佛有形相耶？或無形相？或在有形無形之間？佛之法身無相，乃慧德之報，修習自覺自利之功行圓滿之極地；色身為相，乃福德之果，能為覺他利他之方便。法身之體，如同虛空，遍一切處，無著無礙；報身住淨土，體同虹霓；化身往穢土，形與人同，此二俱為有相。

佛如何由有形的身軀修成了無相之清淨法身？這都是從無量劫來，不斷地精進修行，「三祇修福慧，百劫種相好」，才能超出形役之軀，證得無漏法身。佛知法身，超出了五行之局限，但還是從五行中「金木水火土」，把各種陰性去除斷絕，從僅留下的純陽性修煉而成。

五行的認識，主要在於了解自心，悟澈天地真理，才能找回自己本來面目，再超出三界，了生脫死。人分有五性：金、木、水、火、土；世界分有五方：東、南、西、北、中。以中土的立場來說，東方陽昇之日本，屬木，色主青，所以此地人膚色略帶青色；西方屬金，主白色，所以西方亦稱為白人；南方屬火，主紅色，所以南美洲等地為紅印地安人寄居處；北部屬水，主黑色，所以有部份偏北地人膚色沉暗；中部屬土，主黃色，所以中土生長的稱為黃種人。

由於地理之異，世界各地人性亦各有異。事實上，每個人皆存有金、木、水、火、土，五種之性，但依於各種因素影響下，性情變化而偏於其中之一種或數種。修行，先要把此五行之陰性去除，如《楞嚴經》說的：「如澄濁水，貯於靜器，靜深不動，沙土自沉，清水現前，名為初伏客塵煩惱。」陰性斷除，留下的純陽性，即是「去泥純水，名為永斷根本無明。」純陽精明，超出水土之物相，則是如來清淨法身，「明相精純，一切變現，不為煩惱，皆合涅槃清淨妙德。」

◆五行相生，人與人之間互相成就，則國泰民安，世界和平。
In the functioning of the five elements, when the cycle is followed, the elements produce one another.

五行的運轉，順的相生，人與人之間互相成就，則國泰民安，世界和平；逆者相剋，人與人之間互礙對立，則國家亡亂，世界戰爭。陽木性人正直，有主意，有擔當，為仁德木，生出明禮火。陽火性人溫和謙讓，明理不怨，則生信實土。陽土性人忠厚，勤儉樸素，寬宏大量，則生響亮金。陽金性人豪爽重義，敏捷果斷，認不是，則生智慧水。陽水性人柔和，和人合眾，肯低矮就下，又生仁德木。

陰性相剋，陰木性抗上不服，硬直好怒，粗言頂撞，先剋土。陰土性固執死板，心量狹窄，好生悶氣，多怨，則土剋水。陰水性愚魯遲鈍，多憂多慮，欲進又退，心煩不明，則水剋火。陰火性急躁爭理，愛出風頭，好說人過，好恨不爽明，則火剋金。陰金性人殘忍嫉妒，虛假好辯，好惱而來回「拉鋸」，則剋木。

於內，若自身五行走陰，則自傷五臟。怒人傷肝，怨人傷脾，煩人傷腎，恨人傷心，惱人傷肺，以至產生各種病象。於外五行失調，則人與人間互相對抗，國與國互相攻擊。於古人未有文明之時，拳腳相搏，為土戰；後用木棍，則木剋土為木戰；後來刀劍勝木，金剋木則金戰；槍炮勝刀劍，火剋金時為火戰；至今時之氫氣彈，乃用水之精華而勝火，水剋火，而進為水戰。看當初日本攻入中土，人民多遭受殘害，是木剋土的演變。而一物剋一物，木終被金剋，所以日本亦遭受了西方投來的兩顆原子彈，紅日落下；不料，二十年後東山再起，木又茂盛，而日本卻成了經濟強國。

