從前有座寺廟，不同的信眾送來四個小孩子，
跟著老和尚出家修行。
老和尚看這四個小和尚根性各有不同，
就分別對他們說不同的法，要他們好好修持。

這四個小和尚的根性怎樣不同呢？
第一個小孩子很忠厚老成，老和尚就教他：
「你呀！好好的念佛、禮佛、背經、打坐，
你照這樣修，將來就能成道果。
父母送你來出家，一定要做到『一子出家，九族超升』，
才能報答父母師長之恩。
如果修行沒有成就，不但報答不了父母師長之恩，
你住了三寶之屋，吃了三寶之飯，將來還不了喔！」
這個忠誠老實的小孩子，聽到老和尚這樣說，
就答：「依教奉行！」

第二個小孩子不但是好動的性，又是好強、要面子的性；
如果要叫他坐在佛堂裡念佛，那真是要把他悶死了！
這孩子喉音好，所以老和尚就告訴他：
「你好好的學唱念。」鼓勵他唱誦利人天。
又教他放焰口、打水陸，超度水陸空及刀兵劫等罹難的眾生。
老和尚就教他學習這一切動中的大佛事，來超度過去的生靈。

第三個小孩子怎樣呢？這孩子煩惱多，為什麼煩惱多？
就是與眾生太有緣了，人見到他都歡喜。
人家歡喜他不好嗎？
但在修道上，同眾生太接近是大障礙。
所以老和尚就教他：「你要好好的修苦行！」
要他去掃廁所、燒茶、煮飯這一切，
避開這些人情世事，這樣道業才修得成。
要是叫他當知客，常同信眾、善男信女接觸，
那會同人家時時講閒話，人家都喜歡同他說話嘛！
他面孔長得莊嚴，口齒又伶俐，
他要是騙你的話，你一定會上當，這是他的根性。

這三個小和尚各把各的事情做好了，到休息的時候，
三個小和尚在一起，
就說說他們自己的工作是如何如何利益人。
小孩子你不要看他小喔！小和尚也有爭勝的心。

第一個說：
「老和尚教我要精進念佛、背經，將來道業成就，
住持佛法、廣度眾生。」
第二個說：
「老和尚不是這樣講的，他教我要學唱念，
又教我放焰口、打水陸，來超度水陸空這一切眾生。
我這個才是對，你那個不對！」
第三個說：
「你們兩個都不對！老和尚是教我好好的修苦行，
這樣道業才能成就。」
說著說著，三個小和尚就辯論起來。人都是這樣嘛！
自己做的那一樣事情就認為對，別人做的就不對，
三個辯論起來都各說各的好。

辯論沒有結果，第三個小孩就到老和尚面前問：
「那兩位師兄說的，跟老和尚您同我講的不一樣，
是不是應該照我這樣修行才對？」
老和尚講：「是啊！你說的對，他們都說錯了。」

他得意揚揚的出來，以一個勝利者之心看著兩位師兄：
「怎麼樣啊！老和尚說我的對，你們都錯了！」
這兩個聽了很不服氣，都同到老和尚那邊問問。

老和尚一一分別安慰他們：
「你的對，你的也對，你們兩個都對，他不對！」
這就好像小孩子吵架了，父母對兩個小孩都要安慰一番，
對小弟弟就說：「你哥哥錯了，等會兒我要罵他。」
那麼對小哥哥也要討好一下：
「是弟弟不好，你這個做哥哥的好。」就這樣喔！

再來就講到第四個，他聰明是聰明，但有點執著。
執著當然也是好，是就是，非就非，擇善固執嘛！
他聽到老和尚對他們三個這樣講，
就想：「老和尚怎麼這樣講？真理只有一個，哪有兩個？
對就對，不對就不對，哪有三個人都是對的？
我倒要問問老和尚看他怎麼講！」
他也就急急地去問老和尚：
「怎麼他們三個都對？您不是說真理只有一個嗎？」
老和尚講：
「是啊！真理只有一個，你講的對，他們三個都說錯了。」

