地點：印度 菩提迦耶 德噶寺大殿
時間：2009年12月30日
報導﹕Michele Martin / 金吉祥女
攝影：班瑪歐色多傑

不動佛超薦舉行的幾天前，信眾們已事先在位於正覺大塔協會(Mahabodhi Society)的噶舉祈願法會功德處，登記了親朋好友的姓名，為生者祈福、也為亡者超薦。不動佛對亡者與中陰身者的超薦具有特別的法力，而今晚的不動佛法會，將由法王噶瑪巴帶領十一位俱足戒的比丘與五位在家眾，共十六位修法者一同舉行。這群修法者曾於十一月二十七至十二月十日，進行由法王親自教授、為期兩週的不動佛閉關。

For many days before this special ceremony people have been giving the names of their close relative and friends, living or deceased, to monks who are sitting at tables in a large tent next to the Mahabodhi Society. The donors are seeking to benefit their loved ones through the ceremony that His Holiness will perform this evening. Akshobya (in Tibetan, Mitrukpa, “The Immovable One”) is considered to have a special ability to help those who have died and are in the intermediate state of the bardo.

來自台灣生命電視臺的海濤法師即是今晚參加法會的十一位比丘之一。在談到這次不動佛閉關的體驗時，海濤法師提到，法王雖然是個年輕人，但是閉關期間卻像是媽媽一般地照顧著大家，用餐時還親自幫大家拿碗盤，很令大家感動。法師還分享道，由於法王是不動佛的化身，所以，跟著法王閉關的那一段時間，感覺就像是身處不動佛的淨土一般地殊勝﹔法王很仔細地為行者講解了種種手印與儀軌，並強調修不動佛法門時，行住坐臥細節的重要性。不動佛發願永不起瞋恨之心，而在此五濁惡世煩惱粗重的末法時代，不動佛法門能有效地淨除惡業，海濤法師計劃大力推廣不動佛心咒的修持。

今晚除了修法者與護法者之外，其他人等皆不得進入大殿。法王在法會中將會大聲唸出七、八位名單上的姓名，剩餘的名單將於法會的尾聲付炬。

His Holiness will perform this fire ritual with a small group of fully ordained monks and select attendants; no one else is allowed in the shrine hall. For the ceremony, the names that have been collected will be placed in two boxes, from which His Holiness will select seven or eight to be read aloud. The rest he will bless and offer to the ritual fire.

八點不到，大殿四面長廊的窗戶邊，已經擠滿了急欲觀禮、為親友祈福的信眾。一個小時前的一場大風雨，更加重了寒冬的冷冽，信眾包裹在厚重的外衣下，期待著這場長達三個小時的不動佛火供。

Before the ceremony begins at eight o’clock at night, the white marble veranda around the shrine room, especially in front of the windows, has been filling up with people who wish to witness the ceremony and send their prayers to all living beings, headed by those they especially care for. There is quite a chill in the evening air and everyone is bundled up for the three hours the ceremony will take.

大殿的中間放置一張正方形的火供桌，法王的法座面對著大佛像與火供桌，法座與火供桌等高。火供桌的上方懸掛的是一張中國風格的不動佛畫像﹔不動佛全身靛藍，右手持觸地印，左手置於跏趺的雙腿上，掌中立著一只閃閃發光的金剛杵。

供桌上放著有一排排的供品，包括有右旋的海螺、鮮花，還有一只大花瓶，上面插著結滿橙橘的樹枝，四角則插著奶黃色的香燭，不動佛佛像前面放置著一個大金屬缽，裡面放滿了長一尺、形狀方形的燃香，用來燃燒供品。

法王的旁邊則放有一面小鑼，還有一個用以通風的風扇。法王的左手邊則放有兩個箱子，黃色的箱子裝著生者的名單，藍色的箱子裝著亡者的名單。薈供桌的兩翼是兩個拜著供品的長桌，左翼的長桌擺的是米、小麥、白芥子、黑芥子、與德華草(durva grass)等十種傳統的供品，右翼的長桌擺的是由五彩繽紛的玻璃製成的八吉祥物﹕寶傘、金魚、寶瓶、蓮花、右旋的白海螺、吉祥結、勝利幢、與寶輪。

Inside the temple, elaborate preparations have been made to set out all the offering substances and symbols. The same rectangular alter that was present for the Milarepa feast offering, is now placed in the middle of the hall. In front, facing the main shrine, is a throne for His Holiness, the same height as the alter. The image of Milarepa has been replaced with one of Akshobya in the Chinese style. He is indigo blue with his left hand in the earth touching gesture and his right in the meditation mudra. As if descended from the sky and barely resting on his palm is a shimmering golden vajra.

