Chapter 7 Basic Beliefs of a Buddhist Practitioner-7

This section includes Hengshun sentient beings and following Buddhism.As mentioned earlier, if there are no sentient beings, there will be no Buddhas. All Buddhas and all sentient beings are equal in Buddha nature.Now let’s look at the reason why a Buddha is a Buddha. “All Tathagata’s speech is pure”, and speech is related to both body and mind. Therefore, to learn Buddhism, all living beings must first purify the three karmas of body, speech and mind.For example, the method of practicing Zhunti, chanting mantras, visualizing thoughts, sitting cross-legged, and making mudras with hands are excellent methods for purifying the three karma.Among the three karmas, the most powerful karma is the mind karma, but it is the verbal karma that is most likely to be blamed in ignorance.We are constantly in the ostomy business day and night.

"No one speaks behind someone's back, and that person does not talk about others in front of him." Talking about it is a disaster!Some people are afraid of being criticized, in fact!Why not talk about other people's right and wrong behind their backs?Someone compliments you in front of you, but you can scold you behind your back when you turn around; praise you when you are happy, and hurt you at will when something is wrong.However, all of this is empty and without reality, and it is rare for those who do not fall for it. It is not easy to practice pure and good speech karma—"all the Tathagata's speech is pure".There is such a saying about the purity of language in the Zen patriarch: "Whether you are enlightened or not, you can know it by listening to the sound."Whether your language karma has merit or virtue can be known by hearing your voice.Physiognomy, voice belongs to the inner five elements, which is a very important part.Some people have good appearance and all parts, but their voice is hoarse and their appearance is disfigured.However, there is a kind of fire walker, whose voice is hoarse but good, because the fire burns, corresponding to the rustling, and promises wealth and honor.The voice of the water walker is clear and clear. As for the tall and tall wooden walker, if the voice is hoarse, it means that the wood has been burned and turned into charcoal, which cannot be used much.These are not digressions, but simply explaining a person's physical and mental condition, which is completely revealed in his facial features, figure, speech and behavior, and cannot be hidden from discerning people at all.A good voice is not only a manifestation of merit, but also reveals whether the oral karma is clean or not.There are four kinds of verbal karma: harsh speech—speaking viciously at each other and ridiculing others; lying—creating something out of nothing and distorting the truth; two tongues—stimulating right and wrong and annoying people; gossip—sweet talk that confuses others.These are undesirable evil karmas. A practitioner has cultivated the karma of speech after many kalpas, and when he speaks out, he will naturally have great power.On the contrary, the language karma is impure, and what is said has little real meaning, and the tone and charm are also lacking in charm. How can others be convinced?What's even worse is that other people can't understand what you are saying at all, or they are annoyed when they see you speak. If this is the case, the person concerned should reflect on his daily words and deeds.

For example, when singing and reciting one item, a person with a good voice will sing the gatha, clearer and more peaceful, which will naturally make the public calm and full of Dharma joy.Those with a bad throat can't even sing, this is the subtlety of language karma.Like I often say that I am tone deaf and small in stature. Back then, thousands of people gathered in the big square. At that time, there was a shortage of supplies and no loudspeakers. It was not easy to make a speech so that everyone could hear it.For example, when I speak like this in class now, sometimes I may not be able to hear clearly later on. This depends on the skills of the speech. Some words are like singing, and the pronunciation of the words must be slow and prolonged, so that the sound can be transmitted far. Clearly conveyed.This is all learning, all of which require wisdom, and it is also the paramita of means.As soon as the speaker comes to the stage and opens his mouth, he will know what to do when he sees the reaction of the audience.This is wisdom.Wisdom happens in the immediate things, and there is no need for others to remind you, but I often see you, do wrong things, and remind you, but you still can’t turn around. Isn’t this too confusing?

