Human beings have two natural instincts – food, and sex. They arise as our inherent nature has been contaminated whilst dwelling in the Human Realm. Hence, the saying: “The most basic instincts of human beings are the desires for food and sex.” So how can we be unaffected by these desires? The answer is that they can only be overcome by resorting to meditation concentration. As the Buddhist saying goes: “To be free of desire in the midst of desire is like lotus flowers blossoming in fire”. In other words, it is extremely difficult to stay away from desire when you are in desire, much like the lotus forming in the fire of a Buddhist lamp. Indeed, this is also the reason why many practitioners fail in their adherence to the Five Precepts. For lay practitioners, achieving this requires much more effort and energy in comparison to that of monastics. For monks and nuns, they practise at a monastery, which provides a quieter and purer environment. They have no contact with the outside world, and so no distracting or fanciful thoughts will arise. On the other hand, lay practitioners are susceptible to external influences due to their necessary contact with the outside world, which breeds all kinds of thoughts. Therefore, it is very difficult for a lay practitioner to cultivate themself, as they must exercise restraint in everything.
I often say this: If you want to remain unwavering, you must observe precepts. In addition, whilst observing the precepts, you should also adopt “compassionate tolerance”. Anyone who wants to stick to the precepts and rid themselves of their bad habits must practice compassionate tolerance. For example, if you can sympathise with and feel pity for someone that you dislike immensely, you will have displayed compassionate tolerance – as your hatred goes away the moment your compassion arises.
Opinions are like nails: the more you hammer them, the deeper they tunnel in. If I express an opinion that goes against someone else’s, I may remain nonchalantly indifferent as it was not my intention to hurt that person’s feelings. However, the other party may have taken this opinion to heart. Therefore, do not forms opinions that are aimed at anyone. People often say: “Always share your opinion and speak your mind.” But this is not going to work, because we are not divine beings – we’re only human. The “opinions” we share will surely serve as a cause of hatred in others.
It’s a grievous mistake for a Buddhist practitioner to overtly differentiate between good and evil, as it will give rise to bitter hatred. A person may say: “I have a strong sense of justice; I treat all evil as my enemy.” But this only shows that they harbour hatred in their heart. Hence, as Buddhists, we should not draw a distinct line between good and evil, as everything in the Human Realm is but an illusion. Everything is created from the karmic cause and effect. If you are treated unfairly by others, it’s because you treated others unfairly in previous lives. Even if you see the evil in someone and therefore wish to speak out against injustice on behalf of the opposite party, these feelings of hatred plant a negative karmic cause in your mind. As a result, the propensity for hatred in your mind increases. You should understand that all of this is due to the karmic causes sowed in your past lives, which can only be changed through cultivation in this lifetime. After all, good and evil in the Human Realm is a continuation of predestined karma.
In this world, there is no such thing as “right” or “wrong” – only the law of causality prevails. I will now share a method for practising self-restraint that was passed down by a senior monk: if somebody slanders me, I must tolerate them. If somebody bullies me, I must let them. If somebody humiliates me, I must avoid them. If somebody belittles or laugh at me, I must let them be. If somebody looks down on me, I must be respectful towards them.
If you wish to perform good deeds today, the positive thoughts, ideas and aspirations emanating from your heart are very valuable assets. That is because when positive thoughts emanate from the mind, a seed of kindness will be sowed in your Eighth Consciousness. It is an asset, and a seemingly inconspicuous yet incredibly important source of strength and energy.
It is pointless if a person has external freedom but lacks internal freedom. Freedom is being unrestrained and at ease. Here’s an example of external freedom: the external conditions are favourable. Your boss is not around at work, so there’s nobody present to supervise you. You can therefore do as you please, working at leisure and taking breaks whenever you like. This is freedom from outer environment. However, as you sit in the office, you may start to feel pathetic. When there’s nothing to do, you may start to feel down and let your imagination run wild. “How is my family doing?” “My mother has been severely ill.” “How will my boss treat me on his return?” “Will he know about what I did today?” You may feel that you are leading a helpless life that you have no control over, and such emotional pain and disorientation can cause the feeling of lacking freedom, and ignorance. As a result, your latent evils and selfishness will manifest one after another. Fear and anxiety then emerge, preventing you from controlling your thought and emotions. True freedom can only be achieved through the unity of external and internal freedom. External freedom alone will never be able to conceal the lack of internal freedom.
Inherent enlightenment and ignorance are neither the same, nor different. “The ultimate reality and the ignorance is the Buddha-nature.” The mind that we own is the Buddha-mind. This mind, combined with your lack of understanding of anything, are actually neither the same, nor different. They are not separate from each other, but they come from the same principle. Our physical body is known as a sign or appearance. “The ultimate reality (true appearance) and the ignorance” means that, even if our physical body is ignorant, it lacks understanding. It is also the Buddha-nature. As an analogy, your inherent nature is polluted in the same way as a mirror is tainted with dust and dirt. Likewise, the waves arise from the water.
“Ignorance and the true nature” refers to your ignorance coupled with your true nature. True nature is your authentic, inherent nature. Despite the fact that your ignorance impedes your inherent nature, the true nature and inherent nature combine to form an integral whole. For example, take the sun as your metaphorical inherent nature, which is bright and dazzling. If a dark cloud drifts over the sun to shroud it, does that mean the sun ceases to be bright? Isn’t the sun still considered to be pure? The dark clouds represent temporary defilements, like the bad habits and mannerisms you acquired in the Human Realm. Once the dark clouds drift away, just as the sky clears after the rain, the sunlight is splendid again. Then, your inherent and kind-hearted nature emerges.
发表于 2021-9-8 18:35:34