Faith alone never stops problems; understanding knowledge-wisdom always does. Lord Buddha Himself said that belief in Buddha was dangerous; that instead of just believing in something, people should use their minds to try to discover their own true nature. 

-- Lama Zopa Rinpoche

The problem with having expectations is that we usually do not expect the right things. Not knowing what spiritual progress is, we search for signs of it in the wrong areas of our being. What can we hope for but frustration? It would be far better to examine any practice with full reasoning before adopting it, and then to practice it steadily and consistently while observing the inner changes one undergoes, rather than expecting this or that fantasy to become real.

-- His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

This teaching so profound, dependence of effects on causes, is the very treasure of the truth the Conqueror has taught. Yet true and supreme peace transcends the deeds that bring forth high or low existence (white and black phenomena in causal sequence). And when the unborn nature of phenomena is realised, it will manifest.

-- Jigme Lingpa

No matter how vast and how numerous the sensory appearances of samsara and nirvana may be, they arise within the single nature of mind.

-- Dudjom Lingpa

We are full of fear. This is not in the sense of being frightened because someone is threatening us. It is the fear of losing, of being unable to maintain what is obtained, of not being able to continue. Fear is the result of an unfulfilled narrow desire.

-- Gelek Rimpoche

Dedicating merit at the end of any practise is an aspiration that whatever psychological or emotional strength you’ve gained through practise be passed on to others – which is not only a wonderful short compassion practise but also an extremely subtle way of dissolving the distinction between “self” and “others.” 

-- Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

As practitioners, we must ask for teachings: we must supplicate the teacher to turn the wheel of Dharma. This is encouraged not only in the Mahayana but in all the yanas. This is why we have the seven-limb supplications. There is so much benefit in requesting teachings, especially if you supplicate not just for your own benefit. If you request teachings with a motivation triggered by renunciation and compassion (bodhichitta) — if you are requesting the teachings to benefit all beings — this is the supreme way to request.

-- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche

When you develop a proper understanding of mind and its nature, this is the view; becoming acquainted with this is meditation; and acting from within this state of mind is action.

-- Gampopa

If one realises, in accordance with one’s own unmistaken mind or the power of the mind, that discerning consciousness is the very nature of the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and the like, one is enlightened. If one fails to understand this, everything appears as the vessel and contents that constitute samsāra. The three worlds are simply this; the great elements are simply this.

-- Padmasambhava, Guru Rinpoche

That which operates with conceptual ideas is the ordinary mind, whose characteristics include perceiver and perceived. All that is conceived in this way is false and will never touch upon the actual nature of reality. Any idea of existent, inexistent, both or neither — any such concept, however it is conceived — is still only a concept, and whatever ideas we hold in mind, they are still within the domain of illusion. 

-- Mipham Rinpoche

Depend, with effort, in thought and deed, on the holy spiritual friend, the Teacher of the Path, who is the root of the harmony in dependent origination. Giving all excellence in this and future lives, having seen this, retain it though it cost your life, and please your guide by acting as he instructs. 

-- Lama Tsongkhapa

The mindful exert themselves. To no abode are they attached. Like swans that quit their pools, home after home they abandon (and go).

-- The Buddha

The ocean of suffering is immense, but if you turn around, you can see the land.

-- Thich Nhat Hanh

All that you have accumulated over a thousand aeons — Generosity, offerings to the buddhas and the like, whatever good you have done — all of it is destroyed in a single burst of anger.

-- Shantideva

Those who remain unmoved by the wind of joy silently follow the Path. 

-- Bodhidharma

If you put enough energy into practicing tonglen (taking and giving), that practice will become the very foundation of courage. Courageous compassion will increase so very much on the basis of such practice!

-- Ribur Rinpoche

佛法建在果证上

太虚大师

这次到南京来，为世界佛学苑事，要与班禅大师面商，因为时间短促的缘故，本没有预备讲什么。昨天晚上与黄忏华居士谈论佛法上的问题，觉得一般研究佛学的，近来于佛法上生出很多的疑难，今天特把‘佛法建在果证上’提出来一说，贡献给研究佛学的诸君，藉资参考。整个的佛法，即所谓教法、理法、行法、果法。

一、教法：有言教与身教二种。言教，即是佛陀说法的言语，现存的经教，即是依据佛的言语结集而成的文字。身教，即是根据佛陀现身的行为与诸弟子制定的律仪，及表现佛的威仪相好，功德庄严的塔像之类。儒家‘礼仪三百，威仪三千’，与佛律‘三千威仪，八万细行’，这都是身教。

二、理法：是教法之中所诠表的意义，有确定的范围而显了表现的概念，是包括在经与律两者而又详之以论者。以确定范围所表显的意义，即为理法。

三、行法：根据圣教所诠表的真理，于事实上去实践实行，即是行法。

四、果法：如果依据真理而去实践躬行，必定收到实际的效果，即是果法。此理行果三者，皆基本于教，依教明理，由理起行，因行得果，这是最显然的程序；所以果依行，行依理，理依教；在此程序上，佛法应该建立在教法上才对。今谓佛法建立在果证上，因为在果法上才能证明教理行的真实。虽在程序上似有颠倒，然试问果依行，行依理，理依教，而教又从什么生起呢？

虽则理以教而显，果以行而收，而佛法之所以留存在世间的经律仪像，皆依证得了佛果之后，以自觉之心而去觉他，这才是教法产生的原始，所以教法乃是从果法而来的。

但是、果的意义甚广泛，而此非就普通事物的因果而言，乃专指圣果以言者。圣果有须陀洹果、斯陀含果、阿那含果、阿罗汉果──四沙门果；有辟支佛；有佛果。出家修学佛道，所谓‘勤修众善，息灭诸恶’；修沙门行，至于了脱三界生死，断尽一切烦恼，而堪受人天供养者，即阿罗汉果、辟支佛果、佛果。佛果在圣果中为最殊胜，最无上，圆证涅槃菩提。圣果、是圣者所得；所谓圣者，即是发无漏智而证真理的人，这是三乘见道以上的通称，至极的圣果，乃是佛果。

依据上面的分类，佛果是最高无上的，究竟至极的，其所证与三乘圣果不同；所以果法又有大小及浅深之差别，小乘的自证圣果非究竟，故不能以教法去普济；如云：自救不暇，还有什么余力济世救人呢？

一般以历史眼光考证佛法的人，研究教理，往往生出很多的疑难。然而佛陀遗流的教法，非是平常人的言语文字心理思想所能推测的。因为佛法所建立，是以佛果与圣果为根据的。倘若没有佛果与圣果，则佛法无从建立，更无所谓佛法。倘若没有佛果与圣果的自证智力，而以普通的思想来观察判断，当然有很多疑难之处，这因为普通的思想太幼稚的缘故！

一、教法建在果证上　　无论大乘或小乘的经典里，在每一法会之中，有很多闻法的天、人、阿修罗、乾闼婆等，以及十方诸佛菩萨同来集会，总数有百千万亿，或恒河沙之多，如果以普通的人事来比照，未免太神话了吧！以为经典里面所记载的人物，大概是想像的！因为有很多经典里所描写的主角或配角，太不近乎人情世事。固然、一切大小乘经典里所描写的事物，在世间普通人情上、有很多难解决的问题；但佛法不是神话的，想像的，是有超世间的果证作根据的。即如小乘经虽比较近乎人情，但如果完全根据人情来探究，还有很多讲不过去，何况大乘教理呢？如密宗的经咒与仪轨，是释迦牟尼佛灭度七百年之后，在印度南天竺国铁塔里有一位金刚萨埵传授给龙树菩萨，由龙树传与龙智，乃发扬光大，而印度、而中国、而日本。又如此次班禅应各界之请，将于四月二十八日，在杭州重建的时轮金刚法会，这时轮金刚法、相传是从香拔拉国传授出来的，香拔拉国虽就在人间，人间却遍处找不著，故与印度南天竺国铁塔里面的金刚萨埵，一样的不知其何在！如果以历史来考证，则又安有历史可证实？又如华严经，传说是龙树菩萨在龙宫背诵出来的。法相宗的瑜伽师地论，是弥勒菩萨应无著菩萨之祈请，从兜率陀天降下到人间的瑜遮那讲堂为无著等人讲说的。有因缘成熟者，能睹弥勒菩萨的光明，或闻法音，如果没有因缘的众生，则光无从去睹，法亦无从去闻了！又如大乘律的梵网经里面的记载，由千华台上卢舍那佛传之千释迦，再传之千百亿释迦，这些更非是普通人的心理可能证明了。如果以普通的思想，或以人间的历史来推测，密宗经咒与华严经、瑜伽师地论等，便都不可靠，近乎神话，寻不到它的基础。但佛法是有不可思议的佛果法、圣果法、作基础的，故须证得了佛果之后，乃能判别他的真实与虚伪，或三乘圣人乃稍有这种能力与才干，因为六神通中的漏尽通，无学圣果方得；如证得了六神通，这种疑方可没有。

