我們人生也就像做夢似的，糊裡糊塗的，今天到南方去，明天又到北方去，後天又到西方，大後天到東方，東西南北走遍了也不知道為什麼，到死的時候功成名就了，空歡喜一場；事業失敗了，空憂愁一場，所以說，「富貴是五更春夢，功名是一片浮雲。」功名就好像天上浮雲似的，都是不實在的。「眼前骨肉已非真。」我們人與人之間，從無量劫以來互相為眷屬，互相為父子，互相為母女，互相為兄弟，互相為姐妹，都是因因果果、因因緣緣，這裏頭包藏著恩怨緣，有的眷屬很和睦的不吵架，就是有恩、有緣；有的一天到晚吵架，這有怨有仇，所以眷屬和氣與眷屬不和，這裏邊恩、怨、緣、這三個字是包括了。眼前骨肉已非真，所以互為父子，六親眷屬，這不是什麼了不起的。「恩愛反成仇恨」，你看現在結婚兩天半，三天也不夠呢？又離婚了；離婚沒有兩個鐘頭之後，結婚了。
古來那個莊周說：他在路上看見那裏有一個新墳，一個女人拿把扇子扇那個墳。莊周就問她：「你在這兒扇墳做什麼，那個墳還怕熱嘛？」她說：「你不知道啊！我和我的丈夫恩恩愛愛非常的好，可是他一旦死了，我不能即刻就改嫁，我一定要等他這個墳乾了之後，我才改嫁，不然對不起他。」你看古來婦女是這樣子的，不能說個個都是這樣，莊周就遇到這麼一個奇怪的人。回去就對他太太說：「我今天看到一個新鮮的事情。」他太太說：「什麼新鮮的事情？」他就說一個女人丈夫死了，她等不了要把墳扇乾了好改嫁，你說這不是新聞嘛？莊周的太太說：「唉！這都是壞女人才這樣子呢，假如你要死了，我才不會改嫁！」莊周說：「真的嗎？好了，那我就快一點死了。」於是乎就有病了，沒有多久就死了，太太就把他裝到棺材裏，停到家裏來辦喪事。
正在這個時候，有個楚王孫就來了，這個楚王孫人才、相貌都出眾，莊周的太太一看見這個楚王孫就忍不住了，就來誘惑楚王孫，希望楚王孫和她結婚。楚王孫說：「我是慕名莊周老先生，來跟他學習學問。他現在已經死了，我要看看他的書，我不會和你結婚的，因為他棺材在這兒。我不忍心看著我老師在這兒，雖然我沒跟他學過，可是我要思淑諸人，也要看看他的書，我不能接受你的好意。」，莊周太太說：「哦！你因為有這棺材啊？那不要緊，我可以把棺材劈開，放把火把它燒了。」於是拿把斧頭就劈莊周的棺材，這一劈開，莊周在棺材裏頭活過來了，他太太再一看，楚王孫也沒有了，什麼也沒有了，就只有莊周。莊周說：「你說那個扇墳的是壞女人，我現在還沒埋到墳上呢！你就把我棺材給劈開了，好改嫁，你真是比那個扇墳的女人更著急。」他太太一聽也覺得不好意思。
於是莊周就走了，去修行了，就是說眼前骨肉已非真，恩愛反成仇恨，「莫將金枷套頸」，你不要把金的枷鎖套在脖子上。「休將玉鎖纏身」，你不要帶著滿身珠寶，說，好、好、好。「清心寡欲脫紅塵，快樂風光本分。」各位細玩其味，講的這個道理是很有邏輯學的，有的人要反對，說：「我要提出問題問你。」對不起，不答覆。………大家都不高興了，你說這怎麼辦？
要不要翻譯閩南話？時間大約還有一點，我再講多一點。（大眾鼓掌）這回鼓掌又太早了。我和大家說一說，我有幾句很不近人情的話，也很沒有什麼道理的，雖然如此，我還是要說的。這幾句話說的什麼呢？我到美國差不多二十七、八年了。在這二十七、八年的時候，有人就要介紹我和卡特見面。尼克森那時候曾經用聯邦偵探來調查過我，我對著聯邦偵探說尼克森真是太笨了。有一次來了兩個人，一男一女，都會說中國話。我那時候正講《華嚴經》，我講「無不從此法界流，無不還歸此法界」。他們在下邊就偷著照我的相，錄我的音。當我下法座了，他說﹕「哦！法師你真講得好！所有一切無不從此法界流，無不還皈此法界。」我聽到他這麼樣一說，我就問他，我說﹕「什麼叫法界？我講經講得這麼久，法界兩個字我不會講。請你講給我聽一聽。」我這麼一說他也瞪眼睛了。原來他是聽我在法座上講這兩句話，他記住兩句就冒充在行，掩飾他的身分。
有一次我中午講經，又來一個女的，拿一個紙袋，這個紙袋裡放得滿滿的一袋青菜也來聽講經，也是個美國人，也會講中國話，也來偷著錄音。這個錄音機放在青菜底下，誰也看不見，我們裏邊的人都不知道。等我下了座了走到門口，她也來同我講話，說：「法師你講經講得很好。」我說：「是嗎？你們美國總統尼克遜簡直得愚不可及！」她說：「怎麼怎麼，我們總統有什麼愚癡？」我說：「他浪費老百姓的血汗金錢，無緣無故派一個特務跑到我的佛堂來錄音，來偷著照相，你說他是不是很笨？我這佛堂前門開著，後門敞著，有什麼秘密可查的？」她聽我這麼說，她說：「法師啊！你不要誤會我，我不是特務。我這個錄音啊！是想聽你們唱歌，我才錄的，你不許可我錄，我就交回給你。」我說：「你錄，我就歡迎你錄，你錄回去給尼克遜聽聽，叫他也種種善根嘛！」我說完這話，我們佛堂裏邊的人，這個也看我，那個也看我，心想：「是什麼人告訴師父的？」把這個特務也嚇得好像很吃驚的樣子，不知道我怎麼知道的。這是我在美國有這麼回事。
以後就有很多人希望我入美國籍，到各處都方便，到什麼地方也不用visa（簽證）就可以去了，方便的事情很多。我說：「我是中國人，假如我的國家現在強大起來，比任何國家都強大，不需要我這麼一個弱小的老百姓，我可以改我的國籍；因為現在我國家在這個顛沛流離的狀態下，我不能學的其他人錦上添花，我是願意雪中送炭，我等我國家超過其他的國家，我才可以改變我的國籍。」於是我才說了這麼八句話。怎麼樣說的呢？
