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前期提示：……「假名阿練若，好出我等過」，他在那個寂靜處住，他心裏頭是不寂靜，……
而做如是言。此諸比丘等。為貪利養故。說外道論議。自作此經典。誑惑世間人。為求名聞故。分別於是經。常在大眾中。欲毀我等故。向國王大臣。婆羅門居士。及餘比丘眾。誹謗說我惡。謂是邪見人。說外道論議。
「而作如是言」：他就做這樣的說話了。「此諸比丘等」：說這一切的比丘等。「為貪利養故」：他們因為想貪圖利養。「說外道論議」：他們講的是那個外道法，外道的經典，說這《妙法蓮華經》不是佛所說的。
以前在廣東有一個遠參，這個遠參法師專門譭謗大乘經典。什麼經他也不信，就信《法華經》。他說方便品以前這是真的，方便品以後都是假的。《法華經》給弄成一半真的，一半假的。他批評《彌陀經》是假的。他說，從是西方過十萬億國土，有世界名曰極樂。「十萬億，怎麼就一個十萬億？不好十一萬億？不好九千億？十億，用兩個十萬億國土？這才胡說八道！誰做的量地官？誰給做的量地官？怎麼說得那麼一定？這簡直的，由這個就證明是假的。」這是廣東的一個法師。你看，他專講《法華經》，但是專講方便品以前的那個《法華經》，以後的就都不是真的，他說。這就是這樣的人。你們這年紀輕的美國人沒有知道佛教裏頭這麼多的奇奇怪怪的事情。所以這裡經「說外道論議」。
「自作此經典」：他說《法華經》是他自己寫出來的，我也會寫；我若寫，寫幾百卷幾千卷都可以的，不過我不做那個假事。「誑惑世間人」：他說，說《法華經》的人都是欺騙世間的人的。所以昨天晚間我就說我自己，我就告訴你們大家我是欺騙人的；不用怕誰來說，我自己講。這還怕什麼的呢？你就擔著一個欺騙的名，沒有關係嘛！好名和壞名都是一樣的。是不是？那麼這個壞名我自已給我自己的，那不要緊，不用人家給。「為求名聞故」：他為了求名，求利的緣故。「分別於是經」：所以他分別來講《妙法蓮華經》。「常在大眾中」：這一個人常在大眾裏邊。「欲毀我等故」：常常想要識謗講《妙法蓮華經》的這法師。「向國王大臣」：他對國王也說，對大臣也說，對婆羅門－－就是修清淨行的一種淨意，梵語；我們叫淨意－－淨意就是修清淨行的居士，和這些個居士。
「及餘比丘眾」：和其他的比丘眾。「誹謗說我惡」：他誹謗這說《法華經》的，說我等是有罪惡的。「謂是邪見人」：說我們說《法華經》這些個法師都是邪知邪見。「說外道論議」：說外道這種的道理不是真的。這就是末法的時候你說真法，他就說你是假的；你若說假的，或者他就說這是真的。末法眾生就是這樣子，真假黑白他分別不出來，不認識。你若講幾句假話，他聽得很歡喜的；你一講真話，不願意聽你的。
所以我們佛教講堂所說的法也不是真的，也不是假的。怎麼說不是真的不是假的呢？你認為是真的，假的也是真的；你認為是假的，真的也是假的，所以說而未說也就是真也沒有真，假也沒有假。我們這兒一天到晚也沒有人講話，就是打坐，所以你說這是真的是假的？我也不知道。你得到真的，也是你自己知道；你得到假的，也是你自己知道。就好像喝水似的，這水是熱的？這水是冷的？你自己知道，不要問我。
待續
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From the last issue: "Falsely calling themselves Aranyakas, / They will take delight in pointing out our faults." They may live in a quiet place, but their minds aren't quiet...
Sutra:
Saying things like,
"All of these Bhikshus
Are greedy for profit and offerings,
And so they preach externalist doctrines.
They have written this Sutra themselves
To deceive and confuse worldly people
All for the sake of reputation."
They will single out this Sutra
And in the midst of the multitudes
Slander us before the kings, ministers,
Brahmans and laypeople
And even to other Bhikshus.
Attempting to defame us, they will say,
"These are people of deviant views
Who preach an externalist doctrine."
Commentary:
They will go around saying things like, "all of these Bhiksus, / Are greedy for profit and offerings, / And so they preach externalist doctrines. / They have written this Sutra themselves to deceive and confuse worldly people / All for the sake of reputation." Because they are so greedy for fame and gain, they will say that the Dharma Flower Sutra was not spoken by the Buddha! They will say that it is an externalist scripture; they will say that those who lecture on the
Dharma Flower Sutra are just doing it for fame and profit.
In China there was a Dharma Master who exclusively slandered the Great Vehicle Sutras. He did not believe in any of the Sutras except the
Dharma Flower Sutra. He believed in the Dharma Flower Sutra, but with reservations. He said that only the material preceding the Expedient Device Chapter (Chapter two) was genuine, and all the rest of it was false. He said the
Amitabha Sutra was false, too. He quoted the Sutra, saying, '"Passing from here through hundreds of millions of Buddha-lands to the west, there is a world called Ultimate Bliss...' Why one hundred million? Why not one hundred and one million or ninety-nine? What nonsense! Who was in charge of measuring the distance? That's proof that it's a false text." He would only lecture on the parts of the Sutra he considered real. You young Americans probably had no idea that such strange things take place in Buddhism, did you?
They say, "Those Bhikshus wrote the Dharma Flower Sutra! I could write one, too. I could write a thousand volumes, but I'm not like that! These people who lecture on the
Dharma Flower Sutra are cheating everyone!" So yesterday I told you myself that I was cheating you. I don't need other people to call me false. Who cares anyway? A good name, a bad name— it's all the same. What counts is what's inside. If I give myself a bad name, then I save other people the trouble.
They will single out this Sutra / And in the midst of the multitudes / Slander us before the kings, ministers, / Brahmans and laypeople / And even to other Bhikshus. "Brahmans" are those who cultivate pure living.
Attempting to defame us, they will say, / "These are people of deviant views / Who preach an externalist doctrine. The doctrines are not true." So it will be in the Dharma-ending age. Those who speak the true Dharma will be slandered as externalists, while those who speak deviant Dharma will be regarded as true exponents of the Dharma. That's a primary characteristic of the Dharma-ending age. People can no longer tell black from white, true from false. If you tell them something false, they will be happy. If you say something true, they won't want to listen. They will say, "I don't want to hear about that!"
The Dharma spoken at the Buddhist Lecture Hall is neither true nor false. Why do I say this? If you think it's true, then the false is true. If you think it is false, then the true becomes false. The genuine doctrine is beyond false and true. We don't talk very much here. We just meditate. Would you say that was true or false? I don't know either. If you gain something false, you'll know, too. It's like drinking water— you know for yourself whether it is cold or warm. Don't ask me.
To be continued
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