靜思晨語--20110328《法譬如水》心靈的病毒

【證嚴上人開示】
學佛其實最重要的就是這念心，要注意好我們分分秒秒，每個時日的這念心。
因為心讓我們照顧得好，我們就能回歸本性，心也能讓我們接近聖道，能接近佛法，更重要的就是接近佛。
人人修行不就是為了成佛？學佛、成佛是人人的目標。凡夫與佛，只是被一個「煩惱」分隔，煩惱會使我們往錯誤的方向走，就是偏差、錯誤了，造了很多罪惡。
我們如果知道，只是起於一個煩惱，其實「煩惱即菩提」。悟者即是佛，迷者即是凡夫。覺者即菩提，迷者即煩惱。無論是佛或凡夫；菩提或煩惱，其實是同一樣東西，人人本具佛性，只是我們，被一念無明不覺成三細，非常微細的煩惱生起。
所以這種病毒，跑進我們的本性中混合了，所以不斷複製、不斷複製，複製了很多心靈病毒，我們還不知道，隨著病毒不斷源源製造。
「煩惱即菩提」
悟者即是佛
迷者即凡夫
凡夫與佛
僅被「煩惱」分隔
有的人認識了佛法，有的人起了虔誠敬仰的心，甚至身體力行，追隨諸佛菩薩的芳蹤，不只是心的皈依，身也皈依了，身心皈依於佛、法、僧。
我們有的人發心出家，出家就像大醫院中，有醫生、有藥劑師，也要有看護的護士，要好好地藥拿過來，我們就要給病人。什麼時候吃什麼藥？什麼時候要打什麼針？能夠好好地細心照顧。
這就是我們在學佛中，我們要常常感恩，感恩三寶，佛、法、僧，讓我們的慧命，在過去中，不小心感染到很多的無明、很多的煩惱、複製了很多的罪惡。我們能得聞佛法，我們要起尊重敬仰的心。我們要皈依三寶，我們要身體力行。我們現在都知道懺悔、要懺悔。懺悔是在什麼場合懺悔呢？是不是要到寺院，拜「水懺」誦「梁皇懺」？去禮佛，在佛的面前求懺悔？這樣才叫做懺悔是嗎？
不是，不只是這樣。真正的懺悔是人對人的懺悔。
所以在《心地觀經》中，有一句話說：
若覆藏罪者
罪即增長
《心地觀經》
我們如果做錯了，還掩飾住不肯讓人知道，這叫做煩惱覆藏。這種掩飾罪行的心態，叫做卑劣慢。
知道我們已經犯錯了，心中很懺悔，懺悔，你沒有說出來，怕人知道。因為怕人知道，怕人看不起自己，這種叫做卑劣慢。因為怕人會看不起自己，這種心情就不對了。
我們有了錯誤，我們要挺胸告訴大家，我們應該勇敢告訴大家，我以前做過這樣的事。這叫做發露懺悔，發露懺悔，罪即消除。
我們若是覆藏，罪會增長，我們要發露，發露懺悔，罪就消除了。所以這叫做勇於認錯。
勇於認錯
發露懺悔
罪才能消除
犯錯怕別人知道
又不敢認錯不願懺悔
只會永遠在惡業中輪迴
大家可還記得，在大林慈濟醫院，有一個這樣的個案：
有一位阿嬤被人送來急診，遍體鱗傷，生命真的很危急，後來我們為她急救，就送進加護病房。在加護病房，這位阿嬤的生命跡象很低，但是就是斷不了，最後的一口氣就是斷不了。
後來我們的志工就向這些家屬探問：「阿嬤，大家都已經很盡力了，阿嬤到底為什麼全身是傷？」孩子很為難，最後說出來了，是爸爸打的。爸爸平時脾氣就很壞，罵孩子、打老婆，已經成了他的為習慣。
我們的志工就問：「年紀這麼大了，阿嬤八十多歲了，阿公應該也八十幾歲了，脾氣一樣那麼壞嗎？」他說：「就是這樣啊！現在我們都長大了，各人有各人的家庭了。脾氣一樣那麼壞，沒有地方發洩，沒有孩子在他身邊當出氣筒，所以對媽媽更壞了。所以這回也是爸爸打的。」
打得很嚴重。所以這些孩子就說：「我媽媽很怨歎，很怨歎，平時就說她這輩子不知道欠他多少？甘願還，不過，怎麼都還不完？很怨歎。」
志工知道了這件事，所以有一天，他們就跟這些孩子說：「你想辦法讓你爸爸來，我跟你爸爸說，讓他讓阿嬤能解開心結。設法要他來。」