因为圣人有神足通，有什么疑难去问他，自己不能解答，可入禅现通，上天去请问弥勒或什么菩萨。我们看见很多经典里面，记载阿罗汉往天上或龙宫去的故事，如果我们有了神足通，就可以证实。所以未证圣果的人，对于教法有很多疑难之处，事所当然，理所必至，亦情有可原了！

二、理法建在果证上　　经云：‘无始时来界，一切法等依，由此有诸趣，及涅槃证得’。此谓无始时来一切法所依的东西，即是第八阿赖耶识。倘没有阿赖耶识，则没有所谓诸趣的六道，亦没有所谓涅槃。换言之，其所以有生死流转的诸趣及解脱诸趣的涅槃者，因为有第八阿赖耶识的缘故。但于此有先决的问题，即是证实诸趣流转生死的有无，这是世间道理；所谓涅槃，这是出世道理。所以、要流转的世间道理，及涅槃的出世道理成立之后，乃可再讨论第八阿赖耶识有无的问题。

然而诸趣流转之说，决非一般人所推测或想像得到的，在我们的上面有天，下面有畜生、地狱、饿鬼，虽然人与畜生，我们可以见得到的，但地狱、饿鬼在什么地方呢？或者也有人在夜深人静的时候遇见鬼。又如：科学家发现人灵交通，以及乩坛上先哲临坛降乩等事，在事实上、发见的亦只有人、畜生、鬼。余者所谓地狱、天，只在经典上传说著，不易在人事上显然的表示出来。因之、诸趣流转六道轮回的学说，不能成立了。既然、诸趣流转不能建立，更无所谓涅槃证得。只此诸趣流转的理，且非鬼神教，以及普通人的知见可推测出来，又何况出世的涅槃及为一切法所依的阿赖耶识呢？因为我们的人类，不易解说证明一切，所以在佛法理论上的学说，未证得圣果位不易明了，更不易讲解得出来。所以我们在没有证得天眼通、宿命通以前，当然自身他身多身所行之事，皆不能够知道，而生死流转的诸趣，无始以来所造的业果，不断地薰习在阿赖耶识之中，因之不断地在生死苦海里面流转著，这在未有证得佛果的我们，自不容易了知个中真理。

三、行法建在果证上　　勤修戒、定、慧，三十七道品，六波罗密，这都是佛法修行的行法，这都是普通人行不来的行法。即以六波罗密之第一布施而论，布施有三种：一、财施，二、法施，三、无畏施。财施又分三种：一、内财施，二、外财施，三、内外财施。所谓内财施，即以身命布施，如金刚经云：‘以恒河沙等身命布施’；以身喂虎等布施，这都是普通人行不来的布施。所谓内外财施，如妻子儿女都可牺牲，都可布施与人，这也是我们普通人不易行的。

可是、大乘菩萨都能行得到，他们证得生空、法空，了知没有实常的身命，没有自性的生死。因此、以身命去作济世救人之用。因为济世救人，所以将所有的身命财产以及妻子儿女应有尽有的布施给他人，难行能行，这才是大乘菩萨入世的精神！这唯有证得圣果的人，才有这伟大的精神表现！

所以佛法底教、理、行三者，皆是建立在究竟圆满的果证上，如果没有究竟圆满的佛果为基础，则教、理、行三法不易施设。修学佛法，其重要的途径，在信解、修证。然而时丁末法的今日，什么都带有怀疑色彩！如果对于佛法的教也起怀疑了，则于佛法的理，便无确实的安立，还讲什么行与证呢？但是、有些虚伪假造或相似的教法，亦可藉考证以辨其真假。然若能以信心接受教理而去实践躬行，自然有证果之一日。但是世间若没有证果之人，则普遍地劝人修行五戒、十善之法，普遍地劝人立志学佛，虽不失人间乐报，终不免有多少陷于混沌错误的怀疑。如果有人能证得圣果，具六神通，则自然能挽回既倒之狂澜。住持佛教宏扬佛法的沙门，于此应深注意！

You are Buddha in your essence. Nothing can corrupt that, nothing can shake that. That is real confidence. 

-- 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in the Mahayana Tradition

by 7th Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

In the Mahayana tradition, mindfulness is regarded as wisdom, transcendental knowledge, which is known in Sanskrit as prajna. Mindfulness is also a method of working with our mind. It is the method of recollection, of watchfulness, which develops into the stage of awareness. But if you look at this mindfulness and awareness, you will see that there is not much difference between them. Once you have developed the discipline of mindfulness, awareness is simply the continuity of that mindfulness.

There are several stages we progress through in our study and cultivation of prajna. These become the means for integrating our understanding into our experience, and progressively developing that experience into the full state of realisation. In this article, I will discuss the four foundations of mindfulness as they are understood and practised in the general Buddhist approach and in the Mahayana tradition.

FOUR OBJECTS OF MINDFULNESS PRACTICE 

In the path of the four mindfulnesses, there are four objects of meditation. The first is the body, the second is feeling, and the third is mind. The fourth object is called phenomena, or dharmas in Sanskrit.

We have different samsaric relationships with each of these four objects. Through clinging to these four objects and relating to them in a most neurotic way, the whole universe, the whole world of samsara, is created. But by using these four objects as the objects of our meditation, we can develop a sane relationship with them. We can transcend our usual relationship with these four objects and develop more direct and profound ways of dealing with them.

The object of body serves as the basis of clinging to oneself as an existent, permanent ego. To that we add feeling, something to be experienced by this self. Then we have mind, which is what we relate to as the real self. When we try to point to the self, the ego, we usually point to our consciousness, our basic sense of mind. That is the actual object of self-clinging, which cannot exist without body (or form in general) and feeling. Mind cannot really express itself without the body and feeling. Therefore mind, in the third stage of mindfulness, is the basic idea of consciousness, of awareness.

Finally, we have the fourth object, phenomena. Ordinarily, we relate to phenomena as the basis of confusion. However, from this perspective, phenomena are seen as the basis of both confusion and liberation, of samsara and nirvana. Samsara and nirvana appear and are experienced on the basis of phenomena.

Our misunderstandings and unhealthy relationships with these four objects lead us into the vicious circle of samsara. Samsara’s game of illusion arises from a lack of prajna in our relationships with these four objects. Therefore, we develop prajna so we can relate with them more profoundly, as well as more basically.

THE ESSENCE OF MINDFULNESS

What is mindfulness? The essence of mindfulness is the prajna of seeing — the wisdom that understands and experiences the true nature of form, the true nature of feeling, the true nature of mind, and the true nature of phenomena. To practice this means to focus, place or relate your mind closely with these four situations or objects. Relating with these four objects directly with our prajna means experiencing them without any labels. This is what we call the practice of mindfulness.

The essence of these practices is experiencing these four objects without any barrier between you as the knower and the experienced object. The absence of any barrier is prajna. Prajna is also without colouring; therefore, we see the objects’ basic state and relate with that. The fundamental simplicity of the object is the essence or nature of mindfulness.

If you examine these four mindfulnesses, you will recognise that they involve working with the five skandhas. The mindfulness of body relates to the skandha of form. The mindfulness of feeling relates to the skandha of feeling. The mindfulness of mind relates to the skandha of consciousness, which is the fifth skandha. And the mindfulness of dharmas, or phenomena, relates to the other two skandhas, which are perception and formation, or concepts. Keeping this in mind helps us to understand these four mindfulnesses.

FIRST FOUNDATION: MINDFULNESS OF BODY

The method of practising the four foundations begins with mindfulness of the body. There are two ways of viewing the practice of the mindfulness of body. The first is the general Buddhist approach, which is the most fundamental way of looking at this mindfulness. The second approach specifically reflects the Mahayana point of view.

The mindfulness of body, or form, relates to our fundamental sense of existence, which is normally unstable and ungrounded due to our samsaric tendencies. Our existence is very wild, like a mad elephant. That’s why we work with form as the first stage of mindfulness practice. In particular, we work with three different levels of form. These are the outer form of our physical existence, the inner form of our perceptions, and the innermost form, which is related to the Mahayana understanding of the selflessness of body.

THE OUTER FORM OF BODY

In the general Buddhist approach, we work with the outer form of our physical existence. We try to understand what this existence is, what this physical form is. Usually, we experience our physical body as existing “out there” somewhere. We feel that our body exists outside of our mind. Also, we feel that it exists in a definite, very solid way. That is our fundamental experience of body, and it goes wild in our usual situation of life. Through the practice of mindfulness, we calm down the wildness of our physical existence and bring it to a certain level of groundedness. By bringing it into the present, we bring it to what it actually is, rather than thinking about what it is.

For example, we may ponder such questions as, “Is the body matter or mind?” However, forget about such philosophical or theoretical divisions. At this point, we simply relate with our physical sense of existence — that is the mindfulness of body. If we approach this with too much philosophy or analysis, it becomes complicated. Trying to see if body is mind or matter, if it’s a projection or not, prevents us from relating directly to what it is. The Buddha talks about this basic approach in the sutras, when he says things like, “When you see, just see. When you smell, just smell. When you touch, simply touch. And when you feel, simply feel.”

