立足點的平等1
在讀書會裡，我說我無法接受北傳佛教所主張的：佛與菩薩早已成道，如今只是「示現」給我們看而已。
這樣的觀念與《聖經》中上帝的概念十分相似，
而一旦套用到佛法的修行上，顯得極為矛盾。
在徹底檢視這個問題之後，我選擇只接受南傳佛法所教的四聖果——也就是逐步削弱人性的貪、瞋、癡「薄」，
理由很簡單：這些煩惱本來就是人性的一部分。
既然經典記錄了它們，就表示它們是可以被修持、被轉化的——而不是佛菩薩因為沒有這些人性，卻來「示範」人性給我們看。
例如，《虛雲老和尚年譜》就記載老和尚在六十歲時才大徹大悟。
這漫長的等待與艱辛的歷程，風雪滄桑，
正反映任何具有人性的人在修行路上都會遇到的焦慮。
也正是這份焦慮，促使人奮力追求開悟，因此虛老的故事讓人覺得格外親切、貼近。
既使當時，我自己也處於焦慮，佛法還沒有著落。
在充分思考後，我捨棄了那種認為「在人性背後還有某個更超越的神秘存在」的想法。
放下這些顧慮，使我得以直接朝超越人性前進——後來也證明了這樣的判斷是正確的。
佛陀所教的佛法，是超越人性與思想體系的結合，
無論佛法歷經多少變化，解脫始終是面對並超越人性本身而來。
這就是立足點的平等，
也是未經人為捏造/修飾的佛法真實性。
半寄
A Fair Starting Point 1
In the study club, I said that I can’t accept the Mahayana idea that buddhas and bodhisattvas became enlightened long ago and now just “act it out” for us.
Such an idea resembles the idea of a biblical God, and it becomes profoundly inconsistent when applied toBuddhist practice.
After examining this issue thoroughly, I chose to accept only the Theravāda teaching that the Four Stages of Enlightenment involve gradually weakening humangreed, anger, and confusion. The reason is simple: these defilements are part of human nature.
Since the scriptures record them, it means they can be cultivated and transformed—not that buddhas and bodhisattvas, lacking human nature, are “demonstrating” humanity for our sake.
For example, The Chronicle of Master Xuyun shows that he became enlightened at the old age of 60. This long wait and difficult journey reflects the anxiety anyone with human nature would experience on the path. It’s exactly this worry that people to strive for enlightenment, and that’s why his story feels so comforting and familiar. I, too, felt this anxiety, even when I had not yet really understood Buddhist Dharma.
Once I thought this through, I discarded the idea that some superior, transcendent being stands behind human nature. This release of concern allowed me to move directly toward transcending human nature—an approach that I have since confirmed to be correct.
What the Buddha taught unites transcending human nature with transcending conceptual systems. Regardless of how the Dharma has changed over time, liberation always comes from working with human nature itself. This is the equality of our starting point, and it is the authenticity of the Dharma unaltered by human invention.
Master Banji
立足點的平等2
至於《唯識學》的平等性智跟分別到底差在哪裡？
（AI，關於「分別」與「智」：
• 在唯識學中，通常有這樣的說法：「不分別是智，分別是識。）
對比一般的平等觀點：
立足點的平等，
如同教育機會的平等。
而不是齊頭式平等。
所謂智慧是一個大觀點，而其中必須深論的運用觀點是不斷在延續與進ㄧ步細究的。
當修行者有了唯識四種大智慧時，要落實在人間，還是必須分出細節。
觀察歷代華人祖師大德的言論，每一位證入佛法的修行者都充滿智慧，但每位大德的行事風格都迥然不同。
而我個人認為齊頭式的平等，誰都做不到。
如果只賦予立足點的平等，將給予佛法更高的活潑度。
半寄
Equality of Starting Points 2
Regarding how Yogācāra’s Wisdom of Equality differs from discriminative thinking:
(A brief clarification from AI on “discrimination” and “wisdom”:
• In Yogācāra, there is a common saying: “Non-discrimination is wisdom; discrimination is consciousness.”)
In contrast with common notions of equality:
Equality of the starting point, just like equality of educational opportunities, is the goal—not absolute uniformity.
Wisdom is a macroscopic view, and its practical application necessitates an ongoing, continuous process of detailed investigation and refinement.
When a practitioner attains the Four Great Wisdoms in Yogācāra, they must still differentiate and elaborate on the details for it to be implemented in the human world.
Observing the teachings of past Chinese Buddhist Patriarchs and Virtuous Masters, every realized practitioner is full of wisdom, yet each one acted in distinct styles.
I personally believe that absolute uniformity is fundamentally impracticable.
If we grant only equality of the starting point, it will bestow greater vitality and flexibility upon the Buddha Dharma.
Master Banji
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