Berkeley Buddhist Monastery: Recent Episodes
Rev. Heng Sure, PhD
Text: "He further makes the following reflection, All living beings are swallowed up in the great torrent's waves. They enter the flow of desire, the flow of existence, the flow of ignorance, and the flow of views. They revolve in the whirlpool of birth and death. They toss and turn in the river of love. They are carried away by the flood, and have no leisure to contemplate. They follow after desire, hatred, harming, and do not give them up. In the midst of that they are seized by the Rakshasas of the view of a body. They are about to enter forever the forest of attachment towards what they love. They dwell in the fertile plain of pride. They settle in the town of the six places. They have no wholesome savior. They have no one to rescue them.
I should have thought of great compassion towards them, and use all my good roots to rescue and save them, so they have no calamities or disasters, so they leave defilement, find peace, and dwell on the jeweled island of omniscience."
經文: "又作是念： 『一切眾生為大瀑水波浪所沒，入欲流、有流、無明流、 見流，生死洄澓，愛河漂轉，湍馳奔激， 不暇觀察；為欲覺、恚覺、害覺隨逐不捨， 身見羅剎於中執取，將其永入愛欲稠林； 於所貪愛深生染著，住我慢原阜，安六處聚落；無善救者， 無能度者。我當於彼起大悲心， 以諸善根而為救濟，令無災患，離染寂靜， 住於一切智慧寶洲。』"
"He further makes the following reflection: All living beings travel the dangerous roads of birth and death and are about to fall into the hells, animals, and hungry ghosts. They are trapped by the net of evil views. They are confused by the forest of stupidity. They follow crooked paths and practice upside down behavior. They are like blind people who lack guides. They think that dead-end roads will lead them out. They enter into the states of demons and are seized by evil bandits. They accord with the demons’ mind and leave behind the Buddha's intentions. I should pull them out of such danger and difficulty and teach them to stay in fearlessness in the city of omniscience."
經文: "又作是念： 『一切眾生在於生死險道之中，將墮地獄、畜生、餓鬼，入惡見網中， 為愚癡稠林所迷，隨逐邪道，行顛倒行。 譬如盲人無有導師，非出要道謂為出要，入魔境界， 惡賊所攝，隨順魔心，遠離佛意。 我當拔出如是險難，令住無畏一切智城。』"
"He further makes the following reflections: All living beings constantly pursue the three poisons, and the various afflictions flare up because of this. They do not understand how to seek with determination the expedients essential method for escape. I should teach them to extinguish the great blaze of afflictions and settle in the pure tranquility of Nirvana. He further makes the following reflection: All living beings are covered with the heavy darkness of stupidity and the thick coating of false views, and so they enter the dense shade of the forest and lose the light of wisdom. They travel on dangerous roads in the wilderness and give rise to evil views. I should teach them to realize the unobstructed, pure wisdom eye, so they know the ultimate reality of all dharmas, and do never follow others’ teachings." 經文: "又作是念：『一切眾生常隨三毒，種種煩惱因之熾然，不解志求出要方便。我當令彼除滅一切煩惱大火，安置清涼涅槃之處。』又作是念：『一切眾生為愚癡重闇，妄見厚膜之所覆故，入陰翳稠林，失智慧光明，行曠野險道，起諸惡見。我當令彼得無障礙清淨智眼，知一切法如實相，不隨他教。』"
Text: "He further makes the following reflection: All living beings grasp without satiation. They only seek wealth and profit. They sustain themselves through wrong livelihoods. I should teach them to stay in the dharmas of proper livelihood, in purity of the karmas of body, speech, and mind!" 經文: "又作是念：『一切眾生貪取無厭，唯求財利，邪命自活。我當令彼住於清淨身、語、意業正命法中。』"
Text: "He further makes the following reflection: All living beings make distinctions between self and others and mutually destroy each other. Their fighting and enmity rage without cease. I should teach them to stay in unsurpassed great kindness." 經文: "又作是念：『一切眾生分別彼我，互相破壞，鬥諍瞋恨，熾然不息。我當令彼住於無上大慈之中。』"
Avatamsaka Sutra, Ten Grounds Chapter, Second Ground, covering following text paragraph: "He makes the following reflection, saying, 'Living beings are pitiful. They fall into wrong views, evil wisdom, evil desires, and the thick forest of the evil destinies. I should teach them to stay in proper views, and cultivate the true and actual Way.'"
