序
Preface
創辦人的叮嚀與囑咐
所內全體大眾惠鑒：
我雖每三個月要離國一趟，而在我的生命中最要緊的事，乃在培育優秀的人才。教育工作是任何工作所不及的急務，沒有人才就沒有前途的希望，今天若不培養人才，明天就沒有立足的餘地。特別是我們中國的佛教，尤感迫切。否則我們的下一代即會數典忘祖，何況宋明以下的中國佛教，早已落於民間信仰的層次，僅存其名目而已失去其內涵，以致被社會大眾視為迷信，僧尼地位低落，經論淪於塵封，鄰國日本，人才輩出，來為我國整理保存，並被彼邦識者浩歎；謂我國佛教，除葬儀超渡，最多是有幾位講經法師，能有學問及學術基礎者，為鳳毛麟角。
佛教的隋唐盛世因不復現，雖宋明的小康亦成歷史陳跡，我佛教徒固不應以學問為唯一要務，更宜重於佛陀悲智的踐履，然而定學與慧學無實，戒學亦僅存名目的形式，其謂重於實踐，豈非空虛之詞?故盼本所同學體念今日的教運，奮起昔世善根宿願，全力以赴。
順祝慧安
一九八六．十．廿七
本所的諸位同學：
我出國已一個半月，對諸同學的道心、健康、學業，則時在念中，願三寶及龍天護法，給諸位同學信心、悲願、毅力。
今日佛教式微，正法陵替，不僅中國如此，走出國際，感受越深。乃以弘化人才之不足，語文才能之缺乏，我國佛教的荒蕪，尤盛於其他地區之佛教，不及日本，不及東南亞諸國，也不及西藏。而中國人口超過十一億，大陸佛教的復興及臺灣佛教趕上時代的世界步伐，尚在啟蒙階段，諸位有其深厚善根福德，我們得有同學互助、努力為教的因緣，深感欣慰。
求學時代是幸運的，但也是艱苦的，尤其本所為了使得我國的佛教水準，早日趕上先進諸國，故在語文工具方面特別重視，對諸同學而言，暫時的壓力，會帶來他日的便利。今後的文化，必將是世界性的，若僅能使用本國語文，等於大半文盲，若不能查對佛典原文─梵、巴、藏資料，難免閉門造車。可是我們的時代，已不許我們走回唐宋以迄明清那樣自圓其說、拆字解義的舊路了！所以連印順長老的晚期著作中，也常徵引梵、巴原文。
佛教的人才是要從各方面培養的，本所也正努力培養各種人才。唯其基礎的研究方法，以及基本的佛學知識、正確的佛學觀點必須具備。否則也許可能成為一般的傳教師或寺院的行政人員，卻難以受到高水準的學界認同，也就不易影響時代的風氣。但願諸位同學都將是推動正法之輪，扭轉世界逆流的龍象。
我曾說過：龍的幼年像蛇，鳳的幼年像雞，獅的幼年似狗。我自己的童年是弱智，艾森豪將軍在軍校畢業時幾乎是榜末。所以諸位同學既是經過本所考試合格而入學的，千萬不要以目前的功課緊密而懷疑自己的學習能力及學習趣味，致有挫折感及無聊感而萌生退志，或自我煩惱。人在成長過程中，這種苦悶、無奈、無助的心理反應，正好表示著自己正在努力前進，正好表示對於潛在智力的激發及生命光輝的鼓揚，山窮水盡、此路不通的困境，其實就是.迴路轉、柳暗花明的契機。
現代青年，最好不要學美國的自我主義，尤其我中國的佛教青年，當學日本的群體觀念。美國青年發展自我，結果造成隨波逐流。好的學校科系，很少美國青年，倒是中、日、韓及東方學生佔多。日本青年有為其國族及社會或所屬團體的適切需要而應召受訓或留學深造，所以造成其國力的強盛。儒聖謂「君子不器」，即是青年期的可塑性高，中年以後的適應性強。三界如火宅，願諸同學是全能的消防員；今日的佛教，救亡圖存急如燃眉，宜皆有捨我其誰的悲心大願。世間沒有生來就是木匠或鐵匠的人，三百六十行，都是從磨鍊學習中成功的。
中國佛教自宋以下，便如江河的走勢，日漸衰落，原因在於菩提心的定義變質，認為自了自隱便是修道的標準。所以往往將懈怠視為修禪定，逃避看作修淨土，山居木食為有道行，忽視人間疾苦，不管佛法凋零，還以為是與世無爭的道心。其實佛陀為憐憫眾生的苦厄而發心，玄奘為佛法未明於漢地而西行。諸位同學若不趁年輕力壯求法學法，因緣稍縱即逝，後悔莫及。
佛教的優秀青年，切勿誤解「道心」及「修行」。諸位知道嗎？道心若無正見，求升反墮；修行若無菩提心，即同邪行。何況道心及修行，沒有客觀的標準，故可能自欺欺人，有的到老無成，有的則欺世盜名，真能夠自利又利人的例子很少。唯有以經教的深入，藉以初得聞慧，再從弘化的歷練，乃能消化三藏備於一己的心性，那就是遊心法海，廣大自在了。聞慧不足，徒謂修行，乃佛所訶的啞羊之輩。
十一月十四日我訪問了密西根大學，並代表本所與該校佛教文學研究所簽訂合作契約。該所四位教授，不論研究何種領域的佛教學問，都充滿著信心，鼓足了願心，也殷切的盼望本所的優秀同學去利用他們的教育及研究的環境，他們若非修密即是修禪，均有相當的修持經驗。我要說的是唯有學與行相應並重，始能重振隋唐佛教的雄風。同學們：勿考慮個人的趣味及資質問題，讓心胸裝進全體的佛教及無邊的佛法，把眼光看向可憐的眾生和苦難的世界，盡心盡力投注我們的努力──菩提心。
