SOME TYPES OF PEOPLE 人的种类

A person and a human being are not the same. Even though the appearance is similar, there is a difference in virtuous qualities and intelligence. For example, some people do whatever they want to do, say whatever they happen to think of and eat whatever and whenever they feel like eating. These are the ordinary people.

人(person)和人类(human being)是不同的。虽然容貌看似一样，但是他们在道德质量和心智上是有差别的。例如，有一些人他们想做什么就做，想说什么就说，想吃什么就吃，这些就是未开化的凡夫(ordinary people = person)。

Worse then that are what are called animals. They have human faces but their minds are of an animal, that is, they have no shame just like animals. Meaning, individuals that have never cultivated their own minds any higher.

比这更糟的就叫做野人(animal)，他们是人面兽心，这意思是指他们像野兽一样没有羞耻心，也就是说，这些人根本不受教化以提升自己的心灵质地。

As for human beings, it refers to those that try to control their minds, their minds are superior, they have more wisdom than ordinary people, they developed their minds high enough to shift to the level of human being.

至于所谓的人类(human being)，是指那些有在试着调伏自心的人，他们心灵质地较为好，比凡夫更有智慧，他们发展出高尚的心灵，因此提升至人类的层次。

Ghosts are those that speak and do what is bad. They are called ghosts, even monks and novices who are ordained are the same ; when they don't obey and recognize the Dhamma and discipline, they also, can be called ghosts. Ghost here refers to the state of wickedness, not to a self. And so, some people have the appearance of a man or woman but in the mind there is a ghost. If anybody shifts up to the level of human being, one should recognize ghosts and not be afraid of them. If anybody is still afraid of ghosts, that person is just an ordinary man or woman. Ghosts have to live with ghosts, people cannot live with ghosts ; so people with an inferior mind are ghosts.

所谓鬼是指那些说坏话、做恶事的人，即使是和尚或沙弥也一样，如果他们不遵守或不认识正法及戒律，他们也一样可以叫做鬼。鬼，在这里是指邪恶的心态，而不是指某一种个体。所以，某些人虽然有人的外貌，但他内心却像鬼一样邪恶。如果任何人能提升心灵质地到人类的层次，就可以认识鬼而不怕他们，而如果有人还会怕鬼，那这个人就只是个凡夫。鬼只能跟鬼(心)在一起，人是不能和鬼(心)在一块的；所以，一个拥有一颗卑劣之心的人，他不是人而是鬼。

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一杯水 Cup of Water

Link:
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〖一杯水〗
  来拜访我的人中，有很多在社会上已有著高等的地位，他们当中有富商、大学毕业的、教师与政府官员。他们内心充满对事物的种种看法。他们太聪明了，以致听不进别人的话。这就像一杯水。如果一个杯子里充满了肮脏不新鲜的水，它并没有什么用处。只有当脏水倒尽，它才有可用之处。你们必须先除去你们充满意见的心，然后才能领悟。我们的修行是超越聪明与愚痴的，如果你认为你很聪明、富有、重要、是佛学专家，这就掩盖了“无我”的真谛了。你所见到的只是自己——我、我的。然而，佛教是入下“自我”的。那些太聪明的人将永远学不到东西，他们首先必须除去他们的才智——空掉他们的“杯子”。

Cup of Water
Many of those who came to see me have a high standing in the community. Among them are merchants, college graduates, teachers, and government officials. Their minds are filled with opinions about things. They are too clever to listen to others. It is like a cup of water. If a cup is filled with stale, dirty water, it is useless. Only after the old water has been thrown out can the cup become useful again. You must empty your minds of opinions, then you will see. Our practice goes beyond cleverness and stupidity. If you think that you are clever, wealthy, important, or an expert in Buddhism, you cover up the truth of non-self - I and mine. But Buddhism is letting go of self. Those who are too clever will never learn. They must first get rid of their cleverness, first empty their "cup".

楞严经 - 七种经题

‘大佛顶，如来密因，修证了义，诸菩萨万行，首楞严。’这十九个字是这部经经名字，是一个题目，连下面的一个经字便成二十个字；前十九字属于‘别名’，后一字叫‘通名’。别名的意思是与其他经典有所分别，名字不同；下面的经字是相同的，因为相同，故叫通名，通名是通于诸经，别名是别于诸经，由于此部经与诸经不同，故有这通、别两种称法。

佛所说的经典，有七种立题，此七立题包括了如来所说三藏十二部一切经典，即是：单三、复三和具足。

单三是单用的有三种；
复三是双的，是两个意思在一起，也有三种；
具足一是说有一种是具足的意思。

单三之中有‘单人立题’，譬如‘佛说阿弥陀佛’。因为佛是人，阿弥陀佛也是人，故名；
有‘单法立题’，譬如‘大般涅槃经’，这就是单以法立出来的题目；
又有‘单喻立题’，譬如‘梵网经’，这部经比方大梵天王的网罗幢。这人、法、喻叫做‘单三立题’。