In Chinese "作是念言：『眾生可愍，墮於邪見、惡慧、惡欲、惡道稠林。我應令彼住於正見，行真實道。』"
Avatamsaka Sutra, Ten Grounds Chapter, Second Ground, covering following text paragraph: "Disciples of the Buddha, the ten unwholesome karmic paths can bring forth the multitude of great masses of suffering as limitless and boundless as these. Therefore, the Bodhisattva makes the following reflection: I should leave the ten unwholesome karmic paths far behind. I should consider the ten wholesome paths as a garden of Dharma, and delight in dwelling in them. I, myself, should dwell within them, and I should encourage other peole to dwell within them, too.
Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva, Mahasattva further brings forth the thought to benefit all living beings, the thought of making them happy, the thought of kindness, the thought of compassion, the thought of sympathy, the thought of gathering them in, the thought of protecting them, the thought of identity with them, the thought of being their teacher, the thought of being their great teacher. "
In Chinese "佛子！十不善業道能生此等無量無邊眾大苦聚，是故菩薩作如是念： 十不善道，以十善道為法園苑，愛樂安住，自住其中，亦勸他人，令住其中。』 「佛子！ 一切眾生生利益心、安樂心、慈心、受心、守護心、自己心、師心，大師心。"
Avatamsaka Sutra, Ten Grounds Chapter, Second Ground, covering following text paragraph: "The offense of deviant views also causes living beings to fall into the three evil paths. If hey are born among people, they have two kinds of retribution: one, they will be born in a family holding deviant views; two, their minds will be flattering and crooked."
In Chinese "邪見之罪亦令眾生墮三惡道；若生人中，得二種果報，一者生邪見家，二者其心諂曲。"
Avatamsaka Sutra, Ten Grounds Chapter, Second Ground, covering following text paragraph: "The offense of anger and hatred also causes living beings to fall into the three evil paths. If hey are born among people, they have two kinds of retribution: one, other people will always find fault with them; two, they will constantly be troubled and harmed by others."
In Chinese "瞋恚之罪亦令眾生墮三惡道；若生人中，得二種果報，一者常被他人求其長短，二者恒被於他之所惱害。"
Avatamsaka Sutra, Ten Grounds Chapter, Second Ground, covering following text paragraph: "The offense of greed and desire also causes living beings to fall into the three evil paths. If they are born among people, they have two kinds of retribution: one, their minds will never know contentment; two, they will have much desire which will never be satisfied."
In Chinese "貪欲之罪亦令眾生墮三惡道；若生人中，得二種果報，一者心不知足，二者多欲無厭。"
Avatamsaka Sutra, Ten Grounds Chapter, Second Ground, covering following text paragraph: "The offense of loose speech also causes living beings to fall into the three evil paths. If they are born among people, they have two kinds of retribution: one, people will not accept what they say; two, their spech will not be clearly understood."
In Chinese "綺語之罪亦令眾生墮三惡道； 若生人中，得二種果報，一者言無人受，二者語不明了。"
Avatamsaka Sutra, Ten Grounds Chapter, Second Ground, covering following text paragraph: The offense of harsh speech also causes living beings to fall into the three evil paths. If they are born among people, they have two kinds of retribution: one, they will always hear disagreeable sounds; two, they will be involved in many lawsuits. In Chinese: 惡口之罪亦令眾生墮三惡道；若生人中，得二種果報，一者常聞惡聲，二者言多諍訟。