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宣公上人一九九三年四月七日開示於長堤聖寺
人生在世，都是被這個六塵所轉了，六根被六塵一轉，就失去方向了。見到色塵跟著色塵跑；聽見聲塵，就跟著聲塵跑；嚐到味塵，嗅到味塵，就跟著這個味塵跑；嗅到香塵，就跟著香塵跑；嚐到味塵，就跟著味塵跑；遇著觸了，就跟著觸塵跑，最微細的，就遇到法塵，就跟著法塵來跑，這都叫被境界所轉，被這個六賊所搖動了。
眼睛，「眼觀形色內無有，耳聽塵事心不知」，你「見事醒事出世間，見事迷事墮沈淪」，這一切一切都是看我們有沒有擇法眼？認識眞正的道理，不認識眞正的道理？所謂「念念照眞理，心心息妄塵；遍觀諸法性，更無一法新。」念念，我們念玆在玆地要觀照這個眞理。所謂眞理，就是一種至理，一種究竟的事的歸宿，所以是眞理。眞理可也不能離事，離事就沒有眞理；離眞理也沒有事。這事理不二，念念不離開眞理，這叫觀照在眞理。心心息妄塵，每一念，每一秒鐘，我們都在息妄塵，息滅這個妄想塵勞，你能把這個妄想塵勞，都息了，都息滅了，那麼眞理自然現前了，你這觀照的功夫就可以成就了。遍觀諸法性，你普遍來觀察觀察一切的法性。更無一法新，都是原來就有的，並沒有一個什麼新鮮的方法兒。所以你若明白這四句，你可以說是對佛教稍微認識一點點；可惜我們人，對佛教還沒有認識呢！就是高談闊論，目空一切，貢高我慢，對六根六塵一點也沒有降伏 呢！那麼就覺得自己記住了多少東西。就認為很驕傲了，這是一種錯誤的觀念，這不單沒明白眞理，這都在塵勞上用功夫了。所以我們人，最好是不講話，一天少說一句話，多念一聲佛，打得念頭死，許汝法身活。你少說一句話啊！就會多念一聲佛，你把這個妄想的念頭打死了，你這法身也就現前了，就是這麼反掌之易。你能把它翻過來，煩惱就是菩提；你不翻過來，菩提就是煩惱。所以，那個菩提就像水似的，那煩惱就像冰似的。冰，冰是水成就的；水，並不是冰。水它得要凝結到一起，才是冰。那冰裡頭，是具足水的成份；水裡邊，是要遇冷，它才能變成冰。所以遇冷，這就是境界來了，你生了煩惱了。那個境界，那個凍，就是一種境界，你能把這個境界，用陽光照化了，那冰也就是水，水也就是冰。可是，你若不照化了它，冰還是冰，水還是水。就是這麼一點點的分別，我們人，可惜對這一點點的不同都不明白。所以一大到晚，吃煩惱比吃包子，比吃餃子還覺得好吃，一頓一頓地吃，吃了一頓又不夠，又要吃。這個菩提！不問不聞，你看我們哪一個人，你問問你自己，你自己迴光返照問問，有沒有發過脾氣？有沒有生過煩惱？那你就離菩提不遠了。你若發過脾氣，生過煩惱，那離菩提也就很遠了。所以這一點，我的看法是這樣子，你們各位的看法是不是這樣子，那我也 I don't know！（眾笑） |
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Ven. Master Hua's Lecture at Long Beach Sagely Monastery on April 17, 1993
People born in this world are all turned by the six sense objects. When the six sense organs get confused by the sense objects, you become lost. When you see sights, you chase after them. Hearing sounds, you attach to and run after them. Tasting flavors, you follow them. Smelling scents, you go after them. When you touch things, you attach to and follow the sensation of touch. And when you encounter the most subtle of them all, the dharmas, you pursue them too. This is called being turned by states, and being swayed by the six thieves.
"The eyes see forms, but inside there is nothing. The ears hear sounds, but the mind does not know." Also, "If you see things and awaken, you can transcend the world. If you see things and become confused, you will fall into the cycle of rebirth." In everything, we must ask ourselves, do we have the Dharma-selecting Vision? Do we see the true principle, or do we fail to recognize it? It is said, "In thought after thought, contemplate the truth. Constantly put to rest the false defilement of the mind. Pervasively contemplate the nature of all dharmas; there is not a single new dharma." In every thought, we continuously contemplate this truth. The "truth" refers to ultimate principle. It is the source which everything ultimately returns to. The truth cannot be separated from affairs by any means. Apart from affairs, there is no truth. And apart from the truth, there are no affairs. Affairs and truth are nondual. If in thought after thought one does not separate from the truth, this is called the contemplation of truth. "Constantly put to rest the defilement of the mind": in every thought and every second, we are constantly putting to rest the tiresome defilement of false thoughts. If you can cease all false thinking, then the truth will naturally manifest, and your efforts in contemplation will have come to fruition. "Pervasively contemplate the nature of all dharmas": You universally investigate the nature of all dharmas, but "there is not a single new dharma": They were all originally there. There isn't any fresh,
new method. If you understand these four lines, you can consider yourself to have a little understanding of Buddhism. It's a pity we have not really understood Buddhism! We only engage in lofty and abstract discussions, view everyone else with a scornful eye, and are proud as can be. We have not subdued the six sense organs and objects in the least, and yet we feel we have remembered something, and so we become arrogant, then our views are mistaken. Not only have we not understood the truth, we are simply exerting ourselves within the tiresome defilement. Therefore, it is best if we do not talk. Each day, "speak one sentence less, recite one more Buddha's name. Beat your thoughts to death, so your Dharma-body can come to life." If you say one sentence less, you can recite the Buddha's name one time more, and if you can strike dead your false thoughts, your Dharma-body will appear. It is as easy as turning over your palm. If you can turn it over, then affliction is just Bodhi. If you cannot, then Bodhi is just affliction. Bodhi is like water and affliction is like ice. Ice is formed from water, but water is not necessarily ice. Water must freeze before it becomes ice. On the other hand, ice is inherently composed of water. Water must meet the cold before it turns to ice. Meeting the cold is an analogy for encountering a state and getting afflicted. If you can use the sunlight to shine on and melt the state of freezing, then ice is just water and water is just ice. However, if you cannot shine on and melt it, ice is still ice, and water is still water. There is just that slight difference. It's a pity we don't even understand that bit of difference, and so from morning to night, we like to eat afflictions better than steamed buns and boiled dumplings. We eat meal after meal. After eating one meal, we are still not satiated and want to eat more. And we pay no attention whatsoever to Bodhi. Which one among us has been able to reflect within and ask ourselves: have we lost our temper? Have we become afflicted? If not, then we are not far from Bodhi. If you have lost your temper or become afflicted, then you are far away from Bodhi.
Well, that's my view on this matter. But I don't know what
your views on it are! (Everyone laughs.) |
