MAHAYANA SUTRA

The tenth lecture - "The Four Right Efforts"


The four right efforts - The purification of Karma

I would like to talk about the system of practice called "The four right efforts". This is the method to purify karma. This can be devided into four.
1. The practice to have a wish to eternally go on with the good deeds which one is doing at the present.
2. The practice to hope for the future to accumulate the merit which can't be accumulated at the present.
3. The practice to stop the bad deeds which one is doing at the present.
4. The practice never to accumulate bad karma from now on.
These four is called the four right efforts. Each practice has perticular name, but what is important is not how to call each practice but to actually practice these four methods.

To develop good deeds and to eradicate bad karma

Then how should we practice these four methods?

First is to think aboutthe good deeds which is parcticed at the present. If one think that he had accumulated great merit, his spiritaul practice may stop at that point. However, if he thinks, "I had done such good things. But this is only a small merit. So I need to accumulate much bigger merit.", he can eternally accumulate merit.

One more thing. When I was poor, I really wanted to give offering to His Holiness Dalai Lama. I strongly thought about it. Later, I became able to give the offering to him. And I still give offering to him.

These are two patterns for the practice of good deeds. The one is to try to increase the merit which one is accumulating at the present. The other is to hope to accumulate merit in the future though it is impossible at the present. These practice shall increase your good karma.

And I can give the following examples concerning with the bad deeds.

Now I smoke. Now I drink alchohol. Now I speak ill of others. In such case, what you need to do is to immediately stop those deeds.

Or, I may feel jelousy in certain condition. I may show strong pride . I may use all my money for myself not giving any benefit to others if I become rich in the future. You have to imagine such situation, and then, shut them off.

Concerning with the bad karma, you should swear to youreself and practice as such; I never feel jelousy in any situation. I never become arrogant in any situation. I give offering in any situation. I always be kind in any situation.

These are the methods to shut off your bad karma.

Buddha Sakyamuni says that these four are enough. These are the four out of "The seven groups and thirty-seven ways of practice". The seven groups and thirty-seven ways of practice isthe method for the spiritual practitioners of Hinayana to attain enlightenment. You should also practice this. This will also be your basement for your practice of Mahayana. Your good karma shall increase, and your bad karma shall decrease.

It was a very long seminar with 11 days. I preached you about the Yoga of Mahayana, or the spiritual practice of Mahayana. I am sure that those who had attended the whole schedule had obtained something valuable. I would like you to make the best use of it, mature your mind, evolve your mind, and attain Mahayana in the end someday.

Question and Answer


Karma8 - Desease

What can I do to my acquantance who is caught in deabetes?

Before descussing about the deseases, I should say that you must let him become a member of AUM. You should not cure his desease unless he tries to cure his desease by himself, because he was caught in diabetes because of the karma which he had.

So unless he repent his own karma and try to overcome it, you must not cure the desease. It is against the law of karma. It can't always be a good deed even if you cure other's desease. What is important is that the patient to learn the truth and to do his effort to overcome the desease. Then, you can help his effort. Is it little too cool?

I want to add one more thing. He experiences the suffering in this life due to his diabetes. In other words, he could enter the process of suffering which is the beginning of the spiritual practice. If we take it away, he will go into the world of obscuration once again. If we take away his suffering by the power of the truth when he could really feel the suffering, he may enter the holy stream. LEt's say that he fought against the suffering of the diabetes, could overcome it, and practiced the truth. Perhaps he may be able to reincarnate into higher world in his next life.

So even if one didn't cure the deseases of others, it is not always the bad karma. What is most important is to make the karmic connection to the truth. When you save the people around you, please think deeply so as to practice.