A Parable

Chapter 3

 

Then packs of dogs came running to grab them, hungry, weak and terrified, seeking food everywhere. Once the flesh and bones were scattered about, the dogs came to fight over the leftovers. Hungry represents not understanding the Buddhadharma. If you do not understand the Buddhadharma, you are hungry. When your Dharmabody is not perfected you are weak. So, people who have not heard the Buddhadharma are hungry and weak. Terrified means they were very frightened, very upset, not serene at all, running hither and thither, seeking food everywhere. The dogs came running to the scene greedy for food. This represents greed which is also one of the Five Dull Servants. Because they cannot get any food, they fight for it.

Fighting and shoving, snarling, howling and barking. The terrors in that house, and the sights were such as these. The dogs were fighting, showing their teeth. They were howling and barking. Things were absolutely terrifying in that house of the five skandhas. From the beginning of the verse to this point we have been talking about greed, hatred, stupidity, arrogance, and doubt, the Five Dull Servants. Below, we will be talking about the Five Quick Servants. The Five Dull Servants turn people totally upside-down. They may want to wake up a bit, but it is not easy. They are as if tied up by the Five Dull Servants in this house where it is very dangerous. We better quickly find a way to slay the five Dull Servants. That would not be a case of breaking the precepts, either, so do not worry about that.

Li Mei and Wang Liang were everywhere. Yakshas and evil ghosts were eating human flesh. “Everywhere” speaking in broad terms means the entire three realms. In more specific terms, it refers to our bodies. No matter whether you speak of it in terms of the three realms or the body, there are these creatures everywhere.

Li is a kind of ghost that stays very far away from people. Where are they found? They dwell in the mountains. They are weird creatures in the mountains, also called mountain essences.

The weird creatures you find in your house are called mei, and they play tricks on people. There are many kinds of them. There are very obvious ones; they can play all kinds of uncanny tricks and do thing which ordinary people cannot even perceive.

Wang liang ghosts are transformations of stone or wood. After a long period of time, rocks can come to life. Not very many of them do this. For a rock to come to life it must have been touched with human blood. In fact, anything that touched with human blood, specifically blood from a fingertip, can come to life. It does so by means of the person’s blood and vital energy. The wang liang are the largest type of ghosts. They are as big as mountains. Sometimes Chinese people run into these ghosts while they are out walking at night. They try to walk forward, but it is as if there is a mountain blocking them and they cannot move forward. I remember one of my brothers met one of these ghosts at night. When this happens no matter what you do you cannot walk to any other place. You are stuck right there until dawn when the cock crows and then you can go again.

Li and mei are very tiny ghosts, about three feet high. Wang liang are sometimes thirty, forty, or even three hundred feet high.

These lines represent the Five Quick Servants. Previously we spoke about the Five Dull Servants and now we are speaking about the Five Quick Servants. They are:

1. The view of body.

2. Extreme views.

3. Views of unprincipled morality.

4. Deviant views.

5. Views of grasping at views.

The Five Dull Servants are called “dull” because they come on slowly. Quickly means that they come on very fast and are very sharp. The Five Quick Servants also turn people upside-down. They make them attached. They cause them to do wrong things.

The view of a body. The view of a body means that one is always attached to one’s body. From morning until night one works on its behalf, buying it a little candy or sprinkling it with a little perfume, giving it some nice clothes and a nice place to live. That is called being attached to the body. One thinks “My body is just me!” Actually, that is wrong. How is it wrong? The body can only be said to belong to you. You can say, “It is mine.” But you cannot say, “It is me.” Why not? The body is like a house. When you are living in a house you cannot tell people “My house is me.” You can just say, “It is mine.” Ultimately, you are not your body. Do not mistake the real owner. If you are attached to the body as yourself, you are wrong.

