問題回覆 : 耳根圓通 Response to the Question of“Perfect Penetration via Hearing”

問題回覆 : 耳根圓通

 

關於觀音菩薩的耳根圓通，我們直接看下面(AI資料)第四點，

 

華人似乎很喜歡「動、靜」是不用分別的，

 

我想請問：人體的感官可能做到這個點嗎？

人體如何在吵雜的聲音裡面感受到安靜，或是肉體受到攻擊的時候，

修行者必須忍辱到沒有感覺？

 

我後來說：雜亂無章的佛法，

乾脆請佛陀割肉餵鷹，活著的肉體都要割完了，才叫布施？！

 

把佛法往不可能或殘酷的方向說去，

只要冠上「無上道的意義」一樣切後世傳誦的佛法暢行無阻。

 

四聖果是人體可以完成的，

佛法被陳義到反而去推崇身體以外不能碰觸的宇宙世界，

那你要這個方法幹什麼？

你碰不到啊？

 

就算是四聖果的阿羅漢，聲音還是聲音，肉體一樣會死亡，

而都沒有分別了！ 沒有分別是什麼意義呢？感官知覺全部打死嗎？

 

天哪！我已經很有耐心在回答問題，這種問題我以前都丟到垃圾桶。

 

「耳根」就是耳朵聽到什麼話，具有判斷的能力，不去隨著話語搖擺，

這是「耳根」，一樣沒有脫離肉體器官，而不是有什麼弦外之音！

 

根據考證《楞嚴經》是偽經，相關學術資料請讀者自己去查了。

半寄

 

以下AI資料 「耳根圓通」是什麼？ 「耳根」：是指「耳識」、「聽覺的根本」，即從聽聞聲音入門修行。 「初於聞中，入流亡所，所入既寂，動靜二相，了然不生……」 這段話意思是： 1.「初於聞中」：從「聽聲音」入手。 2.「入流亡所」：不是跟著聲音外流去聽，而是反聞自性，往內聽「聲音的來源」。 3.「所入既寂」：內觀的心逐漸寂靜、無聲。 4.「動靜二相，了然不生」：對聲音（動）與靜默（靜）不再分別，心如虛空，不執著於聲音的有無。 這就是耳根圓通的核心修法──反聞聞自性，性成無上道。

 

Response to the Question of“Perfect Penetration via Hearing”

 

On Avalokiteśvara’s “complete liberation through hearing,” let’s consider point 4 from the AI reference below.

 

It seems many Chinese Buddhists like to say that "movement and stillness are the same."

But I want to ask: Can the human body really do that?

How can the body feel calm amidst noise?

Or if under physical attack, should a practitioner endure to the extent of being numb?

 

I then said: If we keep misrepresenting Dharma like this, we might as well interpret “generosity” as the Buddha slicing off all his flesh for a bird—until none is left!

 

When Dharma is glorified with extreme or impossible ideals, everything becomes acceptable once labeled as “supreme.”

 

The Four Stages of Enlightenment are something humans can actually reach. However, what’s the purpose when the teachings glorify some realm beyond physical experience? Practitioners can’t even access it.

 

Even arhats still hear, still die.

If there’s no distinction, does that mean sensory function is nullified?

 

Honestly, I’ve responded patiently. I used to dismiss these questions entirely.

 

"Faculty of hearing" means the ear hears words and has the power to judge them without being swayed.

It is still a physical sense and not something beyond the body or filled with hidden meanings.

 

Also, according to research, the Śūraṅgama Sūtra is not considered authentic. Readers can look it up themselves.

