不樂畜年少弟子。沙彌小兒。亦不樂與同師。
「不樂畜年少弟子」：不樂就是不願意，不一定不畜；若有特別因緣也可以畜，不過是不樂畜而已。你若是樂畜那就錯了。你就歡喜小孩子，歡喜這年少的弟子，說，「我老囉，在家裡也沒有兒子也沒有女，出家收個小徒弟，他好侍候我，這是不錯的。」這是不對的。
出家人修菩薩行的人，不應該享受，不應該說叫人家來侍奉我，為我服勞執役給我做工；行菩薩道的人很不方便的，有很多事情都不可以做的。你想馬馬虎虎是不可以的，所以，你想收個小徒弟都不應該。是不樂，不樂畜年少弟子。那麼若是有特別情形，這也可以的。
為什麼不收年少弟子？因為年少的弟子不聽教化，很頑皮的。你看有小孩子的父親母親，那小孩子不聽教，把父親母親眼睛都氣紅了，也沒有法子他。你說你若收這麼一個不聽教的小徒弟，一天到晚那可麻煩就太多了，所以就不樂畜年少弟子。
如果他聽話，是個好孩子，那也可以；好孩子，他聽話，你叫他修行他就修行，你叫他不頑皮，他就不頑皮，這樣子可以的。所以你經典要把它看活了，不要看得太死板了。他是不樂畜年少弟子，不是一定就不要年少的弟子；如果是好的年少弟子也可以要。
那麼說你不知道他好不好；那你若不知道就不要冒險，就不要收。你等知道了再收，確實知道這小孩子是不錯，有點來歷的，那麼可以收他了。
講起這個，我又想起我收一個小皈依弟子這一件事情。怎麼樣子呢？我這個皈依弟子，有好幾個都很小的，十二、三歲的小徒弟，但是他們非常地聽話。
我講過很多次了，我在我東北那個地方聽見有一個小孩子，他姓鄭，叫鄭德。這個小孩子很奇怪的，從五歲他就給父親母親天天叩頭。我聽說有這麼個小孩子，我自己就生了慚愧心。我說我從十二歲才知道給我父親母親叩頭，這個小孩子從五歲他就行孝道，我一定要見一見這個小孩子。那麼這個小孩子他在家裡，哄得他父親母親一天到晚不知道怎麼樣叫愁，不知道怎樣叫憂，沒有憂愁。
那麼有一天機緣就成熟了，我就到他家裡去；他家在五常縣，那個地方離我的那個縣有一百多里路，我到他家裡去。這時候，這個小孩子已經長到十二歲了吧。在我沒去之前，就有很多外道就想度這個小孩子，作他的徒弟，因為他很有名譽的，人人都知道這個小孩子是個孝子，對於父親母親非常孝順，所以外道的老師就把他注意了，想要收他作自己的徒弟，就去度他去。度他，每逢和他一談話，就辯論不過他。
這小孩子問他，「你修的是什麼道啊？」他說，「我修身啊！」又講怎麼樣才能修成神仙。那這小孩子就說，「神仙要怎麼樣才能成呢？」他說要打坐，要怎麼樣孝順父母……。
這小孩子就說，「那麼你孝順父母沒有？你以前……」哦！問得他們沒有話講了；沒有話講，這小孩子說，「我現在先孝順我的父母，先把我父母孝順完了之後我再修道。」又說，「父母就是堂上的活佛，我不能捨近求遠。」和這外道的老師一講，這外道老師也沒有法子來辯論勝得了他；勝不了，那麼就走了。有很多的外道老師都想度他，也沒有度了。
待續
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Sutra:
They take no delight in raising young disciples, Shramaneras, or children, and they do not take pleasure in sharing the same master with them.
Commentary:
They take no delight in raising young disciples. "Take no delight" means that they don't want to raise them; it doesn't necessarily mean that they don't raise them. If there are unusual circumstances, it's permissible to do so, but not to take delight in doing so. If they were to delight in it, then they'd be making a mistake. It would mean they were fond of children, of young disciples, thinking, "I'm getting old, and I don't have a son or daughter at home to take care of me. I can leave the home-life and accept a young disciple who can serve me. That would not be a bad idea." But that kind of thinking is incorrect.
Left-home people who cultivate the Bodhisattva Way aren't supposed to enjoy themselves and have people cater to their every need, or to work on their behalf. Practicing the Bodhisattva Way is very inconvenient—there are many things one is not supposed to do. One who practices the Bodhisattva Way cannot get away with being sloppy or casual. One cannot even take delight in having small disciples. Under special circumstances, it might be all right.
Why is one not supposed to accept young disciples? It's because young disciples are sometimes disobedient and very often naughty. Haven't you noticed how enraged parents get with children who will not listen to instructions? Even though the parents get upset, still they have no way to control the children. Now suppose you were to accept such a child as your disciple. From morning to night you'd have trouble. Therefore, we are advised not to take delight in raising young disciples.
If the child were obedient and good, then it would be permissible. If when told to cultivate, the child cultivates and when told not to get into mischief he doesn't play around, then the child can be accepted as a disciple. We must apply the teachings in the Sutra to our lives in a dynamic way and not assume the texts are completely inflexible. The point here is that one should not take delight in raising young disciples, and not that one absolutely cannot accept any.
"How can you know if a child is good or not?" you ask. If you don't know, then don't flirt with danger. Don't accept the child. Wait until you are sure before you accept him as your disciple. If you are certain that a child is good-natured and has some foundation in cultivation to stand on, then you may accept him.
In Manchuria, I had several young disciples who were only twelve or thirteen years old. However, they were exceptionally obedient. I heard about a child named Zheng De. He was a very unusual child. From the time he was five years old, he bowed to his parents every day. When I heard about that child, I was ashamed, because I didn't know enough to bow to my parents until I was twelve. I certainly wanted to meet that child, who knew to practice the filial way from the time he was five. He was such a filial child and took such good care of his parents, that they never had a care or a worry.
One day, when conditions were ripe, I went to his house in Wuchang County, about thirty miles from my home. He was twelve years old at the time. Before I visited him, many externalist teachers had been intent on converting him to their various religions, because the child was already famous as a "filial son." All the externalist teachers wanted him for their disciple, but when they went to convert him, they couldn't out talk him.
The child would ask them, "What do you cultivate?" They would answer that they cultivated the spirit in order to become immortal.
The child would ask, "How do you cultivate to become immortal?" They would answer that one needs to meditate and that one should be filial to one's parents.
Then the child would ask, "Were you filial to your parents before?" When asked that, the externalists had nothing to say, and the child would dismiss them saying, "Right now I am busy practicing filial piety. After I have finished my filial duties, I will cultivate the Way. My father and mother are living Buddhas right here in my home. I will not renounce what is near to seek what is far." None of the externalist teachers had been able to convince him to embrace their beliefs. Many had tried, but they all ended up leaving without accomplishing their aim.
To be continued
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