Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Evil of the Saha World Must Be Endured (娑婆堪忍 雜惡雜會)
Date: November.28.2018
“’Saha’ means ‘endurance’. The sentient beings of this world must endure. It also means as intermingling of various evils. This refers to the coexistence of beings of the Three Evil Realms and the Five Destinies. In the Saha World, there is much suffering from the matters that must be endured. This is the general name for this trichiliocosm which is the place embraced and transformed by one Buddha.”
Dear Bodhisattvas, we must be mindful! When we speak of “the Saha World,” “Saha” means “endurance,” so it means a “world that must be endured.” Its name is “that which must be endured,” and from its name we can infer that it is something that we must patiently endure. This means it is a place of great suffering. We must patiently endure it! This is what its name means. We must patiently endure like this. We sentient beings, without any control, come to the world through our karma. Through our circumstantial and direct retribution, we arrive in the world in a stage of confusion. Now that we are here, what now?
This is the way it is; we do not know the reason why we are born in this place, what are our causes and conditions. We know nothing about the law of karmic cause and effect, nor do we wish to find out about it. In any case, we are born like this and live our lives in a state of confusion. Living in this environment, in this outside world, when our sense organs come in contact with the outside world, consciousness arises and then craving beings. With craving comes desire; desirous thoughts arise in the mind. Desirous thoughts are thoughts of “wanting”. We “want” to get something, and in the process of trying to get what we want, we create karma. We insist on getting so many things, fighting to get them even without reason.
We may even go against our principles, by thinking of every way possible to get what we want. We even do things devoid of conscience. In this way, we create karma, causing various evils to intermingle.
If we look at our thoughts regarding things that we crave, our desires may be small, medium or great ones. When it comes to small desires, the thing we want may be trivial. It may be insignificant, yet we crave it, and for the sake of that trivial thing, we become anxious and afflicted, seeking to get it. If we cannot get it, then ignorance arises in the mind. Some people cover up this ignorance inside. It causes them anxiety, always keeping these afflictions sealed inside, suppressing them like this. They can never get what they want, so they have afflictions and so on.
If we just talk about our family lives, we may be “meeting those we hate.” What may have been love in the beginning may after a short while turn into resentment, to where they become unhappy to see one another. They have nothing to say to one another and would like to part ways but keep living together, lacking any other options. This can also make them depressed. Family dynamics are never simple. Even within a single family, a very trivial matter if suppressed can bring about mental illness and ignorance due to afflictions. When it comes to outside things, to things that we crave, we can conclude that whether they are great or small, all of them begin with the mind. Even small things can accumulate and become evil, so that the afflictions and ignorance we create, and the wrong things that we do just keep on accumulating. We can create a great variety of evils without even realizing it. Small things add up over the course of a lifetime and turn into a great variety of evils, and if this great variety of evils becomes even greater, they can become earth-shaking. They can become very great evils! Various evils keep accumulating like this, and this is how they become intermingled. How many kinds of evil can we commit over the course of our lifetimes? Are we far from or close to these? Intentionally or unintentionally, people are dragged along by all kinds of karmic conditions, so that their mistakes keep piling up. Things become complicated when these evils come together like this. This is “the intermingling of various evils”.
This is what causes many difficulties. If there are many genuinely evil people, they can create great evil karma. Their causes, conditions, effects and retributions keep on accumulating over long periods of time, over the course of many lifetimes. As those conditions gradually accumulate, they begin to catch up with them, until causes and conditions finally mature. They are together in the “coexistence of beings Three Evil Realms and the Five Destinies”. They are together in the same place, in the same world. That is a place where the threefold evil karma gathers together, where they suffer karmic retribution. It is a place of suffering, a place of indescribable suffering! We speak of falling into the Three Evil Realms. When it comes to the evil realms, where is hell? The realm of hell is not something we can see. People only know about superstition, [saying], “Oh my! The ghosts will come out in July!” “I’m scared!” Frankly speaking, if you find yourself in the Three Evil Realms it will be difficult to be freed and return to the human realm. People create ghosts in their minds. Those bogeymen exist in their minds, because their minds are not upright. They are not morally aware of the principles. They have no direction, no track [to follow] so their minds become distracted, filled with discursive thoughts, and they also have many superstitions.
