EnglishVersion (The Fifth Revision)
过五关度六将证菩提（第五次修订版）
PassingThrough Five Barriers and Enlightening Six Generals to Gain Bodhi
目录
Catalogue
▍开堂白................................................................................................................2
OpeningStatement................................................................................................2
▍有没有来世.......................................................................................................4
Whether There'sAfterlife?....................................................................................4
▍过关前言...........................................................................................................6
Introduction...........................................................................................................6
▍第一关 四大假合.............................................................................................7
The First Barrier:The False Compound of Four GreatElements............................7
▍第二关 非同非异.............................................................................................8
The Second Barrier: Neither Identical norDifferent..............................................8
▍第三关 随心应量.............................................................................................9
The Third Barrier: Quantity and Quality in accord with
the Mind’s Capacity................................................................................................9
▍第四关 心现识变............................................................................................10
The Forth Barrier: Manifestation of the Mind,
Transformation of the Consciousness...................................................................10
▍第五关 一心三藏.............................................................................................15
The Fifth Barrier: Three Treasuries of OneMind...................................................15
▍第六关 无情亦情.............................................................................................19
The Sixth Barrier: The Non Sentient Being Is the
Sentient Being........................................................................................................19
▍圆教精髓............................................................................................................20
The Essence of the Perfect Teaching......................................................................20
▍顿证菩提............................................................................................................23
Sudden Enlightenment ofBodhi.............................................................................23
·开堂白
·Opening Statement
尊敬的各位法师、各位居士、各位大德、各位菩萨：
大家好！阿弥陀佛！
今天作一个专题开示，叫做《过五关度六将证菩提》。所谓「过五关」，就是我们依据《楞严经》而高度概括、提炼的五个重要问题，而且是由浅及深，环环相扣；所谓「度六将」，就是从前面五关的内容中，又单独选出一个问题来进行进一步解释。你每过一关，就破除了一个邪知见。所谓「证菩提」，就是明白真理时，当下觉悟，当下成就！这个觉悟就是明心见性，见得万法本来面目。
Dear Masters, Dharma practitioners and everyonegathered here,
Welcome you all! Amitabha！
Today I’d like to give a special dharma talkentitled“Passing Through Five Barriers and Enlightening Six Generals to GainBodhi”. So-called “passing through five barriers” means we will discuss 5essential topics highly summarized and abstracted from the Shurangama Sutra, the topics arefrom simple to abstract and are closely related. While“enlightening sixgenerals” means six of our false perceptions will be eradicated one by one whensix topics, with the last one separated from the content of the previous 5 inorder to make further explanation, are expounded. “To gain Bodhi” means onceyou understand the truth, you will be enlightened and accomplished in themoment.This enlightenment is called understanding the mind and seeing thenature ,You will see the true face of all things.
众生迷于五欲六尘之中，而遗失了真心本性的无量功德妙用。而我们现在，通过这个开示，当下从层层的迷惑颠倒中出来。古人云：天地与我同根，万物皆吾一体。佛法真理，概不出此也。三藏十二部经就是围绕这个宗旨而展开。
Confused in five desires and six dusts, all beings havehence lost the wonderful use of innumerable merits of the nature of their truemind. Now through this Dharma talk, We are going to be free from layers ofconfusions and upside-downess in the moment. The ancients said: Heaven,earthand I are of the same root, all things and I are of the same body. So are thetruth of dharma. The Tripitaka and twelve divisions are all developed on thispurpose.
众所周知，佛法诞生于印度，而兴盛于中国。尤其是大乘佛法，在我们大陆最具影响力。在这两千多年的历史长河中，佛法几度兴衰。放眼当下，世人对佛陀、对佛经、对佛法的理解，众说纷纭，莫衷一是。在佛经上讲，现在是末法时代，是五浊恶世，众生饮苦食毒，烦恼炽盛，而邪师说法，如恒河沙。所以，佛法在其漫长的传承中，真理逐渐被扭曲。真理被当成邪见，邪见被当成真理。注意！这不是危言耸听！！每个人都应该有切身感受。
As we all know, originated from India and thrives inChina, Buddhadharma, Mahayana Buddhism in particular, is the mostinfluential on the mainland China. In the long river of history of over twothousand years, Buddhadharma has gone through waxes and wanes. Look at today’sworld, People’s understanding of Buddha, Buddhist sutras and Buddhadharmavaries. As mentioned in the sutra, we are now in the Dharma-Ending Age and inthe evil world of the Five Turbidities. All beings are drinking bitterness andeating poison, their annoyances arise like wildfire. As many false teachers asthe sand of Ganges pretend to teach the dharma. As a result, in the longhistory of the inheritance of the Buddhadharma.The truth has been distortedgradually. Truth is taken as false views and vise versa. Note that, this is byno means alarmist! Everyone can feel it.
现在是一个信仰缺失的时代，有很多人不信佛。不仅是不信，而且但凡提到佛法便是言语攻击。他们看待修行人念佛拜佛，一概讲成是迷信。到底是不是迷信？那正信又是什么？希望我们本着实事求是的态度，放下一切的门户之见，来一起探讨佛法真谛。
Living in an age lack of belief, there are a great numberof people who not only believe in no Buddha themselves, but also verballyattack those who mention Buddhadharma. In their eyes, chanting and worshipingBuddha by practitioners are all superstitious. Is it indeed superstition? Whatis authentic Buddhadharma? I hope we adopt an attitude of seeking truth fromfacts and putting down all kinds of views in dharma practice, so we can discussthe truth of Buddhadharma together.
自古以来，佛教便有「成佛的法华，开悟的楞严」之说。《法华经》《楞严经》是诸经之王，是诸佛慧命，是释迦牟尼佛的涅槃遗嘱。这是无可争议的。
There is a saying in Buddhism from ancient times that“The Lotus Sutra is to attainBuddhahood, the Shurangama Sutra is to achieve Enlightenment.” It isbeyond controversy that the Lotus Sutraand the Shurangama Sutra are the kings of all sutras, the wisdom-life ofall Buddhas, and the last will of Sakyamuni’s Nirvana.
那么，诸佛出世的真正目的不是教我们烧香拜佛，也不是教我们唸佛求佛，也不是教我们打坐、放生、念咒，而是开示宇宙人生的真理——我们这个人当下从何而来？牛马猪羊从何而来？日月星辰、山河大地从何而来？风云雨雾是怎么回事？香臭苦辣又是为何？这个头上顶的天、脚下踩的地，是天大、地大还是我大？为什么？一切万法与我之间是什么关系？相互之间又是什么关系？天上天下到底有几尊佛？几个人？几条狗？有几块泥巴？几棵树？有几片风？几滴雨？
So the real purpose of each Buddha’s manifestation isneither to teach us how to burn incense and pray nor to meditate and setanimals free nor to chant, but to reveal the truth of the universe andlife—Where do we come from? How about animals? And the sun,the moon and stars,mountains and rivers ? What on earth is wind, cloud, rain or fog? Why there’sgood and bad smells, bitter and spicy tastes? Among the sky above my head, theground under my feet and me, which one is the biggest? Why? What’s the connectionbetween me and everything? What’s their relationship to each other? How manyBuddhas, people, dogs, mud, trees, wind, and drops of rain are there throughoutthe cosmos?
注意，这些问题是不是看上去很简单？其实是最难，以至于我们用科学成就了的无数不可思议的发明，有种种先进、发达的高科技成果，至今却不能回答这些问题。不仅过去不能回答，现在不能回答，未来仍然不能回答。因为科学的所谓探索永远是用妄心在造作（这是众生轮回的根本，后面会讲到），而且是发妄不息，不息就是不能停止，妄上加妄。科学如果想穷尽这个宇宙的一切，除非探究佛法，回光返照。同时，这些问题也最简单。简单到就是一句话，就是一个字，就是一个点。一滴水、一片云、一粒微尘，当下与佛一个本体，无量万法没有谁不是谁。就是因为最简单，却被我们所忽视，由此而造成了今天一切的苦难。
Pay attention here. These questions seem very simple,right? Actually, they are the hardest, so hard that they are still beyond thereach of our understanding regardless the numerous incredible inventions peoplemade with science and advanced high-tech achievements of various kinds. So hardthat they were, they are, and they will be far beyond us. Because the so-calledexploration in science is always produced by the false mind.(This is the rootof samsara, we will talk about it later), the falseness continues to arisewithout respite, without respite means ceaseless. It piles up one afteranother. If we want to use science to explore the entire universe, the only wayis to learn Buddhadharma, return to the light and illumine from within.Meanwhile, these questions are the easiest. So easy that they can be simplifiedto just one sentence, one word, one dot. A drop of water, a piece of cloud anda grain of dust are of the same body as Buddha, no one is not the other. Onlybecause it is too simple we neglected it and caused all sufferings today.
解决这些问题，就是诸佛出世本怀，这是令众生从根本上对当下的一切周边环境、人事环境、社会环境、自然环境有一个真正的认识。简单说，佛法是讲科学，是讲哲学；同时，这是超科学的科学，超哲学的哲学。讲到底，就是讲一个「真实」！就是讲一个「如是我闻」！就是讲一个「阿弥陀佛」！「如」者「阿」也，「是」者「弥」也，「我」者「陀」也，「闻」者「佛」也。「如是我闻」者，「阿弥陀佛」也。如是我闻，万法皆成；如是我不闻，万法皆不成。在你明白这个一乘实相法之前，可以毫不客气地说，除了这个妙法，其它无量经典都是佛的方便说，是一种不了义、不究竟、不真实的法理。
To solve these questions is the original intention ofall Buddhas’ manifestation, namely, to enable all beings acquire a trueunderstanding of our entire surroundings including personnel, social andnatural environment. To make it short, Buddhadharma is about science andphilosophy, but it is the science beyond science, philosophy beyond philosophy.All in all, it is just about A Truth! A Thus have I heard! An Amitabha ! Thusis “A” in Amitabha, have “mi”, I “ta” and heard “bha(Bhddha)”. “Thus have Iheard” is “Amitabha”. If you get the meaning of “Thus have I heard”, everythingwill be achieved and you wont achieve if not. Before you understand the realityin One Vehicle Dharma, frankly speaking, except this wonderful dharma all theother innumerable sutras are just Buddha’s expedient means, which are neithercomplete, nor ultimate nor true.
可能大家还有很多疑惑，不要怕，耐心听。正是因为与你过去听到的佛法不一样，所以更需要用心来思维。同时，也要坚定信心，相信自己。没有大福报，你今天不会坐在这里，你也听不到这个最上乘的法门。如果你半途而废，这是天大的遗憾和损失。我们要珍惜这样的缘分。
Maybe you have many doubts, please don’t worry andlisten patiently. Just because it is different from what you’ve previouslyheard about dharma, a more dedicated heart being able to ponder is required.Meanwhile, we should firm our confidence and trust ourselves. Without hugemerits, you won’t be sitting here today learning this best ever Dharma-gate. Ifyou give up halfway, that will be your greatest ever regret and loss. We shouldtreasure such an opportunity.
因为不了义、不究竟、不真实，所以修这些法门不过是得人天福报，最多证得偏真涅槃。只修人天福报犹如仰天射箭，最后仍然是堕落。所谓「偏真涅槃」，它不是真实的涅槃，不是真实的佛果。「涅槃」，就是不生不灭。所以，社会大众所看到的烧香、念佛、拜佛、念咒、打坐、放生，等等，这些法门不是佛法的根本宗旨。而修真法、究竟法、一乘法、实相法、圆教法、了义法——都是一个概念，可以解脱一切生死烦恼，这是功德，生生世世受用不尽。而开悟的人，行一切善法，包括前面的种种念佛、打坐等等，都是功德。这有一个根本的区别。
The practice of these dharma gates, which are neithercomplete, nor ultimate nor true, enables us to acquire blessings of humans orcelestial beings or certify Arhat’s Nirvana at most. Accumulating blessings isjust like shooting an arrow up to the sky, which will fall in the end.So-called Arhat’s Nirvana is not real Nirvana and Buddhahood. Nirvana isneither birth nor death. So the Dharma-gates we usually see such as burningincense, worshiping Buddha, praying, chanting, meditating, setting animalsfree, etc., are not the fundamental purpose of Buddhadharma. While practicingthe true dharma, or various names of one concept, like ultimate teaching, onevehicle, reality, perfect teaching or definitive teaching, we will be free fromall the worries of birth and death—merit and virtue which will never beexhausted in our many lifetimes. However, for the person who is enlightened,the various good deeds he does including above-mentioned chanting andmeditating and so on are all merits and virtues. There is a fundamentaldifference here.
我这么一讲，你们就不用担心了。因为我发愿要叫那些不信佛的人，今天在这里就能信佛，而且他能印证自己当下开悟！诸位会耳目一新，大开圆解；乃至会从此为弘扬这个真理而奋斗到底。子曰：朝闻道，夕死可矣。求道、修道、弘扬真理，这是最高的追求。
With what I said, you don’t have to worry anymore.Because I resolved to let those non-Buddhists be able to believe Buddha heretoday, and he can certify that he is enlightened in the moment ! You will findyourself in an entire new world and obtain all of a sudden a completeunderstanding of perfect teaching, some of you may even determine to strive tothe end preaching this truth from today. Confucius said: Having heard the Daoin the morning, one can die in the evening. Seeking the truth, practicing thetruth and preaching the truth, these are the highest pursuit.
那么，考虑到有些人不信佛，而大部分信佛人仍然处于迷信状态，所以今天讲法分成两个步骤：
第一个步骤，带有扫盲性质，这叫「扫除佛盲」，使我们对佛法的基础有一个大概的了解；第二个步骤，真正从佛法的实质讲起，就是讲《过五关度六将证菩提》。
Considering the fact that some of you believe in noBuddhism, and most of you are still in the stage of superstition, so today’steaching will be divided into two steps:
The first step, more like wiping out religiousilliteracy, is called “elimination of religious illiteracy on Buddhism,” whichwill help us to have a general idea about the basic of Buddhadharma. The secondstep, beginning with the essence of Buddhadharma is“Passing through FiveBarriers Enlightening Six Generals to Gain Bodhi .”
·有没有来世
·Whether There’s Afterlife?
我问大家，此时在这里听经，你能不能把家里那张沙发或者电视机想起来？能。可是你能不能现在就坐在沙发上看电视？不能。也就是说，心与身有相对独立性——心可以突破空间的束缚，而身体不能。既然如此，我们这个心会不会随着身体的死亡而死亡啊？不会。
Now you are sitting here and listening to the teaching,Let me ask you, can you recall your couch or TV at home in the moment? Yes, youcan. But can you sit on your couch watching TV right now? No, you cannot. Thatis to say, your heart and body are relatively independent—your heart can breakthrough the boundary of space, but your body cannot. In that case, will thisheart die along with the body? No, it won’t.
再考虑第二个问题。每个人在这一生中，在这几年、十几年乃至几十年这样的过程中，总有一些事情令人或喜或悲。我们不仅可以回想起来，而且是历历在目、感慨万分。也就是说，心可以突破时间的束缚，心可以跑到几年十几年以前，当然也可以跑到几天几年以后，但身体没有这个能力——它能不能跑到吃中午饭的时候？不能。能不能跑到一秒钟之前？也不能。所以身体只能一步步走向未来。所以，第二次观照，我们这个心会不会随着身体的死亡而死亡？不会。
Now think about the second question. In our lifejourneys of these several years, a dozen years or decades, there must be somethings that make us feel happy or sad. We not only can recall them but stillremember every detail with mixed feelings, which proves that the heart can breakthrough the boundary of time to run back to years or several days ago, or yearslater, but the body doesn’t have this ability—Can it move back to thelunchtime? No, it cannot. Can it run back to one second ago? It cannot, either.The body has to move towards the future one step after another. Therefore, letme ask you again, will this heart die when the body die? No, it won’t.
再作第三种观照。有句俗话说，人老心不老。今天的法会大众中，男女老少都有，最小的是五六岁，最大的是八十多岁。大家看，我们的身体从小到大、从大到老，慢慢地脸上有了皱纹，头上长了白发，到了六十岁以上就感觉老态龙钟，是不是？但这个心是不是还感到跟小孩子一样，很天真、很烂漫啊？都是老顽童，是不是？我告诉你，就是过一百岁、一百万岁、一百万万岁，你也依然是童心未泯，这是真的。既然我们的心不会随着身体的衰老而衰老，它会不会随着身体的死亡而死亡？不会。要明白。
Here’s the third example to think about. A commonsaying goes, “Growing old and staying young at heart .” Among our audiencetoday, there are men and women, old and young. The youngest is five or sixyears old and the oldest is more than eighty. You see, while you are aging fromyoung to old, your body is growing from tiny to big. With wrinkles graduallyclimbing on your face and gray hairs appearing on your head, you get old andclumsy after sixty, right? However, isn’t your heart as naive and innocent as achild? We are all old children, right? The fact is, even you are a hundred,million or even billion years old, you would still retain childlike innocence,this is true. Since this heart won’t get old, will it die with the body? Itwon’t. You need to clearly understand this point.
简单说，心和身有相对独立性。心可以突破时间、空间的束缚，心可以永远不老。这是举三个例子，辅助理解，但不值得钻牛角尖。真正想吃透，必须研究《楞严经》。既然这个心是不生不灭的，而这个身体是有生有灭的，所以身体不过是轮回中的一件衣服而已。
Briefly speaking, the heart is relatively independentfrom the body. Since the heart can break through the restriction of time andspace, it never gets old. These three examples, given for a betterunderstanding, are not worthy for us to dwell on too much. To have a thoroughgrasp of the idea, we must learn the Shurangama Sutra. Since the heartis neither birth nor death, but the body is either birth or death, makingitself merely a piece of clothing in the cycle of birth and death.
那么对来世还感到怀疑的，我们进一步做开示——不用心法，用举世共知的伟人历史来说。但是，我们在这里不是评判前人的功过是非，而是来印证佛法的理论。这是我们的出发点，不可混淆。众所周知，我们最敬爱的毛泽东主席，1893年出生，1976年逝世，世寿83岁。毛主席从1935年在遵义会议确立了在党内的领导地位以后，从此一切的政治、经济、军事路线是按照谁的思想在执行啊？虽然中央书记是张闻天，但实际领导是毛泽东。从1935到1976年，41年，是不是？毛主席世寿83岁，实际执政41年，这是事实。那建国以后，军委组建中央警卫部队，它的番号是什么啊？8341部队。所以8341这个代号，是在毛主席生前就有了，而不是死后才有。确切地说，是前世就有了，是与生俱来的。而且这个代号与任何的部队番号没有连续性，是唯一独立的特殊番号。
For those who still doubt about the afterlife, let’shave a further discussion —not using mental processes, but the history of awell-known hero in the world. Note that we are here not to judge ourpredecessors but to prove the principles of Buddhism. This is our originalintention which cannot be mixed up.
As we all know, our most beloved Chairman, Mao Tse-tungwas born in 1893 and died in 1976 when he was 83 years old. In 1935 after theestablishment of Chairman Mao’s leadership in Zunyi Conference, whosestrategies were implemented in political, economic and military lines? Althoughthe central secretary was Zhang Wentian, but the actual leader was Mao Tse-tung.It was 41 years from 1935 to 1976, right? Chairman Mao lived for 83 years andwas in actual power for 41 years, this is the fact. After the founding of ourcountry, Military Commission established Central Security Force. Guess what wasits designation? It was Unit 8341. So the code 8341 was created when ChairmanMao still alive rather than after he died. To be exact, the number had alreadyexisted in his previous life and came along with his birth—Moreover, being inno succession with any other unit designation, this code was unique andindependent.
