【 Loving Kindness Practice 】

In your calm, kind & compassionate state

Recite softly or silently, may I be...

1.  Filled with loving kindness
2.  Well in body & mind
3.  Free from troubles of mind & body
4.  Safe from inner & outer dangers
5.  Free from enmity
6.  Free from hurtfulness
7.  Endowed with right speech & moral conduct
8.  May I be able to protect my own happiness
9.  May I be truly happy & free

Then spread the thoughts mentioned above to our teachers, elders, loved ones, friends, all other beings known & unknown, and adversaries.

May all living beings be well, happy and peaceful.

【魔鬼通常都是從嘴巴裡面說出來的】

佛陀制定戒律 口業就佔了四個:

1.不妄語(說謊)

2.不惡口罵人(詛咒人家）
3.不兩舌(說三道四，搬弄是非，張家長，李家短)
4.不綺語(不說沒有意義的話，如常常開玩笑，以及損人，消遣人家，還有講黃色笑話)

常常造口業的人，這輩子口臭，口氣味道非常難聞，嘴巴跟舌頭與口腔容易潰瘍破爛。

一個人只要守的住口業，這輩子定有福報與成就，通常大智慧的人幾乎很少說話，都是在念佛～

所謂『少說一句話 多念一聲佛』

文章来源：阿弥陀佛的孩子网

淨空法師：我們到這個世間來幹什麼的？「人生酬業」

人生在世，為什麼到這個世間來？佛在經典裡面說得非常好，叫­「人生酬業」。為什麼來的？是來酬償業報的。過去生中我們造了善因，這一生來享福的，­果報，善有善果；如果過去生中造的業是不善，這一生是來受罪的。所以業因果報絲毫不爽­，受再大的苦難，都要知道是自己不善的因所感的，因果是真理，絲毫不爽。
《文字來源》↓

煩惱

不要在一帆風順的時候，裝成修行人； 不要在遇到挫折的時候，變回普通人。

兩個人非常渴，喝同一口井水時，一個用金杯，一個用泥杯。前者覺得自己富貴，後者認為自己貧賤；前者得到了虛榮的滿足，後者陷入無謂的煩惱中。他們都忘了，自己需要的是“水”，而不是“盛水的杯”。我們在生活中也是如此，不要被自己不需要的東西所煩惱。

佛教常說的“苦”，不是指痛苦，而是指一切都在變化，一切都存在不確定性。這是非常細微的，以至于人們常忽略它的存在，直到哪一天疼痛了、沒錢了、失戀了，才開始叫苦連天，但這時候已經來不及了。

把鹽放入一杯水中，會鹹的發苦，而撒進一個湖裏，會沒什麼味道。同樣，我們生命中的痛苦是鹽，它的鹹淡，也取決于盛它的容器。

                        文章来源 ：釋迦牟尼佛（圖片）社團  

怎樣發大菩提心

什麼叫做大菩提心呢？

所謂菩提就是自覺覺他。菩提心定義很廣，覺悟心也是菩提心，慈悲心也是菩提心，簡單講，就是自利利他的心。

怎麼樣發菩提心？

第一個，思維佛陀的偉大，拿佛陀來作我們的模範，你才發的起來。你內心裏面常常這樣想，我們無量億劫來還在六道生死輪回，而佛陀已經超越時空的支配，已經擺脫了生滅法，跳出了六道輪回，想想看，我們要起仰慕心。

第一個要發感恩的心。

大菩提心就是感恩心，無量的衆生、三寶、父母、師長對我們都有恩。既然發大菩提心，怎麼樣能夠持續這個菩提心？我要感恩，所以要好好的修行。如果沒有佛，我們聽不到這個法，沒有三寶、沒有師長，這個法也沒有辦法延續，我們要報師父的恩。師父是我們的法身父母，我們今生能夠覺悟生死，開采我們內在的般若智慧，那都是師父的恩、三寶的恩。

