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比丘尼恆良：
剛才恆賢師講的時候，我意識到人生好似一條路。我們沿路而行，會遇上一些指示正確方向的路標。我想：「西方心理學中有『頂峰經驗』這個術語。在人生的某些時期，我們非常敏感、開朗、覺察力清晰，這些時候我們體會到前所未有的覺悟。大約在我十七歲那年，一次我搭公車去（美國）麻州阿姆赫斯特市拜訪一位在那兒上大學的朋友。那時我的未來似乎有著多條道路，我得做一番抉擇。我在探索、徘徊，並不全靠思考，不是真的在找合邏輯的答案。我靜靜地坐在車上，對一切都敞開心胸。
我身邊坐的是一位年輕的女模特兒。我從未見過她這樣的人，在全程大約一個小時的路上，她不斷地拿出鏡子來修飾自己的化妝。我發現她的妝很濃，看不到她的真面目。我意識到在鏡頭前她的化妝不容易看出來，她看上去很完美，很漂亮，可走近細看她很醜陋。我突然想到我們感受到的現實只是外表假相，與真正的現實可能很不同。
那天晚上我喝茶時，四下一看周圍做著各種事的學生，我吃驚地感覺到人的本質都是相同的。現在聽起來很簡單，可我所經驗到的，在那時彷彿一座全新的宇宙展現在眼前。在那之前我只注意人與人之間的不同，對自己是誰感覺很強烈。在那一瞬間突然一切都變了，我意識到所有的人都有著某種聯繫，但我講不出來。我一下子迸出了一句話：「你知道，歸根到底人都是一樣的。」我朋友的同學很不高興地反駁說：「沒有科學證據之前，你不能這樣說；你一定要有根據，一定得告訴我你這樣講的原因。。我意識到那人正處於很大的壓力之中，他學習太過用功了，我很同情他。可我也不能用學術上的邏輯解釋我的經驗，我們似乎處在兩個不同的世界。我想學問很奇妙，學術活動也很讓人愉快，可是你大概沒法用這套方法來解釋所有的現象。
幾年之後，業力把我帶到（加州）柏克萊。我住在離加州大學約一哩遠的地方。因為我得坐著工作一整天，所以我很願意早晨步行上班，然而這卻是很危險的。看似簡單的步行已經不再那麼簡單了，因為我得還要防衛自己。坐在辦公室裡工作一整天對身體不利，我開始感到過純粹學術性的，精神思辨的生活是太極端了，身心失調，容易迷失，變得神經兮兮。後來我決定學習太極拳。這有三個原因：首先我可以學習自衛，早晨步行時就不用太擔心了；其次，我可以稍微鍛鍊鍛鍊身體；第三我還可藉此學中國文化，我一直對此深感興趣。我學了一陣子太極拳，甚至還讀了一、兩本書。雖然是英文書，我卻一個字也不懂，好像是外文寫成的。因為我不能將其內容與實際聯繫，就不能理解書的內容。練習太極拳三年之後我再讀那本書，這一回我就懂了。
這可以來比喻精神的追尋。因為太極拳又有很多生理上的經驗，可以驗證結果。我可以將讀書得來的知識，由學術方面與生理方面結合起來，由此獲得理解。我走上心靈之路後，也理解到了同樣的道理：要理解佛經的道理，你就一定得要修行；不修行，你就不知道經書上講的是什麼，一切就如同外國文一般。尤其對於心靈之道，我們有時要用比喻，因為心靈的情形有時極難證實，極難弄懂。我們講到感受、直觀、高峰經驗時，就如同恆賢師說的，那些時刻對於我們非常有意義，可又極難加以解釋。心靈之道有時很難描述，很難講出原由，而我們有講述心靈之道的佛典。要弄懂這些佛典，我們就要實踐它，依之生活。這樣那些道理對於我們才是活的、真的。正如剛才所聽的，心靈之道上非常重要的一面就是戒，還要培養無執著，除傲慢，不求報的內在德行。我們要不斷地追求，永遠對自己和別人誠實；永遠向正確的方向多邁進一步。當我們兩方面交替注重，努力向前時，一切就都會自然地進展。
阿比納博士：還有五分鐘，有問題嗎？下星期的演講是此系列的最後一個，輪到包果勒先生。他會解答我們所提出的所有問題，大家一定要來聽。
問：為什麼女眾的戒律比男眾多？
比丘尼恆良：你或許已意識到佛教極重實效，所有開示都是應人們的求法；如果沒有人求法，佛就不說法。佛說法，針對所提的問題來解除問者的疑惑。戒律也是一樣，因為發生了某些事件，戒律就逐漸制定成了。當上人還在萬佛城時，我們也可以看到這一過程。許多人認為上人不僅是禪師，而是三藏法師，是律師。他讓人恭敬為清淨僧，我們都為上人講戒的才能所吸引。上人的一個妙法是通過日常生活來講戒。
廟裡如果發生了問題，他就說：「你們看，要設法避免這類事件重演，我們應該怎麼辦呢？」我們就制定一條規矩，因為這規矩不在戒本之中，故不稱之為戒。可在我們看來，新的規矩也因這類事件而產生了。這個制定規矩的過程，與佛在世時制戒的程序是一致的。
