The Reason Why Vilifying the Dharma Precludes Rebirth and Liberation

The Eighteenth Vow of the Sutra of Immeasurable Life (Conditions for Rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss): "If, when I attain Buddhahood, the sentient beings of the ten directions, with sincere mind entrusting themselves and rejoicing, aspire to be born in my land, even with just ten thoughts [of the Buddha], and yet are not born there, may I not attain perfect enlightenment. Excluded are those who commit the five heinous sins and slander the correct Dharma."

The five heinous sins are shedding the Buddha's blood, killing an Arhat, disrupting the harmonious Sangha, killing one's father, and killing one's mother. The correct Dharma refers to the true Dharma teachings that enable sentient beings to attain liberation, including both Mahayana and Hinayana Dharma.

Why can those who commit the five heinous sins not be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, and why can they not attain fruition, not realize the mind, and not attain liberation? Why can those who slander the correct Dharma not attain fruition, not realize the mind, and not attain liberation?

First, regarding shedding the Buddha's blood: Because the Buddha's karmic seeds are utterly purified, he attracts no evil karma or adverse conditions whatsoever and receives no retribution for evil deeds. Therefore, no sentient being can kill the Buddha or harm him to the point of causing his physical body to shed blood. Why then is there the concept of "shedding the Buddha's blood"? The Buddha's bloodline is the Dharma lineage, the transmission of the Buddha Dharma. "Shedding the Buddha's blood" means causing the Dharma lineage to be lost and cut off, preventing its proper propagation. Since the Buddha Dharma enables sentient beings to transcend birth and death and attain liberation, "shedding the Buddha's blood" is extremely grave. The karmic retribution for this evil deed is the karma leading to the Avici Hell. Those who create such evil karma cannot attain liberation and cannot escape the suffering of birth and death.

An Arhat is a liberated sage who has severed all afflictions. Due to their virtue of liberation, they deserve offerings from both humans and devas; hence they are called "Worthy of Offerings" (Arhat). The level of liberation attained by Bodhisattvas of the Eighth Ground and above is equivalent to that of a Fourth-Fruition Great Arhat. The level of liberation attained by Bodhisattvas from the First to the Seventh Ground is equivalent to that of a Third-Fruition Sage, retaining a trace of residual karmic affliction, not taking the final fruit of liberation, and not entering the true position of liberation, in order to ensure they do not enter the Nirvana Without Remainder. Respecting and making offerings to an Arhat brings the karmic result of severing afflictions, attaining liberation, and freeing oneself from birth and death. Conversely, killing an Arhat prevents one from severing afflictions, attaining liberation, or transcending birth and death. All paths leading to liberation from the suffering of birth and death become completely blocked. Therefore, such a person cannot be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, cannot attain fruition, and cannot realize the mind and perceive the true nature.

The harmonious Sangha: Sangha (Sanskrit: Saṅgha), fully termed Sangha, refers to male Buddhist practitioners who have left the household life, meaning the multitude, the assembly, the community. In a broad sense, it also includes female practitioners; male and female monastics are collectively called Sangha and Bhikkhunis. A Sangha is a religious group organized by four or more ordained practitioners relying on the Buddha Dharma. Without the status and qualification of ordination, one does not belong to the Sangha/Bhikkhuni community, and no matter how large the number, it cannot constitute the community. As for the Noble Sangha (Ārya-saṅgha), it must consist of monastics who have genuinely attained fruition and realized the mind and true nature. Those who merely feign attainment or realization with their conscious mind still belong to the category of ordinary monastics; when not manipulated by the conscious mind, what is fully revealed is the nature of the mental faculty (manas) which has not attained fruition or realization, inevitably bound to the thoughts, views, and afflictions of the manas, revolving in birth and death.

