20150729《靜思妙蓮華》五鈍使與五利使 (第619集)
（法華經•譬喻品第三）
⊙「眾生無明惑業，貪瞋癡慢疑五鈍煩惱，身邊邪見戒五利煩惱，迷心乖理惑無明稱鈍利使。」
⊙「有五百人，止住其中。」《法華經譬喻品第三》
⊙「鴟梟鵰鷲，烏鵲鳩鴿。」《法華經譬喻品第三》
⊙飛禽走獸，亦可略知其相。喻憍慢使眾生，自舉輕他，凌高下視，故喻如鳥。
⊙八種的憍慢。憍慢是恃才傲物之意，其傲慢憍氣如鳥類之凌高視下。故文殊問經配八憍於八種之鳥。
⊙一、盛壯憍如鴟：謂人恃己強盛壯大，凌他劣弱，如鴟鷂之鳥，名恃強凌弱，故盛壯憍如鴟。
⊙二、姓憍如梟：謂人恃己種姓強大，凌慢於他，如梟，不孝之種，而食其母，故名姓憍如梟。
⊙三、富憍如鵰：謂人恃己富有財物，凌慢於他，如鵰有勢力，執伏眾禽，故名富憍如鵰。
⊙四、自在憍如鷲：謂人恃己長大，稱意所作，而得自在，凌慢於他，如鷲食宿山林，去住自由，故名自在憍如鷲。
⊙五、壽命憍如烏：謂人恃己壽高，凌慢於他，如烏鴉是反哺之鳥，命長，故名壽命憍如烏。
⊙六、聰明憍如鵲：謂人恃己聰利明達，凌慢於他，如鵲性至聰，能報人吉凶，故名聰明憍如鵲。
⊙七、行善憍如鳩：謂人恃己能行少善，便即凌慢有德之人，如鳩性雖純，不知自拙，故名行善憍如鳩。
⊙八、色憍如鴿：謂人恃己顏容美妙，凌慢於他，如鴿類多種，以色取勝，故名色憍如鴿。
⊙一、盛壯憍如鴟鳥。二、姓憍如梟鳥。三、富憍如鵰鳥。四、自在憍如鷲鳥。五、壽命憍如烏鳥。六、聰明憍如鵲鳥。七、行善憍如鳩鳥。八、色憍如鴿鳥。
【證嚴上人開示】
「眾生無明惑業，貪瞋癡慢疑五鈍煩惱，身邊邪見戒五利煩惱，迷心乖理惑無明稱鈍利使。」
眾生無明惑業
貪瞋癡慢疑
五鈍煩惱
身邊邪見戒
五利煩惱
迷心乖理惑無明
稱鈍利使
「眾生無明惑業」。惑，我們都知道迷惑，該做的人生、該守的人道，我們都已經迷掉了，亂掉了，所以就造了很多的業。造業沒有離開這幾種，那是幾種？還是，貪一字起頭，所以貪、瞋、癡、慢、疑。
心那個貪念，與外面的境界，攀緣，「色」現在我們的面前，形形色色，除了想要的東西，很多，尤其我們不想要看到的臉色，這種的，我們若看到，人，是我們不歡喜的，所以現在我們的面前，我們的心也會很煩惱。或者是日思夜夢，很想要見到的人在我們面前，那念心浮上來，這也是一樣，在這愛與不愛之間，就起了癡念，這個癡念就惹來了我們那個，「慢」，憍慢。
或者是人與人之間要如何做事，要如何來合作，要如何來互動？像這樣，我們在人與人之間，就會起了那分惑，這種懷疑的念，這種的無明。所以這五個字，是我們內心，叫做「五鈍使」；「使」就是煩惱，所以叫做「五鈍煩惱」。
這個「使」就是驅使我們，我們人與外面的境界，我們很快就被它誘引出去，驅使我們去貪著，驅使我們瞋恚、發怒，驅使我們的內心這種癡迷，驅使我們驕傲，驅使我們懷疑等等，這全都是叫做煩惱，所以叫做「五鈍使」、也能叫做「五鈍煩惱」。所以我們人人，每一天的生活中，都沒有離開在這幾項，我們要很預防。
我們「十二因緣」，開始也就是無明一念起。世間有多少災禍，都是迷心乖理，這個惑、無明開始造作，這樣就有「五鈍」、「五利」。所以這個「五利(使)」，就是開始有我們這個身體開始，有了身體，開始在世俗就是貪很多，不正當的事情，若是在修行，就是偏差的道路。這都叫做五利(使)。「五鈍(使)」，那就是一生起來之後，它就是不斷不斷累積，不斷去造作。
看看我們世間，多少迷失的人生，所造就的災禍很大！看看迷心乖理，惑，這個無明的惑，在迷心乖理中，這樣不斷惑來造業。就像我們累積，這麼多年慈善工作，從二十多年前開始，那時候的衣索比亞、或者是阿富汗、科索沃、盧安達、車臣、或者是亞塞拜然、或者是巴基斯坦，還有最近我們看到的敘利亞、伊拉克和烏克蘭，這全都是人禍。尤其是讓人印象最深的，是盧安達，那種慘啊！很慘！因為人禍，人逃難，這樣逃，人已經不是人的生活，比畜生類還要慘！那個國家本來就那麼貧困，為什麼人與人還要這樣爭呢？造成了無辜的老百姓(傷亡)。那段時間，還是很明顯的記憶。
