怎麼說叫善願呢？他每一願不是為自己，而是為所有的一切眾生做著想。佛沒有發願說：我若成佛了，我在那怎麼樣享福，怎麼樣享快樂，而把其他的眾生都忘了；佛不是這樣。佛得到最大的快樂，而自己不願意獨享，願意分給所有一切眾生。佛發願成就這種的善業，生生世世是行菩薩道，要自利利他，自覺又覺他，自度又度他，發這種大菩提願。無論在什麼時候，什麼地點，他不為自己做著想，只是要利益眾生。這是菩薩所發的善願，成就這種善的業，而結了這個善果，善果就是佛果。成佛了，並不是唯我獨尊，高高在上；佛成佛之後，只是他的智慧超過眾生，反迷歸覺了，沒有一切的顛倒妄想。
我們眾生一舉一動，都是在造業，可是盡造一些個惡業，而不是造善業。就偶爾有一念的善念，也不會超過那個惡念那麼重，所以善惡夾雜；要是用這個電腦來計算計算，還是惡業多過善業。因為這樣子，一生就不如一生，每一生就遇著一些個顛沛流離，不如意的事情。為什麼這樣呢？就因為造的業不清淨了，沒有做好；沒有像佛盡發這個善願，修這個善業，將來結善果。我們眾生就是在這兒善少惡多，所以一生就不如一生，那麼就墮落了。我們也想發善願，可是因為自私心在那兒作怪，總是不願去利益人，而要利益自己。偶爾有一些個人想要利益人，也是在那兒沽名釣譽，希望得到一個好的名，令人相信自己，這都是在那兒造這個善惡夾雜的業。所以惡業這邊重了，善業就輕了，那麼結果就是結這個惡果了。佛因為他發善願，修善業，所以成就善的果；我們眾生想發善願，可是一做就糊塗了，就顛倒了，自私心就跑出來了，就變成善惡夾雜了。所以作人也有一點快樂，又有一點痛苦，可是痛苦多於快樂。
那我們人的這個快樂，也並不是真正快樂；真正快樂，是自性裏邊的常樂我淨，那才叫真正的快樂呢！我們這個「所樂的」也不常；我們這個「我」也不常；我們這個「樂」也是不常；我們這個「淨」也都不常，所以沒有真正「常樂我淨」這一種清淨的快樂，那不是真正快樂。並不是說去跳跳舞這是快樂，喝喝酒這是快樂了，或者看看戲這是快樂了，其實這怎麼樣啊？這正是在那兒背覺合塵，在那兒顛倒。
說：「法師你這麼樣講，那世界都沒有快樂了？」你細想一想：什麼是真快樂？世間的快樂都是苦的因。拿這個衣食住來講，人人都歡喜穿好衣服；你穿上一件好衣服，很值錢的、很名貴的，其實怎麼樣啊？就像戴上枷鎖了一樣，行也不自然，站那兒也不自然，坐那兒也不自然，臥那兒也不自然；行、住、坐、臥，都是好像披枷戴鎖似的，不自然了。為什麼呢？就因為要保護自己這個衣服嘛，因為這個衣服是名貴的。啊！你想一想，憑一個萬物之靈的人，為這個衣服來做奴隸！這是衣。
吃的呢？說吃點好東西；吃得再好的東西，吃到肚裏頭也都變了。吐出來，你教他再吃了，誰也不願意吃了。
住，就是：
大廈千間，夜眠不過八尺；
良田萬頃，日食只是三餐。
為什麼要那麼緊張，為這個衣食住忙忙碌碌，一天到晚也沒有休息的時間？忽然間無常到來了，死了，說：「我的事情還沒辦完呢！還沒忙完呢！閻羅王你緩一緩期，我慢慢去可不可以？」那無常鬼搖搖頭，說：「辦不到！我沒有辦法教你多活一秒鐘。」所以就死了。你看！這究竟有什麼意思？就因為認不清楚，所以為這個虛妄的名、虛妄的利，令自己的心裏頭時時都有很多的煩惱，很多的打擊，這是我們人和佛不同的地方。
那麼佛呢？他把一切都看清楚了，所以他看破了，也放下，所以就得到自在。在他剛剛看破的時候，他就要發願，他說這個願要利益眾生，要行菩薩道。所以這個藥師琉璃光如來，他就發了大願，這「第六大願」，他就說「願我來世」：說我發願，等我來生的時候。有的人不信有來生；人如果沒有來生，那你就殺人放火，什麼也不需要相信，都可以的；就因為有個來生，還有個尾巴，還有個後果，所以你不可以不守規矩，不可以什麼事情都做，就因為有來生。
說：「我怎麼不知道有來生呢？」嘿！你不知道有來生？等你睡著了，你知道不知道醒著時候的事情呀？你睡著了，你把醒著時候的事情都忘了，所以你今生把前生的事情也都不記得了，那麼佛才說：「要知前世因，今生受者是。」你要知道前世你是什麼因果，你今生所遭受的，就是你前生所種的因，今生結的果。「要知來世果，今生做者是。」你今生所造的業就結來生的果，這是一定的。
佛知道這個道理，所以他就發願了，說願我來世「得菩提時」：若得到無上正等正覺的時候，就是成佛的時候。「若諸有情」：所有的一切眾生。那麼所有的眾生，就是凡有血氣的都叫眾生。「其身下劣」：這個眾生多數是指著人而說的。其身下劣，就是這個人生得其貌不揚，很醜怪的，很難看的；鼻子和眼睛長到一起，耳朵和嘴巴又合夥了。你看看那個嘴巴長到耳朵那地方去，那個鼻子長到眼睛上面去，這叫個什麼？說：「我沒有看見這種人。」那你沒有看見這種人，你也不要想要試一試。總而言之，醜陋不堪就是了。一個人長得像個狗的樣子，像個貓的樣子，像個老鼠的樣子，像個黑熊的樣子，像個馬的樣子，鹿的樣子，啊！這很多很多的，很難看的。這叫其身下劣，下劣就是又窮嘛，又不值錢這樣子。
不單這樣子，而且「諸根不具」：或者有一個眼睛，或者有半顆眼睛；或者有一個耳朵，另一個耳朵就沒有了；或者只有一個鼻孔；或者有半個嘴，你看這諸根不具。或者手也不做手的工作了；腳嘛，也不做腳的工作了；眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意，都互相不合作了，互相罷工了，這叫諸根不具。你看著我，我又看著你，大家在那兒不做工，這就諸根不具了。雖然有這個眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意，等於沒有一樣的；就是有，也是很難看的，這是諸根不具。
那麼下邊呢，就怕你不懂得這個「其身下劣，諸根不具」，所以就說「醜陋」：很難看的，又醜陋嘛，又「頑愚」：頑就是很冥頑不靈，你和他說什麼，他也不懂。愚，很愚癡的，你教他兩個二是個四，他說：「什麼？一、二是三嘛，怎麼變成四了？」就這樣子，所以就是很愚癡的。
