丹霞燒佛

丹霞老和尚在一個寒冷的冬夜將寺廟內的佛像拿來燃燒取暖。

「丹霞，你怎麼可以把神像拿來燒，這可是佛祖的神像啊！你真是太可惡了，你將佛祖的教誨放到哪裡去了？」另外一個老和尚發現丹霞老和尚的行徑，不禁破口大罵。 「我想看看這樣能不能燒出舍利子來。」

「你真的瘋了。這樣怎麼可以燒出舍利子來呢，你燒他個八天八夜也不可能。」「喔，難怪我一個子兒都看不見，既然如此，另外那幾尊佛像也拿來燒一燒吧。」

「佛經上並沒有談到我們要如何敬拜佛像，佛的道理是存在人心中，雖然我的眼中沒有佛，但是我的心中有佛啊，你又何必這麼介意我把佛像燒了來取暖呢？」

There was a case in Afghanistan where the Muslim terrorist blasted down two giant Buddha Statute at the borders just along the silk road. I still remember vividly that my Theravada meditation teacher just lamented on why two pieces or historical artifacts which might even be more ancient than Islam, were destroyed. And interestingly is everyone in the class is laughing over it!!

Buddha founded Buddhism not calling his religion Buddhism or did any praying artifacts. Human mind is weak and thus needs an object of concentration. Just like we need to have several trial runs before the actual marathon. But to attach to a thing, person, knowledge, feelings or actions lead to suffering and troubled mind.

In meditation, we start by focusing on our breathe which leads to observing our mind and mind matter.....but eventually all this has to be discarded.本来无一物，何处惹尘埃。