十者訟習交諠。發於藏覆。如是故有。鑑見照燭。如於日中。不能藏影。二習相陳。故有惡友。業鏡火珠。披露宿業。對驗諸事。是故十方。一切如來。色目覆藏。同名陰賊。菩薩觀覆。如戴高山。履於巨海。
第十種的習因是什麼呢？就是「訟習交諠」：訟就是訴訟，打官司，互相告狀，就有辯護律師，這就成了一個訴訟。這訴訟的罪過是什麼呢？就是覆藏，就是互相都沒有真的。你就說你有道理，我就說我有道理；公說公有理，婆說婆有理。譬如兩夫婦去打離婚，丈夫就說太太怎麼樣怎麼樣不對；太太就說丈夫怎麼怎麼樣不對，其實兩個人沒有一個對的。要有一個對也不會離婚的；要有一個對的，對方哪有不對，你一包涵，原諒一點，也就沒事了嘛！兩個人，你講你的理由，他講他的理由，於是乎就到處找律師。
覺得那個律師沒有飯吃，如果你不打打官司，那律師就會餓死了，於是乎就這麼無事生非的，找出來一點事情來幹一幹，弄一點律師費，律師也能生活了。那麼律師說：「好！你們兩個就打官司，我這就好生意了。」所以那個律師最歡喜你去打官司，找他去做辯護律師。辯護一堂就五十塊錢，或者一百塊錢，或者兩百塊錢，或者三、五千；就看你這個案子的價值如何，所以他就隨便刮龍，隨便可以中飽了。訟，就是講這打官司的。「交諠」：諠就是諠鬧，就是你說你有道理，我說我有道理。
「發於藏覆」：為什麼要打官司呢？就是互相不坦白，你對我也用個假面具，我對你也用個假面具，假面具一揭穿了，這就要講道理啦！一講道理還是用這個假面具藏覆起來。藏，就是隱藏起來；覆，是把它蓋上。明明我不對，我沒有道理，我把我沒有道理這個地方蓋上，把我那個有道理的地方提出來。「如是故有，鑑見照燭」：鑑就像鏡子似的，就言其你在生的時候，歡喜打官司，歡喜造罪惡，等到地獄就有這個孽鏡臺。你在生所作所為，到那孽鏡臺一照都現出來了，好像演電影似的，一幕一幕地就都演出來。電影那個底片都把你放出來了。照燭，就好像有這個燈燭似的，你一點也沒有覆藏的地方。「如於日中」：就好像在那太陽正中的時候。「不能藏影」：那個影沒有地方可以藏起來的。
有前生的業障和今生的業障，「相陳」：互相陳列起來。「故有惡友」：所以就有惡友；這惡友，不單惡友，乃至於家庭眷屬都包括在內了。「業鏡火珠」：在地獄裡有這一種孽鏡臺，又有火珠。「披露宿業」：無論前生你造的什麼罪業，都可以現出來。「對驗諸事」：你不承認？不承認就拿出個証據來給你看一看，證明一下。
因為這個，所以這十方的一切如來。「色目覆藏」：他看覆藏這種行為，這種習因。「同名陰賊」：就給他取個名字叫陰賊。「菩薩觀覆」：菩薩觀這種的覆藏，就是這種的訟。「如戴高山」：好像頭上就頂著一個高山。「履於巨海」：在大海裡走。你說怎麼能出得來呢？沒有法子出得來的，所以菩薩是不打官司的。
云何六報。阿難。一切眾生。六識造業。所招惡報。從六根出。
什麼叫做六報呢？阿難！一切的眾生，在六識上－－眼識、耳識、鼻識、舌識、身識、意識，這六識上所造的業，他就要受報。他所招的惡報是從什麼地方來的呢？「從六根出」：從眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意，這六根發生出來的。
云何惡報。從六根出。一者見報。招引惡果。此見業交。則臨終時。先見猛火。滿十方界。亡者神識。飛墜乘煙。入無間獄。
前邊所講的這十習的因－－習就是一種習慣－－因為有這個十習的因，所以要招受六交報。什麼叫六交報呢？因為這六識犯的罪業都有連帶的關係，互相都有關聯。譬如，眼根對著見塵所犯的這種的罪業，這不過以這個眼根為主犯，其餘的耳、鼻、舌、身、意，都是從犯。主犯，就是頭一個造罪的，其餘的呢？這都是幫忙來造罪業。可是在前邊我們已經講過，十方諸佛說是成佛也是從六根成的，墮地獄也是從六根墮的，十方諸佛異口同音都這樣告訴阿難。所以我們現在要知道這個六交報，這六種識本來可以成佛的，但是因為我們人不會用它；不會用，所以這個如來藏性就依真起妄。
起妄，由這三種的細相，生出六種的粗相；由六種粗相，又造出無量無邊這麼多的相。所以就說這個業障有八萬四千種那麼多。這個罪業，為什麼造這麼多罪業？也就因為我們沒有能作得主，隨著六塵的境界轉了，沒有能反聞聞自性，性成無上道。現在沒有反聞，就跟著六塵跑了。這第一個就是見報。
待續 |
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Sutra:
The tenth consists of the habits of litigation and the mutual disputations which give rise to covering. From them there are produced a look in the mirror and illumination by the lamp. It is like being in direct sunlight: there is no way one can hide. Because these two habits bicker back and forth, there come into being evil companions, the mirror of karma, the fiery pearl, exposure of past karma, inquests, and other such experiences. Therefore, all the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions look upon covering and name it a ‘dark villain.’ Bodhisattvas regard covering as they would having to carry a mountain atop their heads while walking upon the sea.
