One afternoon, as Master Miaofa, the old monk, had just sat down, an old man with thinning gray hair came forward and knelt down. Before he could speak, he burst into tears and broke down in sobs. After being comforted by everyone, I finally calmed down and started to talk about my problem – asking the old monk for help. His petitions, which were alternately sad and angry, were more like sincere confessions from the bottom of his heart, which brought tears to the eyes of everyone present.
He said that he first led his wife, son and daughter on the path of learning Buddhism, and soon gave up all kinds of meat and fish. He spent all his spare time on promoting Dharma and reciting sutras, and he considered himself very diligent. I bought a new and fashionable VCR before I started studying Buddhism. I have only watched four or five video tapes in total. It has been ten years now and I have not used it again. Apart from the news from CCTV, I have basically never watched any other cultural and artistic programs on TV. Practicing Buddhism has brought so many benefits to my family. It can be said that nothing bad has happened in the past ten years. The biggest benefit is that my family has never gotten sick again. When Buddhist friends gather together, he often talks about the benefits of vegetarianism and is full of confidence and respect for Buddha.Last year, a doctor once said to him: “If you haven’t eaten meat for ten years, your body must be deficient in nutrients. Just because you think you are not sick does not mean you are not sick. If you go to the hospital for a blood test and there is no problem with the three indicators, we will also I will recite Buddha’s name and eat vegetarian food with you.”
Encouraged by fellow practitioners, he spent 20 yuan to do three tests, and the results were: Bs: 5.87; Ch: 5.04; Tg: 1.08. When taking the test form, he asked the laboratory technician: "Is there something wrong with the blood?" The answer: "There is a problem. This man is nearly 60 years old this year, but the blood is from the age group of 20 to 30 years old, which is abnormal." He was stunned at first. After a moment, he smiled. When he told everyone about the results, he said: "According to the standards of carnivores, my blood is certainly not normal. Isn't it a good thing to have a younger blood condition? Because I have not smoked, drank or eaten meat for ten years, my blood has been purified. I think This standard is not considered normal. When we reach the standard of newborn age, then it is normal! Therefore, when we become vegetarians, we are purifying our blood, rejuvenating ourselves, returning to our original nature, so that our body in this life will suffer less or no pain. Let your limited life be better despite the pain of illness!"
After the old man enumerated the benefits of practicing Buddhism, his thoughts suddenly changed and tears came out of his eyes again. He told about a disaster that suddenly befell his family half a month ago - his beloved daughter suddenly vomited after eating for two days in a row. When she went to the hospital for a checkup, it turned out to be gastric cancer. She immediately underwent surgery and was told that it had spread and could not be removed. Saving one's life can only temporarily solve the problem of eating by rerouting food, but it will get worse day by day in the future, and it will take up to half a year. This was a slap in the face, and the whole family cried every day, not knowing what to do. The doctor said that my daughter's illness was caused by her body taking in too little, spending too much, getting sick from overwork, and being overloaded. But the old layman doubtfully said that the "Ksitigarbha Sutra" does not talk about worshiping the image of Ksitigarbha and reciting the "Ksitigarbha Sutra", and people who recite the "Ksitigarbha Sutra" can gain "eternal peace in their homes and homes," "extended life," "no disease and disease," and "all kinds of disasters." "annihilation", "elimination of bad karma" and other good rewards, why have I recited the "Ksitigarbha Sutra" and various classics for many years, but now I am facing a great disaster? His wife said, "If I didn't learn Buddhism, I wouldn't have married my daughter." As a result, relatives and neighbors who didn't believe in Buddhism began to make strange remarks, and even their firm beliefs were about to be shaken. He said: "Excuse me, Master, what kind of cause did I sow that resulted in this evil retribution?"