So, it is only because people are ignorant that they call [lunar] July “the ghost month.” In fact, the ghosts have their own realm. Hell, in which there is extreme suffering, is a separate realm where they go after death. The realm of extreme suffering is called hell, but hell is not something we can see. We can see the animal realm, but we cannot see the hell realm. Actually, the hell realm exists on earth. That is a realm we can see. Look now at how many countries are on the brink of poverty, hardship and hunger. Not only are they very poor, but they are also not stable. They also suffer constantly from internal strife, from civil wars and so on. They never know peace, and they moreover suffer from poverty or from many natural disasters. Natural disasters and manmade calamities are all they know ever since birth. Their circumstantial and direct retributions entail such unbearable suffering!
From our meetings where [our staff] report to me each week, I know there are many countries now (August, 2017) that are suffering from great natural disasters. In India, Bangladesh and Nepal, there have been many natural disasters. In particular, over the course of last month, flooding has continuously spread there. It is the rainy season there now, but there was great flooding even prior to that, flooding at a level that is rarely seen. How are we to do disaster relief work there? The floods are so extensive that it is difficult to even get close to them there. The rainy season is now upon them, so the rain continues to fall and the waters continue to rise. How can international relief aid even get in? For those humanitarian agencies to get in and help them is truly not easy! The government tells us, “Give all the supplies to us, and we will distribute them for you.” Unfortunately, this is the type of government the international community finds impossible to trust. No matter how much aid goes in, the disaster victims who truly are suffering are unable to get help. They remain suffering.
They remain there suffering from the disaster, hanging on the verge of life and death. We cannot bear it, so we wish to go in, but we do not have the necessary karmic conditions or connections. This is a cause for great worry. [Our staff] reported in the meeting that they are doing everything they can.
In Nepal, there are several individuals who are working very hard, yet they are unable to do much. They do not have enough manpower. Even though we are willing to assist with goods they do not have the manpower to deliver it. It is too far away. Not only is it far away, but other obstacles make it impossible to get there. Finally, after disusing the situation, we decided that the conditions were insufficient so we are leaving those places alone for now. They are suffering there, but there is nothing we can do about it. This is how it is in the world. [India] is such a large country.
On Earth, India is very large, and then there is Bangladesh and Nepal. There three countries have experienced similar disasters one after another, but there is nothing we could do about it. There is also what is happening in the US, in Houston, Texas. Because of heavy rains, the water there keeps on rising and getting higher. When we look at the scenes there, we see broad swaths of land underwater. All of the houses are under water. They are also afraid that they will have to release water from a reservoir. Because there is already so much water, they are afraid the dam may not take it, so they may have to discharge water. Since it is already flooding there, what will happen if they must discharge even more water from the reservoir? When we held the meeting, it was early morning for them there, between 4 and 5 am. We learned from them there that throughout the entire previous day, the point that it was beginning to flood, so they are very nervous there. The water has kept on rising, making it impossible for them to go outdoors. All they can do is rely on videoconferencing; there is nothing more they can do. They do not dare to even go outside.
When night came, their anxiety steadily increased from the beginning of evening onward, especially since the weather bureau had predicted that the waves of heavy rain will continue over the next three or four days. How will they bear up under this, even in the daytime, but especially at night? Imagine what it is like there now.
