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佛觀一切諸國土
悉依業海而安住
普雨法雨於其中
龍音解脫能如是
佛以這個智慧的眼，來普遍觀察一切十方國土，所有十方的國土，沒有一個國土不是依靠業海而安住，都是由眾生的業而造成的。在這個業海裡頭，浮沉不定，生了又隨業漂流，就死，死了又隨這個業漂流，又生；生了死，死了又生，今生姓馬，來生就姓李；今生叫 Gary，來生又叫 Steve，沒有一個了的時候，不知道回頭是岸，在這個孽海、業海裡頭漂流，所以佛就普雨法雨，普遍來給眾生說這個法，好像下雨一樣，於其中，就在這業海的裡面，說法教化眾生，這種的境界是誰明白呢？就是這個龍音大目精迦樓羅王，他入這個解脫門，他明白像這種的境界。
慧僧法師他教你，叫他給講囉，你叫他給講一講，聽一聽是怎樣個講法，他怎麼說？你們昨天學這個華嚴字母，和這個唱念，你們都有什麼意見啊？提出來我們研究一下，我天天聽你們各位念佛啊，念得很拘束，就是很死板的，念得不是很活潑的，這念佛也要念得這個聲音無拘無束，無罣無礙的樣子，不是好像用繩子把它綁上，這麼放不開，要放開。這聲音念得就像那個流水似的，沒有法子可以停止；又像那個刮風似的，把那個花草樹木都吹得這麼飄飄然。
念佛是這樣子，唱歌也是唱得這樣子，唱得人呢，把人唱得都飄飄欲仙，啊，就像成了神仙似的。念佛啊就把佛念得來了，到面前這兒來了，佛現身了，念得那個樣子。念佛不要念得死板不活動，念得這個聲音都不響亮，慢一點是好，但是念得好像很死板、很笨的，那聲音聽起來，我要說這個很久了，可是我沒有講，大家念得也都不是一個音，你有你的音，我有我的音，這要大家異口同音，這個口不同，但是這個音都是一個。不是聲音好像放不開，這麼樣很拘謹的。念佛啊無論是出家人、在家人都應該出聲念，隨著念，不應該聽著他念，我不念，大家都要一個心來念佛，這個聲音聽來都是一個，這麼樣子呢，才容易得到念佛三昧。
復次。羅睺阿修羅王。得現為大會尊勝主解脫門。
誰知道羅睺兩個字怎樣講呢？「復次」，就是把前邊沒有說完那個意思，再說一說。「羅睺阿修羅王」，這個阿修羅有很多種，天上也有阿修羅，人道裡也有阿修羅，阿修羅道裡更有阿修羅，畜生道裡也有阿修羅。阿修羅，有時把他列入三善道，把他算到三善道裡邊：天道、人道、阿修羅，這叫三善道，因他也有多少善根，所以也屬於三善道；有的時候又把他列入四惡趣裡邊，把他算到三惡道一起，這叫四惡趣：阿修羅、地獄、餓鬼、畜生。天上的阿修羅，就是天上的土匪；人間的阿修羅就是人間的土匪，畜生裡邊的阿修羅，就是好像那個害群之馬，這些都是阿修羅。什麼是害群之馬呢？這個馬本來在一起，應該大家都和平共處在一起，不給其他的馬麻煩，這種阿修羅的馬牠就是專門 make trouble，要踢踢其他的馬，咬一咬其他的馬，總而言之，就是願意鬥爭，阿修羅無論在哪一道裡頭，他就是以鬥爭為主。好像在天上的阿修羅，他時時刻刻都和帝釋來鬥爭，來作戰，把帝釋給戰敗了。以後，帝釋去求佛幫助他，佛叫他回去念「摩訶般若波羅蜜多」，就把阿修羅給打敗了。為什麼他和帝釋作戰？講起來，這都是女人禍水，因為女人的關係。
阿修羅有很多種的翻譯，有的翻譯叫非天，剛才你們說不是神，不是神，他也不是鬼；有的又翻譯無酒，不是他喝不著酒，是喝不夠，喝多少也不夠，他就說這酒沒有了。又有一個翻譯叫無端正，長得最醜陋。有的阿修羅鼻子長有兩尺半那麼長，好像大笨象的鼻子似的，有的阿修羅嘴長得很小，吃東西吃不快；有的眼睛長得很大，總而言之，他的面貌你一看就會打戰顫，嚇得你東西南北都不知道，他就有這樣的力量，誰看見阿修羅，誰就怕。那麼女的呢？女的長得非常美貌，玉帝就是帝釋，就和阿修羅王求婚，要他的女兒做太太。阿修羅王本來不高興，他是反對帝釋的，怎麼可以把愛女嫁給帝釋呢？但是他的女兒喜歡，就給帝釋做太太。
帝釋常常到各處聽經聞法，各處去隨喜功德。有一次在山裡邊，有一個老修行在那兒說法，帝釋就去聽法。聽法回來，大約是晚了一點，他太太就問：「你幹什麼去呀？」「聽法。」「你聽法？不是吧！你一定外面有女人，你去胡混去了，所以你不叫我知道，你說你是聽法，好啊！去聽法你可以帶我一起去呀！」帝釋說：「你不能去，你生得這麼漂亮，給人看見不好的，不能去。」她更生了一種妒忌心，你一定是不守規矩。於是乎，第二天老修行說法的時候，帝釋又去了，這個修羅女就叫帝釋帶她去，帝釋不帶她去，一定不帶她去。這個修羅女也有神通，就用一種隱身的術，就是雖然她跟著，但是旁人看不見，帝釋也看不見，就跟在後面去了。到了一看，這個法會有男有女，這麼多女人在這兒，難怪你天天來！好，於是乎，她就現形，一現形，帝釋看見她來了，就很不高興說：「你為什麼來？我不帶你來，你一定要來！」「我當然要來了！有這麼多女人在這兒。」於是乎，帝釋拿著蓮花的梗子，打她一下，這個修羅女又哭又鬧地回去了，回去就跑到家裡，對她爸爸講，說是帝釋怎樣打她，怎樣在外邊有很多女人。她爸爸說，「好！我替你報仇。」於是乎，把修羅就發動，發動修羅去和帝釋作戰。帝釋的軍隊—天兵、天將，打不過阿修羅，阿修羅眞打，一戰就把他們戰敗，所以帝釋就去求佛幫助，佛就教他念「摩訶般若波羅蜜多」，回來就把阿修羅戰勝。這一位阿修羅王他得到現為大會尊勝主解脫門。他得到、他明白這個佛是示現為一切的法會、大會尊勝主，就是說法王，他得到這一種境界、這一種的解脫門。
（待續）
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The Buddha contemplates all lands whatsoever
As residing poised upon the sea of karma.
He rains the rain of Dharma in it everywhere.
Dragon Sound was able to achieve this liberation.
