Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 93-minute teaching, Ven Sangye Khadro walks through the three types of suffering in saṃsāra with striking vividness. She begins by describing the lower realms: blazing hells lasting eons, neighboring hells where grass becomes knives and birds gouge out eyes, hungry ghosts tormented by endless thirst, and animals crushed by ignorance. She then reveals the hidden suffering of the higher realms—gods experiencing mental anguish as their lifespan expires and they face lower-realm rebirth—and addresses the endless dissatisfaction of all conditioned existence. She explains how non-virtuous deeds (killing, stealing, lying, and others) create these rebirths, while virtuous deeds lead toward liberation. The teaching concludes with guided meditation on these truths and the cultivation of bodhisattva motivation.
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File: 5 Compassionate way of life.mp3
UUID: faa0b5e4-f678-4779-917c-59d01c75200f
Teacher: Ven Sanghy Khandro aka Kathleen McDonald
Collection: Compassionate way of life (Ven Sanghy Khandro aka Kathleen McDonald)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 93.1 minutes
Words: ~7,349
From the five fighting heavenly realms. And counting this way, they live two thousand year, and that’s counting that as as one day in the crushing hell realm. And then they live two thousand their own years. And so like this, the four hundred human year is one day in the heaven of joy, and they live four thousand years. And that counting that as one day, and they live the crushing hell realms, they live their own four thousand years.
And eight hundred human year is a one day in miraculous joy, heavenly realms. They lived their own eight thousand years, counting death as one day in the great cry. They lived their own eight thousand years. And sixteen hundred human year is one day in the empowered by the miracle of others. There’s a heavenly realm called empowered by the miracle of others.
And currently, that, they live their own here, one thousand six hundred sixteen thousand. And currently, that is one day in the burning hell around. They live there on sixteen thousand years. And then the Great Burning, they live half intermediate eon. And in nonstop, they live one intermediate eon.
So the lifespans are so long. Actually, the time is only time is not existing. Time is something that which we presume. And then after the eight hot hells, then there The neighboring and the semi hell. The neighboring hell, the first is called the fire mud hell that after suffering so long in the main hell, then when he tried to run away that he in the east, he sees the ground and so try to run away, and there it becomes fire mud, mud which is all fire and all his body sinks into this mud and burns and burns after his bones.
When he escapes from there, he tried to go to seize water, the muddy water, and there he tried to go escape. And this muddy water is actually very rotten dead bodies of the hell beings. So it is a terrible smell. And in this mud, there are many terrible worms that eat all his body up through the his bones or marrows. And then he when he tries from there to escape, He sees a grass ground.
And when he tried there, when he reaches there, that all this grass becomes like a small knife or the needles. And wherever he put his feet, it cut into the pieces, and he falls down and cut all his body. And when he escapes from there, he sees a forest and try to to run there. The big wind comes, and all the forest becomes the knives and terrible weapons that falls down all his body and cuts. And when he tries from there, he tried to run.
He sees a mountain and try when he reaches end of the the root of the mountain, there are terrible dogs who bites him into pieces. And at that time that he hears one hears a sound of one’s loved ones from the top of mountain shouting his name. So he tries very hard to climb the mountain and the mountains, the trees all become weapons and cut his pieces and even then tries very hard. When he reaches on top of the mountain, one could not see anyone that he knows, that but instead, there are many terrible hell birds that gouges out his eyes and bites from all his body. And And then, again, he goes down.
He hears that sound of one’s loved ones from the the root of the mountain, and he tries to come down. And, again, the the trees all become like weapons and suffers like this. So in this way, they have to suffer so many. Comes so for such a long period of times. Then again, for when he tries to reach the try to escape from that place, sees sees the water and doesn’t lot of burning water.
And there he first sees the water, so he tried to escape there. But when he reaches there, it is like a desert like burning water and burns all his body as well as the surrounding. There are many hell workers holding terrible weapons and then cutting him into pieces, pieces, etcetera. So in this way that he have to suffer so much. So there are actually four four neighboring hells on each side of the main hells.
