Why is human society a world of delusion?
Reprinted by Minghui.org
The cosmos is so vast that even divine beings, kings, and lords do not know what lies beyond it, and the number of lives within it is immeasurable. However, all beings in the cosmos perceive the world they live in from every angle within the level of matter that forms their existence, in the same way that gods view the world—just without the wisdom or abilities of gods. This means that beings in the universe do not experience a state like that of human beings, who cannot see the true reality of the world they live in; cannot perceive other forms of life that exist in their environment; and cannot see the true manifestations of the matter around them. Thus, the human way of thinking and understanding the world is uniquely limited and powerless. This is what is meant by a “world of delusion,” a state found only in the human realm (with the exception of some original deities within the Three Realms and certain phenomena in the cultivation world).
Why is it this way? It is because the cosmos and the countless cosmic systems within it have reached the final stage of the cycle of formation, stasis, degeneration, and destruction. At the terrifying moment of ultimate destruction, everything would disintegrate and cease to exist. Therefore, the Creator made the decision to save all beings.
The cosmos reaches the stage of destruction because the heavens, the countless universes within them, and the immeasurable beings they contain—including the various lords, kings, and gods—have all, over the long course of formation, stasis, degeneration, and destruction, become no longer as pure and good as they were at the beginning. In other words, through the passage of vast ages, they no longer meet the standards of their respective levels. This is an inevitable law in the life cycle of all beings.
To save all beings, the Creator established a world outside the existing cosmos—a special realm created for the salvation of the immeasurable lives within the heavens. This realm is called the “Three Realms.” Within the Three Realms, there are three levels of existence. At the lowest level, beings live in the most deluded and most苦 environment, without abilities or wisdom. This is human society. The beings in the second level possess wisdom only slightly higher than that of humans. Therefore, they can perceive the human world as well as the conditions of their own realm. Humans refer to them as “heavenly beings.” The beings in the highest level can see the circumstances of life in the two lower realms as well as in their own, and their wisdom is the greatest among all beings within the Three Realms. Humans collectively call them “celestial beings” or “gods.” However, none of the beings within the Three Realms have the ability to see the true cosmos or the heavenly kingdoms where divine beings reside.
Thus, human beings live in the “state of delusion,” where wisdom is minimal and the essence of things cannot be seen. This was a creation of the Creator before the final destruction, so that beings could be saved. It allows beings, in a world of suffering and ignorance, to walk out of it by relying on the goodness inherent in human nature. It is indeed extremely difficult. At the end of the cycle of formation, stasis, degeneration, and destruction, beings that should have perished can only emerge by enduring suffering and eliminating karma; at the same time, only by preserving their innate goodness can they be acknowledged by the “future.” When the final moment arrived, the Creator permitted countless gods, kings, and lords throughout the cosmos—as well as even greater divine beings who preside over vast heavenly domains—to descend to the human world and reincarnate as humans. Their wisdom and abilities were completely sealed, and they entered the human body—the most苦, most powerless, most unenlightened, and most confined form of existence—to endure suffering and eliminate karma. Only by maintaining righteous thoughts and preserving their goodness amid hardship could they be recognized by the divine beings and by the Creator, and be accepted by the future. Those who, through repeated reincarnations in human society, gradually eliminate their karma and accumulate increasing virtue will certainly be chosen during the salvation process. When the final stage of salvation is opened, they will be saved by the Creator and brought into the new cosmos. In other words, the “deluded” state of human society is a special form of existence created by the Creator for the purpose of saving all beings. Therefore, as long as humans remain in delusion, seeking anyone to break the delusion is futile. From heaven to earth, no being dares to destroy this environment designed for the salvation of all beings.
In the human world, some people say that believing in the divine is superstition. Some say they will believe only if they can see a god, and if they cannot see one, they do not believe. Because of this, some dare to do bad things without considering the consequences. No matter how high a god’s level is, once he reincarnates as a human—once he enters a human body—he becomes a human and enters the state of delusion. Thus, even divine beings may commit wrongdoing while in delusion. The Creator established the Three Realms so that beings could eliminate their karma through suffering, for elevating one’s moral character is the fundamental purpose. Only those without karma can be saved and return to the heavenly kingdoms. If one creates karma, it must be repaid—this is determined by the laws of the cosmos. But since people are in delusion, they often create new sins in the human world, and of course those must also be repaid. If not repaid in this life, they will be repaid in the next. Many people carry heavy karma. To ensure that people can still be saved, the Creator even bears a portion of their suffering for them. This is the greatest compassion and the greatest love for all beings. When karma becomes too great, a life can indeed be destroyed. Eliminating karma and returning to heaven is the true purpose of your coming into this world. Everyone, before reincarnating, made a vow to the Creator. Repaying karma is naturally painful. Karmic force causes people to fight, creates wars, brings illness, hardship, hunger, poverty, and suffering. Karma varies in size—great or small—and because of this, human life contains differences between wealth and poverty. When people maintain goodness in the midst of delusion, they create less karma—and endure less suffering.
In other words, the human state of “delusion” was created for the salvation of all beings and for the rescue of the cosmos and its many universes. Because this delusion carries such an enormous purpose, it will never be removed simply according to human wishes. There are many deities and immortals in the world—so why can’t they satisfy people’s desire to break through the delusion? They dare not. Because this was established by the Creator for the salvation of the heavens and all beings, and it is the very hope through which beings can be saved.
