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Bodhisattva in the Perfection of Wisdom Buddhist Texts
When we talk about the Prajnaparamita, we sometimes get deep into it. To begin, I have always been interested in the fact that before Sakyamuni became the Buddha and gained his enlightenment, he went to other teachers. We don’t often think about what his teachers have taught him. For example, Alara Kalama taught him a meditation where he could experience infinite space and be conscious of infinite space. After being taught about how to meditate in this way and having experienced infinite space, the Buddha thought it was interesting but it wasn’t good enough. He still hasn’t had the release and hasn’t reached moksha. So, he continued to study with other teachers. Uddaka taught him to go deeper into his mind and reach a mental state which is neither perception nor the lack of perception. A very deep and special state. But, once again, it wasn’t sufficient. Why wasn’t it sufficient? What was lacking? Why did he keep pursuing another path? What was the path he pursued? And, what was the difference between what he finally reached and what his great teachers had taught him? I looked into the Eight Thousand-Line Perfection of Wisdom Sutra having these questions in mind. When we look into this sutra, it is interesting to see that when the Buddha had gathered his audience, all of them were arhats. There was not a bodhisattva in sight. Where were all these bodhisattvas then? What we later on defined as a bodhisattva is what the Prajnaparamita Sutras taught for the first time. The Prajnaparamita created the bodhisattvas. In other words, at the time when he started teaching, this was the first Prajnaparamita Sutra. When the Buddha first taught it, there were no bodhisattvas of the type that we later see. Later in the sutra the bodhisattvas appeared. It was a sequential thing. In the beginning, it tells us that everybody was an arhat.
從四悉檀析論星雲大師的思想——再論大乘佛教的善巧方便一系概念
佛陀以何因緣應化世間?此一疑問開啟本文發展的線索與思路。程恭讓教授在其著作《佛典漢譯、理解與詮釋研究―以善巧方便一系概念思想為中心》,透過《大乘善巧方便波羅蜜多經》、《法華經》、《維摩經》、《華嚴經》、《勝鬘夫人經》等諸多佛經,已明白證明「善巧方便」這一系概念是佛德中非常重要的第七度方便波羅蜜;尤其是唯有發菩提心度化有情的菩薩,才會開展出來的大智慧,是故佛陀的善巧方便是為度化一切有情同圓種智而生,乃佛陀應世最重要的本懷。
效法星雲大師 當義工行菩薩道(外一章)
《華嚴經入門》第七講:發心功德
《華嚴經》這部大型宗教歌劇,至第九品又換到另外一個舞台。佛陀在賢首菩薩說法後,沒有從正覺之座上起身(亦即不離正覺之意),而是直升須彌山頂的忉利天,在帝釋天的迎接下進入妙勝殿。這個時候,帝釋天回憶自己過去在十位佛的座下修行,從迦葉如來到錠光如來,個個都是無上的佛,這些佛的聚會在當下與此地化為一體,帝釋天讚歎此地是最吉祥之處,因為妙勝殿此刻剛開始的聚會,已超越時間,與過去諸佛的聚會連結為一。就這樣,第三幕〈佛升須彌頂品〉拉開了舞台的帷幕。
當代漢傳佛教中菩薩戒與毗奈耶的相容性——兩岸比較研究(上)
菩薩思想自中世紀以來就穩步發展,成為漢傳大乘佛教的主要特徵。承襲大乘佛教傳統的比丘和比丘尼在三壇大戒戒會中也會受持菩薩戒;換言之,兼受菩薩戒與比丘/比丘尼戒兩種律儀,是大乘佛教出家僧人的顯著特徵。這一情況延伸出值得探討的議題:在台灣和中國大陸當前的社會文化背景下,中國僧侶對於菩薩戒的認知、理念及其相關實踐為何?雖然這兩個地區根源於相同的漢傳佛教傳統,修行、實踐方式等仍有些許不同。再者,這項長期、跨兩岸的比較研究,也揭示佛教戒律與菩薩思想之間潛在的矛盾與衝突。
當代漢傳佛教中菩薩戒與毗奈耶的相容性——兩岸比較研究(下)
菩薩思想自中世紀以來就穩步發展,成為漢傳大乘佛教的主要特徵。承襲大乘佛教傳統的比丘和比丘尼在三壇大戒戒會中也會受持菩薩戒;換言之,兼受菩薩戒與比丘/比丘尼戒兩種律儀,是大乘佛教出家僧人的顯著特徵。這一情況延伸出值得探討的議題:在台灣和中國大陸當前的社會文化背景下,中國僧侶對於菩薩戒的認知、理念及其相關實踐為何?雖然這兩個地區根源於相同的漢傳佛教傳統,修行、實踐方式等仍有些許不同。再者,這項長期、跨兩岸的比較研究,也揭示佛教戒律與菩薩思想之間潛在的矛盾與衝突。
天道酬勤 功不唐捐
建立自己四不壞信,即四種不壞的信仰:是對佛菩薩的不懷疑;對四聖諦、三法印、緣起性空沒有懷疑;對佛門大眾儘管有許多好好壞壞,總感覺他們是如來的使者、佛法的長城、良師益友,沒有懷疑;對佛法中布施的福田功德、受戒的功德,必定功不唐捐,不懷疑。