On the Lotus Sutra

                   Explanation by master Xuanhua

from two thousand and twelve year three month twenty day At the beginning, we studied the interpretation of the wonderful Lotus Sutra explained by master Xuanhua.

preface

Some of the lectures were interpreted according to Tiantai religion, while others were interpreted according to xianshou religion. In the Tiantai Sect founded by the master of Tiantai Sophists, the teachings of the generation of Tathagata were judged as “ Teaching at five o'clock eight ” ； with “ Five o'clock ” To determine the order of the Tathagata “ Eight religions ” To separate the Dharma and the ritual of saying. The first is Huayan, the second is ahan, the third is Fangdeng, the fourth is Prajna, and the fifth is the nirvana of fahua. During these five o'clock, eight religions were judged, These eight religions are “ Tibetan education, general education, other education and round Education ” ， yes “ Four teaching methods ” ； also “ Dun religion, gradualism, secret religion and Adventism ” ， yes “ Four teaching methods of chemistry and instrument ” ； All in all “ Eight religions ” These eight religions were preached by Buddha in five different periods.

In these five periods, there were “ Five seasons and five flavors ” In order to explain the Dharma and the mechanism that Buddha taught. sunrise “ First of all, the mountains ” ， “ Second photo Valley ” ， “ The back shines on the plain ” ； And the sun shining on the plain is divided “ Eating time ” 、 “ Yuzhongshi ” 、 “ middle ” Three times, it's called “ Five o'clock ” 。 At five o'clock “ Sunrise, bright, normal, oblique and return ” 。 Five flavors “ Milk, cheese, raw crispy, cooked crispy, crispy ” 。 this “ Five seasons and five flavors ” For example, Buddhism's teaching methods in these five periods were born in order, and the opportunities they taught were also well-developed; So we talk about this “ Teaching at five o'clock eight ” You have to know that “ Five seasons and five flavors ” 。

First, Huayan period

After the Buddha became a Buddha, he first talked about the Huayan Sutra. There are three versions of the Huayan Sutra: upper, middle and lower. In our world, there is only one lower version. The upper and middle versions are all preserved in the Dragon Palace. When Bodhisattva Longshu had learned all the characters in the world, he went to the Dragon Palace to read Tibetan scriptures; This is what he recited in the Dragon Palace. Because Longshu Bodhisattva has such a talent that he can never forget, he went to the Dragon Palace to read the Huayan Sutra, read it once, and then passed this down to the world.

Then the Buddha said that the Huayan Sutra lasted for twenty-one days. Only the Bodhisattvas could see and hear the great Huayan in these twenty-one days; What can't be seen or heard by Xiaocheng, Luohan and bhikkhu. so-called “ Lucerne is out of sight ” Although he had eyes, he couldn't see the Buddha's body, “ If you have ears, you don't hear about yuandunism ” There are also ears in the sound, smell and sense of fate of the Mahayana, but the Mahayana Dharma mentioned by Buddha can not be heard. Therefore, in this period, Sakyamuni Buddha said that the Huayan sutra was only the mahasa, the great Bodhisattva in all ten directions, who had enlightened this great Bodhisattva. Therefore, in Hua Yan's time, in the transformation method, he was talking about the round teaching and the other teaching; In Yu Hua Yi, Hua Yan Jing belongs to Dunjiao, but it is also gradually taught.

In the period of Hua Yan “ Five flavors ” What is the metaphor? analogy “ Milk from cattle ” And milk comes out of the cow. Because milk has just been taken from the cow, it has a lot of energy and is very nourishing, so it is like the Huayan period.

stay “ Five o'clock, five photos ” What does it look like? “ If the sun comes out at the beginning of the day, it will shine on the mountains first ” It's like when the sun is about to come out, it will shine on the high mountain first. Because the mountain is high, the sun will shine on the mountain first. What is the analogy? For example, the Dharma mentioned by the Buddha is like the sun. If you tell the Bodhisattva first, the Bodhisattva is like all the mountains. Because the Bodhisattva is the highest among all living beings, it is like a mountain. This is what the first time said about Huayan. What was said in the first period “ Hua-yen ” It's the Mahayana sutra of Dafang Guangfo.

