善根供养

文｜王欢

善根供养是指以华香、璎珞、衣服、幡盖等种种宝物供养佛，或以恭敬、尊重、赞叹诸佛功德，或以财法作供养，或以身口意等三善业供养，都属于善根供养。概括来说，举凡以各种善行供养他人，均为善根供养。善根供养出自《大般若经》，经云：“欲以诸善根供养诸佛，恭敬尊重赞叹随意成就者，当学般若波罗蜜。”

诸菩萨在亲近诸佛时，可以财物作供养。如果没有财物供养，则可以香花、璎珞，或者以恭敬心，尊重、赞叹诸佛功德，都可称为善根供养。佛陀住世时，有一位名叫须摩提的人，想亲近燃灯佛却因贫穷没有供养之财而发愁。她四处求索财物不得，一次在路上遇见一个名叫须罗婆的卖花女，须摩提就以五百金钱从须罗婆那里买了五根青莲花供养燃灯佛。起初，卖花女并不肯卖，戏耍他说：“愿我世世常为君妻，当以相与，须摩提由于急于供养佛，便毫不犹豫地答应了。”由于供养燃灯佛的功德，不仅现世为菩萨，还会授记成佛。

另一位常啼菩萨，为求证般若智慧，不念世事，不惜身命，不乐世间名闻利养。为了证得般若智慧，他精进修学，从不惧怕修道时间长。常啼菩萨在过去世修行时，因为自身贫穷，想供养佛却没有财物，无奈之下，就出卖身血供养佛，以此诚心供养功德，得佛授记将来作佛。

须摩提和常啼菩萨在修道时都很贫穷。他们没有贵重的金银珠宝供养佛，但却心怀虔诚，倾其所有供养诸佛。以此供养功德不仅现世成就菩萨道，而且被佛授记将来作佛。

佛陀曾告诫弟子，对诸佛表示恭敬虔诚，只要能够以花香、璎珞、衣服、幡盖等物供养，都属于善根供养。虽然诸佛并不需要佛弟子的供养之物，但佛子常会感觉若不持礼物供佛则为不知礼。故而，佛子亲近诸佛必有供养。只要对诸佛心怀恭敬虔诚，无论供养何物都会获得善根供养之功德。

供养之人若能够以恭敬心、尊重、迎送、侍奉诸佛，并能环绕、合十、礼拜诸佛，以及向诸佛供奉饮食、花香、珍宝等物，称赞诸佛持戒、禅定、智慧等诸种功德。对于佛法信受奉行，并以身口意善业供养，这些都是善根供养。

尊重供养也属于善根供养。学佛者要知道一切众生都奉佛为至高无上。我们对佛的尊重敬佩之心超过父母、师长、君王。恭敬供养是以谦逊卑下之心敬仰诸佛。赞叹供养则是赞叹诸佛功德，称扬佛之行愿。这些都属善根供养之列。

善根供养所得功德多少，起决于供养者恭敬心的深浅。若心恭敬，则无论持用何物都可得功德。如阿育王年少时，因无财物供养佛，便怀着恭敬之心持土供养佛，并以此功德成为国王。成为国王之后，阿育王极力护持佛教，曾一日造八万座佛塔。可见，只要供养之心恭敬虔诚，无论向佛供养何物，都能获功德。

在《大智度论》中还讲述了随时善根供养：供养者若能时令节气，提供适时的供养，则可得无量功德。比如当天寒时供养他人薪火、上衣、温室、被褥以及饮食，解决他人当下所需。天热时则以冰水、扇子、清凉的房舍、轻便的衣服等供养他人，又或者当下雨时，布施他人雨具⋯⋯诸如此类根据受者的需要给予供养，就能得无量功德。

《大智度论》中还劝现代的修佛者应当像菩萨那样奉行随意财法供养。如菩萨知道佛无所需要，又知诸物虚妄如幻如化。为了教化众生，菩萨常以国土所看重之物供养诸佛。又有菩萨以神通力，飞到十方佛前，或在佛国中遍雨天花，菩萨就以三千世界持用供养佛。菩萨则能雨旃檀天花，或者雨真珠光明香花，或者雨七宝花，或者雨如意大如须弥宝珠，或者雨妓乐音声清妙，或以身如须弥，以为灯柱供养诸佛，如是等名为财供养。菩萨又能行六波罗蜜，或行一地法乃至十地行法供养诸佛。此时，菩萨得无生法忍，自除烦恼及众烦恼，如是名法供养。如果菩萨能以神力令地狱火灭，令饿鬼道众生皆得饱满，令畜生得免恐怖，令诸众生生人天中渐住不退转地，如是法供养，都属于善根供养。学佛之人当以菩萨行精神行随意供养，则可获福无量。

我们生活于末法时代，当效仿诸菩萨修诸善根供养的行愿，广修各种善业，以各种善根供养诸佛以及有需要的人。

Without a centre, without an edge, the luminous expanse of Awareness that encompasses all - This vivid, bright vastness: Natural, primordial presence. 

-- Shabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol

The Real Enemy

by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Now I would like to explain some benefits and merits of altruism and the good heart. The human and deva vehicles — the ultimate aim of a favourable rebirth in the future — can only be achieved by refraining from actions which harm others. We find, therefore, that altruism, or the good heart, is the root. And the different aspects of favourable human existence — long life, little illness, success and happiness and so forth — are also dependent upon the basic quality of kindness and the good heart. So we find that kindness and a good heart are the basis of success in life, success in a spiritual path, and success in the realisation of the ultimate aspiration. Kindness and a good heart are important at the beginning, in the middle and at the end.

Since compassion and the good heart are achieved and cultivated through conscious effort and contemplation, it is important for us to identify the favourable conditions — which give rise to our experiencing those things. And it is also important to identify the adverse circumstances that obstruct our cultivation of them. It is therefore important to live under the constant vigilance of mindfulness and alertness, and whenever the situation arises, to be able to identify whether circumstances are favourable or adverse for the cultivation of compassion and a good heart. If we pursue our lives in such a manner, we shall be able to reduce the force of the obstacles and increase the favourable conditions.

The place for cultivating compassion and the good heart is our own selfishness (thoughts that cherish our own welfare alone) and the delusions which accompany those self-centred attitudes. It is very important for a practitioner of compassion to first of all see the destructive nature of delusion and the faults that delusions lead to.

In the chapter on Conscientiousness in the Bodhisattvacharyavatara, Shantideva explains that delusions such as hatred, desire, anger and jealousy are within our own minds and are our own enemies. They do not have legs or bodies and so on, nor do they hold weapons in their hands, but they reside within our minds, control us from within, and make us their servants. The text explains that we do not realise that these delusions are our enemies, even though they reside within our minds, controlling and inflicting harm upon us. So we never confront them or challenge them. And because we do not challenge them, they continue to reside within our minds and inflict harm on us at will.

Now, these negative thoughts trick us. When desire and attachment appear, they seem to be as friends, as very beautiful and very dear to us. Then anger and hatred (negative thoughts) appear in our minds and they can seem to be like some kind of bodyguard — someone is about to hurt us and anger appears as a protector which gives us a kind of strength. Though you may be physically very weak when anger appears you somehow become strong, and immediately you get the ability to hit someone! You may not take up the real challenge, however, the actual challenge, but anger appears to you as some really reliable protector, doesn’t it? So these are the tricks by which negative thoughts deceive us. In order to see how they deceive us, our minds have to be in a calm state; then we are really able to see the treachery of negative thoughts.

When we look back through history to those great people — spiritual masters, teachers, politicians, or even great army leaders, people throughout history who have done something good or have been of great service to mankind nationally or internationally — the crucial factor for their goodness has been the good heart, proper motivation. This has not necessarily been from a religious motivation, but simply from someone thinking of others, from thinking of one’s own nation, of the majority, of the poor people, the needy people. With that motivation and those actions, the resulting goodness remains, lives, stays in history as something good, as a contribution to humanity. When we read of these things today, although the event may now simply be a memory because the motivation and deeds were good, even today when we read about them, it gives us a comfortable feeling, ‘Oh, such and such a person was really great; he did such noble work.’ And even today we can see traces of work undertaken by great people.

Now, from another aspect, we read about killing, torturing, destruction, misery for large numbers of people, those negative things which took place in history. And the most crucial factor in those dark periods of history has been hatred, anger, jealousy and unlimited greed — extreme greed — that is clear.

So, you see, human history is the history of negative thoughts and positive thoughts. If we want a better, happier future, it is clear that the time has come to check our own generation’s motivation.

Then there is one’s daily life. Sometimes, despite being a monk, despite being a practitioner of this kind of book [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], still I get irritated and angry. In those moments, I occasionally use certain harsh or negative words; then after just a few moments the anger disappears. And then I feel very embarrassed! I have spoken some negative word, the word has gone, and there is no way of withdrawing it, is there? Even though the word itself, the sound of the voice itself, has ceased, the impact of that word is still there. The only thing to do then, is to go to that person and apologise, isn’t it? But in the meantime you feel some embarrassment, feel shy, don’t you? So, you see, that short moment of temper has already created such embarrassment. Negative thought is almost like an action, and these negative states of mind obscure our intelligence and judgement — and that is a greater damage.

