Buddhism talks about "emptiness", which means to "empty" all attachments, "empty" all sides, "empty" all false appearances, and "empty" all treatment, so as to give us a real world.
When I first became a monk, I went to Qixia Law College on the orders of my master, Master Zhikai. One day, Master Juemin, who teaches Chinese, wrote ten words on the blackboard, "The theory of Prajna cannot be directly manifested by Bodhi" and asked us to write an essay on this topic. I was only twelve years old at the time, and I had never understood a single verse of scripture since I started taking classes. These ten words were more like a sacred book, and I couldn’t figure it out, so I had to copy here and there and hand in the paper in a daze. . Later, after experiencing the vicissitudes of life, I lectured on the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra many times. When I recalled this topic again, I suddenly realized: "Bodhi is helpless" is "empty", and "directly manifested Prajna" is "emptiness". "Being", the whole sentence means, "You must be empty to have something."
People in the world often divide "emptiness" and "existence" into two completely different things. They think that "empty" is not "existence" and "existence" is not "empty". But when Buddhism explains the truth of the universe and life, it believes that only when it is empty can there be something; if it is not empty, there will be nothing. For example, a tea cup can be filled with water only when it is empty, money can be put into an empty wallet, a house can be inhabited only when the land is empty, a building can be built only when the land is empty, you can even breathe when your nose is empty, you can hear when your ears are empty, and you can chew when your mouth is empty. Only when the intestines and stomach are empty can we receive food. If the intestines and stomach are not "empty", how can we "have" them?
Emptiness is actually the most constructive truth, but many people misunderstand the meaning of "empty" and even think that the sky is empty, the earth is empty, and the world is empty. What a terrible thing it is. ! In fact, "empty" sounds like it means nothing, but doesn't emptiness encompass everything and everything? "Empty" seems to be formless and formless, but when emptiness enters a square, it becomes a square, and when it enters a circle, it becomes a circle. Doesn't it have the function of transcending and treating everything?
The Buddhist concept of "emptiness" is used to explain that everything is composed of various conditions. Therefore, not only are there no independent things in the universe, but they all have an interdependent relationship with each other. . The relationship and conditions mentioned here are called "karma" in Buddhism. Nagarjuna's "Middle Theory" said: "All dharmas arise from causes and conditions, and I say they are emptiness." He also said: "Because of the meaning of emptiness, all dharmas can be achieved; because of the absence of emptiness, all dharmas cannot be achieved." From this point of view, It can be seen that Buddhism talks about "emptiness", which means to "empty" all attachments, "empty" both sides, "empty" all false appearances, and "empty" all treatment, so as to give us a real world. Therefore, "emptiness" is not only non-destructive, but also the essence of building the universe and life. The sutra says: "If you want to realize the realm of Buddha, you should purify your mind like space." If we can fully understand the principle of "emptiness" and expand our mind to be like space, we will be able to manage things harmoniously and everything will be smooth. .
Three months after the Buddha ascended to the Trayastrim Heaven to preach for his mother, he returned to the human world. His disciples heard about this and rushed to welcome him. Bhikshuni Lian Hua Se used her supernatural power to arrive in front of the Buddha first, respectfully performed the greeting ceremony, and said: "Disciple Lian Hua Se was the first to come to meet the Buddha."
But the Buddha said: "No. The person who came to greet me was not you, but Subhuti who was sitting in the cave of Rajagaha and observing the sky. Only those who can see the truth of "emptiness" can truly see the Buddha.
"
Another time, at the Lingshan meeting, the Buddha took a mani bead with the same color and asked the kings of the four directions: "What color is this mani bead?"
After the four heavenly kings looked at it, some said it was green, some said it was yellow, some said it was red, and some said it was white. The Buddha took the mani bead back, opened his palms, and asked them again: "What color is the Mani Pearl in my hand now?"
The heavenly kings did not understand what the Buddha was referring to, and they all replied in unison: "Buddha! You have nothing in your hand now. How can you have anything?" What Mani Pearl? ”
The Buddha told the four heavenly kings: “When I show you ordinary secular pearls, you will distinguish their colors, but when the real pearls are in front of you, you turn a blind eye. , This is so upside down! ”
Indeed, people in the world are upside down, clinging to illusions, and chasing things. Therefore, they are happy when they gain something, and feel sad and distressed when they lose something; When everything goes well, I feel extremely excited, and when I encounter difficulties, I feel dejected. My emotions are completely dominated by external factors without my realizing it. If we can understand that all things in the world are impermanent and unreal, and use the truth of "emptiness" to reconcile and govern these concepts of treatment, then no matter whether it is existence or non-existence; suffering or happiness; or difficulty , whether it is easy, whether it is honor, or whether it is disgrace, you can do what the Diamond Sutra says in the Diamond Sutra: "You should live in nothing but give birth to your mind." You can live in everything. Such a life is not very free and easy. Are you comfortable?
