Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Eliminate Delusion with Right Knowledge (正知解惑)
Be firm in your will to practice, and sincerely believe without doubt. If we have any doubt when we learn Buddhism, our confidence is reduced by half. So, we must choose well when we pick the path of our practice. We need to be firm, reverent and free of doubts in order to move forward.
Next, let us continue with the text. The passage says, “For most ordinary people doubts easily arise. Why is that? It seems like people who do good in this world face many hardships.”
The text reminds us that our Buddha-mind must truly be firm. As ordinary beings, we come in contact with people and matters daily, whether we see them directly or hear about them. Among all these people, we know that many have doubts. What kind of doubts? They ask, “Why is it that we often see nice people who do good deeds ending up encountering so many hardships in their lives?”
In their lives, why do they encounter so many difficulties? They are such good people. So why does this happen? According to logic, things should go smoothly for these people. When good people do good deeds, they should be creating and thus attaining blessings. Everything they do should happen safely and smoothly. Things should happen this way for good people. That would be the right cause and effect.
However, those good people do not attain success. Instead they face unwarranted suffering. Haven’t we all heard about someone who is asked to be a mediator, but ends up being sued and getting involved in a serious lawsuit? We even hear stories of how some people would endorse a check to help their friends through their difficulties. They simply vouched for a friend, but ended up losing everything they owned. We often hear stories like this and listen to these people share their pain with us. They are the recipients of unwarranted suffering.
These people simply did good deeds, and wanted to help others. Why did this happen? We must know there is no effect without a cause. Although they did good things in this life, they created this kind of affinity in past lives. Perhaps the causes and conditions are so strong that although they are doing good now, those powerful causes and conditions manifest as retributions in this lifetime. So, the strong comes before the weak. Causes and conditions never fail. They are absolutely distinct. So, we must have a firm will to practice and sincerely believe in cause and effect.
With a firm will to practice, sincerely believe without doubt. A cause always brings an effect and never fails. Good or evil, the stronger comes before the weaker. Trust in cause and effect and Right Knowledge will resolve delusions.
Many years ago, there was a talented person. He belonged to a large business group. His inventions made a lot of money for them. He told me sadly, “Master, did you know that I spent a lot of effort developing these products now on the market? I wanted to put them on the market myself, but I lost money whenever I tried.”
Then he approached an entrepreneur and said, “I can’t continue on like this. Maybe I should give you this patent.”
The entrepreneur asked him, “If you can’t succeed, how can I? If I take those patents, I still can’t do anything with them. Why don’t you come work for me? Give me these things and I’ll distribute them for you.” So the entrepreneur did the manufacturing and gave him a little bit of the profit.
The man said, “I’ve invented five or six things. How did he make so much money from them? I work for him, so I only make a little. I’m very frustrated.”
Then I told him, “Don’t be frustrated. You didn’t have those blessings. Even if you threw paper money in the water, it would sink. He created blessings, so even if he threw coins into the water, they would float. He has blessings and you lack them. You have wisdom, but no blessings. He has both. He knew you were talented, so he brought you in. He didn’t just pay you for the intellectual property and give you what you asked for. No, he loved your talent. So you should accept your fate. We need to understand cause and effect. If you sow blessed seeds, you reap blessed fruit.” You lack seeds of blessing, so you have few fruits of blessing.”
After he heard this, he told me, “Now I can willingly accept this. At least I can make a living. Right, you do not worry so much as an employee.” So, looking at this text, a person with talent who lacks the right circumstances will waste a lifetime.
Our Tzu Chi volunteers see many things and hear many stories. You have probably heard many similar stories. People who share their life stories are manifesting the Dharma for us to learn. There are many people like this who have gone through hardships. So, this passage helps us better understand. We should not complain, no matter what happens. If we hear people like this complain to us, we know the right way to analyze it for them. We do not need to have doubts.
Next, “It seems those who do evil are successful in all matters. If people see that and believe there is no difference between good and evil, then they do not deeply understand the truth of karma.”
