文/南加州爾灣禪修會館 Jennifer Su 2013. 6. 4
原文來源：http://guanyinzen5152.pixnet.net/blog/post/150321766
(慈航觀音禪寺)
妙明師兄：「我想我們討論過這個問題，一些同修的修行方式，另一些同修看來，是一種崇拜。大家用許多不同的方式來表達各自的修行，我們不應該去下斷論，制定一種標凖，什麽才是允許的。每個人都在自己的內心找到真正的修行。每個人用對自己有意義的方式表達出來。對於一些同修，對師父的尊敬，是他們表達深深感恩的方式，感恩他們通過修行所獲得的生活和靈性上的益處。他們想要通過一種深刻的方式來表達對師父傳法的深深感恩。其他同修在修行中也許還沒有這種深刻的體驗，也許他們修行才起步，還沒有什麽感受。關鍵在於，別人選擇什麽樣的方式來體驗和表達他們的修行，這並不重要；重要的是，我們選擇如何來表達自己的修行。我們必須從內心來尋找這種表達，而不是去關切別人的表達。這其實是我們對內在真我的真誠對待。
這又回到剛才第一個問題。再説一次：『禪是宇宙生命力、智慧力。』我們可以在各個不同的層次觀察、感受、體驗禪。對於新入門的修行人，也許還沒辦法有體會。而修行一段時間的同修，由於精進修行，排除和清淨了『我』的障礙，開始進入定的境界，開始真正的見識到禪的生命力。
師父是現象界修行到最高境界的代表。祂完全清淨了。祂完全排除和清淨了『我』的毒素和障礙，是我們這一代人中在世的得到無上成就的例子。祂能夠維持在禪的最高境界，祂願意和我們分享祂的修行成果。我們因此而見證一個實例，祂和神、和佛、和上帝相應，同時祂又是現象界一個在世的人。師父向我們證明了，我們大家都可以得到無上成就。師父為我們提供了一條清楚的成就之路，同時如果我們修行中遇到瓶頸，師父也會幫助我們。
大家會體會到，法是很微妙的。真正的法不是師父的話，或者師父的色身，而是師父能夠和神界、天堂相應，讓我們來真修實證。
你來自基督教背景，也許你崇拜耶穌基督，至少曾看到別的基督徒崇拜耶穌基督。但並不是每個人都崇拜耶穌基督。其他宗教的信徒如猶太教徒、穆斯林，或者沒有特別宗教歸屬的人，他們就不覺得有需要崇拜耶穌基督。但這並不改變耶穌基督所傳之法。有人把祂看作導師，有人看祂為先知，有人看祂是上帝的化身，有人看祂只是一個普通的凡人。無論大家如何看待祂，看待當時的這個靈性存在，不改變耶穌基督所傳之法。
同樣的，大家選擇怎樣看待師父，看待師父和神、和上帝、和佛的連接和相應，不改變師父所傳之法。所以，無論你是選擇來表達深刻的感恩，或者你選擇用不那麽強烈的方式來修行，這都不改變師父所傳之法。我們一樣可以來修行，法只是一種模式、一條道路，通過祂，我們自己可以和這神聖的能量相應。」
提問的Jennifer 師姐隨後做了以下的分享：
從小每個週日都在祖母的督促下上主日學，直到上了大學離開家鄉後，自己決定不再去教會了，因為一直感受不到跟神的交通(交流)。隨著年紀的增長，每碰到困難或痛苦時，我還是會祈求我的上帝，希望衪能賜予我智慧和寬容的心來渡過我的難關。事情雖然都可圓滿解決，可是我還是感覺不到跟上帝的交通。真有上帝的存在嗎？信主的朋友告訴我，要先信了才能感覺到。我身上antenna(天線)的頻率要調對了，自然就可和上帝交通了。可我為何都調不對呢？
妙蓮師姐在六個月前引導我學禪坐。我是為了修身養性才去的。這六個月裡斷斷續續練習禪坐，常常會看見紫光，也體驗過三心定位，但心裡還是有很多疑問。這些年來接觸到很多不同宗教信仰的朋友，讓我覺得其實大家信的都是同一個上帝，只是用不同的方式和語言來敬拜衪、解釋衪。在讀了『Many Masters Many Lives』之後，我也開始相信輪迴之說了。可是看到有些師兄師姐對著師父的相片行禮膜拜很不以為然。「師父不是人嗎？為何要神化他？我感覺到來自宇宙的能量，為何說是師父的加持呢？」幾天前在看了妙明師兄給我的解答後，心中明白了。這明白帶給我很多的福份與感應。
就在昨天，當我一個人獨自打開會館的門看見眼前師父的掛像時，心中油然的喜悅讓我對著師父笑了。我手結金剛蓮花印，頂禮後就和師父四目相接，在心裡感恩著和他說話，就看見師父的外表有一圈金光。我闔上眼就看見師父的影像，淡淡退去後，接著就是整片的綠光，兩眼四週的肌肉不斷的跳動，眼腈都睜不開。等到這些跳動停止了，就看見彩虹般的光譜不停地在眼前出現。在後來我打坐聽師父的課時，閉著眼睛還在一片綠光中看見打坐的自己和周圍的景物。
我想當晚的體驗一定是我聽了妙明師兄的解答，打開了心門，接受了師父和他心靈感應的結果。我覺得藉著師父的引導我是可以和上帝有所感應和交通的。雖然對於師父、禪和上帝還有許多不解，但我很高興最近我在心靈上有所突破和提升，對人的容忍度和慈悲心增加了，心境也較為平和。這都是禪坐帶給我的轉變。感恩。
Sister Jennifer："Why do you worship Shifu? Isn't he a human being? Why do you say the energy from the universe I experienced comes from shifu? I grew up in a Christian family."