The Buddha contemplates all lands whatsoever. As residing poised upon the sea of karma. The Buddha uses the eye of wisdom to contemplate the lands of the ten directions everywhere. All those countries throughout the ten directions are, without exception, structured with the sea of karma as their basis. That is, they are formed from the karma created by living beings. In the sea of karma, living beings bob and sink without fixity. Once born, they are carried along by their karma; and the same thing happens when they die. After being reborn, they die again; and having died, they are reborn. This life they may be called Ma, and in the next life Li. A person might be named Gary this life, and be called Steve in his next rebirth. It never ends. They don't know that with a turn of the head one can reach the other shore, but instead float along in the sea of karma. For that reason,
he rains the rain of Dharma in it everywhere. The Buddha speaks Dharma universally to teach and transform living beings, like the falling of rain in the sea of karma. Who understood this state?
Dragon Sound was able to achieve this liberation. The Garuda King Dragon Sound Great Eye-Essence entered this door of liberation and understood this kind of state.
Dharma Master Hwei Seng is teaching you, so why don't you let him speak, and listen to what he has to say. How does he explain it? Yesterday you all studied the Avatamsaka Syllabary, and chanting-what opinions do you have about it. Bring them up and let's investigate them. Every day I hear you reciting the Buddha's name quite stiffly, in a most constrained way. It's not very lively. The sound from your recitation of the Buddha's name should be unconstrained and unimpeded, not as if tied up with a rope and unable to get free. Set it free. The sound should be like flowing water which nothing can stop, and like the wind which rustles the grass and flowers, trees and shrubs as it blows.
That's true of reciting the Buddha's name, and it's also the way your chanting should be. As people chant, they should feel blissful and elevated, as if they had become Spiritual lmmortals. They should recite the Buddha's name in such a way that the Buddha appears before them. That's how it should be, not stiff and dead with no resonance to the sound. It's preferable for the recitation to be somewhat slow, but it shouldn't sound dull and lifeless. l've been wanting to mention this for a long time, but up to now l haven't said anything. Also, you are not reciting with one sound; each person has his or her own sound. it should be that all our different mouths recite with the same sound. It should not sound as if you cannot set the sound free. That way it becomes very constrained. During recitation of the Buddha's name, whether you are a left-home person or a layperson, you should recite out loud and join in the recitation. It shouldn't be that you listen to others recite but don't recite yourself. All of you should single-mindedly recite the Buddha's name and produce a single sound. Then it will be easy to obtain the Samadhi of Buddha-Recitation.
