业的转化益西彭措堪布

如果我们造下定、不定业，是否只能被动地感受果报呢？当然，如不依对治力，业不会有丝毫的减弱，定要毫厘不爽地感果。但如依四种对治力忏悔，则可以使重业减轻，轻业变无。

四种对治力即：依止力、破恶力、恢复力、对治力。依止力，如人误服毒后，需依医治疗，造罪之人应归依三宝，发菩提心，然后观想诸佛菩萨的种种功德庄严来忏悔业障；破恶力，如误服毒物之人极想将毒物吐出，造罪之人从内心深处发露忏悔，没有覆藏心；恢复力，如误服毒物的人发誓再也不吃毒物，造罪之人发誓纵遇命难亦不复造罪业；对治力，如误服毒物的人，为了疗毒需服药物，造罪之人以精勤行善，念诵金刚萨埵心咒等来清净罪障。

下面进一步讲述四种对治力。

一、依止力分外依止力和内依止力，外依止力即如理观想诸佛菩萨，内依止力指归依和发心。总之，依止力是归依三宝、忆念三宝功德，诚心祈祷三宝以清净罪障。忏悔时当为一切众生清净业障成就正等觉果位发起无伪的菩提心，从而将往昔的一切罪障彻底清净。如《入行论》云：“如人虽犯极重罪，然依勇士得除畏，依靠何者速解脱，彼者善人何不依？菩提心如劫末火，刹那能毁诸重罪。”

二、破恶力：应对自己所造的罪业生起后悔心，发露忏悔，不覆不藏。如果没有强烈的追悔心，单单口头上改悔，罪业不能得以清净。《弥勒狮吼论》云：“无知所造罪，一切当忏悔，智者若忏悔，不与业同住。”

三、恢复力：发誓今后不再造罪业，指静息十种不善业等。《毗奈耶广释》云：“若无诚意防护之心，所行悔罪，唯有空言。”《入行论》云：“断尽恶心时，说为戒度圆。”所以防护自心后不再作恶业至为重要。

四、对治力：指尽力行持善行以对治所造恶业。所依善法分六：(一)依止甚深经典，指受持读诵般若波罗密多等契经；(二)依胜解空性，指趣入无我空性，安住本来清净的空性，依空性见可灭除种种罪障；(三)依形象，指对佛、菩萨具足信心，造立经像；(五)依供养，指对佛像及佛塔作种种供养；(六)依名号，指听闻受持念诵诸佛名号、诸大菩萨名号。

初学者依靠四种对治力忏悔，便可将感生恶趣的重业转变，或令变成感受轻微苦，或使虽生恶趣但不领受恶趣诸苦，或者现身稍受头痛等即得清净。又使应长时受报的，变为短时受报或全不受报。消除罪业的程度要看净修之人力量大小——是否圆满具足四对治力，忏悔之力猛烈与否，时间相续是长久还是短促，等等差别无有一定。

或疑：经云：“众生之诸业，百劫不毁灭，因缘聚合时，其果定成熟。”此处讲所造罪业经由四对治力忏悔，便能清净，不感果报，如是二者岂不自相矛盾？

答：如果未以四对治力忏悔对治，无因无缘业果定无空耗之理。但如以四力对治，虽是定业亦能清净，何况不定业。因由忏悔及防护等，能破坏感异熟果之种子的功能，虽遇余缘，也必定不能感发异熟果。此与由生邪见或由嗔恚摧毁善根同理。

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As long as we don’t recognise our real nature, we suffer. When we recognise our nature, we become free from suffering.

— Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

An Extensive Commentary on the Four Immeasurablesby Buddhagupta

Loving-kindness, compassion,
Sympathetic joy, and equanimity —
How to cultivate with diligence
These great immeasurables, I shall now explain.

Focusing on immeasurable sentient beings brings about immeasurable accumulations, immeasurable qualities, and immeasurable primordial wisdom.