Some singers are very popular, and this also has karma in their previous lives. At least in this life, they have a good voice. In previous lives, they also got the merit of singing praises to Buddha like you or other good conditions. "All Tathagata's speech is pure." All Buddha's speech must be pure. The scriptures say that the Buddha's Dharma is the sound of Kalavinka, which is solemn and moving. Everyone likes it when they hear it. "One word has the sound of many voices", the Buddha has attained the consummation of the three bodies of dharma, retribution, and transformation. One thought has the physical appearance of the immeasurable three thousand great thousand worlds. He always lives in the ultimate place of the universe. Therefore, one word can be compatible with all kinds of words of all living beings. This is one of the principles that "the Buddha speaks the Dharma with one sound, and all living beings can understand it according to their kind".When it comes to sound, it is easy for ordinary people to think of mantras in Buddhism. Mantras are also called mantras. Because the Buddha's mouth has been completely purified, he has cut off all possible mistakes in speech, no lying, no double tongue, no harsh words and frivolous words, All speech and speech are based on reality, and because of reality, they can naturally become facts in the phenomenal world, so the Buddha's words are called truth words.In Taoism, the gods who have attained the Tao are called real people, which also has this level of connotation.The vowels of all Buddhist mantras are "Om, Ah, Hum". The same is true for the Huayan alphabet. Due to the relationship between the sound transfer, one sound can be transferred out of flat and upper.The four sounds of going and entering, in fact, there are quite a lot of sounds that can be transferred out of the same character sound.The language of all living beings in the world is basically the same. Between countries, regions and regions, and even between humans and animals in the six realms, the language is very different on the surface, and it is impossible to communicate directly. What is the truth?If you think about and discuss the origin of all life in the universe and the basic structure of all sounds from the Buddha's enlightenment, you will get some enlightenment.Gong Ye, a disciple of Confucianism, knew the language of birds. Don't take it rashly from the perspective of rural legends.

In other words, just as a person who does not understand Chinese listens to us with the same voice, we do not understand foreign languages ​​and listens to foreigners with the same voice.The sound of human language is roughly the combination and transformation of those consonants and vowels. The same sound has different meanings in different regions.Conversely, for the same sentence with the same semantic meaning, each person’s voice and intonation are different, and the languages ​​of different nationalities are even more different. You may have a little understanding of the saying "one word has a sea of ​​voices".Recite the Zhunti mantra like you do, everyone's voice is different, you can know your physical and mental condition just by listening to it.How can it be?As long as you enter into the samadhi of speech, you will be able to understand it naturally. This is the mantra, which is the principle of "a single word has an ocean of voices".So if you recite a mantra carefully, it is equivalent to recitation of all the Buddhas of the three times and ten directions, especially the Zhunti mantra, in which everything is contained, one is all, and all is one.

Those who study Buddhism should learn all vows and deeds from Buddhism, and of course they should also learn the pure words of Buddha.A mantra is a kind of pure speech, which contains countless meanings and cannot be fully translated.Like the mantra passed down by the Patriarch Pu'an on the first and fifteenth day of the first day of the jungle, it is very powerful.Patriarch Pu'an was a Bodhisattva in Yinghua Zhongtu in the Southern Song Dynasty. After he realized the Tao, he uttered the Pu'an mantra. message.Avalokitesvara is a well-known Bodhisattva Mahasattva, so when you recite his mantras and holy names, his inconceivable, far-reaching communication stations will definitely receive them and give feedback naturally. This ability comes from language The virtue of pure karma.

"Following the music of all beings", the intentions and joys of all beings are different, and the karma is different.For example, some people like their voices to be magnetic. Every singer has his own audience, and some people like other people's voices like a baby.Sound Sea is also different.Therefore, Hengshun sentient beings can't say that I don't like this voice, but people should stop talking about it, listen to it if they don't like it, and learn the voice and sayings that others like. "A sea of ​​first-class Buddhist eloquent talents", how easy is it to say that eloquence is not hindered? !Among the bodhisattvas in Buddhism, there is a "vimo layman" who is the most prominent in this aspect. Many great bodhisattvas and arhats are hard to compare to him and admire him.Eloquence is not hindered by the mouth, but the achievement of wisdom.After realizing the Tao and becoming a Buddha, what you say and how you compare it, it is naturally reasonable and legal. No one can overwhelm him, but he will overwhelm you when he asks.This is the good result of cultivating oral karma and wisdom over many lifetimes.The same joke is told, and the reaction of others after hearing it is very different whether you can tell it or not.In the past few weeks, everyone has been practicing Zhunti method, reciting mantras with sincerity and respect. On the negative side, I have reduced a lot of verbal karma, but on the positive side, I have cultivated quite a lot of pure speech karma. However, among you who recite well, the throat chakra is truly fully opened Yes, the voice is really clean, no one has done it yet.The voice is really pure and the throat chakra opens naturally. These two things are cause and effect of each other.

