..续本文上一页er smooth or troublesome situations. With this kind of samadhi-power, instead of being influenced by circumstances, they can influence states. This is the true skill of a cultivator of the Way.

　　If Mount Tai were to collapse before them,

　　it wouldn”t make them blink.

　　If a ravishing beauty were to pass before them,

　　they wouldn”t be affected in the slightest.

　　男人见到西施那样美的女人，当做骷髅观，自然不动其心；女人见到潘安那样英俊的男人，当做白骨观，自然不动其心。否则，见到美女或俊男，就心猿意马，七上八下，不知如何是好！若是这样没有定力，那就会失去道业，这是多么可惜！

　　If you are a man and you see a woman as beautiful as the legendary maiden Xi Shi, simply use "the contemplation of a skeleton" to view her, and naturally your mind will hold steady. If you are a woman and you see a man as handsome as the famous hero Pan An, use the "bare-bones contemplation" to view him, and very naturally, your mind will hold steady. Otherwise, the sight of a beautiful young woman or a handsome young man will turn you upside-down. The monkey-mind and stallion-instinct will run away with you, until you won”t know how to cope with it. If you lack samadhi-power to this extent, you will lose ground in cultivation. What a pity!

　　今天我们听了三步一拜两位行者的来信，晓得他们有这样不可思议的境界，有护法善神的保佑。所谓「感应道交」，他们诚心地拜，真心地念，于是乎感动了天龙八部，时刻在他们的身边，处处逢凶化吉，遇难呈祥。我们要将他们两位做为借镜，照照自己是怎么回事？要回光返照，看看自己是不是这样地清净？这样地光明？这样有智慧？这样不打妄想？

　　Today we read a letter from the monks on the bowing pilgrimage, and know that they”ve experienced some inconceivable states in which Dharma-protecting spirits have come to protect them. This is called "a response in the Way." Because they”ve been bowing and reciting sincerely, they”ve moved the gods, dragons, and the rest of the eight pisions to stay constantly at their side. Therefore, no matter what trouble comes up, it always turns out smoothly. We should take their example to reflect upon ourselves: has this happened to us

　　 We should reflect within to see if we have this kind of purity, light, wisdom, and lack of idle thinking.

　　各位！听经闻法，要自性自悟，自悟自度。不要依赖师父！要依赖自己，所谓「师父领进门，修行在个人。」要相信自己的智慧，不要相信自己的愚痴，这一点是非常重要的。我们打禅七的目的，就是自性自度。六祖大师曾经说过：「迷时师度，悟时自度。」

　　All of you! As we hear the Sutras and the Dharma, we should awaken in our own nature and, having awakened, take ourselves across. Don”t rely upon your teacher. Rely on yourself instead! As it”s said, "The teacher leads you to the door, but cultivation depends on the inpidual." You should trust in your own wisdom, not your own stupidity. This is a very important distinction! The purpose of holding a meditation retreat is to let your nature take itself across. The Great Master the Sixth Patriarch once said,

　　When one is still confused,

　　his teacher saves him.

　　After one is awakened, he saves himself.

　　我们现在参禅，应该分秒必争，不可把宝贵的时光空过。所以在打禅七的时间，佛也不拜，过堂也不念供。为什么？就是给大家专一用功的机会。多一分钟参禅，便多一分钟开悟。哪有时间去打闲岔、去充壳子、去开小会？若三三五五，讲是讲非，讲些无意义的话，把开悟的时光轻易放过，尚不自知，这样参禅，就是参八万大劫，也没有希望。在打禅七的期间，一定要老老实实去参！参「念佛是谁？」参「父母未生以前的本来面目？」这是开智慧的钥匙。

　　We are now investigating Chan, and we should make the most of every minute. Don”t let the precious time pass by in vain. Thus, when we hold our Chan Session, we neither bow to the Buddhas nor perform the meal offering ceremony. Why not

　　 It”s to give everyone a chance to concentrate single-mindedly on his meditation. One minute longer of meditation brings one minute more of enlightenment. Who can find time to interrupt the work, or to shoot the breeze, or to gather a small meeting

　　 If you stand around shooting the bull, gossiping over trivia, talking lots of nonsense, then you”ll carelessly waste time in which you could be getting enlightened, and you won”t even realize it. Meditating in this way, you can investigate for 80,000 great eons, but you have no hope of success. While holding a retreat, you certainly must do honest work and really look into the matter. Which matter

　　 Investigate, "Who is mindful of the Buddha

　　" Investigate, "What was my basic identity before my parents gave birth to me

　　" These are the keys to enlightenment.

《迷时师度，悟时自度 Confused, You Are Saved by a Teacher· Awakened, You Save Yourself· 》全文阅读结束。