孔子云︰「君子坦蕩蕩，小人長戚戚。」聖賢有聖賢的胸懷，凡愚有凡愚的胸懷。胸懷有多大，就能成就多少事業。一個人如果胸懷一家，就能做一家之主；胸懷一里，就能作一里之長；胸懷一國，就能作一國之君；胸懷法界，就能自在放曠，作法界之王。那麼，佛光會員應該具有什麼樣的胸懷呢？下面我以六點來說明我對諸位的期望︰
(一) 人在山林，心懷社會︰許多人一旦學佛，便急著離開塵世，幽居山林。其實我們不一定要在有形有相的山林裡居住才算出世學佛，所謂「安禪不必須山水，滅卻心頭火自涼」，我們將自己安住在無我無相的山林之中，對感情不執不捨，對欲望不貪不拒，對世間不厭不求，對生死不怕不離，從而出離五欲六塵，超越人我對待，才是所謂的出世修行。
學佛者不但必須擁有出世的思想，更應該具備社會的性格。《六祖壇經》云︰「佛法在世間，不離世間覺，離世求菩提，猶如覓兔角。」又說︰「佛法在眾生中求。」釋迦牟尼佛成道以後，為走入社會，接近大眾，清晨托缽乞化，餘時往來於皇宮平民之間，將菩提種子散播人間，以清淨法喜利樂有情，及至八十高齡，仍不憚辛勞，四處奔波弘法，這就是兼具出世思想與社會性格的最佳表現。希望佛光會員皆能以佛為師，具備人在山林，心懷社會的胸襟。
(二) 立足本土，放眼世界︰佛陀說法，雖然以現在此世的人生為主，但一講到時間，總是涵括過、現、未三世；一講到空間，就是三千大千世界；一講到眾生，也是十方無邊眾生。而佛教經典中，觀世音菩薩「遊諸國土，度脫眾生」，極樂聖眾「常以清旦，各以衣祴，盛眾妙華，供養他方十萬億佛。」凡此無不說明佛教是一個極具世界宏觀的宗教。翻開中外教史，攝摩騰、竺法蘭為譯經弘法，遠從印度來到中國；日本最澄、韓國義湘為學習大乘佛法，跋山涉水來到中原；美國奧葛特上校為復興錫蘭佛教，千里迢迢遠赴斯土；英國阿諾德教授為重建佛教聖地?菩提迦耶，四處奔走申訴；拉脫維亞的旦尼生主教為弘揚佛法，深入冰天雪地的北極圈；俄國的徹爾巴斯基博士為研習法義，數度前往印度、蒙古等地參學。由於古聖先賢具有開闊的心胸，不囿於陝隘的地域觀念，來往國際之間弘揚教義，互相學習，彼此觀摩，合作無間，不但使佛教聖諦因此傳播世界各地，十方眾生也得以均霑法益。我們佛光會員也應深思效法，立足本土，放眼世界。
(三) 身居道場，普利大眾︰到寺院道場禮佛聽經固然很好，但法會、講座只是我們的源頭活水，最重要的是，如果能將法喜禪悅帶給家庭成員，將圓融義理運用在辦公室，將學佛利益告訴親朋好友，將佛教真諦傳遞給有緣之人，那麼家庭、教室、農村、商店、工地、軍營，乃至十字街頭、蓬舍陋巷也都可以成為我們的道場。《法華經》云︰「所在國土，若有受持、讀誦、解說、書寫、如說修行，若經卷所在之處，若於園中，若於林中，若於樹下，若於僧坊，若白衣舍，若在殿堂，若山谷曠野，是中皆應起塔供養，何以故？當知是處即是道場。」《維摩詰經》也說︰「直心是道場，深心是道場，菩提心是道場，布施是道場，三明是道場，於一念間知一切法是道場。」佛光會員若能胸懷普利大眾的悲願，懂得觀機逗教的方便，則無論身在何方，都能以法水淨化人心，不管位在何處，都是我們的菩提道場。
(四) 天堂雖好，人間為要︰天人的思衣得衣，思食得食，壽命長久，輕安自在一向為人們所欽羨，但很多人不知道天堂雖好，也有不及人間之處，例如︰人類能勇猛，勇猛能使我們精進修行，趨向佛道；人類能憶念，憶念能使我們記取痛苦的教訓，珍惜甘甜之不易；人類能梵行，梵行能使我們知道返觀自照，淨化三業。而天人卻因耽於逸樂，慧性常昏，不樂進修，所以福報享盡，身壞命終的時候，往往墮入惡道。人間雖有憂悲痛苦，但這些磨難挫折卻是成就甘露妙果的逆增上緣，因此佛陀以「盲龜浮木」來形容人身之可貴。有兩首偈語說得好︰「人身難得今己得，佛法難聞今已聞，此身不向今生度，更待何生度此身。」飢來吃飯睡來眠，只此修行玄更玄；說與世人渾不信，卻從身外覓神仙。」但願佛光會員們都能珍惜難得的人身，在日常生活中修行辦道，化人間為天堂，轉穢土為淨域。
(五) 法界無邊，家庭第一︰世間上小至一微塵，大至整個宇宙，都是我們的法界。面對無量無邊法界，十方一切眾生，我們應該從哪裡著手實踐佛道呢？所謂「登高必自卑，行遠必自邇」，學佛應先從家庭和樂做起，因為家庭不但是蘊育生命的地方，也是社會的基本單位；不但是滋養色身的安樂窩，也是撫慰心靈的避風港。俗謂︰「金角落，銀角落，不及家裡的窮角落。」社會的許多亂相都是源於破碎的家庭背景或不當的家庭教育，家庭的重要性可見一斑。因此佛光會員在家庭裡應做到以慈悲覆護家人，以智慧處理是非，以恭敬接待親眷，以道德攝受大眾，讓我們的佛化家庭在國家社會發揮淨化的力量，讓我們的菩提眷屬為後世子孫留下最佳的榜樣。
(六) 今日一會，無限永恆︰一粒小小的種子播種下去，假以時日，就能長成高大的樹木，更何況大家參加佛光會，以會會友，共結善緣；廣學多聞，增加見識；參加活動，淨化身心；福慧雙修，提升人格；佛化傳承，全家受益，其果報必然無量無邊，無有窮盡。諸位有此殊勝因緣，可說「不於一佛、二佛、三、四、五佛而種善根，已於無量千萬佛所種諸善根」，所以應該珍惜這相聚的時刻，為弘法利生，共趣菩提而攜手邁進。
為了求名、求利，為了想上升天堂，甚至為了自身的健康福祉而行善結緣，均屬有相布施，其功德自有限量，佛光會員們若能有「不問別人能為我做些什麼，而問自己能為別人做些什麼」的精神，從建立美滿家庭、注重人間修行做起，繼而心懷社會，放眼世界，普利大眾，那麼今日的一會，將帶來不可限量的功德，今日的一會，也將留下永恆不朽的歷史。
