剝落4 Peeling Off 4

 

南禪朋友好！

剝落4

三十幾年前有一次跟目前還任職仁愛鄉親愛國小的李文宗主任

跟洪雅玲老師到玉山半山腰遊蕩，

漫無目的走著，閑晃間看到一塊大石頭坐了一下，瞬間竟然有

入定的感覺，大概只享受1分鐘吧，嚇一跳趕快跳起來！

那1分鐘懂了最好的入定場所是大山。

 

為什麼會嚇一大跳？

我最大的渴望是能明白佛法的內容，（況且原始教典《阿含

經》的研究才剛開始在臺灣興起），

而不是入定，面對廣欽老和尚那座入定大山時，我也是這種感

覺。

還沒入住屏東潮州之前，蔡醫師讓沛宏載我去他們高雄甲仙的

一塊地看看要捐出宏法，

我礙於住山需要人手多，而且我要查佛法資料那時還沒有網

路，也是住平地方便而婉拒，

清楚明白佛法的內容一直是我心心念念的事。

妄有、虛幻之佛法形容詞我一度歡喜，但腳要踏在哪裡？不用

踏著直接昇華嗎？

如來藏、真如、唯識種種一定要把這些搞清楚，不然日夜難

安！

入住潮州後，開始專心研讀之路，

研讀的內容也是我陸陸續續寫出的文章。

半寄

 

（這一兩年有人也寫出了去爬大山有過的輕安感，我有把那一

段文章貼在南禪臉書讀者可以自己找找）

 

Peeling Off 4

 

Greetings, friends of NanZen!

 

Over 30 years ago, I went hiking on the lower slopes of Mt. Jade with Director WenZong Li, who still works at Qingai Elementary School in Renai Township, and Ya-Ling Hong. We were walking aimlessly, and during the stroll, I sat on a large rock. In that instant, I unexpectedly experienced a state of deep meditation—probably only for about a minute. I was so startled that I quickly jumped up!

 

In that brief minute, I realized that the best place for meditation is in the mountains.

 

Why was I so surprised? My greatest desire has always been to understand the true essence of Buddhist teachings, not merely to meditate. (Especially since research on the original scriptures, the ‘Agama Sutras’, had just begun to emerge in Taiwan at the time.)

I had a similar feeling when I encountered Master Guangqin’s meditation mountain.

 

Before I moved to Chaozhou, Pingtung, Dr. Tsai suggested that Pei-Hong and I visit a piece of land in Jiasian, Kaohsiung, which they were planning to donate for a Dharma center. I declined politely because living in the mountains would require many people. And I needed to study Buddhist texts and there was no internet at that time. I preferred living in a more accessible, flat area.

 

Understanding Buddhist teachings clearly has always been my constant focus. I was once happy with the abstract and illusory descriptions of Buddhism, but I kept asking myself: Which path should I step on? Can a appraoch without solid fountation of Buddhist Dharma transcend directly and succeed? I had to clarify concepts like Tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature), Tathātā (thusness or suchness), and Vijñaptimātratā (con­sciousness only), or I would be restless day and night!

 

After moving to Chaozhou, I focused more on my study of Buddhist teachings, and the content of my research has gradually formed the articles I’ve written over time.

 

(Recently, someone has written about the peaceful feeling they experienced while climbing a mountain. I posted that article on the NanZen Facebook page, where readers can find it.)

 

                                                                                                  Master Banji

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南禪朋友好！

 剝落3

前兩年我把身邊一件重要的紀念品丟垃圾車載走了！

 

過幾個月後我跟執行長講這事，她指著我講不出話⋯⋯

 

我說：沒辦法，我沒有辦法忍耐走不動的路，也沒有辦法忍耐不

清不楚的事情，

很多丟垃圾車也不錯！哈⋯⋯

 

怎麼說呢？

 

或許南泉禪師知道！

半寄

 

Peeling Off 3

 

Greetings, friends of NanZen!

 

Two years ago, I threw away an important memento of mine in the garbage truck! 

