Buddha crossing a predestined person: Dharma and wisdom in life

Chapter 68 Cultivating a Heart of Charity with the Buddha’s Mind——Being Compassionate and Kind (2)
Second, "the inner state of mind is not affected by the secular world".I do not know when the Chinese people tend to follow the herd, and it has not declined.I can't "casual" every day when others wear famous brands; I have to make up for this shortcoming by selling pots and selling iron to borrow usury; others are greedy for profit, and I will be wronged if I don’t do a few bad things; ...As Liang Qichao said: You can follow others, but you can't free your ears!Liang Qichao also said that this phenomenon is like a monkey show, "If you dance, the monkeys will dance; if you throw, the monkeys will throw; if you dance, the monkeys will dance; if you laugh, the monkeys will laugh; Yan Ze group of monkeys scolded."

If a person wants to gain spiritual freedom, he must have his own opinions, clearly know what he wants, and pursue what he thinks is good.

Third, "the inner state of mind is not affected by the situation".There are good times and bad times in life, this is a normal phenomenon, and we should bear it rationally.In times of prosperity, one is complacent and does not know how to guard against inevitability; in times of adversity, one is discouraged and does not dare to forge ahead, so one is inevitably swayed by circumstances and cannot be free.Liang Qichao said: "Those who win the battle will stand, and those who do not fight but are oppressed by the environment will perish." Only by transcending the environment can the mind be free.

Confucius was a great sage, but he encountered more adversity in his life than ordinary people.He can take it lightly.One year, he led his disciples to travel around the world and got stuck between Chen Guo and Cai Guo. They could only live on wild vegetables for seven days.Confucius didn't have any complaints, and he still played the piano and sang in the house as always.

Zilu, Zigong and Yanhui were gathering wild vegetables together.Zilu said to Zigong, "I have been with you for so long. First he was expelled from the state of Lu, then he was forced to live in seclusion in the state of Wei, and then the tree was cut down while practicing rituals under the state of Song. Now he is There is a dilemma between Chen and Cai. The master has suffered so much humiliation. Although the person who insulted the master has never been punished, the singing of the master has not stopped. Is the gentleman not ashamed of everything?"

After they returned, Yan Hui told Confucius truthfully what Zilu had said.

Confucius unhappily pushed aside the qin, and asked Yan Hui to call Zilu and Zigong in, and said sternly, "Do you know that a gentleman is mastered in morals, which is called mastery; embarrassment in morals is embarrassment. Now I stick to benevolence and righteousness." How can it be called embarrassment? I reflect on myself, do not feel morally guilty, and do not lose my character in the face of disaster. When the severe cold comes, the pines and cypresses in the frost and snow We know that the pines and cypresses are full of vitality. In the past, Duke Huan of Qi had the desire to restore his country and seek hegemony because of his exile in Ju; I have a heart to restore the country and seek hegemony because of the shame of my country. Now we are in a difficult situation between Chen and Cai, so it is probably lucky for me!"

Obtaining the freedom of the mind requires the power of faith.In any case, believe that the current situation is just a station in life, and whether it is good or bad, it is not a place to stay for a long time.Especially when encountering adversity, don't linger in it.Think of tomorrow with optimism, and take it forward in stride.

Fourth, "the inner state of mind is not affected by lust".From ancient times to the present, how many heroes have been trapped by lust.No matter men or women, when encountering lust troubles, their IQ will drop by 20 immediately, their ability will drop by [-] years, they will not be able to do things well, and they will not be able to do things well, and even completely change the direction of life.Western philosophers have said: The degree of success of a person lies in the extent to which he has transferred his lust to more positive things.The degree of freedom of a person lies in the extent to which he has overcome the obsession of lust.

The inner state of mind remains forever free from external influences.When the night is quiet, it is the psychological environment for a person to ask himself and examine himself.At this time, if you seek the truth falsely, the "false" that loses your nature is easy to be captured, and the "truth" that returns to the original is easy to reveal.It is in such pure solitude that people recognize the truth and essence of things.Now that the true nature has returned and the delusional nature has been restrained, the heart of repentance that knows shame and repents will spontaneously arise.

Russell pointed out: "A person who does not have the ability to be alone will not become a great man." A person who does not have the ability to be alone cannot be a successful person either.

Being alone quietly, thinking about everything, and not thinking about anything is a good medicine for impetuousness and troubles.Only by being alone can we "enlighten Zen", "sit and forget", and "return to simplicity".If you don't say or do things that you haven't thought about clearly, at least you won't "get twice the result with half the effort", or "do not succeed enough, but fail more than you do".Think clearly, understand thoroughly, and then talk, and then do it, and then you can do what you say, get twice the result with half the effort, and do it with ease.People who always hope to be in the midst of a group of flattering people like clouds encircle the moon, but those who cannot calm down are destined not to obtain pure wisdom, and are destined not to accomplish great things.

