【人間菩提】20141130 - 清淨源頭做環保

清淨源頭做環保
To Turn Things Around with Recycling 

忍痛教育習分類
清淨源頭做環保
人瑞菩薩勤於行
共修善業履大道

台南麻豆環保志業的重要推手，今年107歲陳林牆阿嬤，從84歲開始投入環保，堅定的­意志，每天推著車出門收回收物，直到96歲，考量視力影響安全，才願意休息，但她的精­神，成為典範。清淨在源頭，慈濟志工在環保點，忍痛教育，宣導「垃圾不進站」的觀念，­引導民眾跟著一起分類，提升回收品質。證嚴上人在今天(11/30)的志工早會，感恩­環保志工的付出，教育人人愛惜資源，環保也是修行，知道道理，還要身體力行，愛地球，­也愛人類。

一項項仔細說明，慈濟志工落實「清淨在源頭、垃圾不進站」，在環保點引導民眾，動手資­源回收。呼籲減少浪費，讓正確的環保觀念深植，也提高效率與品質。

把環保當修行，陳林牆阿嬤是台南麻豆的環保推手，從84歲開始，天天清晨出門，推著嬰­兒車，穿梭巷弄回收資源，直到96歲，因為視力模糊，考量安全，才願意休息，環保已經­成為她的精神依靠。

今年高齡107歲的陳林牆阿嬤，依然逢人說環保，貫徹信念，堅定守護大地，成為眾人學­習的典範。

【靜思妙蓮華】20140618 - 應病開法藥 - 第329集 Prescribe Dharma Cures According to the Illness

20140618《靜思妙蓮華》應病開法藥（第329集）

「調心寂靜合和眾，受持清澄無染著，守志願行菩提道。」
「眾生心所念，種種所行道，若干諸欲性，先世善惡業，佛悉知是已。」《法華經 方便品第二》

【證嚴上人示】
「調心寂靜合和眾，受持清澄無染著，守志願行菩提道。」

調心寂靜合和眾
受持清澄無染著
守志願行菩提道

我們若能心好好調，調得我們一片這種靜寂的心，人人的心都是在靜寂中，這個寂靜，就是我們修行者所要追求的。因為，心若寂靜，自然人與人之間就是合和。

叢林修行叫做「和合眾」。我們有共同一念心，這樣合起來，這個同一念心就是要修行。我們的方向，無不都是寂靜的境界。這是人人心的趣向，希望我們能夠在一個環境中，讓我們的心很平靜。你是這樣的心，他也是這樣的心，而我也是這樣的心，這種共同一念心，不就是「合」。有了「合」的心，自然就「和」了，這種「和合眾」共聚的地方，叫做叢林。

這種叢林境界，能夠推行到社會，整個社會也是一樣，同樣這念心，如何心調和，如何人人和合？這是一個最祥和的社會。這也就是每天每天，都是這樣在說，希望我們人人一股清流。佛法如水，能夠洗滌我們人人內心的污垢。修行的目標就是這樣，要如何去除，我們內心的無明、染垢。所以，我們必定要，受持清澄的方法。

如何來淨化我們的心，這是很重要的。所以，無染著，方法，我們要精進。聽聞一法，我們要聞、思、修。方法就是這樣，聽了之後，好好思考，有道理的，我們做得到的，我們必定要身體力行，這是方法。要如何來接受佛陀說種種法，我們要用何種心境來接受，接受此法，來清除我們內心的污垢。我們若能清除內心的污垢，我們還要再保護，乾淨之後，就不要再染著了。

再來，就是要「守志願行菩提道」。我們必定要守志，既然發心，發心如初，就成佛有餘了。我們若能時時抱持著初發心，這念心好好地把握著，守持著，若能如此，這種願行不離菩提道，我們絕對是在菩提道上精進。我們要接近「道」，而且行在道，你們想，要接近佛，哪有遠呢？所以，人人本具佛性，人人本具佛法，人人心中都有寶，心中都有法，探手無不是寶，力行無不是法，只是我們沒有表達出來而已。

佛陀在世時，有一次，一位貧窮的人，到佛的面前來，向佛膜拜頂禮，抬頭向佛這樣說：「佛啊！我苦。」佛陀以很慈祥的眼神來看，「你苦在哪裡？」他說：「我什麼都沒有，什麼都缺。看大家在供養佛陀，我知道我這輩子這麼貧困，聽人家這樣傳說，就是要供養三寶。但是我什麼都沒有，我要用什麼來供養呢？聽人家這樣說，說要致富，就要布施。但是，我也是什麼都沒有，我要用什麼去布施呢？」

佛陀就微笑對他這麼說，就說：「布施，不一定是要富有，也不一定是要用錢布施。你即使是貧，沒有物資，你也能布施。」這位貧窮人請教佛陀，「什麼都沒有，如何能叫做布施？」佛陀就說：「教你七種布施，都不必用錢。」

開始，佛陀就說：第一、你要面露笑容，看到人就要和顏悅色，不要一直叫苦啊！苦啊！一直叫苦，你就有埋怨的心，在你的面容，現出了那種苦而怨的形態，有人看到你，就會遠離你，棄捨你。所以你一定要和顏悅色，看到人，要用親切感待人。

第二、見到人，無論他人對你說了什麼話，你的回應一定要用好話。時時與人說好話，人前、人後，在人的背後，也要說好話，在人前，也要好言好語讚歎人。

第三、你要抱持著好心。時時你的觀念、內心，見到人就要用那分，人人都是好人，可親近的人，我自己也是好人，我就要自動親近人，這種好心。

第四、要用好眼。用很好的眼睛去布施。眼睛要如何布施？就是說，有的人看不清楚，你要指導他，牽引他，路要如何走，方向在哪裡。

還有(第五) ，你要用身的布施。有的人體力不夠，很重的東西，無法拿，無法扛，無法做的粗重工作，你能用你身體的力量去幫助他，做粗重的工作。如此，這叫做身力量的布施。

再來，你要有敬的布施，這是第六。見到人，要對人人尊重。你要懂得尊重別人，恭敬別人，對老人要恭敬，對一般人要很和氣、尊重。

第七、那就是愛。無論是對人，對小孩童，對貧困、殘疾的人，你都要付出這分愛心。甚至對所有的生命，人間一切的事物，都要用愛去布施。這就是全都能布施，不必用錢，你應該做得到。

這位貧窮人聽到，「這麼簡單，就稱為布施？」佛陀說：「是啊！雖然是這麼簡單，你這輩子做得到嗎？」貧窮人就說：「這怎麼會做不到呢？不必用錢，我就能去做好事，我瞭解了。過去生中，可能這些都是我的缺點，常常自哀自嘆，所以我的身，無論身、口、意等等，都沒有做到對人有愛，有恭敬，有利益，不曾說過一句好話，不曾幫助過人一分的力量。佛陀啊！我知道了，現在開始，這七種布施，我會身體力行。」

看，佛陀的慈悲，原來要致富，不一定是要有錢。就是只要我們這樣做，做得到，我們的人生，就是富有的人生。

所以，我們人人心懷寶物，我們人人心中，都有清淨如來的本性，我們人人都有，與佛陀平等的智慧，我們全都是本來具有，只是方法我們還沒有很清楚。我們現在既然知道了，發心要親近佛法，必定要聞、思、修，身體力行這樣去做，自然我們就會接近覺道，自然我們就會接近佛性。

所以，佛陀不斷地在提醒我們，聽經，要仔細聽。我們昨天不是說過嗎？佛陀叫舍利弗，說：「舍利弗善聽」。好好地聽，大家既然要聽法，要好好地聽。

要知道，「諸佛所得法」，昨天說過了，表示佛陀修行的過程，還有諸佛修行的過程，都是要很精進。過程精進都是一樣，所得來的法也是一樣，就是覺悟，覺悟人人本具佛性。每一尊佛都是同樣過程的修行，修行所得到的是同樣的法，同樣的覺悟，同樣瞭解眾生皆有佛性。施教的過程也是一樣，因為眾生，無明、煩惱厚重，很重，所以每一尊佛同樣都是要用無量方便力，來為眾生說法。

不過，現在這段（經）文，就又這麼說：「眾生心所念，種種所行道，若干諸欲性，先世善惡業，佛悉知是已。」

眾生心所念
種種所行道
若干諸欲性
先世善惡業
佛悉知是已
《法華經 方便品第二》

眾生，佛陀要為眾生說法，但是眾生心所念的，到底眾生心所念的是什麼？眾生發心修行，所要修行的路，他的根機有深、有淺。眾生，有的心欲很重，欲念很重，欲念很大，有的人就是少欲知足，有的人就是欲無窮盡，這要視眾生的根機。欲念若較深、較重的，那就是煩惱多；若是少欲知足的，煩惱就輕。

所以，眾生雖然要修行，「若干諸欲性」，心欲有重、有輕，眾生的心欲有多少，煩惱就有多少。我們常常說眾生，有八萬四千的煩惱，所以佛陀就要開八萬四千法門。應眾生心病，佛陀就要開眾生所需要的心藥，去治療。所以，這全都是眾生的煩惱。

為什麼有的煩惱輕，有的煩惱重，有的心欲少欲，有的怎麼會這種欲念無止境？這都是與每一個人，「先世善惡業」有關。常常說過，我們一定破除迷信，不過，因緣果報觀，我們一定要相信。天地、宇宙、人之間，無不都是有因緣果報，這是我們人人一定要相信。

每一個眾生，經過了六道輪迴，隨著境界薰習了我們的習氣。有時候，這個境界現前，就隨惡造惡，所種的因，惡因自然就結了很多的惡緣了，這就是眾生所帶來的果報。

這個果報，來到人間，善因、善果，這樣的人來人間，所遇到的是善的緣、善的果、善的報，都是所看到的境界，都有好的因緣來牽引他，這全都是叫做善業。過去生有造善因，結善緣，所以這輩子，所見到的人，都會牽引他向善的方向。所以這是善，與過去生有關。

或者是惡呢？所到的環境都是很惡劣的環境。因為，有遇到的都不是好的緣，讓他去做那種壞的因。這就是因為惡緣，所以再去造惡因，種惡因，又再結惡緣，這種惡因、惡緣不斷複製，煩惱就不斷產生。

所以，「先世善惡業」，都是這樣不斷地糾纏過來，所以，我們必定要用心。佛陀對一位貧窮人，都會為他開示，平時要和顏悅色，平時要說好話，時時看人都是好人。我們若能夠這樣，有七種方法，我們同樣這樣做，那是不是都是與人結好緣呢？這是我們學佛的方法。

這些事情，佛陀都知道，他要為眾生說法。諸佛來人間，也是同樣是這樣。對眾生一切的根機，若不能很了解，要如何應機逗教呢？要如何開方便法？所以，這個方便法，也要很清楚眾生的根機。所以，「眾生心所念，種種所行道，若干諸欲性，先世善惡業，佛悉知是已。」全都知道，這就是佛陀要先瞭解眾生。

各位菩薩，我們都要先認識人。對人，我們先瞭解，他所需要的是什麼？我們才能用心付出。人，人人第一所愛的，就是親和感。我若看到人，我對這個人，我看到了，就很有緣。我們要讓人看了，覺得我們與他很有緣，很投緣。第一項，你就要修和顏悅色，要好好開始如何保養我們的「慈濟面霜」，在我們的形態中。

還要真的如何說話，讓人家能夠聽進去，要常常說好話。要抱著好心、恭敬，人人都是好人。還要常常去幫助人，無論是眼光(眼力)，人家看不清楚，我們要指導他走一條，安全的道路；還要不吝惜手腳，盡量去幫助人，我們有什麼力量，能夠幫助得到人的，就盡量付出。對人要有恭敬的心，恭敬的態度，我們對人人，真的要無私的大愛付出。

我們每天所過的日子，不是物質享受的歡喜，是人和的歡喜，這叫做叢林，這叫做修行的道場。所以，我們要時時「調心寂靜和合眾」，我們要做一個與人人和合的人，這就是我們的道場。

心靈的道場也是如此，我們要「受持清澄無染著」，我們真的要好好受持。我們既然發心修行，我們的習氣一定要改。改除我們的習氣，就表示去除我們的無明，不要再有染著。我們既然是發心修行，我們必定要「守志願行菩提道」。

佛陀，諸佛來人間，無不都是要為我們教育。所以種種的方法，方便法，無不都是要為眾生說。但是佛陀，諸佛都已經先瞭解眾生的根性，他才有辦法用方便力，來施教眾生。所以各位，學佛，就是要學這些重點方法。請大家時時要多用心。

Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Prescribe Dharma Cures According to the Illness (應病開法藥)
Date: June. 18. 2014

“As a harmonious assembly, adjust your minds to be tranquil and still. Maintain clarity and be free of defilements. Uphold your resolve and vow to walk the Bodhi-path.”

