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上人：「出家人不搭袈裟就等於還俗。中國的佛教一向就腐敗、墮落，所以我在海外講出家人要按佛制吃一餐、要搭衣，我們在萬佛聖城就是搭袈裟、日中一食，結果你們打禪七居然就不搭衣了，就吃三餐了。我教化你們這麼久，你們境界一來就受不住了，你們是活人？是死人？你們還算是有血有氣？竟然就被支配得團團轉。你若認識萬佛聖城的家風，應該至死不變的。你叫我不搭衣，你叫我死可以，叫我不搭衣不可以；你叫我死可以，叫我不吃一餐不可以。有這樣堅決的定力，有這樣的信心，才是萬佛聖城的一分子。我要是認清了目標，到死也不變的，不搭袈裟進禪堂，就是一坐禪就開悟了，我也不幹！萬佛聖城弄成這樣子，我再也不回去了。」
（1╱23╱1993上人開示於金輪聖寺）
修行要抱定宗旨
修行要抱定宗旨，不要把宗旨忘了。那麼學佛的人，也是要抱定宗旨，宗旨就是我們的目標，我們的目標認清楚了。向前啊勇猛精進，不要向後退。講到這個問題，我就回憶起來，在我剛剛出家的時候，我就想，我說出家人很多，是不是每一個人都明白佛法了？是不是他們都有他們一個目的呢？可是我一考察，研究看，許許多多出家人不是為著修行，不是為著了生死，也沒有什麼目標，就是在那兒混吃等死熬歲月，這樣的出家人，只能給佛教增加累贅、增加瘡疣、增加負擔，對佛教並沒有什麼益處。
那麼我又看現在在中國的佛敎，根本就沒認識這個佛敎的根本是什麼。佛當初講經說法，無非想要後人明白佛的道理。佛敎徒應該怎麼樣去發展佛敎，想到這個地方，我看中國的佛敎，始終沒有把根紮下去，就是沒有根的佛敎，受不住考驗、受不住外來的侵略。既然受不住考驗，又抵不住侵略，這是沒有根的佛敎。爲什麼呢？就因爲他把根本沒有認識，（原文無此標點）佛敎的根本是什麼呢？佛敎的根本就是敎育！那麼敎育必須要由幼小的兒童上來著手，給他灌輸這個佛教的知識、灌輸佛教的智慧、灌輸佛敎的思想。能以培植成一個最低限度，做一個世界的眞善美的良好的國民。他的思想有了基礎，行爲有了目標，他可以對佛敎來發揚光大，這樣子才不忘了佛敎根本的這個敎義。
「人能弘道，非道弘人」，我們人怎麼能弘道呢？人因爲他有了目標，有了宗旨，他才付諸行爲。可是在中國沒有根的佛敎，是既沒有根，又沒有梃子，只在末梢上轉轉。中國的佛敎，打水陸、放燄口、做佛事、超度人，這是中國佛敎的一種形狀、樣子。他就沒想一想這樣子下去，養成一班無業的遊民，在佛敎裡混飯吃。這有多可惜！只知道賺錢，做超度，超度你要有根基、有德行的僧人，不用說念經、念咒，就說一句話，「你往生去了。」他就會往生極樂世界去。你既無道德，又沒有一個行持，行持也不檢，這你憑什麼去超度人？可以說是只有負這個施主的債務。並且佛的制度也都不存在了。
三衣缽具不離體
譬如在中國的佛敎，沒有人天天都搭著衣的，爲什麼不搭衣呢？你問他自己，他也不知道爲什麼就不搭衣了。本來比丘相、比丘尼相，時時刻刻都要搭衣，都要吃一餐的。他們居然就把它都忘了，忘到十萬八千裏以外，根本也不認識什麼搭衣的意思是什麼？吃一餐的意思是什麼？在中國的佛教，根本就沒有人懂。雖然有一、兩個或者還搭衣，或者吃一餐，一萬個裡頭也不一定有一、兩個，這可以說是鳳毛麟角，可以說是少之又少。你問他這個比丘相是什麼？他根本就莫名其妙。現在中國的出家人，乃至於其他各國的出家人，多數在大乘的佛教，都不搭衣，這不搭衣，他們認為這就天公地道，就是應該這樣子，可不知道不搭衣已經沒有比丘相了。
說，那大乘佛教是菩薩。菩薩也不是不搭衣就是菩薩了，菩薩也是要搭衣的，菩薩更要莊嚴，你看那觀音菩薩、普賢菩薩、文殊師利菩薩和地藏菩薩，都有裝飾品在身上戴著。雖然這是一個假相，但是它也有所表法。它裝飾就是表示莊嚴佛土！那麼出家人、修道的人，都要規規矩矩的，不是那麼拖泥帶水的，像個瘋瘋癲癲的樣子。說，濟公和尚啊！他就是瘋瘋癲癲的。濟公，那是為著那些個瘋瘋癲癲的人來混飯吃，給他們留飯吃，所以他也就裝成那個樣子。也就是叫一般的在家人不可以輕視瘋瘋癲癲的人，不可以看不起他，瘋瘋癲癲的人裡頭也有大權示現的；也有在那兒隱蔽他真正的形相，來教化眾生。
