Tuesday, September 30, 2014

看破放下自在随缘念佛


看破放下自在随缘念佛

One day 8 Precepts at SBL led by Venerable Yan Xu.
Difficult to settle down mind due to unfamiliar tune adopted which goes slowly that allows interception of mild thoughts and trying hard to follow the tune (but I would think the level of generation of wild thoughts is already much improvement from my previous sessions). When circumambulating, looking up on the wall are the good reminders of practice:
看破放下自在随缘念佛

了知看不破, 但心尽量放下妄想,自在随缘念佛
is the best that I could try and really good reminders whenever I pass by the wall and still not in concentration mode.

12 hours of circumambulating! By last session, my legs aches from all the walking and I thought I would suffer worse aches the next day but surprisingly the aches disappeared when woke up next day.

No Dinner for the night! I thought Glutton me would suffer badly from gastric attacks but surprisingly just mild stomach stir & wind this round.
Purification by Bodhgaya or the energy here is good with Blessings.

And knowing no dinner, no wild thoughts on dinner while chanting, a distraction down!  Feeling is good that until next morning, still not hungry.
By skipping dinner, no time is wasted on What & Where to have dinner, Time to prepare and eat dinner, body feels light! Should do this more often, but right environment is important to practise that as our habits will come back to induce us. 
That reminds one of importance of going to Pureland, the conducive environment  to practise until certain levels of attainments without distractions.




Friday, September 26, 2014

喝檸檬水的益处与方法


語錄、生活、時事

【喝檸檬水的人,看過來,你喝對了嗎?】

1 .檸檬片你泡對了嗎?再忙也要看,然後告訴別人,把愛傳出去!自己也要重視!!將檸檬切片放入密閉的容器中,放入蜂蜜,加入涼水使得淹沒檸檬片,蓋好容器,放入冰箱。轉天拿出兩片泡水即可~這樣可以把檸檬中豐富的VC激發出來~1個檸檬能喝1個星期左右。常喝能減少黑斑、雀斑發生的機率,讓肌膚美白水噹當哦!

2.熱的檸檬水救你一輩子! 檸檬水抗癌比化療強一萬倍! 檸檬~只殺癌細胞,切2 -3薄片檸檬放在杯子/容器裡,並加入熱水,它會變成「鹼性水」,每天飲用,對誰都有好處,熱檸檬水能釋放一種苦澀抗癌物質,這是在醫藥領域有效治療癌症的最新進展,請你仔細閱讀以下文章並自己評判它是否有效。

3. 檸檬是一個用來殺死癌細胞的神奇產品,它比化療強一萬倍。它的口感是愉快的,而且它並不產生像化療一樣的毒副作用。它對囊腫及腫瘤產生影響。這種植物被證明能夠補救所有類型的症,比世界上通常應用在化療方面的化療藥物阿黴素產品好一萬倍,它減慢癌細胞的生長。但更令人吃驚的是:用檸檬提取物這種類型的治療,只會破壞惡性腫瘤細胞,它不影響健康的細胞。

4.檸檬水=血液循環+鈣, 有空就自己弄點檸檬水來喝喝,一顆檸檬要加一千西西或二千西西的水,依個人喜好的酸度,自己調配!能不加糖就不要加糖,養生又美容!檸檬汁的好處:檸檬具有高度咸性,被認為是很好的治療所有疾病的藥,止咳、化痰、生津健脾,且對於人體的血液循環以及鈣質的吸引有相當大的幫助,其豐富的維他命C,不但能夠預防癌症、降低膽固醇、食物中毒,消除疲勞,增加免疫力,延緩老化,保持肌膚彈性,並且克服糖尿病、高血壓、貧血、感冒、骨質疏鬆症。

5.檸檬汁內的檸檬酸和檸檬多酚,均能有效預防深靜脈栓塞,調整血液循環,減低血凝塊的機會。血壓太高時,它可以調節血壓,它能抗抑鬱、抗應激和神經功能障礙。
  
6.根據美國最新研究報告顯示,維他命C和維他命E的攝取量達到均衡標準,有助於強化記憶力,提高思考反應靈活度,是現代人增強記憶力的飲食參考。研究中顯示,由於血液循環功能的退化,造成腦部血液循環受阻,而妨礙腦部功能的正常運作。

