Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Cautious Speech & Actions Can Eliminate Old Karma (謹言慎行隨緣消舊業)
First is affliction, second is karma, and third is retribution. These three things obstruct Noble Path and good deeds that lead to Human & Heavenly Realms. In the Sutras they are called Three Obstructions.
Yesterday we spoke about how afflictions obstruct cultivation. Afflictions arise from the mind. Karma is produced through speech and action. When greed, anger and ignorance arise in the mind, they generate a countless number of defilements and afflictions.
Of course, the amount of karma created through speech and action is just as immeasurable. We feel the effects of karma as retributions. Good karma brings blessed retributions. Bad karma brings bad retributions. There are absolutely no exceptions.
Thus, as we learn Buddhism, we need to be very careful with our every thought and action. Everything creates karma, so we must be very cautions.
A sentient beings’ unenlightened thought will give rise to countless wrongdoings and defilements. If we can hold every thought up to the light and be cautions with our speech and actions, we can use every opportunity to eliminate old karma and not create new bad karma.
These three things can obstruct the Noble Path. Evil will block our way to Heavenly & Human Realms. If we do evil, not only will we lose our human form and not be born in the heavenly Realm, we will fall into hell. These are evil ways.
Thus, engaging in evil ways will obstruct our path to be born in Heavenly or Human Realms. “Evil blocks our path to Heavenly or Human Realms” and “Googness obstructs our path to transcendence.”
How does doing good create obstacles? Because we dwell on every good deed we have performed. We become calculative and think, “I’ve done many good deeds.” We become very arrogant, which is also an obstacle to spiritual practice.
We want to retain human form because although there is much pleasure in Heaven, there is no Buddha-dharma there to practice. So what spiritual practitioners seek most is to retain this human form. If we are born in Heaven, we will lose ourselves in comfort because there is no Dharma to hear. We seek to stay in the Human Realm where we can hear Dharma and have the chance to do good deeds.
There is so much suffering to endure in this Saha World. The Saha World is also called the World of Endurance. This signifies that many people are suffering in this world. Suffering from what? From the Five Impurities and Three Calamities. They cause pervasive suffering to sentient beings.
The Five Impurities are Impurity of Views of Sentient Beings, of Life, of Afflictions and the Kalpa of Impurity.
Many impurities coexist. Impurities are defilements. In the Kalpa of Impurity, all the other impurities are present. This era is called the Kalpa of Impurity. Look at the suffering concentrated in this era, the many natural and manmade disasters.
Famine, epidemics and war are calamities that come one after another.
Since sentient beings live among these Five Impurities and Three Calamities, of course they suffer. But since they face these sufferings, they need people to help them and inspire their love. So much suffering also brings about an awakening. As l have said before, after earth-shattering disasters, sentient beings must experience a great awakening. In times when joy and suffering are intermixed, we can witness much suffering that verifies the Buddha’s teaching: “Life is impermanent, and the land is fragile.” We see evidence of this already. These events will bring out the love in people’s hearts.
During the 9/21 earthquake in Taiwan, it was as if Bodhisattvas emerged from the earth. This shows that after disasters happen, we have the chance to awaken people’s kindness. Thus, after world-shattering disasters, we can give rise to an world-alerting awareness.
This Saha World has an equal mix of joy and suffering. Some are suffering, while others have more than enough. Those with means can help the poor and suffering. This is the benefit of being human and learning Buddhism.
It will be a pity if we do not learn Buddhism. We should not be obstructed by doing good deed. Also we mustn’t cling to Heavenly or Human Realms. Rather, we should treasure this human form and use it to cultivate transcendent Dharma.
Transcendent Dharma is a way to transcend the worldly path. So in the Human Realm we should follow the Truths the Buddha taught and practice the Bodhisattvas-way.
Transcendent Dharma is a way to stop the cycle of rebirth in the Six Realms. Though Heaven is full of pleasures, we will eventually exhaust our blessings. Humans can cultivate goodness, but they live in an Evil World of Five Impurities. Among the Impurity of Sentient Beings, it is sometimes very hard to maintain a pure mind of goodness.
The best thing is to practice transcendent Dharma which is what we mean when we speak of learning Buddhism, following the Buddha. We do so in the hopes of attaining Buddha-hood. Attaining Buddha-hood is our real goal. Even when they return to this world, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will not be influenced by the joy and suffering here, their intrinsic natures won’t be defiled.
The world is like a large hospital. There are many patients with infectious diseases. Good, kind-hearted doctors must be equipped with wisdom. They can take preventive measures to protect themselves. They are not afraid of patients with infectious diseases. They will save them.
Similarly, there are many sentient beings who suffer from the illness of imbalance and need Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to teach them how to be balanced. Not only do we need to balance our relationships with others, more importantly, we need to balance our minds. So we learn Buddhism to find a way to constantly condition the mind so our resolve to practice will not be influenced by the environment.
For instance, if we become arrogant and proud of our many good deeds, or of all the people we helped, or of all our material contributions, these hang-ups will obstruct our transcendent cultivation.
