Our Mentor » The Teaching of the Venerable Master Xuan Hua » Cause and Effect, Repentance
Cause and Effect, Repentance2013-01-10
The Chinese character for meat, 肉, consists of a person being eaten and a person eating. Although the person eating is still human, the person being eaten has transformed into an animal. The person eating and the person being eaten thus create a relationship wherein the knot of hatred cannot be untied. They take turns in dominating and preying on each other.
If we truly wish to detoxify this world, then every one of us must be vegetarian and refrain from eating meat.
The ancients said, "The Superior One molds his own destiny." An upright person endowed with Way Virtue is capable of modifying his destiny and transcending fate. Why are there unpropitious happenings? It is because there is unpropitiousness in our minds which plants evil causes resulting in evil retributions. If we can rectify our wrongs and conform to wholesomeness, we will be able to draw close to auspiciousness and avoid ill calamity.
It is not easy to eliminate one's faults, but if one can eradicate his faults, he will have Samadhi power.
As it is said, "Those who see my faults are my teachers." These individuals are our Good Knowing Advisors, and we should be thankful to them instead of hateful.
A respectful mind can transform an obstinate temperament to a gentler temperament. To bow to the Buddha is to bow to the Buddha of one's inherent nature. Where one accomplishes Buddhahood in the future, this is just accomplishing the Buddhahood of one's inherent nature.
Why do people have demonic karma? This is because in past lives, they did not listen to the teachings of good knowing advisers; they did not heed the warnings of Good Knowing Advisors. They kept having false thoughts and creating evil karma. That's why in this life they are always surrounded by demonic karma. On many occasions things do not conform to their hearts' desire.
Anyone who avoids eating meat is helping the world become free of war.
If everyone can stop killing, liberate life, and not eat any kind of meat, then people's violent thoughts will end.
