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Saturday, December 27, 2014

【靜思妙蓮華】20140725 - 深心信念歸佛心 - 第356集 With a Penetrating Mind and Faith,We Return to the Buddha-mind


20140725《靜思妙蓮華》深心信念歸佛心(第356集)

⊙「深心信念歸佛心,真誠無欺真實道,長短方圓水就形,隨機逗教一乘法。」
⊙「若人信歸佛,如來不欺誑,亦無貪嫉意,斷諸法中惡。故佛於十方,而獨無所畏。」《法華經 方便品第二》

【證嚴上人開示】
深心信念歸佛心
真誠無欺真實道
長短方圓水就形
隨機逗教一乘法

這是我們大家要用很虔誠的心,要「深心信念」。

「深心」之前已經一段時間,一直說「深心念佛」。我們念佛之心,不是口頭上念;信佛之心,不是需要時才信,不是。佛陀要我們「深心念佛」,「深」,不是膚淺,要真正深入我們的心版裡。我們心的深處,有藏著我們的如來本性,就是希望這一念信,要深入我們的如來本性,我們要心心念念「歸佛心」。

人人本具佛性,人人本具佛心,用佛心為我們的心,佛入心,法入於行,佛心、佛法,都是在於我們的心念,在我們的行動中。我們若能如此,叫做深心念佛歸佛心;我們的心,凡夫心,換作佛的心。

又再「真誠無欺真實道」,我們人人的心,真的要「真」。日常生活中,對人處事都是要用真誠,很誠意的心來互相對待。誠意,就是無欺、無騙,這就是我們要修行。佛陀也是教我們,要有這分真誠的心,所以,真誠就是無欺,如此才能到「真實道」。真實的道理,佛陀心所保護的一乘真實妙法,這叫做「實道」,真實道。

所以「長短方圓水就形」。我們若能到此,「真誠無欺真實道」,已經心與理會合了,如此,我們就能應世間,以不變之道心應世間的萬變。世間的眾生,各人習氣不同,用什麼方法來度眾生?法譬如水,應著無論何種器具,是圓的,是四方的,是長的,是短的,無論造型是哪一種器具,「水就形」,水隨著種種的形,水就是適應種種器具之形。若是水管,水就在水管裡;若是桶子,就在水桶裡。任憑你將水倒在什麼地方,都是適應種種(容器)。

尤其是大地上,不能缺水。樹,一棵樹所吸收的水量很多,水還是隨著樹的大小,任憑它如何的吸收;或者是一株小草,小草,水才吸收這樣而已,也是水,隨著東西讓它所吸收。所以「長短方圓水就形」,隨它的種種形態,水就是這樣。這就是法,也是真理,隨著我們人人的根機,佛陀就是隨根機而施教。

所以隨機逗教最重要的,就是不離開「一乘法」。佛陀時時就是用大乘法,只是眾生的根機,小根、小機、小草;同樣的水,就是小機、小根、小草,它能吸收的(水分),只是這樣而已,而若是大樹、大根,水,就能吸收那麼多。這就是佛法隨眾生的根機,無論是何根機,必定要從我們的,「深心信念」開始,我們要時時用心。

常常都說,不調和,那就是人類的災難。要如何能讓世間平平安安?那就是要調心。人心要調,所以不斷在推動「一人一菩薩」,來帶動人人造福,那就日日平安。

在美國北加州(慈濟人),他們是很精進。他們在今年的六月間,陳居士(陳寶如,法號濟麟)回來,來瞭解我們全球慈濟「四合一」,合和互協的幹部,要如何在地球上灑播愛的能量,要如何讓全球,能「一人一菩薩」。

他瞭解了,要如何回到各人的國家,如何去推動,所以開始把這個訊息帶回去了。現在他們著手,很積極的這樣在推動,組成了一個矽谷小組,意思就是因為那裡多數,都是科技很昌盛,大部分都是教授、工程師,要如何去牽引這些人,能夠一個人就是一個菩薩。所以,他們開始回去規劃,每一個人都要回到自己的公司,去找人,去講話,所以,一個帶一個,大家來集會,來聽聽慈濟人,入慈濟的心路歷程。

