苦是人世間的存在事實，去說明它是有必要的，但這也無法否認，印度人講苦的確講到了極端，不但把它變成一種普遍的消極，還相當的給予合理化，前面說過地理孕育人文，也許這也是原因之一，苦的導向結果就是他們自己的國家，至今仍然窮困，也間接促使佛學起了重大變化，還原歷史的腳步，去看它演化的過程，讓讀者自己明白，在原始教典與大乘佛學間，不需要舉棋不定，不知該選擇那一個才好，我很了解許多的修學者，面對龐大的佛學，經常是徬徨無助的，然而每一個思想從生起到成熟，中間的演變，不可能不起變化，會流傳下來的學問，在歷經時代的考驗後，會顯現屬於它自己的光澤。
Suffering is part of life, and it is necessary to explain it. But it is also true that Indians had discussed suffering to the extreme. Not only did they made concept of suffering a common passivity and negativity, they also made it reasonable and legitimate. I have previously said that geography breeds humanity and culture. Maybe this is part of the reason that the focus of suffering make their country the way it is today, still full of poverty. But it also became a catalyst for Buddhism to change. If we go back in time and follow the footsteps of history, we can see the evolution of Buddhism, and the readers will be able to understand how to choose between Early Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. I understand that many practitioners, when faced with the tremendous volumes of Buddhist Texts, often felt helpless. But every idea, from birth to maturity, must undergo changes. Whatever remains are tested by time and will show its own brightness.
而後來的修學者，更應有能力去吸收它的精華，至少演變大致已告一個段落、過程也清晰的反應出來，剩下的是吸取，或者純粹欣賞光芒而已!
The practitioners that came after the maturity of an idea should have more ability to absorb the essence of these teachings. Because the evolution of the idea has come to a stopping point and all that remain is to absorb or simply enjoying the light.
明白苦的歷史，讓修學者可以更坦然去修四聖諦，苦、集、滅、道，從容的從苦諦 (道)邁開步伐，往前方走去。
Once you have understand the history of dukkha, you will be able to practice the 4 Noble Truths undisturbed, and leisurely use dukkha as a starting point and walk forward.
註一 : 佛陀最初說的法
苦諦（迷的果．即苦果）
集諦（迷的因．即苦因）
滅諦（悟的果．即樂果）
道諦（悟的因．即樂因）
Note 1: Buddha's original teaching:
Suffering, dukkha (Result of confusion, also result of suffering.)
Origin of Suffering, Dukkha Samudaya (Cause of confusion, also cause of suffering.)
Cessation of Suffering, Dukkha Nirodha (Result of awakening, also result of happiness.)
The Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering, Dukkha Nirodha Gamini Patipada Magga (Cause of awakening, also cause of happiness.)
半寄 Master Ban Ji
上一篇 Previous Part
2012年3月4日 星期日
2012年3月3日 星期六
印度人的苦文化 3 Indian's Culture of Dukkha 3
在阿含經的內容記載裡，可以看到佛陀的教學方法 (雖然很苦悶)，日常生活、及與弟子間的互動情形，真實的感受佛陀血肉之驅的存在，
We can see Buddha's teaching (although gloomy), daily lives, and the interaction between his followers in the Agama. But we can also feel the existence of Buddha's physical body.
在後來衍生的大乘經典裡，思想的內容，及思考方向，已全然朝不同的層次在演進，佛陀已遠，佛教正式進入論師與論典的時代，那蘭陀大學的興建 ，除了是世界上第一間大學外， 那蘭陀大學蘊育無數的人才，其中也包括中國著名的玄奘法師，如同現今的綜合大學研究所，教師與學生，不斷演進著印度本身及佛陀留下的思想，還學習醫藥，語言。
In the development of later Mahayana Buddhist Texts, the contents, ideas and the directions were all evolving toward a different level. Time of Buddha had long passed, and Buddhism is entering into an era of theoreticians and theories. The establishment of Nalanda college, other than the fact that it was the world's first college, developed many talents, one of which is the famous Dharma Master Xuanzang. Like today's research labs in a university, teachers and students are continuing improve Indians' and Buddha's ideas, but they also learned medicines and language.
婆羅門教加佛教，再加民間信仰的需求 ( 含醫藥、消災解厄，當時修道者知識份子居多，也就兼負醫療責任)，大乘佛教以全新的面貌，展現在世人眼前，不僅苦的論述減低，新的論文內容不斷出爐，除思想、修法外、也有像小說情節的內容加入，極俱幻想性，華嚴經這部大經典更是為個中翹楚 ! 可以想見在這麼豐富的文化、思想交集下。於是乎 ! 大乘佛學如萬馬奔騰般，全力往中國、西藏、日本，韓國傳開，跟苦悶的原始教典比較，它不僅開花結果，還成了當地主要的信仰。
Combined Brahaminism, Buddhism and the beliefs and needs of the populace (Including medicine, exorcism, many practitioners at the time are intellectuals, so they also took on the responsibilities of medicine.), Mahayana were presented to the world with a whole new face. Not only were there less discussion of suffering, new contents also appeared constantly. Other than theories, ideas and practices, they also included contents that are like fictional novels, full of imagination. Avataṃsaka Sūtra was the pinnacle. It is easy to see why Mahayana was able to spread to China, Tibet, Japan and Korea. Compare to the gloomy Agama, not only was it able to spread, it also became the main religion of those countries.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
We can see Buddha's teaching (although gloomy), daily lives, and the interaction between his followers in the Agama. But we can also feel the existence of Buddha's physical body.
在後來衍生的大乘經典裡，思想的內容，及思考方向，已全然朝不同的層次在演進，佛陀已遠，佛教正式進入論師與論典的時代，那蘭陀大學的興建 ，除了是世界上第一間大學外， 那蘭陀大學蘊育無數的人才，其中也包括中國著名的玄奘法師，如同現今的綜合大學研究所，教師與學生，不斷演進著印度本身及佛陀留下的思想，還學習醫藥，語言。
In the development of later Mahayana Buddhist Texts, the contents, ideas and the directions were all evolving toward a different level. Time of Buddha had long passed, and Buddhism is entering into an era of theoreticians and theories. The establishment of Nalanda college, other than the fact that it was the world's first college, developed many talents, one of which is the famous Dharma Master Xuanzang. Like today's research labs in a university, teachers and students are continuing improve Indians' and Buddha's ideas, but they also learned medicines and language.
婆羅門教加佛教，再加民間信仰的需求 ( 含醫藥、消災解厄，當時修道者知識份子居多，也就兼負醫療責任)，大乘佛教以全新的面貌，展現在世人眼前，不僅苦的論述減低，新的論文內容不斷出爐，除思想、修法外、也有像小說情節的內容加入，極俱幻想性，華嚴經這部大經典更是為個中翹楚 ! 可以想見在這麼豐富的文化、思想交集下。於是乎 ! 大乘佛學如萬馬奔騰般，全力往中國、西藏、日本，韓國傳開，跟苦悶的原始教典比較，它不僅開花結果，還成了當地主要的信仰。
Combined Brahaminism, Buddhism and the beliefs and needs of the populace (Including medicine, exorcism, many practitioners at the time are intellectuals, so they also took on the responsibilities of medicine.), Mahayana were presented to the world with a whole new face. Not only were there less discussion of suffering, new contents also appeared constantly. Other than theories, ideas and practices, they also included contents that are like fictional novels, full of imagination. Avataṃsaka Sūtra was the pinnacle. It is easy to see why Mahayana was able to spread to China, Tibet, Japan and Korea. Compare to the gloomy Agama, not only was it able to spread, it also became the main religion of those countries.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
2012年3月2日 星期五
印度人的苦文化 2 Indian's Culture of Dukkha 2
拿中國人跟印度人的戰爭比較一下，會出現天壤之別，印度人軍隊戰爭時，老百姓是可以在旁邊圍觀的，依據大藏經文獻的記載會看到一個有趣畫面，兩軍在交戰時，不打戰的人們，竟然可以站在旁邊指指點點，比手畫腳評論一番，不知道這世上除了印度人的戰爭外，還有哪個國家是這樣 打戰的?
If we compare the wars of Chinese and Indians, we will see a huge differences. When Indians' armies were fighting, civilians could stand on the side and watch. Historical texts from Dàzàngjīng (Great Treasury of Sūtras) recorded an interesting scene. When two armies were fighting, the people who were not fighting stood at the side and opinionated about the battle to each other. Is there any other country fight wars this way?
反觀中國人的戰爭，在春秋戰國時代，為了國家生存、個人的功名(相當於近代的軍事學者)所催化出來的戰爭手段，其殘酷、冷血、至今依然令人髮指，在大環境相同的戰亂裡，竟有著這麼多不同的手法，似乎說明了為什麼對苦的詮釋，兩個國家接受程度有這麼大的不同。
On the other hand, if we look at the wars in China, in the Spring-Autumn period, many cruel and cold blooded tactics, strategies and methods were conducted in the name of the survival of the country and fame and fortune of the military advisers. The drastic differences in the wars and battles conducted under the similar context, seem to explain why these two cultures have different acceptance of the interpretation of suffering.
阿含經(原始教典) 在整個華人區域幾乎是消失的，一直到最近幾年，國際間掀起原始教典熱烈的討論，才又讓華人區域重新去看到它的價值，然而除了修學者會迫切想知道不同的修法外，一般信眾的焦點、目光還是不太可能放在阿含經身上，這是文化的距離造成的，也沒有所謂對與錯的問題。
Agama (Early Buddhist Texts) also disappear from Chinese Buddhism. It is not until recently that it received any attention. But this is due to the enthusiastic discussion of Agamas internationally. But other than practitioners who are interested in knowing about different Practices, most Chinese Buddhists' focus are not on Agama. This is due to cultural differences, and not a question of right and wrong.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
上一篇 Previous Part Next Part 下一篇
If we compare the wars of Chinese and Indians, we will see a huge differences. When Indians' armies were fighting, civilians could stand on the side and watch. Historical texts from Dàzàngjīng (Great Treasury of Sūtras) recorded an interesting scene. When two armies were fighting, the people who were not fighting stood at the side and opinionated about the battle to each other. Is there any other country fight wars this way?
反觀中國人的戰爭，在春秋戰國時代，為了國家生存、個人的功名(相當於近代的軍事學者)所催化出來的戰爭手段，其殘酷、冷血、至今依然令人髮指，在大環境相同的戰亂裡，竟有著這麼多不同的手法，似乎說明了為什麼對苦的詮釋，兩個國家接受程度有這麼大的不同。
On the other hand, if we look at the wars in China, in the Spring-Autumn period, many cruel and cold blooded tactics, strategies and methods were conducted in the name of the survival of the country and fame and fortune of the military advisers. The drastic differences in the wars and battles conducted under the similar context, seem to explain why these two cultures have different acceptance of the interpretation of suffering.
