不各處化緣
末法時代人人都犯的是貪心，這是很厲害的。出家人也貪心，在家人更貪心。出家人爲著貪心，就各處化緣求布施，把在家人化得一見到出家人，就好像見了妖魔鬼怪似的，都望影而逃，都怕化緣。出家人看見在家人怎麼樣躲，他就有什麼招術應付這個躲的在家人，雖然逃了，但他要迎頭趕上，追這個緣。這是末法所犯的一個大病。
古來修道的人、住山的人，是不見任何人，不向任何人化緣。自己在山裡頭，種一點菜蔬、糧食，隨隨便便的，這一年餓不死就算了。眞正修道的人，不會各處化緣的。現在不單是男的各處化緣，女的也各處化緣，這成了一個什麼世界啊！我眞是不了解，各處去攀緣，各處去化緣，各處去求緣。
我看這個情形，得要改變作風，所以我到美國這兒就講：
凍死不攀緣
餓死不化緣
窮死不求緣
隨緣不變
不變隨緣
抱定我們三大宗旨，
下聯是：
捨命為佛事
造命為本事
正命為僧事
即事明理
明理即事
推行祖師一脈心傳
這是我到這個國家來弘揚佛法的三大宗旨，一脈心傳。
聖城的精神
可是在萬佛城的人，有幾個真懂得三大宗旨、一脈心傳，和「不爭、不貪、不求、不自私、不自利、不打妄語」這六大宗旨、六大條件、六大條款？有幾個人真明白，真了解，真實行這六大條款、三大宗旨、一脈心傳？不要說去實行這幾種，甚至於記不 記得？都不記得。你說在萬佛聖城住著這麼久，這最簡單的佛法都沒學會，那在這裡究竟學什麼呢？啊！學吃一餐？這吃一餐不必學，誰都會的。學搭衣？這搭衣也誰都會搭的，也不必學。那麼最低限度這三大宗旨、六大條款、一脈心傳，都應該熟讀默記，融會貫通，然後才夠資格在萬佛城住。你連這個都不懂，在這裡混光陰，這到底有什麼價值？這是一點。
還有在萬佛聖城住，也要留心一脈心傳、三大宗旨、六大條款，這是誰都應該身體力行，躬行實踐的，這是最低限度在萬佛城的人要留意的。如果有時間，應該把《楞嚴經》背熟了，把《法華經》背熟了，《華嚴經》背熟了。這三部大經，如果有哪一個能全把它背熟了，這真是萬佛城的修行人，夠資格是萬佛聖城的一分子，是萬佛中的一分子。我們問一問，在這裡哪一個把這些都熟讀默記了？有人說：「師父，你從來沒有教我們這個，我們怎麼知道啊？」這個還用教嗎？在萬佛城這兒，想成萬佛，你必須要具備成萬佛的條件，這不必人教，佛當初誰教他來著？所以我們大家要勇猛精進發菩提心。可是在萬佛城的人，有的住一住就跑了；有的又想各處去攀緣。還俗的也有，有的被欲念催得受不了，有的因為財欲，就要還俗發財去；有的因為色欲，就要還俗找女人去，女人就還俗去找男人，都是因為這幾點，看不破，放不下，就要還俗去了。
佛教的敗類
還有，沒有來萬佛城時，說怎麼仰慕萬佛城，怎麼樣對萬佛城的修行很佩服的，在外邊也說要學萬佛城吃一餐，裝模作樣的。是不是吃一餐呢？他就這麼自我宣傳說吃一餐。你就算吃一餐，這也不必向人宣傳。你這一宣傳，這裡頭就有問題了。宣傳就是叫人家知道，我也和萬佛城的修道人一樣吃一餐。其實他偷著吃東西有誰知道？他會告訴你，他偷著吃東西？你搭著衣裝模作樣的，說是萬佛城的，到各處去說：「我到過萬佛城，我又在萬佛城學了什麼什麼法，萬佛城的某某人給我發功，我在這個地方接功，就明心見性了，就開了悟了。」你說這要不是騙人，何必這樣？反正我是不信這個的。我也不會發功，也不會收功，往我頭上戴這高帽子，這我怎麼受得了！瞪著眼睛說瞎話，說我有什麼靈感，觀音菩薩怎麼指示我，地藏菩薩怎麼告訴我，文殊菩薩怎麼樣給我摩頂，普賢菩薩給我加持，我得到靈感了，我又如何，我要各處去度人。實際上，你各處去度人，你自己度了沒有？自己還貪心、爭心、自私心、自利心、有所求的心，天天都在打妄語、說大話，這叫個什麼！就有這個靈感，那個靈感了。我不相信真有靈感的人，他會告訴人，會對人自我宣傳！他根本就不需要人知道的，對人家宣傳這個，是什麼意思？這對無知的人講，他都相信的；對有智慧的人講，絕對沒有人相信這個話的。你們各位，這一點要注意。
凡是自讚毀他，貢高我慢，覺得自己比誰都了不起，這樣的人已經完了，這就是佛教的敗類。什麼叫佛教敗類呢？就是貢高我慢，自讚毀他，妒忌障礙，這一些人，這就是魔鬼，就是想令佛法早點滅亡，根本這種人就聞不到正法的字樣。
真正修道的人，沒有一個故意標異現奇，顯示驚世駭俗，來欺騙世間人，沒有的。他都是處處含而不露的。他宣傳這個幹什麼？你叫人相信自己，這到底是什麼意思？所以來萬佛聖城的人，真要知道萬佛聖城的精神是什麼？你能不能做到萬佛聖城的精神？萬佛聖城的精神，就是三大宗旨、一脈心傳、六大條款。你們哪一位在萬佛城住的，或者剛剛來，想久住的，都要自己深深地生一種大慚愧心。不要像在外邊那麼胡說八扯的。
有錢障修行
我方才沒說嗎，出家人貪這緣法，在家人就貪功德。聽說某一個人有修行，就挑選這個有修行的人來供養。聽說某個人在那兒一個人修道認真，不馬虎，這個在家人就趨之若鶩，都想去供養這一個出家人。沒有人供養的時候，這個出家人是不錯，是修道，這一有了供養，一有了錢了，這個出家人什麼本事都來了。什麼本事呢？吃喝嫖賭，什麼都幹。就拿在家人供養的錢，自己也不用費力，就有人供養，這個錢如果不把它亂花一通，這真是有罪過。你看看，本來修行人，被你這一供養，供養得生了一肚子邪知邪見了，不修行了，你說你這是有功德啊？是有過？等這個人死了墮地獄了，他就去閻羅王那兒告狀去了。閻羅王說：「你告什麼呢？你吃喝嫖賭，什麼都幹，現在你墮地獄是應該的。」他說：「我本來不是吃喝嫖賭的一個出家人，我在那兒好好修行，有一些無知的善男信女就來供養我，把我供養得錢太多了，所以我就無所不為了。我造的罪都是因為他們我才犯的，所以現在我墮地獄，他們也應該隨著我下地獄。」閻羅王說：「那我不能那麼做。」他說：「你這個做閻羅王的，一點也不公平，明明是他們把我送到地獄來，他們沒有罪，我有罪了？這我不服，我要上訴。」
待續 |
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Don't Solicit Offerings Everywhere
In the Dharma Ending Age, all people are infected by thoughts of greed. It's become a serious matter now. Left- home people are prone to greed, and lay people are even more so. Because of greed, left-home people beg for gifts and offerings everywhere they go. They do it to the point whenever a lay person sees a left-home person coming, he gets scared and runs away, just as if he had seen a monster or a ghost. The resourceful left-home person, however, has many effective ways to handle the lay person who tries to escape. Even though he has run far away, the left-home person will catch him and pursue his affinities. People in the Dharma Ending Age are quite prone to creating this serious problem.
