如來無量劫 廣說諸聖道
普滅眾生障 圓光悟此門
我們金山寺和國際譯經學院，這個經是天天講，好像江裡頭的水，天天都是流。在這個末法時代，我們要做正法的事情，這是以前我所發的願力。我願意在這末法的時候，維護正法。無論我走到什麼地方，一定要有正法；一定要沒有末法。這是過去我的願力。現在我也發這樣的願力，未來我也發這樣的願力。我的願力就是要把末法沒有了，只有正法。為什麼要發這個願力？我們應該要知道。
「如來無量劫」：如來，就是佛的十號之一。無量劫，在無量無量劫以前到現在。「廣說諸聖道」：他是普遍地、永遠地來講說這聖人所修的道路，也就是廣說正法。
「普滅眾生障」：普遍地令眾生的業障消除了、滅了。眾生的障滅了，就生出智慧來；生出智慧，就可以入佛的解脫門。這業障消了，福報也就增了，智慧也就長了。「圓光悟此門」這一個境界，這是圓光主空神，他明白這一個法門。
我觀佛往昔 所集菩提行
悉為安世間 妙髻行斯境
「我觀佛往昔，所集菩提行」：我觀，這是妙髻主空神。過去生生世世，這都叫往昔。他說：「我觀察佛在無量劫以來，所集聚的菩提的行門。他所修行的行門，沒有人能比他」。所集聚的菩提行門為什麼呢？「悉為安世間」：完全為的令世間安樂，令有情世間一切眾生都得到安樂。「妙髻行斯法」：妙髻主空神，他明白這個境界，入這種的解脫門。
一切眾生界 流轉生死海
佛放滅苦光 無礙神能見
「一切眾生界」：這是包括有情的眾生和無情的眾生。有情的眾生，是因為無情的眾生而有情。無情的眾生，是因為有情的眾生而無情。這是互相令人明瞭佛法的道理。「諸法從本來，常自寂滅相」，我們因為有一切眾生的緣故，在沒有可說的法，來勉強說一說。所以說一切眾生界，「流轉生死海」：我們人在輪迴裡頭輪來輪去，總在六道裡，不想法子出去。生死猶如大海那麼寬廣，不容易了；生死不容易了，就在輪迴裡頭飄來飄去，在生死裡頭流轉––流轉天道、人道、阿修羅、地獄、餓鬼、畜生，這六道輪迴裡。所以叫流轉生死海。
「佛放滅苦光」：因為眾生太愚癡、太苦，他分別不清楚哪個是對，哪個是不對；哪個是不對，哪個是對。你明明對，他說你不對；明明不對，他又說你對，就在這種虛妄不實的境界裡頭來轉。轉，所以就有苦。那麼佛放滅苦光，佛放一種光，令人覺悟，願意發這個離苦得樂的心。所以叫佛放滅苦光。「無礙神能見」：這無礙主空神，他能明白這種的境界，入這個解脫門。
清淨功德藏 能為世福田
隨以智開覺 力神於此悟
「清淨功德藏」：清淨，什麼叫清淨？清淨就是沒有染污；沒有染污，所以叫清淨。功德藏，功是要立功，德是要做德。什麼叫立功？就是在你不應該做的好事情，你要能做了，這就是功。什麼叫德？就是對人有利益的事情，這就叫德。所謂「善功德」，相對的呢，就是「罪孽過」。你有善，就是盡做好事；有功，就是你不應該做的好事，你也做了，這就是功。你能廣利一切眾生，這有德了，善功德。你若造罪孽過呢？就是你不應該做壞的事情，你做了，就有罪。罪做了就是孽，就有罪過。好像你不應該殺人，你去殺一個人，這就有罪了。你不應該去偷盜、邪淫，你去邪淫，這就有了孽了。孽，跟著過就來了，過就是過錯，做錯了。做錯了，這就是過。
那麼清淨功德藏，清淨無染污，所立的功無量無邊。這清淨功德藏，也就是清淨福田僧，也就是清淨的佛法僧。
「能為世福田」：佛法僧三寶，能以作世間的良福田，作世間最好的福田。你誰若想求福，那麼就親近三寶，供養三寶，恭敬三寶，這都能以種福的。
「隨以智開覺」：隨著就用智慧般若門，來開導一切眾生，令一切眾生都得到覺悟。「力神於此悟」：勝力神，他能明白這種的解脫門。
眾生癡所覆 流轉於險道
佛為放光明 離垢神能證
眾生都被無明、愚癡來遮蓋著，所以叫「眾生癡所覆」。愚癡把智慧光明蓋住了，所以叫癡所覆。「流轉於險道」：在六道輪迴裡頭，有的時候就做畜生，有的時候又轉餓鬼，有的時候就墮地獄了，非常危險。所以叫流轉於險道。
「佛為放光明」：佛為眾生放大智慧光明，來救拔一切眾生，令一切眾生都遠離險道。「離垢神能證」：這是離垢清淨主空神所明白的這種的解脫門；他離垢了，離垢就是清淨。
智慧無邊際 悉現諸國土
光明照世間 妙音斯見佛
「智慧無邊際」佛的智慧光明無邊無際，沒有一個邊際，也就是沒有窮盡。「悉現諸國土」：佛智慧光明普照十方諸佛國土，所以說悉現諸國土。
「光明照世間」：光明，就是佛的智慧光明，照耀三千大千世界。「妙音斯見佛」：這是妙音主空神，他明白這種的解脫門，能知道佛這種的境界，入這解脫門。
佛為度眾生 修行遍十方
如是大願心 普現能觀察
「佛為度眾生」：佛為著來到世界救度一切眾生，令一切眾生都離苦得樂，了生脫死。所以他才「修行遍十方」：佛用他這個智慧來修行，修行遍滿十方諸佛國土。
「如是大願心」：像前邊他又要度眾生，又要修行，又要普遍十方來修行，又要普度十方一切眾生。像這樣子的大願心，他發了大願心。「普現能觀察」：這是光遍一切主空神，普現主空神，他能明白這種的道理。
待續 |
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Sutra:
The Tathagata, for limitlessly many kalpas,
Extensively discussed the Way of all sages,
To totally eradicate all living beings' obstructions.