I remember that when I first came to Taiwan, I didn’t have much, but I didn’t feel poor or miserable, because the ten years of “empty” wisdom education in the jungle made me feel that one doesn’t have to live with everything. To be satisfied with material things, just imagine that in the sky, I can freely appreciate the stars and the moon; in the park, I can watch the colorful flowers and trees; in the city, I can walk on various roads; in nature, birds, animals, insects, and fish can be freely walked on. I bonded. I deeply feel the wealth of having three thousand worlds, and I am sincerely grateful to the great Buddha. The principle of "emptiness" that he experienced through all kinds of painstaking efforts allows me to follow, learn, imitate, and enjoy. Because I have an "empty" heart to accept everything, and I serve and contribute with an attitude of gratitude and contentment all the time, which has brought me many opportunities; because I look at things with an "empty" heart, in the Everywhere he preaches the Dharma and saves the people with the infinite joy of the Dharma, and as a result opens up a new world for Buddhism. I realize that the true meaning of Buddhism, "You must be empty before you can have something." It is really an inexhaustible treasure in life.
Since I understand that I came to the world "empty" and lived in the world "empty", therefore I also understand that what I have in the world comes "empty". In 1957, believers provided me with an exquisite garden villa for my further study. I named it Pumen Jingshe. It was beautiful, but I didn’t think it was mine. Therefore, in 1957 I After "empty" went to this house, he established the Buddhist Cultural Service Office in Sanchongpu, Taipei County, and worked hard for Buddhist culture. Later, because the Buddhist temple was prosperous and it was not enough for use, it moved to the side of the Zhongzheng Road Circle in Kaohsiung City and attached it. A kindergarten. Three years later, in view of the fact that cultivating monks is the fundamental foundation of Buddhism, I took the time to go to this quiet and prosperous house in a prime location and came to Fo Guang Shan to cultivate wasteland. In this way, small "space" is replaced by large "space". Nowadays, Buddhist undertakings are getting bigger and bigger, and more and more Buddhist temples are built. But I don't think it is big, nor do I think it is too much. Even I I don’t feel that I “have” it, because I think that all these things are “have” for the public, and I am just one of the causes and conditions.
People often ask me: "Fo Guang Shan has so many magnificent buildings and even has more than a hundred branches around the world. Where does such a huge amount of funds come from?" I always tell them: " It comes from 'emptiness'." That is to say, Fo Guang Mountain was originally a hill covered with thorny bamboos and shin-deep weeds. No one was willing to cultivate it, let alone inhabit it. After all the hard work, wouldn't it be like "wonderful things appear in the sky"?
The reason why Fo Guang Shan can be transformed from a barren mountain into a holy land is just like the concept I put forward at the beginning of the mountain: "Consider nothing as existence, use retreat as advancement, use emptiness as happiness, and use everyone as myself." .
This spirit of adapting to circumstances and implementing the principle of "emptiness" into life is the Buddha's greatest "wealth" and the greatest legacy he left to future generations.
Although eminent monks such as Deva Bodhisattva and Master Huisi encountered persecution from evil people many times and were even put to death, their compassionate wishes to destroy evil and show righteousness and propagate the Dharma to save people have not diminished. From them, It can be seen from the writings of the author that this spirit of "great kindness without preconditions, great compassion for the same body" and "bearing humiliation and burden, the same as life and death" is nothing more than the wisdom of Prajna "emptiness" obtained through long-term practice.
In my career of promoting Buddhism from mainland China to Taiwan, I have been ostracized by fellow believers and sabotaged by heretics; I have encountered countless obstructions and been falsely accused many times and become a security guard. The targets of the unit's investigation even experienced jail time on suspicion of espionage. The reason why I have no regrets, perseverance, and perseverance is because the spirit of selfless dedication of the ancient sages and sages always shines on me like a beacon in the dark, giving me incomparable confidence and courage. courage. The "Heart Sutra" says: If you can "see that all five aggregates are empty", you can "survive all hardships." This is true.
A student monk asked Zen Master Wei Kuan: "Where is the Tao?" Zen Master Wei Kuan replied: "Only in the present."
"Why can't I see it?" " Because you have 'I' here, you can't see it."
"I have 'I' here, so I can't see it. So, Zen Master, what about you? Have you seen it?"
The Zen master replied: "There is an 'I' and a 'you', and we can't even see them."
"If there is no 'I' and no 'you', can we see them?" "Nothing. 'I' don't have 'you', who can see the Tao?"