If we can adjust our minds to be tranquil and still, then everyone’s mind can be in such a state. This tranquility and stillness is what we spiritual practitioners are seeking, because when our minds are in this state, we will naturally live in harmony. A Sangha practicing in a monastery is described as a “harmonious assembly.” We are united by the same intent. This shared intent is to engage in spiritual practice. We are all on the same course to a tranquil and still state. This is the direction our minds move toward. We hope to be in an environment that allows our mind to be at peace. You have this mindset, she also has this mindset, and I also have this mindset. By sharing the same mindset, we are “united”. With “united” minds, we will naturally live in “harmony”. The place where a “harmonious assembly” gathers is called a monastery. By expanding this environment to encompass the rest of society, everyone in our society will share this mindset of harmonizing and uniting their minds. Then this will be a most harmonious society. This is what I mean every day when I say I hope we can be like a pure stream. The Buddha-Dharma is like water it can wash away the defilements in our minds. This is the goal of our spiritual practice, to learn how to eliminate the ignorance and impurities in our minds. Therefore, we must have methods of maintaining clarity.
How can we purify our minds? This is very important [to do,] so we must diligently practice the methods of keeping our minds free of defilements. After listening to a teaching, we must contemplate and practice it. This is the method. After listening, we must thoroughly contemplate. If a teaching makes sense and we can apply it, we must put it into practice. This is the method, the way to accept the Buddha’s different teachings, the mindset we must use to accept the Dharma that washes away defilements from our minds.
After cleansing our minds of defilements, we must then protect them, so our clear minds will not be defiled again. Furthermore, we must “uphold our resolve and vow to walk the Bodhi-path.” We must uphold our resolve. Since we have formed aspirations, if we can sustain our initial aspiration, we will surely attain Buddhahood. If we can always maintain that inspiration, hold on to it and uphold it, then our vows and actions will never deviate from the Bodhi-path and we will certainly diligently advance upon it. We must draw near to and then walk this path.
Think about it; we want to draw near the Buddha, but He is not far from us at all. We all intrinsically have Buddha-nature and all intrinsically have Buddha-Dharma. We all have treasures in our minds and the Dharma in our hearts. Everything we reach for is a treasure; in everything we do there is Dharma. It is just that we have not demonstrated this.
While the Buddha was living at Jetavana Grove, one day a poor man suddenly arrived at the gates. He came before the Buddha and reverently prostrated..He looked up and said to the Buddha, “Venerable Buddha, I am suffering.”The Buddha looked upon him with compassion.“Where does your suffering come from?”He said, “I have nothing and lack everything.I see people making offerings to you.I have been poor all my life and when I hear others say that we must make offerings to the Three Treasures,.I wonder what I could use to make offerings when I have nothing at all.I also hear from other people that to be rich, one must give.But I have nothing, so what can I give?”
The Buddha responded with a smile, “You do not need to be wealthy to give, nor does your contribution need to be monetary.Even if you are poor and have no material goods, you can still give.”
This poor man asked the Buddha, “If I have nothing, what can I give?”The Buddha said, “I am going to teach you seven ways of giving that do not require money.”The Buddha said, “First, you must smile and be pleasant whenever you see other people.Do not keep complaining about your suffering.If you do, you will feel resentful and your face will reflect your resentment of your suffering.Then people who see you will stay away from you or abandon you.Therefore, you must always be pleasant.When you see others, treat them warmly.”
“Second, when you see someone, regardless of what that person says to you, you must respond with kind words.Always speak kindly of people whether they are present or not.Even when they are not there, say good things about them.When they are there, praise them with kind words.”
“Third, you must have a positive mindset.Whenever you see people, see them as kind, approachable people.Think of yourself as a kid person as well and proactively approach others. ”
“Fourth, you must practice giving with good eyes.And how do you give with your eyes?When someone cannot see clearly, you must guide him and show him how to walk the path, what direction to go in.Also, you must give with your body.Some people may not be physically strong.When they cannot carry or lift heavy things, or do certain kinds of heavy labor, you can use your physical strength to help them with these difficult tasks.This is giving with physical strength.”
“Next, you can give your respect.This is the sixth thing.Show your respect to everyone you see.Revere the elderly and be friendly and respectful to everyone.”
“Seventh is [giving your] love to everyone, from children, to the poor, to the disabled.”
“You should always give your love.You must even give out of love to all living beings and all things in the world.These are all ways you can give.None of them require money, so you can do it.”
Hearing this, the poor man said, “[Can] such simple acts be considered giving?”The Buddha said, “Yes.Though they are very simple, do you think you can actually do them?”The poor man said, “How can I not do them?I do not need money do these good deeds.I now understand that, in the past I have had all these flaws.I constantly complain about my life.So with my body, speech and mind and so on, I do not show people love or respect, or help them.I never said a single kind word and never helped others with my physical strength.Venerable Buddha, I now know [can do].”From now on, I will put these seven types of giving into practice.”
f giving into practice”
See, out of His compassion the Buddha taught us that [spiritual] abundance does not come from money. As long as we can cultivate these practices, there will be abundance in our lives. So, we all have treasures in our minds. We all intrinsically have a pure Tathagata-nature. We all share the same wisdom as the Buddha. These are things we intrinsically have, but we were not clear on how [to manifest them]. Now that we know all this, we must aspire to draw near to the Dharma, to listen, contemplate and practice. By putting the Dharma into practice, naturally, we will approach the Bodhi-path and draw near to our Buddha-nature. So, the Buddha constantly reminds us that when we listen to sutras, we must pay attention.
Didn’t we discuss this yesterday? The Buddha called to Sariputra and said, “Sariputra, listen well,” which means to listen carefully. If we want to listen to teachings, we must pay attention. As for “the Dharma obtained by all Buddhas,” I said yesterday that [this line] refers to the process of the spiritual practice of all Buddhas and how They had to be very diligent. With the same diligence, They engaged in spiritual practice, so the Dharma They attained was the same, which is enlightenment. They awakened to the Buddha-nature we all have. All Buddhas went through the same journey of spiritual cultivation and obtained the same Dharma and enlightenment.
In the same way, They realized all sentient beings have Buddha-nature. The way They give teachings is also the same. Because sentient beings are ignorant and seriously afflicted, every Buddha must utilize the power of skillful means to expound the Dharma.

But now this sutra passage states, “The thoughts in the minds of sentient beings, the various pathways they have walked, the nature of their various desires, their karma, good and bad, from former lives, the Buddha know them all thoroughly”.

Everyone, the Buddha wants to expound the Dharma for sentient beings. But what are the thoughts. In the minds of sentient beings? They aspire to engage in spiritual cultivation. They aspire to engage in spiritual cultivation but their practices [depend on] their capacities, which ways in depth. Some sentient beings have very strong desires. Some are content and have few desires. Some have endless desire. All this depends on their capabilities. Those with more and stronger desires will have more affliction. Those who are content have fewer afflictions.
Though sentient beings want to engage in spiritual practice, “the nature of their various desires”. [are all different,] some serious, some mild. The more desires they have, the more afflictions they will have. We always say sentient beings have 84000 kinds of afflictions, so the Buddha needs to open 84000 Dharma-doors. In response to their mental ailments, the Buddha prescribes the spiritual medicine that sentient beings need for their treatment. This is all for the afflictions for sentient beings.
Why are some afflictions mild and others more severe? Some people have fewer desires, while others have an endless number of desires. All this has to do with “[our] karma, good and bad, from former lives. I often say we must break away from superstition, but we must believe in the law of karma, but we must believe in the law of karma.
The world, the universe and relationship are all governed by the law of causes and effect”. This is something we must believe. Every one of us sentient beings, throughout cyclic existence in the Six Realms throughout cyclic existence in the Six Realms, is influenced by our surroundings to form habitual tendencies. Sometimes, when negative conditions manifest, we then create negative karma. These negative causes we create. Will then naturally yield negative conditions. These are the karmic retributions that we bring with us into the world, bring with us into the world. If we come to the world with positive causes and effects, we all encounter positive conditions, we will encounter positive conditions and retributions, we encounter and are guided by good karmic condition . All this comes from good karma.
In previous lives, we created positive causes and conditions, So in this life, everything we see will lead us on the course to do good. So, goodness is related to our previous lives. What if we have negative [karma]? Then we will live in a terrible environment and will only encounter negative conditions, which lead us to create more negative causes So because of negative conditions we create more negative causes, which lead us to create more negative conditions. When we are in this vicious cycle we continuously give rise to afflictions.
“[Our] karma, good and bad , from former lives” constantly entangles us. So, we must be mindful.
The Buddha taught that poor man to always have a pleasant demeanor, to always speak kind words and to always see others as good people. If we can practice these seven ways [of giving], aren’t we creating good affinities with others? This is our method as Buddhist practitioners.The Buddha already knows all this, so He gives teachings to sentient beings. All Buddhas also come to the world and do the same thing. If they did not really understand the capabilities of sentient beings, then how could They give suitable teachings?How could They open up the skillful means?
[So, teaching] skillful means requires an understanding of sentient beings’ capabilities So “the thoughts in the minds of sentient beings, the various pathways they have walked, the nature of their various desires, their karma, good and bad, from former lives, are fully known to the Buddha”
He knows all, because He first learned about sentient beings. Dear Bodhisattvas, we need to first learn about people. We must first understand what they need so we can give them something suitable. When people first see you, a sense of friendliness will draw them close to you. When we see someone, we want to feel like we have an affinity with them. We want people to feel, upon meeting us, that they have a close affinity with us.
First, we must cultivate a pleasant demeanor and learn how to maintain it [by applying] the “Tzu Chi Facial Cream”(a smile). This is all in our [everyday] appearance. We also must work on how to speak so that others are willing to listen. We must always speak kind words, have a positive mindset and show respect because every person is a good person. We should also constantly help others. If someone has poor eyesight and cannot see clearly, we must guide them onto a safe path. We must spare no effort in helping others. Whatever strength we have must be dedicated to doing everything we can to help others.
When we interact with others, we must also treat them with respect. We must give to others out of selfless great love. If so, our daily living will not center on the joy of material pleasures, but the joy of harmonious relationships. This happens in a monastery, a training ground for spiritual cultivation. Therefore, we should constantly “In a harmonious assembly, we must adjust our minds to be tranquil and still”.
We must be able to be in harmony with everyone; this is what we learn in our training ground. We do the same in our spiritual training ground. We must “maintain clarity and be free of defilements”. We really must work on maintaining this.
Since we aspire to engage in spiritual cultivation, we must change our habitual tendencies. Changing our habitual tendencies means we are eliminating our ignorance and will no longer be defiled. Since we have these spiritual aspirations, we must “uphold our resolve and vow to walk the Bodhi-path”.
All Buddhas come to the world for the sole purpose of teaching us. [They utilize] various methods and skillful means solely to give [teachings]. But the Buddha and all Buddhas must first understand sentient beings capabilities so they can teach them with the power of skillful means. So everybody, we must learn this as we learn the Buddha’s Way. Everyone, please always be mindful.

(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)

【人間菩提】20141129 - 了悟四諦勤行道

了悟四諦勤行道 
Diligently Walking the Path to End Suffering 

了悟四諦勤行道 
義診團隊除疾苦 
自愛立志學無倦 
克難共修心合和

福建福鼎市醫院與慈濟志工，到「崳山鎮」舉辦義診，克服暈船的不適，為資源匱乏的海島­居民，提高醫療服務。證嚴上人讚歎，將佛法與心契合，身體力行的付出。同樣行在法中，­聞法精進，慈濟人在南非約翰尼斯堡，舉辦合心共識營，克難的帳棚裡，還有大雨來考驗，­依舊不改堅定意志。證嚴上人開示，窮困國度，菩薩不畏懼苦難，使命必達，求法心切，真­的讓人感動。

克服暈船的不適，慈濟志工和福鼎市醫院醫護人員，前往海島「崳山鎮」義診，攜手為缺乏­醫療資源的居民，解決身體的苦。專業結合人文，細心的呵護，溫暖心靈。

證嚴 上人開示：「人間菩薩，不忍眾生苦難，他們踏上了這一塊土地，醫療、大醫王、白衣大士­，都是為他們的病痛而醫、而護，真正的法與心有契合，身體力行而付出的，真的是很感動­。」

身體力行，實踐佛法精神。慈濟人在南非舉辦合心共識營，三個國家86位志工，跨越距離­參與。地點就在克難的帳棚裡，遇上大雨，絲毫不減精進心。

證嚴 上人開示：「他們的資深菩薩，已受培訓過的，他們舊法再分享給大家，這樣一代一代一直­培(訓)下去，一群菩薩在那裡，不畏懼苦難，克服萬難，使命必達，他們求法的心是多麼­的懇切，看得真的是很感動。」

求法若渴，把考驗當修行，人人堅定的方向一致，在非洲土地上，繼續灑播這份愛與善的力­量。

【靜思妙蓮華】20140617 - 善巧方便力 - 第328集 The Power of Skillful Means

20140617《靜思妙蓮華》善巧方便力（第328集）

⊙一念心所生，緣境所生法，善惡隨念轉。奉行種種善，心念存於中，志業彰於外。
⊙「舍利弗善聽，諸佛所得法，無量方便力，而為眾生說。」《法華經方便品第二》
⊙無量方便力：謂於人群中，親近善友知識，聞其善巧方便說法，遂發菩提心，是名方便力而為眾生說。

【證嚴上人開示】
月在天空中，永遠都是圓的，時時無不都是圓的。只是在我們地球上的人，不同的角度，不同的氣候，我們所見的，有時月圓，有時月缺，有時就是雲遮蓋，有時就是天空清朗，天空清朗時，自然你就能見到月。

就如我們的心，法本住在人人的心，只是看我們人人的心，煩惱若較多，無明若較厚，自然法就(被)遮蓋。被無明、煩惱遮蓋，我們就不知道法，無論是大、小乘法，一概不知，所以就迷了。

一念心所生
緣境所生法
善惡隨念轉
奉行種種善
心念存於中
志業彰於外

佛陀就是要來告訴我們，世間一切很多就是永恆不變，有很多，你的心若通了，無不就是永恆，不生不滅的真實法就存在。卻是我們凡夫就是這樣執，所以在這「一念心所生，緣境所生法」。我們都是在這一念心，是好，是壞？是要，還是不要？要，我們很重視在追求；不要的，我們輕視它，而將它厭棄。這就是我們人的心，一念心所生、住、異、滅，這就是心靈的四相。所以，人有生、老、病、死，心有生、住、異、滅，一切都是皆由一念心所生。

所以，這一念心是隨著、緣著境界所生之法，這全都是有為法。「有為」，就是有創造的。就像你要賞月，差不多八月初開始，媒體報紙就一直刊，就是賞月烤肉。好像中秋只為一個目的，就是賞月烤肉，只有這樣而已。

