【羅蘭第一分會 Pan Xiao Hsia報導】2023國際佛光會北美洲聯誼會於7月中旬落幕，在8月初人間衛視的北美聯誼新聞報導裡(註一)，播放了佛光山住持專題演講，標題為「心保和尚談生滅，引導聽眾思索生命本源」，心保和尚說：「生滅這兩個字，實際上很深遠，因為它是真理，過去諸佛所說，現在諸佛所說，未來諸佛當說，都一樣。」
有生有滅
義工記者潘青霞當時在新聞稿裡寫，「心保和尚勉勵佛光人在面對萬物無常的同時，以十二因緣思惟生命的實相，讓人生昇華。」看到精華剪輯後，她覺得她只寫了生滅的第一個層面「萬物生生滅滅、有生有滅」，這沒錯，但生滅有更深遠的意義，不然心保和尚不會那麼強調過去、現在、未來諸佛都在說生滅。
不生不滅
心保和尚說的「以十二因緣思維生命的實相」，是不是要我們藉由探索十二因緣，在生生滅滅、有生有滅的現象理解何謂《心經》說的不生不滅？在生滅中見永恆？那麼《心經》說的不生不滅是什麼呢？ 這「不生不滅」就是生命的實相嗎？這是潘青霞思索的第二個層面。
生滅不二
某天靈光一閃，她又想到第三個層面「生滅不二」，佛光山開山祖師星雲大師的著作《在人間歡喜修行—維摩詰經》解釋如下：
生是現象上的有，滅是消滅、沒有了，有和沒有必定是兩個，怎麼可以說生和滅是一個？佛光山的山門叫做「不二門」，門的兩側，我寫了一副對聯：「門稱不二，二不二，俱是自家真面目；山為靈山，山非山，無非我人清淨身。」
常有人問我，「為什麼要定名為『不二門』？」因為佛光山是坐北朝南的建築，面對著不二門，東邊是早晨太陽升起的地方，西邊是黃昏太陽下山的地方。太陽升起，象徵著一個人的「生」，太陽下山，象徵著一個人的「滅」。但事實上，「生也未嘗生」，到了黃昏，太陽就下山；「滅也未嘗滅」，到了早晨，太陽又會升起。生滅是不二的，所以叫做「不二門」 。
潘青霞搔頭說，她願解心保和尚「生滅」真實義，在聞與思後，依教奉行，奈何這三個層面，現階段對她真的好難！。
「直到我讀了這篇意境悠遠、跟生滅有關連的〈緣起緣滅〉 ，我很喜歡，也覺得難度稍減，可行！」潘青霞最後分享星雲大師總監修《獻給旅行者365日》裡的〈緣起緣滅〉，並祝福讀者在修行路上視難易為不二，共解心保和尚的「生滅」真實義。
〈緣起緣滅〉
記住了並不代表是永恆，
忘卻了也不等於沒發生；
緣起了與您攜手望蒼穹，
緣滅了桃花陪我笑春風。
選自《張愛玲典藏全集》
（註一）
2023國際佛光會北美聯誼會 700佛光人歡喜聯誼
https://tinyurl.com/372dpvp3
English Version (Credited to Andrew N. & Avelyn B.)
Title: Birth and Death, No Birth and No Death, and Non-Duality in Birth and Death! Inspired by Most Venerable Hsin Bau
The 2023 BLIA North America Fellowship Meeting concluded in mid-July. Then, in early August, a featured news clip from FGSBLTV (see link) was released, and it mentioned Fo Guang Shan Monastery Chief Abbot Most Venerable Hsin Bau’s keynote speech. The headline read, “Most Venerable Hsin Bau Discusses Birth and Death, Guiding the Audience to Contemplate the Source of Life.”
Most Venerable Hsin Bau said, “The terms ‘birth’ and ‘death’ are profound in reality because they are truths. What all buddhas of the past have said, what the buddhas of the present are saying, and what buddhas of the future will say are all the same.”
Birth and Death
Volunteer journalist Pan Qingxia attended the Fellowship Meeting; in her news release, she wrote, “Most Venerable Hsin Bau encourages BLIA members when facing the impermanence of all things, they must try to contemplate the reality of life through the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, allowing life to elevate.” After watching the featured news clip, she felt she had only mentioned the first aspect of birth and death, “everything arises and ceases to exist, having life and death.” While this was correct, birth and death held a deeper significance. Otherwise, Most Venerable Hsin Bau wouldn’t emphasize that past, present, and future Buddhas all speak of birth and death.
No Birth and No Death
Most Venerable Hsin Bau’s mention of “contemplating the reality of life through the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination” led Pan to wonder whether exploring the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination can help her to understanding the concept of “no birth and no death” as described in the Heart Sutra. Can we find eternity within the cycle of birth and death? So, what is the meaning of “no birth and no death” in the Heart Sutra? Is this the reality of life? This was the second aspect that Pan contemplated.
Non-Duality in Birth and Death
One day, she had a sudden realization and thought of the third aspect: the non-duality of birth and death. Venerable Master Hsing Yun, Founding Master of Fo Guang Shan Monastery, explained in his work “Joyful Practice in the Human World — The Vimalakirti Sutra”:
Birth is existence on the surface, and death is cessation, nonexistence. Existence and nonexistence are surely two different things; how can birth and death be considered as one? The gate of Fo Guang Shan is called “Bu Er Gate” meaning gate of non-duality. On both sides of the gate, I have written a couplet: “The gate is called non-duality, but duality is not dual, for it is one’s own true face. The mountain is called Vulture Peak, yet it is not a mountain; for it is nothing but my own pure body.”
People often ask me, “Why is it named ‘Gate of Non-Duality’?” Because Fo Guang Shan sits north and faces the south, directly facing the Gate of Non-Duality. The east is where the sun rises in the morning, and the west is where the sun sets in the evening. The rising sun symbolizes a person’s birth, and the setting sun symbolizes cessation. But in reality, birth has never truly been born. When evening comes, the sun sets; yet cessation has never truly ceased. When morning comes, the same sun rises again. Similarly, birth and death are non-dual, hence the name “Gate of Non-Duality.”
Pan scratched her head, admitting that despite her desire to comprehend the essence of Most Venerable Hsin Bau’s speech on “birth and death” but following the teachings and practicing them remained a challenge.
“Up until I read this passage with its distant and interconnected content related to birth and death, it feels less difficult and is certainly feasible!” Pan concluded by sharing her favorite passage “Causes Arise and Cease” from Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s “365 Days for Travelers”, with the hope that readers might view both difficult and easy situations as non-dual and thereby understand the true essence of Most Venerable Hsin Bau’s “birth and death.”
Causes Arise and Cease
—from Chang Ai-ling De Qingcheng Wangshi (The Exceedingly Beautiful Past of Eileen Chang)
Remember it doesn’t mean eternity,
Forgotten doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
Causes arise, holding hands with you, gazing at the sky,
Causes cease, peach blossoms accompany me, smiling in the spring breeze.
Link (In Chinese)
2023國際佛光會北美聯誼會 700佛光人歡喜聯誼
2023 BLIA North America Fellowship Meeting 700 BLIA Members enjoying the delightful assembly
https://tinyurl.com/372dpvp3
