健康长寿之道

今日教言

人要有智慧、稳重、惭愧心，若没有这三个基础，好人是做不了的。应该先做一个好人，然后再谈修行，否则你连基本的人格都没有，怎么有资格当修行人呢？

--《二规教言论讲记》

【佛教故事】醉翁受五戒得解脫

佛陀時代，距只洹精舍七里之遠，有一老者嗜酒如命，佛陀的弟子阿難時常前往勸諫。‘我無法忍受這樣的限制，所以才不去精舍。’老者不聽從阿難的勸導，依然如故地飲酒。

一日，老者又喝得醉醺醺地走在回家路上，一不小心，一腳踢到路邊的樹根，跌倒在地，疼痛無比。老者面對突如其來的痛楚，相當後悔，心想：‘阿難尊者常常勸我要親近佛陀，我卻不肯聽從，以致現在全身痛不可言。’老者回到家後，告訴家人欲前往佛所，大家聽了相當驚訝，心想：‘為何一直不肯前去晉見佛陀的老者，會突然改變心意？’

老者來到只洹精舍的門口，阿難趕緊稟告佛陀：‘那位嗜酒如命的老者已經來到精舍了。’佛陀問：‘是五百只白象拖他來的嗎？’阿難回答：‘是他獨自前來。’佛陀告訴阿難：‘其實這五百只白象已在老者身上。’于是老者在阿難的帶領下，頂禮佛足，並且向佛說道：‘偉大的佛陀！我久聞您在此說法，卻因愚癡而沒能早一點來晉見您，請您慈悲赦免我的罪業吧！’

佛陀聽完老者的請求，問道：‘你說說看，如果累積了五百車的木柴，想要用火將它燒盡，應當用幾車的火方能燒盡呢？’老者很有信心地回答：‘根本就不用多大的火，只要如豆一般的火苗，便可將其燒成灰燼！’佛陀又問老者：‘你身上這件衣服穿多久了？’老者說：‘已經有一年多了。’ 佛陀接著又問：‘那麼，想要洗去這件衣服上的污垢，需要幾年的時間才能洗淨？’老者不加思索地答道：‘佛陀，只要有純灰汁一斗，須臾之間便能洗淨。’

佛陀聽完後，開示老者：‘你所累積的罪業就像那五百車的木柴，亦如同穿了一年多衣服上的塵垢，只要你受持五戒，即能得到清淨。’于是佛便為其說法，老者心開意解，即得不退轉的菩薩果位。

眾生無始以來的罪業無量無邊，因不知常住真心而攀緣外境，造諸惡業，枉受生死。若能一念回光，舍妄歸真，無惡不斷，無善不修，嚴持戒律，即能回歸本源自性清淨。這一念如同一豆之火苗，能燒諸惡業；亦如一斗之灰汁，能洗淨心中之垢染。

时素湯餃

主材料：
包心白菜、牛番茄、金針菇
芹菜、福州丸、水餃

調味料：
高湯或香菇粉、香油、胡椒粉

步驟、

起油鍋炒香菇，牛番茄切大丁與大白菜、金針菇一起炒軟後加水，加福州丸、高湯，待湯水沸騰時加入水餃，水餃煮熟後起鍋灑芹菜末、香油即完成。

作法

金針菇
金針菇味道鮮美、滑脆可口，熱量低，富含膳食纖維、蛋白質及鐵、鈣、鎂、鉀和多種微量元素，及大量維生素Ｂ１、Ｂ２、Ｃ等，是著名食用菌之一，且金針菇中的賴氨酸和精氨酸含量豐富，有促進兒童智力發育的功效，也因此，金針菇又有「增智菇」的譽稱。

常食用金針菇可以降低膽固醇，對高血壓、胃腸道潰瘍、肝病、高血脂等有一定的防治功效。

芹菜
芹菜的營養豐富，其中鈣、磷、鐵的含量比其他葉菜都多，並且是高纖維食物具有抗癌防癌的功效，芹菜中含酸性的降壓成分能降血壓，起安神的作用，有利於安定情緒，消除煩躁。

