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鬼法界
鬼類喜瞋，昧果迷因；
無明顛倒，日積月深。
一般人都知道鬼，有的人就相信有鬼，有的人就說沒有鬼，甚至於佛教徒也不相信鬼。什麼叫鬼？鬼就是一股陰氣。他有影而無形，有形而無影。你或者看著他一個黑影，你細一究，他又沒有了。或者看見他好像是個人似的，可是轉眼間也沒有了。這種的道理是很不容易把他弄清楚的。
我們現在所講的是十法界。這十法界之中就有一個鬼法界。這鬼有多少種呢？鬼的種類也恆河沙數那麼多，無窮無盡，那麼多的種類。有的是有財鬼；怎麼叫有財鬼呢？他就有勢力！在鬼之中，他是做鬼王的。有的無財鬼；無財鬼就是沒有勢力的，也就是窮鬼。因為他窮，所以他就給人很多麻煩，到處去給人添麻。那麼你若想明白這鬼的種類有多少，你就要修道。等你開了五眼六通了，那麼有多少種鬼你都會知道了。
有的人說沒有鬼。我就告訴他，若沒有鬼，也就沒有佛，也沒有人，也沒有一切的畜生了。因為畜生也是鬼變的，人也都是鬼變的，修羅都是從鬼變的，乃至於天道、阿羅漢、緣覺、菩薩、佛，都是從鬼道上來的。因為什麼呢？因為這「十法界不離一念心」。這一念心，就造成十法界。
你做鬼事，就是墮落鬼道去；做人事，就到人道裏頭去；做阿修羅的事，就跑到阿修羅裏頭去。你做阿羅漢的事，就跑到阿羅漢裏邊去；你做緣覺，就跑到緣覺裏邊去；你若做菩薩的事，就跑到菩薩的眷屬裏邊去；你若做佛事，就成佛；你若做地獄的事，就墮地獄。這都是由你現前的一念心造成的，所以才說十法界不出這個一念。
那麼現在講這個鬼，「鬼類喜瞋」：凡是鬼的種類，就歡喜發火，生瞋恨心。人家對他好，他也生瞋恨心；對他不好，他也生個瞋恨心。他最歡喜是什麼呢？就是給其他的人麻煩。你對他好，他也給你麻煩；你對他不好，他也給你麻煩。所以就說，燒香引出鬼來了。本來你燒香，是恭敬他。你不恭敬他，他還不給你麻煩；你一恭敬他，他就給你麻煩，讓你生病了。所以孔子都講：「敬鬼神而遠之。」這鬼神，你恭敬是要恭敬，但是你不要和他接近，要離他遠一點，所以說鬼類喜瞋。
「昧果迷因」：果，他也不明白；因，他也不懂。迷昧因果了，所以他就不知道好壞。本來種好因結好果，種善因結善果，種不善因就結惡果；種瓜就得瓜，種豆就得豆。他不懂這個，他不懂什麼叫種瓜得瓜，什麼叫種豆得豆。他就種上茄子，想要吃辣椒；種上辣椒，他就想吃黃瓜。所以他就不懂這個道理，就亂七八糟地這麼胡搞，這叫昧果迷因，不懂因果的。
他的「無明顛倒」，這種行為「日積月深」：日積，就一天一天地積得很多；月深，這無明顛倒，就這個月比那個月深一點，那個月又比那個月深一點。就是愈造愈深，愈深他愈造。所以講日積月深。
地獄法界
地獄憂苦，無門自鑽；
起惑造業，受報循環。
「地獄憂苦」：地獄是最不快樂的一個地方，那麼你們誰願意到那個地方旅行去，隨時都可以到的。誰願意到地獄旅行去，我可以保證你們即刻就到。怎麼樣呢？你「愁一愁，就地獄遊一遊。」愁，就是憂愁；你一憂愁，就到地獄旅行去了， vacation（度假）去了。
愁一愁，就地獄遊一遊；
笑一笑，就老還少；
哭一哭，就地獄有個小黑屋。
你看，就這樣子。你要是憂愁，就種地獄的因。你要是笑，就種天堂的因，「自古神仙無別法」，沒有旁的方法，「只生歡喜不生愁」。所以說你「愁一愁，就地獄遊一遊」，到地獄去旅行去了。你能常常地笑，老了也像年輕人一樣。哭這也是一個麻煩的事情。
總而言之，地獄沒有快樂的，只有憂苦的。但是地獄沒有門，地獄這個門是自己開的，自己就往裏鑽，所以說「無門自鑽」。本來地獄沒有門，不像我們人間的監獄，用人工造成了放在那地方，誰犯法了，把他放到監獄去。不是的。地獄沒有門，但是你到了自己應該入地獄時，你到那兒，那個門就開了。你就硬往裏鑽，鑽不進去也要鑽；無門自鑽。
「起惑造業」：為什麼到地獄去啊？因為無明、煩惱，你愚癡了、不明白了。因為不明白了，所以就造出一些個惡業來了。沒有造善業，造惡業。「受報循環」：你造了一些惡業，就要墮地獄，就要受這個果報。受果報是循環無端的。你造什麼業，就受什麼果報，絲毫都不會錯的。所以這叫受報循環。
待續 |
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The Dharma Realm of Ghosts
Verse:
The ghostly crew delights in hate,
Deluded by effects, confused about cause;
Their ignorance and upside-downness
Grow greater each day, deeper each month.