The Heart of the BLIA
Confucius said, “A great man has nothing to hide. A small man is always hiding everything.”
A saint has the heart of a saint. A small person has a small heart.
What we are able to do in this world depends on the size of our hearts. If a person’s heart is confined to the size of his family, he will be able to care only for his family. If a person’s heart contains only his village, he will be able to lead only his village. If a person’s heart contains an entire nation, he will be able to lead that nation. If a person’s heart contains the Dharma, he will be of great value to others and able to lead many to the truths of Buddhism. What kind of hearts should members of the BLIA seek to develop? In the following six sections, I will answer this question in detail.
The transcendental heart
When people first begin to believe the Dharma, they often want to leave this mundane world and shut themselves away in some remote mountain retreat. Buddhism does make a distinction between tran- scendental and mundane energies, but the truth is, it is not necessary to shut yourself away from the world to develop transcendental energies. There is a saying, “Peaceful meditative concentration does not depend on mountains and streams. When the desires of our minds are extinguished, we will be at peace.”
The deepest transcendental energies of Buddhism, ultimately, can only be found in the selfless and formless mountains that always are with us in our innermost natures.
You don’t need to hide from the world to find these energies, and you don’t need to go anywhere to develop them. They are within you at all times.
As Buddhists, we awaken these energies by not clinging to our emotions and desires, and by neither seeking nor rejecting the things of this world. We do not fear death, and we do not hide from life. We discover in ourselves an awareness and energy transcending all individuality and all defilements of this world.
A good Buddhist needs the wisdom and energy that derive from transcendental consciousness. However, a good Buddhist also needs to develop a personality suited to this world and to the society in which he finds himself.
