障礙與入道因緣

📖認識《大日經》20 📖Understanding the Mahāvairocana Sūtra – Part 20 ✍️不空師父／文 ✍️Written by Master BuKong

依《大日經》說，安住於「除一切蓋障」三昧的菩薩，因為具足信心與理解，便能精進修行，迅速圓滿一切佛法，由此可見成就無量無邊的功德之前，要「先能去除一切障礙修行的『蓋障』」的重要性。 According to the Mahāvairocana Sūtra, a bodhisattva who abides in the samādhi of “Removing All Obstructions” and possesses both faith and understanding is able to diligently cultivate and swiftly perfect all aspects of the Buddha’s teachings. This shows that before attaining boundless merit, it is essential to first remove all hindrances to one’s practice—these are called “obstructing veils” (gai-zhang).

因此，即便真言宗以「清淨菩提心」作為直接入道之門，能入一切如來的境界，但眾生無始以來的無明作用因緣，使我們生起煩惱與痛苦，譬如有人在黑暗中被寶物劃傷，誤以為是被毒蛇咬了，心生恐懼，以為中毒，結果毒想執著不散，毒氣仿佛滲入全身。 Therefore, even though the Mantrayāna takes “pure bodhicitta” as the direct gateway to the path—allowing one to enter the realm of all Tathāgatas—sentient beings, due to beginningless ignorance and delusion, continue to generate afflictions and suffering. It is like someone being scratched by a jewel in the dark but mistaking it for a venomous snake bite. Terrified, they believe they’ve been poisoned, and this delusion clings to their mind, spreading fear throughout their entire being.

眾生的煩惱，大致上可分成幾類： The afflictions of sentient beings can generally be categorized into several types:

第一是「煩惱障」：從根本煩惱生起八萬四千種不同層次的煩惱，從粗重到微細，障礙了淨菩提心。加上因為過去世偏執成習，使修道受阻，無法進入佛法之門。 1.Afflictive Obstructions (Kleśa-āvaraṇa): These arise from root delusions and branch into 84,000 levels of coarse and subtle afflictions, which hinder the arising of pure bodhicitta. Additionally, habitual clinging from past lives obstructs one’s ability to enter the Dharma path.

第二是「業障」：這是指從過去到現在所造作的重罪，包括誹謗大乘經典等惡行，即使這個人有學佛修道的機緣，卻因為過往惡業未清除，會遭遇各種障礙與阻撓，難以真正進入佛法。 2.Karmic Obstructions (Karma-āvaraṇa): These result from severe negative actions done in past and present lives, such as slandering Mahāyāna scriptures. Even with the opportunity to learn the Dharma, such a person faces many inner and outer obstacles due to unpurified karma, making true entry into the path difficult.

第三是「生障」：意思是說，若這個眾生投生於有福德、安穩、有利於修行的環境，應能覺悟佛道。但因先世業力牽引，反而轉生到無暇修道的處境（如地獄、餓鬼、愚癡等身），這樣的報身就成為修道的障礙，導致無法進入佛法。 3.Obstructions of Birth (Janma-āvaraṇa): If one were born into a fortunate and peaceful environment, one could progress on the path. However, driven by karmic forces from previous lives, one may instead be reborn into states such as hell, hungry ghost, or foolishness—conditions that prevent Dharma practice.

第四是「法障」：指的是這個人雖然得殊勝人身，也具備修道的潛能，但因為過去世曾做過障礙佛法的事，導致今生不容易遇到善知識，也聽不到正法，因而錯失修行的契機。 4.Obstructions to the Dharma (Dharma-āvaraṇa): Even if someone has a precious human birth and the potential to practice, past actions that hindered the Dharma may cause them to miss encounters with good teachers and true teachings, thus losing their chance to progress.

第五是「所知障」：即使這個人已經遇到善知識，也聽聞了正法，但仍因種種內外因緣不調和，使他無法深入修學般若波羅蜜。如《大品般若經》中所說，各種魔事干擾修行。這可能是因為過去世曾錯誤引導眾生或偏離正道，因此今生生起這樣的障礙。 5.Obstructions of Knowledge (Jñeya-āvaraṇa): Even if one meets good teachers and hears the true Dharma, various discordant inner and outer conditions may prevent deep cultivation of prajñāpāramitā. As the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra says, demonic disturbances may arise. These obstacles may result from misguiding others or deviating from the path in previous lives.

因此，大日如來在開示「大悲胎藏曼荼羅」的生起義理前，必須先開示「如實知自心」的道理，進而使我們去除修行上的一切蓋障，這樣一來，當行者在修行相應的本尊三昧，當觀見本尊示現的各種形相與狀態，依然能理解是因緣生起的，便不會對此產生戲論與妄解。 Thus, before explaining the arising principle of the "Womb Realm Maṇḍala of Great Compassion," Mahāvairocana must first teach the wisdom of “truly knowing one’s own mind.” This allows us to clear away all veils that hinder practice. Then, when a practitioner visualizes and experiences various forms of their yidam (meditational deity) through samādhi, they will understand these are conditionally arisen and avoid falling into conceptual elaborations or false interpretations.

好比一位以為自己將要命終的人，當良醫前來診視，知曉始末原委，用明燈一照，才發現傷口上沾的是寶物而非毒傷。此人頓悟非毒，恐懼即除，反而欣賞這件寶物，心中生起喜樂。 It is like someone who believes they are fatally wounded. A skilled physician arrives, investigates the situation, and shines a lamp on the wound—revealing that it was merely touched by a jewel, not bitten by a snake. Upon realizing there is no poison, the fear dissolves, and instead, the person begins to admire the jewel, feeling joyful within.

修行人也同樣如此，先具備「淨菩提心」使我們照見諸法真相，而後證得「除一切蓋障的三昧」，就能見到八萬四千煩惱的真實面目，轉為八萬四千寶聚法門。 Likewise, a practitioner first cultivates “pure bodhicitta” to see the true nature of all phenomena, and then realizes the samādhi of “Removing All Obstructions.” At that moment, the 84,000 afflictions are seen for what they truly are—and are transformed into 84,000 Dharma treasures.

為什麼能轉「八萬四千煩惱」為「八萬四千寶聚」？因為一切法因緣而生，即是空、即是假、即是中道，遠離一切戲論，本自清淨，故眾生心亦清淨，就是流入不生不滅的「阿字門」。 How can the 84,000 afflictions be transformed into 84,000 Dharma jewels? Because all dharmas arise from conditions—they are empty, they are provisional, they are the Middle Way. Free from conceptual fabrications, inherently pure—the mind of sentient beings is originally pure. This is the entry into the “Gate of the Letter A,” the gate of the unborn and undying.

透過觀心性的「不生不滅」入於「阿字門」，所以一切法皆可由此門而入，此時，一切戲論自然止息，雖身處生死輪迴之中，卻無有染著，為了度化法界一切眾生不辭辛勞。 By contemplating the unborn and undying nature of mind, one enters the “A-syllable gate.” All dharmas can thus be accessed through this gate. At this point, all conceptual elaborations naturally cease. Though still within the cycle of birth and death, one remains undefiled—tirelessly working to liberate all beings in the Dharma realm.

🌐 Translated into English by ChatGPT