Offering Lights

I offer lights (candles or electric lights) which can eliminate the darkness to the compassionate Buddha who is endowed with the infinite accumulation of glory, merit and wisdom.  Owing to my deed of this merit, may I realized Nibbana as soon as possible.

The Benefits of Offering Lights

One who offers lights to the Buddha can be repeatedly reborn in the celestial realms or in human existences.  He will have bright and fair complexion.  He will possess beautiful eyes with good eye-sight, and wisdom as well.  He will attain Nibbana in his final existence.
Note:It is important that you must donate contemplating on the virtues of the Buddha.

A Story Showing the Benefits of Offering Lights

One man paid homage to the Padumuttara Buddha lighting five lumps around the foot of a Bodhi Tree.  Due to this good deed, when he died he was reborn either in celestial realms and in human existences continuously.  He also obtained the power of being able to see things from one hundred yojanas (a yojana=about 13miles) away through all obstacles.

That man became an arahat named Pancadipaka Thera in Gotama Buddha’s time.

So also, Sumangala Buddha donated lights in his fulfillment of dana parami. Owing to this merit, bright hues were emitted from His body day in and day out. Those hues were brighter than those of the sun, the moon, stars and planets.

Source : By Ye' Thu Aung‎Buddhism For Beginners  

怎么经营一个幸福的家

五个故事告诉我们怎么经营一个幸福的家

一、沟通
　　狮子和老虎之间爆发了一场激烈的战争，到了最后，两败俱伤。

　　狮子快要断气的时候对老虎说：“如果不是你非要抢我的地盘，我们也不会弄成现在这样。”老虎吃惊地说：“我从未想过要抢你的地盘，我一直以为是你要侵略我！”

　　观点：相互沟通是维系家庭幸福的一个关键要素。有什么话不要憋在肚子里，多同家里人交流，也让家里人多了解自己，这样可以避免许多无谓的误会和矛盾。

二、信任
　　两只鸟在一起生活，雄鸟采集了满满一巢果仁让雌鸟保存，由于天气干燥，果仁脱水变小，一巢果仁看上去只剩下原来的一半。

　　雄鸟以为是雌鸟偷吃了，就把它啄死了，过了几天，下了几场雨后，空气湿润了，果仁又涨成满满的一巢。这时雄鸟十分后悔地说：“是我错怪了雌鸟！”

　　观点：家庭成员之间要相互信任，很多幸福的家庭就毁于怀疑和猜忌。所以，对家人要保持信任，不要让猜疑毁了家庭的幸福。

三、慎重
　　两只乌鸦在树上对骂起来，它们越骂越凶，越吵越激动，最后一只乌鸦随手捡起一样东西向另一只乌鸦打去。

　　那东西击中另一只乌鸦后碎裂开来，这时丢东西的乌鸦才发现，自己打出去的东西原来是自己一只尚未孵化好的蛋。

　　观点：在家里，遇到事情要冷静对待，尤其是遇到问题和矛盾时，要保持理智，不可冲动，冲动不仅不能解决问题，反而会使问题变得更糟，最后受损失的还是整个家庭。

四、换位
　　小羊请小狗吃饭，它准备了一桌鲜嫩的青草，结果小狗勉强吃了两口就再也吃不下去了。

　　过了几天，小狗请小羊吃饭，小狗想：我不能像小羊那样小气，我一定要用最丰盛的宴席来招待它。于是小狗准备了一桌上好的排骨，结果小羊一口也吃不下去。

　　观点：有时候，已之所欲，也勿施于人。凡事不要把自己的想法强加给家人，遇到问题的时候多进行一下换位思考，站在对方的角度上想想，这样，你会更好地理解家人。

五、快乐
　　小猪开始学做蛋糕，但它做出的蛋糕总是不好吃。它问公鸡师傅，公鸡想想，问它做蛋糕的原料是什么。小猪说，为了怕浪费，它做蛋糕用的全是一些快要坏了的鸡蛋，公鸡对小猪说：“记住，只有用好的原料才能做出好的蛋糕。”

　　观点：是的，只有用好的原料才能做出好的蛋糕，同样地，只有用快乐的心情才能构建起幸福的家庭。所以，进家门之前，请把在外面的烦恼通通抛掉，带一张笑脸回家。如果所有的家庭成员都能这样做，那麽这个家一定会成为一个最幸福的家庭。

文章来源 ：佛陀的追随者   

Great and simple E-book for beginners - Q & A on the Teachings of Theravada Buddhism

