然彼諸魔。雖有大怒。彼塵勞內。汝妙覺中。如風吹光。如刀斷水。了不相觸。汝如沸湯。彼如堅冰。暖氣漸鄰。不日消殞。徒恃神力。但為其客。
在前邊所說的這個魔，你的定力修得有所成就了，魔王就怕你成就定力，於是乎他就來破壞你的定力，令你三昧不能成就。「然彼諸魔，雖有大怒」：雖然魔王都來擾亂你，給你麻煩，可是這一些個魔雖然都非常地惱怒，「彼塵勞內，汝妙覺中」：可是他們有塵勞染污，所以在你的妙覺性裏邊，他們沒有你辦法，不能奈你何。怎麼呢？「如風吹光，如刀斷水」：就好像風吹光似的，光不為風所搖動，又好像用刀斬水一樣，「了不相觸。」刀斬水，你就怎麼樣斬也斬不壞水的。
「汝如沸湯」：你這種修行的定力，有一個比方，就好像熱湯似的，「彼如堅冰」：魔王也有一個比方，比方冬天凍的堅冰。「暖氣漸鄰」：堅冰雖然堅固，但是遇到沸湯，暖氣漸漸地和它就接近了，「不日消殞」：不用一天的時間，它就會消滅了。「徒恃神力」：他們仗恃著有神力，「但為其客」：始終做不了主人，僅僅做客人而已。
成就破亂。由汝心中。五陰主人。主人若迷。客得其便。
「成就破亂」：他們不能成就他們的破亂，「由汝心中，五陰主人」：你心裏五陰的主人，「主人若迷」：你這個主人若是迷惑了，那麼「客得其便」：客就得了方便了。如果你這主人不迷，他就沒有你的法子。誰是主人？就是自性。你自性假使迷了，那魔就有辦法，可以惱亂你；你自性要是不迷呢，魔就沒有辦法你，他就束手無策。
當處禪那。覺悟無惑。則彼魔事。無奈汝何。陰消入明。則彼群邪。咸受幽氣。明能破暗。近自消殞。如何敢留。擾亂禪定。
「當處禪那」：當你得到三昧的靜慮，得到正定正受這種禪那的時候，「覺悟無惑」：你只有一個覺悟的菩提心，而沒有一切的疑惑。「則彼魔事」：那麼魔的本能，「無奈汝何」：他就不能奈你何，不能把你怎麼樣子，他沒有辦法你，也沒有法子給你麻煩。「陰消入明」：魔是屬陰的，陰會消去了。這魔就好像是冰，你就好像熱水似的，熱水把冰化了，這就叫陰消。入明，你的智慧火高懸，所以就入明了。
「則彼群邪」：那一班邪魔外道、妖魔鬼怪，「咸受幽氣」：他們所有的本事就是黑暗的幽氣。「明能破暗」：你有真正的定力，真正的慧力，慧光的發明，明能破暗，這暗就破了。【註二】「近自消殞」：如果他想近前來惱亂你，給你麻煩的話，他自己就會消滅了。「如何敢留」：他怎麼還敢在這兒留難你，給你添麻煩呢？他不敢「擾亂禪定」：他就不敢在這個地方來惱亂你了。
【註二】上人於一九八三年一月補述
這種陰魔，其實不止五十種，五百種、五千種、五萬種、五十萬種都有。每一種又可以分出來十種；若細分析起來，千千萬萬種都有。歸納起來，什麼叫陰魔呢？本來是沒有什麼東西的，它就是一股陰氣。這股陰氣從什麼地方來的呢？就是從我們每一個人的陰念來的。
這股陰的念就是屬於貪、瞋、癡之類的念，所以就生出來色、受、想、行、識，這每一個蘊裏頭就生出來這種種的陰相。
這種陰相是功夫到了，它必然現出的一個情況。你若功夫不到，想有這個陰魔，也沒有的；你若到了，它就現出來。現出來那也不要緊，不用說是怕著魔了。不用怕。那怎麼樣呢？陰相現出來的時候，你能處之泰然，好像沒有那麼回事似的––見如不見，聞如不聞，都要視而不見，聽而不聞，嗅之無味。你能不入色、聲、香、味、觸、法，這個陰魔它一點辦法也沒有了；你若能沒有貪、瞋、癡，也就把這陰魔都降伏了；沒有自私、自利、有所求、貪、爭這五種的毛病，什麼魔也沒辦法你。
待續 |
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Sutra:
Although these demons possess tremendous enmity, they are in the grip of their worldly passions, while you are within wonderful enlightenment. They cannot affect you any more than a blowing wind can affect light or a knife can cut through water. You are like boiling water, while the demons are like solid ice which, in the presence of heat, soon melts away. Since they rely exclusively on spiritual powers, they are like mere guests.
