◎分段生死，是凡夫三界內，肉體上的生死。
◎『變易生死』是三乘行者於三界外，心念生滅的生死。
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【證嚴上人開示】
修行就是想要瞭解生死大事。人生，生死是最苦不堪！所以學佛，也是要能了徹生死大事。
我們昨天也有說過日月燈明佛，他化緣已盡，開始宣告即將入滅。入滅就是涅槃的意思。「滅」我們說過，叫做「滅度」，就是要滅除煩惱。
學佛，我們最重要就是能到「永斷夢妄思想念」。《無量義經》不是常常在讀誦嗎，希望我們能滅除「妄」——妄想；與我們的「思」——思惟；以及我們的「想」——外面的境界，我們的心，那個念念的念頭。希望我們修行，能滅除這種「夢妄思想念」，那就是「見、思、惑」。
「惑」就是不明白，就是無明。無明，不明白，到底天下事有多少？除了我們自己的妄想，知見妄想，還有外面的境界，一切的形相在我們的心裡，那個變遷無量數，所以叫做『塵沙惑』。
「塵」就是沙土，比沙子還細叫做「塵」。就像我們東西放著，也沒有風，沒有什麼，二天後你來看，動這個東西，摸摸看它，看是看不到，摸起來還有沙沙的(感覺)。這比沙還要細，叫做塵。所以「塵沙惑」，很微細的沙塵，我們的煩惱有那麼多，難免我們日常生活，就是在這無明中，業累，造業累累。
所以我們造了業之後，到底我們要如何離開這個身體？那就叫做「分段生死」。這就是凡夫在三界內，我們現在還在欲界，滿心都是欲念，有了這個欲念就會貪，貪求不到就發脾氣，這種貪、瞋，造成了我們的愚癡，就是層層一直覆上去，所以這全都是叫做無明，就是叫做塵沙惑。
這無明不知如何來？過去生，我們到底與這對父母結什麼緣？好緣或者壞緣？我們不知道。總是有緣才來投生在這個家庭、這對父母。還有，與你這群的兄弟姊妹又是什麼緣？就是有緣，才會來與同對父母生。還有，朋友、親戚、同學等等，無緣絕對不會相會。
所以到底過去是，造何因？結何緣？在這輩子，好壞環境、好壞因緣中在生活，在這樣的生活，生活得很辛苦。這麼辛苦，到底今天、明天，今天能一天都平安嗎？明天，我們能接觸到明天嗎？不知道。凡夫就是在這無常中，欲愈重，造業愈多。所以說來，若是在凡夫，那就是「分段生死」。
分段生死
是凡夫三界內
肉體上的生死
在這三界之內，我們的身體，這個肉體就是父母所生來，我們在無明中生活，無明中的生活又再造業。所以一期的生死到了，一期的緣結束，這期，就是這段的生死、我們今生此世，這世的生死；我們若在無明中，就是再累積很多的業，結束了這世，又是再帶去來世。到底來世我們的因緣，又是在何處？我們不知道。這叫做凡夫的「分段生死」。
現在在人間，去除了人間這段，說不定我們(落)在畜生道。畜生道也是一段的生死，或者是人間這苦難的生死，反正在這六道就是如此在分段、分段，隨著你的業力所造作，如此一段一段在生死中。這叫做六道輪迴，分段生死。就是在這身體裡，有肉體的分段生死。
變易生死
是三乘行者於三界外
心念生滅的生死
也說在「三乘行者」，就是聲聞、獨覺、菩薩，同樣是在人間。聲聞，是聞佛說法而覺悟，能體會這個道理，體會了但是還未很覺悟，這就是聲聞。
獨覺，雖然未接觸到佛，因為生在無佛的世界之時，他有與生俱來明覺的本性，所以在四季，春夏秋冬，在這氣候與大地萬物的變易，他覺悟，緣著這個境界而覺悟，這叫做緣覺。但是這種的覺悟，只是去體會到天地間無常，其中的道理他還未很清楚。（註：生於無佛之世，名曰「獨覺」；生於有佛之世，名曰「緣覺」。）
若是菩薩呢？菩薩，當然他有那個因緣聞佛說法，開始發心、立願，行佛的教法，入人群中行六波羅密，就是度眾生。如此，菩薩是不是完全脫離生死，叫做滅度？尚未。因為菩薩就是有新發意的菩薩，當然也有法身菩薩。若是法身菩薩，就如觀世音(菩薩)、文殊師利(菩薩)、彌勒(菩薩)等等，這些大菩薩。
觀世音菩薩是過去正法明如來，已經是成佛的菩薩再來人間，現在的觀世音菩薩。文殊菩薩是過去已經成佛，龍種上尊王佛，已經是成佛了，之後再來人間度化眾生。文殊菩薩不只是成過佛，再來度化眾生，也有七尊佛，受他教化過已經成佛，這叫做古佛。
古佛再來回歸娑婆，現菩薩的形相，像這樣的菩薩，他就不在「分段」與「變易」生死之內，已經是圓寂，已經入圓滿寂靜的境界。但是還有心，他不忍眾生苦難，所以已經出三界，叫做三界外的菩薩、聖人，他還有心念生滅。
在這心念，若是小乘，比如聲聞、緣覺，他還有內心的「生、住、異、滅」，他還有微分的起心動念的那種變易；但是到了大乘菩薩，他就是心念，心念的變易，他用大悲的心，還是要再來回歸娑婆，不過他是來去自如。
我們有一位環保菩薩，有一天，身體不好了，生病了，就來到我們臺中的醫院。來的時候，一些師姊就去關心她：「老菩薩，妳怎麼了？」
她就說：「年紀大了，總是有一天（會往生）。」
師姊：「妳來醫院……。」
「是啊，我來醫院，最重要的，就是要告訴師姊，妳一定要向我的子孫說，拜託他們不要為我哭。我若有一天（往生了），不要為我哭。我的身體應該也是要回收，我的身體也要資源回收。」
說得很輕鬆。
我們的師姊就告訴她：「老菩薩，看您這樣灑脫，您到底想去西方？或者是東方？」
