烦恼的产生 心定法师

「六根对六尘，六识乱纷纷。
心意要集中，数息守根门。」

诸位同参！大家为什么要来参加禅七？就是希望能够使心意集中、修行有定力，进一步能够参禅，明心见性。

念头作用的过程

每一个人都是靠着六根(眼耳鼻舌身意)的作用，才能对六尘(色声香味触法)加以分别。并且对可爱境界生起贪爱染着；又对厌恶、瞋恨这些外境生起排斥。这些贪欲或瞋恨一天到晚随着六根门头，摄取外面种种色、声、香、味、触、法的境界，不断的分别，不断的染着，或不断的起瞋恨，所以心意没有办法静止下来。

除了六根对六尘引起六识的分别之外，就是自己内心一些习气种子，随时都会对于色、声、香、味、触……等等自然的生起一些心理现象。这些贪欲、瞋恨、掉举、昏沉、疑、恶作等等，在修行禅定的过程中也都是我们的障碍。

大家进入禅堂，六根门头容易守得住，因为在这里面容易都摄六根，不像世俗的社会有那么多外境可攀缘。此外，对五盖、五欲等烦恼都是修定参禅的大障碍，所以也应该要练习放下来呀！要彻底的远离它，才有办法修得定力，达到明心见性。

修行禅定、参禅有很多方法，很多方便、技巧和理论，禅七之中班首师父都会随时提醒、指导大家。大家难得有这样的因缘进入禅堂，除了心生起欢喜、感恩的心之外，不必太紧张或太过要求自己达到某种层次。修行要逐步逐步的来，放松自己的身心，放下自己的忧虑，或许更能够与定力相应。

即今参禅、禅七、起七开始，说法一句又作么生道？

「五盖与五欲，彻底要远离，一则能明心，见性生欢喜。」

念头的起源

我们都会有很多习惯性的动作。做事、讲话是一种习惯，包括我们的念头也是成为一种习惯性，而且无法克制自己不去想它。一般凡夫没有修定的境界，是不可能叫他不要想。但事实上的确有方法可以让妄念逐渐减少，到达一念不起境界。我们的心念这么多，无法知道究竟从什么时候开始这么多？佛法讲「无明」就是说：一开始即是这个样子的。

这些犹如虚空，不论是被白云或乌云覆盖，宇宙是本来就有的。佛法所说的地、水、火、风，也是本来就存在的。虚空里的乌云、白云这一类东西不晓得是何时形成的；我们的心意、念头很多，也不晓得是从什么时候开始的？只不过因为从有念头以后，我们就把不真实的误认为是真实的，从此继续在见解上繁衍出身、口、意三方面的错误行为。

从错误的身、口、意行为形成了见解上的一种执着；再由见解上的执着衍生了身、口、意的一些固定行为。这样反复辗转的相依、相关，使得我们生生世世都不断在增加一些错误或没有意义的行为，最后这些身、口、意三业的痕迹就形成了我们的心意识。

存放念头的地方—阿赖耶识(第八识)

我们做每一件事情，不论好事、坏事，喜欢的、苦恼的，都会很自然地成为我们记忆力的一部份。例如我们讲话时，不论好话、坏话、欢喜的、苦恼的，就很自然的成为我们记忆力的一部份。倘若我们在心里头想事情，这时不论清净的、杂染的，也都很自然的成为我们记忆力的一部份。

在唯识学里头，这就是我们身体、语言、心念的这些行为、动作，就是我们所谓的「有表业」。在变成了记忆力他就是现行的这些有表业回熏到我们第八意识成为第八意识里头的一部份，第八意识就像一个大仓库，储存起来后永远不会消失。

因为我们的任何动作，包括身体的、语言的、心意的，这些都是质量化的状态。一旦发动成质量化的动作以后，就立刻转化成为「能量」的状态。好比汽油挥发了以后，就成为一种能量化的状态(成为气体，而不再是液体），这种能量状态虽然看不见，但确实是存在的。

因此我们身体的任何一个动作、语言的任何一个动作、或者心念的任何一个动作，都是变成质量化的状态，称为「现行」。而这个现行很自然而然的就转变成能量化的记忆力。所以我们说由「现行」回熏到阿赖耶识以后成为习气，这种习气也可以说是一种能量。这个汽油挥发了以后所存在于虚空看不见但有存在。

