I heard Gong De can free oneselves from rebirth ,Fu De are blessings, is that true?
Yes, an understaing for Gong de is Bodhicitta or enlightened nature or 實佛 absolute Buddha, it never increase in Buddha and decrease in sentient beings, while Fu De is its functions free from attachment [Views and thoughts], distinction [Dust and sand] and Ignorance æ— æ˜Ž [Avidya] commonly tr. 'ignorance', means an unenlightened condition - Gong De purely unconditional loving kindness to all living beings as you love yourself, and without a slightest thought even on the existence of yourself, purely serene in its function of Fu De, among others
Fu de is general good deed accumulated in the past. Gong de is good deed done without the thought of self benefit and to end rebirth. we can see the story of Emperor Liang Wu Di for an idea.
The Emperor started to talk about his building of temples and giving financial support to monastics. He then asked Bodhidharma how much merit he accumulated in the process. Emperor Wu felt that the patriach might not know about of the good deeds that he made, so he pointed them out to Bodhidharma. The patriarch felt that Emperor Wu was providing his own promotion campaign rather than seeking the Dharma to end birth and death; instead, he wanted to boast of his own merit and virtue. Thinking that the emperor might have been drunk on his own ego, Bodhidharma replied, "Actually, you have no merit and virtue. In truth, no merit and virtue at all."
Perplexed, the Emperor then asked, "Well, what is the fundamental teaching of Buddhism?" The bewildering reply was "vast emptiness."
"Listen," said the Emperor, now losing all patience, "just who do you think you are?" Bodhidharma replied, "I have no idea."
Bodhidharma originally went to Emperor Wu with the idea of saving him. However, he was too conceited; he had too high an opinion of himself. Being an emperor was already something, he thought. He had built many temples, enabled people to leave home, given away a lot of money, and made a lot of offerings to the Triple Gem. So, he thought that he had created a tremendous amount of merit and virtue. Bodhidharma, wanting to shatter the emperor's attachment, replied that he had no merit and virtue at all.
http://www.answers.com/topic/emperor-wu-of-liang
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Originally posted by sinweiy:Fu de is general good deed accumulated in the past. Gong de is good deed done without the thought of self benefit and to end rebirth. we can see the story of Emperor Liang Wu Di for an idea.
http://www.answers.com/topic/emperor-wu-of-liang
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So China emperor who destroyed monastaries and buddhism kanna very bad karma in next life.
Originally posted by Pure Emptiness:
So China emperor who destroyed monastaries and buddhism kanna very bad karma in next life.
i only heard past China emperor invited buddhism monk from India to become their Imperial teacher after knowing how good is buddhism. they build the monastery or study room next to their palace. they don't even let them 'beg' for food on the street. they respect them very much. u still can see it now. Mahayana don't go collecting alms. not many society can have such tolerance of embracing other races, but chinese people did that in the past. i think it is later part, the Communist who destroyed monastaries and buddhism. now Communist no more or not like before already. Goodness of buddhism prevail.
It is not destroying monastaries and buddhism kanna very bad karma in next life, those are external assembly. It is the unkindness mind resulted from misunderstanding that led to the act of destruction and transformed its Buddha mind into samsaric mind.
The function of fu de - 至心一处，回光å��照，æ€�æ— é‚ªæ£ï¼Œè‡ªçˆ±çˆ±ä»–, æž�ä¹�有归舟。
Originally posted by Pure Emptiness:I heard Gong De can free oneselves from rebirth ,Fu De are blessings, is that true?
I think 功德 (Gong De) can be interpret of as the act of a virtue deeds where one need to put in one effort, heart and mind to perform the act. Wheras �德(Fu De) is the fruit of good fortune due the act of virtue 功德.
Therefore, we should continue to do virtue deeds in our daily living through body, speech and mind so that the deed can transform into good fortune.
When one has good fortune, then he will not reborn into the lower realm such as animal, hungry ghost and hell. He will have the good fortune to encounter the Buddha Dharma. After encountering the Buddha Dharma, when one practise as per prescribe. One will generate sufficient merits 功德 to achieve Buddhahood in the future.
That's why, in Lotus Sutra Chapter 7: Parable of the Phantom City, it is written
" May this deed of merit, Extend to all,
願以æ¤åŠŸå¾·ï¼Œ æ™®å�Šæ–¼ä¸€åˆ‡ï¼Œ
That we with all the living, May together accomplish the Buddha -way"
我ç‰èˆ‡çœ¾ç”Ÿã€� 皆共æˆ�ä½›é�“。
Gassho
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
In fact, there is no effort required for merit - Vairocana Buddha sometimes called the primordial Buddha or supreme Buddha. He can also be referred to as the dharmakaya Buddha and the great solar Buddha. He represents the wisdom of shunyata, "emptiness." -- everything, unmanifested, free of characteristics and distinctions.
It is the pure gold of all sentient beings though temporarily covers by dust of illusions. Blessings is the faith and "remembrance practice" of letting go the dusts naturally, through understanding from sutra from dharma lecture and various expediencies. The understanding and practice in itself is fortune.