..續本文上一頁In this way, the basic teaching of Buddhism will not be forgotten.

　　"People can propagate the Tao, but the Tao cannot propagate people." How can we propagate the Tao

　　 It is only when we have a goal, an ideal, that we can commit ourselves to do something. As for the rootless Buddhism of China, even if it did have roots, it still doesn”t have a trunk, and is merely spinning at the branchtips. The Buddhism of China consists of performing ceremonies such as Water-Land and Flaming-Mouth, to cross over spirits. This is the superficial appearance of Chinese Buddhism. They never thought that if they continued like this, they would create a class of jobless vagrants who relied on Buddhism for meals. How pitiful this is! All they know how to do is to make money and perform ceremonies to cross over the dead. In performing such ceremonies, if you are a Sanghan with a real foundation of virtue, you don”t need to recite Sutras or mantras. You simply tell the spirit, "Go off to rebirth," and he will be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. However, if you have no virtue and you are not careful in your conduct, what power do you have to cross over people

　　 Actually, you are just getting into debt with the donor. Furthermore, the practices established by the Buddha no longer exist.

　　Never Apart From the Three Sashes, Almsbowl, and Sitting Cloth.

　　For example, in China”s Buddhism no one wears the precept sash on a daily basis. Why don”t they wear the sash

　　 Ah! If you ask them, they don”t know why they don”t wear it. Actually, Bhikshus and Bhikshunis should wear their sash at all times, and eat only one meal a day. But they have forgotten all of this. It”s a hundred and eight thousand miles away from their memory, so they have no idea of the meaning behind wearing the sash and eating one meal a day. In Chinese Buddhism, no one understands this. There might be one or two people who still wear their sash, or eat one meal a day, but again, there might not even be that many in ten thousand. You could say they”re rarer than fur on a phoenix or a horns on a female unicorn. They are as few as can be. If you ask them what appearance a Bhikshu should have, they haven”t the slightest idea. Nowadays, in China and other countries as well, the vast majority of left-home people in Mahayana Buddhism do not wear their sashes. Ah! They feel it”s very natural, that that”s the way it should be. Little do they know that by not wearing the sash, they no longer have the appearance of a Bhikshu.

　　"Well," they say, "Mahayana Buddhism is about Bodhisattvas, and Bodhisattvas who don”t wear the sash are still Bodhisattvas." Hah! Bodhisattvas also have to wear sashes, for they have to be especially adorned. You can see that Gwan Yin Bodhisattva, Universal Worthy Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Earth Treasury Bodhisattva all wear adornments on their bodies. Although these are just false marks, they represent something. Their adornments represent the adorning of Buddha-lands! So left-home cultivators should all abide by the rules. Don”t drag your heels, or act in a crazy manner. You say, "But the Old Monk Ji Gung was really crazy." Ji Gung pretended to be that way because he wanted to influence people to give food to the lunatics. That is, he wanted to teach ordinary people not to look down on insane people, not to scorn them. Among the insane, there are also those who manifest expediently, hiding their true identity as they teach and transform living beings.

　　Why is it that Mahayana Buddhists everywhere do not wear their sashes

　　 It”s because when Mahayana Buddhism spread northward, the northern climate was too cold for people to just wear the sash. They couldn”t take the cold, and had to wear clothing underneath the sash, right next to the skin. These unde…

《出家人不搭袈裟就等于還俗 Left-home People Who Do Not Wear Their Kashaya Sash Have Just As Good As Returned to Lay-life》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…