Samsara and Reincarnation Demystified: The Suffering Shared by All Beings in Samsara (Ep. 6)

Hello there! Some people might argue that we don't need to worry, because the very existence of samsara implies that we won't really die or face permanent extinction. The idea of eternal existence doesn't seem bad, so why go through the trouble of seeking nirvana? People with this mindset don't realize that the essence of samsara is suffering, and that pleasure and suffering are interconnected. What does it mean, and what is the solution? Stay tuned to find out. Firstly, the suffering of samsara can be divided into three types. The first, all pervasive suffering, is like ripened fruit, inevitable and unstoppable, meaning that the external conditions and mental states we experience cannot remain permanent. Even though ordinary beings cannot perceive this as suffering like the saintly ones or the noble beings can, it does not diminish the intense pain this suffering brings. As covered in the previous episode, even the highest heaven of the formless realm will eventually face immense suffering at the time of death, so intense that even those who once accumulated profound good karma and virtue may commit grave sins and fall into hell out of anger and denial. The second type is the suffering of change, which is like eating food mixed with poison. All the happiness of samsara will eventually change into suffering. When experiencing happiness, we must eventually let go of it, like joy turning into sorrow. Like the devas in the form realm, who possess immense freedom through meditation, they will experience profound suffering in the final seven days of life, as their bodies and abodes deteriorate and they are on the verge of falling. In fact, as soon as they ascend to the heavenly realms to enjoy its pleasures, they begin exhausting their accumulated karmic rewards and unknowingly prepare to endure the suffering caused by their residual negative karma, blending joy with suffering from the start. Thus, consider an ordinary person. If they can, before death, come to see through and let go of everything due to the various hardships they have endured in life, it is akin to what is taught in Vajrayana Buddhism. One should face death like a lion, letting go of everything. The destination they reach after death will be far better than that of someone who clings completely to pleasures and attachments at the moment of death. This topic will come up again when covering the subject of human suffering. The third type is the suffering of suffering, which is like swallowing rotten fruit, and this suffering includes the eight sufferings that all humans experience and are most familiar with. Thus, in samsara, even happiness is just the beginning of suffering. In fact, happiness is a form of suffering itself. Some individuals enjoy self-indulgence, mistaking it for true happiness, but this is not the case. Overindulgence in enjoyment brings about greater pain. In fact, although samsara involves so much deep suffering, what makes it even worse is that sentient beings have become so accustomed to these pains that they often exist in a state of indifference or ignorance. By the time true great suffering arrives, it is already too late. Therefore, the world we live in is called the Saha world, meaning the world of endurance, where beings tolerate the ten evils and various afflictions and sufferings, yet remain unwilling to transcend and attain liberation. So, doesn't this mean that being in samsara is actually terrifying and dangerous? Yes. The chapter of parables in the Lotus Sutra states, The three realms offer no peace. They are like a burning house filled with suffering and dreadful to behold. The chapter of the Phantom City says, They can lead beings out of the hells of the three realms. It means to advise all beings in the three realms not to regard them as a place of peace, but to diligently seek liberation. While the three realms are essentially like a burning house, many within it don't realize it's a flame. They use this fleeting moment to indulge in various pleasures that numb their senses, not to mention committing various wrongdoings. Due to the boundless and infinite nature of delusion and suffering in the three realms, they are also known as the realm of suffering or the sea of suffering. Furthermore, as mentioned in previous episodes, even the highest celestial beings are at great risk of falling into hell eventually, especially the avicci or incessant hell, from which there is no escape. Considering that one day in hell equals 2,700 years in the human realm, entering hell is easy, but escaping is extremely difficult. This is why it is often said, Within the six realms, hell is home. What could be more terrifying than this? What could be more urgent or important than escaping samsara? We ordinary beings are deluded, thinking that satisfying our desires brings happiness. In reality, we mistakenly perceive suffering as pleasure and fail to recognize that impermanence is the true nature of suffering. All phenomena in samsara are impermanent, such as our bodies and emotions. For example, we may get angry because of something, but after a while, we calm down. However, when we encounter the same situation again, we are once more affected by anger. Moreover, the cells in our bodies are replaced periodically, making us completely new, yet we continue to think of ourselves as the same. Therefore, in samsara, nothing is eternal, no place, no person, and no thing. Even our