阿赖耶识(第八识)的现代语—记忆力

我们的阿赖耶识如果用现代话来说，就是「记忆力」。我们的记忆力当中那一类最多，那一类的就会经常显现出来，包括作梦的时候。所以说「日有所思、夜有所梦」，就是记忆力较多时所产生出来的一种功能、作用。因此我们日常所说的话哪一模拟较多，所做的事哪一模拟较多，就称为「印象加深」或「印象深刻」，其实这都是我们记忆力里比较强的部分在起作用。

这比较强的部分如果是针对某一个人，他就会喜欢常常去找那个人；若是针对某一件事，就常常喜欢去做它。无论是什么东西，只要是喜欢吃的、喜欢穿的，他心里就常常喜欢去吃那个东西或是去穿那件衣服。在我们的记忆力里头比较强的部分就是这样子驱使我们。

从这里就可以想到，其实我们的心意识就是我们的行为所造成的。每一次的行为之后，就强化了我们心意识的某一部分。因此在我们的脑海里，生生世世(不管古代、现代)都会增加一些记忆。因此，我们所作的许多现行(显现出来的行为)大部分都是我们曾经记忆过的心念所引发的。

在我们的阿赖耶识(记忆)里收藏了我们曾经做过的事，然后见到现前的外在境界时(佛教所谓的色、声、香、味、触、法)，就把它吸收进来，再回忆我们脑海里头有没有曾经记忆过这些东西？如果曾经记忆过这些东西很相同、很类似的记忆，那就叫做「相应」。

遇到相应的时候，心里头就会感到特别的喜欢。譬如见到某一个人，我们心里就在想：「好象在哪里见过面？喔，对了！原来是这样，有这么一段因缘！」所以对这个人就特别喜欢。对一件东西也是这样子的。

总之，我们的心意里头(阿赖耶识里)的记忆是无量无边的，就像无数亿的电子一样(因为我们的记忆是能量化的)。我们不断的透过六根，吸收六尘的境界回来，再跟原有的记忆作比对。相类似的就产生喜欢、染着、贪爱；不相同的，就排斥、打击、破坏它。并且不断透过六根来追逐六尘，制造身、口、意的一些贪、瞋、痴行为。这些行为马上又变成记忆力，成为阿赖耶识的一部份。等到临命终时，就是靠我们的记忆力中平时做得最多、最强的那一部份的力量，再引导我们去投胎转世。

记忆力的特性

当我们投胎转世以后，就住进一个新的生命体里。在母亲的肚子里头，这个胎儿的个性好坏、长得好不好看、健不健康，这些都不是母亲给的，而是由胎儿本身的这股强烈记忆力的内涵来作为它的基因和标准。如果过去给人快乐、欢喜的成分比较多，那么这个小孩的原料就很好，生出来的样子就特别可爱、很好看、很有人缘。如果过去世的记忆力里常惹人生气，带给人家苦恼、痛苦，那么这一辈子的长相就没有人缘、很难看的样子。

过去世的记忆力除了构成一个人现在的身相、面貌、健康情况、以及钱财多寡之外，还含藏了许多习气，跟着这个生命体一起继续长大。内心里头曾经在过去世累积过某一模拟较强的记忆力时，长大以后就会依照这一类记忆力而选择自己喜欢做的工作，或自己喜欢接触的人……等。

就这样，我们一个人的心意识可以说都是把我们的身、口、意行为不断从过去世累积到今生，又不断的在今生当中继续累积，然后再带着我们去投胎，在来生中无止尽的累积下去，所以我们心里头会有许多特别强的这一种力量。不管自己喜欢去做些什么、喜欢去讲些什么、喜欢去想些什么，都是有一股特别强大的力量在内心里推动我们去做。其它的力量并不会完全消失，能量是不可能消灭的，它只是生生世世都含藏在我们的心意识里。