世間人都是只有自己對，別人家都錯。
我們學佛法，甚至當大法師都是這樣，
他學哪一法就認為哪一法好。
他要是參禪就說參禪好，參禪怎樣怎樣的高；
持咒的也講持咒好，說是即身成佛。
當然我們念佛也說念佛好。
不過我告訴諸位，持咒當然好，參禪也好，
我們念佛好是好中之好─最好！
求生西方是最妙，諸位要有個堅定信心喔！

或許有人想：
「你老和尚老王賣瓜，自賣自誇，你念佛當然就說念佛好啦！」
其實念佛也不一定就怎麼好，
但我們念的佛決定好，怎麼說呢？
我們是念阿彌陀佛，不是念十方佛。
諸位要知道，雖是佛佛道同，
但每尊佛因中願力各有不同，
阿彌陀佛發四十八大願，願願都是為度眾生，
所以說「十方三世一切佛，阿彌陀佛最第一」

你看釋迦世尊一說彌陀經，十方諸佛同共讚歎，
釋迦佛說其他法門時，有沒有諸佛同時來讚歎呢？
怎麼念佛法門最高無上呢？
最直捷的嘛！
念佛成佛。
恭喜你們得遇最上乘─念佛成佛之法！


Once upon a time, there was a temple where four little monks and an old Venerable Master cultivated. The Venerable Master saw the differences in the nature and character of the little monks, and thus preached the Dharma differently to each of them so that they could cultivate appropriately.

The first little monk was very honest and ingenuous, so the old Master told him, “You should chant the Buddha’s name, prostrate to the Buddha, memorize sutras and meditate in a lotus position. If you cultivate diligently, you will reach Buddhahood.
Your parents sent you here to live the monastic life,
so you must understand that ‘when one becomes a monk,
one’s nine extended families will transcend to higher realms’; only in that way will you be able to repay your parents’ and teachers’ love and care.
If you are not able to accomplish the goals of your cultivation, you will be unable to repay your parents and teachers,
and you will also be unable to repay the Three Treasures for
the food and care that the temple gives you.”
The young monk listened to the old Master and said,
“I will do as you teach!”

The second little monk was very restless; he was also competitive and proud. If he were asked to just sit in the Buddha Hall by himself and do nothing but chant, he would go crazy!
But the old Master saw that this little monk had a very good voice, so he said to him, “You should practice singing devotional hymns,” and encouraged him to help sentient beings in that way. The old Master then taught him how to sing the ceremonial hymns that accompany the various Dharma services which help transcend the deceased sentient beings. Thus, the old Master taught the busy little monk how to cultivate through active practice.

The third little monk had a very dignified appearance and a very witty tongue, but suffered from a lot of vexations because he was so popular. He was the sort of personable fellow who would have no trouble gaining your trust if he wanted to!
Everyone liked him and wanted to talk to him.
If the Venerable Master were to ask him to guide followers and visitors around the Temple, people would likely gossip with him at every opportunity. This sort of intimacy with other people could severely hinder cultivation, so the Venerable Master taught him to cultivate alone, focusing on difficult tasks such as cleaning washrooms and cooking. The Master also told him,
“Leading an ascetic lifestyle and avoiding secular interaction are the only ways that a person like you can accomplish the goals of cultivation.”

One day, during a break from their different tasks, these three little monks started to talk among themselves, boasting about how much their practices were helping others. They might be young, but these little monks were still quite competitive!

The first little monk said, “The Venerable Master taught me to chant the Buddha’s name and memorize the sutras. This way,
I will certainly reach Buddhahood in the future and transcend an infinite number of sentient beings!” The second little monk said, “That is not what I was told! The Venerable Master told me to practice singing devotional hymns and taught me how to conduct various Dharma services to transcend sentient beings.
My method is correct, and yours is not!”
The third little monk said, “Both of you are wrong!
The Venerable Master taught me that one must practice asceticism to reach Buddhahood!”

Then the three little monks went on to argue about which method was the best. People always think that their way is the right way, and that others must be wrong. As they could not agree among themselves, the third monk went to the Venerable Master and asked him, “What the other two monks said was not what you told me; my method of cultivation is correct, right?” The Venerable Master replied,
“Yes, you are correct, and they are wrong.”