FOOD小贴士

1. 金針菇不宜煮久太，加熱愈久韌性愈高，不易嚼爛、不易消化，因此烹調時以短時間加熱與切碎最好，脾胃虛寒者，金針菇不宜吃得太多。

2. 芹菜葉子中的胡蘿蔔素比葉柄高出20多倍，人們吃芹菜習慣把葉丟掉，非常可惜。

3. 泰國研究發現，常吃芹菜能減少男性精子的數量，可能對避孕有所幫助。

饮食原则

水餃加湯就變成湯餃，只要您喜歡就要把溫暖與幸福的感覺洋溢在心胃之間；湯餃可以因為湯頭的不同而做得繽紛出奇，也可以變成清淡舒適的口味、更可以用酸辣或油漬濃重的口味來改變它，可隨著您的喜好來做變化。

主食湯餃部分要稍微注意一下，因為水餃是川燙過的熟食，再度放入湯裡時，小心麵皮不要煮久煮，免得煮爛掉，整碗湯變成糊糊的就不好吃了。 

文章来源: 海涛法师慈悲志業

今日教言

🌻2017.6.26 | 今日教言🌻

我们起贪嗔之念时，若不加以克制，生生世世都会受到极大影响。所以，每个人应该观察自己，常以正知正念来摄持，同时想一想古今中外的历史。自己无论做什么事情、说什么话，应像处于悬崖上一样小心翼翼，若能一直关注自己的身心，必定会对治烦恼的。——《二规教言论讲记》

為四川省茂縣新磨村清晨發生山崩的受難菩薩們迴向祝禱

今(6/24)中國大陸四川省茂縣新磨村清晨發生山崩造成嚴重傷亡
讓我們一起為受難菩薩們迴向祝禱
願逝者往生善處，傷者身心安頓
並祝福所有眾生心安平安~

南無觀世音菩薩，南無觀世音菩薩，南無觀世音菩薩！

🙏 線上持咒 http://mantra.ddm.org.tw/
🙏 線上鈔經 http://sc.ddm.org.tw/
🙏 鈔經APP下載 https://goo.gl/ptrSne

誦經做什麼？

佛經是佛所說的信佛、學佛，而至成佛的方法。方法無邊，所以佛經的數量和名目也很多，在我們這里，最適用和最通行的，則有《華嚴經》、《法華經》、《地藏菩薩本願功德經》、《藥師琉璃光如來本願功德經》、《金剛般若波羅蜜經》、《佛說阿彌陀經》、《心經》等。
誦經的起源，出于印度釋迦佛的時代。當時的佛經，既沒有印刷本，也不用抄寫本，都是靠著以口傳口地口口相傳，所以，要聽佛的弟子們代佛說法，往往是聽他們將所曾聽過而已熟記的佛經背誦出來，自己要想熟記某一部佛經，也得下工夫把它背誦出來，到後來，誦經便成了學習佛法和宣傳佛法的基本工作。
但是，佛教徒為何要把某一部經，誦到爛熟之後，還要在佛像之前一遍又一遍地誦呢？這有兩層理由。

第一、是把佛經當作一面監察我們心行標准的鏡子：凡夫難保自己不犯錯，有時犯了錯，尚不能知錯改錯，但當面對佛像，口誦佛經之時，就同聽到佛在親口說法來教誡我們一樣，使我們一次又一次地策勵修行。已經犯的過錯，趕快改正；尚未犯的過錯，決心不犯；已經修的善功，努力增加；尚未修的善功，立志去修。這像一位愛美的女士，閨房中有了鏡子，出門時也要隨身攜帶鏡子，早晨照過鏡子，偶一動作之後又要再照鏡子，今天照了鏡子，明天、後天、大後天，乃至明年、後年，還是要照鏡子，那無非是為要保持或增加她面容的整潔美麗而已。

