Buddhist Life", a topic that Shakyamuni Buddha himself preached many times, but specifically and clearly in the Suttas the Buddha taught his son Rahula, after Rahula. ordained. This sutra was engraved on the Bhàbrà inscription by King Asoka, fourth century BC, calling on all monastics and lay Buddhists to recite and read this sutra. We are not the Buddha's sons like Rahula, but we are all spiritual children of the Buddha. The loving and wise words of the Buddha. The sincere and wise teachings of the Buddha to Rahula, nearly three thousand years ago in India, are also the teachings for all of us, Vietnamese Buddhists, monastics as well as in Vietnam. family, male and female, young and old. Today, on the solemn occasion of Buddha's birthday, Let's reflect together on the Buddha's teachings on the religious life, the Buddhist way of life. The Buddha said: "Hey, Rahula, what do you think? What is the purpose of the mirror?" Rahula replied: "World-Honored One, the purpose is to reflect." “In the same way, the Buddha said: 'Rahula, after reflecting many times, practice bodily karma; after reflecting many times, practice verbal action; after reflecting many times, practice mental karma. . The religious lifestyle is a way of life that is always reflective, not drifting, not liberal. The mirror that the Buddha said is not a mirror to look at his face, but a mirror of his soul that reflects whether his thoughts, words and deeds are compatible with the religious lifestyle; Buddhist lifestyle, ie as the Buddha taught Rahula, is harmful or not harmful to you; to people, beneficial or unprofitable, for themselves and for others, to bring happiness or cause suffering and unhappiness for themselves and others. Why does the Buddha advise us to reflect many times? This is due to the evolution of karma, which can be divided into three stages: the first stage is the stage of using the mind, also called attention. Usually, we call it will. For example, today is Buddha's Birthday. But right from yesterday and before, someone had the intention to go to the temple today to pay homage to the Buddha, listen to the lecture, do many Buddha works and other good deeds. But there are also those who are probably just a very few on the occasion of Buddha's Birthday, who want to go to see fortune-telling, see math, hope to "go to the bridge" for a trip to develop wealth and fortune. Even in this stage of will, we also have to reflect, have to consider whether it is right or wrong, suitable or not in accordance with the religious life, the Buddhist way of life. whether it is beneficial to oneself and to others, brings happiness or causes suffering, for oneself and for others or for both. If during the period of your will, you reflect and think that on Buddha's birthday, it is inappropriate to go to the fortune-tellers to see maths, to set a bad example of superstition for your wife, children, relatives, friends and other people, then Please resolutely give up that desire. On the contrary, for the desire to go to the temple, worship the Buddha, listen to lectures, do many Buddha works and other good deeds. If you think that that will is good and brings peace to yourself and others, now and in the future, you should resolutely carry out that will, but also for the sake of the vast majority. You had such good intentions, so today we have the good fortune to preach in such a large and enthusiastic assembly. If everything we do, every word we say, All our thoughts are carefully considered right from the moment of will, as the Buddha taught Rahula, how many mistakes, crimes and misfortunes would not have happened in the world full of this pain. The Buddha said: "Rahula, if, while reflecting, you know, 'This body action I want to do, this bodily action of mine may lead to self-harm, may lead to harm to others, may lead to both. This bodily karma is unwholesome, leading to suffering. Such a bodily karma, Rahula, you definitely should not do it. If, after reflection, one knows: "This bodily action I want to do, this bodily action of mine cannot lead to self-harm, cannot lead to harm to others, and cannot lead to harm at all, Rahula. Second, this body-karma is good, leads to peace, and brings about peaceful retribution. Such a bodily kamma is wholesome, Rahula, you should do." The second stage is the phase one has started to do, is doing. Even at this stage, the work phase is happening, we still continue to reflect: whether this is right or wrong with our religious and Buddhist lifestyles, will it cause damage to ourselves or to others? Does the other person, for both, or vice versa, bring peace to yourself, to others, to both? If through reflection, it is deemed that it is not harmful to ourselves, to others, or to both, then let us resolutely continue to do that, despite difficulties and obstacles. Just like today, you joyfully come here to worship the Buddha, listen to the Dharma lecture, do many good deeds and Buddha activities, in your heart you will feel peaceful, happy, and their wisdom will increase. If you think that's right, then feel free to continue doing it, on this Buddha's Birthday as well as on other Buddha's holidays, or whenever possible. On the contrary, there are things that you are doing, in progress, but in the process of doing, you consider that it is not beneficial for you, for others, or for both, even if the initial intention is good. Also, you should stop doing it right away. The