諸位法師慈悲，諸位護法居士，大家下午好。（阿彌陀佛）。我們今天是二〇二一年，新年的第一天。我們大家在這裡提心吊膽舉辦這麼一個法華大法會。我們剛才讀《法華經》。大家在讀誦的過程當中，有沒有感受到這個世間的痛苦？這個世間，真的就像《法華經》裡面所講的，『三界火宅』。我們大家就像這個三界火宅中的，熱鍋上的螞蟻一樣，被這個世界上的種種病毒，我們人生的生老病死苦，我們自己的內憂外患，我們每天都被這些痛苦從四面八方擊襲而來。不管我們自己喜歡不喜歡，我們每個人都是過得不如意，我們大家都過得很不自在。這個世界，沒有一天讓我們能夠省心。作為一個大乘的佛弟子，我們要學習佛陀的慈悲。佛陀的慈悲，為了我們這個三界火宅的眾生，為了拯救我們眾生出這個火宅當中。為了能夠讓我們眾生開入諸佛如來的知見，為了讓我們眾生能夠悟入諸佛的知見，所以出現在這個世間。就是為了讓我們凡夫眾生有機會能夠離生死苦、得涅槃樂，所以佛陀出現在這個世間。佛陀出現在這個世間，祂的目的很簡單。就是為了讓我們能夠證入諸佛如來的那種知見，讓我們能夠離生死苦、得解脫樂。但是由於我們娑婆眾生的剛強和頑固，我們凡夫眾生不聽佛陀的勸導，不聽諸佛菩薩的教誡，我們照樣造下無量無邊的罪業，所以在三界火宅當中，流轉不斷，痛苦不堪。諸佛如來，因為祂的慈悲，就是要為了要拯救我們娑婆世界的眾生，出現在世間，說了種種的法門。《法華經》裡面講到總共有三乘法。其實佛陀所說的法門，又何止三乘呢？我們經常有講『五乘共法』。在三乘的基礎上，又加了人跟天乘。三乘，大家都知道，是聲聞、緣覺和菩薩。五乘，就是在三乘的基礎上，再加上人乘和天乘。佛陀所說的三乘共法也好，五乘共法也好，祂最後的目標，就是能夠讓我們所有的眾生，能夠證得圓滿的佛果菩提大道，讓我們每個眾生都能夠成佛，這是祂最終的目標。我們今天讀《法華經》。《法華經》到底在講甚麼呢？其實，如果說得簡單一點，大家如果懂得《法華經》的八個字，那你對於這一部《法華經》，總共有七卷、二十八品的《法華經》，那你大概就會能夠了解《法華經》在講甚麼，對於一位大乘佛弟子來說，它給我們的修行帶來一個甚麼樣的啟發。我們大家只要記得八個字：『開權顯實，會三歸一』，這八個字。這八個字是《法華經》的核心，是《法華經》的精華所在。是整部經二十八品，無不圍繞著這八個字，在展開所有的那些探討。這八個字甚麼意思呢？『開權顯實』，佛陀所說的法門很多，三乘法、五乘法。佛陀所說的聲聞緣覺，它是一種方便，是一種善巧。佛陀所說的一佛乘法，這個是真實。大家如果有讀《法華經》，《法華經》裡面明確地指出來：【十方國土中，無二亦無三，唯有一佛乘】。只有一佛乘是真實不虛的。其它的聲聞、緣覺，包括人天乘。我們要做人，我們要做甚麼？我們這一輩子要勤修五戒。你要把五戒修好了，那你下輩子做人的機會很大。我們要上生到天堂，我們要修十善。不管是人乘也好，天乘也好，聲聞緣覺乘也好，這些都是佛的方便善巧之說。大家知道佛陀講經，祂都是應機施教，對機說法。因為佛陀剛剛開悟的時候，剛剛成道的時候，那些弟子，由於他們的根機很不好，所以佛陀要給他們講聲聞、講緣覺，甚至講人天乘。這個就是一種方便。因為眾生的根機還沒有到達那個地步。佛陀如果那個時候講一佛乘這麼一個大乘法，在座的弟子是沒有機會能夠聽得懂的。那些聲聞弟子，他只能聽佛的二乘法。佛陀如果給他們講一乘大法的話，那這些聲聞弟子，就像『如聾如啞』，就像一個啞巴一樣、聾子一樣，不知道佛在講甚麼。所以佛陀為了對機說法，為了因材施教，你看他老人家非常地慈悲。剛剛開始傳道的時候，慢慢培養眾生的根機，先講聲聞、緣覺，乃至講人天乘。然後我們眾生的根機慢慢、慢慢地成熟了之後，佛陀最後給我們開示大乘法 —《法華經》。我們讀這部《法華經》。這部《法華經》是佛陀最後快要涅槃的時候講的。佛陀講經說法那麼多年，祂為甚麼早期不給那些弟子講《法華經》？因為早期的時候，那些弟子，他們的根機很不堪，不能接受大法。所以早期佛陀開示的都是聲聞，給聲聞人說四諦法：苦集滅道。給緣覺人說十二因緣。講：無名、行、識、名色、六入、處、受、愛、取、有、生、老死。給菩薩講六度，講六度的時候就是要等所有的這些弟子，他們的根機成熟的時候，佛陀才最後講一乘法。我們今天能夠在這裡讀誦《法華經》，我們都是大乘菩薩道的行人。大家如果沒有那種大乘的善根，沒有累生累劫所積累的因緣，我跟諸位同修講：你今天不可能在這裡能夠讀誦《法華經》，不可能在這裡聽師父跟你開示，把你帶入到妙法的世界當中。你是進不去的，你是沒有這個善根的，你是沒有這個福報的。人家跟你講，你也聽不懂，你會生起毀謗之心。作為我們一個大乘的佛弟子，我們今生能夠遇到佛法，能夠聽善知識講經，能夠讀誦大乘的《妙法蓮華經》，我跟諸位同修講，這個真的是我們累生累劫所種下來的善根、福德和因緣。今天是新年的第一天，作為我們佛弟子，我們要發大心。發大心就是要發菩薩之心，上求下化，不為自己求安樂，但願眾生得離苦。這個世間，佛法那麼好，邪知邪見的人那麼多。世間那麼多眾生，由於造業，然後受苦，最後輪迴、流轉不斷，那是因為眾生的愚痴。他們如果能夠聽到佛法，聽到大乘的佛法，如果能夠聽到《妙法蓮華經》，那他們就能夠斷惡行善，從此開始，行菩薩道。所以作為一個大乘的佛弟子，我們有義務、有責任，我們要發大心，把佛法弘揚出去，把這個《妙法蓮華經》講給那些有緣的人聽。讓所有的那些有緣無緣的眾生，都能夠聽到《妙法蓮華經》。帶他們進入到妙法的世界當中。從此之後，離生死苦、得解脫樂。這個是我們大家共同的一個目標。由於時間關係，師父就跟大家簡單講這麼幾句話。謝謝大家的慈悲，阿彌陀佛！
Good afternoon, venerables and fellow lay disciples. (Amitabha). Today is the first day of the new year of 2021. We are here holding this Great Lotus Dharma Assembly fearfully. We just read Lotus Sutra. When you were reading, did you feel the pain in this world? This world is really like what Lotus Sutra says, "The Three Worlds is like a burning house". We are like ants on a hot pot in this burning-house-like Three Worlds. We are attacked by all kinds of viruses in this world, our pain of birth, aging, sickness and death in the life, our own internal and external troubles, and we are attacked by these pains from every direction every day. Whether we like it or not, none of us are happy, and none of us are even a little comfortable. In this world, there is no time for us to relax. As Mahayana Buddhist disciples, we have to learn the mercy and compassion of the Buddha. The Buddha's mercy and compassion are for beings in the burning-house-like Three Worlds, and to rescue beings from this burning house. To enlighten beings to develop the Buddha's knowledge and understanding, and achieve and enter the Buddha's knowledge and understanding, the Buddha appeared in this world. It is just for us ordinary beings to have the opportunity to be free from the pain of birth and death and obtain the joy of Nirvana, therefore the Buddha appeared in this