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宣化上人開示錄(五)
Venerable Master Hua's Talks on Dharma Volume Five　

上宣下化老和尚開示 Lectures by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua

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萬魔不退菩提心

In the Face of Ten Thousand Demons, Don't Retreat from the Resolve for Bodhi

佛是魔幫助他成道的；若沒有魔，就沒有佛。
魔是來考驗你，令你更進一步。
Demons helped the Buddha attain the Way. If there were no demons, there would be no Buddha, either.
Demons come to test you, to make you take another step forward.

要學好，冤孽找；
要成佛，先受魔。

 

If you aspire to virtue,
your karmic obstacles will seek you out.
If you want to become a Buddha,
 you must first endure the demons.

若不想好，則冤孽不會來找；愈想好，冤孽愈來找。因為從無量劫以來，生生世世所造的善惡業夾雜不清，因此一旦想要修道，所有的債主都來討債。好像你本來是個普通人，借了很多錢，沒有還清楚，在你未發財之前，這些債主知道你沒錢，所以不會來找你；可是等你一發財，這些債主便登門來討債了。為什麼？因為你有錢了，若不向你要，就沒有其他時候可以要回。

　

If you don't want to learn virtue, your karmic obstacles won't come looking for you. The more you aspire to virtue, the more intensely your creditors will search you out in order to settle old accounts. From limitless eons past until now, in life after life, we have created both good and bad karma. Therefore, once we resolve to cultivate the Way, all our creditors show up to collect the debts we owe. We can use the analogy of a person who has borrowed lots of money and hasn't returned it. When he doesn't strike it rich, his creditors don't seek him out, because they know he has no money. Once he makes a fortune, however, his creditors line up at the door to demand their money. Why? Because he's rich, and if they don't demand their money now, they might not get another chance!

所以在修道中遇到逆境，更應該向前勇猛精進，而不退失菩提心。所有的債主來討債，就還他們，我們不能扛債不還的。我們將自己所得的功德，迴向給冤親債主們，令他們得到功德，而離苦得樂，了生脫死。

　

Therefore, when we encounter adverse states in the course of cultivation, we should work even harder and not retreat from our Bodhi resolve. When our creditors come to de-mand their money, we pay them. We dedicate our merit and virtue to our relatives, friends, enemies, and creditors, enabling them to attain bliss, end birth and death, and be free from suffering. We shouldn't refuse to pay our debts.

　 　

無量劫以來，生生世世因為各種不同的因緣，不知做錯了多少事。單是今生仔細想想，我們殺了多少生命？做了多少不公平的事？你或許沒有殺大的生命（譬如獅、象、馬、羊、牛、雞、犬等），但可能殺了小的生命（如青蛙、蚊蟲、螞蟻、蒼蠅等），也可能你心裏有殺念存在。

　

In life after life for countless eons, due to various causes and conditions, we have committed innumerable misdeeds. If we carefully consider just this life, how many small creatures have we killed? How many unfair things have we done? Perhaps we haven't killed any large creatures (such as lions, elephants, horses, sheep, cows, chickens, or dogs), but we probably have killed small living beings (such as frogs, mosquitoes, ants, or flies), or have harbored thoughts of killing in our minds.

　 　

好像小的時候，因為無知，殺了很多小動物、小昆蟲，這都是無知之罪。一旦你將眾生的生命奪取、傷害了，現在你想修道，牠們都會來討債的。這種債不是一個、兩個，而是無以數計，生生世世日積月累來的，這種債說也說不完。

　

For example, when we were small we may have killed numerous animals and insects because we didn't know any better. Such offenses were committed out of ignorance. But if we want to cultivate the Way, we will have to pay our debts. The debts we owe are not just one or two, but countless. In life after life, these debts have accumulated, and we could never finish discussing them.

　 　

所以我們不能不講公道，說：「我修行了，可是我不認所有的冤業債。」你如果有這種思想，那永遠都不會成道的，因為你心裏不公平。心裏若公平，就要認賬，還債就沒事了。所以說：「要學好，冤孽找。」你要學好，就好像一個暴發戶，所有的窮朋友都登門來找你了，他們都想得些利益。

　

Therefore, we cannot be unreasonable and claim to cultivate while refusing to acknowledge our debts of karmic enmity. If you think like that, you will never attain the Way, because your heart is not just. If you were just, you would acknowledge your debts. After you pay them, there are no more problems. Hence it's said, "If you aspire to virtue, your karmic obstacles will seek you out." You are like someone who has just come into wealth, and all your friends are beating a path to your door.

