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如何消除恐懼心與業障
問：我們常討論羅漢和菩薩的果位，兩者不同的地方和相同的地方，請上人開示：關於羅漢和菩薩果位有甚麼不同之處？
上人：羅漢、菩薩都是個名詞，這是人智慧的不同。菩薩是要利人；羅漢只修持自己，這是修行的階段。你在作凡夫的時候，不知道羅漢的境界是甚麼樣子，你在那兒算來算去，推度想像，把光陰都浪費掉了。你想像菩薩是甚麼樣子？羅漢是甚麼樣子？你怎樣想也達不到那個境界。就好像讀書；沒有入學的時候，你想：「我入學後，要怎麼樣讀書；中學又讀甚麼書；大學又讀甚麼書。」你只是想像而不努力，想到甚麼時候你也不能畢業。可是你不必想中學讀甚麼書，大學讀甚麼書，你就是到學堂裏去天天努力學習；你到達那個境界時，你讀到那書，你自然就會知道是怎麼一回事了。現在揣測是浪費精神，也就好像吃飽飯沒事幹，沒有工作做要找一點沒有價值的工作做，這是我的看法。
所以我們出家凡夫，先要做個好比丘，把比丘做好了。比丘比如小學，把小學的書讀好了，當然就可以入中學；到了中學不必想像博士畢業的時候該怎麼樣？雖然要有這個計劃，但這是還沒有來到的事。我們雖計劃了，卻不一定成事實。所以先把比丘做好了，比研究羅漢、研究菩薩更好。
問：我父母不贊成我出家，認為出家是不好的事情。我自己很想用佛教來感化我的父母親，但出家很容易使他們產生反感，所以請師父開示一個方法，使他們慢慢接受佛教和打坐。
上人：可以，很容易的可使你父母不反對你出家。以前在馬來西亞有一位出家人，他看我們萬佛聖城的出家人搭衣，他也要搭衣。可是他的師父無論如何不許可他搭衣，說出家人不需要搭衣，他問我怎麼辦？我就告訴他：「你問問你師父，你說你若搭上衣就知道自己是出家人，就不生淫欲心；若不搭衣，就總想要去找女人。問問你師父怎麼辦？他是許可你搭衣或不許可你搭衣？」他回去問他是父，他師父聽他這麼一說，就不阻止他搭衣了。你這個問題，你可以對父母說：「我如果不出家，就想去吃、喝、嫖、賭、吸毒、殺人、放火，甚麼都想幹。出家了因為戒殺放生，就自然而然不要幹這些黑暗的事情。」你問問父母怎麼辦？是不出家好？還是出家好？
問：念佛法門，南傳佛教比較少用，想請問上人應修何種法門，來發起信仰心？
上人：信仰好像五味似的。佛所說的各種法門也就好像味道似的。酸甜苦辣鹹，你不能說酸的是第一；也不能說甜的是第一；也不能說苦的是第一；也不能說辣的是第一；也不能說鹹的是第一，這是人各有所好。好吃酸的就說酸的對他好；好吃甜的就覺得甜的對他好；好吃苦的就覺得苦對他好；好吃辣的，沒有辣的就吃不下飯。我們無論信仰那一個法門，若用得適當，自然就會相應；用得不當，就不相應，這是看個人的根性，好像各有各的因緣。哪一個法門，你要是能專一，都有感應，也就是相應。譬如念佛，又省工，又省錢，又不障礙其他的事情；行住坐臥，都可以念佛，很多人都可以做到的，所以這個法門對於一般人是相應的；你若不專一，那麼也有不相應的時候。有句話說：
口念彌陀心散亂，
喉嚨喊破也徒然。
因此無論修哪一個法門，都要生出信心來，「信為道元功德母，長養一切諸善根」，我們為甚麼信心不堅固呢？就因為根紮得淺，對佛教不能深入。這時要怎麼樣？就要立功、立德、立言。立功是幫助他人；立德是默默中幫助旁人，不一定叫旁人知道；立言，我們要：
慈悲口，方便舌；
有錢沒錢多作德。
我們能說真話，不打妄語，說得實實在在，這樣經過千錘百鍊，我們這個道理講出來，任何人都推不倒這個真理。因為真理是不變的，是隨緣的，是隨緣而不變；不變而隨緣，這就是真理和虛偽的道理不同的地方。你若認識真理了，你天天去研究這個真理，自然就生出信心來。
待續 |
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How to Get Rid of Fear and Karmic Obstacles
Question: We often discuss Arhats and Bodhisattvas. Could the Master please explain the differences and similarities between the two? What are the differences between Bodhisattvahood and Arhatship?
