踏破千重山 Conquest thousands of mountains

踏破千重山 Conquest thousands of mountains

 

天台宗的祖師智者大師，有一次在深山入定，看見他自己的父母圍繞他的雙腿，還一直哭泣喊叫他救他們，他鐵了心不受干擾，才能專心入定，後來他自己說：「他看到的不是他的父母，是魔幻的力量變化成他父母的形態來干擾他。」

Conquest thousands of mountains

The founder of Tian-tai Sect, the Wise Master, once meditated in the mountains and saw his parents crying for his help near his lap. He steeled himself not to be disrupted and then was able to concentrate on meditation. He himself mentioned later that what he saw wasn’t his parents but some demonic power in the shape of his parents so as to disrupt him.a

 

大乘佛法有一本經-楞嚴經，裡面記載著魔的力量，魔其實就是精魅與鬼怪類，楞嚴經被國際研究佛學者研判是偽造的佛經，但依據我自己的修學經驗，楞嚴經應該是後代修學者共同的實修經驗，佛法的修行是一種人性的萃練，屬於無形的世界，比方說：「我有修行，這個有修行依據什麼立場來講？佛陀在世時建立了從善根到四果的層級，大乘佛法建立了三法印去堅固佛法的中心，但修學過程裡所面臨的障礙愈傳愈少，留下經典，印證體系，卻少了現在的建築法，讓面臨障礙的修學者求助無門，如果有一天在修學者心裡出現五至六個自己父母樣子的人，一直說你(妳)得救他(她)們甚至是哭泣高聲叫喊的，修學者面臨這麼嚴酷的考驗，將如何應對？」

A Mahayana Buddhist Scripture, Shurangama Sutra and Mantra, mentions demon’s power. Demons are actually kinds of elf, evil spirit, ghosts and monsters. Shurangama Sutra and Mantra is considered fake Buddhist Scripture by international Buddhist scholars. But according to my personal practice experience, it should be the common practical experiences of the following practitioners. Buddhist practice is a kind of refinement in human nature and it belongs to invisible worlds. So, what are the criteria for a practitioner’s Practice achievements? Buddha established levels of Practice achievements from virtuous root to Four Stages of Enlightenment when he was alive. Mahayana Buddhism established Three Universal Truths to consolidate Buddhism philosophy. However, less and less description of obstacles during Practice is handed down. Though Buddhist classics and verification system are handed down, the lack of nowadays’ construction approach leaves a practitioner helpless when facing obstacles. If five to six people of his parents’ images appear on a practitioner’s mind and keep crying for his help, how can he copy with this when facing such a harsh test?

 

修行是一種內心成份的提升，看似平靜的現象裡，翻湧著千絲萬縷，修學者必定得有智慧與定力去判別佛與魔，像是說自己的父母總不會不清楚吧？！一個有高級化妝術的人化成自己的父母來糾纏，如果無法辨認，可能的結果是被拖著不要想往前，反之！修學者仗著智慧與定力過關時，則功力大增反而可以報答自己的父母。

Buddhist practice is about elevation in one’s inner quality. There are thousands of elements in a seemingly stilly phenomenon. Practitioners need to have enough wisdom and concentration to distinguish Buddha from devils. Don’t we know our own parents well enough?! When a person with excellent makeup skills disguised as our parents, we may be entrapped and can't keep moving forward if we don't distinguish it right away. On the contrary, when we pass the test with our wisdom and concentration, we will develop greater ability and can repay our parents.

 

回到前面說的我有修行這件事，有修行最初的條件是自己安定下來，禪宗講的安心，人最麻煩的不就是自己嗎？！有沒有解決掉自己，自己心裡邊一清二楚用不著問別人，如果別人說我有修行，我自己卻不知道，肯定不對。

Let’s talk more about the topic of one’s Buddhist practice achievements. The first requirement for Practice achievements is that a practitioner can make himself calm down, just as the settlement of the mind in Zen Buddhism. Isn’t human’s biggest trouble from himself? One shall know clearly whether he has settled himself or not and he doesn’t have to ask for others’ opinions. Likewise, it is definitely wrong when a practitioner who is considered of great practice achievement isn’t clear of his own (practice achievement).

 

像現實生活一樣，修學必得脫離迷幻藥（精魅），魔術（心理問題），不當的引力(鬼怪)，，，，，擺脫愈多愈上層樓，過一關穩一步，結結實實在心裡，這些才是覺者的過程。

半寄

The same as in a real life, a practitioner must shake off hallucinogen (elf and evil spirit), magic tricks (mental problems), improper dragging forces (ghosts and monsters), and so on. The more he shakes off, the more he progresses. He becomes more confident and stable as he breaks through one barrier after another. All these are steps of becoming an enlightened person.

   Master Ban Ji
   Translated by Grace Tsai
   Proofread by Sophiea Kuo

 

由南禪精舍出版新書已上架，想看書的人請至，瑞成書局台中，高雄門市購買。

修行探討自序

Preface

我在很年輕的時候，就憑著一股對佛法的熱情剃度出家，不料真正踏入佛門後，一直陷入對佛法的焦慮裡，佛學太多太大了，光去讀它就腦力衰竭，更不要說去把它修行實踐出來。

為了明白佛學，我日日夜夜，不是讀書，就是思索，哪怕外面的人事困難重重！都不曾讓我停歇，越困難越激發我想明白佛學的慾望，一晃眼三十年過去，我常想，不知有誰會像我當年困在佛法不明的焦慮裡？於是「修行的探討」出現，希望能給同道人一些幫忙。

這是一本思想性質的佛學，憑藉著思索讓修學者有意識的去思考自身的問題，以期達到啟發的作用，願有心人都能如願的成長！

半寄於南禪精舍

20140806

 

Preface

I took the tonsure with an enthusiasm for Buddhism when I was very young. However, beyond my expectation, I was trapped in anxiety about Buddhism after I actually became a nun. Buddhism is so broad and profound that sheer reading of its texts exhausted me, not to mention carrying it out.

In order to understand Buddhism, I kept either reading or reasoning day and night, despite all the difficulties and troubles in personnel matters. The more difficult it was, the more desire I had for the understanding of Buddhism. Thirty years have passed in a twinkling. I often wonder if there is anyone trapped in the unknowing anxiety as I was before?! Thus, An Investigation into Practice of Buddhism comes out, hoping it may offer some help to my fellow practitioners.

This is a book of Buddhism thinking concepts. It hopes to inspire the practitioners to think consciously about their own problems and then to reach enlightenment. May all the determined practitioners progress as they expect.

                         Ban Ji at Nan Zen Vihara

                                          August 6, 2014

佛學Buddhism

佛學Buddhism

 業障正確說法是 : 我欠別人一百萬元，這債不還債主不讓我往前走，還了債別人也不糾纏自己，但債有過去世留下的，超越現在可以理解的範圍，所以很難界定，然而每一個人的人生經驗，會告訴自己債在哪裡?因為有太多相同的經歷會一直在自己身旁圍繞，命運的擺弄也是一本書，讓每個人細細品嚐自己。

 前面的文章_一線之隔有提過能力問題，自己缺乏某些層面的能力，才讓自己欠下許多，所以整個還債過程也是大翻身的過程，除了是補足自己的欠缺外，還加上讓自己脫胎換骨，佛學有證悟的課題，證悟是一種智慧加非常的努力以赴，去達到自己修持的生命，所以根本沒有宿命說，也沒有消極論，為了適應傳播犧牲了過多佛學，也算悲哉 !

半寄

Buddhism

A correct explanation for negative karma is: Suppose I owe someone a million dollars. Only after paying off this debt will the creditor leave me alone and let me move forward. A debt may be resulted in past lives, which makes it beyond our comprehension and therefore hard to define it. However, everyone’s life experience may reveal what his debts are because too many similar experiences repeat and surround him. Manipulation of one’s destiny is also a book, letting everyone savor it slowly.

 

The issue of abilities is discussed in the earlier article ‘a fine line between’. Our lack of some aspects of abilities results in big debts. The process of paying off the debt is also process of huge bouncing back itself. While making up what we lack to pay off the debt, we also get changed and reborn. Buddhism talks about enlightenment, which is actually wisdom plus strive for self-realization. Thus, Buddhism proposes neither fatalism nor negativism at all. It’s sad that too much of the real Buddhism is misunderstood for the sake of easy spreading.

   Master Ban Ji
   Translated by Grace Tsai
   Proofread by Sophiea Kuo

 

一線之隔 A fine line between

一線之隔 A fine line between

 佛學裡面常會提起業障的看法，有一段很長的日子，自己常在現實與業障之間攪不清楚，很多事特別是不愉快的事，沒有人會認為應該發生在自己的頭上，如果自己是佛教徒，理所當然的業障的看法馬上浮現。

 活過一些歲數的人們，大約都體會過身不由己的滋味，那種感受讓人很容易接受命運的看法，負面的感受多的時候，更會無奈的接受自己上輩子，一定愧對別人很多，才會有這樣的下場，許多時候總是活在_我有些地方不甚如意，是業障讓我過這樣的生活。

A fine line between

Buddhism often talks of negative karma. I myself have been mixed up between reality and negative karma for a long time. People don’t think they deserve so many events happening to them, especially the unpleasant ones. If it happens to a Buddhist, he may naturally think what happens to him is because of negative karma immediately.

People with ages almost have experiences of being involuntary. Feeling involuntary makes them easily accept ideas of fate. Too many negative feelings accumulated force them helplessly to accept that it is their debts in their past lives(their negative karma) that cause them such unpleasant happenings and to lead such kind of life.

 

我在過去寫的文章裡，有提過佛學是探討原因，不是懲罰性質的宗教，業障是一種自己無法抵抗的引力，在每一個人的生命裡，這種引力也是兩面刃，如果我是佛教徒，很輕易就認為引力不能抵抗，所以是業障，如果我不是宗教信徒，不輕易相信引力的力量，想抵抗到底，這兩個想法誰會勝出?! 我想大部份的人一定會認同後者，我個人認為兩者都是錯誤的，原因在於，上面兩種做法都是一廂情願的看法，沒有探究過引力的形成原因?也沒想過自己跟引力之間的對比，也就是引力的力量跟自己的力量，到底哪個力量大？面對大力量又該怎麼辦？！

I have mentioned in my earlier article that Buddhism aims to investigate reasons and is not a punitive religion. Negative karma is a kind of dragging force that can’t be controlled by ourselves. This kind of dragging force may view as a two-side knife in everyone’s life. If a person is a Buddhist, he may easily accept that this dragging force is irresistible and so it is negative karma. While an irreligious man doesn’t believe the power of dragging force and tries to resist it. Which of them will succeed in the end? I think most people will vote the latter. But I personally think both ways are wrong because both are simply out of their own wishful thinking, without investigating the causes of the dragging force. Neither of them takes their own ability into consideration when confronting the dragging force. Which one is powerful, the dragging force or themselves? What should they do if they face dragging force more which is powerful than they are?

 

在過去的日子裡，我發覺大部份人對自己生命的事，都是讓自己處於完全被教，不然就是全力抵制，甚少人願意真正面對引力的問題，去探究清楚，才會讓一些不清不楚的資訊到處充斥。

 每一個人一生所要面對的人事問題，多到數不清，假設我們都想要自己對每件事情達到滿足點，恐怕比登天還難！不能達到生命的滿足點，是否都叫業障 ?  假設清楚自己能力的人，拿自己能力範圍的東西，是否也是真理？而要有能力第一件事便是克服障礙，業障的另一個名字，如果叫做障礙時，人生會因為能克服障礙而讓自己覺得活著的價值。

 半寄                                                                                                           

During the past days, I found most people tended to be either totally guided by or fully resistant to events in their own lives. Few were willing to face and investigate issues of dragging forces, thus resulting in some specious information prevalent in our society.

All people have to face countless troubles of personnel in their life. It should be harder than climbing up high into the sky if they want to have everything come in their own way. Isn’t it also truth for a person to take what he can reach when he knows clearly his ability and limit? The first step of developing ability is to overcome obstacles. Life becomes worthwhile and valuable after overcoming each and every obstacle.

 Master Ban Ji
  Translated by Grace Tsai
  Proofread by Sophiea Kuo

 

南傳佛法與大乘佛法的差距 Differences of Southern Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism

南傳佛法與大乘佛法的差距 Differences of Southern Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism

南傳佛法又稱為原始教典，是國際上公認佛陀最初說法的記錄經典，去過南傳佛法國家的人，應該都知道，那邊的佛教徒認為大乘法是魔的說法，不承認大乘法是佛陀的教義。

Differences of Southern Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism

Southern Buddhism is also called Original Buddhism, the scriptures of which are internationally recognized as original documentation taught by Buddha himself. People who have been to countries of Southern Buddhism know clearly that Buddhists there consider Mahayana Buddhism as devil’s viewpoint and deny it is Buddhist teaching.

 

大乘法的產生在於佛陀涅槃後，無法一時間証悟的弟子，必須正視生活裡的人與人之間，所必定要有的互相依持，流傳開來的大量佛教徒在人世間尋求活下去的資源，原始教典注重厭離，認為人世間太苦，修學者一心一意要尋求出離這個勞苦的世界，在印度人的思想裡，苦是理所當然的普遍認同，隨著佛法的流傳，人們意識到至少還沒解脫前，人都得活於人世間，於是大乘法孕育而生，為生活於人世間的人們提供更寬闊，更深遠的思想。

Mahayana Buddhism appeared after Buddha’s nirvana. Buddha’s disciples who hadn’t got enlightenment immediately had to deal with inevitable interdependent relationships of people. As large amount of Buddhists spread out, they needed to seek help to live in the world. Original Scripts emphasized abhorrence and proposed that it was too painful to live in this world. Practitioners of Original Buddhism tried to leave this laboring world with all their heart. Anguish was unanimously accepted in Indian culture. However, with the spread of Buddhism, Buddhist practitioners got aware that all humans had to live in the world, at least they needed so before they got enlightenment. Mahayana Buddhism rose in response to meet their need for broader and deeper philosophy of living in the world.

 

我個人的修學裡，融合了佛陀前、後期的修法，也就是華人熟悉的大小乘，南傳佛法提供了基礎四果的最基本槪念，四果的修法老早被大乘法的修學者們遺棄，華人總認為不二法門是最高的修法，但我個人認為少了四果的根基，再高明的修學者也超越無門，而少了大乘法的原始教典也苦悶的可以。

When I practice Buddhism, I integrate practice methods of early-stage and late-stage Buddhism, known as Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism by the Chinese. Southern Buddhism provides me with the fundamental concepts of Four Stages of Enlightenment, the practice method of which has long been abandoned by practitioners of Mahayana Buddhism. The Chinese always think the one undivided truth method is the supreme practice method. But I believe without the foundation of Four Stages of Enlightenment, any clever practitioners are not able to excel and advance. On the other hand, practice methods of Original Buddhism without Mahayana Buddhism are too anguishing.

 

一個真想在佛學有所成就的人，都該認識原始教典與大乘佛學，追隨佛陀的腳步，再注入後人的心血結晶，期盼到達修學者心中的想望，對我個人而言，所謂大小乘是一個脈絡的延伸，不是高與低或大與小的差距。

半寄

A person who determines to have some accomplishments in Buddhism should get acquainted with both Original Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. May practitioners get what they expect by following the steps of Buddha and integrating the fruit of the successors’ painstaking efforts. To me, Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism are extension of sequences of ideas. There’s no difference of high /low or great/petty between them.

 Master Ban Ji
  Translated by Grace Tsai
  Proofread by Sophiea Kuo