從愛心出發

我們必須時時保持專注，否則會迷失自我，不知道今世和往生後該何去何從。沒有任何藉口，我們活著只為了和上帝溝通，這是最重要的，其他像上班、吃東西、睡覺等等，都是次要的事。如果你還不夠堅強，還得上班、吃東西、賺錢維生，但這些並不是生命中最重要的。活著最重要的事就是打坐，打坐就是禱告，兩者是一樣的；如果不知道怎麼打坐，那就禱告也一樣。當佛陀、耶穌等明師入涅槃之後，人們不知道如何打坐，所以他們就禱告。不過我們是真正地禱告，也就是打坐，這是最好的禱告方式。如果不這樣禱告，我們無法認識內邊的上帝、無法認識自己的本來面目，我們就迷失了。

你們也許賺很多錢、養很多小孩、吃很多米飯，但到頭來什麼也沒得到。等你往生後，一切都結束了！所有的米飯、小孩、太太都沒有任何意義。當你離開塵世時，誰也幫不上忙；即使在世時也如是。這是最基本的道理，我反覆講了又講，你們還是不懂。

你們必須打坐，這是生命中最重要的事，比其他任何事情都重要，否則修不成。你們坐在那裡一、兩個小時，聽聽內在或外在的聲音（師父開玩笑）--要看你們睡得多熟而定，然後認為這樣就夠了。但其實是不夠的！所以即使我把你們提昇到第五界，你們也會很快掉下來，幾乎比你們上去還快。我們必須一心一意、心無旁鶩，才能很快修到第五界；如果心猿意馬，就會掉得很快。

因此，耶穌說：「除非再度變成小孩，否則無法進入天國。」要控制心猿意馬的頭腦，確實很不容易。有的人看到靈光一閃或是聽到一點聲音，認為這樣已經夠好了。其實不然，因為你還在這裡，還感覺得到外面的事物，還覺得不錯，只是偶爾看到一些光、聽到一點聲音。這樣還不夠！如果你真的專注聽音流，一剎那就被拉上去了，比幽浮或火箭登月還快，沒有任何塵世的東西能使你分心，你會無欲無求，連生命都可以放下；如果有人要來殺你，你會說：「悉聽尊便。」你對世上的任何事物都不再留戀，真正無欲無求，那才是真正的打坐，其他都只是練習而已，不斷的練習再練習。

所以我才告訴你們要打坐，所以我們才稱自己為修行人，意思就是要不斷地努力練習。有時你們努力有結果，有時卻沒有結果。如果你們修行還不穩定，就算因為上帝的恩典而被提昇，還是會很快又掉下來。如果你修行很穩固，即使入世工作也不會掉。如果還不穩固，就算躲入寺院山林或在小中心長住，都無濟於事；即使在師父跟前也一樣，因為師父無法替你吃。我剛才給你們巧克力，你必須自己吃，我無法替你吃。我買了很多巧克力，不過不是給自己吃的；要是我全吃了，你們會知道滋味嗎？如果我買了很多巧克力，自己全吃下去，你們會不會看著我說：「嗯…巧克力真好吃！」（大眾笑）有這樣的事嗎？不可能！

所以我才給你們巧克力。不過你自己若不吃，也嚐不到任何滋味。同樣，如果你在師父跟前，注意力卻沒有放在師父身上，也得不到太多恩典；或許會得到一些，但是不多。如果你用一些框框來限制自己，比方說有一些先入為主的概念，認為一位師父應該怎麼做、外表應該怎麼樣，那你就是在自己四周蓋一座高牆，把師父的恩典擋在外面，如此一來你必然得到更少。

還記得佛陀的故事嗎？祂有位備受恩寵的侍者，日日夜夜都在佛陀身旁，那就是阿難尊者。佛陀入涅槃後，他可以清楚記得佛陀說過的每句話，所以幾乎所有的佛經都是根據阿難的記憶寫下來的。不過那時阿難還沒有得到大果位，他連第三界都還沒到，所以佛陀入涅槃後，全體僧眾不讓他參與集結經典的法會，把他排除在高等僧團之外。他感到很慚愧，就在山洞裡閉關一段時間，直到等級提昇後，僧團才邀他參加。