因为心意识里头的这些习气种子的记忆力太多太多，所以当我们静下来以后，这些念头就一直往外窜。这就好比森林里的树木都抢着要争取阳光，而一直往高处冲，所以森林的树木一棵比一棵高。我们的妄念也是一样的，急速的想展现为现行，因此一个接一个的冒出来。这样就可以了解，我们的念头就是由身、口、意行为回熏到阿赖耶识，也就是从质量的行为转变成能量化的记忆力。

以戒定慧来断除烦恼

我们若要奉行人生的佛教、生活的佛教，就要修持戒、定、慧。在生活里头要作到尊重别人、不侵犯别人，就必须持戒。我们不要让心里的不良念头发展成行为的话，那就必须要修定。这些念头难以克服，所以必须以智慧来明白世间的真实相，使我们能够放得下，让念头不会再继续发展成一股强大的力量，引发出行为、动作。在修持过程中，一定要先修戒、定、慧，才能自利利他，福慧双修，悲智双运的这种。

人间佛教更是不可缺少戒、定、慧，所以在六度波罗蜜，我们对众生需要随分随力的做一些财布施、法布施、无畏布施。我们为了利益众生，不侵犯众生，总是有很多苦恼。为了不再加重众生的苦恼，所以要持戒，让我们身体的部分、语言的部分都不侵犯到众生。

很多顽强的众生，你对他好，他以为你是在利用他，所以有时候会反过来污辱你、毁谤你、打击你，所以必须要忍辱。忍辱除了要持戒，要定力，更要智慧。知道一切法空性，才能够安忍，那必须在这方面很精进的去用功当然还要禅定这叫忍辱波罗蜜。除此外还要禅定波罗蜜，最高层次就是般若波罗蜜，以智慧来引导。这里头的重点就是戒、定、慧不能免的。

大家老老实实的，在禅七开头先要花一些时间来调身，然后调息。进一步我们再来参参话头，然后再学观空，一步一步来修学。大家今天用数息观来好好的调身、调息，来继续用功。

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I don’t like to use the word incarnation because it may imply a preexisting psychic substance or soul, and Buddhism does not accept the existence of an eternal soul that incarnates. However, Buddhism believes in a stream of consciousness that gets transferred from one birth to the next. This stream of consciousness is an instance of mental occurrence, arising due to its own internal momentum as well as external stimuli, all of which seemingly perpetuate its continuity over time. It thus serves as the basis for one’s self-identity.

— Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche

The Perfection of Patience by Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

The third Paramita is known in Sanskrit as kshanti and in English as patience or tolerance. Since this is one of the factors needed for the attainment of enlightenment, the issue of patience is a very important one for bringing the Dharma into our daily lives. However in order to cultivate patience there needs to be something that irritates us! If we are always surrounded by kind and loving people who do and say what we would want them to do and say, then that’s very nice. But we don’t learn anything. In fact since it’s easy to be loving towards people who are lovable, it would be easy for us to think that we are much nicer than we really are. So we need people in our life who create problems for us, who irritate and upset us because these are challenging us to learn how to be patient. Thus Shantideva advises us that instead of seeing someone who upsets us, abuses us or causes trouble as being an enemy, we should realise that this is our genuine spiritual friend because this is the person who can teach us how to be patient.

He gives the famous example that the earth is covered with sharp stones and thistles, so when we walk we are always hurting our feet. What to do? Are we going to carpet the whole earth with leather? Of course we take a piece of leather and wear it under the soles of our feet as sandals and shoes. In this way we can walk anywhere without hurting ourselves. Likewise we cannot expect the whole world to turn around and be exactly how we want it to be, but what we can change is our own inner attitude. The good news is we can change: our characters, they are not chiselled in stone. We can change but no one else can change us, we have to change ourselves.

So the point is that we are here in samsara, which by its nature is difficult and unsatisfactory, and we are here to learn. We are not here just to have a good time, whereby anybody who opposes us and spoils our pleasure is a bad person. Or we think that we are bad people because we have become irritated and upset so then we are angry with ourselves. This does not help anything. This present lifetime and the character that we have, this is our working material. It’s like clay we have to form and what we create is up to us. During our lives we have the opportunity to develop. We mustn’t be complacent, thinking: “Oh, this is the way I am and nothing will ever change!”

