佛法分享

觉悟的佛陀

永嘉禅师正道歌说 ( song of enlightenment of yongjia)：有相布施生天福，犹如仰箭射虚空，势力尽，箭还堕，招得来生不如意。为什么会招得来生不如意？原因修善行的时候，缺乏般若的指导，所修的善行，未能忘情， 还有执着，变成了有漏的福德 (become the contaminated goodness)，难成无漏的功德 (difficult to form the uncontaminated merits) ，所以不能超脱三界的轮回。

In the song of Enlightenment of Yong Jia: Doing dana with the attachment to phenomena will born in the heaven realm, it is just like the arrow hits the void, when the forces exhausted, the arrow still falls and attract the unsatisfactory next life. Why this is so?  When there is lack of prajna (wisdom) guidance during the course of cultivating good deeds, we have unforgettable feelings and attachment, the cultivated good deeds will become the contaminated goodness, and it is difficult to form the uncontaminated merits. Thus, one will not able to liberate from the Three realms of reincarnation.

觉悟的佛陀

金刚经说：一切有为法，如梦幻泡影，如露亦如电，應作如是观。除了修道我们应该要很认真，但修道以外的一切人生事物，都不必太认真，你都要把它看成如梦幻泡影。人生如戏，戏梦人生，我们应该作如是观！

所谓戏梦人生，告诉我们对人生的一切不必太在意，你的人生就好像演一齣戏而已，不必太在乎你在扮演什么角色？不管你是扮演皇帝，还是扮演皇后，毕竟在人生舞台上是演一场戏而已。人生如戏，隐约的提醒我们，世间的一切事物，都在缘起缘灭，都是空寂，所以我们不必太在意。


The Diamond Sutra says: All conditioned phenomena  are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, like dew or a flash of lightning, it should be contemplate in this manner. We should be very serious in our cultivation, but all life and things outside the cultivation do not have to be too serious, you must regard it as a dream bubble. Life is like a drama and vice versa, we should be comtemplate in this manner .

The so-called dream life tells us that we don't have to care too much about everything in life. Your life is like a drama. You don't have to care too much about what role you play. Whether you play the emperor or play the queen, after all, it is just a role play on the stage of drama life. Life is like a drama, vaguely reminding us that everything in the world is arise and perish with circumstance，it's all emptiness(ūnyatā), so we don't have to care too much.

觉悟的佛陀

西游记中唐僧每次介绍自己：
贫僧唐三藏，
从东土大唐而来，
去往西天拜佛取经。
这几句话包涵了每一个人都要问自己的最重要的三个问题：
我是谁？（在任何时候别迷失自己）
我从哪里来？（勿忘根本）
我要到哪里去？（自己真正理想是什么）
清楚自己是谁，
从哪里来，
要到哪里去，
清晰规划自己的人生路，
不管路上有多少艰难和诱惑，
都动摇不了决心，最终才能取得真经！！
不忘初心，方得始终
早安吉祥！

南无观世音菩萨

众生会有很多执着，他的主要原因，就是把外在的一切现象或一切诸法，一直妄认为实有。这是众生在三界六道轮转，了无出期的关键所在。


There are many attachments in all sentient beings. The main reason is due to they think of all external phenomena or all dharmas are real. This is the key to the fact that all sentient beings have been trapped in the Three Realms and six realms of reincarnation.

南无观世音菩萨

修行人要好好把心安住，要保护这颗心，让这颗心在外面多加一道铜墙铁壁。不在乎，不在意的心理，就是一道心的铜墙铁壁。


As a practitioner, we must stably abide our mind, protect this mind, add fortification around it. A fortified mind that will not care nor mind.

有了一道心的铜墙铁壁，把六尘的现象阻挡隔开，外在的一切现象就不必在意。时时刻刻用这个铜墙铁壁包围起来，这颗心就不容易受到伤害，不容易受到影响。

With a fortified mind, the phenomenon of the six dusts is blocked, all external phenomena thereby doesn’t need to be concerned. At all times, use this fortification, then only the mind is not easily hurt nor easily affected.

南无观世音菩萨

修行人应该愈修愈充满法喜，可是有些人却愈修烦恼就愈多。为什么这二者有这么大的差别？后者只是在解会道理，著在了解文字语言的所知障，没有具备透视事物的智慧， 所以才会愈修愈烦恼。

The more a dharma practitioner cultivate the more they feel the dharma joy. But they were some people felt more worries the more they cultivate. Why there was such a big difference? The latter only understanding the principles,  knowing the knowledge of the language, but not having the wisdom to see things, hence this has caused the worries in them the more they cultivate.

