供養於諸佛。億剎微塵數。
功德如虛空。一切所瞻仰。
「供養於諸佛」：這說的佛在因地的時候，發願供養十方三世一切諸佛。「億剎微塵數」：這個諸佛的數目和諸佛的國土有億剎那麼多。億剎就是很多很多的，無量無邊那麼多的國土；那麼多國土，微塵數那麼多的佛，佛都普遍供養。「功德如虛空」：因為佛發這麼大的願，供養這麼多的佛，所以佛的功德猶如虛空那麼廣大，無窮無盡。「一切所瞻仰」：所以一切眾生都瞻仰於佛，都羨慕佛，又來恭敬禮拜佛。
神通力平等。一切剎皆現。
安坐妙道場。普現眾生前。
「神通力平等」：這佛的神通力是平等救度一切眾生的。「一切剎皆現」：所有十方法界的國土，佛都現身於十方。「安坐妙道場」：在十方法界所有的國土，佛都在那兒「安坐妙道場」：坐在菩提樹下來成道。「普現眾生前」：普遍現於一切眾生的面前。
燄雲普照世。種種光圓滿。
法界無不及。示佛所行處。
「燄雲普照世」：佛有這種光燄雲，這光燄雲普照十方種種世界。「種種光圓滿」：不是一種光，有種種的光都是圓滿的光。「法界無不及」：所有的法界佛的光都是遍照的。
「示佛所行處」：指示眾生佛所修行的，佛怎麼樣修行，怎麼樣成佛，來指示一切眾生，令一切眾生都明白怎麼樣成佛。
誰有沒有什麼問題呀？
這個香港的大嶼山，法藏（譯音）拿了一把刀要殺果前，要殺果先，要殺果孟。這三個從美國去的和尚，說是不可以在大嶼山住了，要撤退回來。但是我要去看一看，看一看他會不會被他殺了。所以在下個禮拜要到臺灣去，下個禮拜禮拜幾現在不知道。那麼到臺灣、香港最少是一個月，最多兩個月，時間不會太久。所以你們在這兒要造反的呢，就在這兩個月裡頭造反；要是不造反的，不給人找麻煩的呢，就平安過去兩個月。這是我第二次離開三藩市。
我在第一次離開三藩市的時候，把這個果速就嚇跑了。怎麼跑的呢？他怕三藩市地震，不寧靜。那麼這第二次不知道會不會把果滿給嚇跑了。那個是「速」、這個是「慢」了，慢是慢慢地跑，也沒有什麼其它的意思，先告訴你們這個一點點。
有沒有什麼問題？
我們學佛法的人，必須要認清楚法的重要性。我們天天來學佛法，如果不知道法的重要性，就不會老老實實地去修行；不去修行就不會有所得，也不會有智慧。有智慧的人不居住到愚癡的地方；愚癡的人呢，他就不會住在有智慧的地方。什麼叫愚癡的地方？也就是黑暗。愚癡的人他住在這黑暗的裡邊，也不覺得是黑暗。有智慧的人他就能知道這黑暗是不對的，要找到光明的地方。光明就是沒有瞋恨心，愚癡就是有瞋恨心；你有瞋恨心就是愚癡，沒有瞋恨心就是智慧。所以每一天要迴光返照，看著自己，不要令自己念念生愚癡，要念念生智慧。生智慧就不會去對其他的人發脾氣；愚癡的人就願意發脾氣。
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*中立者為文中之“boss（老闆）”
"The Boss"(see page 5)is in the center |
所以我們學佛法，一天比一天要聰明，不要一天比一天愚癡。你能被人家罵，這才是真正有忍辱的功夫，你不要罵人，不要對人發脾氣；不要說師兄弟，就是對比自己身分低，輩分低，也不應該對人發脾氣。偶爾有的時候被無明所障，可以的，天天對人生無明，這是不可以的！
各位在這兒受這麼多的苦，這麼樣起早睡晚，再要不管著自己、盡去管人去，那是大錯而特錯！有這麼一句話說：「無明火，老虎神，這是前身的罪孽根」。既然有這個罪孽根，你應該把這個罪孽根拔出去，不要這個罪孽根了。不可以不單不拔這個罪孽的根，而且令這個罪孽根一天比一天增長，這是一個大的損失。修道的人，對這一點切記切記，要注意，不要犯這種的毛病。
修道的人遇著逆境，應該順受，所謂「逆來順受」不動心。《永嘉證道歌》說的很好：「觀惡言是功德。此即成吾善知識。不因訕謗起冤親。何表無生慈忍力？」這說有人罵你，你看這惡言是幫助你增長功德。罵你這個人就是你的善知識，他幫助你修道，看你有沒有忍辱的功夫。你要不因為他讓謗你罵你，你對他生瞋恨心。怎麼能證明你有慈悲心呢？有人來要罵你，要殺你，這正是試驗你有沒有定力。
講到這個地方我想起來我在沙打街的時候，那時候就我一個人在那兒，沒有人幫手，於是乎在臺灣請一個繼光（音）法師來。頭一次申請他來，已經手續辦好了，他在臺灣告訴我不來了。他 在臺灣化緣化了很多錢，說到美國去，叫大家給拿旅費。那麼很多居士就給他拿很多旅費，他不來了。過了一年，大約把旅費都用光了，又對我講說又要來。我又請律師申請他來，前後用了大約有八百多塊錢。這會來了，到這個地方很不錯的，說和我合作，什麼事情互相來幫助。以後他每天晚間就到另外一個佛教會去，去他就偷偷地，祕密地和人家簽字Sign lease，說要到那個佛教會去，不在我這兒了。
在這個時候我也知道這個情形了，那麼我就一早起做早課做完了，有五、六個居士，我們這個「Boss（老闆）也在那兒。我們大家就在早殿完了之後就給他「送駕」，這一送駕送得，哦！大發脾氣，拿著一把刀，這把刀連把大約有一尺長的樣子，他在臺灣帶來的，是切水果的刀，殺人也可以的。這把刀很鋒利很快的。那麼他切完了水果，拿這把刀就比量我的脖子，說：「我要殺了你」。
當時我把眼睛閉著也不管他：「你殺就殺囉！我要是前生殺過你，那你就把我殺囉；我沒有殺你，你也就不會殺我。」我閉著眼睛不管他。「你為什麼要閉著眼睛？」閉著眼睛也有罪了！「你為什麼不講話？」不講話也有罪了！就罵，又要殺，又罵又殺的經過三天，見著我就罵，見著我就要殺。這三天也沒有殺，他罵我我也不講什麼。
那麼以後沒法子。他去另外這一個佛教會了，到那地方住沒有一個月，不行了，又要回來。又要回來，我說可以的，你回來我把沙打街這個房子無條件送給你，我要到旁的地方去。他又不敢要這個房子，以後沒有法子就回到臺灣去。聽說現在在臺灣耳朵也聾了，常常有病。他這回是大約怕我再罵他，所以他先耳朵聾了，「哎！不要聽！」
待續 |
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Commentary:
Having made offerings to all Buddhas. When the Buddha was still on the causal ground, he made vows to make offerings to all Buddhas in the ten directions and the three periods of time. In billions of lands as numerous as dustmotes, infinitely many lands, he made offerings to Buddhas as numerous as dustmotes. Having made such great vows and having given offerings to so many Buddhas, he has merit like empty space, vast and boundless. And the Buddha is looked up to by all. Living beings all admire, revere, and worship the Buddha.
Sutra:
His spiritual powers are impartial.
He appears in all lands.
Peacefully dwelling in sublime Way-places,
He manifests before all living beings.
Commentary:
His spiritual powers are impartial. The Buddha uses his spiritual powers to impartially rescue all living beings. He appears in all lands throughout the ten directions of the Dharma Realm. Peacefully dwelling in sublime Way-places in those lands throughout the ten directions, the Buddha accomplishes the Way beneath the Bodhi Tree. He manifests before all living beings.
Sutra:
Blazing clouds illumining all worlds,
Perfectly formed of many lights,
Reach every place in the Dharma Realm,
Displaying the aspects of the Buddha's practice.
Commentary:
The Buddha has blazing clouds illumining all worlds in the ten directions. They are perfectly formed of many lights, not just one kind. The Buddha's lights pervasively reach every place in the Dharma Realm, shining everywhere, displaying the aspects of the Buddha's practice. They teach living beings about how the Buddha cultivated and achieved Buddhahood, so that living beings understand how to achieve Buddhahood themselves.
Does anyone have questions?
At Dayu Mountain in Hong Kong, Fazang went after Guo Qian, Guo Xian, and Guo Meng with a knife, wanting to kill them. These three monks from the United States said they couldn't live at Dayu Mountain and wanted to retreat to the U.S. However, I want to go and see if he is really going to kill them. Next week, I don't know which day, I will be going to Taiwan. I'll be in Taiwan and Hong Kong for one month at the very least and two months at the most; it won't be too long. If any of you want to revolt, you'd better do it in these two months. If you don't want to revolt or stir up trouble, then you can pass these two months in peace. This will be the second time I leave San Francisco. The first time I left San Francisco, Guo Shu was so scared that he ran away. He was afraid there would be an earthquake in San Francisco and it wouldn't be peaceful. I don't know if Guo Man [Note: Shu means "fast" and Man means "slow"] will be scared off the second time I leave. That one was fast; this one is slow. He will run away slowly. I don't have anything else to say. I just wanted to tell you this little bit. Are there any questions?
