⊙「諸佛出世化儀道同，為一大事為實施權，如量智隨眾生機，如理智啟極妙諦。」
⊙一大事因緣故：佛出現於世而說法者為因一大事之因緣也。云何為一大事？總言之則轉迷開悟也。
⊙佛之出現於世，實非由宿業果報，乃本其大悲願力，以示現知見之義。此乃為佛之知見使能發心起行以自證於究竟實相也。
⊙欲令眾生悟佛知見者，即令其覺悟之義。
【證嚴上人開示】
「諸佛出世化儀道同，為一大事為實施權，如量智隨眾生機，如理智啟極妙諦。」
諸佛出世化儀道同
為一大事為實施權
如量智隨眾生機
如理智啟極妙諦
也就是要告訴大家，無論是現在的釋迦佛，過去無量世界諸佛，他們「化儀」，就是出現人間之時，所經歷、教化都是同樣的方式。
就如釋迦佛，降皇宮，長大、成人，如何對人間的看法，如何起出家之心，修行的過程，成佛度眾生等等，這就是諸佛來人間的方式，所以叫做「佛佛道同」。
每一尊佛，對眾生的心願都是一樣，如何來教育眾生，讓眾生能夠瞭解，本身與佛同等的智慧，如來本性，這也是每一尊佛對眾生的期待。同樣，眾生愚鈍，所以每一尊佛對著眾生，還是一樣，為實施權，這全都是每一尊佛來人間，一大事的因緣。
但是，就是要說真實的道理，很多人無法接受得了，聽不懂，體會不到。所以，佛陀為了要讓大家，有時間來適應，慢慢接引，讓他能夠體會，所以佛陀必定要用，施用「如量智」。「如量智」就是適應眾生根機；眾生何種根機，佛陀就是量身訂做，同樣的方式。就如，幼稚園的老師，對幼稚園的學生講話，就是用幼稚園階段，這樣的語言；經過了小學、中學、大學，一直到研究(所)、博士等等，說的話就是不同。這叫做「如量智」。
「如理智」呢？就是要明心見性；讓大家直指明心見性。我們人人本具有的！這是佛陀的知見，就是佛清淨無染的真如妙智。啟極妙之諦，就是要來開啟我們，我們人人就是本具與佛同等，如來清淨的道理。這就是佛陀來人間的，一大事因緣。就是要告訴大家「佛、心、眾生，三無差別」，人人都有與佛同等真如本性。這就是這麼簡單，佛陀來人間的一大事因緣。
一大事因緣故：
佛出現於世
而說法者
為因一大事
之因緣也
云何為一大事
總言之
則轉迷開悟也
這「一大事因緣故」，為了一大事因緣，「佛出現世間而說法者」，因為這一大事因緣，所以佛陀出現於世間，為眾生說法，「為因一大事之因緣(也)」。
何謂「一大事因緣」？云何為一大事因緣？總而言之，就是要為眾生轉迷開悟。
只為了眾生在這麼迷茫的人間，種種的法在我們的生活中，偏偏我們脫離了法的軌道，那就迷失了。就如愛爬山的人，若走到山上去，明明有路可走，他卻是方向一點偏差，這樣就迷失了，就不知道路在哪裡。
曾告訴過大家，我走過了都蘭山，走過了那棵大榕樹，不知幾千年的原始森林，那棵大榕樹，已經找不到它本身，那個樹身到底在何處，因為密密都是，全都榕樹的大根在。那個時候，進到大樹林裡，真的是迷了，迷了山(路)，路在何處？同樣是一片山，同樣是一枝、一枝的樹身，只在這麼多的樹裡鑽不出來，認不出這株樹，原本的樹身在何處。不知道你們曾見過這樣的樹嗎？
有時候就想，我們眾生不就像這樣嗎？每一次若說到轉迷開悟，我就會想到在都蘭山的境界，很恐怖，迷下去，路在何處真的都不知！
我們要如何才能安全？回歸自己的本性，我們就能很安全；我們就能與佛同等，徹悟宇宙萬物真理。你們想，這樣還會再被迷走嗎？所以，這是佛陀的一大事，希望我們人人回歸如來本性，再也不要再迷了。所以，一大事因緣，就是為了要指導眾生，轉迷開悟，這是佛陀的慈悲。
佛之出現於世
實非由宿業果報
乃本其大悲願力
以示現知見之義
此乃為佛之知見
使能發心起行
以自證於
究竟實相也
「佛之出現於世，實非由宿業果報」，絕對不是。我們凡夫是因緣果報，隨著因、緣牽引，我們生生世世於六道中。我們若是過去生造福業，我們自然與那對父母、那個環境，我們出生，從小一直到大，環境很順、很好，享受了人間所有的福與慧。還有的人就不同了，一生就是苦啊苦，出生於苦難的家庭，生活在貧窮的環境，很想要如何脫離貧窮。
還記得嗎？有一天，在大林(慈院)，志工說一個故事。一位阿嬤，小時候出生就是很貧困，住在深山村莊裡，從小就一直苦，沒得吃。一直到十餘歲，就是一個心願，要如何能夠趕緊脫離這種貧困，苦難的家庭。所以，有人就來提親，十七、八歲，就是無論什麼樣的對象，能夠脫離這個貧困的家庭最好，就這樣嫁出去了。
卻是嫁出去之後，雖然住在平地裡，也是接近都會，卻也是貧。又在一個生疏的家庭，婆婆，這個緣結得不好，又是撐一個家庭，又是經濟困難，又要每天看人家的臉色，聽到的都是很不歡喜的事情。婆媳的感情非常惡劣，先生在外面做工，喝酒、賭博，這種苦比在家未嫁之前更苦，不願照顧家庭。