Each side, each direction of the main hells, they have four neighboring hells. In counting where there are actually six different types like fire muddy hills, muddy water, and grass field, forest, and great mountain, and desert of burning water. But since counted as four because these the mountains and forest and this ground with the with the the weapons, since And then we have we have the scalding. Then sufferings where one have to drink forced to drink burning iron liquid. One have to one is wrapped in burning iron sheet and one is tied with the burning iron ropes, one is fried with the burning iron powder, etcetera.
There are many, many different types of hell where one have to suffer for very long period of times. So these are the hell realms. And then the the hungry ghost realm also has three parts, outer obscuration, inner obscuration, and obscuration of obscuration. Due to the stingy stinginess and desire, lust, indulging in such actions that one will be born in the hungry ghost zone where one have to suffer for many, many for very long period of times without any even a grain of one grain of food or one drop of water to drink. And from the distance, he sees us pile of food of the water and runs there to get with the great difficulties.
And when he reaches there, it’s all first, there’s a great suffering in reaching there, physically not being able to go there. And when he reaches there, instead of food, it all it is like big rocks or mirage waters, like a mirage or the blue rocks, etcetera, and that could not get any food. So this is called the outer obscuration. Inner obscuration is the and the second is the inner obscuration, which means the hungry ghost, same kind of suffering. But first of all, they have such a tiny throat and a huge stomach and tiny, very thin hands and legs.
And first, even when they find bad food such as, like, mucus or something dirty things, that the first that they were could not go through the his throat and that it tears his throat and blood comes and so much suffering. And even when he goes down to the to the stomach, it has huge stomach that they could not instead of solving the hunger, that it makes more hunger and have to suffer again. And the obscuration of the obscuration, the third kind is called third kind is called the obscuration of obscuration, which means that first tries to go in every direction for food. And when he reaches there, the other there are many other more powerful ones, and they beat and tortures so many sufferings. So whatever bad food such as like mucus and pus, etcetera, when he found first that he has a great fear that somebody may taking away.
And, also, there’s since they were so used to the stinginess that they could not eat. And even he tried to eat, had the same kind of problem, not going through the throat, etcetera. And when he reaches the the stomach, it becomes fire and burns his intestines and the internal organs. And the the fire comes from his mouth and eyes, etcetera. And it’s like a kind of burning burning fire burning sensation, just like a fire fire coming through his mouth.
Actually, fire fire coming. And so in this way that until he exhaust his own karma that one have to suffer for a long period of time. In the long for many years, for thousands of years have to suffer. And then the third lower realm is the animals realm, which has the two kind, the general animals and animals that are belonging to the human beings or the animal scattered animals, animals that are together. For example, in the ocean, there are many, many animals together, pile of them, that they have no definite place that wherever the wind of the ocean comes that they are all the time moving so that they do not have any place to live in and the place that it belongs to them.
So which means that all the time they are going everywhere, they do not know who they will meet. There’s not a single moment to to stay quiet low to relaxing. And besides, many big animals eat the small ones. Big animals eat many small ones together, and many small ones together, they eat the one big ones. And certain part of the continent, there are places where in the ocean, there are places where they could not see anything.
They could not see even their own hands. So whatever food, good or bad or whatever comes in front of them, that they have just eat that. And they all are crowded and eating each other, killing each other, etcetera. So many not finding proper food, not finding proper place, etcetera, that they do not have any freedom, any moment of relaxing and have to suffer. The human beings, the animals that are belonging to the human beings also that they have worked so hard, tortured, beaten in many ways.
The flesh, killed for the skins, killed for bones, killed for homes, etcetera. Even the animals that are roaming around in the mountains, they have no place all the time, have to run everywhere all the time in fearful because humans may attack, other animals may attack, the hunters may attack, etcetera. There’s all the time in a great fear, to run-in every direction. And sometimes even with their injured when they’re in they’re injured and their blood and I’m really injured. But even then, due to the fear that have to run so much.
