|
前期提示：忍辱波羅蜜
我以前講彌勒菩薩的偈頌，也是很不錯的。
老僧穿衲襖，淡飯腹中飽；
補破好遮寒，萬事隨緣了。
有人罵老拙，老拙自說好；
有人打老拙，老拙自睡倒。
唾在我面上，憑它自乾了；
我也省力氣，你也無煩惱。
這樣波羅蜜，便是妙中寶；
若知這消息，何愁道不了。
「老
僧穿衲襖」，老僧，就是很老的一個僧人，很老的一個比丘；穿衲襖，
穿得破破的。「淡飯腹中飽」，淡飯，飯沒有味道，一點滋味也都沒有；
腹中飽，但是他吃飽了。「補破好遮寒」，我補著破衣服，我這個破衣服
補好了它，就可以
遮寒啦！「萬事隨緣了」，無論什麼事情，隨緣隨分就了了，沒有問題。
萬事隨緣了，也就是Everything's
OK!（怎樣都好！）。但是有的時候，這個Everything's OK!
是不容易做到的；隨緣，說是了，但是有的時候不能了。彌勒菩薩，他就隨緣了。
「有
人罵老拙」，有人罵我這個愚癡的人，「老拙自說好」，
我這一個愚癡
的人就說：好好！你罵我最好！只說好。「有人打老拙」，有人若打我這
一個愚癡的人，最蠢笨的人，我這最蠢笨的一個老頭子、老年人。「老拙自睡倒」，
我呀！
自己就睡倒地下，你打我一下，我躺在那地方就像睡著了似的，睡覺！。「唾在我面上」，
你吐在我臉上，用口水來吐在我的面上，「憑它自乾了」，等它自己乾
了，我不用手來擦。「我也省力氣」，我也不用擦臉的力氣。「你也無煩惱」，你吐在我面上，我都不管，你煩惱大約也沒有了，說：這個人沒有
用的，和他鬥有什
麼意思？他是一個廢人！所以你也無煩惱了。「這樣波羅蜜」，你若能修
這樣的波羅蜜，「便是妙中寶」，這是妙中之妙的寶貝啊！「若知這消息」，你若知道這個
消息，「何愁道不了」，你的道怎麼會不了呢？何愁道不了，就是你不要
憂愁你不成佛，你一定定會成佛的；你不要擔心，你只要能修忍辱行，就可以到彼岸。
今天晚間，忍辱的十力還沒有講，就先講這個「忍」字。我講的是一點道理
也沒有，沒有什麼道理，不知道你們聽了覺得怎麼樣？有一個人說：「嘿！這個一點用都沒有，這對我們的國家來說，我們都是要去打仗的，要去一刀、一槍、一
炮，放原子彈去殺人的，你講這個忍，我們用不著的。」你用不著，我自己來用，不必你用。
現在有五個人報名想要皈依，我很慚愧的，也不知道怎麼樣來教化這個說英
文的人，因為我是說中文的。但是又有五個人發心願意皈依，我現在告訴你們，下個禮拜天是初十，是七月十二號，也是禮拜天，或者可以打皈依。但是啊！你們要
考慮清楚一點，在這幾天想清楚，真要皈依，以後就要聽話，不管我說中文你懂不懂，你就是懂也要聽話，不懂也要聽話。你若覺得你不能懂就不聽話的時候，現在
還可以把你那個報名的名字取消了。因為我現在也不願意收太多的皈依弟子，我願意把想要發心皈依的人，留給你們這些講英文的人，皈依你們美國這些比丘、比丘
尼都可以。那時候你們聽話，也與我沒有關係，不聽話，與我也沒有關係。你們講英文的，或者知道怎麼樣教化你們；你們也可以知道怎麼樣依教奉行。現在，有的
時候，你要是不依教奉行，我一問為什麼你不依教奉行？「啊！我聽不懂你講話！」好吧！所以，或者聽不懂，也真有這一個情形的。所以現在想要皈依我的，你們
一定要自己考慮清楚；考慮不清楚的，不要冒冒失失的就皈依。以前皈依的不管，以後凡是皈依的，一定要依教奉行。
待續
|
|
From last issue: The Paramita
of Patience
Maitreya Bodhisattva’s verse, which I have
explained before, is also very good:
The old monk
wears tattered clothes
and fills his
belly with tasteless food,
Mends his
clothes to keep away the cold
and lets all
things take their course.