待續 |
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His vows are wholesome because he made them for all living beings. He didn't vow, "When I become a Buddha, I'll enjoy my blessings and forget about other living beings."The Buddha isn't like that. Having attained the greatest happiness, the Buddha doesn't want to enjoy it alone. He wants to share it with all beings. He perfected his wholesome karma by practicing the Bodhisattva path in life after life. He made a great Bodhi resolve to benefit, enlighten, and rescue himself and all beings. Forgetting themselves and thinking only of living beings, Bodhisattvas make wholesome vows, accomplish wholesome karma, and reap the wholesome result of Buddhahood. When they become Buddhas, they are not arrogant. The Buddha is just the same as living beings, except that he has more wisdom. He has truly left confusion behind and returned to enlightenment, and is free from all false thinking.
We living beings create karma in our every word and deed, and almost all of it is bad. We might have an occasional good thought, but it's too weak to overcome our bad thoughts. If we were to tally up all our karma on the computer, we would find more bad karma than good. That's why our lives get worse and worse. In each life, we meet hard times and end up lost and alone. Why? Because of the impure karma we have created. We didn't do a good job. Unlike the Buddha, we haven't always made wholesome vows, cultivated wholesome karma, and reaped wholesome results. Since the evil in our minds outweighs the goodness, we fall lower and lower in each successive life. When we try to make wholesome vows, our selfishness gets in the way—we only want to help ourselves and never think about helping others. Occasionally we'll do something to help others, but our real motive is just to present a good image and make others believe in us. Thus, the karma we create is never wholly good. Since the bad karma is heavier than the good karma, we reap a bad retribution. The Buddha made good vows and did good deeds, so he reaped a good fruit. We living beings want to make good vows, but we get muddled and our selfishness takes over, and our karma becomes a mixture of good and bad. Thus people experience a little happiness and a little suffering, but on the whole there is more suffering than happiness.
