There was a Brahmin monk who was enthusiastic about studying Buddhism. He heard rumors along the way that the people of Savatthi are very kind and filial. Most people understand the Buddhist scriptures and the Dharma, and the people of other countries are not as good as them. So, he traveled thousands of miles, asked for directions, and entered the border of Savatthi State. As he was passing through the fields, he saw a father and his son plowing the fields. The plow broke the snake's hole, and the poisonous snake angrily came out of the hole and bit the farmer's son. The old farmer did not go to the rescue and continued to cultivate the land as before. In one round trip, the farmer's son was poisoned and died. When the old farmer saw his son dead, he felt no pain, and felt worse than a passer-by. The monk was very surprised and asked the old farmer: "Whose son is this man?" The old farmer replied: "He is my biological son." The monk said: "Since he is your biological son, why don't you cry bitterly? Instead, you still plow the land, like It's nothing."
The old farmer replied: "When things are formed, they will be destroyed. When people are born, they will die. Good people will be rewarded, and evil people will be resented. What benefit does crying in sorrow, or even giving up food and drink, do to the dead? My family lives in the east of the city. After you enter the city, please send a message for me, saying that my son is dead and there is no need to bring lunch for two people." The monk thought to himself that this farmer had no intention of turning around. His son died on the ground. He did not cry bitterly but wanted to ask for food. This The farmer is extremely unkind.
Then he walked east of the city and reached a farmer's house, where he met the dead man's mother. He said to the mother: "Unfortunately, your beloved son was bitten to death by a venomous snake! The man's father asked me to send a message, saying that today you only need to send lunch for one person. Why doesn't he feel any sorrow at all?"
The son's mother explained to the monk: "A son is like a passer-by, coming to see you temporarily. Of course you can't refuse him when he comes, and you don't have to miss him when he leaves. He comes and goes without any intention, and there is a time limit for how long he stays. How foolish to be sad, that's all I want to tell you my guest."
The monk knew that the mother had no intention of turning back, so he turned around and told the deceased's sister: "Miss, unfortunately your brother has died, why don't you cry?" The sister said to the monk: "Brothers and sisters, reincarnate. In the same family. Just like a woodcutter who goes into the mountains to cut firewood, temporarily binds the firewood with ropes and places it at the end of the water. The strong wind blows the rope and breaks it, and the firewood flows away with the water. It is difficult for each other to care about each other, so why complain in vain!"
The monk knew that the sister had no intention of turning back, so he said to the deceased's new wife: "Your husband is dead, and the sky above your head has collapsed. Why don't you cry sadly?" The woman also made an analogy to the monk: " As a husband and wife, our time together is very short. When the fate matures, we stay together; when the fate ends, we part from each other. Just like the birds in the forest, they come to roost together in the evening, and then go their separate ways after dawn, flying high in different directions to the north and south.Lifespan has a certain limit, so there is nothing to doubt after leaving this world!"
The monk knew that the wife had no intention of turning around, so he said to the old servant of that family: "Your little master is dead, why don't you cry bitterly?" The old slave also told the monk: "The master is like a big cow and the servant is like a little calf. A slave feeds from his master, just like a calf lives by a cow. When the big cow is in trouble, the calf is helpless. Human life is impermanent. What is the use of sorrow and pain?"
The monk was originally full of enthusiasm, but hearing these sarcastic words was like pouring several basins of cold water on his head. For a moment, he was in a trance, dizzy, and could hardly distinguish anything. After regaining his composure, he said to himself: "I studied Buddhism with admiration, but how could I have known that when I came to this country, I didn't meet a single pleasant person when I entered the country, but I met these five hard-hearted and unrepentant people. What a huge disappointment!"
The monk inquired all the way to Jetavana and came to Sakyamuni Buddha. He told the Buddha about the unethical behavior of the five people he met on the way: "Whether the opinions held by these people are correct or not, I have to ask the Tathagata to make a judgment."
The Tathagata praised the five people: "They all have a deep understanding of the Buddha's Dharma, and they are happy and aware of destiny, and they know that all actions are impermanent. Regardless of whether people are rich, poor, wise, foolish, virtuous, or unworthy, they will all die one day. This cannot be restored by sorrow and grief. . Besides, death is not real. For countless kalpas, life and death have passed, the body has been abandoned, and the spirit is always there, dying and resurrecting, giving up the body or entering the body. Going in and out of the six realms is like a wheel turning; there is no rest in reincarnation and reincarnation. From death to reincarnation, it only takes 49 days. The remaining blessings or remaining bad retributions will have their own consequences; those living beings with heavy karma will suffer for many kalpas; sentient beings who practice good will enjoy the blessings, but will fall when the blessings are exhausted. All living beings are like this when they are not stopping. Chasing delusions is due to obsession. Some people understand and others are confused. It all depends on everyone's own thoughts. Only when the ocean of mind has no ripples can we escape. Just like the five people you mentioned just now."
