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上人：這並不是今天一朝一夕的事，而是我向他們叩頭叩來的，所以他們都受感動。南傳的出家人，對北傳的出家人，一向就是你向他叩頭，他理都不理你的。
越南法師：師父所講的話，真能夠這樣實行，是很不容易的，而且能使他們受感化更不容易。昨天看到南傳比丘們，對上人很恭敬，被感化得五體投地，很歡喜接受上人，對上人很佩服。他們對上人恭敬的態度，是我第一次看到，很令人感動，我相信是因為上人的心不分門別類，可以包容他們，這不是一般人可以做到的事。
實法師：萬佛聖城上次傳戒時，用巴利文、英文、中文來傳菩薩戒，是非常殊勝，從來也沒有過的事。
上人：這不是故意標新立異，故意做人家沒做過的事，這只是人家忘，我們把它撿起來用而已。並不是要表示我們特別和別人不同。我們和大家是一樣的，不要以為我行事喜歡標異現奇，不是那麼回事。我是做人不願意做的事，大家或許忘了，我只是幫忙他們想起來罷了。
十法界不離現前一念心
一九九Ｏ年十月八日開示於英國倫敦ＡＢＣ佛教中心
個位善知識，我們從無量劫以來，聚會了不知多少次，可是就好像作夢似的。在夢中時，一切境界現前，等到夢醒過來，也就都忘了。現在與各位聚在一起，這就好像作夢，境界現前。等夢醒了，有的模模糊糊，有的就記得清楚。總之，我們在無量劫以前，大概都受過佛的教化，但沒有真正明白佛法。於是乎，在這個娑婆世界也就處處如夢，互相都有深厚的緣，也就好像作夢似的，互相不太清楚。我們現在聚會在一起，都想把這個模模糊糊的影塵弄清楚，要把六塵緣由弄明白，需要先學習智慧，學習般若。我們要是有了般若智慧，那麼往昔今生一切的影塵都可一掃而空，這是我們大家學佛的一個共同點。
釋迦牟尼佛曾經說過這樣一句話：「奇哉！奇哉！奇哉！一切眾生皆有佛性，皆堪作佛，但以妄想執著，不能證得。」又說過：「一切男子是我父，一切女人是我母。」因為有這幾句話，我們應該知道，一切眾生既然都是我們過去父母，未來諸佛。我們要是對於男女看得不平等，或者重男輕女，或者重女輕男，這未免都是不孝順。或者對眾生有輕慢心，這也是沒有做到圓滿無礙的佛法。既然一切眾生要是沒有了妄想執著，就都可以成佛，那麼我們為甚麼還捨不得這個妄想？捨不得這個執著？我們在半路上欲進不進，欲退不退，進無所得，退也無所失，在半途上裹足不前，以為這地方就是安身立命的地方。這豈不是自己捨去自己的前程而不努力嗎？
待續 |
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Venerable Master: This is not something that happens overnight; it came about because of my bowing to them--that's why they were moved. In the past if you were a left-home person of the northern tradition and you bowed to left-home people of the southern tradition, they just ignored you.
A Vietnamese Dharma Master:
What the Master just said is not at all easy to put into actual practice. And it is even more difficult to influence people through practicing it. Yesterday I saw that the Theravadan Bhikshus were very respectful towards the Master. They were totally moved by him. They were delighted to listen to the Master and admired him greatly. This is the first time I have witnessed such respect for someone; it's very touching. I believe it is because the Master does not discriminate between different sects; he can encompass them all. This is not something most people can do.
Dharma Master Sure:
At the last precept transmission ceremony held at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the Bodhisattva precepts were transmitted using Pali, English, and Chinese; it was a rare and special event--something that had never been done before.
Venerable Master: We weren't deliberately trying to be different by doing something that had never been done before; we were just picking up on something that others had forgotten about. We weren't out to show that we were special and different from others. We are the same as everyone else; don't get the idea that I like to be unusual--that's not so. I just do the things that others aren't willing to do. Maybe people forgot, I’m reminding them!
The Ten Dharma Realms Are Not Beyond A Single Thought
A talk given on October 8, l990,
at the Amaravati Buddhist Centre outside of London, England
Good and wise advisors! There's no knowing how many times we have gathered together throughout limitless eons in the past, but it was all like a dream. All kinds of states appeared in the dream, but when we woke up we forgot about them. Our present meeting, too, is like a dream. When we wake up from this dream, some of us will have vague memories of it, while others will remember it very clearly. Probably we all received the Buddha's teaching measureless eons ago, but we didn't really understand the Buddhadharma then. That's why it seems like a dream and we don't really remember one another.
Now that we have gathered together, we want to clear up the fuzzy impressions; we want to understand where the objects of the six senses come from. In order to do that, we first have to study Prajna wisdom. Once we have Prajna wisdom, we can sweep away and empty out all the sense impressions that have accumulated up to now. This is our common aim in studying the Buddha's teachings.
Shakyamuni Buddha once said, "Strange indeed, strange indeed, strange indeed! All living beings have the Buddha-nature and can become Buddhas. It is only because of idle thinking and attachments that they cannot realize it." The Buddha also said, "All men are my fathers, and all women are my mothers." From these words, we should know that all living beings have been our parents in past lives and will become Buddhas in the future. This being the case, if we fail to treat men and women equally--if we think that men are more important than women or that women are more important than men--aren't we being unfilial? If we look down upon any living being, then our practice of the Buddhadharma is still imperfect.
If we know that all living beings can become Buddhas if they have no idle thoughts or attachments, why can't we bear to give up our own idle thinking and attachments? Why have we stopped halfway, unable to either advance or retreat? There is nothing to be gained by advancing, and nothing to be lost by retreating, and yet we are just stuck here, thinking this a safe place. Aren't we just being lax and throwing away our future?
to be continued |