Commentary:
When you achieve some samadhi power in your cultivation, the demon kings will be afraid and so they come to destroy it. They do not want you to have samadhi. Although these demons come to give you trouble, and although they possess tremendous enmity, much wrath, they are in the grip of their worldly passions. They are controlled by their defiled sense experiences, while you are within wonderful enlightenment. They cannot affect you any more than a blowing wind can affect light or a knife can cut through water. They cannot do anything to you, just as blowing wind could not make light move; and just as a knife, however many times it is slashed through water, could not harm the water.
You are like boiling water. In this analogy, the samadhi power from your cultivation is compared to hot water, while the demons are like solid ice. The demon kings can be compared to the solid ice of winter, which, in the presence of heat, soon melts away. As hard as the ice is, the heat of boiling water gradually causes it to melt. Since they rely exclusively on spiritual powers, they are like mere guests. All they have going for themselves is their spiritual powers, so they can never be the "host" or "master." They are merely "guests" [they cannot stay long], and they cannot succeed in their efforts to disturb you.
Sutra:
They can succeed in their destructiveness through your mind, which is the host of the five skandhas. If the host becomes confused, the guests will be able to do as they please.
Commentary:
They can succeed in their destructiveness through your mind, which is the host of the five skandhas. Basically, they cannot succeed in their destructiveness. However, if the host becomes confused—if your mind, which is the master of the five skandhas, is deluded—the guests will be able to do as they please. The guests will be able to take advantage of you. As long as you, the host, are not confused, they cannot do anything to you. Who is the host? It is your inherent nature. If your inherent nature is confused, then the demons can have their way with you. But if your inherent nature is not confused, then they are powerless to do anything.
Sutra:
When you are in dhyana, awakened, aware, and free of delusion, their demonic deeds can do nothing to you. As the skandhas dissolve, you enter the light. All those deviant hordes depend upon dark energy. Since light can destroy darkness, they would be destroyed if they drew near you. How could they dare linger and try to disrupt your dhyana-samadhi?
Commentary:
When you are in dhyana, when you have stilled your thoughts and attained the proper concentration of samadhi, you are awakened, aware, and free of delusion. Their demonic deeds can do nothing to you. The demons won't be able to trouble you with their tactics. As the skandhas dissolve, you enter the light. Demons belong to the darkness (yin), and the darkness can be dispelled. It is as if the demons were ice and you were hot water. The darkness is dispelled like ice dissolving in hot water. The fire of your wisdom is bright, so you enter the light.
All those deviant hordes of demons, externalists, goblins, ghosts, and monsters depend upon dark energy. All their tactics depend on a dark, dismal energy. Since light can destroy darkness, if you have true samadhi and wisdom, your wisdom light will shine forth and dispel the darkness.
2. The Venerable Master's explanation in January 1983
Skandha-demons are not limited to fifty kinds; there may be five hundred, five thousand, fifty thousand, or even five hundred thousand kinds. Each kind can further be divided into ten kinds. If analyzed in detail, there are thousands upon tens of thousands of kinds. In general, what is a skandha-demon? Basically it's nothing but a mass of yin energy, which comes from our yin thoughts. Yin thoughts include thoughts of greed, anger, and stupidity. They give rise to the skandhas of form, feeling, thought, formations, and consciousness; and in each of these skandhas, all kinds of yin phenomena are produced. These yin phenomena naturally appear when your skill reaches a certain level. If your skill hasn't reached that level, then you won't encounter these skandha-demons, even if you want to. They manifest only when your skill has reached that level. Don't worry when they appear. There's no need to fear being possessed by demons.
When these yin phenomena appear, you should remain calm, as if they didn't exist. See them as if not seeing them; hear them as if not hearing them; and smell them without perceiving their smell. If you don't enter into sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangible objects, and dharmas, then the skandha-demons will not be able to do anything to you. If you are without greed, anger, and stupidity, then you will subdue these skandha-demons. If you do not have the faults of being selfish, wanting personal profit, seeking, being greedy, or contending, then no demon will be able to do anything to you.
To be continued |
