过五关度六将证菩提【连载之一】

Passing Through Five Barriers and Enlightening Six Generals to Gain Bodhi【serial 1】

Master Yin Guang

目录

Catalogue

【连载之一】【Serial 1】

▍开堂白

Opening Statement

▍有没有来世

Whether There's Afterlife?

【连载之二】【Serial 2】

▍过关前言

Introduction

▍第一关 四大假合

The First Barrier: The False Compound of Four Great Elements

▍第二关 非同非异

The Second Barrier: Neither Identical nor Different

▍第三关 随心应量

The Third Barrier: Quantity and Quality in accord with

the Mind's Capacity

【连载之三】【Serial 3】

▍第四关 心现识变

The Forth Barrier: Manifestation of the Mind,

Transformation of the Consciousness

【连载之四】【Serial 4】

▍第五关 一心三藏

The Fifth Barrier: Three Treasuries of One Mind

【连载之五】【Serial 5】

▍第六关 无情亦情

The Sixth Barrier: The Non Sentient Being Is the

Sentient Being

▍圆教精髓

The Essence of the Perfect Teaching

【连载之六】【Serial 6】

▍顿证菩提

Sudden Enlightenment of Bodhi

·开堂白

·Opening Statement

尊敬的各位法师、各位居士、各位大德、各位菩萨:

大家好!阿弥陀佛!

今天作一个专题开示,叫做《过五关度六将证菩提》。所谓「过五关」,就是我们依据《楞严经》而高度概括、提炼的五个重要问题,而且是由浅及深,环环相扣;所谓「度六将」,就是从前面五关的内容中,又单独选出一个问题来进行进一步解释。你每过一关,就破除了一个邪知见。所谓「证菩提」,就是明白真理时,当下觉悟,当下成就!这个觉悟就是明心见性,见得万法本来面目。

Dear Masters, Dharma practitioners and everyone gathered here,

Welcome you all! Amitabha!

Today I'd like to give a special dharma talk entitled "Passing Through Five Barriers and Enlightening Six Generals to Gain Bodhi". So-called "passing through five barriers" means we will discuss five essential topics highly summarized and abstracted from the Shurangama Sutra, the topics are from simple to abstract and are closely related. While "enlightening six generals" means six of our false perceptions will be eradicated one by one when six topics, with the last one separated from the content of the previous five in order to make further explanation, are expounded. "To gain Bodhi" means once you understand the truth, you will be enlightened and accomplished in the moment. This enlightenment is called understanding the mind and seeing the nature, you will see the true face of all things.

众生迷于五欲六尘之中,而遗失了真心本性的无量功德妙用。而我们现在,通过这个开示,当下从层层的迷惑颠倒中出来。古人云:天地与我同根,万物皆吾一体。佛法真理,概不出此也。三藏十二部经就是围绕这个宗旨而展开。

Confused in five desires and six dusts, all beings have hence lost the wonderful use of innumerable merits of the nature of their true mind. Now through this Dharma talk, we are going to be free from layers of confusions and upside-downess in the moment. The ancients said: Heaven, earth and I are of the same root, all things and I are of the same body. So are the truth of dharma. The Tripitaka and twelve pisions are all developed on this purpose.

众所周知,佛法诞生于印度,而兴盛于中国。尤其是大乘佛法,在我们大陆最具影响力。在这两千多年的历史长河中,佛法几度兴衰。放眼当下,世人对佛陀、对佛经、对佛法的理解,众说纷纭,莫衷一是。在佛经上讲,现在是末法时代,是五浊恶世,众生饮苦食毒,烦恼炽盛,而邪师说法,如恒河沙。所以,佛法在其漫长的传承中,真理逐渐被扭曲。真理被当成邪见,邪见被当成真理。注意!这不是危言耸听!!每个人都应该有切身感受。

As we all know, originated from India and thrives in China, Buddhadharma, Mahayana Buddhism in particular, isthe most influential on the mainland China. In the long river of history of over two thousand years, Buddhadharma has gone through waxes and wanes. Look at today's world, people's understanding of Buddha, Buddhist sutras and Buddhadharma varies. As mentioned in the sutra, we are now in the Dharma-Ending Age and in the evil world of the Five Turbidities. All beings are drinking bitterness and eating poison, their annoyances arise like wildfire. As many false teachers as the sand of Ganges pretend to teach the dharma. As a result, in the long history of the inheritance of the Buddhadharma, the truth has been distorted gradually. Truth is taken as false views and vice versa. Note that, this is by no means alarmist! Everyone can feel it.

