Causation people are generally desirous. They cling obstinately t0 lives Of wealth and honor, comfort and pleasure, excitement and self indulgence, ignorant 0f the fact that the desire for these very things is the source Of human suffering. From its beginning, the world has been filled with a succession Of calamities, over and above the unavoidable facts of illness, old age and death. But if one carefully considers all the facts, one must be convinced that at the basis 0f all suffering lies the prin- ciple Of craving desire. Ⅱ avarice can be removed, human suffering will come tO an end. lgnorance is manifested in greed that fills the human mind. lt comes from the fact that people are unaware 0f the true reason for the succession Of things. From ignorance and greed there spring impure desires for things that are, in fact, unobtainable, but for which people restlessly and blindly search. Because Of ignorance and greed, people imagine discriminations 、 Mhere, in reality, there are no discrimina- 84

第 le lheory of Mind-only and the Real State of lhings exists entirely alone; everything is in relation tO every- thing else. Wherever there is light, there is shadow; wherever there is length, there is shortness; wherever there is white, there is black. Just like these, as the self-nature of things can not exist alone, they are called non-substantial. By the same reasoning, Enlightenment can not exist apart fror れ ignorance, nor ignorance apart from Enlightenment. Since things dO not differ in their essen- tial nature, there can be no duality. 5. People habitually think of themselves as being con- nected with birth and death, but in reality there are no such conceptions. When people are able tO realize this truth, they have realized the truth 0f the non-duality 0f birth and death. lt is because people cherish the idea Of an ego-per- sonality that they cling t0 the idea 0f possession; but since there iS no St1Ch thing as an "ego," there can be no such things as possessions. When people are able tO real- ize this truth, they will be able t0 realize the truth of "non-duality' 120

le Way of Practical Attainment Within the forest Of the poisonous Eranda trees only Eranda trees are said tO grow, but not the fragrant Chandana. lt is a miracle if a Chandana tree grows in an Eranda forest. Likewise, it is often a miracle that faith in Buddha grows in the heart of the people. Therefore, the faith to believe ⅲ Buddha is called a "rootless" faith. That is, it has no root by which it can grow in the human mind, but it has a root tO grow in the compassionate mind Of Buddha. 7. Thus faith is 仕 ui 重 11 and sacred. But faith is hard to awaken in an idle mind. ln particular, there are five doubts that lurk in the shadows of the human mind and tend to discourage faith. First, there is doubt in the Buddha's wisdom; second, there is doubt in the Buddha's teaching; third, there is doubt in the person who explains the Buddha's teachings; fourth, there is doubt as tO whether the ways and methods suggested for following the N0ble Path are reliable; and 代 h , there is a person who, because of his arrogant and impatient mind, may doubt the sincerity Of others who understand and follow the Buddha's teach- lngs. 360

Defilements killing, or by other unkind acts, cause others to suffer. Third, there are those who cause other people to suffer along with themselves. Fourth, there are those who do not suffer themselves and save others from suffering. These people of the last category, by following the teach- ings Of Buddha, dO not give way tO greed, anger or f001- ishness, but live peaceful lives of kindness and wisdom without killing or stealing. 2. There are three kinds of people in the world. The first are those who are like letters carved in rock; they easily give way tO anger and retain their angry thoughts for a long time. 羽 ne second are those who are like letters written in sand; they give way to anger also, but their angry thoughts quickly pass away. The third is those who are like letters written in running water; they do not retain their passing thoughts; they let abuse and uncom- fortable gossip pass by unnoticed; their minds are always pure and undisturbed. There are three other kinds of people. 羽 le first are those wh0 are proud, act rashly and are never satisfied; their natures are easy to understand. Then there are those 、 Mh() are courte()US and al 、 act after considera- tion; their natures are hard to understand. Then there are those 、 Mh() have overcome desire completely•, it is impos- sible to understand their natures. Thus people can be classified ⅲ many different 176

第 le Relief Offered by Buddha blossoms as large as chariot wheels Of many and various lights and colors ー blue lights 仕 om blue color, yellow for yellow, red for red, white for white ー whose fragrance fills the air. At different places on the margin of the lake there are pavilions decorated with gold and silver, lapis lazuli and crystal, with marble steps leading down tO the water's edge. At Other places there are parapets and balustrades hanging over the water and enclosed with curtains and networks Of precious gems, and in bet 、 there are groves Of spices trees and flowering shrubs. The ground is shining with beauty and the air is vibrant with celestial harmonies. Six times during the day and night, delicately tinted flower petals fall from the sky and people gather them and carry them ⅲ flower vessels to all the other Buddha-lands and make offerings 0f them to the myriad Buddhas. ln this wondrous Land there are many birds. There 2. are snow-white storks and swans, and gaily colored pea- cocks and tropical birds 0f paradise, and flocks 0f little birds, softly singing. ln the Buddha's Pure Land these sweetly singing birds are voicing Buddha's teachings and pra1Sing HiS virtues. Whoever hears and listens tO the music Of these 220

