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

[viethai]

對人慈悲，就是讓別人有路走 ！
聖嚴法師

感同身受的慈悲，可以幫助我們破除執著、抗拒誘惑。但是在這個弱肉強食的社會上，雖然自己對別人處處慈悲，別人未必會以慈悲回饋自己。因此，面對名利、財色的爭奪時，難免擔心自己會吃虧。

對別人慈悲，從眼前來看好像吃虧了，但如果把範圍放大來看，就會發現非但不吃虧，而且最終對自己或他人都是有益的。

例如過獨木橋時，如果兩個人在橋上互不相讓，最後的結局就是兩敗俱傷。就像俗話所說：“兩虎相鬥，非死即傷”，到了這個地步，沒有一個人能佔便宜。

如果我們能夠對別人慈悲，讓一條路給別人先走，自己一時之間好像吃虧了，但是至少彼此的性命還在，毫髮未傷。

因此，當我們遇到非常強硬的對手，雙方僵持不下時，知道再爭下去一定是兩敗俱傷，還是盡早把成敗得失放下吧！所謂“留得青山在，不怕沒柴燒”，慈悲不但能利益別人，還能保護自己。

當別人因為自己的退讓而成功了，此時自己看起來似乎懦弱、無能，是個失敗者，但這其實保護了自己生命的安全，也是為了保全實力，使自己不受重大的傷害。

現代人最割捨不下的不外乎感情問題，當自己不斷地付出，卻又收不回來時，就會感到十分不甘心、不情願。其實，寶貴的人生經驗都是從吃虧、挫折、失敗之中得來的，如果已經為對方付出很多還是失戀了，卻仍一心想再把對方追回來，這等於是緣木求魚。就像賭輸的人心中不服氣，老是想翻本，錢輸光了就想辦法再借，借了再賭、賭了又輸、輸了再借，就這樣愈陷愈深而無法自拔，這種行為實在很愚蠢。

人生其他方面也都是如此，如果自己不是別人的對手，已經全盤皆輸，不可能挽回局面時，就不要再陷下去了。

此時應該趕快撤退，就算輸掉了也無所謂，只要能以此為戒、學到經驗就夠了，這就是對自己慈悲。

面對別人的慈悲，雖然有些人會感謝，但大部分的人會認為這是他比你強的緣故，所以你得不到是你活該，而他搶得到是他應得的，並不需要感謝他人。

遇到這種情形時，不需要把它當成奇恥大辱，也不用覺得自卑，因為慈悲主要還是從自我保護的角度來考量。

不過，中國人說“當仁不讓”，當你不斷地慈悲別人以後，對方反而得寸進尺地去傷害他人，那就不能繼續再讓了。當然，在爭取權益之前，必須先估量一下自己的力量，如果有所把握，就要勇往直前、力爭到底，否則對方會傷害更多人。

對人慈悲，就是讓別人有路走，而整個世界是個生命共同體，讓別人過得快樂、自由、有希望，最終一定也會利益自己。所以，慈悲不僅能利益別人，事實上，也是為了保護自己。如果我們能常常生起慈悲心，對所有人都會有幫助的。

 

[viethai]

怎樣知道自己的身邊有沒有護法神：

一，遇事很有靈感，思路敏捷，如有神助。有什麼困難，心裡正思慮，不到一分鐘突然想起解決辦法。經濟實惠，非常巧妙，事後感到滿意。這就是得到了護法神的加持。

二，蒜蔥韭菜，每次一吃完整個人就很難受，要嘛是心情鬱悶，要嘛是思路閉塞沒有靈感，要嘛是脾氣上來。
學佛後，現在吃臭穢五辛蒜蔥韭菜，就會出現明顯的不適，表示身邊已經有護法神了。

護法神對你吃五辛的行為，出於小小的懲罰，會讓你心情鬱悶或發脾氣。或者護法神暫時離開，讓你失去加持力，做事就沒有靈感，思路堵塞。

三，當你做惡事的時候，起心動念的時候，就會想起不能做，我是佛弟子，會有護法看著我，會有佛菩薩在看著我，這就是護法在提醒你。

當內心升起做惡事的念頭時，突然有個聲音阻止自己，或是想到佛菩薩與護法神的注視，這種強烈的內心警示，很可能是護法神在發揮作用。

四，太多巧合。人生中，總有一些巧合令人匪夷所思。例如在面臨重要抉擇時，意外得知關鍵資訊；或是身處險境，卻莫名其妙地化險為夷。這些看似偶然的事件，或許正是護法神在背後巧妙干預。

