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The Difficulty of Gaining the Freedoms and Advantages
This has four
parts: 1. Identifying
the freedoms and advantages i. The
Freedoms By avoiding
the eight states with no chance for Dharma practice, freedom will always be gained. As this quote
from the Precious Summary (rin po che sdud pa) states, freedom means to be free from the eight states lacking in
opportunity. These eight states lacking freedom are as follows: A hell-being,
hungry ghost, an animal, A barbarian,
a long-lived god, A holder of
wrong views, in a world without a buddha, Or incapable
of understanding—these are the eight states lacking freedom. As this states,
they consist of four non-human states: 1-3) in the three lower realms and 4) as a long-live god, residing in one region of
the heaven of Great Fruition;[1] and four human states: 1) born as a barbarian and such in the uncivilized lands
of the border regions, 2) as someone holding wrong views, who denies the laws of karma, 3) as someone born in a land that
lacks the buddha’s teachings, or 4) incapable of understanding or communicating, because of some impairment to the tongue
or mental faculty. These eight
states are known as states “lacking freedom” because they are without the opportunity to practise the Dharma.
By contrast, an existence that avoids these unfree states is known as “free” or unrestricted, because there is
this an opportunity for Dharma practice. ii.
The Advantages Of the ten advantages,
those favourable circumstances for practising the Dharma which relate to our own individual continuum are referred to as “personal
advantages.” There are five of them, as mentioned in these lines: A human being,
born in a central land, with faculties intact, With lifestyle
uncorrupted and faith in the proper objects. As this says,
the five personal advantages are: 1) to be a human being, 2) to be born in a central land where there are four types of buddhist
follower (monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen), 3) to possess intact faculties free from any impairment, such as the inability
to communicate, 4) to uphold a lifestyle that is uncorrupted, meaning that one has not committed the crimes with immediate
retribution and so on, and 5) to have faith in the teachings, which are the source of all virtue and good. Likewise, it
is also said: A buddha has
come, taught the Dharma, These teachings
still remain and have followers, And there are
those who are kind and loving to others. This says that
1) a buddha has come to this world, 2) he has taught the sacred Dharma, 3) these teachings still survive, 4) there are other
individuals who follow them, and 5) there are benefactors who generously provide food, clothing and the like to these followers.
Since these five favourable circumstances for practising the Dharma pertain to others, they are referred to as the “circumstantial
advantages”. A physical existence
which has these qualities of freedom and advantage is praised again and again in the teachings as being the perfect support
for Dharma practice. 2. The
Difficulty of Gaining the Freedoms and Advantages i. In
Terms of their Cause Generally, it
is said that even to gain an existence in the higher realms depends on the cause of carrying out abundant positive actions,
and that for someone who lacks virtue and who has committed harmful deeds it is extremely difficult even to hear the name
of higher realms. As it says in the Introduction to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life: Once there,
never doing any good, And only amassing
harmful deeds, Not for a hundred
million aeons, Will I ever
hear of happy realms.[2] Above all, an
existence complete with all the perfect freedoms and advantages can not be attained without accumulating virtue on a vast
scale, because the difference between positive and negative forms of life must come about due to their respective causes,
which are positive or negative actions. In fact, there
are very few beings who possess the cause, which is abundant virtue. As it says in the Four Hundred Verses: For the most
part, human beings Cling to unwholesome
ways. These ordinary
beings are therefore Surely destined
for lower realms.[3] As this says,
since most living beings, including humans, are entirely caught up in unwholesome ways, they will surely be drawn to lower
realms. ii.
In Terms of Nature If we consider
the other classes of beings, even a basic human existence is as rare as a star in broad daylight. This is because the beings
of the six classes come into existence like masses of grains. If we consider only those animals who wander on the surface
of the earth, and only those in plain sight, we can verify this through our own experience. If we consider how many animals
we can see, either on land or in water, just in our own field of vision, or how many living organisms exist within our own
body, we can immediately realize just how slim is the chance of gaining a human body. What need is there to mention therefore
how difficult it is to gain a human body complete with all the freedoms and advantages? In this respect, we can consider that
even during aeons of light—as opposed to the aeons of darkness in which even the name of the buddhas is not heard—there
are still places pervaded by the light of the sacred Dharma and places that are not. Even if we are born in a land where the
Dharma has reached, there is still a difference between those who are suitable vessels for the Dharma and those who are not.
