寧可什麼都沒有,但不能沒有慈悲

星雲大師

一九九二年，與佛光山合辦敦煌古展，在籌備工作上十分盡心賣力的胡嘉華小姐曾對我說：「大師！您是因為慈悲才到紅塵裡來的！」對於她的過譽，我愧不敢當，倒是這句話引發了我的思緒，使我想起五十多年前，我剛出家不久，合塵法師曾說過一句話，自覺深得吾心，那就是：

「一個人寧可什麼都沒有，但是不能沒有慈悲！」

我覺得：慈悲是做人本來應該具備的條件。

我自幼就極富慈悲心，總是想盡方法補救那些不完美的人事。記憶中最深刻的是在我很小的時候，母親講了一個故事，主角是一個孤苦無依的老公公。我聽完以後，竟然難過地躲在桌子下面哭了起來，並且央求家人一定要去救濟他，任由大人們勸解哄騙，都沒有辦法阻止我的百般糾纏。直到深夜，家人拗不過我，只得買了一份禮物，陪著我去送給外公，我才肯罷休。

至稍長，十歲那年，父親為了維持生計而遠赴他鄉，經年累月都不在家，某日突見他返回家門，我想到他日夜辛苦，不禁悲從中來，淚水奪眶而出。此後，我便四出尋找零工，幫忙補貼家用，希望能藉此減輕他的憂勞。

後來，母親長年臥病，我為了讓她歡喜，每天都在工作之余，蹲踞在她的病榻之前，為她念七字段的小書解悶。母親不識字，但我念錯時，她會糾正我。家中大小事務，我也自動打點妥當，不讓她操心。鄉人們都誇贊我是個孝順的孩子，而我只覺得這是人子應盡的一點心意。

十二歲，割愛辭親，入寺出家以後，我奉師長如父母，視同窗為兄弟，恭敬禮讓，為服其勞；我以教為命，以眾為我，犧牲奉獻，不為己求。自覺在慈悲上有更深的體驗，這才感受到慈悲並不是一個定點，而是情感的不斷升華。

一九四九年，山河易幟，我之所以前來台灣，並不是貪生怕死，而是因為同學智勇法師所組的僧侶救護隊，臨時改變主意，決定放棄，我恐其「僧侶救護隊」會因此而群龍無首，故互易志向，允諾代為領導。又見時機危急，事不宜遲，我當晚連夜趕路，兼程來到常州天寧寺，摸黑叫醒睡夢中的同學，一個個問他們：「要不要參加『僧侶救護隊』，一起到台灣去？」

曾有徒眾聽我訴說這段往事時，驚訝地問道：「您半夜把大家弄醒，難道這些人您都認識嗎？」我毫不猶豫地回答：「為了慈悲救人，任誰我都敢去叫啊！」

記得剛到台灣那年，我巧遇同參性如法師，只見他兩眼深陷，氣若游絲，交談之後，才知道他已經是第三期的肺病患者。當時醫藥還不發達，得了肺病等於宣告絕症，大家都害怕傳染，不敢親近。只有真念法師和我無所畏懼，不時前往照料，每天還仔細地將枇杷葉上的細毛洗淨後，熬成藥汁，喂他服食。這時適逢道源法師開講《大乘起信論》，在當年缺乏弘法的台灣，可謂甚難稀有。真念法師有心聞法，但又聽不懂國語，我遂自告奮勇，將聽講的手抄，連同自己搜集的許多相關資料，每天整理成上萬言的筆記，送來給他參考。我雖然為此忙碌了一整個月，但是看到真念法師滿心歡喜，性如法師病體漸癒，我自己也感到高興極了。

月基老和尚曾經是我就讀棲霞律學院時的院長，我為了報答他當年的教導恩惠，不但將自己參與籌建好的高雄佛教堂交由他住持，並且奉養照顧，常常三更半夜送他就醫，為他付費療病，直至終老。他往生以後，道場卻立即被他人占有。許多人義憤填膺，紛紛口誅筆伐，吁請我出面收回，我不但不計較，甚至交代依嚴法師，將老和尚生前積蓄的一千數百萬元，全部交還棲霞精捨。

在佛光山開山之初，經濟最為拮據的時候，斯裡蘭卡的法師在當地籌辦大學，希望我伸出援手；一位老法師曾向我借款八十萬元，我萬般籌措給他，事後他卻說：「我只是試試你的誠意。」在新加坡的一位法師建社會福利中心，要我認捐兩間房間，我雖阮囊羞澀，但都念其是長老或是同道，設法為其籌款解困。孟加拉、錫金、尼泊爾、拉達克、印度等地的佛教機構，來函表示他們缺乏經費建設教室、興設圖書館、修復道場精捨……，我那時雖然自身困難，也都竭力捐輸，以盡佛子微忱。

記得數年前，我曾經接到一位不肯署名的無頭信，上面貼了一張有關到中國大陸救濟的新聞，旁邊寫著：「你是大陸人，你做了什麼慈悲救濟的工作？」我看完感到啼笑皆非。多年來，我對大陸的捐獻，不僅包括佛教團體、寺宇殿堂、水澇旱災、慈善機構，還有獎助學金、學術研究等等。這些微的愛心，難道都要向大家報告嗎？我一直覺得：慈悲不是用來衡量別人的尺度，而是自己身體力行的道德；慈悲也不是用來沽名釣譽的工具手段，而是真愛的自然流露。

我扪心自問，自覺不但無愧於中國大陸的人民，更無怍於台灣本省的同胞。記得一九五一年，花蓮發生大地震，我那時雖然一貧如洗，住在善導寺裡，以放骨灰的櫃子為床，卻為了震區災民，而奔走募款。在寶島四十多年來，我成立安老院、育幼院、出版社、雜志社，我興辦教育，從兒童到成人，深入各個階層。凡此固然是為了不願聖教衰，不忍眾生苦，也是想借以孝養天下的父母，教化天下的子女。

我認為：慈悲不應該有省籍的界線與地域的分別，而應該是一種不以己悲，不以物喜，卻能以天下之憂為憂，以天下之樂為樂的胸懷。

一九五○年，韓戰爆發，我雖然居無定所，卻到處為前線官兵募集衣服書籍；一九五五年，越南淪陷，發生海上難民潮，我雖忙於弘法，也不辭辛勞，到各地呼吁社會大眾雇船到海上去救助難民，承蒙大家幫忙，活人無數。這些年來，世界五大洲天災頻仍，人禍不斷，我也都以國際佛光會會長的身分，多方奔走，發起會員們出錢出力。

經常有人見我一生興辦許多佛教事業，很好奇地問我：「這些是否早就在您年輕的時候，都預先在腦子裡計劃好了？」其實，說來恐怕有人不信，這些事業當中，有許多是一念的悲心所成就的因緣。例如，由於不忍年事已高的阿隨姑獨自一人照顧佛堂，我四處籌款。在那裡我成立了「佛教文化服務處」，開始著手推動佛教文化事業。

我在一九六七年購買佛光山土地時，也沒有想到要建大叢林，只是聽說一對越南華僑夫婦急於脫售一片二十甲的麻竹山地，以度難關，卻苦於無人肯買，全家大小坐困愁城，正欲投河一死了之。我見人命關天，心生悲憫，於是將「佛教文化服務處」變賣，以所得款項購買這塊山地。當時，許多信徒認為將這麼一棟座落在鬧區的房子賣了，換為荒山野地，簡直是聞所未聞，因此都來勸說反對。我還是力排眾議，買地救人。

探勘地形時，我望著滿山的刺竹雜草，想到這麼廣大的地方，正好可以用來建設規模較大的佛學院，一償培才興教的宿願，於是，一間間校捨就這樣順理成章地蓋了起來，佛光山的教育事業就是在此地扎下深厚的根基。後來，為了因應朝山信眾的需要與方便，我又籌款購地，移山填海，規劃其它佛殿、講堂、客房、齋堂等建築。直到現在，佛光山的硬件工程從未間斷，但是我們可以昂首驕傲地說：「所有的設施，都是為了利益眾生；一切的建設，都是為了福利社會。」

當學生一個個畢業踏出佛學院以後，我開始在各地建設別分院，讓他們得以奉獻所學，廣播菩提種子。經常有人問我：「為什麼要把寺院道場建得那麼多，那麼大呢？世界上的苦難這麼多，拿這筆建寺基金去濟貧不是很好嗎？」

這一番話聽起來似乎言之有理，然而進一步探究，並非真實，因為布施再多的金銀財寶，興建再多的慈善事業，也只能拯救肉身性命，濟人燃眉之急，但是無法消滅貪瞋愚癡，拔除眾生根本業障。而佛法的布施，真理的指引，則更能淨化心靈，拯救法身慧命，使人斷除煩惱，了生脫死，其影響及於生生世世。所以，建造多功能的佛寺，度化萬千種眾生，才是最徹底的慈悲啊！

建寺度眾生本來是一件神聖的使命，可惜的是教界一些人士知其然，不知其所以然，只知建造寺宇，不知培養僧才，到頭來不但無法發揮度眾功能，猶有甚者，落入神棍手中，反而形成變相的斂財工具，誠為悲矣！

因此，慈悲如果運用不當，也會淪為罪惡。縱觀社會現象，其它的例子還有：縱容子女，造成社會問題；姑息惡作，導致社會失序；濫施金錢，助長貪婪心態；濫行放生，反而傷生害命……。凡此種種都是源於沒有正確的知見，缺乏道德的勇氣，所以，真正的慈悲必須以智能為前導，否則弄巧成拙，反失善心美意。真正的慈悲也不一定是和顏悅色的贊美鼓勵，有的時候用金剛之力來降魔伏惡，更是難行能行的大慈大悲。

發展事業最為重要的條件，是人；成立事業最花費心力的資源，也是人。二十八年來，在佛光山服務的員工良莠不齊，我也一再勸慰主管們要以慈悲攝受部屬。結果，一些原本貢高我慢的員工，在佛法的薰習下，漸有成長；另一些實在與本山道風不能相應者，我也不予留難，總是給他們一條路走。我只是營造一個圓滿的結局，才能令雙方皆大歡喜。多年來的處世經驗，使我深深感到：唯有慈悲，才能化干戈為玉帛，消怨怼於無形；唯有慈悲，才能廣結善緣，成就事業。

天下之事不能盡如人意，以慈悲行事也有吃虧的時候。有一些人在我承諾替他清償債務以後，就忘了他自己的責任所在，像曾經編輯報刊的某人，多年來我每個月得為他償付五萬元的債務。另有些人利用我的慈悲敲詐錢財，如西來寺的工程，延宕多日，原先負責建築的公司以為佛教人士善良好欺，數度索錢要脅。類似這種事，在我一生當中，不知發生過多少回，但我從來未曾灰心氣餒，因為我寧可因慈悲而自己吃虧，也不願任意捨棄一個眾生。

或許就是因為對於眾生有這股與生俱來的深切感情，我從小對於動物，也是愛護有加。凡是家裡養的雞鴨狗畜，我都不准別人鞭打販賣，或殺煮烹食。記得過去鄉人都說狗只能吃一餐，但是我將心比心，不忍其饑，所以常常在吃飯時，借故端著碗，踱到院子裡，與狗兒同享飯菜。即使遇上兵禍荒年，我也寧可自己枵腹，而不讓狗子餓著。有時被家人發現，難免一頓責備，他們常說：「人都沒得吃了，還要給狗吃。」我倒覺得：人不一定要吃，但狗還是要喂的，因為狗子不會說話叫餓啊！因此，我每天還是偷偷喂狗，至今想到狗兒歡喜搖尾的樣子，依然覺得樂在其中。

九歲那年，我親自飼養的小白鴿飛失，好幾天都不見它回來。我掛念鴿子乏人照顧，捱餓受苦，竟至傷心欲絕，投河自沒。不知是自己命不該亡，還是從小泳藝超群，竟然順著水勢，一路浮到彼岸。我悻悻然回到家裡，終日憂心如焚，食不下咽，達數天之久。

一九五六年，我在宜蘭開設慈愛幼稚園時，為了培養小朋友的愛心，我養了猴子、鳥兒。畜園的老板一再勸我不能給猴子喝水，否則會很快長大，就不好玩了。但是我想到口渴的難過，於心不忍，還是每天喂它喝水。不多久，猴子長得竟然比半個人還要高大。等到養得再大一點的時候，我見它終日關在籠子裡，心生悲憫，於是放它回歸山林。望著它在樹上攀爬跳躍，高興無比的樣子，一股生命的喜悅在心中油然而生，沖淡了原本的依依不捨。

多年前，佛光山曾經養過一只狗，叫作「來發」，徒眾見我視動物如己命，自然也對它百般疼惜。有一次，客人送了一盒餅，楊慈滿師姑迫不及待地拿了一個，對著我說：「來發！給你吃！」我即刻伸手過去，說：「來，給我，來發歡喜吃。」在旁的人說：「弟子見了師父，怎麼可以叫狗的名字？」惹得大家哈哈大笑。其實我常常也忘了自己是誰，也許正因為擁有這般物我兩忘、自他一如的性格，我的心中無時無刻都充滿著慈悲的歡喜。

我回想剛來台灣時，過著四處流浪的日子，雖然無錢無緣，但是心中卻不以為苦，因為只要我以慈悲待物，愛護珍惜，花草樹木會酬我以繁茂青翠，昆蟲飛鳥也迎我以悅耳鳴唱；只要我以慈悲應世，不冀回報，榮辱得失都是我的增上因緣，天下眾生也成為我的法侶道親。

所以，惜福是慈悲，結緣是慈悲，尊重是慈悲，包容是慈悲。如果我們能用慈悲的心靈體貼關懷，用慈悲的眼神看待萬物，用慈悲的口舌隨喜贊歎，用慈悲的雙手常作佛事，那麼我們無論走到那裡，即使是一無所有，都足以安身立命。

慈悲不僅於己有利，慈悲更是家庭幸福的動力，是社會安和樂利的基石，是國家繁榮進步的要素，是宇宙生生不息的泉源。因此身為一個人，無論處在任何一個時空裡，都不能沒有慈悲。今天我們這個時代之所以暴戾之氣甚囂塵上，就是因為缺乏慈悲，所以我們更應該提倡慈悲的胸襟、慈悲的道德、慈悲的勇氣、慈悲的行為。讓我們以慈悲的法水撫慰受傷的心靈，以慈悲的良藥對治瞋恨愚癡，使我們的國土成為慈悲的國土，使我們的世界成為慈悲的世界。

我們寧可什麼都沒有，但是不能沒有慈悲。

Afterwards, I abided evenly in the view of the Great Perfection beyond all action, and as the experience dawned on me wherein all phenomena are extinguished in the nature of reality, I was perceived in various forms according to the needs of beings.

