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大雄善巧難測量，凡有所作無空過，
必使眾生諸苦滅，枬檀林神能悟此。
「大雄善巧難測量」：（註解見上期）。
「凡有所作」：這佛，凡有所作無空過，不會白費功，不會沒有用的。凡是佛一舉一動、一言一行，對眾生都是有利益的。我們眾生就不懂這個道理，所以往往做事自己還不知道就錯了。「必使眾生諸苦滅」：佛唯一的目的，唯一的希望就是想要眾生諸苦滅，一切的苦都沒有了。
昨天那個偈頌說「如來智慧不思議，悉知一切眾生心，能以種種方便力，滅彼群迷無量苦。」
滅無量苦談何容易！佛心心念念，時時刻刻都想把我們眾生的苦給滅了。減到現在把這個眾生的苦給滅了，那個眾生的苦又來了；把那一個眾生的苦給滅了，那一個眾生苦又跟著來了，就好像海裏的波浪似的，前浪接著後浪，後浪又接著後浪，浪浪生生不已，浪浪繼續不斷。這個波浪也就好像眾生的苦似的那麼不容易斷，可是佛「必使眾生諸苦滅」。滅不了嗎？一定要滅，知其不可而為之。知道眾生的苦不容易滅，佛就願意行這個難行的工作來教化眾生。
也就好像我們現在一般人發心來救這個世界。這個世界怎麼樣能救呢？這不是一個人的力量，是大家的力量才能把它挽回。可是你也等著他，他又等著你，互相觀望著，這個世界就快到末日了。那麼你要發菩提心來救度一切眾生：「我不管旁人是做不做這個工作，我認清了這個工作是我應該做的，我就去做去。」這樣子，所謂挽救世界人人有責；人人有責，我就要先把我這責任盡了它，不要等著旁人去。這樣子，或者這個世界就有挽回的一個機會。「枬檀林神能悟此」：前邊所說這種種的道理、種種的境界，這個解脫門是枬檀林神他能明瞭而悟入這個解脫門的。
上人答覆有關虛雲老和尚的問題：他若自在你就不會做了。他若是自在，他什麼病也沒有了，你就更會想：「他是八地菩薩；我是六地菩薩，我不能做他的事情。」會不會有這樣想？「他這是八地菩薩，所以他所做的我做不了的。」跟著你的見解，他是八地的菩薩神通妙用非常自在，是不是？不應該有病，對不對？
若按著我的意思，他八地菩薩根本就不應該到這麼一個邋遢世界上來。這五濁惡世他不應該來了，那麼他既然來了，這就是因為沒有工作想要找一點工作；在那兒閒著沒有事情想要來做一做戲。既然來做戲，這是你的三昧，所以他就什麼都要嘗試一下。他既然到這個世間來就是和眾生一個樣，也吃飯，也睡覺，也穿衣服，也生病，也死，沒有什麼分別的，就叫你這個人自己覺悟。他這樣一舉一動，都是為眾生說法呢！示現病行，示現這麼苦惱。根本三步一拜，他拜的什麼？去五臺山拜文殊菩薩；文殊菩薩一定在五臺山嗎？文殊菩薩如果只在五臺山，那麼美國眾生就都沒有希望見著文殊菩薩了，所以這一切一切都是給人說法的。
乃至於我們現在這兒有兩位比丘也「三步一拜」。他拜的什麼？說拜十方三世一切諸佛、拜華嚴海會佛菩薩。拜華嚴海會佛菩薩，為什麼又要「三步一拜」去拜去？就在這兒也是有華嚴海會佛菩薩。這都是示現給眾生說法。說法的方法不同，種種都是說法；就是他病和死，這都是說法。你若是明白它了，這都是說法；你若不明白，這都是沒有事情找事情幹，多餘的，多此一舉到這個世界。這個世界很好玩的，所以他要來玩一玩。八地、九地、十地也是到這來玩來的，這叫遊戲三昧。所以你何必又執著他有病沒有病呢？你應該問一問他八地菩薩應該不死，他怎麼又死了呢？這是一個最大的問題，那個病還是個小問題。
現在這兩位比丘三步一拜這也可以說是大雄；若不是大雄也做不到的。那麼以後你們各位也都做一個大雄。我們做百千萬億大雄大力大慈悲的釋迦牟尼佛的繼承者。
汝觀諸佛法如是。往昔勤修無量劫。
而於諸有無所著。此離塵光所入門。
「汝觀」：就是令所有的眾生來觀察觀察。「諸佛法如是」：諸佛就是過去佛、現在佛、未來佛，十方三世一切佛；法如是，諸佛的法就像這樣子。什麼樣子呢？這個樣子講起來就多了，簡單說就是三身四智、五眼六通，神通變化，八萬四千法門就像這樣子。這樣子又是個什麼樣子？就是「言語道斷；心行處滅」，所謂「口欲言而辭喪；心欲緣而慮亡」，沒有什麼可說的，就是如是如是。那麼諸佛的法如是，怎樣得來的如是法？怎麼樣得這個如如不動，了了常明這種的法？下邊這一句就說得很清楚。「往昔勤修無量劫」：怎麼樣得的？就是在以前無量劫無量劫以前就勤修戒定慧，息滅貪瞋癡。在無量劫到現在這麼長的時間就是勤修如是法，勤修如是道，所以現在才成就如是的佛果；成就如是的佛果主要就是由「勤修」這兩個字來的。
