Induction

The term agnostic was fittingly coined by the 19th-century British scientist Thomas H. Huxley, who believed that only material phenomena were objects of exact knowledge. He made up the word from the prefix a-, meaning “without, not,” as in amoral, and the noun Gnostic. Gnostic is related to the Greek word gn?, “knowledge,” which was used by early Christian writers to mean “higher, esoteric knowledge of spiritual things”; hence, Gnostic referred to those with such knowledge. In coining the term agnostic, Huxley was considering as “Gnostics” a group of his fellow intellectuals—“ists,” as he called them— who had eagerly embraced various doctrines or theories that explained the world to their satisfaction. Because he was a “man without a rag of a label to cover himself with,” Huxley coined the term agnostic for himself, its first published use being in 1870.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Neck 金龙 24/2/2011

Neck (Chinese constellation)
The Neck mansion (亢宿, pinyin: Kàng Xiù) is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the eastern mansions of the Azure Dragon.
In Chinese Cosmology, the Kang Constellation is associated with the Kidney Organ. 亢 is a picture of a person standing with their legs open, as in horse stance, and so holds the quality of strength that comes through a proper foundation. This matches up with Chapter 8 of the Suwen, which says that the Kidney is in charge of strength and fortification. The Kidney houses the Zhi, which is in charge of solid grounding in one’s life purpose. Kang is also the neck or throat of the Azure Dragon of the East, which, while the throat area is ruled by the Lung, has everything to do with sound—pointing to the Kidney’s orifice of the ears. Around the 5th Century BC, it is believed that eclipses would take place in this constellation. This coming together of the Sun and the moon works as a symbol that points towards the ShaoYin relationship of the Kidney and Heart.
道教二十八星宿之亢星亢金龙,亢星为二十八星宿第二宿,亦为苍龙第二星,苍龙颈星之精,全名亢亢星之精属金,形态性情都与龙相同,亢星身长有鳞,有足,善飞能走,古书记载也有人见其戏于水中。亢,就是龍的咽喉。《爾雅 釋鳥》上云: “亢,鳥嚨”,注稱:“亢即咽,俗作吭。”亢宿也屬于室女座,但較角宿小,其中的星也較暗弱,多為四等以下。南京地區四月下旬,室女座在晚上9時前后位于 東南方的半空中。
Three enclosures (三垣):
Purple Forbidden enclosure (紫微垣) Supreme Palace enclosure (太微垣) Heavenly Market enclosure (天市垣)
Four Symbols (四象) and Twenty-eight mansions (二十八宿):
East – Azure Dragon (青龍) Horn (角) Neck (亢) Root (氐) Room (房) Heart (心) Tail (尾) Winnowing Basket (箕)
South – Vermilion Bird (朱雀) Well (井) Ghost (鬼) Willow (柳) Star (星) Extended Net (張) Wings (翼) Chariot (軫)
West – White Tiger (白虎) Legs (奎) Bond (婁) Stomach (胃) Hairy Head (昴) Net (畢) Turtle Beak (觜) Three Stars (參)
North – Black Tortoise (玄武) Dipper (斗) Ox (牛) Girl (女) Emptiness (虛) Rooftop (危) Encampment (室) Wall (壁)
Center – Yellow Dragon (黃龍) Earth