 

A few months later, I told the CEO about it, and she pointed at me, speechlessly... 

 

I said, ‘I couldn’t help it. I just can't tolerate walking down a path I can't move on, and I can't stand unclear things. Sometimes throwing them in the garbage truck is not so bad!’  Ha... 

 

How should I put it? 

 

Maybe Master Nanquan, a Chinese Zen Master of the Tang Dynasty, would understand! 

 

 

                                                                                               Master Banj

剝落2 Peeling Off 2

 

南禪朋友好！

 

 剝落2

日夜的粹煉讓我一窺佛法結集為什麼阿羅漢們可以誦出這麼多

經典！

佛陀的弟子靠著修持佛法的扶搖直上，讓阿羅漢本身肉體所能

承載負荷的理解能力驚人，

結集的《阿含經》誦出就是人類古文明的人體奇蹟。

前幾篇的文章有提到「貪染與貪染者」在論師的眼中不是「勝

義實有」，

從佛陀時代的大阿羅漢到阿毗達磨的論師看來，他們智慧定力

都全部具足，世俗的看法與世俗的感覺對他們來說是小菜一碟

激不起討論的欲望。

 

這絕不只是用「聖人」的字眼就可以解釋的，從人有貪瞋痴提升

到因緣法所成肉體存在的討論，那裡面涉及的層面已經跨越到最

高深的思考題「空」。

 

那「空」是什麼？後人窮盡論述想解釋這個問題，

最終，得出佛法並不是只有修行而已，

「空」思想的提出也是珍貴無比的殊勝。

就我個人而言，至今「緣起性空」跟「性空緣起，」都不會講，

太難了！

為什麼不會講，研究過《中論》的大德們應該會了解。

我只是在「緣起」旁邊敲敲打打撿些用。

面對這麼高深的「空」思想端出了「八不」去解釋它，阿毗達

磨論師們為佛法的世界再劃出另一領域，引人入勝於空的饗

宴。

 

半寄

 

（PS：說穿了！我懶得禪坐，才會一直說「八不」的研究很好，

哈！）

 

Peeling Off 2

 

Greetings, friends of NanZen!

 

Through the relentless refinement of day and night, I’ve caught a glimpse of why the Arahants were able to recite so many sutras when compiling Buddhist texts!

The Buddha’s disciples, by practicing the Dharma, reached incredible levels of mental and physical capacity. The Arahants’ ability to comprehend and retain such vast amounts of knowledge was astonishing. The recitation of the Āgama Sutras during the compilations is truly a miraculous achievement of the human body in ancient civilizations.

 

In some of my previous articles, I mentioned that to Abhidhamma scholars, ‘craving and the one who craves’ is not the ultimate truth or the permanent entity. From the great Arahants of the Buddha’s time to the Abhidharma scholars, their wisdom and concentration were so well-developed that worldly views and feelings were trivial—too insignificant to arouse even a desire for debate.

 

This isn’t something you can explain by simply calling them ‘saints’. The discussion moves from the human tendencies of greed, anger, and ignorance to the existence of the physical body formed by dependent origination. It delves into the most profound level of Buddhist thought, ‘Śūnyatā.

What is this ‘Śūnyatā’? Later generations exhausted themselves trying to explain it. Ultimately, they concluded that Buddhism isn’t merely about practice. The introduction of the concept of ‘Śūnyatā’ is one of its most precious and extraordinary contributions.

 

As for me, I still can’t fully explain pratītyasamutpāda śūnyatā (dependent origination and Śūnyatā) or śūnyatā pratītyasamutpāda (Śūnyatā and dependent origination)—it’s just too challenging!

Why can’t I explain it? Those who have studied Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way) will probably understand. I’m merely tinkering on the edges of ‘dependent origination’, gathering small bits that I can make use of.

 

Confronting the profound philosophy of ‘Śūnyatā’, the Abhidharma scholars presented the ‘Eight Negations’ to interpret it, opening up a new realm in the world of Buddhism and inviting people to delve into the feast of ‘Śūnyatā’.

