20130801《靜思妙蓮華》深入法海浩瀚中

【證嚴上人開示】
佛法真的是無上甚深微妙法，自古以來，人人開始要誦經時，經頭序都有這段文，「無上甚深微妙法，百千萬劫難遭遇」，確實我們能夠遇到這麼好的法，我們能不珍惜嗎？
「百千萬劫難遭遇」，我們在六道輪轉中，到底是累積了多少福？才能夠在今生此世，遇到善法、正法，而且甚深無上的微妙法，所以我們應該要很珍惜，而且要拳拳服膺，我們必定要用心，細思，好好地去想，到底我們聽來的法，是對我們有什麼用處？對人、對事，我們有什麼能夠發揮的良能嗎？
這每一句的法，入我們的心，就是用在我們自己與他人，這才是真實法，幾十年來不也跟大家說，我們信佛要信入心，念佛也是要念入心，念到佛的心就是我們的心，我們的心就是佛心，這才是真正入佛心的境界。
我們法入心，自然我們時時刻刻，與佛心在一起，所以我們若能入佛心的境界，那就是大慈悲心，在人群中就悲智雙運；因為佛的境界，就已經是入法海中，所以我們就自然入法海中，「慈懷教化菩薩道」，我們若智慧已經開啟了，與佛的心同等，好像我們入法海中。
記得若是在皈依時，皈依佛、皈依法，皈依佛，我們就是要體解大道，那能夠皈依法，「深入經藏，智慧如海」，我們就是如入智慧的大海裡，所以我們若能夠體解大道，又能夠入智慧大海，這個境界那就是佛心了，佛心是大慈悲心，「慈懷教化菩薩道」。
佛陀的心心念念，無不都是要來教化菩薩道，佛陀所體會到的，是天地萬物的道理，是有這麼浩瀚，一直想和眾生人人分享，只是眾生智淺，我們的智慧很淡薄，很淺，無法體會。
佛陀這麼久的時間，四十二年間，這樣「牽藤挽豆」很辛苦，彎曲隨順眾生的根機，慢慢地引導，還是能夠在佛法裡面，只是那精粹大法沒有了解，就像在法海中，還無法能夠深入到，海藏裡有多少寶物，海藏的裡面有多麼美的境界，佛陀知道，但是我們凡夫都不知道，我們只能夠知道，現在海，看得到的很大、很廣，我們還不能進去。
但是佛陀慈懷，所以佛陀他現在要暢本懷，將他內心的法完全要呈現出來，所以「慈懷教化菩薩道」，要教化菩薩行菩薩道，所以在法華會的這個時刻，那就是演說大法，就是大法華經，這就是佛陀他來人間，最重要的一件事情。
無上甚深微妙法
必須用心細思惟
入佛心境法海中
慈懷教化菩薩道
演說大法妙法華
自利利他一乘法
所以說佛陀為一大事因緣，無非就是要「開示悟入」，眾生佛的知見，他要開示眾生，眾生能夠悟入，所以「開示」在佛，「悟入」在眾生，所以我們眾生是不是能夠體會，能夠覺悟這個道理，現在就要看眾生的根機，是不是很用心來體會，這是佛陀很辛苦，四十多年來，只為了一件事情，要讓大家知道這個道理。
現在接下來的經文，上面是彌勒菩薩，和文殊師利菩薩在對答，彌勒菩薩為所有的眾生，在當時道場的人，最重要的也是為了未來的眾生，要讓大家能夠更加了解，所以他就找一個對機者，文殊菩薩。
文殊菩薩是菩薩中的大智慧者，文殊菩薩他過去在修行，都是「智慧第一」，甚至他也教過七尊佛成佛了，以這種智慧這麼深的菩薩，要來回答彌勒菩薩，佛陀還沒有出定，他開始要對大家說，這當中的奧妙。
那時候佛陀《無量義經》，是說完了，還在那裡入定，彌勒菩薩開始請教文殊菩薩，這個當中，後面的人又一直不斷地來，彌勒菩薩開始在長文的地方，解說之後，他看到人陸續還在來，所以他又再重覆一次，用偈文。
偈文就是四字一句，或者是七字，偈文都是前面說過的，很重要，擔心聽的人很快就忘記，所以用短句，讓人比較容易了解，容易記住，所以再重複偈文，前面的偈文已經是說完了，現在開始就是文殊菩薩，要來回答，彌勒菩薩的經文，下面說：
爾時
文殊師利
語彌勒菩薩摩訶薩
及諸大士
《法華經序品第一》
這段經文就是說，那時候彌勒菩薩在請問的時候，我現在要回答你，所以他就特別叫起彌勒菩薩，彌勒菩薩是大菩薩，所以稱「彌勒大菩薩」，還有在座這麼多人，我要對你們說，我要來回應，回應彌勒菩薩所問的，所以這裡又說：
