前期經文提示：大光遍照主火神，得無動福力，大悲藏解脫門。
「眾妙宮殿主火神，得觀如來神通力示現無邊際解脫門。」
這位主火神，他就叫眾妙宮殿主火神。他是用一切的妙寶來莊嚴宮殿。所以叫「眾妙宮殿主火神。」他得到觀如來神通力。他能得到觀察佛這種神通力，示現無邊際，以佛的不可思議大自在神通的力量，來示現無邊際，無數量那麼多的國土眾生，來教化一切的眾生，他得到這一種的解脫門。
「無盡光髻主火神，得光明照耀無邊虛空解脫門。」「無盡光髻主火神」：這是無盡光髻主火神的名字。前邊這一段經文說是佛在無量、無邊、無數的剎土眾生和這個劫海裡邊來教化眾生。那麼現在這個主火神，他的名字叫無盡光髻主火神。他得到光明照耀無邊虛空界解脫門，「光明」：這一位主火神他光明無盡，能照耀無邊、無量國土，無量世界，無量劫海虛空界。盡虛空遍法界，他都能照耀到。盡虛空遍法界，他令一切眾生發菩提心，他得到這種的解脫門。
「種種燄眼主火神，得種種福莊嚴寂淨光解脫門。」
這一位主火神他叫「種種燄眼」。他的眼睛能放種種的光明，青、黃、赤、白、黑種種的光他都會放，所以叫種種燄眼。他的眼睛會出火焰，所以這一位主火神叫種種燄眼主火神，他管這個火的。「得種種福德莊嚴」：他得這種的解脫門。他明白佛是萬福、萬德莊嚴的法身，所以叫種種福莊嚴。「寂淨光」：他有一種寂淨的光明，就是定光。在定中常常放光，得到這種的解脫門。
「十方宮殿如須彌山主火神，得能滅一切世間諸趣熾燃苦解脫門。」
這位主火神他的名字叫十方宮殿如須彌山主火神。「十方宮殿」：所有的宮殿猶「如須彌山」，那麼樣子高大莊嚴，這一位主火神就叫這個名字。他得到佛的境界，他「能滅一切世間諸趣」：一切世間就是所有的世間，也就是眾生的世間，也叫有情的世間；諸趣，諸趣就是六道輪迴裡頭，這都叫趣。又有四惡趣，就是阿修羅、地獄、餓鬼、畜生，四惡趣。這四惡趣裡邊有熾燃苦。熾燃，就像那個火堆似的。火堆，這火著得很旺了。所有一切的生物，都會燒壞了，這種熾燃苦。我們人在這個四惡趣裡邊，就像在火堆裡燒得那麼樣苦，所以叫「熾燃苦解脫門」。
「威光自在主火神，得自在開悟一切世間解脫門。」
「威光」：這一位主火神他有威德。因為有威德所以就發出一種光來，所以叫威光。「自在」：他又非常地自在，非常地快樂，這一位主火神。自在，一點也不勉強，很自然，很自在的。他能令一切世間的眾生都開悟，都成就他所修的道業，他得到這種的解脫門。
「光照十方主火神，得永破一切愚癡執著見解脫門。」
「光照十方」：你看主火神多數有火光。這一位主火神，他的火光「光照十方」：這是這位主火神的名字。他得「永破一切愚癡執著見」：這人愚癡，就是沒有智慧，也就是沒有光明。愚癡這個人哪，他自己不承認自己愚癡。他說：「這個聰明人才是愚癡！」正相反，他自己愚癡，不知道自己愚癡。就好像那個烏鴉落到那個黑的豬身上了，牠看那個豬是黑色的，牠不知道自己也是黑色的，這就是愚癡的人的行為。愚癡人他自己愚癡，他自己不知道自己愚癡。因為愚癡他就有所執著，什麼事情也看不開，見到什麼事情他也不明白，就被這個事情把他絆住。他沒有辦事，而被這個事情把人絆住了，執著不能得到解脫。尤其這個見的執著，就是固執不通。固執，他認為他這個見法是對，旁人那個都不對。
譬如這個道場裡頭，有大人就有小孩，小孩子到這兒，他就願意玩。你這有執著見的，這小孩在這兒這麼吵，這麼鬧，啊：「不去聽經了。」他根本就不願意聽經，他不說是他不願意聽經，他說因為小孩子，他不來聽經了。有這麼一種執著心，藉著這個小孩子啊，他就不來。不但他不來，而且也叫其他人不來！這有很多是這樣子的。那麼這執著見或者說：「這個比丘尼怎樣不對了。」你若比丘是對了，你怎麼知道比丘尼有不對呢？所以這都是一種執著見，有這個執著見，你就不能開悟，你就不能得到解脫門。那麼這一位主火神，他能破這種愚癡執著見，所以得到這一種的解脫門。
剛才講的說這個有小孩子很吵的，就不來聽經，你們各位知道是哪一個？提出她的名字來，使大家知道。她沒有叫人不來聽經？不但他自己不來，也叫旁人不來。說這個果芳啊和安安啦，還有其他好幾個小孩子都常常地哭，她就不來了。你們知道不說的，這個將來會作啞吧的。不講啊，若不做啞巴，那就是沒有天理了。
「雷音電光主火神，得成就一切願力大震吼解脫門，爾時普光焰藏主火神，乘佛威力，普觀一切主火神眾，而說頌言。」
雷音，這一位主火神有大雲雷音，有大電光。所以叫「雷音電光主火神」。他得到成就一切的願力，成就一切眾生的願力。你發什麼願力，他都可以幫助你，護持你，成就你的這種願力。「大震吼」：他這種雷音震吼，震遍法界，吼遍法界，得到這種的解脫門。「爾時」：當爾之時，普光焰藏主火神「乘佛威力」：藉著佛的大威神力，「普觀一切主火神眾」：普遍觀察一切的主火神眾，「而說頌言」：又用偈頌來把這個解脫門再說一說。
待續 |
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Sutra text from last issue:The Fire-Ruling Spirit named Great Light Shining Everywhere obtained the liberation door of a treasury of great compassion and steadfast power of blessings.
Sutra:
The Fire-Ruling Spirit named Palaces of Multitudes of Wonders obtained the liberation door of contemplating the Tathagata’s powers of spiritual penetrations and manifesting without bounds.
Commentary:
