A Brief Discussion on the affliction of Arrogance

　　Essay Writing of Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated

　　(Issue 3)
　　A Brief Discussion on the affliction of Arrogance
　　—- How a Bodhisattva practitioner can subdue his arrogance and humbly and compassionately save and protect sentient beings
　　Teacher: Shi Wuguang
　　Author: Wang Huaigu( Hugo Spirit)
　　October 26, 2020
　　Summary

　　A Bodhisattva practitioner should not only be aware of the faults of arrogance, but also be ashamed of them, and strive to stay away from arrogance, cut off arrogance , subdue arrogance, and not harm all sentient beings with arrogance , and at the same time, he should be humble, obedient, kind and compassionate in order to actively rescue and protect all sentient beings, as the sutra goes: “Great kindness for all sentient beings without any conditions, great compassion for all sentient beings with one substance, and equally rescuing and protecting all sentient beings .

　　By extension, Bodhisattvas should develop the habit of not being arrogant to treat any person, thing, object or even all sentient beings, develop the good habits of humility, constant obedience and compassion, practice universal respect, often recognize, appreciate, and praise all people, sentient beings, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for all their merits ,virtues and abilities, and perfectly replicate all the merits ,virtues and abilities of others, sentient beings, buddhas and Bodhisattvas, so that they can be purified and at ease as soon as possible, and subdue demons and achieve the Way, and at the same time we should also actively accompany and ambulance all sentient beings and lead them to cultivate good karmic habits such as non-arrogance, humility, purity, ease, and even subjugation of demons and achievement of the Way!

　　It is only when one is truly altruistic that one has a true sense of happiness and accomplishment. In particular, if you can actively, vigorously, courageously, and diligently follow the example of the bodhisattva in the Dhammapada —-, you will be able to attain all of the great achievements such as these by humbling yourself and seeking the Dharma without being slow and tired.

　　【Key Words】Arrogance, Faults, Subdue, Humility

Chapter 1 Introduction (Preface)

　　Section 1 Research Motivation

　　In the whole long practice of subduing demons and achieving the Way, the subduing of arrogance is the most important thing for a true Buddhist. As mentioned in the Four Great Vows of the Bodhisattva: “I vow to take across all boundless sentient beings , vow to cut off all endless afflictions”, and : “I vow to eliminate all afflictions and the three obstacles, vow to obtain true and clear wisdom , vow to eliminate all disasters and obstructions, and vow to always practice the Bodhisattva Way.”

　　In other words, the Bodhisattva practitioner vows to eliminate all the vexations of ignorance and the vexations of the confusion of thoughts, including arrogance, from himself and others.

　　It is also mentioned in the Flower Adornment Sutra that the three existences are the city and the arrogance is the wall. The reason why sentient beings cannot break through the city and the wall of the three realms is that the walls they have built with their own arrogance and self-importance are very high ,huge and supreme, and boundless. In fact, as long as sentient beings do not have arrogance and pride, the walls they have built will automatically come down and they can leave the three realms with a lift of the legs.

　　Then ,as a practitioner, especially a Bodhisattva practitioner, one should understand very clearly what the mind of arrogance and the karma of arrogance really are. What kind of serious harm and suffering does the arrogance and branch affliction of its offshoots bring to sentient beings? How does it manifest in the oral and physical karma of self and others? What can be done to subdue the arrogance of self and others?

　　Section 2: Purpose of Research

　　According to the Sutra of the Precepts for Upasaka, “ All afflictions are my great grievances. What is the reason for this? Because it is the afflictions that can destroy oneself and others.” It is also mentioned in the Extensive Treatise on the Order of the Bodhi Path ,“The high hillock of arrogance does not outflow the water of virtue.”

　　It is because the harm that arrogance brings to sentient beings, practitioners and Bodhisattva practitioners is too great. It can destroy one’s own and others’ wisdom, blessings, good roots, causes and conditions, abilities, interpersonal relationships, and even the supreme Buddha path. Therefore, as a true Buddha’s disciple, one should aspire to first subdue the afflictions such as arrogance, and even to achieve the ultimate subjugation of demons and achievement of the Bodhi Way.

　　The most famous example of the subjugation of the demon of arrogance comes from the Lotus Sutra. The Bodhisattva of Constant Not despising has always been the best model and example for Bodhisattvas to subdue their arrogance. If every practitioner and Bodhisattva practitioner can not only subdue arrogance, but also possess the virtues of humility, obedience, kindness, and compassion to actively rescue and protect sentient beings and lead them to subdue arrogance and even subdue demons and achieve the Way, then it will be a blessing for sentient beings, a blessing for Buddhism, and a blessing for the world, and a joy for the Buddha!

　　Section 3: Research Methods

　　As a practitioner or a Buddhist disciple , how should one think and act correctly in order to subdue the arrogance? The main way to subdue the arrogance is to follow the Buddhas’ precepts and wisdom. We should be wise and enlightened as our first guide, that is, we should first understand and realize when people are arrogant, why they are arrogant, and what they are arrogant for.

　　For example, the wisdom of humility and gentleness is a wonderful remedy. Other specific ways to subdue arrogance are through the wisdom of a Bodhisattva who sees arrogance is like avoiding a giant drowning, following the example of the Bodhisattva who does not look down on others, being willing to give alms, repenting in accordance with the Dharma, speaking the right Dharma, and drawing on the Buddhas’ and Bodhisattvas’ supreme power of vows.

Chapter 2: What is arrogance

　　All Buddhists who have studied the Buddhas’ teachings know that, throughout the ages, in the long practice of subduing demons and achieving the Way, the subjugation of arrogance is the most crucial and important thing for a true Buddhist, a true Bodhisattva practitioner. In other words, the Bodhisattva practitioner vows to eliminate all the vexations of ignorance and the vexations of the confusion of thoughts, which include the mind of arrogance from himself and others.

　　The reason why sentient beings cannot break through the walls of the three realms is that the walls they have built with their own arrogance and self-importance are very high ,huge and supreme. In fact, as long as sentient beings do not have arrogance, the walls they have built will automatically be removed and they can leave the three realms with a lift of the leg.

　　Because the harm brought by arrogance to sentient beings, practitioners and Bodhisattva practitioners is too great, if practitioners and Bodhisattva practitioners wish to subdue the demons and attain the Way, they must subdue the demon of arrogance. And the most famous classic example of subduing the demon of arrogance comes from the Lotus Sutra:

　　The bhikkhus, whenever they see a bhikkhu, a bhikkhuni, a layman, a laywoman – all worship and praise and say: “I respect you deeply and dare not treat you lightly. What is the reason for this? You are all practicing Bodhisattva’ Way and will attain Buddhahood.” But the bhikkhus, instead of reading and chanting the sutras, only worshipped, and even when he saw the four multitudes from afar, he also went and worshipped and praised them, saying, “I dare not despise you and so on, because you will all become Buddhas.”

　　The Bodhisattva who does not treat others lightly did not dare to look down on any practitioner of the ground of cause because he knew that all sentient beings have Buddha nature and that if they are willing to practice, they will eventually become Buddhas. Therefore, the Bodhisattva who does not treat others lightly has always been the best model and example for Bodhisattvas to subdue their arrogance.

　　Then why must the Bodhisattva who does not treat others lightly and all Bodhisattvas subdue their arrogance? According to the Sutra of the Precepts for Upasaka , “All afflictions are my great grievances. What is the reason for this? Because it is the affliction that destroys the merits and virtues of the self and others.” It is precisely because the arrogance and so on can destroy one’s own and others’ wisdom, blessings, good roots, cause and condition, abilities, interpersonal relationships and even the supreme Buddha path. Therefore, as a true disciple of Buddhas, one should aspire to first subdue the afflictions, especially the arrogance, and even subdue demons and achieve the path of Buddhahood.

　　He is also well aware of the fact that, as mentioned in the Extensive Treatise on the Order of the Bodhi Path, ” The high hillock of arrogance does not outflow the water of virtue “. As the saying goes, humility is the best tool for the conqueror, and arrogance is the self-indulgence of the foolish. Because the mountain of arrogance is too high, no water of virtue and merit can be stored. Water flows downward, this is the law of nature. Only a humble person can store the water of merit and virtue because he has lowered himself, just like the reason why there is so much water in the ocean, because it is at the lowest altitude, so in the end , all the water in the thousands of rivers eventually flow to the ocean.

　　In summary, the author tries to discuss the definition of arrogance, the serious harm and suffering that arrogance and its branch arrogance of offshoots bring to sentient beings, how to subdue arrogance, and how a bodhisattva practitioner should not only not give play to arrogance, but also be ashamed and proactively subdue arrogance that is difficult to subdue , and give play to humility, gentleness, and constant respect to joyfully, actively, proactively, and compassionately rescue and protect all sentient beings.