-- Yeshe Tsogyal

An Introductory Teaching on Taking Refuge (2 of 2)

by His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin

The very first step in practising the Dharma is to take refuge. There are five aspects to taking refuge: the cause of taking refuge, the object of refuge, the way to take refuge, the benefits of taking refuge and, lastly, the rules of taking refuge. 

The first aspect, the cause of taking refuge, we have already discussed in the previous issue. 

So now, we will look at the second aspect, the object of refuge. The object of refuge is the same for all Buddhists, whether they belong to Hinayana, Mahayana or Vajrayana. All Buddhists take refuge in the Triple Gem. But on closer examination, there is a difference. According to Mahayana, and also to Vajrayana, when we say Buddha, we refer to someone who is totally awakened, someone who has become free from all forms of obscurations - the obscuration of defilements and the obscuration of knowledge, including their propensities. Someone who has attained the highest qualities, and who possesses the three kayas. 

Of the three kayas, or bodies, the most important one is the Dharmakaya. Dharmakaya means the ultimate truth, or the true nature of all phenomena – it is similar to the Dharmadatu, or ultimate reality, which is totally free of all obscurations. It is also called double purity. Double purity means not only the basic purity that everyone possesses, but also purity in the sense that all temporal obscurations are also totally eliminated. And such a state is realised through awareness, or through primordial wisdom. Such a state, the primordial wisdom that realises ultimate truth, which possesses double purity, is the Dharmakaya. So that is the most important body. And because They have attained this, the Buddhas have gained all the qualities and have eliminated all forms of obscurations. And so, in order to help sentient beings, and while ceaselessly remaining in this state of Dharmakaya, They appear in a form - but the Dharmakaya is actually formless, it has no form, it is beyond description, it cannot be comprehended by our relative minds. 

In order to help sentient beings, the Buddhas, while remaining in such a state, take on a form that is helpful to the pure disciples, the higher followers. For the benefit of the higher followers, the Buddhas appear in the Sambhogakaya form. Sambhogakaya means the body of enjoyment. The Sambhogakaya is said to have the five certainties: the certainty of place, the certainty of time, the certainty of form, the certainty of teachings, and the certainty of surroundings. Here, the surroundings refer to the followers. The place is not anywhere, but always in the highest Buddha Akanishta, the Buddha Field that is known as Akanishta. Here, there is no time, there is no such thing as birth or death, but it is there all the time, constantly remaining in the form of the Buddha. It does not appear in different forms, but always in the Buddha’s form, the fully enlightened Buddha’s form, adorned with the thirty-two signs and eighty qualities. And it does not impart different teachings, but always the highest Mahayana teachings. And the disciples are not ordinary persons but Bodhisattvas, the highest Bodhisattvas, Bodhisattvas who are already on the stage of the ten bhumis. In other words, the Bodhisattvas who have already gone beyond the worldly path. So it is that the Sambhogakaya has the five certainties. 

And then, in order to help ordinary sentient beings, the Buddhas appear in Nirmanakaya form. This is different from the Sambhogakaya, in the sense that when there are worthy followers, the Nirmanakaya appear. When there are no worthy followers, they do not appear, but enter into Paranirvana. The form is not necessarily in the Buddha's form, in that whenever, wherever, and whatever form is required, the form will appear that is most beneficial to that particular situation, to that particular circumstance. The Buddhas will appear in that particular form to help sentient beings. So the historical Sakyamuni Buddha is also actually a Nirmanakaya. But He's known as an excellent Nirmanakaya because even ordinary persons saw Him as a Buddha with the thirty-two signs and the eighty qualities and so forth. 

So the Buddha is the first object of refuge. The second object is the Dharma. ‘Dharma’ is a Sanskrit word and it has many different meanings but here, we are referring to the Holy Dharma. The Dharma has two aspects. One relates to the teachings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who have attained a high realisation, wherein They describe and explain to disciples the meaning of this realisation. This is the Dharma of teachings. 

The teachings are one Dharma, but they are divided into different categories, for example according to subject or time, but normally they are presented as the Tripitaka. Tripitaka means 'Three Containers'. The purpose of teaching the Dharma is to subdue, to tame the defilements. And so, in order to subdue desire, the Buddha taught the Vinaya, the first Container, which explains all aspects of moral conduct, for instance, the lay and monastic vows. 

Then, the second Container is called the Sutra. The Buddha taught the Sutra, which explains all the meditations and the different levels of meditations, in order to subdue hatred. 

Then, to subdue ignorance, the Buddha taught the third Container, the Abhidharma, which explains wisdom, or ultimate truth. 

So this is one aspect of the Dharma, the aspect of the teachings of the Buddha. In fact, the real Dharma is contained in the realisations that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have attained, and in the fact that They have permanently eliminated all obscurations. This is the Truth of Cessation. 

The real Dharma is also the Path that leads to the Truth of Cessation. The path that leads to uncontaminated primordial wisdom, that becomes a direct antidote to the obscurations, is the Truth of Path. The Truth of Cessation and the Truth of Path, the last two of the Four Noble Truths, are another aspect of the Dharma. They are the true Dharma. 

The Tripitaka is just a teaching that is given, while the real Dharma is the genuine Truth that is realised by the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas. This is what we take refuge in, so the second object of refuge is Dharma. 

And then the third object of refuge is the Sangha. The word 'Sangha' actually means 'Community'. So the Sangha means anybody, from the highest Bodhisattva down to the ordinary person, anybody who has entered the Buddhist path. But the true Sangha are the Bodhisattvas who have already gone beyond the worldly path, and who have already reached the irreversible state, who are sure to advance on the path to Buddhahood. These are the true Sangha. So these are the three objects of refuge: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. 

And now the third aspect is the way we take refuge. The way we take refuge is by taking the Buddha as our guide. Even in ordinary life, if we’re embarking on a new enterprise, we need someone to guide us through. In the same way, we take refuge in the Buddha as guide and teacher on our path. But although the Buddha has great power, it is not by using His power alone that He can save sentient beings. If we constantly commit negative deeds, whatever blessings we receive from the Buddha can just bring us temporary solace. This has nothing to do with the Buddha’s teachings. Rather, in order to help beings, the Buddha shows us what is right and what is wrong, He teaches us how to remain on the right path. The Buddha said: “I have shown you the path to liberation”. Whether or not we follow this path is up to us. 

We also take refuge in the Dharma. Refuge in the Dharma is our actual path, the real saviour. For example, when we are ill, it is important to have a good doctor, but we must also make an effort to follow his instructions, to take the medicine that he has given us, and to avoid conditions that will inhibit our recovery. Similarly, the Buddha is like a doctor, and the Dharma is like the medicine. And, as we must take medicine, we must practice the Dharma in order to recover from our samsaric state. We talk about the “Wheel of Dharma”. As the wheel of Dharma turns, the Buddha’s teachings and His wisdom are transferred to the disciple. It is then up to the disciple to put these teachings into practice, and this way progress along the path. Every time the wheel of Dharma turns, we receive new teachings, we put them into practice, and we progress further along the path. 

And we take refuge in the Sangha, our companions along the path. For example, if we are undertaking a long and arduous journey, it is important to have worthy companions. Whatever our endeavour, it is always helpful to be accompanied by like-minded persons who share our goals and aspirations. In the same manner, when we embark on the path of Dharma, it is very beneficial to depend on fellow practitioners, so we take refuge in the Sangha. This is the way we take refuge. 

As I mentioned earlier, we normally explain the refuge according to five aspects. The first one is the cause of refuge, which is fear, faith and compassion. The second is the object of refuge, which is Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. And the third is the way we take refuge, how we take Buddha as our guide, Dharma as our actual path, and Sangha as our companions. 

Now the fourth aspect is the benefit of taking refuge. The benefit of taking refuge is said to be enormous. Even by merely hearing the refuge, even by merely hearing the name of the Buddha, we can gain an enormous amount of benefit. So if, with very sincere devotion and faith, we take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, the merit that we earn is immeasurable. If it had a physical form, even the whole of space would be too small to accommodate such a huge amount of merit. And then also, by taking refuge, we change from the ordinary path to the Dharma path, from the wrong path to the right path. And also we change from being a non-Buddhist to a Buddhist. By taking refuge, we become real Buddhists, not just in name but from our very core, and the Dharma protectors look after us. 

The fifth aspect is the rules of the refuge. For example, if we take refuge in another country, then we must abide by the rules and regulations of that country. If we do not keep the rules and regulations of the country that is giving us shelter, then of course we get into trouble. So similarly, after taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, we also have to observe the rules of this refuge. There are general rules and specific rules to the refuge. 

The general rules are five. The first one is that, no matter what, even at the cost of our life, we should never give up the Triple Gem, the Three Precious Jewels, the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. 

Second is that, whatever happens, whatever need arises, we should not seek other means, but always seek the guidance and the blessings of the Triple Gem. 

And the third one is to make offerings to the Triple Gem on a daily basis, and if this is impossible, then at least on special occasions. If we have a shrine, then it is important to make daily offerings, such as water offering, flowers, incense, fruit, etc. If we do not have a shrine, then we should make offerings in the temple, especially on special days, such as full moon and new moon days and, more importantly, on the Buddha's special days, such as that of His Birth, His Enlightenment, His Descending from the Heavenly Realms, Dharmachakra day, and so forth. 

And then, the fourth rule is to practice refuge very diligently. Even though it is important to recite the refuge lines, 'I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha', these words alone are not enough to lead us to liberation, unless they come from the depths of our hearts. When we truly take refuge in the Triple Gem, it means that we are totally submitting ourselves to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, that we rely entirely on their guidance. For example, if we need to escape from the rain and we seek a cave to give us shelter, it won’t help us much to recite “cave”. Rather, in order to be safe from the rain, we make the effort to find shelter in a cave, or in a house, so that we’re spared from the rains. So similarly, although recitation is also important, the crucial thing is that, from the depths of one's heart, one takes refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. And so, it is important to practice diligently, and then, it is also good to encourage other people to take refuge. 

The fifth rule is that, whatever we are doing, wherever we are going, we always remember the Buddha. And particularly, wherever we’re facing, to remember the Buddha of that particular direction. For example, when we are going to the east, to remember the Buddha Akshobya, when we’re going to the south, to remember the Buddha Ratnasambhava, and when we’re going west, to remember the Buddha Amitabha, and so on. We must at least remember the Buddha all the time, day and night. 

These are the five general rules. Then there are the specific rules. One specific rule is that, after taking refuge in the Buddha, we cannot take refuge in the worldly deities. ‘Worldly deities’ refers to deities who are not free from the defilements, who are still tied to samsara. To these deities we can make offerings, but we can't take refuge in them. There is a vast difference between taking refuge and paying respect, or taking refuge and making offerings. 

And then, after taking refuge in the Dharma, we can't harm any sentient being, at least not intentionally. 

And by taking refuge in the Sangha, we can't take non-believers as our spiritual companions. There are also other rules - for example, after taking refuge in the Buddha, we cannot show any disrespect to any image of the Buddha, even to the broken pieces of a Buddha statue. It’s not right to leave any representation of the Buddha on the ground, or step on it, or lack respect towards it in any way. 

In the same way, we can’t show disrespect to the Dharma, even to pieces of paper that contain Dharma words, by leaving them on the ground, sitting on them or stepping on them, and so forth. We should show the same respect for the monastic Sangha’s robes, and even to any piece of yellow or saffron-coloured cloth. 

We must also try to develop genuine devotion and faith in the Buddha, and to practice the Dharma very diligently, as much as we can in relation to our ability and circumstances, by studying, contemplating and meditating. And we must try to develop a very close and genuine relationship with members of the Sangha. 

So this, in general terms, is how we explain the refuge.

Many people wish to be healthy, to be free from disease, and to remain forever young, but these are not very meaningful goals. If you can tame your mind, the value of this will surpass anything in the world.

-- Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche

破相论

达摩祖师

问曰：若复有人志求佛道者，当修何法最为省要？

答曰：唯观心一法，总摄诸法，最为省要。

问曰：何一法能摄诸法？

答曰：心者万法之根本，一切诸法唯心所生；若能了心，则万法俱备；犹如大树，所有枝条及诸花果，皆悉依根。栽树者，存根而始生子；伐树者，去根而必死。若了心修道，则少力而易成；不了心而修，费功而无益。故知一切善恶皆由自心。心外别求，终无是处。

问曰：云何观心称之为了？

答曰：菩萨摩诃萨，行深般若波罗蜜多时，了四大五阴本空无我；了见自心起用，有二种差别。云何为二？一者净心，二者染心。此二种心法，亦自然本来俱有；虽假缘合，互相因待。净心恒乐善因，染体常思恶业。若不受所染，则称之为圣。遂能远离诸苦，证涅槃乐。若堕染心，造业受其缠覆，则名之为凡，沉沦三界，受种种苦。何以故？由彼染心，障真如体故。十地经云：‘众生身中有金刚佛性，犹如日轮，体明圆满，广大无边；只为五阴重云所覆，如瓶内灯光，不能显现。又涅槃经云：一切众生悉有佛性，无明覆故，不得解脱。佛性者，即觉性也。但自觉觉他，觉知明了，则名解脱。故知一切诸善，以觉为根；因其觉根，遂能显现诸功德树。涅槃之果德，因此而成。如是观心，可名为了。

问：上说真如佛性，一切功德，因觉为根，未审无明之心，以何为根？

答：无明之心，虽有八万四千烦恼情欲，及恒河沙众恶，皆因三毒以为根本。其三毒者，贪嗔痴是也。此三毒心，自能具足一切诸恶。犹如大树，根虽是一，所生枝叶其数无边。彼三毒根，一一根中，生诸恶业百千万亿，倍过于前，不可为喻。如是三毒心，于本体中，应现六根，亦名六贼，即六识也。由此六识，出入诸根，贪著万境，能成恶业，障真如体，故名六贼。一切众生，由此三毒六贼，惑乱身心，沉没生死，轮回六趣，受诸苦恼；犹如江河，因小泉源，洎流不绝，乃能弥漫，波涛万里。若复有人断其本源，即众流皆息。求解脱者，能转三毒为三聚净戒，转六贼为六波罗蜜，自然永离一切诸苦。

问：六趣三界广大无边，若唯观心，何由免无穷之苦？

答：三界业报，唯心所生；本若无心，于三界中，即出三界。其三界者，即三毒也；贪为欲界，嗔为色界，痴为无色界，故名三界。由此三毒，造业轻重，受报不同，分归六处，故名六趣。

问：云何轻重分之为六？

答曰：众生不了正因，迷心修善，未免三界，生三轻趣。云何三轻趣？所谓迷修十善，妄求快乐，未免贪界，生于天趣。迷持五戒，妄起爱憎，未免嗔界，生于人趣。迷执有为，信邪求福，未免痴界，生阿修罗趣。如是三类，名三轻趣。云何三重？所谓纵三毒心，唯造恶业，堕三重趣。若贪业重者，堕恶鬼趣；嗔业重者，堕地狱趣；痴业重者，堕畜生趣。如是三重，通前三轻，遂成六趣。故知一切苦业由自心生，但能摄心，离诸邪恶，三界六趣轮回之苦，自然消灭离苦，即得解脱。

问曰：如佛所说，我于三大阿僧祇劫，无量勤苦，方成佛道。云何今说，唯只观心，制三毒，即名解脱？

答：佛所说言，无虚妄也。阿僧祇劫者，即三毒心也；胡言阿僧祇，汉名不可数。此三毒心，于中有恒沙恶念，于一一念中，皆为一劫；如是恒沙不可数也，故言三大阿僧祇。真如之性，既被三毒之所覆盖，若不超彼三大恒沙毒恶之心，云何名为解脱？今若能转贪嗔痴等三毒心，为三解脱，是则名为得度三大阿僧祇劫。末世众生愚痴钝根，不解如来三大阿僧祇秘密之说，遂言成佛尘劫未期，岂不疑误行人退菩提道。

问：菩萨摩诃萨由持三聚净戒，行六波罗蜜，方成佛道；今令学者唯只观心，不修戒行，云何成佛？

答：三聚净戒者，即制三毒心也。制三毒成无量善聚。聚者会也，无量善法普会于心，故名三聚净戒。六波罗蜜者，即净六根也。胡名波罗蜜，汉名达彼岸，以六根清净，不染六尘，即是度烦恼河，至菩提岸。故名六波罗蜜。

问：如经所说；三聚净戒者，誓断一切恶、誓修一切善、誓度一切众生。今者唯言制三毒心，岂不文义有乖也？

答：佛所说是真实语。菩萨摩诃萨，于过去因中修行时，为对三毒，发三誓愿，持一切净戒。对于贪毒，誓断一切恶常修一切善；对于嗔毒，誓度一切众生；故常修慧；对于痴毒，由持如是戒定慧等三种净法，故能超彼三毒成佛道也。诸恶消灭，名为断。以能持三聚净戒，则诸善具足，名之为修。以能断恶修善，则万行成就，自它俱利，普济群生，故名解脱。则知所修戒行不离于心，若自心清净，则一切佛土皆悉清净。故经云：心垢则众生垢，心净则众生净；欲得佛土，当净其心，随其心净，则佛土净也。三聚净戒自然成就。

问曰：如经所说，六波罗蜜者，亦名六度；所谓布施持戒忍辱精进禅定智慧。今言六根清净，名波罗蜜者，若为通会。又六度者，其义如何？

答：欲修六度，当净六根，先降六贼。能舍眼贼，离诸色境，名为布施；能禁耳贼，于彼声尘，不令纵逸，名为持戒；能伏鼻贼，等诸香臭，自在调柔，名为忍辱；能制口贼，不贪诸味，赞咏讲说，名为精进；能降身贼，于诸触欲，湛然不动，名为禅定；能调意贼，不顺无明，常修觉慧，名为智慧。六度者运也，六波罗蜜喻若船筏，能运众生，达于彼岸，故名六度。

问：经云：释迦如来，为菩萨时，曾饮三斗六升乳糜，方成佛道。先因饮乳，后证佛果，岂唯观心得解脱也？

答：成佛如此，言无虚妄也；必因食乳，然使成佛。言食乳者，有二种，佛所食者，非是世间不净之乳，乃是清净法乳；三斗者，三聚净戒，六升者，六波罗蜜；成佛道时，由食如是清净法乳，方证佛果。若言如来食于世间和合不净牛膻腥乳，岂不谤误之甚。真如者，自是金刚不坏，无漏法身，永离世间一切诸苦；岂须如是不净之乳，以充饥渴。经其说，其牛不在高原，不在下湿，不食谷麦糠麸，不与挬牛同群；其牛身作紫磨金色，言牛者，毗卢舍那佛也。以大慈悲，怜愍一切，故于清净法体中，出如是三聚净戒六波罗蜜微妙法乳，养育一切求解脱者。如是真净之牛，清净之乳，非但如来饮之成道，一切众生若能饮者，皆得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。

问：经中所说，佛令众生修造伽蓝，铸写形像，烧香散花燃灯，昼夜六时绕塔行道，持斋礼拜，种种功德皆成佛道；若唯观心，总摄诸行，说如是事，应虚空也。

答：佛所说经，有无量方便，以一切众生钝根狭劣，不悟甚深之义，所以假有为，喻无为；若复不修内行，唯只外求，希望获福，无有是处。言伽蓝者：西国梵语，此土翻为清净地也；若永除三毒，常净六根，身心湛然，内外清净，是名修伽蓝。铸写形像者：即是一切众生求佛道也；所为修诸觉行，彷像如来真容妙相，岂遣铸写金铜之所作也？是故求解脱者，以身为炉，以法为火，以智慧为巧匠，三聚净戒、六波罗蜜以为模样；镕炼身中真如佛性，遍入一切戒律模中，如教奉行，一无漏缺，自然成就真容之像。所谓究竟常住微妙色身，非是有为败坏之法。若人求道，不解如是铸写真容，凭何辄言功德？烧香者：亦非世间有相之香，乃是无为正法之香也；薰诸臭秽无明恶业，悉令消灭。其正法香者，有其五种：一者戒香，所谓能断诸恶，能修诸善。二者定香，所谓深信大乘，心无退转。三者慧香，所谓常于身心，内自观察。四者解脱香，所谓能断一切无明结缚。五者解脱知见香，所谓观照常明，通达无碍。如是五种香，名为最上之香，世间无比。佛在世日，令诸弟子以智慧火，烧如是无价珍香，供养十方诸佛。今时众生不解如来真实之义，唯将外火烧世间沉檀薰陆质碍之香，希望福报，云何得？散花者，义亦如是；所谓常说正法，诸功德花，饶益有情，散沾一切；于真如性，普施庄严。此功德花，佛所赞叹，究竟常住，无雕落期。若复有人散如是花，获福无量。若言如来令众生，剪截缯彩，伤损草木，以为散花，无有是处。所以者何？持净戒者，于诸天地森罗万像，不令触犯；误犯者，犹获大罪，况复今者故毁净戒，伤万物求于福报，欲益返损，岂有是乎？又长明灯者：即正觉心也，以觉明了，喻之为灯；是故一切求解脱者，以身为灯台，心为灯炷，增诸戒行，以为添油；智慧明达，喻如灯火。当燃如是真正觉灯，照破一切无明痴暗，能以此法，转相开示，即是一灯燃百千灯，以灯续然，然灯无尽，故号长明。过去有佛，名曰然灯，义亦如是。愚痴众生，不会如来方便之说，专行虚妄，执著有为，遂燃世间苏油之灯，以照空室，乃称依教，岂不谬乎！所以者何？佛放眉间一毫相光，上能照万八千世界，岂假如是苏油之灯，以为利益。审察斯理，应不然乎！又六时行道者：所谓六根之中，于一切时，常行佛道，修诸觉行，调伏六根，长时不舍，名为六时。绕塔行道者：塔是身心也，当令觉慧巡绕身心，念念不停，名为绕塔。过去诸圣，皆行此道，得至涅槃。今时世人，不会此理，曾不内行，唯执外求；将质碍身，绕世间塔，日夜走骤，徒自疲劳，而于真性，一无利益。又持斋者：当须会意，不达斯理，徒尔虚切。斋者齐也，所谓斋正身心，不令散乱。持者护也，所谓于诸戒行，如法护持。必须外禁六情，内制三毒，勤觉察、净身心。了如是义，名为持斋。又持斋者，食有五种：一者法喜食，所谓依持正法，欢喜奉行。二者禅悦食，所谓内外澄寂，身心悦乐。三者念食，所谓常念诸佛，心口相应。四者愿食，所谓行住坐卧，常求善愿。五者解脱食，所谓心常清净，不染俗尘。此五种食，名为斋食。若复有人，不食如是五种净食，自言持斋，无有是处。唯断于无明之食。若辄触者，名为破斋。若有破，云何获福？世有迷人，不悟斯理，身心放逸，诸恶皆为；贪欲恣情，不生惭愧，唯断外食，自为持斋，必无是事。又礼拜者：当如是法也，必须理体内明，事随权变，理有行藏，会如是义，乃名依法。夫礼者敬也，拜者伏也；所谓恭敬真性，屈伏无明，名为礼拜。若能恶情永灭，善念恒存，虽不现相，名为礼拜。其相即法相也。世尊欲令世俗表谦下心，亦为礼拜；故须屈伏外身，示内恭敬。举外明内，性相相应。若复不行理法，唯执外求，内则放纵嗔痴，常为恶业，外即空劳身相，诈现威仪，无惭于圣，徒诳于凡，不免轮回，岂成功德。

问：如温室经说，洗浴众僧，获福无量。此则凭于事法，功德始成，若为观心可相应否？

答：洗浴众僧者，非洗世间有为事也。世尊当尔为诸弟子说温室经，欲令受持洗浴之法；故假世事，比喻真宗。隐说七事供养功德，其七事云何？一者净水、二者烧火、三者澡豆、四者杨柳、五者净灰、六者苏髇、七者内衣。以此七法喻于七事，一切众生由此七法沐浴庄严，能除毒心无明垢秽。’其七法者：一者谓净戒洗荡僭非，犹如净水濯诸尘垢。二者智慧观察内外，犹如然火能温净水。三者分别简弃诸恶，犹如澡豆能净垢腻。四者真实断诸妄想，如嚼杨枝能净口气。五者正信决定无疑，犹如净灰摩身能辟诸风。六者谓柔和忍辱，犹如苏髇通润皮肤。七者谓惭愧悔诸恶业，犹如内衣遮丑行体。如上七法，是经中秘密之义。如来当尔为诸大乘利根者说，非为小智下劣凡夫，所以今人无能解悟。其温室者，即身是也。所以燃智慧火，温净戒汤，沐浴身中。真如佛性，受持七法，以自庄严。当尔比丘，聪明上智，皆悟圣意，如说修行，功德成就，俱登圣果。今时众生，莫测其事，将世间水洗质碍身，自谓依经，岂非误也。且真如佛性，非是凡形，烦恼尘垢，本来无相，岂可将质碍水，洗无为身？事不相应，云何悟道？若欲身得净者；当观此身，本因贪欲，不净所生，臭秽骈阗，内外充满。若也洗此身求于净者，犹如渐渐尽方净，以此验之，明知洗外非佛说也。

