The world of Tzu Chi February 2021(Vol.131)

2021 • 02 50 harma W hether we are lay practitioners or monastics, as we learn and practise the Buddha’s teachings, we must uphold the Bodhisattva-precepts. We all possess the Three Treasures in our nature, which is no different from the Buddha’s. Therefore, we all have the potential to attain Buddhahood. Protect the Five Roots to attain virtue and merits The Buddha said: “ Bhiksus ! Since you have all heard the Buddha-Dharma REFRAIN ONE’S MIND CHAPTER 3 Bhiksus, since you uphold the precepts, you must control the Five Roots and never let them loose and allow them to enter into the Five Desires. This is like a cowherd who holds a rod and watches the cattle in order to keep them from escaping and damaging others’ crops. If you do not control the Five Roots, not only will the five desires have no limits and be impossible to restrain, they will be like a wild horse that, if not bridled, will cause the rider to fall into a pit. If you are robbed by a thief, the suffering lasts a single lifetime. However, the misfortune caused by the Five Roots affect lifetime after lifetime. The harm they cause is severe, so you must be careful. For this reason, the wise restrain their Five Roots and do not follow them; they hold them as if holding a thief, and never let them run loose. If one lets them loose even for a moment, before long, one will witness destruction. The mind is the master of the Five Roots, so you must all control your minds well. The mind is more terrifying than a poisonous snake, a ferocious beast, a vile thief or a great fire; nothing compares to it. It is like a person with a honey pot in his hand; impatient and eager, he sees only the honey, but fails to notice the deep pit. It is like an elephant on a rampage or a monkey swinging through the trees; it cannot be tamed. You must quickly subdue it, and not let it run wild. Those who fail to control their mind lose their ability for goodness; if they are able to focus their mind, there is nothing they cannot achieve. Thus, bhikshus, you must diligently advance and tame your mind.