所以因此，到了中年，受不了這種的苦，她就提出了離婚。離婚之後，帶著女兒，到外面要如何生活？很辛苦地做工養孩子，很辛苦。有人向她介紹 (對象)，就又嫁了，又嫁一個死了太太的先生。人家有前妻之子，到底在此，又要適應人家的前妻之子，在這個家庭也是一樣很不好過。
不過，這位先生不久就往生了，就在這樣的家庭，有自己的孩子，有別人的孩子，自己同樣要再辛苦。
到了八十多歲，身體病了，在我們的醫院，大林醫院住院。苦，每天哭著喊苦。這個苦，誰能知道呢？無人會來照顧她。前妻之子哪有對後母，這個緣就不好，女兒雖然是孝順，但是在他鄉外里，所以，還是在那裡苦。後來，有一天女兒來看她，就替她母親說出母親的心情，一輩子的苦難。
她的女兒，就去找異父異母的兄弟。這個兄弟出現了，慈濟人來說服他們，見到這樣，媳婦來的時候，志工就以因緣果報的道理，說給他們聽，媳婦也嚇到，所以趕緊要來孝順，三不五時來看她。
終於，老人到最後這個時候，有人看顧了。後來，人家問她說：「阿嬤，您將來的後事，您是不是要交代？」阿嬤就說：「我就很想，很想要，回到孩子的家。我從何處來，就讓我到何處去。」這樣到底她是要去何處呢？前妻的孩子，沒有人要認後媽，自己前夫生的孩子，已經都離開了。所以她到底最後要回到何處？沒有人要讓她回去。所以，連最後，就是在醫院草草料理，之後，這樣送去塔裡。
看，這位老人，老婆婆，一輩子八十多年的時間，從出生，她就是這樣，她也很掙扎，要如何能夠脫離這個苦難。想想，這種定業不可轉，這種因緣果報，這是我們凡夫。凡夫來人間，就是因為宿業果報而來。
佛陀不是。佛陀已經脫離了三界六道，所以他是為了，不忍心三界六道眾生的苦；這個苦就是有一念迷，一迷下去，不悟，所以，在迷之中，一直複製煩惱、無明，因緣果報，這樣一直是人生受盡折磨。佛陀不忍心，所以他出現人間。出現世間，不是因為宿業果報來，乃是本具大悲願力，這是佛的大悲願力。
為了要來度眾生，為了要救拔眾生，所以他示現在人間，這就是佛之知見。佛知道眾生種種的因緣果報，這是佛的知見。他看盡了人世間，瞭解了三界六道的境界，這是佛之知見。所以，佛陀要使人人覺悟。覺就是菩提，就是要引導人人，走出這條菩提道路。
所以，使人人發心，我們人人都要覺悟，覺悟，就與佛同樣的心。佛陀不忍心眾生的苦難，這叫做發心。開發了我們的心，就要起行，我們要身體力行。
所以我們常常說，說「三無漏學」戒、定、慧；同時，我們要聞、思、修——聽、思考、好好修行；平時的生活要持戒，心要定，啟發我們的智慧，這都是在發心起行的過程。修行，所以若有這樣發心起行，就「以自證於究竟實相(也)」，我們若能如此，人人都能夠去證實真如的本性。只要你能夠起行，我們能夠與佛同等，不忍眾生的苦。
我們自己就已經迷，迷得很苦，我們能修佛的教法，我們瞭解道，道路，同時我們也要牽引他人，一起走這條的道路，「欲令眾生悟佛知見」，就是令人人能夠覺悟。
欲令眾生
悟佛知見者
即令其覺悟之義
覺悟，人人就是本具佛性。這是佛陀的心，希望我們人人能夠明白，我們的佛性永遠都存在，永遠都能夠與佛平等。只是可惜，我們凡夫，我們現在還在迷途裡，儘管有人要引導我們：「來啊，來啊，要走這條路才對。」但是，有的人還是瞻前顧後，還是無法一心向前前進。這就是我們眾生業累，有業將我們拖累住。
所以，我們能夠一心一志，啟於行動，向佛陀所教化，我們真心來接受佛陀的教育，若如此，我們才能夠一步一步往上，走出了那個境界，愈來愈開闊的境界，我們才看得到。所以人人要時時多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Putting Aspirations into Practice (令發心起行)
Date: April. 22. 2014
“All Buddhas come to the world to manifest and teach the same path. For the one great work, for true principles, they gave provisional teachings. Using relative wisdom, they teach according to capabilities. Using ultimate wisdom, they awaken others to supremely wondrous truths.”
