Identify Suffering ..VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.
The suffering that we experience is of two types: the kind of suffering that people can see immediately, and the type of suffering that we cannot see, without the extrasensory ability. The first type of suffering involves pain in the process of birth, the feeling of discomfort every time you get sick, the suffering of old age and aging, and the fear of death.
Ordinary people cannot see suffering after death. We may think that after death, we can be reborn as a human being. However, it is not necessarily so. There is no reason to think that such an evolution will happen. This does not mean that we will not completely regenerate after death.
It is very difficult to know when we will be reborn in the realm, which is beyond our current knowledge. If we accumulate good karma throughout this life, it is natural that we will have happy rebirths in the future. On the contrary, if only the most negative karma is created, we will not have a happy rebirth, but endure great hardships in the lower realms. This is for sure. The rebirth works like that. If we plant a grain of wheat, a wheat plant will grow. If we plant a grain of rice, a rice plant will produce. In the same way, by creating negative karma, we will sow the seed of rebirth into one of the three lower realms such as hell, hungry ghost, or animal.
There are four states or four hellish realms: hot hell, cold hell, marginal hell and lonely hell. If more detailed classification, there are eight hot hells. The first floor of the eight hot hells is the Reviving Hell. Relatively speaking, this is the least miserable hell. To understand this level of suffering in hell, the pain of a person burned in a great fire is said to be very light compared to the pain of sentient beings in the first hot hell. The level of agony is increasing in every level of hell than in the Underworld.
Although we cannot see the suffering of sentient beings in the hell realm and hungry ghosts, we can see with our own eyes the suffering of the animals. If you wonder what you would do if you were born as an animal, you just need to look at the street animals and the heavy animals around us here, in India, and try to think if you fall into what will be their situation Dharma is what preserves and protects us, helping us to escape from the experiences of suffering in these lower realms.
The whole wheel is reborn, the whole uncontrolled reincarnation (reincarnation), has the nature of suffering. Dharma is what protects us from all the sufferings of reincarnation. Moreover, the Mahayana Dharma, the teachings of the Big Vehicle, not only protect us, but also protect all other sentient beings (sentient beings).
Ordinary people cannot see suffering after death. We may think that after death, we can be reborn as a human being. However, it is not necessarily so. There is no reason to think that such an evolution will happen. This does not mean that we will not completely regenerate after death.
It is very difficult to know when we will be reborn in the realm, which is beyond our current knowledge. If we accumulate good karma throughout this life, it is natural that we will have happy rebirths in the future. On the contrary, if only the most negative karma is created, we will not have a happy rebirth, but endure great hardships in the lower realms. This is for sure. The rebirth works like that. If we plant a grain of wheat, a wheat plant will grow. If we plant a grain of rice, a rice plant will produce. In the same way, by creating negative karma, we will sow the seed of rebirth into one of the three lower realms such as hell, hungry ghost, or animal.
There are four states or four hellish realms: hot hell, cold hell, marginal hell and lonely hell. If more detailed classification, there are eight hot hells. The first floor of the eight hot hells is the Reviving Hell. Relatively speaking, this is the least miserable hell. To understand this level of suffering in hell, the pain of a person burned in a great fire is said to be very light compared to the pain of sentient beings in the first hot hell. The level of agony is increasing in every level of hell than in the Underworld.
Although we cannot see the suffering of sentient beings in the hell realm and hungry ghosts, we can see with our own eyes the suffering of the animals. If you wonder what you would do if you were born as an animal, you just need to look at the street animals and the heavy animals around us here, in India, and try to think if you fall into what will be their situation Dharma is what preserves and protects us, helping us to escape from the experiences of suffering in these lower realms.
The whole wheel is reborn, the whole uncontrolled reincarnation (reincarnation), has the nature of suffering. Dharma is what protects us from all the sufferings of reincarnation. Moreover, the Mahayana Dharma, the teachings of the Big Vehicle, not only protect us, but also protect all other sentient beings (sentient beings).