IMMEASURABLE SENTIENT BEINGS

We cannot calculate the total number of sentient beings, saying, “This is how many there are in the three realms.” And sentient beings are thus said to be immeasurable. As the Bhagavān said in the Noble Sūtra Teaching the Great Compassion of the Tathāgatas:

Son of a noble family, the sentient beings living in a space the size of a chariot wheel, visible to a Tathāgata, are extremely numerous. But the gods and humans throughout the world systems of the vast billionfold universe are not like that: the realms of these imperceptible sentient beings are immeasurable.

Therefore, as the immeasurable realms of sentient beings are beyond comprehension, sentient beings are said to be immeasurable.

You might wonder: when cultivating the immeasurables, how should we focus on immeasurable sentient beings and meditate?

All sentient beings of the three realms have been circling throughout the higher and lower abodes throughout beginningless time based on the power of their individual karma. As there is not a single one who, in the course of this wandering, has not been close to us many hundreds or thousands of times, think: “These are my loved ones!” And abide in equanimity, extending the four immeasurables to all sentient beings. This is what is known as focusing on immeasurable sentient beings.

IMMEASURABLE ACCUMULATIONS

The immeasurable accumulations are those of merit and wisdom. All four immeasurables are, in this sense, the cause, since they are the cause or essence of generating boundless gatherings of both merit and wisdom. Thus, in the sūtras, the Bhagavān also says:

Son of a noble family, to make offerings to someone who is meditating on the samādhi of loving-kindness, and who has not yet risen from his or her seat, creates immeasurable merit.

If so much merit can be gained simply by offering gifts to one who is training in immeasurable loving kindness and the rest, what need is there to mention actually practising these immeasurables and meditating on them for oneself? The amount of merit generated thereby will be far, far greater.

This is how immeasurable stores of merit and wisdom are produced. These then serve to generate a boundless collection of qualities, which, in turn, yields limitless wisdom.

IMMEASURABLE QUALITIES

Immeasurable qualities are the great attributes of enlightenment, such as the powers, the fearlessnesses and the rest. They are the result of the accumulation of merit and wisdom gained through abiding in the four immeasurables. As this is what brings about the great qualities of enlightenment, we must earnestly apply ourselves to these four immeasurables.

IMMEASURABLE PRIMORDIAL WISDOM

These four dharmas — the four immeasurables — are the focal object of the Tathāgatas’ immeasurable primordial wisdom. Alternatively, it can be explained that primordial wisdom itself abides in the state of, or as the essence of, the four dharmas of loving kindness and the rest. This is what is meant when we speak of a sphere of experience, or essence, in which the object of cognition is inseparable from cognitive awareness itself.

LOVING-KINDNESS

At the stage of ‘devoted conduct’, a bodhisattva experiences the “four factors of ascertainment”: attainment of appearance, enhancement of appearance, partial engagement in the meaning of suchness, and the unobstructed samādhi. For those bodhisattvas who experience these four factors of ascertainment, the gods, humans, pretas and the like, as well as the realms of hell-beings, are all directly perceptible to their heightened faculties. When they see these gods, humans and others, as well as the beings in the lower realms whose very nature is suffering, these bodhisattvas feel particularly strong compassion for them. At the same time, they realise that these beings have been circling in saṃsāra throughout beginningless time, and, therefore, have all, without exception, been their close relations. As a consequence, they feel great loving kindness towards them all, caring for them as if they were their very own children. They make aspirations that all sentient beings may be liberated from suffering and experience only happiness, and they act to benefit all beings. This is known as loving-kindness focused on sentient beings.

Bodhisattvas on the first to the seventh bhūmis generate loving kindness towards sentient beings by directly realising the nature of things. Although all phenomena lack any true nature, sentient beings fail to realise this, and, by tightly clinging to things as real, they circulate throughout the three realms. These bodhisattvas, therefore, feel loving kindness towards the beings who suffer in this way. They make aspirations that they might realise the true nature, and they act to benefit all beings through the Dharma. This is known as loving-kindness focused on phenomena.

