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| Blankets, gloves, Scarfs, beanies, shoes, jackets, sleeping bags. |
IBS Online Volunteers Members
IBS would like to thanks these wonderful generous people who are volunteering online for IBS Prison Program. They are not only make our job easy but also kindling the light in the life of those incarcerated brothers in California State Prisons with Buddha Dharma. We work together to bring the Buddha Dharma in all 36 prions in CA State.
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Ven. Xian Zhong, CEO of IBS
Venerable Xian Zhong was born in Ladakh, India. Though born in a Buddhist family, he did not receive much of an opportunity to learn about the Dharma. At the age of 22, he departed his hometown with the mission of finding a place to study and practice Buddhism. Eventually, his path led him to Taiwan where he studied Buddhism under the guidance and tutelage of Venerable Master Huei Guang.
Who We Are
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| Master Hueigunag President |
Venerable Master Hueiguang was born in Taiwan.
After graduating from the University of California, San Diego in 1994, he left
the pursuance of a career in medicine and vowed to practice the Dharma in order
to propagate the noble teachings for the ultimate benefit of all sentient
beings.
After Venerable Hueiguang renounced his layman
livelihood, he completed his monastic training at Ts’ung Lin University in
Taiwan under the guidance of the renowned Venerable Master Hsing Yun of Fo
Guang Shan (FGS). Gradually, he evolved into a more prominent role as the dean
of the Male Buddhist College in FGS where he tenured for more then fifteen
years. In December 25 of 2008, Venerable Hueiguang received the Dharma
Transmission from Venerable Master Ben Huan at Hongfa Temple in Shenzhen,
China, as the 45th generation lineage holder of the Linchi Ch’an (Renzai Zen)
School.
At present, Venerable Hueiguang is the Abbot of
IBS temple in Taiwan as well as the President of the IBS non-profit association
in the United States. He is also serving as the guiding master of the
Bodhisattva Dharma Pitaka Association while continuing his diligent and
dedicated pursue and propagation of the Dharma teachings.
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| Shirley Tam Secretary |
Shirley
Tam was born in mainland China and moved to Hong Kong at the age of five. In 1977, she immigrated to the United
States with her husband and three children. Upon her immigrating to the U.S., her father made one
request: that she spread Buddhism in the U.S. Though she didn’t know how she would do it, Shirley made a
vow she would one day fulfill his only request of her.
As a
Buddhist practitioner, Shirley began volunteer work that included cleaning
state parks, visiting senior retirement homes, collecting used eyeglasses for developing
countries, serving lunches and dinners for the homeless at St. Vincent DePaul,
and visiting hospitals and prisons in Southern California. In 1995, wanting to expand her ongoing volunteering
work, Shirley joined her husband, Danny, in volunteering with the IBS Prison
Program.
Working
diligently since joining the prison program to help those incarcerated recognize
their potential as secretary and volunteer chaplain of the IBS prison program, Shirley is
responsible for many tasks. Some
of her responsibilities include submitting applications to the warden to visit
prisons, coordinating with prison chaplains to schedule visitations, preparing
reports to the parole board for inmates who are appealing, organizing annual
fundraiser event and arranging the annual Vesak celebration in state prisons.
Fulfilling
the promise she made to her father on a daily basis with increasing reach and
influence, Shirley continues to spread the Buddha’s teaching to help those
incarcerated realize they do not have to continue to suffer.
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| Daniel S Tam CFO |
Daniel S Tam was born
and raised in Hong Kong. He
immigrated to United States in 1977 with his wife; Shirley and three children
age 7, 5 and 2. He finished his
B.S. degree in business major at San Diego State University. He worked for an import company as a
Chief Financial Officer while at the same time dedicated his time volunteering
to serve the communities such as homeless at ST. Vincent De Paul, join force at San Diego Buddhist
Association to expound the Buddha Dharma.
He and his wife
Shirley started visiting the prison inmates in 1995 and since then without any
interruptions. In 1997, he studied
his master degree in Buddhism Philosophy at University of the West under the
guidance of Prof. Lewis Lancaster who is one of the well-respected scholar in
the world. He joined force with IBS and helped to establish a non-profit
organization 501 ( c ) (3) status in 2004. During the course of visiting the prison at Calipatria State
Prison, many inmates benefiting from his teaching and were touched by his
compassionate action. After the
inmates transferred to a lower level prisons, they sent in request for the
further visit. Calipatria State Prison
is not just a reference point of this prison visitation program but also
fulfilling the main teaching of Buddhism – “ Dependent Origination”.