This human world is considered to be very special because we do not have all the unrelenting sufferings of the lower realms nor the unceasing pleasures of the celestial worlds. Here, in the human realm, we have a balance of difficulties and also pleasures. So this is the area where we have the greatest possibility of making advances on the spiritual path. And often it is the difficulties and the problems that we have in our life that are our opportunity to develop and to grow. So therefore this lifetime is called the gymnasium of the soul. We go to a gymnasium if we want to develop strong muscles and keep our bodies trim and in good shape. A gymnasium is full of machines which are designed to challenge our muscles. They’re meant to be difficult. By pushing ourselves and working with the equipment, our weak flabby muscles become strong. So likewise in our lifetime, when things are difficult, the problems that we have: our inner problems dealing with our personality, the outer problems dealing with our situation and other people, these are our spiritual gymnasium in which we work and exercise. So therefore whatever are our personal inner and outer problems, if we say ‘difficulties and obstacles’, they are difficulties and obstacles. But if we say ‘challenges and opportunities’, then they become challenges and opportunities.

So what do we do with anger? The first thing to remember is that our irritations and upsets can be a means for us to develop patience and understanding. Now most of us have certain situations in which we find ourselves becoming easily upset or irritated or know certain people who naturally annoy us and press our buttons. So we can focus on someone who is a particular problem for us and use that person as a means for transforming the situation simply by changing our attitude. In other words, instead of thinking: “This person is a problem and a difficulty”, we can think instead that this person is my greatest spiritual friend and my teacher of patience! If we can do this, then immediately the whole dynamic of the relationship changes.

This doesn’t mean that if one is in an abusive situation or is being cheated or harmed either psychologically or physically, that one has to just allow that to happen. In such circumstances one doesn’t have to be the victim, one can rise above that and with compassion extricate oneself firmly from such a situation. However negative and difficult someone may appear to be, this behaviour depends on prior causes and conditions many of which were outside their control. We should also remember that even the most awful person has some redeeming features and we all are inherently immaculate in our innate wisdom and compassion. We have just gotten somewhat obscured along the way.

But for many of us, the real cause of our anger and irritation is not something external but is directed in towards ourselves. Although many people find themselves being angry and irritable with others, the real cause is that they feel angry inside themselves, towards themselves. So it’s also important to make friends first with ourselves. Tibetan Buddhism in particular talks a lot about the self-cherishing mind and how we must destroy this self-cherishing attitude. There are many texts instructing us to make ourselves the lowest of the low while lifting up others. How in every way we should think of ourselves as nothing and everyone else as the most important. This teaching works very well for someone with a great sense of self-importance, who is selfish, and only thinking about themselves and how wonderful they are. For that kind of person who has a lot of inner arrogance and high self-esteem in a negative sense, then indeed to put others first is very important.

But for people who already have very low self-esteem, who don’t like themselves, who are constantly criticising themselves and undermining their own good qualities then, if misunderstood, this can be a dangerous doctrine. Because if we are already fragile and hurting inside, then to flagellate and beat ourselves doesn’t heal us. So what we need to do in that case, is to go back to the very basic teachings of the Buddha. In the Sutra on Loving-kindness the Buddha directs us in a meditation on loving-kindness – towards those whom one loves, towards those whom one feels indifferent, and finally towards those that one feels antipathy for. But first of all we send loving-kindness to ourselves and we wish ourselves to be well and happy and free from suffering, because if we are not at peace within ourselves, if we are not friends with ourselves, then we cannot deeply be at peace and friends with others.

So it’s very important first of all to deal with our own mind & heart, to deal with whatever negativities are in our mind. We all have negativities, we all have faults. If we didn’t have faults, we would already be a Buddha and we wouldn’t need the Dharma. We do need the Dharma because we have faults and we have problems inside ourselves which need to be dealt with and resolved. Therefore as part of our practice we need to really acknowledge and see clearly what are our weak points, where are our negativities and to recognise those. But instead of feeling angry with ourselves or guilty and upset, we have patience. We accept that we have these faults. Accepting that we have faults doesn’t mean condoning them. It doesn’t mean we think: “Okay, I’m an angry person and that’s okay.” It means we think: “Ah, I’m an angry person, so this is where I have to work the hardest.” In this way, our biggest obstacles become our greatest opportunities.

