Shurangama Mantra with Verses and Commentary
by Venerable Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua
411. RA THỆ TỆ PHẤN
囉誓弊泮
RAJE BHYAH PHAT
Vô
sanh pháp bảo độ trầm luân
Phật
đà Tăng già đại uy thần
Tham
sân si độc tận trừ diệt
Thanh
lương tự tại hựu tùng dung.
無生法寶度沉淪
佛陀僧伽大威神
貪瞋癡毒盡除滅
清涼自在又從容
UM! RA THỆ TỆ PHẤN.
TẤT CẢ PHÁP ĐỀU VÔ NGÃ
XUẤT THẾ GIAN BÁO
Thế-gian-báo là quả báo thuộc lục-phàm. Trái lại,
xuất-thế-gian-báo là quả báo của tứ-thánh: Thanh-Văn, Duyên-Giác, Bồ-Tát và
Phật. Quả báo tứ-thánh do bởi khi tu lìa ngã-chấp mà được thành tựu. Trong hạnh
vô-ngã nầy, hàng Nhị-thừa hãy còn hẹp, song Bồ-Tát thừa thì rất rộng rãi nhiệm
mầu. Bồ-Tát chẳng những tu tam-vô-lậu-học của pháp xuất-thế-gian, mà còn làm
tất cả việc từ thiện của thế gian. Tâm của Bồ-Tát không thấy có sở đắc sở
chứng; không có tướng ngã, nhơn, chúng-sanh, thọ giả; tuy độ vô lượng hữu-tình
nhưng không thấy mình là người hóa độ, chúng-sanh là kẻ được độ; tuy quanh mình
thị hiện vô biên quyến thuộc, nhưng lòng hằng vắng lặng không thấy có quyến
thuộc; tuy tu vô lượng phước đức, nhưng không thấy mình có phước đức. Ðây là
hạnh vô tướng. Người biết thực hành hạnh vô tướng, dù là làm việc thiện thế
gian, song đều thành kết quả giải thoát. Bằng trái lại, tuy tu thánh-đạo, cũng
hóa ra phước báo thế gian. Về hạnh vô tướng nầy, trong kinh Kim-Cang, có đoạn
Đức Phật dạy: “Nầy Tu-Bồ-Ðề! Như có vị Bồ-Tát dùng số lượng thất bảo đầy cả
hằng-hà-sa thế-giới để bố thí. Nếu lại có người biết TẤT CẢ
PHÁP ĐỀU VÔ NGÃ, được thành vô sanh nhẫn, thì công đức của vị Bồ-Tát sau
nầy hơn bậc Bồ-Tát trước kia. Tại sao thế,
Tu-Bồ-Ðề? Bởi thật ra, chư Bồ-Tát đều không thọ phước đức”. Tu-Bồ-Ðề thưa:
“Bạch Thế-Tôn! Sao gọi là Bồ-Tát không thọ phước đức?” - Nầy Tu-Bồ-Ðề! Vì
Bồ-Tát tuy làm những việc phước đức, song chẳng tham trước, nên ta nói không
thọ phước đức!”
Thông thường hàng Phật-tử
tại-gia khi mới quy-y, duy thích cúng dường chùa mình, phụng sự thầy của mình,
hay chỉ làm những Phật-sự mà họ cho là có công đức hơn việc thế gian. Nhưng nếu
họ hiểu rộng hơn, vừa dùng tâm bình đẳng phụng sự Tam-bảo, vừa làm các việc từ
thiện ở đời, như giúp đỡ kẻ nghèo khổ đau yếu, chu cấp cho hàng quả phụ cô nhi,
rồi đem công đức ấy hồi hướng về Tịnh-độ cùng đạo Vô-thượng-bồ-đề, thì tất cả
việc làm lành đều đi đến kết quả giải thoát cả.
Tóm lại, sự lý nhân-quả thật vô lượng, chuyển biến chập chồng, có thể gọi là khó bàn khó nghĩ. Nhưng về Nhân không ngoài sự hơn kém của nghiệp thân, ngữ, ý qua ba hạnh Phước, Phi-phước và Bất-động. Về Quả lại tổng quát trong mười hai điều trên. Nếu nắm được mấy điểm chánh yếu như đã kể mà suy rộng ra, về vấn đề nầy, người học Phật có thể hiểu quán xuyến tất cả.