Quiet is not "dead still", but "alive still".

Another motto in "Cai Gen Tan": "Those who are active are clouded by electricity and wind lamps, and those who are addicted to silence are ashes and haggard trees; only when the clouds are still and the water is calm, and there is a phenomenon of fishes leaping and kites flying, is the Taoist mind." Portrait of a person who cannot calm down Like thunder and lightning, and the wind blowing out the lights, it is impossible for him not to be restless.People who are too lonely are as lifeless as dead dust and dry wood.A person with a pure heart should be different from the above two extremes. His inner world is like colorful clouds floating in still water, and fishes and kites flying between heaven and earth, lively and full of vitality.There is atmosphere, aura, and majesty in the stillness, not only the stillness of death, but it is called the pure state.Quiet, it doesn't have to be locked at night, you have to be alone in a quiet room.

There is also a motto in "Cai Gen Tan": "If you are not sure, you should get rid of the hustle and bustle, so that this mind does not see what you want and is not chaotic, so as to clarify my body; if you hold it firmly, you should be mixed with others, so that this mind can see what you want. Not to be chaotic, so as to support my well-being." For those who are uncertain, such as teenagers, they should choose an environment where they can study quietly like Meng Mu's three moves, so that they can stay away from the hustle and bustle, be firm, simple, kind, and eager to learn and make progress. For those who already have the wisdom of a pure heart, they should be allowed to "walk in the wind and dust" and go to the complex and diverse reality to hone their minds and strengthen their resistance and immunity, so as to make this pure heart more rounded, fuller, and fuller. More practical effect.The former is "quiet in stillness" and the latter is "quiet in motion". "Peace of mind is specialization", and a pure heart is the "ability to be alone in spirit" in a state of tranquility without being changed by the environment.

The Buddha is not elsewhere, but in my heart

Buddha is not authoritative, nor dominating.The dominion and authority of the Buddha reside in everyone's own heart.Therefore, it is not a superstition to say that one learns Buddhism, but a righteous belief.Righteous faith means self-awareness, self-awareness, and self-enlightenment. This is the true spirit of studying Buddhism.

Buddhism believes that everyone has a Buddha in their hearts, but they have not discovered it.A person can suddenly discover the Buddha in his heart due to a certain event, and then become a Buddha. This is called sudden enlightenment.Therefore, the Buddha is not elsewhere, but the Buddha is in our hearts, and the Buddha is ourselves.

Wherever you go, the Buddha is actually in everyone's heart. You don't need to look around for happiness. In your heart, the Buddha will not dislike any life, no matter high or low, poor or rich, no matter where you are, the brilliance of life lies in creating meaning.Buddha is in the heart.

In life, if you have beauty in your heart, you can become a good person; if you have evil in your heart, you will become a wicked person.Each of us is what we make of ourselves.

As the saying goes: "Fortune telling for the poor and burning incense for the rich".In recent years, life may have been better, and there are more and more faithful men and women.On the first and fifteenth day of the lunar new year, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day..., you go to Jiming Temple, Qixia Temple, and Pilu Temple, and there are crowds of people.I am afraid that even the Bodhisattvas could not predict the prosperity of the incense.Those who light incense, those who burn candles, those who bow, and those who kneel down are all extremely devout.

Every now and then, a story comes to mind.

It is said that a long time ago, there were two Buddhist believers who were vegetarians all their lives, burned incense and worshiped Buddha, and were extremely devout.Finally one day, there is still one step away from becoming a real fruit.So on the eve of the Buddha's birthday, he rushed to the west to face the saint, in order to ask the Lord Buddha to turn him into a fairy.On the way, I passed a butcher shop, and the butcher was devout to the Buddha, and he was always willing to do good deeds.However, to make a living, he had to sell meat for a living.Seeing two people going to the west, the butcher asked: "Are you two going to the west to meet the saint?" The meaty one took out his own heart with a knife, wrapped it in lotus leaves and gave it to the two of them.The two continued on their way.Seeing that the western sky is approaching.One day, I saw a person on the side of the road holding a large pot, the oil in the pot was already boiling.The man asked: "Are you two going to the west to meet the saint?" The answer: "Yes." "To go to the west, you must pass through this pot." The two were shocked and didn't know what to do.Suddenly remembered the heart of selling meat, and quietly discussed, why not try it out.So, put your heart lightly into the frying pan.Suddenly, a lotus flower floated out of the pot and slowly rose into the sky.The two were overjoyed: Sure enough, they got the Tao.So, jump into the pot hand in hand.With a squeak, twisted together...