Commentary:
Almost everyone has heard of ghosts, but not everyone believes in them. There are even Buddhist disciples who don’t believe there are ghosts. Ghosts are masses of yin energy that have shadow and no form, or form and no shadow. Perhaps you have seen a dark shadow, but when you looked closer it disappeared. Or perhaps you’ve seen what seemed like a person, but which vanished in the blink of an eye. Such phenomena are difficult to understand.
Among the Ten Dharma Realms, we are now discussing the Dharma Realm of ghosts. There are as many different kinds of ghosts as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River. There are infinitely many kinds of ghosts. Some are affluent and powerful ghosts that reign as kings over the ghosts’ realm. Some ghosts are poverty-stricken and devoid of authority—it is often the poor ghosts who bother people and go about causing trouble. If you want to know how many kinds of ghosts there are, work hard at cultivation, open the five eyes and six spiritual penetrations, and then you’ll know.
As to people who say there are no ghosts, I tell them that if there are no ghosts, then there are also no Buddhas, people, or animals, because animals are transformed from ghosts, as are people, asuras, and so forth, even to gods, Arhats, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas. All realms come from the realm of ghosts, because the Ten Dharma Realms are not apart from a single thought of the mind, and one thought of the mind creates the Ten Dharma Realms.
By conducting yourself as if you were a ghost, you fall into the ghosts’ realm. Acting as a person does, you come to the human realm. Behaving like an asura, you join the ranks of asuras. Assuming the practice of an Arhat, you enter the realm of Arhats. Behaving like One Enlightened to Conditions, you enter that realm. Doing the deeds of a Bodhisattva, you join the retinue of Bodhisattvas. Performing the work of a Buddha, you realize Buddhahood. If you commit hellish offenses, you fall into the hells. All of this is brought about by the one thought that is right now in your mind. Thus we say that the Ten Dharma Realms are not beyond a single thought.
The ghostly crew delights in hate. Ghosts enjoy exploding in a fiery rage when people are not good to them, and even when treated well they still get angry. They like nothing better than giving people trouble. They give you trouble whether you are good to them or not. There is an old saying: “Lighting a stick of incense calls forth ghosts.” People light incense to pay respect to ghosts. Before you’ve paid respect to them they don’t bother you, but once you make their acquaintance, the ghosts become a nuisance, make you sick, or give you some other trouble. Confucius said, “Respect the ghosts and spirits, but keep them at a distance.” It is wise to pay respect to the ghosts and spirits, but otherwise keep your distance and don’t get too close to them.
Deluded by effects, confused about cause. They are unclear about results and don’t understand their causes. As a result, they can’t tell good from bad. Basically if you plant a good cause, you reap a good fruit; if you plant a bad cause you reap a bad effect. If you plant melons you get melons; plant beans and you’ll get beans. Ghosts don’t understand that. They plant eggplant and anticipate eating hot peppers, or plant hot peppers and think they will harvest cucumbers. Since they have no comprehension of principles, they act recklessly and in confusion.
Their ignorance and upside-downness / Grow greater each day, deeper each month. They accumulate a lot karma every day. Their ignorance and upside-downness become deeper with each passing month. The more karma they create, the deeper their ignorance gets, and the deeper it gets, the more offenses they commit.
The Dharma Realm of Hell-beings
Verse:
The hells’ anxiety and suffering
Is devoid of doors, yet one bores right in.
Delusion arises; deeds are done.
The retribution is borne in due accord.
Commentary:
The hells are a miserable place. Anyone who would like to take a vacation in the hells can do so any time at all. I can guarantee that you’ll get there right away. How? It is said,
Depressed and melancholy, you roam through the hells.
Happy and smiling, you enjoy eternal youth.
Weeping and woe make a small dark room in the hells.
Once you become worried, you travel to the hells to take a vacation. If you get worried, you plant a seed for the hells. If you smile, you plant a seed for the heavens. It is said,
From ancient times, the divine immortals have had no other practice
Than merely being happy and not being sad.
If you become depressed, you take a trip to the hells. If you smile all the time, you look youthful even if you are old. If you cry, you give yourself a lot of vexation.
In general, there is no happiness in the hells. They are full of suffering and distress. The hells’ anxiety and suffering / Is devoid of doors, yet one bores right in. Unlike jails built to hold criminals, the hells haven’t any doors. However, if you are due to go to hell, when you arrive it is just as if a door opened, because you find yourself worming and boring in where there was no entrance.
Delusion arises; deeds are done. Why do you go to the hells? Ignorance and afflictions make you stupid and confused, so you create bad karma and don’t do good deeds. The retribution is borne in due accord. When you create bad karma, you fall into the hells to undergo the retribution. There is no end to this cycle once it starts. You receive exact repayment for whatever karma you create, and the retribution is never off by even a hair’s breadth.
To be continued |