月圓時，難道沒有其他的事情可做嗎？難道沒有其他有益人群、社會的事情可計畫嗎？難道只有計劃吃、玩、歡樂，只是這樣而已嗎？人都是隨著世俗的環境，緣著這個環境所創造一切，這緣境所生法。

中秋，不一定是這樣。中秋，只是真正月與地球，比較接近，亮度比較明亮一點點。其實，我們平常看月亮，也是月很亮，卻是人只要執著在這一點點的，這樣就會很多的效應，做出了對與不對的事情。看到，在環保站裡，垃圾特別多，都是月餅包裝的盒子，很多，比平時增加更多。

所以在環保站，我們就能看出了人間的生活，人間都是應景，緣此境界這樣在生活。這種法則是凡夫。所以，我們應該要瞭解，善、惡隨念轉，到底我們要做好事，也是一念轉！

就像我們有看到在靜思堂裡，也能看到圓圓的月，很乾淨。而且人間正面能賞月，在室內，靜思堂的室內，就有很明亮的月。其中有奉行種種善的人，叫做國際(慈濟)人醫會(年會)，在國際間總共有十九個國家雲來集，大醫王，與醫療有關的人士，聚(集)在靜思堂。

其中能看到，兩個人的身影，這一次已經是永別了——菲律賓的呂副院長（呂秀泉），臺灣的蔡醫師（蔡宗賢）。這兩位，醫生的生活是富有，但是他們願意放棄享受，走入人群，走入貧窮、病苦人的環境中。（他們的往生），多少人不捨啊！

卻是也同樣在此會場中，人人還是難得會聚中秋，這個時候是一年一度，大醫王會聚的時刻，如菩薩雲來集，彼此祝福，互相歡喜。相見歡喜，互相交流，增加了富中之富者，彼此來分享，如何去啟發貧中之富人。這種心得，大家都很有，心有所得，所以，心中之法，深入人人的心。

所以「心念存於中，志業彰於外」。這種善念能永遠都在內心，永恆不變，不斷互相勉勵，彼此相愛，互相相疼惜。這種彼此的心力合在一起，就是志業能夠很明朗，人人看得到，也教育了人人的心。所以我們學佛，就是要學法在生活中。

雖然我們能聽到這麼多國家，不同宗教的信仰，卻是有共同一念心，那是為天下苦難人付出。這是信仰的宗旨，那就是「慈濟」。這就是能夠聽到的歡喜。

所以我們學佛者，我們要永遠虔誠用心。天下有很多永恆存在的，月在天空，都是同樣不變的形態在天空中；法，本來就有的法，是在我們人人的心中。我們應該要守住這念心，不要心生、住、異、滅，緣在這境界來創造一念偏差，錯誤的世間法，我們應該要歸入，世間法要歸入真實法。所以我們聽經，一直就是要提醒大家，佛陀來人間，他的一大因緣的目標。

所以，佛陀一直向大家說，法，一乘妙法。所以現在經文也是這麼說：「舍利弗善聽」。佛陀一而再，再而三，又再叫舍利弗。叫舍利弗就等於叫大家，因為舍利弗是眾中的代表者。所以，佛陀接下來再說：「舍利弗善聽」，要好好聽，聽好，「諸佛所得法，無量方便力，而為眾生說」。

舍利弗善聽
諸佛所得法
無量方便力
而為眾生說
《法華經方便品第二》

要知道佛陀出現在人間，只有一個目的，要將此真實法和大家分享，啟發人人心中本具，真如的本性存在。人人的根機就是這樣不整齊，要讓大家有機會，所以佛陀他就對舍利弗說：諸佛，不只是釋迦牟尼佛，過去的諸佛、現在的釋迦佛，還有未來無量數的諸佛。過去、現在、未來，所有的佛出現人間，都是用同樣的方法。他們必定要現出修行的過程。

佛陀修行的過程，釋迦佛是這樣，過去諸佛也同樣是如此。在經典中，佛陀若介紹，過去阿彌陀佛修行的過程，發什麼樣的願，在人間……等等。佛陀說自己的「本生經」，過去是如何累積功德，如何殷勤精進，如何遇到古佛，在哪一尊佛的法中精進。這是累生累世。所以，每一尊佛的過程，都是要經過諸佛的教法，也要自己很精進，接受諸佛的法入心。

同樣的，諸佛的教法，還是開方便法。這是佛佛道同，在人間所得之法。「諸佛所得法」，得，那就是因為過去，就是這樣求過法，求法的精神、過程。有求才有得，所以過去還是這樣在修行、精進、求佛法的過程，所得來的法，諸佛都是一樣，所以「諸佛所得法」。什麼是同樣的？同樣他要入人群去教化眾生。要教化眾生，同樣也是要用無量方便法。這是諸佛的佛佛道同。

每一尊佛都有過去生中修行的過程，求法之精進，成佛之後還是一樣要投入人群，人群中還是一樣要用方便法。這方便力就是所用的法。方便是妙，權巧方便這是一股力量。

我們眾生，告訴他：「你原來就是佛。」原來就是佛，只是我也是佛。所以就貢高驕傲。其實這我也是佛，那其中的法，全都不知，所行的都是凡夫心所貪欲，種種的罪業，造，造很多的罪業。

只是，佛陀若說人人本具佛性，人人都是佛。這樣你想，誰還要學佛呢？誰懂得反省、懺悔自己的過錯？大家都不會去懺悔、反省，也無法真正瞭解佛的本性，那種慈悲，這善法都沒了，這樣要如何叫做人人都是佛呢？

為了要讓人人知道，我們人人本具佛性，所以佛陀他就要設，很多很多種無量方便法。這種法就是能牽引他進入，更深、更詳細、更能瞭解，他能接受，接受(後)能入心，洗滌他的心的污垢、無明，這種種方法。

無量方便力：
謂於人群中
親近善友知識
聞其善巧方便說法
遂發菩提心
是名方便力
而為眾生說

有所得，讓眾生有所得，這叫做力，力量。不是隨便說說，有說和沒說差不多。每一句話，佛陀所說的話就是都有力量，都能讓人有辦法接受、受用，這才叫做方便力。也真實為眾生說法。所以，方便力就是施教眾生。所以方便力，就是我們人人，我們要瞭解天下一切，人群中無不都是善知識。

看看我們現在，大家都是我們的善知識。過去不是告訴過大家，天下無不都是說法相。無論是蟲鳴鳥叫，我們也能很透徹瞭解，牠也是在說話。只是我們人，只知道人世間的語言，何況人世間的語言，同樣是人類，但是語言不同，我們就無法瞭解了。

最近十九個國家，有幾種語言。大家在那裡分享，使用不同的語言，卻是要有通達那種語言的人，來現場翻譯，將很多不同的語言，有不同通達的人，他們聽他們的話，及時用現代科技。我聽法語，我懂法語，所以我聽法國人說法，說他的話，我接收到，馬上翻譯，翻圛成中文，人人聽中文，人人聽得懂。

有的人(講)英文，我接收到英語，我懂英語，所以我馬上將它翻譯，翻譯成葡萄牙語，種種語言，互相交叉。同一個場合，有很多種不同的語言，也要有人用心，去讀這種種的語言，去通達，他們來做翻譯。

這就是在人群中，大家共同在那裡，是一種學術的交流，也是一種覺有情，互相啟發，分享所做利益人群的事情。所以，這全都是法，這都是叫做善知識，這都叫做善友。所以，我們在此人群中，親近善友、知識，聞其善巧方便說法。無法通達的語言，就有人這樣將它翻譯，像這樣，大家聽，互相學，你在你的國家用什麼方法，我在我的國家用什麼方法，互相交換，增加這念善念，增加權巧方便法，「遂發菩提心」，這樣讓人人能再發起了菩提心。

每年的這個時候，他們回來都會帶回到很多國家，好的方法，還是落實在他們的國家，能去做更多的事情，所以這樣發菩提心，這也是叫做方便力，也是一股力量。人人來到此地看到的、聽到的，這個我能受用，你的方法，我能受用，這叫做力，方便力。

所以，佛陀叫舍利弗，大家要用心聽，過去諸佛，同樣在過去佛精進，而且所求之法成就之後，同樣入人群教化眾生，同樣用種種不同的角度，不同的方法，去引眾生。引度眾生，就是用方便力，用種種的方法來說法。所以說起來，佛陀在人間，是生生世世不離人間，不同的國度，不同的方式生活，他都是為眾生，都是在做人的善知識。

所以，我們入人群中，我們要將人人當作是佛。因為在人群中的善知識，無不都是現身教育我們。所以，我們若能人人有這念心，我們本身所得的法，也能展轉給人，也能教導他人，引誘人人同樣入此法來。所以，所得法，就是過程中有求，才能付出這麼多的力量，這些力量，會讓很多人有受用，這無不都是說法。所以人人要多用心。

Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Power of Skillful Means (善巧方便法)
Date: June. 17. 2014

The moon in the sky is always full. It never changes, but for us here on Earth, depending on location and atmospheric conditions, the moon we see is sometimes full, sometimes crescent-shaped, sometimes obscured by clouds, sometimes bright in the clear sky. When the sky is clear, naturally we can see the moon. The same principle applies to our minds. The Dharma has always abided in our minds, but some of our minds have more afflictions or thicker layers of ignorance. Then, naturally the Dharma will be covered up, covered by ignorance and afflictions. So, we do not understand the Dharma. Whether it is Great Vehicle or Small Vehicle we do not understand it at all, thus we become deluded.

The thoughts the mind gives rise to and the way it connects to conditions determine it we see things as good or bad. When we uphold and practice all goodness, these thoughts are kept in our minds and manifest externally as our mission.

The Buddha comes to tell us that many things in the world are everlasting and unchanging. Many things, once understood, are everlasting, and are True Dharma that do not arise or cease. But we ordinary beings are very stubborn. So, this is “the thoughts the mind gives rise to and the way it connects to conditions.” Our minds determine whether something is good or bad, whether we want it or not. If we want it, we value and seek it. If we do not want it, we disparage and renounce it. This is how our minds work. A thought arises, abides, changes and ceases. These are the four states of the mind. The body goes through birth, aging, illness, death. The mind arises, abides, changes and ceases. All things arise from the mind and our thoughts are influenced by the way the mind connects with conditions. These [arising] things are conditioned phenomena.
“Conditioned” refers to something that is created. Take the Mid-Autumn Festival for example. Around the beginning of August, news media outlets start publishing articles about barbecuing while admiring the full moon, as if the sole purpose of the Mid-Autumn Festival was barbecuing while admiring the full moon, and nothing more. When the moon is full, isn’t there anything else we can do? Can’t we plan to do something that benefits humankind and society? Is the festival just about eating and having fun? Can there be more to it? We tend to go along with what is customary. We are influenced by external conditions to do things. This is the way the mind connects to conditions. Mid-Autumn Festival does not have to be this way. At Mid-Autumn, the moon is very close to Earth, so it looks a little brighter [than usual]. In fact, a normal full moon is also very bright. But people are attached to the idea [the Mid-autumn moon is more special,] which has many ripple effects. They may end up doing proper or improper things.
Take a look at our recycling centers. There is more trash at this time of year because of all the moon-cake packaging. So, at the recycling centers, we can see how we humans live.
In this world, our lives are influenced by the conditions we connect with. This is natural for unenlightened beings. So,we should understand that [our mindset] determines if we see things as good or bad.Deciding to do good deeds also depends on our minds.
At the Jing Si Hall, we also have a direct view of a clean and perfectly round moon.
Inside the hall there is a very bright moon.There are people who uphold and practice all goodness; they are [members of].Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA).
From around the world, a total of 19 countries participate.Doctors and other medical professionals gather at Jing Si Hall.Two people who had always been there before had already passed away this year, Asst. Superintendent Lu from the Philippines and Dr. Cai of Taiwan.The two of them could have lived the luxurious lives of doctors.
But they were willing to give up those comforts to go among the impoverished and the ill.Many people were sad to lose them.But this was also a precious occasion when everyone could gather for Mid-Autumn.This annual get-together for doctors is like a gathering of Bodhisattvas.They wished each other well, celebrated, and were happy to see and interact with one other.They were [materially and spiritually wealthy] so they mutually shared ways to inspire the spiritually poor among the wealthy.
They all had these kinds of experiences and realizations, so the Dharma had deeply penetrated their minds.
Thus “these thoughts are kept in our minds, manifest externally as our mission”.These virtuous thoughts can remain in our hearts forever unchanging, so we can continuously encourage, love and cherish each other.When people who share these thoughts converge, their mission is clearly apparent.Everyone can see it and learn from it.
Similarly, when we study the Buddha’s Way, we need to manifest it in our daily living.
Although these people come from many countries and hold various religious beliefs, they share a common [mission], which is to help all of those who are suffering.This is the direction provided by their faith [and the reason they have joined] Tzu Chi.
So, we can hear them share the joy [that comes from doing this work].Thus, we Buddhist practitioners must always be reverent and mindful.There are many everlasting things in the world like the moon in the sky.The moon always remains unchanging in the sky.
Similarly, the Dharma has always been in everyone’s mind.We should guard our minds and not allow thoughts to arise, abide, change and cease, or to deviate and err when the mind connects to conditions.We must trace worldly things back to True Dharma.So, when we listen to teachings, we must continuously remind ourselves that the Buddha comes to the world all for the purpose of one great cause.
So, the Buddha is always teaching everyone the One vehicle Dharma.This part of the sutra also states, “Sariputra, listen well”.Again and again, the Buddha called on Sariputra called on Sariputra.Calling Sariputra was like calling everyone, because he was their representative.

