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（接269期）
「何分南北」，你又何必分南、分北，又有地方的差別呢？你說南，那兒是南？你說這個地方是南，你到南邊，這個地方又變成北了。《楞嚴經》上說什麼叫「中」？你這個「中」，東看則西，南觀成北。南是個中，北也是，你說這個是北，你到這個北邊，這個北又變成南了；所以沒有南北，「何分南北」，何必分別這麼多，有這麼多的分別心呢？以上是上聯。
下聯我說：「聖凡暫異」，聖人就是佛，凡就是眾生。暫異是暫時間的兩樣。「根性卻同」，他的根本性都是佛性；佛是佛性成的，眾生也是佛性成的。
「莫論東西」，你不要論說西方阿彌陀佛是佛，東方一切眾生就是眾生，不要起這麼多分別心，所以《永嘉大師證道歌》上說：「亦無人，亦無佛，大千沙界海中漚」。你若明白法了，什麼都沒有了。你有所執著，那你還沒明白佛法呢！明白佛法，沒有可執著的事情，所以就莫論東西，不要講這些問題了。怎麼跑出來這麼多問題？這些問題是從什麼地方來的？這都是和那個演若達多一樣的「怖頭狂走」，本來他的頭沒有丟，他卻說他的頭丟了。
我們這一些人找佛法，到什麼地方找去？你轉身就是佛法，只要你轉過了，所謂「轉過了身就是覺悟」，你覺悟了就是佛法，你不覺悟就是不明白佛法。沒有覺悟也是佛法，不過你沒有明白而已，不能說沒有覺悟就不是佛法；覺悟和不覺悟都是佛法。
方才說這個「生佛平等」，眾生怎麼做為眾生？眾生是從佛示現出來做眾生，怎麼樣又成了佛？是佛而示眾生返本還原，就成了佛了，這叫聖凡不二。第一的「生佛平等」就是沒有分別心，就生佛平等。
第二、空有平等。什麼是空？《六祖壇經》上說：「問空以有對」。什麼是空？有就是空。什麼是有？空就是有。有人說，那才糊塗呢！講的空怎麼又變成有了？有又變成空了？這才是糊塗。也不知是你糊塗，是我糊塗？是他糊塗？你若是不糊塗，你就會覺得空有平等的，就因為你糊塗，所以你覺得空有就是空有。空本來就是有，有本來也就是空，你能體會得到空有不二，空有平等，也不執斷，也不執常了。你執斷就是落於空，執有就是落於常。空有不二，空有平等，這才是中道，眞空不礙妙有，妙有也不礙眞空，眞空就是妙有，妙有也就是眞空。你若想知道這個空？怎麼是個空呢？空是由「有」而顯。「空」，本來叫做「有」，因為「有」是由「空」而顯「有」，沒有「空」，也沒「有」，沒有「有」，怎麼會有個「空」？所以這「空」「有」是不二的，空有不二就是空有平等。
第三、諸法平等。《金剛經》上說：「是法平等，無有高下，是名阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」。諸法平等，所以如來亦就無去無來，也就沒有去，也沒有來；無所從來也無所去，諸法本來平等。
第四、一多平等。一也就是多，多也就是一。一粒微塵就是三千大千世界，三千大千世界也就是一粒微塵。沒有什麼分別的，只是愚癡的眾生在那兒分別，這是多，那是少，哪個是多？哪個是少？多是從少來的，少是從多來的，這叫一多平等，所以微塵就是世界，世界也就是微塵。
第五、諸見平等。什麼叫我見、人見、眾生見、壽者見？沒有了這個，諸見平等了。你對症下藥，你對這個病用這個藥來治，這個病沒有了，你用這個藥來做什麼呢？所以病沒有了，就不需要再吃藥了。因為你有病，所以還要吃藥，你的病沒有了，你還吃藥幹什麼？藥是治病的，你沒有病，藥吃多了，一樣會生病。
這五種的意思則是《金剛經》全部經文的意思。在《金剛經》還要有個「信」字。般若是個空理，你要信，你若不相信這種空理，講多少也沒有用，你要「信」，佛法好像大海水似的，唯信可入，你有信心就可以到佛法的海裡邊。
應化非真分第三十二
須菩提。若有人以滿無量阿僧祇世界七寶。持用布施。若有善男子善女人。發菩提心者。持於此經乃至四句偈等。受持讀誦。為人演說。其福勝彼。
釋迦牟尼佛又叫了一聲須菩提說，設若有這麼樣一個人，以沒有數量那麼多的阿僧祇世界七寶：金、銀、琉璃、玻璃、硨磲、赤珠、瑪瑙等持用布施，布施不是捨一種，七寶都捨了，都做布施。現在你們各位居士問問你們自己，有人能夠把三千大千世界，無量阿僧祇世界那麼多的七寶來做布施，我現在把我所有的財產拿出來做布施，我捨不捨得？捨不得。若捨不得，你的功德就沒有這個人大。你捨不得是最好，你自己留著財產，那你來學佛法，用法來布施。