Harmony (Saṅgha) means living together according to the principle of the Six Harmonies and Respects. The Six Harmonies and Respects are: Harmony in View (sharing the same understanding), Harmony in Precepts (observing the same precepts), Harmony in Dwelling (living together peacefully), Harmony in Speech (non-contentious speech), Harmony in Intention (shared joy of mind), and Harmony in Benefits (equal sharing of resources). If views and opinions are inconsistent, it is not harmonious. If members do not all uphold the Three Refuges, Five Precepts, Eight Precepts, Bhikkhu/Bhikkhuni Precepts, and Bodhisattva Precepts, or if the precepts practiced are inconsistent and do not conform to what the Buddha established, it is not harmonious. If physical bodies cannot dwell in a common location, living scattered in various places, it is not harmonious. If there is internal quarreling, mutual slander, attacking, undermining, and constant disputes, it is even less harmonious. If members are uncomfortable when meeting together, inwardly resentful and displeased, with much estrangement, it is not harmonious. If benefits are unequal among members, regardless of the type of benefit, where one side only sacrifices and gives without return, while the other only takes and possesses, it is similarly not harmonious. Violating even one of these prevents the formation of a harmonious Sangha.

A true harmonious Sangha can propagate the correct Dharma through the ages on behalf of the Buddha, rescuing sentient beings from the sea of fire that is birth and death. Destroying it is destroying the raft that ferries sentient beings out of birth and death. The karmic retribution is the inability to attain liberation from the suffering of birth and death. Therefore, such a person cannot be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, cannot attain fruition, and cannot realize the mind. There is no such fault regarding a non-harmonious Sangha. A non-harmonious Sangha brings afflictions and bitter fruits to sentient beings, adding afflictions upon afflictions, increasing bondage and fetters, making the suffering of birth and death even more severe.

Parents bestow upon us this physical body. With this physical body, one can encounter the correct Dharma for study and practice, gaining the opportunity to attain liberation and permanently escape birth and death. Therefore, the kindness of parents is as weighty as a mountain; even grinding one's body to dust cannot repay the kindness of their birth and nurturing. If sentient beings not only fail to support them but instead kill them, the crime of killing one's father or mother is incomparably heavy. After death, they fall into the Avici Hell without attaining liberation. Therefore, those who kill their father or mother cannot be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, cannot attain fruition, and cannot realize the mind.

The correct Buddha Dharma, when practiced by sentient beings, is the cause for liberation, enabling them to attain liberation from birth and death. If one slanders these Dharma teachings, that means one does not believe in the correct Dharma. If faith is insufficient, how can one practice? If one cannot practice, how can one attain liberation? The Dharma is like a raft for crossing the sea of birth and death. If the raft is destroyed, by what means can sentient beings cross the sea of birth and death? Slandering the correct Dharma not only means one does not believe it oneself but also prevents others from believing and accepting it. The sin is extremely grave. Such a person certainly cannot escape birth and death and attain liberation. Therefore, they cannot be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, cannot attain fruition, and cannot realize the mind.

The Dharma that enables sentient beings to attain liberation includes the Hinayana teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, as well as the Mahayana series of Tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature) teachings, such as Prajñāpāramitā, Vaipulya, and Vijñapti-mātratā (Consciousness-Only), including the theories of the five consciousnesses, sixth consciousness, seventh consciousness (manas), and eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna), encompassing the Threefold Training of Precepts, Meditation, and Wisdom. The Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links enable sentient beings to attain minor liberation, not permanent and ultimate liberation. The Mahayana Tathāgatagarbha Dharma enables sentient beings to attain permanent, true, and ultimate liberation. The Dharma concerning the seventh consciousness, the manas, can ensure sentient beings attain minor liberation, major liberation, and even ultimate liberation. All liberation, regardless of degree, depends on the liberation of the manas. If the manas is not liberated, it is false liberation; afflictions cannot be severed, birth and death cannot be ended, the sea of suffering cannot be transcended, and one cannot attain the coolness, tranquility, and stillness of Nirvana.

Those who commit the five heinous sins are exceedingly rare, while those who slander the correct Dharma are increasingly numerous, seen everywhere, and this is now common. Therefore, it is advised that if the general public lacks sufficient meditative concentration and wisdom, and their level of realization is inadequate, they should always and everywhere be cautious in speech and conduct. When not qualified to be a judge, they should silently cultivate themselves. Even if they cannot attain fruition or realize the mind for the time being, and lack the wisdom of the specific knowledges (唯识种智), they should still strive to be wise people in the world, not bringing disaster upon themselves, not setting up obstacles on their own path to liberation.