講一個禪的故事給你們聽。在日本一所寺廟裡，有兩個師兄弟住在那邊，那個師兄很聰明、很開悟，又很莊嚴、很好看；師弟長得比較難看，只有一隻眼睛，又比較笨，大概是阿修羅境界的等級。

有一次那個師兄太忙、太累了，那天他就去休息、打坐，叫那個只有一隻眼睛的師弟照顧道場，他們的地方叫「太陽場」道場。那天有一個遠方的和尚來，他是個行腳僧，想來那邊過夜，吃一頓素菜，然後明天再趕去別的地方。那個師弟雖然只是第一界阿修羅的等級，沒什麼了不起，不過規矩還是規矩，他要考一下那個和尚。他難得能當住持嘛！師兄睡著了，就他一個人當王，所以他要考他一下。他就往那個鋪了黃布的桌子坐上去，然後叫那個和尚過來坐在地下（師父與大眾笑），問他：「你從何方來？」和尚回答：「我是從東京來，想來這邊過夜，明天還要趕路去送葬。」

然後那個師弟說：「歡迎你啊！如果你本事夠，能回答我的問題的話，我就讓你住下來，住多久都沒問題。」那個遠方來的和尚說：「當然啦！這個規矩我了解，請你隨便問吧！」那個師弟不知道怎麼問，他在那邊想：「我最好用那種『禪不用語言』的方法，這樣他一定會輸，因為不管他猜什麼都不對，我可以說他對，也可以說他不對。」

那個師弟及和尚在那邊對答了一陣子以後，和尚就跑到師兄那邊，說道：「哎呀！我要走了，我輸了。我來跟你打一個招呼，跟你說再見。你的師弟非常、非常厲害，不可思議啊！我很抱歉！因為輸了，所以沒辦法繼續在這邊拜訪你，跟你學習。你的師弟都那麼厲害了，你一定更厲害！不過很抱歉，我輸了，我是要守規矩該走了。」

那時候那個師兄已經休息好了，就問他說：「你們對答什麼啊？怎麼這樣就輸了呢？」和尚回答：「他讓我先表達，我就比了一根手指，表示世界上最尊貴的是一尊佛，也就是代表一個完全開悟的人。然後你的師弟馬上就比了兩根手指出來（大眾笑）。哎呀！我就輸了！我知道他意思說，如果佛沒有出來講法、沒有傳播祂的教理的話，光坐在那邊就沒用，因為佛和祂的教理兩方面要合起來才行。所以我當然輸了，我很佩服他。後來我還是儘量試試看，看能不能再彌補回來，我就比了三根手指這樣（大眾笑），代表佛、法、僧三方面合在一起才是真正的完美。意思說那些僧眾都和平住在一起，雖然那麼多人，卻還是同一體，佛法也是唯一，世界上只有一位佛是最珍貴的，祂的教理也是唯一的真理，所以我比了三根手指，代表佛、法、僧。

喔！你的師弟就握拳頭弄在我的鼻子這邊（大眾笑），差一點就打中了，那是代表一個人已經即刻開悟（師父及大眾笑並鼓掌）。他的意思說，即使佛、法、僧為的是要令人一世解脫，但『即刻開悟』更厲害，打人家一下，就馬上讓他醒悟這樣。所以我沒辦法，我看他太了不起了，就馬上跑來跟你道歉，打一個招呼，表達佩服之意，然後我馬上就要走了。」

和尚走了以後，那個師弟從後面匆匆忙忙追過來，問師兄：「那個遠方來的和尚在哪裡？他到哪裡去了？」那個師兄說：「他被你打敗，他就跑了。你好厲害喔！你真的好厲害喔！我想不到你那麼開悟！對不起，這幾年以來都看不起你，我現在才知道你好厲害。」那個師弟說：「我哪裡贏他！我剛好要打他，他就跑掉了。」（師父及大眾笑）師兄說：「你怎麼要打他呢？他說你贏他，你為什麼要打他？你告訴我，你們對答了一些什麼？」

