【问 1】：尊敬的主七和尚上唯下悟长老，阿弥陀佛
I am english educated and very interested in Buddhism. I attended Buddhist’s events whenever there is opportunity. However, I can’t really understand & connect to overall teachings. What is your advice to pursue Buddhism Path?
Last 2 days, during chanting, a bright golden light with some words, which looks like mandarin, or pali words appear and very fast they went off. This happened in many occasion during chanting. What does this mean?
Amitabha
郑如珉

【答 1】：
Q1: What is your advice to pursue Buddhism Path?
A1: In one of the previous occasion, Ven. Wei Wu had given the Dharma talk on the topic of “How to live this life meaningfully ?” (which had been published in YouTube on the 26th May 2014 , pls see the web-link at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UwP-AzzVuM )
Ven. Wei Wu said: “Even when we follow the Buddha’s Teaching, there is one important question that we had to ask ourselves：
“Why do we follow the Buddha’s Teaching?”
Not because we are born in a Buddhist family, but Ven. Wei Wu said :
“You have to develop personal conviction that the Buddha’s Teaching is so precious and you are willing to align your life toward the Buddha’s Teaching.”
Actually, our material needs are very simple, but many people spending their whole live pursuing the material needs.
In Buddhism, we have to understand that we not only have one life but our “life continues in the 3 periods of time---past life,present life and future life”（生命在三世中，无限的生死相续）. The phenomena of Life and death is a cycle which called “the cyclical existence in the Samsara （生死苦 海）”---the Six realms（六道轮回）.
It is important for us to know there is “past life, present life and future life”, because if that is not the case and we think that “we only have one life”, then we may not be motivated to change.
Due to the human life spans are very short, If we know that “life continues”（生命是无限的生死相 续）, and this life will be affecting our future life, it will be very good if we start to change when we are young.
The Buddha teaches us that we are in this cycle of birth and death since begin less past, and in anyone of the life we are born in the six realms. The three higher realms are the Human, the demigods and the gods; while the three lower realms are the animal, hungry ghost and hell. What determine in which realm we will be born in, has to do with the Buddhist fundamental teaching of “The Cause and Effect”, i.e. “The Law of Karma” which operating with the 3 principles below:
1) Whatever you sow,that you reap (如是因,生如是果);
2) Own responsibility and own effect (自作自受);
3) Three periods: present, next, and many more future life to ripen (三时业：顺现、顺次 顺后).
The Cause and effect operating in past life, present life and future life (the three periods of time), in a sayings that:
‘If you wish to know your past, look at your present effects;
if you wish to know your future, look at your present actions!’
欲知前世因，今生受者是;
欲知来世果，今生做者是.
Actually, “The Cause and Effect” can be widely elaborate and explain in details by “The Four Noble Truths” :
1. The truth of suffering (Dukkha);
2. The truth of the origin of suffering (Samudāya);
3. The truth of the cessation of suffering (Nirodha) and
4. The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering (Magga).
In order to be liberate from the Samsara, The Buddha teaches us the important of either practise the “Ethics, Concentration and Wisdom ”(Sila 戒, Samadhi 定 and Prajna 慧) and attaining Nirvana; or by the recollection of Amitabha Buddha name, we accumulate the 3 main tenets of “Faith 信, Vows 愿 and Practice 行” , so that we can be rebirth in the Sukhavati of Amithaba Buddha.
Even though we are a lay Buddhist, we must strive to practice the methods that can destroy that root cause of the Samsara. We must also understand that the ideal time for turning back samsara is now, because we possess a human form endowed with all the attributes of leisure and fortune, and we have the opportunity to practice the three Buddhist trainings of “Sila 戒, Samadhi 定 and Prajna 慧” or “Faith 信, Vows 愿 and Practice 行” within this short human life.
So , if we want to pursue the Buddhism Path, the developing of right view (正见) or our right understanding of the Buddha path is of utmost important.
Ven. Wei Wu’s 12 parts teachings of “The Lam Rim” is in the web-link below at http://www.fairfun.net/my3/panna_my/b%20buddhism/PDFe-Books/LamRimIn12Pa... VenWeiWu.pdf , which you can download it.
Hopefully you may gradually read through and try to understand the content of pdf file of Ven. Wei Wu’s 12 parts teachings of “The Lam Rim” which regarding “The path to Enlightenment ”.
Q2: This happened in many occasion during chanting. What does this mean?
A2: It is your hallucination that arise from your delusion, just ignore it and continue to your practice on the mindfulness of the recollection on the Amitabha Buddha name.

