師父上人、各位善知識：
我是果子，恆君。很意外也很高興，經過了三年半時間我又回到萬佛城，與大家結這個法緣。回來的十天時間，晚上聽法聽到很多人上臺，問了些很有意思的問題，也有一些不可思議的回答。在這裡我也想隨喜一下，因為我在上人早期的一些開示錄裡邊，正巧也找到這個答案，也許就是這個答案。
有人問：「《華嚴經》的唱讚裡有『一句全收』，這一句是哪一句？」這是一個很妙的問題。妙的是，我找到這答案，是不是我也不知道，但是各位如果有興趣可以查閱這本書。這答案是說《華嚴經》的全部道理，就由三個字包涵；這三個字就是大、方、廣。你有興趣的話可以查查上人講解的《華嚴經疏淺釋》第四冊，一百十二頁。
因為「大、方、廣」這三個字代表了本經的體大、相大、用大。《華嚴經》的境界我們都知道，是重重復復的，有些人就說重復太多了。我們很難瞭解為什麼說這麼多，甚至於有時候覺得有點麻煩。但是上人告訴我們，重復是有它的道理。如果你明白了，那你就瞭解重複就是代表我們的自性是很充足的，是具足一切的，是不可思議的。我們念經不要用分別心，你如果不懷疑，你相信經文，你誠心讀誦，當你功夫到的時候，這個經文你自然就會明白。我們用分別心，思想這一句，又思想那一句；這一段跟那一段，這一品跟那一品的關係，這都是用凡夫的知見。尤其是《華嚴經》，只有十地菩薩才能明白的境界，我們再怎麼思想，再怎麼探討，也只是凡夫的知見，在佛菩薩來看這都是顛倒的知見。
曾經有人問上人，佛到底是哪一年出生的？上人告訴他：「你要搞清楚這些幹什麼？你搞清楚了只能當一個學者，但是不能了生死。」《華嚴經》每一句都是無上的法寶，它的每一個字，每一個聲音，或者我們能夠聽到，或者我們能夠念誦，我們的善根都能夠增長，我們的智慧能夠增加。尤其像四十二字母，這一次我特別查了上人的開示。上人談到這四十二字母的每一個字母，都能消罪業，都是一個不可思議的法門。就像我們娑婆世界眾生和阿彌陀佛、藥師佛很有緣，所以我們拜懺、念佛也能夠消我們罪業；這四十二字母每一個字母，也有這樣的力量。
我們目前已經誦到了「善財童子五十三參」，曾有人向上人請教：「善財童子為什麼不一次問完所有的問題，一次就解決了不是很好嗎？多辛苦啊！到處跑，東問問西問問，太累了，一次解決那就好了嘛！」我不曉得你們有沒有這樣的想法呢？上人回答：「因為善財童子跟這些善知識有過去的因緣，所以要跟他們一個一個的學習，而且這個學習是有步驟的。」所以中間他也遇見了觀世音菩薩，觀世音菩薩也教他一個法門，又推薦下一位善知識給他。這時候也有人向上人請教：「觀世音菩薩的程度也不太高嘛！還有人比他更高呢！早知道我應該念他介紹的善知識好了。念觀音菩薩，他也不是很有力量的，他的程度也不夠的。」上人回答：「因為觀世音菩薩知道善財童子和兄一位善知識有師生的因緣，所以就叫他到那裡去跟善知識學習，是這樣的一個情況。J
《華嚴經》是一卷比一卷深，它的義理讓我們更能瞭解怎麼樣修菩薩道成佛，更圓融瞭解這條路的道理。它每一品相連，都有它的相關性的。
那麼有人問：「我明白《華嚴經》是不是跟明白其他的經典一樣呢？如果一樣，我明白其他經典就明白《華嚴經》了，這比較容易一點。」
上人回答這些經典的義理都是一樣的，但是《華嚴經》是超過其他的。 |
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Venerable Master, All Good Advisors:
My name is Guo Zi, Heng Jyun. After three and a half years, I'm quite surprised and glad to be back to create some affinities in the Dharma at the City of 10,000 Buddhas (CTTB). Having been back for ten days, I have heard many people come up on stage to ask some interesting questions during the evening lectures. There were some incredible answers too. Here, I would like to join in and do the same. I found an answer coincidentally in some of the tapes of the Venerable Master's earlier instructions. Perhaps this is the right answer.