果然來了，阿公八十五歲了，阿嬤是八十一歲，在加護病房外面，自己很懊惱的樣子，但是就是不說話，叫他進去看她，他也不肯。後來我們的委員，半強半軟，拖著他、拉著他：「阿公！阿嬤現在最最需要的就是你，讓她的心能歡喜一點的也是你。人生很無常，你這時候如果不進去看她，我想你心裡已經很後悔了。師父說：『人生最大的懲罰就是後悔。』你現在這個後悔，假如沒有趕快對阿嬤說一下，你以後會更難過。來啦！來看阿嬤！」結果真的邊走邊說，就把他帶進加護病房。
在床前看到老妻，這位阿公就真的哭出來了，哭得很大聲，就很自然地對阿嬤說，叫阿嬤的名字：「你要原諒我，我是一時發脾氣，脾氣一發無天無地，所以把你打成這樣，你一定要原諒我。」邊說邊哭，這叫做發露懺悔。
我們的委員就趕快安撫阿公，就跟阿嬤說：「阿嬤你有沒有聽到？阿公已經在你的面前，跟你道歉了，他哭成這樣，妳也知道他很捨不得。阿嬤！我們這輩子真的過得很苦，現在阿公也已經對妳道歉了，妳的心要放開，不要怨、不要恨，能夠原諒別人就是美德。我們如果能換個好的身體，這樣再來的時候就非常可愛，有機會做好事、做菩薩。阿嬤，不要再怨恨了。」
看到阿嬤眼角中，已經有淚珠流出來。阿公就像一堆雪整個融化了一樣，自己一直很自責，過了兩天後，阿嬤安詳的往生了。
八十五歲的阿公，向八十一歲的阿嬤懺悔。聽說他們很早婚，你想，六十多年的夫妻，聽說他們很早婚，六十多年的夫妻了，這六十多年，阿嬤跟到這樣的先生，根據孩子所說的，從年輕時就是罵孩子、打老婆，到了現在八十多歲了，還把她打得遍體鱗傷。我們能想像出這個阿嬤受這六十多年的冤屈，她只是守於女德，嫁人就像隨狗隨雞一樣，認命了。
她生了孩子，就照顧孩子，照顧家庭。這位阿嬤，這輩子雖然不是出家修行，不過，覺得她是入家修行，在這種充滿煩惱的家庭，她能顧守好她這念心，堅持三從四德，令人很欽佩的一位阿嬤。
這位阿公的習氣，難道他沒有愛心嗎？難道他不愛這個家庭嗎？他如果不愛這個家庭，他就丟著到處去，他不會守著這個家庭，守了六十多年。所以說來，他本身也愛這個家庭，只是一個習氣，這個習氣真的要改。
所以人生，有時要清醒就要有很重重棒喝，非常痛，他才會清醒。錯，不斷再錯，不斷再錯，有朝一日，碰到什麼非常震撼的後悔，那時候才來懺悔就嫌晚了。
我們要知道，日常生活中，舉手投足、開口動舌，無不是業。舉手投足，說不定人家說了一句話，輕輕的一句話，這句話進入我們的心，是歡喜？是埋怨？這都是病毒。
令我們歡喜的，我們就會執著，我歡喜，所以去執著它。歡喜會變成執迷不悟，就是大家常常對我說好話，我做好事，你怎麼沒有為我鼓掌一下，我們常常聽到人家，話說一說就說，快幫我鼓掌啊！說個話也要聽到掌聲，這叫做執著。這就是要人誇讚、要人讚歎，這種心態也不對。
或是人家說了一句話，令我們記恨、令我們埋怨，這也會累積成是非煩惱。有朝一日再看到這個人，心不只不歡喜，還會有對他不好的態度，或是故意去冒犯等等，這都是病毒。
外面的境界，無論是別人說的話，或者是環境等等，讓我們感覺得到的，只是讓我們感覺到的那個東西，無不是心靈的煩惱，這叫做心靈的病毒。
別人輕輕的一句話
進入我們的心
不管是歡喜或是埋怨
一但執著了它
就種了心靈的病毒
修行就是要能預防，預防我們的心靈。無論外面每天是什麼樣的境界，風吹草動，或是歡喜、或是令我們煩惱、生氣，這樣的境界現前時，來了，因為我們都是凡夫，七情六欲，大家都還有，無論什的境界來到我們心中，這種感情，是怨的情？恨的情？愛的情？欲的情？很多種很複雜的情。這種心情，我們不要常常放在心中。
我們要無論什麼樣的境界現前，我們自己要能過濾。過濾之後，什麼是我們應該去做的？我們認真去做就對了。什麼是我們不應該做的？我們要趕緊從我們的內心消除。這叫做心地的種子。
好的種子，我們認真耕耘，壞的種子，我們要即刻消除。所以心就如一畝田，心就如一個乾坤的境界。
所以我們要時時照顧好我們這一念心！

Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Spiritual Viruses (心靈的病毒)

The mind is an important part of learning Buddhism. Pay close attention to the mind in every moment of every day. If we take good care of our minds, we can return to our original nature. Such a mind brings us closer to the noble path and closer to Buddha Dhrama. More importantly, be close to the Buddha.

Spiritual cultivation is for attaining Buddha-hood. Attaining Buddha-hood is everyone’s goal. Ordinary people and Buddha are just separated by one thing: “afflictions”. Afflictions cause us to go in the wrong direction. We go astray, make mistakes and commit many transgressions and evils.

If we recognize that they all arise from afflictions, then actually, “Afflictions are Bodhi”. Those who are enlightened are Buddhas. Those who are deluded remain ordinary people. The enlightened ones realize Bodhi. The deluded ones are afflicted. Be it ordinary people or Buddhas, Bodhi or afflictions, they are actually the same thing. We all originally had Buddha-nature. But for us, an ignorant thought gave rise to 3 Subtleties, so very tiny, subtle afflictions were created. They are like viruses that mingle with our original nature and continually replicates themselves, creating more mental viruses. Yet we are unaware and thus allow the viruses to multiply endlessly.

Afflictions are Bodhi. Enlightened Ones are Buddhas. Deluded ones are ordinary people. Ordinary people and Buddhas are only separated by afflictions.

when some people encounter Buddhism, they become reverent and respectful and even put it into actual practice, following in the footsteps of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Not only do they take refuge with their minds, but with their bodies as well, they take refuge in Buddha, Dhrama, Sangha with bodies and minds.

Some vow to be monastic practitioners, which is like working in a hospital. There are doctors, pharmacists, and nurses. They administer medicine to the patients. They remind patients to take the medicine according to a schedule and give them the necessary shots. They take meticulous care of the patients.

So as we learn Buddhism, we must always be grateful for the Three Treasures, Buddha, Dhrama, and Sangha. In our previous lives, we accidentally infected our Wisdom-life with a lot of ignorance and many afflictions so we committees many transgressions and evils. Now that we have the chance to hear Dhrama, let us be respectful and reverent, take refuge in the Three Treasures, and put the teachings into practice. Now, we know that we need to repent.

But where do we repent? So we need to go to temples to recite the Water Repentance & Emperor Liang’s Repentance? Is paying respect to Buddha and seeking repentance in front of the Buddha the only way to repent? No. it is more than that. True repentance is between people. In the Sutra of Observing the Mind, there is a verse, “If we cover up transgressions, they will grow.”

If we make a mistake and try to cover it up so others will not know, that is called “covered by afflictions”. That mindset of hiding transgressions is called abject pride. We know we made a mistake and we feel repentant. Yet we do not express our repentance because we do not want others to know. We are afraid if they know, they will look down on us. That is called abject pride because we are afraid of being looked down upon. This attitude is wrong.

If we make a mistake, we should stand up straight and tell everyone. Have the courage to do so by saying, “I did this and that in the past.” This is called open repentance. By openly repenting we eliminate transgressions. If we cover them up, our transgressions will grow. So we should seek open repentance. Thus, we can eliminate those transgressions. This is called bravely admitting mistakes.

Bravely admitting mistakes and openly repenting are the only ways we can eliminate transgressions. When we lack the courage to tell others our mistakes, or to acknowledge and repent them, we will forever transgrate with bad karma.

You may all still remember this case from Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital. A grandma was brought to the emergency room with injuries all over her body. She was in very critical condition. After emergency treatment, we placed her into the Intensive Care Unit. In the ICU, the grandma’s vitals were very low, but she did not pass away. She just kept breathing.

