Why wholesome deeds matter in samsara | Most Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero — Transcript

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1. 0:43When we are born in the human world and we reach an age of understanding,
2. 0:51don't we all have a desire to prosper?
3. 0:59Usually what's the desire of a person living in a house made of clay?
4. 1:06To build a house from bricks.
5. 1:11What's the desire of a person having a cemented house?
6. 1:16To lay some tiles.
7. 1:18What's the desire of a person who has a standard bathroom?
8. 1:22To fix some good bathroom fittings.
9. 1:28What's the desire of a person riding a motorcycle?
10. 1:32To buy a better vehicle than that.
11. 1:35If the road is paved with clay, what's the desire of those who live on either side of that road?
12. 1:43To carpet the road.
13. 1:46What's the desire if the village does not have electricity?
14. 1:51Let's say all the houses are built well with ceilings.
15. 1:59They're tiled.
16. 2:01They have vehicles. The road is good too.
17. 2:04They have electricity too. So, how do we describe that area? We consider it to be developed. People like to advance in life.
18. 2:16But that desire would be right if they aspire to go to a good place after death.
19. 2:27Because the person who likes to advance in life when alive - if that person does not have such a desire after death -
20. 2:39"After I die, if I advance more than this, it would be great. If I could live a more wholesome existence than this after death, it would be great."
21. 2:52"It would be great if I could have more comforts than this."
22. 2:58If such a thought arises, what would that person receive from such a thought?
23. 3:06That is, let's say the house is built using cement. Then that mother thinks it would be better if the house is tiled.
24. 3:17It's good if a boundary wall is built.
25. 3:21It would be better if the house can be made larger.
26. 3:26Maybe because of that she leaves her children and husband behind and goes abroad.
27. 3:38She suffers immensely thereafter.
28. 3:40Doing so, she earns some money with great difficulty and sends it back home.
29. 3:47So the husband will not waste that money. He will tile the house with that money, will make the house bigger and will educate the children. If that happens by the time the mother returns,
30. 4:04would that mother be ecstatic or not?
31. 4:08That mother would be elated thinking "My attempt was a huge success!"
32. 4:16But by the time she returns, if the situation is the same and more debt has been taken on,
33. 4:24if her husband does not love her as before,
34. 4:31and her children have gone astray, that mother would behave like a mad woman once she returns, right?
35. 4:41"I went abroad, worked tirelessly, labored so much and returned. Is this the gift I got in return?"
36. 4:52Would she not think like that?
37. 5:00She would think like that.
38. 5:03So we don't know what happens to a person after death.
39. 5:11But there are some good factors regarding this. I hope to discuss some of those factors today.
40. 5:21Let's say we do something? Who takes with them what they do?
41. 5:33We ourselves take them and go.
42. 5:37But you do not know where you are taking those and going.
43. 5:45You do not know where you are taking the results of your actions and going.
44. 5:51There's a story that details this well. All these are things we have received from the Supreme Buddha's Dhamma.
45. 5:59We discussed the Supreme Buddha's Knowledge of Ten Things previously.
46. 6:06This time we are talking about how you take with you what you do.
47. 6:16We should deeply etch into our minds the understanding that we carry the consequences of our actions with us.
48. 6:27That's not something to be taken lightly.
49. 6:31If we deeply root this understanding in our minds, we can gradually develop wholesome habits.
50. 6:43In Vaishali, there was a king named Ambasakkara.
51. 6:50There's a name we use to refer to the citizens of Vaishali. What's that name?
52. 6:56Licchavi...
53. 6:58In the Licchavi kingdom, there were many kings.
54. 7:04Ambasakkara was one of those kings.
55. 7:10So this king was a bit flirtatious.
56. 7:16If kingship and lust comes together, can someone good looking travel on the road in peace?
57. 7:26They cannot. This happened back then too.
58. 7:32So as the king was inspecting the towns,
59. 7:40a woman looked out her window by mistake.
60. 7:49The king, too, turned and looked at her, and their eyes met.
61. 8:00Then that woman quickly closed the curtain.
62. 8:08Her image lingered in the king’s mind.
63. 8:12The king went to the castle and said
64. 8:17"I saw a woman. Check if she is married or not."
65. 8:24The royal servants inquired and said she was married.
66. 8:32The king thought that he must kill her husband.
67. 8:37Such things were done back then too.
68. 8:41The king summoned her husband and appointed him to the royal service.
69. 8:52There was a pond 30 kilometers away from where the king was.
70. 9:00A Yoduna is 10 kilometers.
71. 9:04So how far is it to the pond? Thirty Kilometers.
72. 9:09The king gave an order to that man. "You must go tomorrow morning"
73. 9:18"to that pond, gather some lotus flowers and return before nightfall."
74. 9:25He asked him to do it that morning itself.
75. 9:28He called for him in the morning and told him to go to the pond,
76. 9:33gather some flowers and return.
77. 9:38That pond was a place filled with demons. He sent him away with the intention of sacrificing him.
78. 9:45So this man went quickly to his home,
79. 9:50had some food and left quickly. He has so much ground to cover back and forth, right?
80. 9:58He had heard that the pond has a demon in it.
81. 10:03He was circling the pond but did not go in. There were flowers in it.
82. 10:09The demon felt sorry for him. See? The qualities that humans do not possess are found in demons.
83. 10:15The demon came in the form of an old man and asked "Why are you circling this pond, child?"
84. 10:23"I don't know how to pluck these flowers, grandfather..." "Wait a moment, I'll pluck them for you." The demon himself plucked the flowers and gave them to him.
85. 10:32He took the flowers and came running back.
86. 10:35As he was returning, the king said that this man may return soon.
87. 10:42He asked to close the gates early.
88. 10:45As the young man was running back with the flowers,
89. 10:51what did the guards do? They closed the gate...
90. 10:58That man began to scream and cry saying he will be given the death sentence, he was asked to return before the gates were closed and that he came back on time.
91. 11:08When he was looking for witnesses, he saw something marvelous.
92. 11:15There was a man nearby who had been impaled.
93. 11:20A man had been impaled.
94. 11:23That man was groaning.
95. 11:26He went to that man and said "Hey man!"
96. 11:31"I brought these lotuses. I brought the flowers. You are my witness."
97. 11:38That man replied "I will die any moment now. Don't make me a witness."
98. 11:47"A non-human comes here. Make that non-human your witness."
99. 11:56So he waited there. Now the gate was closed and he would be punished tomorrow.
100. 12:04He did not leave.
101. 12:06Then, as night fell, a non-human being arrived.
102. 12:14He came in a white bullock cart.
103. 12:19As soon as he came, he told the man who was impaled "Don't die now! Don't die now!"
104. 12:29"Live! Live!!" Who is he saying this to?
105. 12:33To the man who has been impaled.
106. 12:36Then the impaled man said "There's a man here too."
107. 12:41"See to him as well."
108. 12:44That man said "Oh... I will be sentenced to death tomorrow."
109. 12:49"I did not do anything wrong. I received an order from the king."
