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《道德經》裏有一段話，上人曾用來給我們上了一課。記得有一次我們和上人到香港去，上人把我和恆實師留在香港教化香港的信徒。我們就依教在那兒講經說法，教化香港的弟子。
本來，教化香港人是一件不可思議的事，是一件很困難的工作。我想上人是去了臺灣或印尼了，把我們留在香港那地方幾個星期，看看我們怎麼來演這齣戲。我們注意到，當上人和我們在一起時，他都很慈悲地和我們有說有笑，可是一到了香港，上人就變得很嚴肅。如果有人送供養來，上人就說：「我不要這個。你送這個做什麼？」要是有人送果儀，他就說：「你把我當成什麼？」然後他就大聲講：「我不碰錢，愈少愈好。」可是當我們到了另一個地方，又有人跑來供養，上人卻說：「嗯！供養三寶是件好事……」等等之類的話，和在香港時所說的完全相反。在香港，上人還會責備人，因為人不斷送來供養，上人就會講：「你們何必這麼麻煩？你們香港人就專想著要更多、更多、更多，你們總有一天要墮落的。」像這樣的事情不斷發生。我和恆實師看了都想：「啊！這方法不錯！」所以當信徒圍上來，我們張口結舌不知說什麼好的時候，就用這個方法。我們試了好幾天以後，在機場和上人碰面時，上人走過來對我們說：「你們倆在幹什麼？」
「上人，我們在教化眾生。」
「真笨！你們真以為我是在生氣嗎！」
我說：「不是。」
「我只像作戲罷了；我用它來作藥來醫治這些人的。為什麼我這樣罵他們以後，他們還要回來？他們為什麼還歡喜親近我？因為這裡頭有一種很深的因緣；生生世世結下的緣，現在因緣聚到一起，即使我罵他們，也好像是下藥一樣。你們倆沒有這一種的緣份和德行來做這個事情。」上人又說：「你們能不能徹底控制自己的情緒？你能不能一邊生氣還一邊想：『我這不是真正的生氣呢！』一旦你發了脾氣，你還能止得住嗎？你把這個方法用在別人身上，你想這是一種方便法嗎？你真憧用這個方法嗎？你不能學我的樣，連試都別想！你們只能用慈悲喜捨來待人。」
上人說：「用生氣的方法教化眾生，你得有把握。如果不是和他們有很深的因緣是辦不到的。」上人引用了《道德經》第七十四章的一段話：「夫代大匠斲者，希有不傷其手矣。」木工師傅的利器，小徒弟也想試試，結果砍了自己的手。同理，要衡量自己的能力和智慧力來運用方法。你不能光是摹仿上人，然後說：「我也要來罵罵人，我這也是教化眾生。」你要知道時間，要知道對象，還要確定你的罵人是出於慈悲，而不是出於自私或者生氣。你心裏想：「這個人真讓我受不了了。」一等到機會，「哼！看我收拾你！」你還覺得你和上人一樣是在用方便法嗎？不見得吧！你那根本是一種瞋恨心和習氣。
這真給我們上了一堂課！我們還覺得自己做得挺好的，其實是拿著利刀亂揮，傷人傷己：這真是寶貴的一課！你不能說：「哦！我也來學學那個人的樣子。」你要真懂怎樣用方便法才行。所以你講法時，和人相處時，是該笑還是不該笑？該和人接近，該接受邀請去講法，或是不該接受供養？這一切一切都要靠智慧來判斷。你不能說：「上人也這樣做。」這道理說不通的。
比如有一次我們和上人到馬來西亞，當時我們很餓，經過長途跋涉，沒吃東西。到時有人請我們去應供，是富人家，滿桌美食，上人卻在那兒等等等，只顧和人聊天。吃的東西在桌上，大家都很緊張，我們心想：「上人，先吃飯，再講法吧！」可是上人不停。過了一會兒我們又想，「快中午了……快過午了……。」終於上人說了：「嗯！我們只有幾分鐘的時間，只能吃一點點。我們其實並不很餓。」所以我們只拿了一小碗東西吃，幾乎等於零，意思意思，滿滿施主的願。上人不要人家隨便炫耀，說：「我供養了出家人！法師們都大飽口福！」所以大好的珍饈美味 擺在眼前，上人只說：「我不太餓，沒福報消受。」施主也無話可說。
兩天後我們到一座寺廟用餐，飯菜很豐盛，我們吃得飽飽的。上人說：「村子裏有人供齋，我們得走了。」「我們已經吃過了。」「這是方便法，這人很誠心。」我們出城到了一個非常小的村子，很窮的一戶人家；不富裕，但他們省了又省，做了一次很難得的供養。食物並不很好，也不精緻，可是卻勝過他們一年吃到的東西。上人說：「我從來沒這麼餓過。」又跟我們說：「吃光它！」「可是……，師父……」「吃光了它！」所以我們吃了又吃，吃了又吃，施主在一旁很高興。上人做了一次很長的開示，給我們上了一堂很精采的課。我們心裏打妄想：「這是怎麼回事？頭一天我們饑腸轆轆，美食當前，卻只到口一點點：第二天我們已經吃得很飽，再來的食物又差，卻叫我們吃那麼多。這是什麼道理？」我們開始動腦筋了：「喔！原來這就是智慧。」一般人都是，我現在很餓，有好東西吃，於是就吃很多；如果遇到後面這種情形，就想：「我們已經吃飽了，等下還要說法呢！」就不吃了。上人的方法截然不同；差的食物就吃多一點，好的食物就吃少一點。
要用這種方法你得有智慧，不能只口裏說說要摹仿而已。一次我和上人在一起，又遇到兩位檀越供齋，所以我們就去應供了。這次的食物很豐盛，你會想：「我和上人『一樣』呢！」事實上你並不和上人「一樣。」即使你覺得你明白了，可是你不見得真懂。所以你行動前要常問自己，有沒有絲毫的貪心？有沒有絲毫的求心？有沒有絲毫的自利心？即使你真朝這方向去做，還是很容易就給自己放水。
所以這時候你要非常非常注意，要有智慧，不能只參照其他的例子，就認定說：「事情就該這樣辦。」法是不一定的，唯一一定的是你要時時提高警覺。什麼時候該嚴肅？什麼時候該慈藹？什麼時候該高興？什麼時候不該笑？什麼時候可以接受供養？什麼時候又不可以？該說什麼法？在什麼時候說？不能說：「我要到馬來西亞去，把我要講的話一古腦兒全倒出來。」你不能那樣做。
我們到馬來西亞時，上人說：「我們要到大學去演講了，你們想想該說些什麼。」所以我們準備給這所大學的教授演講，講講科學與佛教之類的話題。之後上人才說：「我到大學裏演講；你們倆到海邊的一個小漁村去講。」所以我們又把講題改成因果，不能講量子物理學和佛學了，所以我說法無定法，你沒法事前預做準備。 |
