前期提示：什麼是可知的
 |
世界因業而得運周
凡夫因業而生娑婆
By karma the world moves,By karma men live. |
宇宙之如何形成，知識之如何獲得，佛陀都在一部經──百事經 Sabba-sutta 經中給予回答。他解釋了形成宇宙的各種事物是什麼？他說這些事物不出眼耳鼻舌身意；色聲香味觸法。各種事物都被六根與六塵所遮蓋。所有其他的回答都在經驗之外，只會帶來憂慮與煩惱。佛陀強調直接經驗知識。所以佛法又稱為 ehipassiko意即「讓人自己修，自己看」法。佛從不曾鼓勵弟子們只因為這些話是佛說的，就相信這些話。他要弟子們自己迴光反照，以他們內心的真知與經驗來驗證真理：
「那麼現在」，佛有時問諸位比丘：「你們如是知，如是想，那麼你們會不會這樣說：『我們尊重師父；因為尊重師父，我們要這樣說話，要那樣說話。』」「我們不會那樣做的，世尊。」「你所說的不是你所知、你所見、你所懂的嗎？」「一點沒錯，世尊。」
佛教中梵行與戒律的重要性
以上所說的各種外道，大多數是於善不提善報，於惡不說惡報，乃至於加以否定。佛教在這點上就不是這樣的，任何一個修行的成就都有一個堅實的戒律基礎。所以宣公上人說：「佛法中最要緊的是守好五戒。」戒定慧這三無漏學，是整個佛道之核心，是貪瞋癡這三毒的解毒良藥。第一步就是要安份敦品守規矩，這樣才會生定；由定才會發慧。因此《華嚴經》上說：「戒為無上菩提本。」戒律的重要性，宣公上人是一而再，再而三地強調，從未停過:
佛正欲入涅槃時，囑告阿難，「汝以戒為師。」由此訓囑，我們可知戒律的重要性。戒律是修行人的命根子。破戒就如同自斷性命一般。
尸羅，即梵語之戒律。什麼是戒律？戒律就是佛弟子所應遵循的品德規矩。戒律可止惡防非。守好戒律了，一個人就不會作惡不斷，就會修正他的品行，就會行善以報佛。……
已經皈依三寶──佛、法、僧的在家居士與想向上的人應受五戒。這五戒是：不殺，不偷，不邪淫，不打妄語，不飲酒（不吸毒）。
要修道的人，這五戒是再重要不過了。如果一個人能堅守戒體，皎潔如明珠，他的這個戒德是很大的；如果一個人學佛而不受戒，那他就像一只漏底瓶。持戒就像是補漏洞似地。人身有漏，一旦持戒時間久了，就能斷漏了。
戒定慧這三樣是不能變的。修行人應當精持戒律，止惡防非。這就所謂的「諸惡莫作，眾善奉行。」這樣一來，戒律自然清淨；戒體清淨，自然生定。
守規矩，持佛為僧尼及居士們所訂的戒律，可以保證修行上的成就；忽視戒律，所有努力都是白費。
佛說：我的弟子即使離我千里之外，只要他們記得我的戒律，一定會證道果；如果不守戒律，雖在我身邊，常見我面，終不得證道。
業與因果
世界因業而得運周；
凡夫因業而生娑婆；
眾生因業而被束縛──
如輪附軸。
而人因業得榮顯稱許；
因業而生束縛，而得毀與暴。
明知業結諸果，為何你還說：
「是否無業」？
這六種外道大部份都撥無因無業。他們或許看到物質世界的一些因，也從不同角度去解釋這些因，但都不曾從戒因與精神範疇上去解釋。佛教則不同，因果律是周遍法界的，任何人任何事都跑不掉的，修道者照樣跑不掉。從百丈禪師與狐狸精的故事可證一二。此狐狸精前生是一修行人，一次他回答別人這樣一個問題：「修行人落不落因果？」「不落。」他這一回答，一失足成千古恨。五百世中，他墮入畜生道，生為狐狸身。直到百丈禪師糾正他的錯誤，他才得以解脫。百丈禪師是怎麼說的呢？他說：「修行人不昧因果。」這意思是修行人並不是超乎因果之外，而是他們從不錯因倒果。這一樁公案的意義在於：如果一個人撥無因果，起諸邪見，那就會造下重業。
待續 |
|
From last issue:What can be known
The Buddha's answer to what constitutes the universe and what the methods of obtaining knowledge about it are is found in a Sutra called Sabba-sutta, "The Sutra on 'Everything.'" Here a philosopher named Janussoni questions the Buddha on 'everything,' on what is it that makes up everything in the universe. The Buddha answers that 'everything' is just eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind; sights, sounds, smells, tastes, objects of touch, and dharmas. Everything in the world is covered by the six senses and their objects. All other answers would be beyond the sphere of experience, and only lead to worry and affliction. The Buddha stressed knowledge gained by direct personal experience. Thus the Buddhadharma is called ehipassiko, which means ‘inviting one to come and see.’ The Buddha never encouraged his disciples to believe his teachings just because they were spoken by the Buddha. The disciples were to reflect, contemplate, and verify the truth of his teachings in the light of their own insight and experience:
"And now," he sometimes asked his monks, "that you know and think thus, will you say: ‘We honor the Master and, through respect for the Master, we say this or that?’"--"We will not do that, Lord."--"What you do assert, is it not what you yourselves have recognized, you yourselves seen, you yourselves grasped?"--"That is exactly so, Lord."