Cultivators of the Way, in the past, those who lived in the mountains and the wilderness, did not want to see anybody, and would seek for nothing. They led a simple lives in the mountains, planting some vegetables for food, and as long as they don't starve to death again this year, that was fine. A true cultivator would never beg for alms everywhere he goes. It's not only men who go begging nowadays, but also the women, who are seeking for things. What kind of a world has this place become! It really surpasses my understanding! At every hand, people are climbing upon conditions, begging for alms, and seeking for affinities.
When I came to the United States, I knew what was happening and wanted to change things. So my principles were,
"Freezing to death, we do not scheme.
Starving to death, we do not beg.
Dying in poverty, we ask for nothing.
We accord with the conditions, but never waver;
We remain steadfast, yet accord with every situation;
These are our three great principles.
We dedicate our lives to do the Buddhas' work.
We forge our lives as our basic duty.
We rectify our lives to fulfill the Sanghan's role.
We express our ideals within our daily affairs,
So that within our daily affairs, our ideals shine forth.
In this way we continue unbroken the legacy of the
Patriarch's mind. "
These are the Three Great Principles and this is how I propagated the Dharma.
The Spirit of the Sagely City
But how many of you people at the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas really understand the Three Principles, which is the lineage of the Patriarch's mind, and our Six Rules: no fighting, no greed, no seeking, no selfishness, no pursuing self-benefit, and no lying? How many people here at the City really understand these things, and really put them into practice? Not to speak of actually practicing them, how many of you remember the names of these simple Dharmas? You all have forgotten them. And if you don't remember them, what are you doing here, after such a long time? You could say, "I am here learning how to eat one meal a day." You don't need to study to learn that. You could say "I am learning how to wear my precept robe." Well, that's another thing you don't need to study. If you want to have the qualifications to live here, you have to be at least familiar with and able to memorize these Three Principles, which is the lineage of the Patriarch's mind, and the Six Rules which you must understand thoroughly. If you don't understand these teachings, and you are simply passing the time away, then what value is there in your living here? So that is one point I want to make.