因為人類稱霸，所以造起了很多的禍端，這叫做迷心乖理之惑，這就是無明；這就是從「五利使」發動了「五鈍使」，這樣十使合一，這種違背人道。這種身見、邊見、邪見、見取見、戒取(見)等等，種種驅使了，貪、瞋、癡、慢、疑。擁有我這些東西，我就是要統領，你若不聽我的話，我就是……等等，造成這麼多。這在現代，我們全都看得到。
佛陀來人間，就是看到這種的人生。在他的二千五百多年前，應該是比較單純，不過，人類從開始，就有這樣的事情發生。佛陀的智慧，未來的人間，五濁猖盛時，像這樣的人禍災難，一直會更嚴重，所以佛陀就為我們開了，種種教導的方法。
所以前面，我們說過了「五百人」，就是譬喻佛陀用五乘方法，來適應眾生的根機。人乘、天乘、聲聞乘、辟支佛乘、菩薩乘，到成佛，無上正等正覺的大乘，用種種方法來引導我們。所以這個地方說「有五百人，止住其中」，五趣雜居在這個地方，在這三界火宅裡。
有五百人
止住其中
《法華經譬喻品第三》
下面就開始譬喻了，我們人的性與禽，飛禽走獸，實在是沒差多少。下面就這樣說，「鴟梟鵰鷲，烏鵲鳩鴿。」
鴟梟鵰鷲
烏鵲鳩鴿
《法華經譬喻品第三》
「鴟梟鵰鷲，烏鵲鳩鴿」。那就是飛禽走獸，現在先形容飛禽，就是鳥類，鳥類，我們只是簡單了解一下，這就是譬喻憍慢，慢使。
飛禽走獸
亦可略知其相
喻憍慢使眾生
自舉輕他
凌高下視
故喻如鳥
剛才我們有貪、瞋、癡、慢，其實這憍慢就像鳥類一樣。鳥的生態，都是在天上飛的，空中飛的，牠居高臨下，我們在樹下，牠在樹上，我們在地上走，牠飛在空中。所以這就是譬喻我們人的性，就是這樣高高在上，貢高。所以，鳥，飛禽，就是來譬喻「憍慢使」，憍慢的煩惱，這種的眾生。我們自己問問自己看看，我們有沒有憍慢嗎？我們如果憍慢，我們就「哇！我就像那些鳥一樣。」
所以這種自己認為我高高在上，所以「自舉輕他」，自己很高，輕視別人很低微。這種的人，所以「凌高下視」，高高來看下面。這就像鳥一樣。
會舉出八種的憍慢，其實憍慢二字是「八憍七慢」。應該要分析起來，我們人有八種憍、七種慢，所以叫做「八憍七慢」，其實這就是人的貢高，我們的煩惱。
八種的憍慢
憍慢
是恃才傲物之意
其傲慢憍氣
如鳥類之凌高視下
故文殊問經
配八憍於八種之鳥
所以憍慢，就自己以為，「我很有才華」，「我很能幹」，「我很有名」，「我很有利」，「我很聰明」等等，好像看到別人，我們都看不起。以為自己「我學問很高，你沒讀書，你懂什麼呢？」像這樣，這我想，我們人人，都有這種的心理，以為自己已經知道的事情很多，看別人好像什麼事情都不懂。這種輕視他人，這和鳥類同樣的意思。所以，文殊師利菩薩問佛陀，就說出了八憍，八種的鳥類，用鳥類來譬喻我們人類，這種的驕傲。
所以，一是「盛壯憍」，就像鴟。
一、盛壯憍如鴟：
謂人恃己強盛壯大
凌他劣弱
如鴟鷂之鳥
名恃強凌弱
故盛壯憍如鴟
這種鳥，牠是很強。鳥也有很大隻的鳥，有很小隻的鳥，有力量很強的鳥，也有很弱小的鳥。這種鳥類(鴟鳥)，那就是強盛壯大，所以牠會欺凌，會欺負比較弱的鳥。所以本性高高在上，何況牠的體型較大，牠又再對同類也會欺負，同樣，鳥類與人類一樣，強欺弱。
第二種，梟，這種鴟梟，這種也是稱霸。
二、姓憍如梟：
謂人恃己種姓強大
凌慢於他
如梟 不孝之種
而食其母
故名姓憍如梟
「梟雄」，有的都以為我很強，人類也有這樣，鳥類也是這樣，自恃說，我是很高貴，我是很有力，我是……。我們人都是這樣，大吃小。這種人類是這樣，鳥類也是這樣。
