20150109《靜思妙蓮華》迷途知返歸正道(第476集)
（法華經•譬喻品第三）
⊙「見解毫芒之偏，失錯千里之遙，迷途知返尋思，覺者領導歸途。」
⊙「今聞佛音聲，隨宜而說法，無漏難思議，令眾至道場。」《法華經 譬喻品第三》
⊙「我本著邪見，為諸梵志師，世尊知我心，拔邪說涅槃。」《法華經 譬喻品第三》
⊙舍利弗本從梵志婆羅門「沙然」學法，時沙然師死後。舍利弗領眾，故稱為諸梵志師。
⊙舍利弗自謂：我本著邪見，為諸梵志師，顛倒妄見，不信因果，斷諸善根，謂邪心取理。
⊙世尊知我心，拔邪說涅槃：舍利弗表達世尊對原從婆羅門出家修行者心思之瞭解，故以漸教拔邪說涅槃。
⊙之前聞佛說以涅槃，即便由空諦執取，以為得證。
⊙今世尊，為闡明大乘實道，為我拔除執著小乘偏空之法，解我偏執。
【證嚴上人開示】
「見解毫芒之偏，失錯千里之遙，迷途知返尋思，覺者領導歸途。」
見解毫芒之偏
失錯千里之遙
迷途知返尋思
覺者領導歸途
也就是要和大家分享，見解偏差在毫芒，那就會失於千里之遙遠。我們的觀念，就是一絲絲的偏差，那就是失錯的方向就很大了，所以我們修行要用心啊！
見解，是我們人生一大事。生活如何過？有的人過得雖然是平凡，卻是每一天都能夠「心無罣礙，無罣礙故」就，無有恐怖」，安然自在，這種平凡人生，人家他這樣也是在過日子。有的人轟轟烈烈，想要做很大、很大的事情，卻是每一天所過的生活，卻是不得安心，患得患失，煩惱很多。儘管他擁有很多東西，還是感覺不夠，擔心失去。這就是我們人生的苦！
不論是世間名利、地位有多麼大，只是這個心念看不到、摸不到，就是只是一個心念這麼渺小，會造成了對個人、對家庭、對社會、對天下等等，就是因為那個心念偏差很大。看看天底下，現在多少人流離失所，造成了是逃難的難民。這就是一個國家有少數人，那種偏差的念頭，所以造成了人禍，整個國家使得人人的家庭，家破人亡！甚至就是傷害無辜，也得要變成了逃啊！
所以，我們佛法「五濁」之中，其中是「見濁」。「見濁」造成了人心不安，造成了社會不祥和，造成了國家混亂，造成了大乾坤四大不調，造成了大地…等等，這都是在人類見解。「見解」有多大呢？看不見，摸不著。卻是若要說它的大小，那就是用世間，最最微小的毫芒來譬喻，所以叫做「見解毫芒之偏」。見解，無輕、無重、無形，卻是它一點點的偏差，其實失去很多。
千里，「失錯千里之遙」。一點點的失念，若這樣，方向一點點的偏，看他偏，到底是哪一個方向？明明就是這樣一點點的偏，它就一直去了。所以我們在六道輪迴，地獄、餓鬼、畜生，這是三惡道，苦不堪，在人道，就是人道污染，受到財、色、名、食、睡，這五種糊塗法，這一動下去，歸途就難了。這就是，迷失於欲念。
所以，一念動，就是一念欲心一動，生起了三細煩惱，「三細」就是很微細的煩惱，貪、瞋、癡。貪，一有了貪念，這個性子，脾氣就很壞。看看這麼多的人，每一個人的脾氣都不同，這就是千差萬別，各形各色的人，就是不同於脾氣，所以多數都是那種看不順眼，開始就人與人之間，發生了很多的問題，這種就容易造業，就癡了。
癡，就是不明白道理，這個不明白道理，到底方向在哪裡呢？時時，每生每世都差一點、差一點，愈差愈遠。在人道就容易(入)修羅道，一(入)修羅道，就是時時，愛與人吵架、計較、對立，這種的修羅道，就造成了三惡道。所以，做人只是在那一念而已。若是能時時心安住，願意付出，幫助人，不要刁難人，與人結好緣、種好因，自然那就是受天報，就是在天堂。
想想看，六道，光在天堂，就是人生能生到天堂，那就像我們人間說的，「財、子、壽」，有錢，有孩子很乖，壽命又很長，每天在生活過日子，無憂無愁。還有的人雖然是貧窮，卻所過的日子，也是無憂無愁、安貧樂道，安住在他貧，他快樂是在正道中，所以他會心安無憂無愁。他的生活無掛礙，這也是人間的天道喔！
六道就是鋪在我們的人間中，讓我們去選擇。你是要選擇天道，每天放寬心來，對人幫助， 每天歡喜，這樣我們這天所過就是天道。這一天你看到人，心很煩躁，這一天你就是在修羅道，與人結不好的緣，與人吵架、對立等等，今天你就是修羅道。
或者是心煩惱很重，或者是身體，或者是人間無常等等，地獄、餓鬼、畜生，這不就是在三惡道中嗎？常常在說餓鬼道，在現在的人間多少人飢餓，生活，活活這樣餓死的，有多少呢？
我們若知道這些道理，自然我們要警惕一切因緣果報，不要去造了惡因、惡果。我們這輩子瞭解道理，知道過去生中迷了，在六道中不能自己，現在我們知道了，迷途知返。趕快想，想要如何走哪一條路。
這在最近一直在提起了舍利弗，雖然他在修行，是僧團中的智慧者，卻是在佛法中，他也有迷思的時刻。佛陀開始在說，過去是「權」，就是方便法，現在才開始要指導我們，走上真實道。所以舍利弗不斷、不斷體會到，佛陀的心，無非是要指引我們，回歸如來本性，這條路要如何走？
所以舍利弗就像這樣迷途知返，一直在找，所以「日夜思惟」，前面的文不就是這樣說嗎？但是「覺者領導歸途」，唯有釋迦牟尼佛，聽釋迦牟尼佛的指導就對了。佛陀是大覺者，佛陀來領導，讓我們好好、安安全全，從不同的、偏差的道路這樣，一一接引回來，是一個最好的導師，依靠著這位領導向前前進，那就是最安全，道理就無偏差了。
經文，我們昨天這樣說：「今聞佛音聲，隨宜而說法，無漏難思議，令眾至道場。」
今聞佛音聲
隨宜而說法
無漏難思議
令眾至道場
《法華經 譬喻品第三》
