Lecture Notes on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Twenty-six)

Why Do We Shed Tears

Original text:：大王。若时忽见。亲爱人等。眼中流泪。或为苦恼。所逼流泪。或闻深法。信重流泪。或为寒风。所吹流泪。如是水界。从何所来。水相干时。复何所去。

Explanation: The Buddha asked: Great King, if someone suddenly encounters a beloved person and tears well up in their eyes; or is compelled by distress and sheds tears; or hears the profound Dharma and, with fervent faith and joy, sheds tears; or is blown upon by a cold wind and also sheds tears — where do all these water elements come from? And when the water dries up, where does the water element go?

Why do we shed tears upon seeing a beloved person, someone we are fond of? Tears belong to the water element, which sinks downward; they are related to the greedy and affectionate emotions of the conscious mind. When love is heavy, one descends, so tears sink downward. When in distress, what flows are tears of suffering; when joyful, what flows are tears of excitement; the tears shed upon hearing the profound Dharma are tears of being moved and of receiving a responsive resonance. Some people, because their wholesome roots are extremely deep, after taking up Buddhism in this life, upon seeing the Buddha and bowing to Him, feel many, many emotions stirring in their hearts, and tears flow out involuntarily; or after reading Buddhist sutras and being deeply moved, they also shed tears. When the wind blows outside and reaches the eyes, tears come out. All these tears belong to the internal water element. Where does the internal water element come from? There were originally no tears in the eyes, yet once external conditions stimulate them, tears emerge — where do the tears come from? And when the water dries up, where do the tears go?