This is telling everyone that all Buddhas, from the present Sakyamuni Buddha to past Buddhas of infinite worlds, come to “manifest and teach”. So, when They manifest in this world, Their experiences and teachings are very similar.
For example, Sakyamuni Buddha was born and grew to adulthood in the palace. The way He developed His views on this world and His determination to become a monastic, the process of His spiritual practice, His attainment of Buddhahood and transformation of sentient beings, etc. are similar to all Buddhas who come to this world. So, it is said, “All Buddhas share the same path.”
Every Buddha has the same hope for sentient beings. They came to teach and help them understand that they themselves have a wisdom equal to all Buddhas’ Tathagata-nature. This was each Buddha’s hope for sentient beings. However, sentient beings are ignorant and [slow]. So, each Buddha gave sentient beings provisional teachings to teach true principles. This was because each Buddha came to the world for the one great cause, but if They [directly] taught true principles, many people could not accept them, could not understand for realize them. Thus, in order to give everyone time to adjust, the Buddha slowly guided them toward realizations. So, the Buddha had to apply “relative wisdom”. “Relative wisdom” adapts to sentient beings’ capabilities. Based on their capabilities, the Buddha gave them methods that suited them. He did this for everyone.
For example, when kindergarten teachers talk to their students, they use language suitable for young children. In elementary school, middle school, high school, college and graduate school, the language each teacher uses is different. This is known as “relative wisdom”. Then what is “ultimate wisdom”? “Ultimate wisdom” helps us understand our minds and see our true nature. It is something we intrinsically have.It is the Buddha’s knowledge and views, the Buddha’s pure and undefiled wondrous wisdom of True Suchness, which “awakens others to supremely wondrous truths.” [The Buddha] came to help us awaken to the fact that we intrinsically have the same [nature as the Buddha]. This is the one great cause for which the Buddha comes to this world. He wants to tell everyone that “The Buddha, the mind and sentient beings are no different [in their nature].” We all have the same nature of True Suchness as the Buddha. The one great cause for which the Buddha comes to this world is this simple.
For the causes and conditions of His one great work:
The Buddha manifests in this world to expound the Dharma.This is due to the causes and conditions of the one great work.
Why is it called the one great work?Basically, it turns people from delusions to realizations.
These are “the causes and conditions of His one great work”.So, “the Buddha manifests in this world to expound the Dharma”.Because of this one great work, the Buddha manifested in this world.He gave teachings for sentient beings because of “the causes and conditions of the one great work”.What are these cause and conditions?Why is it called the one great work?Basically, it turns people from delusions to realizations.
Because we live in a world lacking in clarity, [He gave] various teachings for our daily living.But we left the path laid out by the Dharma, so we are lost.We are like mountain climbers who go to the mountain and decide to stray far off the clearly marked paths.
This is how we get lost and cannot find the path again.
I have told you about the time.I hiked Tulan Mountain and passed by a big banyan tree.
In this indigenous forest, which is thousands of years old, we can no longer find the original banyan tree because the forest has become densely packed with its thick roots.
So at that time, after I went into that forest, I became lost in the mountains.Where was the road?I was still on the same mountain, and I saw one tree trunk after another, but I could not find my way out of them.I also could not tell where the original tree was.Have you seen this kind of tree before?
Sometimes I think, “Isn’t this what sentient beings do?”When I talk about turning from delusions to realizations,.I always think about beings on Tulan Mountain.Being lost was very terrifying; I really did not know where the path was.How can we be safe?By returning to our intrinsic nature.Then we will be very safe and can be like the Buddha, who thoroughly understands the true principles of all things in the universe.Once we do this, will we get lost again?
So, this was the Buddha’s one great work.He hoped we could return to our Tathagata-nature and never get lost again.The causes and conditions of His one great work were to guide sentient beings to turn from delusions to realizations.This shows the Bdudha’s compassion.
The Buddha manifests in this world, not because of karmic retributions from past lives but because His compassion and vows lead Him to reveal the meaning of his knowledge and views.This is how the Buddha’s knowledge and views can lead to aspirations and practice, then to the personal realization of ultimate reality.
“The Buddha manifests in this world, not because of karmic retributions from is past lives.”That is definitely not the case.We ordinary people, because of the law of karma, are guided by our causes and conditions to experience cyclic existence in the Six Realms.If we created good karma in a past life, naturally, we will be born to [kind] parents and grow up in a wholesome environment where we live a good life and enjoy all the blessings and wisdom of the world.But some people’s lives are not like this.
