【靜思妙蓮華】20150904 - 娑婆眾苦相續不絕 - 第646集 Suffering in the Saha World Never Ends

20150904《靜思妙蓮華》娑婆眾苦相續不絕(第646集)
（法華經•譬喻品第三）

⊙「濁世法末無明多，眾生垢重災難多，人心浮動迷方向，能安住心正道念。」
⊙「稚小無知，歡娛樂著。長者聞已，驚入火宅，方宜救濟，令無燒害。」《法華經譬喻品第三》
⊙告喻諸子，說眾患難：慈父救子出離火宅，教誡娑婆難堪忍，喻世間諸種——說眾患難之苦，領引安穩之道。
⊙「告喻諸子，說眾患難，惡鬼毒蟲，災火蔓延，眾苦次第，相續不絕。」《法華經譬喻品第三》
⊙惡鬼：黑暗間惡鬼無形、無孔、無處不在。
⊙毒蟲：四生萬千種類，屬性千差萬別，生態不相同。物命互鬥成火災蔓延。
⊙眾生苦，貧窮求生難熬，牆壁傾斜，把茅蓋屋以蔽風雨，缺糧忍飢餓，天寒衣單薄，衣食住諸事苦。
⊙小三災：饑饉災、瘟疫災、刀兵災。
⊙據佛經說：至壞劫濁世，七年不雨，草木不生，人類多數都受飢餓的逼迫而死亡。
⊙瘟疫災：眾生疫情交雜，人壽減，生命短。
⊙刀兵災：這時一草一木，都成了殺人兇器。人類互相瞋恨，互相殺害，直至所存無幾才止。

【證嚴上人開示】
「濁世法末無明多，眾生垢重災難多，人心浮動迷方向，能安住心正道念。」

濁世法末無明多
眾生垢重災難多
人心浮動迷方向
能安住心正道念

大家應該要能瞭解了，真的是濁世法末之時了，眾生無明，無明眾生偏多，所以就是「眾生垢重」，「垢」就是不乾淨、骯髒、污染的心很多。所以，眾生心污染，自然就迷惑，迷惑、造業，造業，就造成人禍、天災；人倫道德喪失了，所以這災難就多。

這個時代，「劫濁」，這個時代「人心浮動」，人都迷失方向了，何去何從，不明是非、不白道理，像這樣，都是叫做心浮動。方向偏差了，所以這時候最重要的，我們人人就是要，「安住心，正道念」。人人若能夠心安住下來，不再浮動了，心要定，守好人的規則，開啟我們的智慧，戒、定、慧來安我們的心。心若安定，方向就正確，菩提道心，念念無不都是利益人間。

人若能夠利益人間，哪有什麼樣的對立呢？不只是沒有對立，又能夠互相疼愛，互相關懷，這樣的人生，社會祥和，生活安和樂利，人人知足、人人互相感恩。這樣人間就平安了。

前面的(經)文我們已經說，「稚小無知，歡娛樂著。長者聞已，驚入火宅，方宜救濟，令無燒害。」

稚小無知
歡娛樂著
長者聞已
驚入火宅
方宜救濟
令無燒害
《法華經譬喻品第三》

那些孩子沒智慧，貪著在那個火宅裡面，又不知道火災，種種災難從四面逼近，這些無知的孩子，還是在那裡好玩。長者聽到、看到，心很著急，趕緊入火宅來，開始設方法來救濟。

長者就是譬喻佛，他用著很迫切的心，叫做「驚入火宅」，很迫切，再迴入娑婆，為一大事來「開、示」眾生，設種種方便法，隨眾生種種的根機，這樣來救濟眾生的身與心。

希望能夠讓我們心瞭解，身、口、意——身體的做業，不要去造作傷天害理的事情；這個身體，口，口要口口宣傳善法；而我們心意，要時時心存戒、定、慧等等。讓人與人之間互相利益，互相幫助，這木卜竹水就能夠彼此脫離這個火宅，不要受人間的種種，失了方向的道理。

