什麼是我執？就是執著一個「我」──這是「我的」身體，那是「我的」所有，總而言之，一切以我為前提，把我擺在前邊，有我無人，三心未了，四相沒空。

What is the attachment to self? It’s the attachment to an “I.” We say: “This is my body; those things are mine.” In general, everything pertains to “I”; we put the “I” out in front. Because there is a self but no others, the three minds aren’t ended and the four appearances aren’t empty. [The three minds are the minds of the past, present, and future; the four appearances are those of self, others, living beings, and a life span.]

怎麼樣才能知道「我執」破了沒有？就要從每日起居飲食，以及日常生活行住坐臥上來看。在這種種舉動之中，你是為自己著想？還是為他人著想？或者是為道場著想？如果僅僅為自己著想，那就是自了漢，小乘人的思想，自利而不利他。

How do we know when the attachment to self is destroyed? We can tell from our daily activities, whether we are moving or still, awake or sleeping. In all our actions, are we thinking of ourselves or others? Are we concerned about the Way-place? If we think only of ourselves, then we only care about saving ourselves, which is the philosophy of the Small Vehicle－to benefit oneself without benefiting others.

佛曾說過這種思想是焦芽敗種。為什麼？因為有這種思想的人，心量太小，我執太重，自己好了就算，不管他人好壞，所謂「摩訶薩不管他，彌陀佛各顧各」，這是小乘人的宗旨。所以他們看三界如火宅，視生死如冤家，自己了生死就好了，不顧眾生的生死。

The Buddha compared such people to withered sprouts and spoiled seeds. Why? Because people who think like this are very small-minded and egocentric. They are concerned only with being good themselves, and don’t care whether other people are good or bad. That’s called:

Mahasattvas don’t care about others.
Amitabha, every man for himself.

That’s the objective of the Small Vehicle. Therefore, they perceive the Three Realms as a burning house, and birth and death as an enemy. They end their own birth and death, but don’t care about living beings’ birth and death.

你要是為他人著想，有利他的思想；不但自己得到解脫，也會令一切眾生得到解脫，這就是菩薩的思想。換句話說，忘了自己而去利益他人，就是行菩薩道。所謂「佛光普照，法雨均霑」，行菩薩道就是要本著「無緣大慈，同體大悲」的精神。

When you are concerned about others, you think of benefiting them. Not only do you want to liberate yourself, you want all living beings to be liberated. That’s the way a Bodhisattva thinks. Benefiting others and forgetting about yourself is what the Bodhisattva Way is all about. As it’s said, “the Buddha’s light shines everywhere; the Dharma rain sprinkles on everyone.” The practice of the Bodhisattva Way is based upon the motto: “Show great kindness to those with whom you have no affinities. Embody great compassion by regarding all beings as the same substance.”

我們若是為道場來著想，就要處處來擁護道場，不帶任何企圖，也不為名，也不為利，這才是真正地擁護道場。

If we truly care about the monastery, we should support and protect it in every respect, without any ulterior motives or any wish for fame or profit. That is truly protecting the monastery.

我們每天要反省，是為自己打算的時間多？還是為他人打算的時間多？或者為道場打算的時間多？這樣來迴光返照，便知「我執」破了沒有。這是很淺顯的說法。

Every day, we should reflect and see whether we spend more time thinking about ourselves, about other people, or about the monastery. Through this kind of reflection, we will know whether we’ve broken the attachment to self. This is a very simple explanation.

