The Sutra of Karma

                                                          The Sutra of Karma

By Jiang Song

This story is learnt from “the Sutra of Karma”.

At one time, the Buddha resided at Anāthapiṇḍika's Park in Sāvatthī. At the same time, a monk who was sitting cross-legged was not far from the Buddha. His body was also sitting straight. However, he was in extreme pain (he was experiencing painful sensations) because of the results of karma (he was suffering physical pain because of the result of karma). he also endured the intense suffering from his body. Despite this, he was unafraid while sitting in meditation, then his mind continued to have mindfulness and right understanding. The Buddha saw that the monk was near him meditating while sitting cross-legged and so on. He then spoke to himself these words:

A monk who can eliminate his own previous karma and new karma does not need any medicine to treat himself (does not need any medical treatment for himself) because delusion and ignorance are abandoned, selflessness is reached, and the mind is purified. He does not have any attachment to five aggregates.

When I read this story, I observe that every time, I meditate while sitting cross-legged, I experience pain. After feeling suffering, the sensation is unpleasant (the sensation is not pleasant), and the mind is influenced so I will move my legs. This is like the Buddha’s teaching: if we can maintain at mindfulness and right understanding, the old karma will be eliminated, the new karma will not arise. So, I have to learn more patience and mindfulness, when I do sit mediation and dairy life.

慈悲與智慧

慈悲與智慧

        慈悲與智慧可以說是佛教陀法中的重要教義，慈悲是四梵住其中的兩種，即慈與悲梵住。所謂的「慈與樂，悲拔苦」，在字詞解釋，兩者有些不同，而平常卻習慣結合成一個語詞。智慧，則是「六波羅蜜」最後種，也是佛教徒在透過各種修習後，希望獲得的。慈悲與智慧二者實質上是不可分離的。如同我們經常聽聞的：慈悲要帶有智慧，才不會形成「爛」慈悲。所以，慈悲與智慧二者是相輔相成的。如果在修習慈悲的當下也能擁有智慧，我們的內心將更容易獲得平靜。在擁有智慧時，內心也不忘記保有一份慈悲心，我們的心理將不會生起煩惱。沒有了煩惱，解脫與自由的心就容易實現。

        關於慈悲和智慧，在佛陀本生經中有這樣的一則事蹟。佛陀在過去生曾經是一位商人，名叫貧寠，經常遊行於國與國之間做買賣。有一次，他和一群好友們乘一般到它國做生意。然而，在海上航行的途中，貧寠會到甲板走動，以呼吸新鮮空氣。在一次到站立到甲板時，他望向大海，看見海中的大魚追著小魚，只為了一餐的食物。在追逐同時，大魚快速的張開嘴巴不斷地吞食到嘴的小魚；小魚們雖愴惶的逃避，仍然躱不了被大魚吞食的命運，他們的生命就這樣消失了。

        眼見此景，貧寠感嘆小魚的無助和弱肉強食的無奈。他思考著：「生命的源遠流長，是從不斷變換外形而延續，只是眾生不了解這種道理，而互相爭奪和殺伐，導致生生世世的敵懟和仇恨。這樣的冤冤相報，永遠沒有盡頭。」為了小魚們能脫離大魚的追殺，我願意將自己身體，布施給魚兒們，以換取更多小魚的生命。有了這想法後，便直接跳入海中，把自己身體完全的布施給大海的眾生。捨身後的菩薩，轉世投胎為擁有龐大身體的鯨魚王，領導海中的魚群自在的生活。

        有一個小國家鄰近大海，當時正處於嚴重的災荒，人民沒有食物，因而互相殘害，彼此吃食人肉維生。鯨魚王知道了這事，便想：多麼悲慘的事，旱災什麼時候才能結束？人們為了維生，互相噉食，終會走上絕境的！牠便游到灘上，希望以自己的身體來維持人們的生命。其國的居民看到這麼大的鯨魚，喜出望外地相互走告，並感謝天神送來的食物。從此，每天都有人帶刀來，在鯨魚王的身上隨意割去他們需要的肉以維持生命。牠龐大的身體也因此被割的遍體鱗傷。

