Master Sheng Yan "The Importance of the Pure Land in the World to Modern People"

2020-09-06 17:01:08 news 916℃

Pure Land is a proper term for Buddhism, which has not been mentioned in other academics or other religions; it refers to the world of Buddha and the world of Bodhisattva. In such a world, human worries do not exist.　

Life in this world of ours is very fragile, there is no absolute security, and cannot resist natural and man-made disasters. Therefore, Buddha Shakyamuni put forward the ideal state of Pure Land, so that we have a place to pursue and yearn for. The most important thing is that we should act accordingly from now on, and when we are dying, the true pure land of the Buddha kingdom will appear immediately.

Accept the fact that the world is bitter.

Shakyamuni Buddha was born in India 2621 years ago. When he was a prince, he discovered that there are many unsolvable problems in the world, even if you are a prince or a king. , Also have to accept the facts of human suffering such as birth, old age, sickness and death. So he became a monk, hoping to find solutions and concepts for the world. For more than forty years after enlightenment, the Buddha taught the Dharma he had enlightened to all beings in suffering. Some people may think that only the poor, the sick, or those in the technologically backward areas will suffer.

is actually not the case. Whether it is healthy or rich, even in the affluent America, there will be people in suffering. Generally speaking, only when you have a problem and there is no way to solve it, you can realize the fact of suffering. However, for many people who have not encountered problems for the time being, they may not be able to accept the Buddhist notion that the world is "suffering". Because they think there are a lot of happy things, such as eating, watching movies, swimming, dancing, listening to music, playing ball, getting married, having children, getting promoted, and even getting grandchildren, why do they have to say bitterness? In fact, this is drunkenness, life and death, and joy in suffering; because all phenomena in the world are short-lived and impermanent, what the world calls joy is called "bad suffering" in Buddhism; joy is the result of enduring hardship and is in enjoyment. At the same time, they planted the reason for suffering.

For example, according to media reports, there is a person in a certain place who has no nerve for "pain" and does not know what pain is. Maybe we will think that there is no pain in this way? However, because he does not feel pain, he will not know when he is cut or burned, so he often gets wounds all over his body. Are there many people in the world who are in the same situation as him? This is why the Buddha called our world the world of bitterness and bitterness!　

I am a monk, so many people write letters, call, or come face to face to tell me the sufferings they have encountered. Therefore, the Buddha tells us that there is an ideal state of pure land. So, where is the Pure Land? From the perspective of Buddhist scriptures or traditions, the pure land of the Buddha kingdom is placed in other worlds. Among them, the Western Paradise of Amitabha has been prepared for us long ago.　

Many people will have an incorrect notion that they hope to die early and go to the Western Pure Land early. This is irresponsible and a person who has misunderstood the Dharma. When I saw the "Blessed Life Sutra", it said: Although the world of Saha is so bitter, difficult, and evil, if people can practice in this world according to the Buddhism, it will be greater and faster than the merits of practicing in the world of bliss. ! When I read this passage, I feel so happy. I am fortunate that I was born in this world and I can appreciate the value of Dharma.

We must have an idea. In the Western Pure Land, everything is ready-made. There is no difference. There is no so-called pure land or non-pure land. Pure land is not for Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the Buddha country. It is completely aimed at our realm. A noun for all beings.　

So, who should go to the Western Paradise? In the "Sutra of Buddhism", the Pure Land is divided into nine grades; in the "Sutra of Infinite Life", it is divided into three generations, namely three levels, each with three grades. If you want to be born into a "top grade", the first is to become a monk, the second is to develop bodhicitta, and the third is to observe the five precepts and practice ten virtues; in addition, you must be filial to your parents, respect teachers, show compassion, recite the Buddha, and practice pure land. And made a vow to go to the Paradise of Amitabha. It can be seen from this that to go to the Western Pure Land, you must first accumulate rebirth resources. In this limited life, you must do as many meaningful things as possible. At least you must be able to believe in Buddhism, study the Dharma, respect monks, and recite Buddhism, and make a wish to be widely used in Dharma. The predestiny of all living beings returns to the dying life to the Western Pure Land. If you just want to count others, greed, anger, ignorance, and suspicion, don’t do more charityThe merits of, keeping the precepts, practising concentration, cultivating wisdom, and accumulating blessings, even if they go to the Western Pure Land of Bliss, they are only low grades!