　　Then, what is the definition of arrogance?

　　Section 1: The Precise Definitions of the Seven Types of Arrogance

　　Let us first understand what arrogance is, namely the definition of arrogance. In Buddhism, there are precise definitions of seven kinds of arrogance. According to the Dharani Sutra of Protecting the Lord of the Realm of the State, it is discussed as follows:

　　Saddening beings give rise to all arrogance: arrogance, excessive arrogance , more excessive arrogance, arrogance of myself, increasing arrogance, lowly arrogance and evil arrogance. What is arrogance ? It means that I am better than inferior sentient beings. To say excessive arrogance, It means that I am better than those who are equal to me. To say more excessive arrogance, it means that I am better than those who surpass myself. To say arrogance of myself, it means that I am the form, and even the conciousness so that my mind is exalted. To say increasing arrogance, he says to others that he has attained the holy dharma when the increasing holy dharma has never been attained by him. To say lowly arrogance, he says to others that he is a little inferior than those who are more superior than him in many ways. To say evil arrogance , he considers himself to be right in the midst of his own evil views and immoralities, but considers them to be evil.

　　From this we can see the various specific negative manifestations of sentient beings’ arrogance, the Bodhisattva should preach the Dharma for them to cut off their arrogance, which we will discuss further in detail later.

　　The second verse of the Vajrayana Sutra also mentions the ten kinds of slow karma

　　Disciple of Buddhas! Bodhisattva Mahasattva has ten kinds of arrogance karma. What are the ten? They are: not respecting and making offerings to the fields of respectful blessings, monks, acharyas, parents, sramanas, and brahmanas…

　　From this we can see that the ten kinds of arrogance karma of the Bodhisattva are both vast and subtle, and that one must indeed be careful in what one says and does, or else one will easily fall into them.

　　Section 3: Anything that does not respect others is arrogance

　　People who cannot stoop to a lower level have arrogance; if they have arrogance, they cannot be humble, they cannot be humbled. In fact, the higher a person is, the lower he puts himself. A person with arrogance cannot respect others, nor can he put the other person on the highest level, or even think: “If people don’t ask for others, they have the same high level.” Anything that does not respect others is arrogance.

　　Even if a person with arrogance learns a lot, it is very difficult to give full play to it, because he does not store Buddha’s knowledge, Buddha’s vision, Buddha’s wisdom, and Buddha’s realm. Because of the strong arrogance, he loves to show off himself, always wants to put others to death, but he often comes to despise people, belittle people, deny people, dislike and avoid people; he is self-righteous, self-righteous as remarkable, even if clearly he knows that he is wrong, he does not repent; He loves to dislike people, dislike this person to be old, dislike that person to look ugly, that person not to say the right thing, that guy to have no money, that guy to have no power, that guy to be sick, that guy to stink ……

　　Anyway, he sees no one in the whole world is good, see whoever are evil, but he himself is not evil.It is also easy for him to see others bad, garbage, the dark side, because at this time, he does not have a sense of shame, there is only arrogance, naturally he does not attain good.

　　In a word, overestimating oneself, making oneself the boss, underestimating all people ,things and objects, underestimating afflictions, etc. are all arrogance.

　　Section 4: Arrogance is like a high mountain and occupying the mountain to act as a lord ,and defend it to the death

　　The mountain of arrogance is really a bit hard to shake. In other afflictions, people are floating. But when one is in the affliction of arrogance, even if one wants him to drift away, he does not drift away; he defends the mountain to the death, as firm as a rock. Therefore, arrogance is a mountain, it will not drift anymore when the affliction drift away to the mountain of arrogance. So the arrogance is so enjoyable. It’s not only upholding greed, it’s also upholding the arrogance.

　　Arrogance is a high mountain, that is, I occupy this top of the mountain, and this is all my territory, I want to guard the top of my mountain. Those tops of mountains are my territory, I overthrow you, and after that, you overthrow me again, just like everyone is fighting for the top of the mountain, one has to defend his mountain to the death, to the death! Just like some women and men in the family, when they vow to defend their dignity, they shoot the table with each other, glare at each other, and risk one’s life needlessly with each other.

　　Section 5 Not being softened, cold and hard, standing high above the masses, thick-skinned

　　Arrogance, is not being softened, cold and hard, standing high above the masses, thick-skinned. The so-called thin skin corresponds to the arrogance, and the so-called thick skin is contrary to the arrogance. Do we want thick skin or thin skin?

　　Section 6: Explaining utmostly and blindly, overturning and denying others

　　Explaining utmostly and blindly is overturning and denying others.

　　If one analyzes his own body, mouth, and mind carefully, he will realize that he has been extremely faithful in defending his arrogance everywhere. For example, when one keeps on explaining and trying to explain without considering the feelings of others, he is actually defending his own arrogance and even overthrowing others.If one really contemplates every point of sentient beings, one will find that almost all of them are defending their own face and dignity, which is actually giving play to their arrogance.

　　Think about why do people like to explain? It is because of having arrogance. For example, if I want to explain that this machine has bad condition with me, that means I want to prove and explain that it is not me who has the problem, it is it who has the problem, it has bad condition with me, it ignores me. What kind of affliction is this? Arrogance. In reality, I am afraid that I am low, I want to be high; if there is a problem, it is also its problem, not mine, if I have a problem, then am I not low? It is still arrogance at work.

　　Section 7: Defending Yourself, Showing Off Yourself, Hiding Affliction and Evil Karma, Just Myself Is the Only Honored One

　　To defend oneself and to show off oneself in every way all belongs to arrogance; to cover and hide is still arrogance; Just myself being the Only Honored One is also arrogance. For example, I know I’m wrong, but I don’t say so. Because I don’t say it, no one else knows it either. Because I say it, then I am not lower? In reality, it is still arrogance.

　　From this, we can see that arrogance means that one’s greed has not been removed, that one thinks that one is better than others, and that one rejects all the superiority ,merit and virtue of others, or that one thinks that others are higher and stronger than oneself, but that one does not value them much.

Chapter 3: The effects, hazards and sufferings of arrogance

　　In the following section, I will analyze how slowness and the troubles arising from it are created and the destructive power they produce.

　　Section 1: How Arrogance Creates and the Sufferings and Hazards It Produces

　　Why do sentient beings want to be arrogance? Because they foolishly think that if they put themselves down, others will look down on them. But they do not know that the effect, harm, and suffering that arrogance brings to themselves and to sentient beings are extremely serious.

　　According to the Shurangama Sutra, the hazards of arrogance and the suffering of hell are explained

　　The bodhisattva is very much afraid of arrogance and avoids it, “When the Bodhisattva sees arrogance, he will be like avoiding a giant drowning.” From this, it can be seen that arrogance is itself the root of creating bad karma. Therefore, when a Bodhisattva sees arrogance of the self and others, he will try to avoid it as quickly as possible, otherwise he will definitely be in danger of being drowned alive by the huge flood of water of arrogance.

　　2. The Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva also mentions this kind of karmic retribution

　　“ To those who slight the Dharma and regard the teachings with arrogance, he says that remaining in the evil paths forever will be the retribution… To the arrogant and haughty he says that being servile and of low station will be the retribution.”

　　Volume 1 of the Sutra of Distinguishing Good and Evil Retribution: “What are the ugly karmic rewards? There are ten kinds of karma. What are they? The first is to give rise to hatred eternally, the second is to indulge in arrogance… These are the ten kinds of karmas that get ugly retribution .” Therefore, we should and must be convinced of the harm of arrogance and of the inevitability of cause ,effect and retribution.

　　3. Arrogance brings sentient beings the appearance of corruption, self-harm and future misfortune

　　The Sutra of the Great Square Wide and Perfect Enlightenment and Ultimate Clear Meanings says, “When a kind mentor is close to one’s self, one must not be arrogant and proud, and when kind mentor is far away from one’s self, one must not be angry.” That is, we must know that arrogance and anger can corrupt one’s cause and condition with the kind mentor and all the good of sentient beings, can make the future of sentient beings be in a mess.

　　4. Arrogance has this corrupting and destroying effect on sentient beings

　　Arrogance, too, goes deeper in the form of false thinking, in the form of feeling, in the form of impulse, and the deeper it goes, the more difficult it is for one to extricate oneself from it, and the arrogance has this corrupting and destroying effect on sentient beings, and even all kinds of future misfortunes are shaped by it.

　　When one is truly enlightened, no one will dare to use arrogance. Therefore, the ten habits are mentioned in the Shurangama Sutra, and they include the habit of arrogance. The Bodhisattva has to overcome them ,even if the habits of arrogance and other afflictions are very strong because he has strong wisdom that if a Bodhisattva sees arrogance ,he will be like avoiding a giant drowning.