110. 12:55"He asked me to pluck some flowers and return. I returned on time but they closed the gates."
111. 13:04"Oh, dear deva, can you please bear witness to my innocence?"
112. 13:11He said okay.
113. 13:14He stayed there. The king was elated. He opened the gates and asked him to come inside.
114. 13:22He asked them to kill him because he had failed to obey the king’s order. He said "No no. I did not fail to obey the king's order. I returned on time."
115. 13:30"There are witnesses who can confess that I returned on time."
116. 13:36He asked who the witnesses were. He said there's a witness but he is not a human being.
117. 13:43The king was bewildered.
118. 13:49The king asked who his non-human witness was.
119. 13:54He said "There's a wrongdoer who has been impaled over there. A non-human comes to him."
120. 14:03It asks him "Don't die! Don't die!! Live! Live!!"
121. 14:12"That's the witness" he said.
122. 14:17The king asked how he can meet the witness.
123. 14:23He said at night.
124. 14:25So he put this man in prison. Night fell.
125. 14:29The king took this man and went.
126. 14:33He went near the man who was impaled and stood there.
127. 14:37It is from then on that this Peta Vattu continues.
128. 14:41So this King Ambasakkara
129. 14:47looked at the impaled man and said
130. 14:55"This man has no sleep."
131. 14:58"Nor can he sit down or walk."
132. 15:02"He does not eat or drink. There's no one to help him."
133. 15:13"When this person was in the human world, he had so many relatives."
134. 15:20"He had friends. Now there's no one."
135. 15:27"People have abandoned him." Why? People are scared to be associated with him right?
136. 15:35"A poor person does not have friends."
137. 15:41"As soon as he was ruined,"
138. 15:45"did his friends get to know that he fell in trouble? From that day onwards, he won't have any friends. All of them would abandon him."
139. 15:58"As soon as others get to know that a person has acquired wealth,"
140. 16:09"he'll have more than enough friends. They'll be around him always."
141. 16:14"Those who are wealthy have more than enough friends." These statements were made 2,500 years ago.
142. 16:25So aren't they valid even today?
143. 16:27That's human nature even today.
144. 16:34"Once a person loses all their wealth and becomes poor, they will live a very sorrowful life."
145. 16:44"In a bloody body, we are living with its insides breaking down."
146. 16:58"It's like a dew drop on the tip of a blade of grass."
147. 17:02"We don't know if (we will die) in the morning, noon or night."
148. 17:12So the king asked "Hey man,"
149. 17:18"You are experiencing immense suffering."
150. 17:22He was impaled on a steak made of Neem wood. The non-human being appeared and said, "Live! Live! Life is noble!”
151. 17:44They asked why he said this. That non-human said
152. 17:55"Dear king, this person is my blood relative."
153. 18:02This is how that story goes. In the great city of Vaishali, the person impaled is the son-in-law.
154. 18:13The non-human is the father-in-law.
155. 18:17The father-in-law had a shop.
156. 18:22In front of that shop there was a a pothole filled with water. The roads back then were paved with clay.
157. 18:32Don't Arahants travel on that road with potholes?
158. 18:37Don't lay men and women who have attained a spiritual milestone on the Noble Eightfold Path travel on it? They do.
159. 18:41But the trader did not know all that.
160. 18:46With the intention of people avoiding the mud, he took a cow's skull that was nearby. It was white in color.
161. 18:56He put that skull in the pothole. Just like we put pieces of brick in potholes. So they can step on that and go.
162. 19:07That was a meritorious deed that he did.
163. 19:11So he told the entire story.
164. 19:20This father-in-law also did not hate anyone.
165. 19:32But the son-in-law
166. 19:35would steal. When people bathed, he would steal their clothes.
167. 19:45He would steal them and sell them at the shop.
168. 19:50The government got to know about this. They arrested both the father-in-law and son-in-law.
169. 20:00They impaled the son-in-law and beheaded the father-in-law.
170. 20:07It is the beheaded father-in-law who has been reborn as a ghost and is coming to his son-in-law.
171. 20:14He came and said "Dear king, this is my blood relative. In my previous life, I was able to see what would happen in the future."
172. 20:28"I saw this person" - that is the son-in-law - "and felt deeply sorry for him."
173. 20:37"I did not want him to go to hell." Now this is a non-human, right?
174. 20:47He saw that as soon as his son-in-law dies, he would go to hell.
175. 20:53It did not know what to do to prevent this from happening.
176. 20:58What does it say? "Live! Live!! Don't die!"
177. 21:04"Don't die! Life is noble!" He would thereby strengthen his will to live.
178. 21:10That's all he could do.
179. 21:14He said "Dear king,"
180. 21:18"when this person dies, I saw that this person will be reborn in the Sattussada hell."
181. 21:30That ghost saw him dying and being reborn in hell.
182. 21:35"People reborn in that hell face great suffering and sadness."
183. 21:42"Being impaled on this stake is 1,000 times better than experiencing that great suffering."
184. 21:53"Being on this stake is better! It's a comfort compared to suffering in that hell."
185. 22:02He said that.
186. 22:07He told all this to the king in secret. The person impaled cannot hear all this. He said "Dear king, I took you aside and told you this."
187. 22:21"Because if he gets to know this, he will die right now."
188. 22:27Because as soon as he gets scared he would die, right?
189. 22:30He said he will die right away if he got to know this.
190. 22:35"I am trying to protect this man's life to prevent him from going to hell." Then the king said
191. 22:47"Alright, I learned about this man's future from you. I am happy about that."
192. 23:01"But I would like to hear more details."
193. 23:06"Don't get angry that we are asking all this." the king told the ghost.
194. 23:15Then the ghost said this.
195. 23:18"I had a great affirmation in my heart"
196. 23:23"that I will not say these things to someone who is not enlightened."
197. 23:28"But even though this is against my wishes, you believe my story."
198. 23:37"Therefore, ask whatever you like. If I understand it, I'll respond." So the king said
199. 23:47"How can I see this with my own eyes and deny this?"
200. 23:54"How can I say that what I saw with my own eyes is not true?"
201. 24:04He had come in a white horse carriage. "You came here in a beautiful white carriage led by horses."
202. 24:16"So you are using a mysterious vehicle."
203. 24:20"Why did you receive this?"
204. 24:25Then he said "Dear king, in front of my shop"
205. 24:29"there was a pothole."
206. 24:33"I placed a white cow skull in that pothole for people to travel past it comfortably."
207. 24:45Truly, there are so many potholes in front of houses.
208. 24:52Overgrown bushes have spilled over on to the roads. Does anyone care?
209. 24:58Can't people in those homes clean that? (With the intention) "May these people travel comfortably..."
210. 25:04Do you see how different our thoughts are?
211. 25:07Those are things that the government does, right?
212. 25:09Why should we intervene?
213. 25:12Do we think like that or not?
214. 25:15We do.
215. 25:16Does the government collect merit?
216. 25:19It's a merit you do.
217. 25:22So that man thought by himself and did that small thing.