I always say, if you look from the tip of the head to the soles of your feet, your head is called your head, your eyes are called eyes, your ears are called ears, your hair is called hair, your nose is called nose, the mouth is called mouth, the skin is called the skin, the hands are called hands, the feet are called feet. Everything has its name. Which one of them is called “me”? You can look all over your entire body, and you would not find a “me”. It is not you. It belongs to you, that’s all. If you calculate on its behalf all the time, when, as the poet T’ao Yuan-ming said in his poem “The Return,” your mind is acting as your body’s slave. Your mind is your true self, the real owner in charge. They body is just like a house. The owner lives in the body. Here we are talking about the eternally dwelling real mind, the bright substance of the pure nature. That is really you, really me. It is also called the Thus Come One’s Storehouse. It is also called the Buddha nature.

So do not mistakenly think that the body is you. It is yours; it is not you. The real you is not produced and not destroyed, not defiled and not pure, not increasing and not decreasing. That is the real you. But instead of recognizing that real you, you recognize the false self and think that superficial thing, the body, is really you. If it is really you, then when the body dies, will you disappear too? If you disappear, that is really meaningless. That is just a view of annihilation, which brings us to the second of the Five Quick Servants.

The view of taking sides. There are two sides: eternalism and annihilationism. In fact, when people die it is like their house has broken down and they have to move to a new one. They move to a new body. Where do they move to? It depends on what kind of karma they have created. If you create good karma, you move to a nice place. If you create evil karma, you move to an evil place. Death, then, is definitely not annihilation. We should see through the view of a body and put it down. Do not be attached to the view of a body.

To be attached either to eternalism or to annihilationism are the two kinds of attachments of non-Buddhist religions. The view of annihilation states, “When one dies it is like the lamp goes out. It is all over. If you do good, there is no retribution incurred. There is no retribution, either, for doing evil. If you do good deeds, when you die it is all over. If you do evil, again, when you die it is all over. There is no rebirth. So, do not believe in cause and effect. You do not have to because there is no cause and effect.”

These people deny cause and effect. They do not say that if you do good deeds you can become a Buddha or if you do evil things you can become a ghost. They do not believe in ghosts, they do not believe in the Buddha, and in fact, they do not even believe in people! They think of people like grass or trees that get born and then die, and that is it. When one dies, another is born, but there is no rebirth of any specific living thing. One dies and another takes its place, that’s all. What dies is forever dead; what is born is born anew. Because they do not believe in the revolution of the law of cause and effect, they deny the existence of the six paths of rebirth.

On the other side of the coin are those who hold to the extreme view of eternalism. They sat that once you become a person it does not matter whether you do good or evil because you will always be a person. If you are a ghost, you are always going to be a ghost. Buddhas are always Buddhas. There is no change. God is eternal and he will always be god. Horses and cows will always be horses and cows. They said one never changes. Why not? Because you have that seed. People have the seed of people, animals have the seed of animals. Ghosts have the seed of ghosts. If you fall into the hells you will always be there because you have the hell-seed in you. Everything is fixed and absolute.

In reality there is nothing that is fixed for sure. There are no fixed dharmas. But they say that everything is fixes. There are no transformations. It is all ironclad. God is the only god. No one else can be god. That is the view of eternalism. Eternalism and annihilationism are the two views held by non-Buddhist religions. No matter how good you are you will never be god because the whole show is fixed. They say you must believe in god. If you believe in god, even if you do evil, you will go to heaven. See? If you do not believe in god, no matter how many good things you do, you are still going to fall into hells. God! There is no true principle involved here. It does not even make sense! That is the view of eternalism.

Annihilationism and eternalism are both extreme views. They are not in accord with the Middle Way. For example, if someone has extreme views about another person, that is, if he is prejudiced on their behalf, then that other person can do terrible things, but they will overlook it and say that that person is good. There is a person here, in fact, who thinks that way about himself. He makes up principles on the spot to suit his motives, but makes them sound very logical because his views are extreme. This is sophistry. He thinks that his opinions are correct. He thinks, to put it bluntly, that he is better than everyone else.