After hearing the Tathagata's sincere advice, the monk was happy and praised and thanked the Buddha: "When I heard what the Buddha said, it was like recovering from illness, like drinking water when thirsty, like regaining sight after being blind. It's like walking out of a dark room and finally seeing the light." He bowed to the Buddha and returned home happily. - "The Buddha Says the Five Non-return Sutras"
There are various realms in the world. Living beings are in various realms due to their attachment to the mind.
Bimbisara, 558 BC - 491 BC. Also translated as Shrenika and Seniya, was the King of Magadha and belonged to the Haryanka dynasty. He was the son of Bhattiya. His expansion of the kingdom, especially his annexation of the kingdom of Anga to the east, is considered to have laid the foundations for the later expansion of the Mauryan Empire. He is the friend and protector of Shakyamuni Buddha.
His son King Ajatasaratu was persuaded by Devadatta to launch a rebellion and usurp the throne. He cut off his father Bimbisara's hamstrings and imprisoned him in a dungeon to starve to death.
The Buddha later explained the cause and effect of this incident: A long time ago, a potter insulted and imprisoned a Pratyekabuddha because of someone else's fault. Later, he repented and made offerings to the Pratyekabuddha, and made a wish to meet the Buddha in future. Therefore, good and evil consequences mature together in this life: the evil consequences of imprisonment and insults occur in old age, and the good consequences of offerings and vows mature in youth. Therefore, the Buddha said: Good will be rewarded with good and evil with evil; it is only a matter of time. People should practice good deeds.
In addition, because King Bimbisara met the Buddha and studied Dharma, he realized the impermanence of all things in the world, and overcame all resentments. Therefore, until the end of his life, he did not have any attachments or resentments, so he was reborn in the four heavenly kings' heavens as The son of King Bishamon of the North. The name he got after reincarnation was also because he thought about the food in heaven that Venerable Maudgalyayana told him before when he was reincarnated. It can be seen from this that a thought a person has when he dies can affect the world in which this person is reincarnated in the future.
If there are sentient beings who are predestined with me or have no predestined relationship with me regarding the Buddha Dharma, as long as they have the same desire as mine, they are my body and have no distinction between me and me. Practicing the four immeasurable minds, the mind is equal to the void, encompassing all sentient beings without any rest. May you achieve Bodhi and embark on the road to enlightenment. -Manjushri Bodhisattva
If there is anger, the heart is not upright; if there is fear, the heart is not upright; if there is preferences, the heart is not upright; if there is worry, the heart is not upright.
Keep your mind upright. In Chinese: the place where the mind is right. Keeping the mind in harmony and avoiding evil and chaos is called righteous concentration. Self-nature is immovable, so it is called concentration. Free from ups and downs, so concentration. The mind is not scattered, so it stays in one state, so it is called holding. Holding the mind equally and reaching the state is samadhi.
When Sakyamuni Buddha was on a procession in the Kingdom of Magādha, he and many people stayed at the residence of the ghost Punabbasu.
At that time, the World Honored One preached to all the monks the Four Noble Truths: the Noble Truth of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, and the Noble Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Suffering.
At that time, the ghost mother, the ghost son Punabbasu, and the ghost daughter Uttarika were all nearby. And the two ghost children cried at night.
At this time, the ghost mother taught her son and daughter: "
Please be quiet and let me listen to the teachings narrated by the Tathagata. It is not that parents can free their children from suffering. Only by listening to the teachings of the Tathagata can they be freed from suffering. All living beings in the world follow desires and are forced by many sufferings. The Tathagata teaches the Dharma to all living beings so that they will no longer be reincarnated in life and death. I want to listen to the Buddha's teachings now. You should be quiet and don't cry. "
At this time, the ghost son Punabbasu and the ghost daughter Uttarika heard their mother's words, calmed down and listened quietly. They told their mother: "Okay, Mom, we also want to listen to the Buddha's teachings. The Buddha was fully enlightened and respected by the world. He preached the Dharma to all living beings at Mount Moja, told everyone how to get rid of suffering, including: the Noble Truth of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, and the Noble Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Suffering. By following these Four Noble Truths taught by the Buddha, you can achieve peace and achieve Nirvana. Mother, please listen carefully to the Buddha's teachings."
When the ghost mother heard these words, she said, "It's amazing. You are really wise children who can understand my thoughts. Especially you, Punabbasu, who can praise the Buddha Master well! You, Punabbasu, and you Uttarika , everyone should start to rejoice because I have heard the Noble Truth."
When the ghost mother said these words, the ghost son and ghost daughter listened happily and quietly.
Sutra 1322 of the Saṃyukta Āgama