佛光大學 Fo Guang University
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佛光大學 佛教學院/佛教學系2022/09/14 （111-1期初全院集合勉勵話語）
今天想要跟大家談談的是，我們書院行門生活教育中的兩個重要精神：戒與慈。關於這個主題，我想用《維摩詰經．觀眾生品》「天女散花」的情節來作開始。
Today, I would like to discuss with everyone two integral aspects of the spirit of DBS life education: precepts and kindness. To open this discussion, I want to first recount the episode of the “Goddess Strewing Flowers” from Chapter 7 “Regarding Sentient Beings” of the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa.
故事是說，在經過文殊與維摩二位菩薩一連串問答，得了個「從無住本，立一切法」的結語後，一位天女突然現身，散花讚歎。有趣的是，花朵並不會掉在在場的諸菩薩身上，但卻會黏在佛陀的聲聞弟子身上，而且即便他們用盡方法，也不能弄掉這些花，因而感到十分狼狽。天女問舍利弗：你們為何要把花弄掉；舍利弗說因為持戒僧人戴花不如法。天女接下來強調無分別心的重要，呼應了維摩居士所說「從無住本，立一切法」。
Within this chapter of the sūtra, after Vimalakīrti finishes his answers to a round of questions from Mañjuśrī with the conclusion: “all dharmas are established on a basis that is baseless,” a goddess suddenly appears, strewing celestial flowers and singing praises. Amusingly, these flowers would not stick to the bodies of the bodhisattvas, only to the bodies of the śrāvakas, who trying as they might could not manage to free themselves of the flowers, left awkward and embarrassed. In reply to the goddess’s question, “Why are you trying to get rid of the flowers?”, Śāriputra explains that flowers are improper for monks. The goddess then responds by underscoring the importance of non-discrimination, in accord with Vimalakīrti’s earlier statement of “all dharmas are established on a basis that is baseless.”
現在，我要對這個故事稍加以重新解讀，來說明今天的主題。
Now, let me address today’s topic by way of interpreting this story from a slightly different perspective.
大家來到學院一、二週了，應該知道佛教學院的行門生活教育有許多規矩與工作，這些工作與規矩，可以稱之為廣義的「戒」。
Having been here at DBS for a week or two now, everyone should be aware that the DBS life-education component involves many chores and regulations. These chores and regulations can be regarded, in a broad sense, as "precepts".
戒（規矩）的目的，一是為了團體生活和合無諍，讓生活有了秩序；其次是為了避免外界的譏嫌，讓人誤會，我們佛教學院學生連自己的生活都沒法照顧得好，怎麼可能去弘化利生。但我個人覺得上述是都就外部來說，就內在的修行而言，我認為戒（規矩）更重要的目標，是由外而內地轉化自己的習性，讓自己原本以個我為中心的生活方式，在團體生活中受到激盪瓦解，轉而以眾人的利益成為自己考量的重點，如此才能增長道心，讓自己和大眾更趨近解脫一點點。所以，天女所表達的是，要重視戒對自己內在修行的重要性，而不要把戒只當成外在的要求。
The primary purpose of such precepts, or rules, is to ensure that in a collective living situation, everything operates smoothly and everyone can function harmoniously. Secondarily is to prevent misunderstanding on the part of others, otherwise how can we benefit beings if they hold us in contempt for not even being able to handle ourselves properly?These two above-mentioned purposes are externally oriented, but I myself feel precepts (rules) are even more compelling as a vessel for the internal process of spiritual development. Through group living, we continually undermine our previous, habitual self-centeredness, and we begin to consider benefiting others as our foremost priority. Thus, we grow in spiritual conviction, bringing both ourselves and others ever so slightly closer to liberation. So, the moral of the “Goddess Strewing Flowers” story is: focus on your own internal cultivation; do not just treat rules or discipline as being externally imposed.
不過，既然戒的目標是要轉化自己的習性，因此如果你在這學習的過程中，感到厭煩、興起煩惱，請你先不要興起退轉、不如歸去的念頭，因為人怎麼可能那麼輕易就改變自己長久以來的生活習性，所以這時生起煩惱是正常的心理現象。
Understandably, there will of course be times when the precepts inconvenience and irritate you; this is normal, since these precepts exist for you to change deep-seated habits, which is never easy. Please do your best not to entertain any excuses in your mind for giving up or giving in to your afflictive emotions.
同時也就是因為這個原因，我要請所有老師和已經習於學院行門教育的學長們，對於新進同學以及至今仍有所抱怨的同學要有慈心，我們要有耐心地協助同學，接受並理解書院生活的所有規矩（戒）的理由以及必要性，越來越能精進在佛教學院的每一種學習，同時也能增進自己的道心。因為大家應該都能體會，要由晚起變成早起，要由閒散自由轉成莊重嚴謹，要由入了大寮手足無措到可以任運自如地操持鍋鏟，要由不識經論到熟悉佛典，這一切種種都得要有脫胎換骨的功夫。
At the same time, for this very reason, I want to ask our instructors and senior students already acquainted with the DBS life-education component to be benevolent to our new students or returning students with lingering resentments. If we have properly understood and accepted the deeper purpose and necessity of our established rules (precepts), we can choose to meet every task or challenge with enthusiasm as opportunities to learn, thereby strengthening our individual spiritual resolve.
Everyone understands from personal experience that
to go from getting up late to getting up early,
to turn laxity into thoroughness,
to go from being a bumbling kitchen newbie to a masterful adept of the wok,
to go from oblivious ignorance of the voluminous scriptures to intimate familiarity：all of this takes excruciating, dedicated effort.
所以，凡是看到了新進或任何尚未進入狀況的同學，請不要先起不耐，而是要思索如何方便引領才能使之成就——這就是慈；新進或還未完全接受書院生活的同學，也切莫利用他人的慈心，只求自己方便，而是要常常思維，如何才能行善去惡——這就是戒。當人人都能戒慈俱行，便可逐漸變化自己的習性，這就是「從無住本，立一切法」。如此，我們也才談得上，可以更進一步完整學習戒定慧三學增上的佛教教育。
So if you see our newer or less experienced peers struggling, instead of losing patience, please think how to skillfully lead others to success: this is kindness. Likewise, our newer or less experienced peers should not take advantage of others’ kindness and think only of their own convenience; instead, please consider how to develop your own virtuous character and eliminate moral unwholesomeness: that is precepts. If everyone collectively abides with discipline and kindness, this can gradually become transformative at the individual level: that is “all dharmas being established on a basis that is baseless.” Upon such a foundation, we may then begin to manifest a Buddhadharmic education actualizing the three trainings of precepts, concentration, and insight.
最後再提示一句，戒與慈，正是星雲大師為佛光大學的所定立的校訓：義正道慈。
祝福大家福慧增長，道心日堅。
On a concluding note, precepts and kindness, taken together, precisely mirror the FGU motto formulated by Master Hsingyun: "Integrity and Benevolence."
Best wishes to everyone! May you all continue to grow in wisdom and merit, and may your spiritual resolve grow deeper with each passing day.