 

Master Banji

 

AI Data The Practice of “Perfect Penetration via Hearing” "Faculty of hearing" means our ability to hear—   The term “faculty of hearing” refers to auditory awareness—using sound as a starting point for spiritual practice.   In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the passage states: "Begin with hearing, reverse the flow, enter silence; when silence is complete, movement and stillness no longer arise."   Explanation: Begin with hearing: Use auditory perception as the point of entry.   Reverse the flow: Instead of following sounds outward, direct awareness inward to observe the origin of hearing.   Enter silence: As attention deepens, the mind becomes calm and silent.   Movement and stillness no longer arise: There is no longer a distinction between sound and silence; the mind is spacious, unattached to presence or absence of sound.   This is the core of the “ear-consciousness method of liberation”: to reverse hearing and realize the self-nature, thereby attaining the supreme path.

 

讀者回饋

 

就跟「善根」有異曲同工之妙？

 

半寄回應：

是的。耳朵聽到還要大腦判斷，單獨的器官是不能獨立運作的。

 

還有大德想知道我對「心與心所」的看法，

前面的文章有提過，它是部派佛教論師對心理的分析跟做出一種修行遵循的次序，

人要對自己這麼了解自己，一定要有入定經驗，

但入定會浸在喜樂裡，修行者也不見得想再了解這些，

之前說過了在入定跟出定之間跑來跑去，其實也很累，

所以呢？我不會講。哈

廢話！

 

半寄

 

Reader’s feedback

 

Q:Is it somewhat analogous to the idea of“wholesome roots”?

 

Banji replied:

Yes.

The ears may hear, but the brain still has to make a judgment—no single organ can function independently.

 

Some laymen also want to know how I see “mind and mental factors.”

As I mentioned in earlier posts, this is an analysis by Abhidharma scholars in sectarian Buddhism, laying out a psychological framework and a sequence to follow in practice.

 

To truly understand yourself this deeply, meditative experience (samādhi) is essential.

 

However, entering samādhi is often so blissful that practitioners may no longer feel the need to analyze such things.

As I’ve said before, moving back and forth between entering and exiting samādhi can be exhausting.

So then? I have no more to say. Laughs.

Pointless talk!

 

Master Banji

七處徵心8 -9Seven Places the Mind Is Sought 8 -9

七處徵心8

 

我個人對禪宗的研究是：

華人禪師大部分的開悟來自「言語道斷，心行處滅」這個境界，

 

到達這個程度的禪師或者行菩薩道，或者涅槃，參考下面截圖長沙景岑禪師。

 

華人禪師採用對佛法的了解方式，

是用逼迫自己的方式-苦參，

苦參容易把自己逼上絕境，

「絕後再蘇」的結果，

是「言語道斷，心行處滅」的體悟。

 

但這畢竟是苦苦逼出來的結果，

跟去懂空法、無常、無我之間的邏輯是截然不同的，

 

這也導致每個開悟的禪師所說出來的佛法是南轅北轍的。

 

南轅北轍的開示指點，也讓追隨者嘗試在禪師的話語裡面捕風捉影，

 

而實質上最具體的內容「言語道斷，心行處滅」，

是介於「四禪天」與「非非想」的體會。

 

這些大腦已達盡頭的具體深入，

可以用入定或專注思考無常、無我的經驗，

便能看懂藏在字面下的意義。

半寄

 

 

Seven Places the Mind Is Sought 8

 

In my research on Chan (Zen) Buddhism, I’ve found that many Chinese Chan masters become enlightened through a deep state where words no longer work and the mind becomes completely still.

 

When a master reaches this point, they might continue practicing as a Bodhisattva or enter Nirvana. One example is Master Changsha Jingcen, as shown in the screenshot below.

 

Chinese Chan masters usually try to understand the Dharma by pushing themselves very hard—this is called “bitter inquiry.” This harsh approach pushes them into a breaking point, where a “rebirth after extinction” leads to the realization of “speech ends, and mental activity stops”.

 

But this type of enlightenment is the result of intense struggle. It’s very different from understanding śūnyatā, impermanence, and non-self through reasoning.

 

That’s why different masters often explain the enlightenment in very different ways, often contradicting one another..

 

These contrasting teachings have led followers to grasp some elusive meaning from the master’s words, hoping to uncover hidden truths.

