What is vegan? (English and Mandarin subtitles)

弱肉強食 兵劫之源

弱肉強食　兵劫之源

我生長在農村，農村裡面一個月只有初一和十五吃肉，大家買一點肉來祭神、祭祖先，但是量很少。祭完之後，大家才吃，不是天天有肉吃。現在每一餐都是肉食，怎麼得了！儒家雖然不禁止，但也不是叫你天天殺生肉食。佛家曉得這個道理，肉食是冤冤相報。何以世間有殘酷的戰爭？經上說「刀兵劫」，刀兵劫是怨恨累積而成的。怨恨從哪裡來的？吃眾生肉。牠不是甘心情願給你吃，真的是弱肉強食，所以牠心裡的怨恨永遠不能消除。因此，要世間沒有刀兵劫，除非眾生不吃肉。

佛告訴我們，一切眾生在六道裡是流轉的，於是就產生報應，冤冤相報沒完沒了。我們明白這個道理，就不敢再吃眾生肉了，希望我們與一切眾生的冤仇能夠化解。我們認真努力修學，將一切功德迴向給眾生，這是懺悔、贖罪。

（節錄自《太上感應篇》19-12-160）

http://www.amtb.org.tw/story/story.asp?web_choice=5&web_detail=show

人世间为什么会有刀兵劫。

人世间为什么会有刀兵劫。

刀兵劫是指战争，这是人与人之间最严重的大恶，是战争，互相残杀。佛在经典里面说得好，如果我们真想免除这个世间刀兵劫的灾难，他说除非众生不食肉，「欲免世间刀兵劫，除非众生不食肉」。我们还离不开吃肉，那这个灾难就不能避免，换句话说，食肉就是战争的果报根源，佛是一语道破。。。

我所经历的是中日战争，就是八年抗战，第二次经历的是国共战争，看到战争的痛苦。所以一接触到佛法之后，听到佛经上所说的，我就采取素食。我学佛半年就素食了，原因是真正看到战争之苦，佛说这是从吃肉、伤害众生这个因而来的。经上讲残害，「残害杀伤」，在人间是战争，那对动物来说，就是杀害这些动物。

现在我们看看餐馆，在大都市里面，你看到酒店，你走进去，你看到那个宴会上、酒席里面放的什么东西？全是众生的尸体！没有学佛之前叫迷惑颠倒，看不出来，以为那是美味，学佛之后那点良心出来了，看到是什么？不一样了，那是尸体，死尸，这还能下咽吗？还敢去动筷子吗？

旁边人看到我们的态度说我们迷信，说我们有福不知道享，他认为那是享福，说是口福。我们今天知道是口业，那也是属于口业。口业不是欺骗人，你看吃东西这不是口业吗？这口造业！这是什么业？总而言之全叫做地狱业。地狱罪满了之后还要还债，《楞严经》上佛说得很好，吃牠半斤将来要还牠八两。现在吃的时候是口福，将来还债那叫什么？因果定律里头叫丝毫不爽，欠命的要还命。。

http://www.xuefo.net/nr/article14/141144.html

吃素能清净八识田

清净的身与心，才能感受到宇宙的奥秘，承受宇宙能量的融合。清净的身是饮食要求非常重要，素食能让身体变得轻松、舒畅，当身体在比较纯净的状态时，心念较易调适。

「万法唯心造」，心才是器物世间创造的源头，所以当心念如是想时，其实在法界已经千真万确”存在”，只是器物世间一时还无法显现而已。只有心念被导正了，器物世间才有可能被导正，慈悲的心念，正是最强的能量，最大的正念。

许多业力的种子，都含藏在八识田中。尤其最重的业是杀业，有许多的怨气、嗔恨之气都结集在当中。吃素可以中止再与众生结杀业的机会（不论是亲手杀或间接杀）。如此不再向八识田中丢掷恶业的种子，自然能够遂渐滋长纯净、祥和的善业种子。

