Subject: Not Believing in Cause and Effect is Terrifying (不信因果甚可怖畏)
Date:August.06. 2015
“Beings of the Five Destinies coexist with a mix of good and evil karma. With deluded karma, afflictions and deviant views, we deny the law of cause and effect. Everyone conceals seeds of cause and effect. Seeds contain an ocean of fruit; though hidden, they are not lost.”
Spiritual practice is inseparable from our mind. We should know that we are currently living in a place where beings of the Five Destinies coexist, where positive and negative causes and conditions are gathered together.
Beings of the Five Destinies coexist here; we should all clearly understand this. What are the Five Destinies? The Five Paths, the heaven, human, hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. I hope everyone will constantly take these in, familiarize themselves with them and remember them. We are now living in the Three Realms and the Five Destinies are in the Three Realms. We are presently in the “human destiny,” which is the human realm. In the human realm, there is both good and evil. Positive karmic causes result in positive effects. In the human world, some people enjoy great blessings, as if in heaven. They are like heavenly beings in the human realm. Negative karmic causes result in negative effects.
Right now, in this world, people who commit evils stir up trouble and cause instability in society. We also see people we feel very sad for. They experience adversities time and again. They are born into a disagreeable environment, and all kinds of suffering seem to be concentrated in on them. Their life is one of suffering! We understand that the causes of suffering we created in the past result in the fruits of suffering we face today. We created causes of suffering in the past, but are we still creating karma of suffering and evil now? Some people are poor, yet they remain diligent in the face of hardship. Though they labor all their lives, though things do not go as they wish, their hearts are still at peace. They do not create more negative karma. There are also people who are very wealthy, and everything goes smoothly for them. They are still kind and charitable in this life, continuing to give to others. Living a life of goodness, they still do good; these are people with blessings and wisdom.
With past positive karmic causes and conditions, they are able to receive the fruits of blessings in this life; they reap blessings because of their karma. As they reap the blessings [of their karma], they create the causes for more blessings. Thus they strengthen their affinity to hear the Buddha-Dharma. This is how they cultivate both blessings and wisdom.
People with evil in them can also change if they created causes and conditions in the past. They were born in this environment, and this shaped the kind of people they became. Though they grew up with the deluded karma, afflictions and deviant views of that place, they can still encounter incredible affinities that allow them to change their ways.
For example, in Selangor, Malaysia, there is a diligent [volunteer] who has been dedicated to doing recycling work for many years.
This volunteer is Mr. Chu Jinpeng. In the past, when he was young, he was born into an environment in which his family loved to eat, drink and gamble. Growing up in that environment, of course he also loved to eat, drink, play and gamble. He did all those things.
When he drove on the streets, if there was a car in his way, he dared to drive right into that car.
After running into them, he got out of his car to argue with them.He never felt like he did something wrong.
He was very loved to his friends.If any of his friends was bullied, one phone call would bring him out [to fight].So, he spent his days in the criminal underworld; e constantly argued, fought and yelled.Neither his speech, actions nor thoughts were kind.That was how he used to be.
Then he began to wonder why his friends were dying one by one.Some passed away, some ran away, some went missing.He [did not want to continue in] this environment.
So in 1988, he left Malaysia and went to the United States.There, he encountered a Buddhist organization.Someone gave him the book “Thus I Have Heard”.
Through this book he came to learn about Tzu Chi, and about the founder of Tzu Chi.This came from reading that book.This was how he became involved with Tzu Chi in the US and how he devoted himself to recycling work.
In 2000, he returned to Malaysia and found Tzu Chi volunteers in Selangor.He got involved and was thus able to put his mind at peace.
He was very mindful when he did recycling work and was constantly giving; this made him happy.
His own child said, “My father was not like this before. He is now truly a kind father, very caring.”His mother also said, “He was very disobedient; now he is very filial.”His wife said, “My husband now is considerate and gentle. Before he only used to yell and curse. Now he speaks in tender and loving tones.”
He completely turned his life around.Now, he is a certified Faith Corps member.He was certified two or three years age.In his now awakened life, he realized that his brothers in the underworld were either dead, missing or on their run.