One of the best qualities of a human being is intelligence — the ability to judge positive and negative. Now, anger and attachment, those negative thoughts, simply destroy that best of human qualities — and that’s a great pity. So, when anger or attachment dominate our minds, we become almost mad. And nobody would volunteer to become mad, would they? In the meantime we neglect to do anything about these negative thoughts, so, in effect, we are inviting them to come again. When negative thought dominates our minds, therefore, we become completely blind or mad, and all sorts of actions which basically we do not want to do, are committed very readily, unnoticed.

By analysing these things, we will realise that the enemy is not outside. For example, if our minds are controlled, self-disciplined, we shall remain calm. And even if we are surrounded by external hostile things, our mental peace will not be disturbed. Mental peace is destroyed very easily by negative thoughts, not by external factors. So, therefore, the real enemy is within ourselves, not outside.

There are, of course, people who want to harm us or harm others, and we usually distinguish them as the enemy. Yet these enemies are impermanent. One moment they are acting as our enemies, the next as our best friends! That is a fact. Now, negative thoughts, this inner enemy, is always the enemy — today, in the past — and in the future (so long as we remain in those circumstances), it will remain the enemy. Shantideva says that negative thoughts are the real enemy that remains within oneself, and that is very dangerous.

The ancient kings built castles with limited material and equipment; through sheer human hard labour, all sorts of big fortresses and things were built. Today, in our nuclear age, these castles and fortresses are useless; now everybody is a target of these awful weapons. Some expect the new project in America, Starwars, will give ultimate protection. I don’t know! There may even be some means of protection for us all worldwide. But the internal enemy, that awful dreadful enemy within ourselves, if that is there, that is really dangerous. The only method of protection against that is awareness and realisation.

It's easy to have calmness in inactivity, and hard to have calmness in activity, but calmness in activity is true calmness.

-- Shunryu Suzuki

第八识阿赖耶识的三种功能

达照法师

一、十八界与阿赖耶识

昨天给大家简单地提到过一下，唯识所讲的这个阿赖耶识的真心，阿赖耶识就是我们真心的境界。平常解脱道的这个小乘佛法，它只讲明白了涅槃，证悟涅槃要透过第七识，也就是要消灭六根、六尘、六识这十八界，才能契入到涅槃的境界。

在十八界当中，就没有阿赖耶识这个说法，十八界是六根、六尘、六识，而唯识的《八识规矩颂》讲的是，色法十一心法八。

色法有十一个，就是外在的六尘和内在的五根，加起来是十一个，就是色、声、香、味、触、法，加上内在的眼、耳、鼻、舌、身，这叫色法十一；心法八个叫八识心王，它前面的七识就是眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意这六识，加上六根当中的意根，也就是第七识，这就是十八界了，就是六根、六尘、六识。

所以阿赖耶识在十八界里面没有，而色法十一、心法八，这十一个加上八个，共有十九个，在十八界之外，特别强调了这个第八识阿赖耶识，那么事实上呢，如果想明白我们的真心，就必须要透过第七识的我执，看到第八识本具的这种功能。

二、阿赖耶识的第一层：主观能动性

第八识阿赖耶识具备的功能，第一种就是我们主观能动性的这个明明白白。我们凡夫的错误就是把真心具足能生万法的这个能，当成是我，外道叫神我，或者认为总有一个永恒的主宰。把这个永恒的主宰，跟外在所谓被主宰的这些万物，对立起来，不是圆融一体，而是完全对立了，那么这一对立呢，就产生迷悟、是非、凡圣种种差别，妄想分别，甚至是心和物、名和色全部对立起来。本来是依元之法，归元无二，把它分成二了，不二法门因此就成为对立的法门。

我们内心主观能动的这一部分，就是自己能看、能听、能说的部分，这部分原本是我们的真心。我们看元音老人经常给我们讲：“明明白白，一把抓来，这个就是。”这个明明白白是什么？我告诉大家，就是我们现在感受到的明明白白，就是我们的意根。

意根有缘法尘的功能，就是因为我们明明白白，我们才可以想问题，才会思考问题；如果你不明白了，你就无法思考问题。所以思考问题的前提就是一念未生之前的这个明明白白。

为什么说这个明明白白是第七识呢？因为我们大家明明白白的时候，很自然地感觉自己现在很清楚，是不是这样啊？如果你感觉是自己很清楚，而不是感觉宇宙法界全体都是清楚，你看外面所表现的一切，都清清楚楚得不得了，不只是你自己里面清楚，而是外面的那些人事纷纭，你也非常清楚。

所以第七识的这个明明白白，在我们的内心当中，我们是能感觉到这种自我的存在的，如果你感觉不到自我的存在，那么实质上第七识就是第八识的见分。

这里面很多人会容易搞混掉：“为什么一会说它第七识，一会说它第八识，怎么回事呢？”因为第八识就是真心，真心就有能动性，就有明明白白的这个功能，这个性能，那我们把它对立起来，能所对立，把能当成自己：“我的能力，我能看，我能听。”把它对立起来以后，这就变成了我们凡夫了，凡夫所有的问题都在这个地方。

第七识本来是没有的，我执本来是没有的，本来是平等无二，就是明白的这个本身它是平等的：是我明白还是你明白，我明白的是天还是地，我看到是佛像还是看到垃圾桶，无论你看到什么，这个首先是平等的。

但是由于我们认为有我，有了“我明白这个道理”以后，就会：“我喜欢佛像，我不喜欢垃圾桶，这个是我想要的，那个是我讨厌的。”这样子就分开了人我是非，一切烦恼，贪嗔痴慢无不从此生起来，所以这个第八识本身，具足的就是真心的第一个层面，是明明白白的。

真心的第一个层面就是阿耶那识，就是清清楚楚、明明白白，它本身是清净无为。阿耶那就是清净的意思，也叫白净，就是我们大家看到：“我知道什么东西，我知道这个有罪过吗？”没有罪过，如果你没有分别心，你看到什么听到什么，这有什么罪过呢，你本来就有这个功能嘛。所以明白本身是没有罪过的，是没有错误的，错误是在有了第七识我执以后的分别，那么这是真心的第一个功能，被我们误会了，我们把它孤立起来了。

三、阿赖耶识第二层：承担果报

第二个呢，就是真心还有被动承担的这个内容，叫做异熟识，这是阿赖耶识的第二个名称。异熟有异时而熟、异类而熟、异性而熟的意思。

异时而熟是指前面主观能动性造下去的因和它自然产生的结果，在时间上是有差别的。比如说我现在打你一耳光，可能你反应过来以后才打我一耳光，这就是我的报应。这个报应在时间上是错开的，我打你的时间在前，我被打的时间在后，不是同时的。

异类而熟是指因和果在空间上也是有区别的。我今天在这里布施、持戒、忍辱、修禅定，我来生感受到的是另外一个地方的福报。所有果报的生起，在时间、空间上，都是有差异的。

异性而熟是指在性质上也是有差异的。比如说我现在打别人一下打得很痛快，结果到时候被别人打，人家打得很痛快，这个就是在性质上不一样了。我现在布施把钱拿出去了，到时候我得到了回报，这个在性质上你看，正好是相反，但是你如果很慈悲、很高兴地去赞叹佛菩萨，从正面的角度去看，你得到的又是正面的这个果报，但它的性质还是有所不同。

真心的第二个功能，就是自然会去接受你所创造的一切业。这一切业的果报，是你的这个真心自动地把它接受过来的。那么我们大家就知道了，为什么烦恼啊，是我们的真心干的好事情，造出去的因本来就会感召到这种结果，真心自然就把它收成这种结果了。

假如你认识到你的真心是没有自我的，那么你会看到：“原来我现在遭受的所有结果，只是真心的呈现。生老病死也是因为有生老病死的因，现在呈现了这个结果。”

这个世间的一切结果，都是有因、缘、果、报这四个循环的规律在这里，它是完全按规律办事。所以我们现在也不要担心做恶事会提前报到，或者是很惭愧、心里很难受：“我做了这么恶的事情，是不是很对不起别人？”就是你很难过很痛苦的时候，又造下新的痛苦的这个因。你不用担心果报不到，你做了坏事总有一天它会报到的，这个你完全可以放心，没有什么便宜让你占的。你也不要担心做了好事就白做了，就是你做了好事的那个果报，这个心它自然也会把它收回来，这个就叫异熟识。

我们叫它是客观的被动，就像我们吃饭，很愿意吃是吧，洗碗都很不愿意洗；这个穿衣服很愿意穿，洗衣服也不太愿意洗；就是你打别人很愿意打，被别人打都是很不愿意；说别人就很容易说别人，那被别人说你两句，你心里就不爽了。这就是我们的心本身它具有客观的被动性。

你造的那个结果，它自己会把它收回来，不是别人让你收回来，就是我们心本来具备这种功能。所以你烦恼的时候，如果明白真心了，你今天烦起来了，你就从这个烦上一看，噢，原来是自己种下这个种子，你自己种下这个种子，生长这个结果，你怨谁呢，你还烦什么呢！就一点脾气都没有了，就不可能再怨天尤人，也不可能再埋怨自己，因为你以前已经种下这个因，现在已经感受这个果了，埋怨又是另外一种因了，所以负面的情绪和念头，又是另一种烦恼的开始。