　　Otherwise, he has not entered the side of Buddhism at all, he is only a demon, and has nothing to do with Buddhism. Therefore, if sentient beings want to be free from suffering and achieve happiness, to practice the Bodhisattva path, and to subdue demons and achieve the Way, they must know that arrogance and other afflictions are destructive and self-inflicted, and that they are making their life’s destiny unlucky, and they should always remember the horror of arrogance, delusions, feelings, and impulses, and be as afraid of the ten habits including arrogance as a Bodhisattva is, no matter how strong the habit of afflictions such as arrogance is, you must stay away from them and try to overcome them!

　　Fifth: Arrogance will bring bad effects to the body and mind, and will cause many evils

　　Arrogance not only brings bad effects and many evils to the body and mind at the moment, but also leads to the bad consequences of not being able to achieve all these points of excellence ,merit and virtue in the future; arrogance also does not bring any happiness, because there is always a time when sentient beings cannot get arrogant, and then they suffer a lot.

　　Sixth: Arrogance is a self-barrier in the present moment

　　What is the biggest obstacle for sentient beings not to be well, not to achieve the merit and virtue of Buddhas? It is that one thinks he is worth a few cents, so he is not too softened, too cold and too hard, standing high above the masses. The main cause of this is arrogance at work, together with all kinds of afflictions working.

　　Seventh: arrogance lets oneself get worse and worse, become a loner

　　In reality, maintaining one’s so-called dignity, that is, one’s own arrogance only makes one worse and worse, because all the arrogance is corrupting oneself, even to the extent that “even though I am a loner, I still lead the way.”

　　It is because arrogance is to reject, to cover, to reject all worldly and ex-worldly benefits, and to both worldly and ex-worldly benefits, it is a scourge？Arrogance naturally sends the power of rejection. If I am arrogant to an official, I will naturally reject the official position; if I arrogant to get rich, I will naturally reject the money and wealth. In the future, one will surely fall into the pit of danger and difficulty, and one will not encounter Buddhas in a hundred or thousand eons, let alone hear the Dharma?

　　If one is arrogant, one will lose everything and destroy everything one has; if one is slow, one will have only dry good roots, virtue and merit, and although he can increase his good roots, virtue and merit, it will not grow; wherever one is arrogant, one will not want to be good in any area; if one is arrogant, one is drinking the water of ignorance, but sentient beings still think that is self-respect and self-improvement. In fact, the more arrogant one is, the more stupid he is.

　　Eighth: Arrogance is a pest and to let someone not to ask for food

　　In fact, if one really gets through arrogance, he can shock himself, because he realizes that he himself is so stupid. People are really that stupid, and they really think it is good and right, and they are still enjoying harming themselves. It is because everyone is running with arrogance, so it causes every family discord, it causes people to have no friends and no buddies in the workplace, and it causes people to the extent that wherever they go , people are not willing to look at them normally.

　　If you have arrogance, it looks like you are not as good as those who can beg for food. Some beggars are very good at asking for food, and there are those who can get rich by asking for food. Some people, if they are reduced to begging for food one day, they may not even be able to get it back. Why? Because of this arrogance, they can’t even bend their waist, they don’t have a smiling face, and they don’t have soft words. If someone goes to ask for food and puts out such a posture, he really can’t get it back. Because no one deserves you, no one owes you, and they are sure to beat you up.If you beg for food in one family, you will be beaten up by one family; if you beg for food in two families, you will be beaten up by two families. Therefore, if people have arrogance, they may not get their meals back. Arrogance is really a pest.

　　Ninth: Arrogance is delusional, and specializes in deceiving and confusing the unwise beings.

　　Although arrogance has the power to reject and destroy good dharma ,virtue and merit, and set up a wall of obstacles for oneself, so that it make oneself not get out of the three realms, but at the same time, it is also false and unreal. Although the habit of arrogance is difficult to perceive and seems to be very stubborn and firm, in fact arrogance and its root cause are both delusional and unreal, just like the moon in the water and flowers in the mirror, and one must not think of it as real, because arrogance is a delusion. Once you think of it as real, there is no way to do away with it and subdue it, because you yourself think it is real and unreal.

　　How can we know that arrogance is false and unreal? Let’s take an example to illustrate. A person is giving rise to arrogance and is in a state of self-righteousness. Then someone suddenly shouts that a poisonous snake is coming, and the person who is arrogant immediately runs for his life, and there is no trace of his arrogance. From this example, we can understand how illusory and unreal arrogance is, like a mirage.

　　After this comprehensive analysis, we can understand that arrogance is repulsive, obstructive, destructive and illusory. To sum up, we must realize that the confusion, harm and suffering brought by arrogance to all sentient beings are innumerable and endless.

　　Then, how do I myself create and manifest my arrogance in my daily life and work? How many confusions, problems, hazards, and sufferings does it bring to me?

　　The list of examples is endless. In order to maintain my own face and dignity, I have to explain this and that to others or the kind mentor, and even to talk back with them. As a result of the arrogance making trouble, when I ask others to help me, I do not have the humility to ask for help, and I do not have the humility or have the sense of shame, so I often do not get help from the other. I often can not lower myself, and then is too late to regret it, and even let myself become a loner, lonely and helpless, let the multitude keep away from myself, be utterly isolated, make the relatives painful and the enemies happy, but I am still there to enjoy myself, take the lead , am content with one’s lot, am in self-complacence, am a real, authentic A Q reappearance.

　　Because of arrogance, I often cause people to hate me and let them leave me naturally; I set up all kinds of high walls for the way to my own success; I reject everything that is good and never lower myself; even if I do well, people do not recognize me ; The people I meet are the ones who consider themselves always right, who is extremely arrogant, who think that they are superior and unbeatable; I have no affinity, cohesiveness and attraction with others; I often pretend to be noble ,cover and hide my own afflictions and faults. Because of my arrogance, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas do not dare to appear for myself, and do not dare to come near me.

　　I am not doing anything, not anybody famous, but engage in despicable arrogance, in order to maintain my own afflictions I find reasons to defend myself, blame this and that, the ultimate goal is to prove that it is not I can do it, but because of a person’s reason, or the reason for a certain place, so that I can not distinguish myself.

　　Sometimes, I think that I am the best, and I put myself in the highest position, and I look down on everyone. I even comment on essays and other works in fields I have not yet entered, either denying others or doubting if their works are plagiarized, even with a great sense of rejection, thinking that this is just so so.

　　In summary, we have already realized how our arrogance is created and manifested in our life and work, and the horrible problems, hazards and sufferings it brings. Then, the branch afflictions are from arrogance, such as deceiving, pride, unashamedness , having no guilt, slackness, loose, and covering, and how they are created in life, work, and practice, and what are the dreadful faults, hazards, and sufferings they bring?

　　Section 2: How the branch afflictions that are derived from arrogance are created and the sufferings and hazards that they cause

　　Arrogance is one of the five main afflictions, along with greed, hatred, ignorance and doubt. It can also be divided into a number of branch afflictions, which are the details of arrogance, also called subtle afflictions, branch and leaf afflictions: deceiving, pride, unashamedness, having no guilt, slackness, loose, and covering. For example, deceiving is a branch of arrogance, a kind of arrogance, which belongs a form of expression of arrogance.

　　Why do we need to analyze these afflictions that are derived from arrogance ? Because it allows us to know precisely what kind of branch afflictions we are in at every moment, and in which category and item specifically. If we pay attention to it, then we will have a clearer and more thorough understanding of arrogance and its branch subtle afflictions, so that we can fear and even be very afraid of arrogance, which will lay a very solid foundation for subduing arrogance later on.

　　Now the author will analyze and explore the specific appearance of the branch afflictions branching out from the main affliction of arrogance, as well as their specific actions in life, work, practice and bring terrible problems, hazards and suffering, so that we can fully and thoroughly understand the arrogance, so as to subdue arrogance as soon as possible, as the so-called saying says :know yourself and know your enemy, a hundred battles will not be lost.

　　First ,Deceiving: It can be deceitful and untruthful, which means that when one makes contact with the people of the world, his words are false, has good consideration and a lot of strategy ,his mind is not at ease ,so that he is annoyed and confused.

　　There are roughly three types in deceiving: delusion, deception, and confusion. It is most often expressed in words, the delusion of speech belongs a kind of oral karma. Only those who think they are the king will be able to use hubris. In fact, those who always think they are the king have no personality. A person who is arrogant thinks he is a king all the time, and the final result is: at least in the minds of others, you are finished, and others will not recognize you.As in the case of TV play the God ，Dragon and the Eightfold Division, Ding Laoguai, Jiumozhi, and the Great Khitan Emperor … If you are the more deceived person, even if you have the ability, you are not recognized by others, and the real high achievers are not deceived and delusional.