We are using very basic logic here to relate to the most fundamental level of our experience. For example, when we sit down on a meditation cushion, we experience various physical sensations, such as gravity, which are basic to our existence. Just being there with that is what we call mindfulness of body, and that mindfulness also involves a certain prajna, an understanding what it actually is.

THE INNER FORM OF THE BODY

That experience takes us to the inner state of physical existence, which is seeing the reality of the relative existence of self. That is a very simple experience. In the general Buddhist approach, we simply sit and be with our body, not with our mind, so to speak. In this exercise, it’s possible for us to have a sense of the profound presence of our body, the profound experience of just being whatever it is. That experience is the inner experience of the physical self.

At this stage, we go further into the subtlety of our physical nature. We see our own impermanent nature, which is the subtle experience of the mindfulness of body. That experience is a profound realisation. The Buddha said that of all footprints, the deepest imprint is the footprint of the elephant. Similarly, the Buddha said, the most precious and deepest impression that any thought can make on the progress of our path is the thought of impermanence. Therefore, the realisation of the impermanence of our body is a very profound mindfulness practice.

THE INNERMOST FORM OF THE BODY

At the Mahayana level, we go beyond the simple physical presence of body. At this point, we relate to the way the body is experienced. The way we experience our body is simply our perception, our reflection, our projection. As far as the Mahayana path is concerned, there is nothing solid beyond that — there is no real existence of an outer physical body.

Through the practice of reflecting on our physical existence, our discipline of mindfulness develops into seeing with awareness — we are seeing a much deeper level of the physical self. We’re discovering the true nature of the experience of body. Here, we’re approaching the level of absolute reality, rather than remaining on the relative level where we see only the relative nature of mind, body and mindfulness. We are going to the depths of mindfulness, which is the absolute truth. Therefore, when we talk about this mindfulness in the Mahayana sense, we are talking about the selflessness of the body, which is very different from the general Buddhist approach.

THE DREAM EXAMPLE

At this level we are dealing with our projections. We see that the physical world we experience is not necessarily solid and real. This can be understood clearly through the example of a dream. When we are dreaming, we have subject, we have object, and we have the action between the subject and the object. This is the experience of the threefold situation. As long as we remain in the dream state, we experience these three things as solid and existing.

But these three exist only in the dream state — if you look back at your dream after waking up, they do not exist. And if you look back at yesterday’s experience of life, it does not exist. Neither your dream of last night nor your experience of yesterday is solid, as far as today is concerned. There’s no sound basis for saying that yesterday’s events were more solid than last night’s dream. There’s no logical reason, except that we cling to our dreamlike experience of yesterday more than to our experience of last night’s dream.

Therefore, in the Mahayana path, our whole experience of the body and the physical world is seen as simply a projection of our mind. It is a production of our karmic mind and will remain as long as we remain in this dream of samsara.

Maintaining the discipline of seeing the dreamlike nature of our body is mindfulness of body in the Mahayana path. But in order to really practice this mindfulness of body, we must begin with the Theravadin approach of simply being there in the physical sense, experiencing the presence of our body. Then, going further into the experience of body, we see the illusory, dreamlike nature of our body as a reflection of our mind. Finally, going into the depth of that experience, we see body as emptiness.

That is the complete practice of mindfulness of body. Practices such as sitting or walking meditation are situations where we can have strong experiences of this mindfulness. In contrast, we usually go about our regular existence in the world mindlessly, and we do not really experience our own presence on the physical level.

THE SECOND FOUNDATION: MINDFULNESS OF FEELING

The practice of the second foundation, mindfulness of feeling, is relating to our basic existence as samsaric beings. In the general Buddhist approach, “feeling” refers to working with our basic fear, which is the fear of suffering, or the fear of fear. Actually, fear itself is not suffering, but the fear of fear is the most troubling presence in the realm of our feeling.

Therefore, mindfulness of feeling relates with the three objects of our existence in the samsaric world: the pleasant object, the unpleasant object and the neutral object. In relation to these three objects, we experience three different states or aspects of fear. Towards the pleasant object, we feel a fear of attachment, a fear of desire. Towards the unpleasant object, we feel a fear of hatred or aggression. And towards the neutral object, we feel a fear of neutral feeling, of numbness or stupidity. We daily experience these three aspects of feeling in surviving our existence in the samsaric world.

To relate with these three feelings, the Buddha taught that we have to relate properly to the three objects — to understand them and work with their nature. He said that when we examine the nature of these three feelings and their three objects, we discover that the fundamental nature of all of them is suffering. The pleasant object, the unpleasant object and the neutral object all have the same nature of suffering, regardless of whether we’re relating to attachment, aggression or ignorance. Consequently, practising mindfulness of suffering is the mindfulness of feeling, and relating with the three objects is the way to relate with the three levels of suffering.

THE THREE LEVELS OF SUFFERING

The practice here is to meditate on the three expressions of suffering and to experience their nature. The Buddha said there is one word that can describe the meaning of suffering, and that is fear. Fear is what suffering means. But what is this fear? It is the fear of losing something that is pleasant, something that is very dear and beloved, something to which you have become attached. It is also the fear of gaining something that is unpleasant and that you don’t want. Overall, you always get what you don’t want, and you don’t get what you really want. Therefore, we have three levels of suffering, which we call the suffering of suffering, the suffering of change, and all-pervasive suffering.

All-pervasive suffering is the fundamental fear that exists whether we’re feeling happy or down. All of our feelings are pervaded by this fundamental fear, which is why it is called “all-pervasive suffering.” It’s compared in traditional Buddhist literature to developing a fatal disease that has not fully ripened. You haven’t really experienced it yet, but its presence is there all of the time, growing every minute. That kind of fundamental situation is known as all-pervasive suffering, which grows into the suffering of change.

The traditional metaphor for the suffering of change is a very delicious cookie baked with poison. When you eat that cookie, it’s very pleasurable — but it is deadly poisonous. In order to show that more dramatically, Shantideva, in the Bodhicharyavatara, said the suffering of change is like honey on a razor blade. When we lick this honey, it’s very sweet, and because of our desire and attachment, we want more and more all the time. With our poverty mentality, we lick the honey harder each time we experience its sweetness, and the harder we lick the honey, the deeper we cut our tongue on the razor blade. So the suffering of change is experienced initially as a pleasurable, pleasing feeling, but it leads us to suffering.

The suffering of change leads us to the suffering of suffering, which is the most obvious level of suffering. This simply means that, in addition to our fundamental fear, we accumulate further sufferings, one on top of the other. For example, after experiencing the delicious honey, we notice that we have cut off our tongue. When we notice that our tongue is gone, not only do we feel the pain of our wound, we also realise we won’t be able to taste the sweetness of honey again in this lifetime.

As we work with and examine the three levels of experience — pleasant, unpleasant and neutral — we can see they are related with the three sufferings. Pleasurable feelings are connected to the suffering of change, unpleasant feelings connected to the suffering of suffering, and the neutral state of mind is connected to fundamental suffering, all-pervasive suffering. So mindfulness of feeling is being totally watchful and present with every level of our fear. This is the mindfulness of feeling from the perspective of the general Buddhist approach.

MAHAYANA APPROACH: FEARLESSNESS AND SELFLESSNESS

In the Mahayana tradition, mindfulness of feeling means seeing the selfless nature of suffering, which is seeing the true nature of fear as not being fear. On the most fundamental level, our suffering is fear of being in the state of fear. Relating to this fundamental fear without fear is the way to practice Mahayana mindfulness of feeling.

What we are doing here is simply looking at our fear. We experience our suffering — our so-called suffering — nakedly, without any filters of fear. That’s how the Mahayana mindfulness works. Looking at it directly, face-to-face, we transcend our fear and become a fearless warrior on the Mahayana path. Without working with the mindfulness of feeling, which deals directly with our fear, it is very difficult to follow the path of Mahayana. Without it, there’s no way to become a fearless warrior.

THE THIRD FOUNDATION: MINDFULNESS OF MIND

The third stage of mindfulness is working directly with our basic state of mind, which is our consciousness or awareness. We’re not speaking of one giant, all-pervasive mind, which does not exist in any case. In the general Buddhist approach, the mind refers here to a detailed classification of mind, and our practice is working with every single experience of our consciousness. We have a very detailed explanation of mind, and our practice is being mindful of every individual movement of our mind, every momentary experience of thought, perception and memory.

In the Mahayana tradition, mindfulness of mind is closely connected to the meditative experience, beginning with our practice of shamatha and vipashyana and continuing all the way up to tantra. The Vajrayana practices are closely connected to this mindfulness of mind.

In this practice, we develop the discipline of watching our mind — guarding the mind and bringing it down to some experience of groundedness. Right now, our mind is up in the air. It’s totally in the state of dreaming, in the state of non-reality, in the state of nonexistence. This mindfulness brings the mind down to the fundamental state of nowness — nowness of this reality, of this moment. That is the mindfulness of mind in the Mahayana.

