百子毒蛇作怪

The Hundred-Son Poisonous Snake Makes Trouble.

 

每逢南华寺的戒期，它就来搅闹。

This demon caused a lot of mischief during every precept transmission ceremony held at Nanhua Monastery.

 

摘录自六祖坛经浅释 Excerpted from the Sixth Patriarch's Sutra

 

今天，谁都知道，自己比不了六祖，我们既然比不了六祖，所以我们受的苦，应该比六祖更多一点。六祖尚且有千磨万难，来考验他，来成就他，来帮助他；我们如果遇到逆的环境，不能逆来顺受，那怎么能做一个真正的佛教徒？所以我们要人人抱定宗旨，逆来顺受，毁誉不动心。我们若能这样，六祖大师能降龙伏虎，我们也能降龙伏虎。我们对人不发脾气，这可以说把龙就降住了。

 

什么叫龙呢？就是我们发起脾气来，就像一条龙那么不可思议的，能隐能显、能大能小。脾气像一条龙，就是忽然就来，忽然又没有，你找不着一个根，变化无穷。什么叫虎呢？就是我们生怒气的力量，就等于老虎那么大的力量。「无明火，老虎神，这是前生的罪孽根」，你前生的罪孽重，今生你就好生怒气。生怒气，就有一些问题发生；你若不生怒气，什么问题也不会发生的。所以你能不发脾气、不生气，这就是降龙伏虎的辨法。不动肝火，就是降龙；不生烦恼，也就是伏虎。所以「道高龙虎伏，德重鬼神钦」，我们若有德行，不要说人，鬼神对你都是恭敬的。

 

在南华寺，当我到那里的时候，现在在右边建的禅堂，原来就是毒龙潭。潭里有一条毒龙，常常出来作怪，每逢阴天下雨的时候，就显神通，放出毒气。人人在那儿，有的修修道，甚至于就中毒，就昏迷不醒了，有的时候，又发起神经来，这是很厉害的。

 

有一次，天阴阴的，这条龙现一个大身，用身体把龙潭都布满，然后把树木也都用暴风雨摧毁。所以当时住那儿的僧众，都非常恐惧，就告诉六祖。六祖出来看，就笑一笑，说：「你真是神通不小，你能现大身，又能现小身，忽然就有了，忽然就无了。如果你真是神龙，现在你是大身，你即刻变成小身给我看看！」这条龙听他这么说，果然就把身体缩得像一条虫那么大，有三寸多长，就在水里游来游去。

 

六祖大师说：「你是有本事，你能变大身，又能变小身，可是你没有胆量，跳到我这个钵里来。你若真有神通，你可以跳到我的钵里来试一试。」

 

龙是处处想要争第一的，处处想要做王称霸的，所以你看中国做皇帝的，都说是真龙天子，就因为他想要争第一、做王。这条龙，听到六祖大师说，它不敢跳到钵里，它就单要争第一。这条龙因为六祖大师说它不敢跳到钵里头，它就单要争第一。你说我不敢跳，我就跳给你看看！就跳到六祖大师的钵里了。可是跳到钵里，能跳进来，就跳不出去，于是乎，这条龙就降伏了。这是讲毒龙潭。

 

说起毒龙潭，我又想起来我一个经验，我们人修道，切记不要躁进，不要贪快，不要想要得到神通。你想要贪快，想要躁进，想要求速效，「其进锐者其退速」，你进得快，退得也快。所以我们都是慢慢的，不要那么用科学，不要坐火箭上天，我们还要一步一步地走。你若一步一步地能走到天上去，那才是真本事呢！你不能走到天上，要借着火箭的力量来上天，那还不是你自己的真功夫。

 

我记得我收过一个徒弟，他会做成衣，很老实的，叫陆介霖，以后就跟着我出家。出家后，也很修行的，很不错。有一次，我派他到乡下做一点事情，我说：「我现在交给你我的拂尘，有必要的时候你才用；没有必要的时候，没有大的困难问题，你不要用。」这个拂尘就是白拂手，我交给他，我说：「你去办事有什么急难，你可以用一用。」他就去了。

 

到了乡下，就遇着很多人来找他，都说有病，叫他治病。他拿着我的拂尘，给这个扫一扫，这个病也好了；给那个掸一掸，那个病也好了。以后这些人，都疯狂地来找他，一天到晚，也没有时间休息，就用白拂手，这么给人家扫病。他那时候，没有学白拂手，就拿我平时受持的白拂手，去这样做。

 

回来就对我说：「师父，你的拂尘真灵！有什么病，我给他掸一掸，他就好了。」我说：「掸一掸，就好了，恐怕将来这个病，都跑到你身上，我看你怎么办？」我说这话，他不太注意，以后还修行。

 

以后我带他到南华寺，在南华寺，他着了魔，因为有一个魔，不怕白拂手。这是什么魔呢？它的名字，叫百子毒蛇，一生仔，就会生一百个，在南华寺常常作怪。怎样作怪呢？南华寺每逢戒期，它就去搅闹。怎样搅闹呢？一定令受戒的沙弥，或者沙弥尼，就有一个发神经的。

 

那时候，虚老在那儿传戒，有人就发神经，虚老也没办法。发神经是怎么样发法呢？一发神经，就说他自己成佛了，他又是什么什么佛，也不穿衣服，上身下身，都不穿衣服这么跑，不管什么羞耻不羞耻，各处胡说乱讲的，就这样搅闹戒坛。每逢传戒的时候，一定搅闹人，就有一个人会发狂。虚老在南华寺，传那么多年戒，每一年都有这样的，最后就轮到我徒弟身上，我这个徒弟，也发了狂。一发狂，十几个人，没有他一个人力量大，他身上还会放臭气，人闻到就作呕。一天到晚，就发神经，发神经说什么呢？说我师父的法，原来都是假的，说四十二手眼都是假的，因为这个魔就是要胡说八道，来破正法的。

 

正在这时，有一个明相法师，八十多岁，也是坐单的，八岁就出家，出家后自己默默苦修，他尽打般舟七，打了八次。每一个般舟七，是九十六天，不眠不睡，站着走路，走九十六天。你或者念佛，或者持咒，或者做什么，总而言之，九十六天不休息，这叫佛立三昧。他这一生，修了八个佛立三昧，所以功夫不错，他一入定，还可以做一些事情。

 

当时遇着这个老修行，他一来的时候，不知道是吃错了什么东西，就天天屙肚，屙得满裤子都是邋遢东西，他自己在那屙肚，不能收拾自己的衣服。他是在上客堂挂单，我在南华寺当堂主，当时我这个班首，天天要到上客堂，去看看有什么人来，有什么人走。为什么我看这个呢？我想看看有没有什么异人、异僧，有没有什么高人，到南华寺来，我不要当面错过。所以每一天我到上客堂，去看几次。他来了，我就看见。我一看这个老修行，觉得很有缘，可是他就屙肚。他屙肚，我就给他洗裤子，洗了几天裤子，他屙肚好了。

 

然后，正在那时，我这个徒弟发神经。我和那位老修行一说，老修行和我就想法子，来令我徒弟病好。当时一观察问题，就是有一条毒蛇，叫百子毒蛇，在很久很久以前，就搅闹南华寺。所以这样一来，我们两个人，以他的定力和我的定力，就把这毒蛇给降伏，我这个徒弟病才好。

  We all know that none fo us can compare to the Sixth Patriarch. Therefore, we ought to suffer a little more than the Sixth Patriarch suffered. Even the Sixth Patriarch had to undergo countless trials and tribulations before he managed to accomplish what he did. If we can't endure difficult situations, how can we consider ourselves real Buddhists? We must stick to our principles and face the adversities as they come. Praise and slander should not move our minds. If we can be this way, then we will be able to subdue dragons and tigers just as the Sixth Patriarch did. If we don't get mad at people, then we have subdued the dragon.

 

What is the dragon? Our temper is as inconceivable as a dragon; it can appear and vanish, increase and decrease, at a moment's notice. Like a dragon, our temper comes and goes suddenly; it transforms in endless ways, but one cannot discover its source. What's meant by a tiger? Our anger is as powerful as a tiger.

 

Fiery ignorance and a tigerlike spirit

Are rooted in the offenses of past lives.

 

The offenses you created in past lives cause you to get angry all the time in the present life. Your anger leads to all sorts of trouble. Without anger, there are no problems. If you keep your temper and avoid getting angry, then you've subdued the dragon and the tiger. Not letting the fire rise in your liver is subduing the dragon. Not getting afflicted is subduing the tiger.

 

When one's attainment in the Way is lofty,

dragons and tigers are subdued.

When one's virtue is profound,

ghosts and spirits are respectful.

 

If one is virtuous, then even ghosts and spirits respect one, not to mention people.

 

When I was at Nanhua Monastery, there was a Chan Hall built on the right side, at the site of what used to be a pond with a poisonous dragon in it. The dragon often came out to make trouble. On rainy days, the dragon would show off its spiritual powers. It would emit such a noxious vapor that some of the cultivators would pass out or go insane from breathing it. That's how bad the poison was.

 

One cloudy day, the dragon appeared in a large body that covered the entire pond. It began stirring up a storm that devastated all the trees of the forest. The monks were afraid and informed the Sixth Patriarch. When the Sixth Patriarch took a look, he smiled and said, "Your spiritual powers are not small. You can appear in a large body and in a small body, appearing and vanishing just like that. If you're really a divine dragon, then let's see you transform your big body into a small one right now!"

 

When the dragon heard the Sixth Patriarch challenge him, he shrank himself to the size of a worm, three inches long, and swam back and forth in the water.

 

The Sixth Patriarch said, "You can appear in a big body or a small body as you wish, but you wouldn't dare jump into my bowl, would you? If you really have spiritual powers, then I dare you to get into my bowl."

 

Dragons are highly competitive and love to be in the top position. In China, emperors called themselves "The True Dragon, the Son of Heaven," because they wanted to be number one. When the Sixth Patriarch dared the dragon to get into his bowl, the dragon thought, "You say I don't dare? I'll show you!" Then he jumped into the Sixth Patriarch's bowl; and once he was in, he couldn't get out. That's how the Sixth Patriarch subdued the poisonous dragon.

 

I am reminded of one of my own experiences. Cultivators of the Way should never be rash. They should not be greedy for quick results or for spiritual powers. If you advance quickly, you will also retreat quickly. That's why we want to go slowly. We don't want to be so scientifically advanced that we take a rocket to the heavens. We want to go one step at a time. Climbing to the heavens one step at a time is true skill! If you rely on a rocket to take you to the heavens, then it doesn't count as your own skill.

 

I remember that I took a very honest disciple named Jielin Lu, who was a tailor. Later, he left the home-life with me and cultivated very diligently. Once I sent him to the countryside to do an errand. I gave him my dust whisk, the one in the White Whisk Hand, and told him not to use it unless there was an emergency. "If there's no great trouble, then don't use it. Use it only in an emergency."

 

When he arrived in the countryside, many sick people came and asked him to heal them. What do you think he did? He took my whisk and waved it over one person, curing him. Then he tapped another sick person with it and he was healed as well. People went wild and sought him out day and night, and he had no time to rest because he was busy curing illnesses using the whisk. He had never formally learned the White Whisk Hand, but he just copied the way he saw me do it usually.

 

When he returned, he said, "Teacher, your whisk is really efficacious! No matter what kind of illness a person has, all I have to do is tap him with the whisk, and he's cured." "You'd better watch out. All those illnesses may end up with you!" I told him.

 

He continued working at his cultivation and didn't pay much heed to my words. Later I took him along to Nanhua Monastery. That's when he became possessed by a demon that was not afraid of the White Whisk Hand. The demon was known as the Hundred-Son Poisonous Snake, because it would have one hundred offspring each time it reproduced. This snake caused a lot of mischief at Nanhua Monastery. How? It would invariably possess one of the novice monks or nuns during every precept transmission ceremony held at Nanhua Monastery and cause him or her to go berserk.

 

Venerable Elder Master Hsu could not do anything about it when it happened. The novice who went berserk would claim that he had attained Buddhahood and that his Buddha-name was such and such. He would run around naked, blabbering this nonsense without feeling the least bit embarrassed, causing a spectacle among the preceptees. Venerable Elder Master Hsu transmitted the precepts at Nanhua Monastery for many years, and every year this would happen. That particular year, it was my disciple's turn. When he went berserk, his strength was such that he could overpower more than ten people. His body gave off a nauseating stench that made people vomit as soon as they smelled it. He went into fits of insanity day and night, and he would say, "My teacher's Dharma is phony. The Forty-two Hands and Eyes are false." He said this because the demon possessing him was intent on destroying the proper Dharma.

 

At that time, Dharma Master Ming Xiang was at the monastery. He was over eighty years old, and yet he still slept sitting up. He had left home when he was eight and had cultivated diligently since then. He had attended eight ninety-six-day sessions during which he constantly walked and never slept. During such sessions, one usually recites the Buddha's name or upholds a mantra, and one attains the Standing Buddha Samadhi. As a result, his spiritual skill was such that he could do things while in samadhi. When the Dharma Master first arrived, he must have eaten some bad food, for he had diarrhea and soiled his pants every day. Being sick, he couldn't clean up his own mess. He lived at the guest hall, and I was the leader of the assembly at Nanhua Monastery. Every day I would go to the guest hall several times to see who came and went. Why? Because I didn't want to miss any eminent monks or special people who came to visit Nanhua Monastery. And so when this Dharma Master came, I saw him right away and felt an immediate affinity with him. When he got diarrhea, I helped him wash his trousers every day. After a few days, he got better.

 

It was then that my disciple went berserk. I told the elder cultivator, and he and I tried to figure out a way to cure my disciple. We entered into contemplation and saw that a snake--the Hundred-Son Poisonous Snake--was causing the problem. In fact, it had been causing trouble at Nanhua Monastery for a long time. Combining the power of our samadhi, we managed to overcome the snake and save my disciple.

 

Why do I mention this? I wanted to point out that my disciple got himself into this mess because he didn't follow my instructions. I had given him the whisk and told him to use it only in an emergency, but he disobeyed me and casually used it to cure people's illnesses. That's why he later went insane at Nanhua Monastery. Although it's true that he recovered, the situation he'd gotten himself into was truly dangerous. Therefore, in cultivating the Way, if you're off by a hairsbreadth in the beginning, you'll miss by a thousand miles in the end.