降魔

Subjugating Demons

很多人都惧怕魔鬼，世间人发明了很多降魔除害的方法，包括一些佛教徒也视魔为害，以嗔心念诵猛咒以行降伏，殊不知此做法已与佛教本质大相径庭。

Many people are frightened of demons. In order to drive away negative forces or subjugate devils, humans have come up with various methods, including the wrathful incantations recited by some Buddhists. But regarding demons as evildoers and vanquishing them with animosity run completely against the Buddhist’s basic philosophy.

佛教是以慈悲为根本，丧失根本之行为均非正法，乌鸦且知反哺，羔羊尚能跪乳，作为已发殊胜菩提心的大乘佛子，岂能坐视往昔父母痛苦于不顾，而一味施行诛法？对一些造作恶业的天魔外道，虽然密宗对获得成就的密咒师，开许以降伏法将其神识超拔于净土，但作为无此能力的异生凡夫，从无有此开许。况且，一切降伏门，均以菩提心为前提，若丧失菩提心，只会令外魔越伏越多。

The foundation of Buddhism is love and compassion; anything that deviates from this basis is non-Dharma. In the animal kingdom, crows are known to repay parents’ kindness by bringing food to them, and lambs take mother’s milk on bent knees. How could we Mahayana practitioners who should have generated the precious bodhichitta, indulge in subjugating enemies and turning a blind eye to the sufferings of our parents of the past? In the secret Mantrayana there are special ways to subdue heretics or demons that commit pernicious acts. However, only accomplished masters can legitimately practice subjugation and transfer the “liberated” consciousness to the Pure Land. No permission has ever been given to common people who lack such capabilities. Moreover, the prerequisite of all subjugation practices is bodhichitta; lacking it, one is likely to call in more and more malevolent gods and demons.

若能常行布施，发菩提心，则一切魔障不会侵害。《说甘露经》云：“何人具五种法，邪魔外道不能害，长寿且速得佛果，何五？不间断法布施；于众生无畏布施；修慈悲喜舍；常修葺旧佛塔；恒常对众生发菩提心。若具此五种法，非但魔王不能害，包括魔王眷属也不得亲近。”

Performing acts of generosity and arousing bodhichitta will render one immune to the harms inflicted by all kinds of demons. The Sutra on Amrita Deliberation states: “Anyone having engaged in the five conducts will be protected from the ills caused by demons or heretics enjoy a long life, and attain Buddhahood. What are these five? They are: having continuously given Dharma; having offered protection from fear to beings; having practiced love, compassion, joy, and equanimity; having mended worn-out stupas, and having always aroused bodhichitta toward beings. By possessing these five qualities one will be impervious not only to a demon’s attack but also to those from the demon’s accomplice.”

于此众生贪欲增上之恶世，如果因常做恶梦、受用损耗、瘟疫流行、烦恼丛生而认为是着魔，或者被魔附体，被魔加害之时，切不可嗔怨外境，应恒时于诸所缘众生生起猛厉悲心，依经中所说而修，佛金刚语绝无欺惑。一定能消除违缘、增上顺缘、息灭恶梦、远离魔障，最终圆满二资、成就二利。

In this degenerate period when beings’ greed is raging, people tend to regard misfortunes—having nightmares, losing possessions, being ravaged by epidemics or troubles—as harms inflicted by demons or as a result of being possessed by them. At this critical juncture, we must not engender enmity against external objects, but rather always arouse strong compassion toward all beings involved. If we practice as prescribed in the scriptures, the Buddha’s adamantine words will never fail us. Negative conditions will certainly be pacified while favorable ones arise; nightmares and demonic influences will also disappear. In the end, we will accomplish the two accumulations and attain the two benefits.

只可惜现在依佛经修持的越来越少，而听信邪说的却越来越多。

But nowadays, fewer and fewer people are willing to perform authentic Dharma practices while more and more are drawn into the fold of perverted views. What a shame it is indeed!

壬午年五月三十日 　
2002年7月10日 　

30th of May, Year of RenWu
July 10, 2002