Buddha taught Rahula that: "Rahula, when you are doing a bodily kamma, you should reflect on that bodily kamma as follows: This body karma I am doing, this body karma of mine leads to self-harm. , causing harm to others, causing harm to both, this body karma is unwholesome, leads to suffering, brings suffering retribution. O Rahula, if while reflecting, you know that the bodily karma you are doing is unwholesome, then you should give up such a bodily kamma. But if, Rahula, while reflecting, You know this: the bodily karma I am doing now does not lead to self-harm, does not lead to harm to others, does not lead to harm to both, at that time this bodily kamma is good, leads to happiness, brings happy retribution, Such personal karma, Rahula, you must continue to do it." Stage three is the stage when something has been done. We also need to reflect on whether or not what we have done is in accordance with the religious and Buddhist way of life, whether it causes damage or not to ourselves and others, whether it causes damage or not to both of us. , bring peace and happiness or not for yourself and for others or for both. If we reflect and realize that what we have done has caused harm to ourselves and to others or to both, then we must sincerely repent, honestly confess our mistakes to the guru or to others. fellow practitioners, fellow believers. After that, make up your mind not to do such a harmful deed from now on. But if, through reflection, we realize that what we have done is in line with our religious and Buddhist lifestyles, bringing happiness and peace to ourselves and others, or to both, then we are really happy. , ready to do it again, as many times as possible, for the sake of his own happiness and that of others. The Buddha himself recommended that Rahula should do the same, after each of his actions: "O Rahula, after you have done a body karma, you need to reflect on that body karma as follows: "This bodily action I have done, this bodily action of mine that leads to self-harm, to harm to others, to the harm of both, then this bodily kamma is unwholesome, leads to suffering, brings suffering's retribution, If, while reflecting, you, Rahula, know the following: This bodily action I have done, leading to self-harm, to harming others, to harming both, then this bodily kamma is unwholesome, leading to suffering, bringing the result of suffering. Such a bodily kamma, Rahula, you need to speak up about, to reveal, to present to your gurus, or to wise fellow Brahmans. Having said, revealed, presented, it is necessary to protect in the future”. “Again, if while reflecting, Rahula, you would know the following: This bodily action I have done, does not lead to self-harm, does not lead to harm to others, does not lead to harm to both. This is wholesome, leading to happiness, and bringing about peaceful retribution. Therefore, Rahula, your family must dwell in joy, cultivating by yourself day and night in wholesome dharmas." For every act of the body, that is, bodily karma, whether it is a will, or while doing it, Or, after it was done, the Buddha advised Rahula as well as all of us Buddhists to be alert to consider, whether it is good or bad, if it is good, then practice day and night to grow. those good deeds. And if it is unwholesome, then also try day and night to give up, eliminate, guard against, repent, repent, so that those unwholesome dhammas are never committed again. Not only with respect to actions in the body, but also with words, for every thought that sprouts in our mind, the Buddha also advises us to reflect and consider whether it is good or bad. If it is wholesome, then learn to promote growth; if it is unwholesome, then strive tirelessly to eliminate and eliminate. And only after so many reflections on our deeds, words, and thoughts can we gradually come to the place where all our three karmas, bodily karma, Vocational and mental karma gradually become clean and bright, completely in line with the religious and Buddhist lifestyles. We, gradually, strictly follow the Buddha's teachings, as recorded in the Dhammapada: "Do not do all evil, Accomplish good deeds, Keep your mind pure, The Buddhas themselves teach". Keeping the mind clean should be the constant and top concern of all of us Buddhists, monastic or layperson. Why? Ladies and gentlemen, this is because, normally, people think first, then speak, then act, all of us keep in mind verse I of the Dhammapada: "Mind takes the lead over the Dharmas, the mind masters, and the mind is the master. If, with a defiled mind, Speaks or acts, Suffering follows, Like the wheel of a cart." That is, the mind is unwholesome, dirty, full of greed, hatred, and delusion, then speech and action with Such a mind will also be unwholesome, unclean, full of greed, hatred, delusion, and bring painful retribution. On the contrary, as the Dhammapada says: "If with pure mind, Speak or act, Bliss follows, Like a shadow that does not leave the picture." The religious way of life, the Buddhist way of life, is a way of life with a pure mind. That is the way to live a happy life. A happiness that I created for myself, brought to myself, not anyone else, even my parents, relatives could not do it. That is the meaning of verse 43 in the Dhammapada: "What parents, relatives and relatives cannot do, with the right mind can do, do better!". The main direction is the good mind, the good mind, the pure mind. On the contrary, a