師父的德行，他那「捨命為佛事，造命為本事，正命為僧事」、「流血汗，不休息」的那一念，我相信大家都能體會到。我們修行，就是修到這一念心不退轉──捨了這個命，都要為佛做事。我們跟隨善知識，我們跟隨師父，我們要學的，不是要去沾師父的光，我們要學的，不是在師父跟前、跟進跟出，我們要學的，就是師父的那一念。
我們看師父的種種事蹟，所形容的，都是一些不可思議，都是一些感動天地、感動諸佛菩薩而現的這種感應事蹟。師父他念〈大悲咒〉，沒有水的地方會有水，我們可以做得到嗎？我們和師父差別在哪裡？眾生、佛、心，是平等的，是一樣的，是同體的，既然是這樣，那為什麼師父能做的，我們做不到？差在哪裡？這中間究竟問題出在哪裡？
師父什麼也沒有帶來，他現在什麼也沒有揹著，他將來也不打算帶走什麼。而我們呢？什麼也沒有帶來，現在揹著一大堆，什麼都放不下，少掉一點也不對，多了一點也不對，搞得自己七上八下的。既然我們放不下，那只有揹起，再來一個輪迴。
師父曾說：「錯過了這一生，不再有機會了。」師父他所現的每一個相、每一個腳印、每一個修行方式，以及所講的每一句話，今天我們做弟子的，在此生此世，應該都可以拿它做為一個「信心銘」。不管我們碰到什麼境界，它都足以做為我們將來行事的信心及準則。所以我們應該徹徹底底地，要把我們的身心全部奉獻出來，交給師父、交給佛、交給菩薩。
有沒有人問問自己？我們今天真的不爭、不貪、不求？你認為你不爭，別人認為你在爭；你認為別人在爭，別人不認為自己在爭。怎麼來規劃？ 《心經》上說：「舍利子，是諸法空相，不生不滅，不垢不淨，不增不減。」六祖大師曾說：「何期自性本自清淨；何期自性本自具足。」既然我們是清清淨淨的，也沒有增加一分，也沒有減少一分，沒有一個要生的心，也沒有一個要滅的心，那我們爭什麼？貪什麼？求什麼？自私什麼？自利什麼？已經都有了，還要再去多拿一點，那不是頭上安頭嗎？已經本來就清淨了，再去討一個清淨心，又是頭上安頭。所以，只要我們能夠不爭、不貪、不求、不自私、不自利，何來的執著事相？什麼都不執著了，自然也沒有什麼事情好隱瞞的了，就不打妄語了。我們把這六大條款做到了，自性自然現前了；「悟徹本來體，一通一切通」，智慧也自然現前了。
譬如有兩把刀子，在切豆腐的時候，刀子不容易見出好壞，因為見不到刀鋒的利性。若是刀子可以削鐵如泥、斷金如玉，那我們就知道這是一把好刀。所以刀子在削鐵或者斷金的時候，這個刀性就出來了，哪一把是好刀？哪一把不是好刀？「刀」所代表的，就是我們的自性。「鐵」與「豆腐」就是我們的生活環境，就是所有的境界。學佛的人與沒有學佛的人，差別最大的地方在哪裡？就是在各種境界現前的時候，看你怎麼應對。
師父所提供給大家的環境，都是一種苦修的環境。如果今天大家都是左一聲「阿彌陀佛」，右一聲「阿彌陀佛」，客客氣氣地，早課也可以不上，也可以不要只吃一餐，也可以不要做法會，那我們怎麼知道我們的自性是可以勝任所有的境界呢？沒有這苦修的環境，我們怎麼知道我們自性可以能夠過關呢？環境越艱苦，環境越困難，這個自性越是要自己去鍛鍊的。這把刀子是不是就要經過千錘百鍊？是不是就要百鍊成鋼呢？
→待續
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I believe you can all understand our teacher's virtue and his single thought of "Dedicating our lives to do the Buddha's work; forging our lives as our basic duty; rectifying our lives to fulfill the Sangha's role," and "Sparing neither sweat nor blood, never stop to rest." What we cultivate is this non-retreating single thought of "doing the Buddha's work even if it means giving up our life." When we follow the Good Knowing Advisor, our Master, to cultivate, what we want to learn is not to physically follow him around, but to learn the single thought of his.
We have read in the Master's biography all kinds of inconceivable stories of responses which moved the heaven, the earth, and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. When the Master recited the Great Compassion Mantra, water appeared in a place which never before had any water. Can we do that? What's the difference between the Master and ourselves? It is said that living beings, the Buddha, and the mind are equal, the same, and of the same substance. This being the case, why can't we do what the Master can do? What's the difference? Where does the problem lie?
The Master did not bring anything when he came; he is not attached to anything now, and he will not take anything with him in the future. We, too, did not bring anything when we came, but now we are attached to a great pile of things and cannot put anything down. We cannot tolerate having too little or too much of anything, and thus we make ourselves quite uncomfortable. Since we cannot put things down, we might as well pick them up and undergo another round of rebirth!
The Master has said, "If you miss out in this life, there won't be another chance." Each appearance, each footprint, each method of cultivation that the Master has manifested, and each word that the Master has spoken should all be the "creed of faith" for us disciples in this life. They will give us faith and be our criterion when we do things no matter what states we encounter in the future. Therefore, we should thoroughly offer up our bodies and minds to the Master and to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas.
Has anyone ever asked himself, "Are we really not fighting, not being greedy, and not seeking?" You may think you are not fighting, but others think you are; or you may think others are fighting, while they themselves do not think so. How do we decide?
It says in the Heart Sutra, "Shariputra, all dharmas are empty of characteristics. They are not produced, not destroyed, not defiled, not pure, and they neither increase nor diminish." The Great Master, the Sixth Patriarch said, "How unexpected! The inherent nature is originally pure in itself. How unexpected! The inherent nature is originally complete in itself." Since we are originally pure and clean, neither increasing nor diminishing by a bit, and there is neither the mind of production nor the mind of extinction, what are we fighting, being greedy, seeking, being selfish, and pursuing personal advantages for? Isn't it redundant to add more to what we already have, and to seek for a pure and clean mind when our mind is originally pure and clean? As long as we do not fight, are not greedy, do not seek, are not selfish, and do not pursue personal advantage, then where does the attachment to affairs come from? When we do not attach to anything, naturally we have nothing to hide, so we will not lie. When we can truly uphold these guidelines, our inherent nature will spontaneously appear. It is said, “When the original substance is thoroughly realized, everything is understood." Wisdom will naturally come forth.
Let me give the analogy of two knives. When cutting tofu (bean curd), it is not easy to tell which knife is better, because the sharpness of the blades cannot be determined. However, when cutting metal, the nature of the knives will become apparent. We will be able to tell which one is good and which one is bad. In this analogy, the knife represents our own nature, while the metal and tofu represent our living environment, that is, the present state. The greatest difference between Buddhists and non-Buddhists becomes apparent when states manifest. The environment the Master provides us is one of ascetic practice. If we just said "Amitabha!" and were polite to each other all the time, and it was okay to skip morning recitation, not to eat just one meal a day, and not to hold Dharma sessions, then how would we know that our own nature can endure all states? Without this environment of ascetic cultivation, how do we know our own nature will pass the tests?
The more hardships the environment provides, the better; our own nature needs to be smelted and forged.
Don't knives also go through being smelted and forged hundreds and thousands of times? Doesn't ore become steel only after being refined hundreds of times?
Though sudden and gradual are different,
Upon completion, the result is the same.
What need is there to distinguish between south and north? The difference between sages and ordinary men is
but temporary,
Their basic natures are the same.
Do not discuss east and west.
Composed by the Venerable Master Hua at the age of 16, upon reading the Sixth Patriarch’s Platform Sutra.
→To be continued |