四、阿赖耶识第三层：含藏万法

心的第三个层面更加圆融，阿赖耶识的这个名称叫做含藏识，它包括了能藏、所藏、执藏。

能藏就是主观能动性。

所藏就是外在一切客观结果。你生命中出现的任何遭遇、任何结果都是所藏的内容，还不一定是遭遇，就是你看到了那一个人，虽然没有反应，但是他被你碰到了，被你看到了，这就是我们阿赖耶识当中客观的、会收藏一切结果的异熟果。

那么第三个执藏执什么？它能够执持我们的根身器界和我们的心。从内在的心，主观能动性的这个心，到身体和外在的器界，全部都被它收藏起来了。

这样一来，这个心的样子是什么？要说它是圆的就有点死板了，实际上就是傅大士说的妙用纵横，也是达摩祖师说的：“宽时遍法界，窄也不容针。”就你说它小的时候呢，它连针都没有，连一点点灰尘都没有，那就是小的部分，就是我们现在内心当中明明白白的这一点。我们内在的这个明了的心，大家都非常地习惯，今天吃什么了，打坐了多少时间，你看现在在这里讲话，大家都很清楚的，就是你清楚的这个东西没有形象、非常微小，小到在你内心当中找不到。

藏传佛教说是在我们心脏当中的明点，实际上那只是针对人的本期生命。

If you possess this (mind) you are directed towards the achievement of Buddhahood. If you lack this you must cultivate the means to achieve Buddhahood. May all generate the immaculate mind of enlightenment the un-mistaken seed of becoming a Buddha. 

-- Patrul Rinpoche

Monsters (Un)Incorporated

by Lama Thubten Yeshe

If you recognise non-duality, you’ll have no fear. All fear and insecurity come from not being realistic, from the wrong conception that holds fearful objects as concrete self-entities. A story from the life of Tibet’s great yogi, Jetsun Milarepa, illustrates this point.

Once Milarepa left his cave to collect wood, and when he returned, he saw a terrifying face with big eyes glaring at him. It blew his mind. But he looked carefully at the face and meditated on it as illusory, and later wrote a song about this experience. By removing the conception that identified that horrible image as a concrete self-entity, it disappeared. This is not a fairy tale; this is a meditator’s experience.

People scare themselves with thoughts of ghosts and demons. It is all superstition, the wrong conception of believing in a self-entity. There’s no such thing. But when you have a superstitious belief, for some reason it manifests. So you say, “It’s real. I saw it.” What you saw is important? That’s completely ridiculous. What you see is absolutely unimportant. You need to know that. People in the West set incredible store by what they see; they really do believe that seeing is believing, that what they see is real. This basic misconception also engenders a kind of pride: “I saw that he is this, therefore, he is this.” “I saw” makes your ego proud. This is a completely wrong conception.

What you see, what you experience, is not necessarily the truth. In fact, believing what you see to be real actually obscures the truth. Buddhist meditation demonstrates this. It is very important to know this. When you have a degree of flexibility, you will feel, “What I see is not that important. It is relatively true, but not ultimately.”

If you believe that the relative truth is the only truth, your hallucinations must also be true, because they produce effects. They make you angry; they make you afraid. What you perceive is not there, but that hallucination still makes your heart shake. It, too, is an interdependent phenomenon.

You say that your hallucinations aren’t true and therefore don’t matter, but what you see is real. In response, I say that they are equally real; both exist. Why? The thing that determines whether something exists or not, whether something is or is not a phenomenon, is whether it functions, produces an effect. Since both relative phenomena and hallucinations can cause you happiness or anxiety, they both function; therefore, they both exist. Both are interdependent phenomena. Until you realise the emptiness of a hallucination, it remains real for you.

Toward the end of certain tantric sadhanas is the practice of the samadhi of fire. While the fundamental basis of this meditation is seeing yourself as the deity, at this point you don’t emphasise this part of the meditation as you did earlier in the sadhana. Your main focus is the fire feeling and the sound of the mantra in the fire. In this, you’re like a fish swimming through water. Fishes swim through water without disturbing it. Similarly, your visualisation of yourself as the deity should not shake your consciousness. Your contemplation is there, but it’s kind of by the way and doesn’t disturb your fundamental mind.

Signs of having accomplished this meditation successfully include enhanced physical energy whereby you don’t feel hungry or thirsty, and the development of blissful heat energy. You feel an inner, liberated security that gives you confidence that you could go for long periods without eating or drinking, even when you’re not in meditation.

Perhaps we could promote this meditation to people who want to lose weight, those who have the problem of, on the one hand, having an uncontrollable desire to eat and, on the other, tremendous fear of getting fat.

Another sign of success is enhanced sensitivity of the body, whereby everything feels blissful to the touch. Normally our limited conceptions are such that only a few if any, objects induce a rapturous, blissful feeling. We never feel that touching plastic or cement could be blissful. Making this kind of distinction is again a function of our superstitious, dualistic mind. Our dualistic mind tells us that soft things feel good and rough things feel bad, but the psychological truth is that every object of touch has the potential to induce bliss and satisfaction. When our mind is satisfied, it doesn’t wander.

Why does our mind generate superstition and wonder so much when we try to meditate? Because we are dissatisfied; because we’re devoid of blissful experience, of not having the satisfaction of fulfilment or totality. Our mind wanders, crying with superstition, “I’m not satisfied, I’m hungry.” All this psychological crying is symptomatic of superstition.

The methods of tantric yoga show us that every object of the five senses can give us a blissful experience so that every time we enjoy the sense world we get blissful energy. The result of this is that our concentration improves. Therefore, it’s important to have blissful experiences.

This seems to be the total opposite of what you always hear in the lamrim teachings, where you’re always being told you should not enjoy samsara. It’s completely different, isn’t it? The lamrim almost makes you feel guilty if you enjoy yourself. Now I’m telling you to enjoy yourself as much as you possibly can, to have as many blissful experiences as possible. However, these two things are not in contradiction. I’m talking about completely different kinds of experience.

When you’re practising lamrim, at that stage your mind has no training in the method of transcendence. Tantra, however, teaches you how to elevate your consciousness beyond the ordinary kind of sense pleasure that produces only more grasping and confusion. Your concentration and mindfulness allow you to do all these activities in the space of non-duality, recognising them as the transformation of blissful wisdom. Thus, samsaric enjoyment and tantric enjoyment are entirely different.

Now you understand the philosophy. The more blissful experiences you enjoy with mindfulness, the greater your psychological satisfaction. The greater your satisfaction, the less your superstition, the less your mind wanders, the less you look around: “Maybe I’ll find happiness here, maybe I’ll find happiness there,” constantly seeking, seeking, seeking.

I appreciate the young hippies of today. They’re not satisfied with their home, culture or country, so they travel the world, seeing what they can find. They look here, they look there, seeking, wandering, and eventually, some of them come to the East. There they find dysentery and hepatitis, but also meditation courses and Dharma teachings. But that’s a good result. Usually, your superstitious mind is like the wind that blows leaves aimlessly, here and there. You don’t know where you’re going or why and you never find any kind of reality.

When you’re having trouble concentrating — objects of superstition arising one after the other without control — you have to deal with that superstition gradually. You can’t stop it all at once, just as, if you’re in New York, you can’t be in Los Angeles the moment you think of it. You can’t intellectualise it; it takes time. You have to accept the reality of space and time. The same applies to meditation. You can’t get rid of superstition in one session, so don’t worry. Accept reality. “That’s meditation.”

To tame ourselves is the only way we can change and improve the world.

-- Choje Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche

自我与他人

顶果钦哲仁波切

我们希望自己快乐，所以我们应该也祝福别人获的快乐；我们希望自己远离痛苦，所以我们也应该祈愿众生都能免於痛苦。我们应该如是思惟：「愿一切有情众生具乐及乐因，愿一切有情众生离苦及苦因，愿一切有情众生不离无苦之妙乐，愿一切有情众生远离亲疏爱憎，常住大平等舍。」

当我们快乐的时候，感到心满意足；其他人不快乐，不是我们的问题，当我们不关心的时候，我们只想尽快除掉任何让我不快乐不顺眼的东西，根本不记得也不在乎其他人可能也很不快乐，相反的，我们应该希望他人和自己一样快乐，设身处地感受他人的痛苦。

用充满慈悲的心对待一切有情众生，就是圆满成就诸佛菩萨大愿的最佳方式，即使我们无法给予任何人外在有形的援助，我们应应该时时修持慈悲，直到慈悲永住於心，不退失为止。

当我们修行，并在修道之路上有所精进时，我们必须记住，所有的努力都是为了利益他人，保持谦卑，谨记你的所有努力与广大无边的菩萨行相较，都显而轻而易举、正如父母深爱子女一般。我们绝不能认为自己已经为别人做了很多，或已经足够。即使我们最后该所有众生证悟成佛，我们也只能这么想：我们的愿望己圆满成就，绝不能有一丝想要获得回报，利益自身的念头。

超越我执，全心全意为他人奉献，即是菩萨行的精髓。行菩萨行取决於心，而非显露於外的行动。真正的慷慨是没有执著，真正的戒律是没有贪欲，真正的忍辱是没有瞋恨。菩萨之所以能够舍弃自身的一切，就是因为他们已经完全超越了内在的贫乏，可以无条件地去实现满足他人的愿望与需要。

Here, the Buddha teaches the five characteristics of the ultimate. 

