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眾生有垢咸淨治，一切怨害等生慈；
故得光照滿虛空，普世河神見歡喜。
佛是福田功德海，能令一切離諸惡；
乃至成就大菩提，此海光神之解脫。
「眾生有垢咸淨治」：眾生有這個塵垢，就有污染心，所以佛令他變成清淨心，所以叫「咸淨治」。
「一切怨害等生慈」：這一切的怨毒，害人的這種瞋恨心啊，完全都變成慈悲心。
「故得光照滿虛空」：因為佛令這一切雜染的眾生都得到清淨，這個瞋毒的眾生都得到歡喜。修這一種的行門，修得成功了，所以他就光明滿虛空。佛的這個大智慧光明，盡虛空遍法界，都是佛的大智慧光明。
「普世河神見歡喜」：普世主河神，他也明白這種的境界。所以他非常歡喜。
「佛是福田功德海」：佛，是眾生的福田，也就是眾生種福的一塊田。功德海，又是眾生的一片功德海。
「能令一切離諸惡」：能令一切的眾生都離開這諸惡——諸惡莫作，眾善奉行。你看佛給眾生授戒，說戒律；授戒就是止惡防非，就是諸惡莫作，眾善奉行；諸惡不作，這不就是離開諸惡了嗎？所以說「能令一切離諸惡」。
「乃至成就大菩提」：不但能離開諸惡這麼小的事情，而且乃至於將來成就大菩提，成就佛的果位。
「此海光神之解脫」：這是海光主河神，他明白之解脫門。
今天有沒有人問問題啊？這個施門廣大無窮邊，是不是？一切眾生咸利益，是不是？能令見者離慳著，是不是？此普喜神之所悟，就由他所悟。他也是方才明白的；以前他也不明白。他是所悟，他明白了，所以他就說一個偈頌來。
那麼就由他所悟，他所悟，也是方才明白，才是所悟呢；他明白了，所以才說一個偈頌來讚佛。那麼這個普喜神是個神，尚且以前不明白，現在才明白，所以說是不容易明白。以前你沒有聽過華嚴經的時候，你根本也不會懂得，現在聽過華嚴經了，就會明白一點點，也不是完全明白，所以說是不容易明白。這沒有什麼深妙的道理，就是這個意思；就是說，佛法難聞、難遇，不容易很快就明白，你們懂了嗎？
智者就是有智慧的；有智慧的他就明白有智慧的事情——智者見智，仁者見仁。譬如，這個有智慧的人見到此人受很大的苦，唷！為什麼他受苦呢？原來他在過去生中不修行啊！他不幫助人；他儘是害人啊！所以他現在受苦了！這智者把他的前因後果都給看出來了。
你看這仁者呢，這仁者沒有智慧。一看這人受苦了，就想，我給他十塊錢吧！他還可以吃幾頓飯。這就叫仁者見仁，智者見智。但智者一看，喔！原來他前生不做好事，所以現在受苦了，智者明白他前因後果了。這仁者呢，就只知道幫助他，而生出一種同情可憐的心，仁者不知道他以前就造罪了，所以現在受苦。這就叫做智者見智，仁者見仁。
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還有我們每逢禮拜五，開了一個研究真理辯論會。這個會我們人人都有份，大家提出問題來共同研究。不要把這個事情看得很平常，這個事情將來如果發揚光大，則所有宗教人士都可聚會到一起來研究。我們研究怎麼幫助世界的人，怎麼樣能夠令佛教普及到全世界去，研究這種種的問題。
以後，我們每個禮拜五，在十二點半到兩點半這個時間開會；開會時，我們都應該提出自己的見解，公開來研究，不要儘等著某一個人來提出問題，這是人人有份的。這時候，也是發揮你的智慧最好的時候，最好的機會，所以不要做自了漢——「摩訶薩不管他，彌陀佛各顧各」這一類的人。
我們每一個人都應該想一想：我怎麼樣利益眾生；我怎麼樣才能救度眾生；我怎麼樣子才可以名實相副，做一個佛教裡的教徒，佛教中勇猛精進的一個人。不要一天混過去算一天；一天吃一餐，睡一宿，白天又翻譯經典、聽講經。這就好像吃家常便飯一樣，天天這麼吃，天天這麼睡，天天這麼活著，這樣是沒多大意思的。我們一定要有新發展；既然我是個佛教徒，為什麼我不要讓佛教發揚光大？如果我不讓佛教發揚光大，我怎麼對得起十方三世一切諸佛？我們應該常常想這個問題。我應該用什麼方法來幫助佛教發揚光大，要這樣想才對。