person with an unwholesome mind is also the most unhappy person in the world, a misfortune even greater, more terrifying than the evil that the enemy brings to him. The Dhammapada says: "A wrongful family harms an unjust family, An enemy harms an enemy, Not equal to an evil mind, Do evil to yourself". Why does the Dhammapada say so? This is because the unwholesome mind is the enemy within, the enemy that harms insidiously, so it is also the most feared enemy. Someone asked the question: How to keep the mind always pure and wholesome? How to keep the mind from thinking evil, thinking unwholesome? How can we not be greedy for hatred and delusion, less greedy for anger and delusion, even though we still know that greed, hatred and delusion is wrong and suffering? It is a very legitimate question, the Buddha once said: "Trouble for mankind!" (Kandakara Sutra, Central Division II Sutra 51). There are people who know that smoking is harmful but still smoke, know that drinking alcohol is harmful but still drink. That is the power of habit, a terrifying force. Just like a person walking forever in the morning dew, the shirt will always absorb the dew. How many days do I have to dry my shirt to dry? The same goes for the human mind. The mind of a person who thinks evil or thinks good becomes a habit. But having become a habit, especially a bad habit, must also be elaborate and take time to get rid of. First of all, you have to create a good environment for yourself with good environments and good intellectuals, as the Buddha's books often say. In the Sutra of the Manchurian Sutra (the Central Sutra No. 110), the Buddha clearly introduces us to what is the life of an unwholesome person. An unwholesome person is a person who is full of unwholesome qualities, such as no faith, no shame, no fear, little hearing, laziness, lack of mindfulness, and lack of wisdom. An unwholesome person thinks like an unrighteous person, thinking harms himself, thinking harms others, thinking harms both. An unwholesome person speaks like an unrighteous person: Lies, speaks two-toned words, speaks cruelly, speaks frivolously. An unwholesome person acts like an unrighteous person, killing living beings, taking what is not given, engaging in sexual misconduct. Thus, with the above definitions we know immediately what is an unwholesome person and help us to avoid becoming an unwholesome person. Buddhists often come here to worship Buddha, listen to lectures, read Buddhist books, talk about morality together, do Buddhist works and good deeds, that is to create for themselves a good environment to eliminate bad thoughts and arise. good thoughts, good thoughts. It is difficult for one person to do, or it is difficult for a beginner to do it. But if there is an organization, many people work together and do it many times, get used to it, then the hard work will be completed well. We have a good environment, we have good friends, we still have to work on ourselves. The Sutra of An Abode (Sutta 20, Central Sutra 1), teaches us how to make the right effort to cultivate good thoughts and eliminate bad thoughts. The Sutra of An Abode says there are five measures in all: — The first measure: is to banish evil thoughts with good thoughts. For example, use the concept of compassion to dispel the thought of anger. The Buddha used the simile of a skillful carpenter who uses a good wedge (good thought) to knock another wedge (evil thought). — The second measure: Is to reflect on the harmful consequences of bad thoughts that will lead to crime and punishment. It is like an observer who sees that he is wearing a dead dog's body around his neck, and is afraid to throw it away. Just like today, smokers think that smoking can cause them and their children (smells the smoke) to get cancer, get scared, and quit smoking. — The third measure: is to try, forget evil thoughts, stop thinking about it. The Buddha took the example of a person who closes his eyes to avoid seeing something that can motivate him to do evil. — The fourth measure: is to stop the stream of evil thoughts, let it reduce its power. The Buddha used the example of a person running, turning to walk, then standing, then sitting, then lying down. I can use the example of smoking to illustrate the Buddha's words. An addict, seeing a pack of cigarettes, immediately took it, drew a match, lit it, and took two or three breaths. Now that you see the cigarette pack, don't take the bag, and when you have the bag, don't take out the cigarette, when you've pulled out the cigarette, don't light the match, or if you've lit the match, don't take a breath, etc... Because, every time we stop like that, we can all reflect, remember the doctor's advice about how tobacco causes cancer, the message of how expensive smoking is, etc. so you can stop smoking. — The fifth measure: is to use will, energy to control evil thoughts, not to let it arise. The Buddha's example is that a strong person falls and a weak person falls. The above are five measures to control and eliminate evil thoughts, taught by the Buddha in the Sutra "An Abode". Those are practical and concrete teachings that everyone can apply in their daily lives. One thing we need to keep in mind is that all thoughts are impermanent, whether good or bad, if it is not nourished by the corresponding thoughts and especially the corresponding deeds. I take the example of a smoker's concept of smoking. That smoking mindfulness