　　What can trigger deceiving? Where does it come from? For example, when people are corresponding to arrogance, they want to covert face, and they know they are not capable of doing something, but they still take on all things, or even make a promise. In such a state, people will have deceiving.

　　For deceiving, there is another kind called confusion. It is to deliberately be said incredibility, but in fact there is no such thing. By extension, there are countless minds, expressions, words, actions, and means, and thus feelings of sufferings are limitless.

　　There is also a kind of deception called cheating. It is similar to cheating, but it is not exactly cheating. Sometimes, in order to protect oneself, one makes up one’s own lies to deceive others. For example, if I have time right now, but someone asks me for something, I deceive them by saying that I am working on something right now and I don’t have time to help them, so I deliberately deceive him.

　　Why do people use deception? Some people can do it because of ignorance; some people can do it because of arrogance. In order to be recognized and acknowledged by others, to show that they are higher than others, and they know more than others, they deliberately make up something. These belong to deception.

　　If you are crazy, you will make yourself finished and perish quickly. People, really can not be crazy. Once you go too far, even if you are very good, you will be finished and perish. History is replete with examples of defeat due to madness: the Germans attacked Moscow of the Soviet Union , because they were crazy and did not go into the city, they were frozen to death by the Siberian cold at night and lost the victory they had within their grasp; the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor , the U.S. navy’s Hawaiian territory ,and were finally defeated by the two atomic bombs that the Americans had just developed. The Germans and the Japanese were so crazy at that time that they did the kind of thing that brought about their own demise.

　　If you want to deceive others, you want to achieve your own goal, but the result may not be really good. What does it look like? The Shurangama Sutra says, “When a Bodhisattva sees deceiving , it is like trampling on a snake and viper.” Why does a Bodhisattva see it in this way? Because it is like stepping on a poisonous snake, and there is an instant fear for one’s life. For example, if someone comes to deceive the Bodhisattva, when the Bodhisattva sees this deception, it is like seeing a poisonous snake, it will bite him very painfully and entangle him to death.

　　Example 1: Being fined $1,000 for deceiving, and get the suffering of losing money, the suffering of not being able to get what you want, the suffering of the separation from the loved ones

　　The female driver was caught and took out of the male driver’s license, a wave of divine operation let the traffic police are baffled

　　It is reported that on April 16, 2019, a female driver presented a male driver’s license during the inspection by the police in front of the station of the traffic police of Handan ,Hebei. When confronted by police, the woman driver insisted that the picture on her driver’s license was of herself two years ago, claiming that she had undergone sex reassignment surgery, cut her Adam’s apple and at the same time she also pampered. The woman was asked and the woman driver did not pass the subject one test, having no driving license, the male driver’s license she took is his own husband’s. The vehicle was suspended by the traffic police and she was fined 1000 yuan.

　　What kind of afflictions are contained in the news? There is bad karma such as deceiving and slandering, she attains the suffering of being fined ,the suffering of not being able to get what you want, and the suffering of the separation from the loved one.

　　In daily life and work, how is my own deception created and manifested specifically?

　　I once said to my students, “I was so smart and brilliant back then, why are you guys so stupid and don’t try to make a good showing for me, study higher and do better in exams? I also said to my father: What are you capable of, don’t think you’re great, the earth will still turn around without you; I also think the leader is nothing great, if I sit in that position, I may be able to say better, do better; when I see people who don’t look good, people who show off in front of me, I think: Who are you? Which green onion are you? Are you qualified to show off with me? I have crossed more bridges than you have walked through the way, I have eaten more salt than you have eaten rice, don’t play the big knife in front of Guangong.

　　The problems, hazards and suffering that deceiving can bring: it can cause others to hate you; set up all kinds of high walls and obstacles for the way of your own success; reject everything that is good, and make you never lower yourself; others do not recognize myself; the people that I meet are the ones who think they consider themselves always right, who are arrogant, superior, and unbeatable, because everything is that according to my own karma, I can feel such kind of phenomenon of retribution. I often regret too much, especially after being cheated by others , the hatred and anger of mine are very strong..

　　The cause of deception will bring about the effect of deception, like a shadow following the body, like a response responding the sound, which is true and not false.

　　Second, Arrogance or pride: “Thinking one oneself is supreme and being arrogant to others is arrogance, that is ,the heart is not humble, always wanting to beat others, being arrogant to have virtue, and disturbing his heart.”

　　Coquetry is also to be arrogant; being arrogant with the help of other’s pampering, pampering oneself with the love of others, hoping that others will look at one a little higher, a little bigger. In fact, this is extremely harmful to oneself, and if one develops this problem little by little, one will end up being overbearing and domineering, and one will show it as Zhang Fei is riding a broken horse. Thinking that one is great, at the time of coquetry, his air of arrogance will shoot up to the sky, will not be lowered, not humble. The actual pampering of others is to send people up to the top of the aspen, to put them up high, and once they are high, they conform to the arrogance of Buddhist concept. The one branch that sticks out from the arrogance is pride .

　　In my daily life and work, how do I create and manifest my pride?

　　Since I was a child, my grandmother loved me, so I often used this love to bully and scold my sisters, and I was unbeatable. Thinking that the kind mentor was compassionate, I was always relaxed and lazy, thinking that he would not do anything to me, he would not chop my head off, he would not kill me, and it would be better to finish the task given to me, but it would not matter much if I did not. When I heard someone praise the virtue and merit of kind mentor with joy, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was happy for him, but on the other hand, I thought, “Is the kind mentor really that high? It’s amazing. The arrogance and doubts are all at work, rejecting the cause and condition of the other person and the kind mentor. It is too terrible !

　　The problems, hazards, and sufferings brought about by arrogance: it rejects everything; it sets up all kinds of high walls for my own success; it rejects all the good things, and I can never lower myself; the people that I meet are self-righteous, superior, unbeatable, and self-centered; I feel bad when others do not center on me; I feel like something that is missing when I do not hear praise from others for a day, and I feel a sense of loss, and I feel unhappy.

　　Third. No ashamedness: “It is said that one does bad things in a hidden place, does not know how to repent for his wrongdoings, and his mind is disturbed.”

　　To be shameless is to have no skins or face, that is, to think that you are not wrong ,but right even though you are wrong. Shamelessness means to be embarrassed. Shamelessness and guilty differ in the degree of expression. To be ashamed is to be outwardly embarrassed .A person who casually lets someone treat him or her to a meal is no different from a person who extorts money, and is a person who has no sense of shame, a person who has no salvation because of ignorance.

　　How does one’s unashamedness manifest itself in everyday life and work?

　　I often invite people to treat me to a meal, order somebody to listen to me and serve me, ask them to do things for me; spit on the floor, litter, and think that there is nothing to be ashamed of, and think it is nothing bad . I don’t even think the evil deeds are a big deal because I’m not always breaking the law.

　　The dangers, hazards, and sufferings that come from being unashamed: the people that I meet are unashamed; I dare to commit any evil deeds; when I am commanded by others, I feel inferior to them, and I feel very bad and uncomfortable, so I always want to resist, always want to seek justice, ask for an explanation, want to give reasons, am extremely uncomfortable and extremely unwilling.

　　Fourth. Having no guilt : “It is said that one is black and not good, and one does not know that one should be ashamed in order to repent, which disturbs one’s mind.

　　Guilt is the internal guilt, it refers to the internal, being guilty in one’s mind, often is difficult to show in the face, generally refers to the heart. To have no guilt is to know that it is not good, but to do it bad anyway, to know that it is wrong and still make mistakes. The degree of guilt is deeper than the degree of ashamedness, and the absence of shame is at most ignorance, while the absence of guilt is knowing that one is wrong and committing a mistake, and violate knowingly.

　　Ashamedness and guilt have two meanings, so we must talk about them from both ends. First, the first step is not to feel ashamed. If a person feels ashamed, he knows that it is not good to do something, but at most he does not know. Having no guilt, is that you know that something is not good, but you continue to create and do it, you are shameless, you know you are wrong, but you will continue to be wrong.

　　Men should be better about no shame, if men know they are wrong, they generally really do not want to go wrong again, also may be wrong again, only saying that he definitely will not willingly go wrong again, but women really may be willing to go wrong again.

　　In daily life and work, how does one’s guiltlessness manifest itself in concrete ways?

　　I am not filial to my parents, I do not want to serve all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, but I have no shame. I have not subdued the afflictions, I am a big evil person, but I continue to do what I want to do, I am with the vexations, I have no guilt at all, I make mistakes again and again, and I do not change.

　　The problems, hazards, and sufferings brought about by guiltlessness: all the people I meet are guiltless; they order me to do things for them; they command me to do whatever they want; I dare to do all kinds of evil deeds; because all the people I meet are guiltless, I often don’t know how to talk to them and do things for them, and it is very embarrassing.

