眾生濁、見濁。因為我們芸芸眾生，就是因為人多了，所以互相明爭暗鬥，有名、有利、有優勢，就是一直想要爭得。你爭取來了很多的勝利，到底對我們的生命中，又是得到什麼比別人更好嗎？同樣在這個世間，除了享樂，迷失自己之外，還有什麼嗎？兩手空空來，雙手空空去，人生就是這樣看不開，除了一生的辛苦，除了一生那種享受、顛倒，這幾種的人生，到底其他還有什麼呢？什麼都沒有。不過偏偏眾生與眾生之間，就是這樣互相來爭，造成了人禍不斷，而這全是從見解開始。
但是佛法在人間，能洗滌眾生心靈的垢穢。不過，聞法難信，就是因為這個濁氣，這個眾生濁、見濁，或者煩惱濁等等，重重障礙住，所以不專心聽法。聽法本來就難了，能聽到法，又不能深信，因為沒有深信，所以聽是聽了，要改變自己的習氣、這種濁的見解，實在是很難，所以「聞法難信障重」。就是，為了「貪著沉淪」，所以不斷不斷墮落，很可怕！人生光是一念貪而起，就八萬障門就開了
佛法教導我們，從「四諦法」讓我們知道苦，同時引入我們體會「十二因緣」，讓我們知道，我們這一念無明起，如何去投胎？在母親的肚子裡的形成、變化？這全都是在「十二因緣」中，出生之後，在人群中如何生活、如何長大？到了人間，人與人互動，因緣果報，這十二種不斷在輪迴，如是因、如是緣，如是果報。這是我們生命的來去。
我們前面說「汝等舍利弗」，釋迦牟尼佛向舍利弗，這樣再叮嚀，提醒人人聽法的精神，所以就再叫「汝等舍利弗」。你們大家就像舍利弗的智慧，甚至「聲聞及菩薩，當知是妙法，諸佛之祕要」。
我在說的法，雖然有聲聞、緣覺的，差別的名相，其實就是要教菩薩法。聲聞也是菩薩，我們了解道理之後，我們就要啟發我們的大心，聲聞與菩薩是同等，同樣要接受這樣的法。「當知」，大家都要知道，這是妙法，「諸佛之祕要」，菩薩道是佛陀隱藏在內心，已經四十多年了，大家要很清楚，現在聽的法要用心聽。
大家要知道，要知道在人間，開始佛第一場的說法，就是以苦、集、滅、道。苦，那個集，就是集來了，眾生人人那個無明煩惱。現在在以五濁惡世，五濁就是無明(累積)，現在在法華會上，要更透徹，讓大家更了解苦的源頭在哪裡。
現在世間人，會造成這麼重的濁氣，是因為眾生「但樂著諸欲」，現在眾生大家光是沉迷在欲，要怎麼享受、要怎麼更有錢、要怎麼將事業做更大；事業大、還要再大，自己的國家裡的大事業還不夠，要將這個大事業、企業，再企畫，再不斷計畫，一個國家連鎖一個國家，一直一直連(鎖)下去。
這種的欲是無止境的，所以都不知道，人生無常哪一天到，只想要將他的事業擴大、擴大、再更大。你想，人的心，那個腦海，心腦，其實解剖出來，空間沒多大，不知道怎麼心會有辦法包太虛，所包的太虛，全世界都佔為己有？這叫做凡夫。
佛陀的覺──覺海，他是體會到人間世事無常，了解天地宇宙萬物真相的生滅法，都透徹了，這是佛陀的覺性，智慧腦海能開闊無窮際。但是我們凡夫的心欲，也是很開闊，包山包海，包，所有國界，他都要佔為己有的企業。你們想，人人是不是本具佛性呢？我們的佛性有多大，無明就有多大。所以這個無明、貪欲，遮蓋了我們人人本具的佛性，就是這樣把它遮蓋了，所以這就是我們眾生，會造作很多的濁氣，所以這個五濁都是人所造作。
「如是等眾生」，像這樣，貪欲那麼大，永遠都是無止境。貪欲一動起來，庸庸碌碌，天地之間就受到很大的污染。企業大，工業就大，工業污染了空氣、工業就是破壞了大地，所以這五濁連連，這就是我們眾生「終不求佛道」。
你若說：「你生意做得那麼大，世間財賺夠了就好了，是不是心靜下來，來學佛呢？」就說：「不行，我現在才正是時機的時候。」看，像這樣，哪有時間能求佛道呢？這實在是很可惜的人生，枉費人生來一趟，這麼有福，就是欠缺智慧，欲念無法停止下來。所以，「以五濁惡世，但樂著諸欲」。這就是眾生積習無明混濁不斷，這個習氣這樣一直積、一直積，我們本來是一片清淨的心，愈來愈混濁。
