June 23 2018

Jun 23, 2018
慧淨上人法語
佛法知見

(continued)

Among the Five Precepts, no killing comes first, and not eating meat is the most radical way. Besides, we should reflect on ourselves all the time: Do we lie? Are we sincere or not? We also frequently commit offenses against other precepts like sexual misconduct and stealing, because it refers not just to our acts, but also our thinking. We break those precepts in our mind.

Augmentation of the Five Precepts is the Ten Wholesome Deeds. However, we are not only unable to perform those deeds; on the contrary, we do commit the Ten Unwholesome Deeds. On reflection, the Pure Land School knows well that with our root-nature we are unable to achieve those deeds, so we rely entirely on Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance.

The teachings of our school are built on the ground of the Five Precepts and the Ten Wholesome Deeds, and also on retributions governed by the Law of Cause and Effect. So, we should know that we have no karmic conditions to leave. Knowing that we fail to hold, and commit offenses against the Five Precepts and the Ten Wholesome Deeds, we therefore rely entirely on Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance, and keep reciting Amitabha’s Name with regret and grace in our daily life amidst of Amitabha’s deliverance.

五戒，第一就是不殺生，最根本的做法就是不食肉，還要時刻反省自己有沒有打妄語？真不真誠？其他像邪淫、偷盜，對我們來講也常常在犯，因為那不是指行為，而是心念，可是我們的念頭都在犯。

五戒開展來就是十善，十善我們不但做不到，反而都是在犯十惡。淨土門因為反省自己的根機根本做不到，所以才完全依靠阿彌陀佛的救度。

我們這個法門就是建立在五戒十善、因果報應之上，知道自己都是在犯五戒、違十善，永無出離之緣，才全身心都投靠阿彌陀佛的救度，在阿彌陀佛的救度當中，慚愧的、感恩的過念佛的生活。

(to be continued tomorrow)

Namo Amitabha!