　　Fifth. Slothfulness: “It means that the mind and body are lazy, and cannot practice diligently in all the Bodhi paths, and is therefore disturbed.”

　　He always can not do what should be done, is not willing to do what should be done, is vigorous at what should not be done , that is, he doesn’t the work that should be done, has to wait for what should be done immediately. Now when the alarm goes off, it’s time to get up, and you were supposed to get up in just one second, but it turns out that one second has passed, and you don’t even know how long it’s been, and you still haven’t gotten up.

　　In daily life and work, how does my slackness manifest in concrete ways?

　　I know that the method of subduing afflictions is very subtle and wonderful, but I am afraid of trouble, so I am not willing to examine myself, analyze and observe one affliction after another; When I imitate the standard disciple phase, knowing that it is very useful, but I am not willing to imitate it actively and for a long time. As a result, there is not much change in the body, mouth and mind after learning these things and before learning them.

　　The harm, danger and suffering brought by slothfulness: always failing to finish what should be done in time, fearing trouble, not seeking advancement, unwilling to accept new things, returning empty-handed from the precious mountain, sitting in the barn and being starved to death, accomplishing nothing; always knowing that I am slothful, not willing to do so many things as the mountain, and often spending time in torment and regret in my heart.

　　Sixth, loose: “To be careless and self-indulgent, to hold on to the state of desire, not to see the restraint, and thus to be disturbed.”

　　The word ” loose “, as the name implies, means to indulge oneself, to tend to ease, to run to ease. The comfort of the mouth, the comfort of the ears, the comfort of the eyes, the comfort of the eyes, anyway, just go all over the world to find comfort. Comfort is a kind of greed, sinking into the state of greed, just like pampering, drowning with love. Self-pampering, other-pampering, and pampering others are all greed, and they are all indulgences.

　　Loose is comfort. If you are comfortable, you can put yourself anywhere, and that’s called being loose, and if you are much loose, you are reckless; if you are reckless, you are debauched. For example, someone who has never been with a man before is a little confused when she is allowed to be with a man, so she will not be loose, and after a long time she will start to be loose, and when she is much loose, she will be reckless. What do you mean by unrestrained? For example, if you ask him to take off his clothes now, he can’t do it, but if one reaches the level of recklessness, he can.

　　The sentient beings just like to be loose, so you end up with nothing. For example, if a person who practices martial arts is always greedy, always eats, drinks ,plays and amuses, and doesn’t practice, can he be that good at martial arts? People who study, but do not go to study, there to eat, drink ,play and amuse, can he study successfully? There are people who work, but also do not go to work hard, he also eat, drink ,play and amuse all day long, can he do a good job? Soldiers also do not go to practice shooting, they eat, drink ,play and amuse all day long, until going the battlefield, he can still eat, drink ,play and amuse? I’m afraid he can only go to eat other people’s bullets.

　　From this, we can see that being loose will only corrupt all your good blessing virtue and eventually you will not even be able to afford to ask for food. Why? Because if you ask for food, you have to actively ask for it, and not all of them will give it to you. It is possible that you will have to stay at a hundred households before one is given to you. Therefore, if you keep on being loose, keep on eating, drinking ,playing and amusing, and don’t study and work, you will eventually starve to death if you ask for food. Now, do we still think it is good to be loose ?

　　Therefore, the result of indulgence is that you will not achieve anything and you will die of hunger. And the one who is loose is the one who makes people look down on him. Because carelessness means that he is nothing, he has no ability, and he can’t do anything, and all of this is caused by the desire for comfort. Do we still think that there is any good in this kind of relaxation?

　　But people always think that they will feel better if they relax a little. Is that really true? You should know that when you feel better, it’s not that you feel better, it’s that your satan is relaxed, it’s that it feels better, but you’re finished, and we’re always talking for it. If anyone doesn’t believe it, start now and let go for 20 years and you will know the result. If you let yourself go for a while, you will feel better at that time, and then it will be in line with greed, but greed is infinitely expanding, so you will continue to let yourself go, and continue to let yourself go, and eventually you will let yourself go forever. In the end, once your blessings are depleted, you will see what good is left in your indulgence. If you let yourself go, you will only be finished, you will not be able to achieve anything, you will make the body withers away ,make the family fall, and make your career perish.

　　Practicing the method of creating a lotus in the fire, that is, the fire of wisdom burning the firewood of afflictions, even in the midst of being loose, one can become enlightened.

　　Although our indolence brings us many evils and bad consequences, if our loose is strong enough, we can be enlightened in the midst of our indolence, which creates the lotus in the midst of fire, that is, firewood can create fire. This method is to burn fire on firewood, and it is not possible without firewood, so it doesn’t say that we can get rid of all the troubles at once. Now it’s time to take out the firewood of the affliction and burn it.

　　So, how do I create and manifest my afflictions in my daily life and work?

　　When I am tired of studying or doing something, I will lie down for a while to relax and pamper myself, then I will watch the gossip news on my cell phone or TV dramas that meet my greedy desires. If I say something insignificant and create some bad karma, I will be comfortable and at ease.

　　The problems, hazards and sufferings brought about by the indulgence: I always know that I am indulging in indulgence and will definitely be finished, but I can’t change it; I am tormented by the things I shouldn’t do, and I am always in a state of torment and contradiction; I am often worried and anxious about the work and things that I haven’t finished because of indulgence. Although the fire is about to burn down to the eyebrows, I can’t move forward with precision because I consumed a lot of physical strength, energy, brain power and energy when I let go. I like to indulge in being loose, and in the end, I will not achieve anything.

　　Seventh ,covering: “To cover is to conceal and cover, which means that one has committed a sin or evil and cannot repent of it, but deliberately conceals it for fear that people will know about it and disturb his mind.

　　It means to cover up, to conceal, to overshadow, the means and methods are limitless and boundless, and to suffer in an infinite number of ways. What kind of karma does overshadowing create? For example, if you do something wrong, you are prone to make false speech, to frame others, to run rampant and to cause harm to more people.

　　The so-called covering is the most vicious thing in a person’s mind. For example, if a person is beautiful, why don’t you overwrite the best-looking picture? Because that is your glory. But why do you have to cover something? Because you are afraid that others will see, hear, and know about it, that your image will be lowered, that you will lose face.

　　The person who covers is also the most wicked. Why do people want to cover themselves? Sometimes, in order to save face and to protect their image, they cover and hide all the bad things about themselves. This is also proof that people who overwrite are the most evil-hearted people. Covering is actually a variation of arrogance, which is the work of the mind of arrogance.

　　Why is a person with overturning the most wicked person? Because if you don’t cover something, even if there is something evil, you can throw it away and it will be gone.

　　Not only are we bad, but we are also evil-minded, so why do we have to cover and hide those affliction and evil karma? That bad feeling will grow, and it will grow more and more. Why don’t we take it to the sun and dry it up? If we dry it up and kill it, then we will be happy and at ease. Repentance is basking , and strong repentance is harsh basking. In this way, we will gradually become clean.

　　Looking at the above, when we can and cannot say something to others, we just have to control it with our own wisdom and skillful ways.

　　Then, in my daily life and work, how do I create and manifest our own covering in concrete ways?

　　Being unwilling to confess many disgraceful things, unwilling to reveal his confession, and knowing that karma will be removed as one commits karma, sometimes I am unwilling to confess them, and am willing to leave my dishonorable deeds there, to cover them up, to hide them tightly, am a hypocrite with an upright appearance. I remember that when I was a child, I accidentally broke a bowl and my parents came home and asked me who did it. In order to shirk the responsibility, I covered up and said that I didn’t do it, and even framed my elder sister and younger sisters, accusing them wrongly and saying that they did it; when I stole coke and steel from the factory outside, my grandfather kneeled me on the ground and interrogated me, I also covered up and argued that I didn’t steal it, but picked it up from outside, and that it was unwanted. In this way, false speeches are formed by overlying words, and even become a natural habit, a commonplace. In the end, the skill of covering up and hiding mistakes does not need to be taught by adults, and it is a child’s skill! It’s scary to think about it now!

　　Then, the troubles, hazards and sufferings brought about by the covering are also frightening. The people who are called to come to me are all like this: covering up mistakes, covering up problems, shirking responsibility, blaming others, telling lies, and indeed being the result of the calling of common karma; not willing to repent even though I know I am wrong, and because the bad karma does not go away, the bad consequences are many and the sufferings are many; the bad karma that is covered up makes the mind very depressed and tangled; the bad karma is piled up in my heart, and I feel the bad feelings and impulse swirling around in my heart, impacting on my conscience. I often say in my heart: I can’t afford to live. How can I live? I have to live even if I can’t afford to live!

