出家人不搭袈裟就等于还俗

Left-home People Who Do Not Wear Their Kashaya Sash

Have Just As Good As Returned to Lay-life

 

恒仲　记录 Transcribed by Heng Jung

 

上人：「出家人不搭袈裟就等于还俗。中国的佛教一向就腐败、堕落，所以我在海外讲出家人要按佛制吃一餐、要搭衣，我们在万佛圣城就是搭袈裟、日中一食，结果你们打禅七居然就不搭衣了，就吃三餐了。我教化你们这么久，你们境界一来就受不住了，你们是活人？是死人？你们还算是有血有气？竟然就被支配得团团转。你若认识万佛圣城的家风，应该至死不变的。你叫我不搭衣，你叫我死可以，叫我不搭衣不可以；你叫我死可以，叫我不吃一餐不可以。有这样坚决的定力，有这样的信心，才是万佛圣城的一分子。我要是认清了目标，到死也不变的，不搭袈裟进禅堂，就是一坐禅就开悟了，我也不干！万佛圣城弄成这样子，我再也不回去了。」

(1╱23╱1993上人开示于金轮圣寺)

 

修行要抱定宗旨

 

修行要抱定宗旨，不要把宗旨忘了。那么学佛的人，也是要抱定宗旨，宗旨就是我们的目标，我们的目标认清楚了。向前啊勇猛精进，不要向后退。讲到这个问题，我就回忆起来，在我刚刚出家的时候，我就想，我说出家人很多，是不是每一个人都明白佛法了？是不是他们都有他们一个目的呢？可是我一考察，研究看，许许多多出家人不是为着修行，不是为着了生死，也没有什么目标，就是在那儿混吃等死熬岁月，这样的出家人，只能给佛教增加累赘、增加疮疣、增加负担，对佛教并没有什么益处。

 

那么我又看现在在中国的佛敎，根本就没认识这个佛敎的根本是什么。佛当初讲经说法，无非想要后人明白佛的道理。佛敎徒应该怎么样去发展佛敎，想到这个地方，我看中国的佛敎，始终没有把根扎下去，就是没有根的佛敎，受不住考验、受不住外来的侵略。既然受不住考验，又抵不住侵略，这是没有根的佛敎。为什么呢？就因为他把根本没有认识，(原文无此标点)佛敎的根本是什么呢？佛敎的根本就是敎育！那么敎育必须要由幼小的儿童上来着手，给他灌输这个佛教的知识、灌输佛教的智慧、灌输佛敎的思想。能以培植成一个最低限度，做一个世界的眞善美的良好的国民。他的思想有了基础，行为有了目标，他可以对佛敎来发扬光大，这样子才不忘了佛敎根本的这个敎义。

 

「人能弘道，非道弘人」，我们人怎么能弘道呢？人因为他有了目标，有了宗旨，他才付诸行为。可是在中国没有根的佛敎，是既没有根，又没有梃子，只在末梢上转转。中国的佛敎，打水陆、放焰口、做佛事、超度人，这是中国佛敎的一种形状、样子。他就没想一想这样子下去，养成一班无业的游民，在佛敎里混饭吃。这有多可惜！只知道赚钱，做超度，超度你要有根基、有德行的僧人，不用说念经、念咒，就说一句话，「你往生去了。」他就会往生极乐世界去。你既无道德，又没有一个行持，行持也不检，这你凭什么去超度人？可以说是只有负这个施主的债务。并且佛的制度也都不存在了。

 

三衣钵具不离体

 

譬如在中国的佛敎，没有人天天都搭着衣的，为什么不搭衣呢？你问他自己，他也不知道为什么就不搭衣了。本来比丘相、比丘尼相，时时刻刻都要搭衣，都要吃一餐的。他们居然就把它都忘了，忘到十万八千里以外，根本也不认识什么搭衣的意思是什么？吃一餐的意思是什么？在中国的佛教，根本就没有人懂。虽然有一、两个或者还搭衣，或者吃一餐，一万个里头也不一定有一、两个，这可以说是凤毛麟角，可以说是少之又少。你问他这个比丘相是什么？他根本就莫名其妙。现在中国的出家人，乃至于其他各国的出家人，多数在大乘的佛教，都不搭衣，这不搭衣，他们认为这就天公地道，就是应该这样子，可不知道不搭衣已经没有比丘相了。

