【Cultivating Ethical Behaviour】- The power of applying remedies - dependence upon images

【"Dependence upon images" means to make images of the Buddha once you have acquired faith in him.】

This is it. Oh-yo, this has very auspicious merits! There are great merits derived from making images of the Buddha. There is however one condition - to have acquired faith. This word, "faith," is very important! We all feel that we have faith. I don't dare to suppose you have it or not. But here is a standard of measurement which I use. What is this standard of measurement? You might want to try using it for yourself. Say you have offered this Buddha image in your room. You make excellent offerings and keep everything very tidy and clean. Yet when you run across the main shrine, you don't care for the images inside it. I am sorry. This type of faith is something you are using to deceive yourself. Do you understand the meaning of this? Do you understand the meaning of this? What is acting up at this time? It is the "subjective aspects of the self" that is acting up. "Mine!" It is because that it is my room so I keep it clean, but that is in the main shrine. If you believe in the Buddha, the main shrine is even more important! It should be the same when you see every similar object.

SOURCE 来源 :

63B 05’19” Vol 8 of Master Jih-Chang’s Discourse P240 L7
English Lamrim Vol 1 P253

日常师父法语📡63B 05’19” 手抄稿第8册P240 L7

业果 : 对治力-依形象-1

【依形象者，谓于佛所获得信心，造立形像。】

就这个。喔唷，这个有很殊胜的功德！所以塑造这个佛像功德很大，但是有一个条件—获得信心，这个信心两个字很重要喔！我们大家觉得我们有信心，我不敢说你们有没有，不过我有一个衡量的标准，衡量的标准是什么呢？你们不妨试试看：说我房间供了一个佛像，供得非常好，扫得干干净净，跑过大殿，你不去理它，对不起，你这个信心是骗你自己的。你懂不懂这个意思，懂不懂这个意思？你这个时候什么？是“我相”在作祟，“我的！”所以我的房间弄得干干净净，这个大殿的。你既然是信佛的话，大殿更重要啊！你看见任何一样东西，那是这样。