（法華經•譬喻品第三）
⊙「宇宙玄黃古往來今，天地萬物成住壞空；建造堂屋取土木，屋簷棟梁造空間，時空人間行蘊中，有形相法均無常。」
⊙「其宅久故，而復頓弊，堂舍高危，柱根摧朽，梁棟傾斜，基陛隤毀。」《法華經譬喻品第三》
⊙「牆壁圮坼，泥塗阤落，覆苫亂墜，椽梠差脫，周障屈曲，雜穢充遍。」《法華經譬喻品第三》
⊙喻人衰老之時曰隤毀。牆壁圮坼裂開，泥塗所以飾縫隙。阤落敗壞，覆苫所以蔽風雨亂墜。
⊙身體不調四大傷損曰圮坼。泥塗喻皮膚，老色枯朽曰阤落。覆苫喻毛髮，老則脫落曰亂墜。
【證嚴上人開示】
「宇宙玄黃古往來今，天地萬物成住壞空；建造堂屋取土木，屋簷棟梁造空間，時空人間行蘊中，有形相法均無常。」
宇宙玄黃古往來今
天地萬物成住壞空
建造堂屋取土木
屋簷棟梁造空間
時空人間行蘊中
有形相法均無常
「宇宙玄黃」，就是說天地之間，在宇宙裡廣闊無際。「玄」(黑)是很廣，宇宙地球的輪轉，從黑夜而到天亮，天明，我們能夠所看到的，有多少的色彩！形形色色在天地，一片黃土，黃的土地上，出了多少的顏色，這是廣闊無邊，雜色無量。這種是從「古往來今」，已經是在很古、很久，無法算計時間，在這個宇宙空間本來就是。所以「天地萬物」，雖然有這麼多的東西，但是，所有無不都是，「成、住、壞、空」。
在人間這個空間，大宇宙，小空間，那就是我們住的地方。我們住在什麼國家，我們住在哪一個縣、市、鎮，或者是鄉，我們的地方一定要有蓋房子，才能夠保護我們的身體，遮風蔽雨，這就是一個小小的空間。不論天地有多麼大，總是我們人所生活的空間，其實並不大，而且我們所需要，只不過是那個小空間的，一個建築物，但是，這個建築物，那就是同樣，取天地間的物質來成就它。
所以我們要蓋房子之前，就是說「土木興建」。開始在土地上面，我們要取來了這個木材，看看一間房子要用水泥；水泥也是土，它要從山礦去挖，挖那個質，這個土質適合於經過火煉等等，就成為了水泥，它也是土。這個土又再我們需要磚，磚也是一樣，也是去挖土、挖山，同樣人工製造，一塊、一塊，那就經過了磚窯，燒起來就是磚。而若是古時候的人，很有智慧，那就是用土地上的土，攪過了水，然後用模這樣把它，「印、印、印」，印成一塊一塊叫做「土埆」。
不論是水泥，不論是磚塊等等，這都是為了要我們容身，來容納我們的身體，我們要一間房子，所以在大地上，取來了多少這個土的耗費。現在的人又再用鐵、鋼筋。這個鋼筋，鋼筋同樣他要再去挖土、山礦，山礦拿出來才再去煉過，煉鋼、煉鐵，這個鋼、鐵等等就是建材，這也是不離開土。裡面在裝潢，免不了就是要木材。
這些建設的東西，無不都是在宇宙天地之間，取用萬物來完成它，所以我們平時要很珍惜，珍借蓋這間房子的大地。常常要保持讓它乾乾淨淨，有髒了就趕緊清掃，這樣這個土地，會常常常很亮麗，很健全，窗戶也是，門也是，開啊！關啊！擦啊！保護啊！若這樣，這間房子的壽命，會很長久，都將它保養得很妥當。
房子若蓋起來，不論你蓋多堅固的房子，讓你幾年沒有人在那裡住，這間房子很快就敗壞掉了。或者是人在裡面住，沒有去整理它，這些裡面的東西，牆、壁、窗等等，很快就會敗壞掉了，所以我們必定要疼惜萬物。我們有多少人蓋多大的房屋，房子我們在住，人人要去疼惜它，這叫做感恩心，這叫做惜福。所以，一間房子，必定要 我們人人，有人的氣在裡面，有人用心照顧它，它才能夠健全。
所以說時空在人間中，沒有離開行蘊，都是在行蘊中，有形相的法均無常，全都是無常。想想看，時，過去、現在、未來，我們這個「時」，在這個空間，以及我們人與人之間在互動等等，都沒有離開行蘊。時間在我們不知覺中這樣過去，其實空間(也)不是天長地久，它還是會有這個成、住、壞、空之時。所以說，這個時、空與人間，這個任何一個時都是在行蘊。這個「蘊」，就是天地萬物，宇宙玄黃，自古來今的道理都一樣，就是無不都是在行蘊中。一切萬物，讓你說鋼、鐵，鋼，同樣它也會生鏽，同樣也會磨損，同樣……等等。所以這全都是在這種行蘊中過。
這些道理，我們一定要很清楚。所以，有形相的法都是無常。只要有形相的，任何一項的物理、法都是無常。所以我們一定要很用心去體會。
下面我們來看，前文，前面的(經)文，因為佛陀已經開始重說此偈。這個偈文開始說了，「其宅久故，而復頓弊，堂舍高危，柱根摧朽，梁棟傾斜，基陛隤毀。」
其宅久故
而復頓弊
堂舍高危
柱根摧朽
梁棟傾斜
基陛隤毀
《法華經譬喻品第三》
這個「宅」就是三界，這間大房子，包含了欲、色與無色，三界。這間房子很久了、很久，「古往來今」已經是很久了。但是「而復頓弊」，已經完全開始這間房子久來，慢慢在敗壞那個形態。
我們因為欲，這個欲念、貪，所以爭啊、取啊。剛剛所說過一片的大地，人類所需要的，不論是用土，在土地上現在蓋房子，蓋在上面還不夠，他還要往下，一直挖下去、挖下去，這種破壞大地，真的是很無奈！這就是現在的人間。不論他如何去傷損它，這間房子到底能夠多久呢？儘管人類覺得「人定能勝天」，其實敵不過這個天地間的威力。