第二、是將誦經當作代佛說法的神聖使命：佛法的主要對象是人，除人之外，六道眾生之中，尚有天、神、鬼，以及少數的傍生或畜生（動物），也能信受佛法。所以，雖在無人之處，或在無人聽懂所誦的經義之處，只要有人誦經，就有異類的天、神、鬼、畜，來聽我們誦經。天、神、鬼三類的眾生，以及部分的傍生，均有或大或小的神通，我們誦經之時，只要專誠，即能感應它們來聽經。若你為你亡故的親友做佛事誦經，你的誠意初動，你那親友的亡靈，就已得到了消息，必定會如期前往聽經；亡靈的靈性特別高，縱然在生之時從未聽過一句佛法，死後聽經，也能依其善根通解信受。

人有来世

佛在心中 不在路上

兄弟二人皆立志遠游修道，無奈父母年邁，弟妹年幼，老大家里還有病妻弱子，所以一直未能成行。某日，一高僧路過，兄弟二人要拜其為師，並將家中難處訴說一遍。高僧雙手合十，微閉雙目，喃喃自語：“舍得，舍得，沒有舍哪來得? 你二人悟性皆不夠，十年後我會再來。” 然後，飄然而去。哥哥頓悟，手持經書決絕而去。弟弟望望父母，看看病嫂幼妹，終不能舍棄。

　　十年後，哥哥歸來，口誦佛經，念念有詞，仙風道骨，略見一斑。再看弟弟，彎腰弓背，面容蒼老，神情呆滯，反應緩慢。高僧如期而至，問二人收獲。哥哥說：十年內游遍高山大川，走遍寺廟道觀，背誦真經千卷，感悟萬萬千千。弟弟說：十年內送走老父老母，病嫂身體康複，幼妹成家立業。但因勞累無暇誦讀經書，恐與大師無緣。

　
　高僧微微一笑，決定收弟弟為徒。哥哥不解，追問緣由。高僧道：“佛在心中，不在名山大川;心中有善，勝讀真經千卷;父母尚且不愛，談何普度眾生?舍本逐末，終致與佛無緣。”哥哥默然。
　

我們常說，修行就是要放下，活在當下，並非讓自己拋棄所有的責任，去追求了無牽挂、悠游自在的生活和一些表面的虛浮的東西。“百善孝為先”，如果一個人單單為了修行而去修行，心中少了善，那他所做的一切也都是沒有任何意義的，是為世人所鄙夷的。

　　生活的艱辛，命運的坎坷，其實都是上天賦予我們的寶貴財富。人生，要經得起磨礪，挺得起脊梁，擔得起責任，吃得起苦頭，只有嚼得出苦味，你才會知道生命的滋味和深沉，不是你意氣風發的時候，也非你富貴尊享的時候，而是在你嘗遍人間苦味、踏遍人間泥濘、看遍人間悲歡的時候。當你這一切都坦然平靜地走過，你會突然發現，這樣的人生才是完整的，才是修行路上最值得回味的、最美的風景。

淨空老法師：去掉學佛後的障礙

我們學佛，障礙很多，這障礙從哪兒來的？你生生世世的冤親債主，他不希望你成就，你有成就他嫉妒，他想盡方法來障礙。要解決這樁事情，佛陀菩薩教導我們，要懺悔念佛，把自己的念佛功德回向給他們，有福大家享，他們也就很樂意，就不再找麻煩了。 

我們修淨土，淨土從哪裡修起？從淨業三福第一條裡面這四句修起，孝養父母，奉事師長，慈心不殺，修十善業。 

如果你不能夠落實這四句，你念這一句阿彌陀佛的效果不大，你的冤親債主得的利益小，他不放過你，那你的麻煩就大了！

南無阿彌陀佛

lord Buddha discourse to Brahmin

lord Buddha discourse to Brahmin

...........The conversation between Veranja Brahmin and Lord Buddha......

https://www.facebook.com/TrueBuddhistTeachings/videos/1857233871194724/

Veranja Brahmin: it is my view that your way of practicing and conducting yourself is quite taste less

Lord Buddha: Brahmin my way is indeed taste less. I have abandon the taste of the central pleasure of the form, taste, smell, sound, and bodily touch. But I am not taste less in the way that you understand. 

