信為修道之源，功德之母，能長養一切諸善根力故。佛法如大海，唯信可入。故信之一字，即了生脫死之要訣，返本還原之奇方；
這個信最重要；你要沒有信，那什麼事情也不能成功了，所以這個信最重要。「信為修道之源」。你想要修道嗎？一定要有信心；沒有信心，那個道的源就斷了。「功德之母」，你想要有功德嗎？也要有信心。這個信心就是功德的母親。你就無論做什麼善事，你要沒有信心，那就不會成就，不會有功德。「能長養」，這個信，它能長養「一切」，就是所有的「諸善根力故」。它能長這個善根和善的力量。「佛法如大海」，講到佛法上，佛法好像大海那麼樣子大。「唯信可入」，你只要有信心，就可以入到這個大海裡頭；沒有信心，就不會入的。「故信之一字」，所以信這一個字，「即了生脫死之要訣」。就是了生脫死的最要緊的一個訣竅。「返本還原之奇方」，它也是你返回去你本來面目的一個最奇怪的一個方法。你要有信心了，它什麼善根也都生出來了，功德也都有了，修道也能修了；你沒有信心，那都完了。所以這是一個很奇怪的一個方法。
煩惱流中之寶筏，無明窟裡之火炬；歧路險途之導者，苦海波濤之南針；三途八難之聖師，六道四生之覺願。故信，人必不可忽者也。古人云：「人而無信，不知其可也。」
這還是講著前邊那個信的重要。這個信就是「煩惱流中之寶筏」。人的煩惱就好像流水似地，這種煩惱過去，那種煩惱又來了；總是接接連連不斷地。那麼不斷怎麼辦呢？這是煩惱裡邊的一個寶筏，也就是一個寶船。藉這一個大船，你在煩惱裡就可以從這個煩惱走到彼岸去，得到波羅蜜了。「無明窟裡之火炬」。又譬如什麼？你要有信心，雖然你有無明，不是嗎？也不要緊的。為什麼呢？就好像有火光在那照著似地。那無明是黑暗的，但是你有個信心，就好像有火炬在那裡。
「歧路險途之導者」。歧路，走路走到好幾條路口，也沒有路牌，沒有sign，所以你也不知道哪一條路到什麼地方去的，那叫歧路。這一條路走到這分了三條路，也不知道是向這走？也不知向那走？這叫歧路。你要問問人，要有一個嚮導。這歧路就是危險的道路。危險道路，你要一走就會沒有生命。你一定要問問人，這地方好不好走？你要有個信心；有信，這就是等於有嚮導一樣了。就到這個歧路上，也知道從哪一條路走。那個險途也不會危險了。
「苦海波濤之南針」，在這苦海裡邊有很大的波浪－－濤也就是波浪。指南針，就說好像有指南針似地。你有信心了，在這苦海－－我們在這世界就是在這苦海裡頭－－這世界都是波浪很大的。這個也引誘你，那個也引誘你。發財啊！當官啊！你們這都年輕，還不知道發財有什麼好法；當官，不知道有什麼好法。所以，現在對這個誘惑，還不太重。但是將來你們年紀大一點了，就知道要有一種欲望，希望發財啊！希望當官啊！希望有個好家庭啊！希望有個好汽車啊！希望有個好飛機啊！希望有個好火箭啊！坐到月宮裡頭去，這都是欲望了。波濤，這個引誘好像波濤似地。南針，你要有信心，就好像有一個指南針似地。
「三途」，地獄餓鬼畜生；「八難」，就是佛前佛後難，盲聾瘖啞難，北俱盧洲難。這些個難，我以前講過了，不再詳細地解釋了。
「聖師」，在這三途八難裡一定要有一個聖明的師父。聖，這個聖就是聖明。聖明的師父就是明師－－個很有智慧的師父。「六道四生之覺願」，你在這個六道四生裡頭－－六道就是天、人、阿修羅、地獄、餓鬼、畜生；四生就是胎、卵、濕、化－－之覺願。在這六道四生裡頭，你發一個覺悟的願。要有信心就會有好像一個覺悟的願似地。「故信」，所以說這個信。「人必不可忽者也」，人人都不可以忽略這個信。你不可以沒有信，所以「古人云」：古人就是那個過去的人，老的人，說：「人而無信」，說人要是沒有信，「不知其可也」，我不知道他可以做什麼？你要沒有一個信心哪，就什麼也不能幹了。這是信的重要。
昔有二比丘，往見釋迦牟尼世尊，途中渴甚，覓水不得。見一人頭骨內有少水，但小蟲游泳，似極快樂。一比丘取水而飲，並讓同伴飲之。
佛住世的時候有兩位比丘，大約有了問題了就想去見見釋迦牟尼佛，解決這個問題。所以說「往見釋迦牟尼世尊」，世尊就是佛。「途中渴甚」，因為相離得太遠了；那時候交通也不便，中間有很長的路程沒有水，他們就渴得不得了。也沒有牛奶喝，也沒有汽水飲，什麼都沒有。也沒有人；要有人就有水囉！人也沒有。所以「覓水不得」，各處去找水找不著。「見一人頭骨」，見到一個人的頭。這個骨頭「內有少水」，這個裡頭有一些水。因為這兩個人都渴得不得了啦！所以你想一想，這一個人頭骨，你算算能裝多少水？裝不了多少水。
雖然裝不了多少水，人不夠喝，但蟲子就喝不了了。所以「小蟲游泳」，有一些個小蟲在裡邊好像游水似地，在那地方正游得「似極快樂」，很高興地在裡邊游著。「一比丘取水而飲」，這有一個比丘看見有水了，也不管你有蟲子沒有蟲子，就拿起這個水就來喝。他先喝，這大約喝幾口，就想起應該叫這個同伴也喝一點。於是乎「並讓同伴飲之」，說：請你也喝一點了。他覺得自己那麼都喝了不好意思，這個比丘還算很客氣的。
待續 |
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Text:
