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云何念師長恩。
「云何念師長恩」：云何就是怎麼樣說。怎麼樣說是報師長恩呢？前邊是報父母恩，這父母生我，我應該報恩的；那麼師長他沒有生我，我報什麼恩呢？所以說「云何報師長恩」呢？這是一個詢問詞，就是向大家來問問題。師，就是一個規則，跟著他學這種法度、規則。說「師父」，這是一種長輩，在我們人倫上，「師」就是長輩。你皈依師父了，那麼你無形中就是晚輩了。
所以我不叫人皈依我，就是這樣子；如果我叫人皈依我，人家問一問你，你夠不夠師父的資格啊？你是不是討我的便宜，想要作我的師父，比我長一輩呢？那你自己說什麼？所以我從來不叫哪一個人皈依我，不叫的，就是因為這個。我也很慚愧的，我收一個皈依弟子，我覺得如果我不用正法來教化他，我不能度他，我就是對不起他。我要是用正法教他，他要是沒有真正一個誠心，不聽，我又有什麼法子？所以我也不叫人皈依我。
你看你們現在這麼多人皈依我，你們自己問問自己，哪一個是我親口叫你們來皈依我的？甚至於皈依我的，我都要考察考察。那麼有的時候人多了，我也考察不過來了，馬馬虎虎把眼睛一閉：「好了！都許可了。」就這麼回事。本來要一個一個的，我在東北，在香港，我收皈依弟子，我要先和他談一談；談一談你為什麼要皈依我。
不單對人這樣，我就對鬼也是這樣子。真的啊！我在香港收過鬼皈依弟子。這個鬼，說起來這也是很不可思議的。有一個人有病，就有人去請和尚來念經，請七個和尚念經。這七個和尚穿上袍，搭上衣，到那兒擺上桌子，放上《金剛經》、《大悲咒》，就來念：「南無喝囉怛那哆囉夜耶。南無阿利耶……」一天到晚南無、南無、南無、南無、南無，南無個不停。念《金剛經》也是：「如是我聞。一時佛在舍衛國。祇樹給孤獨園。與大比丘眾千二百五十人俱。爾時世尊食時。著衣持缽。入舍衛大城乞食。於其城中。次第乞已。還至本處。飯食訖。收衣缽。洗足已。敷座而坐。」可是這個鬼也不聽你那一套。你敷座而坐，它也敷座而坐，搞得這七個和尚念了七天經，也出不去門了。
那麼這七個和尚，其中就有一個把我推薦出來，說：「你要是想要他病好，你要去請某某人去。」這個人也就相信他話，就跑到我那個觀音洞裏邊去請我。請我第一次，我沒有答應；第二次又去，我又沒有答應；第三次到那兒跪到我面前不起來，說一定請我幫幫他忙。那麼我說：「好了！你這麼誠心。」我就去了。
去了，到那兒，這個病人在床上正和和尚鬥法呢！和尚念經，他也念經；和尚念咒，他也念咒，在那兒晃晃悠悠地這麼不知多神氣！那麼我就坐到他那個床旁邊。我靜一靜，大約十五分鐘。咦！這個人帶著鬼，鬼帶著人，就跑到這兒就跪下來。跪下，當時我有個念珠，我就給他戴上。戴上我這念珠，他就說：「哎呀！法師啊！你饒恕我了！我再也不敢了。」
我說：「你怎麼了？」
他說：「啊！我這幾幾乎要被你這個念珠燒死了 。」
我說：「我戴著，它怎麼不燒呢？你戴著，它就燒呢？」
他說：「我真受不了了！」
我說：「那你想要幹什麼？」
他說：「我想要皈依你。」
我說：「你想要皈依我？這七個和尚給你念經念了七、八天，你怎麼不皈依呢？你皈依我幹什麼？」
他說：「喔！他們？他們皈依我，我都不要他。」就這麼說。完了，又說他認識茂峰老法師。
我說：「你既然認識茂峰老法師，你可以皈依茂峰老法師嘛！」
「哼！他呀！他也不夠我師父的資格。」
我說：「那我怎麼夠？」 他說：「啊！我找這麼多年，就是找你呢！」
我說：「你找我幹什麼？」
「啊！我就要皈依你。」
「皈依我有什麼好處？」
他說：「你的願力大，是凡你的皈依弟子都要成佛。因為你有這個願力，所以我現在一定要皈依你。」
你看！這個鬼它都不是四六不懂；他都懂四六。什麼叫「四六」呢？「四」就是父親的那個「父」字，「六」就是母親那個「母」字；父親那個「父」字是四筆，母親的那個「母」字是六筆。所以說那個人四六不懂，就是連爸爸、媽媽都不認識。那麼這個鬼呢，它就四六懂了，他要皈依。
我不是今天向你們來說我的怎麼長處，這是我們講這個事實來證明。那麼這樣子，他就皈依我了。皈依我，這個病人的病也就好了。結果這個病人好了怎麼樣？這個病人也皈依了。病人皈依了，這個病人的親戚也都皈依了。所以一連一大串，這一幫就都皈依了，都是全家皈依，所以這鬼也能介紹人皈依。人看著鬼皈依了，所以他也就眼睛紅了：「我也要皈依。」
那麼這是報師長恩。
待續
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Essay:
What is mindfulness of our teachers' and elders' kindness?