The five characteristics of the ultimate are the characteristic of being inexpressible, 

the characteristic of being non-dual, 

the characteristic of being completely beyond the sphere of dialectic, 

the characteristic of being completely beyond difference and non-difference, 

and the characteristic of being of one taste in everything. 

-- Asanga

The Bodhi Leaf

by Tsoknyi Rinpoche.

“When your mind becomes frozen you cannot find space and openness, and without space and openness, compassion cannot come out. The whole point is to experience detachment.

“If you are “If you are attached to your [bottled] mineral water — that means the mineral water is very important to you, and if you let that go, the object of attachment, that creates a lot of merits… I think things happen here because of Bodhgaya’s blessing.

“Five years ago I thought I needed to change something, so I looked into my whole Buddhist practice — what I needed to change, what I needed to improve, and I realised what I needed to improve was bodhicitta. I think the comfortable Dharma practice, I usually call California dharma practice, in which you make yourself very cosy, mindful, relaxed, aware, love, love to others–all this makes you feel happy. All the things that make up a dharma practitioner I have — if I have a little bit of stress, the environment is not so good, then I think ‘OK,’ this is impermanence, and then I practice. Oh, this is the Buddha realm, so I make myself very joyful and cosy for Dharma. But one needs to be willing to suffer for others. Real compassion is not afraid to suffer. One needs to think, ‘I need to help, I’m going to help, but along the road of helping I will face a lot of difficulties, but I am OK with that. I’m willing to take that risk.’ Bodhicitta activity is not comfortable — it is a rocky journey along the path, but if you are willing to take it, then I think the first seed of bodhicitta is growing in your mind.

“So I thought this time in Bodhgaya, I would like to take the bodhisattva vow again, so I went to the Stupa around 5 o’clock, the best time for me. I circumambulated around the Stupa one time, two times, and on the third time under the bodhi tree, the exact spot where Buddha became enlightened, I was there taking the Bodhisattva vow — and at that moment, one bodhi leaf fell from the tree, touched on my head and fell to the ground. People were sitting on both sides of the path, chanting, meditating. I thought they were doing practice, but in fact, they were waiting for the leaf. So when the leaf touched the ground, on both sides of my hands, about 10 hands came together. My hand also went down automatically. My hand was faster than the rest and touched the leaf first and their hands touched my hand, so I got the leaf, and I felt good. WOW. The moment I took the vow, the leaf touched my hand. Now I have the leaf, so I feel very good. Then I walked a little bit and after one or two seconds, I felt very bad. Three seconds ago I wanted to take a vow for all sentient beings, I wanted to dedicate my life for all sentient beings, but right now I cannot give one leaf to them. I thought, ‘I took the bodhi leaf, so I am a terrible person.’ There was a strong contradiction. I almost crushed the bodhi leaf, but then a second thought came that maybe this could be a very important reminder for my bodhicitta practice. So I took a leaf, put it on the paper, and now it hangs framed behind my bed.

“So I think the real authentic feeling of bodhicitta is not so easy. I am still working on that. Always selfish, absorbed in self-interest, I want to chant mantra for myself, I want to sit down and have peace for me, I want to do some Tonglen so I feel good. Last night I didn’t sleep so well, so I didn’t help so many people. Now sit down to practice, so I give my dharma, my virtue, take their suffering. At the end of 25 minutes — WOW I feel great. So all Dharma is all about me I — want to feel great, including bodhicitta, including taking refuge to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha — there is always a ‘me’ behind everything. If we cannot transform that ‘me,’ I think Dharma is not going to work at all.

“Sometimes I feel very good going to the Stupa; sometimes I feel very sad. Because there are hundreds of thousands of people going around the Stupa, focusing on ‘me.’ I want to do prostrations, I want to see the face of Buddha…’ me.’ ‘Me’ chanting, dharma helping me — me, me, me. I saw very few with no ‘me,’ letting go ‘me.’ Ha, letting go Dharma. Behind this there is a doer, an ‘experiencer,’ a ‘practitioner.’ If that ‘er‘ doesn’t transform, then Dharma is not going to work — it’s all about me. So then I thought, ‘WOW — I am doing the same thing. So sometimes I go there and don’t do anything, just sit there and see if I am trying to do something for myself — contemplation, bodhicitta, emptiness — for what? I want to feel good. Until you let go of that, real bodhicitta might never happen.

“I am solid, and this solidity of ‘me’ is practising solid dharma, and ‘I’ would like to experience solid happiness, and ‘I’ would like to get rid of the source of suffering. Everything is serious, solid, and obvious. I don’t want the solid suffering. I want the solid happiness. Maybe if I practice serious dharma, I will get serious happiness. Behind all this is a tiger holding back. You have to die to ‘me.’ First you have to experience this reified ‘I,’ then you have to contemplate whether ‘I’ exists, or ‘I’ does not exist. We call this analytical meditation, which is very important. Analyse everything, and then you see that everything is mere existence, not like a solid giant. Even include that life and death are sorts of a joke, within that joke, there is cause and effect. Cause and effect is also part of the joke — the grief, the tightness, the solidity — you have to loosen up, and within that looseness, we have to function. But not too loose, that’s what Nagarjuna calls the unity of two truths — relative and ultimate.

“Until that is realised, it is very difficult. If you cannot bring the two truths together as a unification, it is very difficult to understand Dharma — it becomes black and white — relative solid — ultimate nothing. Ultimate and limited come together like milk and water. Ah, we have lost the art, the dance, and the movement of Dharma. Either nothing or either everything, either the world exists or non-exists. So how can it be — this existence and non-existence together, spontaneously? As Nagarjuna always mentioned, the unification of two truths is really important. The more I think about dharma, it’s neither nihilism nor realism — just empty awareness. Form is empty, empty is form. When these two things don’t conflict in your mind — then you know dharma.”

All those who wish to guard their minds must do so knowingly with mindfulness. This must be protected even if death occurs. I implore you with palms pressed together to protect mindfulness.

-- Shantideva

修行这么久，烦恼没见少，就因为缺它

妙祥法师

一居士：为什么念佛的时候，念一念、退退进进，不得实益?

就是说念佛的时候，我们有时候念一念就不念了，或是念一念这心就退了，退一退呢，不一定什么时候又鼓了劲，又念一念，又退一退。

什么原因?第一点：不持戒，戒律不清净。虽然我们持点戒，但戒律不严哪。因为戒律是一切菩提之本，没有戒律不会生起菩提心，菩提心生起来才会不退转呢。所以说菩提心得靠戒律清净才起来。

如果戒律持到一定清净程度，菩提心就发起来了。它是发起来的，是自动生起来的，不是你口头说：“我发菩提心啊，我要如何如何……”那不叫发菩提心，那叫牙疼咒啊!这不是我说的，这是师父给讲的，(体清老和尚)他说那是牙疼咒。

真正的菩提心你得从心里发起来，自动发起来，遍虚空满法界，一切众生没有你不想度的，那个时候你才能不退转，而那个心才能有定力。

我们有时候修修佛道，这个心就往后使劲。有时候稍稍思惟，就容易退道，没有别的原因，就是戒律没有清净。戒律清净上去，菩提心发起来，你不会退道的。

为什么刚才我给大家就讲戒律?因为没有戒，有时候我们修一修就退了。师父一讲，大家勇气百倍;师父一走，又回到原来那个基础上去了。进进退退，就是因为戒律的关系。

戒律好像和你修行有一段距离，但你不知道它有直接的关系，你没看到这个问题。它就像一条保证，没有它的保证，你不会“安居乐业”的。没有这一个保证，这条路你不会走得彻底。

所以说这是非常重要的一关，大家在修行中一定要发菩提心。发菩提心不是让你用嘴去发，而是叫你从心里发。

戒律要从你自性发出，就像你的菩提心，从你自性里发出来的，那才不退转，而且永不退转。

不管在什么条件下，就天下只剩你一个人修行，你也不会退心的。至于别人修不修——都不修了，我也得自己走这条路;我死也得走这条路;就是我的骨头烂了，我也走这条路;化为灰尘，我还走这条路。

就这个世界上都成佛了，就剩我一个，我也要度众生，就像来果老和尚。为什么呢?因为外星球人还可能再来。就这个心，永远没有退道心，那才自在呢。什么都扛不住你这个菩提心哪。

所以说，行菩萨道必须得有菩提心，有了菩提心，就你说什么乘，它都是大乘，都是无上乘;没有菩提心，你讲什么都是小乘，你把三藏十二部背下来，也是小乘。

有了菩提心，你讲一切法都是佛法，你不讲法都度人;没有菩提心，你怎么讲，说得再好听，也是一片黑暗。

所以说我们大家一定设法发这个菩提心，想发菩提心的唯一一条路，就是把戒持好，没有第二条路可走。所以说想不退转，就是这一条路，这是我的看法。

一居士：修行的目的是断烦恼、了生死，在实践中如何达到这个目的?个人体会只靠念佛，还是无法降伏烦恼，应该怎么办?