Later a volunteer asked her family members, “We’re trying our best to help her. Can you tell me why she is covered with injuries?” Her children were hesitant but
They eventually said, “Our father did it. He has a very bad temper. Yelling at his kids and beating his wife has become a habit.”

Our volunteer then asked, “He must be old now. Grandma is already in her 80s. Grandpa should be in his 80s, too. Is his temper still so bad?” The children said, “Yes, that’s the way he is. Now that we are grown up and each have our own families, ha has no outlet for his bad temper. He cannot vent it on his children so he became more abusive toward our mother. She is here because he beat her badly this time.”

The children said, “Our mother has grievances, she feels resentful. She always said that she must owe him a lot from past lives. She was willing to repay him but the debts seemed never-ending. She felt very resentful.” Once the volunteers knew this, they said to the children, “Try to find a way to bring your father here. I’ll talk to him so he can release the knots in your mother’s mind.”

The children eventually found a way for him come and visit. He was 85-years-old. His wife was 81-years-old. Standing outside the ICU, he looked very upset but he did not say a word when they asked him to see his wife, he refused.

Later one of our commissioners alternately tried dragging and coaxing him, “Grandpa, you are the one she needs most now. Only you can uplift her heart. Life is very impermanent so please go in and see her now I know you already feel great remorse. Our teacher says that the worst punishment in life is regret. If you do not express this remorse to her now, you will feel even worse in the future. Come on! Come see her.”

As she talked she led him into the ICU. Standing before his aged wife, the grandpa truly cried. He cried very loudly and easily called her by name and told her, “Please forgive me. I lost my temper and completely lost control. That is why I beat you so badly. You must forgive me. He cried as he said this.” This is called open repentance.

Our commissioner quickly comforted him and told his wife, “Grandma, did you hear that? Grandpa is here beside you. He has apologized to you. From the way he is crying, you know that he is very sorry. Grandma, this life has been tough for you. Now that he has apologized to you, let your mind be at ease. Do not be resentful. Do not hate. Forgiving others is a virtue. Then you can return as an adorable baby with a healthy body. You will have the chance to do good deeds, to be a Bodhisattva. Grandma, let go of you resentment and hate.” They saw tears fall from the corners of her eyes. Her husband melted like a mound of snow. He kept blaming himself. Two days later, she passed away peacefully.

This 85-years-old man repented to his 81-years-old wife. They were married for over 60 years. I heard they married quite young. They were husband and wife for over 60 years. She had to bear with her husband over 60 years. According to their children, since he was young, he would yell at the children and beat his wife. Now they were in their 80s, and he beat her until she was covered in injuries. We can only imagine the unjust treatment she endured for 60 years. She still upheld the virtues of womanhood. Marriage meant staying with him no matter what. She accepted her lot. She bore children and took care of them and the family. Though she not become a monastic for her spiritual practice, she was indeed practicing at home. Despite living in such an afflicted household, she took care of her mind and upheld the 3 Subordinations and 4 Virtues. She was truly admirable.

As for her husband and his bad temper, didn’t he have love in his heart? Didn’t he love his family? If he did not love them, he would have left them and went off. He would not have stayed by this family for over 60 years. Therefore we can say that he did love his family. He just had bad habit, a habit that really should be corrected.

So, in life, some need to learn their lessons the hard way. Only a deep pain can wake them up. They repeat their mistakes again and again. One day, this will result in a life-shattering regret and it will be too late to repent. We should know that in our daily living, everything we do and every word we speak creates karma. All of our actions create karma.

Perhaps someone said something to us, a small comment. The words entered our minds and whether we felt happy or resentful, it was still a virus. We become attached to what makes us happy. Because we like it, we will cling to it. The happiness turns into attachment. For instance, if people often praise us and say good things about us, then we want to be applauded for every good deed. We often hear people speak a little and then say, “Quickly please give me a round of applause!” They need to hear applause even after a few words. This is called attachment. They want others to praise and admire them. This is not the right mindset.

Perhaps someone said something that we resented or took offense at. This will accumulate and grow into disputes and afflictions. When we see this person again, not only will we be displeased, we will be not be friendly or we will try to purposely offend them. These are all viruses.

External conditions, be they other’s words, or the surrounding conditions, etc., anything that makes us feel something, as long as it is something that we can feel, it is a mental affliction. They are called spiritual viruses.

A small comment from others will enter our minds. Whether we feel happy or resentful, once we are attached, it becomes a spiritual virus.