Thank you IBS
Calipatria Prison January/19
Queridisima Prima:
This past Sunday we received a visit from our Buddhist sponsors, usually Shirley and Danny, founding members, come together but now Danny is sick and staying home for a while. Venerable Xian Zhong has been coming with Shirley lately. So they come and bring us books, malas, incense. They have been doing it for many years. Many of us are like children in a way and come to the service to get some beads, colorful papers with Tibetan writing, fragrant incense. There was a time when this used to bother me, ‘how dare they’ I used to think, but now I see it differently. Perhaps while they are with us they may hear something that makes an impression in their minds, have some influence and help them suffer a little less. There is lot sadness within these walls, a lot of pain but you don’t see it much because it is covered with many layers of anger, hatred, violence; you know, hardcore maximum security lever IV shit- means ass masks, and it is true, it is dangerous in here.
Some visitors have told me that they can feel the bad vibrations before entering the prison grounds. I don’t know about that, I have been here for 23 years and all this is just normal to me. To this rarified environment our Buddhist sponsors come, they are calm, soft spoken, so full of love and kindness. They are a Chinese couple in their fifties, they are fragile and light but you can sense their inner strength. A will strong enough to bring them to dangerous places with the only purpose of teaching us how to suffer less, to show us the path that leads to the end of pain. We truly don’t deserve their kindness. We have done harm, taken life, steal, cheat, and abuse, hurt people. All of us at one point let greed, hatred and ignorance be the predominant forces in our life. But yet here they come, every month, year after year so full of love- they truly care for us. I consider them as family. I have had the fortune of receiving their kindness for more than 14 years.
I think they are retired now and dedicate most of their time to the building of their organization, ‘The international Bodhisattva Sangha’. I don’t know how they did it and I can only imagine that it took a lot of work, time, effort and dedication to reach a true milestone in the structuring and betterment of their organization. Since last year and surely thanks to the support of many kind, and compassionate people, Danny and Shirley were able to bring a monastic from Taiwan to aid in their tireless work. Venerable Xian Zhong is a young Indian monk whose knowledge, deportment and maturity are well beyond his years. It is a joy to listen to his Dharma talks, meditation instructions, and the stories of his training in the monasteries of Nepal and Taiwan. So much wisdom accumulated in so few years, but then again who knows how many life times he has dedicated to the cultivation of the path. He has impeccable deportment, a peaceful smile, kind eyes, the humbleness of his way has motivated me to make the vow that I too would want to be a renouncing in a future life. I want to go where he is going, to the end of suffering, the peace and clarity of Nirvana.
I have many flaws: ill will, destructive desires, and selfishness are often in the forefront of my untrained mind and are the motivation for my actions. But not as much as before, now I consciously try not to do harm, try to let go of pride, personal interests. I wish I could be kinder, more compassionate, have more patience, and be more tolerant. But I feel that these traits should come spontaneously and not be the product of a mind wishing to make merits to improve its own karma, in order to ‘gain’ something. I don’t feel it is right to smile when I don’t feel as smiling, or patiently listen to the non-sense of some deluded dude that thinks himself enlightened. I can not muster the bravery to forgive if someone offends me, disrespect me. Although I intellectually know that the self does not exist in the way I think it does, this knowledge does not stop me from giving raise to anger and resentment. Perhaps I am less likely to act upon it, return the hurt, demand respect. Still, my mind creates images of revenge, where the offending part is taken care of, and sadly sometimes these images become reality. But I am a little more sedated now, older, more aware of my flaws and wish to correct them.
Thanks to these wonderful people many of us are aware and wish to amend our defects, overcome our shortcomings. Thanks to these wonderful people many of us have realized that there is a better life to be lived. Thanks to them now I know that the nebulous notion of a life free from suffering actually exists, and it can be reached, and for that I am grateful beyond words.
