Many people have not understood the danger of Samsara

Dr. Most Venerable
Mirisse Dhammika Nayaka Thera
Siri Sudassanarama Sadaham Senasuna Battaramulla

Monks, There is no end to the Samsara. Even the beginning is not seen. Human beings, who are inundated in ignorance and craving continue the cycle of rebirth, ever and ever, and galavant here and there. You have immensely suffered in this samsara.

We have to perceive the above series of words. The Buddha was a human being. He was the most greatest, the most miraculous blessed one ever born. When the Buddha perceived the four noble truths, simultaneously, he perceived the three types of higher knowledge. They are remembrance of the former births and the extinction of all the cankers. At that moment, the Buddha perceived the rebirth of not only himself but also of all the beings. Further, the Buddha perceived that recurrently all the beings are born in the lower worlds of animals, of ghosts, of demons and hell. Even though there are four lower worlds, there are 136 hellish sections in the hell. In any of these infernal worlds, no being is capable of liberating from suffering by absorption of merits.

According to the karmic volition done, one has to undergo suffering. Even the animal world, which belongs to one of the four worlds, cannot be liberated by absorption of merits. The word of ghosts is divided into four major parts out of these, only the beings, who are born in the world of Paradatthupajeevi, living on other’s gifts, are able to liberate from the suffering of that world by absorption of merits. In addition to that, even the being in the world of demons can not liberate by absorption of merits.

All these beings born in these lower worlds have to go through severe suffering according to

their karmic volition they have done. Though it is not expected to discuss the suffering endured by the beings with reference to their different lower worlds, it can be briefly mentioned, the most severe and the most dangerous suffering of ‘the lower world. Out of the 136 sections of the hell which was mentioned earlier, ‘Avichi’ is one section out of the eight major sections. Beings who do the five unpardonable sins are born in this particular hell. It is mentioned in the Buddha deshana that the beings who had done these types of sins have to undergo grievous sufferings for a Kalpa or more than that. To understand approximately the concept of Kalapaya, there are two similes mentioned in the discourse. I will mention one here. A pit having a depth, length and width each of 16 miles, if filled with mustard seeds and one seed is taken out in hundred years time. The time mustard seeds are over is called a Kaplaya. This simile was preached by the Buddha, to make the people understand the time period called Kalpaya. The critically dangerous state of the samsara should be understood in this manner.

We shall now analyze the above stated Suthra verse mentioned in the discourse. There is no end to the samsara. One day the universe will be perished, at the oceans will be perished, all the oceans will be dried off, further even supreme rock can be dried and destroyed. Yet, it is difficult to observe any ending or receding of the critical suffering of beings who are in the long journey of samsara. It is difficult to say the beginning of the journey of samsara of the beings. Let’s observe the reason for this. Beings, who are submerged in ignorance, are cravingly bonded to the journey of samsara.

Craving is the severe greediness that gives preference to one’s own self, which makes him think everything as Me and Mine and having extreme attachment and lust, creating Sakkayaditti. This also can be considered as the utmost desire to please the sensory organs; visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile and consciousness. This desire can be categorized into 3 parts such as sensual caving, craving for existence and craving for non-existence or annihilation. The sensual caving is the fascination to satisfy the faculties such as eyes and ears through what is seen and heard. Caving for existence is the desire to be born recurrently. Considering that there is no rebirth, so that to crave to please all the desires and to fulfill all the aspirations is called the craving for non-existence.

This craving can be keenly examined in 3 ways. They are reediness, hatred and delusion. Again these are scrutinized into 1500 Kilesas. There are wording to call these parts such as lust carnality and passion. According to the circumstances, they can be used. Beings are bonded with craving through longing and greediness, for visible objects, for sounds for odors, for taste, for wordily impressions and for mental impressions. Because of these, they do evil by killing living beings, by engaging in stealing, involving in evil conduct with regard to sensual things, having false speech by talking frivolously, babbling foolishly, indulging in severe greediness and hatred, all because of involment. To simplify you to understand easily, evil happens because of craving and greediness. Furthermore, lust, severe craving, anger, hatred, vengeance intense hatred meanness, pride suspicion, letting down others, upgrading oneself, to talk about faults that do not exist in others, canceling the goodness in others are some detrimental qualities of such people.

All animated and inanimate things that are formed because of conditions in the untrained minds are not very foolishly though in the line of characteristics of existence: impermanence, suffering and non-self, and as they also are not thought using the insight-wisdom, one would intensely think all of them as I, mine and that everything can be kept under my control and domination. Further, grasping of everything and everyone is formed. Hence, Kilesas such as craving and greed to process something one desires are formed. In addition to that, kilesas such as craving and greed to process something one desires are formed. In addition to that, kilesas such as hatred are formed for something which is detested and regarded with disgust. This happens because of delusion in the untrained mind. Every minute, numerous conscious moments are formed and diminished.

Craving repeatedly for what you like cause severe greed to form, and repeatedly detesting, generate kilesas such as hatred. You can visualize how many kileasa are formed by constantly formed conscious moment which leads to create the suffering of the round of rebirth.

Contemplate on the exhilaration created in your mind when your mind settles on severe craving or greed. Also, observe the resentment generated in your mind when your mind is set on anger, hatred, severe hostility and jeolocy.

In all these instances, kilesas are sparked off in every conscious moment. These are mainly divided as Sampatichchana, Santheerana and Woththappana.

They are accepted and decided by the mind and further engraved in the mind. Yet by observing through the insight wisdom, these circumstances that generate kilesas, can be interchanged to create wholesome courses of action. To create that condition, morality in speech and bodily actions, concentration and wisdom are paramount. Even if objectives are manipulated conventionally to lead a normal life, mind should be deliberately consider not to accumulate unwholesome qualities based on craving and greediness. This is what is called the ‘Eight fold Path’. All the beings, specially humans, who do not ponder about the above facts, create their births in the perilous samsara, whether knowing or unknowing, whether like or dislike.

When the shot-lived human life which was scarcely gained is led in an inferior way, in return, it has to be born in one of the lower worlds. Which are filled with severe suffering. Few people, who engage in wholesome acts, are born in pure abodes. Yet, it was the preaching of the noble Buddha that as there is a clear possibility of rebirth in the lower worlds, it is worthy to see how to liberate from the process of existence.