20140912《靜思妙蓮華》造像引生敬信（第391集）
⊙「緣生法深微妙，難見解復難思，尋覓自心中佛，巧畫佛像覓心。」
⊙「若於曠野中，積土成佛廟；乃至童子戲，聚沙為佛塔，如是諸人等，皆已成佛道。」《法華經 方便品第二》
⊙「若人為佛故，建立諸形像，刻雕成眾相，皆已成佛道。或以七寶成，鋀石赤白銅。」《法華經 方便品第二》
⊙若人為佛法，能遍行人間，常住於世，永恆利益眾生，因之建立諸種形像，以引領眾生敬信。
⊙刻雕成眾相，皆已成佛道：造像刻雕，塑成各種形相，是以至誠敬仰心，持久不退，即皆能成佛道。
【證嚴上人開示】
我們人生緣生緣滅，這是一項非常微妙，難思難解，所以與大家分享這分「緣」。
緣生 法深微妙
難見解 復難思
尋覓 自心中佛
巧畫佛像 覓心
「緣生法深微妙」，緣生時，其中就有，非常微妙的法，所以「難見解復難思，尋覓自心中佛，巧畫佛像覓心」。
說真的，不論是造像、建寺、建塔等等，只不過是要我們好好，將佛法建立在人間，讓大家見像聞法，同時能夠找入我們自己的心。不過，這就是要有種種因緣。我們這種的心要與法會合，也要有緣，所以說「緣生法深微妙」。緣能這樣會合在一起，真的是很微妙的事情，這其中有很深的法存在。
常常告訴大家，我們必定要相信因緣法。哪怕是佛陀在人間，即使說一切方便權巧的法，不離因緣；即使來到法華會上，棄權顯實，還是同樣說因緣法。可見因緣是佛法中的真理，所以「緣生法深微妙」，這是很微妙。所以難見，「難見解復難思」，你即使因緣會合，各人與各人的緣都不同。
我們就是大家在這個範圍之內，問你和你家人的緣，你和你周圍朋友的緣，你和你現在共住同修人人的緣，我想，每一個人都不同。就是在這種緣生、緣滅之中，製造了人間多少苦不堪的事情；也就是因緣會合，成就了人人那分道業。所以，「緣」真是不可思議。
所以佛陀時時，用譬喻、因緣來說法。是因緣，就說起了過去，古遠時代，一座深山中，有一位，法很透徹、瞭解，也已成阿羅漢的修行者，在深山修行。另外一個村莊裡，有一個兒童，年紀才七歲而已，對生命的來去，就感覺到有疑惑，希望母親能讓他自由，能讓他到外面去求法。一大篇的道理說服母親，母親百般、萬般不捨，卻也是讓孩子出去了。
七歲的孩子到處找明師，後來，幾天後，在一個因緣會合中，看到一位修行者，這位修行者也是有修行，感覺這個孩子，與平時的孩子不同，歡喜接受他，就帶回去修行。(在)深山中，兩個，師父、徒弟，兩人非常用功。
過了幾年後，一天，這位童子他在打坐時，忽然間面容，一個笑容。師父等他打坐完了，就問：「剛才你在打坐時，為什麼面露笑容呢？為什麼而笑？」這個孩子就嘆一口氣，就說：「不可思議啊！我在打坐中，好像看到我這個時候，五個母親為了我，非常的辛苦，煩惱、憂鬱、心痛折磨。」
他說：「我看到第一位母親生我時，鄰居同時也有一位產婦生產。同一日，這個村內兩位產婦，我的母親是其中之一，生我之後，闔家都很歡喜，卻可惜的就是緣淺，幾天後我就夭折了。這位母親看到隔壁的孩子，每次每一天看到別人的孩子，她的心就很痛苦，一直、一直每天都是這樣，心的折磨、煩惱。」
再第二位母親生我時，時間經過了幾個月，這個孩子又再夭折了。母親的心如針刺、刀割，苦啊！這是第二位母親。
第三位母親我又出生時，經過了十年的時間，我又再夭折了。十年的相處，情何以堪呢！這位母親，,還是看到同年齡的孩子，就想到她的孩子，一直到現在，那分的憂鬱、煩惱還是存在。
第四位母親時，我又出生了，經過二十年後，一場的意外，又是再這樣往生了。二十年後，這位母親和孩子相處二十年，多少的盼望在孩子身上，忽然間一場無常，所以(心)如刀割、針刺這樣，一直到現在，這位母親還是淚漣漣。
第五位，我現在這位母親，就是生我、養我。七歲時，我感覺生命的奧祕，要如何找出生命的源頭，要求母親放我出家修行。母親是萬般不捨，我出家了、我修行了，卻是母親現在還在不捨。
這五世，短短在二、三十年的時間，這樣經過了五位母親這麼辛苦，因緣實在是不可思議！現在再想來，這種累世生死，在這因緣中，是經過了非常多的親緣，彼此之間善惡緣聚，善惡緣散。
這師父就問他說：「你現在知道這五位母親，為你長、短的生命而心痛、而煩惱、而苦、而折磨，你現在怎麼想？」這位童子又是搖搖頭，嘆一口氣，一個苦笑，回答他的師父：「又是能如何？人生就是因為生死在折磨，所以我不能戀著，在這種累劫生死之中。其他沒什麼方法，我瞭解了生死因緣，我就要更再更認真用功，如何才能了脫生死。斷了分段生死，但是這種的變易生死，還要再多用功。」
所以說來「緣生法深(微)妙」，這個因緣是為什麼呢？那位母親生了這個孩子，幾天(後)緣就盡了呢？為什麼那位母親生這個孩子，這個孩子正討人愛時，大家見了，大家歡喜，短暫的因緣這樣又滅掉了呢？
一直、一直到現在，能夠瞭解生命到底是為了什麼，這位母親還是為了他，去修行而不捨。這種緣的法，實在很奧妙，難見解，難思惟。
