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水鏡回天錄
Reflections in Water and Mirrors: Turning Back the Tide of Destiny

宣化上人著 Commentary by Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua
譯經委員會紀錄 Translated by the Buddhist Text Translation Society

悟達國師

唐代人,法名知玄。行腳參方時,照顧患惡瘡梵僧,竭誠服勞執役,侍奉湯藥。感動梵僧,臨別時,對師曰:「日後有難,西蜀相尋,雙松為誌。」師後為長安安國寺方丈,是為有道高僧,唐懿宗尊為國師。賜沉香寶座,師生貢高自滿心,因而膝上生人面瘡,百醫無效,痛苦不堪,瘡日食豬肉若干,方減痛苦,憶梵僧言,於是四川尋僧,至雙松下,望見梵剎,金光燦爛,遙見梵僧,言明來意。梵僧慰曰:「明晨山下清泉濯之,即癒。」正掬水洗瘡,瘡曰:「且慢!公讀西漢書否?」曰:「讀已。」復問:「知袁盎殺晁錯事乎?」曰:「知也。」瘡曰:「袁盎即師也,晁錯即我也。公十世為高僧,今生名利心,故得便而乘之,今蒙迦諾迦尊者慈悲,以三昧法水洗盡往昔之仇。」特著慈悲三昧水懺濟世。

贊曰:

仕宦一途 令人糊塗 種因結果 錯綜報復
殃禍臨身 槌胸頓足 幸遇梵僧 免遭鳴呼

又說偈曰:

漢朝造罪唐代還 袁盎晁錯互相殘
人面惡瘡喫豬肉 聖水善浴洗災殃
奇症能言說因果 妙法施度解仇怨
自古眾生馬後課 明哲保身防未然

慈壽法師

法師作放生偈,勸人向善。偈曰:「世上多殺生,遂有刀兵劫,負命殺汝身,負財焚汝宅,離散汝妻子,曾破牠巢穴,報應各相當,洗耳聆佛說。」

舉例言之,明初方孝懦,性耿直不阿,斥燕王篡位,觸怒明成祖,禍滅十族,史無前例。何因緣故,如此悲慘?據因祖父為榮華富貴,擇穴葬祖,夜夢朱衣老人三拜曰:「君所選穴,正我住處,容三日後,當遷他處」。祖父寤時,不信其事,令人掘地,果有深穴,紅蛇甚多,以火焚之。夜復夢朱衣老人泣曰:「君焚吾族八百,吾將滅君族八百。」十族被誅,恰為八百,應老人所言。虎口餘生之後裔,改姓為才。

評曰:

因果循環 代代相傳
殺人者死 欠債還錢
明孝儒祖 焚蛇結冤
十族被誅 才呼蒼天

又說偈曰:

王不出頭誰作主 水無一點冰未乾
治亂興衰循天理 忠奸善惡因地緣
明代曲折離奇事 今日同族互相煎
萬物說法君會否 不立文字教外傳

瑯琊法師

唐代之高僧。善於說法,頭頭是道。有天華亂墜,地湧金蓮之感應。一日,上堂曰:『人身難得今已得,佛法難聞今已聞,此身不向今生修,更待何生修此身!』於法會中,有位弟子,言下有省,萬緣放下,一念不生,證得明心見性,了生脫死。復有弟子,虔誠念佛,一心不亂,無論何事,以「隨它便」三字處之。因之想得開,放得下,不為五慾(財、色、名、食、睡)所羈絆,修到爐火純青之時,五蘊(色、受、想、行、識)皆空,即得解脫。以上公案,吾輩足資借鏡,努力精進,切莫自誤前程。

贊曰:

生死大事 無常迅速
殷勤精進 惟求進步
萬緣放下 足不出戶
一心念佛 往生淨土

又說偈曰:

專一則靈分馳敝 莫把光陰當兒戲
信願持名修三昧 棲心安養契玄機
九品蓮華為父母 千祥雲集作良居
阿彌陀佛常接引 問汝願去不願去

帝須比丘

印度阿育王胞弟,崇拜外道所修苦行,懷疑比丘所持戒律。王知其意,欲糾正邪見,乃與大臣設計,故意沐浴,將衣冠置於室外。大臣慫恿,以好奇心,著王衣、戴王冠、登王座,以為兒戲。王突現前,大發雷霆,欲斬其首,大臣說情。王曰:「暫作七日王,滿汝心願。」於是供應美女、美食、美樂、美衣等,令儘量享受。可是派兵持刀,立於門外,日落報曰:「今日已過,尚有六日當斬。」期滿至王前。王問曰:「七日為王,遂心如意否?」答日:「我於七日中,不見不聞聲,不嗅不嚐味,亦不覺諸觸。」王慰曰:「汝於七日中,思惟畏死苦,雖得妙五欲,不生貪愛心。」為王七日,看破紅塵,出家為僧,弘法利生。將巴利文阿含經,傳入師子國,為南傳所遵循之經典。

