其次談到有關於「附佛法外道」的問題，目前的佛教團體大都不願公開分別邪正，於是讓一些「附佛法外道」者，在佛教裡頭日益猖狂，為非做歹，騙財騙色，指佛穿衣，賴佛吃飯。姑就舉二位有名的來說，一位是印度錫克教的女尼師，自己說自己是已經開悟的「再世佛」，到處傳「即刻開悟，一世解脫」的「觀音法門」。上人對她嚴厲的評道：
「很多人被迷，都是因為有貪心。皈依三寶時，皈依文說得很明白，『寧捨身命，終不皈依天魔外道』，她說的都是些邪魔外道的邪說，都是在騙人的。你們要是相信這個，就是最愚蠢、最無知的，都是想往地獄裡鑽的。」
好一個「往地獄裡鑽」的詞句。上人不說似是而非的話，常常當下就「直指人心」、「一針見血」，開啟眾生的迷茫。
在《六祖壇經》中說：「威音王以前即得，威音王已後，無師自悟，盡是天然外道。」這文意是說，若在威音王(第一位佛)以前就可以(指自己開悟)，但在威音王以後，若沒有師父傳給你法門和為你印證，而自己給自己證明開悟，這都叫天然的外道。
又《楞嚴經》中也說：「云何賊人，假我衣服，裨販如來，造種種業，皆言佛法，卻非出家，具戒比丘，為小乘道。由是疑誤，無量眾生，墮無間獄」。上人也曾做一首很有趣的詩，曰：「懵懂傳懵懂，一傳兩不懂，師父下地獄，徒弟往裡拱」。這就是一些「附佛法外道」者，假借佛教名義而到處歛財、化緣，把佛法拿來做生意。認為抽煙、喝酒、賭錢、殺、盜、淫、妄都是佛法，根本不知道什麼是戒律。於是就貽誤了無量的眾生，墮無間獄了。
還有另一位就是某上師，這位吃肉喝酒、玩女人，「神通廣大」的「蓮生活佛」。上人對他評道 :
「嗟末法，惡時世，眾生福薄難調制。去聖遠兮邪見深，魔強法弱多怨害，聞說如來頓教門，恨不滅除令瓦碎。末法時代，邪正不分，你就看他有沒有貪心？爭心？求心？自私自利的心？是不是一天到晚盡在那邊打妄語騙人？我不知道這個人是什麼東西？我叫他－－魔崽子。」
這些天魔外道都是《楞嚴經》裡的五十種陰魔所變現的，如果能熟讀這五十種陰魔，那麼修行就不會走錯路了。例如佛在《楞嚴經》中說：「我滅度後，末法之中，多此妖邪，熾盛世間，潛匿姦欺，稱善知識，各自謂己得上人法……所謂未得謂得，未證言證，是一顛迦，消滅佛種。」這就言其這些外道者，都自稱自己已經得道開悟了，沒有證悟說證悟，沒有得道說得道，這種打大妄語的人，就是消滅佛種，永遠把善根都斷了。另外在《佛藏經》也有佛陀預言末法時惡魔變身化作沙門形，令眾生入邪道之說，經云：「舍利弗！惡魔於今猶尚隱身，佐助調達（提婆達多）破我（佛）法僧，如來大智現在世故，弊魔不能成其大惡。當來之世，惡魔變身，作沙門（出家人）形，入於僧中，種種邪說，令多眾生入於邪身，為說邪法。……如來預見未來世中，如是等破法事故。」如今末世，眾生福薄慧淺，所以才招惹了許多的「魔僧」來「轉世渡眾」，以佛法之名大傳邪法，使眾生都作其「眷屬」，可不悲哉！
當代高僧虛雲老和尚也曾開示說：「現在是末法時代，你到哪裡訪善知識呢？不如熟讀一部《楞嚴經》。修行就有把握，就能保綏哀救，消息邪緣，令其身心。入佛知見，從此成就，不遭歧路！」可見歷代祖師對《楞嚴經》是多麼的重視！這部經是修行上的「照妖鏡」，也是每個佛弟子應該用血汗來護持的一部經。至於佛與魔、邪與正之間該如何分辨？
上人明確的開示說：
「你能不入色聲香味觸法，這個陰魔它一點 辦法也沒有了！你若沒有貪、瞋、癡，也就把這陰魔都降伏了。沒有自私自利、爭心、求心的毛病，則什麼魔也沒有辦法你了。」「你有淫慾，那就是魔；沒有淫慾，那才是佛，分別就在這裡。」
其實，佛與魔只在一念間罷了！人要不起貪心、求心、自私自利及打妄語的心，就不會有這些種種的魔出現。所謂「門內有君子，門外君子來；門內有小人，門外小人至」，也就是「萬法唯心造」的道理。上人有一偈說：「性定魔伏朝朝樂，妄念不起處處安；心止念絕真富貴，私欲斷盡真福田」，這正是降伏諸魔最好的辦法。
願諸學人都能「魔來魔斬，佛來佛斬」，一切善法、一切惡法，都是自己的妄想所致，應該「應無所住」，應該「不作聖心，名善境界；若作聖解，即落群邪」。
待續 |
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On the subject of “a mishmash of Buddhism and externalism,” most Asian Buddhist groups don’t like to openly distinguish the deviant from the proper, which allows those who are “a mishmash of Buddhism and externalism” to get more out-of-hand every day. Ill-intended and depraved, they cheat people out of their money and deceive them into committing acts of lust-while wearing the Buddha’s clothing and eating the Buddha’s food. I’ll bring up a couple of well-known cases. One is a female teacher in the Sikh religion of India. She calls herself a “Budda-in-the-world” and goes about transmitting a “Guanyin Dharma-door of “instant enlightenment and liberation right in this life.” The Master's stern criticism of her is:
Many people are confused by her all because they are greedy. When one takes refuge in the Triple Jewel, the text of the ceremony states very clearly,“I would rather give up my life than to ever take refuge with heavenly demons or externalists.”The deviant things she says are the words of deviant demons and externalists, and all of it is designed to cheat people. If you believe that stuff, you are really idiots-complete dolts-and you are all boring your way into the hells.
Quite a statement—“boring your way into the hells.” The Master doesn’t mince words. He always “points straight to people's minds.” His “needle pricks blood” in order to break through living beings’ ignorance and confusion.
In the “Opportunities and Conditions” chapter of the Sixth Patriarch Sutra is this statement: “Prior to Awesome Sound King it was possible. After the time of Awesome Sound King anyone who claims to have gotten enlightened on their own without a teacher belongs to the externalists who believe in spontaneity.” The meaning of this passage is that before the time of Awesome Sound King (the first Buddha) it was possible (to get enlightened by oneself). But after that Buddha Awesome Sound King, if one certifies oneself as being enlightened, rather than having a teacher transmit the Dharma to one and certify one's level of accomplishment, that is the externalist path of spontaneity.
Also in the Shurangama Sutra’s our Clear Instructions on Purity” the Buddha said: “How can thieves put on my robes and sell the Thus Come One, saying that all manner of karma one creates is just the Buddhadharma? They slander those who have left the home-life and regard Bhikshus who have taken the complete precepts as belonging to the path of the Small Vehicle. Because of such doubts and misjudgments, limitless living beings fall into the unintermittent hell.”
The other one is a certain “Supreme Master”－a “lotus-born living Buddha” with “vast spiritual penetrations” who eats meat, drinks alcohol, and plays around with women. The Master's critique of him is:
“Alas! In the evil time of the Dharma-ending Age,living beings’blessings are slight; it is difficult to train them. Far indeed from the Sages of the past!Thier deviant views are deep. Demons are strong,the Dharma if weak; many are the wrongs and injuries. Hearing of the door of the Thus Come One’s Sudden Teaching, they hate not destroying it as they would smash a tile.[Song of Enlightenment] In the Dharma-ending Age people are not able to distinguish between deviant and proper. You need only look to see: does he have any greed, any any seeking, any selfishness, or any self-benefitting in his mind? Is he lying and cheating others all day and all night long? Idon't know what this person is. I call him a demon runt.”
