柏林圍牆 The Berlin Wall

大家好！

柏林圍牆

有著華人血液跟中文名字的阿明住加拿大也是南禪讀者，2023年我要去德國的前夕他剛好來台灣辦事情，聽到我會去柏林高興到不行。

他弟弟住柏林，他說要他弟弟出來當地陪，我說不行，我有既定的行程，

他趕快說：需要什麼Information

都問他，他還會法語，很開心的阿明，看起來有得到佛法喜悅！

 

終於看到柏林圍牆，德國的反烏克蘭戰爭示威，

想起我的居住地臺灣，我從沒想過要離開⋯⋯

半寄

 

The Berlin Wall 2023

 

Greetings, friends of NanZen!

 

Amin is a Canadian but with a Chinese name because his grandmother is a Chinese. He is also a reader of NanZen. Just before my trip to Germany, he happened to be in Taiwan for business. When he heard that I was going to Berlin, he was overjoyed.

 

His younger brother lives in Berlin, and he immediately offered to have him show me around. I declined, as I already had a planned itinerary. Eager to help, Amin quickly said, "Ask me if you need any information!" He also speaks French. He looked so happy—like someone who had found joy in the Dharma.

 

Finally, I saw the Berlin Wall. Seeing Germany’s protests against the war in Ukraine reminded me of the place I live —Taiwan and I have never thought of leaving it.

 

Master Banji

 

 

德國藥事博物館 German Pharmacy Museum

 大家好！

德國藥事博物館 

旅行期間去德國海德堡大學附近的海德堡城堡內的德國藥事博物館，

剎那間覺得好像絲路之旅延伸到那裡！

 

我對中藥有一種濃厚的感情，

原由於年輕的時候碰過一位業餘幾乎是神中醫的人士，他也是東港地區大家熟悉的陳先生義診大德，他扭轉我對中醫的認識。

到現在，記得他的人們還很多，可惜過世的太早！

 

我記得第一次見面的時候，他說：

古時候有一個宰相回鄉被一些鄉裡的游手好閒少年調侃，

宰相原諒了他們，結果他們就變好，

我說：那不一定啊，

有時候你原諒一個人，那個人有可能會更可惡，把他氣的吹鬍子瞪眼睛！哈

 

半個小時以後，他沒有說話朝我點點頭表示同意，我對他大起佩服，畢竟他年齡大我很多，竟然同意我的看法。

 

兩三年後，他大概意識到自己要走了！跟我說他的藥單全部留給我好了，

我說：我又不會看診，又不會把脈，留那些也沒有用，（我把中醫的書全套看完，知道病的變化是很大的）

他也點點頭認同我的看法。

後來又認識了蔡智美老師，他是好心肝基金會創辦人許金川教授的表妹，

他們那個大家族醫生也多，智美老師對我的護持也不曾少過！

在德國看到這些草藥舖流連加興奮。

 

半寄

 

German Pharmacy Museum

 

Greetings, friends of NanZen!

 

During my trip near Heidelberg University in Germany, I visited German Pharmacy Museum in the Heidelberg Castle. In that moment, it felt like the Silk Road journey had extended there!

 

I have a strong affection for Chinese medicine. It all began when I first met Mr. Chen, an almost legendary amateur Chinese medicine practitioner, during my youth. He was a well-known philanthropist in the Donggang area, offering free Chinese medicine consultations.

He completely changed my perspective on traditional Chinese medicine.

Many people still remember him, but unfortunately, he passed away too early.

 

I remember the first time we met, he told me a story: 

In ancient times, a prime minister returned to his hometown and was mocked by some idle youths. The prime minister forgave them, and they became better as a result. 

I said, "That’s not always the case. Sometimes, when you forgive someone, they might become even worse, making you angry!" 

Half an hour later, he nodded in agreement without saying a word. I was deeply impressed, especially since he was much older than me and still acknowledged my viewpoint.

 

Two or three years later, he seemed to realize that he was passing away soon. He told me he would leave all his prescriptions to me. I said, "But I don’t know how to diagnose or take pulses. Those prescriptions wouldn’t help me." (I had read all the Chinese medicine books and knew that diseases change greatly over time.) He nodded, agreeing with my view.

 

Later, I met Teacher Tsai Zhimei, whose uncle is Professor Xu Jinchuan, the founder of the Good Liver Foundation”. Many members in their family are doctors and Teacher Tsai has always been very supportive of me. 

 

In Germany, I felt excited as I lingered in these herbal shops.