If someone
scolds the old fool,
the old fool
just says, “Fine.”
If someone hits
the old fool,
he just lies
down to sleep.
Spit in his
face, he just lets it dry.
“That way I
save my strength
and give you
no
affliction.”
This kind of
Paramita
is the jewel
in
the wonderful.
Knowing this
news,
how can you
worry about not attaining the Way?
The old monk wears tattered clothes and fills his belly with tasteless
food. The old monk is an old Bhikshu. He wears ragged clothes.
“Tasteless food” is food that doesn’t have any flavor. It doesn’t taste
like much, but he’s full. Mends his clothes to keep away the cold. “I
mend my tattered clothes. After I patch them up, they’ll keep out the
cold!” And lets all things take their course. No matter what it is, he
just goes along with the conditions. Nothing presents any problem. He
just lets all things take their course. This is just “everything’s
okay.” Sometimes it’s not easy to maintain the attitude that
“everything’s okay.” We say we’ll let all things take their course, but
sometimes things just don’t seem to work out for us. For Maitreya
Bodhisattva, things always work out.
If someone scolds the old fool, the old fool just
says, “Fine.” “If someone scolds me—this stupid person—I just say,
‘Great! It’s wonderful that you’re scolding me!’ I just say, ‘Fine’.”
If someone hits the old fool,he just lies down to sleep. “If someone
hits me—this idiot, this big fool, this dumb old man—what do I do? I
just fall to the ground and go to sleep. If you punch me, I’ll just lie
down as if I were asleep.” Spit in his face, he just lets it dry. “If
you spit on my face, I’ll just let it dry by itself. I won’t bother to
wipe it off with my hand.” “That way I save my strength and give you no
affliction.” I save the energy it would take to wipe it off. When you
see that I don’t even care that you spit in my face, your afflictions
will probably disappear. You’ll think, “He’s really useless. It’s
pointless to fight with him. He’s just an idiot.” Then you won’t have
any more afflictions. This kind of Paramita is the jewel in the
wonderful. If you can cultivate this Paramita, it is a treasure that is
the most wonderful of wonders! Knowing this news, how can you worry
about not attaining the Way? How can you fail to realize the Way? Don’t
worry about not becoming a Buddha. You most certainly will attain
Buddhahood. All you have to do is cultivate patience, and you’ll be
able to reach the other shore.
This evening, I will only talk about this. Before
I explain the ten advantages of patience, I first want to talk about
patience itself. What I say has no principle in it at all. It doesn’t
make much sense. What do you all think of it? Someone is thinking,
“Humpf! This is absolutely useless! In our country, we have to go out
and fight with knives, guns, and cannons, or set off the atomic bomb to
kill people. You talk about patience—we have no use for that!” Perhaps
you can’t use it, but I will. You don’t have to use it.
Five people have signed up to take refuge, and
this makes me very ashamed. I don’t know how to teach people who speak
English because I speak Chinese. However, there are five people who
want to take refuge. Next Sunday is July 12, the tenth of the lunar
month, and perhaps the refuge ceremony can be held then. Now, all of
you should think it over carefully in the next few days. Once you
really take refuge, you have to follow instructions. Whether or not you
understand what I say in Chinese, you still have to obey! If you think
that you can’t follow instructions when you don’t understand, you can
still cross your name off the list. I don’t want to accept a lot of
disciples right now. If people really want to take refuge, I would
rather that they took refuge with those who speak English. They can
take refuge with the American Bhikshus and Bhikshunis. Then I wouldn’t
have to worry about whether or not you obey instructions. It wouldn’t
have anything to do with me. Those who speak English will probably know
how to teach you, and you will also know how to follow their
instructions. As it is now, sometimes when you don’t follow my
instructions, I question you about it. You say, “I didn’t understand
what you said!” Maybe you really didn’t understand. So those of you who
want to take refuge with me now, be sure to think it over clearly.
Don’t rush into this and take refuge. From now on, everyone who takes
refuge has to follow instructions.
To be continued
|