Second, ahanshi

I said it at the second time “ Agama ” 。 “ Agama ” It's Hindi, translated into Chinese “ Incomparable method ” There is no such law; That is, all the Dharma of the outside world can not be compared with this dharma. It is higher than all other dharmas. In ahan, what the Buddha preached was all about “ Jing, LV, Lun ” According to the doctrine of Sanzang, there is life and death “ Karma, four truths ” Law; So ahanshi belongs to “ Sanzang religion ” , also called “ Tibetan religion ” 。

stay “ Five flavors ” In terms of ahan period, what is it like? It's like “ From milk to cheese ” From the milk, the cheese came out again. this “ Cheese ” It is a kind of thing extracted from milk, which is quite suitable for children to eat. stay “ Five o'clock ” Speaking of it, it seems that the sun is more than ten feet high; “ The sun shines first on the mountains, then on the valleys ” Now it's all the darkest places in the valley. In the valley, where the sun just came out and couldn't shine, then the sun would be tens of feet high, and the valley could be seen. In other words, all of them can understand Buddhism; The most stupid people can understand this dharma.

Third, Fang isochron

The third is “ Fang isochron ” ， “ square ” It's the four sides, “ etc. ” It is equality; The classics mentioned by Fang et al. Belong to Fang's department. In the method of transformation, Fang etc. belongs to general education. How to call it general education? Because of it “ Through the front, after, through Datong small ” It is not only connected with the Tibetan education of the Mahayana in front, but also in the other teaching of the Mahayana in the back; That is, it leads to the front “ Agama ” And then to the back “ Prajna ” 。 General education is the beginning of Mahayana, just about to enter the Mahayana; this “ justice and equity ” It belongs to the general education, through the triple ride to learn together.

Fang et al. In terms of the five flavors, it is equivalent to the raw crisp extracted from the cheese; This kind of raw crispy, which can be eaten by both children and adults, has no harm. stay “ Five o'clock ” For example “ Eating time ” The sun is about nine to ten in the morning; The mountain is also shining, and the flat land is also shining. This is a metaphor that the Mahayana can learn and the Mahayana can learn. Both the Mahayana and the Mahayana can study this classic.

Fourth, Prajna time

The fourth period is about “ Prajna ” ； What religion does Prajna belong to? In HUAFA, Prajna belongs to other teachings. Don't teach me. This is the first gate of Mahayana. I'm just going to get inside the Mahayana. What do you call it “ Don't teach ” ？ Because of it “ Don't go before or after ” , compared with the previous “ Agama ” 、 “ justice and equity ” There is a difference between the two “ Fahua, Nirvana ” There are also differences; It is again “ Don't be small or big ” That is, with the front “ Tibetan religion ” 、 “ General education ” There is a difference, and the back “ Yuan Jiao ” There are also differences, so called “ other ” 。 So don't teach is the end of Mahayana “ Pay for teaching transfer ” At the same time; Transfer of education is the right to transfer to Sansheng; Paying money is to prepare to speak of the Dharma's perfect Dharma Mahayana.

"Prajna ” Don't teach this, from “ Five flavors ” Speaking, it is equivalent to refining a kind of cooked crisp from raw crisp; This kind of cooked crisp is quite suitable for adults to eat, so don't teach is the first door of Mahayana. This is a metaphor that only Quan Jiao Bodhisattva with Mahayana root can learn the Prajna method of Dun religion. Another example is “ Yuzhongshi ” It's like the sun is between ten and eleven in the morning; This is the sun shining on the earth, but it is not yet noon. It will be noon.

What is it called “ Prajna ” What about it? Prajna is Sanskrit because it has three meanings “ More content, no more ” ； also “ Respect does not change ” Because Prajna is noble, so I don't turn.

Prajna has three meanings. What are these three meanings? There are: （ 1） The text Prajna, (2) contemplation of Prajna, (3) Prajna of reality.

（1） Words Prajna 。 This text Prajna is about all, including all sutras — Scripture, law and theory all belong to Prajna. Don't misunderstand that this character is the word of the world, this is the word of the world, not the word of the world; There is no Prajna in the words of the world. It can only be said that it is the wisdom of the world.

（2） Observe Prajna 。 “ view ” It's visualization, “ mirror ” It's Mingzhao. Contemplate and contemplate with wisdom and all dharmas. It's like the Heart Sutra says: “ When guanzizi Bodhisattva went deep Prajna Prajna prajnamita, he could see that the five implications were empty ” This is it “ mirror ” — Observe; Look at the wisdom of the truth of reality. You use your wisdom to observe this Prajna.

（3） Prajna of reality 。 What is it “ the ultimate essence of things ” ？ “ There is no phase in reality ” There is no form at all, but it has all the forms and contains all the forms; All the forms are from this “ Aphasia ” Come out, so this is it “ the ultimate essence of things ” Prajna. Therefore, with the Prajna of words, the Prajna of contemplation comes into being; To achieve the Prajna of self nature by observing Prajna is called Prajna “ Prajna ” .