Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: The Spiritual of Mind. (心靈的境地)
Every day we discuss how Dharma is like water. Every one of us should thoroughly cleanse our heart and mind each day. To do that, we need to apply Dharma at every moment. The Buddha’s teaching is the best water for cleansing our minds.
Because we are ordinary people, our minds are tainted by many defilements “Regardless of social status, everyone has committed innumerable wrongdoings.” Since Beginningless Time we have continued to accumulate defilements that obscure our true mind. Therefore, we should constantly work to cleanse these defilements from our minds.
We repent today because we ordinary people have remained unenlightened since Beginningless Time. Regardless of social status, everyone has committed innumerable wrongs. These transgressions arise from the Threefold or the six Roots.
Yesterday we spoke of the Threefold Karma. “Wrongs are committed through the Threefold Karma”. The Threefold Karma are body, speech and mind, which branch out into Ten Evils. Just as our afflictions are innumerable, like dust on this earth, so, too, are our bad karma.
Why do we speak only of Three karma and Ten Evils? Because they are the broad categories. We should understand that much is created through conduct, speech and thought. Through the body, we commit three kinds of evils.
The Threefold Karma of body, speech and mind creates the Ten Evils. Karma of the Ten Evils—
Body: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct.
Speech: harsh words, lies, flattery, gossip.
Mind: greed, anger, ignorance.
Yesterday, we talked about “killing”. Killing is the heaviest karma. People’s ignorance causes them to slaughter to slaughter and consume all kinds of creatures on Earth in order to sustain their own lives. It is blind ignorance, doing so only for the sake of the body.
Moreover, human beings directly and indirectly commit crimes and kill one another. Some of this occurs on the battlefield. This creates collective karma for sentient beings. With collective karma, when disaster occurs, the result will be devastating. Since Beginningless Time, we have created much bad karma through killing, both indirectly and directly. The body has truly created many transgressions. With this body, we continue to create incalculable bad karma. Bad karma is able created through speech.
Besides killing, the body also commits the evils of stealing and sexual misconduct. Killing, stealing and sexual misconduct all originate from the mind. Moreover, sexual misconduct creates distress and fear. Whether killing for the sake of lust, romantic attachment or revenge, such killings are all fearsome.
The body’s unwholesome conduct creates Three Evils.
Killing: killing and harming living beings.
Stealing: taking others’ valuables.
Sexual Misconduct: improper sexual acts.
The next is karma of speech.
There are four evils of speech---harsh words, lies, flattery and gossip.
We might think, “They’re just simply words. I only spoke wrongly, does that really create bad karma? I only spoke a bit loudly and harshly, is that really a mistake? I only unintentionally repeated and spread someone else’s words, is that really so serious?” Or, “Although I am really angry at him and despise him I only say sweet words to him. Does that really create bad karma?”
Yes it does. “Harsh words” can really hurt others. Why are there so many interpersonal conflicts between people? Interpersonal conflicts originate from harsh words. When we speak harshly, our intention is to hurt others. When we scold other loudly, many things that need to be done cannot done, because the person we scolded gets irritated, and we ourselves become agitated and unable to calm down. Thus, not only do we create bad karma, we also harm others.
Harsh words often damage both parties, and inevitably turn into heated arguments. When we watch the news each day, we often see a group of people who are not able to perform many of their duties because they’re always fighting with each other. Harsh speech harms oneself as well as others. Moreover, abusive speech is just like constantly cursing others and cursing oneself. With such verbal battles there is no harmony between people, and society cannot be at peace.
Moreover, people are constantly cursing others, and constantly cursing themselves. Hence, harsh words are truly frightening. As Buddhists, not only should we abstain from harsh speech, we should speak gentle and kind words. We should express our love and help soothe those whose hearts have been wounded. Thus, we should train ourselves to not speak harsh words, and to develop gentle and kind speech.
“Lying” is speaking untruthful words, twisting and manipulating the truth and creating conflicts so that there is no justice. When interacting with a person who lies, it is difficult to differentiate between what is true and what is fabricated. This is all the result of untruthful speech. We doubt this person’s words and the validity of what he or she tells us. Thus, there is no trust between people. There is no integrity.
