The Root of Suffering 苦的根本

Only by seeing the root of suffering can one be freed from it. Image: Shutterstock

Guan Yin Bodhisattva imparts:

觀音菩薩 慈悲

At the end of all things, when karma is weighed, every debt must be repaid,

and the suffering that comes will be hard to bear.

Still, people spend their lives chasing fame, pleasure, and wealth—

but these are like frost on grass, gone in a moment.

If a person loses their true self, how can they receive any real blessing?

Only by walking the path of Tao and seeking its truth with a sincere heart,

can one clear such misfortunes and find true peace.

詩曰：末後清算苦難當，苦苦追求草上霜，自性若迷福何幸，道求理究化災殃。

Today, many kinds of disasters are happening around the world. Some are big, some are small, but they all arrive just the same. This shows that the true path is fading, and people’s hearts have lost their way. This is a time of great karmic reckoning. Each person is now facing the results of the good and bad deeds they have done over many lifetimes. Yet in life, most things do not go as planned. Many people feel troubled and unlucky, not knowing where their problems come from. Some even blame Heaven or others. But without seeking truth and looking deeply into the causes, the real reason behind all this suffering will never be clear.

聖示：觀諸有情世間，各地皆有其災厄，大小不異而至，時知此乃末法時機，一大清算時期，各個隨依累世所造之業因，得其應得之報酬，孰料世事，十有八九皆感諸多不順，世人未能覺知，事出何來？更有怨天尤人，如若不能深究探索真理，亦是無法視透其中原由也。

Here is the story video.

A long time ago, during a gathering, the Buddha shared a story with his disciples.

In a thick forest, there lived a monk who had special powers. His name was Persistent Strength. Every time he sat down to meditate, four animals would come and sit near him. These animals were a dove, a crow, a snake, and a deer.

昔時，在一次的法會中，佛陀告訴弟子一則故事，在一個茂密森林中，住著一位北有神通的比丘，他的名字叫做精進力，每當這位比丘在參禪打坐之時，總有四隻禽獸圍繞在他身邊，這四隻禽獸就是鴿子、烏鴉、毒蛇、鹿。

One day, the animals began talking. They wondered, “What is the worst kind of suffering in the world?”

The crow spoke first. “I think it’s hunger and thirst,” he said. “When I haven’t eaten or had anything to drink, my body feels like it’s on fire, and my throat feels like it’s being cut. Many birds die because they can’t find food or water. That’s the worst kind of suffering I know.”

有一天，牠們互相討論世間上什麼是最苦？烏鴉先說道：「世間最苦的要算是饑渴了，每當饑渴的時候，身如火燒，喉似刀割，我們鳥類死亡，大都由於饑渴的關係。」

The dove said, “To me, the worst suffering is desire. When someone is filled with desire, they stop thinking clearly. They don’t care what’s right or wrong. Sometimes, people even ruin their lives because of it.”

鴿子接著說：「世間要以淫欲最苦，當色欲熾盛的時侯，理智全無，豪不顧忌，亡身失命，無非皆是淫欲之害。」

The snake nodded and said, “That’s true, but I believe anger is even worse. When someone gets really angry, they lose control. They can’t tell right from wrong, or friend from enemy. Some people even hurt others—or themselves—because of their anger.”

毒蛇聽了，感慨的說道：「世間上要以嗔恚最苦了，當一念嗔恚心生起，理智就被蒙蔽，親屬不分，好壞不論，能殺人亦能殺自己。」

Then the deer said, “For me, fear is the worst. I live in the forest, and I’m always scared—scared of hunters, scared of wild animals like leopards and wolves. I spend every day feeling afraid.”

鹿最發表說：「世間最苦的要算是驚怖了，我在森林中生活，心常怵惕，畏懼獵人，又畏懼豹狼，因此時時都在恐秩中度過。」

After hearing all this, the monk slowly opened his eyes and spoke in a calm, gentle voice. “What each of you said is true,” he said. “But those are only pieces of a bigger truth. The real reason behind all this suffering is having a body. Because we have a body, we feel hunger, desire, anger, and fear. That’s why I chose to leave behind the things of the world and practice Tao. I let go of my desires, quieted my thoughts, and stopped holding on to this body. Only by doing that can we truly end suffering at its root.”

這四隻禽獸說完，比丘一一聽在耳中，便開示道：「你們討論的是苦的枝末，不是苦的根本，要知世間之苦，莫如有身，身是苦根，眾苦所集，我捨俗修道，滅意斷想，對四大不貪，就是為了斷除苦源。」

The four animals listened carefully. They understood. Right then, each of them made a vow to practice Tao, let go of their attachment to the body—which is short-lived and always changing—and focus on finding true freedom.

四隻禽獸聽了，都發出願心修行，捨棄虛妄之身，祈求解脫。

Laozi said, “I have so many worries because I have this body. If I didn’t have a body, what troubles would there be?” Disasters begin in the heart. They come from selfish thoughts and hidden desires. When a person follows these desires, they no longer care about what is right or fair. They become blinded by short-term gain and drift farther from the truth, chasing what is false. As time passes, they may even believe their path is right, forgetting how to tell truth from illusion.

古聖老子亦云：「吾所以有大患者，為吾有身，及吾無身吾有何患？」可知劫由心造，皆為自我私欲導致情理不故，是非不明，眼前之利益所惑，自然迷真逐妄，日久亦也自認理所當然；

If people can quiet their hearts and look closely at the world, they will see that nothing here lasts forever. All things before our eyes are changing—nothing stays the same. No object, no power, no glory can be held forever.

如若世人皆能靜下心境，靜觀天地之中，有何是永恆的事物，眼前所見者，無有一物可屬永恆不變，亦無永有之權；

The past sages, with great wisdom, taught people to practice Tao with devotion. They urged all to follow the teachings left by saints, sages, and buddhas. We are to live by the scriptures, seek truth through reason, and use right teachings to purify the heart. Every person has Buddha-nature within. Each one of us can work to return to our true, perfect self. This path is the true Tao—it never changes and never fades. It is our inborn, awakened spirit. It does not rise or fall, does not grow or shrink, is not stained or pure. It has always been there, waiting for each of us to find it with a firm and faithful heart.

先聖以大智慧，訓勉世人，勤修大道，效法聖賢仙佛之遺教，依經而行，依理而悟，依正法而修心，眾生皆具佛性，皆可修成圓滿自性，如此之道即是永恆不變之「真道」，此「道」亦即是吾人之先天本覺，衪是永生不滅、不增、不減、不垢、不淨；衪正等待各自立志去發掘。

Awaken the wisdom within your heart, and let it guide your steps through life. Turn your thoughts in the right direction—change your attitude, walk the path of what is true, and live with purpose. Do good quietly, build kind and honest ties with others, and give without asking for anything in return. When the heart is right, misfortune fades, and blessings will follow. When these blessings come, you will feel true joy—not just because of what you receive, but because you will know your life was not wasted. You will see that your time in this world had meaning, and that you walked the path you were meant to walk.

啟發你的心智，依智慧照徹你的人生旅程，積極的重新規劃你的心路，廣結善緣，廣積陰功，災消福至，你將喜而躍之，當覺不虛度此生，亦不白來人世上，簡述勉之。

Note: Here is the link to the Chinese source. This draft is a humble attempt at the translation. May the merit of this work go to those suffering in the realm of hungry ghosts.