為眾而祈請
林鈺堂
日前在夢中見密勒日巴祖師現中年喇嘛相。彼結手印示我，並率我及夢中他人禮佛。當時即知其義為︰為一切眾生而祈請一切佛、菩薩之加被。吾心中即感歎︰眾生與彼相差如此懸殊，而彼不捨一切眾生。密祖垂詢我之特色，即答以「大手印」，意即提倡全法界為無限之一體，而以此理念滲透一切修法及行持，易得圓證佛果。
醒後再思，深體密祖此教授之殊勝──所有眾生之證覺，非任何個體所能導致，而全賴整個法界一切有情之菩提心之共同運作，方能有所進展。而推進此整體之菩提大業，只能以純粹為一切眾生之離苦得樂及證覺而祈請加被之赤忱，感動諸佛、菩薩及護法聖眾，而蒙攝受、教化及護持。依此而修，可免修行者之我執，以為自己修持有力，實則於全法界之菩提大業，不過聊盡一己之棉薄而已。一切端賴喚醒眾生本具，同一純真之菩提心，而能致此者，則唯賴諸佛、菩薩之大慈、大悲、大智、大願與大力！
於日常生活中若能本此「為一切眾生而祈請一切佛、菩薩加被」之發心，則可消弭人我之對立，而導致社會之祥和。並不會因為此理念十分抽象，而落為空談。修行者宜仔細思索如何融通此理念於修法及生活之中。
在我個人而言，得此教授後，覺得對未來有一種把握──世事之演變雖然不能掌握，但個人在種種境遇之中應當以何種居心來做人處世，已有明確的認識了。至於此教授中之「向一切佛、菩薩祈請加被」與「一門深入」之專修一尊並無衝突，因為緣起上一切皆息息相關而普應尊重祈請，但在實修上限於行者之精力，則宜以「一即一切」之同體體認，以一尊為所有一切諸尊之代表來修習。
一九九六年十一月廿五日
養和齋 於加州
Praying for All
Written in Chinese and reviewed by Dr. Yutang Lin
Translated by Stanley Lam
In a recent night, the great master Milarepa appeared in my dream as a middle-aged Lama. He showed me a hand mudra and then led me and others to prostrate to Buddha. Instantaneously I understood the meaning: On behalf of all sentient beings, supplicate to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for their blessings. I thought, "Alas, sentient beings are so inferior to Milarepa and yet he does not forsake anyone." Milarepa asked me about my characteristics, and I answered: "Mahamudra." I meant that I emphasize the basic teaching that the entire Dharmadhatu is in Limitless-Oneness, and that Buddhahood would be easier to attain by pervading such a view into all practices and activities.
When I woke up, I reflected on it and deeply felt the superiority of this teaching of Milarepa: the Enlightenment of all sentient beings cannot be successfully caused by any individual alone; instead, progress toward this goal completely depends on the concurrent functioning of the Bodhicittas of all sentient beings in the whole Dharmadhatu. In order to further this grand project of enlightenment of all beings, one will inspire the providence, guidance and protection of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Protectors only by means of a pure and earnest heart that supplicates blessings just for the liberation from sufferings and attainment of Buddhahood of all sentient beings. Practicing in this light can avoid the self attachment of a practitioner that hinges on complacency at one's achievements. In fact, a practitioner is only contributing his or her small share in the grand project of enlightenment of all beings. It all depends on awakening the same pure and innate Bodhicitta that is in all beings, and nothing can achieve this except the great loving kindness, great compassion, great wisdom, great will, and great power of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas!
In daily life, if one's motivation can stem from this "praying to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for all sentient beings," then the antagonism between oneself and others will fade away, and thereby contribute to the harmony of the society. It would not become empty talk even though this ideal is very abstract. Practitioners should carefully consider how this ideal may be applied in their spiritual practice as well as in their daily lives.
As for myself, having received this teaching I feel certain confidence about my future— even though the evolvement of worldly events cannot be controlled, what one's motivation should be like in all kinds of situations and events has been clearly recognized and grasped. There is no conflict between "praying to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas" and devotional practice to only one deity as taught by the well-know instruction "concentrating in only one particular practice." The reason is as follows: In terms of Dependent Origination, all are intimately related and hence all deities should be respected and supplicated; however, in actual practice, due to the limitation in one's time and energy, a practitioner should apply the view that "one is all" because all are in oneness, and concentrate one's practice in one particular deity as representing all deities.
Written on November 25, 1996
A Study for the Cultivation of Harmony
El Cerrito, California
Translated on November 29, 1997
Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
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