Download from this link 

Without & Within - Questions and Answers on the Teachings of Theravāda Buddhism

By Ajahn Jayasaro

Credits :: Michal Snasel

人不为己，天诛地灭！原来是佛说的？！为何这么说？

很多人以为，这句话的意思是：人如果不为自己谋利、谋权、谋色，就要招到天地诛杀。

原来，“人不为己天诛地灭”，出处是《佛说十善业道经》第二十四集：“人生为己，天经地义，人不为己，天诛地灭。”佛家的意思是：不杀生、不偷盗、不邪淫、不妄语、不两舌、不绮语、不恶口、不贪欲、不嗔恚、不邪见，才是“为自己”。不为自己制造新的恶果，不为自己造成新的灾祸，这才是“为自己”。只有这样才不会天诛地灭。

在“人不为己，天诛地灭”这句话中，“为己”则是要求“人”遵循道德法则。

以此看来，“为己”的“己”，与我们一般人理解的私利并不相同涵义。非但名利不是“己”，连妻子、家庭也不是“己”。按照佛学的主张，真正为“己”的人，必然淡泊名利，超脱物外，举止合度。显然，我们理解的“人不为己，天诛地灭”，恰恰是它的对立义。

备注：【人不为己，天诛地灭】

成语释疑： 这里的“为”字念第二声，是“修养，修为”的意思。整句话是说，一个人如果不注重修养的话，很难在天地间立足。

洗脚的水盆 （佛典故事）

羅怙羅尊者在年幼時，即追隨佛陀出家修行。初初修行，未滿十歲的他，仍有著童稚愛玩的天性，並且經常說謊戲弄他人。每當有居士向他詢問佛陀在何處，他便故弄玄虛，混淆視聽。若佛陀是在竹林精舍，便告訴對方佛陀在鷲峰山；若在畢缽羅窟，便告知在西尼迦窟，使得這些信眾奔波疲累，無法如願的禮見佛陀。當羅怙羅見到這些居士像傻瓜一樣地東奔西跑時，心中卻覺得十分有趣。

佛陀知道羅怙羅的行為後，心想：只有讓羅怙羅深刻體會說謊的過失，才能真正端正他的行為，否則再嚴厲的嚇阻都只有短暫的效果。

一天，羅怙羅見到佛陀剛從城中托缽回來，立即滿心歡喜地為佛陀準備洗腳水，佛陀便決定藉此因緣教育羅怙羅。當佛陀洗完雙足後，將水倒掉只留下少許在盆中，問羅怙羅：「你看到了嗎？」接著把水全部潑在地上，又問：「你看到了嗎？」然後又把水盆傾斜一邊，再問道：「你看到了嗎？」最後將整個盆子倒蓋在地上，還是一樣問羅怙羅：「你看到了嗎？」

羅怙羅雖然對佛陀的舉動大惑不解，但仍然不斷地點頭稱是，佛陀說道：「羅怙羅，法在你的心中，就像剛剛盆子裡的水，只有那麼一些些而已；現在因為說謊的習慣，你心中的善法就像潑撒出去的水，絲毫不剩半點！你玩笑的戲弄人，就像傾斜的水盆，人們將不再信任你，並且也會輕視你。最後你會像倒蓋的盆子，連自己的善根也泯沒，再也裝不進任何一滴的法水！」

羅怙羅頓時感到萬分羞愧，立即向佛陀懺悔：「慈悲的佛陀啊！沒有您這樣用心的比喻教導，羅怙羅不知道妄語給自己和他人帶來無量的苦惱，從今以後我一定不再犯！」此時，佛陀微笑、點頭，讚許羅怙羅真誠懺悔的勇氣和不貳過的決心。

人們往往因為無知，才會做錯事情。由於佛陀以巧妙的譬喻，慈悲且有耐心地引導，不僅讓羅怙羅體認到說謊的嚴重性，更進一步學會尊重自己、也尊重他人。從此之後，他精進力行佛的教誨，絲毫不放逸懈怠，因而證得阿羅漢的聖位，贏得佛陀弟子當中「密行第一」的美名。

典故摘自：《經律異相》

省思

---

教育不僅是知識與技能的學習，更重要是人格的啟發與陶冶。人人佛性本具，遇到好的外緣，有智慧的教導，便能使良善的心性顯發。對於教育者而言，肯定每個人的佛性及禪定的涵養，才能具有啟發他人的智慧；對於學習者而言，懂得慚愧懺悔、知過改過的心，是修行前進趨向圓滿的要因。

佛法的根本建立在心性的肯定，及禪定智慧的涵養；透過佛法的教育，將使人格獲得最大的啟發，也使得教育者能掌握最具體的方向，落實教育。

肚子裡有蛔蟲，吃打蟲藥是殺生嗎?