這是舍利弗這樣說，現在那個心，大家應該定下來的時候了，因為我們現在，所聽到佛陀的聲音，依照著佛陀的聲音，佛陀指導的方向，這個法來走。我們方法瞭解了，修行我們能夠得到「無漏難思議」，讓我們得到，清淨了我們的心。希望人人，將過去的煩惱一概放下，不只是放下、除去，能夠完全清淨，人人回歸本性，所以「令眾至道場」，大家回歸我們的清淨本性來。
接下來，舍利弗還要再敘述他本人，他過去所修的行，舍利弗他這樣說：「我本著邪見，為諸梵志師，世尊知我心，拔邪說涅槃。」
我本著邪見
為諸梵志師
世尊知我心
拔邪說涅槃
《法華經 譬喻品第三》
我們知道舍利弗，還未入僧團之前，他就是在婆羅門，跟隨一位沙然修行，這位沙然婆羅門，他是在婆羅門出家的，一位很有名的老師。他有一天，生病很嚴重的時候，向著舍利弗說最後的法。因為那時候的沙然，他在一個國家，傳聞回來他的訊息，就是說一個國王往生了，灴來這個國王與王后，就,是感情很好，甜甜蜜蜜，那種寸步不離，一直到了國王病重了、往生了，王后無法接受，國王開始火化時，王后也投入火坑去。這個訊息輾轉傳到沙然，那就是梵志，他聽了之後感覺到：為什麼人會對這個情、愛，好像大索這樣綑綁住，打不開呢？感情是什麼？為了一個感情，在人間紛紛擾擾，很多事情就是因為色欲，傾國傾家，這種的混沌、顛倒，這種的人生，到底是什麼呢？
雖然他是全國很有名的老師，但是對這個心對著這個情，他很迷惑，到了他最後將要往生之前，向著舍利弗說：「雖然我每項都認為道理，我沒有不知道的事情，卻是小小人間的感情，我就是這麼迷茫，我為了這個感情，人間的感情，我百思不解。舍利弗，未來你要去找的師父，應該就要將這個人生，一切心靈的道理解得開，這才是你真正所要依靠的師父。」說完後就往生了。舍利弗從此開始，這些話一直放在心裡。沙然梵志他也有一群的弟子，誰來領導？就委託給舍利弗。
舍利弗
本從梵志婆羅門
沙然學法
時沙然師死後
舍利弗領眾
故稱為諸梵志師
舍利弗開始領導著同修者，後來能夠遇到馬勝比丘接引，來見佛陀，出家之後，他隨著佛陀所說的法，他一直很接受。
不過，佛陀是隨機說法，舍利弗還有未了的習氣。所以佛陀還是以一般、權，妙權的道理，向僧團平等說法。所以舍利弗現在說，「謂邪心取理」。過去所著的邪見，邪就是方向不正確，那個不正確的方向，來接受到這個道理，所以叫做「邪心取理」。過去的習氣還未去除，只想要如何能夠體會，這個感情的道理，要如何讓心清淨下來，能夠知道如何斷情。
所以他就是不愛與人攀緣，所以他就會執著於小乘法。現在舍利弗好像在懺悔，一直提起他自己本身的過程，所以說「我本著邪見，為諸梵志師」。這種「顛倒妄見，不信因果，斷諸善根」，這都叫做邪見。
舍利弗自謂：
我本著邪見
為諸梵志師
顛倒妄見
不信因果
斷諸善根
謂邪心取理
現在知道了、全都瞭解了，佛陀要我們做的，就是行菩薩道，對這群的修行者，獨善其身的人，完全直接來指示，所以他就說：「世尊知我心」。
世尊知我心
拔邪說涅槃：
舍利弗表達世尊
對原從婆羅門
出家修行者
心思之瞭解
故以
漸教拔邪說涅槃
「知」，知道我們大家的心，對這些婆羅門出家這些人，過去就是執著在，執著在這種邪思、邪見，佛陀瞭解，所以他才用「漸教」。「漸教」就是權，漸漸地來，一步一步來，沒有直指人心，見性成佛，沒有用這個方法，他就是一步一步這樣來。舍利弗現在理解了，所以「拔邪說涅槃」，這是舍利弗現在了解佛的心，佛教化的方法。
之前聞佛說以涅槃，他認為這已經心若清淨，就沒有生死，就能夠不必在六道輪迴。他開始執著，就是執著在偏空。
之前聞佛
說以涅槃
即便由空諦執取
以為得證
這種「由空諦執取以為得證」，以為我這樣全都證得，這是固守自己，就是不管他人，這種獨善其身。
現在，現在世尊，「今世尊為闡明大乘實道」。現在佛陀已經開始，將那個大乘法不斷弘揚出去，希望人人身體力行，在菩薩道中，顧好這念心，不受外面環境、芸芸眾生，是非種種來污染我們的心。佛陀「闡明大乘實道」是「為我拔除執著小乘偏空之法」，解除了我偏空的執著。這就是舍利弗的心得。
今世尊
為闡明大乘實道
為我拔除執著
小乘偏空之法
解我偏執
各位，學佛那念心，我們若是見解，就是在毫芒中的偏差，人人本具佛性，為什麼我們在六道輪迴，這樣迷失得那麼離譜呢？「失錯千里之遙」。我們本來就是人人本具佛性，怎麼會變成了凡夫，六道，這樣不得出離呢？這時候我們應該，也是迷途知返的時候了，要好好找路。
幸好，釋迦牟尼佛出現人間，就是我們人間三界大導師、是四生慈父，用他的慈悲心來接引。所以我們應該要把握，時時法要入心，行在法中，自然就不受人群愛恨情仇，這樣牽扯著，綁得那麼辛苦。所以我們人人要時時多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Eliminating All Attachments, Returning to the Path (迷途知返歸正道)
Date: January.05. 2015
“The tiniest deviation in perspective can take us thousands of miles off course. Once we know we are lost, we will try to find our way back. The Enlightened One will guide our return.”
