Buddhist Verses & Silent Readings For Reflection (静思语） - Part 6

[lingusthefungus]

阿賴耶識 ālaya-vijñāna the eight conscious
think of it like a storage of past "self" and deeds. if you see or hear something but you cannot explain why you are attracted to or has sense of dislike to it, maybe it is due to the past.
it is said that high monks and lamas can recognize their past lives because of highly skilled meditation of this consciousness.

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

阿賴耶識 ālaya-vijñāna the eight conscious
think of it like a storage of past "self" and deeds. if you see or hear something but you cannot explain why you are attracted to or has sense of dislike to it, maybe it is due to the past.
it is said that high monks and lamas can recognize their past lives because of highly skilled meditation of this consciousness.

Yeah, you are correct. Shifu said the past and present seeds are stored in the eighth consciousness. When the conditions are right, the seeds will be thrown out and that are how things happen. We Buddhists must practice that the favourable conditions for the good seeds to be ripened and the unfavourable conditions for the bad seeds so that they won't be ripened.

 

[heymee]

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

By reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha, we are protected by the Buddhas and Sages.

念佛佛圣护


.....Like light dispelling darkness, Amitabha’s name is the light, it dissolves our transgressions which is the darkness.
But this primarily refers to obstacles blocking our path to the Pure Land - it doesn’t mean all life’s challenges instantly vanish.
Until we reach the Pure Land, we live in physical bodies bound by natural laws...... - By Master Jingzong

Calling upon the sacred name "Namo Amituofo".

NAMO KUAN SHI YIN PUSA 南无大慈大悲观世音菩萨

When we see the Buddha image, we are reaping the benefits of abundant merits and virtues.

Becoming attached to this life, you will lose your fortunate connection to the Dharma. By indulging your desires again and again, your craving will only increase, and you will never find satisfaction. Chasing after wealth, fame and praise is like buying and selling in a dream. Let go of such concerns!

~ Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche

Death does not take away happiness from us because so-called happiness is not true but fictitious. We have been persuaded of fictitious definition of happiness which our society decided.
Death is a good chance that we will understand what the true happiness is. We should not miss the chance.
Let's therefore chant (Namo Amituofo) today, too.

"Nen(念) Shi(死) Nem(念) Butsu(佛)."

“The true meaning of opening our heart is that we no longer have fear of losing anything.
It is a form of surrender,
yet such surrender has no object.
It is not like we are surrendering to something.
What we surrender are our hopes and fears, and an investment in our misery.
When we have reached the final point of that surrender there is nothing that we want to hold on to.”

~ Anam Thubten Rinpoche

 

[waterbright]

There were also other questions about the world that the Buddha refused to take a stand on.

Then a brahman cosmologist went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, “Now, then, Master Gotama, does everything exist?”

“‘Everything exists’ is the senior form of cosmology, brahman.”

“Then, Master Gotama, does everything not exist?”

“‘Everything does not exist’ is the second form of cosmology, brahman.”

“Then is everything a Oneness?”

“‘Everything is a Oneness’ is the third form of cosmology, brahman.”

“Then is everything a plurality?”

“‘Everything is a plurality’ is the fourth form of cosmology, brahman. Avoiding these two extremes, the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma via the middle: From ignorance as a requisite condition come fabrications. [And so on , through the sequence of dependent co-arising.]” — SN 12:48

 

[viethai]

Monk: Tan Ajahn, how would one know the difference between a refined brightness like the fourth jhāna and the state of full awakening?

Tan Ajahn: Well, awakening is something that happens when you come out of dukkha with wisdom. Like when you are sitting and your body becomes so painful, and your mind becomes so miserable from the pain, but as you apply wisdom and see that the pain is anicca (impermanent), anattā (something you cannot control or force), the only thing you can do is live with it, to leave it alone. When your mind eventually lets go of the attachment to the pain or the desire to get rid of the pain has subsided, your mind becomes peaceful and happy. That’s awakening. Dukkha disappears. You see the Four Noble Truths within yourself.

Dukkha arises from your craving for the pain to disappear. But as you apply wisdom to see that the pain is beyond your control, all you can do is leave it alone. Once your mind leaves the pain alone, then your mind has ‘cessation,’ has nirodha. The dukkha that arises in the mind disappears, but not the pain in the body. The pain in the body can still remain but it doesn’t affect the mind anymore. The mind can coexist with the pain of the body. That’s what awakening is. You have to see the Four Noble Truths. In this instance, I give you an example of the painful feelings in the body.