Someone had asked, "In the praise of Avatamsaka (Flower Adornment) Sutra, there's a line, "One phrase encompasses all." Which phrase is it? This is a wonderful question. Wonderful because I have found an answer, though I don't know whether it's correct or not. If anyone wishes to research and read through this book, the answer is that, "All the principles in the Avatamsaka can be embodied by these three words: 'great means expansive'." If you're interested, you may look on page 112 of the fourth volume of the Venerable Master's commentary on the Avatamsaka Sutra Prologue [Chinese edition].
This is because these three words, "great means expansive" represent the great substance, great characteristics, and great functions of this Sutra. We know the states of the Avatamsaka Sutra are repetitive. Some people claim that there is too much repetition. If it's difficult for us to understand, why is there so much said? At times, it even feels cumbersome. However, the Venerable Master told us that the repetition has its meaning. If you understand, then you understand that the repetition represents the completeness of our self-nature, its inconceivable quality of being replete with everything. When we recite this Sutra, we should not be using our discriminating mind. If you are not skeptical, but rather, you believe in the words of this Sutra, then when your skill reaches a certain level, you will naturally understand the Sutra text. If we use the discriminating mind to think about this line, then think about that line, this passage and then that passage, and the relationship between this chapter and that chapter, then we're simply using the knowledge and perspective of common people. Especially with regard to the states of the Avatamsaka Sutra, only Bodhisattvas of the Ten Ground will understand. Therefore, no matter how we ponder and investigate, we will only have the knowledge and opinions of ordinary beings. From the perspective of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, these are all quite absurd.
Once someone asked the Venerable Master, "What year was the Buddha born?" The Venerable Master told him, "Why do you need to know? Once you know, you can only become a scholar, but you can't be liberated from birth and death." Every line in the Avatamsaka Sutra is a most supreme jewel of Dharma. Our roots of goodness and wisdom will grow if we are able to hear any of its sounds, and read or recite any one of its words. Each of the forty-two syllables in the Avatamsaka Syllabary can eliminate offense karma. I especially checked on the Venerable Master's instructions with regard to the Syllabary. Each syllable is an inconceivable dharma door. Just as beings of the Saha world have tremendous affinities with Amitabha Buddha and Medicine Master Buddha so that we may eradicate our offenses through bowing in repentance and reciting the names of these Buddhas, every one of the forty-two syllables also has this power.
We are now reciting the part on the fifty-three visits of the Youth Good Wealth. Once someone had asked the Venerable Master, "Why doesn't the Youth Good Wealth just finish asking all of his questions at once and get it over with? Wouldn't that be better? Otherwise, isn't it tiring to have to run around and ask this and that person? It's quite wearisome. Isn't it better to just ask them all at once?"
I don't know if you have had any similar thoughts. The Venerable Master responded, "It is because the Youth Good Wealth and these good advisors have affinities from the past; therefore, he has to learn from them one by one. There are steps to learning too."
That's why, along the way, he met Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, who taught him a dharma door and recommended the next Good Advisor to him. At this point, someone else also asked the Venerable Master, "Guanshiyin Bodhisattva's level isn't so high, there are others who are higher than he! If I had known, I would just be mindful of the next Good Advisor. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva isn't so powerful and his level is not high enough." The Venerable Master answered, "Since Guanshiyin Bodhisattva knew that the Youth Good Wealth had the causal affinities to be the other Good Advisor's disciple, he told him to go and learn from the other Good Advisor. That's the situation."
Every roll and every chapter the Avatamsaka Sutra becomes more and more profound. Its principles are elucidated so that we further understand how to cultivate the Bodhisattva path and become Buddhas. We understand the principles of this path even more perfectly. The chapters are all connected. How are they related?
If someone asked, "Is understanding the Avatamsaka Sutra equivalent to understanding other Sutras?" If that's the case, then it's easier to have just understood other Sutras rather than to understand the Avatamsaka Sutra.
The Venerable Master's response was, "The principles of these Sutras are all the same, but those of the Avatamsaka surpass all others." |