我們現在每一個人要發願了，果默發願不講話，我們發願要在這三步一拜的兩個人，十個 mile（哩）以內不下雨，不下雪，讓他們一路上都沒有雨，也沒有雪才好。因為他們一天只拜五個 mile（哩），方圓十哩內不下雨，不下雪，這樣可以了。我們大家要發這樣的願，一定要這樣；不這樣不行的。好像地震似的，不准地震了。現在我們大家要發這樣的願，不論我們拜佛、念佛，都這麼的迴向。天龍八部在他們兩個三步一拜，十個 mile 以內，每一天不准下雨的，你們看這樣好不好？因為他們兩個太苦了。
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複次，柔軟勝味主稼神，得與一切眾生法滋味，令成就佛身解脫門。
在前邊所講的十位主河神，他們各說一首偈頌讚佛完畢後，又有十位主稼神，繼續前邊沒有說完的這個義理。在華嚴大會中又以長行來說明了這華嚴的境界是不可思議，不是凡夫二乘所能瞭解這種道理，所以才說復次；再說一遍沒有說完的經義。這位柔軟勝味主稼神，稼就是禾稼，也就是稼穡。在中國古代的神農氏教導人民稼穡，什麼叫稼穡？就是教人怎麼樣種田？怎麼樣栽培灌溉？令苗一天比一天的旺盛，一天比一天的碩長。這稼穡是先要把種子種到地下，然後它生出一種芽，增長了，然後成熟，然後得到解脫，所以這一位主稼神叫柔軟勝味。柔軟也就是方便法，令一切眾生覺得非常舒服。勝味就是殊勝，也就是一種好的味道，酸、甜、苦、辣、鹹這五味啊，各有所好，有的人喜歡吃酸的，有的人又歡喜吃甜的，有的人又歡喜吃苦的，有的人又歡喜吃辣的，有的人又歡喜吃鹹的，這五味啊，好像我們眾生的根性不同，所以就各有所好，這所好的是平常的味，而我們這一個是勝味，勝味也就是方便中的方便，了義中的了義。這酸甜苦辣鹹五種味道，可是這勝味卻超出這五種味道，那麼就更好、更香、更甜、更酸、更苦、更辣、更鹹，這是一種特別的味道，但是你不要誤會了，可是沒有臭味的，啊！只是好的味道。這就是說的什麼呢？就是說這世界上的人，世界一切眾生，也各有所好，有的歡喜天主教，覺得天主教是至高無上的宗教了。有的歡喜耶穌教，覺得耶穌教是第一了。有的又歡喜孔子的道，說孔子的道不錯，講仁義禮智信，「博愛之謂仁，行而合宜之謂義」，這是非常好的。有的又歡喜道教，戴上一個道士帽，把頭髮都留下，你要是不懂的話，也不知道他是男或是女，幸虧有鬍子，這還能辨認出來，這就是道教。有人卻喜歡佛教，說佛教不錯，很甜的，很殊勝的味道。你還沒有完全吃到呢！你若完全吃到啊，那更超出這個勝味的勝味了，所以叫法滋味。懂了嗎？
這個稼，我們每一個人都好像個種田的人，自己應該自耕自食，自己種地自己吃飯，應該自強不息。我們把菩提種子種到佛的福田裡邊，令其生出菩提苗，菩提苗一天比一天增長，長成菩提樹，菩提樹又結菩提果，結了菩提果，然後又得到解脫。所以說：「未種善根者令種，已種善根者令其增長，已增長者令其成熟，已成熟者令其解脫」。這位主稼神，他就是管這個事的。你要能種菩提因，將來就能結菩提果。所以他說：「得與一切眾生法滋味」，誰都能得到，誰修誰得到，誰不修，誰也得不到。所以得到得不到，就看你修不修。你依法修行，就能得到這個法滋味，令成就佛身。得到法滋味，就能得到八萬四千法門的滋味，你栽培灌溉你的法性田，而成就佛身，就成佛了。成佛以後，又有什麼好處呢？成佛啊！就是再教化眾生，令一切眾生都成佛，佛的工作就是教化眾生。
這一位柔軟勝味主稼神，他明白佛這種境界，所以他就入了這法滋味的解脫門。
待續
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Sutra:
Entirely purifying living beings' defilements,
Causing all enmity and malice to become kindness,
He thus obtains light pervading empty space.
