Why Is It the Most Magnificent to Convert to the Three Jewels?—II

068 云何歸依最勝（二）

中文原著：隆門圓通法師
英文翻譯：張惠平
Written by Master Shih Longmen Yuantong
Translated by Huei Ping Chang

謂：不但歸依佛、亦歸依法也。
彼身：指佛身、佛以為身故。
謂：從真如所流教法即是法身常住，
以此中已有如來全身故，意顯此法，
即佛之體相，本無二相故。

法性真如：正指法體。
謂：真如法性即法身真體，以此法身，
在有情為佛性、在無情為法性。

佛法如海寬廣，可容百川，以與一切染淨諸法為體性故，以有隨緣不變、不變隨緣，故喻如海。遇風起諸浪、溼性無二，故云相也。
如來藏中含攝眾德，故云功德藏。僧藏德無邊，如實修行，僧，清淨也。僧通凡、聖、大、小，今言如實修行乃地上菩薩也。無邊德藏僧，勤求正覺者，則歎德人能攝德，故名為藏。

法不虛設，必有所為，今有四意：

（一）以二乘不信唯心，故顯示一心正義，令除疑惑。
（二）以外道邪執，故對治執令捨邪見。
（三）以修行者未起正行，故分別發趣道相，令起正信以為行本。
（四）為使信成滿、入住不退，堪受佛果，故云佛種不斷。
能信此心即是大乘根本。謂：所宗心法即是大乘，有此勝義是故須說。

資料來源：心靈甘露(二)，隆門圓通法師著。

Why Is It the Most Magnificent to Convert to the Three Jewels?—II

One converts not only to the Buddha, but also to the Dharma. “That body” refers to the Buddha body, used by a Buddha as His body. Teachings flowing from True Suchness are the everlasting Dharma body within which there are whole bodies of Tathagatas. The manifestation of this Dharma is the Buddha’s body form because there are originally no two forms.

The Dharma nature of True Suchness is the true Dharma body which is called Buddha nature in sentient beings and is called Dharma nature in non-sentient beings.

The Buddhist Dharma is as vast as an ocean that can admit hundreds of rivers. All Dharmas of both purity and impurity are regarded as a nature. The Buddhist Dharma complies with affinities and does not change, so it is described as an ocean. When the ocean encounters winds, it gives rise to waves. There is only one characteristic of moisture. This is its form.

All merits are hidden in the Tathagata treasure, which is thus called merit treasure. The merits of the sangha treasure are boundless. Sangha means pure and can penetrate the ordinary, the sacred, the big, and the small. Those who can practically cultivate are Bodhisattvas on the ground. If the sangha with the treasure of boundless merits are diligently seeking right perceptions, they will praise virtuous people and will be able to absorb virtues. So there is the name “treasure.”

Dharmas are not void. They must have some functions. The following are four of them:
(1) The Two Vehicles do not believe in Mere Consciousness, so the one mind justice is manifested to help practitioners get rid of delusions.
(2) Non-Buddhists adhere to evil views, so Dharmas deal with adherence and make practitioners abandon evil views.
(3) Practitioners have not initiated the right actions yet, so Dharmas show them the principles individually, making them give rise to the right faith as the criteria of their actions.
(4) Dharmas make the faith of the practitioners consummate, and make them abide in it without withdrawal and accept the Buddha fruit. So we say that the Buddha seeds are everlasting.

Believing in this mind is the root of the Great Vehicle School. The mind Dharma that one follows is the Great Vehicle. Because there is such a significance, we must talk about it.

Source: Sweet Dew for the Soul (Vol.II), Written by Master Shih Longmen Yuantong.