20150114《靜思妙蓮華》心安清澄疑悔斷(第479集)
（法華經•譬喻品第三）
⊙「初聞佛說大乘法，疑謂魔惱我道心，今知佛昔施權教，此時開權顯實法，心安清澄疑悔斷。」
⊙初聞佛所說，心中大驚疑：本不敢奢望得能成佛，而今初聞佛所說，於是心中實猶有懷驚疑。
⊙將非魔作佛，惱亂我心耶：自心不敢相信，幾疑為波旬之說，魔來相惱亂我心。
⊙魔王作念化作摩納即往嬈亂，佛知魔王嬈亂，即說：命隨日夜逝，壽者多患難。呵斥魔王不應作惱亂。
【證嚴上人開示】
「初聞佛說大乘法，疑謂魔惱我道心，今知佛昔施權教，此時開權顯實法，心安清澄疑悔斷。」
「初聞佛說大乘法，疑謂魔惱我道心，今知佛昔施權教，此時開權顯實法，心安清澄疑悔斷。」
舍利弗當初聽到大乘法，他很惶恐，以為這是魔來惱亂他的心。那個時候他還不相信他也有成佛的時候，所以聽到佛陀說人人得成佛，人人本具佛性，對自己還是有懷疑，有了疑，就會有惶恐，恐懼魔來擾亂道心。
不過，佛陀循循善誘，慈愍眾生，舍利弗徹底信受了，懷疑撥除了，知道現在佛陀來敘述過去是施權教，是要好好來引度大家入佛門。這個初階、二階、三階，一階段、一階段慢慢接引。所以佛陀說過去是引導，現在才真正開啟成佛之道，「此時開權顯實法」。
「心安清澄疑悔斷」，現在心無疑了，心一片清淨，疑悔全都斷除，無懷疑也無後悔。現在聽到佛陀親口說「人人可成佛」，自己也有成佛的時刻，這是佛陀的慈悲，舍利弗歡喜信受，捨去了懷疑的心。
我們前面有漏失了一段經文，「爾時心自謂，得至於滅度，而今乃自覺，非是實滅度。」接著應該還有這段「若得作佛時，具三十二相，天人夜叉眾，龍神等恭敬，是時乃可謂，永盡滅無餘」。
這段的長行文我們也解釋過了，不過現在偈文再出現，我們應該要再重複一次。
現在已經瞭解了，自覺不是真實的滅度。這是舍利弗已經清楚，而現在開始我能夠成佛，偈文說「若得作佛時」，我若能夠作佛，應該是「具足三十二相，天人夜叉眾，龍神等恭敬。」到那個時候，「是時乃可謂」，那時候才能夠「永盡滅無餘」。
前面長行文時，我們說過三十二相、八十種好，百善為一福，百福為一相。所以佛陀要我們入人群去行菩薩道，未來才能夠成就三十二相，這三十二相具足才能夠度眾生。
相圓滿就是道理的圓滿，道理圓滿、相圓滿，這樣就是正覺。當然，這就是福慧雙修。要修得無量無數的福，這就是相的圓滿；無量無數的法，這就是智慧的圓滿。所以要福慧雙修，才能夠道理圓滿，這樣才能夠度眾生。
到那時候，天、人、夜叉，以及龍、神等等，自然就恭敬。那時候才能夠叫做成佛，才能夠叫做「永盡滅無餘」。煩惱完全都去除了，滅除了一切的煩惱，心明明朗朗，天地宇宙萬物真理全都統攝在我們的法海、腦海中。
我們昨天說過「佛於大眾中，說我當作佛，聞如是法音，疑悔悉已除」。
接下來這段經文，「初聞佛所說，心中大驚疑，將非魔作佛，惱亂我心耶？」
可見舍利弗當時的心境，以及編譯這本經的人，鳩摩羅什法師，他覺得這段經文很重要，所以再「重誦」。
開頭舍利弗會想：佛說我們大家能夠成佛。「初聞佛所說」，聽到那時候，「心中大驚疑」，心裡很震動，不只懷疑，也是驚喜。「將非魔作佛」，應該不是吧！不是魔來擾亂我的心，應該不是。這是一種很複雜的心理──應該不是吧！不是魔來擾亂我的心，我應該相信佛所說的，人人本具佛性，人人可成佛。
現在舍利弗明白了，所以他說「初聞佛所說，心中大驚疑」。
⊙初聞佛所說，心中大驚疑：本不敢奢望得能成佛，而今初聞佛所說，於是心中實猶有懷驚疑。
本來不敢奢望能夠成佛，這是舍利弗守在小乘偏空的道理。現在聽到佛所說的，剛開始他的心中還有懷疑，「將非魔作佛」，應該不是魔化作佛這樣來惱亂我的心吧？應該不是！這就是那時候的心態，自心還未有十分的相信。
我們聽經，也常常會有矛盾的心態——真的嗎？真有此事嗎？過去佛所說的法，真有這樣的經過嗎？真的有天堂嗎？實際有地獄嗎？有的人還有這樣在懷疑。我們若將佛陀的智慧，將它統攝於現在的人間，就能夠看到人間天堂是如何地享受。
過去說天人飛行自在，現在的人難道沒有飛行自在嗎？要遊歷五大洲，一張機票就行了。這不就是現在富貴的人，用錢就可以飛天嗎？
尤其現在科學發達，太空梭甚至到月球、到其他的星球去了。科學家與生意人合作，只要花幾億的美金，就可以預約去遊太空。你們想，這種富有之人，他就有辦法享受天空的飛行，或者飛離地球到其他的星球去觀光。所以，佛陀在二千多年前，應該也是在說人間有這樣的富貴人。
富，不一定是貴；貴就是要有好心，做人間的貴人。什麼是人間的貴人呢？那就是菩薩。
我們常常看到，臺灣有這麼多人在付出，甚至跨到國際間去救災，無所求的付出，非常辛苦。付出過後，還是充滿了法喜、感恩的心。
不只是修善、修福，大家精進聽法，累積了智慧，保護我們的心。知道付出無所求，很甘願付出，同時在人群中不受人我是非影響，還是一心精進，這個心不受擾動。這樣靜寂清澄的心，這才是「心安清澄」，如此「疑」才能夠撥開，煩惱才能夠去除。
所以，舍利弗現在瞭解了，明白這種的福慧完具，只要做，就能到；就能夠成佛，具足三十二相。
我們知道佛陀將要成佛之前，他要先破魔才能成道。這個魔是在哪裡？當心靜寂下來的時候，那個心靈的起伏，這就是心魔來擾亂。舍利弗的心起伏，還沒有穩定下來，當然他的懷疑就多。他也知道佛陀成佛以前有心魔現前來擾亂，他自己也會有這樣的驚惶、懷疑。
⊙將非魔作佛，惱亂我心耶：自心不敢相信，幾疑為波旬之說，魔來相惱亂我心。
在經典裡，我們經常看到魔王波旬來擾亂人心，尤其是修道者的心。我們現在也常常聽到，有的人追求信仰，迷失了心靈，不能自已。
佛陀的時代，佛在王舍城寒林中與弟子共住的時候，在那個地方為弟子說法。他說：「諸行無常，迅速不停，無可恃怙，是敗壞法。應當速離，趣解脫道。」
意思就是向這些比丘強調，大家要把心顧好，要知道「諸行無常，迅速不停」。這個無常很迅速，今天平安，不知道明天的事情；這個時候平安，不知道下一刻會發生什麼事情，不知道。
就像四大不調。有的國家祈求下雨，雨一下來卻過量，淹大水了。同樣的道理，有的人歡歡喜喜出門，卻在談笑間突然發生車禍。所以說「諸行無常」，尤其是「迅速不停」，很快，這樣一直過去。
「無可恃怙，是敗壞法」。曾經和大家分享過，年輕無法常在，不要仗勢現在還年輕，不可仗勢我們的才華，一切一切都是敗壞法。即使你錢很多，也有患得患失；你的子孫很多，你所親愛的人很多，這種有愛、有情，就是一種牽絆。生離死別、愛別離苦、愛恨情仇等等，這不都是敗壞的法嗎？所以「應當速離」，要趕快離開，要趣向解脫的道路。
佛陀不斷向弟子說人間無常法，鼓勵人人把握當下，要趕快修行就對了。不過，那時候魔王波旬，他擔心大家都修行了，三界中魔子魔孫就減少，所以他就來擾亂。
魔王化作「摩納」，就是人間的青少年，就來到僧團中，向僧團的人說話。「晝夜恆在」，白天、夜晚，這都永遠常在。「命常迴來」，我們的生命，這輩子生老病死之後，還會再回來。將來你再來，還有機會修行；你現在盡心去享受富貴，未來再來還是有這樣的富貴。將這種「執常」的偏邪之法，在僧團中散播。
⊙魔王作念化作摩納即往嬈亂，佛知魔王嬈亂，即說：命隨日夜逝，壽者多患難。呵斥魔王不應作惱亂。
佛陀趕快讓大家知道，這就是魔來擾亂。佛陀趕緊補充說明：「命隨日夜逝，壽者多患難。」我們的生命隨著日夜流逝，即使壽命很長，在人間還是有很多苦難折磨，不要留戀在人間。何況一切都是因緣果報，為善得福，為惡受報，這是正確的道理。世間沒有那個人富有，來生還是富有的。真正的富有是要去造福。所以佛陀喝斥魔王，不應該來僧團擾亂。
這是《阿含經》中的一段故事。佛陀苦口婆心要來淨化人心，鼓勵人人殷勤精進。佛陀的僧團卻常常出現魔來擾亂，或者擾亂人的心來破壞佛法，所以佛陀時時要大家提高警覺。
所以，舍利弗想到：佛陀說我會成佛。自己就提高警覺：這是不是魔來誘引我呢？
福就是要付出，慧是要法入心，成為人群中的貴人，這叫做菩薩道；這樣我們的心還能夠保持著清淨，這就是成佛之路，我們要經過磨練才能成佛。所以人人時時要多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: A Clear Mind is Free of Doubts and Regrets (心安清澄疑悔斷)
Date: January.14. 2015
“Upon first hearing the Buddha teach the Great Vehicle Dharma, I was suspicious and thought. Mara was disrupting my spiritual aspirations. Now I know that the Buddha gave provisional teachings in the past and that He was now opening up the provisional to reveal True Dharma. So, my mind is peaceful and clear, and my doubts and regrets have been eliminated.”
