前期經文：眾生無福受眾苦
第四個是什麼呢？就是「渴愛」，很渴的，要有這種愛欲，愛啊。愈想愈飢渴，愈飢渴是愈渴愛，這渴還是thirsty那個渴；愛就是 love！你們現在知道嗎？成天在和魔在一起打交道還不知道。
第三個是飢渴，第四個就是渴愛，第五個是什麼呢？「睡眠」。渴愛，想不到就常常要睡覺了，沒有精神了，要睡眠了，這睡眠魔又跑出來了。所以修道啊，你不要以為我睡不夠，你睡覺睡多少它都不夠。我在年紀輕的時候也像你們一樣睡，睡一天還沒有睡醒，睡兩天、睡三天、睡五天、睡七天還是睡不醒，還是那麼樣。這是第五個魔軍，就是睡眠。
第六是什麼呢？睡眠哪以後就生了「怖畏」了。唉！是不是要有人要殺我呢？就生出一種怖畏，這就是發狂了，發狂的樣子，就生出怖畏，生出怖畏什麼都怕！南邊也怕、北邊也怕、東邊也怕、西邊也怕，想找一個沒有可怕的地方也找不著！中間更可怕！那麼這時候就生出一種疑，這個「疑軍」為第七。這疑軍就懷疑。這坐坐就懷疑，啊！是不是他們在那地方罵我呢，哦！他們講那話是在講我呢？哦！他們怎麼對我這麼不客氣呀？東西南北、四維上下，什麼地方都有了毛病了。看見誰都不對，這就生一種懷疑，這疑軍為第七。第八呢？「含毒」，含毒軍第八，含就是包含的含，毒就是毒藥的毒，poison這個毒。
「利養軍」第九。你修道的人若貪圖人的供養，那個人有錢要供養我一百萬塊錢，我什麼問題都解決了，這利養軍第九。貪圖人的利益、供養這是第九個魔軍。第十呢？「著虛妄名聞」。啊！著住這個虛妄的名聞，就貪著一個虛妄的假名。自高軍第十。自己很貢高的。哼！你看我真是了不起！你看我，哈！天上天下唯我獨尊。你看我，我比須彌山都高，這叫自高軍第十－－自高的魔軍第十。你們每一個人自己算一算自己有多少魔軍跟著你，你要有一個那就不得了！要有多了，那更了不得！所以啊！你們各位要研究研究這個魔軍，有沒有被魔軍來纏繞你們。要是能把這十種魔軍都降伏了，那就戰勝一切魔軍眾。
各位善知識，我們今天有一個佛教最好的機會到美國來，這個佛教由亞洲真正傳入美洲，現在是一個開始。在這個開始的時間必須把基礎建築起來，就是把基礎要做得堅固一點，不怕任何的風和雨來摧殘。佛教的基礎是什麼？就是要人人先明白佛教的這種規則。佛教的規則也就是佛教的戒律，佛教的戒律也就是佛教的禮儀，所謂「禮儀三百，威儀三千」，這是儒教所講的，就是孔子所傳的。那麼在佛教裏頭講三千威儀，八萬細行。這三千威儀之中就包括行、住、坐、臥，都要嚴守這個威儀，嚴守威儀也就是嚴守戒律。八萬細行這有八萬最微細的行門，說起來是太多了。
我們從最開始來做起，開始就要對我們的善知識有一種禮貌。在今天有臺灣佛教會的理事長，十普寺的住持，和檳城極樂寺的住持，方丈和尚白聖老法師，還有臺灣的三寶寺的住持悟一法師，又有香港佛教聯合會的會長覺光法師，也是香港正覺蓮社的社長，香港佛教雜誌社的住持人。又有南天竺的住持妙福老法師，這四位老法師都是現在佛教的領袖、佛教的善知識。他們四位發大慈悲心，來到美國和我們金山寺的苦惱眾生，和三藩市的善男信女來結法緣。
這是一個最好的機會，我們能親近善知識這種好機會來到我們面前的時候，我們切記不要錯過這個好機會。那麼我們在這個好機會的期間，要行持正法，要有萬分的懇切至誠的心來恭敬、禮拜這四位善知識。這四位善知識是現在世界上稀有的善知識，我們應該多親近、多供養、多禮拜，好種我們的福田。所以我們這一次歡迎這四位善知識，用佛教最崇高的禮節來歡迎他們四位善知識。也就好像天主教歡迎教皇那種的尊重、肅穆，那種莊嚴的禮貌，來歡迎這四位善知識。我們每一個人要拿出你最真正的心來，這個誠心、真心，來歡迎這四位善知識！
你們各位要特別注意這一點，我們在飛機場有一個招待貴賓的房間，我們請這四位善知識到房間暫時間休息一個時期。現在我們又向航空公司去交涉，等到飛機到達的時候，令他們四位善知識先下飛機，我們這邊派兩位代表，到飛機場的門口，去歡迎他們四位善知識。這一種禮，禮貌，這種禮節是過去佛教徒所沒有的，所以我們現在是一個開闢歷史的記錄，打開歷史的新頁，佛教歷史的新出現。你們各位做一個真正的、新的佛教徒，將來領導美國佛教徒統統做新的善知識。為什麼說新的善知識？因為以前沒有嘛！所以現在是新的善知識，你們各位不單做新的善知識，將來又可以成佛，又可以行菩薩道，這是將來的事情，我對你們各位的希望就是這樣子。今天這個事情做得非常圓滿，這就見出你們美國人哪，做事情做得很敏捷、很圓滿的！
這個果寧跑到洛杉磯去放放光，果瞻和果護在這兒所放的光也不小，今天可以說是令無量眾生發菩提心，這個影響力很好的。那麼能這樣子，實實在在去做去，令這一些個中國的佛教徒和這些個外道看見，使他們心裏都會有所感動。
我們在佛教開始的時候，是應該這麼樣子。所以果瞻這幾天忙得很厲害，這有一點成功的樣子，做事能這樣子，就令中國的佛教徒生慚愧心，連我也會生慚愧心了。
佛於毛孔演妙音，其音普遍於世間，
一切苦畏皆令息，此遍吼神之所了。
這位大聲遍吼主風神，他在華嚴法會上所說的讚頌，佛的偈頌是這樣說的，他說：「佛於毛孔演妙音」。我們人說話是要在口說話，說法呢！也用這個口，用這個舌頭來說法，這是一般的凡夫所有的力量。佛呢！不單口能說法，所有遍身的毛孔都能說法，每一個毛孔都可以演說八萬四千法門，每一根汗毛可以容納三千大千世界。
待續 |
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Sutra text from last issue: Living beings, lacking blessings, under the many sufferings...
What is the fourth kind of demonic horde? Literally it is "thirsty love," intense thirst to have that kind of love and desire. Love! The more you think of it, the more hungry and thirsty you get. The more hungry and thirsty you become, the more you have thirsty love. Do you know now that you've had such daily involvement with a demon without realizing it?