lives, deaths, and moral tendencies are impermanent. When we observe the nature of impermanence, we understand that the world we see is just a fleeting illusion. In reality, the illusion we see does not exist in the previous or following moments. It's like a waterfall, which appears to be a still white curtain, but in fact, we are only seeing a temporarily retained image. Therefore, we learn that actually, impermanence is the only thing that is constant. Our current body and life follow the same principle. They are merely temporary illusions and do not truly exist. Just like the four seasons, we all go through birth, sickness, aging, and death again and again. It is an inevitable and typical journey of impermanence, but the death of our current life is by no means the final destination. Since both good and bad, suffering and joy are impermanent, we should resolutely transcend all the worldly pleasures and enjoyments of the three realms and six paths while we can, as this is the ultimate goal of cultivation. As covered in the previous series, many masters and sages throughout history have told us that the various worlds are created by karma, leading to different distinctions. The universe manifests due to our ignorance of our true nature. When our true nature exerts its function, that is, when it gives rise to delusions and scattered thoughts, it brings about all phenomena, which constitute the universe. With birth comes death, and the world passes through four stages, formation, abiding, destruction, and emptiness. So destruction is unavoidable. Master Chin Kung, founder of the Buddha Educational Foundation of Pure Land Buddhism Teachings, said, Don't think that there's still a long time ahead. That's a delusion. And don't find solace in the pleasures you have. That's not real. We have covered that even the heavens will eventually perish. In contrast, the Pure Lands of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas transcend the three realms and the paths of samsara. Unlike everything within samsara, which arises from karma and deluded thoughts, the Pure Lands are beyond such manifestations. For example, Master Chin Kung said, In Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, flowers never wither and fruits never spoil. This is unlike our world, where delusions, discriminations, and attachments cause all phenomena, such as animals, plants, and minerals, to perish or decay. Such things do not happen in Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land. Anyone reborn in his Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, even with residual karma, benefits from the power of Amitabha Buddha's vows and blessings. In the Pure Land, there are no conditions that could give rise to deluded thoughts, discriminations, or attachments. Although our alaya consciousness contains all the seeds, meaning we have habitual tendencies, there are no conditions in the Pure Land to activate them, rendering these tendencies ineffective. In the Western Pure Land, there is no birth, aging, sickness, or death. The plants and trees stay evergreen, with fruits perpetually ripe, ready to be plucked and eaten, without ever rotting or deteriorating. All unimaginable joys and beautiful scenery, along with incredible magnificence, can be seen everywhere in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. These phenomena arise naturally from the self-nature as they are, reflecting the perfection of intrinsic merits, entirely free from worldly intervention. Thus, we should carefully consider, as long as one has not transcended the six realms of samsara, one has not escaped ultimate suffering, for the root cause of suffering has not been eradicated. By reaching the Pure Land, however, one attains ultimate bliss. Striving for rebirth in the heavens, which are neither fully perfected nor everlasting, cannot compare to aspiring for the Pure Land, where the illusion of time is non-existent. Of course, I would unhesitatingly choose the latter. According to the Kagyu lineage in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, the cause of birth leads to all suffering, such as aging, sickness, and death, through which various demons and evil forces enter, deluding us through the accumulation of bodily essence and blood, and causing attachment to the notion of self. As a result, desires, anger, ignorance, and other afflictions intensify, leading to the creation of negative karma, which, due to their power, causes further suffering. Subsequently, as the habitual afflictions accumulate and intensify in the mind, they lead to endless suffering in the cycle of samsara. Since samsara is the gateway to all suffering, turning the mind toward the dharma is like having two feet necessary to walk the path of righteousness. When one develops a genuine resolve to break free from samsara, every practice will integrate into the dharma. Master Shandao, the fifth patriarch of Pure Land Buddhism, also stated, The sole purpose for which Shakyamuni Buddha appeared in this world was to expound the vast original vows of Amitabha Buddha, which refers to guiding all sentient beings toward rebirth in his western Pure Land of ultimate bliss. For more on Buddhist practice, stay tuned for the next series. In the cycle of samsara, where do aliens and unidentified flying objects fit? What is their connection to us on Earth? Subscribe for the upcoming episode. Best wishes to you and your loved ones. See you soon. Subscribe to Chillife. If you believe in yourself, all will be fine.