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《上人法雨》

 

VENERABLE MASTER'S DHARMA RAIN

宣公上人禪七開示(1)

CHAN SESSION INSTRUCTIONS BY THE VENERABLE MASTER HUA (I)

鍛練成就到太覺去
To Succeed in Our Training and
Reach “Outer” Enlightenment

太 空人能受訓練到太空去,我們訓練到那個太覺去。

Astronauts are being trained to be able to rocket into outer space, While we are training to reach “outer” enlightenment.

現在打禪七的時候,天天有一個人出來代表大眾上供、拜佛,這樣子。不是大家 一起拜佛、一起念佛、一起上供,那麼就一個人在止靜之前,展具、打引磬拜三拜佛,每一次在止靜之前是這樣子。那麼在這個禪七裡邊,是比那個念佛七更辛苦, 這是鍛鍊金剛不壞身。你看世間上什麼都要鍛鍊而成就的,我們人本來都做不到事情,你鍛鍊呢,也就會做到了。好像到太空裡邊去,這個太空人都是訓練出來的。 本來不訓練,你到太空裡去,受不了的,那麼經過訓練,都是受得了了。他們能受訓練到太空去,我們訓練到那個太覺去。不是太空,是太覺,這個覺也可以說是大 覺,這個空是在覺裡邊生出來的。「空生大覺中,如海一漚發」,這個空在大覺的覺性裡邊,就好像那海裡一個水泡那麼大,你看這個覺是有多大!所以,我們這兒 不是到太空去,是訓練到太覺裡邊去。

在這個禪七的期間,這光陰是寶貴的,是特別重要的,我們一秒鐘也不要把它空 過去,你用你自己的功。如果你空過去,你看這麼辛苦,有什麼價值?所以各位,沒有跑的呢,就好好用功;那麼跑的呢,可以再回來,大家共同在一起來用功。我 們現在在這兒這麼樣用功,天龍八部一定會來擁護這個道場,來幫助你成就道業。那麼你自己不要看不起自己,誰開悟了,誰的生死就了了;生死了了,那麼一切就 都圓滿了。

不要像打佛七的時候那樣子,更不要像我的一個徒弟那樣子。她打佛七,兩個佛 七最後這幾天,她就打了妄想,打出妄想來了。打什麼妄想呢?她想要偷人蔘吃。那麼現在不要偷人蔘,給你們整個的人蔘來吃,那麼這個妄想就不會有了。吃了人 蔘,就要好好地用功,以開悟成佛為目的。這個徒弟覺得很不好意思,她打這麼個妄想,我現在給她向大家來announce(宣佈),她覺得這個不容易翻譯 了,那麼不容易翻才要翻。人有過應該叫大家都知道,若不叫大家知道啊,你還總打這個妄想;叫大家一知道了,看看大家都知道,以後再不敢打這個妄想了。

又有人打妄想,打什麼妄想呢?說:「哦!以前他們打十四個禪七的時候,有人 想吃cottage cheese(一種乳酪),那麼現在若有一點 cottage cheese 也不錯呢!」有沒有人打這個妄想?哦!問你也不承認,那你不承認、不坦白,這回禪七,恐怕也就要用功用得不太好。這個人說:「我現在就走了,那我沒有好 處,我就走了。」走,我也不留,快一點。

什麼是人蔘?什麼是 cottage cheese?就是「念佛是誰」。你們大家試一試這個味道。

現在大家都站起來,我們開始這個禪七。誰跟著誰移沒有一定的次序,我們亂 跑、亂打妄想;因為果舟昨天說是這個規矩分得太清楚了,那我們現在就叫他不清楚。

萬佛聖城冬景
Winter at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas

金山寺中 般若堂,十方共聚選佛場,
誰能悟透娘生面,許汝自在又清涼。

起…………起…………起…………起…………起…………起…………

行,這是一個運動,運動這個身體,令它血脈流通。坐的時候,就是令這個身體 得到寂靜,所以就能生出真正的智慧,了脫生死,這是一個修行最好的法門,你不要馬馬虎虎的。

上人:因為果道也沒有在這兒,果逾也沒 有在這兒,果處也沒有在這兒,是不是 啊?