前者是真正的了解道理之后，确实的把道理付诸实现。感受到完全没有负担的心灵，所以心中自然会充满法喜，轻安自在。

The former is the real understanding of the truth, and put the truth into practice. They feel burden-less in their soul, and hence they feel dharma joy naturally, light and ease.

南无观世音菩萨

我们处事的原则，应该在乎自己的良心，不在乎别人的看法；既然能对得起自己的良心，光明磊落，理直气壮，没有做错事，何必在乎别人呢？

The principle of our work should be concerned with our own conscience and not with the views of others; since we can stand up to our own conscience, openly and honest, bold and confidence, and do nothing wrong, why care about others?

一个修行人不必太在乎别人，也不要多管别人的是是非非。六祖坛经说：他非我不非，我非自有过。这个是说别人的是非，那是别人的，不关我的事！你不必太在乎别人怎么样，你也不要那么好面子，这是修行的一个重要关卡。

A dharma practitioner does not have to care too much about the view of others, and does not care about the right or wrong of others. The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch Sutra said: “Do not condemn others for their faults, focus instead on your own wrongs." This is to say the right and wrong of others, belongs to someone else's, it is not my business! You don't have to care too much about others, and you don't care too much about your self reputation. This is an important part in our cultivation.

南无观世音菩萨

不管你多么漂亮，你的美貌有一天将会消逝；不管你多么健壮，有一天你的健康会衰退；不管你多么年轻，青春将会老去；不管你有多少财富，有一天它可能会被夺走，消失不见。当你离开人世，这一切都将离你而去。不管你信不信佛法，这些都是事实， 这也是佛教讲的无常。


No matter how beautiful you are, your beauty will fade away one day; no matter how strong you are, one day your health will decline; no matter how young you are, you will grow old; no matter how much wealth you have, one day it may be taken away and disappear. When you die, all this will leave you. Whether you believe in Buddhism or not, these are facts. In Buddhism this is call impermanence .

南无观世音菩萨

我们修学佛要学弥勒菩萨，你看他时常笑口常开， 心理什么也没有，常常欢欢喜喜的，他的笑不是故意表现出来的，他是修忍辱的功夫。

有些人很狡猾，心里有怨恨，却显示一个欢喜的样子，但这是假的，不是真的，里面气到要死，忍也忍不住，甚至心想杀人，脸上还是现出很友善的态度，这是错的，这不是忍辱，这是狡猾奸诈。我们学佛的人，无论在什么时候，什么场合都要真，不要戴著假面具，这才是学佛人应有的态度。


We as dharma learners should learn from Maitreya Buddha, who always has a smile on the face, nothing on the mind, always in a jovial mood. His smile is not shown deliberately, but from his effort of cultivating patience.

Some people are deceitful, they are full of resentment, and yet put on a happy face, which is fake, not genuine. On the inside, they are truly mad, can’t hold back their anger, even to the extent of having the thought of killing someone; on the outside, they still portray a friendly attitude, which is WRONG as this is not patience (forbearance), but an act of deceit. We as dharma learners should have the right attitude, to be genuine and true to ourselves at all times, across all contexts and never put on a false front.

南无观世音菩萨

弥陀经上说：不可以少善根福德因缘得生彼国。无量寿经也说：植众德本。这都是要我们 广植福田，助生净土。我们念佛念咒或行善布施，都是自修自得。

因此生前遇到有因缘，都需要多作功德，否则死后儿孙虽然替你作功德，但七分之中，你只能够获一分，其余的六分功德，生者自得，亡者不能全得。须知儿孙自有儿孙福，莫为儿孙作牛马，希望大家各自珍重。


The Amitabha sutra said: "We need to have sufficient virtue roots, merits and blessings reward in order to be born in the Amitabha land." In Sukhāvatī-vyūha-sūtra also said: "Accumulated merits". This wishes allow us to grow the merit fields and lead us towards the pure land. When we recite Buddha's name, recite mantra or do good deeds and offering dana, these considered as self cultivation and accumulating merits.

Therefore, we need to accumulate more merits when we are alive. Otherwise after we pass away, our children and grandchildren accumulating merits for the deceased, the deceased only get one point of merits out of the seven points. The rest of the six points of merits belong to the children and grandchildren. The deceased will not get the full merits.
We must know, children and grandchildren have their own blessing reward, we don't have to spend all of our time and strength for the children.
May everyone takes good care of yourself.

