Miscellaneous Discussions on Buddhism (Part One)
Chapter Six: On Cause and Effect
1. Once, there was an old monk whose teeth were incomplete, making his appearance while eating rather unseemly. A young novice monk saw him and remarked, "You eat like an ox chewing grass." Because of this single statement, after the novice monk died, he fell into the body of an ox for five hundred lifetimes, eating and chewing grass. During the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, he attained a human body, followed the Buddha to leave home and cultivate the path. Although he had become a śramaṇa, because his karmic retribution from past lives had not yet been exhausted and there remained residual karma, when he ate, he still resembled an ox chewing grass. After cultivating with the Buddha for a period, he attained the fruition of an Arhat. Yet, even then, while eating, he still resembled an ox chewing grass.
The Buddha then said to him: "Your appearance will cause many beings to ridicule you, leading them to create unwholesome karma because of you. That retribution will be even more severe than your previous retribution, because you are now an Arhat. It would be better for you to dwell in the heavens. When there are matters concerning the Sangha in the human realm, you may descend." He obeyed the Buddha's words and dwelt in the heavens. When there were no affairs, he did not descend to the human realm, to prevent beings from seeing him and creating unwholesome karma. Consequently, even when the Buddha entered Nirvana and left the Saha world, he remained unaware. Who was this Arhat? He was Gavampati. Cause and effect are clear and unfailing. At the very moment actions are created by body, speech, and mind, regardless of whether they are wholesome or unwholesome, they are recorded and stored as karmic seeds. When conditions converge, the retribution must be experienced. Everyone should carefully guard their body, speech, and mind to avoid suffering unwholesome results.
2. A novice monk who had left home ridiculed an old monk who had left home and received the heavy retribution of being an ox for five hundred lifetimes. If a layperson ridicules a monastic, what retribution should they receive? If a layperson ridicules a monastic teaching the Dharma, what retribution should they receive? If a layperson slanders a monastic teaching the Dharma, what retribution should they receive? If a layperson ridicules a realized monastic, what retribution should they receive? If a layperson ridicules a realized monastic teaching the Dharma, what retribution should they receive? If a layperson slanders a realized monastic teaching the Dharma, what retribution should they receive?
Cause and effect are not something ordinary people can fathom. If a person has an arrogant mind and enjoys ridiculing others, regardless of who the other person is, there will be unwholesome retribution. If a person enjoys lying and deceiving others, saying one thing and meaning another, engaging in false speech and frivolous talk, always speaking incorrectly, regardless of who the other person is, there will be unwholesome retribution. If a person enjoys scolding and rebuking others (excluding parents and teachers), showing no respect for seniors or juniors, displaying their own cleverness and intelligence, there will also be unwholesome retribution.
In short, all ten unwholesome actions of body, speech, and mind carry unwholesome retribution. Therefore, those who study Buddhism should understand cause and effect, should uphold the precepts, should guard their actions of body, speech, and mind, should distinguish between wholesome and unwholesome, and strive to abandon the unwholesome and cultivate the wholesome. Only when the mind-nature transforms, approaching the mind-nature of sages and worthies, can one have the opportunity to become a sage or worthy. The prerequisite for becoming a sage or worthy is to possess a mind-nature close to that of sages and worthies; only then is one qualified to become a sage or worthy.
3. With virtue like the Buddha's, one could fully say that Arhat saints are "withered sprouts and rotten seeds." But if someone whose level of cultivation and realization is inferior to an Arhat, regardless of who they are, says this, there will be unwholesome retribution. The wholesome roots of an ordinary person are not even comparable to a single hair of an Arhat; they have no qualification whatsoever to slander an Arhat as "withered sprouts and rotten seeds." Having evidence is not permissible; it being a fact is not permissible; there will inevitably be unwholesome retribution. Laypeople criticizing ordinary monastics is also not permissible and carries unwholesome retribution. Those with high virtue can criticize those with low virtue. Those with precepts can criticize those without precepts. Those who received the precepts earlier can criticize those who received them later. Precepts are virtue. Having the monastic precepts is virtue. Having the Bodhisattva precepts is virtue. Daring to leave home is virtue. Being able to leave home and renounce the secular world is virtue. Having cultivation and realization is even more virtue. The higher the cultivation and realization, the higher the virtue. Those with low virtue cannot criticize those with high virtue. Those without virtue absolutely cannot criticize those with high virtue; otherwise, the unwholesome retribution will be severe.
4. Cause and effect span the three periods of time: past, present, and future. Therefore, the actions done now and the wholesome/unwholesome experiences encountered may be either effects or causes. What is called an effect means there was a cause in the past, and the fruit is reaped in the present. What is called a cause means the actions done now serve as the cause, and there will be a fruit in the future. If others create wholesome or unwholesome actions towards you, it may be an effect or a cause. If it is an effect, then you planted the cause in a past life, and you should receive this fruit in the present life. If it is not an effect but a cause, then the other person is planting a cause on you, and in the future, they will receive the fruit. This is the principle of cause and effect spanning the three periods of time. Therefore, present experiences are not necessarily effects, nor are they necessarily causes. Only those with spiritual powers or great wisdom can discern whether a matter is a cause or an effect.
