What causes the karma of divisive speech to arise?

The vulgar meaning of divisive speech is sowing discord—saying one thing to A and another to B, with the aim of making the two misunderstand each other, so that one can profit as the fisherman does when the snipe and the clam fight. Some people do not even intend to gain anything from it; it is simply due to afflictive habits. Divisive speech also includes untruthful speech; whether intentional or unintentional, it is all sinful karma. Within the Three Jewels, as long as one creates discord in the relationships among the Fourfold Assembly or between master and disciple, it is karma leading to the Avīci hell. This also involves the case where a disciple who has been taken under an ordained master's care no longer has faith in or accepts the master, no longer follows him in learning the Dharma, and instead turns to study other erroneous, inferior, and worldly dharmas that cannot lead to liberation. In that case, one simultaneously commits the sin of misleading the disciple's Dharma body and wisdom-life; in future lives there will be an immense entanglement between the two, and one must also bear the karmic retribution of this portion of sinful karma.

There are also cases where divisive speech is committed out of jealousy. Most people have a jealous mind, or rather, everyone has it; the key is whether one can subdue it, not letting one's jealousy manifest, and not committing great evil karma. When there is self, others, and people in one's mind, when one wants to stand out and gain some benefit, and when one hopes for others' envy, respect, admiration, and followership but fails to achieve it, jealousy arises. Jealousy is a manifestation of incompetence. If one were truly capable, one would obtain all the benefits oneself—then why be jealous of others?

Everyone hopes to be first or second, hopes to stand at the highest peak, above everyone else. If you are truly capable, your talent, virtue, and character should be the highest and best; even wanting to be second and condescend to stay beneath others would be impossible—you could not hide even if you tried to hide in the crowd; you would inevitably be revealed. If you want to occupy the first position, you must weigh where your virtue ranks. Virtue must match the position; only then can you have that position, otherwise there will surely be disaster. Exceeding the range and degree of your own virtue and capability, it is very hard to bear, and the consequences will be serious. For example, if your body can originally only bear a burden of fifty catties or less, yet you insist on carrying a hundred catties, even your spine will not be able to endure it.

Whenever each person wants to obtain some benefit, they should first weigh their virtue, then weigh their capability, then also take into account their character and disposition, and finally assess whether they can bear that position and that power. Do not add excessive afflictions and distress to yourself; if your virtue does not match the position, it is better not to have that position. A mind that exceeds one's own capability by too much is called ambition. Excessive ambition leads to madness; excessive madness leads to destruction, and life will come to an end. A practitioner of the Path should regard everything in the world with equanimity, and as much as possible be without mind, without desire, and without seeking. Only thus will one's virtue grow ever higher. When virtue reaches a certain degree, one will possess the character of a bodhisattva, enter the bodhisattva stages, and become a bodhisattva-mahāsattva. The bodhisattva stages are attained without contrivance; no one has ever obtained a sage's or worthy's position through struggle, jealousy, or squeezing out others.

Within any group, being first or second is not fought for, not struggled for, not obtained through self-praise, not attracted through advertising, not elected through canvassing votes—it is drawn forth by virtue. What is drawn forth by virtue cannot be pushed away even if you try, cannot be hidden even if you try. What is obtained through schemes, once merit and power are exhausted, will decline and fall; if there is sinful karma during this period, one will fall even further into the deep valley, gaining nothing and losing much. Afflictions arise from self-view and self-grasping; when self-grasping is too heavy, one will commit evil karma for the sake of the self. Taking the self too seriously brings no benefit at all: the heavier the self, the deeper the fall; conversely, the more selfless the mind, the lighter and more soaring it becomes. Whether one rises or falls depends entirely on one's handling of the self. In daily life, when encountering conditions and facing objects, constantly reflect on the falsity and unreality of the self, and introspect on one's own mental conduct. The better the reflection and observation, the better one's handling of the self will be.