Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Understanding the Fires of Bonds and Agents (了知結使之火)
Date:August.19. 2015
“Bonds’ and ‘agents’ are other names for afflictions. Ignorance and deluded karma bind the body and mind. They bring bitter fruits; thus they are called afflictions. They can cause sentient beings to transmigrate. Floundering in the sea of suffering, we drift with no end in sight.”
Afflictions are very painful! Bonds are also called afflictions. Agents are also called afflictions. Ignorance is called an affliction. Delusion is also called an affliction. The karma we create out of delusion is also considered an affliction.
These are names for the things that bind us. They bind our body and mind. The pressure they put on us feels very heavy and serious. This is where the sufferings of life come from; these [afflictions] produce many bitter fruits. With the causes of ignorance, we create karma out of ignorance and delusion. So, everything results from causes.
Causes lead to afflictions, and afflictions drive us to create karma. Thus, we amass much karma. So, as we continue to create these causes, what we plant will continue to bear fruit. So, what kind of tree will you end up with? No matter what kind of seed we plant, it will ultimately grow and produce fruit. Then the fruit becomes the cause, and that cause will in turn produce fruit. Within this cycle, if we sentient beings are constantly driven by these “bonds,” we will constantly give rise to afflictions, be led by ignorance and create karma. These bonds constantly drive our mind and body to take action. We have no choice in how we transmigrate among the four forms of birth and in the Six Realms.
So, we are constantly floundering in this boundless sea of suffering. In life we “drift with no end in sight.” When can we finally arrive at the other shore? Even if we already know that we must engage in spiritual practice, is the direction of our spiritual practice only something for us to talk about or something that we read about in a text? After reading many books and learning the teachings in the sutras, we have absorbed a great deal of knowledge, but we may not have taken the principles to heart. If this is the case, the Dharma-water is not nourishing our wisdom-life.
Take a look at a computer or tablet. Whenever we want to know something, with our knowledge and the touch of our fingers, information on all kinds of things in the world can be summoned to appear right in front of us. Nowadays, technology is advanced. Seeking knowledge is not difficult, but seeking the Dharma is still difficult. The Dharma is the method for engaging in spiritual practice, for crossing from this shore to the other. If we depart from this shore and only go halfway, though we know we must engage in spiritual practice, if we cannot let go of our afflictions and cannot eliminate them, then naturally we will still be “floundering in a sea of suffering,” still “drift with no end in sight.” We will still be subject to causes, bonds, agents, these afflictions, ignorance, delusion and karma. They still bind us, so we still face countless bitter fruits and continue to reproduce our afflictions.
A seed contains an ocean of fruits. Though the cause is just a little thing, when there are sufficient causes and conditions, it will grow over time. After several years, it will produce flowers and bear fruits. Soon after, there will be an abundance of fruits. Similarly, if we create a lifetime of karma, karma of ignorance, the effects may well extend over many lifetimes before being exhausted.Thus,a seed contains an ocean of fruits.
We need to quickly [understand] that though the cause may exist only in our minds, when the fruit of our ignorance manifests, we must quickly face it with gratitude.We must take the fruits that manifest, there people, matters and objects, as reminders to be vigilant and cautions.By eliminating a karmic fruit that has manifested, we will not feel its effects again, nor do we have to face it again.
We can use the our understanding of the truth that everything is empty and the conditions of “wondrous existence in emptiness” to transform negative karmic conditions into positive ones.
Then, as we take the Buddha-Dharma to heart, naturally we will form good affinities with others and will not create more negative karmic causes, negative conditions or negative effects, nor continue to cycle among them.
So, we must constantly heighten our vigilance.
Earlier, we talked about what is invisible, the “yaksas and hungry ghosts and all evil birds and beasts”.What is visible and can be seen are the habitual tendencies of sentient beings, which arise from a lack of nourishment by the Dharma.
Yaksas, hungry ghosts and all evil birds and beats, compelled by hunger, ran in all directions and were peeking through the window patties.With all these hardships, their fright was immeasurable.
They feel “hunger” because their minds have not been nourished by the Dharma at all.So, “Compelled by hunger, [they] ran in all directions, constantly experiencing the four aggregates of form, feeling, perception and action; they keep cycling among them.
Regarding the Dharma, it feels like we are using a tube to look at things or looking outside through a single small window.Obviously the world is vast, but we only open up a small window to look through so the scope of what we can see is very small.Our minds should encompass the universe yet we limit what we see.
The Dharma is as vast as a great ocean, but we grasp at certain teachings and become attached to them calling them the Dharma while saving that anything else is not the Dharma.
Actually, if we can make use of any teaching and use it to change our outlook on life, then it is all the Dharma.So, we should be mindful and open-minded to understand that principles are meant to be applied.
We cannot just stay in a corner and only look at that corner without looking at the whole picture.
We take one corner as an example, but we must respond to the whole.
Our minds must be open and expansive.So many of the difficulties that we face are the numerous afflictions that we brought on ourselves.
Indeed, the world itself does not contain that many difficulties, it is our mind that is filled with numerous difficulties.
So, “With all these hardships, their fright was immeasurable.”When we have not thoroughly understood the truths, what we know is incomplete.We know just a little bit.We may be attached to what is said, to what is written or to something else.We have not fully taken everything to heart.
This why, “Compelled by hunger, [we] run in all directions.”This happens when we have not accepted the principles.
It is said, “Wealth enriches the house as virtue enriches the body.”If there is an abundance of Dharma in our hearts, naturally as we interact with people and things we will gain an abundance of experience.
So, as we engage in spiritual practice, we must be mindful and apply the Dharma to our daily living as we interact with people and things.
This is how we should live our lives.
Life we can apply these methods we can perfect our character and attain Buddhahood.
When we are in harmony with people and matters, we are in harmony with the principles.
So, we say that learning the Buddha’s Way is learning how to interact with people and things in our daily living.
Next, the sutra states, “This rotted old home belonged to one man. This master was going out, when before long, in this abode, a fire suddenly broke out. In an instant, it spread to all sides and the flames raged fiercely.”
Look at “this rotted old home” that “belonged to one man”.This is talking about our home; this is a parable about a house.There are people living in this house, and the house has a master.Naturally, the master will do a good job of keeping the house in good shape.
Moreover, he will take good care of this family.
