Dharma Outline????5-3 Delusion is the key to inducing suffering 妄想是招感痛苦的關鍵所在

(English Subtitles) 佛法修學概要, Lectured by Master Jìng Jiè (淨界法師) from Taiwan.
Subtitles:
【72】Before we begin studying Buddhism, we must grasp a very important concept.
Let's read this scripture. The first is confusion of reality and the arising of delusion, the second is returning from delusion to reality. We have lost our true heart nature and have developed reversed delusions.
Let's read this paragraph first, please put your palms together.
The consciousness of all living beings is originally pure and free from all defilements, but it turns into affliction due to delusion.
Originally at ease, endowed with expedient wisdom, majesty and virtue, but due to delusion, it transforms into karma.
Originally, they are equal, without any distinction between this and that, affection and aversion. Due to delusion that it turns into birth and death.
This passage of scripture is a very important concept that you must understand when you study Buddhism. If you don't understand this principle, strictly speaking, you are not qualified to talk about cultivation.
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You have only established a connection with the Three Jewels, which means you basically have not entered the door. You are just wandering around outside the Buddhist gate. This principle is critical. This principle is that you need to know two things: First, what was the matter with you before? Second, what is the matter with you now?
【73】If you never know what your faults are, you will be unable to change
Let’s first look at what our inner mind is like originally. First, our inner mind is originally pure and free from any affliction. Secondly, we are inherently at ease. We are inherently endowed with all kinds of wisdom and merits. This refers to wisdom. Third, we are originally equal. We originally have no conflict with any beings, and our hearts are originally full of great compassion.
Therefore, our original nature is pure, at ease, and equal. This is the first understanding.
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Secondly, why have we become like this, raising afflictions and committing sins all day long and thus wandering in the transmigration? There is a crucial point here: "Because of delusion, it turns into afflictions; because of delusion, it turns into making karma; because of delusion, it turns into birth and death." This is our current problem.
The Surangama Sutra strongly emphasizes this concept: That is, cultivation is akin to treating illness. Before taking medicine, you must know what your illness is, you cannot take medicine indiscriminately. You can't take this drug today, and take that drug tomorrow. Why do some of us have studied Buddhism for many years but still find it difficult to make a complete change in our lives? That is, you never know what is wrong with you,
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you have no idea what exactly goes wrongs. If you don’t know, you can’t reform yourself because you can’t find the switch.
【74】Delusion is the key to losing our minds and inducing sufferings
We were originally pure, at ease, and equal, but now we are no longer pure, at ease, or equal. What went wrong? The key issue is our delusion. Let me explain what delusion is. What is it about? Delusion arises from senses. When our clear mind comes into contact with external circumstances, we first receive a sense. People with great blessings have good karma in their past lives. As a result of their good karma, they mostly feel happy. They have more joy and less pain in their lives. People with fewer blessings are more in pain and less joy in their lives.
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But this sense is not a problem, because senses have no form, but the next moment after receiving senses, it will bring up imagination, and he will fabricate many images thereafter.
Take drinking coffee, for instance. You see, the time we actually drink coffee is only the first second when your tongue comes into contact with the coffee and you feel the flavor of the coffee. If you are used to this flavor, it's favorable to your body, and you feel happy, then what will you do? You will praise it, and your mind start to talk: This coffee is delicious, where did you buy it? Where is it produced? From that moment on, you weren't really drinking coffee anymore. After the 2nd second, you were completely living in your delusions. Therefore, we only have a moment of contact with external circumstances.
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During ninety percent of our lifetime, we reside in our own delusions. We actually don’t really care what is happening in the outside world. We would rather believe in our own delusions. When delusion begins to take effect, you become attached and dwell in delusion.
Therefore, according to the Yogacara school, Matters appear in accord with the heart and reside in accord with the consciousness. The trouble is that you reside in your delusion, which is a blind spot, so you are misled by your own delusion. This is why we make life so complicated. This is the reason.
In fact, to be honest, troubles arising from karma are rare.