南无本师释迦牟尼佛（三称） Namo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha !(three times)
南无大愿地藏王菩萨（三称） Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva! (three times)
Chapter 4: Contemplating the Karmic Conditions of Beings (阎浮众生业感品), English sound recording with captions, Bilingual Chinese-English version recording with opening and dedications. online Chinese Earth Store Sutra text; English Earth Store Sutra text; A commentary by Master Hsuan Hua at City of Ten Thousand Buddhas;
In this chapter, Buddha demonstrated by the example of Earth Store Bodhisattva the importance of making vows when we practice Bodhicitta and dedicating merits to all sentient beings. Throughout many long kalpas past, [Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva] has made as many vows as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River to guide living beings far and wide [to the other shore]. But then why the hell has not been emptied yet? Buddha explained, “All beings who have not yet attained liberation are without fixity in their nature and consciousness: Through evil habits they form [unwholesome] karma, and through good habits they form [wholesome] results. Depending on situations, they give rise to good and evil doings. Revolving wheel-like through the five realms of existence with never a momentary rest, they pass through kalpas as numerous as dust particles, confused, deluded, hindered, and [afflicted] with difficulties. They are like a fish that swims in nets while following a long flowing current; now and then it would get free temporarily, only to be caught in the nets again. ”
Buddha stressed again and again that “Earth Store Bodhisattva has such inconceivably great awesome spiritual power that he uses expansively for the benefit of beings. All of you Bodhisattvas should remember this sutra, and proclaim and spread it far and wide.” Because Buddha foresaw in latter Day of the Dharma, “Men and women in the future may fail to do good deeds and only do evil; may not believe in cause and effect; may indulge in sexual misconduct and false speech; may use divisive and harsh speech; and may slander the Great Vehicle. Beings with karma like that should certainly fall into bad destinies.” There are Three Ages of the Dharma (The Three Ages of Buddhism, 三时; ) are three divisions of time following Buddha’s passing, we are now in the early stage of the Degenerate Age of Dharma.
- Former Day of the Dharma — also known as the “Age of the Right Dharma” (正法), the first 500 years during which the Buddha’s disciples are able to uphold the Buddha’s teachings;
- Middle Day of the Dharma — also known as the “Age of Semblance Dharma” ( 像法), the second 500 years which only resembles the right Dharma;
- Latter Day of the Dharma — also known as “the Degenerate Age of Dharma” (末法), which is to last for 10,000 years during which the Dharma declines.
Buddhism is a non theistic belief in causes and conditions(因缘论的无神论). There is no creator god nor an ultimate ruler of the universe. Karmic law is the fundamental core teaching of all schools of Buddhism. Within the Sutra, Earth Store Bodhisattva manifested a a filial daughter twice, once as a Brahman girl in chapter one, and again as a girl name Bright Eyes in this chapter. in both cases, for the sake of saving her mother from the suffering within the hells, she vowed to save all evil sentient beings from suffering within the hells. Both cases also illustrate the importance of Right Livelihood of the Eightfold Path, the 12 links of dependent arising, and the three lives of retribution cycle keep us in the endless Dukka of the six realm samsara. (欲问前世因，今生受者是，欲知来世界，今生作者是。) As we read from Chapter one, celestial gods, ghosts Kings, Asuras, humans are all reincarnated into different forms based on our retribution of the past. What we sow is what we get. The law of cause and effect underlies the workings of all phenomena. Master Yin Guang used to say, “信因果者,其心常畏,畏则不敢作恶; 不信因果者,其心常肆,肆则无所忌惮; 正所谓菩萨怕因,众生畏果, 正是如此.” Such is the say, “Bodhisattvas deeply understand karma law, so are very careful with their precepts to avoid negative causes as they know the consequence of violation. Sentient beings have not consciousness, only feel sorry until the karma seed ripen.
In this online course, Master Sheng Yen explained how collective karma are formed. Even though we are all individuals, the karma, or conduct, we create are not dissimilar due to the restrictions of our environment. Environmental influences include social trends, habits, and customs, as well as human feelings. People living in the same environment may feel different from one another, but if we look from a general direction, or look macroscopically, the karma all humans create is similar, it is all alike. The reason we human beings or all sentient beings are living in this environment is due to the common karma created in our past lives.
The law of Karma is a law of nature. Bright Eye’s mother was exceptionally fortunate to have an exceptional capable daughter who made exceptional vow and successfully performed immeasurable amount of merits through eons of time to rescue sentient beings far and wide to cross over. For us the mortals, it would be WRONG to expect good outcome even for bad karma performed. It is illusional to think some invisible power will somehow favor us, even though we do nothing to change our own behavior and our actions. Here is a story of Gautam Buddha teaches law of karma to a man who wants to perform after life rituals for his father. Our fate is not arbitrary, neither is it imposed by supernatural force. We create our destiny. However karma much complex than simply immediately manifestation of cause and effect. This program explained in more detail why sometimes we see bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. Karma is not only important teaching of Buddhism, it is also deeply ingrained in Hinduism: Law of Cause and Effect | Explained | Hinduism
Earth Store Bodhisattva is an exceptional protector and guide. His teachings are not the kind that one size fits all. He coaches sentient beings according to their specific situation, he is such an excellent advisor that he earned himself another name “Excellent Consoler”. And this is his advises.
To killers, Earth Store Bodhisattva says that short life spans will be the retribution. To robbers, he says that poverty and acute suffering will be the retribution. To those who indulge in improper sex, he says that rebirth as pigeons or as mandarin drakes or ducks will be the retribution. To those who use harsh speech, he says that quarrelling families will be the retribution.
To those who slander, he says that being tongueless and having cankerous mouths will be the retribution. To the hateful, he says that being ugly and crippled will be the retribution. To the stingy, he says that not getting what they seek will be the retribution. To gluttons, he says that hunger, thirst and sicknesses of the throat will be the retribution. To hunters, he says that a frightening insanity that destroys one’s life will be the retribution. “To those who oppose their parents, he says that being killed in natural disasters will be the retribution. To arsonists who burn mountains and forests, he says that trying to take their own lives in the confusion of insanity will be the retribution.
To cruel parents or step-parents, he says that being flogged in future lives will be the retribution. To those who net and trap young animals, he says that being separated from one’s own children will be the retribution. To those who slander the Triple Jewel, he says that being blind, deaf, or mute will be the retribution. To those who slight the Dharma and regard the teachings with arrogance, he says that remaining in the bad paths forever will be the retribution.
To those who destroy or misuse possessions of the Eternally Dwelling, he says that revolving in the hells for hundreds of millions of eons will be the retribution. To those who defile the pure conduct of others and bear false witness against members of the Sangha, he says that remaining in the animal realm forever will be the retribution. To those who scald, burn, behead, maim, or otherwise harm beings, he says that undergoing the very same suffering will be the retribution.
To be continued ….
Dedicate Merits:
May the precious bodhicitta That has not yet arisen, arise and grow, And may that which has already arisen not diminish, But increase more and more. 回向偈： 愿以此功德，庄严佛净土。 上报四重恩，下济三涂苦。 若有见闻者，悉发菩提心。 尽此一报身，同生极乐国。