南无观世音菩萨

经上说：万般带不去，唯有业随身。善有善报，恶有恶报，所能带去的唯有我们所造的善恶业。

生命是无常的，人的生命在呼吸间。一气不来就是来世了。无论是念佛念咒或行善布施，都需要把握时间，把握机会，否则机会就会一下子就消逝了。

The Sutra said: We can’t bring along our belongings when we pass away but only our karma. Virtue has its rewards (good karma) and evil has its retribution (bad karma), we can only bring along the good and bad karma we created.

Life is impermanent, it is like a glimpse in between your breath. We will be in next life if we can’t grasp the glimpse of breath. We need to seize every opportunity in reciting Buddha name and Mantra, doing good deeds and offering Dana. If not the opportunity might disappear in a glimpse.

南无观世音菩萨

经上说：念佛一声能灭八十亿劫生死重罪。我们一天都不知道念了多少声佛号， 也不知灭了多少罪了。

礼佛一拜，福增无量。我们现在也拜着三千佛， 也不知增加了多少福德。这些都是你们自己求得的，所以大家要多拜佛念佛。


The sutra says: reciting buddha's name once can cease 80 eons sins of cycle of life and death. We have been reciting buddha's name many times in a day and have been ceasing many sins.

Praying for buddha once,  endless of merits accumulated. We are now chanting for three thousand buddhas and have been accumulated more merits. This is what you all praying for,  therefore you all should pray and recite buddha's name more frequently.

南无观世音菩萨

有些人没有付出任何努力，靠父母的庇佑而有福报， 这是他过去世所种下的福报。但是在做人方面，趾高气扬，不可一世，一味追求享乐，什么也不做。告诉各位，这种人他的福报会更早耗尽，当他的保护伞失去，或他们的父母去世了，他的处境将一塌糊涂。

Some people didn't put in any effort and got the blessing from their parents. This was the blessing he has planted in the past life. However, in terms of being human, he is arrogant, pursues pleasure and does nothing. Let me tell everyone here, this kind of person's blessings will be exhausted earlier, when he lost his parents protection, or when their parents passed away, his situation will be a mess.

反过来说，假如我们有良好的条件，有福报，我们利用这个机会去进修，努力学习，充实自己，虽然有父亲母亲的庇佑，我们仍然充实自己。假如我们失败，我们仍然得到他们的支持，但我们可以肯定即使他们不在的时候，我们还有足够的福报享受这一切。假如我们躲在保护伞之下，什么也不做，一旦保护伞倒下，我们也会跟着倒下去。

Conversely, if we have good conditions and blessed, we need to use this opportunity to cultivate, learn eagerly, and enrich ourselves. Although we have the blessing from our father and mother, we still continue to enrich ourselves. If we fail, we still get their support. In this condition, we can assure we still able to enjoy the blessing and merits we accumulated even if our parents are not around anymore. However, if we kept hiding under our parents protection and do nothing. We will fall along the line if we lost the protection.

南无观世音菩萨

之前我们讲念而无念，还有很多人不明白什么叫念而无念？讲到无念， 很多人会会错意，以为无念是什么念头都没有。无念，是要於念而无念，它的意思是指你起个念头的时候，这个念头不会影响到你的心。
简单的说，你始终不於境界上起妄想分别的念头，叫做无念。

在境界上，你可以清楚明白，知道见到一切法，而你的心却不受这些法的影响，就是於念而无念。

有念跟无念恰恰相反，比如说一个人为什么会爱得死去活来，活得很痛苦，很烦恼。这就是因为你很在乎，很在意你的男朋友 （女朋友），既然你会很在乎又很在意，那么，你一定会受他（她）的影响，一旦你的心受到影响，你就变成有念。佛告诉我们要於念而无念，你却於念而有念，那不是自找麻烦吗？


They are many people still don't understand what is discriminant mind and clarity mind. When we talked about clarity mind,  many people will misunderstood there is no thoughts arising at all. The meaning of clarity mind is when the thoughts arise, it will not affect your mind,  this is call clarity mind.
In short,  reaching the state when there is no more discriminative and delusions thoughts arise, this is call clarity mind.

In the state where you can clearly understand and see through all dharma (phenomenon), but your mind is not affected by it,  this is call clarity mind.

It’s the opposite of having a discriminant mind. For example, why does a person madly in love, live with painful and defilement. This is due to they are very care about each others(boy or girl friends). If you are very care about him/her, then you will get influenced by him/her. Once your mind is affected, it will become discriminant mind. Buddha told us to have clarity mind,  but you are in the other way round,  isn't it asking for trouble?