Yan ancestor said: Everyone has part 17/2/2010

Verse:
卦语:四顾无门路 桃源路可通 修炼成正果 万岁寿如松
Explanation:
释义:表面上看来,你已步入绝境。四顾茫茫,无门可入,无路可通。其实不是这样。有一处地方,看似消极之处,却曲径通幽,令你得到解脱。古人处在不得志的逆境中,常常以"世外桃源超然现实的孢居生活 东南西北四个方位,都不宜进取,而桃源之路,便是居中守旧,不宜主动出击,让自己站在主位静以待客,在这种情况下,要求自己超脱于尘世的纷扰,"与世无争"。另外,加强自身心性,身体的修养和锻炼。比如海滨,大山区某疗养地,就是一种理想的场所。经过一段时间的恢复,你将找回一个身心健康全新的自己。 你能抛开周围的一切,心无牵挂的地去度过一段这样的日子吗?
Lot: supreme fortune
〖诗曰〗秋月云开后,薰风雨过时,若逢楚国久知已,等闲一荐不须疑
〖签释〗你是一位久困的英才,渡过了漫长潦倒的岁月。如今,出头的日子就要到了。你将投身到一桩红红火火的事来中去,一展生平的壮志。
你不是靠自己的投效,也不须上门推销自己,毛遂自荐,而是有一位楚国的老朋友,为你作出有效的推荐。楚,古国名,今指湖南,湖北两省。这就是推荐者老知已的籍贯。
另外时间条件,也比较容易理解:秋天过后,不再刮南风,也不再下雨了,那基本可以说是在冬令,立冬前后的一周里。
你在抽到这支签以后的七天中,如果正逢冬令,你在家里必可等到这位楚国贵人。如果其它季节,那推荐的日子,成事的日子,依然还在冬天,不过你可主动去找这类朋友联络,多走访,进一步加深感情,并等待这个吉祥的岁月。
卦语:未展英雄志 驰驱不惮劳 敢将休咎卜 西北夺前标
释义:虽驿马星动,劳累奔波,却=收效平平,名利微微。纵有凌云壮志,目下尚不能伸,令英雄气短。个中原委,尚未能明,以下疑团结难解,便问神明。如今君提醒:方向错,满盘输,徒耗精力意难舒。你那名禄的吉祥方位在西北方向,可是你却南辕北辙,岂不空忙? 休与咎,均为预测学术语,意思是失败和小灾患。这里指卜问蹉跎的原因,并预卜发达的方向。 乾所对应扩位正是西北。乾性健行,如马五行属金。这类人物刚健武勇,果决,多动少静。多为公门中人,姓氏中多带有金旁及马,剑等兵刃利器,此为扶助你的贵人,可求可交,可信可托。 奔赴西北方,忌食马肉珍物及鱼禽之首,辛之物也宜少吃。保护头部五官,有小患要及时治,不可拖延时日。 求财宜动,得利于门。金属物资和玉器古玩类,获利颇丰。