If the encountered matter is an effect, then we must accept it according to conditions and not be attached. If it is a cause, we must be careful in our actions, striving to ensure that we plant good and wholesome causes towards others and ourselves, to receive wholesome fruits in the future. If we have tried our best and cannot change anything, then accept it according to conditions. But most fundamentally, we must ensure that we only plant wholesome causes and do not plant unwholesome causes, to avoid encountering unwholesome fruits in future lives.
5. Question: All dharmas are empty, but cause and effect are not empty. Why does the Master say "cause and effect are also empty"?
Answer: "Empty" means unreal, illusory, impermanent, subject to arising and ceasing. Cause and effect are also impermanent, illusory, and unreal. If cause and effect were not empty, once a karmic cause is created, there would forever be karmic retribution appearing; the retribution would never end, beings could never exhaust their karma, and could never attain liberation. This is unreasonable. For example, when a hellish karmic seed manifests, after the hellish karma is exhausted through retribution, one will not continue to experience that retribution. If it continued, beings could never attain a human body. When a being's birth and death end, the karmic retribution concludes, and then Buddhahood is attained. If karmic retribution continued endlessly, no being could become a Buddha or escape the six paths of rebirth.
When the retribution for the karma of killing ends, one will not forever suffer the retribution for killing karma. Only such cause and effect are reasonable. If you owe me one hundred dollars, repaying me settles the matter; it ends there. Could it be that you must repay it forever? There is no such cause and effect. Is cause and effect ultimately empty or not? If it were not empty, I could scatter money everywhere, and those who received it would have to repay me for countless kalpas, never finishing. Then I would never need to practice generosity or cultivate blessings again; I could just sit back and enjoy the results. This is unreasonable. Therefore, it is said that cause and effect are also empty; they come without a source, go without a destination; once retribution is complete, there is no more cause and effect.
6. Why Cause and Effect Are Also Illusory and Unreal
Karmic retribution is divided into the "direct retribution" (正报) and the "dependent retribution" (依报). The direct retribution is the five-aggregate body. The dependent retribution is the universe, the vessel-world, the living environment. The realization of cause and effect is mainly achieved through the five-aggregate body; retribution is experienced on the five-aggregate body, so the five-aggregate body is the direct retribution. The living environment is the dependent retribution, which also reflects the cause, condition, and effect of beings. The five aggregates are illusory; the eighteen realms are illusory; the universe we live in, the vessel-world, is illusory; the living environment is illusory. Therefore, karmic retribution and cause and effect are illusory and unreal.
Since all our karmic retribution manifests through these false dharmas, the retribution itself is false. For example, the wholesome or unwholesome retribution you experience—whether becoming wealthy, falling ill, encountering disasters—are they not all experienced on these false dharmas? Since these false dharmas are false, is the retribution not false? Of course, it is all false. All retribution is nothing but manifestation on the five-aggregate body. The five-aggregate body is false, so the retribution is false. Moreover, this retribution is subject to birth, cessation, and change; it is impermanent. The impermanent is false. Therefore, all cause and effect are also illusory; all dharmas are illusory. Apart from the Tathāgatagarbha, everything is a dharma manifested illusorily.
For instance, the retribution of poverty, the retribution of incomplete sense faculties, and all pleasant and painful retributions—are these retributions illusory? They are entirely illusory, all manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha according to karmic seeds and various conditions; there is no real dharma. Another example: you receive wholesome retribution—get promoted, become wealthy, or reunite with loved ones, or gain fame, food, sleep, etc.—all kinds of wholesome retributions. Where is this retribution experienced? It is all experienced on the five-aggregate body, manifested from the five-aggregate body. The five-aggregate body is illusory, unreal, false—then these retributions are even more illusory, false, unreal; they are not real dharmas!
Another example: wholesome retribution—becoming a king in the human world in this life, or going to heaven and becoming a heavenly lord. Is the throne of a king or heavenly lord illusory? Is the universe, the vessel-world, the palaces where they live illusory? Are fine clothes and delicious food illusory? All the servants, ministers, officials, attendants around them—are they not all illusory? Everything one contacts, all these belong to wholesome retribution. Where do these retributions come from? They are manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha according to karmic seeds and conditions. Therefore, the wholesome retribution of being a king or heavenly lord is illusory and unreal.
Another example: being killed, dying in a car accident—these unwholesome retributions are all borne by the five-aggregate body. Why is the five-aggregate body killed? Why is it imprisoned? Why does it lose so much property and loved ones? These all belong to unwholesome retribution. Where do these unwholesome retributions come from? They are all false appearances manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha according to karmic seeds and various conditions, all manifested on the five-aggregate body. When experiencing unwholesome retribution, the sensation is suffering. Is this suffering sensation not the sensation of the conscious mind? Where does the conscious mind's sensation come from? It is manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha. All dharmas, whether wholesome or unwholesome retribution, are manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha. Without the Tathāgatagarbha, there are no dharmas at all.