「往昔勤修無量劫」：佛修道的時候晝精進，夜精進，晝夜六時恆精進。佛為了求佛法成佛道把內財也捨了，外財也捨了。外財國城妻子都布施；內財就是身心性命，頭目腦髓做布施，所謂躬行實踐，腳踏實地去老老實實地修行。
「而於諸有無所著」：諸有就是欲界、色界、無色界三界。欲界有色界「有」、無色界「有」。「有」什麼呢？有漏，有生死，有無明煩惱，有習氣，這種諸有。無所著就是沒有執著了，破了一切的執著。你能沒有執著了才能得到解脫；要有所執著那就是得不到解脫。你有我執、法執，這都不能得到解脫，所以要一切無著。「此離塵光所入門」：這是這個離塵光明主藥神，他所悟入的解脫門。
佛百千劫難可遇。若有得見及聞名。
必令獲益無空過。此普稱神之所了。
佛法難聞；人身難得；美國難生；善知識難遇，所謂：「無上甚深微妙法，百千萬劫難遭遇；我今見聞得受持，願解如來真實義。」法，百千萬劫難遭遇；佛，也是這樣子百千萬劫不容易遇著，所以說「佛百千萬劫難可遇」。有的時候遇著又不認識。諸葛亮說是馬前課能知道未來的事情，所謂未蔔先知，一般人都是馬後課，過去才知道。沒有過的時候就當局者迷，不知道；等過後才知道。
「若有得見及聞名」：若有是假設之詞。本來也沒有一個有，也沒有一個沒有，所以說若有，假設他有見佛的，或者聞見佛的名字。
「悉使獲益無空過」：悉，是完全，完全使這個見佛和聞佛名字的得到利益；無空過，不會空空就過去了。此普稱神之所了；這是這個有大名稱的主藥神，他所明了的解脫門。
待續 |
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Sutra:
The Great Hero's skillful expedients are hard to
fathom.
Nothing that he does is ever in vain.
He is
determined to rid living beings of all suffering.
The Spirit
Chandana Forest has awakened to this.
Commentary:
The Great Hero's skillful expedients are hard to
fathom. [See last issue for commentary of this line.]
Nothing that he does is ever in vain. The Buddha never
engages in futile or useless endeavors. Everything the
Buddha does and says brings benefit to living beings. We
living beings, however, lack such understanding, and so we
often do things wrong without realizing it. He is determined
to rid living beings of all suffering. The Buddha's sole
purpose, his only wish, is to completely eradicate the
misery of living beings. The previous verse said,
The Thus Come One's wisdom is inconceivable.
He completely
understands the hearts of all living beings.
He can employ
all sorts of expedient powers
To extinguish the immeasurable
suffering of the confused multitudes.