218. 25:27Then he said
219. 25:33"Everyone traveling on that road - including us - would step on that skull and go on our way."
220. 25:47That ghost himself was admiring his carriage saying how beautiful it was.
221. 25:54He said this was what he received as a result (of the wholesome deed).
222. 25:58During these times we can't earn such results. Do Arahants travel on roads now?
223. 26:02Do those who have attained a spiritual milestone on the Noble Eightfold Path travel on roads? Only those who scold the country travel on roads.
224. 26:07Those who get jealous of what others have. Who curse them.
225. 26:14People say such things and go.
226. 26:17Where does jealousy work? In the mind. Okay. Where the mind work?
227. 26:28In the eye,
228. 26:30the ears,
229. 26:33the nose, the tongue. For a person who has jealousy, their mind works through their eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind.
230. 26:43What happens when jealousy influences what the eyes see?
231. 26:48When a person wears one bangle, how does a jealous person see that?
232. 26:54I heard of a female ghost who was jealous of her relative.
233. 27:03That female ghost said "Oh my! That woman has covered her entire arm with bangles." It's just one bangle
234. 27:15that she's wearing. But how does a jealous person see that?
235. 27:20They see it as a lot.
236. 27:24It's just one necklace.
237. 27:26See how the eye perceives it?
238. 27:29Do you see how a jealous person perceives something? Let's say they see a group of people going somewhere? They say "Oh my! So many people!" It maybe only 10-15 people.
239. 27:41Have you not heard people say such things? That's the view of a jealous person.
240. 27:48So she said that her cow herd gives birth to one calf every month. That does not happen in Sri Lanka.
241. 28:02What is that? That is how that woman perceived it.
242. 28:09The way she perceived it.
243. 28:11Let's say someone is building a house? Some would say “Look how huge that house being built is!”
244. 28:16"Such huge houses!" That's what they say, right? Have you not heard of people who say such things?
245. 28:21That's jealousy working in their eyes.
246. 28:25That's jealousy working.
247. 28:28So jealousy is works in their ears too.
248. 28:32When that happens, they cannot hear of the progress of another.
249. 28:36They can't listen to that. They don't listen.
250. 28:39When consumed by jealousy, they don't even look at a building.
251. 28:45Let's say a person you dislike has built a house? They don't look at it. They look away.
252. 28:54Let's say there's a wedding in a house of a person you do not like?
253. 28:58On that day, they go to another relative’s house some distance away. They cannot even bring themselves to stay in the village.
254. 29:03What's the reason? They see people dressed beautifully going there.
255. 29:09They can hear music from the speakers.
256. 29:13They hear fireworks being lit. Can their ears be closed? So they leave their villages and go far away.
257. 29:20Even today, jealousy works like that in people's minds.
258. 29:26Hatred is the same.
259. 29:28How does hatred work? Let's say by chance
260. 29:32that the person you hate coughed due to a sickness
261. 29:36when going on the road.
262. 29:39When they coughed, some phlegm came up. So they spit it out. That other person saw this and said "Did you see?!"
263. 29:49"She saw me and spat at me!" They take on something not relevant to them. That's hatred.
264. 30:01The nature of hatred is, something that's said to someone else is taken personally by another person. Thinking "This was said to me."
265. 30:13"They are referring to me."
266. 30:16"They did this to attack me."
267. 30:19"They are doing this to harm me. They spat with the intention of insulting me." As such, they take on everything irrelevant on to themselves. That's the nature of hatred.
268. 30:35So even hatred works in the eye.
269. 30:39Even in the ears, nose, tongue, body and mind.
270. 30:47If something happens by chance, they think it's done on purpose.
271. 30:54Even if a tree dies they say someone killed it.
272. 31:00That's how they see it. Until a person who has hatred gets rid of it, they think anything that's done is done against them.
273. 31:12A jealous person sees it that way.
274. 31:16So they gain lots of demerit from that.
275. 31:21So the king asked the ghost
276. 31:31"You are very powerful. Your body is gleaming. Your body emits a fragrance."
277. 31:40Some ghosts emit a fragrance. Have you not heard people say "I could smell the fragrance of Jasmine flowers."
278. 31:49"When I was venerating the Buddha I got the smell of Jasmine flowers, a fragrance passed me by" etc.
279. 31:58The king said "Seems you have received a heavenly supernatural power." He responded "Yes, It's because I did not have hate, right?"
280. 32:07What's the reason? It's because he did not have hate. Because he did not have hatred in his heart.
281. 32:14This trader said he did not hate anyone.
282. 32:20"I always had a peaceful mind. I never said harsh words to anyone."
283. 32:29"I always spoke lovely, pleasant words." he said. Aren't there such traders even today?
284. 32:37There are. Aren't there doctors like that? There are those who speak very kindly.
285. 32:43There are those who speak very kindly and lovingly to their customers.
286. 32:52He said he always spoke pleasantly.
287. 32:55"I lived with a very peaceful mind". There are people who do their jobs in a very pleasant manner.
288. 33:03"My body emits a fragrance and a glow because of that."
289. 33:14This is not something he knew beforehand right? He was a trader but it's understood that he had good qualities.
290. 33:27So he asked "Alright, but"
291. 33:35"there's not even one thread to cover your body."
292. 33:41"You are naked." So that ghost does not have any clothes.
293. 33:46The ghost was naked. So he said "Yes, that's because of a mistake I made."
294. 33:55"When my friends bathed, I would hide their clothes."
295. 34:01"I did that for fun."
296. 34:05"I did that as a joke. But now I am suffering because of that."
297. 34:12"I am suffering because of the joke I played."
298. 34:19Then the ghost said "Noble people have told this story. That even if you commit a sin as a joke, you will have the suffer the consequences."
299. 34:33Noble people have said this.
300. 34:37"So dear king, if I am suffering like this because of the joke I played, what'll the consequences be for what's done seriously?"
301. 34:48"If I am suffering like this because of the joke I played, how severe will the consequences be for what's done seriously?"
302. 34:58Then he said "If some person with polluted ideas"
303. 35:06What kind of ideas? What are polluted ideas? Ideas that have jealousy mixed in.
304. 35:11Hatred, fury mixed in. A jealous person cannot look at a building. They don't like to.
305. 35:21They don't like a to see a crowd going to a certain place. They don't like to hear people praising another.
306. 35:30That's a polluted mind. "If people with such polluted minds do corrupt things,"
307. 35:44"there's no doubt that after death they will end up in hell." Thereafter this ghost said
308. 35:53"There are people who like to be born in good realms." One great wrong I see of the people of today is that they insult good realms.
309. 36:05They don't insult bad realms, right?
310. 36:07What should they insult? Bad realms. "I don't like to be reborn in hell, in the ghost world." That's not what they say. "I don't like to be born amongst the gods." That's what they say, right?
311. 36:22They say they don't like to be reborn in heavenly realms. They are silent about being reborn in the four hells.
312. 36:30That's not what they should say, right? "I do not like to go to hell. I don't like to go to the four hells." That's not what old ladies, gentlemen and even youngsters say. What do they say?
