前期經文提示:佛告諸比丘，未來世中，若有善男子善女人，聞妙法華經，提婆達多品，淨心信敬，不生疑惑者，不墮地獄餓鬼畜生，生十方佛前。所生之處，常聞此經。若生人天中，受勝妙樂。若在佛前，蓮華化生。
我再給你們舉一些個比喻來形容。好像那個鐘，怎麼它響了呢？那個人用個棍子一打它，它響了；要不打它呢，它不會響的。你想一想，是不是？也就因為它有響，所以人才打它；一打它，它就響。要沒有響呢，就沒有人打了。
這個精金，就用火來燒，它才會變成精金；不經過火燒，那個金子成份就沒有那麼好。梅花非常地香，臘梅花－－冬天開那種花，那個香氣都香得很遠很遠的。為什麼呢？因為經過寒冷的時間，所以它就香了。所以說：「不受一番寒徹骨」，你要不受了凍，凍到骨頭裡去。「怎得梅花撲鼻香」呢？你那裡能夠得到這個梅花撲鼻那麼香。你離得很遠，它就有一股香氣了。
所以你能以把你對面的人看成善知識，這就是真正的恭敬。好像那個小孩子吃奶；小孩子吃奶的時候，他不說他母親有什麼毛病。他這個母親再醜，相貌很難看的，但這小孩子吃奶，他絕對不會嫌他這個母親相貌醜陋的。他就吃奶，吃奶時不會說，你這麼醜，我不吃你的奶了；沒有這個道理。又好像什麼呢？又好像人到山上去採果子去。他不會說，你這棵樹長得那麼彎彎曲曲的，我不摘你的果。不會這樣的。它怎麼樣枝叉，他可以摘果的。你能有這一種的思想，這就叫不生疑惑。你對這個經典不生疑惑，就好像那個小孩子不說他媽媽生得醜怪。和那個摘果子到山上，不說這個樹木很彎的，這個彎的這個果子我不要了。不會的。
所以你對提婆達多這一品，雖然說是他所行所做是很惡的一個人，但是你不生這種分別心，這就叫不生疑惑。你能這樣子不生疑惑，這才是真正的聞慧，也是真正的思慧，也是真正的修慧。你真正有修行的智慧，有思想的智慧，有聽聞的智慧，你能這樣子；才能不墮落到三惡道裡頭去。你能不墮落三惡道，就常常能事奉諸佛、供養諸佛。你能常常地親近諸佛，自然就可以聞到妙法蓮華經；你聞到妙法蓮華經，就會蓮華化生。
所以這經上才說不疑惑者，不墮地獄。地獄，就是最惡的人在那受罪的地方。餓鬼，唉！做餓鬼是很辛苦的。為什麼？想吃東西也吃不著。明明看見這東西可以吃，但是一到口裡就變成火了，沒有法子嚥得到肚裡頭去。畜生，就是所有馬、牛、羊、雞、犬、豕種種畜生。你要不疑惑這個提婆達多品，就不會去到地獄受罪，不會做餓鬼，不會做畜生。「生十方佛前」，能生到十方佛前。「所生之處」：所生的地方，「常聞此經」，常常聽見妙法蓮華經。
這妙法蓮華經不是容易聽見的。你看他本來發心在這學佛法，學學就跑了。這不能說是他善根不具足，也或者是種種因緣，或者看這某一個人不如意，對這個人不滿意跑了。或者因為太辛苦了就跑了。總而言之，雖然有這種種的情形跑了，但是這個善根都有一點關係。如果善根具足的，聽法華經絕對不會跑的。「若生人天中」：或者生到人間，或者生到天上去。「受勝妙樂」：受到最殊勝的那種美妙的快樂。「若在佛前」：若生在佛前呢，之後會蓮華化生。我們聞這個妙法蓮華經，會得到蓮華化生。蓮華化生就是九品蓮華為父母，不是從這個男女的慾性生出來的。是由一種清淨的自性生到蓮華裡頭，蓮華一開了，喔！生出來了，現出來你自己的法身。
待續 |
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Sutra text from last issue: The Buddha told the Bhikshus, “In the future if a good man or good woman hears the Devadatta Chapter of The Wonderful Dharma Flower Sutra and with a pure mind believes and reveres it, having no doubts, he will not fall into the hells, into the realm of hungry ghosts, or into the animal realm. He will be born in the presence of the Buddhas of the ten directions, always hearing this Sutra wherever he may be born. Should he be reborn among humans and gods, he will receive supreme and subtle bliss. If born in the presence of a Buddha, he will be born by transformation from a lotus flower.”