若往深處來說，自己是不是天天怕吃虧？天天怕得不到利益？有則改之，無則勉之。再反省自己有沒有忍辱的功夫？如果有人無緣無故罵我，或打我，能不能忍受？是否發了脾氣？或者有報復的心理？若有的話，則我執尚未破；若沒有的話，則我執已破。

各位認真想一想，一切的問題和煩惱是怎麼來的？這都是我執在作怪。我執要是沒有破，法執更破不了。小乘人破了我執，而沒有破法執；菩薩才能「我法雙亡」。

On a deeper level, we should daily observe to see whether we are afraid of taking a loss, or afraid of not gaining any advantages. If we have such thoughts, we should change them; if we don’t, we should avoid them. We should further ask ourselves whether we are able to endure insults. If people scold me and beat me for no reason at all, can I take it? Will I lose my temper or have thoughts of revenge? If so, then the attachment to self has not been broken. If not, then self-attachment has been destroyed. Think seriously for a moment: Where do all problems and afflictions come from? They arise from the attachment to self acting up. If the attachment to self is not destroyed, the attachment to dharmas won’t be destroyed either. Small Vehicle cultivators have broken the attachment to self, but not the attachment to dharmas. Only Bodhisattvas can extinguish both attachment to self and attachment to dharmas.

我執破了，然後要破法執。何謂「法執」？就是不明白五蘊（色、受、想、行、識）之法，乃是因緣而生，而執著為實有。如果把對一切法的執著沒有了，就能圓融無礙，到無入而不自得的境界。到了我法雙亡的時候，才是真正的修道人。真正的修道人，無論在什麼時候、什麼境界，絕對不為自己打算，有捨己為人、見義勇為的思想，有大公無私、至正不偏的行為。

After breaking the attachment to self, we must work on breaking the attachment to dharmas. What is meant by “attachment to dharmas”? It means not understanding that the dharmas of the five skandhas (form, feeling, thinking, formations, and consciousness) are brought into being by causes and conditions, and getting attached to the idea that they are real. If we can end all attachment to dharmas, we will experience perfect interpenetration without obstruction, and arrive at the state of being at ease in all situations. When we have emptied both self and dharmas, we can be considered true cultivators. True cultivators never calculate on their own behalf, no matter what the situation. They are ever ready to give themselves up for others, and would never hesitate to do what is right. Their actions are public-spirited and unselfish, proper and unbiased.

佛說三藏十二部的經典，無非是教人破執著。可是我們偏偏不聽佛的教誨，要做佛的叛徒，總是執著一個「我」，我相不空，人相不空，眾生相也不空，壽者相更不空，執著四相捨不得；對於三心了不可得的道理，搞不清楚。

The Buddha spoke the Three Treasuries and Twelve Divisions all for the sake of teaching people to break their attachments. However, we just don’t want to follow the Buddha’s instructions. Instead, we want to be rebels in Buddhism, always attaching to our ego. The marks of self, others, living beings, and a life span are not empty for us. We cling to these four marks and can’t bear to part with them. We can’t understand that the three minds are unattainable.

本來過去心不可得，現在心不可得，未來心不可得，為什麼？因為「過去」心已經過去了，你到什麼地方去找這個心呢？「現在」根本不停，你說這個是「現在」，可是「現在」又過去了，「現在」是不存在的，所以說現在心不可得。未來心不可得，「未來」就是沒有來，沒有來講它幹什麼？

Actually, the mind of the past cannot be attained, nor can the mind of the present or the mind of the future. Why not? Well, the past has already gone by, so where are you going to find it? The “present” never stops changing. When you say, “This is the present,” it has already become the past. So the present doesn’t exist, and the mind of the present cannot be attained. The mind of the future is unattainable as well, because the future hasn’t arrived yet. Since it isn’t here yet, why talk about it?

在《金剛經》上說：「無我相，無人相，無眾生相，無壽者相。」又說：「過去心不可得，現在心不可得，未來心不可得。」這幾句經文，人人都會唸，可是人人不記得。希望各位在這幾句經文上下功夫，四相空了，三心了了，就是真正的修道人。

The Vajra Sutra says, “There is no mark of self, no mark of others, no mark of living beings, and no mark of a life span.” It also says, “The mind of the past cannot be attained, the mind of the present cannot be attained, and the mind of the future cannot be attained.” Everyone can read these lines of the Sutra, but no one remembers them. I hope all of you will apply some effort on these lines. When you have emptied the Four Marks and ended the Three Minds, you’ll be true cultivators.

一九八四年二月十五日開示