313. 36:42They say they do not want to be reborn amongst the gods. They say they are not learning this Dhamma with the intention of enjoying comforts. They criticize like that.
314. 36:51The Supreme Buddha Himself praised the good realms.
315. 36:55He only criticized good realms in order to encourage people who had the merit to become Arahants.
316. 37:02In general, He praised good realms.
317. 37:08He didnt let the person who had the merit to become an Arahant settle there.
318. 37:14So there are people who like to be born in good realms and who aspire to born in them.
319. 37:21Such people like to give alms.
320. 37:24They like to give alms.
321. 37:28He also said that they like to help others.
322. 37:32They give alms and help others. Once they die, there's no doubt
323. 37:42that they'll be born in a good realm.
324. 37:48Then the king asked the ghost something. It's evident that those in the past were somewhat intelligent.
325. 37:59"Now you told us about merit and sin."
326. 38:03"How can I believe it?"
327. 38:07"People who do wholesome deeds go to heaven and those who do unwholesome deeds go to hell. How can I believe this?"
328. 38:15"How can I believe that unwholesome deeds have these consequences? Who will convince me of this?"
329. 38:26Then the ghost said
330. 38:31"Listen."
331. 38:35"Ask someone of the consequences of wholesome deeds and unwholesome deeds."
332. 38:41"If you don't see it, then ask and get to know about it."
333. 38:47"Because"
334. 38:51"if there's nothing called merit and sin, there's nothing called good realms and bad realms."
335. 39:02"So good realms and bad realms exist"
336. 39:06"because merit and sin exist. Humans have differences"
337. 39:12"because merit and sin exists."
338. 39:15So
339. 39:18he said "Look."
340. 39:21"I have not performed great merits."
341. 39:25This ghost is not someone who had done great merits. He didn't have hatred or anger. He spoke lovingly.
342. 39:33He was a person who had a good heart.
343. 39:37"I didn't perform any great merits. There's no one to offer fabric, shelter, food or drink and share the merit with me either."
344. 39:49"Do you see that I am suffering without even a piece of thread?"
345. 39:54Then the king asked "So dear ghost,"
346. 39:59"If you are to receive clothing, let me know how I can get it done."
347. 40:04"I'll do it. I believe what you are saying."
348. 40:11He said "That's a good idea. There's a good monk nearby."
349. 40:19"His name is Kappina." He was referring to Great Arahant Kappina Thero.
350. 40:29"He's always meditating."
351. 40:35"He's very virtuous. He has no sadness related to defilements."
352. 40:41What does that mean? He has no defilements.
353. 40:44"He's an Arahant. He controls his senses."
354. 40:50"He protects the precepts very well. He has attained Nibbāna."
355. 40:57"He has very timid qualities." He's saying what ghosts notice.
356. 41:05"He gives away goodness freely."
357. 41:09What does He give away freely? Goodness.
358. 41:13What does giving away goodness mean? He preaches the Dhamma.
359. 41:17"He speaks lovely words."
360. 41:20"He says gentle words."
361. 41:23"He knows the Dhamma very well."
362. 41:25"He speaks with understanding. He's a field of merit."
363. 41:31“He is worthy of veneration by devas and humans.”
364. 41:37He's mentioning all of His good qualities. "He's very calm."
365. 41:41"He has no sadness within him. He has no desires."
366. 41:46“He has uprooted the roots of defilements. He is no longer attached to the notion of ‘self.’ He is honest.”
367. 41:52“He is free from impure thoughts. He has taken refuge in the Triple Gem and radiates with wisdom. But people are not very aware of this.”
368. 42:04People do not know that He is a person like that.
369. 42:08"Even if they see Him, they will not believe it."
370. 42:13That is, it's not obvious that He's such a person.
371. 42:18"But in land of Vajji, people say He is a sage."
372. 42:26"The ghosts and demons in this world extol His virtues."
373. 42:32"They refer to Him as the noble person who has good qualities and is free of defilements."
374. 42:43So he said "Oh dear king, if you can offer one or two pieces of cloth to Kappina Thero on behalf of me?"
375. 42:56“If you make that offering and share the merit with me, you will see with your own eyes what happens to me.”
376. 43:07You will see with your own eyes what will happen to me. “You will see me looking beautiful and wearing lovely clothes.”
377. 43:17Then the king asked "Where is this Monk residing?"
378. 43:22"We would like to go and see Him." The king said he's still suspicious. He asked who will believe in this wrong view of merit and demerit? King Ambasakkara did not seem to be someone who believed in merit and demerit.
379. 43:42Then this ghost said that the Monk is residing in the Kapinaccanā village. And that He is surrounded by gods.
380. 43:55He is surrounded by gods.
381. 44:01“The devas refer to Him as Truth. He belongs to a lineage of teachers who expound the Dhamma that leads to Nibbāna.”
382. 44:14The king said "Okay. I will offer two clothing to the Monk."
383. 44:21"if He accepts it, I will be able to see you dressed beautifully, right?"
384. 44:28He said "Dear king, someone like you must not go to see a sage at an unsuitable time." This was at night, right?
385. 44:40"Do not go at an unsuitable time such as this. It is not right."
386. 44:45"Go at the right time and see how He meditates."
387. 44:53The king said okay and left.
388. 44:55He went back to the palace, had a bath, had his meal and took 8 pairs of clothes from his clothing chest.
389. 45:12He gave them to his servants and said let's go.
390. 45:17The king went to the place called Kapinaccanā.
391. 45:22He went and saw the Great Arahant Maha Kappina Thero. At that time, He had gone on His alms round and had had His meal.
392. 45:32He was waiting under the shade of a tree peacefully.
393. 45:38He went to Him and asked how He was doing.
394. 45:44He did not worship Him but asked how He was. Then he said "Venerable Sir,"
395. 45:51"I am a Liccavi king from Vaishali."
396. 45:57"I am Ambasakkara."
397. 46:03"So Venerable Sir, I came here"
398. 46:08"with some clothes to offer them to You."
399. 46:12"If You are pleased with me"
400. 46:15"please accept this." Then the Great Arahant Maha Kappina Thero told King Ambasakkara
401. 46:25"Oh dear king..."
402. 46:28"A sage does not even go near your castle."
403. 46:36"How many alms bowls have you broken in front of that palace?"
404. 46:42"How many sage's robes were torn?"
405. 46:48“How many times did you have your royal servants cause sages to stumble in front of your palace?”
406. 46:56See even back then...
407. 46:58They caused them to stumble and fall.
408. 47:00When I hear such things, do you know what I think of? The goodness of sages...
409. 47:06What's the reason? Because none of those things made them angry.
410. 47:11These days, even small things are blown out of proportion, right?
411. 47:19But even when such things happened, they remained in the Dhamma.
412. 47:28He said "You caused them so much distress in these ways."
413. 47:34"These sages faced so much trouble because of you."
414. 47:40“Next, you are not someone who has given even an offering as small as a drop of oil that slides off a blade of grass.”
415. 47:49"You are not a person who showed the person the correct path when they were lost."
