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達摩祖師到了中國，沒有教化到一個人，現在遇到一個知音了──這個知音者，就是隻鸚鵡；所以說：「何以人而不如鳥乎？」那麼達摩祖師也很高興，說：「你要請我教你出籠計？我現在教你出籠計──出籠子這個方法、這個計策：『出籠計、出籠計，兩腿伸直兩眼閉，這便是你出籠計。』」這隻鸚鵡一聽，有了！牠就明白了；於是等到牠主人從那一百多步遠回來的時候，牠就假裝死了，把兩條腿伸得直直的，把兩個眼睛也閉上了。
養鸚鵡的主人回來了，他最愛惜這隻鸚鵡，每天他回來的時候，這鸚鵡就歡迎他說：「你回來得這麼晚，你不早一點回來，我很想你呢！」把這個主人哄得很迷的；那麼今天，這隻鸚鵡就沒有聲音，沒有來歡迎他。他就趕快去看看這隻鸚鵡，鸚鵡兩腿伸得直直的，兩個眼睛閉得緊緊的；於是他就把這個小鳥籠子打開了，把這隻鸚鵡拿出來，他還用手捉著牠，還怕牠跑了、怕牠飛了。看牠眼睛也不睜，腿還是那麼直直的，他就這麼拿著這鸚鵡來回看：為什麼牠不睜眼呢？看來看去，看牠不睜眼睛，大約死了吧？就把手打開，看那鸚鵡是什麼病死的呢？手一打開，這個鸚鵡就得其所哉，飛了！這小鳥得到自由了，出了這個籠子了。
可是我們每一個人也在這個籠子裏，我們每一個人被「地水火風」這四大拘束著，得不到自由；可是我們沒有人想要求得這個自由，出「地水火風」這四大的籠子。我們若想得到自由，要怎麼樣子呢？也就要學這個鸚鵡的「出籠計」，才能也會有效驗、也會有辦法。那麼這隻小鳥得到解脫、得到自由，我們人不能得到解脫、不能得到自由；是不是我們人連這隻小鳥都不如了？那麼因為這個關係，所以二祖神光穿著一隻鞋、一隻襪子，就去追菩提達摩；菩提達摩在前邊走，他就在後邊追，一邊追，一邊說：「祖師呀！請你慈悲，也教我一個出籠計！」菩提達摩就擺手晃頭說：「不行，不行！」神光一追，就追到洛陽的熊耳山。
菩提達摩祖師也不知道是發脾氣？也不知道是因為不想睬這個神光？就對著山壁，在那個地方坐著，不管這個神光說什麼，他也在那兒面壁。這神光在後邊叫了很多聲「師父」、很多聲「祖師」、很多聲「聖者」，菩提達摩也不講話；或者當時也可能言語不通，菩提達摩是說的梵語、Sanskrit，這個神光也不太懂梵文。因為這個，他就在後邊跪著；菩提達摩祖師在那兒面壁九年，他就跪了九年。跪了九年，為的什麼？就為的求得到解脫、得到自由，能出「地水火風」這個籠子。九年之中，菩提達摩大約只和他說了有三句話；這三句話就是：「不行！不行！不行！」他怎樣要求也是不行；那麼他跪九年，達摩坐九年。
最後，有一天，天下雪，神光在那兒跪著，冷著打哆嗦，一邊就說：「祖師，你慈悲呀！傳給我法、傳給我一個道，我要出這個籠子呀！」菩提達摩就問他：「你看看現在天是下什麼？」神光說：「現在是下雪了！」「現在是下雪，」菩提達摩這回又問他：「這雪是什麼顏色的？」神光說：「雪是白色的。」菩提達摩就說：「你想要我傳給你道嗎？可以的，你看天什麼時候會下紅雪，這個雪變成紅色的了，我可以傳法給你！」
神光一想，這回糟糕了，天怎麼會下紅雪呢？想來想去，因為他福至心靈，也應該他續承祖師位了，一看牆壁上有達摩祖師一把戒刀──這一把戒刀不是殺人的，是預備有必要，犯戒的時候殺自己的。神光──講經說法這一位法師，就把這戒刀拿下來，把自己的一條胳臂砍斷了，血如湧泉，就把下的白雪都染成紅色。他把這個雪拿來給菩提達摩看，說：「祖師你看看！現在天下的是紅雪了！」其實，這是他身上流著血成紅色的。菩提達摩一看，他的膀臂斷了一隻，為求法而斷臂，可以說是誠心到極點，這時候才傳給他法。
傳法之後，二祖神光說：「我現在心很痛，請祖師給我安心！」菩提達摩說：「你把心拿來，我給你安一安你的心！」神光自己迴光返照，盡虛空、遍法界，也沒有找到一個心，他說：「覓心了不可得！」說找我這個心，沒有地方找去。菩提達摩說：「為汝安心竟！」。
今天晚間，這個殊勝的因緣事由，釋玄威教授上座助成這個因緣。我希望你們各位，常常親近這位玄威上座；這一位法師，我認識得很清楚，他可以說是現在世界佛教的一個很有為的大德，學問非常的優秀、修持也非常的深。希望你們各位不要錯過機會，常常來聽這《妙法蓮華經》；這《妙法蓮華經》是教人怎樣成佛的，你們常常聽《妙法蓮華經》，不久將來一定會得到無上正等正覺，阿褥多羅三藐三菩提。這是我對你們各位的希望！
待續
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Patriarch Bodhidharma hadn’t taught or transformed anyone when he had arrived China. Now, he met someone who really understood what he was all about and it was the parrot. He said, “People can’t even come up to birds nowadays.” Patriarch Bodhidharma was very delighted and said, “You want me to teach you how to escape from the cage? I will instruct you now.” He then told the bird a method to escape from the cage.
