..续本文上一页l, stupidity would mean constantly finding fault, constantly criticizing; finding out where my religion is long, and your religion is short, mine is good and yours is bad. In this way, we are constantly knit-picking and harping on each other. When we allow ourselves to fall into this habit, then invisibly the seeds of warfare have been planted. The conflict that follows is simply the natural progression of those seeds.
If religious people can unite, we can then go forward together and teach people how to change their faults, how to go towards the good, how to end ignorant behavior, and how to bring into being all wise behavior. Since we have the same goal, we should instruct those who follow our religions not to gossip, not talk about what is right and what is wrong among religions. Most of all they should be taught to avoid slander, mutual vilification. When we can be this way then wars will naturally end because the seeds that foment them will not be in the ground.
There is a verse that says
Fighting is the attitude of victory and defeat;
It stands in opposition the the Way, (the Tao)
Further it brings into being the Four Mark mind,
ow can you possibly attain samadhi
That”s to say once we begin fighting for any reason then we have let our stupidity loose. Once we refuse to fight then we have allowed our wisdom to flourish. If we refuse to fight, then a bad situation can turn good. Likewise, if we are in a good situation and decide to fight, it will become a bad situation. So peace depends on what we do. Nobody in this world tells us to contend, or to mutually find faults. In fact, the problem of correcting faults is something that we, as religious believers, should make our first order of business. We should rid our character of faults; find the invisible thorns in our nature, and change the parts of our personality that prick others when they draw near us. Those are the thorns in our nature.
We should thoroughly banish a mind of contention, because once we have this thought, then there is a winner and a looser, which allows disharmony and discord. Once we fight, then we are far away from the Path, the Tao, we cannot approach it anymore. When we fight we create the Four Mark mind, the mind of four characteristics. Those four characteristics are self, others, living beings, and creatures with lifespans. All of those are perceived one by one, they all roll right out when we allow a thought of contention to arise in our minds.
Venerable Master Speaking Dharma for the Vedanta Assembly 上人说法
Once we have a thought of self and others, that are separated from me, and living creatures with life span, then comes forth the Four Mark mind, and then how will we approach samadhi
How will we attain a state of meditative peace where we have proper concentration, and proper reception
How will there be any wisdom
How can we approach Prajna wisdom once we allow a thought of contention to arise in our minds
The basic substance of all the different religions is one and the same. It is said that
"religions all emanate from people”s needs, the way medicines all appear for illnesses."
If we want to cure the illnesses in people we should use a different medicine, because the illnesses are not all the same. This is true, nonetheless the function of medicine is simply one, to cure illness; and so it is with religion. Everyone is different. I will give as an analogy, the five flavors of food.
Many people know that Chinese cuisine is pided into five flavors, which are the spices on our food. Religions are this way, too, like the seasoning in people, as it were. Which is to say some people prefer sour, other people prefer sweet, others prefer hot/spicy food, others like salty, still there are others who…
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