The true mind of living beings is no
different from that of the Buddha's. How come the Buddha has
accomplished proper enlightenment, while we are still
transmigrating in the six paths? Why are we still muddled and
confused, obsessed with love all day long, unable to relinquish
our attachments to our spouse and our children? Why are we
always caught up in the six kinds of sense perception?
Some people regard their families as far
more important than studying Buddhism, and they always say, "I
have my responsibilities." Well, when you die, who is going to
take care of your responsibilities? Your attitude shows a
confusion of priorities. If you realize that you should
cultivate, just cultivate. Why have so many unnecessary
concerns?
A Sutra says: "The Buddha, the World
Honored One, has infinite spiritual power and wisdom." Spiritual
power is itself wisdom. Wisdom guides spiritual power. Spiritual
power and wisdom are two, and yet not two. If you lack wisdom,
you will not have spiritual power either. These come from the
adornment of merit and virtue.
"Living beings have only infinite karmic
bonds and afflictions." With careful reflection, we'll see that
our various relationships with people are actually karmic
entanglements. Having recklessly created karmic affinities in
the past, we are now dragged about by our karma. We may want to
escape the Triple Realm, but our karma will not let us. We have
a mixture of good and bad karma, pure and defiled karma, karma
of self and of others, and right and wrong karma, and it all
comes forth. Hindered by our afflictions and caught up in birth
and death, we pass our days in confusion.
Do you want to cultivate? "The time
isn't right." Would you like to cultivate? "I'll wait a little
while." You keep procrastinating: "I'll wait a few more years
until the children have grown up." "I'll wait a few more years
until the children are married." "I'll wait until I see my
grandchildren." "I'll wait until the grandchildren are married."
"I haven't seen my great grandchildren yet." When will it ever
end? Don't be taken in by the false happiness of the world. It
is said,
「名利小事人人好，生死大事無人防。」
Fame and benefit are trivial, But
everybody craves them. Birth and death are important, Yet no one
guards against them.
很多人又怕子女沒有錢用，於是拚命地為子女打天下，結果：
Many people worry that their children
won't have money to spend, so they struggle to build an empire
for them. The result:
When one has great wealth and property,
One's descendants will have great nerve: Not afraid of anything
under the sky, They won't stop until they have destroyed
themselves and their families. When one has little wealth and
property, One's descendants will not be so bold. Petty problems
are easily solved; With modest assets, they will suffer few
calamities.
給子孫留錢愈多，愈容易惹出大禍；給子孫留錢不多，反而沒有這麼多麻煩。所以又說：
The
more money we leave to our children, the easier it is for them
to bring great misfortunes upon themselves. The less money, the
fewer the problems. It is also said,
「有子強如父，留財做什麼？有子不如父，留錢做什麼？」
If the
son is more capable than the father, What need is there to leave
him wealth? If the son is weaker than the father, What's the use
of leaving him money?
If
your child is capable, why should you leave him money? If your
child is weak, leaving him money only harms him, for he will use
that money to eat, drink, be promiscuous, and gamble, generally
leading a dissipated life.
"Although the nature of the mind is basically the same, delusion
and enlightenment are as far apart as the sky and a deep abyss."
Our minds are essentially the same as that of the Buddha.
However, our delusion is worlds apart from the Buddha's
enlightenment. "Quietly reflecting upon this, shouldn't we feel
ashamed?" We are mindful of our sons and daughters, but not of
the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Instead of thinking about how hard
the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas work, we only know how to toil for
our children, sending them to universities so that they can earn
doctorates and become super-achievers and high executives in the
future. Then we will have chauffeured cars, gourmet food, fancy
mansions, and all the luxury we could wish for.
「修德有功，則性德方顯。」當你修行有德時，什麼智慧、神通都自然顯現出來。所以說：
"When
you accomplish the cultivation of virtue, the virtue of your
nature will manifest." When you have virtue in your cultivation,
your inherent wisdom and spiritual power will spontaneously
manifest. There is a saying:
「聰明乃是陰騭助，陰騭引入聰明路。 不信陰騭使聰明，聰明反被聰明誤。」
Intelligence is aided by hidden virtue. Hidden virtue brings
about intelligence. People who do not believe in hidden virtue
Will be hindered by their own intelligence.
陰騭，就是人家見不到的功德，無形無相的好事，例如你默默地幫助他人，不要人知道，不居功。所謂：
Hidden
virtue refers to acts of merit and virtue done
anonymously--invisible good deeds. This means secretly helping
others without taking credit for it. It is said,
「善欲人知，不是真善，惡恐人知，便是大惡。」
The
goodness that we make known is not true goodness. The evil
that we fear will leak out is great evil.
How do
I know where you got your money? Is it clean money? Did you
steal or cheat to obtain it? If so, your merit and virtue won't
be sufficient to wipe out the offenses you committed. You cannot
cheat the Buddha. You cannot go to the temple and say, "Lord
Buddha, I will give you some money if you eradicate my
offenses." The Buddha doesn't take bribes.
所以經文上說：「不辜佛化，不負己靈。」就是這個意思。
Therefore, a Sutra says, "Don't disappoint the Buddha, and don't
let yourself down."