Commentary:
What is mindfulness of our teachers' and elders' kindness? Why do we say we should repay the kindness of our teachers and elders? Earlier we discussed repaying the kindness of our parents because we are deeply indebted to them for giving us our physical bodies. Our teachers and elders didn't give birth to us, so why must we repay their kindness? What is repaying the kindness of our teachers and elders'? This is the question we should ask everyone. What is the meaning of the word shi "teacher"? It has the meaning of regulation, so we should study the rules and regulations under the teacher. The term "Shifu" implies one of the elder generation. When we take refuge with our teacher, we are considered to be the younger generation.
That's why I don't ask people to take refuge with me. If I did, they would ask me whether or not I'm qualified to be their teacher. They think that I want to take advantage of them in order to be their teacher and elder. What can I say to that? Therefore, I do not ask anyone to take refuge with me. I am ashamed and remorseful because if I do not teach the Proper Dharma to those disciples who take refuge with me, then I have wronged them. If I teach them the Proper Dharma but they do not listen and don't have a proper and sincere mind, what can I do'? Therefore I do not ask people to take refuge with me.
Now so many of you have taken refuge with me. Which one of you have I personally asked to take refuge with me? By right I should personally question those who want to take refuge. Sometimes there are so many of you I cannot manage to do that, so I simply let it pass and say: "Okay! All approved." Actually when I was in Manchuria and Hong Kong, I personally interviewed those who wanted to take refuge. I asked them why they wanted to take refuge with me.
I not only treat people this way, I even treat the ghosts the same way. It's true! When I was in Hong Kong, I had a ghost disciple who had taken refuge with me. This ghost was really inconceivable. There was a sick person who invited seven monks to recite a Sutra for him. The seven monks put on their robes and sashes. When they reached his place, they set the Vajra Sutra and the Great Compassion Mantra on the table. They started to recite: "NANO HE LA DA NUO DUO LA YE YE. NAMO E LI YE..." Every day they recited NAMO, NAMO, NAMO, NAMO, NAMO, NAMO without stopping. Then they recited the Vajra Sutra: "Thus I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove of the Garden of the Benefactor of Orphans and the Solitary together with a gathering of Great Bhikshus, twelve hundred fifty in all. At that time, at mealtime, the World Honored One put on his robe, took up his bowl, and entered the great city of Shravasti to beg for food. After he had finished his sequential begging within the city, he returned, ate the food, put away his robe and bowl, washed his feet, arranged his seat, and sat down." The ghost paid no attention to them. When they sat in full lotus position, he also sat in full lotus. The seven monks recited the Sutra for seven days, yet they still were unsuccessful.
One of the seven monks recommended me, saying, "If you want the sick person to get well, you should go and invite so-and-so." The family believed him and so one of them came to Guanyin Cave to invite me. The first time he invited me, I didn't agree. He invited me a second time, but I still didn't agree. The third time he knelt before me and refused to get up; he was sincerely asking me to help him. Finally I agreed, saying, "Since you are so sincere, I will go."
When I reached the place, the sick person on the bed was playing tricks with the seven monks! When they recited the Sutra, he would also recite the Sutra; when they recited the mantra, he would also recite the mantra; he was just hanging out and relaxing, acting as if he knew it all! I went to the bedside and sat down quietly. After about fifteen minutes, the sick person and the ghost came to where I was sitting and knelt in front of me. At that time I had a string of recitation beads, which I placed on the sick person. At that, the sick person started hollering, "Ouch! Dharma Master, please forgive me! I won't do it again."
"What's the matter?" I asked
"Aaah!" he said. "I'm being burnt to death by your recitation beads."
"How come they burn you, but don't burn me when I wear them?" I asked.
He said, "I really can't stand it anymore."
"Now what do you intend to do?"
He said, "I want to take refuge with you."
I said, "With me? Why don't you take refuge with the seven monks who recited the Sutra for you for seven or eight days? What do you want to take refuge with me for?"
He said, "Them? Even if they wanted to take refuge with me, I wouldn't accept them." After he finished speaking, he said he knew Venerable Dharma Master Mao Feng.
I said, "Since you know Venerable Dharma Master Mao Feng, you can take refuge with him."
"Humph! Him? He is not qualified to be my Master, either!"
"What makes me qualified then?" I asked.
He said, "Oh, I have been looking for you for so many years!"
I said, "Why have you been looking for me?"
"I want to take refuge with you."
"What is the benefit of taking refuge with me?"
He said, "You have made a great vow that whoever takes refuge with you will eventually become a Buddha. I am determined to take refuge with you because of your vow."
You see! Even this ghost understood "four and six." What does "four and six" mean? In Chinese, four represents the character for "father," which has four strokes, and six represents the character for "mother," which has six strokes. When we say that a person doesn't understand "four and six," that means he doesn't even acknowledge his own parents. This ghost understood "four and six," so he wanted to take refuge.
I am not trying to brag about my strengths, but I want to prove the point to you. After this the ghost took refuge with me and the sick person recovered. The sick person also took refuge with me, and so did all his relatives. After that, a bunch of people took refuge—all the families of the clan took refuge with me. That ghost could recommend people to take refuge with me. When people saw the ghost taking refuge, they got jealous and said, "I want to take refuge, too."
This is repaying the kindness of our teachers and elders.
To be continued |
