Outline (Standards for Being a Good Student and Child)

"Standards for Being a Good Student and Child"(1)

Was taught by Chinese saints and sages of the ancient past.

First it teaches you how to be dutiful to your parents, and to be respectful and loving to your siblings.(2)

Then it teaches you how to be cautious with all people, matters and things in your daily life, and to be a trustworthy person.

To believe in the teachings of the ancient saints and sages.(3)

Furthermore, it teaches you to love all equally,

Be close to and learn from people of virtue and compassion.

When you have accomplished all the above duties,

You can further study and learn literature and art to improve the quality of your cultural and spiritual life.

related post: Chapter 1 – At Home, Be Dutiful to Your Parents
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(1) Selected from Analects of Confucius, Book I, Chapter 6. It was taught by Confucius, Mencius and other Chinese saints and sages of the ancient past.

(2) "Xiao" and "Ti" have been the very foundation of Chinese culture for five thousand years. Xiao “孝” means to be dutiful to one's parents with affection, and to understand the basic relationship of grandparents, parents and self. In ideogram form, xiao has two components - the top part of xiao is the top portion of the word elder “老” and the bottom part is the word son “子”. Combined, it implies that the older generation and the younger generation are one: that there should be no gap between them. In Buddhism the meaning is further extended. Outside the family, the child should treat every male and female of the parents' generation as if they were the child's own father and mother. Ti “悌”  means sincere fraternal love. Here it is used more as the principle and standard of conduct of the younger brother towards his older brother when the younger brother is away from home. In Buddhism, its meaning also extends further to include conduct towards all persons who are older, but of the same generation.

(3) "To believe in the teachings of the ancient saints and sages" means to actually practice and put the teachings of the ancient saints and sages into effect.

Source Of Information:
《Standards for Being a Good Student and Child》, translated by Pure Land Learning College Translation Association, printed in August 2012, distributed by Amitabha Buddhist Society Malaysia (92, Jalan Pahang, 53300 Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
*** The information provided above does not contain personal opinion of this blog.

Purity of Mind Within (1)

◉ Why do I keep repeating the same things? Because you are still here. If you really understood you would have left for the Pure Land.

◉ What is cultivation? True cultivation is when we cultivate purity of mind even when we are in the most impure of environments. It is to practice patience and diligence even when we are in the most unendurable situations we may encounter.

◉ Always think of a person's good qualities, not their bad ones. This will help us to achieve good fortune and purity of mind thus gradually reducing our afflictions and wandering thoughts. If we are always thinking of the bad qualities of others, then we will be mired in the downward spiral of regression.

◉ Do all that is good, do nothing that is bad, maintain purity of mind.

◉ If we have pure water but taint it with one drop of poison, all of the water becomes polluted. Likewise if we taint ourselves with wandering and discriminating thoughts, we will become polluted. Then there can be no response from the Buddhas.

◉ The pure mind has no discrimination or attachments.

◉ Think of others and the mind is pure. Think of self and the mind is polluted.

◉ To protect and purify the environment, we protect and purify our heart.

◉ Our good fortune, capability and wisdom are complete; none of them can be obtained externally. The Buddha teaches us to look for them within our mind, our pure mind.

◉ External conditions change with our heart. A mind of beauty will see only beauty. A mind of evil will see only evil. With true wisdom we will see only beauty.

◉ When we take refuge in the Buddha, we are returning from our deluded state of mind and relying upon an Awakened, Understanding mind. When we take refuge in the Dharma, we are returning from deviant views and relying upon proper views and understanding. When we take refuge in the Sangha, we are returning from pollution and disharmony and relying upon Purity of Mind and the Six Principles of Harmony.

Source Of Information:
《To Understand Buddhism》, by Venerable Master Chin Kung, translated by Silent Voices, distributed by: Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Amitabha Malaysia, 90 & 92, Jalan Pahang, Gombak, 53000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.)
*** The information provided above does not contain personal opinion of this blog.

True Sincerity Towards Others (1)

 ◉ The foundation of our practice is based on the great compassionate mind, the sincere and true mind, the Bodhi Mind. It is the mind of benefiting all sentient beings.

◉ If we have one degree of sincerity within, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will help us one degree. Two degrees of sincerity and they will help us two degrees, ect.

◉ To listen to a dharma talk is to practice self-discipline, deep concentration and wisdom. After sincerely doing so for three to five years we will achieve. If we understand intuitively, we will truly understand. If we understand by thinking, we will not.

◉ Master Yin Guang said that everything is attained from sincerity and respect. Sincerity is benefiting oneself; respect is benefiting others.

◉ With sincerity and respect, we will be in harmony with others.

◉ A good way place cannot be established without good external conditions, which come from good inner conditions. To have good inner conditions we need to generate the mind of sincerity to bring the Dharma to all sentient beings. There must be no desire to benefit self. Trivial selfishness will block the response from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

◉ Where do we start our practice? Think only of others, not of oneself.

◉ If we can accept all karmic creditors as having been our parents in former lifetimes who will become Buddhas in a future lifetime, we will regard them very differently, without fear or anger. Can you start from this point? If yes, then doubt can be replaced by belief.

◉ The ancient sages told us to practice humility to reduce the arrogance that we have accumulated over uncountable lifetimes.

◉ Respect every being, matter and phenomenon.

◉ To benefit others is good. To benefit oneself is bad.

◉ Seek to benefit all sentient beings not just those like ourselves.

◉ Worldly people look at the facade. Wise people look at the inner beauty that is compassion, truthfulness and purity.

◉ Reflect on our past bad habits. This can help us to know what is good or bad.

◉ Remember the kindness of others; repay the debt with gratitude.

◉ Every thought for others is good. Every thought for ourselves is bad. How many of each have we had?
 
◉ Not being filial to others plants the seed to be born into the hell realm.

◉ We would do well to regard all others as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who wish to help us.

◉ To benefit others is to benefit oneself.

related post: Purity of Mind Within (1)

Source Of Information:
《To Understand Buddhism》, by Venerable Master Chin Kung, translated by Silent Voices, distributed by: Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Amitabha Malaysia, 90 & 92, Jalan Pahang, Gombak, 53000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.)
*** The information provided above does not contain personal opinion of this blog.