But this original self-nature is not permanently lost. To uncover this original nature is to attain Buddhahood. To attain the state of perfect and faultless wisdom. Our virtues, talents, abilities and good fortune are also perfect. Thus, when our every aspect is perfect, we become Buddhas.
Why then are we presently leading such difficult lives? Because of wandering and discriminatory thoughts, attachments: afflictions. Afflictions are all the conditions that cause pain; distress and suffering which disturb the body and mind. Attachments are fixations to certain ideas or objects. They result in our having desires, having strong feelings of selfishness and jealousy, having the longing to control, the longing to possess others. Because of these we dwell on thoughts of what has occurred, what we have remembered, what we have imagined. We are led by these thoughts, unable to stop them.
It is crucial that we cease these attachments, which have made us sad or angry, those that have caused us to have strong emotions for due to these attachments, we cannot stop thinking of ourselves, of what we want. What can we do? As ordinary people, we are still subject to thoughts and feelings of attachment. So, as soon as these thoughts arise, replace them with the “Amituofo”. As the next thought arises, again replace it with the single thought of “Amituofo”. In this way, we can practice anywhere, anytime.
The Buddhas taught us that the universe is generated from our wandering and discriminatory thoughts, is created from our attachments. These obstacles represent false beliefs and wrong viewpoints and have created the forty-one Dharma Body Bodhisattva stages of enlightenment. Why are there different levels? They manifest from our different degrees of ignorance and wandering thoughts.
Where do the Ten Dharma Realms come from? They appear due to the lack of equality, from our discriminatory thoughts. When we harbour one single differentiating thought against other beings, matters or objects, then the Ten Dharma Realms will appear. The highest of these are the Four Sage Realms of Sound-hearer, Pratyekabuddha, Bodhisattva and Buddha.
When we cling to attachments, the Six Realms of Reincarnation of the heavens, asuras, humans and animals, hungry ghosts and hells will appear. And, as our attachments increase, the Three Evil Realms, being the lower of the realms will appear. Finally, when our attachments are the most serious and tenacious, the hell realms will appear. Why are we unable to transcend the cycle of birth and death? Unable to sever our karmic obstacles? Not only do we not yet want to correct our faults; we are constantly increasing them.
How then do we rid ourselves of these deluded and illusory thoughts to uncover the original capabilities and virtues of our self-nature? The only way is by letting go of our wandering and discriminatory thoughts, and attachments. When we have eliminated all of these, we will not only overcome the cycle of birth and death in the Six Realms but will surpass the Ten Dharma Realms as well. And when this happens, we will dwell in the One True Dharma Realm, the state of the Buddhas. And it is within this reality that the Law of Cause and Effect lies.
Wandering and discriminatory thoughts and attachments are causes. Greed and anger and ignorance are causes. The Ten Dharma Realms, comprised of the Four Sage Realms and the Six Realms of Reincarnation, are effects. Since wandering and discriminatory thoughts and attachments generate negative karma, they ought to be eliminated so that our merits and virtues can then be perfect and complete. Cultivating a non-discriminatory mind provides the serenity for practitioners to let go of afflictions. But, it is difficult for most of us to let go due to our sentimental attachments, due to the injustices we feel we have suffered and the grudges we thus hold.
However, feeling this way only puts us at more of a disadvantage because then we suffer the consequences of our grudges. Inequalities exist in this world because of our discriminatory minds. Ordinary people only think in terms of the four forms explained in the Diamond Sutra . “Self, people, other beings and time”. If we do not think in terms of these four forms, then we will break through our afflictions with the strength from our cultivation. Therefore, when we generate emotions we need to remind ourselves of these four forms and remember that they are only an illusion. When we do this, we will be truly happy, according with conditions and being joyful in the good deeds of others.
The accumulation of merits depends on our cultivation. What is this cultivation? The ability to let go of wandering and discriminatory thoughts, to let go of attachments, to correct our erroneous thoughts and ways. What are virtues? Virtues arise from having accomplished deep concentration, wisdom and the One True Dharma Realm. It is therefore important to understand the meaning of merits and virtues. For the attainment of beneficial merits and virtues is the perfect attainment of Buddhahood.
The merits and virtues bestowed upon the highest levels of Bodhisattvas are not yet perfect. Why? Because they have chosen not to break through the last remaining degree of the illusion of phenomenal existence. They have not relinquished the thinnest shred, the last degree of wandering thoughts and this is why their merits and virtues are not yet perfect. Upon breaking through this last degree of illusion, of ignorance, their merits and virtues will be the perfect completeness, which manifests the attainment of Buddhahood.
Sentient beings commit wrongdoings due to deluded minds and deviated viewpoints. When interacting with people, maters and affairs, we usually act from greed, anger, arrogance, from selfishness, from the wish to be in control of our surroundings. Therefore, to go along with our true nature, we need to give up trying to control and dominate others, to replace thoughts of ourselves with thoughts of all others. Then our purity of mind will increase and our afflictions will decrease. If we achieve this state of mind, we would do well to help others to achieve it as well.
But as long as we still have these thoughts of greed, anger, arrogance, the wish to control others, we still have the causes that will generate our birth into the Three Bad Realms of animals, hungry ghosts and hells. Why are we born into the animal realms? Ignorance. Greed is the reason we are born into the hungry ghost realms. And anger is the cause of our birth into the hell realms.
There is no way to avoid the effects of negative karma once the wrongdoing has been committed. We ourselves have to bear the consequences, the retribution arising from our misdeeds. No person, god or Buddha can help to reduce our suffering or bear the karmic effects on our behalf. They have neither the authority nor the power to do so. The reality is that we alone must suffer the consequences of our misdeeds. To hope otherwise is like trying to run away from our own shadow. In doing so, we will just perpetrate more wrong conduct.
There are many instances evidencing this phenomenon. Take the example of an ignorant person. Having done a small good deed, he or she hopes to obtain good fortune. This is wishful thinking, wistful dreaming. It is true that we will receive good fortune after doing a virtuous deed. However, such good fortune may not show itself immediately. Why? Because our transgressions are too heavy to be compensated by just one small virtuous deed.
Not understanding this, when things do not go well, we begin to doubt the teachings and question why the Buddha's words are not true? Why do I do good deeds and receive misfortune when others commit wrongdoings and obtain good fortune? We then begin to doubt the Law of Cause and Effect. Consequently, we begin to doubt and inadvertently slander the teachings of the Buddhas. But by so doing, we further increase the severity of our wrongdoings.
