覺悟的條件净空法师

自古以來，覺悟的人不多。在淨土宗，東晉廬山遠公大師的時代，只有一百二十三人往生，這是我們在歷史上看到最多的一會。而在禪宗六祖惠能大師會下開悟的，也只有四十三人。從這些地方，我們很清晰的明瞭，覺悟的人不多。什麼樣的人能覺悟？徹底犧牲自己利益的人能覺悟，如果對世間名聞利養放不下，五欲六塵的享受放不下，恩怨的情執放不下，就不可能覺悟。真正覺悟之人，並非要特殊的天才。釋迦牟尼佛會下的周利槃陀伽是愚鈍之人，他在世尊會下時間不長，亦能證阿羅漢果，原因就是他能放下。

我們在多生多劫之前，就曾經學過佛，遇到佛菩薩，供養過佛菩薩，種植深厚的善根。為何不開悟？病根是我們的情執沒有徹底放下。徹底放下情執之人，心裡只有一個念頭，就是為一切眾生服務。我們常聽說「為民服務」，此範圍小，這只是十法界裡的人法界。而為一切眾生服務，此範圍大，除了人之外，其他的九法界都包括了，這個心量多偉大！決定沒有自己，知道虛空法界一切眾生就是自己，為眾生服務就是為自己服務，此理很深。

若只為自己，不肯為人、為眾生，這是迷惑顛倒，迷失了自性，還害了自己，就是害自己生生世世永遠不能脫離輪迴；說得再明白點，永遠不能脫離三惡道。應當要曉得，我們生在人、天兩道很幸運，但時間很短促，佛經上的比喻說，我們是出來旅遊的，三惡道是故鄉，所以在三惡道的時間長。這是什麼原因？自私自利造成的，貪圖世間五欲六塵享受造成的。所以為自己是害自己，為眾生才是真正利益自己。這些道理與事實真相，迷在六道、迷在情欲之中的人不懂，也不會覺悟。

今天我們非常幸運知道這些道理與事實真相，對於佛菩薩的大慈大悲，才能體會到幾分。也開始漸漸醒悟過來，能夠學習佛菩薩，捨棄自己的妄想、分別、執著，以真誠的愛心，無私的布施供養，無條件的幫助一切眾生，這樣的人才會覺悟，才會開智慧。智慧與煩惱是一樁事情，迷的時候，也就是我們沒有放下自私自利的時候，我們的智慧都變成煩惱。若我們放下妄想分別執著，放下自私自利，無量無邊的煩惱馬上就轉變成無量無邊的智慧。佛經上講：「煩惱即菩提」，菩提是智慧；「生死即涅槃」，這是一樁事情。佛菩薩何以有智慧？佛菩薩沒有自己，只有眾生，念念為一切眾生，這就是佛菩薩；念念想到自己的利益，這種人就是凡夫，佛菩薩與凡夫的差別就在此地。我們真正清楚、明白了，在學佛過程當中，才能做到「轉惡為善」，這是第一個階段。

我們從第一個階段，提升到第二個階段「轉迷成悟」；希望再提升到第三個階段「轉凡成聖」。何謂凡聖？雖然轉迷成悟了，但是還無法脫離六道輪迴，那還是凡，脫離六道輪迴才稱作聖。六道以外是阿羅漢、辟支佛、菩薩、佛，此四種人是小聖，這還在十法界。佛法有小乘、大乘，這是小乘的聖者。超越十法界才是真正的大聖，即《華嚴經》上講的四十一位法身大士。大聖的觀念跟小聖不一樣，小聖慈悲、愛護、服務的對象，是三千大千世界的眾生，所以他的心量是三千大千世界。大聖的心量更大，是盡虛空、遍法界，無量無邊諸佛剎土裡的一切眾生，為他慈悲、愛護、服務的對象，這就是佛法講的大乘。超凡入聖是世尊、諸佛如來教導我們真正的目的，是希望我們作大聖，而非作小聖。

「心包太虛，量周沙界」，是大聖的心量。這兩句話，雖然讀的人、念的人很多，但心量還是放不開，還是不能脫離自私自利，只是用這兩句話來讚美釋迦牟尼佛及諸佛如來，這兩句話永遠是別人的，不是自己的，這是我們的過失。這兩句是真實話，盡虛空、遍法界一切眾生的心量，都是包虛空法界的。由此可知，遍虛空法界是我們的真心，是我們本有的心量。佛說我們迷惑了，把這麼大的心量迷失了，現在變成很小的心量，連兩個人都容納不下。聽人家造謠、毀謗，就幾天都睡不著覺，這個心量多小！

