Monday, July 21, 2008

唸佛该唸多少遍?- 冯冯居士的作品

这是很多佛教徒的疑问,去请问法师,答案都是异口同声:「唸佛越多越好,诵经越多越好。」,有的法师主张一天唸佛号多少千遍多少万次,诵经要诵多少千卷,才有功德,有些法师主张每天唸佛诵经多少小时,打坐多少小时,才收修行之效.

言之都有理,可是,现代人生活紧张,工作繁忙,上班八小时,加班几小时,来回交通四小时,煮饭吃饭又几小时,照顾孩子又几小时,应付电话又几小时,上邮局、跑银行、买伙食、补习教育......叫你一天廿四小时都在忙个没完,哪有时间去唸佛几小时诵经几千卷?

即使是出家人,也有出家的忙,并不是一般人所想像那么清闲。出家人天未亮就得起床做早课,然后各有职务,打扫庭园寺院的、砍柴的、挑水的、烧火的、煮饭的、切菜的、洗衣物的、洗濯佛像佛具傢具的、清洁住所的、种菜锄地的、写文牍的、讲经的、听经的、知客的、做法事的、摆素筵招待香客的、修缮寺院房舍的、浇浇花的、剪草的......可说比在家更忙,不过,这些劳动原是出家人的修行日课项目。倘若以为出家是清闲得无事可做,成日静坐,或者陪伴大施主下棋吟诗,倾倾佛偈,那却是小说里的故事。佛印和尚那样闲来无事与苏东坡酬唱,毕竟是传奇中的传奇。僧敲月下门,更是诗人的幻想。实在的出家生涯,就跟当入伍兵差不多,是从早忙到晚,日未出已作,日落而息的,哪有那么风雅去赏月敲月下门幽会情人?每天唸几万次佛号或几千卷佛经,出家人也不可能做得到,因为太忙!

至于仍在求学小朋友、中朋友、大朋友,光是应付学业功课考试、升学竞争、恶性补习,就已经疲于奔命啦!做完功课,脚都来不及洗,就倒头大睡了,唸什么几千卷经?

做劳动工作的人,每天劳苦,筋疲力尽,难得一饱,难得一夜休息,也是疲极倒头就睡著,天不亮爬起来去劳动,叫他唸多少千次佛?多少卷佛经?

唸经的作用,是坚定信念,摄心正念,唸佛是以虔诚心去祈念佛菩萨,以获得其神力庇祐。心诚则灵,佛菩萨并无规定要人每天唸多少千句佛号或多少千遍佛经,更没有说,你得唸满一万次,菩萨才理睬你,你没唸足一万次,就不感应不保祐你。这不是人间世俗的交易,菩萨不是人间的权贵你须拜他,进贡名贵礼金礼物,才包庇你,菩萨都是修成正果的佛,以慈悲有情而被称为菩萨,特别是观音菩萨,许下慈悲宏愿,寻声救苦,普度众生。任何人在苦难中只要虔心祈唸观音菩萨名号,不论是一声,两声,三声,百声,千声,都能接通波段,直透观音菩萨,祂都会以祂的无比神力用各种无形方式救苦救难,祂会为众生揹负业障消灾。除非是恶业深重太甚,因果不能破。我们持念观音菩萨名号,并不拘于唸多少千遍,只要是真正虔敬持念,祂都会收得到。观音菩萨的「千手千眼」,其实是向四方八面发射的「能」。古人不识科学,只可以「千手千眼」来形容,我们持念菩萨不论是多少次,都可接触到祂神力辐射的圆周,祂立刻会知道,也会很快酌情救苦救难.

但是,我们不能祈求祂保祐恶行恶业抢劫杀人强姦贩毒,菩萨只保祐善行,不保祐恶行,正信的神祇也不会保祐邪行恶行,你不能持唸佛号或神名保祐打劫银行或谋杀成功。神佛不会保祐恶行的人,除非已经悔改偿清了恶债又行善,否则唸佛唸经也无效。

唸佛,若是虔诚,只唸一句一声也不算少,只要心中虔唸,就有灵感反应,若不诚心,高声唱唸一万次,也不算多,若心存邪念,那就唸佛十万次也是白唸无效。如果只知唸经文却又不实行佛经中的戒律修行,那么唸经一万一亿卷,也只等于看报纸。举例说,很多人唸「心经」,只会唸,却又不解其意,更不实行自净其意,只管诵念,心经也就变成毫无意义的「文字相」的文字而已,唸十万次又有何用?

其实,佛经的用意,主要是要人瞭解佛理开悟,解脱烦恼,佛经并不是咒语,若不实践佛戒佛法,那么唸经也等于背诵古文或教科书。持念教科书一万卷而不知不行其理,有何用处?还有,佛理原不是用文字来表达的,佛理不立文字,就不是可以用文字来拘束泥守的,经文是历代弟子增减的文字,很多著了「文字相」,去佛意已远。更别说有不少伪造的经文,若唸了那些「伪经」,还不是等于白唸了童话故事书?徒然白费功夫又自己骗了自己!

唸佛唸经,一句不为少,万遍不算多,就看是否虔诚,是否正信深信,是否实践佛法,流于形式的持念,不虔诚的表演式持念,邪恶动机的祈念,都是白唸的.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi, don't think the monks will砍柴、挑水、烧火 la.

But if that's the life style of monks (是从早忙到晚,日未出已作,日落而息的), then what's the difference between mundane life and monks' life? They are still busy with all the daily routines and have even lesser time and energy to do chanting than us, aren't they? Could you enlighten me on that? Thks.

Anonymous said...

Hi, a monk still have to live. Routine to maintain a clean environment is needed. Becoming a monk doesn't mean you sit and meditate or whole day do chanting.

1) To maintain a healthy body to benefit others, this daily chores will help.

2) When going around doing chores is also a way of practice. FOCUS..do what you need to do. It is also a point of meditation. Meditation is not sitting down. It is done when you are walking, eating, sleeping, talking, even when you are in toilet.

3) In Singapore environment, monks do not need to do all the heavy works BUT if in places that are not advance, they still need to砍柴、挑水、烧火.That is the way of life they know.

So do not jump into conclusion. Do not create a circle and limit yourself by standing inside there. Buddha's teachings are not for us to use it to measure others. They are use to measure ourself, how much we can achieve. We may not understand certain thing at this point of time, so put it aside. There will come a day you will understand.

Karma and Effect do not happen to bad people you know does not mean it did not happen. It is just the time is not right yet. Meaning this person still have merits that he has created previously to sustain him. If he continues to be bad, Karma will catch up with him.

JUST remember
1) Eat when you are hungry. Do not pretend that you are not bcos your mind will not be at ease.
2) Do the work you need to do so that your mind is free.

Do you understand what I mean?

Free your mind of mundane activities and monks have their time at night to continue their study of Dharma and also to pratice what they need to do. They need not砍柴、挑水、烧火24hours...

Hope the above helps.

Anonymous said...

Oh I can understand why they need to do the routine chores and the "meaning behind" as you said. However I still don't see the difference between monk and our life.

And how do they still have the energy after a long day, is just like many of us, may want to chant,etc, at night but our tired body just signal as that is too tired is not just the will will do.

Sorry for my ignorant.Thks.