確認法身  林鈺堂       簡繁轉換 - 繁體

 

 

佛法教示,佛的法身,超越時空,無有邊限,而且圓包一切。對無法脫離種種限制的有情來說,這是不可思議、無從企及的。然而,圓包一切的佛之法身,當然也包含每一有情;所以,佛法教示也說,佛與眾生是一體的——在實際上,沒有「佛」與「眾生」的區分;在根本上,佛與眾生是平等的。

佛法修行者,雖然很難體驗法身之無限,但是,基於法界一體的教示,應該能隨時隨地都確認這個從未暫時分離的法身。本文就是想說明,如何能隨時隨地確認法身。

我們隨時隨地體驗的色、聲、嗅、味、覺(感受)及心(意念、情緒)之整體,不斷流逝、轉變,而且無從執取;可是,在這些覺受消逝之際,無從界定、無以描述的能覺受之靈明卻是無有變異而常在的。這便是我們,做為法身的一芥,所能隨時隨地確認的法身一瞥。雖然只是「坐井觀天」,看到的確實是「天」。

為個體感官及習性所限,無能從「一切一體」的境界來發心及行止,就是我們一般有情的情況。佛則是安住在一無所執卻圓包一切的法界整體,因此能超越一切限制而從事整體無分的救渡。學佛者既然能隨時隨地一瞥法身,何不多藉此體驗來修習超越自限的心地與行止?

 

二○二○年六月廿九日
養和齋    於加州


 

 

Recognizing Dharmakaya

Yutang Lin

 

Dharma teaches that, Buddha′s Dharmakaya transcends spatial and temporary limitations, is without boundaries, and encompassing everything. To sentient beings, who are incapable of escaping from all sorts of confining limitations, this is inconceivable and impossible to attain. Nevertheless, the all-encompassing Dharmakaya of Buddha, of course, includes each and every sentient being, and hence, Dharma also teaches that, Buddha and sentient beings are in oneness—in fact, there is no such distinction as ″Buddha″ and ″sentient being″; and fundamentally, Buddha and sentient beings are equal.

For Dharma practitioners, even though it is very difficult to experience the limitlessness of Dharmakaya, however, based on the teaching that the whole Dharmadhatu is in oneness, it should be possible, at any instant and any spot, to recognize the Dharmakaya, which one has never separated from for even a split second. This article attempts to explain, how to recognize the Dharmakaya at any instant and any spot.

The totality of colors, shapes, smells, tastes, sensations, feelings and thoughts, which we experience at any instant and any spot, is incessantly fleeting away and evolving, and cannot be hold onto; nevertheless, at the juncture when these experiences dissipated, the awareness which is undefinable and indescribable remains constantly without changes. This is what we, as a minute bit in the Dharmakaya, can recognize, at any instant and any spot, as a glimpse of the Dharmakaya. Even though it is merely ″a glimpse of the sky from the bottom of a well″, what we perceive is indeed ″the sky″.

Confined by individual sense organs and habitual tendencies, and incapable of developing intentions and conducting activities from the state of ″all-in-oneness″, such is the situation of us ordinary sentient beings. In contrast, Buddha dwells in the totality of the Dharmakaya, which grasps nothing and yet encompasses everything, and thus, capable of transcending all limitations and engaging in salvation activities which make no distinctions in the totality. Since Dharma practitioners can, at any instant and any spot, take a glimpse of the Dharmakaya, why not make more uses of such experiences to cultivate states of mind and activities which transcend self-confinements?

 

Written in Chinese and translated into English on June 29, 2020
El Cerrito, California

 

 

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