Buddhist Hour
Script No. 459
Broadcast live on 3MDR 97.1FM
9 PM to 10 PM
On Friday 22 December 2006 CE 2550 Buddhist Era

This script is entitled:

Part 1: "Trees, Forests and Quarries - Why do we like them?"
Part 2: "The Karma Sutra"

Our program this evening is in two parts. The first part is called: "Trees, Forests and Quarries - Why do we like them?" This will be followed by us reading one of the Suttas, which are a record of what the Buddha actually said to his students over two and a half thousand years ago.

In The Dhammapada, it reads:
Delightful are forests, where more worldly men find no joy.
Being free of the pull of desire,
Saints, who seek no worldly pleasures,
Find delight in such places.

As practitioners of Buddha Dhamma, we pay respect to the Bodhi tree.

The Bodhi tree in India was cultivated from seeds taken from the original Bodhi tree under which Buddha awoke over 2,500 years ago.

The Bodhi tree, which shaded Buddha over the three days and three nights, prompts us to consider following the bhavana or mental cultivation that the Buddha taught.

Devas or heavenly beings are associated with the Bodhi tree at our Centre. They are also associated with just about every other Bodhi tree at every other Buddhist Centre throughout the World. It is common practice to plant a Bodhi tree at a Buddhist temple and old temple sites can often be discovered by looking for the surviving ancient Bodhi trees.

Deva and Devati, beings in a lower heaven birth, sometimes called tree spirits, are often associated with other types of trees.

In ancient times, these devas were worshipped by other religions. Sir James George Frazer in his book, Spirits of the Corn and of The Wild, refers to a custom held in Beauce, in the district of Orleans, on the 24 or 25 April when the villagers make a straw man called "the great mondard". The straw man is carried in solemn procession up and down the village and at last is placed upon the oldest apple tree. There he remains till the apples are gathered, when he is taken down and thrown into the water or he is burned and his ashes cast into water. But the person who plucks the first fruit from the tree succeeds to the title "the great mondard". This person must be regarded as a representative of the tree-spirit. Primitive people are usually reluctant to taste the annual first-fruits of any crop, until some ceremony is performed that makes it safe and pious for them to do so. The reasons for this reluctance appears to be a belief that the first-fruits either belong to or actually contain a divinity.

The ploughing festival was observed in Buddha's day when his father, the king, operated the plough to break the fields up for the ploughing season.

When we share our merits of the good things we have done, we share them with the tree devas at our Hall of Assembly.

Some tree devas are not friendly towards human beings. For them the tree is their home so they resist any attempt to destroy the tree. Trees may be considered guardians of soil and water where they predominate.

Trees provide shelters, homes and food for many animals.

The economic importance of trees is high. From earliest times wood has been employed for such purposes as homes, rafts, canoes, fuel and weapons.

Primitive people are dependent on trees for clothing and medicines, dyes and dye stuffs and edible fruits. Historically, the coconut, the oil palm and the olive trees were important sources of oils and fats used for food and other purposes. Non-edible trees produce such things as rosin, turpentine, creosote, cork and kapok fibre.

Carbonised and fossilised wood supply coal. The coal seams are associated with another type of deva called a naga, which is like a dragon. When the coal seams are cut at certain places the naga tends to attack the human beings who are destroying his/her home.

Devas and nagas, in certain forms, have long life and are good historians of the particular area where they live.

These devas and nagas are sometimes worshipped to appease them so they do not harm human beings who dwell in their particular area. The Buddha taught his Monks to send loving-kindness, a refreshing form of sweet mental energy, to the tree devas who were disturbing the Monks when they were doing their meditation under the trees in a forest. Today, we refer to this practice as the Metta Sutta.

Nagas are also known as preservers of Buddhist doctrine.

Nagarjuna, the famous Indian Buddhist Master, received the Satasahasrikaprajnaparamitasutra after he entered the region of the Nagas and gave a discourse on the Dhamma. He was henceforth called Nagarjuna, meaning 'he who has secured power (arjuna) from the Nagas'.