Veranja Brahmin: You have no asset, you teach non action and praise annihilation. And furthermore I would say that you are low-some 

Lord Buddha: Brahmin I have no asset or wealth, because such things consist of forms, tastes, smells, sounds and touches. Venerable Brahmin I teach non wrong action, non-evil action by body, speech and mind. I praise the annihilation of lust, hatred and delusion. Brahmin lowsome is bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct, I lowered all these evil and unwholesome. But I am not at all lowsome in the way that you believe. 

Veranja Brahmin: you teach eradication, destruction, You teach none arising and non-birth.

Lord Buddha: Brahmin, I teach the Dharma for the eradication of lust, hatred and delusion and for the eradication of all un-wholesome states. I teach the destruction of bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct and mental misconduct. Because these things are things which are worthy of destruction. I have attain to the state of non-arising and non-birth, by abandoning the causes of birth and becoming. I speak only the truth in response to your comments. The truth is not as you understand to be. Pay attention venerable Veranja Brahmin, and I will teach you the Dharma.

Lord Buddha teaching to Brahmin
Sending your mind outside and seeking faults in others is a cause for suffering. Reflecting internally, developing awareness of ones’ own mind is the path.  Niroda (Nibbana) the end of suffering is its fruits.

Source : True Buddhist 

孝，是善之源

今日教言

🌻大家要经常听闻佛法，这样自然会明白很多道理。通过闻法，可以了知诸法的实相，去除相续中的罪恶，闻法真的特别重要。佛菩萨、大德们具有加持的金刚语，通过听闻而研习，这就是真正的闻法，闻法的功德不可思议。——《入行论广解》

不要臨【死】才抱佛腳 ~ 索達吉堪布

假如從20歲就開始修行，到了80歲時，可能會直接進入來世的快樂生活。但這一生若迷迷糊糊就過了，臨死卻希望時光倒流、重新做人，那時已經沒有力氣了，也沒有這個機會了。

我曾看過一則小故事：

有兩兄弟，住在80層的高樓上。一次，他們半夜三更回家，發現電梯因為維修，已經停了。二人經過商量，覺得自己年輕力壯，幹脆爬樓梯回家。

他們先爬了20層，有點累了，哥哥說：“包太重了，把它先放在這里吧，明天再下來拿。”于是他們放下行李，輕裝上陣。

到了40層時，弟弟開始抱怨：“你之前明明看到了停電梯的通知，為什麼不早點說？咱們可以提前回來。”哥哥說：“我不是忘了嗎？那有什麼辦法。”他們開始互相爭吵、指責。

吵吵嚷嚷之下，兩人爬到了60層。盡管他們彼此不滿，但累得要命，爭斗的力氣也沒有了。

只休息了一會兒，他們又繼續往上爬。

終于到了80層，兄弟倆已是精疲力竭。他們緩了一口氣，正准備開門，一摸口袋才發現---鑰匙還留在20層樓的包里。無奈之下，兩人只好在門口睡下。

這故事看似是個笑話，但用佛法來解釋的話，正說明了我們人生的幾個階段：

20歲時，不管是生活也好、工作也好，基本上比較輕松，沒有太大壓力。

40歲時，工作中、家庭中的恩怨層出不窮，滿肚子都是各種牢騷。

60歲時，盡管內心有諸多不滿，但已經沒有力氣抱怨了。

到了80歲接近死亡時，回顧整個人生經歷，好像自己一無所得。尤其最關鍵的“來世”鑰匙，在20歲時就忘記帶上了。

當然，假如從20歲就開始修行，到了80歲時，可能會直接進入來世的快樂生活。但這一生若迷迷糊糊就過了，臨死卻希望時光倒流、重新做人，那時已經沒有力氣了，也沒有這個機會了。

