Asking for documents: superstitious people think that we should talk about the evil of retribution.
It is said that in the recent Taipei entrance examination, many candidates prayed in front of the statue of Wenchang, and there were many kinds of offerings, which showed that the superstitious atmosphere in society was very strong. Is this phenomenon good or not? In fact, this is a social problem. Not only students are superstitious, but many intellectuals with higher education often say that they should get rid of superstition and study science, but they still show deep superstition in their lives. Students should worship Wenchang emperor in the exam. Probably Wenchang Emperor is in charge of teaching and examination. The general public, especially under the present democratic system, have heard that many people who take part in the election, whether they are elected as mayors or councillors, choose the auspicious day of the ecliptic to pray to God, hoping that God will bless them and win the election with a high vote. These behaviors are full of strong superstition. Can this blessing bear fruit? Say to you:' Not at all!' Spirit, time and money are wasted to no avail.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, Yin Guang, a master, had a profound observation on this superstitious habit. His old man is obedient to all sentient beings and knows that the masses have these prayers, so he strongly advocates the theory of "cause and effect", hoping that everyone can understand the truth and facts of cause and effect and get rid of the superstitious concept of "planting good causes and getting good results" Therefore, he advocated learning four disciplines, a stone book, and collecting and summarizing articles. These three books were strongly advocated by the masters at that time, and the number of reprints exceeded all Buddhist classics, which also produced good results for the society. If we want to help the society, correct the atmosphere and get rid of superstition, we must inherit the thoughts of the old mage, imitate the spirit of the old mage and spread it to the whole world wholeheartedly through modern high technology.
"In Buddhism, everything is needed", how can we really be responsive? The theory and method of seeking truth from facts will certainly get a satisfactory result. If you violate the theory and don't know the method, then your wish can't come true. We must find out this truth.
I have talked about all these three books in the past, and the tapes, videos and lectures of "Four Chapters for All" have all come out. However, Wen Bian Di Yin Jun Wen accounts for half of the book's length in Shi Quan Shu. An Shi Quan Shu, which is circulated in Taiwan Province, is a hardcover book, divided into two volumes, with a total of four volumes. The first two volumes are detailed explanations of Yin Jun Wen, citing numerous legal cases at all times and in all countries to prove it. The original text is very short, less than 600 words (544 words), but its explanation and proof are very rich, with hundreds of thousands of words.
In addition, this article is only 1300 words, not too many, but its explanations and quotations are also very rich, about 200,000 words. These three books are indispensable books in life, and this is the real merit of Master Yin Guang in saving the world.
Karma is the essence of life in the universe, not superstition.
Formally, these three books all talk about karma, but this is a real fact, which is the true meaning of life in the universe, and can never be ignored or said to be superstition. We don't understand its deep meaning, so it is wrong to label it' superstition' and abandon it. Today, for the exam, these students went to worship Wenchang Emperor, provided furniture and support, and even the admission ticket was in front of the statue of Wenchang Emperor. Can you guarantee the exam? This is superstition. If you say that people who worship and support the emperor Wenchang can be admitted; Those who don't worship him will fail in the exam. Won't Wenchang Emperor become a corrupt official? Bribery, he is in the bag; Those who don't bribe, support or worship him, no matter how good their academic performance is, can't pass the exam. Isn't this what corrupt officials do? So this mentality is purely superstitious. Wenchang Emperor is the god of benevolence and righteousness, that is, the god of benevolence and righteousness in China. If we regard him as a corrupt official, an evil god and a triad leader, that is a great sin. How can I get his blessing?
What attitude should we take towards these ghosts and gods? We should use Zhuang Jing's aboveboard mentality. What is the purpose of reading? In search of wisdom and skills. Using wisdom and skills to seek happiness for the public and contribute to the country and the masses will naturally get the help of these good gods. In other words, God helps you because you have the ability and real merit, so he can help you. Without this merit, I can't help even if I want to. We must understand this truth.
Buddhism is an education based on filial piety.
Sacrificing the gods of heaven and earth is not superstition, but education. China Since ancient times, officials and people have known that ancestor worship is an inherent culture in China. What is the purpose of ancestor worship? The Analects of Confucius makes it very clear:' Be cautious in the end and pursue the distance, and people's morality will return to thick.' We still miss and thank our ancestors for thousands of years; Is it disrespectful and ungrateful for parents to respect their elders in front of them? This is the fundamental teaching. Therefore, the ancestral temple must not be abolished, nor can the sacrifice be abolished. The state advocates offering sacrifices to Confucius every year. Confucius is a teacher's way, and teacher's way is based on filial piety. How can people respect teachers if they are not filial to their parents? Therefore, in the basic teachings of Buddhism, the first sentence is' filial piety to adoptive parents' and the second sentence is' obedience to teachers', which shows that the teacher's way is based on filial piety. The ancient emperors had ancestral halls, and the people had ancestral halls. From ancient times to the present, this is the foundation of uniting our nation, so that our ancient nation will not be eliminated by history and have a future. China's education and Buddhism education are based on "filial piety". Becoming a Buddha and being a ancestor is nothing more than carrying forward filial piety to the extreme. Filial piety is called "becoming a Buddha" in Buddhism.