法王大約在八點鐘進入大殿開始修法。法王先是與在殿中等待的僧眾談了一下話，接著指示將大殿中所有的燈熄滅，只留下中央的幾盞燈，微暈燈光照耀下的大殿有著一股溫馨。法王先是進行了自灌頂，然後在自己的肩頭上繞上一條白哈達，接著唸誦前行如七支供養的祈願文等。麥克風就放在法王的面前，法王渾厚的嗓音在幾近空蕩的大殿中迴響、充盈，穿透到坐在殿外長廊的觀眾耳中，然後融入濃濃的夜色當中。

At eight o’clock, His Holiness enters the shrine hall and first speaks to the assembled monks. Taking his seat in front of the alter, he asked that all but a few central lights be turned off and this gives a soft and warm wash of color to him and the alter. He then performs the self-empowerment and places a white kata around his shoulders. Opening prayers, such as the Seven-Branch Prayer, are recited. The microphone is placed in front of His Holiness; with a slight echo in the almost empty space, his strong, resonant voice fills the hall and flows out to those sitting outside and beyond into the night.

中央的供火點燃後，幾位僧人依序地將供品交由法王獻供。法王也以一只長頸的湯匙，舀出精鍊奶油獻供。法王繼續著唸誦的節拍，閃爍的火光映照在法王的臉龐。法王不時地往供火中添薪加材，中央的供火持續地燃燒著，直至所有準備好的供品都焚燒完畢為止。

After the fire in the center of the alter is lit, the vajracharya (shrine master) and his assistants bring to His Holiness the various substances to be offered. He also offers ghee from a long-handled spoon. As he reaches forward in rhythm with the chanting, the light from the fire flickers across his face. Occasionally, additional sticks of wood are offered to keep the fire burning well and finally all the substances have been given for the benefit of all.

這時，法王下座走出大殿的正門，來到殿外噴水池前已事先架設好的焚化區。焚化區是以十餘枝粗壯的樹枝，搭建出的一個直徑約五英尺長的圓形開放架構。放有名單的兩個箱子現在被提出大殿，放在法王的身邊。法王開始將一冊冊的名單投入火焰當中，火焰愈燒愈烈，直衝天際，有些名單隨著熱焰飄搖至高空，化為灰燼後，再灑落一地。原先在殿外觀禮的人群，現在攏聚過來將法王與焰火團團圍起，在法王的引領下，雙手合十，一面憶念著自己的親友，一面高聲唱誦著觀音心咒「嗡瑪尼貝美吽」。熱焰驅散了寒意，也溫暖了每一個人的心。

Then His Holiness descends from his throne and walks out the front door of the shrine to a place next to the reflecting pool where thick branches have been arranged in an open, circular structure about five feet in diameter. It is into the middle of this blessed circle that His Holiness will offer the names. The two boxes are brought outside and placed next to him, and he begins to offer the myriad pieces of paper to the fire. It blazes higher and higher and some of the names float up into the sky as they turn to ashes and fall back down. Surrounding His Holiness and the fire is the crowd of people who had been sitting on the veranda. His Holiness empties one box and then the other. He finishes and returns to the shrine for the closing prayers while many remain around the fire to chant Om mani padme hum and with hearts warmed by the fire, remember their friends and relatives.

當所有的名單都化做灰燼後，法王帶領其他的修法者回到大殿，進行最後的結行。整個修法圓滿後，法王如釋重負地步出大殿，神情愉悅地繞行了德噶寺三圈，身後尾隨著的，則是一大群無比歡喜雀躍的信眾。