Once you enter this mandala, as long as you are single-minded, devout and respectful, and chant according to the way I have shown, your voice will become purer and give you a solemn and comfortable feeling.Like last night, there was a church that was well cultivated. As soon as the voice was purified, the induction came immediately, and Buddhas and Bodhisattvas appeared at the altar, which is not false. "First-class Buddhist eloquence is a sea of ​​talents", it is necessary to concentrate on reciting mantras, don't think about things, worry about ordinary things.Now chanting is not a reference, as long as you concentrate on it. The "heart voice" and "heart energy" are united, and the mantra is recited to the home, the wisdom is opened, and the literary and eloquent skills can be greatly improved. A person with deep intelligence and universal ability".For the sake of all living beings, to master all languages, bodhisattvas must learn the five knowledges-cause knowledge, statement, inner knowledge, medical prescription knowledge, skillful workmanship knowledge, and even opera, dance and song.Although this is not allowed in the Hinayana precepts and bhikkhu precepts, it is not allowed to violate the transgressive precepts, but the Bodhisattva precepts are not violated, and even strictly speaking, there are disadvantages if you do not learn them.How a practitioner chooses between these two things has been mentioned in previous lectures. If you have any doubts, you should study them carefully, and don't be hasty.Therefore, following Buddhism, we must understand that "all the Tathagatas of the three ages come from the endless ocean of words", one sound can tell the Dharma door of the Tripitaka's twelve divisions, and one Dharma door can be conveyed with various endless sounds, "Constantly turning the magic wheel of truth and interest" , thus showing the truth that promotes the life of the universe, and guiding all beings to enter the correct understanding of Buddhism.

Those who study Buddhism should make this vow, like Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, regarding the merits of the Buddha's language, "I am a man of profound intelligence and universal ability".Everyone makes a wish, in the sea of ​​sound, no matter whether it is a special practice of chanting scriptures or daily work, we can cultivate the achievements of our prajna wisdom at any time, develop the limitless potential of our own nature, and penetrate into the Huayan realm of overlapping, perfect and unimpeded Buddhism. .You may understand these truths now, but your body and mind have not reached that level, so no one will convince you of the theories you say. When you really enlighten, your wisdom will shine through, and your oral karma will be pure. People will be convinced of what you say.I have seen very few people who can really speak in decades, only one or two.A person who speaks brilliantly, others listen to his words, not only will their ideas be affected, but they are even willing to follow him with all their physical and mental lives, like the father of the country, Mr. Sun Yat-sen, for example.There is a great lama in Tibet. I once asked him, "Who is Prime Minister Sun?"We ordinary people, some can only do business, some can only teach, some sell green onions, some join the army to fight, there are all kinds of people, there are differences in personality, temperament, ability, and ambition.

You should understand this, so I ask him to do some things, and I ask you to do some things, because I know very well that this is the reason.For example, a beginner needs counseling. Find the right person for him. If he is well-matched, he will be successful. Otherwise, if he takes the wrong line, it will increase the obstacles for the person to learn Buddhism. "I am a person with deep intelligence and universal ability", which is very important.Now sing the following eight lines: (Students chant in the same way) Chanting is a very soft and gentle training method among the 84,000 methods. If this soft method is practiced well, one word can have "one side with a sea of ​​sounds".When you are in trouble and pain, let go of singing, all troubles will disappear, and you will enter the realm of emptiness and samadhi.Especially on the top of a high mountain, without scruples or worries, singing it with open arms, the world is empty, and I know that the sea of ​​sounds is indeed a subtle and wonderful way of liberation. A valuable example.Now science has made considerable progress in the study of light, but the sound is relatively backward, like the huge sound in the Milky Way, scientists now know very little, only know that there are many sounds in the Milky Way system, but they don't know its location.source and nature.Sometimes when we hear a sound, it disappears all of a sudden, and some of it is made by non-human beings.In fact, the louder the sound, the less we can hear it. Human beings have very limited ability to hear. However, the function of our self-nature Avalokitesvara is unlimited. Once you practice it, you will naturally know it.Therefore, in the practice of chanting, after chanting and chanting, it is not unusual to hear the sound of chanting while falling asleep at night. Don’t be afraid. Knowing the principle, don’t be afraid of becoming a demon. This is a normal phenomenon.