On the Obituary of Emperor Wenchang
For the ghosts and gods of heaven and earth, today I will talk about Emperor Wenchang in particular. If we support Emperor Wenchang, we should learn from him. In other words, Wen Chang Dijun's Yi Yin Literature must be read, unknown and followed. If we are familiar with it, deeply understand its significance and strive for it, we will get the help of the gods and be responsive. Being able to make sacrifices for yourself and work for all beings, society and people, rather than pursuing personal fame and fortune, is a blessing for all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
First, the difficulty of saving lives, the urgency of helping others and the loneliness of others. We must learn from Emperor Wenchang's intentions. What is his heart? It is' the difficulty of saving people, the urgency of helping others, the loneliness of compassion, the tolerance of others, the wide practice of ghosts, the sky'. Are we going to do this? Do you have such a heart? Everyone is in trouble, especially in modern society, and there are disasters everywhere in the world. How did the disaster come about? Formed by superstition. Where does superstition come from? From selfishness. People always care about themselves and their fame, so what they do is to harm others and benefit themselves. This is a mystery. The truth of the matter is' harming others and not benefiting themselves'; If you want to be self-interested, you must benefit others. Altruism is the real self-interest, and this is the truth! How many people understand this truth now? How many people know the truth? Civilians harm others for their own wealth; Even those who are in charge of the country often do things that harm the interests of other countries for the benefit of their own country. This is all out of selfishness, and ideas, viewpoints and practices are all wrong, so disaster is coming.
The disaster has become very obvious, and people of insight are always reminding the public. For example, scientists warn that if environmental protection is not done today, the earth will not be suitable for human survival in 50 years. Because the atmospheric photochemical pollution over the earth today has reached saturation point; If it reaches saturation, the air can't be filled, and pollution will definitely fall to the ground. In the area where it fell, not only animals could not survive, but even plants could not grow. This kind of disaster is more terrible than the atomic bomb. Atomic warfare can also control this photochemical pollution, and it is irresistible to fall to the ground in the future; The only way now is to improve the polluted environment. Where does the pollution come from? Exhaust gas from airplanes, cars and factories, but now it is impossible to stop and even increase. How can this be done? Scientists are fully aware of this fact, but there is nothing they can do. Disaster is coming, which is a great disaster for mankind. The unprecedented catastrophe is man-made, that is, it destroys the natural ecology of the earth. Therefore, the convenience brought by science and technology has cost us too much, which is really not worth the loss.
Do China people have scientific and technological ability and wisdom? Yes! Historically, people in the Eastern Han Dynasty in China were already able to glide. The wooden oxen and horses made by Zhuge Liang in the Three Kingdoms are mechanized transportation, and he knows how to use the power of machinery. But they are wise and far-sighted, knowing that advanced technology will bring great disasters to mankind, so they will destroy all these technologies after death and leave them to future generations. This is the ancient sage of China, with skill, wisdom, compassion and responsibility for history. Foreigners are very clever, but they didn't expect to be so far away. They didn't expect that the side effects of science and technology would bring great disasters to all mankind in the future. This is what you see.
There is another point that everyone ignores, that is, the pollution of human heart is no less than the pollution of natural ecology. What is the pollution of human heart? Greed and ignorance. The Buddha called it' three poisons'. Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism always teach people to "see through and let go", which reduces the troubles of the three poisons and makes them grow slowly. People with high wisdom can not only prevent the growth of greed, ignorance, but also eliminate the three poisons, turn the three poisons into three wisdom, and turn the troubles of the three poisons into high wisdom, so as to truly achieve the purpose of Buddhism teaching. Now we also ignore this teaching, so greed and ignorance are getting bigger and bigger, and the acceleration is getting bigger and bigger, which is found in every country and region in the world. There are three poisons inside and pollution outside, and this disaster is coming! How many people really realize the difficulty of saving lives?
The difficulty of saving people should start from themselves. Everyone is engaged in greed and ignorance, and I completely put it down; Everyone pursues personal fame and fortune, and I want to give it up. We should not only teach by example, but also set an example for others to see. Why not live, but die? Therefore, the meaning of "saving a life, saving the wounded and dying" today is deeper and wider than in the past. Only with higher wisdom and better technology can we actively save the crisis. This is the original intention of Emperor Wenchang. In particular,' allowing people to make mistakes', people are not sages, to err is human. As long as we can turn over a new leaf, we should accommodate him and help him.
Second, the' shadow' of the sky is that we don't need to let people know all the good things we have done, nor do we need to be praised by the public. Once we praise what we have done, we will be compensated. Doing all kinds of good things without letting people know is' Yin De', also called' Yin Gong'. Modern people want the public to know and praise him for his good deeds; He did bad things and was afraid of being known, so his sins accumulated there. Good causes will be reported soon, and evil causes will always lurk there, and the consequences in the future will be unimaginable. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas teach us to do good deeds unknown; I hope people know all the bad things I have done. This is called' revealing confession'. Everyone knows your evil deeds, and it's all your fault. This monster will be reported. Therefore, I hope that our bad karma will be reported in the daily newspaper as soon as possible, and the good karma will accumulate there, and the good karma will be thick in the future. This is what really smart people do.