五，夢境示現與點撥：有時夢中會見到佛菩薩、光明、或聽到清晰的開示與提醒，醒來後心更安定、方向更明確，這也可能是護法神以夢境方式加以引導。

六，身心輕安，障礙自消：修行過程中，原本粗重的身心忽然變得輕安舒暢，無端煩惱自然減少，過往業障所致的不順也悄然化解，這可能是護法神在輔助掃除修道障礙。

七，忽聞異香，或見光明：在無人燃香、未有來源的情況下，忽然聞到殊妙香氣；或於靜中、夢中瞥見一片光明，並非肉眼所見之光源，皆可能是護法示現之吉瑞。

八，於諸惡境，自然遠離：無需刻意躲避，但總覺得某些人、事、環境讓自己不適，心中警覺而自然遠離，避免捲入是非禍患，這也可能是護法在暗中護佑，令你遠離惡緣。

九，誦經持咒，感應迅速：每於課誦修法時，若容易收心、雜念減少，甚至身體發熱、心中感動，這些可能是護法神護持修法、助成淨緣的表現。

十，言出法隨。自己隨口說說也能成真。

 

[viethai]

起早貪黑不辛苦
日曬雨淋沒關係
只為餘額多一點

沒有天生的好命
只能奮不顧身的努力
大風大浪是大海
有哭有笑才是人生

 

[Lchlch]

I was at Kim’s, registered for the 水陆法会shui lu fa hui.
after that, went home but outside the JMS, 2 Myanmar ladies approached me and want me to show them around KMS.
so i showed them around….took me about an hour….

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

1 min Dharma talk. Namo Amituofo.

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

I was at Kim’s, registered for the 水陆法会shui lu fa hui.
after that, went home but outside the JMS, 2 Myanmar ladies approached me and want me to show them around KMS.
so i showed them around….took me about an hour….

So kind of you.

 

[waterbright]

The Blessed One said, “Now what, monks, is the noble eightfold path? Right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

“And what, monks, is right view? Knowledge with regard to [or: in terms of] stress, knowledge with regard to the origination of stress, knowledge with regard to the stopping of stress, knowledge with regard to the way of practice leading to the stopping of stress: This, monks, is called right view.27

“And what, monks, is right resolve? Resolve for renunciation, resolve for non-ill will, resolve for harmlessness: This, monks, is called right resolve.

“And what, monks, is right speech? Abstaining from lying, abstaining from divisive speech, abstaining from harsh speech, abstaining from idle chatter: This, monks, is called right speech.28

“And what, monks, is right action? Abstaining from taking life, abstaining from stealing, abstaining from sexual intercourse: This, monks, is called right action.

“And what, monks, is right livelihood? There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones, having abandoned dishonest livelihood, keeps his life going with right livelihood. This, monks, is called right livelihood.

“And what, monks, is right effort? (i) There is the case where a monk generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen. (ii) He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the abandoning of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen. (iii) He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen. (iv) He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen. This, monks, is called right effort.29

“And what, monks, is right mindfulness? (i) There is the case where a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world. (ii) He remains focused on feelings in & of themselves—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world. (iii) He remains focused on the mind in & of itself—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world. (iv) He remains focused on mental qualities in & of themselves—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world. This, monks, is called right mindfulness.30

“And what, monks, is right concentration? (i) There is the case where a monk—quite secluded from sensuality,31 secluded from unskillful qualities32—enters and remains in the first jhāna… the second jhāna… the third jhāna… the fourth jhāna: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. This, monks, is called right concentration.”33 — SN 45:8

 

[viethai]

做這些小事就能讓鬼神護持你
夢參老和尚

在《佛說華聚陀羅尼經》上，佛又說了這麼一段話，“若復有人。於如來滅後行於曠野”，“如來滅後”，如來不在世了；“行於曠野”，走在空闊的地方或是山上很僻靜處。要是見到有佛的塔，有佛的寺廟，你能在路邊摘一朵野花；或者是你發心拿碗倒上一點油，插上燈芯燃著；或者是用點香，拿這個來供養；或者是你拿錢，現在我們就說五分錢也可以，一毛錢也可以，二毛五的也可以，拿這麼一錢供養佛像，不要管誰撿去，反正你供養佛像。

你要是什麼供養都沒有，路邊有水，你拿東西盛杯水，供養佛像；或者你看見佛像髒了，用一杯水洗洗，除去不淨；或者是進到塔廟裡，一稱南無佛，稱我皈依佛，稱讚這麼一聲，百千萬劫不墮三途，就這麼一個功德，百千萬劫不墮三途。