Anyway dear Prima, all these lines were just a tangent from what I set out to write you about: In his Dharma talk, last Sunday, Venerable Xian Zhong brought up the subject of Haiti, the tragedy that is happening there now. He said that we should not think of ourselves as separate. He asked us to imagine ourselves having dinner with our family and then, in the blink of an eye all our family is gone, everyone dead. He asked us to skip a couple of meals and see how hunger feels like, how thirst feels like. These is no separation between us an them. Their suffering is our suffering, we are all alike, having the same feelings and we all wish to be happy. He asked us to direct our Metta-Karuna meditation to them, wishing deeply for their well being, for the ceasing of their pain, touching them gently, may you be well my brother, may your suffering be over soon. While I listened to these words I realize something that is difficult to put in to words, I realized that somehow us and them are arbitrary words that not describe reality the way it is, that somehow their suffering is my suffering, their tears were mine, mine is their pain, that there is sort of a common sentiency among all of us. That in a mysterious way I will not ever be at peace, that I can not truly be happy as long as there is one that suffers.
I don’t know if this makes sense, but at that moment it felt very clear and reasonable. As when one understand a rule of algebra or something and goes, “Ha, that’s it!” it made an impression strong enough to cause me to write this letter. From all people, perhaps you may understand.
May you be well dear Prima, may you be happy.
Marco
This past Sunday we received a visit from our Buddhist sponsors, usually Shirley and Danny, founding members, come together but now Danny is sick and staying home for a while. Venerable Xian Zhong has been coming with Shirley lately. So they come and bring us books, malas, incense. They have been doing it for many years. Many of us are like children in a way and come to the service to get some beads, colorful papers with Tibetan writing, fragrant incense. There was a time when this used to bother me, ‘how dare they’ I used to think, but now I see it differently. Perhaps while they are with us they may hear something that makes an impression in their minds, have some influence and help them suffer a little less. There is lot sadness within these walls, a lot of pain but you don’t see it much because it is covered with many layers of anger, hatred, violence; you know, hardcore maximum security lever IV shit- means ass masks, and it is true, it is dangerous in here.
Some visitors have told me that they can feel the bad vibrations before entering the prison grounds. I don’t know about that, I have been here for 23 years and all this is just normal to me. To this rarified environment our Buddhist sponsors come, they are calm, soft spoken, so full of love and kindness. They are a Chinese couple in their fifties, they are fragile and light but you can sense their inner strength. A will strong enough to bring them to dangerous places with the only purpose of teaching us how to suffer less, to show us the path that leads to the end of pain. We truly don’t deserve their kindness. We have done harm, taken life, steal, cheat, and abuse, hurt people. All of us at one point let greed, hatred and ignorance be the predominant forces in our life. But yet here they come, every month, year after year so full of love- they truly care for us. I consider them as family. I have had the fortune of receiving their kindness for more than 14 years.
I think they are retired now and dedicate most of their time to the building of their organization, ‘The international Bodhisattva Sangha’. I don’t know how they did it and I can only imagine that it took a lot of work, time, effort and dedication to reach a true milestone in the structuring and betterment of their organization. Since last year and surely thanks to the support of many kind, and compassionate people, Danny and Shirley were able to bring a monastic from Taiwan to aid in their tireless work. Venerable Xian Zhong is a young Indian monk whose knowledge, deportment and maturity are well beyond his years. It is a joy to listen to his Dharma talks, meditation instructions, and the stories of his training in the monasteries of Nepal and Taiwan. So much wisdom accumulated in so few years, but then again who knows how many life times he has dedicated to the cultivation of the path. He has impeccable deportment, a peaceful smile, kind eyes, the humbleness of his way has motivated me to make the vow that I too would want to be a renouncing in a future life. I want to go where he is going, to the end of suffering, the peace and clarity of Nirvana.
I have many flaws: ill will, destructive desires, and selfishness are often in the forefront of my untrained mind and are the motivation for my actions. But not as much as before, now I consciously try not to do harm, try to let go of pride, personal interests. I wish I could be kinder, more compassionate, have more patience, and be more tolerant. But I feel that these traits should come spontaneously and not be the product of a mind wishing to make merits to improve its own karma, in order to ‘gain’ something. I don’t feel it is right to smile when I don’t feel as smiling, or patiently listen to the non-sense of some deluded dude that thinks himself enlightened. I can not muster the bravery to forgive if someone offends me, disrespect me. Although I intellectually know that the self does not exist in the way I think it does, this knowledge does not stop me from giving raise to anger and resentment. Perhaps I am less likely to act upon it, return the hurt, demand respect. Still, my mind creates images of revenge, where the offending part is taken care of, and sadly sometimes these images become reality. But I am a little more sedated now, older, more aware of my flaws and wish to correct them.