 

 

                                                                    Master Banji

 

(P.S.: To be honest, I’m just too lazy to sit in meditation. That’s probably why I keep saying how much I love studying the ‘Eight Negations’ ha-ha!)

剝落1Peeling Off 1

剝落1

 

南禪朋友好！

 

南禪讀者看多了我的文章會覺得師父很會讀書，事實上那是錯

誤的，我最懶得讀書，哈！

 

披緇以後為了尋求經典中的正確答案只好發憤，也為自己的衣

食負責。

修道的方法斷層這是佛教界公認的事，尤其是四聖果的問題。

廣欽老和尚還住世時他老人家就是最好的修行見證，無奈我對

淨土宗無感只能黯然離去。

最有資格說說四聖果內容的廣老，只說「唸佛三昧」。

 

為了怕自己的步伐踏錯，邁力挖掘資料只想窺探佛海，盼能乘

風破浪。

隨著佛法研究、修持越久，發覺佛教裡的高僧是世上最珍貴的

人，很多屬於框架方面的還有修道的實現，都不用語言、思考

直接就在他們身上展現！

 

我們從小讀書背負很多框架，當看到他們都無需講框架，就把

佛法直接展現在他們身上時我震驚到不行，而心嚮往之！

 

從文字的脫離到肉體實際的觸動，這段距離我也跨越很久，因

為我們被文字綁架太久，這種屬於文字性、教育性質的黏著脫

離，竟然要練習很久而且要常常練習

（頓忘前解）。

 

隨這種練習的過程深入，很多必須依靠高深理論探討的問題，

慢慢在理解中自動反芻，佛法於我已然越過文字山。

半寄

 

（當年廣老應用了他的「他心通」回答我想問的事情，但我直

覺這傳統說法不能接受，他一定覺得這囝仔不能教，廣老說閩

南語，我只好又吟起流浪者之歌。）

 

 

Peeling Off 1 

 

Greetings, friends of NanZen!

 

Readers of NanZen might think I’m deeply well-read because of my articles. But that’s far from the case—Honestly, I’m actually lazy when it comes to reading, ha-ha!

 

After becoming a nun, I had no choice but to dive into the scriptures diligently, both to seek correct answers and to earn a living.

 

It’s well-known in the Buddhist world that there’s a gap when it comes to approaches of practice, especially regarding the four fruitions. When Venerable Elder Master Guangqin was still alive, he was the best living model of Buddhist practice. Yet, as much as I admired him, I couldn’t resonate with the Pure Land School, so I had to leave quietly. 1
The most qualified person to explain the four fruitions was Master Guangqin, but he only addressed, ‘Just recite the Buddha’s name and attain samadhi.’

 

Fearing I might misstep on my path, I’ve worked hard to dig through texts, hoping to explore the vast ocean of Buddhism and navigate my way through it. The longer I study and practice Buddhism, the more I realize that Buddhist eminent monks are the rarest treasures in this world. Many issues of frameworks as well as the realization of spiritual practice are embodied in them—not through words or reasoning but in their very being.  

 

From a young age, we are burdened with rigid frameworks from education. Seeing these monks directly manifest the Dharma without needing to speak of frameworks left me astounded and deeply inspired.

 

Bridging the gap from textual dependence to direct physical experiencing of the teachings took me years. We’ve been trapped in the habit of relying on words for too long. Detachment to education and language, i.e. sudden re-realizing of previous understanding, requires constant and repeated practice.

 

As I kept practicing, many questions that used to need deep theories started to resolve themselves naturally. Buddhism, for me, has gone beyond the mountain of words.

 Master Banji 

Note 1. Back then, Master Guangqin used his ‘telepathic insight’, supernatural power of mind reading, to answer the questions I hadn’t even voiced. But I instinctively rejected the traditional explanation he gave. He must have thought, ‘This kid-- he spoke in the Minnan dialect-- can’t be taught.’ And I could only go on my path of wandering.

