20140527《靜思妙蓮華》為一佛乘應機說法（第313集）
⊙「隨眾生具本性，為開示佛知見，真如惟一佛乘，更無二乘三乘。」
⊙「劫濁亂時，眾生垢重，慳貪嫉妒，成就諸不善根故。諸佛以方便力，於一佛乘分別說三。」《法華經方便品第二》
⊙諸佛乃於此時示現出世者，為度一切有善根，有緣之眾生，使之發出世心。
⊙「於一佛乘分別說三」：又以五濁之故，不能頓時教化，遂有三乘權教之說，實仍以一佛乘為究竟也。
【證嚴上人開示】
「隨眾生具本性，為開示佛知見，真如惟一佛乘，更無二乘三乘。」
隨眾生具本性
為開示佛知見
真如惟一佛乘
更無二乘三乘
眾生本具佛性。相信佛性是人人本具，就是法，要用什麼方法，讓我們的佛性能夠開朗起來，將無明掃除掉。所以，佛陀就只為了此事，要來「開、示」，使令眾生能夠「悟、入」佛之知見。
我們若能體會到佛知佛見，這樣，此時就是我們的佛性現前之時。就如明眼人看得見的境界，明明外面的境界是這麼清，卻是有眼疾的人看，就感覺一片模糊。到底是那個境界模糊，或者是人的眼睛？應該很清楚的道理，就是有病的眼睛，看的境界不會清楚。
我們若要與明眼人看的境界都一樣，除非我們就要治好我們的眼疾。眼睛的疾病要治好，治療好了，自然我們看到的境界，與那位眼睛健康的人看的相同。這就是「知見」。
凡夫就是如病眼，眼睛有病一樣，所以我們內心清淨明朗的佛性都已經迷茫掉了。佛陀就是要來告訴我們，境界還是存在，佛性還是人人本具，只要你好好治好眼疾，自然你所見的境界，與我看到的境界，都是一樣的境界。
佛知佛見，應該我們與佛同一個目標的境界存在，所以這叫做「真如」。佛陀教我們很多方法，要如何讓我們的見解與佛一樣，就是直指明心見性。
佛陀一直來教育種種因緣，種種譬喻言教，用種種的方法來譬喻，要讓我們知道，眾生皆有如來的智性。這樣，我們就能啟發慈悲心，我們能尊重自己、尊重人人；人人若能互相尊重，我尊重你有佛性，你也尊重我有清淨的真如本性，彼此尊重，彼此敬愛，若能如此，人與人之間都用著感恩心。
慈濟人不是都會說，「自愛就是報恩，付出就是感恩」。我們人人懂得自愛，佛陀如何來開示我們，我們報佛恩，我們要尊師重道，我們要敬重佛陀的教育傳到現在來，依教奉行。能受教，這就是我們要自愛；我們若能自愛，認真修行，這就是尊重佛所教法。所以，佛弟子若能自愛，那就是報恩——報佛恩，報父母恩，報眾生恩。能自愛的人，就是要懂得報恩。
我們若能付出，這就是感恩。因為感恩我們有能力付出，感恩我們見解、思想正確。我們為大地眾生付出，利益眾生，其實是利益自己，所以在付出之中，我們要感恩，感恩我們有正知、正見、正思惟。我們能為大地眾生付出，這就是要感恩，因為我們有了這個法，我們才懂得去付出；有能力付出，所以叫做感恩。這就是我們人人要瞭解我們有本具的佛性。
佛陀是用種種方法，讓我們相信人人絕對是本具佛性，我們要相信。希望借重佛陀的教育，我們破除了我們層層的無明，我們的真如本性就能顯現。所以佛陀用千差萬別，其實回歸是一佛乘的方法，隨機逗教。所以佛陀還是一佛乘，「更無二乘三乘」。前幾天也說過了。
所以，經文還是要告訴我們，佛陀就是在這個五濁惡世出現在此，就是因為眾生需要教的時刻。眾生若沒有教、沒有法，這個濁氣會愈來愈重，所以佛陀要來清淨眾生的心，所以他在五濁惡世的時代，頻頻出現在人間。
你們若在念〈懺悔文〉時，在發願：「虛空有盡，我願無窮。」這個願，願就是在我們的真如本性，那就是那念悲心啟發了這個願。虛空有盡，願力無窮，可見佛性願力是多麼大。
