Wednesday 30 November 2016

10 Interesting Facts About Buddha

1.     The 3 major tenents Buddha taught his followers were not to be ignorant, hate others, or get angry.

2.
    Originally born a wealthy prince, he left it all behind to pursue the path of truth when he saw the poverty and sickness beyond his palace walls. This also led him to drop his birth name, Siddartha Gautama.

3.
    Buddha was not as chubby as many depictions of him would make it appear– he was mainly portrayed this way because it was symbolic of happiness in the east. He practiced moderation in all things, fasted regularly, and spent most of his time walking hundreds of miles spreading the philosophy of enlightenment. 

4.
    A few days after his birth, it was predicted by a wise old man that he would later become a great king or a saint that would change the world.

5.
    At the time of Buddha’s quest for enlightenment, there were many religious practices that called for either intense overindulgence in the senses, or strict deprivation such as weeks of fasting. Realizing that neither were truly beneficial, he devised what would later be known as “The Middle Way” to enlightenment…a balanced approach that emphasized inward rather than outward renunciation.

6.
    To achieve enlightenment, Young Siddhartha vowed to sit under a fig tree and meditate until he transcended suffering. At the end of an extremely long meditation and mental battle with Mara (the god of desire), he became awakened and was then known as the Buddha.

7.
    Unlike most religions or spiritual beliefs, Buddha’s teachings were spread by nonviolent methods such as word of mouth or carvings on prominent stone buildings.

8.
    Practicing Buddhists view Buddha as a teacher and not a god or avatar.

9.
    Buddha’s spot of enlightenment underneath the bodhi tree is still preserved to this day.

10.
  Buddha taught and traveled his entire life until the age of 80 when he passed away. His final request of his followers was this: “All component things in the world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your own salvation.”

Source : thebuddhistinformation.com


Monday 28 November 2016

【夢參老和尚開示】

倘若我做件好事,利益人家了,心裡沒有利益的我,也沒有所利益的人。做什麼事情都無人無我,絕不計較功利。有時我們做一件事情,也許不關痛癢的,或者拿出一百塊錢來,那數目不太大,周濟周濟別人。要是拿一千,拿一萬的時候,就想我做件大功德了。心想我在莊嚴寺塑了幾尊佛像,我這功德不小了,這就錯誤了。一著相功德局限了。不是完全沒有,但功德很小。要是功德不局限,無我相,無人相,無壽者相,無能塑者,也無所塑者,無能無所這功德不可思議。以上我是打個比喻,能夠看到一切法都由心生的,心生則種種法生,看一切諸法如夢如幻

Saturday 26 November 2016

達真堪布開示

同學提問:上師,我有一個小問題:我知道自己的業障非常重。請問我是發一些弘法利生大願,祈請上師或諸佛菩薩加持?還是修煉一些除業障的法門,如「金剛薩埵除障法」,快速消業?還是兩者結合?

  達真堪布開示:都可以。不消業也不行,業障會障礙你。你不發大願也不行,必須要有理想和目標。學佛沒有目標,一切努力都是白費,這樣也不行。所以,兩者都不能缺少

  我們有一句法語:所謂的懺悔就是知錯改錯的過程。我們靜心懺悔的時候,要去認識自己的一些毛病、缺點,然後要下決心:我必須把這個毛病去掉!我必須把這些缺點改掉!有這樣的決心就是懺悔。若是你經常這樣做肯定會有進步,最後你的毛病和缺點都沒有的時候,你就成菩薩、成佛了,懺悔不只是磕個頭或是念個咒就可以了

Friday 25 November 2016

The Four Bodhisattva Practices

The journey to Buddhahood is very long. On this journey one must walk the Bodhisattva Path and practice the six paramitas: giving, precepts, forbearance, diligence, samadhi, and wisdom. However, cultivators often become tired along the way. To help us overcome this challenge, we need to develop the spirit of the Four Bodhisattva Practices. 