 

 

 

 

念去去千里煙波 Thinking of The Journey Ahead Is Long, and the Chance of Meeting again Is Slim.

念去去千里煙波

     

記得當年讀太虛大師、印老的一些佛法論述時感到很遺憾，他

們都只是論述而不下結論。

似乎漢系研究一直有著儒家的謙虛。

 方東美先生是個例外，先生的《華巖宗哲學》拿出來再翻了幾

頁還是覺得他的結

構嚴謹，儘管至今台灣的佛法興盛、研究也多，但我覺得東美

先生的《華嚴宗哲學》研究還是值得再讀一遍，

只是對當時的我來說基礎未穩，《華嚴經》的世界太大了。

      正躊躇間，沛宏居士從日本回國探親，談起了日本佛法，日

本佛法對我並不陌

生，記得去印順導師的華雨精舍時還看過導師全套的望月大辭

典，十分驚訝導師

竟然是看日文原文的。

此後，都保有閱讀日本佛學研究的習慣，也學到日本學者對他們

的研究敢下定論的精神。

 利用沛宏（蔡醫師長子）暑假回國時跟空照師三人一起做環島旅行，

一路上有佛教徒投熱烈的眼光，認為我福報好有弟子相陪旅行

（我沒有弟子也不

做皈依儀式，輕車從簡也是一個比較快的方法），

事實上我對佛法還沒有頭緒感到焦慮，旅行也只是暫時轉移焦

點罷了！

 高雄復興三路的蔡皮膚科家族跟我半輩子有緣，2025元旦蔡醫

師及其家人照例來訪，我們還談起在環島的時候坪林買老茶的

往事，蔡夫人，沛宏阿姨們也都是老茶客，感謝🙏她們年年幫

我準備茶葉，去他們家喝茶是一種茶的饗宴。

（大家都有年齡了，每年聚一次總有一種說不出的喜悅。

有人龍曆新年時託一個供養給我，沛宏拖到年底才帶到，我還

跟他說：你都沒有加利息，哈😄）

 沛宏居士跟我所學的佛法相左，但他從沒因我跟他的意見常相

左而離去，也算是奇緣。

半寄

 

Thinking of The Journey Ahead Is Long, and the Chance of Meeting again Is Slim.

 

I remember when I was reading the Buddhist discourses of Master Taixu and Venerable Yinshun, I felt a bit regretful because they only presented their ideas without offering conclusions. It seemed that Chinese Buddhist scholars, influenced by Confucian humility, have always been like this.

 

Mr. Fang Dongmei is an exception. I’ve skipped through a few pages of his Philosophy of the Avatamsaka (Huayan) School and still found his structure rigorous. Despite the flourishing of Buddhism in Taiwan and the abundance of research, I believe Mr. Fang's work on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra (Flower Garland Sūtra) is still worth revisiting.However, at that time, my foundation was not strong enough, and the world presented in the the Avataṃsaka Sūtra was just too vast for me to comprehend.

 

While I was in doubt, Peihong, a lay practitioner, came back from Japan to visit his family. He spoke about Japanese Buddhism, which I was somewhat familiar with. I remember when I visited Venerable Yinshun at Huayu Monastery, I saw that Venerable Yinshun had complete volumes of Great dictionary of Buddhism, and I was amazed that he read the original Japanese texts. Since then, I’ve maintained the habit of reading Japanese Buddhist studies and learned the spirit of Japanese scholars, who are often brave enough to draw conclusions in their research.

 

During Peihong’s summer trip back home, we went on a round-island trip with Master Kongzhao. Along the way, many Buddhists looked at me with admiration, thinking I was fortunate to have a disciple accompanying me on the journey (though I actually didn’t

 have disciples or conduct any formal ordination ceremonies—traveling light was simply a faster method). In fact, I was still anxious about not fully understanding Buddhism, and the trip was just a temporary distraction.

 

The family of Dermatologist Tsai on Fuxing 3rd Road in Kaohsiung has a deep connection with my life. On New Year’s Day 2025, Dr. Tsai and his family visited as usual, and we talked about buying aged tea in Pinglin during our round-the-island trip. Mrs. Tsai and Peihong (Dr. Tsai’s first son)’s aunts are also avid tea lovers, and I appreciate their preparing tea for me every year. Visiting their home for tea is truly a tea feast.

 

As everyone gets older, there is joy beyond description with our annual gathering. Someone asked Peihong to give me the red envelope last Chinese New Year, and Peihong didn’t bring it to me until the end of this year. I jokingly told him, "You should have added the interest, haha

."Peihong and I have different views on Buddhism, but he has never left me due to our disagreements, which I consider to be a rare bond.

 

                                                                                        Master Banji

 

 

禪宗3 Zen Buddhism 3

南禪朋友好！

禪宗3

      我個人認為比禪宗的開悟更高明的是華人所立的祖師爺龍樹菩薩。

《中觀論》的「只破不立」精髓有佛法依止，有修持可為。

與此同時「只破不立」—無言可說，我的為難！

 

「只破不立」的精神一建立在修行者的基礎上，則為佛法修行

者的世界拉開另一序幕。

 （禪宗1-3獻給廣大辛苦的佛教徒，很多人站在高端頂上，如果不是她，他們，我大概不會寫出來）

半寄

 

Zen Buddhism 3

 

Greetings, friends of NanZen!

In my personal view, even higher than the Zen concept of 

enlightenment is the wisdom of the Chinese Buddhist patriarch,

 Nagarjuna. The essence of his Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, its 

principle of ‘only negating, not affirming’, provides a clear 

foundation for Buddhist practice and offers a path for 

practitioners.

 

At the same time, the idea of ‘only negating, not affirming’-- 

there are no words to describe it —makes it difficult for me to 

explain!

Once the spirit of ‘only negating, not affirming’ is understood and 

practiced by a practitioner, it opens up a new realm in the world 

of Buddhist practice.

 

(These Zen reflections are dedicated to all the hardworking 

Buddhists. Many of them are at the highest levels of 

understanding, and if it weren’t for them, I might never write 

this.)

  

P.S. ‘Only negating, not affirming’, i.e. just breaking through the 

old understanding, but not adding any new Buddhist doctrines to 

it.  

To practitioners who are interested in ‘only negating, not 

affirming’, further research on Mūlamadhyamakakārikā is

 recommended.

 

Master Banji

 

 

 

禪宗2 Zen Buddhism 2

 南禪朋友好！

禪宗2

我昨天發表的「禪宗」還以為會被大家罵，結果沒有，謝謝台灣的學佛大德！

昨天發表的問題其實在20幾年前我就清楚，只是這一份研究一直放在我心裡，

最近隨著「南禪精舍修行的探討」部落格歐、美讀者的增加，

還有《我可能錯了》這本書的作者內容給我的觸動，促使我把這個放在心裡很久的研究「直白」的拿了出來。

我個人清楚關於「禪宗」話頭的修持，會觸動很多修行者，

相信全球的修行者這麼多，應該不會容不下我的看法吧！

就僅供參考了，謝謝大家！🙏

半寄

 

Zen Buddhism 2

 Greetings, friends of NanZen!

I shared my thoughts on Zen Buddhism yesterday and thought I might get criticized, but surprisingly, I didn’t. Thank you, the Buddhist practitioners in Taiwan! 

 

The question I raised yesterday is something I have actually figured out over 20 years ago, but I’ve kept this research to myself all this time. Recently, as the number of readers from Europe and America on my blog ‘Search For Enlightenment with Nan Zen Vihara; An Investigation into Practice of Buddhism’ has grown, and inspired by the book I May Be Wrong: And Other Wisdoms from Life as a Forest

Monk,

 I felt it was time to openly share this long-held research of mine. 

 I know my views on practicing Zen’s huatou might stir some reactions among practitioners. But with so many practitioners around the world, I’m sure there’s room for my perspective too! 

 This is just for your reference. Thank you all! 🙏 

 Master Banji