再看看佛相與人相之差別，佛與人之間到底如何不同呢？偏於金、木、火性之人，相多尖露骨，性格亦剛硬刻薄，故需要水之調和及學土之誠實。有些人隨著年長，性情調柔之後，相貌也轉為飽滿。水性人體胖，多脂肪；土性人體壯，肌肉發達。水性因不堪受壓力，若是與土合不好，就成了爛泥巴，所以多哀怨憂愁，多被傷害或自傷。一小瓶之水，若受壓力，則會把瓶子爆破，所以必須把心量闊大如海水，能載能容。水更能生萬物，能低遷就下，處於最低處。所以佛菩薩相貌略胖飽滿，是智慧水的顯現。其他宗教聖人，如聖母瑪麗亞，亦顯現飽滿的形相。

佛說的五戒「殺、盜、淫、妄、酒」，孔子講五德「仁、義、禮、智、信」，乃至宣公上人講的六大宗旨「不爭、不貪、不求、不自私、不自利、不打妄語」，皆與五行吻合。首先不爭，則戒殺，能忍辱，不動性生仁德木；不貪，戒盜講義，生響亮金；不求戒淫，生明禮火；不自私則不妄語，生信實土；不自利，戒酒不亂，性生智慧水。所以是人間真理，基本法則相通，必須認識根本，身體力行的修持，才能與道相同，與法相應。

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Does the Buddha have a form? Is he formless? Or is he in between form and formlessness? The Buddha’s Dharma-body has no form; it is the retribution of wisdom and virtue, the ultimate perfection of meritorious practice in the cultivation of self-enlightenment and self-benefit. The flesh body is the form; it is the fruit of blessing and virtue and the expedient means to enlighten and benefit others. The substance of the Dharma-body is like empty space, universally pervasive and without attachment or obstruction. The retribution body dwells in the Pure Land and is rainbow-like in substance. The transformation body goes to the land of turbidity and has a human appearance. The last two have forms.

How did the Buddha cultivate to achieve the formless pure Dharma-body from his form body? The Buddha cultivated vigorously and without interruption for limitless kalpas. The Buddha “cultivated blessings and wisdom for three asamkhyeya (limitless) eons and planted the causes for his special features and characteristics for one hundred kalpas.” Only then could he transcend the body of form and realize the non-outflow Dharma-body. The Buddha's Dharma-body transcends the confinement of the five elements. However, it was by cultivating the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire, and earth), by eradicating all that was yin and keeping only what was purely yang in nature, that he achieved what he did.

The key to recognizing the five elements is to understand one's own mind and thoroughly enlighten to the truth of heaven and earth. Then one will be able to find one's original face and consequently transcend the three realms and be liberated from birth and death. Human beings have five types of natures—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—while the world has five directions—east, south, west, north, and central. Viewed from the standpoint of the central element earth (China), Japan is to the east, the direction of the rising sun; it is of the wood category, and the dominant color is green. Therefore, the skin of Japanese people has a slightly greenish tinge. The west corresponds to metal, and the color is white. Thus Westerners are also called white people. The south is associated with fire, and the color is red. Thus there are red-skinned people, or Indians, who reside in South America. The north is of water, and the color is black. Therefore, some Northerners have dark skin. The center is of earth, and the color is yellow. Thus people who are born and grow up in “middle earth” are called yellow people.

Due to the differences of geographical location, the dispositions of people in different parts of the world also vary. In fact, everyone is replete with the five natures of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. However, under the influence of various factors, one's disposition changes and becomes more inclined to one or several natures. In cultivation, we should get rid of the yin characteristics of these five elements. As it is said in the Shurangama Sutra: “...like purifying muddy water by placing it in a quiet vessel which is kept completely still and unmoving. The sand and silt settle and the pure water appears. This is called the initial subduing of the guest-dust affliction.” When the yin nature is totally eliminated, the remaining nature is yang, and it is “the complete removal of the mud from the water, which is called eternal severance of fundamental ignorance.” The bright essence of pure yang transcends the appearance of water and earth and is the pure and clean Dharma-body of the Tathagata. “When clarity is pure to its essence, then no matter what happens there is no affliction. Everything is in accord with the pure and wonderful virtues of Nirvana.”

