Sentient Beings in the Dharma-Ending Age Suffer from Profound Ignorance and Delusion

In the Dharma Ending Age, sentient beings are restless and agitated in mind, yet some deliberately cater to this restlessness to please them. If one does not oppose the bad habits of sentient beings at all, how can they reverse these habits and attain liberation?

Sentient beings are not only greedy but also ignorant, foolishly licking honey off a knife blade—what will they ultimately gain? No one considers this. Most care only for trivial immediate gains, yet risk falling into the three evil destinies. While appearing bold, this recklessness stems from ignorance and shortsightedness, rendering them incapable of planning for long-term, greater benefits.

Most people act for personal gain, yet their actions often cause them not only to fail in obtaining benefits but also to lose what they already possess. However, no one realizes or perceives this. Why? Because ignorance and afflictions obscure their vision, preventing them from seeing themselves clearly or discerning true gains and losses.

Many do not genuinely believe in cause and effect, clinging to the delusion that karmic consequences befall others but never themselves. Thus, for their own benefit, they warn others that disobedience will bring certain karmic retribution, unaware that their own retribution approaches and that they are presently creating its causes.

When I first studied Buddhism and read sutras, I encountered true accounts of cause and effect, coming to believe firmly in their infallibility. I became cautious in my actions, speech, and thoughts. Yet modern Buddhists seldom read sutras, unaware of their teachings, and thus remain spiritually blind to cause and effect.

With the internet now widespread, creating unwholesome karma is far more convenient than before. With a mere flick of a finger, unwholesome deeds spread across entire nations—truly lamentable. No one remains vigilant about the karmic consequences following that flick of a finger. Ignorance breeds fearlessness; minds become obstructed, blindly following others, unaware of good and evil, thereby creating grave unwholesome karma without remorse.

Some create unwholesome karma after being instigated or incited by others, unaware of the consequences. For instance, when told, "Do this—there will be no harm; I will bear the karma. You will receive only good results, no bad ones," they believe such words, assuming others can truly bear their karma. Little do they know that when karmic consequences manifest, each bears their own retribution, utterly irreplaceable by another—even their own parents are powerless to intervene.