我說：「那你知道師父絕對不會走，你這豈不是用一種勉強的手段？」。
他說：「我現在明白了，我以後不這麼樣做了，請師父原諒我！」所以我沒有答應說是可以不可以，只默然允許，就是因為他強制我，留我在這兒吃飯，所以也就這麼默然允許，沒有法子嘛！他把我鞋給我拿走了，我沒有鞋是不能走路的，因為在東北有很多雪。不錯，我可以就不穿鞋在雪上走，但是也很難受的。我東北很多雪，每年到冬天，都有三尺多深的雪，那麼我也不穿襪子，就穿個羅漢鞋這麼到各處去，所以一般人說：「哦！這個人是有道德的人。」其實不是有道德，就是能忍，能忍不怕凍，不怕餓。所以我說，「凍死迎風站，餓死挺肚行。」就是這個意思。
那麼最初鍛練不穿棉衣服，也凍得很厲害的，不過你要是凍過去了，那就不怕了。在我東北那個天氣不像美國，美國這裡沒有凍的天氣。這個耳朵可以凍硬了，凍硬了就很痛的，你用手這麼一扒，就會掉了這耳朵，這麼樣子。真的啊！但是，我這個耳朵也不戴帽子，也沒有凍掉過，因為凍出來的。凍，最初比針扎還痛，那痛得很厲害，然後隨你痛去，不管，掉了算了，但是也就忍過來了。
那麼這個小孩子就這麼樣孝順，我一見到他，我就知道這個小孩子是個出家人，因為他的相貌那麼肥肥胖胖的，耳朵也大大的，很有福報的樣子。這個小孩子他是很聰明的，所以好像這種的小徒弟可以收的，收多一點都不要緊。他太好了，他太懂規矩，守道德聽教訓，所以這種年少弟子可以收的。
「沙彌」，這個沙彌不是老沙彌，也不是小沙彌。是什麼呢？是驅烏沙彌，就是趕烏鴉的沙彌。在古來的廟上種菜，有烏鴉來吃這個菜，就叫這個沙彌去趕烏鴉。這叫驅烏沙彌。驅烏沙彌由八歲到十二歲，這時候叫驅烏沙彌，也是年紀輕的小兒。
這沙彌是梵語，翻譯過來叫什麼呢？就是叫勤息。勤就是不懶惰，息就是不發脾氣；勤修戒定慧，息滅貪瞋癡。你能勤修戒定慧，那個貪瞋癡自然就息滅了；你若貪瞋癡不息滅，戒定慧也不能勤修。你有很大的貪心，這個有貪心的人就好逸惡勞，好逸就是「果逸」這個「逸」。好逸就是好安逸；惡勞就是怕作工。你這個果逸，你因不能逸，要果才能逸呢。這個意思就是，你在現在修的時候不能逸，不能跑，要精進，在果上就安逸。你不要說我是果逸，現在就是果逸了。還沒有到呢！這貪心就好逸惡勞，你有瞋心就好發脾氣，好瞋恚。癡，你有癡心，就盡打妄想。想這個不成功，又想那個；想那個也不成功，又想那個。
所謂：
「夜晚千條路」，躺到床上，有一千條路可跑的。
「早起起來賣豆腐」，還是去賣豆腐去。這就是癡心妄想的癡。
你若不息滅這貪瞋癡啊，戒定慧就不能現前。戒，第一就是戒貪，戒貪就是不要貪得無厭，也不要好逸惡勞。定，你若有定了，所謂「你有千條妙計，我有一定之規」，你無論你有什麼方法－”Good ideas you have, I have Samadhi”，你怎麼樣想辦法來搖動我，搖不動；你怎麼樣來，想給我麻煩，沒有法子給，因為我有定力。所以這個瞋，「定」就是對治這個「瞋」的。你就是發了脾氣發得再大，我也不管。
待續 |
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"If you knew that by doing that, your teacher could not leave, then weren't you using force to make him stay?"
"I understand now," he said, "I won't ever do that again. Please, Teacher, forgive me!"
The reason I didn't answer him verbally when he invited me to stay, but only nodded my head in assent, was that he was forcing me into it. What else could I have done? He took my shoes, and without shoes I couldn't walk on the roads, because in Manchuria there's a lot of snow. Actually, I was able to walk barefoot in the snow, but it was difficult to endure. In Manchuria, the snow stays about three feet deep in the winter, and I would walk around in Arhat sandals and no socks. Since I was able to do that, most people said I had virtue. Actually, it wasn't a matter of virtue, it was a matter of being able to bear it. I could be patient and not fear the cold and not fear hunger. I would say to myself:
Freezing to death, I face the wind!
Starving to death, I stick out my stomach
When I was first practicing wearing only cotton clothing and no padded clothes, I was always freezing. But after you get used to the freezing cold, you are no longer afraid of it. The weather that I'm talking about is not like anything experienced here in America. That kind of freezing weather doesn't occur in America. In Manchuria, people's ears get frozen stiff. It's very painful, and if you flick their ears, they fall right off! That's really true! Even so, I never wore a hat; but I never lost my ears, either. At first, that kind of cold hurts worse than needles, but I would grit my teeth and say, "Go ahead and hurt! Fall off, ears, I don't care!" I endured it and eventually got used to it so that it wasn't so bad.
As to that filial child, Zheng De, I knew when I first saw him that he was to be a left-home person. He was very chubby and had great big ears. His countenance showed that he had tremendous blessings. He was also quite intelligent. Children like that are perfectly all right to accept as disciples—the more the better! They are so good and know how to follow the rules; they can cultivate the Way and they are obedient.
Shramaneras refer here not to elder Shramaneras or young Shramaneras, but to "scarecrow Shramaneras." In the monasteries in China, the monks planted the fields; and when the crows came to try to eat the vegetables, they sent the very young Shramaneras out to scare the birds away. That's how they got the name. Scarecrow Shramaneras are between the ages of eight and twelve.
Shramanera is a Sanskrit word. It is the title given to novice monks. It is derived from the word Shramana, the title given to fully ordained Bhikshus. Shramana means "diligent and resting," because a Shramana diligently cultivates precepts, samadhi, and wisdom and puts to rest greed, hatred, and stupidity. "Diligent" means not being lazy; "resting" means not getting angry. If you diligently cultivate precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, then greed, hatred, and stupidity will be put to rest. Unless greed, hatred, and stupidity are put to rest, you will be unable to diligently cultivate precepts, samadhi, and wisdom. People who are greedy are fond of leisure and don't like to work. In cultivation, you should not be lax. You must be vigorous, and only when you achieve the fruition can you rest at ease. People who are hateful get angry all the time. People who are stupid are always having false thoughts. If one thing doesn't work out, they want to try another, and when that doesn't work out, they think of another. There's a saying that describes this:
At night you travel a thousand roads;
In the morning you still get up and sell bean curd.
As you lie on your bed, there are a thousand possibilities for you to consider. But in the morning, you go back to selling bean curd. That is the false thinking of the stupid mind.
If you don't put to rest greed, hatred, and stupidity, then precepts, samadhi, and wisdom cannot appear. Precepts guard against greed. Most importantly, they help us restrain our greed so that we do not always want more of everything and so that we are not fond of leisure and unwilling to work. If you have samadhi, there's a saying that describes it:
You have a thousand wonderful ideas;
I have a definite principle.
No matter what methods or ideas you have, I have samadhi. No matter what ways you might think of to try to move me, I will not be moved. Regardless of how you might try. to trouble me, you cannot do so, because I have samadhi power. Samadhi guards us against hatred. No matter how angry you get, I don't pay attention.
To be continued |