I. Practice over eons of time 
The Buddha said it takes three asamkhyeya kalpas of cultivation to reach Buddhahood. How long is one asamkhyeya kalpa? It is a period of four medium kalpas, each of which is made up of twenty minor kalpas. One minor kalpa is the length of time for the average human life expectancy to increase and decrease. 

Starting with the average life expectancy for humans as 10 years, for every 100 years, the life expectancy increases by one year until the average life expectancy becomes 84,000 years. People’s life’s expectancy increases when their hearts are pure and the world they live in is peaceful and harmonious. When people’s hearts become impure, conflicts will arise, causing wars, famine, and epidemics. In addition, human’s destructive actions also cause natural disasters. Hence, from 84,000 years, the life expectancy then decreases by one year for every 100 years until it reaches 10 years. 

Therefore, one minor kalpa is the time it takes for the average life expectancy of humans to increase from 10 years to 84,000 years and then to decrease to 10 years. So, three asamkhyeya kalpas is indeed a very long time. During this time, we are bound to encounter obstacles, such as criticisms and inner struggles, which test our faith in cultivation. We might become exhausted and feel discouraged, so we must learn to practice over eons of time without growing tired of cultivation. 

The six paramitas allow us to overcome these obstacles. The first paramita encourages us to give, whether it is our strength, material goods, time, or effort. The second paramita is upholding Buddhist precepts to keep our heart and mind pure, followed by practicing forbearance to accept any situations, including difficult people and criticisms. The paramita of diligence allows us to make progress and always stay on the Bodhisattva Path. The fifth paramita is developing samadhi by training ourselves to be mindful with our thoughts and actions, always thinking meticulously, and being able to discern right from wrong. The last paramita is gaining wisdom, which guides us on the path of cultivation. The six paramitas help us develop the endurance we need for cultivation.

II. Practice cultivating blessings, wisdom, and virtues continually
Eons of time are made up of single moments. By cultivating every moment of his time, the Buddha perfected his blessings, wisdom, and virtues. To attain Buddhahood, one must also cultivate blessings, wisdom, and virtues. Life after life, the Buddha served living beings in the five realms: hell, animal, hungry ghost, human, and heaven, by delivering them from suffering. In continually doing so, he increased his blessings and wisdom.

In our cultivation, we must also spend all of our time doing good deeds and helping living beings just like the Buddha. In this way, we will accumulate blessings, gain wisdom, and develop our virtues.

III. Practice uninterrupted cultivation
It takes three great kalpas worth of cultivation to attain Buddhahood; thus, to make progress we must seize time to cultivate diligently. However, we often tend to neglect our cultivation when our mind is interrupted by afflictions, ignorance, and delusion. Such spiritual illnesses cloud our mind. Without mental clarity, we waste precious time being caught up with people issues, matters, and material things. Therefore, we must be aware of these afflictions and ignorance and not let them interrupt us.

IV. Practice with respect
In our cultivation, we need to practice having a respectful heart. First, we must have respect for the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Having perfected his virtues, the Buddha has set an example for living beings in accomplishing Buddhahood. The Dharma, Buddha’s teachings, allows us to comprehend life’s truth and all the workings of the universe. The Sangha, a community of Buddhist monastics that upholds the teachings and spreads the Dharma, guides us on the path of cultivation and helps us to understand the Dharma. Without the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, it would be difficult to attain enlightenment. Therefore, we need to be grateful and respectful to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

In addition, we need to respect every person because everyone has an innate Buddha nature and is capable of becoming a Buddha. On the other hand, as we encounter and learn more of the teachings, we must not allow arrogant thoughts about our own Dharma knowledge or feelings of superiority to arise in us. We have to remain humble and respectful.

The road to enlightenment is long and takes eons of time to complete its course. Therefore, while practicing the six paramitas, we must keep in mind the Four Bodhisattva Practices, and practice respectfully and diligently over eons of time without interruption to accumulate blessings, wisdom, and virtues. That is the attitude to embrace in our spiritual cultivation.