DWELLING IN THE PAST AND ANTICIPATING THE FUTURE

Because of the dream state that is our basic experience of mind, we have never, ever lived. We have never, ever lived in all of these years. We think we are living. We believe we are living. We dream we are living. But although we imagine we are living, we have never actually lived.

We are either in the state of “having lived” or “will be living” — that’s how our mind functions in the samsaric world. Often, our mind is dwelling in and dreaming about the past. Experiences of the past are always occurring in our mind, and we are always “sort of living” in the state of past memories. Our mind has never been free to live in the present: it’s always under the dictatorship of our memories of the past or dreams of the future. We have a long list of plans for how we will live in the future — how we will practice, how we will achieve this and that — and we invest our energy, time and effort in these dreams. As a result, we may actually achieve a certain number of our dreams, but when the future becomes the present, we don’t have the time or prajna to experience it. We don’t have the space, the freedom, to enjoy the dreams that have come true in the present.

We have totally, totally, gone out of control. We have lost our freedom and our dreams, along with our basic beliefs in those dreams. Our idea of living has altogether disappeared, slipped out of our hands, like the present moment. Therefore, this practice of mindfulness teaches us to bring our mind to a greater state of freedom. It teaches us to free our mind from the imprisonment of dwelling in the past or future. In that freedom, we are able to experience the actual sense of living, the simplicity of being completely present with our living state of mind.

THE PRESENT MOMENT 

When we look at it, the present state of our mind is a very tiny spot. It’s a very tiny and slippery spot, so tiny and slippery that we always miss it. It’s so tiny that it’s an infinite spot.

The whole purpose of mindfulness of mind is to bring us back to this tiny spot of the present, the momentary nature of our mind, and to experience the infinite space and freedom within that speck of existence. In order to do that, we must experience the lively nature of our mind, which is so present, so momentary and so fresh. Every individual moment, every individual fragment of that mind, is completely pure and fresh in its own state.

The whole point is to experience this freshness and genuineness — the honest face of that tiny spot — without colouring it with our memories, concepts, philosophies or expectations. Experiencing it without all these is what we call simply being there. That can’t happen if we don’t let go of our memories of our understanding, our memories of our expectations. We have to see the nature of our thoughts directly and genuinely be there, rather than living in our memories of understanding, our memories of meditation, or our memories of our expectations of our meditation. If we are living in the memory of thoughts, then we are still not being there. We are still not experiencing that fundamental, tiny, infinite spot.

IMPRISONMENT 

To the extent that we live in the memory of thoughts, we are not experiencing the freedom of space. To the extent that we live in the memory of understanding, while we may have good memories or a good understanding, it’s like we are decorating our prison. Our prison may look a little better and more refreshing, but we still are living within a limited space. We haven’t freed ourselves from the prison of dwelling in the past and anticipating the future. Mindfulness of mind is being there in that tiny spot, that infinite space, and that only comes through totally letting go of our expectations. When we totally let go of our thoughts, we totally free our thoughts.

In a way our thoughts are imprisoning us. On the other hand, we are imprisoning them. We imprison our thoughts in the same way they imprison us. We’re not letting thought be thought. We’re not letting these thoughts be thoughts in their own state. We are colouring them. We are clothing them. We’re painting the face of our thoughts. We’re putting hats and boots on them.

That’s very uncomfortable for the thoughts. We may not recognise it, but if you really look at the thoughts themselves, it’s very uncomfortable for them to be what we want them to be. It’s like dressing up a monkey in the circus. The monkey is all dressed up in a beautiful tuxedo and bow tie, with a dignified hat and beautiful shiny boots. But you can imagine the discomfort the monkey feels at that point. No matter how beautiful he may look, no matter how dignified this monkey may appear to be, from the point of view of the monkey’s basic instinct, it’s uncomfortable to put up with all the expectations of your human boss.

FREEING OUR THOUGHTS AND OURSELVES 

Mindfulness of mind is freeing our thoughts and coming back to the basic spot. How do we practice this? In our meditation and post-meditation, we have to recognise the arising of our thoughts and emotions. We have to acknowledge them at the first stage of their arising. For example, if strong anger arises in our mind, the first thing to do is simply to recognise it. However, we have to recognise it again and again, because it only exists in this tiny spot. Every moment, every fragment, is a new anger. One anger may have hundreds of moments, and we have to distinguish these moments as many times as they appear.

Then, when we identify a moment of anger, we just let the anger be anger. We give some freedom to the anger. As much as we want freedom from our anger, our anger is striving for freedom from us. Therefore, at this stage of recognition, we must let it go, allow it to be in its own state. There is a great need for us to practice this, because recognition is the first stage in working with our thoughts, the first stage of freeing our thoughts and freeing ourselves.

RECOGNITION: THE SPEED BUMP

Recognition is like a speed bump. What does a speed bump do? It slows us down; it slows down the speed of our car. The purpose of the speed bump is not to stop the car, and the purpose of recognising our anger is not to stop it. Recognition slows down the speed of our klesha mind. Whether it’s anger, passion or jealousy we’re feeling, it slows down the speed of that klesha mind. In the process of slowing down, we are creating more space, and in the space created by the simple moment of recognition is the space of wisdom, of compassion, of love and of mindfulness.

This space will help us handle this car we are driving. That gives a greater sense of safety not only to us as the driver but also to the pedestrians who are walking on the street. We’re not creating more space just for ourselves; it’s for others, too. We’re creating some space between ourselves and our anger, between ourselves and our klesha mind. The space we experience because of the speed bump is this tiny spot, which is the beginning of experiencing our infinite space.

THREE STAGES OF RECOGNITION 

There are three stages of recognition. The first stage is recognising the very tip of the arising of thought. This is the very first moment of the movement of thought or emotion. This is the foremost way of recognising thought, which happens only after we have some shinjang, some development of suppleness in our practice.

The second stage of recognition is recognising thought when it has arisen. At this stage, our thoughts are a little bit grown-up. It’s like diagnosing a disease at a later stage of development. Because it has already developed, its treatment requires a little more work. It’s a little bit late, but still manageable.

The third stage of recognition is recognising thought after everything has happened. We don’t recognise thought until after it has arisen and grown to the full-blown stage. This is like recognising our monkey in the zoo. We recognise our monkey wearing the full tuxedo, but it’s a little late, because we have totally imprisoned him at that stage. We have totally imprisoned our emotions, our thoughts, and ourselves. This is the stage where our disease is fully grown, and there’s nothing much we can do except to take painkillers and wait.

These are the three stages of recognition; the Mahayana path very much emphasises the first stage. Through the development of our courage, skill and compassion, we increase our power to recognise thought at its very beginning. As soon as any thoughts or emotions arise, at the very first trace of their arising, we must try to maintain our mindfulness. In this process, we’re letting emotions be emotions and mind be mind—we simply observe the movement of mind and work with it. When we experience that tiny spot of the nowness, we are experiencing the infinite space of our mind, the infinite space of our thoughts, and the infinite space of our emotions. We are freeing our thoughts and emotions, and we are freeing ourselves at that very moment.

In a way, it’s a very simple process, although it takes many words to describe it. In the practice of meditation, we repeatedly bring our mind back to its present state of nowness, to the present momentary fragment of our mind. That’s why we use all these different techniques — to come back to that very tiny spot and experience its infinite space. That is the whole purpose of our meditation.

THE FOURTH FOUNDATION: THE MINDFULNESS OF PHENOMENA 

The fourth mindfulness is called the mindfulness of phenomena, or the mindfulness of dharmas. After working with the mindfulness of mind, this mindfulness brings us to the next stage, which is panoramic awareness of the phenomenal world.

The phenomenal world is not only within our mind. The phenomenal world is also the object of our mind. It is the world we experience with our body, speech and mind. Relating with these surrounding phenomena in a mindful way is what we call the mindfulness of phenomena.

In the general Buddhist approach, this mindfulness means recognising the interdependent relationship between our mind and the phenomenal world. This means having a 360-degree awareness of the phenomenal world existing around us. The mindfulness of phenomena is having the prajna to relate directly and precisely with the world outside, without any fear and without any conceptions. Without any philosophical conceptions, we relate to the most fundamental state of phenomena.

What we are working with here are the six objects of our sensory perceptions. We work with form, sound, smell, taste, touch and dharmas. The sixth sensory object, dharmas, is also called the mind perception. Working with these six objects in a precise way leads to a full understanding of the true nature of pratityasamutpada, the interdependent origination of the phenomenal world. That begins with understanding the twelve links of interdependent origination, known as the twelve nidanas.

MAHAYANA INTERDEPENDENCE 

Beginning with the twelve nidanas, the Mahayana understanding of interdependent origination is that everything arises from emptiness and dissolves into emptiness. There is no separation between appearance and emptiness. Emptiness arises from appearance, and appearance arises from emptiness. Basically, we are talking about the inseparability of the two truths. There is no absolute truth without the relative truth, and there’s no relative truth without the absolute truth. They depend on each other.

