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DHARMA IN EVERYDAY LIFE
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- CEREMONY AND BOWING TO
- MAKE OFFERINGS TO MONKS
By Nhat Quan
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---o0o---
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Sangha is one of
the Three Jewels. Talking about the Three Jewels, you must
first know them. There are three types or levels:
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- Being of the
same nature as the Three Jewels,
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- Beyond the
world, the Three Jewels,
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- The worldly
abbot of the Three Jewels.
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1- The same
nature of the Three Jewels
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a. Being of the
same nature as the Buddha Treasure:
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That is to say,
all sentient beings and Buddhas are of the same clear nature.
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b. The same
nature of the Dharma Jewel:
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That is to say,
all sentient beings and Buddhas share the same dharma nature
of compassion and equality.
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c. Being of the
same nature as the Sangha:
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That is to say,
all sentient beings and Buddhas have the same pure nature,
action, or practice, and principles are in harmony.
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2- Out of the
world, the Three Jewels
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a. Out of the
world Buddha Treasure:
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It refers to
Shakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Buddhas in the ten
directions and three lifetimes, who have liberated themselves
from the bondage of the world.
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b. Out of this
world Dharma Jewels:
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It refers to the
Dharma of Buddha, which has the power to help sentient beings
escape the bondage of the world, such as the Four Noble
Truths, the Twelve Causes and Conditions, the Six Paramitas,
etc.
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c. Out of the
world, Sangha Treasure:
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It refers to the
Saint-Monks who have escaped the bondage of the world such as
Avalokiteshvara, Mahasthamaprapta, Manjushri, Kasyapa, Ananda,
etc.
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3- The worldly
abbot of the Three Jewels
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a. Worldly abbot
Buddha Treasure:
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Refers to
Buddha's relics, Buddha statues are cast in metal, carved in
wood, made of clay, made of cement, embroidered with fabric,
or painted on paper.
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b. The worldly
abbot Dharma Treasure:
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Refers to the
three canonical collections: Sutras, Laws, Treatises written
or printed on paper, cloth, leaves, etc.
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c. Worldly abbot
Sangha Treasure:
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Refers to
Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis who practice righteously, have pure
morality, and dignified precepts in the present.
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So when talking
about ceremonies, bowing, and making offerings to the Sangha,
you mean the worship and offerings to the worldly abbot
Sangha. When talking about ceremonies, worshiping, and making
offerings to the Sangha Treasure, you must always think and
nurture the idea of paying respect to the Sangha, not
necessarily bowing to an individual Bhikkhu Monk or Nun.
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After taking
refuge in the Three Jewels, you become a Buddhist, then pay
respects and make offerings to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
every day, every moment is one of the basic practices of a lay
Buddhist. Paying homage to the Buddha is natural because he is
an enlightened being with perfect wisdom and blessings. It is
natural to pay homage to the Dharma because it is the golden
teachings of the Buddha. Paying homage to the Sangha are
Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis who practice righteously, have pure
morality, and dignified precepts in the present.
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You need to
distinguish between the Sangha and an individual Bhikkhu.
Sangha is a group of at least four Bhikkhus or more, living
together in harmony and purity. One or two or three Bhikkhus,
no matter how virtuous they are, are not Sangha. However, if
many monks are not harmonious and not pure, they are not
Sangha. Therefore, the Sangha is always pure and good.
Therefore, when bowing to the Sangha, you must always
contemplate that you are bowing to the Sangha, and the Sangha
is always pure and dignified, so you achieve immeasurable
merit. In the Agama Sutra, volume III, chapter Rites to the
Three Jewels, the Buddha taught that when you worship the
monks, you must always think about eleven dharmas:
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01- Tathagata's
holy assembly achieves Dharma;
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02- Tathagata's
saints assembly above and below are in harmony;
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03- The
Tathagata's holy assembly achieves all dharmas;
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04- The
Tathagata's holy assembly achieves precepts;
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05- The
Tathagata's holy assembly achieves the right concentration;
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06- The
Tathagata's holy assembly achieves wisdom;
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07- The
Tathagata's holy assembly achieves the wisdom of liberation;
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08- The
Tathagata's holy assembly achieves liberation and knowledge;
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09- The
Tathagata's holy assembly protects the Three Jewels;
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10- The
Tathagata's holy assembly often surrenders to pagans and
heretics;
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11- Tathagata's
saints assembly are good friends, a field of blessings for all
sentient beings.