He upholds family duities and ethics; he is filial to his elders and provides an education for the younger generation.With these morals and virtues,he maintains order in the family to help everyone live in harmony to help everyone live in harmony.
This explains that when the master is home, there are no disasters, but when he passes on, then disasters arise.
It is said, “When the master is home, there are no disasters”. Everything is peaceful; when the master is home, there is peace. When he passes on, then disasters arise. If the person who looks after the family is no longer there, disasters will then begin to arise. Why is this? Because there is no master of the house. Without a master, things become easily disordered. In a state of disorder, people lack direction, so the household will be in danger. This is an analogy for the Three Realms, which are like a big house.
What is needed in order to look after everyone’s mind in the Three Realms? The master was “going out”, and the interior of the house had already rotted; many years had already passed, so this house had gradually begun to deteriorate. Because many days and months had passed at it weathered wind, frost and snow, the house had grown old and had slowly rotted. The people living in this house might not always be there. Sometimes they come back, and sometimes they leave. This is the way life works. This is a kind of analogy.
Although the Buddha comes to this world, He repeatedly leaves and then returns again. He came to engage in practice among humans, and as various Buddhas appeared in the world, He endlessly engaged in spiritual practice in Their presence. This went on until He was born in the kingdom of Kapilavastu as Prince Siddhartha. That was His final body before becoming a Buddha. After he was born, he manifested an appearance to show us how to engage in spiritual practice. Through his spiritual cultivation, he showed us that though he was born into a noble household and grew up in a kingdom where people were separated into four castes, he understood the suffering of sentient beings. In order to overcome the views of sentient beings that caused inequality, he had to examine an abundance of principles. This was necessary in order to find a way to eliminate the discrimination in their minds.
So, he decided to give up the lay life and leave the palace to engage in ascetic practice. After some time passed, He attained Buddhahood. After attaining enlightenment, He experienced the intrinsic nature of. True Suchness that is one with the universe, the state of mind felt when our intrinsic nature becomes united with the world and the universe. The Buddha wanted to bring our minds together with all things in the universe. He wanted to share that state of “greater self” with everyone, but sadly [His audience] did not have the capacity.
So, in the end He had to use various means to teach the Dharma according to their capabilities. All of you know about this because I have repeatedly shared this with you. I feel that we must constantly experience matters in this world [in order to understand]. So the Buddha, while in this world, observed sentient beings’ capabilities in order to give them suitable teachings. He used various methods like the Three Vehicles, the Five Vehicles, etc., to teach according to capabilities.
However, time still continued to pass by. After teaching the Dharma for more than 40 years, the Buddha was advanced in years, so He “was going our”, it was nearing the time for Him to leave. This refers to the Buddha’s “transformation-body”, which is His incarnation in the Saha World. So, the sutra states, “This rotted old home belonged to one man”.
This “one man” represents the Buddha, the guiding teacher of the Three Realms and kind father of the four kinds of beings.
The Three Realms are where the Buddha manifested His transformation-body. His vows carried Him back to the world to transform and deliver sentient beings. So, it says that the rotted old home belonged to one man.
Similarly, in college and high school in Taiwan, groups of students are assigned to one guidance counselor, [who feels], “This group of students is my responsibility”. This is a system we have in this world. As a noble being who has transcended this world, the Buddha felt sentient beings were all like His children. Those whom He loves and wants to protect and teach are all sentient beings in this world. So, He is like a teacher and a father.Thus He is called the guiding teacher of the Three Realms. He treats the four kinds of beings as His only son.
He saw all of these living beings equally, as if they were His children. So, He is a kind father to them. But His time in this world was limited, and the time was approaching when He would enter Parinirvana. So, “This master was going out” expresses how the Buddha was close to Parinirvana He was about to leave this Saha World; there was not much time left.
This would happen “before long” He was about to leave this world and did not have much time left. This was going to happen soon. There was not much time left, after He left, This home, the Three Realms, this rotted house, might soon experience a major disaster. As part of His preparation for entering Parinirvana, He gave the Lotus teachings. With this, He hoped to teach the Bodhisattva Way, so He used many analogies. If we can all accept this one teaching, with this same teaching we can all return to our pure Tathagata-nature.
I would understand your Buddha-nature, that you are very pure and undefiled. You would also understand that I am also pure and undefiled. With this pure and undefiled state of mind, we would work together for the suffering beings of this evil world of Five Turbidities, and devote ourselves to providing them with immediate support. Otherwise, this “house” does not have much time left. It may soon be overwhelmed by disasters.
This is what the Buddha meant by, “This master was going out, when before long, in this abode, a fire suddenly broke out.” This means that disasters will become more concentrated, so we need even more people to form aspirations and walk the Bodhisattva-path. This is why we feel a sense of urgency and must recruit Living Bodhisattvas quickly. We must not be attached to our limited self or be limited in our perspective. This will lead us to fight each other and give rise to conflict; this makes our lives hard.
So, everyone, as Buddhist practitioners we must be mindful. The Buddha came to this world; He manifested in the Three Realms and showed His transformation-body in the Saha World. He was born in response to this world of ours. As He engaged in spiritual practice in this world. He taught the principles behind [His actions] and shared and taught the Dharma that He realized. But in the end, His time was limited However, in this home, this great house of the Three Realms, the elder must never stop teaching.He teaches the children to always be cautious and prevent fires from starting.
When the elder is in the house, he carefully protects his children from the source of the fire. But after he leaves the house the children, out of ignorance, start the fire.
Although this elder, [the Buddha,] never stops teaching His children, then sentient beings in the Three Realms, He must call on them to be cautious and prevent a fire from starting. No matter what He taught, it was all to have us be mindful and faithfully accept and practice the teachings.
Otherwise, when He leaves this house, when He leaves this Saha World, all these children will again give rise to countless afflictions, again play with the fire and burn themselves. So, everyone as Buddhist practitioners, we must be mindful. We must listen, take the Dharma to heart and, if there is any teachings we can apply, we must put it into practice. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Uphold Precepts; Distinguish True from False (修戒法別真偽)
Date:August.18. 2015
“A deluded mind is the cause of all deviant action. With pride, arrogance and self-importance, we are conceited and look down on others. Filled with doubt and suspicions, we are deluded and go against the principles. Although we uphold precepts, we cannot distinguish between true and false. In the chronic darkness of ignorance, we hesitate and cannot set our resolve.”
