弟子：請上人講一講五戒。
上人：五戒就是殺、盜、淫、妄、酒，為什麼要持五戒？就因為「諸惡不作，眾善奉行。」不殺生、不偷盜、不邪淫、不妄語、不飲酒，受持這五戒就是不做這五種惡事，奉行善事。
為什麼不殺生？因為眾生都有生命，都歡喜活著，不願意死。就是蚊蟲這麼小的生命，牠咬你的時候你一動，牠就跑了。為什麼牠跑呢？就因為牠怕死。牠喝你的血，你就要牠的命。由這一點看來，所有的眾生都是歡喜活，不歡喜死。尤其是人，每一個人都願意活著，不願意死。雖然有的時候有自殺的人，那是有特別情形；如果沒有特別情形他也不願意死。因為這個，我們養我們的慈悲心。我們願意活著，所以也不殺一切的眾生，這是殺戒。
「盜」，你不偷盜，來生也沒有人打劫你。所以有很多人都聽過這個講法：「今生不籠鳥，來生不坐監。今生不釣魚，來生不討飯。今生不殺生，來生無災難。今生不偷盜，來生無搶案。今生不邪淫，來生不婚變。今生不妄語，來生無欺騙。今生不飲酒，來生不狂亂。」這是五戒大概的意思。
在五戒裡邊，有的人就說：「殺戒、盜戒、淫戒、妄語戒，這個都很重要的。飲酒是很平常的一件事，為什麼要戒它呢？」因為飲酒就容易把其它的戒都犯了，所以酒也要戒的。這個酒戒就包括抽菸，和吃種種的迷幻藥，都在酒戒之內。所以有的人說，五戒沒有說不許可吸菸，甚至於吸毒這是不犯戒的。不是的，酒戒就也包括抽菸、吸毒，吃迷幻藥，。marijuana（大麻），opium（鴉片）都在酒戒之內的。
以前有一個居士，他受了五戒之後，最初他看得很重要的，守得很清淨。時間一久，他就老毛病犯了，就要喝酒，就說五戒裡頭這個酒戒才眞多餘的。這喝酒怕什麼呢？於是乎他就買了幾瓶白蘭地，回來就喝。正喝酒的時候，「鄰居的雞剛好走過來。大約是我應該用牠來送酒。」於是乎，他就把雞抓住就殺了。（上人翻譯時加：這是中國人，不是西方人。西方人喝酒不需要用東西來送，不需要送菜，所以這絕對不是西方人。）因為飲酒想要吃菜，所以把殺戒也犯了。那麼雞是鄰居的，他沒有讓人知道就把牠殺了，這盜戒也犯了。那麼鄰居的女主人跑過來找雞，說你看見我的雞到你這兒來了沒有？他這個時候喝著酒，也吃雞肉也喝醉了，就說：「沒有，你的雞沒有跑過來。」妄語戒也犯了。他看這個女人生得也很美貌的，於是乎把這個淫戒也犯了。就因為這個，五戒裡的酒戒是很要緊的。
那麼守戒不殺生，說是要「諸惡不作，眾善奉行。」究竟是不是這回事呢？這個你要是有懷疑，當然它就有了問題；你要是沒有懷疑，一定會把你的善根越培越深。並且受持五戒，每一戒就有五個護戒善神來護持著你。你受五戒之後，能守持這五戒，你能逢凶化吉，遇難呈祥，沒有一切的災難，這是受戒的好處。
昨天晚間講阿彌陀佛，我們現在就皈依阿彌陀佛，人人都皈依阿彌陀佛。我們現在是阿彌陀佛的弟子，我們要生大懺悔心，懺悔三業的罪。
待續
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Disciple: Could the Master please explain the five precepts?
Venerable Master: As to the five precepts, they prohibit killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and taking intoxicants. Why should one keep the five precepts? In order to "do no evil, but reverently practice good deeds." Do not kill; do not steal; do not commit sexual misconduct; do not engage in false speech; do not take intoxicants. If you observe the five precepts, you do not do these five kinds of evil deeds and you instead practice good acts.