In China we say that such a person is holding on to a poop and if you offered him a doughnut, he would not trade you. He has got a big poop in his hand, but if you offered him a cookie or a nice piece of pastry, he would not let go of that poop to accept your gift. No way! That is just being extreme. Han! Extreme views, extreme indeed…Extreme views are very difficult to reform because they arise very quickly. They are also entirely unprincipled, and that is why they are called “extreme” views.

Now, people all have within them the cause of realizing Buddhahood. However, you have to go and do it. Eventhough you have causal conditions for realizing Buddhahood, if you do not do the work, you will not arrive at that position. If you do the work, you will naturally arrive at your goal. For example, before studying the Buddhadharma, people may do a lot of confused things. A lot of young people take drugs and turn into “stoned” people. That is one thing when you have not studied the Buddhadharma, because you have no true understanding of what it means to be human.

But after you have studied the Buddhadharma, you have to change. You cannot continue to use drugs. If you do, you are deliberately violating the rules, just like the person I just talked about who is holding on to a poop and will not accept a doughnut. I have brought up this analogy hoping that everyone will quickly wake up. If you have never taken drugs, that is even better. If you are still taking them, then put that turn down right now!! Do not be a dung-beetle, because if you live in the excrement too long you will turn into one for sure. If you get out of there fast, you still have a chance to find out what it is like to be human and have a share in the human race. In fact, you can even set up the causes for becoming a Buddha.

Views of unprincipled morality. This refers to non-Buddhist religions who practice unprincipled morality. They grasp at morality saying that what is not a cause is a cause, and what is not an effect is an effect.

What is meant by “taking what is not a cause as a cause?” They cultivate unbeneficial ascetic practices. They say that in doing this they can attain Nirvana and the fruit of highest bliss. Their asceticism is a side-trip as far as cultivation goes. Because they do cultivate asceticism, some of them may open their Heavenly Eyes. Then, they may see cows or dogs, pigs or chickens who have been born in the heavens. Seeing this, they decide to imitate the cows, dogs, pigs, and chickens. They eat grass along with the cows instead of eating regular food because they think it will get them into heaven with the cows. They think that the reason the cow was born in the heaven is because it eats grass! They think that eating grass is a very pure precept, purer than just not eating meat. They think it is the optimal vegetarian diet! This is called keeping “cow precepts.”

Others imitate dogs. Dogs live outside in doghouses, and they watch the door for people. They think that this gives the dogs merit and that their ascetic practices are real cultivation. They imitate the dogs and live in doghouses! They act like dogs, too. Dogs eat excrement and so do they. They eat what dogs eat. They also imitate chickens and pigs. These are the ascetic practices cultivated by non-Buddhist religions. Because of their asceticism, sometimes they are born in the heavens. Within the framework of their unprincipled precepts they do cultivate the ten good acts. They are attached, though. They are attached to “taking what is not a cause as a cause and what is not an effect as an effect.” Basically, their thinking does not make sense.

Some non-Buddhist religions practice sleeping on the ground like pigs. They roll in ashes until you cannot recognize them at all. Others pound nails in a board and sleep on the nails. Sometimes the nails stick them and they bleed. They claim, “I am really an outstanding ascetic. You all could not do this because you are afraid of pain. I sleep right on the nails and I am not afraid they are going to poke me.”

Others say, “You all sleep lying down. Well, watch this!” and they tie two ropes around their feet and sleep hanging upside-down. It is hart to sleep that way, al right, but they think it is real good cultivation because nobody else can do it. Others do not eat. They do not eat food, that is. Everybody else eats food, but not them. When they are hungry they eat dirt. They say that this is the true, natural, organic way of life. There is so much dirt on the earth; might as well live on it. They do not have to eat very much of it either. A little bit goes a long way. These are all examples of unprincipled morality, unbeneficial bitter practices. What good are they? No good at all. Still, they like to practice them.