中華混亂數十年， 傷時感事淚成泉。
此生愧具回天手， 往昔難彈落日絃。
世途崎嶇人鬼詐， 宦海浮沉彼此煎。
出家未忘忠貞志， 不改國籍溯本源。
「中華混亂數十年」，日本鬼子，我不知道現在臺灣這有沒有日本鬼子？有，我也不怕這個鬼；沒有，我也不怕這個鬼，因為我從來就是不怕鬼的。「中華混亂數十年」，日本鬼子投降了，以後共產黨、國民黨互相又你打我，我打你；你罵我，我罵你。你罵我也是「匪」，我罵你也是「匪」，搞得中國沒有旁的只有「匪」，你說可憐不可憐？
所以中華混亂數十年，「傷時感事淚成泉」，我啊！悲傷這個時候，我感嘆我眼睛所看見的世間的怪事、怪樣子，骨肉自相殘殺，多麼痛心，所以說傷時感事淚成泉，「此生愧具回天手」，我說我這一生沒有回天的手段，我不能把中國問題解決了，不能令人人安居樂業，我不能使中國「槍刀入庫，馬放南山」，過太平的盛世，我沒有這個手段，所以說此生愧具回天手，「往昔難彈落日絃」，這一句，因為我本來在十二歲就想修道，可是以後看見日本侵略中國這種殘暴的行為，我也想起來做一個救國的份子，做一個報國為民的一個人，可是沒做到，所以這叫往昔難彈落日絃，我沒有把這個「太陽」，用一隻手指頭一彈，把它彈掉下來，彈落到地下，「世途崎嶇人鬼詐」，世間這個道路很崎嶇難走的；人生這個旅程，人鬼詐，人欺騙鬼，鬼又欺騙人，互相欺騙，「宦海浮沉彼此煎」，這個做官的，在海裡忽然飄起來了，忽然又沉下去了，浮沉，你我煎，彼此熬煎，互相傾壓，「出家未忘忠貞志」，我是出家人我不希望我的國家生靈塗炭，我的國家不論它壞到怎麼樣子，我也要存一種忠心愛國愛民的這種思想，「不改國籍溯本源」，因為我是個中國人，我不願意諂媚其他的民族，我所以不改我的國籍，這是我今天要對各位善知識講的話，我希望我們中國人，拿出我們的志氣來，拿出我們的骨頭來，拿出我們的血，我們的氣，不要崇洋媚外。我們為我們國家，現在念觀音菩薩，念到夠時間就不念了。
待續
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Our lives resemble confused dreams. I head south today and will head north tomorrow. I will head west one day and head east the day after that. I walked every which way without knowing the reason. The happiness from my successful career is empty. The disappointment from my failed career is empty too. Therefore, “Wealth and status are early morning dreams in the spring. Merit and fame are but a wisp of cloud.” Merit and fame are just as clouds that float by; they're not real. “My current blood relatives are not real.” We are family to every human being throughout infinite eons. We're each other's father and son; we're each other's mother and daughter; we're each other's brother and sister. This is a matter of cause and effect, causes and conditions. Also included are affinities, kindness, and resentment. Some families are harmonious while others are inharmonious. “Blood relatives before me are not real.” So don't think that your father or son, your close relatives are any big deal. “Kindness and love turn into enmity and resentment.” Look at how marriages turn into divorces after two and a half days nowadays, not even three days. People marry again two hours after the divorce.