Thanks to these wonderful people many of us are aware and wish to amend our defects, overcome our shortcomings. Thanks to these wonderful people many of us have realized that there is a better life to be lived. Thanks to them now I know that the nebulous notion of a life free from suffering actually exists, and it can be reached, and for that I am grateful beyond words.
Anyway dear Prima, all these lines were just a tangent from what I set out to write you about: In his Dharma talk, last Sunday, Venerable Xian Zhong brought up the subject of Haiti, the tragedy that is happening there now. He said that we should not think of ourselves as separate. He asked us to imagine ourselves having dinner with our family and then, in the blink of an eye all our family is gone, everyone dead. He asked us to skip a couple of meals and see how hunger feels like, how thirst feels like. These is no separation between us an them. Their suffering is our suffering, we are all alike, having the same feelings and we all wish to be happy. He asked us to direct our Metta-Karuna meditation to them, wishing deeply for their well being, for the ceasing of their pain, touching them gently, may you be well my brother, may your suffering be over soon. While I listened to these words I realize something that is difficult to put in to words, I realized that somehow us and them are arbitrary words that not describe reality the way it is, that somehow their suffering is my suffering, their tears were mine, mine is their pain, that there is sort of a common sentiency among all of us. That in a mysterious way I will not ever be at peace, that I can not truly be happy as long as there is one that suffers.
I don’t know if this makes sense, but at that moment it felt very clear and reasonable. As when one understand a rule of algebra or something and goes, “Ha, that’s it!” it made an impression strong enough to cause me to write this letter. From all people, perhaps you may understand.
May you be well dear Prima, may you be happy.
Marco