Some people talk about those who do good yet live such difficult lives. Now we will talk about people who are overbearing and harsh, and endlessly greedy. They do not spend a dime; they are so miserly. They refuse to give; they are only greedy for more. Why do things go smoothly and successfully for people who do bad deeds? It seems like “there is no difference between good and evil.” Those who do good do not receive rewards. Those who do evil still enjoy blessings. Then there is no difference between good and bad. “Those who believe this do not truly understand the principles of karma.”
As I just explained, cause comes before effect. The stronger cause results in retribution first. The weaker cause comes to fruition later. If we planted strong evil seeds in the past, we face bad retributions in this lifetime. So cause and effect never fail, but we may not see it in one lifetime. Clearly that person is bad why is he always successful? Clearly this person is good; why is his life so difficult? We cannot see it all in one lifetime. How long do we even have to observe? Human lifetimes are short, but causes and effects are eternal. They exist forever. So we need to realize that cause and effect, or karmic retribution, is exact and never fails. So, we must “deeply realize the truth of karma.” In the past we talked about obstacles, the obstacles of afflictions. Afflictions become our obstacles because we create karma. They hinder our understanding of the truth, thus, we continue to foolishly create karma. Transmigration in the Six Destinies is painful. So, we must understand these principles. Otherwise, we are being shortsighted.
We see people who do not try to understand the past, nor do they deeply contemplate what their future lives will hold. They just see the brief present moment. Some people appear to live one kind of life, but as ordinary beings, we do not clearly see what is hidden underneath. If we cannot see clearly, we should not carelessly say things to influence others. If we do not understand the truth, we should not explain it based on superficial understanding.
Those who do evil will eventually face retribution. So the text goes on to explain further. What does it say? What do the Sutra say?
The sutras say there are three types of retributions. What three? First, Present-life Retribution; Second, Next-life Retribution; Third, Future-life Retribution.
Doing good or evil will definitely bring retributions. This is written in the Sutras, which were spoken by the Buddha. The Buddha absolutely does not lie. Everything He says is correct. There are no false words. Isn’t this written in the Diamond Sutra? “The Buddha speaks real words, true words, not false words.” So, we must believe the Buddha’s teachings. There are three retributions. First is Present-life Retribution. We experience it in this life.
You see, it is not that there is no retribution, the time has not yet arrived. Look at the many people doing evil. If they steal or kill, they will face the judgment of the law. We often hear about murders. We often hear about murders. Sometimes they are unresolved and we cannot find the real perpetrators. Sometimes we cannot find them. We do not know what happened to them. Perhaps after they robbed or killed someone, they faced severe retributions for their actions even though the law could not find them. Perhaps, because we are ordinary beings, and our physical senses are limited, we have no way to see their retribution. We can see Present-life Retributions in the news. The newspaper reports the crime, and who was caught, and the circumstances that led to his capture. After he admits guilt, he is sentenced, to death or life imprisonment, etc. This is Present-life Retribution.
Second is Next-life Retribution. Though the retribution does not come in this life, it comes in the next one. We just talked about why some good people live a life filled with difficulties. Perhaps they sowed seeds and created affinities in a past life, so although they are good people now, they still suffer. Why do some people who do bad things find so much success in whatever they do? They created blessings in their past life. So, whatever they do in this life is always successful
Though they seem to be free of bad retributions, they will face them in the next life. But all the blessings they enjoy in this life were created in their last life. Since they created blessings in the past, of course they enjoy them now. It is like taking all the money they deposited in the bank and spending it on their enjoyment. So, we must know that karmic retribution definitely exists. Some face it in this life, some will face retribution in the next. Some face Future-life Retribution. Maybe they do not face retribution next life because they created so many blessings in the past that they cannot exhaust them in one lifetime. Thus they continue to enjoy them in the next. There will still be retribution, it is just a matter of time.
Everyone, do not overlook the karmic law of cause and effect. Even though many things do not go our way in this lifetime, we need to acknowledge the past and happily accept our retributions. We must accumulate merits and blessings. Then we reduce our karma in this lifetime and accumulate blessings for the next. Please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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