前期提示：彼世尊藥師琉璃光如來。本行菩薩道時。發十二大願。令諸有情。所求皆得。
第一大願。願我來世。得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時。自身光明。熾然照曜。無量無數無邊世界。以三十二大丈夫相。八十隨形。莊嚴其身。令一切有情。如我無異。
無論哪一位佛，哪一位菩薩，在過去生都是發過無量無邊那麼多的大願，來利益眾生，來成就眾生，所以到成佛的時候，他的願力實現了，十方眾生就都被他這個願力所攝持。願力就好像吸鐵石似的，眾生就好像鐵似的，他這個願力大，這個吸鐵石的力量也大，無論你十方有多少的眾生，怎麼重的業障，也都被他這個願力給吸去了。那麼眾生也和他特別地有緣，因為他願意幫助眾生；眾生雖然自己是無明遮蓋著，那個靈知靈覺的地方還是知道的。藥王菩薩過去焚身供佛，把自己身體燒了來供佛，就有這樣的犧牲性；我們不要說燒全身，就燒一個手指頭，也捨不得。
「第一大願」：這個藥師琉璃光如來，他發的頭一個願是什麼呢？他說了，「願我來世」：他說我要發願，我希望我等到來世，「得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時」：我得到成這個無上正等正覺的時候，成佛果位的時候，「自身光明，熾然照曜」：說我自己這個身體放的光明，熾然，就像燒著的火那麼大的力量，非常熾盛那個樣子；然，是那個樣子。照曜，能以這光明照耀，照耀的是「無量無數無邊世界」：照耀到那麼多的世界。
「以三十二大丈夫相」：以佛三十二種的大人之相。「八十隨形」：八十種的隨形好。「莊嚴其身」：莊嚴自己這個佛身。「令一切有情」：利益一切有情。我是這樣的，我也願意使令一切有情「如我無異」：和我這個身體是一樣的，也是光明遍照無量無數無邊那麼多的世界。
這是我第一個願力，我不願意我自己成佛，就我自己有光明照耀眾生；我願意所有得到我的照耀的眾生，他們的身體和我的是一樣的。他發這麼個願，所以我們現在聽到講這個藥師琉璃光如來的本願功德經，我們都有機會和藥師琉璃光如來的身體是一樣的。你不要自暴自棄，說我不願意那麼大的光明，那麼大的光明又有什麼用呢？那你沒有那麼大的光明有用嗎？
第二大願。願我來世得菩提時。身如琉璃。內外明徹。淨無瑕穢。光明廣大。功德巍巍。身善安住。燄網莊嚴。過於日月。幽冥眾生。悉蒙開曉。隨意所趣。作諸事業。
「第二大願，願我來世得菩提時」：說等我在成佛的時候。「身如琉璃」：我這個成佛的身體，像琉璃似的。「內外明徹」：內裏邊也看見外邊，在外邊也看到裏邊；內外都無障礙，內外都明了。「淨無瑕穢」：內裏頭也沒有什麼瑕疵，也沒有什麼污穢；外邊也沒有瑕疵，也沒有污穢，外邊連一個瘡疤也沒有，連一點不乾淨的地方也沒有，內外都是光明的。「光明廣大」：這個光明說不出有多大了，就是廣大。「功德巍巍」：功德也是看不見頂那麼多，也就是太多了，巍巍是大貌，大的樣子。
「身善安住」：我的身體也善於安住，什麼毛病都沒有。「燄網莊嚴」：就是好像那個火光的網來莊嚴，「過於日月」：這種光明超過日月那個光明。「幽冥眾生」：所有在黑暗的地方。「悉蒙開曉」：都得到這種的光明照耀了。「隨意所趣」：隨他們的意念所願意去的地方。「作諸事業」：什麼事業都能成就，他們願意做什麼，就成就什麼事業。你看這個佛真是替眾生著想，無微不至來利益一切眾生；再也沒有比佛對我們更親切，更關懷的了。
第三大願。願我來世得菩提時。以無量無邊智慧方便。令諸有情。皆得無盡。所受用物。莫令眾生。有所乏少。
「第三大願」：第三個大願，是藥師琉璃光如來所發的大願，而不是佛發這個願，是他在因地以前，修道做比丘的時候發的願。那時候，他和你、我、他現在一切眾生是一樣的，不過他就發大願了，所以他就早成佛道了。我們為什麼沒有成佛道呢？就因為我們太自私太自利了，有所貪有所求了。鬥爭心也堅固，也不願意發大願，所以到現在還沒有成就佛果。
那麼他說「願我來世」：願我等到來生的時候，「得菩提時，以無量無邊智慧方便」：就是成佛的時候，以無量無邊那麼多的智慧方便，用這個智慧方便，不是用愚癡的方便。怎麼叫智慧方便呢？怎麼叫愚癡的方便呢？智慧的方便，這種方便法是對人有利益，對自己不一定有利益，所以他不計較自己的利益，對人有利益，他用這種的智慧，用這種的方便法門來教化人，這是用智慧。怎麼叫用愚癡呢？用愚癡是不合法的，這智慧方便是合法的，不違背這個善法的；愚癡的方便，是違背善法的，合乎惡法的，它與惡法相應了，那智慧方便呢？是與善法相應。