416. 47:57"I heard that you grabbed the walking stick of a blind person."
417. 48:02That Arahant said this.
418. 48:05"Such a greedy and undisciplined person like you" - see how straightforward this Arahant is?
419. 48:14Isn't it? "Such a greedy and undisciplined person like you - "
420. 48:20"why did you come to give alms and to offer clothing?" Then he said "Oh Venerable Sir,"
421. 48:32"I accept the wrongs I have done."
422. 48:36“But I did those things just for fun.”
423. 48:40Why did the king do those things? For fun. He did not have any ill intentions. "But those are nasty things that I did."
424. 48:50Then he said "Venerable Sir,"
425. 48:53"I saw with my own eyes a person who committed sins for fun and is suffering now as a ghost."
426. 49:01"He does not have comforts. He's very beautiful. But he does not have even a thread to cover his nakedness."
427. 49:09"What greater suffering can there be? Venerable Sir, I saw that ghost very well. I spoke with him."
428. 49:17"I felt very sad. I am offering these 8 pairs of clothing to You on behalf of that ghost."
429. 49:30"To share merit with him. So please accept this."
430. 49:35"May this merit reach that ghost."
431. 49:40The Arahant said "Surely."
432. 49:46"Giving alms is something that Buddhas and other noble people praised."
433. 49:55“May the wealth you give away in this manner never be depleted.” See how beautiful His wishes are?
434. 50:03"I will accept your pairs of clothing. May this merit reach the ghost."
435. 50:12Maybe this was a ritual back then. So the king took some water and washed his hands and face. He took the pairs of clothes
436. 50:25and offered them to the Arahant. He said "May I now see that ghost dressed beautifully."
437. 50:37The king said so.
438. 50:40He saw him now.
439. 50:43The ghost appeared.
440. 50:45His beauty was magnanimous.
441. 50:49Sandalwood paste was spread over his body.
442. 50:53He was dressed beautifully.
443. 51:00He had beings with him too.
444. 51:04In the middle of the beings he was seated atop a Ājāneyya horse .
445. 51:11The king saw this ghost and was very amazed.
446. 51:18He was amazed by the great consequence of that beautiful kamma. He saw it first hand with his own eyes. The king said that from that day onwards, he will give alms to sages and noble people.
447. 51:38"There's nothing I cannot give now."
448. 51:41See how he changed?
449. 51:44"Dear deva, you helped me so much."
450. 51:49Then He said "Dear Liccavi king, what you gave me was only one of the Four Requisites. "
451. 51:57"An offering of clothing."
452. 51:59"That offering is not something empty."
453. 52:01The ghost said "Look, I am a ghost and you are a human."
454. 52:08"I am a ghost and you are a human. We are talking to each other face to face."
455. 52:16"Just like you made my journey comfortable, please help my relative too."
456. 52:24Then the king said "Ghost, you showed me the way. You introduced Arahants to me."
457. 52:33"You showed me how to give alms. I would like to make you my guardian deva."
458. 52:40The king worshipped him and said "I would like to see you again and again."
459. 52:46Then the ghost said "Dear king, the day your correct perception goes away,"
460. 52:56"you will not see me."
461. 52:59"You will see me only until you have this correct perception."
462. 53:04"If you ever lose your correct perception - even if you see me - I will not speak to you."
463. 53:14"If you live a life respecting the Dhamma, have a liking to giving alms and help others;
464. 53:23"if you become a vessel of water for sages,"
465. 53:27You have seen vessels of water right? Ones left out for people to drink out of freely?
466. 53:33"If you become like that, you will see me."
467. 53:37"You see me now and you converse with me. The reason"
468. 53:44"you and I met is that man on the stake."
469. 53:51"Please let that man go."
470. 53:54"Save him from that stake."
471. 54:00"If this person is set free,"
472. 54:04"he will perform meritorious deeds."
473. 54:07"If he does so, his destiny to go to hell will change. He will be free from hell/"
474. 54:18"But even if he is born in another place, he will still have this consequence of bad kamma."
475. 54:25"He'll sort that out. You"
476. 54:32"take him to the Great Arahant Kappina Thero."
477. 54:39"Show this person to Him."
478. 54:43"He will teach him everything He knows."
479. 54:50The king spoke with that ghost in secret and promised him.
480. 54:55The next day he went to the royal assembly of the Liccavis.
481. 54:59He told who were gathered there "Meritorious ones, listen to what I am saying."
482. 55:05"I am asking for a boon from all of you."
483. 55:10"Please give it to me. An accused person is on a stake."
484. 55:17"It's been 20 days now since he was impaled."
485. 55:21How many days has he been on the stake? 20 days.
486. 55:26"He's been on the stake for 20 days. But he's not someone who has wronged the government. He is loyal to the government."
487. 55:35"Now he's not living nor is he dead."
488. 55:41"I am going to release him. I need the assembly's permission for this."
489. 55:46He got the assembly's permission.
490. 55:50The king went to him and freed him from the stake.
491. 55:55He freed him from the stake. Back then there may have been medicines too to assist in such situations.
492. 56:02He also brought in doctors of Eastern medicine. They gave him medications and cured him.
493. 56:09They made him well and took him to the Great Arahant Maha Kappina Thero.
494. 56:15The king took him and went.
495. 56:19They went before the Arahant and said "Venerable Sir,"
496. 56:24"this is the man who was impaled. It is because of him that we became friends with the ghost."
497. 56:32"He has committed very serious crimes. But for 20 nights"
498. 56:38"he survived. But neither did he live."
499. 56:45"We released him as per the ghost's request. Please Venerable Sir, help him avoid hell."
500. 56:56"Venerable Sir, if there's such a way, please teach us that. We will trust and believe."
501. 57:08"Isn't there a way to suffer the consequences of those kamma in this life itself and finish it?"
502. 57:13"The person who practices the Dhamma without delay can escape hell."
503. 57:19"But he will have to suffer the consequences of that kamma in another life."
504. 57:22That is, even if he escapes hell and is born a human, he will still have to suffer the consequences.
505. 57:30Then he said "Oh Venerable Sir, please have sympathy for me."
506. 57:34"Please advise me too. Then I too will be free from hell." Who said this? The king. He said to have sympathy towards him as well so that he can escape hell.
507. 57:45Then the Great Arahant said "Okay then dear king."
508. 57:49"Don't waste time."
509. 57:51"Have clarity and confidence today and go for refuge to the Blessed One..."
510. 57:57He asked him to go for refuge to the Sublime Dhamma too.
511. 58:03He asked to go for refuge to the Noble Saṅgha.
512. 58:07He asked to protect the 5 precepts without any gaps of blemishes.
513. 58:13To protect without any gaps or blemishes.
514. 58:21Kings would go hunting back then, right?
515. 58:30He asked to refrain from killing animals from that day onwards.
516. 58:33He said not to steal.
517. 58:36He asked not to consume alcohol.
