以柔制刚，以弱胜强

Overcoming Hardness With Softness,

Conquering Strength With Weakness

 

一瓣香 记录 Transcribed by Yi Ban-syang

 

宣化上人一九九三年四月六日开示于长堤圣寺

 

南无萨怛他苏伽多耶阿啰诃帝三藐三菩陀写 (三称)

 

我先问你们一个问题，假如有人骂长堤圣寺，你们应该如何对付这个人？你们说一说你们的意见我听听，快点！你们不要拖泥带水的。(有人答：笑骂由他。)还有谁怎么说的？(有人答：跟他说谢谢。)什么？(有人答：跟他说我们再做好一点。)他说什么？还有谁怎么说？(有人答：不理他。)还有什么？谁怎么说？你们都是没有勇气的喔！(有人答：此即成吾善知识。)眞能这样子吗？(有人答：先忏悔，再送他一尊佛像，让他与佛有缘，不再骂了。)他会听你的吗？(众笑)这是大家研究问题的性质，所以谁都可以发言，谁有什么见解，都可以把它说出来，大家来研究，看看哪一个是正确的？(恒月：可请他进来喝茶。)你请他进来，他若把你佛像给砸烂了呢？(众笑)这是谁说的？这要报过名的，你们谁说什么要报过名。(恒月：果桂。)果桂呀！你尽在月亮里头，怎么能把他请进来？(众笑)这个问题，我在各处讲法说了多少次，他若骂长堤圣寺，你们给他叩三个头；若骂你们的师父，你给他叩九个头。(众笑)这也真是我的徒弟，也是真正给他说法呢！所以我说你们没有勇气，不是要你们和人打架，和人骂架，势不两立，不是那个方法，是这个方法。现在我问你们的问题，你们还有谁怎么答复吗？不，我已经说破了，就不问你们的答复了，你们再有谁答复，都不算了。因为这个天机一泄漏了，你再学的方法就不太灵了。

 

游正华：师父上人，如果有人来毁谤长堤圣寺，或是毁谤师父，师父认为我们应该给对方叩头。这个事情，我有一点点想法，不知道对不对？要请师父指正。因为佛法，当然我们应该像师父所说的，他笑我们、骂我们，我们不管他，在内心的清净上、在修行上，应该是要这样子做，我认为绝对是有道理的。但是在世间法里面，要推展佛法的工作，你如果能够广度众生，让他尽可能的，有因缘踏入佛门，我们要排除其他不必要的磨擦。所以，如果有人骂我，我就跟他做适当的沟通，让他了解；若无办法，佛法讲缘，若无缘，则不强求。若经协调而令他回心转意，他本因不了解才毁谤，若解释明白，这个事可能马上化除。化除后，对方对我们生好感，则长堤圣寺能减少一层障碍，在佛教工作的推展上，也能一帆风顺。因人生无常，若你有大抱负，却遇到有人作对时，要做适当排除，才能把度众生的菩提心发起。若我们一直等待，也不讲了，由它发展，他会觉得我们不回手、不解释，那就是他说对了，旁人也会以为他对，而护持他，则无形中我们的障碍越来越大，所以如此恶性循环下，很困难推展佛教。师父是很慈悲，但在推广佛法的角度上，我觉得还是积极一点好。(众鼓掌)

 

上人：你的话我也赞成，不过事情有种种的因缘。我讲的是不动刀兵，不动唇舌而息战争；是以柔制刚，以弱胜强。我们佛教里头就是以柔来制刚的。我方才说的道理，我知道我们这一班人一个也不能做到的！(众笑)没有一个可以听人骂长堤圣寺，他会给磕三个头的，你们信不信哪？不过这个方法是很不容易用的，但是你用上来，可真有效验。因为我们不和人争，他自己就会生大惭愧了，回去他一想，为什么我骂人家道场，道场的人听见，对我叩几个头，这是什么意思？他会想一想。可是这种以柔克刚、以弱胜强的方法，很多人都不会用的。很多人都要以刚克刚，以强对强。这个问题就是真能小下来，才真能大起来；你真到至柔了，才能制服至刚的，所以我是间接是这样子，但是说出这个法来，很多人都不肯用的，所以说了也等于没有说一样。

  Ven. Master Hua's Lectures at Long Beach Monastery on April 6. 1993

 

Na Mwo Sa Dan Two Su Chye Dwo Ye E La He Di San Myau San Pu Two Sye (3x)

 

First let me ask you all a question. If someone were to criticize Long Beach Sagely Monastery, how should you respond to him? Let me hear what your opinions are, quickly! Don't drag your heels. (Someone answers: He can laugh or scold as he pleases.) Ah, and what do other people say? (Someone answers: We can thank him.) What was that? (Someone answers: Tell him we will do better.) What did he say? Who else has an opinion? (Someone answers: Pay no attention to him.) What else? Who has an opinion? None of you have any courage! (Someone answers: He is my Good and Wise Teacher.) Ah, can you really see him that way? (Someone answers: First, repent. Then give him an image of the Buddha, so that he will have an affinity with the Buddha, and stop scolding.) Will he really listen to you? (Everyone laughs.) Now is the time for all of us to investigate this question, so anyone can speak out. Whoever has a viewpoint can express it, and everyone can evaluate it and decide which view is the proper one. (Heng Ywe: We could invite him in for tea.) What if you ask him to come in and he just destroys the Buddha images? (Everyone laughs.) Who suggested this? You have to announce your name. Anyone who speaks has to announce his name. (Heng Ywe: Gwo Gwei.) Oh, Gwo Gwei! Gwo Gwei, you are always on the moon, so how can you invite him in? (Everyone laughs. Her name "Ywe" means moon.) I have spoken about this question countless times in my lectures. If someone curses Long Beach Sagely Monastery, you all should bow to him three times. If he scolds your Master, you can bow to him nine times. (Everyone laughs.) Then you are a true disciple of mine, and you are really speaking the Dharma for him as well! That's why I said all of you have no courage. I don't want you to fight and argue with him, as if he were your worst enemy. That's not the way. This is the way. Does anyone still have an answer to the question I asked? No, I've already given it away, so I will not ask for your answers anymore. Any answers given now will not count, for the secret of Heaven has already been revealed. It's not very intelligent to answer now.

 

Jen-hwa You: Venerable Master, if a person slanders Long Beach Sagely Monastery or yourself, you feel we should bow to him. I have an opinion on this matter, and I don't know if it is correct. I would like the Master's guidance. Of course, according to the Buddhadharma, we should do as the Master said, and not care if that person laughs at us or curses us. This is what we should do if we want to cultivate and keep our minds pure. This definitely makes sense to me. However, if we want to propagate the Buddhadharma in the world and save living beings on a vast scale, giving them the maximum opportunity to learn about Buddhism, we should eliminate any unnecessary antagonism. Therefore, if someone scolds me, I will communicate with him in an appropriate way, so that he can understand. When there is no other way, the Buddhadharma relies on affinities. If there are no affinities, then the issue is not forced. By communicating we may get him to change his mind. The only reason he slanders is because he misunderstands, so if we can explain things to him, the conflict will immediately disappear. Then that person will be on good terms with us, and the obstacles that Long Beach Sagely Monastery confronts will be one fewer, and the propagation of the Buddhadharma will be smoothly carried out. Life is impermanent, and if we have great ambitions and we meet someone who opposes us, we must resolve the matter in a felicitous way. That's the only way we can really bring forth the resolve to cross over living beings. If we do not say anything, and just let the matter develop, he will conclude from our failure to respond or explain ourselves that what he says is right. Other people will also think he is right, and will support him. And so invisibly, our obstructions become greater and greater, and if this unfortunate situation continues, it will be very difficult to propagate Buddhism. The Master is very compassionate, yet from the perspective of propagating the Buddhadharma, I think it's better to a little more positive. (Everyone applauds.)

 

Venerable Master: I agree with what you said. However, there are different kinds of circumstances and causes behind them. What I proposed can stop wars without mobilizing troops and without using speech. It uses gentleness to overcome obstinacy, weakness to overcome strength. I know that the principle I just mentioned is something we ordinary people cannot practice! (Laughter.) There is no one who can say that if he hears someone slander Long Beach Sagely Monastery, he will make three bows to him. Do you believe it? My method is not easy to practice, but if you can use it, it really works. That's because if we refuse to argue with a person, he will become repentant and go away to think it over. Why is it that when I scold other temples, the people in those temples hear about it and bow a few times to me? What's the significance of that? They will think it over. However, many people do not know how to use this method of overcoming hardness with softness and conquering strength with weakness. Many people want to combat hardness with hardness, and pit strength against strength. In this matter, if you can truly become small, then you can truly become great. Only with the utmost gentleness can you subdue the utmost obstinacy. This is how I am, indirectly, but when I speak about this Dharma, most people are not willing to apply it. That's why even though I have said it, it's the same as if I hadn't spoken about it.