我們學佛學的是什麼，自己要知道。上根人拓開心量，中下根人改過遷善，從事相上逐步改正自己錯誤的行為、想法、看法。上根利智之人從根本修，根本是觀念，即現在學術裡講的人生觀、宇宙觀；觀就是看法，對宇宙人生的看法。從根本修是將過去對宇宙人生錯誤的看法，立刻扭轉過來，與諸佛菩薩同一知見，《法華經》上講的「入佛知見」。只要觀念轉過來，思想、見解、言語、行為全部就轉過來了，這是佛家講的上根利智。

上根利智之人畢竟是少數，我們能否做到上根利智，佛明白的告訴我們，這個沒有難處，總在遇緣不同。實在講，雖然說沒有難處，但還是有條件的。第一是名利心要看得淡，日常生活容易滿足，粗茶淡飯的生活能過得很自在、很快樂，這是好條件。第二是要遇到善知識，或者沒有遇到善知識，能遇到佛法，喜歡讀經。只要具備這兩個條件，長時薰修，鈍根也會變成利根，愚痴也會變成智慧，周利槃陀伽就是很好的例子。因此，我們要想在一生當中，薰習成上根利智，只要依照佛的教誨去做，向古大德學習，他們在一生當中能成就，我們在一生當中也能成就。所以，只要願意過最低水平的生活，再加上一個「好學」就行了。好學一定是向佛學習，向菩薩學習，向祖師大德學習，這哪有不成就的道理！

煩惱少，智慧開；煩惱斷了，智慧就圓滿。圓滿的智慧，圓滿的愛心，圓滿的服務，佛家稱作大圓滿。這樣的人是少，正是善導大師所說的遇緣不同。我們今天很幸運，因緣具足，所以希望同修們要認真努力，我們一切為法界苦難眾生，我們不成就，他們就多受一天苦；我們早日成就，早日為他們服務，他們就早日脫離苦難。要常存此心，勉勵自己，勇猛精進，才能圓滿菩提。

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Whatever is dependently co-arisen is explained to be emptiness. That, being a dependent designation is itself the Middle Way.

— Nāgārjuna

The Missing Self in Buddhism and Psychologyby Asa Hershoff

THE BIG INVESTMENT

A few years ago, a friend of mine was ready, along with his wife, to retire. They had invested their life savings, the work of 20 years, to fund their golden years. Unfortunately, it was with a man named Madoff. In a single moment, they lost it all to this con artist and it was never recovered. What has this to do with the Dharma, mantra recitation, deity visualisation, mahamudra, Dzogchen, or glimpsing the luminosity of ultimate mind? Just like that retirement fund, the Dharma requires a tremendous investment, not only of money but of precious time, effort, thought, dedication, and even sacrifice. So the question becomes, where are we really putting all this energy? Because it is not guaranteed that it will go where it actually belongs, where it can really do us some good.

Flashback to 1982, when I was first contemplating entry into a three-year Vajrayana retreat, I had wrangled the position of a driver for my teacher, the Venerable Kalu Rinpoche. Touring New York, Boston, and points between, it helped that I had purchased a black Citroen that Rinpoche would have been familiar with from his extended time in France. One day, while giving a French student a ride, I asked when he planned on undertaking a retreat since at that time this was the logical path for Kalu Rinpoche’s students. In broken English, he spoke words that still ring in my ear: “Well, I’m not very impressed with the result.”

Indeed, I have known individuals who have done six-year retreats, and Eastern lamas who have done a cumulative 20 years in caves and isolated huts, and who were variously arrogant, self-important, self-centred, vindictive, or manipulative. There are cases of people who have abandoned the Dharma altogether after a three-year retreat, while others have committed suicide. As is public knowledge — and my unfortunate personal experience — a rare few seasoned Tibetan meditators have been sexual predators or out and out thieves, even black magicians.

Yet the same teachings and practices have clearly helped transform Western Dharma students and Eastern teachers into their best selves, beacons of compassion, integrity, inner strength, and impartiality. Meditation and mindfulness can save minds, save lives, and eradicate negativity and suffering. But there are also modern mindfulness masters who are self-satisfied, arrogant and engage in “virtue signalling” rather than actual virtue. So what gives? How can the very same Dharma produce such different results in different hands or minds? We can just shrug it off as individual differences, or karma, or pre-existing mental pathology. But there may be a more precise issue that we can put our finger on and perhaps do something about.

UNRAVELLING A MYSTERY

It comes back to where we invest, or “who” we are investing in; what part of us is receiving the Dharma, what part of us is penetrated by the ideas, practices, and experiences that encompass the path of Buddhism. To answer that question requires a dip into psychology, that vast repository of thinking on the nature of our relative self — not just our ultimate nature. This opens up to a much bigger issue, one central to psychology and spirituality alike, and why, in a sense, our entire culture has made a “bad investment” and continues to do so. It simply invests in the wrong self. But so can Buddhists, because both have overlooked the “missing self.” In many ways, the whole problem of humanity is a case of mistaken identity!