阿含經(原始教典) 在整個華人區域幾乎是消失的，一直到最近幾年，國際間掀起原始教典熱烈的討論，才又讓華人區域重新去看到它的價值，然而除了修學者會迫切想知道不同的修法外，一般信眾的焦點、目光還是不太可能放在阿含經身上，這是文化的距離造成的，也沒有所謂對與錯的問題。
Agama (Early Buddhist Texts) also disappear from Chinese Buddhism. It is not until recently that it received any attention. But this is due to the enthusiastic discussion of Agamas internationally. But other than practitioners who are interested in knowing about different Practices, most Chinese Buddhists' focus are not on Agama. This is due to cultural differences, and not a question of right and wrong.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
上一篇 Previous Part Next Part 下一篇
2012年3月1日 星期四
印度人的苦文化 1 Indian's Culture of Dukkha 1
看過幾本佛經(尤其是原始教典阿含經)的讀者，印象最深的應該是[苦]這個字，苦這個名詞在佛經，處處可見，人生一定是有痛苦，可是印度人講的特別多，隨便翻開一本印度人的書籍，都可以看到苦的身影，或許你會說那是因為大部份印度人，生活現在過的還不怎樣，當然特別講苦，那如果說苦是每個國家都有，而它卻是印度人的講學文化之一，會不會有點驚訝!
Most readers, having read a few Buddhist Texts (Especially the Early Buddhist Texts Agama), should have dukkha this word burned into their mind. "Dukkha" is prevalent in Buddhist Texts. Of course there are pain and suffering in life, but Indians discussed it more than anyone else. If you open any Indian books, you would see the shadow of dukkha everywhere. You might think that it is because the quality of life is not great for most Indians today, of course they are going to talk about dukkha. But if every country has suffering, would you be surprised that it is one of cultural lecture theme for Indians?
把苦當作是一種文化，並且視它為理所當然，怎不會是匪夷所思!? 沒錯! 很多思想的促成都跟當地文化的走向，認同有著絕大關連，個人就一向認同地理孕育人文的觀點，既然地理的特質對文化的產生有這麼大的緊密互動，看一個思想時，去了解它背後的孕育過程，應該是不錯的。
It is incredible that a culture would treat suffering as a cultural theme, and consider it to be the norm. But the catalyst of many ideas and concepts are related to the local culture. I have always thought that geography breed humanity. So the characteristic of the geography would be closely tied to the birth of a culture. When you look at an idea, you need to understand how it was developed.
原始教典處處可以看到苦，苦講到極點時，連修行的比丘也受不了，進而產生自殺行為，讓佛陀自己傷感之餘，立下不能自殺的戒律，這也是大乘佛學興起的主因，苦的思想流傳到中國以後，幾乎無立足之地，華人自己幾經戰亂的摧殘，已不堪再負荷苦的傳播，阿含經在華人世界的傳遞，只停留在翻譯出來的階段而已。
Dukkha is everything in the Early Buddhist Texts. When it was discussed to the extreme, even the bikkunis cannot the thought of suffering and choose to suicide. Not only was Buddha sadden, he also declared the precept against suicide. This is another reason for the rise of Mahayana Buddhism. The concept of dukkha was not well accepted in China. Chinese people were no longer able to stand the broadcast of suffering, because they had experience the savages and suffering of wars many many times in their history. The spread of Agama in China only went as far as getting translated.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
Most readers, having read a few Buddhist Texts (Especially the Early Buddhist Texts Agama), should have dukkha this word burned into their mind. "Dukkha" is prevalent in Buddhist Texts. Of course there are pain and suffering in life, but Indians discussed it more than anyone else. If you open any Indian books, you would see the shadow of dukkha everywhere. You might think that it is because the quality of life is not great for most Indians today, of course they are going to talk about dukkha. But if every country has suffering, would you be surprised that it is one of cultural lecture theme for Indians?
把苦當作是一種文化，並且視它為理所當然，怎不會是匪夷所思!? 沒錯! 很多思想的促成都跟當地文化的走向，認同有著絕大關連，個人就一向認同地理孕育人文的觀點，既然地理的特質對文化的產生有這麼大的緊密互動，看一個思想時，去了解它背後的孕育過程，應該是不錯的。
It is incredible that a culture would treat suffering as a cultural theme, and consider it to be the norm. But the catalyst of many ideas and concepts are related to the local culture. I have always thought that geography breed humanity. So the characteristic of the geography would be closely tied to the birth of a culture. When you look at an idea, you need to understand how it was developed.
原始教典處處可以看到苦，苦講到極點時，連修行的比丘也受不了，進而產生自殺行為，讓佛陀自己傷感之餘，立下不能自殺的戒律，這也是大乘佛學興起的主因，苦的思想流傳到中國以後，幾乎無立足之地，華人自己幾經戰亂的摧殘，已不堪再負荷苦的傳播，阿含經在華人世界的傳遞，只停留在翻譯出來的階段而已。
Dukkha is everything in the Early Buddhist Texts. When it was discussed to the extreme, even the bikkunis cannot the thought of suffering and choose to suicide. Not only was Buddha sadden, he also declared the precept against suicide. This is another reason for the rise of Mahayana Buddhism. The concept of dukkha was not well accepted in China. Chinese people were no longer able to stand the broadcast of suffering, because they had experience the savages and suffering of wars many many times in their history. The spread of Agama in China only went as far as getting translated.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
2012年2月29日 星期三
佛陀是人 3 Buddha is Human 3
中國禪宗第二代祖師慧可，問他師父達摩一個問題，很有名! 問題是我心不安!? 沒錯! 【我心不安】，所以我來找尋安心良方，有什麼問題比這個問題更急迫? 是人，才會不安不是嗎? 理所當然修道要解決的是人性的困難點，唯有修過這一切或通過這些人性考驗的修行者，才能教導別人該如何通過! 甚至是取得戰勝人性病態的勝利!
The second patriarch of Chinese Zen Huike asked his teacher, Bodhidharma, a famous question. The question is: My mind/heart is troubled. That's right, my heart/mind is troubled, so I come to find a cure for it. Is there a question more urgent than this? Only people can be troubled, so it is obvious that the whole point of Practice is to take care of the difficulties of human nature. Only practitioners who have conquer all the challenges of human natures can teach other people how to get through it. Even to claim victory in the war again the human sickness.
人因脆弱的性格無法克服，會期待救世主的降臨，但是人們忽略了一點，重重黑暗的人性加在一起祈求，其結果會呈現什麼狀態? 假如把這些祈求，轉變成實際上的行為努力，佛、菩薩、想拉群眾往前走，也會變得輕鬆許多。
People are hoping for a savior to arrive because they cannot conquer their human weakness. But people forget one thing. When you have a group of people praying, what kind of situation would their collective dark side create? If we took these prayers, and turn them into actual efforts to change our behaviors, Buddha and Bodhisattva will have an easier time pushing everyone forward.
站在神與人之間讓我選擇，個人寧願追隨一個真正有著肉體的修行者，去領略什麼叫做人走出來的路!? 我從來清楚人性的光明面，要顯現出來有多麼的困難，悉達多的偉大在於他是人，試著對付自己的人性看看，爾後你會知道那個高峰長相怎樣!? 攀越上去的修行者，值不值得頂禮。
Standing between God and Human, I rather follow a practitioners who has a real physical body, and to understand the path walked by a human being. I have always know how difficult it is to show the brightness of human nature. Siddhartha is great because he was human. If you try to take care of your human nature, you will know what the summit looks like when you get there, and you will know whether you should to respect the practitioners who can climbed to the top.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
上一篇 Previous Part
The second patriarch of Chinese Zen Huike asked his teacher, Bodhidharma, a famous question. The question is: My mind/heart is troubled. That's right, my heart/mind is troubled, so I come to find a cure for it. Is there a question more urgent than this? Only people can be troubled, so it is obvious that the whole point of Practice is to take care of the difficulties of human nature. Only practitioners who have conquer all the challenges of human natures can teach other people how to get through it. Even to claim victory in the war again the human sickness.
人因脆弱的性格無法克服，會期待救世主的降臨，但是人們忽略了一點，重重黑暗的人性加在一起祈求，其結果會呈現什麼狀態? 假如把這些祈求，轉變成實際上的行為努力，佛、菩薩、想拉群眾往前走，也會變得輕鬆許多。
People are hoping for a savior to arrive because they cannot conquer their human weakness. But people forget one thing. When you have a group of people praying, what kind of situation would their collective dark side create? If we took these prayers, and turn them into actual efforts to change our behaviors, Buddha and Bodhisattva will have an easier time pushing everyone forward.
站在神與人之間讓我選擇，個人寧願追隨一個真正有著肉體的修行者，去領略什麼叫做人走出來的路!? 我從來清楚人性的光明面，要顯現出來有多麼的困難，悉達多的偉大在於他是人，試著對付自己的人性看看，爾後你會知道那個高峰長相怎樣!? 攀越上去的修行者，值不值得頂禮。
Standing between God and Human, I rather follow a practitioners who has a real physical body, and to understand the path walked by a human being. I have always know how difficult it is to show the brightness of human nature. Siddhartha is great because he was human. If you try to take care of your human nature, you will know what the summit looks like when you get there, and you will know whether you should to respect the practitioners who can climbed to the top.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
上一篇 Previous Part
2012年2月28日 星期二
佛陀是人 2 Buddha is Human 2
第一次我對修行燃起了絕大的信心，在一個封閉的教育體制下，個人一直不知道該如何看待自己? 自己這個凡人身軀，有著七情六慾，卻想修行，那神聖的殿堂裡怎容得下我? 我只能服侍佛 (神)嗎? 可我是佛教徒，是修行者，不是服侍者，這些存在個人心中激盪的想法，被木村泰賢教授給解救出來!
That was the first time I gain tremendous confidence about Practice of Buddhism. In a closed educational system, I never knew how to view myself. I am an ordinary human, full of emotions, but intended to Practice. How can a saintly palace allow me to stay? I can only be in servitude to Buddha (God)? But I am a Buddhist, a practitioner, not a servant. These conflicting thoughts were answered by professor Kimura Taiken.
往後的歲月裡，個人致力一件事，很會修理自己，懦弱的、虛偽的、各種人性的病態，都在承受的起的範圍盡量去試鍊 自己，慢慢的，隨著時間的過去，驚訝的發現，人性的病態有轉移，昇華的跡象出現，雖然不多! 但已足夠支撐自己在人世間，活的從容，過得像人。
For the years that followed, I worked on one thing, and that is to fix myself. All the sicknesses of human nature, the weak and the fake, I tried to overcome. Slowly, with the passage of time, I was surprised to find that my sicknesses had changed, and had a sense of becoming sublime. Not a lot, but enough to support myself, enough for me to live leisurely, like a human being.
就因為個人很努力在修理自己，才發覺這件事好難 ! 好難 !