The wishing product now tells you: "I can go deep into the future and do everything as one thought." This is the extension of the Haifa Gate of Sound, which is not easy to explain by modern science.Here is also one of the vows to follow Buddhism.I vow to know all the events of the future kalpas in a single thought.All kalpas are just one thought. According to the teaching of Xianjiao, you have to practice three major kalpas to become a Buddha. But in a thought.One thought of sudden enlightenment, that is, surpassing the three great asankh kalpas, this has a lot to do with the practice of Puxian's vows. "Elder Li" said: "Throughout the past and present, we have always been inseparable from the current thoughts, and the boundless realm is not separated from others." One thought of the mind can transform time and space. It is not surprising that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have such great supernatural powers, because all sentient beings have this function in their own nature. This paragraph talks about the realm of Buddha, which is the goal of practitioners. With such a mind that is equal to the Daxing Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, you can "enter all the kalpas of the three times, and I will enter it for a single thought." .The history of dwelling, destruction, and emptiness, with a flick of a finger, can one know who the previous life was?Where will the next life go?In the boundless expansion of the Zhunti mantra, time and space suddenly melted away, and it arrived naturally without any effort.This is the practice of turning sound into thought. Sound is thought, and thought moves sound. "I see the three times in one thought, and all people and teachers." It is actually very easy to see the Buddha. The Buddha is in your heart. As soon as you recite the Buddha, you will see the Buddha immediately. All Buddhas are present. "Masters of all people", teachers refer to teachers and good teachers, who are the lights of the dark road and the guides of wisdom. As long as you sincerely think about them, there will be no dissatisfaction with your wishes. "Also often enter the realm of Buddha, such as illusory liberation and power." In fact, sometimes you have cultivated well and you are already in the realm of Buddha. It's just that you don't know it and don't have enough confidence.Being able to lift and let go is the realm of Buddha.In your daily life, there are many things you do, such as eating and drinking, and you can do them naturally. Isn’t this the realm of Buddha?It’s just that on the other hand, I care too much about some things, care about gains and losses, so I can’t bring them up, can’t let go, and trouble myself.Today I practice the Zhunti method, and I have to recite it for seven days and seven nights without leaving my seat, is that okay?No, the question is, do you really have this heart?If you really think so, if you want so much, you will be able to enter the samadhi of the sea of ​​sound at once.If you say you want to let go, Wanyuan will let go, your body and mind will be empty, and everything will be like an illusion. "Having" is like an illusion, "empty" It is also like an illusion, movement, stillness, and emptiness.Existence is all illusion, don't make the mistake of thinking that all existence and movement are illusions, and emptiness and stillness are real, that's too bad, even if there is a "middle way", then the middle way is also illusion! "Illusionary liberation and power", everything in this world is like a dream and illusion, if you understand common knowledge, you will be truly liberated. In the realm of vacuum, you can exert infinite power and do immeasurable careers.So as long as you can recite a mantra when there are fewer delusional thoughts, the power of "Om" will be quite strong at the beginning. "Om, Ah, Hum" is the root mantra of Samantabhadra, including all mantras.Samantabhadra Samantabhadra has the practice of illusory samadhi, illusory liberation, knowing that everything is like dreams and illusions, like dew like electricity, without any hindrance, ethereal and comfortable, with great power.The various forms and appearances of each of the six realms and the birth and death of all dharmas are all illusions and "vacuum" The endless manifestations of life, majesty and beauty, all belong to you, and you can add, subtract, multiply and divide as you like. Now that the Zhunti Dharma meeting is coming to an end, "Leaving home is as good as it was before, and becoming a Buddha is more than enough", I hope you will still maintain the sincerity and single-mindedness at the beginning, and don't slack off in every second. In terms of chanting methods, here are three key points again-the harmony of the heart and energy 1. Unity of voice and breath, unity of body and mind.If these three items are achieved, the sound will naturally be different, especially the Qi channels, root chakra, navel chakra, throat chakra, heart chakra, crown