Why should one refrain from killing? It is because all living beings have a life; they love their life and they do not wish to die. Even one of the smallest creatures, the mosquito, when it approaches to bite you, will fly away if you make the slightest motion. Why does it fly away? Because it fears death. It figures that if it drinks your blood you will take its life. From this you can see that all living beings love life and do not wish to die. Especially people. Everyone wants to live and no one wants to die. Although people sometimes commit suicide, ordinarily people do not seek death. Suicide is a special exception to the principle. That is why we should nurture compassionate thoughts. Since we wish to live, we should not kill any other living beings. That explains the precept against killing.
Stealing: If you don't steal, in the future no one will steal from you. Many of you have heard this verse:
If in this life you don't cage birds, in future lives you will not sit in jail.
If in this life you do not fish, in future lives you will not beg for food.
If in this life you do not kill, in future lives you'll suffer no disasters.
If in this life you do not steal, in future lives you won't be robbed.
If in this life you commit no sexual misconduct, in future lives you will not have marital troubles.
If in this life you do not lie, in future lives you will not be deceived.
If in this life you do not take intoxicants, in future lives you will not go insane.
This covers the general meaning of the five precepts.
Some people say, "Of the five precepts, the four which prohibit killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying are very important. But taking intoxicants is a very commonplace thing. Why prohibit that?" When you consume intoxicants, it becomes very easy to break the other precepts. Thus, we ban such things as drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and taking any kind of intoxicating drugs. Some people say, "The five precepts don't specifically prohibit smoking tobacco or taking drugs. Doing those things is not in violation of the precepts." These people are wrong. The precept against intoxicants also prohibits smoking tobacco, taking drugs, and using all intoxicating substances—including marijuana and opium.
Once there was a layman who received the five precepts. At first they were very important to him and he strictly observed them. After a time, his old bad habits surfaced and he longed for a taste of wine. He thought, "Among the five precepts, the one against drinking is really unnecessary. What's wrong with a little glass of wine?" He bought several pints of brandy and downed them. As he was drinking, the neighbor's little chicken ran into his house. "They've sent me a snack!" he thought. "I'll put this chicken on the menu to help send down my brandy." He then grabbed the bird？ and killed it. (This is a distinctly Chinese story and not a Western story. Why? Chinese people like to eat hors d'oeuvres with their alcohol. Westerners don't need snacks to send off their wine. So, this layman couldn't possibly have been a Westerner.)Anyway, because he drank the wine, he wanted the meat and thus broke the precept against killing. Since he took the chicken without the owner's permission, he also broke the precept against stealing. Then the neighbor lady walked in and said, "Say, did you see my chicken?"
Drunk as he was, and full of chicken, he slurred, "No.. .I didn't see no chicken. Your old pu.. .pu.. .pullet didn't run over here." So saying, he broke the precept against lying. Then he took a look at the woman—she was quite pretty—and forthwith he broke the precept against sexual misconduct. A little drink of brandy led him to transgress all five of the precepts. Therefore, the precept against taking intoxicants is also very important.
You may be wondering, "You have said that to keep the precepts is to do no evil and to practice all good deeds, but I wonder if this is really the case?"
If you have your doubts, then of course there will be problems. But if you have no doubts, your good roots will certainly deepen and grow stronger. What is more, when you receive the five precepts, for each precept you receive, five Dharma-protecting good spirits come to support you and protect you. After receiving the five precepts, if you keep them well, you can turn disasters into lucky occurrences and transform difficulties into auspicious events. You will encounter no tragedies or calamities. Those are the advantages of keeping the precepts.
Last night we talked about Amitabha Buddha, and today we shall continue. Everyone has now taken refuge with Amitabha Buddha; we are now Amitabha Buddha's disciples. We should be deeply ashamed of our past conduct and repent of the offenses we have committed through the three types of karma.
To be continued |