People who live at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas have to pay attention to the Three Principles, the Lineage of the Patriarch's mind, and to the Six Rules. This is the bottom line, the minimum requirement that everyone must put into practice and pay attention to. And if time permits, you should memorize the Shurangama Sutra, the Dharma Flower Sutra, and the Flower Adornment Sutra. If anyone of you can recite them all, then you are really a cultivator at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. You are qualified to be a member at the City, a member among the Ten Thousand Buddhas. Let's ask ourselves which one here has memorized them well? Someone is saying, "Venerable Master, you have never told us to do this; how would we know?" Do I have to tell you to do this? At the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, if you want to bring the ten thousand Buddhas to accomplishment, then you must have first completed the requirements, which need not be taught. Who taught the Buddha back in his time? Therefore, all of us must courageously advance and bring forth a Bodhi mind. Some residents here lived at the City, but then left after a while; some went to exploit their environment, here and there. Some returned to lay life, too. Driven by their desires, these people couldn't bear it anymore and left the Sangha. Some tried to get rich because of a desire for wealth; some went to chase women out of a desire for sex. Some women went back to lay life, because of men. Such people can't see through or let go of any of these things, thus they went back to lay life.
The Dregs of Buddhism
What's more, there are people who before they came here, claimed that they admired the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, how they respected the cultivation at the City. They also announced that they followed the rule at the City to eat only one meal a day. They are putting on airs, but are they really eating one meal a day? Or are they simply advertising for themselves that way. Even if they really do eat one meal a day, there is no need to tell people about it. Once they tell the public, there must be something goes wrong. You may advertise that you are like the cultivators at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas who eat only one meal a day. Yet who knows whether or not you are eating food on the sly? Will they tell you if they steal food?
You also put on an act by wearing the precept sash, to show off that you are someone from the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. This way you announce to the world, "I have been to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. I learned such and such a Dharma there. So and so at the City generated my internal energy, and when I caught on, I was able to understand the mind and see the self-nature and I became enlightened." Why would he say so, if he wasn't trying to cheat people? I wouldn't buy his story in any case. I don't know how to generate my energy, or how to pull it back. How could I accept such flattery? With his eyes staring wide open, he was telling a bold lie that he had gotten some kind of responses. He said "Gwan Yin Bodhisattva instructed me, Earth Store Bodhisattva told me something, Manjusri Bodhisattva rubbed my head, Universal Worthy Bodhisattva blessed me. So I have spiritual ability, I can do such and such, and I want to go all over the place to take people across." Actually, if you go everywhere to take people across, can you claim to have crossed yourself over? You still have thoughts of greed, of fighting, of selfishness, of self-benefit, and of seeking. You are creating false speech and bragging about yourself, day after day. How can you have this response and that response? I don't believe that anyone who really has had a spiritual response would make it known to others, or advertise himself . He wouldn't want anybody to know at all. What is the point of spreading such news? If you tell a stupid person, he will believe whatever you say. If you tell an intelligent person, he wouldn't believe you in any case. All of you should pay attention to this point.
Anyone who praises himself and disparages others or feels arrogant, to the point he thinks he is superior to everyone else, is already finished. He is the dregs of Buddhism. What does that mean? The dregs of Buddhism refers to people who are arrogant, full of self-praise and slander of others, people who are jealous and who obstruct others. They are devils who want to cause Buddha-Dharma to disappear more quickly. There is no way such types could ever get close to the borders of the Proper Dharma.
No true cultivator will try to be special or try to startle the world with some kind of outrageous, deceitful ideas. It would never happen. A real cultivator always conceals himself and never shows off. Why would he publicize himself? Why do you want people to believe in you? Do you people who have come to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas really want to know the spirit of the City? Can you fulfill it? The spirit of the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is the Three Principles, the Lineage of the Patriarch's mind and the Six Rules. Anyone of you who has lived in the City, or who newly arrived and want to stay here for a long time, should feel great shame and not lie and boast of your accomplishments like others do who live outside of the City.
Money Obstructs Cultivation
I said that left-home people crave for affinities and lay people crave for merit and virtue. When they hear that someone is a cultivator, they make offerings to him. Or, if they hear that someone is recognized as cultivating the Way seriously and sincerely, without laxness, lay people will hurriedly go and venerate him and make donations. Before he received their offerings, this left-home person may have been okay; he actually cultivated the Way. After he received the offerings and became rich he was capable of doing anything. What was he suddenly able to do? He could do every bad thing there was to do, extravagantly, in a dissipated and dissolute way: he drank, ate, gambled, and made merry. He didn't have to put forth any effort, because he used the money you lay people donated. If he had not spent it all recklessly, that would really have been a mistake. You see, your donations stuffed this cultivator's stomach full of deviant knowledge and views, and he could not cultivate any longer. Would you say that you have created more merit and virtue or more offenses? So after he died and fell into the hells, he went to King Yama to file a law suit. King Yama said to him, "What right do you have to sue anybody? You have been frequenting brothels, gambling and drinking. You deserve to fall into hell." He said, "At first I was not leading this kind of life as a left-home person. I cultivated the Way properly; however, some ignorant lay men and women came to make offerings to me. When I had so much money that there was nothing I could not do. All because of them, I was able to commit these offenses. Now I have fallen into hell, and by rights, they should be here, too." King Yama answered, "I cant do that." "King Yama, you are unfair. Obviously, they are the ones who have sent me here. How come don't have any blame, and only I am guilty? I won't accept this. I request an appeal." he says.
To be continued |
