佛教英文讲座

ABriefIntroductionofChineseBuddhistCulturebyHuangJinWhoamI?Whatisthemeaningofexistence?Whatistheunderlyingprinciplefortheworkingoftheuniverse?Buddhism---thepursuitofwisdomQuestion:WhatdoesBuddhismmean?Buddha,anenlightenedperson,awisepersonwhohasmasteredtheultimatephilosophyoftheuniverse.AccordingtoMahayanaBuddhism,everyonecanbeaBuddhabecauseeveryonehasthepotentialforeventualunderstandingofthewholetruth.YouarenotaBuddhanowbecauseyouarenottaughttherightapproachfortruth.Buddha,therefore,isatitle,justlikeprofessorship,whicheverybodymayachieve.Buddha,therefore,isnotagodinthereligioussense.Bodhisattva:theawakeningofothers;bringingenlightenmenttoothers,again,notagod.IfBuddhasarePH.Ds,Bodhisattvasaremasters,simplyinalowerdegreeofwisdom.Buddhism,therefore,isthepursuitofwisdom1.WhoamI?WhereamIfrom?WhereamIgoing?Dustthouare,Todustreturnest.---BibleMenaremortal.Butdeathisnotanonce-and-for-allthing.TheyentertherotatingWheelofSixRealms:TheWheelofSixRealms:Heaven,Human,Asura,Animal,HungryGhost,Hell.Documentsstoredincomputercanbecanceledatwill,butwhatwehavedoneinourlife,andactuallyinourinnumerablelives,cannot.Whathasbeendonehasbeendone.Theinformationisstoredinyourtrue“self”,notthephysicalone,andwillaccompanyyoulifeafterlife,anddetermineswhichRealmyouenter.Onlywhenwearecompletelyfreefromlust,hatred,andfolly,canwemanagetobreakawayfromthecaptureoftherotatingWheel,andachieveperpetualenlightenment,discoveringyourtrue“self”.InBuddhismthereisn’tanydominatinggodwhocontrolsyourdestiny.Wearethemakerofourownfate.Whatweareatpresentisaresultofwhatwehavedoneinthepast;andwhatwewillbeinthefutureisdecidedbywhatwearedoingatpresent.Whatwehavedoneformthe“karma”,which,likeagene,decidesonyourfuturestory.Butthis“gene”canofcoursebemodified,bydoinggooddeedsandobtaininghealthybiologicalandspiritualenergy,soastochangeourfuturecourseofcareer.Weare,therefore,ourownmaster.Humanbeings,actuallyeverylivingcreature,areintheperpetualcycleofbirthanddeath,calledReincarnation.Gooddeedsresultsingoodbiologicalandspiritualenergy,andbringyoutoabetterhierarchyoftheSixRealms,whenyouarebornagain.Baddeeds,however,dothecontrary.Achievingmerits,therefore,isencouragedinBuddhism,notonlyformoralreasons,butforamoreprofoundpurpose.2.Whatisthemeaningofexistence?Whatistheunderlyingprinciplefortheworkingoftheuniverse?AccordingtoMahayanaphilosophy,aninstantisnodifferentfromabillionyears;oneismany,andviceversa.TheconceptoftimeandspaceinBuddhismisamazinglydifferentfromcommonsense.Past,present,andfuturearebutillusionshere.Forexample:说是法时。经千亿岁。《无量寿经》一尘刹土入无量尘刹土无量尘刹土入一尘刹土。《仁王护国般若波罗蜜多经疏卷下一》MahayanaBuddhismholdsthatthereareinnumerableBuddhaswithinnumerableterritories,territorieswhichcannotbeunderstoodinthecommonsensebutfromaphilosophicalview.Tworeal-lifecasesmayhelpusunderstand“Oneismanyandmanyisone”.A.Supposethereare100lightbulbsinaroom,butthelightfromeachbulbdoesn’tinterferewithoneanother.Allthelightfromallthebulbscanexistinharmonyinthesameoneroom,andonecanhardlytellthelightisfromwhichbulb.B.Bignessissmallnessandsmallnessisbigness.Whenwearestaringateachother,youareinmyeyes,andI’minyours,andbackandforth,andsuchrelationofincludingandbeingincludedisinfinite.GodsmileswhenmanthinksEinstein’sperceptions:Matteristheresultofhumanillusion;Onlymagneticfieldsexistsintheuniverse;Matterorsubstanceissimplyaplacewherethefieldorenergyisextremelystrong.Beautyisskindeep.Buddhism:theuniverseismadeupoffourbasicelements:earth,water,fire,andwind.Earth:solidmaterials,suchasearth,rocks,etc.water:liquidmaterials,suchasbodyfluid,lava,etc.Fire:hotthings,suchtemperatureoflivingcreatures,heatofcelestialbodies.Wind:airintheatmosphere,airinsidelivingbeings,solarwind,particlebeam,etc.Butallthesefourbasicelementsare“empty”,or“notsubstantial”,innature/character“四大皆空”,accordingtotheBuddhismphilosophy.Allmattersarecomposedofatoms:atom=nucleus+electronnucleus=proton+neutronWhatwecalltheelementaryparticles,whichincludeprotonsandneutrons,areactuallynotsubstantialmaterial,butspotswhereexistsahighconcentrationofenergy,withtwodistinctivefeatures:bothasaparticleandasawave.Thusthewholeuniverse,inthefinalanalysis,ismadeupofmagneticfieldsandenergies,withoutanythingsubstantial.Whatweseewithourflesheyesarebutillusions.ThisiswhatismeantbythePrajnaparamitaHeartSutra,whichsays“Emptinessisnotdifferentfromtheformandtheformisnotdifferentfromemptiness.Whatistheform,thatisemptiness;whatisemptiness,thatistheform.”(色不异空。空不异色。色即是空。空即是色。)3.WhatarethebasicrequirementsforaBuddhist?FiveProhibitionsforthelaymen:1)Don’tkill;2)Don’tsteal;3)Don’tseekaberrantsensualpleasures;4)Don’ttalkirresponsibly;5)Don’tdrinkalcohol.1)EverylivingbeingisequaltooneanotherintermsofitsBodha-nature.Theirrighttoexistintheworldshallberespectedandnotdeprived.2)Laymen,whoarenotyetmonks,cangetmarried,butshouldbefaithfultothespouse.3)Monkshavefarmoreprohibitionstoobserve,suchaseatingpurelyvegetarianfood(mainlyinHanChinesetemples).4.TheMajorSchoolsandSectsofChineseBuddhism:1.ThreemajorBuddhistschools:1)TheExotericSchool(显教);ageneralconceptcoveringalmostallthemajorse