33.《轉化的妙用》 "Magical Transformation"

多數人在生命力強的時候，不會有信仰上的問題。當生命弱的時候，便會想要尋求宗教的依靠。



近來幫一位生病師姐迴向之餘，也打電話問候她，她說：「生命真的很無奈！」病痛強迫令你承受，你無法說不。但更有意思的是，她去複診時看到更嚴重的病患時，她卻忍不住得掬下同情的淚。


「惻隱之心，人皆有之。」就是在自己脆弱的當下也會生起。這個悲心生起的當下，自己由脆弱的角色翻轉成了強者，這就是心的轉化，受與施的轉化，迷與悟的轉化，無奈與有意義的轉化。





Most people when they feel a strong vital force within them do not have issues of faith. However, when they feel vulnerable, they will seek to rely on religion as a source of refuge.


Recently, I helped an ailing Dharma sister. Apart from my typical line of duty, I also called to greet her from time to time. She said, "life is really fragile!" Physical pain forced you to endure them, you cannot refuse. Interestingly, when she went for a return hospital visit and saw other patients in more severe stages of illness, she could not help but shed tears of sympathy.


"Compassion is in everyone." Even in a fragile moment of our own weakness, our companssion will arise. The moment compassion emerge, we switched our roles of being weak into the mighty. This is the transformation of the mind, the transformation of the receiver and the giver, the transformation of the confused and the realized, the transformation of the helpless and the meaningful.

32.《天無絕人之路》

「天無絕人之路」，尤其是您是個外國人想學藏密的佛法，不用害怕語言文字的障礙，不用怕人事的障礙，不用害怕智力的障礙，只要您真的想學，真的肯學，您一定可以學會，法派傳承加持力一定讓您滿願！您在無力感的情境中，一直不要放棄目標，您可能遇到許多的障礙，您可能一直沒有品嚐到法喜的滋味，可是，您不退的信心與柔軟低下的追求態度，已經具足了高貴的佛法情操與堅忍的情懷！這已是法的增上。




一切都是幻化的，所以一切的障礙都是幻化的，但業力是真實有的，往佛道也好，世、出世的善業也罷，甚至是惡業，這些業的力量能不停的累積，一直自過去、現在帶到未來，所以是功不唐捐的。甚至不善不惡或渾渾噩噩的力量也如是。

【分享】影片分享：The Karmapa Papers (Trailer) part I.& part2.

影片分享

The Karmapa was the originator of the Tulku system. A Tulku is a realized practitioner who employs the compassionate skill of being reborn as a human teacher over successive lifetimes. However, only the Karmapa's leave specific instructions usually in writing in order to reveal their next incarnation. As young children they also proclaim themselves to be the Karmapa.


The 16th Karmapa died in 1981 in Chicago and many years of uncertainty regarding the where abouts of his successor followed.The true Karmapa is found in 1992 in Tibet and brought to India. ShaMar Rinpoche steps forward to discredit the imposters and to bring a lawsuit to restore Rumtek to Karmapa. He struggles with how to preserve the integrity of the Karma Kagyu lineage when one of its highest lamas was doing everything he can to take his followers away from the true guru. In 2004, the lawsuit is successful and ShaMarpas choice for the 17th Karmapa is enthroned.


1.The Karmapa Papers (Trailer) part
 
  <圖片來源：Bodhi Path Miami 的影片分享>




2.The Karmapa Papers (Trailer) part II.


<圖片來源：Bodhi Path Miami 的影片分享>

【分享】大寶法王網站

                         大寶法王網站


                        http://www.dharma-wheel.org/

31.《暑夜的露》

看見學生的內心在慢慢地轉化是最欣慰的事；從他們沒有接觸過佛法直到現在的護持與受教，我發現到這是一種彼此在交心的狀態，雖然我尚未開悟，但他們願意分享我比他們多一點點的正知與正見。他們辛苦賺錢，卻在放假時犧牲休閒，來到中心裝一支吊扇，弄得汗如雨下，這比上班工作還累。晚餐時，買了麥當勞的簡餐共享，我教他們如何辛苦還要保持一份悠閒的心情，他把我當作家人共享他們的信賴！




地藏經云：「閻浮提眾生，剛強難調。」的確是的，但人身已得，佛法已聞，又真正開始實踐佛法的這些少數的生命默默地鼓舞著道心不夠堅固的我。他們漸漸柔軟的內心與行為，是給我最珍貴的禮物，是我疲憊身心又能繼續出發的營養素！是暑夜的甘露。

