娑婆世界是萬苦交煎，萬惡充滿的。所謂苦者，有三苦八苦，無量諸苦、言之不盡，語焉難窮。三苦者何？即苦苦、壞苦、及行苦也。
這個題目，就叫樂是苦因，我們所遭所遇，覺得是快樂，其實是很苦的。你要是不明白，就染苦為樂；你要明白了，就知道這個樂，將來是苦，或者現在就是苦。所以才說娑婆世界－－就是我們這個堪忍的世界。什麼叫娑婆世界呢？娑婆是梵語，翻譯過來就是堪忍－－眾生堪能忍受這種的苦。說這麼苦你怎麼還可以忍受呢？不能忍受。但是這個眾生在這就忍受了。這就堪能忍受。
這個世界是是萬苦交煎的。不是一種苦，很多種苦互相交煎。這種苦連著那種苦，那種苦連著這種苦，好像用那鍋煎東西似地那麼來交煎。也和真妄交間那個意思是差不多的。萬惡充滿的，這是總起來說。其實不止一萬種，就是很多種惡，充滿這個世界。所說這個苦，有多少種？有三苦八苦，又有無量諸苦，有沒有數量那麼多的苦。言之不盡，要是詳細說，說不完。語焉難窮。你怎樣講也講不完這個苦。三苦者何？什麼叫三苦呢？即苦苦，就是苦上更苦。本來這人窮，沒有衣服穿，有個破房子，在那可以住。但是或者颳颶風，把這個房子給颳壞了，沒有地方住了，這苦苦；或者著火，被火給燒了，這也是苦苦；或者下雨，把這房子被雨水給沖爛了，這也是苦苦。所謂屋漏更遭連夜雨，這個屋子本來漏，整晚間都下雨，這也叫苦苦。壞苦，壞苦是富貴的人本來很好的，但是也或者被火燒，或者被水淹，或者被風颳，有種種意外的事情發生，這富貴壞了。及行苦也。行苦就是也沒有貧窮的困苦，也不窮；也沒有富貴的壞苦。但是由少而壯，由壯而老，由老而死；念念遷流，念念不停，沒有什麼可快樂的，所以這是一個行苦。
八苦者，即生苦、老苦、病苦、死苦、愛別離苦、怨憎會苦、求不得苦、五陰熾盛苦也。
八種苦第一就是生苦。我們在生的時候不知道這種痛苦。其實人生的時候就好像這個活牛剝皮似地，又可以說是生龜脫殼，就好像一個龜把牠殼脫去了。生的時候一生出來就哭啊、哭啊，那就是說苦啊！苦啊！苦啊！小孩子一生的時候他就知道苦。生出來以後，過了幾天他就不知道苦了，就以為是快樂。所以小孩子他也會笑。他以為不錯，現在不苦了。可是過了一個時候又老了－－由少而壯，由壯而老，到老的時候又是苦了。到老，吃東西也吃不動；行步也邁不動步了，一切一切都不方便了，這是苦－－老的苦。病苦，人要有病也是一種苦。吃什麼東西也不香了。最大的莫如死苦，到死的時候更苦。這是四種苦。釋迦牟尼佛就因為這四種苦，所以他就出家修行。那麼還有四種苦就是：愛別離苦，你最愛惜這個人，他就和你分別開了，這是一種苦。你最愛惜這個東西，也丟了，這也是愛別離苦。你最愛住這個房子，被人給燒了，這也是愛別離苦。你最歡喜穿這個衣服，被人給偷去了，這也是愛別離苦。這愛別離苦，總而言之就是你所執著的，你所放不下的，哦！他離開了，這都是愛別離苦。一切的物質，連人都算上。怨憎會苦。這個人你很討厭的。你對他很不滿意的。啊！我離開你這個人，走了。到另外一個地方，偏偏又有這樣的一個人和你來在一起，所以這叫怨憎會苦。你怨恨他，你憎怒他，偏偏遇到一起，和他會面。求不得苦。你所想要求得到的，總也得不到，所以這也是一種苦。五陰熾盛苦也。五陰熾捫盛就是色受想行識這五陰，好像火似地燒得很厲害。這也是一種苦。不過人人都不覺得這種苦。你要知道是苦了，那種苦比什麼苦都厲害。
最樂莫如著華服，然而新衣著體，猶如桎梏加身，塵染湯沾，動生懊惱，你說是樂是苦？最樂莫如食美味，然而珍饈百味，日食祇是三餐，多則百病叢生，嘔瀉隨之，你說是樂是苦？
人最快樂的是穿一件新衣服。新鮮的衣服穿到身上麻煩就來了。現在美國這些個青年人把新衣服鉸壞了它一塊，這是很達觀、很聰明的辦法。但是你還要鉸，它才壞。你用剪子鉸，這也是做工了。因為你穿新衣服，你要做一點工。這是往壞的弄它來講。
要不往壞的弄它，你看那最有價值，最名貴的這個衣服穿上了。然而新衣著體，這個新衣服穿到身上，猶如桎梏加身。你以前沒有穿過新衣服，頭一次穿上新衣服，覺得往這麼動一點也怕把這個衣服弄骯髒；往那碰一碰也怕弄骯髒了，總要小心。走路就好像木頭了似地，這麼樣子什麼地方也不敢靠了。這真是把這個衣服保護得這麼好，這塵染。你要是哪兒去開 party，或者宴會，或者雞尾酒啦。到那地方一個不小心，哦！這種湯掉到身上。覺得：哎唷！我這件衣服值了五千塊錢，現在這麼弄骯髒了。這自己和自己就打起來了，因為自己染得骯髒了。要是旁人給弄骯髒了，就和人打起來，真正打起來。你把我衣服給弄邋遢了，這還得了？湯沾，尤其肉湯沾上了，洗也洗不掉。這件名貴的衣服就完了。動生懊惱。這一舉一動都是煩惱，就因為一件新衣服。你說是樂是苦？是快樂啊？是痛苦？
待續 |
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Text:
The Saha World is the place where a myriad sufferings intermingle and a myriad evils abound. As to sufferings, there are three, eight and limitless sufferings. There is no way to discuss them all, for they could never be fully described. The three sufferings are:
