念顯公師父
苟嘉陵
2018年3月21日
看到明光法師透過書記維光兄轉來的信函，希望紀念顯明法師，真是百感交集。顯公師父的慈顏與明光法師的笑容一時都在我心頭縈繞著，久久未逝。想想自己雖為顯公的弟子，卻從未寫過文章稱頌他老人家的法恩與德行，實在是我的過失。謹此紀錄一些他老人家的行誼，給法友們看看。除了懷念，也希望能給我及大家一些法的反思。
事實上我是顯公師父在美國的第一個皈依弟子，也自然是最早在美國親受法恩的人。記得那時候的美佛會，每週都在大覺寺有講經說法的活動。我就是在那個時候聽了顯公師父講的天台教觀，也第一次領受到了中國佛教在經教上可謂第一大宗的天台祖師的無礙辯才，與圓融的智慧。那是一種面對面的親身體驗，和只是在「紙上讀書」是完全不一樣的。顯公自己就講過這一點。他說天台宗的祖師講經說法，自古以來就不讓人做筆記。因為法師講經是一個成道者真實的生命體驗，是由生命中流露出來的經驗，是不能打斷的。只要做了筆記，就是在打閒岔，也就是分心了。佛陀在世的時候也一樣，要求弟子們聚精會神地「諦聽諦聽善思念之」，也是同樣的意思。所以顯公說法不讓我做筆記，但要我聚精會神。這就是天台宗的宗風。對於這一層我是很認同顯公師父的。
顯公不只是天台祖師而辯才無礙，也是心量極其寬廣的人。記得那個時候他是大覺寺的住持，好像也是美佛會長。寺裡來了由中國來的密教漢人法師，一時把我及許多美佛會的年輕一代都吸引去了。祖鵠兄也是其中之一。這是我生命中的一段密教法緣，使我對密教的了解不會只停留在表面上看到的神秘。而最後這個法緣，也因一些原因而中斷了。法友們也因此而各奔東西。但顯公師父從頭到尾，都沒有講過一個字要我們不要去學密教。我知道中國佛教裡不少法師對密教，不是那麼認同的。但顯公嚴守住了大乘佛法的立場，也就是尊重讚歎一切善法，而不會因善法和自己的宗派不一樣就予以否定。顯公師父是長期住於美佛會公認的「大師級」法師，而沒有出去自立山門。但事實上他是天台宗第四十五代祖師，是由寶靜大師指定的傳人。他是有這個條件的。在這個意義上說，他對美佛會的貢獻是尤為殊勝的。
最後我要講的是顯公師父的慈悲。那是很感人的。我曾不止一次聽過他講，他不要馬上去西方極樂淨土見阿彌陀佛，因為他要留在娑婆世界幫助所有的眾生去。只要還有一人沒去，他就不去。這個大願，是和地藏王菩薩同一等級的。我非常高興也非常榮幸，能在今生有這個法緣做顯公師父的弟子。僅就個人所知的一點點，紀錄於此。不足以彰顯顯公師父的德行與修行成就於萬一。謹此表達個人對顯公師父的無限感恩與懷念！
Thinking of my teacher Rev. XianMing
Reading the letter sent from Rev. MingGuang through secretary of BAUS Wayne, I realized though being a student of Rev. XianMing, I have never written any words on Rev. XianMing』s Tian Tai teaching. I told myself it is not right. As Rev. MingGuang, himself a dear student of Rev. XianMing, is initiating an effort to publish collection of articles from BAUS members in memory of his teacher, I would take this opportunity to say what I know.
I am actually the first student of Rev. XianMing in the US who took refuge of the 3 precious ones through him. So naturally I am among the first group of students who learned Tian Tai』s teachings from him. Those were the 『good old days』 of Temple of Great Enlightenment in the Bronx, for there were dharma talk every week there, and we all learned a lot during that period of time. One of the thing I remember so well from Rev. XianMing is that he did not want us to take note in his dharma talk, with a very good reason. He said when a Tian Tai dharma master is giving talk on Buddha Dharma, it is the flowing of dharma itself. A student should give full attention to it, not only to understand, but also to 「feel」 it. Taking down any note will be a distraction and will divert one』s focus, and the full scope of dharma flow will be obstructed. That is the reason why at the beginning of many sutras, Buddha always reminds listeners to 「listen carefully and give it a good thought」. So I never took any note from Rev. XianMing, but I still learned a lot.
Even though my major goal of spreading Buddhism today is through its modernization, not reviving Tian Tai school, I know deep down inside that Rev. XianMing』s teaching provides the foundation of my learning of dharma. It is through him I came to understand the depth and Core teachings of Chinese buddhism. And that understanding helps a lot on my modernization endeavor.
He was not only a very wise and learned person, but also a man of a very broad and open mind. When he was the abbot of Temple of Great Enlightenment, there was a Chinese monk coming out of China who followed Tibetan Buddhism tradition and was the carrier of Red school』s dharma lineage. Many young Buddhists like me and TsuKu were attracted by him, and practiced 「esoteric doctrine 「 for a period of time. That was the time when I was exposed to Tibetan tradition. Later on for some reason that group was disbanded, and we no longer followed that esoteric practice no more. But during that period, Rev. XianMing never utter a word to stop us learning Tibetan buddhism , even though he himself might not totally agree with their practice. Rev. XianMing became the live example to me, who completely followed the path of a Bodhisattva : 「Praise and support all beneficial practices for sentient beings, even though their teaching is different from one』s own belief」.
Beside all these, Rev. XianMing is a very loving human being. More than once did I hear him talked about the western Pure Land, with Amitabha Buddha there. He said he would stay in this world to help others be born there and be on their way toward complete Enlightenment. And if there is still one single sentient being suffering in this world, then he himself will not go. He talked about this vow of his in a very casual way. But it is very touching to me. For he really meant it. He let me see the nature of Bodhisattva Earth Store』s vow in a magnificent way.
He was the 45th generation of patriarch of Tian Tai, the largest Chinese Buddhism school teaching Bodhisattva Nagajuna』s treatises on Sunyata and Middle Way. His teacher was Master BaoJing, the 44th patriarch. He could have left BAUS and formed his own temple and organization, but he did not. That was not his priority in life.
I am very happy and thankful that I have been one of Rev. XianMing』s students in this life!