Then the Buddha said, “Sariputra, listen well.”He told him to listen earnestly, “for the Dharma obtained by all Buddhas, through the power of infinite skillful means is taught for sentient beings”.

must know the Buddha appeared in the world with only one goal, to share the True Dharma with everyone and to awaken everyone’s inherent.We must know the Buddha appeared in the world with only one goal, to share the True Dharma with everyone and to awaken everyone’s inherent nature of True Suchness. Everyone had different capabilities, so He had to create opportunities [for them to learn]. So, the Buddha told Sariputra that all Buddhas, not just Him, Sakyamuni Buddha, all Buddhas of the past, the present Sakyamuni and countless Buddhas of the future, all Buddhas of the past, present and future, who appear in this world, utilize the same methods and must manifest the process of spiritual practice.
The process of a Buddha’s spiritual practice was manifested by Sakyamuni Buddha, as well as by all Buddhas of the past. In the sutras, the Buddhas introduced the process of Amitabha Buddha’s spiritual practice, the vows He made in the world and so on. The Buddha also gave teachings on His own life and how He accumulated merits and virtues, how He studied earnestly and diligently and how He encountered ancient Buddhas and diligently practiced Their Dharma. He did this lifetime after lifetime. So, every Buddha went through the process of [learning] other Buddhas’ teachings and also diligently [practicing] and taking the Dharma of all Buddhas to heart.
Likewise, all Buddhas taught skillful means. All Buddhas took the same path in obtaining the Dharma in the world “for the Dharma obtained by all Buddhas”, They were able to obtain it because They sought it out in the past. With this spirit and process of seeking the Dharma. They were able to seek and obtain it.
So in the past, They engaged in spiritual practice and diligently sought the Buddha-Dharma. The Dharma They obtained was the same, so we speak of “the Dharma obtained by all Buddhas. What else was the same? They had the same intent of going among sentient beings to teach them. To teach sentient beings, they likewise used countless skillful means.
Thus, all Buddhas share the same path. All Buddhas, in Their past lives, diligently engaged in spiritual practice and sought teachings. After attaining Buddhood, They all went among people and all utilized skillful means. Skillful means are the methods they used. Skillful means wondrous. Provisional skillful means are powerful. When sentient beings are told, “You are a Buddha”, though they are fundamentally Buddhas, when they think, “I am also Buddha”, they may become haughty and proud. Though they think, “I am also a Buddha, they may not understand the Dharma at all. Thus their unenlightened minds act out of greed and they commit transgressions, thus, creating much negative karma. So, if the Buddha says that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature, and that everyone is a Buddha, then who would still want to study the Buddha’s Way? Who would reflect on and repent their faults? Nobody would reflect and repent or be able to understand their intrinsic Buddha-nature. If they lack compassion and goodness, how could we say, “Everyone is a Buddha?” To help all of us realize that we intrinsically have Buddha-nature, the Buddha had to develop many, countless skillful means. These methods can guide people into deeper and more detailed understandings so they can accept and take the Dharma to heart to wash away their defilements and ignorance.

“The power of infinite skillful means: When we interact with people, we must draw near virtuous and spiritual friends and listen to skillful and suitable teachings that lead us to develop Bodhi-mind. That is the power of skillful means.”Which is taught for sentient beings.

It enables sentient beings to attain [the Dharma], so it is called a power. He could not teach just anything nor teach things that are insignificant. Every word the Buddha speaks is powerful and can be accepted and applied. This is the power of skillful means, which is truly for teaching sentient beings. So, the power of skillful means is that it can reach all sentient beings. The power of skilful means is that it can help all of us understand everything in the world. Everyone in the world is our spiritual friend.
Look around us now. Everyone is our spiritual friend. Haven’t I told you all before that everything is a manifestation of Dharma? Even the buzzing of insects and chirping of birds can also be clearly understood; they are also speaking. But we humans only understand human speech. Furthermore, in the world, although we are all human, when people speak different languages, we cannot understand them.
Volunteers from the 19 countries that were here spoke many different languages. When the volunteers shared, they used different languages. Someone fluent in that language had to provide live interpretation. With all these different languages, people who could speak these languages had to listen to the volunteers [and provide translation] with the help of modern technology.
“I hear and understand French. So, when I hear a Frenchman speak French I immediately translate those words into Chinese.” Everyone who speaks Chinese could then understand him. Some people spoke English. “I hear English and understand it, so I immediately translate it into Portuguese.Many languages flowed back and forth. At this one event, people spoke many different languages, so interpreters had to mindfully read and study material in many languages [in order] to translate. While they were all there, they mingled so they could learn from each other. They are also a kind of Bodhisattva, because they mutually inspired each other and shared ways of benefiting people. This is all Dharma. They were all virtuous and spiritual friends for each other. So, among these people, we draw near virtuous and spiritual friends to listen to skillful and suitable teachings.
A language that we cannot understand will be interpreted by someone for us. This is how we all listen and learn. “What methods do you use in your country? These are the methods I use in my country.” Through this mutual exchange, their goodness grows and they learn more provisional, skillful means “Gradually developing Bodhi-mind” means this helps them develop an awakened mind.
Every year around this time, they leave with good methods they learned from many other countries to take home and practice in their own countries, so they can do even more. In this way, they develop Bodhi-mind. This is also the power of skillful means, a power force. Everything they hear and see here can be applied. I can make use of this “Your methods can be applied in my country” This is the power of skillful means.
So, the Buddha told Sariputra that everyone must listen mindfully.All Buddhas in the past diligently sought and practiced the Dharma until They attained Buddhahood. Similarly, They went among people to teach them, using various different angles and different methods to guide them. To guide sentient beings, They utilized the power of skillful means.They used many methods to teach the Dharma. So lifetime after lifetime, the Buddha remained in this world. He lived in different countries, with different lifestyles, to be a virtuous friend to sentient beings.
So, when we go among people we need to treat everyone as a Buddha because the virtuous friends around us are all teaching by example. If we all have this mindset, we can pass on the Dharma we learn to others and we can also teach them and guide them to also penetrate this Dharma.
So, the Dharma that we obtain is what we seek over the course of our spiritual practice. This is what enables us to exert so much power, which is helpful to many people. This all comes from expounding the Dharma. So everyone, we must always be mindful.

(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)

【靜思妙蓮華】20140616 - 去糟糠存貞實 - 第327集 Remove Impurities to Retain the Steadfast and True

⊙立志護念圓淨戒，完整無瑕玉純潔，內外明澈無瑕疵，外行內修表裡一。
⊙「如是四眾等，其數有五千，不自見其過，於戒有缺漏，護惜其瑕玼，是小智已出。」《法華經方便品第二》
⊙「眾中之糟糠，佛威德故去，斯人鮮福德，不堪受是法，此眾無枝葉，唯有諸貞實。」《法華經方便品第二》
⊙眾中之糟糠：以喻稻穀空無實，如憍慢之比丘及麤惡之輩，空腹高心。喻小智人，自以為獨出之智，實乃修行眾中之糟糠。
⊙威德：尊嚴攝受謂之威，又能降伏邪惡為威。凡言德者，完善正大光明，稱為「德」。
⊙斯人鮮福德：喻無福不堪受大法，終被佛之威德所震懾。風吹空榖留貞實，五千退人退席而去也。
⊙唯有諸真實：法離迷情，絕虛妄想，云真實。經云：如所說者，皆是真實。
⊙「舍利弗善聽，諸佛所得法，無量方便力，而為眾生說。」《法華經方便品第二》

【證嚴上人開示】
立志護念圓淨戒
完整無瑕玉純潔
內外明澈無瑕疵
外行內修表裡一

時時都是這麼想，學佛就是講究一念心。一個人顧一念心，怎麼這麼難顧？常常都說，「守志奉道，其道甚大」。我們既然發心要修行，那就是要立志願。志願既立，我們的志要好好守住。我們的心若守得住，保護得好，如此我們的身心都能夠清淨，所以說「立志護念圓淨戒」。

我們若是好好立志與護念，我們的心保護好，保護於這念心，若如此，自然我們的戒。「戒」，戒能防非止惡，所以我們若守得住戒，守得很圓滿而且清淨，這個「圓淨戒」是我們人人的慧命。所以，慧命之髓，這非常的重要，所以我們要好好守護這念心。

不只是「圓淨戒」，還要「完整無瑕玉純潔」。就如玉一樣，玉的價值，價值在哪裡呢？價值於它內外都很完整無瑕疵。同樣的，我們的心，道心，也要顧守得如玉那般完整，那麼的純，那麼的乾淨。這念心若純，我們的人生，在世間才有價值。因為你的心很純真，自然對人、處世，就是誠、正、信、實，沒有一點隱藏不乾淨的東西，所以這是人生的價值。

不只是外表，還要「內外明澈無瑕疵」。真的是要很清淨，很完整，我們的心，就是要顧到這樣的程度。甚至外行內修，表裡一貫，就如一片玉，能夠很純潔的價值，一點瑕疵都沒有。修行人的價值，就是在這念道心堅定，沒有污染。

所以經文，我們前面也有說過了，前面的經文，那就是因為學佛的人，他就是我慢，或者是不信，或者是增上慢，像這樣，這個四眾弟子要聽法，就無法很透徹要聽下去。一直感覺到佛陀所說的法，也是四十多年，也聽久了，再怎麼說，也是差不多。所以這種增上慢，或者是我慢，或者是不信，這種的四眾弟子，在佛陀開始要說大法之時，那就已經有五千人退席了。這些人就是貢高驕傲之人，也就是不想要守好規戒之人。

這些人就是「於戒有缺漏，護惜其瑕疵」。就是髒污的東西，還是隱藏於其中，不想要將錯誤的、髒污的去除。他不肯去除，他還隱藏於內，所以叫做「護惜其瑕疵」。像這樣的人，有過失不肯改過，這種人是小智。開始要講《法華經》，五千人退席，「小智已出』，這是前面的（經）文。「小智已出」，不堪受大法之人，已經五千人出去了。

如是四眾等
其數有五千
不自見其過
於戒有缺漏
護惜其瑕玼
是小智已出
《法華經方便品第二》

所以，接下來這段（經）文就說：「眾中之糟糠，佛威德故去，斯人鮮福德，不堪受是法，此眾無枝葉，唯有諸貞實。」

眾中之糟糠
佛威德故去
斯人鮮福德
不堪受是法
此眾無枝葉
唯有諸貞實
《法華經方便品第二》

「小智已出」，是「眾中之糟糠」。不知道你們有沒有，看過人家割稻？割稻子，稻子割下來時，(曬乾後)倒進風鼓之中，那個風鼓有扇葉，把它捲進去，稻穀留下來，空穀就飛出去。同樣的，這種糟糠，這種就是留不住的，它很自然的就被淘汰掉了，那就是五千人。這五千人是增上慢、我慢、不信，這些小智之人。這種人是眾中之糟糠，就如空穀，風起，它自然就飛走了。

所以，我們要做一個很貞實的人，不要像空穀。我們法要入心，法若入心，那就是粒粒都是真實的種子。而我們若是法不入心，就如稻子已經空掉，內在無法。

眾中之糟糠：
以喻稻穀空無實
如憍慢之比丘
及麤惡之輩
空腹高心
喻小智人
自以為獨出之智
實乃修行眾中
之糟糠

看，「眾中之糟糠」，那就是譬喻「稻殼空無實」。稻子裡面是空的，沒有飽穗的稻子，稻殼是空的。就是譬喻驕慢之人，這些驕慢的比丘，或者是比丘尼，或者是優婆塞、優婆夷，以及「麤惡之輩」，很粗，那個心，沒有很詳細的心，很詳細的心來接受法，法聽了就漏過去了，這種粗心大意，不是真實要學佛、聞法之人。

這種人就是「空腹高心」，肚子裡空空的，但是他的心很貢高驕傲。這種人就是小智，沒有智慧，很小智，只知道表面的，不知道深奧，深奧的道理，只看表面而已。這種人叫做世智辯聰，智慧不深，很粗淺的人。

「自以為獨出之智」，以為：「我全都瞭解了，我全都知道了。佛說一，我已經知二、知十了。佛說一次，我都瞭解了。過去佛所說四十多年的法，我都很清楚了。」所以，有這些心念，他就不會再用心繼續來聽，佛陀一乘實相圓妙的道理，他就不想要再聽下去。這種就是小智之人，自以為我全都知道了，是修行眾中的糟糠。

我們內心若有修，看人，人人都是佛，我們對人人都能尊重、感恩。這就是飽穗的稻子。真的內心若有真實的人，自然他就能尊重佛，尊重法，尊重人。這全都是真正有修行的人。所以，我們學佛，要真正修行，修入心。若光是，光只是形象，就是出家(人)，表面上稱為修行，若只是這樣，佛陀是不允許的。

所以，佛陀「佛威德故去」。那五千人退席，就如風鼓在吹稻子一樣，佛陀就是將這些人，稍微淘汰一下，不要讓他在真實法中，觀念又偏差了，學了，又是再擾亂法的次序。所以佛陀自然就等待、等待，觀，觀機，這些根機是不是堪得受法？不堪得受法之人，他自然自我淘汰，所以，五千人退席了。這是佛的威德，所以這些人退去了，所以叫做「佛威德故去」。

威德：
尊嚴攝受謂之威
又能降伏邪惡為威
凡言德者
完善 正大 光明
稱為「德」

何謂「威德」，「尊嚴攝受謂之威」。佛陀他真的讓人看了，內心就起了尊重，於佛的面前，這樣如規如矩。無論他在外，是如何的不好的習慣，來到佛前，他就規規矩矩，這就是稱為「攝受」，也稱為「降伏」，這就是「威」。佛陀讓人看了能尊重，這稱為威，威德。他能讓人，見到佛，自然心就被降伏下來，原來不好的習氣，自我調整下來。這種稱為「威」。

「德」呢？德者就是完善，真正完美的善良。就如孔夫子，「溫、良、恭、儉、讓，以得之。」他，孔夫子，他是溫，很良善，對人很溫。「威而不猛」，他雖然很有威嚴，但是沒有讓人看了很兇，就是有那個威嚴。「溫而厲，威而不猛」，這就是孔夫子的德。