　 　

「要成佛，先受魔。」佛是魔幫助他成道的，若沒有魔，就沒有佛。魔是來考驗你，令你更進一步，所謂：

　

"If you want to become a Buddha, you must first endure the demons." Demons helped the Buddha attain the Way. If there were no demons, there would be no Buddha, either. Demons come to test you, to make you take another step forward.

　 　

欲窮千里目，
更上一層樓。

　

If you wish to see for a thousand miles,
You must go up another floor.

　 　

這也是來看看你的火候夠不夠？若是夠，則千魔不改，萬魔不退，不會退失菩提心。愈在難處愈精進，一切橫逆交加，皆處之泰然，不覺得不公平，也不怨天，不尤人，能逆來順受，修忍辱波羅蜜。所有魔障來了，都不與魔起敵對，自己吃一點苦不要緊，要發願度魔，使其皈依三寶，發菩提心。我們對誰都不生怨仇心，如此可化干戈為玉帛，化仇恨為慈祥。

　

Demons test to see how strong your cultivation is. If it's strong enough, you won't waver or retreat in the face of ten thousand demons, and you won't lose your resolve for Bodhi. The greater the hardship, the more energetic you are. Even when surrounded by adversity, you remain calm. You don't feel mistreated, and you don't complain to heaven or blame others. You bear adversity and cultivate patience. That's the kind of skill you ought to have. No matter what demonic obstacles you encounter, you give no opposition. You're unafraid of suffering. You make a vow to cross over demons, and to influence them to take refuge in the Triple Jewel and bring forth the Bodhi resolve. You harbor no grudges. In this way, you can "beat swords into plow-shares," and transform hostility into peace.

　 　

我們應該在反面找好處，「行有不得，皆反求諸己。」不要為自己做辯護律師，無論什麼事：

　

Always look for good in what appears to be the opposite. "If you fail to achieve your goal, seek the reason within yourself." Don't be so defensive.

　 　

真認自己錯，
莫論他人非；
他非即我非，
同體名大悲。

　

Truly recognize your faults.
Don't discuss the faults of others.
Others' faults are just my own.
Being one with everything is called,
"Great Compassion."

　 　

同體亦包括魔，魔也是自性的一部分。若自性有魔，就會引進外邊的魔；若自性無魔，外魔就不會進來。什麼是自性魔？就是貪瞋癡。「若無貓食碗，則不招蒼蠅。」魔因為覺得你有點油水，他可以混水摸魚得些好處，所以來搗亂你，顯他的魔通。

　

"Being one with everything" includes demons. Demons are also a part of our own natures. If we hold demons inside, they will be attracted from outside. If we are free of internal demons, external demons will not enter. What are the demons of our own natures? Greed, anger, and ignorance. "If the plate of cat food is not left out, the flies won't be attracted." Since demons feel they can get some cheap advantages off you, they come to stir up mischief and display their spiritual penetrations.

　 　

所以人的一舉一動，一言一行，都要老老實實，言必忠信，行必篤敬，不打妄語。如果怕認自己錯，儘是覆諱過失，這不是修道的行為。必須要開誠佈公，很坦白慷慨地做事，本照義理道德良心去行事；若是與道德良心有不合之處，則絕不去做。

　

Therefore, in every word and deed, we must be true and honest. We must be trustworthy in speech, sincerely respectful in action, and not given to lying. One who always covers errors instead of admitting them cannot cultivate. We should be honest and up front about things, and work in an open and public-spirited way. We should cultivate righteousness and morality and do nothing that goes against our conscience.

　 　

凡是修道人必須具足真正的智慧。真正的智慧，就是不會自讚毀他，說：「你看我，我是最第一、最清高的，他們都是那麼賤。」凡是自讚的人，已經是沒有前途的，雖然活著，其實是已經死了。因為他違背良心道德，看不起他人，只知道有自己，這是諸佛菩薩所最不歡喜的人。若想得諸佛菩薩的歡喜與保護，則要言行一致，「言顧行，行顧言」，互相不矛盾。不要常誇自己如何好，一旦做事就壞了。

　

Cultivators of the Way need genuine wisdom. Having genuine wisdom means not praising oneself and disparaging others, saying, "Look at me! I'm number one. I'm the purest and loftiest. Everyone else is common and lowly." Those who praise themselves have no future. Even when alive, they are as good as dead, for they have gone against their own conscience and integrity. They look down on others and are completely wrapped up in themselves. Such people make the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas most unhappy. If you wish to make the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas happy and receive their protection, you must practice what you preach. Your words must match your actions, and your actions must accord with your words. There should be no discrepancy between them. Don't boast about your own virtue, then make a mess of things.

