身為佛教徒，一定要忍。忍什麼？忍人所不能忍。有人說：「我實在忍不了。」忍不了，那就不能「了」。了什麼？就是了業障。若是業沒消，情未空，那就有生死。所謂「業不重不生娑婆，愛不斷不生淨土」，到了業盡情空的時候，便了生死，真正解脫。

As Buddhists, we have to be able to bear things. What kinds of things? The things that other people cannot bear. Sometimes people say, “I really can’t bear it.” If you can’t bear it, then you won’t be able to put an end to it. Put an end to what? To karmic obstacles. If you can’t get rid of your karmic obstacles and empty your emotions, then you have to undergo birth and death. As it’s said, “If one’s karma weren’t heavy, one wouldn’t be born in the Saha world. If love is not ended, one cannot be born in the Pure Land.” When you have exhausted your karma and emptied your emotions, you will have ended birth and death and will be truly liberated.

修道人，就要修忍的功夫，忍飢忍渴，忍風忍雨，忍熱忍寒，甚至還要忍罵忍打，這些境界都是考驗。我常說：

Cultivators should cultivate endurance. They should be able to endure hunger, thirst, wind, rain, heat, and cold, as well as beatings and scoldings. All these states are tests. I often say,

一切是考驗     看爾怎麼辦
覿境若不識     須再從頭煉

Everything’s a test
To see what you will do.
If you don’t recognize the state,
You’ll have to start anew.

無論怎樣的逆境來臨，都要用「逆來順受」的心理接受，不要被境界所轉，向他們豎白旗，俯首稱臣。古人說：「小不忍，則亂大謀」，忍是無價寶，所謂：

No matter how bad the situation is, we should be able to smile at our troubles and accept them. We shouldn’t let adversity upset us, nor should we bow our heads and surrender to them. There’s an ancient saying, “If one cannot be patient with small issues, one will ruin a great plan.” Patience is a priceless jewel.

忍片刻，風平浪靜；
退一步，海闊天空。

Be patient for a moment, and the storm
     and waves will subside.
Take a step back, and you’ll see the
     vastness of the sea and sky.

釋迦牟尼佛住世時，有一天，經過河岸，見一隻野干（狼一類），想吃烏龜，可是烏龜將頭足縮回殼內，多時不動，沒有忍耐心的野干，棄牠而去，有忍耐心的烏龜，保存性命。佛對阿難尊者說：「修行人亦應如是！」古德說：「近來學得烏龜法，得縮頭時且縮頭。」

When Shakyamuni Buddha was in the world, one day he walked by a river and saw a wolf trying to eat a turtle. However, the turtle withdrew its head and legs into its shell and remained motionless for a long time. Eventually the wolf ran out of patience and left, and the patient turtle’s life was saved. The Buddha said to the Venerable Ananda, “That’s the way a cultivator should be.” A virtuous man once said, “Recently I learned the turtle’s trick, which is to withdraw one’s head when it’s time to do so.”

忍得一時之氣，免得百日之憂。如果有人罵你，當做聽流行曲來欣賞；如果有人打你，當做走路不小心，撞到門柱上。如是觀想，自然化干戈為玉帛。否則，無名火三丈高，大發雷霆，大戰一場，結果兩敗俱傷，不但傷了感情，又失去人格，受人批評沒有涵養的功夫。所謂「受盡天下百般氣，養就胸中一段春」，可以做為座右銘，這是金玉良言。

If you can be patient through a moment of anger, you’ll avoid a hundred days of sorrow. If people scold you, imagine that they’re singing a popular song for your enjoyment. If they beat you, pretend you weren’t careful when walking and bumped into the door. If you contemplate in this way, you’ll naturally transform a hostile situation into a peaceful one. On the other hand, if the fire of ignorance is allowed to blaze up and tempers explode, there will be a war with the consequence that both sides are hurt, the relationship is ruined, your integrity is sabotaged, and you get criticized for lacking self-composure. As it’s said,

Having taken flak from everyone,
One discovers a joyful vitality of heart.

This can serve as a motto. It’s a valuable piece of advice.

一九八四年五月五日開示