雙手並用   林鈺堂       簡繁轉換 - 繁體

 

 

一般都偏用一手,因此兩手的能力不均;年紀大了,就有一邊較易出毛病。若能早點讓兩手平均分擔做事就會好些。

持念珠伴隨念佛、持咒,通常也都是只用單手。如此一來,一邊易累,而另一邊無所事事。多年以來我就雙手並用。將百零八之念珠轉成8形,一手持母珠側的珠子,另一手持母珠對半之間珠側的珠子,並使兩手撥珠時,全串進行的是同一方向。這樣子就可以兩手都用到了,也不致於在珠子較重時單手覺得舉得頗累。

如果遵守「不過母珠」的規定,只要在一手遇到母珠時,兩手同時轉向即可。

這樣持珠念誦是我多年來的一得之愚。此次在台北時見弟子單手持珠,曾教示之。今天思及此事,便記述下來,或能普益學佛大眾。

                     二○一六年七月二十四日
                     養和齋    於加州


 

Using Both Hands

Yutang Lin

 

Usually people tend to use mostly one particular hand, and hence both hands are not equal in abilities; as one’s age advances one side becomes more and more prone to ailments. If one could distribute workloads to both hands equally sooner in life, then the consequences would be better.

Using a mala to accompany the repetition of a Buddha Epithet or mantra, usually people also uses only one hand. Thus, it is easier for one hand to get tired, while the other hand having nothing to do. For many years now I am used to using both hands in this practice. Twist a 108-bead mala into figure 8, one hand holds the bead right next to the mother-bead (the largest one where two ends of the string get together), while the other hand holds the bead right next to the section-bead (the three beads that separate the 108 beads into 4 sections of 27 beads) right opposite to the mother-bead, so that when both hands are moving the beads the whole mala will move in one direction. In this way both hands are employed, and even in case the beads are heavy (due to size and material) no one hand would feel tired from lifting the mala over time.

If one observes the traditional custom of not crossing over mother-bead, i.e., when one reaches the mother-bead one turns around and then start moving the beads again, then one simply needs to turn around simultaneously at both hands when one hand reaches the mother-bead.

To practice chanting using malas in this way is my humble innovation for many years. This year while I was in Taipei I saw a disciple using mala with one hand, and so I demonstrated my usage to him. Today I thought of this matter and then I put it down in writing with the hope that it might benefit more Buddhist practitioners in general.

 

Written in Chinese and translated into English on July 24, 2016
El Cerrito, California

 


[Home][Back to list]