有人說「人是有感情的動物，食色性也」就是因為這樣，所以我們才要修道啊；在《佛說四十二章經》中說：「想其老者如母，長者如姊，少者如妹，稚者如子，生度脫心，息滅惡念」這並非要你去憎人，而是要一一不愛不憎為中道一一修這個「怨親平等」、「男女平等」的中道義。
第六章般若篇
上人一生的問答錄相當多，每當上人回答信徒問題時，總是「不按牌理出牌」的令人出乎意料之外。常常令信眾措手不及而法喜充滿，連連拍手叫好，上人幽默的答案總是「充滿禪機」地「當下棒喝」！直指人心。
我們可以由《六祖壇經‧頓漸品第八》中一段話來看上人的「般若幽默智」。經文曰：「見性之人立亦得，不立亦得，去來自由無滯無礙，應用隨作應語隨答，普見化身不離自性，即得自在神通遊戲三昧，是名見性。」
這段意思就是真正明心見性開悟的人，立這個辦法也可以；不立這個辦法也可以，無障無礙。願意來就來，願意去就去，這是指生死自由了。若有人問我問題，就隨便答而不經過思索，但要答的有道理，不是亂講的。這時，到處都是化身，化身不離自性，那麼隨時隨地都得到觀自在和五眼六通。這是指見性的人可以有這種的功夫，可以隨問隨答而不會答錯而誤人。下面就舉一些上人對信徒的答覆：
「如何了生死？
答：『吃飯、穿衣、睡覺』」
這不是上人在開玩笑，其實「舉動行為管自己，行住坐臥不離家」平常心就是「道」了！
「佛像沒有閃光，可不可以拜？
答：『你心裡沒有執著了，佛像隨時都是開光的。你要心裡有執著，開了光也等於沒開光。』 」
「大悲咒一天一百零八遍，楞嚴咒一天要持幾遍呢？
答：『一千零八百遍。』 」
「如何避免地震？
答：『人不生氣就沒有地震。』 」
「念何經咒最易成佛？
答：『念不生氣的經，念不罵人的經，念不發脾氣的經，有這三種經，很快就成佛了！』 」
「如何斷淫心？答：『不想就斷了。你跟著它想怎麼會斷？“念起即覺，覺之即無”嘛！ 』
」
「法師圓寂後往何處去？
答：『沒有地方去！』」
其實這是上人已達「生死自由」的界境，因為「無來亦無去」，所以「沒有地方去」。上人更多次地說：「生與死對我來說沒有分別」、「我願意活就活，願意死就死，生死是我的自由」、「我看死和活，這都是一樣的，沒有什麼分別。我能為法忘軀，這是佛弟子的本份。」
「如何破執著和妄想？答：『誰給你執著？誰給你妄想？』」
「何謂應無所住而生其心？
答：『 信心在什麼地方？先告訴我。』」
「如何出三界，入解脫門？
答：『你不在三界，就是出三界了嘛！』」
「觀世音菩薩由何而來？答 ：『你問問你自己是從那兒來的？』」
「究竟是人怕鬼?還是鬼怕人？
答：『你心裡有鬼，就是人怕鬼。
你心裡要是沒有鬼了，就是鬼怕人。』」
「在家人如何學『不倒單』？答：『在家人先學“不搗蛋”。』」
「如何令佛法融入生活中？答：『不爭、不貪、不求、不自私、不自利、不打妄語。』」
「往生如何處理？答：『你要往生做什麼？你帶這麼多垃圾東西，怎麼會去得了？』」
「學佛的人死後捐器官好嗎？答：『人死後捐器官，莫如人活著捐器官，那才是真的啊！你死了，用不著才捐，那有什麼用
？所謂『己所不欲，勿施於人』」。
前些年很多人為了捐器官的問題，討論得很熱烈，大家莫衷一是。唯獨上人認為人活著時，如果捨得捐贈器官(可以忍受痛苦)，那臨終時再捐贈器官就不會有問題，不是一定要等臨終時才捐贈(沒有人能把握他不會痛過頭而起後悔心)，且上人認為真行菩薩道者應能「己之所欲，而施於人」。
曾有人問上人說：「見師父上人拿著拐杖，為了眾生擔當太多的業力，心裡難過，請師父慈悲多住世。」上人聽完後，當場把拐杖丟了出去，立刻引起一陣掌聲，上人卻說：「你不難過了嗎？」。這真是上人「即一
切相，掃一切相」的妙般若，您不覺得很有意思嗎？
又上人一生很注重「不發脾氣」及「忍辱行」，因為「佛法不離世間法」，
「離世覓菩提，猶如尋兔角」，上人說：
「不生煩惱才能消災，不發脾氣才能延壽。」
「人能不發脾氣，什麼業障都能一筆勾消的。」
更有趣的是，上人曾發明兩句咒語，如：
「忍耐！忍耐！需要忍耐，切莫生氣，娑婆訶。」
「肝中若無火，何病都能躲，即此妙伽陀 ，亦被置高閣，娑婆訶。」
待續
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Someone may say, "People are creatures of emotion. [The
desires for] food and sex are part of their nature." That's
the very reason we must cultivate! The Sutra in Forty-two
Sections Spoken by the Buddha says, "Think of elderly women
as your mothers, of those who are older than you as your
older sisters, of those who are younger as your younger
sisters, and of very young girls as your daughters. Bring
forth thoughts to rescue them, and put an end to bad
thoughts." This passage is not telling you to hate people,
but to realize the Middle Way which is to neither love nor
hate; to practice the Middle Way of regarding friends and
foes in the same light and seeing men and women in equal
terms.
Part Six Prajna
Many of the answers the Venerable Master
