First of all, I admire your wisdom. Welcome to learn about true Buddhism. Buddhism is the ultimate and perfect faith. The wisdom of the Buddha is undoubtedly revealed in his scriptures. You can study the theory of Buddhism, participate in meditation, or participate in the Eight Passes Fasting and listen to Master Haitao, Master Xuanhua, and Master Shengyan. Lectures to purify your soul, I believe you can find support for your soul in Buddhism.

If you are just starting to learn Buddhism, please read Master Shengyan’s "Buddhism with Authentic Faith" and "Doubts in Learning Buddhism"

Easy to understand.

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§What is Buddha?

Buddha, this is the transliteration of ancient Indian Sanskrit.

Buddha means to be aware of oneself, to be aware of others, to be aware of everything, and to be omniscient and aware at all times. Therefore, he is also called the wise man or the right and partial consciousness.

Buddha, simply translated as Buddha, was born in our world about 2589 years ago (623 BC) to Prince Sakyamuni in Kapilavastu City, India. After attaining enlightenment, he was called Sakyamuni. Sakya is the family name, which means benevolence, and Muni is a common honorific title for saints in ancient India, which means silence. This is the leader of Buddhism.

Buddhists pay homage to the Buddha and have high respect for the holy images of Buddha and Bodhisattva. It expresses the reverence and obeisance of Buddhists to the holy images of Buddha and Bodhisattva. Buddhists with righteous beliefs will not regard the holy images in paintings and sculptures as the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas themselves (Volume 28 of Zengyi Agama regards observing the sky as a ritual to the Buddha)

Buddhists with righteous beliefs will not The purpose of worshiping icons is to convey the power of faith to the compassionate wishes of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas through the worship of icons.

Is Buddha the Creator?

No. True Buddhism does not have the concept of a creator. The Buddha is the enlightened person in the world. Although the Buddha can understand all the principles of the world, he cannot change the existing state of the world. Although the Buddha can save all sentient beings, whether they can be saved or not, It still depends on whether sentient beings can work hard on their own. The Buddha is the best doctor who can diagnose and prescribe the suffering of all sentient beings. If you take his medicine, you will be saved. If you refuse to take the medicine, the Buddha will be helpless. The Buddha is the best guide who can guide all sentient beings out of the sea of ??suffering in this world. If you follow the Buddha's guidance, you will be saved. If you don't follow the guidance, you will be helpless. Therefore, the Buddha does not regard himself as the Creator of the world and can practice the Buddha's teachings, which is equivalent to seeing the Buddha and respecting the Buddha. Therefore, the Buddha is neither the creator of the world nor the dominating god. He can only teach all living beings how to escape suffering and achieve happiness. Although the Buddha himself has achieved freedom from suffering and achieved happiness, he cannot replace all living beings to escape suffering and achieve happiness. Buddha is a great educator and teacher of humans and gods.

Life and Faith

Every religion advises people to have faith, but what exactly should they believe in? The ancients said: There is a way and it is right. Good birds also know how to choose trees to roost on, and loyal ministers also know how to serve with a clear ruler. Not to mention faith, you must also choose good objects. So, what conditions should the object of our faith meet? This issue cannot but be discussed.

(1) Faith does exist

When we choose an object of faith, we should examine whether it really exists. For example, if we choose to believe in Buddhism, the leader of Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha, does exist. The Buddha has the country where he was born, the year, month and day of his birth, the parents who raised him, and he has brothers and relatives. He also has records of his journey as a monk, practice, and enlightenment. The Buddha's deeds are clearly recorded in history. Sakyamuni Buddha is not a god who was made up out of thin air; nor is he a god who comes and goes without a trace. In other words, the objects we Buddhists believe in can stand the test of time in history. So, what are we to believe in? We must believe in objects that actually exist.

(2) Believe in those with high moral standards

When we make friends, we must make friends with people with high moral character and holy personality, because they can guide us to be good. The ancients said: "There is no friend." Not as good as oneself." He also said: "When water flows down, people climb up." If the object of our faith requires us to kill and harm others, then believing in him will not only be unhelpful, but also harmful. We must understand, does the person I believe in have pure moral character? Is his mercy sufficient? Is his personality perfect? If he has it, then such an object is worthy of our faith and conversion.

Sakyamuni Buddha is an awakened person with perfect merits and deeds. He possesses the three virtues of wisdom, judgment, and kindness. His morality is perfect and pure. Following this human and heavenly teacher can make our morals more noble and improve our personality. More perfect.

