Enduring Hardships and Adversities in This World, Developing Peace and Harmony from One’s Heart

Fellow cultivators, good and wise friends. Originally, I have many topics to discuss, but first I have to comment on a verse spoken by a lay person. If we know and remember a principle spoken by the Buddha but have not applied such principle in actual practice, we should not use it as a lip service everywhere. Empty talks not backed up by deeds make people confused. Not practicing what we preach gives rise to deviant views.

But not all cases are like the aforementioned one. Some people know that the principle is true but fail to put it into practice. I believe it’s because of the individual’s karmic obstructions. For instance, we all know it’s not good to have a bad temper and that getting angry is bad. Let me ask , “Who in the audience can say he or she has no temper?” One time when I was in Hong Kong I had this conversation with a senior lay person. She said it’s not good to flare up in temper, but she’s not able to amend her temperament. This is one’s karmic obstruction.

I remember that earlier today I had talked about the difference between the Buddha and living beings. The Buddha has exhausted all karmic obstructions and emptied all confused emotions. We living beings are burdened with heavy karmic obstructions and confused emotions. This is why we keep bobbing our heads up and down the six paths of transmigration. Our six sense organs are defiled, especially the sixth consciousness – the mind consciousness, which is principal master of all our actions. All our thoughts and desires are driven by the sixth consciousness. Why are our six sense organs defiled? The reason is that even though we understand the principle clearly, we did not make the determination to put it into practice. We lack samadhi power. Our karmic obstructions overpower that of our vows. We are weighed down by our karma.

In the library there are many books on the sutras spoken by the Buddha. Every line spoken by the Buddha is the embodiment of wisdom. Yet, oftentimes we’d rather go shopping than go　check out these books from the library. Why is that? We are weighed down by our karma; our karmic burden is too heavy. Even holding up a volume of sutra feels very heavy.　We feel more relaxed sauntering outdoors and shopping. Sometimes we know that we should study the sutras, but if we don’t really put our mind to it, we will not have the push to make it happen.

Case in point, some elderly men and women do not know how to read, but they are fortunate enough to encounter a good and wise friend who has told them to recite the buddha’s name. Albeit not knowing the meaning of “Limitless Life,” they keep on reciting “Amituofo.” As they keep on reciting, their karmic burden lightens up. Gradually they start to gain understanding and wisdom. Probably, everyone still remembers the story the Venerable Master told us. It is about an elderly lady who recited”om mani pad me hom” so sincerely, that with each recitation the beans jumped. Hence, knowledge and practice should carry equal weight.　Perhaps we have the knowledge, but not thorough enough to urge us to spring into action, not putting what we know into actual practice.

Why do we study buddhadharma and cultivate the Way? Why do we bow in repentance? We take on these endeavors in order to reduce our karmic burden, to eliminate our karmic obstructions. The Venerable Master had instructed us how to eliminate our karmic obstructions. First is to not get angry, not to become too emotional and temperamental, not to impede other people’s cultivation, and to not be afraid of impediments from other people; to meekly submit to and accept adversities and hardships. This way our karmic burden will gradually lighten, and we will be able to understand our emotions more clearly and not be as confused as before.