The so-called "cultivation through falsehood" means that all things in the world are empty and can be treated as existing, but we must also originate from this. If you and I practice it in our personal affairs, otherwise, how can we realize the true meaning of "vacuity does not hinder wonderful existence, and wonderful existence does not hinder vacuum"? Therefore, during the ten years of studying in the jungle, although I meditated, worshiped and chanted Buddha as self-teaching, there were times when I completely forgot myself and lost my mind and body. However, I only implemented these precious religious experiences into my life and practiced real practice. , I have no delusions about entering the mountains for seclusion; I have used blood to write sutras, forbidden to speak, stopped eating after noon, and performed ascetic work, but I regard them as a process of tempering my body and mind, and I am not attached to any of them; I have gone to I visited the Minglan Ancient Temple and studied under the laws, teachings, and sects. I think there are in-depth benefits of practicing a specific sect, but I still advocate humanistic Buddhism and promote all eight sects; although what I have received is ruthless and unreasonable. education, but later I adopted the approach of "paying equal attention to kindness and severity" towards my disciples.
A layman once asked Zen Master Zhizang: "Are there heavens and hells?" The Zen Master replied: "Yes." "Are there Buddhas and Bodhisattvas?"
The Zen Master still answered. : "Yes." In short, no matter what you ask, Zen Master Zhizang will answer: "Yes."
After hearing this, the layman said: "Strange! I asked Zen Master Jingshan the same question , he all said 'no'." Zen Master Zhizang asked him: "Do you have a wife?"
The layman replied: "Yes." "Do you have children?" The layman still replied: " "Yes." "Does Zen Master Jingshan have a wife?"
The layman replied: "No." "Does Zen Master Jingshan have children?" The layman still replied: "No."
Zen Master Zhizang said seriously: "Zen Master Jingshan has no wife and children, so I say 'no' to you; I say 'yes' to you, because you have a wife and children, layman!"
Similar The public case also happened to Zen Master Zhaozhou. Different people asked him: "Do dogs have Buddha nature?" He sometimes said "no" and sometimes said "yes". This is because there is only one truth, existence and non-existence are just two sides of the truth, but truth varies from person to person. When a Zen master says there is or does not exist, he is just explaining the omnipresent truth from different levels. Therefore, of course, the recipients should be like "empty space" and accept everything in order to be able to tolerate and learn all things; the teacher must also be like "empty space", accepting everything in order to achieve the effect of being accepted by colleagues.
In my fifty-year career of promoting Buddhism, I have been involved in education, culture, charity, religious practice and other Buddhist undertakings. Although I know that specializing in one can reduce manpower and material resources, I still do many things at the same time. I have gone to the countryside many times to preach, and I often go to cities to preach the Dharma. I focus on the education of young people, and I also teach classes for women and the elderly. I organize various modern activities, but I do not neglect the traditional Dharma. meeting. Although we must go to great lengths and use our brains for all kinds of planning, as the Shurangama Sutra says: "There is no two ways to return to the origin, and there are many expedients." Don't sentient beings get enlightenment from these many expedients? ? Isn’t Buddhism also flourishing in these many methods?
Even now, I am seventy years old and have an old and sick body that has undergone surgery. I face a full schedule every day, but I don’t feel that there is anyone or anything around me, so I can handle many things at the same time. , and can also gather different people to talk about different topics at the same time. I don’t feel like I’m here or there, so I can sleep on my pillow or in a car; I can give sermons on an airplane or in a submarine. Someone asked me: "What's the secret to being so willful and carefree?" I often use the story of Zen Master Daoshu to explain to everyone the benefits of following nature and practicing the principle of "emptiness":
Established by Zen Master Daoshu The temple is adjacent to the Taoist temple. Because the Taoist priests couldn't let go of the temple nearby, they practiced Dharma every day to disturb the temple people. Sometimes they could call for wind and rain, scattering beans to make soldiers; Zen Master Daoshu was not afraid and lived here for more than ten years. Finally, all the Taoist magic spells were exhausted, so he had to abandon the Taoist temple and move away from him. Someone asked Zen Master Shu: "The Taoist priests have great magic skills. How did you defeat them?"
Zen Master Daoshu replied: "I don't have any magic. I use a 'wu' (that is, ' The word "empty" (meaning "empty") defeated them." "'Nothing', how can it defeat them?"
"They have magic, and 'something' means limited, finite, infinite, and measurable. , there is an edge; but I can't do it, "wu" is infinite, infinite, endless, immeasurable, and boundless. Therefore, my "no" change will certainly surpass their "have" change."
Here I would like to advise the world: "Being" will lead to gains and losses. "Being" is limited and hindered. Therefore, if you want to find the real "Being", you cannot find it in the illusion. If you can have an "empty" thought, even if you encounter persecution and danger, you will not be disappointed, but will be able to show your open mind. This is like cutting off the water with a knife, which cannot stop the smooth flow of a river; if you can embrace With an "empty" attitude, even if you live among the five desires and six objects, it will not be affected. On the contrary, you can experience the rich connotation. This is like a mirror without dust, which can clearly reflect all things. Because only "emptiness can exist"!