The Illusion of Right and Wrong

This interview was recorded on December 26, 2022, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Venerable HaiZe interviewed the spirit of Venerable Master Chin Kung, who resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, to discuss the nature of right and wrong and how practitioners can navigate these concepts to attain liberation.

Venerable Master Chin Kung speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Today, the topic given by Namo Amituofo to me is 'Right and Wrong.' This is a relative concept. Every person carries an internal ruler within their heart, using it to measure the right and wrong, the good and the bad, of the people, events, and things around them.

The Invisible Ruler of Karma

This ruler is actually incredibly complex. It is an invisible instrument, unlike the physical rulers with markings and fixed lengths that we use in our daily lives. The ruler within our hearts can be infinitely long, with no visible boundaries, and it carries immense weight in every person's life. No matter what we encounter, we use this ruler to judge the other person, to judge the situation, or to judge the object. Regarding people, for instance, we judge how they treat us, how we feel about them, and whether they are good or bad to us, which then determines how we interact with them—whether we offer kindness or a positive or negative response. Regarding events, we judge how a matter should be handled, questioning why someone else handled it differently. If it were us, we would have done it differently. Just because someone else's method differs from yours does not mean they are wrong, yet we often easily categorise them as being in a different camp, or as the wrong party. Regarding objects, we judge them based on whether they are useful to us, whether they are what we want, or whether they suit us.

This ruler has its own standard of measurement because it is, in fact, the karma we have accumulated over countless lifetimes. This karma is far too complex, and we also know that karma is impermanent; it changes at any moment. It is not like our true self, which is constant, unchanging, and never disturbed by any external people, events, or things. If we use this ruler to measure, are we not letting our karma and the cycle of rebirth take the lead? Indeed, everyone often overlooks this, yet this very thing follows us like a shadow, right by our sides. Do you not think your perception and view of a person are influenced by your past with them? That is this ruler at work, measuring the other person. Where does this standard of measurement lie? If we look at the big picture, there are national laws, family rules, and school regulations that help unify everyone in a single direction. If you break them, you are wrong; if you follow them, you are right. This type of right and wrong exists to protect everyone, and since everyone has agreed to abide by them, there is no room for argument.

The Path of Precepts and Practice

Of course, as time, environments, or situations change, moderate adjustments can be made, but such adjustments still apply to the majority, and everyone must continue to abide by them. Breaking them is wrong; following them is the duty. This includes the precepts for practitioners. If you break them, there is the laws of karma and cause and effect; you create a cause and must receive the fruit. Following them protects you from creating negative karma and suffering the bitter fruits. It depends on how you demand of yourself and whether you have the heart to follow the precepts. In terms of Mahayana Buddhism, the precepts are a heart-Dharma. The heart influences behaviour; the heart and actions are closely related. At the very least, the rules established within the monastic community, or the norms that everyone abides by—regardless of national conditions or geography—are common regulations that everyone must follow. For example, breaking the precept against sexual misconduct is wrong; no one would say that breaking this precept is right. This is easy for everyone to understand. Of course, under every regulation, situations arise where one might wonder: 'Is this right? Is that right? Is this wrong? Is that inappropriate?' At such times, one needs an objective party or an elder to assist in the handling of the matter so that everyone is satisfied and has no further complaints.

The Capacity of the Heart

Beyond this, many matters are matters of the heart. A person's heart can be boundless, or it can be very small. You can expand a matter into something huge, or you can condense it into a small, insignificant thing. That is, you can turn a situation into a major crisis, or you can turn a major issue into a minor one, and a minor one into nothing at all. It all depends on the mind-capacity of your heart—whether you can resolve the matter or not. Especially when dealing with people, what is right and what is wrong? It is not certain. To one person, a matter needs to be handled quickly so they can move on, but to the other person, your attitude and tone might make them not want to deal with it. If you add a conflict in their moods or a disagreement, it depends on who can take a step back. If one can step back, or remain still, the side with meditative concentration will have the upper hand. This so-called meditative concentration—handling the matter in the moment and having nothing left in the heart afterward—is what we call practice.