The next Fire-Ruling Spirit is named Palaces of Multitudes of Wonders. He uses all sorts of wondrous gems to adorn his palaces, hence his name. He obtained the liberation door of contemplating the Tathagata’s powers of spiritual penetrations. He was able to achieve the contemplation of the Buddha’s strength of spiritual penetrations and manifesting without bounds: how, by means of the Buddha’s inconceivable might of great free-and-easy spiritual penetrations, infinitely many manifestations are made to appear in countlessly many lands of living beings in order to teach and transform all living beings. He obtained that kind of door to liberation.
Sutra:
The Fire-Ruling Spirit named Cowl of Infinite Light obtained the liberation door of light shining throughout boundless realms of empty space.
Commentary:
The next Fire-Ruling Spirit is named Cowl of Infinite Light. The previous section of Sutra text spoke of how the Buddha in the midst of limitless, boundless and countlessly many kshetra-lands of living beings and seas of kalpas teaches and transforms living beings. The present Fire-Ruling Spirit, who has the name “Cowl of Infinite Light,” obtained the liberation door of light shining throughout boundless realms of empty space. This Fire-Ruling Spirit’s light is infinite and can shine without end. It can illumine limitlessly many lands, limitlessly many worlds, and shine through infinitely many seas of eons. His is the liberation door of the realms of empty space. His light radiates to the exhaustion of empty space and throughout the Dharma Realm, shining upon all the limitless and boundlessly many lands of living beings and seas of kalpas. To the ends of empty space and the Dharma Realm, he inspires living beings to bring forth the resolve for Bodhi. That’s the kind of door to liberation which he attained.
Sutra:
The Fire-Ruling Spirit named Eyes with All Kinds of Flames obtained the liberation door of still light of adornment with all kinds of blessings.
Commentary:
The next Fire-Ruling Spirit is named Eyes with All Kinds of Flames. His eyes can emit various types of light, such as green, yellow, red, white or black; and his eyes can send forth flames--hence his name. This overseer of fire obtained the liberation door of still light of adornment with all kinds of blessings. He understood that the Buddha has ten thousand blessings and his Dharma body is adorned with the myriad virtues, which is the reference in "adornment with all kinds of blessings." He has a kind of still light which is the light of samadhi, radiance which is constantly emitted from within samadhi. That's the door to liberation which he attained.
Sutra:
The Fire-Ruling Spirit named Palaces Like Mount Sumeru in the Ten Directions obtained the liberation door of being able to extinguish all the blazing sufferings of all destinies in all worlds.