And generally, all animals are great ignorant, just like putting a big rock on top of their head, etcetera, that they have so much sufferings. So mainly the suffering of suffering is in the lower realms that also in the hell realm, hungry ghost realm and in animals realm. Then the second type of suffering, which is called suffering of change, is in the higher realms. Due to their previous karma, though they are born in the higher realms where they have a beautiful place, beautiful house, beautiful good food and good cloth and so much enjoyment with so many goddesses, flowers and etcetera. But while they are living, since they have so much physical enjoyment, they do not bother to practice any Dharma.
And then also, though they have a very long life, very long lifespan, but since it is all spent with the enjoyment, etcetera, that they could not. It passed very quickly and suddenly that they knew that they are going to die. When they are going to die, they have a certain signs such as, like, their bodies become ugly. They do not like to sit. The flower garlands become bad.
The sweat or the dirt, normally they do not have a dirt. They have very clean body, but then the dirt comes, etcetera. There are many signs. There’s actual signs and near sign near death signs that are that now they are approaching to death. There are many different signs.
And when they have this sign, then their all is life is actually spent in enjoyment in such a great luxury suddenly these signs of death falls on them, they have a great mental suffering more than the the physical suffering of the hells that they have so much after spending in such a luxury life that certainly when they knew that they are going to die, they have such a mental burden, such a mental suffering. And many of them, they knew that they are going to fall down in the lower realm, so they have a so so much suffering. And even after the death also, like, even born as lord Indra, who is actually the lord of all the lord of many gods, again, born as a human being, fall down and as ordinary human beings. The sun the sun and moon, the gods of sun and the gods of moon who have light, so much light that can give light to all the realms. After being born in such place, one will fall down and be born in complete dark places where could not see one’s own hands.
And after being born in the universal emperor, the one who rules the all the continents. And then after that, again, one will be born. After the death, one will be born as a very ordinary and servants are servants. And very powerful man very powerful man becomes very weak. Very rich man becomes very poor man.
The families that have many members are completely distinct and completely finishes and also always fear of meeting the animals, fear of separating from one’s loved ones, and one could not fulfill the one’s wishes, one could not get one’s hopes, etcetera, that everything since everything is changing, that there is no real happiness because even at this moment, one moment where there’s no real physical suffering, but since it is not permanent, it is going to change in the next morning what may appear, what may come that nobody knows. So there’s nobody certain that what is going to happen in the next moment. So therefore, it is called called the suffering of change that everything is changing. And the third kind is called the suffering of the conditional nature of all things. The fact is that no matter
Matter how much we enjoy food, cloth, place, etcetera, that there’s no satisfaction. The more you eat, the more you need to eat, the more you you have the wealth, the more you need. The need rises even more. The more you have, the more need rises. And the more you work, the more works that it will increase, etcetera, that there is no end.
I mean, who are poor, who do not have food and cloth, etcetera, they have so much suffering. Those who have a wealth also have a much mental suffering. So whoever no matter whoever place which place you are, which condition, good or bad, which condition you are, which place you are, which surrounding you are, that it is all suffering. So in realizing that saṃsāra as from top to bottom, all nothing but suffering. So therefore, now we must be able able to cross this suffering and must do a practice that will be able to be cross from this suffering of saṃsāra.
So that explains directly directly explains the suffering of saṃsāra. And then indirectly, the second part is explains the cause, the law of karma, that why we are in this realm of existence, why we are born here is because due to our own karma, due to our own actions that we have taken, due to actions the non virtuous actions that we are taking by indulging in the non virtuous actions that we have on in saṃsāra and continues to experience suffering. So therefore, now in order to be free from suffering, one must discard the cause of suffering. The cause is the non-virtuous deeds, and one must try to discard even the tiny non-virtuous deeds and one should try to perform even the tiny virtuous deeds. To explain this a little: there are non-virtuous deeds, virtuous deeds, and indifferent deeds.