I want to share with you that when Sariputra first heard the Great Vehicle Dharma, he was very anxious. He had thought Mara was disturbing his mind. At that time, he did not believe that he could attain Buddhahood. So, when he heard the Buddha say that everyone can attain Buddhahood and everyone intrinsically has Buddha nature, he still doubted whether this applied to him. Where there is doubt, there will be fear. So, he feared that Mara was disrupting his spiritual aspirations. The Buddha had patiently guided everyone; this was His compassion for sentient beings. Sariputra thoroughly and faithfully accepted [the Dharma]. He brushed aside his doubts because he understood now that the Buddha described what He had taught in the past as provisional teachings which were to guide everyone onto the Buddhist path. From the first stage, to the second, to the third, one stage at a time, He slowly guided them.
So, the Buddha said that in the past He had been guiding them along, but only now was He revealing the path to Buddhahood. So, “He was now opening up the provisional to reveal the True Dharma.” Sariputra’s mind was now free of doubts. “My mind is peaceful and clear, and my doubts and regrets have been eliminated.” Now his mind was completely pure; all his doubts were eliminated. He had no doubts and no regrets. Now he also heard the Buddha personally say, “Everyone can attain Buddhahood,” so he knew he would become a Buddha one day. Because of the Buddha’s compassion, Sariputra happily and faithfully accepted [the Dharma] and let go of his doubts and questions.
We have talked about the previous passage of this sutra, but we left out another passage. There was the passage we discussed, “Then I told myself, I had reached the state of Nirvana but now I realize that was not true Nirvana,” but then there should be the following text, “For when I become a Buddha, replete with the Thirty-two Marks, I will be revered by heavenly beings, yaksas, dragon-gods and others. When that time comes, then I can say, I have fully attained Nirvana without residue.”
We have discussed the long-form version of this passage, but now it appears again in verse-form, so we must explain it again. By now we already understand that self-awakening is not true Nirvana. This was what Sariputra now clearly understood.
Thus he now began to believe that he could attain Buddhahood. The verse began as follows, “For when I become a Buddha”. If I can become a Buddha, then I should be “replete with the Thirty-two Marks. I will be revered by the heavenly beings, yaksas, dragon-gods and others.” At that moment, “When that time comes, then I can say,” only then could he say, “I have fully attained Nirvana without residue.” In the long-form section, we discussed the 32 Marks and 80 excellent characteristics. Do you remember them? One hundred good deeds create one blessing. One hundred blessings create one Mark.
So, the Buddha wanted us to go among people to walk the Bodhisattva-path in order to eventually achieve these 32 Marks in the future. Only by being replete with the 32 Marks can we transform all beings. The perfection of the Marks signifies being in perfect harmony with the principles is the state of perfect enlightenment.Of course, this requires both blessings and wisdom.Cultivating infinite, countless blessings leads to the perfection of the Marks.[Understanding] infinite, countless Dharma is the perfection of wisdom.
So, we must cultivate both blessings and wisdom to be in prefect harmony with the principles.Then we can transform sentient beings.At this point, heavenly beings, humans, yaksas, dragon-goods and others will naturally revere us.Only then can one be said to have attained Buddhahood.Only then has one “fully attained Nirvana without residue”.
When all afflictions are eliminated, the mind will be very clear and the true principles of all things in eh universe will be captured in the ocean of Dharma in our minds.This passage should have come before the sutra passage we discussed yesterday.
Yesterday we discussed, “The Buddha, in the assembly, has declared that I shall become a Buddha. Hearing the teaching of this Dharma, all my doubts and regrets were dispelled.”
The text following this is, “When I first heard what the Buddha said, my heart was filled with great shock and doubt. Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha, coming to disturb and confuse my mind?”
This passage brings us back.Clearly, Sariputra’s state of mind at that time was considered by the editor of this sutra, Dharma Master Kumarajva, to be very important.So, he went back to it again.Sariptra’s initial thought was, “The Buddha said we could all attain Buddhahood. When I first heard what the Buddha said, the moment he heard those words, my heart was filled with great shock and doubt.”He was both fearful and in awe.On top of his doubts, he was happily surprised.
“Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha?”Not likely!This probably was not Mara coming to disturb his mind.It was a very complicated state of mind.“It is not likely that this is Mara coming to disturb me. I should have faith in what the Buddha said, that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature, that everyone can attain Buddhahood.”
Now that Sariputra understood this, he said, “When I first heard what the Buddha said, my heart was filled with great shock and doubt.
“When I first heard what the Buddha said, my heart was filled the great shock and doubt:
Originally I dared not hope that I could attain Buddhahood.
Thus now, upon first hearing what the Buddha said, I truly feel shocck and doubt in my heart.”
Sariputra originally did not dare to hope that he could attain Budddhahood.Thus he remained within the Small Vehicle, which is biased towards emptiness.When he first heard what the Buddha said, he actually still had doubts in his mind.“Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha?”It was unlikely that Mara took the Buddha’s form to come and disturb his mind.This was not likely.
It was his heart not daring to believe, and because he still did not completely believe, this was his mentality at the time.
We may also have many conflicting thoughts in our minds.When we listen to the sutras, [we wonder,].“Is this true? Did this really happen? Did things really happen as the Buddha described? Is there really a heaven? Is there actually a hell?”Many people still have these doubts.But if we can take the Buddha’s wisdom and apply it to the world around us, then we can see how we are enjoying heaven on earth.
In the past we talked about how heavenly beings fly freely through the skies.But don’t people in this era also fly freely through the skies?To travel around the [seven] continents, all we need is a plane ticket.Isn’t this something only wealthy people can do, spending money to go wherever they want?With the advancements in science, they can even go on space shuttles.
They may even one day, be able to go beyond Earth, to the moon, or even to other planets.
Scientists and business people work together.By signing multimillion dollar contracts, a person can travel in space. So, more than 2000 years ago, the Buddha had already talked about wealthy and noble people like this in the world. The wealthy are not necessarily noble. Nobility comes form having a good heart, from being a benefactor to others. Who are the benefactors in this world? Bodhisattvas. We have seen many Taiwanese volunteers devote themselves to international disaster relief work. They work hard and give unconditionally. After they help others, they are still fully of Dharma-joy and gratitude. Aside from cultivating goodness and blessings, we diligently listen to the Dharma to accumulate wisdom and safeguard our minds. By knowing to give without expectation, we very willingly give to others. However, when we are among people, we must not allow interpersonal conflicts to influence our minds. We must wholeheartedly remain diligent and not allow our resolve to be disturbed. Thus we have tranquil and still minds; we have “peaceful and clear minds”. This is the only way to dispel our doubts and eliminate our afflictions.
