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如來無量智慧光 能滅眾生癡惑網
一切世間咸救護 此是堅法所持說
佛的智慧光明是無量的，以無量的智慧光明來滅除無量眾生的愚癡和惑業這個網，我們眾生在世間被這個網網住了，什麼網呢？就是無明的網，就是愚癡的網，就是造業的網，這個網也好像打魚的網，把魚都裝到網裡，從海裡撈出來，我們在這個世間上，因為愚癡太重，惑業也太重，也就好像打魚的網，把我們從智慧海裡頭給打上來，打上來就變成愚癡了，在這個網裡出不了，沒有法子出去那愚癡的網，也就是沒有法子能出離三界：欲界、色界、無色界，這三界沒有法子逃得出去，被愚癡的網蓋住了。
「一切世間咸救護」：佛以無量的智慧光明，來消滅這種愚癡網，令一切有情世間都得到救護，得到解脫。「此是堅法所持說」：這種境界就是堅法迦樓羅王，他所入的解脫門，所得到的這種的境界。
法城廣大不可窮 其門種種無數量
如來處世大開闡 此妙冠髻能明入
法城，就是說法之城、弘法之城。法城就是一切道場，所有的道場都是佛的法城，所以說法城廣大不可窮。佛說法四十九年，談經三百餘會，到處建立法城，到處吹大法螺，擊大法鼓，建大法幢，所以說「建法城於處處，破疑網於重重。」疑網都給破了，所以說法城廣大，不可窮，沒有窮盡。
「其門種種無數量」：究竟這法城有多少個門呢？城一定要有門，不然從什麼地方出這個城？從什麼地方入這個城？如果沒有門，便成一個死城了。法城的門不能關著，一定要有門，這個門還要開著，這個法才能流通，所以說其門種種，有種種的法門，八萬四千法門，門門皆可直達佛果，達到佛的果位上，無論你修那一個法，只要你認真去修去，都可以成就的，所以說種種的門沒有數量的。「如來處世大開闡」：如來在這個世界上大演這個法城，闡揚這個法，令眾生離苦得樂，了生脫死，究竟成佛。「此妙冠髻能明入」：這是妙冠髻迦樓羅王他明白這種的解脫門。
明天開始，由慧僧法師來教唱念、講經的儀式，五點鐘開始教到六點半，咱們這兒在四點半去接他來到這個地方，或者四點二十分，早十分鐘，或者晚間早一點去接他，所有願意要學唱念的人都要認真去學，不要馬馬虎虎的，因為你把它學明白了，不用是可以的，你不要用的時候不明白。學的人也不要現出一種很奇怪的樣子，好像見所未見、聞所未聞的，好像某某法師那天來說一句臭鹹菜，有一位就說從來沒有聽過。這樣子一講，真是倒架子。他所講的也沒有超出去我們平時所研究的這些道理，就是換一個臭鹹菜這麼一個名字，這有什麼不得了呢？就說從來沒有聽過，這樣子你就太不懂道理了。學唱念也是這樣子，學是學，不要大驚小怪的，好像非常驚奇，人家看到會認為真是不懂事情，什麼都不懂。學是不妨學，但是不要大驚小怪的。還有我講經，講《華嚴經》，因為近幾個禮拜，我有一點旁的事情要做一做，所以禮拜二放香，禮拜四也放香，禮拜六不放香，一個禮拜還是放兩次香。本來以前是放一次，禮拜六我不講，這一次兩天，禮拜二和禮拜四。這兩天可以由果瞻來講，願意講什麼都可以的，不罵人就可以，不要像果寧一到法座，又罵比丘、又罵比丘尼、又罵居士：男居士、女居士，所以現在他不能講了，就因為他罵人，盡找人家的毛病，他自己的毛病一點都不知道，所以現在叫他閉關去，不閉關就跳金門橋，不跳金門橋就閉關，這兩個道理，所以試驗這幾個禮拜看一看。唱念要好好地學，接送法師的人，在這個車上無論接誰，接送客人、或者某某法師、某某居士，在車上少講話，車上不是談話的地方，車上一談話，駕車就很容易發生意外，你若發生意外，人家就說：「喔！你看他們金山寺的車，一樣 have accident，他們有什麼感應啊？」所以我們要小心一點，不要弄出毛病來，在車上最好無論那一位，接送客人最好不講話，他要和你講話，你就跟他說：「我這個司機不能講話，因為這個城裡人太多、車太多，你不小心就碰到人，或者碰到車了。」這是很正確的理由，免得發生事故人家笑，這是一點。還有下個禮拜天，果滿他們有四個人從香港來，是十一點十五分，你們幾位比丘尼願意去歡迎這個沙彌尼可以去。不過你們要早一點吃飯，在廟上十點鐘吃飯，吃完飯十點半鐘就去，十點半去大約來得及，去歡迎她們就這個事情。