那個師弟說：「你不知道啊，那個和尚非常驕慢，他一來就馬上要挑戰。他看到我只有一隻眼睛，就取笑我（師父及大眾笑），他馬上比了一根手指出來，笑我只有一隻眼睛。不過我有記得，你叫我修忍辱：人家打罵你怎麼樣，你要忍耐。我當和尚啊，沒辦法，只好忍氣吞聲下去。我也記得佛說要以恩報怨，不要冤冤相報，所以我儘量不生氣他，不侮辱回去。我比了兩根手指出來，讚嘆他很有福報，有兩隻眼睛（師父及大眾笑）。不過這樣他還不甘心，他看我讓他，他還在那邊繼續侮辱我。」

師兄說：「他怎麼侮辱你？他是一個和尚，怎麼會侮辱你？」師弟說：「他就比了三根手指出來，他意思說，我們兩個人合起來只有三隻眼睛（師父及大眾笑並鼓掌），你說我氣不氣！那時候我忍不住想打他一拳，結果被他跑掉（師父及大眾笑），所以我就追在他後面。要不是被他跑掉，我一定會多打幾拳給他看（師父及大眾笑）。」因為那個和尚跑掉，不然也許還有故事可以講。 

這故事裡面有一些含意，意思說我們修行等級不一樣，看事情會不一樣。我們裡面心單純肯定，看事情就會很肯定、很舒服、很漂亮；我們心不單純、心否定的話，看什麼都不好。所以一個東西給幾個人看，每個人看不一樣的角落，有不一樣的看法。

http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/ch/news/173/

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Different Levels, Different Perceptions

 

Now I will tell you a story about Zen. In a temple in Japan lived two monks. The senior monk was very intelligent, enlightened, dignified and good looking. The junior was less attractive and had only one good eye. He was also rather dumb, perhaps still in the Astral level.

One time, as the senior monk had exerted himself from busy work, he retreated to take a rest and to meditate, and he told his one-eyed junior brother to take care of the “sun plaza,” the temple where they lived. That day, a wandering monk came from afar to their temple; he requested a vegetarian meal and to spend the night there, as he would be leaving for another place the next day. Although the junior was just at the first level, the Astral level, which was nothing much, he still wanted to follow the rules to test the visiting monk. He seldom had a chance to act as the abbot! Since his senior was sleeping, he was the king, and he was going to test the monk. As he sat on a table covered with a saffron cloth, he asked the visitor to sit on the ground (Master and everyone laugh) and then asked, “Where are you from?” The visiting monk replied, “I come from Tokyo, and I would like to stay here for the night, because I have to hurry on my way tomorrow to attend a funeral.”

The junior said, “You are welcome! If you are capable of answering my questions, I will let you stay as long as you wish.” The monk from Tokyo said, “Of course! I am aware of this rule. Please ask any question, as you wish.” However, the junior was at a loss as what to ask until he came up with an idea. He thought, “This is best done in a Zen manner, where no words are necessary. Then he will definitely lose, because his answers will always be wrong since it is entirely up to me to say whether the answer is right or wrong.”

After a speechless question-and-answer session between them, the visiting monk went to the senior, saying, "Well! I have to leave now because I lost. I just came here to say farewell to you. Your junior brother is truly terrific and incredible! I am very sorry. Since I was defeated, I can no longer stay here to learn from you. If your junior brother is so fantastic, you must be even more superb! Unfortunately, I have lost, and according to the rule, I must leave now.”

The senior monk who had rested enough, asked, “What were your questions and answers? How could you lose so easily?” The visitor said, “He let me express myself first, so I showed him one finger, as a metaphor of the almighty respectable One in the whole world - the Buddha, the fully enlightened One. Immediately, your junior showed two fingers in return (everyone laughs), and so I lost! I knew what he meant, which was that the Buddha alone would be useless if He just sat there and did not go out to give lectures and spread His teachings. The Buddha and His teachings must go side-by-side with one another. Of course I was defeated and admired him very much. Then, in an attempt to turn things around, I raised three fingers like this (everyone laughs), indicating that if the Buddha, the dharma (the teachings) and the sangha (assembly of monks and nuns) are unified as one, then it is truly perfect. What I meant was, though living together in numbers, the monastic order is harmonious as one; the Buddha was the only One and most precious in the world; His teachings are also the one and only Truth. Therefore, I showed him three fingers, representing the Buddha, the teachings and the monastic order.”