The first to think about the nature of the non virtuous deeds, to think about the result of the non virtuous deeds and then to think about to discard these non virtuous deeds. So the first, the nature of the non virtuous deeds means any action that are arising from desire, hatred, desire of the attachment, hatred and ignorance are called non virtuous deeds. And that if we divide, there are ten non virtuous deeds. And the first one is the killing tiny from insects to human beings up to the deva that if you out of desire, out of hatred, out of ignorance, that if you take life, if you kill any living being, then it’s killing, which is the number one non-virtuous deeds. And the second is stealing the things that are belonging to other people, that do not belong to oneself, belonging to the other people, tiny from lago even the zero one dollars to up to the any precious jewels or any precious thing up to any amount that is not given to you, any amount that is not belonging to you that if you steal it, that is the second non virtuous deed.
So the stealing is second non-virtuous deed. And the third is called the sexual misconduct, which means to indulge with anyone apart from one’s own life partner, either to live with men or women apart from one’s own life partner and particularly to indulge that men or women who already been married or who already has taken celibacy vows or who are keeping the eighth precept for twenty four hours or who are even with the one’s own life partner at the wrong place, at the wrong time and the wrong passage, etcetera, the devious in adultery, then it is sexual misconduct. The third, non virtuous deeds. And then the fourth one is lying. The intention is due to the desire or etcetera that you tell lies so that other people you can see either one can see it or some other reasons, many other reasons with the, in any case, not telling the truth out of defilement that tells the lie so that one can do something else.
So not telling the truth and telling lie is the the fourth non-virtuous deeds. And the fifth one is the words by talking to groups of individuals so that create disharmony between groups or individuals, making schism. The fifth one is that. And the sixth one is that out of hatred, etcetera, that whether it is true or not true, that to say very harsh words, the words that create pain in the other people’s mind, to say something very nasty things, very bad things that hurt people, harsh words. And seventh seventh one is to talk idle talks, which are actually disturbance for practicing the Dharma, the useless talks, particularly that particularly that creates a defilements.
Talking about war and about war, lust, etcetera, that creates more anger, more desire, etcetera. And the seventh one is this and eighth one is coveting. So in any case, in other words, which means that out of desire that if one wishes for oneself, other people’s wealth, other people’s prosperity, other people’s things, etcetera. That when something nice when you see there’s something nice on other people that you wish to have such things for yourself, for your own personal gains. And ninth one is the out of hatred to get anger and to wishing other people to suffer.
That when you get angry that may he die or may he have a disaster, may he hurt or something, that’s to think wishing to other people to something bad thing to happen. And then the tenth one is due to the ignorance that one who is not believing the law of karma or the Four Noble Truths or the Triple Gem or to from the virtuous to produce produce the happiness and from the non virtuous deeds producing the unhappiness who do not believe in this, who do not believe who have a wrong views. So these are the ten non virtuous virtuous deeds. And then to think about their results, they have a temporary result and ultimate result. The temporary result is that by indulging in the non virtuous deeds such as like killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, that one will have a short life, very unhealthy life and very poverty, very poor life.
And even once on the life partners or the friends become enemies, the ones we have to call all the time. And by indulging in stealing and by indulging in lying and creating disharmony between groups or individuals and harsh by saying harsh words and by indulging in idle talks that one will have other people criticizing you, that one will be crossed with many friends, one will hear bad news, bad undesirable things, and one will nobody believes what you say, etcetera. Such things will fall. And by indulging the last three non virtuosities through the mind that one will never fulfill one’s wishes, one will always kind dodging, coveting that one will never fulfill one’s wishes, and one will meet with one’s great fear and one will hold always hold the wrong views. So these are the temporal results.
