安忍

　　Heroic Perseverance

　　多部經論都認爲安忍是六度中最難修持圓滿的。《入菩薩行論》雲：“罪惡莫過嗔，難行莫勝忍，故應以衆理，努力修安忍。”在世間也有“忍字頭上一把刀”的說法。

　　Scores of sutras and shastras state that patience, or heroic perseverance, is the most difficult to accomplish among the Six Perfections. Thus A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life says:

　　There is no evil similar to anger and no austerity equal to forbearance.

　　Thus I should strive in all ways to develop forbearance, with great effort.

　　尤其面對無緣無故的侮辱，無中生有的誹謗，很多的修行人都難以做到如如不動，視若虹霓。

　　It”s also common to say: “The Chinese ideogram “patience” is epitomized by having a knife dangling over your head.” When being insulted unjustifiably or slandered for no reason, hardly anyone, many spiritual practitioners included, can remain undisturbed while seeing the attacks as insubstantial rainbows.

　　本師釋迦牟尼佛曾轉世爲一外道仙人，名忍力，他發願永遠不對任何衆生生嗔恨心。當時有一惡意魔王爲摧毀忍力的安忍之法，就幻化出專門毀壞別人安忍功德之一千人，用咒語詛咒忍力，用妄語肆意對忍力橫加誹謗，還在大庭廣衆之中用常人難以啓齒之言詞羞辱他。這些人還于忍力行、住、坐、臥之時加害于他，如此等非理之行竟持續長達八萬四千年之久。

　　Buddha Shakyamuni was once reborn as a rishi named Patience Power who had vowed never to get angry at any beings. Mara, intending to destroy the quality Patience Power had attained, manifested one thousand beings who knew exactly how to demolish the perseverance quality of others. They cursed him with malicious mantras, defamed him recklessly with false accusations, and humiliated him in public with unspeakable sordid words. They inflicted harm on him in all his activities of walking, sitting, standing, and sleeping; these kinds of horrendous attacks continued for 84,000 years.

　　當仙人前往城市之時，這些惡性衆生竟用不淨糞澆灑在仙人頭上、所捧缽孟中以及衣服上，還用掃帚猛擊其頭部，但他根本沒有生起絲毫的嗔恨心與報複之意。不管別人如何待他，他從未想過以牙還牙，從未怒目相向，從未惡口相加，甚至諸如“我到底做錯何事”之類言詞都未曾說過。並且心中暗自發願：爲難以調伏之衆生利益，我誓修無上菩提，一定要首先度化此等衆生。

　　When rishi Patience Power went to town, these unruly assailants sprayed putrid feces over his head, into his begging bowl, and onto his clothes, and even hit his head forcefully with brooms. But Patience Power never had a trace of anger arise in him, nor did he have the slightest intention of revenge. No matter what assault was afflicted upon him, he never thought of avenging an eye for an eye, nor did he cast furious glares or use harsh words. Questions such as: “What have I done wrong

　　” were not heard from him either. Instead, he made his wishes silently: “For benefiting these recalcitrant beings, I vow to practice the Dharma to attain supreme enlightenment. Thereafter, my top priority will be to lead these beings to Buddhahood.”

　　日本的白隱禅師也以修安忍而著稱于世。曾經有位姑娘與一男子有染而生下一子，姑娘怕虔信佛法的父母譴責，就告知父母乃白隱禅師所爲。因其父母對白隱禅師一直尊敬有加，以爲此法可免父母責難。這可害苦了白隱禅師，不明真相的父母聽信女兒讒言，抱著剛生下的嬰兒，扔給白隱禅師並說道：“你這個敗壞佛門清規戒律的假和尚，以前我們沒有看清你的醜惡面目，蒙受你的欺騙。沒想到你竟然做出如此禽獸不如的勾當，這是你的兒子，你拿去吧！” 白隱禅師淡淡地說了聲：“是這樣嗎？”就默默地接過孩子。姑娘的父母更以爲沒有冤枉白隱禅師，便將此事到處傳播。人們一刹那間都知道了白隱禅師的“醜惡行徑”，紛紛白眼相視。

　　Zen Master Bai Yin of Japan is noted for his accomplishment in patience. There was once a young maiden who gave birth to a baby sired by her boyfriend. To avoid being punished by her parents who were devout Buddhists, she lied to them that the baby”s father was the Zen master. As her parents had high respect for the master, the maiden thought she could be vindicated. Little did she know that her account brought tremendous hardship for Master Bai Yin. Her parents, ignorant of the facts and believing their daughter, brought the newborn infant to the master and said, “You fake monk, you have transgressed the precepts of the Buddha; we had been blind to your ugliness and were deceived by you. You are worse than a beast to commit such a dirty deal. Here is your son, take him!” The master responded gently: “Ah, is that so!” and received the baby without saying another word. The parents took his silence as a justification to their accusation, and scattered the news all around. Everyone came to know of Master Bai Yin”s “repulsive behavior,” and they all looked down on him.

　　白隱禅師抱著虛弱的嬰兒，到剛生過孩子的人家乞求奶水，那些人家都說：“哼！要不是看在可憐孩子的份上，才不會給你呢！”

　　Holding the feeble infant, Master Bai Yin trudged to households where newborns lived with their families and begged for milk. They said scornfully: “Humph, were it not for the sake of the poor baby, we would not give anything to you!”

　　時間一天天過去了，姑娘的良心備受痛苦的煎熬，她不能再看到人們對白隱禅師的不公正待遇，終于向父母坦白了一切。當姑娘父母萬分羞愧地來到白隱禅師面前忏悔時，他仍然是那句話：“是這樣嗎？”

　　As time passed, the young maiden”s conscience was tortured severely; she no longer could bear to see the unjust public treatment of Master Bai Yin and confessed to her parents. Master Bai Yin, when receiving the extremely repentant parents begging for forgiveness, responded gently in the same way: “Ah, is that so!”

　　這是多麼普通的一句話啊！但要能以平常心說出這句話，絕不是“未經一番寒徹骨”之凡夫所能爲之的。這些先輩們高義薄雲之安忍品德，什麼時候能真正融入我的相續？

　　What a plain sentence is this one! However, to say it calmly is not possible for any ordinary person who has not been tempered through thick and thin. The extraordinary quality of forbearance as demonstrated by the sages of the past is truly remarkable. When will it truly permeate my mind

　　壬午年二月十一日 　

　　2002年3月25日

　　11th of February, Year of RenWu

　　March 25, 2002

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