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【问 2】：师父慈悲，阿弥陀佛。
请问师父，家人生病要念消灾延寿药师佛。东方琉璃药师佛。我很喜欢念《地藏经》。因为父 母都往生了，要超渡祖先历代父母，往生西方净土极乐世界。所以，现在一句圣号“南无阿弥 陀佛”一心不乱，法喜充满。定时定课念佛，家人生病也会得利吗？
感恩师父。
弟子：陳银楼 合十

【问】：定时定课念佛，家人生病也会得利吗？

【答】：当家人生病时，家属都会为病人念佛「祈福与消业」，祈求三宝的「加持和 救护」。星云大师在《佛法真义①》这本书中，有两篇相关的开示，提供了一些很好 的佛法理念给读者。以下取其内容大意与你分享：
1）〈祈福与消业〉（p.301-303）：‘祈福’（为了永保安康），是人类与生俱来的 一种本能。…祈福是好事，但许多人，不想付出努力，只想投机取巧，坐享其成，即 使真有‘好事’降临，转眼也会成空。佛教以种种方便善巧，积极引导我们：与其寄 望别人为我们消灾免难，不如努力净化自己，而开启内心的智慧宝藏；只要心中有佛 法的慈悲与智慧，就能消除障碍，得到好的果报。
业报如同播种，自己过去播下的善、恶种子，一旦因缘相遇，自然会有果报。因此， 解铃人还须系铃人，‘祈福’虽然好，‘消业’更为重要。‘消业’是想要把过去所 造的恶业一下子消除干净，但并不容易。所以，自己要发大心及恒长心，只要肯发心 多造善业，恶业自然转弱，福报就会现前。
所以，‘祈福’的同时，应该力求‘身心改造’，我们念佛、诵经是多播种智慧、慈 悲、欢喜的种子，就能‘消除业障’，性格和命运必定会随着改变，必能获得世间无 量大福。
2）〈加持与救护〉（p.304-305）：一般佛教徒诵经、念佛、拜佛，都希望获得佛菩 萨的‘加持’（心灵上的力量）。一般心性怯弱的众生，自己力量不够，就需要依靠 信仰的力量，获得到佛菩萨的‘加持’，帮助我们安定身心，提振信心、智慧与慈悲 的力量，使我们有能力去解决问题。
可是，如果我们过度仰赖佛菩萨的‘救护’而有不正当的要求时，那是违背因果的错 误想法。由于佛菩萨不是执行法令的刑事警察或检察官，如果我们遇到什么事情都要 求佛菩萨来‘救护’或赏赐我们，那世间就没有善恶因果了。
所以，‘加持’要从‘他力’（佛菩萨）转化到‘自力’的‘自我加持’，因为佛菩 萨在经中讲的许多道理，都是教导我们，要做自己的主人。自己的业力、善恶、好 坏，都要靠自己去承担。

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【问 3】：问：如果年老父母不相信在临终时念 Namo Amitabha，可去西方极乐世界。我做 孩子应该如何帮助他们去极乐世界呢？
弟子：张玉苹 合十

【问】：我做孩子应该如何帮助年老父母去极乐世界呢？

【答】：身为家中的孩子，你想要度年老的父母学佛，对不了解佛法的父母而言，可 能他们会比较难以接受。你可以间接的带父母去佛寺参加活动，得以亲近三宝及善知 识，或从一些正信佛教团体的媒体管道，让父母能听闻及接受佛法，使他们明白生命 是无限的生死相续，有善恶业报、有三世轮回、有凡夫与圣人的因果等事实真相。从 而慢慢引导他们学佛，使他们对三宝产生好感及信心。在平时，你可以孝敬心提醒他 们，常念佛菩萨名号的种种好处，尤其是可以预先准备面对无常的往生资粮，以获得 善终的福报。

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【问 4】：师父，阿弥陀佛。
请问师父：
1.要如何感化亲人来皈依三宝、念佛？
2.我每天诵经念佛，持戒的功德，回向给有情众生能得利吗？他们会深入经藏吗？诵经，拜忏 回向历代祖先父母亲人，他们能够离苦得乐吗？
3.信心，要持戒，坚持，精进才能了脱生死，往生极乐世界。
阿弥陀佛 。