所以我們一定要有感恩心，用這個感恩心，我們就可以持續菩提心。一個人心存感恩，那他內心就會充滿着慈悲，就會想利益衆生。對三寶發心，做的再大的布施，都認為這是我們必須這樣做的，沒有怨言，感念三寶的恩，所以菩提心的持續要以感恩心作為一個支配延續。

第二個就是寬恕心。

無知是衆生的常態，每一個衆生都必須經過無知的階段才能夠覺悟。面對無知的衆生，他那些仇視、嫉妒、恨、貪、嗔、癡，我們都要寬恕。對他的行為不能恨，要憐憫他。恨你沒有機會救他，你明知道這是個很惡的人，你合掌就好了，令他歡喜。你不要批評他，也不要跟他敵對。寧可得罪一個君子，不可以得罪一個小人。你內心如果不寬恕他，不寬恕別人你會痛苦了自己，所以發菩提心就是發寬恕的心。

第三就是發無諍的心

鬥爭是障道的根本，一個人修行，一天到晚鬥爭的話，沒有辦法。就像我們在這個僧團，我們好不容易發一個心來出家，因為一點點的事情，而來跟同參道友敵對，你說這個罪過有多重？鬥亂僧團這個罪過無量。所以我們要忍耐。可是我們不能用忍耐的心去修行，那會煩惱很重。有一天你忍不下去就會發瘋的。忍耐是粗淺的功夫。要發什麼心？無生法忍的心，無生的心。一切法不可得，畢竟空性，我們要悟，徹底的了解我們的心就是一切法不可得。所謂無生，就是因緣生因緣滅，它本來就是不可得的東西。你不要勉强要忍耐，法師講的要忍，要忍耐，不要用這種心，要用無生的心。單刀直入，空一切法不可得，連這個忍耐都沒有，根本不要去掛礙他，你把它放下，用一個很自在灑脫無礙的心去面臨這個世間，悟到無生法忍！所以無諍是入道第一要件。

第四個要發離相的心。

《金剛經》講不離相不能成道，你要認識佛嗎？我們每天都在拜佛、念佛，希望成佛。你就是佛，那一種情形下你就是佛？很簡單，離一切相！離一切相不是拋棄一切相，就是當下離相。就是你面臨一切境界而對一切境界統統不執着！離一切相，即名諸佛，著相之人累劫不得見性。

我們一般人認為修行很困難，錯了，修行很簡單，一般人不了解修行真理是唾手可得，就像我們在沙灘上要揀一粒砂那麼容易。就是你不肯，會假借很多理由來阻礙我們真理的發展。他以為修行是什麼統統放下來，一天到晚把眼睛閉上來，什麼都保持不動，像死人一樣叫做修行，修行不是這樣子的。修行是二六時中即相離相，面臨一切相而能夠自在無礙，不起顛倒分別心，就是我們的本來面目。

人家問：師父，悟道的人是什麼心？我說：悟道的人無心。師父：無心又是什麼心？無心，就是安詳的心、歡喜的心、無上的慈悲心、平等心，無上的喜舍心！沒有一樣他放不下的，包括他的生命、財產、親人，沒有一樣放不下。臨命終你眼睛閉上，你放不下能如何？

修行很重要就是不能離開善知識, 要熏習。 熏習的意思就是不能離開善知識，人生是出鬧劇啊！最後都是悲劇收場！每個人都是這樣子！六道輪回生生世世，，連鎖的悲劇，你不了脫生死，你就麻煩大了。

佛教講的：諸行無常, 諸法無我. 涅盤寂靜。諸行無常，行就是造作。一切身口意的造作,統統是無常的。你信是無常, 你不信他也是無常，真理是超越人情的，永遠擺在你的前面，讓你去認識他，而不是你去認同他。你認同不認同，他都是無常的。

文章来源 ：釋迦牟尼佛（圖片）社團   

Be diligent by contemplating the impermanence of this life

Devotees and children, we go to schools, learn something, and find jobs in our lives. In the meantime, some of us get ill and sometimes even die. Death comes to most of us swiftly and we are not ready to face that unexpected death. This story tells us an incident in which someone got the refuge of the Dhamma before he faced his death unexpectedly.

