观世音菩萨现比丘、比丘尼、优婆塞、优婆夷身为有缘众生说法

　　【应以比丘、比丘尼、优婆塞、优婆夷身得度者,即现比丘、比丘尼、优婆塞、优婆夷身而为说法。】佛陀的四众弟子不一定都是贤圣僧, 前面说的辟支佛、 声闻众都属于贤圣僧, 是已经了脱生死的圣者。 这里说的比丘、比丘尼、 优婆塞、 优婆夷是佛在这个世间的弟子, 是佛法住世的弘扬者、 信奉者。 佛的四众弟子分出家二众和在家二众, 出家的男女众受过具足戒的称为比丘、 比丘尼, 他们出家之后先要受沙弥 (尼) 十戒, 意思是 “灭除贪嗔痴, 勤修戒定慧”, 先把六尘处理掉, 才能受具足戒, 沙弥是出六尘的家, 比丘才能出生死的家、 出三界的家。比丘意为乞士, 上乞佛法以养慧命, 下乞众食以资色身,还有破烦恼、 净持戒、 怖魔等意。 其中怖魔是指: 比丘、 比丘尼在登坛受戒的时候, 夜叉等鬼神连忙一层层向天上报告, 其他的天人听了都非常喜欢赞叹,但报到欲界第六天他化自在天时, 魔王波旬却非常恐怖, 因为一个人受了大戒就出离了他的管辖, 不受魔王的控制了, 他就少了一个魔子魔民, 这时候魔宫都会晃动, 所以, 魔王就会千方百计干扰他的修行。 由此我们也可知道, 没受比丘戒的人都还是魔的子孙, 只有受了比丘戒才能承担佛陀的家业, 教化众生出六道三界。 这样的人, 观世音菩萨就现比丘、 比丘尼身来给他说法。

Eternal （Lecture on the Guan Yin Bodhisattva Universal

Door）（53）

By Master Chuanxi

For whoever can be best enlightened whether by a monk, a nun, an upasaka, or an upasika,Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva will appear as a monk, a nun, an upasaka, or anupasika to propagate Dharma.

Not all of the Buddha’s disciples are sacred Sangha. The term sacred Sangha refers to pratyekabuddhav and sravaka mentioned above. They are saints who have freed themselves from the cycle of birth and death. The phrase ‘a monk, a nun, anupasaka, or an upasika’ refers to the Buddha’s disciples in this world. They are believers and propagators of Dharma. These disciples can be classified into two groups: disciples who have left home to become monks or nuns (tonsured) and those practising Dharmaat home. Tonsured male and female disciples who have taken the Complete Commandments are called monks and nuns respectively. Before this, they firstneed to obtain the minor commandments for sramanera and sramanerikare spectively. The purpose of the minor commandments is to remove greed, hatred and ignorance by diligently practising discipline, meditation and wisdom. Only after a person has freed himself from the Six Dusts, is he then eligible to accept the Complete Commandments. In other words, sramanera can only escape from the trap of the Six Dusts whereas aBhikhu can escape from the cycle of birth and death and the net of the Three Planes.

A Bhikhu means a beggar who begs for Dharma to foster their spiritual life and who begs for food to maintain their physical body. The word also bears the meaning of fighting against vexations, keeping the commandments and frightening evils. As for frightening evils, it means that while a disciple accepts all commandments and is being tonsured, ghosts or gods will eagerly report to their superiors one after another. The devas are very happy and acclaim the disciple,while the Demon Mara, who dwells in the sixth heaven, is so frightened that their palace shakes, because the acceptance of all commandments will free aperson from the control of him. Therefore, Demon Mara tries his best to set obstacles against the Buddha’s followers.It can be deduced that before accepting all commandments, we all are in the control of Demon Mara. Only after obtaining all commandments, is a person eligible to bear the inheritance of Buddha’s teachings and career, helping beings to escape from samsara For these disciples, Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva will appear as a monk or a nun to propagate Dharma.

——摘自《永恒的甘露》传喜法师开示录

爱出者爱返，福往者福来。随喜转载，功德无量。