We practice to overcome life and death and achieve Buddhahood. First of all, we must have a long-term and diligent mind, and endure hardships in order to become a master. We are now sinful mortals filled with the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance. If we want to live and die, we must work hard and work diligently to achieve enlightenment.
Although our method of cultivating the Pure Land is a convenient and shortcut method, it still requires hard work. We must work hard from the bottom of our hearts and recite this Buddha's name from the bottom of our hearts. Only when the sincerity and sincerity in our hearts correspond to Amitabha's vows can we feel the loving light of Amitabha and double its power. Without three winters of bone-chilling coldness, there is no way to get the fragrance of plum blossoms.
Although plum blossoms are very fragrant when they bloom, it takes a bitterly cold winter for the plum blossoms to bloom with their intoxicating fragrance and the petals to bloom more vividly. Therefore, only by putting in a lot of hard work, reciting the Buddha's name honestly, and practicing the Way diligently can we be inspired to receive the loving light of Amitabha.
Speaking of this, it reminds me of some lay Buddhists who are very devout in chanting Buddha's name. They often make vows to die in the next year. After making the vows, they spread them out to let others know that they are going to die on that day. As a result, on that day, many people were summoned to help him recite, but after reciting for a whole day, no one left in the end.
Therefore, when we recite the Buddha’s name, we must work hard from the bottom of our hearts. We are not actors, we just want to perform for everyone. Rebirth requires you to work hard from the bottom of your heart. You don’t really work hard from the bottom of your heart. You still make a wish, and then perform it by yourself, and gather everyone to watch you. You are demonstrating for the sake of fame, and you are not sincerely reciting the Buddha’s name for life and death. So, This kind of heart is false, false, and not real. The "motivation" in your heart does not correspond to the "feeling" of Amitabha. When we recite the Buddha's name, we must respond accordingly. The power of Amitabha’s vows is in line with our intentions, and our principles must inspire the power of Amitabha’s vows. This is corresponding. Only by receiving the loving light of Amitabha can we be reborn.
At the same time, we ordinary beings can’t just walk away, we can’t just walk away. It’s not just that we were at Xiangji Temple today and just wanted to take a walk around Weiqu Street in Xi’an City, so we just went there. We have many causes and conditions. We have not let go of our ambitions for fame and gain. Our fate in the Saha world has not yet ended. Our thoughts are not yet single-minded. If we do not have full confidence in the afterlife, we will not be able to escape. When we recite the Buddha's name sincerely, when the causes and conditions mature, and we have faith and vows, we will naturally pass away and all the light will appear naturally.
Many sentient beings in our Saha world like to seek magical powers, and they can obtain magical powers by reciting any mantra. When we recite Amitabha, if our skill reaches that level, we will naturally gain supernatural powers. As we have said before, when Master Shandao chants Buddha's name, he emits immeasurable light from his mouth, inspiring everyone around him to practice vegetarianism and chant Buddha's name.
Today I will tell you a story about how to gain supernatural powers by chanting Buddha’s name. During the Ming Dynasty, there was a national master named Longpou Guoshi. This great virtuous man came from a poor family before becoming a monk. After becoming a monk, I was also very distressed, just like us poor, uneducated people now. After becoming a monk, I worked hard every day in a monastery. I did whatever work was hard, such as collecting firewood, carrying water, digging the ground, etc., growing vegetables for everyone, cleaning, and doing a lot of hard work. The day was very busy, and it was also Very hard work.
One day, a master came from outside and saw that the master was busy all day long, very hard. The master asked him: "You have such a hard day and are so busy. What are you doing?" The master said: "Serve the public. Then what kind of practice does the master practice?" Master Guangdan said: "I will recite Buddha's name, just recite "Amitabha." When the master heard this, he asked, "Why do you want to recite Amitabha?" Master Guangdan replied: "Reciting Amitabha can help us resolve life and death and achieve Buddhahood.
As long as we recite it sincerely, we can be reborn in the bliss of the West. "The world sees Amitabha." After hearing this, he was very happy and chanted Amitabha with all his heart. As he chanted it, he felt that he was being disturbed in the jungle and could not concentrate on chanting the name of Amitabha, so he went into the mountain without being disturbed. If you concentrate on reciting the Buddha's name, you will be able to recite it for many years.