Back in 1982, John Welwood, a psychologist and student of Chogam Trungpa noticed a phenomenon he termed spiritual bypassing, which he defined as “using spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks.” This could take the form of self-inflation or deflation, specialness or self-blame. He noted, rightly, that there are two lines of human development: becoming a genuine human person versus going beyond the person altogether. Theoretically, these parallel lines of development may come to a single point on some event horizon. But staying a dysfunctional person for untold lifetimes does not seem to accelerate that theoretical convergence.

Centuries before Welwood used this term, the old Zen masters of Japan used the term “the stink of Zen” to describe those who developed a persona of specialness while taking on the external trappings and activities of a monk, but without any internal shift. Seon Roshi and others used this term freely with their Western students as clearly this problem is endemic to spiritual training. Welwood even goes so far as to call it an “occupational hazard” of meditation.

But we are still left with an unanswered question about what it means to fix oneself on a psychological level so that we can progress on a spiritual level. The growing field of Buddhist psychology may offer some solutions. But there may be an even more direct and elegant answer from an unexpected source.

THE MISSING SELF IN PSYCHOLOGY

I was always intrigued by the idea of the 25 cent gasket that disrupted the launch of a billion-dollar spaceship. The devil is in the details, and when foundational details are wrong — as anyone who has done any accounting knows — the errors carry through to all the future calculations. A few foundations block out of place at the bottom of our building, and that edifice can become a leaning tower of Pisa.

That was my impression of modern psychology after I came across a startling book, back in my pre-Buddhist days of the late 1970s. Within the pages of In Search of the Miraculous, G. I. Gurdjieff was quoted as saying: “Essence is the real in man, Personality is the false.” He described in detail how we have a basic nature, with its constitutional predispositions and tendencies, with our real potential, purpose, and destiny. What Trungpa called Basic Sanity or Basic Goodness is basically Essence, or is at least a core characteristic of this underlying stratum of our identity. Secondly, we develop, from an early age, a programmed, socialised, culturally moulded self in order to interface with the world.

Gurdjieff termed this Personality, but to avoid confusion with modern definitions, I use the word Persona, i.e. a mask or artificial facade. Having a common interface with other human beings (including language) is essential, but it should be a vehicle or a tool of our authentic Essence. In most cases that artificial construct, with no real existence of its own, is dominant while Essence is left to wallow and wither, without nourishment. Unfortunately, the whole of our modern consumer society is Persona-based, where image and impressions far, far outweigh the force of presence and being. Essence is neither promoted nor supported in most cases. It is style over substance, sizzle over steak.

THE CONFLICTED SELVES

The Persona cannot grow and mature; it can only upgrade. A new way of speaking, a tweaked set of beliefs, different facial expressions, different emotional tones, and a new “sense of identity” can all be adopted or manufactured. Persona can have the guise of an activist, a doctor, an expert, a Buddhist. The forms are creatively infinite. Essence is that part that can grow, mature, develop, even transform. It is automatically connected to the spiritual self. And as Essence matures, it can form a True Persona, one that is fully congruent and accurately reflects who we really are, reflecting our life’s purpose and unique gifts. But it is also true that the cobbled together Persona has little or nothing in common with Essence. False Persona, once in ascendancy, is not happy to give up its artificial status. How and why we move from Essence to a Persona-based life is well beyond this short essay, but is a question that should stay prominent in one’s mind. It is the key that unlocks an understanding of the human condition.

Although the idea of a True Self has not gone unnoticed by psychologists such as Rollo May, Irvin Yalom, Karen Horney, and C. G,. Jung, or some in the fields of positive psychology, social psychology, personality theory and the study of authenticity, mainstream psychology stubbornly takes the self to be one solid block. That fundamental miscalculation means that all research, reportage, surveys, statistics, and working models of traits, self-schema, self-view, developmental theory, and so on, are based on the assumption of this monolithic “personality.” This is the 25-cent part that dooms the planned interplanetary reaches of psychology. The same goes for the thriving field of self-help. But how does this impact our Dharma practice?

THE MISSING SELF IN SPIRITUALITY

Spiritual systems in general, including Buddhism, portray a duality of mind. There is an ultimate being, a non-dual, non-local luminous consciousness that underlies our limited, subject-object experience of relative reality. And then there is our familiar mundane self. Often this is identified as the “ego,” a term oddly borrowed from Freud, who defined it quite differently. As such we have a two-self system in Buddhism (or you can call it a self and non-self system). Ego is the tyrant who usurps our spiritual self, the “narrow cell of your false identity.” It obscures our Buddha-nature, the spacious consciousness that transcends this localised identity. Yet we know our state can vary from mechanical, unaware sleepwalking through life, to an awakening, highly attuned awareness of one’s own being and the vibrant world around us. Something big is lost when we lump everything about our normal state together and pathologise it. And something bad happens when we think we have to transcend, eliminate, or leap over that self. Because there are two very different creatures living in that egoistic self: Essence and Persona. Essence is the bridge to the spirit.