问：经说言至念佛，必得往生西方净土。以此一门即应成佛，何假观心？求于解脱。

答：夫念佛者，当须正念，了义为正，不了义为邪。正念必得往生，邪念云何达彼？佛者觉也，所谓觉察身心，勿令起恶；念者忆也，所谓忆持戒行不忘，精进勤了。如是义，名为念。故知念在于心，不在于言。因筌求鱼，得鱼忘筌；因言求意，得意忘言。既称念佛之名，须知念佛之道。若心无实，口诵空名，三毒内臻，人我填臆，将无明心不见佛，徒尔费功。且如诵之与念，义理悬殊，在口曰诵，在心曰念。故知念从心起，名为觉行之门；诵在口中，即是音声之相。执相求理，终无是处。故知过去诸圣所修，皆非外说，唯只推心。即心是众善之源，即心为万德之王。涅槃常乐，由息心生。三界轮回，亦从心起。心是一世之门户，心是解脱之关津。知门户者，岂虑难成？知关津者，何忧不达？窃见今时浅识，唯知事相为功，广费财宝，多伤水陆，妄营像塔，虚促人夫，积木叠泥，图青画绿，倾心尽力，损己迷它；未解惭愧，何曾觉知。见有为则勤勤爱著，说无相则兀兀如迷。且贪现世之小慈，岂觉当来之大苦。此之修学，徒自疲劳，背正归邪，诳言获福。但能摄心内照，觉观外明；绝三毒永使销亡，闭六贼不令侵扰；自然恒沙功德，种种庄严，无数法门，一一成就。超凡证圣，目击非遥。悟在须臾，何烦皓首？真门幽秘，宁可具陈？略述观心，详其少分，而说偈言：

我本求心心自持。求心不知待心知。佛性不从心外得。心生便是罪生时。

我本求心不求佛。了知三界空无物。若欲求佛但求心。只这心心心是佛。

Although I have not reached the fullest altruistic potential,

I have no intentions of harming others.

The means of achieving freedom of Tibet for others,

I feel rests on us without relying on others.

This is the thought of an insignificant man,

Who was first conceived and born in the Land of Snow,

But I have spent most of my life in India’s holy land.

Although I entered into a spiritual life,

The karmic forces have thrown me into politics.

Neither expecting power nor position,

Nor do I have enemies to defeat or friends to protect,

I, the drifter, have no need of politics.

Yearning for world-peace, I have blurted out these words.

-- 5th Samdhong Rinpoche, Lobsang Tenzin

An Introductory Teaching on Taking Refuge (1 of 2)

by His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin

The preliminary practice of taking refuge has two foundations: the common and the uncommon. 

The common foundation I believe you are all familiar with: in order to overcome the suffering of samsara, we need to practice Dharma. And in order to practice Dharma, we must have a precious human life. Although every living being possesses Buddha nature, and every living being has the possibility of becoming a Buddha, a human being has the best opportunity to do so. To obtain a human life is extremely precious, particularly one endowed with the eighteen prerequisites and the ten favourable conditions, and which is free from the eight unfavourable places. This human life is more precious than the wish-fulfilling jewel, as the wish-fulfilling jewel can bestow all our material needs, but it cannot bestow higher rebirth or personal liberation. The reason why this human life is so precious is that, if it is used to practice the Dharma, it can free us from rebirth in the lower realms, it can help us to obtain a higher rebirth, and it can lead us to personal liberation, and eventually to ultimate enlightenment. But at the same time, a human life is very difficult to obtain. 

Everything is impermanent. The Lord Buddha taught that all compound things are impermanent. ‘Compound’ means anything that is created from causes and conditions. Human life is impermanent. It does not have a definite duration, and it depends on many outer and inner conditions. There are many factors that can cut it short at any time, whereas there is very little that can prolong it. There is complete uncertainty as to when death will occur. And, of course, there is only one thing that is certain in this life, which is that anyone who is born in this universe will eventually die, even the fully enlightened Buddhas. Even though the fully enlightened Buddhas are completely free from the suffering of birth and death, in order to show impermanence to human eyes, They appear to die and enter Paranirvana. So we, as ordinary people, can disappear just like a bubble in boiling water, we can lose this life at any moment. 

So, while we have obtained a very precious human life, so difficult to obtain, everything is impermanent, everything is changing momentarily, and we never know when we will lose this opportunity. It is therefore very important to utilise the life span that we have, to use it in the most beneficial way, in a way that is beneficial to oneself and to others. And the most beneficial way to spend our life is to follow the law of Karma. 

One of the Lord Buddha’s special teachings is that He explained the law of Karma. All the lives that we go through do not happen accidentally, nor are they created by an outside force, nor are they acquired without cause. Each and every thing must have its own cause, and everything that we experience now, whether pleasant or painful, is created through our own Karma. All the sufferings that we go through in this life, such as death, illness, poverty, and so forth, are created through our own previous negative actions. And all the good things, such as long life, good health, prosperity and the fulfilment of one’s wishes, are also not created by an outside force, but rather by positive actions that we performed in the past. Believer or non-believer, everyone wishes to be free from suffering, and everyone wishes to experience happiness. But whether we experience one or the other lies in our own hands. So therefore, we must follow the law of Karma. We must not commit any negative deeds. Negative deeds are physical, verbal and mental actions that are committed out of desire, hatred and ignorance. It is those non-virtuous deeds which create suffering, and if we do not wish to experience suffering, then we must abstain from committing them. If we wish to experience happiness, then we must create its cause. Without creating its cause, we cannot expect to experience it. We cannot expect the result without the cause. And the cause of happiness is to perform virtuous deeds, that is to say, actions that are based on generosity, love and compassion, that are beneficial to other beings. So we must practice very carefully. 

We are in samsara, and all samsara is suffering. The word ‘samsara’ is Sanskrit, and in English, we call it ‘The Circle of Existence’. We call it so because it has no end. When this life ends, we begin another one. And so it goes on and on, like a wheel, the ‘Wheel of Life’. And as long as we are in samsara, we experience suffering. 

In general terms, there are three types of suffering. The suffering of suffering, the suffering of change, and the suffering of the conditional nature of all phenomena. 

The suffering of suffering refers to the suffering that we experience as suffering, such as physical pain and mental anguish. The suffering of change, however, is more subtle. We experience as happiness the absence of great suffering, but it is not real happiness. It is actually suffering, the suffering of change. And then, the suffering of conditional nature means that our very existence in this samsara is suffering, in the sense that wherever we go, whatever we do, whoever we associate with, there is no satisfaction to be found. Even if we are in the most advanced country, with all its luxuries, we find no satisfaction. So, whatever our circumstances are, as long as we’re in samsara, we find so satisfaction, and that is the suffering of conditional nature. 

So these are the common foundations, concerning which we need more than intellectual understanding. We need to analyse them, contemplate and meditate on them, until we have a real kind of inner feeling regarding their nature. It is important to reflect on the different types of suffering, the hell realm, the hungry ghosts realm, the animal realm, the human realm, the demi-god realm, and the god realm, so we realise that wherever we are, as long as it is within samsara, it is suffering. For example, if a poison is mixed with food, whether it is good food or bad food, it is harmful. So similarly, as long as we’re in samsara, whether it is in a lower realm or in a higher realm, it is still suffering. 

So it is very important to practice Dharma. To help us practice Dharma, the Lord Buddha, who possessed infinite wisdom, compassion and skillful means, bestowed an enormous amount of teachings in order to suit every level of mentality, propensity and situation. But the most advanced, the highest form of teaching, is the Vajrayana teaching. In order to practice Vajrayana, we need to practice the uncommon foundations. 

Now, of the uncommon foundations, the very first one is taking refuge, because taking refuge is the root of the entire Dharma, the preliminary practice of the entire path, and the foundation of all the vows. Also, whether one has taken refuge or not is what differentiates a Buddhist from a non-Buddhist. If one has taken refuge, then one is a Buddhist. Even though one is born in a Buddhist family, it does not mean that automatically one becomes a Buddhist. Until one takes refuge in the Triple Gem, one is not a Buddhist. When one has taken refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, then one becomes a Buddhist. It is through taking refuge that we leave behind the worldly path and embark on the path of liberation. So taking refuge is very, very important. 

Normally we explain refuge in five aspects. These are: the cause of taking refuge, the object of refuge, the way we take refuge, the benefits of taking refuge, and the rules of taking refuge. 

The first aspect is the cause of taking refuge. We take refuge out of three causes: fear, faith and compassion. 

There are three types of fear. Fear of the suffering of samsara, fear of self-clinging, and fear of impure vision. Because we are in samsara, we experience suffering. Nobody wishes to have suffering, neither in this life nor in future ones. But at the moment, we are very ordinary persons, we have no choice. We are completely bound to our own karma and defilements, and we find ourselves wherever the wind of Karma takes us. We are fearful of suffering, but we are unable to overcome it through our own efforts. We need to rely on someone who is wise, who is powerful, and who also has compassion. So we take refuge out of fear, fear of the suffering of being in samsara. 

Why we experience suffering in samsara is because we continually cling to self. We cling to self, without any logical reason. There is no way to prove that there is a self, such a thing as self but because, from beginningless time, we have had a very strong propensity to cling to self, we keep doing it. This is based on ignorance, ignorance of the true nature of reality. In fact, reality is selflessness. But we do not realize this, and instead we see ourselves as a separate self, and we cling to this notion of a separate self. And due to this, we create the notion of other, and then we feel attachment to ourselves, and aversion to others. And then, defilements such as jealousy, stinginess, and pride, increase. And it is due to these defilements that we create Karma, by performing negative actions, physical, verbal and mental, thus creating suffering for ourselves. If we cling to self, then we are bound to experience suffering, hence the fear of self-clinging. 

And also, according to Vajrayana, there is the fear of clinging to the impure vision. Impure vision means our normal life as we experience it, from a point of view of ignorance. We are now totally in samsara, experiencing different sufferings. The present life that we are going through is the impure vision. It's not real, it's all illusion, but we cling to it as real. It is because of our impure vision that we experience suffering, so we feel fear of clinging to the impure vision. So fear is the number one cause of taking refuge, and fear has three aspects. Fear of the suffering of samsara, fear of self-clinging, and fear of clinging to the impure vision. 

And then the second cause of taking refuge is faith. There are three types of faith. Clear faith, desiring faith, and believing faith. 

Clear faith means that when we see very clearly the qualities of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, it somewhat refreshes our mind. It also gives us hope, or relief in the midst of this suffering of samsara, so it's called clear faith. 

Desiring faith means that when we see the very great qualities of the Buddha, we wish to obtain such qualities for ourselves. 

And believing faith means that we don't just blindly believe the teachings of the Buddha, but that we scrutinise them, we analyse what the Buddha said, what the Buddha taught, and realise that it expresses the genuine truth in our lives. We are convinced that what the Buddha said is the genuine truth, not merely because somebody has asked us to believe it. It is after careful examination and analysis that we have become convinced that it is a genuine truth, so we believe in it. This is called believing faith, and it is very, very important. Buddha Himself said that His followers should only believe in His teachings after careful examination, and not just out of faith. 

And then the third cause, the main cause according to Mahayana, is compassion. Just as we ourselves wish to be free from suffering, every sentient being, both visible and invisible, from germs and insects right up to the highest devas, everybody wishes to be free from suffering, nobody wishes to experience suffering. But since beginningless time, we are caught up in this circle of existence, we are reborn over and over again. And, in one life or another, every sentient being has actually been our own father, mother, relative or friend, and every time that they have become our parent, they have given us as much love and as much care as our present parents have given us. So, in this way, it's not right to think only of our own welfare. We have to think of all the other sentient beings, each of whom is actually our own very dear father, mother and dear one. But due to the change of life, we do not recognise each other. We see some beings as enemies, and we hate them. We see some as our friends and relatives, and we have a very close and strong attachment to them. We see some as indifferent, and we don’t feel anything for them. But in reality, not only our present relatives and friends, but even our fiercest enemy, every single being in this samsara, is our very dear one. And in order to rescue them, we must feel for every single one of them. Of course, we all have some kind of feeling. When we see either an animal or a human being who is suffering, of course, whether we are practitioners or not, we all have some kind of feeling, pity, some kind of compassion. If our friend or relative or even just someone we know is suffering, we feel compassion. But that kind of compassion is limited compassion. Real compassion should be felt for everybody on the same basis, with the same intensity. And if we feel compassion for someone, we wish to save them from suffering, from the suffering of samsara. So if we have real compassion, we want to save all sentient beings from samsara, and the way to do this, the very first step, is to take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Without taking refuge, we can't proceed any further. So the very first step in practising the Dharma is to take refuge. The three main causes of taking refuge are fear, faith and compassion. And in Vajrayana, which is the extraordinary Mahayana, compassion is the main cause of taking refuge. 

Being a Buddhist, the most important thing is to go for refuge. If you have a good understanding about going for refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, your faith in Buddhism will become reasonable, stable and practical. And your practice will become real Dharma practice.

Therefore, whether you are starting your practice, you are at the middle of your practice or you are concluding your practice, in all stages, you should remember to go for refuge. And even in your daily life, you should not forget to go for refuge.