 

Master Banji

 

 

佛法問答1_3 Buddhist Teachings Q&A 1_3

佛法問題回答

 

大家好！

我們昨天南禪潮州讀書會有兩個問題來說一說。

 

問：那個比恩約修行者他在三點的時候起床也不穿鞋，不用手電筒，面對有可能的生命威脅，他們都不害怕嗎？

 

我昨天看到這個問題，有點生氣跟激動，其實在整個修道系統裡，好像老是掉了大腦了！

生氣，這種修法到現在還存在！

 

佛陀時代留下對於牛戒、狗戒的看法，大家覺得那是古老時代的事，

牛戒、狗戒是學牛的行為跟狗的行為認為學牠會有福報，

事實上這種愚蠢到目前都是存在的，抱歉！用詞激動。

 

那這麼高學歷的人為什麼被規定叫他不要穿鞋他就欣然同意？

原因在於這種學習，通常被冠上權威，你這樣做是成佛之道！

好像人世間的愚蠢都是一樣的，只要被冠上權威就會被很多人遵守，

或是說愚蠢比想像的多！

 

進而對於這種遵守，幻想出這樣做會造成福報或是成佛！

 

不穿鞋到底對修道有什麼幫助？

不拿手電筒到底對眼睛有什麼幫助？

這根本就是一種迷信！

迷信這樣做是在修行？

 

佛陀時代的「如理思維」在後代的傳遞越來越少，近代原始教典的提出當然還好。

但問題是就算不拿原始教典，整個佛教傳法一直在重量的強調智慧，但是這麼強調智慧的大腦為什麼會去遵行一個衝突性這麼高的法則？

 

就提供參考了！🙏

 

半寄

 

Buddhist Teachings Q&A 1

 

Greetings, friends of NanZen!

 

Yesterday at the NanZen Study Club in Chaozhou, we discussed two questions. 

 

Question 1: Practitioner Björn wakes up at 3 a.m., does not wear shoes, and does not use a flashlight, even when facing potential life-threatening dangers. Is he not afraid? 

 

Answer 1:

When I read of this question, I felt frustrated and agitated. It seems that rational thinking is often abandoned in the entire system of spiritual practice! I find it frustrating that such practices still exist today. 

 

In the Buddha’s time, there were “cow precepts” and “dog precepts,” where people imitated the behaviors of cows and dogs, believing it would bring merit. Many see this as an outdated practice, yet such foolishness still exists today. Apologies for the strong wording, but it is truly frustrating.

 

Why would highly educated individuals willingly follow a rule that forbids wearing shoes? Because such practices are often framed as sacred and authoritative—"the path to enlightenment." It seems that human foolishness is universal—once something is labeled as authoritative, many will blindly follow it. Or perhaps, foolishness is simply more common than we think! 

 

People then believe that following these rules leads to merit or enlightenment. 

 

But does walking barefoot truly help in spiritual practice? Does avoiding the use of a flashlight really benefit one's eyes? This is simply superstition! Mistaking these actions for genuine practice is misguided. 

 

The Buddha emphasized "reasonable thinking (yoniso manasikarotha) ", but over time, this has been gradually neglected. While modern efforts to restore early Buddhist scriptures are commendable, the key issue remains: even without referencing the original texts,  Buddhism as a whole has always emphasized wisdom. 

 

So why do people who emphasize wisdom still follow such contradictory practices? 

Just some thoughts for reflection. 🙏

 

Master Banji

 

 

問題2:

《我可能錯了》前言p008。

「在十七年整日的精神修煉中，我最珍視的一點就是：我對自己的每個念頭，再也不相信了」這是我的超能力！

 

 初看這段話會覺得好像很厲害，可是仔細想：

不相信自己的每個念頭，就好像沒有任何立足點，隨時擔心偏執，這不可怕嗎？師父怎麼看這段話？ 

 

回答：

人怎麼可能都不相信自己而活著？

 

你不相信自己的想法，應該是通過思索來批判吧！

比方說；你面對詐騙有人會問說為什麼會心驚肉跳，

答案在他是一個集團你是一個人！

一個集團的意識力量去對付一個人太簡單了！

那萬一被詐騙了，你需要完全不相信你自己嗎？

這無疑是在傷口上灑鹽巴！

 

還有你總不能在你的腦袋一直打拳擊吧！

自己一個念頭出來，你就像拳擊手一樣把它打死，那到最後他的大腦會怎麼樣？大家自己想？

半寄

 

Buddhist Teachings Q&A 2     

 

Q2:

"After seventeen years of full-time spiritual practice, the most precious lesson I’ve learned is this: I no longer believe in any of my own thoughts. That is my superpower!" ( Lindeblad, 2023, p.008)

(Lindeblad, Björn N. I May Be Wrong: And Other Wisdoms from Life as a Forest Monk. UK: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2023.)