人就是在生、老、病、死中，每一天，每一天這樣在過，無法體會到生命的深奧，這種「難見解復難思惟」。這唯有一樣，要如何能用父母所生給我們的這個身體，我們要趕緊用心，在這一生，我們就要得到佛法來度我們。我們若沒有得到佛法，永遠就是這樣糊里糊塗，「難見解復難思惟」。想要去見解、啟發這念心，還算好。有的人連見解，從來都未曾想過——我是如何來生，我為何而活？很多人從不曾想過。
所以，我們現在，有此因緣要來探討生命如何來，雖然我們還不知道如何來，最起碼我們還能知道，「一切因緣生」，與這對父母有緣生的，我們現在我們知道了；也知道有緣的父母生我們的身，我們應該將這個身體，如何利用於人間。
知道人生分段生死，知道了，但是要如何斷變易生死？變易生死，是我們心的煩惱的起落，心念不穩定，我們大家不就是這樣嗎？所以，這是一種非常奧妙的道理，所以我們要尋尋覓覓，我們這樣要趕緊找，找我們自心的佛。
所以「尋覓自心中佛」，我們自己的心有佛，我們要如何找？要能找到佛，唯有撥除煩惱，我們明明歷歷自見心中佛。不過，凡夫啊！凡夫，撥除煩惱談何容易啊！所以佛陀為一大事因緣來人間，一直用種種方法引度眾生，能歸納一個共同的方向，那就是行菩薩道。
卻是在《法華經》中，這段經文開始就一直在說，佛若滅度之後，佛法要如何流傳於人間呢？那就是建塔、造寺，或者是雕像。因為佛陀知道，未來眾生要入佛法，必定就是有所求，也就要有形像、有地點等等，引導人好樂功德，引導他捨。至少也能造成「有佛來過人間，有僧傳法於人間」等等，佛法這樣流傳。從「有為法」來引入「無為法」，就是有形相來引入瞭解道理。
前面我們已經說過，「若於曠野中，積土成佛廟；乃至童子戲，聚沙為佛塔，如是諸人等，皆已成佛道。」這是我們昨天有說過。
若於曠野中
積土成佛廟
乃至童子戲
聚沙為佛塔
如是諸人等
皆已成佛道
《法華經 方便品第二》
今天來看經文，「若人為佛故，建立諸形像，刻雕成眾相，皆已成佛道。或以七寶成，鋀石赤白銅。」
若人為佛故
建立諸形像
刻雕成眾相
皆已成佛道
或以七寶成
鋀石赤白銅
《法華經 方便品第二》
這段(經文)看，「若人為佛故，建立諸形像」，意思是說，若有人為佛法能夠遍行人間，有這樣的心，在人間佛法能常住世間，能夠永恆利益眾生，因此，所以來建立種種的形像，來引導人，引導眾生，懂得起敬與信的心。
若人為佛法
能遍行人間
常住於世
永恆利益眾生
因之建立諸種形像
以引領眾生敬信
若看到佛像就知道拜，入寺院能起恭敬心，這是佛陀的用心。所以在經文就這樣說，若是能為佛法，將要流傳於人間，這樣建立了種種的形像，讓人人起信心、恭敬心。
佛像用種種的材料來雕刻，所以「刻雕成眾相，皆已成佛道」。
刻雕成眾相
皆已成佛道：
造像刻雕
塑成各種形相
是以至誠敬仰心
持久不退
即皆能成佛道
佛像要經過人雕，無論是土雕、木雕、銅鑄等等的材料不同。所以「造像刻雕」，塑成各種佛像，用刻的，那就是木材；用塑的，那就是泥土了。常常說，泥土先塑再來造模，再來鑄銅，也有這樣。這用種種的材料、方法，但是，無論是用什麼樣的材料，總是要以至誠的敬心，敬仰的心來雕塑。
現代的人在雕塑，不一定是很有信心，光是要求一個功德，若如此就不需要。所以，我們要時時用虔誠、敬重的心，而且這個心不是一時，要持久不退這個虔誠的心。不是說「我雕好了，我送到寺院裡了，我就有功德」，這樣就退心。不是。必定要用持久那分的敬心，如此才能夠引導人人信佛；當然這也是有功德。
再說，「或以七寶成，鋀石赤白銅。」意思就是說種種的，剛才說木雕的、土塑的等等，或者是「七寶」，就是金屬類的東西，這種金屬類的東西，有白色的、有赤色的，這全都是金屬合成。所以，以最虔誠的心，無論你是用什麼材料，就是只要用最虔誠的心，表達出了你那分的敬意，用最珍貴的七寶來造塑，來雕、來塑。種種，無論是紅色、白色，或者是，等等金屬類，這樣全都能夠成我們的功德，這就是我們要用心會合。
若沒有恭敬心，我們無法體會佛陀的佛法是從哪來。我們現在是在「末法」，「像法」也過去了，我們在「末法」(時代)，五濁惡世中，要如何從有形入無形，從有相入道理，這是很重要。當然，這要用最虔誠的心，就如那位童子，年紀輕輕就懂得，想要如何探討生命的來去。所以說來，因緣法，實在是很深奧，所以人人時時要多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Create Images that Inspire Respect and Faith (造像引生敬信)
Date: September. 12. 2014
In our lives, karmic conditions arise and cease. This is a very subtle and wondrous matter, difficult to contemplate and comprehend. Therefore, I want to share these [teachings on] “conditions”.