Life has no inherent [quality] so when he was lost, he created deluded karma, but when he awakened, he walked the Bodhisattva-path.
This all happened in the human realm, where beings of the Five Destinies coexist.
He grew up in an [unwholesome] family environment and learned to live that kind of life.
He had the karmic conditions to go elsewhere, which changed his life.
This is why lately I have been bringing up the Five Destinies, deluded karma and the law of karma.There is so much in life that is incredible.
Everything arises from the mind.
If we deny that there are positive and negative karmic retributions, then we will continue to commit transgressions and thus be unable to wake up.
So, “we deny the law of cause and effect”.But, “Everyone conceals [the seeds].”In every one of us, “Seeds contain an ocean of fruit.”
The source of a great tree is concealed within a tiny seed.With the convergence of causes and conditions, when soil, water ,sunlight and air come together the seed become a seedling, which grows into a big tree that produces flowers and fruits.Then there will be an “ocean of fruit”.
From this tiny seed comes countless fruit as this cycle repeats endlessly, as the tree bears fruit year after year.This is incredible.
Thus, karma is “hidden but not lost”.It is all contained within us.So, the previous sutra text already described everything from birds and beasts to goblins to monsters.All of this tells us that everything arises from the mind.
Next, “They were leaving, nursing, procreating, each hiding and safeguarding [their young]. Yaksas were contending with each other to seize and eat them. Having eaten their fill, their evil thoughts became more fierce”
“Laying” refer to birds. Birds are hatched from eggs. they lay and then hatch the eggs. so, “laying” refers to birds. “Nursing” refers to the animals who drink milk right after being born. Their mothers are “nursing”. Creatures that fly in the air or walk on the ground are all included in “laying, nursing, procreating”.
“Birds lay eggs; this is laying. Beasts nurse newborns; this is nursing. This is analogy for the teachings of karma. That which gives birth is a cause. That which is given birth to is an effect.
Whether they are egg-born or womb-born, they are “each hiding and safeguarding”. “Each hiding and safeguarding” means that every kind of living being harbors habitual tendencies specific to its species, and each has its own inherent poison. Several days ago I was saying that bees have their own kind of venom, and mosquitos also have their poisonous nature. Mosquitos are very small creatures that breed and live in filthy conditions. When they bite people, they can transmit germs to them. So in this way, these tiny insects are inherently born with the ability to spread the causes of illnesses. These [toxins] are harbored within them, to say nothing of snakes and bees.
So, among these countless kinds of creatures, there are many different ways of living, different ways of being born. This is an analogy for “the teachings of karma”. That which gives birth is the cause; That which is given birth to is an effect”.
All is concealed within what they give birth to. Their way of life, their body, etc. conceal both causes and effects. This is what “each [is] hiding and safeguarding”.
“Each hiding and safeguarding [their young]: With causes, effects are hidden; this is hiding. They will never be lost; this is safeguarding.”
“Within causes; effects are hidden; this is hiding”. Every cause has an effect. Consider a tiny seed. Each seed has a shell that protects it encompassing the tiny thing inside; that is the kernel. Hidden within the cause is the effect, the way a great tree is hidden within a very tiny seed. Within causes, effects are hidden; this is hiding.
We talk about the eighth consciousness, which is also our storehouse consciousness. All the causes we have created are stored within this eighth consciousness. Causes created in past lives were brought with us, and along with causes we create in this lifetime, we bring them with us into the next life. We endlessly add to our storehouse consciousness, so lifetime after lifetime we continue to face the manifestation of our karmic retributions. This is the working of the law of karma and our storehouse consciousness.
This consciousness is not only found in humans. All living beings have this storehouse consciousness within. So, they will never be lost; this is safeguarding. [The karmic seeds] are protected. Whether we do good or whether we commit evil, there is a layer which is safeguarding us.
When good or evil meet karmic conditions, when causes converge with certain conditions, the fruit will manifest. This is the wondrous working of karma.