The old monk sat cross-legged in the large Taishi chair with his eyes slightly closed, as if he had been listening.Seeing the layman asking, he slowly replied: “Buddha is a true speaker, a real speaker, and a non-liar speaker. He will never lie to deceive others. But why is your family suddenly in such a big trouble? You have to ask yourself, except You just mentioned that your daughter became ill due to overwork. You plunged into Buddhism and couldn’t get out. You didn’t know that there is no difference between Buddhism and worldly laws, but you opposed Buddhism and worldly laws. On the one hand, you can actively introduce Buddhism It’s good to give it to others, so that others can benefit from hearing the Dharma, and even help many people escape suffering and achieve happiness. But you use the Dharma as a rope to tightly bind your wife and children. Even if your wife and daughter go out to use some cosmetics, you will Criticism, let alone your son or daughter occasionally listening to pop music or something like that, is a violation of your taboo, so you have to reprimand and criticize severely.
If you are even slightly dissatisfied with your criticism, your voice will rise an octave and you will get furious. You will regard yourself as a judge, protector and defender of Buddhism that is always correct, as if you are the only true Buddhist practitioner in the world. When I heard about some things in Buddhism that were not up to the Dharma, I felt aggrieved and made several comments. Although you have a certain amount of right knowledge and awareness, your eyes are full of right and wrong, and heretics are everywhere. You must know that everything in the world has cause and effect. It is true that practitioners do not see the faults in the world. If you have the knowledge of right and wrong, your mind will be possessed first and you will enter the devil’s realm. You must know that even if there are external demons, there is nothing to fear. You should regard demons as good teachers who can help you become a Buddha.
When the Buddha Sakyamuni cut off his body for King Kali as a patient sage, he had no sign of self, no sign of human beings, no sign of sentient beings, and no sign of life. Not only did he not feel resentment in his heart, but he also vowed to become a Buddha in the future. One wants to save King Kali. This is the Buddha’s knowledge, mind and realm.
“Do you know how your wife and daughter feel when you lose your temper? They are suppressed by you, and their resentment cannot be released, and they are stuffy in their hearts. And your ignorance, as the social moral level becomes more and more The lower the temperature, the stronger the fever, and your family becomes the target of your venting. What will happen if things go on like this? Now you are a two-faced person. On the one hand, you are a loving husband and father who loves his wife and children, but on the other hand, you are a… The ferocious-looking demonic person has severely damaged your own heart and family. Now that your child is critically ill, instead of reflecting on your own mistakes, you blame the Buddha and Bodhisattva for not protecting you. No matter how great the Buddha and Bodhisattva are, they cannot defeat you. karma. For example, even if you have the best car repair and maintenance engineer in the world, you can’t repair the car that you have arbitrarily damaged. Your daughter is a good child who wants to be strong. She always wants to achieve something at work and get things done. The icing on the cake. Therefore, she put in physical and mental effort beyond her limits, and often even forgot to eat. Curious colleagues often competed to taste the vegetarian lunch she brought, but she couldn’t eat enough, and she didn’t want to eat from outside. Food. When I go home at night, I am too hungry and can’t eat much food. Over time, it will inevitably cause internal injuries to the stomach and lead to illness due to overwork. The pain is covered up by the high enthusiasm for work, and it is not until the end of the illness that you go to the doctor. It is too late. Late. Is what I said correct? Do you still blame Buddha and Bodhisattva?”
All the lay people present were attracted by the old monk's words, and seemed to have forgotten the old monk who asked for help. Hearing Master Miao's question and looking sideways, he saw his eyes staring at Master, tears running down his face, and a large area on his chest was soaked with snot and tears, which made people feel both painful and sympathetic.Hearing the old monk’s question, he came back to his senses and said weakly: “Master, is my daughter hopeless? I beg you to save her, she is young.”
"You haven't told me the situation I just talked about, right?"“It’s all right, it’s all right. I’m really stuck in Buddhism and can’t get out. It was me who harmed my beloved daughter. If my daughter leaves, I don’t want to live anymore.”
“If you die, your wife will not survive. There is a hard lump in her upper abdomen that you touched ten years ago, right?”