The Importance of Morality and Precepts in Buddhism
Most of the heterodox schools mentioned above rejected moral causality, and denied that good and bad acts had any meaning or consequences. Not so Buddhism. Any achievement in Buddhist practice can only be based on a solid moral foundation. This is why Master Hua has said: “The most important thing in Buddhism is to uphold the five precepts.” The three non-outflow studies of precepts, samadhi, and wisdom are the whole Buddhist path in a nutshell. They are the effective antidotes to the three poisons of greed, hatred, and stupidity. The first step is observing ethical conduct, or upholding the precepts. This gives rise to samadhi, meditative concentration [or, in a broader sense, a mind that is unmoving, calm, and clear in all circumstances]. Out of samadhi arises prajna, transcendental wisdom, which leads one to enlightenment. Thus it is said in the Flower Adornment (Avatamsaka) Sutra: “Precepts are the foundation of unsurpassed Bodhi.” Master Hua never tired of stressing the importance of precepts:
Just before the Buddha entered Nirvana, he told the Venerable Ananda, "Take the precepts as your master." From this exhortation, we can see the importance of precepts. Moral precepts are the very life-source of cultivators. Violating the precepts is as painful as having one's life cut off.
‘Shila’ is Sanskrit for ‘precepts.’ What are precepts? They are the rules of moral conduct that Buddhist disciples follow. The precepts prevent evil and guard against mistakes. When one maintains precepts, one doesn't indulge in any bad actions, but instead one conducts oneself properly and offers up one's good conduct to the Buddha. (...)
Laypeople who have taken refuge with the Triple Jewel--the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha--and those who wish to make progress should take the five precepts. The five are: not to kill, not to steal, not to commit sexual misconduct, not to lie, and not to take intoxicants. (...)
It is absolutely essential for people who want to cultivate the Way to receive precepts. If one can guard the pure precept substance, one is as beautiful as a gleaming pearl. The virtue of the precepts is very great. If one studies the Buddhadharma without receiving the precepts, one will be like a leaky bottle. To keep precepts is to patch the leaks. The human body has outflows. If one maintains the precepts for a long time, eventually there will be no outflows.
The three aspects of precepts, samadhi, and wisdom are unalterable. Those who cultivate the Way should diligently cultivate precepts, put to rest all evil and avoid wrong-doing. This is also known as "doing no evil and offering up all good conduct." (...) In that way the precepts will spontaneously be pure. When the precept substance is pure, one will be able to give rise to samadhi power.
Adherence to the moral code, the various sets of precepts laid down by the Buddha for monks, nuns, and laypeople, guarantees success in one’s cultivation. Ignoring the precepts nullifies all one’s efforts:
The Buddha said, “My disciples may be several thousand miles away from me, but if they remember my moral precepts, they will certainly attain the fruition of the Way.”
“If those who are by my side do not follow my moral precepts, they may see me constantly, but in the end they will not attain the Way.”
Karma and Cause and Effect
By karma the world moves,
By karma men live,
And by karma are all beings bound
As, by its pin, the rolling chariot wheel.
By karma one attains glory and praise,
By karma bondage, ruin, tyranny.
Knowing that karma bears fruit manifold
Why say you, “In the world no karma is?”
Most of the six heterodox teachers blankly rejected moral causation and karma. They might see causation in the physical world, and explain it in various ways, but not in the moral or spiritual sphere. In Buddhism, however, the principle of cause and effect is all-encompassing. Nobody and nothing is exempt from it, not even accomplished cultivators of the Way, as the story of Chan Master Baizhang and the fox spirit illustrates. Answering ‘no’ to the question of whether great cultivators fall within cause and effect doomed the monk of this story to 500 existences as a fox. He was only liberated when Chan Master Baizhang cleared his error by saying: “Great cultivators are not unclear about cause and effect. It's not that they don't come under it. They would never fail to understand cause and effect.” The point of the story is that having erroneous views of cause and effect or denying causality totally can lead to very serious karmic consequences.
to be continued |