518. 58:40Recently, you all witnessed the calamity that befell our people because of auspicious times, didn’t you? They drink and drink and drink…
519. 58:48You heard about the 18 year old who killed his mother because she did not give him money to buy his girlfriend a gift for the New Year, right?
520. 58:59The destruction an auspicious time causes....
521. 59:02Because of these misguided ideas, our people are heading toward ruin.
522. 59:11More than obtaining something valuable, there's almost always ruin.
523. 59:17Therefore, they break the 5 precepts, they lose their refuge in the Triple Gem and they embrace wrong views.
524. 59:24They go to bad realms after death even when such a great Dhamma is available.
525. 59:32So this Arahant said "Don't consume alcohol. Don't lie."
526. 59:39"Be satisfied with your wife alone." That's something always said in this.
527. 59:44Be satisfied with your wife alone.
528. 59:51"Live your usual life by protecting the 5 precepts and remaining in the refuge of the Triple Gem."
529. 59:57"On Poya days, protect the Uposatha precepts."
530. 1:00:01These are the things that Arahants told those days.
531. 1:00:03To protect the Uposatha precepts on Poya days.
532. 1:00:07"You will get many comforts because of that."
533. 1:00:09"Next are robes, alms, light refreshments, shelters, beds, chairs, etc. Offer such things"
534. 1:00:21"to the Noble Saṅgha." Who did He ask to offer such things to?
535. 1:00:27To the Noble Saṅgha. One thing I noticed in this story that they had clarity and confidence and went to the Arahant for refuge. Then He said not to go for refuge to Him.
536. 1:00:39He asked to go for refuge to the Blessed One. Do you see how beautiful the statements of those Arahants were? He did not magnify Himself.
537. 1:00:47He did not magnify what he understood either. He magnified our Blessed Teacher. Only when you read the Dhamma well do you notice such things. That's why we ask to read the Dhamma again and again.
538. 1:01:00When such things are read, a person naturally becomes humble. So you do not have to attain a spiritual milestone on the Noble Eightfold Path to become humble.
539. 1:01:07You can learn this Dhamma and become a little humble on your own.
540. 1:01:12Then He said that there are monks who are virtuous, free from lust and learned.
541. 1:01:20He asked to attend to them and give them alms. He said merit multiplies because of that day by day.
542. 1:01:28"In this way practice the Dhamma without delay. Practice the Dhamma day and night. Then that person will escape hell. But the person will have to be reborn in another realm and suffer the consequences of that kamma."
543. 1:01:41What He said was, he will not go to hell after he dies in that life. But he will have to suffer someday.
544. 1:01:50Then that person
545. 1:01:52said that he will go for refuge to the Supreme Buddha at that very moment. At that time, the Supreme Buddha was alive. He was in Savatti.
546. 1:02:03He said he will go for refuge to the Sublime Dhamma.
547. 1:02:06He said he will go for refuge to the Sublime Saṅgha.
548. 1:02:10He also said he will observe the 5 precepts without any loopholes or blemishes.
549. 1:02:17You may have heard over the past few days on the radio about those who drink and drive.
550. 1:02:24They arrest such people often now. Those who drive three wheelers, motorbikes, etc. All of these people are Buddhists, right?
551. 1:02:36As followers of the Supreme Buddha's Dhamma,
552. 1:02:42they do not make any use of it.
553. 1:02:46They do not get any help from it. They do not take shelter in it.
554. 1:02:50It is like having the sun, the moon, and eyes, yet walking with your eyes closed.
555. 1:03:01Even if you have eyes, if you walk with them closed, there's no use right?
556. 1:03:06So that's very sad. What can be done?...
557. 1:03:12He said he will soon observe the 5 precepts and not kill animals or steal.
558. 1:03:19The king began to give lots of alms.
559. 1:03:24He offered robes to the Saṅgha. He gave alms and built shelters. He did so
560. 1:03:33and the king earned lots of merit.
561. 1:03:37Thereafter,
562. 1:03:39that
563. 1:03:43king became a good lay person.
564. 1:03:46So what did the king become? A lay person.
565. 1:03:50Becoming a lay person, the king did not associate the Saṅgha as friends.
566. 1:03:57Because of the decline of current times, most people don't like to associate the Saṅgha with respect.
567. 1:04:04They want to associate them as friends.
568. 1:04:07So that's something we should be unhappy about.
569. 1:04:12The Saṅgha should be associated with respect and not like friends. Next, there are lay men and lay women.
570. 1:04:21So this king associated the Saṅgha with respect and hence he became a lay person.
571. 1:04:30He became someone who compassionately helped monks.
572. 1:04:35The person who was on the stake was healed.
573. 1:04:39He was cured and he was able to walk freely.
574. 1:04:45He went to the Great Arahant Maha Kappina Thero and attended to Him. He became a monk too.
575. 1:04:52The king became friends with this monk and they both learned the Dhamma.
576. 1:05:02The king became a Stream Entrant.
577. 1:05:05The king who was like that before became a Stream Entrant. The person who was on the stake
578. 1:05:10became an Arahant Himself with the help of that Arahant.
579. 1:05:17When reading it, I thought that this story was marvelous.
580. 1:05:24Having merit is enough to become an Arahant.
581. 1:05:28Otherwise, being on a stake for 20 days -
582. 1:05:32that is, because of the body's weight, the body would sink deeper in to the stake bit by bit, right?
583. 1:05:37It sinks deeper and deeper, until the stake emerges from the mouth.
584. 1:05:42But this was stuck in his body for 20 days without sinking in deeper.
585. 1:05:48Because that ghost kept saying. "Live! Live!!"
586. 1:05:53"Don't die! Life is precious!" What I understood from this is that He had the merit to become an Arahant.
587. 1:06:03Otherwise he could not have escaped that. Nowadays, people lose their lives in a flash.
588. 1:06:11They are hit by a vehicle, they fall and they die. Just like broiler chickens.
589. 1:06:16Chickens die as soon as they hit by a vehicle, right? Nowadays, people are like that too.
590. 1:06:20They get hit and die in an instant.
591. 1:06:22Their life is not strong.
592. 1:06:25He was probably someone who earned merit in saṁsara.
593. 1:06:31Otherwise how could He get a chance like this?
594. 1:06:35So see now. It's the father-in-law and his son-in-law.
595. 1:06:44This is why we say all the time to develop good qualities in the human world. The good qualities cultivated in the human world
596. 1:06:55- didn't they help him after death?
597. 1:06:58They did.
598. 1:07:00After he died, he did not have clothing on his body. But he had received a horse.
599. 1:07:07He could travel on the horse. He could see his previous life too.
600. 1:07:10So what did he see happening to his son-in-law?
601. 1:07:14He saw the son-in-law going to hell. He was an intelligent person.
602. 1:07:18Usually due to stupidity what do we say?
603. 1:07:22Let's say we died and became ghosts.
604. 1:07:26And our sons-in-law are on stakes. We saw this.
605. 1:07:30What would we say? "Son-in-law, because of you, I too died."
606. 1:07:38Would we say that or not? "I died because of you. Now you have to go to hell. Now go and suffer!"
