Chapter 11 Four Things Young Buddhists Should Pay Attention to (2)

The disciple said: "In the past, when someone was sick, I never made up my mind to take care of him. Now I am sick, so they don't come to take care of me anymore." Hearing this, the Buddha said, "If others don't come to take care of you, let me take care of you!" He washed the sick disciple's filth from urine and feces and cleaned them up.And also straighten out his bed, and then help him to bed. From this we can see how hard the Buddha is.Buddha is by no means like the people of today, who require others to do everything for them, and sit and enjoy the blessings by themselves.These facts are based on the scriptures and are not just words.

Now I will say two more things for you to listen to.Ink marks of Li Shutong's early years A Lu Tuo, a great disciple recorded in the "Amitabha Sutra", was blind in both eyes and could not take care of himself.The Buddha cut clothes for him, and asked other disciples to help. Once, the Buddha saw an old bhikkhu whose eyes were blurred and wanted to sew with a needle, but his eyes could not see clearly, so he cried out: "Who can thread a needle for me?" The Buddha immediately agreed after hearing this: "I'll put it on for you." The examples cited above are sufficient to prove that the Buddha is always laboring.I hope that all of you will follow the example of Buddha, do everything by yourself, and don't rely on others!

three precepts I think you will always understand the meaning of the word "keeping the precepts"! We don't mean to cultivate to the status of Bodhisattva or Buddha, but even if we want to be human again in the next life, we must at least be able to observe the five precepts.It's a pity that although there are many people who take the precepts, it's just a name, but there are very few who can actually keep the precepts.You should know: After taking the precepts, if you don’t keep the precepts, the crime you commit will be double that of those who don’t. That’s why I always advise people not to take the precepts casually.As for the current situation of preaching precepts in general, it is really painful to see, I really can't bear to say it!I think it is best to take the precepts according to one's own strength, and you must not perfunctory the appearance and look for troubles.

The most important precepts are, needless to say, killing, stealing, sexual immorality, and lying. In addition, drinking and eating meat are also easily ridiculed.As for smoking, although there is no clear text in the law, it is easy to be ridiculed by people in our country's customs, and it is always right not to eat. Four self-esteem "Respect" means respect, and "self-esteem" means respecting yourself.But people like others to respect me, but they don't know that I respect myself; I don't know that if I want others to respect me, I must start with myself.

How to respect yourself?It's just that I always think: I will be a great person, and I will be a great person.For example, if we want to be a pure and pure eminent monk, we should read the "Biography of Eminent Monks" to see what they do, and I will do the same.For another example, if I want to become a great Bodhisattva in the future, then I should follow the Bodhisattva behavior recorded in the scriptures and follow my strength.This is self-esteem.But self-respect is different from Gong Gao.Gonggao is an arrogant and arrogant behavior; self-esteem is to improve one's own virtue, and there is no intention of looking down on others in it.

Everyone, you must not think that you are a child, a young monk, and you can do everything casually; you can't say that I am an ordinary monk, so I dare not hope to be an eminent monk or a great Bodhisattva.Do everything by yourself, and if you have lofty ambitions, there is nothing you can't do. If you think like this: I dare not hope to become an eminent monk or a great Bodhisattva, then it is very dangerous to do things casually, or even give up on yourself and go down the road of degeneration?You should know: Although you are young, you must have high ambition! I have another word, I want to tell everyone that we are now monks according to the Buddha, and we are in a very honorable position. In terms of the form of shaving our hair and wearing cassocks, we are also models of human beings and heavenly beings. Kings and heavenly beings come to worship , we can all sit back and enjoy it.Do you know this truth?From now on, you should respect yourself and never be careless.

The above four items are the ones that monks should pay the most attention to, and I won’t say much about the others.I'm going to retreat soon, so I'm sorry that I can't talk with you often.But I still want to talk about the law in the pass, about three or four times a week, if you encounter menstruation, you might as well come and listen!It is a great pleasure to meet you today.I just hope that you will keep the four things I said in mind as a permanent memorial! It's been a long time, my God, I'm sorry!Feel sorry!This article was given by Venerable Master Hongyi on the opening day of the Buddhist Yangzheng Courtyard of Nanputuo Temple in Xiamen in February 1936.Handwriting of Li Shutong's Thesis on Enrollment in Tianjin County