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今天是一個很吉祥的日子。雨過天晴，下午陽光也出來了，可見諸佛菩薩、龍天護法都歡喜上人的《妙法蓮華經淺釋》在萬佛寶殿再次大放光明，在上人悲心切願轉法輪下，一字一句地引導我們走上成佛之路。
過去諸佛，講了千經萬論，都是為了讓眾生有足夠的智慧，來接受《法華經》的妙理。現在諸佛，也是如此；未來諸佛，更是如此。所以佛說《法華經》是諸佛秘要之藏，直到最後眾生根器成熟了才宣說的。
每尊佛在開演法華妙義時，都會現出六種瑞相。第一是說法的瑞相，佛會先說《無量義經》。第二是入定的瑞相，然後入無量義處三昧。第三是雨華的瑞相，天雨四種寶華。第四是地動的瑞相，大地會有六種的震動。第五是眾悅的瑞相，與會的大眾都歡喜踴躍。第六是放光的瑞相，然後佛會放眉間白毫相光。
任何世界，只要有《法華經》的地方，久已滅度的多寶佛，都會在寶塔中，從地踴出，來讚歎佛，聽聞《法華經》，並為佛所說的妙法做證明。釋迦牟尼佛的分身佛全部來集，但是分身佛太多了，娑婆世界容納不下，佛就現神力，三變土地來容納分身佛，我們的娑婆世界就成了七寶的琉璃世界，這是多麼吉祥的現象！
文殊菩薩在龍宮所教化的八歲龍女，在法會上，供養佛一顆寶珠之後，即轉成男身，往南方無垢世界成佛，教化眾生。這是法華會上即身成佛的實例。
娑婆世界的地會震裂，過去久遠劫來，佛所教化的大菩薩，都從地踊出，來供養佛，讚歎佛。從踊出到讚歎完的時間有多長呢？有五十小劫之久。對我們凡夫來說，是很不可思議的境界。
遠在東方恆河沙世界的妙音菩薩，以他的三昧力在娑婆世界先化現八萬四千個七寶蓮花座，然後與諸菩薩，來供養釋迦牟尼佛和多寶佛，並聽聞《妙法蓮華經》。
普賢菩薩與大菩薩圍繞，從東方來，以誓願力和神咒來護持受持《法華經》的行者。
法華會上眾聖雲集，瑞相重重，在開始聽聞上人淺釋前，大家都可以做以上這些殊勝的觀想。
諸佛世尊，唯以一大事因緣故出現於世，就是要開示悟入佛之知見。所以佛在法會上給所有的聲聞弟子們授記，讓他們迴小向大。佛也給姨母大愛道比丘尼及其眷屬們授記。佛更給提婆達多授記，可見佛是冤親平等的。
成佛的法華，其實佛在＜方便品＞中，已經給很多很多的眾生授記，包括現在在此聽聞《法華經》一句一偈的大眾。
上人與十方諸佛同一悲心，用了大約一年半的時間，來解釋這部《妙法蓮華經》。
雖然名為淺釋，可是妙法卻在上人旁徵博引，遠取近譬中，自然地宣洩出來，時而深入，時而淺出。正是：
法華經義妙，無慧誰能了？
宣公悲心切，現身作明導。
如果我們能像日月燈明佛講《法華經》時那樣，「時會聽者，亦坐一處，六十小劫，身心不動，聽佛所說，謂如食頃。是時眾中無有一人，若身若心而生懈倦。」那我們絕對可以體驗到這部經的妙處了。
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Today is an auspicious day. The sun has come out after the rain, and we can see that the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, dragons and heavenly Dharma protectors are all happy that the Master’s commentary on the
Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra is once again being heard in the hall of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. The Master, with his great compassion and vows, turned the Dharma wheel and guides us closer to the path of Buddhahood with each word.
The Buddhas in the past have told countless sutras, all to help living beings gain sufficient wisdom to understand the essence of the
Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra; the Buddhas in the present are doing the same, and the Buddhas in the future will do likewise. Hence, the Buddha said that the
Lotus Sutra is the utmost treasure of all Buddhas, and is to be spoken only when the faculties of all living beings have ripened.