(3) Those with strong faith

We need a crutch as a pillar to climb mountains, and we also need a strong crutch to be our support in life. Only when we receive the guidance of our knowledgeable and capable teachers from a young age can we gradually avoid childishness; the object of our faith must also be a great and virtuous teacher who can save and enlighten others to guide us to the right path. "Buddha's Legacy Sutra" says: "I am like a good guide, leading people on a good path; I am like a good doctor, responding to illnesses and giving medicine." If you believe in the guidance of a good guide, you can walk on a bright road and reach your destination; believe in a good doctor For diagnosis and treatment, Agata medicine can be obtained to treat troublesome diseases. Why are the benevolent sages, heroes and ordinary people of all ages willing to accept his leadership? Mainly because of his strong ability. The lion can be the king of beasts, and the roc can be the strongest among birds, both because they have special abilities. The same is true for people. If the object of faith has strong power and seems to have a backing in life, we can only be happy because of it.

(4) Those who believe in pure precepts and conduct pure conduct

All actions of people with pure precepts and conduct are in line with the precepts. If we obey them, our words and deeds will naturally be in line with the right path and will not be derailed. If the person we believe in behaves impurely, it is like a car that violates traffic rules. An accident may occur at any time, and it would be too dangerous for us to follow him. The object of our faith, the great Buddha, is an enlightened being with the most stringent and pure precepts. He not only maintains strict self-discipline, but also formulates many precepts to guide the body and mind of his disciples. It is recorded in the scriptures: One of the disciples of the Buddha begged the owner of the orchard to beg fruits, and the owner asked him to pick them himself. The venerable replied: "The Buddha's precepts say that trees taller than a person cannot be climbed." The owner of the garden asked him to pick them himself. Asking him to shake the fruit down with his hands, he added, "Buddha's precepts say you are not allowed to shake the tree to get the fruit." In order to show his sincerity, the owner of the garden had to climb down from the branch and ask him to pick it. Knowing that, he still insisted: "Buddha's precepts say you are not allowed to take the fruit by yourself." The owner of the garden had no choice but to hold the fruit in both hands and offer it to him and said, "I will support you!" This story illustrates "taking without giving". As for violating the precepts, the disciples of the Buddha would rather not bear the fruit in order to adhere to the precepts. In modern terms, it is illegal to take anything from others without their consent, even a needle or thread. If everyone could abide by it, there would be no robbery or theft in society. If we can abide by the Buddha's teachings, the precepts we practice can be pure and flawless!

(5) Belief in the Perfect Dharma

The object of our faith must have perfect Dharma. The principles of Buddhism are impartial and unbiased, so they are called Dharma. The principles of Buddhism are universal and applicable to any time, space, person, or event. It is not suitable for this person but not for that person. Or it may be appropriate to use it at this time, but inappropriate to use it in another matter. Because Buddhism transcends time and space and is not subject to any limitations, it is perfect. There are many kinds of knowledge in society, and we must choose the most correct and comprehensive one as our guide. The famous saying of the wife of Guizhou Lou during the Spring and Autumn Period: "It is better to be straight and not enough, than to be skewed and have more than enough." It has been praised and used by the world for thousands of years. By believing in the perfect Dharma, we can not only get many correct instructions on our journey of life, but we can also build a perfect life.

(6) Full of Faith and Wisdom

There are two sentences in the book "The Way to Become a Buddha": "Righteous Dharma is the body, pure wisdom is the life." Usually we see They mistakenly think that the Buddha statue enshrined on the table is the Buddha's body, or that the majestic and beautiful body that the Buddha had when he was alive is the Buddha's true body. In fact, the Buddha is based on the righteous Dharma; the Buddha's life span does not last eight years. During the ten years of human life, the Buddha lived with infinite wisdom. Worldly knowledge has leaks, and human lifespan is limited. And the Dharma is the body, the Dharma is present in all times and places, and is endless; wisdom is the lifespan, and wisdom is pure and eternal, immeasurable and limitless. The object of our faith has perfect intelligence. If we follow him and learn from him, we can gain a life full of intelligence in the future and contribute to the public in this way.

An upright life and an upright belief

Although some people in society say they have certain beliefs, in fact, they are more superstitious, and some are even more superstitious. It's an evil belief.

So what is true faith? How to obtain a righteous life and faith?