Those who can 'pick it up and put it down' are the ones who can accomplish great things. 'Picking it up' means being able to take responsibility, and 'putting it down' means being able to let go afterward, accepting whether it is good or bad, right or wrong. If you encounter such a person, you should learn from them; after all, it is not an easy thing to do. Because people often put their ego-attachment first—their feelings, their urgent needs—and when they are not satisfied, they feel uncomfortable. Of course, who suffers the greatest harm? It is yourself! You place your own joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness on others, and you suffer a great loss. Unless the other person is someone who has realised their true nature and is worthy of your learning and obedience, if they are someone who has not yet realised their true nature, then it depends on their level of practice. Perhaps they are just like ordinary people, using 'self' as the standard for right and wrong, forgetting that one should also consider the other person's position. If everyone is the same, why demand so much from others? The high-level aspect of Buddha’s teachings is to ask us to look inward, to seek inward, and to ask inward—to examine our own hearts rather than looking at how others treat us or what is in their hearts. If the direction and goal are wrong, how can one live a good life? A 'good life' means allowing oneself to live in freedom and coolness. This is practice; it is the adjustment of our heart and behaviour.

The Reality of Karma

Especially since the ruler in everyone's heart is composed of karma, using the word 'ruler' is more popular and accessible. Some people who have not studied Buddha’s teachings might call you superstitious if you talk about karma, but they can accept the idea of an internal ruler. So, use skillful means; why cause others to have afflictions? Moreover, Buddha’s teachings are the truth and reality; karma exists regardless of whether you believe in it or not. However, when we need to educate everyone and tell them the truth, we must use terms that everyone can understand and accept.

If you are a Buddhist practitioner, you should not be unfamiliar with karma. Karma is complex. Your relationship with someone in a past life may span more than one lifetime, involving different roles and different laws of karma and cause and effect. Now that you are gathered together, it is due to karmic affinity; perhaps you have lived together in a past life. Regardless, you cannot demand that others feel the same way you do; that is not objective. If there is one person among you who is objective, who understands the laws of karma and cause and effect, the karma, and the emotional fluctuations of each person, and who possesses meditative concentration, then this person can handle these matters. This person is one who has realised their true nature. Only then can they manage the monastic community—though 'manage' is too rigid a term; we can say they are the person in charge of the community, the abbot. They can handle problems between people with wisdom and compassion. However, not every problem needs to be handled by the abbot. If you encounter something you cannot solve, you must ask a true spiritual friend, a teacher, or the abbot for help, lest a small matter brew into a major one, which is bad for everyone. The kindest, most compassionate, and wisest way to treat yourself, and the best way to help yourself purification, is to turn major issues into minor ones, and minor ones into nothing.

The Danger of Attached Spirits

If you cannot find peace in your heart and want to make a matter bigger, wanting many people to know your mood, your position, and your situation, you tell this person and that person. You must be careful here. In every moment you speak and think, you have already activated the karma and karmic creditors from your past, and the attached spirits around your body have the opportunity to enter. The attached spirits think: 'Sigh! This person's mood is the same as mine right now. Fine, I will echo them.' The attached spirits enter your body, becoming your attachments, turning a matter that was originally mild into a medium-intensity one. If you add the appearance of demon crowds, this matter is no longer something that can be solved at a mild or medium level; it might become severe! It was originally a small matter, but it turned into a big one; a small mistake turned into a big one. Is all this worth it? What is practice? It is the cultivation of a pure heart. If you are cultivating a state where you make yourself feel bad, have a poor mood, look at this with displeasure, and listen to that with annoyance, are you not walking backward?

Stopping in time is the best way to treat yourself; this is practice. Otherwise, letting matters brew in your heart is no different from ordinary people in the world. If you are not practising, so be it, but if you are, you are the one suffering! When you are old, with a body full of karmic creditors, attached spirits, and demon crowds appearing, one thing after another accumulates, and in the end, you face aging, illness, and a loss of self-control. If you have practised, have concentration, and your wisdom has been opened, and your compassion has grown, then the things that used to make you restless are now calm. Being able to be calm is the basic skill of practice; being able to have concentration is also necessary for purification.

