(3) Xuecheng Da Heshang – Character Delineation

For the completed Chinese source to this and previous pages, please see: Intro to Xuesheng Da Heshang

English translations of previous material in that account are contained in these two pages:

Xuecheng Da heshang’s Early Life

Xuecheng Da Heshang’s Curriculum Vitae

学修一体 内充外显
Studying and practicing with the whole being, what pervades the inside manifests outside.

戒的特质是破烦恼，得到内在的调伏与清凉，只有自己先调伏了，才能进一步去帮助别人。法师曾说：“我在做方丈之前，几年内都很少讲话，默默地为常住付出，久而久之，自己的散乱心、傲慢心、狂妄心等杂念都被磨掉了。”他还经常在晚上作自我反省，思考今天有没有做错事？错在哪里？有没有代人着想？明天如何改善等等。由于长年累月的用功，便得法师讲话一般都不会损恼到对方。僧众与他交流心得时，也总愿意把心里话谈出来，和法师分享，寻求指导。大家都很好乐亲近这位慈悲的“长者”，只要在他身边，就会觉得很舒服。他有一种亲和力和吸引力，使亲近他的人在潜移默化之中就能得到成长。有人问这是什么力量？法师说：“把自己的身份放低——众生平等嘛！”

The essential value of precepts is to destroy vexation. Having attained internal submission and purity, only having first subdued oneself, can one then go forward in helping others. Dharma Master has said, “Before I became an Abbot, for several years I said very little, but silently put forth effort for the constantly-abiding (Sangha), for longer and longer, (until) my own scattered and confused thoughts, arrogant thoughts, wild thoughts, and all such miscellaneous mental foci were all polished off.” He also regularly self-inpected for egoity in the evening, considering: “Did I do anything wrong today? Where did I go wrong? Did I think on behalf of others or not? How can I reform tomorrow?” etc. As a result, this diligence from month to month through the entire year made Dharma Master totally unable to vex his counterpart while talking. When the Sangha was exhanging thoughts with him, he was always willing to speak forth his thoughts, to share with the dharma masters, and to seek guidance. Everyone was very happy to come close to this compassionate “mature one,” and just being beside him, one then was able to feel very comfortable. He has a power of intimacy and attractiveness, which makes those who draw near to him able to arrive at maturity in the midst of the latent quietening. Some ask: “What kind of capacity is this?” Dharma Master says: “Place your own position at the bottom — for the sake of the equality of all sentient beings!” ((+ Untranslatable interrogative indicator, which essentially means “Why do I have to even mention this, please? Are we on the same page yet, precious Sangha?” -xp)).

生活上，他从不摆排场，不管去何处都是背着一个黄香袋。他常说：“我不是来享受的，而是来护持道场的。”法师的日常饮食也很简单。他曾讲：“吃得好，睡得好，一个人就没有灵魂了，物质享受多了，就忘失了宗旨目标，迷失了生命方向。”

With respect to lifestyle, for the sake of not dominating the arena, no matter where he goes, he just totes a monk’s yellow incense bag. He often says, “I do not come for enjoyment, I come to support the way-place.” Dharma Master’s daily food is also very simple. He has said, “If one eats well, and sleeps well, a person then has no spirit; if there is too much enjoyment in material things, he then loses basic goal-orientation, and the direction of destiny is lost in confusion.

法师虽然身居高位，得到众多的赞誉，却一直礼贤谦下，从不标榜自己的功德。有一次，一位弟子写了一篇心得，赞叹法师功德，法师阅后说：“其实我没有那么大的功德，你们把我当成一个境界，从中学习、体会佛法，是你们的功德。”

Although Dharma Master occupies a high position, and has attained much praise from the masses, nevertheless is thoroughly polite and modest, in order not to tout his own merit. One time a disciple wrote an exposition highly praising Dharma Master’s merit, and Dharma Master said, “In reality, I don’t have such great merit. All of you should make me a point of view, and study from it, to realize Buddhadharma, and this is your merit.