　　Section 3: The common comprehensive afflictions including arrogance

　　What are some of the common comprehensive afflictions that include arrogance? For example:

　　Picking a fight or control: Why do people want to pick a fight or control? What affliction is playing ? Greed, hatred, ignorance , arrogance, suspicion, and jealousness are all present, and they are the manifestation of a combination of afflictions.

　　Also, being angry and overthrowing others: these are often accompanied by greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, suspicion, jealousness, karma and habits, which are also the manifestation of comprehensive afflictions.

　　These comprehensive afflictions are very common in our daily life, work, and practice, and they can easily appear. We should take precautions to be aware of them and stay away from them at once, not being able to go along with them to make waves and harm ourselves and others.

Chapter 4: The Effects, Benefits, and Happiness of Not Following the Afflictions ,Dust and Dirt of Slow Mind

　　Section 1: Crazy heart suddenly rests and the resting of the mind is bodhi

　　It is said in the Shurangama Sutra, ” Crazy heart suddenly rests and the resting of the mind is bodhi” which means that when the arrogance and chaotic mind stops, when one no longer chases after the clouds and dreams, he is enlightened at the moment and is no longer confused.

　　The second section The mind is free from the dust and dirt of arrogance, and the eyes of the Dharma become clear and bright at the right time, and the supreme awareness and enlightenment are achieved

　　In the Shurangama Sutra, it is also said, “If one abandons production and destruction , and abides in the true and constant, and when the constant light appears, the root, dust, and mind of consciousness should be eliminated at once. If the false thought is dust and the consciousness and emotion are dirt, and stay away from both of them, then your Dharma eyes should be clear and bright at the same time, and will you not attain supreme awareness and enlightenment ?

　　If you can give up the vexation of birth and death and all illusions of birth and death, and abide in the everlasting , unchanging ,wonderful ,bright, true heart, the root, dust and consciousness will be removed of themselves .

　　The third section :If you are free from arrogance, you will attain the great virtues and merits of the ocean of vows of the Universal Worthy Bodhisattva

　　In the 53 visits of the session of the Entry of Dhamma Realm of the Flower Adornment Sutra, it is also mentioned that the Good Fortune Boy was free from arrogance and humbly sought the Dhamma, and that he witnessed the wonderful manifestation of every kind mentor without arrogance and with the unbreakable and irrevocable habit of humility, and finally attained the unimaginable and unprecedented great achievement.

　　In Volume 46 of the Flower Adornment Sutra, it is mentioned that:

　　At that time, the Boy of Good Fortune, having heard of the Dharma from Manjushri, was joyful …and said, “Great Sage! I have first developed the mind of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi , but I do not know how the Bodhisattva learns and practices the Bodhisattva Way. I have heard of the master who is able to preach it, so I wish to have the mercy to fully explain it.

　　The Boy of Good Fortune, who didn’t have arrance and humbly sought the methods from each kind mentor, laid a solid foundation for him to attain incredible achievements later on.

　　The Flower Adornment Sutra also mentions the great achievements of the Boy of Good Fortune, who was free from arrogance and humble enough to seek the Dharma.

　　At the end of the visit, the Boy of Good Fortune had already attained the unimaginable state and virtue and merit of “the sea of vows of Universal Worthy Boddhisattva, equal to the, equal to Universal Worthy Boddhisattva and all the Buddhas.

　　From the above, if one is free from arrogance, humbly seeks the Dharma, and with the compassionate blessing of kind mentors, one will be able to obtain many unimaginable benefits , merits and virtues.

Chapter 5: How a Bodhisattva Practitioner Subdue arrogance

　　Now that we know the terrible, fearful and tremendous destructive and obstructive power of the arrogance, how should a Bodhisattva practitioner think and act correctly in order to subdue the arrogance?

　　If a Bodhisattva practitioner wants to subdue arrogance, he should be wise and enlightened to be the first guide, that is, he should first understand when people are arrogant, why they are arrogant , and on what basis they are arrogant.

　　According to the author’s long-term observation and investigation in daily life, people are prone to be arrogant at these times: when others do not give them face; when others ignore them and cannot satisfy their desires; when others cluster around the one whom they respect and so on.

　　As a Bodhisattva, one should not forget the great bodhi mind that one has developed to attain Buddhahood upwards and transform sentient beings downwards, think and act according to the Buddha’s wisdom and the iron law of cause and effect, exercise humility and gentleness, kindness ,compassion ,joy, and giving, joyfully, actively and proactively help and save all suffering sentient beings who are full of arrogance in their hearts and hard to be transformed. He should not compare himself with other sentient beings like the worldly sentient beings with afflictions, not to repay their arrogance with arrogance, not to be more arrogant because of their arrogance. In this way, one’s own arrogance will be naturally subdued and sentient beings will be saved, and one will truly practice the bodhisattva practice of self-benefit and others-benefit.

　　So, what are the specific ways to subdue the arrogance?

　　Section 1: Subduing arrogance according to the Buddha’s precepts

　　To do right is the way. The precepts are the most righteous, to guarantee liberation, and any departure from them is crooked. Therefore, by insisting on keeping all the precepts set forth by the Buddha, one can suppress one’s arrogance, evil vibes and evil deeds.

　　Firstly The precepts of self-approval and destroying others.

　　As it is said in the Brahma Net Sutra: “If a Bodhisattva praises his own virtue and hides good deeds from others, and causes them to be destroyed, this is a Bodhisattva’s grave sin.” If a Bodhisattva does not praise himself or destroy others ,or praises his own virtue and hide his virtue from others ,and cause them to suffer damage to their reputation and interests, then he will naturally be able to subdue his arrogance.

　　Secondly The precept of disrespecting teachers and friends:

　　As also stated in the Brahma Net Sutra:

　　“But the Bodhisattva, on the other hand, has proud, arrogant, ignorant, and angry mind, and does not make any greeting or worship; one by one, he or she does not make any offerings, and sells his or her body, the kingdom, men and women, the seven jewels, and a hundred things. If you do not do so, you commit the sin of light stain.”

　　If a Bodhisattva practitioner, in his daily life, work, or practice, does not focus on the interests of all sentient beings, and is always arrogant to repay their arrogance with arrogance, he has violated the Bodhisattva precepts and has lost the humility ,kindness and compassion required of a Bodhisattva practitioner. However, as long as a Bodhisattva practitioner keeps these precepts in his mind at all times and strictly observes them, knowing that the Bodhisattva precepts are to guarantee liberation, to prevent wrongdoing and to stop evils, and to center on the interests of sentient beings, not on his own personal interests, he will naturally refrain from following the mind of arrogance. Once he does not follow the mind of arrogance, the mind of arrogance is rested, and the rest is bodhi, and the arrogance can be naturally subdued. This will naturally make the Buddha happy and all sentient beings happy.

　　Section 2: Subdue Arrogance According to Buddha’s Wisdom

　　First: Subdue arrogance according to the ten methods.

　　The Sutra of the Precious Rain Preached by the Buddha says:

　　“Again, good man! The bodhisattva has achieved ten kinds of methods that can subdue arrogance. What are these ten? First, when a Bodhisattva leaves his homelife, all his relatives abandon me as if I were a corpse, so by this reason he can subdue arrogance…… ”

　　In summary, as long as the bodhisattva practitioner achieves these ten methods and always follows them, he will be able to subdue arrogance.

　　Secondly, through the wisdom of “a Bodhisattva who sees arrogance is like avoiding a huge drowning”, he can subdue his arrogance.

　　According to the Surangama Sutra, it is written:

　　“Therefore, all the Buddhas in the ten directions regard arrogance as drinking the water of ignorance. The bodhisattva sees arrogance, like avoiding a huge drowning.”

　　Here, the bodhisattva sees arrogance, like avoiding a huge drowning ,this is the key to subdue arrogance.

　　If he is highly educated, post-doctoral, or very capable, he may be arrogant; if he has a high political status, he may be arrogant, because he has the capital to be arrogant, others are really inferior to him; if he is the richest man in the world, or as rich as Li Jiacheng, he may be arrogant; if he has to look beautiful, he may be arrogant, but some people have also taken a mirror, have seen their own photos, they are not beautiful, solemn, but, in his bones he thinks he is so good that he is seriously mean arrogant, and he thinks he is good even if he is not. In fact, this is really ignorant, really silly, but sentient beings like this trick, and they think they are quite smart, and they make it lively with one trick after one trick.