南无观世音菩萨

什么是念佛？念佛就是指我们今天的心在佛，佛是觉悟的意思。念念向佛也就是念念觉悟的意思。

我们能让今天的心，在觉悟这条路跑去，返妄归真，这与凡夫之念钞票，念事业，念财产或念儿女等有所不同的，因为这些都是生死轮回的事。

而念佛只要念到心佛不二，人我双亡，念到念而无念，无念而念的境界，那就是我们今天的心。所以这才是念佛真正的意义。


What is recite Buddha's name? To recite Buddha's name means that our mind is in Buddha, and Buddha is the meaning of enlightenment. With our every thoughts incline towards Buddha, it also means our every thoughts are in the state of enlightenment.

If we can let our mind focus on the path of enlightenment, back to our inner self-nature, this is different from the ordinary people who focus on the wealth, business, properties, or children, because all these are reincarnation cycles.

Reciting the Buddha's name by reaching the state where the mind and Buddha are in one, the notion of self and others are vanished and further towards the clarity mind (single minded) state when there is no more discriminative and attachments thoughts arise, and thus we refer such our mind of the moment. Therefore,  this is the true meaning of reciting Buddha's name.

南无观世音菩萨

贫苦的人，每天不知道去积德，只希望有钱。要知道世间上没有千年的富翁，就算你有钱，而自己不去积德，对财富也不会满足。不满足，就算你有家财万贯，仍然会感到贫苦，怨恨也多，不知多少有钱的人，造下恶业，结下恶缘。


The poor only hope to have money and do not know how to accumulate merits everyday. We must know in this world we cannot have thousand years of riches, even if you have money, and you don’t accumulate merits, you will not be satisfied with material wealth. If you are not satisfied, even if you are wealthy enough, you will still feel poor and resentful. They are a lot of rich people who has created evil karma and evil condition.

南无观世音菩萨

阴阳，风水，地理，都是中国相沿的学问。风水的好坏，可能会影响下一代的盛衰。但还不如祖先积德来庇荫下一代比较可靠。因果有一定的定律，谁也不能做了因而不受果报，但与命运不同。命运是固定的，如果说我的命运到某个时辰好，某个时辰不好， 都是冥冥中已注定，不能改变。

Ying-yang, Fengshui, Geomancy are long handed down knowledge through out the ages in China. The quality of Fengshui, could probably affect the rise or fall of the next generation. However, merit accumulation by the ancestors would be much secure way to safeguard the future generations. Karma (causality) is subjected to certain law, no one can escape the karmic effect once they commit the cause, but it is different for fate. Fate is fixed and predestined, if I am fated to experience good luck at certain time or having bad time at certain period, all these is something predestined, not alterable.

而因果虽有定律。可是在其历程中因为作的人作善作恶，随时可以发生变化，做善的坏的可以变好，做恶的好的可以变坏，不像命运，它是固定不变的。

Karma on the other hand, although with certain law, the experience could vary spontaneous and dynamically  based on the person’s good or bad actions and deeds. Doing virtuous deeds and actions can turn the bad karma to good one, likewise, committing bad actions would turn good karmic effect to bad one. It is not like the fate, which is fixed.

所以相信命运近於迷信，信因果则种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆，原理如此，毫无迷信可言。而且因果纯是自作自受，虽然亲到好像父子那么亲，都不能够代替，除非己莫为，才可以不受报。

Therefore, believe in fate is very close to superstition. Believe in Karma, is merely like the principle of “you get what you sow”, not superstitious at all. Further more, the Karma is “self-inflicted”, one have to bear all the consequences oneself, nobody can replace or substitute, not even the closest one, like those with father and son relationship. No one can spare from the karmic effect, unless they do not commit the cause.

佛教教人信因果，不叫人信命理。你想要得到好的果报，就一定要修好因，这是最合情理的定则。相命也是有的，但变化无定，靠不住的。例如，好相好命的人，如果做了恶事坏事，就会变了坏相坏命；反之坏相坏命的人，往往做了好事，积了很多福德，结果变了好相好命。

Buddhism teach people to believe in Karma, not in fate. If you wish to reap the good karmic effect, you should commit the good deeds (cultivate good cause), this is the most reasonable and rightful principle. Fate reading / fortune telling / face reading is not totally denied, but it is not reliable. For example, someone with supposedly good fate, if commits evil and vicious acts, could turn to become bad luck person. On the other hand, someone with supposedly bad fate could eventually become the good luck one after they continuously accumulate good merits by conducting virtue actions.

