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在前幾次，請法的四句偈頌，是仁俊法師到這兒來的時候，我寫這四句偈頌，這並不是我講經要用的，本來是預備請仁俊法師講《心經》，你們請法的時候用的。他沒有講，你們用也可以的。不過最後那一句唱得不太好，前邊那三句可以的，後邊那一句，聲音要長一點，說：「化…群…倫…」這樣，在後邊聲音要長一點。
真修行人不講話，這不只是不跟女人講話，根本就不跟人講話，像個傻子一樣。我以前參方的時候，成天我閉著眼睛也不看人。你不是說去講話那沒有用的。你越尊敬修行人，你越少和他講話。兩個人好像比賽看誰講的話少。懂這個道理的人，看見那愛講話的人，都會瞧不起那個人。以前在金山寺和高旻寺，你和這個人挨著住，挨著睡覺，這麼住幾年都不知道這個人叫什麼名字，兩個人一句話也不講的。
到外邊所有的地方去，就明明知道他不對了，他若沒有向你請教，說：「請你告訴我啊，我的對不對？」你不可以毛遂自薦，說：「我教一教你這個不對。」這個呢，到處行不通的。你們以後切記到什麼地方，不要找人家的麻煩。明明知道他不對，他沒有向你來請教，你不可以來批評他，這是很要緊的。
翻譯的弟子請問「毛遂自薦」的意思。喔！那有一噸重的東西，沒有人拿得動，這個毛遂說：「我可以拿得動，我去拿去！」他到那兒把它拿起來了，這叫毛遂自薦。毛遂是中國一個古人的名字，戰國時代趙國的平原君非常富有，像甘迺迪似的。他有三千個食客。什麼叫食客呢？就是在他那兒吃飯的。他養著這三千個人，他有一件事情沒有人會辦。毛遂就說：「我可以辦的，我去辦去。」所以這叫「三千之中有毛遂」，毛遂他自己就說他會做這個事情，這叫毛遂自薦，自己推薦自己。就好像誰啊？就好像果前投票選中美佛教總會的主席，他自己投自己一票，這也叫毛遂自薦，懂嗎？
還有人願意再講一講沒有？已經講過的人還願不願意再講一講。果益，你講一講爾時是甚麼意思。我覺得你以前聽什麼都很注意的。
果益：我想是以前佛的弟子圍著佛坐，佛給他們講經說法，就是爾時的意思。
上人：果歸，有沒有什麼意見？
果歸：昨天晚上講的，我沒有甚麼要補充的。
上人：果航？
果航：我不知道。
上人：誰叫你都不知道？
果航：我不知道。
上人：果佑！講一講。
果佑：我所要講的已經講過很多次了。
上人：你所吃的已經吃過了？
果佑：大概。
上人：果容！有什麼看法？
果容：我或者還不是真正地懂師父的意思。
上人：可以講個大概嗎？
果容：爾時就是「淨光普照主空神，承佛威力」那個時候。因為經文說那個時候，是他承佛威力的時候，他那個時候絕對沒有落到第二念心，才可以承佛威力，所以如果落到第二念心，大約就不是那個時候。
上人：果隨！請講一講。
果隨：上次講的時候，我不在，所以我沒有什麼可講的。
上人：新來的那個人呢？他昨天晚間，你不是說他要講嗎？問問他現在有什麼要講沒有？
柏特（新來者）：我對覺道懂得很少。我認為爾時可能指任何人覺道的時候。
上人：我現在給你們下一個批評，你們所講的都對的，沒有一個不對的。我所講的呢？也是對的，我們大家每一個人所講的，都有他的道理。所以不明白，你就分別對不對；明白了，根本就沒有一個對、不對。這是因人施教，因病下藥，因為人而說法，因為人有什麼病就給他什麼藥來治。這是這個經的道理，並沒有一個對與不對。
這個爾時，哪個時候呢？果寧說的，沒有一個時候。你說這個時候，這個時候又過去了；你說那個時候，那個時候也沒有了。過去心不可得，現在心不可得，未來心不可得，既然都不可得，怎麼可以執著一個時候？那麼為什麼經文上又說一個時候？這是因為那時候有百千萬億的菩薩、神，都來圍繞讚佛。這個讚佛，昨天妙境法師說，並沒有一個先後，他都是同時讚歎著佛。同時讚歎佛，你用文字寫出來就要有一個前後了。因為不能同時寫出來這麼多菩薩、天王、夜叉、天龍八部，不能一筆就把這所有的都寫出來了。也就好像你吃東西一點一點地吃，不能同時吃，一口就吃飽了，不能的。所以，就有一個次第了。本來這個爾時，就是當時這一切神、一切天王、夜叉、乾達婆、阿修羅、緊那羅，這一些天龍八部同時來讚佛。所以這個時候，沒有一個前後。
再說，這個時候，已經過去了，你執著那個時候有什麼用呢？所以，我在最初講這個爾時的時候，已經把道理講了很多，外面來的人因為沒有聽見一開始講的，所以他現在中間來聽，以為我不會講，我不懂嗎？他就有了意見了。所以我自己也不講了，我教他講，他也不講，他要是直心是道場，他就應該講。他若講，這也對的，他有所見，他就講出來。他不講，這叫什麼？不是直心，這個心已經彎彎了。你懂嗎？那麼我就教大家來講，教他來聽。所以大家有的這麼講，有的那麼講，但是他一聽了，就覺得有這麼多的不對。他聽這麼多不對，但是我就聽這麼多對，你們想一想，在這個地方就有分別了。
中國的法師，多數有這種執著，到處想抑人揚己，到處想把人家踩到腳底下，把自己放到其他人頭上邊，這完全是一個大錯誤，所以在中國，佛法已經沒有了。他們還捨不了這種的毛病，還是抱著這種的壞習慣，捨不了。我們在西方，我們不要學這種的壞習慣，要學「認為誰都對」，見到人家講什麼，不要發脾氣，這是最好的。你們現在還都不夠這個程度，那慢學，我們每一個人都要學得很溫和的。什麼叫溫和的樣子？就是沒有脾氣，對任何人都是像水似的，不要像冰似的。水對人人都沒有害處，有的時候大了當然會淹死人，但是這是很少的。冰呢？對人就是很硬的，你一見著冰就覺得很冷了，見到水是覺得很舒服的樣子，喝點水就不渴了。隨時都歡歡喜喜的，像個菩薩，不要像個餓鬼似的。那餓鬼總撅著嘴，你一撅著嘴，那就變成餓鬼了，你要歡歡喜喜的，那就是菩薩。
待續 |
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I wrote the four-line verse which you've been using the last few times to request Dharma, in preparation for when Dharma Master Ren Jun came here. It wasn't intended for when I lecture, but for you to use to request Dharma when Dharma Master Ren Jun lectured the Heart Sutra. Although he didn't lecture, you can use it; but the last line is not being chanted well. You do the first three lines well enough, but the sound of the last line should be held longer when you chant: "Transforming the multitudes." The sound should be protracted at the end.