達真堪布：

如果你這樣考慮的話，我們連路都不能走了，走路無意當中也會殺生。

必須有殺生的動機，才能構成一個完整的殺業。

主要是自己沒有殺生動機就可以了。

若是為了殺生而吃藥的話，那就是殺生，

會產生果報。

不是為了殺生而吃藥，而是為了健康、為了生存而吃，但是無意當中殺了生，這是沒有動機的，做了但是不會積業，將來不會產生果報。

主要是我們生存也好，健康也好，都是應該為了修行，修行是為了解脫，解脫是為了眾生，最終是為眾生，一切都為眾生的話，都是好事，都是善事，就可以了。

Cultivating Our Mind

Have we taken good care of our heart? 
Have we looked after our mind? 
Where is our mind now?
Has our mind wandered outside? 
Or is our mind focused on our body? 
Or on our mind itself? 




Editor's note: The following is compiled from a talk Dharma Master Cheng Yen gave to her monastic disciples in a morning Dharma talk, offering direction for their spiritual practice.

To take care of our heart and mind, the best focus for our mind is our mind itself—that is, for us to be looking within, looking at our inner mind. The Buddha's innumerable teachings ultimately all take us back to our mind. It is in cultivating the mind that we can access the Dharma and awaken, gaining insight into the truths all around us. 


The Dharma is like water that can cleanse away the layers of impurities in our heart and mind. We have afflictions and inner impurities which create turmoil within us, like a restrictive heat that causes us to be restless and bothered, never at peace. But the Dharma has a cooling and refreshing effect. When we take the Dharma into our hearts, it can dispel or dissolve the afflictions, restoring inner peace and tranquility.

The Dharma is also like water that can nourish the wholesome seeds within us. As I often say, the Buddha's mission is to guide living beings to sow wholesome seeds of virtue within their heart and mind. When these seeds have been sown, the Buddha provides the water of Dharma so that they can slowly mature. 

We need this water of Dharma just as the land needs water. When the land is afflicted by drought, crops cannot grow. When we are in a spiritual drought and lack the Dharma, our wholesome seeds cannot grow.

As learners of the Buddha's way, we need to water the wholesome seeds within, so that they can begin to grow roots and at the same time, sprout. We need to take good care of these seeds. We therefore need to mindfully take in the Dharma. 

The Dharma is deep and profound, but at the same time, it is in fact part of our everyday life. So, we need to be mindful in keeping our hearts always on the Dharma. Then, naturally our actions will always be correct and in line with the Dharma.

This is the way of Buddhist practice—to take the Dharma into our hearts, to understand its meaning, to touch the truth of the teaching not with our intellect but with our own heart and experience, and to live out the teaching in practice. Practicing in this way, we can gradually attain liberation from afflictions and achieve inner freedom and peace.

From Dharma Master Cheng Yen's Talks

Compiled into English by the Jing Si Abode English Editorial Team

Tzu Chi Foundation

請善待老人 因為我們都會變老

【不批評 不責備 不抱怨】三「不」原則

Where are our Good actions and Evil actions Recorded?

Answer :-

The mind is a unit of energy consisting of 52 different forces. Amongst these forces is a force known as the evolution current (jivitindriya).  It is with the force in this current that our actions get recorded.

All thoughts that appear on our mind are reflected to the evolution current and on the evolution current occurs an impression of the reflection.  All such impressions remain accumulated in the mind and some of these impressions, if sufficiently well formed, can be read back by those beings who have developed minds.  Our ability to remember past events of our life means that we are bringing to the surface of our mind the accumulated past impressions and reading them over.

If we are weak in mind we would not be able to remember much of our past, but that does not mean that we have destroyed those impressions or that they have disappeared from our mind.  All impressions that occur on our mind remain unharmed with the evolution current and the fact that we cannot remember certain events merely means either that other subsequent impressions are covering them, or our mind is too feeble to bring them over to the surface to read them.   Very often, both these causes contribute to our lack of memory.

Merely because we cannot remember the various events of our past life, we must not think that there is nothing existing with the evolution current.  Every reflection that we form on our mind penetrates into the evolution current and forms in it a subtle impression which remains in permanent deposit.

