Yamantaka Fire Puja Teaching 2010
大威德金剛火供法會開示

Taking Refuge

皈依開示

首先請諸位觀想前方虛空中，有以釋迦牟尼佛為主尊的無量諸佛菩薩，然後，思惟輪迴的本質是痛苦，縱然有短暫的安樂，卻不斷變化壞滅，最終仍離不開痛苦，其中，尤以三惡道的痛苦最令人畏懼。為了從無邊的痛苦中解脫，為了獲致究竟的安樂，我們必須依止具足能力救度眾生出離輪迴苦海的依怙主。

First, please visualize in the space before you an infinite assembly of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, with Shakyamuni Buddha as the principal deity. Then, contemplate that the essence of samsara is suffering. Even if there is temporary happiness, it constantly changes and eventually perishes, ultimately leading back to suffering. Among all forms of suffering, the pain of the three lower realms is especially fearsome. In order to be liberated from boundless suffering and attain ultimate happiness, we must rely on a refuge who possesses the ability to save sentient beings from the ocean of samsaric suffering.

唯有人天導師—佛陀、佛陀所傳授的教法、能正確無誤宣說佛法的聖僧三者能救度眾生出離輪迴苦海，成為我們依止的殊勝福田。

Only the teacher of gods and humans—the Buddha, the Dharma taught by the Buddha, and the noble Sangha who correctly expound the Dharma—can save sentient beings from the ocean of samsaric suffering, becoming the supreme field of merit for us to rely upon.

諸位需對佛法僧三寶生起淨信心，祈請三寶接受我們的皈依，並且發願自己要斷惡行善，追隨諸佛菩薩的利生行誼。以此發心，能使上師三寶的加持力，自然無礙地融入於我們的心相續之中，「千江有水千江月」，只要水清無波，即能映照天上的明月。

All of you should generate pure faith in the Three Jewels—the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—and request the Three Jewels to accept our refuge. Furthermore, make the vow to abandon negative actions and practice virtuous deeds, following the altruistic conduct of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. With this motivation, the blessings of the guru and the Three Jewels will naturally and unobstructedly enter our mental continuum. As the saying goes, “When there is water in a thousand rivers, there will be a moon reflected in each.” As long as the water is clear and still, it can reflect the bright moon in the sky.

皈依佛陀之後，應禮敬一切佛菩薩的塑像或畫像，無論此塑畫像是以何種材質製成，諸位皆需視其為佛菩薩的真身。此外，不應再皈依其他其外道的神祇，因為這些神祇自身尚且未從輪迴中解脫，遑論救度其他有情。

After taking refuge in the Buddha, one should pay respect to all statues or images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, regardless of the material they are made from. You should regard them as the true bodies of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Moreover, one should not take refuge in deities of other religions, because these deities themselves have not yet been liberated from samsara, let alone being able to save other sentient beings.

皈依正法之後，應盡力行持利生之事，避免造作傷害其他眾生（特別是殺害生命）之行為。皈依聖僧之後，應時常親近善知識，不斷接受正法的熏習，避免與心懷邪見、不信因果之人過於親近。

After taking refuge in the Dharma, one should strive to engage in activities that benefit sentient beings and avoid actions that harm others, especially killing. After taking refuge in the Sangha, one should frequently associate with spiritual friends, continuously receive the influence of the Dharma, and avoid close association with those who hold wrong views or deny cause and effect.

諸位每日早晚應至少唸誦四皈依（皈依上師、皈依佛、皈依法、皈依僧）三次，如果時間允許，應儘量誦滿十萬八千次。行者一生若能保持對三寶的淨信心，往生時，就能夠憶念三寶，從而往生善趣。

All of you should recite the fourfold refuge (“I take refuge in the guru, I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha”) at least three times every morning and evening. If time permits, one should aim to complete 108,000 recitations. If a practitioner can maintain pure faith in the Three Jewels throughout their life, at the time of death they will be able to remember the Three Jewels and thereby be reborn in a fortunate realm.

