在《法華經》〈序品第一〉上說：

阿羅漢。諸漏已盡。無復煩惱。
逮得己利。盡諸有結。心得自在。

這就是羅漢證道的境界。

The Introduction to the Dharma Flower Sutra says: “[They were] Arhats who had exhausted all outflows and had no further afflictions. Having attained self-benefit, they had exhausted the bonds of all existence and their minds had attained self-mastery.” This passage describes the state of Arhats who have certified to the Way. Now I will briefly explain the meaning of the passage:

「諸漏已盡」：諸漏包括多說話、多聽聲、多看色、多妄想在內。何謂不漏？簡要言之，就是「非禮勿視，非禮勿聽，非禮勿言，非禮勿動。」這個「禮」字就是規則，規則也就是戒律。你能非禮勿視，你的眼根就清淨；你能非禮勿聽，你的耳根就清淨；你能非禮勿言，你的舌根就清淨；你能非禮勿動，你的身根就清淨。六根清淨，就沒有漏。「漏」，好像盛水的器皿，有一個孔，把所盛的水漏掉了，永遠盛不滿水。修道的漏，就是煩惱脾氣，你修點功德，就被無明火燒燬，永遠不能成道業。所以關於這一點，大家要謹慎行事。

Exhausted all outflows: Outflows include: talking too much, listening too much, seeing too much, and having too many idle thoughts. What is not having outflows? Simply “not seeing what is improper, not listening to what is improper, not speaking of what is improper, and not acting upon what is improper.” Propriety refers to rules, and rules are the same as precepts. Not seeing what is not proper, your eyes will be pure; not listening to what is not proper, your ears will be pure; not speaking of what is not proper, your tongue will be pure; not acting upon what is not proper, your body will be pure. Freedom from outflows means the six sense faculties are pure. Having outflows is like having a leak in a container, through which the water leaks out, so that the container never stays full. In cultivation, leaking refers to getting afflicted and losing your temper. You cultivate a little merit and virtue and then turn around and burn it out with the fire of ignorance. You can never succeed in your cultivation like this. You should all be very careful in this matter.

在外邊如如不動，在內邊沒有一切欲念，這是沒有漏；在外邊雖然不動，在內邊仍然在動，還是有漏。換句話說，有欲念的思想，有欲念的行為，就是漏；沒有欲念的思想，沒有欲念的行為，就是無漏。修道就是修無漏，修返本還原的功夫，回到童真之體。這些大阿羅漢，諸漏已盡，把渣滓都化盡了，只剩下精華，所以說諸漏已盡。

To be “thus, thus, unmoving” externally and free of all desires internally, is to have no outflows. If you are externally composed yet moved internally, you still have outflows. In other words, having acts or thoughts of desire is the same as having outflows; not having them is not having outflows. Cultivating the Way means becoming free from outflows and developing the skills of returning to the source and regaining one’s purity. These great Arhats have burned off the extraneous matter and kept only the essence, so they are said to have exhausted all outflows.

「無復煩惱」：不會再有煩惱。怎樣能沒有煩惱？方法非常簡單，就是不爭、不貪、不求、不自私、不自利、不打妄語。能這樣子，那就諸漏已盡，煩惱也降伏了。

Had no further afflictions: How can one not have any afflictions? Simply by not fighting, not being greedy, not seeking, not being selfish, not pursuing self-benefit, and not lying. Since the Arhats are like this, they have exhausted all outflows and subdued all afflictions.

「逮得己利」：他們得到禪悅為食，法喜充滿的利益，得到無諍三昧，把勝負心停止了。

所謂：

諍是勝負心，與道相違背；
便生四相心，由何得三昧？

Having attained self-benefit: They have attained the benefit of “taking the bliss of Dhyana for food and being filled with the joy of the Dharma.” They have all attained the samadhi of non-contention; they have extinguished thoughts of winning and losing. It is said, “Contention involves the concept of winning and losing. This goes against the Way and gives rise to the mind of the four characteristics. How can one attain samadhi this way?”

「盡諸有結」：「有」，是三界二十五有；「結」，是為煩惱而結集生死。有見惑、思惑、塵沙惑、無明惑，就障礙我們出離三界。如果把習氣毛病剷除，把結集在一起的煩惱沒有了，把三有種種的問題也沒有了，這就盡諸有結，了了分段生死。

Had exhausted the bonds of all existence: Existence refers to the twenty-five kinds of existence in the Three Realms. Bonds refer to being bound by birth and death due to afflictions. View-delusions, thought-delusions, delusions like dust and sand, and the delusion of ignorance prevent living beings from leaving the Three Realms. If we can eradicate all our bad habits and faults, break all the bonds of affliction, and dissolve all the problems of the Three Realms, we have exhausted the bonds of all existence and ended share-section birth and death.

「心得自在」：為什麼能這樣？因為心中得到快樂自在的緣故。為什麼心得自在？因為諸漏已盡，無復煩惱，逮得己利，盡諸有結的關係，諸大羅漢已到諸漏已盡，梵行已立，所作已辦，不受後有的境界。

Their minds had attained self-mastery: How could they do this? Because their minds have attained happiness and freedom. How have their minds attained self-mastery? Because they have exhausted all outflows, have no further afflictions, have attained self-benefit, and have exhausted the bonds of all existence. These great Arhats have exhausted all outflows, have established pure conduct, and have done what they had to do, and so they will undergo no further becoming.

我們的心，都是「他在」而不是「自在」。「他在」就是人雖在，可是心不在，不是想南朝，就是想北國，不是念東西，就是念南北，始終沒有停止的時候。我們妄想紛飛把主人翁攆跑了，外邊的客塵來當家，所以心不自在。「自在」就是心無雜念，自性放大光明，照天照地，身心清淨，逍遙自在。

Our mind has no self-mastery because it is controlled by “otherness.” When our body is here but our mind isn’t, it’s a case of being controlled by something else. If the mind isn’t thinking of the south, it’s thinking of the north; if it’s not thinking of east and west, then it’s thinking of south and north. It never stops. The random thoughts swirl around. They kick out the host and let the external guest-dust rule. Thus the mind has no self-mastery. To attain self-mastery means having no random thoughts. Then the self-nature emits a bright light which illumines heaven and earth. Both body and mind are pure, free, and at ease.

這幾句經文非常要緊，我們要記住，不可忘失，把它研究明白了，保證能了生脫死，同羅漢的境界一樣。不證羅漢果，心不會自在；證了羅漢果，把客塵趕走，把煩惱降伏了，這時心才得到自在。

This is a very important passage－please remember it. Study it until you understand, and then I can assure you that you will end birth and death, just like the Arhats. Before we have proven the results of Arhatship, our minds are not free. Only after we have certified to Arhatship, expelled the guest-dust, and subdued afflictions can we attain self-mastery.