為什麼各處 Mahayana 的佛教徒都不搭衣了呢？它因為 Mahayana 傳到北方了，這北方天氣寒冷的，你單單搭著衣，他受不住那個寒冷，所以在這衣裡邊必須要穿上內衣，穿上這個貼肉的衣服，好禦寒。穿上裡邊這個衣了，可是外邊這個衣一搭上，也就很容易丟了。在佛教剛剛傳到中國，比丘大約有的也不太靈敏的、笨笨的，搭著這個衣，往往就把它丟了。這一丟了，再做新衣，也沒有錢做。那麼沒有錢做，到各處去化緣，又令人居士怕。所以以後出家人和出家人就開個會，說這不是辦法，我們這個衣常常丟，也做不起衣。中國的人都是節儉生活。那個衣要不少錢來縫一套衣，你丟了，就發生問題了。於是乎大家就開會，開會就有個不是很聰明的祖師就想起來辦法，說我有辦法，這衣上，我們加上一個鉤，一個圈圈。這鉤鉤嘛！就叫鉤；那個圈圈就叫環。鉤、環把它往上一套，這個衣就不掉了，於是乎就發明出中國這衣的樣子來，加上鉤環，穿著這衣不丟了，於是乎就以此為例了，就說這就是出家人的衣了。本來這個衣是沒有鉤環的，到了中國就加上鉤環，所以你看印度的出家人沒有鉤環，就是搭著那個衣，就那 Theravada 由這個就知道，這個佛教傳到某一個地區，因為地區的關係，人的風俗的關係，就有很多改善。
改善，中國改善，然後就流入下流，就不搭衣了。因為中國的出家人，那時候也多數自耕自食。一工作的時候，就不能搭衣，搭著衣做工，就不大方便，所以只穿短衫褲做工，把衣就放下了。放下時間一久，做工的時候不搭衣；不做工的時候也不搭衣了。有的還是依照傳統的關係，上殿、過堂，吃飯的時候，還都搭上衣。傳流到今天！吃飯也不搭衣了；上殿、過堂都不搭衣了。就說這樣就是個出家人了，其實這出家人，現在中國、臺灣、香港，乃至於各處 Mahayana 的佛教，穿這個長衫，越南穿這個長衫，就認為這就是佛教徒的衣，佛教徒的服裝了。其實這是大錯而特錯的！你出家人不搭衣，就等於還俗一樣的，和俗人沒有分別。並不是穿這彎彎領，這就證明你是出家人了，不要說穿彎彎領，就是搭著衣，你還天天總在犯戒，總在不老實，何況不搭衣！
日中一食是佛制
所以現在中國的佛教，簡直地是沒有佛教，中國傳流到各處的佛教，也都不是佛教，把佛教本來的面目都失去了。我看觀察到這樣情形，因為在中國我想把這種風氣改變了它，我知道我自己人微言輕，我人呢，也沒有什麼地位；言語也沒人聽，啊！你就大聲疾呼，把喉嚨喊破了，也沒有人相信。於是乎我就發願把佛教在西方重新整頓了它，重新發揚光大，令人認識這個佛教是怎麼回事。所以一到美國來，我一個人就提倡這個搭衣、吃一餐。因為美國人盡想享受，你這個，他也貪方便，教他搭著衣，他覺得不太順眼。可是不順眼，因為也沒有什麼順眼的，也沒有什麼不搭衣的出家人在這兒。所以我就提倡搭衣，然後也要提倡吃一餐。因為我從沒有出家以前，當居士的時候，我就吃一餐。等到出家以後，更是這麼多年以來都吃一餐，所以有人要跟著我出家，我沒有旁的道德，沒有什麼修行，我只可以用我表面樣子，來教大家模仿。所以跟著我出家的，不論男的、女的，都要吃一餐，如果能吃一餐，才收他；不能吃一餐的，我不收，這是跟著我出家的一個鐵定的條件，不能改變的。任何時候。任何環境壓迫下，也不可以改變的。
禪七離衣打吃七
因為我提倡這個搭衣、吃一餐這種的佛教的方式，這幾十年了，到美國就是這樣提倡，到現在還是這樣提倡。幾十年耳濡目染，這麼漸漸地，我相信能深入人心。人人都會對我這種教導人的方法，會有一個認識。可是我近來發覺到，我沒有在萬佛城打禪七，萬佛城居然就出家很久的，衣也不搭了，也不吃一餐了，也學著中國打吃七，就吃三茶四飯，外加包子，晚上還要吃包子，你若這樣，還能用功，這是我不相信的。我吃一餐，就已經覺得很麻煩了，那麼吃四餐，還外加包子，晚上加包子。在中國的佛教，叫晚上吃飯叫什麼呢？叫藥石，吃藥石，吃藥、吃石，就是在那服藥呢！這叫掩耳盜鈴，這叫自欺欺人。在那兒因為晚上要吃東西啊！他說吃藥就是中國的佛教，這種騙人的佛教、欺人的佛教，我沒有法子改正，可是現在在美國這兒，我建立海外的家風，和亞洲的佛教完全不同。那麼居然跟著我出家的出家人，出家了大約二、三十年了，還居然就改變我教化的方法，這令我特別痛心。所以我從去臺灣之前，聽說這個消息，一月二號到臺灣去，回來啊！我也不敢再回萬佛城去了。因為什麼呢？我沒有面目再回去了。我幾十年的心血，付諸一旦，一旦就給我都一掃而光。把萬佛城的金字招牌給摘下來了。萬佛城的金字招牌，全世界都知道是吃一餐的。嘿！居然就改變吃三餐，還吃包子。以前雖然說，也有出家人偷著到廚房去偷東西吃的，一、兩個，我也不管他；現在居然是一大堆，不知多少，數不過來這個數了，去吃三餐。那麼萬佛城的沙彌、沙彌尼、比丘、比丘尼，都是天天搭著衣的，可是現在還有幾個是沒有脫衣，其餘去打禪七的，多數都是不搭衣了，所以這是令我沒有面目回萬佛城的一個最要緊的地方。
