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

[scheng1]

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

NAMO AMITUOFO 南无阿弥陀佛

It should be understood that people who recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, rely on the Buddha’s vow power, and desire rebirth in the Land of Bliss, have already secured their rebirth. It matters not if, upon death, they receive no assisted recitation or are unable to recite the name; they all will be reborn in the Land of Bliss. As Mater Shandao teaches us, “those who practice Buddha recitation solely, ‘When ten people practice (nianfo), ten will be reborn; when a hundred practice, one hundred will be reborn'.”

Therefore, to achieve rebirth, we should devote our effort solely to Amitabha-recitation in our lifetime to assure rebirth. We must also help others and perform assisted recitation upon their death to ensure their rebirths.

(Translated by the Pure Land School Translation Team; edited by Kevin Orro (Fozhu))

走入空門，回到源家。

When we walk in the door of emptiness,
we are in our origin home.

一失足成千古恨。再回头是百年身。佛法难闻今已闻。礼佛忏悔渡余生。

“Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. To be happy, rest like a giant tree in the midst of them all”

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

dont scare yourself..what do u expect to see ? So far i can only sense and there was once, white fog appeared before me..the bros and sisters in the hunger ghost realm are thankful and appreciate of your merit dedication.They know they are ugly enough so they will dedinitely not appear before someone who can dedicate merits to them.

According to Venerable Hai Tao, it's ok if we can't do smoke offerings when we are not available because we are doing a favour to sentient beings. Sentient beings will not blame us if we can't do it. Unseen sentient beings have supernatural power, they know when we will do and when we can't do the offerings. I don't do when it's raining (outdoor), when I come home too late, when I am overseas and when I am not available. Just to highlight that don't be afraid that if you are not available to do the offerings.

I will post Venerbale Hai Tao's original article on the above if I can find it. Just for sharing. I feel 法喜 after every offerings.

 

[waterbright]

Thig 8 Sīsūpacālā — Māra tries to tempt a nun to enjoy the pleasures of heaven.

In SN 5:7, verses similar to these are attributed to the nun Upacālā.

Sīsūpacālā:

A nun, consummate in virtue,

her faculties well-restrained,

will reach the state of peace,

a nourishment

that never cloys. (1)

Māra:

The Devas of the Thirty-three,

the Hours, the Contented,

devas who delight in creation,

& devas in control:

Direct your mind there

where you lived before. (2)

Sīsūpacālā:

The Devas of the Thirty-three,

the Hours, the Contented,

devas who delight in creation,

& devas in control:

Time & again,

from becoming to becoming,

surrounded by self-identity,

not having gone beyond self-identity,

they flow to birth & death. (3)

The whole world is burning.

The whole world is aflame.

The whole world is blazing.

The whole world is shaken. (4)

The unshaken, incomparable

—the Dhamma the Buddha taught to me,

of which people run-of-the-mill

don’t partake—

that’s where my heart

truly delights.

Having heard his words,

I dwell, delighting

in his bidding.

The three knowledges

are attained;

the Buddha’s bidding,

done.

Everywhere enjoyment

is defeated;

the mass of darkness,

burst.

So know, Evil One,

that you have been,

End-maker,

struck down.

Notes

1. This stanza does not occur in SN 5:7.

2. The parallel stanza in SN 5:7 reads:

The Devas of the Thirty-three,

the Hours, the Contented,

devas who delight in creation,

& devas in control:

Direct your mind there

and it will enjoy

delight.

3. The parallel stanza in SN 5:7 reads:

The Devas of the Thirty-three,

the Hours, the Contented,

devas who delight in creation,

& devas in control:

They are bound

with the bonds of sensuality;

they come again

under Māra’s sway.

4. This is the last line that this poem has in common with SN 5:7. The remainder of SN 5:7 reads:

The unshaken, untrembling

—of which people run-of-the-mill

don’t partake,

where Māra’s

never been—

that’s where my heart

truly delights.

 

[magnus]

Supposed to come here on last Sunday but it was raining heavily

Bonus picture.