所以，三界之內，人先有這個欲念，先去造作破壞的事情，所以三界開始，欲界破壞了，再來就是色界，我們的心地、心靈的「色」。外面這麼多的東西，「我愛、我要占有」等等，產業很多還要更多，想出了很多方法，要擁有大地上的一切。這種他的內心所有有形相的色，他全部形相的法，他全部都要。有形相在他的內心布滿了占有，，其實「有形相法均無常」，他不了解道理，他還是不斷這樣在造作中。再來就是無色界，明明取不到，他還想入非非。
所以若要用這個「三界」，用佛法去分析，你就分析到欲界幾個「天」，色界、無色界，這其實無不都是，在我們的心地裡，我們的心靈大地。我們先了解我們的心靈，都是在欲、色與無色之中。因為我們有這個「無色」，想入非非，煩惱無明很多，所以我們才會不斷起了雜念。雜念開始，欲念起，占有的心很大、很廣，就是因為這樣造作了，讓大乾坤它就會提早衰頹，就會敗壞了。所以我們要用心。
這個《法華經》裡面，很期待我們人人，真的能夠體會到天地、人間，所以叫做「天、地、人」，天在上，地在下，中間是人。我們人要怎樣對待天，保持得空間清淨，要怎麼樣讓大地平安，這全都要看人，所以我們人人要提高警覺。
再接下來就說，「牆壁圮坼，泥塗阤落，覆苫亂墜，椽梠差脫，周障屈曲，雜穢充遍。」
牆壁圮坼
泥塗阤落
覆苫亂墜
椽梠差脫
周障屈曲
雜穢充遍
《法華經譬喻品第三》
現在再接下來的字都很難唸，你們若在念《法華經》，可能同樣不很順口。這些東西其實是，我們每天都是和我們很親近的。有這些東西，我們才能夠很平安，不必淋雨，不必被風吹，但是，這些東西，都是這樣穩藏在，你感覺不太去感覺到的，所以我們叫不出它的名稱。
總而言之，這就是在我們一間房子裡面，不能沒有的，這就是要譬喻我們人，我們人的身體。一間房子與我們人的身體一樣，人的身體也要同樣有骨骼，我們的身體若沒骨骼，這樣將我們撐起來，我們哪有那個內臟的平安呢？所以有這些骨骼，有這些內臟，也還需要皮、肉、皮膚等等。有了皮膚，要有毛髮，這樣才會像一個人；人與人之間，才能夠分別出了張三、李四。這就是天地之間的奧妙。
總而言之，蓋一間房子要有梁、有脊，要有棟、有梁，要有柱子、要有壁等等，所以我們人的身體也是一樣。所以，一間房子，在天地之間這樣年久失修，沒有好好照顧它，這間房子會更快壞掉，與我們人衰老了同樣。人若衰老時，自然整個都像鬆掉一樣，看老人臉皮就這樣整個鬆弛掉，老來時不只，老來時，眼睛就一直模糊了，老來時走路沒能那麼俐落了等等，這已經老來的這個形象，這個骨骼等等都鬆脫了，已經鬆掉了，所以，這人已經老的形象就出來。所以開頭就是像地基，已經被鬆動掉了，這就是已經，人那個衰老的相開始出來了。
喻人衰老之時
曰隤毀
牆壁圮坼裂開
泥塗所以飾縫隙
阤落敗壞
覆苫
所以蔽風雨亂墜
「牆壁圮坼」。因為那個柱子、梁等等已經鬆動了，這個壁自然就會裂、裂開等等，所以他就有泥土來抹它，把它裝飾起來，讓這個縫能平。但是，「阤落」，開始這樣就敗壞掉了。因為這個壁若是裂，開始就是在脫落下來之時，慢慢它就阤落，「覆苫亂墜」。
開始，那個草，古時候的人蓋屋頂，用稻草、艾草等等，他就是用草這樣去蓋起來，時日久了，若久來，同樣這些草慢慢就會鬆脫，開始就風一吹，就慢慢就會墜落。這是一間房子的形，與我們人的身體是一樣。
身體不調四大傷損
曰圮坼
泥塗喻皮膚
老色枯朽曰阤落
覆苫喻毛髮
老則脫落曰亂墜
我們人的身體四大不調，同樣這個身體會傷、會損，所以這種的泥土，或者是看到我們的皮膚老了，枯朽了等等，也已經都整個鬆弛掉，頭髮也一直掉了等等，那個老相開始一直一直出來了。所以在我們那個房子，常常都人家在蓋房子時，我們那個屋簷伸出去一點，為了保護，雨若來時，不會一下子就潑進來，保護窗戶、保護牆壁等等。但是，這個屋簷要出來，同樣那個脊楹就是凸出去的，就要再伸出去些。這就像我們的筋骨一樣，雖然我們有手，但是我們也要有手指，我們才能夠發揮我們的作用。
總而言之，我們的骨節，我們的骨與身體等等，一定為了作用，這個身體配合得，沒有一個地方是不重要的。但是，我們到久來了，用久來了，看看我們人，很勞動的人，雙手變形、手指變形了，指甲已經長不長了，已經磨手皮，磨到全都磨損了，這就是我們人。
不過，人有在做，才是有價值。而若是都常常裝扮很美，捨不得用兩隻手，這就是沒有用的，只是一種的裝飾。這種沒有用的裝飾，空過了人間。就像一間房子裡面，最沒有用的就是花瓶，這些花瓶，你可以不必插花，你不必這樣去裝飾，不過，那個東西就是這樣，在那裡裝飾一下而已。這人間要做一個有用的，每一間房子，就是保護我們的身體，我們的身體要保護大地、要保護人間，發揮我們身體的效率，這才是身體的價值。
所以這個譬喻，不只是說一間房子，是說三界內所有的物質一切。宇宙這種的「玄黃」，就是很雜、很雜的色，很多很多的東西，無不都是，無不都是在這個天地間，不論古往今來，還是在行蘊中，一切有形相的法都是無常，還是同樣這樣在敗壞。既然這樣在敗壞，我們何必呢？何必有這麼多的煩惱，來纏我們的身呢？所以我們應該看得開。要趕緊，這個法的道理是如何來？不只是在我們的日常生活中，很細微的事情我們要用心；就是浩瀚的宇宙之間，一切萬物的道理，我們也就要去瞭解。
