? Most secular people focus their eyes and energy on things related to "me". For example, many people spend their whole lives thinking about how to earn enough money so that they can afford a house in the city, or train a child who can be admitted to a famous school in China or the world, or find a partner in Gao Fushuai or Bai Fumei, but these things are very light for a real monk. A monk can abandon his family, his wife and children, and resolutely become a monk. Are these monks and disciples who don't cherish the happiness of human relations? Still don't want to take on family responsibilities, I don't think so! Because they have higher vision and pursuit, to explore the true meaning of happiness, to seek the way of liberation for all beings, to urge them to give up their little love, leave their families, go to the mountains to associate with wild animals, drink mountain springs, eat wild vegetables and do asceticism.
? Before he became a monk, the father had married his second wife, but he finally took a simple bag from Quanzhou to Gushan Temple in Fuzhou one night and knelt down to ask the abbot to accept him as an apprentice. When he was forty years old, he made a heart to Wutai Mountain in Shanxi Province to repay his parents' deep gratitude. He started to burn incense in Hokkeji, Putuo Mountain in Zhejiang Province, and after three steps of worship, he became more and more enthusiastic. After three years, he finally reached Wutai Mountain. Before becoming a monk, Buddha Tuo was a prince of the Sakyamuni family, named Shi Daduo. As a royal family, he had a prominent and distinguished position and honor, and even had a happy and complete family. But even though the world yearned for such conditions, he resolutely gave up. If he did not have greater compassion and ambition to help the whole world, it would be impossible to overcome the ego, break through the shackles of a happy and happy family, and pursue the big ego and the happy family.
? The excellent quality advocated by Confucian sages: when "loyalty and filial piety can't be satisfactory", we should give up our small family and serve everyone. In fact, this is also the truth. Therefore, from this perspective, Buddhism's thoughts are consistent with Confucianism.
Money, wine and beautiful women (or handsome guys) are human desires. Monks are also flesh, and worldly desires likes these worldly material comforts, but they know clearly in their hearts that all these worldly material comforts are temporary and leaky. If a person is allowed to be controlled by his own desires, it will inevitably fall into what Schopenhauer, a western philosopher, described: "Life is a mass of desires. If you don't get it, you will be miserable. If you get it, you will be bored. Life swings between pain and boredom like a pendulum." Our pursuit of external material things can never catch up with the expansion of internal demand. When the material desire expands to the extreme, one day, it will burst with a bang and blow our lives to dust.
Spirit or consciousness is the wealth that we can really own or even follow. Kindness, integrity, courage and responsibility are the "karma" that will always accompany us, which will keep us going from life to life. Therefore, we should not put our limited time and energy on external material desires that cannot be held for a long time, but should focus on spiritual (moral) cultivation and improvement, which is called "practice" (correcting one's own behavior).
It is recorded in the documentary "The Road of Xuanzang" that when Xuanzang went west to learn Buddhist scriptures, he was already a famous monk in the Central Plains. At that time, he could have planned a comfortable and comfortable life for himself with his own knowledge and influence. However, it was in the process of learning or spreading Buddhism that he had doubts about some theories in Buddhism (such as whether all beings have Buddha nature) and decided to go west. At that time, his decision was undoubtedly to take great risks: there was a ban on leaving the country issued by the court, there was a boundless Gobi, and there were all kinds of dangerous situations on the road. Sure enough, shortly after he set foot on the westbound Gobi, the life-saving water bag he carried with him was spilled. At this time, he had the intention of retreating, but after returning a few steps, he stopped and finally decided to move on, and vowed to say, "If you don't reach Tianzhu, you won't return to the east." ..... would rather die in the west than live in the east ". What kind of spirit is this? If there is no considerable spiritual pursuit, how can he have the strength to support and continue to go on? The difficulties and tribulations encountered by Master Xuanzang in seeking the Dharma in the west are more dangerous than those encountered by Tang Priest in The Journey to the West written by Wu Cheng'en.
The eminent monk and great virtue I know around me, such as the group of magicians in Shangji, took pains to spread the Dharma everywhere; Compared with the indomitable spirit of Chinese masters in rebuilding dilapidated ancient temples, most people, including myself, are far behind. I have infinite admiration for these tutors.
Buddhism advocates non-contention. It is not that you don't want to make progress, but that you don't want to fight and live in harmony. The "three poisons" (greed, anger and delusion) and self-obsession are the root causes of troubles and human struggles or wars. Buddhism advocates the equality of all beings, and believes that struggle cannot solve the real problems of mankind. Tolerance, forbearance and compassion are the life rules for Buddhist disciples to deal with people, people and society, and people and nature. Therefore, when encountering disputes or problems, Buddhists are required to look for reasons from themselves first, instead of venting negative emotions such as contradictions and resentment on each other. It is believed that the catharsis of emotions will not only solve the problems, but will intensify contradictions among all parties.
The story of "the north wind and the sun" in Aesop's Fables fully shows that strength and compulsion will not make people put down their guard (the "coat" of pedestrians), but warmth and compassion can make people disarm and be sincere.
? Buddhists are not pessimists, so are they optimists? ! Not really. There are too many impermanences in life. We may have just planned to do something, but often we can't follow the original plan because of impermanence. This is the truth that "planning is not as good as change". Take the spread of COVID-19 epidemic in the world as an example. Its occurrence has upset the original arrangement and rhythm of countless enterprises, individuals and families. In addition, we all have to face the test of old age, illness and death, especially death, which is even more painful. When people are born, they are approaching death every minute, and we don't know where we will go after death.
? Moreover, every Buddhist disciple who practices Mahayana Buddhism has the will to spread the wisdom culture and the knowledge of true nature more widely, so that more people can benefit from it and get rid of their confusion and troubles. However, the objective situation is that all beings are "strong and difficult to adjust", even if you have the heart to help them, you can't help them if you want to. Therefore, Buddhism has an unpleasant smell.
? It is precisely because there are so many practical difficulties and obstacles mentioned above, therefore, where can Buddhist disciples be optimistic? !
? Monks' attitude towards life is neither pessimistic nor optimistic, but a moderate attitude towards life, that is, neither sadness nor joy.
"Look at yourself and the world truthfully. I not only see the suffering of life, but also see that life has the ability to save itself, and I am full of confidence in the bright future of spiritual practice. " No matter whether it is a prosperous spring breeze or a rainy situation in hentai, Buddhist disciples should have enough positive views, know that everything happens for a reason, and everything goes out for a reason, and stay away from the common and broken views. "Neither birth nor extinction, nor constant, nor different, nor coming out." If you really keep such mindfulness at all times, it is really not far from the goal of becoming a Buddha. ?
? My friend sent me a word, the content of which is the poem written by Mr. Dongpo in Dingfengbo, "Looking back at the bleak place, there is no rain or shine." I like this poem and this word very much, so I can remember it.
(The photos in the picture are from Beauty, Yang Yi and Zi Fen, and I would like to thank you.)