Since what is illusory is subject to birth and cessation, unreal, changing, and empty, then it is not me, not real, nor something I possess; this is called "no-self." From the perspective of the Tathāgatagarbha, it is all unreal dharmas, so it is all empty and illusory dharmas.
7. What is the cost beings pay due to greed for food, the retribution that is the fastest and most obvious?
In the very beginning when the Earth was formed, there were no beings, no humans. Deva beings from the Ābhāsvara Heaven (Second Dhyāna Heaven) flew to the Earth's surface. After landing, they saw the thick "earth-fat" on the Earth's surface and thought it looked very delicious. Out of curiosity, each deva tasted a little. As a result, because of this one or two mouthfuls of delicious food, the devas' bodies became heavy. Some could not fly; some could not fly high or far. The more they ate, the heavier their bodies became, and the less they could fly. Thus, these devas stayed on Earth and could not return to heaven. They were few in number and feared loneliness, so they called for other deva companions. The companions came to Earth, all tasted the earth-fat, and then could not fly back. Thus, more and more humans gathered on Earth, and these people became the first humans on Earth.
Can owing anyone be acceptable? Can greed for anything be acceptable? Creating karmic bonds ties beings together; the affinity becomes inseparable. Some people's philosophy in life is: eat if you can, eat whatever you want, not eating is a waste. What is the result of such greed? Due to greed for food, one becomes bound by food and drink, unable to attain liberation, suffering immeasurably within the desire realm. Therefore, greed for food results in loss outweighing gain.
8. The afflictions of the mental faculty (manas) from beginningless kalpas defile the six consciousnesses, causing the six consciousnesses to unconsciously create karmic actions (directed by the mental faculty). The karmic seeds are then stored in the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna), which again defiles the mental faculty. Through this repeated defilement, beings truly have no day of liberation. When beings create karma, they act recklessly, fearing nothing, which sends chills down the spine of those who see it. Bodhisattvas can directly perceive what retribution various karmic actions will bring; the suffering endured from that retribution is truly painful, difficult even for Bodhisattvas on the bhūmis to bear.
9. Beings who have left the three evil destinies are born due to craving and desire. The future retribution of greedy craving mostly leads to the ghost path to repay karmic results. Those with slight greedy craving can be reborn as humans or ascend to heaven. Greedy craving belongs to the water element; water flows downward. "Downward" means the three evil destinies. The Buddha said so in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra; one can check the Buddhist scriptures. Some people vigorously encourage Buddhists to crave love between men and women, saying it is to create affinities. Affinities are indeed created, but whether they are wholesome or not, according to the Buddha's intention, there is no good outcome—only the six paths of rebirth, birth, death, and suffering.
There was a person who, shortly after leaving home, was pestered back by his girlfriend. Then he left home again, was pestered back again, and this repeated seven times, causing him extreme distress. You want liberation, but she insists on pestering you, not letting you attain liberation—a life-and-death enemy. When a person seeks purity but is incessantly pestered by others, that feeling is too agonizing and unbearable. Some might say, Bodhisattvas should have compassion for beings; wives and children are also beings, so of course they should be especially compassionate. But compassion must be appropriate and know when to stop. If one only shows compassion exclusively to one's own family, relatives, and acquaintances, expending all one's time and energy on a very few people whose capacities are not sufficiently good, thereby delaying one's own path, then it is not worthwhile. This kind of "compassion" is actually greedy attachment, not leading to liberation, and is not advocated by the Buddha.
A Bodhisattva's compassion should primarily focus on benefiting the majority of beings. By concentrating on cultivation, one will benefit countless family members, relatives, and acquaintances; one will benefit parents, wives, and children throughout countless lifetimes and kalpas. One should not focus their main energy solely on the current wife, child, father, or mother. Small love is insignificant compared to great love. Being held by small love obstructs the path. A Bodhisattva's vision should be long-term and vast. They should vow to illuminate all beings throughout the world with the light of their wisdom. A mind of great compassion is the true Bodhisattva mind. Small compassion and small love only obstruct the path and should be abandoned as soon as possible.
10. What Constitutes Slander?
The Saṃyuktāgama records that a non-Buddhist or a certain householder asked a disciple of the World-Honored One about the Dharma. After the disciple answered, he thought: "Does my answer accord with the World-Honored One's Dharma teaching? Does it not contradict or slander the World-Honored One?" So this disciple went to ask the World-Honored One: "World-Honored One, a non-Buddhist asked me about the Dharma, and I answered thus. Did I slander you?" The World-Honored One said: "Your answer was correct; you did not slander me." From this, we should understand that as long as speech or verbal expression does not accord with the facts, it constitutes slander. If a disciple transmits the Dharma in a way that does not accord with the Buddha's intent, differing from the Buddha, it is slandering the Buddha. If the Buddha says a certain dharma is thus, and a disciple says it is not thus, that is slandering the Buddha and also slandering the Dharma. Regarding the Dharma teachings spoken by the Buddha, merely saying "no" is already slandering the Buddha and slandering the Dharma.