常常聽到說「沙塵暴」，泥沙瀰漫，這種已經是混濁了。人的心，一直沉著於欲樂，人世間這種的欲樂，實在是很可怕。每天在看新聞，人間竟然有這樣，這麼狠毒的心；一個媳婦她為了貪玩六合彩，有了負債，為了要再繼續玩下去，為了要債，所以為母親保險，為她的婆婆保險，前後毒死婆婆、母親；同時還不夠，又在她自己的先生，先生生病急診到醫院，她竟然用毒，趁著護士沒看到，用注射針(筒)將毒，已經混合後的毒液，這樣注射入那條簵裡、點滴。幸好是護士發現得早，雖然她注射之後趕快離開，護士是沒看見誰來動手腳，不過顏色變了，及時拔得快，送去重症病房，去照顧。就這樣開始，那個病房就照護得很森嚴，不肯讓人，其他的人來照顧。
太太第一次沒有成功，先生出院後又經過一段時間，先生身體不好，又送到醫院，第二次同樣再這樣造作，先生後來也被她毒死了。所以連串，自己的至親：生身的母親和她先生的母親、這樣前後死在她手中，又連自己的先生，也這樣毒害他。看到那個新聞，這個女人本來是被判無期徒刑，很多人不服，現在已經判死刑，是一群死刑犯中，唯一的一位女人。你想，這種沉著欲樂，錯誤的事情不斷一直沉下去，不能自拔，這就是現在社會，每天的新聞所看到的。所以(漸成)五濁沉淪，只是樂著諸欲，不求佛道。
看看佛陀開始要講經，真正一乘法開始，五千人退席。開權，才開始要顯實，裡面就五千人這樣退席，聞法的人都有增上慢了，何況社會人間呢？不論做什麼事都說：「是我，做對的全都是我。」不對的，「那不是我。」這都是我們眾生，這種的「增上慢」，這，聽法者也會有這樣，何況沒聽法的人呢？所以聽法，未得謂得。其實你還不很了解，還不很了解，自己認為說，我全都了解了。就是這樣，這樣這些人「終不求佛道」，就不會再向前進步了。這就是我們很擔心的事，人生若這樣就很麻煩。
什麼叫做五濁？來，聽清楚、看清楚。五濁就是欲，因為欲將我們迷住，所以我們會一直在，滾滾的紅塵中，無法得救。這就是因為我們聽法，全都沒有很信受奉行，所以才會造成這個五濁。
命濁是因為眾生煩惱叢集起來，很多，多到什麼程度呢？所有所有，地球上所有的叢林，不論是樹，大樹、小樹、草等等，一一都將它算數，這樣那麼多，叫做「叢集」。這樣這麼多的煩惱交集起來，不斷在造業，滾滾在欲海中，全都是沒有想到生命，到底還有多長？所以我們人生命濁，(壽命)是很短促，一口氣不進來就沒了，這叫做命濁。
因為我們有這麼多的煩惱，就是貪於愛欲、卿卿我我，怨憎會苦、愛別離苦等等的煩惱，加上了物欲、名利、地位，種種的爭鬥，這種的得不來的，起瞋怒的心，這種的虛誑，業就一直造作下去等等。
劫濁就是在這個世間、這個時代，已經道理已經微末了。看看人世間，饑饉、或是瘟疫，或是人與人之間，互相戰爭、人禍，這種不斷這樣在循環。加上了四大不調，地、水、火、風災難偏多。
這就是人生所造的業，煩惱不斷叢生起來，所以我們才會說，在這個五濁惡世。這叫做現代這個時間裡，所以我們大家要趕快及時警惕：驚世災難頻傳了，所以我們警世的覺悟，要即刻要開始。所以要人人時時多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Sentient Beings in a Turbid World will Awaken (身處濁世當覺醒)
Date: December.08. 2014
“In this evil world of Five Turbidities, the turbidity of sentient beings and the turbidity of views are strong. It is difficult hear the Dharma and have faith because of severe obstructions. People are immersed and drowning in greed.”
