20150608《靜思妙蓮華》佛如長者 闇蔽永盡（第582集）
（法華經•譬喻品第三）
⊙「深修善緣種善因，因成果熟得解脫；未結善緣速成善，勤耕播種獲善果。大覺慈悲運智慧，三界導師四生父。」
⊙四正勤：未生善令速生，已生善令增長；未生惡令不生，已生惡令速斷。
⊙「何況長者自知財富無量，欲饒益諸子，等與大車。佛告舍利弗：善哉，善哉，如汝所言。」《法華經譬喻品第三》
⊙「舍利弗，如來亦復如是，則為一切世間之父，於諸怖畏衰惱憂患、無明闇蔽，永盡無餘。」《法華經譬喻品第三》
⊙則為一切世間之父：喻前國邑、聚落有大長者，財富無量，其家廣大，唯有一門。父雖憐愍，善言誘喻，諸子耽著。
⊙無明：闇鈍之心，無照了諸法事理之明，即癡之異名。無明者，亦名不了一切法。
⊙闇蔽：云為愚癡闇蔽，於諸事理迷闇為性，能障無癡一切雜染所依為業。
【證嚴上人開示】
「深修善緣種善因，因成果熟得解脫；未結善緣速成善，勤耕播種獲善果。大覺慈悲運智慧，三界導師四生父。」
深修善緣種善因
因成果熟得解脫
未結善緣速成善
勤耕播種獲善果
大覺慈悲運智慧
三界導師四生父
知道學佛要先「修善緣」，平時要「種善因」，「因成果熟」就「得解脫」。這也是我們要常常在說的話。因緣果報，這是修行者最根本的信仰，要很瞭解，時時修行。是要修什麼行呢？善啊！善，人對人，就是要人人結善緣，你在結善緣的同時，那就是在種善因；善因、善緣，自然就有善的果報，因緣若成熟時，這個果報就現前。
所以說，「因成果熟得解脫」。我們平常的生活，常常說「未生善令速生，已生善令增長；未生惡令不生，已生惡令速斷」。「四正勤」裡，不就是這樣說嗎？
四正勤：
未生善令速生
已生善令增長
未生惡令不生
已生惡令速斷
所以，我們「未結善緣速成善」，我們要與人人好好結善緣。平時我們要「勤耕播種」，這樣自然遇到什麼事情，都是得到善的結果。這在我們平時生活中，每天做事情，我向你感恩，你也很歡喜，彼此之間感恩、歡喜，這樣不就是善緣的循環、善果的感受？這是我們每天的生活。
所以佛陀「大覺慈悲運智慧」，以他的大覺，佛陀的慈悲，運用了智慧來人間，「開、示」眾生，眾生「悟、入」，就能夠在這個因緣果報中，行善造福，這樣行菩薩道。所以，佛陀是「三界導師」、「四生慈父」，這對天下眾生同等的愛，同樣都期待人人，就是能夠好好接受佛法，用，不只自己接受，也能夠人人輾轉法輪。這是我們應該要日日瞭解佛法，日日在行動中流傳佛法，這是我們的責任。需要淨化人心，好事要多分享，在分享好事，那叫做轉法輪。
何況長者
自知財富無量
欲饒益諸子
等與大車
佛告舍利弗
善哉善哉
如汝所言
《法華經譬喻品第三》
前面我們說過的經文，長者是大富，所以他給他的孩子，很充足的東西，就譬喻饒益眾生。長者是饒益諸子，佛陀就是饒益眾生。這個「饒益」，「四攝法」：布施、愛語、利行、同事；這是我們行菩薩道最根本的法。所以，大長者將傳給孩子，也是「饒益」，佛陀傳給弟子，也是要「饒益眾生戒」。
這就是佛陀的教育，這種法的財富傳給我們，我們應該心靈打開，接受佛陀佛法的財富進來，日日饒益眾生，所造作的一切，無不都是在饒益眾生。
這就像那位大車，大白牛車一樣，所以舍利弗所回答佛陀的，就是說，那位長者，三輛車，最後給他們這輛車，已經保全了他的生命，已經都平安出來了，這就已經得到很多了，何況給他一輛大車。這個生命，在世間人，就是身體的生命，豈有比生命更價值的東西呢？
所以生命健康，就是給人生的幸福，這是世間的父親，但是佛陀給我們，是「全其慧命」。既然我們能夠平安了，已經接了佛法，很自然這個慧命成長。
所以，佛陀對眾生是不妄語，所說的法都是真實法，所以舍利弗這樣的表達，這位長者無虛妄的過錯。佛陀歡喜了，所以讚歎舍利弗：「很好，回答得很好，就像你所說的。」
「舍利弗！」下面這段(經)文再說：「舍利弗，如來亦復如是」，你說得很好，舍利弗，如來也是這樣，「則為一切世間之父，於諸怖畏衰惱憂患、無明闇蔽，永盡無餘」。
舍利弗
如來亦復如是
則為一切世間之父
於諸怖畏衰惱憂患
無明闇蔽
永盡無餘
《法華經譬喻品第三》
這是佛陀開始回歸，從那位長者的身分，回歸到如來也是如此。如來是「為一切世間之父」，因為如來，是「四生之父」，也是「三界導師」，亦師亦父。所以在這個人世間，「諸怖畏衰惱憂患」，在這個三界中，所有的眾生，都是充滿了驚惶、怖畏，或者是這個生老、病、死等等、憂悲苦惱，人、事、物中，都在「無明闇蔽」，這種生活之中。佛陀、如來，就是要去除這些眾生，一切「無明闇蔽」，使這些眾生，完全將這些無明去除。
如來：
真如本性
亦即乘真如之道
從因來果而成正覺
所說的「如來」，就是真如本性。我們人人本具的真如本性，卻是覺悟之後，體會了真如本性，完全覺悟，大覺的如來，他就是「乘真如之道，從因來果而成正覺」。因為我們人人都有真銣本性，人人平時若懂得種善因，這就是真如。真如道，就是這個真理，人人懂得在這個真理中實行，因，就是善因，不斷不斷來修行，不斷在人群中造福、修行。付出，不想要求回報，不想要再增加煩惱；對的事情，應該做，做就對了。這「從善因」就「來善果」。
看看佛陀，他在無始劫以來，不知在多少佛的過程中修行。所修的行都是為眾生捨身命，他不求回報而付出，這就是「從因來果」，長時間長時間的付出，長時間斷煩惱、去無明，這樣結果成正覺了，所以叫做「如來」。「乘真如之道，從因來果而成正覺」，所以這樣叫做如來。我們若想要成佛，我們就要長久的心，不斷日日這個善的因果循環中，我們不斷付出。
又乘真如之道
而來三界
垂化之故
謂之如來
又在「乘真如之道，而來三界，垂化之故，謂之如來。」乘著這個如來的道理，還是回歸三界，在這個地方來度化，這叫做如來。乘真如之道而來人間，來度化眾生，叫做如來。如來，就是我們人人本具的，清淨的本性，我們常常都常常這樣說，人人本具，只是我們的煩惱未了，所以我們還是在凡夫無明中。每一天好好的行善、造福，別求回報，在日常生活中懂得善解，時時感恩，日日知足。若能夠這樣，這也就是我們在修行的過程。
