今天是中國今年的最後一天，這最後一天在中國人的風俗，說今天晚間是一切的神啊鬼啊，都出來了。因為在二十三那一天把灶君送到天上去了，三十今天他又回來。有的人就問，「這個天上到地下，倒是有多遠？多少路程？」這個懂二大爺說，「懂二大爺」，什麼叫懂二大爺呢？他什麼都懂，什麼都明白，叫懂二大爺，他就說了，「喔！從地下到天上，大約是有三百多里路。」人家問他你怎麼知道？他說，「你想一想，灶君二十三上天，他騎著馬一天走一百多里路，走了三天，他回到天上見到那個天主報告人間的善事和惡事，大約報告一天。那麼他又回來又走了三天，一去三百多里路，一回來也三百多里路，最多不超過三百五十里路；他騎著馬去，騎著馬回來。」你說這個懂二大爺，他是不是很懂事情？
其實從地下到天上，你若說遠，再沒有這麼遠的了，你走也走不到，走不到天上；你騎著馬跑了一生也跑不到天上，甚至於你坐著飛機也飛不到天上去。這中間有個大氣層，飛機到那個大氣層裏頭就碎沒有了，所以要用火箭。火箭現在也不能飛到天上去，只飛到星星、月亮。究竟那個天在什麼地方呢？不知道有多遠。
那麼可以說近。怎麼說近呢？一睜眼睛就看到天了，也看見地了；如果它要不近，你說怎麼會看得見？若說是太遠了，我們現在也是睜開眼睛，看看日本也看不到，看看中國也看不見，看看德國也看不見，因為太遠了。可是我們一看天呢，那這一抬頭就知道這是天。所以這個天，你說遠沒有再比它遠的了；你說近沒有再比它近的了。因為我們就是在天地的裹邊，所以我們和天地是鄰居，與天為鄰。
「天涯若比鄰」，這個天邊就是我們的鄰居；「海內存知己」，所有海內的人都是我們的知己、知音。
果寧知道中國人這種風俗，中國人在二十三送灶君上天。灶君就是在廚房裏是他皇帝，叫灶君老爺。那麼上天的時候人就說了，「灶君老爺，你上天言好事，下界降吉祥。」上天你要揀好的說，我那個壞處不要講，這個上天言好事；下界降吉祥，你下來的時候就給我一點吉祥，我不希望你說我的壞話。所以就用那個灶糖，在中國專門給灶君吃的，但是灶君吃，這小孩子也借光了，也就吃這個糖。這個糖用什麼做的呢？用那個黏的米做。做出來甜是甜但是很粘的，你一吃上就張不開嘴了，就把嘴粘在一起了。
那麼送灶君的時候就用這個糖，所以叫灶糖。這灶糖用黏米做的，黏得就把嘴粘（沾音）上，粘（沾音）上這個意思怎麼樣？就是叫他到上天不要講話。「來，你吃點東西，但是你就不要說我的壞話。」所以說上天言好事，下界降吉祥；好話多說，壞話少說，這麼樣請這個灶君老爺。
那麼送完了，就把這個灶坑裏頭，就是kitchen（廚房）內有四方的燒火的地方，（把這個灶君老爺像）放那把它燒了，說他從煙囪走了，到天上去了。這一般的人的風氣都是這樣子。
所以你看，為什麼要把嘴粘（沾音）上去呢？因為自己做的壞事太多了，不希望叫灶君說自己的壞話。好像我們人做了什麼壞事，那做壞事又怕旁人知道，就買禮物送給這個人，「我這個事情不要對其他人講，請你保守祕密，幫助我。」也就這個意思，這都給灶君來行賄賂。
我相信這個灶君如果真是一個神的話，那就這一黏嘴的時候，已經會發脾氣了，一個巴掌打過去，打得你面都腫了。可惜就是他不會動，這是一張紙，所以從來誰這麼樣做，也沒有一個人挨打的。這樣就是愚癡人啊，自己欺騙自己，自以為這樣是一個好的辦法，實際上是一個最愚癡人的一個行為。
你若怕人說你的壞話，你就不要做壞事嘛！你若是做了壞事又怕人說，那是不可能的。所以這黏灶君嘴的儀式，絕對應該取消的。