我現在對你們大家講這個來龍去脈，前因後果。啊！你們大家想一想，我這麼多年的心血，來一個人，給我改一改，來一個人改一改；來十個人，就改十樣；來二十個人，改二十樣；來一百個人，改一百樣。萬佛城統統也沒有多少，就是吃一餐、搭衣，平時都搭衣。還有，說人坐單、持銀錢戒，這都不是普遍的。坐單也不是普遍的，持銀錢戒也不是普遍的。居然啊！有這個本來修行說八風吹不動，現在我不知道這是哪一股風，就把這些個人都給吹遍了！
你們各位居士想一想，我在美國這兒，這有什麼用呢！沒有用了！所以這個話，我啊！和你們講這話的時候，我心裡很沈痛，因為我是一個很小氣的人，沒有那麼大量，見不得人不守規矩，見不得人不守諾言。既然跟著我出家，當時發願說，答應我可以吃一餐，為什麼這麼幾十年過後，就會改了。那我現在還活著，就這樣子；那我死了以後，不知變成什麼樣子了，我痛心也就是這個。現在告訴你們各位，我在如果有必要回萬佛城的時候，我現在做一個假面具，預備戴假面具回去給我這些個徒弟看看，看看我原來是戴假面具，若不戴假面具，沒有真面目回去了。
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Venerable Master: "If left-home people do not wear the kashaya sash, it is the same as their going back to lay-life. Because Buddhism in China has always been corrupt, I came overseas to proclaim that left-home people should eat one meal a day and wear the sash in accord with the Buddha's teaching. At the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, we observed these rules of eating one meal and wearing the sash. Yet during this Chan Session you went so far as to not wear the sash, and to eat three meals a day. I have taught you for so long, yet you were turned by the first state that came along. Are you alive or dead? What kind of guts do you have, that you have been turned around and around like this? If you recognized the true spirit of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, you would rather die than change. 'So you want me to not wear my sash? Tell me to die, but don't tell me to not wear my sash! Tell me to die, but don't tell me to not eat one meal a day--with that kind of solid samadhi power, that kind of faith, you are a true member of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Once I recognize my goal, I won't waver from it even if I have to die. Even if by entering the Chan Hall without my sash, I could get enlightened as soon as I sat down, I wouldn't dare do it! Now that the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas has become this way, I'm never going back."
