寂静法师：信心的力量

Master Jijing: The power of faith

我们学习佛法，第一个最重要的是什么？就是信心。不是在于我们知道多少，懂得多少。知道多，懂得多，未必能起作用。能让佛法这种力量在我们心中起作用的，在我们生命中起作用的，在我们身体上起作用的，在我们事业上起作用的，就是信心。

When we study Buddhism, what do you think is the most important factor? It is faith. It doesn't lies in how much we know or understand. Even if you know a lot and understand much, it may not work. What can make the power of Buddhism function in our heart, in our life, in our body, and in our career, is faith.

经典里面也说到：佛法大海，信为能入，智为能度。也就说佛法就好像汪洋大海一样无边无际，那么怎么样才能进入呢？就是信心。没有信心就不能进入佛法。那么怎么样才能得度呢？通过信心进入不断学习，不断体会、修证，让智慧增长，心里明了，我们的烦恼就没有了，我们的灾难就没有了，我们知道人该怎么活了，知道怎样才是快乐的人生了，知道怎样远离苦难的人生了，我们就得度了。

There is description in the classic works, such as 'In the sea of Buddhism, faith enables you to enter, while wisdom enables you to travel through safely'. That is to say, Buddhism is like the boundless sea. However, how can we enter? By faith. If you don't have the faith, you can't enter the door of Buddhism. So, how can we travel through? With faith, you enter, and you keep on studying, experiencing, and correcting. You let the wisdom grow, and when your mind is clear, your worries disappear, your disasters disappear, you know how to live a happy life, and you know how to keep away from sufferings of life, therefore, you are saved

经典又告诉我们：信为道源功德母，长养一切诸善根。我们为什么修道？源于信。产生功德的根源是什么？也是信。没有这个信也就无法进入修道；没有这个信也就没法长养我们的功德，也没法长养我们其他的善根。善根分为什么？第一个就是信根，也就是信心，也就是信念，也就是信仰，没有这个信后面的四根它生不出来。有了信根就会生出精进根，有了精进根就生出念根，有念根生出定根，有定根生出慧根。因为慧根，我们得度。

There is also description in the classic works 'Faith is the mother virtue of teaching, which grows and raises all the good roots'. Why do we practise a teaching? It lies in faith. What is the root of virtue? It is also faith. Without faith, you can't enter teaching; without faith, there is no bed that can grow and raise our virtue, and let alone other good roots. What are the good roots classified into? The very first is the root of faith, i.e. courage, i.e. trust, and i.e. belief, without which, the other four roots can't grow. With faith, there will be the root of progress; with the root of progress, there grows the root of mind; with the root of mind, there grows the root of persistence; with the root of persistence, there grows the root of wisdom. Because of the root of wisdom, we can be saved.

我接触师父的法，最大的体会就是我的信心增长了，也体会到师父给我们讲的一切就是要生起信心。我们现在的念佛是本愿念佛，依靠佛的本愿产生力量，接引我们的冤亲债主、接引我们的老祖宗回归极乐。信是什么？信就是一个开关。各位都有手机，如果把手机关了，请问中国移动、中国电信、中国联通在哪里？永远收不到。当我们不生信心，我们就把心关了，就接收不到佛菩萨的慈悲，接收不到佛菩萨的功德，所以这个信至关重要。佛法为什么能起作用？为什么能改变命运？为什么能治愈我们的疾病？最重要的就是信。心一开就接受到佛的慈悲，心一关就接受不到佛的慈悲。有个别学佛的，学了几十年也不知道佛在哪里，为什么不知道佛在哪里呢？因为他没有把开关打开，也就是说没有在内心真正产生信仰。是不是这样啊？

When I got the teaching from my respected master, I experienced strongly that my faith grew, and I also experienced why all that we need to grow was faith. That we call Buddha now depends on our own will, and based on the power at Buddha's own will, our karmic creditors and our ancestors can return to the pure land. What is faith? Faith is like a switch. Every one of you knows mobile phone, and if you turn off the phone, where can you find China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom? You can never receive the signal. When we don't have the faith, we turn off our heart, so we can't receive the signal of mercy from Buddha and bodhisattvas, and we can't receive the merit from Buddha and bodhisattvas, therefore, faith is the key. Why can Buddhism work? Why can the fate be changed? Why can our diseases be cured? What really counts is faith. As long as you open your heart, you can receive the mercy from Buddha, and vice versa. Some Buddhists don't know where Buddha is even if they learn many years. Why? Because, he didn't turn on the switch, that is to say, he didn't have the real faith in his heart. Isn't it?