Therefore, in the Mahayana, mindfulness of phenomena means understanding the emptiness of phenomena, the egolessness of phenomena. That realisation is developed through the cultivation of the three prajnas of hearing, contemplating and meditating. By going through this three-stage process of analysing the phenomenal world from the Mahayana perspective, we can realise the nonexistence, or selflessness, of these outer phenomena, which we had previously believed to be solid and real.

ANALYTICAL MEDITATION: THE GONG 

We practice this mindfulness by taking the objects of our sensory perceptions as the objects of our meditation, and analysing them by being present with each object in the tiny spot of its existence. Through the analytical meditation process, this state of nowness — the state of the present — clicks us into the experience of infinite space.

Take the ringing of a gong. The actual beauty of the sound is produced by our effort. First, we pick up the striker with our hand, then we move our hand and the striker to ring the gong. From that the sound is produced, the beautiful humming sound, which is beyond our hand, our effort, the striker and the bell itself. It is beyond all of this, beyond the combination. It is beyond all this existence.

As beginners, we get attached to the beauty of that sound. As soon as we hear it, we become totally passionate about it, so we unskillfully grasp the gong. We want to hug the gong and make it all our own and say, “I got it!” In that process, we have already frozen this beautiful humming sound. As soon as we say, “I got it,” it’s gone miles away.

At a certain point, when we reach the peak of holding on to the gong, we can totally let go. We can let go of the thought of hugging the gong, of touching it and making it ours. Only then can we live in the presence of this beautiful sound of humming.

It is through analytical meditation that this beautiful humming sound of the experience of selflessness, the shunyata experience, is produced. The analytical process is equivalent to the ringing of the gong, and our effortless enjoyment of the beautiful humming sound that is produced corresponds to resting meditation. The resting meditation experience of egolessness is very difficult to attain without the analytical process of meditation. In order to let go of our attachment to the gong, we need to ring the bell again and again. It is the work we do in analytical meditation that leads us to the stage of resting meditation.

THE RESULT

On the basic Buddhist level, the result of these four mindfulnesses is the realisation or actualisation of the Four Noble Truths. Through the mindfulness of body and the mindfulness of feeling, we come to the realisation of the truths of suffering and the causes of suffering. With the mindfulness of mind, we come to the realisation of the truth of cessation, of completely being freed. And the fourth mindfulness, the mindfulness phenomena, brings us to the realisation of the path that leads to cessation. If we understand the interdependent nature of all phenomena, if we can relate with all phenomena as emptiness, then that is the path leading us to the result of nirvana, or cessation.

From the Mahayana point of view, the result of these four mindfulnesses is the realisation of two-fold egolessness — the egolessness of self and the egolessness of phenomena. That is essentially what mindfulness is all about.

An emptiness of everything does not occur because an emptiness of suchness does not occur. A ground that is empty of all phenomena occurs; it is suchness. A ground that is empty of suchness does not occur because that is invalidated by an immeasurable [number] of extremely absurd consequences. Therefore, empty of all and empty of all phenomena are extremely different because within the abiding reality there is an emptiness of phenomena but not an emptiness of suchness. This repudiates the assertion that phenomena and suchness are the same with different contradistinctions and also the assertion that they are utterly non-distinct because the two are different [in the sense of] negating that they are one entity. 

-- Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen

关于附体问题

达照法师

问：附体情况有几种？

答：附体情况比较复杂，我们可以分为如下几大类：

第一，精魂鬼魅附体：就是人、畜、鬼三道众生的各类精怪附体。精：如狐狸精、蛇精、黄鼠狼精等畜生道的动物修炼成精之后，具有一定的神通力量，在特殊的机缘下，就可能附在人的身体上。魂：如灵魂附体等人道众生的过去业报关系，而导致了附在他人身上，却只能说自己的话，这是一种业报而不是神通所导致的。鬼：如大力鬼、僵尸鬼等鬼道众生，嫉妒贪欲等恶念生起，以其鬼通之力，便可附体。魅：如依附于山川草木而成就神通力的老鬼，也是鬼道众生，时常捉弄他人，喜欢附体取乐。此类精魂鬼魅附体，一般都会有不详的征兆出现，即使暂时没有，而其结果也往往都是灾难患病之类。其实，这四种也都可以归属于鬼道众生所摄，情形亦很复杂，兹不一一详说了。

这类附体的表现是，身心受到了控制，丝毫不得自由，神经兮兮，言语动作不近正常行人，身体伴有所附精怪的气味。时而或有神通怪异情况出现，时而烦恼痛苦，喜怒无常，思绪混乱，记忆模糊，常受恐惧惊惶所束缚，真是苦不堪言。

第二，神祗附体：就是一些善良的天地神明附在人体。神：如中国民间跳大神的玉皇大帝下凡、王母娘娘下凡等，这是天居的神附在人体。祗：如民间跳大神的关公、齐天大圣、陈十四、妈祖等，都是属于地居的神祗附在人体。这类附体一般都不会危害人们，通常是劝人注意修为，行善积德等等世间有为善法。

这类附体的表现是，不要主动想到附体之神祗，就和平常人一样，基本能够正常生活工走，而附体的时候，却如喝醉酒一般，疲惫困倦，喜于任意演说种种是非祸福，劝勉世间一切众生尊重善行，但也是非恩怨极为明了，报复心也很强烈。对于普通百姓来说，通常不会有太多负面作用。但对于修行者来说，却是最大的障道因缘。

第三，天魔附体：这就是佛经中说的着火入魔，天魔外道依其神通力，而附在修行人的身上。如六欲天的魔王波旬，及其手下魔兵魔将、魔子魔孙等，经常要来捣乱真正修行，而将要有所成就的人。这是防不胜防的修道大敌，但是必须一一战胜，将其节节击败，才有彻底解脱的一天。

这类附体的表现是，如同《楞严经》所说的那样，非常轻狂高傲，但又让人感觉他是高超于他人，表面上看好象是大修行人，或者就跟圣人一样，而实际上，其内心根本没有能够破除“五阴”的执著，我执极为坚固，生死岸边游戏，而将一切众生推落于生死苦海之中，罪大恶极，最为危险！

问：附体的原因是什么？

答：以上这三类附体的情况，其原因也是多样的，也有相通的原因和各自不同的原因，他们差别的原因是：

第一类附体的原因，大多是因为“宿债恩怨”，宿债就是过去世与那些精魂鬼魅有彼此之间的债务关系，而今生的福报不够，阴气太多，缺乏阳刚正气，所以精魂鬼魅就有机会来侵犯干扰。赐恩的，就是使被其附体之人，能够聪明突出，异于常人，未赴先知等等，从而因此获得相关的物质利益；这是过去曾经对它们有所恩惠，前来图报，一般情况不易发觉，也无明显负面作用。抱怨的，就是使被其附体之人，身体患病，心神恍惚，发疯发狂，身心摧残，如上所说，饱受种种痛苦折磨，难以救疗。

第二类附体的原因，一般是善良诚实，而缺乏阳刚之气，或者亦有别的特殊因缘，可以替代神祗导化人间。但若不是真正的神祗，而是冒充神祗的精魂鬼魅之类，那又另当别论了。

第三类附体的原因，那就是在修行的发心、见地上出现问题，所谓“发心不正，果遭迂曲。见地不纯，着魔有分。”这是因为不能熟谙佛法教理，闻思不足，匆忙上路修行，盲修瞎炼，好胜好强，五欲放不下，贪著于名利，喜欢神奇怪异，好论神通玄妙，不守清净戒律，贡高我慢等等原因，都是容易招惹天魔外道来检点考验，乃至攻击困惑。对于修行者来说，此点最为切要。

问：如何解决出现附体情况？

答：上述三类附体情况，都是属于修行路上的业障现前，随着个人业障不同，解决方法和效果也是不尽相同的。如果已成定业，或者年时久远，那就很难对治。倘若还是初始附体，或者未成定业，即可相对而治。

共同的对治办法：纠正自己心地，受持三归五戒，乃至所受各种佛法的戒律威仪；一心读诵大乘经典，或者思维经典文字义理；不贪世间五欲，去除傲慢和好胜、自卑之心。居住有德有道的场所，得到大众修行者的加持，亲近善知识和善友乃至有威德者。这样就能使自己的心地更加光明磊落，阴魂鬼类也就无法近身，从而得以解决。

各别的对治方法：第一类情况，不要在阴暗潮湿之地居住，应该寻找光明有道的地方居住，调养身体，充实精神，身心放松愉悦，自能调伏，或者众人集合起来安住。读诵《地藏经》、《法华经》等，拜忏、念佛、持咒等，都是有效的对治方法。还可以敦请高僧大德或者有神通的大修行人，也可以帮忙解决这类问题。第二类情况，回心向道，专修净业，或者亲近善知识，听闻正法，即可。第三类情况，则需要阅读《楞严经》，细细了知五十阴魔的境界，或者亲近有德之过来人，便可迎刃而解。

总之，在自己心地上下功夫，纯正身心，调节四大，数数亲近善知识，才是降伏一切附体或者魔怨的最好办法。

Instead of thinking of this and that, one thing after the other, let your mind recognise itself in a single moment. When the mind recognises itself, there is no thing to see there. It’s just wide open. That’s because the essence of mind is empty. It’s wide open and free

-- Tsoknyi Rinpoche

All the Lonely People

by Jane McLaughlin-Dobisz

A long time ago in Korea, a student asked Zen master Man Gong, “What is the most important and precious of the three jewels? Is it the Buddha, the dharma, or the sangha?” Without hesitation, Man Gong answered, “Sangha.” When I first heard Man Gong’s answer, I was surprised. The way I saw it, without the Buddha there’d be no dharma, and without the dharma, there’d be no teaching at all.

