五四運動The May Fourth Movement

 讀者們好！

五四運動

我已經寫完我個人對佛法的研究。

今天討論的趙元任先生對中國漢字的影響，（請讀者自己去找影集）
重播了五四運動那時候大家都在討論的中國問題，
雖然這個話題已經很遠了！
但如果重提這個話題，我還是想問；為什麼當時的知識分子，投入那麼多研究，卻沒有人敢把內心的話講出來？

我如果不是去讀其他國家的資料，實在很難相信整個當時的中國知識分子對自己的研究，竟然又縮回去，用其他話語去掩蓋研究的事實，
至少他們對佛學是這樣對待的！

五四運動時，每一個人都在問中國怎麼了？
把罪怪到文字，把罪怪到醬缸上面？
但不願意清楚說出來的研究事實，要算什麼？

我不是學者，不想指責這些，但這些問題的清楚，對我個人有著極大的影響。
提供參考！

上面這些大方向的看法，我也都寫過了，讀者們慢慢去細讀。

半寄

The May Fourth Movement

 

Hello, readers,

 

I have finished writing my personal research on Buddhism.

 

Today, I would like to discuss the influence of Yuen Ren Chao on Chinese characters (readers may consult relevant materials independently). It recalls the broader debates on China that emerged during the May Fourth Movement.

 

Although this topic feels distant today, I still want to ask: why did the intellectuals of that time, despite extensive research, refrain from expressing their genuine conclusions?

 

If I had not read materials from other countries, I would find it hard to believe that Chinese intellectuals of that era would retreat from their own findings and instead cover them up with different narratives. At least, this is how they treated Buddhist studies.

 

During the May Fourth Movement, everyone was asking: what had gone wrong with China? Some blamed the written language, others blamed cultural traditions. But if the conclusions of research are not clearly stated, what value do they really have?

 

I am not a scholar, and I do not intend to criticize. However, achieving clarity on these issues has had a profound personal impact on me.

 

I offer these reflections for your consideration.

 

The broader perspectives mentioned above have already been discussed in my previous writings; readers are encouraged to examine them in detail.

 

Master Banji

清楚明白Clarity and Understanding

 清楚明白

前台灣高雄市文獻會主委退休的洪招祥居士，
有一次很驕傲的跟我說：有人請他講佛學讀書會，他說不行，他對佛法不了解，
他有在南禪讀書會上課，是我在讀書會上的教學，讓他知道他不可以講那些佛法。

（他說：如果沒有上我的課，他大概會跟別人一樣，認為自己會講佛學了！）

以他是文獻會主委退休的資歷，講佛學對他而言並不是什麼困難的事，

但因為是我在教學中的指出，他很清楚佛法裡面有實證的範圍意思，不是他可以講的。

有這句話就夠了！
我只要求，沒辦法修入佛法，至少也要清楚明白，
這是對佛法最基本的尊重態度。
半寄

 

Clarity and Understanding

 

Mr. Hong Zhaoxiang, a retired director of the Kaohsiung Historical Society, once told me proudly:

 

He had been invited to speak at a Buddhist study group, but he declined, saying he did not truly understand the Dharma.

 

Having attended the NanZen study club, he said my teaching helped him realize that he was not in a position to speak on Buddhism.

 

(He said that without my class, he would have assumed he could already speak on Buddhism, just like everyone else.)

 

Given his background, giving such a talk would not have been difficult.

 

However, through my instruction, he came to understand that Buddhism involves domains of direct realization—things that cannot be explained casually.

 

That alone is sufficient.

 

My only request is this: even if one cannot enter into true practice, one should at least have clarity.

 

This is the most basic respect for the Dharma.

