英文时分：《永恒的甘露》--《妙法莲华经—普门品》讲记（四） 传喜法师宣讲

　　【 观世音菩萨以何因缘,名观世音?】

　　经里是无尽意菩萨问佛的, 但是我们是不是也有这样的疑问呢? 前面我说无尽意菩萨也是你, 那么或许你也会有这样的疑问:观世音菩萨名号遍满十方, 祂的功德, 祂对众生的利益, 我们也都知道一些, 可是祂为什么叫 “观世音” 我们却不知道, 那么, 佛是怎么样告诉无尽意的呢?

　　【 佛告无尽意菩萨:善男子,若有无量百千万亿众生,受诸苦恼,闻是观世音菩萨,一心称名,观世音菩萨即时观其音声,皆得解脱。 】

　　这里佛从众生苦难的角度先总的回答, 这世间的苦难有多少啊?不要说无量百千万亿众生的苦恼了, 就是我们一个众生有多少苦恼?我们活一天就有一天的苦恼。你说: 我怎么不觉得呢? 看看, 你们坐在硬硬的地上, 时间长了就是一种苦恼,是不是? 最好坐在沙发上。 但是仔细想想, 让你在沙发上坐 5 个小时, 你也会觉得很辛苦, 你会说, 坐得这么久了, 散个步就很享受了。 但如果让你散 5 个小时的步, 你会觉得怎么样? 你又会觉得很辛苦, 最好能躺在床上休息。

　　人的任何状态都是一种堪忍的状态, 所以每个人每天都在经历着各种各样的苦恼。苦恼一词还分内外两层意思, 苦是外在的, 恼是指心里的, 所以每个人都有各式各样的 “受诸苦恼”, 更不要说还有百千万亿的众生了。 佛告诉无尽意菩萨也就是告诉我们: 只要你能够 “闻是观世音菩萨, 一心称名, 观世音菩萨即时观其音声,皆得解脱”。 佛首先赞叹观世音菩萨的威德之力, 你就是有再多再大的苦恼,只要你称观世音菩萨名号, 都能有求必应, 对一个众生是这样, 对无量百千万亿的众生也是这样, 所以我们树了一尊菩萨形象叫千手千眼, 就是由这个道理开显出来的。 其实我们想想, 观音菩萨又何止千手千眼?众生有无量数, 观世音菩萨就有无量个眼来照见我们, 用祂那无量的、 慈悲的大手来帮助解救我们, 我们对佛所讲的这个方法应该心生诚信, 一点也不要疑惑。

　　在很多观世音菩萨的感应录中我们可以看到, 不管何种样的人, 只要他在最危难的时候,能够想得起观世音菩萨, 都会得到极大的感应。 我们在座的就有不少人曾与观世音菩萨感应道交, 得到过观世音菩萨的救度。我们哪一个没有外在的苦难,没有内在的烦恼? 谁不想摆脱这些数不尽的烦烦恼恼啊? 佛教给我们的方法其实很简单: 只要我们能够一心称念 “观世音菩萨” 名号,“观世音菩萨即时观其音声”,你就能得到解脱。 这个“观其音声” 的 “观”, 这里应读第四声“灌”音。

‘World Honoured One, how did Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva get His name?’

Just as Akchayamati Bodhisattva asked the Buddha this question, we are also curious to know the answer, aren’t we? I have just told you that you are Akchayamati Bodhisattva and now we may have exactly the same question. Although Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva is well known everywhere and we have all learnt a bit about His virtues and merits, as well as the benefits that He has brought to sentient beings, we do not know why He is called Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva.So how did the Buddha answer this question?

The Buddha answered Akchayamati Bodhisattva, “Good man, if all the myriad living beings, who are tortured by misery, had heard of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva and were to invoke His holy name whole heartedly, then Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva would immediately respond to their prayers and set them free from suffering.”

The Buddha first summarised His answer to the question with respect to the suffering of living beings. How muchmisery is there in the world? Indeed, every being suffers from boundless misery, let alone the misery of all sentient beings. We suffer everysingle day while living. Someone may ask, “Why can’t I feel the misery?” However, would it not, for example, be a pain if you were to sit on the ground for a long period of time? You might think it would be great to sit on a sofa. But, if you were to think carefully, sitting on the sofa for five hours would cause you furtherpain. Then, you might think it would be enjoyable to take a walk. However, howwould you feel if you were to take a walk for another five hours? You would, of course, find it painful again and you would think it would be nice to have a rest on a bed.

We are, in fact, in a constant state of endurance, and everyone suffers from various miseries every day. Misery refers to two different aspects, external and internal. Therefore, everyone experiences various kinds of miseries, not to mention the myriad living beings. As the Buddha answers Akchayamati Bodhisattva’s question, He is also telling us that, as long as we hear of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva and invoke His holy name whole heartedly, then the Bodhisattva will immediately respond to our prayers and set us free. Firstly, the Buddha proclaimed the awesome power of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva’s merits: Guan Shi YinBodhisattva will always grant whatever is requested as long as you invoke Hisholy name, no matter how much and how serious the miseries you are suffering. This is not only true for one individual being, but also for all sentientbeings. Therefore, there is one form of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva with one thousand arms and one thousand eyes. In fact, Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattvahas far more arms and eyes than that. Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva has countless arms and eyes of compassion as there are countless living beings in order to see, help and save all of us. We, therefore, must have full faith in this method that the Buddha told us without any doubt.

According to the stories of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva and His responses to prayers made to Him, we can see that anyone in grave danger, no matter who they are, will receive a miraculous response so long as they invoke the Bodhisattva. Many people here have received Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva’s answer. Is there anyone in the worldwho lives without neither external nor internal miseries and does not want to extricate themselves from myriad suffering? The method that the Buddha taught us is actually very simple – as long as you invoke the holy name of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva whole heartedly, then you will be liberated.

爱出者爱返，福往者福来。随喜转载，功德无量。