每一位慈濟人入慈濟之後,接觸了佛法,利益人群,那種菩薩行,見苦知福。將他的同事、朋友,大家集合起來,(聽)佛教的慈善,大家聽得很歡喜,每一位都是發心要做菩薩。就是說每一個人,回去他的公司,去度他的同事,度過來集合,大家來分享,來聽。看到這個訊息,也很歡喜。

還有看到,同樣在北加州,他們有組成一個「薰法香」。每一天,他們當地的時間十點多,好像是十點,在晚間,在我們這裡的早上,他們有一百三十幾位,大家都在網路通訊息,同時共修「靜思晨語」;現在他們共修的是《法華經》。

幾天前,他們舉辦一個心得分享,大家聽法之後,薰法香之後的心得,大家共同集合,這個茶會,也是大家分享,《法華經》聽了之後的心得,真的是薰法香。現在才知道,他們在那麼遠的地方,原來與我們是同時在精進,一直到現在,沒有間斷過。大家的心得滿滿,大家對人生的方向清楚。

甚至還有很小的孩子,他也懂得要如何,庇護與他同年齡的人。凱丞,他每到暑假,就回來隨師,從七、八歲,一直到現在十歲了。他的智慧不輸給我們大人,回去學校,有同學被霸凌,就是被人欺負了,孩子就說他要去支持他,要去如何幫忙他。母親就說:「你哪有辦法,學校的霸凌,你一個小孩子哪有辦法?」他就說:「我雖然沒有社會的經驗,不過佛法是圓融的,能用佛法去解開學校的霸凌。」

你們想,佛性平等啊!十歲的孩子,他竟然發此大心,甚至為他的同學,為他的學校有此霸凌事件,他要挺身而出。母親說:「你沒有社會經驗。」他說:「我是沒有社會經驗,不過有佛法的圓融。」信心滿滿。所以「深心信念歸佛心」,人人如果有這念心,不分年齡。

我們要天地四大調和,必定要人心調和。人人若能以,「真誠無欺真實道」,按照道理來做人,這個人間就是平安。佛法確實是圓融的,無論是何種形(貌),佛法都能普及。所以這是佛陀隨機逗教的,「一乘法」,我們應該要很珍惜。

所以,再接下來,這段(經)文就說:「若人信歸佛,如來不欺誑,亦無貪嫉意,斷諸法中惡。故佛於十方,而獨無所畏。」

若人信歸佛
如來不欺誑
亦無貪嫉意
斷諸法中惡
故佛於十方
而獨無所畏
《法華經 方便品第二》

佛陀對大家說,大家若懂得「信」,「歸」,皈依於佛,佛絕對讓大家作依靠。人人的心懂得深信向著佛,佛的教法一定能牽引著人人,走上了最平安的道路去。

「如來不欺誑」,佛,修行成就,就是不欺誑,不會欺騙人,說話也很有次序,絕對不會狂妄。有一些人,有的人說大話,自己的能力一分,說十分;瞭解的事情一點點,說得滿天全是星。這全都是叫做「欺誑」,這種不實在。我們學佛,我們必定要學真實,學誠意。

剛才說過,我們要「真誠無欺」,這樣才是我們學法的方向。我們能夠真心,我們能夠無欺、無詐,用這麼坦承之心來待人、做事,這樣才是得到法,這樣才能將法普被給大家,人人願意接受,這就是「信歸佛」。

「亦無貪嫉意」。不應該有貪,既是不欺誑,已經是真誠無欺,哪還有貪、嫉之意呢?嫉妒,不可能。

佛陀教我們就是「大慈大悲」,「大慈」是「無緣大慈」,天下眾生的幸福,是我們的目標;天下眾生的苦難,是我們最不能忍心之事。「人傷我痛,人苦我悲」,期待人人能夠得法,期待人人,能夠成就都來不及了,哪有可能有貪、嫉之心意存在呢?沒有。已經就是這麼坦蕩之心,所以開闊的心,已經除掉了貪、嫉,嫉妒,這種的意念全都沒有;這都是叫做煩惱,欺誑也是無明,無明煩惱,在這種欺誑、貪、嫉,這種都是無明。