These heavenly demons and externalists are right out of the Shurangama Sutra “Fifty Skandha Demons.” If one becomes very familiar with the content of the Fifty Skandha Demons, then one will not go astray in cultivation. For example, in the “Four Clear Instructions on Purity” in the Shurangama Sutra, the Buddha said:“After my extinction, in the Dharma-ending Age, these phantoms and apparitions will abound, spreading like widefire as they surreptitiously cheat others. Calling themselves Good Knowing Advisors, they will each say that they have attained superhuman dharmas...They say that they have attained what they have not attained, and that they have been certified when they have not been certified...These icchantikas destroy the seeds of Buddhahood.” This is referring to these externalists. They all claim that they themselves have already become enlightened. Not having received any certification of their enlightenment, they say that they have; not having attained the Way, they say that they have. People who tell those great lies destroy the seeds of Buddhahood. They cut off their good roots forever. Also in the middle roll of The Buddha's Treasury Sutra the Buddha predicts that in the Dharma-ending Age the evil demons will assume the appearance of Shramanas and will teach living beings deviant paths. The Sutra says:“Shariputra! The evil demons are now concealed in the bodies of those who aid Devadatta in destroying me (the Buddha), the Dharma, and the Sangha. Because a Thus Come One with great wisdom is in the world, those corrupt demons cannot succeed in doing great evil. In the future, evil demons will take on the appearance of Shramanas (left-home people), enter the Sangha, and say all kinds of deviant things, causing many people in turn to become deviant and to speak deviant dharma...The Buddha foresees that things like these, designed to destroy the Dharma, will happen in the Dharma-ending Age.” In the Dharma-ending Age, with living beings’ blessings so scanty and their wisdom so superficial, quite a few “demonic Sanghans” are inspired to “come into the world to save the multitudes.” Under the guise of Buddhism they transmit deviant dharmas on a massive scale, taking beings into their “retinue.” How can one help but grieve!
The contemporary High Sanghan Elder Master Hsu Yun once said, “This is the Dharma-ending Age. Where can you go to find a Good Knowing Advisor? It's better to read the Shurangama Sutra until you are thoroughly familiar with it. Then your cultivation will be secure and you will have a chance to be saved. By putting a stop to deviant conditions, your own body and mind can enter the Buddha's knowledge and vision and with that achieved, you will not go down the wrong road!” See how much emphasis the Patriarchs place on the Shurangama Sutra! This Sutra is a “demon-spotting mirror” to use in cultivation. It is a sutra that every Buddhist disciple should use his sweat and blood to protect and uphold. As to how to tell the difference between Buddhas and demons, between the deviant and the proper, the Master gives some very clear advice:
If you are able to refrain from getting involved
in sights, sounds, smells, taste, touches, and mental
dhamas, then these skandha demons cannot do
anything to you. If you don't have any greed,
hatred, or stupidity, then you have conquered
these skandha demons. Being without the faults
of selfishness, pursuit of self-benefit, fighting,
and seeking, no demon can do anything to you.
Actually Buddhas and demons exist in a single thought. If a person does not have thoughts involving greed, seeking, selfishness, and lying, then these different kinds of demons will not manifest. It's said, “When there are superior people within, superior people will come; if there are petty people inside, then petty people will be drawn there.” That's the principle of “the myriad dharmas are created from the mind alone.” The Master has a verse:“When the nature is in samadhi, the demons are subdued and every day one is happy. When false thoughts do not arise, then every place is peaceful. To stop the mind and put thoughts to rest is to be truly wealthy and honored. To completely cut off sexual desire is to be a true field of blessings.” That is the very best method for subduing all demons.
I hope all of us students can “slice down demons when demons come, and slice down Buddhas when Buddhas come.” All good dharmas and all evil dharmas are brought about by our own false thinking. We should “not dwell anywhere.” It should be that “if you do not think you have become a sage, then it is a good state. But if you think you have become a sage, you will be vulnerable to deviant influences.
To be continued |