“Yaksas were contending with each other to seize and eat them”. No matter how evil a creature is there is another that is even more so. No matter how evil vipers or ferocious beasts are, there are [worse creatures] that come and go without a trace. These evil ghosts and yaksas still “battle to grab and pull”. We speak of them as well.
The yaksas mentioned here are an analogy for people’s deviant views.
“Yaksas: With deviant views, people will deny the karmic law of cause and effect. This is like yaksas who fight each other to get human flesh and poisonous insects to eat.”
If a person’s mind goes astray, then his mind will give rise to evil. Once evil arises, he is no longer pure in heart. Then he will deny the law of karma. He will not want to believe in the karmic retribution of good and evil, so he will have no concept of cause and effect. “As long as I like it, I can do whatever I want”. He shows off and fights and thus is like the yaksas, who constantly “fight each other to get [things]”. They fought to take things from each other, in the open and in secret, as if they were competing to get human flesh or poisonous insects to eat. Whether they want to eat humans or animals, they are always showing off and fighting fiercely.
They fought to take things from each other, in the open and in secret, as if they were competing to get human flesh or poisonous insects to eat. Whether they want to eat humans or animals, they are always showing off and fighting fiercely. This is their state of mind because they deny the law of karma.
Yaksas and evil ghosts seem far removed from us. Among people, there are those who do not fear the law of karma, and those who do not understand the principles. So, we see [examples] of this too.
Therefore, “Having eaten their fill, their evil thoughts become more fierce.
Those who have eaten their fill are those who seek principles with deviant views. With their mixed-up and false views they do not believe in cause and effect. Thus they cut off their roots of goodness and help their evil thoughts become more fierce and their deviant grow more extensive.
See, they have eaten their fill. This is an analogy for those who seek principles with a deviant mindset, with their mixed-up and false views. People like this do not believe in karma, so they “cut off their roots of goodness and help their thoughts become more fierce.” Thus, the evil in their minds rages all the more furiously, and “Their deviant views grow more extensive.”
The more extensive these deviant views become, the more their acts of evil expand and grow.
Thus the evil in these people grows stronger. See how this leads to tragedy for so many people are driven from their homes and blood is spilled everywhere; this is a result of human cruelty. This is what is meant by, “The sounds of clashing and fighting are deeply terrifying.
The sound of clashing and fighting: In their hearts are evil thoughts and outwardly express evil actions. With their speech they proclaim that there is no karmic cause and effect. This can lead listeners to fall into the Three Evil Realms. Thus it is deeply terrifying.
These sounds of clashing and fighting alone will bring worry and fear to people. In today’s media, whenever something happens in some country or in some society, reports of it will become widespread. These clashes, fights and manmade disasters make people very nervous and unsettled.
“In their hearts are evil thoughts.” People with thoughts of evil will manifest them in their words and actions. With their body, they commit wrongdoings. With their speech, they cause many conflicts. So, they create karma of body, speech and mind. People liked this do not believe in cause and effect. Thus they will fall into the Three Evil Realms.
This is inevitable in their future. As Mr. Chu said, he saw that his friends were either dead or had run away, or else had gone missing. There were no happy endings. “Thus it is deeply terrifying.”
These are all analogies for how the deviant views of sentient beings will produce many afflictions. They will flourish endlessly, continuing to replicate and spread. We share these deviant views with each other, so you and I both end up seeing things the same [mistaken] way.
People mutually pull each other down, to commit evils and give rise to deviant understanding and views.
Some will say. “Fine, I want to practice! But they deviate in their spiritual cultivation and walk a deviant path. These are mistaken forms of spiritual practice.
The view of deviant precepts is clinging to a deviant path as the correct path. This is called seeing the wrong cause as the cause. One example is taking cow or dog precepts.
In India, some engage in spiritual practice that involve precepts relating to dog and cow excrement. They want to use them to eradicate afflictions. Actually, true spiritual practice takes place among people. By going among people we learn to develop patience; we learn to open up our minds, and we learn to interact with others without being contaminated by their various afflictions. Being willing to give of oneself to others is the only way to truly engage in spiritual cultivation.
So, I hope that everyone will contemplate this quite carefully and thoroughly. 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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