Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Deluded Karma Begets Future Existences (無明惑業感應後有)
Date:August.24. 2015
“Ignorance and deluded karma beget future existences. All phenomena are subject to constant change and thus are impermanent. With delusional thinking, we create karma and deny the law of cause and effect. Such a mindset of ignorance gives rise to thoughts that never abide.”
Yes, ignorance. All sentient beings are ignorant. Though we continuously listen to the Dharma, there are still so many external phenomena that cause thoughts to arise and stir in our minds. Then, without our control, our body and mind take action. With our mouths we say things we should not say. With our body we do things we should not do. This is because there is still ignorance in our minds.
Ignorance means that we have not taken the Dharma to heart, which is why our minds give rise to delusions and lead us to create karma. When delusions arise and we create karma, that begets “future existences”. For certain, as are the causes and conditions, so are the effects and retributions. Thus, “future existences” arise as the result of ignorance and deluded karma. So, we endlessly experience the cycle of karmic retribution and are in a state of confusion. Ignorance keeps begetting more ignorance. Through successive lifetimes, suffering has constantly followed us like a shadow. Wherever we go, our shadow follows us. So, “All phenomena are subject to constant change and thus are impermanent.” We still do not understand the aggregate of action, though we talk about it every day.
The Five Aggregates start with the aggregate of form. All the many kinds of things we see are deteriorating without our awareness. While I am sitting here, because there is an osmanthus flower right here, the fragrance of the flower wafts over me. Yesterday the flower appeared very fresh. When I see the flower today, although it has not been touched, it has already begun to turn yellow. This is an expression of the aggregate of action.
This flower is in front of me. From its fragrance, we can identify it as an osmanthus flower. But it will not stay the same forever. From yesterday to today it has already undergone infinitesimal changes. This is what happens to all phenomena.
This principle is something we cannot see. What we cannot see are these principles of life. These principles give this flower the potential to give off this very fragrant smell. This is also a phenomenon. This kind of phenomenon also cannot be seen. However, it exists within this space and time, in the space of this vast universe. This vast universe encompasses all phenomena, but all things with “form” that come into being through the workings of these principles are subject to constant change.
The aggregate of action also contains [the aggregate of] “feeling”. Form leads to feelings, the things we sense and feel. When I smell the refreshing scent of this flower, I feel very happy. When I see that everyone is mindful and diligent, I feel a sense of great ease and peace. At this moment, this is how I feel. But how will I feel in the future? I have no idea.
Feelings arise in us the moment we come in contact with something. After we develop these feelings, our minds begin to churn; we want it and we cannot get it, so we feel very afflicted and uneasy. When afflictions remain in our hearts, we give rise to thoughts and turn them over in our minds. We always keep them on our minds; this is called “perception”.
Not getting what we want causes great suffering.With the aggregate of perception, as we connect with various conditions and absorb them into our minds, they cause us to become afflicted, to become lost and deluded and to create karma.So, we start taking action.
In this way, all phenomena are subject to the aggregate of action.With the aggregate of action, or with form, feeling and perception, all things are “thus impermanent”; they will never stay the same.However, we endlessly engage in delusional thinking [and ] create karma.
Delusional thinking leads our imagination to run wild.These delusional thoughts cause us to take action, thus creating karma.
Have we taken these principles to heart?“With delusional thinking we create karma and deny the law of cause and effect.”A momentary thought arises, “I’m attached to this I really want to have it.”So, we constantly focus on our limited self and forget the law of karma.Thus we cannot experience the True Dharma of the greater self.
“Such a mindset of ignorance gives rises to thoughts that never abide.”Because of our confusion and delusion, we ordinary people have three major problems, greed, anger and ignorance.The source of all of this is ignorance.
Ignorance is not understanding principles.Thus, with ignorance, we cannot understand principles, and discursive thoughts arise in our minds.We have greed and desires, and when we cannot satisfy our greed, we become angry.
Therefore, our greed and anger arise because of ignorance.
When the Buddha gave teachings He often taught according to life’s circumstances.
Once He told a story about from many lifetimes ago.There was a kingdom called Varanasi.
There, a group of monkeys lived in the wild.
In the wilderness, there was a large tree.
Underneath this large tree was a very large well with water in it.