For this reason, every day I ask that we all reflect on our nature and examine our mind. Have we lost our way? Or, have we gone off course? This is why we must take good care of our mind every day. If our mind has gone astray, we must quickly [rein it in] and bring it back to our original nature.
Yet, we constantly lose our way and do not know how to find our way back to our original state. This is what we call a deluded mind. When we are deluded, we lose our original, intrinsic nature. This is “the cause of all deviant action.”
Once we are deluded, our actions deviate. With deluded thoughts and actions, very easily, “With pride, arrogance and self-importance, we [become] conceited and look down on others.” All this happens because we mistakenly believe that we are already something special; thus we have a sense of self-importance and look down on others. This state of mind also arises out of doubt. People with doubts have no faith in anyone else. In fact, this is because they do not have faith in themselves. Their abilities are actually very limited. Without steady and mindful practice, they developed improper views and understandings. Unable to [justify] their views and understanding or to strongly believe in the Right Dharma, they have no solid ground to stand on, so they have doubts about other people.
To sum this up in one sentence, “When we look at others with the mind of a demon, every person will look like a demon to us.” This is delusion. When our minds are deluded, we will violate the principles. So, “We are deluded and go against the principles.” If our minds are deluded, our understanding of the principles will go astray.
So, though we are engaging in spiritual practice, “[while] upholding precepts, we cannot distinguish between true and false.” We may say we are engaged in spiritual practice and are upholding the precepts, but if the precepts we are upholding are not the proper ones, then are they true or false, right or wrong? We will be unable to tell the difference.
So, we are in “the chronic darkness of ignorance,” in which our minds do not have Right Samadhi, Right Understanding or Right Views. This results from having a deluded mind. It is like being in the chronic darkness of ignorance. This prevents us from exercising our wisdom and hinders our diligent practice of the Right Dharma. Thus we waste the time that we have.
For sentient beings lost in this darkness, even if they are engaging in spiritual practice, are still wasting their time. This is not to mention that our life, our time, is limited. Yet we still loiter outside the door of Right Dharma, unable to move forward.
The previous passage states, “Their hair was matted and unkempt, and they were destructive and treacherous. Oppressed by hunger and thirst, they screamed and ran wildly.”
I already explained this passage before. We humans lack a sense of shame [and propriety], so we must earnestly organize our mind. If our mind is orderly, our appearance will be too. But if our mind is disorderly, our appearance will be disheveled. If our mind is open and pure, the way we live will be well-regulated. But if our mind goes astray, it will become “destructive and treacherous oppressed by hunger and thirst, screaming and running wildly.”
A mind without any principles lacks the nourishment of the Dharma-water.If our mind lacks this water, panic easily arises.People like this can be seen everywhere.Their understanding is not correct, yet they proclaim loudly that they are right.We discussed this before.
The next passage speaks of, “Yaksas, hungry ghosts and all evil birds and beasts, compelled by hunger, ran in the four directions and were peeking through the window lattices. With all these hardships, their fringe was immeasurable.”
Through mindful understanding of this passage, we realize that “yaksas, hungry ghosts and all evil birds and beasts” are all metaphors for how our mind neglects to uphold the Right Path or how we do not follow the rules in our behavior.
These are metaphors for our states of mind.
Yaksas and hungry ghosts are metaphors for [states of] the human mind, that leads us to not follow the correct path, or to hold extreme, deviant or perverse views.
All evil birds and beasts are metaphors for the arrogant, self-indulgent and perverse views of unenlightened beings.
In this world, as long as we fulfill our responsibilities, uphold our duties and are mindful of our behavior, then in this way, our lives will be peaceful and proper.
If the mind does not “follow the correct path,” it will “hold extreme, deviant or perverse views”.
If people want to engage in spiritual practice but the precepts they uphold are incorrect, following these deviant precept will easily lead them into deviant practices.
If this happens, their sense of right and wrong will be inverted, and they will be unable to clearly discern whether certain methods are proper or not.So, as we are engaging in spiritual practice, we must also uphold our mission and follow the Path.We must strictly maintain our moral integrity and earnestly uphold our resolve on the Budhi-path we are diligently seeking.But we have strayed from the path to awakening.
We claim to be engaging in spiritual practice, but [our views] are mixed up.Though a method is right, we will say that it is not right; even though a method is not right, we will insist that it is the right thing to do.We have a misunderstanding of right and wrong, thus we are unable to truly realize which is the Right Path to follow in our spiritual practice.We have already become deluded and lost.
So, “yaksas and hungry ghosts” are metaphors for [states of] the human mind.[Like thoughts,] they come and go without a trace.Their workings cannot be seen, yet they can still go astray.Thus, the yaksas are a metaphor for when our mind neglects to uphold the Right Path.
“All evil birds and beasts” are metaphors for “the arrogant, self-indulgent and perverse views of unenlightened begins”.People may be haughty and arrogant.Their “arrogance” leads to a heightened sense of self-importance.
Being “self-indulgent” means they lack restraint.
When people are self-important and lack restraint, they have already gone astray. They already have deviant views on top of which they are arrogant and self-indulgent.
In this day and age, people’s sense of morality and the abilities they should all have grown increasingly weaker.Today, computer technology is much more powerful.People are very well-educated, and much of their life revolves around work.Who will take care of household matters?Most people do not know how anymore.
When it comes to family life, many people do not know how to cook or how to wash their clothes.For meals, people go out to eat and then go home after they have eaten.So, there is not much of a family life.
Today, we see young children, barely a year old, who already know how to use cell phones.They are constantly immersed in an illusory state.
From a young age, children are immersed in an illusory world rather than one that is grounded.
Young people are caught up in that illusory world.
People who are 65 are now considered old, and so [Taiwan] is now facing the problem of an aging society.This is about the ethics of family relationships, not the problem of an aging society.
The elderly contributed so much to society during their younger years and now, at 65 years old, their minds are still sharp; they can still give of themselves to others.
In Tzu Chi for example, there are many elderly volunteers who are willing to help protect the planet and give to help others. They are still very capable. When they were young, they abided by duties and ethics of family relationships. They were filial to their parents, started their families, raised their children and built their careers. Now in our current times, they are considered to be part of the problem of an aging society. This is truly tragic.
Actually, in this world today, our views and understandings have become distorted. If we do not quickly return to a more humane state of mind, if we do not return to having respect for our family duties and relationships, then in the future the problem of an aging society will become much more serious.
