20140606《靜思妙蓮華》如何遇佛得度（第321集）

月亮在周二 6月 10, 2014 7:53 am 作了第 2 次修改

20140606《靜思妙蓮華》如何遇佛得度（第321集）

⊙「見思塵沙惑覆心，藏疵揚德不自省，漏缺律儀無慚愧，轉濁為淨顯大用。」
⊙「除佛滅度後，現前無佛，所以者何，佛滅度後，如是等經，受持、讀誦、解義者，是人難得。」《法華經方便品第二》
⊙「若遇餘佛，於此法中便得決了。」《法華經方便品第二》
⊙若遇餘佛：謂如來遍歷前九類，微塵剎海，常演斯法，調伏眾生，令歸性海。

【證嚴上人開示】
「見思塵沙惑覆心，藏疵揚德不自省，漏缺律儀無慚愧，轉濁為淨顯大用。」

見思塵沙惑覆心
藏疵揚德不自省
漏缺律儀無慚愧
轉濁為淨顯大用

「見思塵沙惑覆心」。常常就是這麼想，為何我們明知煩惱，是來自於我們的見解，人生為什麼光是這個見思煩惱，這麼難治呢？因為見思煩惱若不治，沒有將它好好降伏下來，真的是習氣都不會斷。人人就是因為有習氣，習氣互相干擾，不好的習氣，讓人人怨嫌，像這樣，自己障礙自己，也障礙他人，這實在是見思煩惱，塵沙覆蔽。這是我們眾生最苦的事情，苦的根源也是同樣從此產生。

所以我們「藏疵揚德不自省」，就是無法自省。我們的心常常覆藏，覆藏了我們的過失，覆藏了我們已經犯，或者是未犯，這種等等已錯、未錯、將錯，這些思想都覆藏下來，就一直要說我們的好，都不肯省悟。

所以，我們都是來自於「漏缺律儀無慚愧」。漏，漏掉了我們那一念，清淨的本性；漏，漏掉了我們應該要，受持的戒律；漏，漏掉了我們聞思修、戒定慧。這些法，我們都聽進去了，但是，聽了之後，沒有好好去思考，即使是思考之後，也無法去身體力行，這都是因為一個「漏」字。

漏，漏掉了。我們應該要存著的法，我們在內心都沒有存。我們的習氣，就是在見思、塵沙的無明，留在心裡，清淨的法，全都漏掉，因為這樣，所以我們才會欠缺了律。

所以我們大家要記得，在我們一個人的生活中，我們若好好自律，我們的威儀，讓人看了會覺得這叫做修行者，所以，值得修行。因為修行之後，態度、威儀和平常人，就是不一樣。這叫做德，內修外顯之德。

所以，我們要轉濁為淨，不要再有「漏缺律儀無慚愧」。我們現在要趕快慚愧，發露懺悔，我們的內心才真正能夠清淨。所以「轉濁為淨顯大用」，我們若能將這濁氣，見思、塵沙，這些濁氣全都去除，我們的本性自然就顯出大用。

釋迦牟尼佛，他的身心大用，因為他覺悟了，宇宙間的真理，他透徹瞭解了，所以他真如本性現出大用。在人間來回，為眾生的無明，要如何去除，用這分愛、慈悲，不忍眾生苦，來回人間為眾生說法，如何能安定眾生的心，如何能「度脫眾生」——度眾生脫離這種，濁氣沉沉的濁世，要如何讓他清朗起來。

每天走到外面，看天的清朗，就能讓心遼闊，好像心也完全清了。但是，有時候看到外面，雲很厚，色澤是灰，灰色、黑色，心就會沉。這是我們凡夫，凡夫隨著境轉。若是大覺者，他什麼都很明朗，哪怕烏雲遮天，總是天的本質還是清朗，宇宙的空間永遠、永遠，都是那麼的清淨，不生不滅，那麼的自在。這就如佛覺悟的境界。

眾生的煩惱，世間的濁氣，佛，是(抱著)一種悲心，但是沒有污染到佛的本性。同樣的道理，所以，我們修行就是要修這樣，能夠在人群中起悲心，但是，不受人群的習性所污。

我們要學會善解，有善解，就不會受到別人的習氣所污染。我們要守戒，我們要律，自己要有戒律、威儀。有習氣的，我們自己要修，不要我們的習氣，要讓別人來善解，你來善解我啊！我們應該人人去除習氣，自然我們也不必，讓他人來善解我們。我們本來就是，就是這樣的律儀，我們本來就是這樣修行。人人若都能如此，這就是「轉濁為淨顯大用」。

學佛，我們要學得與佛同等的心境。我們若無法與佛同樣的心境，我們這樣永遠都是凡夫，永遠都是在見思惑，見思、塵沙之惑，障礙自己，障礙別人，自障障他，這樣就是煩惱很多。所以要趕快把握時間，要自己自我內省，發露懺悔，趕緊改過，將我們的威儀等等要顯現出來，才算是修行人。

我們常常聽，聽我們的委員，我們的慈誠，常常在和大家分享：「我過去是什麼樣的習氣，如何如何的壞，大家若是看到我，就很怨，很恨，很不歡喜。現在大家都說我改變很多，大家說我更有親和感，大家看到我說很歡喜。」別人也會為他見證，說：「他以前有多霸道，大家若是看到，連碰頭都不想和他遇到，就繞道了，他走過的足跡，別人都不想踩過。」那麼壞的人，現在呢？「現在不同了，很慈悲，現在都在幫助人。現在看起來年輕多了，更有親和感了。」這都可以見證，多少的慈濟人都是這樣說。

