Disclaimer: The translations are not official nor endorsed by 2OR, so please just treat it as a ‘fan-based’ translation. The Buddha-Dharma is profound. No matter how you convey it, it won’t be completely perfect. Because the Buddha-Dharma is an experience, it’s an awakening 【佛法深奥无比,怎么写,都不会是究竟圆满。佛法是一种悟】. Please enjoy, and I hope it serves as a good filler until the official English version comes out.
很多人都在说学佛,但是要真正了解佛法是不容易 的。我们拜观世音菩萨,也有人拜各种各样的神、仙, 还有的人拜玉皇大帝、天后、妈祖,也有人把关帝菩萨 作为神来拜,他们以为这也是佛教,其实是不一样的。 观世音菩萨是佛菩萨,有的拜其他神明均是神、仙,神 和仙都有五通,社会上有拜“观音娘娘”的,就是把观 世音菩萨变成了神,我们学佛人不能称“观世音菩萨” 为“观音娘娘”。为什么我们会拜天上的神呢?他们有 天眼通、天耳通、神足通,还有他心通、宿命通,师父 过去把这些神通都跟大家讲过了,但是他们很多只有五 通,没有漏尽通,只有佛菩萨才有六通,才是圆满的。
Many people that they are currently practising Buddhism, but to truly understand the Buddha-Dharma is not easy. We are worshipping Guan Yin Bodhisattva, and others are worshipping different Gods and deities. Some people worship the Jade Emperor, the Queen Mother, Mazu, and some worship Guandi Bodhisattva as if he’s a deity. They all think that doing so is part of Buddhism, but in fact, it’s different. Guan Yin Bodhisattva is a Buddha and Bodhisattva, and the others are Gods and Deities. Gods and deities possess five supranormal powers. In society, some worship Guan Yin Bodhisattva as ‘Queen Guan Yin’, what they did was treat Her like a deity. Us Buddhists mustn’t refer Guan Yin Bodhisattva as Queen Guan Yin. Why do we worship the Gods in heaven? That’s because they possess clairvoyance, clairaudience, unimpeded bodily action, knowledge of others’ states of mind and the ability to remember one’s former lives. In the past, Master had expounded these supranormal powers. But the most they possess are the five supranormal powers; they don’t have the power of the extinction of the contaminants. Only the Buddhas and Bodhisattva have all six supranormal powers, that’s why they are complete.
什么叫漏尽通?就是你有本事把烦恼全部消除,诸 漏已尽,所有的漏你全部没有了,你就不会被烦恼和瞋罣所纠缠。人为什么会有烦恼?就是想求神、拜仙。你 们要记住,佛菩萨和神、仙是不一样的,佛菩萨不需要 回报,而你拜神、拜仙等都是需要回报的,在民间有个还愿的说法,就是叫还神。你今天跟神说了:“你帮我 解决这个问题。”好了,等问题解决了,你就必须去还 神。神有五通,他们能看见过去、预知未来,也能知道 宇宙的一切,但是就是不能改变事实,还有一点就是他 们不能脱离生死,所以再大的神力都没有用。
What’s the power of the extinction of the contaminants? It’s the ability to cease all your afflictions in an instant. Every contaminant within your mind is gone. Then you won’t be entangled by your afflictions, hatred and hindrances. Why is it that when people develop afflictions, they pray to Gods and deities? Take note, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are different from Gods and deities. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas do not require reciprocation, but Gods and deities do. In folk culture, there is a tradition of reciprocating the wish. If you say to the deity that you want their help to resolve a problem, when it’s resolved, you must return a favour in some shape or form. Deities possess the five supranormal powers; they can see the past and forecast the future. They also know everything in the universe. But they can’t change anything that has happened. Also, they haven’t liberated from life and death. So no matter how powerful they are, it’s still useless.
当你修菩萨道了,哪怕你只修初地菩萨,只要你坚持,你也能够得五通。如果我们能修到阿罗汉和初地以 上的法身菩萨,超脱六道,我们很快地就会得六通,因 为佛菩萨实际上是能够完全彻悟、了悟这个世界的,他 们已经没有了烦恼,无明已经尽了,不好的东西全部漏 掉了、没有了。所以,修佛、学佛要转识成智,就是要 把你的意识转换成智慧。比方说,你们今天对这个事物 不理解,你们就开始去理解它,理解了之后,再用自己 的意识来改变它,使之成为一种智慧。我们理解人生吵 架,吵到最后不欢而散,不了了之,没有一个事情可以 说得清楚是对还是错,我们知道了人间的这个意识之 后,就能够把它转换成一种智慧,那就是不要再吵了。 佛是一个开悟者,不受生死的束缚,而神虽然在自己所 在的领域里能解决一切问题,但是不能开悟,这就是佛 与神的区别。
When you are cultivating the Way of the Bodhisattvas, even if you have just cultivated to the level of a Bodhisattva of the First Ground, as long as you persevere, you could also receive the five supranormal powers. If we could cultivate to a level beyond arhathood and the Bodhisattva of the First Ground, we could liberate ourselves from samsara and quickly gain the six supranormal powers. That’s because the Buddha and Bodhisattvas could, in fact, completely comprehend and understand everything. They don’t have any afflictions anymore, and their ignorance has already ceased. All the unwholesome contaminants have ceased and disappeared. That’s why when one is cultivating one’s Buddha-nature and practising Buddhism, we must transform our knowledge into wisdom. For example, you didn’t understand something before, so you started to learn about it. Once you’ve done so, you then consciously transform it into a kind of wisdom. We understand that when arguments occur, both parties may leave unhappily with no wholesome conclusion. Yet we also know that there’s no clear right or wrong in anything. So once we understand that, we turn it into a kind of wisdom, and we know that we shouldn’t argue. Buddha is an enlightened being and not bound by life nor death. While deities, although they could resolve all problems within a certain field of area, they aren’t completely enlightened. That’s the difference between a Buddha and a deity.