If we all uphold our duties and bring our lives onto the right track, our minds will [return to the state] in which “Human nature is inherently kind”. We will not be like the birds and beasts that we have been talking about, or the yaksas, hungry ghosts and kumbhanda demons. We will be free of such afflictions.
The next part of the passage states, “Compelled by hunger, they ran in four directions and were peeking through the window lattices”.
Running in all directions and peeking through the window lattices: these are likened to narrow views and knowledge, superficiality, being unable to see the principles. These leave us no satisfaction, no ease or freedom.
“Compelled by hunger, they ran in four directions” is an analogy for how limited our knowledge is. Having these “narrow views and knowledge” is like standing before a window and “peeking through the window lattices”. “Peeking” means we are standing in a small place next to the window and looking out. To put it simply, our views and knowledge are obstructed; they are narrow in scope. Thus our views and knowledge are very limited and very superficial. This superficial knowledge “leaves us no satisfaction”. We may know something, but what we actually know is limited. If we are asked to explain, there is a limit to what we can share. This is how I often feel.
There are many true principles, but I understand so few of them. Thus, I am not satisfied with myself. Moreover, when it comes to moral principles or the Right Dharma taught by the Buddha, if we have not mindfully [experienced] it, of course, we will feel ungrounded in our minds. “These leave us no satisfaction”. If our minds are not grounded, we will feel uneasy.
In this way, “Compelled by hunger, [we] run in all directions: This is an analogy for the desire realm’s acute and chronic afflictions, the appearance of afflictions regarding matters and principles. Compelled by hunger refers to a mind that has Leaks one that does not crave the taste of the Path.”
“Compelled by hunger, they run in all directions”. This analogy is to help us better comprehend “the desire realm’s acute and chronic afflictions”. Do you all remember this? “Acute” and “chronic” afflictions. Together they form the Ten Afflictions, in which the chronic afflictions are greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt, and the acute afflictions are view of self, extreme views, deviant views, stubborn views and view of deviant precepts.
These [afflictions] will drive our body into action. Thus, they are also called “agents”. Agents are afflictions. These are divided into “Acute” and “chronic”, relating to our thoughts and actions respectively. “Compelled by hunger, they run in all directions” is an analogy for cyclic existence. Without [practicing] the Right Dharma, we will remain in the Three Realms. In the Three Realms, we are entangled by the Ten Afflictions. Thus we transmigrate in the four forms of birth. Do you know what the four forms of birth are? Womb-born, moisture-born, transformation-born…These are the ways in which we may be reborn. This happens when we are “compelled by hunger”.
“Hunger” is when our stomach is empty, like when there is no Right Dharma in our mind. Thus, we continually transmigrate through the Five Destinies as the four kinds of beings. “Peeking” means sneaking a look; it is not an appropriate way to observe.
“Peeking:
Peeking is not an appropriate way to observe. Though they observe repeatedly the principle of the emptiness of all phenomena, their minds have many hindrances, and they cannot understand correct principles.”
“Though they observe repeatedly the principle of the emptiness of all phenomena”, although they can see the Buddha’s teachings of “the principle of the emptiness of all phenomena”, which is the principle of true emptiness, their minds remain stuck in a state of many desires.
“The principle of the emptiness of all phenomena” helps us to comprehend that we must see through things and let them go. Yet, although some people comprehend “the principle of the emptiness of all phenomena”, they have a strong desire to possess things, thus their hearts are filled with afflictions.
Although they may know the Dharma, they are unable to put it into practice. Thus their minds are not one with the principles. They only know of emptiness, put know nothing of “wondrous existence.” They do not know how to benefit others and go among people to give to them. They only know that everything is empty; they do not know about wondrous existence. Thus they easily become biased toward either “nihilism” or “eternalism.”
Like “peeking through the window lattices,” this only gives them a limited perspective. So, “They observe emptiness, but cannot achieve free dome form obstacles.” Although everything is empty, there are still many obstacles within us because we continue to have many desires are many undisciplined thoughts.
They peek through the window lattices: The observe emptiness, but cannot achieve freedom from obstacles. Peeking through lattices in the four directions is like looking at the world through a pipe. It is a metaphor for narrow views and knowledge superficiality, being blind to correct principles. These leave us no satisfaction, no ease or freedom.
So, “peeking through the lattices in the four directions is the way they look through the windows.” They view the world through a small space, so they cannot see everything outside, only what is framed in that space. This is as if looking through a pipe; they cannot see everything outside, just what can be seen through its [narrow] opening. This is truly a shame.
“Looking at the world through a pipe,” everything we can see is within that narrow field of view .This is an analogy for narrow views and knowledge. What we see is so limited. We cannot see the correct principles and we cannot feel at ease, as we lack groundedness in our minds. Because of this, “With all these hardships, their fright was immeasurable.”
The understanding and views of those of limited capacity are shallow and inferior. They cannot receive and believe the supreme and wondrous Dharma. Even more difficult is finding joy in faith, accepting and upholding the teachings. When teachings of the Path are absent in the mind, ignorance, bewilderment and fear are boundless.
Thus, “The understanding and views of those of limited capacity are shallow and inferior.”Indeed, they are superficial, and “The supreme and wondrous Dharma.” Truly supreme and wondrous Dharma is not something they can receive and believe. Moreover, they cannot experience the joy that comes from faithfully accepting and upholding these teachings. Putting them into practice would be even more difficult. Not only could they not faithfully accept them, even if they did, putting them into practice is no easy matter.
If we can “uphold our mission and follow the Path, then our Path will be great, but if our mind does not follow the Path, if we do not understand the Dharma, there is no road for us to follow.” Thus we become confused about the teachings. If we are walking but have no sense of direction we will become afraid. So, our “fears will be boundless.”
In summary, if we are not precise in the direction of our learning and practice, we will not be able to find our way, or we will be very confused about where we are, which will give rise to fear and uncertainty about which way to go. If we just keep going, will we be on a flat and smooth road? I hope that all of us can mindfully walk the Bodhi-path
We must make an effort to be mindful so that we do not become deluded. If confusion arises in our mind, we will go astray in many of our actions. If this happens, our mind will become very arrogant and proud, very self-important and deluded, etc.. We would be unaware of all this.