Phật
Học Tinh Yếu
Hòa Thượng Thích Thiền Tâm
[6]
Ông Ma-ha-ca-diếp và bà Tử-Kim-quang tỷ-khưu-ny
VIÊN-THÔNG VỀ PHÁP-TRẦN
Ông Ma-ha-ca-diếp và bà Tử-Kim-quang tỷ-khưu-ny, vân vân... liền từ chỗ ngồi đứng dậy, đỉnh-lễ nơi chân Phật mà bạch Phật rằng: "Kiếp xưa, trong cõi nầy, có đức Phật ra đời, tên là Nhựt-nguyệt-đăng diệt-độ rồi, chúng tôi thắp đèn sáng mãi cúng-dàng xá-lợi, lại lấy vàng-thắm thếp hình-tượng Phật. Từ đó đến nay, đời nào đời nào, thân-thể thường viên-mãn, sáng-ngời như vàng-thắm. Bọn Tử-kim-quang tỷ-khưu-ny nầy, tức là quyến-thuộc của tôi lúc đó, cũng đồng một thời phát-tâm như tôi. Tôi quán trong thế-gian, sáu trần đều dời-đổi tan-nát, chí dùng pháp không-tịch, tu định diệt-tận, thì thân tâm mới có thể trải qua trăm nghìn kiếp như một thời-gian gẩy ngón tay. Tôi do quán được các pháp là rỗng-không, mà thành quả A-la-hán. Đức Thế-tôn bảo tôi tu hạnh đầu-đà bậc nhất. Diệu-tính của các pháp được khai-ngộ, thì tiêu-diệt các lậu. Phật hỏi về viên-thông, như chỗ chứng của tôi, thì do pháp-trần là hơn cả."
N6 Kashyapa: the object of dharmas.
Sutra:
Mahakashyapa, Purple-golden Light Bhikshuni, and others arose from their seats, bowed at the Buddha's feet, and said to the Buddha:
Commentary:
Mahakashyapa. "Maha" means great; "Kashyapa" was his name. Since there were many people with the last name Kashyapa, the word "great" was added to indicate who was being referred to. Kashyapa means "great turtle clan" (da gui shi). His ancestors had seen a huge turtle with a map on its back and took their name from this incident. Mahakashyapa is also known as "drinker of light" (da yin guang). The light of his body seemed to swallow up all other kinds of light, because they disappeared in the brilliance of his light.
His personal name was Pippala, which is the name of a tree. His parents had no son, and they prayed for one to a pippala tree; as a result they had a son, whom they named in the tree's honor. Mahakashyapa was a fire worshipper. He cultivated the skill of smelting fire. There were all kinds of outside religions in India. Water worshippers, fire worshippers, and earth worshippers. The latter would bury themselves in the earth and if they remained alive for a certain number of days, they could become spirits. These outside religions were confused and confusing.
Purple-golden Light Bhikshuni, who was Mahakashyapa's wife. At the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, Mahakashyapa was 120 years old, and his wife was probably close to one hundred. Long ago, at the time of Kashyapa Buddha, his wife saw a Buddha-image being battered by wind and rain, to the point that there was no gold left on the figure. She resolved to repair the temple, but didn't have enough money. She also hoped to regild the image, but that was even more expensive.
However, where there's a will, there's a way, and this woman's heart was strong and true. Everywhere she went she begged for money, and over a period of years she accumulated the equivalent of about 100,000 American dollars. Then she hired a goldsmith to regild the image. The goldsmith was moved by her decision to repair the Buddha image despite her own poverty, and he offered to do the work for half the wage. So the two of them shared the merit and virtue of this. Soon the temple was repaired so that it didn't leak anymore, and the Buddha image was regilded.
After that in every life, this woman's body shone with a purple golden light. After the goldsmith, who was Mahakashyapa in a former life, finished the Buddha image, something strange happened between him and the woman. "Your heart is very good," he said to her. "I'll take you for my wife, and I will be your husband. Not just in this life, but from now on, in every life, we will marry one another." That's why I guessed that since Mahakashyapa was 120, his wife must have been at least a hundred. Even so, they were still very strong and active in their cultivation. Mahakashyapa's wife cultivated the Way and was certified to the fruition.
And others in his retinue arose from their seats, bowed at the Buddha's feet, and said to the Buddha.
Sutra:
In a past kalpa in this region, I drew near to the Buddha named Sun-Moon-Lamp, who was then in the world. I heard dharma from him and cultivated and studied with him. After that Buddha's extinction, I made offerings to his sharira and lit lamps to continue his light. Purple-Golden Light gilded the Buddha's image.
From that time on, in life after life, my body has always been perfect and has shone with a purple-golden light. The bhikshuni, Purple-Golden Light, and others make up my retinue, and we all brought forth the resolve for Bodhi at the same time.
