The Buddha described the world as an unending flux of becoming. All is changeable, continuous transformation, ceaseless mutation, and a moving stream. Everything exists from moment to moment. Everything is a recurring rotation of coming into being and then passing out of existence. Everything is moving from birth to death. Life is a continuous movement of change towards death. The matter or material forms in which life does or does not express itself, are also a continuous movement or change towards decay. This teaching of the impermanent nature on earth partakes of the character of absolute reality. That there will be no death of what is born is impossible. Whatever is subject to origination is subject also to destruction. Change is the very constituent of reality.
Living in the world,we should have strong convictions, firmly believing that life can be upgrading and the world can be improved. This point is very crucial and also fundamental. We Buddhists usually says “to purify the world and life” is just this meaning. Reflected in Buddhists’ mental formation are the motivation, vow and practice. If a person lost his faith living in the world, it would be a very bad thing, no faith, on respect and no reverence. People will fall into the Three Evil Paths in Buddhism terms if so. Thus we can say faith is fundamental. If a person has faith, he or she will have respect and reverence and also have binding in daily life. Religious faith in human edification is reflected here. All religious beliefs come down to the real point of “self-discipline”. Buddhists’ vows and ordinations are are attributed to this point too. (From Words of Chan)
We know that there will be no attachment after life and death of the secular world. But we can’t give ourselves up as hopeless, thinking that anyhow life is so and do what we want to do, which is not practicable. In our words, it is “emptiness-grasping”. The Buddhist doctrine says, a human body is difficult to attain. Though the secular life does not mean anything to us, decades of people’s whole life are very precious. We can live another meaningful life of being different from the secular life through practicing Buddhism and cultivating ourselves. That is the enlightenment. Some may say: “Is Buddha also human?” “Yes. Buddha is human as well and is one who has enlightened.” So the Buddhist doctrine says sentient beings are Buddhas who haven’t awakened while Buddha is a sentient being who has enlightened. We should never think that one will be able to sit on the lotus throne at the Mahaviro Hall worshiped by thousands of people after enlightenment. It is not so. Sakya still came in the wind and went in the rain, traveling and delivering people with an alms bowl after enlightenment in those days. The person is still the same one but his mental state has changed, becoming clear and peaceful and having no worries at all, full of vigor as well after enlightenment. (From Words of Chan by Shi Yongxin)
Chan sect teaches “understand the mind and see the nature” every day. The word “nature” of it was the empty matter. “understand the mind” means making us understand our heart is false because we become greedy for our stupid desires, causing admiration of self and then having the moment of birth and death. Straightly speaking, “understand the mind and see the nature” means to conquer the moment of birth and death, ending birth and death. (From Words of Chan by Shi Yongxin)
Carrying forward the Buddha dharma is a very urgent work today. That is Tripitaka is able to be translated into straightway words. The more straightway, the better. If the language barrier is not rooted out, people will think that Buddhism is too profound and will keep a lot of people out. The consequences this barrier brings will make not only Buddhist disciples but also lay Buddhists feel wronged. (From Records of Chan by Shi Yongxin)
Charity and Upeksha ties are quite close. Both of them are exterior-interior relationships and are one. But many people don’t know or misunderstand their relations between each other. On the one hand, people praise that Buddhism advocates charity. On the other hand, they also think that Buddhism is negatively world-weary. In fact, misanthropy of Buddhism is not the negative and evasive psychological aversion, but a kind of mundane life surpassing during the course of witnessing Sunyata of everything after the enlightenment of mundane life. Buddhism’s misanthropy and abandoning worldly life can greatly embody Buddhism’s positive attitude towards life, continually surpassing people’s own precious qualities. (From Words of Chan by Shi Yongxin)
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Shi Yongxin
Shaolin Temple
Dew of Chan
