|
世尊自當知 濁世惡比丘
不知佛方便 隨宜所說法
惡口而顰蹙 數數見擯出
遠離於塔寺 如是等眾惡
念佛告敕故 皆當忍是事
「世尊自當知」：佛一定是知道的。「濁世惡比丘」：到末法五濁惡世，惡比丘互相譭謗。「不知佛方便。」不知道佛所說的方便法門。「隨宜所說法」：隨眾生的機宜所說的一切的法。「惡口而顰蹙」：惡口就是罵；顰蹙，顰是把眉頭皺起來，把眼睛鼻子耳朵眉毛嘴巴都搬到一起去了，你說這像個什麼？這就叫顰蹙，很不高興的樣子。「數數見擯出」：數數就是很多次。本來是「數」字，但是要讀成「碩」。這是（論語）上「事君數，斯辱矣；朋友數，斯疏矣」。說是你對君王若是很長氣的，說一遍又說一遍，說一遍又說一遍，去諫皇帝的過錯，這你一定就要得到一種侮辱。你若對朋友這樣，譬如這個朋友有什麼過錯，你勸他一次、兩次可以了，不可以三番五次。你勸他勸得多了，他就對你疏遠了，所以說朋友數，斯疏矣。「數數見擯出」：就是很多次他都不理你，把你擯出；擯出就是不和你在一起了。「遠離於塔寺」：叫你離開這個塔，離開這個寺。「如是等眾惡」：像這樣子來對付你，令你不能忍受。「念佛告敕故」：你應該想念著佛所告敕你的。「皆當忍是事」：應該把這個事情都忍耐下，不要對這種惡人來發脾氣。
諸聚落城邑 其有求法者 我皆到其所 說佛所矚法
我是世尊使 處眾無所畏 我當善說法 願佛安隱住
我於世尊前 諸來十方佛 發如是誓言 佛自知我心
「諸聚落城邑」：在所有的城市聚落和村莊。「其有求法者」：假設有想求佛法的人。「我皆到其所」：我發願到這個人所住那地方。「說佛所囑法」：我給他說佛所囑託的這種法，就是《妙法蓮華經》。「我是世尊使」：我是佛的一個使者，所以佛的事我都要做的。「處眾無所畏」：我在大眾的場所裏邊為說《妙法蓮華經》是無所畏的。「我當善說法」：我發願我說法，應該善說諸法，分別一切諸法實相。「願佛安隱住」：我願意佛在這兒安隱地住在這個常寂光淨土，不要擔心弘揚《妙法蓮華經》這個事情。「我於世尊前」：我現在在世尊佛的前邊。「諸來十方佛」：和多寶如來，和釋迦牟尼佛所分身的十方諸佛的前邊。「發如是誓言」：我發像前邊我所說的這樣的誓願的言詞。「佛自知我心」：我這種心，我就不說，佛也一定會知道我這個心的；我的心就是要保護《妙法蓮華經》，弘揚《妙法蓮華經》。我們大眾現在都是存的這種心，發的這種願。這一品《法華經》勸持品，勸就是勸一切眾生都受持讀誦這部《法華經》，也勸一切眾生來聽講這部《法華經》。一切菩薩、比丘、比丘尼都發願來流通這《妙法蓮華經》。所以這個勸持品也就是願意所有的人都依照這《法華經》來修行，依照《法華經》修行才可以成佛。
也是很奇怪的，這個勸持品，今天翻譯是最後一個翻譯。這最後一個翻譯是誰翻譯的呢？是恆持翻譯的。勸持就要恆持；恆持你們就要受持；受持就要讀誦《法華經》，所以這個感應也很不可思議的。講這一品最後就是恆持來翻譯，顧名思義你們各位也應該恆持。這個恆持她以前做過幾句偈，她說：「果必能得，修諸福德；恆念定慧，持戒成佛。」這幾句偈頌我看了一遍，到現在這有很久的時間，可也沒有忘。為什麼沒有忘呢？她說的是不錯的。今天她翻譯這個勸持品，希望你們各位都發心恆持《法華經》。
待續 |
|
Sutra:
As the World Honored One himself knows,
In the
turbid age, evil Bhikshus,
Not knowing of the Buddha's
expedients
Whereby the Dharma is spoken appropriately,
Will
frown and speak ill of us,
Repeatedly banishing us
From
stupas and temples.