Refuge
In Buddhism, we will hear much about the Three Jewels Refuge - Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The object of the first refuge includes all the enlightened beings, Dharma teachers. Buddha Shakyamuni Ni (Buddha Shakyamuni), who transferred the first wheel of the Dharma in Paranasi when he lectured on the Four Noble Truths, was the most important teacher for us. The ultimate truth in the Four Noble Truths - the Noble Truth - is that Dharma must be practiced to attain liberation. This is the object of refuge, called Dharma.
Dharma practice requires two elements: identifying the source of suffering and the exclusion of this origin. What is the origin of reincarnation? It is the attachment to a true self that exists and the true existence of all things. We need to develop this mind of hatred of attachment, which is what brings all our suffering. We must develop an understanding of the dharma of mind and attachment to this true existence. This dharma is the wisdom (selfless mind) about non-self. It is the understanding of this selflessness that will free us from suffering.
The suffering that we experience in reincarnation cannot happen without cause. The cause of suffering is the emotions and attitudes of defilements (illusions) and the karma created by them. The root of all emotions, disturbing attitudes and karma is the ego-consciousness. When we understand this, we will aspire to have the opposite treatment with this egoistic mind. Why haven't we developed the rule of law in our consciousness? Why do we not understand selflessness? One reason is that we do not have enough awareness about death and impermanence.
Dharma practice requires two elements: identifying the source of suffering and the exclusion of this origin. What is the origin of reincarnation? It is the attachment to a true self that exists and the true existence of all things. We need to develop this mind of hatred of attachment, which is what brings all our suffering. We must develop an understanding of the dharma of mind and attachment to this true existence. This dharma is the wisdom (selfless mind) about non-self. It is the understanding of this selflessness that will free us from suffering.
The suffering that we experience in reincarnation cannot happen without cause. The cause of suffering is the emotions and attitudes of defilements (illusions) and the karma created by them. The root of all emotions, disturbing attitudes and karma is the ego-consciousness. When we understand this, we will aspire to have the opposite treatment with this egoistic mind. Why haven't we developed the rule of law in our consciousness? Why do we not understand selflessness? One reason is that we do not have enough awareness about death and impermanence.
Death and Impermanence
The only possible end of birth is death. I will definitely die. No life of a living being does not end with death. People try to try many methods to prevent death from happening, but it is impossible. No medicine can help us escape death.
If one simply thinks, "I will die," then is not really the right way to reflect on death. Of course, everyone will die, but simply thinking about this reality is not very effective. That is not the right method. Similarly, if you only think about the fact that you will degrade and disintegrate, your body will decompose. not enough. What we have to think about is how to prevent our own decline.
If we think about the fear that will occur at the time of death and how to eliminate that fear, then our meditation on death will be effective. Those who have accumulated some great negative karma throughout their lives will be terrified at death. They cried, their tears rolling down their cheeks, they dribbled, excreting both clothing and spirit they were completely overwhelmed. These are clear signs of suffering that will occur at the time of death, because the fear produced from the evil deeds they created throughout life.
Another way is if you avoid creating negative karma all your life, it will be very easy to face the moment of death. Our experience will be joy, like the joy of a child going home with his parents. If we purify ourselves, we can die happily. By controlling ten unwholesome karma and cultivating the opposite, that is ten good karma, our death will be easy and as a result we will not have to undergo rebirth in a painful situation. We can rest assured that we will be reborn in more fortunate conditions. By sowing herbal seeds, we will harvest plants with medicinal properties. If you sow the seeds of toxic plants, you only create poisonous fruits. If we sow the seeds of constructive behavior in the mind, we will experience happiness in the future. We will encounter affinity on both sides, body and mind.
How will we reflect on death and impermanence? As mentioned above, merely thinking, "I will die," does not bring much benefit. We need to think, "If I have done anything in the ten negative actions, when I die, I will face many fears and suffering, and as a result, I will have an unhappy rebirth. . On the other hand, if I have accumulated a lot of good karma (lifelong), when I die, I will not experience fear or suffering and will be reborn in a more fortunate realm. " That is the right way to reflect on death.