After some years of meditation, I now see that Man Gong was pointing to our practice. We’re all in this together. We’re part of each other, for each other, and all made from the same cosmic cookie dough. The moon and stars, all animals, flowers, and trees are the sangha. The ground, air, sun, and water are the sangha. All beings and all things are included.

Another great Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh, spoke about our interconnectedness in this way: “In the paper, there is a cloud.” At first, one may wonder what in the world that means. There’s no cloud in the paper! But with this profound teaching, Thich Nhat Hahn is inviting us to see the whole picture: the paper is made up of many non-paper elements. Without the cloud, there’s no rain. Without the rain, there’s no tree. Without the tree, there’s no paper. Everything in this world is interdependent.

A third teaching pointing directly to sangha is from Shakyamuni Buddha. Once, at Vulture Peak, many followers were assembled, waiting for him to speak, but the Buddha sat silently for several minutes. Finally, wordlessly, he held up a flower. Only his disciple Mahakashapa smiled. In that moment, Mahakashapa perceived that the whole entire world is contained in that single flower. He smiled because he recognised our common, universal substance.

If we’re so wholly connected, why is there so much loneliness and alienation in our modern world? This sense of separateness comes from feeling disconnected from the community of all beings, and in a more concrete way, from our local communities, families, friends, and our own selves. Sometimes this lonely feeling comes from living in a new country or state. It can come from having been abandoned — whether due to the death of a loved one, being left as an elderly person in a nursing home, or being bullied or ostracised from the “in” group as a teenager.

Sometimes loneliness is simply a state of mind: “No one likes me” or “I’m not good enough” or “No one understands me” or “I’m all alone in this.” My teacher, Zen master Seung Sahn, used to call this state of mind “not-enough mind.” He’d say, “If your mind is complete, the sun, the moon, the stars… everything is complete. If your mind is not complete, then the sun, the moon, the stars are not enough. You will feel as though there is something missing.”

That’s how it is for a lot of folks nowadays — it’s become somewhat of a global epidemic. There are commissions on loneliness and campaigns to end loneliness. In the United Kingdom there’s even a Minister for Loneliness. According to some articles, loneliness affects young people more than the elderly. Others say just the opposite. Some studies claim one out of every two people surveyed are lonely. Others say it’s one in three. Research is being done by Harvard, Cigna, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, AARP, CBS, the BBC, USA Today, and so many others. It would seem that being lonely is somehow a by-product of our modern industrialised society, perhaps related to our use of social media, perhaps a result of living longer or of no longer living in extended families or tribes.

Not only does loneliness affect our mental health and well-being due to its associated raised levels of stress hormones and inflammation, it’s also correlated with physical issues too, such as heart problems, dementia, depression, diabetes, and suicide.

Here’s the thing; loneliness is a huge societal issue. In our modern world, as wealth grows and lifespans increase, so too does our isolation. The more connected we become with our phones, computers, and virtual relationships, the less we look each other in the eye or have actual conversations. We represent ourselves on social media almost as a self-marketing strategy, posting only the most positive and stylish aspects of ourselves. This creates a new kind of loneliness, particularly for those viewing others’ seemingly perfect lives while perhaps making comparisons to something not quite so perfect in their own lives. Somehow in all of this, we’ve completely forgotten our interdependence and how much we need each other not only to be happy but also just to survive.

We can look at this issue and ask ourselves the obvious question: “How does practising meditation get to the root of loneliness, as well as to the root of all the other feelings we experience?”

Sometimes, in order to become comfortable with the thing you’re most afraid of, such as being alone or lonely, you have to go straight into it, facing it head on rather than running away from it. While it may seem counter intuitive to cut oneself off from the world in order to find true connection to it, Buddhism has us do exactly that. Whether it’s on the cushion for half an hour or on a longer retreat, we remove ourselves from external distractions and let the opinions, conditioning, and expectations of our habitual minds settle down.

Our minds are like glasses of murky, muddy water, making it hard to see, hear, and perceive clearly. Practising is simply the act of putting that glass of muddy water down. When we stop shaking it up, the mud slowly sinks to the bottom of the glass. By allowing the mud to settle, the water clears. It’s the same process when we practice meditation. Our thoughts settle down, and our minds clear. With this clear mind, we can be just where we are, with things just as they are. We return to the breath that connects us to life. We become still enough to hear the sound of the wind, feel our bodies touching the earth, and become aware of the thoughts and feelings that come and go. When we pay attention in this way, inside and outside become one. We can finally taste for ourselves that cosmic cookie dough of which we’re all made and feel ourselves part of and connected to the entire universe. From this place we have a chance to experience what the Buddha taught when he said,  “All things are created by the mind alone.” And that, of course, includes loneliness.

Those of us who are privileged enough to come across this teaching have our work cut out for us — to digest the depths of its meaning and to pass it on to anyone we can. This “pass it on” mindset is itself what connects us back to each other.

Over the last decades, I’ve been blessed with many opportunities to practice meditation on solo retreats. In such solitude, we can appreciate “small” things, like the pleasure of tasting rice, the sound of a creaking pine branch, or the smell of the fire at dusk. On a solo retreat, even though we may be physically alone, miles from anyone, we may feel more at peace than ever before. In the spaciousness of that solitude, many kinds of mind appear and disappear: bored mind, sleepy mind, afraid, jealous, doubting, angry, desiring, hungry, loving, trying mind. Beginner’s mind. There are certainly some times of feeling lonely too, but solitude’s grace allows loneliness to come and go, without pushing it away or clinging to it. We realise no one is in any of it. “Nobody home,” as it were.

“Nobody home” means that no matter how much you reduce yourself down to the cellular level—the electrons, the quarks, whatever the smallest part is that you can reference—it’s moving and changing. There’s no constant “self” that’s experiencing any of this. As basic as this notion may be, it’s the ever-elusive essence of the Buddhist path. This is the point we keep coming back to over and over. Why does it require so much time and energy? Because our habit of approaching the world from “my” point of view is so deeply embedded in us that it’s difficult to remember that my is just smoke and mirrors. In this context, loneliness, like all the other emotions that come and go, is no problem.

On the other hand, loneliness, when not experienced in this rarefied retreat atmosphere, or you could say “loneliness left untreated,” is altogether a different thing. It’s a destructive state that changes our brain chemistry and even its formation. Think of the millions of abandoned children left to languish in orphanages around the world, with no loving, protective relationships. Their loneliness isn’t just an existential loneliness, it’s a day-to-day reality of knowing there’s not one soul out there who has their back. Not everyone has the luxury, the free time, or the life situation that allows them to pursue a meditation practice.

So how do we put this all together? What role does Buddhism have in this larger setting of global connectedness and well-being?

In my Korean Zen tradition, we wake up early every morning and before doing 108 bows we recite the four great vows together. The first of these four vows, “Sentient beings are numberless, we vow to save them all,” takes us back to Man Gong’s point that the sangha is the most precious of the three jewels. We numberless sentient beings all need each other. Not only us humans, but also the paper needs the cloud and the flower needs the bee. In order to stay alive, we need the sky, earth, oceans, and rivers, and now they need us too, more than ever.

The second vow is, “Delusions are endless. We vow to cut through them all.” Practising helps us get to the root of that biggest delusion of all, the sense of a separate “I.” Once we make “I,” we make “not I,” and this is where all manner of opposites begins. Without a separate “I,” there’s no such thing as loneliness.

The third vow says, “The teachings are infinite, we vow to learn them all.” Though it’s not possible, we set our minds on all the various teachings of wisdom, love, and compassion. We try to learn about truth, forgiveness, and clarity. We learn from our elders, from each other, books, and life itself. There’s no end to the lessons, yet we vow to learn them all anyway. This means learning never stops.

Finally, the fourth vow says, “The Buddha way is inconceivable. We vow to attain it.” The Buddha way brings it all together and represents our path. If you live your life with these four vows in mind, you may be lonely once in a while, but you’ll know exactly what to do with loneliness when it appears.