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Oracle Poetry 25 18/10/2010

第25籤(夢撚香拜境得籤)‏
雷雨師一百籤第二五籤
【 中平。丙戊 】寅午戍年多阻滯  亥子丑月漸亨嘉  待逢玉兔金雞會  枯木逢春自放花(待字,另有改更字一說。)
[聖意一] 訟多憂。終則息。名利遲。婚姻吉。孕欲保。作福力。問行人。歸有日。
[聖意二] 訟多憂。終則息。名利達。婚姻吉。孕欲保。作福力。問行人。歸有日。
[東坡解一] 春夏秋時。作事遲疑。直至三冬。百事咸宜。 卯酉月日。降福孔皆。待此謀望。枯木開花。
[東坡解二] 春夏秋時。作事遲疑。直至三冬。百事亨通。卯酉月日。所謀則吉。待此時來。枯木花開。
[碧仙註一] 謀事難成未可誇。枯木逢春始放花。 敗了又成離又聚。不宜共事與陰家。
[碧仙註二] 謀事難成未可誇。枯木逢春始放花。敗了又成離又聚。及時雨露發光華。
[解曰] 此籤作事遲疑。至三冬乃通。卯酉日月作事得時。如枯木開花。謀望各事。不勞心力而成。以寅午戍三者為凶。亥子丑年月日為吉。若謀事決。宜審時。不得妄動。訟終息。名利遲。婚姻吉。行人歸也。
[釋義] 十二支干。凡寅午戍。人事有阻。不可進取。反是有禍。遇亥子丑。漸見亨嘉。至卯酉大吉。名成利就。取青紫如拾芥。凡事先看年月。以詳命運。正合亥子丑卯酉等字。遂意矣。君子得之。主仕(途)進。小人得之。逢恩赦至。
[占驗] 一人久病。占得此籤。夏日請醫。來遲。問何以遲。曰看日食間。何為日食。對曰。日月交會也。病人大悟。籤語曰。吾病必痊矣。一劑而癒。
[故事] (一)[唐明皇遊月宮] 唐玄宗與方士羅光遠。八月十五日。秋宴。光遠取桂枝杖向空擲之。化為大橋。色如銀輿。帝同登遊。入月宮。見有霓裳羽衣之女歌唱。調甚新奇。帝默記其譜。以教大真。
           (二)[芙蓉鏡下及第] 丞相李固言在元和六年(唐朝)的時候,科舉考試未中去蜀郡,遇到一個老婦對她說:“郎君明年芙蓉鏡下及第,二十二年后當宰相,并且將鎮守蜀郡,我這次看不到你當官的榮耀了,我想將女儿托付給你照顧。”第二年,李固言果然考中頭名狀元。詩賦有人鏡芙蓉之目(考題即有「人鏡芙蓉」一題)《太平廣記‧卷第一百五十五‧定數十》。『李固言柳枝染衣』也是籤詩故事,是李固言的另一項奇遇,詳見雷雨師一百籤第四十一籤、觀音一百籤第九十二籤。
        本籤『玉兔金雞會』可能指陰曆初一前後,推測玉兔意指月亮,金雞指太陽,月亮與太陽最接近的時候,大約在每月初一前後,此時月亮與太陽一同升起、一起西沉。金雞也可能指農曆十月,『玉兔金雞會』 則是農曆十月十五日。這組解釋與『亥子丑月漸亨嘉』一句相容無悖,因為亥子丑是農曆十二月至翌年二月。『玉兔金雞會』也有可能指屬雞人士和屬兔人士合作之意。

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Spiritual Mantra for Rebirth in The Pure Land 往生咒 25/9/2010

This dharani is the dharani of the Buddha Amitabha. Thus, if one recites it, he or she can be reborn in the Western Paradise of Amitabha. 
往生咒,全稱拔一切業障根本得生淨土陀羅尼,又稱往生淨土神咒,是佛教淨土宗的重要咒語。淨土宗認為,誦持此咒能拔除一切業障。誦持此咒者,阿彌陀佛會在其頭上護持,使他離苦得樂,並在其命終之時,接引其入西方淨土。
南無阿彌多婆夜。哆他伽多夜。(歸命無量光佛如來)
哆地夜他。(即說咒曰)
阿彌利都婆毗。(甘露主)
阿彌利哆。悉耽婆毗。(甘露成就者)
阿彌唎哆。毗迦蘭帝。(甘露灑播者)
阿彌唎哆。毗迦蘭多。(甘露灑遍者)
伽彌膩。伽伽那。(遍虛空宣揚者)
枳多迦利。娑婆訶。(聲聞造作者成就圓滿)
namo amitabhaya
tathagataya 
tadyatha 
ami ri do po pi
ami ri do shi dan po pi
ami ri do pi ja lan di
ami ri do pi ja lando 
chie mi ni chie chie na
ji do ja li 
svaha
Give Praise to Amitabha Buddha! Tathagata! He Who Calls Out! Amitabha Who Benefits! All That Exists! Amitabha Benefits Everywhere! One Hundred Existences! Amitabha Benefits Everywhere! The Prophesied Sovereign! Amitabha Benefits Everywhere! The Prophesied Sovereign! One Who Benefits All! The Firmament and Sky Benefiting!