但是這種鳥類，除了說稱強、稱霸，很貢高以外，牠對父母，鳥父母也是不孝，這種的鳥類實在是很憍。就像我們人類也有，父母辛苦扶養，雖然父母沒有讀書，但是將孩子撫養很很有成就。但是孩子自己覺得：「我這麼有成就，我的父母沒有讀書，讓我沒面子。」所以怕人知道，他的父母是沒有讀書，是形體不好看，是……等等。所以不孝，像這樣的人都有，其實鳥類也有這樣。
第三種，「富憍」，像鵰一樣。
三、富憍如鵰：
謂人恃己富有財物
凌慢於他
如鵰有勢力
執伏眾禽
故名富憍如鵰
這種鳥，牠出生，牠以為牠這種的種類很富，所以牠會凌慢，這種欺凌他人，其他，牠也是很貢高，有勢有力，這都是比較強的鳥，牠的生活生態不同，高高在上，強而有力等等。
或者是「自在憍」，那就是鷲。
四、自在憍如鷲：
謂人恃己長大
稱意所作
而得自在
凌慢於他
如鷲食宿山林
去住自由
故名自在憍如鷲
這個鷲，這種的很自在，因為牠也覺得牠的生活等等，鳥中至高無上。所以靈鷲鳥，牠兩顆眼睛很漂亮，其實，鳥類牠自己也認為，牠在山林裡這樣自由自在，也是很貢高。
還有「壽命憍」，就像烏鴉一樣。
五、壽命憍如烏：
謂人恃己壽高
凌慢於他
如烏鴉是反哺之鳥
命長
故名壽命憍如烏
烏鴉的壽命很長，雖然牠叫的聲音很難聽，不過，牠的壽命很長，但是烏鴉有反哺之恩，因為牠壽命長，父母老了，所以鳥類懂得要要再反哺之恩，那是孝順的鳥，不過牠有壽命長的憍慢。
第六種，就是聰明如鵲。
六、聰明憍如鵲：
謂人恃己聰利明達
凌慢於他
如鵲性至聰
能報人吉凶
故名聰明憍如鵲
這種鳥就是以為自己很聰明，所以了解，很近人性，那種的聰明。所以牠也有牠的憍慢。這種古時候的人，聽到這個鵲，喜鵲在叫，就是有喜事來了。這種鳥也會有這種的聰明靈性，所以牠也有憍。
第七種，那就是「行善憍」，就像鳩。
七、行善憍如鳩：
謂人恃己能行少善
便即凌慢有德之人
如鳩性雖純
不知自拙
故名行善憍如鳩
這種鳩，這種的鳥類，牠也會行善，有時候也報信，古時候的人寄信等等，不很方便，這種的鳩鴿之鳥，牠能替人去傳信。
或者是「色憍」，這種鳥，像人養鴿子等等。
八、色憍如鴿：
謂人恃己顏容美妙
凌慢於他
如鴿類多種
以色取勝
故名色憍如鴿
這種鳥類，人很親近的感覺，牠的美色，鳥的色很溫和，但是牠也有憍慢的地方。
所以說來，這八種鳥類，牠就是有這樣居高臨下，鳥類與鳥類之間，都有互相欺凌，鳥類的性，各有不同，與我們人也是同樣是這樣。有這麼多種這種「盛壯憍」、或者是「姓憍」、「富憍」、「自在憍」、「壽命憍」、「聰明憍」、「行善憍」、「色憍」這八種。與這八種鳥類是同樣，所以我們人，有時候人與禽獸很接近，飛禽走獸，人的性也是差不多。
一、盛壯憍 如鴟鳥
二、姓憍 如梟鳥
三、富憍 如鵰鳥
四、自在憍 如鷲鳥
五、壽命憍如烏鳥
六、聰明憍 如鵲鳥
七、行善憍 如鳩鳥
八、色憍 如鴿鳥
所以佛陀舉出了種種的飛禽，來譬喻我們人性。所以，我們人與這些飛禽走獸，同樣住在一個地方，那個性也很接近，所以古時候的人這樣說：「人異於禽獸者，幾希！」
所以我們應該，要很珍視我們這個身體，讓我們能夠在心間，讓我們能聽佛法，讓我們自己能選擇，懂得分別善惡，我們要選擇善的來走。我們是要(修)聲聞、聽法，瞭解道理，聽法之後，我們瞭解，無明、煩惱要去除。去除無明；煩惱，我們要好好修行，修菩薩道，我們要好好行「六波羅密」，我們的目標要進取到佛的境界。
這種「五百人，住在其中」，都是在這個範圍裡，所以我們要時時用心。佛法不離世間法，我們所有形形色色，在外面誘引我們，我們內心「五鈍(使)」，「五利(使)」，無不;都是從我們人，這個身體做中心，開始發出了心靈上那個五鈍，身體的行為「五利」，這我們就要很用心去分別。所以要時時多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Five Chronic and the Five Acute Afflictions (五鈍使與五利使)
Date:July.29. 2015
“Living beings create deluded karma in ignorance. Greed, anger, delusion, arrogance and doubt are the five chronic afflictions. The view of self, extreme views, deviant views, stubborn views and view of deviant precepts are the five acute afflictions. Being deluded and going against the principles comes from the chronic and acute afflictions.”
Sentient beings’ ignorance gives rise to delusion. We all know how delusion leads to confusion. We are confused about what we should do in life and about how to live as a good person, so we have created much karma. We create karma because of these certain kinds of afflictions. What are these kinds of afflictions? The first kind is greed, followed by anger, delusion, arrogance and doubt.
Our greed is connected to our external conditions. When forms appear in front of us, forms of every description, in addition to seeing many things we want to have, we also see faces that we do not want to see. For instance, we may see someone we do not like. When that person is in front of us, we will feel very afflicted. Or, perhaps someone we really want to be with appears right in front of us; a thought will also arise in reaction to that. In the state of liking or disliking something, thoughts of delusion arise. These thoughts of delusion trigger our arrogance and pride. When it comes to other people, how do we get something done? How do we work together? How do we interact with each other?