 

In fact, the experience of “speech cut off, mind still” is somewhere between the meditative states of the Fourth Dhyāna and “neither perception nor non-perception.”

When the brain has reached its limits and experienced this deep state, someone who has practiced deep meditation or reflected on impermanence and non-self can understand the meaning behind such words.

 

Master Banji

 

 

 

七處徵心9

 

讀者從《愣嚴經》七處徵心1看過來，應該可以理解到一個事實，關於「心」的看法於佛法，它不是抽象概念。

 

以修行而言，人體的感官知覺從初禪到四禪亦是由粗到細膩的過程，

感官知覺就算到達「非想非非想」的微弱，修行者也一路清楚於每個節奏，「心（意）解脫，身作證」。

 

這種由修行者累積的功力，稱做

「如來藏心」、「真如」「轉識成智」或是「言語道斷，心行處滅」，

 

也因修行者自我的認知不一，而說出不同的形容詞。

 

至於我個人的認知是；

佛陀制定的四聖果，

配合四禪八定，便已完整。

 

（當然，想進入無常、無我，龍樹菩薩的《中觀論、空論》是首選）

 

半寄

Seven Places the Mind Is Sought 9

 

Readers who have followed the ŚūraṅgamaSūtra’s " Seven Places the Mind Is Sought " series from the beginning should now see now that, in Buddhist teachings, the "mind" is not merely an abstract concept.

 

In meditative cultivation, the body’s sensory awareness refines progressively from the coarseto the subtle as one advances through the four Dhyānas. Even when reaching the extremely subtle state of "neither perception nor non-perception," the practitioner remains acutely aware of each phase. This is the realization of liberation of the mind (or intention), confirmed through the body (citta-vimutti kāyena phusitvā).

 

This refinement, born of sustained spiritual practice, is variously named:  "Tathāgatagarbhamind," "suchness" (tathatā), "transforming consciousness into wisdom," or “speech ends, and mental activity stops”

 

Different people use different words depending on how they understand themselves through practice.

 

From my perspective, the Four Stages of Enlightenment set by the Buddha, combined with the Four Dhyānas and Eight Concentrations, already form a complete path.

 

(Of course, for those wishing to explore impermanence and non-self more deeply, Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā and his teachings on śūnyatā are the best sources.)

 

Master Banji

 

七處徵心6-7 Seven Places the Mind is Sought 6-7

七處徵心6

 

這兩天我在查資料的時候，看到中國唐代窺基法師（632-683）想起一件事來，

 

從來，個人對禪宗的「印心」都覺得這個詞怪怪的，

 

甚至於連玄奘法師的《唯識學》教授也是「秘密的印心」讓我感到驚訝！

 

《唯識學》已經發展成一派學說，

學問不是能理解跟不能理解的問題嗎？為什麼會是秘密的傳授？

 

「秘密的印心」是佛教傳到中國才發展的嗎？

還是後來的佛學者對「秘密」充滿了更大的渴望。

是「秘密印心」才不可思議？

 

那佛學者的理解能力該擺在哪裡？

 

印度的舍利弗尊者連見到佛陀都沒有就證悟（完全理解）

，

那他接受誰的「秘密印心」？

 

還好我沒有掉入那些秘密的陷阱，

走了自己的路，現在回頭想超可怕的。

 

一些佛法的爭議、爭論一直沒有辦法解開，

卻不斷往秘密處去提升佛法傳法者與受法者之間的秘密印心。

 

印心不就是老師對學生承認他修學有成嗎？

 

盡往秘密處說，

反而把該說清楚的佛法拋諸腦後。

半寄

 

Seven Places the Mind is Sought 6

 

While I was doing research these past two days, something I read about the Tang Dynasty monk Kuiji (632–683) reminded me of something.

 

I've always found the Chan Buddhist term "mind-seal" a bit strange. 

 

Even Master Xuanzang’s teaching of Yogācārainvolved a “secret mind-seal,” which really surprised me!

 

Yogācāra has already developed into a full-fledged philosophical system. Isn’t understanding it simply a matter of study and comprehension? Why should it require some secret transmission?

