法話：習慣が変われば、人生が変わる

Sermon: Koike Haruto's Musings "If you change your habits, your life will change - Habits are the Buddhist path". In Buddhism, there is a teaching called the Three Learnings. The Three Learnings are "Kei-gaku (the study of precepts), Joy Learning, and Wisdom Learning." Kei-gaku (the study of precepts) is the upholding of the precepts. Joy Learning is mental concentration. Wisdom Learning is the acquisition of wisdom to see things correctly as they are. By keeping the precepts, one can attain Joy, and by attaining Joy, wisdom emerges. The basis of everything is "keeping the precepts." Keeping the precepts plays a central role in Buddhism. "Precepts" comes from the Sanskrit word "sila." "Sila" means habits, morality, etc. It is important to practice good habits as a "promise" to the Buddha. There is a saying that "breaking the precepts is better than not having them." This means that "a person who has precepts and breaks them is better than a person who has no precepts (promises) at all." For example, if a person who has made a promise not to lie lies in the course of their daily life, they will reflect on it. They will regret breaking their promise, learn from their reflection, and be careful not to make the same mistake again. However, if a person does not have a promise not to lie from the beginning, they may not reflect on their lies and may not even realize that they have lied. In that sense, I think it is important to have a promise before you can keep a promise. The Buddha showed us ten promises that we should keep. These are the "Ten Good Precepts." They explain the ten commandments that we should not break. By repeatedly reciting these and making an effort to practice them, we can develop self-control. Why do we place so much importance on precepts? I think it is because Buddhism has the perspective that "the human mind is weak and imperfect." Buddhism, which places great importance on precepts, is sometimes perceived as a teaching that hampers individual freedom, like the supremacy of rules. Some may object, thinking that it is more important to be able to judge right from wrong by one's own intuition, without being bound by rules (rules). However, only a few exceptional people can discipline themselves by their own will and live life without hesitation. The minds of the majority of people are unconsciously designed to perceive things in a way that is convenient for them. In other words, perhaps the Buddha is teaching us that we should not trust our own minds too much. Herein lies the wisdom of Buddhism, which has continued to look deeply into our own minds. As we go through life, we often find ourselves caught up in various evil (self-centered) emotions. The cause of these emotions is the worldly desires of greed, anger, and ignorance. Everyone, without exception, has these worldly desires. Actions and words that arise from a mind infected with the worldly desires of greed, anger, and ignorance will inevitably produce regret, anxiety, and guilt. This will leave you feeling suffocated. The teachings of the precepts taught by the Buddha are a raft to help you cross the raging torrent of greed, anger, and ignorance. Precepts are not rules that can be forced on someone else. They are promises that you make with the Buddha. It is important to be prepared to improve yourself for your own sake by influencing yourself. It may take a special effort at first to keep your promise. However, by continuing to trust in the Buddha's teaching that "growth comes through repetition," bad emotions will be put on hold and good emotions will seep into your heart. I hope that each of you will reexamine your bad habits, think about what good habits are, and put them into practice. I'm sure it will lead to a sense of fulfillment every day. ************************************* ■If you would like to listen to this sermon on "Spotify", please click here https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh... [What is Spotify?] Spotify is a streaming service that allows you to enjoy music and audio libraries on the Internet. It is a distribution service that allows you to enjoy tens of millions of music and audio podcasts by creators around the world for free. "Koike Haruto's Essays" is also available on "Spotify". ************************************* [I give a sermon at Suma-dera Temple every month] Every month, I hold a goma prayer and sutra copying session on the 18th from 10:00, a goma prayer and a sermon session at the inner sanctuary on the 20th and 21st from 11:30, and a goma prayer and a sermon on the 21st from 14:00. [Suma-dera Official Site] http://www.sumadera.or.jp [Introduction to Suma-dera Fudo Goma-ku]    • 須磨寺 不動護摩供のご紹介   [Suma-dera "Suma Fire Festival ~ Shiba-to Dai Goma-ku Fire Walking Training ~"]    • 【須磨の火祭り ～柴燈大護摩供　火生三昧火渡り修行～】大本山 須磨寺   [Suma-dera: 46,000 Days of Miakari Kannon Lighting Ceremony]    • 須磨寺：四万六千日 みあかり観音 灯明会   [Suma-dera Musical Ceremony "Yone 2...