所以這「結跏趺坐」，這跏趺坐是在佛教這叫「金剛寶坐」。你若能坐這個跏趺坐，這諸天都衛護你，都保護著你，說：「這個人哪，他現在已經對跏趺坐成功了，不怕痛了，由這個痛過來了，他是有點道心，我們應該保護著他。」所以你就是能結這個跏趺坐，就在中國這和尚來講，你無論到什麼地方，你就把眼睛一閉，結上跏趺坐，往那一坐，就有人供養你了。但是你可不要因為這個貪圖供養來修跏趺坐。我這告訴你們，要怎麼樣子呢？這個跏趺坐是所有修道的人都應該會的，不是去創招牌，說我坐在那兒閉上眼睛，結上跏趺坐，我創招牌，裝老修行，不是這個意思。你要是為貪圖供養來學跏趺坐，那簡直就不要學了，你去做一件苦工，比這供養得的錢多一點。供養，雖然有供養，可是也只能餓不死你，不會幫你，不會發財的。所以，你若單單地貪，為了貪圖供養，就不要學這個，這是我告訴你。你若想為了眞正開悟，眞正成佛，那一定要學的。所以現在我藉著這個時候，給你們講一講這個跏趺坐這個意思。
方才我說參悟話頭，有的就參「無」，我又教你們參「有」。可是你也不要參「無」，也不要參「有」。說那我究竟怎麼辦呢？你不要慌，不要著急，一定有個辦法。在外道的經典上，一開始就說「阿」、「嚘」兩個字。「阿」就是無；「嚘」就是有。外道的思想，他就說一切不是有，就是無；不是無，就是有。總而言之，出不去這兩個道理。所以他一開始就用「阿」、「嚘」兩個字。所以我們不可以參「阿」，也不可以參「嚘」。「阿」就是無，「嚘」就是有。那麼參什麼呢？我們參非無非有，也不無，也不有。什麼是不無的？什麼是不有的？非空非色，非無非有，非是非非，非垢非淨，非去非來。這個非不是小飛那個飛，不是像那鴿子飛著去了，又飛著回來了，不是那個飛；這個非，就當「不是」講。你在這個地方用功夫，這個無就是個真空，這個有就是個妙有，真空不空，妙有非有。真空不空，所以才有妙有；妙有不有，所以又是真空。這真空和妙有是二而不二的。真空妙有，這還是一個有形相的，要找到一個無形相。「凡所有相，皆是虛妄」，你能說出來的，都是假的，所以六祖大師說：「密在汝邊，與汝說者，即非密也。」現在我給你們講這不是秘密，這就是一個顯宗的教理，說的這個理，而不是你自己那個秘密的，你自己的秘密，還要你自己去找去。
時釋迦牟尼佛。欲容受所分身諸佛故。八方各更變二百萬億那由他國。皆令清淨。無有地獄餓鬼畜生。及阿修羅。又移諸天人置於他土。所化之國。亦以琉璃為地。寶樹莊嚴。樹高五百由旬。枝葉華果。次第嚴飾。樹下皆有寶師子座。高五由旬。種種諸寶以為莊校。
釋迦牟尼佛把三千大千世界都變成琉璃為地，黃金為繩，以界八道。請東方所分身的諸佛，坐師子座，可是僅僅東方，釋迦牟尼佛所的分身－諸佛，這三千大千世界的地方也不夠坐。所以在這時候，釋迦牟尼佛「欲容受所分身諸佛故」，他想把其他的八方這個分身的諸佛，也都有師子座來坐，所以在這個「八方各更變二百萬億那由他國」，在其餘的八方，又把這個國土，用神通力量來把它變成一種清淨國土。「皆令清淨」，令其餘的八方，這二百萬億那由他國，完全都變成清淨的國土。「無有地獄」，這個所變的國土沒有地獄。地獄，有很多種地獄，就是造罪的人所受罪的地方，這叫地獄。「餓鬼」，餓鬼他那個肚子大得像鼓那麼大；喉嚨，就是那個咽喉像針，好像針尖那麼細。他甚至於幾個大劫也得不到一滴的水來喝；即便有水，他也喝不下去，這是餓鬼。「畜生」，就是所有這個馬、牛、羊、雞、犬、豕之類的，這都叫畜生。這是叫三惡道，這三惡道就由貪瞋癡來墮落的，來墮落到三惡道裡頭。「及阿修羅」，阿修羅的這一道就是好勇鬥狠，就是願意戰爭，願意鬥爭，他鬥爭堅固。釋迦牟尼佛變的國土，沒有這三惡道。
「又移諸天人置於他土」，把這個天上的人和人間的人，又都給他們搬家了，搬到其他的世界去，置於他土。「所化之國」，他所變化的這個國，「亦以琉璃為地」，也都是用這個琉璃來做這個地。「寶樹莊嚴」，有這個菩提樹王來莊嚴這個國土。「樹高五百由旬」，這個樹的高度有五百由旬。「枝葉華果，次第嚴飾」，那麼所生的這個枝葉花果，次第來莊嚴，非常好看的。「樹下皆有寶師子座」，每一棵菩提樹的下邊，都有一個師子座，這師子座都是用七寶所造成的。「高五由旬，種種諸寶，以為莊校」，所有的、最名貴的、最值錢的這個寶貝來莊校這個師子座。
|
|
In Buddhism, the lotus posture is called the Vajra Jeweled Sitting Posture. If you can sit in lotus, all the gods will protect you, saying, "This person is sitting in lotus and isn't afraid of the pain. He has made it through the pain barrier. He must have his mind set on the Way. We should protect him." Wherever you go, just sit in lotus and close your eyes, and---at least if you are a monk in China---people will make offerings to you. But don't sit in lotus just because you crave offerings! The reason you sit in lotus is because that's the way cultivators should sit. You shouldn't sit there in lotus with your eyes closed, putting on the airs of being a seasoned cultivator. That's not the point. If you are going to sit in lotus just to get offerings, you would be better off forgetting the whole thing. Go get a job. You'll make more money that way. Offerings are just to keep you from starving. They won't benefit you, and they won't make you rich either. Therefore, if you are only greedy for the offerings, don't bother learning to sit in lotus. But if you really want to get enlightened and become a Buddha, then you should definitely learn to sit that way. So I have taken this time to explain to you what sitting in lotus means.