It is because I am trying to fix myself, that I found that this is very hard.
佛陀是人! 這個論點有這麼可怕嗎? 他是人卻可以克服那麼多人性的通病，去達到一種理想的人格，就是這樣的人格值得頂禮! 足以供奉在廟堂裡膜拜，佛陀是人! 並無損於他的光華，假使他從頭開始就是神的存在，不僅佛學觀點有問題? 更教千千萬萬的追隨者，何去何從 ?
Buddha is human. Is this idea so horrifying? He was a human being, but he was able to conquer many weakness of human nature, to achieve an ideal. This is what deserve our respect. This is why we pay respect to him in the temples, because he is human. This does not reduce his accomplishments and glory. If he was a god from the beginning, then not only does Buddhism become problematic. The millions of followers, what happens to them? Where would they go?
半寄 Master Ban Ji
That was the first time I gain tremendous confidence about Practice of Buddhism. In a closed educational system, I never knew how to view myself. I am an ordinary human, full of emotions, but intended to Practice. How can a saintly palace allow me to stay? I can only be in servitude to Buddha (God)? But I am a Buddhist, a practitioner, not a servant. These conflicting thoughts were answered by professor Kimura Taiken.
往後的歲月裡，個人致力一件事，很會修理自己，懦弱的、虛偽的、各種人性的病態，都在承受的起的範圍盡量去試鍊 自己，慢慢的，隨著時間的過去，驚訝的發現，人性的病態有轉移，昇華的跡象出現，雖然不多! 但已足夠支撐自己在人世間，活的從容，過得像人。
For the years that followed, I worked on one thing, and that is to fix myself. All the sicknesses of human nature, the weak and the fake, I tried to overcome. Slowly, with the passage of time, I was surprised to find that my sicknesses had changed, and had a sense of becoming sublime. Not a lot, but enough to support myself, enough for me to live leisurely, like a human being.
就因為個人很努力在修理自己，才發覺這件事好難 ! 好難 !
It is because I am trying to fix myself, that I found that this is very hard.
佛陀是人! 這個論點有這麼可怕嗎? 他是人卻可以克服那麼多人性的通病，去達到一種理想的人格，就是這樣的人格值得頂禮! 足以供奉在廟堂裡膜拜，佛陀是人! 並無損於他的光華，假使他從頭開始就是神的存在，不僅佛學觀點有問題? 更教千千萬萬的追隨者，何去何從 ?
Buddha is human. Is this idea so horrifying? He was a human being, but he was able to conquer many weakness of human nature, to achieve an ideal. This is what deserve our respect. This is why we pay respect to him in the temples, because he is human. This does not reduce his accomplishments and glory. If he was a god from the beginning, then not only does Buddhism become problematic. The millions of followers, what happens to them? Where would they go?
半寄 Master Ban Ji
2012年2月27日 星期一
佛陀是人 1 Buddha is Human 1
佛教雖然號稱是無神論者，但是在歷經流傳的過程後，悉達多 (佛陀的名字)這個年輕的修道者，在流傳過程中變成早已是成佛的人，他只是來人間示範如何成佛而已!? 所以不能當他是由凡人修成佛的立場來看待，要認定祂早已成佛，已是神聖體的身軀，就連後期發展出來的大乘佛教，裡面所提到的諸佛、菩薩、也是早就修道成就很久的聖人! 這些話在傳播佛教的場合聽起來名正言順，沒什麼好懷疑的，離開傳教的場所，想一下! 佛法是用來修的，如果! 悉達多早就不是一般人，祂跟我不一樣，我學習他的修法，究竟要修到何年何日才能有點影子?
Although Buddhism is suppose to be atheistic, during the spread of Buddhism, Siddhartha (name of the Buddha), the young practitioner, had achieved God like status. People thought of him as a God that came to the human realm to show us how to become Buddha. Because of this attitude, people think that we cannot look at his experience as those of an ordinary human being. People think that we should think of him as a Buddha at birth, with the body accord a deity. Even the Mahayana Buddhism consider the various Buddhas and Bodhisattva as accomplished saints from a long time ago. All these talks seem normal in most Buddhist gatherings, and no body found that there is anything to be suspicious about. But let's think about it, away from Buddhist gatherings. We are trying to practice Buddhism. If Siddhartha was not an ordinary person, if he is different than me, how would I get anywhere with his method?
一個提出生死看法，及解脫之道那麼多見解的宗教，教主與凡夫有著這麼遠的距離，著實令人恐慌 !
It should make people panic if they realize that a founder of a religion that talked about how to view life and death and how to be liberated is so much different than ordinary people.
日本佛教學者木村泰賢 先生，所著的書裡 : 原始佛教思想論，提出一個看法，悉達多當初決定入森林修道時，應該是恐慌的，森林裡伸手不見五指，他又自己一個人 ......... 看到這一段時，大腦頓時像被打了一下，(是腦被打，不是頭 ) 對啊! 怎麼都沒假設這種情況的可能，許多該有的正確想法都被聖人論吞沒了。
Japanese Buddhist scholar, Kimura Taiken, mentioned a view point in his book: "Genshi Bukkyō shisōron"[Note]. He wrote that when Siddhartha went into the jungle to practice, he should be panicking. The jungle was so dark that he could not see his own hand, and he was by himself.....When I saw this part, I felt my brain was struck (The brain that was struck, not the head). Of course, why didn't we assume that this was a possibility? Many correct ideas were all swallowed by the view that Buddha is a saint.
悉達多會恐慌 ，這個意義太大了! 那代表他走過的路，我也可以走，假使他是聖人，那他走過的路，我是無法到達的，他有恐慌需要克服，我也有恐慌，如果我可以克服，那修道的路就會現出來，不是嗎?
Siddhartha was panicking. This means a lot. It means that the path he had walked is accessible to me. If he is a saint, then I will not be able to walk his path. But he has panic attacks that he needed to overcome, so do I. So if I can overcome my feeling of panic, then the path will appear as well. Isn't that so?
半寄 Master Ban Ji
[Note]原始佛教思想論 "Genshi Bukkyō shisōron": I don't think there is an English translation for this book. It meant "Ideas of the Original Buddhism"
Although Buddhism is suppose to be atheistic, during the spread of Buddhism, Siddhartha (name of the Buddha), the young practitioner, had achieved God like status. People thought of him as a God that came to the human realm to show us how to become Buddha. Because of this attitude, people think that we cannot look at his experience as those of an ordinary human being. People think that we should think of him as a Buddha at birth, with the body accord a deity. Even the Mahayana Buddhism consider the various Buddhas and Bodhisattva as accomplished saints from a long time ago. All these talks seem normal in most Buddhist gatherings, and no body found that there is anything to be suspicious about. But let's think about it, away from Buddhist gatherings. We are trying to practice Buddhism. If Siddhartha was not an ordinary person, if he is different than me, how would I get anywhere with his method?
一個提出生死看法，及解脫之道那麼多見解的宗教，教主與凡夫有著這麼遠的距離，著實令人恐慌 !
It should make people panic if they realize that a founder of a religion that talked about how to view life and death and how to be liberated is so much different than ordinary people.
日本佛教學者木村泰賢 先生，所著的書裡 : 原始佛教思想論，提出一個看法，悉達多當初決定入森林修道時，應該是恐慌的，森林裡伸手不見五指，他又自己一個人 ......... 看到這一段時，大腦頓時像被打了一下，(是腦被打，不是頭 ) 對啊! 怎麼都沒假設這種情況的可能，許多該有的正確想法都被聖人論吞沒了。
Japanese Buddhist scholar, Kimura Taiken, mentioned a view point in his book: "Genshi Bukkyō shisōron"[Note]. He wrote that when Siddhartha went into the jungle to practice, he should be panicking. The jungle was so dark that he could not see his own hand, and he was by himself.....When I saw this part, I felt my brain was struck (The brain that was struck, not the head). Of course, why didn't we assume that this was a possibility? Many correct ideas were all swallowed by the view that Buddha is a saint.
悉達多會恐慌 ，這個意義太大了! 那代表他走過的路，我也可以走，假使他是聖人，那他走過的路，我是無法到達的，他有恐慌需要克服，我也有恐慌，如果我可以克服，那修道的路就會現出來，不是嗎?
Siddhartha was panicking. This means a lot. It means that the path he had walked is accessible to me. If he is a saint, then I will not be able to walk his path. But he has panic attacks that he needed to overcome, so do I. So if I can overcome my feeling of panic, then the path will appear as well. Isn't that so?
半寄 Master Ban Ji
[Note]原始佛教思想論 "Genshi Bukkyō shisōron": I don't think there is an English translation for this book. It meant "Ideas of the Original Buddhism"
2012年2月26日 星期日
地獄在哪裡? 2 Where is Hell? 2
看到非洲某些國家狀況的人們，不必再問地獄到底在哪裡? 答案很明顯，在有些人生存的環境裡，那裡的人們像似被綁著一樣，想為自己爭取一點什麼? 那怕只是一小口水，一小口麵包，都像被詛咒一般，求也求不來，還有兇惡的獄卒把守，百般被摧殘，可見只要條件符合，就會出現地獄的現象。
When we see the living conditions of certain countries in Africa, we don't need to ask where hell is. The answer is obvious. It is in some people's living conditions. People there cannot even get a drink of water or a bite of bread even when they beg and pray. It is like they are tied up in jail. They also have mean jailers, who abuse them in every possible ways. It is clear that if the conditions are satisfied, the appearance of hell will appear.
按佛經的脈絡，人們只要在某個行為達到一定的能量，便會爆發屬於那個能量，所引起的命運，有些人在一夕之間破產，也像似從天堂掉到地獄，而一夕致富的人，該是直升天堂的暢快。
According to Buddhist teachings, if a person's certain behavior achieved a specific level of energy, the fate that belongs to this energy based on the person's behavior will be manifest itself. So some people go bankrupt over night, like falling from heaven to hell. Other people who become wealthy over night should feel the bliss of ascending to heaven.
懂得這些理論就知道，真該畏懼的是自己的創作力，其餘圍繞在自己身邊的，不過是隨著自己已開拓的路線在產生罷了! 有修行經驗的學者，會去看到【自己行為還沒出現前的想法】，假如是不好的，而你自己這個時候有能力，在還沒引發成行動前就自己摧毀它，那才是真正要關心的重點。
If you understand this theory, then you would know that you should fear your own actions. Everything else surrounding you just follows the road that you have paved. An experienced practitioner will see "the thought that precede the behavior." If the thought is not good, and you have the ability, you will destroy the thought before it becomes a behavior. This is what you need to worry about.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
上一篇 Previous Part
When we see the living conditions of certain countries in Africa, we don't need to ask where hell is. The answer is obvious. It is in some people's living conditions. People there cannot even get a drink of water or a bite of bread even when they beg and pray. It is like they are tied up in jail. They also have mean jailers, who abuse them in every possible ways. It is clear that if the conditions are satisfied, the appearance of hell will appear.