弟子:是。

上人:去年打禪七的時候,你在這兒?

弟子:在。

上人:你什麼時候來的?

弟子:四月。

上人:是去年四月,是今年四月?去年四 月嗎?

弟子:是前年。

上人:前年?那你在這兒,你記得有多少 人?

弟子:不記得了。

上人:哈哈,都變成無心道人了,這真是 不錯的。你們跟著師父啊,沒有學會旁 的本事,就學會不記得!什麼都不記得了,這也是算你們沒有白來一趟,你們能以不記得,這就是妙,這就是道!道,就是不記得,什麼都不記得。

我給你們講一個公案,在中國浙江天童,這個天童寺是中國一個很大的叢林,那 裡邊可以住得五千人--五千出家人,五千比丘有地方住的。每一年到冬天要打禪七,「冬參夏學」,冬天就打禪七,夏天就講經說法,這叫冬參夏學。為什麼要冬 天打禪七呢?因為冬天天氣比較冷一點,這冷啊,對人用功是有幫助的。你一冷,就要用功,怎麼叫用功呢?也就是把你自己那個 heater開開,把你自己那個火爐開開。開開自己的火爐,和這個冷來鬥爭,就不怕冷,愈冷愈有精神。所以在這個冷天參禪打坐,你把你自己那個暖氣開開 了,不單不冷,而且還會出汗呢!那麼在這個時候參禪是最好。熱的天呢,很容易睡著覺;冷的天呢,你若一睡著,就冷,一冷就醒了,那麼比較沒有那麼容易睡, 所以修道不要怕冷。

那麼冬天參禪,當時的人都持午,怎麼叫持午呢?早晨喝一頓粥,晚間不吃東 西,午中吃飯,這叫過午不食。這個人用功啊,晚間不吃飯都覺得餓了。覺得餓,就打妄想:「唉,餓得很難受,很不舒服!」人人餓了,就要打妄想了,說: 「咦!可以偷一點什麼東西吃呢?偷饅頭?在庫房裡鎖著;偷飯?都在庫房裡收著,沒有法子偷得到。」那麼當時有個維那師父,這個維那師父是有神通的人,一 看:「唉!這個,哦!把人餓得都打妄想,都要偷東西吃,這個就要偷人蔘吃,那個就要偷 cheese(乳酪)吃,啊!這樣子怎麼可以!」這個維那就想:「哎!我幫助他們大家。」

他用神通就到庫房裡把那個所有的鍋粑,就是飯底下粘鍋那個硬的東西叫鍋粑, 廣東話叫飯焦,我們北方叫鍋噶子,這個名字很不容易說的,鍋噶子。那麼因為在叢林裡頭住幾千人,每一天這鍋粑就剩了很多。這個東西,不是說有鍋粑就不要 了,把它放到垃圾簍裡,倒垃圾的來就拿走了,不是那樣子。它這個東西還留著,煮飯的時候還放到那個飯裡頭,再把它重煮過,還一樣吃的。所以人多你若糟蹋東 西,那就很多了;那麼就保留著,保留這個鍋粑,在庫房裡放著。這個維那就用神通跑到庫房,把這鍋粑給拿了很多來,一個人面前給放一塊鍋粑。這些人打坐開靜 的時候,一看,哦!自己這兒有一塊鍋粑,拿著就自己偷著吃,每一個人都自己在自己那兒偷著吃。

我們這兒可以偷著吃人蔘,可以偷著吃 cheese。(上人問某弟子)你說買了很多,是嗎?可以到庫房偷去,你們誰有神通,可以顯一顯。(上人交代某弟子)你不要鎖這個門,鎖門呢,他們的神通 就進不去了。

