立足點的平等4 Equality of Starting Points 4

立足點的平等4

 

讀者想聽聽，我對佛教慈悲觀點「同體大悲」的看法。

 

乍看「同體大悲」的觀點時，個人是完全接受的，

又或許我是天生的實踐者，

想知道「同體大悲」能做到哪個程度？

所以我常會去測試自我的人性，

測試自己聽起來好像很荒謬，我卻常常執行它，主因是我渴望理解什麼是具體的修行。

 

測試的結果，我自己的人性起了更強烈求生欲與求知欲，

「同體大悲」最高級別要求的是布施都沒有留下自己的生活份量，

就像故事中佛陀割肉餵食老鷹一樣，活生生的人去割肉餵食老鷹？

 

好奇故事內容真假的我，也會試試自己在ㄧ無所有下的感受，之後，可以確認那是虛擬的內容，

但凡是人，都必定在有所依歸的情況下活著，這是肯定的。

 

所以，目前我提供的想法，都是自己經歷過才說或寫出來，絕不寫、說自己沒測試或理解過的思維。

 

當然，虛雲老和尚當年尚在人間時，人在香港，卻自願回中國受難，體現「同體大悲」的氣勢，至今依然感動萬千佛教徒。

 

 

讀者反應說：立足點的平等式，

那中間我們跟虛老的立足點平等是什麼🤔

 

這個是沒有研究過虛老的大德在說的！

他老人家19歲出家，60歲才開悟，而且是夜與繼日的努力，

我也19歲開始修行，卻不能想像熬到60歲的痛苦，

那對我個人而言是恐怖的、不明就裡的無端折磨。

 

設使，虛老看到「四聖果」的修持方法後，是否修行生涯，徹底的不同？

 

再說；虛老被打的死去活來，雖說他可以入定，

但他一旦出定的痛苦跟我們是一樣的，

肉體的痛苦一樣，但精神的痛苦不一樣，

他的肉體痛苦不會導致他精神狂亂，這是道力的加被結果。

 

但如果有其他的路可以選擇，我想連大菩薩都不會去做這種事的。

人體的痛苦一樣，

精神世界的感受不一樣，

但你說肉體不會影響精神嗎？

似乎是不可能的，

最高等級就是精神不會狂亂。

半寄

 

Equality of Starting Points 4

 

Readers would like to hear my thoughts on the Buddhist concept of “compassion that comes from seeing all beings as one”

 

At first glance, I fully accepted this teaching—perhaps because I naturally tend to practice it. I’ve always been curious about how far “Great Compassion as Oneness” can actually be taken. That is why I often test my own humanity. It may sound strange, but I do it regularly because I want to understand what concrete spiritual practice truly means.

 

Through this process, my will to survive and my desire to understand truth have only intensified. The ideal of Oneness-Compassion appears to demand complete self-giving—to the point of leaving nothing for one’s own survival, like the story of the Buddha offering his flesh to an eagle. But could any living person truly perform such an act? My curiosity about the literal truth behind such stories has driven me to experiment with circumstances of having “nothing.” These experiences confirm that the stories are symbolic. As human beings, we inevitably survive with some form of support—this is indisputable.

 

Everything I offer—whether spoken or written—comes from experience. I never discuss concepts that I have not personally tested or understood.

 

For instance, Venerable Master Hsu Yun, when he was still alive, voluntarily returned from Hong Kong to mainland China to face great suffering. His willingness to do so remains profoundly moving for countless Buddhists, even today.

 

 

 

 

Some readers question: “If compassion is founded on equality, "what is the equal footing between us and the Venerable Master Xu Yun?”

 

Such questions typically arise from those unfamiliar with his life. He ordained at nineteen and attained enlightenment until 60—after decades of relentless, day-and-night effort. I also started practicing at 19, but I cannot even imagine enduring that much hardship until 60. To me, it sounds terrifying—an incomprehensible, seemingly endless trial.

 

If Venerable Master Hsu Yun had encountered the cultivation methods associated with the Four Stages of Enlightenment, would his spiritual path have unfolded differently?

