須菩提。若善男子。善女人。以三千大千世界碎為微塵。於意云何。是微塵眾寧為多否。須菩提言。甚多。世尊。何以故。若是微塵眾實有者。佛即不說是微塵眾。所以者何。佛說微塵眾。即非微塵眾。是名微塵眾。世尊。如來所說三千大千世界。即非世界。是名世界。何以故。若世界實有者。即是一合相。如來說一合相。即非一合相。是名一合相。須菩提。一合相者。即是不可說。但凡夫之人貪著其事。
「須菩提，若善男子、善女人」，假設有善男子、善女人，「以三千大千世界」，把三千大千世界碎為微塵，「於意云何」，在你的意思裡面，「是微塵眾寧為多否」，這個微塵眾多不多呢？
「須菩提言：甚多」，以三千大千世界，世界是怎麼變成的？你看三千大千世界有多大？簡直是看也看不見邊，找也找不到邊。這三千大千世界，坐著火箭都要走很久的時間，才可以找到小小的地方，還找不完這三千大千世界。這個三千大千世界是什麼造成的呢？怎麼變成的世界？這個世界雖然這麼大，也是從一粒微塵造成的，從最小的那個地方造成這麼大，雖然一粒微塵是最小，可是它多了，就變成一個大千世界。所以我們做功德都是從最小的地方做，做多了就變成萬德莊嚴。你不要以為這個善事小，你就不做；不要以為惡事小，你就可以做。善事小，做多了就變成大的善。惡事雖然小，你若做多了也變成大惡。好像這個世界，一粒微塵堆成一個世界。
以前在姚秦的時候，有一位跋陀羅禪師問道生法師說：「甚麼叫色？甚麼叫空？色不異空，空不異色，色即是空，空即是色，究竟甚麼叫色？甚麼叫空？」道生法師就說：「眾微聚曰色」，眾就是眾微塵聚集在一起了這就有色。「眾微無自性」，這就是空，一切微塵沒有自己的一個體性，這就是空。這位跋陀羅禪師又問：「在眾微未聚時，又叫什麼呢？」他好像沒有話講了，道生法師不知道是個什麼了，說不出來。跋陀羅禪師就對他說：「你只知道這果上的空、色，你所說的空和色，這都是果上的，你不知因中的空、色。」道生法師這回不得不低頭了，雖然他可以講得頑石點頭，這麼厲害，這麼有本事，現在對著人，他可沒話講了，就不得不請教他說：「請問上座，在眾微未聚的時候，叫做甚麼呢？」
跋陀羅禪師就說：「一微空故眾微空」，一粒微塵空了，所有一切的微塵也都空了，因為一切微塵也都是從一粒微塵來的。一微空故眾微空，眾微塵都空了，一微空，眾微都空了，所以一粒微塵也都沒有了，也都空了。「一微空中無眾微」，一粒微塵裡頭也沒有眾微塵了。「眾微空中無一微」，眾微空中也沒有一微了，所以也沒有空，也沒有色了。」這樣一講，道生法師認為是比他自己所講的道理更深一層，所以就向他叩頭頂禮。跋陀羅禪師這回也點頭了，把這位道生法師也講得點頭了。
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"Subhuti, if a good man or good woman were to pulverize three thousand great thousand world systems into motes of fine dust, what do you think, would that mass of fine dust be large?" Subhuti said, "Large, World Honored One, and why? If that mass of fine dust motes actually existed, the Buddha would not speak of it as a mass of fine dust motes, and why? The mass of fine dust motes is spoken of by the Buddha as no mass of fine dust motes, therefore it is called a mass of fine dust motes. World Honored One, the three thousand great thousand world systems are spoken of by the Tathagata as no world systems, therefore they are called world system, and why? If world systems actually existed, then there would be a totality of marks. The totality of marks is spoken of by the Tathagata as no totality of marks. Therefore it is called a totality of marks." "Subhuti, the totality of marks cannot be spoken of, but people of the common sort greedily attach to such things."
If we travelled by rocket for a great length of time, we would only cover a short distance compared to the extent of three thousand great thousand world systems. Although those world systems are big, they are created from motes of fine dust. The largest things are created from the smallest. Although one mote of dust is small, many of them together become a great thousand world system. In the same way, the merit and virtue we do comes from small deeds.
By doing many good deeds we become adorned with ten thousand virtues. You should not think you need not bother doing small good deeds or that you can get away with doing small bad ones. Many seemingly inconsequential good deeds will accumulate into great goodness. Although you may only do minor bad deeds, many will accumulate into great evil. In just the same way, a whole world comes from a collection of small dust motes.
In the Yao Ch'in period, Dhyana Master Bhadra said to Dharma Master Tao Sheng, "Form does not differ from emptiness; emptiness does not differ from form. Whatever is form, that is emptiness; whatever is emptiness, that is form. Ultimately what is form and emptiness?"
Dharma Master Tao Sheng said, "The totality of a mass of fine dust motes is called form. The mass of fine dust motes, devoid of self-nature, is called emptiness." He said that an accumulation of fine dust had no self-nature, and that the absence of any substantial nature in the accumulation of fine dust was emptiness.
Dhyana Master Bhadra then asked, "When a mass of fine dust motes is not collected together, what is that called?"
Dharma Master Tao Sheng was speechless. He did not know what to call it. Dhyana Master Bhadra then said, "You only know the result of form and emptiness, you do not know the cause of form and emptiness."
Dharma Master Tao Sheng could only nod his head. Although he could speak so powerfully that even rocks nodded their heads, he had nothing to say to this person. With no other alternative he humbly asked, "Superior Seated One, may I ask what a mass of fine dust motes is called when it is not collected together?"
Dhyana Master Bhadra replied, "Because one fine dust mote is empty, the mass of fine dust motes is empty." He said that one fine dust mote is empty and so all dust motes are empty. Why? Because many dust motes are created from a single mote of dust.
Dhyana Master Bhadra continued, "Because the mass of fine dust motes is empty, each mote of fine dust is also empty." The masses of dust motes are empty, so certainly one single dust mote must also be empty.
"In the emptiness of one fine mote of dust," he continued, "there is no mass of fine dust motes.
In the emptiness of a mass of fine dust motes, there is not one single fine mote of dust." So there is no emptiness and no form. Upon hearing that, Dharma Master Tao Sheng knew that the doctrine Dhyana Master Bhadra had spoken was deeper than the one he himself had expressed, so he bowed to him. Dhyana Master Bhadra spoke and Dharma Master Tao Sheng nodded his head. |
