Lecture Notes on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamanasūtra) (26)

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, tears well up in the eyes; or tears flow when pressed by affliction and distress; or tears flow from faith and reverence upon hearing the profound Dharma; or tears flow when blown by a cold wind—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 like? Tears belong to the water element, which sinks downward, and this is related to the mind consciousness's emotions of craving and affection. Heavy attachment causes downward falling, 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 spiritual resonance. Some people have very deep roots of goodness; after taking up Buddhism in this life, upon seeing the Buddha and bowing to the Buddha, many, many feelings arise in their minds, and tears flow out involuntarily; or after reading the Buddhist sutras, being deeply moved, they also shed tears. When the wind outside rises and blows into the eyes, tears come out. All these tears belong to the internal water element. Where does the internal water element come from? Originally there are no tears in the eyes, but once external conditions stimulate them, tears appear—where do the tears come from? And when the water dries, where do the tears go?