From the eighth bodhisattva bhūmi onwards, up and including the attainment of enlightenment, corresponds to the level of “spontaneous accomplishment, free of focus”. From the eighth bhūmi, bodhisattvas generate loving kindness towards sentient beings while acting for their benefit spontaneously and without thought. They act for beings as in the examples of a precious, wish-fulfilling jewel or a wish-granting tree. Although these bodhisattvas are without ordinary thoughts, great loving-kindness still arises spontaneously through the power of their past aspirations, and they act to bring benefit to beings. This is known as loving-kindness free of focus.

How, then, do ordinary beings, who are just beginning, train in loving kindness that is focused on sentient beings? An ordinary beginner should meditate on loving-kindness focused on sentient beings according to the following stages.

There are three types of sentient beings: 1) those one cherishes, 2) those one is indifferent towards, and 3) those one dislikes. Cherished sentient beings can then be further subdivided into three: greater, middling, and lesser. Likewise, those one is indifferent towards and those one dislikes can also be subdivided into the three categories of greater, middling, and lesser. So, in all, there are nine divisions.

At first, visualise someone you cherish in a middling way and practice feeling towards them just as you do towards those you cherish greatly, such as your own parents. Once you are familiar with this, visualise all those to whom you are indifferent, and practice feeling towards them just as you do towards those you cherish most. Then visualise those you mildly dislike and practice feeling towards them just as you do towards those you cherish most. Once you are used to this, visualise someone you dislike in a middling way and practice feeling towards them as you do towards those you cherish most. Then finally consider those you really dislike and train in feeling towards them the kind of love you feel for your own parents.

Through this, we can train in focusing on all sentient beings, who, throughout the course of beginningless time, have been dear to us and have even been our own parents. And, as we train in this way, even though we begin by focusing on just the members of our own family, we gradually extend the practice until it is infinite.

COMPASSION

Compassion focused on sentient beings who are suffering is the compassionate wish to dispel the sufferings of all beings, who are plagued by the three sufferings (of suffering upon suffering, and the rest) or the eight sufferings (of birth, and so on).

Compassion focused on sentient beings who do wrong is the compassionate wish to eliminate all the harmful actions of beings whose conduct is unvirtuous, as they are the root or cause of the sufferings just mentioned.

Compassion focused on sentient beings who are not completely liberated as they lack the necessary conditions is directed towards those who cannot hear the Dharma as they lack a spiritual teacher. As it says in a tantra, “Those who don’t follow a teacher, who don’t hear the Dharma, and who aren’t liberated, are freed through compassion.”

SYMPATHETIC JOY

Sympathetic joy is a delight in the various kinds of wealth that sentient beings possess: material riches, the Dharma, and happiness.

Sympathetic joy focused on perfectly gathering the accumulations is the joy that we feel towards our own great gatherings of virtue.

Sympathetic joy focused on the taste of sacred Dharma is the joy we feel when we (and others) experience the taste of hearing the Dharma, or the taste of contemplation and meditation.

EQUANIMITY

Those who act for the welfare of sentient beings should have equanimity towards the fortunate and the unfortunate alike. Rather than discriminating, by acting only for the benefit of the fortunate and never for the unfortunate, we should act for the benefit of both in equal measure.

The expression “eight worldly concerns, including gain and loss” also refers to happiness and suffering, praise and criticism, renown and obscurity. Being neither delighted nor upset by these situations, we should remain in equanimity. These eight worldly concerns are so-called because they are well known to, and found among, the mundane.

How do we maintain equanimity with regard to these eight concerns?

Suppose you acquire great wealth or possessions: do not allow yourself to become too elated or attached to them. Conversely, if your wealth or possessions decline or you fail to acquire any, do not feel despondent or sad. This is known as equanimity that is free from happiness and sorrow in the face of gain and loss.

Even if someone you are attracted to were to anoint your body with perfume, sandalwood and the like, to caress you, and to treat you with honour and respect, you must not become overjoyed or attached to such pleasures. And even if an enemy were to abuse you physically, by beating and striking you, you must not become angry. Instead, joyfully accept the pain of being struck and beaten, rather than concentrating on the suffering. This is known as equanimity that is free from happiness and sorrow in the face of joy and suffering.