孔夫子是人間的聖者，就有這種「溫而厲，威而不猛」，還有「溫、良、恭、儉、讓」，這全都是聖人之德。在世間的人，聖人如孔子，都有這樣的德，何況是佛，是出世間的聖人，宇宙的大覺者，這個威德，所以他非常的完善，正大而光明。所以，佛的威德，能夠攝受眾生不好的習氣。

不過，攝受下來，修行在個人。能夠繼續真心，想要接受佛法之人，自然他就留下來，沒有真心要受佛法之人，自然他就退去了，所以「佛威德故去」。

「斯人鮮福德」，這樣的人就是「鮮」；「鮮」就是「很少」的意思。就是五千人退席的那些人，「不自見其過」之人，或者是「於戒有缺漏」之人，或者是覆蓋他的過失的這些人，這些小智慧，自作聰明之人。這些人稱為「斯人」，這些人「鮮福德」，就是缺欠福德。這就是譬喻「無福不堪受大法」。他就是沒有這樣的福慧，所以不堪受大法。

斯人鮮福德：
喻無福不堪受大法
終被佛之威德
所震懾
風吹空榖留貞實
五千退人
退席而去也

這些人就如空穀一樣，風要吹，殼就飛走了，這就是空的。所以「終被佛之威德所震懾」，被震動到。所以，他不肯聽的人，他就是離開了，「風吹空穀留貞實」，這空的稻子就吹走了，留下來的是，很貞很結實的稻種在。所以，五千人退席了，佛陀說：「退亦佳矣！」退去也是很好，免得聽法，錯解佛意，在外面謗法，將此法，「一念偏差，失於千里」。所以「唯有諸貞實」，現在留下來的這些，都是很貞、很實的。

唯有諸真實：
法離迷情
絕虛妄想
云真實
經云
如所說者
皆是真實

「法離迷情，絕虛妄想」。此法沒有一點迷情在，都是很實。佛陀教眾生是覺有情，覺有情之人就已經離開了迷情。用感情是要用覺，覺有情，不是只濫用感情，所以懂得「法離迷情，絕虛妄(想)」。那我們的內心無虛，沒有不實之事，表裡純一，所以絕對沒有妄之事情，這個妄想、雜念全都去除了，這稱為「實」。

所以經中，《法華經》中有一段文：「如所說者，皆是真實。」佛所說的教法，全都是真實的。要在那裡聽法的，也是真心的，所以全都是真實法。

各位，學佛，我們必定要用心來聽。佛陀處處都一直告訴大家，要認真聽，「善聽」。這「善聽」就是認真聽。佛陀對舍利弗還是再說，既然這些人都是真實的心，要留下來聽法，「舍利弗，善聽啊！」大家既然願意留下來聽，大家要仔細聽。叫舍利弗，就是等於叫大家，舍利弗是聽眾的代表者。

所以佛陀說：「舍利弗善聽，諸佛所得法，無量方便力，而為眾生說。」

舍利弗善聽
諸佛所得法
無量方便力
而為眾生說
《法華經方便品第二》

佛，不只是釋迦佛，所有的佛，「佛佛道同」，所修行的過程，所得的法，都是那麼的真實，同樣要為眾生說真實法。眾生就是根機不整齊，所以所有的佛，都是佛出人間，教導眾生都是要先用，無量方便法。佛，諸佛都有這樣的力量，所以，我們人人對人說話，就是用方便、善巧，同樣要有那分真實的力。不要讓善巧方便，變成了太過放縱，若是這樣，心又拉不回來，那就很麻煩了。

所以，佛陀的智力，佛的智力，就是方便力。前面也說過了「妙權」，是真正微妙的權巧方便之法，這稱為「方便力而為眾生說」。

所以，學佛要相信佛所說法。佛的法，就只有一項，希望人人回歸我們的真心本性。所以我們學佛者，必定要有這分立志，立志護念我們這個圓淨的戒。我們要有一個真正完整如玉，要很純潔，這樣才有價值。所以各位菩薩，修行，「守志奉道，其道甚大」。所以人人時時要多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Remove Impurities to Retain the Steadfast and True (去糟糠存貞實)
Date: June. 16. 2014

We must resolve to safeguard our minds and perfect purifying precepts to be as impeccably flawless and pure as jade. When we are radiantly clear and flawless, inside and out, our external practice and internal cultivation will be consistent.

I always think about how the Buddha’s teachings are focused on the mind. Each of us only has to take care of one mind, so why is it so hard to do? I always say, “We must uphold our vows and follow the Way, then our path will be great.” Since we aspire to engage in spiritual cultivation we need to make vows. Once we make vows, we must uphold them. If we are able to uphold and protect them, our bodies and minds will be pure.
So, we “resolve to safeguard the mind and perfect purifying precepts.” If we can establish a [firm] resolve and safeguard our minds, safeguard this aspiration, then naturally we will uphold precepts, which guard against wrongdoings and stop evil. We must try to uphold precepts and do so perfectly, thus remaining pure. By “perfecting purifying precepts” we [protect] our wisdom-life. The essence of wisdom-life is very important, so we must carefully safeguard our minds. Not only must we “perfect purifying precepts,” we must be “as impeccably flawless and pure as jade.” We must be a like a piece of jade. When is a piece of jade valuable? When it is perfect and flawless, inside and out.
Similarly, our spiritual aspiration must be safeguarded, so it can be perfect, pure and clear as jade. If our minds are pure, then our lives in this world will be of value. If our minds are very pure, we will naturally treat people and matters with sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness. We will have no hidden impurities. So, the value of life is not just in external appearances, but also in being “radiantly clear and flawless, inside and out.” Indeed, we must safeguard our minds so that they remain pure and perfect. Our external practice must also be consistent with our internal cultivation. This can be compared to a piece of jade, valued for its purity and absolute flawlessness. Spiritual practitioners’ value lies in their firm spiritual aspirations, which remain undefiled. As was mentioned in a previous section of the sutra, some Buddhist practitioners were self-arrogant, without faith, or overbearingly arrogant. These disciples of the fourfold assembly could not listen to or clearly understand the Dharma. They felt that since they had listened to the Buddha’s teachings for more than 40 years, these new teachings were likely to be very similar.
Thus, there were those with overbearing arrogance, self-arrogance or lack of faith within the disciples of the fourfold assembly. As the Buddha was about to teach the great Dharma, 5000 people left the assembly. These people were arrogant and conceited; they were also unwilling to follow rules. Their “upholding of the precepts was flawed, but they defended their own imperfections.” They still concealed impurities in their minds and did not want to eliminate their mistakes.They refused to remove them, preferring to keep them hidden within.Thus, they “defended their own imperfections”.
These people were unwilling to correct their mistakes because they had limited wisdom.
As the Lotus teachings were about to be given, 5000 people got up and left.“Those with limited wisdom left.”This was mentioned in the previous section.“Those with limited wisdom left.”Unable to accept the great Dharma, 5000 people left.

The ones such as these in the fourfold assembly were 5000 in number.They did not to see their own faults.Their upholding of the precepts was flawed, but they defended their imperfections.So, those with limited wisdom left.

Then the following section of the sutra states, “The chaff within the assembly was gone, due to the Buddha’s awe-inspiring virtue.Those people, lacking blessings and virtue, were incapable of receiving this Dharma.The assembly was free of branches and leaves; only the steadfast and true remained.”

“Those with limited wisdom [who] left” were “the chaff within the assembly”.Have you ever seen people harvesting rice?After the rice stalks are cut off and left out to dry, they are put into the winnower.The blades of the winnower mill the grains by separating the rice from the husk.Thus, the chaff does not remain; it is naturally eliminated through the process.
These 5000 people were the same.They had overbearing arrogance, or self-arrogance, lacked faith or had limited wisdom.These people were the chaff within the assembly.
They were like empty husks, which, when the wind rises, naturally fly away.So, we must be sincere and steadfast, not like empty husks.
We must take the Dharma to heart.Once we do, each of us will be a true seed.If we do not take the Dharma to heart, we will be like empty husks of grain, lacking any Dharma inside.

The chaff within the assembly:The empty husk of grain is used as an analogy for bhiksus who were proud and arrogant and for those who were coarse and evil.
They knew nothing, but were very arrogant.
It is also an analogy for those of limited wisdom who think they have exceptional wisdom; when in reality, they were the chaff among the spiritual practitioners at the assembly.

See, “the chaff within the assembly” is using the analogy of an “empty husk of grain”.
The inside of the husk is empty, there is no grain of rice within.It is an empty husk of grain.This is an analogy for arrogant people.Arrogant bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas were like the chaff.“Those who were coarse” and evil refer to people who were careless and could not meticulously take in the Dharma.They listened without retaining anything.People who were careless did not truly want to learn the Buddha’s teachings.
“They knew nothing, but were very arrogant.”
There was nothing to them, but they were still very arrogant and conceited.These people had very limited wisdom, or none at all.Their knowledge was very superficial, so they did not know deep and profound principles.They only looked at the surface of things, so they were said to have worldly cleverness.Their wisdom was shallow and basic, but [they] “thought they had exceptional wisdom”.They believed, “I know and understand everything!”
“The Buddha gave one teaching, but I already know the next two, and the next ten teachings.Hearing Him once, I already know everything.I have understood all of the Buddha’s teachings over the past 40 years.”With this kind of mindset, they would not mindfully listen to the Buddha’s perfect and wondrous principles of the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle.
These people of limited wisdom believed that they already knew everything, but in reality they were the chaff of spiritual practitioners.If we cultivate our minds, everyone will look a Buddha to us.When we are respectful and grateful to everyone, we are like full grains of rice.
Those whose hearts are truly full will naturally respect the Buddha, the Dharma and other people. They are true spiritual practitioners. So, when we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must truly practice to take in the teachings. If we only look like a monastic and merely claim to engage in spiritual practice, the Buddha would not approve of that.
So, “due to the Buddha’s awe-inspiring virtue”, those 5000 people left the assembly. He can be compared to a winnower. The Buddha wanted to weed these people out of the assembly, so that when taught the True Dharma they would not deviate further. Otherwise, they might disrupt the teaching. So, the Buddha waited to see whether there were those who were capable of accepting the Dharma. Those who were incapable would naturally eliminate themselves. Thus, 5000 people left. This was “the Buddha’s awe-aspiring virtue”. These people left “due to the Buddha’s awe-aspiring virtue”.

“Awe-inspiring virtue: Awe-inspiring means having a magnificent and influential demeanor that can subdue the evil and unwholesome. Generally, speaking, the virtuous are those who are wholesome, just and honorable. This is the meaning of virtue.

What is “awe-inspiring virtue”? It is “having a magnificent and influential demeanor”. The sight of the Buddha truly commands people’s respect, so they will well-behaved in front of Him. Regardless of the kinds of bad habits they have, they will behave before the Buddha. This is called being “influential” and being capable of “subduing”. This is what it means to be “awe-inspiring”. The Buddha commanded respect on sight. This is His awe-inspiring virtue. When people see the Buddha, their minds naturally becomes subdued, and they can regulate their bad habitual tendencies. This is the meaning of “awe-inspiring”.
What about His “virtue?” Virtue is goodness. His virtue is true, perfect kindness, just like the virtues of Confucius, “gentleness, kindheartedness, respectfulness, frugality and humility”. Confucius was warm and kind toward people. He was “majestic but not aggressive”. Confucius may have appeared majestic, but he never appeared aggressive. His dignified demeanor was “gentle but strict, majestic but not aggressive”. These were his virtues. Confucius was a worldly sage who was “gentle but strict, majestic but not aggressive,” and had virtues of gentleness, kindheartedness, respectfulness, frugality and humility. These are the virtues of saints.
Saints and sages in this world, such as Confucius, all have these virtues, to say nothing of the Buddha, who was a world-transcending saint and the Great Enlightened One of the Universe. He had awe-inspiring virtue; He was wholesome, just and honorable. So, the Buddha’s awe-inspiring virtue can subdue sentient beings “bag habitual tendencies.” Though He could subdue them, spiritual practice still depends on each individual. Those who truly wanted to accept the Buddha-Dharma naturally stayed. Those who were not sincere naturally left. This was “due to the Buddha’s awe-inspiring virtue.” Those people lacking blessings and virtues.” They were lacking, which means having very little of something. The 5000 people who left were “those who did not see their own faults, or those whose “upholding of precepts was flawed”, or those who concealed their own imperfections. These people with limited wisdom believed themselves to be clever. They were referred to as “those people”. They were “lacking blessings and virtues”. This is describing those who “had no blessings and were incapable of receiving the great Dharma”. Because they did not have blessings and wisdom, they were incapable of receiving the great Dharma.

“Those people, lacking blessings and virtue: Those who did not have blessings were incapable of receiving the great Dharma, so in the end, the Buddha’s awe-inspiring virtue intimidated them. The wind blew away the empty husks, leaving the steadfast and true. Those were the 5000 people who left the assembly.”

These people were like empty husks. When the wind blew, they flew away because they were empty inside. “In the end, the Buddha’s awe-inspiring virtue intimidated them”, so those who refused to listen decided to leave. “The wind blew away the empty husks, leaving the steadfast and true.” Empty husks are blown away, leaving only the true and solid grains.
Thus, 5000 people left. The Buddha said, “It is better that they left.” Otherwise, they might have misconstrued the Buddha’s intent and slandered the Dharma. One slightly erroneous thought about the Dharma could have led them far astray. So, only the steadfast and true remained. The ones that remained were all steadfast and true.

Only the steadfast and true remain: The Dharma is free of delusional affections and eliminates unreal and false thinking; therefore, it is true. The sutra states, “All that [He] expounded was true and real.”