所以相从心生，命随心转，并非注定，所以佛教只劝人相信因果，做善事，决定前途，不叫人求神问卜，以占命相，这个是舍本逐末。

Therefore like the saying “One’s appearance is from the heart, the fate transform with the heart”, it is not predestined. As such, Buddhism advise and teach people to believe in Karma, conduct more good deeds to secure their future. Buddhism never teach people to incline to fortune tellers or spiritual-oracle-telling to predict the future, these actions defies the essential principle.

南无观世音菩萨

宇宙人生种种所呈现的现象都是因缘法，什么叫做因缘法？因缘法就是现象，现象就是因缘法，有无常的现象就有因缘法，也就是说，有此原因，就有那个缘起 (arising from conditional causation)。

例如，我们之所以生存在这个宇宙间，是有因有缘而来，为什么而来呢？例如你生活困苦，很明显的是为了受苦而来；假如你生活快乐，很明显的是为了享乐而来；这个就是因缘法，也就是佛经上讲的此有故彼有。


The phenomenons manifested in this universe of life are all cause and condition. What is cause and condition? Cause and condition is phenomenon, phenomenon is cause and condition, the occurrence of impermanence is a form of cause and condition, in other words, it arises from conditional causation.

For example, the reason why we are born in this universe is due to causation, but why? If your life is full of hardship, you’re born to suffer; if your life is full of happiness, you’re born to enjoy. This is cause and condition, which is what dharma talks about - the interdependent cause and effect.

南无观世音菩萨

很多人持戒，持的很烦恼，为什么？因为不懂得其中的道理。比如杀生戒，我不杀人，不杀马，不杀牛，不杀羊这些都没有问题，可能以前不知道杀过鸡；鸭，已经杀过了，我们求忏悔，剩下唯一要杀的大概就是蚊子；蚂蚁；蟑螂等等。

有很多人受了不杀戒后，在这些地方起烦恼！告诉各位，在这里你要能不杀生，福德会更殊胜，可是你要是不修，只是没有成绩而已。以前不学佛，一天不知喷了多少克的蚊油，现在学了佛以后，要好几年才喷完一瓶，这样杀生的几率已经降低了不少，福报也增加了不少。

我们进入佛门，学一点有一点的福报，学两点有两点的福报，不要去恐吓别人或自己，弄到最后学佛人不知怎么办，举手也不对，抬脚也不对，这个不是佛法。


Many uphold precepts with affliction, why is that so? It’s due to a lack of understanding of the underlying principle. For instance, to abstain from killing, no problem for myself to not kill people, horses, cows, sheep, but in the past might have already killed chickens and ducks, we seek to repent, the only few left to kill now would be mosquitoes, ants and cockroaches.

A lot of people face affliction after upholding the precept of not killing. Just so you know, over here, if you never kill, your merits will be greater, but if you don’t cultivate, there won’t be any results. In a day we could be spraying lots of mosquito repellent when we didn’t learn dharma in the past, but ever since we have started learning dharma, it takes years to finish a bottle of mosquito repellent, which means we have reduced the rate of killing, and thereby gathering more merits.

We gather merits bit by bit as we learn dharma bit by bit, so don’t intimidate others and ourselves, that we don’t know what to do, as that’s not dharma.

南无观世音菩萨

我们修行人求佛，求菩萨，不要乱乱求，要会祈求。如果你发愿行菩萨道，就说：如果我这辈子有福报，我要用我的福报来弘法，协助有缘的众生都能够来听经，所以，希望佛，菩萨你能把我的福报转成一个道场。

又或者你说：我能够弘法，就让我辩才无碍，如果要我护法就好，就让我人缘好，我就来发展组织，全力弘法，这样的求法，菩萨一定会满你的願。


We practitioners don't simply pray for Buddha or bodhisattvas, and must learn how to pray. If you are willing to make a vow to practice Bodhisattva path, let's say: If I have blessed reward in my life, I will use my blessed reward to spread the teachings of Dharma, and help the sentient beings to come to listen to the dharma talk. Therefore, I hope that Buddha, Bodhisattva, can turn my blessings into a dharma center .

Or you can say: I can spread the teachings of Dharma, let me have eloquence without obstacles, if you want me to protect the dharma as well, hope I will have good faith with others, and fully spread the teachings of Dharma, with such a way of seeking, Bodhisattva will fulfill our wishes.