 

At first glance, this statement sounds profound. But upon deeper reflection, if one doesn’t trust any of their own thoughts, wouldn’t that mean having no firm ground to stand on and to constantly fear being misguided—isn't that frightening? Master, what do you think of this statement?

 

 

Answer 2: 

How can a person live without believing in themselves at all? 

 

Not trusting your own thoughts should come through reasoning and critical thinking, shouldn’t it? 

 

For example, when encountering a scam, some people wonder why they feel anxious. The answer is simple: a scam is carried out by an organized group, while you are just one individual. The collective power of deception can easily overwhelm a single person. 

 

But if you do fall for a scam, does that mean you should completely stop trusting yourself? That would only add insult to injury! 

 

Also, you can’t constantly be “boxing” inside your own mind. If every thought that arises is immediately treated as an opponent to be knocked down, what will happen to your brain in the end? Take a moment to think about it carefully.

 

Master Banji

 

佛法問題回答3

 

問題: 師父早年近身親近過廣欽老和尚的看法。

 

回答：懂佛法的人都知道廣欽老和尚的開示錄，看起來悶悶的，

其實我曾經看過廣老兩眼射出像兩道非常鋒利的劍光，那種劍光讓人ㄧ見，震撼到傻掉！

 

但我硬是吞不下祂開示的內容！

 

我後來弄明白了一個道理，

 

譬如說；你入定能看到過去的時間裡ㄧ個人去殺人，

但是你看不到那個人殺人背後的時代背景，

如果你是軍人，活在戰爭年代，你的殺人應該是另當理解的，

 

這是「知其所然」跟「知其所以然」的差別，

「知其所以然」能夠思考的問題範圍會非常大，

 

所以單獨看到人去殺人，事實上還是有很大的模糊空間，

我寧願選擇可以研究的後者「知其所以然。」

 

這文章的內容好像之前有寫過一部分，不再回頭找了！

 

半寄

 

Buddhist Teachings Q&A 3

 

 

Q3:

What is Master’s early experience with Master Kuang-ch'in? 

 

Answer 3: 

Anyone familiar with Buddhism knows that Master Kuang-ch'in’s teachings may seem dull at first. 

 

However, I once saw his eyes emit two sword-like beams of light. The sword-like beams were so powerful that anyone who saw them would be left completely stunned!

 

Yet, I struggled to accept his teachings. 

 

Later, I realized an important truth. 

 

For instance, if you enter deep meditation and witness someone committing murder in the past, you might see the act itself but not the historical and situational context behind it. 

 

If that person was a soldier living in a time of war, their act of killing should be understood differently. 

 

This highlights the difference between “knowing what it is ” and “understanding why it is.” 

 

The latter allows for deeper reflection and broader understanding. 

 

So simply seeing someone commit murder doesn’t tell the full story. I’d rather pursue “understanding why” than just knowing the surface facts. 

 

I believe I’ve written about some of this before, and I won’t bother to go back to find it out.

 

Master Banji

 (1945年波茨坦宣言會議處的花The flowers at the location where the Potsdam Declaration was signed in 1945)

南禪新竹讀書會

https://youtu.be/9E5Idc2QBI0?si=wq9uZjCo-sBFEex7

 https://youtu.be/h229-5bA9MM?si=1LuOy5w_jykpI2zf

https://youtu.be/OM2VCX8curQ?si=nD6l90oW1Cr9hTUq

https://youtu.be/OM2VCX8curQ?si=iEmoLYeuklww6485

補充說明 Additional clarification

 

補充說明

大家好！

我所解釋的「三世實有，法體恆存」是不符合《俱舍

論》論意的，是我根據實地的「意識」內容做出簡單的說明。

下面的截圖指出這些貪瞋慢到達「三世」的時候，事實上是沒完沒了，

 

這種遍行在我看來是非常累的，用現代語如果直接說；修行者沒把貪瞋慢處理好是比較明快的，

貪瞋慢再冠上「三世」把情緒拉的好遙遠去做解說！

 

 所以我按照我個人修行的經驗解釋一下部派佛教的看法。

謹提供另一個觀點。

 

半寄

 

Additional clarification

 

Hello everyone!