 

说，那大乘佛教是菩萨。菩萨也不是不搭衣就是菩萨了，菩萨也是要搭衣的，菩萨更要庄严，你看那观音菩萨、普贤菩萨、文殊师利菩萨和地藏菩萨，都有装饰品在身上戴着。虽然这是一个假相，但是它也有所表法。它装饰就是表示庄严佛土！那么出家人、修道的人，都要规规矩矩的，不是那么拖泥带水的，像个疯疯癫癫的样子。说，济公和尚啊！他就是疯疯癫癫的。济公，那是为着那些个疯疯癫癫的人来混饭吃，给他们留饭吃，所以他也就装成那个样子。也就是叫一般的在家人不可以轻视疯疯癫癫的人，不可以看不起他，疯疯癫癫的人里头也有大权示现的；也有在那儿隐蔽他真正的形相，来教化众生。

 

为什么各处 Mahayana 的佛教徒都不搭衣了呢？它因为 Mahayana 传到北方了，这北方天气寒冷的，你单单搭着衣，他受不住那个寒冷，所以在这衣里边必须要穿上内衣，穿上这个贴肉的衣服，好御寒。穿上里边这个衣了，可是外边这个衣一搭上，也就很容易丢了。在佛教刚刚传到中国，比丘大约有的也不太灵敏的、笨笨的，搭着这个衣，往往就把它丢了。这一丢了，再做新衣，也没有钱做。那么没有钱做，到各处去化缘，又令人居士怕。所以以后出家人和出家人就开个会，说这不是办法，我们这个衣常常丢，也做不起衣。中国的人都是节俭生活。那个衣要不少钱来缝一套衣，你丢了，就发生问题了。于是乎大家就开会，开会就有个不是很聪明的祖师就想起来办法，说我有办法，这衣上，我们加上一个钩，一个圈圈。这钩钩嘛！就叫钩；那个圈圈就叫环。钩、环把它往上一套，这个衣就不掉了，于是乎就发明出中国这衣的样子来，加上钩环，穿着这衣不丢了，于是乎就以此为例了，就说这就是出家人的衣了。本来这个衣是没有钩环的，到了中国就加上钩环，所以你看印度的出家人没有钩环，就是搭着那个衣，就那 Theravada 由这个就知道，这个佛教传到某一个地区，因为地区的关系，人的风俗的关系，就有很多改善。改善，中国改善，然后就流入下流，就不搭衣了。因为中国的出家人，那时候也多数自耕自食。一工作的时候，就不能搭衣，搭着衣做工，就不大方便，所以只穿短衫裤做工，把衣就放下了。放下时间一久，做工的时候不搭衣；不做工的时候也不搭衣了。有的还是依照传统的关系，上殿、过堂，吃饭的时候，还都搭上衣。传流到今天！吃饭也不搭衣了；上殿、过堂都不搭衣了。就说这样就是个出家人了，其实这出家人，现在中国、台湾、香港，乃至于各处 Mahayana 的佛教，穿这个长衫，越南穿这个长衫，就认为这就是佛教徒的衣，佛教徒的服装了。其实这是大错而特错的！你出家人不搭衣，就等于还俗一样的，和俗人没有分别。并不是穿这弯弯领，这就证明你是出家人了，不要说穿弯弯领，就是搭着衣，你还天天总在犯戒，总在不老实，何况不搭衣！

 

日中一食是佛制

 