這麼人人都吃鍋粑,吃完了,覺得用功有多少幫助,又能用功了。那麼這個維那 就今天偷,明天又偷,後天又偷,一連偷了好幾天,把庫房的鍋粑都給偷沒有了。這個煮飯的飯頭和庫頭,飯頭問庫頭:「我鍋粑呢?」庫頭說:「你沒有煮嗎?」 「我沒有啊!」「沒有,怎麼沒有了呢?」「我怎麼知道啊,I don't know 啊!」庫頭說:「這不行啊,我們得要去見方丈和尚,go to talk to Abbot。」

那麼就到那兒見方丈和尚,方丈和尚是密祖,密祖也是有神通的人。那麼庫頭 說:「這個庫房的鍋粑不知怎麼都沒有了?」密祖說:「怎麼會沒有!當然你們煮吃了,它就沒有。」他說:「不是,飯頭說他沒有煮,但是庫房裡都沒有了。」密 祖說:「那或者被老鼠給吃了,好了,算了。」那麼密祖一觀察:「哦!這個維那你這麼樣子,啊!你犯戒偷東西,好!」那麼這一天呢,這個密祖也到禪堂裡來打 坐;打坐呢,這個維那又跑到庫房去偷東西去了。他是他那個精神去的,他那個靈性去的,那麼他這個身體還在這兒坐著。怎麼叫神通呢?他這一觀想,就可以把那 個東西拿來了。這個密祖看他跑到庫房去了,就把維那這個臭皮囊,就給放止單底下了,就放那個凳子底下了,還在打坐。這個偷東西的維那回來了,一看自己那個 止單上沒有了。沒有,一找,原來在這個止單底下呢,在那個凳子底下,自己從那個凳子底下又爬出來了。

爬出來,和尚說:「你幹什麼去來著?你在廟上這麼偷東西,把庫房的鍋粑你都 給偷沒有了,你還去偷。現在要遷你的單啊,你不能在這兒住了。」

那麼這個維那說:「可以,你遷我單,但是大眾師父真是餓得不得了,我若走 了,你晚間可不可以給這些個人一點東西吃啊?」那麼密祖說:「那你走了,你不要管了!你走,我遷你的單。」「那你若不給東西吃,我也不走的。」「嗯,好了 好了。」所以每天晚間一個人兩個菜包子,這密祖告訴這個維那說:「你走了以後,我給他們兩個包子吃。」

那麼這個維那就走了。一走,從天童他用神通就到南京。到南京那兒,本來他想 要到漢口歸元寺去趕齋,但是他在南京,看見南京那個地方很鬧熱的,又有唱戲的,他就在南京看了一場戲。看了一場戲,然後又用神通就到了漢口歸元寺。

當時歸元寺這個方丈也是有神通的,說:「今天等一等啊,有一個和尚來,他來 到這兒趕齋。我們先吃飯後開梆;他若聽著我們這梆子一響,他來趕齋了!那麼我們先吃飯後開梆。」這個梆就是有那麼個木頭做的一條魚,一打,它「梆!梆!」 的,那叫梆子。為什麼要先吃飯後開梆呢?就因為這個和尚知道他在南京看了一齣戲,「好!你看戲,我就不給你飯吃。」

那麼他在南京看完了戲,就到漢口。到漢口聽著梆子響,他要進去趕齋,人家歸 元寺就先吃飯,大家都把飯吃完了,然後開梆。他到這兒,說:「你們怎麼不吃飯呢?」「我們吃完了。」「你,你這不合乎規矩啊,你要先開梆後吃飯啊!」「是 方丈和尚說誰叫你去看戲來著?」那麼他一想,那沒有什麼話講了,就走了。走了,又到四川;從漢口到四川也很遠的,但是他有神通,很快就到了。到了那兒,有 兩棵桂樹,他就坐到那地方打坐,以後就在那地方修一個道場,叫雙桂堂,也很有名的。

這是那個維那去偷鍋粑。我們這兒有一個清眾比丘尼不知慚愧,她去偷人蔘吃。 所以昨天晚間我對你們講,說要給你們人蔘吃;既然她偷,那麼今天就給大家喝人蔘茶。這個人蔘茶,本來打七是打到第四天要喝人蔘茶的,那我們現在天天喝人蔘 茶,所以你們一定要開悟。你們誰若不開悟,那可真辜負我這個人蔘茶了,是不是啊?(上人問某弟子)今天晚間是不是喝人蔘茶來著?

