Human beings have two natural instincts – food, and sex. They arise as our inherent nature has been contaminated whilst dwelling in the Human Realm. Hence, the saying: “The most basic instincts of human beings are the desires for food and sex.” So how can we be unaffected by these desires? The answer is that they can only be overcome by resorting to meditation concentration. As the Buddhist saying goes: “To be free of desire in the midst of desire is like lotus flowers blossoming in fire”. In other words, it is extremely difficult to stay away from desire when you are in desire, much like the lotus forming in the fire of a Buddhist lamp. Indeed, this is also the reason why many practitioners fail in their adherence to the Five Precepts. For lay practitioners, achieving this requires much more effort and energy in comparison to that of monastics. For monks and nuns, they practise at a monastery, which provides a quieter and purer environment. They have no contact with the outside world, and so no distracting or fanciful thoughts will arise. On the other hand, lay practitioners are susceptible to external influences due to their necessary contact with the outside world, which breeds all kinds of thoughts. Therefore, it is very difficult for a lay practitioner to cultivate themself, as they must exercise restraint in everything.
人的天性本能有两种，一种是食，即天生就会吃。一种是色，即男女之色。都是本性在人间后所造成的——食色性也。碰到食色之后如何定？因为只有定，才能稳住食色。“欲中离欲，火中生莲”。在欲望当中离开欲，就像佛灯里的火中生莲一样，很难做到，这就是许多人做不到修持五戒的原因。欲中离欲，犹如火中生莲，在家修行要花好几倍的功力才行。和尚在寺庙里修行，比较清静，不接触外尘，不会遐想，而我们在家修行必须接触外尘，接触就会想，在家修行不容易啊，什么都要克制。
I often say this: If you want to remain unwavering, you must observe precepts. In addition, whilst observing the precepts, you should also adopt “compassionate tolerance”. Anyone who wants to stick to the precepts and rid themselves of their bad habits must practice compassionate tolerance. For example, if you can sympathise with and feel pity for someone that you dislike immensely, you will have displayed compassionate tolerance – as your hatred goes away the moment your compassion arises.
师父常常告诫你们，要想定下来，必须持戒。持戒要配上一贴药，就是“慈忍”。一个人要想戒，戒掉自己身上的习气，一定要慈忍，即慈悲的忍耐。比如：非常恨一个人，如果能在心里想，其实这人也蛮可怜的，这慈悲心一生起，就不会恨了，这就是慈忍。
Opinions are like nails: the more you hammer them, the deeper they tunnel in. If I express an opinion that goes against someone else’s, I may remain nonchalantly indifferent as it was not my intention to hurt that person’s feelings. However, the other party may have taken this opinion to heart. Therefore, do not forms opinions that are aimed at anyone. People often say: “Always share your opinion and speak your mind.” But this is not going to work, because we are not divine beings – we’re only human. The “opinions” we share will surely serve as a cause of hatred in others.
“意见”像颗钉子，越敲越深。我对你有意见说出来了，我无所谓，我不是存心的，可是别人就会种在心里。不要对人有意见，人常说“有意见讲出来就好”，那是骗人的。因为我们是人而不是神，这种“意见”一定会造成其他人“恨”的根基。
It’s a grievous mistake for a Buddhist practitioner to overtly differentiate between good and evil, as it will give rise to bitter hatred. A person may say: “I have a strong sense of justice; I treat all evil as my enemy.” But this only shows that they harbour hatred in their heart. Hence, as Buddhists, we should not draw a distinct line between good and evil, as everything in the Human Realm is but an illusion. Everything is created from the karmic cause and effect. If you are treated unfairly by others, it’s because you treated others unfairly in previous lives. Even if you see the evil in someone and therefore wish to speak out against injustice on behalf of the opposite party, these feelings of hatred plant a negative karmic cause in your mind. As a result, the propensity for hatred in your mind increases. You should understand that all of this is due to the karmic causes sowed in your past lives, which can only be changed through cultivation in this lifetime. After all, good and evil in the Human Realm is a continuation of predestined karma.
如果一个修行人把善恶分的太清楚，实际上这个人在犯一个大错误，即大瞋心。如果这个人说：我这个人嫉恶如仇。实际上这个人是有恨心。学佛的人不能把善与恶分辨的太清楚。因为人间的一切全都是假相，全是由因果所生。今世被人家欺负，是前世你欺负人家。如果你认为他这个人怎么这么坏啊，要去为人家出头报冤，你这个恨心已经在心中种下了不好的因，会增加你的瞋心，应该明白这都是前世所造的因。前世所造的因，今世只有修心才能改变。把善恶分得太清楚，瞋心重，最容易上阿修罗道。阿修罗道男的瞋心重。女的痴念重，情痴。因为，前世男人对她好过，她就一直会迷恋。但如果真的投生到阿修罗道也是有福报的，阿修罗道也是灵体世界。佛教有许多护法神都是阿修罗道的，如果得罪了他也会发脾气，但大护法神是有善心的，所以人间善恶也是因缘果报的持续。
In this world, there is no such thing as “right” or “wrong” – only the law of causality prevails. I will now share a method for practising self-restraint that was passed down by a senior monk: if somebody slanders me, I must tolerate them. If somebody bullies me, I must let them. If somebody humiliates me, I must avoid them. If somebody belittles or laugh at me, I must let them be. If somebody looks down on me, I must be respectful towards them.