灶君他是神；神，你怎麼可以這麼樣來侮辱他？你對人，譬如我不願意你說我的壞話，我把你的嘴給黏上，甚至於我用線把嘴給你縫上，這可以不可以啊？所以這種就是中國人的迷信。這一點應該是取消的，應該取締不要了，不存在這種的風氣。
在今天晚間，說是這個鬼神都下界了，所以在道教又有一個風俗。什麼風俗呢？道教裏頭說三十晚間受持～受就接受的受，持也就是止持那個持，我們受持讀誦經典那個受持～三十晚間這叫受持。怎麼叫受持呢？就是你念什麼咒，你能在這一天晚間念，那麼這一年你隨時隨地再念都會有靈感。你三十晚間如果不受持呢？不是說在家裏受，要到那個孤廟裏去，或者孤墳上去。孤廟，那個廟沒有人，就是鬼和神在裏邊。本來晚間黑得人人都不敢去的，那你若能到那個地方去念經，或者念咒這就叫受持了，這一切的鬼神都會聽你的指揮了。那麼或者到孤墳的地方去～孤墳就是沒有其他的墳，就單單一個墳～單單一個墳這個地方，也就是一個鬼，你到那兒一念咒，這個鬼也就做你的護法了。你什麼時候用他，他什麼時候就來了。在佛教裏頭就沒有這些個講法，隨時隨地天天都受持的；我們天天都受持，天天都讀誦。
這個三十晚間在中國又有一種風氣。什麼風氣呢？這一天晚間不睡覺，這叫「一夜連雙歲；五更分二年。」這一夜就是雙歲，兩歲；五更，一早起來雞叫的時候，就兩年了。「一夜連雙歲」，雙歲連到一起了；「五更分二年」，分開了，到五更的時候去年、今年，分開了。在這一夜的時候兩個歲在一起連著；一夜連雙歲，五更分二年。
這是一個對聯，我給你們講。這是中國的學問，你看「一夜連雙歲；五更分二年！」
在一般的家庭，今天晚間是越要吃好東西；你有什麼好東西就吃什麼好東西，越好的越好。這一般吃肉的，今天晚間就包餃子，儘用那最好的肉來包，晚間十二點那時候吃。這一吃餃子，說這一年就叫「吃元寶」，這一年都有錢了！
還又有一種，這個餃子裏邊放一個錢，這一鍋餃子裏頭就有一個有這個銅錢～中國那個銅錢，那個西方人才知道～包那個餃子餡子裏頭，誰若能吃到這個餃子呢，這一年誰就會有福了，誰就會發財的。
那麼這是中國一種很好玩的事情，所以今天晚間我給你們介紹介紹。你們等將來到中國的時候，也知道中國有這種風氣，沒有去也就明白中國這種的風氣。
今天晚間吃好東西，十二點鐘那個時候，明天早也吃好東西；在這個正月間多數都是有什麼好東西儘量來吃，等過了正月了就不吃了，再就要做工了。這個正月休息，也不做工。
還有一種風氣，明天走路一開始往哪一方面走，就迎接財神，迎接喜神，迎接貴神。今天晚上也接神，就是迎接的「接」，welcome。今天晚間是接財神的時候，在什麼時候呢？在十一點鐘那個時候向西南擺上一個桌子，上供啊，點上蠟燭啊，用酒來給這個神喝，請神喝酒。這樣然後所有全家眷屬都向南叩頭，再把這個財神就接引到家裏頭。
那麼我們也接財神，也接喜神，也接貴神。什麼是財神呢？你不把你精氣神去了這就是財神了。什麼叫貴神呢？你這一年不發脾氣這就出貴了，這叫貴神。你若發心我明年不發脾氣囉！要把我這個性情都改變了，這有貴神。你若是再能歡歡喜喜的，這就迎接喜神了：所以我這個說法和中國人的說法是不同的。
這個三個神：喜神、貴神、財神都是在你自己這兒，不過你不會用他，所以就跑外邊去找去，根本就在自己這裏。
本期稿擠「四眾會議」文暫停一次。
Due to the large number of articles, "The Fourfold Assembly: A Review of the Rules" was not included in this issue.