 

Did this idea of a “secret mind-seal” only emerge after Buddhism came to China? Or did later Buddhists become more obsessed with the idea of “secrecy”? Is it only when something is secret that it feels mysterious or profound?

 

If so, where does that leave a scholar’s own ability to understand?

 

Even in India, the great Śāriputra attained enlightenment without ever seeing the Buddha in person—he completely understood the teachings. So whose “secret mind-seal” did he receive?

 

Thankfully, I never fell into the trap of these so-called secret teachings. I followed my own path—and now, looking back, it’s scary to think about how easy it is to get lost.

 

Some debates in Buddhism have never been resolved, yet people keep trying to elevate things by talking about a secret mind-seal between teacher and student.

 

But isn’t the mind-seal just a way for a teacher to acknowledge that the student has achieved something in their practice?

 

Always talking about “secrets” ends up pushing aside the parts of Buddhism that should be explained clearly.

 

Master Banji

 

七處徵心7

 

前兩天有讀者留言說：入定不能解脫。

 

入定是不能解脫，但入定可以讓修行者的感官起變化，

 

聽聞佛陀講的因緣法、無常、無我到達完全清楚明白，也可以有這種功力。

 

無論你是從入定或是從聽聞佛法到達感官知覺起變化，修行者對身體的狀態都是清楚的。

 

去練習入定，或練習熟識因緣法也是從陌生到深入，

入定不能解脫，已經是入過定的修行者在說的話，

 

但我們一般人沒有這種經驗的時候，無法知道入定後感官起的變化，

 

至少入定可以幫助「根」的穩定，

一般人容易動搖沒有力量的理念包括佛法，

 

入定後會加強「理念的力量」加速修行路的腳力。

 

這一切的種種修行者自己是處於一清二楚的狀態，

 

印心，只是一種對佛法修持經驗或理解的認可，

而不是一種秘密。

 

入定是不能解脫，但你在修行路上兩手空空的時候，

你憑什麼往前？

半寄

 

Seven Places the Mind Is Sought 7

 

A reader commented a few days ago: “Entering deep meditation (samādhi) cannot lead to liberation.”

 

It’s true that samādhi alone doesn’t bring liberation.

However, samādhi can cause a shift in the practitioner’s sensory experience.

 

Likewise, by deeply understanding what the Buddha taught — dependent origination, impermanence, and non-self — a practitioner can also develop such inner clarity.

 

Whether one reaches this change in perception through  samādhi or through hearing and contemplating the Dharma, a true practitioner remains clearly aware of their body and mind.

 

Practicing meditation, or familiarizing oneself with the principle of dependent origination, both go from unfamiliar to deeply understood.

The idea that “Samadhi doesn’t bring liberation” is something said by those who’ve already experienced deep meditation.

 

But for ordinary people with no such experience, it’s hard to imagine how samādhi can affect the senses.

 

At the very least, samādhi helps stabilize the “roots” — our inner foundations.

Most people are easily shaken and lack strength, even in their faith in the Dharma.

Samadhi strengthens that inner conviction and gives more energy for the path of practice.

 

In all of this, the practitioner remains clearly and consciously aware.

 

“Mind-seal” is simply a recognition of one’s understanding or experience of practicing the Dharma.

It is not some kind of secret.     

Samadhi doesn’t lead to liberation, but when you’re empty-handed on the path of practice,

what do you rely on to keep moving forward?