From Dharma Master Cheng Yen's Talks
Compiled into English by the Jing Si Abode English Editorial Team

Thursday 24 November 2016

誹謗三寶,苦毒無量 (淨空大師)

我們信佛的人,切記不要犯這種的罪過──就是專門說三寶的過錯,說佛教不好,說佛法不好,說僧人不好。菩薩戒有一條戒說:「不說四眾過戒」,四眾就是比丘、比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷。受過菩薩戒的人,對于比丘有什麼罪過,不要講;比丘尼做什麼錯事,也不要講;優婆塞有什麼過錯,也不要講;優婆夷有什麼過錯,也不要講,這叫「不說四眾過」。

你不說,就是有其他人說四眾過,也不要去插嘴,也不要去跟著講,就象沒聽見似的。你如果跟著說,也就犯了毀謗三寶的罪,也就犯了「說四眾過」的罪,所以最好是把嘴閉上,緘口不言。

再者,我們凡夫的見解,有時候會是錯誤的;聖人的境界,不是我們凡夫所能知道的。所謂初地的菩薩,就不知二地菩薩的境界;十地菩薩,就不知道等覺菩薩的境界;初果阿羅漢,也就不知道二果阿羅漢的境界。在還沒有得到真正智慧的時候,不要生出毀謗三寶的心,不要說四眾過。他明明就是有過,也不要講他。為什麼?你知道他有過,你自己往好的做,這就對了。

為什麼有人要毀謗三寶呢?因為他沒有信心,什麼原因讓他沒有信心呢?這種情形,有時是他和同一班惡的朋友──就是不明佛法的惡人,這不明佛法的惡人,就會毀謗三寶。這個人因為和惡人做朋友,隨著他也養成這種習氣,就破壞、毀謗三寶。又如果這個人諂曲、愚癡,也會毀謗三寶的。諂曲現在一般叫拍馬。因為他愚癡,但卻認為他是聰明的,看不起人,看誰都不如他自己。所以就毀謗正法,不相信正法,把眾生的法眼都給挑去了。

所以我們不要打妄語,不要講人的是非。你講人的是非,將來就入拔舌地獄。在這個地獄,罪人的舌頭被拔出來,又好像用犁耙在舌頭上耕地那樣。


總而言之,六根不具足,相貌也醜陋;這都是在過去生中毀謗三寶,所以受這種苦,而且是苦毒無量,死了還要墮無間地獄,這是毀謗三寶的果報。

Wednesday 23 November 2016

《不要隨便說某人會墮地獄》

佛告舍利弗:人與人之間不要相互衡量評價對方的修為,為什麽呢?因為一個人的根器是很難真正了解清楚的。唯有如來能夠衡量眾生,行持如佛者才可以衡量眾生。

舍利弗和大眾說道:從今天起,盡形壽不衡量他人的修為,不敢說某人當墮地獄,或某人當取滅度。因為眾生的行持實在是不可思議。

………………………………………………

是故舍利弗。人人相見莫相平相。所以不當相平相者。人根難見。獨有如來能平相人。行如佛者可平相人也。賢者舍利弗。及大眾會。驚喜踴躍而說斯言。從今日始盡其形壽。不觀他人。不敢說人某趣地獄某當滅度。所以者何。群生之行不可思議。

——普超三昧經(節錄) 西晉三藏法師竺法護譯

文 / 頓強居士

Tuesday 22 November 2016

[佛教故事] 木師與畫師

從前,北方有一位技藝巧妙的木師,用木頭雕塑了一個相貌端正、衣飾逼真的女子。木女能夠來回走動,還可以斟酒敬客,只是不能開口說話而已。

當時,南方有一位善於繪畫的畫師,木師早已耳聞畫師的大名。於是,準備了上好的酒食,要宴請畫師。

席間,木師便讓木女為畫師斟酒夾菜,畫師不知道這女子是木頭做的,以為是真的女子,心生愛戀。

不知不覺,天色已晚,木師便留畫師住下。並讓木女侍候畫師。畫師欣然答應。
畫師進屋後,見木女站在燈火邊。即叫喚這位木女,可是木女卻原地不動。

畫師以為是女子害羞,所以就上前用手牽她。一牽,才知原來她是木頭作的!