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Today is the last day of this year on the Chinese calendar. The Chinese people say that on this night, all the spirits and gods come out. The Kitchen God was sent to heaven on the twenty-third, and he returns on the thirtieth, which is today.
"How far is it from heaven to earth? How long is the journey?" someone might ask.
Old Mr. Know-it-All, who understands everything, says, "It's about three hundred miles from the earth to heaven."
"How do you know?" people ask.
"Well, think about it. The Kitchen God left on the twenty-third. He can probably cover about a hundred miles a day on his horse. After three days, he gets there and meets with the Lord of Heaven to report all the good and evil deeds done in the world. It probably takes him a day to report all of that. Then it takes him another three days to get back. So it's about three hundred miles going and three hundred miles returning, no more than three hundred and fifty miles at the most. He rides his horse there and back." Wouldn't you say Old Mr. Know-it-All is clever?
Actually, if we talk about going from earth to heaven, there is no journey that could be longer. We cannot get there by walking, and even if we rode a horse for our whole life, we wouldn't get there. We can't even get to heaven by taking a airplane, because the plane would be destroyed once it flew into outer space. We need to take a rocket. However, even a rocket only goes to the stars and the moon, and cannot get to heaven. Where exactly is heaven? We don't know how far away it is.
On the other hand, we could say heaven is very near. How is that? As long as our eyes are open, we can see heaven (the sky) and the
earth. If it were not near, how could we see it? If you say that it is far, well, we cannot see Japan, China, or Germany even though our eyes are open, because they are too far. But we can simply look up and see the sky (heaven). So, if we speak of heaven as being far, there is nothing farther; if we speak of it as being near, there is nothing nearer. We are included within heaven and earth, and so we are neighbors of heaven and earth. Heaven is our neighbor.
"Those on the horizon are my neighbors." "Everyone on the continent is a good friend." Everyone within the shores of this continent is an intimate friend who understands me.
Guo Ning knows the Chinese custom of sending the Kitchen God to heaven on the twenty-third. The Kitchen God is the emperor of the kitchen. When he goes to heaven, people say, "Elder Kitchen God, say good things when you go to heaven, and bring good luck to the world below." They say, "Give a good report, and leave out the bad things. When you return, bring us some luck." Since they don't want the kitchen god to tattle on them, they offer him some "kitchen candy," which is especially made for him to eat. However, when the Kitchen God is offered candy, the children benefit by getting to eat the candy. This candy is made of glutinous rice, which is sweet all right, but also sticky. Once you eat it, your lips are stuck together and you can't open your mouth.
The candy is called "kitchen candy" because it is used to send off the Kitchen God. It's made with sticky rice. What's the point of sealing the Kitchen God's lips? People don't want him to talk too much in heaven. "Here, have something to eat, but don't say bad things about us." So, they tell him, "Say good things when you go to heaven, and bring good luck to the world below. Say more of the good things, and less of the bad." That's their plea to the Old Kitchen God.
After they send him off, they put images of the Kitchen God in all the kitchen hearths and set the images on fire, saying that the Kitchen God goes through the chimney and up to heaven. That's the popular custom.
So, you see, people want to seal the Kitchen God's lips because they've done too many bad deeds and don't want the Kitchen God to report on them. It's like when we do something bad and we don't want others to know, so we buy a present for whoever knows and say, "Don't tell other people about this. Please help me out by keeping it a secret." People want to bribe the Kitchen God in that way.
