前期提示:
佛告諸比丘。爾時王者。則我身是。時仙人者。今提婆達多是。
由提婆達多善知識故。令我具足六波羅蜜。慈悲喜捨。三十二相。八十種好。紫磨金色。十力。四無所畏。四攝法。十八不共神通道力。成等正覺。廣度眾生。皆因提婆達多善知識故。
釋迦牟尼佛說，「由提婆達多善知識故」：由，當「因為」講，當一個「藉著」講，也就是從，這個由當個「從」字講。就是從提婆達多善知識來教化我的緣故，所以才能使「令我具足六波羅蜜」：具，就是圓滿的意思。具足，就是圓成了，圓成什麼呢？圓成六波羅蜜。這六波羅蜜，前幾天已經講過了。布施、持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定、智慧－－又叫般若，這六種叫六波羅蜜。這六波羅蜜，前邊每一波羅蜜都用十種利益來講解它；現在再用四種的因緣，來解釋這六波羅蜜。
布施波羅蜜，梵語就叫檀那波羅蜜。你修布施波羅蜜，要有四種的因緣。什麼呢？第一種，你修布施這個波羅蜜，就能破你慳貪的因緣，破除你這個不能捨而貪的這種心，這是第一個因緣。第二呢？你能莊嚴菩提，有莊嚴你自性的菩提這種因緣。第三種呢？自他俱利，既然能自利又能利他。你在想要布施的時候，你就布施了，布施完了之後，你又生出一種歡喜心，這就叫自利。你能以令飢渴者除去飢渴；這個沒有飯吃的人，你布施給他，他有飯吃了，除去他的飢；那個很渴的人，你幫助他，你布施給他，他有錢，就能或者喝一杯汽水，這就解除他的渴了。這是布施來解除他人的飢渴，這就是利他。這是第三種的因緣。第四種的因緣是什麼呢？後世得大果。你能布施，將來在來生的時候，既富且貴，尊貴饒財，有很多的錢。為什麼你有很多的錢呢？因為你不慳貪，你盡布施給人，所以得到的果報，你來生更富有了。但是有這種因緣，可不是叫你存這種希望，不要希望我今生做布施，來生我就尊貴多財，不要存這種的希望。為什麼呢？你若有這種的希望心，這太小了，你應該做布施來迴向菩提，求無上菩提。
第二是持戒波羅蜜，也有四種的因緣，應該修這個戒律。四種的因緣，第一就要修諸善法、滅惡戒。修諸善法，就不是修一種善法，種種的善法都要修。你善法若修了，這個惡的法就滅了，所以這叫滅惡戒，這是第一。第二呢？叫莊嚴菩提攝眾生。你既然莊嚴你自性的菩提，菩提莊嚴圓滿了，要做什麼呢？就要攝化眾生。這攝化眾生，所有的一切眾生，他都要教化，而不棄捨某一種的眾生。不是說這一個眾生和我沒有緣，我就不要度他了；那一個眾生和我有緣，我就度他，有緣、沒有緣都要攝化眾生。這是第二。第三是什麼呢？第三叫臥也平安，就是躺著也平安，所覺悟的也平安，心裏和外邊都平安，自性也平安，外邊的身也平安。那麼無悔恨，沒有一種後悔的心，沒有一種恨人的心，於所有的一切眾生，沒有傷害的心，不傷害眾生，這持戒就能護持眾生。第四呢，這是後受人天涅槃樂，將來會得到人天的快樂，也會得到涅槃的快樂。這是持戒的四種因緣。
待續 |
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Sutra text from last issue:
The Buddha told the Bhikshus,“The king was I myself, in a previous life and the seer was the present Devadatta.”
Sutra:
It is because of my good and wise advisor, Devadatta, that I have perfected the Six Paramitas, and also kindness, compassion, joy, and giving, as well as the Thirty-two Marks and eighty fine characteristics, coloring of burnished purple-gold, the Ten Powers, the Four Fearlessnesses, the Four Dharmas of Attraction, the Eighteen Unshared Dharmas, the Power of the Way of Spiritual Penetrations, the Accomplishment of Equal, Proper Enlightenment, and the vast rescue of living beings. All this came about because of my good and wise advisor, Devadatta.
Commentary:
Shakyamuni Buddha said, “It is because of my good and wise advisor, Devadatta.” “Because of” means it had to do with him. It came from Devadatta acting as my good and wise advisor and teaching me. That’s why I have perfected the Six Paramitas.
“Perfected” means fulfilled completely, successfully. What did the Buddha perfect? It was the Six Paramitas of giving, holding precepts, being patient, being vigorous, having Chan samadhi, and being wise—which refers to prajna wisdom. The Ten Benefits of each Paramita have already been explained. Now we will explain the Four Causal Conditions of each of the Six Paramitas.
Four Causal Conditions arising from
Cultivation of the Paramita of Giving
Giving translates the Sanskrit term dana. Cultivating the Paramita of Giving enables us to do the following things.
1. We can break through the causal condition of stingy greed. We can get rid of our greed which makes us unable to renounce things and give them away.
2. We can develop the causal condition of adorning the Bodhi of our own nature.
3. We can create the causal condition of benefitting ourselves and benefitting others. Since we can benefit ourselves, we also can benefit others. We can give when we want to give and after giving we feel happy. That is benefiting ourselves. We can help those who are hungry and thirsty resolve their problem of hunger and thirst. Those who have nothing to eat get fed and if you give those who have nothing to drink a little money they can buy some soda pop to quench their thirst. To give in order to resolve the problem of hunger and thirst and is to benefit others.
4. We can attain the causal condition of great fruition in future lives. Those who can give will, in the future, enjoy wealth and honor. Why do they become rich? It is because they have not been stingy; they were generous in giving to others. That’s why they attain the reward of being very wealthy themselves. Although the causal conditions are like that, we should not hope for that. Why not? A hope like that is far too small; instead we should transfer the merit of giving to seeking the unsurpassed Bodhi.
Four Causal Conditions arising from
Cultivation of the Paramita of Holding Precepts
1. We can create the causal conditions of cultivating wholesome dharmas and putting an end to bad prohibitions. Cultivating wholesome dharmas doesn’t mean just cultivating one, it means cultivating many kinds. If we cultivate wholesome dharmas, then bad dharmas will be eliminated. That’s putting an end to bad prohibitions.
2. We can develop the causal condition of adorning Bodhi and gathering in living beings. We want to adorn the Bodhi of our own nature, but once the adornment of Bodhi is perfected, then what? Well, we want to gather in living beings. We want to gather in and teach absolutely all beings without renouncing a single one. It would never be that we would not want to rescue certain beings with whom we have no affinities; or that we would set out to save certain ones with whom we did have affinities. We want to gather in all beings, whether we have affinities with them or not.
3. We will attain the causal condition of being peaceful when we lie down to rest. Reclining, we will be at peace; we will also be at peace with whatever we awaken to. Our mind will be at peace with external states; our own nature will be at peace and everything external to us will be at peace. We will feel no regrets; nor will we hate anyone. We will never think to harm a single living being. By not harming beings we are upholding the precepts and protecting beings.
4. We will attain the causal condition of receiving the happiness of humans and gods and the bliss of Nirvana. We will enjoy happiness as humans or gods and we will be able to attain the bliss of Nirvana.
To be continued |
