Six Incredible Truths About Why You Suffer (Part 3/3)

 

Like the Raft, Even the Dharma Must Be Let Go Of (Part 3/3)

Differences Between Ordinary People from the Learned Noble Disciples 

The Buddha then clarified a misunderstanding and criticized some heterodox teachers, such as the ascetic Gotama, a nihilist who teaches that existing sentient beings will be annihilated and destroyed into nonexistence. The Buddha said, “This is not true. I never teach ‘annihilation’; rather, I teach people to clearly see the truth of suffering and eliminate suffering.”

The Buddha further said, “Whether people curse, slander, or honor me, my mind remains unmoved. Curses do not arouse anger in me; praise does not arouse joy in me. This is because I know that such people’s actions arise from a lack of understanding or from misunderstanding the Dharma.”

The Buddha admonished the bhikkhus: “You should be the same. Don’t become proud from praise or angry from slander.”

Finally, the Buddha taught: “Form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness—none of these belong to you. You should abandon them. Once you have done this, you will attain lasting peace and happiness.”

The Buddha gave an example: “If someone took away or burned the grass, trees, and branches in the Jeta Grove, would you think ‘they’ve stolen my things’?”

The bhikkhus answered, “No, World-Honored One, because we know that they are not us or ours.”

The Buddha said, “The five aggregates do not belong to you either. Only by abandoning them can you truly be free and self-existent.”

The Buddha summarized His teaching as follows: “The Dharma I expound on is clear, plain, and fully disclosed—its purpose is to cut off all the fetters of affliction that bind sentient beings.”

When the Buddha finished speaking, His words opened the bhikkhus’ minds to understanding. They joyfully embraced the teaching with faith and vowed to practice it accordingly.

________________________________________

Reflections:

    Imagine yourself driving to an unfamiliar city for the first time. The GPS is like the raft that the man in the story told by the Buddha relies on to cross the river. While navigating unfamiliar roads, you must listen intently to the voice prompts and strictly follow the suggested route to avoid getting lost or stuck in traffic and to arrive safely at your destination. This is like the early stages of cultivation—practicing according to the teaching. Only through honest, diligent effort and by following the Dharma step-by-step can you avoid straying onto the wrong paths.

    However, once your car has pulled into the garage, the GPS’s mission is complete. If, at this point, you are still staring at the screen, unwilling to get out of your car until the system tells you what to do next, or even refuse to put down the GPS device when entering the house, then what was originally a helpful tool has instead become a mental burden.

    Cultivation is the same. While skillfully using the raft to cross the river is certainly important, once you reach the shore, you should smile and let go of it, continuing your journey unencumbered. 

#Buddha #Dharma #suffeing #transmigration #samsara #karma #Buddhistwisdom 

Six Incredible Truths About Why You Suffer (Part 2/3)

 

Differences Between Ordinary People from the Learned Noble Disciples

Majjhima Nikāya, Volume 3:

“Ordinary people [They] do not honor the noble ones, do not know the Dharma of the noble ones, and are not guided by the Dharma of the noble ones; [they] do not honor true persons, do not know the Dharma of true persons, and are not guided by the Dharma of true persons. Bhikkhus! The learned noble disciples honor the noble ones, know the Dharma of the noble ones, and are guided by the Dharma of the noble ones. [They] honor true persons, know the Dharma of true persons, and are guided by the Dharma of true persons. They heard the correct Dharma and understood its meaning see clearly: ‘My body, feelings, thoughts, actions, and consciousness―I am none of these, nor do they belong to me.’

“Thus, they do not become anxious or troubled over illusory things. Why? Because all these things change—happy today, sad tomorrow; the body ages, and thoughts transform. How could things that change possibly be the eternal ‘I’?

“You don’t grieve when fallen leaves in a park are swept away because you know they aren’t yours. Similarly, if you understand that the five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness) don’t belong to you, you won’t become anxious, sad, or angry over the changes they may undergo.”

A bhikkhu asked, “World-Honored One! Do people really become troubled over things that don’t exist?”

The Buddha answered, “Certainly! For example, someone might think, ‘Alas, that should have been mine, but now it’s gone! What a pity!’ So they grieve and weep, beating their chests and stomping their feet. This is suffering over external nonexistent things.

“Wise people don’t cling to these external possessions. Thus, even when they lose them, they feel neither worried nor distressed.

“Likewise, some people cling to the notion that they will exist eternally after they die. When they hear the Buddha’s teaching that all views must be cut off, they become afraid, saying to themselves, ‘It’s over! I will be completely annihilated!’ So, they suffer immensely. This is suffering over the internal non-existent I.