THE NEXT STEP

Spiritual bypassing, and the stink of Zen, are both instances in which the Dharma enters Persona, but does not penetrate Essence. There is a third self, neither “ego” nor pure luminous consciousness, which if ignored, hobbles both modern psychology and Buddhism from fulfilling their grand promises. Indeed, it appears that becoming Essence-centred is the only healthy way toward spiritual development. Trungpa, Welwood, and thousands of other teachers have ways of helping drop down into Essence temporarily. If this mechanism was better understood, we would have a much better chance of living there. So does your Dharma practice enter Persona . . . or Essence?

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There have been many Buddhas before me and will be many Buddhas in the future.

— The Buddha

于身无所取,于修无所著,于法无所住梦参老和尚

咱们拜佛也好，礼忏、念经也好，一天当中上殿过堂的，里头夹着毒素。所谓毒素，就是还有贪瞋痴，起心动念，不清净的地方太多了。吃饭的时候，今天很合口味，不知不觉就多吃两口；那不好吃的，勉强哪，差不多就算了，这里面都有爱憎。有时候发脾气，不敢跟人家发，在心里发，自己跟自己过不去。

这个事明明不晓得，根本不会，在很多人面前，怕失掉面子，勉强装会；不会的却装会，不懂装懂。因为在没得到清净的梵行之前，你的三业不会清净的。虽然也接受法，接受佛，接受僧，也皈依三宝，但这里头有毒素；毒素就是不纯，里头夹杂着爱染、爱见。为什么经过很多劫数都不能成道？成分不纯，不是清净行。

如果你能够放下，这样观察，“于身无所取，于修无所著，于法无所住”，过去已经过去了，不再思念。没有一个人不留恋过去的，因为做个梦，他会想起很多事，也许会想好几天；做个坏梦，也会恐惧好几天。为什么？过去的不能消灭掉。过去就过去了，还是不能截断；未来呢？没有一个人不会想未来的，将来我会怎么样等等，这也包括我们修道者在内。

一下想住住茅蓬，一下又想清净清净，人多了，烦乱修不成。那你就去住茅蓬去修吧! 一个人去修又害怕，三两个人又打闲岔，那怎么办呢? 就这样，反反复复，多生累劫都这样。大家共住吧，嫌着约束，一个人静住吧，又懈怠，又恐怖；一年又一年，一辈子又一辈子，无量劫就这么过来了。如果你执著，于法乐住，喜欢的，就专持哪一法，不喜欢的就排斥。这些执著，每个修道者都有，还不用说到不修道者。

《梵行品》是专门为出家人说的。为什么？去除你的执著，你执著的不得了，就不能够随缘，一随缘就变了。达到随缘不变，那你必须观，观身无所取，那身业就没有了；观修无所著是意业，意业也没有了。对于一切法无所住，无所住就不执著，一切法都不执著。佛说一切法，就是要你不执著；可是我们学哪一法就执著在哪一法上，不能梵行。梵行并不是说什么都不动，专门落于空寂，那成断灭了，不是那样的意思。

梵行清净是指什么? 是把你那个心洗干净。相信你这个心跟佛无二无别，那就非得用梵行，一切无著。当你面对持戒犯戒，修与不修，会有另一种看法。

以前有一位师父，他有两个徒弟，其中一个大徒弟，已经深入修行了，可是外表没有显现出来，外相就是睡大觉。另外一个小徒弟非常精明，看不起不聪明的师兄，“这个家伙，出家干什么？一天懒惰得要死！”不过他师父是知道的，非常重视大徒弟。这个小徒弟自以为很聪明，就很不满。

有一次他的师父就试验这个小徒弟，拿个夜壶，老年人夜间尿尿用品，那个夜壶是瓷的，他师父就让他小徒弟洗。洗一遍，他师父说不干净，再洗，洗两遍，还是不干净，再洗。洗了好多遍了，拿来总是不干净，他就没办法了，“师父，我洗不好了。”“你洗不好，找你师兄去洗。”

嘿，他就烦恼了，“我洗这么多遍都洗不好，他一天睡大觉，他会洗得好？我看他怎么洗？”他就拿那瓷的夜壶给他的师兄洗。他师兄在那膝盖上一顶，把这瓷夜壶翻过来了，再去洗，一洗就干净了，翻过来还不干净吗？这时候他才知道他的师兄是真正有德行的，真人不现相，现相就不是真人了。

你从外相看，你看不出来哪个好哪个坏，得从本质上看。你看这位师兄对什么事都糊里糊涂的，因为他什么都不执著。这个小徒弟很精灵的，就是因为他太执著了，他才精灵。懂得这个道理吗? 你以为他在睡大觉，其实是在观心呢!