假使有善男子善女人，發菩提心者，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，這樣地「持於此經」，也就是持誦這個《金剛經》，「乃至四句偈等」，乃至最少，不要全部《金剛經》會講，你就單單會講四句偈等。「受持讀誦」，你受之於心，持之於身，你又可以對著本子來讀，離開本子來誦。「為人演說」，你再給人講，「其福勝彼」，你這個福德，就比前邊那個以無量阿僧祇世界七寶做布施，比他那個福德都大。你看容易不容易，所以我說你的財產不一定要捨，也就功德非常大了，比前邊那個有七寶護持功德都大。
云何為人演說。不取於相。如如不動。何以故。
一切有為法。如夢幻泡影。
如露亦如電。應作如是觀。
「云何為人演說」，為人演說就是文字般若，「不取於相」，你為人演說可不要著相，不要執著。你也不要說我現在為你們講四句偈，我的功德可大了！不錯，你的功德大，但是你不要存著一個大的想，你若有一個大的想法就著相了，又取相了。若不取相，你能有若無、實若虛，有像沒有似的，就像顏淵，本來自己有道德，像沒有道德似的。實若虛，自己有學問，很實在的，卻好像沒有似的；就是一切時一切處，都要無我相，沒有我，不取於相就是觀照般若；如如不動就是實相般若。前邊開始講那個般若，後邊結束這個經典還是講這個般苦，即三般若。如如不動就是實相般若，眞實的智慧，以如如的理照如如的智；以如如的智照如如的理，契如如理，合如如理，這都是無法不如，這是實相般苦。「何以故」，什麼緣故要這樣講，又要文字般苦，又要觀照般若，又要實相般若，何以故呢？我現在告訴你，釋迦牟尼佛說的這四句偈，我們聽過《金剛經》的人都應該要常常念的：
一切有為法，如夢幻泡影，
如露亦如電，應作如是觀。
「一切有為法」，什麼叫有為法？有為法，什麼都是有為法，你說什麼不是有為法？你吃飯是有為法，穿衣服是有為法，你行住坐臥都是有為法，這是往外邊講。你做你的生意是有為法，你一切一切的行動都是有為法，所講的這個是有為法。五蘊：色、受、想、行、識，這是有為法；四大：地、水、火、風，這是有為法；六根、六塵是有為法：十二入，又叫十二處，是有為法；十八界，這都是有為法，這一切有為法都包括所有的一切法，一切有為法都包括在內，一切有為法像什麼呢？說得明明白白，「如夢幻泡影」，像這四種，又「如露亦如電」六種，「應作如是觀」，一切有為法都應該有這六種的想法。
你們各位現在告訴我，什麼叫夢？我對這個夢是不太清楚，你們作過夢的人和沒有作過夢的人，告訴我什麼叫夢，相信沒有一個人知道什麼叫夢。我們如果知道什麼叫夢就不會夢了，我們人生就是夢，不要說作夢的時候是夢，昨天晚間有個人問，他的前生是怎麼回事？他想不起來，我們在夢裡邊作夢的時候，等到醒的時候，夢裡所行所做都想不起來了。前生的事情就更想不起來了，為什麼呢？我們前生的事情又走到今生這個夢裡邊了，所以走到今生這個夢裡邊，把前生夢的事、所作的夢，又怎麼會想起來？我現在給你講一講這個夢。
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(Continued from issue 269)
"Why make divisions of North and South?" How much the less are there distinctions like location. What is south? You may call a certain location south, but if you go south of it, it becomes north. In the
Shurangama Sutra there is a discussion of the middle, "When looked at from the east, it is west, and when seen from the south it is north." South and North are also like that. You say this is north, but if you go north of it, it becomes south. There actually is no north or south, so "Why make divisions of North and South?" Why make so many distinctions in your mind?