In fact, there are a lot of merits that we have to cultivate and can cultivate in the human world. If we can recite the Buddha's name frequently and correspond to the Buddha, we will have less trouble and resentment in our hearts; we often visualize everyone in the real world. Become the best people of the Western Pure Land; putting compassion in the human world will also put respect, respect, and generosity in the human world. Then, the environment we live in is a pure human world.

realized the Buddha nature of our own mind

Before we go to the pure land of the Buddha kingdom, we must first regard our world as the pure land of the Buddha kingdom; when the Buddha Shakyamuni became a Buddha, the world he saw in his heart was the pure land of the Buddha kingdom. . The sentient beings that I see are equal, all possess the wisdom and virtues of the Tathagata, and all are Buddhas. This is not because the Buddha is lying or intoxicated, because the Buddha indeed knows that all sentient beings have the wisdom and nature of the Buddha, but the sentient beings have not yet awakened themselves, but are Buddhas who have not yet awakened. Buddha Shakyamuni has taught the Dharma for more than 40 years, hoping that we will discover our own Buddha nature.　

There is an article in "The Lotus Sutra", "Often Do Not Underestimate Bodhisattva Products". Whenever Bodhisattva sees everyone, he will bow to them, saying, "I will never despise you! You are all future Buddhas!" But why don't we know that we are Buddhas? Because the accumulated troubles and attachments have covered up our Buddha nature. Looking at everything in the world with a troubled mind, there are good, bad, beautiful, and ugly. They are different; because all beings are at different age levels, cultural levels, genders, rich and poor, high and low, and healthy Different positions, such as illness, illness, etc., will have different experiences and opinions on various things. In fact, our natural Buddha-nature is like a newborn baby. There is no name tag, no rich or poor. It is only because of the accumulated karma that has accumulated over the years, all kinds of troubles entangle us, and generate discrimination and attachment. Our pure wisdom mind cannot be manifested, we cannot see the Buddha nature in our mind, and the scene of the pure land cannot appear in front of us.

The Pure Land is in my heart

People often ask me: "Master! When will you build the Pure Land?" I said, "You will be disappointed if you ask me this way! Because my Pure Land is Build everywhere, always build. If you can build a pure land between this thought, between this thought, the pure land is in front of you; if your next thought generates evil thoughts, speaks evil words, and does evil things in your body, the next thought is the world Hell has appeared in front of you!” Therefore, when I talk about the pure land on earth, I am not looking for a community and building it together, but in our personal daily lives, we always raise bodhichitta and believe that we have Buddha nature in our heart; Start with a clean mind, a clean mouth, and a clean body.　

We are ordinary people, it is impossible to be completely clean. The so-called "the country is easy to change, but the nature is difficult to change", the troublesome habits brought about by immeasurable calamities, we will inadvertently express in our words and deeds in daily life. But please don’t hate yourself when you find that you are not clean. "Don’t be afraid of reading it, but afraid of feeling late." Once you find a shortcoming, remind yourself to say that you are ashamed. Don’t do it again next time. If you do it again, you will repent again. , Repent, change the evil to the good, the habit of troubles will be weakened; as long as you know your mistakes and you can change, the three karma of body, speech and mind will naturally gradually become clear!　

The pure land must be from the tangible to the intangible, from our real world to the pure land of the Buddha country; these two concepts must be established, otherwise, it will become the heavenly belief of the general religion. As for our pure land on earth, we must try our best to make our hearts experience quiet and pure under the conditions of the real social environment. Then, this world will be a meaningful pure land on earth, not a fantasy. Utopia in China.　

Bodhisattvas, the pure land on earth is in your heart, in your home, in every place in your life, as long as the mind is pure between one thought, what you see between these thoughts is the pure land on earth.