贊曰:

不欣五欲 遠離六塵 痛念生死 命難期旬
萬緣放下 一念不生 解脫自在 出家為僧

又說偈曰:

置之絕地而後生 方便權巧主衣更
七日來復新氣象 一塵不染舊家風
死字當頭大棒喝 佛光注照重傳燈
繼承巴利佛法寶 利益有情宇宙中

National Master Wu Da

National Master Wu Da lived during the Tang Dynasty. His Dharma name was Jr Sywan (Understands the Profound). Once while traveling on a study tour, he cared for a monk from India who was afflicted with infectious sores. Wu Da extended himself in service to care for him. He brewed medicines and offered them to him. Very indebted, the Indian monk at the time of parting said "In the future when you are in difficulty, come find me in Western Szechwan, by the twin pines." The Master later became the Abbot of An Gwo (Pacify the Country) Monastery in Chang An; he was a noble Sanghan who realized the spiritual Path.

The Emperor Yi of the Tang Dynasty designated him as a National Master, and presented him with a precious throne made of aloes-wood. The Master thereupon grew arrogant and haughty. As a result, a boil with a human face grew on his knee. A number of doctors had no success in curing him, and his suffering was unbearable. The pain would abate only if the sore was fed some pork everyday.

Remembering the words of the Indian monk, he went to Szechwan Province to seek help. Arriving at the twin pines, he saw an Indian-style temple, radiant with golden light. He caught sight of the Indian monk from a distance, and he explained his reason for coming. The Indian monk comforted him, saying, "Tomorrow at dawn, bathe in the clear spring at the foot of the mountain and it will heal."

The next morning as he scooped up water to rinse the sore, it suddenly spoke, and said, "Stop! Have you read the history of the Western Han Dynasty?" The Master replied, "Yes." Then the sore asked, "Do you know about Ywan Yang killing Chao Tsuo?" The Master replied, "Yes."

The sore said, "You, Master, were Ywan Yang, and I was Chao Tsuo. For ten lives, you have been a noble monk. Now you chose to seek fame and profit, thus I got an opportunity for revenge, and I took the chance to pay you back."

Out of compassion, the Venerable Kanaka used samadhi water to wash away the enmity of the past. Afterwards, Master Wu Da wrote the Water Repentance of the Samadhi of Great Compassion, especially to rescue the world.

A verse of praise says:

The path of officialdom makes people muddled,
They plant causes which then bear fruit.
Complicated is the retribution when disasters befall,
They slap their breast and stamp their feet (in regret).
Fortunately, he met the Indian monk and avoided an
Encounter with death.

Another verse says:

Committing offenses in the Han Dynasty, being repaid in the Tang.
Ywan Yang and Chao Tswo injured one another.
The evil, human-faced sore ate pork,
Holy water washed away the calamity.
The strange disease illustrated cause and effect;
The wonderful Dharma bestowed salvation and dissolved enmity.
From ancient times, living beings learn their lessons after the fact.
The wise preserve themselves and prevent what has not yet occurred.

Dharma Master Tsz Shou

The Dharma Master composed a verse on liberating life, which exhorts people to be moral. The verse says,

"So much killing in the world,
Leads to weapons, warfare, and calamity.
If you owe him a life, he will murder you.
If you owe him wealth, he will burn your house.
Disunion with your wife and children,
Comes from destroying others' nests and burrows.
Each retribution is right and just.
Wash clean your ears, and
Listen closely to the Buddha's words. ."

For example, in the early Ming Dynasty, there was a man named Fang Syau-ru, who was by nature very straight-forward and direct. He denounced Prince Yen for usurping the throne, provoking the anger of the Ming Emperor Cheng. As a result, all ten branches of his family clan were massacred in a disaster unprecedented in history.

What causes and conditions brought about such grief and misery? It's said that his grandfather, a prosperous and wealthy man of noble estate, was once selecting a site for burying his ancestors. That night, he dreamed of an old man in red who bowed to him three times and said, "Sir, the site you have selected happens to be my home. Please allow me three days and I will move to another place." When the grandfather awoke, he did not believe the dream, and ordered workers to begin digging. Indeed, there was a deep burrow containing many red snakes, and the workers scorched them to death with flames.

That night he again dreamed of the old man in red, who wept as he said, "Today you burned to death eight hundred of my kin. In the future I will annihilate eight hundred of your family." Indeed, the ten branches of his clan who had been slaughtered amounted to exactly eight hundred people, corresponding to the old man's words. The distant kin who escaped the tiger's jaws changed their surname to Tsai.

A critique says:

Cause and effect continuously revolve,
And are transmitted from generation to generation.
Those who kill will surely die,
Those who owe debts must repay.
The grandfather of Syau-ru of the Ming Dynasty,
Created enmity by burning snakes.
His ten branches of kinfolk were slaughtered, and
The Tsai family heaved a deep sigh of relief.