复三：有‘人法立题’，如‘文殊问般若经’，文殊是人，所问的般若是法，故称；
有‘人喻立题’，如‘如来师子吼经’，如来是人，师子吼是个比喻，意思是说：佛说法的时候有如狮子吼声那么雄伟；
又有‘法喻立题’，如‘妙法莲华经’，妙法是法，莲华是个比喻，故立此题。

具足一：比如‘大方广佛华严经’，大方广是法，佛是人，华严是比喻，这部经比喻万行的因花，庄严无上果德，此题具足人、法、喻故名。

凡是讲经者，对这七种立题都需要明白清楚，才可讲解经典，如果连七种立题都不明白，又怎样能教人家明白呢？比如：自己都不能觉悟，又怎能教人觉悟呢？这一点是很要紧的。假如连七种立题、五重玄义、十门分别都不先明白，就自称法师，到处说法，于是把一般人都讲到地狱里去了，连他自己也到地狱去了，这还不要紧，但听的人却连他们为什么会到地狱都不知道，这实在是很可怜的。因此，学佛的人必须真正懂得佛法，真正有了智慧，然后才去教化众生，这才不会出错。

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Important for us to be filial to our parents

Translation of the below:

Respect our ancestors and cultures is beneficial as 10% of respect, will gain 10% benefit;
100% of respect, will gain 100% benefit.

We teach filial, respect elder, loyal, trust and courtesy in a few lessons.

All our 5 cardinal human relationships
(1. father&son,
2. emperor&ministers,
3. husband&wife,
4. elder&younger brothers,
5. friends)
are built on the basis of courtesy and respect.

Henceforth, if we do without courtesy and respect, all these relationships will turn into troubles, problems and disasters.

From our chinese 5 thousands recorded history, we learned and knew a lot of vivid examples that *arrogant, extravagant(luxurious), adultery and lazy will ruin a family and a country.

Thus, we should not make these 4 mistakes of *arrogant, extravagant, adultery and lazy .

It is important for us to be filial to our parents, to make our parents happy and to repay their kindness of giving birth to us, feeding and educating us.

Although we are not the one that rules our country,  we should respect and listen the advice from many of our relatives and  elders who are wise and care for us, so that we will not take a longer and uneasy path.

Even if we are the leaders, we must respect and care for our juniors and subordinates, then we can attract virtuous individuals to join us to contribute beneficence to our society.

Amitofo 🙏😊

對自己祖先文化的一種恭敬、一種尊崇，而「一分誠敬得一分利益，十分誠敬得十分利益」。

我們這幾堂課談的是孝悌忠信禮，禮的這個部分，禮敬。

「禮者，敬而已矣」，禮的本質是恭敬，恭敬是具體落實在所有人與人的關係當中。

人跟人的關係，離不開五倫，所謂父子、君臣、夫婦、兄弟、朋友，相處都屬於禮，倫常就是禮，都要用恭敬的態度來經營這五個關係。

我們都知道，家敗掉了，國亡掉了，很常的就是自己有驕奢淫逸；*驕傲、奢侈、淫亂、放逸，每個亡國之君都是這樣。那我們有沒有引以為戒，讀到這段歷史把自己驕奢淫逸去掉？

假如沒有引以為戒，甚至效法這些對的榜樣，那歷史上的錯誤將會不斷重複。

我們這個民族是全世界最重視歷史的，也是因為我們的老祖先知道，能夠從過去歷史當中得到教訓，他的智慧才能超過前人，他的整個社會才能更安定。

「入則孝」，不是說在行為當中孝順父母，直接接觸父母，才是孝順；時時心上有父母，時時不以自己的言行去侮辱父母，能以言行去光榮、去讓父母感到欣慰，這個就是孝順。

*孝的精神是知恩報恩，悌的精神是恭敬友愛，人與人相處都應該守住這樣的心態。

我們今天沒有治理國家，但我們的生命當中也有很多親戚、長者，他們比我們有智慧，他們也愛護我們，我們肯尊重他們、聽他們的勸告，人生少走很多彎路。

*假如我們沒有恭敬、尊重的心，身邊有貴人也幫不了我們，所以尊賢是每個人都要的。

在團體當中，甚至一個國家當中, 我們也引用了領導者應該愛護，還要恭敬下屬。

尤其禮敬這些有賢德之人，來為團體、來為國家社會奉獻付出，都要用恭敬的心去感召。因為這些有德之人，他不是因為利害而來的，他是因道義而来。。

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Happy New Year! Amituofo 阿弥陀佛