Originally, living in a place like Houston, there in the US, in Texas, was just like living in heaven on earth. Then just like that, great waves of rain came and threw them into what is like a hell on earth. We may have read in the Earth Treasury Sutra how sentient beings’ karmic forces keep them rising and sinking there. It is the same now. How will they bear up under it? How are they to cope? Nevertheless, we must think of ways of getting emergency supplies to them. Imagine after these several days of flooding, what are they going to do about the things that they need for their daily living? There is no way for them to get natural gas, and there has been a power outage. How will they eat, how will they cook? Most important for them now is to have instant rice that doesn’t need to be cooked to be eaten. We need to quickly prepare this. It contains vegetables and rice, this instant rice, so we should quickly prepare it. It is so far away, but what can we do? We have to ship by air freight. Shipping is so expensive, but what can we do? We have to save people, so we need to move. They need such a lot of it, so we need to move. They need it and they need it quickly, so we have no choice but to ship it by air. We can provide them with supplies right now, but as we think of them there rising and sinking in that water, as we think of the water in each of their homes, what is it going to happen to them after the water has receded there? It will be unimaginable. It is very heartbreaking.
We should all hasten now to be vigilant and sincere. This is a time for self-reflection. There is so much suffering in the world, so much unbearable suffering. They never knew such suffering would hit them. It was so sudden; there was nothing they could do. In this way, they have nowhere to turn for help. All they can do is reverently pray. Everyone has made mistakes, and everyone has collective karma. This is a time for repentance. This is how it is in Texas.
Now let us talk about the great floods that are happening in Sierra Leone. They are suffering there in Sierra Leone! Their suffering there has been such long-term suffering. Now things have become [even more] terrible! It is terrible how they are suffering there. Normally, they were already suffering, suffering from pestilence and disease. They had just gotten over an infectious disease, and another natural disaster is now upon them. Ordinary life there, as we all may know, is already impossible enough for them. If we pay attention to what we see in the news, then this realm is not invisible to us. We can see it on the news now, the way they are living there. We can see it now. If you think about it, isn’t that a hell on earth? They are being tortured there! Intangible yaksas and evil ghosts [visit them] time and time again so that those already suffering people have to further undergo time after time of torment, time after time of suffering. Imagine how they suffer there! The air-freight shipments to Sierra Lenone have already arrived there one after the other, both the air and sea shipments. There is also international support, like the Healey International Relief Foundation. This is also a very large international relief organization. It is also a foundation. There is also the Caritas Freetown Foundation, as well as the Lanyi Foundation. These three foundations have teamed up with us to cooperate in dividing up the work. Everyone is working together to help the people in Sierra Leone. However, there are more than 6000 people that need to be fed every day, who need to have meals provided for them. Each day, each meal needs to feed over 6000 people. Nothing else but rice is being prepared for them to eat, but that is a lot of rice, and it must be continuously prepared for them. There are also many people without any homes to return to, so sanitation is also a major problem there. They lack food supplies, medicine and so on; they have nothing there. If you think about it, isn’t this due to the collective karma of sentient beings? When karmic forces created over many lifetimes are all gathered together in a place like this, then everyone there will suffer.
You see, this is the “intermingling of various evils”. In that place, there are so many in suffering and difficulty. In that place, there are actually also people who are able to get by. There are also businessmen there, but their numbers are few. They do not have an abundance of material goods; they are just not like the great majority who are all living in such suffering. Over half the population lives in suffering there! Not many live in the “human realm” in that place, because for most it is like living in hell. This is “the intermingling of various evils”. The karma of some whose circumstantial retribution is in that place is lighter, while the karma of others is more severe. So, they are intermingled in that place. This the Saha World.
How many other places besides Sierra Leone are like this in this Saha World? There are many other places like this in Africa. It is very widespread. So, this world, this earth we are son, the place we call the Saha World, is a place that must be endured. There are many people living in hell on earth, many living in the animal realm on earth, many living in the hungry ghost realm on earth. We can see this for ourselves. This “coexistence of beings of the Three Evil Realms and the Five Destinies is this Saha World”.
The Three Realms are the hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. The Five Destinies include the Three Realms as well as the human and asura realms. It depends on our karma which of the Five Destinies [we are born in]. These all coexist in this world. See how asuras start wars over nothing and create manmade calamities! If we think about the Three Evil Realms and the Five Destinies in this world, can we endure it? Without patient endurance, how can we go on living in a world like this? Even if you have a source of income, if you are fairly well-off, it is still suffering!