則為一切
世間之父：
喻前國邑、聚落
有大長者
財富無量
其家廣大
唯有一門
父雖憐愍
善言誘喻
諸子耽著
所以「則為一切世間之父」，佛陀他就是一切世間之父。一切世間，那就是三界之內。譬喻過去我們有說過的經文，前面說「國邑聚落有大長者，財富無量，其家廣大，唯有一門」。
但是這個門裡面，有一群非常懵懂的孩子在裡面，大家貪著遊戲。看到四面火起了，父親不忍心，雖然憐憫，用善言誘喻，善言，好好地要來接引孩子，趕緊出來，誘引孩子不要還在裡面。但是，那些孩子，卻是還貪著在裡面，任憑父親怎麼叫，都不懂得要趕緊出來，所以設種種的方法，三車來誘引。這在前面的(經)文，也說得很清楚了。
所以在這個火宅三界，就譬喻這個火宅，這個火宅就是「一切世間」。「一切世間」，也叫做「有情世間」。就是時間、空間、人與人眾生之間，加上了這樣有情的事情，造成了這種顛倒的煩惱就很多，不斷累積，這種無明來覆蔽了心，所以這造成了人人種種的「怖畏衰惱憂患」。
於諸怖畏
衰惱憂患：
老、病、死為衰
苦惱為惱
在心為憂
在事為患
既來人間，就是難免老、病、死，這叫做「衰」。慢慢衰邁了，老來身體就衰弱了，一切的氣力都漸退了。
人必定就是，有這最後的一天，一定會失去，不是失去你的最愛，便是失去了自己的身體。總而言之，人生都是在「憂患怖畏」，擔心人與人之間，人禍、天災，也是很怕。尤其是有(錢)的時候，「五家共有」也是很擔心。這種人生的煩惱，自然界的衰邁等等，老、病、死、苦為惱，這全都是苦，所以讓我們很擔憂。在心，叫做「憂」，在事叫做「患」。我們的心很憂愁，因為生、老、病、死、患得患失等等，都是讓我們很擔憂。所以要「無明闇蔽永盡無餘」。
無明：
闇鈍之心
無照了諸法
事理之明
即癡之異名
無明者
亦名不了一切法
無明，因為無明，闇鈍，就是根機較鈍劣的人，造成了很多的煩惱，什麼叫做無明？心就是「無照了諸法事理之明」。有時候看到在開車，冬天外面若是很冷，裡面的人多，這個人多，人體的熱氣，外面冷、裡面熱，自然鏡子就會起霧了，就要趕快擦一擦，才能看到前面(路況)。與我們的心一樣。我們的心，若與外面的東西，有一點隔閡，我們要求、求不到，就充滿了煩惱。這就是我們的心就是已經失去調和，與外面的境界那個調和，所以心，「無照了諸法事理之明」，與外面的境界，我們的內心一直在衝突，所以就會失去了明鏡的清淨，我們沒有好好擦它，所以它就會失去了這個「明」，所以，「癡之異名」，叫做無明。無明就是闇鈍，闇鈍叫做愚癡，所以這就是無明的名稱，就是「亦名不了一切法」。
因為我們無明，所以我們無法瞭解一切法。下面再說「闇蔽永盡無餘」，要如何讓這個闇鈍，鈍根能夠變成很明利，裡面就解釋，「愚癡闇蔽」，那就是因為有東西，將我們遮蔽住，如如不動，清淨的本性都還在，只是我們受無明，這樣叫我們覆蓋起來。
闇蔽：
云為愚癡闇蔽
於諸事理迷闇為性
能障無癡
一切雜染
所依為業
其實，我們人人的內心，非常清明的真如還是存在，就只是受無無將它遮蔽起來，所以諸事理迷，就闇，變成了無明這個性。像這樣，就是「能障無癡一切雜染，所依為業」。「無癡」就是清楚，沒有癡迷，就是心很清楚。但是受到無明將我們障礙了，所以「能障無癡」將我們障礙了，使我們的心，這個無雜染的心，這樣被遮蔽了。
無明闇蔽
永盡無餘：
惑業苦之根本
為無明闇蔽
永盡無餘者
已斷一切惡法
成就一切功德
此明佛之斷德
惑，無明也叫做惑。「惑業苦」——我們無明，我們迷惑，迷惑就去造業，造業就受苦；這叫做根本，根本是無明遮蔽。因為我們惑，起惑造業，所以我們受苦，在人間，佛陀告訴我們，一切世間，一切都是苦，「苦」的道理是來自於「集」，就是集這些惑、業——惑，去造業、受苦，這就是根本的無明。
我們若能夠好好用心，接受佛法來洗練，自然「永盡無餘」，「已斷一切惡(法)，成就一切功德」。這就是佛，就是表明佛已經斷盡了，一切「惑、業」，所以佛陀已經跳脫了，這個人間的「苦」，所以，瞭解了這個苦的道理，來自於種種的惑、造業的苦，來解釋給我們聽，讓我們好好修行，斷除那些無明煩惱。最重要的，就是要斷除無明煩惱，自然成就了「斷德」。「斷德」就是斷除一切無明，這樣就能夠清淨、明朗。
學佛，總是要用心下功夫。一切都是無明煩惱，覆蔽了我們的心，造了種種的業，受了這麼多的人間複雜，時間累積，空間造業，人與人之間來受苦報。這實在是我們要好好多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Forever Eliminate the Dark Coverings of Ignorance (佛如長者 闇蔽永盡)
Date:June.08. 2015
“Earnestly cultivate good affinities and plant good seeds. When the seeds mature into fruits, we attain liberation. If we have not formed good affinities, we must quickly accomplish good things and diligently plant seeds to obtain good fruits. The Great Enlightened One has compassion and exercises wisdom. He is the guiding teacher of the Three Realms and father of the four kinds of beings.”