world. The Buddha appeared in this world with a simple purpose, which is to enable us to achieve Buddhas' knowledge and understanding, so that we can be free of the pain of birth and death and obtain the joy of liberation. But because of the obstinacy and stubbornness of our beings in the Samsara world, our ordinary beings do not listen to the advice of the Buddha or any instructions of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. We still create infinite negative karma. Therefore, in the burning-house-like Three Worlds, we are constantly reincarnating and suffering. For Buddhas, because their mercy and compassion are to rescue the sentient beings of our Samsara world, so they appear in the world and teach various methods. Lotus Sutra talks about a three-yana method. In fact, the methods the Buddha taught were more than three yanas. We often talk about "the foundation of five yanas". On top of the three yanas, human and heaven yanas are added. The three yanas, as everyone knows, are Savaka, Pratyekabuddha, and Bodhisattva. The five yanas is that in addition to the three yanas, we add human and heaven yanas. No matter if the Buddha taught about the foundation of the three yanas or the foundation of the five yanas, his ultimate goal was to let all our sentient beings to achieve the perfect Buddhahood, the Bodhi path, so that each of us can become a Buddha. This is his ultimate goal. We read Lotus Sutra today. What does Lotus Sutra talk about? In fact, to make it simple, if you understand two phrases of Lotus Sutra, then regarding this Lotus sutra, which has a total of seven volumes and 28 chapters, you will be able to have a general idea about what it says, and, for Mahayana Buddhist disciples, what kind of inspiration it brings to our practice? You only need to remember two phrases: "Setup tentative steppingstones and disclose the truth, and lead three into one", two phrases. These two phrases are the core of Lotus Sutra, the essence of Lotus Sutra. All twenty-eight chapters of the entire sutra develop discussion around the two phrases. What do these two phrases mean? "Setup tentative steppingstones and disclose the truth", the Buddha taught many methods, like three yanas, five yanas. Savaka and Pratyekabuddha the Buddha taught were tentative steppingstones, a skillful strategy. The "Buddha yana only" method the Buddha taught was a truth. If you have read Lotus Sutra, Lotus Sutra clearly points out, "In all places, there is no two or three yanas, but a Buddha yana only." Only Buddha yana is true. Other yanas, like Savaka, Pratyekabuddha, human, and heaven, are not. If we want to be human beings, what should we do? We must practice the Five Precepts diligently throughout our lives. If you cultivate the Five Precepts well, then you have a great chance of being a human in your next life. If we want to be born in heaven, then we must cultivate the Ten Virtues. Human yana, heaven yana, Savaka, and Pratyekabuddha yanas are all tentative and skillful teachings taught by the Buddha. We know that when the Buddha preached sutras, he always taught in accordance with audience's roots. Because when the Buddha was just enlightened and achieved his Buddhahood, his disciples' roots were very bad, so the Buddha needed to teach them about Savaka, Pratyekabuddha, even human or heaven yana. This was a strategy because sentient beings' roots had not yet reached a good point. At that time, if the Buddha had taught a Mahayana method of Buddha yana only, his disciples would have had no chance to understand it. Those Savaka disciples could only understand the Buddha's two-yana methods. If the Buddha had taught them the great One-yana