In the secular world, his mother and sister were still alive, which happened to be not far from the place where he entered the mountain. After his sister knew that he was practicing asceticism there, she brought him a pack of cotton cloth so that he could have some time. Good clothes to wear. After delivering it, my sister talked to my brother whom I hadn't seen for a long time, but he ignored her and just chanted Amitabha. His sister asked him why he didn't speak, but he still just chanted the Buddha's name, so he threw the baggage away in anger and went home. He remained indifferent and just recited the Buddha's name attentively.
A few years later, a woodcutter passing by collecting firewood passed by. At this time, I was very hungry and wanted to find something to eat. I saw the master and asked, "Master, do you have anything to eat?" The master said, "I will boil potatoes for you." So the master picked some in the mountains. Put the round stone into the pot and start burning. After a while, the potatoes were cooked and served to the woodcutter. The woodcutter didn't know why, but he ate very well. When he was about to leave after finishing the meal, the master told him: "You can't tell anyone what happened today. Only you know. If you don't tell others, I will pay you back next time you come." You boil the potatoes and eat them, but if you tell others, you won’t have to eat them next time.” After hearing this, the woodcutter left.
After that, Master recited the Buddha's name for many years and felt that the cause and condition had matured. It was time to form a bond with all sentient beings and save them. So Master went down the mountain to make tea near a village. While making tea, he practiced chanting the Buddha's name.
One day, many monks went to the capital, and he asked them: "Where are so many of you magicians going?" Someone replied: "The emperor issued an edict that many monks from Zhangzhou need to go to the capital to practice "The reason why the emperor asked these monks to save his mother was because his mother gave the emperor a dream that she was suffering in the lower realms and needed a master who had practiced and achieved Taoism to help her perform rituals and save her, but he only said that. There are eminent monks over there in Zhangzhou.
So the emperor issued an edict to summon all the mages in Zhangzhou. He asked: "Can you take me with you?" The man said: "You are such a troubled person, what can you do?" The master said: "I can carry your burdens and carry your luggage. Yeah." The man said, "Okay, you follow us." When they arrived at the entrance of the palace, everyone saw the majestic building of the palace, so they tidied up their clothes and walked in with high spirits. But when the master arrived at the door, he did not leave. Instead, he knelt at the door and bowed toward the threshold.
When the guard guarding the gate saw the mage refusing to go in at the door, he reminded him to get up and enter the palace, but he ignored him. So the guards went to report to the emperor. When the emperor heard about it, he said that the eminent monk had arrived, and then went to meet the master. Asked: "Why doesn't Master come in?" The master said: "There is a diamond below." It turned out that in order to test which one of the great virtues had truly achieved Taoism, the emperor secretly sent someone to bury a copy of the Diamond Sutra under the door. The emperor said: "Why don't you stand on your head and enter?" When the master heard this, he thought "right", so he did a somersault and entered. This means that he entered with the Diamond Sutra on his head and did not step on it directly. This is also Respect for the magic weapon.
Having said that, we still need to pay attention when listening to the Master’s teachings in the future. Masters who have achieved Taoism are so sincere, respectful and sincere towards Buddhist scriptures, but now some of us are arrogant after reading a few Zen koans. In the past, there were many Zen masters who practiced very well. After becoming enlightened, they would say some words to guide some people when their opportunities were ripe and needed to be saved. This may seem extreme to us contemporary people, but people can Saying this sentence can make a person enlightened and see his true nature. Then whatever he says is right.
If we cannot observe the opportunity to speak the Dharma, then what we say will be ostomy karma. For example, after reading a few koans, some masters casually said: "The Twelve Parts of the Tripitaka are just scraps of paper." If we hear such words in the future, it is best to filter them out and not listen to them. A great sage with enlightenment and vast supernatural powers like Master Long Pou can worship the sutras with such respect, let alone us ordinary people?
After Master Longpou entered the palace, the emperor was very respectful to him, and asked Master to perform salvation for the emperor's mother, and asked Master how the mandala should be arranged for the salvation the next day. Master's request is very simple. Just set up a platform, arrange some fruits on it, and then offer two pots of flowers. When the emperor heard this, he thought, "My mother is the empress dowager, how can she be so casual?" So in order to test the master's true spiritual practice, he asked the palace maid to bathe him. Later, the palace maid told the emperor that he was a true practitioner and that he had no thoughts at all. This shows that his practice has reached a certain level, which we ordinary people cannot learn.
