戒律你持不清楚，你盡想用勢力去欺壓人，這是不可以修道的。修道的人要慈心下氣，恭敬一切；修道的人要想「六和」。
六和就是「身和同住」：不能說這個地方只可以有我，不可以有你，更不用說他了。身和要同住，不能和師兄弟或者同參道友，一天到晚用身來鬥爭，用口來鬥爭，用意來鬥爭，不可以的。這要「身和同住」，不能只知道有自己，不知道有他人，自己或者用地位，或者勢力來壓迫其他人，不可以的；如果壓迫其他人，這就談不到「身和同住」了。
「口和無爭」：不能盡是用口來辯論，來戰爭，總是覺得自己對，其他人不對，這是口不和。「口和無爭」，沒有爭論，不能總覺得自己比其他人都好。
「意和同悅」：在你心意裡頭，和所有的人都應該和。要知道，道場不是一個人的道場，是大眾的道場，所以不能用強制的手段壓迫其他人。
「見和同解」：不能說我別開生面，獨出心裁，「你們所見的都不對，我見的比你們都高超。」這見要同解，不能認為自己是很特別的。有什麼特別？你不吃飯一樣餓死。特別？你要能一百天不吃飯，那算特別。你做得到做不到？七天不吃東西就要偷東西吃了，所以你有什麼特別？
「戒和同修」：戒律是大家共同遵守的，不能說，「這個戒律是你守的戒律，不是我守的。」
「利和同均」：所謂利益，有什麼好處要大家得，不是一個人得的。一個人得那就叫自私，叫偏重。什麼叫偏重呢？就是不公平，偏於一邊，重於一邊。
所以出家人要時時刻刻都明白這個六和，不能障礙其他的同道，不能壓迫其他的同道，這是最要緊的。
我因為禮拜三要到亞洲去，這一次去最多不超過兩個月就回來。在這個期間，你們自己守自己的品行，自己要看看自己是個什麼人，不要像去年我到南美去了幾個月，喔！這個金山寺幾幾乎一個人都沒有了。如果再有這種事情發生的話，那就應該自己想自己的法子了。尤其比丘，在金山寺裡邊比丘不可以欺負比丘尼，不可以隨隨便便比丘就罵比丘尼。那麼比丘尼是不是可以罵比丘呢？更不可以！比丘尼自己應該遵守八敬法，恭敬比丘，不可以對比丘有一種輕慢的心，有一種不乾淨的思想。
你們自己要把自己看重了，不要自己把自己看得那麼沒有價值。各守自己的地位，這才不會錯因果。如果你每一個人不守自己應守的地位，那就叫錯因果。所以說「性定魔伏朝朝樂」：你要是性定能持戒，什麼魔也沒有了。說，「啊！我要發狂了。」你死了更好啊！發狂有什麼用呢？願意發狂，那就莫如快一點死了。性不定才有魔，才會發狂；你要性定了，什麼魔都沒有了，魔就降伏了。
「道高龍虎伏；德重鬼神欽」：你要有道德，你說出一句話來，諸佛菩薩、天龍八部，都擁護你所說的話；你要是沒有道德，你說什麼話也不靈驗。你有道德，你說什麼話都靈驗，這叫「道高龍虎伏。」你有道了，龍也蟠起來，虎也臥起來了：龍虎都降伏了。
「德重鬼神欽」：你要有德行，道德夠了，那鬼神都恭敬你，見著你都叩頭頂禮，不會不恭敬的。
性定魔伏，天天都是快樂的。「妄念不起處處安」，你這妄想心要不生出來，到什麼地方都是平安吉祥的；你要盡打妄想，到什麼地方都不平安。「這山望著那山高」：這個山說那個山高，到了那個山呢？「把腳翹」：又要翹起腳望那山了。所以我們修道的人，要是不能迴光返照，不能找自己的毛病，盡向外照，這是一個大錯誤的。
定，就是一個功夫。你沒有定力，就沒有功夫；你要有定力，就有功夫。這定力就是你要先持戒，它幫助你生出定力。持戒就是止惡防非，諸惡不做，眾善奉行，要做好的事，不要做壞的事，這就幫助你生出定力。你定力生出來了，又要受得考驗。什麼叫考驗呢？就是你面對的不如意的事情，就是反對你的，這都是考驗；也就是譏謗你的，罵你的，打你的，這都是你的考驗，看看你有沒有定力。你要有定力，罵你；罵誰呢？根本就沒有一個我，又會罵誰呢？無我、無人；我自己沒有了，人也沒有了，誰罵我呢？
所以方才說不要壓迫人。修道的人，要是有人來敢壓迫你，那真是你的善知識了。你要是有比丘來罵你，甚至於打你殺你，你能如如不動，好像吃蜜糖那麼甜，不像吃黃連那麼苦。這個做比丘的，不論是你的師兄，或者師弟，或者比你更晚一輩的，是徒姪，甚至於徒弟來罵師父。
我告訴你們，我在廟上，老和尚也罵我，小和尚也罵我，中年的和尚還罵我；不知道為什麼，沒有理由他就罵。除非看不見我，看見我他就罵，站在我門口那麼跳起來罵。罵得我有一個皈依弟子，聽著他受不了了，就哭，說，「師父啊！你這個忍耐，真是啊，我都受不了你還能受！」
我說你不受又有什麼辦法？應該受嘛！為什麼人罵我呢？這就因為我懶，我在廟上不做工，不幫著造廟，所以這方丈和尚的徒弟就罵我，方丈和尚的徒孫也罵我，就說我在廟上不盡自己的力量。所以我的皈依弟子都受不了啦，我還一樣受，心裡真沒有火氣，真像吃冰那麼涼爽，真是「觀惡言，是功德。此即成吾善知識。不因訕謗起冤親，何表無生慈忍力？」那時候真是這樣子。所以無論哪一個人要能罵你，那真是幫助你修道呢！
但是你幫助人家修道，自己可會有了罪過。釋迦牟尼佛，誰助他成的佛呢？提婆達多。提婆達多一天想辦法去破壞佛，但是破壞不了。佛成佛了，那提婆達多就生陷地獄，活活地就墮地獄了。那麼比丘尼，誰要願意做比丘尼的善知識就罵比丘尼，甚至於打，甚至於殺。
因為要做善知識就不怕有罪過，不怕墮地獄，自己要幫助人修道。比丘願意幫人修道，也去罵人打人，甚至於殺人，比丘尼也是這樣子。你們誰願意做羅剎，這是現羅剎相來教其他人修道。我要走了，我把這個真傳告訴你們，誰願意做羅剎鬼，就發脾氣罵人，誰要願意做菩薩呢就歡歡喜喜的。善惡兩條道，你修的修是造的造；願意修道也可以，願意造孽也可以，隨你們自己的選擇。我這個做師父的，只可以「師父領進門，修行在個人。」你個人不修行，師父沒有辦法。「自己生死自己了；自己吃飯自己飽。」我現在要走了，在這沒走之前我說一說這個你們不願意聽的話。
誰願意反對師父，那我是最歡迎的；我最不歡迎他不反對師父，依教奉行的，我看那不是好徒弟。誰不依教奉行的，那是不錯的。
待續
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If you do not hold the precepts clearly and you try to oppress others with your authority, you will not be able to cultivate the Way. Cultivators should be kind, humble, and reverent toward all. They must observe six types of harmony:
1. Harmony of bodies through dwelling together. You cannot say, "I can be here, but you cannot." You have to live together. You cannot engage in physical, verbal, and psychological battles with your Dharma peers and fellow cultivators all day long. You have to live together in harmony. You should not be so absorbed in yourself that you have no consideration for anyone else. Don't use your authority or status to oppress others. That's not allowed. If you oppress people, you are not practicing "harmony in body through dwelling together."
2. Harmony of mouths through refraining from argument. Don't use your mouth as a vehicle for debate and contention, always arguing your own case and putting others down. You should not think that you are better than everyone else.
3. Harmony of minds through shared joy. In your thoughts you are in harmony with everyone. You should realize that the Wayplace does not belong to you alone. It belongs to the entire assembly. Therefore, you cannot use force or oppression with people.
4. Harmony of views through a common understanding. You cannot set yourself up as someone special and criticize everyone else as wrong, saying that your own view is superior. Everyone should have a shared understanding. You should not think you are special. What's so special about you? If you don't eat, you will starve just like anyone else. If you can go without food for a hundred days, you can consider yourself special. But can you do it? Humph! After seven days without food, you want to steal some food to eat. So, what's so special about you?
5. Harmony of precepts through common cultivation. Everyone must hold the precepts. You cannot say, "You have to hold these precepts, but I don't." The precepts must be held in common by everyone.
6. Harmony of benefits through shared enjoyment. If there are any benefits, they should be shared by all. If one person enjoys all the benefits by himself, he is being selfish and unfair. He is partial to himself.
Those who have left the home-life should always be clear about the Six Types of Harmony. They should never obstruct or oppress their fellow cultivators. This is of foremost importance.
On Wednesday I will be going to Asia. This time I will be back within two months. During that time, you should all maintain good conduct and integrity. You should each think about what kind of person you really want to be. Don't let it be like last year when I went to South America, and Gold Mountain Monastery was nearly deserted! If that happens, you'll all have to fend for yourselves. Bhikshus, in particular, while you're at Gold Mountain Monastery, may not bully the Bhikshunis. Bhikshus may not casually scold Bhikshunis. Can Bhikshunis scold Bhikshus? That's even less okay! Bhikshunis should observe the Eight Dharmas of Respect towards Bhikshus. They may not look down on Bhikshus or entertain impure thoughts.