607. 1:07:47Will we say so or not?
608. 1:07:49We will surely say it. "I could have lived nicely and this man ruined it."
609. 1:07:56"You stole and piled it up in my shop. I too got caught for that. I died too. Now you are on a stake. Now go to hell and suffer!" Would we say so or not? See? That's the difference....
610. 1:08:08That's the difference. That's the downfall of human kind.
611. 1:08:18This is seriously destroying the values of humans.
612. 1:08:27It's destroying...
613. 1:08:30The father-in-law and son-in-law were taken away by the government. There was a trial.
614. 1:08:38They were given the death sentence. What was the death sentence that the father-in-law got? He was beheaded. The father-in-law went to be beheaded to the guillotine without any anger.
615. 1:08:48The son-in-law was impaled on a stake. So he was beheaded and the father-in-law became a ghost.
616. 1:08:53He became a ghost and what did he go and say to his son-in-law? "Live! Live!! Life is precious!""
617. 1:09:00So do you not see a nobility of human kind (in the past)?
618. 1:09:04Tell me truly - does this nobility exist nowadays?
619. 1:09:08This nobility does not exist now. If something like this happened now, wouldn't the person scold the other saying " I could have lived longer in the human world. You ruined it. You stole and I too got caught for it. I had to die. Now go to hell!"
620. 1:09:24Will that be said or not? What's the reason for that? What's happening so quickly to people nowadays?
621. 1:09:30People are quickly becoming inhumane.
622. 1:09:34People are quickly becoming evil.
623. 1:09:37They're quickly becoming nasty.
624. 1:09:40They're becoming nasty quickly.
625. 1:09:43Do you see how quickly lust is aroused in people today?
626. 1:09:46Lust is aroused quickly.
627. 1:09:48Don't they get furious quickly? They do. Don't they get conned quickly?
628. 1:09:54They do.
629. 1:09:56But today, a person can quickly be guided toward the right understanding too.
630. 1:10:01They can quickly be convinced of a wrong understanding too.
631. 1:10:05Because they simply follow a trend. They don't have their own wisdom.
632. 1:10:13They don't have their own realization.
633. 1:10:15They don't have their own understanding. They don't have anything like that...
634. 1:10:21Having delivered Dhamma sermons for many years, I know this well.
635. 1:10:26That there's great ruin...
636. 1:10:30It is amidst that ruin that we are talking. Just think if this happens to us,
637. 1:10:39will it happen or not?
638. 1:10:41Something like "I minded my own business and did this trade. He ruined it for me."
639. 1:10:46"By doing this."
640. 1:10:48See how he tried to save him? It's okay to say that humans of today do not have these good qualities. So if people lose their good qualities,
641. 1:10:58where will they have to go to?
642. 1:11:01Everyone who dies will go to hell...
643. 1:11:07There's no one to go anywhere near a good realm.
644. 1:11:12That's why I said that going for refuge to the Supreme Buddha
645. 1:11:17- if you don't have an understanding about it - it's just saying something rhythmically.
646. 1:11:24You will not receive the refuge just by reciting something rhythmically.
647. 1:11:30You will not get the refuge simply by saying it rhythmically...
648. 1:11:34That's something you must do with understanding. Another matter we have understood is
649. 1:11:42if we cultivate a good quality during these times, is it easy to maintain it or not?
650. 1:11:48It's difficult...
651. 1:11:49It is difficult to repeatedly reflect on even a correct perception. That is, we forget what is good.
652. 1:11:58It goes away from the mind.
653. 1:12:01But something bad remains.
654. 1:12:05What's related to bad remains and what's related to good goes away.
655. 1:12:10When we see this, we must identify the danger.
656. 1:12:16That something like this exists now.
657. 1:12:20That something like this exists now.
658. 1:12:22And that's why such things happen.
659. 1:12:24So this mentions something beautiful. 'The person on the stake was healed.'
660. 1:12:29'The person became someone who roamed freely. They became well and happy.'
661. 1:12:34'They came to the Noble Kappina Thero and ordained.'
662. 1:12:38'Both the Liccavi king and that man attained a spiritual milestone on the Noble Eightfold Path.'
663. 1:12:43The final stanza mentions 'When you associate noble people, this is the result.'
664. 1:12:52'When you associate noble people, this is the result.'
665. 1:12:56'Associating noble people who have understanding of life bears great fruit.'
666. 1:13:02'The man on the stake became an Arahant.'
667. 1:13:06'King Ambasakkara became a Stream Entrant.'
668. 1:13:09See? If the Supreme Buddha had not appeared and didn't preach this Dhamma,
669. 1:13:18we would not be able to figure this out.
670. 1:13:27There's no one to teach this.
671. 1:13:34Now that we teach the Dhamma via Mahamevnawa, we hear this Dhamma from somewhere.
672. 1:13:39If someone would like to research how Dhamma propagation changed before and after Mahamevnawa was established, now is a great opportunity.
673. 1:13:49There's a significant difference between Dhamma propagation done 15 years ago compared to today. We hear sermons on Suttas that we did not hear of before.
674. 1:14:03So, those who know the situation can see how much Dhamma propagation has grown.
675. 1:14:11Even the devas know it.
676. 1:14:13Therefore, it is a very rare opportunity to have the chance to listen to the Dhamma.
677. 1:14:20It's a rare opportunity.
678. 1:14:22To make this human life we have received a success during this rare opportunity - that is, we like to progress, right?
679. 1:14:32The person who likes to progress must have one more thing. What is that?
680. 1:14:37If you like to progress, you must not like something else.
681. 1:14:41What is that? Deterioration...
682. 1:14:45A person who wants to progress should not want to decline.
683. 1:14:49If the person has the reasons to deteriorate within them
684. 1:14:54- if deterioration is birthed due to reasons within them -
685. 1:14:58then you must recognize that you have within you the factors that lead to your deterioration.
686. 1:15:12You must realize that.
687. 1:15:14What are they? I mentioned them. Jealousy arises in the heart.
688. 1:15:19Even though it arises in the heart, where does it work? In the eye.
689. 1:15:22Then it works in your ears.
690. 1:15:26It works in your nose.
691. 1:15:29Then in the tongue.
692. 1:15:33It works in your body.
693. 1:15:37So we think based on this.
694. 1:15:40So, if a person builds an ordinary house, the other person sees it as a huge bungalow.
695. 1:15:48If a person wears ordinary clothes, the other person sees them as though they are dressed in royal attire.
696. 1:15:55What do they do after that? They sigh.
697. 1:15:59They sigh. That's called deterioration. We should dislike that.
698. 1:16:06For someone who dislikes deterioration, the best thing is the desire to progress.
699. 1:16:13To like anyone's progression.
700. 1:16:16There are some people who do not like the progression of even a temple.
701. 1:16:21They are jealous.
702. 1:16:23If you see, there's nothing unusual about this hall, right?
703. 1:16:27I know people who scolded because fans were installed here and the floor was finished with terrazzo.
704. 1:16:34See?