“But those who truly comprehend non-self feel no fear upon hearing the Dharma of liberation. Instead, they rejoice.”

The Buddha pressed further, “Have you ever seen anything in this world that is permanent, unchanging, and eternally existing?”

The bhikkhus answered, “No, World-Honored One.”

The Buddha said, “Neither have I because all phenomena are impermanent and subject to change. One should not cling to the idea that ‘this is I, this belongs to me, or this is my true self.’”

The Buddha taught, “One should treat all form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness—past, present, and future and whether internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near—with the correct wisdom: ‘These are not I, they do not belong to me, and they are not my true self.’ When noble disciples do this in accordance with reality, they become disenchanted with the five aggregates and abandon desire and attain liberation. Once they are liberated, the wisdom of liberation arises in them: ‘The practitioner has completely severed the affliction of ignorance, will no longer take rebirth in the cycle of birth and death, and has attained the pure liberated state of nirvana.’” 

#Buddha #Dharma #suffeing #transmigration #samsara #karma #Buddhistwisdom 

Six Incredible Truths About Why You Suffer (Part 1/3)

 

Like the Raft, Even the Dharma Must Be Let Go Of (Part 1/3)

In the previous teaching, the Buddha instructed bhikkhu Arittha about dangerous desires. He then continued teaching the assembly:

“Long ago, a man was traveling along a remote mountain path when he suddenly came upon a great river. The nearshore was dangerous and frightful, filled with thorns and wild beasts, yet the distant shore was peaceful and safe, lush with green grass. There was neither a boat nor a bridge across the river. How could he cross?

“After thinking it over, he gathered grass, wood, and tree branches and then bound them together into a raft. He got on it and paddled with his hands and kicked with his feet until he reached the distant shore.

“Once ashore, he looked at the raft and thought, “This raft helped me overcome great peril. I should treasure it and take good care of it. Perhaps I should carry it on my shoulders or balance it on my head and continue my journey with it.”

The Buddha asked everyone, “Do you think he should do this?”

Everyone answered, “No!”

The Buddha said, “A truly wise person would think, ‘This raft has already served its purpose. I can leave it on the shore or return it to the water, and then continue my journey light and free.’

“The Dharma I teach you is like this raft—it is a tool to help you cross the ocean of suffering and reach the distant shore safely. But once you arrive there, you should let go of it and not cling to it. If even the true Dharma that brings liberation must be let go of—how much more the mistaken views?”

The Buddha then told everyone:

“There are six kinds of mistaken views that cause people to suffer (Majjhima Nikāya, Volume 3):

“You should understand from the simile of the raft that even the Dharma must be abandoned, how much more so what is not the Dharma! Bhikkhus! There are these six grounds for views. What are the six?”

•      ‘I am my body.’

•      ‘I am my feelings.’

•      ‘I am my thoughts.’

•      ‘I am my actions.’

•      ‘I am everything I see, hear, and think.’

•      ‘After I die, I will exist forever, eternally unchanging.’”  

#Buddha #Dharma #suffeing #transmigration #samsara #karma #Buddhistwisdom 

To Observe the Five Precepts and Thus Attain Rebirth in Heaven (Part3/3)

 To Observe the Five Precepts and Thus Attain Rebirth in Heaven

 (A Story Recorded in Volume 5 of The Storehouse of Sundry Valuables; 雜寶藏經 卷5)

Moreover, if one’s practice is not efficacious or if one easily resonates with ghosts and spirits, after taking the Triple Refuge, one will be protected by Dharma-protecting deities, which can reduce the obstacles to practice. In addition, Volume 64 of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra states that those who take refuge in the Triple Gem can obtain vast merits or blessings, great joy, samādhi, and great purity, and that the heavenly beings will feel joy for those who have taken the Triple Refuge and will regard them as being like themselves. As the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha possess immeasurable meritorious qualities, one who takes refuge in them also possesses many meritorious qualities. As stated in the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, those who have taken refuge in the Triple Gem are very much welcomed by heavenly beings. Like the elder’s daughter in the story, they could be reborn in the heaven of the desire realm after their death.

However, we also want to remind everyone that the Triple Refuge has the function of precepts: “Taking refuge in the Buddha, I shall never take refuge in mara demons or non-Buddhist paths. Taking refuge in the Dharma, I shall never take refuge in the false teachings of non-Buddhist paths. Taking refuge in the Sangha, I shall never take refuge in the heterodox teachings of non-Buddhist paths.” Thus, we sometimes call it the Triple Refuge Precept, meaning that once you have taken refuge in the Triple Gem, you naturally can no longer take refuge in non-Buddhist paths or in various false teachings again. Furthermore, if one takes the Triple Refuge at a place that does not uphold the true Dharma, then not only can one not obtain the merit of the Triple Refuge, but one may also commit the offense of destroying the Buddha Dharma. Therefore, one must choose carefully and wisely and avoid taking refuge in places that do not uphold the correct Dharma.

