學佛Learning Buddhism

一直都有這榮譽，讓很多男女有情，來向吾學習佛法。與其說來向吾學習佛法，倒不如說大家共參佛法。因爲佛法浩瀚，就算窮盡我們一生，恐怕也難以學盡。所以吾說，大家共參佛法。吾並非謙虛，這乃是吾誠懇的一席話。

我是拜佛的，我是學佛的。 這兩句話常有所聞。可是，您們知道嗎？拜佛和學佛，是完全不一樣的哦！根據吾多年的「明查暗訪」，那些人所謂的拜佛，是偶爾到寺廟上香禮佛、隨意供養、向佛菩薩禱告、傾述心事、祈求佛菩薩加持，等。在家沒看佛書，沒看佛經，沒修法，沒持咒，沒唸佛號，沒坐禪通明，沒守基本五戒，如；不殺生、不邪淫、不妄語、不偷盜、不飲酒以及沒……更「不可思議」的是，連皈依是什麽都不懂。又或者，還沒皈依。

學佛的首先，必須得認禮明師。這裡所謂的明師，是指有真實的證量，是大善知識，已明心見性。如此的明師，才會有法賦予我們。然後就要皈依佛、法、僧三寶。這樣才算是正式入門，成爲佛弟子，依次第學習佛法。而佛弟子每日應做的，就是至少每日一修，閲讀佛經，閲讀佛書，唸佛，持咒，守五戒，行善佈施，習靜坐，等等。哇！有無搞錯，這麽多功課。絕對無搞錯。若不這樣，根本不能說在學佛。您頂多可向人說，您是在拜佛。

當我們向他人說，我們在學佛，學佛本來就是學佛種種的好，種種的善功德，克期取證，覺行圓滿，成就無上正等正覺。貪、嗔、痴、妒、慢、疑，永斷，煩惱解脫，不受輪迴之苦，快樂，自在，任運，等等。這才是真正的學佛啊！佛法本就應該從生活中去實踐。離開生活，就沒佛法，離開佛法，就沒有生活。願大家仔細且再三思考。

當年偉大的佛陀，南無本師釋迦摩尼佛，爲何要捨棄一人之下，萬人之上的權威，以及多少人夢寐以求的榮華富貴，而離城訪道、雪山苦行達六年、受千般萬般的魔難、千錘百煉，直至菩提樹下得證悟？這一切一切都是爲了我們啊！人身難得今已得，佛法難聞今已聞，此生不將今生渡，更將何時渡此生。

我們學佛就是爲了要成佛。但我們必須理清拜佛和學佛之差異，才能做一位清清楚楚的佛弟子，這才叫學佛。感恩。

It has always been my privilege and honour all these years to have imparted the knowledge of Dharma to many men and women. Rather to say that I have taught them, I would like to view it as everyone of us learning the Dharma together. The Dharma is vast and expansive, limitless in fact. Even if we are to use every single moment of our lives, it will be impossible to fully comprehend the Dharma. Thus, I am not being modest at all, in fact I cannot be more earnest, when I said everyone, including myself, is learning the Dharma together.

I pray to the Buddha. I learn the Dharma. These 2 sentences are quite commonplace. But do you know there is a distinction between them? According to my years of ‘investigation’, those who said that they prayed to the Buddha merely visited temples occasionally to offer incense and pay their respect to the Buddha, some made some donations and prayed to the Buddha to ask for blessings. They did not study the sutras or other Dharma literature. Neither did they do any cultivation, chanting of any sorts, meditative practice, nor did they abide by the five precepts:

1. To refrain from killing living beings.
2. To refrain from taking that which is not given (stealing).
3. To refrain from sexual misconduct.
4. To refrain from false speech.
5. To refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness.

And the most unfathomable of all, they have no idea of, or have not even taken refuge in the Three Jewels!

First and foremost, to start our journey to learn the Dharma, we need to identify an accomplished Buddhist guru as our teacher. This Guru is one who has attained Enlightenment and is an embodiment of the Dharma itself. Only from such a Guru can we obtain the right guidance. We should then seek refuge in the Guru and the three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) to formally become a disciple of the Buddha and learn the Dharma according to a prescribed sequence. As a Buddhist, it is our duty to perform the following: daily spiritual cultivation, read the sutra and other Dharma literature, chant the Buddha’s name and mantras, abide by the 5 basic precepts, do good deeds and give generously, meditative practice etc. Wa! Are you kidding me? That is a long list of homework to do for a Buddhist! No, I am definitely not kidding you. Without this list of homework, you practically cannot say that you are learning the Dharma. At most, you can only tell others that you are praying to the Buddha.

When we tell others that we are learning the Dharma, it meant learning all the virtues and merits of the Buddha and apply it on ourselves in order to attain complete Enlightenment and supreme Wisdom. It also meant to sever the defilements like greed, hatred, ignorance, jealousy, arrogance, doubts and free one’s mind from all troubles and attain true bliss, never to suffer from samsara again. This is the essence of learning the Dharma. The Dharma ought to be actualized in our daily moments of living. Away from our daily lives, there will be no Dharma. Away from the Dharma, there will be no living. I hope everyone ponder deeply upon this.

In His time, why did the Supreme One, Namo Shakyamuni Buddha, forsake his power and authority which was only second to his Father, the King? Why did He forsake the great weath and fortune that many could only dream of? Why did He left his royal birthright to seek the Truth, going through hardships and asceticism for six years, and countless calamities from the Mara, before finally attaining Enlightenment under the Bodhi tree? He did it for us, all sentient beings! It is a rarity to have the precious human rebirth. Just as it is difficult to obtain birth as a human, it is also extremely difficult to be born at the time when the Dharma is still present. Since we have both the favorable conditions in this life, we should seek an escape from samsara altogether. If not now, WHEN?

We learn Buddhism so as to become a Buddha. However, we need to clearly distinguish the act of merely paying lip service and the way it should really be: actualizing the Dharma in our daily living moments. Only then can we, without any doubt, become a disciple of the Buddha and learn the Dharma.

My gratitude to everyone!