..续本文上一页appy results, you should let yourself think it. But as for thoughts that will cause harm, don”t pull them in. If you go gobbling down everything you like, you”re going to die. I.e., (1) your inner quality will deteriorate. (2) The wealth your parents and teachers gave you will disappear.

　　As for your senses — sight, hearing, smell, taste, feeling — you should show an interest in everything that will benefit you. Drive out what”s bad and bring in what”s good. When you can do this, it”s called showing respect for your parents, your teachers, and yourself as well. Your house will be clean, and you can lounge around in comfort without having to worry about sitting on bird- or bat-droppings.

　　But if you don”t exercise self-restraint, your actions will be defiled, your words will be defiled, so how can your mind live in comfort

　　 Like a filthy house: No guests will want to go into it, and even the owner isn”t comfortable there. If you keep your home clean and well-swept, though, it”ll be nice to live in, and good people will be happy to come and visit. When good people come and visit, they won”t cause you any harm. In other words, the things that come in through the senses are like guests and they won”t cause any harm to the mind. The mind will be good and obedient and will stay put where you tell it to. But even if your couches and chairs are made of marble: If they”re dusty and dirty, no guests will want to sit there, and you yourself won”t want to, either.

　　* * *

　　So if you keep your virtue bright and clear with regard to your senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, feeling, and ideation, your mind will find it easy to attain concentration. Then even when defilements come to visit you from time to time, they won”t be able to do you any harm — because you have more than enough wealth to share with them. If thieves come, you can throw them a hunk of diamond ore and they”ll disappear. If aging, illness, and death come begging, you can throw them another hunk, and they”ll stop pestering use.

　　If your old kamma debts come at you when you”re poor, they won”t get enough to satisfy them, so they”ll end up taking your life. But if they come at you when you”re rich, you simply share your merit — all the inner wealth you”ve accumulated — and they”ll leave you alone. If your goodness isn”t yet full, then evil will have an opening to flow in; but if your hands, feet, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are filled with goodness, evil can”t get into you, so you can come out unscathed.

　　Ultimately, you”ll get so rich in inner quality that you can go beyond both good and evil. That”s when you can be truly happy and free from danger. So I ask that you all remember this and treat your thoughts, words, and deeds in a way that shows respect for the Dhamma as I”ve explained it. You”ll then meet with the happiness you hope for.

《Food for Thought - Respect For Truth》全文阅读结束。