Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Plant a Field of Blessings. (自種福田福緣相聚)
In the dark about our fate with no pardon in sight we suffer alone; no one can take our place. Do not say, “I have committed no wrongdoing so. I cannot sincerely pray for repentance.”
The Water Repentance states, “In the dark about our fate, no pardon in sight. We suffer alone, no one can take our place.” We should all know exactly what we have done in this lifetime. If we create karma, those seeds are planted in our Eighth Consciousness. This Eighth Consciousness will always stay with us.
Among the Eight Consciousnesses: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind are called the First Six Consciousnesses.
The 7th Consciousness is Manas-consciousness, also called Defiled-consciousness. It is the source of our attachment to self.
The Eighth Consciousness is Alaya Consciousness, also called Store consciousness. It is where karmic seeds and causes are stored. When karmic causes and conditions mature, they transform into karmic retributions.
No matter how many material possessions we accumulate in this lifetime, even if we are covered in jewels, we leave them all behind when we stop breathing. When we die, we cannot take anything with us, only our soul and infinite, countless karmic seeds. Those seeds are already planted in the field of our Eighth Consciousness of Store-consciousness. When we leave this world, our Store-consciousness will follow.
This passage of the Water Repentance is especially poignant. It says we will be in the dark about our fate, with nobody around us. We will be very lonely in a very dark place. Then someone will come forward to judge us. We cannot call in any favors. The text reads, “With no pardon in sight, we suffer alone.” We are alone, deeply frightened and helpless. We are alone, “no one can take our place.” Who can take our place? Who can support is? Or give us courage? Or help us? There is no one. Thus, “no one can take our place.”
“Do not say, ‘in this life. I have committed no wrongdoings, so I cannot sincerely pray for repentance.’”
We cannot assume that this applies only to those who have committed wrongdoings.
“I have never done anything wrong. My life is clean and pure, I have not created any bad karma.”
Actually we have all created bad karma in our lifetimes. We just did it unknowingly, unintentionally. We did so without knowing. Even if we hurt someone unintentionally, without our knowledge, the other person remembers. Even if nothing happens in this lifetime, if ignorance arises in our minds in the next lifetime conditions conducive to evil will appear. So causes and conditions are entangled with no end in sight.
We cannot assume that we have done no wrong. Who can say such a thing? We often create bad karma without realizing it. Unless we are very advanced in our practice and our minds are free of greed, anger, and ignorance and we do not react to external conditions, only then can we claim to be free of wrongdoings. As long as we feel greed, anger, and ignorance and still have afflictions, we will create bad karma.
We create karma due to afflictions and ignorance. If we can wash away the Three Poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, and turn afflictions into Bodhi, we can stop the creation of bad karma.
There was a middle-aged man from western Taiwan. He did not have any special skills. So during the economic downturn, he became a street vendor. Because he sold counterfeit goods, the police confiscated everything. At the timed, he felt he had nowhere to go. As he wondered what to do next, he remembered that a friend once borrowed several thousand dollars from him. So he traveled from western to eastern Taiwan to collect the debt. Unbeknownst to him, his friend lost all that money, and was nowhere to be found. He fell into a deep despair. As he walked along the streets, he came upon our Jing Si Hall.
He sat on the grass outside, took out a bottle of pesticide, and started drinking it. Just then, he thought of something and quickly spat it out. That was around noontime, so our volunteers happened to be chatting with those sitting there. One volunteer has a sharp eye and noticed something abnormal about this man. He quickly went over and found out that he drank some pesticide. He called over the security guard and Faith Corps members. With difficulty, they were able to quickly bring this man to the emergency room. They half-pulled, half-dragged him there.
At first he refused to have his stomach pumped, but our volunteers did not give up. They counseled him with kind and caring words. Once he calmed down, he finally agrees. Afterwards, our volunteers stayed with him. He said, “As I drank the pesticide, I suddenly thought of my three-year-old child. If I die like this, what will happen to him?” At that critical moment, he did not swallow but spat out the pesticide.
So his situation was not considered critical. In the emergency room, his stomach was pumped, and then he was fine. Luckily, he regretted his action in time. Knowing to regret is an act of repentance. He was able to spit out the pesticide in time. Fortunately, he reflected in time, so he did not cause a lot of damage. After he was counseled by our volunteers, he developed a better perspective on his situation and fully regained his self-confidence. He thanked the Tzu Chi volunteers and even vowed that he would do his best and cherish his health. He even planted to be a volunteer in the future.