 

[Renzokukenz]

dont scare yourself..what do u expect to see ? So far i can only sense and there was once, white fog appeared before me..the bros and sisters in the hunger ghost realm are thankful and appreciate of your merit dedication.They know they are ugly enough so they will dedinitely not appear before someone who can dedicate merits to them.

All these are rituals and "Gong" etc are more Tibetian based than Mahayana based

To be honest I am personally conflicted between these two schools.

I see these offerings and rituals as a way to practice metta, but my faith in if they work is still not solid.

Hungry Ghost and Hell beings, if the 6 realms exist, it would mean there are literally a whole world of them, maybe billions and more than the number of people on this earth

Even in the human realm, when you do good and offer things to other humans, you get backstabbed. The reality of the world is that doing good does not mean you should expect good in return. In the real world, I have done good deeds for people only to be stabbed in the back by the same people. What's to say these spirits might do the same?

What if during one of such offerings and let say I go to really dense and haunted places and I encounter an especially malevolent spirit that wants to disturb and disturb my cultivation and purposely impede my spiritual journey?

Your answer to me would be to, I will be protected by the triple gem and the Bodhisattvas that I pray to the most (Guan Yin).

But agents of light, our connection to them, to the triple gem and to Guan Yin, our connection to them is based on faith

and as a human being, faith is something that is wavering for me. it goes up and it goes down from time to time.

What if by pure chance I encounter the especially malevolent spirit when my faith was at its weakest?

My previous hesitation was that if I poke the ant nest, even if it was done in an effort to help them, I am messing with things and beings beyond my capability.

The safest route is to not poke the ant nest.

that is my thinking.
moreover, I hope doing such rituals will not end up with me forgetting that the whole point is to develop metta and the bodhi heart and compassion

I am very honestly just conflicted between different schools of thought for Buddhism.

I don't know what got me started doing the smoke offering recently, but it felt right, so i just follow what feels right.

Yet I have to do it secretively because of the common people (for example my mum) who don't understand what I am doing, they think I am praying to the devil for 4D numbers. I had to do all these secretively.


anyway just sharing.
i don't have a clear answer as to why i scare myself, other than that i am human and that as a human being, faith is something that goes up and down

 

[viethai]

Supposed to come here on last Sunday but it was raining heavily

Bonus picture.

rejoice..cemetery is indeed a peaceful place

 

[viethai]

All these are rituals and "Gong" etc are more Tibetian based than Mahayana based

To be honest I am personally conflicted between these two schools.

I see these offerings and rituals as a way to practice metta, but my faith in if they work is still not solid.

Hungry Ghost and Hell beings, if the 6 realms exist, it would mean there are literally a whole world of them, maybe billions and more than the number of people on this earth

Even in the human realm, when you do good and offer things to other humans, you get backstabbed. The reality of the world is that doing good does not mean you should expect good in return. In the real world, I have done good deeds for people only to be stabbed in the back by the same people. What's to say these spirits might do the same?

What if during one of such offerings and let say I go to really dense and haunted places and I encounter an especially malevolent spirit that wants to disturb and disturb my cultivation and purposely impede my spiritual journey?

Your answer to me would be to, I will be protected by the triple gem and the Bodhisattvas that I pray to the most (Guan Yin).

But agents of light, our connection to them, to the triple gem and to Guan Yin, our connection to them is based on faith

and as a human being, faith is something that is wavering for me. it goes up and it goes down from time to time.

What if by pure chance I encounter the especially malevolent spirit when my faith was at its weakest?

My previous hesitation was that if I poke the ant nest, even if it was done in an effort to help them, I am messing with things and beings beyond my capability.

The safest route is to not poke the ant nest.

that is my thinking.
moreover, I hope doing such rituals will not end up with me forgetting that the whole point is to develop metta and the bodhi heart and compassion

I am very honestly just conflicted between different schools of thought for Buddhism.

I don't know what got me started doing the smoke offering recently, but it felt right, so i just follow what feels right.

