如何分辨所見是佛是魔 How to Distinguish between a Buddha and a Demon（中英字幕English subtitle）-性仁法師學佛答疑Ven Xingren

佛來佛斬，魔來魔斬。
佛来佛斩，魔来魔斩。
Kill the image that comes.
二〇二三彌陀誕開示
2022.11.14 宣講於洛杉磯美佛寺
先來回答同修的一個問題。這是一個有關臨命終時往生的問題。這個問題是這樣的：都說佛與魔只有一念之差，只有一墻之隔。那麼，作為念佛人，我們大家如何判斷臨命終時所見的是佛，還是魔呢？萬一是魔王或者冤親債主，變現阿彌陀佛或者觀世音菩薩來接引我們，如果我們大家跟錯了對象，這個豈不是毀了我們大家一生的修行？這是一個很好的問題。我相信我們在座的許多同修，都會有這方面的關心和擔心。首先，從我個人的經驗來說，我參加過很多的助念，見到臨命終時的許多往生之人，包括有些學佛的念佛的，還有一些完全不學佛不念佛的。最近也看到幾個瀕臨死亡的經歷故事。包括我自己本人，我曾經在出家之前，有經歷過這麼一種昏迷的狀況。我曾經發高燒，五天五夜高燒沒有退。我自己進入到一種極度地昏迷狀態當中。當我醒來的時候，我自己都不知道我已經昏睡了五天五夜。從我個人的經驗，還有我參加助念的經驗來說，我跟諸位同修講，我們人在臨命終時，沒有人神識不昏昧。除非是個別情況，除非你是乘願再來的大修行人。不用說臨命終時了，我們現在許多的老人家，包括我們在座的許多上了年紀的念佛老同修，有些就已經開始犯上老年癡呆癥，六親不認，兒女不辨，自己親生的兒女都不認識，更不用說臨命終時要分辨是佛是魔的問題了。這個區別，對他們來說太難太難了。諸位同修，我們大多數人在臨命終時，或者當我們生了重病的時候，極度病痛的時候，當我們失去知覺的時候，我們大多數是缺少判斷力的，尤其沒有那種敏銳的判斷力，我們分辨不了所見的是佛還是魔。這個真的很難說，尤其是象我們這些沒有慧眼的凡夫俗子。不用說臨命終時了，就拿現在來說，就拿我現在講話的當下來說。我們許多念佛人，『憶佛念佛，現前當來，必定見佛』。我們經常會見到佛的經歷，會見到菩薩的經歷，我不知道大家有沒有這方面的經歷。有時候可能是在禪定當中，有時候在念佛三昧當中，有時候可能是錯覺，或者是幻覺。不管是甚麼情況，不管是甚麼狀態，我問大家，當我們突然間見到一個莊嚴無比的佛陀，或者其他的菩薩，任何的本尊，我們要怎麼辦？我們要怎麼樣去處理？我們當下要怎麼樣處理才比較合適呢？佛法有一個原則。禪宗有一句話，我相信大家都有聽說過：『佛來佛斬，魔來魔斬。』不管我們看到的是莊嚴無比的佛，還是恐怖奇丑的魔王，佛法講：『唯心所變，唯識所現。』所以我們當下就要攝心，就要返觀自照，不起分別妄想執著，千萬不要被外境所牽所轉，該做甚麼還是做甚麼。這是禪宗他們在打坐禪修的時候，遇到類似情況所要處理的一個標準答案。我們大家念佛人，也是如此處理。大家千萬不要起甚麼執著分別：這個是佛，這個是魔。佛是我喜歡的，魔是要遠離的。我跟諸位同修講，當你一起這個執著分別，那就會啟動你的業障生死海，進入到流轉門當中。你如果能夠安住內心，如如不動，返觀自照，那就會進入還滅門。一邊是流轉門，一邊是還滅門。一個是流轉生死，一個是導歸真如本性。就看你當下的處理方法，就看你的一念之心是如何觀照的。諸位同修，我跟大家講，作為一個念佛人，我們有時候可能見到的是佛。當我們特別精進修行的時候，或者當我們特別要泄氣、放逸的時候，當我們要放棄的那個時候，佛陀和諸大菩薩的出現，那是為了給我們鼓勵。有時候我們在定境當中，當我們內心特別清淨的時候。但是，大多數時候，我們所見到的可能是幻覺，可能是一種錯覺，大多數是魔鬼示現來考驗你的。所以我們見到的大多數情況都是魔鬼，魔王變現的。《地藏經》上說得好，臨命終時，百千惡道鬼神，變作父母親屬，引接亡人。所以這個時候，我們就要抉擇，是要跟他們走，還是要回歸自心呢？我們要怎麼樣去做呢？怎麼樣去做才是對我們最好的呢？跟不他們走？我問大家：我們跟不跟他們走？當然不跟他們走，這個是肯定的。因為我們不知道來者是善是惡。在沒有真正搞清楚之前，在我們沒有辦法搞清楚之前，在這麼一種狀態的情況之下，我們最好還是甚麼都不要去做。這樣更為安全、更為穩妥、更為保險。但是，有些同修會納悶：如果我們臨命終時見到的真是佛菩薩呢？那我們不跟祂們走，最後豈不是冤枉後悔死了？問題的關鍵是，我們不知道，也無法知道是佛還是魔。所以呢，為了安全起見，我們最好還是安住於心，如理思維，啟動我們的真如本心，跟著我們自性清淨心走，這個永遠不會有錯。佛法有一句話：『不怕念起，只怕覺遲。』返觀自心，觀一切法如夢幻泡影，如露亦如電，因緣所生，無有自性，所謂『見空性即見法，見法即見佛。』這個正如《金剛經》所說的：『凡所有相，皆是虛妄，若見諸相非相，即見如來。』我問諸位同修：我們如何才能夠見到彌陀？如何才能夠見到如來？只有一個方法，只有徹證一切法空，只有見到諸相非相，那才能夠見到真正的如來，才能夠見到極樂世界的彌陀如來。諸位同修，講到淨土宗，其實，淨土宗里面所講的，十萬億國土以外的極樂世界，講到阿彌陀佛的接引，大家有沒有想過，一念怎麼能夠去那麼遠的地方？當我們一念，馬上就可以到達十萬億外的國土。其實講到最後，也是回歸本心的問題。所謂的『自性彌陀』，講的就是這麼一個道理。所以我們每個人心中藏有彌陀如來。只是我們經常被妄想所轉，不曾發現而已，只是我們沒有把祂給挖掘出來而已。當你哪天發現的時候，也就是找到你老家極樂世界的時候。所以呢，淨土即此方，此方即淨土。阿彌陀佛即是我心，我心即是阿彌陀佛。只有迷悟之差別。當你哪天迴光返照的時候，當你哪天找到你清淨心的時候，當你哪天找到你本具的如來藏的時候，也就是你回歸極樂世界的時候，也就是你見到彌陀如來的時候，也就是『花開見佛悟無生』的時候。感恩大家，阿彌陀佛！

[@AmericanBuddhistFellowship]

First, let me answer a question from a fellow practitioner. This is a question about rebirth at the moment of death. The question is this: It is said that there is only one thought between a Buddha and a demon, and there is only a wall between them. So, as chanters, how can we judge whether what we see at the end of our life is a Buddha or a demon? If it is a demon or a karmic creditor who manifests himself as Amida Buddha or Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva to take us, if we follow the wrong person, wouldn't this ruin our whole life of practice? This is a great question. I believe that many of our fellow practitioners here have concerns and worries about this. First, from my personal experience, I have participated in many chanting aids and seen many people at the end of their lives, including some Buddhists and chanters and some who did not learn Buddhism and did not chant Buddhas at all. I have also seen several near-death experiences recently. For myself, before I left home, I experienced a coma. I once had a high fever, which persisted for five whole days. I myself