在实践中如何去断掉烦恼?达到这个目的只有一个办法，就是戒定慧，从戒开始。这是一个最直接、最了当，也就是我们大家听惯的办法，这个办法才是最真实的。

不要存在幻想，说：“在这个办法之外还有没有别的办法?”在我认为，没有别的办法，只有这一个办法。这就已经够真实的了，太真实了!

因为太真实了，有的人反而不愿意去接受，不愿意接受而失去了机会，等你明白的时候，时间已经过去了。所以说我们想降伏烦恼，必须从戒律开始。

不管你念佛也好，还是修禅也好，都得从这儿开始，这是最好的办法。佛讲：“末法时期以戒为师。”就是告诉我们，你想了脱生死，在末法时期更应该靠戒律。

虚云老和尚是禅宗的大师了，而且是不可思议的，不管从哪方面修持来讲，都可以说是菩萨再来。经过四朝五帝这么多的佛教运动和变化，对挽救佛教的经验和举措，他最后总结一个字，就是“戒”!

临终的时候就讲了一个“戒”字，多一句话都没讲。他也没讲禅，也没讲念佛，也没讲密宗，就讲一个戒，和佛的意思是完全相同，这就说明这个戒的重要。

我们有的为什么体会不深?就是没有真正地去持戒，没有体会到里面真正的无价之宝。如果我们去做了，你会找到真正通向佛法的这条大道。

这条大道就是戒律，只有持戒才能找到佛法的大道，这个很重要。

The Six Paramitas will eliminate suffering. Each paramita is an antidote against one of the six afflictive emotions. The first paramita is generosity. The Tibetan word for enlightenment is jang-chub, and the first syllable, Jang, means to purify. What we must purify is self-grasping. Chub, the second syllable, means to master, and what we must master is the altruistic intent. Out of altruism, all previous Buddhas have given up their bodies, their life-forces and kingdoms. We aren't capable of that yet, but in accordance with our own abilities we should practice generosity with body, speech and mind as much as possible. Generosity is the remedy against self-grasping. For example, if you have a hundred dollars, you have a hundred self-graspings. Giving away is merit, and to grasp is a fault. Examine how each of them feels within your mind. The benefit of generosity is that, with each act of generosity, self grasping diminishes. Even if we don't have the resources to make an actual offering, we can offer mandalas. This is of great benefit because through offering a mandala again and again we eliminate self grasping. The ocean of samsara, the samsaric of suffering, exists only due to the self grasping of all sentient beings. When you have offered a hundred thousand mandalas, what will be in your mind? Everything will belong to the Three Jewels. Your body, speech and mind will belong to the Three Jewels. You will have nothing at all, and then your mind will become very light.

-- Garchen Rinpoche

Sorrowless, Stainless and Secure

by Ayya Khema

Sorrowless, stainless and secure are three attributes of an Enlightened One (Arahant). Sorrowless: no dukkha; Stainless: no defilements; and Secure: no fear. Obviously, these three are extremely desirable, as they make for happiness. When we think that they are characteristics of an Arahant, we might wonder: "This is so far removed from me, how can I even aspire to that?" The conviction might arise that it's too immense to consider for one's own achievement.

We all know what it means to have sorrow (dukkha). We are familiar with our defilements when we get upset, worried, anxious, envious or jealous. We have all experienced fear. It can be fear of death of oneself or of loved ones, or fear of not being liked, praised, accepted, or fear of not reaching one's goals, or of making a fool of oneself.

We can also experience the opposites of those three states. The seeds are within us, otherwise, Enlightenment would be a myth. It is possible to have moments of being sorrowless, stainless and secure. If one has a really concentrated meditation, momentarily dukkha doesn't arise. Only one-pointedness. No defilements can enter because the mind is otherwise occupied. It can either have defilements or be concentrated, which is wonderful, though may last only one single moment. There can be no fear because all is well at such a time. The more often one regenerates these moments of being sorrowless, stainless and secure, the more they become part of oneself and we can revert to them again.

Even just remembering that it is possible and trying to bring up a little of these feelings, enters into a person as part of his or her makeup. Just as a person with fear of not being accepted, or worried about achievements, experiencing a lack of self-confidence, will always act accordingly. He or she doesn't even have to make an effort, but remembers his or her fears and re-enacts them. The same goes for the liberated mind-states.

Every moment of concentration during meditation is a moment of no defilements, no sorrow and no fear. That sort of experience must be duplicated over and over again. Thereby we reinforce our liberated mind-states and as we remember them we can retain them and act in accordance with them even under ordinary or trying circumstances. Defilements need not arise constantly, there are pauses when there is no ill-will, only loving-kindness (metta), no sensual desire, only generosity and renunciation.

Sensual desire means wanting, renunciation means giving up. When one gives, one isn't desiring, unless one is wishing for applause or gratitude. If one gives for giving's sake, then there is a moment of no defilement. The same holds true for loving-kindness, compassion and helpfulness, which are all opposed to greed.

When we have no doubt, being absolutely sure of what we're doing -- and these moments do arise -- that too is an instant of being stainless. No worries, no restlessness also add to our freedom. Not wanting to go anywhere or do anything; not worrying about what was done or left undone in the past, which is absurd anyway, when one realises that nobody cares a year or even a month from now, least of all oneself.

We all know moments without all this dukkha. When those moments arise, we are "stainless," without any blemishes, sorrowless and fearless. We feel at ease and secure at such a time, which is difficult to find in the world. There are so many dangers threatening our desire for survival, and they are constantly with us. But when the heart and mind are fully occupied with purified states, fear does not have a chance to arise.

On our way to the "deathless," we need to regenerate these liberated moments and bring them up over and over again. We can relish these mind states, enjoying the knowledge that they are possible. It is a natural tendency to resurrect our moments of freedom again and again so that we stay on the path to liberation.

Concentration in meditation brings quiet and joy with it which prove with absolute certainty that they have nothing to do with outer conditions. They are strictly factors of the mind, which are our doorway to freedom. We cannot cultivate them successfully if we neglect them during those hours when we're not meditating. We need to guard and protect the mind from evil thoughts at all times.

When we do experience liberated mind-moments, we must not think they have come to us from outside. Just as we cannot blame the external trigger for what goes wrong in the mind, so we cannot praise it for the opposite. Outside occurrences are quite unreliable and beyond our control. To depend on anything so unreliable is foolishness. Our practise is to generate the undefiled states in our mind, which opens the way to successful meditation and is the pathway to liberation. When the mind is without defilements, clear and at ease, without the convolutions of discursive thinking, simply aware, happiness and peace arise. These moments, though short-lived, are like a light at the end of a tunnel, which appears dark and suffocating. It seems never-ending, because of the lack of light, one cannot see its length. If we cultivate and make much of these single moments, then there is an illumination and we can see that the tunnel does have an end. Because of that, joy is generated in one's heart, which is an important adjunct to practice.

The Buddha taught a balanced path, namely to see reality for what it is, to know that dukkha is inescapable, but to have the counterbalance of joy from knowing that there is a way out. If we are too imbued with sorrow and are feeling weighed down under that, believing only that to be the path, then our actions and reactions will have to be based on our suffering. Being oppressed with dukkha doesn't make for successful meditation, nor for harmonious living. If we try to negate dukkha, and suppress it, then we are not facing reality. But if we see dukkha as an universal characteristic, knowing we can do something about its abandonment then we are keeping in balance. We need equipoise in order to practice successfully.

Seeking samsaric pleasures is the door to all suffering; They are uncertain and cannot be relied upon. Recognising these shortcomings, please bless me to generate the strong wish for the bliss of liberation.

