Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Teach Propriety and Good Conduct (教禮善 化正行)
We must safeguard our minds. Human morals and ethics originate in the mind. In some families, a few generations live together. Some have three generations, some have four or five, living together in the same household. It sounds very heartwarming.
But most households nowadays are smaller, with just the parents and their children. This type of nuclear family is more common now. Even small families need to abide by family rules and propriety.
This begins with a harmonious couple teaching propriety, filial respect and ethics to their children. We must teach benevolence, change social customs, have proper conduct and sincere thoughts.
This is saying that although families today are small, parents still act as their children’s role models. Children imitate how their parents talk and act in their daily lives.
If parents argue all day, their children will grow up to be petty and quarrelsome. If parents have unwholesome conduct and thinking, their kids will lack values, ethics and manners. A nurturing family starts with a harmonious couple. When instruments play in harmony, the sound is truly pleasant. A harmonious family is quite beautiful.
So, we must teach our children propriety, only then will they be filial. The ancients told the story of a man leaving his father to die in the mountains. If parents are unfilial to their elders, then their children will also be unfilial toward their own parents. So, filial piety is the most visible expression of family ethics.
When a person grows up in a family that practices propriety and filial respect, this person will be honest, virtuous and moral. We can know a person by observing his family. So, some people advise that before marriage, one must first meet the in-laws. This is to observe one’s family ethics. If we spread goodness, we can change [negative] social customs.
Today’s society is chaotic because many social customs are corrupt. This all starts from the family, from how parents educate their children. As adolescents grow up and become the mainstream of society, there will be more corrupted social customs. So, we must be very mindful in maintaining proper conduct and sincere mindsets.
If one’s mind is deviant, one may defile others who are pure. A person is no different from a wild animal when he is without ethics, courtesy and sense of shame. This person will create negative karma and descend into the Hell, Hungry Ghost and Animal Realms. There is absolutely no way to escape the karmic law of cause and effect. This is what we have constantly been talking about. We have said that the mind must be pure to bring forth wisdom. If we can purify our minds and bring forth wisdom, we will naturally gain the respect of others.
So, we must maintain purity of mind and not commit transgressions. If we can understand this, it will not be hard to maintain proper conduct and a sincere mindset.
The following passage indicates, “With deep sincerity, today I repent all my boundless and limitless transgressions.”
This continues our discussion of transgressions, how negative karma causes people to suffer in the Realms of Hell, Hungry Ghosts, and Animals. Now we understand that such transgressions are boundless and limitless. They have been accumulating for many lifetimes; since Beginningless Time, we have been creating karma. These habitual tendencies, this karma, must be boundless and limitless. “With deep sincerity, today I repent.” We need to repent each and every day.
Only with a repentant mind can we reflect on our every action. Only when we reflect can we remain highly vigilant. Then we will not transgress.
The next verse reads, “I willingly repent my sexual misconduct and other transgressions. With the merits that arise, life after life, we will naturally be transformation-born.”
So, repentance brings purity. If we repent often, and heighten our vigilance we will not commit wrongdoings. Moreover, we will naturally refrain from all evil and uphold all good. In this way, “With the merits that arise, life after life we will naturally be transformation-born.”
How is one born this way? One is born from a lotus of the Seven Jeweled Pond, is never again born from the womb, and will naturally be pure and clean.
One possesses the 32 Marks and 80 Characteristics with clear and radiant wisdom, enlightened senses, and sharp awareness and penetrating understanding.
So, we pray to be born from the lotuses of the Seven Jeweled Pond. This is the ideal world of the Pure Land, where one is not born from the womb. Then one is pure, auspicious and wise, able to comprehend all principles. Most importantly, we will be pure and radiant. We can be born like Sakyamuni Buddha. Sakyamuni Buddha had parents and lived the same way we do. However, even from a young age, His mind was wise and untainted by worldly desires. This was His spiritual quality.
It was natural. From birth, He was incredibly kind and wise. As He grew up, He observed life in this world. During that time, there were four castes and the gap between the rich and poor was great. Even as He gradually learned how the mundane world operated, His mind remained untainted. Instead, witnessing life added to His compassion. So, He resolved to engage in spiritual practice and sought the truth of life. Why was there inequality among people? Among such inequality, He wished to find the principles of equality.
So, living in this chaotic society with its rigid caste system and social inequality, He eventually became a monk. He possessed an auspicious appearance that everyone revered His 32 marks were complete. With wisdom that surpassed all people, He sought to understand these principles.
He innately possessed this wisdom, but to learn it, He left His family and went to live in the natural world. With a pure mind, He observed all sentient beings. He sought answers for five years, and practiced asceticism for six. Once He had completely comprehended the true principles of the universe, true principles of the universe, He returned to society to guide sentient beings.
So, if we are able to understand the principles, we have “enlightened senses.” After the Buddha was enlightened, He worked with others to teach and transform them, to enlighten their senses. The Six Senses affect our emotions. Ordinary people are influenced by external states because the Six Senses give rise to the Six Consciousnesses. If the Six Condsciousnesses are deluded, we will be influenced by external phenomena. Then we will naturally be ignorant and confused. With such ignorance, ordinary people create many transgressions in this world.
Thus, the Buddha lived among the people to educate them in recognizing the Six Senses and the Six Consciousnesses. If we can understand this, we have “enlightened senses” and can have clear understanding. We will naturally have a penetrating intelligence and be able to understand all principles.
When we understand this, we
“understand that love is like shackles, and view the Six Sense Objects as illusions.”
We will understand the truth behind intimacy and selfish love. This kind of love creates many afflictions. As we comprehend it more profoundly, we realize they are like shackles, like manacles and fetters on our hands and feet. We lose our freedom completely.
With a family, who can be free? Only those who are irresponsible and do not care for their families. They do not care about their spouse, children or parents. Such individuals will commit wrongdoings and constantly create karma outside their home. So, is this freedom? No, it is not. They still pursue what their hearts desire.
Those who want to break away from family ties are bound by the even greater shackles of society. With these kinds of spiritual shackles, the mind cannot be free or at ease. This is even greater suffering.
So, “view the Six Sense Objects as illusions.” Those with wisdom understand that external states are illusory. The Diamond Sutra also mentions that all things “are like illusions, dew or lightning.” How long do mental or emotional pleasures last? When we indulge in such pleasures, our attachments and aversions strengthen. When indulging in the Six Sense Objects, one believes they are permanent and will take issue over them. One does not realize that life is impermanent. Intimacy and love are brief, just like illusions, dew or lightning. Time passes by rapidly.
Afflictions can lead to many future transgressions. People with intelligence and wisdom understand this after reading the passage.
Therefore, “When faced with the Five Desires, we are determined in our renunciation. Then, even in our dreams, we will not give rise to deviant thoughts. We will forever remain unaffected by internal and external causes and conditions.”
After comprehending this, our minds will not be entangled by the external states of the Five Desires. If we renounce the Five Desires, we will no longer be bound by sensual desires. Naturally, “even in our dreams” our minds will remain pure and not be confused. We will not think about impure acts.
Then “internal and external causes and conditions” will not affect us. We will remain unwavering, with purity and tranquility. This is what we must practice.
If we safeguard the mind well, our body and mind will be pure. When we are clear, we will not be obscured by ignorant matters.
So, “internal and external causes and conditions” will remain pure and undefiled. “Remaining unaffected” means having purity and tranquility.
So, everyone should always safeguard the mind and constantly have a heart of repentance. Only then can we constantly reflect on ourselves. When we reflect on ourselves, we will not create mistaken thoughts or actions. So everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)