Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: With Right Thinging, Understand Cause and Effect (正思見 明因果)
We have spent the last few days talking about how afflictions can be obstructive. To eliminate afflictions, we need the Seven States of Mind.
Develop Seven States of Mind to eliminate Three Obstructions. First is a sense of shame. Second is a sense of fear. Third is a sense of renunciation. Fourth is developing Bodhicitta. Fifth is impartiality toward all beings. Sixth is repaying the Buddha’s grace. Seventh is contemplating the empty nature of evil.
The first is a sense of shame. Only those who feel shame can practice diligently and truly realize the Truth. After investigating the Truth, they can understand delusion, karma and retribution. We must constantly be cautious.
In this world, there are countless temptations. So let us constantly be apprehensive. Only with a sense of fear can we be diligent. “Second is a sense of fear. As ordinary people, the karma we create through body, speech and mind is often negative. Due to these causes and conditions, after this life ends, accordingly we fall into Hel, Animal or Hungry Ghost Realms to experience immeasurable suffering. We should truly feel alarmed and terrified. It is horrible and dreadful.”
We should recognize that ordinary people create Threefold Karma of body, speech and mind. Body: We kill, steal, and commit sexual misconduct. Speech: We lie, flatter, gossip and speak harshly. Mind: We are greedy, angry and ignorant.
All together, these are the Ten Evils. Ordinary people do more evil than good. Whenever thoughts arise, they are mostly selfish, rather than having empathy for others. So every action we take normally centers around ourselves. “I love, I resent, I like I hate.” We always focus on the “I” As external conditions appear, discrimination arises. When we see someone we resent, hatred arises in our minds. However, when we see someone we like, our minds are filled with joy. This kind of discrimination brings much suffering. When it comes to someone we like, our attachment will give rise to jealousy. For example , when a person we like speaks with others and seems to be more intimate with them, we cannot bear it. This happens so easily. In our relationships, it is so easy for these thoughts to arise. If we desire to posses everything we will create countless negative acts. It is very easy to commit evil deeds through our actions and speech, but we do so unknowingly and without awareness.
As it states in the text. “the karma we create through body, speech, and mind is often negative.” Therefore, let us always be vigilant. If we lose this human form, we may not regain it for countless Kalpas. After this ends, accordingly we will “fall into Hell, Animal or Hungry Ghost Realms.” These Realms are places we must fear.
Second is a sense of fear. As ordinary people, the karma we create through body, speech and mind is often negative. Due to these cause and conditions, after this life ends, accordingly we fall into Hell, Animal or Hungry Ghost Realms to experience immeasurable suffering. We should truly alarmed and terrified. It is horrible and dreadful.
When the Buddha was alive, he often gave specific teachings as He traveled. Once Ananda and Sakyamuni Buddha were in a marketplace, and saw an old man selling fish. As he peddled his wares, he cried and lamented his sufferings. What caused his suffering? The old man said, “Why has fate been so unfair to me? This business was handled by my son. Why did he die so suddenly? I am already so old. I suffer so much!”
Listening to the old man’s lament, the Buddha gave a slight, sad smile. When He looked down, He saw the fish struggling for their lives, so He shook his head and smiled slightly. Then they exited the market and continued on the village road. They saw a pig covered in its own excrement. When it saw the Buddha it walked toward Him. It had a terrible smell. When the Buddha saw the pig, He again looked helpless, then, gave a slight smile.
Ananda had always been very observant of the Buddha’s every action. When he saw this he quickly approached the Buddha and asked as they continued walking, “Venerable Buddha I am puzzled. At the market, when the old man complained about his troubles, You had a helpless expression on your face, but then you smiled slightly. There must be a reason Venerable Buddha, what causes and conditions did you see in the old man? Then you looked at the fish and shook your head and gave a helpless sad smile. So what causes and conditions did the fish have? And just now when we saw the pig, you responded in the same way. Can you please explain this to me?”