與惡法相應怎麼樣呢？譬如：拿殺生吧，那些個蚊蟲咬到自己身上了，無意中就把牠打死了。打死了，「這我是方便了，不要緊，這我不是犯殺戒，沒有破戒。」自己給自己就自圓其說，自己就掩耳盜鈴，說沒有犯殺戒。或者到什麼地方去貪人家的小便宜，等著人家看不見，就把人家的東西給拿走了，做為自己的了。「這不算偷啊，這我是方便嘛！他用我用這大家都一樣嘛！有什麼分別？」所以偷人家的東西，他說方便。本來偷人東西這不合法，這與惡法相應了，他說這是方便，沒有關係。邪淫，自己明明知道如果結婚有太太了，在外邊不守規矩，走私漏稅，太太不高興。「這個我管她那麼多幹什麼，我行一點方便法嘛！」你看他行方便法了，這是邪淫；女的對男的是這樣，男的對女的也是這樣子，就自己給自己自圓其說。明明他知道這是不對的，但是他還講道理，自己給自己說：「這不要緊的，誰知道？」你看！妄語、飲酒都是這樣的。「唉！我喝一點酒，我試一試嘛！逢場作戲，這有什麼關係，我也沒喝醉嘛！」「我打妄語怕什麼？也不是用刀去殺人了，為什麼看得那麼嚴重啊？」就是自己給自己辯護，自己給自己講道理，這就叫惡的、愚癡的方便。所以這方便有智慧方便，有愚癡方便，那麼藥師琉璃光如來，他是用智慧方便。
待續
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Sutra text from last issue: When the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, was practicing the Bodhisattva path in the past, he made twelve great vows that enable all sentient beings to obtain what they seek.
Sutra:
The first great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, my body will shine with dazzling light that will illumine measureless, countless, boundless worlds. My body will be adorned with the thirty-two heroic features and the eighty subsidiary characteristics, and I will enable all beings to become as I am.’
Commentary:
Every Buddha and Bodhisattva, before achieving Buddhahood, makes infinitely many great vows to benefit and help living beings. When he becomes a Buddha, his vows come true, and, like a magnet, they attract living beings from the ten directions. If his vows are great, then the power of the magnet is great, and no matter how many living beings there are and how heavy their karmic obstacles are, his vows can draw them in. Living beings, despite their ignorance, can sense that he wishes to help them, and so they feel especially close to him. Deep down in their souls they intuitively sense this affinity. In the past, Medicine King Bodhisattva burned his body and gave up his life as an offering to the Buddhas. We, in contrast, can’t even bear to burn a finger, let alone our whole bodies.