This meditation is not necessarily just sad, pessimistic thoughts, "I will die and I cannot do anything." Instead, we need to think what will happen at the time of death. “Where will I go after I die? What types of personnel have I created? Can I die happily? How to do this? Can I make my rebirths happy? How?"
When contemplating future lives, we need to remember that nowhere in samsara is reliable. No matter what kind of comedy we will be born, in the end, it must die. We have read in history that people lived for hundreds or thousands of years. However, no matter how thrilling these cases are, in the end, no one is not dead. Any form of body that we have in samsara must die. There is also no place we can come to escape death. Regardless of where, when the time is right, we will have to die. Then no medicine, no mantra, or any practice can help us. Surgery can heal some diseases in our body, but no surgery can prevent death.
No matter what reincarnation is, I will die. The process will always continue. Reflecting on the long-term consequences of your own behavior and how the process of birth, life, death and rebirth will help us create more good karma.
Although we sometimes plan to practice Dharma, we often plan to do this tomorrow, or the next day. However, none of us knows when we will die. If there is a guarantee that we will surely live for another 100 years, we will have a good time to arrange the practice. However, there is no small certainty about when we will die. Delaying the practice is very foolish. Some people even die in the womb before being born, others die as an unknown child. There is no guarantee that we will live long.
My body is very fragile. If they are made of iron or stone, they will probably make us feel more stable. But if you look carefully, you will see that the human body is very weak. It is easy to get stuck somewhere. It is like a sophisticated watch made from countless fragile little parts. It is not reliable. There are many situations that can cause death, such as food poisoning, being burned by a small insect, or even being hit by a poisonous thorn. Such small things can kill us. The food and drink that we use to sustain life can become a life-ending situation. There is no certainty about when we will die, or what circumstances will lead to our death.
Even if we are sure that we will live for 100 years, many years during this period have passed and we still have not completed much. I progressed to death like a person sleeping in a train car, constantly approaching the goal, without knowing anything about this process. We can't do much to end this process. I kept on going to death.
No matter how much money, jewels, houses or clothing we have accumulated throughout life, they will not make any difference at the time of death. When we die, we must leave with empty hands. Even, we cannot bring a small item with us. Our own body is also left behind. The body and the mind are separate and the stream of consciousness continues on its own. Not only cannot we carry any property, we cannot carry our body.
If one simply thinks, "I will die," then is not really the right way to reflect on death. Of course, everyone will die, but simply thinking about this reality is not very effective. That is not the right method. Similarly, if you only think about the fact that you will degrade and disintegrate, your body will decompose. not enough. What we have to think about is how to prevent our own decline.
If we think about the fear that will occur at the time of death and how to eliminate that fear, then our meditation on death will be effective. Those who have accumulated some great negative karma throughout their lives will be terrified at death. They cried, their tears rolling down their cheeks, they dribbled, excreting both clothing and spirit they were completely overwhelmed. These are clear signs of suffering that will occur at the time of death, because the fear produced from the evil deeds they created throughout life.
Another way is if you avoid creating negative karma all your life, it will be very easy to face the moment of death. Our experience will be joy, like the joy of a child going home with his parents. If we purify ourselves, we can die happily. By controlling ten unwholesome karma and cultivating the opposite, that is ten good karma, our death will be easy and as a result we will not have to undergo rebirth in a painful situation. We can rest assured that we will be reborn in more fortunate conditions. By sowing herbal seeds, we will harvest plants with medicinal properties. If you sow the seeds of toxic plants, you only create poisonous fruits. If we sow the seeds of constructive behavior in the mind, we will experience happiness in the future. We will encounter affinity on both sides, body and mind.
