於是乎，他就生出一種妒嫉的心，把這個以前西臘王，就是這老嬉皮的樣子，就給打了一頓。一打，這西臘王雖然以前學過武術，但是修行也不用，很久也都忘了，所以就被現在這個國王給打敗了。打敗了，於是乎他就生了瞋恨心，「喔，我一定還回去做我的國王。我一定要和你作戰到底，一定要把你打敗。」他發這麼一個瞋恨心，就要求還俗去了；要還俗去先要告訴師父一聲，就說，「我一定要還俗了。我被這個國王打得這個樣子，我一定要報這個仇不可。」他這個師父叫他不要回去報仇；他也不聽。迦旃延說，「你不要回去報仇囉！算啦！你就認因果啦！你大概前生打過這個國王，所以他現在來打你。你認賬囉！」「哈！」他說，「你這個糊塗師父！我認什麼賬？明明他打了我，我還認什麼賬？事實在這擺著。你真是不會教化人！這麼糊塗！」把師父也罵了一頓。
這個師父想了想，說，「好，那你還俗了，還去做你的國王，但是你今天在這住一宿，明天再走了。」他一想，天也不早了，大概明天一早起身再回去還俗也可以的。那麼就答應了。答應了，晚上迦旃延就在夢中來教化他。怎麼教化他呢？就是他還俗了；還俗了，就整頓他國家的軍隊，選了幾員大將帶著十萬大兵去懲罰那個國王。一作戰的時候，節節敗退。每一次作戰都失敗，都不能打勝仗，把這十萬大兵也都打死了，將軍都被人給殺了，就剩他一個人，被敵國活捉去了。捉去了，就審問他，「你為什麼帶著兵來侵略我這個國家？你現在是個戰犯。你犯的罪啊，一定要殺你。」就把他綁出去，拿著刀就要把頭給砍下來。在這個時候他就想起師父來了；想起師父就生大慚愧，說，「哎呀！師父啊，我罵你是糊塗師父，這真是錯了。我要聽你的話，我怎麼會有今天呢？我要聽你的教化，我就不會失敗成這個樣子！請師父你慈悲，快來救我。」正在要師父來救他這時候，這個殺人的人拿著刀就把他的頭一刀給砍了下來。 一砍下來，他醒了；醒了原來是個夢。第二天對師父講了，說，「師父啊，我都是不還俗了。我這還俗，昨天我做這個夢一定不勝，一定會被他殺頭的。我現在還是修道好。」所以這迦旃延在夢中教化他的徒弟。因為這個徒弟醒的教化他，他不聽，就在夢中來教化他，那麼他覺悟了。所以，這教化眾生有種種方法不同的。
妙寶城神悟此門，這個妙寶主城神，他明白佛的境界，入佛的這種解脫門。
如來昔已能除遣 一切眾生諸恐怖
而恒於彼起慈悲 此離憂神心悟喜
這如來昔已能除遣，說佛在很早以前就能救護一切眾生的佈畏，所以才說如來昔已能除遣；在很早以前就能幫助眾生，令眾生離開一切的憂愁、煩惱、恐怖，所以叫能除遣一切眾生諸恐怖，能令一切眾生遠離顛倒夢想，遠離一切恐怖。而恆於彼起慈心，佛憐愍眾生，令眾生的憂悲苦惱遠離了，而又起一種大慈悲心。這個大慈悲心，慈能予樂，悲能拔苦；予樂拔苦，可是有的時候用有形的慈悲來拔除一切眾生的憂悲苦惱，有的時候又用無形的慈悲，不著形式，不令眾生知道，來拔苦予樂，救度一切眾生。所以，此「離憂神心悟喜」，佛這種境界，眾生不容易明白，但是這個離憂主城神，他明白佛這種的境界了，所以說此離憂神心悟喜，心裡非常的歡喜。
佛智廣大無有邊 譬如虛空不可量
華目城神斯悟悅 能學如來之妙慧
佛的智慧廣大無量無邊，再沒有任何的聖人比佛的智慧再大。好像什麼呢？譬如虛空不可量，佛的智慧有如虛空一樣，無量無邊，你沒有辦法來度量這個虛空究竟是有多大，所以說譬如虛空不可量。華目城神斯悟悅，華目主城神見到佛這種的境界，有所悟解生出一種歡喜心來。他也能學習佛這種妙智慧，這種無量無邊廣大的妙智慧，他能學習。
如來色相等眾生 隨其樂欲皆令見
燄幢明現心能悟 習此方便生歡喜
如來色相等眾生，如來隨處應現，只要眾生歡喜見佛，佛都滿眾生的願，所以說如來色相等眾生，如來的色身和眾生一樣多。隨其樂欲皆令見，隨眾生所願意見的，都令眾生得見。這種境界就是燄幢明現主城神，他所明白的道理。習此方便生歡喜，他學習這種方便法門，他心也歡喜修這種法門。
如來往修眾福海 清淨廣大無邊際
福德幢光於此門 觀察了悟心欣慶
眾生愚迷諸有中 如是生盲卒無睹
佛為利益興於世 清淨光神入此門
如來往修眾福海，佛在以前修福修慧的時候，修福，他就是一根頭髮那麼少的福也一樣修，一粒微塵那麼少的福他也一樣修；小的福德他也不捨棄，也要修，一舉一動他都令眾生歡喜，不惱眾生，不令眾生生煩惱，所以說如來往修眾福海，這一切眾福有如大海。清淨廣大無邊際，如來所修的福是清淨的福，是廣大的福，是沒有邊際的福。這種境界就是福幢，福德幢光主城神，他得到的解脫門。