你們各位今年人不太多,但是有十多個人、二十多個人來打禪七,那麼比去年是 好得多了。我們在這個禪七期間要犧牲小我,成就大我。什麼叫犧牲小我,成就大我?我今天講過了,就是要發心去偷東西,這就是犧牲小我。要以身作則去偷東 西,給大家吃,成就大我,大家都是一樣的、一個的,這是一個講法。

那麼還有一個講法,我們這個身體叫一個小我,我們佛性是個大我。這小我就是 眾生,大我就是佛,佛是全體的,全體大用的;我們這一個人、一個眾生,這是佛性的一部份,所以我們把這一部份還(ㄏㄞˊ)還(ㄏㄨㄢˊ)回來到這個全體大 用上,這也叫犧牲小我,成就大我。

所以今天我說:「啊!你們每一個人若打一個妄想,想要吃點好東西,我都給你 們買著吃。」只要你想cottage cheese 就買 cottage cheese 吃,想豆腐就買豆腐,想白菜就買白菜,想油豆腐就買油豆腐。總而言之,你們打個什麼妄想,就滿你們的願。儘量來打妄想,你們天天來打妄想,看看打到什麼時 候為止?


Every day [during a Chan session] one person represents the whole assembly to perform the meal offering and to bow to the Buddhas. It is not that the whole assembly bows to the Buddhas together, or recites the Buddha’s name together, or attends the meal offering ceremony together. Before each period of silent sitting, one person will come up, open his/her sitting cloth, hit the hand bell, and represent us in bowing to the Buddhas. A Chan session is more strenuous than a Buddha-recitation session, because it is the time to train ourselves in smelting a Vajra indestructible body. You will notice that many things in this world are accomplished by training. You can train yourself to do things that originally you could not do, such as going into outer space. Astronauts train in order to be able to do that. If they did not go through training before they went into outer space, then they would be unable to bear the environment. After training, they can bear it. Astronauts are trained to go into outer space. We, however, are training to reach “outer” enlightenment, not outer space. We also could say that “outer” enlightenment is great enlightenment. Space comes forth from that enlightenment. “The space that arises from within great enlightenment is like a single bubble in the entire sea.” Space, which is within great enlightenment, is no bigger than a bubble on the great sea. How vast enlightenment must be! Therefore, here, we are not training to go to outer space, we are training to reach “outer” enlightenment.

During a Chan session time is precious, and it is especially important that we not waste even a single second: Every one of you should be working hard on developing your skill. If you just let the time go by in vain, then of what worth will all the bitterness you have already undergone be? Therefore, those of you who haven’t run away should work hard. Those who have run away can come back. All of us can work hard together.

Since we are working so hard here, I am sure that the gods and the dragons and the rest of eightfold division of ghosts and spirits will come to protect this Way-place and help you accomplish your karma in the Way. Do not look down on yourselves. Whoever becomes enlightened will end birth and death. Once you end birth and death, then everything is perfect.

Don’t waste your time like you did during the Buddha Recitation Session. Don’t be like my disciple who, during the last few days of the Buddha Recitation Session, began to have false thinking. What about? She was thinking about stealing ginseng tea. You do not need to steal ginseng; I will give it to you now to get rid of your false thinking. But once you drink it, you should work hard and seek to become enlightened.