善男子等如我惟忖
今佛世尊欲說大法
雨大法雨吹大法螺
擊大法鼓演大法義
《法華經序品第一》
這段經文就說，「如我惟忖」，惟忖就是說，當你正在問我時，我就很用心思惟、惟忖，惟就是思惟，我好好地想，想過去，我好好來忖度，就是來測量，來想一想，想過去，我要說在哪一段時間，釋迦牟尼佛用什麼方法來教化？除了釋迦牟尼佛，我應該要選擇，我過去所看到的佛，他在人間是怎麼樣在度眾生？因為太多了，所以我應該好好想想看。
這不就和我們人都一樣嗎？雖然智慧這麼的超越，文殊菩薩他要來回答彌勒菩薩，他要很慎重，他必定要反思過去，也要忖度未來，現在要將過去的釋迦佛，怎樣在教化，這四十幾年間用什麼方法教化，他也要忖度，未來這些眾生如何來接，所以若要說到佛陀今生的教化，必定要再引述更長更遠的古佛，在人間教育的形態，所以這就是智慧的菩薩。
他要回答這段文，也是很重要，所以說，「如我惟忖，今佛世尊，欲說大法」。
現在釋迦牟尼佛，他是要說大法，和過去四十幾年間，所說的法不同，來一個大轉彎，他要說的是大法。
而且「雨大法雨」因為眾生的心地，失去了法很久了，是過去，是現在，是未來，所有在大地的眾生，已經心地缺了法水，應該人人的心地都是很酷旱，已經是很乾燥了，所以現在佛陀開始要雨大法雨，開始用法雨滋潤，滋潤所有眾生的心地。
所以這段經文要聽清楚，這也就是文殊菩薩要回應佛陀，不只是回應彌勒菩薩，是要回應佛陀，他講經完，打坐，眉間放毫光，而且其境界照萬八千佛土，這種現神變相在這個法會中。
所以文殊菩薩和彌勒菩薩，彌勒菩薩就是，要讓當場的人起信心，要起信心之前，他要先有疑問，所以常有句話說，大疑大悟，有疑心的人就會想要趕快來聽，尤其是彌勒菩薩，現在要為現場的這些人，要來鼓勵，你們若是內心有疑，你們若不會問，我來代替你們問，因為我代替你們問，你們若是結上這個緣，未來也能夠來人間再補助。
所以一佛出世，千賢，很多的賢人都能夠同世來，這是準備要教育普天下眾生，不是一尊佛而已，所以現在就要有很多的好緣，大家共同一起，都來了解釋迦佛，現在所要宣說的大法。
所以他就代替在當場的人來問，你看，彌勒菩薩的慈悲，他還為了陸陸續續來的人，前面沒有聽到的，他又以偈文讓大家都有聽到，這也是慈悲，文殊菩薩他的智慧；所以不只是，這個道場上的人聽到，是要知道佛的本懷，不是只為了現在，還要再為了未來的眾生，佛陀要暢演本懷，他也要顧及未來，還沒有接觸到佛法的人。
所以佛陀三根普被，也要讓小教的人，他開始漸漸進來，一進來就能夠慢慢來體會，所以這是「雨大法雨」，三根普被，三草二木，我們前面說過了三草二木，不管是小株的草，或是一粒種子在地下，或者是大樹，三草二木。
二木就是菩薩，發菩薩心，志成佛道這二種，不只是要行菩薩道，而且一直追隨到佛的境界，這就是二木。
所以這個當中，文殊菩薩他就說，雨大法雨，吹大法螺」，開始要降法雨了，要來滋潤眾生的心地，開始要來吹大法螺，還要有聲音，法從聲入，所以聲音號召，趕快來叫人來。
就像佛陀入滅之後，迦葉尊者開始思惟，法若沒有傳下去不行喔，所以他就到須彌山最高的地方，去擊犍椎，那就是擊法鼓，讓分居在每一個地方的人，能夠聽到這個鼓聲，知道有事情召集的時刻來了，所以那個時候大家才會集合，開始結集經典，這在前面也說過了，這就是要演大法義的時刻。
各位，我們學佛，必定要很用心，雖然這樣說了這麼多，也是怕大家聽不清楚，反覆再一直說，還是希望人人能了解，佛法是甚深微妙法，所以我們必定要很用心，用心去體會，才有辦法，將佛法這樣入我們的心，我們才有辦法，深入佛法的大海裡。
我們必定不要有一點點的疏忽，不要想今天沒有聽到明天還有，不要這樣，我們必須要用心細思惟，所以我們要細細思惟，我們要入佛心境界的法海中，了解佛陀這慈懷，他是要演大法，微妙法，所以我們還是要好好用心，深思，慎思佛陀的教法，用在我們的日常生活中，請大家要多用心。

