(4) Xuecheng Da Heshang – Character to Doctrine Segue

This is the fourth page of interlinear translations of introductory material about Xuecheng Da Heshang, of which the complete Chinese source can be found here:

Intro to Xuesheng Da Heshang

I intend to translate every bit of this material. These are my previously translated three pages:

(1) Xuecheng Da heshang’s Early Life

(2) Xuecheng Da Heshang’s Curriculum Vitae

(3) Xuecheng Da Heshang – Character Delineation

法师非常重视对经律论的闻思，总是在繁忙的事务之余，挤出时间广阅三藏，尤其是《华严经》、《法华经》、《大宝积经》、《涅槃经》、《大般若经》、《净土五经》、《六祖坛经》、《四分律藏》、《南山三大部》、《大智度论》、《中论》、《慈氏五论》、《菩提道次第广论》、《四分律比丘戒讲义》等，更是反复研读。法师对戒律、净土、俱舍、道次第都有深刻和独到的研究与体会，能够举一反三、触类旁通。法师在勤修佛学之暇也研读《古兰经》等其他宗教的经典，他认为佛教应对其他宗教持包容、对话、交流的态度。对于中国传统文化著作，如《十三经》、《四书》、《二十四史》等，他也花了许多时间和精力钻研，并能够与佛法融会贯通。

Dharma Master greatly emphasizes the consideration of scripture and commentary, and always in lefover time in his busy schedule, he squeezes in time to broadly read the Tripitaka, especially the Hua Yan Sutra, the Lotus Sutra, the Great Precious Knowledge Sutra, the Nirvana Sutra, the Mahaprajnyaparamita Sutras, the five Pure Land Sutras, the Sixth Patriarch’s Platform Sutra, the Four-Part Vinanya Pitika, the Nan Shan Three Great Sections, the Mahaprajnyaparamita Shastra, the Zhong Lun, the Five Commentaries on Maitreya, the Broad Sequential Commentary on the Bodhisattva’s Path, Teaching Materials on the Vinaya Pitiaka, etc., and furthemore, he has reapeatedly studied and researched them. Dharma Master is profoundly and uniquely knowlegeable and realized with respect to Precepts, Pure Land, Renunciation, and the stages of the Path, and he can contrast one with the other three, and differentiate between them. In his leisure from studying Buddhism, Dharma Master has also studied the scriptures of other religions such as the Koran, and he recognizes that Buddhism should maintain an attitude of tolerance, dialogue, and fellowship with other religions. With respect to the wwritings in China’s cultural tradition, such as the Thirteen Confucian Classics, the Four Books, the Twenty-Four Histories, and so forth, he has also spent a great deal of time vigorously studying them, and furthermore, he can meld and link them together with Buddhism.

十几年来，法师撰写了近百万字的论文，如《宗教是人类从蒙昧走向文明的重要标志》、《共享宗教智慧共享安全和平》、《紧握宗教智慧·铸就和谐世界》、《和谐世界·从心开始》、《宗教关注全球化问题》、《对新世纪中国宗教的一些思考》、《福建佛教的过去与未来》、《漫谈佛教人才建设》、《略论中国佛教的文化建设》、《现代丛林生活的趋势》、《佛教世俗化倾向的思考》、《佛教的和平观》、《人类道德危机与宗教伦理关怀》、《应当充分发挥宗教在构建和谐社会中的作用》、《让世界因多元宗教的存在而更加和谐更加美丽》等近百篇文章，发表在《亚洲论坛》、《人民政协报》、《中国民族报》、香港《大公报》、香港《文汇报》、《中国宗教》、《佛教文化》、《法音》、《福建宗教》等海内外刊物及《中国网》、《中国新闻网》、《新浪网》、《佛教在线》、《佛教导航》等网站上，受到教内外各界人士的广泛关注。这些论文不仅反映出法师对佛教内部事务的了解，也展现出他对国家大事及世界和谐问题的敏锐洞察力。

