少说一句话，多念一声佛

Speak One Sentence Less, Recite the Buddha's Name One Time More

 

邻虚尘 记录 Transcribed by Lin Syu-chen

 

宣公上人一九九三年四月七日开示于长堤圣寺

Ven. Master Hua Lectures at Long Beach Sagely Monaster

 

人生在世，都是被这个六尘所转了，六根被六尘一转，就失去方向了。见到色尘跟着色尘跑；听见声尘，就跟着声尘跑；尝到味尘，嗅到味尘，就跟着这个味尘跑；嗅到香尘，就跟着香尘跑；尝到味尘，就跟着味尘跑；遇着触了，就跟着触尘跑，最微细的，就遇到法尘，就跟着法尘来跑，这都叫被境界所转，被这个六贼所摇动了。

 

眼睛，「眼观形色内无有，耳听尘事心不知」，你「见事醒事出世间，见事迷事堕沈沦」，这一切一切都是看我们有没有择法眼？认识眞正的道理，不认识眞正的道理？所谓「念念照眞理，心心息妄尘；遍观诸法性，更无一法新。」念念，我们念兹在兹地要观照这个眞理。所谓眞理，就是一种至理，一种究竟的事的归宿，所以是眞理。眞理可也不能离事，离事就没有眞理；离眞理也没有事。这事理不二，念念不离开眞理，这叫观照在眞理。心心息妄尘，每一念，每一秒钟，我们都在息妄尘，息灭这个妄想尘劳，你能把这个妄想尘劳，都息了，都息灭了，那么眞理自然现前了，你这观照的功夫就可以成就了。遍观诸法性，你普遍来观察观察一切的法性。更无一法新，都是原来就有的，并没有一个什么新鲜的方法儿。所以你若明白这四句，你可以说是对佛教稍微认识一点点；可惜我们人，对佛教还没有认识呢！就是高谈阔论，目空一切，贡高我慢，对六根六尘一点也没有降伏 呢！那么就觉得自己记住了多少东西。就认为很骄傲了，这是一种错误的观念，这不单没明白眞理，这都在尘劳上用功夫了。所以我们人，最好是不讲话，一天少说一句话，多念一声佛，打得念头死，许汝法身活。你少说一句话啊！就会多念一声佛，你把这个妄想的念头打死了，你这法身也就现前了，就是这么反掌之易。你能把它翻过来，烦恼就是菩提；你不翻过来，菩提就是烦恼。所以，那个菩提就像水似的，那烦恼就像冰似的。冰，冰是水成就的；水，并不是冰。水它得要凝结到一起，才是冰。那冰里头，是具足水的成份；水里边，是要遇冷，它才能变成冰。所以遇冷，这就是境界来了，你生了烦恼了。那个境界，那个冻，就是一种境界，你能把这个境界，用阳光照化了，那冰也就是水，水也就是冰。可是，你若不照化了它，冰还是冰，水还是水。就是这么一点点的分别，我们人，可惜对这一点点的不同都不明白。所以一大到晚，吃烦恼比吃包子，比吃饺子还觉得好吃，一顿一顿地吃，吃了一顿又不够，又要吃。这个菩提！不问不闻，你看我们哪一个人，你问问你自己，你自己回光返照问问，有没有发过脾气？有没有生过烦恼？那你就离菩提不远了。你若发过脾气，生过烦恼，那离菩提也就很远了。所以这一点，我的看法是这样子，你们各位的看法是不是这样子，那我也 I don't know！(众笑)

 

Ven. Master Hua's Lecture at Long Beach Sagely Monastery on April 17, 1993

 

People born in this world are all turned by the six sense objects. When the six sense organs get confused by the sense objects, you become lost. When you see sights, you chase after them. Hearing sounds, you attach to and run after them. Tasting flavors, you follow them. Smelling scents, you go after them. When you touch things, you attach to and follow the sensation of touch. And when you encounter the most subtle of them all, the dharmas, you pursue them too. This is called being turned by states, and being swayed by the six thieves.

 

"The eyes see forms, but inside there is nothing. The ears hear sounds, but the mind does not know." Also, "If you see things and awaken, you can transcend the world. If you see things and become confused, you will fall into the cycle of rebirth." In everything, we must ask ourselves, do we have the Dharma-selecting Vision? Do we see the true principle, or do we fail to recognize it? It is said, "In thought after thought, contemplate the truth. Constantly put to rest the false defilement of the mind. Pervasively contemplate the nature of all dharmas; there is not a single new dharma." In every thought, we continuously contemplate this truth. The "truth" refers to ultimate principle. It is the source which everything ultimately returns to. The truth cannot be separated from affairs by any means. Apart from affairs, there is no truth. And apart from the truth, there are no affairs. Affairs and truth are nondual. If in thought after thought one does not separate from the truth, this is called the contemplation of truth. "Constantly put to rest the defilement of the mind": in every thought and every second, we are constantly putting to rest the tiresome defilement of false thoughts. If you can cease all false thinking, then the truth will naturally manifest, and your efforts in contemplation will have come to fruition. "Pervasively contemplate the nature of all dharmas": You universally investigate the nature of all dharmas, but "there is not a single new dharma": They were all originally there. There isn't any fresh, new method. If you understand these four lines, you can consider yourself to have a little understanding of Buddhism. It's a pity we have not really understood Buddhism! We only engage in lofty and abstract discussions, view everyone else with a scornful eye, and are proud as can be. We have not subdued the six sense organs and objects in the least, and yet we feel we have remembered something, and so we become arrogant, then our views are mistaken. Not only have we not understood the truth, we are simply exerting ourselves within the tiresome defilement. Therefore, it is best if we do not talk. Each day, "speak one sentence less, recite one more Buddha's name. Beat your thoughts to death, so your Dharma-body can come to life." If you say one sentence less, you can recite the Buddha's name one time more, and if you can strike dead your false thoughts, your Dharma-body will appear. It is as easy as turning over your palm. If you can turn it over, then affliction is just Bodhi. If you cannot, then Bodhi is just affliction. Bodhi is like water and affliction is like ice. Ice is formed from water, but water is not necessarily ice. Water must freeze before it becomes ice. On the other hand, ice is inherently composed of water. Water must meet the cold before it turns to ice. Meeting the cold is an analogy for encountering a state and getting afflicted. If you can use the sunlight to shine on and melt the state of freezing, then ice is just water and water is just ice. However, if you cannot shine on and melt it, ice is still ice, and water is still water. There is just that slight difference. It's a pity we don't even understand that bit of difference, and so from morning to night, we like to eat afflictions better than steamed buns and boiled dumplings. We eat meal after meal. After eating one meal, we are still not satiated and want to eat more. And we pay no attention whatsoever to Bodhi. Which one among us has been able to reflect within and ask ourselves: have we lost our temper? Have we become afflicted? If not, then we are not far from Bodhi. If you have lost your temper or become afflicted, then you are far away from Bodhi. Well, that's my view on this matter. But I don't know what your views on it are! (Everyone laughs.)