To learn the Buddha’s Way, we must first “cultivate good affinities” and regularly “plant good causes.” “When the seeds mature into fruits,” then “we attain liberation.” This is what we need to constantly say. The karmic law of cause and effect is the fundamental belief of spiritual practitioners; we must understand it very well and always engage in spiritual cultivation. What are we cultivating? Goodness. In our interpersonal relationships, we must form good affinities with everyone. As we form good karmic affinities, we are planting good karmic seeds. Positive causes and conditions will automatically yield positive karmic retributions. When causes and conditions mature, retributions will manifest.
So we said, “When the seeds mature into fruits, we attain liberation.”
In our daily lives, we often say, “Quickly give rise to goodness that has not arisen. Nurture any goodness that has already arisen. Prevent the evil that has not arisen from arising. Quickly eliminate the evil that has already arisen.”
Isn’t this what the Four Right Efforts teach? So, “If we have not formed good affinities, we must quickly accomplish good things.” We must form good affinities with everyone and “diligently plant seeds” in our daily living. Then, whatever situations we encounter, the results will naturally be positive.
In our daily living, as we interact with each other, if I express my gratitude towards you, you will also feel very happy. When we show gratitude to each other and both feel happy, this is a cycle of positive karmic conditions and the experience of positive karmic effects. This is what can happen in our daily living. So, the Buddha, “the Great Enlightened One, has compassion and exercises wisdom.” With His great awakening and His compassion, the Buddha comes to this world and exercises His wisdom to “open and reveal” to sentient beings so they can “realize and enter” [the Dharma]. By realizing the karmic law of cause and effect, they will do good deeds and benefit others, this is how they walk the Bodhisattva-path. Therefore, the Buddha is “the guiding teacher of the Three Realms” and “father of the four kinds of beings.” He loves all sentient beings in the world equally and has the same hope for everyone, that they earnestly accept the Buddha-Dharma. Not only should we accept the Dharma ourselves, we should turn the Dharma-wheel for others. Every day, we should work to understand the Dharma. Every day, we should transmit it with our actions. This is our responsibility.
In our modern society, we need to bring purity to people’s hearts and constantly share good things. By sharing good things, we are turning the Dharma-wheel.
Moreover, this elder knew that his wealth was infinite. He wanted to benefit all of his children by equally giving them great carts. The Buddha told Sariputra, “Excellent, excellent. It is as you say”.
In the previous sutra passage we discussed, the elder was a very wealthy man, so he gave his children an abundance of things. This is an analogy for benefiting sentient beings. The elder benefited all of his children, and the Buddha benefits all sentient beings. This “benefit” comes from the Four All-Embracing Virtues charitable giving, loving words, beneficial conduct and collaborative work. These are the fundamental teachings for us as we walk the Bodhisattva-path.
What the elder passed on to his children was a “benefit” to them.What the Buddha passes on to His disciples are “precepts that benefit all sentient beings”.This is what the Buddha taught.He passes on the wealth of the Dharma to us, so we should open our hearts and minds to accept the wealth of the Buddha-Dharma.Then we can benefit sentient beings every day.Everything we do should benefit sentient beings.
This is like [driving] the great cart, the cart drawn by the great white ox.Sariputra answered the Buddha’s question about the elder setting up the three kinds of carts but only giving them one cart in the end by saying, “[Regardless,] he saved their lives”.By escaping [the burning house] safely, they had already received so much.Furthermore, the elder gave them a great ox-cart.
For people in this world, their physical existence is their life; is there anything more valuable than that?Living a healthy life is a great blessing.This is what our biological father can give us.
But what the Buddha wants to give us is help with “keeping our wisdom-life intact”.Since we live in safety and have already accepted the Buddha-Dharma, our wisdom-life is naturally growing.The Buddha does not tell sentient beings anything false.The teachings that He gave are all True Dharma.
Sariputra conveyed this idea by saying that the elder did not commit the fault of being false.
This made the Buddha happy, so He praised Sariputra.
“Your response is very good. It is just as you say.” He told Sariputra in the following passage,
“Sariputra, the Tathagata is also like this”.
Sariputra said it very well; the Tathagata is also like this.
“I serve as a father to all the world and take all fear, weakness, vexation, anxiety and worry, all the dark coverings of ignorance, and eliminate them forever, so nothing remains.”
This was the Buddha beginning to come back from talking about the elder to how the Tathagata Himself was like this.
The Tathagata is “a father to all the world”.The Tathagata is the father of the four kinds of beings and guiding teacher of the Three Realms.He is both a teacher and a father.
So in the human realm, [He eliminates] “all fear, weakness, vexation, anxiety and worry”.
In the Three Realms sentient beings may be filled with panic and fear.Perhaps, as they experience birth, aging, illness, death, etc., they feel anxiety, sadness, pain and vexation.As they interact with people, matters and objects they are under “the dark coverings of ignorance,” living that kind of life.
The Buddha, the Tathagata, wants to help eliminate sentient beings’ “dark coverings of ignorance” completely.He wants to help them completely eliminate their ignorance.
The title “Tathagata” refers to the nature of True Suchness, the Buddha-nature we all intrinsically have.After the Buddha attained enlightenment and realized the nature of True Suchness, He was completely awakened.The great awakened Tathagata “journeys on the path of True Suchness, and from this cause, He comes to the effect, attaining perfect enlightenment.”
Because we all have the nature of True Suchness, if we regularly create positive karmic causes, we are [practicing the path of] True Suchness; the path of True Suchness is laid out true principles.When we actualize true principles in our actions, we unceasingly cultivate positive causes and go among people to benefit them and engage in spiritual practice.
When we give, we do not seek anything in return nor do we add to our afflictions.When it is the right thing to do, we just do it.“From good causes, we come to good effects.”
Look at the Buddha.For countless kalpas, He has engaged in spiritual practice with countless Buddhas throughout this process.He was practicing to give up His physical life for the sake of sentient beings.He gave of Himself without any expectations.This is how “from this cause, He comes to the effect”.
For a long time, He gave to others.For a long, He has been eliminating His afflictions and ignorance.As a result, He attained perfect enlightenment and is thus called the Tathagata, one who “journeys on the path of True Suchness, and from this cause, He come to the effect, attaining perfect enlightenment.”This is the characteristic of a Tathagata.
If we want to attain Buddhahood, we must persevere for a long time as we continuously undergo this cycle of positive cause and effect and continuously give to help others.
“Also, one who journeys on the path True Suchness to come to the Three Realms in order to transform others is called Tathagata”.