誰能悟透娘生面, 許汝自在又清涼
Whoever becomes enlightened will know the face he had before his mother bore him.
And we will grant that he is comfortable, clear and cool.

My disciple is rather embarrassed that I have mentioned her false thinking, and she also felt that it was hard to translate my comment. Well, it is just because it is not easy to translate that you need to translate it. When we have faults, we should let others know about them. If you don’t let others know about them, your mind will still be entangled in that false thinking. When everyone knows, she will not dare have that false thought again. Someone else has been thinking about the fourteen-week meditation session several years ago when someone thought about eating cottage cheese, and now he thinks it would be nice to have some more. Oh! You don’t want to admit to having that false thought? Well, if you deny it, if you are not honest, then maybe in this Chan session, you will not be able to work as hard or as well as you might otherwise.

You say: “Well, if I can’t gain any benefit from it, I might as well leave now.”

If you want to go, go ahead! I won’t keep you here. Better that you go quickly.

“What is ginseng?” “What is cottage cheese?” are like “Who is mindful of the Buddha?” Everyone try to get the taste of that.

Everybody stand up now. Let’s start this Chan session. Everyone walk as you please, without any particular order. You may walk at random and strike up false thinking at random. Because yesterday Guo Zhou said that the rules were stated too clearly, I am now making them less clear.

In Gold Mountain Monastery’s Prajna Hall— The arena where Buddhas are selected— beings from the ten directions gather.
Whoever becomes enlightened will know the face he had before his mother bore him.
And we will grant that he is comfortable, clear and cool.

It’s starting! Strike up your spirits! Bring them up! Bring them up! (chiiii! chi! chi! chiiii!) “Walking” is exercise. By walking this way, the movement stimulates our circulation. When we sit, we try to reach stillness through quieting the physical body. Then we will be able to bring forth genuine wisdom and liberate ourselves from birth and death. This is the very best Dharma door to cultivate. Don’t be casual about it!

Venerable Master: [I say this] because last year Guo Dau wasn’t here. Guo Yu also wasn’t here. Guo Su wasn’t here either, is that right?

Disciple: That’s right.

Venerable Master: Were you here for last year’s Chan session?

Disciple: I was here.

Venerable Master: When did you come?

Disciple: In April.

Venerable Master: April of last year? April of this year? Was it April of last year?

Disciple: The year before last.

Venerable Master: The year before last? Well, since you were here, do you remember how many people attended last year?

Disciple: Uhh… I don’ t remember.

Venerable Master: Oh? You have all become “cultivators of the Way who have no thought! That’s not bad! You all follow your teacher and do not learn anything else except how not to remember anything. If you really don’t remember anything at all, then you haven’t come here in vain. If you cannot remember anything, then that is wonderful; that is the Way. The Way is not remembering—not remembering anything at all.

六○年代早期上人指導弟子們如何坐禪
The Master leading a meditation period in the 1960

Now I have a story for you. Tiantong Monastery is located in Zhejiang Province. It is one of China’s largest monasteries and can house over five thousand monks. Dhyana meditation was conducted every year during the winter months. “Dhyana in the winter; study in the summer.” During the winter, meditation sessions were held; and during the summer, Sutra lectures and Dharma talks were given. Why practice Dhyana in the winter? The cold weather in the winter helps people work hard. When you feel cold, you will want to work hard. How does one work hard? You have to turn on your own personal heater and fight the cold--then you won’t fear the cold. The colder it gets, the more energy you have. Therefore, when we are conducting a Dhyana session in the winter, once you have turned on your internal heater, not only will you not be cold, you’ll perspire! And so now is the best time to investigate Chan. In warm weather it’s easy to fall asleep. In cold weather, if you fall asleep, you will be wakened up by the cold, and so it is not as easy to fall asleep. Therefore, when we cultivate, we should not be afraid of the cold.