所以說起來，相由心生！要如何能讓人親近我們，我們就看，我們要做一個，自己不讓自己討厭的人。我們不會讓自己討厭。有時候自己錯了，明明知道：很討厭，我怎麼又錯了，我真的很討厭自己。但是就是覆藏，怕人知道，無自省。既然自省會討厭自己，我們為何不發露懺悔呢？

「抱歉！我過去，就是有這樣、這樣的錯誤，對你有種種對不起的地方，請你原諒。」若這樣發露懺悔之後，這樣不就是我們自己的心，也寬了，自己諒解了自己，別人就諒解我們。我們若做個，讓我們自己討厭的人，別人絕對會討厭我們。所以我們要做一個，真真正正用心受法，我們要身體力行。

我們前面說過了，佛，我們要學佛，佛法還在人間，我們要活用。這幾天一直說，法在人間，我們活用它，用了之後，對的，我們要和人分享。

就如，過去為了要蓋一間醫院，是多麼的辛苦啊！有這樣的磨手皮，但是，不是很富有，靠勞力賺錢的人，但是為了要護持蓋醫院，就要去做工，甚至拿「年頭錢」，自己去付出，用身體去做苦工。有愛心的人聽了會感動，「成就你，三十萬趕快給你，讓你去成就（這件好事）。我相信你會以工作來抵帳，我相信你。不只相信，我還能響應你。」這都叫做利益的事業，利益的志業，這叫做菩薩。菩薩來人間，這叫做用活的法。

佛陀的教法，他是要我們慈悲喜捨，能夠瞭解如何救度眾生。光是這樣簡單的法，我們若用了，要如何救人呢？是要救一個，還是救兩個？要救短期的，還是要救長期的？那就要我們去想了。要救一個人，少少的人就可以了。要救很多人，那就要很多人。要救短期的，簡單，這樣我告訴你，你有困難，我幫助你。困難解決了，我歡喜。這樣是短期的。我們若是想救他長期的，我們就要為他（規畫），如何在這輩子，這一代、下一代的（安生）。

看看我們，哪一個地方有災難，去救災之後，幫助他們建設安身，考慮他們的安生活。這樣就是這一代人的苦，又能解除，解除之後又能讓下一代的人，世世代代這樣延續下去，生活安定。

所以，這必定將佛陀那幾句法，用在我們身上，用種種方法不斷延伸下去，將法無量，「一生無量」，一句法，一句的法，能夠用種種無量法，延伸在人間，教化人間，人間共同來用此法。這就是活的法。

所以，我們昨天說過，「除佛滅度後，現前無佛。」這樣，「佛滅度後，如是等經，受持、讀誦、解義者，是人難得。」

除佛滅度後
現前無佛
所以者何
佛滅度後
如是等經受持
讀誦、解義者
是人難得
《法華經方便品第二》

這樣的人，若能在佛不在世時，不在世時，滅度之後，未來的眾生若能這樣，受持、讀誦、解義，真的也是難得。

常常說，我們每天還在念經，做早課等等，我們在念經。是不是你們念經，經就會保佑我們嗎？不是。念經，就是希望這部經，不要消失掉。這部經，我們繼續受持、讀誦，大家一直延續下去，這部經就在。

我們依文開口讀誦，這能讓我們的心念，口念，心能解。我們要讀到能背的程度，這才叫做很熟；讀得很熟，能背起來，叫做讀誦。要讀，要誦；誦就是讀了之後，還要繼續繼續反反覆覆。

有時候看到有的人，明明在讀經，但是，連口都不動，光是看經，而不在讀經的人，也很多。聽，沒聽到！我有，有在誦經。怎麼沒有聽到？有啊，我在讀。這是叫做讀，這不是叫做誦。誦經，那就是眼睛看過去，口要念出來，這樣才叫做誦，否則只是讀而已。眼睛看，是讀，口念出來叫做誦，我們讀誦要平行。

眼睛看過去，要常常記住，比較難。我們若能讀，人云脫口而出，那就是因為你讀了之後，你有念過，所以有誦過，所以我們背得起來。

所以，我們要受持，要受持，就要讀、要誦，這樣叫做受持。我們接受此法，我們要用在我們的身上，這叫做受持。我們若是只讀而不誦，這只是讀經，就沒有在受持。我們有受持，除了讀、誦，我們還要解其中的意義，要去瞭解。但是，是不是瞭解的人多嗎？可能不多。所以「是人難得」，很難得。

真正要受持，真正在讀誦，真正在解其義，這樣的人難得，真的很難得。這麼難得的人，「若遇餘佛，於此法中便得決了」。

若遇餘佛
於此法中
便得決了
《法華經方便品第二》

若能受持、讀誦、解義，雖然無佛在世，不過有經典讓我們不斷讀誦，不斷去體會它其中的意義。古時候的人說「讀前世書」，是啊！多少年紀很小的孩子，光是看了，告訴他一次，他就都會讀了，常常遇到這樣的神童。

總而言之，我們真的要相信，讀經不是讀來消災、保祐，讀經是要讀入我們的心，入我們的性。

要讀入心，讀入我們的性中，這樣叫做受持。若能這樣，即使這輩子你沒有遇到佛，「若遇餘佛」就是來生，遇到其他的佛，不是釋迦佛，還有其他的佛來人間，你能和那尊佛同世，若能這樣，「於此法中便得決了」，就都能夠瞭解了。