　　Then the wise ，kind and compassionate bodhisattva knows the terrible rewards of arrogance, how should he face it? A wise bodhisattva who sees arrogance is like avoiding a huge drowning. He knows thoroughly that arrogance is a boundless ocean, and if he enters it, he cannot climb out and he will avoid the boundless sea. He will be like avoiding a huge drowning. When he sees his own arrogance and the arrogance of all sentient beings, he avoids them as if they were drowning in a flood, and is so afraid that he runs for his life. He knew precisely that if he delayed one step, he would be drowned by the flood of his own and others’ arrogance. At the same time, by being humble ,kind and compassionate and actively protecting the good roots and interests of sentient beings, he can avoid the bad conditions of sentient beings’ arrogance in time and stop them from continuing to create great evil karma in himself with the evil habit of arrogance, so that the degree of evil karma created by sentient beings with arrogance is greatly reduced. 也達到了作為一個菩薩乘行者謙卑、慈悲救世的本懷與宗旨。It also fulfills the original intention and purpose of being a Bodhisattva practitioner who is humble ,kind and compassionate to save the world.

　　Third, through the profound understanding that “arrogance is the self-indulgence of fools, and humility is the best tool for conquerors,” one can subdue the arrogance

　　Humility and gentleness, avoidance of others, bearing, and respect for others are the wonderful remedies. When one is humble and gentle, when one lowers oneself, one is no longer in confrontation with sentient beings, one is no longer be at loggerheads with sentient beings, one is more stable, and sentient beings are also peaceful。At the same time, only when one is in a state of humility can one really learn something, and when one learns to a certain degree, sentient beings will be convinced and be conquered. Therefore, humility and gentleness is a wonderful way to subdue the arrogance and the best tool to conquer the arrogance of the self and others.

　　In fact, how does one adapt to and face the complexities of society in this Saha world and the five turbid evil worlds? Humility and gentleness are the best ways. If a Bodhisattva practitioner wants to create a career and satisfactorily manage interpersonal relationships, he or she must always be humble and gentle, and provide sentient beings with excellent conditions, because there are so many bad conditions in this Saha world, the five turbid evil world, that they are almost everywhere, and it comes without even having to look for it. If you are not careful, you will cause yourself and others to create bad karma with afflictions.

　　During the Five Dynasties, a monk named Budai once gave an instruction to a farmer after receiving his offerings, saying, “When you put green rice seedlings in the field, you can see the sky in the water when you look down. The six roots of purity are the path, and a step backward is a step forward!” It is also telling the world that by humbling oneself, bowing one’s head, and taking a step back, one can subdue one’s arrogance, and then one can move forward on the path of demon subjugation and achieve success.

　　In addition, the Flower Adornment Sutra mentions the habitual firm humility of the kind mentors, which deeply influenced and conquered the true Buddhas’ disciple who visited everywhere, the Child of Good Fortune.

　　The sea banner bhikkhu said: “ Good man! I only know this pure and bright Prajna Paramita Samadhi Dharma Door, how can I say what the great bodhisattvas eventually do? …… I am not yet able to speak of their practice, how much more of their virtues and merits ? How can I show their realm, explain their realm, illuminate their dharma doors, understand their accumulation of all virtues and merits, and expound the equal wisdom of their righteousness in all flow of samadhi?”

　　The power of example is infinite, and the good karma of the Child of Good Fortune has enabled him to meet one great kind mentor after another who is humble and gentle, without the slightest arrogance. How could he not be conquered? How could he not achieve greatness? His visit to the kind mentors is a complete proof that humility is the best tool for conquerors.

　　Then, how can we avoid the stench of being so arrogant, so bossy, so expressive, so showy, and using the Buddhas’ teachings as a companion for afflictions? It is to remember that arrogance is the self-indulgence of a fool, and humility is the best tool of a conqueror. A strong sense of self-importance, of being the boss, of manifesting and showing off are the appearances of ignorance, are self-absorption. That’s what you think is good, but others may not think it’s good.

　　If you let yourself be the flunkey and servant of all sentient beings, you can naturally subdue the arrogance. There are many types and quantities of arrogance, so what can we do? We must learn to subdue it ourselves, to adjust ourselves to subdue this kind of arrogance. How can we adjust ourselves and subdue arrogance? Just put yourself to the low place directly. You have to be the flunkey of all sentient beings, you have to be the servant of all sentient beings, you have to be the lowest, you have to do the least desirable, the lowest thing. For example, if you do the laundry, cook the meals, and flush the toilets, then you can subdue your arrogance, and this is how you adjust yourself, put yourself to the lowest place, and naturally, your arrogance will be subdued.

　　Therefore, in order to subdue the arrogance and still benefit sentient beings, for the bodhisattva practitioner, humility and gentleness is indeed a wonderful formula, a supreme magic weapon, and an important mark of accomplishment. Therefore, the bodhisattva must cultivate humility, leave arrogance forever, always practice humility and respect, and vigorously and forcefully confront the arrogance and cut off the arrogance. As the Bodhisattva’s Four Great Vows say, “I vow to take across boundless sentient beings, and I vow to eradicate endless afflictions.”

　　Fourth, to subdue arrogance by following the example of the Bodhisattva who is never slighting others.

　　The most famous sutra example of subduing the arrogance is from the twentieth class of the Lotus Sutra, which is known as the “Lotus of Dharma for Achieving Buddhahood”:

　　“The bhikkhu, whenever he see a bhikkhu, a bhikkhuni, a Upasaka, or a Upasika – He all bows and praises and says: ‘I respect you deeply and dare not treat you lightly and arrogantly. What is the reason for this? You are all practicing bodhisattva path and will attain Buddhahood.’ But the bhikkhu, instead of chanting the sutras, only worshipped, and even when they saw the four assembly from afar, he also worshipped and praised and said, “I dare not despise you and so on, for you will be all Buddhas.”

　　He clearly knows the horror and harm of arrogance, arrogance can leak out all the water of merit and virtue he has cultivated, and there will never be a drop left, and there will not be any fullness of merit and virtue, nor will he be able to attain Buddhahood. Therefore, the Bodhisattva who never slights others must first clean up his arrogance, and if he doesn’t clean it up, he has to keep on curing it.

　　The Bodhisattva who never slights others is to subdue arrogance, and at the same time to subdue arrogance, he is also building respect. In reality, they are one and the same. It is easy to respect without arrogance, but does not respect at all with arrogance.

　　Therefore, from ancient times to the present day, the great monks and masters have unanimously called the Lotus Sutra “the Lotus of Dharma for Achieving Buddhahood”.

　　Fifth: Subdue arrogance by being willing to give.

　　In the Sutra on the Precious Rain Preached by the Buddha, it is mentioned that: “What does a Bodhisattva accomplish by not giving lightly? It means that when giving, one does not throw away or lightly deceive to give.”

　　The bodhisattva accomplished this “non-slightly giving”, not only subdued his own slothfulness, but also in the practice of giving to absorb and accept sentient beings, and also formed an excellent cause and condition with sentient beings.

　　Sixth, to subdue arrogance and so on via the practice of repentance as the Dharma.

　　As mentioned in the Sutra on Mahayana Contemplation Generating From Heartland Originally：

　　If one can repent in accordance with the Dharma, all afflictions will be removed, just as an eon fire destroys the world and burns up the Sumeru and the huge ocean. Repentance can burn the fuel of afflictions, repentance leads to the path to be born into heaven, repentance leads to the happiness of the Four Zen, repentance rains precious muni pearls, repentance prolongs the life span of the Vajra, repentance leads to the Palace of Everlasting Bliss, repentance leads to the exit from the Hell of Three Realms , repentance opens the Bodhi Flower, repentance sees the Buddha’s great mirror, and repentance leads to the place of treasure.

　　This is where the effects and benefits of repentance are mentioned, including the effect of breaking down arrogance and other afflictions: ” If one can repent in accordance with the Dharma, all afflictions will be removed, Repentance can burn the fuel of afflictions.”

　　We also need to know through wisdom that all sentient beings are not born in the Saha world without heavy karma, and they are all born in the Saha world by karma, except for Bodhisattvas who come to absorb and educate sentient beings, and only then by the power of their vows. All sentient beings are born in this world only because their karma ,habit and affliction are heavy. In this way, we can always feel ashamed and repent of our own and on behalf of all sentient beings, we can always feel ashamed and repent of our deep affliction and karmic habits such as arrogance. The compassionate, long-lasting, painstaking, and patient rescuing head by head of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas has saved me, but to this day, I have not yet been completely freed from my afflictions ,karma and evil habits!

　　Therefore, we should be a wise person and repent more diligently, and not an ignorant person who always picks up garbage. If we shake all of our karma outwardly, “But who can boast of vigor outwardly when we have undone the clothes of dirt in our own arms? This is what Master Yongjia’s “Song of the Way of Enlightenment” says, and this is how he practiced. He tried his best to throw out all his afflictions and evil karma and other garbage, and whoever wanted to pick it up would do so.

　　Seventh: To subdue the arrogance by “thinking about cause and effect, practicing cause and condition, and pefecting shame and knowledge of shame.

