自利

　　Self-Cultivation

　　實修的人先應調服自己的煩惱，獲得一定境界，不爲環境所轉後，方能到人群當中行利他行爲。這是佛教的必然規律。

　　Before walking into a crowd to bring forth benefit, any spiritual practitioner must first tame his or her own afflictive emotions and gain a realization unshakable by circumstance. Such is the inexorable order in Buddhism.

　　如果自己煩惱未調，自己還處于“泥菩薩過河，自身難保”的階段，又何談利他呢？如果以利他爲借口，心裏卻是希求財産、名聲，即使表面看來是利衆，實際上卻毫無意義。發心不純正，即使是講經說法也不開許。

　　When negative emotion is still rampant, one is like “a clay statue of Buddha attempting to cross the river.” When one can hardly save oneself, what is there to say of liberating others

　　 Furthermore, selfish greed for fame and money can hide under the guise of benefiting others; such superficial activity is totally meaningless. In fact, without pure motivation, teaching the Dharma is not allowed.

　　無垢光尊者在《竅訣寶藏論》中雲：“雖勤利衆若爲私欲縛，終成騙子危險當謹慎。”

　　The Omniscient Longchenpa says in The Precious Treasury of Pith Instructions:

　　If one is ensnared by selfish desires while trying to benefit beings,

　　One is liable to turn into a charlatan, beware of this pitfall!

　　又說：“無有神通利益他衆難。”

　　And again:

　　Without having attained clairvoyance in the first place, performing the task of benefiting beings is tough.

　　卓衮巴大師也說：“對修行人而言，應當身著綴滿補丁的衣衫，手持诃子 念珠，門口印滿清晰的鳥迹 。在修行之時，無論是誰爲懈怠懶散之人講經說法，都絕對沒有利益。格西是不會歡喜的，我也會將此人視爲精神癫狂者。”

　　Master Dro Gompa comments: “Spiritual practitioners must wear patched-up garments and constantly hold a mala in hand. The fronts of their retreat huts are covered with distinct footprints of birds (meaning they do not go out). While one is still at the stage of learning and practicing, it is utterly useless to teach the Dharma to indolent students. I doubt our Geshe will be pleased; likewise I”ll regard this person as frenzied.”

　　藏巴加惹也告誡後人：“沒有春天的播種，而希冀獲得秋天的果實是餓鬼(的癡心妄想)；時機沒有成熟，而企圖度化衆生實在是徒勞無益。”

　　Tsangpa Gayre also left this advice: “Hoping to harvest crops in the fall without having sowed in springtime is nothing but the wishful thinking of hungry ghosts. Trying to tame beings without the coming together of ripening conditions is nothing but a senseless endeavor.”

　　博朵瓦也叮囑我們：“修行人應當勵力調服自相續，首要之舉就是如此。以他利爲主的行爲並沒有開許。只需在心裏想著利益他衆，除此之外，身語不一定親自而爲。”

　　Geshe Potowa also urges us: “When one starts spiritual practice, the most important task is to direct effort toward training one”s own mind. Other activities centered on helping others are not permitted. One needs only to generate in the heart the aspiration of benefiting others; other than this, it is not absolutely necessary to take actions in body or speech.”

　　布頓大師也諄諄教誨弟子說：“過去衆多佛陀未調化，所有大力菩薩亦未調。呵責懷恨稱贊生驕慢，于強生嫉均者相比拼，傲視低卑執持粗暴心，縱宣法語亦作貪嗔行。如此凡夫愚衆于現今，吾無力化故當調自心。利他乃法根本之密意，當觀所調化者之根器，知其隨眠多寡前後際，不貪自利能調方調禦。己尚追尋名利及樂贊，不具神通若欲行他利，猶如無翅妄想遨藍天，他利未成自利衰敗因。縱言講聞乃爲持勝法，必依淨戒無僞出離心，應爲公正求義聰睿者，智士方宣勝藏乃密意。雖聚追逐今生名利眷，無信無欲縱演殊妙法，亦不實修徒生貪嗔因，此類聽聞實乃輪回繩。”

　　The great master Buton Rinpoche has also taught earnestly and tirelessly the following: “Multitudes of Buddhas of the past have not saved many confused beings of this world, nor have the compassionate great Bodhisattvas tamed them. They harbor resentment of criticism and become conceited when praised, are jealous of superiors and competitive with equals, despicable of inferiors and ruthless in bearing. They do not give up covetousness and hatred even though they have received Dharma teachings. Having no skillful means to tame such beings yet, we should train ourselves first. The ultimate essence of the Dharma is to benefit beings. However, it should be applied according to the need of each inpidual. Become aware of their afflictive emotions, their past and future tendencies, then teach only when you are capable and have no more self-interest. If you still chase after fame, wealth, pleasure, and praise, if you possess no clairvoyance but want to help others, it will be like wishing to fly freely in the blue sky with no wings. Not only will you fail helping others but also you”ll ruin yourself. Although teaching and learning the Dharma are extremely important, the teacher must have kept pure precepts and genuinely renounced earthly strife. And the students must be earnest, intelligent, have unbiased views and yearn for the Dharma. To teach the supreme Dharma only to worthy ones is the secret. Having a large retinue who chase fame and wealth of this life, having delivered wonderful teachings but lacking faith and aspiration, neglecting actual practices and having a mind full of avarice and hatred, these kinds of teachers and students will be tightly bound by the ropes of samsara.”

　　當然，如果因爲可憐衆生，並沒有自利之心，即使沒有調服相續，而向人宣說佛法，也只有功德，沒有危害。

　　Of course, if a person is free from self-interest and feels compassion for miserable beings, he or she is permitted to convey the Dharma even before having tamed the mind. This kind of teaching is meritorious, and will not be harmful.

　　壬午年叁月二十四日　

　　2002年5月5日　　

　　24th of March

　　May 5, 2002

　　At Wu Lau Mountain, Xiamen

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