30.《最美的事物》

您看過最美的事物是什麼？我看過最美的是天空，祂之所以最美，是因為祂空，空中包容萬有，也變化萬有：烏雲、彩霞、日月星辰、光明、黑暗、雷音、閃電、狂風、驟雨、萬里無雲…。祂像極了我們的心性，含藏一切，又消歸一切，永嘉禪師云：「霧露雲霞體上衣！」天空即是體，體即是心。




「氣象專家」每次喜歡用「一個艷陽高照的好天氣。」好天氣一定是艷陽高照嗎？攝氏37度的高溫，如何好法？及時雨天不好嗎？消除了多少生物的飢渴。



不知有多少人喜愛觀賞天空？多少人喜歡觀照自心？人們忘了觀心所以向外追逐，背道而馳，結果是無止境的慾望與天空反射的災禍，「天作孽，尤可違；自作孽，不可活。」現今的天災有哪一項不是人禍？如果能自省，共業中自有別業也！



所以「聽天由命」不是消極的等死，而是積極地建設心性中的那個「天」，「天」由我們創造，自然也就安排著我們的未來。

29.《佛法與天理》"Dharma and Justice"

現在密教盛行，夏瑪巴曾說：「修學密法宜先學顯教十二年以上。」
密法中有許多方便，幫助弟子在世俗事業轉變，極為快速靈驗。但若弟子不瞭解佛教的因果與業力，就極容易走上歧途。因為，如果某弟子為了求財請上師修法，果真財源滾滾來，弟子自然生起信心。但如果生意失敗或賠錢時，是否便對佛法失去了信心？所以顯教講「因果不繆」「所受是苦」是共通于密教的。但現今許多信徒不明白這個理，不承認是自己的福報不夠，只認為是師父的功力不夠，不能「扭轉乾坤」。

數年前與朋友在一間東密的寺院裡看見了一尊愛染明王，急欲結婚又無對象的友人問曰：「『愛染明王』是管人世間的愛情？」另一友人取笑答曰：「那麼『孔雀明王』就是管飛機的了？」。「其因不正，果遭迂曲」的道理在這個急切步驟的時代裡極易被漠視，我們應小心提防！提防之術仍是顯教講的：滿足、認命、承認因果不繆。諸行無常、諸法無我、實踐六度等等……，這些法足夠讓我們過著踏實的人生。
密法在行門上，成佛的確可以更快速，但密法中的息、增、懷、誅只是方便。如果沒有過去的耕耘，現在只是想有美好的果實，這種佛法就太沒天理了。

Vajrayana Buddhism is quite popular now a days; Shamar Rinpoche once said, “before one starts to learn Vajrayana Buddhism, one should have a foundation in studying under Chinese Mahayana Buddhism for more than twelve years." There are many skillful methods to help the disciples’ worldly affairs; the improvement comes rapidly and effectively. However, if the disciples do not understand the law of cause and effect or the law of karma, then they go astray easily. Because, if disciples came to their guru to request for a blessing in order to increase their wealth and then money really increases as a result, then the disciples’ confidence naturally rises. However, if their business fail or lose money, will they lose confidence in Buddha Dharma? So, the teachings such as "the law of cause and effect never errors", "all that one bears and receives will inevitably turn into suffering" are interchangable in both Vajrayana and Mahayana Buddhism. But today many disciples still do not understand this logic and do not recognize they have not accumulated enough merit to receive the blessings, but they only blame their guru for not having enough power to "turn things around."



A few years ago, I went with some friends to a Japanese Vajrayana temple and saw a Ragaraja statue. A friend who was anxious to get marry but had no prospect so far asked, “is Ragaraja in charge of match-making?" The other friend made fun of him and gave this answer, “so you mean that Mahamayuri must be in charge of controlling airplanes?" “If the motivation is not accurate, then the result must be torturous"; we see that this wise saying is easily ignored in this era of instant gratification. We should beware! Guarding one’s mind was also taught is Chinese Mahayana Buddhism such as to be content, to accept one’s fate, to recognize the law of cause and effect doesn’t err, all phenomena are impermanent, all phenomena are without ego-grasping, to practice the Six Paramitas and so on …, these teachings are enough to inspire us to live a stable and fulfilled life.


Tantric Buddhism consists indeed more skillful means to assist one to reach Buddhahood, but these methods, such as to pacify, to benefit, to care with loving-kindness and to remove one’s own defilement, are after all skillful means. Without working hard in the past, one just wishes to have good results, then there’s no justice.

