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The infinite universe, consisting of worlds upon worlds ad infinitum. The time during which the evolution of a physical universe took place is too long to be reckoned by any ordinary calendar and cannot be conceived even by a billion genius minds. It was formed, continued stability, it will be gradually destroyed, and will disappear. After this, the process of cosmic activity begins again in a cyclic evolution. All life is one. All creation is an organic whole. No being is independent of this whole. Earth's life system is just one out of uncountable worlds with life. Everywhere there, just like on planet Earth, you will find sentient beings and not sentient beings. Humans and animals are sentient beings. Plants are not sentient beings. Although plants do not suffer, they are of great importance to all beings because they make the base of the entire food chain. Destroying the plant environment is killing the whole life system.
Eternity has no end, therefore no beginning; consequently eternity is a circle. Science has found that nothing can disappear without a trace. Nature does not know extinction. All it knows is transformation. Unless sentient beings gain enlightenment, they are reborn. The continual round of birth, old age, illness, suffering, death and rebirth is called samsara. The flies
in the privy are suffering exceedingly, from the point of view of dogs
and sheep, but the flies do not recognize this as suffering, and think
of it as happiness. Our world "Endurance" is painful. Who can count its sufferings? But worldy people think suffering is happiness and willingly dwell in it. Many lose their place. They emerge from a stinking bag of skin, to constantly nurture their disease of ignorance until it becomes a fetid poison. Suddenly the vital energy in their hearts dissipates and they die. They return into cold ashes and are buried underground. They flow on in the five planes of existence without a moment's rest. For a hundred eons, through a thousand births, they endure bitter pain. Zen master Chung-feng Note: In Buddhism, the body is often referred to as a "stinking bag of skin", with nine orifices from which ooze out all manner of foul-smelling fluids. This image is meant to break the attachement to the body, the main affliction of sentient beings.
The acts of this life are the destiny of the next. Most people have both good and bad karma because they have performed both good and bad deeds in the past. So most people's lives are a mixture of misery and happiness. We are reborn into bodies in the six realms of samsara based on our karma. It is called the desire realm because we are continually tempted by desire. The realms are: • The god realm in which gods have great pride • The asura realm in which the jealous gods try to maintain what they have • The human realm which is the best realm because one has the possibility of achieving enlightenment • The animal realm characterized by stupidity • The hungry ghost realm characterized by great craving • The hell realm characterized by aggression
Gods are not immortal, but they have extremely long life spans. Being born as human is ultimately superior to being born into a Heaven as a God, because only humans possess all of the conditions necessary to enter Nirvana and achieve Buddhahood. All beings in the god realm are invisible to humans. Six heavely realms: Here the Devas dwell. Devas are celestial beings who are often regarded as gods in religions other than Buddhism. Many devas have godlike powers and reign over celestial kingdoms, and most devas live in delightful happiness and splendor. They have lifetimes that are unimaginably long by human standards, but their lives eventually do come to an end because devas are not yet free from the cycle of birth and death.
Asuras are demigods, or semi-blessed beings, who are powerful but are also fierce and quarrelsome. Asuras are not immortal, but they have extremely long life spans. Asuras are invisible to humans and keep records of their doings. If a person cultivates good karma, but constantly harbors the attitude of competitiveness and anger and arrogance, he falls into the realm of the asuras. Note: paths of hells, hungry ghosts, animality. These evil paths can be taken as states of mind. For example, if someone has a vicious thought of maiming or killing another, he is effectively reborn, for that moment, in the hells.
It
is hard to obtain a human body. The
reason is your karma. The
Five Precepts Many animals are former human beings. Therefore, the consuming of animals is killing and eating our own departed relatives, parents, friends etc.
We are born and reborn countless number of times, and it is possible that each being has been our parent at one time or another. Therefore, it is likely that all beings in this universe have familial connections. Master Chu-hung said, "Just look around at how many people die in this city in a day and a night. Those among them who credit themselves with cultivating Buddhist practice accomplish nothing more than to avoid losing their human bodies in the next rebirth."
Hungry ghosts are spirits, or demons, who are always hungry because they have pinpoint mouths and ravenous appetites. If someone creates the karma of selfish carving, feeding oneself by deceiving the group, he falls into the hungry ghost realm.
Evil acts that cause the fall into one of the hell realms: • Breaking the law, killing, stealing, fighting, deceiving • Being selfish, greedy, reckless • Using harsh and abusive words, telling lies, engaging in idle talk • Neglecting social duties • Wasting money on wanton pleasures The suffering of transmigration through dark and dismal realms is comparable to the severest and most painful punishment ever enforced by law. Thus, through the natural working of karma, they undergo immeasurable suffering in the three evil realms.In successive transmigrations they are reborn into different forms; their life-spans are sometimes long and sometimes short. Their transient selves, vital energy and consciousness transmigrate through the natural working of karma. Although each individual is reborn alone, those bound by common karma come to be born together and take revenge upon each other. So this condition persists endlessly and, until the effect of their evil karma is exhausted, there is no possibility of avoiding their enemies. There are innumerable sufferings through which evildoers must pass, life after life, for many hundred million years, with no end in sight. It is indeed difficult for them to attain release. The pain they must undergo is indescribable. The afflictions are such that they are comparable to a huge fire burning people alive.
When their karmic retributions end, they are able to escape, but are reborn into a lower class; in extreme poverty, with barely enough clothes to cover their bodies, scarcely enough food to sustain their lifes, with hunger and cold always tormenting them, and with almost no human contact. Being foolish, base and inferior, they barely maintain the appearance of human beings. |
The
dogs and sheep out in the open are suffering exceedingly, from the point
of view of human beings, but the dogs and sheep do not recognize this
as suffering, and think of it as happiness.
