Between Life and Death

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

問：初心學人，悟入此宗，信解圓通，有何勝力？
答：若正解圓明、決定信入，有超劫之功，獲頓成之力。

四句中 前二句是因，後兩句以後明示為果。
行者，需要有決定信心，永不動搖。應生正解，不但毫無邪見，而且所解圓融、明鑒無礙。這非初學所能行，只有以弘深誓願作為鎧甲，奮力精進，才能真得如此妙果。於是頓超三大阿僧祇劫之大關，剎那圓成無上菩提之力。
雖在生死，常入涅槃。恆處塵勞，長居淨剎。雖是凡夫，常在塵勞世俗之中，輪轉生死海內，然而心不動轉，常在涅槃三德之中。雖在塵勞堆裏，無異清淨佛國。
現具有肉眼，而開慧眼之光明，匪易凡心，便同佛心之知見。真實悟心之士，肉眼可當佛眼用。藕益大師說自己是：「名字位中真佛眼。」這比「當佛眼用」，更進一步自肯了。
「因」五眼是肉眼、天眼、法眼、慧眼、佛眼。悟心的人，不見得具天眼，但有法眼、慧眼之用。所謂說：開慧眼，得佛之光明。開慧眼，便悟入佛之知見。即具佛知見，此凡心便具佛智。
則煩惱塵勞不待斷而自斷，菩提妙圓弗假修而自圓。煩惱自斷、菩提自圓，不靠修持不歷階梯，頓出苦輪。如是不可說不可說之力，亦名佛力，亦名般若力，亦名無住力。若能於般若，一心妙諦，能圓信、圓解、圓修，即得超劫頓成之力。
至於初學、初機，於此妙法，只要有緣「見聞隨喜一念發心者」，皆可消塵勞業障。
般若妙力真是不可思議！

普願見聞者
同沾菩提露
頓契本來心
清淨無所住
吉祥
104.12.6
資料來源：心靈甘露(一)，隆門圓通法師著。

Between Life and Death

Q: If beginners are enlightened and enter this school with faith, understanding, perfection, and penetration, then what strength will they have?
A: If they have right understanding and perfection and decide to enter with faith, they will have merits that transcend kalpas and will have the strength to suddenly succeed.

In the answer above, the first half is the cause and the second half is the condition. Spiritual practitioners have to have unshakable faith. They have to give rise to right understanding without evil views, and what they understand should be flexible and smooth. They should be able to see things clearly without hindrance. But this is not what beginners can achieve. Only those who endeavor to cultivate with deep vows as their armors can attain such a wondrous result. If so, they will be able to get through the ordeals of three asamkhyeya kalpas and will immediately possess the power to attain the supreme Bodhi.

Though one suffers life and death, he still has to visualize that he enters Nirvana often. Though one resides in the situation of affliction, he still has to have the Pure Land in mind. Though an ordinary person keeps reincarnating in the sea of life and death in the tiring secular world, he will always stay in the three virtues of the Nirvana as long as he remains stable mentally. Though in the tiring afflicting world, he is actually in the pure Buddha land.

If one can initiate the brightness of wisdom eyes with flesh eyes, the ordinary mind will be able to view things as well as the Buddha mind does. One who has really been enlightened can employ his eyes as the Buddha eyes. Master O-Yi said that he possessed real Buddha eyes in the Name Position. This way of expression is more confident than “employing flesh eyes as the Buddha eyes.”

The “Five Eyes” refers to the Flesh Eye, the Heavenly Eye, the Dharma Eye, the Wisdom Eye, and the Buddha Eye. The enlightened ones may not necessarily possess the Heavenly Eye, but they have the Dharma Eye and the Wisdom Eye. If one has initiated the Wisdom Eye, he will gain the Buddha’s brightness and enter the Buddha’s views. When one possesses the Buddha’s views, his ordinary mind will be replete with the Buddha’s wisdom.

As a result, the affliction will disappear by itself without waiting to be severed, and the Bodhi Wondrous Perfection will become complete without cultivation or efforts. Then one will immediately get out of bitter reincarnation. Such inexpressive power is also called Buddha power or Prajna power or non-abiding power. If one can believe, understand, and cultivate completely in the Prajna realm with the wondrous truth in mind, he will gain the strength to succeed at once. Such a success may transcend numerous kalpas.

With such a wondrous approach, all beginners can make their afflictions and karmic obstacles disappear as long as there are affinities. The wondrous power of Prajna is really inconceivable!

I wish that all those who hear and see this
Will receive the Bodhi dew together and
Will ally themselves with the original mind
Which is pure and abides in nowhere.

Auspiciousness to all.

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