Lecturing sutras
From Bvd
Part Three Chapter on Lecturing the Sutras
Chuong Thu Ba: CHUONG VE GIANG KINH
The Sutras which the Master lectured during his life are generally listed here: Avatamsaka Sutra, Dharma Flower Sutra, Shurangama Sutra, Vajra Sutra, Heart Sutra, Sixth Patriarch's Sutra. Earth Store Sutra, Amitabha Sutra, Forty-two Sections Sutra, Hundred Dharmas Shastra. The Buddha Bequeaths the Teaching Sutra, Great Master Yung Jia's Song of Enlightenment? more than thirty different ones. Also the Master explained two areas of Chinese philosophy: The Four Books and the Book of Changes. Among all these are three that are quite unusual?very few people have ever explained them. They are: Verses and Commentary on the Shurangama Mantra, Water and Mirrors, and modem-language explanations of the Biographies of the Buddhist Patriarchs.
Cac kinh sach HT da giang trong suot cuoc doi cua Ngai duoc liet ke tong quat nhu sau: Kinh Hoa Nghiem, Kinh Phap Hoa, Kinh Lang Nghiem, Kinh Kim Cang, Tam Kinh, Kinh Luc To, Kinh Dia Tang, Kinh A Di Da, Kinh Bon Muoi Hai Chuong, Bach Phap Minh Mon Luan, Kinh Di Giao, Chung Dao Ca cua Dai Su Huyen Giac, hon 30 kinh sach khac nhau. Ngoai ra HT da giai thich ve hai lanh vuc triet hoc cua Trung Hoa: Tu Thu va Kinh Dich. Trong tat ca nhung kinh sach nay co ba tac pham rat khac thuong, it co nguoi giang giai. Do la: Ke va Chu Giai Chu Lang Nghiem, Thuy Kinh Hoi Thien, va Tieu Su Chu To Phat Giao giai thich bang ngon ngu de hieu cua thoi dai ngay nay.
The Master' lecture series on Verses and Commentary on the Shurangama Mantra lasted for eight years, from 1979 to 1987. Throughout all of Buddhist history this mantra has rarely been explained. Only Dharma Master Xu Fa of the Qing dynasty and Dhamia Master Be Ting of Compassionate Cloud Monastery in Wu Lin ever explained it. Dharma Master Be Ting investigated the Esoteric Division and wrote the Commentary on Anointing the Crown in the Shurangama Sutra in 26 rolls, translating the Sanskrit into Chinese and further gave a thoroughly detailed explanation of the mantra. In Buddhism there are "five kinds of terms not translated" in sutras and mantras. because the secret languages of Buddhas is difficult for most other sages to comprehend, how much the less ordinary people. Although the custom is not to translate the mantras found in sutras, still, people have different things to say about it. Some people think that translating the meaning of mantras has twenty-four kinds of benefits. And so when the Master came in possession of a copy of the "Commentary on the Shurangama Mantra" in 1949, he records: I obtained what I'd never had before. I continually investigated that thorough explanation of the esoteric, carrying it always with me and never being apart from it. He also said for the Proper Dharma to remain long in the world, and to stop the deviant discourses once and for all, people must join together and enter the ultimately firm great samadhi.
Loat bai thuyet giang Ke va Chu Giai Chu Lang Nghiem [Lang Nghiem Chu Cu Ke So Giai] keo dai tam nam, tu 1979 den 1987. Trong suot lich su Phat Giao chu nay hiem khi duoc giai thich. Chi co Phap Su Xu Phao cua trieu nha Thanh va phap su Be Tinh o Tu Vien Tu Van tai Wu Lam la tung giang giai. Phap Su Be Ting nghien cuu Phan Mat va viet Chu Giai ve Quan Danh trong Kinh Lang Nghiem thanh hai muoi sau quyen, dich tu tieng Phan sang tieng Trung Hoa va sau do giai thich chi tiet ve chu nay. Trong Phat Giao co "nam loai khong phien dich" (ngu chung bat phien) trong Kinh va Chu boi vi ngon ngu bi mat cua chu Phat kho cho hau het cac vi thanh khac hieu duoc, chu dung noi den nguoi thuong. Mac dau phong tuc la khong dich cac bai chu trong kinh, tuy nhien, nguoi ta co nhieu y kien khac nhau ve van de nay. Mot so nguoi nghi viec rang dich y nghia cua chu mang lai hai muoi bon loai loi ich. Vi vay khi HT co duoc ban "Chu Giai Chu Lang Nghiem" vao nam 1949, ngai ghi lai: Toi co duoc dieu truoc do chua tung co. Toi nghien cuu lien tuc qua su giai thich cua Mat tong, luon luon mang theo ben minh va khong bao gio xa roi. Ngai cung noi rang de chanh phap tru the lau dai tren the gian, va chan dung nhung giai thich ta kien trong mot lan, moi nguoi can hiep luc va tham nhap dai dinh vo cung vung chac.