至于8341部队这个番号是怎么来的，一直是社会上津津乐道的传闻，有不少版本。我们暂且作为茶余饭后的谈资。有的说是毛主席进京前在香山抽签时，一个老道给的数字，但并没有解释具体含义，所以毛主席把他身边的警卫部队就叫8341；还有一种说法是秋收起义后，毛主席有一把汉阳造的步枪，编号是8341。而据8341首任团长张耀祠团长称，8341这个代号就是总参谋部给中央警卫团的一个军队序列编号。
As for the origin of the designation of Unit 8341, ithas always been a popular hearsay in the society, and there are a lot ofversions about it, which we might as well take as a spare time subject for themoment. Some said the number was given when Chairman Mao was drawing lots inthe Fragrant Hills before entering Beijing by an old Taoist priest who didn’tdecode the specific meaning, so Chairman Mao named his guard troops 8341.Another version is that after the Autumn Harvest Uprising, Chairman Mao had arifle made by Hanyang Arsenal, whose serial number was 8341. However, accordingto Zhang Yaoci, the first regimental commander of 8341, this number is just anmilitary serial number given to Central Guards Regiment by the General StaffHeadquarters.
无论传闻真假，这支警卫部队的番号取8341是真实不虚，而且在毛主席逝世以后，这个番号也随之撤销。再来看一组数字：
毛泽东的一生大事多择在9日当中。1927年9月9日第一次领导武装斗争--秋收起义；长征途中在川西与张国焘分道扬镳是1935年9月9日；率领党中央机关进入北京城那天是1949年9月9日；83岁寿终正寝那天是1976年9月9日。
Whether the hearsay is true or not, What we know forsure is that the unit designation of this security force was 8341 and it wasrevoked after Chairman Mao passed away. Let’s look at another group of numbers:
Most big events in Mao Tse-tung’s life happened on the9th. September 9th,1927 was the day when he first led an armed struggle—theAutumn Harvest Uprising. It was on September 9th,1953 that he split with ChangKuo-tao in western Sichuan during the Long March. It was also on September 9th,1949 that he led organs of the Party Central Committee entering Beijing. Itwas again on September 9th, 1976 that he passed away at the age of 83.
所以从这想一想，是冥冥之中自有定数？还是简单的巧合？那么，毛主席的江山是今生今世打下来的，还是因为前世就修到了啊？毛主席是这样，有没有谁不是这样啊？！注意，今天讲法一定要有理有据，经得起考证，而不是人云亦云。告诉各位，如来出世就是讲一个真实，为了达到这个真实，佛讲了三藏十二部经、无量法门，那只是作方便引导。在这个世界，任何人都不存在死亡，死亡只是身体的假象，而我们的「真人」、那个「真心」不会死。
So let’s think it over from these examples, were theydestined or sheer coincidence? Were Chairman Mao’s New China founded in thislife or cultivated from previous lives? Chairman Mao is like this, is thereanyone who isn’t ?! Please note that we are listing the facts in our teachingand it is well founded and can be tested, rather than echoing the views ofothers. Let me tell you, the purpose of the Buddha’s appearance to this worldwas to tell a truth, Buddha taught the Tripitaka and twelve divisions of Sutrasand innumerable dharma gates to get there, but those were only skillful means.In this world, nobody will die and death is just the false appearance of thebody, while our “true self”, that “true mind ” won’t die.
比如说，我讲「万法一念」这四个字，在讲出、想出之前，这四个字在不在？一定是在，而且是无形无相，它就是我们的「真心」。那我讲出来以后，这「万法一念」四个字当下是不是「真心」变出来的啊？是。那么「万法一念」这四个字讲完以后，这四个字灭了没有？没有。如果灭了的话，我以后再也讲不出它了，是不是？我什么时候愿意讲，它什么时候就现出来；我什么时候不讲，它就歇下来。所以「万法一念」这四个字，它有没有生和灭？没有。要好好用智慧观照，人到底有没有生死？我经常讲：「唐朝的人来了没有？秦朝的人来了没有？三皇五帝时代的人来了没有？」因为，无量百千万亿年以来，我们谁都没有死过，都是一个老古董。
For example, when I say “All things are one thought”these five words, before being spoken, do they exist? They certainly do and areformless, which is our “true mind”. So when I say it, are these five wordsin“All things are one thought” the manifestation of our “true mind in themoment”? Yes, they are. Then after “All things are one thought” were spoken,will the words die away? No, they won’t. I could never say them again if theydied, right? They will arise whenever I want to say them, and cease when Idon’t want to. Therefore, do these five words in “All things are one thought”arise and cease? No they don’t. Please illumine with the light of wisdomwhether there is birth and death for humans. I often ask this question: “Arethere people from the Tang Dynasty and the Qin Dynasty and from the era ofThree Emperors and Five Sovereigns here?” That is because throughout infinitethousands of trillion years, nobody has ever died, we are all antiques.
好，通过以上开示，相信大部分人已经对这个三世因果有了清晰的认识。在后面的探讨中，我们会逐步加深理解。那来世到底是做人、做鬼还是做畜生，是当国家主席还是平民百姓，都是由我们今生今世所作所为而决定；我们今生今世得到的财产、地位、名誉都是前世修来的。就跟种地一样，春种秋收。对这个道理深信不疑，你的世界观已经改变，由此你的价值观、人生观也在变化。
Alright, from the discussion above, I believe most ofyou have gained a clear understanding of causes and effects in the past,present and future. In the following exploration, we will gradually acquire abetter understanding about it. Therefore, whether we will become a human, aghost, an animal, the president or just common people in our future lives alldepends on our deeds in this life. The property, status and fame we got in thislife are what we cultivated in previous lives. It is the same as farming—weplant in spring and harvest in autumn. If you deeply believe in karma, yourworldview has changed, and so have your values and outlook on life.
·过关前言
·Introduction
下面进行实质性的探讨。对于修行人而言，最敏感的问题就是：什么是佛？我们能不能成佛？怎样成佛？佛为了开示这个问题，讲了无量的经典来方便引导。要明白，佛讲无量的方便法是出于无奈。因为一开始就讲真法的话——这个茶杯就是释迦牟尼，这个石头就是观世音，这个魔鬼就是阿弥陀佛，茶杯就是石头、就是魔鬼、就是诸佛，没有谁不是谁——谁都不会相信，而且认为这个悉达多是骗子，是造谣，是说疯话，是神经病。可这就是正法，这就是真话。
The following is substantive discussion. The mostsensitive questions for dharma practitioners are “What is Buddha”? “Can webecome a Buddha”?“How to become a Buddha”? In order to enlighten us on thesequestions, Buddha taught countless classics as skillful means to guide us.Which, we need to know, are nothing but the Buddha’s expedients. He would haveotherwise been considered as a liar and psycho if he had told the truth fromthe very beginning—saying things like“This teacup is Shakyamuni, the stoneAvalokitesvara, the devil Amitabha, and the teacup is a piece of stone, also adevil or Buddhas, and no one is not the other. Nobody would believe it, Butthat is the Proper Dharma! The truth!
无论是谁，首先在情感上就不能接受；其次，在世间法上也不能接受；即使是修行人，也是执着善恶，而不懂真心。所以佛无可奈何才讲了《华严经》《阿含经》《金刚经》《地藏经》《无量寿经》等等等等——慢慢地把修行人引导过来、哄过来，然后佛把门一关，桌子一拍，「我要灭度了，现在给你们讲真话」，这就是《法华经》，是佛最后八年所讲。
No matter who he is, this is hard to accept emotionallyin the first place. Secondly, it is also unacceptable in the worldly sense.Even a practitioner who is attached to good and evil doesn’t understand thetrue mind. Hence Buddha had to teach, in a skillful way, the AvatamsakaSutra, the Agama Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, the Ksitigarbha Sutraand the Infinite Life Sutra, etc.—to get together all practitionersby guiding and coaxing. Then he shut the door, banged the table and said: “ I’mabout to Nirvana, now let me tell you the truth.” That is the Lotus Sutrataught by Buddha in the last eight years of his life.
《法华经》云：世尊法久后，要当说真实。也就是说，我讲法已经41年了，也快涅槃了，现在不得不跟你们讲老实话啊。然后再讲：十方佛土中，唯有一乘法，无二亦无三；又讲：唯此一事实，余二则非真——不光是我娑婆世界，在十方佛土，唯有这部经是真经，是了义的，是最上乘的，有第二部经就是方便说，不是佛的本怀！
The Lotus Sutra says: The World Honored One has been imparting dharmas for such a longtime, it's time to tell the truth. That is to say:I’ve been teaching you for 41 years and my Nirvana is approaching, now I musttell you the truth. And here are more statements: “In the ten directions of Universe, only One Vehicle is theultimate truth. There is no second vehicle, let alone a third.” Again: “Only One Vehicle is the ultimate truth, if there’s the second one, it isnot true” —not only in Saha Land, but throughoutthe worlds, only this sutra is complete and supreme which tells theultimate truth. If there were a second sutra, that would be the expedientteaching of Buddha rather than his original intention.
如果佛当年不讲无量方便法，我跟大家讲啊，到最后可能没有一个人跟他来听《法华经》。问题是，有些人读了方便法以后，便执此一处，你再给他讲究竟法，他不接受，还振振有词：「我读的这部经就是佛讲的，佛讲的就是没有错。」这就麻烦了。佛在讲《妙法莲华经》时拍桌子打板凳，把自己讲的其它经典判为「诸法戏论之粪」（出自《法华经·信解品第四》），可是现在无量的修行人死死抱住「诸法戏论之粪」当作黄金白银。如果这样修行可以成就，那《法华经》岂不是打妄语？但佛是真语者，实语者，一切知者啊！
If Buddha hadn’t given so many expedient teachings, tobe honest, there would have been none left till the very end to listen to theLotus Sutra. The problem is that some people will become attached to theseexpedient means they learned and will not accept the ultimate truth when youtry to tell them. They would argue: “The sutra I read was told by Buddha,everything from him won’t be wrong.” That would be a problem. When Buddha taughtthe Lotus Sutra, he belittled hisformer classics by labeling them as “the dung of frivolous discussions ofdharma,” (Quoted from the Lotus SutraChapter 4: Belief and Understanding) which are embraced by numerouspractitioners today as gold and silver. If these kinds of practices could beachieved, the Lotus Sutra would be alie. But Buddha is a truth teller, fact teller and all-knower!
回到开头，不能全怪社会大众看不起念佛人。几千年以来，「求道者多如牛毛，得道者凤毛麟角」。原因即在于求道者误解了佛法，把佛所讲之方便法执著为「真实」，当然会使社会大众对佛法产生误会。
Back to the beginning, it is not right to blameentirely the general public who disrespect Buddhists. For thousands of years“The truth seekers are as many as the hairs on an ox while the enlightenedone is as rare as the hair of a phoenix and the horns of a kylin.” The reasonlies the fact that the practitioners were attached to the Buddha’s expedientswithout truly understanding the truth. this of course will result in thepublic’s misreading of dharma.
当我们翻开《法华经》一看，你会耳目一新。因为《法华经》反反复复讲——修行人听佛讲了几个小时《法华经》、几十分钟《法华经》、乃至几句《法华经》，当下「蒙佛授记」！也就是当下明心见性而出轮回苦海。这是不可思议的，不是凡夫可以妄加揣测的，也不是修行人可以随便测度的。因为这是最上乘的教义。既然是最上乘，必定是最难遇、最难信，却又最简单、成就速度最快。所以，面对这样的妙法，来不得半点浮躁，来不得一丝轻慢。
Just a glance at the Lotus Sutra, you are bound to be refreshingly new. Because the Lotus Sutra keeps saying over and overthat after hearing Buddha’s teaching of the LotusSutra for several hours, minutes, even a few words, the listenersimmediately “gained Buddha’s prophecy of Buddhahood attainment”! In other words,they are enlightened and free from the bitter sea of the cycle of birth anddeath in the moment. It is incredible, which can be speculated or measured byneither ordinary people nor practitioners. Since it is the best ever teaching,it must be the most difficult to encounter, the hardest to believe but thesimplest to learn and the fastest to achieve. Consequently, facing such awonderful Buddhadharma, not even a slight of impetuosity, disrespect ornegligence can be tolerated.
那么怎样印证自己开悟呢？我们以下讲的六个问题，就是步步深入，开示什么是佛，什么是我，什么是宇宙人生本来面目。一灯能破千年暗，一智能灭万年愚。这是一个根本的转变。大家一道关一道关地通过，突破最后一关，你便是从漫长的无明黑夜中走到了黎明！从此住入佛家，成入流圣人。
Then how to certify our enlightenment? We will gofurther to the next 6 questions and will reveal “what is Buddha? who am I? andwhat is the original face of the universe and life” ? One lamp can dispel athousand years of darkness, and one thought of wisdom can end ten thousandyears of ignorance. This will be a fundamental change. Let’s pass throughthe barriers one by one, after breaking through the last barrier, you will beout of the endless night of ignorance and faced with dawn! You will beenlightened, you will enter the flow and become a sage since then.
·第一关四大假合
·The First Barrier: The False compound ofFour Great Elements
这个「四大假合」，是作为基础课来认识万法。在佛法里把万法分为「实法」和「假名」。比如我这个「人」，「人」就是「假名」。那叫鬼不行吗？叫猪、叫牛，随便叫一个名都可以，这是「假名」。怎么个「实法」呢？这个「人」这个身体到底是怎么回事？也就是《心经》讲的「五蕴」——色﹑受﹑想﹑行﹑识。「色」就是四大，「受、想、行、识」是讲「心法」，暂且放到后面再讲。
“The False Compound of Four Great Elements” is a basiccourse to learn about everything. In Buddhadharma, all things are divided intothe“ entity” and the“ false name ”. For example, “I am a human being ,” “ahuman being” is a “false name”. Can we call a human “a ghost”, “a pig”, or “acow”? Any name will do,this is the“ false name”, Then what about the“ entity”?What on earth is the body of a human being? Namely, so-called “five aggregates”mentioned in the Heart Sutra, including form, perception, cognition, mentalformations and consciousness. “Form” is the Four Great Elements; perception,cognition, mental formations and consciousness are about “mental process”,we’ll discuss it later.
所谓「地大」，就是我们的皮、肉、筋、骨等固体物；所谓「水大」，就是汗水、血液、唾沫、便溺等液体；所谓「火大」，就是体温、热量等等；所谓「风大」，就是呼吸和动作。《楞严经》云：身中坚相为地，润湿为水，暖触为火，动摇为风。那么，有没有哪一个人能离得开这四大啊？既然人体是四大假合（假合：一切事物均由众缘和合而成，暂时聚合，终必离散），牛马猪羊等一切飞禽走兽有没有离开这四大呀？没有。
So-called “the Great Earth”is our skins, flesh,tendons, bones and other solid substances; “the Great Water” is liquid such assweats, bloods, saliva, urine, etc. ; “the Great Fire” is body temperature andbody heat, etc. ; “the Great Wind” is breath and movement. According to the ShurangamaSutra: In your body, what is solid is of earth,what is moist is of water, what is warm is of fire, and what moves is of wind. So is thereanybody who could exist without these four elements? Since a human body is thefalse compound of four elements (the False compound: All things manifest whenthe causes and conditions are ready. It is a temporary get-together and willfade away eventually), Do birds, beasts, like cattle, horses, pigs and sheephave any exceptions? No, they don’t.
好，刚才讲的这个人啊、牛马猪羊、包括鬼道众生、天道众生，在佛法里叫「有情」，就是有生命、有灵魂、有知觉的众生——都是四大假合。那么再看看花草树木、泥巴瓦块、香蕉西瓜……这些无情是不是四大假合。
Okay, all human beings, animals, including ghosts andcelestial beings mentioned just now, are called “sentient beings”inBuddhadharma. They are creatures who have lives, souls and consciousnesses—theyare all false compounds of the Four Great Elements. Then let’s see whetherflowers and trees, mud and tiles, bananas and watermelons … are the falsecompound of the Four Great Elements or not .
我随手拿起一个茶杯盖，这个铁块是不是地大？地大是坚固之相。它有没有温度啊？一定有，哪怕零下十度也是温度。这是火大。那它这里有没有水分啊？没有水分它不能成型，没有温度它不能坚固。这地、水、火都有了，最后看风大。我们肉眼看不到它呼吸，看不到它在动，是不是？细心想一想，这个茶杯盖10年以后，或者说100年以后，它会不会永远坚固？不会，它最后一定要风化为一堆铁粉。是不是从现在开始，每年、每月、每天、每分、每秒、每一念都在变化？对。既然在变化，是不是动呐？动是不是就是风啊？所以这个茶杯盖当下也是「地、水、火、风」四大假合。由此推论，我们所能耳闻、目睹、身受这一切的万法，无非是四大假合而有，四大分散而灭。这是最基础的一关。
Let’s look at this teacup cover, isn’t this iron “theGreat Earth”? “The Great Earth”is the manifestation of solidity. Does it havetemperature? It certainly does, even -10℃ is a temperature, this is “ the GreatFire”. Is there any water in it? Without water it cannot be shaped, withouttemperature it cannot be solid. Hence it has “earth”, “water” and “fire”. Thelast one is “the Great Wind”, our eyes cannot observe its breathing or moving,right? But think it carefully, is it possible for this cover to remain solidforever, say in 10 or 100 years? Impossible. It’ll definitely be weathering toa pile of iron powder at last. It starts from now and keeps changing everyyear, every month, every day, every minute, every second, every thought,doesn’t it? Yes. Since it is changing, isn’t it a movement? Does wind appearwhen there is a movement? Therefore, this teacup cover is also the falsecompound of the Four Great Elements of “earth, water, fire, wind” in themoment. In conclusion, everything that we can hear by ears, see by eyes,experience by senses is nothing but manifestations when the Four Great Elementsgather and they will vanish when the Four Great Elements separate. This is themost basic barrier to break through.
·第二关非同非异
·The Second Barrier: Neither Identical norDifferent
既然这一切的万法都是由地、水、火、风所合成，为什么形成了诸佛菩萨、天人鬼畜、泥巴瓦块、树木花草，还有风雨寒暑？我们一步一步跟踪追击，研究宇宙人生的本来面目。第二关叫作「非同非异」。
Since earth, water, fire and wind are the roots of allexisting matter, then why are there Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, celestial beings,humans, ghosts, animals, tiles and mud, trees and flowers, wind and rain,winter and summer? Let’s follow the trail step by step to study the truth ofuniverse and life. The second barrier is called “Neither Identical norDifferent”.
举例来讲，同样是人，这里有男人、女人、穷人、富人﹔有健康的人，有多病的人﹔还有黄种人、黑种人、胖人、瘦人……更不用说还有泥巴瓦块、桌椅板凳……是不是存在这种种的万相？为什么会造成这种现相呢？
For example, there are men and women, rich and poor,healthy people and sick people among human beings. Moreover, there are alsoyellow race, black race; overweight and thin people, etc. Not to mention mudand tiles, tables and chairs... Aren’t they in different forms and shapes? Whydoes this phenomenon happen?
打个比方：我们用面粉、牛奶、香蕉、苹果、油、盐、酱、醋这八种原材料来做食品。如果每一种食品中的这几种原材料配比都不一样——比如有的一两面粉、二两糖、三两盐、五两香蕉、六两苹果；另外一种食品是八两面粉、一两糖、半两盐、三两香蕉、四两苹果……那食品的味道一样不一样？不一样。
Let’s say we use eight ingredients which are flour,milk, bananas, apples, cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar to cook food. Ifthe mixture ratios of these ingredients for each type of food is different—forexample, type one is made up of 50g flour, 100g sugar, 150g salt, 250g banana,300g apple and the other is of 400g flour, 50g sugar, 25g salt, 150g banana,200g apple...Do these two types of food taste the same? No, they don’t.
