【The Attitude of A Person of Small Capacity】- The most solid foundation – The monk’s vows (1)

【Misconception:Some say that if maintaining ethical discipline is for the purpose of achieving a rebirth in a happy realm, you can achieve this even by a one-day vow. So, why become a monk, which is a difficult life with little purpose?】

Some would say, “If one can maintain the vows well, he will not have to fall into the miserable realms. One can be reborn as a human or deity!” We may even go to the extent of saying, “You can go to Pure Land!” I am sorry. You do not have to be ordained to do this. Why? You can do this by doing a one-day vow. What is a one-day vow? That is the eight-vows, the eight-vows. Actually, for the point in reference here, you can accomplish that by maintaining the five vows. But the difference between the five vows and the monk’s vows, the degree of difficulty varies as greatly as comparing the heaven to earth. Since you are able to accomplish this by doing the five vows and the eight vows, why should you bother maintaining the monk’s vows? This is very difficult to maintain, extremely difficult! And for the result obtained, it seems just as small as the result obtained by the other way. So, to set out to do something so difficult and then to derive such slight benefit, why should you bother! There would seem no need for that.

Yes, if the purpose is obtain rebirth in a happy realm, then there is no need for that. Even if you wish to seek for Pure Land, you do not need this either. You can just frankly and impolitely shut your door, eat by yourself, and chant, “Amitabha Buddha, Amitabha Buddha....” You will just have to recite and that is all there is. To make a living in this world these days, it is too easy to do that! Why would you need to become ordained! So then, what else is there that you want? Some would say, “ Yes, yes, yes, we do not only want to be reborn as a human or deity!”

SOURCE 来源 :

66A 09’30” Vol 9 of Master Jih-Chang’s Discourse P41 L9
English Lamrim Vol 1 P263

日常师父法语📡66A 09’30”手抄稿第9册P41 L9

业果 : 最稳固的基础-比丘学处-1

【有作是说，护持尸罗，若是为办诸善趣者，则近事（编者按：藏文版原文为“近住”，暂保留，待考）等亦能获得，何须艰难，义利微少，诸苾刍等。】

有人说：你持戒持得好的话，他可以不堕落，可以得到人天身呀！乃至于我们现在说：喔唷，往生啊！对不起，这不需要出家。为什么？近住也能获得。“近住”是什么？就是八关斋戒，八关斋戒。实际上说的那一点，乃至于五戒都可以。那个五戒跟比丘戒，啊！这个难易差得天差地远。既然五戒、八关斋戒可以做到，你何必持这个比丘戒？这么 艰难，难极了！结果得到的呢，一样得到这么一个小小的。所以这么难地做，而得到的利益是这么少，你何必呢！不需要。

是，为了得到善趣的确不需要，乃至于你为了要求生净土也不需要。你老实不客气关起门来，自己在那儿吃饱了饭，“阿弥陀佛、阿弥陀佛……。”就念念就算了。现在这个时候要到世界上面赚一口饭吃吃，那太简单啦！你何必出家啊！那么进一步要什么呢？有人说：啊！对、对、对，不单单是要人天哪！