Nurture Affinities and Resolve Enmities

The causes of affinity are very complex, so the Buddha grouped them into four categories to facilitate understanding.

The first is to repay kindness, the second is to exact revenge, the third is to collect debts, and the fourth is to repay debts. Any of these four kinds of affinity exist among the members of a family, or else they would not become family. One also has one or more of these four kinds of affinity with those one interacts with during one’s lifetime.

The difference is how strong or weak the affinity is. Those who share a strong affinity become family members. If the affinity is not so strong, they become relatives or friends. If the affinity is weak, they become acquaintances. If the affinity is very weak, they may just pass each other on the street, and nod and smile at each other.

If they have no affinity at all, they would not even nod or smile at each other. One also has an affinity with someone who may glare at one, but this affinity is very weak. One may encounter this person only once in the entire lifetime.

Ancient Chinese often said that if you have an affinity with someone, you will travel thousands of miles to meet each other, but if you have no affinity with that person, you may not look at each other even when you come face to face.

If you have been kind to someone in past lifetimes, in this lifetime, this person would be very kind to you. When you are in trouble, he or she will help you wholeheartedly to repay kindness.

If someone takes a dislike to you and often insults and slanders you, and even harms you, this person is taking revenge on you.

If someone defrauds or robs you of your money or belongings, this person is collecting debts from you.

If someone helps you make money so that you can be well off financially, this person is repaying debts to you.

The examples of causality, of cause and effect relationships in the four basic kinds of affinities are numerous, but we can see the general idea—we need to nurture good relationships and resolve enmities.

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

The Himalayan Parrot

In a thicket at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains there once lived a parrot together with many other animals and birds. One day a fire started in the thicket from the friction of bamboos in a strong wind and the birds and animals were in frightened confusion.

The parrot, feeling compassion for their fright and suffering, and [remembering] the kindness he had received in the bamboo thicket where he could shelter himself, tried to do all he could to save them. He dipped himself in a pond nearby and flew over the fire and shook off the drops of water to extinguish the fire. He repeated this diligently with a heart of compassion [for all the animals in the thicket].

This spirit of compassion and self-sacrifice was noticed by a heavenly god who came down from the sky and said to the parrot: “You have a gallant mind, but what good do you expect to accomplish by a few drops of water against this great fire?”

The parrot answered: “There is nothing that cannot be accomplished by the spirit of compassion and self-sacrifice. I will try over and over again and then over in the next life.” The great god was impressed by the parrot's spirit and they together extinguished the fire.

~ Thus Have I Heard, Translated by the Sutra Translation Committee

Obstructions Everywhere

To achieve in our practice, we need to let go of worldly concerns. Letting go does not mean that we do not care and would not help. We care, extend our help and let go simultaneously. This is wisdom. Those who care but cannot let go are still ruled by emotions.

How do Buddhas and bodhisattvas manage to care, help, and let go? They have true wisdom. They have turned all their emotions into wisdom, which is the ultimate perfect wisdom. They have wondrous and amazing flexibility and skills. Although they help all beings out of great compassion, there is no slightest attachment in their minds. This is the wonderful working of innate virtues.

The Buddha often said that this wisdom was not exclusive to him. It is innate in every being. Why do Buddhas and bodhisattvas appear to have it but we do not? Because they are awakened and we are deluded.

When one is awakened, there is no obstruction between principle and phenomena, and there is no obstacle between individual phenomena.

When one is deluded, there are obstructions everywhere.

Our problem is that we are deluded, and our delusion obscures our true nature. We need to awaken, to end delusion and attain enlightenment.

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

With Ego There is Selfishness

The Buddha was an awakened person who saw the true nature. The Buddha’s viewpoints and behavior flowed from the innate virtues of nature. When we attain Buddhahood, that is, we see our true nature; our viewpoints and behavior will be exactly the same as the Buddha, because Buddhas see the same reality.

Our viewpoints, speech, and behavior all flow from our true nature when we see our true nature. Otherwise, they flow from our afflictions and residual habits.

Our viewpoints, speech, and behavior are still selfish and dictated by our greed, anger, and ignorance. There is no selfishness or greed, anger, and ignorance in Buddhas’ and Dharma-body Mahasattvas’ viewpoints, speech, and behavior. We should ask ourselves if we are still selfish, or if we still have greed, anger, ignorance, and arrogance. If we still like this or dislike that, we still have an ego that likes and dislike.

When we have an ego, then we still have selfishness. Even if there is only a trace of any of those in us, we are not yet awakened. We still have not seen true nature.

One who has seen true nature is completely free of selfishness, greed, anger, ignorance, and arrogance.

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

On Work Ethics

• Do whatever needs to be done, irrespective of whose responsibility it is. As long as you do it willingly, you will earn merits for yourself. Do not criticize others for not doing their jobs. Bad-mouthing will only create negative karma. Remember, you are working for no one else but yourself in order to eradicate your karmic obstructions.

• In addition to perseverance, an attitude of non-attachment is also necessary to do a job well. Non-attachment does not mean indifference or carelessness, but rather you should do your best and not worry about the results. If your mind lingers on the task after it is done, it is a sign of attachment. Such attachment will obscure your wisdom, generate vexation, and even spoil your accomplishment.

• “Don’t think too much” does not mean that you should not use your head and make plans when carrying out a task, but that you should not dwell on it once the job is done.

~ Analects of Master Kuang-ch'in