清海無上師以中文講於福爾摩沙屏東三地門禪七 1990.04.01 MP3-CR08明師的重要 自古以來，修行的人偶爾都應該放下一切，一起合起來用功修行，這樣才能夠進步。我們會生生世世輪迴，都是因為跟著自己的習慣走。我們這一世當什麼人，就是因為過去已經當過了；我們現在做什麼種類的行動，也是因為過去已經做過了。我們如果沒有偶爾放下這些習慣，做一些新的行動，往生以後又應該再回來，因為這些影響會越來越深，讓我們每次回來都做一樣的事情。 所以古代的明師或禪師，偶爾會對著徒弟大吼一聲，或是突然打他們一棒，讓他們愣一下，暫時斷掉那些過去的影響，然後這位明師或禪師才能放一些新鮮的材料進去。即使放一點點也夠用了，因為等一下它會發芽、成長，然後徒弟才能變成新鮮的人。 有的時候明師也會叫我們做一些我們不喜歡或不習慣做的工作，為了要幫我們打破那些綁住我們的鐵鍊。像馬或是鴿子，牠們如果常常走哪一條路，等一下我們放生牠們以後，牠們還是會繼續走一樣的路。 我們人也是一樣，為什麼會生生世世輪迴呢？因為我們這一世習慣做哪些事，下一世回來的時候，又會被這些習慣影響，做一樣的事。因為我們有這個頭腦，它會把我們所做的事情、所喜歡的東西，統統都錄下來，每一次回來，再把它們播放出來，所以我們又做一樣的事，沒有辦法突破原來的等級。有的時候我們想要做什麼好事或壞事，都是因為受到過去習慣的影響，並非我們真的好或真的壞。 有的時候師父叫你們做一些工作，看起來好像沒什麼意思，覺得好無聊、不合邏輯。即使這樣，你們也要照著做，偶爾做這些工作，你們才不會執著自己的習慣、成見，以及那些迂腐的概念和一些太綁住的行動。 同樣，我們偶爾應該放下那些習慣性的工作，以及每天一成不變的行為，合起來閉關幾天。那時候我們統統放下一切，變成像小孩一樣，了解到「天下本無事」，即使沒有我們，世界也不會破掉、不會爛掉，我們應該有這樣的認知。 現在我們還活在這個世界，還是要繼續做事，因為我們才剛剛剎車，那個習慣的「車輪」還沒有完全停止，必須等一會兒它才會完全停下來。如果剎車太急，車子會翻覆，我們就會有危險。所以，既然我們已經在這個世界，就繼續活下去，繼續盡我們的責任，不過應該了解，這些只是因為我們過去的習慣一直在輪轉，現在還來不及停罷了。 我們除了做過去習慣做的工作以外，還應該放新鮮的材料進去，不然下次又再回來做一樣的事情，比方說回來做木工、做軍人，就算沒有做軍人，但還是有那種喜歡控制人、命令人的個性。 所以你們不能每次都聽從自己的頭腦，偶爾師父叫你們做什麼，也要照著做，完全把心放在工作那裡，專心做那件事就好。這樣那些過去的影響才會暫時斷掉，不然那些影響會一直不斷地重複，然後我們又再回來。 我們做事，不應該分別什麼工作好、什麼工作不好，一有分別心、喜歡心，就麻煩了！因為我們一喜歡的話，頭腦就會錄起來：「啊！他喜歡這個工作。」然後下一世回來，又再播放這些訊息給我們，因為我們喜歡。所以才會造成輪迴生死，如果我們沒有喜歡的心，做事情就變成「做而不做」、「為無為」，這樣就不會被綁。 偶爾放下一切，大家合起來閉關幾天，是非常、非常重大的事情，特別對那些還沒有完全開悟的人來說，是最重大的事情。因為即使我們每天在家裡有打坐，不過打坐的時候還是有很多雜念，要跟很多習慣掙扎，沒有什麼大用。 