“The Dharma of conditions arising is perfect, subtle and wondrous.”
When conditions arise, in them we can see very subtle and wondrous Dharma, which is “difficult to see and understand, and also difficult to contemplate.” “In searching for the Buddha in our minds, we use a skillfully painted image to find the Buddha in our hearts.”
Indeed, [the purpose of] creating images or building templates, stupas and so on is only for us to solidly establish the Buddha-Dharma in the world. This allows other people to learn the Dharma when they see the image, while, at same time, allows us to find it in our own hearts. However, this takes various causes and conditions. For our minds to converge with the Dharma, we need [the right] karmic conditions.
So it is said, “The Dharma of conditions arising is profound, subtle and wondrous.” The way conditions converge is truly a subtle and wondrous thing; underlying this is very profound Dharma. I often tell everyone, we must believe the karmic law of cause and effect. When the Buddha was in the world, even the skillful, provisional teachings He gave were inseparable from causes and conditions. Even at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, when He set aside the provisional to reveal the true, He still talked about the law of karma. This clearly shows that cause and effect is a true principle of the Buddha-Dharma.
Therefore, “The Dharma of conditions arising is profound, subtle and wondrous.” It is so subtle and wondrous, thus it is “difficult to see and understand, and also difficult to contemplate.” Even when our own causes and conditions converge, we still have different karmic connections with different people. Within our social circle, we have karmic connections with our family with the friends around us and with our fellow spiritual practitioners. I think everyone’s [life] is different because of the arising and ceasing of their conditions, which may lead to unbearable suffering. But the convergence of causes and conditions can also help us accomplish our spiritual practice.
So, karmic “conditions” are truly inconceivable. The Buddha constantly taught the Dharma with analogies and causes and conditions. In one teaching, He talked about how, long ago, deep in the mountains, there was a spiritual practitioner who thoroughly understood the Dharma. He had already achieved Arhatship and he engaged in spiritual practice deep in the mountains. In a nearby village, there lived a child. The child was only seven years old, but had questions about the workings of life but had questions about the walkings of life. He hoped his parents would give him the freedom to leave home so he could seek the Dharma. He was able to reason with and convince his mother. She felt very reluctant, but she allowed her child to leave.
The seven-year-old looked everywhere for a good teacher. A few days later, the causes and conditions came together for him; he found this spiritual practitioner. The spiritual practitioner was very advanced in his spiritual cultivation, and felt this child was different from the children he typically encountered. So, he happily accepted him [as a disciple] and took him along to engage in spiritual practice in the deep mountains.
Both teacher and disciple worked very hard.Several years passed, until one day, as this child was sitting in meditation, a smile suddenly appeared on his face.So when he finished meditation, his teacher asked him, “Just now, when you were sitting in meditation, why did a smile appear on your face?What made you smile?”
This child sighed and said, “It was so incredible! While I was sitting in meditation, I seemed to see how five different mothers toiled for my sake and were afflicted, depressed and tormented.”
He said, “I saw that when my first mother gave birth to me, a neighbor woman who was also pregnant gave birth at the same time. So on that same day, two women in this village gave birth, and my mother was one of them. After I was born, the entire family was happy. Unfortunately, our karmic connection was weak and I passed away after a few days. Every time my mother saw the neighbor’s child, every time she saw anyone else’s child, she felt heartbroken. Every single day was the same for her; she felt tormented and afflicted. Then my second mother gave birth to me. After several months passed, I again passed away at a young age. My mother felt a piercing pain in her heart. This was my second mother. After my third mother gave birth to me,I lived for ten years before I died once again. After ten years together, this was hard on her. When this mother saw children my age, she would think of me. Even now, she still feels that sadness and affliction. Then I was born again, to my fourth mother. After 20 years, there was an accident and I died again. After spending 20 years together, she had placed so much hope on me. Suddenly, impermanence struck and she felt as if her heart had been cut by a knife. Even to this very moment, this mother still weeps over [my death]. My fifth and current mother gave birth to me and raised me. When I was seven, I sensed the profound mystery of life, so I wanted to seek the origin of our lives and asked my mother to let me leave home to engage in spiritual practice. My mother was very reluctant. Even now that I have become a monastic, my mother still cannot let me go. In these five lifetimes, over a period of time of between 20 and 30 years, these five mothers went through much suffering. The workings of karma are truly inconceivable. Thinking about these successive lifetimes of birth and death, my causes and conditions took me through very many familial relationships. These connections we had, good and bad, brought us together and pulled us apart.” So, his teacher asked him, “Now that you know these five mothers are, as a result of your time with them, heartbroken, afflicted, pained and tormented, what are you thinking?”
This child shook his head, smiled wryly and answered his teacher by saying, “What can be done?People’s lives are tormented by birth and death, so I cannot be attached to and linger on the numerous lifetimes I have lived over many kalpaks. There is nothing else I can do. Now that I understand the workings of cyclic existence, I have to be more earnest and work hard to transcend birth and death and put an end to fragmentary samsara. But [ending] transformational samsara will take more work.”
Therefore, “The Dharma of conditions arising”. How did these karmic conditions come about? After one mother gave birth, why did her karmic connection with him last only a few days? Why, after another mother gave birth to this child, just when he was so adorable and bringing so much happiness to everyone, why was their karmic connection terminated? And in this lifetime, [though] he could understand the purpose of life, his mother felt so much sadness when he left to engage in spiritual practice. The workings of these karmic conditions are wondrously profound, hard to see, understand and contemplate. We all go through birth, age, illness and death. If we just let each day pass, we cannot realize the profundity of life, it is “difficult to see and understand”, The only thing [we can do] is to find the best way to use this body that our parents gave us. We must quickly become mindful of this. In this lifetime, we must attain the Buddha-Dharma so we can be transformed.