無量光曜心 文章總數 : 968 威望 : 72 注冊日期 : 2009-04-25

Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Penetrate the Vast Sea of Dharma (深入法海浩瀚中)
Date: August. 01, 2013

The Buddha-Dharma is truly unsurpassed, profound, subtle and wondrous. Since ancient times, whenever people begin to chant sutras, the opening always contains this verse. “The unsurpassed, profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma is rare to encounter even in billions of kalpas.” Indeed, once we have encountered such great Dharma how can we not cherish it? “Rare to encounter even in billion of kalpas.” As we transmigrate through the Six Realms, how many blessings must we have accumulated to encounter the virtuous and right Dharma in this lifetime? Moreover, it is the unsurpassed, profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma. Therefore, we should deeply cherish it and also sincerely adhere to it. We must meticulously and carefully contemplate how the Dharma that we have heard can be of use to us. In dealing with people and matters, how can we exercise our potential?
If every bit of the Dharma that enters our hearts can be applied to our interactions with others, then it is true Dharma. For several decades, I have told all of you that our faith in the Buddha must penetrate our minds, and our chanting of His name must also penetrate our minds. We chant until the Buddha-mind becomes ours and our minds become the Buddha-mind. Then we have truly entered His state of mind. When we take the Dharma to heart, naturally we are close to His mind at all times. So if we can enter that state, one of great loving-kindness and compassion, we can apply compassion and wisdom toward others. Then, because the Buddha-mind is already part of the sea of Dharma, we will naturally enter this sea of Dharma.
“Compassionately teach the Bodhisattva-path.” If our wisdom has been awakened and our minds are equal to the Buddha’s, that is like entering the sea of Dharma. Recall that in taking refuge, we took refuge with the Buddha and the Dharma. Taking refuge with the Buddha means to comprehend the great path. When we take refuge with the Dharma, we “deeply enter the Sutra-treasury and have wisdom like the sea”. It is like we are entering the sea of wisdom. If we can comprehend the great path and also enter the sea of wisdom, we will reach the state of the Buddha-mind. His mind is one of great kindness and compassion. “Compassionately teach the Bodhisattva-path.”
Every thought in the Buddha’s mind is about teaching the Bodhisattva-path. What the Buddha realized was that the principles of all things in the world are very vast and profound. He kept wanting to share this with people, but sentient being have limited wisdom so they could not comprehend this. For such a long time, over 42 years, the Buddha “followed the vines to get to the beans.” It was hard work.He bent according to sentient beings’ capacities to slowly guide them.Yet, they could be immersed in the teachings without understanding the essence of great Dharma.
This is like beings in the sea of Dharma without diving down to see all the treasures and the beauty of the world under the surface.The Buddha knows [it is there], but we sentient beings do not.We know that the sea is very big and vast, but we still cannot penetrate it.But the Buddha is loving and kind, and now.He wants to freely carry out His original intent, fully present the Dharma in His mind and “compassionately teach the Bodhisattva-path”.
He wanted to teach this path and this practice, so at the Lotus Assembly,.He expounded the great Dharma, which was the Lotus Sutra.This was the most important thing the Buddha did in this world.

