Book Club-Why a club for reading
2016-12-24 11-33-05 来源: 作者： 点击:次
Book Club?
YES! It is not only about books. Every city has book stores and libraries, and Dangdang, Amazon, JD promise you the next-day delivery for what you ordered. In this modern times, just click on the button and you know what is happening in the world. Forests of e-books, audio-books and WeChat public accounts dazzle our eyes. But,
What to read? And
How to read?
We need Book Clubs.
Enter deeply into Sutras and we obtain wisdom as vast and deep as the ocean.
我为佛道I, for the sake of Buddhahood
於无量土 Throughout countless lands
从始至今 From the beginning until now
广说诸经Have expounded all Sutras broadly
而於其中 And among them all
此经第一 This Sutra is foremost
The fundamental teacher Shakayamuni Buddha talked about The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra in such.
The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, is usually shortened to Lotus Sutra, expounded by Shakayamuni Buddha in his late years. Among the Five Periods of teachings’ classifications, it belongs to the last period of the Dharma Flower and Mahaparinirvana, the perfect teaching to “opens the provisional and manifests the real”. Since the teachings in this sutra is supreme, it clearly indicates that everyone is destined to Buddhahood no matter rich or poor and high or low, Lotus Sutra is honored as “King of all Sutras”.
Mind Light Book Club”recites one chapter of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra at the beginning of the reading activity every time. If we recite sutra alone at home, we find it is hard to concentrate with frequent interrupts of daily trifles. A saying goes:”To benefit from Buddha Dharma, we need to seek within great respect. The more respectful we are, the more karmic sins we cleanse, and more blessings and wisdom we obtain.”
Review the scriptures to understand the truths and practice
“Faith is the source of the Way and the mother of virtues, nurturing all the good potential within us.”The faith without discretion will fall into superstition, parroting others’words makes us bewildered. Therefore, the right faith should be based on right view. Venerable Master Xuan Hua, is an acknowledged prestigious monk, well-known as “ The first person to propagate Buddhadharma to the West”. The “Commentary on Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra”discoursed by him, explains the teachings in a vivid and easy-to-understand way with Gongan (public case) and cultivation methods. All the club members are able to comprehend the sutra at large in a short time in accordance with this book. In addition, the group study saves efforts and leads to better learning effects via inspiring discussions between each other.
Listen, reflect and practice, thus become enlightened
Buddhism cultivation needs to“listen, reflect and practise”.
Listen to sutra and Dharma lectures, read scriptures and review discourses of prestigious Venerables and masters, enter the vast and deep ocean of Dharma wisdom. Take this opportunity to investigate the truths profoundly with personal experiences. Therefore, it helps the scripture understanding and integrates the literary prajna into our own wisdom. It is the path towards enlightenment by corroborative practice based on listening and reflection.
Ven. Ren Da’s Mind Light series includes “The Great Compassion Sweet Dew”, “Source of Blessings and Wisdom”,”A Guidance on Chan Meditation”, perhaps many people have already read them at home. However, read the books together with other friends in the club, listen to their own stories of discarding the evil and practicing the good, of upholding the Great Compassion Mantra and meditation, you can have a deeper and more comprehensive understanding on the book content with wonderful Dharma joy.
All Buddhas become enlightened through meditation
Meditation is the fundamental approach to understand the mind and see the nature, open wisdom, end birth and death, and transcend the three realms. All Buddhas attain enlightenment via meditation. “A Guidance on Chan Meditation”is sorted out according to Ven. Ren Da’s primary discourse on Chan meditation. It explains meditation posture, keynotes on tuning the breath and mind in detail and five practice methods on Shamatha and three methods on Vipashyana.
Theoretical instructions are given for the real practice. Collective cultivation gives rise to favorable atmosphere. Normally, when we sit in meditation at home by ourselves, it would not last long to feel the ache in waist and legs. But in order to not disturb others in collective cultivation, we have to be patient and thus, even for half an hour, it goes unwittingly.
Benefit a lot form such as club
Comment by a trainee of Buddhist Merchants Class:
I ask the Buddha for the true meaning of life
Gain it or not, it is on the same way
Buddhahood asks for a wise potential
At present I am in hesitation for moving ahead
Hard to know the truths? Or need a resolution to do ?
I let go of myself, to embrace something new.
（摄影/吉乙 吉健）
(Photography/ Jiyi, Jijian)