如何正面建设心灵？

Cease greed, anger, and ignorance; diligently cultivate precepts, samadhi, and wisdom.

At present, our consciousness resides within the body, so we perceive this body as the self. Once consciousness departs from the body, it will regard itself as independent, and that body will no longer be seen as “me.”

At the moment of death, one will vividly experience the power of karma — karma from this life, from past lives, one’s own karma, and that of one’s family will all manifest. As the saying goes, “When the scenes of the netherworld appear, one follows them in a flash.” At that time, it is very easy for one to be carried away by the flow of karma.

In this lifetime, how much of the blessings of fortune, prosperity, and longevity can we accumulate? Usually, we live in a mode of consumption — consumers of these blessings. After learning the Buddha’s teachings, we must learn how to calm the mind, apply our effort in practice, and establish the three undefiled virtues of precepts, samadhi, and wisdom.

We must continually listen to and contemplate the Dharma, extinguish afflictions, eliminate greed, anger, and ignorance, and diligently cultivate precepts, samadhi, and wisdom. In doing so, we rediscover our original mind, allowing it to become ever more tranquil and pure. We must construct the positive foundation of the mind, purify the karmic obstacles of the past, clear away the impurities within, eradicate the sins that already exist, and establish virtues that have not yet arisen.

Delve deeply into the Buddhist scriptures, and wisdom as vast as the sea will arise.

For humankind to still have access to the platform of the Triple Gem is no easy feat. The Triple Gem still abide in the world, and we still have the opportunity to draw near to them, to hear and contemplate the highest truths of life, and to put them into practice. How rare and precious this is! By listening to the Dharma daily, our minds become increasingly clear. Profound wisdom lies within the Buddha’s teachings; only by deep contemplation of the sutras, can our wisdom become as boundless as the sea.

In the Dīrgha Āgama Sūtra, the Buddha teaches that practitioners have seven means of accomplishment, known as the “Seven Noble Treasures,” or the “Seven Treasures of the Path.” These are: the treasure of faith, the treasure of precepts, the treasure of shame, the treasure of remorse, the treasure of learning, the treasure of generosity, and the treasure of wisdom. Because these treasures support the attainment of Buddhahood, they are called “treasures.” The wealth of the world cannot be taken with us, but these Seven Noble Treasures will benefit us in each and every lifetime, until our existence reaches perfection, forever freed from suffering and returning to our true nature.

We must be endowed with these Seven Noble Treasures. Yet they only pave the way toward attainment. Once we possess them, we must gradually advance toward the stage of the Seven Worthies. When we sit in meditation, relax the body and mind, let go of all attachments, and attain a sense of lightness and peace — that is a glimpse of the merit of concentration, a trace of entry into the path, touching merely the edge of it.

From the perspective of the Hīnayāna teachings, the stages of Warmth, Summit, and Patience all belong to the Seven Worthies. Beyond that are the Seven Holy Stages. Therefore, in cultivation we must advance step by step, never being content with a little advance, nor vaguely thinking that mere faith is sufficient — for faith entails concrete practice. In both Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna teachings, the specific meanings of the Seven Worthies and Seven Holy Stages differ. Within the Tiantai school’s Four Teachings — the Store, the Common, the Distinct, and the Perfect — the content of the Seven Worthies also differs. All of this requires our wholehearted study and diligent practice.

The Power of Collective Virtue

The most precious time of our day is in the evening, when everyone gathers to listen, contemplate, recite, and meditate together. Even if the meditation lasts only five or ten minutes, the power of our shared virtue is immense. The effect far surpasses that of meditating alone, for when we practice together, even for five minutes, the results are remarkable. This is the empowering force of the collective merit in a great Mahāyāna community.