Why Is There the Karma of Divisive Speech?

Double-tongued speech, in common parlance, is sowing discord—saying one thing to Party A and another to Party B, with the aim of making the two parties misunderstand each other so that one can profit as the fisherman reaping the benefit. Double-tongued speech also includes false speech; whether intentional or unintentional, it is all sinful karma. Within the Three Jewels, as long as one creates discord in the relationships among the Fourfold Assembly or between master and disciple, it is karma of the Avīci hell. This also involves cases where a disciple accepted by an ordained master no longer has faith in and acceptance of the master, no longer follows him to study the Dharma, and instead turns to study other erroneous, inferior, worldly dharmas that cannot lead to liberation. In that case, one simultaneously commits a grave sin of greatly harming the Dharma-body and wisdom-life of the master's disciples; in future lives there will be immense entanglements between the two, and one must also bear the karmic retribution of this portion of sinful karma.

The evil karma of committing double-tongued speech can also arise from jealousy. Most people have a jealous mind, or one might say everyone has it; the key is whether one can subdue it and not let one's jealousy manifest, thereby committing great evil karma. When there is self, others, and people in the mind, when one wants to stand out and obtain some benefit, hoping others will envy, respect, admire, and follow oneself, and one does not get one's way, jealousy arises. Jealousy is a manifestation of incompetence. If one were truly capable, all benefits would come to oneself—why would one need to be jealous of others?

Everyone hopes to be first or second, hopes to stand at the highest peak, above everyone else. If you are truly capable, your virtue, character, and abilities should be the highest and best; then even if you wanted to be second and condescend to be beneath others, it would be impossible—you could not hide even if you hid in the crowd; you would inevitably be revealed. If you want to occupy the first place, you must weigh where your virtue ranks; virtue must match the position, and only then can you have that position; otherwise there will surely be disaster. If it exceeds the range and degree of your virtue and capability, it is very hard to bear. For example, if your body can only bear fifty jin or less, yet you insist on carrying a thousand jin, your spine will be crushed and broken.

Whenever each person wants to obtain some benefit, one should first weigh one's virtue, then weigh one's ability, then take into account one's character and disposition, and finally assess whether one can bear that position and power. Do not add excessive afflictions and distress to yourself. If your virtue does not match the position, it is better not to have that position.

A mind that greatly exceeds one's own ability is called ambition. When ambition is too great, one becomes mad; when madness is too great, one perishes, and one's life will come to an end. A practitioner of the Path should regard everything in the world with equanimity, and as much as possible be without mind, without desire, without seeking; only thus will one's virtue grow ever higher. When virtue reaches a certain degree, one will possess the character of a bodhisattva, enter the bodhisattva stages, and become a bodhisattva-mahāsattva. The bodhisattva stages are attained without mind; no one has ever attained a sage's or worthy's position by fighting, jealousy, or squeezing out others.

In any group, being first or second is not won by contention, not won by fighting, not obtained by self-praise, not attracted by advertising, not elected by canvassing votes—it is drawn by virtue. What is drawn by virtue cannot be pushed away even if you push it, cannot be hidden even if you hide it. What is obtained by scheming, once merit and power are exhausted, will decline and fall; if there is sinful karma during this period, one will fall even into a deep valley, and the loss outweighs the gain. Afflictions arise because of the view of self and self-grasping. When self-grasping is too heavy, one will commit evil karma for the sake of the self; taking the self too seriously brings no benefit at all. The heavier the self, the deeper one falls; conversely, the more selfless the mind, the lighter it is, and the more one soars upward. Whether one rises or falls depends entirely on one's handling of the self. In daily encounters with conditions and circumstances, constantly reflect on the falsity and unreality of the self, and introspect on one's own mental conduct. The better one's reflection and contemplation, the better one's handling of the self will be.