Yet I have to do it secretively because of the common people (for example my mum) who don't understand what I am doing, they think I am praying to the devil for 4D numbers. I had to do all these secretively.

anyway just sharing.
i don't have a clear answer as to why i scare myself, other than that i am human and that as a human being, faith is something that goes up and down

the 1st time when I did offering to the sentient beings, my fear was what if they come and dont go away and not what if they appeared b4 me. Subsequent offering, my fear has changed to what if they dont come !

You know I will have this hair standing sensation when something is around but after picking up and doing 施食 for near 2 weeks, I couldnt sense anything and was worried that I could have chant the mantra wrongly or the procedure was wrong. There was 1 morning around 4++am and I went to the river bank and did my offering there, still unable to detect anything so I ask politely in mandarin whether I have chanted the mantra correctly and have they receive the merits. suddenly white fog appeared b4 me and every single hair on my body stand like nobody business. nothing scary and thats the type of warmth sensation you experience when you return home after a long time overseas. I feel so welcoming. Since then I develop this type of connection and maybe they want to reinforce my faith. AMTF

continue with your spiritual practice. you will find something or 法门 that suits you the best

 

[Renzokukenz]

the 1st time when I did offering to the sentient beings, my fear was what if they come and dont go away and not what if they appeared b4 me. Subsequent offering, my fear has changed to what if they dont come !

You know I will have this hair standing sensation when something is around but after picking up and doing 施食 for near 2 weeks, I couldnt sense anything and was worried that I could have chant the mantra wrongly or the procedure was wrong. There was 1 morning around 4++am and I went to the river bank and did my offering there, still unable to detect anything so I ask politely in mandarin whether I have chanted the mantra correctly and have they receive the merits. suddenly white fog appeared b4 me and every single hair on my body stand like nobody business. nothing scary and thats the type of warmth sensation you experience when you return home after a long time overseas. I feel so welcoming. Since then I develop this type of connection and maybe they want to reinforce my faith. AMTF

continue with your spiritual practice. you will find something or 法门 that suits you the best

on the first day of me burning the incense, I was worried they won't come.
i was also worried if I chanted wrongly, or if English prayers will work.

i did feel my hair standing on ends when i close my eyes and chant
but i remind myself the most important is still developing compassion, even for the unknown.

my family members,
two of them are completely no spiritual and emotionally weak.
my only worry is that what if one day an evil spirit follow me home and bring downfall to them.

sometimes, i wish i have my own place so I can more conducively practice
but yea, most and bulk of the worry is towards my uncultivated family members who are very weak in their own spiritual beliefs

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

on the first day of me burning the incense, I was worried they won't come.
i was also worried if I chanted wrongly, or if English prayers will work.

i did feel my hair standing on ends when i close my eyes and chant
but i remind myself the most important is still developing compassion, even for the unknown.

my family members,
two of them are completely no spiritual and emotionally weak.
my only worry is that what if one day an evil spirit follow me home and bring downfall to them.

sometimes, i wish i have my own place so I can more conducively practice
but yea, most and bulk of the worry is towards my uncultivated family members who are very weak in their own spiritual beliefs

My advice is do the offerings in the open space on the ground floor. Some Shi Xiongs here and I have been doing it for years, so no worries sentient beings won't follow you home.

A&W Shi Xiong , I can concur with your statement "Sentient beings will not blame us if we can't do it"

As you might not be aware , beside the usual daily chanting, I only focus on 施食 or offering to the sentient beings. Its only recent that I started to pick up sutra copying again. 施食 has been my daily practice, do it everyday and almost everywhere BUT i actually stopped doing it during our circuit breaker and only resume it in October. Yes I stopped 施食 for near 6 months ! why cause my 2 elders at home thought I was possessed and toying with all these sentient beings and demand me to stop at all cost ! I obey reluctantly.

