乾县铁佛寺移动版

ANSWER: Because of greed, fear and ignorance. As soon as people understand the Buddha's teachings they realize that a pure heart can protect them much better than bits of paper, scraps of metal and a few chanted words and they no longer rely on such things. In the teachings of the Buddha, it is honesty, kindness, understanding, patience, forgiveness, generosity, loyalty and other good qualities that truly protect you and give you true prosperity.

QUESTION: But some lucky charms do work, don't they?

ANSWER: I know a person who makes a good living selling lucky charms. He claims that his charms can give good luck, prosperity and he guarantees that you will be able to predict winning lottery numbers. But if what he says is true then why isn't he himself a millionaire? If his lucky charms really work, then why doesn't he win the lottery week after week? The only luck he has is that there are people silly enough to buy his magic charms.

QUESTION: Then is there such a thing as luck?

ANSWER: The dictionary defines luck as 'believing that whatever happens, either good or bad, to a person in the course of events is due to chance, fate or fortune.' The Buddha denied this belief completely. Everything that happens has a specific cause or causes and there must be some relationship between the cause and the effect. Becoming sick, for example, has specific causes. One must come into contact with  germs  and  one's  body  must  be  weak  enough  for  the  germs  to  establish themselves.  There  is  a  definite   relationship  between  the  cause   (germs  and  a weakened body) and the effect (sickness) because we know that germs attack the organisms  and  give  rise  to  sickness.  But  no  relationship  can  be  found  between wearing  a  piece  of  paper  with  words  written  on   it  and   being  rich  or  passing examinations.  Buddhism  teaches  that  whatever  happens  does  so  because  of  a cause or causes and not due to luck, chance or fate. People who are interested in luck  are  always  trying  to  get  something  -  usually  more  money  and  wealth.  The

Buddha teaches us that it is far more important to develop our hearts and minds. He said:

‘Being deeply learned and skilled, being well-trained and using well-spoken words; this is the best good luck.  To support your mother and father, to cherish your spouse and child and to have a simple livelihood; this is the best  good  luck.  Being  generous, just,  helping  your  relatives  and  being blameless in one's actions; this is the best good luck. To refrain from evil and from strong drink and to be always steadfast in virtue; this is the best good  luck.  Reverence,  humility,  contentment,  gratitude  and  hearing  the good Dhamma; this is the best good luck.’ Sn.261-6

10. MONKS AND NUNS

QUESTION: The monastic institution is an important one in Buddhism. What is the purpose of monks and nuns and what are they supposed to do?

ANSWER: The Buddha’s purpose in founding an order of monks and nuns was to provide an environment  in which spiritual  development would  be  easier. The  lay community provides monks and nuns with their basic needs – food, clothing, shelter, and  medicine  –  so  they  can  devote  their  time  to  the  study  and  practice  of  the Dhamma. The ordered and simple lifestyle of the monastery is conducive to inner peace and meditation. In return, monks and nuns are expected to share what they know with the community and act as examples of how the good Buddhist should live. In actual practice, this basic mission has sometimes been extended far beyond what the Buddha originally intended and today monks and nuns sometimes act as school teachers, social workers, artists, doctors and even politicians. Some have argued that taking such roles is alright if it helps to promote Buddhism. Others point out that by doing such things monks and nuns too easily get entangled in worldly problems and forget the purpose for which they went to the monastery in the first place. (责任编辑：admin)