Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Recognizing Suffering, We Practice Diligently (知明諦勤精進)
Date: January.29. 2014
“Cyclic existence in the Three Realms is actually a state of great suffering. In transmigrating through the Six Destinies, there is much suffering and unease. Having recognized suffering and understood its truths, we are cautious of accumulating causes of karma.”
This is to tell everyone that we must know that cyclic existence in the Three Realms is essentially a state of great suffering. In the desire, form, and formless realms, the desire realm contains the material things we encounter in our daily living. How we perceive things and what we come in contact with are all affected by the temptations from objects of desire around us. So, we are constantly connecting with them, continuously giving rise to thoughts and always expanding our desires. So, we constantly push forward to strive for them. This leads us to create boundless karma.
Some of us know not to seek ill-gotten wealth. But external phenomena such as fame, wealth and status generate sounds, forms and appearances, so they cause us to give rise to afflictions. When we engage in spiritual cultivation, we see through these things, so there is no need to crave fame and wealth. The ignorance in our minds is intangible, so even in the formless realm, where there are no objects of desire and thus no temptations from external phenomena, there is still a trace [of afflictions]. In addition to fragmentary samsara, we also experience transformational samsara. These afflictions of the mind have not been completely eliminated.
So, in the Three Realms, we ordinary people suffer the most. We remain trapped in cyclic existence in the Six Destinies. We experience much suffering and unease. Though heavenly beings enjoy pleasures, once they deplete their blessings, they will also fall. Asuras have heavenly blessings, but there is still much ignorance, afflictions, hatred and suffering in their minds. In the human world, many are born not only without blessings, but with much suffering. In terms of relationships, there are many children born to torment their parents. There are also couples who are loving and affectionate. But when their affections change, it leads to enmity and resentment, which brings great suffering. We commonly see cases like this in our world. The hell, hungry ghost and animal realms are filled with even greater suffering. So, in cyclic existence in the Six Destinies, there is much suffering and unease. It is very painful. This is the truth of suffering; it is the most true and real principle.
For the sake of sentient beings immersed in suffering, the Buddha returns life after life. For this one great cause, He comes to this world. When sentient beings do not recognize suffering, they do not fear or try to avoid it.Because they do not recognize suffering, they are no afraid of it, and thus they [continue to] create much karma.
For this reason, the Buddha comes to the world to keep teaching sentient beings the truth of suffering.So, we must be very cautious of accumulating karmic causes.If we do not know the truth of suffering or its principles, then we do not know to be cautious.We are still unenlightened beings.[The analogy is that] the Three Realms are like a burning house.There are still children in the house, foolishly playing around because they think it is fun to play with fire.We are those children.We do not know that the Three Realms are completely immersed in the evil world of Five Turbidities, where everything is worn and dirty.Thus, there are still people chasing after their desires, causing their bodies to catch fire.The Buddha cannot bear to see sentient beings like this, so He continuously returns to the world.
One time, while the Buddha was at the Jetavana Grove, the Buddha said to Kasyapa,.
“Kasyapa, you know that I will continue to give teachings for a long time.I hope you can do the same thing and aspire to also teach and train these bhiksus.”Kasyapa said, “Venerable Buddha, since this is what You have instructed, I should put it into practice.But I do not know how to give teachings.”
The Buddha then said, “You can go to sparsely populated or rural places to teach people that life is full of suffering and [tell them about the truths of] impermanence, suffering, emptiness and no-self.People must respect one another and remind one another to be vigilant.These are the teachings you must quickly proclaim to everyone.”
Kasyapa followed the Buddha’s directions.Upon seeing people, he would tell all of them that desire for anything in the world is the source of suffering.All interactions among people in the world happen according to karmic affinities.Therefore, people must interact harmoniously and be cautious of the law of karma.Many people listened to Kasyapa’s teachings and felt that, indeed, life is full of suffering.People go against one another simply because of one thing, their desires.
So, they gave up their desires and focused on spiritual cultivation.Many people left their families, status, fame and wealth to engage in ascetic practices.The Buddha then said to Kasyapa, “Kasyapa, you must know that some who were born to well-off families still enjoy luxuries even after becoming monastics.Others see these fortunate bhiksus and seek to be a part of their luxurious communities.If they keep enjoying pleasures after becoming monastics, that will destroy their spiritual [aspirations].So Kasyapa, you must make an effort to understand monastics who continue to enjoy pleasures.”
From this story, I sense that in the Buddha’s era, expounding the Dharma was also very difficult.Leading the Sangha was really not that easy.The Buddha also needed to find people to help Him teach the monastic community.But Kasyapa and seniors monastics did not dare Monastics who were difficult to train were not receptive.
When I read this passage, I feel it deeply. Things were already like this in the Buddha’s era. When we consider the present, isn’t spiritual cultivation difficult? Birth and death in the Three Realms ultimately lead to suffering. After becoming monastics, should we still be immersed in the Three Realms? Or, in material goods. Or, in fame, wealth or status? Aren’t we afraid of cyclic existence in the Six Destinies? Perhaps we have not completely understood the principles of suffering, so we do not live cautiously and continue to accumulate causes of suffering.