觀察了悟心欣慶，他審諦觀察，明了這種的境界，心裡也生一種的歡喜心，欣慶的心。眾生愚迷諸有中，所有一切眾生都在這個三界二十五有裡邊鑽來鑽去，不知道出去。如是生盲卒無睹。如像什麼呢？就好像世間人生出來就沒有眼睛，雖然能聽見聲音，但是看不見形色。你問他太陽是什麼樣子的？他說太陽是三角形的。你問他月亮是什麼樣子的？他說我知道，那月亮是四方的。你問他人都是什麼樣子？哦，我知道人都是有鼻子，有眼睛，有個嘴巴，有個耳朵，有兩個眼睛但是看不見東西。因為他自己看不見也都以為人家也看不見，和他是一樣的，所以生盲的人是很苦的。
可是我們不明白佛法，不知道出離三界修行，這也是最苦的。你知道修行，你能出家這是不容易的事情。「莫道出家容易得，皆因屢世種菩提。」要是沒有善根，你就想出家也不能成就，不能滿你的願；你就有善根，你不遇到好的境界也不能成就，也不能滿你的願。所以有的人就說，「那個人應該出家，所以他就出家了；我不應該出家，所以我就沒有出家。」什麼叫應該？什麼叫不應該？你能出家就是應該；你不出家就是不應該。你應該出家的，你不出家也是不應該；不應該出家的，你要出了家也是應該：所以這個道看你走不走。
就拿果連來講，他是應該出家的，那麼有人就叫他不出家，他就沒有法子出家。今天又撞車，這可以說是給他一個警告。他平時常常說要自殺，這回不要自殺，車撞壞了，甚至於本來這一撞就撞死了，但是他沒死。這就應該死，他不死，又活了；應該出家，他又不出。什麼事情沒有一定的，所以在佛經裏說「無有定法」。你人應該死，要修行就不會死；你不應該死，你不修行，又死了。
我又想起我在東北，叫二道溝；這二道溝，我和廟上的方丈和尚去到那地方化緣。化緣，有個姓王的，有個小孩叫「紳」，大約是十二歲，是十一歲吧？我現在時間久了都記得不太清楚了。他常常肚子痛，叫醫生給看也看不好。那麼我們到那個地方去化緣呢，他這個父親就堵著門口，我們一進門，想進他的房門；沒有進房門，他在門口裏邊就跪下來，跪在那個地方不叫我們進去。有的人就以為他跪在那個地方想布施，叫我們不用進門就走了。我們就問他為什麼跪下？他說因為他有兒子叫「紳」，病了很久啦也不好，現在聽說這老善人來了。我們叫我們的方丈和尚叫老善人，那麼老善人可以救他。有的懂佛法的就叫他叫老方丈，有的不懂佛法的就叫他叫老善人，有的又叫他叫老修行，有的又叫他叫王孝子。那麼他好幾個名字，那麼求他來救命，叫他給這個小孩子治病。
待續
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Provoked by jealousy, the other king beat up King Xila. Although King Xila had studied martial arts in former days, he had forgotten those skills from lack of use and suffered a woeful defeat. This so infuriated him that he vowed, "I'm going to return to the throne, and then I'm going to make war on you and defeat you." Out of anger, he decided to return to lay life. Before doing so, however, he had to tell his teacher. He said, "I must take revenge on this king who defeated me." His teacher, the Venerable Mahakatyayana, tried to dissuade him, saying, "Forget it. This is just cause and effect. In a past life you probably beat up this king, and that's why he's beaten you up. Just regard it as paying back a debt."