Slandering the Sangha is also very easy. Slandering the Sangha is further divided into slandering ordinary monastic Sangha and slandering realized Bhikṣu Sangha and Bodhisattva Sangha. The sin of the former is still relatively light; the sin of the latter is extremely great, and the retribution is inconceivable. As long as you negate the Bhikṣu Sangha or Bodhisattva Sangha, say "no" or "it is not" or "it is wrong," when the facts are not so, then the sin of slander is established. Beings often do not pay attention to this, thinking that negating others is not a fault, and easily open their mouths to say "wrong" or "not." But this is not merely a matter of fault; it is a matter of sin, often involving fundamental issues that are hell-worthy sins. In future lives, one will have to receive the extremely heavy unwholesome retribution for slandering the Noble Sangha. When one truly suffers unwholesome retribution in a future life, they often do not know why they received such retribution. Thus, they suffer retribution confusedly and create more karma confusedly. Beings are thus foolish and ignorant.
11. The premise for breaking precepts should be that one has already received the precepts and possesses the precept dharma. If one has not received the precepts, there is no talk of breaking them. "Break" means to violate or destroy. Without receiving the precepts, one cannot "break" them, but those with heavy unwholesome karma also have obscurations. If one violates a major precept, one must repent earnestly and need to see a good sign to eliminate the unwholesome karma. It may be necessary to receive the precepts again.
One who violates major precepts can still be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, as long as there are no obscurations at the time of death. If, at the moment of death, a thought arises in the mind reflecting an unwholesome karmic state, one will immediately follow that unwholesome karma to receive retribution. Before death, one must purify the thoughts in the mind, ensuring no distracting thoughts arise, to avoid falling into the three evil destinies. Attaining the stage just before Stream-Entry (Sotāpatti-magga) or Stream-Entry (Sotāpatti-phala) can also eradicate sins. The fear is that karmic obscurations may prevent one from attaining even the stage before Stream-Entry.
The Buddha taught the reality-mark (实相) and the emptiness of the five aggregates to his disciples who had violated major precepts or committed heavy sins. The disciples not only eradicated their sins but also realized the reality-mark. For example, before the Bodhisattva Śūraṅgamasamādhi (勇施菩萨) attained enlightenment, he violated the precept against sexual misconduct and instigated murder. The Buddha taught him the principle of the unborn nature of the Mahayana, and he attained enlightenment and realized the reality-mark. King Ajātaśatru killed his father. The Buddha taught him the emptiness and unreality of the five aggregates, thereby eradicating King Ajātaśatru's extremely heavy sin, and he attained "rootless faith" (无根信) but did not attain the stage before Stream-Entry because his sin was too great. Had the Buddha not taught him the Dharma, he might not even have attained rootless faith. However, if King Ajātaśatru had killed his mother, he might not necessarily have eradicated his sin or attained rootless faith.
After receiving precepts, breaking them involves a "nature sin" (性罪)—the sin inherent in the act itself—and also a "precept sin" (戒罪)—the sin of violating the precept rules. For those who have not received precepts, there is only the obscuration of the nature sin, not the obscuration of the precept sin. But without receiving precepts, the precepts are incomplete, hindering the advancement of the path and obstructing the attainment of fruition and the realization of the mind's nature (明心见性).
12. If a Bodhisattva who has realized the mind's nature (明心见性) creates unwholesome karma, will they lose their fruition stage?
In the *Bodhisattva Jeweled Necklace Sutra* (菩薩瓔珞本業經), the Buddha said that if a Bodhisattva creates actions contrary to the Bodhisattva path, they lose all stages from the Three Worthy Stages (三賢) to the Ten Bhūmis (十地). Bodhisattvas before the bhūmis (地前菩薩) have not yet exhausted their afflictions and may occasionally create unwholesome actions due to afflictions. Bodhisattvas on the bhūmis and beyond (地後菩薩) still have residual afflictive habits not yet fully exhausted and may also create slight unwholesome actions due to these residual afflictive habits. Those residual habits are very deep and subtle, not easy to exhaust completely. Once they are completely exhausted, one enters the Eighth Bhūmi, becoming an Eighth Bhūmi Bodhisattva. However, Bodhisattvas of the Eighth Bhūmi and above still have subtle ignorance, that is, extremely subtle stupidity, still lacking knowledge of the most profound and subtle Buddha Dharma. Only at Buddhahood is all ignorance completely eradicated.