Indeed what we understand is very limited. But, in this illusory world, we have developed a sense of self-importance. So, we must constantly remind ourselves to be vigilant and always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Ten Afflictions Drive Our Transmigration (十使驅役 流轉三界)
Date:August.17. 2015
“The Ten Afflictions, greed and the others, drive and control the mind and spirit, causing transmigration in the Three Realms and giving rise to craving and the five desires. With anger, rage and impatience we hatefully go against what is proper. With delusion and ignorance we mistakenly give rise to deviant views.”
A single thought, a right thought, can lead us toward the great Bodhi-path. A single deviant thought can lead us to the hungry ghost or animal realm, where we live in suffering. So, when we learn the Buddha-Dharma, we need to follow the Right Dharma. In the previous few days, I have been explaining the analogies of birds and beasts, goblins and monsters, yaksas and so on. They each have their own way of living. Only we humans have incorporated all these ways of living in our minds.
If we humans practice diligently in this world, we can become Bodhisattvas and attain Buddhahood. However, this world is also very hazardous. Once we give rise to confusion or ignorance, those thoughts can leads us to fall into the hell, hungry ghost or animal realm. This all depends on the karma we create in this world.
[We create karma] because of the Ten Afflictions, which drive and control our mind and spirit. Where do they drive us to go? Through transmigration in the Three Realms, the desire realm, form realm and formless realm.
These three realms reflect three states of mind; they exist in our minds. So, these Three Realms begin with having cravings and the five desires. Then we give rise to greed, anger and impatience. With greed, anger and ignorance, we compete with and take from each other, mutually take issue with one another. People live like this because thoughts of greed arise in them. Then they fight for things, and when they cannot get them they feel impatient, become enraged and depart from the path of proper conduct.
Look at the world right now; there are so many manmade calamities. This is indeed worrisome. Many tiny effects compound and in the end trigger a heavy windstorm.
Just look at the Syrian refugees. Recently our volunteers from Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) went to the Syrian refugee camps in Jordan. In Jordan alone, there are already more than 600,000 refugees. Yesterday, this group of TIMA volunteers returned. They gave us a detailed briefing with pictures and explanations. As Dr. Ye recalled his experience in Jordan, he choked up in tears. There were several times that he could not speak. This is because he could not bear their suffering. Even though he was physically back in Taiwan, his heart was still in Jordan.
This shows his compassion. Indeed, just from looking at the pictures, we already felt very sad, to say nothing of the people who actually went there. So many refugees are living in the tent areas, under very crude conditions, in very cold temperatures. During the summer, when the sun shines brightly; it can feel as hot as a furnace. When it is cold, it can be as cold as an icy hell. See, this is how disturbances in a society can negatively impact the lives of so many people, break up their families and destroy their homes. This has affected countless people, and it all arose from [people who], “with anger, rage and impatience, hatefully go against what is proper.”These few words describe foolish and ignorant people who “mistakenly give rise to deviant views.”
They did not have an upright mind and did not practice according to the Right Dharma, so they gave rise to craving and the five desires in the Three Realms, committing actions that led to the loss of their humanity and the destruction of many people’s homes and lives.
Therefore, when a thought arises in our minds, what we end up doing can be truly earth-shattering.These actions are inseparable from “the Ten Afflictions, greed and the others, [which] drive and control the mind and spirit.”
What exactly are the Ten Afflictions?
These refer to ten fundamental afflictions.
The Ten Afflictions:
Also called the ten fundamental afflictions.
1.Greed: cravings of the five desires.
2.Anger: rage and impatience.
3.Ignorance: foolishness and lack of clarity.
4. Arrogance: pride and self-importance.
5. Doubt: suspicion and jealousy.
Of the ten fundamental afflictions, the first is the cravings of the five desires.Greed is the origin of all transgressions, the root of all afflictions.
These all arise from greed.
The second[affliction] is “anger”.Because of anger, we have rage and impatience.Once it is let loose, anger cannot be controlled, and we will continue to commit wrongdoings and do evil things until the very end.
People with anger are described as auras.
Unclear about matters or principles, they just keep losing their temper.On a small scale this damages their relationships; on a large scale this disrupts entire societies.On an even bigger scale, this destroys nations, causing death and the destruction of families.All this starts with “anger”.
The third [affliction] is ignorance.Once we are in a state of ignorance, we will not understand the principles.This is foolishness and lack of clarity.
Are we going in the right direction or not?We do not know which road is the one we really want to take, so we keep getting lost.
We are like the foolish and ignorant children in the burning house of the Three Realms.They thought it was fun to play with fire because they did not know what was good or bad for them.
This is an example of ignorance, which is also lack of clarity.
The next [affliction] is arrogance.We often say that arrogance is pride.Pride gives wise to arrogance, to the seven kinds of arrogance and eight kinds of pride.These many kinds of arrogance lead to severe afflictions.
The fifth [affliction] is doubt.When people want to approach us, we may be suspicious.
“How will this person treat me? Will they benefit me or cause me harm?”Because our suspicions create imaginary fears, our minds will always be filled with darkness, and we will have trouble seeing the light around us.
So, when dealing with people, we are filled with doubts and suspicions.
At the beginning of March, over ten days ago, [there was an incident] at Kunming Railway Station.A group of masked people entered the train station and attacked civilians for no reason.Many people died on the scene, and over 100 people were injured.
People were not only injured, but very scared.
People were physically harmed, and their minds were also full of fear. Their family members were especially worried.Therefore, the hospital asked for volunteers to provide comfort to the survivors.
They selected three groups of volunteers.One was college students majoring in social work, they hoped that these young people would be able to provide social services in the future, so they let them go among the survivors to learn to provide emotional support and comfort.
The second group asked to work with survivors was psychotherapists.
Lastly, the hospital also hoped that Tzu Chi volunteers could be involved.Tzu Chi Bodhisattvas willingly accepted their invitation and began to exercise the most sincere love and feeling of great empathy to keep the survivors company. They took care of each family’s mental wellbeing and the mental wellbeing of each survivor.
Among the survivors was an elderly grandmother. She was among those attacked. The attackers slashed at her throat, and her larynx was ruptured; this was a very serious injury. She was sent to First People’s Hospital and stayed in the Intensive Care Unit until very recently, when her throat had healed enough for her to be in a regular hospital ward.
This elderly woman was very scared. Whenever she saw people, she felt terrified and would not allow people to go near her. This was how fearful she was. The relatives of this elderly woman came to Tzu Chi volunteers for help. “Can you help my mother? Can you help comfort my mother so that she will not be so afraid?”