Venerable Master: "Arhat" and "Bodhisattva" are names. They refer to people with different levels of wisdom. Bodhisattvas want to benefit others, while Arhats only cultivate to benefit themselves. These two are both stages on the path of cultivation. As an ordinary person, you don't know what the state of an Arhat is like. You may speculate all you want, but you're only wasting your time. No matter how you try to imagine what Arhats and Bodhisattvas are like, you cannot fathom their states. You're like someone who hasn't been to school yet, but who thinks he knows what it will be like to study and what books he will study in high school and college. If you merely think about it without really studying hard, you can fantasize forever, but you still won't be able to graduate. You don't have to think about what you're going to study in high school or college. All you have to do is attend classes every day and study hard. When you get to those levels of study and read those books, you'll very naturally know what it's all about. All your speculations are just a waste of energy. Having eaten your fill and having nothing better to do, you just look for some useless activity to occupy yourself. That's the way I see it.
And so as ordinary people who have left the home-life, we first want to be good Bhikshus. Being a Bhikshu is like being an elementary school student. After we have finished studying the elementary school curriculum, of course we can enter high school. In high school we need not think about what we're going to do after we have earned a Ph.D. Although we should have a plan, we have to realize that when the time comes, things may not happen the way we plan. So it's better to concentrate on doing a good job of being a Bhikshu than to investigate the states of Arhats and Bodhisattvas.
Question: My parents don't approve of my leaving the home-life. They don't think leaving home is a good thing. I really wish to use Buddhism to influence my parents, but if I leave home they will probably become even more opposed. Will the Master please tell me how I can help them to gradually accept Buddhism and meditation?
Venerable Master: Yes. It's very easy to cause your parents to not oppose your leaving the home-life. In Malaysia there was a left-home person who, when he saw left-home people from the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas wearing their precept sashes, also wanted to wear his sash. But his teacher wouldn't allow him to wear the sash under any circumstances. His teacher maintained that left-home people didn't need to wear the sash. When he asked me what he should do, I said, "Tell your teacher that if you wear the sash, you'll be reminded that you are a monk and you won't have thoughts of lust; if you don't wear it, you keep thinking about women. Tell your teacher that, and see if he'll let you wear the sash." When he went back and told this to his teacher, his teacher didn't stop him from wearing the sash anymore. As for your question, you can tell your parents, "If I don't leave home, then I'll want to eat, drink, visit prostitutes, gamble, take drugs, and even commit murder and arson and all kinds of crime. But if I leave home, then I have to give up killing and liberate life, so naturally I won't dare to do those bad things." Tell your parents that and then ask them if they think leaving home is a good idea or not.
Question: Reciting the Buddha's name is not a common practice in Theravada Buddhism. What method of practice would the Master recommend to help one develop faith?
Venerable Master: Faith can be compared to the five flavors. All the different Dharma-doors (methods of practice) that the Buddha taught are like different flavors. There are sour, sweet, bitter, hot, and salty flavors. You can't say that sour is the best flavor, nor can you say that sweet is number one. You can't say that bitter, hot, or salty flavors are number one either, because each person likes different things. Those who like to eat sour things say sourness is good for them. Those who prefer sweet things feel that sweetness is good for them. People who like to eat bitter-tasting things think bitterness is good for them. And those who like hot, spicy food cannot eat food that doesn't have any spices in it. No matter what Dharma-door we believe in, if we apply it correctly, there will naturally be a response. If we don't use it appropriately, there will be no response. The choice of a method of practice depends on each person's disposition. Every individual has his or her causes and conditions. No matter which Dharma-door it is, if you can concentrate on it, you will obtain a response. For example, if you cultivate the Dharma-door of reciting the Buddha's name, it doesn't take a lot of work or money, and it doesn't hinder your other activities, because you can do it whether you are moving or still, in the daytime or at night. This is a practice that many people are able to do with ease, so it is suitable for people in general. But if you don't concentrate, you might not have a response. There's a saying that goes,
If your mouth recites "Amitabha," but your mind is distracted,
Then even if you recite till your throat is sore, it's no use.
For that reason, no matter what method you use, it's necessary to have faith. "Faith is the source of the Way and the mother of merit and virtue. It nurtures all roots of goodness." Why is our faith not strong and firm? Because we have not sent our roots down deeply, so we cannot deeply enter the Buddha's teachings. What should we do about this? We should create merit, foster virtue, and establish good speech. To create merit means to help other people. To foster virtue is to quietly benefit others without letting them know. And to establish good speech means:
With compassionate and skillful speech,
With or without money, do more virtuous deeds.
If we can speak true words and not tell lies, if we can speak the truth that we have realized after "going through the fire," no one will be able to refute that truth. The truth is unchanging, yet it accords with conditions. It accords with conditions, but never changes. That's the difference between truth and falsehood. If you recognize the truth and investigate it day after day, you'll naturally have faith.
to be continued |