I often say, “Let go of the last step as you take the next one.” Do what is right. Do not deviate from the right direction. We must go forward step by step, and let go of the last step as we take the next. Thus our minds can be free of obstructions.
The third is “Unmoving Dharma obstructs the Path to Bodhi.” What is Unmoving Dharma? This refers to a state of advanced practice. Perhaps one has already reached the Fourth Dhyana. It is a degree of contemplation when the mind becomes indifferent to joy and suffering. All the suffering in world has nothing to do with him. All the pleasures of the world have nothing to do with him either. His mind is no longer affected by suffering or pleasure. So his mind is very stable. Such a state can obstruct the path to enlightenment because it prevents the awakening of compassion.
As the Buddha taught us, we must be compassionate toward sentient beings. That is why we speak of great kindness, compassion, joy and giving. Great kindness is free of regrets. Great compassion is free on complaints. Great joy is free of worries. Great giving is free of conditions. I constantly say that all Tzu Chi volunteers need to practice and attain this level.
Great kindness is free of regrets. We willingly give and contribute to benefit our fellow human beings. We rejoice when they are blesses with health, good fortune and wealth. When their love is awakened and they walk on the Bodhisattvas-path, we are happy for them. Even though giving is very hard work, we absolutely have no regrets.
When others are hurt, we feel their pain. When others suffer we feel sorrow. To help those suffering from disasters, we are willing to risk our own lives. No matter how hard the work may be, we will do all can to relieve suffering. We do all this without any complaint.
I remember one time I visited Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital. A man was in the hallway of the inpatient ward. I was going to pass by but I could see his expression and demeanor from far away, so I walked back and approached him I asked him, “What is the matter? Who are you visiting?” He quickly said, “Master.” I asked, “What is the matter? Who is in the hospital?” He said, “My wife. She was in a car accident.” So I want in the room with him to visit his wife.
Later, I learned that this couple volunteers by sorting recycling and also collects donations for Tzu Chi. Though neither of them have received their commissioner certification yet, both have been volunteering with Tzu Chi for over ten years. They started getting involved when we began promoting environmental protection.
How did the accident happen? The wife was collecting donations as part of her Commissioner training. As she was traveling from Yuanlin to Zhanghua on her motorcycle, a woman in a stopped car just happened to open the door and hit her motorcycle. She flew off the motorcycle and suffered spinal injuries.
When she was rushed to a hospital in Yuanlin, the doctors wanted to operate immediately. When they heard that, they said, “We want to transfer to Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital.” After they arrived the doctor said, “You don’t need surgery, but you need to lie down for a few days. We need to fabricate a spinal brace. You just have to wear that.”
So when I visited her, she was lying in bed. She told me how she got injured. Her husband stood by her said and kept saying, “We really must be grateful.” She said, “Yes, I am very grateful. If I weren’t collecting donations at the time and bringing then to the Zhanghus, this accident may have turned out differently.”
I asked, “Did the other party visit you?” She started to complain, “Yes, she was dressed very beautifully and came with her designer purse.” I asked her, “And?” She replied, “She didn’t say anything.” Her husband, “Don’t say that. We should thank her. Fortunately, she hit you very lightly. Fortunately no other cars were on the road. If she hit you harder or if another car was coming, your injuries probably wouldn’t be so light. Master says this helps eliminate our karma. So let’s not be petty or angry. Let’s be grateful to her.”
I told him, “you have the right attitude.” He replied, “Master, I want to visit and educate the other driver.” I asked, “How will you educate her?” He said, “I want to reassure her. Perhaps she hasn’t visited again because she is uneasy. So I want to reassure her, tell her not to worry and that we are grateful for this affinity. To strengthen our good affinities, I want to invite her to be involved in Tzu Chi.”
He felt no resentment. His wife said, “Master, now that I’m bed-ridden, I really don’t have any complaints, I’m just worried about my husband. We have to work to make a living.” He replied, “Don’t think that way. You’re allowing me to rest for a few days and stay here with you.”
Look at how understanding they are. They have the spirit of great compassion without resentment and great kindness without regret. They are a truly kind and compassionate couple. You see, they are Bodhisattvas. They have great joy and give unconditionally. This is the kind of Dharma that we need to seek in this world.
Do not cultivate your minds into a state where you are indifferent to suffering and joy. That’s not the way. Our minds must be firm so we will not be defiled by the many types of afflictions in this world. But we must remain kind, compassionate, joyous, giving. Sentient beings’ pain and joy should definitely concern us. If we attain a state of Unmoving Dharma, that will obstruct our path to Buddha-hood.
Of these three, evil obstructs the path to Heavenly & Human Realms. Goodness obstructs the path to transcendence. Unmoving Dharma obstructs the path to Bodhi.
These are called the Three Obstructions. These three obstacles will hinder our transcendence and efforts to do good. So all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas continuously teach and guide us to maintain “good practices that lead to Human & Heavenly Realms” and to not be hindered by the Three Obstructions. These Three obstructions are great obstacles to learning Buddhism. So everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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