Earth Store Sutra, Chapter 4: Karmic Retributions of Beings in Jambudvipa with commentary by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua
...Commentary:
“Another time, limitless asamkhyeya eons ago, a Buddha named Pure-Lotus-Eyes Thus Come One appeared in the world. His life span was forty eons. In his Dharma-Image Age, the Dharma Image Age after this Buddha entered nirvana, an Arhat who certified to the fruition and who had accumulated blessings to rescue beings met a woman named Bright Eyes, who offered a meal to him once while he was teaching and transforming beings.
“‘What is your wish? What do you wish in return for your offering to me? What advantages are you hoping for?’ asked the Arhat.
“Bright Eyes replied, ‘On the day of my mother’s death I performed meritorious deeds to rescue her, but I do not know where my mother is now. In which realm did my mother become reborn?’
“Sympathizing with her, the Arhat meditated, entered samadhi to contemplate and saw that Bright Eyes’ mother had fallen into a bad destiny where she was undergoing extreme suffering. The Arhat saw these states and asked, ‘Bright Eyes, what unwholesome karma did your mother create while alive that makes her now have to undergo such terrible suffering in a bad destiny, in the hells?’
“Bright Eyes replied, ‘My mother enjoyed eating fish, turtles, and other sea creatures. She did not eat only fish and turtles, what else did she eat? She especially liked to fry or broil fish and turtle eggs. She ate with an abandoned indulgence. She forgets everything else, including her life, when she has food like this in front of her. Every time she ate those she took thousands of lives. Were we to count the number of lives she took, there would be as many as billions upon billions. Oh, Venerable One, please be compassionate and tell me how she can be saved! Please think of a way to save my mother.’
“The Arhat took pity on Bright Eyes and used his skillful means. He urged Bright Eyes thus, ‘With sincere resolve, be mindful of Pure-Lotus-Eyes Thus Come One and also make carved and painted images of him. When you do so, both the living and the dead will be rewarded. This way you and your mother both acquire benefits. Whether those alive or passed away experiences advantages.’
Sutra:
“Bright Eyes heard that, quickly renounced everything she loved, and swiftly commissioned painted images of the Buddha. Then she made offerings before them. The reverence she felt moved her to tears and she wept in grief as she beheld and bowed to the Buddha. Suddenly near the end of the night, in a dream, she saw that Buddha’s body, dazzling gold in color and as large as Mount Sumeru, emitting great light.
“He said to Bright Eyes, ‘Your mother will be born in your household before long and as soon as that infant can feel hunger and cold, he will speak.’
“Shortly thereafter, a maidservant in the house bore a son who spoke before he was three days old. Lowering his head and weeping, he said to Bright Eyes, ‘The karmic conditions we create during our lives and deaths result in retributions that we ourselves must undergo. I am your mother and have been in darkness for a long time. Since you and I parted, I have repeatedly fallen into the great hells. Upon receiving the power of your blessings, I have been reborn as a servant’s child with a short life span. Thirteen years from now, I will fall into the evil paths again. Do you have some way to free me so that I can avoid them?’
Commentary:
“Bright Eyes heard that Arhat teach her, to pay respects and make offerings to Pure-Lotus-Eyes Thus Come One, so she quickly renounced, exchanged or sold everything she loved the way the Brahman woman sold her house, as mentioned earlier. This woman Bright Eyes sold everything she cherished. The most precious valuables and impossible to give up things were given away or sold. And she swiftly commissioned painted images of the Buddha on paper, silk and other fabric. Then she made offerings of incense, flowers, lamps, candles, and fruits, and different kinds of food, clothing, and bedding before them. The most sincere reverence she felt moved her to tears and she wept in grief as she beheld and bowed to the Buddha. Since she knew that her mother fell into one of the evil realms and is enduring the suffering of that evil realm, she sobbed out of sadness. She took a look at the Buddha image then bowed. Suddenly near the end of the night, in a dream, she saw that Buddha’s body. It felt like a dream, though it was not a dream. Since she was extremely sincere, she experienced a state where response and the Way intertwined-- she saw a Buddha in her room. If the sutra were just to say that she saw a vision, it may seem too strange, so the sutra says that she saw a Buddha in a dream. The Buddha, dazzling gold in color and as large as Mount Sumeru, emitting great light. “He said to Bright Eyes, ‘Your mother will be born in your household before long and as soon as that infant can feel hunger and cold, he will speak. Just you wait.’