gave to people's questions have been recorded. Whenever the
Master answered people's questions, his answer would always
be a "wild card" that took people by surprise, filling them
with Dharma joy and making them clap and cheer. The Master's
humorous answers always carried hidden Chan meanings that
gave the questioner a timely blow on the head and pointed
straight to the mind. A quote from the
Sixth Patriarch Sutra, Chapter Eight, "Sudden
and Gradual", sheds light on the Master's Prajna humor:
"Those who see their own nature can establish
dharmas in their minds or not establish them as they choose.
They come and go freely, without impediments or obstacles.
They function correctly and speak appropriately, seeing all
transformation bodies as integral with the self-nature. That
is precisely the way they obtain independence, spiritual
powers, and the samadhi of playfulness. This is what is
called seeing the nature."
The meaning of the passage is that
enlightened people, who have truly understood their own
minds, can set up methods or not set them up, as they wish.
They can come and go whenever they wish, without
obstructions. This indicates freedom over birth and death.
If someone asks them a question, they can answer without
thinking, but their answers have principle and are not
nonsensical. At that point, their transformation bodies are
everywhere, and yet are not apart from their own nature. At
all times and places, they contemplate at ease and have the
five eyes and six spiritual powers. Those who have seen
their natures are able to answer questions as soon as they
are asked, and yet they never answer wrongly or lead people
astray. Below are some answers the Master's gave to
questions asked by the faithful.
Q: How can we end birth and death?
A: Eat, wear clothes, and sleep.
The Venerable Master wasn't joking.
Actually, "In every move you make, watch over yourself.
Whether moving or still, asleep or awake, don't wander away
from home." The ordinary state of mind is the Way!
Q: Can we bow to a Buddha image which has
not been "inaugurated"?
A: If you have no attachments in your mind, the Buddha image
is always inaugurated. If you are attached, then even if
it's augurated, it's the same as not being inaugurated.
Q: If we're supposed to recite the Great
Compassion Mantra 108 times a day, how many times should we
recite the Shurangama Mantra?
A: 1800 times.
Q: How can we prevent earthquakes?
A: If people don't get mad, there won't be any earthquakes.