One who follows the principles of the Tathagata and returns to the Three Realms to transform others is called Tathagata. One who journeys on the path of True Suchness to come to the human realm and transform sentient beings is called Tathagata. The Tathagata is the pure nature that we all intrinsically have. We often say that we all intrinsically have this; it is just that we have yet to resolve our afflictions, so we remain in the ignorant state of unenlightened beings.
Every day we must earnestly do good deeds and benefit others without asking for anything in return. In daily living, we must be understanding and constantly grateful and content; that is also part of our spiritual practice.
So, He “serve as a father to all in the world”. The Buddha is father to all beings in the world. All in the world includes all beings in the Three Realms. There is an analogy for this in a previous passage. “In a certain kingdom’s city or settlement, there was an elder who possessed limitless wealth. His house was spacious and large and had only one door”. But inside of this door was a group of very ignorant children, who were attached to their games. When he saw fire arising on all sides, the father could not bear to [leave them there], so out of his compassion, he used kind words to guide them.
With these kind words, he tried to lead them out of the house, so they would not stay inside. But the children still were greedily attached to remaining in the house. No matter what the father said to them, they would not leave. So, he used all kinds of methods and set up the three cars to entice them. In the previous sutra text, this was explained very clearly. The Three Realms analogous to the burning house. The burning house refers to “all in the world”. This world is also called “the world of sentient beings”. It includes time, space and the relationships between sentient beings. On top of this, the emotions of sentient beings create much confusion and afflictions that constantly accumulate. This ignorance covers the mind and gives rise to all kinds of “fear, weakness, vexation, anxiety and worry”.
“All fear, weakness, vexation, anxiety and worry: Aging, illness and death are weakness. Suffering and afflictions and vexations. Anxiety exists in our minds, while worries relate to matters.”
Since we are in the human realm, we inevitably experience aging, illness and death. These are called “weakness”. We gradually grow weaker. In our old age, our bodies are frail, and all of our strength gradually disappears. There will inevitably be a day when we lose what we have. We may lose what we love most, or we may lose our own life.
In summary, we live life in “anxiety, worry and fear”. We worry about interpersonal relationships, about manmade calamities and natural disasters. We have many fears. Even when we have things, [they never truly belong to us]. This really worries us. These afflictions in our daily living, the various weakness that we naturally suffer and the afflictions of aging, illness and death are all suffering which cause us to be very worried.
Afflictions in our minds are “anxiety”. Afflictions arising from matters are “worries”. We are very troubled, because birth, aging, illness and death, worries about gain and loss, etc,all cause us to be worried. So, “All the dark coverings of ignorance [must be] eliminated forever, so nothing remains”. Ignorance creates many afflictions. What is ignorance? It is a dark and dull state.
“Ignorance: A state of mind that is dark and dull. It cannot reflect the light of all Dharma, matters and principles. It is also called delusion. Those who are ignorant cannot understand the Dharma.”
Dark and dull refers to those with relatively limited capacities. Their minds “cannot reflect the light of all Dharma, matters and principles”. Sometimes, when we are driving in cold weather and there are many people in our car, the body heat from so many people causes the windshield to fog up because of the cold air outside and the warm air inside. We have to immediately wipe the windshield clear so that we can see the road ahead.
Our mind is the same. If there is a gap between our minds and things going on around us, and we cannot get what we want, our minds will become filled with afflictions. If our minds are not in harmony with our external conditions, then our minds “cannot reflect the light of all Dharma, matters and principles”. Our minds will always be in conflict with our external conditions, causing us to lose the clarity of our radiant mirror.
If we do not earnestly polish it, it will lose this “light.” “It is also called delusion;” this refers to ignorance. Ignorance is a state that is dark and dull. A state that is dark and dull is one of delusion, so this is another name for ignorance.
[Those who are deluded] cannot understand the Dharma. Because we are ignorant, we cannot understand all Dharma.
The passage continues, “All the dark coverings [are] eliminated forever, so nothing remains.” How can something dark and dull become very clear and sharp? The text explains that “all the dark coverings of ignorance” are things that are obscuring our minds. No matter what, our pure intrinsic is still there, but it is covered by ignorance.
All the dark coverings: because of ignorance we are covered in darkness. We are in the dark on all matters and principles, hindered from being free of delusion by all kinds of contaminants, which lead us to create karma.
Indeed, inside each of our hearts, our pure and clear nature of True Suchness is still there. It is just that it has been covered by ignorance, so we are in the dark on matters and principles and develop a habitual nature of ignorance. In this way, we are “hindered from being free of delusion by all kinds of contaminants.”
“Being free of delusion,” we would be in a state of clarity. When we are not deluded or lost, our minds are very clear. But when we are hindered by ignorance, we are “hindered from being free of delusion.” It is obstructing us. This causes our undefiled minds to be cover [by darkness].
All the dark coverings of ignorance [are] eliminated forever, so nothing remains: The roots of delusion, karma and suffering are the dark coverings of ignorance. By eliminating them forever, so nothing remains, one has eliminated all evil and accomplished all merits and virtues. This explains the Buddha’s “virtue of ending.”
Ignorance is also called delusion. As for “delusion, karma and suffering, having ignorance means we are deluded. Out of delusion, we create karma. Because we create karma, we suffer. This is the root [ignorance]. Root [ignorance] is the dark coverings. Because we are in a state of delusion, we create karma, which causes us to suffer.
In the human realm, the Buddha tells us that all in the world experience suffering. The truth of “suffering” is that it comes from “causation.” We accumulated delusions and karma; delusions lead to karma which leads to suffering. This is root ignorance. If we can be mindful in accepting the Buddha-Dharma and using it to cleanse our minds, then [ignorance] will naturally be “eliminated forever, so nothing remains.”Then we will have “eliminated all evil and accomplished all merit and virtues.” This is the state of Buddhahood. This shows that the Buddha has already eliminated all “delusions and karma.