不要在相上执著。看看自己的念头，一天都起什么念；念头要是什么都不执著，就是清净的。你要是看什么执著什么，一句话也放不下。看着一点事，牵涉你的放不下，那还可以，因为涉及你的自利。不干你的事，你也跟着搅乱，放不下，你说你不是糊里糊涂，麻烦吗？

这不只是说话，而是检查你的行为，身所做的，有时候都不是真切的，心所想的才是真切的。身口是被指挥者，它有个识，指挥它的是识，你把识降伏住了，虽然不行，还是得降伏这个心。识是被心所指挥的，心的层次太多了，共有四十二个。咱们现在从十住、十行开始，乃至于到十回向，十地，十一地；佛，不是那么容易成就的。

念诵《梵行品》，不用五分钟就可以念完了，要是去做，你要从凡夫地证到成佛。咱们讲的都是佛的境界、大菩萨的境界，一发心就成正觉了，这样的菩萨境界，能示现百劫作佛；可是我们的心，还没有完全梵行，唯佛与佛才能究竟梵行，不要把这个问题看简单了。

我们怎么办呢? 咱们从净行达到梵行，先修持文殊菩萨所教授的一百四十一愿，再达到法慧菩萨所说的，一切无所著，这个时候功德就大了。是什么功德呢? 发菩提心。发菩提心成佛，并不是那么容易的，读读《梵行品》就知道了。

要是我们做任何事都不执著，那就像一个痴呆似的，像傻子似的，其实并不傻。中国有句话，大智若愚，智能越大的，你看他像傻子一样。他就是傻，小事不注意，大事不糊涂；越大的事，清楚得很，小事他根本不在意，要这样去修行。

我们一天当中就执著穿衣、吃饭、人我关系，要是把心放在这个上头，怎么能修道呢？怎么能清净呢？贪瞋痴放下了，戒定慧才能生起；戒定慧能生起了，你才能够一切无著。这并不是不持戒，而是他持戒达到这种程度了，不持而持，不再作意了，他不会犯戒的。

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To use your mind in a natural way means to avoid trying to control it. The more you try to control your mind, the more stray thoughts will come up to bother you.

— Venerable Sheng Yen

Doing What Has to Be Doneby Prof. David Dale Holmes

Insight wisdom provides the power of mind to see and understand that all things are impermanent.

The development of insight wisdom is a gradual awakening process in which, over time and through persistent practise, we gradually begin to see arising phenomena — one mind-object after another. We come to see how all perceptual phenomena are insubstantial and not as real or as solid they seem or appear to be.

This is true not only of big things but also of small things, such as subtle mental-sense impressions as they impinge upon our minds.

They tingle our perceptions, making them seem as we wish them to be or do not wish them to be ─ especially when we are foolhardy enough to allow ourselves to go grasping after whatever we vainly think will be satisfying in the fleeting-nebulous illusions of sense perception.

Further, we need insight to develop the clear, incisive knowledge and wisdom necessary to see through the clever, sly, subtle tricks of the sense aggregates as being nothing more than biased, bursting energy bundles.

They try to fool the mind, to deceive it into perceiving arising phenomena in the way that the aggregates want to be seen, so that they can get their greedy hooks into resultant, arising feeling levels of delusive sense awareness.

Because of the power of these sly tricks of the sense aggregates, we urgently need to develop and depend on keen alertness and active mindfulness to constantly guard the doors of the six senses to the city of the mind. This city is teeming and swarming with hoards of deceptive appearances and phantasms after which the untrained mind will, consciously or unconsciously, want to chase and grasp in order to devour and enjoy or crush and kill.

Indeed, we crucially need to develop and depend on the combined defensive forces of sila, sati, and nana (right conduct, awareness, and insight knowledge), all working together to secure the citadel of the mind. Working to stand as mental forces and serve as guards against approaching deceptive apparitions, which have the potential during incautious mental lapses to penetrate security, when the mind is unconsciously relaxed and unguarded and then slips back into old habits.

We must note, also, that the normal worldly mind can become defensive and aggressive when it is compulsively grasping after tempting illusions and sensations. It aggressively dislikes being curbed or hindered.

It wants what it wants, and it does not easily tolerate anything getting in its way. This is why it becomes agitated, aggravated, and sometimes even out of control when things don’t turn out the way the unruly mind desires them to be. It may even act with defiance and violence against anything trying to control and train it to change its ways.

So how do we become trainers of the mind?

The untrained mind is much like a monkey or a child that grasps at things, following the momentary impulses of the eye. It sees and wants, even though, in reality, such impulses to grasp and clutch onto everything in sight are just momentary, empty sense perceptions and phantasms that bring no ultimate satisfaction.