How will we reflect on death and impermanence? As mentioned above, merely thinking, "I will die," does not bring much benefit. We need to think, "If I have done anything in the ten negative actions, when I die, I will face many fears and suffering, and as a result, I will have an unhappy rebirth. . On the other hand, if I have accumulated a lot of good karma (lifelong), when I die, I will not experience fear or suffering and will be reborn in a more fortunate realm. " That is the right way to reflect on death.
This meditation is not necessarily just sad, pessimistic thoughts, "I will die and I cannot do anything." Instead, we need to think what will happen at the time of death. “Where will I go after I die? What types of personnel have I created? Can I die happily? How to do this? Can I make my rebirths happy? How?"
When contemplating future lives, we need to remember that nowhere in samsara is reliable. No matter what kind of comedy we will be born, in the end, it must die. We have read in history that people lived for hundreds or thousands of years. However, no matter how thrilling these cases are, in the end, no one is not dead. Any form of body that we have in samsara must die. There is also no place we can come to escape death. Regardless of where, when the time is right, we will have to die. Then no medicine, no mantra, or any practice can help us. Surgery can heal some diseases in our body, but no surgery can prevent death.
No matter what reincarnation is, I will die. The process will always continue. Reflecting on the long-term consequences of your own behavior and how the process of birth, life, death and rebirth will help us create more good karma.
Although we sometimes plan to practice Dharma, we often plan to do this tomorrow, or the next day. However, none of us knows when we will die. If there is a guarantee that we will surely live for another 100 years, we will have a good time to arrange the practice. However, there is no small certainty about when we will die. Delaying the practice is very foolish. Some people even die in the womb before being born, others die as an unknown child. There is no guarantee that we will live long.
My body is very fragile. If they are made of iron or stone, they will probably make us feel more stable. But if you look carefully, you will see that the human body is very weak. It is easy to get stuck somewhere. It is like a sophisticated watch made from countless fragile little parts. It is not reliable. There are many situations that can cause death, such as food poisoning, being burned by a small insect, or even being hit by a poisonous thorn. Such small things can kill us. The food and drink that we use to sustain life can become a life-ending situation. There is no certainty about when we will die, or what circumstances will lead to our death.
Even if we are sure that we will live for 100 years, many years during this period have passed and we still have not completed much. I progressed to death like a person sleeping in a train car, constantly approaching the goal, without knowing anything about this process. We can't do much to end this process. I kept on going to death.
No matter how much money, jewels, houses or clothing we have accumulated throughout life, they will not make any difference at the time of death. When we die, we must leave with empty hands. Even, we cannot bring a small item with us. Our own body is also left behind. The body and the mind are separate and the stream of consciousness continues on its own. Not only cannot we carry any property, we cannot carry our body.
Career
After we die, what will go with consciousness? If we have to give up our bodies, friends, and all our possessions, is there any assistant or whatever will come with our consciousness to the future?
There is one thing that will follow the consciousness after death: the seeds (seeds) that we have accumulated throughout this life. If we have committed anything of the ten unwholesome things, a negative karmic race or karmic debt will accompany our stream of consciousness to future lives. When we kill other sentient beings, steal other people's possessions, or indulge in sexual misconduct, negative kinship from the negative actions of the body will be sown into the mind stream. When we lie, slander others and divide people, harm others verbally, or say nonsense, negative karmic debts from negative verbal acts will follow us. at the moment of death. If we have greedy ideas, it is often the desire to acquire other people's possessions; if we have malice towards others, want them to be hurt or encounter something bad;
The opposite is also true. If we have created good deeds and given up on negative actions, the seeds of positive energy will follow the flow of consciousness and create better circumstances in future lifetimes.
When truly thinking about the current situation, we will be determined by all means to build good karma and eliminate negative karma. We need to purify our negative things to the maximum, not to leave even the smallest indebtedness, to make us pay back in future lives.
We need to see clearly what kind of consequences can happen in the law of cause and effect. There is a case where a person has a lot of good qualities, but is rude in words. He insulted others, saying, "You talk like a dog." As a result, he was reborn as a dog for 500 lives. An act that seems small, can cause great consequences.
