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所以，修行說起來是很難的，但是我們一層一層地剝下去，也就是這樣子了，既無來也無去，既無生又無死，我們怕什麼！這一生完了，來生還會再來的；來生完了，還有來生。這個娑婆世界已經好幾個成住壞空了，我們也在好幾個成住壞空裡邊輪迴，我們怕什麼？只要我們這一念心提著，我們今天可以直入地獄。
人生總和，加減乘除，到頭來還是等於零。回頭看以前，甚至於昨天、前天，世間上的每一件事情，都是如芝麻綠豆大。看你是在芝麻綠豆裡面？還是在芝麻綠豆外面？若是在芝麻綠豆裡邊，這一點點的小事情，是你全部。如果你在芝麻綠豆外面，那只是一件小事。有修行的人，就會用智慧把這個煩惱給轉過來；沒有修行的人，我們就要告訴他：「這只是一個小芝麻綠豆，不足為慮。」教他從這個芝麻綠豆裡面走來。
《楞嚴經》說：「攝心為戒。」所以只要我們能夠攝住心，戒體自然就在，行事不至於散亂放逸。今天我們跟著師父，生生世世要行菩薩道的話，我們就要「既無芝麻，也無綠豆」，芝麻綠豆對我們來講，毫不起心，毫不動念。我們用一個「不即不離」的心，不即一個芝麻，也不離一個芝麻，用我們的真如智慧，去面臨每一日、每一時、每一分所發生的事情。
我個人從一個滿身爛泥巴的環境裡面，不知道什麼是乾淨？什麼是髒？不知道這個人生究竟為何？追到的，不是我要的；碰到的，也不是我要的，講不出一個所以然，一直恍恍惚惚過了四十年。直到看了師父的開示錄、事蹟，以及師父所講的經典、每一句話、每一首偈頌，點點滴滴去深入，拿到泥巴漿裡面，終於看到了──「喔！這就是清淨！」「喔！這個環境不是正確的！我終於看到自己的心了。
師父曾說：「這個『動』是從『靜』中來，這個『靜』是從『動』中來。」起先搞不清楚，可是一直把師父的話，提在耳邊，開車也想著，睡覺也想著，吃飯也想著，跟人家談話做事也想著。自己心稍微放逸一點，講話講得誇張一點，或者完全是用真心在談話的時候，一回頭，就看到師父，啊！什麼事情都放下了；這一放下，什麼東西都沒有了；這一沒有了，什麼事情都順遂。當我什麼都放下的時候，誰都不能拿我怎麼樣，因為我已經沒有執著了；但是，當我執著心一起的時候，周圍的人都會千方百計在打我的執著，這都是境界的現象。
從古至今，每一個人都在修行。運動員也在修行，他所修的，是修「勞其筋骨」；所操勞的，是他的身體，是他的肌膚，是他的筋骨。生意人也在修行，他所修行的，是修「點金術」；想辦法去賺錢、開公司、養很多人。孔子、孟子也在修行，他們所修行的，是在勸人為善，教人成為一個「人」。然而，釋迦牟尼佛所留下來的，是教我們修行的方法，是成就我們的心志。
畜生難道也不是在修行嗎？譬如兩隻狗在打架的時候，本來要殺一場，可是當牠們爭心放下的時候，掉頭就走，這也不是在息爭嗎？這也不是在息貪嗎？牠們雖然今天現畜生相，但那時的一念心也是在修行，把紛爭放下。
任何一種修行，都是先克服自己，而不是先去克服對方。我們克服自己，就是克服自己的習性，就是告訴自己要提起不退轉這一念心。
在菩提道上，我們千萬不要像那把刀，碰到一個環境就斷了。如果我們面對著環境，面對著境界，經不起考驗的話，那又得重頭再來。這一重頭再來，或者就會失去這個人身，或者失去這一世，那再來得時候，會是什麼樣子呢？沒有人知道！
師父在《普賢行願品淺釋》裡面說過：「人平均壽命在二十五、六歲的時候，會有七個太陽。」我們不必等到那個時候，現在在娑婆世界，無奇不有，有當下即是淨土，當下即是地獄。我們可以看看非洲和印度，人的平均壽命大概在二十歲至二十五歲左右，他們雖然沒有七個太陽，但他們是在赤道邊活著，他們活著已經是末法，已經是在地獄。這就是我們這一念心所造的，馬上就可以碰到感應的境界。
黑與白，智慧與愚癡，好與壞，所有相對的，都是共生共存著。就看我們這一念心怎麼提？怎麼放？怎麼轉？只要我們這一念心不爭不貪、不求、不自私、不自利、不打妄語，只要我們這一念心有那麼一點執著的話，那麼所有的黑都會轉為白，所有的愚癡都會轉為智慧。所以，修行就是修這一念心。當下看我們怎麼放。
我們今天跟著師父修行，就是從日常生活去體驗這一念心。我們修行的方向有了，我們這一生碰到善知識了，所有的因緣都具足了，那我們就從生活中慢慢地一點一滴去體會這一念心。
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Cultivation is not easy. But if we peel off layer after layer, in the end it is simply neither coming nor going, and neither produced nor destroyed. What is there to be afraid of? After this life ends, we will come back in the next life; when the next life ends, there is yet another life. This Saha world has gone through many cycles of formation, dwelling, decay, and emptiness. We too transmigrate in many cycles of formation, dwelling, decay, and emptiness. What is there to be afraid of? As long as we are holding fast to this single thought, we can even go straight to the hells right now.
