大師們The Masters

 大師們

 

有段時間我在研究這些大師級人物，證悟佛法境界的不同，太虛大師（1890-1947，參考下面AI資料）

相關於這些大師級人物，證悟佛法境界的描述內容理解，離現代人太遠，

 

這些年我努力筆耕，也是試圖再把前人走過的路，重新詮釋一遍，讓現代的佛法學習者，更易於理解這些艱澀的內涵。

 

對於華人佛教大師們，我個人最大的理解，是他們各人的思考模式都不相同，所造就的佛法也大大的不同，

而這些不一致的佛法境界，卻都受時代背景影響甚深。

半寄

AI資料: 太虛大師在自傳中詳細記錄了這三次心境的轉變： 1. 第一次證悟：19 歲（閱經開悟） • 地點： 慈谿汶溪西方寺。 • 經過： 當時他在寺中閉關閱讀《大藏經》，當讀到《大般若經》時，突然感到身心世界完全消失，進入一種「空寂靈光」的狀態。 • 影響： 這次經歷讓他對佛法教理有了全新的理解，以前看不懂的禪宗語錄和深奧教義，從此都能隨心活用。他曾形容這是一種「心智玲瓏透脫」的感覺。   2. 第二次證悟：28 歲（禪定證悟） • 地點： 普陀山錫麟禪院（閉關期間）。 • 經過： 一夜他在聽聞寺院清晨的鐘聲時，忽然「心斷」（念頭徹底中斷）。等到再次覺醒時，發現已經過了一整夜。 • 影響： 這次定境讓他對《楞嚴經》和《大乘起信論》中所說的「由覺而不覺」的緣起道理有了親身的證明，自此他的思想重心從「空明幻影」轉向了更有厚度的「淨空明覺」。   3. 第三次證悟：30 歲（唯識現觀） • 地點： 同樣在普陀山閉關期間。 • 經過： 這次是在修習唯識觀時，證悟了「唯識因果」的法相，感悟到世間萬物因果井然紊亂。 • 影響： 這奠定了他後來倡導「唯識學」以及「人間佛教」的理論基礎。）

 

The Masters

 

For a while, I studied several great Buddhist masters

and the different ways they reached enlightenment.

One example is Master Taixu (1890–1947; see the Databelow).

 

For modern readers, the way these masters described their experiences of enlightenment often feels far removed from today’s world, which makes their teachings hard to understand.

 

In recent years, I have kept writing because I want to explain these old paths in a new way, so that modern learners of Buddhism can better understand ideas that once felt difficult and abstract.

 

When it comes to Chinese Buddhist masters, my personal view is that each of them thought in a different way, and this led to very different forms of Buddhist teaching.

Even though their realizations were not the same, all of them were strongly influenced by the times they lived in.

 

Master Banji

AI Data:  Master Taixu clearly recorded these three major changes in his state of mind in his autobiography: 1. First Enlightenment: Age 19 (Insight through Reading Scriptures) • Location: Western Temple of Wenxi, Cixi • What Happened: While staying in seclusion at the temple and reading the Tripitaka, Master Taixu suddenly experienced a profound realization when reading the Great Prajñā Sutra. He felt that his body, mind, and the entire world completely disappeared, entering a state of deep emptiness and clear spiritual light. • Impact: This experience gave him a completely new understanding of Buddhist teachings. Zen sayings and difficult doctrines that once seemed confusing became clear and usable in daily thought. He described this state as having a mind that was clear, flexible, and fully awakened. 2. Second Enlightenment: Age 28 (Realization through Meditation) • Location: Xilin Chan Monastery, Mount Putuo (during a retreat) • What Happened: One early morning, while hearing the temple bell, his thoughts suddenly stopped completely. When he became aware again, he realized that an entire night had passed. • Impact: This deep meditative state allowed him to personally confirm the teachings in the Śūraṅgama Sutra and Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna about how awareness gives rise to delusion. After this experience, his thinking shifted from a focus on “empty and illusory clarity” to a more grounded and balanced state of “pure, empty, and aware clarity.” 3. Third Enlightenment: Age 30 (Direct Insight into Consciousness-Only) • Location: Also during retreat on Mount Putuo • What Happened: While practicing Consciousness-Only (Yogācāra) meditation, he realized the principles of cause and effect within consciousness. He deeply understood that all phenomena in the world arise from orderly yet complex causes and conditions. • Impact: This experience laid the foundation for his later promotion of Consciousness-Only studies and his ideas of Humanistic Buddhism.

 

鑄劍Forging Swords

 鑄劍

 

讀者們好!

 

你研究了無數的劍譜，終究要設法鑄出劍來的，

就算是鈍劍也得努力擁有。

就像1840-1959的中國僧侶虛雲，19歲開始修行，直至56歲證悟佛法，這漫長的37年鑄劍過程，令他焦急不已，

 

然而，不願放手的拼命式努力，換來他的佛法智慧劍的鑄成。

 

佛法的這把劍，用處無限，閃閃亮亮的看著天天舒服。

半寄

 

Forging Swords

Greetings to all readers!

You can read many sword manuals,

but sooner or later, you have to make a sword yourself.

Even if it’s not very sharp, you still need to have one.

 

This is like the Chinese monk Xu Yun (1840–1959).

He started practicing Buddhism at nineteen

and only reached enlightenment at fifty-six.

Those thirty-seven years of effort made him feel very anxious.

 

But because he never gave up and kept pushing himself,

he finally forged a sword of wisdom through Buddhist teachings.

 

This sword of the Dharma can be used in countless ways.

It shines beautifully and feels good to look at every day.

 

Master Banji

 

疑根頓斷The Sudden Cutting Off of the Root of Doubt

疑根頓斷

 

社團的課「立足點的平等」，以虛雲老和尚（1840-1959）爲例，

虛老對其開悟的真實感受是「疑根頓斷」，

我上課時說：

如果你年輕出家到快老了，還看不到對佛法真正認識的跡象，你會不會感覺到絕望？甚至懷疑?

 

虛老講出他最真實的感受，到開悟那一刻對佛法的懷疑才完全釋懷。

 

斷疑，這也是四聖果的初果內容，佛法從來直接了當的指出是「明白」，

明白的喜悅不是宗教信仰可以取代的，

那是自身擁有對佛法的理解能力才能「斷疑」。

 

虛老付出一家子的延續斷送在他手裡的沉重負擔，如再不明白佛法，那不是別人能想的痛。

感謝社團成員，讓我可以縱橫的開講。

半寄

 

截圖文稿 ・開悟時刻:光緒二十一年(1895年) ，五十六歲的虛雲在揚州 高旻寺參加禪七。期間因護七師倒開水時不慎燙到其手，茶杯 應聲墮地破碎，他於此瞬間豁然大悟，疑根頓斷。他以兩首偈 語記錄下此番徹悟的境界，這也成為其一生修行的分水嶺: 「杯子撲落地，響聲明瀝瀝，虚空粉碎也，狂心當下息。」 「燙着手，打碎杯，家破人亡語難開，春到花香處處秀，山河大 地是如來。」 此一悟道經驗，標誌著他從個人修持的「自了」階段，轉向了更為 廣闊的弘法利生事業，為其日後成為一代宗師奠定了堅實的內在基 礎。

 

The Sudden Cutting Off of the Root of Doubt

 

In our study group course, “Equality of Starting Points,”we took Venerable Master Xuyun as an example.
He described his experience of awakening in the most direct terms: “the root of doubt was severed all at once.”

In class, I raised this question:
If one were to ordain early in life and grow old without ever truly understanding the Buddha’s teaching, wouldn’t one feel despair—or even begin to doubt?

 

Master Xuyun shared honestly that only at the moment of awakening did his doubts about the Buddha-Dharma completely disappear.

 

Ending doubt is also what defines the first stage of awakening among the Four Noble Fruits.

The Buddha’s teaching has always pointed directlytoward clear understanding.
The joy of such clarity cannot be replaced by religious faith alone; doubt can only end when one personally understands the Dharma.

 

Master Xuyun carried the heavy burden of ending his family line himself.

If he still could not understand the Buddha-Dharma after that, the pain would be beyond what others could imagine.

 

I sincerely thank the members of the study group for allowing me to speak fully and openly.

Master Banji

 

Screenshot Transcript The Moment of Enlightenment: In 1895, when Master Xuyun was fifty-six years old, he was taking part in a seven-day Chan meditation retreat at Gaomin Monastery in Yangzhou. During the retreat, a monk accidentally spilled hot water and burned his hand. The teacup dropped to the floor and broke. At that moment, Master Xuyun suddenly awakened, and the root of doubt was severed all at once.   He later expressed this complete realization in two verses, which became a major turning point in his spiritual life: “The cup falls and breaks, the sound is clear and sharp. Even empty space seems to break apart, and the restless mind stops at once.” “Burned hands, a broken cup— words fail in the face of a broken family and lost loved members. When spring comes, flowers bloom everywhere; the mountains, rivers, and the earth itself are the Buddha.”   This awakening marked a change from focusing only on his own practice to dedicating himself to teaching the Dharma and helping others. It laid the inner foundation for him to later become one of the greatest Chan masters of his time. (Note:The words underlined are what Master Banji aimed to highligh in this screenshot.)

 

因緣法The Law of Dependent Origination

因緣法

 

研究與修行是漫長的努力，我個人主修因緣法，

「因緣生，因緣滅，」

直到進入因 緣果核心，始知佛法的不可思議。

不會因爲南北傳都研究，亂了方寸。

祝福有心佛法的大德。

半寄

 

The Law of Dependent Origination

 

Both academic study and spiritual cultivation require long and sustained effort.
Personally, my main field of study is the Law of Dependent Origination.

 

“Through causes and conditions, phenomena arise;

through causes and conditions, they cease.”

Only upon entering the core of causes, conditions, and results does one truly realize the profundity and inconceivability of the Buddha-Dharma.

Studying both Northern and Southern Buddhist traditionsdoes not disrupt my grasp or understanding of the Law of Dependent Origination.

 

I wish all sincere practitioners of Buddhism peace and blessings.

 

Master Banji

 

（－早北上上課，出門前看茶花剛開，清晨別具風味）

現場3 At the Scene 3

 現場3 

 

有人會問起說：那北傳的佛法真的都有問題嗎？

我個人是不會這樣看待，

古代能識字的階級本來就都是貴族，

社會普羅大眾對文字的認知能力原本就是低的，且大多數是文盲，

 

但普羅大眾佔了90%，佛法要流傳到這90%人口的手裡，不可能都是貴族階層所接受的思想，

因此，佛法傳承裡面，會有扭曲、會有適應普羅大眾的流傳，

這些普羅大眾的文字能力，不管是在佛經或ㄧ般的歷史裡面都可以找到軌跡。

 

所以到了近代，又用了很多方法去尋找古代被淹沒的證據，當然不是百分之百，

 

華人客家人的習俗裡面有敬字樓，對文字的恭敬與不可多得溢於言表。

 

有時候回頭去看看原始教典提婆達多（Devadatta）

的問題，所爭論的點也很可笑，竟然牽扯到食鹽的問題，食鹽問題就可以把佛陀的弟子帶走了一大部分，

充分顯示一般的民智問題，

 

提婆達多（Devadatta）所言並無半點思想根據，就講了一般規矩跟他不吃鹽就是苦行這樣而已呀！

 

這些現在看起來非常可笑的問題，卻是當時佛陀的頭痛頭號人物，

時至今日，佛法依然為少數肯動腦的人所有！

 

我只是把我所讀的研究如實呈現，

不排斥任何南北傳的佛法，

因為佛經流傳到現在所牽涉的內容畢竟太複雜，

我只是忠實呈現自己的研讀，沒有排斥的問題。

半寄

 

At the Scene 3

 

Some people ask whether Northern Buddhist traditions are fundamentally flawed. I personally do not agree with this view.

In ancient societies, literacy was almost entirely confined to the elite. The vast majority of people was illiterate. Yet this majority—around 90% of the population—was precisely the group Buddhism needed to reach in order to survive and spread.

As a result, Buddhist teachings were often simplified or adapted as they spread among the general population. Some distortion was unavoidable. Traces of this limited literacy can be found not only in Buddhist scriptures but also throughout historical records.

 

In modern times, scholars have tried many ways to recover ancient evidence that was lost over time.Naturally, these efforts cannot provide absolute certainty.

 

In Chinese Hakka culture, the tradition of jingzi lou—structures built to honor written characters—clearly reflects how precious and rare literacy once was.

 

When we revisit the disputes involving Devadatta in early Buddhist texts, the issues now seem trivial. One major conflict was about whether monks should eat salt. Yet this issue alone managed to draw many followers away from the Buddha, revealing the intellectual limitations of the general population at the time.

Devadatta’s arguments lacked philosophical grounding.He simply promoted strict rules and treated not eating salt as a form of ascetic practice.

 

What appears ridiculous today was once one of the Buddha’s greatest challenges. Even now, Buddhism continues to be truly understood by only a small minority of people willing to engage in serious thought.

 

I am merely presenting my research honestly. I do not reject either Northern or Southern Buddhist traditions. The transmission of Buddhist texts is extremely complex, and my work reflects only my sincere study, not any sectarian bias.

 

Master Banji

現場1-2 At the Scene1-2

 現場1

 

很多醫師都有宗教信仰，大概是因為醫療現場很多經驗，太多是不能想像的，

如果你是醫生眼看你照顧好的病人要出院，就在辦理出院手續的時候又跌一大跤往生，大概心都涼了！

 

人都該有自己的理念中心，能支撐自己走過很多困難。

 

年輕時候，看陳欽山先生把脈，對脈象的掌握度奇準，再用藥就提高了準確度，

而藥材學又是另一門學問。

 

這經驗讓我在面對佛學的「唯心，唯識論」時很快地做出判斷，

 

我只接受佛法的「因緣所生法」原論當基礎點，徹底遠離「唯」字開頭的學問。

 

所有世間的萬物，包括學問，都不可能是單一性的存在，

用一種學說就涵蓋所有現象，去接受這種理論，對本身的限制及傷害都太大了！

 

像目前台灣中、西醫都普及就是一大福音，西醫的發展也不是中醫能想像的，

把自己推到第一線去看看，很多學問到底能執行到哪裡就一目了然。

 

而要出院的病人沒有辦法出院，還丟了性命，那真的只能用「法眼」去看了！

 

半寄

 

At the Scene1

 

Many physicians hold religious beliefs, likely because the experiences encountered at the medical front line far exceed what ordinary imagination can grasp.

If a doctor watches a patient—one who has been carefully treated and is ready for discharge—suddenly fall during the discharge process and die, the emotional impact is devastating.

 

Every person needs a central guiding philosophy, something strong enough to carry them through repeated difficulties.

 

In my youth, I observed Mr. Chen Qinshan performing pulse diagnosis. His command of pulse patterns was extraordinarily precise, and his use of herbal medicine further enhanced diagnostic accuracy.

The study of medicinal substances is itself a profound discipline.

 

These experiences enabled me to reach a clear conclusion when confronting the Buddhist theories of “Mind-Only” and “Consciousness-Only.”

 

I take as my sole foundation the Buddha’s original principle that “all phenomena arise through causes and conditions,” and I deliberately avoid doctrines built upon any form of “only.”

 

Nothing in the world—including intellectual systems—can exist as a singular, isolated absolutes.

Attempting to explain all phenomena through one theory inevitably imposes severe constraints and causes substantial harm to one’s understanding.

 

The coexistence and widespread practice of both Chinese and Western medicine in Taiwan today is a great blessing.

The advances of Western medicine lie far beyond what traditional Chinese medicine could have envisioned.

 

By stepping onto the front line and observing directly, the practical limits of each discipline become immediately evident.

 

When a patient who should have been discharged butinstead loses their life, such events can only be understood through the “Dharma eye.”

 

Master Banji

 



現場2

 

記得在《指月錄》裡看過一個禪師說：你只要開悟就什麼都懂了，

大概他們的寺廟有人在練習書法，

他就說：連書法也不用練了，到時候都會寫。

 

我看了這説法以後，隨即去拿起毛筆練了幾天，很清楚這說法是騙人的，

證悟是一回事，書法要練得好，也是一番苦工，不是開悟了什麼都會懂！

 

我後來慢慢明白，很多人把佛法塑造成神的權威，在神的權威下必定什麼都懂，什麼都會更是應該的，

 

這已經不是佛法，連佛陀的影子都不見了！

證悟者為覺悟者，所證悟的內容跟生命有關，

很多人不就是為了對生命的茫然而去修行的嗎？

 

包括佛陀都是想知道生命的真相，而去修行。

 

大覺悟者是洞徹（穿）生命真相的修行者，

跟個人有什麼技藝那是兩回事，

但這裡面同樣都是勞心勞力才能成就，

 

這些必須努力才能達成的內容，如果都用「唯心論」強加涵蓋，

那只能活在虛幻世界中。

 

我個人所寫出的故事，收集年代超過35年，

一件件帶著我去認識生命的曲折，

每一個人體，隱藏一個家族基因及個人的因緣果，（因緣果範圍廣大深遠）

 

這都是長期勞心勞力才能知道的，絕對不是證悟了就什麼都懂，

證悟只是一個佛法基礎站穩而已。

半寄

 

At the Scene2

 

I once read in The Record of Pointing at the Moon that a Zen master said,

“Once you awaken, you will understand everything.”

 

At the time, someone in the temple was practicing calligraphy,

and the master said, “There is no need to practice calligraphy—after awakening, you will be able to write.”

 

After reading this, I picked up a brush and practiced for several days.

It soon became obvious that this claim was untrue.

 

Awakening is one thing; skill is another.

To write calligraphy well requires hard work and practice.

Awakening does not mean that a person suddenly knows everything.

 

Later, I came to understand that many people turn Buddhism into a form of divine authority, believing that under such authority, one must naturally know everything and be able to do everything.

 

This is no longer Buddhism.

There is not even a trace of the Buddha left.

 

An awakened person is simply someone who has awakened.

What is realized concerns life itself.

Many people practice because they feel confused about life.

 

Even the Buddha practiced in order to understand the truth of life.

 

A truly awakened person is someone who clearly sees the truth of life.

This has nothing to do with personal talents or skills.

However, both awakening and skills require real effort.

 

If everything that demands effort is forcibly covered by “Mind-Only” doctrines,

one can only end up living in an illusory world.

 

The stories I have written were collected over more than thirty-five years.

Each one led me to better understand the twists and turns of life.

Within every human body lies family genetics and individual causes and effects—

the scope of karmic conditions is vast and far-reaching.

 

All of this can only be understood through long-term effort.

Awakening does not mean knowing everything.

It simply means that one has built a solid foundation in the Dharma.

 

Master Banji