一切諸佛一法身 真如平等無分別
佛以此力常安住 普捷現王斯具演
「一切諸佛一法身」：這是說的十方三世一切諸佛，同共一法身。佛的法身是沒有分別的，好像什麼呢？好像這一切燈的光，都是同一個名，這名與名沒有分彼此，你的名也就是我的名，我的名也就是你的名，所以這燈的名不分別，佛的法身也猶如這個名一樣，所以也沒有分別，所以才說一切諸佛一法身。佛的這個智慧光都是一個的，佛這個音聲也都是一樣的，所以佛與佛不分彼此。為什麼呢？它「真如平等無分別」：佛的性是真如，也是平等，那麼平等真如都是一個，沒有分別的，佛不像我們眾生，分彼分此，有你有我，有眾生有壽者，佛是一切平等的。所以才說，十方三世佛，同共一法身，也就是一切諸佛一法身。
「佛以此力常安住」：佛就以這種真如平等的力量，以這種沒有分別的這種境界，常安住，常常地是這樣子，常常地是這個境界，安住到這個境界上。「普捷現王斯具演」：這個普捷世現迦樓羅王，他能演說具足這種的解脫門。
佛昔諸有攝眾生 普放光明遍世間
種種方便世調伏 此勝法門觀海悟
「佛昔諸有攝眾生」：佛在往昔也用這個一切的諸有，欲界有、色界有、無色界有，來攝化眾生。所謂「欲令入佛智，先以欲勾牽」，你想叫眾生得到佛的智慧，你就叫他學佛的智慧，他根本就不會聽你的，什麼叫佛的智慧？佛的智慧和我的智慧又有什麼分別？我的智慧比佛的智慧更大，更高明，我為什麼又要學佛的智慧？這你就要用一種方便法，你想叫他得到佛的智慧，就先要給他一點好處，他所喜歡的，你給他一點。譬如一切眾生都歡喜吃蜜糖，你就先請他吃一點蜜糖，這個蜜糖吃了之後很高興，就說這個蜜糖大好了，你怎麼得到的呢？就對他講這種蜜糖是從佛的智慧生出來的。他聽你這麼一講，那佛的智慧能生出蜜糖來，那我就要學佛的智慧，怎樣才能得到佛的智慧呢？你就叫他修布施、修持戒、修忍辱、修精進、修禪定、修智慧，你把這個六度修圓滿了，就得到佛的智慧。所以他想要吃蜜糖，就要修這個六度。這是個比喻，你不要以為真有蜜糖吃，甚至吃得樓板上都是蜜糖，那就未免太執著這個蜜糖了。那麼這叫欲令入佛智，先以欲勾牽。這個「欲勾」就是眾生所歡喜的，他歡喜什麼，你就先用什麼方法來度他，那麼這就是先以欲勾牽。佛教化眾生就是這樣子，所以說佛昔諸有攝眾生，來攝化眾生，用方便法。普放光明遍世間」：他普遍地放大光明來照耀一切世間。「種種方便示調伏」：佛用種種的方便來調伏一切的眾生，令眾生捨邪歸正，去妄存誠，反迷歸覺。「此勝法門觀海悟」：這個法門是特別殊勝的，這種的境界也特別的稀有的，那麼這麼樣殊勝，這麼樣稀有，這是觀海迦樓羅王，他能明白而悟入這個解脫門。 |
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The Thus Come One's light of wisdom which is limitless
Can destroy the net of living beings' stupidity and delusions,
Saving and protecting all within the world.
This is what Solid Dharma maintained and spoke about.
