即時如來。將罷法座。
於師子床。攬七寶几。
迴紫金山。再來憑倚。
普告大眾。及阿難言。
汝等有學。緣覺聲聞。
今日迴心。趣大菩提。
無上妙覺。吾今已說。
真修行法。
「即時如來」：在這個時候，如來「將罷法座」：《楞嚴經》快要講完了，「於師子床」：佛在法座上，這個師子床——佛說法猶如獅子吼，獅子一吼百獸皆懼，所以就稱其法座為師子床。「攬七寶几」：佛前桌子是七寶造成的，七寶莊嚴的。 「迴紫金山」：佛的身體好像紫金山，光明遍照。「再來憑倚」：再來憑几講這個法，「普告大眾」：普遍告訴大眾，「及阿難」：和阿難說，「汝等有學緣覺聲聞」：沒有證四果以前，都叫有學位。你們現在這些有學的人，修十二因緣而開悟的緣覺，或者修四諦法而開悟的聲聞。「今日迴心」：你們現在都迴小向大了，由二乘人發大乘心，「趣大菩提」：想得到大的覺悟，「無上妙覺」：沒有比這個再高上的妙覺。「吾今已說」：我現在已經講了，「眞修行法」：眞正的修行法告訴你們了。汝猶未識。修奢摩他。毗婆舍那。微細魔事。魔境現前。汝不能識。洗心非正。落於邪見。
「汝猶未識」：阿難在前邊請問佛怎麼樣修行，為未來的眾生請法，他雖然明白修行的道理，可是他並沒有實地的經驗。理論他是明白了，可是他沒有經驗，所以他也就不知道修行中，會有一些什麼事情發生。所以佛就說：「你啊！現在還不知道呢！」 你不知道什麼？「修奢摩他」：修這個楞嚴大定，「毗婆舍那」這個微密的觀照。這個微密的觀照這種的法、這種的定裏頭，「微細魔事」：在這修行裹頭，可有很多的魔事，這個魔並不是很顯著的，而是非常之微細。
「魔境現前」：在你修道用功，用反聞聞自性的功夫時，魔境現前，「汝不能識」：你不認識這個魔怎麼叫魔？「洗心非正」：你就是雖然洗心，但你稍微有一點不對，不合乎正知正見，就「落於邪見」：你稍微有一點點不是正知正見，就會落到邪見去。
或汝陰魔。或復天魔。或著鬼神。或遭魑魅。心中不明。認賊為子。
「或汝陰魔」：或者你自己心裏生出來的魔——自心魔。或者就是由色陰生出來的這十種魔，這也是屬於你自己的。
「或復天魔」：或者又有天上的魔。為什麼天上的魔他來魔你呢？就因為你這修行的人，修行有了定力了，你這一有定力不要緊，可是魔王的宮殿都搖動了，就好像地震似的。他也有神通，那兒一搖動，他一觀察：啊！我這宮殿怎麼無緣無故就搖動起來了呢？就破裂了呢？喔！他就知道世界上有一個人要成道業了，所以他這種定力，把魔王的宮殿都要給破碎了。於是乎——你想破碎我嗎？我就先破壞你的定！所以，他就來破壞這個修道人的定力，這是天魔。
「或著鬼神」：鬼神也是這樣，看見你要修行證果，他就妒忌了。你要證果？我先來破壞你的修行。於是乎他就鑽到你的心竅裏去，或者附到你的身上，令你定力就不成了，令你就走火入魔。這個著魔，前面這經上不是講了，這最重要的。為什麼著魔呢？就因為洗心非正，就因為你立心立得不正，所以呀！你有一點邪心，哦！就著魔了，這叫走火入魔——走著火，入魔了。
「或遭魑魅」：或者遭魑魅魍魎，這都是妖怪之類的。「心中不明」：你一遇到這種境界來了，心中不認識、不明白，「認賊為子」：你就認這個賊人做為自己的兒子。你想想，那你的東西他焉能不搶去、偷去呢？你把賊都引到家裏來了，家裏所有無價的寶珍都會給偷去的。什麼是你家裏的無價寶珍呢？我現在老老實實地告訴你，你切記啊！應該相信我的話，切記不要不相信我的話！為什麼呢？這是對你的前途和生命有大關係的，什麼是你的寶啊？就是你自己本有的如來藏性。這如來藏性，他能搶去嗎？前面不是講過精、氣、神嗎？你若是要恢復你的如來藏性，首先就要保持你的精、氣、神，如果不保持住，那就是財寶被人搶去了，被人給奪去了，受打劫了，被人打劫去了，你小心一點啊！【註一】
【註一】上人於一九八三年一月補述