So, Sariputra now understood this. Being replete with blessings and wisdom is something we can achieve as long as we take action. Then we can become Buddhas and be endowed with the 32 Marks. We know that, before the Buddha attained enlightenment, He had to first defeat Mara. Where is Mara? When we try to quiet our minds, we often feel our minds fluctuating. This is Mara coming to disturb us. Sariputra had yet not stabilized the fluctuations of his mind, so of course he still had many doubts. Sariputra also knew that before the Buddha attained Buddhahood, Mara had came to disturb Him, so he feared and suspected that this was happening to him.
“Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha, coming to disturb and confuse my mind? I did not dare believe this, so I suspected this was something Mara said to disturb and confuse my mind.”
In the sutras, we have often read about how King Mara disturbed people’s minds, particularly the minds of spiritual practitioners. This still happens to people nowadays. People look for something to believe in and end up lost and unable to control themselves. We often hear stories like this. It was the same during the Buddha’s lifetime. When He lived by City of the House of Kings, in a cold forest along with His disciples, He often expounded the Dharma to them.
He said, “All things are impermanent, changing rapidly without pause. There is nothing we can rely on. All phenomena are disintegrating, we must quickly leave them behind and head toward the path of liberation”.
This means He wanted to tell everyone, to tell these bhiksus, that they must improve themselves and take good care of their minds. Everyone must understand impermanence. All things are impermanent, changing rapidly without pause. Impermanent things can change very rapidly. We may be safe today, but we do not know about tomorrow. We may be safe at this moment, but we do not know what will happen in the next. We really do not know. Take the imbalance of the four elements; some countries pray for rain, but when the rain comes, there may be too much. So, this imbalance causes a flood. In the same way, some people happily leave the house, laughing and joking, but suddenly get into an accident. So, “all things are impermanent”. In particular, they “change rapidly without pause”.
Things happen very quickly. “There is nothing we can rely on”. You cannot rely on your youth. I have shared this with everyone. You cannot always remain young. You cannot rely on your youth. You cannot rely on your talents. All of these are disintegrating phenomena. You may have a lot of money, but you worry about gains and losses. You may have many descendants and loved ones, but his love, these relationships, are forms of entanglement. So, separation in life or by death, parting with those we love, and emotional conflict, aren’t these all ways in which things deteriorate?
So, “We must quickly leave them behind”. We must quickly leave them behind and head down the path toward liberation. The Buddha continued to tell His disciples that nothing is permanent in this world and encouraged them to seize the moment and immediately engage in spiritual practice.
However, at that time, King Mara knew that if everyone were to engage in spiritual practice, then in the Three Realms, the number of future maras would be reduced.So, he hoped that everyone would remain trapped in the Three Realms. Thus he often came to disrupt [their practice]. King Mara acted on his idea and transformed himself into a “manava.” A manava is a young man King Mara took on the form of a young man and came to the Sangha to speak with the monastics.
He spoke of “the eternity of night and day” He told people the night and day are eternal and that “life always returns.” After they go through birth, aging, illness and finally, death, they will return again.When they return to this world, they would still have the chance. [He told them that ] they should fully enjoy their wealth and that when they return in the future, they will enjoy the same level of wealth. This “clinging to permanence” was the deviant teaching that this young man spread in the Sangha. Quickly the Buddha let everyone know that this was Mara coming to disturb them.
The Buddha added that, “life shortens as each day and night passes.” Life passes by with each day and night, “and the long-lived suffer much hardship.” This is saying that living a long life means facing much hardship and suffering, so people must linger in this world.Moreover, all things are governed by the law of karma. Doing good deeds leads to blessings doing evil deeds leads to [negative] retributions.This is the correct principle. There is no such thing as wealth that will carry over into all future lifetimes Real wealth comes from creating blessings. However, no matter how long people live, they will suffer while they are in this world.
So, the Buddha began to berate King Mara for causing chaos in the Sangha. This story is in the Agama Sutra.
King Mara acted on his idea and took the form of a manava to cause chaos. The Buddha knew that Mara was causing disruptions, so He said, “Life shortens as each day and night passes, and the long-lived suffer much hardship.” He berated King Mara and told him not to cause disturbances.
For those in His Sangha, the Buddha painstakingly continued to help them purify their minds by encouraging everyone to be earnest and diligent. But very often this kind of mara would appear to disturb people’s minds or to slander the Buddha-Dharma. Therefore, the Buddha constantly reminded everyone to heighten their vigilance.
So, when Sariputra thought about how the Buddha said he could attain Buddhahood, he began to heighten his vigilance. Was this Mara? Was this Mara coming to tempt him? This is how spiritual practitioners can safely cultivate the Right Dharma and go among people to become their benefactors.The Buddha taught us to go among people, so we can see more and understand more.
Only by realizing the Buddha-Dharma can we strengthen our spiritual aspirations. Blessings come from giving and wisdom comes from taking the Dharma to heart Benefactors who go among the people are walking the Bodhisattva-path. This is how we can maintain the purity of our minds. This is the state for attaining Buddhahood. We must develop it in order to attain Buddhahood. So, everyone must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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發表主題: 回復： 20150114《靜思妙蓮華》心安清澄疑悔斷(第479集) 周日 1月 18, 2015 7:46 pm
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: A Clear Mind is Free of Doubts and Regrets (心安清澄疑悔斷)
Date: January.14. 2015
“Upon first hearing the Buddha teach the Great Vehicle Dharma, I was suspicious and thought. Mara was disrupting my spiritual aspirations. Now I know that the Buddha gave provisional teachings in the past and that He was now opening up the provisional to reveal True Dharma. So, my mind is peaceful and clear, and my doubts and regrets have been eliminated.”
I want to share with you that when Sariputra first heard the Great Vehicle Dharma, he was very anxious. He had thought Mara was disturbing his mind. At that time, he did not believe that he could attain Buddhahood. So, when he heard the Buddha say that everyone can attain Buddhahood and everyone intrinsically has Buddha nature, he still doubted whether this applied to him. Where there is doubt, there will be fear. So, he feared that Mara was disrupting his spiritual aspirations. The Buddha had patiently guided everyone; this was His compassion for sentient beings. Sariputra thoroughly and faithfully accepted [the Dharma]. He brushed aside his doubts because he understood now that the Buddha described what He had taught in the past as provisional teachings which were to guide everyone onto the Buddhist path. From the first stage, to the second, to the third, one stage at a time, He slowly guided them.
So, the Buddha said that in the past He had been guiding them along, but only now was He revealing the path to Buddhahood. So, “He was now opening up the provisional to reveal the True Dharma.” Sariputra’s mind was now free of doubts. “My mind is peaceful and clear, and my doubts and regrets have been eliminated.” Now his mind was completely pure; all his doubts were eliminated. He had no doubts and no regrets. Now he also heard the Buddha personally say, “Everyone can attain Buddhahood,” so he knew he would become a Buddha one day. Because of the Buddha’s compassion, Sariputra happily and faithfully accepted [the Dharma] and let go of his doubts and questions.
We have talked about the previous passage of this sutra, but we left out another passage. There was the passage we discussed, Then I told myself, I had reached the state of Nirvana but now I realize that was not true Nirvana,” but then there should be the following text, “For when I become a Buddha, replete with the Thirty-two Marks, I will be revered by heavenly beings, yaksas, dragon-gods and others. When that time comes, then I can say, I have fully attained Nirvana without residue.”
We have discussed the long-form version of this passage, but now it appears again in verse-form, so we must explain it again. By now we already understand that self-awakening is not true Nirvana. This was what Sariputra now clearly understood.
Thus he now began to believe that he could attain Buddhahood. The verse began as follows, “For when I become a Buddha”. If I can become a Buddha, then I should be “replete with the Thirty-two Marks. I will be revered by the heavenly beings, yaksas, dragon-gods and others.” At that moment, “When that time comes, then I can say,” only then could he say, “I have fully attained Nirvana without residue.” In the long-form section, we discussed the 32 Marks and 80 excellent characteristics. Do you remember them? One hundred good deeds create one blessing. One hundred blessings create one Mark.
So, the Buddha wanted us to go among people to walk the Bodhisattva-path in order to eventually achieve these 32 Marks in the future. Only by being replete with the 32 Marks can we transform all beings. The perfection of the Marks signifies being in perfect harmony with the principles is the state of perfect enlightenment.Of course, this requires both blessings and wisdom.Cultivating infinite, countless blessings leads to the perfection of the Marks.[Understanding] infinite, countless Dharma is the perfection of wisdom.