This tells us that, in this evil world of Five Turbidities, the turbidity of sentient beings and the turbidity of views are very strong. Therefore, listening to the Dharma is difficult and there are severe obstructions to having faith. So, people “are immersed and drowning in greed.” The turbidity of sentient beings and the turbidity of views [exist] because there are so many people in this world. Because there are so many people, they openly fight or secretly plot against each other. Fame, wealth and dominance are the things these people are constantly striving for. Does securing any of these victories actually bring us anything that makes our lives better than those of others? As we live out our lives in this world, isn’t there more than just losing ourselves in the enjoyment of pleasure? We come to this world empty-handed and leave it empty-handed. Yet we seem to not understand this. After a life of painful struggle, or one of deluding ourselves with empty pleasure, or any of these kinds of lives, what else do we have? There is nothing. Yet sentient beings are still constantly competing with each other, creating endless man-made calamities. All this begins with their perspectives.
However, the Buddha-Dharma can cleanse sentient beings’ minds of defilements. But people find it hard to have faith in the Dharma because of these turbidities. The turbidity of sentient beings, the turbidity of views, the turbidity of afflictions and so on, are the layers of obstructions that prevent people from listening attentively to the Dharma. It is already rare to hear the Dharma, but even if people can hear the Dharma, they may not have deep faith in it. Without deep faith, though they hear the teachings, changing their habitual tendencies and turbid perspectives will still be difficult. So “it is difficult to hear the Dharma and have faith because of severe obstructions.”
Because people are drowning in greed, they constantly fall [into the evils realms]. This is very frightening. If the mind gives rise to just one greedy thought, 80,000 obstructions will appear. The Buddha-Dharma teaches us to understand suffering through the Four Noble Truths and simultaneously guides us to realize the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. This allows us to understand how the arising of one ignorant thought results in rebirth and a person forming inside the mother’s womb. All of this is explained by the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. After we are born, in the way we live, the way we grow up and the way we interact with others, karmic causes and effects are constantly cycling through these twelve [stages].
With such causes and such conditions come such karmic retributions. This is how we come to and leave our lives. After learning how we come to and leave our lives, what should we do? We should practice the Six Paramitas, also known as the Six Perfections. This is the Bodhisattva-path that leads us back to our pure intrinsic nature. This is what the Buddha taught to us.
The previous passage begins with, “All of you, Sariputra.” Sakyamuni Buddha addressed Sariputra with this reminder as a way to refocus everyone on the teachings. So He said, “All of you, Sariputra.” He wanted them all to be as wise as Sariputra, so even “Hearers and Bodhisattvas” should know that this wondrous Dharma “is the secret of all Buddhas.”
Though the Dharma the Buddha was speaking of included distinctive labels such as Hearers and Solitary Realizers, He was actually teaching the Bodhisattva Way.Hearers are also Bodhisattvas.After understanding principles, if they are inspired to make great aspirations, then these Hearers would be equal to Bodhisattvas.They could all accept this Dharma.They should all know that this is the wondrous Dharma, “the secret of all Buddhas”.The Bodhisattva-path had been concealed in the Buddha’s mind for more than 40 years.This was something they must know.They must mindfully listen to this Dharma.
The following sutra passage states, “In this evil world of the Five Turbidities, people are still attached to desires. Sentient beings such as this will never seek the path to Buddhahood.”
Everyone must know that, in this world, the first time the Buddha taught, He spoke of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path.Suffering is caused by the accumulation of sentient begins’ ignorance and afflictions.We are now in this evil world of the Five Turbidities.The Five Trubidities are caused by the accumulation of ignorance.
During the Lotus Dharma-assembly, the Buddha wanted to more thoroughly explain and help everyone to better understand where the source of suffering is.In our present world, people create such tremendous turbidities because they “are still attached to desires”.
Sentient beings are deluded by their desire to lose themselves in pleasures, make more money and constantly expand their businesses.If they have a big company, they want it bigger.Running a successful business in their own country is not enough for them.They are constantly planning how they can expand their business from one country to another, and create a chain of companies.This kind of desire knows no limits.But they can never know exactly when impermanence will strike.They only think about expanding their businesses bigger and bigger.
