Ji-Gong Buddha
Sage Lao-Tzu
老子說:「人的元神本來是喜歡清淨的,都是被這個心擾亂了;可是這個心本來也是喜歡清淨的,就是被這些慾念牽引了,所以要心神清淨,首先就是要遣其慾念。」
Lao Tzu: Our true self naturally likes peace and serenity. It is disturbed by our wandering heart. Our heart naturally prefers peace and serenity as well. It is disturbed by our endless desires. Key to maintain peace and serenity in our true self and heart is to rid of our desires.
人生在世不能離群而獨居,為了生存,生活便與周遭人、事、物產生了密不可分的關係。孟子云:「一人之所需,百工斯為備。」無論是有形之日用品,或無形的思想上,實乃受天地間各種生物之恩惠,所以我們做人當時時感恩,知恩與報恩。
For us to live, there is this invisible, however, intricate and complex “chain” that links everything together to provide us with what we need. Hence, Mencius: The needs of one person requires the coordination and contribution from hundreds in various fields of professions. Hence, having a heart full of gratitude for all the blessings which we have received from others and with a grateful heart, be kind, helpful, and compassionate in the service of others.
1.Heaven: For all of the blessing which we receive and experience daily.
2.Earth: For all of the blessings which we receive and experience daily.
3.Noble leaders for setting out humane, compassionate, and just policies to protect the homeland for all the citizens to live peacefully and productively.
4.Our beloved parents for tirelessly teaching, nurturing, caring, and raising us.
5.For blessings from Maitreya Buddha, Ji-Gong Buddha, Yu-Hui Bodhisattva, all the Tao elders and masters for their ageless teaching and guidance.
布施的意義與重要 Meaning and Significance with Generosity in Cultivation
(一)捨己惠於人,方可名為施。Self sacrifice for others = Generosity.
布施乃是將自己的錢財、物品、慈悲心或微笑,施惠給予一切眾生。Generosity means giving / donating our material wealth, heart of compassion, or simply a smile to extend and share blessings with other sentient beings.
(二)布施是仁愛慈悲的表現,也是解脫苦惱的第一步。以財施眾生,使他們身心安樂,行法施、無畏施,令一切眾生皆能離苦得樂。Generosity is an expression of selfless love and compassion and represents the first steps to free ourselves from worries. Giving monetary wealth to improve others’ well being. Spreading Dharma teaching or volunteering with courage to ease others’ sufferings.
(三)布施度慳貪|覺照自己內心的貪吝 Generosity mitigates miserliness and helps us see the greed in our own hearts. 當布施給予時自然佛性朗現,心生歡喜,則心中之貪吝,已漸被降伏,此乃開始步入修行的初步。With our selfless acts in generosity, our True Self starts to emerge with feelings of joy, gradually mitigating the greed and miserliness in our hearts, to begin cultivating.
布施的實踐|三施 Practicing Generosity | Three Types of Generosity
(一)在身、語、意三方面,以真誠歡喜恭敬的心來為眾生服務,行三施 Serve others sincerely, respectfully, and joyously in generosity with actions, words, and intentions.
◉財施:外財是指身外之物,如七寶珍財、舍宅國城、妻子兒女等,內財是指自己的身體,如身肉手足、頭目腦髓、五臟六腑等真誠奉獻的財施乃積福於天,可以消冤業,是一切福的根源 Giving Monetary Wealth: External wealth: Material possessions, e.g. jewels, properties, etc. Internal wealth: Using our knowledge and body. Generously and sincerely serve others. Source for additional blessings.
◉法施:勸人為善,釋疑解惑,講經說法,使人明理。使眾生皆能行其正道,脫離苦海,同登道岸。渡人成全,苦口婆心,效法諸佛菩薩誓愿渡盡天下眾生的慈悲精神。Sharing of Dharma Teaching: Guide others to be kind, dispel doubts, & explain to help all understand Dharma teaching, to guide them onto the Path of Tao and reach salvation, while emulating compassionate spirit and vows of Buddha to help all beings.