　 　

修道人不要有自私心、自利心，要利益他人，不要儘損人利己，或看不起他人。每個人都應該迴光返照，照照過去的事、現在的事，再照照將來。能念茲在茲，時刻不忘良心道德，時間一久，善根自然會增長，菩提心也會發得大，進一步就會去行菩薩道，利益眾生，這是有連帶關係的。

　

Cultivators shouldn't be selfish or seek to benefit them-selves. They should benefit others. They should neither hurt nor look down upon others. They should reflect mindfully upon themselves in regard to the past and present, and then contemplate the future. If you can be mindful in thought after thought, and maintain your conscience and integrity in every moment, your good roots will naturally grow. Your Bodhi resolve will expand and you will be able to practice the Bodhisattva Path to benefit all living beings. These functions are all interrelated.

　 　

人不要怕魔，而退失菩提心，魔障是考驗。好像學生剛開始讀書，覺得課程很難，可是時間一久，讀得入門了，就不覺得困難了。你讀小學、中學、高中、大學，開始的時候，都有這種情形發生。所謂：

　

You should take care not to retreat from your Bodhi resolve out of fear of demons. Demonic obstacles are tests. By analogy, when a student first enters school, he may find the courses difficult. But after a while, they become easier. This happens in elementary school, high school, and college.

　 　

不經一番寒徹骨，
怎得梅花撲鼻香？

　

If the plum tree did not endure
the winter's freeze,
How could her blossoms
smell so sweet?

　 　

十年寒窗無人問，
一舉成名天下知。

　

For ten years, he studies by the window in
the cold, and no one inquires of him.
When suddenly he rises to fame,
the whole world comes calling.

　 　

在修行時，不要儘想出風頭。出家後，還求名求利，是最要不得的。我們出家之後，一定要認真，腳踏實地來修行，栽培修植福慧。修福，就要利益人；修慧，就要多研究經典。常做利益人的事，就會生出福德。

　

When you cultivate, don't try to get into the limelight. It's totally wrong to seek fame and gain after you've left the home-life. After leaving home, you should apply your-selves seriously to cultivation with your feet planted on solid ground. You should foster blessings and wisdom. To cultivate blessings, you must benefit others. To cultivate wisdom, you must frequently investigate the Sutras. If you are always doing things to benefit others, your blessings and virtue will grow.

　 　

有人問：「要如何利益人？是否要用錢去做功德？」不需要。只要你心裏沒有殺心、盜心、邪淫心、打妄語心，不飲酒了，這都是培福的地方。所謂：

　

"How can I benefit others?" you ask. "Do I have to spend money to perform meritorious deeds?" No, that's not necessary. All you have to do is free your mind of thoughts of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying, and refrain from taking intoxicants－these are all ways of fostering blessings.

　 　

慈悲口，方便舌；
有錢無錢都作德。

　

With kind words and skillful speech,
You can create merit whether or not
you have money.

　 　

你在口頭上不罵人了，不說粗言暴語傷害他人，這也都是功德。我們處處要惜福，處處不捨福，處處修福修慧。修福慧非一朝一夕所成，而是時時刻刻、朝朝夕夕、年年月月，都要繼續做下去，不能「一日曝之，十日寒之。」你若是這樣子，永遠不會有進步。所以我們要認定宗旨，勇猛精進，不要向後退，這是每個修道人應該具有的條件。

　

If you don't scold or berate others, you create merit and virtue. We should cherish our blessings and cultivate wisdom at every opportunity. The cultivation of blessings and wisdom, however, cannot be accomplished in a single day. The effort must continue moment-by-moment, morn-ing and evening, month after month and year after year. We cannot "sun it for one day and freeze it for ten." If you do that, you'll never make progress. Therefore, we must confidently set our goals, advance with vigor, and never retreat. These are the qualities that every cultivator should possess.

　 　

一九八二年六月十九日開示於萬佛聖城

　

A talk given on June 19, 1982
at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas

　

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