The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva, "All of you are able to bring forth the true and proper mind to practise the Way in this life, and never to create any evil deeds, you are great virtous sages indeed. Why? It is easy to reveal and transform the beings in the other worlds in ten directions because they are filled with good deeds that are more than the evil ones. Except for this world of five turbidities, which is filled with acute suffering. Now that I have attained Buddhahood in this world, teach and transform those sentient beings, so they they will renounce the five evil deeds, be free from the five tourturing pains and leave behind the fire of five skandas. I teach them to subdue the minds and uphold the five good deeds. In this way they will obtain the blessings and virtues. What are the five pairs of good and evil existences? The first one is about the different types of living beings who always act in the evil ways in this world. The strong ones like to conquer the weak ones and they take turns to kill and harm each other, as if they are killing the thieves. They eat and swallow each other and do not practise any good deeds. Finally they have to undergo retribution. For examples, some of them will be born as poor beggars; some are lonely, with no relatives or friends; some are deaf and blind while others are dumb and cannot speak properly. The deluded ones are born dull and also there are those who are crazy. These people do not have the faith of virtuous conducts in their former lives and do not wish to cultivate any goodnes.
On the other hand, there are those who are well honoured and respected by people. These intelligent, virtuous men are born in the wealthy family. They are honourable elders who are endowed with wisdom, courage, and the penetration of true wisdom because they were kind and filial in their former lives. Besides, they cultivated goodness and accumulated abundant virtues. All these happenings can be seen in the present world.
When the evil men pass away from this world, they receive a change in form and path and enter the paths of darkness. That is why there are hells, animals, birds and tiny beings that either fly, crawl or move in different patterns. Just like the prisoners who are experiencing acute sufferings and punishments in the jail in the world, the spirits of the living beings would also follow the paths according to the sinful actions that they had practised when they were alive. They will each receive the retribution of their karma. Some are born with long lifespans, others are short, just in accordance with the good and bad deeds. If the evil effects are not fully undergone, they will be unable to leave the evil paths but to rotate on the six paths for many kalpas, never to attain liberation.
In the space between the heaven and earth, there are those unfortunate beings who naturally receive the indescribable, acute tortures. Even though some may not experience the bad retributions immediately, but the good and bad effects are certainly to catch up with them in future.
The second situation is such that the living beings on the earth do not act according to the Buddha Dharma. They are extravagant, proud and obstinate and behave in a casual and evil way in accord to their false thinking. Those in the higher position do not act righteously, and so the people below them will also be selfish and greedy. They harm and accuse the good and honest men. Their minds do not reflect in accord to their speech. They are shrewd with all kinds of cunning. Either high or low in status, these people always deceive and bully each other. They are always angry due to their delusions and try in every way to benefit themselves. With the unsatiable greed, they seek and fight to obtain self benefit. If such desires are not fulfilled, then the knots of hatred and anger get fully entangled in their minds. They will kill and harm each other and never will they feel regretful for their past deeds or afraid of the future effects.
The rich men are greedy and stingy and do not enjoy giving to others, but attach to personal profit, till their hearts are so tired and the bodies suffer. Nobody wishes to accompany them because of their terrible behaviour.
So the rewards of blessings and the retributions of suffering will follow a man wherever he is born. For example, some people are born in the happy dwellings while others are going through great tortures. Some are envious, full of hatred and love to accuse the good men, and never consider to change their behaviour for good. Constantly they give rise to a mind of a robber, who wishes to get benefits from others in order to satisfy their personal desires and needs. The unsatiable desires are deeply ingrained in their senses that they seek for more benefits. And finally they have to enter the three evil paths, to go through uncountable, indescribable sufferings and tortures unceasingly for many kalpas.
The third one is about the people in the world who are born in accordance to their former causes and conditions. Their lifespans are very short indeed. These people with their evil thoughts, will never act and think properly. Constantly they engage in the wrong deeds, and the thoughts of sensual desires completely fill up their hearts and reflect outwardly in their appearance and behaviour. They will make use of all their money and property to practise the unlawful things. Whatever that is good and lawful will not be enjoyed by them. Some may have the power to bring in the armies and declare wars. These people conquer, kill and torture one another, while others snatch and rob people by force. The wealth thus obtained will be spent on their wives, or for personal enjoyment and satisfaction, until they are hated by all those who suffer because of their bad deeds. These bad karma are clearly seen by people and ghosts and noted in their spirits and senses. By one's evil deeds, a man will have to go through uncountable suffering and anxieties in the three evil paths, experience indescribable pain, for innumerable kalpas to come.