佛教认为世间一切法都是唯心所造,心生种种法 生,心灭种种法灭。只要你开始想某件事情了,你就生 出来了这个意念,你后来想想这件事情没希望了,意念 灭掉了,你这个法也就灭掉了。比方说,你想做生意, 心想着自己可以把这个生意做得很大,你的心生出了这 个念头,你想着可以做进出口贸易,可以把生意做得很 大,可是人家告诉你,不跟你合伙做这个生意了,你立 马觉得没机会了,心灭了,你想象的东西全部都没有 了。佛菩萨就是让我们知道,世界上的一切都是由我们 的心所产生的。
Buddhism expounds that all Dharmas are created from the mind. When the mind develops thoughts, Dharmas are formed. When the mind ceases its thoughts, Dharmas will cease. As long as begin you to think about something, you would develop intentions. Then when you think that the thing you were thinking is hopeless, then your intentions cease, and the associated Dharma also cease. For example, you wanted to start an import and export business, and you think that you could grow it into something very big with the help of somebody you are talking into being a partner. But then at the end of the negotiations, that potential partner said that he wouldn’t be working with you, so you immediately see that there’s no chance anymore. So your mind ceases to think about it anymore, and all thoughts for that project ends there. The Buddha and Bodhisattva want us to understand that everything in this world is created from our mind.
随顺外境,就是顺着社会上的境界走,随它去,不去跟它拧着干。我自如如不动。就跟飙车一样,你不停地按喇叭,你心里产生了恨心,生气了,你就会不舒 服。随顺外境,就是顺着别人的速度,别人按喇叭,他 爱怎么开车就怎么开,我还是这样,在这条路上,总有 我这个汽车的一块空间,我跟你争什么?所以,丈夫在 家里要给自己的太太留一块空间,顺着她;要给孩子一 块空间,不要去逼着孩子做什么;妻子也不要去逼着自 己的老公做什么。如果你逆向反行,就是逆着时代的脉 搏去做事情,时间长了,肯定会出事情的,你一定会被 抛出人间的轨道。
Go with the flow of the external environment, don’t fight against it, while your mind remains immovable. If you, for example, was driving while others keep overtaking you, and you continually honk the horn, your mind will develop hatred and anger, and you would feel uncomfortable. If you just adapted to the flow of the external environment, and kept your peace and let others overtake you, then you would remain calm. “I’ll let them do whatever they want. I’ll just keep going at my speed. There will definitely be a space for my car, what is there to compete?” That’s why husbands should leave a space for their wife at home, and let them be. And also leave a space for their child and don’t force them to do something. Wives should also not force their husband to do something. If you keep going against the flow, then eventually, you will get yourself into trouble. The mainstream will definitely abandon you.
不观内心,心外求法,就会出偏差。不管你做什么 事情,如果你不从自己的内心来看,而是心外求法,你 的修行就会出现偏差。心外求法是什么?比方说,今天 看见这个庙很大,这个肯定好,我们一起去拜拜,这就 是心外求法。很多人想着:“我们家这么小,菩萨会来 吗?”天天看佛灯上有没有结莲花,一看没有莲花,想 着菩萨不来了。要知道,菩萨会像你们一样小气吗?看 见香打卷了,想着菩萨来了。菩萨会跟我们人一样,一 会儿好,一会儿不好吗?如果你用人间的眼光去看菩 萨,你最后得出的结论就是菩萨跟人是一样的。所以, 心外求法,就是修心看外表,一定会出偏差。有些学佛 人表面上道貌岸然、双手合十,可是回到家里,想骂就 骂,想吵就吵,这种人怎么能不出偏差呢?偏差主要在 于知见不正确,就是你看到的和见到的不正确。
Those who don’t observe their inner mind and pursue the Dharma externally are more prone to deviate. Regardless of what you do, if you don’t introspect yourself, but you are pursuing the Dharma externally, then your cultivation will deviate. Let’s illustrate this with an example. When you see a very large temple, you think that it must be good, so you paid a visit there and prayed. That an external pursuit of the Dharma. Many people have thoughts like, “My house is so small, would the Bodhisattva visit us?” They constantly check whether the head of the cotton wick in their lighted oil lamp forms a shape of a lotus flower. When it doesn’t, then they think that the Bodhisattvas didn’t visit them. You have to know that the Bodhisattvas aren’t petty. When they see that their lighted incense curled up, then they think that the Bodhisattvas visited. Would the Bodhisattvas behave like us where they may sometimes treat you well and sometimes not? If you use a worldly view to see the Bodhisattvas, then the conclusion you get is that the Bodhisattvas are the same as humans. That’s why those who pursue the Dharma externally, in other words, they look at outward appearances when cultivating, will deviate. Some Buddhists look as though they are polite and morally upright, but when they return home, they scold and argue, how could they not deviate? Deviation occurs when one doesn’t possess the right views.
妄执因果论,就是我以为是对的,我就是这样。很 多人就是妄执,认为这个因一定会产生这个果。学佛人 要明白,因果也是在变化之中的,果会随着因的变化而转变。举个简单例子,一个人伤害到别人了,他种下了 不好的因,很多人说他一定会倒霉,但是你没有这样去 想,他在念诵《礼佛大忏悔文》,天天忏悔,结果果报 很小,甚至可能没有了。有人会说:“他怎么没有果报 啊?天地宇宙间的因果定律难道错了?”实际上,果是 随着因的转变而转变的。有的人认为无因果,有的人认 为有因果,实际上这都叫偏执。
Some people are falsely attached to the theory of cause and effect and think that they’re right. They think that a specific cause will create a specific consequence. Buddhists should understand that cause and effect is also subject to change, and the consequence will change according to other interferences to the cause. For example, a person has harmed somebody and planted an unwholesome karmic cause. Many people think that the person will experience some kind of misfortune. But unknownst to others, that person recited the ‘Great Repentance’ sutra and repented every day. As a result, the karmic consequence that they experienced was minimised. People might say, “Why didn’t he suffer more gravely? Doesn’t that go against the law of cause and effect?” In reality, the consequence will change according to other causations. So some people think that karma doesn’t exist, while others do. All of this is a sign of attachment.
真正的佛教是什么呢?就是要证悟宇宙人生的真理。大家知道,宇宙有三千大千世界,佛教就是要证悟 整个宇宙三千大千世界的人生真理。师父这次在新加坡 法会讲到,爱因斯坦接待朋友放的这个糖果,放的这个 茶杯,“谁放的啊?”记者说:“你放的啊!”想想 看,整个宇宙当中这么多的星球飞来行去,怎么不相撞 啊?谁安排的?是不是有一个万能的神啊?就是我们学 佛人说的万能的佛在安排啊?为什么三千个星球在宇宙 中飞来飞去而不相撞呢?难道没有人安排吗?就像爱因 斯坦这种超级的科学家也只能知道这些。
What is the truth about Buddhism? It is to become enlightened to the truth behind the universe and life. Everybody here knows that the universe contains a trichiliocosm. Buddhism is about finding a consistent truth behind the entire trichiliocosm. That time when Master was at the Dharma Convention in Singapore, he mentioned this story before. When Einstein welcomed a reporter into his room, he placed a piece of candy and a cup of tea on the coffee table. He asked the reporter, “Who put it there?” The reporter replied, “You did.” Think about it, in the universe; there are so many planets, stars and asteroids floating and flying around, why don’t they collide with each other? Who arranged it all? Isn’t there an omnipotent God? For us Buddhists, isn’t there an omnipotent Buddha who arranged all of that? With three thousandfold thousand world systems existing in the universe, who don’t they collide with each other? Couldn’t there be a being who arranged it all? Even somebody with a great intellect like Einstein could only know that much.
当一个人明白道理之后,他就能够觉悟宇宙人生的 真理。懂得宇宙真理的人能仁(仁慈)、能忍、能寂 (能定)、能满(圆满),什么事情都能够做得很圆满,不跟别人争斗的人就是圆满。随缘的人是不会抱怨的,我们的佛友飞机延误一个小时,他就在那里坐着念 经,一点想法都没有,这种人就叫有修、能寂,一切都 是最好的安排。这种人永远是笑嘻嘻的,你骂他,他也 是笑嘻嘻的:“菩萨又找了一个人来锻炼我的心力了, 看我能否熬得住,不和别人争斗。”这种人怎么会生气呢?摔了一跤,心想着:“菩萨又惩罚我了,我一定是 做错了什么事情。”这种人的心智就是非常圆满。
After somebody knows about the principle, then they could realise the truth of the universe and life. Those who do are compassionate, patient, calm, and could accomplish things in a satisfactory way. They don’t compete with others. Those who go with the flow won’t complain. When our fellow Buddhists experience a delay to their flight, they would quietly sit down on a seat and recite sutras without a single distracting thought. That is cultivation. They could remain calm, and think that everything happens for the best. These people will always face life with a smile. If you scold at them, they would still smile. “The Bodhisattvas have found somebody to temper my mental capacity and see whether I would fight back.” Would these kinds of people get angry? If they trip up, they would think, “The Bodhisattvas have punished me again. I must have done something wrong.” The mental maturity of these people is complete.
Comments