你看現在的釋迦佛，一直開始要說《法華經》，五千人退席，還有，在座還不能瞭解的，也還有很多。那就是讀誦，受持、讀誦、解義，雖然有經典有聽、有看，但是沒有用心。所以我們要知道，這輩子我們要多瞭解，來生若能遇佛，能夠得度。

遇佛，「若遇餘佛」，意思就是說，如來就是遍歷(前)九類，就是佛前面的九類。二天前對大家說過了，佛和眾生總共是十界。

若遇餘佛：
謂如來遍歷前九類
微塵剎海
常演斯法調伏眾生
令歸性海

佛，除佛之外，還有九界，叫做九類。佛陀就是遍歷在前九界中，他自己本身佛的境界，來看這九界眾生，九類眾生，微塵剎海，有很多芸芸眾生，佛陀為這些眾生，「常演斯法調伏眾生，令歸性海」。

我們大家，我們全都是凡夫的本性，塵沙無明，煩惱覆蔽我們的心。佛陀來人間，在這九類、九界眾生，就如微塵剎海。就是說微塵，一粒微塵當作一個世界，世界，海。你看我們的地球，海是比陸地面積大，六分海，四分陸地，聽說的啦。總而這之，微塵沙界，你看，佛陀為了這麼多的眾生，他常常來演法，來演講種種法。尤其是斯法，斯，就是大法。什麼樣的大法呢？就是一乘法；一乘大法，那就是教菩薩法。就是這麼簡單。

所以，調伏眾生。因為眾生剛強，難調難伏。這麼多難調伏的眾生，要如何能將所有的法，能夠入眾生的心，來調伏他們，使令人人的本性，海，剎海微塵，微塵剎海，回歸原來本性清淨。所以，我們說「華嚴海會」，華嚴的境界，就已經是佛的境界了。

所以，希望我們人人學佛，真的要用心。不光只是執著在文字，我們要用在我們的日常生活中。舊法新知，回顧回來，無不都是法，法是來自於很簡單，很簡單的法能夠延伸、拉長，能救度眾生，能從很小的範圍擴到很大。這就像微塵剎海一樣，法能這樣普遍。

所以，我們要重視佛陀所說法，我們將佛陀的法用在我們現在，我們要互相彼此勉勵。最重要的，自己的見思惑，我們要去除，才不會自我障礙，障礙他人。所以我們要互相互相來成就，這是這個時候，這個時代，我們要及時要用心。

修好習氣免善解
發露懺悔應把握
佛法人間需活用
持經眼看口要誦

學會善解，就不受他人的習氣所污染，
更要修好自身的習氣，不讓他人來善解，這就是修行。

我們都有各自的習氣和煩惱，若能把握機會發露懺悔，
趕緊改正，自然就會顯現出威儀。有錯，不要怕人知道。
能懺悔，心就會寬闊，別人也會更樂意親近你。

佛法還在人間，所以要活用。正如當初慈濟蓋醫院時，
就有勞工向公司預支薪金幷全數捐獻，善心感動雇主
也來響應利益人間的志業，這就是活用的法。

讀經和誦經，差別在於眼看口不動，以及眼看口念誦。
讀經，必須讀入心(受持)；誦經，透過不斷念誦才能背得起。
只要受持經文，哪怕今生沒機會遇到佛，來世也許會遇上而得度。

學佛，別只執著於文字，要將佛法運用在生活中，
更要時刻舊法新知，去明瞭佛法原來可以很簡單，很普遍。
學佛人需要互相成就，不要自障障他。

人人就是因為有習氣，習氣互相干擾，不好的習氣，讓人人怨嫌，像這樣，自己障礙自己，也障礙他人，這實在是見思煩惱，塵沙覆蔽。這是我們眾生最苦的事情，苦的根源也是同樣從此產生。

漏，漏掉了我們那一念，清淨的本性；

漏，漏掉了我們應該要，受持的戒律；

漏，漏掉了我們聞思修、戒定慧。

這些法，我們都聽進去了，但是，聽了之後，沒有好好去思考，即使是思考之後，也無法去身體力行，這都是因為一個「漏」字。

我們現在要趕快慚愧，發露懺悔，我們的內心才真正能夠清淨。

所以「轉濁為淨顯大用」，我們若能將這濁氣，見思、塵沙，這些濁氣全都去除，我們的本性自然就顯出大用。

是不是念經，經就會保佑我們嗎？不是。

念經，就是希望這部經，不要消失掉。

這部經，我們繼續受持、讀誦，大家一直延續下去，這部經就在。

讀誦	我們依文開口讀誦，這能讓我們的心念，口念，心能解。我們要讀到能背的程度，這才叫做很熟；讀得很熟，能背起來，叫做讀誦。要讀，要誦；誦就是讀了之後，還要繼續繼續反反覆覆。
受持	要受持，就要讀、要誦，這樣叫做受持。我們接受此法，我們要用在我們的身上，這叫做受持。我們若是只讀而不誦，這只是讀經，就沒有在受持。
解義	我們有受持，除了讀、誦，我們還要解其中的意義，要去瞭解。但是，是不是瞭解的人多嗎？可能不多。所以「是人難得」，很難得。

(高明智感恩合十)

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: How to Encounter the Buddha and be Transformed (如何遇佛得度)
Date: June. 06. 2014

When delusions of views and thinking and dust-like delusions cover their minds, people conceal their shortcoming and proclaim their virtues without self-reflection. Having Leaks, they lack discipline and remorse. When their turbidities are purified, they manifest their great potential.