“The Dharma is free of delusional affections and eliminates unreal and false thinking.” There is no delusional affection in this Dharma; it is very real. The Buddha taught sentient beings that they could be enlightened beings who are free of delusions. We must have enlightened love and not be deluded by affection.
So, if we understand that “The Dharma is free of delusional affections and eliminates false thinking, our minds will be free of anything unreal and [our minds and actions] will be consistent.
Therefore, our minds will be free of false thinking and discursive thoughts. This is what it means to be “true.” A passage in the Lotus Sutra states, “All that [He] expounded was true and real.” The Buddha’s teaching were all true and real. Those who listen to His teachings were also truly sincere, so they learned the True Dharma.
Everyone, as we learn Buddha’s Way, we must mindfully listen. The Buddha always told everyone to listen attentively, or to “listen well.” To “listen well” means to listen attentively. The Buddha again called on Sariputra. Since these people were sincere, they would stay to listen to the Dharma.
So, “Sariputra, listen well.” Since everyone was willing to stay and listen, they must listen carefully. Telling Sariputra was like telling everyone, because he was their representative.

So, the Buddha said, “Sariputra, listen well, for the Dharma obtained by all Buddhas, through the power of infinite skillful means, is taught for sentient beings.”

All Buddhas, not just Sakyamuni Buddha, share the same path. Their journey of spiritual practice and the Dharma they attained are true and real. They all teach the True Dharma for sentient beings. Because sentient beings have varying capabilities, all Budhhas who come to this world first teach sentient beings with infinite skillful means.
All Buddhas have this power and ability.
So, when we communicate with each other, we must also apply skillful means, while at the same time using the power of truth. We cannot indulge too much in skillful means and let ourselves go, otherwise, we will be unable to bring our minds back which would be problematic.
So, the power of the Buddha’s wisdom is also the power of skillful means. Previously, we mentioned “wondrous skillful means.” Truly subtle and wondrous provisional teachings have “the power of skillful means.” “[The Dharma] is taught for sentient beings. So, in learning the Buddha’s way, we must believe in what the Buddha says. His only [goal] in teaching the Dharma is for all of us to return to our true intrinsic nature.
Therefore, as Buddhist practitioners, we must have the resolve to safeguard our minds and perfectly cultivate purifying precepts. [Our minds] must be as impeccably flawless as jade in order to be of value.
Dear Bodhisattvas, spiritual practice means to “uphold vows and follow the Way, then our path will be great”. So, we must always be mindful.

(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)

【靜思妙蓮華】20140613 - 持戒莫缺漏 - 第326集 Uphold Precepts without Flaws and Leaks

20140613《靜思妙蓮華》持戒莫缺漏（第326集）

⊙修持無漏戒定慧，願行福慧聞思修，深植善根功德力，正知見思淨真如。
⊙「爾時，世尊欲重宣此義，而說偈言：比丘比丘尼，有懷增上慢，優婆塞我慢，優婆夷不信。」《法華經方便品第二》
⊙「如是四眾等，其數有五千，不自見其過，於戒有缺漏，護惜其瑕疵，是小智已出。」《法華經方便品第二》
⊙「戒」，能防非止惡。不但惡事不可為，就是惡念也不該有。「戒」又名清涼，因人能止惡行善，則必心安理得，故心無熱惱而得清涼。
⊙戒為出生死海之寶筏，若筏有缺漏，則仍沈沒於生死海矣；故戒有無缺戒、無漏戒等。

【證嚴上人開示】
從裡面出來吹著風，讓人感到心安清涼，所以我們要心存感恩。現在雖然是平平安安，未來會如何？我們不知道，不過，我們永遠就是要，抱持著這分感恩、虔誠之心。虔誠，就是我們要時時培養，培養對人、對事、對物，我們必定要時時、好好地養成這分感恩心。

我們凡夫習氣，時時都是為自己的感想而堅持，都不是為了，天地之間眾生的境界。現在這個時代，真的是濁世法末的時代，所以才需要我們人人，有因緣接觸了佛法，我們瞭解，所以瞭解佛法，才正是需要我們各人，每一個人聞而修持的時刻。

佛法在我們的周圍，我們若不懂得探手來取得佛法，用心好好來堅持，我們若不這樣，真的「一失人身，萬劫難再」。所以我們要受持，不只是受持，我們還要修持得無漏，「無漏戒定慧」，這是我們大家共同一個方向。

既遇佛法，我們必定要修持無漏，不要讓它漏掉了。每一天的佛法要入心來，入心的佛法，那就是不能缺少的是，戒、定、慧。

修持無漏戒定慧
願行福慧聞思修
深植善根功德力
正知見思淨真如

我們說要修行，我們若不懂得持戒，戒，沒有戒於我們的心，若如此，我們會很快的，時時都會脫軌；脫離了戒，就容易犯錯。

戒是防非止惡。我們要常常預防著，我們的心念，無明常常生起，若沒有戒，這個無明時時都會發作。貪，貪自己的享受；瞋，一直覺得是，周圍的人對不起我，所以愈想愈氣，愈想就愈不甘願。你們想，我們就是無戒。

所以戒能夠防非。不是說殺盜淫等等，才說是需要戒律，不是。是我們平時的心念，戒，如一條繩子，給我們一個界址，到此，你不能越界；也好似一道牆，分內、外，對的，是我們的本分事，不對的，那是以外的事情。所以，有守規矩的人，光看那一條繩子，我們的腳就不敢跨過去。

常常舉一個例來說，以前我比較常到外面的工地，工地若在工作，都會用一條繩子把周圍這樣圍起來。我們的同仁看到我走到了，他們就趕緊將那條繩子放下來，就說：「師父，這樣走過來。」我說：「不行，我還是要這樣繞過來。」他說：「不用了，這樣走過來就好了。」我說：「不行。」「為什麼？我已經放下來了。」「同樣的放下來，這個界址還在，所以我不能越過界址。」這就是我們修行者應該要有的，何況我們更需要，把戒視如一道牆，將它築起來。

因為我們眾生凡夫，光是用那一條繩子拉起來，若不是很守戒的人，一條繩子放低下來，一跨就過去了。但是多數(人)都是這樣，所以可能要用牆。用牆圍起來，低低的，還不夠，還要築高。看看監獄的牆特別高，外面一般的房屋，圍牆就比較低，監獄的牆就很高。這個戒就是一個界限，預防我們錯誤、越規，所以我們需要戒。

修行者怎能無戒呢？常常說「以戒為制度」。我們在一個人群中，能夠很和合，很整齊，那就是一個戒。用戒來作為制度，這個戒不是戒別人，這個群眾，人人守戒，這樣就是一個大制度，那就是群眾和合，這叫做戒。

有了戒，心才能定。因為，戒是一條康莊直的菩提道，是一條很開闊的路，但是它是菩提道。菩提道很直，這麼直的大路，這麼開闊的道路，讓我們走，我們也不會越界，這才是真正我們修行的工夫。因此我們的心定了，心若定，分毫就不會差，所以這叫做定。

不會受到外面種種境界，來影響我們的心，我們就是守定於戒就對了。這樣的人，就是最有智慧的人。而我們若沒有智慧，失掉了智慧，那就是心，表示心不定，除了心不定，還是就是因為心沒有戒律。所以這個戒、定、慧，是我們修行者最重要的，所以我們要「修持無漏戒定慧」。

學佛，我們必定要有願，「四弘誓願」，這是我們靜思法脈，人人應該要有的——「眾生無邊誓願度，煩惱無盡誓願斷，法門無量誓願學，佛道無上誓願成」。這是願。願，我們必定要身體力行。

我們要度眾生，無論他是十惡五逆的眾生，我們也要想盡辦法度他。我們要成就人人的道心，菩提芽開始發出來時，我們要做園丁，如何來培養這株樹，這就是園丁的責任。草、木、花，全都是園丁的責任，該留住的，我們要好好保護，我們要種什麼樣的草，什麼樣的圖樣，我們要好好用心，景觀才會美。所以這個行。

除了發願之外，我們要有願，心若沒有願，我們就沒有一個圖。蓋房子要有蓋房子的藍圖，園、造景，要有一個造景的圖。常常聽到說，我人生的藍圖。人生要有人生的規劃，我們學佛，同樣要有學佛的理想，所以這全都是叫做「願」。所以願，除了這個藍圖在腦海中，我們必定要身體力行，一要有人把它畫出來，畫出來之後，我們就要依圖施工，所以這就是「行」。

我們的理想，我們的行動，不離二字，那就是福、慧。「福」就是要修慈行，我們要用開闊的心胸，我們要覆護眾生如大地。大地之母是在養育萬物，要能夠包容大地萬物，大地要包容萬物，這叫做慈，如慈母之心，如慈父之心。佛陀乃是三界導師，四生慈父，我們既然要學佛，就是要學「慈」。所以慈就是福，要修，要為眾生去付出，造福人群。

還要「慧」，要有智慧。智慧，才不會錯亂了，我們的人生，錯亂了我們的角色。我們既然我們有我們的人生藍圖，是修行，所以我們必定要有智慧。

所以戒定慧，就要聞思修。所以我們的願行，我們既然發願，身體力行在福與慧，我們也要不斷，在聞思當中修行。聽，好好地思考：我今天的行動，起心動念，待人接物，我有按照今天聽到的話，放寬心，心如何包容一切，我有嗎？所以要思，好好思考，思考我們今天的過程有錯誤嗎？若有錯，趕緊懺悔，「懺悔則清淨」，人生結好緣。這就是聞思修，趕緊即刻即行即修，這叫做願行。

我們既然發願，我們要按照我們的理想藍圖，去好好修行，這樣我們才能，「深植善根功德力」。這個善根才能，愈扎愈深，愈伸愈遠，這棵樹才能愈茁壯，愈堅固。所以這個善根要深。所以「功德力」，根若是深而廣，如此這棵樹是茁壯的。如我們所用功的，我們所修的行，就能夠很堅固。所以「深植善根功德力」，這就是要我們好好的，真的顧好我們的心，有戒定慧嗎？有聞思修嗎？若有戒定慧、聞思修，這就是功德的力量。

此功德還要「正知見思」。要正知、正見，我們要很暸解佛知，我們更要透徹佛見，所以我們要好好思考，一切種智，回歸我們心靈的淨土，那就是如來地，也就是真如的本性。這些我們若全都修得到，整部《法華經》，不就全都瞭解了嗎？佛法就是這麼簡單，卻是佛陀為眾生，一而再，再而三，不斷循循善誘。

所以前面就說，「爾時，世尊欲重宣此義，而說偈言：比丘比丘尼，有懷增上慢，優婆塞我慢，優婆夷不信。」

爾時
世尊欲重宣此義
而說偈言
比丘比丘尼
有懷增上慢
優婆塞我慢
優婆夷不信
《法華經方便品第二》

開口開始，很正確就說出了，前面那段長行文。若想到這句話，真的內心戚戚焉，有一點悲。真的是很不忍心，為什麼佛陀時代，親自說法，竟然他的弟子之中，比丘、比丘尼還是一樣，「有懷增上慢」。佛陀的內心是多麼感嘆，所以這樣說出這個話。

佛陀既然是這樣，同樣的，我也有這樣的感覺，「有懷增上慢」。要如何能降伏，這種「增上慢」心態？外人，沒有辦法，唯有他自己能夠通達諸法。在這人群中，無量法門中，自己懂得去通達諸法，才有辦法，才能開啟智慧，才能滅掉「增上慢」。所以，這是這段（經）文，讓我的心很痛，也是有一點悲哀。這時間到底，還有多久能夠陪伴呢？所以很擔憂。

除了比丘、比丘尼增上慢以外，連優婆塞、優婆夷，就是在家居士，都有我慢在，與不信。所以，這實在是在佛的時代，到底有多少人信佛，都有這些問題了，何況說在我們現在呢？所以常常自我警惕。

佛陀開始要說話，他禮佛而退，「其數有五千」，五千人。「不自見其過」，這些人，他增上慢心，都不知道他自己有過失。所以最可悲的人就是這樣。他還不知道「於戒有缺漏」，於戒，沒有守戒，所以有虧缺，聽完之後就漏掉了，這種「於戒有缺漏」。

如是四眾等
其數有五千
不自見其過
於戒有缺漏
護惜其瑕疵
是小智已出
《法華經方便品第二》

這個戒，我們再看一次，「防非止惡」。剛才已經說過了，不但惡事不可為，就是惡念也不該有。

戒，能夠使我們清淨，所以「又名清涼」。戒也稱為清涼，因為我們有守戒，我們是清流。

印尼有伊斯蘭教的領導者，向我解釋：「慈濟」，在他們的解釋，是清淨、純潔。對啊！就是要守戒。「慈濟」兩個字，除了愛的付出，「同體大悲」，不忍心眾生之苦，對我們自己，要守戒守得好，這就是清淨。我們若有守戒，清淨，心就清涼。

有時候看到人，說：「看到你怎麼涼勢，涼勢（輕安自在）？」「若沒有計較，都會涼勢，涼勢。」同樣意思，就是清涼。我們不要去跟人計較，我們不要去犯錯，我們的心自然清淨、純潔，那就是沒有懊惱，沒有燠熱。

瞋，就是瞋火怒燒。你若發脾氣，就如火燒身一樣，一把無明火，燒掉功德林。所以我們若有守戒，除了不能造惡，惡心不起，自然就很清涼。因為人能止惡行善，就必得心安理得。我們若都能止惡，沒有做什麼惡事，還是樣樣都是好事情，若如此，我們的心就安了，道理我們都得到了，所以叫做心安理得，理得心安。這就是我們修行的好處，也就是修行就是要守戒。所以，「心無熱惱(而)得清涼」，這就是守戒。