There was a merchant named Mahādhana at the time of the Gautama Supreme Buddha. He buys a large number of valuable clothing called ‘Kusumbharat’ from City Bārānasi to fill 500 carriages and goes on selling them to different cities. This time, he went to sell his goods to the City Sāvatti. Since it was almost dark by the time he and his carriages reached River Achiravati, he thought to cross the river the next morning. Thus he parked all his carriages on the other side of the river in that evening. At that night a huge rain poured down overflowing the river.  It rained seven consecutive days making impossible for him and his carriages to cross the river.  Because of this reason, he could not sell all his goods. Then he thought,  “I came from a long distance. It’s a difficulty to go back with these goods now.  I’ll stay here this rainy season and probably the next winter and summer too. I’ll finish my work and sell these goods first, and then I can leave.”

After the rain stopped, merchant Mahādhana came to City Sāvatti and started to sell his goods. On that day, the Supreme Buddha came to the city for collecting alms.  When He was walking by that merchant’s place the Supreme Buddha saw merchant Mahādhana and made a smile. The Supreme Buddha does not make smiles unless there is something important.  Knowing this fact, Ananda Thero asked the Supreme Buddha:

“Dear Sir, what is the reason for you to smile?”

“Ananda, did you see that merchant Mahādhana?”

“Yes Sir.”

“That merchant doesn’t know when he is going to die. He thinks of living in City Sāvatti this whole year and selling his goods. Ananda, he is going to die in seven more days.”

“Sir, shall I go tell him about this and try to help him?”

“Ananda, go and see if he believes what you would say.”

Ananda Thero then went to merchant Mahādhana collecting alms and asked him,  “Friend, how long are you expecting to live here?”

“Sir, I came from a long distance. It’s difficult for me to go back with all these goods. I am thinking to stay here this whole year and sell all my goods before I leave this city.”

“Devotee, we don’t know what bad things might happen to this life, so isn’t it better to cultivate merits while we live?”

“Oh Sir, are you saying this because I may have to face some crisis?”

“Yes devotee. You only have seven days to live.”

Then merchant Mahādhana started to think,  “These noble Bhikkhus never tell lies. They don’t make others fear or deceive others with lies. This has to be true. If that’s the case, there’s no point for me to continue collecting more money like this. I should observe precepts and donate to collect merits.”

At that evening, he went to Temple Devram and invited the Supreme Buddha and His disciple Sangha for alms at his place. He offered the Supreme Buddha and His disciple Sangha alms for seven days. On the last day, the Supreme Buddha preached,  “Meritorious devotee, a wise person shall do it like this. He would not waste his time thinking that ‘I’ll stay here this amount of time, will do this and that work, and will earn money in this and that way.’ He should also think of the danger that he might face in this life.

The Supreme Buddha then preached this following stanza in a beautiful voice,

‘Idha vassan vasissāmi – idha hēmanta gimhisu
Iti bālō vichintēti – antarāyan na bujjati

I will stay here in the rainy season – and in the winter too
I’ll stay here – this is how an unwise person thinks, without realizing the true danger’

Devotees and children, merchant Mahādhana did realize the meaning of this stanza very well.  He started to contemplate that Dhamma and attained the Sōwān state.  The Dhamma preaching of the Supreme Buddha brought everyone the wellbeing.  The merchant went following the Supreme Buddha to a distance and stopped. He then felt a severe headache. He came back to his place and slept on his bed. It was his last sleep – he died. Then he was born in Thuthisa divine world. He was saved because of the great compassion of the Supreme Buddha! How remarkable the compassion of the Supreme Buddha…!

Based on the story of merchant Mahādhana in Magga Vagga – Dhammapadaya (20.14)

Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero

The Story of Kondadhāna Thera.

During the dispensation of Kassapa Buddha, Kondadhāna Thera was born as a tree spirit.