Similarly, a small virtue can create great results. There is a case of a child who had a modest offering to the Buddha, resulting in the child being reborn as King Ashoka (Ashoka), who built thousands of Buddhist memorial works and performed countless superhuman virtues.
There is one thing that will follow the consciousness after death: the seeds (seeds) that we have accumulated throughout this life. If we have committed anything of the ten unwholesome things, a negative karmic race or karmic debt will accompany our stream of consciousness to future lives. When we kill other sentient beings, steal other people's possessions, or indulge in sexual misconduct, negative kinship from the negative actions of the body will be sown into the mind stream. When we lie, slander others and divide people, harm others verbally, or say nonsense, negative karmic debts from negative verbal acts will follow us. at the moment of death. If we have greedy ideas, it is often the desire to acquire other people's possessions; if we have malice towards others, want them to be hurt or encounter something bad;
The opposite is also true. If we have created good deeds and given up on negative actions, the seeds of positive energy will follow the flow of consciousness and create better circumstances in future lifetimes.
When truly thinking about the current situation, we will be determined by all means to build good karma and eliminate negative karma. We need to purify our negative things to the maximum, not to leave even the smallest indebtedness, to make us pay back in future lives.
We need to see clearly what kind of consequences can happen in the law of cause and effect. There is a case where a person has a lot of good qualities, but is rude in words. He insulted others, saying, "You talk like a dog." As a result, he was reborn as a dog for 500 lives. An act that seems small, can cause great consequences.
Similarly, a small virtue can create great results. There is a case of a child who had a modest offering to the Buddha, resulting in the child being reborn as King Ashoka (Ashoka), who built thousands of Buddhist memorial works and performed countless superhuman virtues.
Mind of Ly Ly and Compassion
Reflecting on the types of negative behaviors we have caused and their consequences is a very effective way to ensure our well-being and happiness. When we think about suffering that we must suffer from the result of negative karma, and thus, the desire to not undergo this suffering arises strongly, then we have developed. get "mind-blowing."
Getting used to this way of thinking is a form of meditation. First of all, we need to develop mindfulness of our own suffering; After that, we need to expand this mindfulness to all sentient beings. Consider how all beings do not want any suffering, but are caught in a painful situation. This way of thinking will help us to develop compassion. If we don't develop the desire to get rid of all our own suffering, how can we develop the wish for other beings to escape their suffering? We can end all our suffering, but that is not the ultimate benefit. We need to extend this wish to all sentient beings, sentient beings who are also hungry for happiness. We can train the mind and develop the wish that all sentient beings completely escape suffering.
Why do we need to care for other beings? Because we have received so much from them. For example, the milk that we drink comes from the goodness of cows and buffaloes, warm clothes that help us fight cold and cold winds from sheep and goats' fur, etc. These are just a few examples to show because Why do we need to try to find a solution, to eliminate the suffering of sentient beings.
Whatever method of practice - reciting mantra or any meditation - we need to keep this idea in mind, "May this practice bring benefit to all sentient beings." will bring benefits to yourself naturally. Normal situations in life can help us realize the value of this. For example, if a person is very selfish and only acts for his own good, he will not be loved by others. In contrast, people who are kind and always think of helping others are often loved by people.
The thought that needs to be developed in our mind stream is, "May all be happy and pray that no one will suffer." We must try to incorporate this thought into our consciousness stream. by remembering it many times. This can be extremely beneficial. Any sentient being in the past who has developed this thought is now Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or saints; All the truly great people in the world also consider this thought to be the guideline. If we can try to launch this thought, how wonderful it is!
Getting used to this way of thinking is a form of meditation. First of all, we need to develop mindfulness of our own suffering; After that, we need to expand this mindfulness to all sentient beings. Consider how all beings do not want any suffering, but are caught in a painful situation. This way of thinking will help us to develop compassion. If we don't develop the desire to get rid of all our own suffering, how can we develop the wish for other beings to escape their suffering? We can end all our suffering, but that is not the ultimate benefit. We need to extend this wish to all sentient beings, sentient beings who are also hungry for happiness. We can train the mind and develop the wish that all sentient beings completely escape suffering.
