Lecturer: Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Seek the True Path With Clear Enlightened Nature (覺性澄清求正道)
Be diligent every day, do not become indulgent. We need to always remind ourselves of this. Time passes continuously. So we need encourage ourselves to seize the moment and diligently walk Buddha’s path. We Buddhist practitioners only seek the Right Path. We eliminate ignorance so our enlightened nature can become clear. This is our goal.
Be diligent every day, do not become indulgent. Buddhist practitioners only seek the Right Path. Eliminating ignorance so our enlightened nature becomes clear is the goal of spiritual practice.
The Buddha-Dharma is actually very simple. But ordinary being’s minds follow their desires, so things become complicated. After the Buddha attained enlightenment, He told us, “Life is suffering. Suffering comes from desires. When we pursue desires, complicated afflictions continuously spring up.” So, Buddha began to tell us the truth of suffering. The truth is that suffering comes from our desires. It is this simple. If we can eliminate desires, and make complicated matters simple, then this road can be a straight, correct and broad path. The path is straight to the end. Not only is it wide, it is also straight. Think about it, aren’t the Buddha’s teachings simple? Very simple. The Buddha’s principles teach us how to eliminate pain and suffering, which is to eliminate ignorance. I often say that “an ignorant thought causes the Three Subtleties, external states lead to the Six Coarse Marks.” Just one ignorant thought can give rise to three very subtle afflictions, which are greed, anger and ignorance. These three afflictions are truly very subtle. Though modern science is very advanced, if we look at our minds through a microscope, can we see the subtle afflictions of greed, anger and ignorance? We cannot see them. We cannot see them with our physical eyes. But we can examine ourselves with our mind’s eye. Do we still have the subtle afflictions of greed, anger and ignorance? Only the person drinking the water can experience how hot or cold it is. So, don’t we need to be always mindful? Otherwise, we have no way to eliminate ignorance. If we do not eliminate ignorance, how will our enlightened natures become clear? Our enlightened natures are so bright and clear. But they are obscured by ignorance. So, the radiance of our intrinsic natures cannot shine through.
So, right now we need to quickly self-reflect so we can illuminate our inner enlightened natures.Our enlightened natures were originally very pure and clear.Right now we do not have the ability to illuminate this nature ourselves so we need to borrow the methods the Buddha taught us after His enlightenment.We borrow His methods to return to our intrinsic natures.
We each have a basic essence.Because we have this essence we are able to manifest it and make use of it.Without this essence, we would have no appearance nor function.Regarding essence, appearance and function, the Buddha taught us that our original essence was tranquil and clear.That was our intrinsic nature.
So, we need to eliminate defilements.If we eliminate ignorance, our minds will be clear.
Enlightened nature, basic essence and the mind are all the same thing.In summary, our ignorance has polluted our enlightened nature, our basic essence.
So, what manifests in the outside world are things that entice us.Because of our ignorance and greed we grasp at the things in our surroundings.So with that essence, appearance and function, we will become trapped more deeply.If we can self-reflect, we recognize that our basic essence, our intrinsic nature, our original mind, was inherently clear, tranquil, and pure.
So, we must quickly self-reflect to illuminate our minds.We must quickly and diligently progress on this path.Then we can see our natures with clear minds, and surpass the suffering of the Three Realms to attain freedom.Our essence was originally tranquil.
Eliminate defilements and the mind will be clear.With clear minds and enlightened natures, we surpass the three Realms and attain great freedom.
Saying it this way sounds very simple.It is just a thought.If we can control our thoughts, we can completely eliminate the Five Desires.If we eliminate these greedy thoughts, we can subdue our ignorance.If we do so, then the light in our minds can shine through.
The repentance text continues on to state,
“Our wives, children and family members, will no longer be our relatives.Our treasures and jewelry will belong to others.Based on this, we see that worldly retributions are all illusory.Even though there is joy in Heaven, it will eventually decay.When life is over and the spirit leaves, we fall into the Three Destinies.”
This passage is quite clear.Everyone should understand it.Not only material goods, whether expensive or cheap, but everything that we possess will no longer be ours when we stop breathing.Even “our wives, children and family members,” no matter how much we love them, when that time comes, “will no longer be our relatives.”They are no longer our loved ones.We all have our own path in life and death.We all create karma and take this karma with us.
So in this world, no matter how close and loving, how entangled in love and passion we are, in the end, we alone take the karma we created.We transmigrate base on that karma.All that moment, we and our loved ones each have our own path.
