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小沙彌果榮：
師父上人、各位法師、各位居士、各位同修道友，阿彌陀佛！
以前我們有一次上課上到《華嚴經淨行品》時，老師就教我們《淨行品》是怎麼分科的，也解釋《淨行品》給我們聽。那時我雖然聽了，可是很多地方沒懂；其中有幾句我一直沒有辦法瞭解，就是《淨行品》上說：「佛子，若諸菩薩，善用其心，則獲一切勝功德。」等等的。後面文殊菩薩回答智首菩薩又說：「佛子，云何用心，能獲一切勝功德？」就開始說那個偈頌，「菩薩在家……」等等的。那時我一直想，這個「用心」到底什麼意思？因為我不知道。
之前智首菩薩問了那麼多問題，文殊菩薩就回答說要用這個心，就可以獲得很多的功德，很多的利益，好像中間也沒有解釋是用什麼心。有很久一段時間我都不知道這個「用心」是什麼意思？不久前我讀經時，才想到那個所謂「用心」，就是要像後面那個偈頌所說的，每當看到或者遇到所有境界，就發願迴向給眾生，就是發願給一切眾生的這種心，這是後來我給自己想到的一個答案。清涼國師在《華嚴疏鈔》上面解釋這個「用心」就是「歷緣巧願，觸境入玄。」白話解釋，就是遇到什麼境界就發那個願，就進入玄妙境界了。
我想到這個道理以後，就開始覺得這品《淨行品》實在對我們日常生活上的修行很切實際，也好用。整部的《華嚴經》講了無窮無盡的道理，有時我讀《華嚴經》時，感覺有那麼多的道理，不知從哪開始來修行。而且有些道理，譬如菩薩捨肉捨手足這些行門，實在不敢想像，超過我目前的能力，超過我的想像之外的，所以只能說是不可思議的境界。有時想，《華嚴經》那麼大，該從哪裡開始？現在我看見這一段，我就想說，《淨行品》是一個很好修行的法門，就從這兒開始吧！
上人講過，「見事省事出世間；見事迷事墮沉淪。」所以當我們看到所有事情就發一個願，如果每一念頭都能夠那樣子的話，我們就不會有那麼多煩惱了；煩惱減少了，也就可以修行這個心了。譬如人家罵我們，或者有什麼事情讓我們起煩惱的時候，與其罵回去跟著生煩惱，不如我們就發一個願，迴向給一切眾生，這樣就不會有煩惱了。見到好的事情、不好的事情、不好不壞的事情，都可以發一個願來迴向給一切眾生，這樣我們就不會有那麼多妄想，也不會有那麼多煩惱了。今天就講到這裡。
小沙彌果志：
師父上人、各位法師、各位法友，阿彌陀佛
昨天念《華嚴經十行品》時有幾句偈頌，我讀過之後有一些感想，我想講一講這一兩句偈頌。昨天第一次讀這些偈頌，今天第一次上來講，所以可能會有很多瑕疵錯誤，請大家多多包涵。
我現在有兩句偈頌，先讀一下：
「設於無數劫，財寶施於佛；
不知佛實像，此亦不名施。
無量眾色相，莊嚴於佛身；
非於色相中，而能見於佛。」
《兜率宮中偈讚品第二十四》
我解釋一下，就是不管你在很多劫以來，天天施財供養佛，供養三寶，可是你不瞭解佛的真實相，那麼這不叫布施。當我們莊嚴佛身的時候，不是單單在他的色相上面用功夫；如果專在色相上用功夫，反而就見不到佛。換句話說，就是我們修行是為了莊嚴我們自己三十二相八十種好，如果我們執著這個色相的話，這不能稱是修行。當我讀到這兩段偈頌時就生出一些問題來了。這好像講的布施，可是可以擴展起來講。當我們積極修行的時候，我們為什麼要這樣子做呢？我們為什麼要布施？為什麼要幫道場做事？為什麼要掃地洗地？這些事情是很基本也很重要的。像偈頌說的，如果我們做這些供養，財寶供養，而我們不知道佛實相，那我們就不叫供養。
那什麼是佛實相，佛的真實相？佛的真實相就是所謂「無相為相，實相為相」，就是無相。所以當我們布施的時候，幫助道場做事的時候，我們能離開這個相，離開這個所行所做，換句話說，就是不執著到這個相上。相後面包括很多，我們不執著我們的名譽，不執著後面的功德；不求好果報，這些名之為真實相，佛的實相；佛的實相，其實就說無漏功德；如果我們做事的時候還執著相，那就會有問題；當然還是有功德，可這是有漏的。有漏的功德，就好像〈永嘉大師證道歌〉上說的，「住相布施生天福，猶如仰箭射虛空，勢力盡，箭還墜，招得來生不如意。」就類似這個樣子。
那當我們做事的時候，怎麼有佛的實相？能不執著這個做工的相呢？在《淨行品》裡說得很清楚。當我們到哪裡，當我們看到什麼地方，我們就說一個「當願眾生怎麼樣怎麼樣。」當然我們所讀的是當願眾生怎麼樣怎麼樣，我們還要慢慢訓練我們的思想上要願一切眾生怎麼樣怎麼樣。
今天我們也讀到這《十迴向品》，我們看到十迴向菩薩他每做一點功德；當他布施王城的時候，當他布施手足的時候，他都發很多願，每一個願都願迴向給眾生，沒有一點自私心，沒有說是希望我所做的這些功德能利益自己。
這些功德全部都是我所做的，願這些功德能利益所有的眾生。所以當我們不管做任何事，希望我們能看一看我們的起心動念，要迴光返照，為什麼我們真的要做？只是為了暫時的利益嗎？為了希望能好一點嗎？這要看看我們的動機起心。Okay！阿彌陀佛！
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Young Shramanera Guo Rong:
Venerable Master, Dharma Masters, laypeople, and fellow cultivators, Amitabha! One time in class when we studied the Pure Conduct Chapter of the