Third, printing scriptures creates temples. The full text of these words taught by Emperor Wenchang is no more than 600 words. If you really want to learn to imitate, you must memorize every word, deeply understand the meaning and interest, and strive to pursue it. There are two sentences in it, and I especially remind you:' printing scriptures makes monks.' When you read these two sentences, don't think they are advocating superstition. We should understand its modern significance. Seal sutra, which exhorts goodness and helps all beings to realize, should be spread vigorously. Temple' is a place for preaching and practicing, and it is definitely not advocating superstition. We don't have to pay attention to what is being done in the temple now. We should understand that the temple is a place for Buddha education. If you often give lectures, study and discuss, you should study how to implement the teachings of the Buddha in your daily life and work. When dealing with people and things, do not violate the direction and principle of honesty and integrity. This temple is the real Dojo.
Fourth, light the night light to make a river boat to help people cross the river. There is a saying in the article' Light the night light to illuminate the people', which is ancient; Lights are brightly lit at night. What should we do? We should realize its far-reaching significance. Lights show wisdom, and all beings are in the dark. We should help them solve puzzles and realize. This is' watching people's feelings at night'.
Build a river boat to help people cross the river. In the past, the traffic was inconvenient, so we had to cross the river by ferry. There is no need for convenient transportation now. Now, we must help all sentient beings to break their myths, gain enlightenment and get happiness from pain. This is to build a ferry. Buddhist preaching is like a ferry, from the shore of life and death to the shore of nirvana; From the coast of the six divisions of the wheel of industry to the coast of the western paradise. Therefore,' Ferry' is a lecture. Today, TV broadcasts and international routes are "ferries". With this good tool, we recommend Buddhism, good Buddhism, and the method of solving mysteries and enlightenment to the broad masses of the society, so that they can wake up when they see and read it, that is, reach the other side.
5. Don't make people and brothers disharmony because of personal grudges. Don't make people and fathers disharmony because of petty profits. There are some important revelations to remember. Don't let personal grudges lead to discord between brothers; Don't make a man and his son unhappy because of small profits. "In a broad sense, these two sentences are, never destroy the group because of personal interests, so that the group is not harmonious; We can't destroy the harmony of the whole society because of the interests of our small group, then we will create a very serious crime. Good people, we must be close; Evil people, we must stay away from them. Far' is not to avoid him and ignore him, but not to learn from him; Being close is to imitate him, so as to achieve his own virtue and career, and truly do what the Buddha said. Therefore, "responsive" is not an empty talk, it has a deep truth and a clever method. Only by understanding these truths and these ingenious methods, such as learning to be the law, can we really get everything we want. Seek wealth and get rich; Seek success and fame; Children who beg for children; Seek longevity, longevity; Even if you want to be a Buddha and Bodhisattva, you can get it, and there is nothing you can't get.
Nowadays, the public, especially those over middle age, pay great attention to health and longevity, and all hope that they can slow down aging. Can you do it? Can do it! Anything you don't have in life can be done. According to the fortune teller, Mr. Yuan Lefan's life span is only over 50 years old. He doesn't want to live a long life, but he has accumulated merits and virtues, and his life expectancy is naturally extended. You can get the most difficult life expectancy, not to mention others. Others are small profits compared with life expectancy; Can get the biggest benefits, not to mention these small interests?
Fame and fortune are small interests, and there is nothing you want. How to ask? When I introduce it to you today, you must carefully study the Four Disciplines, Ann Shi Quan and the Collection of Induction. These three books were strongly advocated by Master Yin Guang all his life. It is also very popular in Taiwan Province Province and easy to find. Buddhist organizations such as the Buddhist Foundation and Jingmeihua Library are all giving gifts in circulation. You can write to these places if necessary. I believe they all meet your wishes. Therefore, praying for Buddha and God is not completely superstitious, and there is a deep truth in it. If you are rational and rational, it is not superstition, but faith. If you are ignorant, it is superstition. Superstition cannot be fulfilled. We must follow the teachings of buddhas, bodhisattvas and ancient sages to enter this realm.
There are many people who study Buddhism now, but not many who really set foot in it. The reason is that there are obstacles, which is what Buddhism often calls' karma'. So although I have studied for a long time, I still can't get in the door. What are the obstacles? Simply put, it is selfishness. The "self-control" and "trouble barrier" mentioned in Buddhism prevent us from entering the realm and gaining real merits and benefits. As long as the obstacles are removed, you will be responsive. In other words, we must change our ideas. From the past, our thoughts were all for me and selfishness. From now on, I will turn my mind to society, the public and all sentient beings. As soon as you change your mind, the karma will be eliminated; Eliminating karma will naturally give birth to wisdom. Only with wisdom can we solve all the problems and truly realize everything we need.
I hope fellow initiates will follow the teachings of Master Yin Guang and carefully read, study and implement these three books. Then you worship Buddha, Bodhisattva and God, which is absolutely "responsive".