按佛經的脈絡，人們只要在某個行為達到一定的能量，便會爆發屬於那個能量，所引起的命運，有些人在一夕之間破產，也像似從天堂掉到地獄，而一夕致富的人，該是直升天堂的暢快。
According to Buddhist teachings, if a person's certain behavior achieved a specific level of energy, the fate that belongs to this energy based on the person's behavior will be manifest itself. So some people go bankrupt over night, like falling from heaven to hell. Other people who become wealthy over night should feel the bliss of ascending to heaven.
懂得這些理論就知道，真該畏懼的是自己的創作力，其餘圍繞在自己身邊的，不過是隨著自己已開拓的路線在產生罷了! 有修行經驗的學者，會去看到【自己行為還沒出現前的想法】，假如是不好的，而你自己這個時候有能力，在還沒引發成行動前就自己摧毀它，那才是真正要關心的重點。
If you understand this theory, then you would know that you should fear your own actions. Everything else surrounding you just follows the road that you have paved. An experienced practitioner will see "the thought that precede the behavior." If the thought is not good, and you have the ability, you will destroy the thought before it becomes a behavior. This is what you need to worry about.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
上一篇 Previous Part
2012年2月25日 星期六
地獄在哪裡? 1 Where is Hell? 1
地獄! 所有的宗教都會提到的地方，有很多人好奇的想知道，究竟在哪裡? 有人認為地球中心是熱的，地獄應該在那裡，很多借現象界有的情形，去說明地獄的所在，以佛教觀點來看地獄不見得在特定的地方，畢竟地獄講的已是最惡劣的苦果，尤其佛教不講神的審判，當然也無需設制地獄的牢籠，來懲罰有罪的人。
Hell, a place mentioned by all religions. Many people are curious about its actual location. Some people think that center of the earth is hot, so hell must be there. Others used the phenomenons of the worlds to explain location of hell. From the point of view of Buddhism, hell does not have to be someplace in particular. Because hell is about the worst possible karmic result that one could get. Since Buddhism is not about the judgement of gods, there is no need to create a jail, like hell, to punish people who made mistakes.
一個佛教徒首先一定要清楚，佛陀看見的世界很多部份是別人給祂的想法，例如: 看見一個有福報的人，用祂的觀察去知道他的福是怎麼形成的，看見一個受苦的人們為什麼這麼痛苦? 也是動用觀察的結果，這裡面有的是現象已存在，借現象去說明它背後的原因而已，所以說佛教是無神論者，除了自己的行為產生的限制外，大時代產生的戰亂，歸類於惡業的共業，大時代的繁榮，是福報聚集的共業，沒有神可以審判誰?!
A Buddhist must understand that most of the world that Buddha saw are result of watching other people's lives and behaviors. For example, when he looked at a person with good karma, his observation would showed how good karma formed. He also observed why people suffered. The phenomenons already exist, and he used his observations to explain the reason for the phenomenons. So Buddhism is atheistic. Other than the restrictions caused by one's own behaviors, the time of wars and conflicts are the collective bad karmic result of the people. But the prosperous era is also the collective good karmic result as well. There is no god to judge.
根據這樣的理論，地獄如果存在，可能是如影隨形的跟著有這種業力的人身上，進而演化成個人的遭遇，成為看得見的苦難，以非洲的苦難情況而言，就算有那麼多的善心人士伸出援手，食物還是送不進去，一定要送就得冒著生命的危險，不是地獄是什麼? 連被救濟都顯得困難!
According to this type of theory, if hell does exist, it should be following the person with bad karmic results. The bad karmic results further manifest itself as personal encounters and become visible sufferings. If we use the suffering of the African continent as an example. Many charitable people and organizations are trying to help, but they must risk their lives to just to sent food to the needed. If this is not hell? What is? Even helping them is difficult.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
Hell, a place mentioned by all religions. Many people are curious about its actual location. Some people think that center of the earth is hot, so hell must be there. Others used the phenomenons of the worlds to explain location of hell. From the point of view of Buddhism, hell does not have to be someplace in particular. Because hell is about the worst possible karmic result that one could get. Since Buddhism is not about the judgement of gods, there is no need to create a jail, like hell, to punish people who made mistakes.
一個佛教徒首先一定要清楚，佛陀看見的世界很多部份是別人給祂的想法，例如: 看見一個有福報的人，用祂的觀察去知道他的福是怎麼形成的，看見一個受苦的人們為什麼這麼痛苦? 也是動用觀察的結果，這裡面有的是現象已存在，借現象去說明它背後的原因而已，所以說佛教是無神論者，除了自己的行為產生的限制外，大時代產生的戰亂，歸類於惡業的共業，大時代的繁榮，是福報聚集的共業，沒有神可以審判誰?!
A Buddhist must understand that most of the world that Buddha saw are result of watching other people's lives and behaviors. For example, when he looked at a person with good karma, his observation would showed how good karma formed. He also observed why people suffered. The phenomenons already exist, and he used his observations to explain the reason for the phenomenons. So Buddhism is atheistic. Other than the restrictions caused by one's own behaviors, the time of wars and conflicts are the collective bad karmic result of the people. But the prosperous era is also the collective good karmic result as well. There is no god to judge.
根據這樣的理論，地獄如果存在，可能是如影隨形的跟著有這種業力的人身上，進而演化成個人的遭遇，成為看得見的苦難，以非洲的苦難情況而言，就算有那麼多的善心人士伸出援手，食物還是送不進去，一定要送就得冒著生命的危險，不是地獄是什麼? 連被救濟都顯得困難!
According to this type of theory, if hell does exist, it should be following the person with bad karmic results. The bad karmic results further manifest itself as personal encounters and become visible sufferings. If we use the suffering of the African continent as an example. Many charitable people and organizations are trying to help, but they must risk their lives to just to sent food to the needed. If this is not hell? What is? Even helping them is difficult.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
2012年2月24日 星期五
梁武帝的功德 3 The Merits of Emperor Wu of Liang 3
一則故事含有許多層面的背景，華人有句話說；無心插柳柳成蔭，沒想到後來的佛教徒從這個故事開始認真的計較起來，自己所做的布施是否是真正的功德? 也就是無相布施，其實人們去做很多的善行為，都屬於勞心勞力的，有付出有果實，也是必然的結果，真心付出的自己，為什麼不能自我肯定? 非得冠上是所謂最高等級的布施，才會心安?
A story has many layers of complex backgrounds and contexts. There is a saying in Chinese, "unintentionally planting willow, and soon willows become shade."(unintended consequences.) It is surprising that Buddhists took this story and began to seriously discuss whether their generosities have real merits or not. And what is the considerations for non-attached generosity? In reality, people's very real charitable behaviors are all results of real labors and efforts. It is obvious that if you give, you will receive the fruit of giving. If you can be sincere about your generosity, why can't you affirm yourself? Why do you need to derive comfort from the label of the highest level of generosity?
梁武帝用了近似強迫的手法，讓大臣們捐款，除了是不樂之捐，也說明了古代帝皇專權時，貴為皇帝還是不能為了他的信仰，專制的要別人拿出錢來，這也是身為佛教徒的驕傲，古代國外，含印度本身有多少的信仰是權威的可怕，不容懷疑，宗教的紛爭及戰鬥，奪去了多少人的自由與生命，連人才被冠上妖魔鬼怪的帽子，也是一個個的追殺，而這些痛苦在佛教徒身上，少之又少! 佛教徒從不為別人或與自己不合的教內思想，發動過戰爭，大規模的排除異己，佛教徒大概也不能理解為什麼要為信仰殺人? 因為佛法不是信仰而已! 還要修練的，如果說這世界上有真正的自由，那佛教的精神，該名列第一位。
Emperor Wu of Liang used coercion to make his ministers to donate. Other than the fact that it was done with reluctance, it also illustrated that even in the authoritarian world of ancient empires, an emperor did not choose to directly force other people to give money based on the emperor's belief. This is a pride of Buddhists. In other countries of ancient time, many faiths and beliefs, including India itself, have horrifying authoritarian regimes. Conflicts and wars due to religion took away the freedom and lives of many people. People are even labeled as ghosts and demons and pursued and killed one at a time. But very few of these incidents applied to Buddhists. Buddhists never started war to remove oppositions due to different ideologies. Buddhists cannot also understand why people want to kill in the name of a belief. This is because Buddhism is not a belief, it is also a practice. It there is real freedom in the world, then the spirit of Buddhism should be listed first.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
上一篇 Previous Part
A story has many layers of complex backgrounds and contexts. There is a saying in Chinese, "unintentionally planting willow, and soon willows become shade."(unintended consequences.) It is surprising that Buddhists took this story and began to seriously discuss whether their generosities have real merits or not. And what is the considerations for non-attached generosity? In reality, people's very real charitable behaviors are all results of real labors and efforts. It is obvious that if you give, you will receive the fruit of giving. If you can be sincere about your generosity, why can't you affirm yourself? Why do you need to derive comfort from the label of the highest level of generosity?
梁武帝用了近似強迫的手法，讓大臣們捐款，除了是不樂之捐，也說明了古代帝皇專權時，貴為皇帝還是不能為了他的信仰，專制的要別人拿出錢來，這也是身為佛教徒的驕傲，古代國外，含印度本身有多少的信仰是權威的可怕，不容懷疑，宗教的紛爭及戰鬥，奪去了多少人的自由與生命，連人才被冠上妖魔鬼怪的帽子，也是一個個的追殺，而這些痛苦在佛教徒身上，少之又少! 佛教徒從不為別人或與自己不合的教內思想，發動過戰爭，大規模的排除異己，佛教徒大概也不能理解為什麼要為信仰殺人? 因為佛法不是信仰而已! 還要修練的，如果說這世界上有真正的自由，那佛教的精神，該名列第一位。
Emperor Wu of Liang used coercion to make his ministers to donate. Other than the fact that it was done with reluctance, it also illustrated that even in the authoritarian world of ancient empires, an emperor did not choose to directly force other people to give money based on the emperor's belief. This is a pride of Buddhists. In other countries of ancient time, many faiths and beliefs, including India itself, have horrifying authoritarian regimes. Conflicts and wars due to religion took away the freedom and lives of many people. People are even labeled as ghosts and demons and pursued and killed one at a time. But very few of these incidents applied to Buddhists. Buddhists never started war to remove oppositions due to different ideologies. Buddhists cannot also understand why people want to kill in the name of a belief. This is because Buddhism is not a belief, it is also a practice. It there is real freedom in the world, then the spirit of Buddhism should be listed first.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
上一篇 Previous Part
2012年2月23日 星期四
梁武帝的功德 2 The Merits of Emperor Wu of Liang 2
歷史上沒有說明，達摩是否知道這些事? 假設一、達摩知道他的作為，認為那是強迫性的捐款，所以不加以肯定，假設二 、達摩認為他已非常好，希望他更上一層樓故意講的話，菩提達摩這個修行者，從印度來中國傳大乘佛法，成績斐然，後來被列入中國禪宗第一代祖師，他在跟梁武帝意見不合後，就去了嵩山少林寺面壁，也用一種世人不解的型態，來訴說他想表達的思想，大乘佛學相當重視無上法的修學 (無上法； 是離相不被眼前可看見的一切、牽制 、阻礙的意思)，般若心經是其中最好的一部代表著作，色不異空、空不異色、到不增不減 ............. 短短的經文卻是大乘佛學想要述說的空法精華。
Historically, it is not clear if Bodhidharma knew any of these. If Bodhidharma knew about it and felt that it was forced charity, he obviously would not affirm this behavior. However, if Bodhidharma thought he did very well as a Buddhist, he might say what he did as a way to encourage Emperor Wu of Liang to further height. Bodhidharma came to China from India to spread Mahayana Buddhism with impressive results. He was considered the father of Chinese Zen. After his disagreement with the Emperor, he went to the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song to face a wall. He used a behavior that cannot be understand by people to express his thoughts. Mahayana Buddhism consider "non-attachment" to be an important part of Buddhism. (Non-attachment method: means that practitioner should not let what he can see become an obstacle.) Heart Sutra represents Mahayana Buddhism the best. From form does not differ from Śūnyatā; Śūnyatā does not differ from form, ... to and they neither increase nor diminish.... This short Buddhist Texts is the essence of Śūnyatā that Mahayana Buddhism wants to express.