The Buddha made the ingenious analogy that although the normal mind is naughty and greedy and uncontrolled, it can be compared to a wild elephant or stallion, which resists being controlled. However, the wild elephant or stallion has the potential to be calmed and tamed and eventually trained to become a beneficial and useful friend. We may come to see ourselves as similar to such an elephant or stallion, and when we do, we will know what to do, without anyone telling us how. The decision becomes ours alone.

When we are beginning to try to develop the mind, it is not easy. At first, we are very unskilled and have little success in controlling our impulsive, stubborn, grasping tendencies.

But then, as we slowly begin to understand the ever-recurring dangers that impulsiveness and compulsiveness inevitably cause, we begin and continue to develop the capacity for judgement (discernment) through direct observation and experience of what is a beneficial action and what is not, and what the result will be.

To reiterate, cultivating insight knowledge means slowly developing wisdom through the experience of knowing what is beneficial and what is not beneficial. What brings fulfilment and happiness and what brings a lack of fulfilment and unhappiness. This invariably leaves a person who is accustomed to worldly grasping with a sense of letdown expectations and disappointment will inevitably follow in its train.

To pinpoint the source of delusion more precisely, the mind watching the mind eventually recognises that the illusion of what we, at first, falsely considered to be “our mind” or “our thoughts” or “our self” is actually nothing more than another impermanent, accumulating aggregate of elusive sensations; impressions, impulses, and desires arising and ceasing.

The detached mind watching the mind eventually comes to realise that what we have always considered to be “our mind” ─ working away in a worldly way ─ is just another impermanent accumulation or bundle of interacting perceptual phenomena, lacking any actual abiding reality.

The point is succinct, yet it is not so easy to see.

When the mind watching the mind sees that there is no “our self,” no “our mind,” no “our thoughts” as an independent entity, then, with time and discernment, the mind gradually comes to realise that there are only the flashing instants of mind watching mind. It becomes clear through insight that the mind is, in fact, only a tool to be used in a process of observation and analysis, and then to be laid down and set aside once its task of locating and sorting and dissolving the delusions of phenomenal existence has been accomplished.

When we are young, our minds are untrained and we are unwise and unskillful and follow every whim. But as we become older and wiser, we keep learning from our mistakes and become more skilful in directing our choices and actions.

As we become older and more experienced, some of us who have learned about the powers of mindfulness begins practising insight meditation as a way to be more watchful, to learn to mend and mind our ways. And, as we become more skilful in discernment, we begin to know how to choose which actions will be constructive and which will not.

Some of us who are disposed of thereto will seek a teacher who can guide us in following the Buddha’s instructions, as outlined in the Pali Canon. We will then go on to do what we need to do; to seek a way through the tangle of the tangle. To clear the path of self-made obstacles and hindrances within the jungle of the wild, untamed mind. To try to unravel the seemingly hopelessly entangled networks of insecurities and anxieties related thereto.

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So many a time people come and ask me: “My guru, where is he?”. Many people just feel frustrated that they cannot find a guru. Actually, I think, the problem lies in – ourselves. Because our desire for dharma, it is not correct or it is not pure, therefore we are unable to find a guru, or perhaps we find a guru who isn’t one with virtue, and you find a bunch of people with issues as gurus; and they are not real gurus actually, they are just gurus with issues!

— 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje

 

爱希阿荣博堪布

大乘小乘

做任何事情之前，我们应该问问自己：为什么做这件事？行为的动机就是发心。在修行的时候，发心不仅决定了修行的结果，也在很大程度上影响着我们的见解和修行的过程。

为了获得人天福报而修行，这是下士道人天乘的发心。发善心、做善事，自然会修得善果，下士道非常强调做人要正直善良，因为这是获得人天福报最关键的要素。为了自己能脱离六道轮回的痛苦而修行，是中士道声闻缘觉乘的发心。为了一切众生究竟解脱而立志成就佛果，是上士道大乘的发心，也称为菩提心。

人天乘的出离心表现在厌离三恶道的痛苦，希求今生来世得善趣的安乐；声缘乘和大乘共称为解脱道，声缘乘的出离心表现在厌离轮回的痛苦，希求涅槃的安乐，而大乘则是进一步认识到轮回、涅槃皆为浮想，众生因为妄想、执著而痛苦，由此生起无伪大悲心，希求所有众生断尽无明、究竟解脱。

皈依后是趋入大乘还是趋入小乘，最主要就是看有没有生起利益众生的菩提心。

菩提心以出离心为基础，是对出离心的扩展和深化，不求个人独自解脱，而求众生解脱；不仅摆脱轮回的束缚，还要出离一切无明执著。因此，认为大乘不讲出离心、学大乘可以不修出离心是错误的，没有出离心，菩提心无从谈起。

