心中有佛Having The Buddha in Your Heart

很多人對於供佛菩薩神明有很錯的理念。現代人追求一切從簡。想供佛，求這個，求那個，卻又不要給祂這個，不要給祂那個。

有人說：“心中有佛就可以了！”

心中有佛，不是一般人可以講的。佛法是什麽，你都說不上來，如何心中有佛？你心中有佛，怎麽還會講別人是非呢？你心中有佛，怎麽還會有貪、嗔、痴、妒、慢、疑呢？怎麽没有皈依，還阻止別人學佛向善呢？

更有人說：“神明應該比較大方一點，不要跟我們這些凡夫計較。”

爲什麽神明就一定要比較大方？祂能成神，又不是因爲你。你自己懶惰吝嗇，就不要怪罪在佛菩薩身上。記得，我們所做、所說、所想的一切都有鬼神在做記錄。

讓吾提醒你，佛菩薩沒有虧欠你。你身上所發生的事情，是你自己的業緣所感召。佛菩薩憐憫衆生的苦，才設方便法門，讓你能消業積福。佛菩薩根本不需要你那幾 杯茶，那幾粒水果，祂們當然也不會和你計較。佛國天界所有的，遠遠遠遠超過我們人間。西方極樂世界可是金沙鋪地，隨便掉幾顆沙粒到人間，人看了呱呱大叫， 叫價都已經是幾十千，幾十萬了。

家中的檀城代表了這家人的精神。檀城的旺度也決定了這家的興旺。每一個供品都有它的象徵意義。和“种瓜得瓜”的道理一樣，你每天只供一杯清水，就想得到一家平安，有可能嗎？

有人自認很誠心，就隨意地自己動手清洗神像。這是非常無禮的行爲。神的事宜要留給一個真正的師父做。你身上有業障不清淨，不能去觸碰神像，況且，你也不懂 得請神送神的儀軌，只是根據自己的心情亂做一通，毫無誠意可言。最令吾啼笑皆非的是，那位“誠心”人士還問吾能不能把家中的檀城給拆了，因爲嫌痲煩。每天 只供一杯水，還麻煩嗎？

已結婚的人，每天要懂得慰問伴侶：今天還好嗎？工作還可以嗎？吃飽了嗎？你把佛像請入家門，也是一樣。你可以將你的心事告訴佛菩薩，請祂們加持，但你也要 懂得稱呼祂們、照顧祂們和關愛祂們。有戶家庭供奉的是阿彌陀佛，卻一直以爲是釋迦摩尼佛，也有人把所有的菩薩都當作觀世音菩薩，有人教導時，又不肯學。這 樣就叫心中有佛嗎？如果一直叫錯伴侶的名字又不肯買禮物給她他，你說她他會相信你心中有她他嗎？

Many people hold a misconception when it comes to worshiping the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Modern day people often go for simplicity. They scrimp on the offerings made yet wishing for the sky.

Some say, “It does not matter, as long as I have the Buddha in my heart.”

Now, this is not something most people can say. What is the crux of Buddha’s teachings? If you do not have a clue, how can the Buddha be in your heart? If you have the Buddha in your heart, why do you still talk behind people’s back? Why would you still be afflicted with unwholesome traits of greed, anger, ignorance, jealousy, arrogance and doubt? If you have the Buddha in your heart, why have you not taken refuge in the Triple Gem? Why would you be discouraging others from learning the Dharma and walking the path of kindness?

Another person exclaimed to me, “The Gods should be more magnanimous and bear with us mortals!”

Why should the Gods be tolerant towards you? They ascended to the Heavens not because of you. Do not blame the Gods if you are the lazy and stingy one. Remember this, our every thought, word and action is recorded by the Gods, unseen to our naked eyes.

Let me remind you, the Buddha and Bodhisattvas owe you nothing. All that ever happened to you is a direct result of your own karmic manifestation. The Buddha and Bodhisattvas show their deep compassion to the sufferings of the sentient beings, by showing us the various ways to reduce your karmic afflictions and increase your merits. The Buddha and Bodhisattvas do not mind what your offerings are and certainly do not hanker after your meagre few cups of tea or that few pieces of fruits. These are nothing when compared to the Pure Land of Western Paradise, where the ground is paved with glittering gold and should only a few specks of the gold dust are to descend to our world, it will leave people in awe as we are talking about gold worth tens or hundreds of thousands.

The altar in a house has a huge bearing on the mental state of the occupants. The prosperity on show on the altar has a direct relation to that of the occupants. Every offering has its own symbolic essence. Just like you can only expect a watermelon when u plant a watermelon seed, why do you unrealistically expect blessings for yourself and your family when you only offer a miserable cup of plain water on your altar everyday? How would that be possible?

Some people think of themselves as devout and clean the statues of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas on their altar as and when they please. This is a very disrespectful action. Such activity should only be done by a virtuous Master of a high level of cultivation. You carry with you negative karma and in an impure state, you should not touch the statues in any way. Furthermore, with no formal knowledge of the consecration procedures, you are only conducting the rites based on your own thinking. That is a total lack of sincerity.

I was bemused when this “sincere” person came to ask me if she can dismantle her altar as she finds making a daily offering of water too tedious. How can offering only a cup of plain water daily be troublesome?

For those who are married, do you ask your spouse if he or she is doing well everyday? Or if he or she has had any issues at work? Or if he or she has eaten or not? If you have invited the Buddha and Bodhisattvas to your house, you must treat them the same. You can confide your woes in them and seek their blessings but you must also know how to address them formally, take care of them and love them. There is a family who, for many years, mistook the Amitabha Buddha statue in their altar as that of Shakyamuni Buddha. Yet another person thinks all Bodhisattva statues are the Guan Yin Bodhisattva and when corrected, he refuses to learn. How can such behaviour be having the Buddha in your heart? If you address your spouse by the wrong name or refuses to buy presents for him/her, do you think spouse will believe you when you say that he or she lives in your heart?