..續本文上一頁bjects, and you can turn your attention inwards, that”s true obedience. As it is said,

　　The eyes see forms, but inside there is nothing.

　　The ears hear sounds, but the mind does not know.

　　要常常回光返照，不向外馳求，總是抓住自己的根本法門：「念佛是誰？」抓住根本，就是「但得本，莫愁末」，對于枝末的問題，也不用再憂愁了，這樣一點一點慢慢都會明白的。

　　You constantly reflect within instead of seeking outside, and you always stick to your basic Dharma-door: "Who is mindful of the Buddha

　　" Holding to what is basic, you "only attain the root, and don”t worry about the branchtips." There”s no need to worry about unimportant matters; bit by bit, everything will become clear to you.

　　你修參禅法門，不要連坐都還未練好，也不能結雙跏趺坐，連單跏趺坐都結不起來，就想學怎樣參，又如何如何？你的基礎都未打好呢！參禅要先打地基。

　　In cultivating the Dharma-door of investigating Chan, you shouldn”t try to learn the details of how to investigate when you haven”t learned how to sit in full lotus, or even half lotus. You haven”t finished laying the foundation yet! To investigate Chan, you must first lay the foundation.

　　第一個禮拜，就是在整地。造房子先要整一整地，等到地差不多平了。

　　During the first week, you can clear the land. When you want to build a house, you must first make the land level.

　　第二個禮拜就可打樁。打樁須費一番功夫，就是修忍，忍痛、忍餓、忍饑、忍寒，什麼都要忍，這是很費力的，雖然費力，但這是必經之路。必須把地基打好，立好樁，否則造出的房子必不堅固，風一吹就倒，雨一沖也就散了，這都是因爲樁未打好，基礎沒建立好的緣故。

　　In the second week, you can drive in the stakes. Driving in the stakes requires some effort--this is where you must cultivate patience and endure the pain, hunger, and cold. You must endure everything, and it takes a lot of strength. It”s arduous, but you must travel this path. You have to lay a good foundation and drive in good stakes. Otherwise, your house will not be sturdy; the wind will blow it down and the rain will wash it away. That”s the consequence of not driving in the stakes well and not setting a good foundation.

　　第叁個禮拜才把梁、棟、柱腳石等都安好，把所有的柱子都豎建起來。

　　In the third week, you can put up the beams, rafters, column bases, and columns.

　　第四個禮拜就可以造牆、裝門、安窗戶、蓋上屋脊。所以是一點一點地造起來，不是「一鍬就挖個井」，不是一下子就可以成功的。

　　During the fourth week, you can erect the walls, install doors and windows, and put up the ridgepole. That”s how a house is constructed, step by step. You can”t "dig a well with one thrust of the shovel"; there”s no instant accomplishment.

　　參禅如此，念佛是如此，學教、修密、習律也是如此，都要念茲在茲的，把心弄老實，不教它好高骛遠，不要聽人說密宗好啊！就跑到密宗。我們人不要迷得死不開竅，食古不化。明明眼前都擺著事實，還迷頭迷腦地密密密，密來密去也不知怎麼就死了，這真是密！這不是「密」，是「迷」－－糊裏胡塗！

　　This is true not only of investigating Chan, but also of reciting the Buddha”s name, studying the teachings, cultivating the Secret School, and practicing the Vinaya－ in any of these, you must devote your full attention to the task at hand. Make your mind honest, and don”t yearn for what is lofty and distant. Don”t run over to join the Secret School just because you hear someone talk about how wonderful it is. We shouldn”t get so deluded that we obstinately refuse to see the truth and rigidly hold onto old ways. The facts are right in front of us, but with addled brains, we still chase after what”s "secret, secret, secret" until we die for no apparent reason. That”s truly secret! Actually, it”s not secret, it”s confusion; it”s totally muddled.

　　各位信佛的人，要研究真理，不要盲從。要「親近有德，遠避凶人」，凶人就是專門欺騙人；有德之人就是不欺騙人。無德的人專用奸詐手段，所以德存不住；唯獨不欺騙人的人，才能日積月累地修功立德，故其德行存在。所以你們觀察人就是從這兒著眼。不是單單在表面上看，說：「我看這人有德，是善知識。」根本沒有確實的標尺。你必須要設身處地，真正了解那人才算。末法時代，人都犯了一種通病，就是好高骛遠，以耳代目，聽人家說什麼好，就往那兒跑。跑到那兒，好不好也不知道，甚至被人騙了還不醒覺。學這種迷信財色，迷信風水，是非常可憐的。

　　Buddhists should study true principles. Don”t blindly follow others. You should draw near virtuous people and stay away from bad people. Bad people are those who do nothing but cheat others. Virtuous people do not cheat others. People without virtue use all sorts of fraudulent means－that”s why they can”t preserve their virtue. Only those who don”t cheat people can store up the merit and virtue they cultivate over the days and months. That”s why their virtue endures.…

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