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佛於一切諸世間。悉使離憂生大喜。
所有根欲皆治淨。可愛樂神斯悟入。
如來出現於世間。普觀眾生心所樂。
種種方便而成熟。此淨光神解脫門。
可愛樂神用這個偈頌來讚佛，說：「佛於一切諸世間」。佛，不是單單在這個娑婆世界來出現；在十方國土所有的世界他來出現，出現一切諸世間。做什麼呢？「悉使離憂生大喜」。佛因為憐愍眾生，看見眾生生死不了，輪迴路險，在這個六道輪迴裏邊，忽然而天；忽然而人；忽然而地獄；忽然而餓鬼；忽然而畜生，猶如一個圓的環一樣循環無端，在六道輸迴裏轉來轉去是很可憂慮的，所以佛不辭度生這種的勞苦，想辦法使令一切眾生都遠離這個憂悲苦惱，而生出大歡喜。
「所有根欲皆治淨」，眾生的根，有的有善根的；有的沒有善根的。有善根的佛用種種方便法門，令這個善根來增長；沒有善根的眾生就令他種善根。欲，這個欲就是眾生所歡喜的。眾生歡喜什麼呢？歡喜財，歡喜色；有的就歡喜喝酒，有的人就歡喜吃肉，有的人又歡喜吃迷魂藥。種種的欲，種種的根，佛都知道。皆淨治，把這一切多生多劫的這種習氣都治淨。治，修治，或者治理；淨，就是清淨。清淨就是由染污變成清淨，所謂「染心易致，淨德難成」，可是佛以大威神力，令這個染心易致，變成清淨了。所以說所有根欲皆治淨，就是治得清淨，也所以說所有根欲皆治淨，就是治得清淨，也就是說這個人原來不修行來著，也不守規矩來著，和一般的人是一樣的，那麼他聞到佛法之後就守規矩了，把習氣也都去了，又修行了。把染心放下了，清淨心現出來了。「可愛樂神斯悟入」，這一位可愛樂的主稼神對這種的境界明白了，入這種的解脫門。
「如來出現於世間」，如來出現在這世間上。「普觀眾生心所樂J，他普遍地來觀察眾生心裏所願意的什麼事情，眾生所願意的，佛就用種種的方便法門來教化他。
所以說「種種方便而成熟」，佛用種種的方便現出佛。度眾生也是不容易的，若是容易的話他就不需要用種種的方便了，就用一種的方便，就可以把眾生度了。他現在不是用一種的方便，用種種的方便，這可見眾生難度。這方便法用完了，沒有度了這個眾生；又換另外一個方便法來令眾生信這個法，明白這個法，修行這個法，證得這個法，所以要用種種的方便法門而令眾生成熟。成熟就是成熟佛的果位，這是一個講法。
又一個講法，以種種的方便法門來教化種種的眾生。眾生不同，所以必須要用種種的方便法。因為眾生的根性不同，每一類的眾生，用每一個法門去教化他，所以說是種種方便而成熟。
後邊這個講法，我覺得是好一點。前邊說是佛若用種種的方便法門來教化一個眾生，這未免佛也不知道眾生的根欲了。佛因為知道眾生的根欲，所以用這一個方便法門，就能把這個眾生度了。種種的法門，是教化種種的眾生。而成熟，教化之後，又要時時刻刻來幫助這個眾生來修行，乃至於成熟了，成就道業。
「此浮光神解脫門」，這一個解脫門，這一個境界，就是這個離垢光明主稼神，他所得到的解脫門。
復次。吉祥主藥神。得普觀一切眾生心。而勤攝取解脫門。
以繼續再說。現在有一位吉祥主藥神；怎麼叫吉祥呢？就是有病的人敷這種的藥病就沒有了；將要死的人敷這種的藥就不死了；沒有病的人敷這種藥永遠也不會生病的。這都叫吉祥。這種藥是什麼藥呢？就是「歡喜」兩個字。你若能生歡喜心，你永遠不會生病；你有病，你能生歡喜病就好了；你將要死的病，你生出一種歡喜心這壽命也會延長了。所以這個歡喜藥，就是吉祥。所以才說：
自古神仙無別法，
廣生歡喜不生愁。
怎麼叫神仙？不死的人就是神仙。他怎麼會不死呢？就是他天天都生歡喜心，不憂愁。這一位吉祥主藥神就是叫你歡喜。歡喜就是吉祥；吉祥也就是要歡喜。你若不歡喜，就不會吉祥；你不吉祥，你也不會歡喜。所以說皆大歡喜，就是吉祥如意了，才能皆大歡喜。
這一位主藥神，這個藥就是治人的病的，有什麼病就要敷什麼藥。你感冒了就吃一點銀翹解毒片；你咳嗽，要買一瓶枇杷膏，這都會治人的病的。這一位吉祥主藥神得到普觀一切眾生心，他普遍觀察一切眾生心。這心裏有了什麼病了？有沒有貪病？這個眾生有沒有瞋病？有沒有癡病？這個貪病，不容易治；瞋病，也不容易治；這癡病，更難治。怎麼叫癡病呢？這個癡病，沒有讀書他想中狀元，中一個不識字的狀元；沒有種田他想要收穀；沒有學過佛法他想要講經；沒有種地他想要打糧。你說這是不是癡？我常給你們講，他又有一種癡心妄想，想什麼呢？
他說「好花常令朝朝豔」，這花天天若開著，你說有多好呢？「明月何妨夜夜圓」，說這個月亮，眞是不會作月亮，你若會做，為什麼你不每天晚間都圓圓的？
你為什麼又要不圓呢？眞討厭！你為什麼又要不圓呢？眞討厭！
「大地有泉皆化酒」，好喝酒的人就想了，我這買酒喝要用錢買，你說若有一個水池子就變成酒，這有多好？那個貪財的人他更妙。他說了，我歡喜用錢，還要賺錢才有錢用，你說如果每一棵樹都變成搖錢樹，我用錢的時候到那兒就拿，這有多好？所以這一種人這就叫癡，這個病不容易治的。他看一切眾生有什麼病，他要給一點什麼藥來治他這個病。而勤攝取就是能把他的病給治沒有了，他能明白了。攝取，能把他攝受到菩提道上。
那昨天講那個少康大師，那虛老那個讚上說有一個菩提路平，就是到這個平坦菩提路上。我不知道你們記得沒記得？我或者還可以把它念出來。
宿生凈願，念佛為勤；
般若化眾，菩提路平；
度人無量，善導叮嚀；
光明卽佛，佛卽光明。
這一位吉祥主藥神，就得到這種的解脫門了。
待續 |
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Sutra:
The Buddha is able to cause all those in the world
To leave behind their worries and experience great joy.
He can purify those of all dispositions and desires.
The Spirit Inspiring Love and Delight awakened to this.
The Thus Come One appears in the world
And universally contemplates to see what delights beings' hearts.
Then he brings them to maturity with various expedients.
This is the liberation door of the Spirit Pure Radiance.
Commentary:
The Spirit named Inspiring Love and Delight used a verse to praise the Buddha, saying:
The Buddha is able to cause all those in the world... The Buddha doesn't appear only in our Saha world. He ap- pears in all worlds throughout the ten directions. What for? In order to cause all beings