畫師不禁滿臉羞愧,自言自語的說:「這主人居然騙我,我也得戲弄他一下。

於是,畫師就想了一個主意,在牆上畫了一幅自己的像,衣著和自己相同,頸子上套著一根繩子,好像吊死了的模樣。還畫上蒼蠅和鳥,正在啄畫上的嘴巴。畫完後,畫師關上門,便躲在床下。

第二天天亮,木師從房裡出來,看畫師的房門未開,往裡一看,見畫師吊死牆上,木師嚇壞了,以為畫師真的死了,立刻破門而入,正想用刀砍斷繩子時,畫師從床下鑽了出來。

木師一臉的尷尬,畫師拍拍身上灰塵說:「如何?你能騙我,我也能騙你。咱們倆算是扯平,互不相欠。」

木師遂感愧疚地說:「其實錯在我。如果我不嫉妒你的才華,設計捉弄你,也不會有這樣的事情發生。」

畫師也坦白地說:「如果不是因為我心術不正,不甘心被騙,也不致於作畫戲弄你,害你為我擔心,真是對不起。」
最後,兩人握手言和,異口同聲的說:「唉!都是這念心在做作祟。

省思

相處在一個地球村,人類有著相同特徵的血統,為什麼總放不下心中厭惡的對象?

何不想想!

為什麼人總是為了利益,而改變自己原有的目標?

為什麼人總是勾心鬥角,而不願「虛心求教」?

為什麼人當事情發生時才想要來彌補?

如何才能放下目的、才華去欣賞別人呢?

為什麼人總是要有互相扯平的想法呢?

典故摘自:《雜譬喻經》 來源:中台世界 - 佛典故事


Monday 21 November 2016

淨空老法師:沒有忍,哪來的定?

學佛不能成就,原因就是沒有定、慧;換句話說,就是迷惑顛倒。這是經上常講的『可憐憫者』。

因為起心動念有分別、執著、妄想;與人相處時,還有貪、嗔、癡、慢,還有嫉妒,造的是三惡道業因。

這樣的行為,不論是參禪、學教或是念佛,皆是無法脫離輪迴的。

真修行,要記住惠能大師的話:『若真修道人,不見世間過。』

要見自己的過,不見世間過,這是惠能大師教給後人的兩句真實話。

若不在這上面真正下功夫,此生就與過去生一樣,注定要空過。

為什麼空過?因為忍不過。沒有忍,哪來的定?

六波羅蜜就像是上六層大樓一樣,第三層如果上不去,就沒有辦法進到第四層,充其量也只有佈施、持戒,忍就沒有了,修學怎能成功?

所以六度修學的次第,有了忍辱、精進,才得禪定,有了定慧才管用。有定慧的人,心量就大,就能與自性相應。
南無阿彌陀佛


Sunday 20 November 2016

【聖嚴法師開示精選】根本不需要丟掉煩惱

《西遊記》裡的齊天大聖孫悟空本領很大,可以一個觔斗翻出十萬八千里。他跟如來佛打賭可以輕易地翻出如來佛的掌心,結果根本跑不出去。

這個故事的寓意是:眾生再怎麼翻也無法跳脫五蘊——色、受、想、行、識,在五蘊中做的任何事,最後還是要自己承擔。不論你拋下了什麼問題,到頭來不但還是得自己處理,也困擾了別人。