閉關九個月後，對大眾開示。 Giving a Dharma talk after nine months of solitary retreat.
各位菩薩：
新年到了，先給大家拜個早年！希望大家智慧增長、福德具足！
學習佛法，要開智慧、要具足福德，能夠成就這兩件事，就必須要有正確的發心與堅定的信心。
一、正確發心
正確的發心就是與法相應。《金剛經》經文說，要發心廣度一切眾生的心，不管是卵生、胎生、濕生、化身、有色、無色、有想、無想、非有想非無想，一切的眾生都歡喜與他結善緣，這是發慈悲心。
二、空慧相應
有 慈悲心還要有空性的智慧，「度一切眾生而無一眾生得度者。」做很多善事，利益了很多人，但心裏要記得一切功德皆是虛妄，不要執著那個功德。「凡所有相、皆 是虛妄。」這個世間沒有一件事情不是因緣和合、沒有一件事不是無常變化的。如果我們心執著在那裏、苦惱就會相伴著。所以學佛人要有這樣正確的知見。
三、心是珍寶
我們會出生在這個世間，就是這個心帶著我們來，我們的心，過去修了什麼內容，它今生就帶著你往哪里去。你要往生天道、你要往生人間、你要往生三惡道，要往 生哪里，都是這個心帶著我們走。現在在生活裏面，我們一切所擁有的一切，都是心所成就的，所以如果我們不用心，是沒有辦法有所成就。
而當生命要往下一個階段去時，也是這個心帶著我們往下一個生命的里程去。所以，心是我們真正的寶貝啊！真正跟隨我們的人啊！不要忘記，自家有寶，這是我們最珍貴的寶。
佛手上拿的摩尼寶珠，就是代表那顆清淨的心，摩尼寶珠能成就一切的心願，所以叫“如意珠”，我們要將這顆如意珠擦亮，不要讓它有一點塵埃，這個是我們生命的功課。
四、應如何面對生命？
苦苦惱惱也是一生，為何要苦惱呢？執著也是不可得，為什麼要執著呢？平時常常要問自己這個問題。
我自己閉關9個多月，時間很快，本來沒有頭髮的，你看，頭髮都長這麼長了，鬍鬚也長這麼長了。無常啊！世間相一直在變，今生是如此，下一生又不知道如何？所以一切法不可得,不可得。
我閉關禪修的時候，發現我們人最難突破的就是當下那一刻，那個心無法覺知眼前的境界是虛妄的，因為當下每一個刹那的覺受是那麼的真實，所以眾生會苦惱就是 被這件事情迷惑了，他認為一切都是真實可得的、可以執著、可以擁有的。但是如果仔細觀察，時間這樣子流逝.....10年、20年，很快都過去了，就只剩 下記憶而已。你還擁有什麼呢？臨命終了，“萬般帶不去，唯有業隨身”。這一生跟多少人、多少事結了緣，到了臨命終時，撒手歸去，什麼都帶不走，只剩一個記 憶：我曾經做過什麼？我曾經跟哪一些人結過緣。那就是你內心裝的東西，那才是你真正擁有的財富、寶藏。
如果我們平常的生活常常與人歡喜、給人信心，自己內心裏面裝的就滿滿都是喜悅、都是歡喜，也沒有任何放不下的、沒有任何掛念的，所以我們學佛要有這樣的體認，這才是學佛真正的意涵啊。
一 個菩薩發心要以無量的外在財富、七寶供養一切諸佛、供養一切的眾生，但在《金剛經》裏說，這還不及一個人開啟空性的智慧。為什麼？因為世間是苦的、時間是 有限的。我們人生這樣走過來，人生真的有很多苦惱的事；時間是有限的，再大的福報、再大的功德都會過去的，所以是有限量的、不可得的。唯有心清淨、自在、 快樂，那個才是無限量的。你今生如此快樂自在、來世還是快樂自在。這個功德無有限量，無法用世間來比喻，所以我們學佛應該要這樣認知。所以發心要正確。
五、如何生堅定心？
再來就是堅定、心要安住。為什麼我們遇到境界的時候突破不了，因為兩個事。第一個：猶豫。內心裏面猶豫，為什麼猶豫？我不知道這樣子對不對，猶豫就沒辦法落實、往前走，所以學佛者平常要多親近善知識，要聽問佛法。不是只有“聽聞佛法”，要“聽-問-佛-法”！
傳統我們一般講“聽聞佛法”，但是在《大般若經》裏說---“聽問佛法”。我以為字寫錯了，本來要全部改成“聽聞佛法”。但是我在校對的時候，看了很多的 藏經，有石頭刻的--《房山石經》；紙寫的《趙城金藏》；還有另外一部《磧砂藏》。 這句話呢：聽問、聽聞。看了好幾遍，許多藏經，不管是唐朝的、宋朝的、甚至後面明朝的、清朝的，有些經文就寫“聽問”，有些結集它寫“聽聞”。這些結集的 法師難道他們不知道嗎？到底哪一個是正確的？
我發現到：應該是“聽問佛法”。
"聽聞",是單向的。你講、我聽。但聽了好像懂，但是真正面對到境界的時候，不懂。所以只是聽還不夠，還要問！
各位要知道，沒有笨的問題，只有我不懂的問題，因為我不懂，所以當我面對境界考驗的時候就會形成障礙，突破不了，心裏面就開始猶豫，所以要問。
問後要如理思維，但如理思維不是如我自己想的那樣子。理，是依佛講的意思；理，是你平常所觀察到的真理實相：世間是無常變化的、緣生緣滅。這是你看到的， 但是你心中卻認為這世間有個恒常不變的，這樣是不如理思維，與平常所觀察的事物不一樣啊。這不符合佛所說的意思,這樣不如理。
