熾盛光道場念誦儀 1.87

1.87

夫修福慧之門，置於菩提之道，實難！實易！得之即易，失之即難。如善鑽搖，醍醐可獲；其不善者，漿猶難得。此亦如是，善用心者，一華一香，功等虛空，一偈一句累滅道成；其不善者，人天近果尚失，何況菩薩勝因！夫沙門者，名世間眼，世間盲瞑，即須導之，不然則非沙門。如來遺囑，令無慳悋，法、財施人。既奉聖言，故斯誡勸。近見檀越之家，深有信向，請僧歸舍，設食讀經，望其福慧；勢力損財，無善儀則，敬慢不分，是非寧別？或倚恃豪富，或放縱矜高，反言：「衣食庇廕門僧，請喚道場，便言恩幸。」趨瞻失節，朗責明訶，鋪設法筵，穩便驅使。門僧無識，恐失依棲，苦事先為，免勞施主，縱有法則，豈敢輒言？檀越不詢，門僧不說，訛謬之迹，自此滋彰。不掃廳堂，便張法席，未斷葷穢，輒請聖賢，至於迎像、延尊，殊不避座，旋踵致敬。儒典所謂「過尊之位，必趨」，況其三寶！荊溪大師云：「凡建道場，應先嚴淨，然後請像。世人口云『求道滅障』，置道場時，令愚童慢竪，猥服躶形，云『將像來』、『取像去』。以此觀之，可悲之甚。」又云：「雖置道場，傲慢尊像，反招罪累，滅障良難。」又經云：「佛滅後供養像者，與在世無別。」云何世人視同土木，迎之大慢，禮時薄敬？而怪無福報者，可弗暫思！又石壁大師云：「斷奠齋筵，不如禮席。」誠哉此言，誰肯暫聽？徒喪財力，實無福報。故使世間貧窮者多、富足者少，由此而然。今觀檀越，常親有識，請問佛法：「甚深福慧，云何修行？」下氣低心，屈膝接足，敬奉為師。凡設法筵，先往取則，嚴灑廳觀，齋潔身心，名香、異華、珍果、美食預備支儲，請迎勤重，承按眾僧。虔想十方三寶眾聖，來入我家，慚悚驚惶，如僕奉大家，如婆羅門事火。

Now, the gateway to cultivating merit and wisdom, when placed upon the path to bodhi, is truly difficult, yet truly easy! If one attains it, it is easy; if one loses it, it is difficult. Just as by skilful churning sarpir-maṇḍa can be obtained, whereas for one who is unskilful, even watery gruel is hard to come by. This is also like that: for one who uses their mind skilfully, a single flower or a single stick of incense yields merit equal to empty space, and a single verse or a single line eliminates karmic encumbrances and perfects the Way; for one who is unskilful, even the proximate fruits of humans and gods are lost, not to mention the supreme causes of a bodhisattva! Now, as for the śramaṇa, they are called the eyes of the world; when the world is blinded and in darkness, they must guide it—otherwise, they are no śramaṇa. In the Tathāgata's testamentary injunctions, he commanded that there be no stinginess, and that Dharma and material goods be given to people. Having respectfully received these holy words, I therefore offer this admonition and encouragement. Lately, I have seen families of dānapatis who have deep faith and devotion, inviting monks to their homes, arranging meals and reciting sūtras in the hope of gaining merit and wisdom; yet their energy and wealth are wasted, they lack good etiquette, they do not distinguish reverence from arrogance, so how could right and wrong be told apart? Some rely on their immense wealth, or indulge in boastful arrogance, retorting: "Our food and clothing shelter the monks of our household, and when we summon them to the bodhimaṇḍa, we call it a stroke of grace and fortune." Their demeanor and looking upon [the monks] lose all propriety; they loudly reprimand and openly scold them, and while setting out the Dharma banquet, they casually order them about. The household monks are ignorant and, fearing to lose their shelter, undertake the arduous tasks first to spare the patrons the labor; even if there are rules, how would they dare speak out? The dānapatis do not inquire, and the household monks do not speak, so from this, erroneous practices become ever more widespread. Without even sweeping the halls, they set out the Dharma seats; without giving up meat, pungent roots, and impurities, they immediately invite the sages and worthies; and when it comes to welcoming the images and bringing in the revered statues, they do not even leave their seats, only turning their heels to pay brief respect. As the Confucian classics say, "Passing the seat of an honored elder, one must quicken one's step"; how much more so for the Three Jewels! Great Master Jingxi said: "Whenever establishing a bodhimaṇḍa, one should first make it pure and adorned, and only then invite the images. People in the world verbally say 'seeking the Way and eliminating obstacles,' yet when setting up a bodhimaṇḍa, they order foolish boys and rude servants in vulgar clothes or naked bodies to say 'bring the images here' or 'take the images away.' Viewing it this way, it is deeply lamentable." He also said: "Although they set up a bodhimaṇḍa, by being arrogant toward the revered images, they instead incur sin and encumbrance, making it truly difficult to eliminate obstacles." Moreover, a sūtra says: "Making offerings to images after the Buddha's nirvāṇa is no different from doing so while he was in the world." Why do people in the world look upon them as mere clay and wood, welcoming them with great disrespect and paying them scant reverence when bowing? And yet they wonder why they receive no karmic reward—can they not reflect on this for a moment! Furthermore, Great Master Shibi said: "An interrupted and meager vegetarian feast is not as good as a respectful gathering." How true are these words! Yet who is willing to listen even for a moment? They waste wealth and effort in vain, truly having no karmic reward. Thus, that the poor in the world are many and the wealthy are few arises precisely from this. Now, I see that dānapatis should constantly draw close to those of discernment, inquiring about the Buddha's teachings: "How does one cultivate profound merit and wisdom?" Subduing their breath and lowering their minds, bending their knees to touch their feet, they should revere them as teachers. Whenever arranging a Dharma banquet, they should first go to seek guidance, meticulously clean and sprinkle the halls, purify their bodies and minds, and prepare stores of fine incense, rare flowers, precious fruits, and exquisite food in advance, diligently and respectfully welcoming and attending to the assembly of monks. Reverently visualize the Three Jewels and all the sages of the ten directions entering one's home, feeling ashamed, trembling, and terrified, just as a servant serves a great master, or a brahmin attends to the sacred fire.