XNUMX. The division of responsibilities and obligations of the seven disciples
XNUMX. The division of responsibilities and obligations of the seven disciples
When the Buddha was alive, he once instructed the seven disciples of the Buddha to help each other and cooperate so that the Dharma could live for a long time. The monks must be responsible for the inheritance of the Tathagata's family business. .Buddhist disciples are largely divided into five groups of monks, monks, nuns, novices, and novice nuns.The monk is the head of the seven groups, leading the seven groups of disciples to jointly shoulder the responsibility of the inheritance of Buddhism.Bhikkhunis are the second monks, and they also shoulder the responsibility of spreading the Dharma and benefiting students.Shichunni, novice, and novice are small groups, and they must fulfill their duties of serving teachers and concentrating on learning the Tao.The main duty of the lay male and female lay persons is to protect the Three Jewels.Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis are both responsible for the inheritance of the Tathagata's family business, and they should respect each other and have a relationship like brothers and sisters.The same is true for monks and lay people. Although there are differences in status, the spirit of equality of all living beings is not lost, and the relationship between them is inseparable from the spiritual principle of mutual respect. Only in this way can a harmonious and mutually helpful relationship be established between them.
According to the precepts, bhikkhus and nuns do not live together. Each has a permanent sangha, and they conduct their own way. Men should rely on the monk master to live together to study the Fa, and women can only rely on the monk master to live together to study the Fa. In the practice and study of the Dharma, there is no need for monks and nuns to practice together, but nuns must ask bhikkhus for advice every half month, just like asking their elders for assistance and guidance on a regular basis to help improve their karma. The teachings of master monks who stop shaving are the main ones.Between monks and nuns, according to the precepts, the opportunity to practice together or perform tasks is rarely necessary. Both male and female sanghas should conduct their own ways and shoulder the responsibility of inheriting the Dharma. This is the model formulated by the Buddha.There are many sanghas today where monks and nuns live and practice together. This is a very inappropriate phenomenon. Not only does it seriously hinder each other's pure practice, but for nuns, there will be more obstacles to the improvement of Taoism. Most of them can only stay at the level of cultivating blessings. Except for their different identities and images, what they do is not much different from that of the lay family.Especially the co-living between men and women, it is difficult not to cause more emotional or physical obstacles, unless there are real masters, great virtues, old monks and abbots, whose mighty virtue is enough to shock the disciples. Anxiety and habits are qualified to open the fate, otherwise it will easily cause more troubles in the practice, which is not a good thing for both men and women.In particular, women who become monks must clearly recognize their duties and obligations to become monks. First of all, they must get rid of the habit of relying on men in terms of mentality. It seems that if they are born women, they must rely on men. There is a saying that yin and yang are in harmony, but for monks who want to practice the holy life, they should no longer distinguish between men and women, and should share the heart and conduct of a man. It is not easy to walk on the right path.
As for the disciples of the two members of the family, they should also keep a proper distance from the teachers and teachers they are close to and support. Especially between men and women, they must strictly observe the precepts. In the holy life, everyone must work together to protect each other's precepts. This is the true relationship between good teachers and good friends.In terms of protecting the Dharma, one should use all one's financial resources and abilities to make offerings of internal and external wealth, so as to repay the Three Jewels of kindness and the heart of fulfilling one's duties and obligations to protect the Dharma.The division of the relationship between the seven groups of people must be able to advance and retreat well, achieve mutual success, and have faults when they go too far.
According to the precepts, bhikkhus and nuns do not live together. Each has a permanent sangha, and they conduct their own way. Men should rely on the monk master to live together to study the Fa, and women can only rely on the monk master to live together to study the Fa. In the practice and study of the Dharma, there is no need for monks and nuns to practice together, but nuns must ask bhikkhus for advice every half month, just like asking their elders for assistance and guidance on a regular basis to help improve their karma. The teachings of master monks who stop shaving are the main ones.Between monks and nuns, according to the precepts, the opportunity to practice together or perform tasks is rarely necessary. Both male and female sanghas should conduct their own ways and shoulder the responsibility of inheriting the Dharma. This is the model formulated by the Buddha.There are many sanghas today where monks and nuns live and practice together. This is a very inappropriate phenomenon. Not only does it seriously hinder each other's pure practice, but for nuns, there will be more obstacles to the improvement of Taoism. Most of them can only stay at the level of cultivating blessings. Except for their different identities and images, what they do is not much different from that of the lay family.Especially the co-living between men and women, it is difficult not to cause more emotional or physical obstacles, unless there are real masters, great virtues, old monks and abbots, whose mighty virtue is enough to shock the disciples. Anxiety and habits are qualified to open the fate, otherwise it will easily cause more troubles in the practice, which is not a good thing for both men and women.In particular, women who become monks must clearly recognize their duties and obligations to become monks. First of all, they must get rid of the habit of relying on men in terms of mentality. It seems that if they are born women, they must rely on men. There is a saying that yin and yang are in harmony, but for monks who want to practice the holy life, they should no longer distinguish between men and women, and should share the heart and conduct of a man. It is not easy to walk on the right path.
As for the disciples of the two members of the family, they should also keep a proper distance from the teachers and teachers they are close to and support. Especially between men and women, they must strictly observe the precepts. In the holy life, everyone must work together to protect each other's precepts. This is the true relationship between good teachers and good friends.In terms of protecting the Dharma, one should use all one's financial resources and abilities to make offerings of internal and external wealth, so as to repay the Three Jewels of kindness and the heart of fulfilling one's duties and obligations to protect the Dharma.The division of the relationship between the seven groups of people must be able to advance and retreat well, achieve mutual success, and have faults when they go too far.