In this over ten years, Dharma Master composed papers amounting to close to one million words, such as “Religion is an important indicator of mankind’s journey from ignorance to civilization,” “Share the wisdom of religion, share peace and safety,” “Hold tight to the wisdom of religion, and cast an harmonious world,” “An harmonious world begins in the mind,” “The problem of religion closely giving attention to the transformation of the whole world,” “Some considerations about Chinese religion in the new century,” “The past and future of Fujian Buddhism,” “Vain discussions about building up Buddhist human potential,” “A general discussion of culture-building in Chinese Buddhism,” “Modern era tendencies in monastery life,” “A consideration of the Buddhist world’s trend toward layicization,” “Buddhism’s pacificism,” “Mankind’s moral crisis and Buddhism’s solicitude about ethics,” “It is necessary to thoroughly bring about religion’s use in constructing an harmonious society,” “Making the world more harmonious and more beautiful because of the existence of religious pluralism,” and so forth, nearly one hundred articles, published in “Asian Forum,” “People’s Consultative Committee Newspaper,” “Chinese National Minority Newspaper,” Hong Kong’s “Da Gong Bao,” Honk Kong’s “Wen Hui Bao,” “Chinese Religion,” “Buddhist Culture,” “Dharma Sound,” “Fujian Religion,” etc. In China and abroad, he has published on “Chinese Web,” “China News (Service) Web,” “New Wave Web,” “Buddhism Online,” “Buddhist Navigator,” and other Web sites, recieving wide attention from people of all kinds whether in or out of religion. These treatises not only reflect Dharma Master’s understanding of affairs within Buddhism, but also bring out his keen discernment with respect to the problems of great national affairs and ah harmonious world.

法师研究中观、唯识多年，对般若的内涵体会很深。他在一次开示中说：“缘起法的特点就是和合：物与物和合、物与人和合、人与人和合。”

Dharma Master’s central idea, held exclusively for many years, is a deep realization of the meaning of wisdom. One time in a lecture he said: the special point of originating Dharma is agreement: agreement of things with other things, agreement of people with things, and agreement of people with people.

有一天早晨，法师用功后，同侍者随谈起自己的体会：“昨晚与今早，连续读了五个小时的佛经，体会到文字般若的义涵，文字不单是文字，世间书籍的文字是世间法，佛教经典的文字是佛法，都是文字，组成的语句不同，其意义也就不同。能认清文字的意义，回归自性，成为般若，即文字般若。那么，世间法也成了佛法。”

One morning after practicing, Dharma Master talked with his fellow practitiioners about his realization: “In continuously reading Buddhist sutras for five hours from last night to this morning, I realized the meaning of literal wisdom. Words aren’t just words, the literature of the world is the world’s Dharma, and Buddhist sutras are the Buddhadharma. They’re all words, and the phrases they’re made up of are different, and their meaning is also different. If you can see the meaning of the words clearly, and then return to your self-nature, it becomes wisdom, and that is just literal wisdom. In that case, worldly dharma is also Buddhadharma.”

般若讲的是空性，而缘起与性空是一体的两面。法师擅长将佛法的内涵融入大众眼前可以接受的缘起之中。他告诫僧众：持戒有四个关卡：“物欲、亲情、名利、邪见”；修学路上应“不忘宗旨、不忘目标、不忘发心”；现代出家众要具备 “志、道、德、才、学”五种素质；丛林生活“坚持、随众、服从”是灵丹妙药；做执事，要“发大心、讲真话、办实事”；为人处事遇到对方不理解时，要“忍耐、包容、以礼相待、以诚相待”；“如果工作能力不够，就无法应付千变万化的缘起，以后不会做事的人去做事，会做事了应从中超脱出来。”等等。这些听起来很朴实平常的话语，却蕴涵着佛法重要的内涵。