“Dhamma in English, Dec 18, 2021.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com
Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

 

[viethai]

生活就是一間當鋪，
人生不斷典當的過程，
有的人為了名，典當了友情。

有的人為了利，典當了健康，
有的人為了權，典當了靈魂。

有的人為了情，典當了自由，
人生的當鋪，只有典進，沒有贖出。

欲望是沒有止境的，
拿欲望與魔鬼做交易，
沒有人能全身而退。

不要害怕失去任何人，
就像他們也不害怕失去你一樣，
和不累的人相處，才會真正快樂。

不喜歡的衣服，別穿了，穿了，心情不好，
不適合的鞋子，別穿了，穿了，會打腳，
不適合的人，別處了，處了，會心累。

記住，任何關係都不要把自己搞得太累，
如果自己覺得不快樂，那就結束吧！

當還在權衡利弊時候，就已經不值得了，
不要再給任何人傷害自己的機會，
真正的底氣，來自於獨立，和不怕失去…

 

[viethai]

【星云大师点智慧】
爱传递
　　“天下一家，自他融和一体…”
　　有句话说：“爱，就是在別人的需要上，看到自己的责任”，当我们的起心动念有着“大我”的精神，就能成为滋养另一个生灵的丰富养分。

《星云大师点智慧》系列，每天在《新明日报》刊登。完 整内容请看12月8日《新明日报》。
《星云大师点智慧15》以及《点智慧·漫画9》已经开始出售，读者可到全岛各大书局及ZShop集品店购买。

 

[viethai]

《怎樣善巧地去幫助別人》

幫助別人，是一件積福的大事，
但真正的智慧，是懂得——怎樣幫才不傷人，也不損己。
許多人出於善意去幫，結果幫出怨、幫出煩、幫出麻煩，
這不是善不善的問題，而是缺少「善巧」。

一、幫助別人之前，先看「對方是否願意被幫」

有時候，我們看見別人陷在困境裡，就急著出手。
可若對方的心門還沒開，
你給的再多，也是徒勞。

幫助，是要在「他願意聽」的那一刻，
輕輕推一把，而不是強行拉出來。

🪻 真正的善巧，是尊重——
尊重他的節奏、他的承受力、他的選擇。

有時，你只需一句溫柔的鼓勵，
比千言萬語的勸說更有力量。

二、幫助別人時，不要帶「我在救你」的心態

很多人幫助別人，其實心裡是高高在上的：
「我懂、你不懂；我有、你沒有。」

這樣的幫助，對方會覺得被貶低，
久而久之，就生出隔閡與反感。

善巧的幫助，是平等心的展現。
不是「我在施」，而是「我們在同行」。

當你放下「我」，
你的幫助就自然、柔軟，
能真正入人心。

三、幫助別人，也要量力而行

幫人要有度，
太過，會消耗自己；
太少，又顯得冷漠。

有時你幫得太急，
會讓對方依賴、不成長；
有時你幫得太多，
反而奪了他修福與覺悟的機會。

所以要懂得「助緣」而非「代勞」，
給他方向，而不是背他走全程。

這樣的幫助，才是慈悲中帶智慧。

四、最深的幫助，是讓他找回自我力量

幫人最妙的境界，
不是給他食物，而是教他種田；
不是替他擦眼淚，而是讓他懂得放下。

善巧的幫助，不是「替他解決問題」，
而是「讓他學會自己面對問題」。

當你能幫一個人從心裡站起來，
那就是最大的功德。

結語：

幫助別人，是修福；
能善巧地幫，是修慧。

幫助，不一定是金錢、物質，
一句好話、一個微笑、一份理解，
都是光。

記得——
善良要有智慧，慈悲要有方法，
你的幫助才會真正利益眾生，也利益自己。


善巧地幫人，
是修行中最溫柔、也最有力量的智慧。

 

[viethai]

淨空法師：看每個人都不順眼，極樂世界就變成六道輪廻了
在果報上，覺悟了叫相好，佛有無量相，相有無量好，相好莊嚴；迷了的時候，迷了這個果報就變成六道輪廻。覺悟了，六道輪迴變成極樂世界；迷了的時候，極樂世界就變成六道輪廻。誰變的？阿賴耶變的，阿賴耶是妄心變的，真心是好的，妄心就把好的全變成負面的。

你看，智慧變成煩惱，德能變成業障，相好變成六道輪廻。這就說明了一樁事情，境隨心轉，我們心怎麼變，外頭境界怎麽變。我們的心好，看到每個人都是佛菩薩；性情不好，看到每個人都是冤親債主，都看不順眼。