I believe that if the Kitchen God were a real god, he would be furious if his lips got stuck together, and he would slap you so hard that your face would swell up. It's too bad he doesn't really know, because he's just a paper image. That's why no one has ever been slapped for following this custom. Fools cheat themselves that way. They think it's a clever method, but actually, it's just a fool's gimmick.
If you're afraid others will tell on you, then don't do bad things in the first place! If you do bad things and fear others will tell on you,
there's nothing you can do. Therefore, we should definitely get rid of this ritual of sealing the Kitchen God's lips.
The Kitchen God is a god. How can you insult a god in that way? How do you treat people? Suppose I don't want you to tattle on me. Can I seal your lips or sew them together with thread? This is a piece of Chinese superstition that should be thrown out and discarded. This custom should not be kept.
People say that on this night, all the spirits and ghosts descend into the world. Taoism also has a custom that ways, "Receive and uphold on the night of the thirtieth." This refers to receiving and upholding sutras and mantras. No matter what mantra you recite, if you recite it on that night, then it will be efficacious whenever and wherever you recite it during the next year. What if you don't receive and uphold on the thirtieth? You can't recite at home. You have to go to a solitary temple or grave to recite. A solitary temple is one where there are no people, but only ghosts and spirits. It's dark at night, and people are afraid to go. If you go to a place like that and recite a Sutra or a mantra, then that's called receiving and upholding.
All the ghosts and spirits will be at your command. Or you may go to a solitary grave, where there are no other graves around. Because there's only grave, there's only one ghost there. When you go there and recite a mantra, the ghost will become your Dharma protector. Any time you want him, he will come to you.
But this is not what Buddhism says. Rather, you can recite and uphold every day, whenever and wherever you want. That's why we recite every day.
The Chinese have another custom concerning the night of the thirtieth, which is that they do not sleep that night. That's known as: "One night connects two years; the dawn divides them." The two years are connected by that one night. In the early dawn when the rooster crows, that divides the two years. During the night, the two years are still connected, but when the dawn arrives, it divides last year from this year. This is a couplet. I'm telling you this because it's part of Chinese lore.
In most families, people enjoy delicious food on this evening. You eat whatever good food there is, the tastier the better. People who aren't vegetarian will eat Chinese dumplings stuffed with the best kind of meat on this evening. The dumplings are eaten at midnight on the thirtieth. If one eats dumplings at that time, then one will "eat ingots" all year long; that is, one will have money during the whole year. Also, in a pot of dumplings, there will be one dumpling with a coin in the filling. The person who gets that dumpling will be blessed with fortune in the next year; he or she will strike it rich.
I'm introducing this amusing Chinese custom to you tonight, so that you will know about it if you go to China in the future. Even if you don't go, you can still understand something of the customs of China.
They eat good food at twelve o'clock on this night and also the next morning. In general, during the first lunar month, people eat all the good food they can. When the month is over, they won't eat so well, because they have to go back to work. During the first month, people take a break and don't do much work.
Another custom is that one has to know the direction to go on the first day of the year to welcome the gods of wealth, happiness, and nobility. On New Year's Eve, people welcome the god of wealth. They welcome him at eleven o'clock by placing offerings on a table facing southwest and lighting a pair of candles. They also entreat the god with wine, and the whole family bows facing southwest, welcoming the god of wealth into their home.
We also welcome the gods of wealth, happiness, and nobility. Who is the god of wealth? If you don't lose your essence, energy, and spirit, then you have the god of wealth. Who is the god of nobility? If you don't lose your temper at all during the year, then you are a distinguished person. That's the god of nobility. You have to make a resolution: "Next year I will not lose my temper; I will reform my disposition." That is to have the god of nobility with you. If you are joyful and happy all the time, then you have welcomed the god of happiness. My interpretation is different from the traditional Chinese explanation.
The gods of happiness, nobility, and wealth are all here with you. However, you don't know how to use them, and so you seek them outside of yourself. Basically, they are right within you.
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