7.檸檬具有抗氧化功效的水溶性維他命C類的食物,因此一天一杯檸檬汁有助於保持記憶力,且對身體無任何副作用,是日常生活中隨手可得的的健康食品。

8.改善骨質疏鬆: 檸檬中的檸檬酸能使鈣易深化並能螯合鈣,可大大提高人體對鈣的吸收率,增加人體骨密度,進而預防骨質疏鬆症。缺乏鈣質是導致骨質疏鬆症原因之一,而預防骨質疏鬆症第一步是先從改善飲食生活開始,就是常吃含維他命C豐富的檸檬、柚橘類水果。基於檸檬對人體的血液循環以及鈣質的吸引,非常有幫助。此外檸檬汁中的檸檬酸還有抗腸炎菌、沙門氏菌、腸道出血性大腸菌0-157等食物中毒菌效果,能減少人體內疲勞物質乳酸產生。

9.達到美容減重效果: 檸檬可說是女性的水果,因它能安胎,故稱「宜母子」。它又能美顏、減重,因其檸檬酸能去斑、防止色素沉著,內服外塗均有效果。檸檬本身就是美容妙品,可以促進胃裡蛋白分解砪的分泌,增加腸胃蠕動,幫助消化吸收。建議多喝檸檬水。

10.這一點最重要,喝完檸檬要嗽口再過一陣子最好刷牙,以免檸檬侵蝕牙牙,最好用吸管吸食喔,否則牙牙會敗光了,絕對要留意。

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

當我說,我是佛教徒時

當我說,我是佛教徒時
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=846265858731530&substory_index=0&id=100000443707876

當我說,我是佛教徒時
並不是在宣稱:我比你更有智慧
而是在低聲說:我有太多無明煩惱要去除
所以我選擇學佛

當我說,我是佛教徒時
並不是在顯示我過去世累積了什麼福德
而是看到我往昔所造惡業多麼深重
所以祈求佛菩薩慈光加被,誓願懺除

當我說,我是佛教徒時
並不是因為我要逃避人世、追求虛無
而是深知日常生活,處處是道場
活在當下就是在修行

當我說我是佛教徒時
我的生命並非從此不再遭遇挫折
但是有了佛法相伴
挫折一一轉化成助我成長的因緣

當我說,我是佛教徒時
我心中充滿無盡的感恩
單單想到今生有緣生而為人,具備修行的能力
又有機會遇善知識,得以聽聞佛法
就深心感動因緣不可思議

當我說,我是佛教徒時
我知道菩提道上儘管七倒八起
然而成就佛道,卻是我生生世世的功課

當我說,我是佛教徒時
並不是因為我比別人好或壞
而是我了解到眾生的平等無二

當我說,我是佛教徒時
並不是因為我若是沒有追隨佛法將有罪
而是佛陀所宣說的方法,讓我知道怎麼做

當我說,我是佛教徒時
並不是因為我無法承擔自己的生命
而是我明白,痛苦是緣於過多的期盼與恐懼

當我說,我是佛教徒時
並不是因為跟著大家趕流行
而是因為我了解到,生命的價值在於慈悲
慈悲是沒有分毫傷害他人的心,一種利他的心

所以,我是佛教徒。

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

吃素幹嘛?心地善良不害人就好

好文章分


素食家族
【 吃素幹嘛?心地善良不害人就好 】   
心靈方程式 / 文: 董復華

我每每建議人素食的時候,最常聽到的一句話就是:
「吃素幹嘛?心地善良不害人就好!」

是這樣嗎?我們的心真的善良嗎?

生命是平等的!只有「人」的生命可貴嗎?當我們宰殺那些動物時,我們可知道他們的恐懼和無奈?

我們的善良是只有對人嗎?不害人就可以隨意的為了自己口腹之慾,去殘害其他的生命嗎?有人甚至會說:那些畜牲本來就是供人食用的。是嗎?

人最早是只吃五穀雜糧的,是不吃肉的,是誰告訴您畜牲本來就是供我們人食用的?

那只不過是動物防衛能力不如我們,所以只好無奈任我們宰割,如果有一天外星人來攻佔了地球,我們的防衛能力不如他們,剛好我們人類又可以成為他們的食物,當他們成為地球更高科技文明的主宰時,他們把您宰殺,論斤論兩的賣的時候,您還會贊成您的說法嗎?

我們人是萬物之靈,也是道器。什麼是道器?道器就是能成為道的器物。其它的物種靈性不夠高,成不了道器,也因為過去生中造的業淪落到三惡道(畜牲道、餓鬼道、地獄道)去,如果我們不趁「身為人」時好好修行,破迷開悟,「諸惡莫作,眾善奉行」,遲早有一天,我們又會輪迴墮落到三惡道去,就跟那些被我們宰殺的畜牲一樣的下場。

從某個角度來說,說牠們本來就是供我們食用的也是沒有錯,因為他們過去生就是殺業太重,所以輪迴來還債的,我親眼看見過要被宰殺的牛掉眼淚,因為牠知道牠要結束生命繼續還債了,因為不只還一世,我們吃過多少的生命?一條命怎麼夠還!

現在全世界吃素的人口很多,素食成了飲食的新趨勢,素食餐飲也越開越多,越開越豪華,菜色也越來越精緻豐富。有的人會說:吃素的人也不一定心很好。

是的!我也見過。但是,吃素的人心不是很好,那是指只有吃素食,卻沒有在修行的人,因為他沒有轉變煩惱習氣,他也沒有放下他的「貪瞋癡」。

每個吃素的人因緣不同,現代吃素的人,不一定都有宗教信仰,有的是為了健康,有的是為了環保,有的因為出於愛心,不忍心吃眾生肉,每個人的因緣不同,但是只要吃素的人,還是有他的福報,這福報就在我們持守吃素不殺生當中,因為少造了很多的「殺業」。

在佛門吃素叫吃齋,「齋」這個字的意思就是「洗心」。把心洗清靜了叫做「齋」。很多吃素的人,並沒有含攝「修身」的道理在其中,佛門在日常飲食中加入了戒律,就叫「齋戒」。因為加入了佛教修行的道理,所以在吃素的時候,就能夠發揮「洗心」的作用。佛門的素食,跟一般人說的健康素不一樣,佛教不吃五辛,不吃五辛就含有修行的義趣在裡面,因為還持著「戒」。

廣欽老和尚說:「素食非常好,一個人只要這輩子能夠吃素不殺生,這個人不會造下什麼太大的惡業。」

相反地,如果不吃素,「殺生」就是最大的惡業,殺生必然障礙我們,臨終的時候我們的冤親債主就會找上我們;先不要講臨終,現前就會身體不好,就會生病,看看現代人的罹癌率,是三十年前的三十五倍,以前我小時候,難得聽到身邊的人得癌症,現在身邊的人得癌症,好像隨處可見,而且肉是酸性,酸性體質的人,罹癌的機率也是鹼性體質人的好幾十倍,這些都是有醫學根據的,這些都是真的,因為我們沒有做無畏布施。

有的人說不吃肉沒營養,體力也不好,這是我們心理作用,牛可以耕田耕一整天,馬可以日行百里,反而獅子、老虎、豹跑不久,電視動物頻道就告訴我們,牠們快速奔跑無法超過45秒,因為牠們的心臟無法負荷,就是因為肉食動物身體成強酸性,所以牠的新陳代謝不好,心臟無法負荷。

有沒有看過鹼性電池的廣告,這就是為什麼鹼性電池比一般電池持久耐用的原因,所以不要再以訛傳訛,認為不吃肉會沒有營養,沒有體力,就算肉有它的營養在,從植物中也都能攝取到,現在的肉品一堆的問題,不要致癌就不錯了。

也有人說:植物也有生命,吃它不是也是殺生。植物是無情眾生,它沒有意識型態,所以它不會起怨念,來世我們就不用承受果報,我們總要維持生命,所以還是得飲食,可是我們還是要保持一個平等的慈悲心,尊重生命,不要隨變的踐踏草皮,攀折植物花朵。

有一天我在環保站做義工,吃飯的時候,一位師父剛好來環保站跟我們一起用齋,突然師父問:

「大家都吃素嗎?」

我們回答:「都吃素啊!」

師父說:「我看你們都沒有!」

我們都很納悶!師父為何如此說?」

師父接著說:「你們只有嘴巴吃素,『心』沒有吃素,你們看!這兩盤下飯的菜,你們都吃得精光,其他的菜都還剩下許多,所以你們的分別、執著都還是存在啊!」

師父接著又說:「不過你們也已經很不錯了,至少因為悲心而少造了許多殺業。」

其實師父是在點化我們,師父的點化確實使我們受益良多。這就是佛門和我們吃素不同的地方。所以吃素不但身體健康,少造殺業,還能培養「定力」,因為人的口腹之慾要克服,也不是件容易的事。

所以我在這裡用了一些篇幅,略為跟大家分享一下素食的好處,跟正確吃素的觀念。

◎生命是「平等的」!在生命的輪迴裡,我們也曾經以其它的形象出現在生命中。吃素不但能培養自己的平等心、平常心,也能培養出定力,更能少造許許多多的殺業,不與眾生結怨,與一切眾生廣結善緣,所以吃素是最好的「放生」。
-----------
转载自: https://m.facebook.com/vegetarianFamily/photos/a.145224202164250.29016.144644482222222/854266007926729/?type=1&source=48

Monday, September 15, 2014

Good Vegetarian comics


A Nice one ...

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Prayers and Bodhicitta

Extracts from Om centre Mani practice text












The simple words of Vajra text prayers generally helps elevate spirit of Refuge,  Bodhicitta and Devotion in one...

Vegetarian by Venerable Xuan Hua

小时看过类似公案引导驱向吃素之路。
因为看到现世亲人的肉食习性令我担心真有吃到六亲眷属的一日而我现世也不想吃到前世的六亲眷属...

转载至http://www.drbachinese.org/online_reading/dharma_talks/volume6/volume6_6.htm

宣化上人開示錄(六)│

殺生食肉的可怕

單是起齋雞、齋鴨這些葷的名字,裏頭就含有污染的種子。

◎一九七九年十一月二十日開示

梁武帝在位時,中國的佛教很興盛,民間凡有婚禮或喪事,都請和尚去念經。今天時代不同了,現在只有喪事,才請和尚去念經;遇有喜事,例如結婚、生子時,卻沒有人請和尚去念經。其實這是錯誤的,無論紅白事,都應該請出家人去念經迴向、種福,一方面可以超度亡者,一方面可以為生者增福。

梁武帝時,就有一位誌公和尚,是位高僧,他有五眼六通,對於前因後果他都一一明了。某次,一個有錢人家有婚事,便請誌公和尚去念經。他一踏進門口,便歎息道:「古古怪,怪怪古!孫子娶祖母。女吃母之肉,子打父皮鼓。豬羊炕上坐,六親鍋裏煮。眾人來賀喜,我看真是苦!」

這是什麼意思呢?「孫子娶祖母」,你說怪不怪?原來,這位祖母在臨終時,她拉著孫兒的手,心裏很捨不得,她說:「你們都成家立業,惟獨我這個小孫兒,沒有人照顧。唉!怎麼辦呢?」說完便去世了。她到了地府,閻羅王便判她:「你既然這樣寵愛孫兒,還是回去做他的妻子,好照顧他。」於是,祖母便托生來做孫子的太太。所以世間上的前因後果,有時是很可怕的。                      

「女吃母之肉」,在外面,一個女孩子正在吃豬蹄,吃得津津有味,這隻豬原來是她前世的母親。「子打父皮鼓」,誌公和尚再看看那些奏音樂的,打鑼鼓、吹喇叭、吹笛子,好不熱鬧!有個人用力地打鼓,鼓是驢皮造的,而這驢竟然是他前世的父親啊!

誌公和尚再往炕上看看,便說:「豬羊炕上坐」,往菜鍋裏一看,便說「六親鍋裏煮」。原來,從前被人宰的豬呀、羊呀,現在都回來吃人,要這些人償還宿報;以前專吃豬羊的六親眷屬,現在反而回來受人烹割,在鍋子裏還債。「眾人來賀喜」,大家都以為這是喜慶之日,但誌公和尚只歎息:「我說真是苦!」其實是人以苦為樂呀!

大家聽了這段公案後,應該知道殺生食肉的可怕。我們又研究這個「肉」字:「肉字裏邊兩個人,裏邊罩著外邊人,眾生還吃眾生肉,仔細思量人吃人。」所以,能夠茹素是最好。但吃齋時,不要再起什麼齋雞、齋鴨、齋鮑魚等名字。既然吃齋了,為什麼還放不下?單是起這些葷的名字,裏頭就含有污染的種子。所以以後不要再用葷名去講齋菜。

這次有些人到萬佛聖城之後,發願回去要吃長素。這很好,與六道輪迴斷絕往來,你不吃他,他不吃你;你不殺他,他不殺你,這樣便把循環業報清淨了。

又有人問:吃齋有什麼好處?

我說:「沒有什麼好處,是活著上當。」什麼意思呢?因為齋菜沒有肉類那麼好味道,所以說活著上當。可是,假設你不吃齋,便是死了上當。就像一個秤,那一邊重,那一邊輕,你自己去研究研究。

為什麼說吃肉是死了上當?無論你吃什麼東西,便有那種成分在你身上。你吃菜,便有一股菜味;吃蔥,便有一股蔥味;吃牛奶,便有一股牛奶味;吃起士,身上便有一股起士味;吃大蒜,呼吸氣都有大蒜味。因為你所吃的東西,要與你合股,合而為一,變成你身上的一部份。你吃什麼吃多了,身體就會變成和它一樣。因此,吃豬肉多了,便會變豬;吃牛肉多了,便會變牛,這是合乎科學和邏輯學的。你的身體和肉類變為合夥公司;死了之後,也會變成那樣東西。比如,死後要是周身一股豬味,閻羅王嘟嘟鼻子,便說:「你這樣臭,還是去做豬好了。」羊牛雞犬,也都是同一個道理,所以說是死後上當。

你仔細研究,殺豬的人,他的眼睛像豬。為什麼?他曾經被人殺了好多次,現在他回來報仇了,但眼睛還是豬眼睛;宰牛的人,眼睛像牛眼睛。其實因果是絲毫不爽的,所以說:「千百年來碗裏羹,怨深似海恨難平,欲知世上刀兵劫,細聽屠門夜半聲。」一碗肉湯裏邊含藏的怨恨,像海那樣深,說不盡的。要知道世上為何有戰爭、殺戮,譬如兩國彼此戰鬥,死傷連城,這就是眾生的惡業共聚,同時受報。假設你能細聽夜半屠房裏悽厲的叫聲,你便應該明白殺殺不已的恐怖。目前科學已經研究出來,人多吃肉,很容易生癌症。這是因為動物體上的怨,在你身上積聚多了,久而久之便變成害人的毒素。因此我們應該與眾生斷絕因果,不要與牛羊雞犬互造罪孽,便能慢慢地把世界上的惡氣轉過來。

在萬佛聖城,我一邊行持正法,一邊要把世上的殺劫轉變過來,無形無相地把它慢慢消滅了。所以我主張人不殺生、不偷盜、不邪淫、不妄語、不喝酒、不吃麻醉藥。最低限度要守五戒,而且還要守得清淨。你們既已到了寶山,不要空手而歸!

 

法界佛教總會 ‧ DRBA / BTTS / DRBU

English version:  http://www.cttbusa.org/vegetarianism/cttbveg3.asp

The Horror of Taking Lives and Eating Meat

By the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua

The mere use of such names as "vegetarian chicken" and "vegetarian duck" plants seeds of defilement.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty, when Buddhism flourished in China, people would always invite monks to recite Sutras at weddings and funerals. Times have changed, and now monks are invited to recite Sutras only at funerals. No one asks them to recite Sutras at weddings or baby showers. Actually, this is wrong. Whether it is an occasion for rejoicing or mourning, left­home people should be asked to recite Sutras and transfer the merit, on the one hand to save the deceased, and on the other to increase the blessings of the living.

During Emperor Wu's time, there was a high monk called the Venerable Zhi. Having attained the Five Eyes and the Six Spiritual Penetrations, he could clearly discern causes and effects. One time, a rich man asked him to recite Sutras at a wedding. Upon entering the house, he sighed and said:

How strange! How very strange indeed!
The grandson marries the grandmother.
The daughter is eating her mother's flesh,
And the son is beating on a drum stretched with his father's skin.
Pigs and sheep are sitting on the couch,
And the six kinds of relatives are cooking in the pots.
People have come to offer congratulations,
But I see that it is truly suffering!

What does this mean? The grandson marries the grandmother. Would you say this is strange or not? Right before she died, the grandmother of the family had held her grandson's hand, not being able to part with him. She said, "You all have your own families, but this little grandson of mine has no one to take care of him. Ah! What is there to be done?" Then she died.

When she arrived at King Yama's court, King Yama gave her the following verdict, "Since you love your grandson so much, you might as well go back to be his wife and take care of him." And so the grandmother was reborn as her grandson's future wife. The workings of the law of cause and effect in this world can be quite frightening.

The daughter is eating her mother's flesh. Outside the house, a girl was eating a pig's foot with great relish, not realizing that the pig had been her mother in its previous life.And the son is beating on a drum stretched with his father's skin. Venera­ble Zhi then took a look at the musicians who were beating drums and blowing on their trumpets and flutes. What excitement! One man was banging away vigorously on a drum stretched with mulehide, not knowing that the mule had been his father in a previous life.

Venerable Zhi looked at the people sitting on the couch and said: Pigs and sheep are sitting on the couch. Then he looked in the pots and said: And the six kinds of relatives are cooking in the pots. All the former pigs and sheep that had been slaugh­tered before were now getting even and eating the people who had eaten them before! The six kinds of relatives who had eaten those pigs and sheep were now being chopped up and cooked in the pots to pay off their debts.

People have come to offer congratulations, / But I see that it is truly suffering!Everyone thought it was a happy occasion, but the Venerable Zhi only sighed and said, "This is really suffering!" People take suffering to be joy!

After hearing this story you should understand the horror of killing and eating meat. Let us look at the Chinese character for meat.

Two people are inside the character for meat.
The person inside is linked to the one outside.
Living beings eat the flesh of living beings.
If you really think about it, it is people eating people.

Thus it is best to be vegetarian. However, we shouldn't use names such as "vegetarian chicken," "vegetarian duck," and "vegetarian abalone" for vegetarian dishes. If we are vegetarians, why can't we forget about meat? The mere use of such names plants seeds of defilement. Vegetarian dishes shouldn't be called by non-vegetarian names.

Some people who came to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas this time have vowed to become lifelong vegetarians. This is a very good thing, because this way one severs unwholesome affinities with living beings in the six paths. If you don't eat them, they won't eat you; if you don't kill them, they won't kill you. The cycle of karmic retribution will thus be purified.

"What benefits are there in being vegetarian?" someone asked.

I said, "There aren't any. You're taking a loss while you're alive." Because vegetarian food isn't as tasty as meat, you take a loss by being vegetarian during your life. However, if you don't keep a vegetarian diet, then you will take a loss after death. It's like a scale. You have to figure out for yourself which side is heavier and which is lighter.

Why will you take a loss after death if you eat meat? Well, your body is composed of the foods you eat. If you eat vegetables, you will smell like vegetables; if you eat onions, you'll smell like onions; drink milk, and you'll smell like milk; eat cheese, and you'll smell like cheese. If you eat some garlic, your breath will smell of garlic. The things you eat become part of your body. If you eat a lot of a certain thing, your body will become very similar to it.

Therefore, if you eat a lot of pork, you will become a pig. Eat a lot of beef, an you will become a cow. This accords with science and logic. The meat you eat incorporates with your body, and after you die you turn into that kind of animal. If you smell like a pig, for instance, after you die King Yama takes a sniff and says, "You smelly thing, you should be reborn as a pig." The same goes for sheep, cows, chicken, and dogs. That's what I mean by being cheated after death.

You can investigate this carefully. Why does a butcher of pigs have eyes resembling those of a pig? It's because he had been slaughtered as a pig many times in the past, and now he has come to seek revenge. Although he is human, his eyes are those of a pig. Cattle butchers have the eyes of a cow. The law of cause and effect is never off. There is a verse:

For hundreds of thousands of years,
The stew in the pot has boiled up
A resentment very hard to level.
If you want to know why
There are wars in the world,
Just listen to the haunting cries that come
From a slaughterhouse at midnight.

The grief and hatred brewed up in a pot of meat stew is as deep as the ocean. It could never be fully described. The wars and massacres in the world are brought about by the convergence of the evil karma of living beings, causing beings to undergo retribution at the same time. If you listen carefully to the cries of misery coming from a slaughter­house in the middle of the night, you will realize the horror of the ceaseless killing that goes on in there.

Scientists have discovered that people who eat a great deal of meat tend to get cancer. This is because the resentful energy in the bodies of slaughtered animals accumulates in the bodies of those who eat meat and eventually turns into a harmful toxin. We should cut off this relationship of causes and effects with animals and stop the vicious cycle of creating offenses against cows, sheep, chickens, and other animals. Then we will gradually be able to lessen the inauspicious energy in the world.

At the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, we want to uphold the Proper Dharma and avert the crisis of killing in the world. We want to slowly and imperceptibly avert this disaster. Therefore we advocate: not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying, not drinking, and not taking drugs. At the very least, we should observe the Five Precepts and maintain our purity in that regard. Since you have come to this treasure mountain, don't leave empty handed!

A talk given on November 20, 1979.