人們所歡喜的就是錢，他們認為「天命之謂錢，率性之謂錢。錢也者，不可須臾離也，可離非錢也。」這是一般世俗人都有這個毛病，對這個錢的問題看不破，就放不下。自己中這種錢的毒不要緊，還要毒子、毒孫，這麼一路一路毒下去，所以就留錢給子女。留錢給兒子，兒子又留給兒子，又留給兒子，哦！傳來傳去就是被錢這種毒水毒得透不過氣來，這是很可怕的一件事。所以我們這兒告訴大家，那個錢上面都有一種毒，你還不相信，總是要和這個錢最近，那麼這就是中毒了嘛。中錢的毒，這個流毒要毒到子子孫孫，千秋萬代都毒下去。我以前講過很多次，人都要儲錢，就以為是好事。那麼我們修道的人，不應該再把錢看得那麼重，所以不需要儲錢，不需要「錢不可須臾離也」。我們要把它改過來，我們是「天命之謂法，率性之謂法，法也者，不可須臾離也，可離非法也。」那什麼叫法呢？說那是佛法僧的「法」，我知道。你還沒有知道，你若眞知道了，你就不會把你那個法都丟了。究竟法是什麼呢？法就是氣，就是我們這一股氣，通天通地，乃至於諸佛、菩薩和我們所以都是一體，就因為這個氣是通的。這個氣，好像我們呼吸氣，能看得見的，那個氣裏頭支配氣的，就是那個法了。所以我們一定要養氣，不要生氣，你要修養你這個氣，所謂「栽培心上地，涵養性中天。」這都是養氣。你想養氣呀，你要把法不丟了嘛，我告訴你們一個最重要的、要緊的法門，你們聽呢，也好；不聽呢，也沒有關係。不過我要告訴你們，什麼呢？你若想養氣嘛，就不要講那麼多的話。在廚房也不要講那麼多的話，今天比較好一點了。喔！前兩天我到廚房、齋堂那兒，聽那個廚房就像個市場一樣，大家在那兒，哦！大聲大喊的，這個賣蘿蔔，那個賣白菜，那個賣土豆，那個賣蕃薯。在那個地方大喊大叫，這像一個什麼！這簡直地把佛也忘了、法也忘了、把僧也忘了，在那個地方盡胡鬧。你就算在廚房，也不需要這麼大喊大叫，在那兒吵吵鬧鬧的，這一點都沒有修行人的一種本份了。那麼我這一注意不要緊，變成宿舍那兒也是像個市場一樣，無論什麼地方，都是在那兒吵吵鬧鬧的。這些人就是在那兒講話，講話講來講去都不知道講什麼。修行人不能寡言，那就不能修行；你不能養氣就沒有法。所以「法也者不可須臾離也」，我們可以很容易隨隨便便就把這個法都丟了，你若盡講話，那就是把法都丟了。各位！我近來也不願意管閒事了，但是我一看，這眞是糟糕，眞是不得了了。
再要這樣子，萬佛城就變成……。這個無賴一天到晚盡在這兒吵架，你說這個怎麼辦？難怪佛現在也不願意在這兒了，菩薩也都離得遠遠的，不聽你們這些盡在這兒講長講短、講這個講那個的。到了萬佛城，誰和誰不是不講話，有要緊的事情可以講，不是在那兒盡充閒殼子。「哦！沒有事，我很寂寞了，我找一個人去充充殼子。」那不要緊，可是你這一充殼子啊，這一講話，把什麼法都丟了。你法都丟了，那你看你還修什麼道呢？ |
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Sutra:
At that time, the Tathagata was preparing to leave the Dharma-seat. From the lion throne, he extended his hand and placed it on a small table wrought of the seven precious things. But then he turned his body, which was the color of purple-golden mountains, and leaned back, saying to everyone in the assembly and to Ananda: Those of you with More to Learn, those Enlightened by Conditions, and those who are Hearers have now turned your minds to pursue the attainment of supreme Bodhi—the unsurpassed, wonderful enlightenment. I have already taught you the true method of cultivation.