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There is an expression in the Daodejing. It's a good passage that the Master used to teach us a lesson once. When we were traveling with the Venerable Master to Hong Kong, Heng Sure Shi and I were left behind by the Master to take care of Hong Kong. We were supposed to give lectures—teach and transform the Hong Kong disciples.
Well, first of all, teaching and transforming the Hong Kong people is "bu ke si yi" (inconceivable). It's really hard. I think the Master went off to Taiwan or Indonesia. He was going to leave us there for a couple of weeks to run the show by ourselves. We noticed that when the Master was with us, he was very kind, talking and laughing. When we got to Hong Kong, the Master was stern. When people came up and made offerings, he would say, "I don't want that. What are you giving that for?" They came up with red envelopes. He said, "Just what are you thinking?" And he screamed, "I don't touch money—the less the better."
We had just been in another place, another country, where people were giving offerings, and the Master was saying, "Oh, it's good to plant blessings with the Triple Jewel," and so on. When we got to Hong Kong, it was totally the opposite. And he would scold people. Endless people would come up with things and he'd say, "What are you bothering me with that for? What you do in Hong Kong is think about more, more, more, more. You're all going to fall." It went on non-stop like this. So Heng Sure Shi and I were watching this and thinking, "Ah, that's the method!" So when disciples came up, "Rrrrrrrrr"—we were doing the same thing. We did this for a couple of days, and then when we were at the airport with the Master, he came up to us and said, "What are you doing?"
"Master, we're teaching and transforming."
"Stupid," he said, "Do you think I'm really angry when I do this?"
I said, "No."
He said, "It's just like a game for me. I can use this as a medicine to help these people. Why do they keep coming back after I scold them like that? Why are they still happy to be around me? You scold them and they run away and never come back. I can scold them because they have deep roots, deep affinities in life after life. Affinities have been gathered, so now even if I scold them, it's medicine for them. You guys don't have the affinities and virtue that allow you to do that. Do you have absolute control of your emotion? Can you use anger and think, 'I'm not really angry'? Once you start it, can you stop it? When you use this technique on people, is it really 'fang bian --expedient? Are you really skilled at this?" He added, "You can't imitate me. Don't even try. You two should use kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity."