When we have doubts about others, they will surely have doubts about us too. Being suspicious of another, both parties damage their characters. So by speaking untruthfully, one will lose credibility as one’s words cannot be trusted.
The next evil speech is “gossiping”, which is to bear tales about others. For instance, someone who has grievances may take us as a confidant. When he reveals issues regarding another person that bother him, we should serve as the bridge between them by speaking kind words. We should eliminate the misunderstanding between them so they can build a trusting relationship. This is what we should do.
However, without thinking, we tend to tell others about what we’re heard as soon as we hear it. We say, “So-and-so said this about you”. Maybe we pass on the comments out of good intention, hoping that the other person’s comments many cause this person to examine himself may cause this person to examine himself.
However when we are direct, even though we may mean nothing ill, the listener may interpret it differently and be harmed by it. When we speak, if we wish to act as a mediator, and help others mend their relations, we need to use wisdom. Do not pass on people’s comments to another. No matter if we are gossiping with ill intentions or trying to appease and mend others’ relationships, it is very easy for us to create bad karma in the process. The comments we convey may cause more trouble and create even more afflictions for both parties, so that their resentments deepen.
When your friend reveals his grievances to you and you pass the comments to the other party involved, this creates deeper afflictions and resentment for both parties. This is called gossiping. We should help people mend their relationship. We must use kind speech to bridge the gap and use wisdom to eliminate misunderstandings. Otherwise, we can easily create bad karma.
Next is “flattery”. Some people speak very softly and smoothly. They always wear a smile, making it easy for others to trust them. Every word they say is trusted. But little do we realize that they don’t mean what they say. Their words are poison in the honey. They say pleasing words that beguile and confuse you. This is something that is difficult to detect. We must use wisdom. It’s said that for noble relationships are plain like water.
In our relationships with others, our goal is to let them feel that we are like water which they cannot do without. No one can live without water. The taste of water is very plain. Yet this plain water is what everyone needs. The way that we treat others is similar, when we are needed, we should so our best to help. If we are not sincere and only say pleasing words that lack sincerity that is flattery.
So there are four evils committed through speech harsh words, lies, gossip and flattery. These are offenses that we all unwittingly commit in our daily life. Sometimes when others speak loudly and annoy us, we start to say unkind words, creating mutual harm. As for lies, never speak them. By lying, we damage our own integrity.
Gossiping causes discord and makes unity impossible. Gossiping is most detrimental in an organization. In an organization where there are many people, one should never bear tales or gossip. We should always be genuine in our interactions with others. If we have a sincere and heartfelt attitude, we will not speak harshly. When we are truly honest and sincere, we build a reputation of trustworthiness. With sincerity, we so not lie. Being genuine and sincere, we do not spread rumors or gossip. Instead, we use our wisdom to build a bridge of love between others.
Unintentionally we speak hash words, lies, flattery and gossip. Only with utmost sincerity do we refrain from lies and gossip, and utilize wisdom to build a bridge of love.
Every word we utter is karma and is a transgression. This is written in the Earth Treasury Sutra. With the opening of the mouth, with only opening the mouth and moving the tongue, speech affects oneself, others, one’s family and the society. It influences how people treat one another. So while it may seem very simple, it is actually most complex.
If we can be simple and treat others with genuine sincerity, everything will become simple and wonderful. Don’t hold onto matters you hear. If we keep them in our hearts, we will always be troubles. That is karma through thought.
Be they physical acts if killing, stealing, sexual misconduct or verbal acts of lies, flattery, gossip, harsh words they all originate from the mind. We have accumulated many afflictions in the mind. Obscured by afflictions, we lack the wisdom to differentiate. Being unable to differentiate with wisdom, we express only ignorance and afflictions. Our world is filled with ignorance. Ignorance continues to multiply like a virus. A spiritual virus is fearsome. So please always be mindful. Just as we wash away defilements with water, we should cleanse our minds with Dharma-water. So please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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