Every Buddha manifests six auspicious signs when explaining the
Lotus Sutra. First is the auspicious sign of speaking Dharma—the Buddha will first speak the
Sutra of Limitless Principles. Second is the auspicious sign of samadhi—the Buddha will enter the samadhi of limitless principles. The third auspicious sign is that of raining flowers—four kinds of precious flowers will rain down from the heavens. The fourth auspicious sign is that of the earth moving—the ground will shake in six ways. Fifth is the auspicious sign of delighting the multitudes—all the living beings in the assembly will experience great happiness and enthusiasm. Sixth is the auspicious sign of emitting light—the Buddha will emit light from between his eyebrows.
In any world, wherever the Lotus Sutra is spoken, the Buddha Many Jewels will emerge from the earth in a pagoda to praise the Buddha and listen to the
Lotus Sutra, at the same time certifying the wonderful Dharma being spoken by the Buddha.
Every division-body of Shakyamuni Buddha came to assemble in the Saha World, but there were so many of them that this world was too small to contain them all. Therefore, the Buddha displayed spiritual powers and created lands for the large number of the Buddha’s division-bodies. Our Saha World thus became a lapis lazuli world with seven treasures. What an auspicious phenomenon that is!
An eight-year-old dragon girl, under the guidance of Manjushri Bodhisattva, offered the Buddha a precious gem, turned into a man instanteously, and then headed to the Undefiled World to attain Buddhahood and teach other living beings. This is an example of attaining Buddhahood instantly in the Dharma Flower Assembly.
The lands of the Saha World will shake and crack, and all the great Bodhisattvas whom the Buddha has taught for countless eons will all emerge and make offerings and praises to the Buddha. How long is it the time the Bodhisattvas emerge to the time they finish their praises? Fifty small eons. It is an inconceivable phenomenon to us ordinary humans.
Wondrous Sound Bodhisattva, who is in a faraway land in the East, used his samadhi power to create eighty-four thousand lotus thrones of the seven treasures. Then, together with other Bodhisattvas, he makes offerings to Shayamuni Buddha and Many Jewels Buddha, and listens to the
Dharma Flower Sutra.
Universal Worthy Bodhisattva and a retinue of other great Bodhisattvas come from the east and use the power of their vows and mantras to protect cultivators who uphold the Dharma Flower Sutra.
Many sages come together at the Dharma Flower Assembly, and many auspicious signs appear. Everyone can try to visualize these auspicious signs before listening to the Master’s commentary.
The greatest purpose of the Buddhas’ appearance in the world is to show living beings the path to Buddhahood. Therefore, the Buddha bestowed predictions on all the Shravaka (Hearer) disciples in the Assembly, so that they would turn from the small vehicle to the great vehicle; he also bestowed predictions upon his aunt, Bhikshuni Prajapati Gotami, and her relatives, and even Devadatta. We can see that the Buddha treats friends and foes equally.
The Dharma Flower Sutra is the sutra for realizing Buddhahood. In fact, in the “Expedient Devices” chapter the Buddha bestowed predictions upon many living beings, including those in the assembly listening to the Dharma Flower Sutra here now.
The Venerable Master, sharing the compassion of all Buddhas in the ten directions, took about one and a half years to explain the
Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra.
Although named “simple explanations,” the Venerable Master used a wide variety of examples from the past and the present not only to explain it in simple language that is easier to understand, but also to give us a deeper understanding of the wonderful Dharma in the sutra.
Without wisdom who can understand
The Dharma Flower Sutra’s wondrous principles?
Venerable Master Hua, with earnest compassion,
Personally provided wonderful guidance.
When Brightness of Sun Moon Lamp Buddha spoke the
Dharma Flower Sutra, “Those assembled listening also sat in one place for sixty small eons with bodies and minds unmoving, listening to what the Buddha said as if it were but the space of a meal. At that time, in the assembly, there was not a single person who grew weary, either physically or mentally.” If we can be like the beings in that assembly, we will definitely experience the wonder of this sutra.
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