她停頓一下就回答，她說：「西方說是淨土，東方說是琉璃世界，這二個地方都沒有環保可做。我在娑婆世界住得很習慣了，環保也做得很習慣，聽師父的法也聽得很習慣，我想趕快再來，可以再來做環保，娑婆世界也不錯。」
我們師姊也是菩薩，她就說：「早上我有聽到師父說，今天天公生，是好日。師父說日日是好日，天公生……。」就與她說這些話。
她聽了就說：「哦！師父說今天是好日啊！好，這樣好。」就去了，這麼解脫。
這時間到底多久呢？我們這位菩薩就說，一位護士進來要為她抽血，所以那個針筒裝進去，在試針筒，就這樣的時間。針筒還沒有準備好，她就與她在說話，說到今天是好日子，她就說：「今天是好日子啊！這樣好。」就去了。時間就在護士準備針筒的時間內，如此而已。歡歡喜喜說話，到底她要去哪裡呢？我們就很瞭解了。
這樣的菩薩，我聽到實在是很歡喜，那麼自在，她就已經發心立願，她的心就是心念生滅的生死。她的心想要到那裡去？她一定再來娑婆世界。她要滅，滅什麼呢？那就是「見思惑」，這些煩惱她不怕。
雖然人群中，在娑婆世界的眾生，有這麼多、這麼多的煩惱，但是若沒有菩薩，再倒駕來度眾生，眾生永遠沉迷。佛陀本來也已經斷了生死，他已經覺行圓滿，但是，還是迴入娑婆，現相成佛，要來度眾生，所以要來說法。
所以說來，生死，我們看日月燈明佛將入滅，他的慈悲來安慰眾生，要離開之前，還授記德藏菩薩即將來度人間。這種的滅度，我們滅，就是要滅掉「見思惑」，心靈的煩惱，但是我們要發大心、立大願，煩惱斷完了，我們還是要回歸人群。
我們就要在人群中磨練，才能知道人群眾生的習性，眾生有什麼樣的習氣、什麼樣的根機，我們瞭解後才能對機逗教。所以，要再迴入娑婆度眾生，必定要在人群中，瞭解人群種種的無明，塵沙的煩惱，如此我們才能對機逗教。
各位菩薩，真正這是很微細，心靈，但也是人生最煩惱的生死。這個生老病死，肉體，有了這個肉體，真的是在生老病死中，分段、分段在生死，很苦！是不是還能再來人間？不知道。下一段的生命是什麼形？這種的分段生死，苦不堪！
「變易生死」是在心裡，那個心願。小乘者他的心念，若能再前進、進修，發大心、立大願，生生世世這種的願，自然就是再迴入娑婆。這是他的心願。
所以我們學佛，真的要把這個心念照顧好。一定有這種的生死變化，這我們人人都要清楚，有這二種生死：「分段生死」、「變易生死」。我們的心，不要讓它起心，因為我們就是一念無明生三細，所以這個心理的變易我們要很注意。所以，請大家時時要多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Completely Understanding Cyclic Existence (了徹生死大事)
Date: November. 13. 2013
We engage in spiritual cultivation to understand the vital topic of cyclic existence. Birth and death is the most painful part of life. So, we learn the Buddha’s Way to thoroughly understand the great matter of cyclic existence. Yesterday, I also discussed Sun-Moon-Lamp-Radiant Buddha and how when His conditions for transforming this world ended, He announced His impending entry into Parinirvana, Entering extinction is entering Parinirvana. Previously, I spoke of “crossing into extinction” which is eliminating afflictions. A very important [goal] in studying Buddhism is “eliminating deluded thinking, perceiving and recalling.” Aren’t we always reading and reciting this in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings? I hope we can eliminate our “delusions,” and our “thinking,” as well as our “perceiving”. External conditions cause our minds to give rise to many thoughts. In our spiritual practice, we hope to eliminating this thinking, perceiving, recalling, the “delusions of views and thinking.”
Delusion comes from ignorance and lack of clarity. There are so many things [happening] in the world. In addition to our own delusions of knowledge and views, there are also delusions from external conditions. All forms and appearances arise in our minds and change countless times. Therefore, they are the “dust-like delusions”. “Dust” is even finer than sand and dirt. After leaving something out with no wind or any other factors, when we come back after two days and touch it, we may not see anything but we [can feel] a powdery texture. This texture finer than sand is called dust. So, the “dust-like delusions” refer to very fine, powdery dust. With afflictions as numerous as dust, inevitably we live in a state of ignorance and accumulate a lot of karma. So after we have created karma, how do we actually leave this body? We go through “fragmentary samsara” because we are still trapped in the Three Realms. Right now we are still in the desire realm and are filled with desires, so we are greedy. We get angry when we do not get what we want. This greed and anger results in ignorance, which layer by layer, covers [our minds]. So, this is ignorance and dust-like delusions.
Where did this ignorance come from? In our past lives, what affinities did we form with our parents? We do not know if they were good or bad affinities but [we do know] these affinities caused us to be reborn into this family, to these parents.Also, what affinities did we form with our siblings?Because we have these affinities, we were born to these parents.We would not encounter these friends, relatives, classmates without karmic affinities.So, we wonder what karmic causes and conditions we created in the past to be living in these good or bad conditions now.We may be currently enduring great hardships and still there is no guarantee whether we will live until tomorrow.We do not know.Ordinary people live in a state of impermanence.
The stronger their desires, the more karma they create.Therefore, as ordinary people, we experience “fragmentary samsara”.
Fragmentary samsara is the cyclic existence of the physical body in the Three Realms.
In the Three Realms, our physical body comes from our parents.We live in a state of ignorance, and thus we create more karma.So, this lifetime ends when our karmic conditions end.This period, this lifetime, is a fragment of samsara.If we continue to live this lifetime in ignorance, we will accumulate even more karma and will bring it into our next lifetime as this one ends.Where will our karmic conditions take us in our next lifetime?We do not know.This is “fragmentary samsara”.
We exist in the human realm now.But after this lifetime, we may [fall] into the animal destiny.That will also be a fragment of cyclic existence.We may also come back to a lifetime of suffering in this world.As long as we are in the Six Destinies, we will live in the fragmentary samsara created as a result of our karma.Each period of cyclic existence is a rebirth in the Six Destinies, or fragmentary samsara.Fragmentary samsara is related to our physical existence.
Transformational samsara is when practitioners of the Three Vehicles transcend the Three Realms and the arising and ceasing of thoughts.
Practitioners of the Three Vehicles are Hearers, Solitary Realizers and Bodhisattvas.They also exist in this world.Hearers hear the Buddha’s teachings and comprehend His principles.However, their awakening is not complete.These people are Headers.Solitary Realizers are born in ears without Buddhas, so they never come in contact with Them.They awaken their intrinsic nature by contemplating the four seasons, spring, summer, fall and winter, and, through the changes in the climate and the world, they attain realizations.
By coming in contact with these conditions, they became awakened, so they are also known as Realizers of Conditions.But their awakening is only limited to impermanence in the world.They still do not clearly understand the principles behind it.
What about Bodhisattvas?Of course Bodhsiattvas have the affinity to listen to the Buddha expound teachings, to make aspirations and vows to practice the Buddha’s teachings.Practicing the Six Paramitas as we interact with others is a way to transform sentient beings. By doing so, are Bodhisattvas completely freed from samsara? Have they crossed into extinction? They have not. Bodhisattvas include newly-inspired Bodhisattvas and Dharmakaya Bodhisttvas.
Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas refer to great Bodhisattvas such as Guanyin, Manjusri (Bodhisattva), Maitreya (Bodhisattva) and so on. In the past, Guanyin Bodhisattva was Clear-True-Dharma Tathagata. He was a Bodhisattva who came back to this world after attaining Buddhahood. Manjusri Bodhisattva had attained Buddhahood as the Honorable Dragon King Buddha. He came back again to transform sentient beings. Not only had he come to transform sentient beings after attaining Buddhahood, he taught seven other people who have already become Buddhas. [Those like] Manjusri were ancient Buddhas. Ancient Buddha came back to the Saha World and manifested as Bodhisattvas. These Bodhisattvas are not caught up in fragmentary or transformational samsara. They have already achieved perfect rest, a state of tranquility and stillness. But they could not bear for sentient beings to suffer. Though they have left the Three Realms and reached the state of transcendent Bodhisattvas, thoughts still arise and cease in their minds.
Small Vehicle practitioners, such as Hearers and Realizers of Conditions, still experience arising, abiding, changing and ceasing in their minds. They still experience changes that come from even the slight stirring of thoughts. However, Great Vehicle Bodhisattvas experience changes in thoughts that lead them to exercise great compassion to return to the Saha World. Moreover, they can come and go with ease.
We had a recycling Bodhisattav who fell ill one day and came to our hospital in Taichung. When she arrived, some volunteers visited her. “Old Bodhisattva, how are you doing?”She said, “I am old, I will die eventually”.“Why did you come to the hospital?”“The main reason I came to the hospital was to ask you to tell my children and grandchildren not to cry for me. When I [pass away] someday, they must not cry? My body should be recycled as well.”Since she spoke so lightheartedly, another volunteer then asked, “Old Bodhisattva, you are so carefree. Do you want to go to the western or the eastern pure land?”She answered after a brief pause, “The Pure Land is in the west, the Crystal land is in the east. There is no recycling to be done in either place. I am used to living in the Saha World, used to doing recycling work. I’m also used to listening to Master’s teachings. I want to quickly come back and do recycling work again. The Saha World is not a bad palce.”
Then, our volunteers, also a Bodhisattva, said to her, “I heard Master say this morning that today is an auspicious day, the Jade Emperor’s Birthday. “But every day is a good day, like his birthday. These were the words she told [the elder]. Upon hearing this, [the elderly woman] said, “Oh? Master says today is a good day? That is good.”Thus, she passed away. She was so liberated. How much time did it take? Our volunteer described, “A nurse had come in to draw blood and had to prepare the syringe. It happened then the syringe was not even ready yet.” That was why she talked to the elder and told her that today was a good day. Then [the patient] said, “Today is a good day? That is good.” Thus, she passed away. This all happened in the time the nurse took to prepare the syringe. That is all.They were chatting happily about where she was going. We can understand this very well. When I heard about such a Bodhisattva, I was truly very happy, she lived with such ease and had already made vows and aspirations. Her thoughts were beyond living and dying. Where did she want to go? She definitely wanted to return to the Saha World.
What does she want eliminate? The “delusions of views and thinking.” She is not afraid of afflictions. Living among sentient beings in the Saha World [may give rise to] many afflictions, but if no Bodhisattvas return to transform sentient beings, they will remain deluded and lost forever. This Buddha’s cyclic existence was already ended; He already had perfect enlightened conduct,but He still returned to the Saha World and manifested the attainment of enlightenment To transform sentient beings,He came to give teachings. When we talk about samsara, we saw that as Sun-Moon-Lamp-Radiant Buddha was about to enter Parinirvana, He comforted sentient beings our of compassion
Before He left, He even bestowed the prediction of Buddhahood upon Virtue Treasury Bodhisattva. Crossing into extinction is about eliminating the “delusions of views and thinking, the afflictions of the mind”. But we need to form great aspirations and make great vows.After we have eliminate afflictions, we must still go among people to train ourselves, to learn sentient beings’ habitual tendencies.Only by knowing the habitual tendencies and capacities of sentient beings are we able to teach according to their capabilities.So to return to the Saha World to transform sentient beings, we must go among people to understand them and their various kinds of ignorance and dust-like afflictionsThen we may teach according to capabilities.
Fellow Bodhisattvas, the mind is truly very subtle the mind is truly very subtle.We worry most about dying.Birth, aging, illness and death come with this physical body come with this physical body.With fragmentary samsara comes great suffering.Can we return to this world in our next life? We do not know.What form will we take on in our next lifetime? This fragmentary samsara is full of suffering.But transformational samsara exists in the mind, based on our vows.
If Small Vehicle practitioners vow to keep moving forward and to practice, and if they can form great aspirations and make great vows lifetime after lifetime, they will naturally return to the Saha World because this is their resolve.
So as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we msut truly take good care of our minds.We must go through this transformation.This is something we must clearly understand. There are two types of samsara, fragmentary samsara and transformational samsara.
We cannot allow our minds to give rise to thoughts because an ignorant thought crates the Three Subtleties.So,we must very carefully watch out for changes in the workings of our minds,So everyone, please always be mindful
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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