And ultimate result is that by indulging in the ten non virtuous deeds, depending on the amount of non virtuous deeds that one indulges that one will be if it is a small amount, one will be born in the animals’ realms. If it is a middle amount, hungry ghost realms. And if it is a large amount, then in the hell realms. And so now to third is to think about discarding this. So the non virtuous deeds, which means actions created by the three poisons, the desire, hatred and ignorance.
By indulging these, ultimately one will fall in the lower realms and temporarily also that one will have all the undesirable things, all the bad things. So therefore, if it meant costing one’s life that one should never indulge in these non virtuous deeds and make a very strong will not to indulge in about the virtuous deeds also has the three parts to think about its nature, its result and then to think about performing it. The first nature of the ten virtuous deeds means the opposite of the ten non virtuous deeds without desire, without hatred, without ignorance that to abstain from killing, to abstain from sexual misconduct, etcetera, that if one abstains from these ten non virtuous deeds and remains in the practice of the virtuous deeds is the ten virtuous deeds. And their result then to second thing is to think about their result is that there are also temporary results and ultimate results. Temporary result is by performing the ten virtuous deeds that one will have all the opposite of the ten non virtuous deeds results such as long life, healthy life, prosperity, harmony, peace, happiness within your family, within your life partners, to hear, to become famous, to have many friends, the sense organs.
And people believe you and fulfills your wishes, becomes fearless. Becomes fearless and hold the right views, will have a chance to hold the right views. And the ultimate result is that depending on the amount that you perform that one will have Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas and ultimate enlightenment. If it is a small amount, Shravakas; medium, Pratyekabuddha and if it is a large then to attain the ultimate enlightenment. And then to think about this that by indulging, by performing the ten virtuous deeds, performing the ten virtuous deeds that not only one will get all the wishes, all the good things, all the things that people wish to have temporarily and then ultimately that one will be able to flee from the lower realms, the fear of the lower realms and the fear of the saṃsāra.
And so therefore, one should try to practice perform the ten virtuous deeds even if it is a small amount as accumulation of drops can create a lake source in this way that one should try to perform the virtuous deeds. And then the third kind is called the indifferent actions. That also has to think about its nature and to think about its nature and to think about that it’s a result less and to transform these indifferent actions into the virtuous deeds. So the first indifferent action, the nature of the indifferent action means the actions that are not created the indifferent actions, not created by the defilements, not created by the defilements such as like eating, walking, working, etcetera. And the second is to think about their result.
Although, are since they do not create any sufferings, they are far better than the non virtuous deeds. But since they do not produce any positive result, that all your time is sort of wasting and useless. So one must transform these into the virtuous deeds. And the third thing is to transform these perform to transform these in different actions to purchase this by changing the motivation. For example, when one is eating, if one thinks that there are many germs, many worms in these germs that one eats, then the eating becomes virtuous to eat.
Similarly, that by keeping alive one’s body so that one could practice Dharma, one could study Dharma, meditate and do virtuous deeds. So in order to do virtuous deeds that I’m keeping my body fit and for that reason that I’m eating food and for that reason that I’m keeping fit, etcetera, if one with such intention that if you do, then it becomes the virtuous deeds. Instead of indifferent actions, it becomes virtuous deeds. And when you are walking or when you are going also that if you think of going, wishing to meet the Buddha, wishing to meet the spiritual masters. May all sentient beings be able to meet the spiritual masters.
May all sentient beings be able to meet the Buddha. May all sentient beings enter into the path of liberation, etcetera. That you say, then it becomes the virtuous deeds. And also, all the time thinking that all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas are sitting on your right hand side and the right side is the better side of the body. So, by showing this that by working, by doing a circumambulation, etcetera, that by even just for ordinary works that if you think like that, then that indifferent action becomes becomes the virtuous deeds.
So, this way that one could be useful, helpful and positive. So, now we will have a short break and then do the meditation. So now we will do meditation on what we have studied. And always meditation began with the refuge taking and creation of enlightened thoughts. So as I have told you yesterday about the five points of refuge, cause, object, benefit, the way to proceed the proceeding of taking refuge, and the the benefit and the rules.