-- Lama Tsongkhapa

时光不可空过

文｜僧禅

佛陀住世时曾问弟子，人的生命究竟有多长。有的弟子说在数日间，有的说在饭食间，佛陀认为这些答案并未明了生命存在的状态。又有弟子答说人命在呼吸间，佛陀赞叹其真正了解了生命存在的状态。佛陀询问这一问题的目的，一是提醒弟子人的生命短暂无常，只存在于呼吸之间，若是一息不来，便成来世；是警策弟子时光不可空过，要时刻将生死大事放在心头，精进修行，才能早日成就道果。

佛陀为了让弟子专注于道业，时光不空过，告诫弟子除了白天应当勤修道业外，夜晚的时光也不能空过。佛陀勉励弟子在夜三时中，应当初夜坐禅，中夜养息，后夜诵经，以免放逸荒废道业。《普贤菩萨警众偈》也说：“是日已过，命亦随减，如少水鱼，斯有何乐。大众当勤精进，如救头燃，但念无常，慎勿放逸。”普贤菩萨同样劝佛弟子珍惜光阴，精进修行。

在《高僧传》中，有很多高僧为了珍惜人生，精进修道，他们有的夜不倒单，有的以圆木作枕，以防自己贪图睡眠。他们不空过一点时光，行各种苦行，最终修有所证。还有很多高僧，在向弟子开示时，常常劝诫弟子珍惜光阴，精进修行。如莲池大师在《竹窗随笔·惜寸阴》中劝诫弟子说：“古代治水的圣人大禹，十分珍惜寸阴，曾三过家门而不入。至于众人，更应当珍惜每一分光阴。佛陀曾说人命在于呼吸，在分阴之中，常有很多呼吸。我辈普通人何止当惜分阴，一刹那一弹指之光阴，都应当十分珍惜。唐代高僧伊庵有权禅师，每到晚上就会流泪说：“今日又只恁么空过，未知来日功夫如何？”

莲池大师每天早晨见到日出，常常回忆有权禅师的感叹之语，大师自语说：“今又换一日了！昨日已成空过，不知今日功夫又如何？”莲池大师说自己只知道叹息，却没有流泪，大师感叹自己为道之心远不如古人，为此感到很惭愧，以此勉励自己修行。一代高僧尚且如此，更何况我们一般的学佛者呢。

莲池大师在《竹窗随笔·时不可蹉》中说：“一个人初出家时，心必猛利，应当趁此时，一气做功夫，使有成立。若悠悠扬扬，蹉过此时，日后或住院，或受徒，或信施繁广，多为所累，沦没初志。修行人不可不知。”大师在此勉励初出家的人，应当抓住初出家时信心猛利的时机，勇猛精进，奠定道心基础。只有这样在日后住持道场，或者弘法收徒，才不会被名利所累。

莲池大师还在《竹窗三笔·时光不可空过》中警示修行人说：先德示众云：“汝等出家，未曾立脚得定，忽已过三四十年矣！我等闻此真恳痛切之语，所当心战而毛竖者，乃有都将青春壮色，勤勤作有为事业。或奔南走北，曰我参礼名山； 或装塑修造，曰我兴崇三宝；或聚众起会，曰我助扬法化。

此虽名色亦皆好事，非上所云赏玩麴檗等比，而其为空过一也。一朝猛省前非，忽已龙钟衰朽，悔无及 矣！日后或住院，或受徒，或信施繁广，多为所累，沦没初志。修行人不可不知。”

大师指出，时光流逝很快，一个人年轻出家，还没有修道有成，不觉已经荒废数十年时光，深为可惜。有的从表面来看是在参访名山，建寺塑像，聚众宣法，其实在不觉中都是空过时光。一旦有一天悟今是而昨非，却发现自己已经老态龙钟，再想用功已经为时已晚。这样的人以后纵然住持道场，受徒说法，接受信施，常被名利所束缚，不得自由，更不用说修行了。

佛门修行应当时光不空过，世间一切学问或成就的取得，都是与珍惜光阴，勤奋钻研分不开的。古今中外凡是有成就的人，都是时光从不空过的勤奋者。现代文 学之父鲁迅先生是珍惜时间的典范，他抓住一切可以利用的时间来读书写作，在文学上取得了巨大的成就。在别人说他是天才的时候，他说：“哪里有天才，我是将别人喝咖啡的功夫都用在写作上！”针对一些年轻人认为没有时间学习的抱怨，鲁迅说：“时间就像海绵里的水，只要愿挤总还是有的。”对于无所事事，整天浪费别人时间的人，鲁迅也提出了批评：“时间就是生命。无端地空耗别人的时间，其实无异于谋财害命。”

中国历代有很多劝人珍惜时光的诗歌。唐代书画家颜真卿《劝学》诗云“三更灯火五更鸡，正是男儿读书时。黑发不知勤学早，白首方悔读书迟。”民歌《长歌 行》云：“百川东到海，何时复西归？少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲。”东晋诗人陶渊明《杂诗》云：“盛年不再来，一日难再晨。及时当勉励，岁月不待人。”清代诗人钱泳《明日歌》云：“明日复明日，明日何其多。我生待明日，万事成蹉跎。世人若被明日累，春去秋来老将至。朝看东流水，暮看日西坠。百年明日能几何？ 请君听我明日歌。”

作为修行人，应当体解人生难得，时光易逝的无常道理。珍惜美好时光，认真听闻佛法，并作如理思维， 证得无上菩提。

Now, like a small bird flying off from a treetop, I, too, will not be here much longer; soon I must move on.

-- Mahasiddha Padampa Sangye

Courage In The Face Of Illness

by His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trizin

As we all know, the Covid-19 virus is spreading across most countries of the world. At this critical juncture, the Central Tibetan Administration has asked several high lamas to talk about this topic. I was also requested to give some instructions on how to handle the crisis.

Generally speaking, from a Buddhist point of view, we should see the Buddha as a doctor, his teachings as medicine, ourselves as patients, and our negative thoughts such as anger as an illness. Studying and practising authentic teachings, and through this overcoming negative thoughts and gaining realisation is akin to following the doctor’s advice and recovering from our illness. It is with this perception that we should practise the Buddhadharma, whether we are monks, nuns or lay followers. Of course, whenever we fall sick, we should take medicine to cure our illness. Likewise, we have the disease of negative thoughts and therefore should take the appropriate medicine, which is the practice of the Buddhadharma.

We should think that the whole of samsara is essentially suffering – especially now, as we face so much hardship and sorrow - and that the way to relieve this suffering is by practising the Buddhadharma. Buddhadharma practice takes place in our own mind, and it is based on positive thoughts, peaceful thoughts, thoughts of non-violence. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has given us the advice not to become discouraged. If we become discouraged, we cannot overcome suffering. So whatever difficulties we may face, we should meet with great fortitude. His Holiness Gongma Trichen Rinpoche also strongly advises us not to worry, not to panic.

All these problems are caused by our own karma, and we should respond to them by taking good care of our own health, by cultivating positive thoughts, and by pacifying this virus by reciting prayers and mantras. For example, if a student needs to take an exam, if he just worries and feels discouraged, he can’t concentrate and won’t be able to get good results. To get good results, a student should not worry or feel discouraged; rather, with great fortitude, with great confidence, he should put great effort into his work; with such merit, he will obtain good results. 

This also applies to our everyday activities. We need to put great effort into them, cultivate great fortitude and self-confidence, and with this, we can make them very successful. And now, at a time when we are facing this daunting challenge to overcome the Covid-19 virus, we should all arm ourselves with fortitude and self-confidence, both individually and collectively.

At the moment, we are retreating from worldly activities, many of us are unable to perform our normal activities, and so we have a lot of time on our hands. This provides us with a great opportunity to practise the dharma, especially to cultivate good thoughts, positive thoughts.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has often said that he considers himself just one among 7 billion human beings. His Holiness always stresses that although there are huge numbers of human beings, we are all from one big human family. His Holiness also says that the human form is a peaceful one, it doesn’t have fangs or claws like tigers and lions do. And so our mind should also be peaceful. When our mind is disturbed, when we feel anger, we should remember this. His Holiness says that a peaceful mind, a kind mind, is the best offering that we can make. And so, we should follow this advice all the time, especially at this critical time.

So, as we all know, we humans are all somewhat different from each other, yet we all belong to a great big human family. Just like lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, pumas and black panther belong to the cat family, we, in spite of all our different traits and characteristics, belong to the human family. And so we should focus and ponder deeply on the oneness of humanity. Not only do we have the same form, with one face and two hands and all, but we also all have the same wish to gain happiness and to overcome all our suffering and problems, and so it is important for all of us to focus on the oneness of humanity.

As the great Bodhisattva Shantideva said in his Bodhicharyavatara, we should practise equality, which means that we are all the same and we should care for each other. This is important, and when we have the feeling of oneness, then it is easy for us to take care of others, easy to think of others’ welfare and well being. This is particularly important at a time when the Covid-19 virus is spreading across nearly everywhere in the world. As of today, 4th of April, the number of patients worldwide has reached almost 1.1 million. The numbers are increasing daily with great margins, for example from yesterday to today there has been an increase of 80,000 new patients. So, at this time we should focus on all these patients, without any exception, and think ‘May all these patients fully recover from this virus.” If we have a strong feeling of oneness, we cannot discriminate between these patients, we cannot think that one particular patient should recover, while another one shouldn’t.

As it is said in the Bodhicharyavatara, if we pray that “May all the suffering of the world be overcome”, this thought is a very meritorious deed and is of great benefit. Similarly at this moment, if we focus on all these patients and pray “May all these patients gain full recovery from their sickness, then this thought will also be a very meritorious deed and will be of great benefit.

This critical time is an opportune moment for us to practise loving-kindness, compassion and bodhicitta, not only toward these patients but also to all those people whose lives are affected by this virus, directly or indirectly. And then we should extend our focus and pray “May all beings be free from suffering.” If we practise loving-kindness, compassion and bodhicitta in this way, our practice will become very powerful and will help us to cultivate positive thoughts. So many people are suffering at the moment, and we should take this as an opportunity to practise loving kindness, great compassion and bodhicitta with a strong feeling, not just paying lip service. Then this terrible situation can become a blessing in disguise. The Buddha himself, as do all the great masters, teaches us how beneficial and meritorious is the practice of loving-kindness, compassion and bodhicitta.