Long ago in China, those who investigated Chan in the winter did not eat after noon. What does “not eating after noon” mean? It means they ate rice gruel in the morning and had rice for lunch, but in the evening they did not eat anything. At that time, someone was working hard but because he couldn’t eat at night, he felt hungry. Feeling hungry, he began to have false thinking, “Oh! It is hard to bear the hunger. It’s very uncomfortable.” Everybody felt hungry and started to have false thinking. They said, “Ah! We could steal something to eat! Could we steal Chinese buns? No, they are locked in the kitchen. Could we steal rice? No, it is kept in the storeroom. There is no way to steal it.”

At that time the weino [who is in charge of starting and ending the sitting periods] had spiritual penetrations. Taking a look, he thought: “Oh! Everyone is so hungry they are having false thinking about stealing food. This person wants to steal ginseng. That person wants to steal cottage cheese. How can we allow that to happen!” Then the weino thought, “I am going to help them.” He used his spiritual penetrations to enter the storeroom, where he took all the rice crust. Rice crust is the crisp layer of rice at the bottom of the pot. In Canton it is called fanzhao “rice crisp.” In the north we call it guogazi “pan crackle.” That’s a hard name to pronounce. In a large monastery several thousand people were in residence, so there was a lot of rice crust left each day. It wasn’t the case that the rice crust wasn’t wanted, that it was thrown in the garbage can and taken away with the rest of the trash. No, the rice crust was kept and cooked with the next day’s rice and eaten. When many people live together, if such food were wasted, it would amount to a lot of waste. And so things were kept. Each day they kept the rice crust in the storeroom. The weino used his spiritual penetrations to go into the storeroom, grab a lot of rice crust, and set a piece in front of each person. When the bell rang at the end of the sitting period, each monk saw a piece of rice crust right there in front of him. Stealthily each stuffed it into his mouth. Every person stole his bite to eat. Here, we can steal ginseng and steal cottage cheese.

[To a disciple] You said that we bought plenty of that, right? You may go to the storeroom and steal it. Any one of you who has spiritual penetrations can show them off. [To another disciple] Don’t lock the door, however. If you lock the door, their spiritual penetrations won’t be sufficient to let them get in.”

And so each monk ate his rice crust and after eating it felt that it helped him use effort--that he was able to work hard. The weino stole today, stole tomorrow, stole the next day, and so on for many days until he had stolen all the rice crust in the storeroom. The cook asked the storeroom manager, “Where is the rice crust?”

The storeroom manager said, “Didn’t you cook it in the rice?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“No? Then where is it?”

“How do I know? I don’t know.”

Then the store manager said, “This will never do! We have to go see the Abbot.”

They went together to see the Abbot. Abbot Mizu also had spiritual penetrations. The storeroom manager said, “All the rice crust in the storeroom has disappeared. We don’t know why.”

Abbot Mizu said, “How could it have disappeared? Of course you cooked it and ate it, and so it’s gone.”

The storeroom manager said, “No, the rice cook said he did not cook it, but there isn’t any in the storeroom either.”

Abbot Mizu said, “Maybe it was eaten by mice. Okay, forget it!”

When the Abbot looked into it: “Oh! It is you, weino. You act like that! Ah! You have broken the precepts. You have stolen things. All right!” And so on that day Abbot Mizu also went into the Chan hall to meditate with the assembly. Sure enough, the weino went off to the storeroom to steal things. However, he used his spirit—his spiritual soul—not his physical body to go to the storeroom. His physical body remained seated there.

What are spiritual penetrations? He could bring things back with him just by contemplating. He brought things back. But meanwhile Abbot Mizu had stashed the weino’s physical body, still holding meditation posture, under the meditation bench. When the weino who stole things returned, he could not find his body on the bench. He looked about for it and finally discovered it under the bench. He had to wiggle his way out from under the weino’s meditation bench. As he was crawling out, the Abbot said, “What are you doing coming out from under there? You are stealing things in this monastery! You’ve stolen all the rice crust and you are still doing it! You have to leave. You can’t stay here anymore.”