1. The suffering within suffering
2. The suffering of deterioration
3. The suffering of process
Commentary:
The topic is “Pleasure Is the Cause of Suffering.” We feel that the things we experience are pleasurable, but actually they are very bitter. If you don’t understand, then you mistake suffering to be happiness. If you understand, then you know that happiness will turn into suffering in the future or even right now. That’s the Saha World, the world where beings are “able to endure.” What is meant by “Saha”? Saha is a Sanskrit word that means “able to endure.” Living beings are able to endure this kind of suffering. “It’s so much suffering; how can they endure it?” you might ask. Even though the suffering is basically unbearable, they still manage to bear it.
The Saha World is the place where a myriad sufferings intermingle. There are many kinds of suffering in this world, not just one kind, and they all intermingle and cause mutual torment. Each suffering is connected to the others, and it’s as if one is being fried in a pot of oil--fried by the dharmas of suffering and a myriad evils abound. As to sufferings, there are three, eight and limitless sufferings. There is no way to discuss them all, for they could never be fully described. The three sufferings are:
1. The suffering within suffering. This is suffering added on top of suffering. The person may already be poor, have no clothes to wear, and live in a run-down old shack. Then a tornado comes and blows down his shack, so he has nowhere to live. That’s the suffering within suffering. Or maybe his shack gets burned down, or gets ruined by heavy rains. That’s also suffering within suffering. Or maybe his shack leaks, and on top of that it rains all night. That’s suffering within suffering as well.
2. The suffering of deterioration. This is when a person is rich and is basically getting along pretty well, but then there’s a fire, a flood, a tornado, or some other kind of calamity or accident that causes him to lose his wealth. His wealth deteriorates.