◉無畏施:不惜一切犧牲全心奉獻,身不貪諸事安逸,能刻苦耐勞,心不起貪妄惡意,能克除降伏,性不著功德執相,能破迷離相;遇任何困難不退縮,了苦根培養浩然正氣。Volunteering with Courage: Dedicate oneself wholeheartedly with no desire for comfort, work hard with a pure heart, do so selflessly with no expectations, and persevere through challenges without retreating, to grow and develop an abundance of virtues and righteousness.
七種不需本錢的布施 Seven Acts of Generosity without Capital
一為和顏施:對於別人給予和顏悅色。Pleasant and Kind Gesture
二為言施:向人說好話的布施,存好心做好事做好人,並勉人切實力行。Say kind words, do kind deeds with a kind heart, and encourage others.
三為心施:為對方設想的心,體貼眾生的心。Think of others and be considerate of others.
四為眼施:用慈愛和氣的眼神看人。Look at others with kind eyes.
五為身施:身體力行幫助別人。Personally act to help others.
六為座施:讓座給需要的人。Give up seats to ones in need.
七為察施:不用問對方就能察覺對方的心,並給予相對其所需的方便。Perceive other person’s thoughts without asking and provide them the convenience they need.
恩師慈悲:不要忘記了你是為師的弟子,時時刻刻要做對眾生有益的事。行善的最高超、最神聖處就是……「無為」之善!
Holy Teacher: Never forget that you are a disciple of Maitreya Buddha and Ji Gong Buddha and a messenger of Heavenly Mother. Do deeds that are beneficial to all beings at all times. The optimal mindset in generosity is to do goods deeds with no expectations or intentions for reciprocity.
修道無他,反觀省心而已
No other ways to explain Tao cultivation, we must self reflect, be mindful, and awaken our true self.
行道無他,恪盡本分而已
No other ways about behaving in accordance with Tao, we have to fulfill our responsibilities to ourselves, our family, and our community.
渡人無他,以身作則而已
No other ways to introduce Tao to others, we must live our life by setting good examples based on Tao to inspire others naturally.
悟道無他,體驗生活而已
No other ways to experience or understand Tao, except through our life journey.
成佛無他,去除妄念而已
Completion of cultivation journey → rid of impermanent thoughts, desires, and attachment.
Eight Winds in Life:
一、稱 Praise:每逢人家當面稱讚我們的時候,總不免感到滿懷的歡喜。When people praise us, we feel immense happiness.
二、譏 Scolding:每當人家當面責罵我們的時候,總令我們感到無限的羞辱。When people scold us in our face, we feel ashamed.
三、毀 Criticism:有些人總愛背後說人家的壞話,一旦讓我們知道了,總感到忍受不了,甚至心存報復。When people criticize us behind our back, we seek to avenge in our heart.
四、譽 Pride:當人家背後褒獎我們,認為是一種榮譽,而不覺沾沾自喜。When people recognize us, we feel honored and have lots of pride.
五、利 Success:當我們的事業成功,順利通達的感受,自然令我們感到滿足。When we achieve success in our career, we feel powerful and accomplished.
六、衰 Decay:當我們的事業衰敗,所有的打擊,難免不使我們感到萬分的頹喪。When we experience setbacks in our career, we feel depressed.
七、苦 Bitterness:當種種的煩惱逼迫得我們的身心難以承受,深感人生確為一大苦聚。When life is full of pain and suffering, we feel hopeless and experience endless bitterness.
八、樂 Joy:當我們的身心獲得非常適意時,總認為那是人生快樂的享受。When we experience physical comfort, we perceive that joyful experience as our goal in life.
這八種順逆外境的旋風,時時在我們週遭循環不停地吹著,吹得我們一輩子為它團團轉,永無寧日。These eight winds from external circumstances and environment constantly bombard us, causing us to expend effort to seek some or stay away from others, resulted in endless turbulence in our life.
我們如今既然發心來學佛,必須建立正確的信念,放下世間一切毀譽、成敗、苦樂、幸與不幸、種種的是非觀念。As we commit to cultivate today, we must establish the proper faith and perspective, let go of and stay detached from our emotions and feelings based on the eight winds in life.