Extinguishing their immeasurable suffering is easy to talk
about, but not easy to do. In his every thought, the Buddha
wishes to extinguish living beings' suffering. He has been
doing this all the way to the present moment, and what
happens is, each time he eradicates one living being's
suffering, another living being's suffering begins. When he
has put an end to that living being's suffering, yet another
living being starts to suffer. Their sufferings are like
waves in the ocean, one wave following another, wave after
wave coming on in ceaseless succession. These waves, like
the sufferings of living beings, are hard to stop.
Nonetheless, the Buddha "is determined to rid living beings
of all suffering." So it's impossible to extinguish their
suffering? Well, he's determined to do it. Knowing full well
that it cannot be done, he still insists on doing it against
all odds. Aware of the difficulty of eradicating living
beings' suffering, the Buddha is nonetheless willing to take
on the tough work of teaching and transforming living
beings.
This can be compared to when people make a resolve to save
the world. How can the world be saved? One person alone
cannot do it. It takes the effort of many people to save the
world. However, if everyone just looks at one another and
does nothing, the world will soon come to an end. You ought
to bring forth the Bodhi resolve to save living beings, not
caring whether other people are doing this work. You should
think, "I see that this is a job I ought to do, and so I'm
just going to go ahead and do it." The work of saving the
world is everyone's responsibility. Since it's everyone's
responsibility, I ought to do my share and not wait for
others. That way, there's a real opportunity for the world
to be saved. The Spirit Chandana Forest has awakened to
this. The Spirit Chandana Forest understands the various
principles and states discussed and can enter this
liberation door.
[In answer to a question about Venerable Master Hsu Yun] If
he were comfortable and at ease, then you wouldn't do what
he does. If he were totally at ease and free of sickness,
you would be even more inclined to think, "He's an eighth
ground Bodhisattva, whereas I'm a sixth ground Bodhisattva,
so I can't do the things he does." Wouldn't you reason in
that way, thinking, "Since he's an eighth ground
Bodhisattva, the things he does are beyond my ability."
According to your view, he is an eighth ground Bodhisattva
who is totally at ease in the wonder- ful functioning of
spiritual powers, so he ought not to get sick, right?
In my opinion, as an eighth ground Bodhisattva, he shouldn't
even come to such a defiled world. He shouldn't come into
this evil world of the five turbidities. Since he came, it
means that he was looking for something to do when there was
nothing to do. Being idle and unoccupied, he wanted to come
and be in the play. Having joined the play—this is your
samadhi—he wanted to try everything out. Having come to the
world, he acted the same as other living beings—eating,
sleeping, wearing clothes, getting sick, and dying. He
wasn't any different from others. People have to come to
realization on their own. His every move was speaking the
Dharma for living beings. He manifested the conduct of being
sick and in pain and suffering. Basically, what was his
Three Steps One Bow pilgrimage for? Ostensibly, it was a
pilgrimage to Wutai Mountain to pay respect to Manjushri
Bodhisattva. Was Manjushri Bodhisattva really at Wutai
Mountain? If Manjushri Bodhisattva were only at Wutai
Mountain, then the living beings in the United States could
never hope to see him. Therefore, all of this is speaking
Dharma for us.
Even our two Bhikshus, who are doing a Three Steps One Bow
Pilgrimage—what are they bowing for? They say they are
bowing to all Buddhas of the ten directions and the three
periods of time, to the Avatamsaka Assembly of Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas as Vast as the Sea. Why do they need to do
"three steps one bow" to pay homage to the Avatamsaka
Assembly? The Avatamsaka Assembly's Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
are right here. The monks are just manifesting this practice
as a way of speaking Dharma for living beings. There are
many different ways of speaking Dharma. Even getting sick
and dying are ways of speaking Dharma.
If you understand, then the person is speaking Dharma for
you. If you don't understand, then he is just doing
something to keep from being idle. His work is superfluous
and unnecessary. He thinks this world is a lot of fun, so he
has come to play. The Bodhisattvas of the eighth, ninth, and
tenth grounds have all come here to play. That's called the
playful samadhi. Therefore, why get attached to the matter
of whether or not he gets sick? If you want to think along
those lines, you ought to ask why an eighth ground
Bodhisattva is not free from death. Why did he die? That's
the biggest question. Sickness is a minor matter in
comparison.