你过得不愉快，就是内在深层的执着和习气断不了，割舍不下。如果有般若智慧，就什么问题也没有。为什么？因为诸法本空，有什么问题呢？

-- 慧律法师

禅观有情世界

慧门禅师

请大家先站着，脚张开与肩同宽，两手自然下垂，眼睛闭着，听听外面的风声、雨声。(约五分钟)

刚才，你们从动中突然静下来，在听过风声、雨声后，你的意识曾经融入大自然的？请合掌！你已经截断五蕴──色、受、想、行、识的？请合掌！如果没有，那么刚才你们的心在那里呢？现在心都不可得了，何况过去心、未来心呢？那更是不可得了。

你们是否还想着过去很多美好的事情？或者忆念着伤心、挫折、不顺利的往事？在刚才那一剎那，想到过去的人，请合掌！过去的，都和死了一样，都已经在坟墓里了，不可能再出现，你们是否还执着过去，还在捡坟墓里的骨头？

我们之所以会执着有情世界，就是有执着过去的心，执着过去所发生的种种。为什么会执着有情世界而被束缚？就是因为没有透过禅的修持，没有能力看清一切幻相，也就无法认清所有的真理。如果经过禅的修持，我们至少就会具足五种禅观能力，而用这些禅观能力来看有情世界，就不会迷惑在幻化不实的有情世界里。

分分秒秒唤醒自己的真心

在我跟各位接心之前，静静听了你们近一个小时的心得报告，你们大部分都不知不觉的落入以过去所学来强化自我意识，以过去的经历来形容自己；事实上，一个人之所以无法证入诸法无我，就是因为无法活在当下，所以，经常就把过去不可得的一切一切，误认为这就是自己。

前一剎那，你还计划着、想着未来的，请合掌！当你的心想着未来，就是堕入了做白日梦。现在心都不可得了，何况未来心呢？所以，佛陀一再告诉我们，要以禅观来观照有情世界。佛陀认为所有的众生都处在昏迷不醒的状态，不过这种昏迷不醒的状态，并不是大家所认为的昏沉、睡着了，才叫作昏迷不醒。以佛陀的禅观来看，当我们众生的心落入忆念过去种种，或者梦想未来一切，而没有活在当下，就叫作昏迷不醒。

我们来学佛，要以禅观来看有情世界，就必须先透过禅的修持，进入很深很深的宁静状态，才会显露出我们真正不执着外相的般若智慧，这时，用般若智慧所看到的有情世界，才是佛陀透过禅观所看到的有情世界。否则，会以为现在我们能吃、能走路、也能做事情，就表示清醒；但是，如果我们的心却仍活在过去和未来的生死流动中，这种状况，以佛陀看来，就是不清醒，是昏迷的。所以，我们来学佛，就必须先唤醒自己的真心，让自己能够切切实实的活在当下，观照生灭法所显现的一切有情世界。

要唤醒自己的真心，就要让自己在只要还有呼吸的情况下，都能分分秒秒保持清醒。尤其重要的，还要找到一位善知识，时时刻刻敲醒我们，当我们钻入牛角尖的时候，能够在最适当的时机，当头棒喝，让我们觉醒过来，即刻回头，往牛角外广阔的天空迈出。这时，才不会沉迷在有情世界里；也唯有如此，才能欣喜的接受有情世界所显现的任何生灭现象，才不会给自己带来极度的烦恼痛苦，才能清醒的看清烦恼与痛苦的根源。

佛陀在法句经里一再告诉我们：若一个人以自我来观看有情世界，就会经常处在「有人骂我、有人损我、有人谤我、有人打我」的心态中。一个人假定时常处在这种心态中，就是不清醒。当一个人不清醒，烦恼与痛苦会像牛车的轮子被牛拖着走，一直转个不停。相反的，如果能透过深深的禅观来看有情世界，就能抛掉「有人在骂我、有人在损我、有人在谤我、有人在打我」的心态，才会如影随形般的，由内心深处自然流露出无比的喜悦与慈悲。佛陀处处在唤醒我们，就是要告诉我们，学佛的第一步，是要分分秒秒唤醒自己的真心，让我们能够活在当下，欣喜接受有情世界的生灭法。

清清楚楚觉知自己的言行

请向左转，顺时钟方向绕圆圈，念佛号「南无阿弥陀佛」。(约五分钟)停──面向圆心，请蹲马步，一面甩手， 一面听我讲，看看你们能不能手、脚、耳同时并用。

我们要用禅观来看有情世界，除了要分分秒秒唤醒自己的真心以外，还要让自己清清楚楚觉知我们这个假体，如眼耳鼻舌身的任何一个动作。就像现在你们在甩手，把手抬高与地面平行，这时候，你的心有没有跟着你的手在移动？你的心有没有走开来听我讲话？我们要以禅观来看有情世界，就必须先训练自己分分秒秒都具有这种觉知能力，不管是在走路、吃饭、喝茶、穿衣、睡觉，都要清清楚楚的去觉知它。只要能从最根本的地方去觉知自己所做的每一个动作，就不会把假的误认为真的。我们众生都是执着有情世界为真，却又不愿用喜悦、全然的方式去接受，所以，不知不觉中，还是经常与外境对抗，继续造作新的恶业。

佛陀在世时，提婆达多经常陷害他。有一次，当佛陀从街上走过时，提婆达多把一只大象弄疯，让大象往佛陀面前冲过来。说也奇怪，大象冲到佛陀面前时却停下来，跪了下去，并没有往佛陀身上踩。

请大家跪下来，跨鹤坐。

这时，佛陀的弟子一直想去找提婆达多算账，但是佛陀阻止了他们，说：「不要这样做！提婆达多之所以会一再陷害我，是因为我在过去生和他结的缘，还有今生的说法他没有听懂。这个因、这个缘，终于显现了，所以才产生这样的果报，我必须完全、喜悦的接受它。假定我不能完全喜悦的接受它而有任何反应；假定我的心不能非常觉知、观照它；不能像一面镜子，只反映而不作出任何新的言行的话，就不能让过去的因缘果报萌芽、开花、结果而消失。如果再做任何新的反应，即刻又造作了一个新的恶因，那么，在将来还要承受更多不好的果报。」

请改成长跪。

这时，佛陀的弟子又问：「那么，这只大象为什么一到世尊跟前就停下来，不往世尊身上踩呢？」佛陀回答说：「在过去生，我曾经对这只大象有恩，造作了一个善因，由于牠对我感恩，所以没有踩我。」

这个譬喻故事，大家可能听过很多次了。虽然如此，大家有没有想过，佛陀在这次说法时，到底要告诉我们那些佛法呢？(同学纷纷发言表达看法)

事实上，佛陀是要告诉我们：

第一、要深信因果，有因必有果。不过，当你没有觉知的话，就会把显现的果当成是真的，把假相当成是真实的。

第二、要分分秒秒去觉知有情世界所发生的任何现象。

第三、要全然欣喜接受有情世界的生灭法，透过禅定、禅观的修持，让我们的心像一面镜子一样，清清楚楚的让它来、由它去，不再产生丝毫的念头和言行来反应。如果再做出任何的反应，就是在造作新的恶因，那么，我们就会继续在生死轮回中不停的转着、转着，就像牛车的轮子转个不停。

 所以，我们要具有禅观能力，才能非常清楚的去觉知一切事相。

请站起来，向左转，念佛号「南无阿弥陀佛」(约三分钟)

    

躺下来，吉祥卧。

了了分明观照内心的情绪

我们要透过禅观来看有情世界，除了要分分秒秒唤醒自己的真心以外，还要清清楚楚去觉知我们所有的言行；更重要的，还要透过禅的修持，来观照内心细微的起心动念，如情绪、感情的变化。例如：我们的生气是从那里来？愤怒是从那里来？怨恨是从那里来？短暂的快乐又是从那里来？

你曾观照到自己情绪的波动吗？当你的愤怒来临以前，你的能量在心源本处翻滚的时候，你知道吗？假定这些你都不知道，你就无法用禅观的方法来看有情世界；你就会被这些情绪污染，而把你的心源本处覆盖着，深深的覆盖着。这时，你所看到的有情世界，就像镜子被灰尘、尘垢盖满了，却还想要它照出实相；这时，也像一根筷子摆到混浊的一杯水中，而想要看这根筷子的实相一样。因此，假定没有观照的能力，就无法把真实的认出它是真实的。所以，我们要以禅观来看有情世界，就必须透过禅的修持，让我们的心力加强，达到真真实实的观照能力。

像各位现在吉祥卧，就有人开始昏沉、打瞌睡了。这样叫作有观照力吗？这样叫作清醒吗？这样叫作有觉知吗？

来果禅师曾经开示：

在静态中，就算你有百分之百的定力，能够清清楚楚的觉知、观照，但当你落入动态中时，恐怕剩下不到百分之一、千分之一、万分之一了。

就算你在动态中有百分之百的禅观力量，但当你在睡梦中，恐怕也剩下不到百分之一、千分之一了。

就算你在睡梦中有百分之百的定力，当你八苦交煎时，你的定力又那里去了？

就算八苦交煎时，你有百分之百的禅观力，当你死到临头时，又有多少禅观力量？

大家可以做个比较，刚才你们弯着膝盖作甩手的动作时，很痛苦；当你们跨鹤坐时，也很痛苦；但是那个时候，你们听我讲话，是不是更清晰？现在你们用吉祥卧，很舒服，是不是听着听着就变成催眠曲，睡着了？