If we do not attain the Buddha-Dharma, we will always live in a state of confusion and find things “difficult to see and understand and also difficult to contemplate”. If we want to understand, if we make this aspiration, that is good thing. Some people never even think of trying to understand things like, “How did I come to this world?” “What am I living for?” Many people never think about these things. So, now we have this opportunity to investigate how our life came to be. Although we still do not know how it came about, at least, we know that all things arise from causes and conditions”, so we are born because of our karmic connection to our parents. Now that we know about this, about our affinities with the parents who gave us this body, how should we use our body to benefit the world? We know [how to end] fragmentary samsara but how can we end transformational samsara? Transformational samsara is the arising and ceasing of our minds’ afflictions, the instability of our thoughts. Doesn’t this happen to all of us?
So, there is a kind of wondrously profound principle behind this. Therefore, we must keep on searching, and promptly look for the Buddha within us. So, we “search for the Buddha in our minds”. There is a Buddha in our minds. How do we find Him? The only way to find the Buddha is to brush aside our afflictions so we can clearly see the Buddha within us. However, we are unenlightened beings. Eliminating afflictions is not easy. The Buddha came to the world for one great cause. He continued to use various means to guide sentient beings so that they would all head in the same direction, which is to walk the Bodhisattva-path.
But in the Lotus Sutra, this passage started by talking about how to spread the Buddha-Dharma in this world after the Buddha has entered Parinirvana. The answer is to built pagodas, temples or to sculpt statues. This is because the Buddha knew that when future sentient beings want to [learn] the Buddha-Dharma, they must be looking for something. So, there needs to be an image or a place that can guide them to take joy in creating merits and guide them to give to others. These thing will at least let people know that “The Buddha was once in this would”. There are Sangha “transmitting the Dharma in the world and so on”. This is how the Buddha-Dharma is spread.
From these “conditioned phenomena”, they can be led to “unconditioned Dharma”. Through appearances, people can be guide to understand the principles. So as we have already said before,
“[There were] those who, in the barren waste, piled up earth into a Buddha-shrine. Or even children who, at play, have piled up sand to make a stupa. People such as these, have all realized the path to Buddhahood”.
That is what we discussed yesterday. Today, we are looking at the next passage. “[There were] those who, for the Buddhas, have created images, carving these myriad of marks. They have all realized the path to Buddhahood. Perhaps they used the seven jewels, or bronze, or copper, red an white”.
This section of the sutra states, “[There were] those who, for the Buddhas, have created images”. This is telling us that there were people who had the aspiration to help the Buddha-Dharma spread throughout the world, so it could always abide in his world and forever benefit sentient beings. Therefore, they established all kinds of images to guide sentient beings and inspire them to have reverence and faith.
There were those who wanted the Buddha-Dharma to spread throughout the world, to always abide in this world and forever benefit sentient beings. Therefore they established all kinds of images to inspire respect and faith in sentient beings.
When we see Buddha statues, we know to bow and we feel respect upon entering temples. This shows the Buddha’s thoughtfulness. So, in the status, it is said that those who wanted the Buddha-Dharma to spread throughout the world established all kinds of images to inspire faith and respect in everyone. A Buddha statue can be carved out of various materials.
So, “carving all kinds of statues, they have all realized the path to Buddhahood.”
Carving all kinds of statues, they have all realized the path to Buddhahood: If those who carve statues and sculpt all kinds of images do so with utmost sincerity and respect and can maintain that mindset forever, they can sll realize the path to Buddhahood.
A Buddha status must be carved by people, whether out of clay, wood, bronze or other kinds of different materials. So, people “carving statues” and sculpt all kinds of Buddha-images. Carving is done with wood and sculpting is done with clay. I often talk about how we sculpt with clay, then make a moldout of it to cast it in bronze.This takes various materials and methods. But regardless of the material we use, we always have to feel utmost respect and reverence as we sculpt.
Nowadays, people who sculpt [Buddha statues] may not necessarily have a lot of faith. They only do it because they want merits. If this is the case, this is not needed.So, we must always a sense of reverence and respect. This cannot just be a temporary mindset. We must sustain this reverence without regressing. Our attitude cannot be, “I have sculpted sculpted and delivered the statue to the temple,so I have created merits and then lose that mindset, not at all. We must sustain that reverence. Only then can we lead everyone to have faith in the Buddha. Of course, this also brings merits.
“Perhaps they used the seven jewels, or bronze, or copper, red and white.” This means that aside from carving wood or sculpting with clay, people may use the seven jewels, or metallic materials. These metals can be white or red; all are formed by different kinds of metals.
As long as [we work with] utmost reverence, it does not matter what kind of materials we use. As long as we have that reverence and express our sense of respect, we can also use the most precious seven jewels. We can make, carve or sculpt out of various materials, whether they are red,or any other kinds of metal.These can all help us achieve our merits,as long as we can mindfully bring things together.
Without respect, we cannot understand where the Buddha-Dharma comes from. Now, we are in [the era of] Dharma-decay. The era of Dharma-semblance has already passed, so we are in the era of Dharma-decay. In the evil world of Five Turbidities, how we go from the tangible into the intangible. And how we go from appearances into principles is very important.