The next day, Master stood on the stage, recited a few words of "Namo Amitabha" and then told the emperor: "Your mother has been saved." The emperor did not believe it, and he thought about what big things he might do. For Buddhist rituals, just reciting a few words of "Amitabha" is enough. When the emperor was doubtful, his mother suddenly appeared in the air, sitting on the lotus platform, and told him: "You have to thank all the masters for saving me. I have now been liberated and reborn in the Western Paradise."
So the emperor admired the master even more and held a banquet in the palace to entertain him. At this time, the master looked at the emperor's trousers a few more times. When the emperor noticed it, he asked: "Does the holy monk like these trousers?" The master replied: "Yes." So the emperor gave his trousers to the master and bowed. He is the national master, and his title is Longpou national master. Later, the emperor took Imperial Master Long Pou to visit the palace and passed by a pagoda. Because the pagoda in the palace was very solemn, Imperial Master Longpou liked the pagoda very much, so the emperor asked: "Does the Imperial Master like this pagoda?" Imperial Master Longpou said: "Yes."
The emperor said: "Then I will arrange for craftsmen to build a new pagoda for the imperial master in Zhangzhou." The imperial master Longpou said: "No, just give me this one." The emperor asked: " How can you take this with you?" Imperial Master Long Pou smiled slightly, then rose into the air, opened his sleeves, and the pagoda was put into the Imperial Master's sleeves and taken away.
So we don’t need to ask for supernatural powers. As long as we concentrate on practicing Taoism, chanting Buddha’s name, and completing life and death, as long as our life and death are over and the Taoism is accomplished, we don’t need to ask for anything, everything is ready-made. At that time, the use of supernatural powers was the same as when we eat, sleep, and walk. There is no difference at all. Therefore, if we want to escape from life and death, we should practice wholeheartedly and recite this line of Buddha sincerely. As long as we are sincere and sincere, then all of us can attain the Tao, and all of us can end life and death.
Master Shandao said: "When you return, you will never stop in the land of demons. The vast kalpas will come and go. All the six paths will pass through. There will be no happiness anywhere. You can only hear the sighs of sorrow. After finishing this life, you will enter Nirvana. City. "The Saha world we live in is a demonic land and a demonic path. There are many obstacles on our path of practice. We have all kinds of obstacles and troubles during our practice. If there are unsatisfactory things at home, or if we encounter various troubles in the process of spiritual practice, some people will slander and ridicule us. But we ordinary beings have a good face, and when others say unpleasant things, our hearts are broken. Even if we are reciting sutras, we will not dare to recite them when others say it, for fear that others will look down on us.
Therefore, when it comes to our practice, we must practice it with heart. We should not just stay on the surface, let alone think about demonstrating it to everyone. Wherever we go, we should say, "Look, I am a practitioner, I am a person who chants Buddha's name. I am a layman." It is very bad to flaunt yourself everywhere. When there are people, we can recite it in our hearts; when no one is around, we can recite it out loud. We can also worship Buddha, chant sutras, and practice at home without disturbing others. Being vegetarian is certainly a good thing, and it would be best if your family can comply with it. If not, we cannot force it. You can't say that I am a vegetarian. You must follow me to become a vegetarian. This will annoy my family very much.
"The Demonic Land cannot be stopped." Therefore, we must renounce and seek rebirth in the Western Paradise. "The vast kalpas come and go." Since the beginning of the kalpa, we have been reincarnated in the six realms of life and death, from heaven to hell, from hell to hungry ghosts, from hungry ghosts to animals and then to human bodies, etc. We have gone through many cycles. lock up. From all aspects of the Tao, all living beings are parents in the past. We don’t know how many living beings we have been children, nor how many living beings we have been parents.
So today we have such good karma, we must resolve to be reborn in the Western Paradise, and we must fight life and death. "The vast tribulations come and go, and all six paths have passed through." We have experienced every path. "There is no joy everywhere, only sighs of sorrow are heard." Where can there be true joy in the Saha world? I told you a few days ago that some things may make us happy in the past, but the consequences behind them will bring pain and trouble. For example, it is fine if the children are good. If the children are not filial, we will be even more sad; if the children are unpredictable, we will be even more troubled. Just like when you are used to riding in a good car, suddenly sitting in an ordinary car makes you feel uncomfortable.
I usually live in a very gorgeous house, but suddenly I live in a dilapidated house. It seems difficult to live in it. So things in this world may seem like a good thing from the front, but who knows the trouble and pain it will bring later.
"After completing this life, enter the city of nirvana."
Therefore, if we want to live this life to the fullest, we must go to see Amitabha Buddha, we must go through life and death, and become a Buddha!
Namo Amitabha!