(1) From disguised belief to true belief

The general public tends to be superstitious and evil because they have not obtained true belief. He does a lot of stupid things in a careless manner. For example, reading Feng Shui, timing, fortune telling, horoscopes, divination, and burning tin foil, gold and silver paper are all superstitious behaviors and are not allowed by Buddhism.

There is a Wanshou Garden Cemetery in Fo Guang Shan. People often want to bury their relatives or friends in the cemetery because they have passed away. If I meet them, I often say to them: "It is best not to bring Mr. Geography to see Feng Shui." "Some people don't understand why, because when you ask Mr. Geography to check Feng Shui, you must first give him a red envelope from the person who manages the cemetery. If he doesn't give it to him, after he looks at the cemetery, even if the person in charge of the bereavement feels satisfied, he will make excuses. : "The direction of this land is not good. If your parents are buried here, it will offend your descendants." After hearing this, you must think that is okay. In order to bury your parents, you will offend your children. You absolutely cannot want this. piece of land. Another example is building a house. Even if you have your eye on a piece of land, if Mr. Geography says: "It is not good for the house to face this way, because facing this direction is not good for your parents." Just imagine, can you take this taboo? Superstition is to use a terrifying method to seize the weakness of human nature so that you dare not disobey his beliefs. If a person does not have the wisdom of righteous faith, he cannot be freed from superstition. The Buddha has repeatedly instructed us in the Sutra: "Don't predict good or bad luck, look up at the stars." Therefore, what I have followed throughout my life is the wise saying "Every day is a good day, and everywhere is a good place." As long as our intentions are fair, we can go anywhere; as long as everyone finds it convenient, every moment will be auspicious. True Buddhists are never superstitious, and those who are superstitious are never true Buddhists.

The other type is evil belief, such as Yiguandao. What exactly is Yiguandao? I am afraid that few people can truly understand it; but why do so many people believe in it? Perhaps it is its mysterious color and the oath that holds you firmly. You dare not violate it and have no choice but to keep believing. However, faith should not be so rash. Just because of human feelings or selfishness cannot be regarded as true faith. Therefore, we must abandon the superstitions of disguised cults and choose the true Buddhist faith.

(2) From the belief in destiny to the belief in autonomy

Most people usually believe in destiny, and everything comes under the arrangement of heaven. Food is given to us by God; benefits are obtained from God. Of course, there is nothing sinful about this kind of thinking. It’s just that you give your sovereignty to God unconditionally and let God be the master and rule us. People who don’t know that they have sovereignty and can rule over themselves, He is truly the most stupid and pitiful person in the world. Why should a person's happiness in life, happiness in life, spiritual joy, and bright future be controlled and bestowed by gods? Buddhism teaches that "everyone has Buddha nature", which is to enhance the sovereignty of each of us. Let us be alert to the fact that we can control everything about ourselves. Dark things can be changed into light; miserable things can be turned into happiness; rough things can be paved into a broad road of life. To believe in Buddhism, to put it more clearly, is to believe in oneself. Isn't it more meaningful to create everything with your own hands than to rely on the control of gods?

(3) From the belief in human feelings to the belief in righteous faith

There are many people who often go to this temple to socialize or go to that temple, and in the end they are finally accepted by many people. Surrounded by favors, one cannot choose true faith. In fact, faith should be based on the law and not on people. The Buddha said that there are "four reliances", namely, 1. "Relying on the Dharma and not on others": People who believe in Buddhism should seek "faith, understanding, practice and realization" based on the Buddha's teachings, and should not give up because of the merits of others (the person who teaches the Dharma). Belief; or just be a believer in a certain temple or a certain monk, while ignoring the entire Buddhist dharma.

2. "Rely on wisdom rather than knowledge": Wisdom is intelligence, like bright light, you can see the true face; consciousness is difference and distinction. Only those who study Buddhism can obtain the true essence of Buddhism by pursuing the Dharma without discriminating knowledge; those who study Buddhism should use their wisdom to internally realize the truth in order to gain liberation.

3. "Rely on meaning rather than words": People who believe in Buddhism should understand Buddhism from the perspective of meaning and should not scrutinize or care about language.

4. "Relying on righteousness but not relying on righteousness": Buddhism without meaning is just a convenient way to persuade new believers or people with shallow foundations; to believe in the truth, you should believe in the ultimate one-way path to liberation.

The "Four Reliances" are principles that every believer in Buddhism should know and implement them practically.