Of course, this takes utmost reverence. We must be like that child, who, at such a young age, was already studying we come to and leave this life.In conclusion, the Dharma of arising conditions is truly very profound. So, everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
⊙「緣生法深微妙，難見解復難思，尋覓自心中佛，巧畫佛像覓心。」
⊙「若於曠野中，積土成佛廟；乃至童子戲，聚沙為佛塔，如是諸人等，皆已成佛道。」《法華經 方便品第二》
⊙「若人為佛故，建立諸形像，刻雕成眾相，皆已成佛道。或以七寶成，鋀石赤白銅。」《法華經 方便品第二》
⊙若人為佛法，能遍行人間，常住於世，永恆利益眾生，因之建立諸種形像，以引領眾生敬信。
⊙刻雕成眾相，皆已成佛道：造像刻雕，塑成各種形相，是以至誠敬仰心，持久不退，即皆能成佛道。
【證嚴上人開示】
我們人生緣生緣滅，這是一項非常微妙，難思難解，所以與大家分享這分「緣」。
緣生 法深微妙
難見解 復難思
尋覓 自心中佛
巧畫佛像 覓心
「緣生法深微妙」，緣生時，其中就有，非常微妙的法，所以「難見解復難思，尋覓自心中佛，巧畫佛像覓心」。
說真的，不論是造像、建寺、建塔等等，只不過是要我們好好，將佛法建立在人間，讓大家見像聞法，同時能夠找入我們自己的心。不過，這就是要有種種因緣。我們這種的心要與法會合，也要有緣，所以說「緣生法深微妙」。緣能這樣會合在一起，真的是很微妙的事情，這其中有很深的法存在。
常常告訴大家，我們必定要相信因緣法。哪怕是佛陀在人間，即使說一切方便權巧的法，不離因緣；即使來到法華會上，棄權顯實，還是同樣說因緣法。可見因緣是佛法中的真理，所以「緣生法深微妙」，這是很微妙。所以難見，「難見解復難思」，你即使因緣會合，各人與各人的緣都不同。
我們就是大家在這個範圍之內，問你和你家人的緣，你和你周圍朋友的緣，你和你現在共住同修人人的緣，我想，每一個人都不同。就是在這種緣生、緣滅之中，製造了人間多少苦不堪的事情；也就是因緣會合，成就了人人那分道業。所以，「緣」真是不可思議。
所以佛陀時時，用譬喻、因緣來說法。是因緣，就說起了過去，古遠時代，一座深山中，有一位，法很透徹、瞭解，也已成阿羅漢的修行者，在深山修行。另外一個村莊裡，有一個兒童，年紀才七歲而已，對生命的來去，就感覺到有疑惑，希望母親能讓他自由，能讓他到外面去求法。一大篇的道理說服母親，母親百般、萬般不捨，卻也是讓孩子出去了。
七歲的孩子到處找明師，後來，幾天後，在一個因緣會合中，看到一位修行者，這位修行者也是有修行，感覺這個孩子，與平時的孩子不同，歡喜接受他，就帶回去修行。(在)深山中，兩個，師父、徒弟，兩人非常用功。
過了幾年後，一天，這位童子他在打坐時，忽然間面容，一個笑容。師父等他打坐完了，就問：「剛才你在打坐時，為什麼面露笑容呢？為什麼而笑？」這個孩子就嘆一口氣，就說：「不可思議啊！我在打坐中，好像看到我這個時候，五個母親為了我，非常的辛苦，煩惱、憂鬱、心痛折磨。」
他說：「我看到第一位母親生我時，鄰居同時也有一位產婦生產。同一日，這個村內兩位產婦，我的母親是其中之一，生我之後，闔家都很歡喜，卻可惜的就是緣淺，幾天後我就夭折了。這位母親看到隔壁的孩子，每次每一天看到別人的孩子，她的心就很痛苦，一直、一直每天都是這樣，心的折磨、煩惱。」
再第二位母親生我時，時間經過了幾個月，這個孩子又再夭折了。母親的心如針刺、刀割，苦啊！這是第二位母親。
第三位母親我又出生時，經過了十年的時間，我又再夭折了。十年的相處，情何以堪呢！這位母親，,還是看到同年齡的孩子，就想到她的孩子，一直到現在，那分的憂鬱、煩惱還是存在。
第四位母親時，我又出生了，經過二十年後，一場的意外，又是再這樣往生了。二十年後，這位母親和孩子相處二十年，多少的盼望在孩子身上，忽然間一場無常，所以(心)如刀割、針刺這樣，一直到現在，這位母親還是淚漣漣。
第五位，我現在這位母親，就是生我、養我。七歲時，我感覺生命的奧祕，要如何找出生命的源頭，要求母親放我出家修行。母親是萬般不捨，我出家了、我修行了，卻是母親現在還在不捨。
這五世，短短在二、三十年的時間，這樣經過了五位母親這麼辛苦，因緣實在是不可思議！現在再想來，這種累世生死，在這因緣中，是經過了非常多的親緣，彼此之間善惡緣聚，善惡緣散。
這師父就問他說：「你現在知道這五位母親，為你長、短的生命而心痛、而煩惱、而苦、而折磨，你現在怎麼想？」這位童子又是搖搖頭，嘆一口氣，一個苦笑，回答他的師父：「又是能如何？人生就是因為生死在折磨，所以我不能戀著，在這種累劫生死之中。其他沒什麼方法，我瞭解了生死因緣，我就要更再更認真用功，如何才能了脫生死。斷了分段生死，但是這種的變易生死，還要再多用功。」
所以說來「緣生法深(微)妙」，這個因緣是為什麼呢？那位母親生了這個孩子，幾天(後)緣就盡了呢？為什麼那位母親生這個孩子，這個孩子正討人愛時，大家見了，大家歡喜，短暫的因緣這樣又滅掉了呢？