So, we must cultivate both blessings and wisdom to be in prefect harmony with the principles.Then we can transform sentient beings.At this point, heavenly beings, humans, yaksas, dragon-goods and others will naturally revere us.Only then can one be said to have attained Buddhahood.Only then has one “fully attained Nirvana without residue”.
When all afflictions are eliminated, the mind will be very clear and the true principles of all things in eh universe will be captured in the ocean of Dharma in our minds.This passage should have come before the sutra passage we discussed yesterday.
Yesterday we discussed, “The Buddha, in the assembly, has declared that I shall become a Buddha. Hearing the teaching of this Dharma, all my doubts and regrets were dispelled.”
The text following this is, “When I first heard what the Buddha said, my heart was filled with great shock and doubt. Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha, coming to disturb and confuse my mind?”
This passage brings us back.Clearly, Sariputra’s state of mind at that time was considered by the editor of this sutra, Dharma Master Kumarajva, to be very important.So, he went back to it again.Sariptra’s initial thought was, “The Buddha said we could all attain Buddhahood. When I first heard what the Buddha said, the moment he heard those words, my heart was filled with great shock and doubt.”He was both fearful and in awe.On top of his doubts, he was happily surprised.
“Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha?”Not likely!This probably was not Mara coming to disturb his mind.It was a very complicated state of mind.“It is not likely that this is Mara coming to disturb me. I should have faith in what the Buddha said, that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature, that everyone can attain Buddhahood.”
Now that Sariputra understood this, he said, “When I first heard what the Buddha said, my heart was filled with great shock and doubt.
“When I first heard what the Buddha said, my heart was filled the great shock and doubt:
Originally I dared not hope that I could attain Buddhahood.
Thus now, upon first hearing what the Buddha said, I truly feel shocck and doubt in my heart.”
Sariputra originally did not dare to hope that he could attain Budddhahood.Thus he remained within the Small Vehicle, which is biased towards emptiness.When he first heard what the Buddha said, he actually still had doubts in his mind.“Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha?”It was unlikely that Mara took the Buddha’s form to come and disturb his mind.This was not likely.
It was his heart not daring to believe, and because he still did not completely believe, this was his mentality at the time.
We may also have many conflicting thoughts in our minds.When we listen to the sutras, [we wonder,].“Is this true? Did this really happen? Did things really happen as the Buddha described? Is there really a heaven? Is there actually a hell?”Many people still have these doubts.But if we can take the Buddha’s wisdom and apply it to the world around us, then we can see how we are enjoying heaven on earth.
In the past we talked about how heavenly beings fly freely through the skies.But don’t people in this era also fly freely through the skies?To travel around the [seven] continents, all we need is a plane ticket.Isn’t this something only wealthy people can do, spending money to go wherever they want?With the advancements in science, they can even go on space shuttles.
They may even one day, be able to go beyond Earth, to the moon, or even to other planets.
Scientists and business people work together.By signing multimillion dollar contracts, a person can travel in space. So, more than 2000 years ago, the Buddha had already talked about wealthy and noble people like this in the world. The wealthy are not necessarily noble. Nobility comes form having a good heart, from being a benefactor to others. Who are the benefactors in this world? Bodhisattvas. We have seen many Taiwanese volunteers devote themselves to international disaster relief work. They work hard and give unconditionally. After they help others, they are still fully of Dharma-joy and gratitude. Aside from cultivating goodness and blessings, we diligently listen to the Dharma to accumulate wisdom and safeguard our minds. By knowing to give without expectation, we very willingly give to others. However, when we are among people, we must not allow interpersonal conflicts to influence our minds. We must wholeheartedly remain diligent and not allow our resolve to be disturbed. Thus we have tranquil and still minds; we have “peaceful and clear minds”. This is the only way to dispel our doubts and eliminate our afflictions.
So, Sariputra now understood this. Being replete with blessings and wisdom is something we can achieve as long as we take action. Then we can become Buddhas and be endowed with the 32 Marks. We know that, before the Buddha attained enlightenment, He had to first defeat Mara. Where is Mara? When we try to quiet our minds, we often feel our minds fluctuating. This is Mara coming to disturb us. Sariputra had yet not stabilized the fluctuations of his mind, so of course he still had many doubts. Sariputra also knew that before the Buddha attained Buddhahood, Mara had came to disturb Him, so he feared and suspected that this was happening to him.
“Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha, coming to disturb and confuse my mind? I did not dare believe this, so I suspected this was something Mara said to disturb and confuse my mind.”
In the sutras, we have often read about how King Mara disturbed people’s minds, particularly the minds of spiritual practitioners. This still happens to people nowadays. People look for something to believe in and end up lost and unable to control themselves. We often hear stories like this. It was the same during the Buddha’s lifetime. When He lived by City of the House of Kings, in a cold forest along with His disciples, He often expounded the Dharma to them.
He said, “All things are impermanent, changing rapidly without pause. There is nothing we can rely on. All phenomena are disintegrating, we must quickly leave them behind and head toward the path of liberation”.
This means He wanted to tell everyone, to tell these bhiksus, that they must improve themselves and take good care of their minds. Everyone must understand impermanence. All things are impermanent, changing rapidly without pause. Impermanent things can change very rapidly. We may be safe today, but we do not know about tomorrow. We may be safe at this moment, but we do not know what will happen in the next. We really do not know. Take the imbalance of the four elements; some countries pray for rain, but when the rain comes, there may be too much. So, this imbalance causes a flood. In the same way, some people happily leave the house, laughing and joking, but suddenly get into an accident. So, “all things are impermanent”. In particular, they “change rapidly without pause”.
Things happen very quickly. “There is nothing we can rely on”. You cannot rely on your youth. I have shared this with everyone. You cannot always remain young. You cannot rely on your youth. You cannot rely on your talents. All of these are disintegrating phenomena. You may have a lot of money, but you worry about gains and losses. You may have many descendants and loved ones, but his love, these relationships, are forms of entanglement. So, separation in life or by death, parting with those we love, and emotional conflict, aren’t these all ways in which things deteriorate?
So, “We must quickly leave them behind”. We must quickly leave them behind and head down the path toward liberation. The Buddha continued to tell His disciples that nothing is permanent in this world and encouraged them to seize the moment and immediately engage in spiritual practice.
However, at that time, King Mara knew that if everyone were to engage in spiritual practice, then in the Three Realms, the number of future maras would be reduced.So, he hoped that everyone would remain trapped in the Three Realms. Thus he often came to disrupt [their practice]. King Mara acted on his idea and transformed himself into a “manava.” A manava is a young man King Mara took on the form of a young man and came to the Sangha to speak with the monastics.
He spoke of “the eternity of night and day” He told people the night and day are eternal and that “life always returns.” After they go through birth, aging, illness and finally, death, they will return again.When they return to this world, they would still have the chance. [He told them that ] they should fully enjoy their wealth and that when they return in the future, they will enjoy the same level of wealth. This “clinging to permanence” was the deviant teaching that this young man spread in the Sangha. Quickly the Buddha let everyone know that this was Mara coming to disturb them.
The Buddha added that, “life shortens as each day and night passes.” Life passes by with each day and night, “and the long-lived suffer much hardship.” This is saying that living a long life means facing much hardship and suffering, so people must linger in this world.Moreover, all things are governed by the law of karma. Doing good deeds leads to blessings doing evil deeds leads to [negative] retributions.This is the correct principle. There is no such thing as wealth that will carry over into all future lifetimes Real wealth comes from creating blessings. However, no matter how long people live, they will suffer while they are in this world.
So, the Buddha began to berate King Mara for causing chaos in the Sangha. This story is in the Agama Sutra.
King Mara acted on his idea and took the form of a manava to cause chaos. The Buddha knew that Mara was causing disruptions, so He said, “Life shortens as each day and night passes, and the long-lived suffer much hardship.” He berated King Mara and told him not to cause disturbances.
For those in His Sangha, the Buddha painstakingly continued to help them purify their minds by encouraging everyone to be earnest and diligent. But very often this kind of mara would appear to disturb people’s minds or to slander the Buddha-Dharma. Therefore, the Buddha constantly reminded everyone to heighten their vigilance.
So, when Sariputra thought about how the Buddha said he could attain Buddhahood, he began to heighten his vigilance. Was this Mara? Was this Mara coming to tempt him? This is how spiritual practitioners can safely cultivate the Right Dharma and go among people to become their benefactors.The Buddha taught us to go among people, so we can see more and understand more.
