南無薩怛他蘇伽多耶，阿羅訶帝三藐三菩陀寫（三稱）
師父上人及各位善知識們，Good morning（早安）！
大家這次受戒，就是按照這本《傳授在家菩薩戒儀規》來受戒的，所以大家先要瞭解這裡面寫的是什麼，要花時間去讀，禮拜六給大家講解時，就更容易瞭解。
首先跟大家介紹一下在家菩薩戒。什麼是在家呢？大家看戒本第50頁名相解釋。在家者，未出家也，就是還沒有出家。菩薩是什麼？就是覺有情；上求覺道----佛道，下化有情的佛弟子，要發菩提心。
戒，梵文叫sila，中文翻作尸羅或波羅提木叉。簡單講就是防止我們身心有犯過錯的機會，也就是止惡防非。又可說是清涼，讓我們遠離熱腦。當然也有其他意思，如別解脫等。
我們要問一問自己，爲什麼要受戒？這是很根本的問題。「有人跟我說受戒好，我就跟人家糊裡糊塗來了。」參加法會受戒完了，還不知道爲什麼受戒。受戒以後才發現，「哦！這個戒我不能持！」後悔了。
所以我們要瞭解爲什麼那麼多人受戒，又那麼多人破戒？就因為根本上沒有瞭解爲什麼要受戒。現在問一問自己，受戒與不受戒差別在哪裡？有人說，「我不受戒也可以。我也做好事啊！爲什麼要跑到萬佛城來受戒？」
可是，我們問問自己，「我也做好事」，這個「好事」是怎麼判斷的？以「我」來判斷，以自己的意思來做決定。我認為什麼是好，什麼是不好，什麼是該做，什麼是不該做，都是根據自己的意思。那我們可以問問世界上那些為非作歹，大奸大惡的人，「你做這些壞事，你怎麼解釋？」他會說，「我做的不是壞事，是好事。」他認為那是他應該做的事，要不然他不會去做。所以這就是眾生的習氣，以自己的意識為判斷是非的標準，自己為自己辯護。這就是為什麼我們一直在六道輪迴，一直在造作更多的惡業。
今天大家來到這裡，發現如果再依照自己的習氣意識行事，而不覺醒的話，沒辦法離苦得樂。所以我們要學佛，因為佛得到眞正的解脫，眞正的自在。
那佛是怎麼成的呢？佛是依照戒律來修持，慢慢地得定，開智慧。那佛的戒律是不是佛創造出來的呢？不是。佛的戒律是我們每個眾生本來就有的，只不過我們染污了，迷失了，忘了，佛出現在世是來告訴我們的。就像昨天實法師講他學戒律，問上人說，「師父啊！這個戒律是不是可以指示我們的佛性在哪裡呢？。上人說，「戒律就是你的佛性。」
因為我們本來就是清淨無染的，只是我們迷失了。我們學戒律，就是返本還原，恢復我們本來的自性的清淨。所以，我們假如再以這樣染污的心來作主的話，那是永遠都沒法跳出這生死苦海的。因此我們要學戒，要受戒，就是要以佛的智慧，以眞正圓滿的智慧，作為我們的皈依處，也就是所以佛在滅度之前告訴弟子說，要「以戒為師。」
學戒要有道場、法師及種種善緣，才能讓我們將過去的善根發出來。各位，我們經常講善根善根，為什麼講「根」呢？你看一顆樹，你可以看到它的葉子它的莖，但是你看不到它的根有多深。我們善根有多深？不知道。我們想根有多深，也不知道。但是往往作惡以後，「我也不知道我為什麼要這樣做啊？」因為我們的惡根就這麼深，我們也不清楚。所以我們要讓我們的善根生長，要有好的環境。大家來到萬佛聖城，就是要利用這好的環境，在十方諸佛三寶面前，發大誓願力來持這個戒律。
待續
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Na mo sa dan tuo su qie duo ye e la he di san miao san pu tuo xie(3x)
Venerable Master and all good advisors, good morning!
Everyone who is taking the precepts this time will be following the Handbook of Bodhisattva Precepts for the Laity, so you should spend some time reading this book and understand what’s written in it. Then it will be easier for you to understand when we explain it on Saturday.
First let’s explain the name, “Bodhisattva Precepts for the Laity.” If you look at the glossary on page 50, you’ll see that “laity” refers to those who have not yet renounced being or one who enlightens beings. Buddhist disciples who seek theBuddha’s path above, and transform sentient beings below are called Bodhisattvas.
Precepts are known in Sanskrit as Sila and pratimoksa. Basically, they guard against transgressions of body and mind. They stop evil and wrongdoing. They are said to be “clear and cool,” because they remove us from afflictions. They also have other meanings, such as “liberation.” We should ask ourselves why we are taking the precepts. This is a fundamental question. You say, “Someone said it’s good to take the precepts, so I followed them blindly to attend the Dharma assembly.” After taking the precepts, you have no idea why you took them. When you find out you can’t uphold them, you have regrets.
We should know that the reason so many people break the precepts after taking them, is that they never knew why they took them in the first place. Let’s ask ourselves: What difference is there between taking the precepts. I do good deeds, don’t I? Why do I have to go all the way to the City of Ten thousand Buddhas to take the precepts?”
However, we ought to ask ourselves, how do we know that our good deeds are truly good? Our view is based on our personal opinion and judgement. I thank this is good, that is not good, this should be done, that should not be done. It is all based on my own opinion.
However, if we asked the criminals in the world to explain why they commit so many crimes, they would say, "These are not crimes; they are good deeds." They acted in the way they felt they ought to act; otherwise, they wouldn't have acted that way. Living beings are accustomed to using their own standards to judge what is right and wrong and to defend their own actions. That's why we are still transmigrating in the Six Paths, creating more and more bad karma.
Having come here today, if we continue following our own habits and do not awaken, then we will not be able to leave suffering and attain bliss. We want to study from the Buddha, because the Buddha attained true liberation and genuine self-mastery.
How did the Buddha realize Buddhahood? The Buddha cultivated according to the precepts, gradually attained samadhi, and developed wisdom. Did the Buddha invent the precepts himself? No. The Buddha's precepts are inherent in each living being. It's just that we have become defiled and confused, and so we've forgotten them. That's why the Buddha appeared in the world to tell us about them. Dharma Master Sure told us yesterday that when he was studying precepts, he asked the Venerable Master, "Teacher, can the precepts show us where the Buddha nature is?" The Venerable Master replied, "The precepts areyour Buddha nature."
Fundamentally we are pure and without defilement; it is just that we became lost and confused. In studying the precepts, we are returning to the origin to regain our fundamental pure nature. Therefore, if we let the defiled mind take reign, then we can never leap out of the sea of the sufferings of birth and death. Therefore we should study the precepts, receive the precepts, and take the Buddha's wisdom—the true, proper, prefect wisdom—as our place of refuge. That is why before the Buddha entered Nirvana, he told his disciples to "take the precepts as our Teacher."
In studying the precepts, there needs to be a Way-place, Dharma Masters, and all kinds of good conditions in order for the good roots from the past to come forth. We often speak of good roots. Why do we speak of "roots"? When you look at a tree, we can see its leaves and its branches, but we cannot see how deep its roots are. How deep are our own good roots? We do not know. How deep are our evil roots? We do not know that either. But even after we have done something bad, we do not understand why we did it. Our lack of clarity is due to the fact that our evil roots are very deep. Therefore, today, we should let our good roots grow; we should have a good environment. Now that we are here at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, we should take advantage of such a fine environment and make great vows in front of the Triple Jewel to protect these precepts.
To be continued |