I remember an incident from many years ago. A member brought her son to meet me. When she came before me she cried and wailed. It seemed that her son was gravely ill.His face was jaundiced and he was very weak. I asked, “What’s the matter?” She kept telling her son, “Tell her. Tell her yourself.” Her son kept looking down and did not speak a word.So I told her, “You can say it. You start.”She said, “He said he wanted to see you.He asked to meet you.Now that he’s here, why won’t he speak?” I said, “You start” She said, “He had a girlfriend.They loved each other deeply.But her family opposed it, so she proposed that they die together. The child was every foolish. He actually drank poison with her. She gave it to him and they both drank it. Then they started dying. When we discovered them, we quickly administered emergency resuscitation. Afterwards, they regained consciousness. ”
I said, “Isn’t that a good thing?” She said, “No, there’s more. The girl came to my son again and said she wouldn’t ever be satisfied unless they died together. So, she kept calling him until he went over and they drank poison again. After that the girl died. My son was unconscious for over a week.” I asked, “Why were you unconscious for so long?” What happened? ” He finally raised his head and said, “I don’t know myself. I just had these feelings. ” I asked, “What feeling? I am every curious.What feelings did you experience? Over those seven days, what were you feeling? ” “I was scared. ” “Why were you scared? Weren’t you with that girl? ” “No, she was not with me .I was scared.It was dark and cold I kept calling her, but she was not with me. ”
I said, “Did you feel anything else?” “Yes, my mom kept calling me. I only heard her voice. I was surrounded by bitter cold. ” “ What about your girlfriend? ” “I don’t know where she was. I was very cold there. It was very dark, very painful. I struggled. I could only hear my mother’s voice. ” “Why then? ” “I don’t know. I opened my eyes and saw my mom at my side. She kept rocking me, calling to me. ” I asked his mother, “How did you feel over those seven days? ” She said, “ Master, do you know, if I hadn’t been able to wake him up. I’d have followed him. ”
“Do you mean you would have committed suicide?” She said, “ No, I just couldn’t let him go. I didn’t sleep for seven days and nights. I was about to go crazy. ” I said, “Look, did you hear what he said? He spent seven days in complete darkness. The girl wasn’t by his side. If you couldn’t let go, and follow him, he would not be by your side either.”
Everyone ,think about this. In these seven days ,it was like one pitch black , uninterrupted night. This is very scary. If you die together , will you stay together?
We often say there are many things we cannot see. Actually , when the spirit leaves the body ,what does it see ? What does it feel ?
This boy’s karma was not exhausted. His mother lovingly watched over him for seven days and nights ,and because it was not his time ,he did not die. His mother’s love broght him back. But is this love everlasting ?
One day , death will arrive for his mother, too.Will it come first to the son or to the older mother?We do not know. During that time ,this pair were in a tug of war of love. The son was willing to die for love. The mother stayed by his side and watched over him for seven days out of love.
But when we hear from those who returned from the brink of death ,their experiences allow us to realize that the spirit goes alone. None of our loved ones can stay by our side. We all create karma ,which leads us onto different paths.
So, we must become aware of our ignorant thoughts,thus we need to constantly iliuminate our minds. With a mental state of constant darkness,we constantly struggle due to our desires.
The Tathagata is like a kind mother. He tirelessly sails the ship of compassion back to this world. He uses very direct methods to teach us ,but we ordinary people still have not awakened.
Take that young man , for example. Once he was led by passion ,he confusedly drank poison with the girl. He was already saved once,but then was pulled back in again,until the other person died. Now that he was awaken , will he be awake forever?
So ,if we do not actually awaken,if we do not attain true enlightenment.Frankly, who knows how many times. It will take to attain true enlightenment?
So, let us look directly into our minds ,The Buddha told us very directly that human being’s suffering comes from passions ,desires , and cravings.Thus ,many ignorant thoughts arise.
At our last moment,“Our wives , children and family members,will no longer be our relatives “
As for “our treasures and jewelry,”no matter how much we have,they will no longer be ours.
If we cannot take another breath,these things are left herer for others to enjoy.They are not ours,“Bassed on this “if this is the case , then “worldly retributions are all illusory “.
We follow our karma to the Human Realm. We have the causes and conditions to be here ,
but this karmic retribution is also illusory.“Even though there is joy in Heaven ,it will eventually decay”.Even though in Heaven there is a lot of happiness and people live very long lives ,these lifetimes still come to an end. Even heavenly beings manifest. The Five Signs of Decay.When their lives end ,things “will eventually decay”.
When life and blessings are exhausted ,“the spirit will fall.” The body and spirit will be separated and the spirit will fall and follow karmic forces through transmigration.
Everyone ,when we learn Buddhism we learn the Right Path,Right Thoughts , Right Thinking.
By eliminating thoughts of desire , passion,and craving , the nature of our minds can finally be clear and bright. Then we will not create more karmic obstacles.
So everyone ,please always be mindful.