所以我們常說「佛常住世」，才常常說「無生無滅」的境界。在佛的境界真的是無生無滅，以他的境界而言。而於我們眾生的境界呢？二千多年了，佛陀出生在二千多年前，佛陀入滅在二千多年前。其實，二千多年，對佛而言到底多久？沒有多久的時間。所以他哪有什麼生與滅呢？只是為了度眾生、教育眾生，來示相在人間。
所以我們在《法華經》中就說，「諸佛出世」，就是在此濁世。諸佛，不只是釋迦佛，所有十方諸佛出現人間都是在濁世。就是劫濁的時刻，眾生煩惱垢重，所以就要諸佛來人間。
所以，諸佛來人間，就是要教育眾生。因為眾生在此「劫濁亂時，眾生垢重」，煩惱、濁氣之心很重，「慳貪嫉妒」等等，所成就的是不善根，成就很多不善的根源。
眾生苦啊！來人間，這種不善的根源，這樣在我們的人間裡。佛陀來人間，所以在前面的（經）文就是說，佛在此「劫濁亂時，眾生垢重，慳貪嫉妒，成就諸不善根（故）。」這是前面的（經）文。
現在看，「諸佛以方便力，於一佛乘分別說三」。這也是最近常常出現的（經）文。
劫濁亂時
眾生垢重
慳貪嫉妒
成就諸不善根故
諸佛以方便力
於一佛乘分別說三
《法華經方便品第二》
眾生根機不整齊，就是因為煩惱，有的煩惱濁氣較重，無明就愈深愈厚；若是濁氣較輕、較淡，他的根機就較利。就如眼睛的疾病若輕一些，看的境界會較明。濁氣若愈深愈重，見解無明愈多，我們的觀念、見解就愈惡愈偏差；偏差，所造的惡業就愈多，慳貪嫉妒等等。這全都是在眾生中濁氣很重，所以佛陀他就要用種種的方法。
其實，種種的方法不離一佛乘，從一佛乘分別說三乘。因為，「你那麼遠看不見？再近一點看。這樣看得到嗎？看不清楚，來，再近一點看。」我們若去眼科，有時候醫師就會說：「來，你這隻眼用黑黑的眼鏡遮起來，用一眼看，這個圓圈的缺角、開口，這樣看得到嗎？」很大的圓圈，「有啊，有看到。」愈來愈小，愈來愈小，到底這個缺角是這邊，還是在那邊？要看。
視力愈好，一直試驗、試驗，小小的也看得見。若是視力不好，這麼大的圓，看，「咦！怎麼不大一樣，連那個圓的圈圈也在變形，不夠圓。」看都不夠圓了，怎能看到缺角處呢？「沒有，沒有看到。」「怎麼差這麼多？」對啊！這就是同樣那些圓圈，大大小小，本來就是那些圓圈在那裡，不過，視力愈不好時，那些圓圈就愈來愈模糊。
開始治療、治療，再來看，有比較圓了，有比較瞭解了，手比下、比上面，缺口的位置都比對了。這就是我們眾生就是這樣，佛陀就是隨機逗教，就如應病下藥一樣，就要經過這樣的治療，我們有恢復健康的一天。
我們現在再更用心來瞭解，為何佛陀要在劫濁的時代來出現呢？那就是為了要度一切有善根者。
諸佛乃於此時
示現出世者
為度一切有善根
有緣之眾生
使之發出世心
其實，佛陀說人人本具佛性，當然人人也有善根。卻是剛才說過，有的人濁氣很重，與佛無緣。常常在提起，貧婆與佛就無緣。為何與佛沒有好緣呢？因為佛陀在修行的過程中，疏忽了一位眾生，疏忽了。
因為在他修行的過程中，這位婦女的家庭變故，傷心，啼啼哭哭。修行者經過時，「這位婦女，妳到底為何哭？」她就訴說家庭所發生的，丈夫、孩子忽然間前後往生，家庭貧困等等，很多的煩惱使她傷心，使她感覺人生的苦。這位修行者就說：「眾生本來是如此，這樣有何好哭？看開吧！」就這樣一句話告訴她，就離開了。
後面又有一位修行者走過來，「這位婦女，妳到底怎麼了？」輕柔的語言，輕柔的態度，同時從他身上拿出一條手帕，說：「看開，人生本來就是如此，無論長短，總是有這一天。妳現在要好好照顧好自己，不要損害妳的身體。來，擦乾妳的眼淚。」將這條手帕給她。這位婦女接過這條手帕，擦掉了她的眼淚，向這位修行者說感恩，這樣離開了。