Defilements Second, there is the lack Of a clear demarcation between the rights Of a father and a son; between an elder brother and a younger; between a husband and a Wife; between a senior relative and a younger; on every occasion each one desires tO be the highest and tO profit off the others. They cheat each other, there is deception and a lack 0f sincerity. Third, there is the lack of a clear demarcation as to the behavior between men and women. Everyone at times has impure and lascivious thoughts and desires that lead them intO questionable acts and Often intO dis- putes, fighting, injustice and wickedness. Fourth, there is the tendency for people to disre- spect the rights Of others, tO exaggerate their own impor- tance at the expense 0f others, t0 set bad examples 0f behavior and, being unjust in their speech, tO deceive, slander and abuse others. Fifth, there is the tendency for people tO neglect their duties toward others. They think t00 much Of their own comfort and their own desires; they forget the favors they have received and cause annoyance to others that Often passes intO great injustice. 3. People should have more sympathy for one another; they should respect one another for their good traits and 192

第 le lheory of Mind-only and the ReaI State of lhings tinually changing and never can come to an end. 、 he human mind, in its never-ending changes, is like the flowing water of river or the burning flame of a candle; like an ape, it is forever jumping about, not ceas- ing for even a n101 蝨 ent. A wise man, seeing and hearing such, should break away 仕 om any attachment tO bOdy or mind, if he is ever t0 attain Enlightenment. 3. There are five things which no one is able to accom- plish in this world: first, to cease growing 01d when he is growing 01d ; second, tO cease being sick; third, to cease dying; fourth, tO deny extinction when there is extinction; fifth, to deny exhaustion. Ordinary people ⅲ the world sooner or later run intO these facts, and most people suffer consequently, but those who have heard the Buddha's teaching do not suf- fer because they understand that these are unavoidable. There are four truths in this world: first, all living beings rise 丘 ()l れ ignorance•, second, all ()bjects 0f desire are impermanent, uncertain and suffering; third, all exist- ing things are also impermanent, uncertain and suffering; fourth, there is nothing that can be called an "ego," and there is no such thing as "mine" ⅲ all the world. 94

Defilements ways, but nevertheless, their natures are hard to under- stand. OnIy Buddha understands them and, by His wis- dom, leads them through varied teachings. III HUMAN LIFE 1. There is an allegory that depicts human life. ()nce there 、 a man ro 、 a boat down a nver. Someone on the shore warned him, "Stop rowing so gaily down the swift current; there are rapids ahead and a dangerous whirlpool, and there are crocodiles and demons lying in wait in rocky caverns. You will perish if you continue. " ln this allegory, "the swift current" is a life of lust; rowing gaily" iS giving rein tO passion; ahead" means the ensuing suffering and pain; "whirlpool" means pleasure, "crocodiles and demons ” refers t() the decay and death that follow a life of lust and indulgence; "Someone on the shore," who calls out, is Buddha. Here is another allegory. A man who has committed a cnme iS running away; S01 れ e guards are following him, so he tries to hide himself by descending into a well by means Of S01 れ e Vines growing down the sides. As he descends he sees vipers at the bottom of the well, so he 178

le Way of Practical Attainment Once there was a man whO got a thorn stuck in his foot. He felt the sharp pain and a thought came to him, that pain was only a reaction Of the mind. From this inci- dent a deeper thought followed that the mind may get out Of hand if one fails tO control it, or it may become pure if one succeeds. From these thoughts, a little later, Enlightenment came tO him. There was another man Wh() was very avaricious. One day he was thinking of his greedy mind when he realized that greedy thoughts were but shavings and kin- dlings that wisdom could burn and consume. That was the beginning Of his Enlightenment. There is an old saying: "Keep your mind level. If the mind is level, the whole world will be level. " Consider these words. Realize that all the distinctions of the world are caused by the discriminating views Of the mind. There is a path to Enlightenment in those very words. lndeed, the ways tO EnIightenment are unlimited. III THE WAY OF FAITH 1. 羽 nose who take refuge ⅲ the Three Treasures, the Buddha, the Dharma and the Samgha, are called the dis- ciples 0f Buddha. 羽 disciples 0f Buddha observe (the 348

Defilements mountain high; if one were tO collect the milk Of mothers which he suckled during his transmigration, it would be deeper than the sea. Although the nature of Buddhahood is possessed by all people, it is buried so deeply in the defilements of worldly passion that it long remains unknown. That is why suffering is SO universal and why there is this end- less recurrence Of miserable lives. HUMAN NATURE 1. Human nature is like a dense thicket that has no entrance and is difficult tO penetrate. ln comparison, the nature Of an animal is much easier to understand. Still, we can in a generalway classify human nature according tO four outstanding differences. First, there are those who, because of wrong teach- lngs, practice austerities and cause themselves to suffer. Second, there are those who, by cruelty, by stealing, by 174