前期經文提示：情想均等。不飛不墮……情幽斯鈍。
以前你是五分的想，五分的情，現在看你是想多？是情多？你要是情多，從這個地方就轉到地獄去了；你若想多，就轉 到天堂上去了；你要是沒有情了，就轉到佛國去了。
沒有情了，就是純陽無陰了；你有一分的情，那也是有陰的。你若沒有情了，就純陽無陰，就是成佛去了。
所以這個地方這不說，「想明斯聰」：就是轉了。想明，你要是越想越聰明，越想越有智慧；越有智慧，就越有智慧。斯聰，就聰明了。這就是你修行一天比一天地有功夫、有進步，一天比一天有進步，這個光就一天比一天多一點，多來多去，他那個光和佛光一樣了，這就叫想明斯聰。「情幽斯鈍」：情，這個情為什麼說它是陰呢？想，是一個很公開的，正大光明的。譬如你修行，你這個參禪打坐學佛法，這是一個正事；你聽經這也是個正事，你學佛法、你修行，這都是正事。這想明斯聰，你修行，修行就聰明了。
情幽，這若談情說愛的呢，就不能大家坐在一起談。一定要男女單獨的，到花園，或者到海邊上去，或者到樹底下，坐到那個地方，你也小小聲講，他也小小聲的說。這兩個人哪，哦！廣東話這叫密針。密就是祕密的；針呢，就是針灸的那個針。這個密針就是慢慢地，這麼一邊慢慢談，慢慢談。這慢慢談，單獨兩個人去談去，這就叫幽。幽，旁人看不見這就是幽。斯鈍，幽來幽去，幽就是見不得光，這就叫幽。幽暗，幽暗就沒有什麼光明，跑到那個樹林裡頭去，見不得天那個地方。或者是在車裡邊，或者在船上，總而言之，那個很少人到的地方，這就叫幽。幽就是幽暗，幽暗就屬陰的。斯鈍，就是愚癡了。這個鈍就是愚鈍，愚癡了。談來談去，談得愚癡了，就墮落到這個無底深坑裡去了，就墮落了。所以這個情，為什麼它讓人墮落呢？就是你談來談去的兩個人，一起墮落苦海裡去了，不容易出來的。出來，那可要要費一點大的力氣，除非有真正善知識，這麼拖著你手，「出來！」把你給拖出來了，要不然的時候不容易出來的。
情多想少。流入橫生。
重為毛群。輕為羽族。
「情多想少」，你這個「流入橫生」：什麼叫橫生呢？就畜生，到這畜生裡邊去。「重為毛群」：情重的人，就做這個毛群。什麼叫毛群呢？就是披毛戴角的馬、牛、羊，這有披毛的這些個東西。你看這多危險哪！小心一點哪！這個地方。所以我為什麼說楞嚴經這個地方是重要的，你看哪，這是人和獸的交關處啊，錯一步就跑到畜生裡頭去了，差了一點就跑到畜生裡去。重為毛群，這個情重的人，就生到披毛戴角那個裡邊了。「輕為羽族」：輕的呢－－他這也有情有想－－要是情重的、想少的，這就轉餓鬼，或者轉畜生；要是還有一點想的，又有情，又有想，就會變成飛禽去。
待續 |
|
sutra text from last issue: When their thought and emotion are of equal proportions, they cannot fly and they do not fall,...If their emotion is dark, their wits are dull.
In the past, in order to get to the human realm, you had fifty percent thought and fifty percent emotion. All you have to do is take a look and see if you've got more emotion now or more thought. If you've got more emotion, your next transfer will be to the hells. If you've got more thought, your next transfer will be to the heavens. If you are devoid of emotion, you can transfer to the Buddhalands, for you are pure yang, without any yin. If you have ten percent emotion, you have yin. If you don't have any emotion, you are pure yang and can become a Buddha.
If their thought is bright, their wits are keen.This is the point of transfer. The more you think, the smarter you get and the more wisdom you have. The more wisdom you have, the more wisdom you will obtain. The more you cultivate, the more your skill will develop day-by-day. In this way your light grows a little more day-by-day. It keeps increasing until it is equal to the light of the Buddhas. That's what's meant by "if their thought is bright, their wits are keen."
If their emotion is dark, their wits are dull. Why is emotion said to be yin? Thought is very open and out front, very public and bright. To cultivate, investigate Chan, sit in meditation, study the Buddhadharma, and listen to the Sutras are proper activities. From them you can gain keen intelligence.
But love and emotion--romantic matters--can't be discussed in a crowd. Rather, a man and a woman must go to the park or the seashore or beneath a tree alone to speak in whispers. They must slowly talk things over in secret. This is what is meant by emotion being "dark." Dark and obscure places are places where others cannot see them and where there is very little light. For example, they might go into the forest where they can't see the sky. Or they get into cars or on boats. They go to places where there are few people; this is to be "dark." Darkness is considered yin, and it causes people to be stupid and dull-witted. They chat and chat and become stupider and stupider until eventually they fall into a bottomless pit. That's why emotion makes you fall. You talk together until you both slip and fall into the sea of suffering. Then it won't be easy to get out; you'll have to make a tremendous effort. Unless you're lucky enough to have a Good and Wise Advisor who grabs you by the hand and shouts, "Get out!" getting out will be very difficult.
Sutra:
When they have more emotion than thought, they enter the animal realm. With heavier emotion, they become fur-bearing beasts; with lighter emotion, they become winged creatures.
Commentary:
When they have more emotion than thought, they enter the animal realm. With heavier emotion, they become fur-bearing beasts. People with heavy emotion end up getting reborn as cows, horses, sheep, and the like. Do you see how dangerous it is? You'd better be careful! That's why I said this section of the Shurangama Sutra is so important. It shows exactly the point at which people and animals cross paths. One wrong step and you end up an animal. If you're off by just a little bit, then you fall into the animal kingdom. Those with heavy emotions become animals with fur and perhaps horns.
With lighter emotion, they become winged creatures. If people have more emotion than thought, then they are reborn either as hungry ghosts or as animals. If they have more emotion, but still also have some thought, then they become creatures that fly.
Did you ever wonder why birds are so colorful? Some birds have beautiful spots and patterns on their plumage. It's because when they were human beings, they liked to wear colorful and pretty clothes. They would get all dressed up and then constantly admire themselves. The combination of excessive attention to clothing and a lot of emotion with a little thought caused them to fall into the realm of birds. Some birds are really exquisite. They must have been people who dressed especially well. Because of their emotion, they end up as animals, but the degree of their emotion is slightly less than that of beasts, and so they become birds.
To be continued |