Therefore, the Buddha has already been freed from the suffering in the human realm. He understands the principle that suffering comes from delusions and the karma we create. He explains this to us so that we can earnestly engage in spiritual practice and earnestly eliminate ignorance and afflictions. Most importantly, if we eliminate ignorance and afflictions, we naturally achieve “the virtue of ending.” “The virtue of ending” comes from completely eliminating all ignorance, so our minds can be pure and clear. When we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must be mindful and put in a lot of effort. Everything results from ignorance and afflictions covering our minds. That is why we create carious karma and must deal with so many complications in the world. Over time, we have created karma in this space, so we end up facing painful retributions as we interact with people. This is why 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）
⊙「深修善緣種善因，因成果熟得解脫；未結善緣速成善，勤耕播種獲善果。大覺慈悲運智慧，三界導師四生父。」
⊙四正勤：未生善令速生，已生善令增長；未生惡令不生，已生惡令速斷。
⊙「何況長者自知財富無量，欲饒益諸子，等與大車。佛告舍利弗：善哉，善哉，如汝所言。」《法華經譬喻品第三》
⊙「舍利弗，如來亦復如是，則為一切世間之父，於諸怖畏衰惱憂患、無明闇蔽，永盡無餘。」《法華經譬喻品第三》
⊙則為一切世間之父：喻前國邑、聚落有大長者，財富無量，其家廣大，唯有一門。父雖憐愍，善言誘喻，諸子耽著。
⊙無明：闇鈍之心，無照了諸法事理之明，即癡之異名。無明者，亦名不了一切法。
⊙闇蔽：云為愚癡闇蔽，於諸事理迷闇為性，能障無癡一切雜染所依為業。
【證嚴上人開示】
「深修善緣種善因，因成果熟得解脫；未結善緣速成善，勤耕播種獲善果。大覺慈悲運智慧，三界導師四生父。」
深修善緣種善因
因成果熟得解脫
未結善緣速成善
勤耕播種獲善果
大覺慈悲運智慧
三界導師四生父
知道學佛要先「修善緣」，平時要「種善因」，「因成果熟」就「得解脫」。這也是我們要常常在說的話。因緣果報，這是修行者最根本的信仰，要很瞭解，時時修行。是要修什麼行呢？善啊！善，人對人，就是要人人結善緣，你在結善緣的同時，那就是在種善因；善因、善緣，自然就有善的果報，因緣若成熟時，這個果報就現前。
所以說，「因成果熟得解脫」。我們平常的生活，常常說「未生善令速生，已生善令增長；未生惡令不生，已生惡令速斷」。「四正勤」裡，不就是這樣說嗎？
四正勤：
未生善令速生
已生善令增長
未生惡令不生
已生惡令速斷
所以，我們「未結善緣速成善」，我們要與人人好好結善緣。平時我們要「勤耕播種」，這樣自然遇到什麼事情，都是得到善的結果。這在我們平時生活中，每天做事情，我向你感恩，你也很歡喜，彼此之間感恩、歡喜，這樣不就是善緣的循環、善果的感受？這是我們每天的生活。
所以佛陀「大覺慈悲運智慧」，以他的大覺，佛陀的慈悲，運用了智慧來人間，「開、示」眾生，眾生「悟、入」，就能夠在這個因緣果報中，行善造福，這樣行菩薩道。所以，佛陀是「三界導師」、「四生慈父」，這對天下眾生同等的愛，同樣都期待人人，就是能夠好好接受佛法，用，不只自己接受，也能夠人人輾轉法輪。這是我們應該要日日瞭解佛法，日日在行動中流傳佛法，這是我們的責任。需要淨化人心，好事要多分享，在分享好事，那叫做轉法輪。
何況長者
自知財富無量
欲饒益諸子
等與大車
佛告舍利弗
善哉善哉
如汝所言
《法華經譬喻品第三》
前面我們說過的經文，長者是大富，所以他給他的孩子，很充足的東西，就譬喻饒益眾生。長者是饒益諸子，佛陀就是饒益眾生。這個「饒益」，「四攝法」：布施、愛語、利行、同事；這是我們行菩薩道最根本的法。所以，大長者將傳給孩子，也是「饒益」，佛陀傳給弟子，也是要「饒益眾生戒」。
這就是佛陀的教育，這種法的財富傳給我們，我們應該心靈打開，接受佛陀佛法的財富進來，日日饒益眾生，所造作的一切，無不都是在饒益眾生。
這就像那位大車，大白牛車一樣，所以舍利弗所回答佛陀的，就是說，那位長者，三輛車，最後給他們這輛車，已經保全了他的生命，已經都平安出來了，這就已經得到很多了，何況給他一輛大車。這個生命，在世間人，就是身體的生命，豈有比生命更價值的東西呢？
所以生命健康，就是給人生的幸福，這是世間的父親，但是佛陀給我們，是「全其慧命」。既然我們能夠平安了，已經接了佛法，很自然這個慧命成長。
所以，佛陀對眾生是不妄語，所說的法都是真實法，所以舍利弗這樣的表達，這位長者無虛妄的過錯。佛陀歡喜了，所以讚歎舍利弗：「很好，回答得很好，就像你所說的。」
「舍利弗！」下面這段(經)文再說：「舍利弗，如來亦復如是」，你說得很好，舍利弗，如來也是這樣，「則為一切世間之父，於諸怖畏衰惱憂患、無明闇蔽，永盡無餘」。
舍利弗
如來亦復如是
則為一切世間之父
於諸怖畏衰惱憂患
無明闇蔽
永盡無餘
《法華經譬喻品第三》
這是佛陀開始回歸，從那位長者的身分，回歸到如來也是如此。如來是「為一切世間之父」，因為如來，是「四生之父」，也是「三界導師」，亦師亦父。所以在這個人世間，「諸怖畏衰惱憂患」，在這個三界中，所有的眾生，都是充滿了驚惶、怖畏，或者是這個生老、病、死等等、憂悲苦惱，人、事、物中，都在「無明闇蔽」，這種生活之中。佛陀、如來，就是要去除這些眾生，一切「無明闇蔽」，使這些眾生，完全將這些無明去除。
如來：
真如本性
亦即乘真如之道
從因來果而成正覺