Saturday, October 27, 2012

The Eradicating Offenses Dharani of The Seven Buddhas 七佛滅罪真言 25/9/2010

"The Eradicating Offenses Dharani of The Seven Buddhas" (with Mantras/Dharani phonetic & functional analysis) Sanskrit/English Version 1: DEVA DEVA'TE, CYU-HA CYU-HA'TE, DHĀRA DHṚ'TE, NIR-HṚ'TE, VIMALA'TE SVĀHĀ All the gods come (ga'te), [blame] move indeed (gha), move indeed & gone (ga'te), stream (dhāra) having been held (dhṛte), being inundated with (hṛte) water (nir), purity (vimala) appears (ga'te). So be it! Version 2: LIPA-LIPA'TE, KUHA-KUHA'TE, TARA-RI'TE, NIHA-RA'TE, VIMALA'TE, MAHAGA'TE, CHE'LINGAN'TE One suggests that the last 2 words mean "great [virtues] appear, and [blame] is buried and gone". Other suggests this dharani is 7 groups of occult sound representing 7 steps to disperse blame. It means use of (1) psychic power [Abhinnas] (2) daring and resolution (3) wisdom (4) eradication of discord, fame and position (5) eradication of karma related to speech and pride (6) great (maha) action and energy/effort, and (7) eradication of desire, emotion, wealth and fame. However, both neglect to provid the reference.
離婆離婆帝li por li por ti
求訶求訶帝qiu her qiu her ti
陀羅尼帝tuo law ni ti
尼訶囉帝ni her la ti
毗黎你帝pi li ni ti
摩訶伽帝mo her qie ti
真陵乾帝chen ling qie ti
娑婆訶sow por her
「七佛滅罪真言」出自《大方等陀羅尼經》。文殊師利菩薩,湣念末法比丘毀四重戒,及比丘尼犯八重戒。所犯重罪雲何懺悔,請佛開示。爾時如來即說此咒,乃過去七佛所說。是咒能滅四重五逆重罪­,獲福無量。 四重五逆,非無生懺,焉能滅罪。咒乃七佛稱性所說。行人誦之,念念亦稱妙性,得無生理,如斯滅罪,猶湯烊雪。
《七佛滅罪真言》 
爾時文殊師利。即從座起偏袒右肩。右膝著地而白佛言。世尊若比丘。於世尊去世之後若毀四重。若比丘尼毀犯八重。若菩薩若沙彌沙彌尼優婆塞優婆夷。若毀如是一一諸戒。所犯重­罪當雲何滅。佛言嗚呼善哉文殊師利。乃能請問如是等事。汝慈悲勝故能發是問。汝若不發是問。我終不說彼惡世比丘所犯之過。善哉善哉文殊師利。汝今諦聽當為汝說。我去世後若­有惡律儀比丘毀四重禁。默然而受檀越供養而不改悔。當知是比丘必受地獄苦而無疑也。我今當出良藥救彼比丘重病。若我去世後毀四重禁羞不發露。汝今諦聽當為汝說: 
離婆離婆諦‧仇呵仇呵帝‧陀羅離帝‧尼呵羅帝‧毘摩離帝‧莎呵‧ 
文殊師利此陀羅尼。是過去七佛之所宣說。如是七七亦不可數亦不可計。說此陀羅尼救攝眾生。現在十方不可計不可數七佛。亦宣說此陀羅尼救攝眾生。未來不可計不可數七佛。亦宣­說此陀羅尼救攝眾生。汝今請問陀羅尼義。我已說竟。以此陀羅尼經。救攝未來世惡律儀比丘。令其堅固住清淨地。善男子若有比丘毀四重禁。至心憶念此陀羅尼經。誦一千四百遍。­誦一千四百遍已乃一懺悔。請一比丘為作證人。自陳其罪向形像前。如是次第經八十七日勤懺悔已。是諸戒根若不還生終無是處。彼人能於八十七日勤懺悔已。若不堅固阿耨多羅三藐­三菩提心亦無是處。

Manjusri Bodhisattva 文殊菩萨 13/7/2010

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/b_fbodi.htm
Manjusri [Tibetan style] 
(Japanese, Monju Bosatsu; Chinese, Wenshu; Tibetan, Jam-dpal)