Commentary:
What is the tenth habit? It’s litigation and mutual disputations. Litigation refers to lawsuits and court cases, mutual suits and arguments by defense attorneys. What is the crime involved in litigation? It’s covering. Covering means that neither party tells the truth. You say you had reasons and I say I had reasons. The husband says he is right and the wife says she is right. A divorce case is one example. The husband lists the wife’s faults and the wife discusses the husband’s faults. Actually, neither of them is right. If either one was right, then there wouldn’t be a divorce case. As soon as you are right, it implies that the other person is wrong. But if you are tolerant and forgiving, then no problems arise. But if two people each insist on his or her own point of view, then they will go try to find an attorney to argue their case.
They pass it to a lawyer, probably thinking that the lawyer will starve without any court cases. And so you make something out of nothing and stir up things so that you can pay some attorney fees so he can earn his livelihood. The attorney says, “Good! You two want to go to court. That’s good business for me!” That’s why lawyers really like it when people have to go to court and seek them out to act as defense attorneys. Fifty dollars for this presentation and a hundred dollars for that one. Or perhaps two hundred dollars or three to five thousand. It depends on how much the case is worth to you. He can fix his own prices as he pleases. That’s what litigation is about. “Mutual disputations”: You state your reasons and I state mine.
Which give rise to covering. Why do people go to court? Because they aren’t frank with each other. You put on a front toward me and I wear a false face in front of you. When we take off our masks then we can discuss the issues frankly. But actually, when the issues are discussed, we still wear our masks. We hide things. We cover. When we are clearly wrong and have no principle to stand on, we hide the fact and find principles to argue. When we are clearly wrong and have been unreasonable, we hide the fact and describe ourselves as being reasonable. That’s what covering is like. From them there are produced scrutinizing and illumination by the lamp. Scrutinizing is like looking into a mirror. This implies that those who liked to go to court when they were alive will go to a hell like this where there is an offense-spotting mirror. In this offense-spotting mirror, all the things you did while alive are reflected just like on a movie screen. Frame by frame, everything shows up. The movie completely exposes your actions. “Illumination by the lamp”: Once this lamp is lit, then everything is illumined and you have no place to hide. It’s like being exposed to the sun. It is like being in direct sunlight: there is no way one can hide.
The karmic obstacles from previous lives and the karmic obstacles of this life bicker back and forth. And so there come into being evil companions. Not only evil friends, even relatives are included. The mirror of karma, the fiery pearl. In the hells there is an offense-spotting mirror and also a fiery pearl. Exposure of past karma. No matter what offenses you committed in your previous lives, they will all show up. Inquests, and other such experiences. You don’t want to admit it? But there’s nothing you can say. That’s why Bodhisattvas don’t get involved in litigation.
Because of that, the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions look upon covering, that kind of habits and behavior and name it a ‘dark villain.’ Bodhisattvas regard covering and the litigation involved as they would having to carry a mountain atop their heads while walking upon the sea. How could that be possible? There’s no way to do that. And so Bodhisattvas don’t get involved in litigation.
Sutra:
What are the six retributions? Ananda, living beings create karma with their six consciousnesses. The evil retributions they call down upon themselves come from the six sense organs.
Commentary:
What are the six retributions? Ananda, this is true of all living beings. These six retributions come from karma created through the six consciousnesses: eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and mind consciousness. The evil karma brought down by the karma these consciousnesses create requires that retributions be undergone. Exactly where does the evil karma get created? It comes from the six sense organs. The eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind create it.
Sutra:
What are the evil retributions that arise from the six sense organs? The first is the retribution of seeing, which beckons one and leads one to evil ends. The karma of seeing intermingles, so that at the time of death one first sees a raging conflagration which fills the ten directions. The deceased one’s spiritual consciousness takes flight, but then falls. Riding on a wisp of smoke, it enters the unintermittent hell.
Commentary:
Above, causes based on ten habits were discussed. Because of the causes generated by these ten habits, six kinds of interactive retributions are called down and have to be undergone. Why are they called six interactive retributions? It is because the karmic offenses created involve all six—there is a mutual relationship among them. For example, when the eyes look at mundane defiling objects, in the various kinds of karmic offenses that result, the eyes took the lead but the other sense organs—ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind followed along in the mistakes. The leading offender is the one that started it all, but the others were also involved. They helped to create the karmic offenses.
However, as was explained before, the Buddhas of the ten directions all said that realization of Buddhahood comes about because of the six sense organs and falling into the hells comes about because of them too. The Buddhas of the ten directions, using different mouths but the same sound, told Ananda that. And so here we need to realize that about these six interactive retributions. Basically these six could lead us to Buddhahood. It is just because we are unable to use them that they turn out this way. Based on the truth—the nature of the Treasury of the Thus Come One—we create falseness.
Creating falseness, the three subtle marks create in turn the six coarse marks. Once the six coarse marks come into being, they go on to create limitless, boundless marks. Thus we say that there are 84,000 karmic obstacles. Why do we create so many karmic offenses? It is all because we are not in control, and we follow the states of the six defiling sense objects. We are unable to return our hearing to hear our own nature so that the nature can realize the unsurpassed Way. And so we race out after the six defiling objects. And the first one we pursue is seeing. Thus there is the retribution of seeing.
To be continued |