The sum of life, after going through the process of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing, is zero in the end. Reflecting on the past, or simply on yesterday or the day before yesterday, every affair in this world is but the size of a sesame seed or a green bean. It all depends on whether you are inside or outside of the sesame seed or the green pea. If you are inside, then this tiny affair is everything to you. However, if you are outside of it, it is but a small matter. People with cultivation use wisdom to turn their afflictions around. To those who do not cultivate, we should say, "This is nothing but a sesame seed, not worth worrying about." We should teach them to walk out from the sesame seed or green bean.
The Shurangama Sutra says, "Gathering in the mind is the precepts." As long as we can control our minds, we will naturally have the precept substance. Thus our conduct will not be sloppy and lax. With the Venerable Master, if we want to practice the Bodhisattva Way in every life, then we should have the state of "There is neither a sesame seed nor a green bean." We are unmoved whether it is a sesame seed or a green bean. We should have a mind which is neither attached nor detached; it does not become attached to a sesame seed, nor does it detach itself from a sesame seed. We should use our true wisdom to deal with the events occurring in every minute, every hour, and every day of our lives.
Personally, I used to be in a surrounding which was full of filthy mud. I did not know what was clean and what was dirty. I did not know what the purpose of life was. What I had pursued and attained was not what I wanted; what I had run across was not what I desired. I could not pinpoint what was wrong. I lived absentmindedly for forty years until I read the Venerable Master's Dharma Talks, biography, and explanations of the Sutras. Bit by bit, I entered deeply into every word and every verse. I took them into the mud puddle to compare: "Oh! So this is being pure and clean!" "Oh! So this environment is not wholesome!" I finally understood my mind.
The Venerable Master has said, “Movement comes from stillness; stillness comes from movement." I was confused at first, but kept his words in my mind and thought about them all the time, whether driving, sleeping, eating, talking with my family, or working. When I am a little lax, when I boast a little bit, or when I talk with my true heart, I would turn around and see the Master. Oh! I put everything down. Once I do that, there is nothing. When there is nothing, everything goes smoothly. When I put everything down, no one can do anything to me because I no longer have attachment. However, when I give rise to attachment, people around me will all be trying their best to interfere with my attachment. These are all the phenomenon of states.
From time immemorial to the present, everyone has been cultivating. Athletes cultivate, too; they cultivate by "exerting the body." They exert their body, muscles, and tendons. Businessmen also cultivate. What they cultivate is “turning things into gold." They figure out ways to make money, establish companies, and support many people. Confucius and Mencius cultivated, too. Their cultivation consisted of exhorting people to do good and teaching people to be human. What Shakyamuni Buddha left us is the method of cultivation which enables us to realize our resolve.
Animals also cultivate. For instance, two dogs are fighting with each other. They are going to have a vicious fight, but then they desist from contention, turn around, and go their separate ways. Isn't that a case of overcoming contention and greed? Though they appear as animals in this life, they are also cultivating in that moment when they desist from fighting.
All cultivation starts with subduing ourselves, not subduing others. When we subdue ourselves, we are subduing our habits, and that means telling ourselves to produce that single irretrievable thought.
When walking on the path of Bodhi, we should never be like that knife which breaks upon encountering a state. If we cannot endure the test when faced with a state, we may have to start all over again. When we start from the beginning, we risk the danger of losing this human body, or this life. When we come back again, what will we be like? No one knows!
In the commentary on The Chapter of Universal Worthy Bodhisattva's Conduct and Vows, the Venerable Master said, “When the average human life span is around twenty-five, there will be seven suns in the sky." We don't have to wait till then to see it. Right now in this Saha world, there are already many strange things happening. The heavens are right here, and so are the hells. In Africa and India, we see people with average life spans of twenty to twenty-five years. Though they do not have seven suns in the sky, they are living next to the equator. While they are alive, it is already the Dharma-ending Age; they are already in the hells. That state is created by a single thought. When we give rise to false thoughts, we immediately encounter the corresponding state.
Black and white, wisdom and stupidity, good and bad, all things which are relative to each other co-exist. It all depends on how we pick up this one thought, how we let go of it, and how we turn it around. As long as this single thought of ours is not fighting, not greedy, not seeking, not selfish, not self-benefiting, and not lying; as long as we hold fast to this single thought, then the black will turn into white, and stupidity will turn into wisdom. Thus, when we cultivate, we cultivate this single thought. It all depends on how we do it at the time.
Today, as we are cultivating under the Venerable Master, we should comprehend this single thought in our daily life. Since we have found the direction of cultivation and met a Good and Wise Advisor and all the causes and conditions have come together, we should, little by little, experience and comprehend this single thought in our daily lives. |
