「是則下菩提種」：下菩提種就是發廣大心。「耕以念佛之犁」：用這個念佛，好像一個犁耙在那兒耕田似的。
「道果自然增長」：你一念佛，西方極樂世界那兒蓮花就生出來了。「乘大願船入於淨土之海」：乘著阿彌陀佛這個大願船，到淨土那個大海裏頭去。「西方決定往生」：你持佛名號就一定能生到極樂世界，生到淨土去。「是為發菩提心第九因緣也」：第九種的因緣。
云何令正法久住。謂我世尊。無量劫來。為我等故。修菩提道。難行能行。難忍能忍。因圓果滿。遂致成佛。既成佛已。化緣周訖。入於涅槃。正法像法。皆已滅盡。僅存末法。有教無人。邪正不分。是非莫辨。競爭人我。盡逐利名。舉目滔滔。天下皆是。不知佛是何人。法是何義。僧是何名。衰殘至此。殆不忍言。每一思及。不覺淚下。我為佛子。不能報思。內無益於己。外無益於人。生無益於時。死無益於後。天雖高。不能覆我。地雖厚。不能載我。極重罪人。非我而誰。
「云何」：云何，就是怎麼說呢？怎麼說才能令正法久住呢？令正法不滅亡呢？「謂」：就是所說的。「我世尊」：這就是所說的這個釋迦牟尼佛，世尊是佛另外一個名字。「無量劫來」：從無量劫到現在以來，「為我等故」：佛為什麼要修行成佛？就因為他要修行成佛了，好來把我們所有的人都救得離苦得樂，令我們都了生脫死，不在輪迴裏再受輪轉了。「修菩提道」：所以佛才「三祇修福慧，百劫種相好。」
三祇，就是三大阿僧祇劫；阿僧祇是梵語，翻譯中文就叫「無量數」。這個三大阿僧祇劫，就是三個大的無量數；這無量數是十六個大數目之一，那麼三個大的無量數。你想一想究竟有多長時間了？很長很長的。在這三個大的無量數裏邊，釋迦牟尼佛為的教化眾生，為的修成佛，為的發菩提心，盡捨生命的地方，他捨生，又受生，捨生受生，每一粒微塵都是佛捨生命的地方。好像捨身餵虎，佛看見老虎那麼毒，要餓死了，他把自己的生命都不要了，去給這個老虎吃了，令牠活著。這種偉大的犧牲，沒有人能比得了的。我們人都是貪生怕死，沒有一個把自己的生命犧牲了，而成就旁人，令旁人活命的，沒有這樣的。
佛生生世世在這三大阿僧祇劫，三個無量數這麼長的時間裏頭，以生命來布施給我們眾生，所以我們眾生應該報佛恩。好像我們現在這些人，當初或者都是吃過佛的肉，喝過佛的血的，所以我們現在信佛，應該好好報佛恩。那麼佛為了令我們活命，他自己犧牲自己的生命，因為這個，所以我們應該感謝佛的。
修菩提道，「難行能行」：怎麼叫難行能行？就是一般人做不到的事情，他能做。好像捨頭目腦髓––自己的頭也可以布施給人家；自己的眼睛也可以布施給人家。不是說死了布施給人家，活著就布施。你需要眼睛，他就布施給你眼睛；腦，你有病需要人家的腦來治病，他就把自己生命不要了，把他的腦來布施給你，救度你；髓，骨髓，把自己的骨髓也布施給旁人。
待續 |
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Therefore, plant a Bodhi seed. Till with the plow of mindfulness of the Buddha. We need to plant a Bodhi seed and then recite the Buddha's name as if it were a plow which can till the field of our minds. And the fruits of the Way will naturally grow. As we recite the Buddha's name, our lotus in the Land of Ultimate Bliss will bloom. Ride the ship of great vows to enter the ocean of the Pure Land. Making the great resolve for Bodhi is like riding a boat of great vows. Then we will certainly be reborn in the West: When we ride the ship of great vows and uphold the Buddha's name, we will definitely be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is the ninth cause and condition for resolving the mind upon Bodhi.
Essay:
What is the wish to cause the Proper Dharma to remain long in the world? It is that our World Honored One, for our sakes, cultivated the Bodhi Way for an infinite number of eons. He could practice what was difficult to practice and could endure what was difficult to endure. When his causes were perfected and his results were fulfilled, he attained Buddhahood. After attaining Buddhahood, he finished transforming those with whom he had affinities, and then he entered Nirvana.
The Proper Dharma Age and Dharma Image Age have already ended. In the present Dharma Ending Age, there are teachings but no adherents. No one can distinguish the deviant from the proper; no one can tell right from wrong. We compete and struggle with each other. We pursue profit and fame. Look around: the deluge has spread throughout the world.
No one knows who the Buddha is, what the Dharma means, or what constitutes the Sangha. The decay has reached such a perilous point that one can scarcely bear to speak of it. Every time I consider it, my tears fall without my realizing it. I am a disciple of the Buddha, yet I am unable to return the kindness that has been done to me. I do not benefit myself; I cannot benefit others. While alive, I am of no benefit to posterity. Although the heavens are high, they cannot cover me. Although the earth is thick, it cannot bear me. If my own offenses are not extremely grave, then whose are?
Commentary:
What is the wish to cause the Proper Dharma to remain long in the world? It is that our World Honored One, who is known as Shakyamuni Buddha, World Honored One being another title of the Buddha, for our sakes, cultivated the Bodhi Way for an infinite number of eons. Why did the Buddha cultivate to realize Buddhahood? He did it so that living beings could be free from their sufferings, attain bliss, be liberated from birth and death, and not have to undergo the cycle of birth and death. It is said that the Buddha "cultivated blessings and wisdom for three great asamkhyeyas and developed the Thirty-two Hallmarks and Eighty Subsidiary Characteristics for a hundred eons."
Three asamkhyeyas is three great asamkhyeyas of eons. Asamkhyeya is a Sanskrit word meaning an infinite number. This infinite number is one of the sixteen largest numbers. Just imagine how long three great infinite numbers of eons is: It's a very, very long time. During these three great asamkhyeyas of eons, for the sake of transforming all living beings, cultivating to attain Buddhahood, and bringing forth the resolve for Bodhi, Shakyamuni Buddha gave up his life and was reborn, over and over again. Every single mote of dust is a place where the Buddha sacrificed his life. For example, he once fed a starving tiger with his own flesh. He sacrificed his own life to feed the tiger so that it could survive. No one can match the great sacrifice that he made. All of us want to live and are afraid to die, and no one is willing to sacrifice his own life to save another's life. None of us has done this.
In life after life for three great asamkhyeyas of eons, for three infinite periods of time, the Buddha gave his life away to all living beings. Therefore, we must repay the kindness of the Buddha. In the past we may all have eaten the Buddha's flesh and drunk his blood, thus enabling us to now have faith in the Buddha. Therefore we have to repay the Buddha's kindness. We should be grateful to the Buddha for sacrificing his life so that we could live.
In cultivating the Bodhi Way, he could practice what was difficult to practice. What does that mean? It means he could do what most people cannot do. For example, he was able to give away his head, eyes, brain, and marrow. He was able to give his own head and his own eyes to other people. He didn't tell them they could have these parts of his body after he was dead; he gave his body parts to him when he was still alive. If you needed eyes, he would give his eyes to you. If you were ill and needed a human brain to cure your illness, he would sacrifice his life and save you by giving you his own brain. He would also donate his own bone marrow to others.
To be continued |