The first great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain Anuttarasamyaksambodhi--the Unsurpassed, Proper and Equal, Right Enlightenment--my body will shine with dazzling light that will illumine measureless, countless, boundless worlds.’ This is the very first great vow that Medicine Master Tathagata made. ‘My body will be adorned with the thirty-two heroic features and the eighty subsidiary characteristics of a Buddha, and I will enable all beings to become as I am. I will benefit all sentient beings, causing them to have bodies just like mine, with light that shines on infinitely many worlds. I don’t want to be the only one who becomes a Buddha and illuminates living beings; I want all the living beings illuminated by me to have bodies just like mine.’ Because Medicine Master Buddha made such a vow, all of us who are listening to the Sutra have the opportunity to attain bodies like his. You shouldn’t look down on yourself, saying, “I wouldn’t want to shine with dazzling light. What good is it?” Well, what’s so good about not having such dazzling light?
Sutra:
The second great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, my body will be as bright and transparent as Vaidurya, flawlessly pure, vastly radiant, majestic with merit and virtue, abiding at ease, adorned with blazing nets brighter than the sun and the moon. Beings dwelling in darkness will be illuminated and will succeed in all their endeavors.’
Commentary:
The second great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, my body will be as bright and transparent as Vaidurya, flawlessly pure, vastly radiant, majestic with merit and virtue, abiding at ease, adorned with blazing nets brighter than the sun and the moon. When I become a Buddha, my body will be as clear as crystal, free of blemishes and defilements. Its light will be indescribably brilliant. It will have a commanding appearance, and its merits and virtues will be so numerous that one cannot see them all at once. My body will be comfortable and free of sickness, and will be surrounded by fiery nets of light that outshine the sun and moon. Beings dwelling in darkness will be illuminated by its light, and will succeed in all their endeavors. They will accomplish whatever task or calling they undertake.’ See how considerate the Buddha is! In benefiting beings, he doesn’t forget a single detail. In fact, no one cares for us more than the Buddha. He is our closest friend and relative.
Sutra:
The third great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I will, by means of limitless, unbounded wisdom and skill-in-means, enable all sentient beings to obtain an inexhaustible supply of material necessities so they are without the slightest want.’
Commentary:
The third great vow. Medicine Master Buddha made this vow in his past lives when he was still cultivating as a Bhikshu; he was no different from you, me, and other living beings then. But because he made great vows, he was able to achieve Buddhahood very quickly. We still haven't become Buddhas, because we are too selfish, greedy, and quarrelsome, and we don't want to make great vows.
‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I will, by means of limitless, unbounded wisdom and skill-in-means.’ Medicine Master Buddha uses wise expedients, not stupid ones, to teach and transform living beings. While wise expedients may not necessarily benefit oneself, they benefit others. Wise expedients are wholesome and in accord with Dharma. Stupid expedients are unwholesome and go against the Dharma.
What are unwholesome expedients? Doing wrong things and then rationalizing them as “expedient.” For example, someone may rationalize the killing of a mosquito as an expedient, saying that it doesn't violate the precept against killing. Someone else might justify stealing something that doesn’t belong to him, saying, “I’m just being expedient! What difference does it make whether he uses it or I use it? We’re all the same.” However, stealing is not in accord with Dharma; it’s an evil deed. As for sexual misconduct, a man may know very well that his extra-marital affair will upset his wife, but he thinks, “Why should I worry about her? I’m just being expedient, that’s all!” He thinks sexual misconduct is an “expedient dharma.” All people know how to defend their infidelity. They know it’s wrong, yet they still say it doesn’t matter. Do they really know that? People rationalize lying and taking intoxicants as well.
“I think I’ll have a little wine, just for the fun of it. What’s wrong with that? I’m not getting drunk or anything!”
“Why should I be worried about telling a little lie? It’s not like I’m committing a murder. What's the big deal?”
Expedients can be wise or stupid. Stupid expedients are wrong deeds that people rationalize as “expedient.” Medicine Master
Vaidurya Light Tathagata uses wise expedients.
To be continued
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