He continued, "To be able to pull off this technique of using scolding in anger, you have to really have it together. And you have to have deep affinities with people in order to do that." Then he gave a quote from
Daodejing. "When the apprentice takes the sharp tool from the master carpenter, he should be careful not to cut off his own hand." The master carpenter has this razor-sharp instrument that he uses, and the little novice is going to "boom!" and cut off his hand. In the same way, use a Dharma as the measure according to ability and wisdom. You can't just imitate the master and say, "I'm going to scold people, and I'm teaching and transforming them." You have to know when and with whom. You have to be absolutely sure that your scolding is coming from great compassion and not selfishness or anger. You're thinking, "Someone has been really getting on my nerves" and then, when the time comes, "Rrrrrr." Are you being expedient like the Master? Not necessarily, it could be driven by anger or by habit.
That was a lesson. We thought we were doing a great job, not realizing that we were just taking a sharp, sharp tool and swinging it around, cutting other people's heads off and slashing ourselves in the process. It was a real lesson. You can't imitate someone and think, "Oh, I'll imitate someone and do it that way." You really have to
know how to use this kind of skill-in-means. So in your lectures, in how you are with people, how much you smile or don't smile, how close you draw, whether you accept to go to a house to speak Dharma or don't accept the offering--all those things have to come from wisdom. You can't just say, "Well, the teacher did this." That doesn't make sense.
For example, once we were traveling in Malaysia with the Master, and we were all really hungry. We traveled for a long time without food. We came to this place, and somebody was going to give a dana (offering) at home. They were rich people, and the table was full of really delicious food for all. The Master waited, and he talked to people. Food was there on the table, and people were getting nervous. We were thinking, "Master! Eat first, speak Dharma later." He was going on and on and pretty soon we were thinking, "Oops, it's getting to be almost noon. Oops, it's getting past noon." The Master said, "Oh, we only have a few minutes to eat. We'll just eat a little bit. We're not really hungry." So we all got these little bowls of food—it was almost nothing. The Master was just dangling the donor. He didn't want anyone to indulge and brag, "I gave this meal offering and the Dharma Masters filled themselves with good food," So with all this good food there, the Master just said, "I'm not very hungry. I don't have the blessings to eat that kind of food." The donor was thinking, "Huhhh??"
Two days later, we went and had a meal at the monastery. It was good meal and we were full. The Master said, "Oh, so and so out in a village is giving a
dana (offering). We have to go out." We said, "We already had our meal." He said, "No, this is a 'fangbian,' (expedient) because this person is really sincere." We went out to a very small village. It was a poor family - they didn't have much, but they had saved all this to make a very rare offering. It wasn't rich food, it wasn't good food, but there was a lot—more than what they would have in a whole year. And so the Master said, "I am as hungry as I have ever been," and he said, "Eat 'em." We said, "But, The Master..." and he said, "Eat 'em!" So we ate and ate, and the donor was just so happy. The Master spoke a long lecture, gave a wonderful teaching, and we were thinking, "Wait a minute now, one day we're really hungry and we had good food, but we only got a little bit. The next day we're full, we ate bad food and we had a lot. What's going on here?" And then we started to think—behind it was wisdom. For normal people, it would be, "We're hungry, there's good food, and so we eat a lot." The second time, their thinking would be, "We had enough; we'll do the Dharma later." The Master's way was totally different. He ate more of the bad food and less of the good food.
To apply this technique, you really have to have a kind of wisdom. You can't fake it. One day I was with the Master and we had two
danas. So you go out and when there's good food, rich food, you just think, "I'm being with the Master," but you're not. Even if you think you understand, it's not necessarily the case that you do. So you always have to say, "Is there the slightest bit of greed? Is there the slightest bit of seeking, the slightest bit of self-benefiting?" and so forth before you act. Even then, it's easy to be kind of tricky with yourself.
When this kind of thing (happens), you have to be really, really very careful. You have to have wisdom. You can't attach to any one example and think, "That's the way to do it." There are no fixed dharmas. The only thing that's fixed is that you have to be drawing on that to the side— when to be stern, when to be kind, when to be happy, when not to smile, when to accept an offering, when not to, what Dharma to speak and when. You can't just say, "I'm going to Malaysia and give all my lectures," and then get out there and give lectures. You can't do that.
We went to Malaysia, and the Master said, "We're going to be talking at a university, so think about what you want to say." So we prepared this lecture for the scholars of the university, on science and Buddhism and so forth. Later, the Master said, "I'm going to lecture at the university. You guys do this lecture over here, a little fishing village off the coast of Malaysia." So we had to change our topic to cause and effect. We couldn't lecture on quantum physics and Buddhism. That's what I mean by no fixed dharma. You can't really prepare.
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