Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Suffering from the Delusions of Views and Thinking (見思惑業苦)
Date:March.04. 2016
“Birth and death continue one after the other. From delusion we create karma, which leads to suffering. The delusions that lead to creating karma and nurturing it bring about future existence. All karma pulls us into entanglement, making it difficult to transcend birth and death. Only by eliminating the filth of afflictions can one be completely purified of dust.”
Everything comes from the mind! Life is a cycle of birth and death. We are born, then we die; after we die, we are reborn. Some run about busily, others idle away time. In a moment of carelessness, we can create disputes and resentments in our relationships.
Moreover, we will never be satisfied with the material things we have. What is even worse suffering is what we can see, the suffering of aging, illness, disability, etc. In the [cycle of] birth and death, don’t we want to find a way to thoroughly understand how we can come and go freely in this world and choose the kind of life we want?
From our present life to our future life, how will we make a transition? In what direction do we want to walk in our future lifetimes? We may not have any idea. So right now, all we can do is make the best of this present lifetime. In this life, we must have complete faith in what the Buddha taught. In this life we have some bad habitual tendencies. In this life we caused others to dislike us or were unhappy about others. In this lifetime we have many afflictions. After accepting the Buddha-Dharma, we will make an effort to change our relationships and say more kind words.
We must always be grateful and have a sense of repentance so we interact with others with genuine sincerity. We must eliminate past negative affinities and turn them into positive affinities in this life. Additionally we must create blessings. When we go among people, we discover many methods [we can use]. In creating blessings we give rise to wisdom; with wisdom we create blessings. Then we are replete with blessings and wisdom, which help each other flourish; this is the power of love. [Habitual tendencies] are “the delusions that lead to creating karma and nurturing it.” If we are interacting with others and remain in an unenlightened state, we will continue to go through birth and death and create karma. As we suffer like this, the way we treat each other causes mutual affliction, hatred and resentment. In this way, we create more and more karma. This is like when a seed is planted; it continues to sprout, and as it sprouts, it produces more and more seeds.
So, we have more “delusions that lead to [nurturing karma].” With this negative karma, afflictions and negative affinities will be continuously nourished and thus continue to arise. This “brings about future existence”; this will pull us to our next life, and these unwholesome conditions will continue. If this is the case, what will happen after that?
“All karma pulls us into entanglement, making it difficult to transcend birth and death.” The more we are involved and entangled, the tighter we are bound and the more resentment is created. As this extends into the future, the future resentment and afflictive emotions will give rise to more entanglements and bonds. Then, escaping cyclic existence will be difficult. This is like how, right now, our habitual tendencies and afflictions pull us to become indolent.
We may say we do not feel well or are tired or … there are all kinds of excuses. In this way, our minds are being held back by this coarse physical body. Where did our initial earnestness go? It is very cold in winter. Waking up so early in the morning is painful. If we could just stay under the warm blankets and sleep in a little more, wouldn’t that be enjoyable? Indeed! That is a pleasure.
But can we spend our entire lives in bed?Would that be suffering or would it be joy?If we had to spend our entire lives in bed, that would be unbearable suffering.
Yesterday, I heard Faith Corp members on a program on the Da Ai TV channel, sharing about environmental protection.
The interviewer asked, “Brother, you wake up so early every day. Are you able to get enough sleep?”
He said, “It all depends on our mindsets. Master said that sleeping is like a small death. I don’t want to be dead for that long. I want to live a little longer each day. Since I want to live longer, I choose to wake up earlier. This is how I can live longer.”
He was also asked, “Brother, aren’t you very tired?”
He said “I feel tired only if I sleep too much. When I wake up in the morning, the air is fresh, and my mind is very relaxed. I feel that I am practicing diligently every day. When I think of how I am diligently advancing, I am energized. In the morning, Master wakes up and teaches. I’m competing a little with Master.”However early I get up each day, He gets up just as early.This is how he competes with me.
When I heard how humorous this disciple was, I said in response, “Alright, I will compete with you. When I am speaking, are you actually here listening to me?”This is our relationship as teacher and disciple; this is why I can be a teacher.It is because I have this kind of disciples that I [teach] so earnestly.
So, when it comes to eliminating the filth of afflictions, I cannot be indolent.I must safeguard my initial aspirations.Only by doing this can I clear away dust-like afflictions.
Dear Bodhisattvas, I fervently hope that all of us can diligently practice together.“It is rare to be born human and rare to hear the Buddha-Dharma.”The Buddha-Dharma can be applied in our lives.By going among people, we can benefit sentient beings every day.We can cultivate blessings, wisdom among people.
Thus, we must earnestly seize these opportunities.
The previous sutra passage states, “Later, on another day, looking through the window, he saw the figure of his son in the distance.”
