文／蓮生活佛盧勝彥
有一位密教祖師，在大河畔釣魚。
一名孩童趨前問他：「佛教戒律是不殺生的，你為什麼殺生呢？」
祖師回頭看了看這名小孩，哈哈大笑的說：「你就是我釣上來的！」
還有，蓮華生大士在屠夫城，他殺光屠夫城裏面的強盜土匪，窮兇惡極的殺人放火的惡棍。然後，他修最慈悲的超度法，把強盜土匪的靈魂清淨，一彈指頃，送到西方極樂世界去。
在這二則例子裏，表面上密教祖師都是在「殺生」，但實際上，卻是最慈悲的超度。他們的本意都不在「殺生」，而是一種
「救度」，真正在救人濟世。
對此，我的分析如下：
顯教的不殺生，而且放生，是慈悲惜物，保護有形的動物生命，長養慈悲心。
密教祖師的殺生，正是度生，更是慈悲及靈，度化清淨其靈命，往生佛國，更具大慈悲。
其實密教行者，如果道行不到祖師的境界，一樣要守五戒行十善，這絕對是佛教的戒律。能夠行「殺生再超度」的，等同法
性如來，果地圓極，引攝眾生，不可思議！
今之密教行者，只得皮毛，全無金剛戒力，去聖遙遠，人情澆漓，但知有此法就可以，千千萬萬不可行「殺度法」，恐非有益靈命，反而害了密教法門也。
慎之！慎之！
RefrainfromKilling
WrittenbyLian-shenLinvingBuddhaSheng-yenLu
TranslatedbyChengYewChungeditedbyVictorHazen
TrueBuddhaFoundationTranslationTeam
ATantriclineageguruwasfishingbytheriverside.Ayoungboyapproachedhimandasked,"TheBuddhistpreceptsdonotadvocatekilling.Sowhydoyoukill?"
Theguruturnedaroundandlookedatthekid,startedlaughing,andsaid,"Youwereoncefishedbyme."
Padmasambhavaoncekilledalltherobbers,banditsandviciousvillainslivinginButcherCitywhohadcommittedmurderandarson,andthenemployedthemostcompassionatedeliverancepracticetopurifytheirsouls,andsentthemtotheWesternParadiseofUltimateBlissinstantaneously.
Inthesetwoexamples,itwouldappearthattheTantricguruswerekillinglivingbeings.Butinactualfact,theywereexercisingthemostcompassionatemeansofdeliverance.Theirintentionwasnottokill,buttodeliver.Suchistruesalvationanddeliveranceforhumankind.
Myanalysisofthissituationisasfollows:
TheSutratraditionteachesnon-killing,andencouragesthedeliveranceoflife.Hence,theprotectionofanimallifeisinkeepingwiththissenseofcompassion,whichgrowswithsuchactsofbenevolence.However,theso-calledkillingsperformedbyTantricgurusareinrealitythedeliveranceofsentientbeings,touchingthesoullevelwithadeepercompassion,liberatingandpurifyingthemsothattheirsoulsmayseekrebirthintheBuddhaPureLand.
Intruth,allTantricpractitionerswhohavenotreachedthelevelofspiritualityattainedbythelineagegurusmustabidebytheFivePreceptsandTenVirtuessetastheessentialdisciplinarycodesofBuddhism.Ifonecanperformtheactofkillingfollowedbydeliverance,one'sspiritualattainmentisequaltotheTathagataDharmaNature,whosegroundoffruitionisperfectandcomplete,andassuch,candrawsentientbeingstoitselfbyincrediblemeans!
Today'sTantricpractitionersbarelyscratchthesurfaceoftheTantricdoctrines.Farfromreachingthestageofbuddhahood,theirbehaviourshowsgreatlackofdisciplineanddisplaysunkindnesstowardsothers.Hence,itisharmlesstolearnofapracticesuchasdeliverancethroughkilling,buttheyshouldneverperformitunderanycircumstances.Insteadofhelpingtodeliveranysouls,theywouldbringharmtotheTantricSchoolanditsteachings.
Becareful!Becareful!
