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

[Konnichiwa]

May I know why 释迦牟尼 is not widely embraced compared to guanyin, amitabha and other buddhas when he is also a present day buddha? Why he doesnt have his own pure land??

Myanmar people worship him at home...
Guan Yin is popular in Sg

 

[scheng1]

May I know why 释迦牟尼 is not widely embraced compared to guanyin, amitabha and other buddhas when he is also a present day buddha? Why he doesnt have his own pure land??

The answer is in 悲华经. This sutra is about the previous life of 释迦牟尼, guanyin, amitabha and other buddhas and their vows. Guanyin, amitabha and other buddhas in their previous lives vowed to leave behind our filthy world, and set up purelands. At that time, they made the vows in front of 宝藏如来. The previous life of 释迦牟尼 is 宝海梵志

Selected verses:

"尔时梵志复白佛言。世尊。我今心动如紧花树叶。心大忧愁身皆燋悴。此诸菩萨虽生大悲不能取此五浊恶世。今彼诸众生堕痴黑暗。"

"是大光明佛处斯秽恶不净世界五浊恶世。成阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。所有众生多作逆罪。乃至成就诸不善根寿命短促。能于是中增益长寿。"

"梵志。于此天众惟除一人婆由比纽。取不净世界调伏摄护多烦恼者。于贤劫中或有菩萨取不净土。"

The Presiding Buddha mentions the example of 大光明佛 who teaches the sentient beings in filthy world, and the people who follows the Dharma will have longer lifespan.

Up till that part of the sutra, only 2 persons vow to stay in this filthy land to help the sentient beings - 婆由比纽 and the previous life of 释迦牟尼.

This sutra is about the 500 vows of 释迦牟尼.

One of his vows is to help the Mara the Demon gains enlightenment:
"尔时宝海梵志复作是念。若我当来必成阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。所愿成就得己利者。复当教化天魔波旬。令发阿耨多罗三藐三菩提心。"

The video below is rather long but it saves you the time to read through the lengthy sutra 悲华经. It started with 《釋迦牟尼佛的故事》第一部：發無上願五百大願

 

[happyfingers]

《佛说阿弥陀经》 - The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra


......舍利弗，如我今者，称赞诸佛不可思议功德，彼诸佛等，亦称赞我不可思议功德。彼诸佛等，亦称赞我不可思议功德 ......


“Shariputra, just as I now praise the inconceivable merit and virtue of all Buddhas, all those Buddhas equally praise my inconceivable merit and virtue saying these words, ‘Shakyamuni Buddha can complete extremely rare and difficult deeds .......


* 娑婆国土 = Saha land = Shakyamuni Buddha's pureland

 

[Renzokukenz]

I was watching a (non-Buddhist) video on the supernatural.

In that video, the master or the "exorcists" says that people who put in the effort to do good and collect merits are often targeted by evil malevolent spirits and masters.

I know nothing about this topic, are there people here who have some wisdom to share with regards to this?

 

[AlmightyOnes]

Hi all the shixiongs & 大德, I have a friend wants to buy 数珠. (Beads for counting recitation.)
Any shop and what type of material beads to recommend?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Renzokukenz]

Hi all the shixiongs & 大德, I have a friend wants to buy 数珠. (Beads for counting recitation.)
Any shop and what type of material beads to recommend?
Thanks in advance.

I have a trusted shop who specialize in crystals

while her shop is not considered a Buddhist store and more of a crystal shop, she offers customized 108 mala beads, where she "Reads" your aura, and choose the correct crystals for you

I have a mala in progress by her.

but her 108 has no tassel and for the "guru bead" she just uses a larger bead and not a special bead with a different texture.

If you are keen I can PM you

but since her shop is not a traditional Buddhist shop, maybe you can wait for other ShiXiong to intro

 

[AlmightyOnes]

I have a trusted shop who specialize in crystals

while her shop is not considered a Buddhist store and more of a crystal shop, she offers customized 108 mala beads, where she "Reads" your aura, and choose the correct crystals for you

I have a mala in progress by her.

but her 108 has no tassel and for the "guru bead" she just uses a larger bead and not a special bead with a different texture.

If you are keen I can PM you

but since her shop is not a traditional Buddhist shop, maybe you can wait for other ShiXiong to intro

Ya can pm me. Thanks shixiong.
I just collect all the info and let my friend to choose. ^^"

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

I was watching a (non-Buddhist) video on the supernatural.

In that video, the master or the "exorcists" says that people who put in the effort to do good and collect merits are often targeted by evil malevolent spirits and masters.

I know nothing about this topic, are there people here who have some wisdom to share with regards to this?

From my observations, that is not true. From my observations, those who have no religion are easy targets of the spirits because they have no protections from higher beings.

Hi all the shixiongs & 大德, I have a friend wants to buy 数珠. (Beads for counting recitation.)
Any shop and what type of material beads to recommend?
Thanks in advance.