The perspectives of ordinary people and the Buddha’s ocean of enlightenment are so far apart from each other; this is why it is called “another day”.So, He had to use all kinds of methods.
Though we are still far from the Buddha, He is still analogous to the elder standing next to and looking out through the window.He looked into the distance and saw his son, while thinking o all the ways to approach him.
The next sutra passage states, “[He was] scrawny, haggard and downcast, filthy with the impurities of muck, dust and dirt.”
These “children” of His that the Buddha saw were in the same state; they had not absorbed much of the Dharma.
As we discussed yesterday, “They lack the strength to adequately listen to and practice the Dharma.”Even as they listened to the Dharma, they would forget what they heard.
The fragrance of the Dharma had not permeated them for long enough.One time, our volunteer Sufen went to Sanyi to look for pieces of fragrant wood to carve statutes of the Buddha.
What happened with the shavings?They told her, “Sufen, these will not go to waste. We take them and press them into oil. We make camphor oil and sandalwood oil.”They took her to see.
They stood there for a long time as this was explained to her.The entire room smelled very nice.When she walked outside, she said, “I’m outside now; how come I still smell the fragrance?”
The other person told her, “Because we spent some time inside the room where the sandalwood is being refined.While we were in there for that period of time, naturally the fragrance permeated you.”This is taking in the fragrance.
If we go in and then come out right away, we will not become fragrant.It is like going in , sniffing, and saying, “How come it smells so nice?” and coming right back out; then we will not smell nice.
Most important is that we take the Dharma to heart.The Dharma is the only thing we can take to heart.Perfume cannot be sprayed into our hearts; only the Buddha-Dharma [can be internalized].If we can constantly come in contact with it and apply it to our daily living, then we will have made this Dharma our own.
This is being “permeated” by listening and practicing.
We must earnestly take it in.We must earnestly practice it.In this way, we can truly take the scent of Dharma into our hearts.
If we only smell it briefly [and note], “It smell very nice,” we will still “lack the strength to adequately listen to and practice the Dharma.”
In this way, we will be lacking in nourishment.
If our wisdom-life is not nourished by the nutrition of the Dharma, if we do not take the Dharma-water to heart, we will be “scrawny”.
When we are lacking in nutrition, we become “scrawny”; we are very skinny. If our wisdom-life lacks nutrition, it is because we did not take the Dharma to heart. When we take very little Dharma to heart, our wisdom-life becomes very “scrawny”.
“Lacking cultivation of blessings and virtue, they have insufficient causes and conditions; thus it says they were“haggard and downcast”. This is a metaphor for affections.
When we are lacking in the cultivation of blessings and virtue, we will be lacking in good affinities. Therefore, if we do not earnestly cultivate blessings and virtue, we will be lacking in causes and conditions. In this way, we become haggard and downcast. When people see us, we will lack a “blessed appearance”.
A “blessed appearance” is not just a nice way of saying “plump”. It means that we inspire happiness in everyone who sees us. That is a “blessed appearance”. When we are blessed, people will feel an affinity when they see us. If people do not feel an affinity with us when they see us, it is as if we are “haggard and downcast”.
How does this come about? Because of afflictions. We lack affinities with people because of our afflictions. With afflictions, we are ignorant. With ignorance, we lack clarity. Because we are unenlightened beings, there are many things we do not know. There are also many things we take issue over. When we hear about the slightest thing that does no suit us, we become angry. Then we form [a negative] opinion about someone and become displeased with them. This resentment and hatred will continue on. This is “ignorance”.
So, “ignorance” will result in afflictions.
Afflictions are like “dust and dirt” and accumulate continuously in the same way. This accumulation of filth will become negative karma.
Being “scrawny, haggard and downcast” results from not creating blessed causes or forming blessed affinities. Then naturally people will not be happy to see us. When people are not happy to see us, we become angry. Out of anger comes resentment and hate. This principle is certain.
So, “This is a metaphor for all afflictions of views and thinking not yet being completely eliminated”.
Haggard and downcast: This is a metaphor for all afflictions of views and thinking not yet being completely eliminated. The inner fear of impermanence causes one to appear haggard, and outwardly encountering the Eight Sufferings causes one to be downcast.
When we feel afflicted upon seeing people or cause people who see us to feel unhappy or if they judge and talk about us and so on, we must earnestly engage in self-reflection. This is because “All our afflictions of views and thinking are not yet completely eliminated”. Because we still have afflictions, as we interact with others we will create many [problems]. That is in our relationships.
What about in our own minds? “The inner fear of impermanence causes us to appear haggard”. This is another example of what happens when our minds are lacking in the Dharma. Before our afflictions of views and thinking are completely eliminated, we will worry often. We worry about when impermanence will strike. We worry about losing what we have attained. We worry about suffering from illness in this life. We worry about aging, illness and death. We have many worries, and they all originate from our minds.