In ancient times, Zhuang Zhou once had seen a woman on the road fanning a new grave. Zhuang Zhou had asked her, “Why are you fanning the tomb? Is the tomb afraid of the heat?” She said, “You don't know. My husband and I had been very loving, I can't immediately remarry after his passing. I must wait until his tomb dries before I remarry. I will disappoint him otherwise.” There are women like these in ancient times. Not everyone is that way, but Zhuang Zhou had met someone strange like that. When he went home, he told his wife, “I saw something novel today.” His wife asked, “What?” He described the woman who couldn't wait to fan her husband's tomb dry after he passed away so that she could remarry. Isn't that newsworthy? Zhuang Zhou's wife said, “Only awful women are that way! If you were to die, I would never remarry.” Zhuang Zhou said, “Really? Okay, then let me die soon.” He became sick and died soon after that. After he passed away, his wife placed him in a coffin and arranged for funeral services at home.
Just then, Chu the Aristocrat came. Chu the Aristocrat was outstanding in looks and talent, so when Zhuang Zhou's wife saw Chu, she couldn't help but want to seduce Chu, hoping that Chu would marry her. Chu the Aristocrat said, “I came here out of admiration for the elder Zhuang Zhou. I had wanted to learn and study with him. Now that he's dead, I will read his books. I will not marry you because his coffin is still here. I can't accept your good will when I can still see my teacher. Though I had never learned from him, his books remind me of him.” Mrs. Zhuang said, “Oh, this coffin? No problem, I can split the coffin open, light a fire and burn it. She takes an ax and chops away at Zhuang Zhou's coffin. When the coffin was split open, Zhuang came to life. Mrs. Zhuang looked around and saw that Aristocrat Chu also disappeared. Everything disappeared except for Zhuang Zhou. Zhuang Zhou said, “You said that the woman who fanned that grave was awful. I haven't even been buried now and you were ready to chop apart my coffin. You're in even more of a hurry to remarry than the woman who fanned the tomb.” His wife was quite embarrassed.
Zhuang Zhou then went away to cultivate. Therefore, “My current blood relatives are not real, kindness and love turn into enmity and resentment. Do not place the golden shackle around your neck; quit tangling yourself with the jade chain.” Don't wear jewelry over your entire body, saying, “This is great, this is great, this is great.” “By clearing the mind, lessening desires, and escaping mundane defilement, the happy scene is but a basic part of you.” Why don't you play with this and chew on it? It's quite logical. If anyone disagrees, I have some questions for you and, sorry, I will not answer them.
Do we need to translate this into Taiwanese? There's probably some time still. Let me say a bit more. You clapped a bit too early this time. Let me say something rude and not particularly reasonable; nonetheless, I insist on saying it. What is it? I want to say that that I have been in the United States for more than two decades, probably twenty-seven or twenty-eight years. During this time, people had wanted to introduce me to Jimmy Carter. Richard Nixon had sent federal agents to investigate me. I told the federal agents that Nixon is more stupid than a pig. Once, a man and a woman came. They both knew Chinese. I was lecturing on the Avatamsaka Sutra then, so I talked about how, “There's nothing that doesn't flow from this Dharma Realm and there's nothing that doesn't return to this Dharma Realm.” They were down below, secretly taking photos of me and recording me. When I came down, the man said, “Oh, Dharma Master, your talk was excellent! There's nothing that doesn't flow from this Dharma Realm and there's nothing that doesn't return to this Dharma Realm.” Upon hearing this, I asked him, “What is the Dharma Realm? I don't even know how to explain these words despite having lectured on Sutras for so long. Please, why don't you explain it for me.” He just stared at me because he had heard me say these two lines and memorized them, pretending to understand and trying to hide his identity. This is one.
