Today I will talk about observing precepts. The Buddha said, “It is through observing precepts and abiding by the law that the body and mind can be peaceful.” A person who observes precepts know the dos and don’ts in life, and uphold their moral discipline. “Law” here refers to the governing law in the Human Realm, the Underworld or Heaven, conditional on the realm in question. Only by observing precepts and abiding by the law can our body and mind be peaceful.
今天给你们讲持戒,佛说:“人能持戒、守法,才能得身心安定。”如果一个人能持戒,知道什么事可以做,什么事不可以做,守自己的戒律。守法,这个法在人间指的是法律,在阴间指的是阴律,在天上指的是天律。只有持戒守法,身心才能安定。
How do our body and mind become peaceful? By observing precepts and abiding by the law, you realise that it allows our worries, anxieties and fears to subside. Much the same as when a person has committed no evil, they will not be afraid even if the policemen come knocking on their door. As long as one can observe precepts, they are free from all worries, anxieties and fear. Another example. An overweight person was advised by the doctor, “If you continue to gain weight, you will contract heart disease”. If this person heeds this warning and refrains from eating high cholesterol and oily foods, they would no longer be worried. Their body and mind would then be peaceful.
身心是怎样安定的呢?因为你持戒守法,所以你知道持戒守法可以医治烦恼、忧愁、恐惧。又如:你今天没做坏事,你就不会有恐惧感,警察上门你都不会惧怕。如果你能持戒就不会有烦恼、忧虑、恐惧。比如:一个很胖的人,医生告诉说:“如果再胖下去就会得心脏病。”如果你听医生的话,守戒不多吃胆固醇过高的食物,不多吃油腻的食物,你就没有忧虑了。没有忧虑,你的身心就能得安定。
When it comes to cultivating our mind, do you know what we are cultivating? From a certain perspective, it’s about observing precepts. Refrain from doing the things you shouldn’t do, from saying the things you shouldn’t say and from thinking about the things you shouldn’t think. You must constantly practise self-restraint so that you can get rid of your bad habits. A person who fails to do so will not sincerely cultivate their mind; they will be at the mercy of their destiny. Many people enjoy good health today because they have adhered to precepts, cultivate their mind and recite Buddhist scriptures.
你们知道修心修的是什么?修心从某种意义上来讲就是守戒,不该做的事,不能做。不该说的话,不能说。不该想的,不能想。事事都要克制自己,把自己身上不好的习气戒掉。如果一个人不能守戒律,这个人就不会真心地修心,只能按照自己的命运走。今天很多人守戒律,修心念经,他们的身体就很健康。
One of the Five Precepts in Buddhism is “refrain from stealing”. Should you violate this precept, don’t you think you’ll be caught by the police? Similarly, the precept of “not killing” – if you kill a person, you would have broken the law in the Human Realm. If you kill an animal, you would have broken the law of the Underworld. Even if punishment isn’t served in the Human Realm regarding the killing of animals, inescapably, you will suffer due punishment in the Underworld. Hence, everyone should follow these Five Precepts; they are not limited to the monastic community.
佛菩萨说的五戒里的“不偷盗”,如果你不守戒去偷盗了,你们说会不会被警察抓住?“不杀生”,如果你杀人,那你犯的是阳律,即阳间的法律。如果你杀动物,那你犯的是阴律,即阴间的阴律,虽然在阳界,法律上不能惩罚你,但在阴律上,还是要全部受惩罚的,所以五戒对人而言都应该遵守,并不仅针对和尚和尼姑。
Let me share with you two things about this world. Firstly, what’s happened has happened. Many people ask questions like, “Why did it happen to me? What did something like that happen to me?” There is no “why”. If you got cancer, you got cancer. If you die, you die. Many people are mentally unprepared when calamity strikes. But what’s supposed to happen will happen. Secondly, once your money is given away it’s no longer yours. For example, when somebody swindles you, and you have transferred your money to them, it’s no longer yours. There are people who covet riches and dream about making a fortune through some miracles. Please take note; there is no miracle in this world. Even the so-called miracles are due to the karmic causes that you sowed in your previous lives. Peace and safety are blessings. If someone can remain peaceful and safe in life, then they are blessed. I have talked about the “Precepts, Concentration and Wisdom” in Buddhism. Concentration stems from observing the precepts. When you start observing the precepts, your body and mind will become peaceful and you will stop seeking anything. Without desires, your mind is pure. With concentration, wisdom arises. Because wisdom arises when you are able to remain unmoved and calm. No matter what life throws at you, you will remain cool, calm and collected.