Faith is the foundation of cultivation of the Way, and the mother of merit and virtue, because it is capable of nourishing wholesome roots. The Buddhadharma is like a vast sea; only by faith can it be entered. Therefore, the single word “faith” is the key to escape from birth and death, and is the wonderful means for returning to the source.
Commentary:
Faith is of utmost importance. Without faith, you wouldn’t succeed at anything. Faith is the foundation of cultivation of the Way. If you want to cultivate the Way, you must have faith. Without faith, the foundation of the Way would be cut off. And faith is the mother of merit and virtue. If you want to have merit and virtue, you also need faith. The mind of faith is the mother of merit and virtue. No matter what good deed you set out to do, if you lack faith, it won’t succeed and it won’t bring you merit. Because it is capable of nourishing wholesome roots. Faith can nurture every kind of good roots and wholesome power. The Buddhadharma is like a vast sea; only by faith can it be entered. Without faith, you cannot enter this great ocean. Therefore, the single word “faith” is the key to escape from birth and death. It is the essential secret for gaining release from birth and death, and is the wonderful means for returning to the source. It is also the most surprising method for regaining your original face—your true identity. If you have faith, you will be able to produce all kinds of wholesome roots and merit and virtue, and you’ll be able to cultivate. If you lack faith, then it’s all over for you. So faith is a very inconceivable method.
Text:
It is a precious raft in the stream of affliction, a torch in the dark cave of ignorance, and a guide who leads us out of dangerous by-paths. It is a compass for those floundering in the waves on the sea of suffering, and a sagely teacher for those in the three paths and the eight difficulties. It is the resolve for enlightenment made by the four kinds of creatures born within the six paths. Faith cannot be ignored. An author of ancient times said, “If a man has no faith, I do not know what he can accomplish.”