Hearing this, the layman was shocked! Suddenly there was an earth-shattering cry. It was the first time in my life that I heard an old man in his sixties uttering such heart-wrenching grief. It made my ears buzz. He suddenly fell to his knees and hit his head with both hands. The layman next to him grabbed his fists tightly. He said with great sorrow: “Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva! I am willing to go to the endless hell and never leave for eternity in exchange for my daughter’s life! Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, I am the one who has failed my virtuous wife. She let me go ten years ago.” I touched the hard lump in her belly, but I never thought that it would take someone’s life. I was so stupid! I thought I was always right, and I said more than once: ‘The person who cares about me hasn’t been born yet! ‘I’m too arrogant. I’m possessed by a demon, and I’ll bear the consequences… Wuwu… I thought I was a good husband and father, but it turns out I’m a harmful demon… Ah! My wife, the third I have been a good wife and loving mother for ten years… I wanted to practice Buddhism and she followed me, and I wanted to be a vegetarian. Even though she didn’t want to, she followed me for so many years. Later, I proposed to separate and stop sexual desire, and we separated. , I have never thought about other people’s emotions. She is also a person with seven emotions and six desires… I always thought that I was very diligent! Now I realize that this is not practicing Buddhism. I am simply a devil who causes pain to others. ! Only caring about myself and being selfish, I have lived fifty or sixty years in vain…ahhhh…”
I have only heard mothers-in-law cry and talk in the past, but today for the first time in my life, I heard a sixty-year-old pretentious man cry and confess,
If you are not sincerely repentant, why would you be so disrespectful of face?
The living room was filled with the cries of female lay people, and there was not a single man who was not sobbing.
At this time, I found that only Master was sitting there, his eyes slightly closed and motionless. A question suddenly popped up in my mind: How could Master remain indifferent to such a touching scene? Are you meditating? Or have you already seen through something...
Suddenly the master spoke - still without raising his eyelids. Although his voice was not loud, he immediately stopped crying and sobbing.
"I didn't say your daughter must die! Why don't you ask about how to survive?"
ah? ! —The air in the living room condensed—and there was silence.
Suddenly, the old layman who was asking for help fell on his knees at Master's feet and kowtowed one by one...
Everyone present knelt down...
The master seemed not to have seen this touching scene, and still said calmly and slowly: "Buddhism is a wonderful method, and everything is created by the mind. The mind can make you fall into hell, the mind can make you become a Buddha, the mind can make you sick and die, the mind can make you sick, and the mind can make you die. It can also help you dissolve the ice and turn danger into safety. "The Great Compassion Mantra" is a universal medicine that can cure 84,000 kinds of diseases, but it requires sincere repentance as an introduction to the medicine. If your daughter is really cured, will you still Are you going to lose your temper again?"“Never! Never lose my temper again! I want to be a new person.”
"Yes, if you want to become a Buddha, you must first learn to be a human being. The Buddha is compassionate to all living beings. The Buddha is a great enlightened person with supreme wisdom and supernatural powers, but he never loses his temper or scolds his disciples. The Buddha said The Dharma allows you to understand the truth. After understanding the truth, you can practice the Dharma in your daily life and work. This is called "understanding the truth is the matter". We will encounter many unpredictable things every day, because you have understood the truth, that is, you have understood Buddha Dharma, so you will not be swayed by circumstances, but will solve and handle things according to the Dharma, that is, understand the truth and deal with it.
"Losing your temper is a taboo for practitioners, and 'burning the merit forest' is not a lie. If you don't get rid of your bad temper, no matter how many sutras you recite, how many times you preach, or how many people you help to learn Buddhism, you will never be able to leave the three realms. Losing your temper is itself a manifestation of ignorance, and ignorance means not understanding. If you don’t understand the Dharma yourself, how can you possibly save others satisfactorily?
"In today's era, boys and girls, as long as they have the right knowledge and views, can observe the five precepts and practice the ten good deeds, and even eat long fasts, it is very rare and valuable. If you insist on using the precepts for monks to seek perfection, you are foolish. , this is counterproductive, and you will make them escape from Buddhism. Buddhism will become a monster that people stay away from.