所以现在中国的佛教，简直地是没有佛教，中国传流到各处的佛教，也都不是佛教，把佛教本来的面目都失去了。我看观察到这样情形，因为在中国我想把这种风气改变了它，我知道我自己人微言轻，我人呢，也没有什么地位；言语也没人听，啊！你就大声疾呼，把喉咙喊破了，也没有人相信。于是乎我就发愿把佛教在西方重新整顿了它，重新发扬光大，令人认识这个佛教是怎么回事。所以一到美国来，我一个人就提倡这个搭衣、吃一餐。因为美国人尽想享受，你这个，他也贪方便，教他搭着衣，他觉得不太顺眼。可是不顺眼，因为也没有什么顺眼的，也没有什么不搭衣的出家人在这儿。所以我就提倡搭衣，然后也要提倡吃一餐。因为我从没有出家以前，当居士的时候，我就吃一餐。等到出家以后，更是这么多年以来都吃一餐，所以有人要跟着我出家，我没有旁的道德，没有什么修行，我只可以用我表面样子，来教大家模仿。所以跟着我出家的，不论男的、女的，都要吃一餐，如果能吃一餐，才收他；不能吃一餐的，我不收，这是跟着我出家的一个铁定的条件，不能改变的。任何时候。任何环境压迫下，也不可以改变的。

 

禅七离衣打吃七

 

因为我提倡这个搭衣、吃一餐这种的佛教的方式，这几十年了，到美国就是这样提倡，到现在还是这样提倡。几十年耳濡目染，这么渐渐地，我相信能深入人心。人人都会对我这种教导人的方法，会有一个认识。可是我近来发觉到，我没有在万佛城打禅七，万佛城居然就出家很久的，衣也不搭了，也不吃一餐了，也学着中国打吃七，就吃三茶四饭，外加包子，晚上还要吃包子，你若这样，还能用功，这是我不相信的。我吃一餐，就已经觉得很麻烦了，那么吃四餐，还外加包子，晚上加包子。在中国的佛教，叫晚上吃饭叫什么呢？叫药石，吃药石，吃药、吃石，就是在那服药呢！这叫掩耳盗铃，这叫自欺欺人。在那儿因为晚上要吃东西啊！他说吃药就是中国的佛教，这种骗人的佛教、欺人的佛教，我没有法子改正，可是现在在美国这儿，我建立海外的家风，和亚洲的佛教完全不同。那么居然跟着我出家的出家人，出家了大约二、三十年了，还居然就改变我教化的方法，这令我特别痛心。所以我从去台湾之前，听说这个消息，一月二号到台湾去，回来啊！我也不敢再回万佛城去了。因为什么呢？我没有面目再回去了。我几十年的心血，付诸一旦，一旦就给我都一扫而光。把万佛城的金字招牌给摘下来了。万佛城的金字招牌，全世界都知道是吃一餐的。嘿！居然就改变吃三餐，还吃包子。以前虽然说，也有出家人偷着到厨房去偷东西吃的，一、两个，我也不管他；现在居然是一大堆，不知多少，数不过来这个数了，去吃三餐。那么万佛城的沙弥、沙弥尼、比丘、比丘尼，都是天天搭着衣的，可是现在还有几个是没有脱衣，其余去打禅七的，多数都是不搭衣了，所以这是令我没有面目回万佛城的一个最要紧的地方。

 

我现在对你们大家讲这个来龙去脉，前因后果。啊！你们大家想一想，我这么多年的心血，来一个人，给我改一改，来一个人改一改；来十个人，就改十样；来二十个人，改二十样；来一百个人，改一百样。万佛城统统也没有多少，就是吃一餐、搭衣，平时都搭衣。还有，说人坐单、持银钱戒，这都不是普遍的。坐单也不是普遍的，持银钱戒也不是普遍的。居然啊！有这个本来修行说八风吹不动，现在我不知道这是哪一股风，就把这些个人都给吹遍了！

 

你们各位居士想一想，我在美国这儿，这有什么用呢！没有用了！所以这个话，我啊！和你们讲这话的时候，我心里很沈痛，因为我是一个很小气的人，没有那么大量，见不得人不守规矩，见不得人不守诺言。既然跟着我出家，当时发愿说，答应我可以吃一餐，为什么这么几十年过后，就会改了。那我现在还活着，就这样子；那我死了以后，不知变成什么样子了，我痛心也就是这个。现在告诉你们各位，我在如果有必要回万佛城的时候，我现在做一个假面具，预备戴假面具回去给我这些个徒弟看看，看看我原来是戴假面具，若不戴假面具，没有真面目回去了。

