做一個好的駕駛員

　　Be a Good Driver

　　有智慧，無論什麼問題都能迎刃而解；沒有智慧，處處都是障礙。

　　When you have wisdom, you are able to readily solve any kind of problem;

　　when you don”t have wisdom, there are obstacles everywhere.

　　人之所以下地獄，做餓鬼，轉畜生，不外乎受六根──眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意的支配。人之所以成修羅、生天、或者做人，也不超出這六根的作用。乃至于人能成阿羅漢、辟支佛、菩薩、佛，都沒有離開這六根。這六根爲什麼有這麼大的力量，甚至于人升天堂、墮地獄也不離它呢？是不是這六根能支配人成佛或做鬼呢？

　　Due to the influence of the six sense faculties—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind—people are reborn in the hells or become hungry ghosts or animals. It”s also due to the functioning of the six senses that people become asuras or are reborn in the heavens or as humans.

　　It is also because of the functioning of the six sense faculties that we can become Arhats, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, or Buddhas. Why are the six sense faculties so powerful that they even influence whether we are reborn in the heavens or fall into the hells

　　 Do they determine whether people become Buddhas or ghosts

　　其實，也不是這六根支配，而是我們不會運用它。每個人的自性，這個靈明覺性裏，有個主人翁，這個主人翁也就是我們本具的佛性。當這個主人翁當家時，正念就現前，一切自在無礙；可是一旦被一念無明遮蓋，癡暗妄動，六根便喧賓奪主，人就被眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意六賊所謀害，打家劫舍，把我們寶貴的家珍，洗劫一空！所謂：

　　Actually, the six sense faculties aren”t in control; it”s just that we don”t know how to use them. The master is within everyone”s own nature, the bright nature of enlightenment. This master is also known as the inherent Buddha-nature. When it is in charge, proper thoughts manifest, and one is free and at ease, not obstructed by anything. But once this nature is covered up by even a single thought of ignorance, a dull darkness is erroneously stirred up; the six sense faculties then become the masters and take control. As a result, we are plundered by the six thieves—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind. They rob our house and steal all our precious treasures. So it is said,

　　一念不生全體現，

　　六根忽動被雲遮。

　　When not a single thought arises,

　　The entire substance manifests.

　　When the six sense faculties suddenly move,

　　There is a covering of clouds.

　　所以，本來應該向佛道前進，卻往鬼道上跑了。這就譬如一個駕駛員，本來應該在大馬路上行駛，如今反而往海裏跑，于是連車帶人，都被淹沒了；或者這個駕駛員好高骛遠，把車開到山上，從懸崖上掉下來，結果粉身碎骨了。這都是因爲路線不熟，不懂駕駛，所以發生種種的意外。同樣地，人身上的六根，就等于這部車子，你若懂得開動它，就可以順利到達目的地；若不懂得運用它，則會發生意外，甚至招致性命的危險。

　　Because of this, people who are supposed to advance along the Buddha path go down the ghostly path instead. This is like a driver who should be driving his car along the highway, but instead drives it into the ocean, both drowning himself and sinking the car. It”s also like somebody who aims high without doing the fundamental work, or someone who climbs a mountain and falls off a cliff, getting smashed to bits. When a person is not familiar with the road conditions and doesn”t know how to drive, he”s prone to accidents. The six sense faculties of our bodies can be compared to cars. If we know how to drive, we can reach our destination safely; if we don”t, we risk losing our lives in an accident.

　　人本有的靈性是通天徹地，湛圓妙明，遍十方界的，它是萬能的，什麼都能做。可是一旦投胎，進了這個臭皮囊，就胡塗起來了，連東南西北、四維上下，也搞不清楚了，于是到處亂闖亂撞，本來想做佛、做菩薩，沒想到稍一不慎，卻做馬、做牛去了！

　　Our inherent nature, which is clear, perfect, and wonderfully bright, pervades the ten directions and permeates heaven and earth. It is omnipotent, capable of doing anything. However, as in the analogy about driving, even though we may know how to drive, once we go into the womb and enter this “stinking skin bag,” we become muddled. After this we can”t even distinguish between east, south, west, north, above, or below, and run around aimlessly. Original-ly we wanted to become Buddhas, but if we are the least bit careless, we may end up being reborn as horses, cows, or sheep.

　　最可憐的是，有些佛教徒，一心想脫離叁惡道，但是因爲不懂得運用這部車子，反被六根支配，任由魔王做主，被困在這個五蘊所成的幻有軀殼裏頭，而不能解脫，痛苦不堪，他們本有的靈性既被埋沒了，智慧光明就不能現前。

　　Some Buddhists are most pitiful. They single-mindedly want to leave the three evil paths, but because they don”t know how to drive the car of the six sense f…

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