..續本文上一頁er smooth or troublesome situations. With this kind of samadhi-power, instead of being influenced by circumstances, they can influence states. This is the true skill of a cultivator of the Way.

　　If Mount Tai were to collapse before them,

　　it wouldn”t make them blink.

　　If a ravishing beauty were to pass before them,

　　they wouldn”t be affected in the slightest.

　　男人見到西施那樣美的女人，當做骷髅觀，自然不動其心；女人見到潘安那樣英俊的男人，當做白骨觀，自然不動其心。否則，見到美女或俊男，就心猿意馬，七上八下，不知如何是好！若是這樣沒有定力，那就會失去道業，這是多麼可惜！

　　If you are a man and you see a woman as beautiful as the legendary maiden Xi Shi, simply use "the contemplation of a skeleton" to view her, and naturally your mind will hold steady. If you are a woman and you see a man as handsome as the famous hero Pan An, use the "bare-bones contemplation" to view him, and very naturally, your mind will hold steady. Otherwise, the sight of a beautiful young woman or a handsome young man will turn you upside-down. The monkey-mind and stallion-instinct will run away with you, until you won”t know how to cope with it. If you lack samadhi-power to this extent, you will lose ground in cultivation. What a pity!

　　今天我們聽了叁步一拜兩位行者的來信，曉得他們有這樣不可思議的境界，有護法善神的保佑。所謂「感應道交」，他們誠心地拜，真心地念，于是乎感動了天龍八部，時刻在他們的身邊，處處逢凶化吉，遇難呈祥。我們要將他們兩位做爲借鏡，照照自己是怎麼回事？要回光返照，看看自己是不是這樣地清淨？這樣地光明？這樣有智慧？這樣不打妄想？

　　Today we read a letter from the monks on the bowing pilgrimage, and know that they”ve experienced some inconceivable states in which Dharma-protecting spirits have come to protect them. This is called "a response in the Way." Because they”ve been bowing and reciting sincerely, they”ve moved the gods, dragons, and the rest of the eight pisions to stay constantly at their side. Therefore, no matter what trouble comes up, it always turns out smoothly. We should take their example to reflect upon ourselves: has this happened to us

　　 We should reflect within to see if we have this kind of purity, light, wisdom, and lack of idle thinking.

　　各位！聽經聞法，要自性自悟，自悟自度。不要依賴師父！要依賴自己，所謂「師父領進門，修行在個人。」要相信自己的智慧，不要相信自己的愚癡，這一點是非常重要的。我們打禅七的目的，就是自性自度。六祖大師曾經說過：「迷時師度，悟時自度。」

　　All of you! As we hear the Sutras and the Dharma, we should awaken in our own nature and, having awakened, take ourselves across. Don”t rely upon your teacher. Rely on yourself instead! As it”s said, "The teacher leads you to the door, but cultivation depends on the inpidual." You should trust in your own wisdom, not your own stupidity. This is a very important distinction! The purpose of holding a meditation retreat is to let your nature take itself across. The Great Master the Sixth Patriarch once said,

　　When one is still confused,

　　his teacher saves him.

　　After one is awakened, he saves himself.

　　我們現在參禅，應該分秒必爭，不可把寶貴的時光空過。所以在打禅七的時間，佛也不拜，過堂也不念供。爲什麼？就是給大家專一用功的機會。多一分鍾參禅，便多一分鍾開悟。哪有時間去打閑岔、去充殼子、去開小會？若叁叁五五，講是講非，講些無意義的話，把開悟的時光輕易放過，尚不自知，這樣參禅，就是參八萬大劫，也沒有希望。在打禅七的期間，一定要老老實實去參！參「念佛是誰？」參「父母未生以前的本來面目？」這是開智慧的鑰匙。

　　We are now investigating Chan, and we should make the most of every minute. Don”t let the precious time pass by in vain. Thus, when we hold our Chan Session, we neither bow to the Buddhas nor perform the meal offering ceremony. Why not

　　 It”s to give everyone a chance to concentrate single-mindedly on his meditation. One minute longer of meditation brings one minute more of enlightenment. Who can find time to interrupt the work, or to shoot the breeze, or to gather a small meeting

　　 If you stand around shooting the bull, gossiping over trivia, talking lots of nonsense, then you”ll carelessly waste time in which you could be getting enlightened, and you won”t even realize it. Meditating in this way, you can investigate for 80,000 great eons, but you have no hope of success. While holding a retreat, you certainly must do honest work and really look into the matter. Which matter

　　 Investigate, "Who is mindful of the Buddha

　　" Investigate, "What was my basic identity before my parents gave birth to me

　　" These are the keys to enlightenment.

《迷時師度，悟時自度 Confused, You Are Saved by a Teacher· Awakened, You Save Yourself· 》全文閱讀結束。