前期提示：阿難登法座結集經藏時，大眾頓起三疑。第一，大家以為阿難是釋迦牟尼佛又活過來了。第二，他們懷疑阿難是他方佛來。
第三疑就是以為阿難證得佛果了，以為阿難成佛了，於是乎就大家都很驚奇的，在那兒不知怎麼樣好了。等阿難一說「如是我聞」，大家三疑頓息，這三種的懷疑就都沒有了。說：「如是之法，是我阿難親自聽見釋迦牟尼佛說的。」所以這三疑頓息。
當時，這一些阿羅漢，聽見阿難結集經藏，都起三疑，所以我們現在聽這個經，一聽下來，不只三疑，恐怕千疑萬疑都有了，說：「這經是不是真的啊？是不是佛說的啊？有什麼證明啊？」喔！在肚子要頭那個算盤子啊，就打起來了，劈啪！在那兒響。自己肚子裏頭那個不叫電腦，那個叫人腦，人腦在這個人的身體裏邊，就算起來了，這千疑、萬疑都
生出來了。
由這個看來，學佛法不是那麼容易的。我們學佛的人，所以不能與道相應，就因為疑心太多了。所以才說：「修道之人心莫疑」，你心要不要有諸多懷疑。這也不信，那也不信，講真的你也不信；講假的，喔！你信了！所以就顛倒。「疑心若起便途迷」，你疑心一生出來了，就會走錯路了。所以學佛的人要「朝於斯，夕於斯」，要天天學，時時刻刻都要學佛，念茲在茲的，不能
好像馬馬虎虎的那麼樣子。
現在我們萬佛聖城的居士們和出家人，無論出家、在家，想學佛的人，快一點把《楞嚴經》讀得能背得出，熟讀默記，融會貫通。一部《楞嚴經》若讀得能背得出，那我們這個佛教徒就沒有白做。因為《楞嚴經》是佛教講得最真的、最徹底的。那把一切旁門外道那個毛病，那個本相，都給指明了。所以你若明白《楞嚴經》了，那個天魔外道他都恐怖毛豎的，他都害怕。所以你們各位，要想真正護持三寶，弘揚佛法，就快一點來研究《楞嚴經》，讀誦《楞嚴經》，講解《楞嚴經》，這是最低限度的。
學《楞嚴經》，以及聽經、念經，我們都要有一種忍耐心，不要生疲厭的心。你們要知道，你看那個樹是一天一天長大的，那個花是天天你去用水給它澆的，它才能開花，才能那麼樣地美好
。我們小孩子也是一天一天教導成的、長大的，讀書也是一天一天讀的，所以我們學佛法，也要拿出一點時間來，天天研究佛法，來學習佛法。
你研究佛法，比你把金錢放到銀行裏去更有價值。對你這個法身慧命是更重要，所以不要以為世間的財那是真的。學佛法，這是出世的法財，你就在世間也可以用，出世間更少不了的；所以這個是功德法財，不可以把它看輕了。不可以馬馬虎虎的。天天最好在百忙之中，都能找時間來聽一聽經，研究研究佛法，這是最好最好的。不要說：「啊！那天天講經都是講那個，我聽得都也沒有什麼意思了！」那你吃飯，天天怎麼樣子忙，你也要吃飯；你穿衣服，怎麼樣忙也要穿衣服；你睡覺，怎麼樣忙也要睡覺，那麼這個聽經也應該看得和那個穿衣服、吃飯、睡覺一樣地重要，那就好了。
待續 |
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From last
issue:
When Ananda ascended the Dharma-seat to compile the Sutras,
the assembly had three kinds of doubts: (1) They thought
Ananda was Shakyamuni Buddha come back to life. (2) They
thought Ananda was a Buddha from another world.
3. They thought Ananda himself had become
a Buddha. The entire assembly was startled and at a loss,
but once Ananda said, "Thus I have heard," their three
doubts were dispelled. He was in effect stating, "This is
the Dharma that I, Ananda, personally heard Shakyamuni
Buddha speak."
Even the Arhats had three doubts when
they saw Ananda leading the compilation of the Sutras. As we
listen to this Sutra, we may have a thousand or even ten
thousand doubts! "Is this Sutra true? Did the Buddha really
say this? What proof is there?" We start punching the
buttons on our internal computer. Actually, it's not a
computer; it's just our brain. Our human brain starts
plugging away, generating millions of doubts!
So, you see,
studying the Buddhadharma is not that easy. Why haven't we
had any attainment? Too many doubts, that's why!
A cultivator should take care not
to doubt.
Once you doubt, you go astray.
You shouldn't be so skeptical. You refuse
to believe the truth, but you accept a false teaching right
away. That's why you are utterly deluded. Once you have a
doubt, you are sure to take the wrong road. You should study
the Dharma morning and night, day after day, in moment after
moment and thought after thought. Don't be sloppy and
casual.
There are now many laypeople and
left-home people at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas.
Whether you are a left-home person or a layperson, if you
really want to study Buddhism, you should memorize the
Shurangama Sutra. Everyone should master this Sutra,
know it inside out. If you can recite the Shurangama
Sutra from memory, then your study of Buddhism will
have been worth it. The Shurangama Sutra is the
Buddha's most genuine and penetrating teaching. It exposes
all the shortcomings and weaknesses of the heterodox sects.
If you understand the Shurangama Sutra, you will
frighten the demons from the heavens and the followers of
heterodox sects so much that their hair stands on end.
Therefore, if you really want to support the Triple Jewel
and propagate Buddhism, then you should start by studying,
reciting, and explaining the Shurangama Sutra.
That's the very minimum you should do.
Studying Sutras and listening to lectures
requires patience. You can't get tired of it. You see how a
tree grows day by day, and how plants have to be watered
every day so they will bloom and look pretty. When you raise
children, you have to teach them every day until they grow
up. If you go to school, you have to attend classes every
day. And so if you want to learn Buddhism, you should set
aside some time each day to study the Dharma.
Studying Buddhism is worth more than any
amount of money you save up in the bank! In terms of your
Dharma body and wisdom life, the Dharma is far more
important than money. Don't take worldly wealth so
seriously. When you study the Dharma, you earn a
transcendental kind of wealth, which can be used in the
world and which is indispensable if you want to transcend
the world. So, don't look lightly upon the wealth of Dharma
and of merit and virtue. Don't take this casually. It would
be best if you could find some time in your busy schedule to
come listen to the Sutra lecture and investigate Buddhism
every day. "But the lecture is always the same," you say,
"Why do I have to listen to it every day?" No matter how
busy you are, you still have to eat, dress, and sleep every
day, don't you? You ought to consider listening to the Sutra
just as important as wearing clothes, eating, and sleeping.
~ To be continued
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