Tzu Chi volunteers began to show her their genuine love and gentleness so that she felt safe with the volunteers. She let them get closer, allowed them to hold her hand, caress her forehead and so on.
Eventually, the elderly woman smiled. In their time with her, Tzu Chi volunteers also gave her something useful. They gave her a decorative charm that said “peace” like the ones we pass out during Chinese New Year. They also gave her red envelope from our Year-end Blessing Ceremony.
At that moment, the head of one of the departments happened to visit her as part of his rounds. When he saw the grandma at peace with a smile on her face, he felt that Tzu Chi volunteers made a very big difference in those ten-plus days.
Of course, the Tzu Chi volunteers worked with many people over the course of every day at the hospital. This is just one story.
Some people are suspicious when they meet others because they have suffered tragedies like this. This grandmother was about to get on a train or perhaps get off a train, we do not know, but suddenly, these masked people [attacked] and her throat was nearly severed. Her larynx was cut open; it was very terrifying. It is not surprising that after almost dying, she became very fearful at the sight of people. However, she was approached by Living Bodhisattvas so she can now find peace in both and mind. If she had continued to be plagued by doubt and suspicion, even if she recovered physically and went home, the shadow [of trauma] would follow her for the rest of her life and she would be suspicious of everyone. That would be very troublesome.
Fortunately, she had this affinity [with Tzu Chi]. How could she get rid of her suspicions? With the help of Living Bodhisattvas.
How can we eliminate our greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt? Only by walking the Right Path, following Right Understanding and Right Views.
6. Views of Self: attachment to the body of the Five Aggregates.
7. Extreme Views: attachment to the two views of eternalism and nihilism.
8. Deviant Views: slander and denial of the law of cause and effect; the ruin of all good things.
9. Stubborn View: taking what is not the effect as the effect.
10. View of Deviant Precepts: attachment to incorrect precepts.
The sixth [affliction] is “view of self”. Our sense of “self” comes from having this body. We often say that the greatest liability in life is having this body; all the karma we create comes from the actions of this body. Greed by itself only exists in the mind.
Ignorance also only exists in the mind. The greed, anger and ignorance in our minds can only manifest through the actions of this body. So, by having this body, we get attached to the body of the Five Aggregates.
Does everyone know the Five Aggregates? Form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. These are the Five Aggregates. We are clearly living in a state of impermanence, going through birth, aging, illness and death, day after day, second after second. With the aggregate of action, we are in a state of constant change, but we do not understand this, so we constantly cling to our form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. “I saw this thing and I love it. I want to do this, so I must fight for it to happen” and so on.
We think that we will always be the same. We do not understand birth, aging, illness and death, formation, existence, decay and disappearance. We also do not understand arising, abiding, changing and ceasing. Because we do not understand these principles, we develop “the view of self.” “As long as it makes me happy, why not do it? People who think this way have the “view of self.”
Those with “extreme views” do not follow the right course and deliberately go astray on a deviant path. They are “attached to the views of eternalism and nihilism.”
For the last two days we have talked about eternalism and nihilism. People who believe in eternalism do not recognize the impermanence of life. People who believe in nihilism believe that after this one lifetime, there are no subsequent ones. They do not believe in the law of karma so they act recklessly, fearing nothing, not worried about consequences. This comes from believing in nihilism.
The eighth [Affliction] is “deviant views,” they slander and denial of the law of karma. Not only do they not believe in it, they also slander the law of cause and effect. If people want to do something good, they will prevent them from doing it by saying it is wrong to do those kinds of things. All these actions are caused by “deviant views.”
Deviant views cause us to go astray and make one mistake after another. Unable to take joy in others’ goodness, we instead prevent others from doing good.
The ninth [affliction] is “stubborn views.” When people abandon reasonable principles, it is truly quite sad.
The tenth is “view of deviant precepts,” which refers to deviant spiritual practices. A few days age, we talked about how people go astray spiritual cultivation and engage in practices using fire, or practice by living as a cow, dog, etc.. They believe that [to eliminate] the karma they created in the past, in this lifetime they must take on all kinds of physical suffering and endure them all; this is what they consider as spiritual practice.
So, they burn themselves with fire or live in very filthy conditions, living like cows and dogs and eating what cows and dogs eat. They believe this is spiritual practice.
So, people ‘s various afflictions can be summarized as these Ten Afflictions, which are the fundamental afflictions.
The Ten Afflictions is another name for the Ten Agents. Delusions about principles are the “acute afflictions.” Delusions about matters are the “chronic afflictions.”
Greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt are the five chronic afflictions. When we see objects, thoughts arise in our mind. once our mind gives rise to these thoughts, even after the matter has passes, thoughts about it continue to arise. These are called “the five chronic afflictions.”
The view of self, extreme views, etc. are the five acute afflictions. They all lead the body to take action. When we think about doing something, with physical body we very quickly move and take action, causing all kinds of tragedies.
If we have thoughts without taking action, those [afflictions] are considered “chronic.” If we have these states of mind and then take action, when these come together [disasters] immediately result. Such afflictions and ignorance will lead us to create delusions and karma. Recently, I have been telling everyone to develop a deep understanding of “delusions.” “Delusions” are the formerly mentioned greed, anger ignorance, arrogance and doubt. “Karma” is what the view of self, extreme views, etc, drive us to do, such that we create karma. We have this body, so we create karma.
For so many days, you have listened to the teachings about birds beasts, goblins and minsters and so on. I hope they can help you all quickly understand more clearly the Ten Afflictions. I spent a long time in explaining them so that. Actually, there is more to say on this.
There are so many people in this world, so there are countless afflictions. Therefore, we must constantly listen to teachings. Although some say, “I have already heard them, still, after expounding the teachings in prose, the Buddha repeated them in verses to help everybody gain a better understanding. The sutras constantly repeat themselves, to help everybody heighten their vigilance. So, we must constantly contemplate carefully and always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Good and Evil Are Created by the Mind
(善惡業轉一切唯心)
Date:July.14. 2015
“The Three Realms are created only by the mind. The orientation of our minds follows good and evil karma. Good karma leads to heaven and human realms; evil karma to realms of yaksas and hungry ghosts who practice violence and evil. With a thought, we speedily move in that direction. Hungry ghosts are always oriented towards places of starvation and defilement.”