Like all beings that are born, nagas and devas pass away and take rebirth as something else.

If a tree deva happened to be born human, such a person would have a strong disposition to want to stop other human beings from destroying trees and would become a member of the green movement by karma.

If a naga associated with underground coal or mineral seams happened to be born human, such a person would have a strong disposition to want to stop other human beings from mining activities and would become a member of the anti-mining lobby.

What we do at times when we see an ancient tree cut down is to invite the deva of the tree to come and live at our Centre as we plant new trees.

At times, near very ancient rocks, colonies of nagas form and these are generally found in places which are not frequented or colonised by human beings to any extent.

Devas and nagas can see some human beings, just as we can see some animals or fishes.

When we enter a forest, we are not necessarily aware of the extent of the other sentient beings inhabiting that area.

There is an ancient dispute about who owns what land in a given place. From an animal's viewpoint, they are territorial and will fight to preserve their territory against intruders. Humans and lower order devas and nagas are the same as animals in so far as they want to control their territory.

In past lives, most of us have been nagas or tree devas at least once within the last 500 million years.

This is part of the reason we feel comfortable with trees or quarries. The Lilydale lime quarry is one of the most beautiful sites when the sun is shining on the structured banks. Our Teacher painted the quarry a few years ago in Chinese inks on rice paper.

Land forms, similar in appearance to quarries, appear by nature through earthquake or water erosion or meteorite impact.

Waterfalls are practically universally admired as things of beauty. We have had so many lives living on or near land forms similar to quarries that we feel comfortable near them. This is karma.

They have been where we were born and where we died - our cemeteries. There is not a single square centimetre of land or sea where a being has not died in the past time.

The evolution of the first trees on this planet began perhaps 500 million years ago after the initial invasion of land by plants. It was around the Devonian Period (345 to 395 million years ago) that the first vascular plants, including some treelike forms, appeared. It was during the next period, the Carboniferous Period (280 to 345 million years ago) when the growth of numerous kinds of trees, many of gigantic size, evolved and populated the vast forests.

These forests and most of their plant forms died out during the next period, the Permian Period (225 to 280 million years ago), when the cold and dry climate became unfavourable to tree growth. Only a few descendants, now called horsetails, club mosses and ferns, survived.

None of the early trees had flowers or seeds; they reproduced by spores. The first flowering trees, having many of the characteristics of magnolias, appeared about the time the dinosaurs were becoming extinct.

We now commence the second part of tonight's broadcast by reading the Karma Sutra.

This Sutra is called by the Lord Buddha the Golden Precepts, it has changed the lives of many who read it for it explains the direct results of causes. Here is the reproduction of the Karma Sutra:

"Once upon a gathering attended by 1,250 followers, the Venerable Ananda, after circling thrice with folded hands around the Buddha and bowing with respect, asked: "In the present dark age where the majority of our people are indulgent in unrighteousness, disrespectful to the Lord's Teaching, undutiful to their parents, immoral, miserable and sordid, among them some are deaf, some blind, some mute, some idiotic, some are handicapped in other aspects, and most people inured to killing, how could we understand the cryptic and fundamental principle or causes that have brought about this reality and what consequences each individual is to suffer eventually for his/her deeds. My Lord, would you kindly explain these to us?

The Enlightened One then answered, "Listen carefully, I will now expound the Law Of Karma. Because of Karmic effects inherited from previous lives, some people are poor, some rich, some happy and some miserable. These are four rules inseparable in obtaining happiness and prosperity for your next life. They are:

1. Be dutiful and respect our parents.
2. Respect the Buddhas, the (Dhamma Teachings of Buddha) and the Buddhist Monks (Sangha).
3. To abstain from killing and set free sentient beings.
4. To abstain from eating meat and be charitable.

The Buddha proceeded on the Karma Sutra:

" Destiny is aggregate karmic effects from the past. To believe in and practice this sutra will bring you eternal prosperity and happiness."