我引述這些經文，是讓大家增長信心，不要因為是小事我們就不做，那些鬼神，因為你做了這些事，多少就圍著你，護持你了。一稱南無佛，百千萬劫都不墮惡道。

《正法念處經》說，要是有眾生持香者命終生香樂天，從天命終得生人身，生大富家，這個功德僅止於此。

如果再讀《地藏經》，轉讀尊經，或者諷誦《地藏經》，或者讀誦其它的一切經典，讀什麼經都可以，只要是佛說的，一切的佛法都是超出三界的，凡是聽經的、聞法的，都有不可思議的功德，這部經就叫《佛說華聚陀羅尼經》。

夢參老和尚《地藏菩薩本願經》講記

 

[viethai]

《千萬不要把福報漏了⋯》

我們賺得的錢財，把它放在口袋裡，口袋有缺口，錢財漏了;我們積聚的東西，把它放在箱子或籃子裡，箱子或籃子有洞，我的東西漏了。
有的人修福積功德，犧牲奉獻，無如不懂得「攝心守意」，讓身口意有了缺漏，善行義舉也會隨著缺口漏了，殊為可惜。

　　有的人布施行善，只是布施的時候，心不甘、情不願，讓受者的尊嚴受到傷害，對方不但不感謝你的施予，反而因為你的語言行為刻薄，因此懷恨在心，如此縱有善行，布施的功德也會漏了。

　　你幫人忙，協助別人做了多少好事，但是你一直抬高自己，自我膨脹，別人不服氣，反而對你訾議，這就是你的功德有漏了。

　　有人信仰宗教，受到信仰的熏陶，也懂得要說好話、做好事、存好心，如此積聚很多的功德福報。無如在某一種情況之下，只要稍遇逆境，他就大發牢騷，心生怨恨，感覺懊惱，甚至口不擇言、怨天尤人，故而他的義行福報，就會漏了，真是不值。所以，有許多人為什麼做好事卻沒有好報呢?因為他的身、口、意缺口太多，福報功德自然也會漏了!

　　怎樣防漏呢?

　　第一、要慎言：
一句話可以成功，一句話也可以失敗。謙虛、感恩，福上加福;如果說話刺傷別人，縱有功德，福報也會漏了。

　　第二、要慎行：
既已做了好事，就應該好好的把握，不可拿石頭砸自己的腳。正如自己的物品，不懂得保養，反而加以踐踏，當然好的東西也會壞了。

　　第三、要慎思：
既已給別人的好因好緣，就要往好處去想;如果幫助了別人，心中又生懊惱，如此即使身做好事、口說好話、心想好意，但是因為有漏，就如同鍋子漏了、碗盤漏了、房子漏了、口袋漏了，你怎麼能積聚福報功德呢?

　　有的人一面賺錢，一面浪費;一面種植，一面踐踏。

有漏的世間，有漏的眾生，保不住功德因緣;世間的功德好事都被我們自己的身、口、意漏了，正如茶杯有了破洞，水就會漏失掉。所以，吾人應該要時時刻刻謹言慎行、攝身防意，千萬不要讓三業把我們的「福報漏了」，這是非常重要的。

南無大慈大悲觀世音菩薩！

 

[viethai]

為什麼見到一個人感到特別討厭？
夢參老和尚

為什麼見到一個人不知不覺感到特別討厭，產生極大的怨恨心，這是前生宿業牽連的。人家對你也是這樣，無緣無故給你兩槍，你要想到因果，這不是偶然的，而是必然的。因為你欠他的，現在新結的冤業也有，過去沒有，那他欠你的，將來再還你。

有惡緣，有善緣，緣也有善有惡，正因為如此，這兩者是相聚的，見了誰都喜歡，把你的冤家當父母一樣，那冤家就化解了，再不會冤了，如果你生起歡喜心，他再怎麼生氣，火也發不起來，這是很有關係。

 

[viethai]

【星云大师点智慧】
换一个跑道
　　“有机会掌握新技能…”
　　有句话说：三百六十五行，行行出状元！如果此路不通，我们何不换一个跑道，找一份自己能够学习并做好的工作，那不也是一条好出路吗？

《星云大师点智慧》系列，每天在《新明日报》刊登。完 整内容请看11月2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。

 

[Lchlch]

So kind of you.

It was drizzling n turn to heavy rain.
Towards the end. I bought them 2 packet of apple juice.
We bid farewell.

 

[lingusthefungus]

 

[lingusthefungus]

 

[heymee]

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

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

念佛佛圣护

Buddha Recitation (Namo Amituofo) is the perfect shortcut to escape from the wasteland of Birth and Death. - Patriarch Yin Guang

Calling upon the sacred name "Namo Amituofo".

