..續本文上一頁 from your bonds and entanglements. The stress and difficulties that come as a shadow of the khandhas are things that everyone has to bear as a burden. We can”t lie to one another about this. Each person has to suffer from worries and stress because of his or her own khandhas. Know that the entire world has to suffer in the same way you do with the khandhas you are overseeing right now.

　　Don”t let yourself be content to cycle through birth, aging, illness, and death. Be uncomplacent at all times. You shouldn”t have any doubts about birth, because the Buddha has already told us that birth and death are out-and-out suffering. Don”t let yourself wonder if they are flowers or sweets or any sort of food you can eat to your satisfaction. Actually, they are nothing but poison. They are things that have deceived us all in our stupidity to be born and to die in heaps in this world of suffering and stress. If we die in a state of humanity, there”s some hope for us because of the openings for rebirth we have made for ourselves through the power of our good deeds. But there are not just a few people out there who are foolish and deluded, and who thus have no way of knowing what sorts of openings for rebirth their kamma will lead them to.

　　So for this reason, see the danger in repeated birth and death that can give no guarantees as to the state in which you”ll take birth and die. If it”s a human state, as we see and are at present, you can breathe easily to some extent, but there”s always the fear that you”ll slip away to be reborn as a common animal for people to kill or beat until you”re all battered and bruised. Now that”s really something to worry about. If you die, you die; if you survive, you live and breathe in fear and trembling, dreading death with every moment. How many animals are dragged into the slaughter-houses every day

　　 This is something we don”t have to explain in detail. It”s simply one example I mention to remind you of the sufferings of the living beings of the world. And where is there any shelter that can give a sure sense of security to the heart of each person overseeing his or her heap of life

　　As meditators we should calculate the profits and losses, the benefits and drawbacks that come from the khandhas in each 24 hour period of day and night. The discontent we feel from being constantly worried: Isn”t it caused by the khandhas

　　 What makes us burdened and worried

　　 We sit, stand, walk, and lie down for the sake of the khandhas. We eat for the sake of the khandhas. Our every movement is simply for the sake of the khandhas. If we don”t do these things, the khandhas will have to break apart under the stress of suffering. All we can do is relieve things a little bit. When they can no longer take it, the khandhas will break apart.

　　bhara have pañcakkhandha:

　　The five khandhas are really a heavy burden.

　　Even though the earth, rocks, and mountains may be heavy, they stay to themselves. They”ve never weighed us down or oppressed us with difficulties. Only these five khandhas have burdened and oppressed us with difficulties with their every movement. Right from the day the khandhas begin to form, we have to be troubled with scurrying around for their sake. They wield tremendous power, making the entire world bend under their sway until the day they fall apart. We could say that we are slaves to the khandhas from the day we”re born to the day we die. In short, what it all comes down to is that the source of all worries, the source of all issues lies in the khandhas. They are the supreme commanders, making us see things in line with their wants. This being the case, how can anything wonderful come from them

　　 Even the khandhas we will take on as a burden in our next birth will be the same sort of taking-birth-and-dyi…

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