How to Obtain the Supreme Worldly Dharma?

The Buddha said that those who fully observe the five precepts attain a human body, and those who are replete with the ten good deeds are reborn in the heavens. In the present era, how many people can fully observe the five precepts? Heavenly beings can fully observe the five precepts and do not create unwholesome karma, so for them, becoming human after death is no problem. However, if at the time of a heavenly being's death the karmic conditions of unwholesome karma from past lives ripen, he will fall directly into the hells—what human body could he obtain? For those among humans who fully observe the five precepts, if at the time of death the karmic conditions of unwholesome karma from past lives ripen, they will fall directly into the three evil paths—what human body could they obtain? If one wishes to attain a human body in future lives, first, one must fully observe the five precepts, and second, one must eliminate the unwholesome karma from past lives—how many people can accomplish this? Unless one is a person who has eradicated the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa), or one who has seen the mind and seen the nature.

There is a method for eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa), yet one does not put in the effort to actually cultivate it, instead devoting one's energy to grasping at worldly dharmas—and the result is grasping the retribution of the three evil paths. Is it worth it? In the three evil paths, what is there left to grasp? Many people have never calmly done the math on this. How many people in this world are truly wise and intelligent? Having taken up Buddhism yet still creating great unwholesome karma, and even being incited by others to create the great unwholesome karma of slandering the Three Jewels—are such people not the most foolish of all? This is no different from eating a meal while throwing sand into the pot, or drinking water while tossing filth into the well—it amounts to smashing one's own rice bowl.

Since one is going to grasp at worldly dharmas, what is the most reliable and secure way to grasp them? How can one obtain more, greater, and more extraordinary worldly dharmas? That is to cultivate the bodhisattva's six perfections, to attain realization and become a bodhisattva, to become a Buddha. Those sages who have accomplished their cultivation are not only at ease with regard to transcendental dharmas, but are also at ease with regard to worldly dharmas. Within the world, sages can not only serve as kings, but can also become the four great wheel-turning sage kings—the four great wheel-turning kings of gold, silver, copper, and iron. They can not only govern one nation, but can govern one continent, and even govern the four great continents; they can also ascend to the heavens to become the lords of the various heavenly levels, governing the desire-realm heavens and the form-realm heavens. How could sentient beings in the human world compare with such merit and extraordinary honor? Moreover, sages with great supernatural powers, as well as bodhisattvas of the eighth bhūmi and above, can transform and manifest the entire earth, the entire Sahā world, and even entire other Buddha-lands in the blink of an eye—let alone the various jewels and treasures within each world.

Why does no one do the math on this? Because poverty limits the imagination and blocks one's vision; those of meager merit (alpa-puṇya) cannot contemplate such things—they cannot even keep up with the trivial matters right before their eyes. Furthermore, look into where the emperors and kings of past dynasties and eons have gone—what are they doing now? I am afraid most of them are still in the three evil paths. Who could possess the merit and extraordinary honor and nobility of those emperors and kings? They are all suffering poverty and misery in the three evil paths, so what is there in the world that ordinary people could find worth grasping? Many people have a mind of arrogance—just consider: what do you have that is worth arrogance, worth pride? Holding some official position, possessing so much paper money and silver coins—what is there worth being proud of or showing off?