一個具有空法思想的僧侶，來對待一個想跟他炫耀豐功偉業的帝王，交織的結果，當然是不歡而散，或許達摩剛到中國，知道有這麼一位虔誠信佛的皇帝，一心想對他傳播他學的大乘空法，下猛藥的結果是離題更遠，弄得大家都不了解他，面壁似乎成了不錯的選擇!
The result of an encounter between a monk with knowledge of Śūnyatā, and an emperor that wanted to brag about his works had no choice but to result in the displeasure of both participants. Maybe when Bodhidharma learned of a such devoted emperor when he arrived in China, he was fully prepared to teach him the knowledge of Śūnyatā from Mahayana. The result of such a strong medicine was that people totally misunderstood his intentions, so maybe facing a wall is not such a bad choice.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
Historically, it is not clear if Bodhidharma knew any of these. If Bodhidharma knew about it and felt that it was forced charity, he obviously would not affirm this behavior. However, if Bodhidharma thought he did very well as a Buddhist, he might say what he did as a way to encourage Emperor Wu of Liang to further height. Bodhidharma came to China from India to spread Mahayana Buddhism with impressive results. He was considered the father of Chinese Zen. After his disagreement with the Emperor, he went to the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song to face a wall. He used a behavior that cannot be understand by people to express his thoughts. Mahayana Buddhism consider "non-attachment" to be an important part of Buddhism. (Non-attachment method: means that practitioner should not let what he can see become an obstacle.) Heart Sutra represents Mahayana Buddhism the best. From form does not differ from Śūnyatā; Śūnyatā does not differ from form, ... to and they neither increase nor diminish.... This short Buddhist Texts is the essence of Śūnyatā that Mahayana Buddhism wants to express.
一個具有空法思想的僧侶，來對待一個想跟他炫耀豐功偉業的帝王，交織的結果，當然是不歡而散，或許達摩剛到中國，知道有這麼一位虔誠信佛的皇帝，一心想對他傳播他學的大乘空法，下猛藥的結果是離題更遠，弄得大家都不了解他，面壁似乎成了不錯的選擇!
The result of an encounter between a monk with knowledge of Śūnyatā, and an emperor that wanted to brag about his works had no choice but to result in the displeasure of both participants. Maybe when Bodhidharma learned of a such devoted emperor when he arrived in China, he was fully prepared to teach him the knowledge of Śūnyatā from Mahayana. The result of such a strong medicine was that people totally misunderstood his intentions, so maybe facing a wall is not such a bad choice.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
2012年2月22日 星期三
梁武帝的功德 1 The Merits of Emperor Wu of Liang 1
梁武帝魏晉南北朝時期中國的一個帝王，是一個虔誠的佛教徒，他跟印度來的高僧菩提達摩一場的辯論，掀起中國古代最具爭論的話題，梁武帝有一天問達摩，我一生修造無數的廟宇，渡無數人出家修道，佛教裡能做的都做了，我累積了多少功德? 達摩回答他說並無功德，達摩認為梁武帝做的都是著相的有為法，要修無為法才是最高級的，這場問答為後人留下很大的想像空間， 華人佛教徒都在問，什麼才是無為法?
Emperor Wu of Liang was an emperor during The Period of Disunity in China. He was a devoted Buddhist and his debate with Bodhidharma became one of the most discussed topics of ancient China. The story goes: one day, Emperor Wu of Liang asked Bodhidharma: I constructed and fixed numerous temples, and enabled countless number of people to join sanghas. I did everything that can be done in Buddhism. How much merits (good karmas) did I accumulate? Bodhidharma told him that he had accumulated no merit. Bodhidharma considered all of Emperor Wu of Liang actions was "attached," and non-attachment is the peak of all methods. This story left people with a lot of rooms for imagination. Every Chinese Buddhists asked, how to be non-attached?
這裡的無為法，不是中國老莊的思想，是佛教的空法在中國的另一個翻譯，依照現實的布施行為來看，做了這麼多事情，竟然被評擊到一無是處，還真是心灰意懶，不過梁武帝相當有帝王風度，沒有對達摩做出忤逆者的任何裁決，而這個公案卻為後代華人留下心病，大家都在想著怎樣才可以達到無相布施?
The non-attachment we are discussing here is not Lao-Zhuang's idea of "No Action." It is another explanation of Śūnyatā in China. If we look at the reality of donation, after you did all these and was criticized as doing nothing, wouldn't you be totally dispirited? But Emperor Wu of Liang had some sense of imperial grace, and did not treat Bodhidharma harshly. But this koan left a problem for Chinese. Every one wants to know how to accomplish non-attached generosity.
攤開中國歷史，梁武帝曾經三次捨身同泰寺出家，在皇朝中沒有皇帝的情形下，大臣們只好捐錢給寺廟讓皇帝還俗，這麼奇怪的做法高達四次，每次都是用億元為單位去贖回皇帝的，沒錯! 那些錢都是捐給了寺廟 去做事，可是這樣的做法，該說是梁武帝捐的錢，還是大臣們的不樂之捐。
If we look at Chinese history, Emperor Wu of Liang went to Tong Tai Temple three times to become a monk. When the empire was without its emperor, the ministers and chancellors of the empire had no choice but to donate money to the temple, so the Emperor can return to laity. He did this four times, and every time, it cost these ministers billions of dollars to redeem the emperor. Sure, these money all went to the temples, but did the Emperor donated his own money, or did the ministers donated with reluctance?
半寄 Master Ban Ji
Emperor Wu of Liang was an emperor during The Period of Disunity in China. He was a devoted Buddhist and his debate with Bodhidharma became one of the most discussed topics of ancient China. The story goes: one day, Emperor Wu of Liang asked Bodhidharma: I constructed and fixed numerous temples, and enabled countless number of people to join sanghas. I did everything that can be done in Buddhism. How much merits (good karmas) did I accumulate? Bodhidharma told him that he had accumulated no merit. Bodhidharma considered all of Emperor Wu of Liang actions was "attached," and non-attachment is the peak of all methods. This story left people with a lot of rooms for imagination. Every Chinese Buddhists asked, how to be non-attached?
這裡的無為法，不是中國老莊的思想，是佛教的空法在中國的另一個翻譯，依照現實的布施行為來看，做了這麼多事情，竟然被評擊到一無是處，還真是心灰意懶，不過梁武帝相當有帝王風度，沒有對達摩做出忤逆者的任何裁決，而這個公案卻為後代華人留下心病，大家都在想著怎樣才可以達到無相布施?
The non-attachment we are discussing here is not Lao-Zhuang's idea of "No Action." It is another explanation of Śūnyatā in China. If we look at the reality of donation, after you did all these and was criticized as doing nothing, wouldn't you be totally dispirited? But Emperor Wu of Liang had some sense of imperial grace, and did not treat Bodhidharma harshly. But this koan left a problem for Chinese. Every one wants to know how to accomplish non-attached generosity.
攤開中國歷史，梁武帝曾經三次捨身同泰寺出家，在皇朝中沒有皇帝的情形下，大臣們只好捐錢給寺廟讓皇帝還俗，這麼奇怪的做法高達四次，每次都是用億元為單位去贖回皇帝的，沒錯! 那些錢都是捐給了寺廟 去做事，可是這樣的做法，該說是梁武帝捐的錢，還是大臣們的不樂之捐。
If we look at Chinese history, Emperor Wu of Liang went to Tong Tai Temple three times to become a monk. When the empire was without its emperor, the ministers and chancellors of the empire had no choice but to donate money to the temple, so the Emperor can return to laity. He did this four times, and every time, it cost these ministers billions of dollars to redeem the emperor. Sure, these money all went to the temples, but did the Emperor donated his own money, or did the ministers donated with reluctance?
半寄 Master Ban Ji
2012年2月21日 星期二
咒語 5 Mantra 5
純粹從修行角度來看，既然修行要成就也得累積不可數的資糧，一大群人真心向上集結而成的福報共業，一樣具有抵制黑暗力量的效果，這個方法比咒語、手印、更見陽光、積極、只是人群大都有盲點，不能認識自己生而為人所努力產生的一切善行為，同樣具有威力。
If we look at it purely from the angle of Practice, the amount of capital that is required to have any accomplishment in Practice is uncountable. The collected good karma from a group of people who are truly focused to improve also create powers to defend against the power of darkness. This method is even better than mantras and mudras. It is positive. The problem is that people all have a blind spot. People cannot see the virtuous efforts put forth by a person, have the same power as mantras.
就藏傳密宗而言，達賴喇嘛一直想廢除密宗存在的一些無形世界，他也坦言那是民族性不容易做到，如果佛學的教育， 能讓普羅大眾清楚人性光明面的價值，那才算是成功，佛經裡的一大教育，就是強調人身的尊貴，其他動物都無法有邏輯思考，唯有人可以完全被教育，再憑藉思維攀登精神世界的高峰，人的角色不該消失不見，反而被一大堆儀式取代，沒錯! 人也是很脆弱的，需要儀式的幫助，但人也可以從依賴裡再次重生，重新看待自我的價值。
For Tibetan Buddhism, Dalai Lama has always tried to eliminate the existences of invisible worlds of Tibetan Buddhism. But he was clear that it is difficult to do based on culture. The success of a teaching of Buddhism can only be judged on its effects to let people understand the value of the "Light Side". The biggest teaching of Buddhism is the importance of 'being human'. We have logical reasoning facilities that other animals do not have. Only human beings can be educated, and then use reasons to summit the peak of the world of human spirits. The role of people should not disappear to be replaced by rituals and ceremonies. Sure, people are weak, and need the support of rituals. But people can also be reborn from dependencies, and revisit the value of themselves.