If a friend were to praise you with sweet words, describing you in glowing terms, you shouldn’t feel delighted or think of yourself as superior. Whereas, if an enemy were to discover your faults and proclaim them, you shouldn’t become sad or depressed. This is known as equanimity that is free from happiness and sorrow in the face of praise and criticism.

Even if many people come to hear and know of your talents, don’t take delight in this acknowledgement of your attributes, thinking, “Now that so many people know of my good qualities, I will surely become famous and never be forgotten!” Alternatively, if few people ever hear of or acknowledge your qualities, don’t feel sad, thinking, “My qualities are overlooked. What a pity!” This is known as equanimity that is free from happiness and sorrow in the face of recognition and non-recognition of one’s qualities.

“Accumulations” refers to the accumulations of merit and wisdom already explained above. Equanimity in regard to gathering the accumulations on special and ordinary occasions means that we shouldn’t differentiate, thinking, “I shall practise virtuous accumulations on this occasion, but not at other times.” Instead, we must practise virtue at all times.

In reference to all the meditative training
In the four immeasurables, the ‘Brahmic’ states,
I have composed and set this down for beings’ sake:
May all be unobscured, swiftly to awaken!

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As a flower that is lovely, beautiful, and scent-laden, even so, fruitful is the well-spoken word of one who practises it.

— The Buddha

佛之真义净空法师

【何谓佛】

学佛人首先要明确的认识“佛”。“佛”是梵文音译，意思是圆满的智慧、究竟的觉悟。智慧、觉悟达到究竟圆满的人，就称之为“佛”，所以佛不是神仙。

中国古代教育的目标是“希圣希贤”，希望作圣人、作贤人，而圣贤与富贵、功名、权势是毫无关系的。孔老夫子是个平民，晚年从事于教学的工作，在中国历史上尊称他为“至圣先师”。就如同释迦牟尼佛在印度被尊称为“佛”，佛有究竟圆满的智慧，也就是说他明白宇宙人生的真相，通达因果变化的道理，这在中国称之为“圣人”，所以圣人与佛的意思是相通的。

【智慧】

佛的教学枢纽，就是“破迷开悟”。觉悟之后，在大宇宙中，自己就能做得了主宰。所以，佛家是以智慧作主，因为智慧才能解决一切问题。圣贤的教育，可说都是智慧的教育。因为智慧开了，自然就离苦得乐。此乐不是富贵之乐，不是名闻利养、五欲六尘享受之乐。释迦牟尼佛一生三衣一钵，日中一食，树下一宿，他是真乐！孔老夫子的学生颜回，在物质生活上贫困不堪，“一箪食，一瓢饮，在陋巷，人不堪其忧，回也不改其乐”。用竹篓盛饭，以葫芦瓢当茶杯，这样的生活，一般人认为是苦不堪言，颜回却能过得很快乐。所以，离苦得乐不是改变我们生活的方式，而是完全在心境上做一个大转变。明白这些道理，所谓是“心安理得”；安是得定，清净心现前就快乐了。

其实，养这个身很容易，身的需要不多，所以有智慧、聪明之人，决不为这个身去造罪业。反而是愈简单的生活，愈健康。何以会健康？快乐，所谓“人逢喜事精神爽”，人只要遇到自己欢喜的事情，就特别有精神。什么事情是最欢喜的？明白宇宙人生的大道理，这是最欢喜的。这种欢喜、快乐称为“法喜充满”，是从内心里发出来的，而不是外来的，还能永远保持。何以故？自性觉是无有穷尽的，天天觉悟，年年觉悟，时时觉悟，处处觉悟，当然快乐！外面五欲六尘的享受，那是刺激，那种乐是无常的，不能常久保持，所以称为“坏苦”。

“佛”不但对现前清楚、明了，对过去无始、未来无终也都清楚、明了。他生于富贵是富贵佛，生于贫贱是贫贱佛，富贵、贫贱与他毫不相干。所以，不论是贫贱还是富贵，作佛的快乐是相同的、是平等的，决不是说富贵人快乐多一点，贫穷人快乐少一点。功名、富贵、权势有也好，没有也好，他都能自在随缘的度日。由此可知，唯有佛法，能带给一切众生，真实究竟圆满的幸福。诸佛菩萨证得了，证得就是他真的得到了。