Flower Adornment (Avatamsaka) Sutra, our teacher explained how the chapter is divided and also explained the text. Although I listened, there were many parts that I didn't understand. One sentence in particular puzzled me: "Disciple of the Buddha, if a Bodhisattva applies his mind skillfully, he will attain all supreme merit and virtue." Manjushri Bodhisattva answers
Foremost Wisdom Bodhisattva, saying, "Disciples of the Buddha, how can one apply one's mind in order to attain all supreme merit and virtue?" Then come the verses, beginning with, "A Bodhisattva of the lay life..." At that time, I kept wondering what it meant to "apply one's mind."
Foremost Wisdom Bodhisattva had asked so many questions, and Manjushri Bodhisattva replied that by applying the mind, one can attain tremendous merit and virtue and benefit. However, he did not explain how to apply the mind. For a long time I had no idea what that meant. Recently, when I read that passage in the Sutra, it occurred to me that we ought to make vows to transfer merit to living beings in every situation we encounter. To "apply the mind" means that in every circumstance, we must make a vow to transfer merit to living beings. We apply the mind of making vows on behalf of all beings. That's the answer I came up with for myself. In the Avatamsaka Prologue, National Master Qing Liang says of "applying the mind," "One makes vows in every situation, thereby entering a realm of esoteric wonder."
Once I grasped that principle, I realized what a practical and useful handbook the "Pure Conduct Chapter" is for our daily practice. When I read the endless principles of the Avatamsaka Sutra, sometimes I don't know where to begin to practice. What is more, I cannot even conceive of practicing some of the principles, such as giving away of one's flesh, hands, and feet as a Bodhisattva does. Such doctrines are beyond my present ability and imagination. I can only regard them as inconceivable states. I used to wonder where I ought to begin to cultivate the Avatamsaka Sutra, which is so immense. Having read this passage, I think that the "Pure Conduct Chapter" is an excellent Dharma and I might as well begin here!