Students of the Buddhadharma should recognize the importance of the Dharma. If we study the Dharma every day without realizing the importance of the Dharma, we will not take our cultivation seriously. If we fail to cultivate, we will attain nothing and we will have no wisdom. Wise people do not live in places characterized by stupidity.
Stupid people do not live in places of wisdom. "Places of ignorance" refers to dark places. Ignorant people live in darkness and don't feel that it is dark. Wise people know that darkness is wrong and so they seek a place of light. Light represents the lack of anger, and ignorance signifies the presence of anger. If you get angry, you are ignorant. If you have no anger, you are wise.
We ought to reflect upon ourselves daily and watch ourselves so that we do not entertain ignorant thoughts all the time. Instead we should produce wisdom in thought after thought. Once we produce wisdom, we will not get angry at others. Stupid people like to lose their tempers.
As we study the Buddhadharma, every day we should become more and more intelligent, not more and more stupid. If you can take being scolded by others, then you have real skill in patience. Don't scold others or lose your temper at them. Not to mention your Dharma peers, you shouldn't even get mad at those who are your juniors. It's understandable that you might lose your temper once in a while out of ignorance. But you cannot act out of ignorance every day.
All of you have endured tremendous hardship here, rising early and retiring late. If instead of watching over yourself, you want to watch over others, you are making a major mistake. There is a saying:
The fire of ignorance and a tiger-like spirit
Are the roots of offenses from past lives.
Since you have these offenses, you ought to root them out and get rid of them. If instead of eradicating your offenses, you increase them day by day, you will take a great loss in your cultivation. Cultivators must be very careful not to make this kind of mistake. When cultivators encounter adversity, they should take it in stride and not get upset. "Great Master Yongjia's Song of Enlightenment" puts it well:
Contemplate vicious words as merit.
Then the person becomes your good advisor.
Without his slander leading you to choose
between hostility and friendship,
How could you demonstrate the power of compassion
and patience with non-production?
When someone scolds you, you should regard his malicious words as helping you to earn merit. Regard that person as your good advisor. He is helping you to cultivate the Way. He is testing your skill in patience. If he did not slander you and goad you to become angry, how could you prove that you had compassion? When someone scolds you or tries to kill you, he is testing you to see if you have samadhi power.
This reminds me of when I was living on Sutter Street. At that time I was alone and had no one to help me. Therefore I invited a Dharma Master from Taiwan to come. The first time, all his papers were in order for him to come, and he decided not to come. He had solicited a lot of money in Taiwan, saying that he was going to America and would need his travel expenses paid. Many laypeople donated a substantial sum for his travel expenses, and then he canceled the trip. A year later, after he had already used up most of those donations, he again said he wanted to come. I again hired a lawyer to apply for a visa for him. All in all, I must have spent eight hundred dollars. This time he came. Once he arrived, he promised to work with me and help me out. But instead, every evening he went to another Buddhist Association. There, he secretly signed a paper saying that he would go over to that Buddhist Association and not stay at my place.
When I found out, one morning after morning recitation, the five or six laypeople present, including "The Boss" [This was the nickname of a layman who always hung around the Venerable Master], and I myself formally bade him farewell. At that, he was furious. He had a knife that he had brought from Taiwan for slicing fruit. It was about one foot long including the handle, and was extremely sharp. He pointed that knife at my throat and said, "I'm going to kill you."
I closed my eyes and paid no attention. I thought, "If you want to kill me, go right ahead. If I killed you in a past life, you can kill me now. If I didn't kill you in the past, you won't kill me now." "Why must you close your eyes?" he raged. It was a crime to close my eyes, I guess. "Why won't you talk?" Not talking was a crime as well. He scolded me and wanted to kill me. This went on for three days. As soon as he saw me, he would scold me and want to kill me. After three days, he still had not killed me. And when he scolded me, I didn't say anything.
So, since he couldn't do anything to me, he went off to the other Buddhist Association. After less than a month over there, he couldn't take it and wanted to come back. I said, "Fine. I'll give this house on Sutter Street to you, no strings attached. I, however, will go somewhere else." He was afraid to accept the house, so he ended up returning to Taiwan. I hear that he has gone deaf and is often ill. He probably became deaf because he was afraid I would scold him and he didn't want to listen.
To be continued |