Sometimes, we wonder why people are still immersed in so much suffering in their lives. The Buddha comes to this world to pull us up. However, are we willing to extend our hands? Are we willing to accept [His help]? This depends on how vigilant we are.
Yesterday, we discussed Pratyekabuddhas. They are the most vigilant, and they observe their surroundings to understand the impermanence of life. The phenomena of nature include the rivers and lands of the world, as well as the human body’s birth, aging, illness and death. There are many phenomena of impermanence, so Pratyekabuddhas earnestly work hard to fully understand the origins of life and the interactions between causes and conditions.
By very mindfully observing [the world], [they realize] the Twelve Links. Through this practice, they gain realizations that are biased toward emptiness. What are the twelve? In the past, we have discussed them. The first is ignorance, the condition that leads to volitional formation, which then leads to consciousness, which leads to name and form, which leads to the Six Roots, which leads to contact, which leads to feelings, which leads to cravings, which leads to grasping, which leads to becoming which leads to birth. Then birth is the condition that leads to aging, illness and death. These are the Twelve Links, of Cyclic Existence.
All it takes is for one ignorant thought to arise. So, I often say, “An ignorant thought creates the Three Subtleties. External states lead to the Six Coarse Marks”. Once we give rise to greed, we want to pursue things. When we pursue things, eight out of nine times, things do not go our way. When that happens, what arises in our minds? Anger. When we do not get what we want, we get angry. Once desire arises, if we do not get what we seek, our anger will give rise to interpersonal disputes. On a larger scale, this causes war among countries. On a smaller scale, this causes a disruption in society. On an even smaller scale, this causes disharmony in families. This is all due to one thought of greed, which becomes ever more deeply entrenched. This creates a snowball effect as afflictions continuously multiply. This is delusion.
So, this is how an ignorant thought creates the Three Subtleties. These three then keep extending and growing, leading to actions that create a lot of karma. After we take action, that consciousness becomes a habitual tendency.
We often discuss what kinds of practice to engage in, indeed, we intrinsically have Buddha-nature. But we have internalized defiled desires, which manifest in our actions and are the conditions that leads to consciousness. Consciousness refers to coming in contact with the Six Sense Objects, which then cause our Six Roots to create [karma]. All this results from delusion. So, when the link of consciousness arises, it is already an ignorant consciousness.
That consciousness is the condition for “name and form.” After being lost and confused for an entire lifetime, where do we go when we die? When our consciousness leaves the body, it goes to where our affinities lie. This is not something we can control. When we go where our affinities lie, we develop a body, or “the six Roots.”
With advancements in modern technology, we can see if the fetus is healthy while it is in the mother’s body. We can constantly [check]. So, at this time, the Six Sense Organs, our Six Roots, head, feet, hands and organs slowly take shape. This is called the Six Roots.
Everything becomes completely formed, We were originally in our mother’s womb, but one we are born, we come into contact with the outside world and feel a deep pain down to our bones, all over our body, this is the condition of “feeling”. After we suffer this pain [of birth], we continue to age. Regardless of the condition we are in, every day we experience external phenomena, and our greed continuously multiplies.
Since we brought this consciousness with us, we repeat the same habitual tendencies, and our feeling lead to “cravings”. Cravings lead to our “grasping”. Once we grasp we fight and create karma again. When we create the karma for “becoming,” will this karma lead to sufferings or blessings? At the stage of “becoming,” this is fixed.We have crate so much karma, both good and bad. It already exists; it is fixed. Therefore, we are “born,” and then we will experience “again and death”. These are the Twelve Linked of Cyclic Existence.
Follow Bodhisattvas, we must make Bodhisattva-aspirations and not stagnate at the stage of having limited capabilities and wisdom.The Buddha has already told us this, and Pratyekabuddhas are willing to accept it. That is right; the Twelve Links are true principles. The Four Noble Truths, Six Paramitas and Twelve Links are all principles we must mindfully analyze. We must clearly understand the Four Truths. We must practice the myriad actions of the Paramitas.This is the Bodhisattva-path.
The Six Paramitas are six way to transform ourselves and others. We must thoroughly understand the origins of life, so we must understand the Twelve Links. Though in the past the Buddha taught with skillful means, He was always teachings us to recognize suffering and understand its truths.
To understand suffering we must understand principles and quickly engage in spiritual cultivation. All in all, as we learn the Buddha’s Way time keeps passing. We must not waste our time. The Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence teach us about how we come and go.With the causes we created in the past, we go from ignorance, volitional formation, consciousness, name and form up through to this moment.
If we keep living like this, what will become of our next life? In the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, we are reaching the stage of aging and death. How can we not be earnest? How can we not be mindful? So, every one of us must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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