(Ven. Master's lecture at Gold Wheel Monastery 1/23/1993).
In Cultivation, We Should Hold To Our Principles
In cultivation, we should hold fast to our principles, and not forget them. In studying Buddhism, we should also hold to our principles, for they are our goal. Once we recognize our goal clearly, we must advance with vigor and courage, and not retreat. Speaking of this, I remember when I first left home, I thought, "Left-home people are so numerous. Do they all understand the Buddha-dharma? Do they all have a goal? When I investigated into this, I found that a great many left people had no wish to cultivate or to end birth and death, and didn't have much of a goal at all. They were just passing the time, "eating and waiting for death." Left-home people of this sort do nothing but add to the debts and burdens of Buddhism. They do not benefit Buddhism in any way.
I further discovered that Chinese Buddhism does not even realize what Buddhism is all about. The Buddha expounded the Sutras and proclaimed the Dharma all for the sake of letting future generations understand the Buddha's teaching. How should Buddhist disciples propagate the Buddha's teaching? As I thought about this, I observed that Buddhism never planted its roots deeply in China. Buddhism in China is actually rootless, and thus it has not stood firm in the face of tests and oppression. Why is it rootless? Because it failed to recognize the foundation. What is the foundation of Buddhism? The foundation of Buddhism is education! Education must start with the youngest children, instilling them with the knowledge, the wisdom, and the way of thinking of Buddhism. Then, at the very least, a child is raised to be a truly noble and fine citizen of the country and world. With a foundation for his thought and goals to guide his conduct, such a person will be able to vastly propagate Buddhism. In this way, the basic teaching of Buddhism will not be forgotten.
"People can propagate the Tao, but the Tao cannot propagate people." How can we propagate the Tao? It is only when we have a goal, an ideal, that we can commit ourselves to do something. As for the rootless Buddhism of China, even if it did have roots, it still doesn't have a trunk, and is merely spinning at the branchtips. The Buddhism of China consists of performing ceremonies such as Water-Land and Flaming-Mouth, to cross over spirits. This is the superficial appearance of Chinese Buddhism. They never thought that if they continued like this, they would create a class of jobless vagrants who relied on Buddhism for meals. How pitiful this is! All they know how to do is to make money and perform ceremonies to cross over the dead. In performing such ceremonies, if you are a Sanghan with a real foundation of virtue, you don't need to recite Sutras or mantras. You simply tell the spirit, "Go off to rebirth," and he will be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. However, if you have no virtue and you are not careful in your conduct, what power do you have to cross over people? Actually, you are just getting into debt with the donor. Furthermore, the practices established by the Buddha no longer exist.
Never Apart From the Three Sashes, Almsbowl, and Sitting Cloth.