You should all take yourselves seriously. Don't see yourselves as worthless. Each person should fulfill his own duties, so as to avoid making mistakes in cause and effect. If you do not fulfill your duties according to your position, you are making mistakes in cause and effect. Therefore, I said, "When one's nature is calm and demons are subdued, one is happy every day." If your nature is calm and you can hold the precepts, no demon will bother you. "I'm going crazy," you say. If you die, it will be even better. What's the point of going crazy? If you want to do that, you'd be better off dying sooner. Insanity and demons come about when one's nature is not calm. Once your nature is calm and concentrated, you won't be troubled by any demon. All the demons will have been subdued.
When one's Way is lofty, dragons and tigers are subdued.
When one's virtue is weighty, ghosts and spirits pay respect.
If you possess virtue, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, gods, dragons, and the rest of the eightfold division will protect and support whatever you say. If you lack virtue, your words will not be efficacious. If you have virtue, everything you say will be efficacious. The line says, "When one's Way is lofty, dragons and tigers are subdued." When you attain the Way, the dragons coil up and the tigers crouch down in submission. When you have sufficient virtue, ghosts and spirits will respect you. They will bow and make obeisance as soon as they see you. They won't be disrespectful.
When one's nature is calm and the demons are subdued, one is happy every day. When false thoughts no longer arise, everywhere is peaceful and auspicious. If you indulge in false thinking all the time, no place that you go will be peaceful. When you're on this mountain, that mountain looks higher to you. When you get to that mountain, you're ready to go on to the next mountain. If cultivators cannot reflect upon themselves and find their own faults, but instead direct their attention outwards, they are making a grave mistake.
Samadhi is gongfu or skill in cultivation. If you lack samadhi, you lack skill. If you have samadhi, you have skill. To develop samadhi, you must first hold precepts. That will help you to gain samadhi. Holding precepts simply means stopping all evil. It means refraining from evil and doing all good. You should do good deeds, not bad ones. Then samadhi can arise. Once samadhi arises, you have to be able to pass tests. Adverse situations that don't go your way are all tests. People who slander, scold, or beat you are testing you to see if you have samadhi. If you do, then when scolded, you think, "Who is being scolded. I don't have a self, so who is he scolding?" You have no sense of self and no sense of others. Therefore, who is being scolded, and who is doing the scolding?
Just now I said you should not oppress people. If others dare to oppress you, they are truly your good and wise advisors. If you are a Bhikshu and another Bhikshu scolds you, beats you, or even kills you, then you should remain unmoved and feel that the experience is as sweet as if you were eating honey, not as bitter as eating huanglian [the bitterest herb in Chinese medicine]. This Bhikshu might be a junior or senior Dharma peer of your generation, or one of the generation after yours— perhaps even your disciple scolding you, the teacher.
Let me tell you that when I was in the monastery, I was scolded by the old monks and the little monks alike. The middle-aged monks also did their share of scolding. For no reason that I could see, they would scold me. As soon as they set eyes upon me, they would start in. They would stand at my door and jump up and down as they berated me. One of my refuge disciples heard them and broke down crying. She said, "Teacher, you are so patient. I myself can't bear it, yet you still can take it."
"If you don't bear it, what are you going to do?" I asked her. "I ought to bear it. Why do they rail at me like that? It's because I'm lazy. I don't do enough work in the temple. I'm not helping them build the temple. That's why the disciples and grand-disciples of the abbot are scolding me. They say I'm not doing my share of the work" So, my own refuge disciples couldn't take it, but I still endured it. There was truly no anger inside of me. I felt as cool as if I were eating ice. It was truly a case of:
Contemplate vicious words as merit.
Then the person becomes your good advisor.
Without his slander leading you to choose
between hostility and friendship,
How could you demonstrate the power of compassion
and patience with nonproduction?
If someone can scold you, no matter who he is, he is actually helping you to cultivate. However, if you help others to cultivate in that way, you yourself will accrue offenses. Who helped Shakyamuni Buddha to achieve Buddhahood? It was Devadatta, who tried to ruin the Buddha but failed. The Buddha realized Buddhahood, and Devadatta fell into the hells alive. Now, if anyone wants to be a good advisor to a Bhikshuni, then go ahead and hit her or even kill her. If you want to be a good advisor, then you can't be afraid of incurring offenses and falling into the hells. You have to want only to help people cultivate the Way. You can assume the appearance of a rakshasa ghost to help people cultivate. Anyone who wants to be a rakshasa ghost can simply lose his temper and scold people. If you want to be a Bodhisattva, simply be cheerful and happy.
Good and evil are two different paths.
You can cultivate the one or commit the other.
If you want to cultivate the Way, you can; if you want to commit offenses, you can do that. It's up to you. The teacher can only bring you in the door. You yourself must cultivate. If you don't cultivate, your teacher can do nothing. You must end your own birth and death, just as you must eat your own food to get full. I'm about to leave, but before I do so, I'm going to say some things none of you want to hear.
If anyone wants to oppose his teacher, he is most welcome. I don't like those who don't oppose their teacher. I do not regard people who follow my instructions as good disciples. Anyone who doesn't follow instructions is not bad.
To be continued |