如果沒有明師指導，我們真正的每天一直做一樣的事情，人家叫我們一聲，我們就回頭看；人家罵我們，我們就生氣；人家用那種戀愛的眼神看我們，我們就心跳跳（大眾笑），整個輩子都是做那些無聊的事，都是被外在的情況控制、被自己的頭腦騙、被過去的影響綁住，我們真正不是自由的人，沒有獨立的人格！是不是好可憐？很像牛一樣，被人家牽著鼻子走。 所以我們不要認為自己已經自在了。偶爾應該要放下一切，打坐多一點，我們內在最原本的力量才顯現出來，把我們過去的一些影響洗乾淨，這樣我們才能自在活下去。不然我們都是被那些習慣控制，然後輪來輪去都做一樣的事。 我們現在的先生、太太、爸爸、媽媽、小孩、朋友等等，都是過去的親戚朋友，或是跟我們有其他關係，比方說，前世是我們的老闆或老闆娘，這些以前對我們有深刻影響的人，這一世又再回來控制我們；或者以前是我們控制他們，這一世回來，我們又再度控制他們。因為過去的影響像車輪一樣，一直不停地轉，我們沒辦法停住。 所以偶爾才要加一些新鮮的材料和行為進去，讓頭腦錄下來的那些影響暫時斷掉，這樣整個車輪就會停下來，然後我們才有機會想一想：「我們本來是誰？我們來這裡做什麼？」不然的話整天都是做一樣的工作，洗衣服、吃飯等等，被外在的情況控制，生活充滿煩惱、痛苦，沒有什麼意思，然後就這樣過了一生，真的好可惜！ 自古以來，任何的聖賢都是因為有花時間想一想，他們才能夠明白自己是，才能夠了解過去、未來，才能夠開悟、解脫。不然的話，我們都是像奴隸、像動物一樣，人家叫什麼就做什麼，叫一聲就回頭，罵一罵就生氣，每個人都一模一樣，好無聊！現在我們已經受夠了這種情況，所以要起來革命，對自己進行思想的革命，我們要想一想：「為什麼我們整個輩子都做那些無聊的事情？」 師父教育徒弟的苦心--密勒日巴的故事 所以並非師父需要徒弟工作什麼，而是為了教育他們，即使明知道徒弟最討厭做那種工作，還是要叫他們做。教徒弟真的很辛苦！你們都知道密勒日巴的故事，大家都可憐密勒日巴，但是我認為他的師父才可憐。因為密勒日巴的心很凶惡，只因為人家偷他的財產，他就聽母親的話去學黑神通，為了要殺人報仇。學這種黑神通，必須要學好幾年才學得成功，在那幾年當中，他一直都很想殺人，這是叫「故殺」，可見他的心很凶惡、很固執、很冷漠。等到殺了人以後，教他黑神通的師父跟他講因果，他才怕下地獄。所以密勒日巴是為了怕自己下地獄才去找明師，並不是像你們這些「阿羅漢」和「菩薩」一樣，是為了追求高雅的理想。 連密勒日巴這樣的人，他的師父也應該教育。如果依照現在的法律來定罪，像密勒日巴這種人應該判處終生監禁、做苦工。然而，他的師父每天跟這種犯人住在一起，還要教育他，怎麼能夠教啊？密勒日巴在殺人以前，他的心滿滿凶惡，一心想要殺人報仇，等到殺了人以後，又滿滿罪惡感，真的很不好教！即使這樣，密勒日巴的師父還是原諒他，沒有把他當殺人犯看待，而且還耐心用種種的方法照顧他、教育他，真的好可憐的一位師父！你們跟普通心地善良的人住在一起，有的時候還會受不了，更何況跟一個罪犯住在一起！ 密勒日巴是多麼固執的一個人！他要殺人就殺到底，計劃了好幾年，殺到底才走；然後要求道也是要求到底，他師父趕他，他也不走，一進來他師父那裡，就馬上放他的東西上去，要穩定住下來，即使他師父說：「不收！」他也不管。然後他的師父每天打罵，每天叫他蓋房子、拆房子，這樣持續好幾年，密勒日巴還是在那裡堅持，這種固執的人真的很難教！ 