當然，當時是2500年前的印度，時空都與現在不同；沒有電話、電視、電腦、汽車。現代出家人所遇到的情形與佛在世時很不相同，因此我們要有新的規矩。凡是規矩都是有原則做為根據的。一旦我們清楚地瞭解了原則，我們就可以很靈活地運用，以適合當時當地的情形，解決問題。比丘、比丘尼都有戒律，在我們的經驗中，實際上的規矩還遠不止那些呢！
為什麼比丘尼的戒條比比丘多呢？按照佛在世的記錄，那時所發生的事例中，牽涉到比丘尼的比牽涉到比丘的多。但也可以從另一個角度看，那個時代印度的文化與我們現在不同。那時女人出家獨立生活是破天荒的一樁事，所以需要更多的保護，因此有些戒條就是為這而設的。又有些事是比丘尼不可以做，而比丘卻可以。譬如，因為缺少保護，尼眾不能行腳雲遊。我不知道是否回答了你的問題，或許恆賢師可以講一些。
比瓦尼恆賢：
其中或許有也有文化的因素在內，但在佛教中，男女兩眾都同樣可以做維那帶領法會。有些儀式要依在僧團的身份來決定人選，但最重要的原則是維持僧團的和諧。所以大家要知道自己的位置，安份守己通力集體合作，不要去比賽誰佔上風，誰是第一；不要想去出風頭，這樣人人都受到尊敬，又不失身份。做維那，女眾一樣可以。有的廟由男眾住持，方丈是男眾，有些佛事由方丈主持；也有的廟由女眾做方丈，佛陀很公平，你修道的成就完全取決於你修得怎樣，跟你的誠心的程度。
全文完
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Bhikshuni Heng Liang:
As Dharma Master Hsien was speaking, I thought of how human
life is so much like a path. As we walk this path, we
encounter certain guideposts that can help to keep us going
in the right direction if we follow them. Western psychology
uses the term "peak experiences" to identify those times in
our lives when we are most sensitive, open, aware and clear,
and may experience new insights. I encountered such a
guidepost, and had what I would call a "peak experience,"
when I was about seventeen. I was traveling on a bus to
Amherst, Massachusetts to visit an old friend, who was then
a student at the university there. It was a time when
opportunities and the possibilities for the future seemed
limitless, and choices had to be made. It was a beautiful
New England autumn day. A gentle rain had cleansed the
atmosphere, and the rolling wooded hills were hushed and
tranquil, which may be why my mind was also quiet, with
little extraneous thought. I was in a state of wondering,
observing, rather than one of intellectualizing or reasoning
to find solutions. I was simply sitting there on the bus,
experiencing "the here and now," with an open, peaceful, and
relatively clear mind.