In this way, if you always go for refuge in the three jewels, your merits will be limitless, your dharma practice will become very effective and obstacles to your dharma practice will be gradually removed.

-- Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche

闲话“牛粪禅”

智宗法师

苏东坡与佛印禅师的笔墨官司，历来是后人们津津乐道的所谓禅机禅话。在这一点上，就连北大的于丹教授在电视上给全国老百姓汇报她的《论语》心得时，也同样未能免俗。这也难怪，两位并世的高人，一位是风流千古的文坛巨子，一位是禅法精妙的佛门大德，他们的交往，本身就是一个传奇甚浓的佳话，更何况其间还有那么多的恢谐睿智、哲理精华，能让我们第N次地鲜活心灵，丰富咱寡淡无味的家长里短呢？

一天，苏东坡和佛印在一起打坐。苏东坡问：你看看我像什么啊？佛印说：我看你像尊佛。苏东坡听后大笑，对佛印说：你知道我看你坐在那儿像什么吗？就活像一堆牛屎！佛印闭口不言，好像吃了个哑巴亏。苏东坡回家就在苏小妹面前炫耀这件事。苏小妹听罢，却嗤笑她哥哥说：就你这个悟性还参禅呢，你知道参禅的人最讲究什么？是明心见性，你心中有什么眼中看到的就是什么。佛印说看你像尊佛，那说明他心中有佛：你说佛印像牛屎，想想你心里有什么吧！

苏东坡心里有什么，此情此景之下，当然是免不得叫人会心大笑。但如果据此就说，“一个人心中有什么，他看到的就是什么”，这便是其中含蕴的“禅机”、“禅意”，却又不免麻利得过于匆忙，领悟得稍嫌草率。在这个开心一笑的时刻，我们其实是非常需要深入地思考一下的，比如说，问一问自己，我们的笑，究竟是因何而来？难道仅仅是因为才高八斗冠绝古今的苏东坡，竟然也会被调侃成心包牛屎，就让我们忍俊不禁吗？

真相当然并非是如此简单。

不过，暂且不说这个也罢。因着苏东坡的这个“牛屎禅”，倒令人想起了金庸大侠。金大侠其实也有个“牛屎禅”在的，很值得一提。他的名作《倚天屠龙记》中，金毛狮王谢逊幡然悔悟，欲拜少林方丈空闻为师，空闻尚未及答应，空闻的师叔渡厄却道：“你过来，老僧收你为徒。”谢逊不敢，小说描写其心理说：他拜空闻为师，乃“圆”字辈弟子，若拜渡厄为师，叙“空”字辈排行，和空闻、空智便是师兄弟称呼了。不料，当下渡厄就洞察其机，大声喝道：“咄！空固是空，圆亦是空，我相人相，好不懵懂！”谢逊一怔，登即领悟，甚么师父弟子、辈份法名，于佛家尽属虚幻，便说偈道：“师父是空，弟子是空，无罪无业，无德无功！”渡厄哈哈笑道：“善哉，善哉！你归我门下，仍是叫作谢逊，你懂了么？”谢逊道：“弟子懂得。牛屎谢逊，皆是虚影，身既无物，何况于名？”谢逊终成一代大德高僧。

世间总有些人试图去否认金庸大侠的佛学修养。其实只要他们多一点儿耐心，能把以上的这段文字看完，读懂，就足以知其功力——仅是“牛屎谢逊，皆是虚影，身既无物，何况于名”的四句偈，就显见大家的见地、禅师的境界！还有什么可争论的呢？试想，牛屎也好，谢逊也罢，对一个看破放下的人而言，都不过是简单的名称代号罢了，过往的种种罪业杀戮、功德成就尚且都已是完全抛却，难道这个小小的代号还会使他或疑或拒，心绪难平，以至于波涛汹涌？倘是如此的话，那他的“懂了”，就绝对是妄言作假。所以，渡厄仍让他称谢逊，这首先是对其心性的一种验证——于凡夫而言，“谢逊”一名所凝聚的血海深仇是刻骨铭心、累世难忘的，普通人很难不对此寝食难安，恨意勃发；当然，这更是对其体悟境界的一种嘉许——相信谢逊有这个大智慧、大勇气，能够不为名所动，坦坦荡荡，心无挂碍。事实上，谢逊果然不负所望。由此可见，谢逊之终成一代高僧，就在于其悟！悟到一切的一切都不过是虚幻、虚影，了无分别——他摈弃了附着在“牛屎谢逊”上的种种污秽下贱与爱恨情仇，没有了好恶取舍，直接回归其名称的实质本源，故而能心如止水，凡事当下坦然受之。而我们之终是一介凡夫，也就在于不悟、难悟！譬如说，牛屎和佛怎么会了无分别，尽是虚幻呢？在绝大多数人的心海深处，它们可都分得很清楚，而且还实在得很！佛是何其高贵、圣洁！牛屎何其肮脏卑贱！高贵圣洁的，人人奔趋，争先恐后，礼拜敬仰，赞誉有加；肮脏卑贱的，人人嫌恶，个个排斥，避之犹恐不及！所以，谁都想心中有佛，没见谁乐意心中有屎！天可怜见，虽然并没有亲见到牛屎大便之类，但，即便是想上一想，夸张些的凡夫俗子们，也都常常是翻肠倒肚，作势欲呕了。我们说，正是因为有这种潜伏在心底的分别执着作祟，人们才会不可思议，难以理解，以苏东坡文采人物之高，怎么竟会有心包牛屎的心性之低呢？高低之别，反差剧烈，此感觉之讶异，形象之滑稽，不叫人破颜捧腹才怪！所以说，表面看来，大笑其果，牛屎为因，而实际上，内心的分别执着，才真正是我们情难自禁的根！

如此亦可见，我们起初的所谓“会心一笑”，笑则笑了，会心却并未真正会什么心，而且，笑其可笑者，也不是苏东坡，是我们——苏东坡不过是被编排进故事的冤大头，而我们，笑了半天，却没人发现，原来人家利用的，就是自己心中的牛屎一堆！

反思至此，这才算是几近禅意吧。至于“一个人心中有什么，他看到的就是什么”，这样的“牛屎禅”，说得不客气点儿，那简直就更是禅之牛屎，根本和禅没半点儿关系，甚至于和故事的本意，也是连边儿也不沾。

据学术界考证，苏家实无小妹其人，当然也更无“牛屎禅”之事。苏小妹的出现，最早见于南宋无名氏的《东坡居士佛印禅师语录问答》——看着像是苏东坡某个小秘书的工作日志，实为说书人的表演底本。而其四海扬名，则是在苏轼500年之后的明代冯梦龙笔下《苏小妹三难新郎》。从艺术创作的角度来研究，这一故事以佛印平铺直叙之“静”，映苏轼喜形于色之“动”，再衬苏小妹一语道破之“慧”，一波三折地展示下来，三个人物，就剩个光彩照人的小女子耀古烛今了。因此，若是论及该故事的本意，无论是赞叹佛门大德禅法之高妙，还是嘲笑儒家高士自鸣得意之浅薄，怎么谈，也比不得溢美苏小妹钟灵毓秀奇才女这一主旨更切中肯綮。也难怪冯梦龙慨叹“山川秀气，偶然不钟于男而钟于女”啊。想想，我们的“会心”，当初也不就是因为明了苏小妹对其兄的巧妙嘲弄嘛，而这嘲弄之“巧”，凸显的，正是苏小妹的灵秀聪慧。至于这嘲弄本身，对于日常生活里的兄妹而言，无非是再普通不过的玩笑话，哪里攀得上 “一个人心中有什么，他看到的就是什么”的所谓“禅意”！

但，如果非得让这个笑话来和禅论论亲戚，勉勉强强，有那么一个地方，倒是也能挖出点儿意思。比如说，苏小妹笑话苏东坡的方法。她并没有直接说苏东坡心里有牛屎，而是在说话中隐含了一个三段论的逻辑推理：先立大前提“你心中有什么眼中看到的就是什么”，意即“你眼中看到什么说明你心中就有什么”，再推小前提“佛印说看你像尊佛，那说明他心中有佛”，最后摆上结论“你说佛印像牛屎，想想你心里有什么”，一步一步请君入瓮，乖乖地就让人在这个“什么”上填上“牛屎”，这直如一个相声最后甩包袱，甩得既巧又响，自然惹人发笑。这种“不说破”，若是按照胡适总结的禅之理论，也就算是采用了体悟禅意的方法了。然而，方法毕竟不是目的，“不说破”当然更不会就是禅意本身，否则的话，泼妇指桑骂槐也是禅了。 诚如胡适所言，禅是“贵在自得”。但这个“自得”却是没有标准答案的，倘是有的话，而且还是要依着一定的或明或暗的某种逻辑才能得出，那就更绝不是禅，那是幼儿园里就开始做的可重复演练的习题。禅是破斥思维的，因为只有突破了每个人的思维局限，我们才能发挥出真正活泼泼的、无拘无束的本觉感知，认识了解世界的真实。所以佛教禅宗才常以“如人饮水，冷暖自知”来喻悟禅。这其中，“冷暖”不是水的温度，而是个人的感觉。而每一个人的感觉，即使是再标准的温度计也是无法测量。所以，回过头来审视一下前文对金大侠“牛屎禅”的解读，却原来再言之凿凿，也不过是在个人有限的思维知见里打圈圈，哪能品出其禅意之万一呢。可见，在“贵在自得”的观照下，苏小妹的拐弯抹角，仅仅是一打趣之谈罢了，就是《笑禅录》也不会给它排上号，实在算不得禅。而那句“一个人心中有什么，他看到的就是什么”的直白话，虽然看上去特有水准，好像还蛮经典，可离禅，大概也有俺老孙一个筋斗云的距离了吧。

其实，“一个人心中有什么，他看到的就是什么”，这句话并不能像故事中的苏小妹那样来理解，认识世界的主观性与客观性，关系纷繁复杂，怎么会是简单的一一对应呢？当然也不能当作是佛教“明心见性”的白话注解，否则，历朝历代的人就用不着去苦思冥想，甚至还搞什么“断臂求法”、“斩猫”、“杀佛”之类，那样多血腥恐怕啊，直接读读“牛屎禅”不就得了？这句话所揭示的，实际是提醒我们，要注意成见对认识世界的误导。其最初的寓言，是在《吕氏春秋》和《列子》上都曾记载的一则“疑邻偷斧”的小故事——相较于苏东坡的“牛屎禅”，读过的人显然清楚它短小精悍许多。主角只一个，情节也简单：一个人丢了一把斧子，怀疑是邻居家的儿子偷去了，就仔细地观察人家，怎么看，怎么像个贼，可是后来，他找到了他那把斧子，于是再留心察看邻居家的儿子，就觉得，怎么看也不像个贼。故事的最后总结说：“其邻之子非变也,己则变矣;变也者无他,有所尤（过失）也！” 言简意赅，一针见血地点出了变化的实质。这才是“一个人心中有什么，他看到的就是什么”！

很显然，如果把苏东坡的“牛屎禅”和这则寓言放到一起来对照，前者不过是生活里的一杯咖啡，略有些调剂的风味儿，而后者，却是人生中的一盏清灯，微小而温暖。

We yearn for happiness and strive for it. But overmastered by the power of ignorance and caught upon the sharpened point of sorrow and its cause, we are ourselves the place wherein our pain is all prepared.

-- Jigme Lingpa

The Moment is Perfect

by Thich Nhat Hanh

No matter what we experience when we’re meditating, it only has meaning when we take it out into our daily lives. There is nothing we experience — from the simple act of eating to the complications of work and relationships — that we cannot approach with the mindfulness and compassion we develop in our meditation.

Take the time to eat an orange in mindfulness. If you eat an orange in forgetfulness, caught in your anxiety and sorrow, the orange is not really there. But if you bring your mind and body together to produce true presence, you can see that the orange is a miracle. Peel the orange. Smell the fruit. See the orange blossoms in the orange, and the rain and the sun that have gone through the orange blossoms. The orange tree that has taken several months to bring this wonder to you. Put a section in your mouth, close your mouth mindfully, and with mindfulness feel the juice coming out of the orange. Taste the sweetness. Do you have the time to do so? If you think you don’t have time to eat an orange like this, what are you using that time for? Are you using your time to worry or using your time to live?

Spiritual practice is not just sitting and meditating. Practice is looking, thinking, touching, drinking, eating, and talking. Every act, every breath, and every step can be practice and can help us to become more ourselves.

The quality of our practice depends on its energy of mindfulness and concentration. I define mindfulness as the practice of being fully present and alive, body and mind united. Mindfulness is the energy that helps us to know what is going on in the present moment. I drink water and I know that I am drinking the water. Drinking the water is what is happening.

Mindfulness brings concentration. When we drink water mindfully, we concentrate on drinking. If we are concentrated, life is deep, and we have more joy and stability. We can drive mindfully, we can cut carrots mindfully, we can shower mindfully. When we do things this way, concentration grows. When concentration grows, we gain insight into our lives.

When I join my palms to greet a child, or to greet an adult, I don’t do it simply to be polite. I do it because this is my practice. I am a living being who is bowing to a child or to a friend. Joining my palms, I make a flower. It’s beautiful in appearance and it’s beautiful on the inside. In joining my two palms, I realise the oneness of body and mind. My left hand is like my body, my right hand is like my mind. They come together, and in an instant I arrive at the state of oneness of body and mind. When mind and body come together, they produce our true presence. We become fully alive. Oneness of body and mind is the fruit of practice that you can get right away — you don’t have to wait.