一直、一直到現在，能夠瞭解生命到底是為了什麼，這位母親還是為了他，去修行而不捨。這種緣的法，實在很奧妙，難見解，難思惟。
人就是在生、老、病、死中，每一天，每一天這樣在過，無法體會到生命的深奧，這種「難見解復難思惟」。這唯有一樣，要如何能用父母所生給我們的這個身體，我們要趕緊用心，在這一生，我們就要得到佛法來度我們。我們若沒有得到佛法，永遠就是這樣糊里糊塗，「難見解復難思惟」。想要去見解、啟發這念心，還算好。有的人連見解，從來都未曾想過——我是如何來生，我為何而活？很多人從不曾想過。
所以，我們現在，有此因緣要來探討生命如何來，雖然我們還不知道如何來，最起碼我們還能知道，「一切因緣生」，與這對父母有緣生的，我們現在我們知道了；也知道有緣的父母生我們的身，我們應該將這個身體，如何利用於人間。
知道人生分段生死，知道了，但是要如何斷變易生死？變易生死，是我們心的煩惱的起落，心念不穩定，我們大家不就是這樣嗎？所以，這是一種非常奧妙的道理，所以我們要尋尋覓覓，我們這樣要趕緊找，找我們自心的佛。
所以「尋覓自心中佛」，我們自己的心有佛，我們要如何找？要能找到佛，唯有撥除煩惱，我們明明歷歷自見心中佛。不過，凡夫啊！凡夫，撥除煩惱談何容易啊！所以佛陀為一大事因緣來人間，一直用種種方法引度眾生，能歸納一個共同的方向，那就是行菩薩道。
卻是在《法華經》中，這段經文開始就一直在說，佛若滅度之後，佛法要如何流傳於人間呢？那就是建塔、造寺，或者是雕像。因為佛陀知道，未來眾生要入佛法，必定就是有所求，也就要有形像、有地點等等，引導人好樂功德，引導他捨。至少也能造成「有佛來過人間，有僧傳法於人間」等等，佛法這樣流傳。從「有為法」來引入「無為法」，就是有形相來引入瞭解道理。
前面我們已經說過，「若於曠野中，積土成佛廟；乃至童子戲，聚沙為佛塔，如是諸人等，皆已成佛道。」這是我們昨天有說過。
若於曠野中
積土成佛廟
乃至童子戲
聚沙為佛塔
如是諸人等
皆已成佛道
《法華經 方便品第二》
今天來看經文，「若人為佛故，建立諸形像，刻雕成眾相，皆已成佛道。或以七寶成，鋀石赤白銅。」
若人為佛故
建立諸形像
刻雕成眾相
皆已成佛道
或以七寶成
鋀石赤白銅
《法華經 方便品第二》
這段(經文)看，「若人為佛故，建立諸形像」，意思是說，若有人為佛法能夠遍行人間，有這樣的心，在人間佛法能常住世間，能夠永恆利益眾生，因此，所以來建立種種的形像，來引導人，引導眾生，懂得起敬與信的心。
若人為佛法
能遍行人間
常住於世
永恆利益眾生
因之建立諸種形像
以引領眾生敬信
若看到佛像就知道拜，入寺院能起恭敬心，這是佛陀的用心。所以在經文就這樣說，若是能為佛法，將要流傳於人間，這樣建立了種種的形像，讓人人起信心、恭敬心。
佛像用種種的材料來雕刻，所以「刻雕成眾相，皆已成佛道」。
刻雕成眾相
皆已成佛道：
造像刻雕
塑成各種形相
是以至誠敬仰心
持久不退
即皆能成佛道
佛像要經過人雕，無論是土雕、木雕、銅鑄等等的材料不同。所以「造像刻雕」，塑成各種佛像，用刻的，那就是木材；用塑的，那就是泥土了。常常說，泥土先塑再來造模，再來鑄銅，也有這樣。這用種種的材料、方法，但是，無論是用什麼樣的材料，總是要以至誠的敬心，敬仰的心來雕塑。
現代的人在雕塑，不一定是很有信心，光是要求一個功德，若如此就不需要。所以，我們要時時用虔誠、敬重的心，而且這個心不是一時，要持久不退這個虔誠的心。不是說「我雕好了，我送到寺院裡了，我就有功德」，這樣就退心。不是。必定要用持久那分的敬心，如此才能夠引導人人信佛；當然這也是有功德。
再說，「或以七寶成，鋀石赤白銅。」意思就是說種種的，剛才說木雕的、土塑的等等，或者是「七寶」，就是金屬類的東西，這種金屬類的東西，有白色的、有赤色的，這全都是金屬合成。所以，以最虔誠的心，無論你是用什麼材料，就是只要用最虔誠的心，表達出了你那分的敬意，用最珍貴的七寶來造塑，來雕、來塑。種種，無論是紅色、白色，或者是，等等金屬類，這樣全都能夠成我們的功德，這就是我們要用心會合。
若沒有恭敬心，我們無法體會佛陀的佛法是從哪來。我們現在是在「末法」，「像法」也過去了，我們在「末法」(時代)，五濁惡世中，要如何從有形入無形，從有相入道理，這是很重要。當然，這要用最虔誠的心，就如那位童子，年紀輕輕就懂得，想要如何探討生命的來去。所以說來，因緣法，實在是很深奧，所以人人時時要多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Create Images that Inspire Respect and Faith (造像引生敬信)
Date: September. 12. 2014
In our lives, karmic conditions arise and cease. This is a very subtle and wondrous matter, difficult to contemplate and comprehend. Therefore, I want to share these [teachings on] “conditions”.
