More than ten years have passed, and my career of studying Buddhism is like flowing water. Without the grandeur of hitting the shore, I have always maintained a dull calmness and beauty; There is no splendor that stands out among thousands of flowers, but we often enjoy the charming scenery of sunset and willows. I thought I really embarked on a road of life without "love" from then on; I thought this was a boat that took people to the other side of life, and the front would be calm. Actually, it is not! There are many things you can't choose in life, such as staying away from love, which is almost impossible. For more than ten years, you have not been far away from love, but have been surrounded by fatherly friendship and teacher love. As for how many times I have answered the world's question about whether monks also have love, I can't count. And every answer will vary from person to person, either positive or negative, almost to the point of losing yourself. Recently, due to an interview with a reporter, he once again mentioned this issue, which can be called "a cliche." I think I can't go on perfunctory, I can't let this question accompany me all my life, and there will never be an answer. So I had to open my long-forgotten memory and look for the best interpretation of love.
Confusion of love
In the dead of night, when the bright moon is in the sky, I will occasionally walk out of the small bookstore and look up at the starry sky to find my own one. Whenever I look for it, I can't help but have a little daydream. Since man is the soul of all things, can he really stay away from love and being loved? Obviously, the ultimate goal of practice is by no means to turn people into aliens without feelings. So do monks who advocate abstinence from love have love?
The Buddha said, "Those who love but don't know the Tao, such as Samana, should give up their love and desire, so that the Tao can be seen." He also said, "a man who loves sex is like walking against the wind with a torch, and he is bound to burn his hands." And' people from love to worry, from worry to fear. If you leave love, why worry? "From this perspective, the Buddha has told us that love is the foundation of obstacles and the source of terror. As a disciple of the Buddha, becoming a monk should undoubtedly take staying away from love as his lifelong pursuit, but after reading more, you will find that the Buddha often praises the great feat of keeping the Buddha confused and nourishing life, especially the "Hell is not empty, swear not to become a Buddha; "I don't know how many people are shocked by Bodhi's endless wishes and infinite love. Similarly, whenever I read newspapers and magazines that I have paid the price of my life or even my life to cherish my "other half", I am often moved to tears by the scene of my true love for her (him). I really don't know if this is the revival of love or the bud of love. It wasn't until one day that I read the poem "I don't seek happiness for myself, I wish all beings would be free from suffering" in Hua Yan Jing that I suddenly realized that my previous feelings were not love in a narrow sense, but their compassion and altruism that completely surpassed themselves.
The true meaning of love
The meaning of love should be compassion, equality and nothing. Without these, it is not love, but lust. Buddhist scriptures call it love, the universe and all beings. Few people are not satisfied with the five desires, touching color, sound and fragrance, and they can't afford it. This kind of love is selfish, conditional, and even contains a strong desire for possession, while true love should be unconditional dedication, and its greatest feature is its transcendence without self. To achieve this kind of love beyond the realm, we must first let go of our attachment to lust. There are four kinds of passions in the world, namely indulgence, abstinence, no desire and lust. The first two categories are against the laws of the world. As far as the laws of the world are concerned, indulgence is not only harmful to the body. Outsiders can't reach the supreme magic, and abstinence is forced, just like water control, blocking but not dredging. Although the injury was temporarily avoided, it stayed in eternity. Therefore, it is not enough to take the law alone. Abstinence is the rule of this world. Desire is the domain of the wise, which is generally advocated, because it is transformed and guided by reason and wisdom. For example, a few scientists and medical scientists, in order to reach the peak of a certain cause and provide a guarantee for human peace, health and happiness, do not hesitate to give up their personal love and turn their personal feelings into their persistence and pursuit of the cause. This behavior of giving up the small and taking the big is more perfect in personality. As for monks, in order to go to Fagan; To use a life to understand the endless mystery, to give up family and love, and to give birth to family, is to pursue the severance of all feelings and prove the wisdom of selflessness. Laozi once said: "I am old, and people are old;" Young and frivolous, and young people. " There is compassion and equality, but it is still far from the realm of compassion and compassion advocated by Buddhism. So Buddhism is the most perfect way to interpret the true meaning of love.
The sublimation of love
Since the beginning of self-study of Buddhism, monks have taken the establishment of four boundless compassion and joy as their lifelong ideal and pursuit, thus truly embarking on a long road of sublimation of love. On this long road, they are often criticized by the world and are positioned as the coldest group. The most frequently asked question is: "Do you also have love?" Do you know love? "In general, the monks seem to be out of support, guilty and short of breath. If there are, people will say, you have six unclean roots, why do you want to become a monk? If not, he will call you hypocritical, because love is human nature and you dare not admit it. It's really a dilemma. Yes, when people live in ordinary places, they have secular desires. Whether you think highly of yourself, avoid love, or affirm the greatness of true love, you can't satisfy curious people in the world of mortals. I often find this question difficult to answer, mainly because people have different understandings of love. People often say that "love" is narrow, and its essence is marriage. This kind of love has been injected with purpose from the beginning, including extreme selfishness and strong possessiveness, so it can only be called lust, which is far from the realm of true love.
If people can base true love on compassion, equality and inaction, then monks can calmly answer: We all have love! This is a sublimated view of love. When the quality of love is sublimated, nature is detached, which is the endless love pursued by Buddhism, that is, compassion.
I was once moved by Master Miao Hua's article (my becoming a monk). The article describes the author's emotional experience before becoming a monk in a plain style. No sadness, no lingering thoughts, no flowery words, just like a bystander telling someone else's past, especially the words "I didn't become a monk because of you, I hope you didn't marry because of me", which made me crawl. Those who have surpassed love can't be so open-minded, and it is precisely because of the transformation and sublimation of love that they can be so naive, naive to others and naive to those who have loved. Who says monks have no love?
The practice of love
If the world stresses the call for love, then Buddhism stresses the practice of love. In today's world, with the development of productive forces, the prosperity of economy and the rapid development of high technology, people's material life has been improved as never before, but all this has not kept the world away from their troubles. On the contrary, they are facing greater confusion and challenges. The competition of employment and the pressure of survival make more and more people feel impetuous, uneasy, lost, panic, jealousy and inequality, which seriously puzzles mankind. The cruel reality and competition have made people in a hurry. How fragile people need a quiet place to live, so that tired hearts can have a short rest. Undoubtedly, this provides a broad stage for Buddhism to play its functions of enriching the country and benefiting the people and guiding the world.
Of course, Buddhism benefits the world and must not stop at the slogan of "saving the world". It should be tangible actions and tangible benefits. I don't agree that money talks. I also understand that the purpose of Buddhism to advocate care, service and hope for people is not necessarily realized through the wealth of wise men, but at least I have not found a shortcut to let the world know, understand and respect it better than the urgency of helping others. So I also embarked on a lot of virtues, taking charity as a way to realize the ideal of saving the world with compassion. Buddha said, "You must hook up first, and then you must become a Buddha." Holding charity is a great practice of caring for monks. I hope more initiates will do this to benefit the world and make the road of love endless.