End sep, happened to meet someone with high level of spiritual connectivity. We were having our usual chit chat and I told him I did 施食. Suddenly a statement pop out from him, he mentioned I was actually doing it daily and diligently but suddenly stopped but the sentient beings are appreciative but aware of the dilemma I am in so they WILL NOT BLAME ME ! He also told me whether I could sense men in white around me, he said these are my divine protectors. He encouraged me to continue with my spiritual practice

after hearing his statement, I am more determined to carry on 施食 at all cost. Manage to convince my seniors at home so here i come again

The statement 'sentient beings won't blame us for not available to do the offerings' was said by Hai Tao Fashi. Thanks for sharing. What the 高人 said tallied with what Hai Tao Fashi said.

 

[viethai]

必學！清淨保護身心不受眾生干擾的六個咒語

法會結束後必念的六個咒語：
圓滿奉送、觀想自己的身口意跟佛菩薩一樣、讓自己外表有保護及身口意清淨。

1.《圓滿奉送咒》：「唵　乏及拉　目訖叉木」(3遍)
2.《佛部三昧耶》：「嗡 打他噶打 睹把巴牙 司乏哈」(1遍）
3.《蓮花部三昧耶》：「嗡 叭德嘛 獨把巴牙 司乏哈」(1遍)
4.《金剛部三昧耶》：「嗡 乏及喇 獨把巴牙 司乏哈」(1遍)
5.《披甲護身真言》：「嗡　乏及喇　谷里獨巴地　怕塔牙　司乏哈」(5遍)
6.《金剛薩埵心咒》：「嗡 班札 薩埵 吽」 (一口氣念7遍，共21遍)


海濤法師開示：
一.圓滿奉送
這個《圓滿奉送咒》，要背下來，以後你去醫院、殯儀館一定要念，因為各位功德太大，祂不跟你跟誰呢？就像一個人有錢，所以強盜只會找他。

《圓滿奉送咒》，也叫《金剛解脫咒》：「唵　乏及拉　目訖叉木」。
這個咒的手印是——兩隻手打金剛拳手印，食指相勾，然後彈開，祂就解脫了，奉送了。

二、觀想你的身口意跟佛菩薩一樣。
《佛部三昧耶》：「嗡 打他噶打 睹把巴牙 司乏哈」。
《蓮花部三昧耶》：「嗡 叭德嘛 獨把巴牙 司乏哈」。
《金剛部三昧耶》：「嗡 乏及喇 獨把巴牙 司乏哈」。

三、外表有保護。
《披甲護身真言》：「嗡　乏及喇　谷里獨巴地　怕塔牙　司乏哈」
(念第一遍時，手印置於額頭)
(念第二遍時，手印置於右肩)
(念第三遍時，手印置於左肩)
(念第四遍時，手印置於心間胸口)
(念第五遍時，手印置於喉嚨)

四、身口意清淨。
《金剛薩埵心咒》：「嗡 班札 薩埵 吽」
一口氣念七遍，三口氣要念完二十一遍，身口意清淨。

以後每天晚上睡覺至少要念二十一遍，好不好？
把今天不小心造的惡業，像我們踏在草裏面，小蟲也被我們踏死了，所以要把身口意的惡業都淨化，這樣就很好睡覺，惡業不會留到明天。

如果你今天造一個惡業，你不懺悔，明天就變兩倍，後天就變四倍，變八倍，像滾雪球一樣，很可怕。

所以每天都要念21遍「嗡 班札 薩埵 吽」，一口氣念七遍念到沒氣，就把業障消除了。

「嗡 班札 薩埵 吽」
（第一口氣念7遍，身業清淨)
（第二口氣念7遍，口業清淨)
（第三口氣念7遍，意業清淨)

 

[viethai]

The statement 'sentient beings won't blame us for not available to do the offerings' was said by Hai Tao Fashi. Thanks for sharing. What the 高人 said tallied with what Hai Tao Fashi.

my bad, should be concur with Venerable Hai Tao statement

 

[AUTUMN&WINTER]

Detailed explanations on smoke offerings. This lady is a fortune teller. She said smoke offerings is 行善积德. She advised those who are unlucky to do smoke offerings to change their life to a better one.

 

[Renzokukenz]

Detailed explanations on smoke offerings. This lady is a fortune teller. She said smoke offerings is 行善积德. She advised those who are unlucky to do smoke offerings to change their life to a better one.