Once I was lecturing on the Sutras at noon. Another American woman who knew Chinese came with a paper bag. The bag was filled with vegetables. She also listened to the Sutras and was also secretly tape-recording me. The recorder was underneath the vegetables so that no one could see it. No one there knew. When I came down and walked to the door, she also came over to talk to me, saying, “Dharma Master, your Sutra lecture was excellent.” I said, “Really?” I said, “Your president of America, Nixon, is stupid beyond belief. He's worse than a pig!” She said, “How is our president so stupid?” I said, “He wastes ordinary citizens' hard-earned money, sending a special agent here to secretly record and photograph me at my Buddha Hall. Wouldn't you say he's a pig? Both the front door and the back door to my Buddha Hall are wide open, what secrets are there?” Hearing me say this, she said, “Dharma Master, don't accuse me by mistake. I'm no special agent. I am recording you because I want to hear you sing. If you forbid it, then I'll return it to you.” I said, “I welcome your recording. You can go back and play your recording for Nixon so that he could also plant some roots of goodness!” After I had finished speaking. People in the Buddha Hall looked at each other, “What? Who told him?” That special agent also seemed terribly shocked and didn't know how I knew.
This took place in the United States. Later on, many people had hoped that I would become an American citizen, that way it would be easier to go places without a visa. There are lots of conveniences for doing that. However, I said, “I am Chinese. If my country were more powerful than any other country and doesn't need a weak little citizen like myself, then I would change my nationality. However, my country is currently undergoing a difficult transition. Although I can't imitate others who add more flowers to the existing garland, I am willing to offer gifts of coal in the snow. I will not change my citizenship until my country has superceded other countries.” Consequently, I uttered the following:
Chaos has reigned in China for several decades.
In my melancholy, tears spring forth freely.
Unfortunately, I shamefully regret,
I can't change the course of fate in this life.
And to our lament, the sun of the past was not brought down.
Paths in the world are full of twists and turns,
While people and ghosts con each other.
Bobbing up and down in the political scene, they grill each other too.
Though I am a monk, I have not forgotten my loyalty.
I refuse to change my nationality and conceal my origin.
China has reigned in China for several decades. I don't care if there are any Japanese people in Taiwan. I am not afraid of the Japanese because I have never been afraid of ghosts. China has been chaotic in the last several decades. After the Japanese surrendered, the Communists and the Nationalists then fought and criticized each other. You yell at me for being a criminal, I scream at you for being a criminal too. China ended up with no leader except criminals. Isn't that sad? That's why China has been in turmoil for decades.
Anguished by the affairs of the times,my tears flow like a river. I am sad about the strange state of affairs in the world. Blood relatives murder one another. How painful. In my melancholy, my tears well forth, forming a spring.
I regret that in this life,I haven't been able to turn the tide of events. I say that I don't have the ability to turn back the hands of time. I can't solve the China question so that people can live in peace and happiness. I can't make China store away its weapons and let the horses roam free. I don't have the ability to change fate in this lifetime.
In the past,I failed to play the lute of the setting sun.Although I had wanted to cultivate the Way at age twelve, I had also thought about saving my country and fellow citizens when I saw the cruelty that the Japanese inflicted on the Chinese during the Japanese occupation. I didn't do it though. We were not able to knock off the sun and shoot it down with one finger.
The roade of the world twist and turn,as people and ghosts deceive each other. The paths in this world are crooked and difficult to traverse. Humans and ghosts con each other during their life's journey.
The sea of politicians surges and rolls as they fight each other.Political officials will rise and sink suddenly in the sea of politics. Each grills and oppresses the other.
Though I've left the home-life,I haven't forgotten my heart's allegiance. I am a monk. I do not want to see my country being bathed in blood and see lives being destroyed. Regardless of the state that my country is in, I must maintain a sense of loyalty to and love for my country and citizens.
Not changing my nationality,Itrace my roots back to their source. Since I am Chinese, I do not wish to pretend to be any other nationality. I refuse to change my national citizenship. This is what I have to say to all of you Good Advisors today. I hope that we Chinese will not simply imitate the West and koutou to foreign countries. We must work on behalf of our country. Now let's recite the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva. We will stop when the time is up.
To be continued
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