Commentary:
We should all remember the important point: their relationship of husband and wife in life after life was not based on emotional love. Rather, they married in every life and then cultivated together. They investigated Chan and sat in meditation. In life after life, they did the Buddha's work. They studied the Buddhadharma and cultivated the Way. Now do you understand?
Mahakashyapa explains: In a past kalpa in this region, I drew near to the Buddha named Sun-Moon-Lamp, who was then in the world. I heard dharma from him and cultivated and studied with him. A very, very long time ago, a Buddha named Sun-Moon- Lamp Buddha appeared in the world. The sun can illumine things in the daytime; the moon can light things at night; lamps can shine day and night. Daytime represents existence, and night represents emptiness. Thus it's both noumenon and phenomenon; phenomenon and noumenon. It's also neither noumenon and phenomenon; not phenomenon and not noumenon. That means it's not attached to emptiness or existence.
After that Buddha's extinction, I made offerings to his sharira. The merit and virtue of making offerings to the Buddha's sharira is equal to that of making offerings to the Buddha himself. I lit lamps to continue his light, so the Buddhadharma would expand and flourish. Purple-Golden Light gilded the Buddha's image. From that time on, in life after life, my body has always been perfect and has shone with a purple-golden light.
Mahakashyapa's appearance was very full and complete. And I'm sure his wife was also lovely. The bhikshuni, Purple-Golden Light, and others make up my retinue, and we all brought forth the resolve for Bodhi at the same time. The important point was that they cultivated together. Their relationship was not based on emotional love.
Sutra:
I contemplated that the world's six sense-objects change and decay; they are but empty stillness. Based on this, I cultivated extinction. Now my body and mind can pass through hundreds of thousands of kalpas as though they were a fingersnap.
Commentary:
Mahakashyapa continues, "I contemplated that the world's six sense-objects change and decay." He is, basically, discussing objects of mind, but here he refers to the six sense-objects, because the objects of mind have no shape or appearance; they are the shadows of the first five sense objects. The objects of mind exist because of the first five sense-objects. If the first five did not exist, the objects of mind would not come to be, because they have no substance of their own.
Forms, sounds, smells, tastes, objects of touch, and dharmas, these six objects, interact, change, and decay. "They are but empty stillness. Their very essence is empty. There isn't anything there at all. Based on this, I cultivated extinction. I used the power of this contemplation," says Mahakashyapa, "to cultivate the Samadhi of Extinction, which means I put an end to the sixth mind-consciousness and no longer dwelt in the discriminating mind."
This is also known as the Samadhi of the Extinction of Feeling and Thought. Now my body and mind can pass through hundreds of thousands of kalpas as though they were a finger-snap. His mind could endure through as long a period of time as hundreds of thousands of kalpas, as though they were but an instant of time, the snap of a finger. Mahakashyapa is actually in samadhi now,in the Samadhi of Extinction, inside Chicken Foot mountain in Yunnan province in China.
Sutra:
Based on the emptiness of dharmas, I accomplished arhatship. The World Honored One says that I am foremost in dhuta practices. Wonderful dharma brought me awakening and understanding, and I extinguished all outflows. The Buddha asks about perfect penetration. As I have been certified to it, dharmas are the superior means.
Commentary:
Mahakashyapa says: Based on the emptiness of dharmas, I accomplished arhatship. The World Honored One says that I am foremost in dhuta practices. "Dhuta" is a Sanskrit word; it means "ascetic" ( dou sou). It means to strike up your spirits and go forward with vigor; to work hard and not be lax. There are twelve dhuta practices:
1. Wearing rag robes;
2. possessing only three robes;
3. begging for food;
4. consecutive begging;
5. eating only one meal a day;
6. eating a fixed and moderate amount of food;
7. not drinking juices after noon;
8. dwelling in an Aranya (a quiet place);
9. dwelling beneath a tree;
10. dwelling in the open;
11. dwelling in a graveyard;
12. always sitting and never lying down.
Wonderful dharma brought me awakening and understanding, and I extinguished all outflows. The Buddha asks about perfect penetration. Buddha, you are asking each of us about the cause and conditions regarding perfect penetration, our initial resolve which brought about our certification. As I have been certified to it, dharmas are the superior means. The sense-object of dharmas, this cause, is the best means.
Thọ dữ thiên tề bất giảm tăng
Toại tâm như ý thông biến hóa
Ngũ sắc tường vân túc hạ đăng.
Ngũ-Sắc-Vân Thủ Nhãn Ấn Pháp
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