又復於中 得少為足
如第四禪 無聞比丘
妄言證聖 天報已畢
衰相現前 謗阿羅漢
身遭後有 墮阿鼻獄
「又復於中」：在修道中，你就是不著魔，也要有真正的智慧，要有擇法眼。擇，是選擇的擇；法，是佛法的法；眼，是眼目的眼。若你能認識佛法，自己到什麼程度上，你應該知道。不要「得少為足」，「如第四禪」：像什麼似的呢？就像那個修道修到第四禪的「無聞比丘」：像無聞比丘似的。怎麼叫無聞比丘呢？就因為他自己沒有那麼大的知識，知識不夠，知道佛教的道理很少，所以叫無聞比丘。怎麼樣無聞呢？本來四果——初果、二果、三果、四果——這都超過四禪天了，佛講證到四果阿羅漢就不會再受生死了；二果的聖人，名為一來，一升天上一來人間，這還有一番的生死；而初果就有七番生死。那麼這種的境界都超過四禪天。這無聞比丘修行用功，他的程度只是到四禪天，他就以為證了四果阿羅漢了。其實這四禪天，根本就不是證果，這還是凡夫。
那麼無聞比丘「妄言證聖」：他說自己證了四果阿羅漢。現在有些人，不單以為四果阿羅漢這種程度都低了，這些人直認自己就是佛了！可是佛有三身、四智、五眼、六通，那麼自認是佛的這個人，你先問問他有幾通？六通之中，鬼有五通，沒有漏盡通，佛果位上有六通。我相信現在自認是佛的人，不要說六通、五通，我相信一通都不通。一通都不通，所以他就說他自己是佛了，如果他要是有一通，也就不會打大妄語的。
「天報已畢」：等他在天上的壽命完了後，「衰相現前」：這個衰相，記得以前我講的五衰現相嗎？天上的人壽命終了，要死的時候，就有這五衰現相，有五種。誰記得就講給大家聽一聽，若不知道的人應該記一記，現在我就不必再講了。（五衰現相是：（1）花冠萎謝。（2）衣著塵埃。（3）兩腋汗出。（4）身體臭穢。（5）不樂本座。）
「謗阿羅漢」：等到他天福盡了，五衰相現，壽命終了的時候，他就發了脾氣。無聞比丘發什麼脾氣呢？他說：「我現在被佛給騙了！佛是欺騙人的，他說證四果阿羅漢就永遠不受生死了，我現在為什麼壽命又終了呢？又要去托生、去受輪迴？這是佛打妄語啊！」他這一謗佛，你說怎麼樣啊？就墮阿鼻地獄了。
「身遭後有」，「墮阿鼻獄」：阿鼻獄就是無間地獄。根本他不是證到四果阿羅漢，他就說自己是四果阿羅漢，證果了，所以他天福享盡，壽命終了，又墮落了！他不知道他自己錯誤，而說佛說法說錯了，根本佛說：「你沒有證到四果阿羅漢嘛！你若證到四果阿羅漢，自然就沒有生死了嘛！怎麼還會有五衰相現呢？」所以他這一謗佛，即刻就墮無間地獄——阿鼻地獄，這是無聞比丘。你現在說自己就是證佛果了，就是佛了，這樣的人應該到什麼地方去？這我都找不著他所去的地方，不知道他到什麼地方去。
汝應諦聽。吾今為汝。仔細分別。
「汝應諦聽」：阿難，你應該諦視而聽，應該特別注意，審視而聽。「吾今為汝」：我現在為你阿難及一切的人，「仔細分別」：詳詳細細地為你分別，講給你聽，你不要辜負我這種的心。
待續 |
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Sutra:
It is also possible to feel satisfied after a small accomplishment, like the Unlearned Bhikshu who reached the Fourth Dhyana and claimed that he had realized sagehood. When his celestial reward ended and the signs of decay appeared, he slandered Arhatship as being subject to birth and death, and thus he fell into the Avichi Hell.