The next line says, "Sages and commoners differ temporarily." Sages refers to the Buddhas; commoners refers to living beings. For the time being, the world is divided into these two types, "but the basic nature is the same." Their basic nature is the Buddha-nature. The Buddhas have realized their Buddha-nature, and living beings can also realize their Buddha-nature.
"Do not discuss east and west." Do not say that in the west, Amitabha is a Buddha, and in the east all creatures are just living beings. Do not make such distinctions in your heart. Great Master Yung Jya's
Song of Certification to the Way says, "There are no people and no Buddhas. The realms like grains of sand in a thousand worlds are like a bubble on the ocean." If you understand the Dharma, there is nothing to which you can become attached. If you still have an attachment, you still have not understood the Buddhadharma. Therefore, "Do not discuss east and west." Why devise so many questions? Where did all the questions come from anyway? This is like Yajnadatta, who thought he had lost his head and ran around madly looking for it. Actually his head was not lost. He himself had jumped to that conclusion.
When we search for the Buddhadharma, where do we look? Turn yourself around; that is the Buddhadharma. To turn yourself around means to wake up. If you wake up, that is the Buddhadharma. If you have not awakened, you are still within the Buddhadharma, but you do not understand that you are. You cannot say that not being awake is not the Buddhadharma. Whether or not you are awake, it is the Buddhadharma.
Just now we discussed the equality of living beings and Buddhas. Where do living beings come from? Living beings are Buddhas who have manifested as living beings. How do they become Buddhas again? They need only return to the origin and realize Buddhahood. This is called the non-duality of Sages and commoners. The first one, equality of living beings and Buddhas, means discriminating.
2. The equality of emptiness and existence. The
Sixth Patriarch Sutra says, "When asked about emptiness, answer with existence." What is emptiness? Emptiness is existence. What is existence? Existence is emptiness. "How can you say emptiness is existence and existence is emptiness? That is too confused," you may say. Are you confused, or am I confused, or is he confused? Confused, you think emptiness is emptiness and existence is existence. When the confusion is cleared, you know that emptiness and existence are equal. Originally, emptiness is existence, and existence is emptiness. You should understand that emptiness and existence are nondual and equal. Do not attach to either nihilism or eternalism. Attachment to nihilism is attachment to emptiness. Attachment to eternalism is attachment to existence. The equality and non-duality of emptiness and existence is called the Middle Way. True emptiness does not obstruct wonderful existence and wonderful existence does not obstruct true emptiness. True emptiness is wonderful existence; wonderful existence is true emptiness. When there is existence, emptiness manifests; when there is emptiness, existence is apparent. Without emptiness, there is no existence. Without existence, how can there be emptiness? They are not two. The non-duality of emptiness and existence is the equality of emptiness and existence.
3. The equality of all dharmas. The Vajra Sutra says, "this Dharma is level and equal without high or low, therefore it is called Anuttarasamyaksambodi." All dharmas are equal, and so the Tathagata neither comes nor goes. There is no place he comes from, and no place he goes. All dharmas are originally equal.
4. The equality of one and many. One is just many, and many are just one. One dustmote is just the three-thousand great-thousand world system, and the three-thousand great-thousand world system is just one dustmote. There is no real distinction. Only foolish living beings discriminate, "This is many. That is few." What is many and what is few? Many comes from the few, and the few comes from many. That's known as the equality of one and many. Therefore, a dustmote is a world, and the world is just a dustmote.
5. The equality of all views. What is the view of self, the view of others, the view of living beings, and the view of a life? There is none. That is the equality of all views. Medicine is prescribed according to the sickness, but once cured, you no longer take the medicine. You take the medicine because you are sick. After you are well, why would you keep taking the medicine? The medicine is for curing the illness. If you remain on medication after the illness has been cured, further illness will result.
Those five aspects express the essence of the entire
Vajra Sutra, but to understand the Vajra Sutra, you must also have faith. You must have faith in prajna, the principle of emptiness. If you do not believe the principle of emptiness then no matter how often it is explained, it will do you no good. The Buddhadharma is like a great sea. Only by faith can one enter. If you have faith, you can enter the sea of the Buddhadharma.
Chapter 32. The Response And Transformation Bodies Are Unreal
"Subhuti, someone might fill measureless asamkhyeyas of world systems with the seven precious gems and give them as a gift. But if a good man, or good woman, who has resolved his heart on Bodhi were to take from this Sutra even as few as four lines of verse and receive, hold, read, recite, and extensively explain them for others, his blessings would surpass the other's."