Only by realizing the Buddha-Dharma can we strengthen our spiritual aspirations. Blessings come from giving and wisdom comes from taking the Dharma to heart Benefactors who go among the people are walking the Bodhisattva-path. This is how we can maintain the purity of our minds. This is the state for attaining Buddhahood. We must develop it in order to attain Buddhahood. So, everyone 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）
⊙「初聞佛說大乘法，疑謂魔惱我道心，今知佛昔施權教，此時開權顯實法，心安清澄疑悔斷。」
⊙初聞佛所說，心中大驚疑：本不敢奢望得能成佛，而今初聞佛所說，於是心中實猶有懷驚疑。
⊙將非魔作佛，惱亂我心耶：自心不敢相信，幾疑為波旬之說，魔來相惱亂我心。
⊙魔王作念化作摩納即往嬈亂，佛知魔王嬈亂，即說：命隨日夜逝，壽者多患難。呵斥魔王不應作惱亂。
【證嚴上人開示】
「初聞佛說大乘法，疑謂魔惱我道心，今知佛昔施權教，此時開權顯實法，心安清澄疑悔斷。」
「初聞佛說大乘法，疑謂魔惱我道心，今知佛昔施權教，此時開權顯實法，心安清澄疑悔斷。」
舍利弗當初聽到大乘法，他很惶恐，以為這是魔來惱亂他的心。那個時候他還不相信他也有成佛的時候，所以聽到佛陀說人人得成佛，人人本具佛性，對自己還是有懷疑，有了疑，就會有惶恐，恐懼魔來擾亂道心。
不過，佛陀循循善誘，慈愍眾生，舍利弗徹底信受了，懷疑撥除了，知道現在佛陀來敘述過去是施權教，是要好好來引度大家入佛門。這個初階、二階、三階，一階段、一階段慢慢接引。所以佛陀說過去是引導，現在才真正開啟成佛之道，「此時開權顯實法」。
「心安清澄疑悔斷」，現在心無疑了，心一片清淨，疑悔全都斷除，無懷疑也無後悔。現在聽到佛陀親口說「人人可成佛」，自己也有成佛的時刻，這是佛陀的慈悲，舍利弗歡喜信受，捨去了懷疑的心。
我們前面有漏失了一段經文，「爾時心自謂，得至於滅度，而今乃自覺，非是實滅度。」接著應該還有這段「若得作佛時，具三十二相，天人夜叉眾，龍神等恭敬，是時乃可謂，永盡滅無餘」。
這段的長行文我們也解釋過了，不過現在偈文再出現，我們應該要再重複一次。
現在已經瞭解了，自覺不是真實的滅度。這是舍利弗已經清楚，而現在開始我能夠成佛，偈文說「若得作佛時」，我若能夠作佛，應該是「具足三十二相，天人夜叉眾，龍神等恭敬。」到那個時候，「是時乃可謂」，那時候才能夠「永盡滅無餘」。
前面長行文時，我們說過三十二相、八十種好，百善為一福，百福為一相。所以佛陀要我們入人群去行菩薩道，未來才能夠成就三十二相，這三十二相具足才能夠度眾生。
相圓滿就是道理的圓滿，道理圓滿、相圓滿，這樣就是正覺。當然，這就是福慧雙修。要修得無量無數的福，這就是相的圓滿；無量無數的法，這就是智慧的圓滿。所以要福慧雙修，才能夠道理圓滿，這樣才能夠度眾生。
到那時候，天、人、夜叉，以及龍、神等等，自然就恭敬。那時候才能夠叫做成佛，才能夠叫做「永盡滅無餘」。煩惱完全都去除了，滅除了一切的煩惱，心明明朗朗，天地宇宙萬物真理全都統攝在我們的法海、腦海中。
我們昨天說過「佛於大眾中，說我當作佛，聞如是法音，疑悔悉已除」。
接下來這段經文，「初聞佛所說，心中大驚疑，將非魔作佛，惱亂我心耶？」
可見舍利弗當時的心境，以及編譯這本經的人，鳩摩羅什法師，他覺得這段經文很重要，所以再「重誦」。
開頭舍利弗會想：佛說我們大家能夠成佛。「初聞佛所說」，聽到那時候，「心中大驚疑」，心裡很震動，不只懷疑，也是驚喜。「將非魔作佛」，應該不是吧！不是魔來擾亂我的心，應該不是。這是一種很複雜的心理──應該不是吧！不是魔來擾亂我的心，我應該相信佛所說的，人人本具佛性，人人可成佛。
現在舍利弗明白了，所以他說「初聞佛所說，心中大驚疑」。
⊙初聞佛所說，心中大驚疑：本不敢奢望得能成佛，而今初聞佛所說，於是心中實猶有懷驚疑。
本來不敢奢望能夠成佛，這是舍利弗守在小乘偏空的道理。現在聽到佛所說的，剛開始他的心中還有懷疑，「將非魔作佛」，應該不是魔化作佛這樣來惱亂我的心吧？應該不是！這就是那時候的心態，自心還未有十分的相信。
我們聽經，也常常會有矛盾的心態——真的嗎？真有此事嗎？過去佛所說的法，真有這樣的經過嗎？真的有天堂嗎？實際有地獄嗎？有的人還有這樣在懷疑。我們若將佛陀的智慧，將它統攝於現在的人間，就能夠看到人間天堂是如何地享受。
過去說天人飛行自在，現在的人難道沒有飛行自在嗎？要遊歷五大洲，一張機票就行了。這不就是現在富貴的人，用錢就可以飛天嗎？
尤其現在科學發達，太空梭甚至到月球、到其他的星球去了。科學家與生意人合作，只要花幾億的美金，就可以預約去遊太空。你們想，這種富有之人，他就有辦法享受天空的飛行，或者飛離地球到其他的星球去觀光。所以，佛陀在二千多年前，應該也是在說人間有這樣的富貴人。
富，不一定是貴；貴就是要有好心，做人間的貴人。什麼是人間的貴人呢？那就是菩薩。
我們常常看到，臺灣有這麼多人在付出，甚至跨到國際間去救災，無所求的付出，非常辛苦。付出過後，還是充滿了法喜、感恩的心。
不只是修善、修福，大家精進聽法，累積了智慧，保護我們的心。知道付出無所求，很甘願付出，同時在人群中不受人我是非影響，還是一心精進，這個心不受擾動。這樣靜寂清澄的心，這才是「心安清澄」，如此「疑」才能夠撥開，煩惱才能夠去除。
所以，舍利弗現在瞭解了，明白這種的福慧完具，只要做，就能到；就能夠成佛，具足三十二相。
我們知道佛陀將要成佛之前，他要先破魔才能成道。這個魔是在哪裡？當心靜寂下來的時候，那個心靈的起伏，這就是心魔來擾亂。舍利弗的心起伏，還沒有穩定下來，當然他的懷疑就多。他也知道佛陀成佛以前有心魔現前來擾亂，他自己也會有這樣的驚惶、懷疑。
⊙將非魔作佛，惱亂我心耶：自心不敢相信，幾疑為波旬之說，魔來相惱亂我心。
在經典裡，我們經常看到魔王波旬來擾亂人心，尤其是修道者的心。我們現在也常常聽到，有的人追求信仰，迷失了心靈，不能自已。
佛陀的時代，佛在王舍城寒林中與弟子共住的時候，在那個地方為弟子說法。他說：「諸行無常，迅速不停，無可恃怙，是敗壞法。應當速離，趣解脫道。」
意思就是向這些比丘強調，大家要把心顧好，要知道「諸行無常，迅速不停」。這個無常很迅速，今天平安，不知道明天的事情；這個時候平安，不知道下一刻會發生什麼事情，不知道。
就像四大不調。有的國家祈求下雨，雨一下來卻過量，淹大水了。同樣的道理，有的人歡歡喜喜出門，卻在談笑間突然發生車禍。所以說「諸行無常」，尤其是「迅速不停」，很快，這樣一直過去。
「無可恃怙，是敗壞法」。曾經和大家分享過，年輕無法常在，不要仗勢現在還年輕，不可仗勢我們的才華，一切一切都是敗壞法。即使你錢很多，也有患得患失；你的子孫很多，你所親愛的人很多，這種有愛、有情，就是一種牽絆。生離死別、愛別離苦、愛恨情仇等等，這不都是敗壞的法嗎？所以「應當速離」，要趕快離開，要趣向解脫的道路。
佛陀不斷向弟子說人間無常法，鼓勵人人把握當下，要趕快修行就對了。不過，那時候魔王波旬，他擔心大家都修行了，三界中魔子魔孫就減少，所以他就來擾亂。
魔王化作「摩納」，就是人間的青少年，就來到僧團中，向僧團的人說話。「晝夜恆在」，白天、夜晚，這都永遠常在。「命常迴來」，我們的生命，這輩子生老病死之後，還會再回來。將來你再來，還有機會修行；你現在盡心去享受富貴，未來再來還是有這樣的富貴。將這種「執常」的偏邪之法，在僧團中散播。
⊙魔王作念化作摩納即往嬈亂，佛知魔王嬈亂，即說：命隨日夜逝，壽者多患難。呵斥魔王不應作惱亂。
佛陀趕快讓大家知道，這就是魔來擾亂。佛陀趕緊補充說明：「命隨日夜逝，壽者多患難。」我們的生命隨著日夜流逝，即使壽命很長，在人間還是有很多苦難折磨，不要留戀在人間。何況一切都是因緣果報，為善得福，為惡受報，這是正確的道理。世間沒有那個人富有，來生還是富有的。真正的富有是要去造福。所以佛陀喝斥魔王，不應該來僧團擾亂。
這是《阿含經》中的一段故事。佛陀苦口婆心要來淨化人心，鼓勵人人殷勤精進。佛陀的僧團卻常常出現魔來擾亂，或者擾亂人的心來破壞佛法，所以佛陀時時要大家提高警覺。
所以，舍利弗想到：佛陀說我會成佛。自己就提高警覺：這是不是魔來誘引我呢？
福就是要付出，慧是要法入心，成為人群中的貴人，這叫做菩薩道；這樣我們的心還能夠保持著清淨，這就是成佛之路，我們要經過磨練才能成佛。所以人人時時要多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: A Clear Mind is Free of Doubts and Regrets (心安清澄疑悔斷)
Date: January.14. 2015
“Upon first hearing the Buddha teach the Great Vehicle Dharma, I was suspicious and thought. Mara was disrupting my spiritual aspirations. Now I know that the Buddha gave provisional teachings in the past and that He was now opening up the provisional to reveal True Dharma. So, my mind is peaceful and clear, and my doubts and regrets have been eliminated.”