所以许多修行的观想内容，多半是法界实相，如净土、佛、菩萨、光等，这些都是证量显现后自然而然会现前的境界。如此观想，可以清净八识田，让修行人有所提升。

所以不吃肉食，不论身或心方面，对于八识田的清净都很有帮助。

气脉与我们的健康有莫大的关联，只要气脉畅通，此人必定非常健康，同时此人也是修行有成就的人。

为什么呢？因为气脉的畅通与否，与业力有莫大的互动因素。中脉是业力的储藏所，恶因就是气脉不畅通的原因。当气脉的业障全部净除时，便可离开大幻化网，离开三界。

白业越多，气脉越畅通；相反的，黑业越多，气脉越不畅通。而修行正是要不断的增加白业，减少黑业，所以当气脉越来越畅通时，健康与修行都得到了进步。

吃素，正是减少这些黑业累积在气脉的机会。因为当动物将被宰杀时，由于恐慌、害怕、愤怒之气充塞在肉身中，若吃下了这些肉，等于是吃了许多的黑气进入体内，对于身体的健康或是心灵的纯净、稳定没有丝毫的帮助。

行善越多，善因储藏进中脉，气脉就越畅通，所以行善可以净除气脉。吃素是慈悲自己及别人的善行。一切的行善，都能带来中脉的畅通。金刚经说：「修尽一切善法，即得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。」也就是中脉全部畅通，也就是出三界，也就是究竟成就。

「心气不二」，慈悲的心、愉快的心情是帮助气脉畅通的重要法则。只要心清净了，气脉也就跟著畅通无阻。

所有世间法和出世间法的一切种子，都收藏在第八识里，遇到缘，就会发行现行，像是田地放下了种子就会生出果来一样，所以叫做田。

http://wapbaike.baidu.com/view/5251362.htm?adapt=1&

all of the religions in the world, however diverse, are of one family and in harmony with each other

In fact, all of the religions in the world, however diverse, are of one family and in harmony with each other. As the name of the Avatamsaka Sutra suggests, various species of magnificent flowers in a garden, each giving forth a beautiful fragrance, together create a beautiful scene. But if the garden is limited to only one species, the scene will be boring.

In ancient times, travel was inconvenient and communication among different groups was rare. So the true God used different appearances. Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Buddha, Confucius, and Lao-Tzu all had features of the respective people in different areas. Looking like everybody else, they were able to pass down their sacred teachings.

From this we can tell that all religions are the teachings of one true God, and their core is the teaching of love. The Bible tells us, “For God so loved the world . . . .” [John 3:16, NIV] The chapters in the Koran all begin with “In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.” [Yusif Ali] The Buddha taught us, “Compassion is the essence, and expediency is the means.” Confucius said: “The benevolent man loves others,” and Lao-Tzu said: “I have three treasures which I cherish and prize. The first is called compassion.” [Dao De Jing, Susuki]

Today, travel and communication are convenient. Instead of avoiding one another, religions should cooperate and learn from each other. We have to understand the teachings given by the true God to different people, and we have to deepen our understanding of our own religious texts. We have to bring ourselves closer to the true God, and most importantly, religious believers have to express the love of God through their actions, propagate it to people of the world, and, finally, save this world.

Today’s world emphasizes multiculturalism and seeks cooperation among different religions, ethnic groups, and countries. We are one entity. We need to respect, love, care about, care for, and cooperate with each other. We need to pursue harmony. How? Harmony begins within ourselves. Instead of asking others to respect and get along with us, we ourselves need to respect and get along with others first. It does not matter whether others pay equal respect to us or try to get along with us. Eventually we will move them and influence them if we persevere in respecting them.

If I have the merest thought of demanding that others first get along with me, harmony can never truly be achieved. It is because I place myself in a conflicting position with the thought of demanding, dominating, and possessing others. So I do my utmost to love other people, care about and for them, and help them wholeheartedly. I do all this without asking anything in return because I know that we are one and that this universe is one living entity.

http://www.purelandcollege.org.au/page44.html

From
The 3rd World Peace

Forum

Yogyakarta Indonesia

30 June 2010

带得多的就显得很愚痴，带得少的就稍微聪明。

明心见性才叫成佛，自性里面本有的智慧现前，本有的德能，今天讲能量，科学家讲能量，我们一般讲能力出现了，本有的相好，你什么都不缺，自性里头圆满具足，所以你见到性。见到性，福圆满了，慧也圆满了。

福跟慧从哪里来的？不是修来的，是自性里头本来有的，大家都平等。上，我们跟诸佛如来平等；下，跟一切蜎飞蠕动平等，小动物。用佛法说，不但蜎飞蠕动是畜生，跟饿鬼、地狱也平等。

为什么在相上不平等？在理上是平等的，相上为什么不平等？相上因为你有烦恼，你有习气，你带著烦恼习气多少不一样；带得多的就显得很愚痴，带得少的就稍微聪明。从这个地方显出不平等。

http://wap.goodweb.cn/news/news_view.asp?newsid=71249