The principle of the practice is simple: to bring our minds back to our bodies, to produce our true presence, and to become fully alive. Everything is happening under the light of mindfulness. In the Jewish and Christian traditions, we say, “We’re doing everything in the presence of God.” That’s another way of expressing the same reality. When Jews have a shabbos dinner, they lay the table, pour the milk, and cook the food aware of the presence of the divine.

In Buddhism, God is mindfulness and concentration. Every single thing that takes place is exposed to the light of mindfulness and concentration, and that energy of mindfulness and concentration is the essence of the Buddha. Mindfulness and concentration always bring insight, and insight is the factor that liberates us from suffering, because we are able to see the true nature of reality.

All rituals are nothing if they are empty of the energy of mindfulness and concentration. We could call these energies the Holy Spirit. When a priest celebrates the Eucharist, breaking the bread and pouring the wine, it’s not the gesture and the words that create the miracle of the Eucharist. It’s the priest’s capacity to be alive, to be present at that moment, that can wake up the whole congregation. The priest can break the bread in such a way that everyone becomes aware that this piece of bread contains life. That requires strong practice on the part of the priest. If he’s not alive, if he’s not present, if he doesn’t have the power of mindfulness and concentration, he won’t be able to create life in the congregation, and in the church. That is why empty rituals don’t mean anything. For all of us — priest, monk, and layperson — our practice is to generate the energy of concentration and mindfulness.

When we do something deeply and authentically, it becomes a real ritual. When we pick up a glass of water and drink it, if we’re truly concentrated in the act of drinking, it is a ritual. When we walk with all our being, investing one hundred percent of ourselves into making a step, mindfulness and concentration become a reality. That step generates the energy of mindfulness and concentration that makes life possible, deep, and real. If we make a second step like that, we maintain that concentration. Walking like that, it looks like we are performing a rite. But in fact we’re not performing; we’re just living deeply every moment of our lives.

Even a daily habit like eating breakfast, when done as a practice, can be powerful. It generates the energy of mindfulness and concentration that makes life authentic. When we prepare breakfast, it can also be a practice. We can be really alive, fully present, and very happy during breakfast-making. We can see making breakfast as mundane work or as a privilege — it just depends on our way of looking. The cold water is available. The hot water is available. The soap is available. The kettle is available. The fire is available. The food is available. Everything is there to make our happiness a possibility. If we are caught in our worries and anger, or in the past or the future, then, although we’re making breakfast, we’re not there. We’re not alive.

If you are cutting carrots, you should invest one hundred percent of yourself into the business of carrot-cutting. Nothing else. While cutting the carrot, please don’t try to think of the Buddha or anything else. Just cut the carrot in the best way possible, becoming one with the carrot, becoming one with the cutting. Live deeply that moment of carrot-cutting. It is as important as the practice of sitting meditation. It is as important as giving or hearing a dharma talk. When you cut the carrot with all of your being, that is mindfulness. If you can cultivate concentration, and if you can get the insight you need to liberate yourself from suffering, that is because you know how to cut your carrots.

You can clean the toilet in the spirit of mindfulness, investing all of yourself into the cleaning, making it into a joyful practice. Do one thing at a time. Do it deeply. There are many wonders of life that are available in the here and the now. Without mindfulness, you may be angry that you have to clean the toilet or feel resentful, and neglect and ignore the wonders around you.

Many of us don’t allow ourselves to be relaxed. Why do we always try to run and run, even while having our breakfast, while having our lunch, while walking, while sitting? There’s something pushing and pulling us all the time. We make ourselves busy in the hopes of having happiness in the future. In the sutra “Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone,” the Buddha said clearly, “Don’t get caught in the past, because the past is gone. Don’t get upset about the future, because the future is not yet here. There is only one moment for you to be alive, and that is the present moment. Go back to the present moment and live this moment deeply, and you’ll be free.”

How do we liberate ourselves in order to really be in the here and the now? Buddhist meditation offers the practice of stopping. Stopping is very important, because we’ve been running all our lives, and also in our previous lives. Our ancestors, our grandfather, our grandmother were running, and now they continue to run in us. If we don’t practice, our children will carry us in them and continue to run in the future.

A practitioner has the right to suffer, but a practitioner does not have the right not to practice. People who are not practitioners allow their pain, sorrow, and anguish to overwhelm them, and to push them to say and do things they don’t want to do and say. We who consider ourselves to be practitioners have the right to suffer like everyone else. It’s OK to suffer; it’s OK to be angry. We can learn to stop and stay with our suffering, attend to it with all of our tenderness and kindness, and take good care of our suffering.

Let’s try not to run away. We run because we’re too afraid. But if we can be present with our suffering, the energy of mindfulness is strong enough to embrace and recognise that pain and that sorrow. We suffer because we lack insight into our nature and into the nature of reality. The energy of mindfulness contains the energy of concentration, and concentration always contains the capacity of seeing deeply and bringing insight.

To see deeply, we have to first learn the art of stopping. The Buddha is often portrayed as sitting on a lotus flower, very fresh, very stable. If we’re capable of sitting in the here and the now, anywhere we sit becomes a lotus flower — whether that is at the base of a tree, on the grass, or on a stone bench. When we’re really sitting, we’re free from all worries, from all regrets, from all anger. Many of us sit on the meditation cushion, but it’s like sitting on thorns because we don’t know how to enjoy the lotus flower.

You can start by just appreciating your eyes. Breathing in, you are aware of your eyes; breathing out, you smile to your eyes. When you embrace your eyes with your mindfulness, you recognize that you have eyes, still in good condition. It is a wonderful thing to still have eyes in good condition. You need only to open them to enter the paradise of colors and forms. Those who have lost our eyesight know what it feels like to live in the dark and wonder at the capacity to see things.

We can just sit on the grass and open our eyes. The beautiful sunrise, the full moon, the orange, all these things reveal themselves to us when we are truly present. The blue sky is for us. The white clouds are for us, as are the trees, the children, the grass, and the loving faces of our dear ones. Everything is available to us because we still have eyes in good condition. Most of us don’t appreciate our eyes because we are not mindful. We may think that everything in us is wrong, but that’s not true. There are millions of things in us that are right.

When we cook, when we clean, when we walk, each movement can be made with mindfulness, concentration, and insight. With each step we take, we can touch the earth and become one with it. Our fear and loneliness dissipate. There is no other way. With every breath, we can generate mindfulness, concentration, and insight. Insight is our liberation. Insight liberates us from our fear, our ignorance, our loneliness and despair. It is this insight that helps us to penetrate deeply into the nature of no-birth and no-death, and the interconnected nature of all things. This is the cream of Buddhist practice —a nd we can do it by means of the very simple practices of breathing in and breathing out, being mindful of each step, and looking deeply.

Mental calming implies as much clarity as possible, allied with a deep feeling of freedom. When we contemplate the sea during the day we can see stones and seaweed deep down through the clear water. Our meditation should have the same clarity, which allows us to be fully conscious of the present situation.

-- Bokar Rinpoche

心灵的自由与解脱

文珠法师

今天与各位讨论的题目，是心灵的自由与解脱。我们生长在资源发展迅速的大都市，工作疲劳，生活紧张，身心都不自由；更无法解脱现实种种烦恼的困扰，可谓心事重重，相当苦恼。现在，本人藉此机会，与各位谈心，介绍心的种种及其作用，希望各位藉著佛法的启示，能能抛开心事，止息妄想，恢复觉性的宁静，获得心灵的自由与解脱，进而改善生理与心理的健康，提高生活的意义与情趣，这该是有益身心讲座。现在，本人分为四点，讲述于后：

一、心灵的种类

人非草木，谁没有心？何况外界一切事物，皆因人心关系而存在，可以说：人类生活是否幸福，人类前途痛苦或快乐，无一不系于人心，以心作主。但心是甚么？心是人类行为的主宰，亦是人类精神的主帅。但心的种类繁多，有善有恶，有好有坏，有贪有嗔，有喜有怒……古人说：‘人心不同，各如其面。’而佛经则说众生的心，有八万四千妄想之多。归纳而言，不出以七五种。

（一）肉团心——人的心脏

肉团心，指人体的心脏言，居人体之正中稍偏左。人体所有血管皆与之相通，是促进人体血液循环的总机构，其形上大下小，尖端偏向左下方，像莲花含苞待开，其质纯是以筋肉混合，含有地水火风的成份，其量大如拳头，内部纵横分为左心耳，右心耳，左心室，右心室四区。由瓣膜直接相通，出入心脏血管共八条。入于右小耳约为上大静脉，由右心室出的为肺动脉，入于左心耳的四条，即左右肺动脉，由左心室出的为大动脉，四区外有一层滑泽的心囊包围，以保护心脏，防止人在剧裂运动或搏斗时，不致与体内其他部分摩擦而受伤。因是血肉组成，有形相、有实质，名肉团心，是人意识所依止的器官。

（二）缘虑心——人的知觉

缘谓扳缘，虑是思虑，属人体器官的机能，佛教名之为眼等六识。当人体眼等六根，与外界色等六尘对立时，能引生六识的心理分别作用。例如：眼缘于色而有知觉，耳缘于声而有听觉，鼻缘于香而有嗅觉，舌缘于味而有味觉，身缘于触而有触觉，甚至末那识缘于第八识见分，及八识见分缘于相分，而有我及我所等分别心理，更引生喜怒哀乐及爱恶欲之情，皆属人的缘虑心。不过在八种识心中，此眼耳鼻舌身意等六识，缘境显著，是以缘虑虽然通于八识，却偏指眼等六识为缘虑心。

（三）思量心——人的主观

因为第七识特别思虑量度第八识的见分以为实我，而引生我见，我慢、我爱、我痴等烦恼，所谓：‘恒审思量我相随’，所以思量心，专指第七末那识。虽然，第六意识，亦有思量审度的作用，但审而不恒，第八阿赖耶识，虽永恒相续，但恒而不审，唯独第七识，既恒又审，永远坚执八识见分为自我。基于自我主观，往往影响第六意识的活动，一切皆以自我出发，一切皆为满足自我私欲而努力，甚至唯达目的，不择手段，驱使人的意念，走向罪恶，作出种种越轨的行为。是以第七识，何止是思量分别计度，同时操纵人生，纯属主观作用。

（四）集起心——人的主体

集谓积集，起谓生起。指第八阿赖耶识，能积集一切善恶种子，作为一切业种的储藏室。又能保持业种不失不坏，作为引生同类果报体的主要因素。唯识宗认为人类日常生活的一切做作，无论善恶，都能形成一种特殊的习气，印烙于八识田中，保持不失，作为一种能引生未来同类果报体的业力种子。人的环境，善缘具足，便引生善道果报生命，享受人间天上的快乐；若然恶的因缘成就，恶的种子配合恶的助缘，便招致地狱、饿鬼、畜生等恶道苦果。若然觉悟的因缘具足，则转凡成圣，觉悟成佛。是以阿赖耶识，不独是宇宙现象界一切生命的本体，亦是创造宇宙人生的主要力量。宇宙间一切善恶好丑，及十法界圣凡悬殊，苦乐天渊，无一不从此识心所积集的业力种子而生起，因名集起心。

（五）坚实心——人的佛性

此坚固而真实的清净心，是人类精神的主体，亦是众生本具的佛性。在唯识宗名圆成实性，在天台宗名真如自性。真是真实，显非虚妄，如谓如常，表无变易。世间事物，皆虚妄不实，唯此真如自性，真实而又永恒。在时间言，此心穷尽三世，过去如是，现在，未来，甚至无量劫的将来，无不如是，所谓：‘亘古今而不变，历万劫而常新’。在空间言，此心体包太虚，量周沙界，弥满十方，无有方所，既不在内，亦不在外，更不在中间。在作用言，此心能随缘不变，不变随缘，灵明朗照，觉诸法底源，达实相边际，故又名觉性。此觉性非生灭去来，非大小一多，但能通人物，达四海，塞天地，亘古今，无有乎弗具，无有乎弗同，无有乎或变。所以说：佛性常住。

综上，可知众生心识活动，共有八种，分为五类。肉团心纯属物质，缘虑心因境而生，思量心因执而有，虽属精神活动，但皆是主观的想妄分别，所知不实，是假非真。集起心，虽是幻生宇宙人生一切现象的本体，是创造十法界圣凡的主要力量，但因无明不觉，坚执真心影子见相二分为我我所，引生俱生我法二执，作善恶业，积集而有，是真妄混合，染净交参。唯独坚实心，是诸法实相，众生本性，不生不灭，永恒常住，纯真无妄。可惜众生缺乏智慧，无法运用始觉智，理解此超越时空的本觉理。由于迷而不觉，致使此纯真之心，发生变化，染净混合，真妄交参，成为第八阿赖耶识的集起心。再因第七识的思量心，恒审思量，坚执不已，故由真而妄，由细至粗，由不觉而错觉，因错觉而扳缘外境，缘虑心生，分别取舍，引生意识虚妄想像的知觉。自此，失去真理依据，善恶原则，仅凭情绪冲动，‘爱之欲其生，恶之欲其死’。作诸善恶业缘，流转六道生死，招致果报体的肉团心。因此，释尊最初觉悟此坚实的真心时，即说：‘善哉善哉，大地众生，皆具有如来智慧德相，皆因妄想执著不能证得。’楞严经亦言：‘一切众生从无始来，生死相续，皆由不知，常住真心，性净明体，用诸妄想，此想不真，故有轮转’。证明妄想的思量心及缘虑心，是迷失真心枉受生死的主因，亦是幽禁佛性，奴役人性的罪魁祸首。