现代化学里，把每一种物质的基本组成以分子式的形式表达出来。比如，水的分子式是H2O，也就是说水是由两个氢原子、一个氧原子组合而成。依此类推，任何一种物质都有固定的分子式。如果组成的元素相同，但是它们的原子数不同，那么它们组合的物质及质量就不一样。比如说它不是H2O，而是H4O3，由四个氢原子、三个氧原子组成的物质，可能就不是水，可能就是醋，或是葡萄酒之类（这是打比方）。
Modern chemistry expresses the basic composition ofevery substance by the form of molecular formula. For example, the molecularformula of water is H2O, which means water consists of two hydrogen atoms andone oxygen atom. Likewise, every substance has its fixed molecular formula. Whenthey are the same in elements but different in atom quantity, the combinedsubstances and their quality will be different. Suppose it’s not H2O but H4O3,which shows one molecular of the substance consists of four hydrogen atoms andthree oxygen atoms, then it might not be water but vinegar or something likegrape wine( This is only an analogy).
所以佛在《楞严经》讲「非同非异」，你如果说这一切的万法不一样吧，可它都是地、水、火、风和合而有啊！如果讲一样吧，却是森罗万象、千变万化。你不能讲它是「同」，也不能讲它是「异」，叫做「非同非异」。参照前面的食品加工原理与水分子式的概念，我们来组合两个事物，比如：1地2水3火4风组成人，2地4水2火5风组成牛，依此类推，天地万法森罗万象，无非是这四种物质的比例不同而已。
Consequently, the Buddha presents it as “NeitherIdentical nor Different” in the Shurangama Sutra. If you say all thingsare different, they are all the temporary compound of earth, water, fire, wind.But if you say they are all the same, they have different looks and areconstantly changing. So you cannot regard it as “identical” or “different”, youcan only call it “Neither identical nor Different”.
Using the theory of food processing and the conceptionof water molecular formula, let’s combine two things, for example: 1 Earth 2water 3 Fire 4 Wind combine to form a human, 2 Earth 4 Water 2 Fire 5 Windcombine to form an ox , so on and so forth, all things and the myriadappearances are nothing more than the different proportions of these fourelements.
·第三关随心应量
·The Third Barrier: Quantity and Quality in accord with the Mind’s Capacity
为什么会造成四大比例的不同？我们到底从哪里而来啊？这就开始第三关，叫做「随心应量」。前面两关只是讲五蕴中的「色法」，从第三关就涉及到「心法」。《楞严经》讲，随众生心，应所知量。也就是「随心应量」。我们生生世世的因果报应，上天堂、下地狱，做佛菩萨、做人、做鬼、做畜生、做穷人富人、做泥巴瓦块乃至树木花草，都是由自己把握自己，都是由我们的心所决定。这叫「命自我立」，所以要修行。这个量无非是两个问题：一是质量，二是数量。这就是马列主义辩证法中的量变与质变的规律问题。
What caused the different proportions of the Four GreatElements? And where on earth do we come from? Here comes the third barrier,with the name of “Quantity and Qualityin accord with the Mind’s Capacity”. Since the previous two barriers discussonly about “form” ,“mental process”is to be dealt with from the third barrier.The Shurangama Sutra says: “It accords with living beings' mind, inrespond to their capacity to know.” Namely, “quantity and quality in accordwith the mind’s capacity.” The karma we have for many lives, whether we go toheaven or hell, be Buddha or Bodhisattva, be human beings, ghosts or animals,be poor or rich, be mud and tiles or even be trees and flowers, is all decidedby our own mind and grasped in our hands. This is called “We decide our owndestiny ”, and that’s the reason why we need to cultivate. This capacity isnothing but two questions: one is quality, the other is quantity. This is thequestion of the law of the transformation of quantity into quality and viceversa in Dialectics of Marxism and Leninism.
所谓「质量」，就是看我们这个心，你一天到晚是想着为人民服务，还是为己谋私？你一天到晚想的是行善，还是行恶？你想着是成佛作祖，还是要升官发财？是讲真还是讲妄？至于「数量」，是看起心动念、言语、行为的积累。你用的是十分真心？还是三分真心七分作秀？同样作恶，你是无法无天还是被逼无奈？一切众生就是随着用心的「质量」和「数量」而受报应。「随心」就是讲因，「应量」就是讲果，这就是因果报应。你在因地如何用心，如何言行，必然受何果报。一切众生就是在这因果报应中循环。我们在今生今世如果用的是真心、善心，你来世必得真报、善报；你用的是伪心、恶心，来世必得恶报。起心动念不同，你的言谈举止就不一样，都是受世界观指导。正所谓，言为心声，行为心使，身为心役。
The so-called “quality” depends on what is in our mind,is it all about how to serve the people or seek personal gain? Do you do goodor evil all day long? To attain Buddhahood or to get promotion and become rich?Do we talk about truth or falseness? As for “quantity”, it is the accumulationof our everyday thoughts, words and behaviors. For example, when you dosomething, are you 100% sincere, or just 7 out of 10 sincere and 3 out of 10for acting? Even do the same evil, are you lawless or forced? Thus all beingsget different consequences by the quality and quantity of the mind they putinto it. “In accord with the mind” is about the cause while “Quantity andQuality” is about the effect, this is karma. All your thoughts and behaviorswill bring retribution. And all beings are in this karmic cycle. If you aretrue and kind in present life, you will be truly and kindly rewarded in yournext life; if you are hypocritical and cruel, your will experience the effectsof bad karma hereafter. Different thoughts lead to different behaviors, all ofwhich is guided by personal worldview. This is what we call: Words are thevoice of the heart; behaviors the messenger of the heart; body the servant ofthe heart.
那修行人为什么要正信佛法，追求真理？你今生今世把《法华经》《楞严经》学明白，生生世世得大福报、大自在，永远解脱轮回之苦。若只是在唸佛、拜佛……做种种的善事，你今生来世一定得大福报；但是，到第三世就很难说了——因为你有可能会因为自己来世福报很大而忘记修行，轻慢三宝，认之为迷信，乃至享乐造业不修福德；如此，第三世必定堕落。修人天福报叫「三世冤」。
以上这三关你能认真修证，可以超越六道轮回——证阿罗汉、辟支佛果位；但是很难，成就的概率是万分之一而已。这在佛法里叫「小乘因缘法」。
Why do we need to believe in Proper Dharma and pursuethe truth? If you can learn and understand the Lotus Sutra and the Shurangama Sutra in this life you’ll gethuge merit and liberation now and forever, and free from the suffering of thecycle of birth and death. However, if you only chant the name of the Buddha,bow to the Buddha and do good deeds, you’ll get huge blessings in your presentand next life, but it is hard to say what will happen in your third life —maybe you will be too greatly blessed to remember the Buddhist cultivation fora lack of respect for the Three Jewels and regarding Buddhism assuperstition. You may even indulge in the pleasures and produce negative karmainstead of cultivating merit and virtue, in this way you will definitelydegenerate in the third life. Accumulating blessings is called “A three lives’trick”!
If you learn above three topics earnestly, you canoverstep the six realms samsara and gain the fruition of the Arhat, or thePratyekabuddha, but it’s so difficult to achieve for the probability of successis merely one in ten thousand. This is called “causes and conditions” in theview of Hinayana Buddhism.
·第四关心现识变
·The Forth Barrier: Manifestation of theMind,Transformation of the Consciousness
在前面三关，我们已经知道，万法皆是「四大假合」而有，因为「随心应量」而「非同非异」，形成森罗万象。那么，这个第四关要继续深入探讨的问题，就是地水火风从何而来？
In the previous three barriers we have known that allthings are the false compound of the “Four Great Elements”, and all things are“Neither Identical nor Different “because of “Quantity and Quality in accordwith the Mind’s Capacity”, hence a world full of all things came into being.Therefore, The further discussion in the fourth barrier is where these fourgreat elements of earth, water, fire, wind come from.
不把这个道理搞明白，你白来人道一回。讲白来还是恭维你啊，因为你不是白来。如果是白来的话，不行善也不作恶才叫「白」啊，你来世还能得人身。真正来讲，不把这个道理搞明白，你是恶来，是冤枉来，为什么？你来世很可怕啊，你得不到人身啊！这句话我都不忍心讲。为什么？
If you don’tfigure it out, you came to the human world for nothing. To use the word“nothing” is still a comfort, because you are not here for nothing. If you camefor nothing, you have done neither good nor bad, so it can be called “Nothing”,then you still will earn a human body in your next life. Frankly speaking, youcame for evil or wrong unless you are fully aware of the truth. Why? Your nextlife will be so horrible that you are unable to be a human! I just don’t havethe heart to say this. Why?
有一个大法师讲，现在有没有人不看电视的？几乎没有。电视上一天到晚就是打呀、杀呀、盗呀、淫呀、妄语呀？是不是？每一个人看电视都希望好人早点把坏人打死，一拳把他打死，他就松了口气——这就是在培养我们的杀心！那个好人是谁呀？那个坏人又是谁呀？前面讲了，好人坏人都是我自己一个念变现的，就是一个本体。就是凭这种杀心、嗔恨心，果报在鬼道、乃至地狱道，明白吗？古人没有电视看，物质生活很差，即使吃肉杀生，毕竟有限，所以他很少有机会培养自己的杀心。
A Buddhist master said, is there anyone who don’t watchTV nowadays? Almost none. It is all about fighting, killing, stealing, sexualmisconduct, false speech on TV from day to night , isn’t it? The audiencealways expect the good one to kill the bad guy earlier. They won’t be relieveduntil the bad guy is punched to death—the cultivation of our killing desires!Who is the good guy? And who is the bad guy? As we mentioned above, good andbad are the manifestation of one thought of mine, they are one thing. A heartto kill, to resent is sufficient enough for people to fall down to the world ofhungry ghosts, even the hell, see? Having no TV to watch and living a very poorlife, the ancient people killed animals and ate meat though, limited in amount,they had no access to any cultivation of a heart to kill.
回到正题。早在两千五百年前，古希腊哲学就开始探索世界的基本成因。著名的希腊大数学家兼哲人毕达哥拉斯（公元前前580年－前500年），最早提出了四元素说。他们以为物质是由土、水、气、火四者组成，而这四者又由冷、热、湿、燥四种基本物性两两组合而成。例如水是冷与湿的组合，火是热与燥的组合。后来的亚里斯多德（公元前384－前322），也大力提倡四元素说。他们讲的是「土 、水、火、气」，土相当于地大，水相当于水大，火相当于火大，气相当于风大。说明这些哲学家已经认识到整个世界一切的天人鬼畜、泥巴瓦块，无非是这四种物质组成。如果再向前突破一步，搞清楚这四大的来龙去脉，他就是明心见性的菩萨。
Now let’s get back to the point, as far back astwenty-five hundred years ago, Ancient Greek Philosophy had already begunexploring the basic causes of the world. The famous Greek mathematician andphilosopher, Pythagoras (580B.C.-.500B.C.), the first who proposed thefour-element theory. They thought that substances were composed of fourelement : earth, water, air and fire, one of which was made up of fourbasic nature in pairs—being cold, hot, wet and dry. For example, water is thecombination of cold and wet, fire is the combination of hot and dry. LaterAristotle(384-322B.C.) also strongly supported the four-element theory. Theycalled it “soil, water, fire, air”, “soil” equals the Great Earth, “water” theGreat Water, “fire” the Great Fire, and “air” the Great Wind, which indicatesthese philosophers had already known that the whole world including thecelestial beings, humans, ghosts, animals, mud, tiles and all objects arenothing but the combination of the Four Great Elements. Anyone who takes onemore breakthrough step to make clear the origin and development of these fourgreat elements will be an enlightened Bodhisattva.
根据佛在《楞严经》金口玉言，四大是「心现识变」而有。下面要通过心理实验来证实，首先从「地大」开始。
（以下内容通过看视频或者自己亲自来做一下实验能更好体会。）
我们把两只手以手腕上的纹路为准，对合起来，看两只手是不是一样长。这个并不重要，为的是给实验结果作一个比较。大家现在统统把心用在右手，左手不要管它。右手怎么样放自在就怎么样放，放在腿上、放到桌上都可以，不要合掌；眼睛半闭不闭，不要东张西望，也不要看我，一定要放松；把右手放松以后，命令右手比左手长长（zhǎng cháng），长多少没有限制。
According to the precious words of the Buddha in the Shurangama Sutra, the Four GreatElements are “Manifestation of the Mind, Transformation of the Consciousness”.Now we will verify this by an psychological experiment. First, begin with“theGreat Earth”.
( We recommend you to watch the video or do thisexperiment yourself to have a better idea of the following content).
Let’s put our palms together according to the line onwrists and check if two hands have the same length, it is nothing serious, justfor the comparison purpose of experimental result. Now, all of you focus onyour right hand and forget about left hand, place your right hand anywhere youfeel relax, on your thigh or desk, and do not join your palm. Half close youreyes, don’t look around or look at me, and be relax. After you feel your righthand is all relaxed, tell it to grow longer than the left hand, and give nolimits of how long it should grow.
好，现在大家开始听我口令。首先要懂得放松的感受。大家先深吸一口气，然后再呼出去，保持这种感受。命令右手开始长长，从右肩开始放松……左手不要管，只管右手；右肩、右臂、右肘放松……放松……把右手放得像一个皮袋，像一个气球一样，感到胀鼓鼓的，掌心、掌背感觉脉络还在跳动，放松……在放松的过程中命令我的右手比左手长得很长很长， 长出两公分、三公分、五公分，越长越好，放松……从右肩、右臂、右肘、手掌、手臂，放松……就像地里的麦苗一样，随着春风细雨往上拔，往上窜，放松……长……长，每讲一个长，我们的手就随着这个力量，长得很长，很长……
Okay, now everyone listen to me. First you should knowhow to relax, take a deep breath then exhale, keep this feeling. Tell yourright hand to grow longer, relax your right shoulder...and forget your lefthand, focus on the right hand only. Relax your right shoulder, right arm, rightelbow...relax...place your right hand there like a leather bag or a balloon,you can feel your hand swelling, and the vein of your palm and back beating,just relax...During the relaxation, order your right hand to grow longer andlonger than your left hand, it is growing, to 2cm, 3cm,5cm, the longer thebetter, relax...from right shoulder, right arm, right elbow, palm, forearm,relax...just like the wheat seedling in the farmland, which is growing up inpace with the spring breeze and drizzle and they grow so wild and fast,relax...grow...grow, with each “grow” out of my mouth, our hands are followingthis power to grow longer and longer...
好（约持续了5分钟），现在比较一下，看右手是否比左手长长了（法会大众百分之九十五以上的人举手表示长长）。现在大家加一个意念，再叫它缩回去；不然长下去的话，你到时候坐在家里就可以把手伸到汽车站买票了……
(About 5 minutes later)
Okay, let’s compare if our right hand is longer thanour left hand (About 95% participants raised their hands confirming that theirright hand is longer). Now let’s tell your hand to go back to normal.Otherwise, if it keeps growing, you will be able to stretch your hands all theway to the bus station to buy a ticket from home...
大家想一想：手在没有长这么长（假设为1cm）的时候，它在不在心里？如果不在的话，你怎么样也长不起来。如果土地里没有种子，你再叫它放松、放松、长长，它能不能长出粮食啊？不能。虽然在心里，它有没有任何形相？没有。它没有任何形相，可它就是存在，这就涉及到「如来藏」的道理。所以一切有形有相的万法，风云雨雾、天人鬼畜……都是由无形无相的「真心」变现而已，没有哪一法不是这样。
Now let’s think about this: Before the fingers grewthis long( say 1cm), does the longer part exist in your heart? If it doesn’t,you can never make it happen. If there are no seeds in the field, no matter howyou tell them to relax and grow, will the crops grow? they won’t. Though inyour heart, do they have any form? No, they are formless but they do exit. Itbrings us to the truth of “the Tathagata’s Treasury”. Hence all visible andtangible things like wind, cloud, rain, fog, celestial beings, humans, ghosts,animals, are just the manifestation of the formless “true mind”. There is noexception.
那么我再来问一问，长长了1cm的手指，在心里，它无形无相，是不是「空」？因为眼睛看不到，所以说成是「空」的，那用智慧看它空不空？就是不空，叫「真空」，是不是？它随时可以显现出「有」来。所以「空」其实是「不空」， 所以「空」当下是不是「空不空」？那么当它变现出1cm长的手指的时候，这里的「不空」当下是不是原来那个「空」啊？所以「不空」当下是不是也是「空」啊？这叫「不空空」，「不空空」就是「空不空」。三个如来藏当下是不是一个啊？这就是「一心三藏」，也是整个佛法的精髓。
Let me ask you, the grown 1cm finger which is in yourheart and formless, isn’t it “emptiness”? Because we cannot see it with oureyes so we say it is of “emptiness ”,is it empty still if we see with ourwisdom? It is “non-emptiness”,namely,“true emptiness,” right? It is able tomanifest anything, any time. So “emptiness” is actually “non-emptiness”,therefore, is “emptiness” “emptiness non-emptiness” in the moment? When it hasgrown into 1cm longer, the “non-emptiness” here in the moment, is the originalemptiness, right? Hence isn’t “non-emptiness” “emptiness” in the moment? Thisis called “non -emptiness emptiness”, the same as “emptiness non-emptiness”.Therefore, these three Treasuries of the Tathagata are one thing in the moment,right? That is “Three Treasuries of One Mind”. And it is the essence of thewhole dharma.
注：圆瑛大师讲：实相有三，即三如来藏：一、无相之实相：无一切妄法差别之相，只有一真平等实相，即空如来藏，空诸一切，虚妄染法之相，并非本体而全无也，乃藏性不变之体。二、无不相之实相：并非无相，而能随缘现一切相，即不空如来藏，具足十界诸法，非无诸相也，乃藏性随缘之用。三、无相无不相之实相：若言其无，则不舍一法；若言其有，则不立一尘，即空不空如来藏，真空不碍妙有，妙有不碍真空，乃藏性体用双彰。
Annotation: Venerable Master Yuan Ying said: There arethree aspects of reality called Three Treasuries of the Tathagata：1.The formlessreality：It is, without any difference inall of the false appearances, only one true equal reality, namely, theTathagata’s Treasury of Emptiness. It empties the false and polluted forms ofall kinds, but doesn’t mean nothingness, it is the unchangeable body of thenature of the treasury 2.The non-formless reality: It means no formless, onlymanifestation of all forms under conditions and causes. This is called theTathagata’s Treasury of Non-emptiness. It is sufficient for all things in tenrealms, but not formless. This is the ingenious use of treasury natureaccording to situation. 3.The formless and non-formless reality: If you saythere is nothing, nothing left behind; if you say there is something, not evena grain of dust established. Namely, the Tathagata’s Treasury of EmptinessNon-emptiness. Emptiness does not obstruct wonderful existence and wonderfulexistence does not obstruct emptiness. It is indeed a full picture of both thebody and the use of treasury nature.