Learn the Law of Karma expounded as follows:

To be able to hold office in the government is a reward for your building Buddha's Statues in previous life. For building Buddha's statues is likened to molding yourself, and to protect the Tathagata is protecting yourself. To be able to hold a high ranking position in the government is reward for you putting gold on the Buddhas Images and Statues. To be a public officer cannot be taken for granted, for without practicing Buddhism it will not befall you.

Your present enjoyment of various transportation facilities without getting foot-worn is a reward for your help in the construction of bridges and roads in your past life. To donate clothing to monks will ensure you are well provided with clothing in future lives or in your next life. (Offering of Saffron Robes during Kathina Festival).

To be free from hunger and starvation is the result of your providing food to the poor in your previous life.
To be miserly and unwilling to help the needy gives rise to future starvation and lack of clothing.
To have ample housing is a reward for donating food to monasteries in your past life. (Offering of Dana to the Monks).
To build temples and public shelters will give you future prosperity and happiness.
For your respecting and offering of flowers to Buddha's altar in the past is the reward of being pretty and handsome.
To abstain from eating meat and to pray constantly to Buddha will assure you to be reborn a very intelligent child in your next rebirth.
To have a good wife and son is reward for your disseminating Buddha's teaching in your past life.
Furnishing Buddhist temples with hangings and tapestries will enable you to have a good marriage in your next rebirth.
To have good parents is a reward for your respecting and helping those who were lonely and desolate in your past life.

Being a bird hunter in your previous life has resulted in your being an orphan now. To have plenty of children is attributable to your setting free birds in your previous life. To be heirless now is the result of destroying flowers habitually in your previous life. Your longevity is due to setting free sentient beings in your past life. Being short-lived is the result of committing too many killings in your previous life. To steal the wife of another man will cause you to have no spouse in your next rebirth.

In your previous life by being disrespectful to your husband is the result of you being a widow now. To be a serf at present is the result of being ungrateful in your previous life. To covet another man's wife will cause you to have no spouse in your next rebirth. To distort the truths habitually will cause you to suffer blindness in your next life. To have a wry mouth is due to your intentionally blowing candles before the Buddha's altar in your past life.

To vituperate your parents will cause you to be reborn a deaf mute in your next birth. Being a hunchback is a punishment for jeering and laughing at the Buddha's followers in your previous life. Having disabled hands is the result of committing evil with your hands in the past life. Your being lame is imputable to your being a robber in your previous life. For your denying of your debts in your previous life is the result of being born a horse or an ox. To be reborn a pig or dog is the punishment for your deceiving and hurting others in your previous life. Suffering of constant illness now is the result of offering flesh to the monks in your past life. To be free of illness and diseases and be healthy is a reward for offering drugs and medications to save the sick and wounded in your past life. Your present imprisonment is the cause of your relentlessly perpetrating evil in your previous life.

Plugging snake-pit and mouse holes habitually will cause you to starve to death in your next birth To intentionally poison a river or water source will cause you to die of poison in your next life. Being forlorn and friendless is the punishment for being unfaithful and deceitful to others in your past life. Disrespecting Buddha's teaching will bring you constant starvation in your next rebirth. To spew blood is the punishment for eating meat while praying to Buddha. To have attended Buddhist Instruction with levity in your previous life is the cause for your present deafness. To be afflicted with ulcers is the punishment for offering flesh before the Buddha's altar in your past life. To have bad bodily odor is the punishment for selling incense with dishonesty in your previous life.

To hunt animals with rope and net will predestine your death by hanging in your next birth. Being unduly envious and jealous in your past life is the cause for your being lonely or bereft of spouse at present. To be struck by lightning or burnt by fire will be the punishment for dishonest trade dealing (e.g. cheating with the scales, overcharging customers, supplying inferior quality goods and charging for quality goods). Being attacked and wounded by wild beasts and snakes tells you that those creatures were your enemies in your previous life. Whatever you do will come back on you, so accept whatever justice and retribution that befalls on you.

Be not mistaken that Karma is fallacious. You will live to bear the consequences of your deeds, either within this lifetime or in your future life. Should you doubt the virtue of practicing Buddhism, could you not see the happiness of the Buddha's followers.