從多種層面探討咒語的面相，讀者想從那個角度切入?
I have discussed many aspects of mantra from different angle. Which angle would you like to think of mantra?
半寄 Master Ban Ji
上一篇 Previous Part
If we look at it purely from the angle of Practice, the amount of capital that is required to have any accomplishment in Practice is uncountable. The collected good karma from a group of people who are truly focused to improve also create powers to defend against the power of darkness. This method is even better than mantras and mudras. It is positive. The problem is that people all have a blind spot. People cannot see the virtuous efforts put forth by a person, have the same power as mantras.
就藏傳密宗而言，達賴喇嘛一直想廢除密宗存在的一些無形世界，他也坦言那是民族性不容易做到，如果佛學的教育， 能讓普羅大眾清楚人性光明面的價值，那才算是成功，佛經裡的一大教育，就是強調人身的尊貴，其他動物都無法有邏輯思考，唯有人可以完全被教育，再憑藉思維攀登精神世界的高峰，人的角色不該消失不見，反而被一大堆儀式取代，沒錯! 人也是很脆弱的，需要儀式的幫助，但人也可以從依賴裡再次重生，重新看待自我的價值。
For Tibetan Buddhism, Dalai Lama has always tried to eliminate the existences of invisible worlds of Tibetan Buddhism. But he was clear that it is difficult to do based on culture. The success of a teaching of Buddhism can only be judged on its effects to let people understand the value of the "Light Side". The biggest teaching of Buddhism is the importance of 'being human'. We have logical reasoning facilities that other animals do not have. Only human beings can be educated, and then use reasons to summit the peak of the world of human spirits. The role of people should not disappear to be replaced by rituals and ceremonies. Sure, people are weak, and need the support of rituals. But people can also be reborn from dependencies, and revisit the value of themselves.
從多種層面探討咒語的面相，讀者想從那個角度切入?
I have discussed many aspects of mantra from different angle. Which angle would you like to think of mantra?
半寄 Master Ban Ji
上一篇 Previous Part
2012年2月20日 星期一
咒語 4 Mantra 4
常跟咒語一起運用的是密宗的手印，手印有加強咒語能力的效果，在很多佛教法會的儀式，尤其是以超度法會為主的儀式，顯教的(大方向是指漢傳佛教) 、密宗的、都可以看到咒語跟手印一起的運用，大概是想借雙重效果，達到超薦、伏魔的目的。
Vajrayāna Buddhism's mudra are often used with mantras. Mudra can amplify the effects of mantra. In many rituals of Buddhist services, especially the services that focused on salvation of the dead, whether it is Chinese Buddhisms or Vajrayāna Buddhism, it is common to see mantras and mudras used together. I guess the idea is to double the effects to reach the goal of salvation or exorcism.
密宗由印度傳入西藏，再結合當地的笨教成為密宗，笨教首重咒語、巫術、而密宗儀軌的前身來自印度婆羅門教，印度釋迦牟尼佛時代，以辯論哲學、八正道、十二因緣，四果的證悟為基礎 (參考阿含經，現今國際的稱呼為原始教典)，這些教法完全看不見咒語的出現，純粹是針對人的修行及可達到的境界做討論與說明，法會的儀式出現是後來，大乘佛法開始的時期，似乎說明佛教從修道與教學的殿堂，走下來遁入人間，開始重視人世間生活的需求，生、離、死、別、的歡樂與哀愁，都須要儀式的慶祝、超度，以達到人性的要求，佛法流傳中，隨著地方性的傳播，也納入當地的習俗。
Indian Vajrayāna Buddhism was spread to Tibet from India, and combined with the local religion, Bon, to become Tibetan Vajrayāna Buddhism. Bon's main focus is mantra and sorcery. The rituals of Indian Vajrayāna's predecessor is Brahmanism from India. At the time of Sakyamuni Buddha's India, Buddhism uses philosophical debates, Noble Eightfold Path, Twelve Niadana and the Four stages of Enlightenment as foundations. (Consult Agama for reference.) These teachings did not show any existence of mantras. At that time, the teaching of Buddhism was simply focused on Practice, and the discussion and clarification on the stages that practitioners can achieve. The rituals and services appeared later, with the start of Mahayana Buddhism. Its appearance seems to imply that Buddhism left the palace of Practice and academic surroundings, to the human world, and started to focus on the need of the people. The joy and sorrows of birth, separation and death, celebration and salvation all needed a ritual. Therefore, the spread of Buddhism also incorporated many local traditions.
古代所有民間的資訊大都是遲緩、黑暗的較多，應運民間需求的宗教，儀軌與儀式一定是佔大部份，甚至是超越佛學本身的。
In ancient time, information that reach the populace tended to be slow, late and dark. To meet the need of the populace, rituals and ceremonies are needed. Sometime, these rituals even exceed the teaching of Buddhism itself.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
Vajrayāna Buddhism's mudra are often used with mantras. Mudra can amplify the effects of mantra. In many rituals of Buddhist services, especially the services that focused on salvation of the dead, whether it is Chinese Buddhisms or Vajrayāna Buddhism, it is common to see mantras and mudras used together. I guess the idea is to double the effects to reach the goal of salvation or exorcism.
密宗由印度傳入西藏，再結合當地的笨教成為密宗，笨教首重咒語、巫術、而密宗儀軌的前身來自印度婆羅門教，印度釋迦牟尼佛時代，以辯論哲學、八正道、十二因緣，四果的證悟為基礎 (參考阿含經，現今國際的稱呼為原始教典)，這些教法完全看不見咒語的出現，純粹是針對人的修行及可達到的境界做討論與說明，法會的儀式出現是後來，大乘佛法開始的時期，似乎說明佛教從修道與教學的殿堂，走下來遁入人間，開始重視人世間生活的需求，生、離、死、別、的歡樂與哀愁，都須要儀式的慶祝、超度，以達到人性的要求，佛法流傳中，隨著地方性的傳播，也納入當地的習俗。
Indian Vajrayāna Buddhism was spread to Tibet from India, and combined with the local religion, Bon, to become Tibetan Vajrayāna Buddhism. Bon's main focus is mantra and sorcery. The rituals of Indian Vajrayāna's predecessor is Brahmanism from India. At the time of Sakyamuni Buddha's India, Buddhism uses philosophical debates, Noble Eightfold Path, Twelve Niadana and the Four stages of Enlightenment as foundations. (Consult Agama for reference.) These teachings did not show any existence of mantras. At that time, the teaching of Buddhism was simply focused on Practice, and the discussion and clarification on the stages that practitioners can achieve. The rituals and services appeared later, with the start of Mahayana Buddhism. Its appearance seems to imply that Buddhism left the palace of Practice and academic surroundings, to the human world, and started to focus on the need of the people. The joy and sorrows of birth, separation and death, celebration and salvation all needed a ritual. Therefore, the spread of Buddhism also incorporated many local traditions.
古代所有民間的資訊大都是遲緩、黑暗的較多，應運民間需求的宗教，儀軌與儀式一定是佔大部份，甚至是超越佛學本身的。
In ancient time, information that reach the populace tended to be slow, late and dark. To meet the need of the populace, rituals and ceremonies are needed. Sometime, these rituals even exceed the teaching of Buddhism itself.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
2012年2月19日 星期日
咒語 3 Mantra 3
每個佛、菩薩、都有自己的跟隨者，既然有侵犯的力量出現，保護自己的追隨者，也是必然要做的，咒語就是這種情況下出現的，由修學有成就的諸佛、菩薩、匯集自己修成的福德或智慧能量、演化為保護力量，加持自己的跟隨者。
Every Buddha and Bodhisattva have their own followers. So if there are attackers, they will of course protect their followers. So Buddhas and Bodhisattva used their own good karma or the power of their own Prajñā, and create mantra as a protective force to support their followers.
我在敬鬼神而遠之裡，有提到鬼神如果有機會，使它們自己的力量得到增強，會變成精魅，所謂妖怪，鬼魅之類，它們的力量都已遠勝鬼神，如果無法出現制衡力量，情形就跟現實世界一樣充斥著黑道，想修正道的行者是不可能得到寧靜的，現實世界需要維持正常運作的法則，修道世界也一樣，失去維持正常運作的軌道時，誰都是無法做事情的。
In "Respectfully staying away from gods and ghosts", I mentioned that if ghosts and gods have a chance, they will increase their own power and become demons and devils. The power of these demons and devils are superior than that of ghosts. So if there is no counter force, the world of practitioners will become the same as the real world. There would be full of crimes and gangs, and the practitioner on the right path will never have a moment of quiet. Real world requires laws to be operated normally, the world of practitioners are the same. Once it is off balance, no one can get anything done.
咒語無法解釋，已包含這一層看不見的原因，咒語大有跟看不見的無形世界對話的意思，對話內容為何? 只有擁有咒語能量的修行者清楚，這是我對咒語了解的程度，當然不是所有佛教咒語都是這種情形，但有一點可以肯定，它們代表著有成就的修行者一種專屬的符號。
Mantra was not explained, because it has this layer of reason that is invisible to us. But it is generally a speech to the invisible world. What's the content of the speech? Only a practitioner who possessed the power of the mantra know. This is what I know about mantras. Of course not all Buddhist mantras are like this. But one thing is certain, it is a unique symbol for an accomplished practitioner.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
Every Buddha and Bodhisattva have their own followers. So if there are attackers, they will of course protect their followers. So Buddhas and Bodhisattva used their own good karma or the power of their own Prajñā, and create mantra as a protective force to support their followers.
我在敬鬼神而遠之裡，有提到鬼神如果有機會，使它們自己的力量得到增強，會變成精魅，所謂妖怪，鬼魅之類，它們的力量都已遠勝鬼神，如果無法出現制衡力量，情形就跟現實世界一樣充斥著黑道，想修正道的行者是不可能得到寧靜的，現實世界需要維持正常運作的法則，修道世界也一樣，失去維持正常運作的軌道時，誰都是無法做事情的。
In "Respectfully staying away from gods and ghosts", I mentioned that if ghosts and gods have a chance, they will increase their own power and become demons and devils. The power of these demons and devils are superior than that of ghosts. So if there is no counter force, the world of practitioners will become the same as the real world. There would be full of crimes and gangs, and the practitioner on the right path will never have a moment of quiet. Real world requires laws to be operated normally, the world of practitioners are the same. Once it is off balance, no one can get anything done.