诸佛菩萨在哪里？各行各业都有。《华严经》“善财童子五十三参”，有男女老少、各行各业，他们都觉悟、明白了，所以他们都是佛菩萨。学佛一定要对“佛”的概念清楚、明白，这非常重要。若不清楚、不明白，那就是迷信，迷信决定与智慧相违背，为世人所厌弃。

虽然世间人厌弃迷信，可是实际上迷信的人很多。世间人喜欢觉悟、智慧，可是真正觉悟、有智慧的人并不多。这个趋向不只现前如是，过去如此，未来还如是。正因为事实如是，我们才肯定圣贤教育，必定能够恢弘广大，普利一切众生，佛法讲是普度一切众生，因为这是众生所希求的。佛法何以不能推广？“大智度论”云：“佛法无人说，虽智莫能解”，因为说的人太少了，没有人推行。

什么样的人才能说、才能推行？智慧开了才行。所以，要想开智慧，希望自己像佛菩萨一样讲经说法，把佛法介绍给别人，就必须将障碍智慧的东西舍弃；用最浅显的话来讲，障碍智慧的是自私自利的念头，自私自利的行为。智慧不开，永远迷在事实真相之中，这是迷惑。人迷惑，必定随顺错误的知见、思想，于是就造业，造业就是错误的行为。由于错误的思想与行为，产生错误的果报，这个果报称为“六道轮回”。我们今天的处境就在其中，生生世世都沦落在六道里面。

开智慧的方法很多，我们采取的是“持名念佛”，这个方法就是“禅定”，不仅佛用“禅定”的方法，婆罗门教、瑜伽、数论也是用这个方法。念佛真能开智慧吗？能，但是要懂得方法，明白道理。道理明白了，才有坚定的信心，“华严”云：“信为道元功德母”。若修学净土法门，半信半疑，一定不会有成就。因此，坚定的信心，决定不可动摇的信心，就是成就的第一因素、条件。

禅定就是意志专注，集中意志专念一桩事、专想一桩事，将其他的妄念渐渐摆脱，就能得定。专想一桩事，这桩事就会现前，譬如专想和平，你从和平当中就得定了，就会产生效果，和平的社会就能现前。

婆罗门教用禅定的方法，境界能达到大梵天，他们就是用禅定与大梵天沟通，所以他们称大梵天是造物主。很可惜他们的禅定功夫达到这一层次之后，就不能再向上提升。而佛家讲的禅定，层次更高，能成就究竟圆满的禅定。《楞严经》的“首楞严大定”，《华严经》的“师子奋迅三昧”，往生经的“念佛三昧”，这都是究竟圆满的禅定。所以，对于宇宙人生真相，彻底圆满究竟的明了，就称作“佛”、“菩萨”，这是我们学佛希望达到的目标。

这样高深的禅定，我们一生当中做不到，因为我们的寿命太短了，所以寿命短也是魔障。正因为如此，我们才发愿求生西方极乐世界，用现代话说，就是移民到极乐世界。极乐世界的生活环境好，寿命长，有足够的时间修学，我们才能成就究竟圆满的大定。

定起作用就是智慧，智慧能照了世出世间一切事理。所以，学佛对佛的本质要认识清楚。与这些原理原则相应的，就是佛法；违背这些道理与修学方法的，就不是佛法。佛法所求的是明心见性，所使用的方法是断烦恼、开智慧；而假的佛法、魔法，与此正好相反。所以，我们从这些地方就能辨别是非、邪正、真假、高下，一接触就晓得它是正法、还是邪法，也知道他修行的层次到某种程度。

我们要想得到这种殊胜的功德利益，一定要认真努力，万缘放下，要著重心地清净，六根接触六尘境界，一丝毫都不沾染，这是禅定功夫。从定境生智慧，这才能自利利他，才能将佛法介绍给别人，帮助一切众生。

