“难！难！难！十担芝麻树上摊”，这是庞公说的话，他觉得用功是很不容易的，不是腰痛就是腿酸，或者有种种疾病缠绕，所以不易打成一片，很困难地才能有点进步，可是一旦稍微放逸，就前功尽弃，所以他说：“难！难！难！十担芝麻树上摊。”到底难到什么程度呢？就好像拿十担芝麻摊在树上一样。十担芝麻不是小数目，要把它摊在树上不掉下来，是很不容易做到的。

“It’s hard! It’s hard! It’s hard! It’s like spreading ten catties of sesame seed on a tree.” These are layman Mr. Pang’s words. He felt that cultivation wasn’t easy: either your legs hurt, or your back aches, or various other ailments interfere with your practice. It’s not easy to attain a state of oneness. You have to work very hard just to make a little progress, and if you relax even slightly, you lose the results of the hard work you put in. Therefore, he said, “It’s hard! It’s hard! It’s hard! It’s like spreading ten catties of sesame seed on a tree.” Ten catties is not a small amount, and placing that many tiny seeds on a tree so that they don’t fall off is no easy task.

他有个亲戚听了就说：“既然这样难，那就无法修行了？”但是庞婆却这么说：“易！易！易！百草头上西来意。”很容易的，所有一切山河大地、花草树木，都是祖师西来的大意。所以说很容易的，有什么困难呢？这时候，庞女就说：“也不难！也不易！饥来吃饭，困来眠。”

He had a relative who heard his comment and said, “If it’s that hard, then we can’t cultivate, can we?”

However, Mrs. Pang said, “It’s easy! It’s easy! It’s easy! Every blade of grass carries the intent of the one who came from the West.” It’s very easy. All the mountains, rivers, land, flowers, plants, and trees reveal the great meaning of the Patriarch’s arrival from the West*. So, it’s all very simple; what difficulty is there?

* refers to Patriarch Bodhidharma, the 28th Indian Patriarch who went to China in the 6th century and became the first Chinese Patriarch.

这三个人所说的都不同，可是根本道理是一样的，就是染污不得，应好好修行才对。

Then the daughter of the family said, “It’s not hard, and it’s not easy. I eat when I’m hungry, and sleep when I’m tired.” The three of them said different things, but the basic principle is the same: Don’t get defiled, and do a good job of cultivating.

庞公、庞婆、庞女是同一家庭的人，但他们所见不同。现在我们各方面来打七的人都有，也各有各的见地，但是应该少讲话，好好用功才是。

Mr. Pang, Mrs. Pang, and their daughter were of the same family, but they each had their own views. Now people from many different places have come for the session, and you each have your own ideas and views. However, what we should do is speak as little as possible and work hard at our practice.

一九八四年一月一日开示