Some people are very wealthy. They have billions of dollars, are very rich, but they are still miserable! They may say something like, “I had such an such property, and I has such and such land, but someone has taken it away from me. It causes me untold suffering!” They may suffer until incapacitated by illness, even over things like property or land. Unable to let go, they still suffer. If we think about it, is this happiness? Wealthy people, rich people must patiently endure too. Only by letting go of their wealth will they have any way [of being happy]. They need to know the importance of giving, know to reflect upon the past, how much they have accumulated. Are we using what we have attained all for ourselves? How much can we possibly use for ourselves? We cannot use that much of it. Yet we talk about what we have earned, about how much we earn, how much we have, but we cannot keep it all in our pockets and we cannot carry it all upon our backs. Moreover, we are always in a panic, thinking, “How am I going to get it to the bank, get it into a safe and so on”. We also need to pay [for the safe]. This seems like a great contradiction. They do not know the importance of using their money and property to help the many who are suffering. No. All they know is worry about it and desire more. If you think about it, isn’t this a miserable existence? “In the Saha World, there is much suffering from the matters that must be endured.” There is indeed a lot of suffering from things that must be endured.
This world is a great trichiliocosm. The “trichiliocosm” refers to this world [consisting of] the desire, form and formless realms. There are all included within it. There are small chiliocosms and medium chiliocosms [that make up] a great chiliocosm when taken together. All Dharma-realms throughout the universe are included within this trichiliocosm. As a whole, we call it “[the world of] endurance”. Anything we humans experience over the course of our lives is included within it. We call it “the world of endurance”. This world of endurance is the realm embraced and transformed by one Buddha, by Sakyamuni Buddha. Sakyamuni Buddha has to come to deal with this great trichiliocosm, this Saha World that must be endured think about how much suffering and oppression there is in this world. It is truly unbearable suffering! The Buddha taught to the stubborn sentient beings. They are truly very stubborn and very hard to tame, they are extremely hard to tame. He would tell those who were around him, “Oh my, You must change your habitual tendencies!” You must be more mindful! You must focus a little harder”. But this was too much to hope for. Can we possibly understand the Buddha’s heart? This is of course inconceivable
We can never comprehend the Buddha mind [We may say], “I understand, I know”. But even if I just take about? But even if I just talk about my own mind, There is no way for you to understand. In the world, sentient beings suffering so much. What burdens do they bear in their minds? We do not know, we can never understand. It is the same! No one can ever understand what goes on in another person’s mind. This is why we suffer so, we cannot understand each other. Everyone gives their all, but I will never be able to understand how much they really give. This is suffering.
There is so much suffering in life. The best we can do is rely on the Buddha-Dharma. The Buddha left the Buddha-Dharma. I do all that I can teach it, but you must listen to it as patiently as you can. You must patient, you must listen patiently! When we listen, we can use it and understand it to the degree that we put effort into it. However much strength we have, we should promptly [make use of it], for time waits for no one. “With each passing day, we draw closer to death”. This is especially true now. One day there was a lay practitioner, a professor, who returned to the Abode. While we were speaking, he told me, “Something happened to my father overnight”. He was fine yesterday, but when he got up this morning, when my wife went to call him for breakfast, my father looked up and asked her “Who are you?” [She replied], “I’m your daughter-in-law”. [He asked her], “What’s your name?” He did not recognize her. It happened overnight! He had amnesia. He had completely changed overnight. We should seize the present moment. Whatever we can do, we should do well and with clarity. We must seize the moment.
So, in this world today, we need to be very mindful. So, the previous sutra passage said, “In this Saha World, when I attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, I taught, transformed and guided these Bodhisattvas, disciplining their minds and helping them form the will to practice”.