To test the friendship of two friendly monks he transformed himself into a beautiful woman and created suspicion between them.  When one of the monks went into a grove to answer the call of nature, the woman accompanied him and came out together.

When the other monk saw this, he got angry and suspicious. So he left his friend because he judged him to be immoral.

When the Uposatha ceremony had to be performed, the friend refused to conduct it together with the alleged immoral monk.

Even when the accused monk protested his innocence, his friend did not believe him.  He said that he saw the beautiful woman coming out of the grove with him.

Thereupon the tree spirit, seeing the seriousness of his misdeed, appeared before the two friends and explained his conduct.

The spirit’s aim was merely to test the strength of their friendship, but the effects were dire.

Disunity arose between the two friends and one accused the other of an offence of defeat.

When the tree spirit died he was reborn in hell and suffered for his evil kamma.

So to accuse a scrupulous monk as immoral, gives a result as bad as the five heinous crimes, the worst evils one can commit.

[The Buddha said: “Monks, these two individuals, if they do not correct themselves, will certainly suffer in hell as surely as one who carries a burden to his house, puts it down.

Which two?

One who claims to be a monk, though he is not, and one who accuses an innocent monk of an offence of defeat.”

(Itivuttaka 48, Āpāyika Sutta).

Such a false accusation, being very serious, brings certain suffering in hell for the accuser, just as a burden carried on the head, will certainly be put down on reaching one’s house.

One who maintains a wrong view, and one who unjustly accuses an innocent monk of defeat will, after death, fall into hell. Unless the wrong view is renounced, a person will suffer in hell.

Likewise, if one does not ask for forgiveness from a monk one has unjustly accused of defeat, one will fall into hell.]

The tree spirit became a monk in the time of the Buddha, but due to his past misdeed, wherever he travelled, a woman always accompanied him.

Although he did not see this shadowing woman following after him, others saw her.

So people became suspicious, abusing him as immoral repeatedly.

He finally reached Arahantship, but the resultant bad kamma had to be paid off until he attained parinibbāna.

The key point to note is that the tree spirit had no intention to stigmatise or to attach fault.  His aim was merely to test the bond of friendship. He had no anger against the monk.

Yet the results for his evil deed were serious, bringing evil results in his succeeding lives.

His evil deed in this case was that of presenting a scrupulous monk as immoral.

(Ref : A Manual of Dhamma. The Venerable Ledi Sayādaw.)

The Story of Many Youths.

Once, the Buddha was out on an alms-round at Savatthi when he came across a number of youths beating a snake with sticks.

When questioned, the youths answered that they were beating the snake because they were afraid that the snake might bite them.

To them the Buddha said, "If you do not want to be harmed, you should also not harm others: if you harm others, you will not find happiness in your next existence."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

"He who seeks his own happiness by oppressing others, who also desire to have happiness, will not find happiness in his next existence.

He who seeks his own happiness by not oppressing others, who also desire to have happiness, will find happiness in his next existence."

At the end of the discourse all the youths attained Sotapatti Fruition.

(The Dhammapada.  131,132 Verses and Stories

Translated by Daw Mya Tin,M.A.)

The Four Noble Truths

Hence we understand that the Buddha’s teaching is to know suffering and to know what causes it to arise.   And further, we should know freedom from suffering and the way of practice which leads to freedom.  He taught us to know just these four things.   When we understand these four things we’ll be able to recognize suffering when it arises and will know that it has a cause. We’ll know that it didn’t just drift in!  When we wish to be free from this suffering, we’ll be able to eliminate its cause.

Why do we have this feeling of suffering, this feeling of unsatisfactoriness?  We’ll see that it’s because we are clinging to our various likes and dislikes.  We come to know that we are suffering because of our own actions.  We suffer because we ascribe value to things.  So we say, know suffering, know the cause of suffering, know freedom from suffering and know the Way to this freedom.  When we know about suffering we keep untangling the knot. But we must be sure to untangle it by pulling in the right direction.  That is to say, we must know that this is how things are. Attachment will be torn out.  This is the practice which puts an end to our suffering.