運用我們無上的智慧,一心觀照緣起性空的諦理,不再為虛妄的外境所迷惑,真正達到八風吹不動的境界。Use our innate wisdom in our true self, use our Tao heart to realize the essence of our true self (void) and impermanent manifestations in the sentient world, do not get infatuated or attached with the impermanence, and maintain centered and unaffected by the eight winds.
故所知愈多,外誘愈甚,是非不分,愈知愈迷,因為沒有悟性良知在坐鎮 。As our knowledge increases, external temptation facing us also increases. Consequently and unknowingly, we change and become more confused, selfish, and unhappy over time. Why? Because we have lost the way and our True Self.
食色性也 It is our human nature to prefer delicious food and niceties in life. 君子愛財 取之有道 However, a virtuous person acquires niceties in life through virtuous methods, conducting his affairs according to Tao.
王陽明大仙: 我能見正心之理,推知天下一切理,心不妄求,人事物正。凡夫與聖人都有一樣的功課,只是聖人從一下功夫,很自然不費力去知行合一。 Deity Yang-Ming Wang: I see the true Dharma in Tao teaching, also able to see the true Dharma throughout the cosmos. I have no selfish desires, hence achieving the Way in my affairs and activities. Sentient beings and Sages have the same homework. Sages who have mastered the Way have completed their homework through cultivation and can naturally and effortlessly achieve congruency between understanding and their words / actions.
Holy Teaching: 人皆曰矛知,驅而納諸苦獲陷阱之中,而莫之知辟也。
Human nature naturally guides us to pursue material things to satisfy selfish desires and cravings, which cause great pain and suffering, as we become entrapped by our own ignorance, obsession, and greed, losing the way and our True Self.
Holy Teaching: 人心惟危,道心惟微,惟精惟一,允执厥中 Human Heart is wicked and dangerous. Tao Heart is tender, soft, and subtle. One should cultivate diligently and sincerely by staying centered on our Tao Heart.
Holy Teaching: 欲誠其意,擴大自己的真知,才能降伏妄念,理路清明,自誠光明。In order to have sincere intentions, one must focus and expand our innate wisdom from our True Self. This is the only way to overcome desires, have clarity in thoughts, and have sincere intentions.
老子:執古之道,以御今之有。Lao Tzu reminds us to use the ancient Tao passed down from patriarch to patriarch to help us manage all the physical manifestations in the sentient world.
Buddha: However disciples, when I pass away, you may think," the Master's doctrine is gone and the Master is no more." You should not think so because the Dharma and the Discipline, which I have taught you, will be your Master after my death. "Let the Dharma be your light. Let It be your refuge. Do not seek any other refuge. "Disciples, you should well protect and preserve the doctrine which I advised you to probe so that this holy life may take its course and continue for ages to come for the welfare of many, to console the world, and for the happiness and welfare of the heavenly beings and men.
Holy Saying: 对初心顿悟者言, 他的初心因为求道而一念顿悟, 但无始以来, 旷劫之中积聚的一些习气却未能顿净, 必须靠现世的修道, 去一步一步的进化去除. For the ones who have received Tao, we would have experienced the moment of instant epiphany during the Tao receiving ceremony. However, the character imperfections and habits, accumulated from past karma, remain. Hence, we continue to cultivate to improve own character and rid of bad habits for spiritual awakening.
《Holy Teacher》
Sometimes when you feel unable to cope with all the misfortunes in your life, just remember that the misfortunes do not wait to manifest themselves only when you are mentally prepared.
Therefore, you have to cultivate and train your heart, just like how a mirror would handle the reflections from the transient objects, to handle the misfortunes calmly with no lingering worries in your heart.
When confronted with challenges, study each word in the Platform Sutra carefully, as teaching in the Platform Sutra relates directly to our True Self. Maintaining a true heart, a sincere heart, a faithful heart, and a compassionate heart is of paramount importance to experience growth in journey of cultivation.