entered into an extreme comatose state. When I woke up, I didn't even know that I had been asleep for five whole days. From my personal experience, as well as my experience of participating in chanting aids, I tell you, fellow practitioners, that when dying, none of us is conscious. Unless it is a special case, unless you are a great practitioner coming back to follow your vows. Forget about the end of life, many of our elderly people, including many of our senior chanting fellow practitioners here, have already begun to suffer from Alzheimer's disease, not recognizing relatives or children. They don't even know their own children, not to mention the issue of distinguishing between a Buddha and a demon at the end of life. This distinction is too difficult for them. Fellow practitioners, for most of us, when we are dying, or when we are seriously ill and in extreme pain, when we lose consciousness, most of us lack judgment, especially keen judgment. We can't tell whether what we see is a Buddha or a demon. This is really hard to tell, especially for ordinary people like us who have no insight. Forget about the dying moment, let's say now, the present moment as I am speaking, many of our chanters, "think of the Buddha and chant the Buddha, so we will definitely see the Buddha in the present and future." We often have the experiences of seeing Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. I don't know if you have any experiences in this regard. Sometimes it may be when we are in meditation, sometimes it may be when we are in the chanting samadhi, and sometimes it may be an illusion or hallucination. No matter what the situation is, no matter what the state is, I would like to ask everyone, when we suddenly see a incomparably majestic Buddha, or other Bodhisattvas, or any deity, what should we do? How are we going to deal with it? How should we deal with it at that moment? There is one principle in Buddhism. There is a saying in Zen School, I believe everyone has heard it: "Kill Buddhas when Buddhas come and kill demons when demons come." No matter what we see is an incomparably majestic Buddha, or a terrifying and ugly devil, according to Buddhism: "Things change only with the mind and appear only with the consciousness." So, we must capture our minds immediately, look back, and reflect on ourselves. Don't develop differentiation, delusions and attachments, and we must not be distracted by external circumstances, just do what we should do. When Zen Buddhists meditate, this is their standard solution to deal with similar situations. We chanters also deal with it in the same way. Everyone, please don't differentiate or attach: this is a Buddha, and this is a demon. Buddhas are what I like, but demons are to stay away from. I tell you, fellow practitioners, that when you develop differentiation and attachment, you will activate your sea of karmic obstacles of birth and death and enter the door of reincarnation. If you can dwell in your mind, stay in the right state, and reflect on yourself, then you will enter the door of extinction. One side is the reincarnation door, and the other is the extinction door. One is to reincarnate between birth and death, and the other is to be guided and return to the true nature. It just depends on how you deal with it at that moment and how you observe with your single thought of mind. Fellow practitioners, let me tell you that as chanters, sometimes we may see Buddhas. When we are particularly diligent in our practice, when we are particularly discouraged and unrestrained, or when we