At the same time we must also acknowledge what is good within us, because all of us have positive things as well as negative. If we only think about the negative aspects, what is wrong in us, and we don’t consider what is right with us, then we become very unbalanced and depressed. So since in our minds we are always talking to ourselves, then we should pay attention to that voice. What is that voice telling us about ourselves the whole time? If we are always putting ourselves down, telling ourselves that we’re stupid, that we’re failures, that we never can succeed, that nobody likes us, that we are awful people and we’re totally useless – then no wonder we feel disempowered and depressed! But what would we think of a companion who was endlessly criticising us and pointing out our faults and never said anything nice to us? Would we think that there was a friend?

So therefore it’s very important that along with pulling up the weeds of our faults, we also cultivate the flowers of our good qualities. We should appreciate all that is good in us and encourage that to grow more. If we overlook and neglect the goodness in ourselves and we only think of the negative, then this undercuts all our spiritual efforts. It is important to realise that the goodness in us is a reflection of our true nature; the negative in us is just like the passing clouds, it’s not our true nature. So we shouldn’t zero in only on what is wrong. We really have to encourage ourselves with what is right. The ego doesn’t die by being beaten into submission. Endlessly thinking: “Oh, I am a weak and evil sinner” and flagellating ourselves doesn’t work. All that happens is that the ego becomes tight and resentful, but it doesn’t die. If you beat a dog, then he can become very afraid but he is also angry. If we want a well trained-dog or a well-trained mind, then we have to be kind and encourage the belief in its own capabilities.

The Tibetan translation for the word bodhisattva, which means basically “enlightened being”, is changchub sempah. Now pahwo means something heroic. So it’s like you become a spiritual hero. We have to be very brave on the bodhisattva path. It means somebody very courageous. Shantideva says that there is a big difference between pride and arrogance, which of course is negative – and self-confidence. Self-confidence is essential on the path. The first time that I met the 16th Karmapa when I was about twenty-two or twenty-three years old, he said to me after a very short time, “Your main problem is that you don’t believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will believe in you?” And this is the problem for so many of us that we don’t really believe in ourselves. We don’t believe in our potential for change, for the ability to develop, for the capacity to realise, and so we undermine ourselves the whole time because we don’t really believe in our essential Buddha nature. So therefore there is the sense of low self-esteem and anger towards ourselves because we are not how we would like to be. We have a picture of what we would like to be, then we see what we are and the discrepancy makes us angry with ourselves.

So this is why it’s so important to realise that our biggest obstacles are our greatest opportunities. There is no excuse for us. We have to work. If we go to a gymnasium, then a personal trainer will look at us and he will see what are our weak parts and that’s what he will start training on. If our arms are strong, but our legs are weak, he will put us training our legs. Then we get really strong legs!

At J.F. Kennedy Airport in New York, there used to be a big notice, a quotation by Benjamin Franklin which said: “The best way to overcome your enemies is to make them your friends.” Presumably many Americans must have read that, including politicians. Yet it’s so true! If we say enemy, it’s an enemy. If we say spiritual friend it’s a spiritual friend.

So this is also patience that difficult circumstances which come to us are our opportunities to learn. Because this is samsara, and samsara is like an ocean. An ocean has waves and waves go up and waves go down. So we should not be surprised when sometimes things are okay and sometimes things are difficult. What we need is a certain level of equanimity towards the difficulties and the good times. We need to cultivate that sense of inner impartiality and courage so that whatever comes, we can deal with it.

One time I saw a tee shirt in Malaysia and it had a design of big waves and on top of the waves was a surfboard and on top of the surfboard was a figure sitting in meditation. The slogan said: “Riding the waves of life, be mindful, be happy.” As I said we are not in this world just to have a good time. We are in this world to develop and to recognise our true nature. This takes both patience and effort.

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It is not about how much you give, it is about how much you can let go with your mind.