一九九○年十二月三日，紐約深夜
佛研所是法鼓山的靈魂所在
我是你們的老師，我是要掌握我們研究所的方向、精神、原則，雖然我很少跟你們接觸，但是我隨時都在關心著。關心著我們研究所同學身體的健康、心理的狀況以及老師們教書時與同學的互動狀況，因為中華佛研所是我們法鼓山的靈魂所在。怎麼講呢？因為法鼓山的起源是研究所，還有法鼓山的理念是在「教育」，其核心也是在佛研所。
目前佛研所已培養出不少人才，各在自己的崗位默默奉獻付出，並且出版許多刊物、舉辦學術會議、學術交流，在台灣、大陸、國際方面都有貢獻與影響力。另外，已有十來位學生在國際的大學攻讀學位時受到重視，這是本所老師的教學成果，也是我的辦學方針與理念。現在每屆的學生都很優秀，到現在來投考的學生也都還非常優秀，因為佛研所的師資、環境、設備，在華人的領域，要像法鼓山這樣是沒有的！所以大家在法鼓山讀書該是感到光榮，從佛研所畢業也是要感到光榮的！
所以，要愛惜在法鼓山讀書的因緣，愛惜法鼓山這個團體，愛惜法鼓山這個修學環境。這是我要提醒你們的！
節錄自二○○六年九月二十八日「創辦人時間」之開示
Founder's Words of
Encouragement and Exhortation
To all of you at our institute:
Although I travel abroad every three months, my greatest concern in life is to nurture talent. To me, education is a task more urgent than any other. Without a reservoir of talent, there is a bleak prospect for the future. This is particularly true for Chinese Buddhism, which is in a desperate situation. If we do not nurture talent today, we will have no place to stand tomorrow, and our next generation of practitioners will forget their origins. Moreover, since the Song and Ming dynasties, Buddhism in China has degenerated into a folk religion. By that I mean it exists nominally but has lost its substance, and so has been regarded as superstition by the general public. As a result, the status of Buddhist monks and nuns is downplayed, and the Buddhist texts end up being shelved.
Meanwhile, our neighbor Japan enjoys an abundance of talent, who in turn devote themselves to organizing and conserving our Buddhist texts. As a result, Buddhist scholars in Japan often comment that Chinese Buddhism is only about chanting and performing funeral services. At most, these critics say, some monastics can explain the sutras, but there are a scarce few who are really knowledgeable and have an academic background.
