古人說：

The ancients said,

養成大拙方為巧，
學到如愚始見奇。

When one cultivates to the point of great stupidity,
one is truly clever.
When one learns to be like a fool,
one experiences that which is wonderful.

我們要學愚癡，但要學愚癡並不容易，因為境界時常來告訴你不要愚癡。所以養成大拙方為巧，修行就是要養拙，「拙」就是很笨的意思。修行要越笨越好，笨得什麼也不知道，一點妄想也沒有。你若不笨，妄想就多；妄想一多，就想考古、證今，或者想管許多閒事，或者想明白很多新聞，這都是修行的障礙。

We should learn to be dumb. Being dumb is not that easy, because we meet situations which tell us not to be dumb. "When one cultivates to the point of great stupidity, one is truly clever." Cultivation is just "nurturing stupidity," being very dumb. In cultivation, the dumber you are, the better. Be dumb to the point that you know nothing and have no rambling thoughts whatsoever. If you aren't dumb, you have many rambling thoughts. You want to study the past and verify the present, meddle in other people's business, or keep up with the news; these are all obstacles to cultivation.

真正的拙、愚癡是什麼樣子呢？就是「入定」。你入定了，東西南北都不知，與世事無爭，自在無礙。為什麼不能自在無礙？就因為還有爭、貪、所求、自私、自利心，所以不能自在。你想要自在，但是辦不到，因為你不滿現實，不滿現在、過去，總覺得人人對自己都不好，但自己對別人都很好。你總是自己為自己講道理，自己站在不敗之地，這樣就不能修道。修道就是不為自己講道理，不狡辯，不談是非，所謂：

How can you be truly dumb? You must enter samadhi. Once you are in samadhi, you won't be aware of north, south, east, or west, and you won't care about worldly affairs; you'll be free and at ease. You cannot be this way now, because you still have thoughts of fighting, greed, seeking, selfishness, and self-benefit. You aren't satisfied with the way things are. You feel that you treat everyone well, but that everyone treats you badly. You always defend yourself and secure the most advantageous position for yourself. That's not the way to cultivate. If you want to cultivate, you cannot defend yourself, argue, or talk about other people's shortcomings.

摩訶薩不管他，
彌陀佛各顧各。

Mahasattvas don't care about others.
Amitabha Buddha, each man for himself.

常常守住自己的身心，不打那麼多妄想，這才是真正的修道人。不是真修道人，天天都打妄想，總是在想辦法得到利益。所以真正的修道人是「萬緣放下，一念不生。」把一切名利，財色名食睡都放下了，一念不生；無我相、無人相、無眾生相、無壽者相，常常自在快樂。

A true cultivator constantly watches over himself and doesn't entertain false thoughts, while a phony cultivator generates false thoughts and tries to think of ways to benefit himself all day long. A true cultivator "puts down all conditions and has no thoughts." He has no wish for name or gain, and he does not pursue wealth, sex, fame, food, or sleep. "Unattached to the ideas of self, others, living beings, and lifespan, he is always truly carefree and happy."

真正自在是什麼？就是不打妄想。你若儘打妄想，就不能自在，總是盡虛空遍法界隨處亂跑。所以你若不想真修行，那是無話可講；你若想真修行，就不要打妄想。你要把心制之一處，使心念專一，所謂「專一則靈，分歧則蔽。」這是想修行的人所應該知道的一個道理。

What does being "truly carefree" mean? Having no false thoughts. If you have false thoughts, you cannot be carefree, because your thoughts will go running all over the universe. If you truly don't want to cultivate, there's nothing to be said. But if you do, then don't have false thoughts. Keep your mind single-pointed and concentrated. "When you concentrate, every endeavor is successful. When you're distracted, nothing turns out right." Anyone who wants to cultivate should know this principle.

一九八二年五月七日開示於萬佛聖城