Lets say u go to foodcourt n u order mixed veg rice.
Can u chant or dedicate merits to the dead animals?
Help the dead animals plant buddha seed also.
Live animal easier as u can chant near their ears.
I gt 2 relatives one with moderate autism n one with severe mental illnesses.
Does chanting n dedicating merits to them help?
Hope they gt chance practise dharma in the future n can lessen their suffering.
concur with zero.
财布施ã€�法布施ã€�æ— ç•�布施
giving of weath, begets weath.
giving of dharma, begets wisdom.
giving of fearlessness, begets health.
giving of fearlessness can be done by helping others like volunteer work for orphanage, old folks etc. if got money can donate to help cancer patient/society etc.
if u can, do as much to help other people who are autism and severe mental illnesses, then dedicate the merits to your relatives. it'll help to cure them. it's the way karma work. freeing life, eating vegetarian all got immense merit that can be dedicated.
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Originally posted by zero thought:Don’t have to go to a foodcourt to order mix veg rice then chant. Can chant at home or anywhere and dedicate merits also.
Yes, can chant aand dedicate merits to your relatives, and even better encourage them to chant themselves.
They cannot chant themselves. The only thing I can do is chant for them.
I chant at home at night many times and dedicate the merits to all sentient beings.
Having meal in foodcourt while chanting for the well beings of others planted enormous blessings. Most importantly, chanting carried out in front of meal is firstly, to dedicate merits to all sentient beings that have prepared and made the delicious meal possible for your consumption to satisfy the body, an immeasureable kind gesture of demonstrating sincere gratefulness. Chanting can be done sincerely in the heart/mind or while bringing the food to the table and/or while eating it. Yes, you can chant and dedicate to animals. haha! as you mentioned it's more easier to chant near the ears of the animals before it is dead or to put it, a form of communication of love with them. They will feel your warmness personally, though they could not understand your language, but spiritually, they understand the language of your chant.
Chanting does help them and it corresponds to the achievement of your chant. This is in accordance with Di Zang Jing - "filial piety sutra". In fact, all living beings sure to practice dharma in future and become Buddha of happiness :)
Namo Amitabha
Originally posted by sinweiy:concur with zero.
财布施ã€�法布施ã€�æ— ç•�布施
giving of weath, begets weath.
giving of dharma, begets wisdom.
giving of fearlessness, begets health.
giving of fearlessness can be done by helping others like volunteer work for orphanage, old folks etc. if got money can donate to help cancer patient/society etc.
if u can, do as much to help other people who are autism and severe mental illnesses, then dedicate the merits to your relatives. it'll help to cure them. it's the way karma work. freeing life, eating vegetarian all got immense merit that can be dedicated.
/\
Give people a Buddha statue is under wad kind of Bushi?
Originally posted by Pure Emptiness:
They cannot chant themselves. The only thing I can do is chant for them.I chant at home at night many times and dedicate the merits to all sentient beings.
I was happy to see many buddha figurines in my frenz house.
Ppl chinese new year go his house can plant many buddhism seeds.
He nt buddhsit but c buddha look nice buy n put at home as display.
Originally posted by Pure Emptiness:
Give people a Buddha statue is under wad kind of Bushi?
depend lor. if make of gold then a bit of giving wealth.
if it represent a reminder of practicing Buddhadharma to the person, then there's a bit of giving dharma. then after practice dharma already, the person go and help more people, then there's a bit of giving fearlessness.
on the other hand if they misuse also no good.
of all the giving, teaching/giving Dharma is the best of the best. u are teaching people to plant they own crop, rather than feeding them.
Buddha uses an example comparing giving wealth and dharma, that say if the world is to grin into dust. all that dust of the world is the merit of giving dharma. the merit of giving wealth is less than a spark of dust!
Diamond sutra also mentioned alot.
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Give money to dharma centre is Cai Bu Shi?
Originally posted by Pure Emptiness:Lets say u go to foodcourt n u order mixed veg rice.
Can u chant or dedicate merits to the dead animals?
Help the dead animals plant buddha seed also.
Live animal easier as u can chant near their ears.
It is good that you are mindful when you order and eat meat dishes, that these animals have suffered death to fill your stomachs. You are then mindful of their sufferings and the sufferings of all sentients beings going through the process of being slaughtered.
You are not dedicating to a piece of flesh, but to consciousness previously belonging to that pieces of meat, their suffering.
If it can arise in you the empathy for them, and in doing so, arouse you compassion and dedicate merits to all beings.