戒能防非止惡
不但惡事不可為
就是惡念也不該有
又名清涼
因人能止惡行善
則必心安理得
故心無熱惱
而得清涼

人若是不重視戒，「於戒有缺漏」。戒就是出生死海的寶筏，我們要渡過生死海，也是需要守戒，我們若沒有守戒，我們一定會沉淪下去。所以，我們若想要平平安安，在這個煩惱、生死苦難的此岸，要到佛的境界，必定要渡過煩惱河，就需要一艘船，所以戒就如那一艘船，能夠讓我們平平安安，從此岸度到彼岸去。這艘船若破了，翻落了，那就是沉沒於生死海中。

所以這艘船，不能有漏，不能有破。船若漏水就會沉，這是一定的道理。修行若不守戒，同樣是墮落。所以，戒，我們要守得無缺無漏，這才是叫做戒。

戒為出生死海
之寶筏
若筏有缺漏
則仍沈沒於
生死海矣
故戒有無缺戒
無漏戒等

各位，學佛，我們要按照這個次序。第一，修行不能沒有戒。所以(守)戒律才能讓我們的心受法無所漏失，讓我們安安全全，能夠真正了徹所有的道理，將這個道理再普被，讓大家都能夠瞭解。我們自己要很安全的，渡過煩惱河，我們也要用寬闊的心，來教育人人共同渡煩惱河。這是我們大家的心願，不是嗎？所以我們要時時多用心。


Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Uphold Precepts without Flaws and Leaks (持戒莫缺漏)
Date: June. 13. 2014

When we walk outside and feel a breeze, we feel peaceful and refreshed. So, we must be grateful. Though things are currently safe and peaceful, we do not know what the future holds. Regardless, we must always remain grateful and reverent. We must constantly nurture our reverence for people, matters and things. We must always foster a sense of gratitude. We ordinary people have the habitual tendency to be attached to our own thoughts and feelings, without consideration for other sentient beings. This present era really is the turbid era of Dharma-degeneration. Therefore, all of us are needed; since we have the karmic conditions to encounter the Dharma and understand it, after we understand the Buddha-Dharma, each of us must really listen to and practice it.
The Buddha-Dharma is all around us. If we do not reach out, take it in and mindfully persevere [in our practice], if we do not do this, “once our human form is lost it takes kalpas to regain.” Therefore, we must accept and uphold the Dharma. Not only must we accept and uphold it, but we must also practice it flawlessly.
“The [Three] Flawless Studies of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom” are what we collectively cultivate. Since we have found the Dharma, we must practice the Flawless Studies, we must not allow it to leak away. Every day, we must take the Dharma to heart. The Dharma that enters our hearts is the indispensable practices of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.

Practice the [Three] Flawless Studies of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. Vow to cultivate blessings and wisdom through listening, contemplating and practicing. Deeply plant roots of wisdom to create the power of merits and virtues. With right knowledge and views come pure thinking and True Suchness.

As we engage in spiritual practice, if we do not uphold the precepts and use them to discipline our minds, then we will quickly go astray. When we abandon precepts, we easily make mistakes. The precepts guard against wrongs and stop evils. We must always guard against ignorant thoughts arising in our minds. Without precepts, ignorance will constantly arise. With greed, we crave pleasures for ourselves. With anger, we always feel that we have been wronged by those around us. Thus, the more we think, the angrier and more resentful and become. This results from not following precepts.
So, precepts can guard against wrongs. Thoughts of killing, stealing and sexual misconduct are not the only things to guard against. No, we need to [watch] our every thought. Precepts are like a rope that marks a boundary. When we reach it, we know not to cross it. They are also like walls that separate the inside from the outside, the right things that we need to do from the wrong thing we must not do.
So, those who follow the rules will just see the rope without caring to step over. I often give the following example. In the past, I often visited our building sites. If people were working, they would use a rope to section off that area. When our staff saw me walking by, they would quickly take the rope down and say, “Master, please walk this way.” I said, “No, I cannot.” I still need to go around this area. He said, “what for? Please walk this way.” I said, “No, I cannot.” [They asked,] “Why? We took it down already.”Although the rope had been taken down, the boundary was still there, so I could not cross it. This is the sense spiritual practitioners must have.
Furthermore, we need to treat the precepts as a wall that we erect. Because we are ordinary sentient beings, if there is only a rope stretched our [as a marker] those who are not willing to uphold precepts can lower the rope and step over it.Since the majority of people will do this, we probably need to build a wall.A low one is still not sufficient; we must build a tall one.
Look at how tall a prison’s walls are.The walls around an ordinary house are relatively low, but prison fences are much taller.The precepts are a boundary that prevents us from making mistakes or transgressing.So, we need precepts.How can spiritual practitioners do without them?We often say, “organized with the precepts”.When we are in a group, we can be harmonious and orderly because of precepts.Precepts are for organizing ourselves, not for disciplining other people.When everyone in a group upholds precepts, the group is disciplined and can live in harmony.This is what we do with precepts.
Only with precepts can our minds be in Samadhi.Precepts create a broad and direct Bodhi-path, a very open and expansive road.This is the Bodhi-path.The Bodhi-path is very straight.If we walk on this very direct and broad path, we will not cross the boundaries.This is true mastery in our spiritual practice.Because of this, our minds can be in Samadhi.If our minds are in Samadhi, we will not deviate even slightly.This state is called Samadhi.
We must not succumb to the various phenomena around us that influence our minds.
We must continue to firmly uphold the precepts.Those who can do this have the most wisdom.But if we are without wisdom or if we lose it, that means our minds are not in Samadhi.Besides that, it shows that our minds lack precepts.
So, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom are most important to spiritual practitioners.
Therefore we must “practice the [Three] Flawless Studies of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom”.
To study the Buddha’s Way, we must make vows.The Four Great Vows are what everyone in the Jing is Dharma-lineage must make.“I vow to enlighten countless sentient beings.”“I vow to eliminate endless afflictions.”“I vow to learn infinite Dharma-paths.”“I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.”These are vows that we must put into practice.We must transform sentient beings.
Even if they [committed] the Ten Evils and Five Offenses, we still must do all we can to transform them.We must foster everyone’s spiritual aspirations.When Bodhi-sprouts begin to grow, we must be gardeners.Nurturing a seedling is a gardener’s duty.
Whether grasses, trees or flowers, all are part of the gardener’s responsibility.
[The plants] we wish to preserve must be earnestly protected.What kind of grass should we plant?What kind of design should we create?We must be very mindful to create a beautiful landscape.
So, to engage in spiritual practice, we must make vows.If we do not have vow, we will have no plan.When we build a house, we need blueprints.To create a landscape, we need to have a site plan.People often talk about blueprints for their lives.To live our lives, we must have a plan.When we study the Buddha’s Way, we must have goals.So, all of these are “vows”.
So, these vows, aside from being blueprints in our minds, must also be put into practice.Once we draw the blueprints, we must use them to begin construction.
This is practice.Our ideals and actions cannot be separated from two things, blessings and wisdom.To attain “blessings,” we cultivate practices of loving-kindness.We must have a capacious heart.We must protect sentient beings like Mother Earth, who nurtures all things.We must embrace Mother Earth, just as she embraces all things.
This is loving-kindness.
[We must] have hearts like those of kind mothers and fathers.Buddha is the Three Realms’ Guiding Teacher, the Kind Father of the Four Kinds of Beings.Since we want to learn from the Buddha, we must learn “loving-kindness”.So, cultivating loving-kindness [brings] blessings.We must give to sentient beings and benefit humankind.We must also have “wisdom”.Only with wisdom will we not bring disorder to our lives and [societal] roles.
Since the blueprint for our lives is to engage in spiritual practice, we must have wisdom. So in learning the precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, we must listen, contemplate and practice. As for actualizing our vows, since we have made these vows, we must cultivate blessings and wisdom. We have must continuously practice while listening and contemplating. We must listen, then consider. Were my behavior, my thoughts and my interactions with people and matters today in accordance with what I heard today? Have I broadened my heart and embraced everything?
So, we must earnestly contemplate whether we made mistakes over the course of the day. If mistakes were made, we must quickly repent. “Repentance brings purity”. To form good karmic connections, we must listen, contemplate and practice. When we promptly take actions, we are practicing. This is how we actualize our vows.
Since we have made these vows we must earnestly engage in spiritual practice in accordance with our ideals. Only then can we “deeply plant roots of wisdom to create the power of merits and virtues”. As our roots of goodness grow deeper and extend further, this tree will become stronger and sturdier. Thus, the roots goodness must be deeply rooted to create “the power of merits and virtues”. If the roots spread deep and wide, this tree will be strong. So if we work hard on this, the practices we cultivate will be very firm.
So, we must “deeply plant roots of wisdom to create power of merits and virtues”. This means we must truly and earnestly take care of our minds.
Do we have precepts, Samadhi and wisdom? Are we listening, contemplating and practicing? When we cultivate all of these things, we will attain the power of merits and virtues. Such merits and virtues also require. Right Knowledge and Right Views. We must truly understand the Buddha’s knowledge. Moreover, we must penetrate His views. Thus, we must earnestly contemplate all-encompassing wisdom and return to the pure land of our minds, which is the state of the Tathagatas; our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. If we can cultivate and attain these states, then won’t we understand the entire Lotus Sutra?
The Buddha-Dharma is that simple. But the Buddha, for the sake of sentient beings, patiently guided us over and over again. Therefore, as we discussed previously,

The Buddha, “wishing to restate His meaning, spoke in verse, saying ‘Bhiksus and bhisusnis may harbor overbearing arrogance. Upasakas may have self-arrogance and upasikas may lack faith”

When the Buddha began to speak, He precisely said that was in that earlier section of prose. When I think of this statement, I really feel a sense of sorrow, a bit of sadness. It is truly hard [to read about]. During the Buddha’s time, He personally gave teachings, but His disciples, the bhiksus and bhiksunis, still “harbor overbearing arrogance”. The Buddha must have felt a sense of sadness, which causes Him to say these words.
The Buddha felt this way, and I too have felt this way. “[They] may harbor overbearing arrogance”. How can we subdue our overbearing arrogance? Others cannot help us; only we ourselves can fully understand the Dharma. Among people, there are infinite Dharma-doors. Only when we strive to fully understand all Dharma will we be able to develop our wisdom and eliminate “overbearing arrogance”.

So, this section of the sutra really breaks my heart and causes me to feel sad. How much longer could He be with His disciples? This made Him very worried, because other than those bhiksus and bhiksunis who harbored overbearing arrogance, even upasakas and upasikas, who were the lay disciples, had self-arrogance and lacked faith.
So, even during the Buddha’s lifetime, the [lack] of people who truly had faith in the Buddha was already a problem, let alone in our present era. So, we must constantly be vigilant of ourselves. When the Buddha began to speak, those who bowed to the Buddha and left were 5000 in number”. These 5000 people “did not see their own faults”. These 5000 people “did not see their own faults”. These overbearingly arrogant people did not know that they had faults. This is what the most pitiful people were like. They did not know that “their upholding of the precepts was flawed”. They did not uphold the precepts, so they had imperfections. The Dharma leaked our as soon as they heard it. Thus, “their upholding of the precepts was flawed”. 2230

The ones such as these in the fourfold assembly were 5000 in number. They did not see their own faults. Their upholding of the precepts was flawed, but hey defended their imperfections. So, those with limited wisdom left.

Let us discuss these precepts again. Precepts “guard against wrongs and stop evils. As we already discussed, not only must we avoid doing unwholesome things, we cannot even have unwholesome thoughts. Following the precepts can make us pure, so, they “are pure and refreshing.
Precepts are called “pure and refreshing.” When we uphold the precepts, we are streams of purity. An Indonesian Muslim leader explained to me that Tzu Chi [compassion and relief], otheir language means clean and pure.
Indeed, we must uphold precepts. “Tzu Chi” aside from signifying giving with love and having great universal compassion so that we cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer, also means we ourselves must uphold precepts. If we uphold them well, we will be purified.
If we adhere to precepts, our minds will be pure and refreshed. Sometimes when I see people, I say, “You seem so cool and calm. They say, “If we do not take issue with others, we will be cool and calm. This means [precepts] are pure and refreshing. We must not take issue with others or make mistakes. Then our minds will naturally be pure and undefiled, free of vexation and anger.
Anger is like a burning fire. When we lose our tempers, we feel like we are engulfed in flames. The fire of ignorance can destroy the forest of merits and virtues. So if we uphold precepts, not only will we not create evil, we will not give rise to evil thoughts, then our minds will naturally be pure and refreshed. If we can stop evil and do good deeds, we will be at peace, with a clear conscience. If we can stop all evil and not commit ant bad deeds, everything we do will be good. Then our minds will be at peace, since we have abided by the principles. This brings peace and a clear conscience.
This is a benefit of our spiritual practice, part of which is upholding precepts. So, “when the heart is free of burning distress, it becomes pure ad refreshed.” This comes from upholding precepts.

Precepts can guard against wrongs and stop evils. Not only must we avoid doing unwholesome things, we cannot even unwholesome thoughts. [Precepts] are pure and refreshing because when people stop doing evil and do good deeds, they will feel at peace, with a clear conscience. When the heart is free of burning distress, it becomes pure and refreshed.

If we do not value precepts, our “upholding of the precepts is flawed.” Precepts are the precious raft used to cross the sea of samsara. In order to cross the sea of samsara, we need to uphold precepts. If we do not, we will surely sink. So, if we want to safely cross from the shore of afflictions, of suffering and hardship, to teach the state of Buddhahood, we must cross the river of afflictions. That requires a boat.
Precepts are like a boat; they allow us to remain safe as we cross from this shore to the other shore. If the boat is damaged, it will capsize and we will sink into the sea of samsara. So, our boat cannot have leaks or holes. If the boat leak, it will sink; that is certain. If we do not uphold precepts in our practice, we will also degenerate.
Therefore, precepts must be uphold without flaws or Leaks; only then are we upholding precepts.

Precepts are the precious raft that carries us out of the sea of samsara. If there is a leak in the raft, we will sink and drown in the sea of samsara. There are different kinds of precepts, such as precepts without faults and flawless precepts.