When we do a good action, we form in our mind. a number of thoughts of good action, and each such thought is a reflection on our mind.  And every such reflection carries into the mind an impression; these impressions accumulate with the evolution current.  Similarly, when we do an evil action, we form in our mind a large number of evil thoughts in order to gain the necessary strength to do that action.  These thoughts are also reflections which carry into the mind impressions and the evolution current gathers them, too, and preserves them as securely as the impressions of good action. we must remember that every impression we absorb into the evolution current of our mind is either an impression of good action (kusala kamma) or an impression of evil action (akusala kamma).

We must also remember that thoughts of action are only those which move, or tend to move, our body to action.  The sensations of pleasure or pain we experience on our mind are not thoughts of action, nor does the mind develop thoughts of action during periods when we are in a state of sub consciousness. During periods when we are living in pleasure or pain, or sub consciousness, we are passing through times of reactions.

Moments of thoughts of action, therefore, are comparatively few in number, and even amongst them, only a very small proportion come within the degree of intensity to warrant our classifying them as good or evil.  We need not bother about the large number of feeble thoughts occurring in our mind, because, although they too could be classed under the two categories, good and evil, the impressions they carry into the mind are very weak, and, therefore, they do not affect the evolution current very much.

The stronger thoughts of good actions and evil actions, however carry into the evolution current very deep impressions, and they remain in strength in the mind for very long periods.  These impressions of good and evil actions enter the evolution current in the manner of seeds, and the evolution current receives them in the manner of a fertile seed bed.   Seeds of a species produce fruits of the same species; similarly, good actions grow and bear fruit in the form of pleasure; and evil impressions grow and bear fruit in the form of pain.

Source : by Madduma Bandara (Spirit of Buddhism.com)

Popular Deities in Chinese Buddhism (illustrated) eBook

Link  Popular Deities in Chinese Buddhism

有功夫的人，耳朵不听人的是非

傍晚，老和尚在大殿外乘凉，一位年轻人上山，向老和尚闲聊些他家庭的事，人去后，老和尚便藉机对身边的弟子说：“那些溺在父母身边的，终长不成人，而那些离开父母的宠溺，在外奔波的人，反却能炼成大人气魄。就像溺在母猴怀里的小猴，有时会被母猴抱得活活闷死，而那些独立跳跃在山林的小猴，反而活得很好。‪修行要在最困苦、‪最不好的环境，‪越是能修忍辱，‪‎越有境界折磨，‪才是修行最佳的环境。”

　　

香灯某某师，正为一些事情，与执事人大起烦恼，老和尚在客堂见此，便对某某师开示说：“俗家人分别善人恶人而起憎爱，而出家人对善人是如此，对恶人也是如此，一律平等慈心，于好不起贪着心，于恶不起憎恶心。那些刺激我们的，才是我们真正的指导者，入寺没刺激，便没修没行。”老和尚又说：“不可起憎恶心，来分别那是恶人是坏人，是我们自己不够那个道行来接纳对方，不够那个涵养来与人善处，错是错在自己的耳根眼根的分别业识，这便是我们与生俱来的习气，我们就是被这些习气障碍住。”

　　

传某师对一些人众是非，颇为在意，一大早，大众还在洒扫，便在大殿穿梭于人众之间，东讲西听的，老和尚坐在客堂，静静地看在眼里，便对传某师开示说：“‪有功夫的人，‪‎耳朵不听人的是非，‪‎眼睛不看人的善恶，‪人家毁谤我们，‪骂我们恶人善人，‪都当做没听到、‪没看到，‪收摄六根不外驰。只有那些没功夫的人，才整天窥伺他人的是非，斤斤计较。”

　　

洒扫毕，老和尚唤传某师过去，对传某师开示说：“我们修苦行是在藉各种事境，磨炼我们不起无明烦恼，洗除习气，锻炼做人做事的各种能耐，并不是要做什么劳力事，才叫做苦行，打破对一切顺逆境的分别，就是在修苦行。出家就是要吃苦受苦，只有在苦中才能开发智慧。”

“妄想多的人，须要做一些杂务事，将念头有个寄托，否则妄念纷飞，要他念佛也念不下去，只有善根利的人，可以静静地念佛念下去，一面工作，一面念佛，会渐渐地不觉得在工作，而且自然会生起平等心。”

　　

老和尚又说：“戒行清净，六根不染，是入禅的第一步基础，要如龟缩头，住于清净无染。六根不净，妄念尚存，无明未破，便无法开悟。禅堂打香板就是在打你的无明。”

原文 ： 陀佛的追随者

【「葷」不是肉】

中國字的「葷」是草字頭！很多人以為不吃葷就是不吃肉！

其實葷不是肉！葷是指五種蔬菜！

《蔥、蒜、韭菜、薤、興渠(洋蔥)》

為何出家人跟一些在家居士與學佛人士不吃「五葷」呢？

因為這五種植物「生吃容易動肝火。熟吃容易生起淫慾的心，就是性衝動」。

所以佛陀告誡四眾弟子(出家男女眾跟在家男女眾)這五種植物不要吃～對自身的「情緒與起心動念」容易受到很大的影響～希望在此讓大家了解！不要再以訛傳訛！誤會下去了！

The Prince Who Had a Plan [The Power of Superstition]

Once upon a time, King Brahmadatta was ruling in Benares, in northern India. The Enlightenment Being was born as his son the prince. Being quite intelligent, he completed his entire education by the age of sixteen. So, at this early age, his father made him second in command.