From a worldly point of view, in order to overcome this virus, we should follow the advice of our doctors, nurses and medical experts. And we should follow the guidelines set out by the country in which we live to control the spread of the virus. It is the responsibility of each one of us to overcome this virus, and so we need to fully understand the nature and purpose of these guidelines, and we need to follow them closely. 

So I entreat all of you to follow these guidelines, and I also appeal to you to pray for all our doctors, nurses and other medical workers who are risking their lives every day, fully aware that they are constantly in great danger of contracting the virus and yet bravely fighting on in their efforts to save the lives of others. I truly admire their noble work, and I pray that it be rewarded with complete success. 

Great numbers of people have lost their lives to this virus, including doctors and nurses. I pray that all those who have succumbed to it be free from the fear of the bardo state, and that they may gain temporary and ultimate happiness in their future lives. 

We can be stronger in the face of the virus if we pray. We can pray to the Buddha, to Tara, to Avalokiteshvara, or to any other deity. When we do so, we should think that the Buddha or the deities are right in front of us. If we stare at statues or paintings just seeing them as statues or thangkas, then our prayer won’t have much effect. But if we really see them as the Buddha or the deities, then we will obtain great results. Even if we have no images for support, if we can just visualise them in front of us and really believe that they are there, then we will receive very strong blessings. The same happens if we pray to our gurus with this kind of perception. By thinking that our gurus are right in front of us and praying fervently to them, we can obtain very strong blessings and gain enormous benefit.

Finally, I would like to add that when we use this precious time to practise and to perform virtuous deeds, and thereby gather great merit, we should remember to dedicate all our merit to the eradication of this virus and to our attainment of Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings.

As Shantideva said in his Bodhicharyavatara, “May all who are sick quickly be freed from their illness and may all disease in the world never occur again.” I too fervently make this prayer. And lastly, we should dedicate all our merits to the long life and good health of our root Guru His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and to that of all our great masters.

Displaying brocade before a blind person, adorning a cow with coral garland around its neck and giving teachings to the faith-less, all these are but a waste of time.

-- Jigme Lingpa

佛菩薩如何幫助苦難眾生

淨空法師

我們都知道，最近這些年災難愈來愈多，眾生生活愈來愈苦，往後還要嚴重。有人來問我，佛菩薩大慈大悲，如何來救度苦難的眾生？這些話說得沒錯，正確的意思往往被人曲解。諸佛菩薩慈悲救度，是不是眾生缺少食物，佛就送糧食來；缺少衣服，佛就送衣服來？不是。 　　

佛怎樣救度？佛是幫助眾生破迷開悟，這是真正的救度一切眾生。讓眾生自己明瞭災難是怎麼來的，然後能夠把這些災難的原因消除，就沒有災難了。我們要想得到幸福美滿、自在快樂，這也是果報，果必有因， 佛菩薩教我們修因，善因一定得善果，這才是真實的救度。 　　

世尊確實慈悲，從什麼地方表現？從他老人家一生生活當中表現給我們看。我們知道佛是福慧二足尊，這是講智慧圓滿，福報也圓滿。一個福報圓滿的人為什麼不享福？ 　　

每天都是三衣一缽，樹下一宿，日中一食。他示現這個樣子給我們看，這就是大慈大悲的落實。世間畢竟富貴的人少，貧賤的人多，如果佛示現富貴的身分，貧賤的人看到佛只有仰慕，不敢親近。佛示現貧賤到極處， 讓一切貧賤之人看到佛都感到非常親切，佛跟我們一樣，我們沒房子住，佛也沒房子住；我們沒得吃，佛也沒得吃。這是佛的慈悲，我們要能體會到這個意思。 

佛一生沒有求過人，每天托缽也只托七家，七家都托不到，那今天就餓一天。這種示現教導我們知足常樂， 世間人的病就是貪婪，貪婪才招來無量無邊的禍害。 　　

學佛就是向佛學習，無論我們是什麼身分，從事哪一種行業，都要學習佛的精神、佛的理念、佛的慈悲， 把佛的教導落實在自己生活當中。做人要樸實、要懂得知足，有多餘的就分享出去。這是佛菩薩跟世間人理念不相同，佛菩薩是有福大家享，凡夫有福是自己享，自私自利。 　　

佛的福報可以說是全部貢獻出來讓大家分享，自己過最簡單的生活。佛不僅以言語教導我們，他老人家自己做到，那我們還有什麼話說？他真看破，世出世間一切理事、因果他都通達明瞭；他真放下，世間一切名聞利養、五欲六塵都不沾染。

許多同修覺得自己業障很重，災難很多，那要如何消除業障，化解災難？實在講，釋迦牟尼佛一生示現的就是，我們要學會了，不但眼前的災難可以消除，無始劫來的業習都能夠斷掉。 　　

由此可知，我們學佛實在是粗心大意。佛法沒有隱瞞、沒有祕密，完全呈現在我們眼前，為什麼看不出來？ 　　

佛菩薩的形像在我們面前，經論在我們面前，我們也拜佛，也讀經、也聽經，但就是不懂經上講的義趣，就是不能將這些義理落實在自己生活當中，得到真正的利益。這不能怪佛菩薩不慈悲，不能怪佛菩薩沒有幫助我們，而是我們不懂，沒有領會，這個過失在自己，所以自己要反省、要懺悔，從反省懺悔當中去學習。 　　

為什麼這樣做？就是要克服自己的煩惱習氣，這就是我們天天希求的消業障。什麼是業障？煩惱習氣是業障，能夠克服煩惱習氣就是消業障。用什麼方法克服？ 方法很多，佛家常講八萬四千法門，法就是方法，門就是門徑；克服煩惱的方法，消除業障的門徑無量無邊。

世尊在世的時候，四十九年所說的一切法無非就是為這麼一樁事情。在這麼多法門裡面，世尊告訴我們，以念佛法門最為方便，最簡單、最容易、最直捷。可是念佛的理論我們要懂得，對於念佛就不會懷疑，佛號念得就有效果、有力量，能夠消業障，能夠斷煩惱。 　　

我們天天念佛，為什麼煩惱斷不掉，還天天在增長？是不是佛法不靈？如果說佛法不靈，為什麼有些人念的時候他真消掉，效果很殊勝？關鍵就在如法不如法，會念不會念。不會念，與念佛的理論、方法、 境界不相應，没效果；會念的人如理如法，效果非常殊勝。 　　

所以經不能不明白，不但要明白，佛常常教弟子「 深解義趣」，對於經教解得愈徹底愈好，我們的信心愈堅定。信心能轉境界，《金剛經》上講得很好，「 信心清淨，則生實相」。這講的是什麼意思？信心真的到清淨，轉十法界成一真法界，一真法界是實相。 能夠把十法界轉變成一真法界，這豈不是佛常常講的境隨心轉嗎？ 　　

所以佛怎麼救度一切眾生？讓我們自己轉境界， 佛不能幫我們轉境界。為什麼？境界是自己造成的， 不是別人造成的。自己造成的，只有自己能解決，任何人幫不上忙，諸佛菩薩也不行。 　　

我們在《楞嚴經》上看到阿難尊者遭了難，佛能 不能幫助他？不能。佛只能把遭難的前因後果告訴我們，什麼原因會有這個災難，然後說明怎樣來化解。 自己明白通達，把心轉變過來，行為轉變過來，境界就轉變了，災難就消除了。 　　

一念惡心起來，善境界就變成惡境界；一念善念起來，惡境界就變成善境界。最明顯的是十法界，一念平等心，佛法界現前；一念六度心，菩薩法界現前； 一念貪瞋、十惡這種心起來，我們生活的環境就是五濁惡世；一念清淨心現前，世界清泰安雅，就是極樂世界。 　　

佛常常說「凡所有相，皆是虛妄」，因為相是虛妄的，我們的念頭才能轉境界；如果這個境界是真實的，念頭怎麼能轉動它？因為它是虛妄的，這種虛妄就像夢境一樣。經上講，一切法如夢幻泡影，一點都不錯。 　　

所以佛在經上說，「種種心生，種種法生；種種法生，種種心生」，說明宇宙人生的真相，又告訴我們「 一切法從心想生」。真正能夠透徹理解這個道理，我們心怎麼想，世界環境就怎麼變；大環境會變，小環境是我們的身體、容貌，也會隨著改變。 

佛怕我們印象不夠深刻，所以多次宣講，這真是大慈大悲，提醒我們。境界沒有不能轉變的，不能轉變是因為我們對理論不透徹，方法不清楚，再加上沒有耐心， 這就收不到效果。如果如理如法，哪有轉不了的境界？ 　　

佛法的殊勝、佛法的微妙，世出世間一切法沒有能跟它相比的。我們這一生太幸運了，能得人身，能聞佛法，能對於甚深的義理稍微明白一些，稀有難逢！一定要認真努力來修學。所謂修學，就是認真實踐佛陀的教義，給一切眾生做出好榜樣。幫助一切眾生覺悟才是真正幫助眾生，要把佛法以這樣的方式傳下去。

The best paths is the Eightfold Path. The best of truths are the Four Sayings. Non-attachment is the best states. The best bipeds is the Seeing One.

