为众而祈请
林钰堂
日前在梦中见密勒日巴祖师现中年喇嘛相。彼结手印示我，并率我及梦中他人礼佛。当时即知其义为∶为一切众生而祈请一切佛、菩萨之加被。吾心中即感叹∶众生与彼相差如此悬殊，而彼不舍一切众生。密祖垂询我之特色，即答以“大手印”，意即提倡全法界为无限之一体，而以此理念渗透一切修法及行持，易得圆证佛果。
醒后再思，深体密祖此教授之殊胜──所有众生之证觉，非任何个体所能导致，而全赖整个法界一切有情之菩提心之共同运作，方能有所进展。而推进此整体之菩提大业，只能以纯粹为一切众生之离苦得乐及证觉而祈请加被之赤忱，感动诸佛、菩萨及护法圣众，而蒙摄受、教化及护持。依此而修，可免修行者之我执，以为自己修持有力，实则于全法界之菩提大业，不过聊尽一己之棉薄而已。一切端赖唤醒众生本具，同一纯真之菩提心，而能致此者，则唯赖诸佛、菩萨之大慈、大悲、大智、大愿与大力！
于日常生活中若能本此“为一切众生而祈请一切佛、菩萨加被”之发心，则可消弭人我之对立，而导致社会之祥和。并不会因为此理念十分抽象，而落为空谈。修行者宜仔细思索如何融通此理念于修法及生活之中。
在我个人而言，得此教授后，觉得对未来有一种把握──世事之演变虽然不能掌握，但个人在种种境遇之中应当以何种居心来做人处世，已有明确的认识了。至于此教授中之“向一切佛、菩萨祈请加被”与“一门深入”之专修一尊并无冲突，因为缘起上一切皆息息相关而普应尊重祈请，但在实修上限于行者之精力，则宜以“一即一切”之同体体认，以一尊为所有一切诸尊之代表来修习。
一九九六年十一月廿五日
养和斋 于加州
Praying for All
Written in Chinese and reviewed by Dr. Yutang Lin
Translated by Stanley Lam
In a recent night, the great master Milarepa appeared in my dream as a middle-aged Lama. He showed me a hand mudra and then led me and others to prostrate to Buddha. Instantaneously I understood the meaning: On behalf of all sentient beings, supplicate to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for their blessings. I thought, "Alas, sentient beings are so inferior to Milarepa and yet he does not forsake anyone." Milarepa asked me about my characteristics, and I answered: "Mahamudra." I meant that I emphasize the basic teaching that the entire Dharmadhatu is in Limitless-Oneness, and that Buddhahood would be easier to attain by pervading such a view into all practices and activities.
When I woke up, I reflected on it and deeply felt the superiority of this teaching of Milarepa: the Enlightenment of all sentient beings cannot be successfully caused by any individual alone; instead, progress toward this goal completely depends on the concurrent functioning of the Bodhicittas of all sentient beings in the whole Dharmadhatu. In order to further this grand project of enlightenment of all beings, one will inspire the providence, guidance and protection of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Protectors only by means of a pure and earnest heart that supplicates blessings just for the liberation from sufferings and attainment of Buddhahood of all sentient beings. Practicing in this light can avoid the self attachment of a practitioner that hinges on complacency at one's achievements. In fact, a practitioner is only contributing his or her small share in the grand project of enlightenment of all beings. It all depends on awakening the same pure and innate Bodhicitta that is in all beings, and nothing can achieve this except the great loving kindness, great compassion, great wisdom, great will, and great power of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas!
In daily life, if one's motivation can stem from this "praying to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for all sentient beings," then the antagonism between oneself and others will fade away, and thereby contribute to the harmony of the society. It would not become empty talk even though this ideal is very abstract. Practitioners should carefully consider how this ideal may be applied in their spiritual practice as well as in their daily lives.
As for myself, having received this teaching I feel certain confidence about my future— even though the evolvement of worldly events cannot be controlled, what one's motivation should be like in all kinds of situations and events has been clearly recognized and grasped. There is no conflict between "praying to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas" and devotional practice to only one deity as taught by the well-know instruction "concentrating in only one particular practice." The reason is as follows: In terms of Dependent Origination, all are intimately related and hence all deities should be respected and supplicated; however, in actual practice, due to the limitation in one's time and energy, a practitioner should apply the view that "one is all" because all are in oneness, and concentrate one's practice in one particular deity as representing all deities.
Written on November 25, 1996
A Study for the Cultivation of Harmony
El Cerrito, California
Translated on November 29, 1997
Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
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