“When delusions of views and thinking and dust-like delusions cover their minds…” I often think about how we clearly understand that afflictions arise from our perspectives and understanding. So why is it still so difficult to treat just the afflictions that arise from our views and thinking? If we cannot treat and tame these delusions of views and thinking, we will never eliminate our habitual tendencies. Our habitual tendencies are the reason we influence and entangle each other. A person with bad habitual tendencies will be scorned by others. In this way, he hinders himself as well as others. It is because his mind is covered by afflictions views and thinking and dust-like [delusions]. This causes the most pain and is also the source of suffering.
So, “we conceal our shortcomings and proclaim our virtues without self-reflection.” We cannot reflect on ourselves, so our minds constantly cover things up. We conceal our faults, we conceal the violations we have committed and the ones we have yet to commit. All these wrongdoings, past, present and future, are covered up by our minds. We just keep talking about our positive aspects. People who are like this refuse to reflect on themselves. So, this comes out of “having Leaks”. “Having Leaks, we lack discipline and remorse.” We have allowed our pure intrinsic nature to leak out. We have allowed the rules we must uphold to leak out. We have allowed methods of practice like listening, contemplating, practicing and cultivating precepts, Samadhi and wisdom to leak out. We hear these teachings, but after hearing them, we do not contemplate them carefully. Even if we do contemplate them, we cannot put them into action. All this is due to our Leaks. We let all these things leak away.
The Dharma that we should be retaining is not retained in our minds. [Yet,] our habitual tendencies and our dust-like delusions of views and thinking remain in our minds while the pure Dharma has completely leaked out. For this reason, we lack discipline. So, we all have to remember, in our daily living, if we are self-disciplined people will see our demeanor and feel, “This is a spiritual practitioner!” So, spiritual cultivation is worthwhile because after we engage in this practice, our attitudes and demeanor will be different from that of most people. This is a virtue that is cultivated internally and manifested externally.
We must transform turbidity to purity, and no longer “have Leaks” and “lack discipline and remorse.” We must be remorseful right away and openly repent, so that our minds will be truly be purified. “When our turbidities are purified, we manifest our great potential.”
If we can eliminate our turbidities, dust-like delusions of views and thinking, if we can eliminate all of these, our intrinsic nature will naturally manifest its great potential. Sakyamuni Buddha actualized His potential because He attained enlightenment. He penetrated all truths of the universe, so His nature of True Suchness manifested its potential, and He repeatedly returns to this world. How can sentient beings ignorance be eliminated? With His love and compassion He could not bear to let sentient beings suffer, so He returns to teach the Dharma. How can He stabilize sentient beings’ minds? How can He transform sentient beings and help them transcend this world full of turbidities?How can He help [their minds] be pure again?
As I walk outside every day, when I see the clear sky, my mind opens up as if it has been completely cleared.Yet, sometimes when I see that the cold are thick and gray, or black, my heart feels heavy.This is how we ordinary people are [affected by]] our external conditions.
As for the Great Enlightened One, everything is clear and bright to Him.Even if there are clouds covering the sky, the sky’s nature is to be clear and bright.
The universe itself is forever pure and clean, non-arising and non-ceasing, very free, much like the Buddha’s enlightened state.Because of sentient beings’ afflictions and this world’s turbidities, the Buddha [comes here] out of compassion, but His intrinsic nature remains undefiled.
Following the same principle, when we engage in spiritual practice we must practice this way; we must have compassion while among people, but not be polluted by their habitual tendencies.As for wisdom, by learning to be understanding, we will not be polluted by other people’s habitual tendencies.
We need to abide by precepts and rules to develop discipline and a dignified demeanor.We must work to [change] our habitual tendencies, so we do not act in ways that force other people to be understanding.
“You need to be understanding of me!”If we all eliminate our habitual tendencies, naturally we do not need other people to be understanding of us.This is our fundamental discipline; this is our fundamental spiritual practice.If we can all achieve this, “when our turbidities are purified, we manifest our great potential”.
In learning the Buddha’s Way, we must learn to develop a mindset equal to His.
If we cannot achieve the same mindset as Him, then we will always be ordinary people, always have delusions of views and thinking and dust-like delusions, and hinder ourselves and others, in this way developing many afflictions.
So, we must immediately seize the moment to reflect on ourselves, openly repent and quickly change our ways.We must manifest a dignified demeanor to be considered spiritual practitioners.We often listen to our Commissioners and Faith Corp members share their personal stories with everyone.
“In the past, I had these habitual tendencies, I was so bad.When people saw me, they felt strong resentment, hatred and aversion.Now everyone says I have changed a lot, everyone say I am more approachable.Everyone is happy to see me.”
Other people will also testify, “He was such a bully in the past.When we saw him, we didn’t even want to come in contact with him.We would take a detour.People didn’t want to even walk where he had walked.”He was so terrible, what about now?“Now he’s different, he’s very compassionate, always helping people.Now he looks younger and more approachable.”There is proof of this because many Tzu Chi volunteers say the same.
So, appearances arise from our minds.How can we help people get close to us?
That depends on whether we can be someone we would not despise.We must not feel an aversion toward ourselves.Sometimes when we are wrong and we know it, [we think], “I hate that I did something wrong again. I really despise myself.”But then we just cover it up.We do not want this to be known and we do not reflect on it.
If self-reflection leads to self-loathing, then why don’t we openly repent?“I’m sorry, in the past, I was like this; I made this kind of error.I have done unforgivable things toward you.Can you please forgive me?”By openly repenting in this way, we are broadening our own hearts as well.By forgiving ourselves, other people will be able to forgive us.
If we are the kind of people we despise, then other people will definitely despise us.Thus, we have to be people who are truly and mindfully accepting of the Dharma and putting it into practice.As we mentioned earlier, we must learn the Buddha’s Way.The Buddha-dharma is still in this world, and we must apply it.
These days I keep saying that we must apply the Dharma in this world.After we apply it, we must share the good things we learn.
For example, years ago when we built the hospital, many people put in a lot of work.It was very tiring.People, who themselves were not rich, who earned a living through manual labor, found more work in order to support the hospital.
Someone even donated his beginning-of-the –year payment from physically doing hard labor.
Kind people moved by these acts said, “To help fulfill your goal, I’ll lend you NT$300,000 right away. I believe you will pay it off through your work. I believe in you. Not only do I believe in you, I will also do the same thing. This is a mission that benefits others. People who do this beneficial work are Bodhisattvas. In this world, they actively apply the Dharma. The Buddha teaches us to have loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity and understand how to transform sentient beings. This Dharma is so simple; how can we apply it to save people? Do we save one person or two people? Will this be a short-term or long-term project? This is what we must contemplate.
To save one person, only few people are needed. To save many people, many people are needed. Will this be a short-term project? Saving them in the short-term is easy. We can help them resolve the immediate problems. Just doing that makes us happy. This is for the short-term. If we want to save them in the long-term, then we need to consider the rest of their lives and their future generations. When a place experiences a disaster, after providing disaster relief, we help them construct shelters and [reestablish] their livelihood. In this way, the suffering of this generation will be relieved. Then, future generations will also benefit. Generation after generation, they will continue to lead safe and secure lives.
So, we must apply the Buddha’s words to ourselves, so we can continue to pass it one in many ways. The Dharma is infinite; from one arises infinity. One single teaching, one sentence of Dharma can be applied in various, infinite ways, so it remains in this world and teaches people. When people collectively apply the Dharma, it is living Dharma.