chakra, etc. inside the body will be opened. "Om, Ah, Hum" Tripartite, you have to experience it with your heart.There is also the Zhunti Mantra "Da Nephew Ta" to read "da, zha, tuo". Shun, through the midvein.If you don’t read it like this, the qi will disperse or even be cut off, and it’s not easy to open the qi channels.According to the chanting that I have reminded many times, the qi channels of the upper and lower seven chakras can vibrate, the cadence is well-proportioned, the height is clear, and the rhythm should be smooth. The key point is that the sound moves naturally in the body with the qi mechanism. If it is high, it is low, and the three parts circulate in circles. The sound remains the same, but the pitch can be different, and it turns naturally with the breath. The sound of Om turns to the head, the sound of A is in the throat, and the sound of Hum is the sound of Qi descending to the navel chakra.The sound of HUNG vibrates the navel chakra, the sound is low, and then the breath then naturally rushes up to the crown chakra.The crown chakra sometimes becomes swollen. At this time, we should empty out our experience and focus on the light. All of these must rely on wisdom, knowing the time and quantity, and making good adjustments. You should study the Huayan alphabet with your heart, and the principle of transliteration has a lot to do with the practice of Qimai.The method of Sanskrit singing is indeed for Zhu Shanzhen's practice, not for casual music for people's entertainment.In the past, there were many people living in the jungle. For the sake of convenience, Gude still compiled the phonology of Buddhism in a unified way, paired it with instruments, and borrowed it for the public to practice together. Later, it gradually evolved into the nature of music, ignoring its actual practice function.The Huayan alphabet has changed four sounds. Take the word "you" as an example. When the sound is lengthened, the sound of "you" is still the same. Changing to other characters sounds good to sing and listen to, but it is no longer the same as ordinary music. It does not conform to the principle of Qimai physically, and psychologically it also loses the respectful and admiring sentiment of Sanskrit singing. Once the mind is distracted, all the benefits of singing and reciting practice will be greater. Discounts are extremely important.Each character of the Huayan alphabet has four steps: flat, up, down, and down, and flat, up, down, and down have four tones. Those who practice well can sing as they like. Following this enlightenment, even Convenience saves people, wonderful. "Zhiyuelu" contains a Zen master. After he became enlightened all his life, he didn't speak the Dharma, he didn't talk about Zen, he just chanted "Nawu Guanshiyin Bodhisattva", and he said that one sentence all day long, and finally reached the ultimate achievement.This is a good example of what the aforementioned Samantabhadra said in the vows of Samantabhadra: "All the words of the Tathagata are pure, and one word has a sea of ​​voices, and it is accompanied by the music of all people, and it is a sea of ​​eloquence."The practice of this sea of ​​sounds, as long as the breath is adjusted well, once you think like this, you will immediately forget yourself and enter the sea of ​​sounds.Apart from the Qimai problem I mentioned, the key lies in sincerity, not in tone.For example, when singing a confession, with sincerity in your heart and full attention, as soon as the words are pronounced, your body, mind, and life are all in the confession. At this time, the words and sentences of the confession are irrelevant, and the atmosphere of confession is full. Clean and transparent, like a clear sky after rain, alas!This is how to achieve "unity of mind"!For example, a classmate has had a sore throat for a long time. He is a doctor himself, and he has taken many medicines to no avail. He listened to me explain this method of soft cultivation, and he tried it at home. If he practiced according to the law, his sore throat was healed.The principle of chanting is very profound and subtle, and one has to think deeply about it.For example, when singing Luxiang Praise, the sound starts from the word "Luo", and the four tones of flat, up, going, and entering are elongated and naturally turned. People with long breaths can stretch very long. If you practice well, the more you practice, the longer the breath will be. As long as it grows, you can live a long and healthy life.Influenced by general singing and reciting methods, your concepts and habits emphasize the tone of your voice and ignore the principle of the coordination of voice and breath, and you have not achieved the three-in-one state of mind, voice, and body and mind, so the benefits of the Dharma have not been fully exerted. Some people ask why I usually dream less, but I have more dreams after practicing Zhunti method?This is a good sign, the reason is like a glass of muddy