In the Platform Sutra, Huineng said, “The Dharma is in this world. One does not leave this world to become enlightened. To leave this world to search for the bodhi mind would be futile.” Huineng also said, “The Dharma is to be sought and found only among sentient beings.”
Sakyamuni Buddha spent forty-five years preaching the Dharma to sentient beings. After his enlightenment he re-entered society and taught the Dharma to kings and commoners alike. He lived very simply and worked with great energy solely for the good of others. Sakyamuni Buddha’s own example of how to live is the best example we could possibly ask for. In his life, he exemplified the perfect balance between transcendental and practical energies. He lived in this world even as his consciousness fully transcended all aspects of this world.
I hope all members of the BLIA will seriously contemplate the profound example Sakyamuni Buddha has set for us. All of us should learn directly from him, for he is our original master. All of us should seek to develop personalities that can function in society, as simulta- neously, we seek to understand the selfless and formless mountains in the hearts of all beings.
Stand locally, think globally
Sakyamuni Buddha preached the Dharma in this world principally for the benefit of people in this world. However, whenever the Buddha spoke about time, he always spoke of all three periods of time: past, present and future. And whenever he spoke about space, he always extended his discourse to include the entire universe with all its worlds. And whenever he spoke of sentient beings, he always included all sentient beings of all Dharma realms. Similarly, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva “travels to all the myriad lands to save all beings.” Inhabi- tants of Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land, “Rise in the clear morning and put on their clothes. Then they carry beautiful flowers to other worlds to make offerings to the innumerable Buddhas of the universe.”
The above citations show clearly that Buddhism is a universal religion that applies equally well to all levels, places and realms of existence.
The literature of Buddhism has been translated into many languages. Kasyapa-matanga and Dharmaraksa began the effort of translating sutras into Chinese around 67 CE. The Japanese monk Saicho (767-822) and the Korean monk Uisang (625-702) went through great hardships to study Mahayana Buddhism in China. The American Henry Steel Olcott (1832-1907) expended great effort to help revitalize and preserve Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Sir Edwin Arnold helped preserve Bodh Gaya in India. A Latvian Buddhist organiza- tion did much to spread Buddhism in northern Europe. The Russian Fyodor Stcherbatsky (1866-1942) traveled to India and Mongolia to study Buddhism.
The efforts of people like these, coupled with Buddhism’s long tradition of adapting to new regions of the world, has allowed Buddhism to develop and spread to many parts of the globe. At the same time, it is only because people in other parts of the world have been willing to open their minds to the “new” faith that Buddhism has been successful in adapting.
All of us should contemplate the open-mindedness that is essential to the growth and spread of Buddhism. And all of us must learn to work and study together, and be influenced by one another. If all of us in the BLIA really work to develop cooperative and positive attitudes, our task of spreading the Dharma to ever more places will be greatly eased. The work we do today will help countless sentient beings all over the world, now and in the future. BLIA members should think of themselves as standing firmly in their own local communities even as they cast their gazes across the entire earth.
We are based in our temples, and through them we benefit all the world
It is always a good thing to go to the temple and hear the Dharma. A temple is the fountainhead of the Dharma. We drink deeply from it, and it cleanses us as it slakes our thirst of many lifetimes. More important than simply receiving the Dharma ourselves, however, is our ability to exhibit the Dharma in our lives. If we have truly understood what we have heard in the temple, then we will do our utmost to practice Buddhism in the world, no matter what our conditions may be.
We must bring the Dharma home to our families, we must practice patience and tolerance at work, and we must help our friends under- stand the joy and the peace of meditative concentration.
The Dharma is something to learn, but it is also something that must be given to others. It does not matter who we are or where we are. The Dharma can go anywhere. The joy of the Dharma can be carried into the classroom, to the farm, into businesses, factories, army camps. It can be carried to the street corner, and it can be carried into prisons. When we have truly understood the depth of the Dharma, we will realize that all the world is a temple and that the teachings of Buddha apply everywhere.
The Lotus Sutra says, “All places in the world are right for learning this sutra, for chanting this sutra, for explaining this sutra, and for copying it. Practice what it says. No matter where this sutra is, whether it be in a garden or forest, under a tree or among monks, in a layman’s home or in a temple, in valleys or in fields, all these places should have stupas built on them for worship and offering. Why is that? That is because all these places are temples.”