And then with visualization, Lord Buddha in the center surrounded with all the lineage gurus and then oneself with the all sentient beings physically in respectable form, speech, reciting the refuge and mentally with deep devotion that whatever happens in my life that I only rely on the blessings of the Guru and Triple Gem. So in this kind of very deep devotion and faith that one should recite. Those who cannot recite in Tibetan can recite in English by saying that take refuge in the root and lineage gurus, take refuge in the fully enlightened Buddhas, take refuge in the holy Dharma, and take refuge in the noble Sangha. Just you can start recite when we recite in Tibetan. So in this way, With the refuge taken that by reciting refuge praying to the Guru and Triple Gem that they know what our request and they take our request out of great compassion, and they protect us through their great powers and then absorb into you all that you get purifies all your negative actions, negative karmas, and increases all the virtuous qualities, the virtuous deeds.
And then after that also we have recited the creation of enlightenment thought that for the sake of all mothers and beings who are actually everyone wish to have happiness. But although their aim is happiness, but the work they are doing due to the ignorance is creating more sufferings. So all these mother sentient beings who are already experiencing in the midst of suffering and still continue creating more suffering. So for the sake of all mother sentient beings, in order to save from the suffering of saṃsāra, that I must attain ultimate enlightenment. And in order to get enlightenment, that I will do whatever necessary as early as Bodhisattvas like Great Avalokiteśvara and Mañjuśrī and Lord Maitreya, etcetera, have practiced that I will also that from this moment, I will not lose my time, I will not lose my precious time and practice diligently.
So by doing, by taking refuge and by creating the enlightenment thought that it will become our path, the correct path and also higher path. So now, we start the main practice and then the practice that we do, whatever we do, since our we have already set the right motivation that the path we now practice will become the real higher path. So for this, the first thing is that if you desire to live this life, you are not a religious person which explains the need to practice Dharma in order to create the need to practice Dharma to meditate on the precious human birth. The precious human birth which is difficult to obtain from many point of view, the cause, number, example and nature free from the eight unrestful places and precious human birth with all the right conditions that require to obtain from one’s own site, conditions required to obtain from others all we have and when we have such a great opportunity that one should not waste and one should must use this great opportunity for the best way. And meditate.
And then also, although we have obtained the great opportunity, but everything is impermanent. As Candrakīrti says that one has the complete freedom of practicing religion when we have such a precious time that if we could not hold this once we are once we lose this freedom, then it is very difficult to gain another one. So when we have such an opportunity that it is very important to practice as everything is impermanent. And so the one thing that is one hundred percent certain is the death. And when the death will come is complete uncertainty that it can come in any moment in any time.
So, we must practice. And at the time of death, nobody can help you. The only the Dharma practice that we do that we can help. So think about this and these two things which we have said yesterday. So may I sit for a moment?
And then in today’s thing is to if you have attachment to the realm of existence, then it is not a proper renunciation. So which means that if those one who is seeking for the liberation, one must give up attachment to the realm of existence. And in order to give up attachment to the realm of existence that we must know the bad consequences, the bad results of the saṃsāra, the suffering of saṃsāra. It is very important to know the suffering of saṃsāra. Unless we know the suffering, one will not be able to take the for example, unless we know the disease, one could not take the treatment.
So similarly, it is very important in order to set the liberation, path of liberation, that it is very important to know the sufferings. They are suffering of suffering, suffering of change, and the conditional nature of all things. And these, the first one is in the lower realms. In the lower realms, the hell realm, hungry ghost realm, and animals realms. In the hell realm, there’s a hot hell, cold hell, hot hell, and neighboring and semi hells.