Sitting next to me was a young lady, a model. I had never
seen anyone like her before. During the entire bus ride,
which lasted about an hour, she repeatedly brought out her
mirror and adjusted her makeup. I noticed that the makeup
was so thick that it was difficult to distinguish her actual
face. I realized that in a photo or film, her makeup would
not be so evident, and she would look quite perfect and
beautiful. But in real life, up close, she looked grotesque,
bizarre, and not at all beautiful. This awakened me to the
illusory quality life as we perceive it. With our active
imaginations we reinforce false appearances and take them as
reality. It occurred to me then that true reality must be
very different from these false appearances.
Upon my arrival that evening, my friend took me to the
campus cafeteria and introduced me to her fellow classmate.
My mind was still subdued and quiet, and as we sat at a
table sipping tea, I didn't speak much but observed the
other students moving in line with their trays and passing
through the cashier counter. Suddenly I was aware of an
invisible quality that exists in all people alike. It may
sound simplistic, but for me it was as if a door had opened
to reveal a new universe. From then on my "paradigm," my
perspective, would be different from before. Before that
experience, I had only paid attention to people's
differences and distinctions; and I had a very stable sense
of my own identity. Suddenly, at that moment, everything
changed and I realized the interconnection and
interdependence of all people. Such an experience is hard to
convey in words. Just then, I broke my silence, and suddenly
spoke out, "You know, people are all alike after all." With
that, the young student sitting with us seemed angry, and
retorted, "You can't make such a generalized statement. You
have to argue your hypothesis. You have to back up and prove
what you say." At the time I sensed he was reacting this way
because perhaps he had been under a lot of pressure in
school; perhaps he had been studying too hard. I felt
sympathy for him. But at that moment, I couldn't rationalize
what I was experiencing, nor did I feel a need to. I
understood there was no way to communicate what I was
experiencing. We were as if in two different world. And I
thought to myself, "Well, scholarship is praiseworthy and
intellectual activity is quite enjoyable, but perhaps we
cannot arrive at all the answers through that process."
Now I'll jump ahead several years to when these guideposts
and insights had brought me to Berkeley. I was living about
a mile from U.C. Berkeley, campus, and every morning I would
enjoy a brisk walk on my way to work. This was important to
my physical and mental health, because the rest of my day
would be sedentary, and I was still young and energetic.
However, Berkeley's social situation had made a simple walk
to work not so simple anymore, and one had to beware of
dangerous people. I found myself having to choose between
personal safety and the quality of my lifestyle. From my
work experience I was beginning to feel that a purely
sedentary existence in which one only gets to exercise one's
brain, is debilitating. We become out of balance and lose
our human breadth and integrity, and it's very easy to
become neurotic and confused. And so I decided to take up
the practice of Tai Chi Chuan, for these three reasons:
First, since Tai Chi Chuan is a martial art, I could learn
to defend myself, and so could continue enjoying my morning
walks to work. Second, I could save my health and balance my
personality by getting more exercise. And third I could
learn more about Chinese culture, which had long been a keen
interest of mine.
Shortly after beginning to practice Tai Chi Chuan I read a
couple of books on the subject and didn't understand a
single word. These were English translations, and yet it was
as if I was attempting to read a foreign language, because I
couldn't relate to what was being said. After three years of
practice, I read the same books; this time I understood
them. I was able to relate to and verify the principals
found in the book through my own physical practice. By
combining study with practice I gained understanding. The
spiritual path can be approached in the same way. To
understand the principles found in the Buddhist scriptures,
it is necessary to also practice. Without practice, there
can be no true understanding. The words would be as if in a
foreign language. The Buddha often used analogies in
teaching his disciples, perhaps because the spirit is
something that is very difficult to perceive of and to
verify. We speak in terms of feeling, intuition, "peak
experiences," or, as Dharma Master Hsien put it, those times
in our lives that are so meaningful for us, and yet so
difficult to explain. The spiritual path cannot be
adequately described in words. Nevertheless, the Buddha
spoke about the spiritual path, and the Sutras, the
scriptures, describing that path do exist. Only through
actual practice do these scriptures become alive and valid
for us.