to leave behind their worries and experience great joy. The Buddha pities living beings, seeing them undergoing endless births and deaths in the dangerous paths of transmigration-- suddenly born in the heavens, suddenly among people, suddenly in the hells, suddenly among hungry ghosts and animals, revolving endlessly in the six paths of rebirth. Being greatly concerned, the Buddha toils untiringly to save beings, trying to find ways to free all living beings from grief, suffering, and affliction so that they can experience tremendous happiness.
He can purify those of all dispositions and desires.
Some living beings have good roots; others lack them. For those who have good roots, the Buddha uses all kinds of expedient means to help them increase their good roots. For those who lack them, the Buddha leads them to plant good roots. Desires refers to what living beings are fond of. Some are fond of wealth; some like beautiful women. Others enjoy drinking wine or liquor. Some like to eat meat; others like to take drugs. Beings have many different kinds of dispositions and desires, but the Buddha is aware of them all and he can regulate and purify their habits accumulated from numerous lives and eons. He can transform their defilement into purity. As a saying goes:
Defiled thoughts are easy to bring about.
Pure virtue is difficult to accomplish.
With his awesome spiritual might, the Buddha transforms defiled thoughts into pure ones. Thus the text says: "He can purify those of all dispositions and desires." This is also as when an ordinary person who does not know anything about cultivation or following rules hears the Buddhadharma, and then starts to follow the rules, gets rid of his bad habits, and cultivates. He casts aside his defiled thoughts, and pure thoughts come forth.
The Crop-Ruling Spirit named
Inspiring Love and Delight awakened to this state and entered this liberation door.
The Thus Come One appears in the world / And universally contemplates to see what delights beings' hearts. He observes to see what living beings delight in and wish for. The Buddha expediently uses what they like to teach and transform them.
Then he brings them to maturity with various expedients. It can be seen that saving living beings is not an easy thing to do. If it were easy, the Buddha would not need to use various kinds of expedients. One kind would be enough. That the Buddha must use all manner of expedients goes to show how difficult it is to take living beings across. If he tries one expedient method and doesn't manage to convert the living being, he must try another one and see if he can get that being to believe in, understand, practice, and realize the Dharma. Thus all kinds of expedient Dharma doors are used to bring beings to maturity, to realization of Buddhahood. That's one way to explain this.