Ordinary beings who do not sever the view of self (我見), or who do not exhaust the view of self, can still fall into the three evil destinies because of the view of self. Beings create karma precisely because of the "self"; countless afflictions arise because of the "self." Therefore, it is necessary through cultivation to exhaust the view of self and subdue the attachment to self (我執). But even after exhausting the attachment to a person (人我執), there is still the more subtle attachment to dharmas (法我執) waiting to be exhausted. Afflictive habits should also not be underestimated. Bodhisattvas on the bhūmis have the manifestation of afflictive habits, which are also very difficult to eradicate. Therefore, Bodhisattvas on the bhūmis inevitably have faults and slight unwholesome actions. If they violate the Buddha's precepts, their Bodhisattva fruition stage will also be lost.
Therefore, we who study Buddhism and cultivate should daily reflect on where our main afflictive bonds lie, then focus on contemplation to resolve them, not allowing deep-seated afflictions to obstruct our cultivation. Based on whether afflictions are severed and the degree of wisdom, beings are classified as worthies or sages. Stream-enterers (初果) and Once-returners (二果), who have severed the view of self, are still worthies, not sages. Non-returners (三果), Arhats (四果), and Bodhisattvas of the First Bhūmi and above are sages. Bodhisattvas before the bhūmis are worthies because they still have greed, hatred, and delusion not yet severed, so their virtue is insufficient to be sages. The true sage, possessing all the virtues of a sage, is only the Buddha alone.
13. Question: Which consciousness goes to hell to receive punishment? How many consciousnesses go to hell together?
Answer: The mental faculty (manas, 意根) and the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna, 第八識) go to hell together. Then the six consciousnesses are immediately born. The mental consciousness (意識) realizes: "Huh! How did I end up in hell?" Then, the body consciousness (身識) feels the intense pain of being tortured by instruments. The mental consciousness feels incomparable suffering. All six consciousnesses feel pain and suffering. The mental consciousness helplessly endures various painful torments until the karmic retribution is exhausted, only then can one leave hell, but countless kalpas of time will have passed. In the Avīci Hell (無間地獄), there is a vast iron bed. The hell is as vast as the bed; the hell is boundlessly vast, so the iron bed is boundlessly vast. The body is as large as the iron bed. All torture instruments simultaneously afflict the body without any gap; every part of the body feels the cruel torture of the instruments, suffering unbearably. One faints from pain, immediately regains consciousness, and then continues to be tortured. Slandering the Three Jewels results in such an outcome.
Slandering the Three Jewels includes slander with basis (有根誹謗) and slander without basis (無根誹謗). Slander with basis means what the person says is factual, but it is still a sin. Therefore, the precepts the Buddha established for monastics do not allow laypeople to see them, for fear that laypeople, knowing the precepts, would accuse monastics of violating precepts, thus slandering the Three Jewels. Slander without basis means fabricating facts where none exist; the sin is even greater. Both carry sin. Therefore, everyone should not speak of the faults of the Three Jewels. Regardless of whether it is factual or not, one should know to keep silent. The retribution is terrifying, too ghastly to contemplate. In the past, someone slandered an Arhat. The Arhat gathered a crowd and had the slanderer repent publicly to eliminate his sin. The slanderer repented publicly to the Arhat to eliminate his own sin. However, upon death, he still fell into hell to suffer retribution, only the duration of suffering was shorter. Had he not repented, it would have been very difficult to get out of hell, and the suffering in hell would have been extremely severe.
If within the Three Jewels there are sages or worthies who have attained fruitions of the Great or Small Vehicle, and one slanders such a sage or worthy, that sin is indescribably severe. Whether it is slander regarding the Buddha Dharma or slander regarding secular daily life personal conduct, regardless of whether it is factual, it is uniformly a sin without bounds. The body, speech, and mind actions of monastics, no matter what, cannot be criticized. Otherwise, the sin is deep and heavy, and one will inevitably suffer unwholesome retribution. This is especially true for realized monastics; one absolutely cannot criticize even the slightest fault in their body, speech, or mind actions. People with extremely heavy afflictions living near the Three Jewels may not necessarily be a good thing. Because people with extremely heavy afflictions can create unwholesome karma towards anyone; they do not care who the other party is, are unrestrained, and cannot control themselves. Therefore, such people are better off staying far away from the Three Jewels.
14. The actions of sages should not be blindly followed by those who have not attained the path. Wisdom differs, intentions differ, and results differ. Those who have not realized the mind's nature do not see the mark of no-mark (無相之相); they do not know the principle of non-arising (無生之理); they see dharmas as real; they do not know the ultimate truth. Those who realize the mind know dharmas are unarisen; marks are fundamentally non-existent, false and unreal, deceiving human eyes. Seeing marks as real gives rise to karmic actions. Seeing marks as not marks, karmic actions are also false. Mind and wisdom differ; karmic results differ. Once, a cultivator wrote the names of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas all over his underwear and wore it. A foolish person saw this and imitated him. After a few days, he vomited blood and died.