He said,
“To escape the cage, to escape the cage,
Straighten out your two legs.
Shut your two eyes.
This is the way to escape the cage.”
Upon hearing this, the bird understood. Therefore when it heard its owner returning home and saw that he was about one hundred feet away, the bird pretended to be dead. It stuck out its two legs and closed its eyes.
Since its owner was so fond of the parrot, he would check on the bird after he returned home each day. The parrot would usually welcome him and say, “Why did you come home so late? You should have come home earlier. I miss you so much!” The owner would be lulled by these words. However, there was no greeting from the bird today. He hurried to the parrot whose two legs were stuck out straight and whose eyes were shut tight. When he saw this he opened the cage and held the bird in his hand not worrying that it might fly away. He looked at the bird; its eyes were totally shut and the legs were stiff. He thought, “Why doesn’t the bird open its eyes?” He kept staring at it. “It must be dead since its eyes are no longer open.” He opened up his palms to try to check what illness the parrot had died from. He inspected the bird once again. After inspecting it, he opened his palms and the parrot flew away. It had escaped the cage and gained its freedom.
Every one of us is in a cage of the four elemental forces that bind us and prevent us from being liberated. None of us wants to obtain freedom and escape from the cage of the four elemental forces, which are earth, water, fire and wind. How can we be freed from the cage of the four elemental forces? We should learn this very same method of escaping from the cage. Then we will have a way out and can regain our freedom just like the bird did. Now, we are not liberated and have no freedom. Is it the case that we can’t even compare to a bird? Therefore, the Second Patriarch, wearing one shoe and one sock, chased after Bodhidharma and when he was walking in front of him, he said, “Patriarch, would you please be compassionate and teach me a way to escape the cage as well?” Bodhidharma replied, “No, no, no.” shaking his head and waving his hands. The Second Patriarch pursued Bodhidharma all the way to Bear Ear Mountain in Luoyang.
It’s not certain whether Bodhidharma had previously been angry or he simply wanted to ignore Shen Guang. He meditated facing a rock wall. He just sat there and paid no attention to what Shen Guang said. Shen Guang called out names like “Master, Patriarch, and Holy One” many times. Bodhidharma replied with no words. Or it could have been that there was a language barrier between them, so that Shen Guang didn’t understand the Sanskrit that Bodhidharma spoke. Because of this, Shen Guang knelt behind Bodhidharma for nine years, which was the duration of time that Bodhidharma meditated while facing the wall.
Why did Shen Guang do this? He was seeking the Dharma in order to be liberated, so that he could escape the cage of earth, water, fire and wind. During those nine years, Bodhidharma said only three words to Shen Guang, namely, “No, no, and no.” Shen Guang’s every request was denied. So he knelt for nine years while Bodhidharma meditated for nine years.
Finally, one day, Shen Guang was knelt there shivering from the cold, and said, “Patriarch, please be compassionate and transmit the Dharma to me. Transmit the Way to me. I want to leave this cage.”
Bodhidharma said, “Take a look at the sky. What’s falling from it?”
“The snow is.”
“What color is the snow?” asked Bodhidharma.
“The snow is white,” Shen Guang replied.
“If you would like me to transmit the Way to you, fine. I’ll do it when red snow falls from the sky.”
Shen Guang thought, “Now I’m stuck! How could the snow turn red?” He thought about it over and over and had an idea. Perhaps it was time for him to inherit the Patriarchate. He saw that Bodhidharma had a precept knife on the wall. The knife wasn’t used to kill people, but in an absolutely critical situation, it could be used to kill oneself. This would be when one was put in a situation that would cause one to violate the precepts. Then, Patriarch Shen Guang, or rather, Dharma Master Shen Guang, took down the precept knife and sliced off one of his arms. The blood gushed forth from the wound and stained the snow red. He took the red snow to Bodhidharma and said, “Patriarch, please take a look. Red snow has now fallen from the sky.”
Actually, the snow had turned red because of his blood. Bodhidharma saw that Shen Guang had sliced off his arm in order to seek the Dharma. That was a sign of ultimate sincerity. As a result, Bodhidharma transmitted the Dharma to him.
After the Dharma transmission, the Second Patriarch, Shen Guang said, “My mind is in pain. Please pacify my mind.” Bodhidharma said, “Bring me your mind and I will pacify it for you.” Shen Guang searched within himself and tried to find his mind. He searched throughout all of space and the Dharma Realm and still couldn’t find his mind. He said, “I’ve searched for my mind, but it cannot be found.” He meant that his mind could not be found in any location. Bodhidharma replied, “I have already pacified your mind.”
The special circumstances today were made possible by Professor Xuanwei Shi. I hope you draw near to Master Xuan Wei frequently. I know this Dharma Master really well. He is considered an eminent monk in contemporary Buddhism; very erudite and cultivated. I hope that you don’t miss this opportunity to come and listen to the
Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, which teaches people how to become Buddhas. If you listen to the
Lotus Sutra often, you will realize anuttara-samyaksambodhi, the utmost proper and equal, right enlightenment. These are my expectations for you.
To be continued
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