Know suffering, know the cause of suffering, know freedom from suffering and know the path which leads out of suffering.  This is magga.  It goes like this: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.  When we have the right understanding regarding these things, then we have the path.  These things can put an end to suffering.  They lead us to morality, concentration and wisdom (sīla, samādhi, paññā).

We must clearly understand these four things.  We must want to understand.

We must want to see these things in terms of reality.  When we see these four things we call this saccadhamma.  Whether we look inside or in front or to the right or left, all we see is saccadhamma.  We simply see that everything is the way it is.  For someone who has arrived at Dhamma, someone who really understands Dhamma, wherever he goes, everything will be Dhamma.

(The Teachings of Ajahn Chah)

因果

有一個故事是說，有一個惡媳婦虐待她的婆婆，每天用同一只破碗盛飯給婆婆吃，吃完了也不洗，第二餐再用同樣的碗盛飯給婆婆吃。終於有一天，這個惡媳婦自己也娶了媳婦，但是她對婆婆依然故我，仍是老樣子。一次，這位惡媳婦拿了這只破碗隨手一扣幾乎打碎，她的媳婦馬上把這只破碗搶過去說：「婆婆，不能打破啊！」

這位惡媳婦問：「打破有什麼關係？」

她的媳婦答：「不行啊，我還準備將來留給妳用哩！」

這雖然是個笑話，卻是值得警惕的，一代看一代，你如何對待上一代，你的下一代也會如何對待你；就算你的下一代不如此待你，以佛法的眼光來看，你仍然得承擔起因果。所謂「惡有惡報，善有善報，若有不報，時辰未到」，這一生不報，來生也會報。佛法中有「花報」與「果報」，「現生報」也叫「現世報」，現世報僅像是開花一般，並不是全部，來世的報才是更厲害的結果。

聖嚴法師《福慧自在》

肉眼看不到的福報

有些人遵照佛的教義，行布施一段時間後，因為沒有看到預期的回報，就喪失了信心。神通第一目犍連尊者的弟弟也有過如此的經曆，在布施完所有的財產後，變得一貧如洗，那麼尊者是如何應對弟弟的怨歎的呢？

目犍連尊者的弟弟，積蓄萬貫家財，富可敵國；可是他很慳吝，絲毫不肯布施，金銀堆積滿倉，他還是不滿足。每日只望積蓄能一天多過一天。

目犍連尊者知道了這種情形以後，特地跑到弟弟的家裏，設法度化他，開門見山說道：“弟弟！你現在有這麼多的財產，對于衣食，你又很不講究，那何必還要拼命賺錢？”尊者停了一下，又繼續說：“你該知道，一個人錢越多，名氣就越盛；名氣越盛，危險也就越大。”

弟弟聽了這些話，覺得莫名其妙，心下疑惑，問道：“奇怪！錢越多，事情越好辦，有什麼危險？”

“弟弟！你不知道，有了錢，誰不認得你？江湖大盜，市井小偷，不是日夜在動你的腦筋嗎？有了錢，那些貪官汙吏，就來找你的麻煩，他隨便羅織你一個罪名，往你頭上一戴，你受得了嗎？你別看倉庫建築得牢固，一旦水災、火災到來，你還保得住嗎？大多數富有的家庭，都出不肖子孫，因為享用是現成的，不用他們去勞苦，他們根本不懂得賺錢的困難，于是，養成貪吃懶做的壞習慣。加上歹人的引誘，酒色、賭博無所不為，揮金如土。不要多久，必將賣光田園。這可不叫人恥笑嗎？

弟弟！你曆盡千辛地賺了這麼多錢，自己又沒法永遠保住。而且，你已到了中年，人總免不了一死。等大限一到，一個錢也帶不去；唯有你那貪欲、慳吝所造的罪業，緊緊的跟着你使你墮落受苦，那時後悔就來不及了！所以我說，當你兩眼還開着的時候，應該多做善事，盡量布施，為未來培植些福田。如果你能聽我的勸告，將來的福報，一定是無量的！”