Our happiness is not real. It is not the genuine happiness that arises from the virtues of "permanence, bliss, true self, and purity"of our inherent natures. The things we find happiness in are not genuine or lasting. We don't know the true, pure happiness characterized by those four virtues. When we go dancing, drink wine, or go to the theater, we are not experiencing real happiness. Actually, we are "turning our backs on enlightenment and uniting with the dust,"deluding ourselves into thinking that we are happy.
"Dharma Master, is there no happiness in the world then?" you ask. Think it over. All forms of worldly happiness are indirect causes of suffering. Take clothing, food, and shelter, for instance. People like to dress up in style. But when you put on fancy and expensive clothes, they turn into a yoke around your neck. You can't move around freely, or stand naturally, or sit or lie down comfortably either. Why not? Because you want to protect your fancy, expensive outfit. Ha! Just think about it: A human being, the highest of all creatures, becomes a slave to his clothes!
People like to eat good food, but even the most delicious food decomposes once it is ingested. If you asked people to regurgitate their food and eat it again, no one would do it.
As for shelter, there's a saying:
One may have ten thousand mansions,
But one doesn't need more than eight feet of space
to sleep in at night.
One may have ten thousand acres of fertile fields,
But one can only eat three meals a day.
Why should you work so frantically all day long, without a moment's rest, for the sake of clothing, food, and shelter? When death arrives, you say to the Ghost of Impermanence, "Wait, I haven't finished taking care of my affairs. Can't you let me have a little more time?" The Ghost of Impermanence shakes his head and says, "Sorry, I can't let you live even a minute longer." And so off you go to die. What's the point of it all? Failing to see things the way they really are, we spend our lives madly pursuing fame and profit. This is where we differ from the Buddhas.
The Buddha has a clear view of everything. He has seen through everything and put it down, and so he has attained comfort and ease. When he saw through everything, he vowed to benefit living beings and practice the Bodhisattva Way. And so Medicine Master Buddha made great vows. In his sixth great vow, he said, “I vow that in a future life...” Some people don't believe in future lives. If there were no future lives, then you could commit murder and do whatever you wanted. But since there are future lives, and consequences for everything you do, you cannot dismiss the rules and do as you please.
“Why don't I know anything about my past or future lives?” you ask. Well, when you sleep, do you know about the things that happen when you're awake? No. In the same way, in this life you have forgotten about the events of your past lives. That's why the Buddha said, "If you want to know what you did in previous lives, take a look at what you're undergoing now. If you want to know what your future lives will be like, take a look at what you're doing now." The karma you create in this life will certainly come to fruition in the future.
Because the Buddha was aware of this, he vowed, “In a future life when I attain Bodhi, when I attain the Unsurpassed, Proper and Equal, Right Enlightenment, if there are sentient beings whose bodies are inferior, whose features are distorted...” Perhaps their eyes, ears, and nose are squeezed close together, or their mouth grows where the ears should be.
“I've never seen anyone who looked like that,” you say. No? Well, you shouldn't think of trying to become like that, either. There are many people who are born looking like dogs, cats, mice, bears, horses, deer, and so on. They're a frightful sight. That’s what’s meant by “inferior bodies.”
And whose faculties are imperfect. They may have only one eye, one ear, or one nostril, or half of their lips.Or maybe their hands or feet don't work properly. Maybe their eyes, ears, nose, tongue, the rest of their bodies, and their minds don't work together, but all go on strike—that's also an instance of faculties being imperfect. You look at me and I look at you, and everyone stops working. That's a deficiency of the faculties. Although these people have eyes, ears, noses, tongues, bodies, and minds, they don't serve any use. Even though they exist, they may be mutilated or deformed.
The text elaborates on those "whose bodies are inferior and whose faculties are imperfect,"describing them as those who are ugly, not good-looking, or dull, not intelligent. They're very slow. If you try to teach them that two plus two is four, they say, "What? One plus two is three. How did you get four?"
to be continued
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