In our spiritual practice, we should build up our mental immunity. No matter what external conditions we face, wind blowing through grass, something delightful, or something that worries or angers us, when such conditions arise, we, as ordinary beings, will feel the 7 Emotions and 6 Desires. No matter what conditions enter our minds we will feel emotions of hate, resentment, love, or desire.

We have very complex feelings. Do not hold on to these feelings. No matter what conditions we are faced with, we should be able to filter them. After that, let us earnestly do what we need to do and quickly eliminate the things we should not do from our minds. These are seeds in the mind.

We should diligently cultivate good seeds and promptly eliminate bad seeds. So the mind is just like farm land. The mind is also like its own universe. So we should always take good care of our minds.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語法譬如水)

Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Repent to Purge Afflictions so Drama can Enter(懺悔去煩法入心)

As we sit here, our external surroundings are constantly changing. As we sit here quietly, what is happening in our bodies? We are constantly metabolizing. In the span of a second, cells are constantly arising and dying. We do not realize this is happening in our bodies because we do not feel it.

Actually, inside our bodies microorganisms are constantly coexisting peacefully, or crowding against or even destroying one another. In every second, our bodies are metabolizing and cells are continually consumed and produced. There is no permanence in our bodies, let alone in our minds. Ignorance and afflictions constantly arise and change. In the end, they will still be extinguished. Nothing in this world can remain forever unchanged.

Earth, water, fire and air make up this world. But they form, abide, decay and disappear. So what is everlasting in this world? Human bodies go through birth, aging, illness, death. The human mind, as it encounters external conditions, produces 7 Emotions and 6 Desires, which cycle through states of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing. So what is everlasting in this world?

In mental arising, abiding, changing, ceasing, biological birth, aging, illness and death, material formation, continuation, decay and annihilation, all are the temporary union of the Four Elements. Having attained human birth, we are blessed with a body, which goes through the process of arising, abiding, changing and ceasing. But this body will eventually return to dust. After a person dies, they will be buried. What remains? Noting at all.

In this universe, nothing lasts forever. Nothing. This is such a simple truth. If we can truly understand this we will not have any afflictions. “There was nothing to begin with but our minds still seek to attract dust.”

Bodhi really has no tree. And there is no bright mirror. Since there was nothing to begin with, where can the dust alight? – Dharma Master Hui-neng, the 6th Patriarch.

So, from now on, earnestly repent every day. Things that happen are unreal, delusions. We live in the illusion and we fabricate false things and continuously produce afflictions in response to them. We must be grateful to know our past, that we created afflictions out of illusions.

Fortunately, over 2500 years ago on the 8th day of fourth month, this great sage came to this world. That was the beginning. As He grew older, He discovered the Ultimate Truth and began to proclaim it to the world. It has been over 2000 years since that era. We already know this Truth.

During these 2000 plus years, He awaked so many people, led so many to thoroughly understand this Truth and explore its source and see it in physical and in biology. There are even many scientists today who continue to study that source. Now it seems like many people can manifest spiritual powers. The Truth was the source of all these things.

In light of this, let us have even greater respect for Sakyamuni Buddha. The Buddha always told us that sentient beings must repent their afflictions. Only when we repent our afflictions can we calm minds so that they become pure. In doing so, Truth can enter our minds.

It is like writing a good essay. To start with, we need a piece of white paper. We need a clean page to write a good essay. Also the clothes we wear can consist of many colors. All these colors are dyed onto while cloth. Similarly, before we receive Dharma, let us think the source. First purify the mind and then keep it clean. Then we can explore the Truth.

The first step of spiritual practice is repentance. Repentance can eliminate afflictions. We need to do so for our minds to be clean, then Truth and Dharma can enter our minds.

So first we should seek to understand and respect the Three Treasures. Only with Buddha, Dharma and Sangha can the Truth continuously passed down. Thus, we first pay respect to the Three Treasures. They are the kind friends and fields of blessings for all sentient beings.

People desire to practice repentance. First they must respect the Three Treasures. Clearly, the Three Treasures are kind friends and fields of blessings for sentient beings.

So now at this very moment, let us be deeply reverent. Let respect for the Buddha, the Enlightened One, arise from deep within our hearts. Without this Enlightened One how could we have Dharma? Every teaching can cure living beings of their spiritual illnesses. Therefore Dharma is like medicine. Being sick is so very painful. Once illness arises in the mind, this virus will continue to exist. This is a source of suffering in life. Therefore, respect the Three Treasures.

