此外在上人戴面紗返城時(詳情見《萬佛城金剛菩提海》 2 7
5期)，果真有弟子因為不忍上人戴著面紗，而上去把上人的面紗揭去。上人竟幽默地說：
「你來給我面紗揭去，我可以再戴另外一個。我預備五個，我青、黃、赤、白、黑五個面紗呢！」
表面上好像沒什麼，事實上這段「公案」不單純的，我認為這是上人的「身教」般若。揭面紗就是要「破一切相」，找回本來的面目，青黃赤白黑即「五蘊」，看弟子是否能破「五蘊」？能「不住色生心」？如禪宗的破三關一樣。所謂「見事省事出世間，見事迷事墮沉淪」，不知我們醒了沒有？
如果我們仔細去閱讀上人的問答錄及開示錄，你會很容易就啟發自性的智慧，因為「粗言及細言，皆歸第一義」。就如上人常說的：
「不要相信我，也不用相信佛。要相信你本有的智慧，發掘你自性的般若，便會獲得擇法眼。是道則進，非道則退，不要把帽子當鞋子穿。」
֍ ֍ ֍
第七章 神異篇
何謂神通？「變化莫測謂之神，無拘無礙謂之通」也就是既能使人莫測他之所以，又能為所欲為而了無障礙。上人也說：「妙用難測為神，自在無礙為通」，證得真神通者即五眼六通也。佛教裡說的五眼六通，只是修行無漏，開悟證果的過程中，循序漸進的般若顯現境界，實在不足為
奇的。只是邪正有別，且要以戒行清淨，心無貪欲為後盾，才不至於落入邪道。
其實神通說穿了也只是「自性通」罷了！佛性本人人具足，五眼六通亦人人本自具足，只是被無明煩惱給遮藏去了。當然佛在世時，曾警告大眾「不可隨便顯神通」，並非完全「不可」顯神通。如果菩薩
有神通，而不示現神通去方便教化眾生，那有神通又有什麼用呢？佛只是怕人「隨便」顯神通，或利用神通來欺誑眾生，令人墮入魔的境界〈楞嚴經五十種陰魔說的清清楚楚)，所謂「不作聖心，名善境界，若作聖解，即落群邪」這是很重要的一句話。
很多人都誤會上人是一位搞神通的人，其實上人一生的靈驗故事是多得不勝枚舉的。後面我只舉三件事給大家參考，信不信由你們了。
大家應該知道上人很有名的三句「驚言」：
「只要我在香港一天，就不准香港打颶風！」
「只要我在舊金山一天，就不准舊金山地震！ 」
「只要有我在，就不准有末法存在！」 仔細看這三句話，這「不准」二字並非是
一種「神通」，而是一種大乘菩薩的慈悲願。地藏菩薩不也說：「地獄不空，誓不成佛」嗎？誰能懂得這「不」字背後要付出多少心酸血淚的代價？況且上人一生嚴持不打妄語的戒，所說的話自然有其殊勝的「感應」。上人曾說：「不打妄語就是最靈的咒」，的確是一種最靈驗的法門。
就拿舊金山地震一事來說，除了一九八九年十月十七日舊金山有大地震外(上人正返台)，其餘自一九六八年以來，舊金山確實沒有大地震。而上人也很謙虛地說：
「大事情我幹不了，但像地震這樣的小事情，我還可以應付。」
「當然中間有極微的地震，但毫無損害的不算。若我沒有一點把握，若不是十方佛菩薩、天龍八部咸來護我的法，我那有膽子做這樣的預言？」
另一件在《菩提樹》(四三七期)雜誌刊登的文章，章名「萬佛城法界大學訪問團三度蒞馬觀感」，作者是淨觀法師。法師乃廣化老和尚的高徒，專攻《金剛經》，對於經文「一切相皆虛妄」及「應無所住而生其心」之理，特別有體悟。在「萬佛城法界大學訪問團三度蒞馬觀感」文中，法師特別提到上人曾治癒了他多年的「鼻癌」及「咽喉乾燥症」。至文末又言及他在寮房臥著睡時，忽被人用巨大的腳夾住，忽聽到從空中傳來上人的聲音說：「你說要跟我回萬佛城修行
，這是什麼時候，還睡大覺...... 」法師醒後說：
「經書上載，佛有六丈金身，今我看到上人也有這麼高大，金光閃閃，好高好大......難道是夢耶？幻耶？但我心中明明白白，我的頭部還隱隱作痛。本來『真實義，絕言傳』，不可說，不可說，但是為什麼又要說？『曇花易見，知識難逢？』因而把本來不可說的『感應道交』，直心說出
。其中的『真實義』只好讓讀者自己去體悟了。」
最後一件是在一九八四年，上人到新加坡弘法時發生的事。事情是上人在出國以前，早已答應一位舊金山的婦人，要去幫她看房子，而上人答應後就出國去新加坡弘法了。結果這婦人的二個五、六歲孩子，竟在上人跟他們約好的「那天」看到上人去她家看房子。所以恒貢法師說；
「我們上人的德行非常深，沒有接近就不知道了，你們知道為什麼我們留了個空位在中間呢？因為我們上人在什麼地方啊，沒有人知道。因為我們每一個人都有點怕
，不敢坐在上面。」
恒貢法師又舉恒寶、恒朝二位師父在三步一拜時，美國警察常來問他們說：我昨天看到你們有三位在拜，一位是比較老的中國人在你們後面拜，今天怎麼不見了呢？」
以上只例舉三事上人曾給大家「有」神通的感覺，不知各位信不信？《華嚴經﹒初發心功德品》上說的好：「已住究竟一乘道，深人微妙最上法，善知眾生時非時，為利益故現通。」不過我翻遍上人所有的開示錄及錄音帶，還沒找到上人承認過他「有」神通
的事。上人說：
「神通只是智慧的別名，你有智慧自然就能觀三千大千世界，如掌上庵摩羅果。」
「在佛教裏頭，神通只是雕蟲小技罷了，不能登大雅之堂的。誰要注重神通的人，這個人是最無知識的。」
「我老實告訴你們，我沒有神通，連鬼通都沒有，這種超過事實的說法，不是我所希望的。」
懂佛法的人是不要爭，不要貪，不要求