The third little monk felt victorious and told the other two monks, “The Venerable Master said I was correct, and both of you are wrong!” The two other monks were, of course, unhappy with that, so they also went to speak to the old Master about it.

The Venerable Master calmed both of them down, saying,
“Both of you are correct, and he is not correct!”
Just like when two brothers fight, the parents try to calm and comfort each of them by saying that he is right and the other is wrong.

But what about the fourth little monk? He was very smart, but also very stubborn. Being stubborn, of course, has its upside: right is right and wrong is wrong; there is no in-between. When he heard the Venerable Master’s responses to the other three, he thought to himself, “Being correct is correct, and being wrong is just wrong. There can be only one truth!” So he hurried to ask the Master, “How can all three of them be correct? I thought you said there is only one truth.” The Venerable Master responded, “Yes! There is only one truth. You are correct, and they are wrong.”

People always think they are the only ones who are correct, while everyone else is all wrong. Even great Dharma Masters are sometimes like this. Whichever school of Buddhism they follow, they think that their method is the best. Those who cultivate Zen think that it is the most superior method. Those who chant mantras think that it is the best way, saying that it will allow them to attain Buddhahood in the present lifetime. Of course, those of us who chant the Buddha’s name also say that chanting is the best. However, I want to tell everybody that although cultivating Zen and chanting mantras are both good, chanting the Buddha’s name is the best. Seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land is most wonderful. Everyone must have firm faith in this!

Some people might think, “Of course the Venerable Master will say that chanting the Buddha’s name is the best practice, because the Venerable Master practices that himself!” In fact, chanting just any Buddha’s name is not necessarily the best, but the Buddha’s name that we chant is definitely the best. What do I mean by that? We chant Amitabha Buddha’s name, not the names of other Buddhas. Everyone needs to understand that even though all Buddhas are equal on the path of enlightenment, different Buddhas made different vows. Amitabha Buddha’s forty-eight vows were all made to help sentient beings transcend, and that is why we say, “Of all the Buddhas in the ten directions in the past, present and future, Amitabha Buddha is number one.”

When Shakyamuni Buddha spoke the Amitabha Sutra,
the Buddhas of all ten directions gave their praise.
When Shakyamuni Buddha spoke of other Dharma doors,
did this occur?
Chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name is the most direct path to Buddhahood, and that is why chanting the name of Amitabha is the best Dharma door. Congratulations to you on having encountered this most precious Dharma door!

【Editor’s Note】:

The story may appear hypocritical at first glance: why is Ven. Master Miao Lien, on the one hand, satirizing those of us who only think of ourselves as being correct, while on the other hand, he appears to be doing just that?

First, one must understand the moral of this parody, which is that “there is no better or lesser Dharma, but that which suits an individual is the most wonderful; medicine cannot be ranked, whichever cures the illness is good medicine.” Hence, the Old Master in the story told each of the four little monks that their method is the correct one, because each method was tailor-made for that particular monk. Sentient beings have boundless vexations, and so the Buddha taught us innumerable methods to overcome these vexations. In reality, all these methods are equally supreme. As for the Buddha-recitation method that Ven. Master Miao Lien so ardently promotes, it is said to be the best among the best because it was customized by Shakyamuni Buddha to accommodate beings of the Dharma-ending Age.

As stated in the the Mahasamnipata Sutra: “In the Dharma-ending Age, multitudes upon multitudes of beings will cultivate, but hardly anyone will achieve the Way; only by practicing the Buddha-recitation method will one be able to transcend birth and death.”

Due to our vast range of personalities, it is hard to find one method that suits all, but the Buddha-recitation method is the only one characterized by its all-encompassing nature (can be practiced by beings from all walks of life and of all natures) and its expediency (provides a direct route to Buddhahood). As the Ven. Master said: “Chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name is the most direct path to Buddhahood, and that is why chanting the name of Amitabha is the best Dharma door."

~~? 全文转载自：妙蓮法音道場 ?~~