— 7th Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

为什么学佛 文｜陈成伙

光阴似箭，学佛已经4年了。回想与佛教的因缘，是在2014年11月底从金马仑万佛寺短期出家后，来年3月份，我便在光明山皈依三宝，并受五戒。其实，那时候的我，对佛教认识不深。

成为佛弟子后，以为只要初一十五去佛庙拜拜佛，吃素就可以了。后来有缘遇到一位喇嘛师父教我念莲花生大士心咒和药师佛圣号，我自己也念阿弥陀佛圣号，就这样念了3年佛。然而内心对佛法的无知和对修持的不懂，感到十分惭愧，怎么能说是佛弟子？因此，今年我发愿要从头学起，感恩师父的推荐，我选择了海印基础学佛课程， 真正的踏上学佛之旅，法喜充满。

上了学佛课程单元一后，真正的认识到正信的佛教，这对初学佛的人是非常重要的，尤其是在这个末法时代， 让我明白了正信佛教与外道的不同。所以我们要深信正信佛教，破邪显真。此外，我也明白了皈依三宝的意义，五戒十善的内容和持戒与修善的功德。真正认识正信的佛教，步上离苦得乐之旅，这是初学者必须掌握与具备的。

为什么要学佛？为什么要成为佛弟子？心中不断思索这个问题。对某些人来说学佛是为了离苦得乐，不再轮回，往生极乐世界。但我学佛的目的是誓愿成佛。我们学佛一定要知道自己的目标，有了目标，怎样走上成佛之道，这就看个人的因缘、善根与智慧。读了《八识规矩颂》和《佛法概要》，也看了《教观纲宗》与《妙法莲华经》，仿佛启发了我心中的佛种。认定了学佛的目标后，我们应该知道学佛是为了什么？以我个人来说有下列几点：

断一切恶：在这个五浊恶世中，由于我们的贪瞋痴和妄想的攀缘，不断的造恶业。学佛让我们知道我们的恶习，以善法来对冶，并通过礼佛忏悔将一切恶种子忏除。要断一切恶，受戒持戒是主要因素。很多同修虽然皈依了，但却不敢受五戒，害怕自己做不到。

其实，我们受戒后，有了戒体，对人对事的态度与处理方式会有所不同，这样就能减少造恶业。学佛也让我知道造什么恶因，必受什么恶果，这个因缘果报是不变的法则，所以我们要时时警惕自己诸恶莫作。

修一切善：学佛让我们修十善业，从而培养慈悲心与菩提心。我们不杀生，反而去放生；不偷盗，反去布施。因此五戒侧重在身的修养，十善则是明心的动念。学佛能让我们通过身口意的修行，种下善因种子，利他利己，造福众生，这就是众善奉行。

度一切众生：有些人认为成佛后，就可以到极乐世界，享受人天果报，从此不再轮回。其实不然，成佛后必然要到娑婆世界度化苦难众生，这是成佛的意义。如果没有众生，就没有佛，因为一切众生皆是佛。因此我们要不断努力修慈悲心、菩提心，更重要的是开智慧，如此才能依教奉行。虽然，我现在的基础还浅，但听了《法华经》后，内心的喜悦是无法用语言来形容。我深记师父说的“一念心性，何期自性，本是清净。”我会通过对经的信解，如理思维，如说修行，遇到不明白的道理，去请教善知识。我会努力学佛，增长智慧的种子，为成佛之道准备资粮，以便将来有能力度化众生。

人生的价值：学佛让我知道什么是生命的觉悟，人生的真正价值。人生不是一直追求社会名利，金钱财富。我们的人生是由前世种种的业力而生，所谓万般都是业，半点不由人。无论你多富有，一旦离逝，什么也不能带走，唯有自己造的业力随之而去。通过学佛可以让我们重新解读人生，改变生命的唯一途径。

佛教是佛陀的教育，是对九法界众生至善圆满、多元文化的社会教育。佛教的经典及智慧，就像武林秘笈，高深莫测，让人爱不释手。一旦学会了，将永远获益匪浅。要改変生命，活得更有意义，唯有学佛，努力修行观照，增长智慧，将佛法用于生活，具有正知正见。学佛的师兄们或未学佛的你，是不是应该思考一下你学佛的原因？

最后，以戒为本，修心修行。与师兄们共勉之，愿我们一起努力学佛，踏上成佛之道。

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If, as the disciple fares along, he meets no companion who is better or equal, let him firmly pursue his solitary career. There is no fellowship with the foolish.