“Shortly thereafter, a maidservant in the house bore a son who spoke before he was three days old. Maidservants are usually of a lower class and has to do what their employers order. So soon, their maid gave birth to a son. Usually children start talking at the age of three or four, but this child was not yet three-days-old and can could speak. What did he say? Lowering his head as if bowing to the Buddha image and weeping, he said to Bright Eyes, ‘The karmic conditions we create during our lives and deaths result in retributions that we ourselves must undergo. We must face positive and negative consequences ourselves. I am your mother and have been in darkness devoid of light from the sun, the moon, or the stars for a long time. Since you and I parted, I have repeatedly fallen into the great hells. Upon receiving the power of your blessings, for which I am very grateful, I have been reborn as a servant’s child with a short life span. Although reincarnated as a human being, I am of a lower class. That is not so critical as I will die an early death. Thirteen years from now, I will fall into the evil paths again. Do you have some way to free me so that I can avoid them? Hurry up and think of a way to liberate me from the suffering in the evil realms!’
Sutra:
“When Bright Eyes heard those words, she knew without a doubt that they were her mother’s. Choked with sobs, she said to the servant’s child, ‘Since you were my mother, you should know your own past offenses. What unwholesome karma did you create that made you fall into the Evil Paths?’
“The maidservant’s son answered, ‘I am undergoing retribution for two kinds of karma: killing and slandering. Had I not received the blessings you earned to rescue me from difficulty, I would not yet be released from that karma.’
“Bright Eyes asked, ‘What happens in the hells when beings undergo retribution for their offenses?
’“The maidservant’s son answered, ‘I can’t bear to speak of the ways in which beings suffer for their offenses. Even if I were to live for a hundred thousand years, I would find it hard to talk about.”
“When Bright Eyes heard that, she wept bitterly and spoke into the air, saying, ‘I vow that my mother will be released from the hells forever. At the end of these thirteen years, she will be done with her heavy offenses and will not go back to the Evil Paths. O Buddhas of the Ten Directions, with your compassion and sympathy, please listen to the vast and mighty vow that I am making for the sake of my mother. If my mother never again enters the Three Evil Paths, is never again born into low stations, and will never again be female, then here before the image of Pure-Lotus-Eyes Thus Come One, I vow that from this day on, throughout millions of billions of eons I will respond to all beings who are undergoing suffering for their offenses in the hells or the Three Evil Paths of any world. I vow to rescue them from the bad destinies of the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, and the like. Only after beings with such retributions have all become Buddhas will I myself achieve Proper Enlightenment.’
“After making that vow, she clearly heard Pure-Lotus-Eyes Thus Come One say to her, ‘Bright Eyes, your own great compassion and sympathy will reach your mother through this mighty vow that you are making. My contemplation shows me that after thirteen years your mother will be done with this retribution and will be born as a Brahman with a life span of one hundred years. After that retribution, she will be born in the Land of No Concern with a life span of uncountable eons. Later she will realize the fruition of Buddhahood and save people and gods as numerous as sand grains in the Ganges.’”
Shakyamuni Buddha told Samadhi Self-Mastery King, “The Arhat whose blessings helped Bright Eyes then is now Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva. The mother of Bright Eyes is now Liberation Bodhisattva. Bright Eyes herself is now Earth Store Bodhisattva.
Commentary:
“When Bright Eyes heard those words from her maid’s newborn son, she knew without a doubt that they were her mother’s. She knew without a doubt that the child was formerly her mother. Choked with sobs, she could hardly speak or cry out loud. She cannot seem to laugh or cry even if she wants to. She is all choked up because she is extremely sad. Then she said to the servant’s child, ‘Since you were my mother, you should know your own past offenses. What unwholesome karma did you create that made you fall into the Evil Paths?’
“The maidservant’s son answered, ‘I am undergoing retribution for two kinds of karma: killing and slandering. She killed a lot of fish eggs because she liked boiled or fried fish and turtle eggs. This type of karma from killing is tremendous. She slandered the Triple Jewel and spoke harshly to many beings. Two types of serious offenses led her to face this type of retribution. Had I not received the blessings you earned to rescue me from difficulty, I would not yet be released from that karma. Based on the karma I created, I should not have been released from my suffering yet.’
“Bright Eyes asked, ‘What happens in the hells when beings undergo retribution for their offenses? Can you tell me?