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An ordinary
Buddhist who has good feelings for the monks and nuns. Buddha
taught that you want to pay respect to the monks, so thinking
about these eleven dharmas is normal. But in the case of a
small number of Buddhists, you do not have, or do not have,
good feelings towards the monks and nuns, I think you should
think about these eleven dharmas more deeply and persistently.
The Buddha also did not defend his monastic disciples and did
not force his lay disciples to pay this homage. Because
worshiping and making offerings is one of the dharma
practices, or one of the practices, as in the ten practices of
Samantabhadra:
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- One is to pay
homage to the Buddhas
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- The second is
to praise Tathagata
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- Third is
widespread offerings
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- Fourth is
repenting of karma
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- Fifth is
Rejoicing in the merits of others
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- The sixth is
to invite Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma
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- Seven is to
invite Buddha to stay in the world
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- Eight is to
always study the Buddha Dharma according to your needs
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- Ninth is to
always follow sentient beings
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- Ten, no matter
how big or small your merits are, dedicate them everywhere
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So if you pay
homage to the monks and nuns who are harmonious and pure, then
paying homage to the Sangha will bring immeasurable merit and
virtue. Therefore, when you need to bow, worship, and make
offerings, you should always think and nurture the concept of
paying homage to the Sangha, not necessarily bowing to an
individual or a monk or nun. Thanks to such contemplation, you
always pay homage to the monks and nuns enthusiastically
without the slightest discrimination or judgment in your
heart. And even though, on the path of studying Buddhism, you
have heard or met a few monks or nuns who are not worthy of
your respect, you still retain your trust and respect for the
Sangha.
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Thanks to
thinking about these eleven dharmas, lay Buddhists, as well as
monks and nuns, always believe in the Sangha group and
wholeheartedly turn to the Sangha Jewel to rely on for the
rest of their lives. Thanks to that, your merit and blessings
increase day by day. That is right thinking. Even though some
monks or nuns are not worthy of the real thing, even if people
are pretending to be monks or nuns to infiltrate the Sangha
with their intentions, your pure faith in the Sangha remains
unchanged. Still as solid as diamond, like copper walls, iron
walls never change.
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After you have
clearly understood what it means to respect the Sangha, of
course, you must practice with that understanding. Practicing
that understanding with appearance means that reverence is
expressed for everyone to see. Doing so is called Appearance
Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels.
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1- Appearance
Taking refuge in Buddha:
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Every day you
must always remember the Buddha, recite the Buddha's name,
admire his statue, and vow to follow his footsteps for the
rest of your life, that is the Appearance of Taking Refuge in
the Buddha.
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2- Appearance
Refuge Dharma:
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Every day you
recite Sutras, Laws, and Treatises. Early in the morning and
late in the evening, practice diligently and learn the
profound meaning of the Dharma. When reading and reciting the
Sutras, your mind should not think nonsense, should not
remember bad things, and should not plot plans to benefit
yourself at the expense of others. You must get rid of desires
so that your mind is clear, peaceful, and pure.
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3. Appearance
Refuge Sangha,
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Among Buddhists,
it is often said:
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- Respect
Buddha, respect Sangha.
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Therefore, if
you sincerely worship Buddha, you must sincerely respect the
Sangha. When you practice appearing and taking refuge in the
Sangha, whenever you see a person with a round head and a
square shirt, truly practicing and keeping the precepts, you
immediately respect and esteem him, seeing him as a
representative of the Buddha. Doing so is considered appearing
to take refuge in the Sangha.
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Thus, worshiping
Buddha, chanting Sutras, keeping the Precepts, studying Buddha
Dharma, and respecting the true Sangha, is the appearance of
taking refuge in the three jewels.
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Speaking of
appearance in homage to the Sangha, I would like to briefly
talk about the meaning of Self-nature in homage to the Sangha.