凡夫之所以是凡夫，是因为凡夫在不空、在有形有相上执著，而不懂得往里面看我们真正的本心；圣人之所以是圣人，他放下对有形有相的万法的执著，而回归自在「本性」，所以他得解脱。我们要在这个问题上看破，这个肉团身是假的，一切万法都是我心变出来的。只要我回到「自性大光明藏」中，就能得自在解脱，只在于自己愿意不愿意。
The reason why an ordinary person is ordinary lies inthe fact that he is attached to those visible and tangible things and doesn’tknow to keep an eye on our true nature within; while the reason why a sage is asage is that he lets go of the attachment in visible and tangible things, andreturns to the unrestrained original nature , so he obtained liberation. Weshould see through the reality that this flesh body is not real, everything isa manifestation of the true mind. As long as I return to “the Great BrightnessTreasury of Inherent Nature”, I will be free, all of which depends on our ownwill.
大家再考虑一个问题。一把弓箭，它能射100步。那么这个弓箭在眼前一步两步十步之内的杀伤力强？还是在100步的杀伤力强？是不是越近杀伤力就越强啊？所以我们地球人的这个心力呀已经到了强弩之末。连鬼都可以拳打须弥山，都可以腾云驾雾，这是我们本有的功能。因为我们现在烦恼习气太重了，为名闻利养所困，执著于这个身体，思想不能解放，使我们不可思议的神通道力、法力得不到很好的施展。所以，地球人的这个心力已经是强弩之末。
Let’s think about another question. An arrow from a bowcan cover a distance of 100 steps. Which arrow is more powerful, the one withintwo or ten steps, or the one within 100 steps? Isn’t it true that the closeryou are, the stronger the lethality is? The power of the human mind on thisplanet has virtually been a spent arrow. Even ghosts are able to punch Mt.Sumeru into pieces, they can also fly and ride on a cloud, which is ouroriginal ability. Heavily burdened under annoyance and bad habits, trapped byfame and profit, we take the body too seriously to free our mind, therefore,the incredible power in our spirit and mind cannot play a full role. Hence, themind power has already exhausted.
注：须弥山：长336万里，宽336万里，高1008万里。居于太阳系中心，在半山腰是四大天王之国土；山脚分布东、南、西、北四大部洲，地球处于南瞻部洲。
第一层天跟第二层天叫地居天，第一层天在须弥山半山腰，半山腰有一个太阳、一个月亮围绕须弥山而转，满天的虚空有无量的星星。第二层天在须弥山之顶，从第三层天以上叫虚空天，跟我们不是一片国土。第三层天以上的人自己就发光，不要太阳，不要月亮，他们基本上与人间脱离关系。
山脚围着第一重香水海，再周围是第一重金山，每隔一重香水海围一重金山，叫七海七山，在第七重金山外面是第八重海，叫咸水海，在海外面是铁围山。一个太阳，一个月亮，以及满虚空的星星，这就是一个太阳系。地球属于南瞻部洲，在第七重金山与大铁围山之间的咸水海内的一个岛而已。因为地球是三分陆地、七分海洋啊。
Annotation：Mt. Sumeru, 3,36million miles in length, 3,36 million in width, and 10,08 million miles inheight, is located in the middle of the solar system. Halfway up the mountainis the land of the Four Lokapalas. At the foot of the mountain, there are fourcontinents in the east, south, west and north, and the earth is located in theJambudvipa.
The first and second realm of Heaven is called GroundResiding Heaven, the first of which is located in the middle of the mountain.There is a sun and a moon orbiting Mt. Sumeru, with countless stars all overthe empty space. The second realm of Heaven is located on the top of themountain. Beyond the third realm of the Heaven is called the Heaven of space,which shares a different land with us. Being able to illuminate themselves, theinhabitants above the third realm of Heaven need no sun or moon and arebasically detached to the human world. The foot of the mountain is surroundedby the Sea of Fragrant Waters, around the Sea of Fragrant Waters is the firstGolden Mountain, each Sea of Fragrant Waters is surrounded by a goldenmountain, this is called seven seas and seven mountains. Outside the seventhGolden Mountain is the eighth sea, called the Saltwater Seas, outside the seais Iron Ring Mountains. A sun, a moon with stars full of the space consist asolar system. The Earth belongs to the Jambudvipa, just an island in theSaltwater Seas between the seventh Golden Mountain and the Great Iron RingMountains. The earth is covered by 30% of land and 70% of sea.
天人烦恼习气轻，所以他们根本用不着什么三分钟松啊……长啊……他一念「变」，一下冲到九霄云外去了，明白吗？他能把自己变成无穷大、无穷小，还可以变出无量的化身来。天上人要造卫星、造火箭，需要不需要科学家来发明、工程师设计、工人来造啊？想一想就有啦。
Troubled with fewer afflictions and bad habits,celestial beings don’t need three minutes to relax...grow longer...as soon asthey think about “change”, they can go anywhere beyond the highest Heavens inone thought, get it? They can make themselves infinitely big or infinitelysmall. They can also turn themselves into countless manifested bodies. Ifcelestial beings want to build a satellite or a rocket, do they need scientiststo invent, engineers to design, workers to produce? They only need to thinkabout it, and there it is!
好好理解什么叫「心现识变」。我再告诉大家，这些东西都是我们自性本有，只要看破、放下，修清净心，这些功德不需要你去修，它自然就现前。佛在《楞严经》里详细开示了山河大地、天人鬼畜如何由心变现的。诸佛出世就是给我们破除迷信，解放思想。可是，这样的真理却被世人误解为迷信，何其悲哉？！真理没有党派之别、种族之别、众生之别。佛一出世，便一手指天，一手指地，讲：「天上天下唯我独尊」。「天上天下」是代表一切的万法，这个「我」是真我，是万法共具的唯一的「本体」，而且是心外无法，法外无心。把这八个字明白了，同样是明心见性。
Try to make it clear what is called “Manifestation ofthe Mind,Transformation of the Consciousness”. And let me tell you, these areour own nature, What we need is to look it through, let it go to cultivate apure mind without any cultivation, and these merits will appear spontaneously.The Buddha clearly explains in the ShurangamaSutra how mountains and rivers, celestial beings, humans, ghosts andanimals are manifested by the true mind. The manifestation of every Buddha isto help us to get rid of superstition and liberate our mind. However, such atruth is misunderstood as superstition by the world, isn’t it sad?! Truth deniesany difference in parties, races and individuals. Right after the birth ofBuddha, with one hand pointing to the sky and the other pointing to the ground,he said: “In heavens and earth, only I am singularly supreme.” “In heavens andearth” stands for all things, this “I” is the true self, the only reality of all things. Moreover,there is no dharma out of mind, there’s no mind out of dharma. Once you knowwhat it means, it is the same as knowing the mind and seeing the nature.
刚才通过实验，我们解决了「地大」的来历，一不做二不休，再看看「水大、火大、风大」怎么来的？第一个解决了，后面的也就迎刃而解。
现在讲「水大」。我满头大汗，是不是水啊？同理，是不是心变现的？那么，这个汗水在现出之前，在哪里？在心里。那在心里，它有没有水的那种形相？绝对没有。这要用智慧来观。
Through the experiment just now we have figured out theorigin of “the Great Earth”. Now let’s see where “the Great Water, the Great Fire,the Great Wind” come from? The rest will be quite easy if the first is settled.
Now let’s talk about “the Great Water ”. “I’msweating,” isn’t it water? For the same reason, isn’t it a manifestation of themind? So before the showing up of the sweat, where is it? In the mind. Does ithave the appearance of water? Absolutely not. Please illumine with the light ofwisdom.
再看「火大」。人的正常体温是36.5℃，那么当一个人生烦恼发脾气的时候，是不是就会满脸胀得通红，眼睛恨不得流血？这时的体温肯定升高了。升高的那几度从哪里来的？有没有人讲是从脸上皮肉里冒出来的？如果从皮肉里冒出来的话，那不发脾气的时候，它怎么没有啊？那脾气过后，它怎么就消退了呢？所以也是我们的心变现出来的。
Let's look at “the Great Fire”next, the normal bodytemperature of human is 36.5℃, when somebody gets mad and angry, Isn’t it truethat his face will turn red and his eyes almost bleed? At that moment his bodytemperature will definitely rise. Where are the increased degrees from? Arethey from the flesh and skin on the face? If so, why it isn’t there when youaren’t irritated? And why it subsides when you calm down? Thus we can tell thatthe fire is also a manifestation of our mind
既然心能变出「地大、水大、火大」，这个变的过程是不是「动」啊？「动」即是「风大」，起心动念就有风。
那么，为什么人口密集的城市的气温要比荒山野岭、大海的气温高，为什么？因为前者人群比较多，是不是？我们身上的火与整个宇宙的火有没有一时一刻分开过？我们身上的水跟大海的水有没有一时一刻分开过？大海的水是不是都是我们的心变出来的？（这里想要看透彻，需深入《楞严经·卷四·一六八字》，由于篇幅限制，这里不能细讲。所有的自然现象都是唯心所现。）明白这个人体与整个宇宙的关系了吗？每一个人都是最精密、最完整的宇宙仪器。
Since the mind manifests “the Great Earth, the GreatWater, the Great Fire”, this process of changing is a kind of“movement”, right?Since wind will blow once we use our mind to think, isn’t movement the GreatWind?
Then why is the temperature in a densely populated cityhigher than that in deserted mountains and ocean? Because the former is denselypopulated, right? Are the water in our bodies and the water in the ocean everseparated for a single moment? Isn't the water in the ocean manifested by our mind?(A probe deep into the Shurangama Sutra:VolumeFour:explication of 168 characters is required to get a thoroughunderstanding. Due to the limitation of the length we are unable to go intodetails here. All the natural phenomena is a manifestation of the mind.) Do youunderstand the connection between the human body and the whole universe?Designed most precisely and completely, every single person is a cosmicinstrument.
所以，这个自然界的干旱、洪水、地震等等灾害，以及生、老、病、苦，无非因于众生的心在变化而感应或者感召。地震无非是众生的不平等心所造成，现在世风日下，无论哪方众生，我慢、以下犯上、勾心斗角的心态都越来越严重。佛经上讲，心平则世界皆平。由于众生的贪心才导致干旱或者水涝。现在凡是经济发达的地区，水灾越来越严重。因为这些地方的名闻利养重，众生的贪心重啊。只要我们的心在动，世界就在动，就在变。那么，现在回过头来，也关心一下人天福报，好不好？
Therefore,the natural disasters like famines, floods,earthquakes, etc., and birth, aging, sickness, sufferings, are from nothing butthe reactions or inspirations with the changing mind of all sentient beings.Earthquakes result from nothing but the uneven mind of all beings. Now themoral degeneration of the world is getting worse day by day, all beings indifferent places are becoming more and more arrogant, insubordinate andaggressive. According to Buddhist scriptures, peace of mind means peace of theworld. Both droughts and floods are caused by greed of all beings. Nowadays,floods are becoming more and more serious in economically developed areasbecause the people of these places are hungry for fame and wealth. How greedythey are! as long as our mind change, the world will move and changeaccordingly. Well, now let’s get back and take a look at blessings, okay?
打个比方：扬州火车站到这里（讲经堂）是十公里，我们现在能不能一念把扬州火车站想起来？能。如果说一念需要一秒钟，那么北京火车站到这里是一千公里，它是前者距离的一百倍，那我到北京的这一念需要不需要一百秒钟啊？不需要。两秒钟差不多吧？不需要，同样是一秒钟。那我这一念的时间相等，距离不一样，那一念到北京的速度是不是每秒一千公里啊（打个比方，不要当真）？是不是比前者的速度（每秒十公里）大呀？速度越大，力量越大，光亮越强。
For example: The distance from Yang Zhou RailwayStation to the lecture hall here is 10km, can we recall Yang Zhou RailwayStation in one thought? Yes, if it takes one thought 1 second to reach thestation, will it take one thought 100 seconds to cover the 1000-km-longdistance to Beijing, which is 100 times further than that of former distance?No, it won’t. How about two seconds? Nope, it’s the same one second. It takesmy thought the same amount of time to reach different distances, so the speedof the thought from here to Beijing is 1000km/s, right? (It's just an analogy.Don't take it too seriously). Is it faster than the former one(10km/s)? Thefaster the speed, the greater the power, the brighter it will be.
可奇怪的是，我们并没有感觉到这一念心的力量，为什么？大音希声、流急不见。佛经有讲，我们的第七识每秒钟的速度是1280万亿亿次生灭，一生一灭为一次生灭。也就是说，这个心一秒钟可以思考1280万亿亿次，这还是方便说，其实是无量次。你现在动一念到太阳需要不需要两秒钟呐？现在一念到一万万、一亿亿个太阳系之外的星系，也是一念，对不对？
Strangely, however, we haven’t felt the power of thisone thought, why? Great sound cannot get heard, nor can torrent be detected!According to the Buddhist scriptures, the speed of our seventh consciousness is12.8 trillion times arising and ceasing per second, and one arising plus oneceasing is one arising and one ceasing. That is to say, this mind can think12.8trillion times in one second and it is still an expedient expression. Actuallythere are countless times. Does it take your thought 2 seconds to reach thesun? One thought right now is exactly the same as the one to the galaxies whichare 100 million or 10 thousand trillion times the distance from earth to thesun, right?
许多罹患重症乃至病危之人，听经一段时期，不吃药、不打针，不治而愈。这是他们心量扩大了。这个心力突变，是「质」的变化。这是超级「化疗」。当你知道万法都是我，世界观从根本上转变，你不再执着一个小我——这是质量的转变。由之而豁然开朗，充满光明，照见整个尽虚空遍法界都是你，都是佛的真身。这就是超级「理疗」。进而你激动无比，从皮肉筋骨到五脏六腑，乃至血液、细胞都在沸腾跳跃。这就是超级「电疗」——这是数量的转变。
Having listened the LotusSutra for a period of time, many of the people who have got deadly diseaseor are terribly ill recovered without any pills or injections. It’s becausetheir mind capacity become larger. This sudden change of their mental strengthis a kind of “qualitative” change. This is a super “chemotherapy”. Once youknow that everything is “me”, your worldview will be changed fundamentally, youwon’t be obsessed with this insignificant “me” anymore—it’s a change ofquality; thus you are suddenly enlightened! with your heart full of brightness,you are able to illuminates the whole realms and universe and realize thateverything is you, the true body of Buddha, which makes it a super“physiotherapy”. And then you will be far too excited that everything in you,from your flesh, bones to internal organs, even to blood and cells will allboil and jump, this is indeed a super “electrotherapy” —the change of quantity.
所以我们生生世世的果报都是由自己怎样用心所决定。「心现识变」——心里想什么我们就变什么，我想佛我就是佛，想菩萨就是菩萨，但你必须懂得了什么是佛，懂得了什么是菩萨。当我们的心量扩大以后，心速很快，心力很大，心的光亮也会增强，会对我们的健康长寿多有裨益。更主要、更根本的是成就了未来生生世世的大解脱！不可思议啊！
The karma we have from many of past lives are alldecided by our motives. “Manifestationof the Mind, Transformation of the Consciousness.”—we can become anything thatwe think—the Buddha when we think of the Buddha, and Bodhisattva the moment wethink of Bodhisattva. Only with the precondition that you do know what Buddhaand Bodhisattva are. Once our mental capacity is extended, the mind speed willbe faster, the mind power will be tremendously strong, the light of the mindwill also be brighter, which will benefit our health and longevity. And themore important and fundamental benefit is that we will achieve the greatliberation of our future lives! Isn’t it amazing!
懂得以上四关，就叫「明心见性」。但是法讲到这里，还没有到究竟圆满之处。用圆顿大法讲——「圆」是圆融一切，不破一法，不立一法；「顿」是顿开智慧，不历修证，当下成就——不仅讲心现万法，而且讲万法现心。没有前，没有后，没有能现，没有所现。前后上下、能现、所现、真、妄、空、有、有为、无为，当下即是一，是绝待的一，没有对待的一，是唯一的真心，叫做「真真如」。《楞严经》讲，一真一切真。
Passing though the four barriers above means you havereached what is called “understanding the mind and seeing the nature”. However,our teaching today is not yet complete up to now. Let’s take a closer look at“Yuan Dun” (Sudden and Perfect) Teachings— “Yuan” means perfectinterpenetration, it doesn’t break or establish anything; “Dun” means suddenenlightenment without any cultivation or certification, you achieve in themoment—it’s not only that the mind manifests everything, but also everythingreveals the mind. There’s no former, no latter, no subject, no object. Formerand latter, up and down, subject and object, true or false, emptiness orexistence, action or inaction, they are one thing in the moment, the absoluteOne, not relative One, which is the only true mind with the name of theAbsolute Ultimate True Thusness. The ShurangamaSutra says “One true, all true.”
前面讲「心现识变」，这个「心」就是真如、真心、真空、空如来藏、佛性、自性、本心、如来藏性，这么多概念就是一个意思，是对待的。也就是六祖大师讲的，本来无一物。禅宗的明心见性就是这个「破相见空」。而圆教法中，色即是空空即是色，没有真没有妄，真妄一如，这个真如区别于禅宗的真如，所以叫「真真如」。这是见「一心三藏」，见绝待真如！这个法讲到究竟之处，就是这样。
The“mind”in“Manifestation of the Mind, Transformationof the Consciousness” above-mentioned means Thusness, true mind, emptiness, theTathagata s Treasury of Emptiness, Buddha nature, self-nature, original mind,the nature of the Tathagata’s Treasury, all these terms are one meaning that isused in a relative way, which are the same as what the sixth patriarch Huinengsaid :”Nothing is there originally.” The enlightenment of Dhyana is just “tosee the emptiness by emptying all things”. But according to the PerfectTeaching, form is emptiness, emptiness is form, because there’s no true orfalse, true and false is one Thusness, which is different from what is inDhyana, so we call it “the Absolute Ultimate True Thusness” .This is to see“Three Treasuries of One Mind”, namely, the Absolute True Thusness!—the verycore when the dharma is clarified completely.
·第五关一心三藏
·The Fifth Barrier: Three Treasuries ofOne Mind
好，现在讲圆教的明心见性。我们开篇就讲，诸佛出世的真正目的，就是开示宇宙人生的真理：这个世界上到底有几尊佛？有几个人？几个鬼？几个天？几头牛？几只老鼠？几块泥巴？几棵树？几根草？几片风？几滴雨……不是要「过五关」吗？这是压轴的一关，无比重要。「一心三藏」这才是彻法源底，才是「如来真实义」。
Well, now let’s talk about the enlightenment in thePerfect Teaching. As we mentioned at the very beginning, the true purpose ofeach Buddha’s manifestation is to reveal to us the truth of the universe andlife: How many Buddhas, human beings, ghosts , heavens, oxen, mice, mud, trees,grass, wind, rain drops...are there in this world exactly? Aren’t we supposed to“pass through five barriers”? This is the barrier of final climax, which isextremely important. “ Three Treasuries of One Mind” is back to the source,which reveals “the true meaning of Tathagata”.
在前面的基础之上，我们已经明白，每个人的「真心」就是「如来」的「如」，它没有形相。既然是这样，能不能在这里分出「张三如」「李四如」？这是「牛如」、这是「狗如」、那是「马如」……能不能分开啊？要明白：千佛一如，万法一念。过去现在未来、东南西北、上下十方只有「一尊佛」，只有「一个人」，而且就是「一个念」而已啊！
On the basis of previous expounding, we have understoodthat everyone’s ‘true mind’ is the “Thus” of “Thus Come”, which has noappearance of it. Therefore, can we here separate “Thus of Jack” from “Thus ofTom”? Or “Thus of an ox” from“Thus of a dog”or“Thus of a horse...can we dothat? We should understand: All Buddhas is one Thus(emptiness), all things arejust one thought. Of all the past, present and future, all directions, up anddown, there is only “One Buddha”, only “One person”, and it’s only “Onethought” after all!