為何那些僧眾如此對待佛的寵侍？他們是不是對阿難太無情、太嚴厲了呢？

同修甲：我認為他們是要用激將法讓他醒過來。

師父：是！

同修乙：為了促使他在靈性方面多精進。

師父：是，也沒錯。還有誰？

同修丙：為了不被他污染。

師父：也對，避免被他污染。的確，如果有人心地不單純，靈性等級不高，也會污染整個僧團，這是最確切的原因。不過也是為了要刺激他，讓他知道自己需要多用功修行，這也算正確答案。因為他和佛在一起時，都沒修行；太靠近佛，又是佛唯一的侍者，所以一直沒有提昇自己的等級，原因在此。有位師姊提到，他應該多精進，發展自己的靈性，這也對。他一直跟在佛的身邊，以身為佛陀唯一的侍者而自豪，認為自己不需要修行，所以就懈怠了。

而且他的記憶力又超乎常人，能鉅細靡遺地背誦佛說過的每句話，並且可以反覆背誦如流。佛的任何開示，他都一字不漏地牢記心中；甚至有時佛的口誤，像是重複某句話或是清嗓子，阿難都記得清清楚楚。所以現在看到的佛經都沒有經過很好的編輯，只是將佛所說的話原原本本地記載下來，有時讀起來有點乏味。比方說佛一直重複同樣的句子，或是不厭其煩地詳加解釋，好讓弟子們能夠了解，整個內容和祂講話的方式完全一樣。

因此，所有佛教經典起首的第一句話都是「如是我聞」，因為那些經典都是根據阿難所聽到的內容記載下來的。像阿難這麼重要的人物，幾乎就像一台錄音機一樣，他的記憶力非常強，媲美現在的電腦或錄音機，即使像這樣重要的人物，當時的僧團、佛的聖人團體也不讓他參與集結經典的法會，因為他還不夠高等；即使他很重要，仍不夠好。

由此可見，靈性提昇有多重要！重點不在於你的身分地位，而是看你成就了什麼。進一步說，就是看你內在的成就，那是生命中最重要的事。現在你們明白什麼是生命中最重要的事了，不是因為阿難，也不是因為佛，而是為了你自己。因為我們往生以後一無所有，確實如是，這個道理不必我來告訴你們，你們也都知道。但是你們並沒有深入去領會，因此才忽略了生命中最重要的事。

從阿難的例子，我們還可以學到一些事，那就是謙卑的功課。我們必須每天自省，看看自己是否夠謙卑，這樣才能更進步。因為一個空的容器才能裝東西進去，空的玻璃杯才能加水進去；若杯子已經裝滿了，就不能再裝任何東西。玻璃杯可以裝滿水，也可以裝滿垃圾；如果已經裝滿垃圾，我們也不能加水進去。最好我們能在玻璃杯中裝自己想要的東西，而不是裝垃圾。同樣，我們應該讓自己的生活、生命及認知層面，儘可能充滿深具靈性價值的美好事物，因為我們也可能裝滿各種無意義、不需要又有害的事物，而影響我們的靈性成長。

所以每天都要設法讓自己裝滿最有益的事物，就像我們每天儘量選擇最滋養身體的食物一樣。每當你吃到美食佳餚時，就應該記得：「我也要讓我的靈魂吸取一些養分，以幫助我的靈性成長。」如此一來，你在吃東西時，也可以一邊修行。當你穿上漂亮的衣服時，也應該記得：「我也必須用靈性的光輝來妝扮自己。」每次看到漂亮的花時，就告訴自己：「我也必須灌溉我的靈性花園。」諸如此類，時時都要提醒自己。當你聽見鳥兒唱歌，覺得輕鬆愉快時，也要提醒自己：絕不能忘記上帝之音！當你陶醉在愛情裡、沉浸在浪漫的關係中，而感到幸福快樂時，也應該提醒自己：「我還必須記得上帝之愛，那才是永恆的，那才是真愛！」如果你陷入難分難捨的愛情關係，更要提醒自己：「是的，我會努力記住，也會採取行動，讓我和上帝之間的關係更濃厚、更浪漫、更親密。」

每當你們疼愛自己的孩子時，也要想到上帝是多麼愛我們和我們的孩子，這才是最真實、最偉大的愛，包含每個人在內。每當你和你的寵物相親相愛、親密互動時，也應該記得：這是上帝之愛的一部分，只有上帝之愛才是真愛，才能澤被所有眾生！由此可見，在任何情況下，我們都可以藉以提醒自己：不要忘了我們所選擇的靈性道路。這麼一來，我們在世俗生活中，就可以時時砥礪自己、時時記得上帝。任何情況都一樣。

