文／蓮生活佛 盧勝彥
我最初證悟，便發了「不捨一個眾生」的願，又想「粉身碎骨度眾生」，這菩提心一發，天上地下大大震動。
我知道，佛陀當初度眾生，是不度女人出家，又不得帶妻挾子。佛陀設下戒律，不殺生、不邪淫、不飲酒。佛陀正告弟子：「人生好色者，不能成佛，爾之妻子，不必有也。人生嗜殺者，不能成佛，爾於有情之肉，不必食也。人生之迷亂其性者，不能成佛，爾於清酒美醴，不必染指而飲也。」
如此說來，佛教戒律是嚴苛的，對於云云眾生，能者度之，不能者去之。
然而，我卻發下了「不捨一個眾生」之願，這個願望，就是不揀染淨了，不問在家出家，不問有無妻子，不問男子女人，不問殺生與否，不問有無茹素等等。因為今世之人，俗流之輩，帶妻挾子，飲酒噉肉，根本是常事。這種習性是很難立刻改正的。如果你不去度他們，他們何日可以修佛法？何日才能得出生死？更何況這樣子的人，在俗世佔最大的多數。
因此，我說：
任你有妻子，但勿涉邪淫。
任你可食肉，但要持『往生咒』，修「超度法」。
任你可飲酒，但少嚐勿醉，不亂心性。
我說，容許弟子去求官位功名，去求福祿富貴，去求圓滿家庭眷屬，去求金銀財寶汽車房子，去求健康長壽，去求人間幸福美滿。……
這是為了「不捨一個眾生」，為滿足眾生心懷而設，我度眾生寬之又寬，不拒絕一個眾生。
但願眾生體會，修法持咒，日日增上，早日成佛！
Generating the Greatest Bodhicitta
Written by Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by Cheng Yew Chung edited by Victor Hazen
True Buddha Translation Teams
When I first attained Enlightenment, I made the following vow: ‘Never shall I abandon a single sentient being’. And with this vow came the wish ‘May I deliver all sentient beings even if I have to shatter into a thousand pieces’. When this bodhicitta was first generated, heaven and earth trembled and shook violently.
I am aware that when the Buddha first started to deliver sentient beings, he avoided ordaining women as nuns and forbade his disciples from bringing their wives and children along to hear his discourses. The Buddha set down various precepts such as refraining from killing, committing lascivious acts, and consuming alcohol. The Buddha warned his disciples, “If one indulges in sexual lust, one shall never attain Buddhahood, for there is no necessity to have a wife. If one indulges in killing, one shall never attain Buddhahood, for there is no necessity to consume the flesh of sentient beings. If one loses one’s mind, one shall never attain Buddhahood, for there is no necessity to consume fine alcoholic drinks.”
From this, we know that the Buddhist precepts and codes are extremely strict. Hence, when faced with the massive numbers of sentient beings, you can only deliver those who are willing and able. Those who are not willing and able you would have to leave alone.
Nonetheless, I made the vow: ‘Never shall I abandon a single sentient being’. According to this vow, there is no discrimination between the defiled and the pure, and no questioning of whether one is a lay Buddhist or an ordained monk, married or single, male or female, involved with killing or not, vegetarian or non-vegetarian, and so forth. This is because it is all too common to find mundane men of this age attached to their wives and children, indulging in wining and dining. Such habits are difficult to correct. If someone does not reach out to deliver them, when would they ever find the opportunity to cultivate the Buddhadharma? When would they ever find liberation from samsara? In fact such people are abound.
Therefore, I say to you:
You are permitted to have a wife, but you must refrain from debauchery.
You are permitted to consume meat, but you must recite the deliverance mantra, and cultivate the deliverance practice.
You are permitted to consume wine, but you must drink in moderation, without getting drunk and losing your mind.
Therefore, I say that I can allow my disciples to pursue political positions and social status, to seek wealth and honour, to fulfill the wish of having a family, to seek riches of gold and jewels, cars and houses, to seek good health and longevity, and seek all that constitutes the happiness of life.
This is done in the name of ‘Never shall I abandon a single sentient being’. I made these allowances to fulfill the wishes of sentient beings, as I want to make things as easy as possible for the deliverance of sentient beings, never wanting to turn any away.
I wish that you can understand this and make spiritual progress in your cultivation and mantra recitation, and attain Buddhahood as soon as possible! and attain Buddhahood as soon as possible!