Later, after the Master came to America, he himself explained the Shurangama Mantra, using seven-characters per line verses to explain each of the 554 lines and further gave a modem-language commentary. Truly this masterpiece is something "never done before." It is exceptionally valuable. The Master said:
The four-line verses used to explain every line of the mantra do not by any means exhaust the explanation because the wonderful meanings in the mantra are infinite and endless. These four-line verses are a mere mention of the broad idea-just tendering a bit of brick, hoping someone will come up with jade. These four-line verses appear to be very simple, but they come from my heart. You could say they are my blood and sweat. They certainly aren't plagiarized?copied from someone else's work! I'm explaining the Shurangama Mantra for you now, and throughout hundreds of thousands of eons, no one even explains it. Also, it's not easy to explain in its entirety. When I'm explaining it, I know that none of you really understand what I'm saying. Even if there are those who think they do, they don't really. But perhaps ten years from now, or a hundred, or a thousand years from now, someone will read this simple explanation and gain a profound understanding.
Below are other comments the Master made regarding the Shurangama Mantra:
Sau do, sau khi HT den Hoa Ky, ngai tu minh giai thich Chu Lang Nghiem, dung the tho bay chu (that ngon) de giai thich tung cau cua 554 cau va sau do chu giai theo ngon ngu thoi nay. Day that la mot kiet tac "chua tung co". No vo cung quy gia. HT noi:
Tho tu tuyet dung de giai thich moi hang cua bai Chu khong cach nao giai thich tron ven duoc boi vi dieu nghia trong bai chu thi vo tan vo bien. Bon cau tho chi de cap y nghia tong quat - chi nem ra mot mieng gach, hy vong se co nguoi tim ra ngoc thach. Bon cau tho co ve don gian, nhung xuat phat tu tam toi. Quy vi co the noi do la mau va mo hoi cua toi. Day chac chan khong phai la dao van, chep lai cua mot nguoi khac! Bay gio toi giai thich Chu Lang Nghiem cho quy vi, qua tram ngan kiep, chua co ai tung giai thich,. Ngoai ra, cung khong de gi de giai thich tron ven. Khi toi giai thich chu nay, toi biet khong co nguoi nao trong quy vi hieu toi noi gi. Ngay ca nhung nguoi ho nghi la ho hieu duoc, that su ho khong phai nhu vay. Nhung co the muoi nam sau, hoac mot tram hay mot ngan nam sau, co nguoi nao do se doc nhung loi giai thich don gian nay va duoc su hieu biet sau xa.
Duoi day la nhung loi binh HT lam ra ve Chu Lang Nghiem:
Infinite esoteric wonder so hard to appraise,
These vajra secret phrases come from our own nature.
The Shurangama Mantra is endowed with an efficacy
That can open the five eyes and six penetrations.
Vo tan dieu mat kho luong
Nhung cau bi mat kim cang nay tu tu tanh chung ta
Chu Lang Nghiem co du hieu nang
Co the mo ngu nhan luc thong.
The Ultimately Durable king among Samadhis?
With a straight mind practice and study it, and the Way Place can be reached.
Purify the karmas of body, mouth, and mind;
Sweep clean the thoughts of greed, hatred, and stupidity.
La vua Vo cung Kien Co trong cac dinh
Voi truc tam hanh tri va hoc hoi, va co the den Dao Trang
Thanh tinh nghiep than, khau, y
Quet sach niem tham, san, si.
From sincerity comes a response; clear certification is obtained.
From concentration one accomplishes spiritual powers which are great.
Endowed with virtue, you have encountered its magical, wonderful phrases.
At all times, never forget to glorify its magnificence.
Tu thanh tam, sanh cam ung; co duoc chung dac ro rang
Tu dinh thanh tuu dai than thong
Du duc gap cau dieu huyen
Luon luon khong quen lam vinh quang su vi dai.
Ananda had already certified to the first fruition, but he still had to undergo difficulty with a woman. The Buddha had to use the Shurangama Mantra to save him. How much the more is that the case for us ordinary beings? If we don't rely on the Shurangama Mantra. how are we going to end birth and death? As long as there is even one person left in this world who knows how to recite the Shuranggama Mantra by heart, the monsters, demons, ghosts, and weird creatures will not dare to show themselves openly. But if it comes to the point that no one can recite the Shurangama Mantra from memory, then the monsters, demons, ghosts, and weird creatures will openly display themselves.