What is discussed in the Prajnyaparamita is that emptiness and what originates in emptiness are two aspects of one reality. Dharma Master is expert at melding the intention fo the Buddhadharma with the origins that can be accepted by the perceptions of the people. He warns the Sangha: in holding precepts, there are four hang-ups: “desire for objects, sentimentality, fame, and false views” ; monastic life’s “strict observance, conformity, and obedience” are wonderful spiritual medicine. In executing affairs, one must “bring forth Bodhicitta, speak true words, and assist real affairs” ; when, in managing things for people, the other party can’t understand, one must “be patient, be tolerant, interact with propriety, interact with honesty and integrity” ; “If the ability to accomplish tasks is not sufficient, so that then there is no way to deal with thousands of originations turning into ten thousands, afterwards, when people who can’t accomplish things proceed, then from their midst those who can accomplish need to transcend out from under them” and so forth. These are very plain and ordinary phrases to hear, but they entail the critical intention of Buddhadharma. ((Frankly, I percieve little here that could be called “plain and ordinary” in terms of the norm, either in Chinese monastic life before the Revolution, or in China’s government since, until Xuecheng Da Heshang started systematically chewing on them in this way. -xp))

法师对缘起把握的精准特别体现在待人方面。与不同人交往时，该说什么话，怎么说，如何应对，法师都极为善巧。如针对寺院的接待工作，法师教导弟子：“来的客人，进不进寺院，要不要倒茶，留不留吃饭，走路时彼此隔几步，里面都有很深的用意。”首届“世界佛教论坛”的机场接待工作中，法师在短短1小时之内，就接待了10位高僧大德。法师对每位大德，都如见故友，以真诚的笑容，热情欢迎，应对进退，不失礼节。因为时间冲突，有二位贵宾没有接应到，险此错过，法师特意紧追二位至出港处，致以迟来的问候及最诚挚的欢迎，令对方非常感动。

Dharma Master’s accuracy at catching origins is particularly manifested in taking care of people. In dealing with different kinds of people, what should be said, and how it should be said, how to respond, Dharma Master is extremely skillful. With respect to the work of welcoming people at the monastery, Dharma Master directs his disciples: “When people come here, whether they enter the monastery or not, whether they drink tea or not, whether they stay to eat or not, to see them off when they leave has a very deep intention.” In the reception of guests at the airport at the time of the “First World Buddhist Forum,” Dharma Master recieved ten high monks and people of great merit in a very short period of one hour. Dharma Master treated each as if he were seeing an old friend, with a sincere and smiling face, and a warm welcome, and in responding to dilemmas, he did not lose courtesy. Because of time conflicts, there were two dignitaries who were not recieved, and because of the danger of the wrong being compounded, Dharma Master specially and urgently pursued them to the harbor area, and extended his delayed respects and sincerely welcomed them, which made them exceptionally grateful.

面对各方的赞叹与嘉许，法师十分谦虚地说：“其实我并没有做什么事，我所做的只是把各方面的善缘凝聚起来成办事情，善业一凝聚，事就成了。”

Faced with admiration and praise from all sides, Dharma Master says with utmost modesty: In reality, I don’t do anything, it’s just that I aggregate the good conditions of every aspect together to help matters, and once the good karma is coagulated, the thing is accomplished.”

“悉不应远诸善士，以调伏理修善行，由近彼故其德尘，虽不故染自然薰。”一次法师带新侍者外出，在返回的前天晚上，法师让侍者收拾行李，侍者因为缺乏经验，所以做得很慢，并且最后有些东西装不下，让这位侍者很发愁。法师见后，将箱中东西全部拿出来重新整合，很快装好了所有物品，整个过程干净利落，一气呵成，令侍者十分佩服。

“One should not be far from good worthies, in order to benefit thier path of good cultivation, because in coming close to them their virtue will be demeaned, but don’t be tainted by egotistism or ignorance.” There was one time when Dharma Master was taking a new practitioner abroad, and on the eving of the day before returning, dharma Master madw him pack up his baggage, but because he lacked experience, the practitioner packed very slowly, and finally some things just wouldn’t fit in. This made that practitioner very worried. When Dharma Master saw this, he took everything back out and rearranged it, and very quickly packed up all of the stuff. It was all done quickly and one stroke, and that practitioner admired it completely.