I want to share with you that when Sariputra first heard the Great Vehicle Dharma, he was very anxious. He had thought Mara was disturbing his mind. At that time, he did not believe that he could attain Buddhahood. So, when he heard the Buddha say that everyone can attain Buddhahood and everyone intrinsically has Buddha nature, he still doubted whether this applied to him. Where there is doubt, there will be fear. So, he feared that Mara was disrupting his spiritual aspirations. The Buddha had patiently guided everyone; this was His compassion for sentient beings. Sariputra thoroughly and faithfully accepted [the Dharma]. He brushed aside his doubts because he understood now that the Buddha described what He had taught in the past as provisional teachings which were to guide everyone onto the Buddhist path. From the first stage, to the second, to the third, one stage at a time, He slowly guided them.
So, the Buddha said that in the past He had been guiding them along, but only now was He revealing the path to Buddhahood. So, “He was now opening up the provisional to reveal the True Dharma.” Sariputra’s mind was now free of doubts. “My mind is peaceful and clear, and my doubts and regrets have been eliminated.” Now his mind was completely pure; all his doubts were eliminated. He had no doubts and no regrets. Now he also heard the Buddha personally say, “Everyone can attain Buddhahood,” so he knew he would become a Buddha one day. Because of the Buddha’s compassion, Sariputra happily and faithfully accepted [the Dharma] and let go of his doubts and questions.
We have talked about the previous passage of this sutra, but we left out another passage. There was the passage we discussed, “Then I told myself, I had reached the state of Nirvana but now I realize that was not true Nirvana,” but then there should be the following text, “For when I become a Buddha, replete with the Thirty-two Marks, I will be revered by heavenly beings, yaksas, dragon-gods and others. When that time comes, then I can say, I have fully attained Nirvana without residue.”
We have discussed the long-form version of this passage, but now it appears again in verse-form, so we must explain it again. By now we already understand that self-awakening is not true Nirvana. This was what Sariputra now clearly understood.
Thus he now began to believe that he could attain Buddhahood. The verse began as follows, “For when I become a Buddha”. If I can become a Buddha, then I should be “replete with the Thirty-two Marks. I will be revered by the heavenly beings, yaksas, dragon-gods and others.” At that moment, “When that time comes, then I can say,” only then could he say, “I have fully attained Nirvana without residue.” In the long-form section, we discussed the 32 Marks and 80 excellent characteristics. Do you remember them? One hundred good deeds create one blessing. One hundred blessings create one Mark.
So, the Buddha wanted us to go among people to walk the Bodhisattva-path in order to eventually achieve these 32 Marks in the future. Only by being replete with the 32 Marks can we transform all beings. The perfection of the Marks signifies being in perfect harmony with the principles is the state of perfect enlightenment.Of course, this requires both blessings and wisdom.Cultivating infinite, countless blessings leads to the perfection of the Marks.[Understanding] infinite, countless Dharma is the perfection of wisdom.
So, we must cultivate both blessings and wisdom to be in prefect harmony with the principles.Then we can transform sentient beings.At this point, heavenly beings, humans, yaksas, dragon-goods and others will naturally revere us.Only then can one be said to have attained Buddhahood.Only then has one “fully attained Nirvana without residue”.
When all afflictions are eliminated, the mind will be very clear and the true principles of all things in eh universe will be captured in the ocean of Dharma in our minds.This passage should have come before the sutra passage we discussed yesterday.
Yesterday we discussed, “The Buddha, in the assembly, has declared that I shall become a Buddha. Hearing the teaching of this Dharma, all my doubts and regrets were dispelled.”
The text following this is, “When I first heard what the Buddha said, my heart was filled with great shock and doubt. Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha, coming to disturb and confuse my mind?”
This passage brings us back.Clearly, Sariputra’s state of mind at that time was considered by the editor of this sutra, Dharma Master Kumarajva, to be very important.So, he went back to it again.Sariptra’s initial thought was, “The Buddha said we could all attain Buddhahood. When I first heard what the Buddha said, the moment he heard those words, my heart was filled with great shock and doubt.”He was both fearful and in awe.On top of his doubts, he was happily surprised.
“Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha?”Not likely!This probably was not Mara coming to disturb his mind.It was a very complicated state of mind.“It is not likely that this is Mara coming to disturb me. I should have faith in what the Buddha said, that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature, that everyone can attain Buddhahood.”
Now that Sariputra understood this, he said, “When I first heard what the Buddha said, my heart was filled with great shock and doubt.
“When I first heard what the Buddha said, my heart was filled the great shock and doubt:
Originally I dared not hope that I could attain Buddhahood.
Thus now, upon first hearing what the Buddha said, I truly feel shocck and doubt in my heart.”
Sariputra originally did not dare to hope that he could attain Budddhahood.Thus he remained within the Small Vehicle, which is biased towards emptiness.When he first heard what the Buddha said, he actually still had doubts in his mind.“Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha?”It was unlikely that Mara took the Buddha’s form to come and disturb his mind.This was not likely.
It was his heart not daring to believe, and because he still did not completely believe, this was his mentality at the time.
We may also have many conflicting thoughts in our minds.When we listen to the sutras, [we wonder,].“Is this true? Did this really happen? Did things really happen as the Buddha described? Is there really a heaven? Is there actually a hell?”Many people still have these doubts.But if we can take the Buddha’s wisdom and apply it to the world around us, then we can see how we are enjoying heaven on earth.
In the past we talked about how heavenly beings fly freely through the skies.But don’t people in this era also fly freely through the skies?To travel around the [seven] continents, all we need is a plane ticket.Isn’t this something only wealthy people can do, spending money to go wherever they want?With the advancements in science, they can even go on space shuttles.
They may even one day, be able to go beyond Earth, to the moon, or even to other planets.
Scientists and business people work together.By signing multimillion dollar contracts, a person can travel in space. So, more than 2000 years ago, the Buddha had already talked about wealthy and noble people like this in the world. The wealthy are not necessarily noble. Nobility comes form having a good heart, from being a benefactor to others. Who are the benefactors in this world? Bodhisattvas. We have seen many Taiwanese volunteers devote themselves to international disaster relief work. They work hard and give unconditionally. After they help others, they are still fully of Dharma-joy and gratitude. Aside from cultivating goodness and blessings, we diligently listen to the Dharma to accumulate wisdom and safeguard our minds. By knowing to give without expectation, we very willingly give to others. However, when we are among people, we must not allow interpersonal conflicts to influence our minds. We must wholeheartedly remain diligent and not allow our resolve to be disturbed. Thus we have tranquil and still minds; we have “peaceful and clear minds”. This is the only way to dispel our doubts and eliminate our afflictions.