Commentary:
At that time, the Tathagata was preparing to leave the Dharma-seat, since he had almost finished speaking the Shurangama Sutra. From the lion throne, he reached his hand out and placed it on a small table wrought of the seven precious things. The Buddha was on his Dharma-seat, the lion throne. The Buddha's speaking of the Dharma is like a lion's roar. When a lion roars, all the animals are frightened. That's why the Buddha's Dharma-seat is called the lion throne. The small table in front of the Buddha was made of and adorned with the seven precious things.
But then he turned his body, which was the color of purple-golden mountains, and leaned back. The Buddha's body is like a purple-golden mountain; its brightness shines everywhere. He leaned on the small table again to speak the Dharma, saying to everyone in the assembly and to Ananda: Those of you with More to Learn... Before certifying to the fourth stage of Arhatship, one is in the position of having More to Learn. Those Enlightened by Conditions and those who are Hearers—those who become enlightened through cultivating the Twelve Links of Conditioned Co-production and those Hearers who become enlightened through cultivating the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths—have now turned your minds to pursue the attainment of supreme Bodhi—the unsurpassed, wonderful enlightenment. You have now turned from the small to go towards the great. You of the Two Vehicles have brought forth the Great Vehicle resolve and seek to attain great enlightenment; there is no enlightenment higher than this. I have already taught you the true method of cultivation. I have already explained the real method of cultivation for you.
Sutra:
You are still not aware of the subtle demonic events that can occur when you cultivate shamatha and vipashyana. If you cannot recognize a demonic state when it appears, it is because the cleansing of your mind has not been proper. You will then be engulfed by deviant views.
Commentary:
You are still not aware... Earlier, Ananda asked the Buddha how to cultivate. He had requested the Dharma on behalf of living beings of the future. But, although he now understands the principle of cultivation, he doesn't have any actual experience. He understands the theory, but since he lacks experience, he doesn't know what can occur in cultivation. So the Buddha said, "You are still not aware of the subtle demonic events that can occur when you cultivate shamatha and vipashyana." In cultivating shamatha, which refers to the Great Shurangama Samadhi, and in cultivating vipashyana, a method of subtle contemplation, subtle demonic states can arise. In the process of cultivation, many demonic states can arise which are not very obvious, but, rather, extremely obscure.
If you cannot recognize a demonic state when it appears... When you are cultivating the Way and practicing the skill of "directing the hearing inward to listen to the inherent nature," a demonic state may appear. If you do not recognize the demon and do not know what demons are, it is because the cleansing of your mind has not been proper. You have been cleansing your mind, but what you have done is slightly incorrect— not in accord with proper knowledge and views. For that reason, you will then be engulfed by deviant views. If your knowledge and views are the slightest bit improper, you will be caught up in deviant views.
Sutra:
You may be troubled by a demon from your own skandhas or a demon from the heavens. Or you may be possessed by a ghost or spirit, or you may encounter a li-ghost or a mei-ghost. If your mind is not clear, you will mistake a thief for your own son.
Commentary:
You may be troubled by a demon from your own skandhas; that is, a demon produced from your own mind, or one of the ten kinds of demons produced from the form skandha, which is also of your own making. Or it may be a demon from the heavens. Why should a demon from the heavens come to disturb you? It's because you have cultivated to the point that you have some samadhi. Having samadhi is no problem in itself, but what happens is that the the demon king's palace starts to shake. It seems just like an earthquake. Since the demon king has spiritual powers, as soon as the shaking starts, he investigates, "Why is my palace shaking for no apparent reason? Why is it breaking apart? Aha!" He discovers that someone in the world is about to accomplish the Way and that the strength of that person's samadhi is shattering his palace. The demon king thinks, "So you want to destroy me? Well, I'm going to destroy your samadhi first!" Then he comes to wipe out your samadhi-power.
Or you may be possessed by a ghost or spirit. When the ghosts and spirits see that you are about to realize the fruition in your cultivation, they become jealous. They think, "Oh, so you are going to realize the fruition? We're going to destroy your cultivation first!" Then they enter your mind or possess your body, making it impossible for you to perfect your samadhi-power. They cause you to "catch on fire" and become possessed. Didn't the preceding passage of text talk about being possessed by a demon? This is very important. Why do you become possessed by a demon? Because "the cleansing of your mind has not been proper," and because your motivation is improper. With even the slightest deviant thought, you get caught by a demon. This is known as "catching on fire and entering a demonic state."