Do not imitate the sage's mind, only imitating their outward appearance, not knowing they have unique intentions. Beings, due to foolishness, harm themselves endlessly. Once, the Chan Master Danxia (丹霞禪師), to liberate people attached to appearances, used a unique method: he burned a wooden Buddha statue. In the mind of the cultivator, he had truly realized non-arising; there was no mark of self, no mark of others, no mark of beings, no mark of life (無四相), nor any mark at all. A wooden Buddha is not a Buddha; it has no relics. Whether it has relics or not, it is not the true Buddha. The true Buddha has no mark; fire cannot burn it, water cannot drown it, wind cannot blow it, stones cannot hit it, mountains cannot crush it; spitting, scolding, insulting, slandering—nothing can touch it. Even God can do nothing to it. Beings are foolish; do not imitate Danxia. Wooden Buddhas, stone Buddhas manifest as images for people. If one's mind harbors reverence, blessings increase. If one can prostrate and worship, the blessings are boundless; it breaks down the banner of arrogance and subdues one's own mind. Practice diligently and vigorously, realize non-arising early, recognize one's own mind is the Buddha mind, see the nature and become a Buddha—not dependent on others.
15. In the Dharma-Ending Age, beings' minds are restless, yet some people precisely cater to this restless mentality of beings to please them. If one does not oppose the unwholesome habits of beings at all, then how can one transform their unwholesome habits? How can beings attain liberation? Beings are not only greedy but also foolish, insisting on licking the honey on the tip of a knife. What do they ultimately gain? No one considers this. Most people only care about the so-called little benefit before their eyes, yet risk going to the three evil destinies. They seem bold, but it is actually due to foolishness, short-sightedness, unable to consider the great benefits far in the future.
Most people actually think and plan for their own personal benefit, but the things they do not only fail to bring them benefit; they often cause them to lose the benefits they already have. Yet no one realizes this or sees this. Why? Because of ignorance and foolishness, because afflictions obscure their eyes, making them unable to see themselves clearly, unable to see the true advantages, disadvantages, gains, and losses.
Regarding cause and effect, many people do not truly believe. They always harbor a fluke mentality, thinking that cause and effect will fall on others' heads, not their own. Therefore, for their own benefit, they say that if others do not follow their arrangements, they will definitely receive a certain unwholesome retribution, not realizing that their own unwholesome retribution is about to arrive, and they are currently creating the cause for that unwholesome retribution. When I first studied Buddhism and read sutras, I read some true stories about cause and effect and believed that cause and effect are real and not false. I carefully guarded my actions of body, speech, and mind. But Buddhists nowadays do not read the sutras at all; they do not know what the sutras teach. Therefore, their minds are blind, and they do not understand cause and effect.
Now that the internet is developed, creating unwholesome karma is much more convenient than before. With a flick of a finger, unwholesome karma spreads throughout the country. It is truly lamentable. No one is alert to the unwholesome results after flicking their fingers. The ignorant are fearless; their minds are blocked, blindly following others, not knowing good from evil, creating great unwholesome karma, without remorse. Some people create unwholesome karma because they are instigated and incited by others, themselves unaware. For example, someone tells them, "If you do this, nothing will happen; I will bear the cause and effect for you. You will only have wholesome results, no unwholesome results." Then some mind-blind people believe what this person says, thinking this person can truly bear the cause and effect for them. Little do they know that when cause and effect come, each bears their own retribution; it absolutely cannot be substituted for another. Even one's own parents cannot do anything about it.
16. The Karmic Bond of Birth and Death Transmigration is Greedy Craving
Karmic cause and effect manifest at life's end, like settling accounts after autumn. Of course, some accounts are settled in summer; when the karmic fruit is extremely large, the retribution ripens early, settling accounts before autumn. At the moment of death, if one's mind is filled with greedy thoughts—whether greed for family and relatives, greed for human life, greed for wealth or affection—one will be reborn in the ghost realm. If the last thought is a hateful thought—hating anything—if it is relatively severe, one may be reborn in hell.
Therefore, if one places all hope on the moment of death, thinking they can recite the Buddha's name then and maintain a pure mind, that is very unreliable. Who knows what situation will occur at death? Who knows what thought will arise in one's mind? If one cannot control their thoughts in ordinary times, at death when the four great elements decompose, karmic obstacles reappear, and creditors from past lives come to collect debts, the vast majority of people follow their karmic affinities, arising thoughts and going to the three evil destinies. There is no guarantee of not falling into the three evil destinies, except for those with extremely great blessings from wholesome karma, who may ascend to heaven to enjoy blessings.
What can guarantee not falling into the three evil destinies? First, severing the view of self. Second, realizing the mind's nature. Third, achieving the visualization of the earth as described in the *Sutra on the Contemplation of Amitāyus* (觀無量壽經). Even foreknowledge of the time of death through Buddha-recitation is not reliable. If at the time of death, the mind reciting the Buddha's name is not single-minded and the sincerity is insufficient, the Buddha will not come to welcome one. Over ninety percent of Buddhists are reborn in the three evil destinies upon death, most of them in the ghost realm. Why? Because one hundred percent of people have greedy minds; none have eradicated greedy desire. The condition for eradicating greedy desire is severing the view of self, then giving rise to the first dhyāna, and within that samādhi, eradicating greedy desire and hatred. Apart from this, all have greedy minds. However, Stream-enterers and Once-returners, even with slight greedy desire, because they have severed the three fetters (三縛結), will not be reborn in the ghost realm. They can only be reborn in the desire heavens or among humans to continue their greed or gradually eradicate it.