Commentary:
The following Fire-Ruling Spirit is named Palaces Like Mount Sumeru in the Ten Directions, suggesting being as lofty and adorned as all palaces throughout the ten directions, which resemble Sumeru Mountain. He obtained the liberation door, the state of the Buddha, of being able to extinguish all the blazing sufferings of all destinies in all worlds. "All worlds" means The World of Living Beings, Beings, also called The World of Sentient Creatures. "All destinies" refers to the six paths in the cycle of rebirth, and more specifically to the four evil destinies of asuras, hell-beings, hungry ghosts, and animals--within which are all the blazing torments. "Blazing" indicates the sufferings are as intense as a raging bonfire which can burn up all living things. Beings in the four evil destinies undergo suffering as tormenting as being burned in a blazing heap of fire. That was his door to liberation.
Sutra:
The Fire-Ruling Spirit named Sovereign Awesome Light obtained the liberation door of sovereign enlightening of all beings in all worlds.
Commentary:
The next Fire-Ruling Spirit, who is named Sovereign Awesome Light, has awesome virtue, and so emits a kind of light which led to his being called "Awesome Light." He is also very sovereign and at ease--very happy. This Fire-Ruling Spirit obtained the liberation door of sovereign enlightening of all beings in all worlds. "Sovereign" indicates there is nothing forced about this, the process being very natural and comfortable.
He enables all the living beings in all worlds to become enlightened, so the work in the Way which they are cultivating is brought to successful completion. He obtained that kind of door to liberation.
Sutra:
The Fire-Ruling Spirit named Light Illumining the Ten Directions obtained the liberation door of demolishing forever all stupid attached views.
Commentary:
The next Fire-Ruling Spirit is named Light Illumining the Ten Directions. As you can see, most of these Fire-Ruling Spirits have light from fire. This particular Fire-Ruling Spirit's light shines throughout the ten directions--hence his name. He obtained the liberation door of demolishing forever all stupid attached views. People are stupid due to lack of wisdom, which is also lack of clarity and light. Yet stupid people do not consider themselves stupid. They insist that intelligent people are the ones who are stupid, which is the direct opposite, since they don't know they themselves are stupid. This is similar to a black crow landing on the back of a black pig. It sees the pig is black in color, but doesn't realize its own color is black as well. Stupid people act like that. The stupidity of stupid people is that they are unaware of their own stupidity. Due to their stupidity, they have attachments which block their understanding of things. Failing to understand the situations they encounter, they are bound up by those situations. Rather than managing affairs, they are tied up by those affairs. With such attachments they cannot achieve liberation, especially when they hold views, have attachments to views, and are stubborn and intransigent. This kind of intractability entails considering one's own viewpoint correct. An example of such attached views can be found in our Way Place, where there are adults as well as children. When the children come here, they want to play. If you have an attached outlook, you may claim that, because the children make so much noise here, your only recourse is not to attend the Sutra lectures. You have such an attachment of mind that you use the children as an excuse for not attending. Not only do you yourself not attend, but you dissuade other people from attending. There are a lot of such cases. For instance, someone with attached views might say, "That Bhikshuni is wrong in such and such a way." Well, if you, the Bhikshu, were right, how would you even know that the Bhikshuni was wrong? These are all instances of attachments to views. So long as you hold such attached viewpoints, you cannot become enlightened. You cannot attain the door to liberation. This Fire-Ruling Spirit, however, could demolish these types of stupid attached views, and thus he did reach this liberation door.
Just now when I talked about someone not attending Sutra lectures because the kids are so noisy, do you know who I was talking about? Say the person's name so everyone can know. She also tells other people not to come to Sutra lectures. Not only does she herself not attend, she tells others not to either, saying that Guo Fang, An-an, and several other kids are always crying, so she doesn't attend. If you know who it is but don't speak up, then in the future you will be a mute. If you don't speak up and do not become mute, then there is no divine justice whatsoever.
Sutra:
The Fire-Ruling Spirit named Thunder Sound and Lightning Flash obtained the liberation door of the great thunder crash from fulfilling all vows. At that time the Fire-Ruling Spirit named Treasury of Universally Blazing Light received the Buddha’s awesome might, universally contemplated all the multitudes of Fire-Ruling Spirits, and spoke the following verses.
Commentary:
The Fire-Ruling Spirit named Thunder Sound and Lightning Flash has the great thunder cloud sound and the great lightning flash, hence his name. He obtained the liberation door of the great thunder crash from fulfilling all vows. He helps all living beings carry out their vows. Whatever vows you make, he will assist you, affording protection and support so you can fulfill them. His great crashing and shaking of thunder can be heard and felt throughout the Dharma Realm. That was the door to liberation which he attained.
At that time, just at that moment, the Fire-Ruling Spirit named Treasury of Universally Blazing Light received the Buddha’s awesome might. He availed himself of the greatly majestic spiritual power of the Buddha, universally contemplated all the multitudes of Fire-Ruling Spirits, and spoke the following verses. He used verses to describe the liberation doors again.
To be continued |