NAMO KUAN SHI YIN PUSA 南无大慈大悲观世音菩萨

......True liberation perhaps lies not in winning this social game, nor in angrily quitting it. It lies in the clear recognition that we are situated within a grand illusion—we are both the actors and the audience. To see through the illusory nature of the rules, to understand the flow of cause and effect, and to relinquish attachment to the role. In this way, even while being within it, the mind can attain a transcendent freedom—no longer bound by the illusion, no longer troubled by gain and loss—abiding peacefully in each ever.

The True Learning of Life
We are all born into this world with two kinds of learning that we must develop together — worldly learning and spiritual learning.
Worldly learning gives us knowledge, helps us build a career, and allows us to live securely. It is the kind of learning that helps us survive and improve the outer world.
Spiritual learning, on the other hand, is about training the mind to be calm, pure, and joyful. It leads us to a deeper inner wisdom — the kind that brings freedom from suffering and true happiness, which does not depend on anything outside ourselves.
“Worldly knowledge helps us to live.”
“Spiritual knowledge helps us to live well.”
Both must go hand in hand for life to be truly complete.

 

[waterbright]

Each of the four noble truths, the Buddha discerned, entailed a duty: stress was to be comprehended, its origination abandoned, its cessation realized, and the path to its cessation developed. The first three duties revolved around dispassion: Comprehending stress meant understanding it to the point of dispassion for it, abandoning the origination of stress required dispassion for the three types of craving leading to becoming, and the cessation of stress came with that act of dispassion. Developing the fourth noble truth, however, required passion of a relatively skillful type. However, when the path was fully developed, it, too, had to be abandoned with the attainment of release. This meant that the bodhisatta had to follow the path strategically, developing, in some cases, qualities of mind that eventually he left behind. This experience was what probably inspired his image comparing the path to a raft: To cross over the river he had to hold onto it, but once he had reached the far shore, he let it go.

“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of stress’… ‘This noble truth of stress is to be comprehended’… ‘This noble truth of stress has been comprehended.’

‘This is the noble truth of the origination of stress’… ‘This noble truth of the origination of stress is to be abandoned’… ‘This noble truth of the origination of stress has been abandoned.’

‘This is the noble truth of the cessation of stress’… ‘This noble truth of the cessation of stress is to be realized’… ‘This noble truth of the cessation of stress has been realized.

’“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before:
‘This is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress’… ‘This noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress is to be developed’… ‘This noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress has been developed.’

“And, monks, as long as this—my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge & vision concerning these four noble truths34 as they have come to be—was not pure, I did not claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Māras, & Brahmās, in this generation with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & common people. But as soon as this—my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge & vision concerning these four noble truths as they have come to be—was truly pure, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Māras, & Brahmās, in this generation with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & common people. Knowledge & vision arose in me: ‘Unprovoked is my release. This is the last birth. There is now no further-becoming.’” — SN 56:11

 

[viethai]

自信心是做人事的原動力

聖嚴法師

自信心是做人處事的原動力，因為有自信心的人，做起事來勇往直前，而且能夠貫徹到底。

缺乏自信的人，做事則容易畏首畏尾，裹足不前。

可是，一般人卻因此誤以為自負和驕傲就是自信，只要大聲講話、動作誇張就是有自信。

但不知道有些人是因為沒有自信，所以才會大聲講話；因為膽怯，所以才會跨大動作。

自信是來自於對自己的了解，對自己了解愈清楚，自信就愈堅定。

這和孔子所說的「知之為知之，不知為不知」一樣，清清楚楚明白自己的能力、體力和財力到底有多少，徹底了解自己的實力後，自信才得以建立起來。

 

[viethai]

【星云大师点智慧】
连接
　　“用手机传达信息，不表示就能有效沟通…”
　　吾人在日常生活中，不论在行为、言语、意念中有所乖违疏离，就是心的有所过失。智能手机带来方便性，但我们也不能因为这样的方便性，忽略人与人之间面对面的交流，人与人有了正面交流、有了有效沟通，才能相互了解，促进感情，彼此才能和谐相处。

《星云大师点智慧》系列，每天在《新明日报》刊登。完 整内容请看11月3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]

放生就是還債，還生生世世的殺業之債。
這個觀念非常地重要。
欠下的，遲早都要還，這是因果。
但有一個問題，就是，什麼時候才能還完這些債呢？
這就是放生的臨界點。
我們放生一定要知道，一旦你堅持不懈地去行持放生這一法，當你能超越你一生或十生或百生的殺業時，當你的業力之債越來越輕越來越少時，你的生命就轉過來了。

轉過來的狀態就是智慧增上，財富增加，幸福增長，信心增強，妄念減少，心地清淨，凡事順利，人生會充滿光明與喜悅。

南無大慈大悲觀世音菩薩！