法师外出参加法务活动时，总会有很多信众想来亲近。如果有人请求合影，法师都会尽量满其所愿，并始终是笑容可掬，神采奕奕，没有丝毫不耐烦的情绪，直到信众开心满足地离开，真可谓：“道盛德至善，民之不能忘也。”

When Dharma Master goes out to participate in Dharma activities, there are always a lot of believers who want to draw close to him. If somebody wants to take his picture, he always wants to fulfill his wishes, and is smiling and polite throughout, to the point that when the happy and satisfied believers leave, they can say: When the abundance of way-virtues is good, the people can’t forget it.”

法师善于与各层次的人交往。在讲话、应对中，总能契理契机地利益到对方。有一次，法师去参加“寺院生活体验营”法会中学员的心得交流，并回答问题，他的儒雅、灵活、庄重和幽默令学员们大开眼界，其中一位学员当场就对法师生起很大的信心，法会结束后就留下来出家了。

Dharma Master is good at associating with people of every level. When he’s speaking, in the midst of responding, he can always take advantage of both principle and opportunity to bring benefit to the other party. There was one time, when Dharma Master went to participate in a “Experience of Monastic Life Camp,” and in the exchange of thoughts with the students in the dharma assembly, his refinement, agility, dignity and humor made the students broaden their vision, and one of those students at that very event concieved great faith in Dharma Master, and after the conclusion of the dharma assembly, he then left home as a monk.

又有一次，一位癌症晚期患者来拜访法师，她对死亡充满了恐惧，于是问法师应如何面对这种心态？法师很轻松地鼓励她：“死没什么好怕的，你做了这么多的功德，正好借此生天享福啊！”她听后心开意解，整个人的精神面貌为之一变。一句话，不在于是否讲得如何好，而在于是否能利益到别人。

One time, a woman suffering from the last stages of cancer went to pay her respects to Dharma Master, and she was full of dread about death. So She asked Dharma Master how one should confront such a mental state. Dharma Master encouraged her in a soothing manner: “There is nothing to fear about death. When you have accomplished this much virtue, it is better to enjoy the prosperity of your (future) birthday (derived) from that.”

法师认为，度众生必须结合众生的根性，才能利益对方。2007年前后，他的《感悟人生》、《苦乐人生》等系列讲座DVD光盘问世。这些开示深入浅出，很实在地指导信众如何把佛法融合到现实生活中。像“欲乐与法乐的省思”、“建立终极信仰的意义”、“寻找生命中的贵人”、“ 生命整体性的意义”、“ 怎样认识病相”、“ 正确辨析心相”、“ 突破个人中心主义”等这些标题，让人一看即能留下深刻的印象。在开示中，他说：“无限生命中有无限的痛苦，也有无限的快乐，如何解决无限的痛苦，获得无限的快乐，就要靠无限的发心！”

Dharma Master thinks that to cross over the masses, it is necessary to be in accordance with their natures, and only then can one benefit the other party. Around 2007, he published a DVD of a series of lectures such as “The Life of Enlightened Feeling,” and “The Life of Joy and Suffering.” These discourses go deep and depart from the shallow, and very practically direct the masses of believers how to meld Buddhadharma together with their actual lives. These subjects like: “Examining Desire and Dharma Joy,” “Establishing the Meaning of Absolute Faith,” “Finding the Precious People in LIfe,” “The Meaning of an Holistic Life,” “How to Recognize the Sisgns of Illness,” “Accurately Discriminating Mental States,” “Breaking through Selfish Individualism,” cause people at first sight to recieve a very profound influence. He said, “In our unlimited lives we have unlimited suffering and unlimited happiness. With respect to how to solve unlimited suffering and gain unlimited happiness, we must rely on unlimited Bodhicitta!”

((English translation to be continued on other pages. -xp))