Recently we have been saying that “The Three Realms are created only by the mind.” Our mind encompasses the formless, form and desire realms. We have to examine our mind to learn about and experience these states. Outside of the mind there are no phenomena; all phenomena are created by the mind. The Three Realms are also states of mind.
In the formless realm, there are afflictions that arise from the delusion of ignorance. In the form realm, there are relationships and material things between people, so afflictions arise from our plotting and fighting. In the desire realm, when we interact with our surroundings, our greed and our desire for pleasure give rise to confusion and delusion, which lead to suffering from afflictions.
In summary, whether desires give rise to forms, or whether forms lead to formless afflictions, “The Three Realms are created only by the mind.” These are all states of mind.
So, if the orientation of our mind changes along with our good and evil karma, then as our desires grow greater, our afflictions and cravings to possess things will likewise grow. The more they grow, the more intense this fighting will be. So, we follow our good and evil karma to constantly change our orientation; this all happens in our minds.
When in a state of confusion and delusion, if the karmic causes and conditions are there, we sometimes have the good affinities in the midst of that confused state to hear a sentence, experience a situation or encounter an environment that guides us and helps awaken us from our confusion and afflictions. We will understand the mistakes we have made, return to our [pure nature] and start all over.
In this way, once a thought of goodness arises, we will [do good deeds] and create blessings. This likewise depends on our minds. So, our mind changes in orientation, following the good and evil karma we create. In that unenlightened state, “[Karma can be] good, evil or indeterminate.”
Do we have a mind of goodness? Or do we have a mind of evil? Among good and evil karma, good karma leads to the heaven and human realms. To create good karma, we uphold the Five Precepts. To go a step beyond upholding the Five Precepts, we need to practice the Ten Good Deeds.
You all know the Five Precepts. They are no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no lying and so on. As for the Ten Good Deeds, three are of the body, four are of speech and three are of the mind. [The three of] the body are no killing, no stealing and no sexual misconduct. The four of speech are no lying, no harsh speech, no gossip and no flattery. The three of the mind are to have no greed, no anger and no ignorance. By practicing the Ten Good Deeds, we will be reborn in the heaven realm.
So, abiding by the Five Precepts ensures that we will reborn as humans and abiding by the Ten Good Deeds leads us to heaven. This is where good karma leads. What about evil karma? If we are oriented toward evil, we will enter the realms of yaksas and hungry ghosts. Doing evil leads us to the Three Evil Destinies, the hell, hungry ghosts and animal realms. Evil karma is also created only by the mind.The mind changes very quickly; “speedily” means at a fast rate.The orientation of our mind can change very quickly, in the space of a thought.
This is our habitual tendency as ordinary people.
People often ask, “Are you doing that right? I believe it is right.”The immediate response is, “I believe it is right.”Then someone else says, “If you do it that way, such-and-such will be the result, so please think this through.”
Even after thinking, a stubborn person, someone who feels self-important, will be too stubborn to admit it, even though he knows he is wrong.It is obvious, after analyzing the situation, that this is the wrong way to do it, and he will likely not succeed.But since he said he was going to do it this way, he clings to his delusions and does not awaken.
People like this constantly reinforce their habits.
They know they are wrong but refuse to change; they continue to stubbornly go down that road.
Being attached to that kind of mindset is truly frightening.
If we are stubborn and repeat our mistakes, if we obviously know we are wrong but deliberately keep going in the wrong direction, we are in an inflexible state, much like how “hungry ghosts are always oriented towards [places of] starvation”.
The Dharma is right there, but they are unwilling to accept it.Because they refuse to accept it, their hearts will always remain empty.If they never take the Dharma to heart, they will never feel steady and grounded, just like hungry ghosts.Without the nourishment of the Dharma, their wisdom-life will be very weak.This is life; some people are forever willing to remain in this world of severe turbidity.Moreover, they are unwilling to accept the Dharma in order to nourish their wisdom-life.So, they are willing to remain in this turbidity, this unclean place.
This is what we see in life.
So, in learning the Buddha’s Way, we must truly always be mindful.All conditions exist in our minds.We must client our minds in the right direction.For example right now, we are all diligently practicing.In the morning people gather together to listen to my morning Dharma lecture.
Every morning, people wake up around 3am, leave their house after 4am and arrive at their spiritual practice center to listen to the teachings a little after 5am.
Right now it is winter; it is very cold, and sometimes it is raining.But people are undeterred by the wind and rain.After engaging in this diligent practice, everyone says they are full of Dharma-joy.
Recently I asked them, “Isn’t it hard to get up so early in the morning?”
They answer, “Only at eh beginning. But now I feel a sense of fulfillment. To wake up early, I go to bed early. After I started waking up early, I felt that after listening to the Dharma and hearing everyone share their realizations. I am filled with Dharma-joy. Then, when I go to work and start my work day, I feel like somehow I have plenty of time to do things, and I am very happy. I do not get tried at all during the work day. Whenever I encounter an issue, I can resolve it very harmoniously. Whenever there is a problem, I can solve it quickly.”
This is what people who recently came to the Abode, both from Taiwan and abroad, have said to me.
Some people also earnestly take notes.I see how earnestly they write; every word in their notes is written neatly.If they truly take the Dharma to heart this way, they can apply it in their daily living.By taking every drop of Dharma-water to heart, they have nourished their wisdom-life and have completely eliminated their afflictions.This is the proper method for listening to the Dharma and learning the Buddha’s teachings.
So, we have already discussed a lot about the previous passages.Birds and beasts, hungry ghosts, yaksas, goblins, and monsters have different kinds of habitual tendencies resulting from the karma they bring.
In fact, all these different lifestyles put together are nothing other than the human mind.When we talk about things in Three Realms, our minds are actually in these three states, the desire, form and formless realms. This is how we torment ourselves. In this state of ignorance, it is as if we are being cooked and roasted in a pan. These many objects of every shape and color, or these ghosts and spirits that are intangible and formless and make us terrified, are all descriptions of our mind.
So the previous passage states, “There were also many ghosts with heads like an ox’s. They might eat human flesh, or they might eat dogs as well”. If everyone understands what I said earlier, the meaning of this passage will be clear to them. The next sutra passage states, “Their hair was matted and unkempt, and they were destructive and treacherous. Oppressed by hunger and thirst, they screamed and ran wildly”.