又一次，一位网友在法门寺网站上，诋毁法师的所做不如理，侍者发现后向法师报告，并将材料递给法师过目。法师只看了一下，便放在了一边，对侍者说：“人总是有烦恼的，我们做的事情，于国、于民、于教都有利，还有什么可担心的呢？”内心面对逆境不为所动，才是真正的淡泊名利，才是真正的调伏。

There was a time when an internet acquaintance vilified Dharma Master for being unprincipled, and after the admin discovered this, he reported it to Dharma Master and gave him the material to look over. Dharma Master glanced at it, and then put it to one side, saying to the admin: “All people can have vexations. What we do for the country, for the people, or for religion all has benefit. What else is there to worry about? It is only not being affected by internal and external adversities that is frank and forthright name and fame, and that is being truly civilized.”

法师不仅重视个人的行持，还积极倡导戒法的弘传。他曾语重心长地说：“佛法不弘，是因为戒律废弛!”

Dharma Master not only emphasizes the support of every person’s path, he also energetically promotes the transmission of the Precepts. He fundamentally and broadly has said: “If the Buddhadharma is not expansive, it’s because the Precepts are corrupted!”

在福建佛学院，法师曾亲自为学僧讲授《四分律比丘戒》课程。在他住持的道场里，僧众都依佛制每半月诵戒，并于每年四月十五至七月十五结夏安居。在传授三坛大戒法会中，法师多次担任得戒和尚，或三师中其他二师。他还不辞辛劳地到国外广弘戒法，例如2005年将大乘戒法首次传到印度尼西亚，这是印尼500年来第一次传授大乘戒法。对于在家居士，法师多年来频繁传授三皈、五戒、菩萨戒，善巧引导俗众。

At the Fujian Buddhist Academy, Dharma Master personally teaches the “Four-Part Monastic Precepts” class. In the Dharmakshetras where he is the chief priest, The Sangha is organized to take Refuge and chant the Precepts every half month (lunar), and goes into autumn Retreat from the 15th of the 4th lunar month to the 15th of the 7th lunar month. In the Three Platform Great Precepts Assembly, Dharma Master usually takes charge of those who recieve precepts, or is the second among their three masters. Also, making nothing of the hardships, he propagates the Precepts abroad, such as in 2005, transmitting the Mahayana Precepts for the first time to Indonesia, which was the first time the Mahayana Precepts had been transmitted to Indonesia in 500 years. With respect to those practicing at home, Dharma Master frequently gives Refuge, the Five Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, skillfully leading ordinary people.

法师在中国佛教协会任职之后，主管推动全国各地的规范传戒工作，更加积极致力于恢复全国范围内僧众佛子的半月如法诵戒及结夏安居，如1996年在广化寺举办了历时108天的规范传戒法会。道宣律祖云：“佛法二宝，赖僧弘传，僧宝住世，非戒不立。”法师此举在当代佛教史中意义深远，对于佛法的重兴与弘传，将起到不可估量的作用。

After dharma Master took on his position at the China Buddhist Association, he mainly was concerned with the work of pushing standard Precept transmission in every area of the whole country, and more energetically endeavored to reinstate the semi-monthly chanting of Precepts and the autumn Retreat among the Buddhasangha on a national scale. The legal patriarch Taoxuan said: ‎With respect to the two Treasures of the Buddha and the Dharma being transmitted by blameworthy Sangha, (even) the Treaure of the Sangha (itself) cannot abide in the world without Precepts.” That the Dharma Master thus flourishes in the history of this era’s Buddhism has profound meaning, to the extent of inconcievable effect with respect to the great flourishing and broad transmission of the Buddhadharma.

法师曾说：“定就是寂静，是内心的专注。但这种专注又不是一潭死水，面对外境时内心应是十分敏感，十分灵活的。制心一处，无事不办。”

Dharma Master has said: “Samadhi is stillness. It is the exclusive concentration in the innermost mind. But this kind of exclusive concentration is not a pool of stagnant water. when confronting the outer world, the response of the inner mind is most sensitive, and most lively and spirited. It organizes the whole mind, and there is no affair that cannot be handled.”