They suffer from the moment they are born.They are born to poor families, live in poverty and try hard to escape it.They suffer from the moment they are born. They are born to poor families, live in poverty and try hard to escape it. Do you remember this story? One day, in Dalin [Tzu Chi Hospital], a volunteer told a story about an old woman who was born in a very poor place. She lived in a village deep in the mountains and had a hard life, never having much to eat. When she was in her teens, she had just one wish, to quickly escape this poverty and relieve the suffering her family faced. So, when someone came to arrange a marriage, when she was 17, 18 years old, she did not care who she was marrying, she just wanted to escape the poverty. This was how she got married.
After she married, even though she no longer lived in the mountains and was close to the city, she was still poor. On top of that, she came to an unfamiliar family, and she did not have a good relationship with her mother-in-law. She had to take care of the family, deal with their economic difficulties and put up with their [bad attitudes] every day. All she heard were unpleasant comments. Her relationship with her mother-in-law was very bad. He husband was a laborer, and he drank and gambled. This suffering was worse than what she experienced before she got married.
Therefore, when she reached middle age, she could not take this suffering anymore and asked for a divorce. After her divorce, she left with her daughter and had to find a way to make a living. She had to work very hard to support them both. Then someone introduced a potential partner, and she got married again. The widower she married had a son. The widower she married had a son. So, in this case, she had to learn to accommodate this child. Life in this family was not smooth, either. Shortly after that, her husband passed away, so then she struggled to support her own child along with someone else’s child. When she was in her 80s, she got sick. She was hospitalized in our Dalin Hospital.
Every day she bemoaned her suffering and how no one could fully understand it. There was no one to take care of her. Her stepson did not have a good relationship with her. Though her daughter was filial, she lived far away. So, the old woman suffered [alone]. One day, her daughter came to see her and told [volunteers] about all the suffering in her mother’s life. Her daughter then contacted her stepbrother. Her daughter then contacted her stepbrother. When her stepbrother came, Tzu Chi volunteers spoke to him and his wife. They told them couple about the law of karma, so her daughter-in-law became terrified and immediately decided to visit her everyone so often.
So, finally, the old woman had someone to take care of her. Later, people asked her, “Grandma, do you want to tell us what to do about your funeral arrangements?” The old woman said, “I really want to go to my child’s home.” She said, “Wherever I came from, please let me go back there.” So, where did she really want to go? Her stepson did not want to acknowledge her. He own child, from her first husband, had already left. So, in the end, where did she go? No one wanted her. So in the end, the hospital made arrangements to send her ashes to a columbarium.
Consider this elderly person, this old woman. She lived for over 80 years. Since she was born, she struggled to escape suffering. See, established karma cannot be changed. This kind of karmic retribution, for us ordinary people, is something we bring with us from past lives. Hadn’t the Buddha already transcended the Six Realms? So, He [comes back] because He cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer.
This suffering began with a single deluded thought. Once immersed in delusion, we cannot awaken, and thus we continuously multiply our afflictions, ignorance and karmic retributions. This is why we keep being tormented by suffering.The Buddha could not bear this, so He manifested in this world. he did not come here because of karmic retributions from past lives, but because of His great compassion and vows. To transform and save sentient beings, He manifested in this world. This is [the essence of] His knowledge and views.
He knew about the karmic retributions they faced because of His knowledge and views. He saw through this world and understood the Six Realms because of His knowledge and views. Thus, the Buddha wanted everyone to awaken.
Awakening is Bodhi. So, He wanted to guide us to walk on the Bodhi-path. So, we must form aspirations. We all have to awaken, so we can have the same mind as the Buddha and be unable to bear letting sentient beings suffer. Thus, we form aspirations. After the Buddha has inspired us, we must take action.
We have to put [the Dharma] into practice. So, we constantly discuss the Three Flawless Studies, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. Also, we must listen, contemplate and practice. We must sincerely listen, contemplate and practice. In our daily living, we must uphold precepts and remain in Samadhi to awaken our wisdom.This is part of the spiritual practice of forming aspirations and taking action.
If we form aspirations and practice, we can have a “personal realization for ultimate reality.” If we can do this, then we can realize the nature of True Suchness. As long as we can start walking, we can be like Buddhas, who cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer.We are already deluded, which brings great suffering. Bud we can practice the Buddha’s teachings, understand the path and this road. At the same time, we must also lead other people to walk this same path.
“Wanting to enable sentient beings to realize the Buddha’s knowledge and views is to enable everyone to awaken.”
To awaken, we must realize that we all intrinsically have intrinsic Buddha-nature. This was the Buddha’s intention, hoping all of us would understand that our Buddha-nature is always there, so we can always be equal to the Buddha.
