Master Chin Kung - Irritation and Impatience Cause Harsh Climate Change 煩躁和不耐煩導致嚴峻的氣候變化

(English subtitles) Buddhist Master Chin-Kung (淨空法師,1927-2022) talks dharma.

Subtitles:
Nowadays, thanks to the development of science and technology, it improves the quality of human life and bring a lot of conveniences, but the price paid has been neglected and ignored. If we know the price is too huge to pay, we are not willing to live this life. Only people with true wisdom can see this point. There are some but very few.
1:00
I've heard several scientists talking about it. Dr. Toynbee had also said that the price paid is social unrest, moral decay, and increased human disasters. And the time human survival on earth get shortened. According to dharma, it doesn't mention the end of the world. But there are the periods of the true dharma, the semblance dharma, and the degenerate dharma. Degenerate dharma will last for 10 thousand years.
2:00
It's only 1000 years past now, and there are remaining 9000 years. But scientists have announced that based on the current development of technology. The earth will not be suitable for human habitation 100 years later. You see, based on dharma, there are 9000 years, but it has been shortened to 1000 years. Scientists said that before. Recently, scientists told us: How does it need 100 years? Only 50 years. The earth is no longer suitable for human survival 50 years later.
3:00
There is a phenomenon now, everybody knows it. The temperature of the earth is rising. What's the reason for the rise? After industrialization, the exhaust gas contains carbon dioxide, which absorbs solar energy above the earth's surface, prevents heat from dissipating outward and causes the temperature to rise gradually. The first phenomenon of temperature rising is the ice in the Arctic and the Antarctic melts. The accumulated snow in the high mountain melts. So scientists tell us,
4:00
after 20 years, the permanent ice caps will disappears on the earth. The hottest temperature on the earth could reach as high as 50 °C. How can people live? And the timing is getting closer and closer. We learn Buddhism, We know there's some truth in what they say. However, they talk about the tips of a tree but not the roots. What's the roots? The roots are that people live on the earth are serious greedy, resentful, ignorant, and arrogant. The Buddha told us, Greed induces floods;
5:00
resentment induces fire. You see, how bad the temper of the modern people is now? They lose their temper when they are dissatisfied with trifles. They are grumpy in daily life. They are very irritable and impatient. You calm down and ponder on it, am I right? Exactly. Irritation and impatience arise from greed, resentment, ignorance. This is induction. What is the external response? Water, fire, storms, earthquake are responses. These are the external responses. There are induction and response. That is to treat the roots. Therefore, Buddhism guided us to extinguish greed, resentment, ignorance, and diligently practice precepts, meditation, wisdom.
6:00
The world will be peaceful. Then this really can solve the problem. Science can't solve problems. Scientists find problems but can't solve them. How do we solve? Start from solving our own problems. It's more important than anything else. If you diminish greed, resentment, ignorance, namely, reduce discrimination, attachments, your mind will be cool and at ease. The nearby environments will become wonderful. Feng shui professionals have a good saying:
7:00
Blessed people live in the blessed land, and blessed land live the blessed people. No matter where the real blessed people go, bad feng shui becomes better. After he live there for 3 years, the feng shui becomes better. His good fortune, kindness, and good deeds change the environment. While a wicked person lives a place with good feng shui for 3 years, all feng shui turn worse. That is in line with the Buddhist rationale.
8:00
Then we know the importance of practice after understanding this rationale. What should we practice first? From the inside out, from mind to action. Or, from the outside in, from action to mind. People with upper roots and the topmost roots can practice from the inside out, it's faster. People with middle and lower roots can't do it, and must be from the outside in. From precepts to meditative concentration, to wisdom, this is from the outside in. Once wisdom is unfolded, concentration will be attained, and then precepts will be completed.
9:00
That is from the inside out, for those people with topmost roots. Like Sakyamuni Buddha, he is such a person. The 6th patriarch of Chan Master Hui Neng is also such a person. He didn't practice precepts or meditation. After enlightened, he achieved precepts and meditation perfectly. We are not the people with topmost roots. We must admit that we are below the medium level.