--- In [email protected], Jue Miao Jing Ming - 覺å¦ç²¾æ
<chan.jmjm@...> wrote:
>
> Good Morning to All,
>
> It seems to me that the concept of "merit" in Buddhism is seldom
> discussed in the forums that I was involved in. Yet it is a vital
> concept of our journey.
>
> There are quite a few descriptions of merit in the Buddhist sutras. In
> the Chinese culture, merit is also popularly equated to "good deeds" or
> "elimination of karma". Some of us even interpret Buddhahood to be the
> reward for merit or as if merit is our report card.
>
> Yet, these are all just descriptions. How do we directly experience
> merit? The following are my witness.
>
> My teacher taught me that merit is the result and not the cause. We
> don't seek merit. Merits are just accumulation of deeds and only
> through deeds.
>
> "Chan practice" is composed of "cleans, detach, enhance" of oneself and
> "sense, inspire, act" to others. The "cleans, detach, enhance" is in
> the human realm. The "sense, inspire, act" is in the Bodhisattva realm.
>
> When we "cleans, detach, enhance" enough, we will naturally be able to
> turn our focus from ourselves to "sense" the needs of others and be
> "inspire" with wisdom and to "act" to resolve and help. As we become
> purer, when we transfer our focus from ourselves onto others, our heart
> shines through with all its compassion and wisdom. In other words, our
> spirituality is enhance to a higher level, where karma will bother us
> less. Gradually, we live more frequently in the realm of the
> Bodhisattva and less in the realm of human.
>
> All of us can experience this spiritual phenomenon directly. In the
> experience of energy or chi, I have learned that majority of our Chan
> practitioner are able to "sense" the discomfort of others after two to
> three years of dedicated sitting. Many actually become worried of this
> natural ability and afraid to get into crowded placed.
>
> Actually reaching this level requires dedicated sitting to purify
> oneself. Anyone who are able to reach this sensitivity should be
> congratulated to and not be afraid. The fact of the matter is, the more
> we are able to sense, undertake and process, the more powerful our chi
> will become.
>
> As we become more powerful, the more karmic force of other we can
> process. The more people we can help. Actually, the more people will
> come to us, naturally and instinctively.
>
> Merit is really just our innate ability to help others. The more people
> we can help to liberate from their sufferings, the more powerful our
> journey will be. And more we our spirituality is enhanced.
>
> In short, merit is nothing but a description for a necessary section of
> our entire journey. Without "sense, inspire and act" to others, we are
> just rationalizing, or bluntly, having an ego trip.
>
> Sutra say, "Respect sentient being. Absorb sentient being." In
> layman's language, "enter the mud to grow the lotus."
>
> As my Teacher always remind me, "everything can be experience. Once you
> experienced it, it is yours. You become the sutra and the Buddha.
> Otherwise, it is just a bunch of words."
>
> Thank you for your time to read this.
> JMJM
> Head Teacher
> Order of Chan
>
> --
> Be Enlightened In This Life - We ALL Can
> http://chanjmjm.blogspot.com
> http://www.heartchan.org
>
Thank you, JM.
Steve
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