The Distinction Between Monastic Life and Lay Life

First, let's discuss what a home is and the concept of a home. A home, first, requires a house where the entire family lives together and carries out daily activities. Second, it requires family members—whether parents, spouses, or children—who accompany, depend on, and rely on each other. Third, it involves shared secular life, such as eating, daily routines, entertainment, and so forth. Fourth, it requires shared material property as the foundation for communal life, along with sources of income. Fifth, it involves shared life goals and rules.

These conditions, when combined, form a family. This applies only to the human realm within the Desire Realm of the Saha World, because sentient beings in the human realm have strong desires and require houses to conceal their sexual intimacy, preventing others from seeing and ridiculing them. Originally, in the human realm of the Saha World, beings from the Second Dhyana Heaven descended to Earth. Due to indulging in the earth's essence, their bodies became heavy, and they could no longer fly back to the heavenly palace. Forced to remain on Earth, they became humans. The earliest humans were beings from the Second Dhyana Heaven, without distinctions of male or female form. Later, as their numbers grew, emotions arose among them, leading to mutual greed and affection. Humans then differentiated into male and female forms. These men and women engaged in sexual activities, initially avoiding others, and later established houses, gradually forming families. With the birth of children, families emerged, and the concept of "home" came into being.

Thus, a home cannot exist without men and women or without sexual intimacy between them. Without such intimacy, people would not form families, nor would they have children. Desire Heaven beings with thin sensual cravings have no families, nor do humans in Uttarakuru. All beings in the Form Heaven realms have no distinctions of male or female form and no sexual desires; they abide in meditative concentration and have no families. They also do not need to toil to support a family or rely on sources of income. Therefore, the concept of home applies only to the human realm in the Saha World, and the act of leaving home (monasticism) exists only in the human realm of the Saha World. Without a family, the question of leaving home does not arise. Moreover, without the need for income or the burden of supporting a family, one does not belong to the householder category.

In contrast, the Buddha-lands where Buddhas and Bodhisattvas reside are heavenly environments, even more sublime than heavenly realms. There are no distinctions of male or female form, no secular life, no need to toil for sustenance, and no worldly endeavors. All actions are for the benefit and joy of sentient beings and constitute Buddha's work. Therefore, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have no need to manifest the so-called "left-home appearance" identical to that in the human realm of the Saha World. There is no need to shave their heads to remove the "hair of afflictions," as they have no afflictions. Nor is there a need to wear the monastic robes of the Saha World's human realm, for their form bodies are inherently unbound; Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and sentient beings do not cling to form. Any form they manifest is that of one who has left home, not that of a householder, because there are no householder affairs whatsoever.

We sentient beings in the human realm of the Saha World cannot be compared to the Buddhas of the ten directions, nor to all Bodhisattvas of Equal Enlightenment and Wondrous Enlightenment, nor to Tenth Ground Bodhisattvas, by claiming that sentient beings in this evil age of the five turbidities need not manifest the left-home appearance or leave home, yet are the same as those who have left home.

In reality, for each person living in this world, the difference between leaving home and remaining a householder is immense. Householders are burdened by secular life and cannot free themselves. The constraints they face on the spiritual path are very great. Many people suffer under the weight of worldly responsibilities and cannot focus on spiritual practice. Even if they wish to leave home, karmic conditions pull them back; some attempt to leave home multiple times only to be drawn back by karmic ties. This is the true reality of the human realm in the Saha World. We cannot ignore this reality and claim that the householder and monastic lives are the same, without difference—the difference is vast. Let each person examine their own conscience; one should not flatter oneself by claiming to be the same as those who have left home.