Chung Tai Shan Magazine #209
佛法是以人為根本，人以心為根本，心以覺悟為根本，三位一體。所謂「人身難得今已得，佛法難聞今已聞；此身不向今生度，更向何生度此身？」我們已經得到人身了，是不容易的。世間上有很多人雖然得到人身，但六根不全，是很苦的一件事；又或者得了人身，卻又聽聞不到佛法，所以末法時代很多災難現前，所謂「心淨佛土淨，心安世界安」，想要消災免難要有功德、善法，這念心知道慚愧懺悔、反省檢討，心清淨，佛土就清淨。
The root of Buddhadharma is found in human beings. The root of human beings is found in the mind. The root of the mind is in awakening to awareness. These three are of one essence. The sutras say, “The human body difficult to obtain, we have now obtained. The Buddhadharma rarely heard, we have now heard. If we do not work towards liberation in this life, then what life are we waiting for?” It is not easy to obtain the human form we have now. In this world, there are many who gain human form, but live with sensory impairments—there is much suffering in this. There are also those born as humans, but are not able to hear the Dharma. Thus, natural disasters happen more frequently in the Dharma Ending Age.
Buddhism teaches, “When the mind is pure, the buddha land is pure. When there is peace in the mind, there is peace in the world.” If we want to avert disasters and avoid misfortune, we must cultivate merit and wholesome dharmas. This very mind should have contrition, practice repentance, and perform self-reflection. When the mind is pure, the land is pure.
所以能在精舍裡聽經聞法，是很大的福報，要把佛法的道理記下來，在日常生活中用功。把佛法用在家庭，家庭就是道場；用在公司，公司就是道場；用在社會，社會就是道場。「人身難得，佛法難聞」，知道佛法是甘露，是最營養、豐富的菜餚，就要分享給有緣的人，使他們也能得到佛法的利益，既能自利、又能利他，這是真正的菩薩行。
Therefore, it is a great blessing to be able to hear and study the Buddhadharma in our meditation centers. We must take the Dharma to heart and practice it in our daily lives. When we apply the Dharma to our household, the household becomes a place of the Way. Apply it to our workplace, and the workplace becomes a place of the Way. Apply it to society, and society becomes a place of the Way. We must know that “A human body is difficult to obtain; the Buddhadharma is rarely heard.” The Dharma is like sweet dew, it is the most nutritious and abundant of feasts. Knowing this, we should share the Dharma with people who have affinity with us, and help them benefit from the teaching as well. If we can benefit ourselves as well as others, that is true bodhisattva practice.
自他兼利行 廣攝諸有情
Benefit both self and others, embrace all beings with deep fellowship.
所謂「未成佛道，先結人緣」，要結人緣、結佛緣、結法緣、結歡喜緣、結清淨緣。大眾共同來參加法會，就是結法緣。共同來禮佛、共同來學佛，是結佛緣。彼此見了面，合掌互相說一句：「阿彌陀佛」，這是結人緣。假使沒有緣，今生又不知道結緣，彼此見了面就討厭，無論是世間法或出世間法，做什麼事情都不容易成功。
As such, “Before realizing buddhahood, develop good affinity with all.” There are many kinds of affinity we must develop: interpersonal affinity, Buddha affinity, Dharma affinity, joyful affinity, and pure affinity. By attending a Dharma ceremony together, we develop Dharma affinity. Through paying homage to the Buddha and learning Buddhism together, we develop Buddha affinity. People who see each other and say “Amituofo”, develop interpersonal affinity. If we lack these kinds of affinity and still neglect to develop them in this life, it may be hard to avoid feelings of antipathy with those we meet. No matter what we do, whether in terms of worldly or supra-worldly dharmas, we will find it difficult to succeed.
佛法中有四攝法，是度眾生四種方便法門。第一是布施攝，布施助人，不但能令受施者離苦得樂，布施之善亦能捨除慳貪之惡，自利又能利他，所以布施屬於菩薩法門之一。佛法除了布施，還講助施。所謂「助施」，是幫助他人成就布施的功德。譬如，某甲想發心布施，然而卻苦於無一物可供布施，自己知道了，便先將財物布施給某甲，目的是幫助他圓滿布施功德，獲得布施功德的果報。助施不只限於財物，亦可以體力或言語，幫助他人圓滿布施功德。體力上的助施，譬如看到人家布施物品，自己可以出點力，幫忙拿、幫忙挑，幫忙完成這項功德。言語上的助施，譬如隨喜讚歎他人的發心，讚歎布施果報無窮盡，這是所謂的「隨喜功德」；譬如每堂開示結束前所講的：「感謝大眾布施歡喜」，這也是助施。幫助他人成就善法功德，表示自己心量廣大。幫助別人，不是為了自己的功德，而是希望成就對方的功德，如此完全是無人相、無我相的布施，所成就的必是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提的果報。所以助施，隨喜他人的布施、讚歎他人的發心，功德也是殊勝無比。
In Buddhism, there are four bodhisattva ways of fellowship, which are four expedient means to help liberate sentient beings. The first way of fellowship is charitable giving. On one hand, helping others through giving can alleviate their suffering and bring them happiness. On the other, the wholesome practice of giving can help us counteract the unwholesome afflictions of stinginess and greed. Since charitable giving benefits oneself as well as others, it is a Dharma gate for bodhisattvas.
In addition to doing the giving ourselves, Buddhism also teaches us to help others practice giving and attain its merits. For example, if someone we know wants to practice giving, but don’t have a penny to their name, we can first give them something of ours. The goal is to help them practice giving, achieve its merits, and gain its karmic effects.
