Teaching from the Abbot
Similarly, in order to be completely liberated from samsara, we need to take refuge in the three jewels. The powerful worldly protectors cannot help those trapped in the suffering of samsara, as they are also trapped in samsara, like prisoners who are locked up in prison. How then can they libeated those in similar condition to themselves ? Just like those who are in the mud, they don’t have the ability to take others out of the mud. The worldly gods have not rid themselves of the chains of their karma and obscurations; therefore they are unable to liberate all beings from the cause and effect of samsara. Only the superior three jewels who have been liberated from the karmic defilements and from all the chains of samsara are able to liberate all beings from cyclic existence and suffering forever. By creating the cause of suffering, the result is suffering which is samsara. In this way one take rebirth endlessly in samsara, the cyclic existence. Ignorance is the cause of suffering. It is like those patients who do not know the cause of their sicknesses, like those who suffer from yellow fever seeing everything as yellow. Although the nature of all phenomena is emptiness, due to ignorance this is not realized, and therefore the attachment to existence and dualism arises. Due to ego, we are attached to our body, we wish for our own happiness and well being. We are sometimes concerned about others happiness and well being; however gradually we may become averse toward others. Through attachment and aversion, we accumulate different karma as a result of the three poisons i.e. greed, anger and ignorance. Depending on the causes, we sometimes suffer and sometimes enjoy. The dualistic mind filled with ignorance will result in the accumulation of defilements. As we are not able to control the defilements, we start to accumulate bad karma, and when karma ripens, we are confronted with suffering without any choice. In this way, samsara becomes an unending cycle. Whether we like or dislike what is happening to us, we have no say or control over it. Not having control over what is happening to us is also a kind of suffering. For example, birth, old-age, sickness and death- these are the four fundamental suffering that you do not with for, yet you have to go through them no matter what. In addition to these four, you also suffer when your wishes are not granted and whatever you don’t wish for in granted, and so on an so forth. Nothing happens according to your own wish. When you wish for peace and happiness or when you wish for no more suffering, it doesn’t mean that your wish will be granted and peace and happiness will prevail and you will be distanced from suffering. It is like a feather in the wind, if floats according to the strength and direction of the wind, and a feather has no control over its destiny. The nature of all phenomena in this universe is impermanent; therefore the nature of samsara is suffering When there is birth, there will be death; when there is meeting, there will be a parting.