People who are truly cultivating the Way don't talk. This doesn't mean just not talking with women; it means basically not engaging in conversation, even to the point of looking dumb. When I was travelling and cultivating, all day long I kept my eyes closed and didn't look at people. I didn't chat with people. That's the way it should be done. The dharma-door of conversation is useless. The more you respect a cultivator, the less you want to talk with him. You have a competition to see who will talk the least. As soon as someone who understands this principle sees someone who chatters, he will look down on that person. In the past at Gold Mountain Monastery and Gaomin Monastery (in China), you would live next to someone for several years and still not know his name. You stayed side by side, slept next to each other, but years would go by and you wouldn't know each other names, and would never have spoken with each other.
Whenever you go somewhere, even if you clearly know someone is at error, unless they ask you to tell them whether they are right or wrong, you can't "nominate yourself like Mao Sui." You can't say, "I'll tell you how you are wrong." That will not work anywhere. After this, wherever you go, be careful not to find fault with people. Even if you clearly know they are wrong, unless they ask you to instruct them, you cannot criticize them. This is very important.
[The translator asks the meaning of "nominating oneself like Mao Sui."] There was something which weighed a ton, which no one could lift. Mao Sui said, "I can lift it--I'll carry it." Then he went over and lifted it. That's called "nominating oneself like Mao Sui." Mao Sui is the name of a man who lived in ancient China. At the time there was a high official with lots of money, like Kennedy, named Lord Ping Yuan, who regularly supported three thousand people. When something needed to be done, Mao Sui said, "I can do it; I'll take care of it," hence the saying: "Among three thousand there is Mao Sui." Mao Sui said it was something he could do, and so there is the phrase: "nominating oneself like Mao Sui." What is this like? It's similar to Kuo Ch'ien voting for himself in the election for Chairperson of the Sino-American Buddhist Association. That's an example of "nominating oneself like Mao Sui." Do you understand?
Who else would like to speak about "at that time"? Would any of the people who spoke before like to say something more? Kuo I, you should explain "at that time." I think you were attentive whenever you spoke previously.
Kuo I: I was thinking of the time when all the Buddha's disciples were sitting around the Buddha, and he was lecturing Sutras for them. He was speaking the Dharma for them. That's what "at that time" is.
Venerable Master: Kuo Kuei, do you have an opinion?
Kuo Kuei: I have nothing to add to what I heard last night.