Unfortunately, we are in the state of ordinary people right now We are still lost.Someone is guiding us by saying, “Come, come, this is the right path to take, yet some people are still indecisive.”They cannot move forward wholeheartedly. This is because we sentient beings have accumulated much karma, which holds us back. So, we have to dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly and begin to take action. When the Buddha teaches, we must sincerely accept His teachings. If we can do this, we can move up, step by step, and transcend that state. Only then can we see this more broad and expansive state. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
⊙一大事因緣故：佛出現於世而說法者為因一大事之因緣也。云何為一大事？總言之則轉迷開悟也。
⊙佛之出現於世，實非由宿業果報，乃本其大悲願力，以示現知見之義。此乃為佛之知見使能發心起行以自證於究竟實相也。
⊙欲令眾生悟佛知見者，即令其覺悟之義。
【證嚴上人開示】
「諸佛出世化儀道同，為一大事為實施權，如量智隨眾生機，如理智啟極妙諦。」
諸佛出世化儀道同
為一大事為實施權
如量智隨眾生機
如理智啟極妙諦
也就是要告訴大家，無論是現在的釋迦佛，過去無量世界諸佛，他們「化儀」，就是出現人間之時，所經歷、教化都是同樣的方式。
就如釋迦佛，降皇宮，長大、成人，如何對人間的看法，如何起出家之心，修行的過程，成佛度眾生等等，這就是諸佛來人間的方式，所以叫做「佛佛道同」。
每一尊佛，對眾生的心願都是一樣，如何來教育眾生，讓眾生能夠瞭解，本身與佛同等的智慧，如來本性，這也是每一尊佛對眾生的期待。同樣，眾生愚鈍，所以每一尊佛對著眾生，還是一樣，為實施權，這全都是每一尊佛來人間，一大事的因緣。
但是，就是要說真實的道理，很多人無法接受得了，聽不懂，體會不到。所以，佛陀為了要讓大家，有時間來適應，慢慢接引，讓他能夠體會，所以佛陀必定要用，施用「如量智」。「如量智」就是適應眾生根機；眾生何種根機，佛陀就是量身訂做，同樣的方式。就如，幼稚園的老師，對幼稚園的學生講話，就是用幼稚園階段，這樣的語言；經過了小學、中學、大學，一直到研究(所)、博士等等，說的話就是不同。這叫做「如量智」。
「如理智」呢？就是要明心見性；讓大家直指明心見性。我們人人本具有的！這是佛陀的知見，就是佛清淨無染的真如妙智。啟極妙之諦，就是要來開啟我們，我們人人就是本具與佛同等，如來清淨的道理。這就是佛陀來人間的，一大事因緣。就是要告訴大家「佛、心、眾生，三無差別」，人人都有與佛同等真如本性。這就是這麼簡單，佛陀來人間的一大事因緣。
一大事因緣故：
佛出現於世
而說法者
為因一大事
之因緣也
云何為一大事
總言之
則轉迷開悟也
這「一大事因緣故」，為了一大事因緣，「佛出現世間而說法者」，因為這一大事因緣，所以佛陀出現於世間，為眾生說法，「為因一大事之因緣(也)」。
何謂「一大事因緣」？云何為一大事因緣？總而言之，就是要為眾生轉迷開悟。
只為了眾生在這麼迷茫的人間，種種的法在我們的生活中，偏偏我們脫離了法的軌道，那就迷失了。就如愛爬山的人，若走到山上去，明明有路可走，他卻是方向一點偏差，這樣就迷失了，就不知道路在哪裡。
曾告訴過大家，我走過了都蘭山，走過了那棵大榕樹，不知幾千年的原始森林，那棵大榕樹，已經找不到它本身，那個樹身到底在何處，因為密密都是，全都榕樹的大根在。那個時候，進到大樹林裡，真的是迷了，迷了山(路)，路在何處？同樣是一片山，同樣是一枝、一枝的樹身，只在這麼多的樹裡鑽不出來，認不出這株樹，原本的樹身在何處。不知道你們曾見過這樣的樹嗎？
有時候就想，我們眾生不就像這樣嗎？每一次若說到轉迷開悟，我就會想到在都蘭山的境界，很恐怖，迷下去，路在何處真的都不知！
我們要如何才能安全？回歸自己的本性，我們就能很安全；我們就能與佛同等，徹悟宇宙萬物真理。你們想，這樣還會再被迷走嗎？所以，這是佛陀的一大事，希望我們人人回歸如來本性，再也不要再迷了。所以，一大事因緣，就是為了要指導眾生，轉迷開悟，這是佛陀的慈悲。
佛之出現於世
實非由宿業果報
乃本其大悲願力
以示現知見之義
此乃為佛之知見
使能發心起行
以自證於
究竟實相也