萬物的道理收納過來，無不都是有形相法，就是無常的事情，那麼我們何必呢？這樣生那麼多的煩惱、造那麼多的業呢？所以，我們人人要時時自我警惕，要時時多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: All Visible Phenomena Are Impermanent (以屋喻身萬法無常)
Date:July.24. 2015
“Amidst the universe’s nebulous colors, from the past until today, all things have been undergoing formation, existence, decay and disappearance. To build a hall, one must gather earth and wood. The hall’s eaves, beams and girders create a space. Amidst the subtle changes of time, space and relationships, all tangible, visible phenomena are impermanent. ”
“Amidst the universe’s nebulous colors” is referring to the world, to this universe that is vast and boundless. “Nebulous” means very vast. As our planet rotates, as we go from darkness to light, we can see that there are so many colors, colors of every description, in this world. Out of this expanse of sandy yellow soil, so many different colors emerge. There are countless colors in this vast space. It has been like this “from the past until today.” It has been this way since ancient times, for an incalculably long period of time. This space in the universe was always this way.
As for “all things in universe,” though there are so many things in this world, they all go through “formation, existence, decay and disappearance.” The general space we live in is the universe. The immediate space we live in is our residence, which is in a certain country, a certain county, city, town or village. Wherever we live, there needs to be a house so that we can protect our body from the wind and the rain. This is just a tiny part [of the vast world]. However big the world is, the space we humans live in is actually not that big. Moreover, though all we need is this small space, a single building, to construct this building we still need materials taken from the world around us. First we need to plan out the construction, [described in Chinese as] “the raising of earth and wood.” Before we start building on this piece of earth, we need wood, or lumber.