Everyone, when studying the Buddha’s Way, we must follow a sequence. First, we cannot lack precepts. [By upholding] precepts, we allow our minds to receive the Dharma without letting it leak away. This helps us to safely and truly penetrate all principles, and make these principles more universal so that everyone can understand them. We must safely cross the river of afflictions ourselves, and also use a spacious heart to teach everyone to cross this river together. This is our aspiration, is it not? So everyone, we must always be mindful.

(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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發表主題: 回復： 20140613《靜思妙蓮華》持戒莫缺漏（第326集）   周一 6月 16, 2014 6:35 pm
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Uphold Precepts without Flaws and Leaks (持戒莫缺漏)
Date: June. 13. 2014

When we walk outside and feel a breeze, we feel peaceful and refreshed. So, we must be grateful. Though things are currently safe and peaceful, we do not know what the future holds. Regardless, we must always remain grateful and reverent. We must constantly nurture our reverence for people, matters and things. We must always foster a sense of gratitude. We ordinary people have the habitual tendency to be attached to our own thoughts and feelings, without consideration for other sentient beings. This present era really is the turbid era of Dharma-degeneration. Therefore, all of us are needed; since we have the karmic conditions to encounter the Dharma and understand it, after we understand the Buddha-Dharma, each of us must really listen to and practice it.
The Buddha-Dharma is all around us. If we do not reach out, take it in and mindfully persevere [in our practice], if we do not do this, “once our human form is lost it takes kalpas to regain.” Therefore, we must accept and uphold the Dharma. Not only must we accept and uphold it, but we must also practice it flawlessly.
“The [Three] Flawless Studies of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom” are what we collectively cultivate. Since we have found the Dharma, we must practice the Flawless Studies, we must not allow it to leak away. Every day, we must take the Dharma to heart. The Dharma that enters our hearts is the indispensable practices of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.

Practice the [Three] Flawless Studies of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. Vow to cultivate blessings and wisdom through listening, contemplating and practicing. Deeply plant roots of wisdom to create the power of merits and virtues. With right knowledge and views come pure thinking and True Suchness.

As we engage in spiritual practice, if we do not uphold the precepts and use them to discipline our minds, then we will quickly go astray. When we abandon precepts, we easily make mistakes. The precepts guard against wrongs and stop evils. We must always guard against ignorant thoughts arising in our minds. Without precepts, ignorance will constantly arise. With greed, we crave pleasures for ourselves. With anger, we always feel that we have been wronged by those around us. Thus, the more we think, the angrier and more resentful and become. This results from not following precepts.
So, precepts can guard against wrongs. Thoughts of killing, stealing and sexual misconduct are not the only things to guard against. No, we need to [watch] our every thought. Precepts are like a rope that marks a boundary. When we reach it, we know not to cross it. They are also like walls that separate the inside from the outside, the right things that we need to do from the wrong thing we must not do.
So, those who follow the rules will just see the rope without caring to step over. I often give the following example. In the past, I often visited our building sites. If people were working, they would use a rope to section off that area. When our staff saw me walking by, they would quickly take the rope down and say, “Master, please walk this way.” I said, “No, I cannot.” I still need to go around this area. He said, “what for? Please walk this way.” I said, “No, I cannot.” [They asked,] “Why? We took it down already.”Although the rope had been taken down, the boundary was still there, so I could not cross it. This is the sense spiritual practitioners must have.
Furthermore, we need to treat the precepts as a wall that we erect. Because we are ordinary sentient beings, if there is only a rope stretched our [as a marker] those who are not willing to uphold precepts can lower the rope and step over it.Since the majority of people will do this, we probably need to build a wall.A low one is still not sufficient; we must build a tall one.
Look at how tall a prison’s walls are.The walls around an ordinary house are relatively low, but prison fences are much taller.The precepts are a boundary that prevents us from making mistakes or transgressing.So, we need precepts.How can spiritual practitioners do without them?We often say, “organized with the precepts”.When we are in a group, we can be harmonious and orderly because of precepts.Precepts are for organizing ourselves, not for disciplining other people.When everyone in a group upholds precepts, the group is disciplined and can live in harmony.This is what we do with precepts.
Only with precepts can our minds be in Samadhi.Precepts create a broad and direct Bodhi-path, a very open and expansive road.This is the Bodhi-path.The Bodhi-path is very straight.If we walk on this very direct and broad path, we will not cross the boundaries.This is true mastery in our spiritual practice.Because of this, our minds can be in Samadhi.If our minds are in Samadhi, we will not deviate even slightly.This state is called Samadhi.
We must not succumb to the various phenomena around us that influence our minds.
We must continue to firmly uphold the precepts.Those who can do this have the most wisdom.But if we are without wisdom or if we lose it, that means our minds are not in Samadhi.Besides that, it shows that our minds lack precepts.
So, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom are most important to spiritual practitioners.
Therefore we must “practice the [Three] Flawless Studies of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom”.
To study the Buddha’s Way, we must make vows.The Four Great Vows are what everyone in the Jing is Dharma-lineage must make.“I vow to enlighten countless sentient beings.”“I vow to eliminate endless afflictions.”“I vow to learn infinite Dharma-paths.”“I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.”These are vows that we must put into practice.We must transform sentient beings.
Even if they [committed] the Ten Evils and Five Offenses, we still must do all we can to transform them.We must foster everyone’s spiritual aspirations.When Bodhi-sprouts begin to grow, we must be gardeners.Nurturing a seedling is a gardener’s duty.
Whether grasses, trees or flowers, all are part of the gardener’s responsibility.
[The plants] we wish to preserve must be earnestly protected.What kind of grass should we plant?What kind of design should we create?We must be very mindful to create a beautiful landscape.
So, to engage in spiritual practice, we must make vows.If we do not have vow, we will have no plan.When we build a house, we need blueprints.To create a landscape, we need to have a site plan.People often talk about blueprints for their lives.To live our lives, we must have a plan.When we study the Buddha’s Way, we must have goals.So, all of these are “vows”.
So, these vows, aside from being blueprints in our minds, must also be put into practice.Once we draw the blueprints, we must use them to begin construction.
This is practice.Our ideals and actions cannot be separated from two things, blessings and wisdom.To attain “blessings,” we cultivate practices of loving-kindness.We must have a capacious heart.We must protect sentient beings like Mother Earth, who nurtures all things.We must embrace Mother Earth, just as she embraces all things.
This is loving-kindness.
[We must] have hearts like those of kind mothers and fathers.Buddha is the Three Realms’ Guiding Teacher, the Kind Father of the Four Kinds of Beings.Since we want to learn from the Buddha, we must learn “loving-kindness”.So, cultivating loving-kindness [brings] blessings.We must give to sentient beings and benefit humankind.We must also have “wisdom”.Only with wisdom will we not bring disorder to our lives and [societal] roles.
Since the blueprint for our lives is to engage in spiritual practice, we must have wisdom. So in learning the precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, we must listen, contemplate and practice. As for actualizing our vows, since we have made these vows, we must cultivate blessings and wisdom. We have must continuously practice while listening and contemplating. We must listen, then consider. Were my behavior, my thoughts and my interactions with people and matters today in accordance with what I heard today? Have I broadened my heart and embraced everything?
So, we must earnestly contemplate whether we made mistakes over the course of the day. If mistakes were made, we must quickly repent. “Repentance brings purity”. To form good karmic connections, we must listen, contemplate and practice. When we promptly take actions, we are practicing. This is how we actualize our vows.
Since we have made these vows we must earnestly engage in spiritual practice in accordance with our ideals. Only then can we “deeply plant roots of wisdom to create the power of merits and virtues”. As our roots of goodness grow deeper and extend further, this tree will become stronger and sturdier. Thus, the roots goodness must be deeply rooted to create “the power of merits and virtues”. If the roots spread deep and wide, this tree will be strong. So if we work hard on this, the practices we cultivate will be very firm.
So, we must “deeply plant roots of wisdom to create power of merits and virtues”. This means we must truly and earnestly take care of our minds.
Do we have precepts, Samadhi and wisdom? Are we listening, contemplating and practicing? When we cultivate all of these things, we will attain the power of merits and virtues. Such merits and virtues also require. Right Knowledge and Right Views. We must truly understand the Buddha’s knowledge. Moreover, we must penetrate His views. Thus, we must earnestly contemplate all-encompassing wisdom and return to the pure land of our minds, which is the state of the Tathagatas; our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. If we can cultivate and attain these states, then won’t we understand the entire Lotus Sutra?
The Buddha-Dharma is that simple. But the Buddha, for the sake of sentient beings, patiently guided us over and over again. Therefore, as we discussed previously,

The Buddha, “wishing to restate His meaning, spoke in verse, saying ‘Bhiksus and bhisusnis may harbor overbearing arrogance. Upasakas may have self-arrogance and upasikas may lack faith”

When the Buddha began to speak, He precisely said that was in that earlier section of prose. When I think of this statement, I really feel a sense of sorrow, a bit of sadness. It is truly hard [to read about]. During the Buddha’s time, He personally gave teachings, but His disciples, the bhiksus and bhiksunis, still “harbor overbearing arrogance”. The Buddha must have felt a sense of sadness, which causes Him to say these words.
The Buddha felt this way, and I too have felt this way. “[They] may harbor overbearing arrogance”. How can we subdue our overbearing arrogance? Others cannot help us; only we ourselves can fully understand the Dharma. Among people, there are infinite Dharma-doors. Only when we strive to fully understand all Dharma will we be able to develop our wisdom and eliminate “overbearing arrogance”.

So, this section of the sutra really breaks my heart and causes me to feel sad. How much longer could He be with His disciples? This made Him very worried, because other than those bhiksus and bhiksunis who harbored overbearing arrogance, even upasakas and upasikas, who were the lay disciples, had self-arrogance and lacked faith.
So, even during the Buddha’s lifetime, the [lack] of people who truly had faith in the Buddha was already a problem, let alone in our present era. So, we must constantly be vigilant of ourselves. When the Buddha began to speak, those who bowed to the Buddha and left were 5000 in number”. These 5000 people “did not see their own faults”. These 5000 people “did not see their own faults”. These overbearingly arrogant people did not know that they had faults. This is what the most pitiful people were like. They did not know that “their upholding of the precepts was flawed”. They did not uphold the precepts, so they had imperfections. The Dharma leaked our as soon as they heard it. Thus, “their upholding of the precepts was flawed”. 2230

The ones such as these in the fourfold assembly were 5000 in number. They did not see their own faults. Their upholding of the precepts was flawed, but hey defended their imperfections. So, those with limited wisdom left.

Let us discuss these precepts again. Precepts “guard against wrongs and stop evils. As we already discussed, not only must we avoid doing unwholesome things, we cannot even have unwholesome thoughts. Following the precepts can make us pure, so, they “are pure and refreshing.
Precepts are called “pure and refreshing.” When we uphold the precepts, we are streams of purity. An Indonesian Muslim leader explained to me that Tzu Chi [compassion and relief], otheir language means clean and pure.
Indeed, we must uphold precepts. “Tzu Chi” aside from signifying giving with love and having great universal compassion so that we cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer, also means we ourselves must uphold precepts. If we uphold them well, we will be purified.
If we adhere to precepts, our minds will be pure and refreshed. Sometimes when I see people, I say, “You seem so cool and calm. They say, “If we do not take issue with others, we will be cool and calm. This means [precepts] are pure and refreshing. We must not take issue with others or make mistakes. Then our minds will naturally be pure and undefiled, free of vexation and anger.
Anger is like a burning fire. When we lose our tempers, we feel like we are engulfed in flames. The fire of ignorance can destroy the forest of merits and virtues. So if we uphold precepts, not only will we not create evil, we will not give rise to evil thoughts, then our minds will naturally be pure and refreshed. If we can stop evil and do good deeds, we will be at peace, with a clear conscience. If we can stop all evil and not commit ant bad deeds, everything we do will be good. Then our minds will be at peace, since we have abided by the principles. This brings peace and a clear conscience.
This is a benefit of our spiritual practice, part of which is upholding precepts. So, “when the heart is free of burning distress, it becomes pure ad refreshed.” This comes from upholding precepts.

Precepts can guard against wrongs and stop evils. Not only must we avoid doing unwholesome things, we cannot even unwholesome thoughts. [Precepts] are pure and refreshing because when people stop doing evil and do good deeds, they will feel at peace, with a clear conscience. When the heart is free of burning distress, it becomes pure and refreshed.

If we do not value precepts, our “upholding of the precepts is flawed.” Precepts are the precious raft used to cross the sea of samsara. In order to cross the sea of samsara, we need to uphold precepts. If we do not, we will surely sink. So, if we want to safely cross from the shore of afflictions, of suffering and hardship, to teach the state of Buddhahood, we must cross the river of afflictions. That requires a boat.
Precepts are like a boat; they allow us to remain safe as we cross from this shore to the other shore. If the boat is damaged, it will capsize and we will sink into the sea of samsara. So, our boat cannot have leaks or holes. If the boat leak, it will sink; that is certain. If we do not uphold precepts in our practice, we will also degenerate.
Therefore, precepts must be uphold without flaws or Leaks; only then are we upholding precepts.

Precepts are the precious raft that carries us out of the sea of samsara. If there is a leak in the raft, we will sink and drown in the sea of samsara. There are different kinds of precepts, such as precepts without faults and flawless precepts.

Everyone, when studying the Buddha’s Way, we must follow a sequence. First, we cannot lack precepts. [By upholding] precepts, we allow our minds to receive the Dharma without letting it leak away. This helps us to safely and truly penetrate all principles, and make these principles more universal so that everyone can understand them. We must safely cross the river of afflictions ourselves, and also use a spacious heart to teach everyone to cross this river together. This is our aspiration, is it not? So everyone, we must always be mindful.

(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)