The River Spirit Universal World is glad to see this.
The Buddha is a field of blessings, an ocean of merit and virtue,
Able to lead all beings away from evil,
All the way to the realization of great Bodhi.
This is the liberation of the Spirit Ocean Light.
Commentary:
Entirely purifying living beings' defilements. Living beings have defiled thoughts, but the Buddha turns them into pure thoughts.
Causing all enmity and malice to become kindness. The Buddha transforms all hateful thoughts into compassionate thoughts.
He thus obtains light pervading empty space. Having perfected the practice of causing all defiled beings to become pure and all angry beings to become happy, the Buddha's great wisdom light pervades the Dharma Realm to the ends of space.
The River-Ruling Spirit Universal World is glad to see this. Having understood this state, he is extremely happy.
The Buddha is a field of blessings for living beings, a field where beings can plant blessings, and
an ocean of merit and virtue for living beings. He is
able to lead all beings away from all evil, so that they do no evil and practice all good. As you can see, the Buddha transmitted the precepts to living beings, helping them to refrain from evil and avoid making mistakes, to refrain from all evil and practice all good. If they refrain from all evil, they become separate from evil. Not only are living beings led away from evil—a relatively minor achievement—they are taken
all the way to the realization of great Bodhi, to the accomplishment of Buddhahood.
This is the liberation of the Spirit Ocean Light. This is the liberation door that the River-Ruling Spirit named Ocean Light has understood.
Are there any questions today?
"The gate of giving is vast and inexhaustible, / Bringing benefit to all living beings. / Those who see it depart from stinginess and attachment. / This is what the Spirit Universal Joy has awakened to."
"Has awakened to" means he has just understood it now, and he didn't understand it before. Having understood it, he speaks a verse in praise of the Buddha. The Spirit Universal Joy is a spirit, and yet even he did not understand until now. That is why I say it is not easy to understand. Before you listened to the explanation of the Flower Adornment Sutra, you did not understand either. Now that you've heard the Sutra, you understand a little, but not completely. That's why I said it isn't easy to understand. There aren't any deep or esoteric principles involved; my meaning was just that the Buddhadharma is difficult to get to hear and to understand quickly.
It has nothing to do with that. The wise understand matters of wisdom. The humane perceive things in terms of humaneness. For example, when a wise person sees someone suffering, he wonders, "Why is he in such great misery? Oh, it's because he didn't cultivate in past lives. He only hurt people and didn't help them." He can see the former causes that led to the present results. If a humane person who has no wisdom sees a poor person, he may think, "I ought to give him ten dollars, so he can have a few meals." The wise person understands that those in misery are that way because they didn't do good deeds in their past lives. The purely humane person only commiserates with those in suffering and want to help them right away. He may not understand that their suffering is caused by their past offenses.
Every Friday we are going to hold a meeting to investigate and discuss true principle. Everyone is welcome to take part and bring up questions for people to investigate. You should not regard this as an ordinary event. In the future if this is done on a large scale, people of all religions can get together to investigate how to help the world, how to spread Buddhism throughout the world, and various other questions. So, from now on, every Friday we will hold this meeting from 12:30 - 2:30. During the meeting, everyone should bring up their opinions so we can look into them together. You shouldn't wait for one certain individual to bring up questions for discussion. Everyone has a share in this. It will be an excellent opportunity for you to express your wisdom. Don't be an Arhat who only takes care of himself. Don't be a Mahasattva who doesn't care about others, or say, "Amitabha Buddha, every man for himself". Each one of us should reflect, "How can I help and save living beings? How can I be a true Buddhist and a vigorous cultivator?" We shouldn't let the days pass in vain, eating our one meal a day, sleeping every night, and translating Sutras or listening to explanations of the Sutras every day as part of the daily routine. There's not much point in passing our lives that way. We must make new progress. "Since I'm a Buddhist disciple, I must do something to help Buddhism expand and grow. Otherwise, how can I face up to the Buddhas of the ten directions and in the three periods of time?" We should constantly be thinking about how we can propagate Buddhism and make it prosper.