Thus, when our minds are lacking in the Dharma, we often look haggard because we are anxious and worried. If we have the Dharma in our minds, naturally we will feel peaceful and at ease, very carefree.
But when there is no Dharma in our minds, our external conditions cause us to worry, and we feel depressed for no reason. This is being “haggard”. Outwardly we encounter the Eight Sufferings. These are birth, aging, illness, death, parting from loved ones, meeting those we hate and the raging Five Aggregates and so on. Ordinary people cannot escape these, so they are haggard and downcast.
People who are “haggard and downcast” are lacking in spiritual [resolve]. [In learning] the Dharma, if our spiritual aspirations are not firm, if we do not take the Dharma to heart and cannot remain firm in our spiritual resolve, if we are not stable, there will be fear and worry in our hearts. Though [there is nothing to fear] in our lives, this how we live.
So, “much” is a metaphor for “delusions of views”. “Dust” is a metaphor for “delusions of thinking”. “Dust” will unceasingly accumulate. It will build up, layer after layer. “Muck” refers to coarse and dirty things.
It is a metaphor for “delusions of views”. As for “dust”, it is a metaphor for “delusions of thinking”. Our thinking is constantly affected by the accumulation of this dust and the buildup of these very subtle afflictions. This is “dust”. Views are coarse, and thinking is subtle. “Views” are coarse. “Muck” has a coarse appearance.
“Thinking” is subtle. “Dust” is subtle and fine. These kinds of filth, coarse and fine, these kinds of afflictions, are constantly present in our lives.
So, we are “filthy impurities.” Filthy is a metaphor for “painful retributions in the Three Realms”.
There are the Three Realms and Five Skandhas. We often talk about the Three Realms, the desire, form and formless realms. We often discuss them in the Chapter on Parables. The Five Skandhas are the Five Aggregates, form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. The Five Aggregates have constantly disrupted spiritual aspirations.
This is all due to afflictions and ignorance. “Impurities” are “delusions, karma and suffering in the Three [Evil] Destinies.”
Impurities: in addition, delusions, karma and suffering in the Three [Evil] Destinies are all impure. This becomes the appearance of sentient beings of the Five Turbidities.
“Delusions” refer to ignorant thought, dust-like delusions, etc. Their accumulation results in “suffering.” Where is this suffering? In “the Three [Evil] Destinies.”
The Three [Evil] Destinies are all impure. Destinies of views ad thinking are all impure; delusions and karma bring suffering. This continues unceasingly. All this forms the appearance of sentient beings in the evil world of Five Turbidities.With these delusions of views and thinking, we create the afflictions that combine to bring about the Five Turbidities.
In our current world. In particular, with delusion, karma and suffering, birth and death follow one after the other. Our births and deaths follow upon each other. In past, present and future lives, throughout many lives, we remain in this state of confusion. We cannot take anything with us; only our karma unceasingly follows us.
What kind karma? That from delusions of views and thinking.
Ignorance and afflictions lead us to take action, so as we interact with each other, the karma of negative causes and conditions endlessly arises. Thus, “Birth and death follow one upon the other. Birth and death continue to accumulate in this way and follow one another. So, “This is from delusion, karma and suffering.”
First, delusion is “that which creates karma and gives rise to and nourishes afflictions” that was the first thing I told everyone today.
Second, karma is “the actions that lead us to future existences.” This is how we create karma; because we have afflictions, we create karma.
Third, suffering arise from karma. Sentient beings unceasingly cause each other to create afflictions. The negative karma that results leads us to face suffering of karmic retributions. If we do not quickly eliminate the seeds of “delusion, karma and suffering, these habitual tendencies will always remain in our minds. ”
Dear Bodhisattvas, in learning the Buddha’s Way, we should always be mindful. Moreover, we must be meticulous. I often think about how, in life, many things are beyond our control. Clearly these are good things to do, so why do people’s aspirations to do them last for such a short time?
We clearly recognize ignorance, so why do we remain immersed in it for so long? Whenever a good intention arises, it is quickly overwhelmed by a thought of evil. When a diligent thought arises. Why is it that afflictions and indolence overwhelm it so quickly? This is why sentient beings forever transmigrate in the Three Destinies, the Six Realms and the four forms of birth without any control, facing so much suffering.How can we be liberated from this cycle?
We must take in the Dharma and continuously allow it to permeate our minds. We must listen mindfully and practice diligently. We must walk down this broad and direct path and never stray from it again. I can see how everyone’s mindfulness brings such order and beauty. Just seeing this, I can feel your reverence. Reverence is the foundation for the Buddha’s Way. Our lives are very harmonious. The Six Points of Harmony bring such beauty. Reverence and harmony bring perfection. So, we must constantly sustain this mindset; we must always be mindful,
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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