Venerable Master: Kuo Hang?
Kuo Hang: I don't know.
Venerable Master: [laughs] Who taught you not to know?
Kuo Hang: I don't know.
Venerable Master: Kuo Yo, you speak.
Kuo Yo: What I wanted to say has already been said several times.
Venerable Master: Your food has already been eaten?
Kuo Yo: Sort of.
Venerable Master: Kuo Jung? What is your opinion?
Kuo Jung: It may be that I don't really understand what the Venerable Master means.
Venerable Master: Can you give a summary?
Kuo Jung: It could be said that "at that time" is the time when the Emptiness-Ruling Spirit named Pure Light Shining Everywhere received the Buddha's awesome might. Because the Sutra text says he received the Buddha's awesome might, therefore he absolutely would not have fallen into the position of giving rise to a second thought, and so he was able to receive the Buddha's awesome strength. Hence if he had fallen into the position of giving rise to second thought, probably it would not be "at that time."
Venerable Master: Kuo Sui, you speak.
Kuo Sui: I missed the previous discussion, and I really don't think I can say anything.
Venerable Master: [to the translator] What about the new person? Last night didn't you say he wanted to talk? Ask him if he has something to say.
Bert (the new person): Considering my very slight knowledge of Bodhi, I could consider that it might be referring to the moment of illumination for any Bodhi.
Venerable Master: Now I'll give you your evaluations: all of you spoke correctly. No one spoke wrong. What I said was also right. Each person who spoke had his or her principles. Therefore, if you don't understand, you'll divide things into right and wrong. But once you understand, fundamentally there's no such thing as "correct" or "incorrect." All of it is bestowing teachings according to each individual's needs, the way medicine is prescribed depending on the illness. Dharma is spoken to suit individual people, just the way particular medications are employed to cure each type of illness. That's the principle of this Sutra, and there's nothing right or wrong about it.
In "at that time," what time is meant. Kuo Ning said it: there is no time. If you try to pinpoint it as this time, this time has already gone by. If you say it is that time, that time is also already gone. Past mind cannot be got at, present mind cannot be got at, and future mind cannot be got at. Since they all cannot be got at, how can you be attached to any particualr time? Then why does the Sutra mention a time? It's because at that time there were billions upon billions of Bodhisattvas, Spirits, who had arrived and were surrounding the Buddha, praising the Buddha. As Dharma Master Miao Jing told us last night, there was no sequential time. But even though their praises were simultaneous, there has to be a linear sequence when you write them down. A single stroke of the pen won't serve to describe the whole array of Bodhisattvas, Kings of Gods, Yakshas--Gods, Dragons and others of the Eightfold Pantheon. It's the same as eating--it has to be done morsel by morsel. You can't eat your fill in a single gulp. Hence there is a sequence. But basically the time, as just discussed, has already gone by--what's the use of becoming attached to it?
And so, at the very beginning when I lectured on "at that time," I had already discussed the principles at great length. But since the visitor had not heard the explanation at the beginning, and had not heard the explanation at the beginning, and had come in the middle of the discussion, he thought I couldn't lecture and didn't understand, and so he "had an issue" with it. For that reason I didn't lecture either, and asked him to speak instead. However, he didn't speak. If he had been straightforward in his attitude, he should have talked. For him to have spoken would have been correct. He could have told us the way he saw things. But he didn't. His not speaking indicated he was not straightforward in his attitude, but already evasive. Do you understand? Then I had all of you speak, and had him listen. You all gave various interpretations, but all he heard was so many things he felt were incorrect. He heard so many things wrong, but I heard so many things right. All of you think it over: that's where the difference lies.
Dharma Masters in China for the most part had the following attachment: wherever they went they wanted to put others down to raise themselves up. Their aim in going places was to squash others underneath their feet, and position themselves on top of people's heads. That is a serious and total error, and accounts for the current disappearance of the Buddhadharma from China. But they still can't shed that fault, and continue to cling to that bad habit, unable to let it go. Here in the West we should not adopt that unwholesome custom. We should learn to consider everyone as being right.
When you hear people say something, don't get angry. That's the best way. Not one of you has reached that level yet, but you can gradually learn. Each of you should practice being very pleasant and harmonious--which means not having a temper. In your dealings with anyone, no matter who, be like water, not like ice. Water doesn't harm people. Of course, sometimes there's a lot of it, and people may drown. But that's rare. However, from people's point of view, ice is very hard, and you feel it's very cold when you come in contact with it. But you feel quite comfortable when you see water, and water can quench your thirst. You should be happy all the time, like the Bodhisattvas. Don't be like the hungry ghosts who are always pouting. As soon as you pout, you turn into a hungry ghost. If you are cheerful and happy, then you are a Bodhisattva.
To be continue |
