Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Cultivate Good Thoughts, Take the Dharma to Heart (心存善念法入心)
We need to constantly foster good thoughts and diligently plant the seeds of goodness. Otherwise, if a single evil thought arises, it will lead to countless mistakes. So, we really need to take care of our thoughts. We absolutely must not give rise to the thought of taking what does not belong to us.
In this lifetime, if someone always feels poor and unsatisfied, then they foster a type of greed. Even if they were given more material things, they would still feel unsatisfied. This kind of person is forever poor and lacking. They may have to repay debts in the next life. In this life, they are always unsatisfied and greedy; next life, they will always be repaying debts.
I have said this before. I hope that when you listen to the Sutras, the Dharma enters your heart. The Sutras are a path that we follow every day. We cannot take a single wrong step.
Listen to the Dharma; let it enter your heart. Apply it in your daily living. Always foster good thoughts. Do not give rise to improper thoughts. Giving with contentment is the source of blessings.
The next passage of the Water Repentance says, “We may build giant torture devices, wrongly oppress the kind, take ill-begotten goods, or beat the straight crooked. Due to these causes and conditions, we are ensnared in the legal system.”
This passage is also not too deep. Many tools are used to torture and coerce people, even to the point of “wrongly oppressing the kind.” People are kind by nature. But there are also people who abuse their power to bully those who are good and kind. This still happens quite commonly today. This is a negative trait of ordinary people. As soon as they receive a little bit of power, they use that power to harass good people. Some, though furious, are intimidated; they have nowhere to speak out. They still have to live their life. Although they know they are being oppressed and cheated by people they know, they do not dare speak out. These good people are always targets for being abused. Some are afraid of really evil people so they turn around and take advantage of good people. This is called “wrongly oppressing.”
You clearly know they are innocent, yet you still oppress and bully them. Just how many people are like this in this world? Inside our prisons, is everyone a criminal or a bad person? Not necessarily. Some did not commit a crime, but were wrongly imprisoned or framed, perhaps even forced to confess to something they did not do.
Some “take ill-begotten goods.” They cooperate in smuggling, using their connections with unlawful merchants. Or they may deal drugs. There are things that are prohibited. To maintain a peaceful society, everyone must have lawful business dealings. But some people deal in illicit business, smuggling or sneaking across borders. These smugglers must have collaborators, and behind them, even more powerful supporters who allow them to remain hidden, or who can oppress others. “You do not have to pay the taxes or tariffs, instead, you just have to pay me.” These are all cases of “taking ill-begotten goods.” This is illegal.
When one obtains wealth through illegal means, one is “taking ill-begotten goods.” Or “beating the straight crooked.” A person was originally upright, but was forced to become crooked. The truth was originally on his side, but others continually say he was wrong. Many people feel this type of injustice.
In order to protect one person, they find another to take the blame. This has happened often in the past, and it is the same in today’s society. Those who are wronged have nowhere to turn. “Beating the straight crooked” means that the principles are straightforward and simple, but people make them complicated. They twist the principles and become crooked. Those who are truly wronged have nowhere to turn. “Due to these causes and conditions, we are ensnared in the legal system.” Some people have committed crimes and made many mistakes. One day, the crimes will be revealed and they will suffer the punishment of the law. Not only did they wrong others, causing others to be imprisoned or beaten, they themselves will one day suffer the same.
Whether they accepted bribes or collaborated with criminals, these are all illegal affairs. “We may allow evil people to rule so we can possess others’ property, seize public goods for private benefit or seize private wealth for the greater populace, or harm this group to benefit that one, or harm that group to benefit this one.”
This is all very complicated. In today’s society, many people are conducting business illegally and victimizing the public. If we are public officials or civil servants, we should govern with the common good in mind. But some hire prostitutes, produce pornography, or do many other unethical things that are harmful to society and to the public. The government should hold people accountable and arrest them. But people are not held accountable; these people are not punished.
Instead, they are allowed to continue with these behaviors. These kinds of illegal businesses and activity should be a matter for law enforcement. Law enforcement is supposed to keep the society safe and free of violence and let everyone live in simple goodness.
