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

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

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

念佛佛圣护

Calling upon the sacred name "Namo Amituofo".

NAMO KUAN SHI YIN PUSA 南无大慈大悲观世音菩萨

Life does bring all sorts of pressure and challenges, so it’s important to learn how to bend rather than break. Water is a perfect example. It takes the shape of whatever container it’s in, becoming square or round as appropriate. When its path is blocked, it simply gathers and rises until it can move on. Water shows what true adaptability looks like.

Ice, on the other hand, cannot do this. It stays hard and fixed in shape. Even if you break it, the pieces remain rigid. Our hearts are often like ice – cold, stiff, full of sharp edges, unable to yield. -

Dharma Master Huijing​

Those who are content to have nothing, will feel like they have everything.
But those who want to have everything, will feel like they have nothing.
~ Chamtrul Rinpoche

...... if you look at either of these pleasant experiences, their root has to be a mind that is at peace and free from suffering.
As long as your mind is unhappy and devoid of tranquility or peace, no matter how much physical pleasure you experience, your mind will not know true happiness.
On the other hand, even if you lack the ideal physical circumstances of wealth and so on, if your mind is at peace you will be happy anyway.”

~ Thrangu Rinpoche

 

[scheng1]

[The title of the video is a question we should all ask ourselves.]​

You save money for retirement, but have you invested for after death?​

 

[waterbright]

The Not-Self Discourse​

Then the Blessed One addressed the group of five monks:

“Form, monks, is not self. If form were the self, this form would not lend itself to dis-ease. It would be possible (to say) with regard to form, ‘Let my form be thus. Let my form not be thus.’ But precisely because form is not self, this form lends itself to dis-ease. And it is not possible (to say) with regard to form, ‘Let my form be thus. Let my form not be thus.’

“Feeling is not self.…

“Perception is not self.…

“Fabrications are not self.…

“Consciousness is not self. If consciousness were the self, this consciousness would not lend itself to dis-ease. It would be possible (to say) with regard to consciousness, ‘Let my consciousness be thus. Let my consciousness not be thus.’ But precisely because consciousness is not self, consciousness lends itself to dis-ease. And it is not possible (to say) with regard to consciousness, ‘Let my consciousness be thus. Let my consciousness not be thus.’

“What do you think, monks? Is form constant or inconstant?”

“Inconstant, lord.”

“And is that which is inconstant easeful or stressful?”

“Stressful, lord.”

“And is it fitting to regard what is inconstant, stressful, subject to change as: ‘This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am’?”

“No, lord.”

“… Is feeling constant or inconstant?”—“Inconstant, lord.”…

“… Is perception constant or inconstant?”—“Inconstant, lord.”…

“… Are fabrications constant or inconstant?”—“Inconstant, lord.”…

“What do you think, monks? Is consciousness constant or inconstant?”

“Inconstant, lord.”

“And is that which is inconstant easeful or stressful?”

“Stressful, lord.”

“And is it fitting to regard what is inconstant, stressful, subject to change as: ‘This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am’?”

“No, lord.”

“Thus, monks, any form whatsoever that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near:

Every59 form is to be seen with right discernment as it has come to be: ‘This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am.’

“Any feeling whatsoever…

“Any perception whatsoever…

“Any fabrications whatsoever…

“Any consciousness whatsoever that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: Every consciousness is to be seen with right discernment as it has come to be: ‘This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am.’

“Seeing thus, the instructed disciple of the noble ones grows disenchanted with form, disenchanted with feeling, disenchanted with perception, disenchanted with fabrications, disenchanted with consciousness. Disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, he is released. With release, there is the knowledge, ‘Released.’ He discerns that ‘Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.’”

That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the group of five monks delighted in the Blessed One’s words. And while this explanation was being given, the minds of the group of five monks, through lack of clinging/sustenance, were released from effluents.