现在是一个信仰缺失的时代,有很多人不信佛。不仅是不信,而且但凡提到佛法便是言语攻击。他们看待修行人念佛拜佛,一概讲成是迷信。到底是不是迷信?那正信又是什么?希望我们本着实事求是的态度,放下一切的门户之见,来一起探讨佛法真谛。

Living in an age lack of belief, there are a great number of people who not only believe in no Buddha themselves, but also verbally attack those who mention Buddhadharma. In their eyes, chanting and worshiping Buddha by practitioners are all superstitious. Is it indeed superstition? What is authentic Buddhadharma? I hope we adopt an attitude of seeking truth from facts and putting down all kinds of views in dharma practice, so we can discuss the truth of Buddhadharma together.

自古以来,佛教便有「成佛的法华,开悟的楞严」之说。《法华经》《楞严经》是诸经之王,是诸佛慧命,是释迦牟尼佛的涅槃遗嘱。这是无可争议的。

There is a saying in Buddhism from ancient times that "The Lotus Sutra is to attain Buddhahood, the Shurangama Sutra is to achieve Enlightenment." It is beyond controversy that the Lotus Sutra and the Shurangama Sutra are the kings of all sutras, the wisdom-life of all Buddhas, and the last will of Sakyamuni's Nirvana.

那么,诸佛出世的真正目的不是教我们烧香拜佛,也不是教我们唸佛求佛,也不是教我们打坐、放生、念咒,而是开示宇宙人生的真理——我们这个人当下从何而来?牛马猪羊从何而来?日月星辰、山河大地从何而来?风云雨雾是怎么回事?香臭苦辣又是为何?这个头上顶的天、脚下踩的地,是天大、地大还是我大?为什么?一切万法与我之间是什么关系?相互之间又是什么关系?天上天下到底有几尊佛?几个人?几条狗?有几块泥巴?几棵树?有几片风?几滴雨?

So the real purpose of each Buddha's manifestation is neither to teach us how to burn incense and pray nor to meditate and set animals free nor to chant, but to reveal the truth of the universe and life—where do we come from? How about animals? And the sun, the moon and stars, mountains and rivers? What on earth is wind, cloud, rain or fog? Why there's good and bad smells, bitter and spicy tastes? Among the sky above my head, the ground under my feet and me, which one is the biggest? Why? What's the connection between me and everything? What's their relationship to each other? How many Buddhas, people, dogs, mud, trees, wind, and drops of rain are there throughout the cosmos?

注意,这些问题是不是看上去很简单?其实是最难,以至于我们用科学成就了的无数不可思议的发明,有种种先进、发达的高科技成果,至今却不能回答这些问题。不仅过去不能回答,现在不能回答,未来仍然不能回答。因为科学的所谓探索永远是用妄心在造作(这是众生轮回的根本,后面会讲到),而且是发妄不息,不息就是不能停止,妄上加妄。科学如果想穷尽这个宇宙的一切,除非探究佛法,回光返照。同时,这些问题也最简单。简单到就是一句话,就是一个字,就是一个点。一滴水、一片云、一粒微尘,当下与佛一个本体,无量万法没有谁不是谁。就是因为最简单,却被我们所忽视,由此而造成了今天一切的苦难。

Pay attention here. These questions seem very simple, right? Actually, they are the hardest, so hard that they are still beyond the reach of our understanding regardless the numerous incredible inventions people made with science and advanced high-tech achievements of various kinds. So hard that they were, they are, and they will be far beyond us. Because the so-called exploration in science is always produced by the false mind. (This is the root of samsara, we will talk about it later), the falseness continues to arise without respite, without respite means ceaseless. It piles up one after another. If we want to use science to explore the entire universe, the only way is to learn Buddhadharma, return to the light and illumine from within. Meanwhile, these questions are the easiest. So easy that they can be simplified to just one sentence, one word, one dot. A drop of water, a piece of cloud and a grain of dust are of the same body as Buddha, no one is not the other. Only because it is too simple we neglected it and caused all sufferings today.