Universal Light awakens to this door.
Commentary:
At Gold Mountain Monastery and the International Institute for the Translation of Buddhist Texts, we hold daily Sutra lectures, the way water in a river flows day after day. In this Dharma-ending Age, we must do the deeds of the Proper Dharma. That is the vow I made in the past. I resolved to preserve the Proper Dharma during the time of the Dharma's end, vowing that wherever I go there must be the Proper Dharma, and not the ending of the Dharma. I made that vow in the past, I am making that same vow now, and I shall make that vow in the future. My vow is to prevent the ending of the Dharma and to retain the Proper Dharma. Why do I make such a vow? We should realize:
The Tathagata, for limitlessly many kalpas, extensively discussed the Way of all sages. "Tathagata" is one of the ten titles of a Buddha. "Limitlessly many kalpas” refers to how, for immeasurably immeasurable eons from the past until now, the Buddha has been universally and continually discussing the Path cultivated by the sages. That means speaking Proper Dharma on a vast scale, to totally eradicate all living beings' obstructions. He everywhere helps to dispel living beings' karmic obstacles so they are gone. Once living beings' obstructions are eradicated, their wisdom arises. When their wisdom arises, they can enter the Buddha's door to liberation. When their karmic obstacles are gone, their rewards of blessings can increase, along with their wisdom. Universal Light awakens to this door. This particular state is the Dharma-door to which the Emptiness-Ruling Spirit named Universal Light awakens.
Sutra:
I contemplate how the practices for Bodhi
Accumulated by the Buddha in the past
Were entirely to stabilize the world.
Wondrous Cowl practices this state.
Commentary:
The Emptiness-Ruling Spirit named Wondrous Cowl says: I contemplate how the practices for Bodhi, accumulated by the Buddha in the past, were entirely to stabilize the world. He observes this having taken place life after life and time after time, which is the temporal reference of "in the past." He contemplates the doors of practices for Bodhi which were amassed by the Buddha over many kalpas up to now. No one could equal those doors of practice which he cultivated. Why did the Buddha accumulate those doors of Bodhi conduct? They were entirely to bring peace and happiness to the world, so that the world of sentient creatures could achieve stability and joy. Wondrous Cowl practices this state. The Emptiness-Ruling Spirit named Wondrous Cowl understands this state and enters this kind of door to liberation.
Sutra:
On all the realms of living beings
Who flow and turn in samsara's sea
The Buddha emits light to end their suffering,
Which the Spirit named Unobstructed can see.
Commentary:
On all the realms of living beings includes both sentient and insentient beings. Sentient beings exist by contrast with insentient beings, in the same way as sentient beings exist by contrast with sentient ones. Together they enable people to understand the principles of the Buddha Dharma.
All dharmas form their origin
Are constantly characterized by still quiescence.
Due to the existence of living beings, within the Dharma of nothing which can be said, verbal expression is forced out. Thus it says: On all the realms of living beings who flow and turn in samsara's sea. We people turn round and round on this wheel. We are constantly in the wheel of the six paths, and it never occurs to us to try to get out. Samsara, birth and death, is like a great ocean in its extent. It's not easy to end birth and death. That being the case, we bob and sink in that revolving cycle, flowing and turning in samsara. We drift through the path of gods, the path of humans, the path of asuras, the path of hell-beings, the path of hungry ghosts, and the path of animals--in that wheel of the six paths. That is why this is termed flowing and turning in samsara's sea.