我們應該要很明白正道法，不要走入邪法。我們應該要走正道法，自然有門可以讓我們，出離這個災難的火宅，這叫做方法。讓我們的心，那種欲心、色心、煩惱心，能夠完全脫離，這樣就「令無燒害」，就不會受這些種種無明、煩惱，來傷害我們的慧命。

下面這段(經)文再說，「告喻諸子，說眾患難，惡鬼毒蟲，災火蔓延，眾苦次第，相續不絕。」

告喻諸子
說眾患難
惡鬼毒蟲
災火蔓延
眾苦次第
相續不絕
《法華經譬喻品第三》

我們能夠瞭解，佛陀的慈悲，隨順眾生的根機。所以「告喻諸子」，用種種方法要對孩子說，要說什麼呢？「說眾患難」，很多「患」，也就是很多不調和的事情；四大不調、人心不調、事相不調……，很多很多都是不調和。這段經文解說這麼久，無不都是眾生種種生態、心態，種種的各不不調和，很多。

所以佛「慈父救子」。用門外設三車，用種種方法來誘引孩子出來了，出來之後，還要教誡，教誡娑婆的苦難，這種難堪忍。

告喻諸子
說眾患難：
慈父救子出離火宅
教誡娑婆難堪忍
喻世間諸種
說眾患難之苦
領引安穩之道

這種堪忍的世界，我們凡夫所造作很多的惡業，互相衝突，互相不調和，造作了很多人間苦上加苦，這叫做娑婆世界。世間種種，種種的「患」，這種患難，種種不調和，種種的災難，就在這濁世的時候會發生。所以趕緊要引領大家，既然出來了，再向他說道理，要大家遠離這個火宅，去到最安穩的道路去，那就是菩提道了。

再說「惡鬼毒蟲，災火蔓延」。就是再跟我們說，娑婆世界是這樣，裡面充滿了這種惡鬼。「惡鬼」就是黑暗間的鬼，是無形，無形無蹤。鬼是長什麼樣子呢？多數都是心鬼，所以無形，而且無孔不入、無處不在。

惡鬼：
黑暗間
惡鬼無形、
無孔、
無處不在

這種的惡鬼，普遍了我們的無明，我們的煩惱。又再「毒蟲」，毒蟲，過去我們解釋過了，所有的猛獸、毒蛇等等，這叫做毒蟲。也譬喻「四生」。

毒蟲：
四生萬千種類
屬性千差萬別
生態不相同
物命互鬥
成火災蔓延

「四生」：卵生、胎生、濕生、化生。光是這四種的生態，種類就很多樣，這很多很多的生態都是不同，「千差萬別」，這些物命，種種動物的生命，就是互相爭鬥。你光是水中的魚，大魚就吃小魚。其實人類不就是這樣呢？互相強欺弱。所以這叫做娑婆世界，所以火災，「災火蔓延」，這種「災火蔓延」，不斷就是這樣災難，一直愈陷愈深，災難愈擴愈大。

這實在是佛陀的慈悲，要我們好好體會道理。我們瞭解道理了，我們就要遠離這種的災難。所以我們的心，膫解無明、煩惱、惑業，我們就要趕緊遠離，因為裡面是「眾苦次第，相續不絕」。真的是「眾苦次第」，在這娑婆世界，長時間，「劫波」的裡面，眾生在這個地方，真的有大三災、小三災，這樣次第發生。

說「眾生苦，貧窮求生難熬」。光是知道現在，有多少的眾生貧窮苦難？

眾生苦
貧窮求生難熬
牆壁傾斜
把茅蓋屋以蔽風雨
缺糧忍飢餓
天寒衣單薄
衣食住諸事苦

我們生在這個空間，我們是很有福，我們不缺吃，不缺穿，生活在這樣，沒有憂慮的這個環境裡，我們應該很感恩。可知道，和我們同在這個時間，同在這個天下間的人生，那種的貧窮，求生不得，求死不能，非常的苦，非常的難熬，很苦難。

有的人的生活，牆壁已經傾斜了；抬頭看，用草覆蓋的房子，連草都已經風吹日曬，草也已經破了。記得我們那時候去到貴州，看到的，真的老人住在那個，抬頭看到天空，下雨的時候，棉被(濕透)拿出來用扭的。看，這種的生活，現在的人間有多少呢？我們大家將心比心啊！