Perhaps we also need to use cement. Ingredients for cement come from earth; they must be mined from mountains. These raw materials must be processed through the furnace and so on in order to become cement. So, cement also comes from the earth. From earth, we can also get the bricks we need. The raw materials for bricks likewise come from digging in the earth and the mountains. Bricks are also manmade. Individual blocks of earth become bricks after being baked in a brick kiln. In ancient times, people were very wise. They mixed soil from the earth and water and then molded bricks from it. They called those bricks “mud bricks”.
Whether we are using cement or bricks, this is done for the sake of sheltering our bodies. To build a house, we must consume many resources from the earth. Nowadays, people also use iron and steel. To make steel, we also need to dig into the earth and mine the mountains. After extracting the raw materials, in a furnace we smelt them to get steel and iron. Steel, iron and so on are building materials that must be obtained from the earth.
To decorate the interior of a house, wood is necessary.We take many kinds of building materials from the world around us in order to complete this house.So, we should always be appreciative, cherish the land that enabled us to build our home and always preserve it so everything looks neat.If there is debris, we must clean it promptly.In this way, the land will remain very beautiful and healthy.It is the same with windows and doors.We open and close them, wipe and maintain them.If we do these things, the house will last a long time.It will be very well taken care of.
After a house is built, no matter how sturdy it is, if nobody lives in it for a few years, the house will deteriorate very quickly.Or, if people live in it but do not take care of it, the things inside the house, like the walls, windows and so on, will deteriorate very quickly.So, we have to cherish everything.
Many people build large houses.Since we live in the house, we should cherish it.This is a feeling of gratitude and is called cherishing one’s blessings.
So, all the people who live in a house must bring a sense of life to it and careful maintain it so that the house can stay in good shape.
