20 Difficult Things

paperflower SG

The Buddha said :
"There are twenty difficult things which are hard for human beings:

(From: The Sutra of 42 Sections, Kinh Tu+' Tha^.p Nhi. Chu+o+ng)

paperflower SG

1) It is hard to practise charity when one is poor.

paperflower SG

2) It is hard to study the Way when occupying a position of great authority.

paperflower SG

3) It is hard to surrender life at the approach of inevitable death.

paperflower SG

4) It is hard to get an opportunity of reading the sutras.

paperflower SG

5) It is hard to be born directly into Buddhist surroundings.

paperflower SG

6) It is hard to bear lust and desire without yielding to them.

paperflower SG

7) It is hard to see something attractive without desiring it.

paperflower SG

8 ) It is hard to bear insult without making an angry reply.

paperflower SG

9) It is hard to have power and not pay regard to it.

paperflower SG

10) It is hard to come in contact with things and yet remain unaffected by them.

marcteng SG

life as animals are miserable and survival of the fittest, as the fittest only survive, life as a human are just as difficult, abeit different circumstances.
In all, existences entail sufferings.

paperflower SG

yes definitely life as animal is much more suffering if u look at us humans are suffering badly enough.

it ain't easy to be a human yeah? look at the number of animals and insects they are more than human beings around.

now that so many couples in the new generations are not really willing to give birth, wonder how many can have chances to reborn in human realm. can't possibly cultivate in animal or insects forms.....

An Eternal Now SG

Thank you for sharing with us this important dharma... truly we must transcend the most difficult, in our spiritual cultivation. Smile

paperflower SG

11) It is hard to study widely and investigate everything thoroughly.

paperflower SG

12) It is hard to overcome selfishness and sloth.

paperflower SG

13) It is hard to avoid making light without having studied the Way enough.

(frankly i don't quite understand this, can someone enlighten me please?)

paperflower SG

14) It is hard to keep the mind evenly balanced.

paperflower SG

15) It is hard to refrain from defining things as being something or not being something.

justdoit77 SG

Hi thanks paperflower for the 20 difficult things.

It is hard to meet an enlightened being.
It is hard to admit own mistake.
It is hard to be persistent in cultivation.
It is hard to remains clean in a dirty environment.
It is hard to convince people to believe in buddhism.
It is hard to let go an achievement and move on.
It is hard to put your understanding in dharma into action.

wah, so many difficult things, no wonder we are still in human realm...

In fact, it is becoming harder and harder to free ourselves from life cycle in this dharma ending age. If we miss this chance, next round may be even tougher to be born as human buddhist.