，不自私，不自利，不打妄語。什麼五眼六通，七扯八拉的，這一套完全是在緣木求魚呢！
其實上人有神通是從廣欽老和尚那兒先說穿的。民國六十九年六月八日，上人派了兩位弟子去參拜老和尚，老和尚當天傍晚即問：「令師神通超人，平時是否教你們神通？」二位弟子答道：「神通不是教來的，而是修持修到某一種程度而自然有的現象，而且神通並不能了生脫死，不是學佛的根本目的
。」可見上人有「有神通」是廣老所提過的事，並非虛假的。
如果你認識的上人只限於「神通」而已，那真是太可惜了，可謂非上人真正的弟子。而我所認識的上人不是一位只具「五眼六通」的人，而是一位真正慈悲無我的老長者。上人在一九九三年春天，因弟子違背家風而蒙羞戴面紗返城，上人卻宣說：「我戴著面紗，看不清楚！」後來上人因此「認錯」人而「打錯」了人。
所以我所認識的上人是一位用拐杖鞭打自己；沒收每一個人的脾氣，向每個人化緣脾氣；為世界和平免戰爭而絕食；坐輪椅還到處說法；天天向眾生叩頭頂禮的師父，是一位「流血汗，不休息」的大菩薩行者。
如果佛教徒只知道他自己的師父是否具有「特異功能」？而不知道師父教化眾生的精神及慈悲，那未免太本末倒置了，可謂非佛弟子也。
待續
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When the Master returned to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
wearing a veil over his face (for a detailed account see
Vajra Bodhi Sea issue 275), one of his disciples couldn't
bear to see it and went up and ripped the veil from the
Master's face. The Master humorously remarked,
If you pull off my veil, I can put on
another one. I've prepared five of them. I have a green one,
a yellow one, a red one, a white one, and a black one--five
veils!
On the surface it doesn't seem like much,
but actually this was not a casual incident. I believe it is
an instance of the Master's Prajna of teaching by example.
Ripping away the veil represents "smashing through all
appearances" and rediscovering our original face. The five
colors represent the five skandhas. He was testing his
disciples to see if they could destroy the five skandhas and
produce the mind that does not dwell in form--equivalent to
breaking through the three barriers in the Chan school. As
it's said, "Seeing things and understanding them, one
transcends the world. Seeing things and becoming confused,
one sinks and falls." Have any of us awakened yet?
If you read the Master's replies and
instructional talks with careful attention, it will be easy
for your inherent wisdom to come forth, for "general words
and detailed explanations all express the ultimate truth."
As the Master often said,
Don't believe in me, and don't believe in
the Buddha. Believe in your own wisdom. Discover the Prajna
of your own nature, and then you'll obtain the
Dharma-Selecting Vision. If it's the Way, then go forward.