 

Master Banji

 

 

 

是見受不？2 Do You Hold That View? 2

 是見受不？2

有讀者說：還以為我會把「一切法不受」，解釋一下。

這個問題的範圍涉及層面太廣大，
下面AI的資料看起來好像就已經是解釋，事實上是完全不對的，

試想；一個把印度學問全部精研過的大學問家，
提出「一切法不受」，
這句話代表他經得起印度各思想家提出的詰難（質疑與挑戰）。

（長爪梵志：約西元前6世紀至前5世紀的人物，

外號由來： 因與姐姐（舍利弗之母）辯論落敗，
發誓不精通一切學問絕不剪指甲，導致指甲留得極長，
故被當時人稱為「長爪梵志」，意指留長指甲的修行者）。

這裡面有演算過的思想，有經得起詰難的思考，

我個人認為，印度提出的邏輯思想，包含禪定裡面的生理與心理活動，是世界上其他民族不曾涉及的，

印度文化在禪定裡面把人體跟心理活動，演化成他們自己特殊的見解，

而這些見解似乎不是表面文字，就能解釋完的，

除了發展禪定以外，其中的思想邏輯對辯也是他們的文化特色，要在這一系列的精密思考裡面辯論勝出，是非常不容易的，

而這些背景被簡化成有邊、無邊，還有佛教的中道思想，

這種簡化掩蓋了實體思想的內容，

如果把這些內容再變成，他為什麼認為是「有」？

又為什麼是認同「無」？或是「中道」？

這些想法內容裡面要界定與成立什麼？

這樣思考範圍就加大了！

後代的學佛者，能在這些用印度邏輯配合人體跟心理範圍的修持活動中，得到什麼滋潤，都是可以想一想的。

但要在這邊解釋這些，恐怕是辦不到的。
（但我寫過的佛法裡面，也大部分解答了）

半寄

（以下AI資料）

在佛陀時代，印度思想界處於「百家爭鳴」的混亂期。當時有一派學者認為，任何關於世界本質的定論（如：世界有常、無常、有邊、無邊）都是一種束縛。

• 不落兩邊：為了不被任何觀點扣住，「一切法不受」成為一種防禦性的哲學立場。

• 心理動機：他們認為只要產生「見解」（View/Opinion），就會產生執著與煩惱。因此，最保險的方法就是宣告「我不接受任何觀點」

Do You Hold That View? 2

 

A reader suggested that I might explain the statement “not accepting any dharmas.”

 

However, the scope of this issue is extremely broad.

The AI Data below may appear explanatory, but it is in fact fundamentally inaccurate.

 

Just consider this:

a great scholar who had mastered the entire body of Indian knowledge

put forward the statement “not accepting any dharmas.”

Such a statement implies that he could withstand challenges from all other thinkers of his time.

 

(Long-Claw Brahmin: a figure roughly dated to the 6th–5th century BCE.He earned his nickname after losing a debate with his sister—Śāriputra’s mother—and vowing not to cut his nails until he had mastered all knowledge. His nails grew extremely long, hence the name.)

 

This statement reflects not a casual assertion, but a conclusion reached through rigorous reasoning and stroang debate.

 

In my view, Indian thought developed very advanced systems of logic, including detailed observations of both the body and the mind in meditation.

Other cultures have rarely explored this to the same depth.

 

Indian meditation traditions formed unique ideas about how the body and mind function.

These ideas cannot be fully explained by superficial linguistic explanation.

Beyond meditation itself, dialectical reasoning and debate were also central cultural features.

To prevail within such a refined system of thought is no easy task.

 

Yet over time, all this has been simplified into categories such as “finite” and “infinite,” or into the Buddhist idea of the Middle Way.

Such simplifications conceal the substance of the original thought.

 

If we instead ask:

Why did they assert “existence”?

Why did they affirm “non-existence”?

Why propose the “Middle Way”?

What exactly were they trying to define and establish?

Then we can see how wide this topic really is.

For modern Buddhist practitioners, it is worth thinking about what we can learn from these traditions that combine logic with deep inner practice.

 

A full exposition of these issues is not feasible here.

(Though much of it has already been addressed in my own writings on the Dharma.)

 

Master Banji

 

AI Data:

During the Buddha’s time, the Indian intellectual world was in a state of intense diversity, with many competing schools of thought. One group of thinkers held that any fixed conclusion about the nature of the world—such as whether it is permanent or impermanent, finite or infinite—becomes a kind of limitation.

 

• Avoiding extremes: In order not to be bound by any single viewpoint, they proposed the idea of “not accepting any dharmas” as a defensive philosophical strategy.