So will be the host of evils,
And yet,
recollecting the Buddha's command,
We shall bear up under
these events.
Commentary:
As the World Honored One himself knows, /In the
turbid Dharma-ending age of the five turbidities,
evil Bhikshus—left home people who slander other left home
people—not knowing of the Buddha's expedients, / Whereby the
Dharma is spoken appropriately according to living beings'
dispositions, will frown and speak ill of us. They will
screw up their faces into a frown and scold us. They will be
intent upon repeatedly banishing us from stupas and temples.
The word "repeatedly" occurs in the Analects: "If you
repeatedly criticize your emperor in serving him, you will
be insulted. If you repeatedly criticize your friends, they
will grow distant." If you go on and on about the emperor's
shortcomings, you are bound to be insulted. You can exhort
your friend to change his faults once or twice, but if you
do it too many times, he or she will grow distant from you.
The Sutra text says that the evil Bhikshus will ostracize us
and kick us out of the Way places. So will be the host of
evils. That's how they will treat us, until we can hardly
tolerate it. And yet, recollecting the Buddha's command,
remembering that the Buddha told us to be patient,
we shall
bear up under these events and we won't get angry at such
evil people.
Sutra:
If there are those who seek the Dharma
In the
villages, cities, and towns,
We will go to those places
To
speak the Dharma entrusted to us by the Buddha.
We are the
World Honored One's emissaries,
Dwelling fearlessly among
the multitudes.
We speak the Dharma skillfully,
And hope the
Buddha will remain at peace.
We, in the presence of the
World Honored One
And before the Buddhas who have come from
the ten directions,
Make vows such as these,
And the Buddha
himself knows our thoughts.
Commentary:
If there are those who seek the Dharma /In the
villages, cities, and towns, / We will go to those places /
To speak the Dharma entrusted to us by the Buddha, to speak
the Dharma Flower Sutra. We are the Buddha's emissaries and
so we should do the Buddha's work. Dwelling fearlessly among
the multitudes, / We speak the Dharma skillfully. In keeping
with our vows, we will speak of the Real Mark of all Dharmas.
And hope the Buddha will remain at peace in the Land of
Eternal Stillness and Light, and not worry about the
propagation of the Dharma Flower Sutra. We, in the presence
of the World Honored One, /And before the Buddhas who have
come from the ten directions, /Make vows such as these. In
the presence of Shakyamuni Buddha, Many Jewels Buddha, and
all of Shakyamuni's division-body Buddhas who have come from
the ten directions, we make these vows, and the Buddha
himself knows our thoughts. The Buddha knew anyway. We
didn't have to tell him. Our minds are made up to protect
and propagate the Dharma Flower Sutra. The entire assembly
has this wish and hereby makes this vow."
This chapter, "Exhortation to Maintain," exhorts all living
beings to read, recite, maintain, listen to, and expound the
Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. All Bodhisattvas,
Bhikshus, and Bhikshunis make vows to propagate this Sutra.
This chapter was spoken to influence all people to cultivate
according to the Dharma Flower Sutra, so that they can
realize Buddhahood.
Strangely enough, on the last day of lecturing this chapter,
the translator is (Bhikshuni) Heng Chih ("constantly
maintain"). "Exhortation to Maintain" exhorts us to
constantly maintain the Dharma Flower Sutra by reading and
reciting it. This is quite inconceivable. Thinking of her
name, you should constantly maintain this Sutra. Heng Chih
once wrote a poem that goes:
The fruit must be attained
Through cultivation of blessings
and virtue.
Constantly be mindful of samadhi and wisdom.
Maintain precepts and become a Buddha.
I read this poem a long time ago, but I haven't forgotten
it, because it's pretty good. Since she translated this
chapter today, I hope everyone will resolve to "constantly
maintain" the Dharma Flower Sutra.
To be continued |