二、心灵的自由

众生妄想识心，虽善恶不定，是非不分，但此妄心不离真心。可谓：真妄原是一体，诸佛悟之，即妄即真；众生迷之，从真起妄。但妄不离真，如水与波，波即是水，离水无波。故在楞严经中，十方如来同告阿难：‘汝欲识知，俱生无明，使汝流转，生死结根，唯此六根，更非他物；汝复欲知，无上菩提，令汝速证，安乐解脱，寂静妙常，亦汝六根，更非他物。’华严经亦言：‘心如工画师，画种种五阴，一切世间中，无法而不造，心心佛亦尔，如佛众生然。心佛及众生，此三无差别。诸佛悉了知，一切从心转，若能如是解，是人见真佛。’又说：‘若人欲了知，三世一切佛，应当如是观，心造诸如来。’又因果经言：‘一切善恶，皆从心想生，是故真出家，皆明心为本。’何独出家人，应以明心见性为本，即一切学佛人，甚至一切众生，亦应以明心见性为本。因为明真心，见本性，知心佛众生，三无差别，自可除妄想，去执著，转迷为悟，转识成智，反妄归真，彻底粉碎心中烦恼枷锁，获得心灵的自由与解脱。

讲到自由，人皆喜爱。真的，谁不爱好自由？谁不追求自由？有人说：‘不自由，毋宁死。’多少人为争取自由，宁可放弃一切，利诗言：‘生命最可贵，爱情价更高，但为自由故，两者皆可抛。’现代很多民主国家，都提倡自由，不但思想自由，言论自由，而且生活自由，经济自由，行动自由……当然亦有人乖曲自由，利用自由。青年人不听父母师长教导，是个人自由；成年人不守秩序，藐视法律，也是自由；甚至作奸犯科，损人利己，将圣洁的灵魂，推落私欲的陷阱，身为形役，心为转境，声色犬马，流连忘返，都是自由。所以罗兰夫人说：‘天下古今，多少罪恶，皆假自由之名以行’。致使自由，成为违背真理，破坏传统道德，扰乱社会秩序的武器，实在不幸。何况国家法律，虽给予人民自由，但回顾现实，很多人限于时间与环境，限于人际与业力关系，在人生旅途中，又能获得多少自由？更何况在生老病死的关卡中，又有谁能自由冲关？在贪嗔痴慢，以及忧悲苦恼的烦恼区域里，又有谁能获得心灵的自由与解脱？所以人虽然生活在自由的社会里，但自由毕竟有限，特别是心灵的自由，除非能彻底摆脱贪嗔痴等烦恼枷锁，否则，绝无自由可言。

佛教教主释迦牟尼佛，降生印度时，正是极端专制毫无自由的封建时代。当时身为太子的释尊，眼见执政者的骄奢淫逸，专横无道，耳闻被征服被奴役者的哀鸣，因而激发救世救人的悲愿，誓为全人类的自由平等而奋斗，而牺牲。于是割爱辞亲，出家修行，找寻真理，追求自由。当其夜櫵明星，成等正觉，发现佛性平等之后，不但主张种族平等，同时主张理性平等，不但给人类带来生活上、思想上、行动上、言论上的自由，还强调生命的自由，远胜言行的自由，心灵的自由，更胜于物质生活的自由。也唯有生命的自由，心灵的自由，才是人生真正而又永恒的自由。然欲想获得心灵的自由，以导致生命的自由，非运用布施等心来对治贪嗔等六种根本烦恼不可。兹分述于后：

（一）以布施心对治悭贪

悭谓悭惜，悭惜自己财物，不肯与他人分享；贪谓贪欲或贪求，于五欲境，贪恋不舍，于他人财物，欲占为己有。中阿含经言：‘我见世间人，有财痴不施，得财后更求’。是名悭贪。属于一种恼乱自他的烦恼。因为悭贪之人，欲望无穷，得陇望蜀，欲壑难填，心中时刻充满欺骗奸诈，不是明抢暗偷，便是强夺巧取。结果，招致法律制裁，引生忧悲苦恼，恐怖不安。即使不致触犯法纪，但贪心之人，无论贪名、贪利、贪财、贪色，或贪食、贪睡，都能扰乱身心，患得患失，求不得时，固然失望悲哀，所求如意，又为保管操心。何如寡欲知足，安贫乐道，不为物累，不为己悲。何况世间财物，五家所共有。更何况因果报应，丝毫不爽。所谓：‘财色名食睡，地狱五条根’。是以佛劝世人，以布施心，对治悭贪，将世间无常财物，储存福田，更为安全，且利率更高，生生世世，福报随身，受用无尽。

布施，不一定需要大量金钱。迦旃延尊者，令贫女施一钵水，即福报生天。又如乞女施灯，终得授记作佛，号灯光如来。正如佛说：‘以不坚之财，贸易坚固之财。’（见本事经）因为世间无常，金钱纵多也有尽时。何况人命无常呼吸间，一旦无常到来，万般带不去，唯有业随身，是以智者勤苦积财，用于布施。以金钱财物布施，解除他人生活困苦，使人发奋向上，建功立业，是立功；用知识或佛法布施，令人增长智慧，己立立人，是立言；用无畏精神布施，令人感恩励行，建立品德，是立德。个人果能实行布施，立功、立言、立德，自然心安理得，俯仰无愧，现世善名流布，来世福报无穷。若能无相布施，三轮体空，或以布施功德，回向无上菩提，则福报更微妙难思，何止对治悭贪，更能尽断烦恼，速成佛道。

（二）以忍辱心对治嗔恨

嗔恨，是众生心病中最恶毒的一种。佛说是根本烦恼之一，能违害慈悲，障碍圣道，更能恼乱自他，使人心烦躁不安，趋向堕落。是以华严经言：‘一念嗔心起，百万障门开’。又言：‘一念起嗔，殃堕无间。’佛教世人，以忍辱心对治嗔恨。人心生嗔，多因逆境，或来自人事界的毁谤怒骂，侮辱与逼害。或因自然界的严寒酷暑，或风水火灾，或因贪求不遂，心中懊恼，或因疾病绵缠，身心苦恼，不自觉怒火中烧，迁怒他人，诽谤杀害对方，造诸恶业，现世烦躁不安，恶名远播，来世必招三恶道苦，是以欲免轮回苦，必须善护嗔心，勿使嗔火蔓延不息。

降伏嗔心主要方法，是以慈悲心，修忍辱行。佛遗教经言：‘忍之为德，持戒苦行，所不能及。’当知忍辱，非懦夫行为，亦非匹夫之勇，而是正人君子的美德。一个修养有素的正人君子，必能谦恭忍让，对他人无理取闹，横加毁谤怒骂，或自然界种种灾害，都能安然忍受，不为所动，不生嗔心，不思报复。结果，以柔制刚，以不变应万变，既可以化敌为友，还可以化险为夷。故佛说：‘能行忍者，名为有力大人’。千经万典，都教人修忍辱行，中外古今，一切大德圣人，皆以嗔心为戒。如弥勒菩萨化身的布袋和尚，又如文殊、普贤菩萨化身的寒山、拾得二大士，皆劝世人修忍辱波罗密。学佛人果能修学忍辱，由生忍进而法忍，进而无生法忍。如仁王经教化品所说，菩萨由伏忍而信忍，顺忍，无生忍，最后必得寂灭忍，终无烦恼，完成佛道。则忍辱功德，又岂止对治嗔心而已？

（三）以觉悟心对治愚痴

愚痴即无明，无明即不觉众生因内心不觉，对境迷恋执著，由于迷失理性，不知真心，妄见人我，幻生我法二执，名根本无明。若迷事相，不知因果，不识邪正，产生种种邪见谬论，是枝末无明。成唯识论言：‘诸烦恼生，必由痴故’。众生因愚痴固执，对事理性相，是非好丑，邪正曲直，缺乏智慧明辨，无法觉悟本具真心。遂迷真起妄，认物为己，以苦为乐，以无常为常，以无我为我，以不净为清净。无始劫来，积年累月，都在愚痴暗蔽的无明黑夜中，胡作非为。由诸善恶业力所牵，流转六道生死，致使本具佛性，失去智慧的光辉，使人类宝贵生命，失去生存的意义，贪嗔慢疑恶见等烦恼由是而生，所以愚痴，是根本烦恼的根本。

当年悉达多太子，手握智慧宝剑，破除无明黑幕，揭开宇宙奥秘，觉悟人生真谛，回复佛性尊严，理解心外无法，法外无心的原理，知心佛众生，三无差别。我等愚痴众生，若能对佛道响往，发心寻求，所谓发菩提心，行菩萨道，即是产生觉悟之心。以觉悟之心，解觉悟之理，修觉悟之行，循人生正轨，进入真理圣城，自可消灭愚痴黑暗，发挥智慧光明，转迷为悟，转凡成圣，转烦恼成菩提，转生死为涅槃。至此，心中坦荡荡，一切人我是非，自私嫉妒，一扫而空，心无挂碍，何等自由自在？所以觉悟，正是对治愚痴的特效药，是破除无明烦恼的利器。若想超凡入圣，觉悟成佛，非培养觉悟心不可。

（四）以惭愧心对治骄慢

骄慢，是一种我慢贡高，恃己凌人的心态。俱舍论将之分为七种，对一切不如己的人，生骄傲鄙视之心，或盛气凌人，谓之慢。对学问、财富、或地位与自己相等的人，偏言己胜，或对一切皆胜己的人，强言与自己相等，谓之过慢。对胜己之人，反说己胜，谓之慢过慢。顽固执著，以为自己才貌出众，学识过人，夜郎自大，不可一世，是我慢。修道之人，未能解行相应、悟道证真，但为求世间名闻利养，妄言证圣，迷惑世人，是增上慢。对品德超群，学诚丰富之人，生卑劣感，但又不肯虚心向人学习，或接受他人好意的劝导与帮助，名卑劣慢。邪知邪见的人，恃恶生憍，以恶为胜，未能流芳百世，亦要遗臭万年，是名邪慢。总之，憍慢是一种主观执著，喜欢炫耀自己，鄙视他人，欠缺谦恭礼貌的心理病态，能烦乱自他，引生罪恶，是以佛视之为根本烦恼之一。非生惭愧心，无以对治。

惭是惭己，愧是愧他。对自己过失，感觉羞耻而反省，力思改过自新谓之惭。对他人过失，引为警惕而自勉，谓之愧。所以惭愧之心，既可对治憍慢，且可雕刻美满的人格，孕育高尚的情操，激发人向上进取的雄心，以及学习圣贤的精神。一个有惭愧心的人，不但闻过则喜，见善则拜；且能见贤思齐。所谓‘彼既丈夫我亦然，何必自卑生退屈’。‘舜亦人也，我亦人也，有为者亦若是。’特别是学佛人，知佛性平等，生佛体同。释尊已成佛，弥勒当成佛，而我等仍居薄地凡夫，被业所牵，为生死所缠，能不惭愧，反躬自责？是以惭愧心生，憍慢幢折，忏悔往昔所造诸恶业，不再嫉贤忌能，而随喜功德；不再懈怠放逸，而勤求佛道，追随释尊后尘，发菩提心；学习弥勒菩萨，修菩萨行，将来龙华三会，见佛闻法，终必成佛。亦视一切众生为未来诸佛，心生恭敬，不敢轻慢，如法华经常不轻菩萨，对一切众生皆尊重恭敬，常说：‘我不敢轻慢汝等，汝等皆当作佛。’而西哲摩尔先生亦言：‘向上级谦恭是本份，同平辈恭谦是和善，向下级谦逊是高贵，向所有人谦恭是安全。’可知谦恭礼让，原是做人的本分。能惭愧反省，不因妒忌而自恼，不因憍慢而恼人，使自他内心都充满喜悦与和谐，又是多么高贵和安全？

（五）以正信心对治疑惑

疑是犹豫不决，惑是迷失事理。疑惑心重的人，既无智慧明辨事理，分析邪正，又缺乏信心，不肯敬信三宝，不肯接受善知识的指示。遇事不能当机立断，不是彷徨失措，便是坐失良机。或因迷惑无知，怀疑真理，谤无因果，妄作恶业。是以疑惑，亦是根本烦恼之一，能招三涂苦果，犹如毒刺伤人善根，令人不知向上进取。是以佛教世人，以正信心对治疑惑，凭借正信三宝功德，启发正智，认识真理，了解人生，知因识果，增长做人的信心，走向光明的前途。