        幾個月時間過去，鯨魚王的並因為遍體鱗傷而死去。牠犧牲自己來養活眾生的大慈悲心，感動了天神。天神便來到牠的身旁，恭敬地問道：「慈悲的鯨魚，你用自己的身體養活人們，每天還要忍受人們在你身上一刀刀切割，這種痛苦是無法形容的。你為什麼不捨棄身體，只要留下魚身給大眾吃呢？」

        鯨魚王回覆說：「如果我死了，剩下的魚身很快就腐爛，人們會再度陷到饑餓的困境中，隨後會互相殘殺，吃人肉來維持生活。我不忍心看到這種悲慘世界再度發生。所以，我一定要堅持活下來。」

        天神被牠這種捨己救人的大願心感動，非常讚歎的說：「鯨魚王！你的大慈大悲，將來必定成就無上的，同時度化無量的眾生。」鯨魚王的這一生，直到有一天，一位村民拿著斧頭，爬到牠的頭上，並用力砍下鯨魚王的頭帶回家後，牠這一期生命才告一段落。

        從商人到鯨魚王的二期生命中，展現的不僅是一種慈悲心，也是一種智慧。如果行菩薩道的佛陀，見到海中的魚群，沒有捨身救生的願力，相反地以另一種像捕殺追逐小魚的大魚，他和魚之間就會成就來世的相報的果實。而當轉世鯨魚王時，如果沒很強忍割肉之痛，且不起恨恚心，也無法協助災民度過艱難時期。菩薩的精神，除了慈悲，還有智慧的相輔，也因此才能成就布施和忍辱善行的菩薩道。

Donkey or cow

 Donkey or cow

By Jiang Song

I have learnt this story from a few of sutras. At one time, Buddha said to the monks/bhikkhus: I will now tell you about a donkey and a cow. You have to listen carefully.

       What is meaning of a monk who is like a donkey? let us say a man shaves his hair and wears the robes. he also has firm faith and renounces the household life. But he does not have steady faculties. When his eyes see forms from outside environment, in his mind arise vile/evil thoughts and he is attached to the forms because he is not able to control the mind. So, all kinds of unwholesome mentalities in him. The same thing happens. when his ears hear sounds, the nose smells odors, the tongue knows tastes, the body feels sensation, the mind also understands the doctrine of the Buddha’s teaching. However, he follows just the delusions and is unable to control his mind. Therefore, ignorance drifts in various directions. The mind is not pure. It drifts between constantly arising greedy and hatred. Such kinds of unwholesomeness are in front of him.

In this situation, the monk although he wears robes is like a donkey. That is Because he cannot properly protect the mind and his violates the precepts.

      On the other hand, let us say, a person has firm faith and renounces the life of householder, shaves the/his hair, beard and wears the robes. He learns the right way, then his mind becomes tranquil and steady. What is the right way? When his eyes see forms, unwholesome thoughts about colors do not arise in his mind. In this case, the eyes are pure. And his ears hear sounds, the nose smells odors, the tongue knows tastes, the body feels sensation, and the mind understands the Dharma (teaching) of Buddha, in which there are not arising any delusions, his mind is pure. That is because in daily life the monk keeps mindfulness when he eats, drinks, walks, and sleeps.

In this case, he is called a person who is like a cow or a herd of cows, who are protected by their horns. That is because he is well-protected by sense-restraint and virtue; there are no evils coming from him, and then he can accept the alms foods from people.

      After hearing the teaching of Buddha, the 200 monks who had listened, reflected that they were greedy and not practice meditation or the Dharma, they felt ashamed. At that moment, they became energized, they achieved the fruit of Arhatship, and had six supernatural powers.