我的心，原来也信一点，但是那个开关开得不够，就好像门没有完全打开一样，说关他又没有关，说开他又没有完全敞开，所以透进我房间的阳光不是没有，而是很少。但接触师父的法以后，心开了，信增加了，所以佛光就照耀了，智慧就增长了，福报就增长了，法喜充满了。我想我们在座好多同修有共同的体会，参加了这个佛七以后，我们会发现我们和以前不同在哪里，就是信心的变化。因为信心的变化，我们在心理和生理方面有很大的改善，心情轻松了、开阔了，身体好多疾病也没有了。而且最重要的，有好多老菩萨说：对往生有信心，有把握了。过去我们听到一些方法，怎么样往生？很多老菩萨，越修越没有信心往生，越修越担心未来，有没有啊？所以我非常感恩上仁下焕师父把这个法带到我们这边来，更感恩我们的海山老和尚和方丈觉行大和尚慈悲的胸怀，宽广的胸怀，利益众生的胸怀，把仁焕师父请到我们这里来，让我们这一带的众生有福了。

For my own case, I had a little faith in Buddhism originally, but the switch was not fully turned on, it was like a half open door, not fully closed, while not fully open as well, so the sunshine that sprayed in my room was little, very little. But when I got my master's teaching, my heart opened, and my faith increased, therefore, I had enough light from Buddha; my wisdom increased, my blessings increased, and I am filled with bliss from Dharma. I believe many fellow practitioners around here have some common experience, and after we participated in this 7 Day Convention of Buddhism, we will find out the change from the past, which is the change of faith. Because of the change of faith, we improve greatly psychologically and physically---- we are more relaxed, our heart is more open, and many diseases in our body disappear. Most importantly, many old practitioners said they have faith in rebirth in the pure land, and they are secured. We have ever heard of some methods on how to be reborn into the pure land. Many old practitioners have less and less faith in it, and they are worried about their future more and more, right? So I appreciated respected Master RENHUAN for his bring this method to us, and many thanks to our Old Monk HAISHAN and Abbot Old Monk JUEXING for their merciful mind, broad mind, and a mind of how to benefit the beings. For their kindness, respected Master REN HUAN was invited to this temple, and the beings around have the bliss.

你们参加这个佛七得到好处没有啊？(大众：有！)要不要请仁焕师父再来？(大众大声回答：要！)大家有这样的呼声，我们慈悲、智慧、胸怀宽广的觉行大和尚早就为大家着想了，已经提前为大家祈请仁焕师父在今年再来我们这里。(大众热烈鼓掌)大家同意了，表现在掌声上，在呼声上，更重要的是我们要表现在信心上，表现在念佛上，要念出成果来，念出欢喜来，我想这样师父才欢喜到我们这里来，对不对啊？我们还要去改变自己，把缺点改了，把罪业忏悔了，把一些不好的习气、行为改了，影响到我们的家庭，影响到我们的团体，影响到我们的社会，用这种方法来报答仁焕师父不远千里来我们这里传法。

Have you benefited from this 7 Day Convention of Buddhism? (Audience: Yes!) Do you want to invite Master RENHUA to come again? (Audience answered loudly: Yes!) For your strong wish, our merciful, wise, and broadminded Old Monk JUEXING has considered about this earlier for you, and he has invited Master RENHUAN to come here again for us this year. (The audience applauded loudly) You agreed with your applause, voice, but most importantly your faith to chant Amitabha. I think if you can get good result in chanting Amitabha with happiness, master will be happy to come here, right? So we need to change ourselves, to get rid of our shortcomings, to repent for our sins. When we get rid of our bad habit, behavior, we can influence our family, our community, and our society, which is the best way to repay Master RENHUAN to teach us regardless of the long distance.

