners. Dish after dish of food is brought to the table. While eating all kinds of delicacies, people plat drinking games.
In those restaurants, the food that is brought out smells so good. Entire roasted chickens and sucking pigs are torn apart and eaten piece by piece. The entire table becomes messy.After people have drank and eaten their fill, all that remains on the table are some bones. Trash is littered all over the table. This is how we entertain others. And why do we do this? You want something, I want something. We negotiate over a meal. Isn’t this what people do? We become indulgent and scattered in behavior. This is what happens when we do not understand when to stop. This is the way life is.
Worldly people throw banquets and feasts with plates and cups scattered around. They gather the five sense objects and become indulgent and messy in their behavior. They do not know to stop when they enough. Life is like this.
Dear Bodhisattvas as we learn the Buddha’s Way we must be constantly vigilant. We must be aware of our negative karma and our fundamental ignorance, the five chronic and five acute afflictions. Greed, anger, delusion, arrogance and doubt constantly bind us like a rope. They wrap around us quickly and tightly. If we do not relax these ropes, these bonds of afflictions will drive us and remain in our minds. These afflictions which bind and drive us can give rise to countless afflictions. One thought of greed can give rise to countless afflictions pervading throughout the ten directions. Throughout the past, present and future this continues, thus we develop habitual tendencies. Because of this, the desire, form and formless realms are the three states that have filled our minds, within which fires and disasters break out. This reflects what happens in the world. Therefore, I hope that everyone can constantly be self-disciplined and reverent, be cautious and never become lax. To do this, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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