大家都讚嘆密勒日巴道心堅固，但我認為他是很固執，連他在計劃殺人的時候，也是固執到底，他本來就是很固執的人，不管做什麼都做到底，這種人怎麼教啊？但是他的師父還是忍耐教他，因為看他有勇氣、有懺悔心；只是供養一點懺悔心而已，就麻煩他的師父七年。 不過你們都了解，凡夫的懺悔心有多少，今天懺悔，明天又生氣，一點點懺悔心而已，這樣也得救。密勒日巴的師父因為看到他的個性那麼固執，做什麼都一直做、一直做，一直依照自己的成見做下去，所以才用種種看似無理的辦法，要破開密勒日巴固執的頭腦，並非他的師父需要他做什麼。 你們看密勒日巴蓋那個房子，他的師父叫別人來蓋也可以，他徒弟那麼多，幹嘛需要密勒日巴一個人蓋房子呢？而且蓋好以後又叫他拆掉，然後又叫他重蓋。他的師父叫他搬石頭上山蓋房子，然後自己又說：「誰叫你蓋的？」這是為了要混淆密勒日巴那種固執的習慣。你們看經典，應該要融會貫通，不要這樣草率看過去，就認為：「哦！密勒日巴道心很堅強！」「哦！密勒日巴好可憐、好可憐！」你們不知道誰才是真正的可憐。 明師的心很慈悲，一看到人家有懺悔心、有一點點道心，他們就趕快幫忙。你們看密勒日巴沒有供養他師父什麼，只是拿一點金粉來供養而已，而且只供養一半，另一半還留著，他認為他的師父貪供養，所以拿一半金粉來供養就夠了。你們看，「誠心」到這個程度！密勒日巴要在他師父那裡住、吃、喝、睡、學道，但是卻只供養一半。 他的師父為了要讓密勒日巴知道他不是貪污的人，馬上就把那些金粉丟掉，所以事實上密勒日巴也沒有供養什麼。他的師父一天到晚要求供養，其實是為了找藉口罵他，找藉口拒絕傳法給他，因為密勒日巴的時間還沒有到，他的心還沒有成熟。我們看他的行為就曉得，供養只供一半，一點點金粉而已，還是「省」下來給自己用，然後才抱怨為什麼不傳法給他。真法不這麼簡單傳啊！不能一進來就強迫人家傳法給你。比如說你有錢，你想給誰就給，別人不能來強迫你，因為錢是你的。 密勒日巴那個人是很固執，不過他的師父非常好，對他非常好，七年辛苦教育他，等機緣成熟了以後才傳法給他。因為密勒日巴的個性很固執，所以他的師父不允許他一直住在一樣的山洞，每過一段時間就必須換山洞。但並非每個人都應該像這樣修苦行，所以不要認為我們應該學密勒日巴的修行方式才能成道，這是胡說！我們的個性跟他又不一樣！ 像釋迦牟尼也不用修那麼辛苦，因為他已經有慈悲心了，他看到別人痛苦，就像自己痛苦一樣，所以他不用再受苦，修行過程非常快、非常順利。除了有一段時間他自己不懂事，盲目修苦行，因為那個時候他看到大家都修苦行，他不知道有別的方法，以後才知道修苦行不對。 所以你們不要覺得奇怪，為什麼師父沒有教你們像密勒日巴一樣修苦行，而讓你們來三地門這裡搭帳篷，讓你們可以泡泡水，白天可以躲起來吊床、睡覺、休息、打坐，晚上才儘量多打坐。因為這裡有山有水，所以順便給你們享受一下，一邊修行、一邊快樂這樣。 |
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/ch/news/185/
......................................................................................................................................................
Shake Off Your Habits to Become a Truly Free Person
April 1, 1990 (Originally in Chinese) MP3-CR08
Since ancient times, spiritual practitioners have periodically put aside their daily tasks to practice diligently in groups. This is the way to progress. We transmigrate life after life because we follow the dictates of our habits. If we become a certain kind of person in this lifetime it’s because we’ve been such a person in previous lives. Likewise, we engage in certain types of activities because we performed them in the past. However, if we don’t occasionally renounce our habits and do something new, after we die we’ll have to come back again. The influence will grow stronger and make us repeat the same actions each time we come back.
That’s why Masters or Zen Masters in ancient times occasionally roared at their disciples or suddenly hit them with a cane to shock them and thus temporarily cut them off from their past influences. Only then could the Masters or Zen Masters impart new information to their devotees. It may have been just a little bit, but it was sufficient. Later it would sprout and grow, transforming the disciples into new people.
Similarly, nowadays a Master may command us to do work that we detest or are unaccustomed to in order to break the shackles that bind us like horses or pigeons that always take a fixed route and continue to do so even after they’re set free.
We humans are also like this. Why do we reincarnate life after life? It’s because if we’re in the habit of doing certain things in one lifetime, it will influence us to do the same things when we come back in the next life. We have minds that record all our actions and likes, and replay all these tendencies each time we return, making us engage in the same behaviors and preventing us from going beyond our past level. Sometimes, when we want to do a good or bad action, it’s simply affected by past habits and not due to the fact that we’re really good or bad.
There are times when I ask you to do seemingly meaningless tasks that you may find boring and illogical. But even then you must carry them out according to my instructions. By occasionally doing such work, you break your attachment to longstanding habits and preconceived ideas - those rotten concepts and actions that bind you tightly.
Similarly, we should once in a while put down our habitual work and daily routine to attend retreats for a few days. At these times we let go of everything, become like a child and realize, “There’s nothing to be done in this world.” Even without us, the world won’t go kaput or fall apart. We should bear this in mind.
Now that we’re still in the world, we must continue to work because even though a brake has been applied to the wheel of habit, it has not yet been brought to a complete stop. It will take some time for the wheel to come to a standstill. If we step on the brake too hard, the car will overturn and put us in danger. Since we’re already in this world, we just live on and fulfill our duty. However, we should understand that it’s only the inertial momentum of our past habits that hasn’t come to a complete halt.
Apart from doing things that we’re accustomed to, we also have to add fresh ingredients. Otherwise, we’ll come back and do the same things again like being a carpenter or soldier. Even if we didn’t become a soldier, we’d still retain a domineering, authoritative personality.
Therefore, you shouldn’t listen to your mind all the time. When I tell you to do something you should act accordingly, put your mind entirely into the work and focus on accomplishing it. In this way your past influences will be temporarily cut off. If not, they’ll continue to repeat themselves, and you’ll have to come back again.
While working, we should make no judgments about whether the job is good or bad. Trouble arises when we discriminate or show preferences. As soon as we prefer one task over another the mind immediately begins to record it, saying, “Ah! He likes this job.” And when we come back the next life, this recording will be played back to us. Our predilections account for our transmigration. If we have no preferences in doing our work, we’ll “do without doing” and won’t become bound.
For this reason it’s important for us to periodically drop everything and go into retreat together for several days. This practice reaps the greatest benefits for those who aren’t completely enlightened. Although we meditate at home each day, our minds are still filled with turbulent thoughts and we have to struggle against many habits as well, so it’s not very effective.
Without the guidance of an enlightened Master, we indeed repeat the same responses every day. When someone calls us, we turn and look back; when people scold us, we get upset; when someone looks at us with loving eyes, our hearts throb. (Laughter) We do such silly things throughout our lives, being constantly controlled by external situations, beguiled by our minds and bound by past influences. So we aren’t really free and have no distinct personality! Don’t you think this is pathetic? We’re just like cows led by the nose ring.
So don’t think that we’re already free. At times, we should put down everything and meditate more to allow our innermost Power to emerge and cleanse our past tendencies. Only then can we live in freedom. Otherwise, we’re constrained by these habits and repeat the same actions life after life.
The husband, wife, father, mother, children and friends that we now have were our relatives and friends in the past, or were related to us in some way. For instance, they might have been our bosses in past lives. These individuals who once had a deep influence on us come back in this lifetime to dominate us again. Or, perhaps we dominated them before, so we’ve come back to dominate them again in this life. Past propensities are like an ever-spinning wheel that we simply can’t bring to a standstill.
So we have to add fresh ingredients and actions from time to time to temporarily cut off the patterns recorded in the mind. Only then will the wheel stop and we’ll have a chance to ponder questions such as “Who am I in the first place?” and “Why are we here?” If not, we simply engage in the same work each day, washing clothes, eating, etc. and remain controlled by outer conditions as our lives are filled with misery and suffering and lack meaning. It would be a great pity if we lived like this for a life.
Since times of old, all the sages and saints have been able to realize themselves, understand the past and future and attain enlightenment and liberation because they’ve spent time thinking. In contrast, we’re just like slaves and animals doing whatever other people tell us to do. We turn our heads when we’re called and get angry when scolded. Everyone behaves in exactly the same way and that’s very nonsensical! Now that we’ve had enough of this situation, we need to stand up, revolt against our minds and ask, “Why have I been doing such nonsensical things all my life?”
The Saga of Milarepa - A Master’s Painstaking Efforts to Educate His Disciple
Masters don’t really need their disciples to do any work; they only want to teach them. And although they know their students absolutely abhor certain types of tasks, the Masters still tell them to perform them. Training disciples is truly a painstaking job! For example, you all know the story of Milarepa and you all pity him. In my opinion, however, his Master was the truly pitiable one because Milarepa was very vicious when he was young. Just because someone stole his property, he learned black magic on his mother’s orders so that he could seek vengeance and kill his foe. It took several years to master this magic, but during that time, the thought of killing was constantly in his mind. This is called “intentional killing” and shows that he was very vicious, obstinate and unfeeling. Fear of going to hell arose in him only after he had committed the act and his black magic master told him about the resulting karma. Thus Milarepa sought an enlightened Master only because he feared hell, and not because of the noble ideal pursued by “Arhats” and “Bodhisattvas” like you.
Milarepa’s Master had to educate people like him. Under today’s laws, individuals such as Milarepa would be sentenced to life imprisonment and labor, yet his Master lived with such a criminal every day and even had to civilize him. How was it possible to edify him? Milarepa was full of malice before the murder he committed. His only thought was to take his enemy’s life out of vengeance, but once he did it he was filled with guilt. It was really difficult to enlighten him! Even then, his Master forgave him and didn’t treat him like a murderer but instead patiently cared for him and taught him by every means possible. He was indeed a pitiable Master! Sometimes you can hardly stand living with ordinary benevolent people, let alone a criminal!
Milarepa was a stubborn character and when he killed, he did it thoroughly. He planned it for several years, and made sure that his foes were killed completely. In seeking the Truth, he also persisted to the end. He wouldn’t budge even when his Master rejected him. As soon as he went to his Master’s residence, he put his gear in place, intending to stay there permanently, and even when his Master said, “No” he didn’t care. His Master beat and scolded him daily; commanding him to repeatedly build and demolish houses for many years, yet Milarepa persisted. It’s really difficult to teach such a stubborn person!
Everyone admires Milarepa for his strong, unwavering faith, but I think he was merely obstinate. Even in plotting his killings he persisted to the end. He was a very intractable person in the first place, and would always persevere till the end in whatever he did. How can you educate a person like that? Nonetheless, having found him courageous and penitent, his Master taught him with great patience. Just by making a small offering of repentance, he gave his Master seven years of tribulation.
