Treat Samsara as a Mundane Everyday Matter, Take Liberation as a Trivial Matter

“The people of this world are shallow and vulgar, all competing over trivial, non-urgent matters,” this saying sums up the ever-intensifying state of the Five Defilements in the Saha World.

Looking around, we sentient beings have dwelt in this defiled world for eons, which is why we say our dependent retribution grows increasingly insubstantial; what was once deemed wrong in ethical and moral systems is now accepted as right, so we say our dependent retribution grows increasingly base and vulgar; the three poisons of affliction grow ever thicker, so our wholesome roots grow ever shallower, our egotistic conceit grows ever stronger, our affinity with the Dharma grows ever weaker, our doubt grows ever heavier, and our faith grows ever weaker, so we say our direct retribution grows increasingly insubstantial; there is little trust between people, everyone chases quick success and instant gain, and mutual deception, crafty exploitation, and predatory seizure pervade all human relationships, so we say our direct retribution grows increasingly base and vulgar!

This state of “shallow vulgarity” manifested in the world is that everyone is striving for and pursuing trivial, non-urgent matters. From the standpoint of worldly life and death, what are considered major life milestones—securing food, clothing, shelter, and transport, starting a family and building a career, raising children, and caring for the elderly and arranging funerals for the deceased—are actually all non-urgent matters from a worldly perspective.

From the perspective of transcendental Dharma, merely cultivating the fruits of the human and celestial realms, only practicing the path and realizing the fruits of the Hinayana, and pursuing the Mahayana path for the sake of personal attainment are all non-urgent matters. If we look at it from the standpoint of the Pure Land Dharma gate, all self-powered Dharma gates and practices fall into the category of non-urgent matters, and only seeking rebirth in the Pure Land is the sole urgent priority!

Therefore, as Master Shandao once taught:

Return, come back! The realm of Mara is no place to tarry. For eons we have been transmigrating, traversing all Six Realms of existence. There is no true joy to be found anywhere, only the sounds of sorrow and sighs. Once this life comes to an end, we shall enter that citadel of Nirvana.