廣遊

　　Traveling About

　　“踏破鞋子不如坐破墊子。”這是我時常自勉的一句話。很多修行人，都以當行遊僧爲樂，爲了參學、爲了朝聖，今天到這個寺廟挂單，明天到那個聖山拜訪，忙得不亦樂乎。對此舉動，我實在不以爲然。

　　“To wear out cushions by sitting on them is better than to wear out shoes by traveling about.” This is the adage I always employ to encourage myself. Many practitioners take pride in being roaming spiritual seekers. They happily busy themselves over pilgrimages or visiting Dharma centers. One day they pull up to a temple for a short stay overnight and the next day they are on a pilgrimage to a certain sacred mountain. But to such behaviors, I do have my reasons for disapproval.

　　華智仁波切說過一段話：爲了旅遊而朝拜神山，爲了快樂而去往寂地，表面上看來是修行，其實不然。

　　Patrul Rinpoche reminded us once: “For the purpose of sightseeing, one visits the sacred mountains; for gaining pleasure, one goes to see the sage”s place of solitude. On the surface, one seems to be doing something spiritual, but in reality that”s not the case.”

　　身爲修行人，在未通達真如境界前，應以修心爲己任，不要像浮萍一樣四處飄蕩。日日被境風所吹，心隨外境而四處晃蕩，將寶貴的大好光陰白白空過，一旦老病忽至，後悔已經晚矣。

　　Before reaching the stage of true realization, we practitioners should maintain training the mind as the top priority and avoid drifting around like rootless weeds. If we give in to distracted minds and roam about, we are certain to waste the most precious life. Suddenly aging and illness butt in uninvited, but it”s too late to cry over spilled milk.

　　即使想廣遊，也宜神遊而不必勞身。書中自有叁千乾坤，一部華嚴，權作遊訪旅程，身在方丈之中，遍遊華藏世界。無邊刹海，任心馳騁，遠勝過徒勞身心的奔波。還可避免勞命傷財、頂風冒雨，偶爾還會遭遇山石塌方、強盜野獸襲擊，甚至喪失生命等危險。您不妨試試。

　　To satisfy the wish of going places, it is more advantageous to do it mentally rather than physically. All three thousand worlds are hidden in book pages. The Avatamsaka Sutra, for instance, is a complete tour guide of the cosmos. While staying put, one”s imagination journeys at will to the infinite Avatamsaka Cosmology; it is far better than taking trips that tire the body and the mind. Armchair traveling in books saves one from encountering bad weather, landslides, earthquakes, bandits, wild beasts, even the danger of losing one”s life or possessions and so on. I urge you to check it out.

　　真心修行的人們，可否思考一下我的忠言？

　　True spiritual seekers, will you think over my suggestions

　　壬午年五月十八日 　

　　2002年6月27日 　

　　18th of May, Year of RenWu

　　June 27, 2002