The causes and conditions for the flourishing of Buddhism in the Sui and Tang dynasties will never appear again; the prosperity Buddhism enjoyed in the Song and Ming dynasties is already history. Of course, Buddhists should not take mastering Buddhist knowledge as their only mission, but should instead stress putting the Buddha’s compassion and wisdom into practice. Nevertheless, without the study of samadhi and wisdom, and with preceptual study only a formality, speaking of putting more emphasis on practice and realization is empty talk.
So I hope all of you will keep foremost in mind the development of Buddhism in today’s world, and use your good karmic roots and virtuous capacity to strive with all your strength.
I wish you wisdom and peace.
Sheng Yen
October 27, 1986
Dear students of the Institute of Buddhist Studies,
After being abroad for six weeks, every moment that I am here I am most concerned about your determination on the Path, your health, and your studies. May the Three Jewels and the Dharma-protecting nagas and devas help you with your faith, compassionate vows, and perseverance.
Today, Buddhism is in a downturn and the correct Dharma is in decline. It is not only so in China; I feel it is especially true in the global arena. Because of a shortage of talent and language skills for spreading the Dharma, Buddhism in Taiwan is destitute, more seriously than in other regions, lagging behind Japan, Southeast Asia, and Tibet as well. With a total population of over 1.1 billion, China is seeing a revival of Buddhism. In Taiwan, Buddhism is catching up with the current era and global development, but it is still in its beginning stages. You all have deep virtuous capacity and blessings to help each other as fellow students, and to work hard for the Buddha’s teachings and diligently seek the Dharma. And I am really happy about that.
It is fortunate when someone can dedicate a time in their life for Buddhist studies, but it can be difficult too. To raise the level of Buddhism in Taiwan up to that of other developed countries, we need to emphasize language skills and study tools. You will find that enduring temporary pressures today will help you on some other day. In the future, cultures will definitely become international. If you know only your native language, you will be semi-illiterate most of the time. If you are not able to refer to the original Buddhist texts in Sanskrit, Pali, or Tibetan, you will very likely become enclosed in your own domain. However, we can no longer go back to the old ways, of the Tang and Song through the Ming and Qing dynasties, in which people tended to give convenient explanations of texts, and determined their meaning through Chinese etymology. That is why in his later works and publications, Master Yin Shun frequently cited and quoted original Sanskrit and Pali Buddhist texts.
Buddhist monastic talent should be nurtured from varied aspects, and our Institute is working hard to nurture diverse kinds of talent. The important thing is to learn basic research methods, essential Buddhist knowledge, and the correct views about Buddhism. Otherwise, although you may become an ordinary religious teacher or monastery administrator, you will hardly be recognized by top echelon academic circles and exert significant influence on the social atmosphere of our era. May you all become one who pushes forward the wheel of the right Dharma and makes a difference to the world.
I once said that a young dragon looks like a snake, a young phoenix resembles a chicken, and a little elephant looks no different than a dog. As for me, I was considered retarded in my childhood. And Dwight D. Eisenhower did not graduate from military academy at the top of his class. So, I encourage you to never think of quitting or giving in to affliction, simply because you are frustrated with your learning ability, or bored with your studies. In the process of growing and developing, see your feelings of distress, despair, and helplessness as signs that you are working hard to move forward, rather than seeing them as dead ends. When the road bends, you may find brightness ahead.
Young people today should not imitate the kind of individualism practiced in the United States. Especially, Buddhists in Taiwan and China should learn from the Japanese about their sense of belonging to the group. Many young people in America develop their individuality in such a way that they get lost in the stream. As a result, many good universities and schools have relatively few local American students, while students from Japan, Korea, and other Eastern countries have become relatively more numerous. Young people in Japan can follow their inner call to receive training or study abroad for the sake of their nation, society, and the group they belong to, which helps enhance the power of their nation.