Next, let’s briefly discuss the five precepts. Our current Buddhist rituals involve simultaneously taking the Triple Refuge and receiving and upholding the five precepts: no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no lying, and no consumption of alcohol. That is to say, after taking refuge in the Triple Gem, one should protect and maintain wholesome dharmas and not violate the five precepts according to one’s capacity and ability. Upholding and endorsing the five precepts is the root of all wholesome dharmas and the basic foundation for being a human in the world; even those who do not study Buddhism should uphold them. People who receive and uphold the five precepts will not fall into the three lowly paths; therefore, generally speaking, upholding the five precepts can at least preserve the human body in future lives. Conversely, those who violate the five precepts violate their humanity, and their mental nature no longer belongs to the human realm. Thus, in the future, they cannot be born as humans and will fall into the three lowly paths, even if they believe in Buddhism. The sutras also state that “for every precept that you receive, five wholesome Dharma-protecting deities will come to protect you.” Thus, people who fully receive all five precepts will be protected by 25 Dharma-protecting deities; they will have no nightmares at night and will not be harmed by plagues, epidemics, disasters, thieves, water, or fire.

If people who have already received the five precepts turn their mental nature toward the wholesome and can further practice the ten wholesome actions without creating evil karma, they can be reborn in the heaven of the desire realm after their death because their mental nature resonates with it. As for the story’s account of the principles of hearing the Buddha teach the Dharma and being able to attain the first fruition of stream-entry and even the Buddha-Bodhi path.

Finally, to summarize, what the story about the father and his daughter wants to tell us is the importance of taking the Triple Refuge and receiving and upholding the five precepts, especially for someone who wishes to practice the path. Therefore, take the Triple Refuge and receive and uphold the five precepts at a place that upholds the correct Dharma is of vital importance for all wise Buddhists. (3/3).  

#Buddha #Buddhiststory #Buddhistwisdom #Dharma #karma #Triplegem 

To Observe the Five Precepts and Thus Attain Rebirth in Heaven (Part2/3)

 

To Observe the Five Precepts and Thus Attain Rebirth in Heaven
(A Story Recorded in Volume 5 of The Storehouse of Sundry Valuables; 雜寶藏經 卷5)

    The father’s method of rescuing and protecting his daughter and guiding her to take refuge in the Triple Gem and receive and uphold the precepts can also be found in the Buddhist sutras, such as in the following passage in Volume 2 of the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra: “First draw them in with the hook of desire, then bring them into the Buddha’s path.” This means that there are people who can be made to believe in and accept the Buddha Dharma and enter the Buddha’s path only by enticing them to do so using what they are interested in or what they want. In other words, you must offer them incentives to convince them to take the first step, after which they can begin to further practice the path and even attain the fruits of enlightenment. If one directly demands that these people take refuge in the Triple Gem and receive and uphold the precepts, learn the Dharma, and practice the path—or directly gives them long-winded lectures about these—they would not listen and might reject or even slander the teachings, making it impossible to help them enter the door of Buddhism and study the Dharma. The Buddha always observes the causes and conditions to guide sentient beings. The father in this story from The Storehouse of Sundry Valuables guided his daughter in this manner, which demonstrates the skillful expedient for saving, protecting, and embracing sentient beings that we should learn in the process of practicing the Bodhisattva Dharma path.

Next, let’s briefly discuss the importance of taking the Triple Refuge and receiving and upholding the five precepts because the daughter in the story managed to be reborn in the heaven of the desire realm only after doing so. First, the Triple Refuge means relying on the Triple Gem. After entering the door of Buddhism to learn the Buddha Dharma and taking refuge in the Triple Gem, one must no longer take refuge in non-Buddhist paths. That is, through the Buddhist Triple Refuge ceremony—taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—and by making the Four Great Vows—“However innumerable sentient beings may be, I vow to save them all; however inexhaustible afflictions may be, I vow to eradicate them all; however immeasurable the teachings may be, I vow to study them all; and however difficult the unsurpassed Buddhahood Path may be, I vow to attain it”—one becomes a disciple of the Triple Gem. After becoming a true Buddhist, one practices according to the Dharma taught by the Buddha and can achieve the path to liberation for the Two Vehicles in the future to transcend the cycle of birth and death in the three realms, or achieve the Great Vehicle path of Buddha-Bodhi to attain Buddhahood.