At that time there were six arahants in the world. — Mv 1:6

 

[viethai]

【未來不由你計劃，早就安排好了】
人是業果來安排的
除非你現在這樣轉變

夢參老和尚:

此世不執著，他世也不要執著，過去也好，未來也好，都不要執著，這叫不著三世。過去、未來，過去的已經過去了，不要想它；現在的不住，一下子又過去，就變成三世皆空的；未來，未來還未來，你想它幹什麼？究竟怎麼樣？

凡事都要講計劃，那是錯誤的。計劃不由你計劃，你不知道自己的業果是怎麼樣安排的，人都不能安排自己。好像是自己安排的，其實你是瞎操心，早就安排好了。

你怎麼做怎麼受，除非你現在轉變，怎麼轉變的呢？你聞了佛法，而且能行，現在你一天念著地藏菩薩，你當成救命王來了，又抓著他不放，就這麼念吧。這起碼轉變了，三途再不受了。聞著地藏王名字，就不落三途了。

有的人說，在睡夢中念地藏菩薩不靈。不是夢中念的不靈，是你醒的時候，沒念靈。你念的不是心念，要是心念就靈。做夢，你一念，夢境就沒有了，要生死都了得到，何況做夢呢？要相信。

問：“書上說：'定業不可轉'，可是拜懺又可以消業障，罪性又是本空的，那究竟要如何把過去生累劫的罪業懺空？”

夢參老和尚答：“佛法說，定業不可轉，還有下一句話，三昧加持力。”

定業不可轉，但是用拜懺的力量，假地藏菩薩的力量，轉了。

定業是可轉的，如果定業不可轉，沒有人能成佛。眾生能成佛嗎？釋迦牟尼佛有業沒有啊？他也是修道成的佛，那他的業有沒有轉啊？

《地藏經》上，地藏菩薩前世有業沒有啊？“定業不可轉”，但是“三昧加持力”。你轉得動轉不動？這可是問題了。

你修三昧就轉了。我們以前也不信佛，有很多的業，但是信佛之後，讀誦大乘、信念三寶，這一念心就轉了。

 

[viethai]

學佛人要常念佛多念佛，每一天都要念佛因為學佛終極目標就是往生極樂世界成佛，在道駕慈航所以南無阿彌陀佛一名不能不念，一定要念要念念誤生疑，要念念都是極樂世界南無阿彌陀佛所以學佛不只是聽經修學佛法真正重要的還是念佛南無阿彌陀佛求生淨土往生極樂國，這很重要什么都不會都沒關希只要會念佛南無阿彌陀佛就是多善根多褔徳的人

 

[viethai]

臨終病苦最易受用的法門

慧律法師慈悲開示

他說：「法師！沒有辦法，修禪是修禪，但是臨命終時，屎尿都在床上拉，意識都完全沒辦法控制。雖然我們知道理念，知道有這個悟性。不過我們拼不過業力！」

我們平時參禪、打坐，臨命終的時候你怎麼坐呢？比如說你得到癌症，腹部一直脹起來，或是頭痛或是中風，昏迷不醒，你能怎麼樣呢？你參什麼禪呢？你能保持清淨的腦筋，能夠就這樣走了，那就不簡單啦！對不對？

所以我告訴諸位：太多修華嚴天台的，包括修禪、修律的，到最後都在助念。為什麼？沒辦法，平時看起來功夫很好，一坐十幾個鐘頭，但是臨命終倒了，或者是車禍一撞，腦神經昏迷，到最後你只有念佛，這才有辦法解脫，不然要怎麼辦？

很簡單，請問你現在病苦，腹部疼痛，你修什麼宗？你說修密宗，可以啊！你臨命終起來比手印給我看看，你可能連手抬都抬不起來。但淨土宗太方便了，你只要心不顛倒，一心求生極樂，就算沒有念出聲音，就按照這一句的願力，就可以往生極樂世界，這個自古以來有多少人受益，有多少人超脫。

但是也因為太簡單了，變成大家不相信，最主要是他對淨土的教理，不通也不懂，他認為沒有斷惑，怎麼可能超三界呢？他不曉得業性本空，臨命終那一念是最重要的。因此臨命終要執持佛號，有念出聲沒有念出聲，都沒有關係，只要你能夠憶念那一句佛號就行了。

 

[viethai]