The unsurpassed, profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma must be meticulously and carefully considered.Enter the Dharma-sea of the Buddha-mind, and compassionately teach the Bodhisattva-path.
Expound the great, wondrous Lotus Dharma, the One Vehicle Dharma that benefits the self and others.

The Buddha came for the great cause of teaching all sentient beings to realize and enter.His wisdom He opened and revealed it for sentient beings to realize and enter.So, opening and revealing depend on the Buddha, the realizing and entering on sentient beings.Can we sentient beings comprehend and realize this principle?That depends on our capabilities, on whether we are working hard to comprehend it.For over 40 years, the Buddha worked very hard for this one reason, to teach everyone this principle.
Now, the next passage begins with a dialogue between Maitreya Bodhisattva and Manjusri Bodhisattva.In order for all sentient beings, for everyone who was present at the assembly, and more importantly, for future sentient beings, to all have a better understanding, Maitreya found [the right person to give answers].Among Bodhisattvas, Manjusri Bodhisattva was the one with great wisdom.
In the past, when he engaged in spiritual practice, he was “foremost in wisdom” and even taught seven Buddhas to attain Buddhahood.With such profound wisdom, this Bodhisattva could answer Maitreya’s questions.Before the Buddha came out of Samadhi, Manjusri started telling everyone about the profound wonders of this sutra.
At the time, the Buddha had finished expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings and had then entered Samadhi.As Maitreya Bodhisattva questioned Manjusri Bodhisattva, more people continued to arrive.After Maitreya Bodhisattva gave an explanation in detailed sentences, he saw that people were still arriving, so he explained it again in verses.Each verse consists of four words or seven [Chinese] characters.These Buddhist verses, as mentioned previously, were very important.[He] was afraid people would forget quickly, so he used short phrases that were easy to understand and memorize.Therefore, he restated [the teachings] in verses.We finished discussing the previous verses.Now it was Manjusri Bodhisattva’s turn to respond to Maiteya Bodhisattva.

Next it states, “At that time, Manjusri addressed Maitreya Bodhisattva and all the great beings.”

This passage refers to the moment after Maitreya Bodhisattva asked questions.When [Manjusri] was ready to respond, he addressed Maitreya in particular Maitreya Bodhisattva was a great Bodhisattva, so he told “great Maitreya Bodhisattva” and all those who were present, that he was going to respond to the questions.

So then these verses state, Good men, as I surmise, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, now wishes to expound the great Dharma, to let fall the great Dharma- rain, to blow the great Dharma- conch, to beat the great Dharma- drum and to proclaim the great Dharma- doctrine.