So, Sariputra now understood this. Being replete with blessings and wisdom is something we can achieve as long as we take action. Then we can become Buddhas and be endowed with the 32 Marks. We know that, before the Buddha attained enlightenment, He had to first defeat Mara. Where is Mara? When we try to quiet our minds, we often feel our minds fluctuating. This is Mara coming to disturb us. Sariputra had yet not stabilized the fluctuations of his mind, so of course he still had many doubts. Sariputra also knew that before the Buddha attained Buddhahood, Mara had came to disturb Him, so he feared and suspected that this was happening to him.
“Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha, coming to disturb and confuse my mind? I did not dare believe this, so I suspected this was something Mara said to disturb and confuse my mind.”
In the sutras, we have often read about how King Mara disturbed people’s minds, particularly the minds of spiritual practitioners. This still happens to people nowadays. People look for something to believe in and end up lost and unable to control themselves. We often hear stories like this. It was the same during the Buddha’s lifetime. When He lived by City of the House of Kings, in a cold forest along with His disciples, He often expounded the Dharma to them.
He said, “All things are impermanent, changing rapidly without pause. There is nothing we can rely on. All phenomena are disintegrating, we must quickly leave them behind and head toward the path of liberation”.
This means He wanted to tell everyone, to tell these bhiksus, that they must improve themselves and take good care of their minds. Everyone must understand impermanence. All things are impermanent, changing rapidly without pause. Impermanent things can change very rapidly. We may be safe today, but we do not know about tomorrow. We may be safe at this moment, but we do not know what will happen in the next. We really do not know. Take the imbalance of the four elements; some countries pray for rain, but when the rain comes, there may be too much. So, this imbalance causes a flood. In the same way, some people happily leave the house, laughing and joking, but suddenly get into an accident. So, “all things are impermanent”. In particular, they “change rapidly without pause”.
Things happen very quickly. “There is nothing we can rely on”. You cannot rely on your youth. I have shared this with everyone. You cannot always remain young. You cannot rely on your youth. You cannot rely on your talents. All of these are disintegrating phenomena. You may have a lot of money, but you worry about gains and losses. You may have many descendants and loved ones, but his love, these relationships, are forms of entanglement. So, separation in life or by death, parting with those we love, and emotional conflict, aren’t these all ways in which things deteriorate?
So, “We must quickly leave them behind”. We must quickly leave them behind and head down the path toward liberation. The Buddha continued to tell His disciples that nothing is permanent in this world and encouraged them to seize the moment and immediately engage in spiritual practice.
However, at that time, King Mara knew that if everyone were to engage in spiritual practice, then in the Three Realms, the number of future maras would be reduced.So, he hoped that everyone would remain trapped in the Three Realms. Thus he often came to disrupt [their practice]. King Mara acted on his idea and transformed himself into a “manava.” A manava is a young man King Mara took on the form of a young man and came to the Sangha to speak with the monastics.
He spoke of “the eternity of night and day” He told people the night and day are eternal and that “life always returns.” After they go through birth, aging, illness and finally, death, they will return again.When they return to this world, they would still have the chance. [He told them that ] they should fully enjoy their wealth and that when they return in the future, they will enjoy the same level of wealth. This “clinging to permanence” was the deviant teaching that this young man spread in the Sangha. Quickly the Buddha let everyone know that this was Mara coming to disturb them.
The Buddha added that, “life shortens as each day and night passes.” Life passes by with each day and night, “and the long-lived suffer much hardship.” This is saying that living a long life means facing much hardship and suffering, so people must linger in this world.Moreover, all things are governed by the law of karma. Doing good deeds leads to blessings doing evil deeds leads to [negative] retributions.This is the correct principle. There is no such thing as wealth that will carry over into all future lifetimes Real wealth comes from creating blessings. However, no matter how long people live, they will suffer while they are in this world.
So, the Buddha began to berate King Mara for causing chaos in the Sangha. This story is in the Agama Sutra.
King Mara acted on his idea and took the form of a manava to cause chaos. The Buddha knew that Mara was causing disruptions, so He said, “Life shortens as each day and night passes, and the long-lived suffer much hardship.” He berated King Mara and told him not to cause disturbances.
For those in His Sangha, the Buddha painstakingly continued to help them purify their minds by encouraging everyone to be earnest and diligent. But very often this kind of mara would appear to disturb people’s minds or to slander the Buddha-Dharma. Therefore, the Buddha constantly reminded everyone to heighten their vigilance.
So, when Sariputra thought about how the Buddha said he could attain Buddhahood, he began to heighten his vigilance. Was this Mara? Was this Mara coming to tempt him? This is how spiritual practitioners can safely cultivate the Right Dharma and go among people to become their benefactors.The Buddha taught us to go among people, so we can see more and understand more.
Only by realizing the Buddha-Dharma can we strengthen our spiritual aspirations. Blessings come from giving and wisdom comes from taking the Dharma to heart Benefactors who go among the people are walking the Bodhisattva-path. This is how we can maintain the purity of our minds. This is the state for attaining Buddhahood. We must develop it in order to attain Buddhahood. So, everyone must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: A Clear Mind is Free of Doubts and Regrets (心安清澄疑悔斷)
Date: January.14. 2015
“Upon first hearing the Buddha teach the Great Vehicle Dharma, I was suspicious and thought. Mara was disrupting my spiritual aspirations. Now I know that the Buddha gave provisional teachings in the past and that He was now opening up the provisional to reveal True Dharma. So, my mind is peaceful and clear, and my doubts and regrets have been eliminated.”
I want to share with you that when Sariputra first heard the Great Vehicle Dharma, he was very anxious. He had thought Mara was disturbing his mind. At that time, he did not believe that he could attain Buddhahood. So, when he heard the Buddha say that everyone can attain Buddhahood and everyone intrinsically has Buddha nature, he still doubted whether this applied to him. Where there is doubt, there will be fear. So, he feared that Mara was disrupting his spiritual aspirations. The Buddha had patiently guided everyone; this was His compassion for sentient beings. Sariputra thoroughly and faithfully accepted [the Dharma]. He brushed aside his doubts because he understood now that the Buddha described what He had taught in the past as provisional teachings which were to guide everyone onto the Buddhist path. From the first stage, to the second, to the third, one stage at a time, He slowly guided them.
So, the Buddha said that in the past He had been guiding them along, but only now was He revealing the path to Buddhahood. So, “He was now opening up the provisional to reveal the True Dharma.” Sariputra’s mind was now free of doubts. “My mind is peaceful and clear, and my doubts and regrets have been eliminated.” Now his mind was completely pure; all his doubts were eliminated. He had no doubts and no regrets. Now he also heard the Buddha personally say, “Everyone can attain Buddhahood,” so he knew he would become a Buddha one day. Because of the Buddha’s compassion, Sariputra happily and faithfully accepted [the Dharma] and let go of his doubts and questions.
We have talked about the previous passage of this sutra, but we left out another passage. There was the passage we discussed, Then I told myself, I had reached the state of Nirvana but now I realize that was not true Nirvana,” but then there should be the following text, “For when I become a Buddha, replete with the Thirty-two Marks, I will be revered by heavenly beings, yaksas, dragon-gods and others. When that time comes, then I can say, I have fully attained Nirvana without residue.”
We have discussed the long-form version of this passage, but now it appears again in verse-form, so we must explain it again. By now we already understand that self-awakening is not true Nirvana. This was what Sariputra now clearly understood.
Thus he now began to believe that he could attain Buddhahood. The verse began as follows, “For when I become a Buddha”. If I can become a Buddha, then I should be “replete with the Thirty-two Marks. I will be revered by the heavenly beings, yaksas, dragon-gods and others.” At that moment, “When that time comes, then I can say,” only then could he say, “I have fully attained Nirvana without residue.” In the long-form section, we discussed the 32 Marks and 80 excellent characteristics. Do you remember them? One hundred good deeds create one blessing. One hundred blessings create one Mark.
So, the Buddha wanted us to go among people to walk the Bodhisattva-path in order to eventually achieve these 32 Marks in the future. Only by being replete with the 32 Marks can we transform all beings. The perfection of the Marks signifies being in perfect harmony with the principles is the state of perfect enlightenment.Of course, this requires both blessings and wisdom.Cultivating infinite, countless blessings leads to the perfection of the Marks.[Understanding] infinite, countless Dharma is the perfection of wisdom.
So, we must cultivate both blessings and wisdom to be in prefect harmony with the principles.Then we can transform sentient beings.At this point, heavenly beings, humans, yaksas, dragon-goods and others will naturally revere us.Only then can one be said to have attained Buddhahood.Only then has one “fully attained Nirvana without residue”.