The two "Three Steps One Bow" monks could be said to be
great heroes. If they weren't great heroes, they wouldn't be
able to do what they're doing. In the future, all of you
should become great heroes. We'll become a hundred billion
great heroes—heirs of Shakyamuni Buddha endowed with great
might and great compassion.
Sutra:
Contemplate how the Dharma of all Buddhas is this
way.
Having cultivated diligently in measureless eons past,
They are without attachment toward all of existence.
This is
the door entered by Radiance of Leaving Dust.
Commentary:
All living beings should
contemplate how the
Dharma of all Buddhas throughout the ten directions and the
three periods of time—the past, present, and future—is this
way. That's just the way the Dharma is. What way? We could
go into great detail talking about this, but for now we will
only speak in general. There are the Three Bodies, the Four
Wisdoms, the Five Eyes, and the Six Spiritual Powers. There
are all the spiritual transformations, and the 84,000 Dharma
doors. They are all like this. Like what?
The path of language is cut off.
The place of the mind's
activity is gone.
The mouth wants to speak, but words are
gone.
The mind wants to think, but there are no thoughts.
There is nothing to say. That's just how it is. The Dharma
of all Buddhas is that way. How can one attain this Dharma?
How can one attain unmoving thusness and constant, clear
understanding? The next line says very clearly:
Having cultivated diligently in measureless eons past.
How
did he attain this Dharma? He attained it because limitless
eons ago, he diligently cultivated precepts, samadhi, and
wisdom, and extinguished greed, anger, and delusion.
Throughout these limitless eons until now, he has diligently
cultivated all dharmas. Having cultivated the Dharma and the
Way which is thus, he now accomplishes the Buddha fruition
which is thus. Diligent cultivation is the primary cause of
the accomplishment of Buddhahood. When the Buddha cultivated
the Way, he was vigorous in the six periods of the day and
night. For the sake of seeking the Buddhadharma and
attaining the Buddha Way, the Buddha renounced both internal
and external wealth. External wealth refers to one's
country, cities, wife, and children. Internal wealth refers
to one's body, mind, life, and parts of the body, such as
the head, eyes, brains, and marrow. The Buddha was able to
give all of those away. He truly practiced the teachings and
honestly applied himself to cultivation.
They are without attachment toward all of existence.
All of
existence encompasses all that exists within the Three
Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless
Realm. What is it that exists in these Three Realms?
Outflows, birth and death, ignorance, afflictions, and bad
habits. Yet the Buddha was not attached to existence. He
destroyed all attachments. Only when you have no attachments
can you attain liberation. If you are still attached, you
cannot be liberated. If you have the attachment to self and
the attachment to dharmas, you cannot attain liberation. You
have to get rid of all attachments whatsoever. This is the
door entered by Radiance of Leaving Dust. The
Medicine-Ruling Spirit named Radiance of Leaving Dust has
entered and understood this liberation door.
Sutra:
The Buddha is hard to encounter in a hundred thousand
eons.
If there are those who get to see him or hear his
name,
It is not in vain, and they will certainly attain
benefit.
The Spirit named Universal Renown understands this.
Commentary:
The Buddha is hard to encounter in a hundred
thousand eons. It is hard to get to hear the Buddhadharma.
It is hard to obtain a human body. It is hard to get to be
born in the United States. It is difficult to encounter a
good advisor. As the verse goes,
The unsurpassed, profound, subtle and wonderful Dharma
Is
difficult to encounter in a hundred million eons.
I now see
and hear it, receive and maintain it,
And I vow to
understand the Thus Come One's true meaning.
Just as it is hard to encounter the Dharma in a hundred
million eons, it is also not easy to meet up with the Buddha
in a hundred million eons. Sometimes you meet him without
recognizing him. Most people don't realize they have met the
Buddha until after the event. Zhu-ge Liang was able to know
about things before they happened, but most people are
confused when things happen and only figure out what's going
on later on.
If there are those who get to see him or hear his name.
This
is a hypothetical statement, "if..." Basically, this
situation neither exists nor does not exist. But suppose
there are people who see the Buddha or hear his name.
It is
not in vain, and they will certainly attain benefit. They
will gain advantages, and the situation will not have been
totally worthless. The Medicine-Ruling Spirit named
Universal Renown, who has a great reputation, understands
this liberation door.
To be continued |
