中元節Hungry Ghost Festival

南禪朋友早安！

中元節

Hungry Ghost Festival

今天逢中元節，中元節期間的超渡是台灣的一個重要民俗信仰，但我們有時候又很矛盾的認為鬼是看不見、不存在的！

看不見、不存在的靈魂，卻要用一個很重要的節日來超薦、拜拜，這意義在台灣人心裡應該是重大的！

我在讀書會裡有講過，現在包括一些華人地區都在攻擊到底有沒有淨土宗的極樂世界，有些人更直指這是一場騙局！

我說：我親眼看過廣欽老和尚，我覺得他口中的極樂世界應該是在指祂自己修行構造成的道力福報，所以他在講祂的世界，而不是我們的世界與經歷。

Today is the Hungry Ghost Festival, a major event in the folk

 religion of Taiwan. The focus is on rescuing wandering ghosts from

 their unfortunate circumstances. It’s a popular festival, even though

 we often dismiss ghosts as imaginary beings.

However, the widespread belief in the existence of ghosts in Taiwan

 is borne out by the importance of this annual festival and all the time

 and money people put into ancestor worship.

It’s similar with the existence of other worlds, and in the book club

 we’ve discussed the debate in some Chinese communities as to

 whether or not the Western Pure Land actually exists, with some

 going so far as to dismiss it as a con game!

What I can say from my own experience is that I’ve met Master

 Guangqin, and my impression is that the pure land he spoke about is

 something that came about as a result of the powerful virtue he

 generated through his Buddhist Practice. So the pure land he spoke

 about isn’t really a part of our own experience, at least not at

 present.

 

所有的人都在講自己的經歷，不是嗎！？

如同我們對看不見的靈魂的尊敬，那為什麼要這樣做是民族性、文化性，還是個人的經驗使然！

一個有著高度文化的社會，一定有著許多精英份子，

一位佛法大德的出現，也有著代表性的意義，慶幸自己拜見過高僧大德，那是聖人的指標，「絕絕不帶世人文字的說謊描述」。

 

（更何況還有一個說法，「戰亂興淨土」請不要忘記戰爭的痛苦，人們心裡必須有的依靠，唸佛！）

 

想了解別人的經歷的時候最好爬到那一座山看看！我從不敢高估自己的人性，唸佛，是一定要的！

半寄

We can only speak from our own experience, isn’t it?

 

By the same token, if you believe in the existence of an invisible

 aspect of a human being, variously called a spirit, soul, ghost, etc., is

 it based on your own experience, or is it simply a belief you’ve

 inherited from the culture you grew up in?

 

In a cultured society, there will always be a few elites. The

 appearance of a great Buddhist sage is of  representative

 significance. I am glad that I have met some eminent monks,the

 models of saints.  Lies, belonging to the worldly languages, will

 never exist in the description/world of eminent monks.

 

As for the saying “The Pure Land is produced in the chaos of war,” if

 you are caught in a war zone, you’ll naturally look for something to

 rely on; nianfo!

 

To understand the experience of a true sage, you need to make the

 effort, and climb the same mountain he has climbed; only then will

 you get the same view.

 

I’ve never been one to over-estimate my ability; nianfo is essential! 

Master Ban Ji

 Translated by Ken Kraynak