Commentary:
It is also possible to feel satisfied after a small accomplishment. In cultivation, even if you do not become possessed by a demon, you must still have genuine wisdom and Dharma-selecting vision. If you recognize the Buddhadharma, you yourself should know what level you have reached. Don't obtain only a little bit and feel satisfied, like the Unlearned Bhikshu who reached the Fourth Dhyana and claimed that he had realized sagehood. He was called the Unlearned Bhikshu because he didn't have much sense. He knew little about the principles of Buddhism. In what way was he unlearned? Basically, the four fruitions of Arhatship are all beyond the Four Dhyana Heavens. The Buddha explained that one who has realized the fourth fruition of Arhatship no longer undergoes birth and death. A sage who has realized the second fruition is called a Once-Returner. He is born once in the heavens and once in the human realm; he has one more round of birth and death to undergo. A sage of the first fruition has seven more rounds of birth and death to undergo. All of these states surpass the Four Dhyana Heavens. The Unlearned Bhikshu had only reached the level of the Fourth Dhyana Heaven in his cultivation, but he thought he had already realized the fourth fruition of Arhatship. In fact, at the level of the Fourth Dhyana Heaven, one has not realized any fruition and is still an ordinary person.
But the Unlearned Bhikshu claimed that he had attained the fourth fruition of Arhatship. Now, however, people think that the level of a fourth-stage Arhat is still too low for them, and they brazenly claim that they themselves are Buddhas. But a Buddha has Three Bodies, Four Wisdoms, Five Eyes, and Six Spiritual Powers. You can ask those people who claim to be Buddhas how many spiritual powers they have. Ghosts have five of the six spiritual powers; they lack the spiritual power of freedom from outflows. At the fruition of Buddhahood, one has all six spiritual powers. I believe that anyone who claimed to be a Buddha would not have even one spiritual power, let alone five or six. Only someone lacking spiritual powers would claim to be a Buddha. Anyone with even one spiritual power wouldn't tell such a great lie.
When his celestial reward ended, when his life in the heavens came to an end and the signs of decay appeared... Do you remember the Five Signs of Decay? When the life of a heavenly being comes to an end and he is about to die, these five signs appear. [The Five Signs of Decay are: (1) The flowers on the gods' crowns wilt; (2) their clothes become dirty; (3) their armpits sweat; (4) their bodies become smelly and filthy; and (5) they cannot sit still.]
He slandered Arhatship as being subject to birth and death, and thus he fell into the Avichi Hell. When his blessings in the heavens ran out, the Five Signs of Decay appeared and his life in the heavens came to an end, the Unlearned Bhikshu got angry. What was he angry about? He said, "I've been deceived by the Buddha! The Buddha is a charlatan. He said that when you realize the fourth fruition of Arhatship, you don't have to undergo birth and death ever again. Why is my life coming to an end now? Why do I have to be reborn? Why do I have to undergo transmigration again? The Buddha is a liar!" Guess what happened when he slandered the Buddha like that. He fell into the Avichi Hell.
The Avichi Hell is also called the Relentless Hell. Basically he had not realized the fourth fruition of Arhatship at all, but he claimed that he had. When he used up his celestial blessings and reached the end of his life, he fell into the lower realms. He did not realize his mistake and said that the Buddha had spoken the Dharma incorrectly. In fact the Buddha had said, "You have not realized the fourth fruition of Arhatship. If you had, naturally there would be no more birth and death for you. How could the Five Signs of Decay appear?" Upon slandering the Buddha, the Unlearned Bhikshu immediately fell into the Relentless Hell— the Avichi Hell. Where do you suppose those people who claim to be Buddhas go? I don't know where they end up.
Sutra:
You should pay attention. I will now explain this for you in detail.
Commentary:
You should pay attention. Ananda, you should pay special attention. Listen carefully. I will now explain this for you, Ananda, and for everyone else, in great detail, so don't disappoint me.
To be continued |