water, if you let it stand still for a while, after sedimentation, you can see the dirty dirt.Only when the mind is calm can you realize that you have a lot of delusions. If you don't practice, you won't even know that you are dreaming randomly, and even daydreams come and go, and you can't check them out.In addition, there are many kinds of dreams. Sometimes the dreams of Xiuzhunti method are not delusions, but some kind of induction. For details, you can refer to the Esoteric Teachings section of "Xianmi Yuantong to become a Buddha's heart".Another person asked "Xianmi Yuantong to become a Buddha's heart" mentioned that the eight Sanskrit characters of Zhunti Mantra are placed on several parts of the body, why there are only two words on the face?And why are there no words on the hands?The principle of Sanskrit character layout corresponds to the key of the body's Qi channels, and the importance of the Qi channels, bones and eyes is the principle of the layout of the characters. The most important of the six roots is the heart and eyes. It can be initiated accordingly, so the writing on the eyes is an inevitable move.He also asked the meaning of the various instruments held by Zhunti Buddha's eighteen hands.This principle is very meaningful. You can first find out the information about what each magic weapon symbolizes, and then explain it to you slowly. However, the holding method of the eighteen magic weapons is not a fixed pattern, and sometimes it can be changed. Speaking of these, on the surface it has nothing to do with the vows, but in fact it has a lot to do with it.In particular, the method of chanting that I have repeatedly emphasized is closely related to making vows.Let me tell my mother-in-law again, when you are prone to drowsiness in the morning, you should beat the magic weapon faster and more intensively, and recite louder, so that you can refresh your mind and reduce delusions.When reciting, you should turn around to listen to your own voice, not to listen to others. When you feel drowsy, open your eyes quickly, and recite loudly and intensively. When you recite quite quickly, you will naturally change from opening your mouth to recitation to Vajra recitation, and your heart will gradually become natural. One.Vajrayana chanting involves slightly moving the lips and teeth, and flicking with the root of the tongue. When you are very calm, recite slowly, but not too slow, otherwise it becomes chanting.It is advisable to open your eyes and open your mouth to recite, so as to merge with the natural light of the outside world into a bright light, turning into a phaseless light, forgetting both body and mind.Now there are seven lamps that illuminate the world in front of the Buddha. The light is soft and peaceful. It is very good to open your eyes and meditate. In addition, regarding "chanting", the elongation of the sound of the last word in each sentence is within the flat, up, down, and entering syllables of the sound, and the tongue is used to flick it. , do not spread out.If you recite correctly, the throat chakra will open automatically, and because the ears are open to the sea of ​​air, the roots of the ears will naturally look inward to hear the self-nature, and you will not rush outside to seek, and the heart and energy will be united, so why is it so difficult? !If it can be stopped, it will be done sooner or later.After the chanting is completed, the breath is deep, long and subtle, and there is no sound of breathing during sleep.In terms of Taoist spirit, visualization is refining the spirit, chanting is cultivating energy, and sitting upright is refining essence. Essence, energy, and spirit are sublimated and harmonized layer by layer, and the body and mind are naturally transformed. , the achievement will be fast.After you sit down, you should savor these chanting principles carefully and integrate them thoroughly, the benefits are indescribable.The chanting of the old monk of Shangjiexiade is very standard, you can learn from him, the important thing is that the "tune" is fixed and you must learn it correctly; Because the environment and background of each country and even each person are different, it can vary from person to person.Dr. Chu has a six-character mantra sung by Indians with modern music. It is very touching. Once you hear it, you will forget your body and mind, and your worldly worries and troubles will disappear. Therefore, the merit of chanting cannot be ignored.Sometimes when you are practicing alone, in the dead of night, you may feel great afflictions and emotions in your heart. You might as well stand in front of the Buddha, sing a poem or a gatha, and your afflictions will disappear, and all predestined relationships will be let go.All opera and dance chants, poems and poems are for people to adjust their body and mind. The ancient patriarchs and some practitioners wrote poems very well.Now sing the next eight lines: (Students chant in the same way)