所以，大家應當以此來勉勵自己。能從小行持善法是最好的，但若沒有這種緣分，什麼時候遇到佛法，就從那個時候開始，精進修行也不遲。這樣，臨死時才不會悔之晚矣！

淨空法師 : 學佛不是學別的，就是做個明白人

Metta Sutta

May everyone be happy and safe,
and may their hearts be filled with joy.
May all living beings live in security and in peace
beings who are frail or strong,
tall or short, big or small,
visible or not visible, near... or far away,
already born or yet to be born.
May all of them dwell in perfect tranquility.
Let no one do harm to anyone.
Let no one put the life of anyone in danger.
Let no one, out of anger or ill will, wish anyone any harm.

~ Metta Sutta (Stuttanipata)

《莲池大师戒杀文：生日和生子不宜杀生》

第一种情形是：

我们的父母在我们诞生之时很是辛劳，他们介乎生死之间，苦痛逼心，只望母子平安，一旦儿女顺利出世，一切惨痛都烟消云散，以为苦尽甘来，笑口顿开。当我们生日来临之时，就应该体察当年父母生养我们之辛劳，吃斋戒杀，多行善事，一则可使先亡父母早日脱离生死苦海，早登彼岸。假如双亲健在，也因为我们所积累的功德让他们积功累德，增福延寿。

第二种情形是：

世人没有子女都很悲伤，子女降世也都很欢喜。为什么我们不想想一切有情众生也都深爱自己的孩子呢？庆祝自己的孩子降生，却要其他物类的孩子惨死在刀下，将心比心，我们又于心何忍呢？当我们的孩子降生在我们的身边，不知道为他们积累福德，却要残害生灵早就恶业，也实在是太愚蠢了。

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《莲池大师戒杀放生文图说》 全集

http://www.rushiwowen.org/category-11-1-000.jsp

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我们是这样把福报吃完的

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYvYRZ6owrA

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修因才能得果

Who did you buried in your past lives?

Once upon a time, as two loved each other very much, they soon arranged to be married. However, when the day arrived, the girl changed her mind by accepting another man. Heartbroken, the original bridegroom-to-be became very sick and wasted away in bed. When he was almost dying, a Buddhist master came along. Hearing what happened, he decided to help.

The master asked him to look into a mysterious ‘magic’ mirror. In it, he saw was the body of a drowned girl washed upon shore. Three men came by. The first simply sighed and moved on. The second kindly covered her with his coat. The third even more kindly buried her. Next seen with his ex-bride-to-be now was a happy bridegroom, who surprisingly resembled the third man.

The master explained that his ex-bride-to-be was the drowned girl in a past life, whom he as the second man covered, while the bridegroom was the third man, who gave her a proper funeral. With significant karmic connection and indebtedness, his kindness was ‘repaid’ by love for a while. However, the kindness of the next more naturally compelled her to love him for a lifetime.

Hearing this, the heartbroken man awakened to the cause and effect of why things turned out they way they did and was instantly cured. He learnt to graciously accept reality, for not being the one best suited for her. Of course, it is not such that every marriage is based on the same causes and effects, but every relationship, being karmic in nature, does have some prior connections.

Perhaps the girl did create some negative karma by changing her mind at the last minute, but she was after all not married yet, with freedom to choose. Meanwhile, those closest to us are those we have the strongest karmic ties with now, or with whom we are forging stronger ties. Yet, this does not mean that all links are surely fortunate, while we have to work to improve all relationships!

The truth is, we are all interconnected by invisible ‘strings’ of affinity, due to having been reborn countless times in all kinds of inter-relationships. It is just a matter of how many degrees of ‘separation’ we are ‘apart’ from one another. If so, may we only create positive and pure links with one another, based on generosity, compassion and wisdom. And never be the apathetic first man!

9th June - the holy day of Saga Dawa Düchen

Friday, 9th of June is the full moon day of the sacred month of Saga Dawa, the fourth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar. 

For Buddhists this is the most sacred day of the year, commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of the Buddha, and it is believed that all positive and negative actions are multiplied by 100 million as a result.

