Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Respect and Love All Beings (尊重萬物普及愛)
We must often adjust our thinking. As humans, we should be benevolent and respect all lives with love. If we create karma, we will have no control over the retributions. Fierce beasts are controlled by their karma.
Similarly, I often talk about how some people are unhappy with their outer appearance, which was given to them by their parents. Our appearance is beyond our control. Whether or not we are content with our appearance, how we look depends on our past conduct.
However, we look, as long as we are physically healthy and able, we should be grateful. We should be understanding and content. If we cannot be understanding and content and often complain about this and that, life becomes very difficult. Whom should we truly blame? Ourselves, for the karma we created, which affected our appearance, and especially our hearts.
Now, in our hearts, we have chosen the proper direction and a suitable religion, so we should continue forward. The path is meant to be walked; follow the right path and you will not go wrong. Even if we have already chosen the right path, in this life, we may still encounter adverse conditions. What should we do in this case? We must repent without delay. Repentance is willingly accepting the situation. When we do, our hearts will open.
For example, when ignorance appears, and karmic forces manifest, since we can already recognize that karmic forces are in motion, if we do not safeguard our hearts, they will be harmed once again by karma. So in each moment, we must be cautious in safeguarding the door to our hearts, just as preparations before typhoon can avert its dangers. When the storm passes, it is peaceful again. This is similar to the heart. If the heart is bound by karmic force, it is like a ferocious beasts controlled by karma. Due to the pull of karma, these beasts have no choice but to manifest as fearsome creatures in the Animal Realm.
As humans who have had the causes and conditions to encounter Buddha-Dharma, let us apply it to our lives and be at ease in our spiritual practice. We should be very mindful in walking the proper path with diligence. Do not wander off again. Otherwise, who knows where we may appear in the next life? Will it be in Hell the Hungry Ghost Realm, or the Animal Realm?
It will be beyond our control.
As humans we should have the virtue of respecting and loving all life. If we create karma, the retributions we receive are beyond our control. We must always be vigilant.
Let us continue with the next passage. We just mentioned the ferocious beasts, which refers to falling into the Animal Realm. The next passage mentions, “Wrongdoers may take the form of deer and bears, which are always in fear.” This type of animal is more benign. Countless species of animals live in the mountains and forests.
Of course, whether one ends up in the form of a deer or of a bear, in the forest both forms are considered to be large animals. However, they are gentle compared to tigers, leopards and wolves. They are weaker and run away in fear when encountering such predators. So, their lives in the mountain forests are spent in caution and fear, an environment of terror. Due to their karma of killing in past lives, they descended into this type of Animal Realm.
Actually, people are no different. Living in the same human world, those who are less powerful or gentler often fear being taken advantage of. There are also people who take advantage of others. So the human world is the same; we can see that all living creatures seek survival and fear death. They are all the same in this way.
Next, the passage says, “For those born as human, there are two types of retributions.” We should be grateful to be born as humans. The Human and Heaven Realms are good paths. However, the Human Realm is a mix of good and evil. Some people have less karma and are able to control all aspects of their lives. But many others cannot control anything in their lives. This is common whether a person is healthy or ill depends on the severity of his karma. People are benevolent by nature, so why do they suffer negative retribution? Because of past causes and conditions; unwholesome causes lead to negative conditions, which elicit negative effects and retributions.
So, there are strong and weak causes, and mild and severe retributions. Some people are born with missing limbs, and unhealthy body and unhealthy mind. Some may appear physically fit, but are mentally unhealthy. Some suffer cerebral palsy, retardation, etc. They are missing something in their minds. They begin to suffer at birth, and for life, they share collective karma with their parents. The children suffer physically, but the parents also share their conditions. Some parents believe that as soon as children are born they deserve love and care, which the parents provide until their old age. They carefully nurture their children from birth, to youth, to adulthood. This is karma shared by parent and child. But, the child’s severe retributions are due to their own severe karma.
So, some share karmic conditions and create karma. Others may share conditions without creating karma. This depends on the severity of the conditions. If someone receives Flower Retributions, he may be born with a silver spoon, meaning in a very affluent family, and is given care and a good education. But it may be that he is not very satisfied. Perhaps, from childhood, he was physically fit but unwell mentally. Though gifted with a healthy heart and mind, he does not know to cherish his blessings. There must be many who are like this. No matter how many their parents invest in their education, they do not put effort into learning. They are unable to seize the opportunity. This is also Flower Retribution.
Some people work very hard to earn money, but because of a setback they lose a lot of money. Again, they work hard, but something else happens; perhaps a family member suffers an accident. So more and more money is spent, and they continue to work hard to earn it. Although they put much effort into having a wealthy, happy family, each wave of blessings is plagued by a wave of karmic effects. This is called Flower Retribution, where retributions come one after another. Some people suffer negative effects all their life. This is truly painful. It is all a result of negative karmic retributions created long ago, in previous lives Negative causes, conditions, effects, retributions are present in many people’s lives we often see and hear examples of this. There are also cases of individuals who were once wealthy, but later became destitute. Then there are others who suffer continual bad effects. Words cannot describe how painful it is. This is negative karma. The severity of one’s karma varies because of both good and bad causes.
Some of us were pretty good people in post lives. But we cannot help being unenlightened beings. As ordinary beings, we will make mistakes, which creates negative karma. So, karma is a mix of good and bad. If the good outweighs the bad, the blessed rewards will not be lost. We reap what we sow.
A person may be born into an affluent family and may have a good life and education. This is form strong positive causes. However, it is inevitable that evil also arises. If we have done evil, such effects will still come. So there is bad within good. There is a saying, “Adversity is inevitable in life.” Since we are born with karma, we are bound to encounter challenges. Some say that eight or nine out of ten incidents in their life are difficult, while others say only six or seven are bad. Then there are those who say only two or three out of ten are unpleasant, which is actually very good. So karma is both good and bad. With good causes, one enjoys good effects. Even if nine out of ten things are unpleasant, we still have that one good thing.
So we must seize the one or two things, those small bits of good karma, to create wholesome causes. With good causes, we need to seize the moment. From these causes, good conditions arise. If we seize the opportunity to create blessings in this life, we will even have more chances in the next life.
In short, with good and bad karma, we receive good and bad karmic effects. So there are two types of retribution. One is karmic retribution of varying severity, the other type is Flower Retribution. Some are born as humans, but are bound by negative karma. If this negative karma binds us, we will suffer from constant illness or a short life.
If born as human, there are two types of karmic effect, being always ill, or having a short life.
Some may live a long life, bur encounter much adversity. Then there are those who are born with severe illness and die within a few days. Their life ends before they can even understand it. Then, some suffer long-term illness. Such karmic effects are all beyond our control.
Since we have been born human, we should seize this opportunity. In this life, we must cherish and respect all life. We must develop our kindness so that we love all forms of life, especially other people. We must cherish and respect all life. Regardless of the species, we must respect all life in its own world. We must love all living beings. If we have carelessly created karma, even as humans, we will receive our retributions both good and bad retributions. So, the karmic effects of past or present causes are all beyond our control. Some say “I don’t want to lose my temper, I don’t want to harm others, but they do so habitually. This is why it is urgent that we practice. Without understanding, ignorance takes control. If we understand, we take precautions. Otherwise, like those ferocious beasts, we are drawn by karma to develop evil thoughts. This is frightening.
Everyone, we must use our opportunities as humans. We have already stepped onto this broad and bright path of the Buddha-Dharma. We must not deviate from this path. So, do what is right, and practice diligently on the right path. Everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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