The cold hell has eight different types of cold hells. So the one eye oneself from the beginning last time that had been called up in this realm of saṃsāra again and again and experienced enormous amount of sufferings. Although I have experienced sufferings in the past, if I’m not going to suffer anymore in the future, then of course, it is very good. One needs to be relaxed, one needs to be happy. But unless and until we cut this dual net, the net of delusion, one will be one has completely no choice, no freedom wherever in any part of the world, any part of the realms that one will be forced to be born due to one’s karma and due to one’s defilements.
So, if again, I fall down the continued cycle of saṃsāra and I experience the different types of suffering, how would I be able to survive? How will I be able to face? Among these, that if I’m born in the cold hell, the place is like that which is all ice and snow and so forth. And nature nature of suffering is like cracking, even the internal organs are cracking and the lifespan is so long, etc. All these can think about the nature of all these suffering of the cold hell.
And then today, in this human realm, even we could not bear a single day when it is a cold weather, we could not bear the cold. So if one is fall falling into such realm with such suffering, how would I be able to face. And one do not have any confidence that one will not be born in such a place. And the cause of such suffering, is anger, desire, hatred, in every day, so many anger, so many hatred, so many desire are coming in every day. When we just example, we just examine, since this morning since from rising until now, what kind of thoughts that we have examined, there are more and more defilement thoughts than the good thoughts.
So there’s no confidence that one will not be fall into such a place. So if we are fall into such a place, how would I bear? And so this time, after understanding all these sufferings that I must when I have all these good opportunities that I must practice holy Dharma so that one will not be born in such a place. And the teaching the practice that one will do also not just the ordinary one, but the one that is very high teaching, the Mahāyāna teaching. Not only to free ourselves from the cold hell, but even whole mothers and sentient beings to be free from the cold hell and that I must make a very strong will.
So in this, you meditate for a moment. And then the second suffering, the hot health. Again, in the same way, the saṃsāra which is burning suffering in everywhere. Among these that if one is born in the hot hell, the nature of the place where they are born is all on the burning iron ground with the burning mountains, burning iron weapons, etcetera. And the sufferings that they are going to experience is so much.
No matter how great suffering that we have physical suffering that we have in this world, in the human realm, even a tiny bit of the suffering in the hell realm could not represent. Whatever great suffering that we have in this human realm, even a tiny bit of the suffering in the hell realm could not represent. So, is almost unimaginable or indescribable suffering and that their lifespan is such a length, almost unimaginable, uncalculable times. And today in this human realm, even just by touching a tiny fire on your body or tiny needle hitting on your body, one could not bear such suffering. Even just for a minute or so, even for such a short period and tiny bit of a needle of fire hitting on your body that we could not bear.
But if one falls in the lower hot hell where the place and the nature of suffering and where not only just for few times, the short period of time, but such a long period of time, such an enormous amount of suffering that we have to face and how would I bear. And of course, these are all very authentic. Sutras describe this hell rounds and so if such a place is falls on you, how would I bear? And so in this way, think about this and think about their sufferings and make strong will to overcome such suffering and meditate for a moment. And also in the same way the neighboring and semi hells, not only in the major hells the sufferings, even the neighboring or the semi health have so much suffering.
And this semi health we could even see in this human realm. For example, the animals that were fried alive in the burning pain, etcetera, like a semi hell. So in such a suffering Today, in the human life, ourselves, even just a tiny fire of needle we could not bear. So if one is born in this neighboring hell or the semi hell that the suffering that they go through is so much. And there is no confidence that one will not be born in such place.
And the cause of this hatred, desire, etcetera, the defilement mind every day that we have so much. So that one must when we have this great opportunity, one should not waste the time and one must utilize this time, this precious time in practicing Dharma, so that at least one will be not born in such a place. And also one could help other mother sentient beings who are already there born or who are already facing going to this direction. So think about neighboring and semi hell and meditate for a moment. And ghost realm.
