【Going for Refuge to the Three Jewels】- The attitude when looking at Buddha images

Now that Buddha has passed into pari-nirvana, the only thing left in this world is Buddha’s image. This Buddha’s image, it does not matter if the image is a statue or a painting, or whether it is good or bad. The painting quality may be good or bad, but that is the difference in the skill of the craftsmen. However, the image of the Buddha itself is absolutely great. We should recognize it as such. Therefore, whether the image is a statue or painted, whether it is drawn well or not, we should absolutely not casually deride it, or to go as far as casually placeing the Buddha’s image in dishonorable places, to use it as a security, to pawn it, etc. This is absolutely not a monetary asset. Whenever you disrespect it, “belittle” - what is this “belittle” targeting at? That is whenever your mind has no respect towards it, that is when you belittle it ! This here does not just refer to you looking down on it, that is not the meaning. It is when you do not highly value it; even this should be eliminated.

What should you do then? Under any circumstance, one should hold this as the reverent field. This is what we should pay most respect to because it is the same as the great Teacher, just like the Buddha.

SOURCE 来源 :

46B 24’15” Vol 6 of Master Jih-Chang’s Discourse P204 L7
English Lamrim Vol 1 P194

日常师父法语📡46B 24’15”手抄稿第6册P204 L7

皈依 : 面对佛像的心态

现在佛已经涅槃了，目前唯一留在世间的就是佛像，这个佛像不管是雕塑的，或者是画的，不管是好、不管是坏，画得容或有好坏，那个是做的那个技术人员的差别，佛像本身绝对是好的，我们应该要这样地认识。所以不管他是雕塑的、是画的，画得好是不好，我们绝对不要随便地讥毁；乃至于把那佛像随便放在不恭敬的地方，或者押当等等，这个绝对不是个财产。这个凡是对它不恭敬，轻，「轻」是对什么？就是你心里面没有对它恭敬的时候，那个时候就是轻哦！不是说你根本瞧不起它，不是这个意思，你不看重它，这个都应该断除。

应该怎么办呢？应该任何情况之下，这个是敬田，这是我们最恭敬的，就像大师，就像佛一样。