解决这些问题,就是诸佛出世本怀,这是令众生从根本上对当下的一切周边环境、人事环境、社会环境、自然环境有一个真正的认识。简单说,佛法是讲科学,是讲哲学;同时,这是超科学的科学,超哲学的哲学。讲到底,就是讲一个「真实」!就是讲一个「如是我闻」!就是讲一个「阿弥陀佛」!「如」者「阿」也,「是」者「弥」也,「我」者「陀」也,「闻」者「佛」也。「如是我闻」者,「阿弥陀佛」也。如是我闻,万法皆成;如是我不闻,万法皆不成。在你明白这个一乘实相法之前,可以毫不客气地说,除了这个妙法,其它无量经典都是佛的方便说,是一种不了义、不究竟、不真实的法理。

To solve these questions is the original intention of all Buddhas' manifestation, namely, to enable all beings to acquire a true understanding of our entire surroundings including personnel, social and natural environment. To make it short, Buddhadharma is about science and philosophy, but it is the science beyond science, philosophy beyond philosophy. All in all, it is just about A Truth! A Thus have I heard! An Amitabha! Thus is "A" in Amitabha, have "mi", I "ta" and heard "bha (Bhddha)". Thus have I heard is Amitabha. If you get the meaning of Thus have I heard,everything will be achieved and you won’t achieve if not. Before you understand the reality in One Vehicle Dharma, frankly speaking, except this wonderful dharma all the other innumerable sutras are just Buddha's expedient means, which are neither complete, nor ultimate nor true.

可能大家还有很多疑惑,不要怕,耐心听。正是因为与你过去听到的佛法不一样,所以更需要用心来思维。同时,也要坚定信心,相信自己。没有大福报,你今天不会坐在这里,你也听不到这个最上乘的法门。如果你半途而废,这是天大的遗憾和损失。我们要珍惜这样的缘分。

Maybe you have many doubts, please don't worry and listen patiently. Just because it is different from what you've previously heard about dharma, a more dedicated heart being able to ponder is required. Meanwhile, we should firm our confidence and trust ourselves. Without huge merits, you won't be sitting here today learning this best ever Dharma-gate. If you give up halfway, that will be your greatest ever regret and loss. We should treasure such an opportunity.

因为不了义、不究竟、不真实,所以修这些法门不过是得人天福报,最多证得偏真涅槃。只修人天福报犹如仰天射箭,最后仍然是堕落。所谓「偏真涅槃」,它不是真实的涅槃,不是真实的佛果。「涅槃」,就是不生不灭。所以,社会大众所看到的烧香、念佛、拜佛、念咒、打坐、放生,等等,这些法门不是佛法的根本宗旨。而修真法、究竟法、一乘法、实相法、圆教法、了义法——都是一个概念,可以解脱一切生死烦恼,这是功德,生生世世受用不尽。而开悟的人,行一切善法,包括前面的种种念佛、打坐等等,都是功德。这有一个根本的区别。

The practice of these Dharma-gates, which are neither complete, nor ultimate nor true, enables us to acquire blessings of humans or celestial beings or certify Arhat's Nirvana at most. Accumulating blessings is just like shooting an arrow up to the sky, which will fall in the end. So-called Arhat's Nirvana is not real Nirvana and Buddhahood. Nirvana is neither birth nor death. So the Dharma-gates we usually see such as burning incense, worshiping Buddha, praying, chanting, meditating, setting animals free, etc., are not the fundamental purpose of Buddhadharma. While practicing the true dharma, or various names of one concept, like ultimate teaching, one vehicle, reality, perfect teaching or definitive teaching, we will be free from all the worries of birth and death—merit and virtue which will never be exhausted in our many lifetimes. However, for the person who is enlightened, the various good deeds he does including above-mentioned chanting and meditating and so on are all merits and virtues. There is a fundamental difference here.