Yesterday we talked about how, “[After] the Buddha has crossed into extinction, [there] is no Buddha present”. So, “After the Buddha crosses into extinction, those who accept, uphold, read, recite and understand the meaning of sutras such as this are very rare”.

People like this who, after the Buddha is no longer in the world, after the Buddha crosses into extinction, can accept and uphold, read and recite, and understand [this sutra’s] meaning, will truly be hard to find. I constantly discuss how we read the sutras and [chant them] during morning recitations and so on. As we chant the sutras, do we think that by doing so the sutra will protect us?
I will not. We chant a sutra in the hope that this sutra will not disappear. If we all continue to accept and uphold, read and recite it, this sutra will remain in this world. By reading and reciting the text aloud, we strengthen our understanding. The mouth chants, the minds understands. We have to read it until we have memorized it to consider ourselves familiar with it. When we can recite it from memory then we have been reading and reciting. We must do both. As we read it, we need to recite it by repeating [the text] over and over again.
Sometimes, I see some people reading the sutras, but their lips do not move. Many people just look at the sutras without really reading them. “I do not hear anything. But I am reciting the sutra! How come I do not hear anything? I am reading it.” This is just reading, not reciting. To recite the sutras, we read it with our eyes and we chant it with our mouths. Otherwise we are only reading. Looking with our eyes is reading, chanting with our mouths is reciting. We must both read and recite at the same time. Remembering teachings by just looking at them with our eyes is difficult. If we read to the point that it comes our natural that is because after we read it, we recited it, and thus we have memorized it. So, we need to accepts and uphold.
To accepts and uphold, we need to read and recite. Then we can accept and uphold. If we accept the Dharma, then we need to apply it to ourselves. This is known as accepting and upholding. If we only read, but do not recite, we are only reading the sutra, we are not accepting and upholding it. If we want to accept and uphold, beside reading and reciting, we also need to understand the meaning within we also need to understand the meaning within. Yet, are there many people who understand? Probably not that many, so “they are very rare” and are very precious. Those who truly accept, uphold, read and recite, and truly understand the meaning are hard to find, so they are very precious.

When these people “encounter other Buddhas, they will then obtain thorough understanding of this Dharma”.

If we can accept, uphold, read, recite and understand the meaning, even in times without Buddhas, we have sutras to read and recite, and can continuously realize their meaning.
There is an old saying, “[He is] well-read from previous lives”. Yes, so many young children only need to read or be something once to know it right away. We frequently [hear of] such child prodigies.
In summary, we really must believe that we read sutras not to ward off disasters or to protect ourselves, but to take [the principles] into our hearts to reach our nature. To take them into our hearts and our nature is to accept and uphold them.
If we can do this, even if we did encounter the Buddha this time, “if we encounter other Buddhas” means we will encounter other Buddhas in future lifetimes, not Sakyamuni Buddha. Other Buddhas will come to this world and if we live at the same time as one Them, if we live at the same time as one of Them, if we can do this, we will “obtain thorough understanding of this Dharma.” We will be able to understand all of it.
Look at now, as Sakyamuni Buddha began to give the Lotus Teachings, 5000 people left the assembly. Many of the remaining people still could not really understand [the Dharma]. That requires having read and recited, and understood its meaning.
Though they had sutras to listen to and read, they were not mindful. So, we must know this and understand as much as we can in this life and understand as much as we can in this life. Then if we encounter a Buddha in a future life, we will then be transformed.
“If they encounter other Buddhas, means that the Tathagata appears in the nine realms aside from the Buddha-realm. Two days ago, I told everyone that including Buddhas and sentient beings there are ten realms.