所說的「如來」，就是真如本性。我們人人本具的真如本性，卻是覺悟之後，體會了真如本性，完全覺悟，大覺的如來，他就是「乘真如之道，從因來果而成正覺」。因為我們人人都有真銣本性，人人平時若懂得種善因，這就是真如。真如道，就是這個真理，人人懂得在這個真理中實行，因，就是善因，不斷不斷來修行，不斷在人群中造福、修行。付出，不想要求回報，不想要再增加煩惱；對的事情，應該做，做就對了。這「從善因」就「來善果」。
看看佛陀，他在無始劫以來，不知在多少佛的過程中修行。所修的行都是為眾生捨身命，他不求回報而付出，這就是「從因來果」，長時間長時間的付出，長時間斷煩惱、去無明，這樣結果成正覺了，所以叫做「如來」。「乘真如之道，從因來果而成正覺」，所以這樣叫做如來。我們若想要成佛，我們就要長久的心，不斷日日這個善的因果循環中，我們不斷付出。
又乘真如之道
而來三界
垂化之故
謂之如來
又在「乘真如之道，而來三界，垂化之故，謂之如來。」乘著這個如來的道理，還是回歸三界，在這個地方來度化，這叫做如來。乘真如之道而來人間，來度化眾生，叫做如來。如來，就是我們人人本具的，清淨的本性，我們常常都常常這樣說，人人本具，只是我們的煩惱未了，所以我們還是在凡夫無明中。每一天好好的行善、造福，別求回報，在日常生活中懂得善解，時時感恩，日日知足。若能夠這樣，這也就是我們在修行的過程。
則為一切
世間之父：
喻前國邑、聚落
有大長者
財富無量
其家廣大
唯有一門
父雖憐愍
善言誘喻
諸子耽著
所以「則為一切世間之父」，佛陀他就是一切世間之父。一切世間，那就是三界之內。譬喻過去我們有說過的經文，前面說「國邑聚落有大長者，財富無量，其家廣大，唯有一門」。
但是這個門裡面，有一群非常懵懂的孩子在裡面，大家貪著遊戲。看到四面火起了，父親不忍心，雖然憐憫，用善言誘喻，善言，好好地要來接引孩子，趕緊出來，誘引孩子不要還在裡面。但是，那些孩子，卻是還貪著在裡面，任憑父親怎麼叫，都不懂得要趕緊出來，所以設種種的方法，三車來誘引。這在前面的(經)文，也說得很清楚了。
所以在這個火宅三界，就譬喻這個火宅，這個火宅就是「一切世間」。「一切世間」，也叫做「有情世間」。就是時間、空間、人與人眾生之間，加上了這樣有情的事情，造成了這種顛倒的煩惱就很多，不斷累積，這種無明來覆蔽了心，所以這造成了人人種種的「怖畏衰惱憂患」。
於諸怖畏
衰惱憂患：
老、病、死為衰
苦惱為惱
在心為憂
在事為患
既來人間，就是難免老、病、死，這叫做「衰」。慢慢衰邁了，老來身體就衰弱了，一切的氣力都漸退了。
人必定就是，有這最後的一天，一定會失去，不是失去你的最愛，便是失去了自己的身體。總而言之，人生都是在「憂患怖畏」，擔心人與人之間，人禍、天災，也是很怕。尤其是有(錢)的時候，「五家共有」也是很擔心。這種人生的煩惱，自然界的衰邁等等，老、病、死、苦為惱，這全都是苦，所以讓我們很擔憂。在心，叫做「憂」，在事叫做「患」。我們的心很憂愁，因為生、老、病、死、患得患失等等，都是讓我們很擔憂。所以要「無明闇蔽永盡無餘」。
無明：
闇鈍之心
無照了諸法
事理之明
即癡之異名
無明者
亦名不了一切法
無明，因為無明，闇鈍，就是根機較鈍劣的人，造成了很多的煩惱，什麼叫做無明？心就是「無照了諸法事理之明」。有時候看到在開車，冬天外面若是很冷，裡面的人多，這個人多，人體的熱氣，外面冷、裡面熱，自然鏡子就會起霧了，就要趕快擦一擦，才能看到前面(路況)。與我們的心一樣。我們的心，若與外面的東西，有一點隔閡，我們要求、求不到，就充滿了煩惱。這就是我們的心就是已經失去調和，與外面的境界那個調和，所以心，「無照了諸法事理之明」，與外面的境界，我們的內心一直在衝突，所以就會失去了明鏡的清淨，我們沒有好好擦它，所以它就會失去了這個「明」，所以，「癡之異名」，叫做無明。無明就是闇鈍，闇鈍叫做愚癡，所以這就是無明的名稱，就是「亦名不了一切法」。
因為我們無明，所以我們無法瞭解一切法。下面再說「闇蔽永盡無餘」，要如何讓這個闇鈍，鈍根能夠變成很明利，裡面就解釋，「愚癡闇蔽」，那就是因為有東西，將我們遮蔽住，如如不動，清淨的本性都還在，只是我們受無明，這樣叫我們覆蓋起來。
闇蔽：
云為愚癡闇蔽
於諸事理迷闇為性
能障無癡
一切雜染
所依為業
其實，我們人人的內心，非常清明的真如還是存在，就只是受無無將它遮蔽起來，所以諸事理迷，就闇，變成了無明這個性。像這樣，就是「能障無癡一切雜染，所依為業」。「無癡」就是清楚，沒有癡迷，就是心很清楚。但是受到無明將我們障礙了，所以「能障無癡」將我們障礙了，使我們的心，這個無雜染的心，這樣被遮蔽了。
無明闇蔽
永盡無餘：
惑業苦之根本
為無明闇蔽
永盡無餘者
已斷一切惡法
成就一切功德
此明佛之斷德
惑，無明也叫做惑。「惑業苦」——我們無明，我們迷惑，迷惑就去造業，造業就受苦；這叫做根本，根本是無明遮蔽。因為我們惑，起惑造業，所以我們受苦，在人間，佛陀告訴我們，一切世間，一切都是苦，「苦」的道理是來自於「集」，就是集這些惑、業——惑，去造業、受苦，這就是根本的無明。
我們若能夠好好用心，接受佛法來洗練，自然「永盡無餘」，「已斷一切惡(法)，成就一切功德」。這就是佛，就是表明佛已經斷盡了，一切「惑、業」，所以佛陀已經跳脫了，這個人間的「苦」，所以，瞭解了這個苦的道理，來自於種種的惑、造業的苦，來解釋給我們聽，讓我們好好修行，斷除那些無明煩惱。最重要的，就是要斷除無明煩惱，自然成就了「斷德」。「斷德」就是斷除一切無明，這樣就能夠清淨、明朗。
學佛，總是要用心下功夫。一切都是無明煩惱，覆蔽了我們的心，造了種種的業，受了這麼多的人間複雜，時間累積，空間造業，人與人之間來受苦報。這實在是我們要好好多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Forever Eliminate the Dark Coverings of Ignorance (佛如長者 闇蔽永盡)
Date:June.08. 2015
“Earnestly cultivate good affinities and plant good seeds. When the seeds mature into fruits, we attain liberation. If we have not formed good affinities, we must quickly accomplish good things and diligently plant seeds to obtain good fruits. The Great Enlightened One has compassion and exercises wisdom. He is the guiding teacher of the Three Realms and father of the four kinds of beings.”