许多人对这个问题不容易接受——我就是我，你就是你，他就是他，凭什么说「所有的人都是一个人一个念」？我提醒一句：「佛法大海，唯信能入，唯智能解」。我们因为妄见、邪见而轮回了无量劫，吃了无数的苦头，今天面对正法，要从苦海中解脱出来，必定会与你过去的知见产生一个根本的颠覆。如果佛法还是你过去听到的那样，或者就是过去你理解的那样，那这个正法的价值是什么？首先，如果对正法产生怀疑，这就是一种障碍，真理是不能用凡情来测度的。如果可以随便猜测，那就不需要释迦牟尼来讲了，是不是？要用智慧来观照。这个智慧不是世智辩聪，更不是强词夺理。把自己所有的负面想法全部放空，你会有一个全新的世界。
It’s not easy for many people to accept the facts, andthey assert that I am me, you are you, he is him. How can you say “everybody isonly one person and one thought”? Let me remind you: Dharma is as profound asan ocean, which will be inaccessible unless you believe in it, and anunsolvable mystery unless you try to decode with your wisdom. We’ve fallen intothe cycle of birth and death for immeasurable kalpas and suffered countlessbitterness because of our own false perception and thoughts. Facing the truedharma today, a liberation from the sea of bitterness means a thoroughsubversion against all of your past knowledge. If the dharma is still what youheard or understood before, what’s the value of the true dharma? First, if youhave doubts about the Proper Dharma, this will be an obstacle since the truthcannot be measured and judged by ordinary thinking. If it is a randomguesswork, why do we need Shakyamuni Buddha to reveal it? We need to illuminewith the light of wisdom. This ‘wisdom’ is not the worldly smartness, not tomention those distorted arguments. Empty all your negative thoughts, you’ll enterinto a fresh new world.
有一个弟子经常向他的师父请法，可师父就是不理睬他。他总认为师父有什么妙法不告诉他，到最后师父快圆寂了，他一不做二不休：「今天你老人家到底传不传法？不传法我就要你的命！反正也不指望你了。」所以他师父想了一想：「法倒是有啊！可是你往哪里装啊？」就这一句法，弟子开悟了，跪下来磕头忏悔：「师父，我明白了！」明白了什么？自己过去太傲慢，自以为是。像这样的人，你左讲他左挡，右讲他右挡，他属于世智辩聪。在佛法里，来不得这点小聪明。真理面前，人人平等。可是真理面前，我们都要保持一颗谦卑的心，你才能入道。
There was a Buddhist disciple who requested for dharmaquite often, but the master never responded to him. He thought his master musthide some wonderful dharma from him. Finally his master was dying, he decidedto throw caution to the wind and said: “Today, are you going to tell mesomething or not? I’ll kill you if not ! I cannot count on you anyway.” Thushis master thought for a while and said: “I do have dharma to tell! But do youhave any room for it?” With this one line only, the disciple was enlightened.He knelt down and prostrated before his master to confess: “Master! I got it !”What did he get? He was too arrogant and full of himself in the past. Forpeople like him will block the left when you go left, and the right when you goright, which is defined as worldly smartness. Buddhadharma permits no pettytrick.
Everyone is equal before the truth,in front of which we should all keep a humble heart so that we can enter thegate of wisdom.
言归正传。比如说：大家都会做梦，是不是？梦中有老爸老妈、夫妻儿女、姥姥姥爷、同修同事，或者还有牛马猪羊、好人坏人、强盗土匪，香蕉苹果、电脑电摩、刮风下雨、牛屎狗粪，是不是都有？好，想一想，梦中这一切的境界与别人有没有关系？与梦外的境界有没有关系？有些人讲有关系，比如说我没有老爸的话，我梦中就不会梦到老爸啊。然后我再问他：「你有没有梦到从来没有看到、从来不认识的东西啊？」他说有啊。是不是把这个法破了？
Now let’s return to the subject. For example, we alldream, right? In dreams you see your mom and dad, your spouse, your son anddaughter, grandparents, classmates and workmates, oxen and horses, pigs andgoats, nice guy and bad guy, robbers and bandits, bananas and apples, computersand bikes, wind and rain, cattle shit and dog dung, there can be anything inyour dream, right? Okay, think about it, does your dream relate to other peopleor things in reality? Somebody thought it does by claiming: My dad won’t be inmy dream if I don’t have one. So I asked him: “Have you ever dreamed of thingsthat you had never known or seen?” He said yes. That’s it !
既然没有关系，在梦中各人是不是都有自己的思维、语言、动作啊？梦中还跟真的一样，吵嘴、生烦恼、打架、或者很亲密，各种情景都有。其实，梦境都是梦人一个念在变现的。既然都是自己一个念在变现，那梦中的老爸是不是你梦中的老妈呀？梦中的老妈是不是梦中的一个茶杯呀？梦中的茶杯是不是梦中的苹果啊？梦中的苹果是不是梦中的一堆狗屎啊？有没有哪一样不是你啊？有没有哪一样不是哪一样啊？
Since there’s no relevance, each person in the dreamhas his own thoughts, words and movements, don’t they? It feels so real in thedream: There are different scenarios like arguing, getting mad, fighting orbeing close to someone. In fact the dreamworld is the manifestation of thedreamer’s one thought. Since it’s the manifestation of your mind, isn’t yourfather in your dream your mother in your dream? Isn’t your mother in your dreama tea cup in your dream? Isn’t a tea cup in your dream an apple in your dream?Isn’t an apple in your dream a pile of dog dung in your dream? Is thereanything that is not you? Is there anything that is not the other?
好，这梦中的一切境界就是「如来」的「来」，就是「空有」的「有」，就是「无不相之实相」，就是「不空如来藏」，明白了吗？那么，在梦中你能不能看到、听到、想到、知道正在一边打呼噜一边做梦的那个人（那个念）？不能。虽然不能，他在不在？在。这就是「如来」的「如」，就是「空有」的「空」，就是「无相之实相」，就是「空如来藏」。那么，做梦的那一念当下就是梦境，对不对？所以，「如」即是「来」，「空」即是「有」，「空如来藏」当下即是「不空如来藏」。因为「空」当下即是「有」，所以在「空」而「不空」，叫做「空不空」，也就是「空不空如来藏」。梦境当下即是一念，有没有哪一个不是哪一个啊？因为「有」当下即是「空」，所以在「不空」而「空」，叫做「不空空」，也就是「不空空如来藏」。为了顺口，也叫「空不空如来藏」。所以「空如来藏」「不空如来藏」「空不空如来藏」当下是不是「一个念」呐？每一个人都有那一个念，能不能分开这是我的念，那是你的念，能不能分啊？所以尽虚空遍法界、天人鬼畜就是一个念，在佛法里叫「阿赖耶识」，叫「第八识」。第七识是无量，第八识是一，无量的第七识就是一个第八识；无量的万法就是一个念，就是一个阿赖耶识。这是梦中的境界。那从有情到无情是不是都是这样啊？
Okay, every scenario in the dream is the “come” of“Thus come”, the “existence” of “emptiness existence”, “the non-formlessreality”, or “the Tathagata’s Treasury of Emptiness”, get it? Then, when youdream, can you see, hear, realize or think of the dreamer (the thought) snoringand dreaming? No, you cannot. Though you cannot, isn’t he there? That’s the“Thus” of “Thus Come”, the “emptiness” of “emptiness existence”, “the formlessreality”, or“the Tathagata’s Treasury of Emptiness”. So, the one thought of thedream is the dreamland in the moment, right? Therefore, “Thus” is “come”,“emptiness”is “existence”, “the Tathagata’s Treasury of Emptiness” is “ theTathagata’s Treasury of Non-emptiness” in the moment. Because “emptiness”is“existence” in the moment, so it is “non-emptiness” when it is “emptiness”,which is called “emptiness non-emptiness”, namely, “the Tathagata’s Treasury ofEmptiness Non-emptiness”. The dreamland is the one thought in the moment, isthere anyone that is not the other? Because “existence”is”emptiness” in themoment, so it is “emptiness” when is it “non-emptiness”, which is called “non-emptiness emptiness”, that is “the Tathagata’s Treasury of Non-emptinessEmptiness.” To make it smooth to read, it is also named“the Tathagata’sTreasury of Emptiness Non-emptiness”. Hence“the Tathagata’s Treasury ofEmptiness”, “the Tathagata’s Treasury of Non-emptiness”,“the Tathagata’sTreasury of Emptiness Non-emptiness”, are one thought in the moment, right?Each of us have that one thought, can it be split to this thought of mine, thatthought of yours, can it? So all over empty space and dharma realms, celestialbeings, humans, ghosts and animals are one thought, it is called the “alayaconsciousness” in Buddhadharma, or the “eighth consciousness”. There areinfinite seventh consciousnesses, while the eighth consciousness is one, andthe countless seventh consciousnesses are one eighth consciousness; infinitethings are one thought, which is one alaya consciousness. This is the illusionin the dream. Is there any exception from sentient beings to non-sentientbeings?
刚才绕晕了，是不是？其实非常简单。因为过去没有听到这个概念，第一次接触，会有一点陌生。要克服畏难的情绪，要有必定掌握真理的信心。不管你承认不承认，每一个人都是真理的化身。佛法教育的目的，就是让我们从梦中醒来。
It sounds confusing, isn’t it? In fact it is verysimple. You haven’t heard of this concept in the past so you will feel a bitunfamiliar in the first contact. Please overcome your fear of difficulties, andbe confident that you will definitely be able to master the truth. No matteryou admit it or not, everyone is the manifestation of the truth. The purpose ofBuddhadharma teaching is to awake us from the dream.
（以下这个比方看视频比较容易理解）
我们再以这个手套（医用橡胶手套充满气体鼓鼓的）来比喻。过去现在未来、十方法界就是这一个手套，这叫如来藏为总（整个手套），万法为别（五根手指）。五个手指头是代表无数的指头，是表无量法界——天人鬼畜、释迦牟尼、阿弥陀佛、观世音、牛魔王、白骨精、树木花草、风云雨雾、黄金白银、牛屎狗粪，是不是都在这里啊？这无量的法界就是「不空如来藏」，它们是有形有相的。
( It’s easier to understand the example below bywatching the video.)
Let’s again use this glove (air-filled medical rubberglove) as another metaphor. The past, present, future and ten Dharma Realms arethis glove, which is called the Tathagata’s Treasury is the whole ( the wholeglove), all things are different individuals（five fingers).Five fingers represent countless fingers that stand for infinite realms likecelestial beings, humans, ghosts and animals, Shakyamuni, Amitabha,Avalokitesvara, The Bull Demon King, The White Bone Demon, trees and woods,flowers and grass, wind and cloud, rain and fog, gold and silver, cattle shitand dog dung, aren’t they all here? The infinite realms are “ the Tathagata’sTreasury of Non-emptiness”, they are all visible and tangible.
那「空如来藏」是不是这里的空心（鼓满气体的手套中心）？这就比喻无形无相，空气有什么形相啊？而且是没有边际，是不是？它没有任何形相。（注意，这个气球手套是打比喻，因为目前没有更好的办法来讲解。手套的指头是五个，代表无数指头。手套有边界，而中间的空心代表的真心没有边界。）可是没有这个无形无相的中心（手套中心虚空），能不能把这个指头充起来啊？这无量的指头就是「不空如来藏」。两个如来藏明白了吗？
So is “the Tathagata’s Treasury of Non-emptiness” thehollow part here? (the empty part of the glove) This is a metaphor of formlessvoid. Does the air have any shape? Moreover, it is boundless, right? And it isformless.（Notice：The balloon gloveis just a tool of metaphor, since we haven’t found any better way to explain itso far. The glove has its shape, but the true mind demonstrated by the hollowcenter is boundless.) However, if there’s no intangible and invisiblecenter(the empty part of the glove), are there any air-filled fingers? Thecountless fingers are “the Tathagata’s Treasury of Non-emptiness”. Have you gotthese two kinds of the Tathagata’s Treasury now?
比如，释迦牟尼在这里（比如食指），是「不空如来藏」，他当下是不是「空如来藏」？即有即空。那释迦牟尼在这里，猪八戒在这里（无名指），猪八戒当下是不是这个全体啊？那么释迦牟尼当下是不是猪八戒啊？猪八戒当下是不是释迦牟尼啊？所以这里呢，没有哪一个不是哪一个，每一个指头当下皆是「空如来藏」，等量代换，其中任何一根指头当下也是其它的指头。这叫「如来藏为总，万法为别，互为总别，互为总，互为别，互别为别」。食指的「一」是不是小指的「三」呐？中指的「二」是不是无名指的「八万」呢？这是强词夺理。拇指「一加一等于二」是对的，食指「一加一等于八」是错的，错的是不是我啊？
For example, Shakyamuni is here (such as theforefinger), which is“the Tathagata’s Treasury of Non-emptiness”, isn’t it “theTathagata’s Treasury of Emptiness” in the moment? Emptiness is form and form isEmptiness. Shakyamuni is here, Zhu Bajie is here(the ring finger), isn’t ZhuBajie the whole palm? So Shakyamuni at the meantime is Zhu Bajie and Zhu BajieShakyamuni, right? So no one is not the others here, every finger is “theTathagata’s Treasury of Emptiness” in the moment, any finger is any one of theothers in the light of equivalent substitution. This is called “The Tathagata’sTreasury is the whole, and all things are different parts, They are both thewhole and the part to each other, namely, the Tathagata’s Treasury is the wholeof everything, and vise versa. Meanwhile, the Tathagata’s Treasury is the partof everything, and verse versa”. Isn’t the “one” of forefinger here the “three”of the little finger here? Isn’t the “two” of the middle finger here the“eighty thousand” of the ring finger here? Just lame arguments of mine. The“one plus one equals two” of the thumb here is right, and the “one plus oneequals eight” of the index finger here is wrong. Isn’t the wrong one still me?
所以，讲正法，没有长短是非好坏、香甜苦辣、高低贵贱，没有哪一法不是我。佛讲无量的善法，讲行善断恶，都是方便说，恶是谁啊？你把恶断了，善还有没有了？一真一切真，一假一切假。你讲这个白骨精是假的，那释迦牟尼也是假的；你讲阿弥陀佛是真的，那这个牛魔王也是真的，明白吗？因为都是一个本体，没有谁不是谁，这就是「一心三藏」。
Speaking of Proper Dharma, there’s no right or wrong,good or evil, sweet or bitter, high or low, rich or poor, and there is nothingthat is not me. Buddha’s innumerable teachings of goodness that tell us to dogood deeds and eliminate evil deeds, are all expedience. Who is the evil? Ifyou leave off the evil, are there still goodness? One is true, all is true, oneis false, all is false. If you say this White Bone Demon is false, so willShakyamuni. If you say Amitabha is true, so will the Bull Demon King.Understand? Because everything is one nature, no one is not the other , this is“Three Treasuries of One Mind”.
既然是这样，为什么诸佛菩萨得自在？猪八戒、白骨精、小老鼠却轮回，为什么？是不是佛讲：「我不把你喂猫才怪呢，你想成佛没门儿！」是不是佛不允许它成佛？是不是因为那个猫不允许它成佛？「你只能给我吃，你不可以成佛。」没有这个道理！命自我立！
In that case, why are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at easewhile Zhu Bajie, the White Bone Demon, the little mouse fell into the cycle ofbirth and death? Why? Is it because Buddha said to the mouse: “Why not feed youto the cat, there is no chance for you to become a Buddha!” Is the Buddha theone who stopped a mouse from attaining Buddhahood? Or is it the cat who stoppedthe mouse by claiming: “You can only be my food, you cannot be a Buddha.” ?There is no such saying! We decide our own destiny!
释迦牟尼之所以自在解脱，他往内看（气球手套的空心）。这一看，「啊，都是我一个心啊，小老鼠、白骨精都是我。」他当下证得万法都是我。这个猪八戒之所以猪八戒，他只承认这个无名指是自己，明白吗？他不承认其它手指是他，所以他是自私其小。自私其小，他小不小啊？不小。他虽然是佛，得不到自在妙用，是他自我障碍。明白此理，你当下破除我执。回光返照，这里面的一真法界都是我。当知道一真法界是我的时候，这个不是我的我，他是不是我啊？是。这叫「知妄即真，歇即菩提」！这是《楞严经》的宗旨。
The reason why Shakyamuni is at ease and attainedliberation is that he looks within(The void of the balloon glove). He exclaimedat the first sight, “Everything is of the same mind of mine! The little mouse,White Bone Demon are all me,”All of a sudden, he understands and realizes thatall things are me. That Zhu Bajie is Zhu Bajie lies in the fact that heidentifies himself only with the ring finger while repulsing all the otherfingers, so he belittles himself, is he really that little? No, he’s not.Though he is Buddha, he doesn’t act wonderfully like a Buddha, and he hindershimself. Once you understand the truth, you can let go of Self-Attachment inthe moment and you can return the light and look within, and find that I am allover the one true dharma realm. When we know this one true dharma realm is me,Isn’t this belittled “me” me too? Yes it is. That’s called “Knowing the falseis true, ceasing is Bodhi”! This is the purpose of the Shurangama Sutra.
「一心三藏」，说透了天地万法之来龙去脉及其相互关系，《楞严经》概括为「真真如性」。无量法界，上自诸佛菩萨，下至天人鬼畜，旁及无情万类，上层建筑，经济基础，总括为空与不空，及空不空，无非「真真如性」，一真之「人」，一「心」变现而已。
“ThreeTreasuries of One Mind” has driven home the origin, development and the relationshipof all things, which is summarized in the ShurangamaSutra as “the nature of the Ultimate True Thusness”. Among innumerablerealms, up from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, down to heavens, human beings,ghosts and animals, including all kinds of non-sentient beings, superstructureand economic basis, all of them can be concluded as emptiness and non-emptinessand emptiness non-emptiness. They are nothing but “the nature of the UltimateTrue Thus” —the manifestation of the true mind or the true self.
·第六关无情亦情
·The Sixth Barrier: The Non-Sentient Beingis Also Sentient Being
所谓「过五关」，便是「度五将」。这「关」便是迷惑颠倒之关，这「将」便是证得菩提之将。过了这五关（其实是一关，唯一生死关），度了这五将（其实是一将，唯一菩提将），从此你便进入真修行，以这个「一心三藏」而统领自己一切的起心动念。在未来修行的过程中，不遭歧路，而直达涅槃彼岸。那这第六将呢，是「无情亦情」。本来在前面已经解释了，因为它太敏感，所以重新研究一次。
The so-called “passing through five barriers” is indeed“enlightening six generals” . The barriers is the barrier of confusion andinversion, and the general is the general who is to gain Bodhi. Having passedthrough these five barriers（one barrier ofbirth and death actually）and enlightenedthese five generals（one general ofBodhi actually ), you will be on the path of true cultivation, guiding all ofyour motivation and thoughts with “Three Treasuries of One Mind”. On the causeof upcoming cultivation , you won’t be misled and will go straight to the othershore of Nirvana. with the title of “Non-Sentient Being is also SentientBeings”,which has been explained above though, will be discussed again owing toits sensitiveness.