尊者的開導是成功的。那慳貪成性的弟弟，聽了哥哥這麼懇切的開示明見，也不能不感動。他當即大開倉庫，救濟貧苦的人們。

同時另一方面，他又叫工人新建一座規模廣大的庫房，准備要接受無量的福德。
不到一年，倉庫裏的金銀財寶，布施得空無一物。這時，尊者的弟弟，急忙跑到新倉庫去察看福報，將門打開一看，裏面依然空無一物，這使他異常失望。全部的財產都布施光了，然而卻沒獲得什麼福報。一年前還是一個赫赫有名的大富豪，如今變成了分文全無的窮漢。他很傷心，以為上了哥哥的當，氣得將要生起病來了。

正在參禪中的目犍連尊者，知道弟弟的痛苦和焦急，很快跑到弟弟住的地方，對他安慰着說：“弟弟！你這一次所造的福報，是無法計量。如果福德有形相的話，虛空之大也容納不下的！可惜你的肉眼無法看到，現在我帶你到一個地方，看看妳所得的一小部分的福報吧！”

尊者說完話，就挽着弟弟，仗着神通力，飛騰上空，一眨眼間，到了六欲天，去看一所巍巍屹立着的新宮殿。這宮殿是用很多珍寶所造成的，裏面應有盡有。尤以天女如雲，令人看得眼花繚亂。她們正忙于整理。

弟弟看得奇怪，就問尊者道：“哥哥！這是什麼地方？是什麼人住的宮殿？”

尊者要他自己去問那些天女。天女聽有人來問，就笑嘻嘻地說：“你不知道嗎？我們是在等目犍連尊者的弟弟，他慷慨布施，救貧恤難，由于他作善的福報，命終以後，就到我們這裏做天王。”

聽到這些話以後，尊者的弟弟才知道布施竟有這麼大的功德，因此，跑回尊者的身邊，感謝哥哥的指引。從此，對慈善事業，他更加熱心，布施救濟，樂作不倦。

編者：

我們念佛也是如此，佛經上說：至誠念一句 “南無阿彌陀佛”，可以滅八十億劫生死重罪。可是我們因為肉眼的局限看不到，好像念完了也沒有什麼很强烈的效果，就很容易懈怠。假若說，念一句佛號，就兌現一塊錢的話，相信我們念一天都不會累。看完了這個故事，我想這對我們念佛和遵照佛的教義而行，增添了些信心與動力吧。

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不要試圖去墮胎

問題：現在每年有很多女性墮胎，仁波切能對這些女性說些什麼嗎？

宗薩欽哲仁波切：

不要懷孕。用各種方法讓自己不要懷孕。

如果懷孕，請不要試圖去墮胎。

因為你所懷的這生命可能是你最愛的一個人，或者是愛你的人。我們無法預知。

因為目前你只覺得這個嬰兒是個負擔，也許他就是會改變你生命的人。

(文：宗薩欽哲仁波切)  

【 佛 弟 子 要 切 記 / 六 種 危 險 】

1、雖對佛法有信心，但未斷名利之心，終有變回世間法的危險，故當謹慎。

2、雖依止靜處修行，但不具備出離心，終有散亂的危險，故當謹慎。

3、雖生起了道驗之相，但未斷驕慢之心，終有魔障的危險，故當謹慎。

4、雖集聚了眾人，但不具備悲心，終有業際顛倒的危險，故當謹慎。

5、雖有極高的見地，但未斷貪執，終有成為佛油子的危險，故當謹慎。

6、雖勤做利眾之事，但被私欲所縛，終有成為騙子的危險，故當謹慎。

　　今天在這裡給大家講一下龍欽巴大士的《六種危險》，這都是我們要注意、要謹慎的地方。在修行的過程中，這些危險隨時都會出現，所以我們應該明白，也應該有所準備。這樣，我們才能在對境當中保持清淨，才能堅持、才能成就。

~ 達真堪布