The Necessity of Service

No matter how pure a bodhimanda is, it requires interaction with others. Unless you live alone and do everything yourself, when you are in a bodhimanda or monastic community, you must interact with others. Everyone performs their duties and exerts their strength to maintain the operation of the community. Here, you can serve the masses, help yourself accumulate merit and virtue, cultivate blessings and wisdom, and accumulate provisions for rebirth in the Western Pure Land. This is the purpose for which many people go to the bodhimanda to serve as volunteers. Otherwise, what merit and blessings do you have to resolve conflicts with beings? Where will your karma be eliminated? If you do not do it, it will not disappear out of thin air. Even for those with great blessings and merit, when past karma manifests, karmic creditors may not necessarily be willing to resolve it with you, let alone those without merit and blessings. What will you use to resolve things with karmic creditors, to make them willingly resolve the conflict, leave your body, and allow your body to be purified without other thoughts interfering with your body and purity?

We now know that the body is like a universe, with densely packed beings existing in different spaces within the body. Every being, every karmic creditor, and every cell has the eight consciousnesses and fifty-one mental factors. That is to say, the immeasurable and boundless beings in the universe all have the eight consciousnesses and fifty-one mental factors. So, you tell me, how can this body be purified? It is impossible; it is simply a giant dyeing vat. It has all kinds of thoughts, personalities, and habits; it just depends on which parts you have triggered in this lifetime, which then become your personality and habits for this life.

The Power of the Buddha-Name

The Buddha is truly a great wise one, a being of great compassion. He long ago knew that beings are in such a state—and 'beings' include those in the six realms of rebirth, the Four Sacred Realms, and even the particles of dust in the void. Under these circumstances, Namo Amituofo has bestowed his vows, deeds, merit, and compassion upon this Buddha-name: Namo Amituofo. It is applicable to every being. As long as a being is willing to accept it, willing to chant this Buddha-name—earnestly, focused, single-mindedly, and sincerely—this Buddha-name can help you sweep away dust and filth, purifying the pollution on your body. Therefore, if you can also lead all the cells in your body, from the top of your head to the soles of your feet—every cell, every being—to chant this Buddha-name together, purifying every cell, every karmic creditor, every attached spirit, and even having the demon crowds chant Namo Amituofo together, you yourself will be purified. The overall effect of this purification is extraordinary. It depends on whether you have this skill, whether you can activate all the cells in your body, and invite your karmic creditors to chant Buddha’s name together. This requires practice.

If your behaviour, physical actions, and thoughts do not gain the approval and respect of the beings, karmic creditors, and demon crowds in your body, making them willing to listen to you or accept your words, how can you lead them to chant this Buddha-name? They are them, and you are you. If it is you chanting, not them, can this Buddha-name be chanted persistently? Because they will rise up to interfere. Some beings have not been activated, have not woken up; that is fine. They are quiet and do not manifest to interfere, so that is no problem. If this cell-being has already woken up, has changed, has been activated, and is preparing for revenge, preparing to collect debts, or if the demon crowds have already targeted how to interfere with you, then in this situation, your Buddha-name will not work. They will not accept it; you chant yours, and they do theirs. In this way, can your Buddha-name be persistent? Can it be chanted thoroughly, skillfully, into the heart, and with total dedication? It is difficult! Even before you pass away, karmic creditors, attached spirits, or demon crowds may appear collectively, manifesting a scene—the voice or image of someone you love most, cannot bear to part with, or miss dearly—to distract you, or the voice or image of someone you hate most to make you feel afflicted. At this time, unless you have meditative concentration in your practice and clearly understand that these are illusions, remaining completely unmoved and continuing to chant this Buddha-name, Namo Amituofo, you will not be able to pass this test!