The Vimalakirti Sutra says, “The clear mind is a temple, the deep mind is a temple, the bodhi mind is a temple, generosity is a temple, the three supernatural knowleges is a temple, and the vast Dharma that can be grasped in a moment of thought, is a temple.”
If all of us in the BLIA can find room in our hearts to make the great vow of compassion, and if all of us can think deeply about the best means to spread the Dharma, then no matter where we are we will be able to effect positive changes on all whom we encounter. It does not matter who you are or where you are, all the world is your temple.
Heaven is beautiful, but this world is more important In heaven, you need only think of something and you will have it, and your life will be very long and very pleasant. Many people in this world feel envious when they consider how happy the lives of heavenly beings are.
Heaven is beautiful, but what many people do not realize is this world is much more important. In this world we can develop courage and determination. These rugged virtues when turned to Buddhism make us very strong, and they make us progress quickly in our practice. In this human world, we possess complex memories that can vividly recall pain and suffering. By these recollections, we are able to
learn from our mistakes and remember not to repeat them again.
In this world we experience pleasure and pain, and through these opposites, we are able to practice Buddhism in the best way possible. This world forces us in many different ways to reflect on our behavior and correct our mistakes. In contrast, heaven is a place so full of ease and enjoyment, wisdom is never required and there seems to be no need whatsoever to cultivate higher virtues. The days in heaven are long and pleasant, but in the end, when the karma that put us there is used up, rebirth must be taken again in a lower realm.
This human realm, without question, contains much suffering. If we understand the value of suffering, however, it will not seem to be so repellent. We learn through suffering, and if we face our trials with courage and a firm resolve to improve ourselves by them, then our suffering can be understood to be a higher condition. This world is good for us, and we should all treasure our time here.
Buddha once said, “It is as hard to obtain a human life as it is for a blind turtle to find a hole in a single piece of wood in the ocean.”
There are two beautiful Buddhist verses that further express this point: “A human body is hard to obtain, but today we have one. It is rare to be able to hear the Dharma, but today we have heard it. If we do not seek liberation in this life, then in which life will we finally seek it?” The other verse says, “When you are hungry, eat. And when you
are tired, sleep. If you follow this practice, you will see mystery after mystery. If you tell this to others, however, they will never believe, because they always look outside themselves for truth.”
I hope all members of the BLIA will deeply appreciate the great good fortune of having a human body and the chance to practice Buddhism with it. Let us all use ourselves to learn and to help others learn right here in this world. If we put our hearts into it, we will succeed in saving ourselves as we bring the benefits of Buddhism to all who encounter us.
The Dharma realm is limitless, but family comes first
The Dharma realm can be as small as a grain of sand and as large as the entire universe. When we contemplate the overwhelming immensity of the Dharma realm, we may wonder where to begin our practice.
“If you want to climb high, you must start low. And if you want to travel far, you must start wherever you are.” This old saying is very appropriate.
All Buddhists should make the happiness of their families their first item of practice. The family is the first place we learn, and it is a fundamental unit of society. The family nourishes our being, and it is the first place we turn when times get rough. The following folk saying expresses the point well: “A golden place, a silver place, neither is as good as the poor place of home.” Many, if not most, of the problems in society can be traced back to dysfunctional families, broken homes or simply poor education at home.
Members of the BLIA should stop for a moment and think about this point. Can our own practice of Buddhism possibly be complete if we are not actively striving for the happiness of our families? If we have not made clear distinctions between right and wrong within our own homes, how can we possibly expect to have any kind of lasting influence on our societies? If we are not practicing morality at home, how can we expect to ever lead all sentient beings to the truth? If our family lives are in order, then we will certainly succeed in having a very positive influence on society. And if our family lives are based on truth, then we certainly will pass on a great legacy to our children and our children’s children.
We participate fully in BLIA chapters to leave an influence for all time
A small seed planted today is capable of growing into a large tree over time. If that is so, then how much more significant are the moments of our human lives?
When we join the BLIA, we must commit ourselves to deriving maximum benefit from every moment, both for ourselves and for others. We must strive to deepen our friendships with other members of the BLIA. We should meet with each other frequently and always keep our minds open so that we can learn from one another. In this way our activities will be stimulating, and all of us will be able to improve ourselves by our participation in them. When we really come together like this in a positive manner, we are “not just planting seeds with one Buddha, or with two, or with three, or with only four or five Buddhas. We are planting bodhi seeds with the countless Buddhas of all the Buddha realms.”