This is sharing with everyone that the tiniest deviation in understanding may take us thousands of miles off course. The slightest deviation in our perspective will take us very far in the wrong direction. So, we must be mindful in our spiritual practice. Our perspective on things matters greatly in our lives. How do we live our lives? For some people, though they live ordinary lives, every day they are in a state where their “mind is without hindrance, therefore there are no hindrances.” Thus “there is no fear”. They are peaceful and at ease. They live ordinary lives; this is how they pass all their days. Some people want to make a big impact and want to do very influential and important things, but every day of their lives they have no way to find peace of mind. They worry about gains and losses and have many afflictions. Though they have many possessions, they feel it is still not enough, or they fear losing what they have. This is the suffering in life. Regardless of how much fame, wealth or status someone has everything comes back to their thoughts. Thoughts cannot be seen or touched, but something as small as one single thought can create [problems] for people, for families, for society, for the world and so on.
Even one thought can lead to a great deviation. Look at the world and see how many people have been forced from their homes to become refugees. When a few people from some of these countries had these deviated thoughts; it resulted in manmade calamities, leaving every single family in the whole country touched by death. Furthermore, innocent people are harmed and have to flee for their lives. The Buddha-Dharma mentions the Five Turbidities, one of which is the “turbidity of view”. It creates a sense of unease in people’s hearts, creates a lack of harmony in society, creates chaos in countries and creates an imbalance of the four elements in the universe, causing [damage] to the planet, and so on. This is all due to humans’ perspective.
How big is this “perspective”? It cannot be seen or touched, but if we want to speak of its size, we would compare it to the most miniscule thing in this world. So, we speak of “the tiniest deviation in perspective.” A perspective has no weight or shape, but if it deviates in the slightest, it can actually lead us far astray. It “can take us thousands of miles off course.” The tiniest deviation in thought can cause our direction to begin to go astray. Where will that course ultimately take us?
Clearly, after making this slight deviation, we will keep going in that direction. So, we are in cyclic existence in the Six Realms. The hell, hungry ghost and animal realms are the Three Evil Realms and full of unbearable suffering. In the human realm, we can be defiled by [desire for] wealth, sex, fame, food and sleep.
These are five things that cause confusion. Once that [desire] stirs, it will be hard to turn back. Thus we are deluded by desire.
So, when a thought of desire stirs, it gives rise to three subtle kinds of afflictions. The three Subtle are very tiny afflictions, greed, anger and ignorance. Once greed arises in a person, his disposition and temper become very bad.
Look, there are so many people, and every person’s temperament is different. They are extremely diverse; people of all different shapes and sizes all have very different temperaments. Many people are quick to find others displeasing, which creates many interpersonal problems and makes it easy to create karma and ignorance.
Ignorance is not understanding the principles. If we do not understand the principles, where will our course take us? In each lifetime, we will deviate a little more and stray a little farther. From the human realm, we can easily enter the asura realm. Then in the asura realm, we always want to argue, quibble and create conflict. So, being in the asura realm may lead us to the Three Evil Realms.
This started with a single thought as a human. If our minds can always be at peace, if we willingly give to and help others, do not cause problems for them and form good afflictions and plant good causes, then we will receive heavenly retributions and be reborn in the heaven realm. Consider the Six Realms Humans can be born into heaven, which is similar to what speak of in this world as “wealth, offspring and longevity.” With money, well-behaved children and a ling life, every day is free of anxieties and worries. There are others who, although poor, also live each day without anxieties and worries, at peace with poverty, taking joy in the Path. They are at peace with their poverty and happy to be on the Right Path. With a heart at peace and a life free of hindrances, they are in heaven on earth.
The paths to Six Realms are paved right here. It is up to us to choose. If we choose the heaven realm, we must broaden our hearts every day and help other people; then we will be happy and be living in the heaven realm each and every day. Of one day we feel irritable when we see others, then we are in the asura realm on that day.
If we form negative afflictions with other people, argue with them or set ourselves against them, we are in the asura realm.Perhaps our afflictions are very severe, or we have physical problems, or impermanence has struck and so on. Then aren’t we in one of the Three Evil Realms, either the hell, hungry ghost or animal realm? We continually talk about the hungry ghost realm. In the world right now, so many people are hungry. How many people literally starve to death? If we understand the principles, we will be naturally be vigilant of all causes, conditions and karmic retributions. We must not create negative causes and effects. In this lifetime, when we understand the principles, we will know we were deluded in our past lifetimes, unable to control where we went in the Six Realms.
Now that we understand, we must turn bach from the path of delusion. Let us think about which road we want to take. This is why I have been discussing Sariputra. Though he was engaging in spiritual practice and was wisest among the Sangha, at times he was still confused by the Dharma. “The Buddha has now explained that past teachings were provisional; they were skillful means. Only now has He begun to guide us onto the true path.” So, Sariputra slowly grew to realize that the Buddha’s intent was solely to show us how to walk the road back to our intrinsic Tathagata-nature. Sariputra knew he had to turn back from delusion; he was searching for the way. So, “day and night, he kept thinking about this.
Wasn’t this part of the previous passage? But, “the Enlightened One will guide our return.” Only Sakyamuni Buddha can do this.
We must simply follow His guidance. The Buddha is the Great Enlightened One. The Buddha came to guide us so we can live a safe and peaceful life. From different deviant paths, He drew us back, one by one. He is the best guiding teacher.
If we rely on this teacher to help move us forward, that will be the safest course, and we will not stra from the principles. The Sutra text from yesterday states,
“But now as I listen to the voice of the Buddha, teaching according to circumstances, the Dharma is flawless and inconceivable, leading all to engage in spiritual practice.”