【答 4】：
1. 如果你要感化亲人来皈依三宝和念佛，在日常生活上跟家属们互动时，你自己的言 行举止，要能让他们感觉到你学佛后，你的品德、生活习惯及人生观都有了很大的改 进，你先要‘感化自己’---懂得止恶修善、克尽本分、洁身自爱、向上向善、踏实的 做人做事、敬爱尊重别人、谦让忍辱、心量宽大等，自然会‘感动家人’来皈依三宝 和念佛的。
2. 是的，我们可以把修学佛法的种种功德，‘回向’给自己的历代祖先、父母、亲 人，使他们离苦得乐；乃至‘回向’给一切有情，皆得法益。
为什么要‘诵经’、‘念佛’ 、‘持戒’ ‘拜忏’、‘回向’？
‘诵经’使我们增长‘三慧’，从闻慧、思慧中，进一步培养修慧。
‘念佛’是意业的净化。通过念佛的功德及广大誓愿，启发自己的正念、正定与智 慧。‘念佛’也是忆念佛陀的福德与慈悲，学习佛陀庄严佛土，广度众生的善巧方 便。
‘持戒’是以五戒、十善、八戒等来净化自己的身业、口业，建立人格品德的基础， 以便再进一步修持慈悲、正念、正定、智慧等福慧资粮。
‘拜忏’是自己肯诚心认错，改过自新，彻底改造自己的人格气质。
在《佛法真义①》〈回向〉（p.157-159）中，星云大师把‘回向’形容得很好，他 说：
“‘回向’如同寄存善款，播种善苗，使善芽成长;‘回向’是令‘灯灯相传’的广大 心量，有「回小向大、回自向他、回事向理、回因向果、回有向空」等诸多意义。”
星云大师更建议说：“我们也可以在日常生活中，对自己所生起的微小善念、所做的 小小善行，回向给他人，因为回向是无私的给于，如果人人都抱持如此善美的意念， 必能为人间增添无比的和谐与快乐。”
3.信心，要持戒，坚持，精进才能了脱生死，往生极乐世界。
学佛首重‘信心’，佛家认为：「信为道源功德母，长养一切诸善根」,所以，一切 （坚定持戒、精进修行、念佛了脱生死等善根功德），都要从‘信心’开始。
讲到‘信心’，星云大师在《佛法真义①》有一篇〈信仰〉（p.145-147）的开示。星 云大师认为：
a)“中国人对于宗教‘信仰’，大部分是建立在祈求保佑上；即使一般的佛教徒，也 不容易懂得真正的‘信仰’是要建立在「无我」、「不着相」的慈悲上，要具备「正 见」、「诚信」、「不邪见」的思想，要有「为人奉献而不为己求」的宗教情操。”
b)“有人认为「心好就好了，何必要信仰宗教？」或者说「我不信宗教，我没有信 仰。」但事实上，当他们遇到重大苦难，例如：经商失败、感情不顺、人生失意、病 苦折磨时，他们会很自然的想找一个宗教来依靠。尤其是家中有人往生，也会找个法 师来诵经。所以，人只要有生死问题，就离不开宗教。”
c)“其实，在佛教里，诸佛菩萨你信不信，不重要！不过，你自己如果没有信心的 话，那就太可惜了！自己没有信心，就表示「我不能、不会、不懂」，因为我没有信 心。所以，假如你有信心的话，则表示：我有力量可以帮助人、我有智慧去分别善 恶；当你有信心的话，表示「我能、我会、我懂、我可以」，你的人生不是很有价值 吗？”
d)“‘信仰’有初学、初信，一级一级的升华。有关‘信仰’的层次，星云大师曾 说：「‘邪信’不如‘不信’，‘不信’不如‘迷信’，‘迷信’不如‘正信’」。 正确的信仰，可以让人获得无比的利益。”
e)“我们不但要建立「正信」，还要信仰「正信」的宗教。尤其，我们每个人最好都 要建立对自己的信心，都要相信自己：‘我能做好人’、‘我能行菩萨道’、‘我能 往生净土’、‘我能成佛’等。”
f)“‘信仰’如海洋，使你心胸开阔；‘信仰’如山中宝藏，使你找到心中的忏悔、 仁义、智慧等美德。你有了信仰，才有完整的生命及自我的灵魂，因为信仰即是我们 追求的人生目标。有了‘信仰’，你就能扩大自己的视野，才能成就自己未来的理 想。”
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