Heart Sutra

Approaching the Heart Sutra in terms of Time: 12 links of dependent arising

In this video, Master Sheng Yen explained the verse, " No ignorance and also no ending of ignorance, until we come to no old age and d...

心经 Heart Sutra

观自在菩萨,行深般若波罗蜜多时。照见五蕴皆空,渡一切苦厄。舍利子,色不异空,空不异色,色即是空,空即是色,受想行识,亦复如是。舍利子,是诸法空相,不生不灭,不垢不净,不增不减。是故空中无色,无受想行识,无眼耳鼻舌身意,无色声香味触法,无眼界,乃至无意识界。无无明,亦无无明尽,乃至无老死,亦无老死尽。无苦集灭道,无智亦无得。以无所得故,菩提萨埵,依般若波罗蜜多故,心无罣礙,无罣礙故,无有恐怖,远离顚倒梦想,究竟涅槃。三世诸佛,依般若波罗蜜多故,得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。故知般若波罗蜜多,是大神呪,是大明呪,是无上呪,是无等等呪,能除一切苦,眞实不虚。故说般若波罗蜜多呪,卽说呪曰:揭谛揭谛,波罗揭谛,波罗僧揭谛,菩提萨婆诃。

Monday, November 22, 2021

Buddha on Rituals and Psychic Power

I enjoy watching this drama, Buddha as it is full of wisdom and you can learn about Buddha's teaching. Buddha taught through questioning, which is like Socratic questioning, prompting the person to think instead of blindly accepting his teaching. In episode 36, 21:30, it shows the discussion between the fire worshipper and Buddha.

The fire worshipper asked the Buddha. He asked if rituals, prayers and psychic powers are useful?

Buddha asked him if someone were to cross to the other side of the river, what should he do?

The fire worshipper said that if the water is shallow, he could walk across. If the river is deep, he could cross the river using a raft else he could swim across. 

The Buddha asked him, “What if he don’t want to walk across the river when it is shallow and not use a boat to cross the river but to pray for the other side of the river to appear in front of him?”

The fireworshipper exclaimed, “ then he is foolish.”

Similarly if a person uses his wisdom to reduce greed and ignorance, he will find the path out of suffering, said the Buddha. 

Image from India drama, Buddha






No comments:

Post a Comment