云何名菩薩摩訶薩親近處？菩薩摩訶薩不親近國王、王子、大臣、官長。
「云何名菩薩摩訶薩親近處」：什麼叫菩薩摩訶薩這個大菩薩所應該親近的處所呢？親近也就是接近，離得不遠，很相近的，這就是親近處。「菩薩摩訶薩不親近國王」：菩薩這個大菩薩，他不攀緣去接近國王；和國王來打交道，作朋友，這叫攀高結貴。如果接近國王，就是一種攀緣心。
「王子、大臣、官長」：和國王的太子、國家的大官，一切的官長；作官的，菩薩不和這一些個人去交際，不和作官的來往。說不和作官的人來往，也可以和這些個人來往；來往，可是要他來接近你，不是你這個菩薩去接近他。
譬如你在這個廟上，一點攀緣心也沒有，那麼那個國王來親近你，來拜你，這沒有關係，這可以隨機給他說法。所以，這法無定法也就這樣子。你不要執著說：「哦！《法華經》上講的說菩薩摩訶薩修行，那上面經文說不應該接近國王、王子、大臣、長官哪！」那麼他來了，你也不見他，這也是一種錯誤的。他來接近你可以，不是你去接近他，這就合法。要是你去接近他，你跑到國王那地方去，說：「哦！你今天生日，我給你賀壽來了！給你唸一卷《無量壽經》，保祐您長生不老。」這叫什麼？這叫拍馬屁去了，這是不對的。那麼你在阿蘭若處，就是寂靜處住，他這國王要來接近你，來見你，那可以的，但是你也不須用一個方法引得這個國王來。你若用一種方法叫他來，那還是你接近他了。總而言之，你這個念頭一想，說：「哦！如果國王來拜拜我，那我的名譽可就大囉。」或者：「總統來，在我這地方，怎麼樣子啊…。」你若一天到晚儘打這種妄想，那就不對了。要憑感應，什麼叫憑感應呢？要韋馱菩薩去叫他來。你這有修行了，韋馱菩薩一看，「啊！沒有人護法這位菩薩，我找一個大護法來幫助他。」那麼他找幾個或者很有錢的來幫助，這可以的。所以，這個道理，你要講清楚。
不親近諸外道梵志尼犍子等，及造世俗文筆、讚詠外書，及路伽耶陀、逆路伽耶陀者；
「不親近諸外道梵志」：菩薩摩訶薩只要修學佛法，絕不接近外道梵志。梵志，就是出家的外道。「尼犍子等」：這尼犍子也是外道之一。有九十六種外道，有外道六師，他們的徒弟分別出九十六種外道，所以說「等」。這尼犍子是梵語，翻譯過來的意思叫什麼呢？叫離繫－－離開繫處，就是將離開繫處，還沒有得到解脫，所以這是一種外道之一。
「及造世俗文筆」：和造世間上小說，寫電影，寫戲文、寫這一種令人生淫欲心的小說，這都叫世俗文筆。「讚詠外書」：他讚歎，來說外書怎麼樣好，怎麼樣好。
「及路伽耶陀」：路伽耶陀也是梵語，翻譯過來叫「惡論」。好像誰呢？就是SamLewis今天寫那封信，那都可以叫路伽耶陀，惡論，惡的論調，惡的議論，不是善的議論，講來講去，也講不出一個真理，就是叫人造惡。你吃多一點毒藥啊！你就開悟大一點；你若吃少一點呢，就開悟小一點。所以你吃，多多益善；不單他叫別人吃、他自己也吃，這是師父破徒弟，這就叫惡論。師父破徒弟，就表示這個師父智慧高，總比徒弟好，你說什麼都不對，你對的也是不對，這叫惡論。就是給你造一個惡論，不合乎道理的，這叫「路伽耶陀」。
待續
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Sutra:
What is meant by the Bodhisattva Mahasattva's range of association? Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas do not draw near to kings, princes, great ministers, or officials.
Commentary:
How are the places that a great Bodhisattva should draw near to defined?