站起来，绕圆圈，念佛号「南无阿弥陀佛」(约三分钟)

面向圆心，盘腿坐，眼睛闭着，腰杆挺直，不要像钟楼怪人的男主角一样。

敞开心胸显露本具的心光

当你们把眼睛闭起来之后，眼前显现漆黑一片的人，请合掌！显现光明充满宇宙大地的人，请合掌！没有合掌的，是既不黑暗，也不光明，那是叫作什么？

你知道是谁看到黑暗吗？你知道是谁看到光明吗？你知道看到既不光明、也不黑暗的，又是谁吗？

佛陀教导我们用禅观来看有情世界，就算我们不用肉眼来看，就算我们的眼睛瞎了，我们的内心世界仍然充满着光明。所以，要透过禅的修持，让我们原本具有的心光显露出来，才能真真实实的看到真的就是真的，假的就是假的；才不会把真的误认为假的，把假的误认为真的。

当你走在黑暗的森林中，如果你有一支手电筒，就会比较安心；可是，当一点灯光都没有时，一不小心踩到草绳，你就会误以为是蛇；踩到一片干叶子，听到落叶声，你就会听成是鬼哭神号，这就是因为你的心光没有显露。同样的，在有情世界，我们都是透过肉眼来看，所以，才会带来烦恼与痛苦，以致无法看到真正的实相。

透过禅的修持，就是要帮助我们，让我们的心光显露出来，就像海伦凯勒，既聋、又哑、又瞎，什么都听不到、也看不到，她的有情世界是一片黑暗。然而，虽然她没有接触佛法，但是她在内心深处，深深印证了「照见五蕴皆空」，就是因为她内心世界的光照得清清楚楚，不会让她迷惑，而成为举世有名的教育家、作家、文学家。

再回头看看我们，拥有一双圆滚滚、明亮又漂亮的眼睛，但是，我们到底看到了有情世界的什么？所以，惟有透过禅的修持，才能让我们的心光显露出来，才能够看得清清楚楚、了了分明，否则，就跟我们闭着眼睛一样，漆黑一片，什么也看不见。

站起来，绕圆圈走，念佛号。「南无阿弥陀佛」(约三分钟)

停──脚张开与肩同宽，身体往前弯，手掌贴地。贴不到地的人慢慢的往下弯。

消融妄想穿透幻化的表相

我们用禅观来看有情世界，除了要分分秒秒唤醒自己的真心；要清清楚楚去觉知我们所有的言行；要了了分明去观照内心深处感情、情绪的变化；更重要的，还要透过禅的修持，显露我们原本具足的心光，照明有情世界，让有情世界与我们的内心深处呈现光明一片。假定我们的心光没有显露，内心世界就会散落千千万万个黑暗的阴影，就像乌云遮住了阳光一般，使得大地处处布满了阴影。

除此之外，我们还必须透过禅的修持，让我们的心有穿透能力，能够穿透有情世界所有虚假、幻化的外表，而进入它的深处；就像我们看大海，有人看它只是一些泡沫，有人看它是一波波的浪，有人看它是一片咸水。但是，当你穿透海洋的表面，潜到海底的最深处，你就在「深深海底行」了。这时，你的境界会不一样，因为你已经穿透动荡不安的大海的表面，到达宁静的海底深处，见到了它真正的面目。

现在你们弯着腰，你的心有能力穿透脑筋的波动吗？当你弯下腰来，所有的血液都充满在头部，让你开始觉得不舒服时，你有能力穿透像乌云般的杂念妄想，而什么都不想吗？如果你能够什么都不想，才有能力穿透虚假、幻化的外表，进入每一件事相的最深处，而了知真正的缘起实相。所以，要透过禅的修持来观照有情世界，你就必须具有穿透的力量。

请站起来，顺时钟方向边走边念佛号「南无阿弥陀佛」(约三分钟)

清醒觉知观照言行

心光穿透无明烦恼

我们要禅观有情世界，就必须像成佛成道以后的佛陀一样，至少具备五种禅观能力。成佛成道而具有禅观力，并不是很玄的，只要能像佛陀一样，在还有呼吸的时候，就分分秒秒唤醒自己的真心，清清楚楚去觉知自己所有的言行，了了分明去观照内心深处感情、情绪的波动，敞开心门，让我们原本具足的心光显露出来，照明有情世界的每一个角落；一如阳光被乌云遮住，或黑夜时，虽然看不到阳光，但阳光仍然照耀着，没有减损。

当我们具有穿透虚幻外表的能力，而看清每一个生灭法的实相，就能像佛陀一样用禅观力看有情世界。

请问各位同学，你具备了几种禅观能力？具备五种能力的，请合掌！具备三种能力的，请合掌！⋯⋯五种能力都没有的，请合掌！

现在，就请你们用这五种能力，来观照以下要你们做的动作。

请全部向左转，顺时钟方向慢慢走。(约三分钟)

觉知你的每一个脚步──当你的脚提起来时，是清清楚楚的；当你的脚放下去时，是了了分明的；当你的脚底与地板接触的那一剎那，更是明明白白的。

把你的心，透过你的脚底与地板接触的那一剎那，跟宇宙大地融成一体。

让你的意识、让你的心，透过你的脚底，与宇宙大地成为一体，而离开你假有的躯体。

让你的身心变成没有形状、没有形式、没有自我。觉知着走路的是谁？

请全部向右转，顺时钟方向，倒着走。(约三分钟)

用禅观力去观照你倒着走的动作。倒着走，好不好走？不好走。难过不难过？是不是生怕跌倒了？但是在今生今世，我们都没有做过颠倒是非的事吗？有没有为了约会，骗爸爸妈妈说要去图书馆读书？有没有为了自己的面子而颠倒是非，找借口把过错推给别人：「都是你啦！假定你不这样做，我就不会这样，我就很快乐！」是不是都这样子？

停──向后转，闭着眼睛慢慢走，不要碰到别的同学。确确实实的把眼睛闭着。(约三分钟)

闭着眼睛好不好走？怕不怕跌倒？为什么愈走愈慢了？幸好是在教室里走；假定是在深山野地里走，闭着眼睛走的感受是什么？

我们的心门不开，我们的心光不显现，就像闭着眼睛走路一样。长了二十几岁，你们有没有闭着眼睛走路过？有没有盲冲瞎撞过？有没有冲动过？都没有吗？如果都没有，你们就真的是「照见五蕴皆空」了！都「远离颠倒梦想」了！是不是？

既然盲冲瞎撞就和闭着眼睛走路一样难过、害怕，那么，为什么生生世世以来，包括今生今世，还常常盲冲瞎撞？为什么没有用禅观力去观照它，还自以为做得很正确？为什么只短短几分钟闭着眼睛走路，就受不了了？

停！现在，趴下来，跟我一样爬着走。(约三分钟)

站起来！爬着走，好不好走？不好走。什么东西是爬着走的？畜生道的众生。六道中的畜生道，牠的智慧有多少？牠的感情用事又有多少？畜生道与人道最大的区别在那里？

畜生道只有三分的智慧可以开发，其他七分都是感情世界；而人道的智慧有七分可以开发，只有三分是感情世界。但是，人为什么会痛苦？因为人把七分的智慧也都加到感情世界里去，变成百分之百的感情用事。所以，当我们的心经常颠倒是非、盲冲瞎撞、感情用事时，即刻就堕入畜生道，在那个当下，你就在六道中轮回了。

地狱道的世界是什么样的？地狱的众生又是什么样的？是不是瞋恨心很重，经常保持着抱怨、生气、愤怒的状态？我们生为人，如果时时刻刻处在要生气、要愤怒的状态(或者有时比较生气、有时比较不生气)。这时，我们虽然还没有往生，其实已经堕入地狱道了。

既然我们都知道堕入三恶道是很苦的，那为什么我们不唤醒自己的真心？为什么不觉知我们的言行？为什么不观照我们的情绪变化？为什么不把心光显露出来？为什么不用我们具有的穿透力去看有情世界？为什么我们出生为人，却还迷迷糊糊在起心动念、一言一行里轮回不停？

在禅七时，我让大家做各种动作，大都是在马路、在深山、在步道、在坡路，当爬着走的时候，学员都会问：「师父，我们要爬到什么时候？」我都答：「当你确定不会落入畜生道时，就是你站起来的时候；你就会像人一样，站得顶天立地。」请问各位，你们什么时候会站起来？什么时候──你的内心世界才不会像刚才一样倒着走、闭着眼睛走、像狗爬着走？

惟有透过禅的修持来观照有情世界，这样我们才能当下活在人道。也只有在人道，大家才能在有情世界中修持成佛。所以，我们一定要珍惜难得的人身，共同发起勇猛精进的心，依照佛陀教导我们的方法，把我们的禅观力显露出来看这个有情世界。