下次来啊，我们在方方面面都要有所改善。我想下一次如果来的话，大家先报告：我回去是如何影响家庭的。影响家庭不是回去就叫你家里人念佛，也不是回去就按着你的家人磕头，那样会起反作用。影响家庭是师父给我们开示的守本分，把自己做好。然后家人一看，唉，他怎么念了几天佛就变了呢？那个佛一定很好，我要准备信了。对不对啊？我们自己没有做好，就想叫别人做，那是不行的。

Next time when he comes, we should have progress in many aspects. I suppose next time when he comes, we make reports first on how we influence our family. To influence the family doesn't mean that you ask the family members to chant Amitabha as soon as you get back home, nor you ask your family members to bow, which can only cause negative influence. To influence the family in master's teaching means to play our own role, behave ourselves well. When our family members notice our change, they will wonder why he changes after learning Buddhism for a few days. He would think Buddhism must be very good, and he would plan to have a try. Isn't it? If we don't do well, how can we ask others to practise? That doesn't work if so.

记得我在行脚的路中，走到湖北枝江市，有一个女公务员，带着她老公(律师)，带着他的儿子(高一学生)，来加入到我的行脚当中。这个律师的老婆跟我说：“他老公最爱就是打麻将。”他跟着我走了一天，然后听我讲了一点，回去以后有个老板请他打麻将，他说：“我不打麻将了。”那个老板就说：“哟，跟菩萨走一天就变了！”我并没有叫他不打麻将，是他自己不打麻将的，我们要用行为来影响他，不是光用嘴巴来教别人。所以我们回去了要把学到的喜悦带给家人，要每天有笑脸，要欢欢喜喜的，赞叹别人，夸奖家人，这样家里人才知道我们学佛有变化，才知道我们不是迷信。所以啊，不要以为我们学佛学得很久就学得好，有时候学得越久越迷信，学得越久越糊涂，学了那么久结果没有得到利益，所以我们这次在佛会上得到各种各样的利益，真的要心怀感恩。

I remember during the course of my march, when I got to Zhijiang city in Hubei province, a lady joined my march with her husband and son. This lady told me that his husband loved playing mahjong very much. He walked with me for a whole day, and listened to some of my speeches. When he returned home, a boss invited him to play mahjong, and he said "I don't play mahjong again". The boss said" My goodness, you changed after walking with the bodhisattva only for a whole day!" In fact, I didn't ask him not to play mahjong, and it is he who was unwilling to play mahjong again. We should use our behavior to influence him, not teach with our mouth. Therefore, when we return home, we should bring happiness to the family members with smiles every day, admire and praise others pleasantly, then our family members will know that we change after learning Buddhism, and they will know that Buddhism is not superstition. So the level of learning Buddhism has nothing to do with time. Sometimes, the longer time, the more superstition, and more confusion, for you haven't got anything good although you have learnt for a long time. So we really feel grateful for this convention since we have benefited a lot so far.

我再给大家讲一个故事。在成都有一个公司叫华西生态集团，那个老板娘已经有一个小男孩了，她希望再生一个女孩，我说你就跟观音菩萨求啊，真的就求了个女孩。可是，在孩子出生以前，临产的时候，她住进了医院，医生一做B超，告诉她，孩子的心脏缺一块。这个妈妈就非常害怕，我知道了就给她打电话说：“你不要相信医生的，现在就相信我。”为什么相信我呢？因为我还是个和尚嘛——不看僧面看佛面。我叫她相信佛，可是佛又不会对她讲话，所以我没办法就叫她相信我，所以要理解啊。

Tell you another story. There is a company in Chengdu, and the boss had already had a son, but she still wanted to have a daughter, so I told her to seek help from Avalokitesvara, and she really conceived a girl. However, before the baby was born, she went to the hospital, and after careful check with b-ultrasound, the doctor told her, that there was a missing piece in the baby's heart. This mom was very frightened, and I called and tell her not to trust the doctor, but me now. Why me? For I am a monk---even not for my sake, but for the Buddha's sake. I told her to trust the Buddha, but since Buddha didn't speak to her, so it was difficult to make her believe me, so you should understand.