  Venerable Master: "If left-home people do not wear the kashaya sash, it is the same as their going back to lay-life. Because Buddhism in China has always been corrupt, I came overseas to proclaim that left-home people should eat one meal a day and wear the sash in accord with the Buddha's teaching. At the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, we observed these rules of eating one meal and wearing the sash. Yet during this Chan Session you went so far as to not wear the sash, and to eat three meals a day. I have taught you for so long, yet you were turned by the first state that came along. Are you alive or dead? What kind of guts do you have, that you have been turned around and around like this? If you recognized the true spirit of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, you would rather die than change. 'So you want me to not wear my sash? Tell me to die, but don't tell me to not wear my sash! Tell me to die, but don't tell me to not eat one meal a day--with that kind of solid samadhi power, that kind of faith, you are a true member of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Once I recognize my goal, I won't waver from it even if I have to die. Even if by entering the Chan Hall without my sash, I could get enlightened as soon as I sat down, I wouldn't dare do it! Now that the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas has become this way, I'm never going back."

(Ven. Master's lecture at Gold Wheel Monastery 1/23/1993).

 

In Cultivation, We Should Hold To Our Principles

 

In cultivation, we should hold fast to our principles, and not forget them. In studying Buddhism, we should also hold to our principles, for they are our goal. Once we recognize our goal clearly, we must advance with vigor and courage, and not retreat. Speaking of this, I remember when I first left home, I thought, "Left-home people are so numerous. Do they all understand the Buddha-dharma? Do they all have a goal? When I investigated into this, I found that a great many left people had no wish to cultivate or to end birth and death, and didn't have much of a goal at all. They were just passing the time, "eating and waiting for death." Left-home people of this sort do nothing but add to the debts and burdens of Buddhism. They do not benefit Buddhism in any way.

 

I further discovered that Chinese Buddhism does not even realize what Buddhism is all about. The Buddha expounded the Sutras and proclaimed the Dharma all for the sake of letting future generations understand the Buddha's teaching. How should Buddhist disciples propagate the Buddha's teaching? As I thought about this, I observed that Buddhism never planted its roots deeply in China. Buddhism in China is actually rootless, and thus it has not stood firm in the face of tests and oppression. Why is it rootless? Because it failed to recognize the foundation. What is the foundation of Buddhism? The foundation of Buddhism is education! Education must start with the youngest children, instilling them with the knowledge, the wisdom, and the way of thinking of Buddhism. Then, at the very least, a child is raised to be a truly noble and fine citizen of the country and world. With a foundation for his thought and goals to guide his conduct, such a person will be able to vastly propagate Buddhism. In this way, the basic teaching of Buddhism will not be forgotten.

 

"People can propagate the Tao, but the Tao cannot propagate people." How can we propagate the Tao? It is only when we have a goal, an ideal, that we can commit ourselves to do something. As for the rootless Buddhism of China, even if it did have roots, it still doesn't have a trunk, and is merely spinning at the branchtips. The Buddhism of China consists of performing ceremonies such as Water-Land and Flaming-Mouth, to cross over spirits. This is the superficial appearance of Chinese Buddhism. They never thought that if they continued like this, they would create a class of jobless vagrants who relied on Buddhism for meals. How pitiful this is! All they know how to do is to make money and perform ceremonies to cross over the dead. In performing such ceremonies, if you are a Sanghan with a real foundation of virtue, you don't need to recite Sutras or mantras. You simply tell the spirit, "Go off to rebirth," and he will be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. However, if you have no virtue and you are not careful in your conduct, what power do you have to cross over people? Actually, you are just getting into debt with the donor. Furthermore, the practices established by the Buddha no longer exist.

 

Never Apart From the Three Sashes, Almsbowl, and Sitting Cloth.

