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你們各位都在這個冰箱裡凍出來了，凍得有沒有什麼問題啊？現在提出來再研究一下。我們這個禪堂的規矩，不是跟著其他國家的規矩，我們現在在這兒要創一個獨立的，改革佛教一切的毛病。我告訴你，在中國禪堂裡頭，一天要吃三餐，早起要吃粥，中午要吃飯，晚間要吃包子，這是不同的地方。
在中國的禪堂裡邊，每一個人都要挨打的，都要用香板打。你對也打，不對也打，每一個七要挨一頓打，班首輪著打你，打這個，打那個，要挨著打。今年我們沒有打，是不是？以前打過的。因為，今年我的慈悲心多了一點，你們業障也少了一點，所以就不打，這是不同的地方。中國禪堂裡要打的，尤其打得愈痛，那才是規矩愈嚴。
高旻寺的妙老和尚，就是打得出名了，無論什麼出家人到那兒，都要被他打過。甚至於脖子都給打斷了，嚇都嚇死你。那個老和尚真是厲害，往那兒一坐，一般的人就好像老鼠見到貓似的，那麼樣地怕。那麼我們這兒和他不同的，我們這兒沒有那麼打，我每天給你們講開示，都是歡歡喜喜對你們好像哄小孩子這麼樣子，好像 baby siter（褓姆）似的。那老和尚根本就沒有笑容的，總是像個關帝公那麼樣子，講起來就歡喜罵人、歡喜打人，這樣子。所以這是不同的地方。
我們為什麼在這國家要這麼樣苦呢？因為這個國家你們的福報太大了，福報太大了就要反回來受一點苦。因為你出家不那麼享受了，你才能發一種道心：「啊！我一定要修行，我若不修行，你說我這麼樣子太沒有價值了嘛！我放著好衣服不穿，放著好飯不吃，放著好房子我不住，我受這麼大的苦，這一定要用功的，要了生死的！」這是不同的地方。
還有，在中國禪堂，無論哪一個，不可以把腿支起來或者伸出來。伸出來就要挨打，一點都不客氣的。那和尚、班首都要挨打的。譬如是班首睡著了，這麼打呼，清眾從那兒巡香、監香過來了，他要打這班首，但是打班首怎麼樣打？和打清眾不一樣，他要跪那兒用一條腿，右膝著地，這麼跪著，「啪！」打一下，把你打醒了。他跪那兒打，這是打班首、打和尚。不跪那兒不行的，這是不同的，我們這兒沒有這個。我們這兒我也不叫你們打人，因為我好打人，已經就很不好了，不要再叫你們打人。這是不同的。
還有，中國要喝茶；喝茶呢，它的茶杯這麼大的。拿這個茶杯有一定的拿法，要用手托著茶杯底，大拇指的手指頭按著茶杯上邊，這麼樣子伸出去，倒茶的人給你這麼倒，倒滿了一杯，拿回來這麼喝。喝完了，把茶杯放到前邊那兒，那個當值的，看你都把茶杯放下了，他來到這兒一個一個都撿起來拿走了，一點動靜都沒有，沒有聲音。我們這兒呢，雖然喝人蔘茶，但是這個規矩和那個比都差一點。不過這慢慢來，慢慢你們大家來研究，在這個國家，不一定要仿照中國那個規矩，要適宜這個國家的風俗才可以的。那麼這是不同的地方。
在中國坐禪的人，不可以走到禪堂外邊去，或者喝茶，或者是做什麼，或者到旁邊去站一站，或者坐一坐，都不可以的。在禪堂裡頭，你吃完飯，就到禪堂裡跑香，一秒鐘也不做旁的事情，就一秒鐘也不能空過，是這樣子的。我們這兒是美國，美國有多少是不同的，所以吃完了飯，大家跑到上邊大約是漱口啊，或者到那個地方去伸伸腰啊、伸伸腿啊，這麼樣子。這個有一點小毛病也不要緊的，那麼將來也都會上軌道的。 |
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All of you are still here freezing in the icebox. Are you having any problem with the cold? Now I want to bring up and discuss how we are creating an independent stance from which we will change the faults that currently plague Buddhism. I'll be honest with you, one major difference is that in the Chan meditation halls of China, participants eat three meals a day: rice gruel in the morning, a full meal at noon, and Chinese hot buns in the evening.
