Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: The Celebration of Discipline (戒而無戒作習慣)
If we always say good things, everyone will love and respect us. If we do good deeds, we will have no obstacles. If we think good thoughts, people, matters and principles will be in harmony. Let us seize the moment to practice the Threefold Kindness and Great Love.
The Threefold Kindness is speak good words, do good deeds and think good thoughts. These actions are the Threefold Kindness. Seize the moment. Speak good words at the right time. Perhaps a simple kind word said at the right time will touch someone’s heart and inspire their actions. This is a timely way to help transform others. This is seizing the moment. The same goes for doing good deeds. If we miss our opportunity, even if we really want to do good, it will be hard. We must always nurture our minds so we will have good hearts, thoughts and intentions.
Then we will be able to always speak kind words and do good deeds. This needs to be done every day. Earlier we talked about observing the Eight Precepts six days a month. These days are the Purification Days, when the precepts should not be violated. Purification is maintaining a pure body and mind. We must remain pure for the entire day, even when eating. Eating only one meal a day at noon is one of the precepts.
There are six days a month, the 8th, 14th, 15th, 23rd, 29th, and 30th of the lunar calendar, and the 28th and 29th for the shorter months. On these six days, be pure in body and mind and observe the Eight Precepts. Those are the Six Purification Days.
In addition to the Five Precepts that we often talk about, the Eight Precepts also call for purify and simplicity, and not just of the mind. Many women like to apply makeup, wear jewelry and dress colorfully. On Purification Days they should look simple. They cannot listen to music or go dancing either. They must refrain from enjoying their usual pleasures. In the Buddha’s time, rich people invited singers to entertain them at their homes. The Buddha wanted them to experience a day of purify in body and mind so they could feel content and peaceful. These are the Eight Purifying Precepts.
The Eight Precepts: 1. Do not kill 2. Do not take what is not given 3. No sexual misconduct 4. Do not speak falsely 5. Do not drink any alcohol 6. No cosmetics, jewelry, dancing or singing 7. Do not sleep on luxurious bedding 8. Do not eat outside the designated time
We should practice these regularly, not just during the designated days. This is a form of skillful means established by the Buddha and past sages for lay practitioners. If you cannot uphold the precepts every day, you can at least do it six days a month. This is skillful means.
Actually, it is much simpler to always maintain purity of deeds, speech and thoughts. This is our duty as a practitioner. But when we talked about violating precepts, it seemed like everyone has those tendencies. If we can maintain purity of the Threefold Karma, if we can always keep this purity in our body and mind throughout our daily lives, we do not need to be particular about the precepts. Upholding precepts without effort is true practice.
Take patience, for example. We only need to be patient when we feel anger or resentment. If we have no hatred or resentment, what do we need to patiently endure? Precepts exist to help us avoid mistakes. To reach the stage where we avoid all transgressions, we need to correct our habits. Saying good words every time we open our mouths is also a habit. Every word we speak should be clear. Each sentence should be like a precious jewel, none of which are empty or hollow. That is truly speaking good words.
Every sentence is helpful and brings joy. Then we are speaking good words. We must always practice speaking kind words. If we develop this habit, good words will flow whenever we open our mouths. If we can develop the habit of helping people whenever we see their weariness and struggle, then we are doing good deeds. We do not need to wait until we donate to help someone in need.
Donating money to help others is a good deed. But it is even more important that you help your spouse or your friends. If they are lifting a heavy object, and cannot lift it, while we are only holding something light, we can help them with our other hand and alleviate their burden as we walk together. This is also a good deed.
One we develop the habit of helping others, when we see others suffer, we cannot bear it. We will quickly do something to help them. In this way we cultivate our sense of empathy, until this empathy becomes very natural. When we are disciplined, the precepts are natural; they become our habits. Then not only will we spare no effort to do good, even when we see negative things, we will remain unmoved and not violate the precepts.
This is the practice of training the mind to avoid the temptations of the external world. If we can achieve this, we will always be tranquil and at ease. It is possible to uphold the precepts effortlessly. Then we do not only uphold the Eight Precepts six days a month, but every minute and every second of every day and every month.
Besides the Eight Precepts, there are the Bodhisattva-precepts. “When we cannot maintain the purity of the Bodhisattva-precepts, we create karma of not practicing as Buddha taught. When we misapply skillful means, we create karma of defiling pure actions.”
The Eight Precepts are closely tied to the Bodhisattva-precepts. Do not simply talk about them, or only observe them six days a month. No, we must always maintain our purity.
Here the text says, “we cannot maintain the purity of the Bodhisattvas-precepts.” Bodhisattvas-precepts should always be observed. If we cannot remain pure every moment, hour, day, and month, then we are not truly practicing.
Some are very capable of talking about precepts, expounding the Sutras, and explaining principles, but then you ask them, “Are you practicing this? If you cannot maintain your purity and do not practices as the Buddha taught, then you only know the concept of skillful means.”