— The Buddha

Who Is a Bodhisattva? by Venerable Sheng Yen

For any Buddhist practitioner, the ultimate purpose of practice is to attain complete enlightenment or Buddhahood. To achieve this very lofty goal, we work to cultivate wisdom and accumulate merit, and through this practice we are able to benefit both ourselves and others. This practice is precisely the task of a follower of the bodhisattva path as put forth in the three sets of pure precepts (which we undertake in the transmission ceremony): to accrue merit and realise wisdom for the benefit of all sentient beings. Through the diligent cultivation of wisdom and merit, a bodhisattva practitioner will attain Buddhahood. In other words, walking the bodhisattva path is the cause of Buddhahood; Buddhahood is the result of having accomplished the bodhisattva practice.

In Buddhist circles, we hear the word bodhisattva frequently. Among Chinese Buddhists, bodhisattva, transliterated as pusa in Chinese, is commonly used simply as a title with which to address a fellow practitioner. It is also often used by monastics as an honorific when speaking to or about a layperson. On the other hand, non-Buddhists visiting a Buddhist monastery may think that bodhisattvas are the statues placed on the altar. In short, many people, both Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, do not know the true significance of the term bodhisattva. Therefore clarification of this term is essential for our understanding of what the bodhisattva practice entails.

Formed by the conjunction of two Sanskrit words meaning “enlightenment” and “sentient being” respectively, the word bodhisattva denotes an enlightened sentient being. “Enlightened” refers to the quality of having achieved, to some degree, enlightenment, awakening, understanding, or mindfulness. This concept has a very rich, multifaceted meaning, with many nuances. “Sentient being” refers to a living being who experiences the world through sentience, feelings, sensations, or emotions.

Thus bodhisattva can be understood as having four levels of meaning. First, the being described by this word aspires upwardly to attain supreme wisdom or enlightenment. Second, this being aspires to do this in order to bring genuine benefit to all other sentient beings so that they too will attain enlightenment. Third, each bodhisattva seeks to fully awaken his or her own intrinsic nature, or buddha-nature. Fourth, while striving for this kind of full awakening, a bodhisattva strives just as hard to awaken all of the innumerable sentient beings to the same buddha-nature intrinsic to each and every one. By considering these four levels of meaning together, we come to the following definition of bodhisattva: a person who aspires to Buddhahood while seeking to enlighten all sentient beings on the path.

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Understanding that samsara and nirvana are not in opposition is the correct view. Not being overwhelmed by sensory impressions is meditation. Not being swayed by fluctuations in your emotions is action.

— Gotsangpa Gonpo Dorje

儒道不能解脱业力 离苦得乐必须学佛 太虚大师

学佛的原因，就是我们平常的要求。平常有甚么要求？无非是要安安乐乐，无非是要永久安安乐乐，有此要求所以要学佛。依佛法说：无非为令世间解脱一切苦、得究竟乐。既要离一切苦、得究竟乐，所以就要学佛。

有一种人讲：离一切苦，得究竟乐，这种要求原来人人有的，何必要学佛才能如此？就眼面前说：比如有饥寒的苦恼，得了衣食，饥寒的苦恼离脱了，就可以得安乐。比如流离失所，漂荡无归，得有住所，流离的苦恼离脱了，就可以得安乐。比如小孩子得成年人抚育，也就可以离苦得乐。照这样说，岂不都可以离苦得乐么？为甚么要学佛？为甚么要提出这问题来研究他？如饥寒时能得饱暖，流离时能得住所，凡衣食住人人所需用的，有自人人供其所求，又有国家保持社会现状，是种种方面都可以离苦得乐的，又何必在佛法上求？

但是，在世间上是不能完全离苦得究竟乐的！比如饥寒之苦，有食可以无饥，有衣可以不寒，然不过暂时离苦，而苦根尚在；且因谋衣食必起种种惑、造种种业，所以一切苦又随之而起。比如人生，有情世间不止一人，必有家庭，有家庭要安居乐业，便有负担，因负担又生种种拘束、种种烦恼，稍得安乐，苦又随之而起，所以不能离一切苦、得究竟乐。推而广之，不但家庭如此，即社会亦然。社会上可以互相维持，以我所有通彼之无，但是成了社会，到了社会有益的地方，种种烦恼亦随之而生，由是互相侵扰、互相妨害、互相并吞，生出种种烦恼，发生种种困苦，所以不能离一切苦、得究竟乐。