又再「天寒衣單薄」，天氣很冷，衣服很單薄，這樣的人有多少呢？需要人間的菩薩，在那寒冷的地方，為他披一件溫暖的衣服。若能夠這樣，這就是人生還有希望。所以，很多人，衣、食、住，種種的事情都是很苦，苦不堪，這叫做貧的苦。

⊙小三災：饑饉災、瘟疫災、刀兵災。

再來是「小三災」：這個小三災，饑饉，饑饉的災難、還有瘟疫，瘟疫就是傳染病，無法控制下來，不斷一直傳染下去。又再刀兵的災難，這種戰爭，動刀、動武器，現在的武器不必用刀，現在就是化學、科學的武器，真的是很可怕。

到壞劫時，在佛經典中，很多就已經說到，現在就是「壞劫」，就是破壞，天災、人禍就不斷一直產生。我們剛才說有的人，貧困沒得吃，缺糧食，那只是帶業來所受的苦。但是到了眾生全部共業時，那就是饑饉的災難，可以七年不下雨，土地上完全沒有糧食，這種「七年不雨，草木不生」，草都不生了，五穀雜糧哪有辦法呢？哪一個人錢很多，有辦法買到東西？沒有了。所以這叫做饑饉，人類多數都受饑饉所逼迫，到時候，最後還是餓死，到死亡的境界。

據佛經說：
至壞劫濁世
七年不雨
草木不生
人類多數
都受飢餓的逼迫
而死亡

再來就是瘟疫的災難。瘟疫，那就是傳染病。記得（2003年）SARS，「聞SARS色變」，那種(非典型)肺炎，這種非常可怕，無藥可醫。那時候，全世界多麼的驚惶啊！很多人全年的時間，都是封著口鼻，口罩戴整年，幸好，那還不算是瘟疫的災難，還不算，真正的瘟疫，一連續下去要有七個月。

想，那時候的SARS，才短短多久的時間？那時候還說發現到藥，人如何隔離。到了瘟疫起時，哪有空間可隔離呢？那種開口，細菌就出去了，人與人之間這樣就傳染了。

瘟疫災：
眾生疫情交雜
人壽減
生命短

這種「疫情交雜」，就是人與人之間互相交雜，空氣與人互相交雜等等，真的是可怕，這是瘟疫。到這個時候，人壽就減少了，生命就短。

接下來那就是「刀兵災」，那就是戰爭。這個戰爭，佛經裡面說「極盛七天」，七天，現在不用到七天，現在的科技發達，這樣按一個鈕，科學的武器就射到了。那邊按過來，這邊按過去，這樣，一剎那間，所以，佛經裡說，這個刀兵的災難，就是戰爭的災難，「極盛七天」，就完全消滅了，人間這是可怕，這是小三災。所以，刀兵劫這個時候，一草一木，都是變成了殺人的武器。

刀兵災：
這時一草一木
都成殺人兇器
人類互相瞋恨
互相殺害
直至
所存無幾才止

我們在這個濁世，人的心已經沒有道理了，已經什麼東西，都可以成為殺人東西。到了那時候，草木皆兵，甚至草枝刺到，人就會往生。到那時候，其實，我們現在，蚊子叮到都會瘟疫了，或者是蚊子叮到，同樣那個細菌稍微感染了，就救不活了。你們想，這種未來殺人的東西，不一定說動起了刀、武器。其實「草木皆兵」，尤其是人與人之間，一句話不合，就會引起這個大災難。所以，人類互相瞋恨，互相殺害，這一直到人類所存活下來的，剩沒有多少為止。你想，這種的災難實在是很多，這才是「小三災」。

所以，佛陀他還是，孩子離開了火宅，他還要「告喻諸子」，還要跟這些孩子說種種的患難。我們若瞭解之後，千萬不要再恢復，去造作無明惑業。因為這個業愈造愈多，這個共業愈聚，愈是聚過來，那個業力愈來愈強，使這種破壞，那個心理，破壞的心理愈來愈昌盛，所以就會造成了這種刀兵劫。