When all afflictions are eliminated, the mind will be very clear and the true principles of all things in eh universe will be captured in the ocean of Dharma in our minds.This passage should have come before the sutra passage we discussed yesterday.
Yesterday we discussed, “The Buddha, in the assembly, has declared that I shall become a Buddha. Hearing the teaching of this Dharma, all my doubts and regrets were dispelled.”
The text following this is, “When I first heard what the Buddha said, my heart was filled with great shock and doubt. Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha, coming to disturb and confuse my mind?”
This passage brings us back.Clearly, Sariputra’s state of mind at that time was considered by the editor of this sutra, Dharma Master Kumarajva, to be very important.So, he went back to it again.Sariptra’s initial thought was, “The Buddha said we could all attain Buddhahood. When I first heard what the Buddha said, the moment he heard those words, my heart was filled with great shock and doubt.”He was both fearful and in awe.On top of his doubts, he was happily surprised.
“Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha?”Not likely!This probably was not Mara coming to disturb his mind.It was a very complicated state of mind.“It is not likely that this is Mara coming to disturb me. I should have faith in what the Buddha said, that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature, that everyone can attain Buddhahood.”
Now that Sariputra understood this, he said, “When I first heard what the Buddha said, my heart was filled with great shock and doubt.
“When I first heard what the Buddha said, my heart was filled the great shock and doubt:
Originally I dared not hope that I could attain Buddhahood.
Thus now, upon first hearing what the Buddha said, I truly feel shocck and doubt in my heart.”
Sariputra originally did not dare to hope that he could attain Budddhahood.Thus he remained within the Small Vehicle, which is biased towards emptiness.When he first heard what the Buddha said, he actually still had doubts in his mind.“Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha?”It was unlikely that Mara took the Buddha’s form to come and disturb his mind.This was not likely.
It was his heart not daring to believe, and because he still did not completely believe, this was his mentality at the time.
We may also have many conflicting thoughts in our minds.When we listen to the sutras, [we wonder,].“Is this true? Did this really happen? Did things really happen as the Buddha described? Is there really a heaven? Is there actually a hell?”Many people still have these doubts.But if we can take the Buddha’s wisdom and apply it to the world around us, then we can see how we are enjoying heaven on earth.
In the past we talked about how heavenly beings fly freely through the skies.But don’t people in this era also fly freely through the skies?To travel around the [seven] continents, all we need is a plane ticket.Isn’t this something only wealthy people can do, spending money to go wherever they want?With the advancements in science, they can even go on space shuttles.
They may even one day, be able to go beyond Earth, to the moon, or even to other planets.
Scientists and business people work together.By signing multimillion dollar contracts, a person can travel in space. So, more than 2000 years ago, the Buddha had already talked about wealthy and noble people like this in the world. The wealthy are not necessarily noble. Nobility comes form having a good heart, from being a benefactor to others. Who are the benefactors in this world? Bodhisattvas. We have seen many Taiwanese volunteers devote themselves to international disaster relief work. They work hard and give unconditionally. After they help others, they are still fully of Dharma-joy and gratitude. Aside from cultivating goodness and blessings, we diligently listen to the Dharma to accumulate wisdom and safeguard our minds. By knowing to give without expectation, we very willingly give to others. However, when we are among people, we must not allow interpersonal conflicts to influence our minds. We must wholeheartedly remain diligent and not allow our resolve to be disturbed. Thus we have tranquil and still minds; we have “peaceful and clear minds”. This is the only way to dispel our doubts and eliminate our afflictions.
So, Sariputra now understood this. Being replete with blessings and wisdom is something we can achieve as long as we take action. Then we can become Buddhas and be endowed with the 32 Marks. We know that, before the Buddha attained enlightenment, He had to first defeat Mara. Where is Mara? When we try to quiet our minds, we often feel our minds fluctuating. This is Mara coming to disturb us. Sariputra had yet not stabilized the fluctuations of his mind, so of course he still had many doubts. Sariputra also knew that before the Buddha attained Buddhahood, Mara had came to disturb Him, so he feared and suspected that this was happening to him.
“Is this Mara disguised as the Buddha, coming to disturb and confuse my mind? I did not dare believe this, so I suspected this was something Mara said to disturb and confuse my mind.”
In the sutras, we have often read about how King Mara disturbed people’s minds, particularly the minds of spiritual practitioners. This still happens to people nowadays. People look for something to believe in and end up lost and unable to control themselves. We often hear stories like this. It was the same during the Buddha’s lifetime. When He lived by City of the House of Kings, in a cold forest along with His disciples, He often expounded the Dharma to them.
He said, “All things are impermanent, changing rapidly without pause. There is nothing we can rely on. All phenomena are disintegrating, we must quickly leave them behind and head toward the path of liberation”.
This means He wanted to tell everyone, to tell these bhiksus, that they must improve themselves and take good care of their minds. Everyone must understand impermanence. All things are impermanent, changing rapidly without pause. Impermanent things can change very rapidly. We may be safe today, but we do not know about tomorrow. We may be safe at this moment, but we do not know what will happen in the next. We really do not know. Take the imbalance of the four elements; some countries pray for rain, but when the rain comes, there may be too much. So, this imbalance causes a flood. In the same way, some people happily leave the house, laughing and joking, but suddenly get into an accident. So, “all things are impermanent”. In particular, they “change rapidly without pause”.
Things happen very quickly. “There is nothing we can rely on”. You cannot rely on your youth. I have shared this with everyone. You cannot always remain young. You cannot rely on your youth. You cannot rely on your talents. All of these are disintegrating phenomena. You may have a lot of money, but you worry about gains and losses. You may have many descendants and loved ones, but his love, these relationships, are forms of entanglement. So, separation in life or by death, parting with those we love, and emotional conflict, aren’t these all ways in which things deteriorate?
So, “We must quickly leave them behind”. We must quickly leave them behind and head down the path toward liberation. The Buddha continued to tell His disciples that nothing is permanent in this world and encouraged them to seize the moment and immediately engage in spiritual practice.
However, at that time, King Mara knew that if everyone were to engage in spiritual practice, then in the Three Realms, the number of future maras would be reduced.So, he hoped that everyone would remain trapped in the Three Realms. Thus he often came to disrupt [their practice]. King Mara acted on his idea and transformed himself into a “manava.” A manava is a young man King Mara took on the form of a young man and came to the Sangha to speak with the monastics.
He spoke of “the eternity of night and day” He told people the night and day are eternal and that “life always returns.” After they go through birth, aging, illness and finally, death, they will return again.When they return to this world, they would still have the chance. [He told them that ] they should fully enjoy their wealth and that when they return in the future, they will enjoy the same level of wealth. This “clinging to permanence” was the deviant teaching that this young man spread in the Sangha. Quickly the Buddha let everyone know that this was Mara coming to disturb them.
The Buddha added that, “life shortens as each day and night passes.” Life passes by with each day and night, “and the long-lived suffer much hardship.” This is saying that living a long life means facing much hardship and suffering, so people must linger in this world.Moreover, all things are governed by the law of karma. Doing good deeds leads to blessings doing evil deeds leads to [negative] retributions.This is the correct principle. There is no such thing as wealth that will carry over into all future lifetimes Real wealth comes from creating blessings. However, no matter how long people live, they will suffer while they are in this world.
So, the Buddha began to berate King Mara for causing chaos in the Sangha. This story is in the Agama Sutra.
King Mara acted on his idea and took the form of a manava to cause chaos. The Buddha knew that Mara was causing disruptions, so He said, “Life shortens as each day and night passes, and the long-lived suffer much hardship.” He berated King Mara and told him not to cause disturbances.
For those in His Sangha, the Buddha painstakingly continued to help them purify their minds by encouraging everyone to be earnest and diligent. But very often this kind of mara would appear to disturb people’s minds or to slander the Buddha-Dharma. Therefore, the Buddha constantly reminded everyone to heighten their vigilance.
So, when Sariputra thought about how the Buddha said he could attain Buddhahood, he began to heighten his vigilance. Was this Mara? Was this Mara coming to tempt him? This is how spiritual practitioners can safely cultivate the Right Dharma and go among people to become their benefactors.The Buddha taught us to go among people, so we can see more and understand more.
Only by realizing the Buddha-Dharma can we strengthen our spiritual aspirations. Blessings come from giving and wisdom comes from taking the Dharma to heart Benefactors who go among the people are walking the Bodhisattva-path. This is how we can maintain the purity of our minds. This is the state for attaining Buddhahood. We must develop it in order to attain Buddhahood. So, everyone must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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