In this previous sutra passage, Sakyamuni Buddha is explaining exactly why He had come to the Saha World. It is because this transformation-land was Sakyamuni Buddha’s responsibility. Beginning a long time ago, He took on the responsibility of coming to teach and transform in the Saha World. It was at the time of Great Unhindered Buddha that He [first] made vows to attain Buddhahood and deliver sentient beings in this world of suffering that must be endured.
Beginning from then on, He has continually come like this, lifetime after lifetime, to teach and transform sentient beings. Because it had been such a long time, the number of sentient beings who had formed affinities with Him had continually accumulated like this. He had been teaching them for a long time, since the time they were ordinary people until they accepted the teachings and were transformed. He did this over many lifetimes. This is like those Bodhisattvas, the ones we talked about before, who numbered as many as the sands in the Ganges River. From as many as the sands in billions of Ganges Rivers, the numbers were then reduced to one half, to one quarter and to one-sixth. The numbers [of unenlightened beings] kept on decreasing until they became very small, until reaching four, three, two then one of them. The numbers of unenlightened beings, those sentient beings with afflictions, went from being many at first, but through continued transformation, they kept being transformed until they were able to spread the Dharma, were able to teach others and were able to guide others. The ones like that had already increased, while those to be transformed had decreased. Didn’t we talk about this before? Thus, so many [people] had affinities [with Him]. The Buddha kept transforming and teaching them until their karmic conditions had ripened, until they all had attained realization and they all had come to understand how to practice the Bodhisattva-path and teach the Bodhisattva Way. They went from confusion, from not understanding the Dharma, to where they were now able to accept the Great Vehicle Dharma.
So, the Buddha had, for such a long time, been transforming sentient beings who had affinities with Him like this. He transforms them even today, but next it is up to those with these affinities to form vows themselves, vows to transform and deliver others. This was what the Buddha wanted to tell us about those great many [Bodhisattvas] whom they saw emerging then from the earth then. Maitreya Bodhisattva and the others there, those nearby in that Dharma-assembly, had never before seen so many Bodhisattvas who had affinities with the Buddha. They had now all arrived there. The Buddha explained that their numbers were so great because it had been such a long time since He arrived in the Saha World and continually engaged in spiritual practice and continually transformed sentient beings. He had formed affinities by continually teaching, continually helping people’s karmic conditions to mature. He had then attained “supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment,” which is “Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi”. He had already attained this, attained Buddhahood. By bringing up the great numbers of those whom He had taught and transformed over such a long period of time, everyone could see how He had “taught, transformed and guided these Bodhisattvas”.
Throughout that very long time, He had always been in the Saha World. He never went anywhere else apart from the Saha World. He had been training them there since the time they were unenlightened beings right up until now when they had formed great aspirations to accomplish the Bodhisattva-path and become Bodhisattvas themselves who practiced “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions”. By now, they had all already resolved to practice the Bodhisattva-path.
All those people, “these Bodhisattvas, all abide below this Saha World, in the empty space of this realm”. These Bodhisattvas were everywhere, in such far-away places, always helping people everywhere.
Dear Bodhisattvas, we really need to be mindful. If we are not mindful, it will be impossible for us to realize how Living Bodhisattvas give or how much suffering there is in the world. If we do not witness suffering, we will never know our blessings. We are very blessed people. The greatest blessing is that we understand the principles. Our greatest blessing is that we are able to care about all the world’s sentient beings. We need to keep doing this. In the Saha World, there is nowhere the Buddha is not and there is no one He cannot deliver throughout the Dharma-realm of the universe. Throughout this great trichiliocosm, throughout this land that must be endured, His presence is everywhere. So, we have these conditions in a world such as this, to be able to know as well as practice and carry out this Dharma that is so true in our daily lives.
Everyone, we must truly, and not in name only, form great aspirations to practice the Bodhisattva-path and be Living Bodhisattvas. This is not out of reach for us if we seize the moment and promptly do what is right. By doing this, we will really be cherishing our lives. We must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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