"You muddle-headed teacher," said King Xila. "How can you tell me I have to pay a debt when he's the one who beat me up? The facts are clear. You sure don't know how to teach. You're really confused." That's how he scolded his teacher.
"Fine," said his teacher. "If you want to return to lay life, go ahead. But why don't you stay overnight and go back tomorrow?" Since it was getting late, the disciple reasoned that he might as well leave the next morning. That night, the Venerable Mahakatyayana appeared in his dream to teach him. In his dream, he returned to lay life and mobilized the country's troops for war. He chose several great generals and led several tens of thousands of soldiers to attack the other king's country. He lost every battle. At the end of every battle, his troops fled in defeat. Finally, all the troops and generals were dead, and he was the only one left. He was captured by the enemy king and interrogated, "Why did you invade my country? As a prisoner of war, you must die." He was bound and taken to be executed. Right before his execution, he remembered his teacher and thought in remorse, "Teacher, I scolded you for being muddled. If only I had listened to you, I would not have suffered such utter defeat. Teacher, please be compassionate and save me." Just as he was pleading, the executioner swung the knife and chopped his head off. Right then, he woke up and realized it was all a dream.
The next day he told his teacher, "I'm not going back to lay life. I had this dream and saw that I would be defeated and beheaded. I'd better cultivate the Way instead." That's how the Venerable Mahakatyayana taught and transformed his disciple in a dream. Since his disciple refused to listen to him when awake, he instructed him through a dream, making him come to his senses.
There are many different ways of teaching and transforming living beings. The City-Ruling Spirit Wondrous Jewels understood this state of the Buddha and awakened to and entered this liberation door.
Sutra:
The Thus Come One has long had the ability
To rid all living beings of fear and terror
And to feel constant kindness and compassion for them.
The Spirit Free from Worry had this joyful awakening.
Commentary:
The Thus Come One has long had the ability / To rid all living beings of fear and terror and rescue them from worry, affliction, and frightening situations. He can take living beings away from all delusion and fear. And the Buddha is able to feel constant kindness and compassion for them. Out of pity, the Buddha guides living beings to separate from grief, sorrow, suffering, and vexation. He has a mind of great kindness and compassion. Kindness enables one to bestow happiness, and compassion brings one to alleviate suffering. Sometimes the Buddha uses a visible form of kindness and compassion to relieve living beings' distress and misery. At other times he employs compassion invisibly, without letting them know that he is removing their pain and giving them happiness.
It is hard for living beings to understand this state of the Buddha. However, the City-Ruling Spirit Free from Worry understood this state and had this joyful awakening. He was immensely happy.
Sutra:
The wisdom of the Buddha is vast and boundless,
Like the void, it cannot be measured.
The City Spirit Flower Eyes had this blissful insight
And was able to learn the Thus Come One's wondrous wisdom.
Commentary:
The wisdom of the Buddha is vast and boundless. No person or Sage has wisdom that is greater. The Buddha's wisdom is like the limitless void; it cannot be measured. There is no way to measure how great the void is. The City-Ruling Spirit Flower Eyes saw this state of the Buddha and had this blissful insight. He understood this and experienced joy, and was able to learn the Thus Come One's wondrous wisdom, which is limitlessly vast.
Sutra:
The Thus Come One's forms equal the number of living beings.
According to their inclinations all are caused to see him.