Think about a person’s mind.When we look at his actual brain, it is not very big.So, how can the mind encompass the universe?Yet we have the desire to claim everything in the world as our own.This makes us unenlightened beings.The Buddha’s ocean of enlightenment contains.His realization of the impermanence of this world and His thorough understanding of the law of the arising and ceasing of all things in the universe.
This is the enlightened nature of the Buddha.
His wisdom is extensive and boundless.However, the desires of unenlightened beings are also so extensive that they encompass the mountains and the oceans.We may even want our company to expand to every single country in the world.Think about this.Doesn’t everyone intrinsically have Buddha-nature?However great our Buddha-nature is, our ignorance is just as great.Thus, our ignorance and greed obscure our intrinsic Buddha-nature.This is why we sentient beings create so much turbidity.The Five Turbidities are all created by people.
“Sentient beings such as this” have greed and desires that are so tremendous there will never be an end to them.Once greed arises in our minds, we busily [try to satisfy it], causing significant pollution in the world.As businesses expand, so does manufacturing.
Factories pollute the air and damage the land.So, the Five Turbidities are created over and over.This is why we sentient beings “will never seek the path to Buddhahood”.
If someone is told, “You have such a successful business and have made more than enough money, don’t you want to calm your mind and focus on learning the Buddha’s teachings?” they may say, “No, I can’t. I have such a great opportunity right now. With an opportunity like this, I do not have the time to seek the path to Buddhahood.”This is really a pity, a waste of their life’s potential; they have blessings, but they lack wisdom, and cannot put an end to their desires.
Therefore.“In this evil world of the Five Turbidities, they are still attached to desires.”This is how sentient beings accumulate habitual tendencies, ignorance and delusion; they continue to add to their habitual tendencies.The pure minds we originally had thus become more and more deluded.
In this evil world of the Five Turbidities, they are still attached to desires: Sentient beiges accumulate habitual tendencies, leading to more ignorance and delusion.Strongly attached to pleasures, they gradually drown in the Five Turbidities, yet are still attached to their desires.
We often hear about “sandstorms”. Sand and dust are blown about in the air, making things very murky. People’s minds are strongly attached to desires and pleasures. The [results of] pursuing desires and pleasures are indeed terrifying. Every day when we watch the news, we find it incredible that people in this world can be this vicious. One woman was so obsessed with the lottery that she went into debt. To continue playing the lottery and to repay her debts, she bought life insurance policies for her mother and her mother-in-law. She then poisoned her mother-in-law and her mother. But she did not stop there, there was her husband as well.
When her husband got sick and had to go to the emergency room, she actually poisoned him. While the nurse was not looking, she injected a syringe with a poisonous mixture into the tube administering intravenous fluids. Fortunately, the nurse discovered this in time. The woman left immediately after injecting the poison, so the nurse did not see who did it. But when she saw the change of color in the fluid, she quickly pulled out the IV and rushed the patient to intensive care and rushed the patient to intensive care. After that incident, his hospital room was well-guarded. No one was allowed to take care of him. The woman’s first attempt was not successful after her husband was discharged, he felt unwell again and returned to the hospital. The woman made another attempt, and this time she was successful. One after another, her loved ones, from her own mother to her husband’s mother, died at her hands. She even poisoned her own husband.
According to the news, this woman was sentenced to life in prison, but many people were not satisfied with the verdict. Now she is sentence to death. Among all the death row inmates, she is only woman.
Think about how strongly attached she was to her desires and pleasure. It caused her to sink into a mess of wrongs. She was unable to stop herself. In our modern society, this is the kind of news we see every day.
So, people gradually drown in the Five Turbidities. Attached to their desires, they do not seek the path to Buddhahood. Even with the unsurpassed, wondrous Dharma, some people, after accepting the Buddha-Dharma, can still give rise to overbearing arrogance.
“Those who do not seek the path to Buddhahood, when it comes to the unsurpassed Dharma, give rise to a sense of overbearing arrogance. They claim to have attained what they did not attain. Therefore, these people never seek the path to Buddhahood”
As the Buddha was about to expound this sutra, the true One Vehicle Dharma, 5000 people left. He had opened the provisional, and was now about to reveal the true when 5000 people got up and left the assembly. Even people who had listened to the Dharma had overbearing arrogance, not to mention other people in society. No matter what they do, they say, “I take credit for what went well, but if something didn’t go well, it’s not my fault”. This comes from the kind of overbearing arrogance we sentient beings have. People who have heard the Dharma may act like this, not to mention people who have not heard it.