Commentary:
This passage continues to discuss the importance of faith. It is a precious raft in the stream of affliction. Our afflictions are like flowing water; one affliction passes, and another one comes. They come in endless succession. What can we do? We can get on the precious raft—actually it’s a big ship—and go from amidst afflictions to the opposite shore, and reach paramita. There’s another analogy. Faith is like a torch in the dark cave of ignorance. If you have faith, then you don’t have to worry about being in the darkness of ignorance, because you’ll be illumined by the torch of faith.
And a guide who leads us out of dangerous by-paths. If you are travelling on a road and reach a point where it branches into three forks, and there are no signs, you don’t know which fork to take. You need to ask someone; you need a guide. Some of the forks could be dangerous; you might lose your life if you take them. So you have to ask someone whether the road is difficult to travel. If you have faith, it’s equivalent to having a guide. When you reach a fork in the road, you’ll know which branch to take, and the dangerous roads will no longer be dangerous.
It is a compass for those floundering in the waves on the sea of suffering. Living in this world, we are actually in the sea of suffering, where the waves are immense. There are temptations everywhere you turn: you want to strike it rich, or get a high position in the government. All of you are young, so you don’t see the advantages of being rich or being a high official. These temptations are not that strong yet. But when you get a little older, you might develop the ambition to make a fortune or get a high position. Or you might dream of having a lovely family, a fancy car, a nice jet, or a rocket to take you to the moon. These desires are like huge waves. But if you have faith, then it’s like having a compass to guide you.
And a sagely teacher for those in the three paths and the eight difficulties. The three paths are the realms of hell-beings, hungry ghosts, and animals. The eight difficulties include being born before or after the time of a Buddha, being born blind, deaf, or mute, being born in the northern continent of Uttarakuru, and so on. I explained these before, so I won’t go into them now. Being in the three paths and the eight difficulties, it’s necessary to have a teacher of sagely wisdom, a very wise teacher.
It is the resolve for enlightenment made by the four kinds of creatures born within the six paths. The six paths are gods, people, asuras, hell-beings, hungry ghosts, and animals. The four kinds of creatures are those born from wombs, from eggs, from moisture, and by transformation. Being among the four kinds of creatures born in the six paths, we should make a resolve to seek enlightenment. If we have faith, then it’s like having a resolve to become enlightened.
Faith cannot be ignored. No one can be without faith. An author of ancient times said, “If a man has no faith, I do not know what he can accomplish.” If you lack faith, you won’t be able to achieve anything. That’s the importance of faith.
Text:
Once two Bhikshus were travelling to see Shakyamuni Buddha, the World Honored One. As they travelled, they became extremely thirsty but could not find any water. As they walked they happened upon a human skull containing water in which some small bugs were swimming, enjoying themselves tremendously. One of the Bhikshus picked up the water, drank some, and offered the rest to his companion.
Commentary:
Once two Bhikshus were travelling to see Shakyamuni Buddha, the World Honored One. Probably these two Bhikshus had some problem that they hoped the Buddha could help them solve. As they travelled, they became extremely thirsty but could not find any water. Because the distance was very far and there was no efficient means of transportation in those days, they walked a long ways without water and became extremely thirsty. There was no milk, no soda pop, nothing at all to drink! There weren’t even any people around. If there had been people, there would have been water. So they looked and looked, but didn’t find any water. As they walked they happened upon a human skull containing water in which some small bugs were swimming, enjoying themselves tremendously. If you think about it, a human skull doesn’t hold much water--hardly enough for people to drink. But it holds more than bugs could drink, and so these bugs were frolicking to their heart’s content in the water. One of the Bhikshus picked up the water, not caring whether there were bugs in it or not, and drank some. Probably he just took a few sips and then offered the rest to his companion, saying, “Please drink some.” This Bhikshu still had some sense of courtesy. He didn’t feel right drinking all the water himself.
To be continued
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