Mythic Symbols of Fortune and Characterby Venerable Dao Ran

Since the parasol tree was believed to be appealing to the phoenix, the Chinese people venerated it as an auspicious symbol. There are records dating as early as the Book of Odes. Zheng Xuanjian of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 – 220 CE) stated: “the phoenix stops on no trees other than the parasol tree”. Yao Jiheng said in the Introduction of the Book of Odes: “The parasol tree grew in the high mountain facing the sun. The phoenix stopped on the parasol tree and sang. Today, we use the phoenix to mean the high mountain and the parasol tree to mean the sun”. Therefore, the phoenix follows the parasol tree as the mountain’s apex follows the sun.

Zhuang Zhou of the Warring States Period wrote in Zhuang Zi: “The phoenix flew from the south sea to the North Sea, stopping on no trees other than the parasol tree, eating no food other than bamboo and drinking no water but that of the sweet spring”, which reflected the difference between the phoenix and other ordinary birds.

In the Former Qin Dynasty (351 – 394 CE), Fu Jian planted thousands of parasol trees and bamboo to attract the phoenix. There is a saying: “plant the parasol tree and attract the golden phoenix”. In Suzhou, the private garden, “Canli Garden”, was famous for the parasol tree planted there. The name came from a poem by Du Fu, an acclaimed Tang poet: “the parrot pecked the abandoned rice and the phoenix stopped on the old parasol tree”. As the ancient people usually related the parasol tree with the phoenix, people today still say that planting the parasol tree will entice the phoenix. This became an auspicious and aesthetic pastime for rich households with courtyards.

With its big, straight trunk, the parasol tree was highly praised by writers in ancient China, who considered it a symbol of upright character. The lone parasol embodied a pure disposition in a corrupt world. This image was circulated by the Wei, Jin and the Southern and Northern Dynasties (220 – 589 CE), and the poems of Song Baozhao, Xie Tiao and Li Qiao all had references to the lone parasol tree. Wang Changling, Bai Juyi, Wang Anshi and Pan Zhen’s poems also described the inner character of the parasol tree and endowed it with the characteristics of “haughty and upright”. The image of the phoenix tree also inspired government officials. Officials praised the monk Seng Yu, who introduced the parasol tree to the imperial piazzas. And the common citizenry even linked the appearance of the stars to the planting and growth of these auspicious saplings.

The deer was treated as an auspicious animal in traditional Chinese culture, symbolizing good fortune, happiness and longevity. People still gift their friends and family with boards, scrolls, and hall paintings written or carved with phrases like “longevity like the deer or turtle” or the heads of deer, which invite “auspice, fortune and longevity”. Mythical figures were always graced with young deer beside them. It was said that the god of longevity rode on a deer. In the Tang Dynasty, the city or county governments played the “Deer Bleats” and held deer feasts for successful candidates of the imperial examinations.

The deer was a fairy tale animal with noble characteristics. Its image of health and vitality can be seen in the traditional Chinese paper-cutting and New Year pictures. It was also beautified and apotheosised by writers and artists into a holy animal, the qilin. Legends of divine deer that can see through human nature have a long history. Masterpieces like the painting of Knights Shooting the Deer from the Han Dynasty, the deer carving lying at the feet of the Buddha, and the deer in the stone paintings of the Shang Dynasty discovered in Bai Cha He of Inner Mongolia are diverse and distinctive. In the Jin Dynasty, nobles used the pattern of deer as decoration. The description of the nine-coloured Deer in the Dunhuang wall painting was adapted into myths and, many centuries later, films.

In the eyes of the Chinese people, the deer is a gentle and friendly animal embodying innocence and great beauty, living harmoniously with human beings (especially the spotted deer with its white spots and red-brown fur). In ancient times, only aristocrats and royals had the right to feed and appreciate deer. King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty built a Deer Platform which was “three miles long and thousands of feet high” (4).In the Book of Odes, there was the record of “the king was in the Ling You Hunting Garden, and the deer lay in there” and “stayed together”. The deer were fed for the nobles’ appreciation and kept for hunting, sacrifices and food. Deer bones were used for divination in the Shang Dynasty. Their horns, carved with words, were discovered in the Yin Dynasty Ruins. In the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, it was popular to craft bird or animal monster statues wearing real deer horns for tombs. Deer horns were considered to have magical properties, which would protect the dead in the afterlife. As a symbol of traditional Chinese culture, the golden deer heralded the auspicious confirmation of an eminent monk called Tan Hong.