「佛之出現於世，實非由宿業果報」，絕對不是。我們凡夫是因緣果報，隨著因、緣牽引，我們生生世世於六道中。我們若是過去生造福業，我們自然與那對父母、那個環境，我們出生，從小一直到大，環境很順、很好，享受了人間所有的福與慧。還有的人就不同了，一生就是苦啊苦，出生於苦難的家庭，生活在貧窮的環境，很想要如何脫離貧窮。
還記得嗎？有一天，在大林(慈院)，志工說一個故事。一位阿嬤，小時候出生就是很貧困，住在深山村莊裡，從小就一直苦，沒得吃。一直到十餘歲，就是一個心願，要如何能夠趕緊脫離這種貧困，苦難的家庭。所以，有人就來提親，十七、八歲，就是無論什麼樣的對象，能夠脫離這個貧困的家庭最好，就這樣嫁出去了。
卻是嫁出去之後，雖然住在平地裡，也是接近都會，卻也是貧。又在一個生疏的家庭，婆婆，這個緣結得不好，又是撐一個家庭，又是經濟困難，又要每天看人家的臉色，聽到的都是很不歡喜的事情。婆媳的感情非常惡劣，先生在外面做工，喝酒、賭博，這種苦比在家未嫁之前更苦，不願照顧家庭。
所以因此，到了中年，受不了這種的苦，她就提出了離婚。離婚之後，帶著女兒，到外面要如何生活？很辛苦地做工養孩子，很辛苦。有人向她介紹 (對象)，就又嫁了，又嫁一個死了太太的先生。人家有前妻之子，到底在此，又要適應人家的前妻之子，在這個家庭也是一樣很不好過。
不過，這位先生不久就往生了，就在這樣的家庭，有自己的孩子，有別人的孩子，自己同樣要再辛苦。
到了八十多歲，身體病了，在我們的醫院，大林醫院住院。苦，每天哭著喊苦。這個苦，誰能知道呢？無人會來照顧她。前妻之子哪有對後母，這個緣就不好，女兒雖然是孝順，但是在他鄉外里，所以，還是在那裡苦。後來，有一天女兒來看她，就替她母親說出母親的心情，一輩子的苦難。
她的女兒，就去找異父異母的兄弟。這個兄弟出現了，慈濟人來說服他們，見到這樣，媳婦來的時候，志工就以因緣果報的道理，說給他們聽，媳婦也嚇到，所以趕緊要來孝順，三不五時來看她。
終於，老人到最後這個時候，有人看顧了。後來，人家問她說：「阿嬤，您將來的後事，您是不是要交代？」阿嬤就說：「我就很想，很想要，回到孩子的家。我從何處來，就讓我到何處去。」這樣到底她是要去何處呢？前妻的孩子，沒有人要認後媽，自己前夫生的孩子，已經都離開了。所以她到底最後要回到何處？沒有人要讓她回去。所以，連最後，就是在醫院草草料理，之後，這樣送去塔裡。
看，這位老人，老婆婆，一輩子八十多年的時間，從出生，她就是這樣，她也很掙扎，要如何能夠脫離這個苦難。想想，這種定業不可轉，這種因緣果報，這是我們凡夫。凡夫來人間，就是因為宿業果報而來。
佛陀不是。佛陀已經脫離了三界六道，所以他是為了，不忍心三界六道眾生的苦；這個苦就是有一念迷，一迷下去，不悟，所以，在迷之中，一直複製煩惱、無明，因緣果報，這樣一直是人生受盡折磨。佛陀不忍心，所以他出現人間。出現世間，不是因為宿業果報來，乃是本具大悲願力，這是佛的大悲願力。
為了要來度眾生，為了要救拔眾生，所以他示現在人間，這就是佛之知見。佛知道眾生種種的因緣果報，這是佛的知見。他看盡了人世間，瞭解了三界六道的境界，這是佛之知見。所以，佛陀要使人人覺悟。覺就是菩提，就是要引導人人，走出這條菩提道路。
所以，使人人發心，我們人人都要覺悟，覺悟，就與佛同樣的心。佛陀不忍心眾生的苦難，這叫做發心。開發了我們的心，就要起行，我們要身體力行。
所以我們常常說，說「三無漏學」戒、定、慧；同時，我們要聞、思、修——聽、思考、好好修行；平時的生活要持戒，心要定，啟發我們的智慧，這都是在發心起行的過程。修行，所以若有這樣發心起行，就「以自證於究竟實相(也)」，我們若能如此，人人都能夠去證實真如的本性。只要你能夠起行，我們能夠與佛同等，不忍眾生的苦。
我們自己就已經迷，迷得很苦，我們能修佛的教法，我們瞭解道，道路，同時我們也要牽引他人，一起走這條的道路，「欲令眾生悟佛知見」，就是令人人能夠覺悟。
欲令眾生
悟佛知見者
即令其覺悟之義
覺悟，人人就是本具佛性。這是佛陀的心，希望我們人人能夠明白，我們的佛性永遠都存在，永遠都能夠與佛平等。只是可惜，我們凡夫，我們現在還在迷途裡，儘管有人要引導我們：「來啊，來啊，要走這條路才對。」但是，有的人還是瞻前顧後，還是無法一心向前前進。這就是我們眾生業累，有業將我們拖累住。
所以，我們能夠一心一志，啟於行動，向佛陀所教化，我們真心來接受佛陀的教育，若如此，我們才能夠一步一步往上，走出了那個境界，愈來愈開闊的境界，我們才看得到。所以人人要時時多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Putting Aspirations into Practice (令發心起行)
Date: April. 22. 2014
“All Buddhas come to the world to manifest and teach the same path. For the one great work, for true principles, they gave provisional teachings. Using relative wisdom, they teach according to capabilities. Using ultimate wisdom, they awaken others to supremely wondrous truths.”