“Oh! Your junior immediately clenched his fist and punched at my nose here. (Everyone laughs) He almost hit me! It represented a person who had attained immediate enlightenment. (Master laughs; everyone laughs and applauds.) What he meant was that, although the Buddha, the teachings and the monastic order are supposed to give people liberation in one lifetime, this “Immediate Enlightenment” is even better. Just give the person a punch and he will be enlightened immediately. I was at the end of my wit; this was beyond me. Therefore I immediately came to see you to extend my apology and admiration, and then I will be on my way.”

After the visiting monk had left, the junior ran panting from behind and asked his senior: “Where is that monk from Tokyo? Where has he gone?” The senior said, “He has been defeated by you, so he left. You are terrific! You are really terrific! I never knew that you were so enlightened! I am sorry. All these years I have always looked down on you. Only now do I know that you are so superb!” The junior said, “What do you mean I defeated him? I was going to hit him but he escaped.” (Master and everyone laugh) The senior asked, “Why did you want to hit him? He said you defeated him, so why did you want to hit him? Tell me about the contents of your questions and answers.”

The junior said, “What you don’t know is that this monk was extremely arrogant. He challenged me as soon as he arrived. Observing that I had only one eye, he made fun of me. (Master and everyone laugh) He immediately held up one finger in mockery to laugh at me. However, I remembered that you had told me to practice humility, and to tolerate even when people hit or scold me. Since I am a monk, I had no choice but to endure his humiliation. I also remembered the Buddha had taught us to repay hostility with benevolence and refrain from taking revenge. Therefore, I tried hard not to be angry with him or insult him in return. I praised him by holding up two fingers to indicate that he was really blessed to have two eyes. (Master and everyone laugh) Even then, he was not satisfied. Observing that I was giving in, he continued to insult me further.”

The senior asked, “How did he insult you? He is a monk! How could he possibly insult you?” The junior said, “He showed me three fingers. He meant that the two of us together had only three eyes. (Master and everyone laugh) I was really mad! I could not tolerate any more so I raised my fist at him, but he managed to escape. (Master and everyone laugh) That was why I chased after him. Lucky for him that he fled; otherwise I would have given him a few more punches!” (Master and everyone laugh) The monk had fled. Otherwise, there might have been more stories.

Use Wisdom
to Perceive the Truth

This is a funny story of course, but it conveys a serious moral. I often tell you some funny stories, not just to make you laugh, but for you to understand the meaning behind them. Most of the stories I tell have meanings in them, even though sometimes I explain and sometimes I don’t.

If I explain, you will understand one aspect, and later you should continue to think about other aspects; if I don’t, you should think about it yourself and explain to yourself. We understand according to our level.

This story means that if our levels are different, our perceptions will be different. If our hearts are pure and positive, what we see will be positive, comfortable and beautiful; if our hearts are not pure, but negative, everything we see will turn out to be bad. So if we show one thing to different persons, each will look at a different corner and have different perception.

Why should we pursue spiritual practice? It is because after practicing, our wisdom will develop, our mind will open and our perception will be accurate. That is all. Looking at the same thing, if we can see through to its Truth, we will not misunderstand and will not be confused or cheated by illusions, which lead to misinterpretation and misconception.

That’s why after we have practiced spiritually for a while, we will become happier living in this world. Perhaps we still have suffering; it’s not that we have none, but we will not become violent, nor do we have hatred, because we understand the ephemeral nature of the world as well as the law of cause and effect. If someone takes something from us, it is not necessarily bad for us. We know this very clearly after we have practiced spiritually and become enlightened. Otherwise, no matter how many times we read the story about an old man losing his horse and that it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, or how many other similar stories we read, we don’t practice what we learn. We already know enough morals, but if we don’t quiet down each day and meditate in order to digest what we know, we cannot use them. We just study them, read them and forget about them. Very few people can put the teachings of the Saints into practice

After practicing spiritually, we do not take this world and everything too seriously, nor do we get lost in passion or fame and name like before. Nothing can upset us or bind us. We can have children and fulfill our duties or the needs of the body, but we are not lost in it, which we know very clearly. >>