佛陀向他的弟子說：「你們知道嗎？這位貧婆為何我度不到她？那位走在前面的修行者，是我現在釋迦牟尼佛。那位走在後面的修行者，就是現在在我的身邊的阿難。阿難能夠結這麼多的好緣，是因為他的心微細，因為他善巧柔軟。」所以阿難，他在佛的弟子中是三十相，佛陀三十二相，阿難的莊嚴形象接近佛的莊嚴相。這就是他過去生中，結很多眾生的好緣，很多人若看到阿難都是起歡喜心。
所以，佛陀說諸佛出於五濁惡世，都是在此惡世中，濁世之中才是需要教育的時刻，所以為度一切有善根，就是有緣的人，有緣的眾生。
因為有緣的眾生，累世都有下種子，累世都有以法如水滋潤過，根會愈延伸愈深。所以，這是有緣的眾生，這是諸佛來人間的目的，使之發菩提心，修出世行。
這些眾生，一生一世不斷這樣來接引。我們剛才不是說過了，佛陀在我們人間，無論是時間、空間，他根本就不生不滅。我們的生生世世，其實佛還是永遠就是這樣在人間，這堂課講完，你聽懂嗎？聽得有興趣的人，下堂課再來，講師同樣一位。總而言之，這種最長的那堂課，告訴你有這樣的課，再下一堂的課，繼續這個課程，再繼續來。
瞭解了嗎？這段瞭解了，再上一課。再如何都是為了這堂課的目的。這堂課的目的，就是希望眾生能夠發菩提心，覺，覺悟的心，修出世行。
在此五濁惡世，如何將我們的心能夠脫離此濁氣，世間的濁氣。蓮花於污泥中，雖然不離污泥，但是蓮花不受污染，這就是發菩提心，修出世行。因為菩提心，那就是菩薩，要走在這條菩薩道，明明要入人群，要如何能出世呢？就是心於污泥中而不染，我們的心於此濁世之中能夠脫離濁世，是心脫離，脫離煩惱，我們的心脫離煩惱，我們的心回歸清淨如來的本性，真如本性。
所以「以一佛乘分別說三」。佛陀同樣用一個法，就是我們大家要脫出此五濁惡世。
於一佛乘分別說三：
又以五濁之故
不能頓時教化
遂有三乘權教之說
實仍以一佛乘
為究竟也
五濁惡世，前面說了，劫濁、煩惱濁、見濁、眾生濁、命濁，這叫做「五濁」。這五種濁氣，我們若能心脫離，那就是叫做回歸本性。所以還是一佛乘，佛陀如何的說法，就是希望我們回歸於一佛乘，將一佛乘來分別說三。
所以，又處於五濁之世，沒辦法頓時教化。沒辦法說一堂課，大家都瞭解了。還是要不斷對有緣善根的人，一位、一位漸漸接近，所以就有三乘權法之說法。因為眾生根機不整齊，所以就有此三乘，無法一乘就頓時覺悟，所以才需要用這樣的時間來教育，其實就是一佛乘，這就是究竟之法。
各位菩薩，真的我們要用心。從前面開始所說的，還是要大家去瞭解。本具佛性，就是佛陀要開示我們能與佛同等的見解，那就是唯有一佛乘，無有二乘、三乘。這是在這部《法華經》最重要的思想，也最真實的法。所以要人人時時多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Suitable Teachings of the One Buddha Vehicle (為一佛乘應機說法)
Date: May. 27. 2014
In accord with the original nature possessed by sentient beings the Buddha taught His knowledge and views. In True Suchness is just the One Buddha Vehicle; there is no Two or Three Vehicles.