說來是大災難，不過佛陀將它，列入那是「小三災」。所說的「小三災」，是長久這樣不斷、不斷累積，這在時代、劫濁，長時間劫濁之中，不斷增加、不斷增加。總而言之，我們累積了這些災難，是因為眾生累積了無明、惑業，一直造，一直…，所以共業引起很多災難。所以我們要時時多用心。

Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Suffering in the Saha World Never Ends (娑婆眾苦相續不絕)
Date:September.04. 2015

“In the turbid world, during Dharma-degeneration, there is much ignorance. Sentient beings are severely defiled, and there are many disasters. People’s minds waver and lose their direction. Our minds must peacefully abide in thoughts of the Right Path.”

Everyone should be able to understand that we are indeed living in a turbid world during an era of Dharma-degeneration. The ignorance in sentient beings and the number of ignorant sentient beings are so great. So, “Sentient beings are severely defiled.”
“Defiled” means impure. There are many soiled and contaminated minds. When sentient beings’ minds are contaminated, naturally they will become deluded. Out of delusion, they create karma. The karma they create then leads to manmade calamities, natural disasters and the loss of morals and virtues. Thus they face many hardships.
In this era, in this “kalpa of turbidity, people’s minds waver”. People have lost their direction. What path will they take? They cannot tell right from wrong and do not understand the principles. For this reason, their minds are wavering, and they deviate from the right course. At this time, the most important thing is for everyone’s mind to “peacefully abide in thoughts of the Right Path.” We must try to settle our minds so that they will no longer waver. When we are in a state of concentration and can abide by the rules of proper conduct, we can unlock our wisdom. With precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, we can settle our minds. If our minds are peaceful and settled, we will advance in the right direction.
With Bodhi-aspirations, our every thought will be about benefiting this world. If we all work to benefit this world, how could confrontations possibly arise? Not only would there be no confrontations; we would also love and care for each other. With this kind of life, there will be harmony in society, and everyone will have safe and joyful lives. If everyone is content and grateful for each other, this world will be peaceful and safe.

The previous sutra passage states, “Young and ignorant, they were attached to their amusement. When the elder heard this, he entered the burning house with alarm to skillfully rescue them and prevent their being burned.”

Those children did not have wisdom, so they greedily lingered in the burning house. They did not recognize that fires and other disasters were pressing them from all sides. Those ignorant children were still enjoying themselves inside. When the elder heard and saw this, he quickly entered the burning house and began to devise methods to save them.
The elder is an analogy for the Buddha. He had a great sense of urgency, so it says, “He entered the burning house with alarm.” He urgently returned to the Saha World. For His one great cause, He came to “open and reveal” to sentient beings. He established many kinds of skillful means according to the capabilities of sentient beings, in order to save their bodies and minds.
He hoped to help everyone understand [the karma] of body, speech and mind. The actions of our body must not go against ethics and morals. This is the karma of the body. In terms of speech, every world we speak must spread virtuous Dharma. And in our minds, there must always be precepts, Samadhi, wisdom, etc, so that we will benefit each other and assist each other.Then we can all escape the burning house together and not lose our direction because of deviant teachings.
We must clearly understand the teachings of the Right Path and avoid following improper teachings.If we follow the teachings of the Right Path, naturally we will find a door that lets us escape this burning house full of disasters.
This is known as a method.
This will help our minds completely transcend the states of desires, forms and afflictions.
Thus, this “prevents [us from] being burned” and keeps our ignorance and afflictions from harming our wisdom-life.

The next sutra passage states, “He let all the children know about the numerous problems and hardships, the evil ghosts and poisonous creatures and the spreading fire, how all these sufferings come one after another, continuing on without end.”

We can understand that the Buddha, out of His compassion, adapted to sentient beings’ capabilities.So, “He let all the children know.”
He used many methods to teach the children.
What did the Buddha speak about?
“All the numerous problems and hardships.”
There are many “problems,” many things that are in a state of discord.The four elements are not in balance, people’s minds are not in harmony and worldly matters are in discord.
Many things are in a state imbalance.
We have spoken at length about these passages, how they are about the many kinds of imbalance in the way sentient beings live and think.So, the Buddha is “the kind father [who] helped the children”.
He used three carts placed outside the door and many different methods to entice the entice the children to come out.After they came out, He then taught them that the suffering of this Saha World is hard to endure.

