Dignify yourself and the world as well

We often hear the word "dignified" from many Buddhist disciples, such as "Dharma is solemn," "Wonderful appearance is solemn," "Dignified is extraordinary," "Dignified land is beneficial." "Sentient" and so on. "Dignification" has an admirable and admirable meaning in Buddhism. In terms of Buddhism, people must not only solemnize themselves, but also the world; and the way to solemnize themselves and the world is to cultivate blessings and wisdom, that is, By cultivating both happiness and wisdom, you will not only make yourself pure, but also make the entire society pure, thereby creating a harmonious world and a pure land on earth.

How can we cultivate blessings and wisdom so that our body, mind, and world can be solemn and pure? There are two paragraphs in the "Metaphorical Principles" of the Dhammapada, which contain very good explanations; they can be used by modern Buddhists to be wary of and learn from. If they can be experienced as evening drums and morning bells, they will definitely become a part of physical and mental practice. Useful homework.

The first paragraph is that when the Buddha was preaching to the four disciples in Gion Vihara, seven elder Brahmins happened to come from afar to learn Buddhism. After they became ascetics, they lived together in one room. Unexpectedly, the seven people were slack in their practice and could not appreciate the impermanence. They only thought about the prosperity and enjoyment of the world, talked, laughed and made noise all day long, and did not understand the shortness of life. After the Buddha knew about this, he suddenly came to their room one day. They were frightened and guilty when they saw the sudden arrival of the Buddha. So the Buddha taught the Dharma to the seven of them:

"All sentient beings quarrel every day. You don't know how to make progress, but you rely on the following five things: first, you rely on your youth, your future is bright; third, you rely on your good looks; fourth, you rely on your wealth; and fifth, you talk and laugh all day long. Indulgence, don’t know what to rely on?

At that time, the seven people were stunned and could not answer for a long time, so the Buddha used the following verse to admonish them:

How to be happy and laugh? It is better to seek concentration when thoughts are always blazing and obscured by ghosts;

How can you know that when you see the shape of your body and rely on it, you will get sick. Untrue;

With old age, the color fades, disease becomes dull, the skin slows down and the muscles shrink, and life is short;

The body is followed by death, like an abandoned chariot, the flesh disappears and the bones scatter, where is the body? What?

At this time, after listening to the Buddha's teachings, the seven people were enlightened. They began to change their minds, correct their bodies and minds, and did not dare to let go.

The second paragraph is that one day when the Buddha was receiving donations from his disciples in Savatthi, there happened to be an old couple begging. Knowing the reason for their poverty and poverty, the Buddha took the opportunity to warn his disciples: "They are ministers of the court. There are countless fortunes that end up like this only because of extravagance."

Later, the Buddha said: "There are four opportunities in the world where you can gain blessings and avoid all sufferings by practicing Taoism. One is when you are young. When it is powerful, the second is when you are rich and wealthy, the third is when you meet the Three Treasures and the blessings are planted, and the fourth is when you always think about the impermanence and separation of all things."

At that time, the disciples and the villagers were very happy when they heard this wonderful method. Teach and practice.

It can be seen from this that the so-called dignity of oneself and the world means realizing impermanence, cherishing the causes and conditions of accumulating good deeds and cultivating blessings, and cultivating the body and mind. These two passages in the Dhammapada make it very clear that the practical foundation of solemnity lies in a pure mind, a diligent mind, a lack of slackness, and a mind that cherishes opportunities and blessings. Anyone who studies Buddhism must start from this foundation; not only pursue external dignity, but more importantly, inner dignity.

In addition, there is also a good story in Volume 1 of "The Translation of the Agama Sutra":

One day, in the country of Savatthi, only one tree was planted in the Solitude Garden. While listening to the Buddha's sermon, a haggard bhikkhu stumbled forward and paid homage to the Buddha; then, after clasping his palms to the crowd, he sat down aside.

The other bhikkhus present at that time all had the thought of disgust: "Why does this bhikkhu look so haggard and without any power at all?" The compassionate Buddha observed the thoughts of the bhikkhus. , and asked the crowd: "Monks, have you seen the monks who bowed to me just now?" The monks replied: "World Honored One, we have seen it."

The Buddha told the monks: "You must not Look down on this bhikkhu. He has got rid of the confusion of views and thoughts, eliminated the troubles, achieved Arahantship, and obtained true liberation. Therefore, you should not despise this bhikkhu. Only if you have the same realization as me can you make the right decision. Judgment. If you do not achieve the realm of the Tathagata and judge others by their appearance, you will only be doing yourself a disservice.

"Then the Buddha said a verse for the crowd:

"Although the peacock has a beautiful body, it cannot fly as high as the swan. Although the appearance is beautiful, it is not as good as the leakage of merit.

Now this bhikkhu is like a good horse, able to tame his mind and conduct well, to break away from the attachments of life and death, and to accept the demonic army behind him."

The bhikkhus present listened to the Buddha's instructions. , all understand it happily and follow it happily.

"Buddha's Sutra on Impermanence" says: "External affairs will fade away, and the inner body will decay in the same way. Only the victorious Dharma will not perish, and all wise people should be careful to observe it." No matter how beautiful the face is, it cannot be overturned. Impermanence will lead to old age and death; solemn decorations cannot make the heart pure and comfortable. What is true majesty and beauty? It lies in being able to regulate the body and mind well and subdue one's own troubles. When we can truly face ourselves, reflect and review, correct our habits, and make our hearts pure and at ease, then we can have a truly solemn life, understand the principles of how to behave, and the true meaning of benefiting others and ourselves.