If it's not, then retreat from it. Don't put on your hat
thinking it's your shoe.
֍ ֍ ֍
PART SEVEN MIRACLES
What are spiritual penetrations?
"Unfathomable transformations are 'spirit'; the absence of
restrictions and impediments is 'penetration. '" It is the
ability to cause others not to be able to figure one out,
and at the same time to be able to do whatever one wishes
without hindrance. The Master also said, "Wondrous
functionings that are hard to fathom are 'spirit'; freedom
and ease without obstruction is 'penetration. ", Those who
have genuinely attained spiritual penetrations have the five
eyes and six penetrations. In Buddhism, the five eyes and
six penetrations are states of Prajna which naturally
manifest as one cultivates nonoutflows and advances toward
enlightenment; they are not considered anything
extraordinary. The only difference is whether one's views
are proper or not. One should take care to uphold the
precepts purely and to guard against greed, so as not to
stray onto wrong paths.
Actually, spiritual penetrations are
simply penetrations of one's own nature. Everyone is
inherently endowed with the Buddha nature, and also with the
five eyes and six penetrations. It's just that they've been
covered over by ignorance and afflictions. Of course when
the Buddha was in the world, he warned everyone that it was
not permissible to casually show off one's spiritual
penetrations, but he didn't prohibit people from revealing
them altogether. If Bodhisattvas who have spiritual
penetrations didn't manifest them to expediently teach and
transform living beings, what would they be good for? The
Buddha only feared that people would "casually" show off
their powers, or use them to cheat others or lead them into
demonic states (as is clearly described in the "Fifty
Skandha-demons” section of the Shurangama Sutra). As that
section of the Sutra says, “If one doesn't think one is a
sage, it is a good state. If one interprets it as sagehood,
one will be overcome by the deviant hordes." This is a very
important sentence.
Many people are under the impression that
the Master was someone who showed off his spiritual powers.
The miraculous events in the Master's life are too many to
count. I will mention three incidents for everyone to
consider. Whether or not you believe them is up to you.
Everyone probably has heard these three
famous lines of the Master:
As long as I'm in Hong Kong, I won't
permit a typhoon to hit Hong Kong.
As long as I'm in San Francisco, I
won't permit San Francisco to have an earthquake.
As long as I'm here, I won't permit the
Dharma's demise to occur.
If we examine these three statements
closely, we should realize that the words "I won't permit"
indicate not "spiritual penetrations," but rather the
compassionate vows of a Great Vehicle Bodhisattva. Didn't
Earth Store Bodhisattva say, "As long as the hells are not
empty, I vow not to become a Buddha"? Who could know how
much blood, sweat, and tears has gone into fulfilling that
vow? Furthermore, since the Master strictly kept the precept
against lying through his life, his words naturally have an
extraordinary effect. The Master once said, "Not lying is
the most efficacious mantra." Truly, it is a most magical
Dharma door.
As for earthquakes in San Francisco,
aside from the great earthquake which occurred on October
17, 1989 (when the Master was in Taiwan), since 1968 until
the present San Francisco has not experienced any other
major earthquake. The Master modestly commented.
I can't do much about big matters, but
little things like earthquakes I can deal with.
Of course there have been very minor
earthquakes, but those which haven't caused any harm don't
count. If I didn't have something to rely upon, if it
weren't for the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten
directions as well as the gods and dragons and the rest of
the eightfold division who protect my Dharma, how could I
have dared to make such a prophecy?
There was another incident related in an
article in issue 437 of Bodhi Tree magazine,
entitled "Some Thoughts on the Third Visit to Malaysia of a
Delegation from the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and the
Dharma Realm Buddhist University." The article was written
by Dharma Master Jingguan, a senior disciple of Elder Master
Guanghua, who has especially studied the Vajra
Sutra and has gained special insight into the
phrases, "All appearances are false," and "One should
produce the mind which is nowhere attached." In his article,
the Dharma Master mentions that the Venerable Master cured
his nose cancer, which he had suffered for many years, and
his "dry throat disease." At the end of the article he
relates that when he was sleeping in a reclining position in
his room, he suddenly felt as if he were pinched between two
huge feet, and in space he heard the Master's voice saying,
"Now when was it that you said you wanted to return to the
City of Ten Thousand Buddhas with me to cultivate? How come
you're sleeping so much?" When the Dharma Master awoke, he
said:
The Sutras say that the Buddha has a
sixty-foot tall golden body. Today I saw the Master
appearing to be that height, dazzling with golden light,
tall and gigantic ... Was it a dream? An illusion? But it's
very clear in my mind, and my head is still reeling.