It is said, in time and space and between people, thing constantly undergo infinitesimal changes, undergo the aggregate of action.All tangible, visible phenomena are impermanent.
As for time, think about how there is the past, present and future.This time, this space and our interactions with each other are all subject to the aggregate of action.
Time continues to pass while we are unaware.
In fact, this place will not last forever either; it will eventually decay and disappear.Therefore, time, space and relationships are constantly going through infinitesimal changes.
This “aggregate” is an unchanging principle that has applied to all thins in the universe since the beginning; everything is subject to the aggregate of action.
This applies to all things. For example, steel and iron will get rusty, will become worn down and so on.This is because they undergo all these infinitesimal changes.We must clearly understand these principles.
All visible phenomena are impermanent.
Anything that is visible, any kind of physical matter, any kind of phenomenon, is impermanent.So, we must put our hearts into experiencing this.
Now let us examine the previous sutra passage.The Buddha was restating Himself in verse form, so these verses began with,
“As this house was old, it had been repeatedly damaged. The halls and the quarters were high and precarious were brittle and fragile. The girders and beams were all aslant. The foundations and stairs were falling apart.”
This ”house” refers to the Three Realms, which are the desire, form and formless realms.This house was built a long, long time ago.It has been here “from the past until today,” but “it had been repeatedly damaged.”After so long, this house had visibly begun to deteriorate.
Because of our desires, our greedy and desirous thoughts, we fight for and take things.
As we just talked about, on this land, though we humans need earth to build houses on top of, that is no longer enough for us.We have started to dig underground.This causes great damage to the earth.There is not much we can do.That is what people do right now.
Though people harm [the earth] to build houses, how long will the houses last?Although people believe “man can conquer nature,” we cannot actually withstand the power of nature.
In the Three Realms, first, people give rise to desires.This leads them to de destructive things.So, first among the Three Realms is the desire realms, where we create destruction.
The second is the form realm.Our minds take in all the “forms” around us.There are so many things out there, and we think, “I love this, I want to possess this.”We might have a lot but we want even more. So, we think up many ways to take possession of everything on earth. So, in our minds, all tangible and visible forms, all tangible and visible phenomena, are what we wholly want to possess. Our minds are filled with thoughts of taking possession of these objects. Actually, “All tangible, visible phenomena are impermanent”. If we do not understand this principle, we will continue to create [bad karma].
Last is the formless realm. There are things we clearly can never obtain, yet we still fantasize about them. When the Realms are analyzed in Buddhist teachings, we find that the desire realm is composed of [six] desire heavens and the form and formless realms [have more]. But these realms are actually in our minds. When it comes to our minds, we must first understand that our minds are in the three states of the desire, form and formless realms. Because of the state of the formless realm, we let our imagination run wild and thus give rise to much affliction and ignorance. So, discursive thoughts keep arising in our minds. Discursive thoughts lead to desires, so we want to possess a wide array of things. This leads us to take certain actions which cause the world to weaken even faster; we cause it to deteriorate. So, we must be mindful.
In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha shares His hope that all of us can truly comprehend [the workings of] the physical realm and the human world. So, we talk about the heavens, earth and humans.
The heavens are above, the earth is below and we are in the middle. We humans need to care for the sky and keep it free of pollutants. We also need to keep the earth safe and peaceful. This all depends on what we do. So, each one of us should heighten our vigilance.
Next, it states, “The walls were cracked and collapsing, the plaster was peeling and the straw roof was scattered messily”. The rafters and poles were crumbling, the surrounding fences were all bent, and various filthy things were everywhere”.
These words are hard to recite. When reciting the Lotus Sutra, the words might not flow out smoothly. But we are actually surrounded by these things on a daily basis. Only with these things can our lives be peaceful and safe; we will be protected from the wind or rain. But these things are seemingly hidden from sight, so we hardly notice them. Therefore, we cannot name many of them.