Blazing Banner's Clear Manifestation was able to realize this.
Practicing this expedient makes him happy.
Commentary:
The Thus Come One's forms equal the number of living beings. The Thus Come One appears in all places. As long as living beings wish to see him, the Buddha fulfills their wish. The Buddha's physical forms are as numerous as living beings. According to their inclinations all are caused to see him. Whatever living beings want to see, they get to see. The City-Ruling Spirit Blazing Banner's Clear Manifestation was able to realize this state and principle. Studying and practicing this expedient Dharma door makes him happy. He enjoys cultivating this kind of Dharma door.
Sutra:
The Thus Come One cultivated a sea of many blessings,
Pure, vast, great and without boundaries.
Blessings and Virtue Banner Light
Contemplated and understood this door and rejoiced.
Deluded beings in the realms of existence
Are like those born blind in the world who see nothing at all.
In order to benefit them, the Buddha appears in the world.
The Spirit Pure Radiance entered this door.
Commentary:
When the Thus Come One was cultivating blessings and wisdom in the past, he would not neglect to cultivate even blessings as minute as a strand of hair or a speck of dust. In everything he did, he made living beings happy and did not upset them. He cultivated a sea of many blessings, blessings as profuse as an ocean. The Thus Come One's blessings are pure, vast, great and without boundaries. The City-Ruling Spirit Blessings and Virtue Banner Light obtained this state and liberation door. He carefully contemplated this state and understood this door and rejoiced.
Deluded beings in the realms of existence. All living beings are flowing and turning in the Three Realms and twenty-five levels of existence, not knowing how to escape. They are like those born blind in the world who see nothing at all. They can hear sounds, but cannot see any sights. If you ask them what the sun looks like, they might say that it is triangular. If you ask them about the moon, they may say, "I know, the moon is square." If asked to describe people, they might say, "People all have a nose, eyes, a mouth, and ears, but their eyes cannot see." Since they themselves are blind, they assume that everyone else is, too. People who are born blind are in a miserable plight. But not knowing the Buddhadharma, not knowing how to escape the Three Realms and cultivate, is the most miserable. You all understand how to cultivate and have left the home-life. This is not a simple accomplishment. Never say that leaving home is easy to do.
It is only possible due to good roots planted in many past lives.
If you lack good roots, then even if you wish to leave home, you won't be able to. If you do possess good roots, but you do not meet favorable circumstances, you still won't be able to fulfill your wish. Some people say things like, "So-and-so is supposed to leave home, and so he has. I'm not supposed to, and so I haven't." What does "supposed to" mean? It simply means if you do leave home, then you're supposed to. If you don't leave home, then you're not supposed to. If you're supposed to leave home and you don't, then you're actually not supposed to leave home. If you're not supposed to leave home but you do leave home, then you're really supposed to. So, with the Path, it all depends on whether or not you walk it. Take Guo Lian, for example. He was supposed to leave home, but some people wouldn't let him, so he couldn't. Today he was in a car accident. You could say that's a warning for him. He often talked about committing suicide. He should have been killed in the car accident, but he survived. On the other hand, he was supposed to leave home, but he didn't. Therefore, nothing is definite. As the Sutras say, "There are no fixed dharmas." If a person is supposed to die, but he cultivates, then he won't die. If someone is not supposed to die, but he doesn't cultivate, then he might meet his death.
This reminds me of when I was in Manchuria, and I went with the Abbot of my temple to a village called Erdaogou (Double Trench) to solicit offerings. There was a boy named Sheng, whose father was named Wang. The boy was eleven or twelve years old—I don't remember exactly because it was so long ago. He suffered from chronic stomach aches, and all the doctors' treatments were to no avail. When we went to his house, the father knelt down, blocking the doorway, so we couldn't go inside. Some people thought he didn't want to give us offerings and was trying to make us leave. When we asked him why he was kneeling, he said, "My son, Sheng, has been ill for a long time. Now that the Elder Good One is here, he can save him." Buddhists called the Abbot "Elder Abbot," whereas those who did not understand the Buddhadharma addressed him as "Elder Good One," "Old Cultivator," or "Filial Son Wang." He had many names. This man begged the Abbot to save his son's life and cure him.
To be continued
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