Master Banji

 

 

七處徵心5 Seven Places the Mind is Sought 5

七處徵心5

 

有關「大天五事」大天說的內容，

 

先說這裡：

證入聖道，從善根具足開始就已經在養成力量，

 

「根」可視爲不動搖的代表。

 

證入初果有了法眼淨可以看到前面的路該怎麼走，

對於善惡的拿捏更是超越，

 

佛法聖果位並不是儒家思想講的只是當個善人而已，

 

它必須具足一種力量跟智慧才能證入佛法聖果位，

 

入佛法聖果位，從初果到四聖果其實是一大段路的完備與成熟。

整個修行路培養出來的智慧跟力量是不容小覷的，

 

而從善根具足到初果的力量，就已經可以做很多事情。

 

我個人對佛陀強迫難陀的出家目前有不同的看法，

是不是佛陀自己在修行成功以後，

看到釋迦族的前途將被戰爭吞噬，

進而強迫釋迦族子弟出家，修行增加抵抗的力量-避難！

 

佛陀本身成就的事，跟做的事情就記載無數。

 

佛法修行是人去做修證，人群裡面會有不同的見解，

還有人修證後的世界，依然跟人世間有關聯。

 

見解不同造成的分裂可以接受，

 

但大天說證羅漢果位以後還是要常常說苦哉、苦哉，

 

感覺很好笑，他都沒有其他事可以做嗎？

 

因為羅漢果的力量可以做很多事，

不去做事情，

還在那裡天天說苦，

感覺根本是外行人的欺騙

 

再說，有些記載提及鈍根阿羅漢，有關四聖果的無色愛，

也就是精神世界的執著，

不具足相當的智慧是不可能超越的，

由此，鈍根阿羅漢必須再研究。

 

大天在這說法裡面把「苦跟空」都拉了進來，

看起來好像是佛法，

苦不用說，

「空」的問題根本就是思考題，那並不是你喊苦，就可以懂得，

 

相信佛學者願意在這裡深思，很多問題可以破解。

 

你要修的一定是讓你力量跟大腦思考程度進步的佛法，

而不是只是很苦的印度文化。

 

半寄

 

 Seven Places the Mind is Sought 5

 

Let’s talk about the “five theses” of Mahādeva.

 

To reach the noble path, one starts by developing wholesome roots.

These roots already help build strength.

These “roots” symbolize immovability — unwavering stability. 

 

When someone reaches the first stage of enlightenment (Sotāpanna), they gain “Dharma eye” and can clearly see how to walk the path ahead.

They understand good and evil in a much deeper way.

 

Becoming a Buddhist saint isn’t just about being a good person, like Confucianism says.

It takes real power and wisdom to reach these stages.

 

Entering the noble attainments in Buddhism—from the first fruit (Sotāpanna) to the fourth (Arahant)—is a long path of gradually clarifying and becoming familiar with the nature of the four fruitions, until one reaches a more complete understanding.The wisdom and strength gained from practice are truly powerful.

Even before reaching the first fruit, a practitioner can already do many helpful things.

 

I now see the Buddha’s decision to make Nanda become a monk in a different way.

Maybe after the Buddha became enlightened, he saw that the Śākya clan would face destruction in war.

So he encouraged or even forced young people from the clan to join the monkhood — to gain spiritual strength and protection.

 

There are many stories about what the Buddha achieved and did.

Buddhist practice is done by people, and people have different views.

Even after awakening, they’re still part of the human world.

 

So, it’s natural that people may have disagreements.

 

But it seems ridiculous that Mahādeva said arahants (enlightened ones) still often cry “Suffering! Suffering!”

Don’t they have other things to do?

 

Arahants have the power to do a lot. If they just sit there constantly lamenting suffering, it seems like a deception by someone who doesn’t understand the path.

 

Moreover, some texts mention dull-facultied arahants and their attachment to spiritual things (like formless realms).

Without sufficient wisdom, this cannot be overcome.

Therefore, dull-facultied arahants should be studied further. 

 

In Mahādeva’s view, suffering and śūnyatā are both mentioned.

It sounds Buddhist on the surface, but suffering is one thing —“śūnyatā” is actually something that needs deep thinking. 

It cannot be grasped merely by exclaiming about suffering.

I believe when earnest Buddhist scholars contemplate this deeply, many problems can be resolved through such reflection.

 

What you practice should help you strengthen both your inner power and the clarity of your mind— not just make you feel the pain of Indian culture.

 

Master Banji