As we work with people in these ways, delusions arise, as do doubts and ignorance. These five afflictions inside our minds are also known as the “five chronic agents.” Afflictions are also called “agents,” so these are also the “five chronic afflictions”.
“Agents” are what drive us. We humans are very easily enticed by things in our external conditions. They drive us to be greedy. They drive us to be angry. They drive our minds to give rise to delusions. They drive us to become arrogant. They drive us to have doubts, etc. So, the “five chronic agents” are also known as the “five chronic afflictions.”
As we go about our lives every day, these afflictions are ever-present, so we must take precautions against them. The Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence also began with the arising of a single ignorant thought, and many disasters in the world happen because we are deluded and go against the principles. As our delusions and ignorance begin to stir, we give rise to the five chronic and the five acute afflictions.
The five acute afflictions arise once we are born into this body. It is because of this body that we began to get greedy for many inappropriate things. In terms of spiritual practice, they lead us to walk a deviant path. These are the five acute afflictions.
As for the five chronic afflictions, after the initial [afflictions] arise, they accumulate endlessly as we endlessly act on them. Look at the many people who are lost in this world and the major disasters they create. See how they are deluded and go against principles.
Delusion is ignorance, which leads them to go against principles. In this deluded state, they endlessly create karma. [This is what we have seen] through our many years of charity work. More than 20 years ago, we began doing [international relief work] in Ethiopia.Then we went to Afghanistan, Kosovo, Rwanda and Chechnya.We also worked in Azerbaijan, then Pakistan.Most recently we have seen the events in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine.All of these have suffered manmade calamities.
The one that made the deepest impression on me was Rwande.Things were so tragic!So horrible!People were forced to flee from these calamities, and in their fight, how they had to live was even worse off than animals.
Rwanda had always been very poor, so why did the people there have to fight against each other like this?[This harmed] so many innocent people.
I can still remember those events quite clearly.
Due to the struggle for domination, people create many disasters.This is the confusion of being deluded and going against the principles; it is ignorance.
This is the five acute afflictions triggering the five chronic afflictions.When the ten afflictions come together, we go against proper ways of living.The views of self, extreme views, deviant views, stubborn views and so on are all agents that drive our greed, anger, delusion, ignorance and doubt.
We want to take things from others.We want to be in charge.If people do not listen to us, we will do such and such.Thus we create much karma.
We can see this in the era we live in right now.
When the Buddha was in the world, He saw that this was the way people were.At that time 2500 years ago, people were probably more pure and innocent, but similar kinds of things still happened.
The Buddha, in His wisdom, knew that in the future when the Five Turbidities intensified, these manmade calamities would be even more severe.
Therefore, the Buddha established many ways to help us.
The previous passage mentioned “500 people” as an analogy for the Five Vehicles that the Buddha taught according to the capabilities of sentient beings.
The Human, Heavenly Being, Hearer, Pratyekabuddha and Bodhisattva Vehicles that leads to the attainment of Buddhahood and supreme, universal and prefect enlightenment are the various methods He used to guide us.
This part of the sutra states, “there were 500 people living inside.”The Five Destinies coexist here, in this burning house of the Three Realms.
The next part begins to draw analogies between human nature and the nature of birds and beasts to show that they are actually not that different.
Next it states, “There were kites, owls, hawks, and vultures, crows, magpies, pigeons and doves.”This is the section on the birds and beasts.
First, He describes the birds.We can understand them simply as an analogy for pride, the affliction of arrogance.
Whether flying birds or walking beasts, we know roughly what they look like.Arrogance causes sentient beings to hold themselves high and take others lightly.They feel they are high up and look known on others.Thus the analogy of birds is given.