Basically "the true meaning cannot be verbally transmitted";
it is ineffable and inexpressible, so why do I speak? "It's
easy to see the rare udumbara blossom, but it's hard to meet
a good and wise teacher." For that reason, I have frankly
related what is basically an inexpressible response. The
"true meaning" must be left for the reader to experience for
himself.
The final incident happened in 1984
when the Venerable Master was propagating the Dharma in
Singapore. Before the Master left the U.S., he had
promised a woman in San Francisco that he would go to
take a look at her house. But after making that promise,
the Master left for Singapore on a Dharma tour. Yet, on
the day the Master had made an appointment with them,
the woman's two children, aged five and six, actually
saw the Master go to their house and look around. So
Dharma Master Heng Gung said:
Our Venerable Master's virtue is extremely profound. Those
who haven't been around him wouldn't know this. Do you
know why we place this empty seat in the middle? It's
because no one knows where the Master is. Also, we're
all a little nervous and afraid to be sitting up here.
That Dharma Master also mentioned that
when Dharma Masters Heng Sure and Heng Chau were making
their three-steps-one-bow pilgrimage, the American policemen
would often approach them and say, "I saw three of you
bowing yesterday. One was an older Chinese man bowing behind
you two. How come he's not here today?"
I don't know whether people believe these
three incidents mentioned above, in which the Master gave
people the feeling that he had spiritual penetrations. The
Flower Adornment Sutra says it well in Chapter 17, "The
Merit and Virtue of First Bringing Forth the Resolve,"
"Dwelling in the ultimate path of the One Vehicle, he deeply
enters the wondrous, supreme Dharma. Understanding well when
living beings are ready and when they aren't, he manifests
spiritual penetrations to benefit them." I have read and
listened to all of the Venerable Master's instructional
talks and tapes, and I haven't come across any instance
where the Master admitted that he possessed spiritual
penetrations. The Master said:
Spiritual penetrations are merely another
name for wisdom. If you have wisdom, you'll naturally be
able to see the entire universe as if it were an amala fruit
in the palm of your hand.
In Buddhism, spiritual penetrations are
just the frills; they aren't the main thing. Anyone who
emphasizes spiritual penetrations is absolutely ignorant.
I'll tell you frankly, I don't have
spiritual penetrations; I don't even have ghostly
penetrations. Such exaggerated claims are not something that
I like.
People who understand the Buddhadharma
should concentrate on not contending, not being greedy, not
seeking, not being selfish, not pursuing personal advantage,
and not lying. If you seek the five eyes and six spiritual
powers or stuff like, you're just "searching for fish in a
tree."
The fact that the Master had spiritual
penetrations was actually revealed by the Venerable Guangqin.
On June 8, 1980, the Master sent two disciples to visit the
Venerable. That evening the Venerable asked them, "Your
teacher has extraordinary spiritual penetrations. Does he
ordinarily teach you all spiritual penetrations?"
The two disciples replied, "Spiritual
penetrations cannot be taught. They naturally occur when one
has cultivated to a certain level. Moreover, spiritual
penetrations cannot help one end birth and death. They are
not the ultimate goal that Buddhists aim for."
From the Venerable Guangqin's mention of
the Master's spiritual penetrations, it can be inferred that
the Master actually possessed them.
If all you know about the Venerable
Master is his spiritual penetrations, then that's really a
pity; it could be said that you are not a true disciple of
the Master. The Master as I knew him was not someone who
merely had the five eyes and six spiritual penetrations, but
a genuinely compassionate and selfless elder. In the spring
of 1993, when the Master returned to the City of Ten
Thousand Buddhas wearing a face veil out of shame because
his disciples had violated the City's traditions, he
actually said, ''I'm wearing a veil, I can't see clearly!"
And later, on account of this, the Master "accidentally"
beat the "wrong" person.
And so I consider the Master to be a
teacher who uses his cane to beat himself, who confiscates
and begs for other people's bad tempers, who fasts to pray
for world peace and an end to war, who goes everywhere
speaking the Dharma even in a wheelchair, and who kowtows to
living beings every day. He is a great Bodhisattva
cultivator who "spares no blood or sweat, and never pauses
to rest."
If a Buddhist only cares about whether or
not his teacher has supernatural abilities, but doesn't
recognize his teacher's compassionate spirit of teaching
living beings, then he really has his priorities mixed up
and is not a true disciple of the Buddha.
~ To be continued
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