If they encounter other Buddhas: when the Tathagata encounter beings of the other nine Dharma-realms, in worlds as numerous as dust, He always teaches this Dharma to tame sentient beings and to enable them to return to the ocean of pure nature.

Aside, from the Buddha realm, there are nine other realms. When He is in the other nine Dharma-realms, He used His perspective as a Buddha to view these sentient beings. They live in worlds as numerous as dust, so there are a myriad of sentient beings.
For these sentient beings, the Buddha “always teaches this Dharma to tame sentient beings to enable them to return to the nature. We all have the nature of ordinary people; dust-like delusions, ignorance and afflictions cover our minds. When the Buddha manifested in this world, were in worlds as numerous as dust. Each speak of dust is like an entire world.[Worlds include land and oceans]; on our planet, the ocean is larger than the land mass. It is 60 percent ocean and 40 percent land. That is what I have heard.
In summary, there are worlds as numerous as dust. You see, for these many sentient beings, the Buddha constantly comes to teach various Dharma, especially this Dharma. “This” refers to great Dharma. What was this great Dharma? The One Vehicle Dharma, which teaches the Bodhisattva Way. It is just that simply.
So,[He came to]tame sentient beings.Because they are stubborn hard to tame, He had to find ways for the Dharma to penetrate their minds, ways to train them. This enables people as numerous as dust to return to their intrinsic purity.
We talk of the world of the Avatamsaka-assembly. The Acatamsaka state is already the state of the Buddha. So, I hope we are all mindful as we learn the Buddha’s Way.We must not be attached to the text; we must put it into practice in daily living. By understanding old Dharma with a new insight, everything is Dharma. The Dharma comes from very simple things and very simple teachings can be expanded to transform sentient beings. It can expand from a very small to a very big scope.
The Dharma can be pervasive in world as numerous as dust. So, we must truly value the Buddha- Dharma and apply it in present times. We must encourage each other. Most importantly, we must eliminate our own delusions of views and thinking so we do not hinder ourselves or others. We must help one another perfect our practice. In the present time and era, we must promptly and always be mindful.

(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)

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: How to Encounter the Buddha and be Transformed (如何遇佛得度)
Date: June. 06. 2014

When delusions of views and thinking and dust-like delusions cover their minds, people conceal their shortcoming and proclaim their virtues without self-reflection. Having Leaks, they lack discipline and remorse. When their turbidities are purified, they manifest their great potential.