Volume 5 of the Sūtra on Upāsaka Precepts states the following: “The Triple Refuge is the root of all immeasurable wholesome dharmas and even the eventual attainment of the Buddha-Way. Therefore, it is impossible to learn and attain fruition in Buddhism without first taking the Triple Refuge.” Furthermore, Volume 6 of the Sūtra on Upāsaka Precepts emphasizes that taking the Triple Refuge is not just a formality or a ritual procedure but consists in truly believing in and accepting cause and effect, believing that there is a path to liberation and a Dharma for attaining Buddhahood, and believing that there are knowledgeable and virtuous mentors who have already attained the path and can teach us to practice and learn the Dharma. In addition, one must stay close to the Triple Gem and knowledgeable and virtuous mentors to receive their teaching. Only then can one be considered to have truly taken the Triple Refuge. 

Moreover, if one’s practice is not efficacious or if one easily resonates with ghosts and spirits, after taking the Triple Refuge, one will be protected by Dharma-protecting deities, which can reduce the obstacles to practice. In addition, Volume 64 of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra states that those who take refuge in the Triple Gem can obtain vast merits or blessings, great joy, samādhi, and great purity, and that the heavenly beings will feel joy for those who have taken the Triple Refuge and will regard them as being like themselves. As the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha possess immeasurable meritorious qualities, one who takes refuge in them also possesses many meritorious qualities. As stated in the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, those who have taken refuge in the Triple Gem are very much welcomed by heavenly beings. Like the elder’s daughter in the story, they could be reborn in the heaven of the desire realm after their death. (Part2/3, To be con't...)

#Buddha #Buddhiststory #Buddhistwisdom #Dharma #karma #Triplegem 

To Observe the Five Precepts and Thus Attain Rebirth in Heaven (Part1/3)

 

To Observe the Five Precepts and Thus Attain Rebirth in Heaven
(A Story Recorded in Volume 5 of The Storehouse of Sundry Valuables; 雜寶藏經 卷5)

This story says that there was an elder in Śrāvastī named Fushe who had two daughters. One of them renounced her home to become a monastic and was very diligent and hardworking in her cultivation, thereby attaining the arhat fruition. The other daughter held false views, did not believe in the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and even slandered them. Fushe told his daughter who did not believe in the Triple Gem, “If you take refuge in the Buddha, I will give you one thousand gold coins; furthermore, if you can take refuge in the Dharma and the Sangha and also receive and uphold the five precepts, I will give you an additional eight thousand gold coins.” This daughter, who originally did not believe in the Triple Gem, thus embraced and took refuge in them and no longer slandered them. She also received and upheld the five precepts. Not long after, her life ended, and she was reborn in the heaven of the desire realm. Remembering that it was because she had taken refuge in the Triple Gem and received the precepts while in the human world that she could be reborn in heaven to enjoy such bliss today, she went to the place where the Buddha stayed to pay her respects. The Buddha taught her the Dharma, and she immediately attained the first fruition of stream-entry.

A monk then asked the Buddha, “By what kind of karmic actions was this heavenly maiden able to be reborn in the heaven of the desire realm after death?” The Buddha told the monk, “This heavenly maiden was originally born in the human world, and although it was out of greed for her father’s money that she took refuge in the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, she ceased slandering the Triple Gem and simultaneously received and upheld the five precepts. Due to such causes and conditions, she has now been reborn in the heaven of the desire realm. Also, because she remembered the causes and conditions for her rebirth in heaven, she came to me, Śākyamuni Buddha, and after hearing my teaching, she attained the first stage of fruition of the path to liberation.”

    There are some lessons that can be derived from this story and shared with everyone. First, the main character of this story is the second daughter, who had a father who believed in and accepted the Buddha Dharma and possessed wisdom. This daughter, who originally held false views and did not believe in the Triple Gem, later took refuge in the Triple Gem and received and upheld the five precepts under the lure of her father’s hefty reward, thereby greatly transforming her destiny. If she had not taken the Triple Refuge and received and upheld the five precepts at that time, her grave offense of slandering the Triple Gem would have been enough to make her fall into the three lowly paths and suffer in the future. However, her father knew that she was greedy for money and thus lured her with a hefty reward to make her take the Triple Refuge and receive and uphold the five precepts. This changed her views and mental disposition, which allowed her not only to be reborn in the heaven of the desire realm after her life ended but also to have the subsequent causal connection to personally hear the Buddha teach the Dharma and attain the first fruition of stream-entry. (To be con't....)

#Buddha #Buddhiststory #Buddhistwisdom #Dharma #karma #Triplegem