A Further Discussion of Revenge!

June 28, 2019

Each of you has a good understanding and attitude toward revenge. Having read your posts, I can see that you understand Chanyuan values well. As a new achiever of immortality, you must not have desires for revenge, let alone the motive or behavior for it. Because the world is faultless, all faults lie within us. If the outside world makes us uncomfortable, suppresses, and deceives us, or insults and deprives us of our freedom or property, then these are all our own faults and the root is still within us. From the law of causality, all effects originate from causes. The effect fruit that we eat, whether it is sweet or bitter, is caused by our own planting the cause. Therefore, revenge is tantamount to contending one’s self. It is resisting the fruit that you deserve. The debt that should have been repaid will continue to cycle because of your revenge.

On the road of self-improvement and self-cultivation to heaven, we need to place our LIVES into the hands of the Greatest Creator and give our lives to the management of Tao. Since we believe in Tao, we can just work hard towards the beautiful destination of truth, kindness, beauty, love, faith, and sincerity, and leave everything else to its arrangement and management. For enmity or hatred, we swallow, digest, and expel it. As for what punishment an enemy should receive, it is not our business, but rather that of Tao. How will Tao treat that enemy? We do not need to know; we only need to believe firmly that Tao is fair and will not favor anyone.

We also realize that the sum of all positive and negative energy of the universe is zero. That is, what you give and what you gain always balance. Being humiliated, wronged, suppressed, and exploited are forms of giving because since you have paid something, you will surely gain something else. As to what you will gain, Tao has its own arrangements and methods. Your gain may be health and longevity, auspiciousness and smoothness, adequate food and clothing, turning a misfortune into a blessing, or perhaps even going to heaven. In short, you will not give something for nothing, and of course you will not gain anything without paying something for it, so do not take revenge. Jesus taught us to take up our own cross and follow him; this cross is our suffering, grievances, and hatred. If we take revenge, it is equivalent to dropping the cross instead of carrying it. This runs counter to Christ’s teachings. Buddha Shakyamuni also taught us that if people are despised for reciting the “Diamond Sutra”, then not only can their sins from previous lives be eliminated, but they can end their samsara by attaining supreme enlightenment and the state of spiritual immortality. “Despised” here means being bullied which gives rise to hatred. If we take revenge, it is the equivalent of throwing away the benefits that we have obtained because of being despised and spoiling our fortunes and blessings, so it is never a good deal. Lao Tzu’s teachings are that,

“Sages put themselves last, find themselves in foremost places, regard their bodies as incidental, and their LIVES are therefore preserved”

“Favor and disgrace cause our dismay, what we value and what we fear are within ourselves”

“We have fears because we have selves. When we do not regard the self as a self, then what do we have to fear?”

These imply that we should not avenge our hatred because we can only “live” if we do not take revenge and can only be free from harm if we become “selfless”.

So, is revenge wrong? No! Revenge is a punishment, but punishments and rewards are cosmic properties. Those who should be punished must be punished or justice would not be served. If one planted the cause of suffering, then they must bear its bitter fruit; if they made others bleed, then they must be made to bleed; if they killed others, then they must also be deprived of their Life. As you have been measuring others, so shall you be measured.

Now we need to know who has the authority to take revenge. Revenge should be executed by the universe’s reward and punishment system; that is, Tao. How does Tao take revenge? If all humans do too much evil, then they will be punished with extinction; if some humans do too much evil, then they will be punished by large-scale catastrophes; if individual humans do too much evil, then gods and Buddha will punish them; individuals who are wicked will punish each other. People have no right to take revenge on each other and Chanyuan celestials have no authority to punish anyone.

“Revenge is a great good". Buddha asked, “If I do not go to hell, then who will?" and why "to save those who are in distress?” How does one “save those who are in distress”? One way is to take revenge to punish the wicked. If evil cannot be contained and the wicked cannot be punished, then the so-called “save those who are in distress” is just empty talk, that is “Wu Gang cuts the sweet-scented osmanthus tree and Sisyphus pushes the stone up the mountain”, which will never happen. Why should we worry about “going to hell”? Because taking revenge can lead easily to that. Since Buddha has attained supreme enlightenment and has reached the state of “non-self”, of course, for the sake of all beings, he is not afraid of “going to hell”. Therefore, Buddha can take revenge. Also, Gods have the authority to take revenge and punish evil. If anyone becomes a god, then they can take revenge.

So we can see the following phenomenon: “One of great virtue does not claim virtue; one of great mercy does not flash mercy; one of great benevolence does not appear benevolent; one with great faith seems devoid of faith”.

Knowing the above principles, we can see a person’s future, a nation’s future, and humankind’s future. At the same time, we can understand the principles and root causes of the natural and social disasters that occur on earth every day. Only in this way can we observe the world with a cold eye, watch current events calmly, and be extraordinary, reborn, and reach the celestial islands without premature death.

Based on these principles, ask yourself the following five questions.

Why did Ming Chenzu implicate Fang Xiaoru’s whole clan?

Why did Li Zicheng’s soldiers punish the descendants of Zhu Yuanzhang wherever they went, “All those who live in the prince’s palace, whose surname is Zhu, whether obedient or disobedient and whether military or civilian must be killed”?

Why did Hitler kill millions of Jews?

Why did the Chinese Communists severely crack down on the “landlords, rich peasants, counter-revolutionaries, bad elements, bourgeois, and capitalists”? Why did Mao Zedong want to “get rid of all types of evil people”?

What will happen in the next few years? Who will suffer?

Those who do not plan for the long-term will see their short-term plans fail. Those who do not plan for general situations are not good enough for specific situations.