Sentient beings intrinsically have Buddha-nature. The belief that Buddha-nature is intrinsic to us is the Dharma, so which method do we use to open up our Buddha-nature and eliminate our ignorance? It is for this reason that the Buddha comes to “open and reveal” His knowledge and views for sentient beings to “realize and enter”. The moment we realize Buddha’s knowledge and views is when our Buddha-nature will manifest. Similarly, people with healthy eyes can see their external conditions very clearly. But for people with eye disease, everything looks blurry. Is it the environment which is blurry, or is the problem in people’s eyes? The answer should be very obvious. People with eyes that are diseased cannot see the environment clearly. If they want to see their surroundings as clearly as people with healthy eyes, they need to cure their eye disease. After their eyes are healed, they will naturally see as well as people with healthy eyes. This is called “knowledge and views”.
Ordinary people are like people with eye disease. Thus the pure and radiant Buddha-nature within us has become hazy to us. The Buddha is here to tell us that state still exists, the Buddha-nature is still intrinsic to all of us. “As long as you can cure our eye disease, naturally, the state that you see and the state that I see will be the same.” The Buddha’s knowledge and views should lead us to the same goal as the Buddha, to this state [of mind] that exists, which is known as True Suchness. The Buddha teaches us many methods to help us attain the same views and understanding as Him, To help us to understand our minds and realize our true nature, the Buddha keeps teaching with various causes and conditions, with various analogies and expressions. He utilizes various methods to make analogies to help us understand that all sentient beings have the Tathagata-nature. This leads us to awaken our compassion. Then we will respect ourselves and respect everyone else. If we can all respect one another, if I respect you for having Buddha-nature and you respect that I have pure Tathagata-nature, we can mutually respect and love one another. In this way, we will always be grateful toward one another.
Don’t all Tzu Chi volunteers say, “Having self-respect is a way to repay grace; practicing giving is a way to show gratitude?” We all try to love and respect ourselves. Since the Buddha comes to teach us, to repay the Buddha’s grace, we must respect our teacher and His Path. We must respect His teachings that have been passed on to the present for us to accept and practice.
Accepting teachings is how we respect ourselves. If we have self-respect, and earnestly practice, then we respect the Buddha’s teachings. Thus, if we disciples respect ourselves, we are repaying the grace of the Buddha, our parents and sentient beings. Those who respect themselves know to repay others. If we practice giving, we are showing gratitude. We are grateful for the ability to give, and for having the right views and understanding. By helping sentient beings and benefiting them, we are actually benefiting ourselves. Thus when we help others, we must be grateful that we have Right Knowledge, Right Views and Right Thinking.
Being able to help the world’s sentient beings is something we should be grateful for.It is because we have this Dharma that we give to help others.Having the ability to give is something we are grateful for.This comes from realizing we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature.The Buddha utilizes various methods to help us fully believe that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature.By believing in this, we will apply the Buddha’s teachings in hope of breaking through our layers of ignorance so our Buddha-nature may be revealed.
Though the Buddha utilizes countless methods, they all lead back to the One Buddha Vehicle.He teaches according to capabilities, [but there is] just the One Buddha Vehicle, “there is no Two or Three Vehicles”.We discussed this two days ago.The sutra text tells us that the Buddha manifests in this evil world of the Five Turbidities because this is when sentient beings need teachings.
Without these teachings, without the Dharma, the turbidity would become heavier and denser.The Buddha came to purify sentient beings’ minds so He continually manifested in the evil world of the Five Turbidities.When we chant repentance verses and make vows, we say “The universe has bounds; our vows are boundless.”This vow comes from our intrinsic nature of True Suchness.
Our compassion has awakened this vow.
“The universe has bounds; our vows are boundless”.Clearly, the vow made from our Buddha-nature is very powerful.So we say “the Buddha always abides in this world” in a state of “non-arising and non-ceasing”.As it appears to the Buddha, His state is truly non-arising and non-ceasing.As it appears to us sentient beings, He was here over 2000 years ago.The Buddha was born over 2000 years ago.
But actually, how long is 2000-plays years to Him?It is not a very long time, so how would He experience any arising or ceasing?He only manifested those appearances for the sake of transforming sentient beings.