Another explanation is that all kinds of expedients are used to teach all kinds of beings. Since beings' basic dispositions are all different, many different expedient methods must be employed to teach them. Each kind of living being requires its own kind of Dharma door.
This second explanation is a little more reasonable, I feel. If the Buddha has to use all kinds of expedients to teach one living being, as per the first explanation, it seems to imply that the Buddha doesn't understand that being's disposition and inclinations. Since the Buddha does know living beings' dispositions and inclinations, he can convert a living being by using just one expedient teaching. He doesn't need to use all sorts of Dharma doors to teach one being. Various Dharma doors are for teaching various beings and bringing them to maturity. Once one begins to teach and transform a living being, one must constantly help that being in his cultivation until he becomes mature and accomplishes the Way.
This is the liberation door of the Spirit Pure Radiance. This is the state and liberation door attained by the Crop-Ruling Spirit named Radiance of Leaving Filth.
Sutra:
Furthermore, the Medicine-Ruling Spirit named Auspicious obtained the liberation door of universally contemplating all living beings' minds and diligently gathering them in.
Commentary:
Furthermore, the Medicine-Ruling Spirit named Auspicious prepared to elaborate further on the principles discussed previously. Auspicious has the meaning that when sick people take this kind of medicine, they will be cured. When those who are dying take this medicine, they will not die. When healthy people take this medicine, they will never get sick. That's what's meant by "auspicious." What kind of medicine is this? Happiness. If you can be happy, then if you are not ill now, you will never get ill. If you are ill and you can be happy, your illness will be cured. If you are dying and you give rise to happiness, your life will be prolonged. The "medicine" of happiness is auspicious. There's a saying:
Since ancient times, the immortals have had no other method:
They are simply happy all the time, and never indulge in grief or worry.
Immortals are those who do not die. How is it that they can avoid death? They are happy every day, and never sad. The Medicine-Ruling Spirit named Auspicious wants people to be happy, for happiness itself is auspicious luck. To have good luck, you must be happy. If you aren't happy, things won't be lucky. And if things aren't lucky, you won't be happy. If everyone can feel immense happiness, everything will be lucky and as they wish.
Medicine is for curing illnesses. For each illness, there is a certain kind of medicine that must be taken. If you have a cold, you can take some
yin chiao tablets. If you are coughing, you can buy a bottle of loquat syrup to take. These are all medicines.
This Medicine-Ruling Spirit named Auspicious obtained the liberation door of universally contemplating all living beings' minds to see what diseases afflict their minds. Do they suffer from the disease of greed? Do they have the disease of hatred, or that of stupidity? The disease of greed is not easy to cure. The disease of hatred is also difficult to cure, and the disease of stupidity is even harder to cure.
What is meant by the disease of stupidity? For example, someone who has never studied hopes to come out first in the imperial examination. Perhaps he will win first place in illiteracy! Another example is a person who does not plant the fields and yet wants to reap a harvest. Perhaps someone who has never studied the Buddhadharma wants to lecture a Sutra. Wouldn't you say that's being stupid?
I've often spoken of these kinds of foolish fantasies. Some people think:
Beautiful flowers should stay abloom every day and
The moon full night after night!
"How nice it would be if pretty flowers could bloom forever," they think. Or perhaps they think, "Moon, you really don't know how to be a moon. Why don't you stay full every night? Why must you wane? That's so annoying!"
Let all the springs on this great earth turn into wine and
Money grow on every tree in all the forests!
People who are fond of drinking think, "Instead of having to spend money on wine, how nice it'd be if a pool of water turned into wine!" People who covet wealth have even more incredible fantasies: "In order to have money to spend, I have to go out and make it. If money grew on every tree and all I had to do was pluck it when I needed it, wouldn't that be wonderful?" Such people are foolish, and their foolishness is not easy to cure.
This Medicine-Ruling Spirit diagnoses living beings' illnesses and gives them the appropriate medicine.
And in curing their illnesses he is diligently gathering them in to the Bodhi Way.
Yesterday we mentioned Great Master Shaokang, and the verse in praise of Elder Master Hsu Yun, which has the line,
"Leveling the Bodhi path." I don't know if you remember the verse. Maybe I can recite it for you:
In past lives, he made pure vows
To diligently be mindful of the Buddha.
With Prajna he transformed the multitudes,
Leveling the Bodhi path.
He saved countless people
Through skillful guidance and remonstration.
His radiance is Buddhahood.
The Buddha is just radiance.
The Medicine-Ruling Spirit named Auspicious obtained this kind of liberation door.
To be continued
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