所以,學佛就是,「斷諸法中惡」。我們既要學法,最會障礙我們的就是無明,這種欺誑、貪、瞋、癡、慢、懷疑、嫉妒等等,這都是我們在學法之中,最障礙我們的。所以我們必定要,「斷諸法中惡」,那就是障礙我們行道,就是這些無明,我們既然要學法,必定要將這些無明掃除掉,斷去了這種無明的念頭,所以「斷諸法中惡」。

「故佛於十方,而獨無所畏。」諸佛都已經將這些「法中惡」,我們在修行的障礙,這些無明的念頭,完全都去除了。所以佛於「十方」,之前說過「十方」,——東、西、南、北、四維、上、下,稱為「十方」;佛陀就是這樣「獨無所畏」。佛陀絕對,他已經沒有畏懼。所以,單獨示法,於人群中唯有無所畏,那就是法中王。

因為我們凡夫還有懼怕,還有所畏。有的人就說,現在正是賺錢的時機,我雖然是很歡喜,很愛,與你們一樣一起行菩薩道,不過我怕時間不夠用,我現在正是賺錢的時間,我「怕」失去了機會。怕,就是有所懼,有所畏。

恐怕投入後就要持戒,這也不能做,那也不能做,酒不能喝,不能賭博,「這樣我出錢就好了,我怕我這樣做不到。」這也是有所畏懼。明明知道人生無常,何時會發生什麼事情,不知道;這些事情(道理)他都知道,不過要他斷除日常生活的,那種習氣,那就不容易喔!

所以,唯有聖者、賢人,下決心將「法中惡」全部去除。只要會障礙我們的道心,會障礙我們的道行,會污染我們的心,這種念頭,完全去除。在人群中不受影響,不受染著,於人我是非中,就是那麼自在,不受其他雜念等等所影響,這就是斷,斷除這些無明污染,佛陀才能於此十方,稱為單獨無所畏之人。

所以佛陀若在講經,稱為「獅子吼」。意思就是說,說出去的法,不必怕,無所畏,因為事事都是真理。佛所說的法,雖然有很多譬喻、因緣、種種言辭,說的雖然全是以,世間種種事情來譬喻,但是,就是有充分的道理,所以佛陀說法無所畏,唯有佛陀。

若是我們凡夫要說個話,還要很用心——佛陀是何意?這段經文是要說什麼?與現在的世間,用得到嗎?會變成了讓人迷信嗎?或者是……等等,就要用很多的方法去了解。所以,佛陀不是這樣,佛陀就是應機說法,他一語普被眾生之根機。就如「一雨」,一場雨,小草就是這樣的量,它就吸收這樣(的水);大樹、大山,同樣的,多大的山、多大的林,它同樣的雨水,它能夠吸收多少。這是佛陀無所畏,一語普被眾生之根機。他所說的都是實在的道理,所以「而獨無所畏」。

各位,學佛,我們必定要「深心信念」,深心信念,是我們學佛中最重要的。以現在的科技,讓我們能很普及,看到美國有一群菩薩,在北加州,大家在精進;在紐約的此時,是在風雨飄搖中,我們大家還是要以,最虔誠之心為他們祝福,但願風雨能趕緊一直減弱,消退掉,讓他們趕緊恢復,如何展開關懷、救濟的工作。這就是菩薩在任何一個地方,不同的時間,不同的環境。所以,我們要共同「一人一菩薩」,虔誠的心為他們祝福、祈禱。人人要時時多用心。

Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: With a Penetrating Mind and Faith,We Return to the Buddha-mind (深心信念歸佛心)
Date: July. 25. 2014

With a penetrating mind and faith, we return to the Buddha-mind. With sincerity and freedom from deception, we reach the True Path. Like water that takes the shape of its container, the Buddha taught the One Vehicle Dharma according to capabilities. “With A penetrating mind and faith, we return to the Buddha-mind. With sincerity and freedom from deception, we reach the True Path.”