关于这个世间,给你们讲两件事:第一,在这世界上发生的事发生了就发生了,你们不要以为,为什么会发生在我身上?为什么我会出这种事情?没有为什么。生癌症就生癌症了;死了就死了。多少人没有思想准备,该发生事的一下子就发生了。第二,在这世界上钱出去了就不是你的了。比如:你被人家骗了钱,付出去了,就不是你的了。有些人贪图利益,想发大财,想在人间创造一些奇迹,要记住,在人间没有奇迹出来。真正的奇迹,也是前世所造,平安就是福,能一辈子平平安安,这个人就是有福之人。师父以前给你们讲过“戒定慧”,因戒得定,因为你戒了之后,身心就会越来越安定,不求任何东西,没有欲望,心就净了。因定得慧,因你能定下来,智慧就开了,碰到事情你就会冷静,不会吵,不会闹。
Today, I’ll share with you the concept of “three minor orifices”— the three tips to broadening your mind, helping you start to understand things properly: Listen, read and enter.
今天给你们讲讲小三窍,即称脑子开窍。听,读,入。
Listen to Buddhist teachings, the scriptures and principles attentively and regularly. The benefit of listening to Buddhist teachings, positive words, kind words, inspirational words goes a long way, as you mind will gradually awaken.
听佛法,听经文,听道理。要用耳去听,要多听。一个人如果能多听佛法,多听好话,多听善良的话,多听能让人开悟的话,这个人的心就会慢慢入窍,即开窍了。
Listen to Buddhist teachings, read Buddhist scriptures, and become familiar with it. Through listening, reading and putting the knowledge into practice, you can enter a certain spiritual state – it’s not an ordinary state, but a state of awakening.
听佛法,读经文,要熟读,听读之后真正地用了,你才能入,才能进入这个境界,不是普通的境界,而是开悟的境界。
There are two fundamentals in life. The first being the body, which is the root of our suffering. Why do we suffer? It’s because of our physical body. For example, when we fall ill, when we lose our jobs, when we have car accidents, etc. All these are created by your body. Hence it is the root of your suffering. Here’s another example. You’re thirsty, and you crave for water. What if water is not available, then what will you do? You would start to think about buying some. But what if you don’t have any money? You are then left with no choice but to earn money through physical hard work. The second fundamental is material desire. It has to do with your craving for just about everything; when these cravings are not satisfied, suffering is inevitable. This is also a root cause of affliction.
人的一生有两个根,一个叫身根,即身体。身体是你苦的根本,为什么会苦?是因为这个身体,如:在人间生病了,没工作了,出车祸了等等,都是因为你的身体在造做,这个身体就是你苦的根本。又比如你口渴了想喝水,如果没有水怎么办?想买水,没有钱怎么办?只好用身体去吃苦挣钱。另一个叫物根,即物欲。什么东西都想要,得不到就感到苦,这也是一个病根。
As long as we have this physical body, we are bound to the reality of birth, ageing, sickness and death; while all material existence (or substance in this world) pass through the four states of phenomena – formation, existence, destruction and emptiness. For example, a table is made from wood; it has hence come into existence; over time, the wood will start to decay, and the table goes through the destruction phase; it will then be deemed useless and discarded as it enters into the stage of emptiness. This phenomenon applies to all the things and matters we see in this world, that is:
人只要有色身就一定会生、老、病、死。只要有物在,即人间所有的物质,有物质的东西一定会成、住、坏、空。比如:一张桌子,先用木头做成桌子,成功了,时间长了木头开始变质腐烂,之后桌子坏了,不能用了,最后扔了,这个桌子就空了。所以你们所看到的世界上所有的事物,实际上都是成、住、坏、空的演变。
Human – birth, ageing, sickness and death;
Material – formation, existence, destruction and emptiness.
人——生、老、病、死;物——成、住、坏、空。
Mahayana Buddhism is the inner wisdom and deliverance [liberation or awakening] of the Bodhisattvas. Mahayana Buddhism features liberating all sentient beings from suffering and helping them spiritually awaken. Bodhisattvas are well aware of the suffering they have to endure in the process, but they still save sentient beings. For example, when a disaster happens, an ordinary person would prioritise who to save first. However, this isn’t the case for Bodhisattvas because as far as they are concerned, all sentient beings are equal. In practising Buddhism, it is rare for one to adopt the spirit of Mahayana Buddhism to save all predestined sentient beings, because as humans, our minds discriminate. Bodhisattvas said, “Save immeasurable and boundless sentient beings; the number is akin to the sand of Ganges River, hence immeasurable.” In Mahayana Buddhism, this approach is referred to as “universal deliverance of sentient beings equally”. Save sentient beings universally without partiality, no matter what happens or whether they are male or female, young or old, poor or rich, noble or lowly. For example, many people are sitting here listening to my Dharma talk. The level of cultivation, the degree of comprehension and the ability to learn the lesson varies from person to person. While I am impartial in imparting knowledge to all disciples, the energy that you receive is different, it is unequal. This inequality is created by you, not by me. I have given all of you the same amount of energy. However, it is your ability to receive and your level of cultivation that determine how much energy you can actually gain.
