Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Facing the Retributions of One’s Karma (自作業因自受果報)
Date:November.20. 2015
“Good an evil karma cause retributions of joy and suffering. No one can add even the slightest transgression to our karma. No other can suffer the retributions of our own transgressions in our place. Good and evil karmic conditions apply to those with few or many blessings accordingly.”
Do you understand this? We ourselves have created all of our retributions. Negative or positive, the karmic causes we have created lead us to retributions of suffering and joy. They have all been created by us. The amount of karma we have created determines the amount of karmic retributions we face; we reap what we sow.
Whatever karma we have created in our past lives, we will have to face those karmic retributions ourselves in this life. If people want to add to our karma, they cannot. Thus, the actions we took in our past lives determine the retributions we face in this life.
As [unenlightened] begins, we need to pay close attention to every word we say, everything we do and every thought we give rise to. We need to be very cautious; otherwise “Good and evil karma [will] cause retributions of joy and suffering.” We will reap what we sow.
As we recite the Earth Treasury Sutra, we read the story of the Brahmin maiden and how filial she was to her mother. [Doing what she did] required the power of great vows. We should already know that this Brahmin maiden, has for many lifetimes, saved sentient beings from suffering by going into hell, the human realm and so on. Who is this Brahmin maiden exactly? The Earth Treasury Bodhisattva. He has the power of great vows. For lifetime after lifetime, he came and went in the human realm and the Three Evil Destinies without rest.
In the first volume [of the sutra], we chant the part about how when the mother of the Brahmin maiden was alive, she constantly slandered the Three Treasures. The Brahmin maiden tried to counsel against this, but no matter how hard she tried, at most her mom might [stop] temporarily. Yet not long after that, she would slander the Three Treasures again.
After she passed away, her filial daughter considered her situation. What worried her most was that her mother had fallen into hell. So, she tried to come up with ways to atone for her mother’s transgressions. She sold all their possessions to make offerings to the Three Treasures. The Brahmin maiden often came to the state of Ease in Meditation King Tathagata to pay her respects. She constantly thought, “Where is my mother right now?”
While praying reverently, she heard a voice speaking from the sky. The voice said, “I am the one you are reverently praying to for help right now, Ease in Meditation king Tathagata. I see how much you care for your mother, how much you miss her, and how you pray with the utmost reverence, as well as how worried you are about where she may be now. I will tell you. Hurry home and bring your mind into a state of stillness. Think about my name; then you will automatically know your mother’s whereabouts.”
The Brahmin maiden believed what she had heard and quickly returned home.At home, she quietly sat in meditation.In that state, with her every thought, she was mindful of Ease in Meditation King Tathagata.Then a scene appeared in her mind.She was right by the ocean, and the waves were huge.She saw many people in the ocean, floating on the surface and wailing.In the ocean water, many ferocious beasts were swimming about.There were also many yaks as and evil ghosts who tormented the people being punished by dragging them over, tearing them into pieces, then swallowing them.
When she saw them, she became frightened.
Then a ghost king came to her whose name was No Harm.He greeted her in a very reverent manner.“Greetings, Bodhisattva; what brought you here?”The Brahmin maiden asked, “Just what is this place?”No Harm answered, “This is the first great sea on the western side of the great ring of iron mountains. The people who come to this place are either people who created this karma or Bodhisattvas with awe-inspiring virtue. They are the only ones who can come here.”
[The maiden asked,] “Is this place hell? I have heard that hell is within the great ring of iron mountains.”The ghost king answered, “That is right. This is just the first great sea outside the great ring of iron mountains. To the east of this sea is another sea. The sentient beings suffering there are facing even worse misery and cruelty. To the east of that great sea is yet another sea. The suffering in the third great sea is even worse; it cannot be described in words. It is really excruciating.”
Hearing this, the Brahmin maiden became very worried and afraid.The ghost king asked her, “What brought you here?”She said, “I am here because my mother has died. I really want to know where she is right now.”No Harm asked her, “What is your mother’s name?”“My mother’s name is Yue Dili.”