Thus the Lotus Sutra states that the Buddha and all Buddhas manifested in the world, in the world of turbidity.All Buddhas of the ten directions, not just Sakyamuni, have manifested in this turbid world, always during the turbidity of kalpa.Sentient beings are heavily afflicted and defiled, so all Buddhas had to come to this world.They all come to teach sentient beings, because “in the era of chaos and turbidity of kalpa, sentient beings are heavily defiled”.
We have severe afflictions and turbidities, like “stinginess, greed, envy and jealousy,” etc., and develop all roots of unwholesomeness.We bring about the creation of many unwholesome things.All sentient beings suffer in this world.
[Because we develop] these unwholesome roots as we live in this world, the Buddha comes to this world.
So, the previous sutra passage spoke of how the Buddha, “in the era of chaos and turbidity of kalpa, sentient beings are heavily defiled with stinginess, greed, envy and jealousy.Thus, they develop all roots of unwholesomeness.”
This is from the previous sutra passage.Now let us look at how ”all Buddhas, with the power of skillful means, taught the One Buddha Vehicle as divided in three”.
This is also a passage that has appeared often recently.
The Buddha [see that] sentient beings have varying capabilities because of their afflictions.Some have more severe turbidity and afflictions, thus they have more layers of ignorance.If their turbidity is milder and weaker, then their capabilities will be sharper, just as those with relatively minor eye disorders can see their environment more clearly.The thicker and heavier the turbidity within us, the more ignorant views and understandings we have.Then our perspectives, views and understanding become evil and deviant.Our deviating leads us to create more bad karma.Stinginess, greed, envy, jealousy and so on are all within our minds, giving rise to severe turbidity.
To deal with this, the Buddha used various methods.Actually, all His methods are a part of the One Buddha Vehicle teachings.From the One Buddha Vehicle, He separately taught the Three Vehicles.Some say “you cannot see from so far away,”Some say “You cannot see from so far away, so come closer; can you see it now? I cannot see it clearly. Come closer and look again. If we go to an optometrist, sometimes the doctor may say, “Let’s use this dark [paddle] to cover this eye. Use your other eye to look at the missing section. Can you see that opening, so come closer; can you see it now?” At first, it is very big, [so we say,] “Yes, I see it”. Then it becomes smaller and smaller. Then we have to see if the opening is on this side or that side. If our vision is better, as the testing continues, we can still see it when it is very small. If our vision is poor, even with a big opening, [we think] “How come it looks different? Even the roundness of the circle is changing. It is not round enough. It doesn’t even seem round anymore, so how I can see the opening? I cannot see it. Why is there such a big difference?”
Indeed, the same circles of various sizes are used. The circles that are used do not change. But the worse our eyesight is, the more blurry the circles are. After we begin treatment, we look again, “It is rounder now. I see it clearer now”. We can correctly indicate where the opening is. We sentient beings are just like this. So, the Buddha teaches according to capabilities, like prescribing medicine according to the illness. We must go through such a treatment, so that we will eventually recover our health.
Now, let us put our hearts into understanding why the Buddha manifested in the era of the turbidity of kalpa. It was to transform all sentient beings who had roots of goodness.
All Buddhas, at these times, manifest as world-transcending beings to transform all sentient beings with roots of goodness and karmic affinities and help them aspire to transcend the world.
Indeed, the Buddha said that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, and of course we all have roots of goodness. But, as I have just said, some people have very heavy turbidities and no affinity with the Buddha. We constantly talk about the poor woman who had no affinity with the Buddha. Why did she lack a good affinity with the Buddha? Because during the course of His spiritual practice the Buddha had neglected a certain sentient being. This happened [in one of His past lives]. This woman’s family was struck with misfortune, so she was sad and crying. A spiritual practitioner passed by and asked, “Ma’am, why are you crying?” She told him what had happened to her family, how her husband and child suddenly passed away, how poor her family was, and so on. Her many afflictions caused her sadness and caused her to experience the suffering of life.
The spiritual practitioner said, “The life of sentient beings is always like this. What is there to cry about? Just accept it.” After making this statement, he left. Then, another spiritual practitioner walked by “Ma’am, what’s wrong?” His words were gentle as was his manner. Then, He took out a handkerchief and said, “Accept it, this is the way life is.No matter how long one lives,inevitably,[death] will come. You must take good care of yourself now, and do not harm your body. Please wipe away your tears”. Then he handed her the handkerchief. The woman took the handkerchief, wiped her tears away, and expressed her gratitude to him. Then she walked away.
