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NEWS FROM THE DHARMA REALM

萬佛寶懺心得報告
Afterthoughts on bowing Jeweled Repentance of Ten Thousand Buddhas

講於萬佛城大殿2001年4月27日星期五晚
Given on the evening of Friday, April 27, 2001 at the Buddha Hall of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
李宗祐 英譯 English translation by Michael Lee

方丈比丘律師

師父上人、各位善知識、晚安!

《萬佛寶懺》拜多少天?二十一天嗎?二十三天。有人拜得忘了,有的是一佛一拜,有的是三佛一拜,拜下去爬不起來了。拜一天就少一天,我們一共拜了二十三天。最後一個節目,是我們大家來分享我們的心得和故事,讓我們更精進修行。那由女眾先開始。

拜懺求懺悔 滅罪得清涼

比丘尼恒聲師:

諸佛菩薩,師父上人,各位善信,阿彌陀佛!

今晚由我恆聲來說說《萬佛寶懺》的心得及感應,和大家共勉。在《佛說佛名經》中說,「若有人受持讀誦此諸佛名,將不墮惡道。升天人中,常侍諸佛、菩薩、善知識,並遠離一切煩惱,乃至得大菩提。」諸佛往昔常行菩薩道,才成就種種萬德莊嚴,達到業盡情空,利益一切眾生。

例如眼前的觀世音菩薩,過去號正法明如來,今現菩薩身,慈悲救度一切苦難眾生。相反的,凡夫業重情迷,在六道中卵稜龍輪迴不停。成就佛道,一定要先懺悔罪業。懺悔,就是懺其前愆,悔其後過。正如袁了凡居士所講,「以前種種譬如昨日死,以後種種譬如今日生。」

就說我這個凡夫如何愚癡吧!一九九四年我犯坐骨神經痛,行、坐、臥非常困難,就像幾個水桶疊在一起拉不開,更痛苦的是,天天還得這樣苦著臉面對學生。到處訪醫無效,今天看明天痛;不是醫術不高明,是自己太愚癡,以前吃盡眾生肉,喝血啃骨頭,又吞骨髓腦髓,不擇手段傷害一切眾生,才得這果報。

因此拜懺期間,我至心頂禮十方三寶,隨文作觀,求哀懺悔,祈求三寶慈悲攝受。上人生日那晚,我在夢中看到一面大鏡子,正是我練四十二手眼的那把鏡子;慢慢地大像銀幕似的,讓我看得清清楚楚,看到誰呢?我的舅舅。我直接的反應是,「那是我舅舅!」有聲音答,「是的,是妳舅舅讓妳痛苦。」「《萬佛寶懺》的牌位已經寫了,五月底才能替他受幽冥戒。」「可以。」又有人帶我到另一個房間去,拿紙筆給我。我寫下舅舅的名字「梁海波」,就醒了。

隔天我跟同參講這個夢境,她說,「妳應該按照《大悲心陀羅尼經》上所說的做。」當然平時我也誦持《大悲咒》。經上說月光菩薩為修行人說《月光菩薩陀羅尼咒),說恭誦《月光菩薩神咒》五遍,取五色線綁鎖在痛的地方。為什麼?因為這個咒是過去世恆河沙諸佛所說,為擁護修行人,免其一切惡痛。

很不可思議,我照做以後,啊!得到的那個清涼,不可說不可說!所以在《大悲咒》偈頌上說:

大悲大咒通地天,
一百一千十王歡。
大悲大慈能祛病,
業鏡一照匾高懸。

我們很幸運能遇上人這位大善知識,以上種種讓我們了知,如果不生懺悔心,想成佛就    像煮沙成飯,煮至恆河沙數那麼多劫,也不能成功。所以我們應當勤懺悔,向上人看齊,持淨戒,更要效法諸佛菩薩的精神,修諸功德,周遊一切國度,利益一切眾生。阿彌陀佛!     

Abbot Bhikshu Heng Lyu Shi:

Venerable Master, all good advisors, good evening!

How long does it take to complete the Jeweled Repentance of Ten Thousand Buddhas? Twenty-one days? No, it takes twenty-three days. Some people prostrated so much that they've forgotten. Some did it by bowing once to each Buddha, while others did "Three Buddhas One Bow" [a pun on "Three Steps One Bow"]. They bowed so much that they could hardly get up anymore. However, with each passing day, we became one day closer to perfecting the Repentance. In total we performed the Repentance for twenty-three days. For the concluding program, we shall share our afterthoughts and personal stories, so that we will become even more diligent in cultivation. Let's begin with the women.