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因缘可变，命运可改！

如果要解脱，就必须要修行，千万不能不把修行当成一回事，只是在有空的时候才打打坐、念念经，没有空的时候就得过且过，而应该将修行作为主要的努力方向，这样在我们离开人世的时候，才会有所收获。每一个人都知道，我们都是赤条条地来，两手空空地去，即使拥有全世界的财富，也不可能带走一分一文，在命归黄泉之际，带走的既不是银行的存款、豪华的别墅、名贵的汽车，也不是亲密的伴侣、慈祥的父母、心爱的子女，能够跟随我们来，并伴着我们去的，只有修行以及通过修行所取得的成就，不仅如此，而且也只有它们，才能挽救我们的生生世世，才能改变我们的命运。

佛教徒从来就不相信什么命中注定的说法，我们认为，所有的东西都是因缘和合，都是可以改变的。如果一切都是定数，都不可更改，那又何必修行、何必学佛呢？学佛的目的，不就是为了改变命运吗？因此，为了打破这些观念，为了超越这些因缘，我们就必须修行。

— 堪钦慈诚罗珠仁波切

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All the violence, fear and suffering that exists in this world come from grasping at the self. What is the use of this great monster for you? If you do not let the self go, there will be no end to suffering. Just as, if you do not release a flame from your hand, you can’t stop it from burning your hand.

— Shantideva

The Five Mental Hindrancesby Prof. David Dale Holmes

Venerable Nyanaponika in The Five Mental Hindrances and Their Conquest, begins:

“Unshakeable deliverance of the mind is the highest goal in the Buddha’s doctrine. Here, deliverance means the freeing of the mind from all limitations, fetters, and bonds that tie it to the wheel of suffering, to the circle of rebirth. It means the cleansing of the mind of all defilements that mar its purity; the removal of all obstacles that bar its progress from the mundane (Pali: lokiya) to the supramundane consciousness (lokuttara citta), that is to arahatship.”

“Many are the obstacles which block the road to spiritual progress, but there are five in particular which, under the name of hindrances (nivarana), are often mentioned in Buddhist scriptures.”

The Five Mental Hindrances are:

1. Sensual desire
2. Ill will
3. Sloth and torpor
4. Restlessness and remorse
5. Skeptical doubt

“They are called ‘hindrances’ because they hinder and cloud . . . the development of the mind (bhavana). They can hinder right concentration so the mind remains bound within the mundane state — blocked from attaining access to supramundane states. The mind which demands nourishment based on fetters to mundane states will be tied to attachments from which it cannot be delivered.” (Nyanaponika 4, 1993)

Concerning nourishment, Venerable Nyanaponika quotes the Pali texts:

Just as monks, this body lives on nourishment, lives dependent on nourishment, does not live without nourishment — in the same way, monks, the five hindrances live on nourishment, depend on nourishment, do not live without nourishment. (Samyutta Nikaya 46:2)

Nourishment of sensual desire:

There are beautiful objects; frequently giving unwise attention to them — this is nourishment for the arising of sensual desire that has not yet arisen and the nourishment for the increasing and strengthening of sensual desire that has already arisen. (SN 46:51)

Nourishment of ill will:

There are objects causing aversion; frequently giving attention to them — is the nourishment for the arising of ill will that has not yet arisen, and for the increase and strengthening of ill will that has already arisen. (SN 46:55)

Nourishment of sloth and torpor:

There arises listlessness, lassitude, stretching of the body, drowsiness after meals, mental sluggishness; frequently giving unwise attention to it — this is the nourishment for the arising of sloth and torpor that have not yet arisen and for the increase and strengthening of sloth and torpor that have already arisen. (SN 46:51)

Nourishing restlessness and remorse:

There is the unrest of the mind; frequently giving unwise attention to it — that is the nourishment for the arising of restlessness and remorse that have not yet arisen and strengthening of restlessness and remorse that have already arisen. (SN 46:51)
Nourishment of doubt:

There are things causing doubt; frequently giving attention to them — that is the nourishment for the arising of doubt that has not yet arisen and strengthening of doubt that has already arisen. (SN 46:51)

We have all experienced sensuous desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry, and sceptical doubt. They are like bad companions that like to hang around, but there is a way to get rid of them: the conquest of the Five Mental Hindrances can be achieved by starving them — giving them nothing to feed on — through “de-nourishment.”

SENSUAL DESIRE

Suppose the object of perception is a beautiful young woman or man. Despite our eyes being attracted by outward beauty, we may also realise that her/his body is full of blood, pus, guts and faeces — and not quite as attractive as it first seems.

When we note an object of sensual desire entering the perceptive field, we may observe and analyse it as a source of impurities. Knowing that an attractive form is also ruled by feelings, perceptions, arising mental associations, and resultant consciousness, we realise that the desired object is a bundle of urges and energy aggregates that are certain to spell trouble.

And so it is with all Five Mental Hindrances — what first attracts the senses or consciousness may start a fire within the mind instead of providing soothing satisfaction. When the eye and the other six senses are not trained, they will want to get up to mischief, and, therefore, they have to be carefully contained.

ILL WILL

When the senses want pleasant perceptions, but instead get undesirable ones — ugly, noisy, smelly, distasteful, or repulsive to touch — then suffering ensues.

Suppose a neighbour’s music is too noisy, or his garbage is too smelly. It is easy to get involved and react to the unpleasant perception, developing a sense of consciousness and thinking, “This is not right! I’m going to tell him!” No sooner have you reacted than the neighbour is reacting back, and you are both feeling ill will. The moment you get involved and react, you lose whatever sense of equanimity you had and you may begin growling like an untamed animal.

The antidote to ill will is a good grounding in loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. When these four factors are there, you will not make your neighbour your enemy — no matter how badly he behaves. Under no circumstances should we lose composure. Loss of equanimity affords an opportunity for the ill will to nourish itself and run rampant — and this is exactly what ill will wants to do with you.

SLOTH AND TORPOR

We fall into sloth (lack of motivation and laziness) and torpor (lethargy and listlessness) when we sink into a state of inertia and cannot arouse enough energy to do anything — but we can combat inertia by arousing energy through an act of the will.

If our mind becomes dull, we can arouse energy through reflecting on birth, decay, disease, death, and impermanence. We can avoid over-eating or change body postures in order to keep alert or contemplate the perception of light, remain in the open air, or do walking meditation in places where there are sharp-sided stones, or, alternatively, converse with suitable Dhamma friends, to arouse sympathetic joy.

RESTLESS AND REMORSE

We have all felt restless, uneasy, nervous, or full of worry and remorse. The antidote for de-nourishment of restlessness is the application of wise attention to direct the mind into calmer mental states of quietude and tranquillity, or, alternatively, through practising the monk’s rules more thoroughly, thereby developing calmness.

The more restlessness there is in the mind, the more opportunities the defilements will have to stir up nervous energy, to create a spark in the mind that eats up nervous energy as fuel for negative nourishment.

SCEPTICAL DOUBT

There may be doubt within the mind or uncertainty, which enters via outside influences. Once a spark of uncertainty has arisen to ignite doubt, it is hard to establish and maintain confidence.

Uncertainty, which lurks and hides in the dark corners of the mind, can be a dangerous enemy because it attacks from inside where we are defenceless, owing to a lack of focus and concentration. It is good that we have the Five Precepts, which counterbalance the Five Hindrances, giving us the confidence to follow the Buddha’s doctrine of unshakeable deliverance of the mind.

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A fresh attitude starts to happen when we look to see that yesterday was yesterday, and now it is gone; today is today and now it is new. It is like that – every hour, every minute is changing. If we stop observing change, then we stop seeing everything as new.

— Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche