前期經文提示：遍遊淨空主方神，得恆發妙音，令聽者皆歡喜解脫門。 |
有的講經法師的道場常常大放光明，遍照在這個法會的眾生和非在這個法會的眾生，都得到利益，消除業障。有的講經法師，在講法的時候，也有一點光明，可是這光明就好像那煙霧似的，只有一點點的，或者白光，或者黃光，或者紅光，或者紫光，有少少的。為甚麼呢？就是這個法師的菩提心沒有發大。法師心量有多大，在這個法會這光明也有多大－－心量小，光明就小；心量大，光明就大。所以才說：一切唯心造。
我所知道和見到的這個講經說法的法師，多數是天人來擁護他，有的也不是天人，是天上的一種小鳥。有一種小鳥來擁護這個法師說法，於是這個法師就辯才無礙，發出的音聲和這個小鳥差不多。這個話說起來是太多了。為什麼要講這個呢？就因為現在說「恆發妙音」，而這個妙音，小鳥的音聲很妙的，譬如白鶴、孔雀、鸚鵡、舍利、迦陵頻伽、共命之鳥，都發出這一種微妙、不可思議的音聲；這個音聲都是「阿彌陀佛欲令法音宣流，變化所作」。
那麼，《華嚴經》這一位主方神，「恆發妙音」，也是欲令法音宣流，毗盧遮那佛的變化所作，那麼所以才叫恆發妙音。「令聽者皆歡喜解脫門」，令聽者，令哪一個聽者？就是你，就是我。現在你聽見了這個妙音沒有？我聽見了這個妙音沒有？沒聽見？沒聽見，你就要修。你若修到有了定，在定裡邊，你能明白十方諸佛都發出恆發妙音。
雲幢大音主方神，得如龍普雨，令眾生歡喜解脫門。
「雲幢大音主方神」：雲幢大音，是這個主方神的名字。他這個音叫大音，也就好像大雲雷音似的，《地藏經》不是說嗎？大雷音、大雲雷音，這位主方神也就有這種的大音。可是這種大音是個大雲雷妙音，怎麼知道呢？因為華嚴的境界是不可思議的。所以這個大音就和這個《地藏經》大雲雷音又有多少不同，這大雲雷妙音主方神。「得如龍普雨」：這一位主方神得到佛的什麼境界呢？如龍普雨，就好像這個龍普遍下雨似的。龍有神通，所以他能普遍雨這個法雨，令你我這個薄地凡夫的眾生，得到這法雨的滋潤，就生歡喜心。
有的人，在這個地方就生了懷疑了。好像「一切願欲皆令滿」，他就說：「那我的願欲怎麼沒有滿呢？」我問他：「什麼願欲呢？」他說：「願意成佛。」我答：「你願意成佛就要修行，你不修行怎麼能滿你這個願欲呢？好像這個飯是好吃的，你要吃了才能肚子飽。你若不吃這個飯，誰能叫你飽呢？」那麼現在我們講這個《華嚴經》，也就是如龍普雨一樣，你能聽見這《華嚴經》的華嚴大法，這豈不是就得到法雨的滋潤了呢？你聽經明白這個道理，心裡生一種歡喜，這豈不就是如龍普雨嗎？你還到什麼地方去找呢？現在當前就是，這就是你得到這個龍的法雨的時候，你還不認識。
「令眾生歡喜解脫門」：我再說一個很淺的道理給你聽，你是不是聽經之後就哭起來了？好像這個安安和果芳，在那個地方調皮調完了還哭，為甚麼？因為她們沒有聽經，她們沒有得到這個法雨，所以她們都哭起來。那麼是不是她們沒有得到呢？得到了，她們現在還不懂呢！你們各位知道這種道理了，那麼聽《華嚴經》的法之後，心裡覺得有一種法喜充滿的氣氛，這豈不就是「如龍普雨，令眾生歡喜」嗎？可是離這個解脫門還差一點點。你若是真正得到法喜充滿，就入這個解脫門了。那麼你們什麼時候入這個解脫門，什麼時候就得到法喜充滿。 「性定魔伏朝朝樂，妄念不起處處安。」你性不定，魔就不伏，就這麼奇怪；你性一定了，那個魔就降伏了。
「性定魔伏朝朝樂，妄念不起處處安」，你若不起妄念，在什麼地方都是好的，沒有分別。所以有人問我：「你覺得三藩市好嗎？」我說：「不錯啊！」「你覺得香港好嗎？」「也很好！一樣。」你不論到什麼地方，你若是不生妄想，都是好的。我們現在在這兒研究佛法，都要學佛的志願，學佛的行為，不要注重空談。
在二十二年以前，我在香港時，有個道風山。這個道風山有個艾牧師，他名字叫艾格美，是甚麼地方的人，我現在忘了。這個地方專門叫和尚還俗的，他以財和色誘惑，那麼和尚到那地方一住，就留下來而流連忘返了。怎麼叫流連忘返呢？
從流下而忘返謂之流，
從流上而忘返謂之連；
從獸無厭謂之荒，
樂酒無厭謂之亡。
這個是流連忘返。這是古來的皇帝所犯的毛病。那麼現在這個皇帝的師父，也跑到那地方就流連忘返了。為什麼呢？第一他會給錢，第二又給女人。啊！我也到那兒去看看，有沒有機會，也找一點錢，並且找個女人（我這是開玩笑）。到那兒我一看呢，與我無緣。
於是我就和艾格美辯論起來了，我說你在這兒做的事情，是違背耶穌的心，你不是耶穌教徒，你不夠做耶穌教徒。耶穌是成就人而不是破壞人的；你是破壞人而不是成就人的。這個出家人，你叫他不出家了，你是在破壞他──這叫破他梵行。我說我呢，我也不是個佛教徒，我若是佛教徒，我就應該像佛那麼慈悲來救一救你，可惜我救不了你，我沒有力量救你，所以我不是佛教徒。」我把他說得睜著眼睛看我，沒有話講。然後他又要我和他在一起照個相片，我說不要照了，你這個耶穌教的敗類，我這個佛教的敗類，照出相片給佛教倒架子，給耶穌教倒架子。最後相片也沒有照。這是研究我們不應該研究的問題。
→待續
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A reminder of the Sutra text:
A reminder of the Sutra text: The Direction-Ruling Spirit named Pervasively Roaming in Pure Emptiness obtained the liberation door of constantly producing wondrous sound which brings joy to those who hear.
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When some Dharma Masters lecture on Sutras, they cause the Way-place to constantly emit great radiance which illuminates all the living beings in that Dharma Assembly, as well as living beings who are not present, so all of them obtain advantages and have their karmic obstacles eradicated. When other Dharma Masters lecture on Sutras, at the time when they are speaking Dharma, they also have some light. However, that light is something like light in a fog, and there is only a small amount. It may be just a trace of white light, yellow light, red light, or purple light. Why is that? It's because the Dharma Master's Bodhi mind is not great. A Dharma assembly will have light in direct proportion to the magnitude of the Dharma Master's mind. If he is small-minded, there will only be a little light; but if the measure of his mind is great, the light will also be great. That's why it's said that everything is made from the mind alone.
 Most Dharma Masters whom I know and whom I have seen are protected by gods when they lecture on Sutras and speak the Dharma. However, in some cases it's not a god, but rather a kind of bird from the heavens that comes to protect the Dharma Master's Dharma lecture. When that happens, the Dharma Master has unimpeded eloquence, and the sound of his voice resembles that of a bird. There is too much to say about this. Why do I bring it up? I do so since we are now discussing "constantly producing wondrous sound," and there are very wonderful sounds made by birds. White cranes, peacocks, parrots and egrets, kalavinkas and two-headed birds bring forth subtle, wonderful, and inconceivable sounds. The sounds come about because Amitabha Buddha, wishing that the Dharma sound be widely proclaimed, created these birds by transformation.
Now in the Flower Adornment Sutra this Direction-Ruling Spirit’s constant production of wonderful sound comes about because Vairochana Buddha, wishing that the Dharma sound be widely proclaimed, made this happen by transformation. That is why it is called the constant production of wondrous sound, which brings joy to those who hear. Who are the listeners? It means you and me. Do you hear that wonderful sound right now? Do I hear it? Don't you hear it? If you don't, then you need to cultivate. When you have cultivated and reach samadhi, then within samadhi you will know that all the Buddhas of the ten directions are constantly producing wondrous sound.
The Direction-Ruling Spirit named Cloud-Banner Great Sound obtained the liberation door of universally raining like a dragon, bringing joy to living beings.
Commentary:
The Direction-Ruling Spirit named Cloud-Banner Great Sound. His sound is called a great sound, and it is like the great thunder-cloud sound. Doesn't the Earth Store Sutra say: "The great thunder sound, the great thunder-cloud sound"? This Direction-Ruling Spirit has that kind of great sound. However, this sort of great sound is a wonderful great sound of thunder clouds. How can we tell? It's because the states of the Flower Adornment Sutra are inconceivable, and so this great sound differs somewhat from the great thunder-cloud sound in the Earth Store Sutra. This is the Direction-Ruling Spirit Cloud Banner Great Wondrous Sound.
What state of the Buddha did this Direction-Ruling Spirit achieve? He obtained the liberation door of universally raining like a dragon. This means causing rain to fall everywhere the way a dragon does. Dragons have spiritual penetrations, so they can make the rain of Dharma fall universally, enabling you and me, common and ordinary living beings, to be moistened by the Dharma rain and become delighted.
Some people at this point are having doubts. For example, when it said (in the tenth Night-Ruling Spirit's verse—cf. Vajra Bodhi Sea issue no. 292, September 1994, pages 4-5): "So all their wishes could completely be fulfilled," someone wondered, "Then why hasn't my wish been fulfilled?"
I asked him, “What is your wish?"
He replied, "I want to become a Buddha."
I answered him, "If you want to become a Buddha, you have to cultivate. If you don't cultivate, how can you fulfill your wish? It's like eating food—you have to eat it to get full. If you don't eat the food, who can make you full?" Now we are lecturing the Flower Adornment Sutra, and this is like a dragon universally sending down rain. Isn't your being able to hear the great Flower Adornment Dharma of the Flower Adornment Sutra a case of being moistened by the rain of Dharma? Isn't your listening to the Sutra, understanding its principles, and becoming delighted in mind just like the dragon's universal rain? Where else would you go to look for it? It's right here in front of you, and right now you are obtaining the dragon's universal rain—but you still don't recognize it.
This happens, bringing joy to living beings. I'll give you a very simple example. Do you cry after listening to the Sutra? The two little girls An-an and Gwo Fang, who are playing and being naughty here, still cry. Why is that? They cry because they haven't listened to the Sutra and have not obtained the rain of Dharma. Is it really the case that they haven't obtained it? Actually they have, but they don't understand yet. Now all of you know about this principle and after listening to the Dharma of the Flower Adornment Sutra, you have had some experience of being filled with the joy of Dharma. Isn't that an example of universal rain like that of a dragon which brings joy to living beings? However, it's still a bit different from this liberation door. If you really become filled with the joy of Dharma and enter this door to liberation, then whenever you do enter it, you will be permeated with the bliss of the Dharma.
"When one's nature is settled, demons are subdued, and every day is happy. If false thoughts do not arise, any place is peaceful." If your nature is not settled, then the demons will not be subdued. It's just that uncanny. Once your nature is settled, the demons are quelled, so “When one's nature is settled, demons are subdued, and every day is happy." Also, "If false thoughts do not arise, any place is peaceful." If you do not give rise to false thoughts, then any location at all is fine, and there are no distinctions among them. Therefore, when people ask me, "Do you like San Francisco?" I reply, "It's not bad." And when they ask, “Do you like Hong Kong?" I tell them, "It's also very good. They are the same." No matter where you go, if you don't have false thinking, any place will be fine. Now as we are investigating the Buddhadharma here, we should learn to have the kind of resolve and behavior which the Buddha has, and not indulge in empty talk.
Twenty-two years ago (this was spoken in 1973), when I was in Hong Kong, there was a place called Dao Feng Mountain. At Dao Feng Mountain there was a pastor named Ai; Ai Gemei in full. I forget where he came from. That place specialized in getting monks to return to lay life. That pastor enticed them with money and lust. Once a monk moved in there, he stayed on and on. He would drift, become entangled, and forget to return. What is meant by drifting, becoming entangled, and forgetting to return?
To go along with the current and forget to return is to drift.
To go against the current and forget to return
is to become entangled.
To hunt without satiation is to be wild.
To like wine without satiation is to be lost.
That's drifting, becoming entangled, and forgetting to return, which describes the faults of emperors in ancient times. So now the imperial Dharma Masters were going there, drifting, getting entangled, and forgetting to return. Why was that? It was first because the place provided money, and second because it provided women. I also went there to take a look and see if I had any chance to get some money or a woman. [Note: During the English translation, the Venerable Master indicated this was a joke, not fact.] But once I got there and looked around, I saw it had no affinities with me.
Then I debated with Ai Gemei. I told him, "What you are doing here goes against Jesus' intentions. You are not a Christian, and do not qualify as a Christian. Jesus helped people have achievement and didn't undermine them. But you undermine people and do not help them have accomplishment. You get left-home people to stop being left-home people, which is to destroy the pure conduct of others." I also said to him, "I'm not a Buddhist either. If I were a Buddhist, I should be as kind and compassionate as the Buddha and save you. Unfortunately, I am unable to save you. I don't have the power to rescue you, and so I am not a Buddhist." All he could do was stare at me—there was nothing he could say. Afterwards he asked me to be in a photograph with him, to which I replied, "We shouldn't have it taken. Any photo of the dregs of Christianity like you and the dregs of Buddhism like me would only detract from Christianity and detract from Buddhism." In the end, we didn't have the photograph taken. This is investigating a problem we shouldn't investigate.
→To be continued
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