Tzu Chi USA volunteers told me that Las Vegas is a city of casinos. There are casinos in all the hotels. Tourists go there from all over the world. One time a Tzu Chi donor saw Tzu Chi Commissioners wearing their uniforms in a Las Vegas hotel. That Tzu Chi donor was very confused. When he returned to California he asked, “Don’t all Tzu Chi volunteers uphold precepts?”
“Yes, we have the Ten Precepts.”
“Don’t they cover gambling?”
“Yes, we cannot gamble or play games of chance.”
“We cannot even bet on the stock market.”
He said, “Really? I clearly saw three to five Tzu Chi volunteers in a casino in Vegas.”
“Is that the case?”
Later that person came to Taiwan along with other US volunteers. He happened to mention this in a meeting with me. In that same group from the US, one woman said, “That was us.”
I asked, “Why did you go to that place?” She said, “We went on a case visit with Tzu Chi volunteers from Phoenix. There was no place to stay so we went to a hotel. We stayed there but we absolutely did not gamble.” It was a hotel.
I said, “Tzu Chi volunteers should be careful. We cannot go to places we shouldn’t be in.”
Someone else said, “Sister, you did not use the right method. I’ve also stayed at hotels in Las Vegas, but when I do, I dress like everyone else I wear beautiful clothes and jewelry. People just glance or nod at me and I simply greet them. No one mentioned seeing me in Vegas.”
I asked, “How do you dress?”
Those beside me said, “Don’t’ you know? She dresses like those you often say are like Christmas trees.”
Everyone, do you know what “like Christmas trees” means? Covered with jewelry. This is skillful means. Are skillful means good or not? Didn’t we just say that we should not wear jewelry on Purification Days? Is it just on those six days? To truly walk the Bodhisattva-path, our bodies and minds must be simple and pure.
Even if you are not wearing the Tzu Chi uniform, you should appear clean and neat, not disheveled. But do not adorn yourself in jewels to show off your status. Such behavior is crass. If this is the case, we are “misapplying skillful means.” Then “we are not practicing as the Buddha taught. We cannot practice like that in our daily living. I keep saying to everyone, “keep the Buddha in your minds, the Dharma in your actions, and remain in a state of meditation.” These are the steps for Tzu Chi volunteers.
At this stage, I want to remind everyone to keep the Buddha in your minds, the Dharma in your actions, and remain in a state of meditation. Let us put our minds in a state of Samaghi. We must always practice what the Buddha taught. In your practice, do not misapply skillful means. Do not use skillful means as an excuse to be undisciplined. As we learn and practice Buddhism, we cannot be negligent at any moment. If we say skillful means allow us to be lax, then “we defile our pure actions.” We will defile our pure actions. We will defile our pure actions and pollute the purity of our karma. These words seem simple, but we must remain cautious in our daily living.
To attain Buddhahood, we must observe the Bodhisattva-precepts; we cannot violate them. From the instant we make our vows, every moment of every day, we cannot violate them. We must uphold them, not only on the Six Purifications Days a month, but al all other times as well. Do not use skillful means as an excuse. We have to observe the precepts. If we violate them, we are impure. We have then destroyed our pure actions.
Next, “When we do not observe the Six Purification Days we create karma of laziness. If we only practice three months of the year, we create karma of inconsistent practice. When we do not follow the 3,000 regulations, we create karma of not following the Dharma.”
The Six Purification Days were also promoted by the Earth Treasury Sutra. For the people who hesitate to practice, you may suggest to them, “Why don’t you just practice six days a month?”
“Alright, six days a month is much is much easier. It is hard for me to be vegetarian, but I guess I can do it six days a month.”
This is for people who are not as diligent. It allows them to make the initial vow. But if outside of those six days they are not diligent, they create karma of laziness.
“Practicing for three months a year” is for people who rarely practice. We can tell them, “Now you know about the Six Purification Days, don’t you want to advance further? Practice for three months a year.” The three months are January, May and September. They can be vegetarian for those three months. Those are “the Three Months of Abstinence.” These three periods of abstinence are three whole months. This is still “inconsistent practice.” They should aim to be vegetarian for 365 days, for all 12 months of the year. Should they limit themselves to just three months? After each month they exclaim, “I’ve resisted meat for a month!”
What happens next? They overindulge and eat o lot of meat. They eat to make up for their abstinence. Is that right? No. must we eat fish and meat? Does it have to be that way? Instead of practicing, they indulge themselves. They live a luxurious life and do not uphold the precepts and rules. Does it have to be this way?
Look, we are all vegetarians. Aren’t we all very healthy? We feel peaceful, wise, and happy. Isn’t that a good thing? So the Six Purification Days and the Three Months of Abstinence are for those who are lazy or those who do not practice often. We establish skillful means for them, with periods of rest. We should be mindful to follow the rules and precepts every second. This is the safest way for us to approach the Noble Path. This is the safest way to cultivate Wisdom-life. Everyone must always maintain purity of action, speech and thoughts. Please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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