Providing material wealth is but one way to help others practice giving. We can also use our labor or speech to help them achieve merits from giving. For instance, if someone wants to donate material goods, we can help them carry things or select appropriate items. In terms of using our speech, we can commend their efforts or praise the inexhaustible merits of giving. This is to “joyfully cultivate merits according to your means.”
After every meditation class, the instructor will say, “Thank you for joyfully taking the time to listen to the class.” Teaching and listening to the Dharma are both ways to help others practice giving. Helping others realize the merits of wholesome dharmas takes a vast and generous mind. Do not help others for your personal benefit, but in hopes of realizing their merits—when we practice giving this way, without attaching to the notions of a person or a self, the fruit we attain will be none other than anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, or unsurpassed complete enlightenment. Therefore, the merits of helping others perform giving, taking joy in their giving, and commending their practice are incomparable in greatness.
第二是愛語攝，就是要講鼓勵的話、對人要多讚歎，要度化人家，總是要先結緣，用愛語攝先交朋友，例如早上在公園散步，見到人，就打個招呼：「您早！」對方見你這麼友善，馬上給你一個微笑，這就是愛語攝。第三是利行攝，對別人的事，不論食衣住行，如果有需要，就去幫助他，這是利行攝。第四是同事攝，對方喜歡打電腦，你就學會打電腦；對方喜歡寫字，你就學會書法；對方喜歡下棋，你也學會下棋……要投其所好，結一個緣。在家裡面，對於孩子，要用愛語去鼓勵他，父慈子孝，兄友弟恭，你對孩子好，關心他的身體、學業，要有慈悲，孩子便會對你盡孝。
The second way of fellowship is kind speech, which is to speak encouraging and complimentary words. In order to liberate sentient beings, we must first develop affinity with them. One way is by using kind words to initiate friendships. For instance, if you take a morning stroll in the park and see other people, greet them with “Good morning!” They will sense your friendliness and respond with a smile. This is creating fellowship through kind speech.
The third way of fellowship is beneficial actions, which is to help fulfill the needs of other people. Whether food, clothing, housing, or transportation, as long someone has a need, we help them anyway we can—this is creating fellowship through beneficial actions. The fourth way of fellowship is companionship. If someone likes to use the computer, we learn to interact with them through a computer. If someone likes calligraphy, we practice calligraphy with them. If someone likes to play chess, we play chess with them…we participate in whatever others like to do as a way of developing affinity.
If you have children at home, encourage them with loving speech. With a kind father, comes a filial son; when older siblings are caring, younger siblings are respectful. If you are good to your children, care for their heath and studies, and treat them compassionately, they will reciprocate by being devoted and pious.
這個世界都是相對的，凡事有因有果，「有此則有彼，無此則無彼；此生則彼生，此滅則彼滅。」修行學佛，在利他中完成自利。對人家好，幫助人家就是幫助自己，我們心中也不求什麼回饋。佛法是智慧、是慈悲、是結緣，廣結善緣、佛緣、法緣，有了緣，做任何事，不論家庭、事業、功德、道業一定有所成就，左右逢源。
Everything in this world is relative; all things have causes and effects: “As this exists, so does that; as this does not exist, neither does that; as this arises, that also arises; as this ceases, that also ceases.” The cultivation of learning to realize buddhahood is to achieve self-benefit through the process of benefitting others. Being kind and helping people is to also help oneself—we should not do so because we expect something in return. Buddhadharma is wisdom; it is compassion; it means developing good affinity. We must develop good affinity with all, whether Buddha affinity or Dharma affinity. As long as we have affinity, no matter what we do, whether raising a family, building a career, accumulating merits, or cultivating the Way, we will always encounter good conditions and certainly reach success.
無緣大慈力 廣大不思議
The power of unconditioned compassion is vast and inconceivable.
《佛說四十二章經》中提到：「佛言：譬如一炬之火，數百千人，各以炬來分取，熟食除冥，此炬如故，福亦如之。」「譬如一炬之火」，就好像是以一支火把為火種，「數百千人，各以炬來分取」，另有數百千人，個個帶著未點燃的火把，到火種處來取火，一個傳一個，乃至傳十個、百個、千個、萬個……。「熟食除冥」，點著的火把可以「熟食除冥」，不但可以煮東西，還可以照破黑暗。
The Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters says, “Suppose there is a single torch and thousands of people come to light their torches from its flame, to cook food and dispel darkness, this torch will not be diminished; it is the same with these blessings.” “Suppose there is a single torch” serving as a source of fire and “thousands of people come to light their torches from its flame.” In this way, the fire of one torch becomes a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand…then, this fire can be used by everyone “to cook food and dispel darkness.”
「此炬如故」，不管是「熟食」或「除冥」，原先的火種雖然被分出去成為幾百、幾千，乃至幾萬支火把，但它的光亮和功用，並沒有減少一絲一毫，不但沒有減少，反而把附近照得更明亮。原先一支火把，只能照亮一個小區域，現在有十人、百人、千人、萬人，將火種的火分照出去，光明遍照的區域就愈來愈大。布施和助施所獲得的福報，就像火把無窮盡地傳下去一樣，不但沒有絲毫減少，反而愈來愈大。這就是燈燈相傳、光光相照，生命就會愈來愈光明。
“This torch will not be diminished,” means that even though the original torch has provided fire to many thousands of others to cook food or dispel darkness, its flame and utility were not diminished a single bit. On the contrary, it has illuminated the surrounding area with an even greater light. One torch can only light a small area. Now that ten, a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand people have lit their own torches from its fire, an even larger area is illuminated with brightness. The merit from charitable giving and helping others give is the same way, passed from one to another endlessly, not diminished in the slightest, but growing ever greater. When this torch is passed from one person to the next, its light shines greater and greater, and our lives will be filled with an ever-growing brightness.