Traditionally, the holy day of Saga Dawa Düchen is observed through practice, generosity, and the performance of meritorious deeds.

Five Mindfulness Trainings

The five mindfulness trainings are an expression of the five precepts, the core of Buddhist ethics, and offer a down-to-earth method of practicing mindfulness in daily life. As Thich Nhat Hanh wrote in his book Good Citizens, “The five mindfulness trainings are offered without dogma or religion. Everybody can use them as an ethics for their life without becoming Buddhist or becoming part of any tradition or faith. You are just yourself, but you try to make a beautiful life by following these guidelines.”

The Five Mindfulness Trainings represent the Buddhist vision for a global spirituality and ethic. They are a concrete expression of the Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, the path of right understanding and true love, leading to healing, transformation, and happiness for ourselves and for the world. To practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings is to cultivate the insight of interbeing, or Right View, which can remove all discrimination, intolerance, anger, fear, and despair. If we live according to the Five Mindfulness Trainings, we are already on the path of a bodhisattva. Knowing we are on that path, we are not lost in confusion about our life in the present or in fears about the future.

1. Reverence For Life

Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating the insight of interbeing and compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, or in my way of life. Seeing that harmful actions arise from anger, fear, greed, and intolerance, which in turn come from dualistic and discriminative thinking, I will cultivate openness, non-discrimination, and non-attachment to views in order to transform violence, fanaticism, and dogmatism in myself and in the world.

2. True Happiness

Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to practicing generosity in my thinking, speaking, and acting. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others; and I will share my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need. I will practice looking deeply to see that the happiness and suffering of others are not separate from my own happiness and suffering; that true happiness is not possible without understanding and compassion; and that running after wealth, fame, power and sensual pleasures can bring much suffering and despair. I am aware that happiness depends on my mental attitude and not on external conditions, and that I can live happily in the present moment simply by remembering that I already have more than enough conditions to be happy. I am committed to practicing Right Livelihood so that I can help reduce the suffering of living beings on Earth and reverse the process of global warming.

3. True Love

Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivating responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and society. Knowing that sexual desire is not love, and that sexual activity motivated by craving always harms myself as well as others, I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without true love and a deep, long-term commitment made known to my family and friends. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct. Seeing that body and mind are one, I am committed to learning appropriate ways to take care of my sexual energy and cultivating loving kindness, compassion, joy and inclusiveness – which are the four basic elements of true love – for my greater happiness and the greater happiness of others. Practicing true love, we know that we will continue beautifully into the future.

4. Loving Speech and Deep Listening

Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and compassionate listening in order to relieve suffering and to promote reconciliation and peace in myself and among other people, ethnic and religious groups, and nations. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am committed to speaking truthfully using words that inspire confidence, joy, and hope. When anger is manifesting in me, I am determined not to speak. I will practice mindful breathing and walking in order to recognize and to look deeply into my anger. I know that the roots of anger can be found in my wrong perceptions and lack of understanding of the suffering in myself and in the other person. I will speak and listen in a way that can help myself and the other person to transform suffering and see the way out of difficult situations. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to utter words that can cause division or discord. I will practice Right Diligence to nourish my capacity for understanding, love, joy, and inclusiveness, and gradually transform anger, violence, and fear that lie deep in my consciousness.

5. Nourishment and Healing

Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I will practice looking deeply into how I consume the Four Kinds of Nutriments, namely edible foods, sense impressions, volition, and consciousness. I am determined not to gamble, or to use alcohol, drugs, or any other products which contain toxins, such as certain websites, electronic games, TV programs, films, magazines, books, and conversations. I will practice coming back to the present moment to be in touch with the refreshing, healing and nourishing elements in me and around me, not letting regrets and sorrow drag me back into the past nor letting anxieties, fear, or craving pull me out of the present moment. I am determined not to try to cover up loneliness, anxiety, or other suffering by losing myself in consumption. I will contemplate interbeing and consume in a way that preserves peace, joy, and well-being in my body and consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family, my society and the Earth.

