文/蓮生活佛盧勝彥
我個人發覺密教的理趣與顯教是完全不同的,我看出顯教度眾生是「鯀的治水」,而密教度眾生是「禹的治水」。
鯀的治水是防堵法。
禹的治水是疏導法。
這「防堵」或「疏導」,全為了貪瞋癡。
不管是顯教或密教,均不否認,人心裏面都有貪瞋癡累世的業障存在。顯教是消滅貪瞋癡,密教是順著貪瞋癡而修。
我指出:
貪—財神法。
瞋—金剛法。
癡—雙身法。
這是密教特殊的理趣,直接稱呼「貪佛」、「瞋金剛」、「癡菩薩」,或是「欲菩薩」。
密教理趣顯示,順著貪瞋癡,以修法的方式來滿足眾生的願,是一種絕妙的方式。修出法味之後,自會明白,貪是空,瞋是慈,癡是慧。最後轉化,無得無失,降伏自己,看破淫慾,最後昇華,得了根本的佛慧。
密教認為淫怒癡,均是佛法。只是隨其根性修法而度化之。更由於密教陀羅尼,能遮一切惡,能不令生,持令不作。增上念慧,故有此理趣也。密教咒語可轉污染為清淨。
今之世人,不明白密教的理趣,沒有深入了解密教,而使大眾普遍對密教產生詭異、神祕、邪教、咒術、酒肉的感覺和聯想。
認真說來,密教理趣,最終的目地,是把一切污染,轉化為沒有污染,自淨其意,第一清淨。
The Fundamental Rationale of Tantric Buddhism
Written by Lian-shen Linving Buddha Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by Cheng Yew Chung edited by Victor Hazen
True Buddha Foundation Translation Team
I personally find that the fundamental rationales of the Tantric tradition and the Sutric tradition are completely different. I can tell that the approach employed by the Sutric tradition to deliver sentient beings is the method once used by an ancient Chinese man called Gun, who tried to control a flood by blocking it. However, the approach of Tantric Buddhism liberates sentient beings through the method employed by Gun’s son, Yu, who controlled the flood by channeling the water.
These approaches of blocking and channeling are meant to deal with the three poisons of greed, anger and ignorance. Both the Sutric and Tantric Buddhist traditions acknowledge the presence of these three poisons in the hearts of humans, existing as the accumulated karmic residue from ages. While the Sutric system aims on removing these poisons, Tantric Buddhism cultivates by coexisting with greed, anger and ignorance.
I have highlighted:Greed - The Jambhala Practice.
Anger - The Wrathful Guardian Practice.
Ignorance - The Consort Practice.
This is the unique fundamental rationale of Tantric Buddhism, of which the divine deities can be addressed directly as ‘Greedy Buddha’, ‘Angry Guardian’, ‘Ignorant Bodhisattva’ or ‘Desirous Bodhisattva’.
The rationale of Tantric Buddhism is such that by coexisting with greed, anger and ignorant, thereby satisfying the wishes of sentient beings through the methods of cultivation, proves to be the most effective approach. Once a practitioner attains the Dharma taste, he or she will naturally understand that greed is emptiness, anger is compassion, and ignorance is wisdom. Eventually, by means of transformation, one realizes there is no gain and loss, and therefore achieves the subjugation of the ego self. The practitioner sees through the illusion of lust, and arises to spirituality, attaining the Primal Wisdom of the Buddha.
Tantric Buddhism regards lust, anger and ignorance as aspects of Buddhadharma, thus it liberates sentient beings accordingly, based on their respective basic instincts and natures. Furthermore, the Tantric mantras are able to block all evils, prevent them from arising and arrest any evil actions. It is through such superior wisdom that the fundamental rationale is established. Tantric mantras can transform all impurities into purity.
Many people today have little understanding of the fundamental rationale of Tantric Buddhism, and they barely scratch the surface of its teachings. They commonly associate Tantric Buddhism with things related to strange, mystical, cult-like activities, which engage in the use of spells, wine and meat.
But seriously speaking, the rationale of Tantric Buddhism ultimately aims to transform all defilements into purity, purify one’s mind, and attain supreme purity.