有种人说：这是可以有救济方法的，只要有强富的国家、良好的政府，这苦就可以免。这话也不甚错，因为有富强国家、良好政府，一国人民得以安居乐业，自然是一种幸福；但因这一点幸福，而痛苦又生。大凡一个地球上不止一国，国与国相邻必有交际，因交际而生交涉，因交涉而生战争，因战争又发生种种痛苦、种种义务，可见有国家、有政府，亦不能离一切苦、得究竟乐。

就上说概括一下，我们人世上要求离一切苦、得究竟乐，实在无有办法。佛经上说：“以苦欲舍苦，苦终不能出。”然人世上要求离一切苦、得究竟乐，原是正当要求；但虽是正当要求，一切办法都做不到，惟释迦如来才说出种种法来，令众生离一切苦、得究竟乐。

对于此种问题，从前我已同人讨论过。有一位儒教老先生，他说：“为甚么要学佛？我们读圣贤书、行豪杰事，以扬名显亲为希望，以齐家治国为事业，照这样可以不学佛了。”对于此种理由，就人言人，原不失为圣贤君子。但是要求离一切苦、得究竟乐，仍办不到。这原因在何处？如儒教所讲，无非道学、词章、考证三种，这三种我细细把他推究起来，便知道我的结果。

道学家所讲的重要处，不外民胞物与、万物一气、为天地立心、为万物立命。但自佛学家看起来，所讲都是生生相续，也是有苦恼的。所以老子说：“天地不仁，以万物为刍狗。”暂时勉为救济，也无办法。《易经》六十四卦既济之后继以未济，可见暂时能济，终久不济，也是不能离一切苦、得究竟乐。所谓顶上的道学尚且如是，讲到词章更不是了。在中国古来词章之高美，莫过《诗》与《离骚》：《诗》所以言性情，“国风”之作多半男女淫词，“雅颂”之篇无非赞美帝王神武；《离骚》，美人香草，满纸皆是。就此看来，凡词所流露者无非杀业、淫业，虽有所劝戒而根本业力未除，要想离一切苦、得究竟乐，如何可能！若夫考证，所以研究经史，因经史而知今古之所以兴、所以废、所以治、所以乱，未尝与国民无益；然欲求达到离苦得乐目的，终不可能。所以发生离苦得乐之要求者，以天地不完美，故有种种苦恼，要想把他离脱，不惟儒家这三种做不到，即现今世界哲学、科学所研究的也是做不到。所以要求离苦得乐，非归到这学佛范围内不可。

试再进而批评道家——有一位讲究道家的先生说：“像我们学道的人，以精、气、神为三宝，炼精成气，炼气化神，炼神归虚，也可离了这躯壳，更升而为天上神仙，长生不老，岂不就可以离苦得乐吗？何必要学佛呢！况且佛法修性不修命，道家性命双修；依此看来，可不学佛。”但是他说的方法，不是无功的，也不是无果的，不过他的功用在精、气、神上，这样精、气、神如能保持得住，未尝无有好处，无如到了功用一完仍然堕落！何以故？因为他舍却一四大和合的假身，又修成一五阴和合的报身，较世人的生命虽然多活几百年或几千年或几万年，岂知万年一夕、一夕万年，刹那刹那转眼成空，仍然是苦，以未达离苦之究竟地故。至于讲到命字，命是个甚么东西？本是虚妄的、不实的、一种业力的继续，离此业力之外无所谓命；道家不过把他拿来扩充延长，不知其为虚妄不实。以命是苦之根，故佛法是解脱业力，所以能究竟常乐；道家是延长业力，所以不能究竟常乐。依此说来，道家既不能得究竟乐，所以不得不学佛。

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Renunciation mind has nothing to do with sacrificing. When we talk about renunciation, somehow we get all scared because we think that we have to give up some goodies, something valuable, some important things. But there is nothing that is important; there is nothing that is solidly existing. All that you are giving up is actually a vague identity. You realise thing is not true; it’s not the ultimate. This how and why to develop renunciation

— Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche