Buddhism Studies ⁽⁵³⁾

It is said that Su Dongpo, practicing Buddhism, one day suddenly grew arrogant, feeling he had attained realization and grasped the Buddha's profound and subtle Dharma. Delighted, he wrote a poem, two lines of which read: "Not stirred by the eight winds, / I sit…

I The Buddha's teaching takes precepts as the teacher and wisdom as the root. Precepts arise from the mind; apart from the mind there are no precepts, apart from precepts no samadhi, apart from samadhi no wisdom. When the mind gives rise to precepts and…

The Buddha was just an imperfect ordinary person. To say this among devout Buddhist believers would be to court universal condemnation. But I don't mind; I am not a devout Buddhist, only a student of Buddhism who likes the Buddha's thought. In this world, everyone,…

Every person's life may have many themes, and different themes at different ages, but one theme no one can avoid: death. Death is our final destination, yet the process of dying differs greatly from person to person. Some die with ease, some in wretchedness; some…

Modern life seems not to involve much physical labor, but the mental pressure is enormous—especially for young people working and living in first- and second-tier cities, where the pressure is even greater. Over time, excessive stress easily leads to depressive illness. Physical and mental health…

Hong Yi's wife: Master, tell me, what is love? Master Hong Yi: Love is compassion. — Lines from the film One Round of Bright Moon A Christian friend invited my whole family to his wedding, my first time at a Christian ceremony. In the sacred…

The maxim "Keep your original mind, and you will reach fulfillment"—whose original source can no longer be traced—became popular thanks to Steve Jobs's advocacy. The concept of "original mind" (chuxin) comes from the "initial aspiration" (chufa xin) repeatedly mentioned in the Buddhist Avatamsaka Sutra. Yet…

Sima Daoxin was a native of Yongning County (also known as Guangji County; present-day Meichuan Town, Wuxue City, Huanggang Prefecture, Hubei Province). His father, Sima Shen, was the first county magistrate after Yongning was established; the family ancestral home was Wen County, Henan. The county…

When I was young I was a fierce critic of Buddhism. I had read the philosophers and the scientists; I thought religion was superstition, that the talk of reincarnation and karma was the product of an ignorant age, and that any intelligent person should outgrow…

(Part One) June 25, 2015 Longquan Monastery, in the Fenghuangling (Phoenix Ridge) scenic area of Haidian District, Beijing, is the temple where I once took refuge. After taking refuge, although I was not entirely satisfied with many things at the temple, I still liked this…