菩薩，梵語菩提薩捶，漢譯覺有情。謂修諸利益眾生行門，自覺覺他，自度度他，屈己待人，慈心接物，正大光明。凡一舉一動皆為救濟眾生，所以名覺有情也。發菩提心，行菩薩道，貴在堅固永恆，不變誓願。披精進鎧，持般若劍，斬殺六根之狂賊，捉拿六識之陰鬼，掃除六塵之染魔，勤耕六度之法田，灌溉六道之芳園，栽培萬行之華實，涵養不壞之金軀，成就難思之佳果。萬德圓足，靈光獨耀。八相成這，百界作佛。至此大丈夫之能事畢矣。
今天講的是修菩薩道。這菩薩道一定要修；你要不修，就不能成就這菩薩的行。修，怎麼樣的修呢？就是去幫助其他的眾生成就道業；其他的眾生成就道業，你自己的道業也就成了，這叫菩薩道。
「菩薩」：這個名稱是梵語，因為中國人願意簡略，所以梵語叫Bodhisattva——「菩提薩埵」。中國人就叫做菩薩；「提」字去了，「埵」字也去了。中國話叫覺有情，就是覺悟一切的有情，令一切的有情都得到覺悟。意思是怎樣的呢？就是所說的「修諸利益眾生行門」；凡是對眾生有利益的行門，都要去做去，都要去修去。「自覺覺他」：自己覺悟了，又要覺悟他人。「自度度他」：自己得到度脫了，到彼岸了，又要接引他人也到彼岸，也得到度脫。
「屈己待人」：這個屈己待人，就是叫自己吃虧，叫旁人得到好處，得到利益；不是說利益我自己，要利益其他的人。就是對自己很受委屈；委屈到好像很不自在的；那麼待人，令人很歡喜的。「慈心接物」：用這個慈悲心來接引一切的眾生。「正大光明」：所行所做都要正大光明，大公無私。這個正大光明，也就是大公無私。凡所有的一切，一舉一動，就是所作的事情，都是為了救濟眾生。「所以名覺有情也」：所以他這個名字叫覺有情。這是稍微解釋菩薩的名，明白了嗎？
那麼現在接著就是「發菩提心」：你想要覺有情，一定要發菩提心；你若不發菩提心，就不會覺有情。發菩提心又要行「菩薩道」；你若不行菩薩道呢？菩提心也不會增長的，所以你要修行菩薩道。「貴在堅固」：這個最尊貴的地方，就要你有堅固的心。「永恆不變」：永遠不變這樣去修行菩薩道的心。不是今天修了，明天又覺得沒有什麼意思，就不修了，不是這樣的。「誓願」：發誓願。
「披精進的鎧」：好像披上鎧甲似的。「持般若劍」：手裡拿著智慧劍。這智慧劍就是最要緊的，你要有智慧劍；你沒有智慧劍，你遇到事情就迷了。你迷了，你斬不斷；斬不斷什麼呢？斬不斷情，斬不斷愛。
這個情愛從什麼地方來的呢？就是從六根那兒來的。你眼睛，那個男的看見女的，女的看見男的，就生出一種染污心。耳朵聽見聲音也生出一種染污心，這就愛狂了，所以叫做狂賊。你一生染污就發狂；要發狂了，死也不怕了。墮地獄就墮，管他那麼多！什麼都不顧了。生死的問題一點都不管了，這就因為發狂了。你的無明把你支配得發了狂了，所以要斬殺六根之狂賊。眼耳鼻舌身意：眼睛見色就動心了；耳朵聽聲也動心了；鼻子聞到香也動了心了；舌嚐到味也動了心了；身有一種接觸也動了心了；意緣法也動了心了：就發狂了。「斬殺六根之狂賊」：你不要學這狂賊，要殺了它；殺了這狂賊不犯戒的。你不要以為我受了戒了，犯戒了；那你做壞事不犯戒嗎？那你生一種染污心不犯戒嗎？這個你怕犯戒；那個就不怕犯戒，奇怪了，真奇怪了！
「捉拿六識之陰鬼」：這個六識生出眼耳鼻舌身意。這個六識，很壞的啊！他們幫助你；幫助你什麼？「對的，你應該做壞事啊！你應該生這個染污心啦！不要緊，你做了沒關係，我幫助你。」所以要把這陰鬼捉住。
「掃除六塵之染魔」：這個色聲香味觸法，是一種染污法。什麼叫塵？塵就是不乾淨，所以叫染塵，要把它掃除；清除了它。「勤耕六度之法田」：你要勤耕六度--布施、持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定、智慧，這六度法田；這是修法的一個法田。
「灌溉六道之芳園」：這六道就是天道、人道、阿修羅、地獄、餓鬼、畜生這六道；芳園，這裡頭好像一個花園似的，要種得開花結果，種得好一點。「栽培萬行之華實」：你在那個花園裡，栽了萬行之花果--實也就是果。「涵養不壞之金軀」：做什麼呢？你修養你自己金剛不壞的金軀、精神。「成就難思之佳果」：你啊！成就你不可思議那覺果。佳果，也就是最好的果位。
「萬德圓足」：你萬德圓滿啦！充足了。「靈光獨耀」：就是你開大智慧了。「入相證道」：有兜率相，住胎、出胎。出家、修道、降魔，這種種的，這是入相。詳細的你可以查一查字典。
「百界作佛」：到其他的百個國度裡去成佛去。「至此」：到這個地方。「大丈夫至能事畢矣」：這個菩薩道已經圓滿了。你這個大丈夫，大英雄所做的事情都做完了，畢矣！
行菩薩道，是利人無我。 |
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Text:
Pusa is the Chinese transliteration of the Sanskrit word, Bodhisattva, which translates as "one who enlightens sentient beings." This refers to one who cultivates all the practices of benefiting living beings, thereby enlightening oneself and enlightening others, rescuing oneself and rescuing others. One subjugates the self for the sake of others, and with kindness embraces all creatures. One is proper, public-minded, illustrious and bright. Since such a one's every move is dedicated to rescuing living