As my Dharma sisters have mentioned, a very important aspect
of the spiritual path is our moral conduct and the
development of inner virtue that is free of attachment,
pride, or seeking reward. In walking this path we need
always to try to be honest with ourselves and those around
us, and continue to take one more step in the right
direction. By applying these two aspects of study and
practice intermittently, we can propel ourselves forward,
and the path will naturally unfold before us.
Dr. Akpinar: There are five minutes left. Are there any
questions? Next week will be the last lecture of this
series. It will be Mr. Powers' turn, and he will answer all
of our questions, so everyone should definitely come.
Question: Why do Bhikshunis [nuns] have more precepts than
Bhikshus [monks]?
Bhikshuni Heng Liang: Buddhism is pragmatic. The Buddha
normally spoke in response to a request. The precepts are
the same. They developed as a result of certain incidents.
We witnessed the same sort of process while living at the
City of Ten Thousand Buddhas with the Master. The Master is
considered by many people to be not only a Chan Master but
also a Tripitaka Master and a Master of the Vinaya, the
precepts. He was highly respected as a very pure monk, and
many of his disciples were attracted by his ability to teach
the precepts. One of the wonderful ways he taught precepts
was through our daily experiences. Following an incident in
the monastery that caused a problem, he would say, "You see
there, now we have to do something to prevent that from
happening again. So what should we do about it?" And thus a
rule would be established. Since these rules are not found
in the Vinaya they are referred to as rules rather than
precepts. But basically these rules are the same as
precepts, and the same type of process produced the Vinaya.
Of course, the Buddha lived at a different time and in a
different place: approximately 2500 years ago in India. At
that time there were no telephones, televisions, computers,
or cars, and so the situations that monks and nuns
encountered these days are very different than the
situations that monks and nuns encountered at the time of
the Buddha. So we need to have new rules—new precepts—to
help us cultivate in this new time and place. The precepts
are based on certain principles. Once we understand the
principles very clearly, we can apply them in a lively way
to contemporary situations. And so although Bhikshunis and
Bhikshus are said to have certain numbers of precepts, under
the guidance of our teacher, we observe even more.
Returning to the question of why there are more precepts for
Bhikshunis than for Bhikshus, a simple explanation is
because that many more incidences resulting in the
establishment of precepts involved Bhikshunis than involved
Bhikshus.
At that time in India, for a woman to be ordained and become
independent from her family was radically unprecedented.
Some precepts were simply designed to protect the Bhikshunis
from harm. For example, Bhikshunis may not go wandering
around by themselves, because they would be more vulnerable.
I don't know if that answers your question, but maybe Heng
Hsien Shr has something to share.
Bhikshuni Heng Hsien:
There might be some cultural things, but in Buddhism men and
women equally can approach the altar and be the cantor and
do the ceremonies. There are certain ceremonies that have to
do with the person's monastic position and one of the most
important things in the Sangha is to maintain harmony. In
order to maintain harmony in the Sangha, people need to be
aware of and content with their position, and to work
together as a group without a sense of competition or
wanting to be on top, be number one, advance oneself or be
known. In that aspect, everyone has a position and maintains
it with dignity. In terms of approaching the altar, being at
the altar, being cantor, or certain ceremonies, women do
that equally, in some monasteries where men preside, the
abbot will be a man, and the abbot will perform certain
ceremonies because of his position. But there are
monasteries where women are also abbesses. In terms of
spiritual accomplishment, the Buddha was very fair. It's a
matter of how well you cultivate or how sincere you are in
your cultivation.
The End
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