To protect the Dharma, you must actually be protecting it, just like that bird hatching eggs, you must protect it. That means you have the mind, but not the thing, that is, you have the mind, but not the thing. You have that thing, but you don’t have that mind, or you have that thing, not that mind.
You have things to match with the mind, what is that called? It’s called having the beginning and the end. There is this mind, which is the beginning, and there is that thing, which is the end.
The beginning and the end are the matching, the unity.The problem is that if you don’t have that mind, but you do that thing, can you produce that benefit? Yes, but you are not able to produce the benefit of this kind of Dharma protection.
For example, this protection, you just talked about the protection of the Dharma of the Three Vehicles, the practitioner of the Three Vehicles, the objects of the Triple Jewel, have you protected them? For example, have you protected the money of the Dharma Protection Temple,or lost it a little, let it be less? If others steal or rob it, you will let them not steal or rob it.If others want to steal or rob it, and you won’t fight with them, and even if you kill him, will you suffer the retributions of killing or not? Yes.
However, in terms of your protection of the objects of the Triple Jewel, you have protected them.When you become an emperor in the future, there will be many people who will protect you. That is also what is the cause, what is the effect.
Another thing, if you only want to protect objects, I do not want to kill, but I accidentally killed him, that is not killing. Because you have not used your mind, the mind is the root.
And in terms of the protection of the objects of the Triple Jewel, it formed a kind of, for example, if you do not have,meet or know the previous Dharma of the Three Vehicles, and the practitioner of the Three Vehicles, but you only know the protection of the objects of the Triple Jewel, then you will have all the benefits of the previous.
Because they are the objects of the Triple Jewel, you protect any little bit, even if you protect a penny, your merit and virtue will be growing, because this is connected with that, that is, all will be synchronized growth.
If you are there, for example, the practitioner of the Three Vehicles,let’s say the practitioner of the Sound-hearer Vehicle, how well you protect, you are at most protecting the dharma of the Sound-hearer Vehicle and the practitioner of the Three Vehicles, but the objects of the Triple Jewel are connected with the previous two.
Because the objects of the Triple Jewel are common to all the Triple Jewel, and since it is common to all of them, it is connected with every piece.But the practitioner of the Three Vehicles,the Dharma of the Three Vehicles are often not common to the other two.
For example, the Bodhisattvas, the Bodhisattvas’ ten grounds, can you say which place to follow? If you follow a certain ground, for example, the Bodhisattvas of Ground Eight, you do not want to take up the Bodhisattvas of Ground Nine, but the merit of the Bodhisattvas of Ground Eight below. That every little bit of the merit is about the same. However, the objects of the Triple Jewel have all merit, because they are common and belong to the Triple Jewel.
The Dharma is infinite, but the objects of the Triple Jewel are not infinite, any kind is enough, one is enough, because it can be connected to the objects of the Triple Jewel.The objects of the Triple Jewel are the most extensive in connection, every point can be connected.
Often protecting the Dharma, is for the sake of sentient beings, so that sentient beings can see the Dharma, can have the opportunity to learn.If it really can not be done, for example, until the end, the images of the Triple Jewel will be gone, the Dharma will also be gone, even the Triple Jewel and words are gone, then, at this time, we ourselves, the big living persons, will have to find a way to become one Dharma.
Then again, when we don’t have that level now, for example, any sutra, the sutra on the internet, the sutra in books, and we really to guard them, even if I asked you to invite sutra to offer them before, run a few more times, it also belongs to the Dharma protection, also counted as the Dharma offering, also counted as the Dharma protection and holding, because you are guarding it, guarding it. Just like a person guards his favorite gold and silver jewels, he is afraid that they will be gone or less, that is called guarding.
If you guard the Dharma in this way, or if you guard it for the sake of sentient beings,and if sentient beings need it, you will give it quickly, that’s called guarding.
You don’t want to be a guardian of my guardianship, guarding it well.And at this time sentient beings need it, but you think it belongs to me, then you are not called guardianship, this point should be clearly distinguished by you.
What is that called? It’s called destroying the Dharma. Only for the sake of sentient beings is it called guarding the Dharma. If you say it is for yourself, that’s not called guarding, that’s called affliction.