Diamond Sutra: Don’t live in form, give without form

Giving is the first of the Six Perfections and the only way to cultivate the merits of becoming a Buddha. “Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Original Vow Sutra” says: In the future, when kings and Brahmans see the elderly, sick, and women giving birth, if they have great compassion in a single thought, they will donate medicine, food, and bedding to make them happy. Such benefits are most unimaginable. For one hundred kalpas, you will always be the God of Pure Dwelling. For two hundred kalpas, you will always be the God of Six Desires. You will eventually become a Buddha and will never fall into the evil paths. Even for hundreds of thousands of lives, you will not hear the sound of suffering.

During the snowstorm in early 2008, China Central Radio broadcast this news: There was a pregnant woman in Chongqing who walked alone to a nearby hospital for a routine physical examination. Walking to the side of the road, I suddenly felt severe pain in my abdomen and could not stand up. Seeing the incident, passers-by around the area helped call 120 emergency center, some called a taxi, and some called the radio station’s helpline. At this time, the pregnant woman was in unbearable pain and was half lying on the roadside. After a while, the 120 ambulance arrived. After checking the condition of the pregnant woman, the doctor immediately decided to deliver the baby on the spot. Otherwise, the life of both mother and baby would be in danger if time was wasted. At this time, a taxi passed by. The female driver in the car immediately stopped and ran out. She ran towards the crowd. When she saw the pregnant woman giving birth, she took off her coat without saying anything and put it under her body until she gave birth smoothly. , the blood had stained the entire coat red, and the female driver drove away quietly afterwards.

Although this female driver is not necessarily a disciple of Buddhism, nor does she necessarily understand the merits of giving, she comes from the compassion in her heart and selflessly gives out her great love to women giving birth. This kind of selfless and beneficial behavior is what we all should do. Every Buddhist disciple should learn from it. This kind of selfless giving is just as the scripture says: “Such benefits are unimaginable. For one hundred kalpas, I will always be the God of Pure Dwelling. For two hundred kalpas, I will always be the God of Six Desires. In the end, I will become a Buddha and will never fall into the evil paths for hundreds of thousands of lives.” In the middle, the ears cannot hear the sound of bitterness.”

Giving can be divided into two types: giving with form and giving without form. Charity giving refers to the charity that ordinary people in the world hope for results and are attached to the appearance of others and themselves, so it is also called worldly charity. Since it is a donation, one can naturally obtain future blessings. However, due to the selfish intention of seeking retribution, one can only receive imperfect blessings from humans and heaven, and will fall again after the retribution is exhausted, so it is not the ultimate donation. Giving without a form is the opposite of giving with a form. When giving, the giver, the recipient, and the thing being given should all be empty without any attachment. Because it can transcend the troubles and troubles in the world, it is called transcendence. Giving in the world.

And because these three are like wheels, capable of crushing worries and obstacles, they are also called the “Three Wheels of the Body”. Only giving with an empty three-wheel body can enable us to cross the sea of life and death and reach the other shore of liberation and nirvana, so it is called the “paramita of giving”. Just as it is said in the Diamond Sutra: “A Bodhisattva should give without abiding in the Dharma. The so-called giving without abiding in form, giving without abiding in sound, fragrance, taste, touch and Dharma. Subhuti, a Bodhisattva should give in this way without abiding in giving. In appearance. Why? If a Bodhisattva does not live in appearance and gives alms, his blessings will be immeasurable. …Without the appearance of self, the appearance of no one, the appearance of no sentient beings, and the appearance of lifeless beings, if you practice all good Dharma, you will obtain Anuttara Samyak. Three Bodhisattvas.” This is the highest state of universal love in life.