Upon hearing that, No Harm immediately told the Brahmin maiden, “Bodhisattva, please rest assured. You can go home immediately. Yue Dili, who was to be punished, did indeed fall into hell. However, she has a child who is very filial. This child is always respectful and has shown love to everyone and benefited them. She made offerings to the Three Treasures and prayed to. Ease in Meditation King Tathagata with such reverence that it was very moving. This virtue has extended into hell. With the help of these merits, her mother has ascended into heaven; and not just her mother, but those being punished alongside her have also ascended into heaven.”
Then, the Brahmin maiden woke up and returned to herself.“I am so grateful!”So, she went back and made a vow before this Buddha to spend all her future lifetimes saving all sentient beings, Even if she had to go into hell or come back to the human realm, she would continue in all subsequent lifetimes.
Thus, Earth Treasury Bodhisattva said, “Until hell is empty, I will not attain Buddhahood. Until all have been transformed, I will forage enlightenment.”Only one with great merits and virtues can do this.
The Brahmin maiden had been kind from birth.
She constantly helped sentient beings out of love and always counseled her mother to have faith in the Three Treasures.She did not do this for just one lifetime.According to the Earth Treasury Sutra, Earth Treasury Bodhisattva had accumulated merits and virtues from saving lives over many lifetimes.It is because she had accumulated so many merits and virtues that she was able to save her mother.Therefore, we should always be mindful.
When we create karma, “no other can suffer the retributions of our transgressions in our place.”
Nobody can take our place and face the retributions of the karma we created.Similarly, no one can take away any of the blessings we have created.This applies to blessed and negative retributions.Depending on how many blessings we created, “Good and evil karmic conditions apply to those.With few or many blessings accordingly”.
If we created just a tiny amount of blessings, what can we really ask for? If we have created a lot of blessings, positive retributions will naturally come our way. If we do not have good karma, all we have is evil karma, therefore we will face much suffering in the world and produce many afflictions that we will bring with us into our next life. Will we end up suffering in hell, in the animal realm, or in the hungry ghost realm? There are countless layers of suffering; they truly never end. Thus, we should thoroughly understand that we create the positive and negative karmic causes that lead us to face retributions of joy and suffering. As we mentioned previously, those who slander the Great Vehicle principles with fall into hell.
“Upon emerging from hell, they are reborn as animals like dogs and jackals, haggard and emaciated in appearance, mottled black and covered in scabs. They are beaten and abused by humans”.
Not only are they born as animals; they have skin disease and are handicapped. When people see them, they become unhappy, so they beat them, etc. this is their karma. Being born an [animal] already brings suffering, and if they also have this kind of karma, their suffering will be unbearable.
The following sutra passage states, “Then they are also despised by humans and perpetually plagued by hunger and thirst, so their flesh and bones are withered and dry. Their lives are full of torment, and in death they are buried under stones and tiles. Having cut off the seed of Buddhahood, they suffer retribution for their transgressions”.
Regardless of whether they are animals or humans, the sight of them makes people unhappy. They often suffering from poverty and hardship and are born in very humble places. Moreover, they are always thirsty and hungry. Even though they left the hungry ghost realm to come to either the animal or human realm, they still do not have enough to eat. Hence, they are like hungry ghosts in either the human or the animal realm. So, “Their flesh and bones are withered and dry, making them physically very skinny. Their lives are full of torment”. While they are alive, they already experience so much misery. What about after they die? They cannot be buried properly. They are still treated like rubbish. Broken tiles and rocks, stones and sand, are used to casually bury them. This is what happens.
“Ten evil retributions suffered by dogs: Haggard, gaunt and sallow, dirty covered in scabs, beaten and abused, despised by humans, perpetually plagued by hunger and thirst, flesh and bones withered and dry, lives filled with torment, and set to die and be buried under rubble”.
Why did this happen to them? “Having cut off the seed of Buddhahood, they suffer the retributions for these transgressions”. We do not know what they were like in their past lives and how much karma they accumulated. They brought that karma to their present life. And this karma that they brought with them, where did it come from? Everything is created by the mind. “One thought gives rise to myriad actions”. With one single thought, the mind can create either good or evil karma.
“The Great Vehicle Buddha-Dharma explains that everything is created by the mind. One thought gives rise to myriad actions, and one action produces many fruits. So, upon emerging from hell, they are born in the animal realm. The latter retributions can deduced by the same principle.”