 

Furthermore, although he could enter deep meditative absorption even when beaten nearly to death, the pain he felt upon emerging from that state would have been as intense as for any of us. The physical pain was the same; what differed was the mind. His spirit did not collapse—that was the fruit of his spiritual attainment.

 

However, if there had been another path available, I think even a great Bodhisattva would choose to avoid such intense physical suffering. Human bodies experience pain universally, though our inner responses differ. Still, can physical pain truly have no effect on the mind? That seems impossible. At the highest level, the mind simply refrains from falling into chaos.

 

Master Banji

 

 

立足點的平等3 Equality of Starting Points 3

 立足點的平等3

 

前面的文章都提過，從佛陀提出的「破身見」到「無色愛」（精神體的解脫），要完成有一定程度的困難。

 

但這整個過程都是在人性裡面可以掌握的，

例如；自己對已經有的成就戀戀不捨，這個自己完全清楚，（取捨與否另當別論）

 

這種對自我的清楚度，除了在修行可以使用，在所有的地方都是一樣的，

只有清楚自我的人們才能再突破。

 

只要抓住自己一個阻礙點，不管三年、五年我個人都會想辦法把它突破。

像「無我——空」的清晰與突破至少在裡面用功超過30年，而這整個過程，我個人非常清楚自己的進度，

 

這種內容度的清晰，也促使自己對佛學的掌握度整個提昇，

 

佛法確定是平凡人可以修持的，

只要願意動腦，願意思考一下自己的內心層次，必定人人有所得益。

 

在人性的立足點上出發，

只有佛陀教授的修證方法與系統給予「人」完全的肯定，

 

平凡如我，每踏入一步佛法的內容，常驚呼這怎麼可能，法跟人之間竟然可以融合！

 

而這只依據佛法就可達到，

是的——人性立足點的平等，促使人性得到轉寰的空間。

半寄

 

Equality of Starting Points 3

As mentioned earlier, going from the Buddha’s teaching of “dismantling the identity view” to fully releasing “formless attachment” (the liberation of the mental body)is not easy.

 

But everything in this process is something we can understand as human beings.

For example, when we don’t want to let go of something we’ve achieved, we actually know very clearly what we’re doing—even if we don’t want to change.

 

This kind of self-awareness is useful not only in spiritual practice but in everyday life.

Only when we see ourselves clearly can we move forward.

 

Whenever I recognize an inner obstacle, I commit to overcoming it—even if it takes three or five years.

Understanding “non-self and śūnyatā” took me over thirty years of effort, and during that time, I always knew exactly where I was in my practice.

 

This clarity has helped me understand Buddhism much more deeply.

 

The Dharma is, without doubt, a path ordinary people can follow.
If we are willing to think and examine one’s inner mind, everyone can benefit.

 

Starting from human nature,

only the Buddha’s discipline and system of realizationtruly affirm the value of being human.

 

As an ordinary person, each step I take into the Dharma amazes me—how can the teachings fit so naturally with human experience?

 

And all of this can be achieved through the Dharma alone.

Yes—this equality grounded in human nature creates the space for true transformation.

 

Master Banji

 

 

立足點的平等1-2 A Fair Starting Point1-2

 立足點的平等1

在讀書會裡，我說我無法接受北傳佛教所主張的：佛與菩薩早已成道，如今只是「示現」給我們看而已。
這樣的觀念與《聖經》中上帝的概念十分相似，
而一旦套用到佛法的修行上，顯得極為矛盾。

在徹底檢視這個問題之後，我選擇只接受南傳佛法所教的四聖果——也就是逐步削弱人性的貪、瞋、癡「薄」，

理由很簡單：這些煩惱本來就是人性的一部分。
既然經典記錄了它們，就表示它們是可以被修持、被轉化的——而不是佛菩薩因為沒有這些人性，卻來「示範」人性給我們看。

例如，《虛雲老和尚年譜》就記載老和尚在六十歲時才大徹大悟。
這漫長的等待與艱辛的歷程，風雪滄桑，
正反映任何具有人性的人在修行路上都會遇到的焦慮。

也正是這份焦慮，促使人奮力追求開悟，因此虛老的故事讓人覺得格外親切、貼近。
既使當時，我自己也處於焦慮，佛法還沒有著落。

在充分思考後，我捨棄了那種認為「在人性背後還有某個更超越的神秘存在」的想法。

放下這些顧慮，使我得以直接朝超越人性前進——後來也證明了這樣的判斷是正確的。

佛陀所教的佛法，是超越人性與思想體系的結合，
無論佛法歷經多少變化，解脫始終是面對並超越人性本身而來。

這就是立足點的平等，
也是未經人為捏造/修飾的佛法真實性。

半寄

 A Fair Starting Point 1

 

In the study club, I said that I can’t accept the Mahayana idea that buddhas and bodhisattvas became enlightened long ago and now just “act it out” for us. 

Such an idea resembles the idea of a biblical God, and it becomes profoundly inconsistent when applied toBuddhist practice.

 

After examining this issue thoroughly, I chose to accept only the Theravāda teaching that the Four Stages of Enlightenment involve gradually weakening humangreed, anger, and confusion. The reason is simple: these defilements are part of human nature. 

Since the scriptures record them, it means they can be cultivated and transformed—not that buddhas and bodhisattvas, lacking human nature, are “demonstrating” humanity for our sake.

 

For example, The Chronicle of Master Xuyun shows that he became enlightened at the old age of 60. This long wait and difficult journey reflects the anxiety anyone with human nature would experience on the path. It’s exactly this worry that people to strive for enlightenment, and that’s why his story feels so comforting and familiar. I, too, felt this anxiety, even when I had not yet really understood Buddhist Dharma.

 

Once I thought this through, I discarded the idea that some superior, transcendent being stands behind human nature. This release of concern allowed me to move directly toward transcending human nature—an approach that I have since confirmed to be correct.

 

What the Buddha taught unites transcending human nature with transcending conceptual systems. Regardless of how the Dharma has changed over time, liberation always comes from working with human nature itself. This is the equality of our starting point, and it is the authenticity of the Dharma unaltered by human invention.

 

Master Banji

立足點的平等2

 

至於《唯識學》的平等性智跟分別到底差在哪裡？

（AI，關於「分別」與「智」：

 

• 在唯識學中，通常有這樣的說法：「不分別是智，分別是識。）

 

對比一般的平等觀點：

 

立足點的平等，

如同教育機會的平等。

而不是齊頭式平等。

 

所謂智慧是一個大觀點，而其中必須深論的運用觀點是不斷在延續與進ㄧ步細究的。

 

當修行者有了唯識四種大智慧時，要落實在人間，還是必須分出細節。

 

觀察歷代華人祖師大德的言論，每一位證入佛法的修行者都充滿智慧，但每位大德的行事風格都迥然不同。

 

而我個人認為齊頭式的平等，誰都做不到。

 

如果只賦予立足點的平等，將給予佛法更高的活潑度。

半寄

 

Equality of Starting Points 2

 

Regarding how Yogācāra’s Wisdom of Equality differs from discriminative thinking:
(A brief clarification from AI on “discrimination” and “wisdom”:

• In Yogācāra, there is a common saying: “Non-discrimination is wisdom; discrimination is consciousness.”)

In contrast with common notions of equality:

Equality of the starting point, just like equality of educational opportunities, is the goal—not absolute uniformity.

 

Wisdom is a macroscopic view, and its practical application necessitates an ongoing, continuous process of detailed investigation and refinement.

When a practitioner attains the Four Great Wisdoms in Yogācāra, they must still differentiate and elaborate on the details for it to be implemented in the human world.

 

Observing the teachings of past Chinese Buddhist Patriarchs and Virtuous Masters, every realized practitioner is full of wisdom, yet each one acted in distinct styles.

 

I personally believe that absolute uniformity is fundamentally impracticable.

If we grant only equality of the starting point, it will bestow greater vitality and flexibility upon the Buddha Dharma.

 

Master Banji

 

 

惡緣Challenging Negative Karmic Ties

 惡緣

讀者說：我沒有提到跟父母的惡緣怎麼處理？

面對惡緣除了要有智慧以外，還要提高警覺，因為我們的社會一直是隱惡揚善的，尤其在宗教這區域，都不希望去提到與父母的惡緣，

但這也無法抹煞，惡緣家庭的悲劇存在。

（不要一廂情願，認為家庭惡緣就是去還債，

那是錯誤的，

你只會不斷被剝削，一定要有大腦）

 

人與人的惡緣其實無時無刻都在的，我認為面對惡緣需要讓自己備足智慧資糧還要冷靜有耐心的應付，

 

通過這種考驗不只是成為好人而已，我看都已經堅毅不拔而可以很好的立足於世上了！

 

社會上也提供了很多有關於這一方面的協助，

人當然沒辦法都是堅強的，必要的時候就求助於社會資源吧！

半寄

 

惡緣回應

文/郭芳純

 

父母親是生我們的人跟他有惡緣，最好是這一輩子做一個舒緩讓自己好過。

 

1.如果可以跟父母親稍微先試水溫，稍微聊一下過去不舒服的點，我想有幫助父母（也許父母也想表達那時候的不得不或困難點，不是有意如此或是抗拒反駁，．．．都有可能）；

對自己有幫助，再次敍述也再次讓自己清楚自己的痛點及淡化。但是有些父母親是不能聊的，所以要聊第一次，你只能輕輕帶到，看他們的反應如何。只能輕輕說出你個人的感覺。

 

2. 如果父母親可以聊，再找時間好好說，你也能體會他們的不得不及無奈，但自己那時侯是那麼無助且受傷🤕，現在長大了情況也改變了，也希望自己和自己和解，與父母和解。

 

3. 如果父母親是不能聊的，沒有能力回顧只能用抗拒的方式保護他們自己！那我們就要回到自我療傷的方向，不斷的自我覺察、對話、同理，一次又一次接受自己的情緒，讓自己情感抒發走過，加上有力量無常無我的概念反思撞擊，讓自己往前走，不駐留過去，一段時間過後，驀然回首，原來你已經又往前走了一大段了，意味著進步成長了！行到水窮處做看雲起時！

 

Challenging Negative Karmic Ties

 

A reader asked why I didn’t discuss how to deal with negative karmic ties with one’s parents.

 

When we face painful relationships, we need wisdom and alertness. Society often avoids mentioning problems within families, especially in religious communities. But difficult family situations are real and cannot be ignored.
(Do not assume that negative family ties are simply debts to repay. That is misconception. You may end up repeatedly exploited—please think critically.)

 

Negative karmic relationships appear constantly between people. Dealing with them requires patience, calmness, and enough wisdom.

 

Overcoming such challenges doesn’t only make you virtuous; it also equips you with real strength and resilience to stand firmly in the world.

 

There are many social services available to help. No one can be strong all the time, so reach out for support when you need it.

 

Master Banji

 

 

My Thoughts on Negative Karmic Ties - By Kuo Fang-Chun

 

Since our parents are the ones who gave us life, if we have negative ties with them, the best course is to find a way to alleviate the tension this lifetime to make life better for ourselves.

1. Start by testing the waters. If possible, try to gently talk to your parents about past things that made you feel bad. This might help your parents (maybe they want to explain their difficulties or why they acted that way—it might not have been on purpose or a rejection... all possibilities exist). This also helps you by talking about it, making your pain points clearer, and making them hurt less. But, be careful: some parents are simply not capable of having this conversation. Therefore, the first attempt must be very gentle. See how they react. You should only lightly mention express your personal feelings.

 

2. If they are willing to talk, find a good time to talk honestly. You might understand their difficulties and sadness, and you can share how helpless and hurtyou felt back then. Now that you are grown up and things are different, the goal is to make peace with yourself and with your parents.

 

3. If they cannot talk—if they are incapable of self-reflection and only protect themselves by pushing you away—then you must focus on healing yourself. This means constantly being aware of your feelings, talking to yourself, and being kind to yourself. You need to accept and let your emotions out, over and over. By using the powerful ideas of everything changing (impermanence) and not having a permanent self (non-self) to change your thoughts, you can move forward and not stay stuck in the past. After some time, when you look back, you will realize you have moved a long way ahead—that is real progress and growth! (Walk until the end of the water, then sit down and watch the clouds rise.)(The saying means: When you've done all you can, stop and look for new possibilities.)