To learn the Buddha’s Way, we must first “cultivate good affinities” and regularly “plant good causes.” “When the seeds mature into fruits,” then “we attain liberation.” This is what we need to constantly say. The karmic law of cause and effect is the fundamental belief of spiritual practitioners; we must understand it very well and always engage in spiritual cultivation. What are we cultivating? Goodness. In our interpersonal relationships, we must form good affinities with everyone. As we form good karmic affinities, we are planting good karmic seeds. Positive causes and conditions will automatically yield positive karmic retributions. When causes and conditions mature, retributions will manifest.
So we said, “When the seeds mature into fruits, we attain liberation.”
In our daily lives, we often say, “Quickly give rise to goodness that has not arisen. Nurture any goodness that has already arisen. Prevent the evil that has not arisen from arising. Quickly eliminate the evil that has already arisen.”
Isn’t this what the Four Right Efforts teach? So, “If we have not formed good affinities, we must quickly accomplish good things.” We must form good affinities with everyone and “diligently plant seeds” in our daily living. Then, whatever situations we encounter, the results will naturally be positive.
In our daily living, as we interact with each other, if I express my gratitude towards you, you will also feel very happy. When we show gratitude to each other and both feel happy, this is a cycle of positive karmic conditions and the experience of positive karmic effects. This is what can happen in our daily living. So, the Buddha, “the Great Enlightened One, has compassion and exercises wisdom.” With His great awakening and His compassion, the Buddha comes to this world and exercises His wisdom to “open and reveal” to sentient beings so they can “realize and enter” [the Dharma]. By realizing the karmic law of cause and effect, they will do good deeds and benefit others, this is how they walk the Bodhisattva-path. Therefore, the Buddha is “the guiding teacher of the Three Realms” and “father of the four kinds of beings.” He loves all sentient beings in the world equally and has the same hope for everyone, that they earnestly accept the Buddha-Dharma. Not only should we accept the Dharma ourselves, we should turn the Dharma-wheel for others. Every day, we should work to understand the Dharma. Every day, we should transmit it with our actions. This is our responsibility.
In our modern society, we need to bring purity to people’s hearts and constantly share good things. By sharing good things, we are turning the Dharma-wheel.
Moreover, this elder knew that his wealth was infinite. He wanted to benefit all of his children by equally giving them great carts. The Buddha told Sariputra, “Excellent, excellent. It is as you say”.
In the previous sutra passage we discussed, the elder was a very wealthy man, so he gave his children an abundance of things. This is an analogy for benefiting sentient beings. The elder benefited all of his children, and the Buddha benefits all sentient beings. This “benefit” comes from the Four All-Embracing Virtues charitable giving, loving words, beneficial conduct and collaborative work. These are the fundamental teachings for us as we walk the Bodhisattva-path.
What the elder passed on to his children was a “benefit” to them.What the Buddha passes on to His disciples are “precepts that benefit all sentient beings”.This is what the Buddha taught.He passes on the wealth of the Dharma to us, so we should open our hearts and minds to accept the wealth of the Buddha-Dharma.Then we can benefit sentient beings every day.Everything we do should benefit sentient beings.
This is like [driving] the great cart, the cart drawn by the great white ox.Sariputra answered the Buddha’s question about the elder setting up the three kinds of carts but only giving them one cart in the end by saying, “[Regardless,] he saved their lives”.By escaping [the burning house] safely, they had already received so much.Furthermore, the elder gave them a great ox-cart.
For people in this world, their physical existence is their life; is there anything more valuable than that?Living a healthy life is a great blessing.This is what our biological father can give us.
But what the Buddha wants to give us is help with “keeping our wisdom-life intact”.Since we live in safety and have already accepted the Buddha-Dharma, our wisdom-life is naturally growing.The Buddha does not tell sentient beings anything false.The teachings that He gave are all True Dharma.
Sariputra conveyed this idea by saying that the elder did not commit the fault of being false.
This made the Buddha happy, so He praised Sariputra.
“Your response is very good. It is just as you say.” He told Sariputra in the following passage,
“Sariputra, the Tathagata is also like this”.
Sariputra said it very well; the Tathagata is also like this.
“I serve as a father to all the world and take all fear, weakness, vexation, anxiety and worry, all the dark coverings of ignorance, and eliminate them forever, so nothing remains.”
This was the Buddha beginning to come back from talking about the elder to how the Tathagata Himself was like this.
The Tathagata is “a father to all the world”.The Tathagata is the father of the four kinds of beings and guiding teacher of the Three Realms.He is both a teacher and a father.
So in the human realm, [He eliminates] “all fear, weakness, vexation, anxiety and worry”.
In the Three Realms sentient beings may be filled with panic and fear.Perhaps, as they experience birth, aging, illness, death, etc., they feel anxiety, sadness, pain and vexation.As they interact with people, matters and objects they are under “the dark coverings of ignorance,” living that kind of life.
The Buddha, the Tathagata, wants to help eliminate sentient beings’ “dark coverings of ignorance” completely.He wants to help them completely eliminate their ignorance.
The title “Tathagata” refers to the nature of True Suchness, the Buddha-nature we all intrinsically have.After the Buddha attained enlightenment and realized the nature of True Suchness, He was completely awakened.The great awakened Tathagata “journeys on the path of True Suchness, and from this cause, He comes to the effect, attaining perfect enlightenment.”
Because we all have the nature of True Suchness, if we regularly create positive karmic causes, we are [practicing the path of] True Suchness; the path of True Suchness is laid out true principles.When we actualize true principles in our actions, we unceasingly cultivate positive causes and go among people to benefit them and engage in spiritual practice.
When we give, we do not seek anything in return nor do we add to our afflictions.When it is the right thing to do, we just do it.“From good causes, we come to good effects.”
Look at the Buddha.For countless kalpas, He has engaged in spiritual practice with countless Buddhas throughout this process.He was practicing to give up His physical life for the sake of sentient beings.He gave of Himself without any expectations.This is how “from this cause, He comes to the effect”.
For a long time, He gave to others.For a long, He has been eliminating His afflictions and ignorance.As a result, He attained perfect enlightenment and is thus called the Tathagata, one who “journeys on the path of True Suchness, and from this cause, He come to the effect, attaining perfect enlightenment.”This is the characteristic of a Tathagata.
If we want to attain Buddhahood, we must persevere for a long time as we continuously undergo this cycle of positive cause and effect and continuously give to help others.
“Also, one who journeys on the path True Suchness to come to the Three Realms in order to transform others is called Tathagata”.