You see, this is a type of karmic affinity. He had a good affinity. Even though he encountered failure, took it too hard and almost made a fatal error, fortunately Tzu Chi Commissioners and volunteers were interacting with other patients nearby. Someone with sharp eyes noticed something wrong and quickly took action. See, this is a kind of positive, blessed affinity. As he drank the pesticide, he quickly spat it out. This was timely self-reflection. He saved himself, so others could come to his aid.
Therefore, let us not assume we have never done wrong. Just like in this man's case, if we do not catch a small error in time, we will truly commit a grave offense. If we do not know to cherish our bodies, and instead hurt ourselves, we have no self-respect, are ungrateful and create karma by killing ourselves and by being unfilal. Thus, had he successfully committed suicide, he would have created tremendous karma. If his attempt was unsuccessful and if he was seriously hurt, he would have suffered tremendously.
So, we learn Buddhism to purify our minds and to remain unmoved by external conditions. Only then can we truly be safe and well. Only then can we gradually wash away our ignorance, layer by layer. In that way, our karmic obstacles can be eliminated. I always say that when karmic obstacles manifest, we must accept them happily. Every time we do, we eliminate a bit of karma. Refusing to accept them or avoiding them is like trying to escape our debts. The interest will just continue to accrue. We already owe a great amount in principal. If we avoid paying it off, we will end up paying a lot more interest. Therefore, we must be very mindful and take good care of our minds.
When karmic obstacles manifest, if we can happily accept them, we will eliminate and extinguish that karma. If we try to escape, we will create more karma. When new karma is added to the old, the pile will grow as high as a mountain and we will suffer tremendously.
There was a case in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, of an old woman known as the "grape grandma." Our collegiate volunteers are adorable. They spend their weekends comforting others, such as this grape grandma. Since the day she was born, grape-like tumors had been growing all over her body, including on her head and face. Her daughter also inherited this condition. The mother and daughter were very self-conscious, and people were afraid of them. Hence, they lived a very destitute life.
The daughter had poor self-esteem and resented her mother, so they did not get along. Moreover, others stayed away from them. How could they support themselves? This old woman worked as a street vendor. Her daughter could not find work. Tzu Chi volunteers, including college students, took on the task of caring for and comforting them. At first, they rejected the volunteers. Over time, they began to open up. Gradually, the grandma began to look forward to seeing these young adorable college students. They felt like her own grandchildren. Every time the volunteers came, they called her "Grandma" and helped her with household chores.
They felt like family members who visited regularly.
At the same time, they also counseled her daughter. One day, one of them told her, "Our Master says that people with two hands are the most blessed. Do not listen to what others say about you. By relying on our own abilities, we can create a good life and can also help others."
The daughter asked, "How can I help others? I need help and can't even take care of myself, how can I help others?" The volunteer then told her, "One time, Master was speaking in Taichung, and everyone used their hands to applaud. Then she told everyone to use their applauding hands to do recycling work because first, we can save the Earth. Second, we will not waste our resources. Third, we can help others with the money we make from selling the recyclables.
This made the grandma and her daughter happy.
"We can do this!" Afterwards, they opened up their hearts. The daughter worked at home, in a cottage industry. The grandma was able to comfortably sell chili peppers on the street. After work, they collected recyclables together. When they opened their minds, they knew that everything happens due to karma.
Since they created such karma in their past lives, they should happily accept the consequences. Trying to escape will result in more misery. On top of being looked down on by others, having a bad relationship with each other was like piling suffering on top of suffering. They would lead very desolate lives and suffer greatly. The mother and daughter understood this and opened their minds. The daughter became happy. The grandma was at ease. Their relationship improved greatly. The daughter was filial. The grandma adored her. They even had time to do things that benefited others, by collecting recyclables to protect the Earth and donating the money from selling them to Tzu Chi.
So they help themselves. Those who help themselves first will be helped. If people do not help themselves, all the help they get is useless.
Heaven helps those who help themselves. Such people will be helped by others. Only those who word hard to plant their fields of blessings will encounter blessed conditions.
Let us understand that life is inherently impermanent. We are in the dark about our fate. When we die, we pass away alone. Who can accompany us? We may own a lot of things in the Human Realm. But when we take our last breath and our soul leaves the body, no matter how much precious jewelry we wear, our soul departs alone. Only karmic seeds in our consciousness will follow us. All our good and bad deeds will be laid bare for the King of Hell to judge us. Therefore, we should focus on this period of time when we are living. We must think about how we want to live out our lives.
In summary, bad karma is not only created when we rob, or when we kill someone or hurt others. It is more than that. It also applies to what we do to ourselves. If our thinking or conduct is deviant, we create negative karma. Therefore, we should always carefully and sincerely self-reflect and repent. This is very important.
We need to take Buddha's teachings to heart and apply them to our daily living.
Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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