The six paths of rebirth are thus merciless, showing no favoritism. Without true cultivation and realization, at death one abruptly follows karmic affinities, following greedy thoughts, with no choice. Because one has not trained in ordinary times, nor succeeded in training. Only those who have severed the view of self are those who have succeeded in training.
But those who have not truly severed the view of self or realized the mind have still not succeeded in training; they still have not severed the three fetters; they will still follow greedy thoughts to be reborn in the ghost realm, unavoidably, especially those who violate the Five Precepts or Bodhisattva Precepts. Countless Buddhists are unaware; they still greedily eat, wear, and live every day, enjoying comforts, so-called freedom, glory, comfort, and arts like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. These likings are afflictive bonds, binding oneself in the six paths; they are mental illnesses. Everyone has enjoyed what they should enjoy; living a lifetime is not a loss; one has not shortchanged oneself. But what about future lives? Is present enjoyment more important, or is avoiding the suffering of the three evil destinies in future lives more important?
There are also some lofty cultivation methods that say, "When eating meat, do not think of it as eating meat." Those who truly do not think of eating meat while eating it, whose minds have already transformed—the monk Ji Gong (濟公和尚) might be counted as one. How many others can do it? Since one is no longer interested in meat, why must one eat it? Wouldn't it be better to let one less animal die? At the time of death, when the owner of the meat comes to collect the debt, will one have the ability not to repay it?
17. When cause and effect come, nothing can stop it. No matter how powerful one is, no one can deal with cause and effect. Those who enjoy attacking others, those who dare slander the Three Jewels—cause and effect comes to them very quickly, like a flood, unstoppable. Understanding cause and effect brings peace to our minds.
18. Ordinary People Should Also Fear Causes Like Bodhisattvas
Cause and effect: the cause is small, but the effect can be infinitely large. Bodhisattvas understand cause and effect and therefore fear causes. Ordinary people do not understand cause and effect and only fear effects. Bodhisattvas fear planting unwholesome causes to avoid receiving great unwholesome effects. Ordinary people, when the great unwholesome retribution arrives, feel that fate is terrible. Although they feel it is terrible, they still do not awaken; they do not know that this terrible retribution is caused by a small mental action of their own.
19. A person who studies Buddhism and cultivates should be good at reproaching their own mind. They should often reflect inwardly. Upon discovering what is not in accordance with the Dharma, they should reproach their mind, guide it correctly towards the right path, stay far away from the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, and stay far away from ignorance. They should often contemplate: Is the path more important, or are their improper thoughts and perceptions more important, or are the karmic actions of greed, hatred, and delusion in worldly dharmas more important? They should often contemplate: Are the so-called benefits in worldly dharmas long-lasting? Are they truly existent? Are they destined to disappear? Is there truly any benefit? Cultivators should often ask themselves. Only after self-inquiry can they awaken, have concentration, give birth to wisdom, and liberate themselves from worldly dharmas.
Having engaged in worldly dharmas for countless kalpas, what has each person ultimately gained from worldly dharmas over countless kalpas? Countless kalpas of greedy craving—what has it brought besides the suffering of birth and death? Those with wisdom should truly often reflect and introspect. Only then can they see through the nature of birth and death, no longer crave the confusion and karma of birth and death, and only then have the strength to walk out of the suffering wheel of birth and death.
20. Why Do Buddhists Face Increasing Tribulations the More They Study Buddhism?
Those who enter the Buddhist gate to study Buddhism all have wholesome roots. They did not just start studying and cultivating Buddhism in this life or a few lives; their cultivation time is measured in kalpas. Those with sufficient faith in the Three Jewels and sufficient faith in themselves have likely cultivated for a hundred thousand kalpas already. If they have entered the Ten Abodes (十住位) and cultivate the Six Pāramitās, they have far exceeded a hundred thousand kalpas of cultivation time.
Most people enter the Buddhist gate due to some condition—perhaps physical illness and suffering, or various matters not going smoothly. After studying Buddhism for a while, when the illness lessens and matters go smoothly, they feel studying Buddhism is good. When faith in studying Buddhism becomes sufficient, various obstacles arise; various things become difficult, the body develops illnesses, and so on. Beings have created karma since beginningless kalpas; their karmic obstacles are extremely deep and heavy. When they first study Buddhism, Dharma protectors and Bodhisattvas protect them, not allowing serious karmic obstacles to hinder their Buddhist study because, at this stage, they cannot bear these karmic obstacles. The appearance of karmic retribution would cause them to lose faith. After cultivating for a while, when they can bear some karmic obstacles, the Dharma protectors will no longer block the manifestation of karmic obstacles (though they may still block what cannot be borne). Thus, after studying for a while, one discovers that their karmic obstacles have manifested.
