Why Would I Want Non-existence?

Question: Of late, one aspect of Buddhist teaching has been troubling me. The Western idea of soul (mind) as viable individual substance and identity is not present in Buddhism. Therefore, an individual is not an enduring personality or substance. Rebirth does not signify the continuation of a personality, significant and whole in itself. Rather, it is the procession of karmic accretions, linked together and occurring so fast, as to appear as a personality or substance. This phenomenon of personality and substance is rather like the pages in a child's flip-it picture book. Flipped through at high speed, the single pages coalesce into a living, moving, coherent narrative. It's the same way with the links of dependent arising. Thinking about myself, or lack thereof, this way has got me down a bit. Such a perspective robs life of value.

Is there a remedy for this nihilistic viewpoint?

Have I misunderstood a central tenet of Buddhist philosophy? If assiduous practice will eventually culminate in a condition of non-sentient, non-conscious, non-existence, I may not have the courage to continue. Please help me to understand and cope with this dilemma.

Response: It's not that there is no existence, but rather an existence far beyond what we can imagine. It is a state of not wishing for anything; it is pure joy and profound understanding.

We often hear how Buddhas will wait for as long as it takes for us to learn from them and awaken. If Buddhas were in a state of non-existence, what would be left to wait to teach us?

When Shakyamuni Buddha was in our world 3000 years ago, many Buddhas and bodhisattvas came to help him. It is said they took different parts, like actors in a play. If the Buddhas did not exist, how could they have come to help Shakyamuni?

We know from the sutras that Amitabha Buddha is teaching right now in the Western Pure Land. How could this be so if Buddhas no longer existed?

How could Buddhas fulfill their vow of "Sentient beings are innumerable, I vow to help them all" if as soon as they themselves became a Buddha, they were gone? 

Keep reading the excerpts from Venerable Master Chin Kung's talk on the Infinite Life Sutra that are being posted here. Not just once. Keep reading them over and over. What is troubling you will be gradually resolved.

What are the Karmic Consequences of a Person Who is Dirty and Untidy?

Question: What are the karmic consequences of a person who is dirty and untidy? 

The 10 meritorious actions do not cover this, so does it mean it is alright to be dirty and untidy? 

I am particular about being clean and tidy and because of this, I have offended / irritated many people. I realise that this may be considered an attachment which I need to discard. Is this correct? How do I handle people who dirty my house and make it untidy? 

I am puzzled - if I try cultivating the 10 good deeds but cannot tolerate someone who is dirty, does it mean my karmic effect will be worse than this person who is dirty and annoys me? It seems to me to be so because I am "angry" which is unwholesome, right? But, does this person who is dirty 'get away with it'? 

Response: While the Ten Virtuous Karmas do not refer specifically to being dirty and untidy, cleanliness and neatness are implied in both the first karma of not killing and the last of no ignorance. 

The underlying meaning of "do not kill" is that we should respect and have compassion for all beings. "All beings" includes everything: the environment, plants, minerals, and natural phenomena, which are formed when many conditions meet. Keeping our things and homes clean and tidy is how we show respect to inanimate objects. This respect for inanimate "beings" helps us to be more respectful to animals and humans.  

The underlying meaning of the tenth karma "no ignorance" is that we should discipline ourselves and calm our minds so we can act from wisdom. Disciplining ourselves means we not only try to adhere to the Ten Virtuous Karmas literally, but that we try to understand their more profound meanings and strive to follow these. Wisdom gives us the ability to know how to skillfully help others become better people. 

Regarding being "attached" to cleanliness. I can aspire to keeping my home clean without being attached to doing so. With attachments, I am clinging to people, ideas, possessions, etc. But in being clean and tidy, I am aspiring to practice respect and humility. Attachments hold us back from awakening; aspirations advance us on the path. Through my own cleaning and tidying, I am calming my mind. By fussing at others for not being tidy, I am disturbing my calm mind and become angry, thus breaking the ninth Virtuous Karma.  

By fussing at others for doing something wrong, I am approaching correcting bad habits incorrectly. We are supposed to correct our own faults, not the faults of others. Actually, we're not even supposed to bear in mind the faults of others.   

As for the karmic effects in this situation, if you are trying to cultivate the Ten Virtuous Karmas and becoming angry, then you are going against that ninth karma of "no anger."  

Finally, there is no "getting away" with something. The consequences of our thoughts, words, and actions will catch up with us. We just don't know when. 