The third was craving, literally "hunger and thirst," and the fourth is "thirsty love." What is the fifth? It's sleep. After thirsty love, you didn't expect it but you find yourself wanting to sleep all the time. You have no energy and just feel like dozing off. The sleep demon has appeared again and comes rushing out. Therefore, in cultivating the Way, don't start figuring you haven't had enough sleep. No matter how much you sleep, it won't be enough. I was like all of you when I was young. I would sleep for an entire day and not wake up. I slept for two days, three days, five days, seven days, and still would not awaken, still be the same way. That's the fifth demonic horde, which is sleep.
What is the sixth? After sleeping so much, you develop fear, for example being afraid someone is going to kill you. You are overcome by terror to the point of insanity. Everything makes you afraid. Fear presses in from the north, south, east, and west. You can't find any place where you feel free from fear--the center is even scarier! Thereupon you become suspicious.
The seventh horde is that of doubt, and it's a kind of paranoia. You sit somewhere then start to wonder, "Are they scolding me over there? Are they talking about me? Why are they so rude to me?" You find fault to the east, west, north and south, the four intermediate points, the zenith and the nadir. Whatever you see is all wrong. You've developed doubts, the seventh kind of demonic horde.
What is the eight demonic horde? It's being venomous, being full of poison. Benefit is the ninth type of demonic horde. That refers to cultivators being greedy for benefits, greedy for offerings from people, thinking for example, "If that rich person were to make an offering of a million dollars to me, all my problems would be solved!" So, benefit, being greedy for advantages and offerings, is the ninth kind of horde of demons.
What is the tenth? It's false popularity, being attached to a phony reputation, being greedy for empty fame. Putting oneself up very high is the tenth demonic horde. You become inflated with self-importance. "See how fantastic I am! Look at me! Between heaven and earth, I alone am honored!" That's self-exaltation, which is the tenth horde of demons. You should all count how many demonic hordes are following you. It's not permissible to have even one, not to mention many. Therefore, all of you should investigate these demonic hordes to see if you have been surrounded by them. If you can tame and subdue these demonic hordes, then that's keeping all the hordes of demons under control and gaining victory over them.
