在《法华经》〈序品第一〉上说：

阿罗汉。诸漏已尽。无复烦恼。
逮得己利。尽诸有结。心得自在。

这就是罗汉证道的境界。

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:

“诸漏已尽”：诸漏包括多说话、多听声、多看色、多妄想在内。何谓不漏？简要言之，就是“非礼勿视，非礼勿听，非礼勿言，非礼勿动。”这个“礼”字就是规则，规则也就是戒律。你能非礼勿视，你的眼根就清净；你能非礼勿听，你的耳根就清净；你能非礼勿言，你的舌根就清净；你能非礼勿动，你的身根就清净。六根清净，就没有漏。“漏”，好像盛水的器皿，有一个孔，把所盛的水漏掉了，永远盛不满水。修道的漏，就是烦恼脾气，你修点功德，就被无明火烧毁，永远不能成道业。所以关于这一点，大家要谨慎行事。

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.

在外边如如不动，在内边没有一切欲念，这是没有漏；在外边虽然不动，在内边仍然在动，还是有漏。换句话说，有欲念的思想，有欲念的行为，就是漏；没有欲念的思想，没有欲念的行为，就是无漏。修道就是修无漏，修返本还原的功夫，回到童真之体。这些大阿罗汉，诸漏已尽，把渣滓都化尽了，只剩下精华，所以说诸漏已尽。

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.

“无复烦恼”：不会再有烦恼。怎样能没有烦恼？方法非常简单，就是不争、不贪、不求、不自私、不自利、不打妄语。能这样子，那就诸漏已尽，烦恼也降伏了。

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”：他们得到禅悦为食，法喜充满的利益，得到无诤三昧，把胜负心停止了。

所谓：

诤是胜负心，与道相违背；
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?”

“尽诸有结”：“有”，是三界二十五有；“结”，是为烦恼而结集生死。有见惑、思惑、尘沙惑、无明惑，就障碍我们出离三界。如果把习气毛病铲除，把结集在一起的烦恼没有了，把三有种种的问题也没有了，这就尽诸有结，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”：为什么能这样？因为心中得到快乐自在的缘故。为什么心得自在？因为诸漏已尽，无复烦恼，逮得己利，尽诸有结的关系，诸大罗汉已到诸漏已尽，梵行已立，所作已办，不受后有的境界。

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.

我们的心，都是“他在”而不是“自在”。“他在”就是人虽在，可是心不在，不是想南朝，就是想北国，不是念东西，就是念南北，始终没有停止的时候。我们妄想纷飞把主人翁撵跑了，外边的客尘来当家，所以心不自在。“自在”就是心无杂念，自性放大光明，照天照地，身心清净，逍遥自在。

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.

这几句经文非常要紧，我们要记住，不可忘失，把它研究明白了，保证能了生脱死，同罗汉的境界一样。不证罗汉果，心不会自在；证了罗汉果，把客尘赶走，把烦恼降伏了，这时心才得到自在。

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.