At dusk, when the sky slowly became dark, the monkey king was sitting on the branches.When he looked down, he saw the moon in the well, so he quickly told the troop of monkeys, “Everyone, please be attentive. The moon in the sky has died and fallen to the bottom of the well. The moon is at the bottom of the well, so we must quickly leave this place in order to escape the long, dark night.”
All the monkeys asked, “What do we do?”
They were all very nervous.“we must leave quickly!”“How do we leave?”
The monkey king said, “I will hold on to this branch, and you will climb down my body and hold on to my tail.Then the next one will climb down and so on.”
There were many monkeys, so starting from a high branch, they hung off of each other.The branch could not support all their weight, so the tree branch broke off, and the tree of monkeys all fell down.Where did they fall?They all fell to the bottom of the well.
When the Buddha reached this point of the story, He told the bhiksus, “Bhiksus, you should know; the monkey king of that time is now Devadatta. That troop of monkeys are now the monastics following Devadatta and causing disruptions within the Sangha. Some of them are “evil-natured bhiksus.All they are monastics within the Sangha, they are not focused on being in this community se they are disturbing this Sangha by not upholding the Dharma I have taught.”This is following a deviant path.
They act on whatever they hear; without discerning whether it is true or false, they just take action.This is the karma that ordinary people create to of their delusion.
This will certainly beget “future existences”.
The kind of action we take will determine the kind of the results that come to fruition.This is a law of nature.
These kinds of “thoughts that never abide,” these afflicted, ignorance thrushes, are constantly arising one after another, so our minds are constantly trapped in ignorance.
Sentient beings’ delusions are unbearable suffering!
So, the previous sutra text states, “The ridgepole, beams, rafters and pillars quaked and splintered with explosive sounds. Smashed and splintered, they collapsed, and the walls came tumbling down”.
Isn’t this house just like the world? This house has already been deteriorating, and its walls have begun to crumble. The mountains, rivers and the land do this too. The karmic forces created by sentient beings have already caused the Three Realms [to decay].
When the Three Realms are mentioned, we should think about the afflictions inside our minds and our desires. In the desire, form and formless realms, our imaginations run wild, giving rise to many afflictions, and all the karma we create comes together.
So, the following sutra text further states,
“With ghosts and spirits crying out loud in raised voices, eagles, vultures and all kinds of birds, kumbhandas and the like, the obstacles all around were terrifying. They could not escape by themselves”.
“Ghosts and spirits” refer to our mental afflictions. Our mental afflictions will make us say improper things, things that disturb people, or express matters that are improper. This happens when we do not understand that the intrinsic nature of all things is empty. All phenomena are empty and still in their nature. The ultimate nature of all phenomena is without form, sound or taste. In this world there are countless kinds of different things, yet they all have their own qualities, ways of life and potential. In this world and this universe, there are phenomena of all forms and appearances and beings born and living in every way.
So, when we talk about a seed, at its core, isn’t there a cause that is contained within that seed? The principles of that cause cannot be seen. The seed is tangible, but the cause is invisible. When the seed is planted in the earth and comes in contact with water, air, etc., it will follow these principles to manifest its potential. Thus, the seed is inherently empty. When it is separated from these conditions, when it stands alone, there is really nothing for us to see. It quietly sits there, and we cannot see its potential to sprout.
So, the intrinsic nature of all phenomena is empty. It is permanent and indestructible. It will always be the same. However, with out unenlightened preconceptions and afflictions, we “instead give rise to nihilistic views” nihilism is deviant view. When things encounter suitable conditions, their potential will be manifested. So, if we manifest these deviant views, our deviant views and understanding will lead us to break the proper rules of the Dharma.
Instead, we will give rise to nihilistic views and “mistakenly hold that after the body dies there is no rebirth”. We will think that after dying in this lifetime, we will never come back again. There are also those who believe in eternalism, that since they are human in this life, even if they do not practice in this lifetime, they can [be human] and practice in the next. This is eternalism. Some people think death is the end, so while they are still around, they do whatever they want and deny the law of karma.
Both eternalism and nihilism are incorrect views. The truth is that all things’ intrinsic nature is empty and still, permanent and indestructible.
“This means they do not know that the intrinsic nature of all phenomena is empty, that is abides permanently and is never destroyed. Instead, they give rise to nihilistic views and mistakenly hold that after the body dies there is no rebirth. This is known as nihilism.”