The Buddha said, “Yes, these are causes and conditions. The old man suffers because he cannot let go of his son’s sudden death. Moreover, he lamented his life. Yet he never thought about how he spent his life catching fish. Those fish also had relatives and offspring. When he fished did ha consider that the fish also had a life? With his net, he separated many loved ones. Now that his son is dead, he continually laments his suffering and complains because he does not know the karma he created before. He separated loved ones and took lives. Yet he feels nothing about this, he only feels the pain of the loss of his son. He was pitiable and helpless. So I smiled slightly at the ignorance of people in the world.”
“Then I looked at those fish. In the past there were Devas, heavenly beings who flew around freely. They were born in Heaven due to the blessings accumulated in previous lives. They were like emperors of Heaven. I saw some of them among the fish. Now they are confined in a bowl.”
Anansa said, “How terrifying! They were Devas who flew around freely. How could they so quickly become fish trapped in a vat of water, especially fish waiting to be sold?”
The Buddha replied, “One who does good attains blessings, and is born in Heaven. When blessings are exhausted, one cannot escape one’s evil retributions. This is only the beginning. Much more suffering awaits them.”
Ananda said, “This is frightening. But Venerable Buddha, when you saw the pig come near us, you gave it a slight smile. What is that?”
The Buddha replied, “It is a long story. Innumerable Kalpas ago, there were two young men in a small village. One of them walked the evil path, relying on his spiritual powers. He performed hexes and cast poison spells on others. He harmed many people. The other young man took joy in Dharma, enjoyed doing good and giving to others. These two young men were friends. This young man often said to his friend on the evil path. We must choose the right faith. I’ll take you to a monk. When we hear him expound Dharma, we can understand many Truth of life. But the friend always replied, “‘I’m busy. You go on ahead.’” So one walked on the Right Path while the other went astray. Ananda, do you know? The one who diligently pursued the Right Path, encountered Dharma, behaved cautiously and abide by the precepts of purity was actually I, Sakyamuni Buddha. The other young man continued on the deviant path and become more entrenched in evil thinking, views & practices. So not only is he reborn as an animal today, he has been cycling through the. Three Evil Realms without a chance for escape. Today, we met again. Even though he kept following me, there remains a great distance between Buddha–hood and the Animal Realm. We were separated by just one right thought and one evil thought. Now our two paths are so far apart. That is why I felt helpless. So I just smiled slightly at sentient beings’ ignorance.”
“There is no permanence in the Six Realms. Even a heavenly being, a Dava, will fall when blessings are exhausted, and be reborn into a place of suffering. Some arrived there recently. Others have spent a long time in the Three Evil Realms. Some people are still committing evil deeds. When they face just a tiny bit of retribution, they complain and blame others. This is the ignorance of sentient beings.”
Upon hearing the Buddha’s explanation to Ananda of three occasions of slight smiles, we should heighten our vigilance. Even though the Deva was born in Heaven, he inevitably committed some wrongdoings. Even the smallest act of evil leads one to fall. The two men were friends the one who followed the Right Path tried to counsel the other, but they still ended up choosing different paths.
That is how people interact these days. We may be on the same path and practice together, but in our practices, the karma of body, speech and mind are unequal. Some are diligent in their spiritual practice. They realize ten things from one teaching. For those with superior capabilities, from one teaching, they realize 1,000 things and can understand many Truths. These are people with superior capabilities.
Some people are average. At least they realize ten things from one teaching. Those of inferior capabilities will realize one thing from one teaching. However, those with the lowest aptitudes will hear the teachings but learn nothing. They will continue to think and act as they please. Though they say they are practicing, their minds have strayed. They don’t have Right Thinking, or Right Views so they no longer have Right Speech and Right Actions. This often happens with just one incorrect thought. So as we practice, once we understand this, we must have a sense of fear in our minds.
What we are doing now is the cause that will lead to an effect in the next moment. Every thought that arises, every action we take can lead to karma and wrongdoing.
With every word we speak, every action we take, whether speaking or silent, moving or still, we create karma and wrongdoings. As ordinary people, our minds are focused on ourselves. When selfish thoughts arise, we tend to do more evil than good. Therefore, let us constantly heighten our vigilance. Losing the human form and falling into the Three Evil Destinies is alarming terrifying, horrible and dreadful. So everyone, please always be mindful. Remember to keep that sense of shame and fear in your minds, and constantly be vigilant.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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