"Didn't the Sixth Patriarch say that if you leave this world and search for the path to enlightenment and enlightenment, it will be like looking for the horns on a rabbit's head. You will never find it. Girls put on light makeup and beautiful clothes when going out, or young people Listening to popular songs together, as long as the content is healthy, is beneficial. It does not necessarily have to be chanting the Buddha's name 24 hours a day to be diligent. Being able to know the Buddha's Dharma and restrain and regulate your words and deeds is to chant the Buddha's name. Living in the world, In the face of all kinds of things in life, understand the truth and be aware of the Dharma, and 'have your mind without dwelling'. Arrange for about forty minutes to meditate every night before going to bed, chanting the name of the Buddha or reciting mantras, and achieve this goal. For the purpose of purifying the mind and relieving the fatigue of the day, it can be regarded as your daily evening class.
"Okay. We understand the truth of the universe, that is, seeing through it. Once you see through it, you have to let it go. If you see through it and don't let it go, you will be more uncomfortable than ordinary people who have not seen through it, because in your heart there are only 84,000 things in the world. In addition to thousands of worries, there is another Buddha Dharma. Now please let go of everything and you will feel great freedom.
"Cherish everyone around you who has a predestined relationship with you. We Buddhist disciples can have compassion for animals, so why would we hurt our relatives?
"How old were you before you believed in Buddhism? At what age did you keep the precepts? Some lay people have believed in Buddhism for decades, but still eat the three pure meats? There is no right or wrong in this. It is a matter of timing. When the opportunity comes, Everything will fall into place.
"A family sits at the same table. Some eat meat and drink wine, and some eat fast and chant Buddha's name. There is nothing wrong with one table and two dishes. This world is originally one table with many dishes. The Sixth Patriarch also ate food during special periods After so many years of serving meat, didn’t that dish have the smell of meat? It didn’t affect him from becoming the ancestor of the generation!
“Don’t understand a little about Buddhism, base yourself on Buddhism, point fingers, and act as the policeman of Buddhism. It will be too late to regret it when the bad consequences are caused.
"Catholicism and Christianity talk about fraternity, which is also a Buddhist point of view. We must use the fraternity of Buddha and Bodhisattva to influence all sentient beings to enter the door of Buddhism, instead of using methods of fighting, fighting, blaming, and reprimanding.
"Okay, the layman who is willing to help his daughter turn the crisis into safety will pray seven times of the Great Compassion Repentance in the main hall tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, dedicating it to all sentient beings in the Dharma Realm. Please tell your daughter to start reciting the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's Original Vow Sutra at home tomorrow. " and chant until she fully recovers. From now on, she can concentrate on reciting the "Ksitigarbha Sutra". After praying the "Great Compassion Confession" tomorrow, you can start praying the three "Liang Huang Bao Confessions". When praying, you should pray carefully, just like you What you did just now is true repentance, otherwise no repentance or mantra will work. Only 'unforgettable' and 'thrilling' can move the world. Are all laymen willing to do this meritorious deed?"
"Yes!" The voice made the glass in the living room rustle.
The old monk smiled, as happily as a child. His face covered with growth rings was like a blooming summer lotus, so touching that it was hard to leave. Disciples all know that the old monk never tells lies. As long as you do what he says, you will never get rid of suffering and gain happiness.
Before the end, the old monk Miaofa recited a verse that made people think deeply:Emptiness is form, form is emptiness, and the interpretation of Buddhism is infinitely wonderful;
Trying the Dharma with one’s own body to awaken people, the Bodhisattva often appears in the sea of suffering;
If you want to become a Buddha, you must first become a human being and save others and all sentient beings;
Always imitate Maitreya and open your mouth to smile, your heart can fill up all the emptiness;
Not riding a horse, not riding an ox, it’s most appropriate to take it easy and slow.