The Buddha's, the Thus Come One's light of wisdom which is limitless can destroy the net of living beings' limitless
stupidity and karma of delusions. We living beings in the world have been netted by the net of ignorance, stupidity, and creation of karma, much like fish caught from the sea in a fishnet. In the world we have been scooped up from the sea of wisdom by the net of our stupidity and karma of delusions, which are too heavy. Once caught, we become stupid and can't get out of the net of that stupidity. That is, we can't escape from the Three Realms---the Desire Realm, the Form Realm and the Formless Realm, because the net of stupidity covers us.
The Buddha uses the limitless light of wisdom to destroy that net of stupidity,
saving and protecting all in the world of sentient beings so they achieve liberation.
This kind of state is what the Garuda King
Solid Dharma maintained and spoke about. It's the door of liberation he entered and the state he obtained.
The citadels of Dharma are vast and great and inexhaustible.
They have more various kinds of gates than could be counted.
The Thus Come One appears in the world to open them widely.
This is what Wondrous Cowl-Crown could understand and enter.
A citadel of Dharma is a city where Dharma is spoken, where Dharma is propagated. Any Way Place is a citadel of the Buddha's Dharma. That's why the text says:
The citadels of Dharma are vast and great and inexhaustible. The Buddha spoke Dharma for forty-nine years, pronouncing Sutras in over three hundred assemblies. Everywhere he went he established citadels of the Dharma, blowing the great Dharma conch, beating the great Dharma drum, and setting up great banners of the Dharma. Thus it's said, "He founded citadels of Dharma place after place, and broke through nets of doubt layer by layer. The cities of Dharma are inexhaustible---they never come to an end; and
they have more various kinds of gates than could be counted. How many gates are there in all? Cities must have gates or how could people go in and out? Without gates they would be ghost towns. Citadels of Dharma must have open doors, not closed ones. Only if the gates are opened can the Dharma circulate. There are 84,000 doors of Dharma, and each and every door can lead directly to the fruition of Buddhahood. No matter what Dharma you cultivate, if you cultivate it truly, you can have accomplishment. For that reason the doors are described as being countless.
The Thus Come One appears in the world to open them widely. The Tathagata in the world greatly expands the citadels of Dharma and proclaims the Dharma, enabling living beings to be free from suffering, attain bliss, end birth, cast off death, and ultimately become Buddhas.
This is what the Garuda King Wondrous Cowl-Crown could understand and enter. He understood this kind of liberation door.
Starting tomorrow, Dharma Master Hui Seng will come to teach the ceremony for Sutra lectures. Whoever wants to study this should do so seriously, and not be haphazard about it. It's permissible to master the ceremony but not use it; but don't let it happen that when the time comes to use it you haven't understood it. Also, when you are learning it, don't act like it's something utterly new and startling which you've never seen or heard of before. For example, when a certain Dharma Master came here to lecture, he talked about a stinking salted vegetable. One disciple told him she'd never heard of it before. When you say something like that, you lose face for us. What he talked about was not beyond the principles which we investigate here all the time. All he did was change the name and refer to it as a stinking salted vegetable---what's so fantastic about that? But she said, "We've never heard of that before." When you do that, you really don't understand. Studying ceremonies is the same. You can study them, but don't act really surprised by them, or people will see you as not understanding anything.
Lately I have taken just one night off from lecturing a week, but now for the next few weeks I have something else to do, and will take two nights off. A certain disciple can lecture, as long as he doesn't scold people. He can't act like a certain other disciple who, as soon as he took the Dharma seat, started scolding the Bhikshus, the Bhikshunis, the laymen and the laywomen. That person's been taken off from lecturing, due to his propensity to scold. He just found fault with others, and was unaware of his own shortcomings. Now he's trying out seclusion for a few weeks, the only other alternative being jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.
When you are picking guests up, driving them back, or driving them anywhere, whether they are Dharma Masters or laypeople, don't talk much in the car. A car is not the place for conversation. As soon as you start talking, it's easy to have an accident. If that happens, everyone will say, "Oh, you see, cars from Gold Mountain Monastery can have accidents like anyone else. What response do they have?" So be careful; don't create problems. The best is not to talk at all in the car with guests, no matter who it is. If they want to talk to you, just tell them, "I can't talk while I'm driving because there are too many cars and too many people in the city. If I don't pay attention, I'll hit someone or run into a car." That's a very valid reason, to avoid accidents and ridicule. Also, four people, including a Shramanerika, will be arriving from Hong Kong at 11:50 next Sunday, and the Bhikshunis may go to welcome them, but you will have to eat lunch earlier. If you eat in the temple at 10:00 and finish by 10:30, you will probably have enough time to go welcome them.
