Today, I want to highlight that using Buddhist terms to criticise those who have reached enlightenment is referred to as “arrogance” (adhimāna) in Buddhism. If someone uses the words of the Bodhisattva to attack an awakened individual while studying the Buddha-dharma, such behaviour is termed as arrogance in Buddhist teachings. Such an individual hasn’t genuinely engaged in practice or sincerely cultivated their mind. “Arrogance” in this context refers to those who seem to be making progress on their spiritual journey and might even have some spiritual achievements, but display conceit. While they might seem to be practising diligently on the surface, in reality, they are regressing. For example, some might believe that having a bit of knowledge about the Buddha-dharma entitles them to critique it freely. They might ask, “What level of enlightenment have you reached?” or “From whom did you learn?” Think about it: with 84,000 Dharma Doors available, even if you’re highly accomplished in your spiritual practice, how many of these can you articulate?
There was a post online where a person shared: he was asked about the origins of Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door and its lineage. This left him puzzled. However, one night, he dreamt I was delivering a Dharma Talk. Eager for answers, he vocally asked this question in the dream. I didn’t respond immediately, but a kind-hearted Bodhisattva appeared, explaining that Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door was passed down by Guan Yin Bodhisattva, as depicted in the painting of the Three Sages of the West.
Everyone should recognise the importance of adapting their practice to the evolving times. Given the multitude of Dharma Doors, it’s essential to identify which is the most relevant, effective, and best suited for people today. I expect my disciples to stay true to a singular “non-dual Dharma Door”, as I directly share a great deal of energy with them. If you delve into other Dharma Doors, your thought processes might become muddled, leading your minds astray. Such deviations can give rise to afflictions, create karmic obstructions and consequently, prevent you from succeeding in your spiritual practice.
After learning from Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door, one shouldn’t use the Buddhist teachings I’ve shared to criticise others, nor should they use teachings from others to criticise Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door. Otherwise, this is seen as exhibiting “arrogance”. Do you understand? If you use the Buddha’s teachings to disparage someone, you aren’t a genuine Buddhist practitioner. Always remember to avoid arrogance. Once you become arrogant, you won’t advance; indeed, you’ll only go backwards. Arrogance leads to regression. While others are moving forward, if you’re lagging in your practice, aren’t you moving backward? Those who criticise the enlightened lack enlightened speech. In other words, when one speaks ill of others, they are not enlightened, making their words biased. Do you grasp this? One should never carelessly badmouth others, especially not specifying their names. Always avoid such words. The principles of being a good person align with those of practising the Buddha-dharma.
The Ten Dharma Realms, as described by the Bodhisattvas, include both the Six Realms and the Four Sagely Realms. The Six Realms are well-known, often referred to as the Six Destinies: Heavenly Realm, Asura Realm, Human Realm, Animal Realm, Hungry Ghost Realm, and Hell Realm. Within the vast expanse of the cosmos, or within these Ten Dharma Realms, beings in the Six Realms undergo the cycle of rebirth. In contrast, the Four Sagely Realms are free from this cycle. These are the realms of those who have achieved enlightenment — esteemed domains of profound understanding. They consist of the Śrāvaka Realm, Pratyekabuddha Realm, Bodhisattva Realm, and Buddha Realm.
Many people ask, “In which realm does one escape the cycle of rebirth?” I’ll clarify now: once an individual surpasses the Six Realms and enters the seventh, they’re no longer subjected to rebirth. Many have told me, “We’ve recited Little Houses for our departed loved ones, enabling them to ascend to Heaven.” While this is truth, one must ask: to which tier of Heaven do they ascend? The majority are elevated to the Realm of Desire, which is still ensnared within the cycle of rebirth of the Six Destinies, a rather pitiful state. Therefore, without adhering to the correct spiritual practice, transcending this cycle becomes incredibly challenging. Once a person enters the Human Realm, escaping the cycle of rebirth within the Six Destinies becomes quite difficult. Hence, it’s paramount to avoid wrongdoing, refrain from speaking ill and creating verbal karma, and prevent the rise of inappropriate thoughts.
In Heaven Realm, there are two types of beings that can descend to the Human Realm. The first type descends due to their karmic force (causes and conditions) compelling them. These individuals are ensnared within the Six Destinies, driven by their own karma, determining whether they reincarnate as human, ghost, or animal. Their karma propels them through endless cycles of rebirth continuously. The second type is the Bodhisattvas, who return to the Human Realm by their own compassionate vows. Some have asked me: “Once a Bodhisattva descends to the Human Realm, is there a chance they may not return to their realm?” The answer is yes. If they fail to maintain diligent practice or commit wrongful deeds, they may fall back into the cycle of the Six Destinies, becoming entrapped in rebirth. This underscores the very reason Bodhisattvas return to guide and awaken sentient beings and attain complete Buddhahood.
As humans, remember that even a slight misstep could land us in a ditch. And even if we manage to crawl out, our feet would have been soiled by the muck. It’s hard to thoroughly cleanse afterwards. The Six Destinies, within the Ten Dharma Realms, are also referred to as the Six Mundane Realms. This is the realm of ordinary beings. Even the Heaven Realm is considered mundane, as any realm subject to cycle of rebirth belongs to this category. The Four Sagely Realms are forever free from the cycle of birth and death, never entering the Six Destinies.