有一次在广化寺，法师召集所有执事开会，大家轮流发言，反映问题，陈述各自的想法。各位执事都讲完后，法师总结开示，其中阐发了自己的观点，并同时回答了每一位执事提出的问题。

On one occasion, Dharma Master called all the deacons together in a meeting, and everbody spoke alternately, in response to (his) questions, each stating his opinion. When all the deacons had finished, Dharma Master gave a summary exposition, expressing his own point of view, and at the same time he answered every one of the questions brought forth by the deacons.

法师法务繁忙，日理万机，却丝毫不放松对经论的闻思。法师曾说：“在任何繁忙的时候，都能静下心来看书”。动中能静，这是定力的体现。即便出国，法师也总是会带书，在工作空闲时拿来阅读，只是利用空档时间，一本厚厚的书就能看完，并划出其中要点。

Although Dharma Master is very busy with affairs, his day is full of opportunities, and he absolutely does not neglect the consideration of scruptural commentaries. Dharma Master has said: “In every kind of hectic time, one can always settle one’s mind to read.” One can be calm in activity; this is the manifestation of samadhi power. When he goes abroad, Dharma Master always takes books with him, to read during lapses in work. He can read a thick book using miscellaneous spare time, and also scetch out its important points.

法师的念知力极强，他在一次开示中说：“人的生命不是用一年一年，一天一天，一秒一秒来计算的，而是要从当下念念分明去把握。我们的生命，希求的是什么？远离的是什么？要很清楚。”法师在中国佛学院读书时，曾用3年时间持诵了10万遍《大悲咒》。弟子们请益法师：“您在持咒时是如何用功的？”他回答：“培养专注。”

Dharma Master’s power of consciousness is exceedingly strong. During one lecture he said: “A person’s life (destiny) is not planned year by year, day by day. or instant by instant, but one must grasp it by understanding every present thought (or tendency). In our life, what is it that we want? What is it that we want to be away from? This must be (made) very clear. When he was studying at the China Buddhist Academy, Dharma Master chanted the Great Compassion Mantra 100,000 times over a course of three years. A disciple ((almost certainly this author -xp)) asked him, “When you were taking the mantra, what effort did you use?” He answered: “Exclusively attending to cultivating.”

面对种种问题时，法师总能准确地做出判断，掌握关键。在首届“世界佛教论坛”开幕的前一天，就开幕式是否搭祖衣的问题，大家一时定不下来。此时法师很善巧地说：“搭衣比较好，服装要统一，令见闻者生信。其实祖衣在过去是见皇帝时才穿的，很尊贵。”国宗局一司司长听后觉得很有道理，马上安排通知说：“明天统一搭祖衣参加开幕式。”

Confronted by every kind of problem, Dharma Master on the whole can come up with an accurate decision, and grasp the critical point. At the first “World Buddhist Conference,” on the opening day, on the question of whether to wear traditional garments or not, the assembly was unable to come to a decision. At that time dharma Master very skillfuly said, “To don (formal) garments is better, we need to agree about the garments, to cause those who see and hear to have faith. In reality, in the past, formal (traditional) garments were only worn when having an audience with the King, and it’s very respectful towards those of high rank.” The Bureau of National Sects, having heard each offical at length, decided that it had made a lot of sense, and immediately sent a communication saying, “We agree to the wearing of formal garments in participating in the opening ceremony.”

((I believe that this involves something of the essence with respect to modern tendencies in Buddhism. Some of these sects were no doubt trying to be “progressive” as per Fo Guang Shan, which in fact was present at this. “Progressive” has its uses, but it’s not what unifies us. There is in fact a King in our midst; even He, Gautama Lord Buddha, the King of the forest sages, who gave the Lion’s Roar of Truth, and made the multitudinous squirrels of failed-case yoga (and every other kind of random attention altogether) get back to the ghost caves to which they would forever after belong, were it not for the innumerable hordes of latter-day Bodhisattvas, such as us truly.

((It is our relationship with that one King that unifies us, and this is the only thing that finally unifies us. When we recognize this, it frees us from the culture-specific externalist conformity which is the universally besetting bane of Asian Buddhism. We want Buddha-specific conformity, not culture-specific conformity, please. And this is even more true of doctrine than it is of clothes. -xp))