This is telling everyone that all Buddhas, from the present Sakyamuni Buddha to past Buddhas of infinite worlds, come to “manifest and teach”. So, when They manifest in this world, Their experiences and teachings are very similar.
For example, Sakyamuni Buddha was born and grew to adulthood in the palace. The way He developed His views on this world and His determination to become a monastic, the process of His spiritual practice, His attainment of Buddhahood and transformation of sentient beings, etc. are similar to all Buddhas who come to this world. So, it is said, “All Buddhas share the same path.”
Every Buddha has the same hope for sentient beings. They came to teach and help them understand that they themselves have a wisdom equal to all Buddhas’ Tathagata-nature. This was each Buddha’s hope for sentient beings. However, sentient beings are ignorant and [slow]. So, each Buddha gave sentient beings provisional teachings to teach true principles. This was because each Buddha came to the world for the one great cause, but if They [directly] taught true principles, many people could not accept them, could not understand for realize them. Thus, in order to give everyone time to adjust, the Buddha slowly guided them toward realizations. So, the Buddha had to apply “relative wisdom”. “Relative wisdom” adapts to sentient beings’ capabilities. Based on their capabilities, the Buddha gave them methods that suited them. He did this for everyone.
For example, when kindergarten teachers talk to their students, they use language suitable for young children. In elementary school, middle school, high school, college and graduate school, the language each teacher uses is different. This is known as “relative wisdom”. Then what is “ultimate wisdom”? “Ultimate wisdom” helps us understand our minds and see our true nature. It is something we intrinsically have.It is the Buddha’s knowledge and views, the Buddha’s pure and undefiled wondrous wisdom of True Suchness, which “awakens others to supremely wondrous truths.” [The Buddha] came to help us awaken to the fact that we intrinsically have the same [nature as the Buddha]. This is the one great cause for which the Buddha comes to this world. He wants to tell everyone that “The Buddha, the mind and sentient beings are no different [in their nature].” We all have the same nature of True Suchness as the Buddha. The one great cause for which the Buddha comes to this world is this simple.
For the causes and conditions of His one great work:
The Buddha manifests in this world to expound the Dharma.This is due to the causes and conditions of the one great work.
Why is it called the one great work?Basically, it turns people from delusions to realizations.
These are “the causes and conditions of His one great work”.So, “the Buddha manifests in this world to expound the Dharma”.Because of this one great work, the Buddha manifested in this world.He gave teachings for sentient beings because of “the causes and conditions of the one great work”.What are these cause and conditions?Why is it called the one great work?Basically, it turns people from delusions to realizations.
Because we live in a world lacking in clarity, [He gave] various teachings for our daily living.But we left the path laid out by the Dharma, so we are lost.We are like mountain climbers who go to the mountain and decide to stray far off the clearly marked paths.
This is how we get lost and cannot find the path again.
I have told you about the time.I hiked Tulan Mountain and passed by a big banyan tree.
In this indigenous forest, which is thousands of years old, we can no longer find the original banyan tree because the forest has become densely packed with its thick roots.
So at that time, after I went into that forest, I became lost in the mountains.Where was the road?I was still on the same mountain, and I saw one tree trunk after another, but I could not find my way out of them.I also could not tell where the original tree was.Have you seen this kind of tree before?
Sometimes I think, “Isn’t this what sentient beings do?”When I talk about turning from delusions to realizations,.I always think about beings on Tulan Mountain.Being lost was very terrifying; I really did not know where the path was.How can we be safe?By returning to our intrinsic nature.Then we will be very safe and can be like the Buddha, who thoroughly understands the true principles of all things in the universe.Once we do this, will we get lost again?
So, this was the Buddha’s one great work.He hoped we could return to our Tathagata-nature and never get lost again.The causes and conditions of His one great work were to guide sentient beings to turn from delusions to realizations.This shows the Bdudha’s compassion.
The Buddha manifests in this world, not because of karmic retributions from past lives but because His compassion and vows lead Him to reveal the meaning of his knowledge and views.This is how the Buddha’s knowledge and views can lead to aspirations and practice, then to the personal realization of ultimate reality.
“The Buddha manifests in this world, not because of karmic retributions from is past lives.”That is definitely not the case.We ordinary people, because of the law of karma, are guided by our causes and conditions to experience cyclic existence in the Six Realms.If we created good karma in a past life, naturally, we will be born to [kind] parents and grow up in a wholesome environment where we live a good life and enjoy all the blessings and wisdom of the world.But some people’s lives are not like this.