我就跟她讲很多例子，包括我身上的例子，我身上就有一个苦难，或者叫一个病，本来活得好好的，大家说去检查一下，我就去检查，一检查，指标就有问题，一看到有问题就害怕，一害怕就痛起来了，本来那个地方好好的，一点感觉都没有。后来痛了我十几年啊，这就是信心的力量，是坏信心的力量。我还给她讲了一些道理，然后说：“第一不要相信检查结果；第二，赶快念观世音菩萨，求菩萨保佑，让孩子赶快好起来。”我就拼命鼓舞她的信心，让她坚决不要相信检查结果，坚决依靠观世音菩萨。我跟她说：“比如现在有一群坏人，来到你们家门口，敲门了，你要不要开啊？(大众：不开。)你们太有智慧了，但是往往好多人就开门了，开了还说一句话：“请进。”所以坏人就进来了。我跟她说：“你坚决不承认检查结果就是不开门，听懂没有？”光不开门不行啊，因为坏人在外面可以用工具把门撬开，那你躲在屋里怎么办啊？这个事情我们仁焕师父开示过——打110。这边不开门，那边打110，两个方法就解决了。好好念观音菩萨就是打110。

I told her many cases, including the case in myself. I had a trouble, or disease. I lived well, but people asked me to have a check, then I went to have a check. I had a problem in the index after the check. I felt frightened at the problem, and felt painful. In fact, it was originally alright there and I didn't feel anything different. After the check, the pain lasted more than ten years, and this is the power of faith, for me, the power of negative faith. I also told her some truth, and said: "firstly, don't trust the result of the test; secondly, call the name of Avalokitesvara, pray for blessings to make the baby alright soon " So I just gave her courage, tell her not trust the result and trust Avalokitesvara firmly. I told her " It is like there is a gang of bad people at your door, knocking at your door, can you open the door or not?"(Audience: No.) You are so wise, but usually many people would open the door, and said "Come in, please" Thus, the bad people entered. I told her" That you don't confess the result means you don't open the door, understand?" But if you don't open the door and do nothing, that would be not enough, for the bad guys can prise the door open with tools, so what should you do staying indoors? For this, our Master RENHUAN have ever told us--- call 110. You don't open the door and call 110, and it solves the problem. So here, calling Avalokitesvara is calling 110.

我最后又给她讲：“你知道孩子的那块心脏干什么去了？”她说不知道啊。我说：“你孩子的心脏跑去念佛了，念完佛它就回来。”后来孩子好像第二天还是第三天就出生了。出生后，医生一检查，心脏没问题。出院的时候再检查，心脏有点杂音，我继续给她说：“坚决不开门，还打110。”

Finally, I told her: "Do you know where the piece of heart went?" She said no idea. I told her: "That missing piece went to call Amitabha, when it finished, it would come back." Later, the baby was born after 2 or 3 days. After her birth, the doctor gave her a check, and the result indicated there was nothing wrong with the heart. When there was another check after her leaving the hospital, the result indicated there was some noise in the heart, and I told her again: "Never open the door and call 110"

我们生病的有灾难的要记住哦，不开门：不要相信灾难。相信灾难，灾难就来，要相信佛。这个妈妈继续这样坐，坚决不相信，还打110：念观音菩萨。满月的时候再去检查，你们说结果好不好啊？好得很，完全没有问题，到现在可能已经一岁了吧，没有问题。前两天，妈妈还来了。所以讲这个故事就给大家讲：信心是有力量的。相信不好的，不好的就来；相信好的，好的就来。为什么我们念佛可以治病，因为我们相信佛，对不对啊？好，今天时间也到了，谢谢大家！希望大家充满信心，信愿念佛。阿弥陀佛！

When we are ill or have disasters, please remember, never open the door: don't trust disaster. If you trust it, there is disaster, so you should have faith in Buddha. This mom continued her work, never believed the bad result, and stuck to call 110---call Avalokitesvara. After the first full month of the baby's birth, they went for a check, what do you guess? The result was perfect---no problem at all. The baby is around one year old now. Only 2 days ago, the mom came. So that I told the story is to tell you that faith is powerful. If you have faith in negativeness, there is negativeness; if you have faith in positiveness, there is the positiveness. Why can we cure our disease by chanting Amitabha? Because we have faith in Amitabha, right? OK, time is up. Thank you very much! I hope you have full faith and will in chanting the name of Buddha. Amitabha!