beings, he is called "One who enlightens sentient beings." In bringing forth the Bodhi resolve and practicing the Bodhisattva Way, the important thing is to be resolute and persevering, and to remain steadfast and unchanging in one's vows. Don the armor of vigor, wield the Prajna sword, and slay the mad thieves of the six faculties. Capture the skandha ghosts of the six consciousnesses. Wipe out the defiled demons of the six dusts. Diligently cultivate the Dharma field of the Six Paramitas. Irrigate the garden of the six paths. Nurture the flowers and fruits of the ten thousand practices. Groom an indestructible Vajra body, and achieve an inconceivably splendid result. And then, upon becoming replete with the ten thousand virtues, with an efficacious light that radiates, manifest the eight marks of attaining the Way and realize Buddhahood in a hundred realms. Only then is the work of a great person fully accomplished!
Commentary:
Today our topic is "Cultivating the Bodhisattva Way." It is imperative that we cultivate the Bodhisattva Way. If you don't cultivate it, then you will not accomplish the Bodhisattva path. How does one cultivate it? By helping other living beings to accomplish their work in the Way. When other living beings accomplish their work in the Way, your own work in the Way will also be accomplished. That's called the Bodhisattva Way.
Pusa is the Chinese transliteration of the Sanskrit word, Bodhisattva. Actually, the full transliteration is Putisaduo, but since Chinese people like to abbreviate, they did away with the 'ti' and 'duo' syllables. Bodhisattva is a word which translates as "one who enlightens sentient beings," that is, one who causes all sentient beings to attain enlightenment. This refers to one who cultivates all the practices of benefiting living beings. This means doing any and every deed that benefits living beings, thereby enlightening oneself and then going on and enlightening others, rescuing oneself and rescuing others. After one has crossed over to the other shore and been liberated, one guides other people to that shore as well.
One subjugates the self for the sake of others, that is, you yourself take a loss and yield the advantages to others. You don't care to help yourself out, but only want to help others. You take abuse and suffer discomfort in order to make others happy. And with kindness one embraces all creatures. You welcome and draw in living beings with kind compassion.