-- The Buddha

Facing My White Privilege

by Tara Brach

Until eight or nine years ago, I would have said that I was pretty conscious about race; I also would have assumed that Buddhist sanghas were welcoming to everyone. My father was an attorney who practised a lot of civil rights law, and he had a very racially mixed group of friends, which was quite unusual at the time. In grammar school, I was one of five white kids in an otherwise African American school. I’ve also lived for extended periods of time as an outsider, including wearing religious garb — all-white clothing and a turban — for ten years. So I assumed that I was somewhat awake to these issues, but I got the rug pulled out from under me thanks to some friends of mine in the D.C. area who started letting me know what life was really like for people of colour, beyond my bubble of experience.

One of them is a friend in a diversity-focused sangha who described driving around with her father when she was growing up. Periodically, he’d be pulled over by the police for nothing, just because he was a Black man. She described how painful it was to see the humiliation he felt every time she witnessed that happen, to know that he felt his dignity was taken away in her eyes. If that had happened to my father, if I had watched him be humiliated like that, it would have shaken my world as a young person.

Another friend came to a dharma class where I was talking about raising our children, mirroring their goodness and giving them a sense of confidence in themselves and in their capacity to be all they can be in the world. My friend raised her hand and said, “I’ll tell you, I want to give my son fear. I want him to be afraid because I am scared to death that he’s going to either get arrested or killed every time he leaves the house.” She didn’t want her son being cocky or oblivious to the risks he faced as a young African American male — she’d rather he be scared and alive. I had assumed that doors would open for my son, that he’d have opportunities and that he could take advantage of those opportunities if he trusted himself. I realised that my assumption was white privilege.

One of the things I’ve noticed when the subject of racism comes up is how white Buddhist practitioners will say, “Oh yes, this is important,” but without a feeling that it really involves them, their life, or their spiritual path. And yet, you can’t be part of a population where there has been deep trauma and not be involved. We’re all involved. Slavery in its formal expression may no longer exist in the United States, but there are new strains that we can see in the disparity of access to a host of resources — in education, housing, and jobs. Twice as many Blacks as whites are unemployed in the U.S., and nearly six times as many Blacks as whites are incarcerated.

The legacy of racism doesn’t just affect access to resources in our society. It affects our psyche and has a powerful effect on our sense of identity. Those who don’t have easy access to resources commonly face feelings of inferiority, disempowerment, and threat. But what happens if you’re the one who does have access? Identity becomes more unconscious — there is an unconscious sense of privilege and superiority, of being deserving and taking what’s due. It’s very common for white people to refer to others who aren’t white by saying, “They’re African American” or “They’re Asian.” We don’t identify other Caucasians by saying, “Oh, they’re white” because it’s given that white is the default and everyone else is different. Toni Morrison writes, “In this country, American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.” We do this in the sangha as well.

Living in a white-dominant context, white people experience their centrality constantly: in history textbooks, in media advertising, in role models and heroes, in everyday conversations about “good neighbourhoods” and “good schools,” who’s in them and who’s not. We watch popular TV shows centred around groups of friends who are commonly all white, and we are exposed to religious iconography that shows God, Moses, Jesus, and other key figures as white. And at dharma centre after dharma centre, we see white Buddhist teachers. If you’re white, you don’t tend to notice this backdrop, but if you’re not white, you do.

In order to feel that the trouble “others” are having isn’t “out there” in the world, separate from us, we have to get close. The trouble is “in here,” and it wants our attention. Shortly after Ferguson, I attended a vigil of grieving mothers in Washington, D.C. There were about fifteen women from all over the country whose sons had been killed by the police. They travelled the nation sharing their stories. One of them told us how her son got shot the day before her birthday. He had been planning her party. Another shared that after her son was shot, he said to the police, “I wasn’t doing anything wrong. Why did you shoot me?” One woman’s son was about to get married; another was shot yards from a hospital, but the police refused to take him to the emergency room. These mothers’ stories broke my heart. They would break the heart of anyone who got close enough to listen. As white people, we can live for decades without being exposed to this reality and not care enough to be part of the healing. We have to let our hearts be broken or else we’re going stay in a very insulated identity. We have to pay attention.

White people need to be aware of white privilege, to notice how many doors open for us in this life. The current that gives access to money, power, and success supports us; there’s a feeling of fitting in, of being part of the culture that’s on top. And it isn’t just in society out there—it happens in spiritual communities every bit as much.

An African American man attending one of our meditation classes for the first time wrote about feeling singled out and unwelcome because he was Black:

When I arrived, I was a little early, so I sat down at the end of the second row and began to read a book I had purchased waiting for the meditation. The building slowly filled to capacity and it seemed that by the time the meditation began, every seat in the house was filled except one — the one next to me. I became a little set off by this until the ghost of racist past sat down next to me. He said, “Empty seats are devoured in this hall, so why am I sitting next to you?”

His rap filled my mind with anger and frustration. I ignored and tried to focus on the meditation. I couldn’t. He said, “Why am I the only person to sit next to you? Do they think you’d rob them?”

“No, that’s absurd,” I replied. “I don’t think they felt that way.”

The ghost responded, “Well, maybe you have an awful smell?”

“No, I’m clean.”

“You look intimidating?”

“I don’t believe a forty-one-year-old Black man in dress pants and a button-down creates fear and intimidation.”

“Is it because you’re new?”

“I don’t know.”

This situation bothered me for the rest of the evening to the point that I didn’t and couldn’t follow the rest of the dharma talk. I remember the teacher announcing that volunteers were needed with the tea and snack table. It was my intention to help out, but I thought to myself:

They don’t want a Black man to help.

So right after the service was over, the ghost of racist past escorted me out.

That was about four years ago. The unusual and beautiful end of the story is that he and I became friends, and he now serves on the board of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW); he also serves on an advisory committee of people of colour that is helping us examine how to evolve IMCW’s culture in a way that is more inclusive, diverse, and equitable. He didn’t go away. But that’s not what usually happens, and I can understand why. It’s painful to know that for all our best intentions, white Buddhist practitioners are missing an awareness not only of what it really means to carry a certain identity but also of how to be sensitive to the impact of that identity. Over the last few decades, we’ve had a handful of teachers of colour in our broader community give deeply of themselves in the effort to wake us up, often in the face of a lack of willingness, interest, or understanding among white teachers and practitioners.

Part of me is moved to tears by the suffering this perpetuates, but another part is hopeful about sangha and what Martin Luther King, Jr. called “beloved community.” The legacy of slavery and genocide in the United States, the ways in which white people occupy a place of privilege and dominance that we’re so often blind to, is very particular. It takes effort to know what happened and to know our part in it. But it’s not about shaming people. In fact, one of the things I find inspiring about the very beautiful movements that have been emerging, especially among the frontline communities that make up Black Lives Matter, is the focus on love. For the folks fighting against oppression, self-love is a central force, and that’s true for all of us. We’ve got to love ourselves and each other through this. If white people are going to have the courage and honesty to look at where we’re holding on to dominance or enjoying our privilege, we also have to find a way to forgive ourselves. We are not personally bad; we are part of the collective conditioning. And yet we can be responsible and respond in whatever way is called for.

We have to learn about the particulars, and we need to engage with others. At our dharma centre in Washington, D.C., we have affinity communities: groups for people of colour where it’s safe to begin to process the effects of racism, and also white affinity groups. I recently completed a year-long white-awareness group that deeply impacted my self-understanding and attunement to others. We need to be in spaces where it is safe to speak our truths and examine the identities that have accrued, and then, as we grow more mature and able to speak from wisdom, we need to be with each other in mixed racial groups. We need to be able to name where the hurts are; to be able to name our sorrows and fears; to not be afraid of anger. So often in Buddhist communities, anger is considered bad, but anger is a part of the weather systems that move through our psyches. We have to make room for these emotions, and there are wise ways to do that.

So we’ve got to engage with each other. White people need to be in solidarity with those who have been suffering from white dominance. We need to get on their team — not in order to help out “the other” but because it frees us all. This means that rather than simply trying to bring people of colour to our centres, we transform our culture. We extend ourselves by building authentic relationships with people of colour and, by engaging as allies, actively support initiatives that undo racism in our society.

Recently I was part of a mixed-race teaching team at a Buddhist retreat that was historic in the extent of its diversity. On opening night, when I looked around and saw that nearly half of the people in attendance were people of colour when I felt that richness of being together and the shared intention to wake up, I started to cry. Everything in me knew This is the community I want to belong to.

What heals us? What helps awaken us to that space of beloved community? The dharma will do it. The more we pay attention, the more we’ll recognise the trance of separation and, from a deep longing for connection and freedom, start examining the causes. But that desire needs to become intentional; we have to want to understand the landscape of what has happened in this country and what’s actually shaping our own limited sense of identity. We need to ask ourselves, “What is it that I’m not seeing?” And if we sincerely want to know the answer — if we want to wake up — we will open our eyes and our hearts. We will begin to free ourselves from the suffering of separation, act in ways that serve the healing of racism, and discover the blessings of realising our true belonging with each other.