Please spare few minutes to listen the awaken one's advice.
1) first          evil
        [35] The Buddha said, "The first evil is this. Devas, humans and          lesser beings, including even those that crawl, are bent on doing evil.          There is no being that is not. The strong subdue the weak; all inflict          serious injuries and kill each other, all devour their prey. Not knowing          how to do good, they commit evil and do outrageous and unruly deeds. Later,          they receive retribution, it is natural that they should be destined to          evil realms. Demigods keep records of offenders' acts and make sure that          they are punished. That is why some are poor and destitute, corrupt, beggarly,          lonely, deaf, dumb, blind, stupid, wicked, physically handicapped, deranged,          or subnormal. But others are honorable, noble, wealthy, intelligent, or          clever. This is the result of good and meritorious acts of benevolence          and the performance of their duties to their parents in past lives.
        "In this world prisons are set up by the law, and those who are unafraid          of them and commit offenses are sent there for punishment. However desperately          they may wish to escape, it is impossible to do so. Such is retribution          in this world, but in the lives to come, punishment is longer and more          severe for such evildoers. The suffering of transmigration through dark          and dismal realms is comparable to the severest and most painful punishment          ever enforced by law.
        "Thus, through the natural working of karma, they undergo immeasurable          suffering in the three evil realms. In successive transmigrations they          are reborn into different forms; their life-spans are sometimes long and          sometimes short. Their transient selves, vital energy and consciousness          transmigrate through the natural working of karma. Although each individual          is reborn alone, those bound by common karma come to be born together          and take revenge upon each other. So this condition persists endlessly          and, until the effect of their evil karma is exhausted, there is no possibility          of avoiding their enemies. Floundering in Samsara, they have no chance          of escape or of attaining emancipation. The pain that they must undergo          is indescribable. Since this law naturally obtains everywhere between          heaven and earth, even if good or evil acts do not immediately bring about          reward or retribution, they will certainly result sooner or later. This          I call the first great evil, the first suffering, and the first burning.          Those afflictions are such that they are comparable to a huge fire burning          people alive.
        "If in the midst of this, one controls one's thoughts with single-mindedness,          does worthy deeds with proper demeanor, commits no evil, and performs          only good, then with the merit and virtue acquired one reaches emancipation          and is able to escape from this world, be reborn in heavenly realms, and          finally reach Nirvana. This is the first great good."
Saturday, October 15, 2011
The first evil
Posted by coolingstar9 at 6:30 AM
Labels: The first evil
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