Ngai A Nan da chung So Qua, ma van con chiu nan boi nguoi phu nu. Duc Phat phai dung Chu Lang Nghiem de cuu ngai. Huong gi trong truong hop cua nguoi thuong ? Neu chung ta khong nuong tua vao Chu Lang Nghiem, lam sao chung ta co the cham dut sanh tu duoc ? He con dau chi mot nguoi tren the gian nay biet tung thuoc long Chu Lang Nghiem, thi yeu ma quy quai se khong dam xuat hien cong khai. Nhung den thoi diem ma khong con ai tung thuoc Chu Lang Nghiem, thi yeu ma quy quai se cong khai xuat hien.
Actually by studying the Shurangama Mantra you are the Buddhas' transformation body: not just a transformation body but the transformation Buddha atop the Buddha's crown. The inconceivable qualities of the Shurangama Mantra are hard to fathom!
That ra bang cach hoc Chu Lang Nghiem quy vi da la hoa than cua Phat: khong chi la hoa than ma la hoa than Phat tren danh cua Phat. Nhung dac tinh cua Chu Lang nghiem that khon luong !
Now let us introduce Portraits of Buddhist Patriarchs, which is thirteen years' worth of lectures given by the Venerable Master, extending from 1972 through 1985, for a total of 346 topics. Important personages introduced in this text are as follows: Shakyamuni Buddha, who, after twirling a flower and giving a subtle smile, transmitted the Dharma to Venerable Kashyapa; who transmitted it to the Second Patriarch, Venerable Ananda, and so forth to the Twenty-eighth Patriarch, Bodhidharma, who became the First Patriarch in China and brought the Dharma of Chan meditation to China. Continuing through the Thirty-third Patriarch (the Sixth Patriarch in China), Great Master Huineng, at that point "one flower opened five petals. After that comes Five Divisions with Seven Schools, which are the fayan school, the candong school, the yunmen school, the weiyang school, the linji school as well as the huanglong sect and the yangqi sect. Add to that the niutou sect, holy Sanghas of two lands (east [China] and west [India]), the tiantai school, the huayan school, the ceen school, the yujia school, the vinaya school, the lotus society school, and ten contemporary High Sanghans, and the grand total is three hundred thirty-eight Venerable Ones who are introduced. There is also a verse in praise of each Venerable One (regulated Chinese verse form with eight lines containing seven characters each.). From Great Master Yungmingshou, Sixth Patriarch of the Lotus Society School on through the final contemporary Sanghans, Elder Master Guangchin, another verse is added composed of eight lines containing four characters each.). It can be said that these three hundred thirty-eight Venerable Patriarchs are all duly praised. The text is written in the literary style of Chinese and has no punctuation. Add to that liberal doses of Chan banter "enlightened words" and it becomes doubly difficult to comprehend. It is difficult to fathom the deeply esoteric state of those greatly virtuous ones of old. It only be described as ineffable, "and likened to only the person who drinks the water knows whether it is cold or warm."
Bay gio chung toi xin gioi thieu Phat To Dao Anh Bach Thoai Giai, la cong trinh do HT giang giai trong muoi ba nam, trai dai tu 1972 den 1985, tong cong 346 de tai. Nhung nhan vat quan trong duoc gioi thieu trong quyen nay nhu sau: Phat Thich Ca Mau Ni, sau khi xoay canh hoa va mim cuoi vi tieu, truyen phap cho Ton Gia Ca Diep; roi Ton Gia Ca Diep truyen tiep den Nhi To, Ton Gia A Nan, va tiep tuc nhu vay den to thu hai muoi tam, la To Bo De Dat Ma, tro thanh So To o Trung Hoa va mang Phap Thien qua Trung Hoa. Tiep den to thu ba muoi ba (la Luc To Hue Nang tai Trung Hoa), Dai Su Hue Nang, den luc do "mot hoa no nam canh, sau do den Nam Nha cung Bay Tong, do la Tong Phap Nhan, Tong Tao Dong, Tong Van Mon, Tong Quy Nguong, Tong Lam Te cung nhu phai Hoang Long va phai Duong Chi. Them vao do la nhanh Nguu Dau, nhung vi thanh tang cua hai nuoc (dong [Trung Hoa] va tay [An Do], tong Thien Thai, tong Hoa Nghiem, tong Tu An, tong Du Gia, Luat tong, tong Lien Xa, va muoi vi cao tang duong thoi, va tong cong la ba tram ba muoi tam [338] vi Cao Tang duoc gioi thieu. Moi vi deu co bai ke tan (the tho tam cau thong dung cua Trung Hoa, moi cau co bay chu - that ngon bat cu). Tu dai Su Vinh Minh Tho, la to thu sau cua Tong Lien Xa va tiep tuc den cac cao tang duong thoi, Lao Su Quang Kham, mot bai tho tam cau bon chu (tu ngon bat cu) khac duoc them vao. Co the noi rang ba tram ba muoi tam vi To dang duoc tan than. Bai van duoc viet the van chuong Trung Hoa va khong co cham cau. Them vao nhung lieu tu do do cua thien ngu ‘giac ngo’ va no tro thanh kho hieu them. That kho ma tham do be sau canh gioi bi mat cua cac vi dai duc thoi xua. Chi co the noi la kho tham do duoc, "va chi lien he den nguoi uong nuoc tu biet nong lanh."
