Amituofo
When we live and practice together, we need to have rules and regulations for without them there will be disorder. Needless to say, the rules need to include the five fundamental precepts set by the Buddha. Rules vary for lay sanghas and those at way places. The former conforms to the five fundamental precepts, the Read More …
This means mutual understanding or agreement. A group needs to share the same viewpoints of the principles and methods for study and practice. This is the basis for harmonious group cultivation. If a society is to remain stable, its members need to live in harmony. Only harmony can draw us together in terms of opinions, Read More …
The Three Conditions are the basis for individual cultivation whereas the Six Principles of Harmony are the basis for group cultivation. The sangha is a group of four or more people who properly practice the Buddha’s teachings together, especially the Six Principles of Harmony. They are: Sharing the same viewpoints or goals, Abiding by the Read More …
The Second Condition: The Good Fortune Required to be a Theravada Sage The second of the Three Conditions is: Taking the Three Refuges Abiding by precepts laws and customs Behaving in a proper and dignified manner Mahayana Buddhism is based on the foundation of Theravada Buddhism, which was introduced into China during the Sui and Read More …
Understanding Goodness How to Recognize Goodness If we carefully think about goodness, we will realize that there are many different types—real and false, honest and crooked, hidden and visible, apparent and actual, proper and improper, full and half, big and small, and difficult and easy. These different types each have their own causes that need Read More …
The Family That Accumulates Good Deeds Will Have Abundant Prosperity Ten Accounts of Virtuous People We read in the I Ching; “Families who perform good deeds will accumulate prosperity that can outlast many generations.” An example is the Yan family. Before they married their daughter to the man who was to be Confucius’s father, they Read More …
Three Methods of Practicing in Reforming (continued) Changing through Reasoning Instead, we can try to reform by understanding why we should not do something; for example, killing. To love all things is a virtue of heaven. Understand that all living beings love life and fear death, how can I be at peace with myself by Read More …
The Reason to Reform: To Avoid Misfortunes and Accumulate Good Fortune The first lesson, which was about cause and effect, concentrates on building up the confidence in an individuals ability to alter destiny and the ways in which to do so. The second and third lessons emphasize the methods to accomplish this; thus; they are Read More …
The sutras tell us “cause and effect are linked through the past, present and future.” What we undergo in this lifetime are the consequences of what we have done in our previous lifetimes, while what we do now will determine what we undergo in our future lifetimes. If we cultivate diligently, we need not wait Read More …
Liao Fan wanted to teach his son the principles about why things happen and how to change them. Specifically, he wanted his son to: Practice doing goodness Eliminate his bad behaviors Re-create and control his destiny and not be bound by it Everyone and everything has a set destiny. This is due to the law Read More …