When the sun rises, the peaks of the mountains are illuminated first, and then the plains and valleys are illuminated. When Sakyamuni Buddha first realized the Buddha's Dharma, the first to follow him in his enlightenment were five bhikkhus, including Bhikkhu Añña Kaundinya, and a thousand great bhikkhus. Why do they have the opportunity to be the first to realize enlightenment? The following are two causes and conditions described by the Buddha:
Cause one. Long ago, there was a king named the Power of Mercy. This king has a compassionate nature and always shows mercy to all living beings. Not only was he compassionate, he also taught his people to do good deeds. Therefore, in the country at that time, everyone was kind and there were no wars or lawsuits. Because the people are peaceful, the ghosts in the country cannot harm the people, so the bloodthirsty ghosts are very hungry, so that the ghosts can't live or die. Among them, five ghost kings came to the king and told him their sufferings. They said: "We ghosts used to rely on human flesh to survive. Now the people in your country are doing good, and our evil things cannot invade them.So we haven't eaten for a long time. You are very compassionate, can you save us?" After hearing these words, the king felt sad in his heart, and he decided to give alms to the five ghost kings. So the king pulled out his sword, pierced his body in five places, and said to the ghost kings: "Come and drink my blood." The five ghost kings drank enough blood and were very grateful to the king. The king said to them: "As ghosts, you are in great pain. You should think about changing yourself, practicing good deeds, and restoring your original pure and free body. I am now using the blood in my body to save your hunger and thirst and make you happy. In the future, if I can enlighten myself, I will use the blood of my Dharmakaya to save your souls from hunger and thirst, so that you can be liberated." King the Power of Mercy at that time was the later Sakyamuni Buddha. The five ghost kings at that time were the later five bhikkhus who were the first to realize Buddhism (Including Bhikkhu Añña Kaundinya).
Cause two. Long ago, there was a country called Brahnai. At that time there was an immortal sage named Khantipala. He and his five hundred disciples practiced patience, forbearance and forgiveness in the forest. One day, the king went to the mountains with his concubines and maids. When the king was tired from walking, he fell asleep in the woods. The concubine and the maid walked into the forest. They saw the immortal sage sitting in the forest, with a dignified posture and extraordinary appearance. So they gathered around the immortal sage and listened to the immortal sage's sermon. The king woke up and found that his concubine and maid were missing, so he and his ministers went to the woods to look for them. When the king saw his concubines and maids surrounding the immortal, he felt very jealous and angry. The king asked the immortal: "What method do you practice?" The immortal said: "I practice patience." The king said: "I want to see if you can endure it." So the king swung his sword and cut off the immortal's arms. The king asked the sage again: "What do you practice?" The sage said without changing his appearance: "I practice patience, forbearance and forgiveness." The king cut off the sage's feet again and asked the sage: "What do you practice?" The immortal's appearance remained unchanged and he said, "I practice patience, forbearance and forgiveness." The king cut off the immortal's ears and nose and asked, "What do you practice?" The immortal's appearance remained unchanged and said, "I practice patience, forbearance and forgiveness." The immortal's The five hundred disciples were very sad and came to ask the immortal if he was in pain. The immortal said: "My heart has not changed, and my patience remains the same." The king asked: "Why do you say that you practice patience? What proof do you have?" The immortal said: "If I really practice patience, forbearance and forgiveness, my wounds will heal automatically. My blood will turn into milk." As soon as he finished speaking, all the wounds healed and the blood turned into milk. When the king saw the miracle happening, he was very frightened and said to the immortal: "I hurt you the immortal for no reason. Please have mercy and forgive me." The immortal replied: "Now you use the visible sword to cut my tangible body. In the future, if I can enlighten myself, I will first cut off your greed, anger, and ignorance with the sword of wisdom." At this time, the elves in the mountain were very angry when they saw the king harming the immortal, and raised thunder and lightning to harm the king. However, the immortal said to the sky: "If it is because of me, please don't hurt him." The king then escaped and returned to the palace. In order to repent, the king invited the immortal to come to the palace to receive offerings and give sermons to everyone. At this time, a thousand pagans became very jealous and scattered dust and filth on the seats. When the immortal sage saw these thousand people doing these immoral things, he said: "I practice patience now in order to benefit all sentient beings. If I become enlightened in the future, I will first use the water of Dharma to wash away the dirt in your souls, remove the filthiness in your soul and make you eternally pure." The immortal sage at that time was the later Sakyamuni Buddha. The king at that time was the later Bhikkhu Añña Kaundinya, and the thousand pagans at that time were the Thousand disciples of the Buddhas who were the first to realize enlightenment.
I phase: I, my, what I am, for me, I feel, I am proud...
Human phase: human heart, human nature, human desires, human feelings...
Living beings phase: eating, reproduction, seeking benefits and avoiding harm, birth, old age, disease, death...
Longevity phase: Existing in the form of life.
The absence of the four phases probably refers to the elimination of the above four phases.