One who follows the principles of the Tathagata and returns to the Three Realms to transform others is called Tathagata. One who journeys on the path of True Suchness to come to the human realm and transform sentient beings is called Tathagata. The Tathagata is the pure nature that we all intrinsically have. We often say that we all intrinsically have this; it is just that we have yet to resolve our afflictions, so we remain in the ignorant state of unenlightened beings.
Every day we must earnestly do good deeds and benefit others without asking for anything in return. In daily living, we must be understanding and constantly grateful and content; that is also part of our spiritual practice.
So, He “serve as a father to all in the world”. The Buddha is father to all beings in the world. All in the world includes all beings in the Three Realms. There is an analogy for this in a previous passage. “In a certain kingdom’s city or settlement, there was an elder who possessed limitless wealth. His house was spacious and large and had only one door”. But inside of this door was a group of very ignorant children, who were attached to their games. When he saw fire arising on all sides, the father could not bear to [leave them there], so out of his compassion, he used kind words to guide them.
With these kind words, he tried to lead them out of the house, so they would not stay inside. But the children still were greedily attached to remaining in the house. No matter what the father said to them, they would not leave. So, he used all kinds of methods and set up the three cars to entice them. In the previous sutra text, this was explained very clearly. The Three Realms analogous to the burning house. The burning house refers to “all in the world”. This world is also called “the world of sentient beings”. It includes time, space and the relationships between sentient beings. On top of this, the emotions of sentient beings create much confusion and afflictions that constantly accumulate. This ignorance covers the mind and gives rise to all kinds of “fear, weakness, vexation, anxiety and worry”.
“All fear, weakness, vexation, anxiety and worry: Aging, illness and death are weakness. Suffering and afflictions and vexations. Anxiety exists in our minds, while worries relate to matters.”
Since we are in the human realm, we inevitably experience aging, illness and death. These are called “weakness”. We gradually grow weaker. In our old age, our bodies are frail, and all of our strength gradually disappears. There will inevitably be a day when we lose what we have. We may lose what we love most, or we may lose our own life.
In summary, we live life in “anxiety, worry and fear”. We worry about interpersonal relationships, about manmade calamities and natural disasters. We have many fears. Even when we have things, [they never truly belong to us]. This really worries us. These afflictions in our daily living, the various weakness that we naturally suffer and the afflictions of aging, illness and death are all suffering which cause us to be very worried.
Afflictions in our minds are “anxiety”. Afflictions arising from matters are “worries”. We are very troubled, because birth, aging, illness and death, worries about gain and loss, etc,all cause us to be worried. So, “All the dark coverings of ignorance [must be] eliminated forever, so nothing remains”. Ignorance creates many afflictions. What is ignorance? It is a dark and dull state.
“Ignorance: A state of mind that is dark and dull. It cannot reflect the light of all Dharma, matters and principles. It is also called delusion. Those who are ignorant cannot understand the Dharma.”
Dark and dull refers to those with relatively limited capacities. Their minds “cannot reflect the light of all Dharma, matters and principles”. Sometimes, when we are driving in cold weather and there are many people in our car, the body heat from so many people causes the windshield to fog up because of the cold air outside and the warm air inside. We have to immediately wipe the windshield clear so that we can see the road ahead.
Our mind is the same. If there is a gap between our minds and things going on around us, and we cannot get what we want, our minds will become filled with afflictions. If our minds are not in harmony with our external conditions, then our minds “cannot reflect the light of all Dharma, matters and principles”. Our minds will always be in conflict with our external conditions, causing us to lose the clarity of our radiant mirror.
If we do not earnestly polish it, it will lose this “light.” “It is also called delusion;” this refers to ignorance. Ignorance is a state that is dark and dull. A state that is dark and dull is one of delusion, so this is another name for ignorance.
[Those who are deluded] cannot understand the Dharma. Because we are ignorant, we cannot understand all Dharma.
The passage continues, “All the dark coverings [are] eliminated forever, so nothing remains.” How can something dark and dull become very clear and sharp? The text explains that “all the dark coverings of ignorance” are things that are obscuring our minds. No matter what, our pure intrinsic is still there, but it is covered by ignorance.
All the dark coverings: because of ignorance we are covered in darkness. We are in the dark on all matters and principles, hindered from being free of delusion by all kinds of contaminants, which lead us to create karma.
Indeed, inside each of our hearts, our pure and clear nature of True Suchness is still there. It is just that it has been covered by ignorance, so we are in the dark on matters and principles and develop a habitual nature of ignorance. In this way, we are “hindered from being free of delusion by all kinds of contaminants.”
“Being free of delusion,” we would be in a state of clarity. When we are not deluded or lost, our minds are very clear. But when we are hindered by ignorance, we are “hindered from being free of delusion.” It is obstructing us. This causes our undefiled minds to be cover [by darkness].
All the dark coverings of ignorance [are] eliminated forever, so nothing remains: The roots of delusion, karma and suffering are the dark coverings of ignorance. By eliminating them forever, so nothing remains, one has eliminated all evil and accomplished all merits and virtues. This explains the Buddha’s “virtue of ending.”
Ignorance is also called delusion. As for “delusion, karma and suffering, having ignorance means we are deluded. Out of delusion, we create karma. Because we create karma, we suffer. This is the root [ignorance]. Root [ignorance] is the dark coverings. Because we are in a state of delusion, we create karma, which causes us to suffer.
In the human realm, the Buddha tells us that all in the world experience suffering. The truth of “suffering” is that it comes from “causation.” We accumulated delusions and karma; delusions lead to karma which leads to suffering. This is root ignorance. If we can be mindful in accepting the Buddha-Dharma and using it to cleanse our minds, then [ignorance] will naturally be “eliminated forever, so nothing remains.”Then we will have “eliminated all evil and accomplished all merit and virtues.” This is the state of Buddhahood. This shows that the Buddha has already eliminated all “delusions and karma.
Therefore, the Buddha has already been freed from the suffering in the human realm. He understands the principle that suffering comes from delusions and the karma we create. He explains this to us so that we can earnestly engage in spiritual practice and earnestly eliminate ignorance and afflictions. Most importantly, if we eliminate ignorance and afflictions, we naturally achieve “the virtue of ending.” “The virtue of ending” comes from completely eliminating all ignorance, so our minds can be pure and clear. When we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must be mindful and put in a lot of effort. Everything results from ignorance and afflictions covering our minds. That is why we create carious karma and must deal with so many complications in the world. Over time, we have created karma in this space, so we end up facing painful retributions as we interact with people. This is why we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
No comments:
Post a Comment