Sariputra was saying that, at this point in time, everyone’s minds should be focused. Because they had now heard the Buddha’s voice, they could follow what He said and the direction He had indicated to practice the Dharma. By understanding this method, we can practice “the Dharma [that] is flawless and inconceivable”. When we attain this, we can purify our minds. He hoped everyone could let go of all their previous afflictions, not just let them go and eradicate them, but be completely pure and return to their pure intrinsic nature. So, the Buddha was “leading all to engage in spiritual practice ”, so we can all return to our pure intrinsic nature.
Next, Sariputra again described himself and the spiritual practices he cultivated in the past. Sariputra said,
“Formerly, I was attached to improper views and was a teacher to Brahmins. The World-Honored One knew my mind, rooted out my errors and taught me Nirvana”.
We know that before Sariputra joined the Sangha, he was a Brahmin and followed Brahmacarin Saran in spiritual practice. This Brahmacarin Saran was a very famous teacher among the Brahmins. One day, when he was very ill, he shared his final teachings with Sariputra. At that time, Saran had heard news form another country about a king who had passed away. The king and his queen were very close, so loving that they were inseparable. When the king became ill and passed away, the queen could not accept [the situation]. As the king was being cremated, the queen threw herself into the fire. When this news reached Saran, the Brahmacarin, he thought to himself, “Why, when it comes to affection and love, do people seem to be entangled by a giant rope, unable to break free?” What is affection? For the sake of affection, people are constantly troubled; many problems arise out of sexual desire. It can ruin families and kingdoms. What is the reason for this deluded and distorted way of living?
Though he was a widely renowned teacher, he was very confused by emotional entanglements. In the final moments before he passed away, he said to Sariputra, “Though I think I know the principles underlying everything, something as simple as people’s affections is very confusing to me. I have contemplated this issue many times and still cannot comprehend it.
Sariputra, the teacher you are to seek should be able to explain the workings of life and of the mind. That is the teacher you must rely on.” After he finished talking, he passed away. From that moment, Sariputra kept these words in his mind. Brahmacarin Saran also had a group of disciples. Who was to lead them? He entrusted them to Sariputra.
“Sariputra was originally a Brahmin who learned Brahmanism. He learned he Dharma from Saran. Upon the death of his teacher Saran, he led Saran’s students. Therefore he was a teacher to the Brahmins.”
Sariputra began leading his fellow practitioners. Later, he encountered Bhiksu Asvajit, who led him to see the Buddha. After becoming a monastic, he followed and accepted the Buddha’s teachings. But the Buddha taught according to capacities and Sariputra still had remnants of habitual tendencies. So, the Buddha still used ordinary, wondrous provisional teachings to impartially teach the Dharma to the Sangha.
Now Sariputra said, “I sought principles with an erroneous mindset”. In the past, he held deviant views, which means his thinking was incorrect. He accepted these principles with that incorrect state of mind, so he called it “an erroneous mindset”. He had not yet eliminated past habitual tendencies. He had only wanted to be able to understand the workings of affection, to learn how to purify his mind and how to eliminate those emotional entanglements. He was afraid of contriving affinities, so he was attached to the Small Vehicle. Now it seemed Sariputra was repenting by constantly mentioning his own spiritual experience.
So, “Formerly, I was attached to improper views and was a teacher to the Brahmins. I held confused and false views and did not believe in cause effect, thus I eliminated roots of goodness.”
These are deviant views. Now Sariputra completely understood that what the Buddha wanted them to do was walk the Bodhisattva-path. To this group of spiritual practioners who had sought only to awaken themselves, He now gave complete and direct instructions. So, he said, “The World-Honored One Knew my mind”.
“The World-Honored One knew my mind, rooted out my errors and taught me Nirvana: Sariputra shared how the World-Honored One understood the thinking of monastic practitioners who started out by practicing Brahmanism and therefore, with gradual teachings, He rooted out their errors and taught them Nirvana.”
“Knew” means the Buddha understood their minds. He knew the thinking of these Brahmin practitioners who had become monastics. In the past they were attached to these deviant thoughts and views. The Buddha understood this, so, He used “gradual teachings.” “Gradual teachings” are provisional means He taught them slowly, step by step. He did not directly show them their minds and their potential for attaining Buddhahood. He did not us this method. He just taught them step by step.
Sariputra now understood this, thus he said, “[He] rooted out my errors and taught me Nirvana.” Sariputra now understood the Buddha’s mind, the Buddha’s method of teachings.
Previously, when he heard the Buddha speak of Nirvana, he thought if his mind was already pure, he would be free of samsara and cyclic existence in the Six Realms. Because of this, he became attached to and biased toward emptiness. He “grasped the truth of emptiness and thought he had attained realizations.” He mistakenly thought he had realized everything. So, he only looked after himself and did not care about others. He only sought self-awakening.
Now the World-Honored One “clearly explained the Great Vehicle Path.” Now the Buddha had already begun to advocate and advance the Great Vehicle Dharma in the hope that everyone would practice it. On the Bodhisattva-path, we must take good care of our mind and not it be polluted by conflicts with sentient beings in the external environment.
The Buddha “explained the Great Vehicle Path” to help us “eliminate attachments to the Small Vehicle Teachings and biases towards emptiness.” It dissolves our attachment to that bias.
This is what Sariputra learned. Everyone, as we aspire to learn the Buddha’s Way, we may have the slightest deviations in our understanding. We intrinsically have Buddha-nature, so why are we so terribly lost in the cyclic existence in the Six Realms and thousands of miles off course? We intrinsically have Buddha-nature. How did we become ordinary people who are unable to transcend the Six Realm? At this time, we should recognize we are lost and work on finding our way back. Fortunately, Sakyamuni Buddha manifested in the world. As the guiding teacher of the Three Realms and kind father of the Four Kinds of Beings, he used His compassion to draw us in.