After listening to teachings, [some people] claim to have attained what they did not attain. In reality, they did not really understand, but they still think, “I understand everything”. With this attitude, they “will never seek the path to Buddhahood”. Therefore, they will never improve. This is something we worry a lot about. If this is how we live, it will be very troublesome.
So, “sentient beings in this turbid world are in a turbulent sea of desires”. Everyone is in this state, but we do not seek to be transformed or escape. This is where sentient beings of this era are confused.
“Sentient beings such as this will never seek the path to Buddhahood: sentient beings in this turbid world are in a turbulent sea of desires, but do not seek to be transformed or escape. Amidst the Five Turbidities, sentient beings are deluded by desires. They listen to the Dharma without faithfully accepting it. The Five Turbidities are the turbidity of life, the turbidity of sentient beings, the turbidity of afflictions, the turbidity of view and kalpa of turbidity.”
What are the Five Turbidities? Please listen and pay attention carefully. The Five Turbidities are desires. Since desires have deluded us, we continue to live in this turbulent world of sensory pleasures. We cannot be saved, because though we listened to the Dharma, we did not faithfully accept and practice it. Thus we created the Five Turbidities. The first of the Five Turbidities is the turbidity of life, second is the turbidity of sentient beings, third is the turbidity of afflictions, fourth is the turbidity of view and fifth is the kalpa of turbidity.
“First, the turbidity of life. Because sentient beings’ afflictions thrive and accumulate, they are mentally and physically exhausted. Thus, their lifespan is shortened.”
The turbidity of life arises because many afflictions thrive and accumulate. How many are there? As many as all the trees, grasses and so on in all the thriving forests on the planet. If we count each one of them, that is how many [afflictions] have “thrived and accumulated”. With so many afflictions accumulating, we continue to create karma. In this turbulent sea of desires, we never think about how much longer we have to live. This is the turbidity of life. Our lifespan is very brief. It ends when we cannot take our next breath. This is the turbidity of life. Second is the turbidity of sentient beings.
Second, the turbidity of sentient beings. Many prople in this world are draw to evil, so they are mentally and physically impure and cannot understand the meaning of the principles.
Each sentient beings in this world has his own habitual tendencies; evil comes from habitual tendencies. If we have negative habitual tendencies, we will mentally and physically impure and cannot understand the meaning of the principles because our minds remain afflicted. This is because we are sentient beings.Third is the turbidity of afflictions.
Third, the turbidity of afflictions. People in this world cling to cravings and desires so they continue to fight over things, get angry and deceive others.
We have cravings, desires and physical affection. We have afflictions of meeting those we hate, parting from those we love and so on. In addition, we fight over objects of desire, recognition, gain, status and so on. If we cannot get what we want, we get angry and deceive others. Thus we continue to create karma.
Fourth is the turbidity of view. The turbidity of view is the improper understanding and views of people in this world.
Fourth, the turbidity of view. People in the world do not have proper understanding and views and do not follow the Right Path. With diverse and confused views and sayings, they cannot come to an agreement.
If people in the world do not have proper understanding and views and do not follow the Right Path, there will be discrepancies in what they say. So, there are various interpretations by those who do not know which principles are correct. We end up saying different things,because our understanding are all different.Firth is the kalpa of turbidity.
Faith, the kalpa of turbidity. Born into a decaying world, famine, epidemics, wars and so on arise one after other. Countless living beings are killed and never live a day in peace.
Kalpa of turbidity means that, in this era, principles have become unimportant. In this world, we see famine and epidemics. In the world, we see famine and epidemics. In our interactions, we fight each other and create disasters. This cycle continues. In addition, the imbalance of the four elements, earth, water, fire and air causes many natural disasters. Because of the karma created by people afflictions continue to multiply. This is why we call this the evil world of Five Turbidities.
Therefore, in this modern time, we must immediately become more vigilant is cycle continues. Earth-shattering disasters frequently occur, so we must have world-awakening realizations, beginning right now. So, everyone please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