Another verse says:

If the character for king has no stroke on top,
Who will be master?
If the character for water lacks a dot,
It has not yet dried, and becomes ice.
Order and chaos, prosperity and decline, all
Follow the heavenly principle.
Loyalty and treachery, good and evil, each
Originates in conditions on the causal ground.
Because of a crooked event in the ancient days of Ming,
Now, members of the same clan harass one another.
All things speak the Dharma; can you understand it?
It does not rely on language and is
Conveyed outside the teaching.

Dharma Master Lang Ye

This lofty Sanghan of the Tang Dynasty was an eloquent speaker of Dharma whose every word contained principle. When he lectured, the response was such that heavenly flowers rained down in profusion and golden lotuses welled up from the earth. One day, he "ascended the hall" and lectured on the following: "It is difficult to get a human body, but now we have gotten one. It is difficult to get to hear the Buddhadharma, but now we have heard it. If we do not take this time to cultivate in our present life, then in which life will we decide to cultivate?"

In the Dharma Assembly there was a disciple who had an awakening after hearing these words. Putting down the myriad conditions, and without giving in to a single thought, he certified to and attained the state of "understanding the mind and seeing the nature," and was liberated from birth and death.

Another sincere disciple recited the Buddha's name, single-mindedly, without distraction. He used the three words: "let it be", to deal with all matters. Because of this, he was able to open up his mind and put everything down. Not bound or hindered by the Five Desires for wealth, sex, fame, food and sleep, he cultivated until the "fire was pure blue". At that time, the Five Skandhas of form, feeling, thought, Another disciple sincerely recited the Buddha's name single-mindedly, without distraction. He used the three words: "let it de ", to deal with all matters. formation, and consciousness were all emptied, and he attained liberation. The above stories are worthy material for us to use as a mirror. We should be diligent and vigorous, and not impede our journey in cultivation.

A verse in praise says:

Birth and death is a great matter,
Impermanence comes quickly.
Be diligent and vigorous,
Seek only to advance.
Put down the myriad conditions,
Do not step outside the door.
Single-mindedly recite the Buddha's name.
And be reborn in the Pure Land.

Another verse says:

Concentration is efficacious,
But distraction is child's play.
Do not pass the time in child's play!
With faith and vows,
Hold the name and cultivate samadhi;
The mind dwelling in peace,
You unite with the profound secret.
The nine grades of lotuses are your parents;
A thousand auspicious clouds gather, to
Form a wholesome abode.
Amitabha Buddha constantly welcomes you - -
The question remains: are you willing to go or not?

The Emperor appeared before him all of a sudden, and in a thunderous rage, demanded his head.

Bhikshu Di Syu

Bhikshu Di Syu was the younger brother of the Indian Emperor Asoka. He cultivated the ascetic practices worshipped by externalists, and harbored doubts about the precepts held by Bhikshus. The Emperor knew his brother's mind, and wanted to rectify his deviant views. Together with a ranking governor, he planned out a strategy.

King Ashoka took a bath, and purposefully left his robe and crown outside the bathroom. The governor cunningly lured him on, and out of curiosity, he put on the imperial robe, donned the imperial crown, and ascended the imperia'i throne, as if it all were a child's game. The Emperor appeared before him all of a sudden, and in a thunderous rage, demanded his head. The governor tried to placate him, and the Emperor said, "I will grant your wish temporarily; you may be the Emperor for seven days."

Then he gave him beautiful consorts, gourmet meals, fine music, fancy clothes and so on, providing him the ultimate enjoyment. But he also ordered soldiers armed with swords to stand outside the gates, and announced at sunset, "Today is already over. There are still six days left before your decapitation."

When the time arrived, he went before the Emperor. The Emperor asked him, "Did you attain your heart's desire as Emperor for seven days?"

He replied, "During the seven days, I saw no sights, heard no sounds, smelled no fragrance, tasted no flavors, and felt no sensations of touch." The Emperor soothed him, saying, "During these seven days, you have reflected on the misery of death and knew fear . Although you fell into the five wonderful pleasures, you felt no greed for them."

Having been Emperor for seven days, he saw through "the crimson dust". He left the house-holder's life to become a monk. He preached the Dharma to benefit living beings. Later he propagated the Agama Sutras, written in the language of Pali, to Sri Lanka, where they were honored and studied by the Southern Tradition (of Buddhism).

A praise says:

Not enjoying the five desires,
Staying far from the six dusts,
Painfully aware of birth and death,
In the time of life-threatening difficulty,
He put down the myriad conditions.
Without producing a single thought,
Liberated and at ease,
He left home to become a monk.

Another verse says:

Right on the brink of death, he is born again.
Through expedient and skillful means, the Emperor's robe changes hands.
After seven days, the spirit and appearance are renewed.
Unstained by even a single speck of dust, in the style of an old tradition.
The word 'death' deals the head a sharp blow.
The Buddha's light shines everywhere below.
And the lamp is passed on.
Inheriting the Buddha's treasury of Dharma in
Pali,
He benefits all sentient beings in the universe.

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