So, we should seize the moment, always take the Dharma to heart and manifest it in our actions, then naturally we will not be entangled by conflicted emotions and trapped in mmisery. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
（法華經•譬喻品第三）
⊙「見解毫芒之偏，失錯千里之遙，迷途知返尋思，覺者領導歸途。」
⊙「今聞佛音聲，隨宜而說法，無漏難思議，令眾至道場。」《法華經 譬喻品第三》
⊙「我本著邪見，為諸梵志師，世尊知我心，拔邪說涅槃。」《法華經 譬喻品第三》
⊙舍利弗本從梵志婆羅門「沙然」學法，時沙然師死後。舍利弗領眾，故稱為諸梵志師。
⊙舍利弗自謂：我本著邪見，為諸梵志師，顛倒妄見，不信因果，斷諸善根，謂邪心取理。
⊙世尊知我心，拔邪說涅槃：舍利弗表達世尊對原從婆羅門出家修行者心思之瞭解，故以漸教拔邪說涅槃。
⊙之前聞佛說以涅槃，即便由空諦執取，以為得證。
⊙今世尊，為闡明大乘實道，為我拔除執著小乘偏空之法，解我偏執。
【證嚴上人開示】
「見解毫芒之偏，失錯千里之遙，迷途知返尋思，覺者領導歸途。」
見解毫芒之偏
失錯千里之遙
迷途知返尋思
覺者領導歸途
也就是要和大家分享，見解偏差在毫芒，那就會失於千里之遙遠。我們的觀念，就是一絲絲的偏差，那就是失錯的方向就很大了，所以我們修行要用心啊！
見解，是我們人生一大事。生活如何過？有的人過得雖然是平凡，卻是每一天都能夠「心無罣礙，無罣礙故」就，無有恐怖」，安然自在，這種平凡人生，人家他這樣也是在過日子。有的人轟轟烈烈，想要做很大、很大的事情，卻是每一天所過的生活，卻是不得安心，患得患失，煩惱很多。儘管他擁有很多東西，還是感覺不夠，擔心失去。這就是我們人生的苦！
不論是世間名利、地位有多麼大，只是這個心念看不到、摸不到，就是只是一個心念這麼渺小，會造成了對個人、對家庭、對社會、對天下等等，就是因為那個心念偏差很大。看看天底下，現在多少人流離失所，造成了是逃難的難民。這就是一個國家有少數人，那種偏差的念頭，所以造成了人禍，整個國家使得人人的家庭，家破人亡！甚至就是傷害無辜，也得要變成了逃啊！
所以，我們佛法「五濁」之中，其中是「見濁」。「見濁」造成了人心不安，造成了社會不祥和，造成了國家混亂，造成了大乾坤四大不調，造成了大地…等等，這都是在人類見解。「見解」有多大呢？看不見，摸不著。卻是若要說它的大小，那就是用世間，最最微小的毫芒來譬喻，所以叫做「見解毫芒之偏」。見解，無輕、無重、無形，卻是它一點點的偏差，其實失去很多。
千里，「失錯千里之遙」。一點點的失念，若這樣，方向一點點的偏，看他偏，到底是哪一個方向？明明就是這樣一點點的偏，它就一直去了。所以我們在六道輪迴，地獄、餓鬼、畜生，這是三惡道，苦不堪，在人道，就是人道污染，受到財、色、名、食、睡，這五種糊塗法，這一動下去，歸途就難了。這就是，迷失於欲念。
所以，一念動，就是一念欲心一動，生起了三細煩惱，「三細」就是很微細的煩惱，貪、瞋、癡。貪，一有了貪念，這個性子，脾氣就很壞。看看這麼多的人，每一個人的脾氣都不同，這就是千差萬別，各形各色的人，就是不同於脾氣，所以多數都是那種看不順眼，開始就人與人之間，發生了很多的問題，這種就容易造業，就癡了。
癡，就是不明白道理，這個不明白道理，到底方向在哪裡呢？時時，每生每世都差一點、差一點，愈差愈遠。在人道就容易(入)修羅道，一(入)修羅道，就是時時，愛與人吵架、計較、對立，這種的修羅道，就造成了三惡道。所以，做人只是在那一念而已。若是能時時心安住，願意付出，幫助人，不要刁難人，與人結好緣、種好因，自然那就是受天報，就是在天堂。
想想看，六道，光在天堂，就是人生能生到天堂，那就像我們人間說的，「財、子、壽」，有錢，有孩子很乖，壽命又很長，每天在生活過日子，無憂無愁。還有的人雖然是貧窮，卻所過的日子，也是無憂無愁、安貧樂道，安住在他貧，他快樂是在正道中，所以他會心安無憂無愁。他的生活無掛礙，這也是人間的天道喔！
六道就是鋪在我們的人間中，讓我們去選擇。你是要選擇天道，每天放寬心來，對人幫助， 每天歡喜，這樣我們這天所過就是天道。這一天你看到人，心很煩躁，這一天你就是在修羅道，與人結不好的緣，與人吵架、對立等等，今天你就是修羅道。
或者是心煩惱很重，或者是身體，或者是人間無常等等，地獄、餓鬼、畜生，這不就是在三惡道中嗎？常常在說餓鬼道，在現在的人間多少人飢餓，生活，活活這樣餓死的，有多少呢？
我們若知道這些道理，自然我們要警惕一切因緣果報，不要去造了惡因、惡果。我們這輩子瞭解道理，知道過去生中迷了，在六道中不能自己，現在我們知道了，迷途知返。趕快想，想要如何走哪一條路。
這在最近一直在提起了舍利弗，雖然他在修行，是僧團中的智慧者，卻是在佛法中，他也有迷思的時刻。佛陀開始在說，過去是「權」，就是方便法，現在才開始要指導我們，走上真實道。所以舍利弗不斷、不斷體會到，佛陀的心，無非是要指引我們，回歸如來本性，這條路要如何走？
所以舍利弗就像這樣迷途知返，一直在找，所以「日夜思惟」，前面的文不就是這樣說嗎？但是「覺者領導歸途」，唯有釋迦牟尼佛，聽釋迦牟尼佛的指導就對了。佛陀是大覺者，佛陀來領導，讓我們好好、安安全全，從不同的、偏差的道路這樣，一一接引回來，是一個最好的導師，依靠著這位領導向前前進，那就是最安全，道理就無偏差了。