“Their hair was matted and unkempt”. Everybody understands that this describes hair that is disheveled, that has not been cared for at all. In the past, if people let down their hair, it meant their minds were not disciplined. That was the reasoning.
It says, “They were destructive and treacherous”. If someone does not take care of their appearance, it means their mind is also in disarray. When their mind is in disarray that is reflected in their appearance. “They are destructive and treacherous” is how this is explained.
Their hair is matted and unkempt, and they are destructive and treacherous: some cling to eternalism, while others cling to nihilism. They do not know clearly right from left, and turn back and forth in circles. Like those with matted and unkempt hair, those who follow extreme and heretical views have an appearance that is ferocious and evil.
“Some cling to eternalism, while others cling to nihilism”. When our minds become scattered, some spiritual practitioners may cling to “eternalism” while others may cling to “nihilism”. Since we are engaging in spiritual practice, we know about the karmic law of cause and effect. So, we should not further create negative karmic connections. We should create good connections. We should not commit wrongdoings, but should benefit everyone. We believe in the karmic law of cause and effect, but some people deny it. Since they do not believe in the law of karma, they believe that once this life ends, there is nothing after that. [Their attitude is] “If I have liquor today, I will get drunk today”. They try to indulge in this life to the fullest and do not care about the future. But those who cling to eternalism say, “I am human this lifetime, so I will be human in future lifetimes. If I do not properly engage in spiritual practice in this lifetime, I can do it in the next”. Although they believe in future lifetimes, they do no comprehend the law of cause and effect or realize they have to pay their karmic debts. If they cause a lot of harm in this lifetime, the karmic retribution they face in future ones will be terrifying. But they do not understand this. They think they will always be human, and if they do not cultivate themselves this life, they can always do it in future lifetimes. However, they may not have the karmic conditions to engage in spiritual practice in the future. They may face so much torment their whole lives that they do not even have time to breathe, but they do not realize this.
So, it is not right to cling to eternalism or nihilism. We must believe in the law of cause and effect. Otherwise, we will lack clarity. “They do not know clearly right from left, so they keep going in circles. If we let our hair down, and then shake our heads around, looking forward and backward, left and right, in the end, we do not know whether we are going forward or backward, left or right. Without taking the Dharma to heart, we just keep turning around in circles, just like how, if we keep shaking our heads, spinning our hair all around, in the end, we will be dizzy, and our hair will be messy. This is like holding “extreme and heretical views”. Such a ferocious appearance, with such long and unkempt hair, represents people’s confused thinking.
Next it states, “Oppressed by hunger and thirst, they scream and run wildly”.
“Oppressed by hunger and thirst, they screamed and ran wildly: They hold extreme views and heretical views, but they are strongly attached to those views and have no nourishment of virtue. They lack the water of Dharma-nature to draw on. This is analogous to being oppressed by hunger and thirst”.
Being “oppressed by hunger and thirst” is an analogy for “extreme and heretical views”. People’s attachment to these views is so strong; they just can never get past this obstacle. They clearly know that their methods will not work, but they have such strong attachments. They cling to their views and understanding and to their belief in permanence.
“It’s fine; things just turned out this way. I’ll start over next time. I am wealthy in this lifetime. When I am reborn, I will likewise be this wealthy”. They do not know where their wealth comes from. They have no idea, so they keep competing with others and keep taking things from them. They do not know that the blessings they created in the past are the reasons they are successful in making money in this lifetime.
Instead of creating blessings in this lifetime, they keep trying to satisfy their insatiable greed. They work so hard in their pursuits. All these things they work so hard to obtain in the end leave them with karmic debts that they have to repay in future lifetimes. They do not know this, so “They are strongly attached to those views” and “have no nourishment of virtue.”
They do not care about doing good deeds.They are only concerned with their income, so they do not to give and create blessings.Therefore, they have no virtues.
They do not cultivate inwardly or practice outwardly. These people have no spiritual nourishment or thoughts of goodness in their minds at all. Outwardly, they do not do any good deeds, so they create no nourishment of virtue. “They lack the water of Dharma-nature to draw on.” They lack the water of Dharma-nature that allows us to develop our wisdom-life. This is analogous to “being oppressed by hunger and thirst.”
Learn and practice careful contemplation, and do not by any means be biased. Those who are destructive and treacherous are without the virtues of learning the precepts and being in Samadhi; they are lacking the practice of the Right Path. This is liked being oppressed by hunger and thirst.
This is the way life is. As we learn and practice, we must think carefully. We must be cautious so as to never go astray. Our minds must be oriented in the right direction; they must not deviate in the slightest. Otherwise we would be like “those who are destructive and treacherous.” They do not practice precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.
Not have learned precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, they do not believe in these teachings and therefore do not cultivate virtuous Dharma. Their actions constantly deviate more toward evil. So, “those are destructive and treacherous” have no Dharma in their minds. They lack the Right and virtues from practicing precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. Lacking the teachings of the Right path is like being “oppressed by hunger and thirst.” These evil ghosts have no Dharma in their minds.
They claim to know when they do not. Each expresses his or her own views and pronounces and promotes evil doctrines, as if crying out. They follow evil practices and transmigrate endlessly without rest. This is like being driven to scream and run wildly.
Because people do not cultivate their minds with the Dharma, they insist that they are always right and teach whatever they want without accepting others’ views teach whatever they want without accepting others’ views. They have gone astray and continue to “pronounce and promote evil doctrines.” They are constantly crying out like this. Not only have they gone astray, they also encourage other people to joy them. With these deviant practices, naturally they will transmigrate endlessly.
Once deviant thoughts arise in their minds, naturally they will be trapped in cyclic existence and they will call on others to join them in their actions. This is why we must choose carefully when we decide to engage in spiritual practice. We must earnestly do the homework assigned to us. By earnestly doing this homework, we are making the effort to take the Dharma to heart and manifest it in our practice.
“The Three Realms are created only by the mind. The orientation of our minds follow good and evil karma. Good karma leads to heaven and human realms; evil karma to realms of yaksas and hungry ghosts who practice violence and evil.” “With a thought,” very quickly, we speedily move in that direction. So, we must take good care of our minds, or they may deviate very quickly. If we go astray in the space of a thought, we will be like “hungry ghosts [who] are always oriented towards [places of] starvation.” We must be extremely careful and eliminate ignorance and afflictions right away, or else our mind will be filled with turbidity. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)