• Psychological motive: They believed that the moment one forms a “view” or opinion, attachment and mental suffering follow. Therefore, the safest approach was to say, “I do not accept any view.”

是見受不1？Do You Hold That View?1

 是見受不？1

有讀者說：如果尊者舍利弗聽聞「因緣所生，因緣所滅」就能證悟，
那很多印度當時的學問，在他腦袋已經是千錘百煉的結果，
哈哈😄，正是如是。

記得，看下面記載的這一段「對辯」時感觸很大，
這是一種旗鼓相當的有實力者在做辯論，
不禁想，我何時能有這種功力呢？

好久的回憶，有大德回應就會想起來。
半寄

「以下AI資料：
長爪梵志
出家求學： 因論辯輸給懷孕的姐姐，深感羞愧，故而離家前往南天竺習學，誓言學盡十八種經書，因不剪指甲而人稱「長爪梵志」。
不承一切： 他持「一切法不受」的見解，與佛陀論辯。

被佛折服： 佛陀問其「汝言一切法不受，是見受不？」，
讓他陷於自相矛盾，終因折服而對佛陀生起信心，出家並證得阿羅漢果。」

（又ㄧ年芙蓉花開）

Do You Hold That View?1

 

A reader commented:
“If Śāriputra attained awakening upon hearing ‘arising through causes and ceasing through causes,’
it must be because his understanding in Indian knowledge had already been deeply cultivated.”
Haha 😄 — exactly.

 

I was deeply struck when I read this debate.
It was a match between two equally skilled minds.
I can’t help but wonder—when will I reach such ability?

 

An old memory—yet it returns whenever it’s mentioned.

Master Banji

 

AI Data:

Long-Fingernail Brahmin

• Lost a debate to his pregnant sister, felt ashamed, and left to study in South India. He vowed to master eighteen scriptures and became known for not cutting his nails. 

• He held the view of rejecting all teachings and debated the Buddha. 

• The Buddha asked:
“If you reject everything, do you accept this view?”
He fell into contradiction, was convinced, developed faith, became a monk, and attained arhatship. 

(Hibiscus blooms again this year

安定Inner Stability

安定

 

昨天寫出的故事，

激勵了另外一個也是悲苦中的媽媽，

人體的不方便，不管是在腦或身體，對其他家人造成的負擔不言而喻！

 

我寫的緩一緩：

「不要太心急，

這種已經是事實的事，

要扭轉他，並不容易。」

 

輪迴不只是苦而已，輪迴也是一種賦予重生的希望，

如果這一輩子的努力，可以再造就下一輩子的成就，甚至於是往前走的明天，

那想法就不一樣了，

 

一定要記住佛法的業障不是原罪，

它是可以被自己的行動改造的。

 

根據我個人的觀察，

人體在想要成就某些事的時候，操勞過度，

把精神跟肉體的能量都耗盡，

導致身體已經不堪負荷，這個不要說過去的生命，現在肉眼看得見的事實也是這樣，

 

而個人的認知錯誤，做出錯誤的抉擇，也決定了自己的生命前途，

但有誰可以完全自我肯定，都是睿智的，總做出正確的決定？

 

所以認識佛法，應該是讓我們有智慧去承認錯誤，再讓自己重生，去展現人的價值。

 

半寄

Inner Stability

 

The story I wrote yesterday inspired another suffering mother.

When the body or mind is impaired, the burden on the family is undeniable.

 

I told her:

“Don’t be too anxious.

What has already happened

is not easy to change.”

 

Samsara is not only suffering—it also offers the hope of renewal.

If our efforts in this life can shape a better next life—or even a better tomorrow,

our perspective will change.

 

Karma in Buddhism is not original sin.

It can be transformed through our actions.

 

From my observation,

people often exhaust themselves—mentally and physically—while pursuing goals,

until the body can no longer endure.

This is evident not only about past lives but also in this life.

 

Misunderstanding and poor judgment leads to poor choices,

and these choices shape our future.

But no one is always wise enough to make the right decisions

 

Therefore, learning the Dharma gives us the wisdom to admit mistakes,

renew ourselves,

and realize our human potential.