’“The maidservant’s son answered Bright Eyes, ‘I can’t bear and find it impossible to speak of the ways in which beings suffer for their offenses. You see, some people are sitting here listening to the sutras and consider it painful; what do you think they would do were they to fall into the hells? In the face of misery, you say, “I do not want to be there to bear punishment!” That is impossible to escape. Without atoning our offenses, it would be impossible to wish out of suffering in the hells. So while undergoing some pain in the human realm, think, “Oh! This is much better than the misery in the hells; suffering in the hells is much more severe.” If you can think that way, then you will be happy wherever you are; there would be no insufferable places. You will not find pains in the legs painful, for example. You see, in the hells, ghosts stick you with a fork and drop you in a pot of oil. Is that miserable? If you say, “Gee, I cannot stand it, please do not put me in that pot of oil.” They will not listen to you; there is no favor to speak of. Is that miserable? In fact, they fry you over and over again so that you suffer more. Even if I were to live for a hundred thousand years, I would find it hard to talk about or to finish talk about such pain at once.”
“When Bright Eyes heard that, she wept bitterly. See how in the past, Earth Store Bodhisattva could do nothing but cry; others do not even have such capabilities. She sobbed and wailed loudly, ‘Oh, what do I do?’ And spoke into the air. Since there was nothing she could do, she could only speak into the air, saying, ‘I vow that my mother will be released from the hells forever. Fortunately Bright Eyes’ mother had such a filial daughter, without whom the mother could not have come out of the hells so easily because she had taken many lives and yelled at many people. These are the reasons why she suffered in the hells. Fortunately, the mother had this filial daughter who made a vow that her mother may forever be released from the suffering in the hells. At the end of these thirteen years when her life ended, she will be done with her heavy offenses and will not go back to the Evil Paths. O Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the Ten Directions, with your compassion and sympathy, please listen to the vast and mighty vow that I am making for the sake of my mother. Be my witness.
If my mother never again enters the Three Evil Paths of the hell-beings, hungry ghosts, and animals where they experience the pain of knives, blood, and fire. If she is never again born into low stations such as that of a servant’s family, and will never again be female, then here before the image of Pure-Lotus-Eyes Thus Come One, I vow that from this day on, throughout millions of billions of eons I will respond to all beings who are undergoing suffering for their offenses in the hells or the Three Evil Paths (the hells, the realm of hungry ghosts, and the realm of animals) of any world. I vow to rescue them from the bad destinies and the sufferings of the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, and the like. You should know, if Earth Store Bodhisattva had not made such great vows, we would probably be suffering in the hells, in the realm of hungry ghosts, or in the realm of animals too. The reason that we can be humans now all comes from this vow that Earth Store Bodhisattva made infinite eons ago; we are consequently rescued from the hells, from the realm of hungry ghosts, or from the realm of animals. Since we do not have the penetration of past lives or the penetration of the heavenly eye, we do not realize how much benefit and compassion we received from Earth Store Bodhisattva before. None of us knows the benefit and kindness he gave us. If Earth Store Bodhisattva had not made such a great vow a long time ago, we would be in tremendous danger. This is why we must be grateful to Earth Store Bodhisattva and maintain the resolve to repay his kindness. Only after beings with such retributions have all become Buddhas will I myself achieve Proper Enlightenment. I will become a Buddha only once these people become Buddhas,’
“After making that vow, she clearly heard Pure-Lotus-Eyes Thus Come One say to her. . . She did not just hear in a way that was casual, vague, or confusing as if in a dream. She clearly heard Pure-Lotus-Eyes Thus Come One tell Bright Eyes, ‘Bright Eyes, your own great compassion and sympathy for making this kind of vow delights me.’ She praises Bright Eyes, ‘You are able to make a vow that will reach your mother through this mighty vow that you are making. Who taught you? Who told you? So that you can make this great filial vow for your mother! I have never heard any being who can make such a great vow at saving all beings in order to rescue her mother. This is truly rare! This is the best. You are the finest girl. My contemplation using my Buddha Eye shows me that after thirteen years your mother will be done with this retribution and will be born as a Brahman. Since you made such a huge vow, your mother in her next life will become a Brahman woman after thirteen years of this life. The Brahmans are the pure clan of generations of individuals who cultivate purity. With a life span of one hundred years as a Brahman, she will be different then. After that retribution, she will be born in the Land of No Concern, the Land of Ultimate Bliss, with a life span of uncountable eons. Later she will realize the fruition of Buddhahood and save people and gods as numerous as sand grains in the Ganges.’”
Shakyamuni Buddha told Samadhi Self-Mastery King, “The Arhat whose blessings helped Bright Eyes then to see where her mother fell is now Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva. He was an arhat at the time Pure-Lotus-Eyes was a Thus Come One and now he is Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva. Do you know who Bright Eyes’ mother is? The mother of Bright Eyes is now Liberation Bodhisattva. Bright Eyes herself is now Earth Store Bodhisattva.