Commentary:
Let’s take the example of a bell. Why does a bell ring? Because someone hits it with a mallet; when the bell is struck, it rings. If it isn’t struck, it won’t make a sound. Don’t you agree? It’s because it rings that people go on hitting it. If it didn’t ring, no one would hit it.
Pure gold has to be refined in the fire. Only when all the other minerals have been smelted out, can you call it “pure” gold. If it doesn’t go through the fire, its quality is not so fine.
The plum that blossoms in the cold of winter is especially fragrant. Its fragrant aroma carries far and wide. Why is it so fragrant? Because it has endured the cold of winter. We say,
If it hadn’t endured the cold that pierces to the bone,
How could the plum blossom be so fragrant?
Therefore, if you can look upon the other person as your Good and Wise Advisor, then you have genuine reverence.
Let’s look at another analogy. When a baby is drinking its mother’s milk, it would never think of its mother as having any faults. No matter how terribly ugly the child’s mother might be, the child would never think of her as ugly. The child simply drinks her milk. It won’t say, “You are so ugly, I’m not going to drink any more milk!” It’s also like someone who goes to the mountains to pick fruit. He would never say, “You are such a twisted and gnarled fruit tree, I am not going to pick your fruit!” It doesn’t matter how the tree looks, how messy its branches are, he still picks the fruit. If you can have this kind of attitude, then as the text says, that is “having no doubts.” Your not having doubts about this Sutra is like the child who doesn’t complain that his mother is ugly, or the man who goes into the mountains and picks fruit from the fruit trees regardless of how twisted and disfigured the trees might be.
Although Devadatta did very evil things, if you do not discriminate about it in this way, then you have no doubts about it. If you can be without doubts, then you are a real cultivator and have genuine wisdom of listening, genuine wisdom of thinking, and genuine wisdom of cultivating. Because you truly possess the wisdom from cultivation, the wisdom from reflection, and the wisdom from listening, you will not fall into the Three Evil Paths. If you can avoid the Three Evil Paths, then you will be in a position to serve the Buddhas and make offerings to the Buddhas. If you can constantly draw near to the Buddhas, you will quite naturally get to hear the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. Once you listen to this Sutra, you can be born by transformation from a lotus.
According to the Sutra, if you have no doubts, you will not fall into the hells, which is where the most evil of people undergo punishment for their offenses. Nor will you fall into the realm of hungry ghosts. Hungry ghosts are alwways under a lot of pressure. Why? They’re always hungry, but they can’t get any food! They may get hold of some food, but it turns into fire in their mouths and they have no way to swallow it. Nor will you fall into the animal realm. Animals are of various kinds—horses, oxen, sheep, chicken, dogs, pigs, and so forth. Now, if you can believe the “Devadatta Chapter” without holding any doubts, you can avoid punishment in the hells, and you won’t become a hungry ghost or animal either. He will be born in the presence of the Buddhas of the ten directions, always hearing this Sutra wherever he may be born.
It’s not easy to hear The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. Take a look at the people who come here. They want to study, but they often run off. Perhaps they don’t have sufficient good roots, or perhaps they have personal problems or have a run-in with someone here, or perhaps it’s just too much work; they may think up various other reasons, but in general, it has something to do with their good roots. If one has sufficient good roots, one will never run away from a chance to hear The Dharma Flower Sutra.Should he be reborn among humans and gods, he will receive supreme and subtle bliss. If born in the presence of a Buddha, he will be born by transformation from a lotus flower. Having heard The Dharma Flower Sutra, we get to be born from lotuses. We will take the nine grades of lotuses as our parents, and won’t be born as a result of lustful contact. Our pure intrinsic nature will appear in a lotus bud. When the lotus flower opens, we are born and manifest our own Dharma body.
to be continued |