我这么一讲,你们就不用担心了。因为我发愿要叫那些不信佛的人,今天在这里就能信佛,而且他能印证自己当下开悟!诸位会耳目一新,大开圆解;乃至会从此为弘扬这个真理而奋斗到底。子曰:朝闻道,夕死可矣。求道、修道、弘扬真理,这是最高的追求。

With what I said, you don't have to worry anymore. Because I resolved to let those non-Buddhists be able to believe Buddha here today, and he can certify that he is enlightened in the moment! You will find yourself in an entire new world and obtain all of a sudden a complete understanding of perfect teaching, some of you may even determine to strive to the end preaching this truth from today. Confucius said: Having heard the Dao in the morning, one can die in the evening. Seeking the truth, practicing the truth and preaching the truth, these are the highest pursuit.

那么,考虑到有些人不信佛,而大部分信佛人仍然处于迷信状态,所以今天讲法分成两个步骤:

第一个步骤,带有扫盲性质,这叫「扫除佛盲」,使我们对佛法的基础有一个大概的了解;第二个步骤,真正从佛法的实质讲起,就是讲《过五关度六将证菩提》。

Considering the fact that some of you believe in no Buddhism, and most of you are still in the stage of superstition, so today's teaching will be pided into two steps:

The first step, more like wiping out religious illiteracy, is called "elimination of religious illiteracy on Buddhism," which will help us to have a general idea about the basic of Buddhadharma. The second step, beginning with the essence of Buddhadharma is “Passing through Five Barriers and Enlightening Six Generals to Gain Bodhi."

·有没有来世

·Whether There's Afterlife?

我问大家,此时在这里听经,你能不能把家里那张沙发或者电视机想起来?能。可是你能不能现在就坐在沙发上看电视?不能。也就是说,心与身有相对独立性——心可以突破空间的束缚,而身体不能。既然如此,我们这个心会不会随着身体的死亡而死亡啊?不会。

Now you are sitting here and listening to the teaching, let me ask you, can you recall your couch or TV at home in the moment? Yes, you can. But can you sit on your couch watching TV right now? No, you cannot. That is to say, your heart and body are relatively independent—your heart can break through the boundary of space, but your body cannot. In that case, will this heart die along with the body? No, it won't.

再考虑第二个问题。每个人在这一生中,在这几年、十几年乃至几十年这样的过程中,总有一些事情令人或喜或悲。我们不仅可以回想起来,而且是历历在目、感慨万分。也就是说,心可以突破时间的束缚,心可以跑到几年十几年以前,当然也可以跑到几天几年以后,但身体没有这个能力——它能不能跑到吃中午饭的时候?不能。能不能跑到一秒钟之前?也不能。所以身体只能一步步走向未来。所以,第二次观照,我们这个心会不会随着身体的死亡而死亡?不会。

Now think about the second question. In our life journeys of these several years, a dozen years or decades, there must be some things that make us feel happy or sad. We not only can recall them but still remember every detail with mixed feelings, which proves that the heart can break through the boundary of time to run back to years or several days ago, or years later, but the body doesn't have this ability—can it move back to the lunchtime? No, it cannot. Can it run back to one second ago? It cannot, either. The body has to move towards the future one step after another. Therefore, let me ask you again, will this heart die when the body dies? No, it won't.

再作第三种观照。有句俗话说,人老心不老。今天的法会大众中,男女老少都有,最小的是五六岁,最大的是八十多岁。大家看,我们的身体从小到大、从大到老,慢慢地脸上有了皱纹,头上长了白发,到了六十岁以上就感觉老态龙钟,是不是?但这个心是不是还感到跟小孩子一样,很天真、很烂漫啊?都是老顽童,是不是?我告诉你,就是过一百岁、一百万岁、一百万万岁,你也依然是童心未泯,这是真的。既然我们的心不会随着身体的衰老而衰老,它会不会随着身体的死亡而死亡?不会。要明白。

Here's the third example to think about. A common saying goes, "Growing old and staying young at heart." Among our audience today, there are men and women, old and young. The youngest is five or six years old and the oldest is more than eighty. You see, while you are aging from young to old, your body is growing from tiny to big. With wrinkles gradually climbing on your face and gray hairs appearing on your head, you get old and clumsy after sixty, right? However, isn't your heart as naive and innocent as a child? We are all old children, right? The fact is, even you are a hundred, million or even billion years old, you would still retain childlike innocence, this is true. Since this heart won't get old, will it die with the body? It won't. You need to clearly understand this point.