We were just talking about greed, anger, ignorance and arrogance.Indeed, having arrogance is akin to being a bird.The way birds live is that they fly in the sky.From high in the air, they look down at everything below.We are under the trees; they are on top of them.We walk upon the ground; they fly high in the sky.
This is an analogy for how we can feel high and mighty, very arrogant.
So, birds are an analogy for the agent of arrogance, the affliction of arrogance in sentient beings.
We should ask ourselves, “Are we arrogant?”
If we are arrogant, then we realize, “Wow! We are just like those birds!”When we think of ourselves as high and mighty, we “hold ourselves high and take others lightly.”We have a high opinion of ourselves and look down on other people.Arrogant people “feel they are high up and look down on others.”They look down as if from a lofty place, just like a bird.
We can list out the different kinds of arrogance.
There are actually eight kinds of pride and seven kinds of arrogance.When we break it down, we have eight kinds of pride and seven kinds of arrogance.So, we talk about the “eight kinds of pride and seven kinds of arrogance.”
Indeed, our high opinion of ourselves creates afflictions.
The eight kinds of arrogance:
Arrogance is being arrogant of abilities or prideful of possessions.
This air of arrogance is like how birds fly high and look down on everything.
Thus in the Sutra on Manjusri’s Question,the eight kinds of pride are likened to eight kinds of birds.
If we are arrogant, we think, “I am so talented”, “I am so capable”, “I am so famous”, “I am so wealthy”, “I am so smart” and so on. We do not have a high opinion of others at all. We may think highly of ourselves; “I am so knowledgeable. You had no schooling; what do you know”? This is how people think. I believe that we have all have had thoughts like these. We think that we know so many things and that other people know nothing at all. This looking down upon others makes us like the birds.
At Manjusri Bodhisattva’s request, the Buddha compared the eight kinds of pride to eight kinds of birds. He used birds as analogy for people’s pride.
If we have the “arrogance of strength”, we are like a kite.
First, the arrogance of strength is like a kite: Those who believe their own strength is great while others are weak are like kites. They see themselves as strong and others as weak, thus they have the arrogance of strength.
This kind of bird is very strong. Birds can be very large, and they can also be quite small. There are birds that have great strength, and birds that are quite weak. This kind of bird has great strength, so he bullies and picks on weaker birds. As a bird, he already feels high and mighty, and with his large size, he picks on other birds as well. Birds and humans are similar in this way, in that the strong pick on the weak. The second kind is the owl. The owl is quite commanding, quite dominating.
Second, the arrogance of class is like and owl: those who believe their own heritage is great and are arrogant towards others are like owls, an unfilial species of birds that [abuse] their mothers. Thus arrogance of class is likened to owls.
Those who are formidable think, “I am so strong”. Humans are like this, and birds are like this too. They conceitedly think, “I am so great, I am so strong, I am…”. Humans are like this; the strong abuse the weak. This is how humans behave, and birds are like this too. But this type of bird, besides being strong and dominating, besides being arrogant, can also be unfilial to his parents. This type of bird can be quite arrogant indeed.
We see examples of this among people, too. Parents work hard to raise their kids. Even though they did not have much schooling, they raised their children to be a great success. However, the children think, “I’m so successful, but my parents are uneducated; I feel so ashamed of them”. They are afraid people will find out that their parents are uneducated and that this will reflect poorly on them, etc. So, they do not practice filial piety. This is how humans behave, and birds are like this too.
The third kind is the “arrogance of wealth, which is like the hawk”.
Third, the arrogance of wealth is like a hawk: Those who believe they are rich and possess wealth and are arrogant towards others are like hawks who use their strength to control and oppress other birds. Thus the arrogance of wealth is liked to hawks.
When this type of bird is born, he thinks that he is rich in many respects, so he is arrogant and bullies others, so he is arrogant and bullies others. He is haughty because of his strength and power. These are all the stronger birds. Their way of life is different, for they fly high and are strong and powerful.
Then there is the “arrogance of freedom”, which is like the vulture.