“The Dharma of conditions arising is perfect, subtle and wondrous.”
When conditions arise, in them we can see very subtle and wondrous Dharma, which is “difficult to see and understand, and also difficult to contemplate.” “In searching for the Buddha in our minds, we use a skillfully painted image to find the Buddha in our hearts.”
Indeed, [the purpose of] creating images or building templates, stupas and so on is only for us to solidly establish the Buddha-Dharma in the world. This allows other people to learn the Dharma when they see the image, while, at same time, allows us to find it in our own hearts. However, this takes various causes and conditions. For our minds to converge with the Dharma, we need [the right] karmic conditions.
So it is said, “The Dharma of conditions arising is profound, subtle and wondrous.” The way conditions converge is truly a subtle and wondrous thing; underlying this is very profound Dharma. I often tell everyone, we must believe the karmic law of cause and effect. When the Buddha was in the world, even the skillful, provisional teachings He gave were inseparable from causes and conditions. Even at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, when He set aside the provisional to reveal the true, He still talked about the law of karma. This clearly shows that cause and effect is a true principle of the Buddha-Dharma.
Therefore, “The Dharma of conditions arising is profound, subtle and wondrous.” It is so subtle and wondrous, thus it is “difficult to see and understand, and also difficult to contemplate.” Even when our own causes and conditions converge, we still have different karmic connections with different people. Within our social circle, we have karmic connections with our family with the friends around us and with our fellow spiritual practitioners. I think everyone’s [life] is different because of the arising and ceasing of their conditions, which may lead to unbearable suffering. But the convergence of causes and conditions can also help us accomplish our spiritual practice.
So, karmic “conditions” are truly inconceivable. The Buddha constantly taught the Dharma with analogies and causes and conditions. In one teaching, He talked about how, long ago, deep in the mountains, there was a spiritual practitioner who thoroughly understood the Dharma. He had already achieved Arhatship and he engaged in spiritual practice deep in the mountains. In a nearby village, there lived a child. The child was only seven years old, but had questions about the workings of life but had questions about the walkings of life. He hoped his parents would give him the freedom to leave home so he could seek the Dharma. He was able to reason with and convince his mother. She felt very reluctant, but she allowed her child to leave.
The seven-year-old looked everywhere for a good teacher. A few days later, the causes and conditions came together for him; he found this spiritual practitioner. The spiritual practitioner was very advanced in his spiritual cultivation, and felt this child was different from the children he typically encountered. So, he happily accepted him [as a disciple] and took him along to engage in spiritual practice in the deep mountains.
Both teacher and disciple worked very hard.Several years passed, until one day, as this child was sitting in meditation, a smile suddenly appeared on his face.So when he finished meditation, his teacher asked him, “Just now, when you were sitting in meditation, why did a smile appear on your face?What made you smile?”
This child sighed and said, “It was so incredible! While I was sitting in meditation, I seemed to see how five different mothers toiled for my sake and were afflicted, depressed and tormented.”
He said, “I saw that when my first mother gave birth to me, a neighbor woman who was also pregnant gave birth at the same time. So on that same day, two women in this village gave birth, and my mother was one of them. After I was born, the entire family was happy. Unfortunately, our karmic connection was weak and I passed away after a few days. Every time my mother saw the neighbor’s child, every time she saw anyone else’s child, she felt heartbroken. Every single day was the same for her; she felt tormented and afflicted. Then my second mother gave birth to me. After several months passed, I again passed away at a young age. My mother felt a piercing pain in her heart. This was my second mother. After my third mother gave birth to me,I lived for ten years before I died once again. After ten years together, this was hard on her. When this mother saw children my age, she would think of me. Even now, she still feels that sadness and affliction. Then I was born again, to my fourth mother. After 20 years, there was an accident and I died again. After spending 20 years together, she had placed so much hope on me. Suddenly, impermanence struck and she felt as if her heart had been cut by a knife. Even to this very moment, this mother still weeps over [my death]. My fifth and current mother gave birth to me and raised me. When I was seven, I sensed the profound mystery of life, so I wanted to seek the origin of our lives and asked my mother to let me leave home to engage in spiritual practice. My mother was very reluctant. Even now that I have become a monastic, my mother still cannot let me go. In these five lifetimes, over a period of time of between 20 and 30 years, these five mothers went through much suffering. The workings of karma are truly inconceivable. Thinking about these successive lifetimes of birth and death, my causes and conditions took me through very many familial relationships. These connections we had, good and bad, brought us together and pulled us apart.” So, his teacher asked him, “Now that you know these five mothers are, as a result of your time with them, heartbroken, afflicted, pained and tormented, what are you thinking?”
This child shook his head, smiled wryly and answered his teacher by saying, “What can be done?People’s lives are tormented by birth and death, so I cannot be attached to and linger on the numerous lifetimes I have lived over many kalpaks. There is nothing else I can do. Now that I understand the workings of cyclic existence, I have to be more earnest and work hard to transcend birth and death and put an end to fragmentary samsara. But [ending] transformational samsara will take more work.”
Therefore, “The Dharma of conditions arising”. How did these karmic conditions come about? After one mother gave birth, why did her karmic connection with him last only a few days? Why, after another mother gave birth to this child, just when he was so adorable and bringing so much happiness to everyone, why was their karmic connection terminated? And in this lifetime, [though] he could understand the purpose of life, his mother felt so much sadness when he left to engage in spiritual practice. The workings of these karmic conditions are wondrously profound, hard to see, understand and contemplate. We all go through birth, age, illness and death. If we just let each day pass, we cannot realize the profundity of life, it is “difficult to see and understand”, The only thing [we can do] is to find the best way to use this body that our parents gave us. We must quickly become mindful of this. In this lifetime, we must attain the Buddha-Dharma so we can be transformed.