For example, in China's Buddhism no one wears the precept sash on a daily basis. Why don't they wear the sash? Ah! If you ask them, they don't know why they don't wear it. Actually, Bhikshus and Bhikshunis should wear their sash at all times, and eat only one meal a day. But they have forgotten all of this. It's a hundred and eight thousand miles away from their memory, so they have no idea of the meaning behind wearing the sash and eating one meal a day. In Chinese Buddhism, no one understands this. There might be one or two people who still wear their sash, or eat one meal a day, but again, there might not even be that many in ten thousand. You could say they're rarer than fur on a phoenix or a horns on a female unicorn. They are as few as can be. If you ask them what appearance a Bhikshu should have, they haven't the slightest idea. Nowadays, in China and other countries as well, the vast majority of left-home people in Mahayana Buddhism do not wear their sashes. Ah! They feel it's very natural, that that's the way it should be. Little do they know that by not wearing the sash, they no longer have the appearance of a Bhikshu.
"Well," they say, "Mahayana Buddhism is about Bodhisattvas, and Bodhisattvas who don't wear the sash are still Bodhisattvas." Hah! Bodhisattvas also have to wear sashes, for they have to be especially adorned. You can see that Gwan Yin Bodhisattva, Universal Worthy Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Earth Treasury Bodhisattva all wear adornments on their bodies. Although these are just false marks, they represent something. Their adornments represent the adorning of Buddha-lands! So left-home cultivators should all abide by the rules. Don't drag your heels, or act in a crazy manner. You say, "But the Old Monk Ji Gung was really crazy." Ji Gung pretended to be that way because he wanted to influence people to give food to the lunatics. That is, he wanted to teach ordinary people not to look down on insane people, not to scorn them. Among the insane, there are also those who manifest expediently, hiding their true identity as they teach and transform living beings.
Why is it that Mahayana Buddhists everywhere do not wear their sashes? It's because when Mahayana Buddhism spread northward, the northern climate was too cold for people to just wear the sash. They couldn't take the cold, and had to wear clothing underneath the sash, right next to the skin. These undergarments kept out the cold, but when the sash was worn on top of them, it was easy for it to fall off. When Buddhism had just been transmitted to China, probably those Bhikshus weren't very bright. Being sort of stupid, they would lose their sash every once in a while. Once they lost it, since they had no money to make a new one, they had to go around begging, and this worried the laypeople. After awhile, the left-home people held a meeting, and decided, "This won't do. Our sashes fall off all the time, and it's hard to make new ones. The Chinese people live frugally, and it takes quite a bit of money to sew a new sash. If you lose your sash, it becomes a problem." Then, in their meeting, a not-so-intelligent Patriarch said, "I have an idea. We can sew a clasp and a ring onto the sash, and when we fit them together, the sash won't fall off." That's how the Chinese-style sash was invented. With the clasp and ring, the sash could now be worn without falling off. From then on, this became the model for the sash of left-home people. The sash originally had no clasp and ring. These were added on in China. So you can see that Theravada leff-home people from India wear the sash without a clasp and ring. From this, we know that when Buddhism is transmitted to a place, many reforms are made according to the region and the customs of the people.
But in China, after the reforms were made, people regressed and stopped wearing the sash. This was because at that time, most of the left-home people of China farmed to sustain themselves. When they worked, it was rather inconvenient to wear the sash, so they took it off, and only wore the shirt. They set the sash aside when they worked, but after awhile, they didn't wear it even when not working. Some people still adhered to tradition and put on the sash when they entered the Buddha Hall or took their meal. But in the present-day tradition, people don't even wear the sash to take their meal or enter the Buddha-hall, yet they feel qualified to be left-home people. In fact, nowadays, left-home people in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and all the areas of Mahayana Buddhism just wear a long robe and consider that to be the uniform and attire of a Buddhist. This is a big mistake! If a left-home person does not wear his sash, it's just like he's returned to lay-life. He's no different from a layperson. Ah! Wearing a robe with an arched collar doesn't prove that you are a left-home person. And even if you do wear your sash, you still break the precepts everyday, and are always dishonest. How much more so when you don't wear a sash!
Eating Once a Day at Noon is the Teaching of the Buddha
So now, there is virtually no Buddhism in China, nor in any of the places to which "Buddhism" spread from China. They have all lost the original appearance of Buddhism. When I contemplated this situation, I wanted to reform the trend in China, but I knew that I was just an insignificant person whose words carried no weight. I didn't have any status, and nobody would listen to what I said. Even if I shouted until my throat was sore, no one would believe me.