We cannot take anything but our karma into our next life. Noble and unenlightened beings are in different states. Noble beings can eliminate all kinds of afflictions. When they come back to this world, they are free of afflictions and will not be contaminated by them. They only bring compassion for sentient beings; they come to save and transform them.
Yet whenever we unenlightened beings encounter [a challenge], afflictions will fill our minds, and ignorance will arise again. For all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the True Dharma always abides in their minds. Our unenlightened minds fluctuate, so we continue transmigrating in the Six Realms.
For people who believe in “nihilism”, they continue to believe they are correct in their thinking, that “When this life ends, it is ended forever”, and there is no future existence and no rebirth. This is what they insist is true. They think this is obvious, so they “cry out loud in raised voices”. Eagles and vultures symbolize chronic afflictions, and kumbhandas stand for acute afflictions.
Some people think it is very obvious that when people die, they die and never come back. This is very obvious to them. So, they keep proclaiming this idea loudly. They stubbornly insist their beliefs are correct, that what other people say is incorrect and that only what they say is correct. Thus they are “crying out loud in raised voices”.
Eagles and vultures are the chronic afflictions that are crying loudly wherever they are. The kumbhndas symbolize the acute afflictions. Eagles, vultures and all kinds of birds are all analogies. One kind of [analogy] is to what can be seen, and another kind is to what cannot be seen.
What can be seen are birds, what cannot are the kumbhanda demons. Whether they are visible or invisible, they are crying out loud; people remain stubbornly attached to their erroneous teachings.
So, “With kumbhandas and the like, the obstacles all around were terrifying.” “They could not escape by the themselves.”
[With] kumbhandas and the like, the obstacles all around were terrifying. They could not escape by the themselves: Such sentient beings have afflictions and impure minds. With the combined attacked of the Five Views, they do not seek the practice of the Right Path.
In this place, we may be very terrified. We keep calling out, but we do not clearly understand the principles, so we end up leading people down the wrong path. Whether tangible or intangible, these things [represent] afflictions in our minds. In “the combined attack of the Five Views, the Five Views are the view of self, extreme views, deviant views, stubborn views and the view of deviant precepts. These are the five acute afflictions.
So, what are the five chronic afflictions? Greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. These five afflictions are in our minds. When our body, comes in contact with our surroundings, the afflictions in our mind will stir in response, and we will create all kinds of karma that will yield karmic effects; the cause we create will lead to certain effects. This is all because of afflictions and ignorance.
This “combined attack of the Five Views” is when the “view of self” and so on converge with “greed” and the rest. Together they are called the Ten Afflictions, which are the five chronic afflictions and the five acute afflictions combined. The five afflictions from both sides come together and attack [our minds] so we do not seek the practice of the Right Path.
Then we will not earnestly practice the Right Path. “Not knowing the way to escape,” we “abide constantly in the Three Realms” and “willingly suffer cyclic existence.”
This is how we are; we are willing to remain in the Three Realms. In the Three Realms, due to the afflictions and ignorance in our minds, we willingly create karma and continue transmigrating. Thus there are “obstacles all around.” Wherever we go there seem to obstructions. In every direction we look, there do not seem to nay be roads we can take. Thus there are “obstacles all around.” These are hindrances.
Not knowing the way to escape, they abide constantly in the Three Realms. They willing suffer cyclic existence; thus it says there are obstacles all around. These earthly matters explained above are an analogy for fires igniting in the desire realm.
All the things described above are analogies for fires igniting in the desire realm. This is expressing that we ordinary people have already created so much karma that this era is already filled with the Five Turbidities. Since it is filled with impurities, people’s minds are afflicted and ignorant, and our morality and ethics have already slowly deteriorated. As a result ,at this time, a fire has arisen in the Three Realms; everyone’s mind is raging like a burning fire. Right now, it is as if smoke has filled the air, and no one can find their direction. This is what things are like right now.
So, we Buddhist practitioners must mindful and remember how to engage in spiritual practice. There is only one course of spiritual cultivation, to eliminate ignorance, delusion and karma and to more clearly understand to more clearly understand karmic causes and conditions, how they begat “future existences.” Whatever we do, we bring they karma with us. This is something we should be careful about. We must remember that “all phenomena are subiect to constant change and thus impermanent.”
We should understand this very clearly and not create karma out of delusion. We must examine our own minds; do we have this mindset of ignorance? Do we have these “thoughts that never abide?” This is why we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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