大乘佛子不要因为自己发心更殊胜，遵循的见地更高，而看不起声缘乘、人天乘的修行人。一般世间有德行的人都值得恭敬，何况天人，他有他的善果。声缘乘修行人发愿不伤害众生，谨言慎行，要做到这一点需要精密严格地持戒，而很多学大乘的人经常轻易就伤害他人，真的应该感到惭愧！

法无大小，人心自有等差。众生的意乐根机不同，不要枉自分别“我是大乘、你是小乘、他是不求解脱的愚夫愚妇”。我们只是更有热情、更有勇气、兴趣更广，而且相信不仅是自己，所有众生都有成佛的潜力而已。时刻检视自己的心，确定自己是为了一切众生的究竟解脱而修行就好。

菩提心

菩提心是一切佛法的精要，是成就佛果的因。要发大愿，发无伪的真心，为无量众生的解脱立誓成佛。

关于菩提心，各教派的历代祖师都有很殊胜的教言，归纳起来就是一位修行人如果具足了菩提心，就具足了所有的佛法功德，所做的一切善法都将成为成就无上佛果之因。

普贤菩萨曾发愿：十方所有诸众生，愿离忧患常安乐，获得甚深正法利，灭除烦恼尽无余。这正是对愿菩提心的具体阐释：其一，希望众生远离挫折、痛苦、磨难，经常感受快乐；其二，希望众生真正趣入正法，信受奉行，由此摆脱轮回的痛苦，并最终灭尽烦恼，成就无上正等觉。

以悲心缘有情，愿一切众生远离苦因及苦果；以智慧缘正等菩提，愿所有众生圆满佛果。只想自己圆满觉悟、不愿帮助众生离苦得乐，这是不合理的假设。圆满觉悟，或者说成就佛果，意味着“智、悲、力”三者圆满。在因地修行时没有悲心，果地也不会有悲心，没有悲心就不叫圆满觉悟。

闻思和修法前,首先检视自己的发心，看看是为了自己，还是为了众生。如果是为了自己，一定要马上纠正。将希望所有众生得到安乐、最终获得佛果作为自己的发心，这才是大乘之道。

在心里发愿为所有众生成佛而修持佛法，发了这个愿以后要不断地修持菩提心，训练自己。不仅仅是修法念诵时，平时心里也要记得常常这样发愿，能使功德不断增上。

哪怕只在佛前供一支香、磕一个头，念一句佛号，绕一圈塔，也要发菩提心，这样我们所有的善根都会成为解脱与成佛之因，有很大的功德。

相续当中一定要生起真实的出离心和菩提心，这样无论闻思还是进入实修，都会很快获得成就。不管做什么功德善业，修什么法门，都不要忘记以出离心和菩提心摄持自己的相续。

具备出离心，修行能得到阿罗汉的果位；具备菩提心，修行能成就佛的果位，否则都只能获得世间福报。没有出离心，无法获得解脱；没有菩提心，即使再精进，哪怕一辈子在山洞里闭关修行，也不可能成佛。就像一个人，没有腿、没有交通工具，甭管想去哪，都实现不了。

辛辛苦苦做了那么多功德，却不是解脱和成佛的因，不是很可惜吗？

八万四千法门最精髓的都在慈悲心和菩提心里。要成就佛果, 没有差错的道路就是菩提心。菩提心的功德几天也讲不完。寂天菩萨说：我们生起菩提心，就像是乞丐在垃圾堆里找到稀世珍宝，它给我们带来无尽的喜悦，满足我们所有的希求。

“菩提心如劫末火，刹那能灭诸恶罪”。生生世世，我们因为无明和烦恼，造过的恶业数也数不清，不生起菩提心，即使很精进地修法，也难以清净全部业障。然而，当我们内心真正生起菩提心的时候，一般的业障会彻底消灭。造过大业的人，比如杀父母等五无间罪，恶业果报成熟堕入地狱一瞬间就能脱离地狱。

如果一个人具有菩提心，不管他是上师还是普通人，我们都应当向他顶礼。

发心有大小而无优劣，每个人可以随自己的因缘发菩提心，只要诚实并且是真心为了众生的解脱，发心无论大小都值得赞叹。

刚入佛门的人立即就生起菩提心可能很困难，但一步步修持，相续中最终一定会生起菩提心。久而久之，造作的发心也能激发真正的菩提心。

根据大乘佛教的教义，菩提心与空性智慧在根本上无二无别。证悟空性和修持菩提心是无法分割的，如果相续中没有生起无伪的菩提心，也不会产生证悟空性的智慧。

在实修当中，树立无我的见解可以帮助激发、巩固菩提心，修持菩提心反过来也是体悟空性最便捷有效的途径。

初学佛者不具备无我的见解也可以先修菩提心，到一定程度时对空性自然就会有所了悟。出家人、在家人，都要修菩提心。

爱自己

佛教徒是决心与自己亲密相处的人。亲密相处有两层含义：一是诚实地觉察自己身、口、意的所有活动，二是柔和地对待自己。

不往内观照，无法真正消除迷惑；不心怀温柔，修行便只剩下受苦。慈悲不仅是针对他人，也针对自己，并且首先是针对自己。缺少对自己的慈悲，很难真正对他人慈悲。

对自己友善并不是放纵自己，因为放纵只会让我们越来越不尊重自己，而不能让我们内心安乐。友善意味着以温和的方式了解自己，带着幽默感去观察自己的傲慢、无知、冷酷、僵硬。