思維不只是把它想清楚、想通了，還包括抉擇。思維的意思是抉擇，抉擇善、抉擇正確。我現在面對境界時要抉擇善、抉擇正確、什麼是跟法相應的、什麼是符合佛所說的，這個叫如理思維。
我們經常念“皈依佛、皈依法、皈依僧”，我們是皈依三寶的弟子，但是當我們面對煩惱、面對苦的時候，是否“皈依佛、皈依法、皈依僧”？有沒有以佛為依靠、 以覺性為依靠？有沒有以正法、真理為依靠？有沒有以清淨的修為做依靠，還是依然故我？用我過去在世間所熏習的那些觀念、知見去做抉擇？這樣子不如理思維， 不是真正皈依三寶的三寶弟子。
我們學佛人應該要有這個樣子的認知，皈依三寶，尤其是遇到大的困難的時候，正是考驗的時候。
修道都有魔考。這個魔考能知道我們真實的功德修的多少，“真金不怕火煉”。所以過程當中我們一定要如理思維。
思維之後，另外一件事情，要突破障礙，除了理解清楚，能抉擇善惡、能抉擇正確，下面的就是執行力。為什麼能有力量執行？就是善根福德因緣具足。
有人來問我，師父我現在遇見什麼事情，很苦惱啊。
跟他講：學習放下！
他講：師父，我也想放下，但就是放不下。
為什麼放不下？因為心沒有力量。不具足善根福德因緣，心力很弱提不起來。
所以我們平常修善法，跟眾生結善緣，我們要謝謝他、他成就了你的福德因緣。但福德善法很難修，第一個，為了跟他結緣，你要付出的是你擁有的東西。第二個， 體力，你要跟他互動。第三個，你的心，你要怎麼跟他互動、讓他生起歡喜，你做了不見得有好的回應啊。做的過程要能夠持久，身體會累、心也會累。這就是你的 福德因緣，當你看到你的累的時候，你看到你的福德因緣極限到了，你是到這個程度，所以你的煩惱開始要生起來了。
因 為想慈悲利益眾生，只要能 忍一下，就會增加一些，每次做都再增加一些，這樣點點滴滴就會慢慢累積。所以有些小的地方一開始沒辦法突破，但因為不斷在修福德因緣，慢慢就突破了、走過 去了。如果這個障礙、苦，用數據化來說，這個是兩分的苦，他現在有能力突破，但是到了三分的苦可能就突破不了，這個高了一點、這個苦高了一點，承擔沒辦 法。但是他只要在兩分，這個苦上不斷精進用功、一直突破，那個福德因緣會一直在累積，累積到一定程度的時候，三分也突破了。三分突破，四分的苦他一開始也 突破不了，所以要多修福，多跟眾生結善緣，才會面對苦難的時候，有力量超越、自利利他。當下看起來好像是我在利益他，最後終極得到利益的是你自己。因為人 生一定會遇到困難的、苦的，你能不能超越，那不是你外在擁有多少的問題，那是你內心的問題。這個快樂不是外界可以買得到的，是修來的。所以一定要這樣點點 滴滴精進不懈怠，所以佛經上用了兩個字--“勤苦”。為什麼用苦，因為勤勞很辛苦啊，一個精進的人，修苦行，身體苦、心理苦，所以要忍那個煩惱苦。
每次看到煩惱來了，要先覺察它：你來了。下面它會來誘惑你，花言巧語的告訴你怎麼做。譬如起嗔恨心了，嗔恨心會告訴我說：「罵他！」或者「打他！」「怎麼 可以讓他這樣欺負你！」嗔恨心會跟你說理的。那魔很會說理啊，魔境會告訴你：「你是對的！他是錯的！你要堅持！你怎麼可以認輸？」
它花言巧語跟你說道理，然後我們就傻傻的「噢，對！」就把剛才說的那顆摩尼寶珠送給它，「這顆珠子給你吧，看你要怎麼安排。」
一般都是自己的心做不了主，被煩惱帶著走。
所以我說，它來了，跟它打個招呼：你來了。
下一步，如木人看花。你要像個木頭人，看著風景。你要看它講的頭頭是道、天花亂墜，但你就是不反應：「噢、原來還有這種想法！噢、原來還有這種思維、還有這種覺受！」
你會越看越清楚，原來內心世界是如此---它好像魔術師一樣，變出種種的樣子給你看，但是因為你看清楚了，一切因緣生，因為內心有煩惱、外界有這些境界，所以內心裏才會起這樣種種的景象。
看懂了，你就知道《金剛經》裏的這句話：「一切有為法，如夢幻泡影；如露亦如電，應作如是觀。」
你真正看懂了，那個念頭，就好像一個夢境一樣、就好像一個幻境一樣，不可執著的。
所以他如果抉擇去跟境界互動，現在動力的根本不是煩惱，不是因為起嗔恨心了，而是你知道怎麼樣跟他互動能夠利益他、也能夠讓自己不苦惱。修行就是這樣修的。
所以每一次面對境界考驗的時候要如理抉擇。在抉擇的過程，心要定，不要馬上反應。
我們現在世間就是求快，凡事要快、馬上反應。但是我們要知道：生命的成長這件事，它快不得。我對生命的很多事情，我不理解，反應錯了會造成苦惱，所以不要馬上反應，想清楚了、看清楚了，再做反應。
再來，平常要多修福，這樣面對苦難時,突破的力道就會強。能夠這樣修，諸佛悉知、諸佛護念。不只諸佛護念，連善神護法都會護持你。
閉關九個月後，攝於鐘樓下。
A picture taken under the temple bell after nine months of solitary retreat.
A picture taken under the temple bell after nine months of solitary retreat.