The Precious Opportunity

Not passing this test means your chanting is interrupted, it is not pure, you are not chanting single-mindedly, and you cannot invite Namo Amituofo to appear before you to take you to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This precious opportunity to be reborn in the West in this lifetime will be lost; it will not come again, and there is no second chance! The result is the cycle of rebirth, following your karmic creditors. If you are a person of great fortune and blessings, and you can meet Practitioner Su, then no matter which realm your spirit goes to, you can have the help of Namo Amituofo. As long as someone in the world is determined to help you with Chao Du, there is a chance to save your spirit, enter the Western Dharma-Nature Land, and enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Such an opportunity is rare and hard to find; it is currently happening at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre!

Therefore, people living at this time should cherish and grasp this opportunity to come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to seek the Dharma, or if living relatives want to do their part to help the deceased with Chao Du for rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, they must do it now. When Namo Amituofo will leave the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is not certain, unless Practitioner Su resides in the human world permanently, or another Dharma Body appears. Practitioner Su is, after all, a human, and there will be a time when the physical body is destroyed; he cannot stay in the human world forever. It is just that the spirit is unborn and undying; his spirit is free and can freely travel to and from the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss at will. This is the result of his practice in this lifetime. Regardless, at this time, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre can help everyone find the spirits of the deceased they wish to save and help them be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Hurry and do it while you can.

I see no one in the past who possessed such skills. As for whether there will be anyone in the future, it depends on whether the next generation has the perseverance and determination to save beings, seek the Dharma, learn, and diligently find their true nature. Moreover, not everyone who finds their true nature has the opportunity to have such skills. Those who have realised their true nature and attained Buddhahood have different skills, but no matter what kind of skill it is, it is all for the sake of saving beings. At this time, the skill of Practitioner Su's Dharma Body is exactly what is needed in the world. And with Namo Amituofo assisting by his side—the Teaching Master of the Western Pure Land—with him there, if you chant Namo Amituofo single-mindedly, even just one to ten times, Namo Amituofo will hear it. Once the Buddha-light shines upon you, there is hope for your rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Such an affordable thing—Chin Kung feels it is too rare and too difficult to come by. Everyone, hurry and grasp the opportunity!

Conclusion

To return to the point, 'right and wrong' are measured by the ruler in everyone's heart, which is a reason for karmic rebirth. Especially if one's ego-attachment and views are strong, if one's subjectivity is strong, and one's personality is rigid, it is very difficult to turn around. The one who suffers the most is oneself; such practice is not easily effective. In practice, unless it is the aforementioned breaking of precepts or violating rules, which are clearly known to be wrong, many things—if one has open eyes, or possesses supernatural powers like reading minds or knowing past lives, or has these powers manifest in one's true nature, or knows the laws of karma and cause and effect of the three lifetimes—one would absolutely not dare to easily say 'you are right and he is wrong' or 'you are wrong and he is right.' Unless one is an awakened being teaching the masses, one must clearly tell beings that acting according to the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way is right, and walking astray or on an evil path is wrong. If an awakened being says so, their words are credible, and everyone should listen. Do not use your own views and perspectives to conflict with the awakened being, and especially do not prioritise your own views. Oh, then you will suffer a great loss. Remember that you are an ordinary person of karma who has not yet transformed your karma; any view or perspective you have is karma. To put it bluntly, that is how it is.

In short, when studying Buddha’s teachings and practising, be careful not to be led away by karma, causing your practice to fall short of success or to regress. At such times, it takes a lot of effort to pull yourself back, or you may need to encounter a true spiritual friend to point out your mistakes so you can improve quickly; otherwise, you will regress, regressing to the same views as everyone else, which is called 'worldly,' and you will no longer be like a practitioner.

This is looking at the overall picture, the mistakes or landmines that ordinary practitioners often step on. Chin Kung brings this up here to provide a reference or suggestion for everyone. After all, Chin Kung has seen much, heard much, and witnessed much! I hope everyone can accept these words with a smile.

Alright, Chin Kung will stop here for today.

Namo Amituofo."