Paging Magnus Shixiong on this. I time my recitations instead of using beads. If need to, I use counter. I was told 菩提子 is good.

 

[heymee]

 

[AlmightyOnes]

From my observations, that is not true. From my observations, those who have no religion are easy targets of the spirits because they have no protections from higher beings.



Paging Magnus Shixiong on this. I time my recitations instead of using beads. If need to, I use counter. I was told 菩提子 is good.

Okay thanks for your input ^^

 

[Renzokukenz]

From my observations, that is not true. From my observations, those who have no religion are easy targets of the spirits because they have no protections from higher beings.

Yahloh I also think so, I think the "master" just trying to hypnotize or scare people into finding his service

that itself is a type of low level black magic itself

 

[Renzokukenz]

I just saw this on Kong Meng San's website:

Online Pledge of Medicine Buddha Name Chant
药师佛圣号线上念诵修持​

​

(17 October to 14 November 2020.)

Website: https://www.kmspks.org/registration/?f=P

Step 1 : Recite "Namo Xiaozai Yanshou Yao Shi Fo" or "南无消灾延寿药师佛" either 108 times, 500 times or 1000 times.

Step 2: After chanting 108 times of the mantra above, dedicate the merits of the chant to one of the following:

• For world peace and prosperity of our country
• For the stability, good health, blissfulness and auspiciousness of the people of the country
• May man-made calamities and natural disasters disappear completely
• The COVID-19 pandemic can be eliminated from the face of the Earth
• All begins who are suffering from illness and pain, the sick be cured, the helpless be helped and the poor assisted
• All of the society live in affluence
• May all our sufferings and affiliations be eliminated, bringing in good health and blissfulness
• Our Parents, family, relatives and friends to have long life and good health
• Ourselves to be able to repent all our past unwholesome actions and be free from the adversities that we are suffering, blessed with wisdom and compassion

Step 3: Recite "“To the great, compassionate Medicine Buddha!
I pray to you to bestow your blessings upon us: ""

Step 4: Key in your name and the select from the drop-down bar the number of times you chanted

Step 5: Select the dedication you spoke of previously

Step 6: Click Submit

Once again the website is : https://www.kmspks.org/registration/?f=P

 

[magnus]

what material is up to individual preference. bodhi seed, rudraksha seed, sandalwood, agarwood, crystal, etc...see which one your friend like.

if 108 crystal beads can get from wholesaler along race course road. next week if i got go there will take some photos.

Hi all the shixiongs & 大德, I have a friend wants to buy 数珠. (Beads for counting recitation.)
Any shop and what type of material beads to recommend?
Thanks in advance.

 

[magnus]

星月菩提

This one don't know what wood, given by my mother when I was a kid.

 

[Renzokukenz]

what material is up to individual preference. bodhi seed, rudraksha seed, sandalwood, agarwood, crystal, etc...see which one your friend like.

if 108 crystal beads can get from wholesaler along race course road. next week if i got go there will take some photos.

a very famous and indian guru says that rudraksha seeds is best given to you by a master because different rudraksha seeds have very different and strong energies and is not suitable for everyone

but he recommends rudraksha with 5 face for general purpose use:

The number of faces a bead can have varies from a single face up to 21 faces. They are used for different purposes, so it would be improper to just buy something in the shop and put it on the body. Wearing the wrong type could disturb one’s life. A lot of people want to wear an ek Mukhi, which has only one face because it is very powerful. You yourself have many faces. When you have many faces, if you wear an ek Mukhi, you are asking for trouble.

Five-faced beads or panchmukhi is safe and good for everyone – man, woman and child

People say if you wear an ek Mukhi, you will leave your family within twelve days. Whether you leave the family or not is not the issue, it is just that it will make your energies in such a way that you will want to be alone. It doesn’t make you compatible to be with other people. If you have to wear other kinds of special beads, it is best that it is received from someone who knows these things, not just buying from the shop and putting it on your system.

https://isha.sadhguru.org/sg/en/wisdom/article/the-significance-of-rudraksha

do make sure if you're getting a 108 mala made from rudraksha, make sure is 5 face only

 

[AlmightyOnes]

what material is up to individual preference. bodhi seed, rudraksha seed, sandalwood, agarwood, crystal, etc...see which one your friend like.

if 108 crystal beads can get from wholesaler along race course road. next week if i got go there will take some photos.

Oh.. thanks.. any address or shop name for that place?

 

[magnus]

Only know how to go there but don't know unit number or shop name. It's at blk 683.
See if I can go there this week to take photo of the shop and crystal beads.

Oh.. thanks.. any address or shop name for that place?

 

[AlmightyOnes]

Only know how to go there but don't know unit number or shop name. It's at blk 683.
See if I can go there this week to take photo of the shop and crystal beads.

Ah ok, thanks.

 

[magnus]

agate(玛瑙）prayer beads also not bad because it's considered as 佛家七宝之一 .

 

[Konnichiwa]

I train my mind... I don’t train the beads..: