聽經、背經的方法

　　The Knack of Memorizing Sutras

　　佛法有八萬四千法門那麼多，可是《楞嚴經》皆已具足，

　　不多不少，恰到好處。

　　In the Buddhadharma, there are eighty-four thousand Dharma-doors,

　　and the Shurangama Sutra contains them all, no more and no less.

　　一寸光陰一寸金，

　　寸金難買寸光陰；

　　寸金失去容易得，

　　光陰過去難再尋。

　　An inch of time is worth an ounce of gold;

　　Yet gold can”t buy an inch of time.

　　It”s easy to recover lost gold,

　　But time gone by can”t be recovered.

　　世人一天到晚在競爭奮鬥，不外都是爲了吃飯、穿衣、財物、住處與名利，爲這五件事顛顛倒倒，從朝至暮也沒有一個真正休息的時間，雖然偶爾不上班做工，可是在家中就上電視班、計算機班、股票班、電影班、旅行班，做這種種事，也都是在忙忙碌碌中。

　　Worldly people struggle and fight just for food, clothing, wealth, shelter and fame. They are deluded by these five things. From morning to night there is no time to really rest. Some people don”t go to work, but at home they still “work” with the television, the computer, stocks, movies, or traveling, busy with all kinds of things.

　　萬佛聖城的人也是忙忙碌碌，但所忙的事完全不同，在這裏不爲食、衣、住而忙，因爲我們對于這些並不講究，過得去就可以了，至于名利更是看得很淡。雖然我們也是很忙，但忙什麼呢？爲學佛、法、僧而忙，爲修戒、定、慧而忙，完全是不同性質。

　　People at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas are also busy, but for different reasons. Here we aren”t busy for food and clothing, since we don”t particularly care for them; as long as they”re passable, that”s enough. And we care even less for fame. So we are also busy, but what are we busy for

　　 We are busy studying about the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and cultivating precepts, samadhi, and wisdom. The nature of the things that we busy ourselves with is totally different from worldly people”s business.

　　我們天天在這裏研究經典，要特別專心注意，不要身在而心跑得不知去向。不要因爲這個人講法講得不錯我就去注意；那個人講得不好我就心不在焉，總是在人我是非上用功夫。這樣是愛憎心太重，是非好壞心太大，完全沒有把它降伏。

　　Here we study Sutras every day, and we should be especially focused, and not have our bodies sitting here while our minds are wandering somewhere else. Don”t be mindful only when people are speaking the Dharma well, and absent-minded when they don”t speak well. If we constantly analyze other people”s shortcomings, it means we have not subdued our strong inclination to discriminate between what we like and dislike, between right and wrong, good and bad.

　　聽經要專心、至誠懇切，若是有人講得不錯，我要學習他哪個地方講得好；有人講得不好的，我更要聽，用妙觀察智來觀察他講得對不對？合法不合法？而不是用識心來分別計度。對于任何人的一言一行，一舉一動，我都要特別注意留心而不空過，這樣才能有所得，才能開智慧。開智慧不是一日一夜就成就的，而是朝于斯，夕于斯，早晚都不間斷地來學習，這樣才會有所成就。

　　We should listen to the Sutra lectures with a sincere and focused mind. We learn from people who speak well, and when people don”t speak well, we listen even more intently. We use our wonderful observing wisdom to contemplate if what they say is correct and in accord with Dharma; we don”t use our conscious minds to discriminate and speculate. We should carefully consider other people”s words and behavior in every moment. Only in this way can we gain some benefit and develop our wisdom. Our wisdom cannot be developed overnight; it takes incessant, mindful study day and night for us to accomplish something.

　　現在你們每個人都在讀誦《楞嚴經》與〈楞嚴咒〉，要知道《楞嚴經》就是佛的真身，就是佛、就是法、就是僧，也就是戒、定、慧。你想恭敬佛、恭敬法、恭敬僧，先要恭敬《楞嚴經》。你想學戒、修定、發慧，先要學《楞嚴經》。佛法有八萬四千法門那麼多，可是《楞嚴經》皆已具足，不多不少，恰到好處。

　　All of you are now studying the Shurangama Sutra and the Shurangama Mantra. You should know that the Shurangama Sutra is the Buddha”s true body. It is the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and it”s also precepts, samadhi, and wisdom. If you want to respect the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, you first have to respect the Shurangama Sutra. If you want to learn precepts, cultivate samadhi, and develop wisdom, you must study the Shurangama Sutra first. In the Buddhadharma, there are eighty-four thousand Dharma-doors, and the Shurangama Sutra contains them all, no more and no less.

　　所以我們應該學這部經，並且要背得出。學習的方法就是天天把你已能背得出的經文，重新溫習一次。不要貪多或貪快，要天天溫習一遍，才會熟能生巧，巧能生靈。千萬不要舍近求遠，向外馳求，這樣只是在皮毛上打轉轉，而不能深入經藏，不會開智慧的。

　　We should study this Sutra and memorize it. The method of study is to daily review the Sutra text that you have memorized. Don”t be greedy for quantity and speed. Review on a daily basis. After you are familiar with the Sutra text you”ll become proficient in it. After you are proficient in it, you”ll be able to do efficacious things with it. Don”t abandon what is near to seek for something distant, and don”t seek outside. Otherwise you”ll only be skimming on the surface of things, unable to deeply enter the Sutra treasury and develop wisdom.

　　那要利用什麼時候來背經呢？一早起身穿衣服或漱洗時，都可以默誦經文。晚間上床睡覺，躺在枕上還可以默誦溫習。白天在路上走路，或工作時也都可以默背，能這樣連綿不斷地用功，很快就會背熟了。

　　What time of day should you use to memorize the Sutra

　　 You can recite the Sutra in your mind when you”re dressing or washing up in the morning; and in the evening, when you”re in bed with your head on the pillow; and also during the day, when you”re walking or working. If you can study like this incessantly, you”ll be able to memorize the Sutra very soon.

　　讀書方法有「叁到」──眼到、口到、心到。你的眼睛、口、心都應該專心一致于書本上。又有「叁上」──路上、枕上、廁上，在這叁上，正好背經。你們誰願意用這種方法，就能把經背得很熟。各位可以試一試！

　　The method of studying involves three faculties: the eyes, the mouth, and the mind. Your eyes, mouth, and mind should all be focused on the book. There are also three good places for studying: on the road, on the pillow, and on the toilet. The time when you are in these three places is the time to memorize the Sutra. Anyone who wants to use this method will be able to memorize the Sutra well. Try it!

　　一九八叁年五月廿六日晚開示

　　于萬佛聖城

　　A talk given on the evening of May 26, 1983,

　　at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas

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