乾县铁佛寺移动版

QUESTION: I have heard that meditation is widely used today by psychiatrists and psychologists. Is this true?

ANSWER: Yes,  it  is.  Meditation  is  now  accepted  as  having  a  highly  therapeutic effect upon the mind and is used by many professional mental health workers to help induce relaxation, overcome phobias, and bring out self-awareness. The Buddha's insights  into  the  human  mind  are  helping  people  as  much  today  as  they  did  in ancient times.

7. WISDOM AND COMPASSION

QUESTION: I often hear Buddhists talk about wisdom and compassion. What do these two terms mean?

ANSWER: Some religions believe that compassion or love (the two are very similar) is the most important spiritual quality but they fail to give any attention to wisdom. The result is that you can end up being a good-hearted fool, a very kind person but with little or no understanding. Other systems of thought, like science, believe that wisdom can best be developed when all emotions, including compassion, are kept out  of  the  way.  The  outcome  of  this   is  that  science   has  tended  to   become preoccupied with results and has forgotten that science is to serve humans, not to control and dominate them. How, otherwise, could scientists have lent their skills to develop the nuclear bomb, germ warfare and the like?   Buddhism teaches that to be a  truly  balanced  and  complete  individual,  you  must  develop  both  wisdom  and compassion.

QUESTION: So what, according to Buddhism, is wisdom?

ANSWER:  The  highest  wisdom  is  seeing  that  in  reality  all  phenomena  are incomplete,  impermanent,  and  not  self.  This  understanding  is  totally  freeing  and leads to the great security and  happiness which  is called  Nirvana.  However, the Buddha did not speak too much about this level of wisdom. It is not wisdom if we simply believe what we are told. True wisdom is to directly see and understand for ourselves. At this level then, wisdom is to keep an open mind rather than being closed-minded; listening to other points of view rather than being bigoted; to carefully examine facts that contradict our beliefs, rather than burying our heads in the sand; to be objective rather than prejudiced; and to take time about forming opinions and beliefs rather than just accepting the first or most emotional thing that is offered to us. To always be ready to change our beliefs when facts that contradict them are presented to us, that is wisdom. A person who does this is certainly wise and is certain eventually to arrive at true understanding. The path of just believing what you are  told  is  easy.  The   Buddhist  path  requires  courage,   patience,  flexibility  and intelligence.

QUESTION: I think few people could do this. So what is the point of Buddhism if only a few can practice it?

ANSWER: It is true that not everyone is ready for the truths of Buddhism yet.   But if someone were not able to understand the teachings of the Buddha at present then they may be mature enough in the next life. However, there are many who, with just the right words or encouragement, are able to increase their understanding. And it is for  this  reason  that  Buddhists  gently  and  quietly  strive  to  share  the  insights  of Buddhism with others. The  Buddha taught  us out of compassion and we should teach others out of compassion too.

QUESTION: Is there any role for faith in Buddhism?

ANSWER: According to some  religions a  person  is saved  by faith. That  is, they accept  the  truth  of  certain  theological  ideas,  this  pleases  the  supreme  being,  it creates a  relationship with this  being  and  he  responds  by  saving  the  person.  In Buddhism faith ( (责任编辑：admin)