A Share of Dharma Text

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

教起因緣：教，聖人之語言為教，各個教派皆有各教之語言，如孔子之言，為儒教之教，老子之言為道教。佛教以佛為聖，故以佛言為教。佛在世，言語為教。佛涅槃後，聞法之人，將佛之語言結集為經典，即為教。
法不孤起，如來教法不單獨生起，應緣而生。有因無緣不生、有緣無因亦不生起，因緣和合而乃生起。發起因緣，是佛為度眾生，而發教起因緣。

佛法與眾生，互為因緣。佛為度眾生而說法為因，眾生聽佛法為緣。親能生起為因（近因），疏能助成為緣（遠因）。即眾生有聽法之善因，遇佛說法為緣。故佛法與眾生、互有因緣而說法。我等今日能聞佛法為因、而有說法者為緣。故知聞法與說法者、亦互為因緣。

佛法，即佛說之法，有教、理、行、果四法。教為能詮，理、行、果，為所詮。詮者，表現也，即佛法中，所示現之理也。

行者為明教理而修行，修什麼呢？佛恐眾生不明，而留下的法教，故謂依教法而修行。
行為因，菩提涅槃為果。修行者，以修戒定慧、行六度，為行，由此行而證果。
是諸佛已證，示諸眾生令證。

分享 吉祥
資料來源：心靈甘露(一)，隆門圓通法師著。

A Share of Dharma Text
Doctrines arise from causes and conditions. They are the speech of sages. Each religion has its own speech. Confucius’ speech is the doctrine of Confucianism, while Laotzi’s speech is the doctrine of Taoism. In Buddhism, the Buddha is regarded as a sage, so his speech is the doctrine. When he was alive, the doctrine was in the form of language. After he entered Nirvana, the hearers collected his lectures and edited them into sutras which became the doctrine.

Dharmas do not arise alone. The Buddha’s doctrines arise according to causes and conditions. They don’t arise if there are causes but there are no conditions, or if there are conditions but there are no causes. Only when causes and conditions are combined will they arise. Buddhas initiate the causes and conditions in order to rescue living beings.

Buddhas and living beings are mutually related causes and conditions. Buddhas lecture on the dharma in order to rescue living beings–this is the cause. Living beings hear the dharma–this is the condition. When a close relation arises, it’s the cause. When a distant relation helps one succeed, it’s the condition. Living beings have the good cause to hear the dharma, so when they encounter the Buddha’s lecture on the dharma, that’s the condition. Hence we say that Buddhas and living beings are mutually related causes and conditions. We can hear the Buddhist Dharma today–this is the cause; there are people who lecture on the Buddhist Dharma–this is the condition. So we can say that the hearer and the lecturer are also mutually related causes and conditions.

The Buddhist Dharma is the teachings of the Buddha, including doctrines, logic, practice and results. Doctrines means being capable of manifesting, while logic, practice and results mean what is manifested. Manifestation is performance, meaning that the logic in Buddhism is manifested.

Practitioners cultivate in order to know the doctrines. What do they cultivate? They cultivate the doctrines that the Buddha left behind in case the living beings did not understand. So we say that practitioners cultivate according to the doctrines.

Practice is the cause, while the Bodhi Nirvana is the condition. Practitioners work on the precepts, stability and wisdom as well as the Six Perfections and finally attain Buddhahood. Once they attain Buddhahood, they will make living beings attain Buddhahood, too.

I hereby share this with you all. Auspiciousness to you all.

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