經文，我們昨天這樣說：「今聞佛音聲，隨宜而說法，無漏難思議，令眾至道場。」
今聞佛音聲
隨宜而說法
無漏難思議
令眾至道場
《法華經 譬喻品第三》
這是舍利弗這樣說，現在那個心，大家應該定下來的時候了，因為我們現在，所聽到佛陀的聲音，依照著佛陀的聲音，佛陀指導的方向，這個法來走。我們方法瞭解了，修行我們能夠得到「無漏難思議」，讓我們得到，清淨了我們的心。希望人人，將過去的煩惱一概放下，不只是放下、除去，能夠完全清淨，人人回歸本性，所以「令眾至道場」，大家回歸我們的清淨本性來。
接下來，舍利弗還要再敘述他本人，他過去所修的行，舍利弗他這樣說：「我本著邪見，為諸梵志師，世尊知我心，拔邪說涅槃。」
我本著邪見
為諸梵志師
世尊知我心
拔邪說涅槃
《法華經 譬喻品第三》
我們知道舍利弗，還未入僧團之前，他就是在婆羅門，跟隨一位沙然修行，這位沙然婆羅門，他是在婆羅門出家的，一位很有名的老師。他有一天，生病很嚴重的時候，向著舍利弗說最後的法。因為那時候的沙然，他在一個國家，傳聞回來他的訊息，就是說一個國王往生了，灴來這個國王與王后，就,是感情很好，甜甜蜜蜜，那種寸步不離，一直到了國王病重了、往生了，王后無法接受，國王開始火化時，王后也投入火坑去。這個訊息輾轉傳到沙然，那就是梵志，他聽了之後感覺到：為什麼人會對這個情、愛，好像大索這樣綑綁住，打不開呢？感情是什麼？為了一個感情，在人間紛紛擾擾，很多事情就是因為色欲，傾國傾家，這種的混沌、顛倒，這種的人生，到底是什麼呢？
雖然他是全國很有名的老師，但是對這個心對著這個情，他很迷惑，到了他最後將要往生之前，向著舍利弗說：「雖然我每項都認為道理，我沒有不知道的事情，卻是小小人間的感情，我就是這麼迷茫，我為了這個感情，人間的感情，我百思不解。舍利弗，未來你要去找的師父，應該就要將這個人生，一切心靈的道理解得開，這才是你真正所要依靠的師父。」說完後就往生了。舍利弗從此開始，這些話一直放在心裡。沙然梵志他也有一群的弟子，誰來領導？就委託給舍利弗。
舍利弗
本從梵志婆羅門
沙然學法
時沙然師死後
舍利弗領眾
故稱為諸梵志師
舍利弗開始領導著同修者，後來能夠遇到馬勝比丘接引，來見佛陀，出家之後，他隨著佛陀所說的法，他一直很接受。
不過，佛陀是隨機說法，舍利弗還有未了的習氣。所以佛陀還是以一般、權，妙權的道理，向僧團平等說法。所以舍利弗現在說，「謂邪心取理」。過去所著的邪見，邪就是方向不正確，那個不正確的方向，來接受到這個道理，所以叫做「邪心取理」。過去的習氣還未去除，只想要如何能夠體會，這個感情的道理，要如何讓心清淨下來，能夠知道如何斷情。
所以他就是不愛與人攀緣，所以他就會執著於小乘法。現在舍利弗好像在懺悔，一直提起他自己本身的過程，所以說「我本著邪見，為諸梵志師」。這種「顛倒妄見，不信因果，斷諸善根」，這都叫做邪見。
舍利弗自謂：
我本著邪見
為諸梵志師
顛倒妄見
不信因果
斷諸善根
謂邪心取理
現在知道了、全都瞭解了，佛陀要我們做的，就是行菩薩道，對這群的修行者，獨善其身的人，完全直接來指示，所以他就說：「世尊知我心」。
世尊知我心
拔邪說涅槃：
舍利弗表達世尊
對原從婆羅門
出家修行者
心思之瞭解
故以
漸教拔邪說涅槃
「知」，知道我們大家的心，對這些婆羅門出家這些人，過去就是執著在，執著在這種邪思、邪見，佛陀瞭解，所以他才用「漸教」。「漸教」就是權，漸漸地來，一步一步來，沒有直指人心，見性成佛，沒有用這個方法，他就是一步一步這樣來。舍利弗現在理解了，所以「拔邪說涅槃」，這是舍利弗現在了解佛的心，佛教化的方法。
之前聞佛說以涅槃，他認為這已經心若清淨，就沒有生死，就能夠不必在六道輪迴。他開始執著，就是執著在偏空。
之前聞佛
說以涅槃
即便由空諦執取
以為得證
這種「由空諦執取以為得證」，以為我這樣全都證得，這是固守自己，就是不管他人，這種獨善其身。
現在，現在世尊，「今世尊為闡明大乘實道」。現在佛陀已經開始，將那個大乘法不斷弘揚出去，希望人人身體力行，在菩薩道中，顧好這念心，不受外面環境、芸芸眾生，是非種種來污染我們的心。佛陀「闡明大乘實道」是「為我拔除執著小乘偏空之法」，解除了我偏空的執著。這就是舍利弗的心得。
今世尊
為闡明大乘實道
為我拔除執著
小乘偏空之法
解我偏執
各位，學佛那念心，我們若是見解，就是在毫芒中的偏差，人人本具佛性，為什麼我們在六道輪迴，這樣迷失得那麼離譜呢？「失錯千里之遙」。我們本來就是人人本具佛性，怎麼會變成了凡夫，六道，這樣不得出離呢？這時候我們應該，也是迷途知返的時候了，要好好找路。
幸好，釋迦牟尼佛出現人間，就是我們人間三界大導師、是四生慈父，用他的慈悲心來接引。所以我們應該要把握，時時法要入心，行在法中，自然就不受人群愛恨情仇，這樣牽扯著，綁得那麼辛苦。所以我們人人要時時多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Eliminating All Attachments, Returning to the Path (迷途知返歸正道)
Date: January.05. 2015
“The tiniest deviation in perspective can take us thousands of miles off course. Once we know we are lost, we will try to find our way back. The Enlightened One will guide our return.”