Another important reason for difficulties is that when cultivation is very effective, the retribution that should be received in future lives is received in this life instead. Receiving it early means heavy sins receive light retribution. The earlier unwholesome retribution is received, the lighter the retribution. The later wholesome retribution is received, the greater the retribution. This principle is like depositing money in a bank; in the Buddhadharma, it's called "karmic interest" (孽息). Withdrawing a deposit early means less interest—the unwholesome karma is lighter, the wholesome karma is also lighter. Therefore, unwholesome karma should be received as early as possible; the earlier, the better. Wholesome karma should be received as late as possible; the later, the better. If one can manage, wholesome karma should be delayed as much as possible; then the retribution will be very large, like compound interest.
The karmic seeds created by beings are stored in the Tathāgatagarbha. The Tathāgatagarbha is like a bank. This bank's interest rate is quite high—the minimum is one hundredfold, the maximum is immeasurable. Therefore, planting a little wholesome dharma allows one to ascend to heaven and enjoy blessings. Planting a little unwholesome karma causes one to fall into hell and suffer. Moreover, this Tathāgatagarbha bank never goes bankrupt; karmic seeds are never lost. This means the wholesome and unwholesome karmic retribution cannot be stolen or taken by anyone else; only oneself experiences it; others cannot substitute. In the sixteenth chapter of the *Diamond Sutra*, the Buddha said that after a person receives and upholds the *Diamond Sutra*, the sins created in previous lives, which would have caused them to fall into evil destinies, will be eradicated if people slight them. They will only suffer the retribution of being slighted, and that will be the end of it. This is heavy sins receiving light retribution.
Therefore, after Bodhisattvas realize the mind's nature, the karma for the three evil destinies is eradicated, but they will still have various tribulations, all of which are heavy sins receiving light retribution, suffering among humans, never again falling into the three evil destinies to receive retribution. Thus, when cultivation reaches a certain point, various karmic obstacles that can be borne will gradually appear. This is a good thing; it is much better than receiving greater karmic retribution in future lives. After enduring these karmic retributions, obstacles decrease, and future cultivation progresses quickly.
These karmic obstacles are sometimes controlled by Dharma protectors; they take care of the cultivator, sometimes blocking the karmic obstacles, sometimes not blocking them, or blocking part and not blocking another part. Therefore, we who study Buddhism and cultivate should daily dedicate the merit to our Dharma protector gods, wishing that they can all realize the mind's nature, that their path continuously advances, and that their merit as protectors is complete and supreme. When we ourselves encounter obstacles, we should not complain. We should also try to enjoy blessings less, withdraw less from the Tathāgatagarbha bank. Those wholesome deposits will not be lost; withdrawing them for enjoyment means they are gone. Moreover, the more deposits in the Tathāgatagarbha bank, the more noble and wealthy we become, and the more provisions we have for cultivating the Bodhisattva path. On the path to Buddhahood, we progress faster. May our provisions for studying the Buddha Dharma increase more and more! May our path advance faster and faster!
21. Who Can Avoid the Karma of the Three Evil Destinies?
Only those who have truly severed the view of self and truly realized the mind, severing the three fetters, can guarantee not going to the three evil destinies. If one has not truly severed the view of self but only mentally believes the five aggregates have no self, without severing the three fetters, they cannot avoid the three evil destinies. The mind that propagates the Dharma and liberates beings is precious. But if one has not cultivated realization oneself, one cannot liberate beings from birth and death, and one's own path is delayed. Once afflictive and ignorant karmic seeds manifest, it's straight to the three evil destinies. Cause and effect depend partly on the motivation (发心) and partly on the facts.
Those who liberate others before liberating themselves, although they may have a Bodhisattva mind, without true path attainment, the consequences are also fearsome. Only after one can avoid the three evil destinies oneself should one propagate the Dharma to liberate beings. Sacrificing one's personal path then doesn't matter. Some may say, "I have severed the view of self," "I have realized the mind," "I can avoid the three evil destinies." But whether one has truly severed the view of self, whether one has truly realized the mind—that is not for oneself to decide, nor for whoever gives the confirmation to decide. Cause and effect has its own principle.
Some say that upholding the Five Precepts without violation allows one to obtain a human body. But devas in the formless realm maintain pure minds for eighty thousand great kalpas, creating not a single unwholesome karma. At the time of death, unwholesome karma from beginningless kalpas ripens, and they fall directly into hell. Devas in the desire realm and form realm are the same. Not creating unwholesome karma in this life, but having created great unwholesome karma in beginningless kalpas, with extremely many unwholesome karmas not yet repaid. At the time of death, once those unwholesome karmic conditions ripen, one immediately follows karma to transmigrate, utterly without autonomous ability. Only by truly severing the view of self and severing the three fetters can one eradicate the karma for the three evil destinies. But if one again creates great unwholesome karma, one will still go to the three evil destinies to receive retribution.