Actually the Master's explanation of the Portraits of Buddhist Patriarchs comes about from great causes and conditions. In 1958, the Elder Master Hsu Yun mailed this book to the Venerable Master, enclosing a letter which said, "I am sending you this volume of Portraits of Buddhist Patriarchs that I have composed in recent years. Read and remember it well and I hope you will benefit yourself and benefit others and treasure the Way." Actually on the 9th of April in 1956 Elder Master Yun sent a certificate to the Master that named him the ninth Patriarch of the Weiyang School. The letter said, "You are a disciple who is concerned about the preservation of the Dharma and the continuation of the wisdom-life of the Buddhas and Patriarchs. Now, in accord with your vows, I am sending you the Source, the inheritance of the Patriarch's pulse, the Patriarch's Way. Entrusted to you, it will prosper. It is my hope that this transmission will be perpetuated." It is evident that the Master followed his teacher's instructions and explained the Portraits of Buddhist Patriarchs into modern language so that beings could gain the benefit this unprecedented Dharma. That is why I consider these three to be the Master's three most important works. And beings who have the good fortune to be able to read these precious Dharma jewels are truly endowed with blessings!
That ra su giai thich cua HT ve Chan Dung Cac Vi To Phat Giao thanh hinh la do nhung dai nhan duyen. Vao nam 1958, Lao HT Hu Van goi quyen sach nay den HT, cung voi buc thu trong do noi rang, "Thay goi con quyen Chan Dung Cac Vi To Su ma Thay da truoc tac trong nhieu nam gan day. Hay doc va thuoc quyen nay va Thay hy vong con se duoc loi ich cho minh va lam loi ich cho nguoi va tran quy Dao." That su vao ngay 9 thang Tu nam 1956, Lao HT Hu Van goi phieu diep den HT truyen HT la to thu chin dong thien Quy Nguong. Thu noi rang: "Con la de tu da quan tam den viec bao ton Phat Phap va su tiep noi hue mang cua Chu Phat To. Bay gio, thuan theo hanh nguyen cua con, Thay goi con Nguon chi, ke thua mach huyet To Su, Dao cua Chu To. Pho chuc cho con, se duoc thinh mau. Hy vong rang su truyen thua nay se bat diet." Day la bang co HT da theo huan thi cua Thay minh va giai thich Chan Dung Chu To Phat Giao sang ngon ngu de hieu cua thoi dai ngay nay de chung sanh co the duoc loi ich cua Phap chua tung co nay. Day la ly do tai sao toi xem ba tac pham nay la su nghiep quan trong nhat cua HT. Va nhung chung sanh co may man duoc doc nhung Phap bao nay that co nhieu phuoc bao.
I generally estimate that the Venerable Master composed over two thousand verses and poems during his life. Every verse is rhymed and evidence the Master's profound prajna wisdom. This is especially true of the unprecedented verses on the lines of the Shurangama Mantra; only someone who had truly entered the Great Shurangama Samadhi would be capable of such explanations. Also the Master's explanation of the Portraits of Buddhist Patriarchs sometimes transcends historical records, leaving the reader wondering if the Master really has the Penetration of Past Lives.
Toi phong chung HT da lam hon hai ngan bai tho va ke trong suot cuoc doi ngai. Moi bai ke deu co van dieu va la bang co ve tri hue Bat Nha tham sau cua HT. Dieu nay dac biet dung doi voi nhung bai ke ve Chu Lang Nghiem chua tung co truoc day; chi nhung nguoi that su tham nhap Lang Nghiem Dinh moi co kha nang giai thich nhu vay. Ngoai ra su giai thich cua HT ve Chan Dung Chu To Phat Giao co luc vuot ra ngoai su lieu, lam doc gia thac mac la HT co than thong biet tien kiep (Tuc Mang Thong)hay khong ?