Q: What Sutra or mantra should we recite
that will make it easiest for us to attain Buddhahood?
A: Recite the Sutra of not getting mad, the Sutra of not
scolding others, and the Sutra of not losing your temper.
With these three Sutras, you will very quickly attain
Buddhahood!
Q: How can I get rid of lust?
A: If you don't think about it, you've gotten rid of it. If
you keep thinking about it, how can you get rid of it? As
soon as the thought arises, be aware of it. Once you're
aware of it, it's gone.
Q: Dharma Master, where will you go after
you pass away?
A: Nowhere!
Actually the Master had already attained
freedom over birth and death, so he had "no coming and no
going." That's why he had nowhere to go. The Master said
many times, "Life and death don't make any difference to
me." "I can live if I want to live, and die if I want to
die. I am free to choose life or death." "I regard death and
life as the same. There isn't any difference. I can forget
myself for the sake of the Dharma. This is the basic duty of
a Buddhist disciple."
Q: How can I break through attachments
and false thinking?
A: Who gave you attachments? Who gave you false thinking?
Q: What does it mean, "You should produce
the mind which is nowhere attached"?
A: Where is your mind? First tell me that.
Q: How can one leave the Triple Realm and
enter the door of liberation?
A: Once you're no longer in the Triple Realm, you've left
the Triple Realm.
Q: Where did Guanshiyin Bodhisattva come
from?
A: Why don't you ask yourself where you came from?
Q: Are people afraid of ghosts, or are
ghosts afraid of people?
A: If you have ghosts in your heart, then people are afraid
of ghosts. If there are no ghosts in your heart, then ghosts
are afraid of people.
Q: How should laypeople practice "not
lying down to sleep" (bu dao dan)?
A: Laypeople should first practice "not stirring up
mischief' (bu dao dan)!
Q: How can we bring the Buddhadharma into
our daily lives?
A: By not contending, not being greedy, not seeking, not
being selfish, not pursuing personal advantage, and not
lying.
Q: How should we deal with rebirth?
A: Why do you want to be reborn? You're carrying so much
garbage and stuff around; how could you possibly go?
Q: Is it a good idea for Buddhists to
donate their organs after death? A: Donating organs after
death is not as good as donating them while you're still
alive--then it's for real! If you don't donate them until
you're dead and can't use them anymore, what's the use? As
it's said, "Don't give to others what you yourself don't
want."
Organ donation has been a topic of hot
debate in recent years, and people are not in agreement. The
Venerable Master is unique in his view that if one can give
up one's organs while still alive (being able to endure the
pain), then it won't be any problem to donate them right
before death. So he maintains that one need not wait until
the point of death to donate one's organs (at that time no
one can be sure they will not regret their decision because
of the excessive pain). The Master also thought that one who
truly cultivates the Bodhisattva path should "give what they
themselves would like to others."
Someone once said to the Master, "When I
see the Master leaning on a cane because he has taken so
much karma for living beings, I feel very bad. Will the
Master please be compassionate and stay in the world for a
long time?" The Master immediately threw down his cane,
drawing a round of applause, and said, "Do you still feel
bad?" This is an instance of the Master's wonderful Prajna
which, "in the midst of appearances, sweeps away all
appearances." Isn't it fascinating?
Throughout his life, the Master
emphasized "not losing one's temper" and "cultivating
forbearance," because "the Buddhadharma is not apart from
the world. To seek Bodhi apart from the world is like
looking for a hare with horns." The Master said,
You can eradicate disasters only if you
don't get afflicted. You can lengthen life only if you don't
lose your temper.
If a person never loses his temper, all
his karmic obstacles can be cancelled.
The Master also composed two very
interesting mantras:
Patience! Patience! Gotta have patience!
Don't get angry, suo po he.
If you never get mad,
You can escape all illnesses.
A wonderful cure-all medicine--
Set up on a high shelf and forgotten!
Suo po he.
~ To be continued
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