其實外頭沒有變化，變化在哪裡？變化在起心動念，就是一個覺、一個迷。覺了多好，一切有情眾生都是菩薩、都是佛，樹木花草、山河大地在你心目當中七寶莊嚴，無比的殊勝。

境隨心轉，心好境就好，心不好境界就不好。誰做主宰？完全是自己，於別人毫不相干。如果於別人可以相干，別人可以幫助我們，那我們什麼心都不要操了。為什麼？一切諸佛菩薩沒有一個不是大慈大悲，不全部都把我們轉掉了，我們自己不要操心了。不行，佛菩薩沒有這個能力。

佛菩薩幫我們的忙，所謂加持、保佑，我們自己得有德行，感應，他才能幫上。而且幫這個忙是相對的，一般說，幫助的能量跟我們自己的能量是相應的，成正比例。

我們有一分功德，他幫助一分；我們有十分功德，他幫助十分；我們有百分功德，他幫助的是百分，這個道理要懂。我們沒有功德，他想幫幫不上。明白這個道理，我們就曉得如何我才能跟佛菩薩合作，互助合作。

 

[0nePunchm@n]

 

[Lchlch]

Yeah, you are correct. Shifu said the past and present seeds are stored in the eighth consciousness. When the conditions are right, the seeds will be thrown out and that are how things happen. We Buddhists must practice that the favourable conditions for the good seeds to be ripened and the unfavourable conditions for the bad seeds so that they won't be ripened.

it is indeed suffering ......
it is not a good feeling....

 

[Lchlch]

By reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha, we are protected by the Buddhas and Sages.

念佛佛圣护


.....Like light dispelling darkness, Amitabha’s name is the light, it dissolves our transgressions which is the darkness.
But this primarily refers to obstacles blocking our path to the Pure Land - it doesn’t mean all life’s challenges instantly vanish.
Until we reach the Pure Land, we live in physical bodies bound by natural laws...... - By Master Jingzong

Calling upon the sacred name "Namo Amituofo".

NAMO KUAN SHI YIN PUSA 南无大慈大悲观世音菩萨

When we see the Buddha image, we are reaping the benefits of abundant merits and virtues.

Becoming attached to this life, you will lose your fortunate connection to the Dharma. By indulging your desires again and again, your craving will only increase, and you will never find satisfaction. Chasing after wealth, fame and praise is like buying and selling in a dream. Let go of such concerns!

~ Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche

Death does not take away happiness from us because so-called happiness is not true but fictitious. We have been persuaded of fictitious definition of happiness which our society decided.
Death is a good chance that we will understand what the true happiness is. We should not miss the chance.
Let's therefore chant (Namo Amituofo) today, too.

"Nen(念) Shi(死) Nem(念) Butsu(佛)."

“The true meaning of opening our heart is that we no longer have fear of losing anything.
It is a form of surrender,
yet such surrender has no object.
It is not like we are surrendering to something.
What we surrender are our hopes and fears, and an investment in our misery.
When we have reached the final point of that surrender there is nothing that we want to hold on to.”

~ Anam Thubten Rinpoche

it is soothing to read your post.....

 

[Elnoxv]

it is indeed suffering ......
it is not a good feeling....

Suffering appears only when we cling to an experience. Without clinging, it fades on its own in accordance with its nature.

In Buddhism, the work is to clearly understand how it arises, why it arises, and whether there is any agent behind it at all. When this is seen directly, attachment naturally loosens, and the weight of suffering falls away step by step.

Feelings will still arise, but there’s no longer a “someone” who gets entangled in them.

 

[Lchlch]

Suffering appears only when we cling to an experience. Without clinging, it fades on its own in accordance with its nature.

In Buddhism, the work is to clearly understand how it arises, why it arises, and whether there is any agent behind it at all. When this is seen directly, attachment naturally loosens, and the weight of suffering falls away step by step.

Feelings will still arise, but there’s no longer a “someone” who gets entangled in them.

yes, especially the person you love most....hard to let it go....

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

yes, especially the person you love most....hard to let it go....

Everyone has to face the suffering of separation from the loved one. It's just a matter of time.

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

By reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha, we are protected by the Buddhas and Sages.

念佛佛圣护

Amitabha Buddha clearly saw that sentient beings are heavily burdened with karmic offenses and endlessly revolving in samsara (endless reincarnation). He vowed that “sentient beings bound in endless reincarnation can attain rebirth in the undefiled Reward Land (Western Pure Land) through the power of ten verbal Amitabha-recitations......


Calling upon the sacred name "Namo Amituofo".

NAMO KUAN SHI YIN PUSA 南无大慈大悲观世音菩萨

Comparison is the thief of joy. When we constantly measure ourselves against others, we are never happy with what we have. - Lama Sonam Tempa

......The universe itself is understood as a field of dependent process. Nothing exists independently or stays still, everything arises, changes, and ceases. Matter vibrates and decayes, and mental states flash moment by moment. Thus beings are continuously acting through the body, speech, and mind driven by internal tendencies and habitual force.
Insight comes, when one observes this flow directly through mindfulness, seeing how each action arises from conditions weakening clinging and reveals the non-self nature of all activities. True wisdom lies not in stopping action, but in understanding its conditional nature and moving towards wholesome liberating intention.
Namo Buddhaya

“Our emotions propel us through extremes, from elation to depression, from good experiences to bad, from happiness to sadness: a constant swinging back and forth. Emotionality is the by-product of hope and fear, attachment and aversion. We have hope because we are attached to something we want. We have fear because we are averse to something we don’t want.
As we follow our emotions, reacting to our experiences, we create karma: a perpetual motion that inevitably determines our future. We need to stop the extreme swings of the emotional pendulum so that we can find a place of centeredness.”
~ Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche

 

[Elnoxv]

yes, especially the person you love most....hard to let it go....

It’s true, but all of us eventually have to learn to let go by seeing things as they really are.

From the Dhamma’s perspective, the person we love isn’t truly “gone.” What ends are simply the five aggregates, following their nature to arise and pass away. The stream of consciousness continues on, taking up a new form in this realm or another.

Separation is part of life. Whatever begins will end. Whatever arises will cease. Every meeting carries the seed of parting because that is the nature of the world (impermanent and ever-changing). It cannot be otherwise. The deeper our understanding of impermanence, the easier it becomes to accept this truth in the heart.

May we all strive to realize the Dhamma.

 

[waterbright]

The fact that the Buddha didn’t take a stand on any of these issues, however, did not mean that he praised all those who refused to engage in debate. As we have seen, he did debate others on topics that were central to the issue of putting an end to stress. And he was particularly critical of those who refused to take a stand on the question of which kinds of action were skillful and which were not, as this question was the central issue that any responsible teacher should address.

“There is the case where a certain contemplative or brahman doesn’t discern as it has come to be that ‘This is skillful,’ or that ‘This is unskillful.’ The thought occurs to him: ‘I don’t discern as it has come to be that “This is skillful,” or that “This is unskillful.” If I—not discerning as it has come to be that “This is skillful,” not discerning as it has come to be that “This is unskillful”—were to declare that “This is skillful,” or that “This is unskillful”: That would be a falsehood on my part. Whatever would be a falsehood on my part would be a distress for me.
Whatever would be a distress for me would be an obstacle for me.’ So, out of fear of falsehood, a loathing for falsehood, he does not declare that ‘This is skillful,’ or that ‘This is unskillful.’ Being asked questions regarding this or that, he resorts to verbal contortions, to eel-wriggling: ‘I don’t think so. I don’t think in that way. I don’t think otherwise. I don’t think not. I don’t think not not.’

[The second and third cases concern contemplatives or brahmans who don’t declare what is skillful or unskillful out of fear of clinging or fear of interrogation by “contemplatives & brahmans who are pundits, subtle, masters of debate. Like hair-splitting marksmen, they prowl about, shooting (philosophical) standpoints to pieces, as it were, with their dialectic.”]

“As for the fourth… There is the case where a certain contemplative or brahman is dull & exceedingly stupid. Out of dullness & exceeding stupidity, he—being asked questions regarding this or that—resorts to verbal contortions, to eel-wriggling: “If you ask me if there exists another world [after death], if I thought that there exists another world, would I declare that to you? I don’t think so. I don’t think in that way. I don’t think otherwise. I don’t think not. I don’t think not not. If you asked me if there isn’t another world… both is & isn’t… neither is nor isn’t… if there are beings who wander on… if there aren’t… both are & aren’t… neither are nor aren’t… if the Tathāgata exists after death… doesn’t exist after death… both exists & doesn’t exist after death… neither exists nor doesn’t exist after death, would I declare that to you? I don’t think so. I don’t think in that way. I don’t think otherwise. I don’t think not. I don’t think not not.’” — DN 1

 

[heymee]