What is meant by the Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas' range of association? Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas do not draw near to kings. They do not take advantage of situations in order to be able to draw near to kings; they don't try to curry favor and try to become friends with kings. That's called "seeking to be in favor with those in high positions." To socialize with kings is a form of opportunism. This also applies to
princes, great ministers, or officials. Bodhisattvas don't seek to get involved with those kinds of people. They don't interact with officials.
On the other hand, there are certain ways in which they may be involved that are appropriate. If such people, of their own accord, draw near to the Bodhisattva, without the Bodhisattva having sought out such people first, then it is permissible. For instance, if the Bodhisattva is in a monastery and does not have any intention of ingratiating himself with a king, and yet the king comes to the monastery to draw near to and bow to the Bodhisattva, then there's no problem. The Bodhisattva can speak appropriate Dharma for the king. That's what is meant by there being no fixed dharmas. You shouldn't be rigidly attached to this passage, saying, "Oh, the
Dharma Flower Sutra says that Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas who are cultivating should not associate with kings, princes, great ministers, or officials," so that if a king did come to pay his respects, you wouldn't even see him. That would also be incorrect. It is all right for such people to draw near to you. As long as you are not the one actively seeking to associate with them, it's okay. It's not all right for you to go to the king's quarters and say things like, "Ah! Today is your birthday; I've come to commemorate it. I'll recite the
Limitless Life Sutra to guarantee that you'll live long and never age." That's just being obsequious and is incorrect behavior. If you are residing in an aranya, a peaceful place for cultivation, and the king wants to approach you, then that's okay. However, you don't need to search for a method to induce the king to come. If you induce him to come by using some plan, then you are the one who is drawing near to him. You are thinking, "If the king were to come and bow to me, how great my fame would become! Or if the President came, ah!" It's not correct for you to scheme like this day and night.
Rather, you should seek a response. Seeking a response means asking Wei Tou Bodhisattva to go and tell the king to come. If you have cultivation, Wei Tou Bodhisattva sees you and thinks, "This Bodhisattva has nobody to protect him. I'll find a great Dharma protector to protect him." Then he finds a wealthy person to help you. This is acceptable. So, you should be clear about this principle.
Sutra:
They do not draw near to externalists—brahmacharins, nirgranthas, and the like—or to writers of worldly literature, to those who sing praises of externalist writings, to lokayatas, or to the opponents of lokayatas.
Commentary:
They do not draw near to externalists.
Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas only study the Buddhadharma. They absolutely do notdraw near to those of externalist ways, such as
brahmacharins,
who are ordained in an externalist sect. Nirgranthas are another
externalist way. At the time of the Buddha, there were six major
teachers of externalist ways in India, and as their teachings were
developed further by their disciples, there came to be ninety-sixsects.
And the like refers to those other sects. Nirgrantha translates as "apart from bonds." They were trying to attain liberation,
but they had not yet attained it. They were seeking to free themselves from bonds, but had not yet succeeded. They were one of
the externalist sects. Or to writers of worldly literature. This includes writers of worldly novels, plays, and movie scripts. It refers to those who write novels that incite people's desire. All of
these are considered worldly literature. They do not draw near
to
those who sing praises of externalist writings, delineating the
ways in which they think the externalist sects are good, or
to lokayatas. Lokayata is a Sanskrit word and is translated as "evil discourses." Today's letter from Sam Lewis is an example of
lokayata. Such discourses are not wholesome; they go on and on,
but contain no true principle. They teach people to create evilkarma. For example they say, "Taking more drugs will make your
enlightenment greater. By the same token, taking less drugs will
give you less enlightenment. Therefore, take more drugs." Notonly do such people encourage others to take drugs, they use
those drugs themselves. Such evil discourses enable the teacher to
defeat his disciples, because in them the teacher always appears to
have the loftier wisdom and in every way be better than his disciples. Whatever the disciples say is wrong; and even if they are
right, they are "wrong." Those who give such evil, unprincipled
discourses are called lokayatas.
to be continued |