One of the reasons why I’m doing it because I think I’m at one of the lowest point in my life.
I won’t deny that I do seek to turn things around by accumulating merit.
But I always tell myself it is the development of compassion and metta that is of the most importance.

There’s another guy doing smoke offering at my HDB void deck.
Sometimes I wonder if there’s “enough” restless spirits around because in recent years, I can feel there are fewer “spirits” loitering around my void deck.

No wonder Magnus always go to dark and abandon places.

Also, I now understand why TingSha and Bells exists, it is to alert nearby spiritual beings to come and enjoy the offerings.

 

[Renzokukenz]

.

Wow this video is really informative.
Though my Chinese cmi, I do understand 90% of it.

 

[Renzokukenz]

Anyway I use 3 cones now.

And I light each of the cone one by one as per the blue parts of the prayer :

oṃ āḥ hūṃ
This sur offering, billowing clouds of oceanic sensory enjoyments,

I offer to the Three Jewels and Three Roots, the guests invited out of respect.
Protect me in your compassion, I pray, and cause me to complete the accumulations and
purify my obscuration!
I offer to the oath-bound dharma protectors, guests invited on account of their qualities:
May you be pleased and satisfied and dispel all outer and inner
obstacles!
I offer to the sentient beings of the six classes, guests invited out of compassion:
May you be free from all forms of suffering and gain immaculate
bliss!
I dedicate to harmful influences, obstructing forces, gods and spirits, the guests to whom I
owe karmic debts:
May all violence and malevolence be pacified and may you live
happily and beneficially.
In a state of unimpeded openness, beyond any focus on the various guests in saṃsāra or
nirvāṇa,
May we be liberated in the dharmadhātu expanse that is entirely free of the three conceptual spheres.

 

[Renzokukenz]

I believe the make up of the hungry ghost realms is diverse and probably more diverse than we experience in our vicinity in our human realms. Who are these beings ? They are simply you and me if we don’t success in our practice ! We have a chance to reincarnate there or any other realms. So the good and evil we see here will be similarly be present there. However, there are much, much more that we don’t know. Do we know how Africans think ? Or those people in South America ? Only lately, then I have a better appreciation what White Supremacist is.

When sentient beings are born in the hungry ghost realm, they also have powers which we don’t. So I would not build a lasting relationship with any individual or groups. Humans can be friends one day and enemies another.

But that does not mean I don’t do offerings. I do during the 7th month. And also during 法会. In the former, I just offer, 随缘. Whoever comes along can take it and we go separate ways. In the latter, the temples and the 法师 in 法会 are in control. So I trust them to do their jobs. I was told not to do such proceedings on our own (which I didn’t intend to do anyway). In these 法会, eg 三时, you invite sentient beings from the different realms when the process starts and send them back when it ends. But you need to know how to do it correctly. There is a saying: 请神容易送神难.

I think as a beginner, it’s better to follow somebody more experienced so that one do it correctly.

Cheers, 南无阿弥陀佛

Yea you basically elaborated in great detail on my fears.
I’ll stick to places I’m familiar with

 

[scheng1]

All these are rituals and "Gong" etc are more Tibetian based than Mahayana based

To be honest I am personally conflicted between these two schools.

There's only One Dharma taught by Buddha. We do not have to split Buddhism into 3 schools. The traditions are different, but all 84000 Dharma doors are leading us to the same goal. if you see as One Dharma with 84000 Dharma doors, you won't feel conflicted.

 

[Laneige]

Food+ medicine.
Can get from taobao or a shop in aljunied.
Some shops selling Buddhist stuff should have similar incense.

So if one do standard 晚课， can use this instead ?
I think Wan ker the 施食 is rice grain n water n just hand gestures as it’s relying on Buddha mantra to do the 施食？

 

[magnus]

If for 施食 can but this incense quite smoky

So if one do standard 晚课， can use this instead ?
I think Wan ker the 施食 is rice grain n water n just hand gestures as it’s relying on Buddha mantra to do the 施食？