࿐不花一錢，也能種下財富的種子࿐

很多人以為：
要有錢，必須靠拼命賺；
要富有，一定得靠運氣好。

其實真正的財富，
不是從銀行開始累積，
而是從心念與行為開始種下。

你完全可以——
不花一分錢，
就種下未來源源不絕的財富。

一、口德，是最便宜也最昂貴的財富

一句善語、一次鼓勵、一次讚美，
不花錢，卻能給人無限力量。

心懷善念的人，
說出的話帶著福氣；
口中常有善語的人，
自然走到哪裡都有人幫。

口德，就是你的第一桶金。

二、隨喜，是最快積福的方式

看到別人好，真心歡喜；
看到別人成功，真心祝福。

不眼紅，不嫉妒，
這就是巨大的善念能量。

佛經說：
隨喜功德，福不減少。
你只是動念歡喜，
福報就默默加在你身上。

三、感恩，是打開財富的鑰匙

每天能感恩的人，
心是滿的、亮的、柔軟的。

而天道，
喜歡把福報給心柔的人。

感恩父母、感恩環境、感恩逆境，
你會發現 ——
人幫你、事成你、財來你。

四、不占便宜，是財富最大的保護

你不拿不屬於你的東西，
不鑽空子、不貪便宜，
天地就會把本來屬於你的福報
十倍百倍還給你。

這叫 “德財兼備，財自來”。

五、替人著想，就是種最大的財

讓人舒服，是功德；
讓人方便，是布施；
讓人安心，是福德。

這些善行都不需要花錢，
卻會在你的命運裡，
結出最貴的果。

結語：

真正的財富，有三種：
心地的善、語言的德、行為的光。

你每天多做一點善，
命就悄悄替你存一點錢；
你每起一個良念，
天就為你開一條新路。

不花一錢，
也能種下你未來的大福、大運、大財。

願你從今天開始，
用善與德，
打造你一生的富貴之根。

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

In Dharma ending age, unlikely anyone to eliminate the 3 poisons. The best chance is 花开见佛悟无生. That's when we no longer under the control of greed. However, in order to reach Pureland, we must be able to control our 第二念, ie when greed arise in the first thought, we must be able to not 起颠倒, follow the 1st thought and then continue to 打妄想.. letting the 2nd and 3rd thoughts continue. Are we at that stage already ? Unlikely. Some may say 我至心信乐, 我要往生, 我发愿往生极乐... but just look at how we live our daily lives now... we can tell.

Take advice from 黄念祖老居士....



Learning and Practising buddhism does not have to be the only thing in our lives, but must be the Number 1 in our lives. If we put Buddhism as Number 1 in our lives, we will find time.

Welcome back to this thread!

 

[heymee]

 

[lingusthefungus]

doesn't look like AI generated.

 

[waterbright]

“Then the group of five monks—thus exhorted, thus instructed by me—being subject themselves to birth, seeing the drawbacks of birth, seeking the unborn, unexcelled rest from the yoke, unbinding, reached the unborn, unexcelled rest from the yoke: unbinding. Being subject themselves to aging… illness… death… sorrow… defilement, seeing the drawbacks of aging… illness… death… sorrow… defilement, seeking the aging-less, illness-less, deathless, sorrow-less, unexcelled rest from the yoke, unbinding, they reached the aging-less, illness-less, deathless, sorrow-less, unexcelled rest from the yoke: unbinding. Knowledge & vision arose in them: ‘Unprovoked is our release. This is the last birth. There is now no further-becoming.’” — MN 26

 

[viethai]

Monk: Tan Ajahn, you talked about, which is in the name of your book, Sensual Pleasures Are Painful, that’s something which, for many Westerners who are new to Buddhism, is all they know. How do you teach people who are new to Buddhism? If they hear that, they might just think, ‘What else is there?’ They don’t yet have faith or experience with meditative states. How do you teach the drawbacks?

Tan Ajahn: Teach them how to meditate. What else? Because it’s not that difficult. I started meditation by myself, just from reading books. Just follow the instructions. Just be mindful of your breath and don’t let your mind go somewhere else. And if you can continue doing this for a few minutes, your mind can become calm right away. For me, meditation is quite simple even though I had never done it before. When I first started doing it, it seemed quite easy.

Monk: Showing people just how to experience the peace of meditation.

Tan Ajahn: That’s right. Once you have experienced the peace from meditation, or the bliss you get from meditation, then you say, ‘I don’t need anything else. I’ve got happiness within myself. It’s just a matter of bringing it out, making it appear in my mind. All I need to do is stop thinking by using mindfulness.’ That’s all.
- - - -
Monk: Tan Ajahn, you speak about how meditation was very simple, in some sense, for you. I remember reading that the first year you practiced, you basically sat in your basement, practiced alone, and managed to meditate many hours a day. To be honest, I think for many Westerners and perhaps many modern people, things don’t go completely like that right off the bat. What did you find to be effective instruction for us – modern, overly thinking people – in situations where a regimen of practice like that is quite hard? How would you recommend a modern person approach these refined states of concentration? What are the skilful means we can use?

Tan Ajahn: Just keep stopping your thinking. As soon as you realize you’re talking to yourself, tell yourself to stop. You can use a mantra to help you. If you feel that you’re talking to yourself, then say, ‘Why don’t you talk to the mantra instead?’ Or focus on what you are doing. I usually use ‘focusing on what I’m doing.’ When I move, when I eat, when I wash my dishes, bathe, or whatever I do, I try to just stay with that and not let my mind go think about other things.

“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]

࿐ 抱怨 ࿐

抱怨，是最高效的漏運行為！

氣場的本質是能量。每一聲抱怨，
都是一次能量洩漏——你泄掉的不是情緒，
是實打實的運氣。

觀察一下便知：
長期抱怨的人，周身磁場渾濁沉重。
其結果必然是：
貴人繞道，財氣不入，爛事頻發。
越抱怨，越倒楣；越倒楣，越抱怨——
直至陷入泥潭，無法自拔。

抱怨，是一種逆行氣。
它讓你的心念與天道豐盛之流完全相悖，
親手將命中應有的好運狠狠推開。

真正懂行的人都明白：
不怕一時倒楣，就怕終日嘴臭。
你口中吐出的話，就是你未來要走的運。

下次想抱怨時，請清醒地意識到：
那不是發洩，是放血。
學會沉默的刹那，你便已開始在補運。

止語，是最強的高級開運法。

 

[viethai]

慧律法師：隨緣盡力扮好自己的角色

解脫者深知世間是“如夢幻泡影，如露亦如電”，他瞭解執取人生的現象為實有，根本是種錯覺，知道人生如戲，隨緣盡力扮好自己的角色。心境坦坦蕩蕩不憂不悔。對過去的事情不追悔、對未來也不憂心。活得很酒脫，活得很自在，生命充滿了活力。

一切都是行所當行，受所當受是真正的“心安理得”。由於他徹見宇宙人生的實相，擁有真知灼見，不會為利衰、苦樂、稱譏、毀譽八風吹動。甚至到了生死關頭，還能保持自在的心境。

 

[viethai]

࿐累世不布施，轉身無貴人࿐

有一位大活佛福報很大，每天信徒都做各種的供養，供得滿滿的。旁邊的侍者想：「唉，我沒有福報啊，如果那些東西是我的多好啊。」然後這個活佛有神通啊，就跟那個侍者說：「這樣好不好？明天所有供養都給你。 」哇，這個侍者晚上睡不著覺了，開始計畫了，我拿到什麼東西要做什麼... 做什麼... ，明天太好了，他準備好了很多袋子，「師父說明天的供養都給我。」

