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第七點我們除了不殺害眾生之外，還要護生、放生，從現在起不再造惡業，未來能夠作善業。我們過去作了很多惡業，殺了很多眾生。怎麼辦呢？要多懺悔，懺悔才能擋住以前惡業的力量；還要長養慈悲心，去瞋恚心。這在後面都會提到，大家可以看第168頁。
我們以長養慈悲心來對付我們的瞋恚心，因為瞋恚是慈悲最大的敵人。我們為什麼要殺？往往就因為脾氣來了。我們可以想想，冤冤相報何時了？你的仇人再壞再狠，你不殺他他也會死。你看武俠小說上說的真是可憐，為了報仇練了十年、廿年的功夫，出來後仇人已經死了。
那麼在環境方面，我們看看表格右邊。
第一，我們對眾生不要出惡言責罵鞭打。為財打人，蓄養畜牲，討論過了。
第三墮胎，在佛法中算犯殺生戒。如果你受了殺戒，不管是五戒或者菩薩戒，都不能墮胎，也不能為人墮胎，或教人墮胎。
第四，不可以有蟲水澆植物或作物，提過了。
第五，多鼓勵他人做放生、護生之事。所以放生法會大家要盡量的參加，長養慈悲心。
第六，以慈悲心不食眾生肉。受了菩薩戒的人要終生茹素。這個報名表上也提到，我們提到過太多因緣了。
佛法不強調健康而講慈悲，世間法強調健康，在這一點是不同的。世間人只看眼前的身體，佛法看的是這一生完了之後，會有來生，乃至無量生，所以佛法講慈悲，唯有慈悲才是最究竟的。
第七，要照顧老病苦的眾生，因為學菩薩道，就是要慈悲利益眾生，尤其是老病苦的眾生。他們已經在生死邊緣，若我們不幫助他，他可能很快就死了，所以要特別照顧他。
第九，不使用殺蟲劑，可以用驅蟲劑或其他驅蟲的方法。
第十，駕車或行步時要小心，時時念佛，保持正念自利利他。一般講在環境方面，不要去暴力鬥亂的場所，好像鬥雞、鬥牛、鬥狗、捧角、拳擊，都不要看。
你看世人在看這些錄影帶時，心變得很粗暴，一不順心就出手一拳。為什麼？忘了自己是誰了。暴力場面看久了，就變得和場面裡的人一樣了，臺上打，臺下也打。
第二，不擁有及販賣刀槍，不看暴力書籍、影片和網路。現在的電影沒有暴力和色情的幾乎很少了。這是未法時代，惡業感召，所以網路也不要看；看久了，我們八識田中就變得很粗躁很猛，動不動殺心就出來了。還有，要多閱讀佛經，長養慈悲心，因為所有的佛經都是慈悲的，都教導我們向善。
第三要多誦戒，會有正念，護法善神會常相左右護持我們。能多誦戒是非常好的。後面第178頁講到何謂誦戒，文章很淺顯。誦戒的儀規有「說戒誦戒」和「自行誦戒」兩種方法；有了方法，大家可以照著「信、解、行」去「行」了，證得圓融無礙就是戒相，在開遮、持、犯，都能行持得圓滿無犯。
事實上，五天的戒期很短，所能給大家的只是一些提示和方向，其他的就要靠自己平時的修行了。
待續
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The seventh point explains that we should not only refrain from killing, but also protect and liberate beings and resolve to cease creating evil karma and to practice all good karma in the future. What should we do about all the bad karma we created in the past? We should repent. Repentance can mitigate our past evil karma, nurture our compassion, and get rid of anger. This is mentioned later on page 168.
We must counteract anger with compassion, as anger is the greatest enemy of compassion. Why do we kill? Our bad temper drives us to do it. We should understand that the cycle of vengeance never ends. No matter how bad and mean your enemy is, he will die one day even if you don't kill him. The characters in those martial arts stories are really pitiful; they practice kung-fu for ten or twenty years in order to take revenge on their enemies, only to find that their enemies have already died by the time they perfect their kung-fu.
We can see the environmental factors on the right side of the table.
Now let's look at the next table for body and mouth karma. First, we should not use abusive language to scold and punish others. We have already discussed beating others for material gain and raising domestic animals.
The third point concerns abortion. In Buddhism, abortion is considered a violation of the precept against killing. If you have received the precept against killing either in the Five Precepts or the Lay Bodhisattva Precepts, you may not get an abortion yourself, perform abortions, or advise others to get abortions.
Fourth, we should not water plants with water that contains bugs, nor use such water for other purposes. We discussed this earlier.
Fifth, we should encourage others to liberate and protect living beings. All of us should participate more in the ceremony of liberating life in order to nurture our compassion.
The sixth is that out of compassion, we should not eat the flesh of living beings. Recipients of the Bodhisattva Precepts should become lifelong vegetarians. This was pointed out on the registration form when you registered to receive the Lay Bodhisattva Precepts. There are a lot more conditions we have discussed.
Buddhism stresses the aspect of compassion rather than health [as the compulsion for being vegetarian]. Worldly Dharma differs from Buddhism in that it focuses on health. We human beings only see the present state of our physical bodies, but the Buddhadharma looks beyond this life to limitless lives in the future. In essence, the Buddhadharma focuses on compassion as the ultimate virtue.
The seventh is that we need to care for the aging and the sick. We practice the Bodhisattva Precepts in order to be compassionate and benefit living beings, especially the ill and the elderly. They are close to death, and if we do not help them, they will die even sooner. We should take special care of these people.
The ninth is to avoid using pesticide; we can use alternative methods to make pests leave by themselves.
The tenth is to be extra careful when driving or walking and to be constantly mindful of the Buddha. We should be properly mindful in order to benefit self and others.
In terms of environmental factors, we should generally avoid places of violence and commotion, such as arenas for cock-, bull-, and dog-fighting. We should also avoid watching activities such as wrestling and fighting. If we watch videos of those types of activities, sooner or later we will be just like the people on those shows, fighting both on-stage and off.
The second precaution is not to own or trade weapons and not to read books, watch movies or surf web pages of a violent nature. Nowadays movies without violence and obscenity are extremely rare. As this is the Dharma-ending age, evil karma prevails everywhere. Thus, we should avoid the internet. All this violence will be stored in our eighth consciousness if we continue to see it and read it, and as a result, we can become agitated and violent and easily give rise to thoughts of killing. Instead, we should read sutras frequently to develop our compassion. All the sutras are based on compassion and guide us to do good deeds.
Thirdly, we should recite the precepts regularly so as to maintain proper views. The Dharma protecting spirits will accompany us if we recite the precepts. Therefore, it is very good to recite the precepts regularly. Page 178 gives a straightforward description of how to recite the precepts. There are two methods, namely "Formally Reciting them in a Group" and "Reciting by Oneself." With these methods, we can cultivate based upon our faith, understanding, and practice so as to realize the perfect precept substance and be free from error in terms of exceptions, upholding, and transgression of the precepts.
This five-day lecture series is very short. We can only provide some guidance and direction. The rest depends on your own daily cultivation of the precepts.
To be continued
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