整个佛法的核心就是讲，一切万法都是我一个念变出来的。佛为了教化众生，恒顺我们的习气，硬是把一个心分成有情和无情。一般人都认为无情是没有生命、没有知觉，但是在《楞严经》，不是这个法。
The core of the whole Buddhadharma is that everythingis a manifestation of one thought of mine. For the sake of educating allbeings, Buddha had no other choice but to divide one mind into the sentientbeing and non-sentient being in accord with our habits. People in general wouldthink non-sentient beings are neither alive nor perceptive, yet it is quite adifferent picture in the Shurangama Sutra.
《楞严经》讲，有一种枭鸟把土块抱在怀里，还有一种破镜鸟把毒树果抱在怀里，然后它们心里念咒，「类我、类我……」最后呢，土块和树果就能由无情转为有情，变成这个鸟的后代。看经文，《楞严经·卷七》：如土枭等附块为儿，及破镜鸟以毒树果，抱为其子，子成，父母皆遭其食，其类充塞。
In the ShurangamaSutra, there is a kind of owl who would hold a clod of dirt in their arms,and another kind of bird called Puo-jing who would hold the fruit of apoisonous tree in their arms chanting “Like me, like me…” At last, the clod ofdirt and the fruit turn from the non-sentient being into the sentient being andbecome the offspring of that bird. Let’s take a look at the original text ofthe Shurangama Sutra：Volume Seven : as the dirt owl, which hatches its young from clods of dirt, andthe Puo-jing Bird, which incubates a poisonous fruit to create its young. Ineach case, the young thereupon eat the parents, their kinds abound in suchforms.
在日食、月食中，这些光所经过的空间内，那些泥巴瓦块、树木花草此时得到日月天地之精华，得到特别的加持，当下大批地转无情为有情，天仙鬼怪应有尽有。外道的禅定功夫最高可以突破八万大劫的时空（一个大劫少说是几十亿年），在八万大劫的时空内，他能看到泥巴瓦块、树木花草变成天、人、鬼、仙；而天、人、鬼、仙，也能变成泥巴瓦块、树木花草……但他是只知其然而不知其所以然，他不知道怎么变出来的。所以所谓的拜土教、拜火教……应运而生。
When there’s a solar or lunar eclipse, in the spacewhere the light passes, those beings like mud and soils, trees and flowers willabsorb the essential energy and get special blessings from the essence of sunand moon, and a large number of non-sentient beings transform into sentientbeings in that moment to become immortals and ghosts and anything you canexpect. The highest stage of outer path’s meditation with great effort canbreak through the space-time of eighty thousand great kalpas (A great kalpa isat least billions of years),where he is able to observe how mud and tiles,trees and flowers transform into celestial beings, humans, ghosts and immortalsor verse versa. Yet he knows only about how it happens instead of why, namely,he has no idea about where they come from. As a result, Nature worship, likeEarth worship, and Zoroastrianism came into being.
台湾一些学校搞实验，把这个兰花摘下来分成两组。对其中一组兰花，老师和学生们同时来进行吉祥加持：「啊！兰花啊，你真美呀，你是白马王子啊！我不知道该怎么喜欢你啦，你太美了，我的心肝我的宝贝儿，你真乖啊」；对另一组兰花呢，采取轻慢、侮辱攻击：「你这个丑八怪，你这个丧门星啊，你怎么不死啊？我的肉中刺啊、我的眼中钉啊！你还不快给我滚蛋。」要表演得跟真的一样，一定用心来表演。一个礼拜以后，吉祥加持的那组兰花仍然很鲜很亮，恶语中伤的那组兰花烂了、枯了、臭了。所以，无情物到底有没有知觉啊？也有些人用馒头来做实验，结果如上所说。
Some schools in Taiwan did such an experiment: Theypicked some orchids and divided them into two groups. To the first group, theteacher and students kept blessing it with auspicious words: “Oh, my orchid,you are so beautiful, you are my prince charming! I don’t know how to love youmore, you look so nice, you are my sweetheart, oh, you are so good!” To theother group they kept attacking it with insolent and insulting words: “You uglymonster brings ill luck, why don’t you die? You are the thorn in my flesh, Ihate you! Get out!” They acted so real as if those words were from the bottomof their hearts. A week later, the blessed orchids in the first group stilllooked very fresh in bright color while the other group slanderously cursedwere rotten, withered and stinky. Therefore, doesn’t the non-sentient beinghave consciousness? Some people did similar experiment with steamed buns, andthe result is the same as mentioned above.
有时，我们到朋友家里，如里这个家里有人生病，愁眉不展、唉声叹气，你是不是感到一股寒气啊？因为他家里所有的天花地板、桌椅板凳……统统在愁眉不展、唉声叹气；如果这个家庭很幸福，你是不是感到很自在呀？因为他家的天花地板、桌椅板凳……一切的东西都在嘻嘻哈哈、快快乐乐。大家应该都有这个体会吧？
Sometimes while visiting a friend, if a member of thisfamily gets sick, don’t you feel a chill ? It is because the ceiling and floor,tables and chairs…frown and groan; If it is a happy family, aren’t you feeleasy and comfortable? It is because the ceiling and floor, tables andchairs…everything in the house seems laughing and joking, joyful and cheerful.We all have these experiences, right?
参加过送往生的同修知道，亡者一开始脸上很痛苦，身体僵硬，助念后身体即变得柔软，而且脸上还出现笑容。这是不是证明泥巴瓦块也是有情？那没人给他送往生、面部表情痛苦的亡者，是不是有情啊？无非前者说，「哎呀，我太自在了，我快乐，谢谢你们」；后者呢，家属一天到晚哭哭啼啼、愁眉苦脸，他在感慨，「哎呀，我太难受了，你们一天到晚哭哭啼啼的，我又没有死」，是不是？就是这个道理。
The fellow practitioners who have attended the Buddhistdeath ritual know that the dead, whose facial expression was painful and whosebody was stiff at the beginning, will possess a softer body and even smilingface after the group chanting. Doesn’t this prove that mud and tiles are alsosentient beings? Is the deceased an exception who had a painful facialexpression for lack of Buddhist death ritual? It was simply that the formersaid, “Ah, I’m so comfortable and happy, thank you”; while the lattercomplained like “Alas! I am terribly suffering! Your guys cry all day long, Ihaven’t died yet!” Right? This explains why.
·圆教精髓
·The Essence of the Perfect Teaching
以上以上六关全部通过，你当下成「分真即佛」。我去年在这里已经进行过一次检验，当时大概二百三十多人，还不到今天的一半，那一次大概是二百人举手表示成就了。今天呢，仍然采取举手表决的方式。认为自己现在已经开悟、已经成就的同修把手举起来，这是自我印证的庄严时刻（到会452人，举手者434位）。好，还有18个同修没有把握往生。下面还要引经据典，帮助大家加深理解。没有佛法基础的同修可能理解下面内容有些困难，因为涉及到很多名相概念。但道理是非常简单。只要真正把前面内容看懂了，理解下面的内容也是势如破竹。
Once you have passed through the six barriers above,you will become an “enlightened Bodhisattva” in the moment. I did aninvestigation last year when there were over 230 people here, less than half oftoday's. There were about 200 people raised their hands to show theirenlightenment. Today we will still vote by raising hands. If you believe thatyou have been enlightened and made achievement, please raise your hand! Now isthe solemn moment of self certification(452 attendees, 434 hand raisers ).Okay, there are 18 fellows left that are not yet sure about their rebirth, nextwe will quote from sutras to help everyone acquire a better understanding. It’smaybe a bit difficult for those who don’t have basic ideas about dharma,because quite a number of names and concepts will be involved. But theprinciple is very simple. As long as you understand the content above, tocomprehend the following will be as easy as splitting bamboo.
打开《楞严经·卷四》：菩提涅槃，尚在遥远，非汝历劫辛勤修证。虽复忆持，十方如来十二部经，清净妙理，如恒河沙，只益戏论。什么意思呢？在前面第三卷，阿难明白了四科（即五蕴、六入、十二处、十八界：五蕴是色受想行识，六入是眼耳鼻舌身意六根，十二处是六根加色声香味触法六尘，十八界为六根、六尘加上眼意识界、耳意识界、鼻意识界、舌意识界、身意识界、意意识界）七大（地、水、火、风、空、见、识）皆「本如来藏妙真如性」，所以「不历僧祗获法身」。阿难倒想虽销，但细惑全在。所以佛讲，无上菩提、无余涅槃，不是你苦修苦证无量劫可以成就的，因为你还在执着一些因缘、自然的戏论法。就是能够背诵、记忆、受持十方诸佛所讲的十二部经（即佛经的十二种体裁：长行、重颂、授记，孤起、无问自说、因缘、譬喻、本事、本生、方广、未曾有、论议），也只不过是增加了你阿难的戏论之资而已。
Please open the ShurangamaSutra: Volume Four: Bodhi and Nirvana are still sofar away, it’s not something that can be gained by your diligent cultivationthrough countless kalpas. Though you can hold in memory the twelve divisions ofthe sutras spoken by the Buddhas of the ten directions those pure and wonderfulprinciples are as many as the sands of the River Ganges, but it only aids youridle theorizing. What does it mean? In the thirdchapter Ananda understands four subjects(namely, the five skandhas, the sixentrances, the twelve places and the eighteen realms: five skandhas are form,feeling, perception,mental formations and consciousness, six entrances are sixroots of eye, ear, nose, tongue,body and mind, twelve places are six roots plussix dusts including form, sound, scent, taste, touch and dharma, eighteenrealms are six roots, six dusts plus the six realms of eye consciousness, earconsciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness andmind consciousness) and the Seven Great Elements(earth, water, fire, wind,emptiness, the seeing awareness and consciousness) are all “The wonderful truth, the original nature of the Treasury of theTathagata”. Thus “I needn't pass through aeonstill the dharma body is gained.”
Though Ananda’s deluded thoughts have been eradicated,subtle confusion is still there. So Buddha told Ananda, “The unsurpassed Bodhiand Parinibbana are not what you can achieve through hard practice and certifyfor immeasurable kalpas, because you are still attached to some idletheories of causes, conditions and spontaneity. Even you are able to recite,memorize, believe and hold the Twelve Divisions of the Sutras(the twelve genresof Dharma: Prose, verse, predictions,interjections, Dharma spoken withoutrequest, causes and conditions, analogies, stories of disciples' past lives,the Buddha's past lives, universalities, previously non-existent teachings andcommentarial literature) taught by all Buddhas, it merely increased yourproperty of casual remarks.
那么什么才不是戏论法呢？接着上段经文：是故，阿难，汝虽历劫忆持如来秘密妙严，不如一日修无漏业。大家知道，阿难跟释迦牟尼佛同年同月同日在空王佛所发菩提心，可是释迦牟尼成佛已无量无量百千万亿劫，仅仅到娑婆世界来示现成佛已经有八千次，在其它无量佛土那就更多。可阿难在这一期还是个初果罗汉。阿难生生世世都认真修行无量法门，辩才无碍，既能背诵又能受持。虽多闻第一，不过是博得虚名，不得大用，遭摩登伽难，险毁戒体。不如一日修无漏业：无量劫的苦修、勇猛精进，不如一天修无漏业。
Then what is not casual remarks? Continue with thequote above: Therefore, Ananda, your ability to keep inmind the Thus Come’s wonderful secret teachings of aeon after aeon is not asgood as a single day of no-outflow cultivation. As we all know,Ananda and Shakyamuni took Bodhisattva vow at the place of King of EmptinessBuddha on the same day of the same month of the same year, but Sakyamuni hadbeen Buddha for incalculable hundreds, thousands, myriads, and billions ofaeons, and as many as 8,000 times when manifestation as the Buddha in Saha Landalone. The manifestation in other innumerable Buddha-realms were way more thanthis number; While Ananda in that period was merely a first stage Arhat. Havinglearned earnestly innumerable Dharma-gates in his every lives, he has unobstructedeloquence in speech, and not only could he recite but also accept and hold whathe learned. He stood out for his erudition among Buddha's disciples, but it isjust useless bubble reputation, he became involved in anunfortunate encounter with Matangi’s daughter, which almost ruined his precept substance. Hence, Not as good as asingle day of no-outflow cultivation
enance and courageous efforts for limitless kalpas is not as good as a single day ofno-outflows cultivation.
那到底什么是「无漏业」呢？《楞严经》有明确的交待，第六卷文殊菩萨讲：顶礼如来藏，无漏不思议。愿加被未来，于此门无惑，方便易成就。堪以教阿难，及末劫沉沦。但以此根修，圆通超余者，真实心如是。
What exactly is the way of no-outflows? The Shurangama Sutra make it very clear, involume six Bodhisattva Manjusri said: I bow to the Treasury of the Tathagata, it is inconceivable withno outflows. May beings in the future be empowered so that they will have nodoubts about this Dharma-gate, this is the most accessible one. An appropriateteaching for Ananda, and for those immersed in the final age.They shouldcultivate this root of hearing, A perfect penetration that surpasses allothers. The true mind is Suchness.
顶礼如来藏，无漏不思议：一念信解如来藏，就是「修无漏业」。只有如来藏是最圆满的无漏智慧，而且悟的当下即可了生死，成解脱。所以修圆顿大教，与修方便法来比，成就的大小、快慢是日劫之倍啊！
愿加被未来，于此门无惑：文殊菩萨向诸佛请愿，加被未来众生行耳根圆通法门，证入圆通法门，无有疑惑。
I bow to the Treasury of the Tathagata, itis inconceivable with no outflows: To understandand believe the Treasury of the Tathagata within one thought is to“practicekarma with no outflows”. Only the Treasury of the Tathagata is the most perfectwisdom of no outflows , and the moment you are enlightened, you will put an endto the birth and death and attain liberation. Hence, comparing to the expedientmeans, the cultivation of the Perfect Teaching is a huge difference in fruitionand time; the former can be countless kalpas while the latter is possible inone day !
May beings of the future be empowered sothat they will have no doubts about this Dharma-gate: Manjushri askedBuddha to bless future beings so that they will cultivate the PerfectDharma-gate of the root of hearing, and enter the Perfect Dharma-gate withoutany misgivings.
方便易成就：唯有如来藏法门最方便、最容易成就，方便到什么程度？会讲法的人几句话、几分钟、一个小时、几个小时就能把它讲得清楚明白，听者当下就能开智慧。怎么易成就呢？你听懂了就成就了。你可以当下证罗汉乃至圆教菩萨位，乃至十地、等觉位菩萨。
This is the most accessible one : Only theDharma-gate of the Treasury of the Tathagata is the most convenient, theeasiest way to achieve, how convenient is it? It only takes a dharma teacher acouple of sentences, several minutes, one hour or several hours to make itclear, and the listener will open to wisdom in the moment. Why accessible? ?Once you get it, you will be able to achieve it. You are certified as an Arhatright in the moment or even Bodhisattva of the Perfect Teaching, and evenBodhisattva of The Tenth Grounds or Equal Enlightenment.
堪以教阿难，及末劫沉沦：从阿难到末劫众生，都是当机。文殊菩萨并没有说加被未来那些大菩萨、那些上等根机，不是的，是加被末世一切颠倒的众生，尤其是根机差的和初机的修行人。这句法体现了佛的意旨，他没有讲正法时代，也没有讲像法时代，只讲末法时代，因为末法时代离佛灭度的年代久远，修行人非常容易迷惑颠倒而不自知。
It is an appropriate teaching for Anandaand for those who immersed in the final age: From Ananda tothe beings in the final age are all would-be students. Manjusri didn’t say toempower only those great Bodhisattvas or those who have sharp faculties in thefuture, he didn’t. He meant instead all inverted beings in the Final Age,especially those practitioners with dull faculties and initial resolve. Thisverse reflected the will of Buddha, who mentioned neither Proper Dharma Age norSemblance Dharma Age, but Dharma Ending Age. It is because that Dharma EndingAge is far too remote from the Age of Buddha’s Nirvana, and it is easy for thosepractitioners to get confused and think upside down without awareness.
但以此根修，圆通超余者：如来藏法门圆融、圆满、圆通，超过一切法门。在《楞严经》中，二十五圣各陈圆通法门（各自从根尘识十八界和七大中选择一个入手之处而证得圆通），但是因为成就的难度不一样，快慢有别，所以佛让文殊菩萨选择一个最适合此方众生修行的法门。那文殊菩萨最后选的是观音菩萨耳根圆通法门，这是第一法门，是最容易修的法门，是最简单的法门，是成就最快的法门，是无量法门中的唯一基础法门。《法华经》也讲，一念信解如来藏，胜过修无量法门无量劫的功德的无量倍。我们要用智慧来选择。
They should cultivate this root of hearingto gain a perfect penetration of enlightenment that surpasses all other：The Dharma-gateof the Tathagata’s Treasury is perfectly fused, complete and penetrating whichsurpasses all the other Dharma-gates. In the Shurangama Sutra, the twenty-five sages each discuss their perfectpenetration(Each of them had chosen one way from Eighteen Realms of Roots,Dusts and Consciousness and the Seven Great Elements to attain perfectpenetration) , however, the degree of difficulty and time to attain isdifferent, so the Buddha let the Bodhisattva Manjusri choose a Dharma-gate thatis most suitable for the beings here to cultivate. What Manjusri chose at lastwas Avalokitesvara’s Dharma-gate of attaining enlightenment by the root ofear—the dharma gate that is the first of all and the easiest to cultivate, thefastest to achieve and the only fundamental Dharma-gate among all the othercountless Dharma-gates. The Lotus Sutraalso stated, if one can bring forth faith and understanding in the Tathagata’sTreasury in one thought, the merit and virtue he gets is immeasurable timesthan that of cultivating infinite immeasurable Dharma-gates in immeasurableeons. We should use our wisdom to choose.
真实心如是：真实心就是真法，真法就是讲如是，不要怀疑。在《妙法莲华经·方便品第二》讲：唯此一事实，余二则非真；十方佛土中，唯有一乘法，无二亦无三；世尊法久后，要当说真实。这都是很经典的语句，每个人都要知道。再来看《妙法莲华经·信解品第四》：世尊，我等以三苦故，于生死中受诸热恼。迷惑无知，乐着小法。今日世尊，令我等思惟蠲除诸法戏论之粪。小法是不是八大次第中所谓的圆人前七种方便？
The truth mind is Suchness: The true mindis the truth talking about Suchness, and there is no doubts about it. The Lotus Sutra·Chapter 2·Expedient Devicessays: Only One Vehicle is the ultimate truth,while the others are not; In the ten directions of Universe, the One Vehicle isthe ultimate truth. There is no second vehicle, let alone a third; TheWorld-Honored One has been teaching Buddha dharma for such a long time, it'stime to tell the truth. All of these are classic quotes andeveryone should know. Let’s look at the LotusSutra·Chapter 4·Belief and Understanding: World Honored One, because of the three kinds of suffering, wehave suffered much torment in the midst of births and deaths. Deluded andignorant, we clung to petty dharmas. Today,the World Honored One has caused us tothink about getting rid of the dung of frivolous discussion of the Dharma. Aren’t thepetty dharmas so-called the previous seven kinds of expedient means in theEight Great Sequences before the Perfect Teaching?
