做一个好的驾驶员

　　Be a Good Driver

　　有智慧，无论什么问题都能迎刃而解；没有智慧，处处都是障碍。

　　When you have wisdom, you are able to readily solve any kind of problem;

　　when you don”t have wisdom, there are obstacles everywhere.

　　人之所以下地狱，做饿鬼，转畜生，不外乎受六根──眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意的支配。人之所以成修罗、生天、或者做人，也不超出这六根的作用。乃至于人能成阿罗汉、辟支佛、菩萨、佛，都没有离开这六根。这六根为什么有这么大的力量，甚至于人升天堂、堕地狱也不离它呢？是不是这六根能支配人成佛或做鬼呢？

　　Due to the influence of the six sense faculties—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind—people are reborn in the hells or become hungry ghosts or animals. It”s also due to the functioning of the six senses that people become asuras or are reborn in the heavens or as humans.

　　It is also because of the functioning of the six sense faculties that we can become Arhats, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, or Buddhas. Why are the six sense faculties so powerful that they even influence whether we are reborn in the heavens or fall into the hells

　　 Do they determine whether people become Buddhas or ghosts

　　其实，也不是这六根支配，而是我们不会运用它。每个人的自性，这个灵明觉性里，有个主人翁，这个主人翁也就是我们本具的佛性。当这个主人翁当家时，正念就现前，一切自在无碍；可是一旦被一念无明遮盖，痴暗妄动，六根便喧宾夺主，人就被眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意六贼所谋害，打家劫舍，把我们宝贵的家珍，洗劫一空！所谓：

　　Actually, the six sense faculties aren”t in control; it”s just that we don”t know how to use them. The master is within everyone”s own nature, the bright nature of enlightenment. This master is also known as the inherent Buddha-nature. When it is in charge, proper thoughts manifest, and one is free and at ease, not obstructed by anything. But once this nature is covered up by even a single thought of ignorance, a dull darkness is erroneously stirred up; the six sense faculties then become the masters and take control. As a result, we are plundered by the six thieves—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind. They rob our house and steal all our precious treasures. So it is said,

　　一念不生全体现，

　　六根忽动被云遮。

　　When not a single thought arises,

　　The entire substance manifests.

　　When the six sense faculties suddenly move,

　　There is a covering of clouds.

　　所以，本来应该向佛道前进，却往鬼道上跑了。这就譬如一个驾驶员，本来应该在大马路上行驶，如今反而往海里跑，于是连车带人，都被淹没了；或者这个驾驶员好高骛远，把车开到山上，从悬崖上掉下来，结果粉身碎骨了。这都是因为路线不熟，不懂驾驶，所以发生种种的意外。同样地，人身上的六根，就等于这部车子，你若懂得开动它，就可以顺利到达目的地；若不懂得运用它，则会发生意外，甚至招致性命的危险。

　　Because of this, people who are supposed to advance along the Buddha path go down the ghostly path instead. This is like a driver who should be driving his car along the highway, but instead drives it into the ocean, both drowning himself and sinking the car. It”s also like somebody who aims high without doing the fundamental work, or someone who climbs a mountain and falls off a cliff, getting smashed to bits. When a person is not familiar with the road conditions and doesn”t know how to drive, he”s prone to accidents. The six sense faculties of our bodies can be compared to cars. If we know how to drive, we can reach our destination safely; if we don”t, we risk losing our lives in an accident.

　　人本有的灵性是通天彻地，湛圆妙明，遍十方界的，它是万能的，什么都能做。可是一旦投胎，进了这个臭皮囊，就胡涂起来了，连东南西北、四维上下，也搞不清楚了，于是到处乱闯乱撞，本来想做佛、做菩萨，没想到稍一不慎，却做马、做牛去了！

　　Our inherent nature, which is clear, perfect, and wonderfully bright, pervades the ten directions and permeates heaven and earth. It is omnipotent, capable of doing anything. However, as in the analogy about driving, even though we may know how to drive, once we go into the womb and enter this “stinking skin bag,” we become muddled. After this we can”t even distinguish between east, south, west, north, above, or below, and run around aimlessly. Original-ly we wanted to become Buddhas, but if we are the least bit careless, we may end up being reborn as horses, cows, or sheep.

　　最可怜的是，有些佛教徒，一心想脱离三恶道，但是因为不懂得运用这部车子，反被六根支配，任由魔王做主，被困在这个五蕴所成的幻有躯壳里头，而不能解脱，痛苦不堪，他们本有的灵性既被埋没了，智慧光明就不能现前。

　　Some Buddhists are most pitiful. They single-mindedly want to leave the three evil paths, but because they don”t know how to drive the car of the six sense f…

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