《光明的前進》(English version below)
衛塞節是紀念大聖佛陀救度眾生，貢獻於我們一切眾生的一種精神。
在這殊勝的日子，我們應該如何報佛恩呢？
如果寺廟中有慶祝大典，我們可以去參加，一起共襄盛舉。但妳你要確定，那座寺廟是有真正修持守戒的出家人在修。
在衛塞節當天，我們可以在家中先沐浴齋戒。所謂的沐浴，就是要洗頭、洗臉、洗身體、洗手、洗腳，從頭到尾洗到乾淨，然後著清淨衣服。清淨衣服並不是說你一定要去買新的，而是洗過、曬乾的衣服也可以。然後端坐在蒲團或客廳的沙發，面對自家供奉的釋迦牟尼佛像，或法相卡，合掌或拔珠恭唸：「南無本師釋迦牟尼佛」。
最好是唸1080遍。
我們要先唸經，心經或高王觀世音真經等等，再唸懺悔偈三遍：往昔所造諸罪業，皆由無始貪嗔癡，從身語意之所生，一切我今皆懺悔。
那一天你消掉的業障，一定是很多的，而且福德功德也加一百倍。講句世俗話，多划算啊！
祂還能除掉很多業障，因為祂乃是大聖佛陀，是消業本尊，祂的加持力，祂的一個灌頂，一下來就是無與倫比。祂的另一個稱呼是功德王也，顧名思義，祂的修行功德力有多麼的殊勝跟偉大。
修法之後，我們不要趕忙地起身。每當修法之後，給自己十分鐘到十五分鐘的時間靜坐冥想，心裡想著南無本師釋迦牟尼佛綻放著黃金光照向自己。
出定之後，趕快回向，將妳你這壇修法功德迴向：弟子／信女，某某某，願以此壇修法功德迴向給父母早日有佛緣，聽聞佛法，修習佛法，改過遷善，仁人愛物，利己利他，真實地離苦得樂。
我們要先報答父母恩。
但不要以為我們把功德迴向給另一人時，我們什麼都沒有。不是的，因為法畢竟是妳你修，一定是妳你拿的比較多。對方只是拿三十巴仙，而你是拿七十巴仙。
然後，自己向佛陀懺悔，坦言自己以往所犯的過失。如果擔心別人會聽到，可以默默地在心中說。
南無本師釋迦牟尼佛，偉大的大聖佛陀，弟子／信女，某某某，現在披露懺悔，然後就述說妳你從小到大所做的錯事，如偷東西、罵髒話、頂撞父母、騙過人、陷害過人、犯淫、偷情等等。
妳你可以很坦誠地向佛陀說，不用擔心別人會聽到。
記得一定要懺悔，在諸法當中，懺悔是很大很大的法。如果整個修法當中，沒有懺悔，這個法是不完整的。懺悔是所有宗教的一個共法，所有正信的宗教都是教我們要先懺悔己過。
懺悔就是要還淨，洗滌妳你的罪言。猶如一件很骯髒的衣服，千萬不要錯過一個這麼好，能夠洗滌我們業障的大好法緣。
衛塞節是我們佛教教主的日子。祂是大慈大悲的，祂一定能夠放光照我們，洗掉我們的業障，還能夠增加我們的福德跟功德。非常非常殊勝！
記得我們浴佛時，要觀想，我們外在淋在浴佛的淨水，也流入我們身心，我們累世的惡業化爲黑煙黑氣，從我們身上八萬四千個毛細孔散發出去。我們的業障不只一世而已，而是很多很多世了。我們的樣子本來很莊嚴，而不是這個樣子。
玳瑚師父在此祝所有讀者粉絲們衛塞節快樂。🙏
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Vesak Day commemorates the Great Sage Lord Buddha and His spirit of contribution to all sentient beings. On this auspicious day, what can we do to repay the Buddha's great kindness?
If there is a celebratory event at the temple, we can join the celebration. But first be sure that this temple is one with monks practising authentic Dharma and upholding the precepts.
On Vesak Day, we can take a bath at home and refrain from taking meat. Taking a bath means to clean your body from head to toes, and changing into clean clothing. The clothes may not necessary be new but it must be clean and dry. After that, you can sit on a praying mat or a sofa, facing the statue or thangka of Lord Buddha Sakyamuni. With both palms clasped facing each other, or holding a string of chanting beads, chant respectively the following: Namo Ben Shi Shi Jia Mo Ni Fo.
It is best to chant 1080 times.
We must first recite a sutra. It can be the Heart Sutra, the High King Sutra or a sutra of your choice. Then recite the Repentance verse thrice:
The evil karmas I have done with my body, speech, and mind are caused by greed, anger, and delusion, which are without a beginning. Before Buddhas I now supplicate for my repentance.
On this day, your negative karma will be greatly reduced, and your merits increased a hundred-fold. In mortal words, what a bargain!
Lord Buddha is the Principal Diety of the removal of karmic hindrance. That is why we get to be cleansed of our karmic hindrances on this day. His empowerment is ultimate. Another way to address Lord Buddha is the King of Merits. As the name speaks for itself, the merits generated from His spiritual cultivation is second to none.
After the spiritual cultivation session, do not get up immediately. Instead, give yourself 10 to 15 minutes in meditative silence, visualising brilliant golden rays from Lord Buddha illuminating yourself.
After you are done with this, do a merit dedication: May the merits from this session be dedicated to my parents, that they may have affinity with the Buddha, to hear and practice the Dharma, to repent for their misdeeds, to treat people and things with benevolence, to benefit themselves and others, and attain true bliss and free of sufferings.
We must repay the kindness of our parents first.
But don't think that with this merit dedication to another, you are left with nothing. It does not work this way. You are the one who did the actual cultivation, and that will give you 70% of the merits, with the other party getting the remaining 30%.
After which you confess your past misdeed to Lord Buddha. You may do it in silence if you are worried others might hear.
O Lord Buddha, I, so-and-so, now sincerely repent for my past misdeeds, such as stealing, foul-mouthed, rebuke parents, cheating, sexual misconduct, etc.
You can be honest to Lord Buddha and no need to fear others eavesdropping on you.
Please remember that Repentance is an important and powerful Dharma. If there's no Repentance during your spiritual cultivation, the practice would be incomplete. Repentance is present in all religions. All authentic religions will teach its believers to repent for their own misdeeds.
Repentance is to return to your original pure nature, to be cleansed of your sins. It is like washing a very dirty piece of clothes.
Do not miss this good opportunity to cleanse our karmic hindrances.
Vesak Day is the day of Lord Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. His compassion is all all encompassing and His Light will illuminate us and cleanse us of our negative karma as well as increase our merits. What an auspicious day!
Remember this when you bath the Buddha's statue. Even as the water runs down the statue externally, the pure water also cleanse our inner self of negative karma accumulated over many lifetimes. These become black smoke and emits from the eighty-four thousand pores all over our body. We are then cleansed of karmic hindrances, not just from this lifetime but from many many previous lives. We used to be regal-looking and not like what we are now.
Master Dai Hu wishes all my fans and readers a Happy and Blessed Vesak Day. 🙏
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Video music: Imperial Dynasty by Derek Flechter