简单说,心和身有相对独立性。心可以突破时间、空间的束缚,心可以永远不老。这是举三个例子,辅助理解,但不值得钻牛角尖。真正想吃透,必须研究《楞严经》。既然这个心是不生不灭的,而这个身体是有生有灭的,所以身体不过是轮回中的一件衣服而已。

Briefly speaking, the heart is relatively independent from the body. Since the heart can break through the restriction of time and space, it never gets old. These three examples, given for a better understanding, are not worthy for us to dwell on too much. To have a thorough grasp of the idea, we must learn the Shurangama Sutra. Since the heart is neither birth nor death, but the body is either birth or death, making itself merely a piece of clothing in the cycle of birth and death.

那么对来世还感到怀疑的,我们进一步做开示——不用心法,用举世共知的伟人历史来说。但是,我们在这里不是评判前人的功过是非,而是来印证佛法的理论。这是我们的出发点,不可混淆。众所周知,我们最敬爱的毛泽东主席,1893年出生,1976年逝世,世寿83岁。毛主席从1935年在遵义会议确立了在党内的领导地位以后,从此一切的政治、经济、军事路线是按照谁的思想在执行啊?虽然中央书记是张闻天,但实际领导是毛泽东。从1935到1976年,41年,是不是?毛主席世寿83岁,实际执政41年,这是事实。那建国以后,军委组建中央警卫部队,它的番号是什么啊?8341部队。所以8341这个代号,是在毛主席生前就有了,而不是死后才有。确切地说,是前世就有了,是与生俱来的。而且这个代号与任何的部队番号没有连续性,是唯一独立的特殊番号。

For those who still doubt about the afterlife, let's have a further discussion —not using mental processes, but the history of a well-known hero in the world. Note that we are here not to judge our predecessors but to prove the principles of Buddhism. This is our original intention which cannot be mixed up.

As we all know, our most beloved Chairman, Mao Tse-tung was born in 1893 and died in 1976 when he was 83 years old. In 1935 after the establishment of Chairman Mao's leadership in Zunyi Conference, whose strategies were implemented in political, economic and military lines? Although the central secretary was Zhang Wentian, but the actual leader was Mao Tse-tung. It was 41 years from 1935 to 1976, right? Chairman Mao lived for 83 years and was in actual power for 41 years, this is the fact. After the founding of our country, Military Commission established Central Security Force. Guess what was its designation? It was Unit 8341. So the code 8341 was created when Chairman Mao still alive rather than after he died. To be exact, the number had already existed in his previous life and came along with his birth—moreover, being in no succession with any other unit designation, this code was unique and independent.

至于8341部队这个番号是怎么来的,一直是社会上津津乐道的传闻,有不少版本。我们暂且作为茶余饭后的谈资。有的说是毛主席进京前在香山抽签时,一个老道给的数字,但并没有解释具体含义,所以毛主席把他身边的警卫部队就叫8341;还有一种说法是秋收起义后,毛主席有一把汉阳造的步枪,编号是8341。而据8341首任团长张耀祠团长称,8341这个代号就是总参谋部给中央警卫团的一个军队序列编号。

As for the origin of the designation of Unit 8341, it has always been a popular hearsay in the society, and there are a lot of versions about it, which we might as well take as a spare time subject for the moment. Some said the number was given when Chairman Mao was drawing lots in the Fragrant Hills before entering Beijing by an old Taoist priest who didn't decode the specific meaning, so Chairman Mao named his guard troops 8341. Another version is that after the Autumn Harvest Uprising, Chairman Mao had a rifle made by Hanyang Arsenal, whose serial number was 8341. However, according to Zhang Yaoci, the first regimental commander of 8341, this number is just a military serial number given to Central Guards Regiment by the General Staff Headquarters.