　　Whether the wisdom of cause and effect is also crucial to subdue arrogance. For example, if we often think about the consequences of uniform flow of belittling our parents, we will be so frightened that we will not dare to be arrogant again.If we ever despise our parents, then everyone despises us in our lifetime, because that is the fruit of uniform flow. We always want all sentient beings to look up on us, but then we have to create that karma of looking down on our parents, which is a great field of blessing. Is this very foolish, ignorant, evil and upside down?

　　If you think about it in this way, you will not dare to follow arrogance, and you will be ashamed of yourself, and you will be ashamed of your actions, and you will protect your sense organs, and you will be happy to follow the example of the Bodhisattva who does not slight others, and you will actively subdue arrogance, and you will no longer be arrogant and hubris, and you will not dare to belittle anyone, and you will truly respect all people and all things.

　　Making vows and sowing the seeds of aspiration is planting good roots and good cause and condition for the future subduing arrogance. Make vows like the Ten Transformations of the Flower Adornment Sutra: “May all Bodhisattvas cause all sentient beings to give up their arrogance, give rise to the Bodhi mind, and have their wishes fulfilled. ……” With this kind of cause and condition, when the cause and condition is ripe, you can naturally subdue the arrogance of your own and others.

　　Don’t be killed by the praise. There are people who can do well when no one is praising them, but after everyone sends them to the end of the aspen tree, she can’t be taken any more. Because being praised to a certain extent, being arrogant to a certain extent is like this, she can not come down. In fact, only foolish people will receive to be praised; if he is a high person, the more people praise him, the more he will feel ashamed. For example, if people say something good about themselves, they should be scared, that they should be scared can be just right. If they are scared, they will immediately feel ashamed and lower their height. Why is that? Because they really did not do a good job, they did not do as well as the other person said, and at the same time, they also vow that the other person would do better. So, this is how they feel ashamed and make a vow to subdue their arrogance: they feel ashamed that they are not perfect to do and vow that the other person can be perfect to do !

　　Therefore, as soon as you see someone complimenting you a little bit, you should start to be afraid, because it will correspond to arrogance. If we reach this level, we can’t be bothered by arrogance anymore.

　　Ninth: Subdue arrogance through “high temperature and pressure, wisdom, awareness, and consciousness or enlightenment”.

　　The arrogance mountain of yourself is really a bit hard to shake. You must realize its existence, how it exists, and how it is harmful to you. Who can put down the mountain of arrogance? First of all, one must realize and recognize the extent of its harm, realize and recognize that it is very solid. However, if you have the fire of wisdom , it is of no use to you. Let’s think about how diamonds are formed. High temperature and high pressure. What will happen to it if we heat it up again at this time? Melt. And then remove the high pressure, what will happen? It will disintegrate. If the temperature is high again, it will melt into water. And then giving it high temperature, it will vaporize. After vaporization, there is nothing left, it will return to empty. The high temperature and pressure mentioned here is our wisdom, awareness and consciousness. The fire of our wisdom should be fierce and high in temperature, so that it can dissolve the solid arrogance mountain. Normally, if a diamond can be formed at about 3,000 degrees, if we raise the temperature to 6,000 degrees, it will be absolutely vaporized and the pressure will be released and it will return to the void. This is also the case with the “high temperature and pressure of wisdom, awareness, and consciousness” to dissolve the arrogance mountain.

　　Tenth: To subdue the arrogance and the other afflictions by means of the supreme vows of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

　　As we all know, as long as the body, mouth, and mind of sentient beings are in harmony with the supreme vows of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, they will naturally be answered in a thousand ways. Especially for those sentient beings who do not have enough wisdom, concentration, or meditation, and who are unable to level these mountains of arrogance, then this method looks especially remarkable.

　　The Buddha said in the first volume of the Sutra of the Precious Rain Preached by Buddha: “There is a Bodhisattva whose name is Stopping All Afflictions – why is the Bodhisattva given this name? If all sentient beings hear his name, they will be able to break all the bonds of obstacles , so he is named Stopping All Afflictions.” From this, we can see that the supreme vow of this Bodhisattva can help us sentient beings to break all the obstacles, afflictions and fetters or bonds. If we often pray to this Bodhisattva for his blessings of compassionate powers of vows, so that we and all sentient beings can hear his holy name, we will be able to cut off all the arrogance and all the obstacles ,afflictions and fetters.

　　In addition, according to the Sutra of the Merit and Virtue of the Past Vows of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, it is written that

　　If a person who has heard the name of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, he will renounce his evil deeds and practice all good deeds, and will not fall into the evil abodes. If a person cannot renounce his evil deeds and practice good deeds, and falls into the evil destinies, he will, by the power of the original vows of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata , hear the name of the Buddha for the time being, and from the end of his life he will return to the abode of the human being, and will attain right view and vigorous, and be well adjusted to his joyful minds, and then he will be able to renounce his homelife and return to the abode of the non-home, and in the Dharma of the Buddha, he will be able to receive and hold the learning, and there will be no offense, he will have right views and hear more, comprehend profound meanings, be free from the overweening arrogance, and not slander the right methods. He will not be a companion of demons, and he will practice all the bodhisattva practices in a gradual manner, and he will be fulfilled quickly.

　　Chapter 6: How a Bodhisattva practitioner can actively bring into play humility, constant obedience ,kindness and compassion in order to rescue and protect sentient beings

　　The Sixth Patriarch’s Altar Sutra says, “The persons of the world are evil in heart, foolish and sinful, good in mouth and evil in heart, greedy ,angry and jealous, flattering and arrogant, invading others and harming things, and opening the knowledge and understanding of all beings.”

　　Then, as a Bodhisattva practitioner, one should stop being evil, greedy, angry, jealous, flattering, and arrogant, and should purely rely on wisdom with one single mind, observe his own mind, stay away from all the afflictions such as arrogance, stop evil and do good, purify his own mind, and open up the Buddha’s insight.

　　A Bodhisattva practitioner should not only be aware of such afflictions as arrogance, but also be ashamed of himself, try to stay away from arrogance, cut off arrogance, subdue arrogance, and not to harm all sentient beings with arrogance, and at the same time, he should also actively rescue and protect all sentient beings with humility, constant obedience, kindness and compassion, just as the saying goes: “Great kindness without conditions, great compassion with one substance, and equal rescue of all sentient beings.”

　　By extension, bodhisattvas should develop the habit of not being arrogant to treat any person, thing, object, or even all sentient beings, develop the good habits of humility, constant obedience, kindness and compassion, practice universal respect, often recognize, appreciate, and praise all people, sentient beings, buddhas and bodhisattvas for all their merits ,virtues and abilities, and perfectly replicate all the merits ,virtues and abilities of others, sentient beings, and buddhas and bodhisattvas , so that they can be purified and at ease as soon as possible, and subdue demons and achieve the Way, and at the same time, we should also actively accompany and ambulance all sentient beings and lead them to cultivate good karmic habits such as non-arrogance, humility, purity, ease, and even subjugation of demons! It is only when we are truly altruistic that we have a true sense of happiness and accomplishment.

　　From the above, we know that it is extremely important and imperative to understand and subdue arrogance. In addition, as a Bodhisattva practitioner, not only should one subdue one’s own arrogance and purify one’s own body and mind, but also one should, with the wisdom, mind, and ambition of “single ideal with no companionship,” courageously enter the evil world of the five turbid and come to sentient beings with humility , great kindness and compassion, “vowing to enter the five-turbid evil world first” and patiently practice the four absorbing dharmas of giving, loving words, benefitting others’ practice, and working together to accompany, accept, and transform all sentient beings, and to actively rescue and protect all sentient beings, and to actively save them from suffering and hardship, eventually they will also be able to subdue their arrogance, to level the high mountains of their arrogance, and even to subdue demons and attain the Way.

　　References

　　I. Ancient texts (in chronological order of dynasties)
　　1.〔Dongjin〕Translated by Fotuobatuoluo: the Flower Adornment Sutra, vol. 09 of Dazhengzang.
　　2. [Yao Qin] Translated by Kumarajiva: The Brahma Net Sutra, vol. 24 of Da Zheng Zang.
　　3. [Yao Qin] Translated by Kumarajiva: The Lotus Sutra，vol. 09 of Da Zheng Zang.
　　4. [Northern Liang] Translated by Tangwuchan: The Sutra of the Precepts for the Upasakas, vol. 24 of Dazhengzang.
　　5. [Tand] Translated by Shichanantuo: The Flower Adornment Sutra, vol. 10 of Dazhengzang.

　　II. Others

　　1. 〈Women drivers driving were checked to take out male driver’s license, a wave of divine operation let traffic police blindfolded〉, website name: 《daily headlines》, URL: https://kknews.cc/society/x2pygpq.html, retrieval date: October 23, 2020.