You are planting the seeds of affinity to Buddhism hoping they will ripen in future lives.
Originally posted by Pure Emptiness:Give money to dharma centre is Cai Bu Shi?
Helping to support a dharma centre is helping to propagate the dharma which is not only giving generosity of money but also giving dharma to sentient beings... it is very meritorious esp if you can do it with sincere altruistic motivation...and dedicate the merits properly
old MCK always do 3 kind of giving/dana.
one is print dharma material as much as he can afford and distribute them all around the world. it's better than curving onto a rock.
two is free life by chance(sui yuan). this is to purify the karma of hunting when He was young.
third is donate to old folks, charity, hospital and religious organisation. there was one X'tian hospital which allow all other religion to use what every they believe within their religion to do their own departure services. MCK thought they are so open minded and hence when they approach him for financial help, He donated alot to them every year.
He quite vexing, everytime so many money donated to him around the world, and he need to think of ways to use. all ask him to use it to accumlate merit. it's visible, every year he say got around 100 million(?) dollar! don't know where they come from. the more he give away, the more it keep coming in. he said if no money, he'll be happier.
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Asking something about giving Dharma.
Because many people around me are not buddhists and I do not wish to use the buddhist terms to talk to them, is it ok if I just encourage them to show compassion and do good deeds?
Originally posted by Beautiful951:Asking something about giving Dharma.
Because many people around me are not buddhists and I do not wish to use the buddhist terms to talk to them, is it ok if I just encourage them to show compassion and do good deeds?
That is ok, but show compassion and do good deeds is only a very limited part of Buddhism. In fact, it is not what Buddhism is in essence. It can ensure them to have good karma and rebirth, but not any more.
All religions, and even non-religious teachings (even an atheist or free thinker should know this!) teaches these basic things.
But as I said previously... Buddhism is not just about morality, doing good, getting good karma etc... if these were the only things to Buddhism, then actually there would be no need for Buddhism at all. All the other religions already cover these things... and in fact morality is not the monopoly of religions, religion cannot claim to be the authority of morality. Morality is something even non-religious people should know.
So what is special about Buddhism? It is the profound insight into human nature, the nature of suffering and grasping, the cause of it, the cessation of it, the way out of it... (aka the four noble truths)... It is the profound insight into the luminous essence and empty nature of experience... It is these insights that liberate us from bondage. All Buddhists should therefore start contemplating on these things so that they can achieve what the Buddha set out to achieve - lead sentient beings to the end of suffering.
So ultimately what we want to lead all sentient beings to.. is enlightenment, the end of suffering, Buddhahood.
Originally posted by Beautiful951:Asking something about giving Dharma.
Because many people around me are not buddhists and I do not wish to use the buddhist terms to talk to them, is it ok if I just encourage them to show compassion and do good deeds?
Hi Beautiful951,
Yes, this is also giving the dharma. The dharma is that which brings benefit both temporary and ultimate to sentient beings... first teach them compassion and kindness because not everyone is ready for the ultimate teachings on wisdom straight away... don't even mention the ultimate teachings on wisdom, if you ask someone not to be so attached to his/her partner or children, it is almost impossible or already very difficult for them to drop such attachments and grasping.
So starting with loving-kindness and compassion, one develops a more spacious mind. Love and compassion in Buddhism is quite different from other religions or worldly perspective, our love is not limited to any objects ie, it is extended to all beings, friends and enemies and also to animals, spirits, even very negative beings... there is no-sentient being who is excluded... for this reason, the love and compassion that Buddhism expounds is all-pervasive compared to limited love in worldly life.
Second difference, love and compassion in Buddhism has no sense of requiring a return. Even if a person to whom you have been kind, returns you with ingratitude and even harm. A bodhisattva regards such a person equally as one who is returning his help with gratitude and positive feedbacks.
Third difference, love and compassion in Buddhism has no higher or lower, all objects are regarded with equanamity, family or relatives do not get a higher regard, enemies do not get less love.
Fourth difference, in buddhism, the notion of bodhichitta can place others interest on a higher scale than oneself such that even the notion of seeking Buddhahood for oneself or self salvation from the delusions of samsaric mind can take second place to saving other beings first... one can see this from many instances in our practices, for eg, we always give away all our merits to beings, not holding it back for ourselves. This is to prevent self-centredness and grasping onto the merit. But more importantly, it is in accord with the notion of bodhichitta which is that others are more important than oneself. In many higher bodhisattva practices or even in the past lives of Buddha, he has repeatedly sacrificed his life, wealth, merits and everything for others... it is said that although the Buddha has always thought for others, but he attained Buddhahood first; although sentient beings always seek their own benefit, but they are still revolving in samsaric existence.