This is sharing with everyone that the tiniest deviation in understanding may take us thousands of miles off course. The slightest deviation in our perspective will take us very far in the wrong direction. So, we must be mindful in our spiritual practice. Our perspective on things matters greatly in our lives. How do we live our lives? For some people, though they live ordinary lives, every day they are in a state where their “mind is without hindrance, therefore there are no hindrances.” Thus “there is no fear”. They are peaceful and at ease. They live ordinary lives; this is how they pass all their days. Some people want to make a big impact and want to do very influential and important things, but every day of their lives they have no way to find peace of mind. They worry about gains and losses and have many afflictions. Though they have many possessions, they feel it is still not enough, or they fear losing what they have. This is the suffering in life. Regardless of how much fame, wealth or status someone has everything comes back to their thoughts. Thoughts cannot be seen or touched, but something as small as one single thought can create [problems] for people, for families, for society, for the world and so on.
Even one thought can lead to a great deviation. Look at the world and see how many people have been forced from their homes to become refugees. When a few people from some of these countries had these deviated thoughts; it resulted in manmade calamities, leaving every single family in the whole country touched by death. Furthermore, innocent people are harmed and have to flee for their lives. The Buddha-Dharma mentions the Five Turbidities, one of which is the “turbidity of view”. It creates a sense of unease in people’s hearts, creates a lack of harmony in society, creates chaos in countries and creates an imbalance of the four elements in the universe, causing [damage] to the planet, and so on. This is all due to humans’ perspective.
How big is this “perspective”? It cannot be seen or touched, but if we want to speak of its size, we would compare it to the most miniscule thing in this world. So, we speak of “the tiniest deviation in perspective.” A perspective has no weight or shape, but if it deviates in the slightest, it can actually lead us far astray. It “can take us thousands of miles off course.” The tiniest deviation in thought can cause our direction to begin to go astray. Where will that course ultimately take us?
Clearly, after making this slight deviation, we will keep going in that direction. So, we are in cyclic existence in the Six Realms. The hell, hungry ghost and animal realms are the Three Evil Realms and full of unbearable suffering. In the human realm, we can be defiled by [desire for] wealth, sex, fame, food and sleep.
These are five things that cause confusion. Once that [desire] stirs, it will be hard to turn back. Thus we are deluded by desire.
So, when a thought of desire stirs, it gives rise to three subtle kinds of afflictions. The three Subtle are very tiny afflictions, greed, anger and ignorance. Once greed arises in a person, his disposition and temper become very bad.
Look, there are so many people, and every person’s temperament is different. They are extremely diverse; people of all different shapes and sizes all have very different temperaments. Many people are quick to find others displeasing, which creates many interpersonal problems and makes it easy to create karma and ignorance.
Ignorance is not understanding the principles. If we do not understand the principles, where will our course take us? In each lifetime, we will deviate a little more and stray a little farther. From the human realm, we can easily enter the asura realm. Then in the asura realm, we always want to argue, quibble and create conflict. So, being in the asura realm may lead us to the Three Evil Realms.
This started with a single thought as a human. If our minds can always be at peace, if we willingly give to and help others, do not cause problems for them and form good afflictions and plant good causes, then we will receive heavenly retributions and be reborn in the heaven realm. Consider the Six Realms Humans can be born into heaven, which is similar to what speak of in this world as “wealth, offspring and longevity.” With money, well-behaved children and a ling life, every day is free of anxieties and worries. There are others who, although poor, also live each day without anxieties and worries, at peace with poverty, taking joy in the Path. They are at peace with their poverty and happy to be on the Right Path. With a heart at peace and a life free of hindrances, they are in heaven on earth.
The paths to Six Realms are paved right here. It is up to us to choose. If we choose the heaven realm, we must broaden our hearts every day and help other people; then we will be happy and be living in the heaven realm each and every day. Of one day we feel irritable when we see others, then we are in the asura realm on that day.
If we form negative afflictions with other people, argue with them or set ourselves against them, we are in the asura realm.Perhaps our afflictions are very severe, or we have physical problems, or impermanence has struck and so on. Then aren’t we in one of the Three Evil Realms, either the hell, hungry ghost or animal realm? We continually talk about the hungry ghost realm. In the world right now, so many people are hungry. How many people literally starve to death? If we understand the principles, we will be naturally be vigilant of all causes, conditions and karmic retributions. We must not create negative causes and effects. In this lifetime, when we understand the principles, we will know we were deluded in our past lifetimes, unable to control where we went in the Six Realms.
Now that we understand, we must turn bach from the path of delusion. Let us think about which road we want to take. This is why I have been discussing Sariputra. Though he was engaging in spiritual practice and was wisest among the Sangha, at times he was still confused by the Dharma. “The Buddha has now explained that past teachings were provisional; they were skillful means. Only now has He begun to guide us onto the true path.” So, Sariputra slowly grew to realize that the Buddha’s intent was solely to show us how to walk the road back to our intrinsic Tathagata-nature. Sariputra knew he had to turn back from delusion; he was searching for the way. So, “day and night, he kept thinking about this.
Wasn’t this part of the previous passage? But, “the Enlightened One will guide our return.” Only Sakyamuni Buddha can do this.
We must simply follow His guidance. The Buddha is the Great Enlightened One. The Buddha came to guide us so we can live a safe and peaceful life. From different deviant paths, He drew us back, one by one. He is the best guiding teacher.
If we rely on this teacher to help move us forward, that will be the safest course, and we will not stra from the principles. The Sutra text from yesterday states,
“But now as I listen to the voice of the Buddha, teaching according to circumstances, the Dharma is flawless and inconceivable, leading all to engage in spiritual practice.”