 

Master Banji

母親節快樂Happy Mother’s Day

 母親節快樂🎉

南禪基金會執行長郭芳純，傳給我一段她提供給廣播電台的錄音檔，

錄音檔中提到她的朋友ㄧ位老師，每天凌晨三點起來幫她的小孩按摩，

因為醫生說：小孩有萎縮症。

清晨各自要上班、上課，小孩的外婆陪伴她去學校的課堂上課，照顧飲食，還有大小便的問題，

這種辛苦是外人不能體會的。

這小女生在青春期的時候，我去成大醫院看過她一次，

看完跟她媽媽說：她這種病可能渡不過青春期，

她媽媽聽完跟我說：醫生也這麼說。

結果她脫離那一次危機以後，現在念到成大航太系的博士班。

當媽媽的每天淩晨3點起來，幫她的女兒按摩這件事，很久前聽過！

再聽一次，還是感動不已，

這2位媽媽太偉大了！

奇蹟都是人的意志力創造出來的，

祝福天下母親👩母親節快樂🎁🎉🎉

半寄

Happy Mother’s Day 🎉

 

Fangchun Guo, Executive Director of the NanZen Foundation, shared with me a recording she had made for a radio station.

 

In it, she spoke about her friend, who wakes up at 3 a.m. every day to massage her child because the child has a degenerative illness.

 

In the early morning, both mother and child have to go to work and school. The grandmother goes with the girl to class, helping with her meals and daily care. This kind of hardship is very hard for others to understand.

 

I once visited this girl at Cheng Kung University Hospital when she was a teenager. After seeing her, I told her mother that she might not survive puberty.

 

Her mother replied, “That’s what the doctors have said as well.”

 

However, she survived that critical period. Now, she is pursuing a PhD in Aerospace Engineering at Cheng Kung University.

 

I had heard about the mother waking up at 3 a.m. to massage her daughter before. Hearing it again still deeply touches me. These two mothers are truly amazing.

 

Miracles come from strong human willpower.

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers 🎁🎉🎉

 

Master Banji

請大家看電影Let’s Watch a Movie Together

 請大家看電影：

純德社長最近退休了！
很努力地在找一些大眾易懂得的話題。

「他說：我說過下面這句話。而我其實也忘記了！😆

我個人很佩服日本人的寓教於樂，佛法都被他們藏在這些電影裏。」

師父說過，一般人不知道前世是保護機制。

Let’s Watch a Movie Together

 

Our president, Chun-De, has just retired.

He is trying hard to find topics that are easy for everyone to understand.

 

He said, “I once said this before—but I’ve already forgotten it! 😆

I really admire how Japanese people teach through entertainment. Many ideas of Buddhism are hidden in their movies.”

 

Master (Banji) once said that not knowing our past lives is actually a kind of protection.

 

Learning through entertainment—

even the idea of having “no mouth”—

is, in fact, rooted in ancient Indian culture and was spread by Buddhist practitioners.

 

Master Banji

https://youtu.be/MeuuZNJkpCQ?si=rVDRdMReWfki9zXQ

寓教於樂

沒有嘴巴，
其實也是印度自己的古老文化，由佛教的修行者傳播出去。

AI Data:

 

1. Fourth Dhyāna Heaven

• In the “Heaven of No Thought,” beings stop using their six senses. Only a very small amount of consciousness remains. They show no emotions, do not speak, and have no desire for food. That is why they are described as having “no mouth.”

 

2. The Four Dhyānas

These meditation states were very important in ancient India. They were practiced not only in Buddhism but also in other religions. So, they are better understood as shared meditation levels rather than simple beliefs.

 

AI摘要

1.四禪天。

• 特性： 無想天是四禪天中的一種特例，這些天人因修習「無想定」，使其前六識（眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意）停止運作，僅剩下微細的意識存在，外表無喜怒哀樂、無語言對話，處於一種無思想、無飲食欲望的狀態，因此常被形容為「沒有嘴巴」的樣子。

2.四禪天（或稱四禪八定）確實是古印度宗教信仰中極為核心的修行內容，但稱之為「最基本信仰」需要區分宗教信仰的層次，更準確地說，它是古印度修行者（包括佛教、婆羅門教、耆那教等）所共有的「核心修行境界」。