大乘佛法是菩萨的心智心度。大乘佛法讲的是救度一切众生,菩萨非但知道自己很苦要救度,还要救度众生,例如当一个灾难来临时,当一个人去救人的时候,他会想到先救谁后救谁,但菩萨是不分这些的,当然不管什么人都要救。然而在人间学佛像这种大乘佛法救度一切有缘众生的非常少,因为人有分别心。菩萨说:救度无量无边的众生,犹如恒河的沙子一样,即没有数量。而且菩萨救人在大乘佛法里叫平等普度,即在普度众生时是平等的,不论任何情况,不论男女老幼,不论贫富贵贱。比如:今天在这里听师父开示的人,每个人的道行不一样,理解的程度不一样,接受的能力不一样,而师父是平等地给每位弟子讲解,但是每位弟子所接受的能量是不一样的,是不平等,这个不平等是你们自己造成的而不是师父造成的,师父给了你们同等的能量,而你们是否都能接受,取决于你们自身接受的能力与修为。
Some practices are selective about whom to save and share teachings with. They share teachings with those they favour and not with those they dislike. They remain attached to things or people.
小乘佛法在救度众生时,是看人而立,即要看对方是谁,不喜欢的不度,有执著心,我喜欢的人我度,我不喜欢的人就不度。
But we must learn the spirit of Mahayana Buddhism of liberating all predestined sentient beings from suffering! Some practices, however, take the approach of “if you don’t ask, you don’t get.” That is, sharing of the teachings is only rendered to those who actively seek help. Have you seen this kind of things? Not taking action unless people make the first move and ask for help. If others do not ask you for help, will you take the initiative to help them? Though in Buddhism it is said, “awaken only those with karmic affinities or conditions”, this should not be misunderstood as never reaching out to those who do not have affinities. Rather, we shall wait for their karmic affinities to ripen. The wisdom of Bodhisattva is perfect; it’s complete and perfect enlightenment. In studying and practising Buddhism, we must be diligent on all fronts. Helping others is not something we do at our whims and fancies. For the people who do not have affinities or conditions yet, be that as it may, create conditions, so you can lend your helping hand to them in the future. I hope that this is something that all of you can do.
我们要修学大乘佛法救度一切有缘众生!小乘佛法还有一点就是众生不求,不度。你们现在有没有这种现象?人家不求你,你就不度。人家不求你,你们会想到主动去救度人家吗?佛法说“无缘不度”,不是说永远不度,而是等到因缘成熟再救度,千万不要误解。菩萨的智慧是圆融的,是正等正觉,修学佛法要全面精进,而不是说高兴就度,不高兴就不度,没有缘分的应该创造缘分也要度,希望你们大家都能做到。
When you listen to Buddhist teachings, do not take what you hear at its face value. Whenever I am giving Dharma talk, I am essentially talking about life lessons, so avoid simply confining your understanding to what’s explicitly written or stated. Instead, you should look out for the underlying principles behind it, that is, the doctrine. I am here to provide you with guidance; I am here to teach you a set of theories, of which you should learn to study and figure out the underlying principles. The principles ought to be proper, never preposterous but correct and true – it is a set of principles based upon Buddha-dharma applied in the Human Realm.
听讲经,听讲法,你们不要去听他的句子,师父给你们讲经说法,讲的是人生道理,不要去听他的句子,也不要去听他的语言措词,你们应该听他讲的道理,也就是教理。因为师父现在在教导你们,教你们一套理论,你们要去揣摩他的理,这个理要适中,不是歪理,是正理,是一套法理,人间佛法的法理。
Speaking of performing life liberation, the greatest benefit from this act is that you are saving future Buddhas. Think about it, when you release a fish from imminent death, and your children see it, the feeling of compassion will arise in them. The child may become a Buddha in the future. Remember, the influence of a role model is immeasurable. It stands to reason that your cultivation should be based on immense fearlessness and compassion, as it is a sure-fire way to cultivate your inherent nature.
讲到放生,最大的优点是救未来佛。因为你今天放生所做的一切事情,或等鱼投胎后可能会成为一个人,或如果让你的后代看见了,他就会生出一种慈悲心,这孩子说不定将来就是佛,记住榜样的力量是无穷的。你今天放下去的这条鱼,也说不定是你过去生中的亲属。要用大无畏的慈悲精神修心,你一定会修出本性。
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