万佛城1990年5月戒坛开示

Instructions at the May 1990 Precept Platform

 

宣公上人 开示 Lectured by the Venerable Master Hua

王隆琴 英译 English translation by Linda Wang

 

本来，这佛法是一代不如一代，一代 就衰微一代，可是万佛城的佛法，一代超过一代。以前出家的比丘、比丘尼还没有这么认真，可是以后的沙弥、沙弥尼，凡是在万佛城出家的都要一个顶十个，十个顶百个，百个上千个，千个上万个，一定要出乎其类，拔乎其萃，一定要青出于蓝，而胜于蓝，这是一定的。不是我要求过高，而是佛法衰败得太厉害，你要是没有大善知识、大修行人，不能把佛教再复兴起来。

 

万佛城是西方佛教的基础，要在万佛城培育法门的龙象、佛教的栋梁，将来向全世界去发扬佛教，让佛教到每一个角落，每一个国家去扎下根去，生枝长叶开花结果，将来佛教要遍满全世界，遍满法界，不论比丘，比丘尼。都有佛教的栋梁在那儿弘扬佛法。现在我向这条路线上发展，因为全世界都陷于水深水热中，全世界的人现在都走到死亡的道路上，全世界的人性几几乎就毁灭了。你看看现在弱智儿童，全世界充满这种可怕的病症，不可治的病症，弥漫着全世界；这种天灾人祸意外，也是充满全世界。这种时代是一个生死存亡的时代，我们要把佛教能发扬光大，把这黑暗的世界给照亮了。

 

这种责任，每一个人都要负起；不要说，「这等着旁人去做，与我没有关系，我只是全世界的一份子。」要知道，我这一份子没有好，那全世界就不要希望好了；想要让全世界好，由我身上先做起。

 

我要怎么做起呢？这是要清净身口意，息灭贪瞋痴；你把自己染污的念头收拾干净了，戒定慧充满了，贪瞋痴自然就消灭了，所以我们每一个人都有责任的。勤修戒定慧，息灭贪瞋痴，要是真能这样子，这世界上的光明才会出现，黑暗的世界才会照亮。

 

你们各位看看，现在全世界到处都有同性恋，到处都充满这种邪恶罪行的存在。这种行为是一个亡国灭种的行为，这种行为是一个违悖天理的行为，可是到处都有；甚至于在佛教里也各处都是隐藏着这类的人物，这是最可悲的。这一类的人物都是妖魔鬼怪、山妖水怪来转到这世界来毁坏佛教，所以各位到了万佛城这来，都要好好的收拾身心，不要为一点点小问题就发脾气，就打妄想，要真正知道我们的责任是什么。我们不但要救我们自己的父母，也要救我们生生世世的父母；我们不单要救我们生生世世的父母，我们也要救世界上所有众生的父母，所有众生的兄弟姊妹。

 

我们的思想要把它扩大，要「老吾老以及人之老，幼吾幼以及人之幼」；不要单单只知道我们的姊妹是我们的姊妹，我们要以世界所有和我年龄差不多的，都是我亲姊妹一样。「大道之行也天下为公，选贤与能，讲信修睦；故人不独亲其亲，子其子，使老有所终，壮有所用，幼有所长，矜寡孤独者，皆有所养……」我们要抱定大同世界的宗旨，发挥佛教的精神；我们要救人类在水深水热死亡的边缘，把他们的生命抢回来，所以这一点是我们每一个人的责任，应尽的义务。我们不要眼光看得那么近，思想那么狭窄，就看见这是我的父母、朋友、亲戚，那是我们六亲眷属。我们要看世界无论哪一类的种族都是我们的父母、朋友、六亲眷属，都是一样的公平；要把我们的思想扩大了，不要心狭气窄就只认识自己的六亲眷属，其他的人都和我不相干的。我们无量劫以来，在六道裹不单是人类是我的亲戚、眷属，一切的众生也是我们过去的父母、未来的诸佛，所以我们的心量要扩大了。

 

万佛圣城是法界佛教总会，心里要像法界那么大，可是在法界里头，好的也有，不好的也有。这是冤亲平等，远近平等，老少同堂。我们大家向前努力，这是我们大概的一个目标，我们出家的本怀。我们要成就全世界，全人类，从黑暗世界把它变成光明世界。什么叫「黑暗世界」？就是大家愚痴了，就是黑暗世界；什么是「光明世界」？就是大家都智慧了，就是光明世界。

  Typically, the Buddhadharma declines with the passing of every succeeding generation. The Buddhadharma represented by each new generation at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, however, supercedes the previous generation. The Bhikshus and Bhikshunis were never this earnest in the past. Each upcoming shramanera [novice monk], shramanerika [novice nun], and anyone who joins the monastic life at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas must be able to stand in for ten people. Ten of you must stand in for one hundred. A hundred of you must stand in for a thousand. A thousand of you must stand in for ten thousand. You must be the outstanding ones among your class and stand out from the crowd. You must surpass your teacher; be even better than your teacher. That's for sure. I'm not making too high of a demand; it's just that the Buddhadharma has degenerated much too severely. Without excellent advisors and cultivators, Buddhism cannot flourish again.

 

The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is the foundation for Buddhism in the West. We must develop movers and shakers in the Dharma and leaders for Buddhism. In the future, you must propagate Buddhism throughout the entire world so that Buddhism is in every corner of the world. You must strengthen the roots of Buddhism in every country so that it branches out, grows, blossoms, and bears fruit. Buddhism must prevail throughout the entire world in the future. Leaders of Buddhism, whether Bhikshus or Bhikshunis, must propagate the Buddhadharma throughout the entire Dharma Realm. We're now moving toward this direction because the entire world is in hot water. The human race is on its way to death. Human nature is nearly extinct. Look, the world is full of children with learning disabilities and other frightening and incurable diseases. Natural disasters and accidents caused by men also fill the world to its brim. Survival of the fittest best describes this era.

 

We have the responsibility to propagate Buddhism and make it shine upon this world of darkness. Each of us has to shoulder this responsibility of making the world a brighter place. You shouldn't say, "This has nothing to do with me. I'll just wait. Somebody else could do the job. I'm just one person out of the entire world." You should know that if you as an individual refuse to contribute, there will be no hope for a better world.

 

"I want to make the entire world a better place. Let me begin with myself. How should I start?" You must purify your body, mouth, and mind; quell your greed, hatred, and delusion. Once you clean up your tainted thoughts and fully possess the precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, then greed, hatred, and delusion will naturally be extinguished. Each and every one of us has the responsibility to diligently cultivate the precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, and to quell greed, hatred, and delusion. If you can really do it, this world of darkness will become bright.

 

Look, homosexuality is everywhere in the world. This type of improper behavior exists everywhere. This type of behavior is the type of behavior that ends nations and extinguishes races. This type of behavior is the type of behavior that defies principles of the universe. Yet it is everywhere. Such characters also conceal themselves within Buddhism, which is most pathetic. Such characters must all be demons and phantoms. They are goblins from the mountains and monsters from bodies of water who came to this world to ruin Buddhism. For all of you who have come to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, you must put your body and mind in order. Don't become angry or strike up false thoughts over the tiniest problems. You should really know what our responsibilities are. Not only should we save our parents in this lifetime, but we should also save our parents throughout every one of our lives. Not only should we save our parents throughout every one of our lives, but we should save the parents of all beings, the siblings of all beings. We must expand our frame of mind, to "take care of others' parents as if they're our parents, to take care of others' children as if they're our children." Not only should we treat our sisters by blood as our own, but recognize that every one in our age group around the world are our real sisters.

 

We must hold on to the goal of peace in the world. "To practice the great Way is to treat the world as belonging to the public; to select the worthy and capable; to be trustworthy and to harmonize; to not only take good care of one's own parents and children but also make sure that all elders and young ones are taken care of; to ensure that adults are employed and young ones are nourished; to see that widows, widowers, and the solitary all have a home to go to and are protected..." We must put the spirit of the Buddha into practice and save the human race from the deep end of the water, from the brink of death. It is our personal responsibility to restore their lives. Don't be so myopic and narrow-minded as to see only my parents, my friends, and my relatives. We must treat all races in the world equally, consider them all as our parents, friends, and relatives. We should expand our frame of mind. Don't be so narrow-minded as to recognize our own relatives and friends only while disregarding everyone else. Having transmigrated in the six paths for limitless eons, not only are humans beings our friends and relatives, but all beings have been our parents in the past and will be Buddhas in the future. Accordingly, we must broaden our horizons.

 

The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is under the auspices of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association. We must have minds as large as the Dharma Realm. Of course, there are positives and negatives within the Dharma Realm. We must treat the good and the bad equally.

 

We ought to be impartial toward enemies and friends, toward those near and far, young and old. We must advance vigorously. This is our goal in general, which should be a basic attitude for monks and nuns. We must save the entire world and the entire human race. We must turn the world of darkness into the world of brightness. What is a world of darkness? It's one where everyone is foolish. What is a world of brightness? It's one where everyone is wise. That would be a brighter world.