■Book 103 - The Great Spiritual Response Of Tantrayana
■Written by Master Sheng-yen Lu
■Preface
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Depending on the merit he has accumulated over his life, a person may be uplifted and be reborn at the eight happy conditions, namely, (1) rich and honourable among men; (2) in the heavens of the Four Deva Kings; (3) the Indra heavens; (4) Suyama heavens;(5) Tushita heaven; (6) Nirmannarati Heaven i.e. the Fifth Devaloka (7) Paranimita-vasavartin i.e. the Sixth Devaloka; (8) the Brahma-heavens.
Tian Tai Jie Shu considered the eight fields for cultivating blessedness as Buddhas; arhat (or saints);preaching monks (upadhyaya); teacher (acarya); friars; father; mother; the sick.
As far as I know:
Reverence-fields——Buddhas, arhats, and friars (or monks in general).
Grace-or gratitude-fields——preaching monks, teacher, father and mother.
Compassion-fields——the sick.
If we are able to pay respect to the above-mentioned and make offerings to them, we will be able to accumulate a lot of merit for ourselves this life.
Eight types of merits are mentioned in the Bramajala sutra:
1. to make roads and wells
2. canals and bridges
3. repair dangerous roads
4. be dutiful to parents
5. support monks
6. tend the sick
7. save from disaster or distress
8. provide for a quinquennial assembly
They are very relevant to the Chinese as a whole.
And yet some may consider the eight types of merits to be:
serving the three precious ones, i.e. the Buddha, the Law, the order, parents, the monks as teachers, the poor, the sick and animals.
while still others may regard the following as the eight types of merits:
the Buddha, the Law, the order, those who understand the law, those who take a long trip, those who move to a far-off place, hungry people, the sick.
Whichever way of consideration, the sick is always included in one of the eight merits. That is why we must be compassionate to sick people and make offerings to them.
Shakyamuni Buddha had high regards for the sick, he even said, \”From now onwards, if you want to make offering to me, you should begin with the offering to the sick.\”
\”It follows a Buddhist should make offering to the sick as if he is the Buddha. Looking after the sick will be the best amongst the eight merits. If any of our parents, teachers, monks, disciples is ill, is incapacitated in any way, or suffering from any sickness, we must look after him, until he is fully recovered. \” －－Brahmajala Sutra.
Buddha said a verse to a sick man who was about to die:
Recite the name of Buddha and do meditation,
You are sure to see the Buddha,
After you die, you will be reborn in front of the Buddha,
Now that you are about to die,
You must remember all the good deeds,
And manifest your true-self, and be emulated,
\”Following my advice and take refuge,
Then you are sure to see the Buddha light.\” ——Avatamsaka Sutra.
\”If you give medicine to a sick person who is cured, When you die, your will be reborn in the desire-heaven, and enjoy the five happiness. When your life in the heaven ends, if you are reborn as a human, you will be rich and famous.
If you see a filthy sick person who is about to die, and you give him honey and ice-water to stop his thirst, when you die, you will be reborn in the cooling heaven, and enjoy the bliss. When your life in the heaven ends, you will be reborn as a human being and will not suffer from thirst and hunger.——(Correct doctrine Sutra)
-To be continued-
