宣公上人主持在家菩萨戒之开示

行菩萨道是利人无我

Ven. Master's Lecture After Transmitting Lay Bodhisattva Precepts

Cultivate the Bodhisattva Path: Benehot Others and Forget Self

 

一九九二年九月十三日＊万佛圣城 September 30, 1992 The Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas

颐龄记录 Transcribed by Yi Lin

 

你们今天受了菩萨戒，顾名思义，你们应该行菩萨道。

 

什么是菩萨道？菩萨道是要吃亏的。不要损人，要利人，损己利人。要利益一切众生，不是单单人，一切众生都在这个行菩萨行的道路上。想要行菩萨道就要布施一切，不但布施物，而且要布施自己的生命，为什么这样说呢？

 

各位要知道，我们为什么要受菩萨戒？也就是要来学着行菩萨道。我们受菩萨戒就应该行菩萨道，菩萨道是外要财施、法施、无畏施：内财就是身心性命都要舍得，都能布施出来。

 

菩萨为了度一个众生，那么就跟着这个众生，在无量那么多的大劫中，想各种方便法，用权巧方便法来教化众生。释迦牟尼佛行菩萨道的时候，舍无量的生命来教化众生，令众生发菩提心。

 

我们现在既然受了菩萨戒，就要利他，不要利自己。凡事都要为众生做着想，不要为自己做着想，要忘我有人，把我忘了。要实实在在地去做，不是求一个假名，弄一个好的名堂，说那个人是个善人，那个人是菩萨，行菩萨道的。你行菩萨道要埋头苦干，默默耕耘，不要各处去登报纸，不要各处去尽做一些假面具，那么外边有一个菩萨的名，内里有妖魔鬼怪都在那儿坐殿当权。你要把内里头的这个妖魔鬼怪都化为菩萨，内里头也是菩萨，外边也是菩萨，一举一动都要发菩提心，要教化众生。

 

释迦牟尼佛在尽大地虚空处，没有一粒微尘那么多的地方，不是释迦牟尼佛舍生命的地方。释迦牟尼佛这样修行，现在做我们娑婆世界的教主。我们应该效法十方诸佛的行为，发心去行菩萨道。中，宣公上人。左，明哲法师。右，圆成法师。

 

今天时间也很久了，你们就记得做菩萨要利人，不要尽挂着利己。你尽挂着利己，那就是自私。你去利人，那就是不自私，就是大公无私了。还有这不争、不贪、不求、不自私、不自利、不打妄语，这都是行菩萨道的一个开端，一个开始，所以你们要是想行菩萨道，就不要忘了不争、不贪、不求、不自私、不自利、不打妄语，乃至于成就佛果，这是最后的目的，你们各位记得吗？众答：「记得！」

 

上人：「啊！记得，我就说那么多话。」

 

Center: Venerable Hsuan Hua. Left: Dharma Master Ming Je. Right: Dharma Master Ywan Cheng. You have all received the Bodhisattva Precepts. As the name indicates, you should practice the Bodhi Path.

 

What is the Bodhi Path? It means to take loss, to not harm people, and to benefit others. It means to benefit all living beings, not just human beings. Living beings are all on this path of practicing Bodhisattva deeds. If a person wants to cultivate the path of Bodhi, he should give everything up – not only material things, but his life as well. Why is this? You should know why we have taken the Bodhisattva Precepts. It's because we want to learn how to practice them.

 

After we have taken the Bodhisattva Precepts, we should do as Bodhisattvas do. Externally, we may practice the giving of wealth, the giving of Dharma, and the giving of fearlessness. Internally, we should be able to put down our body, mind, and life, and give them away.

 

A Bodhisattva will follow a single living being for uncountable kalpas, trying all expedient ways to transform and take him across. When Shakyamuni Buddha was cultivating the Bodhi Path, he sacrificed countless lives to teach and transform living beings, and to guide them to bring forth the Bodhi mind.

 

Since we have taken the Bodhisattva Precepts, we should benefit others instead of ourselves. Think about the welfare of living beings. Never consider for your own sake. Forget about the self, and care for people. Keep no self in you. You have to really and truly practice this. Don't seek a false reputation or fantastic title, saying this person is a good man, and that one is a Bodhisattva cultivating the Bodhi path.

 

One who practices the Bodhi Path must work vigorously, cultivating the Way in secret, and not linger around trying to put out ads for oneself. Don't go everywhere not doing anything but wearing a mask. Then, although you have the name of a Bodhisattva outside, inside there are demonic spirits and monsters dwelling into the palace and taking control. You can transform these demonic spirits and monsters into Bodhisattvas. There are Bodhisattvas inside and Bodhisattvas outside. In each action and movement, remember to resolve to bring forth the Bodhi mind, and teach and transform living beings.

 

There is not as much as a mote of dust where Shakyamuni Buddha has not given up his life for living beings. It was through such cultivation that he became the fundamental teacher of the Saha world. We must follow these sagely deeds of the Buddhas in the ten directions, and put them into practice.

 

We have spent a long time today. Just remember that a Bodhisattva always benefits people, so don't think about self-benefit all the time. If you are always concerned about benefitting yourself, that's being selfish. If you go out and benefit others, that's unselfish and public-minded.

 

Also, the principles of no fighting, no greed, no seeking, no selfishness, no self-benefitting, and no lying are a starting point for cultivating the Bodhi Path. Therefore, if you want to practice the Bodhisattva conduct, you can't forget "no fighting, no greed, no seeking, no selfishness, no self-benefitting, and no lying." You must uphold these until you accomplish the ultimate goal of Buddhahood. Will you all remember? (The assembly answered, "Yes!") Okay then, that's all I want to say.