Even those are suitable must first come across the Dharma teachings and a spiritual guide who can teach them, and having met
them, they must be inspired, and then enter the path. And having entered the path, complete it. If we consider how rare this
is, we can compare it to an Udumbara flower. In consideration of this point, the Gandavyuha Sutra says: It is rare to
escape the eight states lacking opportunity. It is rare to
become a human being. It is rare to
find perfect freedom. It is rare for
a buddha to appear… The text continues
in some detail. We also find the following lines in the Prajnaparamita: Friends, it
is rare to find perfect freedom. It is rare to be born a human being. iii.
In Terms of Examples The Introduction
to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life says: That is why
the Lord Buddha has said, That hard as
it might be for a turtle to place Its neck through
a yoke adrift upon the ocean, Extremely difficult
it is to gain a human life.[4] As this says,
the sutras tell us that it is as difficult to gain a human body as it is for a one-eyed turtle living in the ocean’s
depths and rising to its surface only once every hundred years to place its neck through a yoke that is floating upon the
surface and blown by the wind in all directions. 3. The
immense significance of gaining them This physical
existence, which is so difficult to obtain, is extremely significant, for it can be used to cross over the river of suffering.
As it says in the Introduction to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life: Take advantage
of this boat, the human body, To free yourself
from the great river of suffering, Since this boat
will be hard to find again, Now is not the
time for sleep, you fool![5] In practising
the Mahayana path especially, a support such as this is highly praised. As it says in the Letter to a Disciple: The path followed
and taught by the Buddha in order to guide the world Is within the
reach of human beings with strength of heart, But cannot be
attained by the gods, nagas, Asuras, garudas,
vidyadharas, kinnaras or uragas.[6] 4. The
consequent logic of using them meaningfully Since it is
possible to accomplish liberation and omniscience on the basis of this hugely significant existence, which is so difficult
to find, when we understand that it is of even greater value to us than a wish-fulfilling jewel, it is only right that we
put our energy into making the best use of it. The Letter
to a Disciple says: Having found
this state, we can escape the ocean of rebirth, And sow the
virtuous seeds of supreme awakening. This human life
is more valuable even than a wishing-gem— Who could let
it go to waste without bearing fruit?[7] Having gained
this perfect human existence, to then use it for harmful actions is described as the most foolish thing one could possibly
do. As the Letter to a Friend puts it: Even more stupid
than one who cleans up vomit Using a golden
vase bedecked with jewels, Is the one who,
having been born a human, Devotes his
life to committing harmful deeds.[8] And the Introduction
to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life says: Having found
freedom such as this, If I do not
then train myself in virtue, What greater
deception could there be? What folly could
compare with this?[9] We might think
that we will not devote this present existence to virtuous actions, but will do so in lives to come, but that would be a mistake.
As the Introduction to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life tells us: And with a lifestyle
such as this, I’ll never
again find a human body, And if a human
form is not attained There will be
only harm, not virtue.[10] Those beings
who are bereft of positive conduct will be unable to gain the higher realms at all, and with a form in the lower realms they
will have no possibility of cultivating a wealth of virtue, but will be overcome by suffering and negativity. The Introduction
to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life also says: Now I have the
chance to practise virtue, But if I do
not act in wholesome ways, Then what shall
I do when bewildered By all the misery
of the lower realms?[11] Reflect again
and again on these reasons as to why this body with its freedoms and advantages is difficult to obtain, why it is of great
significance, and why it is right to make full use of it. Make the firm decision that you will devote yourself to the Dharma
as the way to make this life meaningful. And since it is certain that the supreme Dharma is bodhichitta in both its aspects,
put all your heart and soul into making it arise, remain and increase. As a way to stay mindful of this you can recite the
following verse from the Introduction to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life and contemplate its meaning: This free and
well-favoured human form is difficult to obtain. Now that you
have the chance to realise the full human potential If you don’t
make good use of this opportunity, How could you
possibly expect to have such a chance again?[12] Extremely
difficult to obtain, this support for many qualities, This boat
for crossing over the great river of suffering, Greater
than a wishing gem, this human form, free and well-favoured— Intelligent
ones, how could you not employ it for your own and others’ good? |
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