28.《穩健與成熟》

在閉關的時間裡，體驗到老實過日子的重要，閉關要老實，老實便會穩健，穩健做人處事，人格才會成長健全。我回想過去的幾個高職的學生，她們在學校的成績普通，能力也還好，算不上「傑出」，但她們很踏實，很穩重，自我的意見會有，但不堅持，她們會聽取師長的建言，會靜靜地思惟，因為她們喜歡佛法，後來出了家，出了家，學佛的態度也很謙虛，表現也不「出色」，就是很平實，對教法也很受用，情感和情緒都控制得很好，過了幾年我偶然遇到了她們二位比丘尼，一個在台北，一個在屏東，一個是清風道骨，清心寡欲。一個是滿面紅光，四平八穩。二個法師的外相雖然有別，但給我的印象卻沒差。原因是她們都很「認真」安安穩穩的去落實她們的理想，她們像是二株不同種的花，盡情的各自綻放，展現著實現自我的美。她們畢業於佛光山佛學院，學院的塑造加深了她們的內涵，而她們自我莊重與沉靜，再如同燒烤的瓦窯裡產生出了珍貴的窯變。
During my retreat, I realized the importance of living life earnestly. Staying in retreat requires an earnest effort. When one is earnest, then one possesses a stable personality. When one is stable in dealing with people and occurrences, then one’s personality will grow and improve fully.




I remember a couple of my students from teaching at the junior colleges in the past. Their scholastic achievements were ordinary at the best, their abilities to handle things were also not really "outstanding" in any sense, but they were very practical, very stable and they did have their own point of view but were not stubborn. They would listen to their teacher's suggestions and contemplated on their own. Since they liked Buddhist philosophy, later both took monastic vows. After their renunciation from samsara, they learned Buddha Dharma persistently and maintained a modest attitude. Again their performances were not impressive and in fact quite plain. However, they applied the teachings in their lives, subdued their emotions and kept feelings well under control.



Over these past years, I ran into these two nuns, one in Taipei City, one in Pingtung; one of them appeared simple and proper with an ascetic attitude, the other one was sporting a robust healthy face but stable in manner. Although the two nuns’ appearances were different, I had good impression of both of them. The reason is that they "concentrated" steadfastly to implement their ideals. They were like two different kinds of flowers, separately bloomed with joy, and displayed the beauty of self-realization. They graduated from the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist University; the scholastic training deepened their knowledge. In return, their maturity and stability showed like the rare glaze changes on the porcelain vases in the high-temperature kiln.






光陰似箭，十幾年過去了，日新月異的變遷中，社會多樣的人文變化快速，人們在豐沛的知識訊息中茫然的迷失著自我，多數人沒有了判斷真偽的能力，名嘴一大堆，焦點卻更模糊，許多人們甚至對國家級的領導人與公益團體也喪失了信心。



又有一次，是民國七十五年的事，我去鹿谷淨律寺小住，出坡時我幫一位師父擦餐桌，他教了我一遍之後，我卻用我自己的方法去擦，他不說話，把抹布拿了回去，默默的自己去擦，我心裡雖不是滋味，甚至還嘀咕，但至少我降伏了當時的自我，按照他的方式繼續擦拭！「他的方法科學嗎？他的態度太冷漠了！他可以說明嘛！」，我們往往在這樣的生活中度日，我們往外觀看與評鑑之後，決定自己再如何出招！



現在寺院裡是否也順應著人心的改變而作了調整，說著好聽的言語「鼓勵大於責備！」為了留下信徒不敢說真心話規勸弟子：「隨順眾生」，「不講都不來了，講多了會有人來嗎？」不停的讚嘆，讓人產生出歸屬感和認同感，在虛榮與掌聲中安然度日，一旦被指責或不被青睞時，這些人便揚長而去！



這就是末法開始的現象吧！很少人喜歡聽真心話，很少人懂得內自省！大家都喜歡不要改變自我，讓別人的瓶蓋適合我的瓶口。甚至對上師也如此要求著。



社會的人也就罷了，學佛的人若也是這樣，那麼學佛的目的是什麼呢？不談無我也罷了，自私的我不停的僵化，自我的情緒不停的膨脹；大家除了想被尊重之後，更想當個寺院的老大，有錢沒錢的都是老大，想讓師父也聽他的，這是學的什麼佛？快回去賺錢吧！把寺廟搞的烏煙瘴氣不說，自我傲慢的怒火還將延燒到未來的自我。