Bowing the Repentance Ceremony to Repent and Reform;

Eliminating Offenses to Attain Purity Bhikshuni Heng Sheng Shi:

All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Venerable Master, faithful devotees, Amitabha!

Tonight, let me, Heng Sheng, speak about my thoughts and personal encounters from performing the Jeweled Repentance of Ten Thousand Buddhas. The Buddha Speaks the Names of Buddhas Sutra states, "Should there be someone who upholds and recites the names of these Buddhas, this person shall never fall into the evil paths and will ascend to be among heavenly beings. This individual shall constantly accompany all the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas, and wise teachers, as well as part with all anxieties, thereby attaining great Bodhi." The Buddhas have constantly practiced the Bodhisattva Way during times past, becoming adorned with the myriad virtues and successfully ending karma and emptying emotions, thus benefiting all beings.

Take the example of the Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva before us, whose former title was Proper Dharma Brightness Tathagata. She now manifests as a Bodhisattva and compassionately rescues all beings caught in pain and suffering. In contrast, the ordinary human being has heavy karma and is confused by emotions, such that he incessantly revolves through incarnations within the Six Paths. To realize the Buddha Way, we must first repent for our offense karma. To repent is simply to be remorseful for past faults and vow not to commit future misdeeds. It is exactly as Upasaka Yuan Liao-Fan stated, "Let us regard the deeds of the past as if we died yesterday; let us view the deeds of the future as if we were born today."

Let me talk about the foolishness of my own mundane self. In 1994, I was afflicted with sciatic pains, and it became difficult for me to walk, sit, or lie down. It felt like a bunch of buckets that were stuck together and could not be pulled apart. What made it even more agonizing was that everyday I still had to confront my students with a grimace. Although I consulted doctors everywhere, it was futile: one day I would visit the doctor, the next day the aching returned. It was not that they were inept; instead I was the one too foolish. In the past, I ate the flesh of living beings, drank their blood, gnawed on their bones, and swallowed their marrow. I had relentlessly hurt living beings, so I fully deserved this retribution.

Therefore, during the Repentance, I sincerely paid respect to the Triple Jewel of the ten directions. Contemplating in accord with the text, I remorsefully sought forgiveness and begged for the Triple Jewel to compassionately accept me. On the night of the Venerable Master's birthday, I dreamt that I saw an immense mirror, which was the same mirror that I use when I practice the Forty-two Hands and Eyes. Slowly and clearly, as if on a movie screen, I saw my mother's brother. I reacted by saying, "That's my uncle!" A voice responded, "Yes, it is your uncle who is bringing you pain." "The plaque for the 'Jeweled Repentance of the Ten Thousand Buddhas' has already been inscribed, but I cannot receive the Precepts for the Deceased on his behalf until end of May." "That is fine," was the reply. Then someone led me to another chamber, where another person brought pen and paper for me. I wrote down my uncle's name: "Liang Hai-Po" and then woke up.

The next day I spoke to a fellow cultivator about this dream, and she said, "You should do as instructed by the Great Compassionate Heart Dharani Sutra." Normally I also recite the Great Compassion Mantra. The Dharani Sutra states that Moonlight Bodhisattva spoke the Moonlight Bodhisattva Dharani Mantra for the sake of cultivators, instructing one to reverently recite the Moonlight Bodhisattva Dharani Mantra five times and then tie the five-colored thread around where it hurts. This mantra was spoken by all past Buddhas as numerous as the sands in the Ganges River, for the sake of protecting cultivators from severe pains.

Inconceivably, after I did as instructed, I felt an absolutely ineffable, refreshing feeling. The verses of praise for the Great Compassion Mantra say:

The great mantra of great compassion penetrates heaven and earth.
One hundred recitations for one thousand days  causes ten kings to rejoice.
Its great compassion and kindness cure all disease; 
And so an announcement is projected high upon the offense screen.

We are very fortunate to have met the Venerable Master, who is such  a great kind scholar. These things I mentioned thus far show us that if  we do not bring forth a repentant mind, wishing to achieve  Buddhahood would be like cooking sand and hoping to get rice. Even  if we cook for as many eons as there are sands in the Ganges River,  we still would be unsuccessful. Therefore, we must be diligent in  repenting. We must follow the example of the Venerable Master and  uphold the pure precepts. Furthermore, we must emulate the spirit of  the Bodhisattvas in cultivating all meritorious virtues and traveling  to all lands to benefit all living beings. Amitabha!

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