Shakyamuni Buddha again calls out to Subhuti, saying,
"Someone might fill measureless asamkhyeyas of worldsystems with the seven precious gems - gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, mother-of-pearl, red pearls, and carnelian — and give them as a gift." Not just one kind, but all seven kinds of precious gems are given. Keeping that in mind, all of you laypeople should now ask yourselves, "Can I give away all my wealth? Can I bear to part with it all?" If you cannot, your merit and virtue are not as great as that of the person mentioned here. However if you cannot give up your wealth, it does not matter. Keep it and come to study the Buddhadharma. Then you can give away Dharma.
But if a good man, or good woman, who has resolved his heart on Bodhi - on Anuttarasamyaksambodhi - were to recite the
Vajra Sutra, or take from this Sutra even as few as four lines of verse and receive them with his mind,
hold them with his body, read them from a book,
recite them from memory, and extensively explain them for others, his blessings would surpass the other's. Not to mention the whole Sutra, if you can explain even just four lines of verse, your blessings and virtues would be greater than those of someone who gives away gems which would fill limitless, numberless worlds. Isn't that easy? That is why I say you can obtain great merit and virtue without necessarily giving up your wealth.
How should it be explained to others? With no grasping at marks: Thus, thus, unmoving. And why?
All conditioned dharmas
Are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows,
like dew drops and a lightning flash;
Contemplate them thus.
How should it be explained to others? Explaining it to others refers to Literary Prajna.
With no grasping at marks. When you explain a Sutra for others, you should not become attached to marks. You should not think, "I am gaining a lot of merit and virtue by explaining this four-line gatha for them." Although you are correct that your merit and virtue are great, you should not harbor a mark of their size. If you do, you grasp at marks and become attached to them. If you are able to refrain from grasping at marks, then the existent is as if non-existent, and the actual is as if empty. Basically someone with way virtue is as if devoid of way virtue. A man who is truly educated is as if devoid of education. That means that at all times in all places you should be free of the mark of a self. Not grasping at marks refers to Contemplative Prajna.
Thus, thus, unmoving refers to Real Mark Prajna. Prajna was discussed at the beginning of the Sutra, and at the end the text again makes reference to Prajna. Of the three types of Prajna, "Thus, thus, unmoving" is real mark prajna. It is true, actual wisdom. By means of the principle of suchness one can understand the wisdom of suchness, and with the wisdom of suchness, one can understand the principle of suchness. There is no dharma which is not thus; that is Real Mark Prajna.
And why? Why does one need Literary, Contemplative, and Real Mark Prajna? I'll tell you now. Shakyamuni Buddha spoke four lines of verse which those who study the
Vajra Sutra should regularly recite:
All conditioned dharmas
Are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows,
Like dew drops and a lightning flash:
Contemplate them thus.
All conditioned dharmas. What are conditioned dharmas? Everything is a conditioned dharma. What can you say is not a conditioned dharma? Eating, wearing clothes, walking, standing, sitting, lying down, running a business--all activities are conditioned dharmas. Those are examples of external conditioned dharmas. There are also the Five Skandhas of form feeling, thought, activity, and consciousness which are conditioned dharmas. The four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind are conditioned dharmas. The six roots, the six dusts, the twelve places, and the eighteen realms are all conditioned dharmas. All these conditioned dharmas includes all dharmas in general. What are all conditioned dharmas like? To put it very clearly, they are
like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows. They are like these four things, and also
like dew drops and a lightning flash. They are compared to six things.
Contemplate them thus. You should make these six contemplations in regarding each and every conditioned dharma. Now you all ask me, "What is a dream?"
I don't understand dreams very well myself. How about if the people who have had dreams and those who haven't tell me what dreams are? I believe there isn't a single person who knows what dreams are. If we knew then we would not dream. Human life is a dream; it's not only when we have dreams. Yesterday evening, someone asked about his former lives, saying he could not remember them. When we have a dream and then awaken from it, we usually cannot remember the events of the dream. It is even more difficult to remember the events of our former lives. Why is that? We carry the events of our former lives into this present life's dream. Now that we have entered the dream of our present life, how can we remember the events and dreams that occurred in the last life? Let's continue our discussion of dreams.
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