Deviant views. Deviant means improper. For example, cultivators of the Way should be filial to their parents, but people with deviant views say it is not necessary. “What good is it? Do not bother. They give birth to children and that is their job. You do not have to be filial to them,” they say.

Killing is wrong, but they say, “The more you kill, the better.” The first of the five precepts prohibits killing, but they instruct people to kill. Would you call that deviant or not? Stealing is also not right, but they use all kinds of methods to teach people how to steal. If someone does not know how to steal, they teach them how.

Sexual misconduct is wrong, too, but they teach people to engage in it. One should not lie, either, but they teach people how to lie. They say, “Do not listen to that stuff about not lying. Everybody lies. Some people just cheat and get away with it. Do not believe in that.” That is a deviant view. Taking intoxicants is against the precepts, but they say it does not matter. Some people like to smoke and claim that in the five precepts, the precept against taking intoxicants does not include tobacco. “Smoking is not breaking the precepts,” they say, but that is a deviant view. Other people say, “You are a vegetarian and do not eat meat? But all the cows and sheep and pigs were made to be eaten. If you do not eat them what use are they?” They have their reasoning, but their views are deviant. In general what is right they say is wrong. They think up ways to say things that will make you go along with their deviant understanding and deviant views.

Views of grasping at views. When they see things they want to take them and make them their own. No matter what kind of finagling they have to go through, they find ways to help themselves out. They are showing their selfishness.

These Five Quick Servants block your genuine wisdom like five servants surrounding you so you cannot do anything freely. They control you so you have to listen to them. They lock you up.

Students of the Buddhadharma, now that you know about these Five Quick Servants, you should pick up your wisdom sword and slay them all. After you have done so you can transcend the three realms.

This has been a general discussion of the Five Quick Servants. If one were to explain them in detail one would not finish to the end of an aeon.

Someone asks, “You say that cows and dogs, pigs and chickens were born in the heavens? How could that be? If they did not cultivate how could they be born there? If it is that easy it is no wonder the non-Buddhists tried to imitate them. Everyone could do it and be born in the heavens.”

That is a good question. The non-Buddhists had the penetration of the Heavenly Eye and they could see these animals had been born in the heavens. What they could not see was the reason why they were born in the heavens. The cows, for example, had been born there because they had worked in the fields of a monastery, pulling carts, plowing fields, and things like that. They established a lot of merit for themselves by working for the Buddhadharma and with that merit and virtue they were born in the heavens. The dogs had saved people’s lives.

One dog really loved his master. One day his master fell asleep in a thicket. Actually, he passed out from having too much to drink. Anyway, he was asleep in the grass and the grass caught fire. The dog starting barking madly, but since the man was so drunk, he did not hear it. So the dog ran to the river and jumped in, got himself all wet and filled his mouth up with water. Then he ran and rolled over and over in the fire and spit out the water and put out the fire. Since he gained merit and virtue from saving his master, he was reborn in the heavens. It was because of the merit he gained that he was born in the heavens. It was not because he watched the door or ate excrement.

And it was not because the cow ate grass that it was born in the heavens. The pigs and the chickens were sent to a temple by people who decided to give them away instead of killing them for food. While they lived at the temple they heard people recite Sutras in the mornings and in the evenings they heard people recite the Buddha’s name. They started reciting Sutras and the Buddha’s name in their hearts along with the people. Because of the merit and virtue they gained by hearing the Sutras and the Buddha’s name, they were born in the heavens.

But those of non-Buddhist religions with their Heavenly Eyes only saw them up there in the heavens and did not know the real reason why they were born there. They simply slavishly imitated their behavior, hoping to be born in the heavens too. They never asked why they were born there. They just copied them and expected to get results. But we have to know the reasons behind things. How do beings get born in the heavens? What makes them fall into the hells? We should understand these things. It is not right just to cultivate in a haphazard manner. You need genuine wisdom. You should look into things deeply and gain a true understanding of them.