It is said that this is the origin of fried dough sticks.

I like this story because it tells us that whether we can achieve the "right result" actually depends on the heart rather than the action.

Therefore, it is said, "If the heart is too fast, if the life is too good, it will be obedient."This sentence makes more sense.Some people win a lottery by buying a lottery ticket, some people buy a single stock and double it several times, some people are mediocre but rise to the top, and some people live a happy life with a good wife and a prosperous husband.Hey, don't be jealous of others, that's fate.It is not something who can get it by hard work or "learning".

And "the heart is good, don't eat fast", that is to say, as long as you concentrate on doing good, you can practice without sticking to the form, just like the butcher.Conversely, even if you eat vegetarian food and recite Buddha's name all your life, if you don't have a kind heart, it's hard to achieve a positive result, just like "fried dough sticks".

In the face of the complicated real world, the secularized Buddhist practice follows the idea of ​​both being out of the world and entering into the world - a Zen saying "wine and meat pass through the intestines, and the Buddha sits in the heart", expresses its profound philosophical thought in a popular way, and provides the world with infinite With the supreme code of conduct - no matter when and where, no matter what you want to do, you can't lose the principle of "being kind".Perhaps, this is the greatest blessing of Buddhism to mankind.

Chairman Mao once said: "It is not difficult for one person to do good deeds, what is difficult is to do good deeds for a lifetime." In fact, what is really difficult is to have a kind heart.

With a kind heart, you can save people with kindness everywhere, look at the world with gentle eyes, resolve the contradictions, conflicts, and discords around you with a tolerant and calm attitude, and create a relaxed and happy atmosphere.

Even if such a person "passes through the intestines with wine and meat" from time to time, he will surely achieve a positive result, because the "Buddha" is in his heart.

If there are more people like this, can society be disharmonious?
Everything in the world is just a thought
The ancients said that a hundred years of life is nothing more than a fleeting moment and a blink of an eye.The gap refers to the hole in the door; the white horse is the phantom that the sun's rays project through the gap between the door and the window, as fast as a pony.This is to persuade his father to be old, and the short life and the conclusion of the merits and crimes of the ages should only be contested in one thought, and a wise choice must be made.

A Zen master made the following incisive explanation of "between one thought":

"One thought" is a Buddhist term, and it is also the most important sentence that directly points to people's hearts.Are we living in this world, good or bad?Is it good or evil?Is a blessing or a curse?Is it expensive or cheap?All in one thought.In just one thought, the weeping woman becomes a laughing woman; in one thought, heaven becomes hell; in one thought, one becomes a Buddha on the ground;One thought of selfishness, self-limitation; one thought of public, there are many unexpected blessings and conditions.There are four key points for "One Thought":
First, there is nothing difficult or easy in the world, just ask those who care about it or not: Are things in the world difficult?is it easy?Very difficult things are not difficult in front of people with a heart; the so-called "nothing is difficult in the world, as long as there is a heart."On the contrary, even if it is very easy, it will not be successful in front of people who do not care about it.Therefore, there is no absolute difficulty in the world, intentional or unintentional, only "in a moment".

Second, there is nothing good or evil in the world. Just ask people with good intentions and bad intentions: There is no absolute good or absolute evil in the world.Like parents disciplining their children, teachers educating students, sometimes giving them setbacks, pressure, or beatings, scolding, and drinking can make them strive for success. Can it be said that it is not good?If parents dote on them, or their friends help them to eat, drink, prostitute, gamble, have fun and make trouble, this seemingly loving charity will become the root of crime.So there is no good or evil in the world, only good intentions and bad intentions.Good intentions and evil deeds are merits and virtues. A hypocrite pretends to be good by doing evil, which is not true goodness.Therefore, good and evil, good and bad, lie in "a single thought".

Third, there is no such thing as success or failure in the world, only ask the people who have lost their minds: Looking at the history of the world, who is the successful person?Who are the losers?King Zhou and Xia Jie, who were noble emperors, left eternal infamy in the world.Wen Tianxiang, who spent a long time in prison, left a noble and righteous spirit for the world; Shi Kefa was loyal to the emperor and patriotic, and he was honored in defeat, winning the respect of the Qing Dynasty, and he was posthumously named Zhongzheng.It can be seen that there is no complete success or failure in the world, and success or failure only lies in the "one thought" between winning and losing one's mind.

Fourth, there are no joys and sorrows in the world, just ask those who are bothered and calm: Before you worry about others, happiness is also suffering.For an equanimous person, there is neither suffering nor happiness.For example, in a thousand-year-old dark room, if you light a lamp, it will shine brightly.Therefore, suffering and happiness are only in one mind.