This explains that we must be reverent and sincere and maintain “a penetrating mind and faith.” Earlier, we spent more time discussing how, “with a penetrating, [we] are mindful of the Buddha.” We do not chant the Buddha’s name with our mouths alone. We do not have faith in the Buddha only when we are in need. No. The Buddha tells us “to be mindful of the Buddha with a penetrating mind.” “Penetrating” means not superficial. [Our faith] must truly penetrate our minds. Deep within our minds is our intrinsic Tathagata-nature. We hope that our faith will penetrate deeply to our intrinsic Tathagata-nature. With our every thought, we must “return to the Buddha-mind.”
We all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. We all intrinsically have the Buddha-mind. We must take the Buddha-mind as our own. When the Buddha is in our minds, the Dharma is in our actions. The Buddha-mind and Buddha-Dharma can abide in our minds and in our actions. If we can be like this, “with a penetrating mind, we are mindful of the Buddha and return to the Buddha-mind.” We replace our ordinary minds with the Buddha’s mind. “With sincerity and freedom from deception, we reach the True Path.” Our minds must really be “genuine”.
In our daily living, as we interact with people and handle things, we must treat each other with great sincerity. Sincerity is free of deception and lies. It is something we must cultivate. The Buddha also teaches us to cultivate this sincerity. Only by being sincere and free of deception can we reach the True Path, The true principles and the true and wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle that is safeguarded by the Buddha’s mind are called the True Path. “This is like water that takes the shape of its container.” If we can, “with sincerity and freedom from deception, reach the True Path,” then our minds are one with those principles. Then, we can respond to the ever-changing world with an unwavering spiritual aspiration. Sentient beings in the world each have different habitual tendencies.
What is the method for transforming them? The Dharma is like water, which takes the shape of all kinds of containers, round or square, long or short. Regardless of the container, “water will take [that] shape.” Water will adapt to all kinds of shapes. In a pipe, [water takes the shape of] the pipe. In buckets, [water takes the shape of] the bucket. Regardless of where we pour the water, it will adapt to all kinds of containers. The land, in particular, cannot lack water. A single tree absorbs a lot of water, but the amount of water a tree absorbs depends on its size. Similarly, a small blade of grass will only absorb a small amount of water. So, water is absorbed in different amounts by different things.
“Like water that takes the shape of its container” means that water takes all kinds of shapes. This is [the nature] of water. Similarly, the Dharma and true principles are suitable for each of our capabilities because the Buddha taught according to capabilities.
So, water is absorbed in different amounts by different things.
“Like water that takes the shape of its container” means that water takes all kinds of shapes.
This is [the nature] of water.
Similarly, the Dharma and true principles are suitable for each of our capabilities because the Buddha taught according to capabilities.The most important part of teaching in this way is to not deviate from the One Vehicle Dharma.The Buddha teaches the Great Vehicle Dharma at all times, but sentient beings’ limited capabilities are like small blades of grass.All things are given the same amount of water, but small blades of grass can only absorb so much.A larger tree with bigger roots can absorb much more water.This is how the Buddha-Dharma [is taught] according to sentient beings’ capabilities.
Regardless of what capabilities we have, we must start with “a penetrating mind and faith”.
We must always be mindful.We often talk about imbalances.These are manmade calamities.
