The Ten Dharma Realms Are Not Beyond a Single Thought (Issue 294)

(10)The Dharma Realm of the Hells

Anxiety and suffering pervade the hells.

Without any doors, one bores right in.
When delusions are produced and offenses are committed,
One will undergo retributions in due accord.

The hells are the most miserable place. If any of you would like to take a tour there, I guarantee you will get there instantly. How? It is said,

When depressed and melancholic,
you roam through the hells;

When happy and smiling, you enjoy eternal youth;

When weeping and woeful,
you create a small dark room in the hells.

If you are depressed, you are planting a seed for the hells; whereas, if you smile, you are planting a seed for the heavens. There is a saying: From ancient times, the divine immortals have had no other practice than merely being happy and not being sad. So if you can always smile, once you aged, you’ll still be youthful. If you cry, you give yourself a lot of vexation. To sum it up, Anxiety and suffering pervade the hells such that there is no happiness in the hells. Without any doors, one bores right in: The hells basically have no doors. You create the doors yourself, and burrow your way in by force, determined to get in at all costs.  Giving rise to delusions and committing offenses, one will undergo retributions in due accord. Why do people end up in the hells? Because of ignorance and lack of understanding, they create evil karma. No matter what kind of karma you create, you have to undergo the corresponding retribution. The operation of cause and effect is never the slightest bit off. This is an endless cycle.

All Ten Realms, in a single thought－

never apart from your present thought.

If you can understand that thought,

You can immediately reach the other shore.

The Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Hearers, and Those Enlightened by Conditions are the Four Dharma Realms of Sages. The heavenly gods, people, asuras, hells, hungry ghosts and animals make up the Six Dharma Realms of Ordinary Beings. Together, they constitute the Ten Dharma Realms. Where do the Ten Dharma Realms come from? They originate from the single thought presently in your mind. All Ten Realms in a single thought / Never apart from your present thought. The Ten Dharma Realms are not beyond your present thought. If you can understand that thought: If you understand this present thought, then you can immediately reach the other shore. You can attain Mahaprajnaparamita. Reaching the other shore means you become enlightened and are no longer deluded. You have smashed through ignorance. When ignorance is shattered, the Dharma-body manifests.