The Buddha emits light to end their suffering. Living beings are too stupid and suffer too much. They can't distinguish clearly what is right and what is wrong, what is incorrect and what is correct. You can clearly be in the right, but they say you are wrong. Or you may be obviously mistaken, yet they maintain you are correct. They keep spinning in that kind of state of falseness and unreality, which is why they suffer. But the Buddha emits light to end their suffering. The Buddha sends forth a kind of radiance which helps people wake up and formulate the wish to leave suffering and attain bliss. That's what's meant by the Buddha emitting light to end their suffering, which the Spirit named Unobstructed can see. The Emptiness-Ruling Spirit named Unobstructed Dwelling can understand this type of state and enter this door to liberation.
Sutra:
The treasury of pure merit and virtue
Acts as a field of blessings for the world,
Suitably using wisdom to lead to enlightenment,
To which the Spirit named Strength awakens.
Commentary:
It says: The treasury of pure merit and virtue. The definition of purity is freedom from defilement. Something free from filth is pure. As to the treasury of merit and virtue, merit need to be established, and virtue must be enacted. How does one establish merit? It's by doing things beyond what one is required to do. Virtue is acting in ways that benefit others. Wholesome merit and virtue is contrasted with offenses and transgressions which entail recompense. To be wholesome is to do one's best to perform good deeds. To have merit is to do things beyond the call of duty. Then if you can bring benefit to living beings on a vast scale, you will have virtue. That's wholesome merit and virtue. But what if you create offenses and transgressions entailing recompense? If you do what you shouldn't do, you have offenses. The creation of offenses is a transgression entailing recompense, and so you have offenses and transgressions for which you must make restitution. For example, you shouldn't kill people, but you kill someone. Then you have an offense. You shouldn't steal or engage in deviant lust, but you do so. Then you have made a transgression entailing retribution, and the retribution comes along with the transgression. A transgression is a misdeed. Any act of wrong-doing on your part is a transgression.
Now this treasury of pure merit and virtue is one of purity, hence freedom from defilement. The merit established is limitless and boundless, and so it is termed a treasury of pure merit and virtue. The treasury of pure merit and virtue is the Sangha, which is the pure field of blessings. And it is the Sangha of the pure Buddha Dharma, which acts as a field of blessings for the world. That is, the Triple Jewel the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, can act as a good field of blessings for the beings in the world, the world's finest field of blessings. Any of you who would like to seek blessings should draw near the Triple jewel, make offerings to the Triple Jewel, and revere the Triple Jewel. In that way you can plant blessings. Suitably using wisdom to lead to enlightenment. As circumstances require, it employs the door of Prajna wisdom to guide all livings to reach enlightenment, to which the Spirit named Strength awakens. The Spirit named Supreme Strength understands this kind of door to liberation.
Sutra:
Living beings are covered by stupidity.
They flow and turn in dangerous paths.
The Buddha emits light for their sake.
The Spirit Freedom from Filth witnesses this.
Commentary:
Living beings are covered by stupidity. Living beings are obscured by ignorance and denseness, and so they are said to be covered over by stupidity. That stupidity shrouds the light of their wisdom, amounting to a covering of stupidity. They flow and turn in dangerous paths. They revolve in the six paths of rebirth, sometimes becoming animals, at times turning into hungry ghosts, occasionally falling into the hells--all of which is extremely precarious. Hence they are described as flowing an turning in dangerous paths. The Buddha emits light for their sake. The Buddha sends forth great light of wisdom for the sake of living beings, in order to pull them out, so they can leave those dangerous roads far behind. The Spirit Freedom from Filth witnesses this. The Emptiness-Ruling Spirit Purity of Freedom from Filth has no defilement and so she is pure, and this is the kind of door to liberation which she understands.
Sutra:
His wisdom is totally unbounded.
It appears everywhere in all lands.
Its light illumines the worlds.
Wondrous Sound sees the Buddha in this way.
Commentary:
His wisdom is totally unbounded. The light of the Buddha's wisdom has no bounds. There aren't any boundaries to it. In other words, it is inexhaustible and unending. It appears everywhere in all lands. The radiance of the Buddha's wisdom universally shines on all Buddha-lands throughout the ten directions, which is why it is described as appearing everywhere in all lands. Its light illumines the worlds. The light is that of the Buddha's wisdom which radiates throughout the Great Trichiliocosm. Wondrous Sound sees the Buddha in this way. The Emptiness-Ruling Spirit named Wondrous Sound understands this kind of door to liberation, knows about this state of the Buddha, and enters this door to liberation.
Sutra:
The Buddha, to rescue living beings,
Cultivates pervading the ten directions.
This type of mind of great vows
Is what Universally Manifesting can contemplate.
Cmmentary:
It says: The Buddha, to rescue living beings: The Buddha comes into the world in order to rescue and save all living beings, enabling every one of them to leave suffering, attain bliss and put an end to birth and death. For that reason, he cultivates pervading the ten directions. This type of mind of great vows, such an attitude as described before of wishing to rescue living beings, of wanting to cultivate, and of hoping that one's cultivation will pervade the ten directions to cross over all living beings everywhere in the ten directions--that type of mind of great vows which he brings forth is what Universally Manifesting can contemplate. The Emptiness-Ruling Spirit named Universally Manifesting can understand this kind of principle.
To be continued |
