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《菩提田》

 

BODHI FIELD

行道:行解並進的宗教經驗
Walking the Way: Praxis and Gnosis in Religious Experience

求道的知識份子:尼眾的心聲(續)
Intellectuals on the Spiritual Path: Reflections from the Convent (Continued)

美國加州柏克萊世界宗教研究所秋季專題演講 Institute for World Religions Fall Faculty Lectures Berkeley, California
比丘尼恆賢、恆良、恆懿主講1998年10月8日晚7點30分
By Bhikshuni Heng Hsien, Bhikshuni Heng Liang, Bhikshuni Heng Yi At 7:30 p.m. December 8,1998
王青楠博士 中譯 Chinese translation by Qingnan Wang, Ph.D.

比丘足恆懿:

我想先講個故事。在中國唐朝,一位著名的學者退休之後開始對佛法感興趣,所以他就到各處去拜訪法師。一天,他問一位法師:「何為佛法大意?」法師說:「諸惡莫做;眾善奉行。」學者答:「這連三歲小孩都知道,你何必提呢?」

法師說:「三歲小孩講得;八十老翁行不得。」這個故事說明道理或許簡單,但實行起來卻需要下功夫。除了強調佛法的道理之外,我們還要知道如何修行。在萬佛城,我們要將佛法的道理與實行都弄明白。

如何做到這一點呢?我們大家盡量一起做工、上殿,一切都隨眾行動。為什麼呢?因為我們這樣來學習佛法,我們必須反思從何處學習。比如,我們知道不要執著任何事物,不要以我見為中心,共同工作修行時這些問題就很容易出現。因為當我們習氣表現出來時,沒有這種習氣的人就可以來糾正我們,我們就會知道那樣是不對的。同樣的,我們也可以糾正別人。人會想:「除了學法,我們為什麼還要做這麼多事,這麼辛苦?」因為從書本經典上學佛法固然重要,修行也非常重要;如果不修行,我們就和沒學佛法差不多。

有個故事發生在虛雲老和尚在雲南廟裡。這個人雖不是虛老的弟子,他去了虛老的廟。他不說法,只是靜靜地幫忙做事。有人衣服需縫補,他就補衣服。一天他宣佈:「我的事已了了,明天就要走了。」人問:「你要走了,可不可以告訴我們怎樣修行才好?。他說:「我只有一件事要說:能說不能行,不是真智慧。」修行非常重要;如果修行,真正的智慧就會現前;書本上的只是知識,不是智慧。當然我們還是需要學習佛法來瞭解如河修行。佛法告訴我們方向,何者為對,何者為錯。對我們而言,應該修行與學習並重。

待續


Bhikshtrni Heng Yi:

I'll tell a story first. A famous scholar in the Tang Dynasty in China became interested in Buddhism when he retired, so he went everywhere to pay his respects to all the Dharma Masters. One time, he asked a Dharma Master, "What's the great meaning behind Buddhism and the Buddhadharma?" That Dharma Master said, "Refrain from doing all bad deeds and practice all good deeds." The scholar replied, "Even a three-year-old child knows that. Why are you saying this?"

The Dharma Master said, "Maybe a three-year old knows this, but even an eighty-year-old isn't able to do it." The story illustrates that a principle may be easy to know, but that the practice requires work. Thus, in addition to emphasizing the principles of the Buddhadharma, we also want to know how to practice. At the City of 10,000 Buddhas, we want people to equally know the principle and the practice of the Buddhadharma.

How do we do that? We get people to work together, attend the ceremonies as much as possible, and do everything together. Why? Because this is how we practice Buddhadharma. We actually have to reflect upon ourselves in order to discover what we have to learn. For example, we learn that we should not be attached to anything or ourselves, and that we should not be egocentric. It is easy to make these discoveries by working or practicing together, because when our habits come out, people who don't have such habits will correct us. Then we find out where we are wrong. Similarly, we correct others. People may wonder why we work so hard and do so many things besides learning the Buddhadharma. While learning the Buddhadharma from books or from the Sutras is very important, practice is also very important. Without practice, it's almost as if we had not learned anything.

There is a story about a monk at Elder Master Hsu Yun's monastery in Yunnan Province. He was not a disciple and he did not lecture, but just quietly helped people. If people needed their clothes mended, he would mend them. One day he announced, "I have finished. I am going to leave you tomorrow." People asked him, "Since you are leaving, will you tell us what will help our cultivation?" He said, "I only have one thing to say: Knowing how to talk without knowing how to practice is not true wisdom." Practice in Buddhism is very important. When we practice, wisdom really comes forth. Book learning is just knowledge, not wisdom. However, we still need to learn. We have to study the Buddhadharma to know how to practice. The Buddhadharma gives us direction, teaches us what is right and wrong. Practice and study should be equally important to us.

To be continued

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