This passage says “as I surmise”. Surmise refers to how, when you ask me something. I meticulously and carefully consider it. Surmising is a [ way of] thinking. I will give this a lot of thought, make conjectures, assess and contemplate it. [So he] thought about the past and the methods Sakyamuni Buddha taught during those periods of time. Besides Sakyamuni Buddha, he considered a Buddhas he met in the past and how They transformed sentient beings in this world.
Because there were so many, he had to consider this carefully. Isn't it the same with us? Although his wisdom was transcendent, Manjusri Bodhisattva had to respond carefully to Maitreya Bodhisattva. He had to think back to the past and speculate about the future. At this moment, he [reflected on] the methods Sakyamuni Buddha had used to transformed people over these 40-plus years. He also had to speculate on how future sentient beings will receive this. So, if he wanted to speak about this Buddhas teachings in this lifetime, he had to refer to even more ancient Buddhas and the ways They taught in the world. Therefore, this Bodhisattva was very wise.
His response in this passage was also very important. So, “As I surmise, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, now wishes to expound the great Dharma”. Now Sakyamuni Buddha was about to expound the great Dharma, which was different from the Dharma He taught in the past 40-plus years. He was taking the big turn, and was about to expound the great Dharma. He also “let fall the great Dharma- rain” because this Dharma had been missing from the minds of sentient beings for a long time. In the past, present and future, all sentient beings on this land lack Dharma- water in their minds. Everyone's minds are probably very arid and dry. So, now the Buddha is beginning to let fall the great Dharma- rain to nourish the minds of all sentient beings.
So, listen carefully to this passage. This was also Manjusri Bodhisattva's response to the Buddha, not just to Maitreya Bodhisattva. After He finished teaching, He sat in meditation and radiated light from between His eyebrows to illumine 18000 Buddha-lands. He manifested these extraordinary appearances at this Dharma-assembly. So, Manjusri Bodhisattva and Maitreya Bodhisattva wanted to inspire confidence in everyone present. Before inspiring their confidence, he had to present questions first. So it is often said, “Big questions lead to big realizations”. Those who have questions will readily listen. In particular, Maitreya Bodhisattva encouraged those at the assembly by saying “If you have questions but you do not know how to ask, I will ask for you”. “Because if I ask for you, this may create a karmic connection for you to come back and help people in the future. So after a Buddha is born, thousands of sages also come during His lifetime and are prepared to teach all sentient beings. The Buddha is not alone.
At that moment, those with many good connections gathered to collectively explain the great Dharma the Buddha was about to expound. So he asked on behalf of those who were present.
Consider Maitreya’s kindness and compassion. For those who were just arriving and had not things in verse so everyone could hear it. This is compassion.
Because of Manjusri Bodhisattva’s wisdom, the people at the assembly were not the only ones to hear it. We should know the Buddha did not only intend [to teach] the sentient beings of that time, but also those of the future. To freely carry out His original intent, He also had to think of those who have not yet encountered the Buddha-Dharma.So, the Buddha taught the Dharma for all abilities. He also wanted to gradually draw in Hinayana practitioners. Then they could slowly attain realizations.
So, this is “to let fall the great Dharma-rain.” All three levels of ability were covered, like “the three grasses and two trees.” Previously, we spoke of the three grasses and two trees. Both small grasses and large trees [start as] small seeds buried in the ground.
The two trees are like Bodhisattvas who make Bodhisattva-aspirations and vow to attain Buddhahood. Not only do they walk the Bodhisattva-path, they want to reach the Buddha’s state. These are the two trees.
So during this time, Manjusri Bodhisattva said, “[He] let fall the great Dharma-rain, blew the great Dharma-conch.”He began to rain down the Dharma to nourish the minds of sentient beings. And He started to blow the great Dharma-conch. The Dharma enters [the mind]though sound. So the sound called on people to come quickly. After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, Venerable Kasyapa understood that they must not stop passing down the Dharma. So, he went to the highest point of Mt. Sumeru and used a mallet to strike the Dharma-drum. Then all those living in different places heard the sound of this drum and knew that it was time to gather. Therefore, at that time everyone gathered to compile the sutras. I also mentioned previously that this was the time to proclaim the great Dharma-doctrine.
Everyone, we must work hard to learn the Buddha’s Way. Although I have said so much, I am worried that people do not hear me clearly. Therefore, I repeat myself again and again in the hopes that everyone will understand. The Buddha-Dharma is unsurpassed, profound, subtle and wondrous, so we must make an effort to comprehend it. Then the Buddha-Dharma may enter our minds, and we may enter the sea of Buddha-Dharma.
We cannot be even slightly careless. Do not think that if we miss hearing it today, there is always tomorrow. We must think meticulously and carefully so we can enter the sea of Dharma in the Buddha-mind. We understand that His compassion led Him to proclaim the great, subtle, wondrous Dharma. So, we should make an effort to carefully and deeply contemplate His teachings. Everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)

(馬)濟勖心得分享:

甚深妙法反复說
惟願眾生皆得度

佛陀一再反覆宣說甚為深奥又很微妙的教法，就是希望人人都能了解、被度化，進而頓悟。

因此，學佛者不容許疏忽，不要有 '今天没聽到明天再聽' 的心態，而掉以輕心。
要深思、慎思佛陀的教法，並用心的將它運用在日常生活中。