六、諸佛龍天護持
我以前沒這麼強烈，但是閉關的時候，就這個覺知非常強烈：護法常常在你的身邊。尤其是學習這個金剛般若，有大護法常在身邊。
佛在經典裏面說：三世諸佛皆以般若成就，般若是三世佛母。過去的佛是這樣子成就、現在的佛也是這樣子成就、未來的佛還是這樣子成就。三世諸佛，皆是依智慧而得成就。
佛的母親是誰？佛的母親是智慧。
所以佛在經典裏說：智慧像世間殊勝的珍寶，因為它是珍寶，所以有很多境界來考驗；有人要搶、有人要偷，魔難自然就會找上門來。但是修這個法，諸佛護念，必定成就！一切魔都無法得其便。
我那感受很強，怎麼說呢？時間到了，該起床做功課了，開始讀經了，他自然就來了。我是用電腦，到了清晨3-4點時候電腦自然就會亮，我已經讓它休眠，但到了那時候自然就亮，告訴你：你要起床了！你要起床了！
有的時候，靜靜的自己讀經，會聽到好像在念經的聲音，遙遠的地方，有敲木魚和誦經的聲音。
佛經上說，當我們人修般若法，會得善神護持，並且他也會跟著你學。你讀，他也跟著你讀，跟著你學。
香味也是如此。我沒有點香，但偶爾就有一股香味飄來。這些都是一些善神在告訴我們：我在你身邊噢，你要用功啊！
所以我們修道要有信心，就怕我們自己不用功。諸佛護念、善神護持，沒有什麼障礙突破不了的！
七、讀誦《大般若經》
在這個9個月裏，我總共讀了《大般若經》總共800多卷。《大般若經》有600卷，但是我已經重讀了。不是只有讀一次啊。本來想可以全部將第2次讀完，但 實在太多了，校對的時候要斟酌每一個字的時候，要花很多時間，一句話頓在錯的地方，意思也都跑掉了。我們讀經典的時候發現過去印經、抄經、刻經這件事很了 不起，有他們，我們今天才有辦法讀到這些經典啊。
中國佛教有幾次佛法的破壞， 三武一宗。總共四個皇帝，下令全國出家人統統還俗，佛像、道場統統毀滅，經典統統燒掉，所以經典很多都不齊。這邊湊一點，那邊湊一點，把它們湊齊，變成一套。
所以我剛才講，在看的時候，會看到這些問題，都要斟酌每一個字，不要誤解了過去祖師在翻譯時的意思、佛的意思，不要錯。所以我想，這部經能夠印出來，可以 說是現世學習大般若、學習智慧這個法門最圓滿、最殊勝、最完整的本子，因為過去都沒有這樣去整理過、因為太多了。
我 聽說你們在共修《大般若 經》，一直在讀誦重複的經文，讀得頭都暈了”。我說你那個還沒什麼。我是讀到快吐了。坐在那裏讀，精神要很集中，精神耗費、身體又沒有很多的運動，讀的胃 都快吐了，但是我還是堅持將它讀過去。各位要注意，那個重複的地方，不要把它省略了，因為每一次你在讀，都是在鍛煉你的定力。那個時候不是跟你講道理，不 是跟你分析，是在鍛煉你的定力。看這經的時候，心煩嗎？能不能安住？還是你有想：放棄了、算了？不讀了。但其實這是讓我們練定力。
《大般 若經》裏面，可能有四十幾卷，統統都是重複。一般人讀到這裏，100個人可能剩下不到10個，其他人都跳過去不讀。所以說修行突破不了，就是這樣突破不 了。佛施設很多方法幫助我們，重覆的講，不只聽話的累，講話的也累啊。但是佛可以這樣，為什麼？因為祂知道這個對眾生有益。
八、結語
我希望大家真正能夠在法上真正能得到利益，真正得到幫助，這件事別人沒辦法成就我們，只有我們自己用功才有辦法。所以我希望大家真正在法義上、在修道上能夠發起大勇猛心。
學法是在生活裏面修的，法不是拿來信仰的，雙手拜一拜，然後回家,跟我沒關係。不是的，法是生活，因為你每個當下都要面對境界，因為你每個當下都在抉擇， 你怎麼看這個事?你怎麼抉擇這些事？然後造成自己的快樂、造成別人的快樂---這個就是佛法。佛法在生活中應用，所以我們一定要這樣子學，才是真正的佛的 弟子。
大家要好好用功。阿彌陀佛！
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