自卑与自负一样，遮蔽了我们的当下，使我们不能清楚地认识自己，同时也阻碍了我们与外界的交流。因为缺乏交流，我们感觉孤单、孤立。

当处于情绪的低谷又孤立、封闭时，我们很容易认为自己比其他人都更悲惨。但是，情况肯定比想象的要好。不要相信有个叫“命运”的家伙在专门跟你作对、故意要整垮你。这个世界上不是只有你失意、无助、没有安全感。你的感受是众生普遍的感受，你并没有被遗弃。

在遇到痛苦挫折时，放掉对自己的担心、怜悯、评断，不再只是在“我对我错、我行我不行”的圈子里打转，放松下来，单纯地去感知自己内心的感受，并且去与外界沟通，欣赏一下花草和晨风，也许痛苦依然强烈，却不会让你窒息、让你绝望到走投无路，因为此时你的心打开了。

自以为是有时也表现为自卑。坚持认为自己一无是处，在任何情况下都不改变这个观点，这不是自以为是又是什么？

在开放的心中怀着敬意看待自己当下的体验，尊重自己的洞见，不否认自己的缺点和过失，也不认为自己一无是处而失去内心的庄严。即使面对自己的狭隘、冷漠、混乱，依然不忘记知足和感恩。

只有不放弃自己，才会不放弃他人；只有尊重自己内心的感受，才会愿意去体念他人的感受；只有相信自己觉悟的潜力，才会相信他人觉悟的潜力，并因此走上大乘菩萨道。

你我他

菩提心的训练之所以可能，是因为我们看到万物相互依存、息息相关的事实。

耗费一生精力企图在自己与外界之间砌一道围墙的做法是徒劳的，而这种徒劳带来的挫败感让我们很不快乐。

我们的信念、理想、价值观什么的往往被利用来强化自我、排斥他人，不信就看看吵架的、冲突的、战争的各方，没有一个不认为自己有理的。

自以为是不仅割离了我们与当下，而且还使我们更容易受侵犯，也更容易侵犯别人。在观察自己的过程中，如果我们足够诚实和专注，就会发现很多时候我们都在不知不觉中伤害了自己和他人。

我们排斥他人什么，实际上正反映出我们排斥自己什么。如果你认为别人不会理解你，说明你根本不想去理解别人；如果你讨厌别人贫穷，说明你害怕自己贫穷；如果你排斥别人的浅薄、狭隘、冷漠，说明你不想面对自己身上的这些东西。所以，我们只有不排斥别人才能接受自己。

每个人都有良善的一面，也有黑暗的一面。只要内心还有执著，就不能避免对人对己的伤害，嫌恶那些无明习气更重的人，就像是五十步笑百步。

正是因为全社会都极力推崇分别心，人与人之间才会这样疏离，世界才会这样四分五裂。分别心使我们用孤立、分离的眼光看待事物，万事万物之间的联结便在我们眼中消失了，所以我们很难以包容的心面对世界，而且相信自私就是利己。

修行是修养仁爱、宽容、谦让、与人为善等等能给自他带来安乐的精神品质，也就是说，要关注其他生命的福祉，并且自觉调整自身行为以让其他众生感到安适快乐。

依靠佛法的正知正见，我们调整自己对人生和世界的态度以及为人处事的方式，从狭隘、僵硬、矛盾重重到宽阔、温柔、和谐圆融，从伤害自己伤害他人到帮助、利乐一切众生，从痛苦到安乐，从轮回到解脱。

有人不知道怎样印证自己的修行是否有偏差，方法其实很简单：看看你的“自我”是否依然强大，你与他人、与世界之间的界分感是否依旧强烈。

亲密的人之间往往有太多执著，心里会有许多期望和要求，要求对方完全理解、欣赏、领受、符合我们的心意，不然便感觉失落、痛苦。 对亲近的人，我们并不缺少爱，而是缺少宽容和放松。

既是有缘做一家人，就彼此珍惜、尊重，不要试图用贪爱去束缚对方，由爱生怨、由怨生恨，枉自荒废珍宝人生。

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Thoughts come and go like a thief in an empty house. There is nothing to be gained or lost.

— Mahasiddha Padampa Sangye