大師們The Masters

 大師們

 

有段時間我在研究這些大師級人物，證悟佛法境界的不同，太虛大師（1890-1947，參考下面AI資料）

相關於這些大師級人物，證悟佛法境界的描述內容理解，離現代人太遠，

 

這些年我努力筆耕，也是試圖再把前人走過的路，重新詮釋一遍，讓現代的佛法學習者，更易於理解這些艱澀的內涵。

 

對於華人佛教大師們，我個人最大的理解，是他們各人的思考模式都不相同，所造就的佛法也大大的不同，

而這些不一致的佛法境界，卻都受時代背景影響甚深。

半寄

AI資料: 太虛大師在自傳中詳細記錄了這三次心境的轉變： 1. 第一次證悟：19 歲（閱經開悟） • 地點： 慈谿汶溪西方寺。 • 經過： 當時他在寺中閉關閱讀《大藏經》，當讀到《大般若經》時，突然感到身心世界完全消失，進入一種「空寂靈光」的狀態。 • 影響： 這次經歷讓他對佛法教理有了全新的理解，以前看不懂的禪宗語錄和深奧教義，從此都能隨心活用。他曾形容這是一種「心智玲瓏透脫」的感覺。   2. 第二次證悟：28 歲（禪定證悟） • 地點： 普陀山錫麟禪院（閉關期間）。 • 經過： 一夜他在聽聞寺院清晨的鐘聲時，忽然「心斷」（念頭徹底中斷）。等到再次覺醒時，發現已經過了一整夜。 • 影響： 這次定境讓他對《楞嚴經》和《大乘起信論》中所說的「由覺而不覺」的緣起道理有了親身的證明，自此他的思想重心從「空明幻影」轉向了更有厚度的「淨空明覺」。   3. 第三次證悟：30 歲（唯識現觀） • 地點： 同樣在普陀山閉關期間。 • 經過： 這次是在修習唯識觀時，證悟了「唯識因果」的法相，感悟到世間萬物因果井然紊亂。 • 影響： 這奠定了他後來倡導「唯識學」以及「人間佛教」的理論基礎。）

 

The Masters

 

For a while, I studied several great Buddhist masters

and the different ways they reached enlightenment.

One example is Master Taixu (1890–1947; see the Databelow).

 

For modern readers, the way these masters described their experiences of enlightenment often feels far removed from today’s world, which makes their teachings hard to understand.

 

In recent years, I have kept writing because I want to explain these old paths in a new way, so that modern learners of Buddhism can better understand ideas that once felt difficult and abstract.

 

When it comes to Chinese Buddhist masters, my personal view is that each of them thought in a different way, and this led to very different forms of Buddhist teaching.

Even though their realizations were not the same, all of them were strongly influenced by the times they lived in.

 

Master Banji

AI Data:  Master Taixu clearly recorded these three major changes in his state of mind in his autobiography: 1. First Enlightenment: Age 19 (Insight through Reading Scriptures) • Location: Western Temple of Wenxi, Cixi • What Happened: While staying in seclusion at the temple and reading the Tripitaka, Master Taixu suddenly experienced a profound realization when reading the Great Prajñā Sutra. He felt that his body, mind, and the entire world completely disappeared, entering a state of deep emptiness and clear spiritual light. • Impact: This experience gave him a completely new understanding of Buddhist teachings. Zen sayings and difficult doctrines that once seemed confusing became clear and usable in daily thought. He described this state as having a mind that was clear, flexible, and fully awakened. 2. Second Enlightenment: Age 28 (Realization through Meditation) • Location: Xilin Chan Monastery, Mount Putuo (during a retreat) • What Happened: One early morning, while hearing the temple bell, his thoughts suddenly stopped completely. When he became aware again, he realized that an entire night had passed. • Impact: This deep meditative state allowed him to personally confirm the teachings in the Śūraṅgama Sutra and Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna about how awareness gives rise to delusion. After this experience, his thinking shifted from a focus on “empty and illusory clarity” to a more grounded and balanced state of “pure, empty, and aware clarity.” 3. Third Enlightenment: Age 30 (Direct Insight into Consciousness-Only) • Location: Also during retreat on Mount Putuo • What Happened: While practicing Consciousness-Only (Yogācāra) meditation, he realized the principles of cause and effect within consciousness. He deeply understood that all phenomena in the world arise from orderly yet complex causes and conditions. • Impact: This experience laid the foundation for his later promotion of Consciousness-Only studies and his ideas of Humanistic Buddhism.