 

For example, in China's Buddhism no one wears the precept sash on a daily basis. Why don't they wear the sash? Ah! If you ask them, they don't know why they don't wear it. Actually, Bhikshus and Bhikshunis should wear their sash at all times, and eat only one meal a day. But they have forgotten all of this. It's a hundred and eight thousand miles away from their memory, so they have no idea of the meaning behind wearing the sash and eating one meal a day. In Chinese Buddhism, no one understands this. There might be one or two people who still wear their sash, or eat one meal a day, but again, there might not even be that many in ten thousand. You could say they're rarer than fur on a phoenix or a horns on a female unicorn. They are as few as can be. If you ask them what appearance a Bhikshu should have, they haven't the slightest idea. Nowadays, in China and other countries as well, the vast majority of left-home people in Mahayana Buddhism do not wear their sashes. Ah! They feel it's very natural, that that's the way it should be. Little do they know that by not wearing the sash, they no longer have the appearance of a Bhikshu.

 

"Well," they say, "Mahayana Buddhism is about Bodhisattvas, and Bodhisattvas who don't wear the sash are still Bodhisattvas." Hah! Bodhisattvas also have to wear sashes, for they have to be especially adorned. You can see that Gwan Yin Bodhisattva, Universal Worthy Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Earth Treasury Bodhisattva all wear adornments on their bodies. Although these are just false marks, they represent something. Their adornments represent the adorning of Buddha-lands! So left-home cultivators should all abide by the rules. Don't drag your heels, or act in a crazy manner. You say, "But the Old Monk Ji Gung was really crazy." Ji Gung pretended to be that way because he wanted to influence people to give food to the lunatics. That is, he wanted to teach ordinary people not to look down on insane people, not to scorn them. Among the insane, there are also those who manifest expediently, hiding their true identity as they teach and transform living beings.

 

Why is it that Mahayana Buddhists everywhere do not wear their sashes? It's because when Mahayana Buddhism spread northward, the northern climate was too cold for people to just wear the sash. They couldn't take the cold, and had to wear clothing underneath the sash, right next to the skin. These undergarments kept out the cold, but when the sash was worn on top of them, it was easy for it to fall off. When Buddhism had just been transmitted to China, probably those Bhikshus weren't very bright. Being sort of stupid, they would lose their sash every once in a while. Once they lost it, since they had no money to make a new one, they had to go around begging, and this worried the laypeople. After awhile, the left-home people held a meeting, and decided, "This won't do. Our sashes fall off all the time, and it's hard to make new ones. The Chinese people live frugally, and it takes quite a bit of money to sew a new sash. If you lose your sash, it becomes a problem." Then, in their meeting, a not-so-intelligent Patriarch said, "I have an idea. We can sew a clasp and a ring onto the sash, and when we fit them together, the sash won't fall off." That's how the Chinese-style sash was invented. With the clasp and ring, the sash could now be worn without falling off. From then on, this became the model for the sash of left-home people. The sash originally had no clasp and ring. These were added on in China. So you can see that Theravada leff-home people from India wear the sash without a clasp and ring. From this, we know that when Buddhism is transmitted to a place, many reforms are made according to the region and the customs of the people.

 

But in China, after the reforms were made, people regressed and stopped wearing the sash. This was because at that time, most of the left-home people of China farmed to sustain themselves. When they worked, it was rather inconvenient to wear the sash, so they took it off, and only wore the shirt. They set the sash aside when they worked, but after awhile, they didn't wear it even when not working. Some people still adhered to tradition and put on the sash when they entered the Buddha Hall or took their meal. But in the present-day tradition, people don't even wear the sash to take their meal or enter the Buddha-hall, yet they feel qualified to be left-home people. In fact, nowadays, left-home people in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and all the areas of Mahayana Buddhism just wear a long robe and consider that to be the uniform and attire of a Buddhist. This is a big mistake! If a left-home person does not wear his sash, it's just like he's returned to lay-life. He's no different from a layperson. Ah! Wearing a robe with an arched collar doesn't prove that you are a left-home person. And even if you do wear your sash, you still break the precepts everyday, and are always dishonest. How much more so when you don't wear a sash!

 

Eating Once a Day at Noon is the Teaching of the Buddha

 

So now, there is virtually no Buddhism in China, nor in any of the places to which "Buddhism" spread from China. They have all lost the original appearance of Buddhism. When I contemplated this situation, I wanted to reform the trend in China, but I knew that I was just an insignificant person whose words carried no weight. I didn't have any status, and nobody would listen to what I said. Even if I shouted until my throat was sore, no one would believe me.

 

Therefore, I vowed that I would reconstruct Buddhism in the West, and make it flourish once again, so that people could know what Buddhism is all about. Therefore, as soon as I came to America, I alone advocated wearing the sash and eating one meal a day. Since Americans constantly crave comfort and convenience, they didn't like it too much when told to wear the sash. Nevertheless, in America there were few left-home people who didn't wear there sash, so I was able to advocate wearing the sash. I also promoted the practice of eating one meal a day, because even before I left home, I ate one meal a day as a layman. And in all these years since I left home, I've always taken only one meal a day. Therefore, for those who leave home with me, because I don't have any other virtue or cultivation, all I can do is teach everyone to imitate my outward style. Those who leave home with me, whether male or female, all must eat one meal a day. I will accept a person only if he or she can eat one meal a day. This is an iron-cast rule for those who leave home with me. It cannot be altered. No matter when, no matter how much pressure there is in a situation, it must not be changed.

 

When the Sash is Not Worn, A Chan Session Becomes An Eating Session

 

This is because I have promoted this style of Buddhism of wearing the sash and eating one meal a day for several decades already. I advocated it when I first came to America, and I'm still advocating it now. It's been several decades, and as people gradually get used to it, I believe they will really come to accept it in our hearts. Everyone will come to understand the way I've been teaching people. But recently, I discovered that while I was absent from the Chan Session in the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the people who had left home for a long time actually failed to wear the sash and eat one meal a day, imitation of the "Eating Session" of China. They had three tea breaks and four meals, with a snack of dumplings on top of that. They even ate dumplings at night. If you claim you can still work diligently like this, I don't believe it. I already feel it's a lot of trouble to eat just one meal a day. Yet you eat four meals, plus dumplings in the evening! In China's Buddhism, they call the evening meal "taking medicine." This is called "plugging up your ears and stealing a bell." This is cheating yourself and deceiving others. Ah! They want to eat at night, so they call it "taking medicine." That's Buddhism in China — a Buddhism which cheats people. I had no way to reform it. however, in America, I established an overseas tradition that's totally different from the Buddhism in Asia. Now, after leaving home with me for twenty or thirty years, my disciples have presumed to change my teaching, and this especially pains me. I heard this news before I left for Taiwan on January 2nd. Now I've returned from Taiwan, but I don't dare to go back to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Why? Because I have no face, no standing, to go back. My toil and sacrifice of several decades have all gone to waste overnight. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas' golden reputation has been ruined. Alas! Everyone knew about the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas' reputation of eating one meal a day, but people actually presumed to eat three meals a day and dumplings as well. Although in the past, a couple of left-home people would secretly go to the kitchen and steal food, I wasn't concerned. But now, a whole bunch of people, too many to count, are eating three meals a day! All the Shramaneras, Shramanerikas, Bhikshus, and Bhikshunis used to wear their sash everyday, and there are still a few who haven't taken off their sash to take part in the Chan Session, but the great majority no longer wear their sash now. That's the most important reason that I have no face to go back to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

 

As I am telling you this story, relating how it happened, everyone should think about how for so many years I have toiled and sweated, and now each person who comes makes a little change. Ten people come and change 10 things, twenty people come and change twenty things; a hundred people change a hundred things. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas didn't have much to begin with - just the custom of eating one meal a day, and wearing the sash regularly. Some people also sleep sitting up and keep the precept of not touching money. I don't know what wind has blown over these cultivators who used to claim that the eight winds couldn't blow them over.

 

All you lay-people should think about this: What use am I here in America? I'm useless. As I tell you this, my heart really aches, because I'm a petty-minded person. I'm not that forgiving, generous and I cannot tolerate seeing people break the rules, and not keep their word. When they left home under me, they made a vow, promising me they could eat one meal a day. Now, more than ten years later, how can they go back on their word? If it's like this when I'm still alive, I don't know what will happen after I die. This is what really pains my heart. Now I'm telling you those disciples to see, that I am making a mask, and if there's a need for me to go back to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, I will wear that mask to show those disciples. If I didn't wear a mask, I wouldn't have any face to go back.