Just now, I said that some people investigate the meditation topic of "nothing," and I told you to investigate the topic of "something." But you should investigate neither "nothing" nor "something."
"Then what should I do?" you ask.
Don't worry, there is something you can do. Non-Buddhist texts begin either with the word E, "something" or the word O, "nothing." In other religions, they figure that everything is either existent or non-existent and nothing goes beyond these two. That's why their texts begin with either E or O. We shouldn't investigate either one. We should investigate that which is neither "something" nor "nothing." What is neither existent nor non-existent? What is neither form nor emptiness? What is neither right nor wrong, neither defiled nor pure? What neither comes nor goes? You should apply your effort here: "Nothing" is true emptiness. "Something" is wonderful existence. True emptiness is not empty, and wonderful existence is non-existent. Since true emptiness is not empty, it is wonderful existence. Since wonderful existence is non-existent, it is also true emptiness. True emptiness and wonderful existence are "two and yet not two." True emptiness and wonderful existence, however, still have an appearance. You must find that which has no appearance. The
Vajra Sutra says, "All appearances are false." That which can be spoken is false. The Sixth Patriarch said, "The secret is within you. What has been spoken to you is not secret." What I am telling you now is not secret. It is the principle of the Manifest Teaching. You must find the secret within yourselves.
Then Shakyamuni Buddha, in order to accomodate all the division-body Buddhas, transformed in each of the eight directions, two hundred myriads of kotis of nayutas of lands, purifying them all. They were without hells, hungry ghosts, animals or asuras. The gods and humans were all moved to other lands. The transformed lands all had lapis lazuli for soil and were adorned with jeweled trees five hundred yojanas tall. The trees were adorned in season by their branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. Beneath each tree was a jeweled lion throne, five yojanas tall and decorated with various gems.
Shakyamuni Buddha transformed the three thousand great thousand worlds so that the ground was made of lapis lazuli, and the roads were bordered with golden cords. He invited the Buddhas which were transformations of himself in the eastern direction to come to his Bodhimanda. However, there was not nearly enough room for them all. Seeing this,
Shakyamuni Buddha, in order to accomodate all the division-body Buddhas from the other directions and provide them each with a lion throne to sit on,
transformed in each of the eight directions, two hundred myriads of kotis of nayutas of lands, purifying them all. He used the power of his spiritual penetrations to make these lands pure.
They were without hells. There are many types of hells. In general, they are where offenders are punished.
Hungry ghosts have stomachs as big as bass drums and throats the size of needles. They pass through several great aeons without getting so much as a drop of water to drink. Even if there is water, they are unable to drink it.
Animals refer to horses, cows, sheep, chickens, pigs, dogs, and so forth. The hells, the realm of the hungry ghosts, and the animal realm are called the Three Evil Paths. Beings fall into the Three Evil Paths because of greed, hatred, and stupidity.
Asuras are fighters. They like to make war, and have a strong tendency for fighting. The Three Evil Paths did not exist in the lands that Shakyamuni Buddha transformed.
The gods and humans were all moved to other lands. The beings in the heavens and in the human realm were all relocated in other worlds.
The transformed lands all had lapis lazuli for soil and were adorned with jeweled trees five hundred yojanas tall. These were Bodhi trees, the Kings of Trees, and their height was five hundred yojanas.
The trees were adorned in season with their branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. Decorated by the branches, leaves, flowers and fruits they produced, they were extremely beautiful.
Beneath each tree was a jeweled lion throne, five yojanas tall and decorated with various gems. Each lion throne was made of the seven gems. The most precious and most valuable gems were used to decorate these lion thrones.
to be continued |