But they ignore these things; they allow dishonest businesses, red light districts, and such to continue untouched, and instead take their cut of the profits. This kind of things happen. Today’s society is truly complicated. Actually, looking at the Water Repentance, it seems that is was like this in the time of Master Wu-Da and before Hasn’t the ignorance of ordinary people been passed down since beginningless time? Some “seize public goods for private benefit.” How many people seize public funds to benefit themselves?
In the news, we often hear of some low-level civil servant using some unknown method to steal millions of dollars over a long period of time. This “seizing public goods for private benefit” is also terrible. Some low-level office worker, through unscrupulous procedures, accumulates a large sum over a period of time. Millions end up in his pockets. Then one day, his actions may be exposed. Sometimes, these people appear very obedient, simple and good. But in private, they are capable of illegal activities, of “seizing public goods for private benefit.”
Some “seize private wealth for the greater populace.” In order to display their grand contributions, they oppress people, raise taxes, and so on. They forcibly tax what they should not. This way, people try to show their righteousness.
But actually, they go too far and oppress good and honest businesspeople. They appear to be upholding justice and the law, but end up causing the public to suffer. Some harm one thing for the benefit of another. They harm that person to benefit this person, or they harm this person to benefit that person. In the end, matters are handled without principle, neither fairly nor justly, and there is no way to follow what is right. This causes disastrous harm to people’s lives and causes unrest in society. Then no one can live safely and peacefully. This happens because public servants or other employees continue with their secret abuses and misconduct.
Next the text says, “We take advantage of others to benefit ourselves and are stingy in mind and speech. We may pocket commissions, smuggle goods across borders, embezzle public funds, and conceal the labor.” These are all done by people with connections. They take advantage of others for self-profit, and seize other people’s land. When they are surveying, they change the boundaries of someone’s land, or maybe they cooperate in harming others to benefit themselves. Or they appear to be very good, always making promises that, “I will do many good things, I will help you, etc.” They say so many things that people come to trust them, even depend on them. But they do not truly take any action. They talk about all the things they want to do, but in their hearts they really do not want to. So how does their behavior come across?
They only use their mouths, but they do not even have any thoughts of helping other people, let alone actually acting to help others. They are sweet-talkers, this is the flattery that we often discuss. They say really nice things, but their hearts remain stingy and greedy, and they try to see it they can get even more. They say things that everyone likes to hear, but when it comes time to actually do something, there is no way they can make good on their word. They say a lot, but never do anything. This type of person is “stingy in mind and speech.”
Some people “pocket commissions.” They take a cut out of the middle, like brokers or middlemen. Nowadays many foreign workers use brokers to register with the government or with employers. They give the middlemen money, the money they would have earned, sometimes 20 or 30 percent. So at the end, the money that they make to send home is not much at all. No one knows how much the middlemen take. The workers do not know how much they take. The employers do not know how much the workers actually receive. No one knows. This is stealing. Without other people knowing, they go and take things. Or they recommend something to you. If you rent this apartment, It is NT$15,000 per month. Actually they only give the landlord NT$12,000 or even NT$10,000. This is all stealing from the middle.
“Smuggling goods across borders” means helping people bring illegal goods in, while avoiding taxes, etc. This is “smuggling goods across borders.” The government calls it tax evasion. “If you help me get these goods across. I can give you some.” Then they are “embezzling public funds.” They do not take out the proper taxes, but let them pass anyway, and the money ends up in their pocket. They may “conceal the labor.” This is all dishonest, it is “ill-gotten gains.” This all comes from people’s minds. People do these kinds of illegal things very often. People will break the law on their own. Then, because people do not follow the law and have harmful thoughts or behavior,
those in public service begin to also do illegal things, like bullying people and so on. It is a vicious cycle.
Since Beginningless Time, many people have had these negative traits; they break the law and harm themselves. Whether it is the people who break the law, Or public workers who shield the criminals and treat kind people unjustly. In summary, it all hinges on the mind. We need to take good care of our minds, always foster good thoughts, plant good seeds, and cultivate the field of blessings. We absolutely cannot let one evil thought give rise to thousands of mistakes. Thousands of mistakes arise from one thought. We need to sincerely take good care of our thoughts and always nurture our love.
Everyone, earnestly make good affinities. Only then will society be at peace.
Everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
首頁 