Fourth, arrogance of freedom is like a vulture: Those who believe they have grown great and do as they please, thus feel free and arrogant towards others. They are like vultures, who eat and live in mountain forests. They are free in going and staying, thus the arrogance of freedom is like a vulture.
The vulture is quite free and at ease. He feels that his lifestyle is superior to all other birds. The eyes of the vulture are quite beautiful. Actually all the birds feel that they can travel freely through the forests with great ease, so this is another reason they are haughty. Then there is “arrogance of lifespan”, which is like the crow.
Fifth, the arrogance of lifespan is like a crow: Those who believe their lifespan is long and are arrogant towards others are like the filial crows who feed their parents and have long lives. Thus, the arrogance of lifespan is like crow.
The crow’s lifespan is very long. Although the sound he makes is quite harsh, he has a long lifespan. The crow knows to repay his parents’ grace. Because of his long lifespan, as his parents grow old, he repays their kindness of raising him. This is a bird that knows filial piety, though he is arrogant about his lifespan.
Sixth is arrogance of intelligence, like a magpie.
Sixth, arrogance of intelligence is like a magpie: Those who believe their wit is sharp and understanding clear and are arrogant towards others are like magpies, the most intelligent birds.
They can bring good or ill luck; thus arrogance of intelligence is like a magpie.
This kind of bird thinks he is so smart, and that his understanding makes him close to human. Because he is so smart, he too has arrogance. People in ancient times, when they heard the calling of the magpie, though of it as an auspicious sign. Since this type of bird is clever and intelligent, he too has an arrogance.
The seventh kind is the “arrogance of doing good, which is like the pigeon.”
Seventh, arrogance of doing good is like a pigeon:
Those who believe they can do some good deeds and thus are arrogant towards people of virtue are like pigeons, who though dull, do not realize they are dull. Thus the arrogance of doing good is like a pigeon.
This kind of bird, the pigeon, can do good deeds and can carry messages. In ancient times, it was no convenient for people to send letters Carrier pigeons carried messages for people. Then there is the “arrogance of looks, likened to pigeons or doves.”
Eighth, the arrogance of looks is like a pigeon: Those who believe themselves beautiful and are arrogant towards others are like the many kinds of pigeons or doves.
They use their looks to get ahead, thus the arrogance of looks is like a pigeon.
This kind of bird feels approachable because of his beautiful coloring. A pigeon is quite gentle, but he too is arrogant about some things. These eight kinds of birds are arrogant and condescending in their own ways. In their relationships with other birds, they all bully one another. Each type of bird has a different tendency, so in this way they are similar to humans.
There are many different varieties; they have arrogance of strength, arrogance of class, arrogance of wealth, arrogance of freedom, arrogance of lifespan, arrogance of intelligence, arrogance of doing good and arrogance of looks. These are similar to the different kinds of birds.
Sometime we humans are quite similar to the birds and beasts. Whether they are flying birds or walking beasts, we humans have very similar tendencies to them. This is why the Buddha cited various birds as analogies for our human tendencies. So, not only do humans, birds and beasts live in the same world, our tendencies are quite similar. As the ancients said, “There is not much difference between man and beast.”
We should cherish this body because it allows us to live in this world, it allow us to listen to the Buddha-Dharma and it allows us to distinguish and choose between good and evil. We should choose the path of goodness.
First we must practice like the Hearers to listen to and understand the principles. After listening to teachings, we understand that we must eliminate ignorance and afflictions we must earnestly practice the Bodhisattva-path and actualize the Six Paramitas. Our goal is to advance to the state of Buddhahood.
So, there were the “500 people living inside.” This is all within the scope [of our lives], thus we should constantly be mindful.
The Buddha-Dharma is inseparable from the world.Things of various forms and colors in our surroundings are enticing to us. In our minds, the five chronic afflictions and the five acute afflictions arise from our physical existence as human beings. When our minds begin to develop the five chronic afflictions, or when the five acute afflictions are expressed through our behavior, we must carefully distinguish between them. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
No comments:
Post a Comment