The weino said, “Fine. You can kick me out, but the monks in this assembly are too hungry to work. If I have to leave, I want to request that you allow these people a little something to eat in the evening.”

The Abbot said, “Just go. That is none of your concern. Leave! I am kicking you out.”

"But if you don’t promise to give them something to eat, I won’t leave!”

"All right! All right!” Abbot Mizu told the weino, “After you go, I will give them each two vegetarian buns.” Thereupon, the weino left, and every evening each person got two vegetarian buns.

As soon as he left, he used his spiritual penetrations to go from Tiantong Monastery to Nanjing. Once he reached Nanjing, originally he planned to go on to Guiyuan Monastery in Hankou in time for lunch. But when he passed through the bustling city of Nanjing, he stopped to watch an opera. Afterwards, he used his spiritual penetrations to go to Guiyuan Monastery. At that time, the Abbot of Guiyuan Monastery also had spiritual penetrations, and so he said, “Today a monk is coming to lunch. We will eat first and then hit the bong. When he hears the sound of the bong, he will come for lunch. And so first we eat and then we hit the bong.” The bong is a wooden board carved in the shape of a fish. When it is hit, the sound is “bong, bong, bong,” and so it is called a bong. Why did the Abbot want everyone to eat first? It’s because he knew that the weino had stopped to watch an opera in Nanjing, and so he thought, “All right! Since you watched a show, I won’t let you eat.”

After the weino finished watching the show, he headed for Hankou. When he arrived, he heard the bong and went to eat lunch. But he saw that all the people at Guiyuan Monastery had already eaten. Everyone ate first and then the bong was hit. He said, “Why aren’t you eating?”

“We’ve already eaten.”

“You don’t follow the rules here. You should hit the bong first and then eat.”

“The Abbot was asking why you went to watch an opera.”

The weino thought about that and had nothing to say in reply, so he left. He went directly to Sichuan. It is quite a long distance from Hankou to Sichuan, but he reached there quickly by using his spiritual penetrations. When he arrived there, he sat beneath two cinnamon trees to meditate. Later he established a monastery there named “Twin Cinnamon Hall,” which is also very well known.

This has been the account of the weino who stole rice crust. We have among us one shameless Bhikshuni who wanted to steal ginseng tea to drink. That was why last night I told you all that I am going to give you some ginseng tea to drink. Originally ginseng is not taken until the fourth day of a Chan session. But now we have ginseng tea to drink every day, and so you must definitely get enlightened. If you don’t, then that will prove that you are ungrateful for my ginseng tea, right? [To a disciple] You did have ginseng tea to drink this evening, didn’t you?

This year, although there are not a lot of people, still, we have over ten, perhaps over twenty people, who have come to attend this Chan session. That’s much better than last year. In this Chan session, we should each sacrifice our small self and perfect our great self. What does it mean to sacrifice the small self and perfect the great self? I told you today: resolving to steal something is an example of sacrificing the small self. Stealing for the sake of giving to everyone else is an example of perfecting the great self, of seeing everyone as the same—as one. That is one way to explain it. Another way is to say that our physical body is the small self and our Buddha nature is the great self. The small self is living beings; the great self is Buddhahood. The Buddha is the total substance with great function. Each of us people, each living being, is a portion of the Buddha nature. Therefore we must return that portion to the total substance and great function. That is to sacrifice the small self and to perfect the great self.

And so today I said, “Ah! If any one of you strikes up a false thought about having something good to eat, I will buy it for you. If you think about eating cottage cheese, then I will buy cottage cheese for you to eat. If you think about bean curd, then I will buy bean curd. If you think about cabbage, then I will buy cabbage. If you think about fried bean cakes, then I will buy fried bean cakes. To sum it up, whatever false thought you have, I will fulfill your wishes. And so, go ahead and strike up as many false thoughts as you can. Keep having false thoughts every day and we will watch and see when they finally stop.

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