In those days, most people in Benares worshipped gods. They were very superstitious. They thought gods caused things to happen to them, rather than being results of their own actions. So they would pray to these gods and ask special favours. They would ask for a lucky marriage, or the birth of a child or riches or fame.

They would promise the gods that, if their prayers were answered, they would pay them by making offerings to them. In addition to flowers and perfumes, they imagined the gods desired the sacrifice of animals. So, when they thought the gods had helped them, they killed many animals — goats, lambs, chickens, pigs and others.

The prince saw all this and thought, "These helpless animals are also subjects of the king, so I must protect them. The people commit these unwholesome acts due to ignorance and superstition. This cannot be true religion. For true religion offers life as it really is, not killing. True religion offers peace of mind, not cruelty.

"I fear these people believe in their superstitions too strongly to give them up. This is very sad. But perhaps their beliefs can at least be put to good use. Some day I will become king. So I must begin to make a plan to let their superstitions help them. If they must offer sacrifices, let them kill their own greed and hatred, instead of these helpless animals! Then the whole kingdom will benefit."

So the prince devised a clever long term plan. Every so often, he rode in his grand chariot to a popular banyan tree just outside the city. This was a huge tree, where the people prayed and made offerings to a god they thought lived there. The prince came down from his chariot and made the same offerings as the others — incense, flowers, perfumes and water — but not animal sacrifices.

In this way he made a great show, and the news spread about his offerings. Pretty soon, all the people thought he was a true believer in the great god of the banyan tree.

In due time, King Brahmadatta died and his son became king. He ruled as a righteous king, and the people benefited. So all his subjects came to trust and respect him as a just and honourable king.

Then one day, he decided it was the right time to carry out the rest of his plan. So he called all the leading citizens of Benares to the royal assembly hall. He asked them, "Worthy ministers and loyal subjects, do you know how I was able to make sure that I would become king?" No one could answer.

He said, "Do you remember that I often gave wonderful sweet offerings to the great god of the banyan tree?" "Yes, our lord," they said.

The king continued, "At each of those times, I made a promise to the powerful god of the tree. I prayed, 'Oh mighty one, if you make me King of Benares, I will offer a special sacrifice to you, far greater than flowers and perfumes.'

"Since I am now the king, you all can see for yourselves that the god has answered my prayers. So now I must keep my promise and offer the special sacrifice."  All those in the assembly hall agreed. They said, "We must prepare this sacrifice at once. What animals do you wish to kill?"

The king said, "My dear subjects, I am glad you are so willing to cooperate. I promised the great god of the banyan tree that I would sacrifice anyone who fails to practice the Five Training Steps. That is, anyone who destroys life, takes what is not given, does wrong in sexual ways, speaks falsely, or loses his mind from alcohol. I promised that, if any do these things, I will offer their guts, and their flesh and blood on the great god's altar!"

Being so superstitious, all those in the hall agreed that this must be done, or the god would surely punish the king and the kingdom.

The king thought, "Ah, such is the power of superstition that these people have lost all common sense! They cannot see that, since the first training step is to give up killing, if I sacrificed one of my subjects, I would be next on the altar! And such is the power of superstition that I could make such a promise, and never have to carry it out!"

So, with full confidence in the power of superstition, the king said to the leading citizens, "Go into all the kingdom and announce the promise I made to the god. Then proclaim that the first one-thousand who break any of the training steps will have the honour of being sacrificed, to keep the king's promise."

Lo and behold, the people of Benares became famous for carefully practising the Five Training Steps. And the good king, who knew his subjects so well, sacrificed no one.

The moral is: Sacrifice your own wrong doing, not some helpless animal.

祝大家人日快乐

各位善友，讓我們一同發願：
願我們能斷一切惡，行一切善，
淨除一切煩惱習氣！
願我們能夠把佛法弘揚到人間的每一個角落！
祝大家人日快乐！新的一年吉祥如意！