From the sentence “Yakshas and evil ghosts eating human flesh” to the sentence “The sound of their quarreling was dreadful to the extreme” discusses the first of the Five Quick Servants, deviant views. Li mei and wang liang and yakshas have a shadow, but no material form. They do things in a very sneaky manner, not out in the open. So they are like people with deviant views who do things in a very shadowy, dark manner. They do not see the sky. They do not see the light.

Yakshas and evil ghosts were eating human flesh. Human flesh represents good retribution. If you do good deeds, you gain good retribution; if you do evil deeds, you gain evil retribution. Eating human flesh represents the denial of cause and effect. People who deny cause and effect say, “You need not be afraid of cause and effect.” In this way, it is as if they were “eating” the good retribution. They eat it all up so there is no more. They say “There is no cause and effect, so do not worry about it. There is no hell. There is no heaven. What is all this about creating offense karma? Do whatever you like! There are no offenses and there is no merit.

The world is a free place. Do what you want to do. If you want to kill, kill. If you want to steal, go ahead. If you like the opposite sex, well, do as you please. Do not worry about it. If you can cheat people and get away with it, more power to you. If you have wine to drink, what is the problem? There is nothing in this world finer that drinking wine, anyway. Why worry about all that stuff?” Hah! This is called “eating human flesh,” taking all the good retribution and eating it right up. Would you say this was extreme or not? These verses represent deviant views.

There were poisonous creatures of all kinds, and evil birds and beasts, hatching their young, each protecting its own. There were snakes, scorpions, etc. and wolves, and all kinds of evil animals. There were fierce birds like hawks who eat deer. The birds protected their young and did not let anyone see them. The animals gave birth to their young and protected them, too. If someone saw them they might steal and eat them. So they hid them. This is also an analogy for cause and effect in the world.

Where there is a cause, there is certainly bound to be an effect. You could say that the effect is hidden in the cause. As you plant the cause, although the effect does not manifest at that time, still it is hidden there and in the future will certainly manifest. Where there is a cause, there will be an effect, and this is what is meant by “hidden.” That effect is certain to be manifested and will not be lost and that is what is meant by “protected.” The cause will not be lost. This is an analogy for cause and effect. If you plant a good cause you will reap good fruit; if you plant an evil cause you will reap an evil fruit. It is for sure. No matter how you try, you cannot get out of cause and effect. It remains, as it were, “hidden and protected.”

Yakshas raced to the spot fighting one another to eat them. Because there were not too many things to eat, and there were a lot of yakshas, they had to fight to get something to eat. This represents the denial of cause and effect. They think that there is neither cause nor effect. So they fight with one another to eat them.

Having eaten their fill, their evil thoughts grew more inflamed. This line represents the accomplishment of their deviant views. Before their deviant views have become a reality, they simply have thoughts of deviant views. Now their deviant views have manifested in reality and so they eat and are filled. Once their deviant views have become realized, then they increase. Day by day their deviant views increase. Day by day they grow larger. The sound of their quarreling, was dreadful to the extreme. They fought and argued. There is a saying,

“Debating, thoughts of victory and defeat
Stand in contradiction to the Way;
Giving rise to the four-mark mind,
How can Samadhi be attained?”

The four marks are the mark of self, of others, of living beings and of a lifespan. Once there is the mark of self, then there is a mark of others. The mark of self plus the mark of others turns into the mark of living beings. Once there are living beings, then there is a lifespan. You cannot attain Samadhi that way. The sound of their quarreling represents the deviant debates carried on by those who deny cause and effect.

Basically, there is no principle in what they say, but they make it sound like there is. The sound was dreadful to the extreme. Terrifying, just horrifying. This line represents people who hearing these deviant debates, become confused. Once they are confused, they create evil karma. Creating evil karma, they fall into the three evil paths. It is really scary. Once you fall into the three evil paths it is hard to get out again. Perhaps some special causal condition will enable you to get out, but still it is very, very hard.