The Buddha told His disciples, “Do you know why I could not transform this poor woman? That first spiritual practitioner is now I, Sakyamuni Buddha. Then second spiritual practitioner is now the one by my side, Ananda”. Ananda was able to form many good affinities, because his mind is very meticulous and he is skillful and gentle. So, Ananda was the disciple that had 30 Marks of the Buddha. The Buddha had 32 Marks. Ananda ’s magnificent appearance was similar to that of the Buddha’s because in his past lives he had created many good affinities with sentient beings. Many people who saw Ananda became joyful. The Buddha said that all Buddhas manifested in the evil world of the Five Turbidities. So, all Buddhas manifest in this evil, turbid world because this is the moment teachings are needed.They do this to transform all beings who have roots of goodness, those They have affinities with “Having roots of goodness” refers to sentient beings They have [good] affinities with.
Sentient beings with good over many lifetimes, planted seeds that have been. Nourished by the Dharma-water and have extended their roots deeply and widely. These are sentient beings with good affinities. The goal of all Buddhas in coming into this world is to lead them to develop Bodhicitta and engage in world-transcending practices.
These sentient beings must be continuously guided, life after life. Didn’t we just talk about how the Buddha is in the world [at all times and in all places]? He is beyond birth and death. We go through successive lifetimes, but the Buddha is forever in this world. After listening to a lesson, [the teacher asks,] “Do you understand?” Those who enjoyed the class will come back for the nest lesson, and the teacher will remain the same. In summary, this is a very long lesson. After you learn about this class, you may come back for the next lesson, and then the next one, and so on. “Do you understand?” After understanding this lesson, go on to the next one. We do this until we achieve the goal of the class. [The Buddha’s goal] in teaching this class is for sentient beings to develop Bodhicitta, to use an awakened mind to cultivate world-transcending practices.
In this evil world of the Five Turbidities, how can we enable our minds to transcend the turbidities of the world? The lotus flower grows in the mud, and though it never leaves the mud it is not defiled by it. This is developing Bodhictta and cultivating world-transcending practices. With Bodhicitta, we are Bodhisattvas. To walk the Bodhisattva-path clearly we must go among the people . How then can we transcend this world? By keeping our minds undefiled amidst the mud. Our minds can remain in this turbid world, yet transcend it. It is our minds that transcend it, that transcend afflictions. When our minds can transcend afflictions, we return to our pure intrinsic Tathagata-nature, our nature of Ture Suchness. This is why, “He taught” “the One Buddha Vehicle as divided in three” .The Buddha gave this teaching so we can all be liberated from this evil world of the Five Turbidities.
The Buddha taught the One Buddha Vehicle as divided in three. Because of the Five Turbidities, He could not instantly teach [the One Vehicle]. Therefore, He gave provisional teachings of the Three Vehicles. The ture teaching is still the One Buddha Vehicle, which is the ultimate.
The Five Turbidities in this evil world are the turbidity of kalpa, of affliction, of views, of sentient beings and of life. If we can transcend these Five Turbidities, we have returned to our intrinsic nature. This is also the One Buddha Vehicle. Whatever teaching the Buddha gives, He hopes we can return to the One Buddha Vehicle. He teaches the One Buddha Vehicle as divided in three because in the evil world of the Five Turbidities, He could not instantly teach [the One Vehicle] He could not just teach one lesson that everyone would understand completely. He had to continuously approach those beings with good roots, those He had good affinities with.
So, He gave provisional teachings of the Three Vehicles. Because sentient beings these Three Vehicles were established. They could not instantly realize the One Vehicle, so He had to spend all this time teaching them. Actually, the One Buddha Vehicle is the ultimate teaching. Dear Bodhisattvas, we really must be mindful. From the teachings given earlier, we must all understand that we intrinsically have Buddha-nature. The Buddha was teaching us that we can have views and understanding equal to the Buddha. Only the One Vehicle leads to this realization there is no Two or Three Vehicles. In the Lotus Sutra, this is the most important concept and the truest Dharma. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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