705. 1:16:36What are they searching for? Will people who want to see thatched roofs and clay floors progress?
706. 1:16:44They will not progress.
707. 1:16:47I recently saw a lovely video clip. I was so happy seeing that. I think that was somewhere in France.
708. 1:16:56It was a farm with long and tall grapevines.
709. 1:17:02They had planted the grapevines so that the bunches of grapes would spill over on either side.
710. 1:17:07The driver would drive the grape harvesting machine through the vines. The machine holds on to the vines and shake them.
711. 1:17:31Then all the grapes fall in to the containers.
712. 1:17:36All the grapes fall in to a large trailer. I was so happy watching that thinking "How beautifully people have thought of this."
713. 1:17:46They have thought so well. Do we have even a bit of that wisdom?
714. 1:17:53We don't.
715. 1:17:56I remember Mr. Kumaratunga Munidasa said "A race that does not take notice of new, new things does not develop."
716. 1:18:04"When they cannot beg anymore, they will lament."
717. 1:18:12They can't think. When we were building the Sambuddha Raja Maligawa, it was monks who criticized us.
718. 1:18:19They criticized us so much saying we are using gold color paint. Now gold paint is used everywhere with no issues.
719. 1:18:26What is this? Jealousy... Jealousy is a cause of destruction.
720. 1:18:33Fury is a cause of destruction.
721. 1:18:37So jealousy and fury are not things that anyone needs.
722. 1:18:42It does not bring any good to anyone. When we see such things abroad we feel so happy. Thinking how they have made their lives easier.
723. 1:18:52We have nothing. I will tell you something.
724. 1:18:57A gentleman I know has two Honey Jackfruit trees in his garden.
725. 1:19:04When the Honey Jackfruit ripens in one tree, he would bring it for us.
726. 1:19:10We remember it for a week after eating it.
727. 1:19:14The fruit is very plump and voluminous.
728. 1:19:19Yellow in color.
729. 1:19:21If the fruit is cut open over there, we get the fragrance up to here. When the fruit is lifted, the honey oozes out.
730. 1:19:29So someone had asked for the fruit of one of those trees.
731. 1:19:39He gave.
732. 1:19:42Another person got to know this and asked too.
733. 1:19:44He gave that person too.
734. 1:19:49Now this time, fruit was growing on the tree.
735. 1:19:53The fruit did not have any honey.
736. 1:20:01That gentleman told me "It's very surprising, venerable sir. Now there's only shriveled up jackfruit."
737. 1:20:11"It's not yellow in color anymore. It's white and chewy."
738. 1:20:21This is the deterioration of humanity...
739. 1:20:24I gave that gentleman a method to test this out. I asked him to cover part of the tree with polythene and dedicate that part to the Saṅgha.
740. 1:20:33I asked to give the rest to others. To see the difference.
741. 1:20:37See the deterioration? When you give it away, the taste goes away.
742. 1:20:45Why? Because they don't share merit with this gentleman when they eat it.
743. 1:20:50(What do they say?) "See how delicious the jackfruit that belongs to them is?"
744. 1:20:58"This is what they eat everyday!"
745. 1:21:02Will any taste remain?
746. 1:21:05Taste will not remain.
747. 1:21:08It is amidst all this destruction that we have to make our way safely.
748. 1:21:15We have to endure beatings and continue this human life. If there's such destruction amongst humans now,
749. 1:21:24think of the next two generations that will experience this deterioration. They will not take anything good with them to the future.
750. 1:21:35They will look at auspicious times and do auspicious things.
751. 1:21:43We have the 5 precepts. What more auspicious activities do you need?
752. 1:21:50Going for refuge to the Triple Gem, generosity, virtue and mental development - these are auspicious activities.
753. 1:21:55When those existed, people lived happily and they progressed.
754. 1:22:00Ghosts would speak face to face with people.
755. 1:22:05They tell them of their shortcomings and explain things. See how beautiful?
756. 1:22:09We have so many lessons to learn from this.
757. 1:22:15What are they?
758. 1:22:17Even if you do something as a joke, it'll follow you.
759. 1:22:22Next is, if you lose your correct perception from time to time, you will never progress.
760. 1:22:35If you want to have a correct perception, you must reach one with all the facts. If you want to have a correct perception of the Supreme Buddha, you must have one after getting all the facts.
761. 1:22:41You must have the correct perception of the Dhamma after getting all the facts. You must have the correct perception of the Saṅgha after getting all the facts. If you gain a correct perception in such a way, it will never turn in to an incorrect perception. Someone cannot simply give you a correct perception with all the facts.
762. 1:22:58That depends on how much you inquire wisely and also your ability.
763. 1:23:09That's called Yoniso Manasikāra. If that happened because you contemplated on it in a certain way,
764. 1:23:16whatever problem comes, it will remain.
765. 1:23:21So their faith will not waiver.
766. 1:23:26Because their belief is backed by kamma. Once they believe it's fine.
767. 1:23:31If a certain thought pattern helps one to have a correct perception,
768. 1:23:36that person should have that thought pattern. One must cultivate it.
769. 1:23:40One must cultivate that and develop wholesome qualities
770. 1:23:45by protecting their virtue and offering alms.
771. 1:23:50Have a strong belief of kamma and the consequences of kamma. A strong belief.
772. 1:23:57When you do this you will be ridiculed by people from time to time.
773. 1:24:03Then what should you do? When you are good and you are subject to others' ridicule, you must not get upset.
774. 1:24:13What should you do for that? You must think "Let them sow as they wish on their field."
775. 1:24:19"What can we do about that? I will sow as I wish in my field."
776. 1:24:27Then you are not letting others sow in your field.
777. 1:24:30If someone insults and criticizes us and we do the same in return, then who is supplying seeds for your field?
778. 1:24:41The other person is supplying.
779. 1:24:43Let's say someone scolded, criticized and insulted us? Then we do the same. Then didn't that person give us seeds?
780. 1:24:51To sow?
781. 1:24:53You must not do that. You must be patient
782. 1:24:59and think that this is the nature of the world.
783. 1:25:02This is how society is. This is how we have to face life. This is the way of this evil world.
784. 1:25:09You sow in your field and let them do the same in theirs. They will reap
785. 1:25:15what they sow. I will sow my own field. If someone scolds you and you develop hatred in your heart, who gave those seeds? That person who scolded you. Then the two fields are identical.
786. 1:25:28Isn't it so? That's how it is.
787. 1:25:31If someone is jealous of you and criticizes you and you do the same. Then aren't both fields identical?
788. 1:25:37For it not to be identical, let people sow as they wish.
789. 1:25:43We can't stop everything. You must protect your own crop.
790. 1:25:50That's why I said that you must strive. You must strive to get to a better place. It is in that way that a person becomes generous.
791. 1:26:01Then that person gets the opportunity to perform wholesome deeds as they please. All that happens when a person strives to do wholesome deeds.
792. 1:26:10So come to the Supreme Buddha's Dhamma and learn it. May what we collect be the reason to realize the Four Noble Truths in this Gautama Buddha's Dispensation...!