method, then these Savaka disciples would have been like "deaf and dumb", like a dumb or a deaf, and they would not have known what the Buddha had talked about. So, in order to teach in accordance with beings' roots and aptitudes, you see that the Buddha was very merciful and compassionate, when he first started preaching, he gradually cultivated sentient beings' roots, talked about Savaka, Pratyekabuddha, even human and heaven yanas first. Then when our sentient beings' roots slowly and gradually matured, the Buddha finally taught us a Mahayana method - Lotus Sutra. We read this Lotus Sutra. Lotus Sutra was taught by the Buddha when he was about to reach Nirvana at the end. The Buddha had been teaching for so many years, why didn't he teach Lotus Sutra to those disciples in the early days? It was because in the early days, those disciples had very bad roots and could not accept Mahayana methods. So, what the Buddha taught in the early days was all about Savaka. He taught Savakas the Four Noble Truths: suffering, origin of suffering, cessation, and path. He taught Pratyekabuddhas the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination: ignorance, volitional action, conditioned consciousness, name-and-form, the six senses, sense impressions, feelings, desire, attachment, becoming, birth, aging and death. He taught Bodhisattvas the Six Perfections. To teach Bodhisattvas the Six Perfections, it was necessary to wait for all disciples until their roots were mature before the Buddha finally taught the One-yana method. The reason why we can read Lotus Sutra here today is that we are all practitioners on the Mahayana Bodhisattva path. If you did not have good roots of Mahayana, or causes and conditions accumulated over lives and kalpas, I tell you fellow practitioners: You wouldn't be able to read Lotus Sutra here today, or come here and listen to my teachings to bring you into the world of wondrous Dharma. You wouldn't be able to enter. Because you did not have a good root or the blessing, even if people told you, you just wouldn't understand, you would slander. As Mahayana Buddhist disciples, we can encounter the Dharma in this life, listen to the teachings of good tutors, and be able to read Mahayana Lotus Sutra, I tell you fellow practitioners that these are really due to the good roots, blessings, and causes and conditions we have accumulated over lives and kalpas. Today is the first day of the new year. As Buddhist disciples, we need to make a great determination. To develop a great determination is to develop a mind of the Bodhisattva, to seek to move forward and to enlighten the backward, not for our own happiness but for beings to be free from sufferings. In this world, Buddhism is so good, while people with evil knowledge and opinions are so many. In the world there are so many sentient beings, who create karma, then suffer, and finally reincarnate, over and over again. It is because of their ignorance. If they can hear the Dharma, hear Mahayana, if they can hear Lotus Sutra, then they will be able to cut off evil and do good, and from then on, practice on the Bodhisattva path. Therefore, as Mahayana Buddhist disciples, we have obligations and responsibilities. We need to make great determinations to promote the Dharma and share this Wondrous Dharmic Lotus Sutra with those who are ready. Let all the sentient beings, both ready and not ready, hear Lotus Sutra, take them into the world of wondrous Dharma, and since then, leave the pain of birth and death and obtain the joy of liberation. This is a common goal for all of us. Due to time constraints, I just simply gave a few words to everyone. Namaste, Amitabha!