The Window

There were two men, both seriously ill. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end.

They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live, for those one-hour periods, where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band-he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.

~ Anonymous  

Two Kinds of Karmic Retributions

Consciousness is the direct cause of all sufferings. Embedded in the Alaya consciousness are seeds of our residual habits. These seeds are the direct causes of all suffering as well as all happiness. Conception and impulse are “object as condition” and immediate antecedent condition. Feeling is the karmic result. You feel pain or happiness. If you plant good causes, you will enjoy happiness. If you plant bad causes, you will undergo suffering. This law governs the Three Realms. Ordinary people do not know this principle, so the Buddha manifested in this world to tell us the truth of existence.

When we truly understand the truth, we will know what to do and will be able to help ourselves. There are causes and conditions for any being to be born in a certain path. These causes and conditions are called directive karma, or generic retribution. The karmic force controls us; we do not have the control. We are led by the karmic force. We must know this. No other beings have control over us. Karmic force does.

What karmic force brings one to the human path? The Buddha told us that the karmic force from one’s observing the Five Precepts and cultivating the Ten Virtuous Conducts in past lifetimes will lead one to the human path. The karmic force from achieving the Four Immeasurable Minds of loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, and a higher level of the Ten Virtuous Conducts will lead one to the heavenly path. The karmic force from greed will lead one to the path of hungry ghosts. The karmic force from anger will lead one to the path of hells. The karmic force from ignorance will lead one to the path of animals. These are directive karma, which determine the path we are born in.

There are about seven billion people living on the earth. They were born as humans in this lifetime as a result of having observed the Five Precepts and cultivated the Ten Virtuous Conducts in their past lifetimes. But some of these people enjoy wealth and social status while others are poor and of lowly origins, and undergo much suffering. The Buddha said this is because of their particularizing karma, or the specific retribution.

So there are two kinds of karmic retributions: directive karma, which leads us to be born in a certain path, and particularizing karma, which determines what kind of material life and spiritual life we lead. All these depend on our having cultivated good fortune or committed bad deeds in our past lifetimes.

~ Based on Ven. Master Chin Kung's 2003 lecture series on the Amitabha Sutra

Where Does Suffering Come From?

As beings ensnared in the cycle of rebirth, we are all subject to what is called the Eight Sufferings. The first seven—birth, aging, illness, death, separation from loved ones, association with those we dislike, and unfulfilled desires—are suffering as retribution. The last one, the suffering due to the five aggregates, is a general description.

Where does suffering come from? The Buddha said “the suffering due to the five aggregates.” The five aggregates are form, feeling, conception, impulse, and consciousness. Form refers to the physical body. Feeling, conception, impulse, and consciousness refer to the mental activities. All living beings are made up of these five aggregates. In other words, life is the combination of matter and mind. The body is matter and thus is subject to birth, aging, illness, and death. Mentally, we are subject to the experience of unfulfilled desires, separation from loved ones, and association with those we dislike.

~ Based on Ven. Master Chin Kung's 2003 lecture series on the Amitabha Sutra

Don't Worry About Being Taken Advantage Of

 

In the sutras, the Buddha often taught us that the giving of wealth will bring wealth. Where do wealthy people get their money? They practiced the giving of wealth in previous lifetimes. Therefore, in this life, no matter what they do, money keeps coming to them.

One should not be stingy. Do not be afraid of being defrauded. Do not think that there are a lot of bad people in this world, who always try to take advantage of you. If they defraud you, they will have to pay you back in the future.

The law of cause and effect, what we often refer to as karma, spans many lifetimes. When someone takes advantage of you financially, you are leaving the money taken for future lifetimes when it will be paid back. Do not dwell on this matter. Do not hesitate to do good deeds because of these obstacles. Just as we appreciate material things coming to us now, we will likewise appreciate them in the future, whether that future is close or distant.

~ Based on Ven. Master Chin Kung's 2003 lecture series on the Amitabha Sutra

In His Dreams

[D]uring the entire day, the practitioner just recites the Buddha’s name and keeps Buddha Amitabha in mind, in thought after thought, without interruption, holding the name of Amitabha as his very life. Whether walking, standing, sitting or reclining, he always recites Buddha Amitabha’s name. If he should meet with adversity or favorable circumstances and is moved to anger or happiness, he need only concentrate on reciting Buddha Amitabha’s name for the anger and defilement to cease.

Since defilement is the root of Birth and Death, the practitioner should recite the Buddha’s name to rid himself of defilement and avert the suffering of Birth and Death. If one who recites the Buddha’s name rids himself of defilement, he can end the cycle of Birth and Death. If he can overcome defilement during Buddha Recitation, he can overcome it in his dreams. If he can overcome it in his dreams, he can overcome it during illness as well. And if he can overcome defilement when ill, he can overcome it in his final moments. Thus it is very clear that he will be reborn in the Pure Land.

~ Pure Land of the Patriarchs, Excerpts From Master Han-Shan’s Dream Roamings, translated by Master Lok To