无论传闻真假,这支警卫部队的番号取8341是真实不虚,而且在毛主席逝世以后,这个番号也随之撤销。再来看一组数字:

毛泽东的一生大事多择在9日当中。1927年9月9日第一次领导武装斗争--秋收起义;长征途中在川西与张国焘分道扬镳是1935年9月9日;率领党中央机关进入北京城那天是1949年9月9日;83岁寿终正寝那天是1976年9月9日。

Whether the hearsay is true or not, what we know for sure is that the unit designation of this security force was 8341 and it was revoked after Chairman Mao passed away. Let's look at another group of numbers:

Most big events in Mao Tse-tung's life happened on the 9th. September 9th,1927 was the day when he first led an armed struggle—the Autumn Harvest Uprising. It was on September 9th,1935 that he split with Chang Kuo-tao in western Sichuan during the Long March. It was also on September 9th,1949 that he led organs of the Party Central Committee entering Beijing. It was again on September 9th, 1976 that he passed away at the age of 83.

所以从这想一想,是冥冥之中自有定数?还是简单的巧合?那么,毛主席的江山是今生今世打下来的,还是因为前世就修到了啊?毛主席是这样,有没有谁不是这样啊?!注意,今天讲法一定要有理有据,经得起考证,而不是人云亦云。告诉各位,如来出世就是讲一个真实,为了达到这个真实,佛讲了三藏十二部经、无量法门,那只是作方便引导。在这个世界,任何人都不存在死亡,死亡只是身体的假象,而我们的「真人」、那个「真心」不会死。

So let's think over these examples, were they destined or sheer coincidence? Were Chairman Mao's New China founded in this life or cultivated from previous lives? Chairman Mao is like this, is there anyone who isn't?! Please note that we are listing the facts in our teaching and it is well founded and can be tested, rather than echoing the views of others. Let me tell you, the purpose of the Buddha's appearance to this world was to tell a truth, Buddha taught the Tripitaka and twelve pisions of Sutras and innumerable Dharma-gates to get there, but those were only skillful means. In this world, nobody will die and death is just the false appearance of the body, while our "true self", that "true mind" won't die.

比如说,我讲「万法一念」这四个字,在讲出、想出之前,这四个字在不在?一定是在,而且是无形无相,它就是我们的「真心」。那我讲出来以后,这「万法一念」四个字当下是不是「真心」变出来的啊?是。那么「万法一念」这四个字讲完以后,这四个字灭了没有?没有。如果灭了的话,我以后再也讲不出它了,是不是?我什么时候愿意讲,它什么时候就现出来;我什么时候不讲,它就歇下来。所以「万法一念」这四个字,它有没有生和灭?没有。要好好用智慧观照,人到底有没有生死?我经常讲:「唐朝的人来了没有?秦朝的人来了没有?三皇五帝时代的人来了没有?」因为,无量百千万亿年以来,我们谁都没有死过,都是一个老古董。

For example, when I say "All things are one thought" these five words, before being spoken, do they exist? They certainly do and are formless, the formless is our "true mind". So when I say them, are these five words in "All things are one thought" the manifestation of our "true mind" in the moment? Yes, they are. Then after "All things are one thought" were spoken, will the words die away? No, they won't. I could never say them again if they died, right? They will arise whenever I want to say them, and cease when I don't want to. Therefore, do these five words in "All things are one thought" arise and cease? No, they don't. Please illumine with the light of wisdom whether there is birth and death for humans. I often ask this question: "Are there people from the Tang Dynasty and the Qin Dynasty and from the era of Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns here?" That is because throughout infinite thousands of trillion years, nobody has ever died, we are all antiques.

好,通过以上开示,相信大部分人已经对这个三世因果有了清晰的认识。在后面的探讨中,我们会逐步加深理解。那来世到底是做人、做鬼还是做畜生,是当国家主席还是平民百姓,都是由我们今生今世所作所为而决定;我们今生今世得到的财产、地位、名誉都是前世修来的。就跟种地一样,春种秋收。对这个道理深信不疑,你的世界观已经改变,由此你的价值观、人生观也在变化。(文/印广法师)

Alright, from the discussion above, I believe most of you have gained a clear understanding of causes and effects in the past, present and future. In the following exploration, we will gradually acquire a better understanding about it. Therefore, whether we will become a human, a ghost, an animal, the president or just common people in our future lives all depends on our deeds in this life. The property, status and fame we got in this life are what we cultivated in previous lives. It is the same as farming—we plant in spring and harvest in autumn. If you deeply believe in karma, your worldview has changed, and so have your values and outlook on life.(By: Master Yin Guang)