Natural

by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua

Everyone has an atom bomb (afflictions) waiting for the right opportunity to explode. The power of afflictions is greater than atom bombs. See, everyone around the world has a huge temper. No matter which person in which country, if he has no cultivation, he thinks pretty much like an asura. They are combat experts who think all day long about how to win their battle. For this reason, violence permeates the three thousand great thousand worlds. Violence (a toxin) is in the air, causing people to develop strange terminal diseases.

Too much killing results in natural and manmade disasters. Perhaps it is earthquakes, tsunamis, extreme cold or heat, or even inclement weather. Often this results in a country that is not prosperous and people that are not at peace. Furthermore, people who are blind, deaf, or mute are the way they are because they killed too much in their past lives. After death they fell into the hells to suffer, then they turn into hungry ghosts, animals, and humans. Although they are humans in this lifetime, they face the consequence of being disabled.

People who do not have all of their six senses have no opportunity to see the Buddhas, hear the Dharma, or meet a Sanghan. Their karma prevents them from having affinities with the Triple Jewel. They go round and round in the six paths but cannot find the way out.

People who do good will be reborn in the three wholesome destinies (the realms of gods, humans and asuras). Those who have committed offenses will be reborn in the three evil destinies (the realms of hells beings, hungry ghosts, and animals). As the ancients say, "Leaving the tummy of horse, we enter a donkey's womb. How many times have we gone before King Yama. As soon as we go before Lord Shakra's palace, we return once again to King Yama's pot." People are not necessarily people in every life. Sometimes they are horses and sometimes they are donkeys. They are often guests at King Yama's palace, who knows how many times they have paced about there. Just when they go by Lord Shakra's (Jade Emperor) jeweled palace in the sky (because they were born in the heavens), they run into King Yama's pot soon enough, being fried into charcoal there.

No one can guarantee that one will develop merit and virtue and do good deeds in every life. Sometimes one is confused and cannot tell right from wrong, hence is turned by and follows the states. They commit crimes and create offenses, violating the five precepts of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and taking intoxicants.

People who do not violate the five precepts but cultivate the ten good deeds will become reborn in the heavens and enjoy celestial blessings and happiness. The worst blessings in the heavens still supersede the best blessings in the human realm by several hundred times. This is why people who are in the heavens do not want to return to the human realm. By the time they enjoy their heavenly blessings and enter the human realm, they are still people of great wealth and status. They are definitely not average people.