以下，上師將口傳六字大明咒與度母心咒。（咒語從略）。

Next, the guru gives the oral transmission of the six-syllable mantra and the Tara heart mantra. (The mantras are omitted here.)

Preliminary Teachings for the Vajrabhairava Purification and Merit Accumulation Fire Offering Ritual

大威德金剛息災增福火供法會前行開示

諸位今日在百忙之中抽空前來參加法會，因緣實為殊勝難得。既然發心參與法會，就需讓此行能有所收穫，使法會能成為一項修行，而不僅止於只是參加法會而已。

All of you have taken time out of your busy schedules to attend this Dharma assembly. This opportunity is truly rare and precious. Since you have made the aspiration to participate in this assembly, it is important to ensure that your participation yields meaningful results, transforming the assembly into a genuine practice rather than merely attending an event.

如何使法會成為一項修行呢？首先，必須修正意念動機—參與法會並非貪求此生的安樂而來，而是為了斷除對此生乃至來世的貪著。

How can we transform the Dharma assembly into a genuine practice? First, we must correct our motivation. Our participation in the assembly should not stem from a desire for temporary happiness in this life but from the aspiration to abandon attachment to this life and future lives.

由於輪迴的本質是痛苦，找不到究竟的安樂，若繼續以殊勝難得的暇滿人身去追逐虛幻的名利，並非明智之舉。唯有斷除對此生及來世的貪著，才能使自身所有的善行成為清淨的修行，真正達到離苦得樂的目標。

Since the essence of samsara is suffering and no ultimate happiness can be found within it, using our precious human life to chase after illusory fame and gain is not wise. Only by abandoning attachment to this life and future lives can all our virtuous actions become pure practices, enabling us to truly achieve the goal of liberation from suffering and attainment of happiness.

此外，我們必須思惟有情眾生都是渴求安樂並厭棄痛苦，卻因為受到無明的牽引，而不斷造作導致痛苦的惡因，以致於痛苦日增，因此，我們必須發願利益其他的眾生。

Moreover, we must reflect that all sentient beings desire happiness and wish to avoid suffering. However, due to being led astray by ignorance, they continuously create negative causes that lead to suffering, causing their pain to increase. Therefore, we must generate the aspiration to benefit other sentient beings.

然而我們雖然有利生的心願，卻由於不具足圓滿的智慧與功德，所以僅止於心想而無法真正成辦利益眾生之事。唯有偉大的人天導師—佛陀真正具足救度眾生離苦得樂的能力，十地菩薩縱然具有不可思議的功德，也尚未圓滿具足救度眾生之能力。是故，我們必須生起「為利眾生願成佛」的菩提心，以此殊勝的發心精進修行，期能早日證悟圓滿佛果，具足能力利益一切眾生。

However, although we may have the wish to benefit sentient beings, we lack the perfect wisdom and merit necessary to actually accomplish this. Only the great teacher of gods and humans—the Buddha—possesses the complete ability to free sentient beings from suffering and lead them to happiness. Even tenth-ground bodhisattvas, though endowed with inconceivable virtues, have not yet fully perfected their ability to save sentient beings. Therefore, we must generate the bodhicitta aspiration: “For the sake of benefiting sentient beings, I vow to attain Buddhahood.” With this supreme motivation, we must diligently practice, aspiring to quickly realize the perfect state of Buddhahood and thereby gain the ability to benefit all sentient beings.

輪迴的一切痛苦來自於眾生心相續中的業與煩惱，眾生所面臨的一切苦難，乃是業與煩惱的具體顯現。業與煩惱的根源乃是無明，所謂無明是指有情眾生不能正確的認知諸法無自性（一切現象、事物皆是因緣和合而成，不是恆常、真實不變的存在）的真諦，將虛幻的現象執著為真實。其中，最主要的執著乃是對於自我的執著。

All the suffering of samsara arises from the karma and afflictions present in the mental continuum of sentient beings. The hardships faced by sentient beings are the concrete manifestations of karma and afflictions. The root cause of karma and afflictions is ignorance. Ignorance refers to sentient beings’ inability to correctly recognize the truth that all phenomena lack inherent existence—they arise through dependent origination and are not permanent or inherently real. Among these, the primary form of clinging is self-grasping.

