弟子：因為吃的飯裡面很多毒，咖啡、人參也可以算是裡邊有毒。很多人把蘑菇當做修行的工具，也當做一個法門。師父對這個有什麼意見？應該怎麼樣？
上人：以戒酒的原因，就因為它能令人狂亂，令人發狂，令人做一些顛倒的事情。如果你用少少的不顛倒，這是可以的，但是就怕你由少而多。就拿喝酒來說，喝一杯，再喝一杯，他覺得還沒有醉。喝酒的人他不承認自己醉；他就醉了他也說他沒有醉。我就見了很多喝酒的人都是這樣的，喝了還想要喝，喝了還想要喝，就因為這樣子所以說要戒；如果能少少的，拿它當藥來用，你有病用它來治病這是可以。如果你沒有病，就不需要用這個藥。
方才說到人參，人參沒有毒的，人參它的性是甜的。人參味甘，大補元氣，它補氣，止渴生津，調容養胃。你吃了它有什麼好處呢？你要是很渴，吃了它不渴了。生津，能生津液，口水叫津液。它大補元氣，元氣就是最初生出來那一點氣，氣的根本那叫元氣。人的丹田之氣這叫中氣，元氣就是生中氣的那個氣，叫元氣––氣的一個開始。人參補氣，你氣力不足吃人參氣力就夠了。
所以在中國，很多法師講經的時候都要喝人參茶，就是講得傷氣了，它又補上來，補氣。人參味甘，大補元氣，止渴生津：你要是很渴，吃了它不渴了。調容養胃：容就是血；胃就是氣。調容就是調和血；養胃就是養氣，它能養氣。這是人參。
每一種藥材你都要知道它有什麼作用，不是亂吃的。不是說「喔！吃點這個，吃點那個。」你沒有病吃藥，那反而有病的。藥是治病的；要是沒有病，不需要那個藥。說，「我覺得很疲倦，要吃點補藥就不疲倦了。」你疲倦，你休息休息就好了，不需要吃藥。
弟子：調容是不是說是血？
上人：調和血，是讓血流通，不會好像溝有什麼東西塞住了似的。人的血，只要它流通正常就不會有病。
還有誰要問問題？
弟子：打坐的時候，好像打七，這個是不是一個合適的時候吃一點人參？會不會也算治病的原因？
上人：那是幫助你修行。或者你這個氣血，這個腿睡覺睡得多了，那麼吃點人參，叫你wake up（醒來）那也可以。
弟子：弟子要知道，請師父說明，在這裡有很多人時時吃人參修行，有很多人感覺這個人參很陽的。有幾個人覺得有一點不舒服，因為他們的氣感到塞了，似有什麼障礙，尤其在肩膀上，不習慣。他要師父說明，有沒有什麼應該吃的方法。或者同時可以吃兩種藥，吃人參又加上另外一種藥品。
上人：那太涼就不需要吃，人的身體過猶不及；你太過了太強了，和太軟弱是一樣的，不要太過了，你就取中道就可以了。譬如你能拿動一百磅的力量，你吃了人參能拿動一百五十磅，這是太過了，不需要那樣。好像這一杯水，滿了就可以了，不要叫它流到外邊；流到外邊和不滿是一樣的。假如身體氣不夠不足了，說話聲音也不大，很小不能大，或者……，總而言之就是中氣不足，好像走路時，咳！咳！咳！這都是中氣不足，這樣的時候它會補氣。不是個個人沒有病就吃那個；沒有病吃少少的，一個月吃一次已經就不少了，不能天天吃的。好像真正的人參，一次只吃有一錢、兩錢那麼多，大概half ounce（半盎斯）那麼多。在冬天的時候這三個月可以吃，其餘的時候不要吃。好了，我們要送牌位了。
待續 |
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Disciple: There are many poisons in the food we eat, like coffee and ginseng. A lot of people use mushrooms as means of cultivation of the Way or as a Dharma door. Does the Venerable Master have any suggestion? What should we do?