However, you all know how changeable ordinary humans are, being repentant one day and full of wrath again the next. Milarepa did just a tiny bit of repentance, yet he was salvaged. His Master observed how his stubbornness made him act obstinately without wavering from his preconceived ideas. So the Master used many seemingly irrational methods to break through his willful preconceptions. It was not that his Master needed him to do anything.
The Master had numerous disciples and could have asked someone else to build the house that Milarepa built. So why did he have Milarepa build it alone, demolish it after it was completed and then rebuild it again? The Master told him to carry stones up a hill to build a house, and later asked him, “Who ordered you to build it?” This question was intended to confuse Milarepa about his habitual stubbornness. When reading the scriptures, you should develop a comprehensive understanding to get the whole picture instead of just browsing through them unmindfully and thinking, “Oh! Milarepa really had very strong faith! Oh! Milarepa was really pitiful!” But you don’t realize who the truly pitiful one was.
Enlightened Masters are merciful at heart and promptly render help when they find a person expressing a little regret or yearning for the Truth. You see, Milarepa made very small gifts to his Master, offering only half of the token amount of gold dust he had and keeping the other half for himself because he thought his Master was greedy for hand-outs. So, he presented only half of the gold dust he had. You can see how “sincere” he was! Milarepa was going to live in his Master’s place, eat there, drink there, sleep there and learn the Truth, yet he made only half an offering.
Then to let Milarepa know he wasn’t a greedy man, his Master immediately discarded the gold dust. So, in fact, Milarepa made no offering. His Master repeatedly asked for offerings day and night just to have an excuse to scold him and refuse to impart the Method to him because the time had not yet come for Milarepa; his mind was still immature. We know this just by observing his behavior in making only half an offering. It was a small quantity of gold dust yet he “saved” half of it for himself. Later, he complained that his Master refused to impart the Method to him, but the True Method is not to be imparted so easily! You can’t just come in and force a Master to impart the Method to you. It is similar to a wealthy person; he is free to give his money to anyone he wants. No one can force him, because the money is his.
Milarepa was a very headstrong person but his Master was very good, being extremely patient, teaching him arduously for seven years, waiting until he matured and then imparting the Method to him. Since Milarepa was exceptionally stubborn by nature, his Master did not allow him to live continuously in the same cave and made him move to a new one after a time. Such asceticism is not the appropriate approach to spiritual practice for everyone. So don’t think that we can attain the Truth simply by practicing in the way Milarepa did. This is nonsense! Our personalities are different than his!
For instance, Shakyamuni Buddha didn’t need to practice so extremely because He was already merciful at heart and felt empathy for others who were suffering. So He didn’t have to go through such torment. His spiritual progress was smooth and rapid except for a certain period when He blindly followed an ascetic regime out of ignorance. He had found many people practicing asceticism and knew no other way. It was only afterwards that He realized it was wrong to engage in such techniques.
So don’t wonder why I never tell you to practice ascetically like Milarepa, but instead allow you to pitch tents here at Santimen and have fun in the water. In the daytime, I even let you take shelter and hang up your hammocks to sleep, rest or meditate. You meditate more only in the evening. Since we have mountains and rivers here, I let you enjoy them by the way, practicing spiritually and having fun at the same time. 
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。
Most of the Masters always tell us that if we forsake everything, then we will have everything. In the Bible, it’s also said, “Whoever holds on to dear life,” like holding onto their life, “will lose it. But whoever forsakes it will attain eternal life.” Likewise, if we do not really feel attached or attach ourselves to any possession, fame or name in this world, then everything really comes to us. But once we are enslaved for anything in this world at all, then we’ll be forever running after it, and we’ll become exhausted, taxing our mental abilities. All kinds of trouble will come our way, and we won’t necessarily attain anything.
身 (6)