There is another story about "Between One Thought":
Two unsatisfactory young people went to visit Master together: "Master, we are bullied in the office, it is too painful, please enlighten me, should we quit our jobs?" The two asked together.

The master closed his eyes, and after a while, he uttered five words: "It's just a bowl of rice".He waved his hand to signal the young man to back off.

After returning to the company, one person handed in his resignation letter and went home to farm, while the other did not do anything.

Time flies so fast, ten years have passed in a blink of an eye.Those who went home to farm with modern methods of management, coupled with improved varieties, turned out to be agricultural experts.The other one who stayed in the company was not bad either.He endured his anger, studied hard, and gradually gained respect and became a manager.

One day the two met.

Strangely, Master gave us the same five words "just a bowl of rice", and I understood it as soon as I heard it.It's just a bowl of rice, what's so sad about life?Why insist on staying in the company?So he resigned, and the agricultural expert asked another person: "Why didn't you listen to Master at that time?"

"I heard it," the manager said with a smile, "Master said, 'It's only a bowl of rice', so much anger and trouble, I just want to think that I can't eat a bowl of rice, what the boss says, don't get angry, don't care about it, That’s it, isn’t that what Master meant?”

The two went to visit the master again. The master was very old, and his eyes were still closed. After a long time, he answered five words, "It's just a thought", and then waved his hands...

Maybe you have heard this story, maybe you will take it as a joke, because there are too many similar jokes or fables.However, if you take a closer look at the five words "just a thought", you will realize many things from it. think about it.

Doing good is the happiest, saving others is saving oneself

Zen master Ji Dian said: "If you think about others at any time, the world's affairs can be changed, and the arrogance can be eliminated; if you think about others everywhere, the heart of self-interest can be eliminated and the heart of sympathy can be increased."

If a person is enlightened and enlightened, he looks down on all fame, wealth and honor, and ignores everything else, and his feet are slick. This kind of person is called an arhat.But the bodhisattva state is different. After enlightenment, he is freed from all the sufferings in the world, and he has sublimated himself. However, seeing all kinds of sentient beings in the world are still in suffering, he will return to the world to save all sentient beings.This kind of behavior of sacrificing oneself and benefiting all sentient beings is the so-called sentient being, and it is the way of Mahayana Bodhisattva.

In real life, we have seen too many things that harm others to benefit ourselves, or even harm others to benefit ourselves.People who can sacrifice themselves to help others are often regarded as heroes by us, but for Buddhists, self-sacrifice to help others is really common, and it is the most professional thing.Our society progresses when all of us treat heroes as ordinary people.

Long, long ago, there was a king named Saboda, who was kind-hearted and merciful.

After Tiandi Shi knew about it, he was very worried.Because the status of Tiandi Shi is not a life-long tenure, no matter who it is, as long as it persists in cultivating goodness and accumulating virtue, and practice to a certain level, it will be reincarnated in heaven as Tiandi Shi after death.

Tiandi Shi was afraid that King Sapoda would come to snatch his throne, so he wanted to test how far he had practiced and what he wanted to do.

Therefore, Emperor Shi found one of his attendants and said to him: "The king of Sapoda in the lower realm is cultivating good deeds. He is very famous and has deep virtue. He probably wants to take my throne! Now I have turned into an eagle. You turned into a dove and I hunted you down, so you fled to King Sapota and asked him for help. Since he was kind, he would definitely save you, and then I went to ask him for a dove. Since he promised to save you, he couldn’t Give you to me, maybe I will buy some meat in exchange, but if I insist on not agreeing, he will cut his own flesh to kill the pigeons. At that time, I will play a little magic and teach him how to cut the flesh, even if If all the flesh from the whole body is cut off, it will not be worth the weight of the pigeon, so he will definitely regret it. In this way, the merits he has accumulated in the past will be completely nullified, and he will not be able to take away my throne."

Thus, Emperor Shi turned into a majestic goshawk, and his attendant turned into a cute little dove.The goshawk pounced viciously on the dove, and the dove fled away in a panic while calling for help.

King Sapoda was dealing with political affairs in the palace when suddenly he heard a cry for help from the air.Looking up, I saw a goshawk chasing a poor white dove.

The pigeon dodged here and there, and there was no way to escape, so it threw itself at the feet of King Sapoda and shouted: "My lord, the eagle wants to eat me, please help! Help!"

King Sapoda comforted it and said, "Don't be afraid, I will save you."

Then the goshawk rushed over, stood in front of the palace, and said to the Sapoda Kingdom: "This pigeon is the food in my mouth, and now it has escaped to your majesty. Please return it to me quickly, my lord." starving."

(End of this chapter)