Venerable Master: The reason for the precept against taking intoxicants is that intoxicating substances can make people go insane. They can make people go crazy and act in upside-down ways. If you take a small amount and it doesn't confuse you, that's okay. It's only to be feared that you start out taking a little, but you end up taking a lot. For example, people who drink alcohol may start out with one glass, then drink another glass because they don't realize they are tipsy. People who drink usually won't admit that they are drunk. Even if they are drunk, they say they aren't. I've seen a lot of people who are like that. They drink a little, and then some more, and then more. That's the reason for the precept.
If you use a little bit as medicine to cure an illness, it is acceptable. If you are not sick, then you don't need to use this medicine. Just now ginseng was mentioned. Ginseng is not poisonous. It is sweet in nature. "Ginseng has a sweet flavor and is very bolstering to the constitution. It quenches thirst, helps to produce saliva, regulates the complexion, and nurtures the stomach." What advantages does it have? If you are thirsty and you eat it, it will quench your thirst. It also produces saliva. It nourishes your inherited constitution (yuan qi). The qi or energy in your dantian (near your abdomen) is called central energy (zhong qi). The inherited constitution is the energy that gives rise to your central energy. It is the source of energy. Ginseng bolsters your energy. If you are weak, eat some ginseng and you will feel invigorated.
Many Chinese Dharma Masters, when they give lectures, have to drink ginseng tea, because lecturing drains their energy, and the ginseng tea helps to replenish it. So, "ginseng has a sweet flavor and is very bolstering to the constitution. It quenches thirst, helps to produce saliva..." If you are very thirsty, drink ginseng and it will cure your thirst. It "regulates the complexion, and nurtures the stomach." Regulating the complexion means regulating the blood, and nurturing the stomach means nurturing one's energy. That's ginseng.
You have to know the functions of each medicinal herb. You can't just take a little of this and a little of that. If you do that, then even if you were healthy to begin with, you could end up getting sick. Medicines are for curing sickness. If you aren't sick, you don't need to take them. Some people say, "I feel tired, I think I'll take some drug to make my tiredness go away." If you feel tired, just take a rest and then you'll be fine. You don't need to take medicine.
Disciple: Regulating the complexion refers to regulating blood?
Venerable Master: It regulates the blood so that the blood circulates well and doesn't get clogged up like a sewage pipe. If a person has good blood circulation, he will not get sick.
Who else has a question?
Disciple: What about taking ginseng during Chan sessions? Is it appropriate to take ginseng at that time? Does it count as curing illness?
Venerable Master: It helps your cultivation. If your legs tend to go to sleep a lot, you can take some ginseng to help them wake up. That's okay.
Disciple: We ate some ginseng here. It creates a very yang state that some people have a hard time handling. The tide flow will block up in the shoulders or the back for awhile, and some people were uncomfortable with that yang state. I find that just by hanging on for awhile, the blockage will stop. Is there some exercise you can do, or some other medicine that can be taken together with it?
Venerable Master: If it's too yang for someone, he doesn't need to take it. With the human body, excess is as bad as deficiency. Too strong is as bad as being too weak. Don't overdo it. Just follow the middle path. For example, if you can carry a hundred pounds and you take some ginseng so you can carry 150 pounds, that's going overboard. If you have a cup, you want to fill it up full. But if you keep pouring after it is full and it overflows, it's the same as not being full. Suppose you feel very weak and lacking in energy, so your voice is very soft and you can't speak any louder. If your vital energy is weak and you pant when you walk, then ginseng can help to bolster your energy. It's not the case that everyone should take ginseng, especially when they are not sick. If one is not sick, then one should take it very sparingly. Even once a month is already quite substantial. One should not take it every day. If one is taking pure ginseng, one should only take one or two qian (1 qian is 1/10th of a Chinese ounce), or about half an ounce. And one should take ginseng only in the three winter months, not during the rest of the year.
OK, it's time to send off the plaques.
To be continued |