The four-phase absence is a state of mind, not the ultimate goal. The sutra says that the correct method is to "practice all good deeds" in a state of mind without four phases. Therefore, we cannot give up "kindness" because of "emptiness".
Yesterday you saw something delicious and you couldn't help but eat two portions. If you see the same delicious food again today and you endure it and only eat one portion, then you have changed and you are a new person. Yesterday you hated someone so much that you wanted to punch him whenever you heard his name. If you hear his name again today and you still hate him in your heart, but you no longer want to beat him, then you have changed and you are a new person. If you think the same way about the same thing today as you did yesterday, then your day was wasted because your heart has not grown. If your attitude about the same thing change, then you have not wasted this day, because your heart is growing. Growth has forward and backward steps. Sometimes two steps forward and one step back. But as long as you keep moving forward, after a while, you will find that you are completely different. Many people persist for a long time, some persist for a lifetime, some persist for many reincarnations, and some persist for countless kalpas. So some people become saints, some people become Arhats, and some people become Bodhisattvas. Your mind is the only criterion for measuring age. If your mind changes, your life is still alive. If your mind does not change, the meaning of life has been lost.
Gao Panlong of the Ming Dynasty said: Every night, silently review what you have done during the day. If there is no improvement in character, it is a wasted day, and the time that passes is terrible. Therefore, those who cherish every minute of time will not let evil thoughts and delusions occupy their hearts for a moment.
There is no desire, so be still. There is a master, so it is empty.
Monk Shi Yan of Ruiyan Temple is a monk from Ruiyan Temple in Danqiu, Zhejiang Province. He is a disciple of Zen Master Yantou Quanzhen (828-887), a Zen monk in the Tang Dynasty. Monk Shi Yan always sits on the stone in front of the court and asks himself loudly: "Is your mind clear? Don't be deceived!" Then he answers himself: "Yes. Be clear. Don't dare to be deceived."
Walking, sitting, speaking, and remaining silent should not conceal your original intention.
If you don't think it's right, don't say anything. If something doesn't feel right, don't do it.
At the beginning of correcting one's mind, one should regard one's own mind as a strict teacher.
The ancients often said that to reflect on yourself every day is nothing more than to maintain integrity and intention at all times, so that your mind is clear and free of dirt. If you have a clear mind, you can decide what is good and what is evil. If you can make your own judgment about good and evil, you will be able to make your own decisions about whether you will get disaster or blessing. Therefore, it is said that a person's destiny depends on himself, that is, it depends on his own intentions.
Blessings and misfortunes, pain and joy, are all caused by karma and are determined by the heart. Anger and sexual immorality lead to rebirth in hell, stinginess and greed lead to rebirth as a hungry ghost, ignorance leads to rebirth as an animal, and self-aggrandizement leads to rebirth as an asura. If you insist on "not killing, not stealing, not committing sexual misconduct, not lying, and not drinking alcohol", it will lead to the retribution of being reborn as a human being. If you adhere to the "three physical karmas (not killing, not stealing, and not committing sexual misconduct), the four verbal karmas (not lying, not using harsh words, not being divisive, and not using frivolous words), and the three mental karma (not being greedy, not being angry, not having hateful and evil views) it will lead to the retribution of being reborn in the heavenly realm. If you realize the emptiness of the world, it will lead to the result of becoming a Sravaka. If you know that the nature of the mind is separated from causes and conditions, it will lead to the result of becoming a Pratyekabuddha. If you practice "generosity, precepts, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom" at the same time, it will lead to the results of becoming a Bodhisattva. If one's true nature is compassionate and equal, it will lead to the fruit of becoming a Buddha. People with pure hearts will naturally have fragrant trees and precious trees around them, and they will naturally be reborn in a pure world. People with a dirty heart are often surrounded by hills and rugged terrain, and are prone to be reborn in dirty places. These experiences of people do not fall from the sky, but are caused by the first thought in one's heart. Don't look for the reason anywhere else except your own heart. -"Compilation of induction stories"
All blessings are inseparable from inner thoughts
Good and bad luck are all caused by the thoughts in the heart
Do good like grass in the spring garden. Even though you don’t see the blessing growing, it does grow every day.
Doing evil is like a sharpening stone. Although you don’t see your blessings decreasing, they are decreasing every day.
Blessings and disasters are constantly changing, but people who don't understand the truth don't notice it.
Every trace of desire is eliminated
Wu Jin Zang Bhikshuni said to Master Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch: "I have been studying the Nirvana Sutra for many years, and there are still many things I don't understand. I hope to get some advice."
Master Huineng said to her: "I am illiterate. Please read the sutra to me. Maybe I can help you solve some problems."
Wu Jin Zang Bhikshuni smiled and said: "You don't even know the words, how can you explain the classics?"
Master Huineng said to her: "The truth has nothing to do with words. The truth is like the bright moon in the sky, and the words are just the fingers pointing to the moon. The fingers can point out the location of the bright moon, but the fingers are not the bright moon. To see the moon, you do not necessarily have to pass through Fingers, isn’t it?”