沒有人能在一夜之間修行成佛，連阿難也不行，所以別灰心！我們只要誠心誠意，時時不忘修行就好了。和師父在一起，或許能進步快一點，不過這也要看你們能接受多少、看你們的單純程度而定。就像這個玻璃杯，如果裡面裝滿了垃圾，就裝不下其他任何東西，或是只能裝一點點而已。 

http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/ch/news/179/index.htm

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, 
October 22, 2006, Paris, France (Originally in English and French)

We have to always stay tuned; otherwise, you won't know where you are, nor what you should do in this life or after this life. There's no excuse. We live only to contact God: That's the most important. We work, we eat, we sleep, but these are the second most important things. Because if you're not strong yet, you still have to work, eat and earn a living; but that's not the most important thing in life. The most important is to live for the meditation. Meditation means praying; it's the same. If we don't know how to meditate, then we pray. It's the same. After the Master such as Buddha or Jesus went to Heaven, people didn't know how to meditate; so they prayed. But we do pray properly, meaning meditation. It's the best way to pray. If we don't pray like that, we can't know our God, our Self. Then we are lost. You might earn a lot of money, have plenty of children or eat a lot of couscous, but it's for nothing. After you die, it's finished! All the couscous, all the children, and all the wives mean nothing. They don't help at the time you go, when you leave this planet or in this life - not at all. This is the most basic I say it again and again, and you don't understand.

But you must meditate; that's the most important in life. It's more important than anything else in your life. Otherwise, you won't make it. You think you stay one or two hours and you listen to a sound, inside or outside - (Master jokes) depending on how deeply you sleep - but it's not enough! That's why, even if I elevate you to the Fifth Level, you could go down immediately, almost more quickly than you ascend. When our heart is just single-minded and one pointed, we arrive at the Fifth Level very quickly. But when our heart is scattered, meaning our thinking is scattered, then we go down – zip! - like that.

Because of this, Jesus said, “Unless you become like a child again, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” It's very difficult to control the mind, more so than a hundred elephants. When you see a little flash of Light or you hear a little Sound, you think it's good enough. But that's not it. No, because you're still here, you still feel it - you still feel the outside and you still feel good, just a little bit here or there and you know it. That's not it. If you really hear the Sound, you will be pulled up faster than a UFO or rocket to the Moon! And there is nothing in this world that can distract you, nothing in this world that you want. You would even give up your life; even if someone came and wanted to kill you, at that moment you would say, “Please, you're welcome.” You have no idea of anything that you really want in this world anymore: there's nothing at all. That is when you really meditate. And the rest is just practicing, practicing, practicing.

To Improve Spiritually, We Must Do It Ourselves

That's why I say, “Please practice meditation.” That's why we call ourselves spiritual practitioners. It means that you try, try, try. Sometimes you try and you arrive; sometimes you try and you don't arrive. But if you're not stable, even if you arrive due to the grace of God, you will come back down again so quickly! If you're stable, you will not go down, even if you work in the world. If you're not stable, even if you go to a monastery, even if you go to the mountain, even you live in the meditation center, it's no use, even in the presence of the Master. The Master cannot eat for you. Just now, I've given you chocolate. But you are the one who eats it; I cannot eat for you. I bought a lot of chocolate. But it's not for me to eat it all. If I eat it all, will you feel anything? If I bought a lot of chocolate and ate everything, would you look at me and say, “M-m-m, what good chocolate!”? (Laughter) Is there something like that? No, never.

So I have to give you the chocolate. But if you don't eat it, you also don't feel anything. It's the same if you are in the presence of the Master but your concentration is not on the Master, then the Grace cannot penetrate you too much. Maybe some, but not a lot. Also, if you have some restriction on yourself, like some preconceived idea about what a Master should do and what a Master should look like, then you build a big wall around yourself that separates yourself and the Master's Grace. Then you have absolutely even less.

Elevation Is Individually Earned

You remember the story of the Buddha: He had an attendant who was very beloved and dear to Him and who was always day and night with Him. His name was Ananda. When the Buddha died, he could remember every word the Buddha said. So, almost all the scriptures from the Buddha are written according to Ananda's memory. But Ananda had not attained anything big; he did not even enter the Third Level. That's why after the Buddha died, the whole monkhood, or sangha, did not let him enter into the discussion of the assembly. They excluded him from the assembly of the high-level monks. So, feeling very ashamed, he went into a cave and shut himself there for some time, until he attained the higher level. And then the monks invited him in.