They suffer from the moment they are born.They are born to poor families, live in poverty and try hard to escape it.They suffer from the moment they are born. They are born to poor families, live in poverty and try hard to escape it. Do you remember this story? One day, in Dalin [Tzu Chi Hospital], a volunteer told a story about an old woman who was born in a very poor place. She lived in a village deep in the mountains and had a hard life, never having much to eat. When she was in her teens, she had just one wish, to quickly escape this poverty and relieve the suffering her family faced. So, when someone came to arrange a marriage, when she was 17, 18 years old, she did not care who she was marrying, she just wanted to escape the poverty. This was how she got married.
After she married, even though she no longer lived in the mountains and was close to the city, she was still poor. On top of that, she came to an unfamiliar family, and she did not have a good relationship with her mother-in-law. She had to take care of the family, deal with their economic difficulties and put up with their [bad attitudes] every day. All she heard were unpleasant comments. Her relationship with her mother-in-law was very bad. He husband was a laborer, and he drank and gambled. This suffering was worse than what she experienced before she got married.
Therefore, when she reached middle age, she could not take this suffering anymore and asked for a divorce. After her divorce, she left with her daughter and had to find a way to make a living. She had to work very hard to support them both. Then someone introduced a potential partner, and she got married again. The widower she married had a son. The widower she married had a son. So, in this case, she had to learn to accommodate this child. Life in this family was not smooth, either. Shortly after that, her husband passed away, so then she struggled to support her own child along with someone else’s child. When she was in her 80s, she got sick. She was hospitalized in our Dalin Hospital.
Every day she bemoaned her suffering and how no one could fully understand it. There was no one to take care of her. Her stepson did not have a good relationship with her. Though her daughter was filial, she lived far away. So, the old woman suffered [alone]. One day, her daughter came to see her and told [volunteers] about all the suffering in her mother’s life. Her daughter then contacted her stepbrother. Her daughter then contacted her stepbrother. When her stepbrother came, Tzu Chi volunteers spoke to him and his wife. They told them couple about the law of karma, so her daughter-in-law became terrified and immediately decided to visit her everyone so often.
So, finally, the old woman had someone to take care of her. Later, people asked her, “Grandma, do you want to tell us what to do about your funeral arrangements?” The old woman said, “I really want to go to my child’s home.” She said, “Wherever I came from, please let me go back there.” So, where did she really want to go? Her stepson did not want to acknowledge her. He own child, from her first husband, had already left. So, in the end, where did she go? No one wanted her. So in the end, the hospital made arrangements to send her ashes to a columbarium.
Consider this elderly person, this old woman. She lived for over 80 years. Since she was born, she struggled to escape suffering. See, established karma cannot be changed. This kind of karmic retribution, for us ordinary people, is something we bring with us from past lives. Hadn’t the Buddha already transcended the Six Realms? So, He [comes back] because He cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer.
This suffering began with a single deluded thought. Once immersed in delusion, we cannot awaken, and thus we continuously multiply our afflictions, ignorance and karmic retributions. This is why we keep being tormented by suffering.The Buddha could not bear this, so He manifested in this world. he did not come here because of karmic retributions from past lives, but because of His great compassion and vows. To transform and save sentient beings, He manifested in this world. This is [the essence of] His knowledge and views.
He knew about the karmic retributions they faced because of His knowledge and views. He saw through this world and understood the Six Realms because of His knowledge and views. Thus, the Buddha wanted everyone to awaken.
Awakening is Bodhi. So, He wanted to guide us to walk on the Bodhi-path. So, we must form aspirations. We all have to awaken, so we can have the same mind as the Buddha and be unable to bear letting sentient beings suffer. Thus, we form aspirations. After the Buddha has inspired us, we must take action.
We have to put [the Dharma] into practice. So, we constantly discuss the Three Flawless Studies, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. Also, we must listen, contemplate and practice. We must sincerely listen, contemplate and practice. In our daily living, we must uphold precepts and remain in Samadhi to awaken our wisdom.This is part of the spiritual practice of forming aspirations and taking action.
If we form aspirations and practice, we can have a “personal realization for ultimate reality.” If we can do this, then we can realize the nature of True Suchness. As long as we can start walking, we can be like Buddhas, who cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer.We are already deluded, which brings great suffering. Bud we can practice the Buddha’s teachings, understand the path and this road. At the same time, we must also lead other people to walk this same path.
“Wanting to enable sentient beings to realize the Buddha’s knowledge and views is to enable everyone to awaken.”
To awaken, we must realize that we all intrinsically have intrinsic Buddha-nature. This was the Buddha’s intention, hoping all of us would understand that our Buddha-nature is always there, so we can always be equal to the Buddha.
Unfortunately, we are in the state of ordinary people right now We are still lost.Someone is guiding us by saying, “Come, come, this is the right path to take, yet some people are still indecisive.”They cannot move forward wholeheartedly. This is because we sentient beings have accumulated much karma, which holds us back. So, we have to dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly and begin to take action. When the Buddha teaches, we must sincerely accept His teachings. If we can do this, we can move up, step by step, and transcend that state. Only then can we see this more broad and expansive state. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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