He let all the children know about all the numerous problems and hardship:
The kind father helped the children to escape the burning house.
He taught that the Saha World is hard to endure and gave analogies for all of the world’s various sufferings of numerous problems and hardships, all to guide them onto a safe and stable path.

There is suffering in the Saha World, this world that must be endured.We ordinary people create much negative karma; our confrontations and discord with each other add to the suffering that already exists.This is what happens in the Saha World.
All of the world’s various “problems,” the many kinds of hardhspips, many kinds of discord and many kinds of disasters, all occur in this time of turbidity in the world.
So, [the elder] quickly guided everyone out.
Once they were outside the house, he taught them principles so they could distance themselves from this burning house and step onto the safest and most stable path, which is the Bodhi-path.
He again spoke of “the evil ghosts and poisonous creatures and the spreading fire.”
This tells us that the Saha World is full of evil ghosts.

Evil ghosts are found in the darkness.
They are invisible and leave no trace.
So, what do ghosts look like?Most are found in our minds, so hey are invisible.There is nowhere they cannot enter and nowhere can’t they reside.

This type of evil ghost pervades our ignorance and afflictions.Then there are “poisonous creatures”.As we explained before, all the fierce beasts’ snakes and so on are called poisonous creature.They are also metaphors for the four kinds of beings.

Poisonous creatures:
There are myriads kinds of beings in the four forms of birth with increate diversity of characteristics.
Their ways of life all differ from one another, and they contend with each other.
This becomes the spreading fire.

The four kinds of beings are egg-, womb-, moisture- and transformation-.Just among these four kinds of beings, the are many, many different species.All these begin differ in the way they live, in thousands of different aspects.
All these living beings, with so many different ways of life, are constantly fighting with each other.
Take fish for example.Large fish eat small fish.
Aren’t we humans just like them?The strong take advantage of the weak.This is what makes it the Saha World.
So, “This becomes the spreading fire”. This kind of spreading fire is a disaster that will unceasingly become more and more serious and grow larger and wider. The Buddha was truly compassionate. He wanted us to deeply comprehend the principles.
After we understand the principles, we must avoid these kinds of disasters. So, after we understand ignorance, afflictions and deluded karma, we must promptly distance ourselves from them. This is because “All these sufferings come one after another, continuing on without end”. Indeed, “All these sufferings come one after another”.
In this Saha World over a long time, over kalpas, sentient beings have experienced the three major and three minor calamities, one after another. So, “Sentient beings suffer. For those in poverty, it is hard to survive”.
Just in our current era, there are many sentient beings who face poverty and suffering.

Sentient beings suffer. For those in poverty, it is hard to survive. Their walls are aslant, with only thatched roofs to fend off wind and rain. Lacking nourishment, they endure terrible hunger. Their clothing is flimsy in the winter cold. They suffer for lack of clothing, food and shelter.

We are very blessed to be born in this place. We have enough food to eat and clothes to wear. Living in this environment where we are completely free of worries, we should feel very grateful. We must know that, living in this same era, there are people who are very poor. Trapped between life and death, their lives are full of suffering; it is so hard for them to survive. They suffer greatly. Some people live with walls that are aslant.
Looking up, they see a thatch-covered roof. Even the thatch has dried up and blown away, so there are holes in it. When we went to Guizhou province [in China], we actually saw elderly people living in places where they could look up and see the sky. When it rained, they had to wring water out of their quilts. How many people in the world are living this way? We must put ourselves in their position. Furthermore, “Their clothing is flimsy in the winter cold”. The weather is cold, and their clothing is flimsy. How many people are living such a life? Living Bodhisattvas are needed in such freezing places to cover people in warm clothing. If we can do this, there is still hope in those people’s lives. There are many people who suffer from lack of clothing, food, housing, etc. they face unbearable suffering. This is the suffering of poverty.