咒語無法解釋，已包含這一層看不見的原因，咒語大有跟看不見的無形世界對話的意思，對話內容為何? 只有擁有咒語能量的修行者清楚，這是我對咒語了解的程度，當然不是所有佛教咒語都是這種情形，但有一點可以肯定，它們代表著有成就的修行者一種專屬的符號。
Mantra was not explained, because it has this layer of reason that is invisible to us. But it is generally a speech to the invisible world. What's the content of the speech? Only a practitioner who possessed the power of the mantra know. This is what I know about mantras. Of course not all Buddhist mantras are like this. But one thing is certain, it is a unique symbol for an accomplished practitioner.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
2012年2月18日 星期六
咒語 2 Mantra 2
依據佛經的說法每一位，佛、菩薩、歷經種種考驗，成就祂們的世界以後，會產生一定的庇蔭能力，而咒語只是其中的一種，為什麼可以這樣?
According to Buddhist Texts, every Buddha and Bodhisattva, created their worlds after many trials, will have some protective powers. Mantra is only one of them. Why does this happen?
可以這麼說成佛是很困難的一件事，修練時期必須具備六波羅蜜(布施、持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定、智慧 ) ，在生命漫長過程中，甚至於是生生世世的去做這些事，佛教承認輪迴的存在，人死後會再一次的投胎轉世，所以可以延續去做上輩子沒完成的事，不過不是每個人 都可以這樣，想做什麼都可以去做，至少是有福報的力量在背後支持的結果，而福報的意義是上輩子有累積存款的代表，今世做的善行為也是。
It is suffice to say that it is very difficult to become a Buddha. On the path, a practitioner must possesses the 6 Pāramitā (Dāna, Sīla, Kṣānti, Viriya, Paññā, Dhyāna) during his lifetime, or even during many many life times. Buddhism recognizes the existence of rebirth. When people die, they will come back to the world so that they can continue with the tasks they did not finish in the previous life time. But not everyone is able to choose. Only people with enough good karma can have a choice. Good karma means that he has accumulated some savings in the previous life, and the virtuous deeds in this life can do the same as well.
想想一種生生世世都造福於人群的舉動，會為修行者累積下多少的福報 ?這恐怕是算不清的 ! 佛經上說諸佛、菩薩、用祂們建立的福報，去成就屬於每個成就者的國度，有國度就有侵犯者 ，咒語便在這種情形下產生。
Let us consider that if a practitioners is doing everything he can to benefit mankind, for many many life times, what kind of good karma would this person possesses? Probably uncountable. Buddhist Texts said that Buddhas and Bodhisattva use their good karma to create their world. But if there is a world, there will be invaders. So mantra was created.
有些諸佛、菩薩、的國度不見得有入侵者，不過現在不是這裡討論範圍。
Some Buddhas and Bodhisattvas' worlds do not have invaders, but that is out of the scope of this discussion.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
According to Buddhist Texts, every Buddha and Bodhisattva, created their worlds after many trials, will have some protective powers. Mantra is only one of them. Why does this happen?
可以這麼說成佛是很困難的一件事，修練時期必須具備六波羅蜜(布施、持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定、智慧 ) ，在生命漫長過程中，甚至於是生生世世的去做這些事，佛教承認輪迴的存在，人死後會再一次的投胎轉世，所以可以延續去做上輩子沒完成的事，不過不是每個人 都可以這樣，想做什麼都可以去做，至少是有福報的力量在背後支持的結果，而福報的意義是上輩子有累積存款的代表，今世做的善行為也是。
It is suffice to say that it is very difficult to become a Buddha. On the path, a practitioner must possesses the 6 Pāramitā (Dāna, Sīla, Kṣānti, Viriya, Paññā, Dhyāna) during his lifetime, or even during many many life times. Buddhism recognizes the existence of rebirth. When people die, they will come back to the world so that they can continue with the tasks they did not finish in the previous life time. But not everyone is able to choose. Only people with enough good karma can have a choice. Good karma means that he has accumulated some savings in the previous life, and the virtuous deeds in this life can do the same as well.
想想一種生生世世都造福於人群的舉動，會為修行者累積下多少的福報 ?這恐怕是算不清的 ! 佛經上說諸佛、菩薩、用祂們建立的福報，去成就屬於每個成就者的國度，有國度就有侵犯者 ，咒語便在這種情形下產生。
Let us consider that if a practitioners is doing everything he can to benefit mankind, for many many life times, what kind of good karma would this person possesses? Probably uncountable. Buddhist Texts said that Buddhas and Bodhisattva use their good karma to create their world. But if there is a world, there will be invaders. So mantra was created.
有些諸佛、菩薩、的國度不見得有入侵者，不過現在不是這裡討論範圍。
Some Buddhas and Bodhisattvas' worlds do not have invaders, but that is out of the scope of this discussion.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
2012年2月17日 星期五
咒語 1 Mantra 1
咒語對佛教徒來說應該都不陌生，可是也說不上來它是什麼? 對初看佛經的人而言，更會被一大串聽都聽不懂的語言，弄得一頭霧水! 不管新進者或久入佛門的信眾，相信對咒語都是有聽沒有懂，為什麼有這麼多不同的咒語? 又為什麼需要這麼多咒語? 稍微來談一下。
Mantras should be something that Buddhists are familiar with. But I think that most Buddhists cannot explain it. Someone who looked at Buddhist Texts for the first time must be confused with a string of incomprehensible sounds. I am sure that most new comers to Buddhism only hear the sounds of mantra and do not understand any of it. Why are there so many mantras, and why are they necessary? Let's discuss.
佛教界最為信眾所知的咒語，莫過於六字大明咒，大悲咒、這兩個咒語都跟觀世音菩薩有關連， 咒語在華人世界一直都是採取音調，字義直接寫上來，也就是翻譯經文，不翻譯咒語， 因為咒語被列入佛、菩薩、心語，屬於神秘世界的語言，每一位佛、菩薩，都擁有自己的心語，所以可以看見每一部佛經，都有屬於那部經典咒語的出現，但意思是什麼自古以來就無解!
The most popular mantras in the world of Buddhism probably are "Om mani padme hum" and the "Mahā Karuṇā Dhāranī ". These two mantras are related to Avalokiteśvarā. In the Chinese culture, mantra are never translated, and only the sound of the mantra is maintained. Mantras are considered to be a mystical language and are part of Buddha, Bodhisattva, and Bodhisattva's own languages. Every Buddha and Bodhisattva have their own languages, so if you read a Buddhist Text, you will see the mantra related to that Buddhist Text. But the meanings of these mantra are never explained.
用神秘的語言來形容咒語，往往讓它更進一步的蒙上神話色彩，如果想要說明它，這方面的資料可說是零，很傷腦筋的，無論如何說一些，總比全然不知好。
Use mysterious languages to explain mantra will let it become even more mystical. Since there are very little information available to explain it, some knowledge of it is better than no knowledge.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
Mantras should be something that Buddhists are familiar with. But I think that most Buddhists cannot explain it. Someone who looked at Buddhist Texts for the first time must be confused with a string of incomprehensible sounds. I am sure that most new comers to Buddhism only hear the sounds of mantra and do not understand any of it. Why are there so many mantras, and why are they necessary? Let's discuss.
佛教界最為信眾所知的咒語，莫過於六字大明咒，大悲咒、這兩個咒語都跟觀世音菩薩有關連， 咒語在華人世界一直都是採取音調，字義直接寫上來，也就是翻譯經文，不翻譯咒語， 因為咒語被列入佛、菩薩、心語，屬於神秘世界的語言，每一位佛、菩薩，都擁有自己的心語，所以可以看見每一部佛經，都有屬於那部經典咒語的出現，但意思是什麼自古以來就無解!
The most popular mantras in the world of Buddhism probably are "Om mani padme hum" and the "Mahā Karuṇā Dhāranī ". These two mantras are related to Avalokiteśvarā. In the Chinese culture, mantra are never translated, and only the sound of the mantra is maintained. Mantras are considered to be a mystical language and are part of Buddha, Bodhisattva, and Bodhisattva's own languages. Every Buddha and Bodhisattva have their own languages, so if you read a Buddhist Text, you will see the mantra related to that Buddhist Text. But the meanings of these mantra are never explained.
用神秘的語言來形容咒語，往往讓它更進一步的蒙上神話色彩，如果想要說明它，這方面的資料可說是零，很傷腦筋的，無論如何說一些，總比全然不知好。
Use mysterious languages to explain mantra will let it become even more mystical. Since there are very little information available to explain it, some knowledge of it is better than no knowledge.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
2012年2月14日 星期二
三十三天 5 Trayastriṃśa 5
時間轉至今日，跟現今科學做個相互比較，依然不能懂? 印度人連微塵土都討論過，相當於最小單位的探討， 為什麼那時沒有印度人有興趣把它用實驗表現出來?
Indians had discussed the concepts of "microscopic dusts" back in the time of Buddha, which is the investigation of the smallest units. This concept is comparable with what the scientists are doing today with investigation into quantum particles and beyond. So why were there no Indians at that time even interested in the discovery of these "microscopic dusts"?
三十三天看過資料的讀者，一定會覺得我寫的好少，沒錯! 是寫得很少，關於三十三天的記載內容是非常豐富的，也許是這樣的緣故讓它顯得龐雜難懂，看不懂的讀者會把它當神話來對待，神話世界是虛構的，可是印度人的宇宙觀有很大部份是觀察得來的，所以我選擇從三十三天形成的路徑，概念去說明，有興趣的讀者可以自己找來看看，把我的說法當索引就好。
Readers who had read about Trayastriṃśa must think I have not written much on the topic. They are right. There are a lot of materials written on Trayastriṃśa already, and maybe why Trayastriṃśa seems complex and hard to understand. So people tend to treat it as a mythology. Mythologies are fictional stories, but the cosmology of Indians were observed. So I choose to use Trayastriṃśa as an example to explain how it came about. People who are interested in Trayastriṃśa can find out more about it on their own, but they can use this article as a guide.
再有印度人發現的人體功能問題，跟少林拳一樣， 有一套一定的修練程序，只是內容得加上理論配合，這些我想我們在文章裡都介紹過，沒什麼好奇怪的?!
Furthermore, the human abilities that Indians discovered are like Shaolin martial art, they both have a well defined set of trainings. But the contents of the trainings are complemented with theories. I think we have explained these trainings in previous articles, so there is nothing strange about it.
只要你變成這方面的專家，鑽研以後也會懂，
If you become an expert in this area, you will understand all these after some research.