Sariputra was saying that, at this point in time, everyone’s minds should be focused. Because they had now heard the Buddha’s voice, they could follow what He said and the direction He had indicated to practice the Dharma. By understanding this method, we can practice “the Dharma [that] is flawless and inconceivable”. When we attain this, we can purify our minds. He hoped everyone could let go of all their previous afflictions, not just let them go and eradicate them, but be completely pure and return to their pure intrinsic nature. So, the Buddha was “leading all to engage in spiritual practice ”, so we can all return to our pure intrinsic nature.
Next, Sariputra again described himself and the spiritual practices he cultivated in the past. Sariputra said,
“Formerly, I was attached to improper views and was a teacher to Brahmins. The World-Honored One knew my mind, rooted out my errors and taught me Nirvana”.
We know that before Sariputra joined the Sangha, he was a Brahmin and followed Brahmacarin Saran in spiritual practice. This Brahmacarin Saran was a very famous teacher among the Brahmins. One day, when he was very ill, he shared his final teachings with Sariputra. At that time, Saran had heard news form another country about a king who had passed away. The king and his queen were very close, so loving that they were inseparable. When the king became ill and passed away, the queen could not accept [the situation]. As the king was being cremated, the queen threw herself into the fire. When this news reached Saran, the Brahmacarin, he thought to himself, “Why, when it comes to affection and love, do people seem to be entangled by a giant rope, unable to break free?” What is affection? For the sake of affection, people are constantly troubled; many problems arise out of sexual desire. It can ruin families and kingdoms. What is the reason for this deluded and distorted way of living?
Though he was a widely renowned teacher, he was very confused by emotional entanglements. In the final moments before he passed away, he said to Sariputra, “Though I think I know the principles underlying everything, something as simple as people’s affections is very confusing to me. I have contemplated this issue many times and still cannot comprehend it.
Sariputra, the teacher you are to seek should be able to explain the workings of life and of the mind. That is the teacher you must rely on.” After he finished talking, he passed away. From that moment, Sariputra kept these words in his mind. Brahmacarin Saran also had a group of disciples. Who was to lead them? He entrusted them to Sariputra.
“Sariputra was originally a Brahmin who learned Brahmanism. He learned he Dharma from Saran. Upon the death of his teacher Saran, he led Saran’s students. Therefore he was a teacher to the Brahmins.”
Sariputra began leading his fellow practitioners. Later, he encountered Bhiksu Asvajit, who led him to see the Buddha. After becoming a monastic, he followed and accepted the Buddha’s teachings. But the Buddha taught according to capacities and Sariputra still had remnants of habitual tendencies. So, the Buddha still used ordinary, wondrous provisional teachings to impartially teach the Dharma to the Sangha.
Now Sariputra said, “I sought principles with an erroneous mindset”. In the past, he held deviant views, which means his thinking was incorrect. He accepted these principles with that incorrect state of mind, so he called it “an erroneous mindset”. He had not yet eliminated past habitual tendencies. He had only wanted to be able to understand the workings of affection, to learn how to purify his mind and how to eliminate those emotional entanglements. He was afraid of contriving affinities, so he was attached to the Small Vehicle. Now it seemed Sariputra was repenting by constantly mentioning his own spiritual experience.
So, “Formerly, I was attached to improper views and was a teacher to the Brahmins. I held confused and false views and did not believe in cause effect, thus I eliminated roots of goodness.”
These are deviant views. Now Sariputra completely understood that what the Buddha wanted them to do was walk the Bodhisattva-path. To this group of spiritual practioners who had sought only to awaken themselves, He now gave complete and direct instructions. So, he said, “The World-Honored One Knew my mind”.
“The World-Honored One knew my mind, rooted out my errors and taught me Nirvana: Sariputra shared how the World-Honored One understood the thinking of monastic practitioners who started out by practicing Brahmanism and therefore, with gradual teachings, He rooted out their errors and taught them Nirvana.”
“Knew” means the Buddha understood their minds. He knew the thinking of these Brahmin practitioners who had become monastics. In the past they were attached to these deviant thoughts and views. The Buddha understood this, so, He used “gradual teachings.” “Gradual teachings” are provisional means He taught them slowly, step by step. He did not directly show them their minds and their potential for attaining Buddhahood. He did not us this method. He just taught them step by step.
Sariputra now understood this, thus he said, “[He] rooted out my errors and taught me Nirvana.” Sariputra now understood the Buddha’s mind, the Buddha’s method of teachings.
Previously, when he heard the Buddha speak of Nirvana, he thought if his mind was already pure, he would be free of samsara and cyclic existence in the Six Realms. Because of this, he became attached to and biased toward emptiness. He “grasped the truth of emptiness and thought he had attained realizations.” He mistakenly thought he had realized everything. So, he only looked after himself and did not care about others. He only sought self-awakening.
Now the World-Honored One “clearly explained the Great Vehicle Path.” Now the Buddha had already begun to advocate and advance the Great Vehicle Dharma in the hope that everyone would practice it. On the Bodhisattva-path, we must take good care of our mind and not it be polluted by conflicts with sentient beings in the external environment.
The Buddha “explained the Great Vehicle Path” to help us “eliminate attachments to the Small Vehicle Teachings and biases towards emptiness.” It dissolves our attachment to that bias.
This is what Sariputra learned. Everyone, as we aspire to learn the Buddha’s Way, we may have the slightest deviations in our understanding. We intrinsically have Buddha-nature, so why are we so terribly lost in the cyclic existence in the Six Realms and thousands of miles off course? We intrinsically have Buddha-nature. How did we become ordinary people who are unable to transcend the Six Realm? At this time, we should recognize we are lost and work on finding our way back. Fortunately, Sakyamuni Buddha manifested in the world. As the guiding teacher of the Three Realms and kind father of the Four Kinds of Beings, he used His compassion to draw us in.
So, we should seize the moment, always take the Dharma to heart and manifest it in our actions, then naturally we will not be entangled by conflicted emotions and trapped in mmisery. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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