An Overview of the Buddhadharma By Living Buddha
Sheng-yen Lu UNDERSTANDING SUFFERING AND RENUNCIATION After entrance one, of course, has to understand the meaning behind the Buddhist doctrines of the “Ten Dharma Realms,” or the ten states of existence which include the “Four Holy Realms” and “Six Ordinary Realms.” One must recognize the inherent sufferings found in the six ordinary realms of existence: devas, human beings, asuras, hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals. When one understands these realms and becomes aware of the fundamental nature of “Impermanence,” there will arise in one a desire to seek renunciation. At the realization of the inherent emptiness of all phenomena and that nothing exists independently, one becomes an Arhat. [audience applause] The sufferings inherent in the six realms are, in fact, very clearly manifested to us. Take a look at the hospitals. Although huge hospitals have been built with charity in mind, if I were to name them, I would have named them differently. For example, Taipei General Hospital or Tzu Chi Charity Hospital would be a subsidiary of the Hell Realm of Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. [audience laughter] In my view, hospitals are realms of Hell. In your eyes, hospitals are hospitals, staffed with many white-cloaked angels [audience laughter] who are in fact bad demons and yakshas, with knives and implements in hand, to cut and fix people up! Indeed, inside the hospitals are the hells of brain opening, kidney transplant, liver dissection, and eye gouging. Truthfully, I have visited the Realm of Hell. There I saw a student of mine whose two legs had been pierced through by a nail. I had not heard from this student for a long time. We looked into each other’s eyes and he started crying. I asked him, “How come you are here? Could it be that you have died?” [audience laughter] I asked him, “Are you dead?” I was not speaking Indonesian although in Indonesian, the morning greeting of “se la ma ba gee” sounds almost the same as “are you dead” in Mandarin. [audience laughter] While shaking his head, the student sighed and said, “I am in Hell.” When I came back to this world, I made an investigation. It turned out that this student had actually been admitted to the hospital during that time. His legs, for some unknown reason, had suddenly developed atrophy and severe cramps. He could not move his legs, as if they were pinned down by a nail. In the Realm of Hell, I had indeed, seen his two legs nailed together. He was already experiencing punishment in Hell although he was still alive. Are hospitals then not part of the Realm of Hell? |
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