佛在前四十一年讲法是步步引导。佛于菩提树下悟道，获得正觉后，首先讲的是《华严经》这样的别教、顿教大乘经典，能够接受的大部分是法身菩萨大士，而对凡夫位起修的行人，只是得点好奇而已。为了「接地气」，佛开始讲藏教这类的小乘、中乘经典，代表作就是四部《阿含经》等。待声闻弟子逐渐证到「人我空」、证到了「偏真涅槃」后，佛又开始讲《方等经》《般若经》等等大乘通教经典。在《法华经·方便品第二》《法华经·信解品第四》《法华经·化城喻品第七》中，佛都讲到，阿罗汉、辟支佛以及权教大乘的偏真涅槃不过是佛设的「化城」，是不真实的，是不究竟的，而且极难修证。如果证得了这种涅槃，如果他不信《法华经》，无有是处。诸佛出世的本怀就是为了讲一部《法华经》。《法华经》中八次出现「说大乘经，名妙法莲华，教菩萨法，佛所护念」。
The first 41 years of Buddha’s teachings are a gradualguidance. After meditating under a Bodhi tree and attaining perfectenlightenment, Buddha first delivered the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Mahayana sutrafor The Distinctive Teaching and Sudden Teaching which were mostly accepted bythose great Dharmakaya Bodhisattva. However it is just idle curiosity forordinary people. In order to talk in a “down to earth” way , Buddha began toteach sutras of the Tripitaka teaching, the Hinayana and middle vehicle, whoserepresentative works are four volume Agama Sutra, etc. Until Shravaka disciplesgradually understood the meaning of no self and certified “Arhat’s Nirvana,”Buddha began to impart the Vaipulyas Sutras and the PrajnaparamitaSutras etc., the Shared Teaching of Mahayana Buddhism. In the Lotus Sutra·Chapter 2·ExpedientDevices, the Lotus Sutra·Chapter4·Belief and Understanding and the LotusSutra·Chapter 7·The Analogy of the Transformed City, Buddha allmentioned that the Arhat, the Pratyekabuddha and “Arhat’s Nirvana” of expedientMahayana teaching were only the “illusory city” set up by Buddha, which is nottrue and ultimate, and very difficult to cultivate. Even someone is able toattain this kind of Nirvana, if he doesn’t believe the Lotus Sutra, all he gets is nonsense. The only purpose of everyBuddha’s manifestation to this world is to teach us the Lotus Sutra, which are verses that repeated eight times in the Lotus Sutra: Speak this Great Vehicle Sutra by the name of The Wonderful DharmaLotus Flower, a Dharma for instructing Bodhisattvas of whom the Buddhas areprotective and mindful.
《法华经》《楞严经》就是圆教的代表作。包括人、天、万法，包括歪门邪道、大法小法，包括有情、无情，统统万法归宗。它强调三个「如来藏」，非空非有，即空即有，强调「唯心所现」而不是「唯心所造」。一个「现」，一个「变」就圆融了天地万法。天地万法「唯心所现，唯识所变」。
The Lotus Sutraand the Shurangama Sutra aremasterpieces of the Perfect Teaching. All dharmas return to the origin,including human, universe and all beings, evil sects and dishonest practices,greater dharma and lesser dharma, sentient beings and non-sentient beings. Itemphasizes three Treasuries of the Tathagata, neither emptiness nor existence,and both emptiness and existence. It underlines that all things are“manifested” instead of “produced”by the true mind. It is manifestation andtransformation that interpenetrate all things in universe. All things are“Manifestation of the Mind, Transformation of the Consciousness”.
.
「心」即真心。亦说为「阿」为「如」，虽无任何形相，却为性具本体。「识」即妄心，亦说为「弥」为「是」，一味飞思旋念，成智慧妙用。「变」与「现」即万相，亦说为「陀」为「我」，盘根错节万法，圆满花花世界。
“Mind” is the true mind. We also call it “A” inAmitabha and “Thus”in Thus have I heard, it is formless, but it is the originalbody of its inherent nature. “Consciousness” is the false mind, and we alsoname “mi” “have”. The ever-changing nature of one thought results in thewonderful use of wisdom. The “Transformation” and “Manifestation” form allthings. We also call it“ta” “I”, which interpenetrate this colorful world withtwisted roots and gnarled branches of all things .
既然是「变」，就必然有无量；既然是「现」，就必然是一。所以，一即是无量，无量即是一。既然无量即是一，就没有哪一个不是哪一个，没有能、没有所，谁都是能，谁都是所。有没有老子和儿子之别啊？不能讲有，还不能讲没有。
Since it is“transformation”, there must be countless,Since it is “manifestation”, there must be one; therefore, one is all, all isone, because of which, no one is not the other and there is neither a subjectnor an object, for everyone is both a subject and an object. Are there anydifferences in between father and son? We cannot say there are or there aren’t.
这是「一心三藏」。圆教是叫实教，叫了义大乘。这是「一实相印」。《金刚经》《华严经》讲的真心叫「真」、「如」或者叫「真如」，《楞严经》叫「真真如」。要明白啊！真真如和真如一样不一样啊？真真如就是三藏融为一心。《金刚经》叫「胜义法」，《楞严经》叫什么？「胜义中真胜义」。这在《法华经》讲得就更加斩钉截铁：《法华经》就是「经王」，《药王菩萨本事品》中佛打了十个比喻，希望大家认真体会。
This is “Three Treasuries of One Mind”. The PerfectTeaching is also called Ultimate Truth Teaching, or complete Mahayana, which is“The one dharma seal of ultimate reality”. The True Mind, which is called“True” or “Thus” or “True Thus” in the Diamond Sutra and theAvatamsaka Sutra, is named in the ShurangamaSutra “the Absolute Ultimate True Thusness”. We need to make it clear! Is“the Absolute Ultimate TrueThusness ”the same as “True Thus”? “the AbsoluteUltimate True Thusness” means One True Mind interpenetrate by Three Treasuries,which is called the supreme meanings dharma in the Diamond Sutra.What does the Shurangama Sutra defineit? The true supreme meanings among supreme meanings. This was asserted firmlyin the Lotus Sutra by using tenanalogies in The Former Deeds of Medicine King Bodhisattva, The Buddhadeclares that the Lotus Sutra is “theKing of sutras”. Please read it carefully.
·顿证菩提
·Sudden Enlightenment of Bodhi
《佛说阿弥陀经》讲：已发愿已往生；今发愿今往生；当发愿当往生（舍利弗，若有人已发愿、今发愿、当发愿，欲生阿弥陀佛国者，是诸人等，皆得不退转于阿耨多罗三藐三菩提，于彼国土，若已生，若今生，若当生）。《阿弥陀经》有没有讲，「已发愿者经过十年念佛、八年拜佛、三年拜忏，今往生？今发愿者经过三年拜忏、十年行善、五年断恶，当往生？当发愿者经过三年持咒，四年坐禅，五年朝山，当、当、当往生」？有没有这样说法啊？「发愿往生」：「发」是成就之义；「愿」，上面一个原，下面一个心，就是原来的心；以现在这个凡夫的心见到了我们原来的真心即是「往生」；「原来的心」是不是万法都是「我一个念」呐？
The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra says：People who havemade the vow have already been born in Amitabha’s Country; People who now makethe vow are being born in Amitabha’s Country; and People who are about to makethe vow will be born in Amitabha’s Country. (Shariputra, if there are people who have already made the vow, whonow make the vow, or who are about to make the vow,‘I desire to be born inAmitabha’s Country,’ these people, whether born in the past, now being born, orto be born in the future, all will irreversibly attain anuttarasamyaksambodhi.) Does theAmitabha Sutra say, “ People who have made the vow after ten years ofchanting the name of Buddhas, eight years of worshiping Buddha and three yearsof repentance, are now being born in Amitabha’s Country? People who now makethe vow will be born in Amitabha’s Country after three years of repentance, tenyears of doing good deeds and five years of cutting off evil deeds? People whoare about to make the vow after three years of reciting mantras, four years ofsitting for meditation and five years of making pilgrimages, will, will, willbe born in Amitabha’s Country”? Does it say anything like this? 发(Fa)愿(Yuan)往(Wang)生(Sheng) (Make thevow to be born in Amitabha’s Country): “发(Fa)” meansachievement; “愿
Yuan)”with an “original”(“原”in Chinese)above and a “mind”(“心”in Chinese)below means original mind; in other words, seeing our original mind with themind of an ordinary people is being born in Amitabha’s Country. Isn’t it true that“the original mind” means everything is just the manifestation of one thoughtof mine?
《阿弥陀经》里有一句「临命终时」，许多人以此认定：一定要人死了以后才成佛。诸佛菩萨没有这种说法。一切经典都是讲活着的时候成佛，活着的时候往生。「临命终时」：「临」是「道交感应」；「终」是表「圆满」。怎么圆满呢？以我现在的凡夫心见到了我原来的真心，这就是「阿弥陀佛」，这就是我们生死的假命与不生不死的法身慧命感应道交，圆融一体，叫「临命终时」。我们讲，「这个讲经堂经过三个月的工程终于告终」，你能不能讲「这个讲经堂经过三个月的工程现在终于死啦」？
There is a set phrase called “临(Lin)命(Ming)终(Zhong)时(Shi)(When thelife completes)” in Amitabha Sutra. A lot of people asserted: Peopleachieve Buddhahood only after they die. There’s no such version from any Buddhaor Bodhisattva. All the classics talk about becoming Buddha when you are alive,and being born in Pure Land when you are alive. The moment when (“临”in Chinese)means“in mutual response with the way”; complete (“终”in Chinese)means “achieving perfect interpenetration”. How to achieve perfectinterpenetration? To see my original true mind with the mind of an ordinarypeople at present is “Amitabha”, which means our false lives within the cycleof birth and death have gained a mutual response and completely interpenetratedwith our wisdom lives without a life or death, this is how “the moment when thelife completes” come from. We say, “This Lecture Hall is finally completedafter three months of construction”, can we say, “This Lecture Hall is finallydied after three month of construction”?
《阿弥陀经》还讲：即以食时，还到本国。以吃饭打比喻，我吃甜食是甜嘴巴；吃辣是辣嘴巴；吃咸是咸嘴巴；吃臭豆腐是臭嘴巴。比喻这个心懂得了阿弥陀佛，我就是阿弥陀佛， 这叫「还到本国」。
Amitabha Sutra also says: At mealtime they return to their original country. Having mealhere is a metaphor:my mouth turns sweet when I eatsweets; turns spicy when I eat spicy food; turns salty when I eat salty food;turns stinky when I eat stinky Tofu, which means I am Amitabha when Iunderstand what Amitabha means, this is called “returning to the original country.”
从「阿弥陀佛」修证功德来看，「阿弥陀佛」即表圆满佛果、如来全身。「阿」即如来法身，「弥」即如来报身，「陀」即如来化身。「佛」表如来觉身。
「阿」为无形无相之真心，本具一切万法的性具功德；「弥」即妄想识心，智慧妙用；「陀」为十方三世森罗万象。「陀」为「弥」所变，为「阿」所现，即所谓万法唯心所现，唯识所变。「阿弥陀」为「佛」所见。
To see from the perspective of merits of “Amitabha”scultivation and certification, “Amitabha” means the perfect fruition ofBuddhahood, the whole body of Tathagata. Within which“A” represents the dharmabody of Tathagata, “mi” is the reword body of Tathagata, “ta” is the manifestedbody of Tathagata. “bha (Buddha)” represents the enlightened body of Tathagata.
“A” is theformless true mind, which originally possesses the merits of all things of itsnature. “mi” is the false conscious mind, the wonderful use of wisdom. “ta” iseverything, everywhere throughout the time. “ta” is the transformation of “mi”and the manifestation of “A”. That is, the so-called all things are manifestedby the mind and transformed by consciousness. “Amita” is seen by “Buddha（bha）”.
《阿弥陀经》从古至今被说为「法华秘髓」，最难懂。你有没有尝到「法华秘髓」的法味啊？
《法华经》全称《大乘妙法莲华经》，这是「法喻立题」。妙法是「法」，莲华是「喻」，乃释迦如来金口亲自命名。《法华经·譬喻品第三》文云：是大乘经，名妙法莲华，教菩萨法，佛所护念。这个妙法为什么用莲华来作比喻呢？
Since ancient time, Amitabha Sutra was commentedas “the secret essence of the Lotus Sutra”,the most difficult one to comprehend. Have you gotten the taste of “secretessence of the Lotus Sutra”?
The full name of the Lotus Sutra is the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, thetitle of which is set up in a figurative way of dharma. Wonderful dharma is a“dharma”, lotus flower is a “ figure of speech”, which was named by Sakyamuni’shimself. The Lotus Sutra·Chapter 3·A Parable says: speak this Great Vehicle Sutra by the name of The Wonderful DharmaLotus Flower, a Dharma for instructing Bodhisattvas of whom the Buddhas areprotective and mindful. Why this wonderful dharma was metaphorizedas the lotus flower?
世间植物，有的是先开花后结籽，比如桃花、杏花；有的是先结果后开花再长果，比如南瓜、冬瓜；有的是一花一果，比如柿子；有的光开花不结果，有的不开花光结果。可是莲华不一样，它同时多花多籽，而且当下开花当下结籽，所以叫花开莲现。开多花结一个果的，那是表小乘人修无量的苦行成就一个小果位；只开花不结果的，那是指修无益的外道苦行等等。唯有莲华，即花即果，这表圆顿大法一步登天，不历修证。同时，莲华出淤泥而不染，这是比喻大乘佛法入世修行，在烦恼证菩提。
Among plants on the earth, some bloom first and thenbear fruits, like peach blossoms and apricot blossoms. Some bear fruits firstand then bloom and grow fruits, like pumpkins, winter melons. For some, oneflower bears only one fruit, like persimmons. Some only bloom and bear nofruit, while some others only bear fruits without blooming. But lotus flower isdifferent: it grows lots of flowers andseeds at the same time, Moreover, seeds are formed the moment the lotus floweris blooming, thus the so-called flower blooms while the lotus appears. Onefruit from many flowers represents Hinayana practitioners who have attained asmall fruition by numerous ascetic practices. Blossoms only with no fruitindicates those unhelpful ascetic practices of other external cultivators andso forth. Only lotus, fruiting while flowering, which represents the perfectand sudden Mahayana Buddhism that can be attainedby one step withoutexperiencing the cause of the cultivation and certification. Meanwhile, Thelotus grows elegantly out of the muddy waters,
unaffected and untouched by dirt andimpurities,a symbol of the fact that Mahayana Buddhism can be cultivated in everyday life,and Bodhi can be gained in afflictions.
《法华经》少说有几十处在讲，修行人听佛讲了一段经，明白了不生不灭的道理，明白了「万法都是我一念所现」的道理，没有离开讲经堂，没有离开板凳，当下成就——成阿罗汉、辟支佛、十地菩萨、等觉菩萨都有。佛反反复复把这个标准答案教给我们。
It is mentioned dozens of times at least in the Lotus Sutra that a practitioner, rightafter listening to a paragraph from the Buddha, understands the truth of nobirth no death and “All things are the manifestations in one thought of mine.”without leaving the lecture hall, or your seat— a sudden enlightenment in themoment—of becoming an Arhat, a Pratyekabuddha, or a Bodhisattva of the TenthGrounds and even a Bodhisattva of Equal Enlightenment. Buddha repeatedlyconveys this standard answer to us.
《妙法莲华经·法师品第十》讲，佛告药王：又如来灭度之后，若有人闻妙法华经乃至一偈一句，一念随喜者，我亦与授阿耨多罗三藐三菩提记。读一句《法华经》，长则十个字，短则四个字，什么是「一念随喜」呀？懂得天地万法都是一个人一个念随缘变现而已，也就是懂得了「一心三藏」的道理，蒙佛授记。小则菩萨位，大则圆满佛。菩萨位属于「分真即佛」，注意，也叫「分证即佛」，部分地证到了佛的境界，如果佛是100分，那么分真即佛就是从60分到99.9999……分，都算。
The Lotus Sutra·Chapter 10·Masters of the Dharmasays, The Buddha told the Medicine King: Furthermore,after the extinction of Thus Come, should there be one who hears but a singleverse or a single sentence of The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra and andfeel the rejoice in one thought, I bestow upon him as well a prediction ofanuttarasamyaksambodhi. One sentence of the Lotus Sutra can be as long as a dozenwords or as short as four words. What is the “rejoice in one thought”? Havingunderstood that all things throughout the universe are just the manifestationof one person's one thought in accordance with causal conditions, in otherwords, the truth of “Three Treasuries of One Mind”, one will receive a prophecyof Buddhahood by the Buddha. The lowest fruition he gets will be the stage ofBodhisattva, the highest Perfect Supreme Buddha. Bodhisattva at this stage iscalled “the Buddha yet to achieve perfection”, note that, it is also called“Bodhisattva stages of those progressing towards Buddhahood”, according to thelevel of his enlightenment, He had partially experienced Buddha’s wisdom. Ifperfect Buddha means 100 scores, then all the other enlightened Buddhas scoringfrom 60 to 99.9999 count in this range.
《法华经·分别功德品第十七》讲，阿逸多，若善男子善女人闻我说寿命长远，深心信解，则为见佛常在耆阇崛山，共大菩萨、诸声闻众，围绕说法。懂得了《法华经》的道理，就是见佛。并不是说，你上五台山，看到天上一朵云彩显出阿弥陀佛的像，回来一把鼻涕一把泪，「师父，我看到佛了……」那不一定是佛，可能还是鬼！当你明白了如来藏的道理，那是不是佛啊？那还真是佛呢！明白了如来藏的道理，就是天上出现一堆臭狗屎，是不是佛啊？都是佛！明白如来藏的道理，是佛也是佛，不是佛也是佛；不明白如来藏的道理，是佛也不是佛，不是佛也不是佛。大家明白了吗？
The Lotus Sutra· Chapter 17·Discrimination of Merit andVirtue says, Ajita, if a good man or goodwoman hears of the long duration of the Buddha’s life span and, with deep mind,believes and understands, he or she will then see the Buddha ever-present onMount Grdhrakuta together with the great Bodhisattvas and the assembly ofHearers surrounding him as he speaks the Dharma. Having understoodthe truth of the Lotus Sutra is tomeet Buddha. It doesn’t mean that after paying a visit to Wutai Mountain, whereyou witness a cloud in the sky changes into an image of Amitabha, you come backwith a handful of tears and snot: “Master, I finally saw Buddha...” It mightnot be a Buddha, it can be a ghost! But when you know the truth of theTathagata’s Treasury, Isn’t that Buddha as well ? That’s indeed the Buddha!Once you understand the truth of the Tathagata’s Treasury even a pile of dogdung floating high in the sky, isn’t that Buddha, too? Everything is Buddha!When you understand the truth of the Tathagata’s Treasury, The Buddha isBuddha, Nothing is not Buddha, if you don’t understand the Tathagata’sTreasury, Even the Buddha is not Buddha, nothing is Buddha, Isn’t it clear?
再看《法华经·普贤菩萨劝发品第二十八》讲，普贤，若有受持读诵，正忆念，修习书写是法华经者，当知是人，则见释迦牟尼佛，如从佛口，闻此经典；当知是人，供养释迦牟尼佛；当知是人，佛赞善哉；当知是人，为释迦牟尼佛手摩其头；当知是人，为释迦牟尼佛衣之所覆。还是强调，读懂了《法华经》的人，就是见到了释迦牟尼佛！不管你是自己读懂也好，或者听任何人讲的，哪怕是听鬼讲的，你只要听懂了，就等同「从佛口闻此经典」，是不是就像佛亲口跟你讲经一样？当知是人，就是供养释迦牟尼佛，佛给他摩顶，用衣服把他包起来，当成宝一样。所以，一「闻」就供养诸佛了，看你懂不懂。
Let’s look at the LotusSutra·Chapter 28·The Encouragement OfThe Bodhisattva Universal Worthy says, Universal Worthy, if a person can receive and uphold, read,recite, properly recollect, cultivate, and write out the Dharma Flower Sutra,you should know that this person thereby sees Shakyamuni Buddha. It is as if hehad heard this Sutra from the Buddha’s mouth. You should know that this personhas made offerings to Shakyamuni Buddha. You should know that the Buddha haspraised this person, saying, ‘Good Indeed’! You should know that this person’shead has been rubbed by Shakyamuni Buddha’s hand, and that he has been coveredby Shakyamuni Buddha’s robe. These quotes emphasize againanyone who have understood the LotusSutra is to meet Shakyamuni Buddha! Whether you get it by reading or byhearing from anyone, even from a ghost, as long as you understand it, it isequal to “hearing this Sutra from the Buddha’s mouth”. Isn’t it just likeBuddha imparting the dharma to you by himself ? You should know that thisperson has made offerings to Shakyamuni Buddha,who sees him as a treasure byrubbing his head and wrapping him up with Buddha’s rope. That’s why you’ve madeofferings to all Buddhas once you “heard”the Lotus Sutra, see if you understand or not.