正信，拣非迷信、邪信。迷信固然有害无益，邪信更是为患无穷。因为邪信拨无因果，毁谤三宝，断人善根，散播罪恶种子，必然自食苦果。所以本人希望在座各位，切勿迷信，邪信，必需正信三宝，知因识果，止恶行善，努力修改自己不良行为，取消不正常心态，积极进修佛道，增长福慧，扩展德性，运用正信的清洁剂来洗刷心中迷惑积垢，竖立正法幢，拔除众生疑根，导归无上觉道。否则，美其名曰信佛，实则神佛不分。每以拜神祭鬼的心态来拜佛，以贪求不已之心来求佛许愿，而不知自求多福，努力向善。既为生前个人利益著想，而损人利己，作诸恶业，更为死后的享受与占有，而诸多营为。例如先订高贵棺木，先要风水坟地，预买陀罗尼被以灭罪，准备往生咒焚烧以超生，而孝子贤孙们，既不知供给长辈生前的照顾与享受，反为其死后的享用而打算。购买纸扎房屋、汽车、飞机、游艇，甚至电视机，录像机等等模型以焚烧。真的迷信得可以。

根据佛教因果定律，人死不一定做鬼。而是随其生前所作善恶业力牵引，或上天堂，或堕地狱，或为鬼为畜，无不自作自受。子孙唯一能协助先人的方法，是敬信三宝，念经超度。使先人灭罪生福，不堕三恶道而速生善处。所以正信，不单是对治疑惑或迷信邪信的圣药，亦是自救救人，自利利他的良好方法。

（六）以智慧心对治恶见

恶见，指违情逆理，不合逻辑的成见，偏见，包括邪见。是人生心理的错觉，能危害自他，可分为五种，佛学名之为五利使。

1·身见、身指由四大五蕴所组合而成的人体，原是无常、苦空、无我，属于幻有、假有，非真有。但众生迷而不觉，不知缘起性空之理，执无常为真常，轨假我为真我。更不知我所占有的一切名利权位，皆幻妄不实，而分别计执我及我所有，这种执著的我见，因身而起，故名身见。

2·边见、指断常二边。众生不知因果轮回之理，有人以为人死如灯灭，而堕于断见；亦有人以为人死复为人，属于常见。此皆妄想执著，愚痴武断，各有所偏，违背中道，因名边见。

3·邪见、是一种拨无因果的谬论。涅槃经憍陈如品说：‘善恶之报，如影随形，三世因果，循环不失。’明乎此理，自当规范身心，妨患于未然；更可止恶从善，创造幸福，走向光明。可惜邪见之人，每以为善不足珍，恶不足惧，毁人善根，陷人于迷信，邪信，永远沉沦生死苦海，无救无归，是以邪见是人生思想上最严重的毛病。

4·见取见、见，指人的主观，取见，指坚执己见以为正确的固执。由于执己为胜，自是非他，导致人间纠纷，是人类思想斗争的主因。

5·戒禁取见、指一类导人迷信的宗教，仅凭个人强烈的主观错觉，设立邪见的戒条，用以禁止信徒的思想与行动。在二千多年前，佛在世时，印度已经流行种种苦行外道，以拜火、拜水、断食……种种苦行，认为是解脱之因。或以牛是神圣的动物、不可侵犯。例如回教徒不准食猪肉而专食羊肉等禁戒的固执。目前，东南亚各地都有蛇庙，给人拜祭，而印度现在却流行一种信奉老鼠的宗教，视老鼠为神圣的使者。每天都有成千上万的信徒去老鼠庙谟拜，相信老鼠可以治病，而俯伏在地上，让老鼠在身上四处爬行，舔他们的手指，信徒以老鼠舔过的水沐浴，奉献金钱给老鼠，而庙中祭师亦相信自己将来会轮回为老鼠。祭坛上有个三尺长的钵，放满糖果麦片等食物，人鼠都从中取食。据美国记者安德逊到印度迪斯禄村一老鼠庙探访的报导：人们信奉老鼠已有四百多年的历史，由于长久以来，被人们友善对待的鼠群，已变成训良的宠物，随手可以拿起一只老鼠放在掌中玩赏。安德逊见到的一部份，最少有五百多只。美国驻印度使馆发言人查加尔敦说：‘我们的社会对宗教信仰，十分宽大，因为人人有选择信仰自由。’香港也是信仰自由，虽不致自由信奉老鼠，但谟拜石头，木头，处处都是。这都是无济于事的迷信行动，简直是误己误人，佛教视之为恶见邪行，属根本烦恼之一，是人类知识方面的心理毛病，由迷失真理而起。

是以佛劝世人，以智慧心对治恶见，因为智慧能明白真理，知世间事物，缘起性空，四大无我，不执身见；知众生六道轮回，非断非常，不落边见；知因果报应，三世循环，不生邪见；知识心分别，妄想为患，不固执己见为是，故无见取见；知成佛真因，在发菩提心，行菩萨道，利己利人，不作无益苦行，无戒禁取见；进修佛法，开拓智慧，以一切智，证真空理，断见思惑，了分段生死以自利；以道种智，证俗谛理，留惑润生以利他；以出世间上上智，圆修三观，圆断三惑，圆证三身。至此法身清净，纯真无妄，摆脱烦恼生死，即得解脱，自由自在。

三、心灵的解脱

解脱，即解除烦恼的束缚，脱离生死轮回的痛苦。众生心中因为充满贪嗔痴慢疑恶见等烦恼，策动身口意三业，作善作恶，遂形成一种招引未来果报的业种子，牵引八识心王，投生六趣，身心皆苦，不得解脱。今修学佛法，能以布施心对治悭贪，以忍辱心对治嗔恨，以觉悟心对治愚痴，以惭愧心对治憍慢，以正信心对治疑惑，以智慧心对治邪见，彻底取消贪等六种根本烦恼，根治心理毛病，不再因烦恼而作业流转，即可解除烦恼束缚，解脱生死痛苦，回复纯净无染，纯乐无苦，纯真无妄的正觉境界，不再受外界物质引诱，不怕人事界冲击，不畏自然界灾害，身心皆得自由自在，谓之心灵的解脱。

四、由心到身的自由解脱

一般人所追求的仅是行动的自由，以及现实生活痛苦的解脱。殊不知真正的自由、绝对的解脱，是基于人心而非人身。因为心，是人生命的主体，行动的统帅。人生正报的美丑，智商高低，依报的贫富，环境苦乐，皆由人心创造。所以华严经说：‘若人欲了知，三世一切佛，应观法界性，一切唯心造’，唯识宗亦说‘万法唯识’。由于人识心的真妄与善恶有别，所创造的十法界众生生命亦苦乐悬殊。六道众生，上升人天，下堕三涂，固决定于人心的善恶，而圣人的品位高低，甚至觉悟成佛，亦基于人心的真妄。

凡夫迷失真心，用诸妄想，不知佛性本具，原可作佛，反被贪嗔等六根本烦恼所感，身则杀盗淫，口则妄言绮语，两舌恶口，心则贪嗔痴，形成引生未来或苦或乐的果报体的业力，因业感果，故有四大组合的色身。人因有身，需要生存，不得不努力奋斗，初则但求温饱，进而讲究享受；初则只为个人著想，次则为家庭打算；不得不汲汲于富贵，戚戚于贫贱，身为形役，心为境转；既牵挂个人事业的成败得失，更牵挂家人的健康、前途与幸福。总之人生于世，太多希望，诸多牵挂，更多负累，心中懊恼不安，直接导致心理忧悲苦恼，间接影响生理建康，由心苦而导致身苦，再因身苦增加心苦，结果身心都苦，陷于苦境，无法自拔。唯一自救的方法，是学佛修行，寡欲知足，实行布施，心离悭贪；勤劳忍苦，不为顺逆境所动，而停止嗔恨；恒抱惭愧之心，策励自己，不生憍慢；常以觉悟心，自觉觉他，远离愚痴；以正信心，深信因果，开导众生，断诸疑惑；以智慧心，灭诸邪见，正己正人；使自己由修心养性，进而明心见性，断惑证真，在无贪、无嗔、无痴，无我慢、嫉妒，无疑惑邪见种种心苦，导致身体健康，从心不苦做到身不苦，从心灵的自由，做到身体的自由，身心都净化，身心都自由，才是真正的自由与解脱。

As long as you have negative thoughts in your mind, no matter how much you attempt to be pure, you cannot become pure. It is said that everything that appears and exists is all-encompassing purity, and also that within every sentient being dwells the buddha. The Secret Mantra Vajrayana teaches that the external universe is an immeasurable palace, and all the internal sentient beings are dakas and dakinis. This is how it truly is in reality. When you understand this, your mind becomes like space, very blissful and happy.

-- Garchen Rinpoche

The Sky Dragon's Profound Roar

by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche

We practice the genuine dharma because it is a method for clearing away the temporary stains that obscure our vision of the true nature of mind. The abiding nature of our mind is clear light. It is the Buddha nature, the undifferentiability of clarity and emptiness. In its essence, it is primordially pure and primordially free from any stain at all. It has been free and pure from the very beginning. Yet, although this is the basic nature of mind, there are temporary, adventitious stains, which are not of the nature of mind but which, nevertheless, prevent us from realising what it is.

The fact that the true nature of mind could be this clear light, the Buddha nature that is completely free of any imperfection at all, and yet be obscured by temporary stains, is called the first of the "four inconceivable points" in a text called the Gyü Lama. This text presents the highest view in the continuum of the Mahayana teachings.  Why is this point inconceivable? It seems to be quite a contradiction to state that the basic nature of mind is pure and, at the same time, there are stains that prevent us from seeing it. If the true nature of our mind is pure, why then don’t we realise this?

The situation is like gold that is pure and yet is obscured by some coarser mineral; it is like water that is pure in essence, and yet is muddied by dirt; it is like the sun that is shining and yet is blocked from our view by clouds. The purpose of practising dharma is to clear away these temporary stains so that the essence of mind shines forth. At that time, mind will be like pure gold that is refined of all impure materials. It will be like pure water, uncontaminated by any trace of dirt. It will be like the sun shining in a cloudless sky. We can understand how this apparently contradictory point is not contradictory when we consider such examples. On the surface, there might appear to be a contradiction while, fundamentally, there is not.

The qualities of the basic nature of this clear light, or Buddha nature, are that it is naturally open, spacious and relaxed. When a person realises this directly, they are freed from the bondage of their conceptuality; they are no longer bound by conceptual mind. Further, this realisation benefits not only those who have experienced it directly, but it also benefits us while we are still in the process of listening to and reflecting upon these teachings. As we develop our understanding, we progressively gain certainty that the nature of this mind will help to release us from the bondage of our thoughts, and from the bondage of our own anger and desire.

AWARENESS AND THE EXPANSE

The glorious Third Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, described the true nature of mind as the “undifferentiability of awareness and the expanse.” The quality of the “expanse” refers to the transcendence of all conceptual notions; it cannot be described in words or grasped by thought. It is the great openness transcending all conceptuality. The quality of “awareness” describes the natural state of the mind, which is clear, luminous, and bright. This quality of luminosity is what is meant by awareness.

This description by the Third Karmapa of the basic nature of the mind as the undifferentiability of awareness and the expanse is the perfect unification of the intention of the Buddha’s speech in both the Second and the Third Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma. The description of this mind as being in the nature of the expanse is the aspect that is in harmony with what is taught in the Second Turning of the Wheel of Dharma. The Second Turning sutras of the Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom, or the Prajnaparamita, describe the basic nature of reality as transcending all conceptual fabrication, as being beyond any conventional name, term, or description. Furthermore, the awareness aspect, the natural clarity and luminosity of mind, is in harmony with the Buddha’s intention in the sutras on Buddha nature, which constitute the Third Turning of the Wheel.

When one realises this nature of mind that is the awareness and the expanse undifferentiable, then all conceptual fabrications are pacified and the darkness of ignorance is completely dispelled. It is through our realisation of the aspect of the expanse — the transcendence of all conceptual fabrications — that conceptual mind is completely pacified; and it is through our realisation of the aspect of awareness — the luminous nature of mind — that the clarity of awareness dispels the darkness of ignorance.

When one gains stable certainty that, in fact, the nature of reality is “awareness and expanse undifferentiable,” then realising the nature of reality as bliss-emptiness, mahamudra, or as awareness-emptiness, dzogchen, becomes quite easy.

The great scholar and master, Mipham Chokle Namgyal, said, “If one seeks to master the basic nature of alpha purity, or kadak, it is necessary to perfect one’s understanding of the view of the Prasangika, or the Consequence School.” Alpha purity describes the basic nature of mind as it is expressed in the dzogchen descriptions. If one wishes to realise dzogchen, alpha purity, or trekcho, as it is also called, then one must perfect one’s understanding of the Consequence School. That is, one must realise that the nature of reality transcends all conceptual fabrications; it cannot be described by any conceptual terms. This is the aspect of the “expanse.”If one recognises this, then it is easy to realise the mahamudra because, as Milarepa sang:

               The view is original wisdom which is empty
               Meditation clear light free of fixation
               Conduct continual flow without attachment
               Fruition is nakedness stripped of every stain.

“The view is original wisdom, which is empty,” describes awareness, which is empty of any flaw, empty of any type of conceptual fabrication, and cannot be described by any conventional terms.

If one is able to gain certainty that the nature of mind is awareness and the expanse undifferentiable, then one will perfect the intention of the glorious Sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, who expressed this realisation again and again. The Buddha nature, itself, is nothing other than the awareness and the expanse undifferentiable. It is very important for us to gain certainty that this is the case through the practices of listening and reflecting.  This has been a brief explanation of the view of the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, and the Sixteenth Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, which expresses the true nature of reality as awareness and the expanse undifferentiable.