Brother Miao Ming："I think we talked about expressions of practice someone might see or define it as worship. People express their practice in many different ways. None of us really need to judge that or decide there are some standard of acceptability. Each of us finds the practice within ourselves. Each of us expresses the practice in a way that’s meaningful to us. For some people, this is to show tremendous gratitude for benefits that they gained in their life, benefits they gained in their spiritual practice. They want to show this very deep gratitude for the teaching that’s been offered to them in a very profound way. Other people that maybe haven’t experienced this that deeply or still maybe in an earlier stage of practice, don’t feel the same thing. The important things is, however anyone else chooses to experience and express their practice, it’s not important. What is important is how we manifest and bring our practice to life; how we choose to express that practice. We have to find this within ourselves. Not to be so concerned how other people express their practice. It’s really being true to our own inner self.
This goes back to our first question. Again, Chan is the wisdom and life force of the universe. We are able to see this, feel this, experience this at very different levels. If we are just a very beginning practitioner, we may not have any access to this at all. Others that have been practicing for some period of time start to enter into Ding with dedicated practice, and start to actually see this life force, having purged and purified hindrances from the self.
Shifu has taken this to the highest level in this phase of existence. He’s completely purified. He’s just an example of a living person of our generation that has achieved complete full enlightenment, completely purged the poisons and hindrances from the self. He’s able to maintain and sustain this practice at the highest level. He’s willing to offer and share that with us. This gives us this living example of someone who is in sync with the divine, Buddha, God. And he’s an alive as a human being in our phase of existence. He shows us that it’s possible for all of us to accomplish this. He also provides us very clearly a path of teaching and helps along the way as we might get stuck.
Again, people will realize the teaching is very subtle. The teaching is not in the words of Shifu or the physical body of Shifu, but in his ability to sync with the divine, and heaven element. For us to see that experience for ourselves.
Coming from a Christian background, you probably worship Jesus, or certainly see other people in a Christian setting that worship Jesus. But not everyone does. People from other religious practices, Jewish people, Muslims, people that are not essentially affiliated with any special spiritual practice don’t feel any need to worship Jesus. It doesn’t change his teaching. Some just see him as a teacher, maybe a prophet; some see him as a manifestation of God, a human, a human being. Regardless of how someone chooses to see that entity, that spiritual life that was available in that time, doesn’t change the teaching.
How someone chooses to see Shifu, his link and his sync to divine, to God, to Buddha, doesn’t change the teaching. So if you choose to show very profound gratitude, if you choose to enter the practice with a lesser level of intensity, doesn’t change the teaching. It’s still available for all of us, simply a model, a way, a path to be in sync for ourselves with this divine energy."
After getting the answer, the one(Sister Jennifer) asking the question provided the following sharing:
Since a child, my grandma insisted I went to a Sunday School every sunday. When I left home for college, I decided not to go to church anymore, because I never felt a connection with God. Growing older, I still pray to God whenever I encounter troubles or pains, hoping He would bless me with wisdom and tolerance to surpass the challenges. Challenges have all been surpassed, but I still felt no connection with God. Does God truly exist? A Christian friend told me that we only feel the existence of God when we believe, that once my antenna is in the right frequency, I will be able to communicate with God. But why can’t I tune to the right frequency?
Sister Miaolian introduced me to Chan meditation six months ago. I joined to improve my health and temperament. During these six months, I often witnessed purple lights during meditation, and I also experienced three center alignment. However, I still had many doubts. These years I met many friends with various religious background; I felt we all believe in the same God, just using different forms and terminologies to respect and explain Him. After reading the book "Many Masters Many Lives", I began to believe the theory of reincarnation. However, when I saw brothers and sisters solute to Shifu’s portrait, I disapproved such behaviors. "Isn’t Shifu just a human being? Why do we deify him? When I feel the universal energy, why do people tell me it’s Shifu’s blessing?" After reading through Brother Miaoming’s answer to my question a few days ago, I finally got it. This understanding brought me a lot of blessings and experiences.
Yesterday I went to the center by myself. When I opened the door and saw Shifu’s portrait, I smiled to Shifu because of the joy arising from my heart. I formed Diamond Lotus Mudra and bowed to Shifu, then I looked into Shifu’s eyes, and communicated with him with gratitude. Then I saw an aura of golden light surrounding Shifu. When I closed my eyes, and Shifu’s image faded away, I was surrounded by green light, the muscles around my eyes kept trembling, and I couldn’t open my eyes. When all the trembling stopped, I saw the light of rainbow colors in front. Later when I participated in Shifu’s class, with eyes close, I still saw myself meditating and surroundings within green light.
I think this experience is because after Brother Miaoming’s answer, I opened my heart, accepted Shifu and synced with Shifu. I feel with Shifu’s guidance, I am able to feel and communicate with God. Although I still have many questions about Shifu, Chan, and God, but I am glad I made some breakthrough in my heart. My tolerance and compassion toward others improved, and my heart is calmer and more peaceful. These are all because of Chan practice. I am truly grateful.
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