Kumbhanda ghosts, were squatting on high ground, sometimes leaving the ground a foot or two, as they wandered to and fro amusing themselves as they wished, grabbing dogs by two legs, and striking them so they lost their bark, twisting their legs around their necks, frightening the dogs for their own pleasure. These verses represent the third of the Five Quick Servants, that is views of unprincipled morality.

Kumbhanda ghosts are ghosts that look like watermelons. They do not have any head and they do not have any feet. They are round. They are also called yen mei, and they stay far away from people, except at night when they go and sit on them. When you wake up, they run far away. When you go to sleep, they come to get you. They are like great big melons who sit right down on you and make you feel like you can hardly breathe. You cannot talk; you cannot move. You are paralyzed. They have a dharma they do to cause you to be unable to speak. You can stare out into space, but you cannot say anything. Some people even get crushed to death by them. Kumbhandas represent the views of unprincipled morality.

The ghosts were squatting on high ground and this represents the six heavens in the realm of desire. These heavens are like “high places.” In non-Buddhist religions, they keep the cow, dog, pig and chicken precepts and by keeping to their unprincipled morality they cultivate the ten good acts and thereby gain rebirth in the various desire heavens.

1. The heaven of the four kings.

2. The heaven of the Thirty-three.

3. The suyama heaven.

4. The tushita heaven.

5. The nirmanarati heaven.

6. The paranirmitavashavartin heaven.

The ghosts sometimes leave the ground a foot or two. This represents those non-Buddhists, who, relying on unprincipled morality, cultivate the Way. One foot off the ground represents ascending to the form realm to be born in the Four Dhyanas. Two feet off the ground represents their ascending to the formless realm to be born in the four formless concentrations.

They wandered to and fro: “To” represents those being born in the form and formless realms. “Fro” represents those returning to be born in the desire realm again. Within the three realms we are sometimes born in the upper realms and sometimes we fall into the lower realms. People in this world are in an extremely dangerous position. We are like motes of dust suddenly high, suddenly low, suddenly above, suddenly below. In the burning house of the three realms, if you do deeds of merit and virtue, you will be born in the heavens.

If you create offenses, you will fall into the hells or turn into an animal or a hungry ghost. So it is very dangerous. The motes of dust float with the wind. They go where the wind blows, from one place to another. People float with the wind of their karma. The karma you create, if good, will enable you to be born in the heavens. If you create evil karma, you will fall into the hells. That is what is meant by the sentence of text “As they wandered to and fro.”

“Amusing themselves freely” means just doing whatever they feel like doing, that is, not following the rules. Freely means being lazy and doing what you like. They played and sported in the three realms thinking it a lot of fun, when actually it is very dangerous. This line represents people not understanding true principle and having no real happiness. All their happiness is nothing more than a kind of shallow amusement, like going to a play. Is the pleasure of watching a play ultimately real or not? Does it last? It is entirely false.

The ghosts grab the dogs by two legs and strike them so they loose their bark. This represents those non-Buddhist religions who cultivate ascetic practices. They falsely think that their bitter practices will eventually bring about the realization of their karma of the Way. In reality, their ascetic practices are all without benefit. They imitate the dogs, pigs, chickens and cows. What is the use of such practices? Eating grass? Eating excrement? Rolling in ashes? No use. Grabbing them by the two legs represents those who cultivate unbeneficial ascetic practices and falsely think that they will gain the fruit of purity. Striking tem so they loose their bark represents those non-Buddhists who, in cultivating their unbeneficial ascetic practices take what is not a cause to be a cause. They think, “Now I am cultivating ascetic practices and things are certainly going to be good for me in the future. I will not reap any bitter fruit.” That is just taking what is not a cause to be a cause.

Twisting their legs around their necks represents non-Buddhists and their bitter practices, taking what is not an effect to be an effect. They will not gain the result of happiness, but they falsely think that their practices will result in happiness, in the fruit of Nirvana.

