The Suffering of the Human World

Words of Namo Amituofo, recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on the first of July, 2023.

The Hidden Nature of Suffering

In this human world, which is filled with suffering, many of you may believe that you have not yet truly known what suffering is. You might think that because you have not yet personally endured the harsh realities of Aging, sickness, and death, you are exempt from the weight of this world. Perhaps you believe that because you have not experienced the painful separations of loved ones, or because you have lived a life of comfort without having endured suffering, you are somehow untouched by the nature of this realm.

Yes, it is true that this ignorance is one of the many faces of suffering in the human world. It is a subtle form of delusion that keeps you from seeing the reality of your existence.

The Trap of Clinging to the Past

There is a deeper, more profound suffering that you must recognise. It is the suffering that arises when you fail to understand that all experiences are transient—they arise and then they fade away. Because you cannot find the way back to the past, you become deeply mired in your current state of mind. You cling to your suffering, grasping it tightly as if it were a treasure, and because of this, you are unable to walk free. You become lost within the very emotion you have created.

The Endless Cycle of Karmic Conditions

If you could truly understand that your feelings of suffering are also born from Causal Conditions and will eventually cease, you would realise that they are not permanent. Consider the following truths regarding your experiences:

• At the very moment you feel the sting of suffering, you have already planted a new cause.
• When the conditions mature, you will inevitably experience the corresponding karmic fruit.
• Once the conditions have exhausted themselves and you have tasted the fruit of that karma, that specific cycle of laws of karma and cause and effect is concluded.

However, whether this truly marks the end of your suffering depends on your state of mind while you are experiencing the fruit of your karma. If, while enduring this result, you generate new attachments or create further karmic conditions and the causes and effects with others, you are merely continuing the cycle.

The Path to True Purity

These experiences of karmic conditions and the causes and effects are constantly playing out within the cycle of rebirth. They extend far into your future lives, causing your heart to experience constant fluctuations, rising and falling like waves in a turbulent sea. People in the secular world have become accustomed to this way of life, living day after day within these same patterns of emotional upheaval.

If you wish to break this cycle, you must stop continuing these connections. When a connection reaches its conclusion, you must let it go. To truly sever these ties, you must ensure that there is no lingering attachment in your heart. If your thoughts remain connected to the past, you are still bound by those ties; this is not the true cessation of karma.

For those of you who are dedicated to your practice, you must ask yourselves:

• How can one maintain a pure heart in the midst of such a turbulent life?
• How can one clearly see one's own problems, faults, personality flaws, and deep-seated habits?

This is why it is necessary for a practitioner to let go of the home and abandon desires. Only when you have completely let go within your heart can your practice truly reach fruition. Namo Amituofo.