由於眾生具有我執的習氣，故對喜愛的現象生起貪愛，對厭惡的現象生起瞋恨，由此陷入不斷造作惡業與承受痛苦的惡性循環之中。我執是修行者的大敵，必須傾注心力、努力對治。欲斷除我執，必須證悟空性。

Because sentient beings possess the habitual tendency of self-grasping, they develop attachment to what they like and aversion to what they dislike, thus falling into a vicious cycle of creating negative karma and experiencing suffering. Self-grasping is the greatest enemy of practitioners and must be countered with focused effort. To eliminate self-grasping, one must realize emptiness.

在諸佛菩薩之中，與空性智慧相對應的本尊是文殊菩薩，文殊菩薩是諸佛智慧總集之示現，以文殊菩薩作為觀修之本尊，最能迅速斷除我執。大威德金剛是文殊菩薩示現的極忿怒相，本尊示現忿怒相的對象是眾生心相續中的我執，為了調伏眾生的我執習氣，所以本尊示現如此忿怒的形象。

Among the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, the yidam corresponding to the wisdom of emptiness is Manjushri. Manjushri embodies the collective wisdom of all the Buddhas, and meditating on him as one’s yidam is the most effective way to swiftly eliminate self-grasping. Vajrabhairava is the extremely wrathful manifestation of Manjushri. The wrathful aspect of the yidam specifically targets the self-grasping tendencies in the mental continuum of sentient beings. In order to subdue the habitual tendencies of self-grasping, the yidam appears in this fierce form.

大威德金剛是無上瑜伽密續的本尊，以其密續中五種瑜伽的修持而聞名，五種瑜伽獨見於大威德金剛密續，是本尊密續特為殊勝之處。行者有幸參與大威德金剛火供法會，必須發願淨除自己與一切眾生的我執習氣，以及由此引發的業與煩惱。

Vajrabhairava is a yidam of the Anuttarayoga Tantra, renowned for the practice of the five yogas unique to his tantra. These five yogas are a distinctive feature of the Vajrabhairava Tantra. Practitioners who are fortunate enough to participate in the Vajrabhairava fire offering ceremony must generate the aspiration to purify their own and all sentient beings’ habitual tendencies of self-grasping, as well as the karma and afflictions arising from them.

我們可以觀想自身與眾生的業與煩惱融入於法會的供品之中，供品經由與本尊無二無別的上師加持，轉變為甘露，再供養壇城中的本尊。本尊壇城上方有無量諸佛菩薩的壇城，本尊壇城周圍及下方有無數的非人眾生，行者供養壇城中的本尊之後，接著供養諸佛菩薩及無量眾生，令本尊、諸佛菩薩心生歡喜，眾生以此智慧甘露的加持能離苦得樂、往生善趣。

We can visualize our own and others’ karma and afflictions merging into the offerings of the assembly. Through the blessings of the guru, who is inseparable from the yidam, the offerings are transformed into nectar and then offered to the yidam in the mandala. Above the yidam’s mandala are infinite mandalas of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, while around and below the mandala are countless non-human beings. After offering to the yidam in the mandala, practitioners proceed to offer to the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and limitless sentient beings, bringing joy to the yidam and the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Through the blessings of this wisdom nectar, sentient beings can be freed from suffering, attain happiness, and be reborn in fortunate realms.

藉由如此觀修能令自他一切有情，皆能同時淨除罪障與積聚資糧，使法會與修行合而為一，諸位必能不虛此行。

Through such visualization, both oneself and all sentient beings can simultaneously purify negativities and accumulate merit, integrating the Dharma assembly with personal practice. Thus, your participation in this assembly will surely not be in vain.

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