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Self-nature
respecting the Sangha means talking about the inside, your
inner self. Self-nature takes refuge in the Three Jewels,
which means taking refuge in the Three Jewels in your mind. If
you only practice appearance refuge, only chasing after the
Three Jewels on the outside, but forget Self-nature refuge,
that is, forgetting the Three Jewels inside your mind, then
you have not practiced the Three Refuges in the true sense.
Indeed, Inside your mind, there are also enough Three Jewels.
Do you need to practice Self-nature refuge, or do you have to
return to yourself for refuge
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1. Self-Nature
Taking Refuge in Buddha:
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You are also
known as Self Refuge in Buddha. Self means yourself to your
mind. Self-nature taking refuge in Buddha means you return to
the bright Buddha nature of your mind. Because everyone has a
Buddha nature, and everyone can become a Buddha. That is what
Shakyamuni Buddha taught. But that Buddha nature is deluded
and obscured by false thoughts. False thoughts are like misty
clouds, Buddha nature is like the moon and stars. Dark clouds
can only obscure, but cannot destroy, the moon and bright
stars. Therefore, it remains no matter how deeply your Buddha
nature is obscured by delusion and ignorance. Yet you forget
your Buddha nature but only run after praying to Buddha
outside. Acting like that, according to the Lotus Sutra, says:
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- Like a poor
boy who has a precious pearl that his parents have hidden in
his shirt but he doesn't know how to use it, but instead, he
goes begging everywhere!
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Now that you
realize this, you return to your wise nature, Self-Nature
Buddha Treasure.
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2. Self-Nature
Refuge:
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Also known as
Self Refuge Dharma. Self Refuge in Dharma means following your
Dharma nature. In your mind there are all the Dharmas:
Kindness, compassion, Wisdom, Equality, Patience, and
Diligence... you need to develop those virtues and act
according to them and obey them. Such is the Self-Nature
Refuge Dharma.
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3. Self-Nature
Refuge Sangha:
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Also known as
Self Refuge. Self-nature Taking Refuge in the Sangha means
following the teacher in your mind. The teacher in your mind
is your harmonious and pure nature. The Sangha is the
embodiment of external pure harmony. For a long time, because
you were confused and could not recognize the Teacher in your
mind, now thanks to the Buddha's teachings, you can recognize
that pure Teacher, then you must take refuge in your Teacher
first!
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Thus,
Self-nature Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels means you must
rely on, must return to the Buddha in your mind, the wise
nature. With the Dharma in your mind are the virtues of
kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, etc., and with the
Sangha in your mind is the harmony and purity of your original
mind.
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When you know
how to pay respect to the Sangha like this, it means you have
a spiritual refuge. At that time you will:
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1- Don't go
astray, don't fall into darkness.
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As you know, you
are drowning in the sea of suffering of birth and death, you
are helpless and lost in the vast darkness. In such a tragic
situation, if you don't see the means to get there, and don't
have teachers to guide you, you will spin forever in the sea
of birth, death, and reincarnation. That bright destination
is the Buddha, those means are the Dharma, and those guiding
teachers are the Sangha. When you know there are such precious
things and don't grasp them, it's like a drowning man seeing a
wooden raft floating by but foolishly pushing it away.
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Taking refuge in
the Sangha is a way of clinging to the raft of the Three
Jewels that Buddha created to save those who are about to
drown in the sea of life, which is all of you.
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Once you have
made a vow to return, it is easy for you to keep your promise,
because there is proof from the Buddhas and Sangha.
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However, some
people say:
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- I worship the
Buddha because I know that he is a completely wise being. I
respect the Dharma because I know that Buddha's Dharma has the
power to bring people to liberation. I respect the Sangha
because I know that they represent the Buddha. Knowing that is
enough, there is no need to make a vow to take refuge in the
Three Jewels.
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Or some people
say:
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- I respect
Buddha because I know that he is a completely wise being who
can show me the bright path to follow.
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- I respect the
Dharma because I know that Buddha's Dharma has the power to
bring me to the shore of liberation.
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But I don't
respect the Sangha because there are monks who have nothing
better than me!