According to Confucianism, learned and virtuous people should not confine themselves merely to one specialty. This implies that a young person should be flexible, and a middle-aged person should be adaptable. The Three Realms can be likened to a burning building, and may you all be like capable firefighters. By analogy, we should feel an urgency and initiate a great vow to save the burning building from destruction. There are no born carpenters and blacksmiths; whichever profession we choose, success comes from hard training and learning.
Since the Song dynasty, Chinese Buddhism has suffered a downturn and decline due to the misunderstanding of the meaning of bodhi-mind. Many practitioners regard self-liberation and seclusion as the very guidelines for cultivating the Path. Many people mistake laxity as cultivating meditative concentration, escapism as cultivating the Pure Land, living in the mountains on coarse food as the guideline for cultivation, and ignoring suffering in the world and the decline of Buddhadharma as a mark of a renunciate pursuing the Path. In fact, the Buddha pitied all beings and therefore resolved to attain buddhahood. Seeing that Buddhadharma was not yet fully illuminated in China, Master Xuanzhuang traveled to India. If one does not cherish the opportunity to seek and study the Dharma while young and healthy, once the causes and conditions slip away, it is too late for regret.
Young Buddhist talent should never confuse the “mind pursuing the Path” with the “cultivation of the Path.” Be aware, if one has the mind pursuing the Path without the right view, one will regress instead of advance; if one cultivates the Path without embracing bodhi-mind, one's cultivation will amount to evil deeds. Moreover, since there is no objective standard to judge one's mind pursuing the Path and one's cultivation of the Path, one may deceive oneself and others. With that, some may grow old achieving nothing; some may keep on confusing the world fishing for fame, and there will be few who can genuinely benefit themselves and others. Only by delving into the Buddhist texts to first gain wisdom, and then training oneself to spread and popularize the Dharma, and finally incorporating the Tripitaka into one's nature, can one truly act freely and spontaneously in the ocean of dharmas. But if one lacks the wisdom that can be gained through study and merely stresses cultivation, one will become what the Buddha renounced as “the sort who is like a stupid goat.”
On November 14, at the University of Michigan, I signed an agreement with their Institute of Buddhist Culture on behalf of our Institute. Regardless of their specialty, the four professors of that Institute were full of confidence and resolution, and hoped that our outstanding students would take advantage of their educational and research environment. The professors practice either esoteric or Chan Buddhism, and are all quite experienced practitioners. The point I want to make is that only by emphasizing both studies and practice can we possibly start to revive Chinese Buddhism to the glory it once enjoyed in the Sui and Tang dynasties.
Dear students, stop considering your personal interest and talent; instead take Buddhism and the Buddhadharma as a whole into your heart, lay your eyes on the suffering of sentient beings and the endangered world, and plunge your mind and effort into work hard—for bodhi-mind.
Sheng Yen
in New York
on a midnight of December, 1990
As your mentor, it is my task to guide the direction of research, the spirit, and the principles of our Institute. Although I am not often in contact with you, I am always concerned about you, about your health and mental state, and the interaction between our faculty and our students. This is something I value very much. Though I am often out of touch with you, still, I am very concerned about our Institute because it is the soul of Dharma Drum Mountain. I say that because the establishment of Dharma Drum Mountain can be traced back from the Institute. Also, the ideal of DDM lies in education, with its core in the Institute. So far, the Institute has nurtured many talented academics who have contributed in their positions by publishing articles and journals, organizing conferences and exchange activities, and having had substantial influence in Taiwan, China, and the international arena. Moreover, over ten of our students have gained notice while studying for a degree at international universities. This reflects the fruit of our faculty’s teaching, and also the direction and ideal with which I organize education. Our students every year are exceptional, and we still have excellent prospective students. This is because the faculty, the environment, and the facilities our Institute enjoys are hardly available elsewhere in the global Chinese community. Therefore, everyone should feel privileged to study at DDM, and to be able to graduate from our Institute of Buddhist Studies.
So, do cherish the causes and conditions that allow you to study at DDM; do cherish DDM as a community; and do cherish the learning environment DDM provides you. This is what I would like to remind you of.
(A speech given by Master Sheng Yen at the Founder’s Time on September 28, 2006)