“When delusions of views and thinking and dust-like delusions cover their minds…” I often think about how we clearly understand that afflictions arise from our perspectives and understanding. So why is it still so difficult to treat just the afflictions that arise from our views and thinking? If we cannot treat and tame these delusions of views and thinking, we will never eliminate our habitual tendencies. Our habitual tendencies are the reason we influence and entangle each other. A person with bad habitual tendencies will be scorned by others. In this way, he hinders himself as well as others. It is because his mind is covered by afflictions views and thinking and dust-like [delusions]. This causes the most pain and is also the source of suffering.
So, “we conceal our shortcomings and proclaim our virtues without self-reflection.” We cannot reflect on ourselves, so our minds constantly cover things up. We conceal our faults, we conceal the violations we have committed and the ones we have yet to commit. All these wrongdoings, past, present and future, are covered up by our minds. We just keep talking about our positive aspects. People who are like this refuse to reflect on themselves. So, this comes out of “having Leaks”. “Having Leaks, we lack discipline and remorse.” We have allowed our pure intrinsic nature to leak out. We have allowed the rules we must uphold to leak out. We have allowed methods of practice like listening, contemplating, practicing and cultivating precepts, Samadhi and wisdom to leak out. We hear these teachings, but after hearing them, we do not contemplate them carefully. Even if we do contemplate them, we cannot put them into action. All this is due to our Leaks. We let all these things leak away.
The Dharma that we should be retaining is not retained in our minds. [Yet,] our habitual tendencies and our dust-like delusions of views and thinking remain in our minds while the pure Dharma has completely leaked out. For this reason, we lack discipline. So, we all have to remember, in our daily living, if we are self-disciplined people will see our demeanor and feel, “This is a spiritual practitioner!” So, spiritual cultivation is worthwhile because after we engage in this practice, our attitudes and demeanor will be different from that of most people. This is a virtue that is cultivated internally and manifested externally.
We must transform turbidity to purity, and no longer “have Leaks” and “lack discipline and remorse.” We must be remorseful right away and openly repent, so that our minds will be truly be purified. “When our turbidities are purified, we manifest our great potential.”
If we can eliminate our turbidities, dust-like delusions of views and thinking, if we can eliminate all of these, our intrinsic nature will naturally manifest its great potential. Sakyamuni Buddha actualized His potential because He attained enlightenment. He penetrated all truths of the universe, so His nature of True Suchness manifested its potential, and He repeatedly returns to this world. How can sentient beings ignorance be eliminated? With His love and compassion He could not bear to let sentient beings suffer, so He returns to teach the Dharma. How can He stabilize sentient beings’ minds? How can He transform sentient beings and help them transcend this world full of turbidities?How can He help [their minds] be pure again?
As I walk outside every day, when I see the clear sky, my mind opens up as if it has been completely cleared.Yet, sometimes when I see that the cold are thick and gray, or black, my heart feels heavy.This is how we ordinary people are [affected by]] our external conditions.
As for the Great Enlightened One, everything is clear and bright to Him.Even if there are clouds covering the sky, the sky’s nature is to be clear and bright.
The universe itself is forever pure and clean, non-arising and non-ceasing, very free, much like the Buddha’s enlightened state.Because of sentient beings’ afflictions and this world’s turbidities, the Buddha [comes here] out of compassion, but His intrinsic nature remains undefiled.
Following the same principle, when we engage in spiritual practice we must practice this way; we must have compassion while among people, but not be polluted by their habitual tendencies.As for wisdom, by learning to be understanding, we will not be polluted by other people’s habitual tendencies.
We need to abide by precepts and rules to develop discipline and a dignified demeanor.We must work to [change] our habitual tendencies, so we do not act in ways that force other people to be understanding.
“You need to be understanding of me!”If we all eliminate our habitual tendencies, naturally we do not need other people to be understanding of us.This is our fundamental discipline; this is our fundamental spiritual practice.If we can all achieve this, “when our turbidities are purified, we manifest our great potential”.
In learning the Buddha’s Way, we must learn to develop a mindset equal to His.
If we cannot achieve the same mindset as Him, then we will always be ordinary people, always have delusions of views and thinking and dust-like delusions, and hinder ourselves and others, in this way developing many afflictions.
So, we must immediately seize the moment to reflect on ourselves, openly repent and quickly change our ways.We must manifest a dignified demeanor to be considered spiritual practitioners.We often listen to our Commissioners and Faith Corp members share their personal stories with everyone.
“In the past, I had these habitual tendencies, I was so bad.When people saw me, they felt strong resentment, hatred and aversion.Now everyone says I have changed a lot, everyone say I am more approachable.Everyone is happy to see me.”
Other people will also testify, “He was such a bully in the past.When we saw him, we didn’t even want to come in contact with him.We would take a detour.People didn’t want to even walk where he had walked.”He was so terrible, what about now?“Now he’s different, he’s very compassionate, always helping people.Now he looks younger and more approachable.”There is proof of this because many Tzu Chi volunteers say the same.
So, appearances arise from our minds.How can we help people get close to us?
That depends on whether we can be someone we would not despise.We must not feel an aversion toward ourselves.Sometimes when we are wrong and we know it, [we think], “I hate that I did something wrong again. I really despise myself.”But then we just cover it up.We do not want this to be known and we do not reflect on it.
If self-reflection leads to self-loathing, then why don’t we openly repent?“I’m sorry, in the past, I was like this; I made this kind of error.I have done unforgivable things toward you.Can you please forgive me?”By openly repenting in this way, we are broadening our own hearts as well.By forgiving ourselves, other people will be able to forgive us.
If we are the kind of people we despise, then other people will definitely despise us.Thus, we have to be people who are truly and mindfully accepting of the Dharma and putting it into practice.As we mentioned earlier, we must learn the Buddha’s Way.The Buddha-dharma is still in this world, and we must apply it.
These days I keep saying that we must apply the Dharma in this world.After we apply it, we must share the good things we learn.
For example, years ago when we built the hospital, many people put in a lot of work.It was very tiring.People, who themselves were not rich, who earned a living through manual labor, found more work in order to support the hospital.
Someone even donated his beginning-of-the –year payment from physically doing hard labor.
Kind people moved by these acts said, “To help fulfill your goal, I’ll lend you NT$300,000 right away. I believe you will pay it off through your work. I believe in you. Not only do I believe in you, I will also do the same thing. This is a mission that benefits others. People who do this beneficial work are Bodhisattvas. In this world, they actively apply the Dharma. The Buddha teaches us to have loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity and understand how to transform sentient beings. This Dharma is so simple; how can we apply it to save people? Do we save one person or two people? Will this be a short-term or long-term project? This is what we must contemplate.
To save one person, only few people are needed. To save many people, many people are needed. Will this be a short-term project? Saving them in the short-term is easy. We can help them resolve the immediate problems. Just doing that makes us happy. This is for the short-term. If we want to save them in the long-term, then we need to consider the rest of their lives and their future generations. When a place experiences a disaster, after providing disaster relief, we help them construct shelters and [reestablish] their livelihood. In this way, the suffering of this generation will be relieved. Then, future generations will also benefit. Generation after generation, they will continue to lead safe and secure lives.
So, we must apply the Buddha’s words to ourselves, so we can continue to pass it one in many ways. The Dharma is infinite; from one arises infinity. One single teaching, one sentence of Dharma can be applied in various, infinite ways, so it remains in this world and teaches people. When people collectively apply the Dharma, it is living Dharma.

Yesterday we talked about how, “[After] the Buddha has crossed into extinction, [there] is no Buddha present”. So, “After the Buddha crosses into extinction, those who accept, uphold, read, recite and understand the meaning of sutras such as this are very rare”.

People like this who, after the Buddha is no longer in the world, after the Buddha crosses into extinction, can accept and uphold, read and recite, and understand [this sutra’s] meaning, will truly be hard to find. I constantly discuss how we read the sutras and [chant them] during morning recitations and so on. As we chant the sutras, do we think that by doing so the sutra will protect us?
I will not. We chant a sutra in the hope that this sutra will not disappear. If we all continue to accept and uphold, read and recite it, this sutra will remain in this world. By reading and reciting the text aloud, we strengthen our understanding. The mouth chants, the minds understands. We have to read it until we have memorized it to consider ourselves familiar with it. When we can recite it from memory then we have been reading and reciting. We must do both. As we read it, we need to recite it by repeating [the text] over and over again.
Sometimes, I see some people reading the sutras, but their lips do not move. Many people just look at the sutras without really reading them. “I do not hear anything. But I am reciting the sutra! How come I do not hear anything? I am reading it.” This is just reading, not reciting. To recite the sutras, we read it with our eyes and we chant it with our mouths. Otherwise we are only reading. Looking with our eyes is reading, chanting with our mouths is reciting. We must both read and recite at the same time. Remembering teachings by just looking at them with our eyes is difficult. If we read to the point that it comes our natural that is because after we read it, we recited it, and thus we have memorized it. So, we need to accepts and uphold.
To accepts and uphold, we need to read and recite. Then we can accept and uphold. If we accept the Dharma, then we need to apply it to ourselves. This is known as accepting and upholding. If we only read, but do not recite, we are only reading the sutra, we are not accepting and upholding it. If we want to accept and uphold, beside reading and reciting, we also need to understand the meaning within we also need to understand the meaning within. Yet, are there many people who understand? Probably not that many, so “they are very rare” and are very precious. Those who truly accept, uphold, read and recite, and truly understand the meaning are hard to find, so they are very precious.

When these people “encounter other Buddhas, they will then obtain thorough understanding of this Dharma”.

If we can accept, uphold, read, recite and understand the meaning, even in times without Buddhas, we have sutras to read and recite, and can continuously realize their meaning.
There is an old saying, “[He is] well-read from previous lives”. Yes, so many young children only need to read or be something once to know it right away. We frequently [hear of] such child prodigies.
In summary, we really must believe that we read sutras not to ward off disasters or to protect ourselves, but to take [the principles] into our hearts to reach our nature. To take them into our hearts and our nature is to accept and uphold them.
If we can do this, even if we did encounter the Buddha this time, “if we encounter other Buddhas” means we will encounter other Buddhas in future lifetimes, not Sakyamuni Buddha. Other Buddhas will come to this world and if we live at the same time as one Them, if we live at the same time as one of Them, if we can do this, we will “obtain thorough understanding of this Dharma.” We will be able to understand all of it.
Look at now, as Sakyamuni Buddha began to give the Lotus Teachings, 5000 people left the assembly. Many of the remaining people still could not really understand [the Dharma]. That requires having read and recited, and understood its meaning.
Though they had sutras to listen to and read, they were not mindful. So, we must know this and understand as much as we can in this life and understand as much as we can in this life. Then if we encounter a Buddha in a future life, we will then be transformed.
“If they encounter other Buddhas, means that the Tathagata appears in the nine realms aside from the Buddha-realm. Two days ago, I told everyone that including Buddhas and sentient beings there are ten realms.

If they encounter other Buddhas: when the Tathagata encounter beings of the other nine Dharma-realms, in worlds as numerous as dust, He always teaches this Dharma to tame sentient beings and to enable them to return to the ocean of pure nature.

Aside, from the Buddha realm, there are nine other realms. When He is in the other nine Dharma-realms, He used His perspective as a Buddha to view these sentient beings. They live in worlds as numerous as dust, so there are a myriad of sentient beings.
For these sentient beings, the Buddha “always teaches this Dharma to tame sentient beings to enable them to return to the nature. We all have the nature of ordinary people; dust-like delusions, ignorance and afflictions cover our minds. When the Buddha manifested in this world, were in worlds as numerous as dust. Each speak of dust is like an entire world.[Worlds include land and oceans]; on our planet, the ocean is larger than the land mass. It is 60 percent ocean and 40 percent land. That is what I have heard.
In summary, there are worlds as numerous as dust. You see, for these many sentient beings, the Buddha constantly comes to teach various Dharma, especially this Dharma. “This” refers to great Dharma. What was this great Dharma? The One Vehicle Dharma, which teaches the Bodhisattva Way. It is just that simply.
So,[He came to]tame sentient beings.Because they are stubborn hard to tame, He had to find ways for the Dharma to penetrate their minds, ways to train them. This enables people as numerous as dust to return to their intrinsic purity.
We talk of the world of the Avatamsaka-assembly. The Acatamsaka state is already the state of the Buddha. So, I hope we are all mindful as we learn the Buddha’s Way.We must not be attached to the text; we must put it into practice in daily living. By understanding old Dharma with a new insight, everything is Dharma. The Dharma comes from very simple things and very simple teachings can be expanded to transform sentient beings. It can expand from a very small to a very big scope.
The Dharma can be pervasive in world as numerous as dust. So, we must truly value the Buddha- Dharma and apply it in present times. We must encourage each other. Most importantly, we must eliminate our own delusions of views and thinking so we do not hinder ourselves or others. We must help one another perfect our practice. In the present time and era, we must promptly and always be mindful.

(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)