Or you may encounter a li-ghost or a mei-ghost or a wang liang. Those are types of ghosts and goblins. If your mind is not clear, you will mistake a thief for your own son. If you encounter such a state and fail to recognize or understand it, you will end up "mistaking a thief for your son." Think about it: How can they not rob or steal your possessions? If you invite a thief into your home, then all the priceless treasures in your house will be stolen. What are your priceless treasures? I will tell you frankly, and be sure to remember this! You should believe what I say. Whatever you do, don't fail to believe what I say. Why? Because it is important to your future and to your life. What are your treasures? They are your very own Treasury of the Tathagata. Can your Treasury of the Tathagata be stolen? Didn't I mention essence, energy and spirit before? If you want to regain your Treasury of the Tathagata, you first have to protect your essence, energy, and spirit. If you fail to guard these three, you are allowing your wealth to be robbed from you. So be careful!
1. The Venerable Master's explanation in January 1983
Everyone likes money. They think, "What Heaven has conferred is called money; what is in accordance with the nature is called money. They cannot be apart from it for an instant. If they could part with it, it would not be money." Ordinary worldly people have this problem. That is, they cannot see through the matter of money, so they are always preoccupied with it. It wouldn't be so bad if you were the only one poisoned by money. But you also want to poison your children and grandchildren, so you leave money for your sons and daughters. Your children then leave money for their children, and they in turn leave money for their children. Passing the money back and forth, people are so poisoned by this toxic substance that they can't even catch their breath. This is really frightening. Therefore, here we tell everyone that money has poison on it. You still don't believe it though, and you always want to be very close to money. You've been poisoned by it, and the harmful effects will poison your children and grandchildren as well in all the generations to come. In the past I've said this many times: people think saving up money is a good thing. But people who cultivate the Way should not take money so seriously; they need not save money. We don't need to think "Money may not be left for an instant." We should change the phrase around to say, "What Heaven has conferred is called the Dharma; what is in accordance with the nature is called the Dharma. The Dharma may not be left for an instant. If it could be left, it would not be the Dharma." What is meant by "the Dharma"? You say, "I know. It's the Dharma of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha." You don't really understand yet. If you really understood, you wouldn't lose your Dharma.
Ultimately, what is the Dharma? It is just our energy, our vital energy which penetrates heaven and earth to the point that all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are of the same substance as us because our energy is connected. This energy is like our breath; it can be detected. That which is within the energy and controls it is the Dharma. Therefore, it is essential that we nurture our energy; we should not lose our temper. You should cultivate your energy, as in the saying, "Foster the ground of your mind, and nurture the sky of your nature." This is nurturing your energy. If you want to nurture your energy, then don't lose your Dharma. I will tell you a most important and essential Dharma-door. If you listen, fine. If you don't listen, that's okay, too, but I'll tell you anyway. What is it? If you want to nurture your energy, then don't talk so much.
Don't talk so much in the kitchen. Today it's a little better. But in the last two days, when I went to the kitchen and dining hall, it sounded like a marketplace. Everyone was shouting. One person was selling carrots, another was selling cabbage, another was selling potatoes, and someone else was selling sweet potatoes. What did they think they were doing, shouting and yelling like that? They'd forgotten completely about the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. There's no need to make such a racket in the kitchen. That is not how cultivators should behave. Later I found out that the dormitory was also like a marketplace. People were quarreling, chattering, and making noise everywhere. No one knows what they were talking about.
A person who cannot curb his speech will not be able to cultivate. If you cannot nurture your energy, then you do not have the Dharma. Therefore, "The Dharma may not be left for an instant." You can very easily and carelessly squander this Dharma by talking all the time. I do not like to interfere in other people's business, but this is really too much!
If this continues, these people who argue all day long will be the villains of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. No wonder the Buddhas don't want to stay here anymore, and the Bodhisattvas also stay far away; they don't want to listen to these people who do nothing but gossip and chatter. I don't mean to say that people shouldn't talk to each other at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. People should certainly discuss important matters, but they should not be chatting idly all the time.
You say, "Oh, nothing's happening around here. I'm so lonely, I've gotta find someone to talk to."
That might be all right, but after you've had your chat, you will have lost all Dharma whatsoever. If you lose the Dharma, how can you cultivate the Way?
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