Therefore, I vowed that I would reconstruct Buddhism in the West, and make it flourish once again, so that people could know what Buddhism is all about. Therefore, as soon as I came to America, I alone advocated wearing the sash and eating one meal a day. Since Americans constantly crave comfort and convenience, they didn't like it too much when told to wear the sash. Nevertheless, in America there were few left-home people who didn't wear there sash, so I was able to advocate wearing the sash. I also promoted the practice of eating one meal a day, because even before I left home, I ate one meal a day as a layman. And in all these years since I left home, I've always taken only one meal a day. Therefore, for those who leave home with me, because I don't have any other virtue or cultivation, all I can do is teach everyone to imitate my outward style. Those who leave home with me, whether male or female, all must eat one meal a day. I will accept a person only if he or she can eat one meal a day. This is an iron-cast rule for those who leave home with me. It cannot be altered. No matter when, no matter how much pressure there is in a situation, it must not be changed.
When the Sash is Not Worn, A Chan Session Becomes An Eating Session
This is because I have promoted this style of Buddhism of wearing the sash and eating one meal a day for several decades already. I advocated it when I first came to America, and I'm still advocating it now. It's been several decades, and as people gradually get used to it, I believe they will really come to accept it in our hearts. Everyone will come to understand the way I've been teaching people. But recently, I discovered that while I was absent from the Chan Session in the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the people who had left home for a long time actually failed to wear the sash and eat one meal a day, imitation of the "Eating Session" of China. They had three tea breaks and four meals, with a snack of dumplings on top of that. They even ate dumplings at night. If you claim you can still work diligently like this, I don't believe it. I already feel it's a lot of trouble to eat just one meal a day. Yet you eat four meals, plus dumplings in the evening! In China's Buddhism, they call the evening meal "taking medicine." This is called "plugging up your ears and stealing a bell." This is cheating yourself and deceiving others. Ah! They want to eat at night, so they call it "taking medicine." That's Buddhism in China — a Buddhism which cheats people. I had no way to reform it. however, in America, I established an overseas tradition that's totally different from the Buddhism in Asia. Now, after leaving home with me for twenty or thirty years, my disciples have presumed to change my teaching, and this especially pains me. I heard this news before I left for Taiwan on January 2nd. Now I've returned from Taiwan, but I don't dare to go back to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Why? Because I have no face, no standing, to go back. My toil and sacrifice of several decades have all gone to waste overnight. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas' golden reputation has been ruined. Alas! Everyone knew about the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas' reputation of eating one meal a day, but people actually presumed to eat three meals a day and dumplings as well. Although in the past, a couple of left-home people would secretly go to the kitchen and steal food, I wasn't concerned. But now, a whole bunch of people, too many to count, are eating three meals a day! All the Shramaneras, Shramanerikas, Bhikshus, and Bhikshunis used to wear their sash everyday, and there are still a few who haven't taken off their sash to take part in the Chan Session, but the great majority no longer wear their sash now. That's the most important reason that I have no face to go back to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas.
As I am telling you this story, relating how it happened, everyone should think about how for so many years I have toiled and sweated, and now each person who comes makes a little change. Ten people come and change 10 things, twenty people come and change twenty things; a hundred people change a hundred things. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas didn't have much to begin with - just the custom of eating one meal a day, and wearing the sash regularly. Some people also sleep sitting up and keep the precept of not touching money. I don't know what wind has blown over these cultivators who used to claim that the eight winds couldn't blow them over.
All you lay-people should think about this: What use am I here in America? I'm useless. As I tell you this, my heart really aches, because I'm a petty-minded person. I'm not that forgiving, generous and I cannot tolerate seeing people break the rules, and not keep their word. When they left home under me, they made a vow, promising me they could eat one meal a day. Now, more than ten years later, how can they go back on their word? If it's like this when I'm still alive, I don't know what will happen after I die. This is what really pains my heart. Now I'm telling you those disciples to see, that I am making a mask, and if there's a need for me to go back to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, I will wear that mask to show those disciples. If I didn't wear a mask, I wouldn't have any face to go back.
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