Many have asked, “To which heavenly tier do you aim to guide us?” I can clearly tell you now that the heavens to which I seek to lead you are those where reincarnation no longer occurs. There are three such choices: Amitabha Buddha’s Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the realms of the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas, and the realms of the Bodhisattvas and Buddhas. Understand that once you transcend the Six Destinies, you’re forever freed from the suffering of rebirth and will never re-enter the Six Destinies again.
Let’s talk about the Śrāvaka Realm. Positioned just beyond the Six Destinies, it’s the seventh realm. This realm is also termed the Arhat Realm. Those in this realm have realised Arhatship, which is the fruition of the Four Noble Truths. I’ve previously discussed the “Four Noble Truths” with you, so I won’t delve deeper today. They are the Truth of Suffering, the Truth of the Origin of Suffering, the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, and the Truth of the Path leading to Cessation. If you wish to avoid reincarnation, you should at least aim to realise the fruit of the Four Noble Truths.
The eighth realm is the Pratyekabuddha Realm, which has two types: the “awakening via conditionality” and the “individually enlightened ones”. The latter achieve enlightenment mainly through their own efforts, backed by the wholesome roots of past lives. Because they practised commendably in past lives and continue doing good deeds in their present one, emulating the Bodhisattvas, they can become the “individually enlightened ones”. As for “awakening via conditionality”, they encounter Bodhisattvas who become their teachers. It’s a karmic condition (connection). For instance, in pursuing postgraduate studies, don’t you need a mentor? With a mentor, achieving master’s, doctoral degrees, or even professorship becomes easier. Another scenario is of a student who excels consistently, impresses mentors, and receives special recognition. Your greatest fortune is the ability to follow this path of awakening via conditionality, rather than that of individual enlightenment, which depends largely on past deeds and accumulated merits and virtues. To achieve awakening via conditionality, one requires a karmic connection and guidance from Bodhisattvas. There’s a saying about awakening via conditionality – “being born in the Buddha’s era”, indicating a world where Buddhas and Bodhisattvas reside. This signifies the presence of “living Buddhas” in this world. Here, a ‘living Buddha’ refers to a genuinely enlightened person, someone who has truly severed attachment, genuinely fulfilling their compassionate vows and seeking to return and awaken sentient beings, a living Bodhisattva.
To sum up for everyone, there are realms like the Hell Realm and the Hungry Ghost Realm. Those in the Hungry Ghost Realm suffer immensely. Every being in this realm has a large belly and a tiny mouth. Despite their extreme hunger, they cannot eat. Instead, they are fed by having a small amount of sustenance blown into their mouths. This is why the ceremony for offering food to these hungry ghosts is termed “Feeding the Flaming Mouth”. Those beings beside the hungry ghosts are called Earth Deities, which are very ferocious deities.
Above the Hungry Ghost Realm is the Animal Realm, and above that is the Human Realm. There’s a teaching that says between the Human and Animal Realms exists the Lower Three Asura Realms, and the Upper Three Asura Realms are situated above the Human Realm. Most of the beings from the Asura Realm I’ve encountered belong to the Upper Three Asura Realms. Do the beings in the Asura Realm belong to the spirit world? Do they have spiritual bodies? Are they considered ghosts? They are part of the spirit world but are not ghosts. Beings from the Asura Realm frequently clash with heavenly beings. Can beings from the Lower Three Asura Realms ascend to Heaven and confront these heavenly entities? Generally, the lower Asuras can’t rise to challenge the heavenly beings. Above the Asura Realm is the Heaven Realm. Heavenly beings experience the “Five Signs of Decay”. When their heavenly blessings run out, they fall. I’ve discussed the Heaven Realm before, so there’s no need to go into it again today.
Within the Six Realms, how can one escape and be free from the suffering of the cycle of rebirth? The only way is through sincere cultivation of the mind, consistent practice, and the recitation of Buddhist scriptures. All reincarnations within these Six Realms are driven by one’s karmic force. If you’re reborn in a lower realm, it’s due to your heavy negative karma. On the flip side, if you find yourself in a higher realm, it’s because your good deeds outweigh the bad. However, even so, you remain ensnared in the cycle of rebirth. There’s a saying: “You can run, but you can’t hide.” If you owe a debt today, it will catch up with you no matter where you go. Similarly, if you’re burdened by karmic obstructions, can you evade them? This karma binds you, determining whether you rise to Heaven or plummet to Hell.
While everyone is aware of the eighteen levels of Hell, have you ever pondered who was responsible for their creation? It was humans, analogous to how prisons came to be in our society. Originally, there were no prisons. However, due to a surge in criminal activity, there arose a need to build them. The more the number of wrongdoers, the more the need for prisons. In the future, there might even be a nineteenth or twentieth level of Hell. This is because the mounting wickedness, malice, and ill habits of humans have necessitated additional layers in Hell. The current eighteen layers might soon prove insufficient, potentially leading to the need for the nineteenth and twentieth layers. The more corrupted a person’s soul, the deeper they sink. Everyone should grasp this concept and always bear in mind: Refrain from all evil, and practise all that is good.
I urge you to comprehend, understand, and achieve enlightenment. We’ll pick up from here next time.