Good and Wise Advisors! Today here in America, Buddhism is afforded an excellent opportunity. Right now marks the beginning of Buddhism being genuinely transmitted from Asia to America. At the beginning, it is essential to make sure that the foundation is established well. The foundation must be strong so that it will withstand whatever winds and rains might rock it. What is the foundation of Buddhism? It is everyone's understanding of rules and regulations. The rules and regulations of Buddhism are its precepts, its vinaya. The precepts of Buddhism are found in its propriety. Confucianism states that there are, “Three hundred aspects to propriety and three thousand manners of awesome deportment.” Buddhism explains three thousand manners of awesome deportment and eighty thousand subtle aspects of comportment. The three thousand awesome deportment involve sternly guarding one's behavior in walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. To sternly guard awesome deportment is to sternly guard the precepts. The eighty thousand subtle aspects of comportment involve extremely fine details of ones behavior, too numerous to mention here.
Starting at the beginning as we are, we must maintain certain kinds of propriety toward our Good and Wise Advisors. Today we are greeting four leaders and good advisors of contemporary Buddhism. They are Venerable Baisheng, Chairman of the Taiwan Buddhist Association, Abbot of Shipu Monastery and Abbot of Jile Monastery in Penang; Dharma Master Wuyi, Abbot of Sanbao Monastery in Taiwan; Dharma Master Jiaoguang, President of the Hong Kong United Buddhist Association, President of the Hong Kong Zhengjiao Lotus Society. There is also the Elder Dharma Master Miaofu of Nantianzhu Monastery. These four Elder Dharma Masters are leaders and Good and Wise Advisors in contemporary Buddhism. The four of them have brought forth great compassion and come to the United States to create Dharma-affinities with the miserable living beings of Gold Mountain Monastery and the good men and faithful women of San Francisco.
This is a very good opportunity. When such a fine opportunity to draw near good advisors comes before us, we should definitely not miss it. On the occasion of this good opportunity, we want to practice the Proper Dharma. We should use our total and utmost sincerity to pay reverence and homage to these four Good and Wise Advisors. These four good advisors are the rarest advisors in the world! We should draw near them, make offerings, and bow to them as much as possible, so we can plant a field of blessings. And so this time we will use the most lofty of Buddhist rituals to welcome these four good advisors. We will be as reverent, solemn, and dignified in our manners as the Catholics are when they welcome the Pope. So every single one of us should bring forth our most true, sincere, and earnest mind to welcome these four good advisors!
All of you should pay special attention to this. We have reserved a reception room at the airport, and we'll take the four Good and Wise Advisors there so they can rest for awhile. We will arrange in advance with the airline so that when the plane arrives, the four of them will be the first to come off the plane. We will send two representatives to the entrance of the airport to welcome the four good advisors. This kind of etiquette, this kind of ceremonial ritual, has never been used before in Buddhism or by Buddhists. We are setting a historical precedent, writing a new page of history. This is something new in the history of Buddhism. All of you ought to be genuine, new Buddhists! In the future you can all become new Good and Wise Advisors who can lead American Buddhists. I say “new,” because there haven't been any like you before. Not only can you become new Good and Wise Advisors, you can also become Buddhas one day, and you can practice the Bodhisattva Way. This is all in the future. These are my hopes for you. If we conduct today's event very well, it will show that you Americans are very capable and insist on perfection in the things you do.
Guo Ning went down to Los Angeles to shine his light, and the lights put out by Guo Zhan and Guo Hu were not small either. We could say that today's event caused countless living beings to bring forth the Bodhi mind. It made a very good impression. By going ahead and doing what we said we were going to do, we caused the Chinese Buddhists and non-Buddhists to be moved in their hearts when they saw us.
At the point when Buddhism is just beginning, we need to do things like this and do them well. Guo Zhan has been tremendously busy these last few days, and there seems to be some success to show for it. By doing things in this way, he has caused Chinese Buddhists to feel remorseful. Even I feel remorseful.
The Buddha in a hairpore proclaims with wondrous sound.
His sound extends throughout the world, going everywhere,
Bringing fear and suffering of all types to an end.
The Spirit Pervasive Howling has this understanding.
Commentary:
The Wind-Ruling Spirit named Pervasively Howling Great Sound speaks this verse in praise of the Buddha in the Flower Adornment Assembly. He says: The Buddha in a hairpore proclaims with wondrous sound. We people have to speak with our mouths, and speaking Dharma is done with mouth and tongue. That's what most ordinary beings are able to do. But the Buddha can speak Dharma not only with his mouth, but with each and every one of his hairpores. Every single hairpore can proclaim the 84,000 Dharma-doors. Each hairpore can contain the Three Thousand Great Thousand World-System.
To be continued |