In summary, these are the things we need in a house; they are essential. These things are an analogy for us, for our bodies. Our body is just like a house. In our body, there are bones. If there were no bones to support us, how could our internal organs be safe? In addition to bones and organs, there also needs to be skin and muscles. In addition to skin, there needs to hair on the body and head for us to look human. [These external appearances] allow us to distinguish people from each other. This is the wonder of the universe.
In summary. To build a house, we need beams and ridges, girders, pillars, walls and so on. It is the same with the human body. When a house in this world falls into disrepair, if it is not well cared-for, it will be in bad shape very soon. The same thing happens when we age. When we are old and frail, our body naturally goes slack. The skin on the faces of old people loosens. Nobody can stop the aging process. When we get old, our vision becomes increasingly blurry. When we get old, we cannot walk as nimbly and so on. This is what we look like when we are old. The bones become more loosely held together, so we have the posture of old people. When the foundation everything is built on is no longer that sturdy, we have begun to show signs of aging and frailty.
“When people grow old and frail, we can say they are falling apart. The walls were cracked, split and collapsing, thus in the plaster there were fissures, and it was peeling and falling off. The straw roof, due to the wind and rain, had scattered and fallen.”
“The walls were cracked and collapsing”. Because pillars and beams had become loose and were less able to support [the building’s weight], naturally the walls split and cracked. People cover the walls with plaster for the sake of decoration, so everything looks smooth. But it is “peeling off”. Things are beginning to deteriorate.
Once there are cracks in the wall, the plaster will fall out. Gradually, the plaster will begin peeling off. “The straw roof was scattered messily”. In ancient times, people covered the roof with straw and mugwort and so on. They used [bundles of] straw to cover the roof.
As time passed, the straw would also gradually become loose. When the wind blew, pieces of straw would fall off. This is the appearance of a house; it is also similar to the human body.
When the body’s four elements are not it balance, it is damaged. We can say it is cracked and collapsing. The plaster is like our skin. The withering of age is like plaster peeling. The straw roof ids like our hair; with old age it falls, thus it is scattered messily.
When the four elements of our body are not in balance,the body will be damaged. Over time, the plaster of a house like our aged, withered skin, will become loosened. Our hair will start to fall out, too. We gradually begin to show signs of aging.
So, often when we build a house, we extend the eaves a little bit to protect the house so that when it rains, the water will not splash against the house. This protect the windows, walls etc..
But to extend the eaves, the ridges of the roof have to extend out, too. Our tendons and bones work in the same way. Although we have hands, we also need fingers to exercise all the functions of our hands. In summary, our joints and our bond and the rest of our body, for the sake of the body’s function, must all work well with each other.Every single part is very important.
But have lived a long time, these parts have been used a long time. Look at what happens to people who work hard [with their hands]. Their hands and fingers become deformed. Their fingernails no longer grow. The skin of their hands is worn and damaged. This I what happens to people. But this work [gives their hands] value they are useless. If we decorate our hands prettily and are reluctant to use them, they are useless; all they will be is decoration. If they only serve as useless decoration, they will accomplish. They would be like a vase, which is the most useless thing in a house. We do not need to have flowers in a vase; we do not need such decorations.
The only function of a vase is to simply be a decoration. Living in this world, we want to be useful.Every hose protects people’s bodies, and we must use our bodies to protect the plant, to protect this world. We must make full use of our body for it to have value. This analogy refers to more than a house, it refers to everything within the Three Realms.
The “nebulous” universe has great variety, with all kinds of form. There are so many things that exist in this world between the heavens and earth. From the past until today, they have undergone infinitesimal changes. All visible tangible phenomena are impermanent and they are all deteriorating.
Since everything is deteriorating, why must we give rise to so many afflictions that bind our body?We should now be able to see through things and quickly learn to understand the principles behind their workings. We must not just be mindful about they tiny matters in our daily living; we must strive to understand the truths of all things in this vast universe. When we sum up the principles of all things, we know that all tangible, visible phenomena are impermanent.
So, why do we give rise to so many afflictions and create so much karma for their sake? We must always remind ourselves to be vigilant and always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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