3. The suffering of process. You might not experience the suffering of poverty or the suffering of losing your wealth, but there’s the suffering of process. From your youth to the prime of life, and then on to old age and death, your thoughts follow one another in continual succession, never stopping. As there is really no happiness to be found, this is known as the suffering of process.
Text:
The eight sufferings are: birth, old age, sickness, death, the suffering of being separated from objects of love, the suffering of encountering objects of hate, the suffering of not getting what one seeks, and the suffering of the raging blaze of the five skandhas.
Commentary:
The eight sufferings are:
Birth: We are not aware of how painful the birth process is. Actually when a person is born, he feels as much pain as a cow being flayed alive, or as a live turtle getting its shell pulled off. When a baby is born, the first thing it does is cry, “Ku, ku, ku!” [In Chinese, the word ku for ‘crying’ (哭) sounds similar to the word ku for ‘suffering’ (苦).] So children experience suffering when they are first born. But after a few days, they forget about the suffering and mistake it to be happiness. So children will also smile and laugh. They think it’s pretty nice, that there’s no more suffering. But as they get older—passing from youth into the prime of life, and then onto old age—they experience suffering again. When they are old, they don’t have the strength to chew their food or to walk, and everything becomes a hassle. That’s the suffering of old age. Sickness is also a kind of suffering. When one is sick, everything one eats loses its flavor. But there is no suffering greater than that of death. The Buddha observed these four sufferings and it prompted him to leave the home-life and cultivate. There are four additional kinds of suffering: the suffering of being separated from objects of love. When you are separated from the person you love most dearly, that is this kind of suffering. When you lose your most treasured possession, you also experience this kind of suffering. If someone sets fire to your house, which you love to live in, you have this suffering. If someone steals your favorite outfit, you also have this suffering. In general, this suffering is experienced when something or someone that you are very attached to and cannot let go of is taken away from you. The suffering of encountering objects of hate. There may be someone you absolutely detest, so you decide to go somewhere else to get away from the person. But when you go to another place, you meet the same kind of person there. You hate him and loathe him, but as things turn out, you keep running into him.
The suffering of not getting what one seeks. There is something you really wish to have, but you just can’t obtain it. That’s also a kind of suffering. The suffering of the raging blaze of the five skandhas. The five skandhas are form, feeling, thought, formations, and consciousness. They are like a roaring fire, and they also constitute a kind of suffering, although no one considers it to be suffering. Once you awaken to this kind of suffering, you’ll know that it’s worse than anything.
Text:
Wearing beautiful new clothes is a great pleasure, but before long the clothes become a yoke. When they get dirty or stained, worry arises. Would you call this pleasure or suffering? Fine eating is foremost among pleasures, but even when served the most delicious gourmet food, one can only eat three meals a day; more brings on vomiting and diarrhea. Would you call this pleasure or suffering?
Commentary:
Wearing beautiful new clothes is a great pleasure. People love nothing better than putting on new clothes. But now there’s a new twist. In America the young people like to cut patches out of their new clothes. That’s a very carefree and clever way to do things. However, it does take a bit of work. You have to take a pair of scissors and cut up your new clothes. That’s to ruin clothes on purpose.
Suppose you don’t do that, and you put on a very expensive outfit. But before long the clothes become a yoke. When you put on that outfit for the first time, you’re afraid to move or touch anything, lest you get it dirty. So you are very, very careful. When you walk, you walk like a piece of wood, and you dare not lean against anything. You really take good care of your clothes. But suppose you go to a party, or a banquet, or out for a drink, and you accidentally spill something on your clothes. “Oh no! I paid $5000 for this outfit, and now it’s messed up.” You start berating yourself, “How could I be so careless? I’ve ruined my clothes.” You fight with yourself, because you made the mess yourself. If someone else gets your outfit dirty, you fight with them: “How dare you mess up my clothes like this?” When they get dirty or stained, worry arises. The stains will never wash out, and your expensive outfit is ruined. Then you become afflicted in everything you do, all because of this one outfit. Would you call this pleasure or suffering?
To be continued |