If we do not attain the Buddha-Dharma, we will always live in a state of confusion and find things “difficult to see and understand and also difficult to contemplate”. If we want to understand, if we make this aspiration, that is good thing. Some people never even think of trying to understand things like, “How did I come to this world?” “What am I living for?” Many people never think about these things. So, now we have this opportunity to investigate how our life came to be. Although we still do not know how it came about, at least, we know that all things arise from causes and conditions”, so we are born because of our karmic connection to our parents. Now that we know about this, about our affinities with the parents who gave us this body, how should we use our body to benefit the world? We know [how to end] fragmentary samsara but how can we end transformational samsara? Transformational samsara is the arising and ceasing of our minds’ afflictions, the instability of our thoughts. Doesn’t this happen to all of us?
So, there is a kind of wondrously profound principle behind this. Therefore, we must keep on searching, and promptly look for the Buddha within us. So, we “search for the Buddha in our minds”. There is a Buddha in our minds. How do we find Him? The only way to find the Buddha is to brush aside our afflictions so we can clearly see the Buddha within us. However, we are unenlightened beings. Eliminating afflictions is not easy. The Buddha came to the world for one great cause. He continued to use various means to guide sentient beings so that they would all head in the same direction, which is to walk the Bodhisattva-path.
But in the Lotus Sutra, this passage started by talking about how to spread the Buddha-Dharma in this world after the Buddha has entered Parinirvana. The answer is to built pagodas, temples or to sculpt statues. This is because the Buddha knew that when future sentient beings want to [learn] the Buddha-Dharma, they must be looking for something. So, there needs to be an image or a place that can guide them to take joy in creating merits and guide them to give to others. These thing will at least let people know that “The Buddha was once in this would”. There are Sangha “transmitting the Dharma in the world and so on”. This is how the Buddha-Dharma is spread.
From these “conditioned phenomena”, they can be led to “unconditioned Dharma”. Through appearances, people can be guide to understand the principles. So as we have already said before,
“[There were] those who, in the barren waste, piled up earth into a Buddha-shrine. Or even children who, at play, have piled up sand to make a stupa. People such as these, have all realized the path to Buddhahood”.
That is what we discussed yesterday. Today, we are looking at the next passage. “[There were] those who, for the Buddhas, have created images, carving these myriad of marks. They have all realized the path to Buddhahood. Perhaps they used the seven jewels, or bronze, or copper, red an white”.
This section of the sutra states, “[There were] those who, for the Buddhas, have created images”. This is telling us that there were people who had the aspiration to help the Buddha-Dharma spread throughout the world, so it could always abide in his world and forever benefit sentient beings. Therefore, they established all kinds of images to guide sentient beings and inspire them to have reverence and faith.
There were those who wanted the Buddha-Dharma to spread throughout the world, to always abide in this world and forever benefit sentient beings. Therefore they established all kinds of images to inspire respect and faith in sentient beings.
When we see Buddha statues, we know to bow and we feel respect upon entering temples. This shows the Buddha’s thoughtfulness. So, in the status, it is said that those who wanted the Buddha-Dharma to spread throughout the world established all kinds of images to inspire faith and respect in everyone. A Buddha statue can be carved out of various materials.
So, “carving all kinds of statues, they have all realized the path to Buddhahood.”
Carving all kinds of statues, they have all realized the path to Buddhahood: If those who carve statues and sculpt all kinds of images do so with utmost sincerity and respect and can maintain that mindset forever, they can sll realize the path to Buddhahood.
A Buddha status must be carved by people, whether out of clay, wood, bronze or other kinds of different materials. So, people “carving statues” and sculpt all kinds of Buddha-images. Carving is done with wood and sculpting is done with clay. I often talk about how we sculpt with clay, then make a moldout of it to cast it in bronze.This takes various materials and methods. But regardless of the material we use, we always have to feel utmost respect and reverence as we sculpt.
Nowadays, people who sculpt [Buddha statues] may not necessarily have a lot of faith. They only do it because they want merits. If this is the case, this is not needed.So, we must always a sense of reverence and respect. This cannot just be a temporary mindset. We must sustain this reverence without regressing. Our attitude cannot be, “I have sculpted sculpted and delivered the statue to the temple,so I have created merits and then lose that mindset, not at all. We must sustain that reverence. Only then can we lead everyone to have faith in the Buddha. Of course, this also brings merits.
“Perhaps they used the seven jewels, or bronze, or copper, red and white.” This means that aside from carving wood or sculpting with clay, people may use the seven jewels, or metallic materials. These metals can be white or red; all are formed by different kinds of metals.
As long as [we work with] utmost reverence, it does not matter what kind of materials we use. As long as we have that reverence and express our sense of respect, we can also use the most precious seven jewels. We can make, carve or sculpt out of various materials, whether they are red,or any other kinds of metal.These can all help us achieve our merits,as long as we can mindfully bring things together.
Without respect, we cannot understand where the Buddha-Dharma comes from. Now, we are in [the era of] Dharma-decay. The era of Dharma-semblance has already passed, so we are in the era of Dharma-decay. In the evil world of Five Turbidities, how we go from the tangible into the intangible. And how we go from appearances into principles is very important.
Of course, this takes utmost reverence. We must be like that child, who, at such a young age, was already studying we come to and leave this life.In conclusion, the Dharma of arising conditions is truly very profound. So, everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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