the meaning of beads
beads are portable instruments used by Buddhists to recite and count numbers, which are widely used among monks and nuns. Originally called "rosary", it originated from the name of three treasures of Buddhist monks, and was used to eliminate troubles and report obstacles. Usually it can be divided into three types: holding beads, wearing beads and hanging beads. The number of beads in each string represents different meanings.
First, the meaning of the name
Beads, literally, are beads in the buddhist supplies. Specifically, it is a counting tool that Buddhists pull in order to capture their minds when they read Buddha. Of course, now the beads have gradually expanded into a kind of ornaments, which are also widely worn by non-Buddhists. Most people choose to wear beads bracelets.
Another meaning of the name of the Buddha bead is: to punish, which means not to punish life. No matter whether you become a monk at home, the first precept in Buddhism is not to kill. Each of us doesn't want to lose our lives, pushing ourselves and others, and so does every living sentient being. The so-called heaven has the virtue of good life. Buddhism emphasizes this point even more, and emphasizes that those who abstain from killing nursing students must have a long and healthy life. Wearing beads on your body or holding them in your hands is also a constant reminder to cherish your life.
Second, the meaning of shape
Beads are generally spherical, which means perfection, that is, perfection. We often complain about many shortcomings in life and many defects in people, but we never find an important problem, that is, a problem that Buddhism has a thousand words and pains to explain: everyone has perfect wisdom and merits, but because of their unnecessary troubles, these original perfect wisdom are covered and cannot be revealed. As long as we can solve these unnecessary troubles, we can use them at will, just like the Buddha, with three bodies, four wisdom, five eyes and six connections.
Third, the meaning of structure
Each string of beads consists of a main bead, several other beads and a string. The main bead represents Buddha, the string represents Dharma, and several other beads represent monks. The three treasures of Buddha, Dharma and Monk can all be included in a string of Buddha beads. Therefore, we should have respect for the beads, such as the sacred face and tidy up the body and mind. The so-called: keep your mouth shut and take care of your mind, don't commit crimes, and don't be annoyed by all sentient beings.
Fourth, the meaning of number
One hundred and eight
is the most common number. In order to prove the ignorance, one hundred and eight kinds of troubles are eliminated, so that the body and mind can reach a state of silence.
There are many different opinions about the content of "18 troubles". Generally speaking, the six roots have their own three kinds of sufferings, namely, suffering, happiness and giving up, which make them eighteen. There are three kinds of good, evil and equality in the six roots, which make 18 kinds, counting 36 kinds, and then add the past, present and future three generations to make 18 kinds of troubles. As the scripture says:
The Bodhisattvas asked: What is the cloud? Buddha's words: if you have thoughts, you don't know that there are yin and sets in your heart's birth and death. If you don't know that you are crazy, it's the same when you turn to your destination, and so is your knowledge. It's the third meaning. Seeing lust, middle color and evil color, I don't know if I don't know if there is a set of yin and even touch. There are six classics, six in each, and although there is no language of the third world, there are hundreds of clouds, so it is known that it is about the moment and it is also the third world. Since the mind and consciousness are the three meanings, they are connected with the three generations, such as gathering the famous heart, raising the name and meaning, and distinguishing the famous knowledge. The meaning of three is the same, so the five roots are the same. There are 36 reasons for three generations, so there are 18.
1,8 pieces
According to Tiantai Sect's theory, there are no good or evil in the ten realms, so the number of 1,8 indicates that there are 18 kinds of troubles in each of the ten realms, and 1,8 kinds of troubles are synthesized. The "Ten Realms" represent the whole world of mystery and enlightenment, namely: 1. Hell, 2. Hungry Ghost, 3. Animal, 4. Shura, 5. Human, 6. Heaven, 7. Audience, 8. Sense, 9. Bodhisattva, 1. Buddha.
Fifty-four
indicates the fifty-four ranks in the process of Bodhisattva's practice, including ten faiths, ten residences, ten lines, ten directions, ten places and fifty ranks, plus four good roots. The details are as follows:
Ten faiths:
1. Confidence, 2. Mindfulness, 3. Diligence, 4. Wisdom, 5. Centering, 6. Protecting the heart, 7. Returning to the heart, 8. Caution, 9. Abandonment, 1. Willingness.
ten residences:
1. First-time residence, 2. Governing the land, 3. Practicing residence, 4. Living expensively, 5. Convenient and adequate residence, 6. Living honestly, 7. Not retiring, 8. Living as a child, 9. Living as a prince of France, 1. Being enlightened.
Ten lines:
1. Happy line, 2. Rao Yixing, 3. No hatred line, 4. Endless line, 5. Wandering from madness, 6. Being good at the present, 7. Doing nothing, 8. Respecting line, 9. Being good at law, 1. Practicing it.
Ten Directions:
1. Rescue all sentient beings to turn back from all sentient beings; 2. Keep them from being bad; 3. Wait for all buddhas to turn back; 4. Go back to all places; 5. Hide endless merits and deeds; 6. Follow the path of equality and good roots; 7. Follow the path and wait for all sentient beings to turn back; 8. If they turn back, 9. Nothing.
