..續本文上一頁 food. They wish to eat delicious food that keeps their bodies strong and healthy. If they eat less than their fill, they aren”t satisfied. If they eat too much, lust arises and they plunge headlong into the pursuit of sex, sometimes even at the risk of their own lives. Therefore, food and sex are inseparable. If ignorance didn”t have the accomplices of food and sex, it wouldn”t act up so much.

　　出家人吃得越壞越好，越沒有營養越好，所以對于吃東西的問題，不要看得那麼重，修道人吃得能維持生命就可以了。但是要行中道，不需要吃得太有營養，也不要吃得太壞，否則會弄垮了身體。

　　For left-home people, the less rich the food is, the better. Food should not be regarded as too important. A cultivator should practice moderation and eat only enough to sustain himself. We should neither eat very rich food, nor eat spoilt food, for either one could ruin our health.

　　我最佩服的人，就是臺灣的水果和尚(廣欽老和尚)。他既不貪財，也不貪色。人家給他果儀，他連看也不看，這不是一般凡夫俗子所能做到的。一般人放不下財，都視財如命；但他卻看得那麼輕松，也不看果儀包了有多少，就放在一邊，誰願意拿就去拿。

　　I really admire the "Fruit Monk" [Elder Master Guangqin] in Taiwan. He is not greedy for money or for sensual pleasures. He doesn”t even look at the offerings people make to him. Ordinary people are so attached to wealth that they value it more than life itself. But this monk is so unconcerned about wealth that he doesn”t even check to see how much money the offerings contain. He just puts the offerings aside, and anyone can take them.

　　所以他有些徒弟就偷拿許多錢，然後偷跑去還俗。你說這樣他以後應該會管緊了錢吧？沒有，他還是管也不管，看也不看，你說這老人的定力有多高！他只吃水果、花生，不吃有味的食物，他不入色聲香味觸法，而證得初果。他修行很有感應的，時常保護著臺灣，有些人認識他，但也有人不認識他的德行，反而罵他是啞羊僧。他因爲年邁身體不好，所以現在就吃點粥，于是有人就開始呱呱叫，以爲他要墮落了。其實他們的觀點是錯誤的，人家吃不吃粥是他的事，怎麼可以管那麼多！如果人人修行都像這位老人那麼不貪不染，那麼佛教一定會發揚光大，正法一定會常住在世。這位老人是我最歡喜的一位老同參，也可說我們是志同道合。

　　Some of the Fruit Monk”s disciples stole quite a sum of money from him and then sneaked off and returned to lay-life. You”d expect him to watch his money more closely after that, but he doesn”t. He still doesn”t bother to keep track of, or even look at, his offerings. How great would you say this old cultivator”s samadhi power is

　　 He used to eat only fruit and peanuts, and never ate seasoned food. He detached himself from sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangible objects, and dharmas, and he attained the first stage of Arhatship. He has had many miraculous responses in his cultivation, and Taiwan is under his constant protection. Some recognize what kind of person he is, but others don”t see his virtue and criticize him for being a "mute monk." Since he is now quite old and not as healthy as before, he occasionally eats a little porridge. Some people criticize him for this and say he will fall. Actually, their attitude is wrong. Why should they meddle in his affairs

　　 Whether or not he eats porridge is his own business. If every cultivator could be as unselfish and undefiled as this elder monk, Buddhism would surely flourish and the Proper Dharma would prevail in the world. This old monk is my favorite fellow cultivator. He and I have the same aspirations and travel the same path.

　　在萬佛聖城，你不能說我們每一樣都是對的，都是佛法，但我們願意依教奉行，依照佛法去做。所以萬佛聖城所有的人，不注重吃好東西，或穿好衣服，或住好的地方，只要能維持四大假合的身體，能活著就可以了。我們所需要的是法，是無上法味，所以每天在萬佛聖城都講經說法。

　　We can”t say that we do everything right at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, but we do try to follow the Buddha-dharma and practice the teachings. People at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas don”t think it”s so very important to eat delicious food, wear fine clothes, or live in a fancy place. We are satisfied if we can sustain our bodies, which are temporary aggregates of the four elements anyway. What we really need is the supreme flavor of the Dharma. That”s why Sutra lectures and Dharma talks are held daily at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

　　你們各位到聽經的時候，要勇猛精進聽講《華嚴經》，不要懶惰。你們聽經不是給師父聽，而是給自己聽。你若自己覺得什麼都懂，那你就不需要聽了；可是你並不是什麼都懂，你所懂的都是世智辯聰，盡是精細鬼、伶俐蟲在作怪。你學法是給自己學，不是給師父、給旁人學的。切記！不要白白把光陰空過了，否則將來後悔莫及。

　　During the lectures, all of you should pay diligent attention to the Flower Adornment (Avatamsaka) Sutra. Don”t be lazy. You are listening to the Sutra for your own sake, not for your teacher”s sake. If you already understand everything, you don”t have to listen. However, you don”t really understand everything. Your understanding is mere world-ly cleverness and intellectual knowledge. You”re playing into the hands of your own intelligence. You are learning the Dharma for your own good, not for your teacher or anyone else. So don”t let the time pass in vain, or you”ll later regret it.

　　一九八二年五月九日開示于萬佛聖城

　　A talk given on May 9, 1982

　　at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas

《修道的秘訣：節食、寡欲 The Secret to Cultivation: Eat Less and Reduce Desire》全文閱讀結束。