補充一點 ，三十三天為印度古老年代就形成的一套宇宙看法，不是佛陀創造的，佛陀本身是當時的貴族兼知識份子，除了承襲印度哲學外，又加上自己的開創，閱讀世界上所有的學問一定要看到背後支持的文化架構，才能了解整個過程，也容易清楚為什麼這個學問會這麼說。
One more point, Trayastriṃśa was an established cosmological view of Indian prior to Buddha. It was not created by Buddha. Buddha was a royalty and an intellectual at the time, other than inherited the philosophy of India, he added his own creations. So when you read the knowledge of the world, you need to see the cultural framework in the background in order to be able to understand how the knowledge came to be. So you can also understand why knowledge is the way it is.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
上一篇 Previous Part
Indians had discussed the concepts of "microscopic dusts" back in the time of Buddha, which is the investigation of the smallest units. This concept is comparable with what the scientists are doing today with investigation into quantum particles and beyond. So why were there no Indians at that time even interested in the discovery of these "microscopic dusts"?
三十三天看過資料的讀者，一定會覺得我寫的好少，沒錯! 是寫得很少，關於三十三天的記載內容是非常豐富的，也許是這樣的緣故讓它顯得龐雜難懂，看不懂的讀者會把它當神話來對待，神話世界是虛構的，可是印度人的宇宙觀有很大部份是觀察得來的，所以我選擇從三十三天形成的路徑，概念去說明，有興趣的讀者可以自己找來看看，把我的說法當索引就好。
Readers who had read about Trayastriṃśa must think I have not written much on the topic. They are right. There are a lot of materials written on Trayastriṃśa already, and maybe why Trayastriṃśa seems complex and hard to understand. So people tend to treat it as a mythology. Mythologies are fictional stories, but the cosmology of Indians were observed. So I choose to use Trayastriṃśa as an example to explain how it came about. People who are interested in Trayastriṃśa can find out more about it on their own, but they can use this article as a guide.
再有印度人發現的人體功能問題，跟少林拳一樣， 有一套一定的修練程序，只是內容得加上理論配合，這些我想我們在文章裡都介紹過，沒什麼好奇怪的?!
Furthermore, the human abilities that Indians discovered are like Shaolin martial art, they both have a well defined set of trainings. But the contents of the trainings are complemented with theories. I think we have explained these trainings in previous articles, so there is nothing strange about it.
只要你變成這方面的專家，鑽研以後也會懂，
If you become an expert in this area, you will understand all these after some research.
補充一點 ，三十三天為印度古老年代就形成的一套宇宙看法，不是佛陀創造的，佛陀本身是當時的貴族兼知識份子，除了承襲印度哲學外，又加上自己的開創，閱讀世界上所有的學問一定要看到背後支持的文化架構，才能了解整個過程，也容易清楚為什麼這個學問會這麼說。
One more point, Trayastriṃśa was an established cosmological view of Indian prior to Buddha. It was not created by Buddha. Buddha was a royalty and an intellectual at the time, other than inherited the philosophy of India, he added his own creations. So when you read the knowledge of the world, you need to see the cultural framework in the background in order to be able to understand how the knowledge came to be. So you can also understand why knowledge is the way it is.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
上一篇 Previous Part
2012年2月13日 星期一
三十三天 4 Trayastriṃśa 4
用眼睛去觀察世界，也會是一種具體的見解，以福報來說一件事能付出多少， 造就的福份也不同，付出20%得到的是20%， 同理30%、 50%、90%、都是不同的回報，這些不一樣的條件造就每一層天的世界，印度人觀察到人群的行為有非常多不同的形態，所以用了那麼多天來當界定說明。
The worlds that are observed by eyes are a concrete point of view to some degrees. If we discuss this in term of good karma (merit), how much you receive in term of good karma depends on how much you paid. If you paid 20%, you will received 20%. Similarly, 30%, 50%, 90% are all different returns. Every level of "heaven" are created with these different type of conditions. Indians observed that people have many different type of behaviors, so they used these many heavens to explain them.
我們從現今資訊的發達更知道，人群的所有行為的確是人人不同! 一群人有一群人的特色，及個人堅持的看法、做法， 用這些相互交叉比較， 就知道很多修行者入定後， 所看到的世界應該不是天方夜譚! 跟科學一樣，修行者的看法是否正確 ? 雖然不具實體， 卻仍然可以檢視。
Today, we know everyone behaves differently. Each group of people have their own uniqueness, in additional to individual views and methods. If you use these to cross reference and compare, you should understand that the world that practitioners of jhana see is not hallucinations. Like science, what the practitioners of jhana say about what they saw, might not be concrete, but still can be checked.
印度人可能是耗費最多精神、體力、從事人體實驗，及修練的國家，中國同樣也發展拳術武功，中醫，道家養生，也都把人體使用到極端，但還是不及印度人的投入，人體所能發揮的異能極限，像一道密碼，一、一被印度人瓦解，哲學在東方世界變成無止無盡的人體探討! 還不見得是為了醫學的治療，對西方人來說應該是不可思議的。
In all the cultures, Indians might spent more efforts and energies on the experimentation of human body and training, that all other cultures. Chinese also developed martial arts, Chinese medicines, Taoist's methods of health and medicine and used human body to the limits. But Chinese is not as involved as Indians. All the extra-normal abilities that human body can create are like secrete codes that were decodes by Indians one at a time. In Eastern world, philosophy was about unlimited investigation of human body, and not necessary for medicine. This point of view Westerners will probably find very inconceivable.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
The worlds that are observed by eyes are a concrete point of view to some degrees. If we discuss this in term of good karma (merit), how much you receive in term of good karma depends on how much you paid. If you paid 20%, you will received 20%. Similarly, 30%, 50%, 90% are all different returns. Every level of "heaven" are created with these different type of conditions. Indians observed that people have many different type of behaviors, so they used these many heavens to explain them.
我們從現今資訊的發達更知道，人群的所有行為的確是人人不同! 一群人有一群人的特色，及個人堅持的看法、做法， 用這些相互交叉比較， 就知道很多修行者入定後， 所看到的世界應該不是天方夜譚! 跟科學一樣，修行者的看法是否正確 ? 雖然不具實體， 卻仍然可以檢視。
Today, we know everyone behaves differently. Each group of people have their own uniqueness, in additional to individual views and methods. If you use these to cross reference and compare, you should understand that the world that practitioners of jhana see is not hallucinations. Like science, what the practitioners of jhana say about what they saw, might not be concrete, but still can be checked.
印度人可能是耗費最多精神、體力、從事人體實驗，及修練的國家，中國同樣也發展拳術武功，中醫，道家養生，也都把人體使用到極端，但還是不及印度人的投入，人體所能發揮的異能極限，像一道密碼，一、一被印度人瓦解，哲學在東方世界變成無止無盡的人體探討! 還不見得是為了醫學的治療，對西方人來說應該是不可思議的。
In all the cultures, Indians might spent more efforts and energies on the experimentation of human body and training, that all other cultures. Chinese also developed martial arts, Chinese medicines, Taoist's methods of health and medicine and used human body to the limits. But Chinese is not as involved as Indians. All the extra-normal abilities that human body can create are like secrete codes that were decodes by Indians one at a time. In Eastern world, philosophy was about unlimited investigation of human body, and not necessary for medicine. This point of view Westerners will probably find very inconceivable.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
2012年2月12日 星期日
三十三天 3 Trayastriṃśa 3
讀者不要誤會看見一次人群就冠上一層天的稱呼，天的稱呼，畢竟是有福報的代表，要被列入一層天，必得是那一群人有著同樣的一種福份，才能集合在一起，所以可以聚集在一起，並不是一件容 易的事，印度人把沒有在現實發展的行動，都拿去觀察這些世界，不是透過方程式，也沒有去做假設、實驗、直接就訓練人體達到某種異能狀態，去看大千世 界。
Please do not think that they named any group of people a "heaven" without reason. They used the term "heaven" because it represented good karma (merit). To be included into a level of "heaven", these people need to share the same type of good karma. So to be grouped together is not an easy matter. Indian took all the energies that they did not spent in reality to observe these worlds. They did not do so through equations, nor did they try scientific methods. They simply trained human body to a have a certain abnormal ability to see at these worlds.
在今日的文獻裡，可以發現佛陀當時就已經親眼看見其他世界的存在 ! (四大洲的說法) 那個時候還是西洋數學家、哲學家、在推論地球長什麼樣子的年代，很少人從科學的角度去研究佛陀看見的世界，是如何開拓的? 那不是一種神秘經驗，反而是人群透過另一層次的方法，去過他們想要過的日子。 也許你可以說 : 沉默是另一種聲音。
In today's writings, you can see that Buddha was able to see the existences of other worlds (The talk of four continents.) At that time, western mathematicians and philosophers are still debating about the shape of the earth. So very few people will investigate the worlds that Buddha saw and how he did it through scientific inquiries. This is not a mystical experience, but people used different methods to live the lives that they want to live. May be you can say that silence is another voice.
註一:佛陀修的入定方法，不只是單一的定力，祂突破印度人的傳統修法，所成就的世界更寬、更廣、而且更具有條理方法，旁人依據這些理論方法，一樣可以走到。 這是佛教相當不同的論點。
Note: The jhana that Buddha practiced was not simply one type of jhana. He made a break through in Indian's traditional methods, and is able to see bigger, wider worlds. His method is also more coherent. Other people can arrive at the same place following his methods and theories. This is where Buddhism differs.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
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Please do not think that they named any group of people a "heaven" without reason. They used the term "heaven" because it represented good karma (merit). To be included into a level of "heaven", these people need to share the same type of good karma. So to be grouped together is not an easy matter. Indian took all the energies that they did not spent in reality to observe these worlds. They did not do so through equations, nor did they try scientific methods. They simply trained human body to a have a certain abnormal ability to see at these worlds.
在今日的文獻裡，可以發現佛陀當時就已經親眼看見其他世界的存在 ! (四大洲的說法) 那個時候還是西洋數學家、哲學家、在推論地球長什麼樣子的年代，很少人從科學的角度去研究佛陀看見的世界，是如何開拓的? 那不是一種神秘經驗，反而是人群透過另一層次的方法，去過他們想要過的日子。 也許你可以說 : 沉默是另一種聲音。
In today's writings, you can see that Buddha was able to see the existences of other worlds (The talk of four continents.) At that time, western mathematicians and philosophers are still debating about the shape of the earth. So very few people will investigate the worlds that Buddha saw and how he did it through scientific inquiries. This is not a mystical experience, but people used different methods to live the lives that they want to live. May be you can say that silence is another voice.
註一:佛陀修的入定方法，不只是單一的定力，祂突破印度人的傳統修法，所成就的世界更寬、更廣、而且更具有條理方法，旁人依據這些理論方法，一樣可以走到。 這是佛教相當不同的論點。
Note: The jhana that Buddha practiced was not simply one type of jhana. He made a break through in Indian's traditional methods, and is able to see bigger, wider worlds. His method is also more coherent. Other people can arrive at the same place following his methods and theories. This is where Buddhism differs.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
上一篇 Previous Part Next Part 下一篇
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