人间没有什么对与错，只有因与果。师父教你们高僧传下的克制方法：谤我，要忍他；欺我，要让他；辱我，要避他；轻我笑我，要由他；贱我，要敬他。
If you wish to perform good deeds today, the positive thoughts, ideas and aspirations emanating from your heart are very valuable assets. That is because when positive thoughts emanate from the mind, a seed of kindness will be sowed in your Eighth Consciousness. It is an asset, and a seemingly inconspicuous yet incredibly important source of strength and energy.
如果你今天想做善事，是从心里发出的意愿，好的想法，好的意愿，那是一种非常有价值的资产。因为当你有好的意念，从心里发出时，在你的八识田中就种下了一颗善良的种子，它是一种资产，是一种无声而又非常重要的力量。
It is pointless if a person has external freedom but lacks internal freedom. Freedom is being unrestrained and at ease. Here’s an example of external freedom: the external conditions are favourable. Your boss is not around at work, so there’s nobody present to supervise you. You can therefore do as you please, working at leisure and taking breaks whenever you like. This is freedom from outer environment. However, as you sit in the office, you may start to feel pathetic. When there’s nothing to do, you may start to feel down and let your imagination run wild. “How is my family doing?” “My mother has been severely ill.” “How will my boss treat me on his return?” “Will he know about what I did today?” You may feel that you are leading a helpless life that you have no control over, and such emotional pain and disorientation can cause the feeling of lacking freedom, and ignorance. As a result, your latent evils and selfishness will manifest one after another. Fear and anxiety then emerge, preventing you from controlling your thought and emotions. True freedom can only be achieved through the unity of external and internal freedom. External freedom alone will never be able to conceal the lack of internal freedom.
一个人只有外在的自由而没有内在的自由，是没有价值的。自由，即自在。外在的自由，比如：今天外环境很好，今天上班老板不在，无人管制我，想做什么就做什么，想休息就休息，这叫外环境的自由。但是，当你坐在办公室时，有时候又觉得很可怜，没有事情做时，就开始惆怅或妄想，我的家人怎么样了？妈妈得重病了，老板回来会对我怎么样？会不会知道我今天的所作所为？感觉自己活得好无奈等等，这种内心的痛苦还有内心的无知，就造成了内在的不自由和无知；因此内在的罪恶、自私就会接踵而来，就会感到恐惧，无法控制自己的心灵。只有内在的自由和外在的自由合为一体才是真正的自由。外在的自由永远不能掩盖内在的不自由。
Inherent enlightenment and ignorance are neither the same, nor different. “The ultimate reality and the ignorance is the Buddha-nature.” The mind that we own is the Buddha-mind. This mind, combined with your lack of understanding of anything, are actually neither the same, nor different. They are not separate from each other, but they come from the same principle. Our physical body is known as a sign or appearance. “The ultimate reality (true appearance) and the ignorance” means that, even if our physical body is ignorant, it lacks understanding. It is also the Buddha-nature. As an analogy, your inherent nature is polluted in the same way as a mirror is tainted with dust and dirt. Likewise, the waves arise from the water.
“Ignorance and the true nature” refers to your ignorance coupled with your true nature. True nature is your authentic, inherent nature. Despite the fact that your ignorance impedes your inherent nature, the true nature and inherent nature combine to form an integral whole. For example, take the sun as your metaphorical inherent nature, which is bright and dazzling. If a dark cloud drifts over the sun to shroud it, does that mean the sun ceases to be bright? Isn’t the sun still considered to be pure? The dark clouds represent temporary defilements, like the bad habits and mannerisms you acquired in the Human Realm. Once the dark clouds drift away, just as the sky clears after the rain, the sunlight is splendid again. Then, your inherent and kind-hearted nature emerges.
本觉与无明，非一也非二，实相无明，即是佛性。本来自己拥有的那个心，即是佛心，加上你现在对任何事情的不明白，不理解，实际上不是一和二，不是分开的，实属一个道理。我们的人身称为相，实相无明，就是我们的肉体是无明的，是不知道的，不明白的，实际上也是佛性，犹如镜子染尘，也就是说你的本性被污染了，犹如水至起波。无明实性，就是说你的无明加上你的实性，你本来的实性就是实实在在的本性。虽然你的无明遮住了你的本性，但是，这两个实性与本性实际上是同为一体的。犹如：太阳是你的本性又光又亮，光彩夺目，乌云过来了遮住了你的太阳，那你的太阳还是不是光明的？太阳还是不是很干净？乌云是你暂时沾染的许多习气，是你在人间所沾染的不好的东西，当这个乌云走掉之后，雨过天晴，乌云散去，阳光灿烂，你善良的本性就出来了。
发表于 2022-5-4 07:23:49