因此,我們有了煩惱根本不需要丟,但要坦然面對,小心處理就行了。

有人對我說:「師父,我的業障很重,煩惱很多,請你幫我念念咒,我的業障、煩惱就沒有了。」

我說:「自己的業障要自己承擔。如果我念念咒就消了你的業障,不就把你的業障變成我的了嗎?」

所以,有了問題、困難,不要把它當成問題、困難,就會沒事的。如果一定要把它當成問題或困難而排斥它,反而使自己更困擾。

煩惱是虛妄的,是從內心生起的,是外在引起的。
沒有煩惱即是智慧,沒有黑暗即是光明。


Saturday 19 November 2016

The Layman Ariya Jotika, the Rich Man with Inestimable Wealth

He was born of a rich family of Rajagaha. He had the following virtues.
On the day of his birth and the day on which he was given his name all weapons shone forth with flames of light. The ornaments the people wore at the time emitted brilliant rays of light making the whole of Rajagaha shine with brilliance. Sakka, King of devas brought into being a house for him on a very wide plot of land. There appeared a large seven-tiered mansion decorated with seven kinds of jewels. Seven jewel-studded fence-walls appeared, each behind the other and Padetha trees (the trees which can give things as one’s wish) of plenty grew up between them. In the four corners of the plot there appeared  four big pots of gold and four sugar-cane plants of gold whose stems were as big as those of palm-trees and whose leaves were all of gold. The entrance doors of the mansion were guarded by divine ogres.
King Bimbisara honoured him by giving him a specially-made parasol as a symbol of his status as a man of immense wealth. His wife named Satulakayi was a native of a very far away alien land not easily accessible to ordinary human beings. When she came to Jotika,accompanied by devas, she had brought with her only a very small amount of rice grown in her native land and three pieces of flint-stone to be used in making fire for cooking. The rice and the flint-stone were inexhaustible for the rest of her life.
Jotika entertained the King Bimbisara and Prince Ajatasattu, son of King Bimbisara, to a meal of rice, that extraordinary variety his wife had brought with her from her native land. He also gave this rice-meal to members of the King’s royal guard.
King Ajatasattu had a bad will to take Jotika’s wealth and he paid a visit to Jotika again after crowned by killing his own father. Jotika told Ajatasattu that no one on earth could take away any of his possessions or wealth without his consent.
He extended his hand for Ajatasattu to take away his finger-rings if he could take them off. Ajatasattu exerted all his effort to take off the rings, but he could not take any of them off. When Jotika gave his consent, all the 20 finger-rings fell off by themselves. Ajatasattu’s great greediness taught Jotika a great lesson in the nature of avarice.
Jotika became a member of the Samgha and eventually, through the practice of Dhamma,attained to Arahatship. The Buddha praised Jotika for having no craving for his wealth and no lustful attachment to his wife. Then the Buddha delivered a Dhamma discourse, at the end of which many people became Sotapanna Ariyas.
Source : Buddhismforbeginnersgroup.com







Friday 18 November 2016

The Five Rare Occasions (The Five Dullabas)

The followings are the Five Rare Occasions expounded by the Buddha:

(1) Buddhupado Dullabho Lokasamim!
Rare to appear is the Enlightened One in the world.

(2) Manussattabhavo Dullabho!
Rare is to be born as a Human Being.

(3) Dullabha Saddhasampatti!
Rare is to be endowed with the conviction in the Three Gems, Kamma and Its Results.

(4) Pabbajjitabhavo Dullabho!
Rare is to attain the Bhikkhuhood.

(5) Saddhamassavanam Dullabam!
Rare is to hear the Teachings of the Buddha.

Source : Buddhismforbeginnersgroup


Thursday 17 November 2016

自己成為怎麼樣一個人?抉擇在你自己!