Also, we should all make vows. Guo Mo ("Fruit of Silence") made a vow not to talk. We should all make vows not to let it rain or snow within a ten mile radius of the monks doing "three steps one bow." They cover a distance of five miles each day, so a ten mile radius should be sufficient. Everyone should make this vow because that's the way it must be; it cannot be any other way. It is similar to how earthquakes are not permitted to occur. When we bow to the Buddhas or recite the Buddha's name, we can dedicate the merit so that the gods, dragons, and the rest of the eightfold division will not allow it to rain or snow within ten miles of the bowing monks, because they are already undergoing too much suffering.
Sutra:
Further, the Crop-Ruling Spirit named Gentle and Superior Flavor obtained the liberation door of giving all living beings a taste of Dharma so that they may accomplish the Buddha body.
Commentary:
After the ten River-Ruling Spirits had each used verses to praise the Buddha, ten Crop-Ruling Spirits in the Flower Adornment Assembly continued to use prose to explain the inconceivability of the realm of Flower Adornment, which is beyond the understanding of common beings and those of the Two Vehicles.
Further indicates that there is a continuation of the explanation of the Sutra's principles.
The Crop-Ruling Spirit named Gentle and Superior Flavor obtained the liberation door of giving all living beings a taste of Dharma so that they may accomplish the Buddha body. In ancient China, Emperor Shen Nong taught the people to farm. He taught them how to till the fields and irrigate and tend them so that the shoots would thrive and grow day by day. The seeds are first planted in the ground. Then sprouts come up, grow, and mature. In the same way, when beings mature, they can attain liberation.
This Crop-Ruling Spirit was called "Gentle and Superior Flavor".
Gentleness is an expedient Dharma that makes living beings very comfortable. Superior flavor refers to a good flavor. The five flavors are sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty. Each person has his or her individual taste. Some people like to eat sour things; others prefer sweet food. Some are fond of bitter-tasting things. Some like to eat hot and spicy food. Others enjoy salty food. Living beings have different dispositions and individual preferences. However, we are talking about ordinary flavors. Here the Sutra is talking about superior flavor, which is the most expedient of expedient means; the most ultimate of ultimate truths. Superior flavor transcends the five flavors of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty. It's even more aromatic and delicious—more sour, more sweet, more bitter, more spicy, or more salty. It's a special kind of flavor, but don't get me wrong—I don't mean a foul flavor. It is a good flavor.
We can also explain it this way. People in the world all have their preferences. Some are attracted to Catholicism and feel that it is the highest religion. Some prefer Protestantism and consider it to be the best. Others like Confucianism and think that its principles of humaneness, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness are not bad. " 'Universal love is known as humaneness. Practicing in accord with it is called righteousness.' These are superb principles," they think. Others relish Taoism and enjoy wearing a Taoist cap and letting their hair grow so that you can't tell them apart from women, except for the fact that they have beards. Still others are attracted to Buddhism. They think, "Buddhism is pretty nice. It has a sweet, superior flavor." You haven't had a full taste yet. A full taste would surpass even the most superior flavor, so the text says, "a taste of Dharma."
Each one of us is like a farmer. We should each till our own field and eat our own food, being self-reliant and strengthening ourselves continuously. How do we plant our own field? When we plant a Bodhi seed in the Buddha's field of blessings, a Bodhi sprout comes forth. The Bodhi sprout grows day by day until it becomes a Bodhi tree. The Bodhi tree bears Bodhi fruit. Once you reap that Bodhi fruit, you have attained liberation. That's why it's said, "Enable those who haven't planted good roots to plant them; enable those who have already planted them to make them grow; enable those whose good roots have grown to bring them to maturity; and enable those whose good roots have matured to attain liberation." Crop-Ruling Spirits are involved in that kind of work.
If you plant a Bodhi seed, in the future you will reap a Bodhi fruit. The text says, "giving all living beings the taste of Dharma" Whoever cultivates can get a taste. But those who don't cannot. The attainment depends upon whether or not you cultivate. If you rely on the Dharma in your cultivation, you will obtain the flavor of Dharma and "Will realize the Buddha body." Having obtained the flavor of Dharma, ones will obtain the flavor of 84,000 Dharma doors; you nurture the field of your Dharma nature and realize the Buddha body; that is, you become a Buddha.
"What's so good about becoming a Buddha?" you ask.
After you become a Buddha, you can teach all living beings, let them become Buddhas. The Buddhas' work is just to teach and transform living beings.
The Crop-Ruling Spirit named Gentle and Superior Flavor understood the Buddha's state and entered the liberation door of the flavor of Dharma.
To be continued
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