The explanation I gave about " the Three Times truly exist, and the Dharma essence exists forever" does not align with the interpretation in the *Abhidhamma*. It is a simple explanation based on the actual "consciousness" content. The screenshot below shows that when greed, hatred, and delusion reach the "Three Times," they are, in fact, endless.

 

This kind of pervasive influence seems very exhausting to me. In modern terms, I would simply say that practitioners who have not dealt with their greed, hatred, and delusion will find the path to enlightenment slower. When greed, hatred, and delusion are stretched across the "Three Times," it complicates the emotions, making them seem distant and more difficult to explain.

 

So, based on my personal practice experience, I am offering an explanation of the views in early Buddhism. I am simply providing another viewpoint.

 

Master Banji

（資料來源漢文大藏經）

 

台南3月讀書會重點 補充說明4

補充說明4 Supplement 4

台南3月讀書會重點 補充說明4

 

「三世實有，法體恆存」這個問題，如果不帶入佛教的三法印，其實是世界性的問題。

全世界各宗派修行者實在是太多了，這裡面會有「個人的道果存在。」

 

我記得去捷克旅遊的時候，住進一間古老的改裝教堂旅館，起初我也不以為意，

但同團的人，同一組人換了兩次房間，

我在其他的旅行裡面沒有碰過換兩次房間的例子，而且都是真的硬體有問題。

 

然後就看到一些已往生的天主教神父跟修士們很忙碌還在那家旅館向我展示他們是當地的知識分子與研究的天文學。

 

一整夜我就看他們在我的房間進進出出拿他們要研究的工具，因為房間本來就是他們的寢室。

還會跟我打聲招呼！

 

人世間奮鬥完以後的財產，大家都想盡辦法看要怎麼保留下來，所以延伸了很多、很多的問題。

修行者辛苦的道果他怎麼捨得丟咧！

「法體恆存」反應出永恆的想法，道出修行者對道果的眷戀。

 

佛陀時代是直接就從修道、證果到涅槃。

佛陀以後《俱舍論》已經是部派佛教，有人走了有人不想走，所以討論到道果存在的問題。

「三世實有」可以解讀為我已經藉修行看到人的生命會在輪迴裡面延續，既然這樣那我所修成的福也會跟著延續，

所以「三世實有」裡面就看不到無我的蹤跡，反而發展出唯識學派。

（這是簡單論述一下）

 

我認為「三世實有，法體恆存」的問題，也是個人的資質的問題，你不配合無常、無我，到底能走多遠那就是個人的造化了！

 

半寄

 

Supplement 4

 

The issue of " the Three Times truly exist, and the Dharma essence exists forever" is, in fact, a universal one if we don't include the Buddhist Three Dharma Seals. There are many practitioners from different traditions worldwide, and this involves the "personal fruition of the path."

 

I remember when I traveled to the Czech Republic, I stayed in an ancient converted church hotel. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but the people in my group had to change rooms twice. I’ve never encountered this in other trips, when it was not due to issues the facilities.

 

Later, I saw some deceased Catholic priests and monks busily moving in and out of the hotel, showing me they were local intellectuals and astronomers, as if still continuing their work. I spent the whole night watching them move in and out of my room, carrying the tools they needed for their research. The room had originally been their sleeping quarters. They even greeted me!

 

After a lifetime of striving, people try to preserve their possessions, leading to many questions. How could a practitioner easily abandon his hard-earned spiritual achievements?

" the Dharma essence exists forever " reflects the desire for eternity and reveals the practitioner's deep attachment to their spiritual achievements.

 

In the Buddha's time, the path of practice, realization, and entry into Nirvana were direct. After the death of the Buddha, with the Abhidharma-kosha (Compendium of the Abhidharma), Buddhism had already divided into various schools, leading to discussions about the existence of spiritual accomplishments.

 

The statement "The Three Times truly exist" can be interpreted as realizing through practice that human life continues within the cycle of reincarnation. Therefore, the merits one has cultivated will also continue.  In this view of "the Three Times truly exist," there is no trace of non-self (anatta), which eventually led to the development of the Yogacara school. (This is a simple explanation.)

 

I believe that the question of "the Three Times truly exist, and the Dharma essence exists forever" is also a matter of personal capacity. If one does not align with impermanence and non-self, how far one can go depends on individual fate and potential.

 

Master Banji

(Chimei Museum Exhibition)

  臺灣奇美博物館展出