Why do we need to care for other beings? Because we have received so much from them. For example, the milk that we drink comes from the goodness of cows and buffaloes, warm clothes that help us fight cold and cold winds from sheep and goats' fur, etc. These are just a few examples to show because Why do we need to try to find a solution, to eliminate the suffering of sentient beings.
Whatever method of practice - reciting mantra or any meditation - we need to keep this idea in mind, "May this practice bring benefit to all sentient beings." will bring benefits to yourself naturally. Normal situations in life can help us realize the value of this. For example, if a person is very selfish and only acts for his own good, he will not be loved by others. In contrast, people who are kind and always think of helping others are often loved by people.
The thought that needs to be developed in our mind stream is, "May all be happy and pray that no one will suffer." We must try to incorporate this thought into our consciousness stream. by remembering it many times. This can be extremely beneficial. Any sentient being in the past who has developed this thought is now Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or saints; All the truly great people in the world also consider this thought to be the guideline. If we can try to launch this thought, how wonderful it is!
The Karma of Harming to Others to Protect Your Relatives
Are we advised not to defend ourselves when anyone harms us?
This question opens up a very broad topic. If anyone uses a stick or bat to hit your head, the best reaction is to reflect that you have to go through this because of your negative actions in the past. Think that person made this seed ripen now, instead of at some time in the future. You need to be grateful to this person because he helped you eliminate this bad karma in your mind stream.
What should I do if someone attacks my wife or child who I have to protect? Should I protect them? Is that a negative action?
Because your duty and responsibility are to protect your wife and children, you must try to act in the most ingenious way. You must be wise. The best way is to protect them without harming the person who attacked them. In other words, you need to find a way to protect them without causing any harm.
He may hurt your children, but can't you harm him? Isn't it our duty to protect our children from brutal and cruel acts? Is it okay to just sacrifice my life?
To deal with this situation skillfully, you need to be very brave. There is an account of a previous life of the Buddha, when he was a sailor to sea with a group of 500 people, to search for the buried treasure. There was a man in the group who was very greedy and to seize all his own treasures, he attempted to kill the other 500 people. The bodhisattva (ie Buddha Shakyamuni in the past life) learned of this conspiracy, and thought that if this situation continued, it would be wrong, for one would kill 500 people. Therefore, this bodhisattva had a very brave thought to save 500 people by killing one person, ready to receive all the responsibility for murder. If you are willing to accept rebirth in hell to save others, you have a very brave thought.
In such situations, is murder considered a negative behavior?
Nagarjuna (Nagarjuna) wrote in letters to a Friend ( Letter to a Friend ) that if an action is negative in the name to protect parents, children, Buddhism, or the Three Jewels, he will suffer the consequences. The difference is that are you aware of the consequences and are willing to bear them to protect your wife and children altruously? If you harm the enemy, you will experience a suffering rebirth. However, you need to be prepared to face this consequence by the thought, "I will suffer for myself and my wife and children will not have to suffer."
So, according to Buddhism, is it still a negative behavior?
Defending one's wife and children is a positive behavior, but harming the enemy is negative and destructive behavior. You must be willing to accept the consequences of both.
He said that if anyone causes bad karma, he will suffer in the future, and whoever does good will be happy. Can these virtues lead to total salvation, which means not undergoing rebirth?If you want to achieve salvation, you must follow the teachings in a complete and accurate way. For example, if you follow the Christian path, you must follow the doctrine of Jesus (Christ) perfectly. Then Christian salvation is possible. Jesus alone cannot save us from our sins; We must do something ourselves. If not, why did Jesus teach that sin should not be caused? If we follow the teachings of Jesus properly, I think that Christian salvation is possible. If we follow the teachings of the Buddha properly, then the "salvation" in Buddhism - ie liberation - is feasible. END=NAM MO SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.24/2/2019.
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