..续本文上一页s such, for the sake of liberation, for the sake of oneself and others attaining perfect buddhahood, we should all get rid of sectarianism and practice the profound and pure Dharma together.

　　The Benefits of Practicing Dharma

　　Secondly, I would like to emphasize the supremacy of the Dharma and the benefits of putting it into practice. By critically comparing the Buddhadharma to the secular scholars or secular philosophy, we will truly find that the Buddhadharma is matchless. Thus, we can establish that of all the knowledge we long for, Buddhism is the greatest and most supreme; of all the philosophies, Buddha”s wisdom and compassion are also the best. For Buddhism, we can also establish this based on the scriptures. One of the Chinese versions of the Samyuktagama (Bie Yi Za A Han Jing) says that, “Of all the brightness, sunlight is the greatest. In the worlds throughout the ten directions, Buddha is the greatest.” What this means is that, of all the brightness, the light of the sun is the greatest; similarly, of all the various kinds of philosophies and thoughts in the worlds, the wisdom of the Buddha is matchless. By knowing the preciousness and the supremacy of the Buddhadharma, our wish to practice it increases. We should, therefore, all remain aware of and understand the superiority of practicing Dharma.

　　The Flower Adornment Sutra says, “Tathagatas and bodhisattvas appear in this world for the sake of revealing pure wisdom to sentient beings and leading them to abide in eternal happiness.” This means that all the buddhas and bodhisattvas who have come to this world have done so for the sake of revealing pure wisdom to deluded sentient beings, in order that they may realize the truth of reality, the suffering of samsara, and so gain the benefit of liberation and eternal happiness for this life and all their future lives. Therefore, the happiness and joy of sentient beings all relies on the wisdom of Buddhism. If Buddha had not preached the precious Dharma, then we would all forever continue to sink and revolve in the darkness of ignorance.

　　Unfortunately, although we all have the innate desire for happiness, nowadays, most people do not know the true causes of happiness, as was taught by the Buddha. Because of this, despite striving to gain happiness, they still gain nothing. For this reason, to truly gain temporary serenity, joy, and happiness, it is necessary that we rely on the great wisdom of the Buddha and put the supreme Dharma into practice. By doing this, we will eventually obtain the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha to help both ourselves and others to attain enlightenment.

　　Practicing Virtue

　　Thirdly, we all should practice virtue. Only by doing this can we brighten the whole world and, at the same time, achieve abiding happiness. The Long Agama Sutra says, “When practicing virtue, with ten virtuous activities, even though you are only one person, millions of Dharma protectors will be around.” If you can practice virtue, even if you are just a single person, millions of Dharma protectors, heavenly beings, non-humans, and so forth will be around to protect and help you. We often see that the capacities and power of a person who practices virtue, even though he or she is just a single person, are far more than many other people. Why is this

　　 It is because he or she is protected by Dharma protectors and blessed by buddhas and bodhisattvas.

　　Of course, before we practice virtue, it is necessary for us to first learn and listen to the teachings, otherwise the practices would easily stay at a superficial level and would cause Buddhism to become a superficial religion. Therefore, it is necessary for a monastery to have the tradition of listening, contemplating, and meditating. Through this, we can then educate and tame the minds of sentient beings. Coupled with this foundation, if you can then carry out animal liberations, Pure Land practice, perform meditation, and benefit sentient beings, only then can it be considered very meaningful from a Mahayana viewpoint.

　　Today, I shall briefly talk about these three points, at this ancient monastery. I hope that the faithful can gain a strong grasp of these points in their mind. I also hope that these simple words are able to turn around the suffering of many people, and cause them to enter the path of liberation.

《The Benefits of Animal Liberation – Practice Dharma Diligently》全文阅读结束。