「難！難！難！十擔芝麻樹上攤」，這是龐公說的話，他覺得用功是很不容易的，不是腰痛就是腿痠，或者有種種疾病纏繞，所以不易打成一片，很困難地才能有點進步，可是一旦稍微放逸，就前功盡棄，所以他說：「難！難！難！十擔芝麻樹上攤。」到底難到什麼程度呢？就好像拿十擔芝麻攤在樹上一樣。十擔芝麻不是小數目，要把它攤在樹上不掉下來，是很不容易做到的。

“It’s hard! It’s hard! It’s hard! It’s like spreading ten catties of sesame seed on a tree.” These are layman Mr. Pang’s words. He felt that cultivation wasn’t easy: either your legs hurt, or your back aches, or various other ailments interfere with your practice. It’s not easy to attain a state of oneness. You have to work very hard just to make a little progress, and if you relax even slightly, you lose the results of the hard work you put in. Therefore, he said, “It’s hard! It’s hard! It’s hard! It’s like spreading ten catties of sesame seed on a tree.” Ten catties is not a small amount, and placing that many tiny seeds on a tree so that they don’t fall off is no easy task.

他有個親戚聽了就說：「既然這樣難，那就無法修行了？」但是龐婆卻這麼說：「易！易！易！百草頭上西來意。」很容易的，所有一切山河大地、花草樹木，都是祖師西來的大意。所以說很容易的，有什麼困難呢？這時候，龐女就說：「也不難！也不易！飢來吃飯，睏來眠。」

He had a relative who heard his comment and said, “If it’s that hard, then we can’t cultivate, can we?”

However, Mrs. Pang said, “It’s easy! It’s easy! It’s easy! Every blade of grass carries the intent of the one who came from the West.” It’s very easy. All the mountains, rivers, land, flowers, plants, and trees reveal the great meaning of the Patriarch’s arrival from the West*. So, it’s all very simple; what difficulty is there?

* refers to Patriarch Bodhidharma, the 28th Indian Patriarch who went to China in the 6th century and became the first Chinese Patriarch.

這三個人所說的都不同，可是根本道理是一樣的，就是染污不得，應好好修行才對。

Then the daughter of the family said, “It’s not hard, and it’s not easy. I eat when I’m hungry, and sleep when I’m tired.” The three of them said different things, but the basic principle is the same: Don’t get defiled, and do a good job of cultivating.

龐公、龐婆、龐女是同一家庭的人，但他們所見不同。現在我們各方面來打七的人都有，也各有各的見地，但是應該少講話，好好用功才是。

Mr. Pang, Mrs. Pang, and their daughter were of the same family, but they each had their own views. Now people from many different places have come for the session, and you each have your own ideas and views. However, what we should do is speak as little as possible and work hard at our practice.

一九八四年一月一日開示