前期提示：阿難。分外即是。眾生分外。
是故眾生。心持禁戒。舉身輕清。心持咒印。顧盼雄毅。心欲生天。夢想飛舉。心存佛國。聖境冥現。事善知識。自輕身命。
「是故眾生」：因為這個，所以一切的眾生，「心持禁戒」：他若一心修持戒律。禁，就是所有不能做的，你不可以做的這個事情。不可以做什麼呢？不可以做壞事，不可以做惡事，不可以犯戒，所以這叫心持禁戒。你不應該做的，不要做，心裏修持這種戒律。「舉身輕清」：你若能持戒律，你的身體就覺得很輕清了，走路也飄飄的樣子，很輕的，心裏也很清淨的。
「心持咒印」：你心裏若專持咒。咒，有種種的咒；印，也就是咒的以心印心的法門。你無論持哪一種咒，你這兒念，就有了感應，這叫印。你若心持咒印，你有一個咒來念，你用咒來修行，專持一種咒。「顧盼雄毅」：顧盼，就是前後左右這麼看；雄，就好像大英雄的樣子；毅，就很有毅力的，就是什麼也都不怕。
「心欲生天」：你心裏常常地想要生到天上去，做天上的天人。「夢想飛舉」：你在作夢的時候，就會飛。舉，也就是到空中去了；飛舉，就是飛到空中去了。因為要上天，所以就飛到空中去了。
「心存佛國」：你心裏若是想要生到極樂世界去，想要生到佛國，「聖境冥現」：這個西方極樂世界的七寶池、八功德水、白鶴、孔雀、鸚鵡、舍利、迦陵頻伽，這些個小鳥，和這些個境界冥現，就是在默默中現出來。就是人家看不見，你看見了，這是冥現；人家不知道，你知道了，這是冥現；東方藥師琉璃世界也看見了，這是冥現。
「事善知識」：你事奉善知識，就是親近善知識，恭敬供養善知識，這叫事善知識。「自輕身命」：把自己的身也不要了，自己的命也看得很輕的，不那麼執著。因為要親近善知識，事奉善知識，把自己的身命都看得很平常，沒有事奉善知識那麼樣地重要。
阿難。諸想雖別。輕舉是同。飛動不沈。自然超越。此名外分。
「阿難」：佛又叫一聲阿難，「諸想雖別」：這一般所有的想像，你心裏所想的，雖然是不同，「輕舉是同」：他得到輕安自在，或者往上升，這是一樣的。「飛動不沈」：往上升。飛的、動的，就不會墮落，不會向下降，「自然超越」：自自然然地就超越一切，這就是高超。超，就是高超；越，就是越過一切去了。「此名外分」：這就是眾生外分的事情。
待續 |
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Sutra text from last issue: Ananda, the ‘external aspect’ refers to what happens outside living beings.
Sutra:
“That is why when living beings uphold the prohibitive precepts in their minds, their bodies will be buoyant and feel light and clear. When they uphold mantra seals in their minds, they will command a heroic and resolute perspective. When they have the desire in their minds to be born in the heavens, in their dreams they will have thoughts of flying and ascending. When they cherish the Buddhalands in their minds, then the sagely realms will appear in a shimmering vision, and they will serve the good and wise advisors with little thought for their own lives.
Commentary:
That is why when living beings uphold the prohibitive precepts in their minds, their bodies will be buoyant and feel light and clear. This can happen to any living being.“Prohibitive” refers to things which one cannot do. These precepts keep people from doing bad things, from creating evil. Don't do the things you should not do, and then you are upholding the precepts in your mind. If your mind holds the precepts, then your body will experience a sensation of lightness. You feel almost like you're floating when you walk. And your mind will be extremely pure and clean. When they uphold mantra seals in their minds, they will command a heroic and resolute perspective. If you specialize in holding the mantras in your mind-there are many mantras and this refers to any one of them-you will have a response. The “seal” refers to the mind-to-mind seal as it pertains to mantras. When you recite the mantra, a certain response occurs. If you are a specialist in mantras, you will have a heroic air about you when you gaze around. Your glance will be powerful and determined. You will know no fear. When they have the desire in their minds to be born in the heavens, in their dreams they will have thoughts of flying and ascending. In your dreams you'll be able to fly and to soar into empty space. That's all because you want to go to the heavens.
When they cherish the Buddhalands in their minds, then the sagely realms will appear in a shimmering vision, and they will serve the good and wise advisors with little thought for their own lives. If you'd like to get born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, or some other Buddhaland, then the Western Pure Land will secretly appear with its pools of seven jewels and waters of the eight meritorious virtues, with its white cranes, egrets, parrots, and kalavinka birds, and with a myriad other states. It won't be something others can see, but you will see it. Others will be unaware of it, but you will know. You will be able to see the Eastern Crystal World of Medicine Master Buddha as well. You will get to serve these good and wise advisors. You can draw near to them, respect them, and make offerings to them. And you will have total disregard for your body and life. Your very life itself will seem unimportant when faced with this opportunity to serve and draw near those good and wise advisors. Nothing you might do will seem as important to you as serving these sages.
Sutra:
“Ananda, although the thought varies, the lightness and uplifting is the same. With flight and ascension, one will not sink, but will naturally become transcendent. This is called the external aspect.
Commentary:
Ananda, although the thought varies, the lightness and uplifting is the same. Although the things one thinks about are different, the comfort and light ease that one attains, the feeling of floating, is the same. With flight and ascension, one will not sink, but will naturally become transcendent. With this upward movement one will not fall downward. “Transcendent” means rising above everything, surpassing all. This is called the external aspect.
To be continue |