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If you say that,
you do not understand the value of appearance and Self-nature
Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels.
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All you need
to know about the psychological aspect of promises. When you
promise someone something and then break your promise, your
soul will feel restless, regretful, and uneasy. Having made a
promise, you must fulfill your promise. If you break your
promise, of course, you will despise yourself. Especially when
that promise and vow are performed in a solemn setting in
front of the Buddha's Palace, above is the witness of the
Buddhas, below is the witness of the monks and nuns, and
around is the protection of friends, and relatives. Making a
vow in that context, of course, you cannot break your vow or
break your promise.
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So when you
know how to worship Buddha and respect monks, your life has a
place to arrive, and the benefits cannot be measured.
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- Benefits of
paying homage to Buddha and respecting Sangha.
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As you know,
worshiping, bowing to, and offering to Buddha is due to your
deep gratitude to the Master who sacrificed all of His
happiness, serving all sentient beings all his life. The
second reason for worshiping, bowing, and worshiping is so
that you always have before your eyes, above your head, an
example of complete truth, goodness, and beauty to follow.
Respect Sangha is the teacher who imparts good truths and good
things for you to learn. Therefore, worshiping, bowing to, and
offering to Buddha and Sanghas, if practiced sincerely, with
good intentions, and with the right meaning, will bring you
many benefits in the present and the future:
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a. At present:
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Each of you
and your family, always live in the bright atmosphere, in the
good influence, the dignity of the Buddhas. You always live in
seriousness, in ritual, in harmony, because every thought,
every gesture, and every word of yours is looked down upon by
the Buddha's wise eyes. You do not dare to live
indiscriminately, do bad things, or think wrongly when the
Buddha is reigning in your family and each of your hearts.
Only empty souls, without trust, without worshiping any noble
divinity, can easily fall and become depraved. Therefore, in a
family, if you want to be happy in the present, want to live a
meaningful life, and want your children not to be indulgent
and depraved, then the homeowner should set up a Buddha table
to worship every day, and train your children to live a
virtuous life.
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b. At death:
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The good karma
you have accumulated every day will inspire the infinite love
and compassion of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Due to the law of
corresponding voices and similar energies, Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas will radiate light to guide your enlightened
spirit/spirit to the Pure Land of happiness and freedom.
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2- Paying
homage with the right mind:
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To get good
results like the above, you must develop righteous faith. If
you worship, bow, and make offerings to the Three Jewels in
the wrong way, not only will it not benefit you, but it will
also bring more sins, and you will drift forever in the sea of
birth and death. So you must strongly believe that:
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a. The Buddha
is completely enlightened, has transcended birth, escaped
death, has the power to save sentient beings from the path of
reincarnation, and is worthy to be the teacher of sentient
beings in the three realms. That's why you worship Him.
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b. Buddha
Dharma is a miraculous medicine that can eliminate all causes
of suffering of sentient beings. That's why you worship
Buddha's Dharma.
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c. Sanghas,
they are virtuous and pure, are bright teachers and good
friends. Therefore, you worship and get close to them to learn
the way of practice.
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d. All
sentient beings have enlightened Buddha nature. If you
diligently practice according to the Buddha Dharma, you will
become a Buddha.
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In short, your
worship, bowing, and offerings to the monks are immeasurable
blessings. The principle of cause and effect is not wrong. If
you create good causes, you will enjoy good results. Among the
good causes, there is no more superior-good cause than the
cause of Worshiping Buddha, bowing to Buddha, and making
offerings to the Three Jewels, which includes worshiping,
bowing, and making offerings to the Sangha with all the facts
and reasons. You still know that worshiping, bowing to, and
offering to the monks both physically and mentally is
difficult. But around you, in this world, there are
immeasurable, boundless vajra Bodhisattvas, and Dharma
Protectors, Divine Kings, making vows together. They will help
and protect all of you to develop righteous faith in
worshiping, bowing, and offering the Three Jewels. So you
don't need to worry about your merits not being fulfilled or
your results not being fulfilled.
---o0o---
If you have any recommendations,
please e-mail to:
chuaduocsu@duocsu.org
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