are about to give up, Buddhas and great Bodhisattvas appear to encourage us. This sometimes happens when we are in a state of Samadhi, when our minds are particularly pure. But most of the time, what we see may be a hallucination or an illusion, and most of them are demons appearing to test you. So, in most situations, what we see are demons. It is well said in Ksitigarbha Sutra that at the time of death, hundreds of thousands of ghosts and gods of evil realms will turn into parents and relatives to take the deceased. So, at this time, we have to make a choice. Should we go with them, or should we return to our own minds? What should we do? What is the best thing for us to do? Do you go with them? I ask everyone: shall we go with them? Of course, not to go with them, that's for sure. Because we don't know whether the comer is good or evil. Before we really figure it out, when we have no way to figure it out, in such a state, we'd better not do anything. This is safer, more reliable, and more secure. However, some fellow practitioners may wonder: What if what we see when we are dying are truly Buddhas and Bodhisattvas? Then if we don't go with them, won't we regret it in the end? The crux of the problem is that we do not know and cannot know whether it is a Buddha or a demon. Therefore, for the sake of safety, we'd better dwell in the mind, think rationally, activate our true heart, and follow our natural pure heart, and this can never go wrong. There is a saying in Buddhism: "Raising a thought is not fearsome, while being aware of it late is." Looking back at one's own mind, observe that all dharmas are like dreams and bubbles, dew and lighting, appear due to causes and conditions, and have no self-nature. "Seeing emptiness is seeing the dharma, and seeing the dharma is seeing the Buddha." This is just as what the Diamond Sutra states: "All appearances are illusory. If one sees all appearances are non-appearances, one sees the Tathagata." Let me ask fellow practitioners: How can we see Amida Buddha? How can we see Tathagata? There is only one way. Only when we thoroughly realize all dharmas are empty, and only when we see all appearances are non-appearances, can we see the real Tathagata, and can we see Amida Tathagata of the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Fellow practitioners, when it comes to the Pure Land School, in fact, the Pure Land School talks about the land of Ultimate Bliss beyond ten trillion lands and Amida Buddha coming to take being, have you ever thought about how one can travel so far in one thought? When we have one thought, we can immediately reach the land beyond ten trillion lands. In fact, in the end, it's also a matter of returning to the original heart. The so-called "self-nature Amida" talks about this truth. Therefore, each of us has Amida Tathagata hidden in his/her heart. It's just that we are often distracted by delusions, and we haven't discovered it. It's just that we haven't dug him out. When you discover him, it's also the time when you find your hometown of the Land of Ultimate Bliss. So, the pure land is here, and here is the pure land. Amida Buddha is my heart, and my heart is Amida Buddha. The only differences are between ignorance and enlightenment. When you turn the light back at yourself and reflect on yourself, when you find your pure heart, when you find your intrinsic Tathagata treasure, that is when you return to the Land of Ultimate Bliss, that is when you see Amida Tathagata and "flowers bloom to see the Buddha and realize birthlessness". Namaste, Amitabha!