In the Chan meditation halls of China, all the participants got beaten. All were hit with the incense board, whether they deserved it or not. Every session, everyone had to undergo being hit. The proctors rotated in administering the beatings. They hit participants one by one-everybody got it. We didn't do it this year, right? I did that before, but not this year, because this year I have more kindness and compassion, and you have fewer karmic obstacles, so this year no one got hit. That is another difference. In the Chan meditation halls of China beatings were administered. The severity of the beatings was in direct proportion to the rigidity of the monastery rules.
The Elder Master Miao of Gaomin Monastery, for instance, was famous for his beatings. It didn't matter who they were, all the left-home people who went there got beaten by him. Sometimes shoulder bones were broken by the beatings. It was enough to scare you to death! That old monk was horribly fierce. Participants would sit there terrified-like mice in the presence of a cat. We are different here. We don't beat people here. What is more, everyday I give you instruction, entertaining you like a babysitter. The Old Abbot of Gaomin never smiled. He was just like a Guan Di Gong. He liked to scold people; he enjoyed hitting people. That is another difference.
Why in a country like this should we undergo such suffering? Because this country has the reward of many blessings. Since there are simply too many blessings, you should turn it around and bear some suffering. That's because people who leave the home-life cannot enjoy their blessings. Only in that way will you be able to bring forth a resolve for the Way and think: "I must cultivate. If I don't cultivate, then what in the world am I doing? This would all be meaningless! I don't wear fine clothes. I give up eating fine food. I don't live in a grand house. I endure such bitterness. And so I must work hard and put an end to birth and death." That's another difference.
Another thing, in the Chan meditation halls of China, no one was allowed to stretch out his legs. You couldn't take your legs down off the bench and stick them straight out in front of you. If you stuck your legs out, your legs would get beaten. There was no politeness involved. Even the abbot or the leader of the hall would get beaten. For instance, if the leader of the hall fell asleep and snored, then the proctor would have to go hit him. But the method for hitting a leader of the hall and the method for hitting an ordinary participant were different. The proctor had to kneel with his right knee on the ground and then "pa!"-strike him once to wake him up. He knelt to hit the abbot or the leader of the hall. He certainly could not fail to first kneel down. That is another difference. We don't do that here. I don't instruct you to hit others. The fact that I like to hit others is already bad enough. I don't want to teach you to beat others. That is also a difference.
Another thing, in China, when the tea was served, the teacup was a certain size and there was a certain way to hold it. The cup was held with one hand, the thumb placed on the upper rim of the cup. One extended one's teacup and the person on duty would pour the tea. When the cup was full, one drew the cup back and drank the tea. When finished drinking, one set the teacup down in front of one's place. The person on duty would watch, and when everyone had put his cup down, he would come around and pick them up and remove them from the hall--all without making a sound. He did it in total silence. Although we had ginseng tea to drink here, our rules were not as tight as those. But never mind, we will do it slowly. Gradually we will look into this. Because it's not necessarily the case that all the rules used in China are applicable in this country. We should accord with the customs of this country as well. That is another difference.
In the Chan meditation halls in China, participants were not permitted to walk out of the meditation hall to drink tea or do something else, or to stand around, or to sit somewhere else. None of that was allowed. After they finished taking their meal in the dining hall, they would begin the walking incense-period. You could not do something else-even for a second. Not a second was wasted. That's how it was. But this is America, and things will be done a little bit differently here. That's why after lunch most of you go upstairs-probably to brush your teeth or stretch your legs. Small faults like that are not so important. Besides, as time goes on everything will get on the right track. |