All Buddhas have a single Dharma Body,
The sameness of True Thusness without differentiations.
The Buddhas through this power constantly abide,
The King Swiftly Appearing Everywhere spoke about this fully.
All Buddhas have a single Dharma body. All Buddhas of the ten directions and three periods of time share one and the same Dharma body; and the Buddhas' Dharma body has no differentiations. As analogy for this is the way the lights from all lamps are one brightness. There is no distinction between one brightness and another. One's brightness is another's brightness, and that one's brightness is also the brightness of the first: The Buddhas' Dharma body is like that brightness of lamps which has no distinctions to it. That's why the text says that all Buddhas have a single Dharma body. The light of all the Buddhas's wisdom is one, and all Buddhas have a single sound. For that reason, there is no distinction between Buddhas, for they all have
the sameness of True Thusness without differentiations. The nature of Buddhas is True Thusness, and it is sameness. The sameness of True Thusness is one, without distinctions. Buddhas are not like we living beings who discriminate this and that, you, and me, and living beings, and lifespans. For a Buddha, all is the same. Therefore it is said that all Buddhas of the ten directions and three periods of time share a single Dharma body, which is exactly what is being discussed in this text.
The Buddhas through this power constantly abide. The Buddhas, relying on this kind of power of the sameness of True Thusness, this state of non-differentiation, constantly abide in the same way, always securely settled in this state.
The Garuda King Swiftly Appearing Everywhere spoke about this fully. He was able to completely describe this door of liberation.
Formerly the Buddha gathered in beings in all existences,
Radiating light everywhere throughout all the worlds.
With various expedients he displayed taming and subduing.
Contemplating the Seas awakened" to this supreme Door of Dharma:
Formerly the Buddha gathered in beings in all existences. In the past the Buddha used all of the existences, existence in the Desire Realm, existence in the Form Realm, and existence in the Formless Realm, to gather in and teach living beings. There is a saying which goes, "If you wish to bring someone into the Buddha's wisdom, first bait the book with something that person likes." You might want a particular living being to obtain the wisdom of a Buddha, but if you simply tell him to study it, he won't listen to you. "What's the wisdom of a Buddha?" he will say. "What's the difference between the Buddha's wisdom and mine? My wisdom's greater and higher than the Buddha's, so why should I study the Buddha's wisdom?" Consequently you need to use an expedient method. If you want him to obtain the wisdom of a Buddha, first give him some advantages, a little something he likes. For example, beings all like honey, so you begin by inviting him to eat some honey. After eating it, he's delighted and says, "This honey is really good! How did you get it?"
Then you tell him, "This honey was produced from the Buddha's wisdom." When he hears you say that, his reaction is, "Oh! The Buddha's wisdom can produce honey! Then I want to study the Buddha's wisdom. How can I obtain it?" So you tell him, "You need to practice giving, holding precepts, patience, vigor, dhyana-samadhi, and wisdom. Perfect those Six Paramitas, and you will have the Buddha's wisdom." This is an analogy. Don't think that there is really honey to eat, to the point that you spill the honey all over the stairs as you eat. Then you are too attached to this honey. This is what's called, "If you wish to bring someone into the Buddha's wisdom, first bait the book with something he likes." That's how the Buddha taught and transformed living beings, using expedients.
Radiating light everywhere throughout all the worlds, with various expedients he displayed taming and subduing. The Buddha used all kinds of expedients to tame all living beings, causing them to renounce the deviant and return to the proper, get rid of falseness and retain earnest, and turn back from confusion and return to enlightenment.
Contemplating the Seas awakened to this Supreme Door of Dharma. This Dharma Door is especially supreme. This kind of state is also especially rare. Being so supreme and rare, this is the liberation door that the Garuda King Contemplating the Seas was able to understand, awaken to, and enter. |
