Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Without Discipline, Practice is Difficult (脫軌行道難)
Learning Buddhism is about staying on the path. Getting onto and advancing on the correct path to the state of Buddhahood is not difficult, but our minds can deviate from the path.
So, the Buddha established precepts for us. The precepts prevent and stop evil. They are rules for spiritual cultivation, to be used to prevent us from making mistakes. They are safeguards. If we can guard against mistakes, we can stay on the path. Guarding against mistakes means not doing evil. Losing our path means we think evil thoughts and commit evil acts. We have to prevent evil thoughts from arising. If they appear, we have to quickly stop them so we will not act on them. Precepts are rules for spiritual practice. They tell us how to walk the path correctly, without going even slightly off-course.
If we violate the rules, being on the right path and in line with the Dharma will be difficult. If we are not careful and violate precepts, it will be difficult to stay solidly on the path and act according to the Dharma. So, we cannot violate the rules. If we go off the path, correcting our course will be very difficult.
If we violate the rules, being on the right path and in line with the Dharma will be hard. So, precepts protect us, protect our Wisdom-life, and foster our Dharma-body. Therefore, we must respect the precepts. To be self-disciplined we must value the precepts. Then we can control ourselves. So, please do not trivialize the precepts.
Precepts are used to prevent evil and help us stay on the right path. If we violate the rules, we easily deviate and find it hard to act according to the Dharma. So, we must value the precepts.
Now the text goes on to say, “When we commit the Four or Eight Transgressions, we create karma of obstructing the noble path.” Besides the unfilial acts we have discussed, we easily commit the Four Transgressions for monks or the Eight for nuns. These are obstacles on the Noble Path to Buddhahood. Committing the Four or Eight Transgressions will hinder our spiritual practice. The Four Transgressions are killing, stealing, sexual misconduct and lying. The Four Transgressions all break basic precepts.
The Eight Transgressions are the Eight Serious Precepts for Bhiksunis. If you have vowed to uphold precepts, you can take another look at these eight precepts.
The Eight Serious Precepts for Nuns are also called The Eight Fundamental Precepts: No killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, lewd contact, improper association, concealment, improper conduct with monks.
If we can uphold the precepts, that is the root of Bodhi. We need to nurture the root of Bodhi. If we commit the Four Transgressions, we grow the roots of Hell. We will fail into Hell. After we have committed these transgressions, we will definitely fall into Hell.
But, if we are strong and uphold the precepts, we will grow on the Noble Path of Bodhi. When we add drinking to the Four Transgressions we get the Five Precepts.
The Five Precepts: No killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no lying, no intoxication.
Why is killing a grave transgression? Because there is nothing more precious than life. This refers to all types of creatures. All living beings possess the Buddha-nature. So, no matter what it looks like, as long as it is alive, we must respect it. Killing results from conflicts between people. If people crave something, they will try to get it by any means.
But people’s minds are ever-changing, particularly if they are unethical. Earlier we talked about killing parents, spouses and other family members. I saw this news story. A man was very much in love with his girlfriend. But after a while he moved on. He met another girl. Their families approved of the match, so they married and created a happy family. Then by chance, the man saw his old girlfriend. Old passions reignited, so he began ignoring his wife. He had a young child, but the husband had re-focused his affections. His wife started fighting with him a lot. She seemed to know that he was not happy at home because of his old girlfriend. Not only did he avoid his familial obligations, he tried to divorce his wife. But she wanted to preserve a loving family, for the sake of the child. So she stayed. No matter what, she refused to grant him a divorce. So the husband convinced his girlfriend to murder his wife.
Human minds are ever-changing. So, the Buddha said that thoughts arise, abide, change and cease. Our minds are impermanent and often change. If we do not guard our minds, we will stray from the path. If we lose our way, we lose our mental protection, and we commit evil acts. Once we commit an evil act, it is an irrevocable and tremendous mistake. Murder is one example. If people do not uphold precepts, they will easily kill. When delusions arise in people’s minds, even those closest and dearest cannot escape.
In terms of stealing, minor stealing is theft. Major stealing is robbery. Robbers will seize things by force. A minor theft is when no one is looking. Robbery is worse than thievery. Robbers may easily kill. Besides murders, we often read about robberies in the news. Sometimes it can ruin reputations. There are many entrepreneurs in society. Is having a big business enough for them? It is not enough. Because of their greed, they want to expand their business through short sales or other “bubble businesses.” Bubble businesses look big on the surface, but they are only empty shells. They are weak and burst easily. They collapse like dominoes. If one falls, the next one in line will fall, and so on.
Some invest all their savings or borrow extravagantly and go into debt. But these bubble businesses burst quickly. This is also a form of stealing. Because of greed, people do impractical things and get involved in dangerous practices. This is also a form of stealing. So, stealing covers a wide array of activities. Grasping for what is not ours is an aspect of stealing.
Sexual misconduct. The example I gave earlier involved sexual misconduct. When lay practitioners formally marry and establish a family, the husband and wife should both be responsible. The husband works hard to support the family, and the wife fulfills her duty by helping her husband and teaching the children. If they can do their jobs, the family will be very happy.
If one of them violates the rules by keeping a mistress or having an affair, they are committing sexual misconduct. Sex with a non-spouse is sexual misconduct. Lay practitioners must not commit this violation. Those who practice properly must strictly uphold precepts and be pure. So, this is also a grave precept.
Next is lying. In the Ten Evils, three are of body, four are speech, and three are of mind. The four transgressions of speech are lies, flattery, gossip, and harsh words.
Lies are false words. Flattery is using pleasing words that have no substance. These words are used to curry favor. Gossip is discussing everyone else’s business. It is also repeating and embellishing something. It cause rifts and creates disputes. It creates much evil and afflictive karma. All this happens when we open our mouths and wag our tongues. Then there are mean-spirited words, spoken out of a habit of criticizing others. These are harsh words.
With our sharpest sense organ, the ear, we hear something and it enters our minds. We become happy, angry, depressed, hateful or resentful, etc. That all comes from what hear. So, the ears are very sharp and drive us to think and act. What we hear will move us to do things. We have talked about all of this before.
Our eyes are also very sharp. We see others’ expressions. We see things that we like or dislike, etc. That is what we can see with our eyes. So, let us remember what we want others to hear. Should we say good things, or evil things and lies? Good words can spread Dharma and benefit others. Whether we say negative things, or create disputes, or flatter and deceive, these are all forms of lying karma; they are all karma of speech.
This is a fundamental precept. Do not think, “I only said it, did I really create karma?” this karma is very serious.
As I said, the words enter people’s ears and change people’s minds. So much karma is created from what people hear. Therefore, let us always be mindful. The Four Transgressions apply to lay practitioners. Besides these four, there is also intoxication. Intoxication will delude the mind. Alcohol deludes the mind, then killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying appear. Drinking makes us excited and bold. A drink can delude and confuse us so that we do not know what we are doing
So, avoiding intoxication is very important. It is emphasized apart from the Four Transgressions. This serves as a warning to everyone. Alcohol will delude the mind and cause people to commit the Four Transgressions. Therefore, we add it to the rules, thus creating the Five Precepts. They are the basic precepts for a lay practitioner and the Five Roots of Hell if violated.
So, everyone, when we practice Buddhism, we must uphold precepts. These rules of practice prevent wrongdoing. If we violate the rules, being on the right path and in line with the Dharma will be difficult. So, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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