But why did the monks do that to the most beloved assistant of the Buddha? Does that mean that the monks were so hard-hearted, so cold hearted and so harsh to Ananda?

Practitioner1:  I think it was to shock him and wake him up.

M: Yes.

Practitioner2: To force him to work spiritually?

M: Yes, that's also true. Who else?

Practitioner3: To avoid contamination?

M: Yes, also. To avoid contamination! That's right. If someone is not pure at heart and not highly developed spiritually, he will contaminate the assembly. That's the most correct. But also to shock him so he can see that he needs to work - yes, it's normal. Because during the time he spent with the Buddha, he didn't practice. He was too close; he was the Buddha's only attendant. That's why he never improved his level. That's the only reason. The reason one of the sisters gave, that he should work for his spiritual development; that's correct also. Because all the time he was with the Buddha, he was too proud as the only assistant of the Buddha, and he did not think that he needed to practice anything; that's why he did not.

Also, he had a super-human memory. He could recite everything that the Buddha said from A to Z, repeating it also. He remembered word for word; he didn't forget anything. Even when the Buddha would make a mistake, like repeating something or clearing his throat, Ananda remembered all that. That's why the Buddhist scriptures even now are not well edited, just written exactly the way the Buddha spoke. So sometimes you read them and you feel a little tired, like the Buddha keeps repeating the same sentence or explaining in such a very elaborate way so that the disciples can understand, just exactly the way he was talking.

In all the Buddha scriptures it's stated, “Thus, I have heard…” in the beginning. That's why, because it is written according to what Ananda heard. Even such an important person as Ananda was almost like a record player. His memory was so super, it's like today's computer or record player. But even for such an important person as he, the monks of the assembly or the Buddha's Sainthood excluded him from the assembly because he wasn't elevated enough. Even if he was important, it was still no good.

So you can see how important spiritual elevation is. It's not who you are, it's what you are. And it's not just what you are, it's what you are inside. That is the most important thing in life. The most important thing in life is what you are inside. Now you understand what's the most important thing in life, not because of Ananda and not because of Buddha, but because of yourself. Because after we die, we have nothing! Truly it's like that; I don't have to tell you. You all know that. But you don't realize it deeply; that's the reason you neglect your most important mission in life.

So from the case of Ananda, we could also learn something: the lesson of humility. We have to reconsider every day whether we have enough humility, so that we can develop more. Because only if something is empty, then can we put something into it. If the glass is empty, then you can put water into it; but if the glass is full, nothing can go in. The glass can be full of water, or full of garbage. If the glass is already full of garbage, we don't put water in there. It would be best if we have what we want inside the glass instead of all the garbage. In the same way, we should fill our life, our being and our understanding with all the best possible things of spiritual value, because we could also possibly fill it with all kind of nonsensical, unnecessary and detrimental things to our being or for our development.

Everyday Life as Spiritual Practice

Every day, we should make sure to fill ourselves with all the best possible for us, just like every day we try to select the best nutrition for our body. Every time you eat some good thing, you have to remember: “I have to also put some good things into my soul, into my spiritual development.” So, even while you're eating, you can practice. When you put some nice clothes on, you should remember, “I must also adorn myself with spiritual splendor.” Every time you see some beautiful flowers, you can say, “I must also cultivate my spiritual garden.” With similar things, always remind yourself. When we hear the birds singing and we feel so nice and comfortable, we must also remember. We should never forget the Word of God. And when you are deeply in love in a romantic relationship and you're happy, you should also say: “I must also remember the love of God, which is everlasting, which is the true love.” But if you cannot separate that, then you have to remind yourself: “Yes, I will try to remember; I will do something so that I can also make the relationship between me and God more flourishing, more romantic and more intimate.”

Every time you love your children, you have to remember how God really loves us and your children also. This is the truest and greatest love for everyone. And every time your pets love you and you love your pets, or you caress your pets or your pets caress you, you should also remind yourself that this is part of the love of God, and that only God's love is really true and pervasive. So you see, we can use every situation to remind ourselves not to forget the spiritual path that we have chosen to walk. In this way, we always reinforce ourselves during this mundane existence on Earth, always to be in the remembrance of God. It's always the same.

But with the practice, no one can become a master overnight, even Ananda. So, do not feel discouraged. We just have to be sincere and practice all the time. In the presence of the Master, you might develop more quickly, but. it depends on how receptive you are and how pure you are. It's like the glass: If it's full of garbage, then nothing else can go in, or maybe very little.

http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/news/179/index.htm