The Venerable Master said, "If you understand what you see, you can transcend the world. If you are confused by what you see, you will fall." If we can make a vow for everything we see, doing this in every thought, then we won't have so many afflictions. With fewer afflictions, we will be able to cultivate our minds. For example, when people scold us or do something to irritate us, to scold them back would instantly make us afflicted. Wouldn't it be better if we made a vow for all beings? Then we'd save ourselves a lot of vexation. Whether we see favorable, unfavorable, or neutral situations, we can make a vow for all beings. Then we won't have so many discursive thoughts and afflictions. That's all I want to say today.
Young Shramanera Guo Zhi:
Venerable Master, Dharma Masters, Dharma friends, Amitabha! When we were reciting the "Ten Practices Chapter" of the Avatamsaka Sutra yesterday, I was inspired by a couple of verses, which I'd like to talk about now. I read those verses for the first time yesterday, and this is the first time I've come up to the stage to speak, so please forgive me if I make mistakes. Let me first recite two verses:
Throughout numberless eons
One might offer wealth and jewels to the Buddha,
But if one does not know the Buddha's true form,
One has not practiced true giving.
Measureless forms and marks
Adorn the Buddhas' bodies.
Yet it's not by means of forms or marks
That one can see the Buddhas.
~ Chapter Twenty-four: Praises in the Tushita Heaven Palace ~
These verses say that if you offer wealth to the Buddhas
and the Triple Jewel every day for countless eons, but you
don't understand the Buddha's true appearance, then you have
not practiced true giving. When we adorn the Buddha's body,
we should not concentrate only on his external appearance,
for then we will not be able to see the Buddha. In other
words, to practice in hopes of adorning ourselves with the
thirty-two hallmarks and eighty characteristics and being attached to those marks, is not true practice.
When I read these two verses, I had some questions. They seem to be talking about giving, but their meaning can be expanded. What is our motivation when we practice intensively, perform charity, or work to support the monastery? Why do we want to sweep and mop the floor? This is a basic and important question. As the verses say, if we make offerings of wealth and jewels without knowing the Buddha's true appearance, then we have not truly made offerings.
What is the Buddha's true appearance or mark? The Buddha takes "marklessness as his mark and the true mark (i.e. reality) as his mark." That is, he has no form. And so when we practice giving or volunteer in the monastery, we should not have any idea that we are doing those things. In other words, we should not be attached to forms. Forms represent many things. We should not be attached to fame or merit, nor should we seek a reward. That is the Buddha's true form. The Buddha's true form is merit without outflows. If we are attached to the work we do, our work will be blemished. There will still be merit, but it will have outflows. Merit and virtue with outflows is as Great Master Yongjia's "Song of Enlightenment" says:
To dwell in characteristics while giving
Is to create the blessings of the heavens;
It is like looking up and loosing an arrow into the sky.
When its force is exhausted,
An arrow falls back down;
Which is to say, future lives will not be as one wishes.
How can we work in accord with the Buddha's true form? How can we not be attached to our work? The "Pure Conduct Chapter" spells it out clearly. Whenever we go somewhere or see something, we should vow, "I vow that living beings..." When we read all these vows, we are training our minds to constantly wish that living beings will be such and so.
In the "Ten Transferences Chapter" that we read today, we saw that whenever the Bodhisattva of the Ten Transferences does a little merit, such as when he gives away his kingdom, his hands and feet, and so on, he makes numerous vows transferring his merit to living beings. He isn't the least bit selfish. He doesn't think of how that merit will benefit himself. Instead, he hopes that the merit he has done will benefit all beings. Now, whenever we do something, we ought to examine our own motivation for doing it. Are we hoping to gain some short-term advantages so we will be better off? We must take a look at our thoughts. Amitabha!
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