寵或不寵　　　林鈺堂　　　　　　 簡繁轉換 - 繁體

 

 

陳祖師曾教示
修行人或欲往生淨土者
皆不宜養寵物
以免因執著而障道或不得往生

也有人說
養寵物可以體會他們和我們一樣
都是有情
並且從實際照顧中
可以培養自己對所有有情的關懷與服務心態
所以也是長養慈悲的方法

修行人到底該寵　還是不寵

一般學佛者都好像認為自己一定長命百歲以上
在種種事種種方面都東牽西扯
並且似乎認為一切順緣都會等他
無需馬上放下一切努力進修
可惜事實是只有一切無常
可用的時間精力轉眼即逝
佛法進修的因緣並不等人

只要認清無常的實情
寵或不寵就是個人的選擇了

願一切眾生早日成佛
不可能只牽扯在眼前幾位上

 

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　二○一六年九月六日
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　養和齋　　　　於加州

To Keep or Not to Keep

Yutang Lin

 

Patriarch Chen used to teach us that
For a Dharma practitioner or one who aspires to gain rebirth in Pureland
It is not advisable to keep pets
Lest one becomes attached and hence encounter hindrance on the enlightenment path
Or loses the determination to seek rebirth in Pureland

Some raised the view that
Keeping pets may help us to realize that they are, just like us, also sentient beings
And that through actual caring for and looking after them
One may cultivate compassion and attitude of providing services to all beings
And hence it is also a way to cultivate one′s compassion

Should a Dharma practitioner keep or not to keep pets

In general, ordinary Buddhists seem to consider themselves as certainly will live over a hundred years
And hence in all sorts of matters and in all aspects they entangle hither and thither
Furthermore, they seem to think that all favorable opportunities will wait for them
And hence there is no need to drop all worldly matters to devote efforts into Dharma practices
What a pity that the fact is that only impermanence suits all matters
Useable time and energy vanish in a blink
Opportune conditions for Dharma practices wait for no one

As long as one recognizes the reality of all being impermanent
To keep or not to keep pets remains a personal choice

Wishing all sentient beings to attain enlightenment soon
One cannot linger on only a few that are right here and now

 

Written in Chinese and translated into English on September 6, 2016
El Cerrito, California

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