is nourished by thoughts such as that smoking is harmless, smoking is more innovative, smoking one cigarette can shorten life by a few seconds but laughing once can increase life by seven seconds, and so on. If we don't nurture the concept of smoking with such thoughts, on the contrary, we oppose it and eliminate it with such thoughts as smoking causes cancer, smoking harms the lungs, smoking costs money, etc. then the thought of smoking may gradually no longer dominate us as before. And we can proceed to quit smoking without difficulty. One more thing, we also need to keep in mind that good thoughts are generally stronger than bad thoughts, just as light is stronger than darkness. Evil thoughts can influence us because we do not know it is evil. If it can be recognized as evil, it will naturally disappear. That is why, the Buddhist scriptures advise us to always be mindful and alert, knowing clearly what we are thinking, saying, and doing, and whether those thoughts, words, and deeds are good or bad. peace or suffering for themselves and for others. Some people think evil without knowing they are evil. It is very difficult for such a person to practice abandoning evil and doing good. Just as there are people who do good without knowing that they are doing good, it is very difficult to develop good. The life of a Buddhist must be a sober life, knowing that good is good in order to promote the inherent good, learn the good things that you do not have. At the same time, we must also know that evil is evil to eliminate the evil we have committed and to guard against evil that has not yet arisen. In short, increasing the inherent good, learning the good things that are not there, giving up the inherent evil, avoiding the evil that is not yet: that must be the diligent lifestyle of all of us Buddhists. That is also the definition of the word "Right Effort", Sammà andyama, in the Eightfold Path that the Buddha advised all of us Buddhists to practice. “The noble disciple lives diligently, giving up unwholesome dharmas, accomplishing kusala dhammas, striving with perseverance and diligence, not relinquishing the burden of wholesome dhammas.” Above, we have said to use good thoughts to drive away evil thoughts. You may ask what kind of good thought it is? The Buddhist sutras often teach the practice of the "Eight Right Paths" by means of right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, and eight methods to create a perfect human being. Eight methods of building a perfect Buddhist lifestyle, practical application in real life. A person of good will must of course be a person with right views, right thoughts, right language, right three karmas, right livelihood, right thoughts, and right meditation. chief. How wrong it is for someone to accuse us of Buddhism as destroying all human emotions, as inhumane! On the contrary, it can be said that Buddhism is the most humane religion because it helps people to strive to become perfect human beings. the saints in this world, who most fully and perfectly converge the virtues of compassion and wisdom. Humans have great wisdom and love (compassion): that must be the striving direction of all of us, because that is the model, of a perfect human from the Buddhist point of view. That is a specific direction of striving, nothing is far-fetched. The Buddha and many generations of his enlightened disciples prove that perfect human being is not a utopian structure but has been, is, will be living, real people if you try. strive to follow the Noble Eightfold Path that the Buddha outlined. The immortal value of Buddhism is that it outlines a specific path to help each of us become a perfect human being, a person who lives happily and freely, an exemplary human being of wisdom and love. wide. That is also the message that the Buddha left us: the message calling on all of us to strive to become perfect human beings, people liberated from the three poisons of greed, hatred and delusion, people with liberated minds and liberated wisdom, worthy of being Buddha's disciples, the spiritual offspring of the Buddha. In this world full of hatred, let us live without hatred, let's set a shining example of a life full of love. In this world filled with darkness, the darkness of the threat of war, and the immoral way of life, let us light the lamp of wisdom, understanding and sympathy. Society does not look at us, judge us by Buddha books and Buddha statues, but look at us, judge us by our specific person, by our concrete actions and words, represent or contradict the Buddhist ideas of compassion and wisdom. The Buddha too, he looked at us and judged us not by statues, pictures of Buddha, by whether Buddha's books recorded whether his words were true or not, but by the specific daily lives of Buddhist monks and nuns we have. It's really a religious life, a Buddhist life or not. If indeed, we live, behave, act according to the Buddha's teachings, then even though the Buddha entered Nirvana three thousand years ago, he is always beside us, following the instructions. , encourage us. On this solemn Vesak day, we hope that is what we all believe, and that we will all live by it. Wish you all enjoy a Buddha's birthday full of Compassion and Wisdom.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=BUDDHIST DHARMA WHEEL GOLDEN MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.29/5/2022.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.