Ten places:
1. Happy place, 2. Away from dirt, 3. Luminous place, 4. Flaming place, 5. Difficult resort, 6. Present place, 7. Traveling place, 8. Immortal place, 9. Good and wise place, 1. Fayun place.
Four Good Roots:
It refers to four levels of practice before seeing the Tao, that is, observing the four truths and practicing the sixteen lines to achieve the sacred position without leakage, including: 1. Warm position, 2. Top position, 3. Endure position, 4. The first dharma position in the world.
Forty-two
indicate the forty-two levels of Bodhisattva's practice, namely, ten dwellings, ten rows, ten directions, ten places, equal consciousness and wonderful consciousness.
Isoesthesia: It is also called Isorightness, that is, it refers to those who are equal to the Buddha in content but slightly inferior to the Buddha in practice. For more information, please refer to Kumarajiva's translation of Benevolence King Prajna Paramita Sutra Accepted Goods.
miaojue: it refers to the Buddha's fruit of perfect consciousness, which is obtained by breaking the ignorance of a product by equal consciousness.
Thirty-six
have no exact meaning, and are generally considered to be convenient to carry, so one hundred and eight pieces are divided into thirty-six pieces, which contains the principle of seeing the small as the big, so they are the same as 18 pieces.
Twenty-seven
indicates the twenty-seven sages of Hinayana's practice of four directions and four fruits, that is, the "eighteen learned" of the first four directions and three fruits and the "nine unlearned" of the fourth A Luo Han Guo.
eighteen are learned: 1. Follow the faith, 2. Follow the law, 3. Understand the truth, 4. See the truth, 5. Identity card, 6. Every family, 7. One room (one kind), 8. Pre-flow, 9. Pre-flow fruit, 1. One direction, 11. One fruit, 12.
nine no-learning: 1. phase withdrawal, 2. phase keeping, 3. dead phase, 4. living phase, 5. progressive phase, 6. not bad phase, 7. non-retreating phase, 8. intelligent phase separation, 9. all phase separation.
Twenty-one
indicates ten places, ten jackfruit and Buddha fruit. See "Fifty-four Pieces" for "Ten Places" and "Ten Paramitas" for the introduction of "Disciple Beads", so I won't repeat them here. And "Buddha fruit" refers to the fruit position that achieves the ultimate Buddha.
eighteen
commonly known as "eighteen sons", in which the so-called "eighteen" refers to the "eighteen realms", that is, six roots, six dusts and six senses.
six: 1. Vision, 2. Ear boundary, 3. Nose boundary, 4. Tongue boundary, 5. Body boundary, 6. Mind boundary;
Six dusts: 1. Color dust, 2. Sound dust, 3. Fragrant dust, 4. Taste dust, 5. Contact dust, 6. Method dust;
six senses: 1. eye awareness, 2. ear awareness, 3. nose awareness, 4. tongue awareness, 5. body awareness, 6. consciousness.
Fourteen
indicates that Guanyin Bodhisattva shares the same sorrow with all sentient beings such as Shifang, Sanshi and Liudao, and makes all sentient beings gain fourteen fearless merits. Fourteen fearless:
1. Make all beings return to their own nature and get relief;
2. Make all sentient beings know and see, if it is difficult to meet fire, the fire cannot burn;
3. Make all living beings watch and listen in rotation. Although they are floated by the big water, the water cannot drown;
4. Make all living beings enter the ghost country of Luo Cha, and ghosts will destroy evil by themselves;
5. Make six sentient beings disappear and recover, and when they are killed, the knife segments are broken;
6. Bodhisattva shines brightly on ten directions, so that all beings are not harmed by medicine forks and ghosts;
7. Free all beings from false sound and dust;
8. Make all beings walk on dangerous roads, such as smooth roads, and avoid being robbed in case of thieves;
9. Those who are full of sex will not have lust;
1. Make those who hold grudges and grudges not be miserable;
11. Keep all dull and heartless people away from delusion;
12. Make all living beings childless, and those who want men will have boys;
13. Make childless beings who want to have women, that is, give birth to women;
14. Those who make all beings hold the name of Guanyin will get the same fortune as the sand in Ganges River.
V. Significance of function
Although beads are increasingly becoming an ornament, that is, a fashionable ornament for people, beads are not originally this function, but the function of counting beads and chanting Buddha's heart. Buddhism believes that people have all kinds of unsatisfactory things, even disastrous things, because they have not managed their body, mouth and mind properly. The so-called body and mouth have committed bad karma, such as killing, stealing, fornication, lying and drunkenness. These bad causes lead to bad results in the future. While chanting Buddha with beads in hand, calling the Buddha's name and pulling out the beads can effectively manage the body, mouth and mind, so as not to let go. Over time, you will stay away from the five covers of greed, anger, ignorance, slowness and doubt, and there will be good results. That is to say, chanting Buddha and pulling pearls is not the final goal, but a means < P >, a method used to manage body, mouth and mind. The purpose is to correct shortcomings, resolve troubles and greed, and restore the original wisdom and merits.