If one is born in a hungry ghost realm, their place which is very barren, very poor, even just by seeing the sight of it creates suffering. Anyone have to remain in such a poor place, in such a great suffering without finding even a grain of food and one drop of water, spending for so many years, then how would one able to bear? And there’s no confidence that one will not have such suffering. And the cause of this suffering, which is desire and stinginess, etcetera, that in everyday life that we have so much, so much desire, so much stinginess, so much other defilements. So there’s no reason that one will not be born as a hungry ghost.
There’s no confidence that one will not be born in a hungry ghost realm. Since we have so much cause, there’s every likelihood that one will be born in such a place. So if one is born in such a place where there is so much much hunger and thirst. First of all, that one could not find even a grain of food or drop of water, even one find that one could not go through the body due to the tiny throat And even it goes to the body that it creates more hunger instead of solving the hunger, it sort of creates more hunger and have to run-in every direction for finding more food. And since they do not have any food, just part of body like hands and legs were all skeleton.
And just like dragging the old cart, horse cart, that all their body is with many very old, dragging an old cart, that their body is all with many sounds and great difficulty that have to go in every direction to finding food. Even one finds food that one could not take it, and even goes through more obscuration, the ones who have a heavier karma, they are called obscuration of obscuration, which means that the food becomes like a poison and creates so much suffering, like a burning fire through their which burns the intestines and internal organs. How one will bear such suffering and think about their suffering and make strong will that one will not one will practice Dharma. Dharma also not just outward Dharma, but Dharma that will really subdue our mind which is so much indulge the defilements. So in this way, meditate for a moment.
And then to think about the animals. If one is born in the animals realm where the place suffering and the lifespans, and today, even we could not do a part of the suffering that the animals are suffering, would not bear even a part of the sufferings that animals have. But one is due to one’s karma and defilement that if one is forced to be born in the animal’s realm, then there’s no way to bear such suffering. And the cause of this suffering, which is ignorance, is everyday life so much so that one must make enough effort to practice Dharma so that one will not be born in such a place. Dharma that will become a real protect us to be free, not to be born in the animal’s realm.
So in this, you think about animals’ sufferings, the animals that are in the oceans, animals that are belonging to the human beings, the animals that are in the forests and then the mountains, then meditate for a moment. And then to think about the suffering of change. Although it is true that there’s a tremendous amount of suffering in the lower realms, but in the higher realms, there is happiness. That also, if we carefully examine, there’s no real happiness. Comparing with the suffering that it looks like happiness, but in reality, there’s no happiness.
Everything is changing. Everything is changing. Even one is born as lord of heavens. So, it is completely wrong to think that there’s happiness in the higher realms. It just all looks like happiness, but in reality, it is all false.
So, something that is not real happiness and something that is not real that by having attachment and wishing to gain such a place is very wrong. Whatever prosperity that we have in this higher realms, even one is born as a Brahma or Indra or Universal Emperor or as a sun or as a moon or even born as a king of the human beings. Whichever one is born, that one is not free. Everyone is not free from the four major sufferings: the birth, old age, sickness, and death. So the one, the universal emperor who has thousands of servants and the beggar who has have to beg his food in every day, when the time comes, it is the same thing.
The beggars also have to die. The universal emperor also have to die in the same way. So it is there’s nothing which is worthy of having attachment, not only in human realms, in the desire realms, but even the higher realms such as the Rupa Dhatu, the realm of forms and arupa dhatu, the formless realm. Even these devas who have reached very high worldly meditation, No matter how high the bird flies in the sky, eventually it has to land on the ground. So similarly, even though they have gone a very high worldly state, but since it is within the realm of existence, they still have to fall down.
So the saṃsāra, when we mean saṃsāra, it is nothing but suffering. It is just like a burning fire. So whoever is having attachment for the realm of existence, it is a wrong. It is false. So this time, by knowing this that we must cut the link with saṃsāra and must practice Dharma so that one will permanently free from the suffering of saṃsāra.
And for this, you may and then to think of the suffering of conditional nature of all things.