你要跟你的心好好溝通,好好觀護你的心,隨時要守護自己、告誡自己、引導自己,這就是「修行」的意思。我們的心不太穩定,有時善、有時惡,心中常像有兩個人在對話、激辯,一個說「我應該瞋恨、我應該嫉妒」,另一個說「我應該慈悲,我心量應該放大」,不知聽誰的。

但你到底要讓自己成為怎麼樣一個人?抉擇在你自己

净空老法师法语

Wednesday 16 November 2016

《薯仔雜陳湯》 - 素食谱

薯仔,半斤。
木耳,1兩。
黨參,1兩。
蓮子,1兩。
冬菇,5個。
黑棗,5個。
薑,幾片。

大火滾開然後慢火煲1 - 2小時。

功效:通血管

Tuesday 15 November 2016

假如真有佛,你损失了什么?

有一個學者。一天,他在某大會場向人們講佛祖絕對不可能存在。當聽眾感覺他言之 有理時,他便高聲向佛祖挑戰說:「佛祖假如你果真有靈,請你下來,在這廣大的群 眾面前把我殺死,我們便相信你是存在的了!」他故意靜靜地等候了幾分鐘,當然佛 祖沒有下來殺死他。他便左顧右盼地向聽眾說:「你們都看見了,佛祖根本不存 在!」

怎知有一位婦人,頭上裹著一條盤巾,站起來對他說:「先生,你的理論很高明,你 是個飽學之士。我只是一個農村婦人,不能向你反駁,只想請你回答我心中的一個問 題:我信奉佛多年以來,心中有了佛的教誨,十分快樂;我心中充滿佛給我的安慰; 因為信奉佛,人生有了最大的快樂。請問:假如我死時發現佛所教誨我的一切根本不 存在,我這一輩子信奉佛,會損失了什麼呢?」 

學者想了好一會兒,全場寂靜無聲,聽眾也很同意農村婦人的推理,連學者也驚嘆好 單純的邏輯,他低聲回答:「女士,我想你一點兒損失也沒有。

農村婦人又向學者說道:「謝謝你這樣好的回答。我心中還有一個問題:當你死的時 候,假如你發現佛的教誨是千真萬確的,也有六道輪迴的存在和超出六道佛土的存 在。我想請問,你損失了什麼?」

學者想了許久,竟無言以對。感言:如果佛不存在,你損失了什麼?但如果真有佛存 在,你又會損失什麼呢? 

值得深思啊! 對於我們每個人,無論信佛與否,都知道佛是善良的、慈悲的,是佑護 人們的,佛的旨意就是教化人們善良、真誠和容忍,人們在危難的時候都祈求佛的保 佑。

真正信佛的人是善良的,他們心中裝著佛的教誨和旨意,他們心中充滿了快樂和感 恩,他們相信善惡有報,他們摒棄罪惡,崇尚善良和友愛、真誠,不好嗎? 

而正因為人不相信佛的存在,不相信善惡有報,人才敢為了個人利益為所欲為,沒有 道德的約束,沒有良心的規範。莎士比亞說過,不要誹謗你所不知道的真理,否則你 的生命將會處於重重危險之中。是的,當你死去的時候,假如你發現真的有佛,佛法 是千真萬確的,也有輪迴和地獄存在,那麼——可貴的善良人,你失去了什麼?!


人性是善惡同存的,人信佛可以止惡揚善,人的心靈得到真正的愉悅;相反地,人不 信佛,人的善念就會被蹂濘,人會為所欲為,與動物無異。看看我們的周圍,一個沒 有正確信仰的世界,人們已經分不清什麼才是真正的善與惡了。 

真誠,善良,忍讓,這些人類最美好的精神信仰被人拋在腦後,拜金主義代替了人們 的善念(人們拜佛還是為了名利),迷失了的人們找不到生命的真正意義。  

眾善奉行,諸惡莫作。善念的種子在我們的心裡,不停的澆灌正面的信念,我想您一 點也不會損失,而且還會收穫幸福美滿的人生!

文章来源:(赵建安) 网络分享转载