The fourth one is about those worldy people who are not interested in the good practices but enjoy double-tongue speech, harsh speech, false speech and irresponsible speech. They dislike and are jealous of the good men and try to harm the wise sages. They are not filial to their parents and look down on their teachers. They are dishonest and unfaithful to their friends. They are proud of their power and status and come to the conclusion that they are truly the men of the great way. They make use of their power and position just to to oppress others, and challenge them in order to earn respect and awe. No one can ever subdue them for they are not afraid or regretful for their bad behaviours. With the protection of blessings and virtuous conduct in their former lives, they presently enjoy wealth and status, and so they become very arrogant. But their blessings and virtues will slowly decrease until there is no more because of the bad conduct. Then they have to leave the present lives with innumerable bad karma surrounding and following them. They are unable to escape from their bad karma because their names and families's name have already been registered by the gods in the Heaven. They are unable to save themselves but to continue their journey into the great pan of fire where their bodies and mind are tortured and destroyed, and their spirits and forms are filled with great sorrows. At that moment. what good is it to be regretful or remorseful?
The fifth one is that there are those lazy peope who idle their time away and do not cultivate goodness in order to improve one's conduct and purify one's bad karma. They do not listen to the advice given by their parents but go against and hurt them just as though they are the enemies. Indeed it is better to have no sons like them. They do not think of repaying the kindness and righteousness shown by their elders. They never feel grateful towards their parents but behave casually in both their actions and speech. They roam freely with no special aim and dull their senses by drinking alcohol and enjoying the company of beautiful women. Their behaviour is rude and coarse and they love to go against others. They do not listen to people's advice, neither will they truly value the kindness of friendship. These stubborn people who are lacking in righteousness or propriety will never take care of their families or relatives. They do not care about the needs of others. Neither will they think of repaying the kindness of their parents. They do not apprecite the help of their teachers and neglect the duties of a friend. There is not even a single goodness in their mind, bodies or speech. They do not have faith in the Buddha Dharma and neither do they believe in Karmic causes leading to the rounds of rebirth. They create disharmony among the Sangha Assembly and harm the good men. They think that they are clever but in actuality they are dull, deluded ones for they do not know where they from when they are alive, which path they go to when they die. These stubborn people who are lacking in humanesness seek for long lifespan. They neglect the kind teaching and good advices of The Buddha. In fact, it is really a waste of time and effort teaching them. Their mind is all closed up and they will be unable to open the inherent wisdom. When their lifespans come to an end, they will feel remorseful and very frightened because they are not prepared and have not cultivated any good causes. Of what good is it to be remorseful at the very last minute?
Between the heaven and earth, the five paths are shown clearly to the wise men. The retributions of good and bad deeds are experienced by the doers accordingly. In reality nobody can really stand in for us either in suffering or enjoyment.
The good men cultivate goodness and so their bodies and minds are continually enjoying great bliss. Their future is gettng brighter and brighter. On the other hand, the evil men are not afraid of bad karma. Finally they have to enter the long journey of suffering and their future which is full of darkness is awaiting them. Who really know of all these? Except for The Buddha, the Awakened One, whose teaching and revelation of the Dharma are only believed by a handful of people.
Those who are lacking in faith will have to undergo the process of birth and death continually in the evil paths. It is difficult to fully describe the paths taken by these worldly people. That is why there are evil paths which are naturally open for them, with innumerable suffering and anxieties. The sinful men turn on the wheels of six paths for uncountable kalpas and there is no hope for them to escape the Triple Realms; no hope for them to be liberated but to undergo indescribable great pain.
The five evil deeds, the five great torturing pain and the five punishments of skandas burnings are just the same as the big fire that can burn the humans' bodies to ashes.
When a man is able to control himself and concentrate single mindedly when facing these sufferings and difficulties, to behave uprightly and to be properly mindful, to speak and act accordingly and with responsibility, to do things with true and sincere mind, then, with these efforts, he will be able to cultivate good roots and to give up all bad deeds. Such a man will surely achieve freedom and obtain the benefits of true blessings and virtues; to obtain a long lifespan and finally arrive at the path of Nirvana.
These are them known as the five great good roots."
No comments:
Post a Comment