Buddha, with his wisdom, realized the Truth of everything in the world. He dedicated himself to expounding Dharma. The Dharma has not changed through the ages and has been passed down to this day because many monastics willingly followed in the path of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. We should truly respect those who love and practice the spiritual path.

The Buddha was born and expounded Dharma in India. Many teachings remained there. Let us be very grateful to those from India or China who admired Dharma and spared no effort to pursue the Truth. Remember them? When we spoke of the Sutra on the Buddha’s Bequeathed Teaching, we mentioned Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaraksa. They were from India. Knowing that the teachings were so good, they went on a mission to spread Buddha Dharma and propagate the teachings. Since Buddha was gone, they wanted to shoulder the responsibility of continuing the Buddha’s work. From India, they carried Sutras on white horses to spread Buddhism to China.

There was also Kumarejiva. When we recite the Lotus Sutra, we learn that Kumarejiva brought Sutra to China. He even translated them into Chinese. He translated many Mahayana texts. If it was not for Kumarejiva, we would not have so many of Buddha’s teachings remaining, especially the Mahayana teachings.

When we look at India now, Buddhism has practically disappeared. However, Dharma now exists in the East and West, across the five continents. Many people experience the Truth in Buddha’s. Teaching and diligently study it. It is the same in England. Universities these have courses in religion to study Buddhist teachings. It is the same in America and many other developed countries, especially in Japan. In the Tang Dynasty, Sutras were brought to Japan, so a lot of Japanese culture is rooted in Buddhism. In China, many of the countries and proprieties in daily living came from Buddhism.

Buddhism is truly the culture of humanity. Look, these eminent monks from India, to the west of China spared no effort to bring Dharma to us in the East.

Here in the East, in China, Venerable Master Xuan-Zang felt that the Dharma he understood seemed incomplete. Therefore, he vowed to travel from Chang’an, China to India. It was an arduous journey along the Silk Road. Tracing that route on a map, we can see that it was a truly difficult journey. He traveled through present-day Afghanistan and Turkey before making his way to India. It was far away and there was no transportation. He set out from Chang’an and circled around other nations, entering India through the Middle East. The climate was very harsh. When we recite the Universal Gate Chapter of the Lotus Sutra, we read many accounts of black winds on his journey.

Now if we look at Afghanistan or Pakistan, the places we have been to, everywhere we look is endless desert. There is no water, tree or grass. When the wind suddenly blows, it becomes dark as night. Even worse, in some areas of the desert, the winds can move an entire sand dune so a hill can suddenly appear out of nowhere. Before the wing comes, there is just a flat, endless stretch of desert. So in that even-changing terrain and under those weather conditions, Ven. Xuan-Zang traveled alone, with only a horse. He trekked through that endless desert where the weather and terrain can change at any time. We can imagine how arduous it must have been. When it is hot, it is blistering.

When the black winds blow the large boat, it will fall into the land of Raksas and ghosts. But if one person on the boat calls on the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Then everyone can escape the ordeal of Raksas. –Universal Gate Chapter of the Lotus Sutra

In Jordan at this time of year, temperatures can reach over 40 degrees Celsius. At night, it can drop close to Zero degrees. Now we hear this, we can understand and feel those temperatures, much like what. Ven. Master Xuan-Zang must have felt. The journey must have been very difficult. He is why we now have the Prajna Paramita Sutra. He tirelessly risked his life for many Sutras.

Everyone, respect and revere Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. If we are not respectful, Dharma cannot enter our minds. Looking at the Three Treasures, without Buddha, there is no Dharma to hear. Without Sangha, there is no one to pass on the Dharma. Thus, we must respect the Three Treasures.

Remember the source as we drink the water, whether Buddha, Dharma, or Sangha they all came from Indian monks who spread teachings, or venerable monks who brought Dharma back to China. We must be very grateful to Sanghas that spread. Dharma and respect them like the Buddha. When we are respectful, the Buddha is with us, everyone is a potential Buddha.

So if we do not venerate past Buddhas, how can we be future Buddhas? The past is like the present and the present is like the future. So constantly guard the mind. Be it in the past, present, or future, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha are eternal. If we diligently cultivate our minds, eliminate past afflictions, maintain a pure mind and accept this rare encounter with Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, only if we do so can the Truth be carved into our minds. So, everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語法譬如水)