These are the four differences between the unique viewpoints of love and compassion in Buddhism and in external sects. It can be said that our notions of Bodhichitta in Buddhism cannot be found anywhere else outside Mahayana Buddhism and is the sole cause of attaining Buddhahood. So it would be very important for anyone who wants to attain Buddhahood to train well in this.
When one has set a good foundation in love, compassion and bodhichitta, the conditions for realising emptiness is already there and very easily accomplished. For most of us, the teachings on compassion can be put into practice in our daily life right now and used to assess our relationships with others without the need for any further prerequisites. It is ready to be used immediately and will have very strong effects on your life and dharma practice if you use it properly.
One who practices well bodhichitta will never harm others, and will think only of benefitting others... in such a way, even his worldly life will be better because others will like him more, if he is doing business in a way that benefits others, definitely it is a better way to attract customers. There will be harmony in his family because he knows how to accept harm and give benefits to others...
On a dharmic level, the practice of bodhichitta gives rise to vast merits. It is said, one who practises bodhichitta generates merits even in his sleep. With the accumulation of merits present and with little or no anger, selfish desire or pride/jealousy... due to wishing only to benefit others, one's mind is freer from the disturbing emotions and morality is naturally pure, which lays a very strong basis for developing shamatha and vipassana, meeting a genuine teacher, receiving the teachings and completing the other parts of the path. One is not in a hurry to complete the path for oneself, instead one's bodhichitta is the courage and fuel for oneself to try to liberate beings from samsara...
In future lives, if you do come back again, bodhichitta will soak your mindstream as a natural tendency. Buddhas are most pleased when one tries to benefit other sentient beings... i can tell you this most definitely. No matter what chanting you do, you can't really connect to the deity / Buddha on the deepest level if your motivation is lacking bodhichitta. There is really no better dharma than giving rise to bodhichitta and benefitting beings...
Buddha and his disciples were not vegetarian mind you, so what say you?
Buddha and his disciples are at a very high level of realisations... they may even be able to liberate all animals who make a connection with them through their food. Is it proper for us to imitate the teacher in every single thing even when we obviously are at a different phase of development?... the Buddha has taught in many sutras about the karma of killing and the need to prevent killing... then what say you?
when devadatta caused a schism in the sangha and asked the Buddha to impose vegetarian in the order, the Buddha rejected his request.
Originally posted by Beautiful951:Asking something about giving Dharma.
Because many people around me are not buddhists and I do not wish to use the buddhist terms to talk to them, is it ok if I just encourage them to show compassion and do good deeds?
If u think they r those who will slander dharma after u shared with them pls dun share.
For example christians.
Originally posted by Rooney9:when devadatta caused a schism in the sangha and asked the Buddha to impose vegetarian in the order, the Buddha rejected his request.
Let's say the Buddha accepted Devadatta's advice and imposed the rule. If a person who wants to join the order and has the potential to be an Arhat, but because he couldn't relinquish meat, he decides not to join the order. What will happen? This rule will cut off this person's path to liberation.
That's why he didn't impose this rule. The Buddha is most compassionate and has to consider all sentient beings, not only sentient beings who are willing to give up meat, so he came up with the 3 kinds of pure meat rule instead.
The Buddha promoted vegetarianism in several Sutras, so it's not that he supported eating meat.
Small vehicle buddhism nt compulsory to be vegatarian.
Mahayana if u wanna be PUSA gt to be vegetarian.
Pureland buddhism I nt sure It's is advisable to be vegetarians.
But pureland buddhism is part of mahayana buddhism.
Lastime i shared dharma with muslims kanna scolded. They also slander dharma from today onwards i dun share with muslims.
Scared bad karma they commit.
Non believers slander buddhism gt bad karma too rite?
Originally posted by Pure Emptiness:Pureland buddhism I nt sure It's is advisable to be vegetarians.
But pureland buddhism is part of mahayana buddhism.
it's advisable, but not really compulsory either.
Non believers slander buddhism gt bad karma too rite?
yea, better be careful when promoting PL. even for Buddhist, anyone slander any method of Buddhism, will next time have a difficult time studing them. remember Bodhisattva got one vow that say they wish to study all infinity dharma.
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