降魔

　　Subjugating Demons

　　很多人都懼怕魔鬼，世間人發明了很多降魔除害的方法，包括一些佛教徒也視魔爲害，以嗔心念誦猛咒以行降伏，殊不知此做法已與佛教本質大相徑庭。

　　Many people are frightened of demons. In order to drive away negative forces or subjugate devils, humans have come up with various methods, including the wrathful incantations recited by some Buddhists. But regarding demons as evildoers and vanquishing them with animosity run completely against the Buddhist”s basic philosophy.

　　佛教是以慈悲爲根本，喪失根本之行爲均非正法，烏鴉且知反哺，羔羊尚能跪乳，作爲已發殊勝菩提心的大乘佛子，豈能坐視往昔父母痛苦于不顧，而一味施行誅法？對一些造作惡業的天魔外道，雖然密宗對獲得成就的密咒師，開許以降伏法將其神識超拔于淨土，但作爲無此能力的異生凡夫，從無有此開許。況且，一切降伏門，均以菩提心爲前提，若喪失菩提心，只會令外魔越伏越多。

　　The foundation of Buddhism is love and compassion; anything that deviates from this basis is non-Dharma. In the animal kingdom, crows are known to repay parents” kindness by bringing food to them, and lambs take mother”s milk on bent knees. How could we Mahayana practitioners who should have generated the precious bodhichitta, indulge in subjugating enemies and turning a blind eye to the sufferings of our parents of the past

　　 In the secret Mantrayana there are special ways to subdue heretics or demons that commit pernicious acts. However, only accomplished masters can legitimately practice subjugation and transfer the “liberated” consciousness to the Pure Land. No permission has ever been given to common people who lack such capabilities. Moreover, the prerequisite of all subjugation practices is bodhichitta; lacking it, one is likely to call in more and more malevolent gods and demons.

　　若能常行布施，發菩提心，則一切魔障不會侵害。《說甘露經》雲：“何人具五種法，邪魔外道不能害，長壽且速得佛果，何五？不間斷法布施；于衆生無畏布施；修慈悲喜舍；常修葺舊佛塔；恒常對衆生發菩提心。若具此五種法，非但魔王不能害，包括魔王眷屬也不得親近。”

　　Performing acts of generosity and arousing bodhichitta will render one immune to the harms inflicted by all kinds of demons. The Sutra on Amrita Deliberation states: “Anyone having engaged in the five conducts will be protected from the ills caused by demons or heretics enjoy a long life, and attain Buddhahood. What are these five

　　 They are: having continuously given Dharma; having offered protection from fear to beings; having practiced love, compassion, joy, and equanimity; having mended worn-out stupas, and having always aroused bodhichitta toward beings. By possessing these five qualities one will be impervious not only to a demon”s attack but also to those from the demon”s accomplice.”

　　于此衆生貪欲增上之惡世，如果因常做惡夢、受用損耗、瘟疫流行、煩惱叢生而認爲是著魔，或者被魔附體，被魔加害之時，切不可嗔怨外境，應恒時于諸所緣衆生生起猛厲悲心，依經中所說而修，佛金剛語絕無欺惑。一定能消除違緣、增上順緣、息滅惡夢、遠離魔障，最終圓滿二資、成就二利。

　　In this degenerate period when beings” greed is raging, people tend to regard misfortunes—having nightmares, losing possessions, being ravaged by epidemics or troubles—as harms inflicted by demons or as a result of being possessed by them. At this critical juncture, we must not engender enmity against external objects, but rather always arouse strong compassion toward all beings involved. If we practice as prescribed in the scriptures, the Buddha”s adamantine words will never fail us. Negative conditions will certainly be pacified while favorable ones arise; nightmares and demonic influences will also disappear. In the end, we will accomplish the two accumulations and attain the two benefits.

　　只可惜現在依佛經修持的越來越少，而聽信邪說的卻越來越多。

　　But nowadays, fewer and fewer people are willing to perform authentic Dharma practices while more and more are drawn into the fold of perverted views. What a shame it is indeed!

　　壬午年五月叁十日 　

　　2002年7月10日 　

　　30th of May, Year of RenWu

　　July 10, 2002