一门深入

Deeply Entering One Door

 

文·真如弗by Jennifer Lin

 

修行的法门以色法而言，随众生的八万四千种、千千万万种心性，亦相对地产生八万四千种，千千万万种。所谓「色」，即指有形可状，有相可模者。有形相的法门大别之有禅、教、律、密五大宗；细分之，则不只八万四千种。一个人再聪明，穷其毕生精力，恐怕也难以学完学透，因此「一门深入」之说应运而起。

 

所谓一门深入，顾名思义自然是在那八万四千法门中，择取一门而登堂入室了！但是哪一门最好呢？最方便？最得力？最究竟？人每因其意之所好、性之所近、感之所应、择一而从之。于是乎，有尽形寿念佛持咒者，有毕其生研究经论著者，有一其心参禅守戒者。名家自是其是，各非人非，「入者主之，出者奴之，入者附之，出者污之。」门户之见，层出不穷，派系之争，屡见不鲜。这真是着于色相了！是故云：「以色相见者，必着于色相。」

 

达者观之，但觉这类蚊蚁之争，只是划地之限，徒招困扰而已。所谓：「一本万殊」，「万法归一」，「他山之石可以攻错」，「一经通，经经通」。无论修持任何一种法门，要想有所成就，一定都要以专心致志为先决条件；而所谓专心致志，亦即制心一处。失去此一条件，任何法门也修不成。不信？但请纵览今昔，横观十方，你定会发现：没有任何一个人，做任何一种事，学任何一种法，却心有旁骛而还能有所成就的！

 

故修行的法门，虽然在色法上分出许多种；依心法而言，却只有一种，就是制心一处。行者若只有在形相中妄计分别，就算选了任何一门，充其量只谓之「入」，还谈不上「深」。必须在精神领域更上层楼，放宽视野，方能做一正确选择；然后，收敛心神对准目标，全力以赴，方能深入其境，品尝醍醐妙味。到那时，一多无碍，彼此相通真可谓「无入而不自得」了。故云：修行的法门虽多，要能一门深入；而一门深入的精神，就在制心一处。

  Corresponding to the 84,000 (countless) kinds of minds and natures of living beings, there arise 84,000 (countless) Dharma doors (methods of practice) that have form and appearance. Such Dharma doors, which have tangible form, can generally be divided into the Chan, Teaching, Vinaya, Pure Land, and Esoteric Schools. If divided more finely, they are more than 84,000 in number. Even if the most intelligent person were to devote his entire life's energy to studying them, probably he would not be able to completely master them all. That's how the idea of “Deeply entering one door” came about.

 

eeply entering one door” literally means to select one of the 84,000 Dharma doors and study and understand it in depth. Which is the best door? Which is the most convenient and effective, the most ultimate? Each person should make his own selection according to his personal inclinations and needs. There are people who recite the Buddha's name or a certain mantra all their lives. Others spend their lives studying the Sutras and Shastras. Others focus on meditation or moral discipline. Each person claims their own choice is the right one, and others’ choices are wrong. No matter which sect it is, “when they are in it, they advocate and support it. When they leave it, they scorn and slander it.” All kinds of sectarian views and factional differences arise. This is truly a case of attachment to appearances! And so it's said, “Those who see only the appearances of things are bound to become attached to appearances.” 

 

When a wise person views the situation, he sees that people are only drawing boundaries amongst themselves and indulging in vain afflictions with their petty feuds. “One root has ten thousand ramifications.” “Ten thousand dharmas return to one.” “Others’ experiences can be lessons for us.” “When one Sutra is understood, all Sutras are understood.” No matter which Dharma door you cultivate, if you hope to succeed, you must concentrate single-mindedly. That is, you must focus your mind on one thing. If you can't fulfill this requirement, you won't succeed with any Dharma door. If you don't believe it, I invite you to search the past and present and all the ten directions. You will not find any person who has ever successfully accomplished a task or studied a Dharma when his mind was on something else.

 

Therefore, although there are formally many different kinds of Dharma doors, in terms of the mind, there is only one kind--that of single-minded concentration. If a cultivator only makes vain discriminations about form and appearance, then even if he selects one door to enter, he cannot enter it deeply. He must advance spiritually and broaden his outlook before he can make a proper choice. Then, focusing his mind and attention and clearly recognizing his goal, he must put forth his full strength. Only then can he really enter deeply and taste the wonderful flavor of ghee. At that point, the one and the many are unobstructed and everything mutually interpenetrates. There is no place where he is not at ease. Therefore, although there are many Dharma doors, we must be able to deeply enter one door. And the spirit of deeply entering one door lies in focusing the mind on a single point.