Past Karma determines your present destiny.
Present Karma are to mold your next life.

Whoever slanders this sutra will not be reborn again a human being.
Whoever accepts this sutra will witness the truth.
Whoever writes this sutra will prosper in successful lives.
Whoever carries this sutra will be free from mishaps.
Whoever preaches this sutra will become a very intelligent person in successive lives.
Whoever recites this sutra will be well-respected by people in his next rebirth.
Whoever distributes this sutra free to all will become a leader to humanity in his/her next life.

If karma did not produce effect, what prompted Wu-Lin, a dutiful son, to rescue his mother under grave danger by journey to Hades realms to save her mother's soul from punishment by the Hell soldiers?

Whoever is faithful to this sutra will not fail to witness the eternal paradise. The Law of Karma works forever, and the fruit of good deed will come in due course. The Buddha taught that "all things spring from a cause" and he clearly laid down the nature of good and bad Karma. Karma is action; it refers to the fruits of action as well as the effects of causes and so on. If there is a cause, an effect is inevitable, where there is an effect, there must be a cause.

From beginning of Time, there has been a chain of three cycle cause and effect (Karma) rotation in human existence and these Karmas have been continuing and will continue in human lifetime. It seems that these three existences (past existence, present existence and future existence) must obey the Law of Cause and Effect - Karma. Life is governed by 70% past existence and 30% present existence. Therefore, the life span of an individual cannot be changed but his/her luck can be changed depending upon his/her behavior and everyday actions.

Buddha has said:
"If you wish to know the past, then look at the present which is the result of it"
"If you wish to know the future, then look at the present which is the cause of it"
"By Karma the world moves, by Karma men live and by Karma are beings bound, as by its pin the rolling chariot wheel.
By Karma one attains glory and praise, by Karma bondage, ruin and tyranny.
Knowing that Karma bears fruit manifold, why say ye, "In the world no Karma is?"

Having spoken the above Sutra to Ananda and the followers, The World- Honored One added, "There are innumerable examples of Karmic Law, but I have only mentioned in generalization."

Then Ananda said, "Until the end of the present Dark Age, most human beings would have, through successive lives accumulated countless misdeeds because of their ignorance of the karmic consequences, but thanks to our Lord and the Sutra he has so kindly given us, whoever writes and reads, prints and distributes this Sutra, upon praying to the Buddha, will be blessed with eternal happiness and be admitted to see Amitabha Buddha, Kuan Shih Yin P'usa and all other Buddhas in the heavenly paradise."

After Ananda spoke, all Buddha's disciples and followers felt ecstatic and enlightened and after bowing respectfully and vowing to abide by this Sutra, took their journey home.

May you be well and happy.

May all beings be well and happy.

May all beings receive blessings from the Buddhas, Arahants, Bodhisattvas, Devas and Nagas.

This script was written and edited by John D. Hughes, Leanne Eames, Frank Carter and Evelin Halls

References

"Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism by Kuan Ming" Kuan Yin
Contemplative Order Malaysia. Graphic Press P.J. Malaysia (1985)
"Journey To The Underworld" by Sheng Xian Tan Temple Tai Chung
Taiwan Printed by Advanco Sdn, Bhd. K.L. Malaysia Sept 1987

MAY ALL BEINGS RECEIVE BLESSINGS FROM THE BUDDHAS, ARAHANTS, BODHISATTVAS, DEVAS AND NAGAS.

By Alphonsus Marie Ee (Feng Shui Consultant)
On behalf of my teacher Venerable Phra Khu Gunasilaporn (Chief Abbot)
Wat Uttamayanmuni (Thai) Temple
Chua Chu Kang 11 1/2ms. Singapore.

Chan Academy Australia, "Trees, Forests and Quarries - Why do we like them?", The Buddhist Hour Radio Broadcast Script 26(28), 25 October 1998.

Chan Academy Australia, Special radio script addition: "The Karma Sutra", The Buddhist Hour Radio Broadcast Script 22(34), 27 September 1998.

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