With our minds we can spread the Dharma and bring purity to people’s minds. With our minds we can also cut off the Dharma and the seeds of Buddhahood, causing people to be confused about the principles. So, “not being subject to the law of karma” and “not being ignorant of the law of karma” differ by only one character [in Chinese].
If one is “not subject”, one will not fear and will deny the law of karma. “Not being ignorant of the law of karma” means they clearly understand cause and effect. The difference in writing is just one character, but the difference in mindset is very great. “Everything is created by the mind. One thought gives rise to myriad actions, and one action produces may fruits”. One action can lead to many karmic retributions. Not only may they fall into the hell, hungry ghost or animal realm; even if they are reborn human they will face much suffering. In this way, they reap what they sow. Their lack of faith in the principles leads them to destroy others’ thoughts of goodness. That creates very severe karma.
Everything is created by the mind. If we do not take good care of our minds, one single thought can lead to many retributions. This is indeed frightening.
The sutra passage continues by stating, “If reborn as camels, or donkeys, they are constantly laden with burdens and flogged with sticks. Their only thoughts are of grass and water, and they know nothing else. It is because of their slander of this sutra that they suffer retribution like this.”
This is frightening! It describes the lives of camels, camel hybrids and donkeys. One of the Chinese characters for “camel hybrid” look very similar to the one for “donkey.” Their father are donkeys, and their mothers are cows. This hybrid of two species is called a camel hybrid. They look almost exactly the same as a pure camel. “Their only thoughts are of great and water, and they know nothing else. It is because of their slander of this sutra, that they suffer retribution like this.”
Being born into the animal realm, whether as camels, donkeys, oxen or horses, they all have to perform hard physical labor. These animals face four kinds of evil retributions. They are laden with burdens; oxen and horses need to pull loads, while camels and donkeys must carry them. Instead of pulling carts, they used their body to carry heavy burdens. When they walk slowly, they are flogged or beaten with sticks and rods. They suffer greatly and do not ask for anything in return; all they ask for is water and feed. They do not even think of seeking comfort or objects of desire. That is not possible for them.So, for them, “Their only thoughts are of grass and water, and they know nothing else.”
They do not ask for anything else. When can they possibly ask for? Being able to eat their fill is good enough. They just obediently toil and suffer. This is the suffering of animals.
“Or they are reborn as jackals and enter the villages. Their bodies are covered in scabs and sores, and they are missing an eye. They are beaten and thrown about by children, thus undergoing many sufferings, even to the point of death.”
This is also tremendous suffering! Jackals go into the villages. In fact, jackals closely resemble canines and dogs they are must skinner, and their faces are long. They are characterized by their cleverness, and they are also very sensitive and cunning. The same is true of foxes.
In the past, I have told a story about a fox traveling with a tiger. The fox in this case was a jackal. These jackals and foxes [are similar]. This story explains the saying, “A fox exploiting the tiger’s might.” The fox earnestly flattered the tigers so he could walk around with them. One time, as the tigers walked around the forest, the fox walked alongside them. When all the ferocious beasts and animals saw these tigers, they all scatted. The fox put on a very self-satisfied air, giving the tigers the impression that everyone was afraid of the fox, hence they admired him greatly.
In fact, the fox clearly understand, “I am relying in the might of the tigers with me, people are scared at the sight of the tigers, not me.”
In additions, some jackals are born with deformities all over their body. Even though they are clever and cunning, they still face the four evil retributions, being covered in scabs, being blind, being beaten and tortured by children and even being maliciously killed.
So, no matter how clever they are, they still have to suffer these torments, physical deformities, etc.
Therefore, in life we need to properly adjust our minds. We must return to our pure intrinsic nature and have a deep understanding of principles. Principles can enliven our wisdom-life, can help us to develop it. This is how true principles can help us return to our nature of True Suchness. They are the seeds of Buddhahood.
If people do not want to pass on the true principles and instead slander them, they are cutting off the seed of Buddhahood and severing people’s roots of goodness. The consequences for this world be unimaginable. The retributions for this transgression are very serious.
“Good and evil karma cause retributions of joy and suffering.” We must place great importance on this.” No one can add to our transgressions. No one can suffer retributions on our behalf. We face the retributions of the karma we create. So, we must create blessings, not diminish them. Thus we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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