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宣公上人一九九三年四月二日開示於長堤聖寺
長堤聖寺現在首次開放和大家來說法，在說法之前，我們先要懂規矩。這個規矩是什麼呢？規矩就是一種法度，就是一種制度，就是人人應該遵守的一種共同制度。
我們拜佛，因為地方小，不能留空位；你先來的人就站在前邊，後來的人就站在後邊。在任何一行的拜凳上，不能有空位，不管人多少，都是要這樣的一個挨著一個來站，不能站得前前後後，參差不齊。
男界出家人少，我們就男界站在前面的，接著就要站女界的比丘尼，並不是比丘尼就一定站在右邊，比丘站在左邊。比丘當然那個帶班的是站在左邊，但是比丘尼也要接著這個拜凳來排次序；不能一邊人多，一邊人少，都要站得平等平等的，站得有條不紊的。人多也是這樣的站法，人少也是這樣站法，不能無規無矩的，站得很散漫的、散漫無章。你站得散漫無章，你把前面地方讓出來站到後邊去，後邊再來的人又站到你後邊，前面有很多的空位置沒人在那兒站，都擠到後邊去，這完全是不合法的。所以我們佛教徒，這一點人人都應該知道，要遵守這個制度。
遶佛，也必須要跟著前邊的那個人走，前邊那個人沒有停止，你後邊這個人不能就跑到那個地方去歸位去，你必須要你前邊那個人歸位了，你後邊這個人，才可以歸位。如果前邊那個人始終沒有歸位，你就要跟著前邊那個人走，你不能從半路途中就去排班了，這是一種秩序。也就像軍隊似的，說開步走，大家一起開步走；說立正，大家都停止。總而言之，是一致行動的。遶佛，前邊這個人走得快一點，就跟著快一點；走得慢一點，就跟著慢一點，不能中間脫節，不能拖了多長，那你拖得很長，你地方再大也不夠用了。
所以我們這個都要知道的，愛惜道場、愛惜我們這個佛教的規則，都要不那麼紊亂，不那麼一點也沒有次序。
我們每一個人來都要簽名。簽名，也說明白他多大年紀。那麼年紀大的人，就請到佛前這邊坐；年紀輕的人，就坐到這個房間裡；再年紀輕的人、普通的人，裡邊坐不開那麼多人就坐到外邊去。每一張檯上不能亂坐，都每一個人有每一個人的名字，所以你們到這兒來，都把名字要寫清楚了，然後都有個名牌，桌子上也有名字，你核對你自己的名字，和桌子上那個名字是一樣的，才能坐到那個位置上。我們處處都要循規蹈矩、有條不紊的，不能雜亂無章的，這是我們這次的規矩。以後無論什麼時候，都要照著這個方法來坐。
為什麼叫老年人在這個佛堂裡邊呢？因為老年人他行動不太方便，又這個手腳都很笨的，所以不走那麼多路是好的。青年人為什麼坐這房間？這房間也是一樣的，青年人可以跑跑路，做什麼都方便一點。這個裡邊都坐滿了，就坐到外邊去。外邊也能看得見這裡邊人，那兒也有電視，也有這個什麼放映在外邊那兒，也可以看得見我們裡邊誰有什麼動作，講什麼話。這是我們四號那天的規矩，不能到這兒來，不按照次序，坐也有一定的次序，趕站、拜佛當然也有一定次序。
還有這老年人到七十歲以後，拜不拜佛都可以的。若不能拜佛，就坐到旁邊那兒，人家拜佛，你點點頭也可以的了。因為年老了，諸多不方便是這樣子的。不到七十歲的，我相信健康沒有問題，還都可以拜佛，如果有病的，也是在例外。 |
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Ven. Master Hua's Talk at Long Beach Sagely Monastery on April 2, 1993
This is the first time Long Beach Sagely Monastery has been opened up for everyone to come and hear the Dharma. Before the Dharma is spoken, we have to know about the rules. What is a rule? It is a law, a system which everyone should honor.
Since this is a small place, when we are bowing to the Buddhas, we should not leave empty spaces. Whoever comes first should stand up front, and whoever comes later should stand behind them. No empty spaces should be left in any row of bowing mats. No matter how many people there are, we should stand one right after another. People should not stand in a disorganized, uneven way.
Since there are fewer left-home men, they should stand in front and the Bhikshunis can stand behind them. It does not necessarily have to be that Bhikshunis stand on the right and Bhikshus stand on the left. Of course the leading Bhikshu must stand on the left. However, the Bhikshunis should stand so as to make both sides balanced. One side should not have more people than the other; the two sides should be evenly balanced. We should stand in a very organized fashion. This is how we should stand regardless of whether there are many or few people. We cannot be too casual and sloppy, and just stand as we please, without any kind of order. If you haphazardly leave space in the front and go stand in the back, people who come later will stand behind you. Then there will be lots of unoccupied spaces in the front, but all the people will be crowded together in the back. This is totally irrational. Therefore, we Buddhists should all know about this system and follow it.
In circumambulating the Buddha, you must follow the person in front of you. If the person in front has not stopped circumambulating, you cannot return to your place. You have to wait until that person has returned to his place before you can go back to your place. If he has not returned to his place yet, you must keep walking and following him. While still circumambulating, you cannot stop mid-way and go stand in line. This is an ordered process. It is like in the army--when "Walk" is heard, everyone begins to walk. When "Attention" is heard, everyone stops. In general, everyone moves as a unit. In circumambulating the Buddha, if the person in front speeds up, you should speed up as well; if he slows down, then you should also slow down. You cannot sever the line in the middle, or drag the line too long; otherwise, no matter how much space there is, it will be not enough.
So we all have to know how to cherish the Bodhimandala and honor the regulations of Buddhism. We should not be so disorganized, as act as if there is no order at all.
Each participant has to sign his name and indicate his age. The elderly should be invited to take the seats nearest the Buddha. The young people can take seats in the side hall. When there is no more space indoors, the even younger people should take seats outside.
People can't take seats casually, because the seats at each table will be
labeled with names. Therefore, when you come here, please write down your name clearly, and you will be given a namecard. You should find the seat which has the same name as your namecard, and only take that seat. In all we do, we have to abide by the rules. We should be methodical and orderly. We cannot be totally chaotic. These are the regulations we will follow this time. In future, at all times, we should follow this procedure.
Why do we ask the elderly to sit in the Buddha Hall? It's because they cannot get around very easily, and their hands and feet are not very agile, so it's better for them not to walk so much. Why are the younger people asked to sit in the side hall? That room is the same, only it is easier for them to move around and run errands. When the side hall is full, people can go and sit outside. There are television monitors outside so people can see what people inside are doing and saying. These are the regulations to be followed on April 4th. People cannot come here and disrupt the order. There is an order for sitting, as well as for standing and bowing to the Buddhas.
Also, if there are elderly people over seventy, it is alright if they do not bow to the Buddhas. If they are not able to bow, they may sit to the side. When other people are bowing, you can just nod your head. When you reach old age, many things become inconvenient. For people under seventy, I believe they probably don't have any health problems and are able to bow. An exception is made for those who are sick.
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