They frighten the dogs for their own pleasure. When the dogs are scared they cry out. The ghosts are really happy because the dogs are afraid of them. When the dogs are afraid of them, they are delighted. This represents those of non-Buddhist religions using their unbeneficial bitter practices to temporarily subdue their afflictions. This is like using a rock to smother grass. Their afflictions are like the grass and their bitter practices are like the big rock. The rock may cover the grass, but as soon as you remove the rock, the grass grows right back, even thicker than before because you have not pulled the grass out by its roots. Non-Buddhist ascetics may subdue their more obvious afflictions temporarily, but they do not wipe them out at the root. Sometimes they attain a bit of the flavor of Dhyana. What is the flavor of Dhyana? It is bliss, great happiness. This is the stage where one is just on the verge of attaining the first Dhyana, the stage of the bliss of leaving production.

Further there were ghosts, their bodies very tall and large, naked, black and thin, always dwelling therein, emitting loud and evil sounds, howling in search of food. These lines represent the first of the Five Quick Servants, the view of a body. There were many different kinds of ghosts, fat ghosts and thin ghosts, black ghosts and white ghosts, and naked ghosts. Some were very tall, as big as those wang liang we talked about before. Some had no clothes and some were black, with no flesh on their bones at all. They were all within the burning house.

“Tall” represents the assumption of a self which pervades, vertically, the three periods of time, past, present and future. “Large” represents the assumption of a self which pervades, horizontally, the five skandhas.

“Naked” means that they are very free and do not cultivate good dharmas; they have no shame. They do not feel that they are wrong because they have no shame. People without shame are as if naked. Only a shameless person would run around without any clothes on, someone who did not realize how ugly he was.

“Black” means that they adorn themselves with offense and evil. Because their entire being is pervaded with offense and evil they are said to be black. “Thin” means that they have no merit or virtue whatsoever to help them. One without merit or virtue is as if very thin. They are always within the burning house, in the three realms, and do not think to get out. They never get out. They are always there.

Emitting loud and evil sounds. This represents those of non-Buddhist religions who proclaim their doctrines of various types of marks of self. They never get away from the concept of a self. They cultivate various non-Buddhist ascetic practices and so they are emitting loud and evil sounds because their mark of self is too heavy.

Howling in search of food. Howling, they cry out for food. The black ghosts have nothing to eat. Those skinny, black, naked ghosts with a view of a body are starving! They scream out with loud, evil sounds for people to give them something to eat. This represents their false assumption that there is a self which can attain Nirvana. Having the mark of self, the attachment to self, they think to attain Nirvana. So they howl in search of food, the food, here, being Nirvana.

And what is Nirvana? It is not produced and not destroyed. It is marked with the Four Virtues of permanence, happiness, true self, and purity. With the mark of self, they try to attain Nirvana. This is just false thinking! As long as you have the mark of self you cannot attain Nirvana. If you wish to attain Nirvana, you must break through the attachment to self. Do not attach to self. If you attach to self and try to attain Nirvana, it will be impossible to do so.

Further there were ghosts with throats like needles. These lines represent the fifth of the Five Quick Servants, the view of grasping at views. These ghosts had throats as skinny as needles, but their stomachs, let me tell you, were as big as bass drums! Do you think, with a shape like this, that they could ever get full? No matter how much they ate they would never get full because their stomachs were too big and their throats too small. In fact, it takes a tremendous amount of time for them to even drink a mouthful of water. Would you say that was suffering or not?

Ghosts like these represent the view of grasping at views. With such little needle-throats, their very lives are in danger. They are constantly running around looking for food. This represents those who have attained to the heaven of neither perception nor non-perception and assume that it is Nirvana. Basically, this heaven is impermanent, even though the lifespan of one born there is eighty-thousand great aeons. When that time is up, they still fall. Those in the heaven of neither perception nor non-perception think that they have attained Nirvana. They are like the ghosts with the needle-throats.

previous    next    Introduction    Contents

Chapter 3 pages:  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    

16    17    18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25

return to top