Manjusri is a disciple and, with Samantabhadra, an acolyte of Sakyamuni Buddha in the groups of images called Shaka Sanzon in Japan, 'the three venerables of Sakyamuni'. 'He whose beauty is charming', the Bodhisattva 'of marvellous virtue and gentle majesty',' represents wisdom, intelligence and willpower.' His adoration confines divine wisdom, mastery of the Dharma, an infallible memory, mental perfection, eloquence. This Bodhisattva, known in India by the doctrines of the Theravada which identified him with the king of Gandharva Pancasikha, was originally known from many texts of the Mahayana. Although some texts such as the Lotus Sutra assign him a universe in the east called Vimala (Japanese Yuima).
Manjusri was the initiator and master of the Buddhas of past ages and will be that of the future Buddha, Maitreya. Manjusri is the father and the mother of the Bodhisattvas, and he is their spiritual friend. The Buddha himself describes Manjusri and praises him in the Manjusri-parinirvina-sutra. This Bodhisattva was consequently very often represented, in India and Tibet, in China and Japan, as well as Nepal, which tradition claims he founded on coming from China. His images appear only late in Central Asia and on a few Chinese stele, associated with Vimalakirti (Japanese Yuima Koji) in the sixth century.
His cult and images were introduced into Japan by Chinese monks who, during a voyage to Wutaishan, learned that Manjusri was reincarnated in the person of the Japanese monk Gyoki and went to Nara in 736. One of these monks, Bodhisena (Japanese Bodaisenna), succeeded Gyoki as director of the Buddhist community of the Todai-ji (Nara) in 751 or 752. In turn, another monk named Ennin travelled to China to Mount Wutai in the year 840, during a journey that lasted nine years from 838 to 847, and brought back scriptures and images of this Bodhisattva. 文殊菩萨和普贤菩萨為釋迦牟尼佛的左、右胁侍,他們一起被稱為现在娑婆世界的“釋迦三尊”。文殊也是八大菩萨之一,在日本是“大和十三佛”之一。西藏人認為西藏吐蕃赞普是文殊菩薩的化身,例如曾經迎蓮花生大士從印度傳入佛法的赤松德贊。(http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/文殊菩萨)


文殊師利菩薩八字大威德心真言
om a bhi ra hum khe tsa ra (༄༅། །ཨོཾ་ཨ་བྷི་ར་ཧཱུྂ་ཁེ་ཙ་ར།)
註1.: 出自於《聖妙吉祥根本續》(相當於宋代漢譯的《大方廣菩薩藏文殊師利菩薩根本儀軌經》),功德利益詳見唐代漢譯《文殊師利寶藏陀羅尼經》。/pagsamwangpo

註2.:《一切佛心大無畏八字真言》,也叫《八字大無畏最上秘密心真言》,簡稱《文殊八字咒》亦作《吹肉往生咒》。《吹肉往生咒》:「唵 阿比惹吽 嘎雜惹芒 娑訶」,只要他們在吃肉你就可以幫牠超度。,因為餐廳裡面都有吃肉,超市裡面都有加蛋加肉的各種食物,所以你會念這個咒,默默吹一口氣或是呼吸,或是你加入在水裡面,都可以幫助牠們超度,這叫《吹肉往生咒》。/海濤法師 : om a bhi ra hum khe tsa ra mang soha(加一字“芒mang”ㄇㄤˋ為種子字(直貢噶舉-秋貢仁波切)。