結果明天門一開，沒半個信徒來，從早上等到中午，從中午等到下午，沒半個信徒來。到了快關門時，終於來了一個老信徒，布施一塊牛皮。

他就在那邊哭了，老上師說：「你福報大啊，你上輩子才布施鞋子壞掉的那塊小牛皮，這輩子變成一塊大牛皮，你福報大啊。」

這什麼意思啊？「你累劫沒有布施沒有功德，人家不會布施你。」哪怕老上師說明天的供養都交給你，你沒有福報也沒辦法，沒結過緣。

又隔一天，很多要來供養老上師的信徒又開始排隊了。

所以各位，佛教裡面講：「善有善報惡有惡報、公修公得婆修婆得、自己種什麼因得什麼果」，你瞭解這個道理，所以你走到哪裡要習慣「跟眾生結善緣」。

像各位今天來參加法會，明天或是晚上你碰到誰，你要祈願： 「我把我的功德布施給你」，晚上你坐車、坐捷運、坐公車回去：「我把我的功德給你」，你要不斷的累積功德。

就像你拿了一萬美金給對方，對方永遠都對你很好。因為你要跟他結緣嘛。

所以各位，善業永不失，惡業也永不失，所以你所做的善業，你迴向過了，你千百世到哪裡輪回投胎，這個業都跟著你，善業都跟著你，惡業也跟著你。

 

[plaingrain]

I'm feeling disoriented because one of my female maternal cousins got divorced and after a brief fight, has gotten custody of her 12-year old son and alimony etc. To me, I feel upset because this cousin was kind to me since childhood and I wish her and her family well, but I have no control over marital matters so it is outside of my control why her ex-husband decided to have an extra-marital affair despite having a blissful family. She converted to Christianity recently and started locking up her social media profiles, so I guess she doesn't want unnecessary attention, and I respect her privacy. Since she's a Christian, it makes no sense for me to pray for her in my Buddhist tradition because she doesn't will it, but to me it gives me meaning spreading some loving kindness to everyone out there who are walking on egg shells as they juggle their career and marriage lives. I am not married so I won't know what you married people are going through, but I wish you well.

May one and all be well, happy, safe and peaceful.
May one and all find happiness and the causes of it.
May one and all be free from suffering and the causes of it.
May one and all never be separated from sorrowless bliss.
May one and all abide in equanimity, freedom from bias, and freedom from affliction.
May one and all be at ease.

In my own tradition, Om Mani Padme Hum, may the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas guide both our monastic and secular lay friends safely through the minefields of temptation and aversion.

 

[Lchlch]

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

念佛佛圣护

Calling upon the sacred name "Namo Amituofo".

NAMO KUAN SHI YIN PUSA 南无大慈大悲观世音菩萨

Life does bring all sorts of pressure and challenges, so it’s important to learn how to bend rather than break. Water is a perfect example. It takes the shape of whatever container it’s in, becoming square or round as appropriate. When its path is blocked, it simply gathers and rises until it can move on. Water shows what true adaptability looks like.

Ice, on the other hand, cannot do this. It stays hard and fixed in shape. Even if you break it, the pieces remain rigid. Our hearts are often like ice – cold, stiff, full of sharp edges, unable to yield. -

Dharma Master Huijing​

Those who are content to have nothing, will feel like they have everything.
But those who want to have everything, will feel like they have nothing.
~ Chamtrul Rinpoche

...... if you look at either of these pleasant experiences, their root has to be a mind that is at peace and free from suffering.
As long as your mind is unhappy and devoid of tranquility or peace, no matter how much physical pleasure you experience, your mind will not know true happiness.
On the other hand, even if you lack the ideal physical circumstances of wealth and so on, if your mind is at peace you will be happy anyway.”

~ Thrangu Rinpoche

everyday i am reciting Namo Amitoufu and Namo GuanSiYin Pusa...
hopefully my sincere reciting can gv merits to my late wife.

 

[AlmightyOnes]

doesn't look like AI generated.

Just my 2 cents, as a rule of thumb, anything that takes around 10 seconds or less is most likely AI-generated.
Nowadays, it is easy to use it just for content and viewership.

 

[yokine3a]

everyday i am reciting Namo Amitoufu and Namo GuanSiYin Pusa...
hopefully my sincere reciting can gv merits to my late wife.

Just curious, must we do 迴向 to dedicate the merits to the actual person? Else the merits will all go to ourself?

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

Just curious, must we do 迴向 to dedicate the merits to the actual person? Else the merits will all go to ourself?

Yes.