Source : BY THICH NHAT HANH

How Are Vows & Precepts Related?

Question: What is the significance of taking vows in Buddhism?

Answer: There are several kinds of vows for Buddhists. Taking refuge in the Triple Gem is one kind. Committing to the Five Precepts is another, as is to the Eight Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts and Monastic Precepts. And there are other independent vows. Vows express commitment to avoiding of evil, doing of good and purification of the mind. With strong commitment, there will be definite progress.

Question: How is taking of vows, for example to be vegan different from just abstaining from eating animal products?

Answer: With commitment, one is fully serious on that committed to, while without commitment, one is half-hearted. This further explains the major differences between commitment and non-commitment: http://thedailyenlightenment.com/2010/02/is-it-better-not-to-observe-any-precepts 

Question: When vows are taken, do they last for this lifetime or from life to life?

Answer: It depends on how the vows are committed to. For example, the Five Precepts are usually committed to for life, while the Eight Precepts for at least 24 hours.

Question: Are vows the same as precepts?

Answer: Precepts are moral guidelines adhered to as vows, but vows are not always precepts. For instance, the first precept of not killing is a vow, but Amituofo’s (Amitabha Buddha) 48 Great Vows are in terms of helping all beings to quickly attain Buddhahood; they are not precepts in terms of vowing not to do certain misdeeds.

Question: Is there any difference between taking a vow to not kill versus observing a precept to not kill?

Answer: Taking of precepts involve a ceremony to formally express commitment (i.e. vowing) for life (other than the Eight Precepts), while other vows might have no specific ceremony for expressing them, unless one chooses to vow formally. 

Source : thedailyenlightenment.com (Posted by Shen Shi'an on April 8, 2017)

達真堪布法语

※ 當你有看不起的人，自己應當懺悔，這說明自己不夠慈悲，不夠善良；當你有看不慣的事，自己也要反省，這說明自己沒有智慧，不夠圓融。

※ 總是站在自己的角度去看問題，肯定有很多看不慣的，肯定有很多不圓滿的，這是你自己的問題，這也叫我執。以自我為中心，要求一切圍著自己轉，這是不可能的。很多煩惱痛苦都是這樣招來的。

※ 真正的福報在自己的阿賴耶當中，無論去什麼地方，都是可以跟隨自己的，即使到臨終的時候也不會失散。留下的那些，都是不屬於你的，而是因緣和合的一種顯現，沒有什麼可執著的。

※ 種下一份善根，就能得一份福報；懺悔一份罪業，就能減輕一份痛苦。

Find your nature

金刚经说 "放下"

Parable of the Raft

Monks, I will teach you the parable of the raft—for getting across, not for retaining. It is like a man who going on a journey sees a great stretch of water, the near bank with dangers and fears, the farther bank secure and without fears, but there is neither a boat for crossing over, nor a bridge across. It occurs to him that to cross over from the perils of this bank to the security of the farther bank, he should fashion a raft and cross over to safety. When he has done this it occurs to him that the raft has been very useful, and he wonders if he ought to take it with him on his head and shoulders. What do you think, monks? That the man is doing what should be done with the raft? They answered, “No, Lord.” What should that man do, monks? When he has crossed over to the beyond, he must leave the raft and proceed on his journey. Monks, a man doing this would be doing what should be done with the raft. In this way, I have taught you Dharma, like the parable of the raft, for getting across, not for retaining. You, monks, by understanding the parable of the raft, must not cling to right states of mind and, all the more, to wrong states of mind.

Source : extracted from Parables of the Buddha (Jack Kornfield, Teachings of the Buddha, Boston: Shambhala, 1996 ISBN 1-57062-124-1)

今日教言

若想对自己真正有利，唯一就要勤修佛法。怎么修呢？首先要生起出离心和菩提心，然后在实际行动中，处处以善心摄持相续，对于外在的一切显现，受用、眷属、财产、名声，都不能太过耽著，而应视其如梦如幻。

—《四法宝鬘论》