I do not have the ability to know what the karmic cause and effect of various actions is, but the answer to your first question, “What are the karmic consequences of a person who is dirty and untidy?” may well be that others will make what is yours dirty and untidy. 

Realizing that what is happening is the result of our own past karma can help us be more accepting and understanding of the situations we find ourselves in.

Thanks for the great question! 

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Twenty-six

[Those Bodhisattvas] have a mind of great compassion and of bringing benefits to all beings. They discard all attachments and accomplish infinite merits and virtues.

“Great” refers to a pure and impartial mind—such a mind is free of discrimination and attachment. Great compassion is compassion from a pure mind and an impartial mind.

This excerpt tells us that the bodhisattvas of the Western Pure Land have the ability to travel to all the Buddha Lands and to any place in the entire Dharma Realm. The sutras teach that the past has no beginning and the future has no end. From this, we know that space (in Buddhism it is called Dharma Realm) is immensely vast. This is the area the bodhisattvas cover in their travels—the vastness of the Dharma Realm. If they have an affinity with a place, they will manifest themselves there to benefit the beings.

The conditions are mature for some beings but are not for others. If a being does not have the conditions, one should help the being develop the conditions. If the conditions of a being are not yet mature, one should help them mature. If the conditions of a being have matured, one should guide that being to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

The standard for mature conditions in the Pure Land school is different from those in other schools. In other schools, a practitioner needs to completely eradicate all afflictions and attain great awakening. In the Pure Land school, a practitioner needs to have true belief, be willing to make the vow, and sincerely chant the Buddha-name. Such a practitioner is a being whose conditions have matured. This cultivation is easier than in other schools.

Throughout the boundless worlds in the ten directions, the bodhisattvas of the Land of Ultimate Bliss (1) seek the Buddha-dharma and (2) help all beings. When they seek the Buddha-dharma, they are not attached to the act of seeking. When they help beings, they are not attached to the act of helping. They discard all attachments and teach all beings. This way, they are able to attain infinite merits and virtues.

In “merits and virtues,” “merits” refers to effort, and “virtues” refers to result. “Merits” is the cause; “virtues” is the result. How does one cultivate merits? The Buddha taught us these three principles—which are the Three Learnings to preserve [our merits and virtues]: precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom.

One practices according to the precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom. For example, if one observes the precepts and attains meditative concentration, precept observation is “merits” [effort], and meditative concentration is “virtues” [result]. If one cultivates meditative concentration and attains awakening, the cultivation of meditative concentration is “merits,” and awakening is “virtues.”

If one observes the precepts but does not have meditative concentration, then this is not considered as “merits and virtues.” There is “merits” [effort] but no “virtues” [result]. Here, precept observation will turn into good fortune—one will have good fortune in the human or heavenly path in the next lifetime.

If one cultivates meditative concentration but does not attain awakening, one will have the karmic result of being reborn in the heavens, in the Form Realm or the Formless Realm—one will not transcend the Three Realms. This good fortune [of being reborn into the heavens] is minuscule. If one attains enlightenment and uncovers one’s true nature, one will transcend the Three Realms.

“Infinite merits and virtues” signifies the attainment of Buddhahood. Only when one is a Buddha will one be replete with “infinite merits and virtues.” This is our ultimate goal in learning Buddhism.

How do we accomplish infinite merits and virtues? By discarding all attachments. From this we can see that the reason why we cannot succeed in our practice is due to our not being able to let go of our attachments. Therefore, we should not be attached to either worldly phenomena or supramundane teachings. If we can discard all wandering thoughts and attachments, we will attain infinite merits and virtues.

If there is even one thing that we cannot discard or let go of, we will not have any achievement. But to let go is truly hard. Because of this, infinite great compassion arose in Amitabha Buddha, and he established a special cultivation place in the Dharma Realm for learning and practice—for beings like us who cannot let go to also have achievement. This is inconceivable!

With the cultivation places of all the other Buddhas in the ten directions, one must let go of both worldly phenomena and supramundane teachings before one can be reborn there. But, only in the land of Amitabha Buddha, [while letting go is ideal,] not letting go is also alright. This way, everyone will be truly helped and awakened.

When we get to the Western Pure Land, Amitabha Buddha and the beings of superior goodness (in other words, the great bodhisattvas) will help us discard all our attachments so that we can attain supreme enlightenment.

~ Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra by Venerable Master Chin Kung  

Buddha-name Chanting Practitioners Should Dedicate Merits From Chanting to the Pure Land

…(Buddha-name chanting practitioners) must dedicate all merits accrued from reciting sutras and mantras, from prostrating to Buddhas, from repenting one’s karmas, and from charitable actions such as rescuing victims and refugees in disasters and helping the poor to the Pure Land. One should not cultivate for the good fortune for one’s next life as a heavenly or human being.

If one has such a mind for the good fortune of one’s next life, one will not be reborn in the Pure Land. If one has not broken out of cyclic death and rebirth, the better one’s good fortune, the worse the karmas one will commit. It will be inevitable that one will fall into the three evil paths—hungry ghost, animals, and hell—in one’s very next life. After that, it will be even more difficult for one to recover the life form of a human being and have the affinities to receive and believe in the Pure Land teaching to end the cycle of death and rebirth.

The Buddha taught us to make the vow to be reborn in the Pure Land; it is for our present life. If one cultivates for the good fortune of the next life, one is violating the Buddha’s teaching. This is just like trading a priceless jewel for a piece of candy: what a waste! A foolish Buddha-name chanting practitioner who does not make the vow to be reborn in the Pure Land, but rather cultivates for the good fortune of the next life instead, is no different from this example.

~ Great Master Yinguang

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Twenty-five

They travel to all the Buddha Lands. There is none that they like or dislike; and there is no thought of wanting or of not wanting. Neither do they have thoughts of “others” or of “I,” nor thoughts of dissatisfaction and enmity.

The bodhisattvas of the Western Pure Land go often to the Buddha Lands in the ten directions to teach and help all beings. Some Buddha Lands are magnificently adorned with seven jewels, but others are very polluted or unpleasant. When there is affinity, the bodhisattvas will go there, whether a situation is favourable or not. Moreover, they do not like or dislike any situation. In other words, they travel around all the Buddha Lands without feeling attachment or aversion. They do not give rise to any thought, discrimination, or attachment.

When we go abroad to visit other countries, if we feel like or dislike, then our minds are polluted. We should cultivate meditative concentration and wisdom during the trips. When we see and understand everything clearly, we have wisdom. When we do not have any like or dislike, we have meditative concentration. Therefore, when we visit other countries we should simultaneously cultivate meditative concentration and wisdom.

Furthermore, in daily life when we interact with people and engage in tasks, we should also cultivate meditative concentration and wisdom. For example, if someone tries to anger us and we are able to not give rise to any thought, we are cultivating One Mind Undisturbed. The person who tries to anger us is a good teacher for us. Without him or her, how can we achieve the paramita of patience?

These situations—someone says charming words to us but we do not attach to the words, or someone tries to stir up trouble but we feel no anger—help us to cultivate and attain meditative concentration and wisdom.

One Mind Undisturbed and the Buddha-name Chanting Samadhi taught in Pure Land Buddhism are both attained in this way. If one’s mind is perturbed by others gossiping or starting rumors about us, one should immediately feel remorse: “I am wrong again. I am affected by the external environment again.”

Daily, in every thought, stay awakened and do not be deluded when interacting with others and engaging in tasks. Any situation at any time is a good teacher for us.

“And there is no thought of wanting or of not wanting.” It is erroneous to wish for something. When one wishes for something, suffering follows. When one gains something, something will be lost. Both are painful.

It is also erroneous to [have thoughts of] not wishing for something, because one would reject all opportunities. [Thoughts of] wishing for something is seeking affinities. [Thoughts of] not wishing for something is also seeking affinities. Therefore, bodhisattvas practice the Middle Way: when they teach beings, they are according with conditions, not seeking affinities.

“Neither do they have thoughts of ‘others’ or of ‘I,’ nor thoughts of dissatisfaction and enmity.” The thoughts of “others” and “I” are in the four marks taught in the Diamond Sutra: the Mark of Self, the Mark of Others, the Mark of Being, and the Mark of Life Span. “Dissatisfaction and enmity” means that one bears resentment and hatred when others go against one’s wish, and one forms attachment when they go along with one’s wish.

Therefore, we should be impartial to all people in any situation, whether they are good or bad. An impartial mind will lead to a pure mind. Attachment as well as dissatisfaction and enmity are wandering thoughts. When one is free of all wandering thoughts, all discriminations, and all attachments, one will attain a pure and impartial mind. When the mind is pure and impartial, one will definitely be awakened, not deluded. One will then realize the goal of “purity, impartiality, and enlightenment.”

~ Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra by Venerable Master Chin Kung