「學佛一年，佛在眼前。學佛兩年，佛在天邊。學佛三年，向佛要錢！」真可憐愍！



我也是凡夫，也犯過這樣的過錯。我也是眾生，也具有無明時的迷惘。但我發心學佛，便學著往覺悟的心上去交會。我沒有反省的力量時，我發願謙虛的依止善友，指導我的正路！因為在佛法真理的面前，我只能謙卑。我進進退退，但我仍發願漸漸增上。除非，我不想學佛！

27.《用真心對治物化》

29. "True Heart Against Materialism"  
Q: Why do we feel a sense of helplessness or burnout when we work or carry out daily tasks?
A: Because there is “No Taste”.
Q: How can we develop a “Taste” for life?
A: Venerable Yang Yin said to me once: "One must chant until the flavor of our chant comes out." From his teaching, I learned and found the answer. Chanting mantra is an act of chanting one’s mind; one must use mindfulness to chant. In doing so, the mind is the Buddha nature, the Buddha nature is the mind; maintaining a good control over chanting mantra is maintaining control over one’s mind. Once one realizes its essence, then [the flavor or] the taste of the recitation come out.
Likewise, dealing with people and events are the same too; one treats the others from heart and then the others will also treat you from heart. The “Taste” develops amongst people and is called "concern"; once we treat each other with "concern", the caring feeling is permeated with the “Taste”. With the “Taste”, one’s life strengthens. Dealing with events and occurrences of one’s life also requires mindfulness. For example, when one cooks with a kind intention, food prepared with mindfulness is very tasty. We all enjoy tasty food . Cooking is not a materialistic act, when one’s intent is not materialistic, then a flow of spirit and friendship interacts [freely]. As a result, one’s existence would be affirmed by oneself, as well as, the others and also praised by many people. Then, one will not feel fatigue. Since people are affectionatee by nature; affection rises from the heart. Being able to control of one’s own heart and dealing with the others with sincerity and hospitality, then life has a "Taste”. The next level is that once one possesses such a “Taste” and has not attachment [or clinging to it]; only then one's life force is more durable.


If, cooking just to handle cooking half-heartedly, meeting the others just to meet them; everything will be materialistic [and just to get by]. If one is not enthusiastic about one's life, then how can one not burnout? Moreover, if one is attached to "Romantic Love", one is confined by an egotistic existence, how can one effectively fulfilled the interests of more people?

Ｑ：生活或工作為何會產生出無力感或倦怠感？


Ａ：因為沒有味道。



Ｑ：如何有味道？




Ａ：從前演音老和尚對我說：「念佛要念出味道。」我從他敎我的念佛方法中找到了答案，念佛即是念心，用心去念佛，心即是佛，佛也即是心，把佛號掌控好，就是把心掌控好，掌握到了，念佛的味道便生出來了。一切人與事的處理也是這樣，用心待人，人也用心待你，人與人的味道便會生出，這叫「關心」，有了「關心」就有味道，有了味道，生命才有力量。做事也是要用心，例如炒菜時要用心，用心炒的菜就很入味，入味的菜大家吃得歡喜，歡喜〜炒菜就不被物質化，不被物化就有心靈與友情的流動，如此，自己便會被自他肯定甚至讚美，如此，便不會倦怠，人是有情，有情由心所生，掌控好自己的心，用誠心接待任何人事，生命才有味道，有味道了還不執著便是更上層樓，生命的持續力更能久遠。


如果，炒菜只是應付炒菜，待人只是應付待人，一切都將物質化了，人沒有了情感，怎能不倦怠呢？若又執著「情愛」，自私被小我束縛，如何能利益更多的人呢？ 

26. 《用不斷的現在，促成未來》

對未來計劃是對的，計劃之後去做或去調整就好了，不要擔心未來，不要預設未來，把現在做好就在累積未來了，不要對未來想太多以免自己嚇自己。



最近有三位學生拋出相同的問題，都是關於對未來的不確定感而心生疑惑，甚而恐懼，問題同出一轍，記住：規劃好了未來就去執行，現在執行就只管現在，此時「未來」已經在促成中了。

28. "Utilize the Continuous Flow of Present Moment to Create the Future"


Planning for the future is a correct approach; after planning, just go ahead do it and then adjust accordingly. Do not worry about the future; do not expect the future result. Do well at each present moment then we are accumulating [positive seeds] for the future and don’t think too much about the future and frighten yourself.

Recently, three students asked the same question regarding their feeling uncertain about the future and subsequently had doubts and even fear. Their questions were almost identical and the same problem.

Remember: After planning, then go to the implementation of the planned future. Now execute the plan. Focus on being mindful of the present moment. Then, at this very moment, "FUTURE" is created [by you].