Furthermore, the Asura King Rahu obtained the liberation door of appearing as a supreme and honored host for great assemblies.
Who knows the meaning of the word Rahu? Furthermore indicates that what had not been completely explained before is being continued here, with discussion of the Asura King Rahu. There are many kinds of asuras, since they are found in the path of gods, in the path of humans, even more in the path of asuras, and also in the path of animals. Sometimes asuras are counted as part of the Three Wholesome Paths, which are the path of gods, the path of humans, and the path of asuras. That’s because they have a certain amount of good roots. But sometimes they are considered one of the Four Evil Paths: the path of asuras, the path of hell-beings, the path of hungry ghosts, and the path of animals. Asuras in the heavens are celestial bandits, whereas asuras among people are bandits in the human realm. An example of an asura in the realm of animals is the horse that harms the herd. A herd of horses should get along well as a group, with no horse disturbing another. But the asura-horse is always stirring up trouble by kicking and biting other horses and starting fights. In whatever path asuras are found, they are fighters. In the heavens, for example, asuras were always waging war with the Heavenly Lord and defeating him. The Heavenly Lord went to the Buddha for help. The Buddha told him to go back and recite "Maha-Prajna-Paramita," and he defeated the asuras. Why were they at war with Lord God? It was because of a woman.
There are many translations of "asura." One meaning is "non-god." He’s not a god, but he’s not a ghost either. Another translation is "wineless." It’s not that they don’t get to drink wine--they just can’t get enough. However much they drink is insufficient, and so they say there is no wine. A further translation is "not good-looking," because asuras are very ugly. Some have noses a yard long, like an elephant’s trunk. Some have miniscule lips, and cannot eat very fast. Some have enormous eyes. In general, just a glimpse of an asura’s face scares you so much you tremble in terror and lose your sense of direction. Asuras have the power to make anyone who sees them afraid. But the women are another story. They are extraordinarily beautiful, and so the Heavenly Lord, the Jade Emperor, asked to marry the asura king’s daughter. The asura king was none too pleased. Since he was the Jade Emperor’s opponent, how could he give the Jade Emperor his beloved daughter? But the asura king’s daughter liked the idea, and so she was given as the bride of the Heavenly Lord.
As it happened, the Heavenly Lord regularly went out all over joining in the merit and virtue of attending lectures on Sutras and Dharma. Once there was an old cultivator in the mountains who was speaking Dharma, and the Heavenly Lord went to hear him. He must have returned late, and his wife asked him, "What have you been doing?"
"I've been listening to the Dharma," he replied.
"Listening to Dharma--I don't believe it!" she retorted.
"I'm sure you are seeing another woman on the side. You just want to cover up by saying you’ve been listening to Dharma. Okay. Next time you can take me along with you."
The Heavenly Lord said, "You can't go. You're so beautiful, it would never do for people to see you," and he wouldn't let her go.
She became even more jealous, thinking, "It's certain he's fooling around!" The next day when the time came for the old cultivator's Dharma lecture, the Heavenly Lord was going to go again. His asura wife told him to take her along, but he was determined not to take her. The asura lady had her own spiritual penetrations however, and made her body invisible by magic. No one, including the Heavenly Lord, could see that she had come along behind him. When they got to the place and she saw there were both men and women in the Dharma assembly which the Heavenly Lord entered, she thought, "There are so many women here, no wonder you attend every day! Fine.'' Then she made herself visible.
The Heavenly Lord was very upset when he saw her. "Why did you come?" he asked her. "l didn't bring you, but you insisted on coming."
"Of course l came," she said. "You have all these women here."
Then the Jade Emperor took the lotus-flower whip and hit her. The asura lady went back crying and screaming. She returned to her home and told her father about how the Heavenly Lord had hit her, and how he had so many women on the side. Her father said, "Okay. I'll get revenge for you." Then he mobilized the asuras and went to war with the Heavenly Lord. The Heavenly Lord's celestial army of heavenly generals and heavenly troops was no match for the asuras. When the asuras went to war for real, they defeated them in a single battle. At that point, the Heavenly Lord went and sought the Buddha's aid. The Buddha told him to recite "Maha-Prajna-Paramita.'' and upon his return he gained victory over the asuras.
This Asura King obtained the liberation door of appearing as a supreme and honored host for great assemblies. What he understood was how the Buddha appears as the Dharma-speaking host for each and every great Dharma assembly. He obtained that state and entered that door of liberation.
(to be continued) |