註3.: 功德利益
《文殊師利寶藏陀羅尼經》:
爾時佛告金剛菩薩言:善男子,此文殊師利童子八字大威德力陀羅尼。若有國王王子妃後公主。及諸宰輔並凡庶類等。能書寫此咒安於宅中。其家即得大富貴,饒財常富。兒女聰明,利智辯才。巧計相貌,端嚴具好。人所愛樂。所出言音。眾人所奉施行無違。象馬畜類悉盛成群。奴婢寶貨受用無盡。宅中災禍自然消滅。善神護宅人福強盛鬼神無娆。設有鬼神皆是有福之鬼,皆護其人不求人短。……
一者。國中無有他兵怨賊侵境相娆。
二者。不為日月五星二十八宿諸惡變怪而起災患。
三者。國中此有惡鬼神等行諸疫疾,善神衛國,萬民安樂。
四者。國中無諸風火、霜雹、霹雳等難。
五者。國土一切人民,不為怨家而得其便。
六者。國中一切人等,不為諸魔所逼。
七者。國中人民,無諸橫死者著身。
八者。不值惡王,行諸虐苦。無非時風,暴損苗稼。五谷熟成,甘果豐足。
九者。善龍入境,及時降雨,非時不雨。名華藥木,悉皆茂盛。天人仙類,時時下現,無有旱澇不調之名。
十者。國中人民,不為虎狼兕獸、諸惡雜毒之所損害。
《大方廣菩薩藏文殊師利根本儀軌經卷第四》:
復有一切佛心大無畏八字真言:名最上增益大吉祥。斷三界生死。消除一切惡趣。能滅一切災害。作一切事皆得安樂。寂靜如現在見佛。此妙吉祥菩薩。宣布最上祕密真言相。為一切眾生。若有憶念一切所願皆得圓滿。若有持誦之者。所有五逆重罪皆得清淨。……
爾時如來。復告金剛密跡主言:若善男子善女人。若能念誦此陀羅尼一遍即得自護。若誦兩遍能護同伴。若誦三遍即大護住處。十地菩薩不能逾勝。何況諸小類眾生。若誦四遍即得擁護妻息。若誦五遍即能擁護一切眷屬。若誦六遍即能擁護一切城邑村坊聚落等。若誦七遍即能擁護一切眾生諸苦難等。若欲著衣時當加持七遍。能除一切惡毒及諸災難。若洗手面時。加持淨水七遍然洗手面。能令眾生貴仰。所有諸惡見者悉當降伏。一切諸人皆伏敬重。除彼惡心生歡喜心。
若人患身體支節疼痛者。加持煗水一百八遍洗浴。即得好夢便得除愈。
若每日晨朝。以水一掬加持七遍。飲在身中。所有惡報悉當消滅。何況無災厄之者。及諸三業罪垢亦得消蕩壽命長遠。
若加持飲食七遍。食者毒亦不能為害。
若見惡人怨家。當須念誦。即自降伏除攝瞋心慈心相向。
若有恐怖處至誠念誦。即得無畏。
若臥時誦一百八遍。即得好夢能知善惡之事。
若人患瘧。持誦者觀彼患人面。誦此真言一千八遍。瘧即除差。
若入陣時。當以牛黃書此真言帶於身上。一切刀杖弓箭鉾斧不能傷害。
若入陣時。應畫文殊師利童子像及真言:置象馬上軍前先引。諸軍賊等不能為害。自然退散。
常須念誦。所有五逆四重十惡等罪悉得消滅。當得面覩文殊師利。行住坐臥常須受持念誦憶持不忘。每誦一百八遍勿令斷絕。常得一切眾生降伏。
若加持髮髻七遍。一切眾生見者。悉當降伏惡人退散。
若能每日三時。依法入道場。時別一百八遍。所求皆得稱意圓滿具足。得大富貴所行自在。臨命終時得普門三昧。及見文殊師利菩薩。
若能每日三時念誦各一百八遍。所作稱意所求諸願悉得隨心。一切皆得圓滿具足。得大富貴所游無障。自在恣情受諸快樂。
設使一切諸天有大福德及十地一生補處,於中二大威力人,亦不能奪其福德,所作事業不能為障持八字人福,何況余小天人及無威德龍神鬼,而作障難。
若有比丘、比丘尼、善男子、善女人,依法受持,讀誦書寫修行,現世成就一切吉祥,諸事圓滿,壽命長遠,眾人愛敬,生珍重心。