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Teaching Videos for Sutras and Mantras
Eng Audiovisual Book [Journey to Heaven & Hell]
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The Buddha-dharma talks about cultivating both body and mind. Essentially, it means cultivating our physical body and our spirituality – and doing both is no easy task. Many people are able to use their physical body to perform benevolent deeds, but they struggle to elevate their spiritual state.
Let’s use an analogy. Some people are eager to work hard for their boss, but they struggle to put up with their boss’s criticism. Their wisdom is incomplete and monotonous. Others prefer to think a lot rather than act, but these people lack intellect. If someone has unwholesome intentions and commits unscrupulous deeds, they lack wisdom and morality and will end up with empty hands. Some Buddhist practices focus on cultivating behaviour, whilst others are about cultivating the mind. In fact, a genuine Buddhist practice should cultivate both behaviour and mind. People who focus on cultivating their behaviour do things like helping and taking care of the disabled and the elderly, and other good deeds like that. But they don’t cultivate their minds, nor do they recite Buddhist scriptures. Others focus on cultivating their minds and reciting Buddhist scriptures, but they don’t take care of others. A real practitioner, however, not only recites scriptures, meditates, and aims to achieve a tranquil state of mind. They also regularly perform benevolent and meritorious deeds, help others, and help sentient beings to spiritually awaken. This is the way of Mahayana Buddhism.
Next up, let me go into greater detail on the four areas in which our minds are susceptible to outflows. Remember: during the cultivation of the mind, everybody will experience outflows to some degree.
The outflow of craving goes through sensuality. If a craving arises from your mind, your way of thinking and your mentality will produce distracting thoughts, and you trigger unwholesome intentions. When this happens, the mind becomes restless – it’s an outflow of the mind. That’s why, when cravings arises from your mind, there will be outflow of sensuality.
The outflow of greed goes through spirit. If you are greedy often, you will find it difficult to concentrate. You’ll be in a confused state of mind, and your souls become incomplete. You won’t be able to think straight, and this is the outflow of your spirit. Therefore, don’t be mentally greedy. Once you are greedy, there is an outflow of the mind, and that is the outflow of spirit.
The outflow of incorrect views goes through pores. What this means is that when somebody encounters a problem, and they’re unable to hold the right views and attain the right understanding about it, their thoughts – and ultimately their views – become deviated. It makes them more susceptible to losing their temper and getting angry – and so their blood pressure rises, and their positive energy leaks out of their pores. That’s why when you are angry, you tend to exhale more frequently – because you’re wanting to release that unwholesome energy from your mind. You have the urge to let it out. Here’s an analogy: everybody’s face can change. If someone with a pretty face keeps considering issues with deviated views, their face will become uglier. It’s the pores that cause the change to one’s skin and health condition. People with incorrect views leak positive energy through their pores, while contaminants remain trapped inside the body. This then accumulates gradually over time and ultimately forms negative energy of hatred. And that will harm the body. What I’m telling you is that the Buddha-dharma can be applied every day.
The outflow of ignorance goes through the mouth. Ignorance is all about not being clear about something, causing misconceptions to arise. Improper mental behaviour leads to incidents such as scolding people, telling lies, and things like that. Ignorance causes an outflow from the mouth. You need to realise that what flows out of your mouth is a serious matter – it’s your merits and virtues as you create karma of speech. Because you don’t understand, and you hold incorrect views, that’s why you are irresponsibly and inappropriately saying the things you’re saying. It’s verbal karma. Our mouths are the root causes of disaster. There’s an old Chinese saying: “Trouble comes out of the mouth; illness enters through the mouth.” That’s why you need to pay close attention to your mouth, as it can attract fatal disasters. There’s another proverb that says: “A country can either become prosperous or ruined by just one single sentence.” Remember: the outflow through the mouth is essentially an outflow of the mind.
The four outflows mentioned here all stem from the mind. I truly hope you maintain a pure mind, and you should start by blocking the outflow from these four areas. Prevent your mind from having outflows.
One must also hold a pure faith – that is, you must have complete faith in the Buddha-dharma with a pure and sincere heart. What are the benefits of pure faith? Firstly, it increases your energy and your power. Power is derived from pure faith, so you must completely and sincerely believe in Guan Yin Bodhisattva – without a single shred of doubt. When you do, powerful energy emanates from within. For instance, when someone is diagnosed with cancer, and they believe that Guan Yin Bodhisattva will save them and not let them die, the Bodhisattvas really can save them with this inner strength. With this power of faith, even cancer will be defeated. It is this miraculous energy that empowers one to battle valiantly battle against an illness.
Pure faith has two other components that you must take note of:
Your faith must be long-lasting. You must have faith in this Buddhist practice, and you must have faith in the Bodhisattvas. Always have faith, and then you will succeed. Only with long-lasting faith can you maintain pure faith.
Your faith must be based on your proven, personal experience. Your personal experience verifies and proves that the path you are walking is the correct one. Then, your pure faith can take root.
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发表于 2021-9-8 18:50:23