In the functioning of the five elements, when the cycle is followed, the elements produce one another. If people help each other out, the nation will be affluent and stable and the world will know harmony and peace. When the cycle is reversed, the elements destroy each other. If people are uncooperative and contend with each other, the nation will be chaotic and ruined, and the world will suffer from wars. People of a yang wood nature are straightforward, confident, and responsible. The wood of kindness and virtue gives forth the fire of propriety. People of a yang fire nature are amiable and modest; they understand principles and never complain. This gives rise to the earth of honesty. People of a yang earth nature are faithful, honest, hard-working, simple, and generous. This gives rises to bright metal. People of a yang metal nature are trustworthy, direct, decisive, alert, and willing to admit their own faults. Then the water of wisdom is generated. People of a yang water nature are gentle, get along well with people, and are willing to stay at low level. This in turn generates the wood of kindness and virtue.

The nature of yin is mutual destruction. People of a yin wood nature are mostly disobedient, tough, and short-tempered, and they talk back in a vulgar fashion. This destroys earth. People of a yin earth nature are stubborn, inflexible, narrow-minded, like to harbor resentment, and have many complaints. Earth spoils water. People of a yin water nature are dull, slow, prone to worry and grief, indecisive, and anxious. Water in turn destroys fire. People of a yin fire nature are impatient, argumentative, boastful, inclined to gossip about others' faults, inclined to hatred, and not open and bright. Fire then destroys metal. People of a yin metal nature are cruel, jealous, pretentious, fond of arguing, easily afflicted, and indecisive. This metal destroys wood.

Internally, if one's own five elements are yin in nature, then one harms one'’s own five internal organs. Anger harms the liver; resentment hurts the spleen; affliction harms the kidneys; hatred hurts the heart; and irritation hurts the lungs. As a result, all kinds of ailments occur. When the external five elements are not in harmony, people contend with each other and nations attack one another. Prior to any civilization, the primitive people fought with their fists—this kind of warfare belongs to earth. Later they fought with clubs, since wood destroys earth, so that was warfare dominated by wood. Since swords are superior to wood, metal destroys wood and there is warfare characterized by metal. Guns and cannons are superior to swords, so when fire destroys metal, that is the warfare of fire. The modern-day hydrogen bomb uses the essence of water and thus overcomes fire. So water destroys fire and the warfare of water evolved. When the Japanese invaded China or “middle earth,” many people were killed; that was the development of wood destroying earth. And yet everything has something which overcomes it; thus wood was eventually destroyed by metal. Thus after Japan suffered two atomic bombs dropped on them by the West, the red sun sank. Unexpectedly, twenty years later, the wood is flourishing again. Japan rises from the east again and has become one of the economic powers in the world.

Let us take a look at the difference between the appearance of a Buddha and the appearance of human beings. How does the Buddha differ from human beings? People who are predominantly of the metal, wood, and fire natures tend to be thin and have pointed features. They are also tough and mean in character. Thus they need to be regulated with water and also learn the honesty of earth. For some people, as they grow older and become more gentle in temperament, their facial features will also become fuller. People with a water nature are plump; they have more fat. People of an earth nature are physically strong and muscular. People of a water nature cannot take pressure. If water does not combine well with earth, it turns into mud. Thus they are mostly melancholic. They are often hurt by others or by themselves. When pressure is applied to water contained in a small bottle, it will cause the bottle to explode. Hence they must expand their minds to be as vast as the ocean, which can both carry and hold things. Further, water can also cause the myriad things to grow, and it stays in the lowest place. Therefore, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are all slightly plump and full in appearance; this is the manifestation of the water of wisdom. The saints of other religions, such as Saint Mary, also have a plump appearance.

The Buddha spoke of the five precepts, which are the precepts against killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and taking intoxicants. Confucius talked about the five virtues, which are humanness, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. And the Venerable Master advocates the six great principles of no fighting, no greed, no seeking, no selfishness, no self-benefiting, and no lying. All of them coincide with the five elements. First of all, no fighting prohibits killing and enables one to develop patience. The unmoving nature gives rise to the wood of kindness and virtue. No greed prohibits stealing and advocates righteousness. It brings forth bright metal. No seeking is against sexual misconduct. As a result, the fire of propriety is produced. No selfishness is against lying, which gives rise to the trustworthiness and honesty of earth. No self-benefiting is against the taking of intoxicants, and thus the nature is not confused. Consequently, the water of wisdom appears. Thus the truth of the world is that the fundamental teachings are mutually interrelated. We must recognize the basics and personally apply them in our cultivation. Then we will be one with the Way and have a response with the Dharma.

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