One is proper, public-minded, illustrious and bright. Everything you do is fair and honest, public-spirited and unselfish. Since such a one's every move is dedicated to rescuing living beings, he is called "One who enlightens sentient beings." Your every deed and action is motivated by the intent to rescue living beings. This has been a simple explanation of the word "Bodhisattva." Do you understand?
In bringing forth the Bodhi resolve and practicing the Bodhisattva Way... If you wish to enlighten sentient beings, it's crucial that you make the Bodhi resolve. If you don't, you won't be able to enlighten sentients. Once you have made the Bodhi resolve, you must practice the Bodhisattva Way. If you fail to do that, your Bodhi resolve will not grow. Therefore, you should practice the Bodhisattva Way. The most important thing is to be resolute and persevering in your resolve to cultivate the Bodhisattva Way. And it's necessary to remain steadfast and unchanging in one's vows. You should not cultivate today, and decide that it's boring tomorrow and quit. That's not the way.
Don the armor of vigor, wield the Prajna sword. It's as if you put on a suit of mail and hold the sword of wisdom in your hand. This wisdom sword is essential. You must have it. If you don't have the wisdom sword, you'll be confused by situations. In your confusion, you won't be able to cut through. Cut through what? Cut through your emotion and love. Where do emotion and love come from? They come from the six sense faculties. You see with your eyes. When a man sees a woman or a woman sees a man, defiled thoughts arise. When your ears hear sounds, defiled thoughts also arise and you become mad with love. That's why the text says "mad thieves." As soon as you give rise to defilement, you go mad, so mad that you aren't even afraid of death. "If I fall into the hells, so what?" is your attitude. You don't heed anything and pay no attention to the matter of birth and death, because you are mad. Your ignorance has taken over and made you go mad. And so you must slay the mad thieves of the six faculties—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. When the eyes see forms, your mind is affected. When the ears hear sounds, your mind also moves. If the nose smells scents, it affects you too. When the tongue tastes flavors, your mind is swayed. When the body feels sensations, your mind moves as well. When the mind considers dharmas, it is also influenced. In other words, you go mad.
Don't learn from the six thieves; slay them instead. Killing these thieves is not a violation of the precepts. Don't think, "I've taken the precepts, and now I've broken them." What about when you do evil: Are you breaking precepts then? Aren't you breaking precepts when you entertain defiled thoughts? How come you worry about breaking the precepts in this case, but not in those cases? That's pretty strange!
Capture the skandha ghosts of the six consciousnesses. The six consciousnesses give rise to the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. The six consciousnesses are terrible. They help you out. How do they help you? They egg you on, saying, "Yes, you ought to do bad things and entertain defiled thoughts. Don't worry. It doesn't matter if you do them. I'll help you out." And so you must catch the skandha ghosts.
Wipe out the defiled demons of the six dusts. Forms, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations of touch, and mental dharmas—these are all defiled things. They are called "dusts" because they are unclean. You must sweep them out; clean them up. Diligently cultivate the Dharma field of the Six Paramitas—giving, holding precepts, patience, vigor, Chan samadhi, and wisdom. These are a field for cultivating the Dharma. Irrigate the garden of the six paths. The six paths are the paths of gods, people, asuras, hell-beings, hungry ghosts, and animals. They are like a garden. We should cultivate it well so that the plants will bloom and bear fruit. In this garden, nurture the flowers and fruits of the ten thousand practices. Groom an indestructible Vajra body and spirit of your own, and achieve an inconceivably splendid result—enlightenment. "Splendid result" means the finest position. And then, upon becoming full and replete with the ten thousand virtues, with an efficacious light that radiates because your great wisdom has unfolded, manifest the eight marks of attaining the Way. These include the marks of dwelling in the Tushita Heaven, dwelling in the womb, leaving the womb, leaving the home-life, cultivating the Way, subduing demons, and so on. You can look them up if you want to know the particulars. And realize Buddhahood in a hundred realms. You can go to a hundred other worlds and become a Buddha there. Only then is the work of a great person fully accomplished! At that point, you will have perfected the Bodhisattva Way. Your work as a great hero will be done and finished!
Cultivate the Bodhisattva path: Benefit others and forget self |