How can we bring peace to the world?We must adjust our minds and help other people adjust their minds.Therefore, we unceasingly promote, “one person, one Bodhisattva,” recruiting [new volunteers] to create blessings so every day can be peaceful.
In Northern California, in the US, Tzu Chi volunteers are doing this diligently.In June of this year, Mr. Poh Joo Tan came to Taiwan form California to attend our global Four-in-One Training Camp.The leaders in the volunteer structure all learned how to spread the power of love, so that all around the world, [volunteers can recruit more Bodhisattvas].
Mr. Tan learned ways to promote this movement once he returned to California.So, he brought this information back with him.Now the volunteers there are earnestly promoting [“one person, one Bodhisattva”].They formed a Silicon Valley Team. Because many technology companies are flourishing there, there are many professors and engineers.
[The volunteers want to] find a way to guide them so each person can become a bodhisattva.
The volunteers came up with a plan.They would go to their respective companies and recruit people [to participate].
So, each of them would bring one person to a gathering to hear Tzu Chi volunteers shave their personal stories, explaining how each of them joined Tzu Chi, encountered the Buddha-Dharma, began to engage in the Bodhisattva-practice of benefiting others, and saw suffering and recognized their blessings.The volunteers gathered their colleagues and friends to learn about charity based on the Buddha’s teachings.The listeners really enjoyed this and aspired to become bodhisattvas themselves.
In this way, every person went to their companies to transform their co-workers.They did this by inviting them to a gathering and sharing their own experiences.After reading this report, I was very happy.The volunteers in Northern California also formed a group to [listen to the teachings together].Every night, at around ten pm, California time, which is morning here, more than 130 people are online together watching my “Wisdom at Darwn” lecture.Right now, they are studying the Lotus Sutra.
A few days ago, they held a gathering to share their experiences.They shared the realizations gained through listening to the Dharma when they gathered together.At this [event] they shared their experiences of listening to the Lotus Sutra.They have truly [absorbed the Dharma].Though far away, they are actually diligently practicing at the same time that we are.
They have not stopped for even a day.They have all learned so much and now have a clear direction in their lives.Even a young child can learn to protect his peers.[Christopher Yang] has come back to travel with me every summer since he was seven or eight years old, and now he is ten.His wisdom is not less than that of adults.At school, when his classmates were being bullied, he said he wanted to support and help them.
His mother said, “What can you do?As a child, how can you stop the bullying?”He replied, “Even though I do not have much street smarts, the Buddha-Dharma can bring harmony.I will use the Buddha’s teachings to deal with the bullying.”
Think about it, Buddha-nature is so universal that even a ten-year-old can form such a great aspiration, and for the sake of his classmates, stand up against the bullying in his school. His mother said, “You do not have any street smarts”. He said, “Though I do not have street smarts, I have the harmony of the Dharma”. He was filled with confidence. So, “with a penetrating mind and faith”. We can all be in this state of mind, regardless of age. If we want the four elements of the world to be in harmony, our minds must also be in harmony. If we all have “sincerity and freedom from deception” and “reach the True Path”, and follow the principles of being a good person, then this world will be at peace.
The Buddha-Dharma is indeed harmonizing. Regardless of the shape of the container, the Buddha-Dharma can fill it. So, this is the One Vehicle Dharma the Buddha teaches according to capabilities. We must cherish it.