大家还知道，八岁的龙女她不是成分真即佛，是成圆满佛。在《法华经·提婆达多品第十二》讲到，她就听文殊菩萨传了一遍《法华经》，当下证圆满佛。那海里的其他虾兵蟹将、龙子龙孙也成了无量的大菩萨，跟着文殊菩萨到法华盛会，是不是？
As we all know, the eight-year-old daughter of DragonKing became the perfect Supreme Buddha instead of the enlightened Bodhisattva.The Lotus Sutra·Chapter 12·Devadatta tells us that having heard the Lotus Sutra from Bodhisattva Manjusrifor only once, and instantly, she became the Perfect Supreme Buddha. Othershrimp soldiers, crab generals, sons and grandsons of Dragon king in the oceanalso became immeasurable great Bodhisattvas, then they followed Manjusri toattend the distinguished gathering of the Dharma Flower Assembly, right?
再看《楞严经》讲：决定成佛，譬如以尘扬于顺风，有何艰险；何藉劬劳，肯綮修证。「藉」是凭借，依靠。「劬劳」是非常劳苦。「肯綮」出庄子《养生篇》。骨间肉曰肯，筋肉结处曰綮。肯綮修证，即劳筋苦骨，勤勇修行之义。也就是说，我们要究竟成佛易如反掌啊！像大风吹小小的灰尘啊！哪里靠你去认真修？哪里靠你去刻苦修？你把两个耳朵带来就行了，只要听懂「一心三藏」，就成「分真即佛」！《法华经》《楞严经》就是讲一步登天！不立阶梯！无修无证！诸佛菩萨都是这样讲！佛当年肉身在世就是这样成就众生，不用离开讲经堂，当下成就！我们讲经十多年来，也是如此。
Let’s continue. The ShurangamaSutra says: To be a Buddha should be as easyas tossing dust into a favorable wind, Is there any danger that you will meetwith difficulty? What need is there to work yourself to the bone in pursuit ofawakening? 籍(Ji) means torely on or depend on. 劬(Qu )劳(Lao) means hardwork. 肯（Ken）綮(Qing) is fromZhuangzi· Nourishing the lord of life. 肯（Ken）is the meatbetween bones. 綮（Qing）is muscle joints.肯綮修证means work extremely hard andpractice undauntedly. In other words, to attain Buddhahood is as easy as apiece of cake! Just like strong wind blowing away tiny dust! Who says it relieson your serious practice or painstaking effort? Just come with your ears, aslong as you understand the truth of Three Treasuries of One Mind, you willdefinitely be an enlightened Bodhisattva! What the Lotus Sutra and the ShurangamaSutra talk are mainly about one step to Heaven! No ladder is needed! Nocultivation or certification! The same teaching delivered by every Buddha andBodhisattva. When the Buddha manifested as a human body in this world, hehelped all beings to achieve enlightenment this way, without leaving lecturehall, your achievement is at present! the same thing in our dharma teaching ofover ten years.
在《楞严经》最后一页：诸佛如来，语无虚妄。若复有人身具四重十波罗夷，瞬息即经此方他方阿鼻地狱，乃至穷尽十方无间，靡不经历。能以一念，将此法门，于末劫中开示未学，是人罪障应念销灭，变其所受地狱苦因，成安乐国。
The ShurangamaSutra states in the last page: All Buddha,Tathagatas, speakwords which are not false. There might be another person who had personallycommitted the four major offenses and the ten parajikas so that, in an instanthe would have to pass through the Avichi Hells in this world and other world,until he had passed through all the Relentless Hells of all over the placeswithout exception. And yet if he could explain this Dharma-gate of one thoughtto those in the Dharma-ending Age who have not studied it, his obstacles fromoffenses would be eradicated by response to the thought, and all the Hellswhere he was to undergo suffering would become lands of peace and bliss.
这是一段千古奇文。有些人说，《法华经》《楞严经》是大菩萨所持的法门呐！那我们看看这是什么人啊？犯四重、十波罗夷之罪的人啊，他是大根机的人吗？十波罗夷罪是杀佛、杀菩萨、杀罗汉，更不用说杀猪宰羊，无恶不作，十方三世还有谁比这个人再坏呀！一天都没有修，什么根机都没有，不仅最坏，而且只剩下一口气就要下地狱了，瞬息即经此方他方阿鼻地狱：不仅是要下此方地狱还要下他方地狱，因为他太坏了。乃至穷尽十方无间，靡不经历：十方佛土所有的无间地狱，没有一个他不经历的，因为他太坏了。这样的人「能以一念将此法门」——在快要断气的时候，他突然懂得了楞严大定，是不是？这一段经文呢，比较模糊，我们可以大概说明。他不仅懂了这个道理，而且发心能传给末世的修行人。这时呢，是人罪障，应念销灭：他明白这个道理了，所有的罪过当下一笔勾销——有没有讲明白这个道理以后，还到佛前去拜了三拜，念了三遍，有没有啊？没有啊！一句都没有。变其所受，地狱苦因，成安乐国：马上就下地狱了，却又转眼间到佛土了。
This is the most wondrous declaration through the ages.Someone says: “Well, the Lotus Sutraand the Shurangama Sutra are theDharma-gate for the great Bodhisattva!” But what about this guy mentionedabove? He committed the crime of four major offenses and the ten parajikas,Does he have sharp faculties? The crime of the ten parajikas are killingBuddha, killing Bodhisattva, killing Arhat, not to mention killing pigs andslaughtering sheep. he had done all these evil things. Is there anyone worsethan this guy throughout universe at all time?! He didn’t cultivate dharma forone single day, and no basic practices of Buddhism, he was such a bad guy thathe only had one last breath and was ready to go to hell, In an instant he would have to pass through the Avichi Hells inthis world and other world means he would go to not only thehell of this world, but also the hell of the other worlds because he was toobad.
Until he had passed through all theRelentless Hells of all over the places without exception : For all theinfernal hells of all Dharma Realms, there’s no hell he didn’t have to gothrough because he was too bad. For such a guy “If he could explain thisDharma-gate of one thought”—when he was about to die, he suddenly understoodthe Great Shurangama Samadhi, didn’t he? This paragraph of scripture isrelatively ambiguous, let’s explain briefly that he had not only understoodthis truth, but resolved to share it to the anagarikas in Dharma-ending Age.
At that time, his obstacles from offenses would be eradicated by the response tothe thought: The moment he understood the truth, all his faultswere written off in the moment—does the scripture say, after he understood thistruth, he then worshiped and chanted in front of Buddha for three times? Did he?No, he didn’t! Not even one word. All the Hells where he was toundergo suffering would become lands of peace and bliss: He was so closeto the hell, yet arrived in Pure Land in a blink of his eyes.
那一千二百五十阿罗汉中，憍陈如五比丘听佛讲了四圣谛，当下得「法眼净」。然后发心出家，从此世间才有了佛法僧三宝。舍利弗、目犍连，一见佛的面，几句话就证四果了，他们三皈依了没有？受五戒了没有？没有啊。
Among those one thousand two hundred and fifty Arhats,the five monks led by Kondanna gained the “pure dharma eyes” right after theyheard Buddha's teaching of the Four Noble Truths. Hence they resolved to becomemonk, since then, there have been the Triratna of the Buddha, Dharma and Sanghain this world. Sariputra and Mahamaudgalyayana who had just met Buddha,attained the fourth stage of Arhatship after they heard a few words fromBuddha. Did they take Ti-sarana and receive Five Precepts? No, they didn’t.
不管是大法、小法，你要会用心，明白道理当下了生死。而大法永远殊胜，因为它是无漏的。这个法这么简单，佛讲方便易成就，可是我们就是不敢相信，甚至来误解、攻击、诽谤，是不是很可惜呀？我从来没有给任何人授记，我只是把佛的金口玉言告诉大家，来自己印证自己。《法华经·方便品第二》最后一句：自知当作佛。你们自己应该知道自己成佛了没有，是不是？后面，舍利弗等五六批弟子向佛表白了一段话，自己先给自己授记，佛给他们印证，并进而授圆满佛果之记，是不是？是舍利弗他们自己先明白了，证到了。如果舍利弗他们没有明白的话，佛会给他授记吗？换句话说，不管有没有授记，只要你明白这个道理，你都成就了，是不是？
Whether it’s Mahayana or Hinayana, making good use ofyour heart to comprehend, you will put an end to birth and death the moment youunderstand the truth. And one vehicle is forever remarkable and outstanding,because it is no-outflows. This dharma is so simple that Buddha said it isconvenient and easy to achieve, but many of us dare not to believe, and evenmisunderstand, attack and slander it, isn’t it a great pity? I have never givenprediction of enlightenment for anyone, I just tell you the precious words ofBuddha, you can certify it by yourself.
The last words of the Lotus Sutra· Chapter2·Expedient Devices：You know you will reach Buddhahood. You should knowby yourself whether you have achieved Buddhahood, right? Later on, five or sixgroups of disciples such as Sariputra declared their enlightenment in theconversation with the Buddha, they predicted Buddhahood on their own first,Buddha then approved and gave them predictions of the fruition of PerfectSupreme Buddha, didn’t he? It is Sariputra and other disciples who had realizedthe truth and obtained it first; if they hadn’t understood, would the Buddhahave given them predictions? In other words, regardless the prediction, youwill be able to achieve Buddhahood as long as you understand the truth, won’tyou?
注：《楞严经》云，一切众生，从无始来，不知常住真心，性净明体，用诸妄想，此想不真，故有轮转。圆瑛大师讲：如来以舍识用根，为修楞严要旨，所以三番破识，全破其妄；十番显见，极显其真；二决定义，一决定以因同果，不可以生灭识心，为因地心；二决定从根解结，必宜取真常根性，入涅槃门。此皆如来金口所宣，学者未可抗违。又：不修首楞严大定，无漏之静虑，即无有出世间，真正之智慧。
Annotation: The ShurangamaSutra says, Since time without beginning,all beings have been undergoing death and rebirth over and over simply becausethey have not been aware of the pure understanding which is the essentialnature of the everlasting true mind. Instead, they engage in false thinking,their thoughts are not true, so they are bound to the cycle of birth and death.
Master Yuan Ying said: The Tathagata reveals that thecore of cultivating Shurangama is “to use the seeing nature instead of theconscious mind ”. Therefore, he points out and destroys the conscious mindthree times to disclose its total falseness; he demonstrates the seeing natureten times to expose the true nature tremendously. He explains the two decisivedoctrines, one is to make Buddha’s enlightenment on the ground of fruition asthe resolve on the cause-ground , the false mind that is subject to arising andceasing cannot be used as the resolve on the cause-ground; the other is tountie the knot from the roots and choose the everlasting true nature to enterthe gate of Nirvana. These are all precious words of the Tathagata, thefollowers should not defy it.
PS: If the practitioners don’t cultivate the GreatShurangama Samadhi，which is thenon-outflow contemplation, they will never gain true wisdom of the transcendent.
成佛不从修得，为什么不从修得？众生本来是佛。一面镜子上盖满了灰尘，看不到光亮，用毛巾把它擦干净了以后是一面明镜。没有擦之前，它是不是明镜啊？镜子的亮性是不是本来具足啊？虽然成佛不从修得，但不修也不得。不听经不明理，不能得解脱受用。如同镜子要不擦的话，它发挥不了作用。同时，明理成分真即佛以后，还要悟后进修无量法门，才能成大圆满佛。
Buddhahood cannot be attained from cultivation, why?All beings are Buddha by nature. Just like a mirror is not able to reflect anylight when fully covered by dust. However it will be a clear mirror after youwipe it with a towel. Is it a clear mirror before wiping? The mirror’s featureof reflection is originally complete in itself, isn’t it? Buddhahood cannot beattained from cultivation, nor without cultivation. Listening to no sutra andunderstanding no truth, you’ll have no chance to get liberated or use fully thewonderful nature of yours. Just like the mirror won’t shine by itself withoutwiping. At the same time, you will never be the Perfect Supreme Buddha untilyou have finished cultivating numerous Dharma-gates after you become an enlightenedBodhisattva by understanding of the truth.
禅宗有一句话头，「二人同饮一杯水」。你想一想看，二人能同饮吗？你讲两只鸟、两只鸡同饮一杯水，可以说得过去啊，人不可以，是不是？所以这个「二人」，是什么「二人」呢？一个是坐在这里听课的假人，一个是第七识。第七识是前面六种意识心智慧的九倍，他从来不睡觉，也没有死亡的时候。不管你懂不懂，他都已经听懂了。我经常讲，你们听不懂是假的，听得懂是真的。
A saying goes in Dhyana, “Two people drink a glass ofwater at the same time.”Think about it, can two people drink a glass of waterat the same moment? It’s okay if you say two birds or two chickenssimultaneously drink a glass of water. It is impossible for human beings, isn’tit? Who on earth are these “two people”? One is the puppet who sits herelistening, the other is the seventh consciousness. The wisdom of the seventhconsciousness is nine times wiser than that of the the front sixconsciousnesses, who neither sleeps nor dies. It doesn’t matter if youunderstand or not, he understood anyway. As I often mentioned, it’s not true tosay that you don’t understand , as a matter of fact, you know what I am saying.
想不想跟里面那个「真人」见见面啊？真想的话我给引见一下，不要一天到晚还不知道自己的真人是谁。有时候我们信口开河，讲出一句很妙的话，或者很糟糕的话，是不是？讲了糟糕的话以后，就想打嘴巴、咬舌头，为什么？会得罪人。注意，开始后悔想打嘴巴的那个心，就是前面的眼耳鼻舌身意这六种意识心。而信口开河的那个心就是我们的真心——第七识。
Do you want to meet the “true self” inside? I wouldlike to introduce if you are really interested. Don’t be like staying with yourtrue self all day long without knowing who you are. Sometimes we brag and saysomething excellent or stupid, right? After saying something stupid, we justwant to slap our face and bite our tongue, why? Those words may offend others.Please note that the mind which begins to feel regret and want to slap your ownmouth is the front six consciousnesses of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body andmind. The one who boasts without thinking is our true mind—the seventh consciousness.
再比如，我们不慎摔一个大跟头，前方有大石头，请问你这个时候会不会在那里打官腔：「摔个大跟头，前面有个大石头，手不抱头，头破血流，两只手干什么，还不赶快抱一抱……」然后两只手把头抱起来，会不会这样啊？根本不会，当下就抱，是不是？这就是真人在指挥，也就是「潜意识」或者叫作「下意识」。
Let’s take another example. Sometimes when weaccidentally stumble and fall owning to a big rock in front of us, let me askyou, would you talk like a bureaucrat at that moment :“I stumbled and there isa huge rock ahead, if I don’t protect my head with my hands, my head will breakand bleed. What am I doing with my hands, why not hurry up and hold the head”—atlast, your hands hold your head. Would it be like this? Absolutely not, youwould hold your head in the moment, right? This is the order made by our “trueself”, namely, “subconsciousness” or “unconscious mind”
在「中阴身」期内，肉团身这个无明壳销毁，六种意识心已经不复存在，此时当家做主的非第 七识不可，明白吗？生前听经闻法证得的功德当下现前。其实何须到中阴身期间，他现在就已经成就，这叫瞒天过海。瞒六种意识心之天，过生死之海到佛土，这叫「俱崇密化之迹」（出自道宣律师《妙法莲华经·弘传序》），它已经秘密地把我们的这个心化为佛土，化为菩萨，所以这个法最妙。当年现场听佛传法的众生，他们也不知道自己当下成为法身菩萨。佛直接就宣布，有多少众生证得什么果位。
During our bardo state, our physical body—this shell ofignorance, is destroyed, and the front six consciousnesses don’t exist anymore.At that time the only host must be our seventh consciousness, get it? The meritand virtue that you accumulated from listening dharma and learning sutras whenyou are alive will show up in the moment. In fact, why wait until bardo state,he(our seventh consciousness) has already achieved now, which is called“crossing the sea by a trick”. By playing a trick on six consciousnesses, wecross the sea of birth and death and reach the Buddha Land, the so-called “Thesecret path followed to the other shore.” (quoted from the Lotus Sutra·Preface forPropagation by Precept Master Dao Xuan), it has secretly transformedour mind into the Buddha Land and Bodhisattva, so this dharma is the mostwonderful one. During the Buddha’s time, the beings who attended the assemblyand heard Buddha’s teaching didn’t know they attained Bodhisattva’s the dharmabody in the moment, but the Buddha directly announced how many people and whichstage of fruition they have certified.
注：中阴身：自亡者断气，第八意识脱离躯壳，至转世投胎前的这个过程称之为「中阴身」。所谓「前阴已谢，后阴未至，中阴现前。」前阴已谢指这一生寿命已经结束。后阴未至是说还没有再次投胎。就一般而言，人死后皆有中阴身。然大善大恶者则无。你生前积极行善，认真修行，乃至明心见性，断气后不经历中阴阶段，当下往生极乐。升天及下地狱者，亦然。
Annotation: Bardo: The period from the moment thedeceased takes his final breath and the eighth consciousness leaves thephysical body up to the next rebirth, is called “bardo”. This is so-called“previous life withered, rebirth is yet to come and bardo shows up.” “Previouslife withered” means this life is over, “Rebirth yet to come” means the statebefore rebirth occurs. Generally speaking, people all have bardo after deathexcept people of great kindness or great evil. If you have done a lot of gooddeeds and cultivated diligently, or even achieved enlightenment, you will skipthe state of bardo, and will be born in Pure Land in the moment. The same istrue for those who will go to the heaven or fall to the hell.
我们听经闻法，不历修证，当下成就「分真即佛」，只能保证不落六道轮回，最多可能成地上菩萨、等觉菩萨。像龙女那样当下成圆满佛，毕竟是极其个别。所以明白道理以后，还要广修六度万行。好，经过这样开示，以上18位同修，认为自己现在成就的请举手（举手者10位）。
By means of listening to sutras and dharma teachings,we will achieve the “enlightened Bodhisattva”in the moment without experiencingcultivation, which guarantees that you will never fall into six realms ofsamsara, or become Bodhisattva of beyond grounds or Bodhisattva of EqualEnlightenment at best. To become Perfect Supreme Buddha in the moment like theDragon King’s daughter is an extremely rare exception. Hence after we know thetruth we still need to widely cultivate the six Paramitas and the MyriadPractices. Okay, after this instruction and explanation, for the previous 18fellows, please raise your hand if you think you have achieved now. (10 handraisers)
好，法会到此圆满。
Great, That is the end of a complete Buddhadhamaassembly.
佛历二五五四年 扬州文峰寺
Buddhistcalendar, year 2554
Wenfeng Temple,Yangzhou
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发表于 2021-8-26 11:10:50
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