Next are three minor calamities. Among the three minor calamities are starvation, as well as pestilence. Pestilence refers to contagious diseases that cannot be controlled and will continuously spread. The last of the three is the calamity of war.

During war, people use knives and other weapons. Nowadays, people do not need knives as weapons. They use chemical and technological weapons. This is very frightening. We are in the kalpa of decay. The sutras often describe our modern day conditions as the kalpa of decay. A kalpa of decay is one of destruction, when natural disasters and manmade calamities constantly occur.
As we just said, there are people who are so poor they do not have anything to eat. That is the suffering from the karma they brought individually. But with the collective karma of sentient beings, we end up with the calamity of famine. In some places it may not rain for seven years. There will be no food at all in the land. If we “go seven years without rain, “the grass and trees cannot survive”. If grass cannot even grow, how can the crops grow? Will rich people be able to buy what they need? No, they will not. This is the famine [described in sutras].
Much of humankind will be oppressed by starvation and, in the end, people will die of hunger.

According to the sutras: During the kalpa of decay and turbidity, we will go seven years without rain, so the grass and trees cannot survive. Much of humankind will be oppressed by starvation and die.

Then, there is the calamity of pestilence. Pestilence is the spread of disease. Remember what happened with SARS. People were terrified upon hearing about SARS. That [atypical] inflammation of the lungs was very frightening because it could not be cured.
At that time, the whole world was shocked and terrified. Many people covered up their mouths and noses and wore masks for a whole year.
Fortunately, that was not on the level of a true calamity of pestilence, which must for seven consecutive months. Think about SARS lasted for only a short time. At that time, a cure was discovered, and people were able to be quarantined. If it was indeed a pestilence, where could we possibly quarantine people? Once we open our mouths, germs spread, and thus [the disease] in spread between people.

“Plagues spread among sentient beings.” when people interact with each other, germs spread through the air and through contact. This is indeed frightening. This is the calamity of pestilence. At these times, the human lifespan decreases; our lives are very short.

Next is the calamity of war, which is fighting among people. This war will, as described in the sutras, “rage intensely for seven days.” Wars do not need to last seven days. Nowadays technology is so advanced that, with the push of a button, high-technology weapons will be fired off. When both sides press their buttons, [it will all be over] in an instant.So, the sutra say that the calamity of war is a disaster brought by fighting. It will “rage intensely for seven days” and completely destroy [this world].
These are the terrifying effects of the three minor calamities. So, during the calamity of war, even the grass and trees become weapons used to kill others.

The calamity of war: during a time of war, the grass and trees all become weapons used to kill others. Humans are angry with and hate each other, kill and harm each other. This will continue until there are only a few left.

In this world of turbidity, principles cannot abide in people’s minds. Anything can become an object that is used to kill others. At that time, grass and trees can become weapons. Then, of people are pricked by a plant or branch, they may die immediately.
In fact, even now, mosquitoes may spread pestilence. When we are stung by mosquitoes, we may become infected and die. Think about this. In the future, things that kill people may not necessarily be knives weapons. In fact, “The grass and trees can become weapons.” In particular, during people’s interactions, a single improper phrase may trigger a major disaster.
So, humans get angry with and hate each other, kill and harm each other. This will continue until there are not many people left.
Think about it, there will be many such calamities. These are the three minor calamities. The Buddha, after the children escaped the burning house, still wanted to “let all the children know” about all these kinds of problems and hardships.After we understand, we must not resume giving rise to ignorance and deluded karma. The more karma we create, the more collective karma we gather. The more karma we gather together, the stronger the karmic forces will be. Then a mindset of destruction will become more and more prevalent. Ultimately, this will cause the calamity of war.
In fact, these are major disasters, but the Buddha listed them as the three minor calamities.He called them the three minor calamities because they accumulate endlessly. As people remain in this era, this turbid kalpa, for a long time, these [calamities] will continue to add up.
In conclusion, we have accumulated these calamities because sentient beings have accumulated ignorance and deluded karma; we just continue to create them. So, collective karma gives to many calamities. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)