Therefore, the next passage of the sutra states, “If people faithfully take refuge in the Buddha, the Tathagata will not deceive them. He has nto thoughts of envy or greed, and He has eliminated the evil in all things. Therefore, throughout the ten directions, then Buddha alone has nothing to fear”.

The Buddha tells us if we have “faith” and take refuge in the Buddha, He will definitely be our support. If we have deep faith in the Buddha, His teaching will definitely guide us all onto the safest path. “The Tathagata will not deceive them”. Having perfected His spiritual practice, the Buddha will not lie nor will He deceive others. He speaks in a logical manner and is never arrogant. Some people always brag about themselves and exaggerate their capabilities tenfold. Though they understand little, they talk as if they know everything. These are all examples of ‘deception”.
This is untruthful. When we learn the Buddha’s Way, we learn to be truthful and sincere. As I mentioned before, we must have “sincerity and be free of deception”. This comes from learning the Dharma. We can be sincere, we can be free of deceptions and lies. Only when we can deal with others and act with open honesty have we realized the Dharma. Then we can spread the Dharma to others in a way they are willing to accept. This comes from “faithfully taking refuge in the Buddha. He has no thoughts of envy or greed”. We must not have greed. Since we no longer lie, since we are sincere and free of deception, how could we be greedy or envious? We must not be envious.
The Buddha teaches us to have “great loving-kindness and great compassion”. Great loving-kindness is all-embracing. Happiness for all sentient beings is our goal. Letting sentient beings suffer is something we really cannot bear. We feel others’ pain and suffering as our own. The Buddha hopes we all can learn the Dharma. He hopes that everyone can succeed in their practice, but time is already short, so how could He have any time to be envious or greedy? He has none. He already has this magnanimous mind. With this expansive mind, He has already eliminated greed and jealousy. He does not have these kinds of thoughts at all. These [kinds of thoughts] are afflictions. Deceit is also a form of ignorance and affliction. Deceit, greed and jealousy are all forms of ignorance.
So on learning the Buddha’s Way, we must “eliminate the evil in all things”. When we learn the Dharma, what will hinder us most is our ignorance, [those thoughts of] deceit, greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, doubt, jealousy, and so on. These are the things that will hinder us the most as we learn the Dharma. So, we must “eliminate the evil in all things”, which is the ignorance that hinders us in our spiritual practice.
Since we want to learn the Dharma, we must eliminate and cut off these ignorant thoughts. Thus, we “eliminate the evil in all things. Therefore, throughout the ten directions, the Buddha alone has nothing to fear”. All Buddha have already completely eliminated the “evil in all things”, these ignorant thoughts that are obstacles to our spiritual cultivation. So, in the ten directions, [only Buddhas do this].
We have talked about the “ten directions” before. East, west, south, north, the four intermediate directions, above and below, these are the “ten directions”. In them, the Buddha “alone has nothing to fear”. He is absolutely already fearless. Therefore, He alone teaches the Dharma. Among all people, only He has nothing to fear. He is the king of the Dharma, because we ordinary people still have fears, are still afraid of things. Some people may say, “This is the best time to make money. Even though I would enjoy walking the Bodhisattva-path with you, I’m afraid I do not have enough time. Now is the time for me to make money, I’m afraid of losing this opportunity”.
“Afraid” means fearing something. People are afraid that after becoming involved, they will have to uphold the precepts. “Then I won’t be allowed to do this or that”. “Then I won’t be allowed to drink or to gamble”. “In this case, I’ll just donate money. I’m afraid that I cannot [uphold the precepts].” This is simply a case of having fears. They already clearly know that life is impermanent and that nobody knows what will happen or when. They know all these principles, but getting them to eliminate habitual tendencies from their daily living is not easy at all.
Therefore, only noble beings and sages can resolve to completely “eliminate the evil in all things”. If something hinders our spiritual aspirations, obstructs our spiritual practice or pollutes our minds, these thoughts must be eliminated completely. When we are among people, we must not be influenced or defiled by interpersonal conflicts. We must be free and at ease. We must not allow ourselves to be affected by discursive thoughts and so on. This is how we eliminate ignorance and defilement. Thus the Buddha, in all of the ten directions, is the only one who has nothing to fear.
When the Buddha is giving teachings, it is called “the lion’s roar”. This means that in the Dharma He speaks, there is nothing to be afraid of, nothing to fear, because everything He says is the truth. Although the Buddha-Dharma includes many analogies causes and conditions and various expressions, although He use worldly matters as examples, they are all filled with the principles. Thus, the Buddha fearlessly expounds the Dharma. He is the only one. When we ordinary people have something to say, we must be mindful. “What is the Buddha’s intention?” “What is the sutra passage teaching us?” “Is it applicable to the world we live in now?” “Will it cause people to do become superstitious?” We consider all these questions and find various ways to answer them.
The Buddha does not need to do this. He teaches according to each person’s capabilities. His words are suitable for all capabilities.[His teaching] is like rain. From it, small blades of grass will absorb the small amount of water that they require, while big trees and forests and large mountains while big trees and forests and large mountains will also absorb water [according to their size]. This is why the Buddha has nothing to fear, His words cover the capabilities of all beings. All He teaches is true principles, so “He alone has nothing to fear.”
Everyone, in order to learn the Buddha’s Way we must have “a penetrating mind and faith are most important in learning the Buddha’s Way.With modern technology, we can see as far away as the Bodhisattvas in the Us. In Northern California, many people are practicing diligently. In New York, at this moment, the situation is very precarious. We must all, with utmost sincerity, wish them well. I pray that the wind and rain will weaken and that soon it will diminish and stop so that they can begin recovery efforts and carry out charity and relief work quickly. This is how Bodhisattvas appear at any location, at any time, in any environment. Together, we must recruit [volunteers]; “one person, one Bodhisattva.” Let us sincerely pray for them and wish them well. We must always be mindful.

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

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