..续本文上一页enemy army of defilement, craving, and mental effluents, to proclaim the Dhamma to the world so that we can study it and put it into practice, which is our great good fortune. We”ve been born right in the midst of the Buddha”s teachings, so be earnest in practicing them so as to profit from them. The teachings of the Lord Buddha aren”t a child”s doll or plaything, you know.
The Dhamma is sanditthiko -- directly visible. The teachings of the Buddha are the open market of the paths, fruitions, and nibbana. They”re never out of date -- unless we”re out of date, which is why we let the defilements fool us into thinking that the Dhamma is out of date; that people who practice the Dhamma are old-fashioned and out of date; that people who enter monasteries are old-fashioned and out of date; that the teachings of the religion have no paths or fruitions any more; that the paths, fruitions, and nibbana don”t exist; that no matter how much you practice, you”ll just wear yourself out in vain. These things are nothing but defilement deceiving us -- and we believe everything it says, so we keep going bankrupt without even a scrap of good to our names. Why are we willing to believe it so thoroughly
”Kilesam saranam gacchami” -- I go to defilement for refuge.” We”ve never said it. All we say is ”buddham dhammam sangham saranam gacchami” -- I go to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha for refuge,” but when the defilements give us a single blow, we fall flat on our backs. What good does it accomplish
What does ”Buddham saranam gacchami” mean
Nothing but Kilesam saranam gacchami. Even though we never say it, our beliefs fall in line with defilement without our even thinking about it. This is called Kilesam saranam gacchami. The grandchildren of defilement we saranam gacchami. The grandparents of defilement we saranam gacchami. Everything about the defilements we grovel and saranam gacchami. We”re all a bunch of kilesam saranam gacchami. Think it over.
So be resolute, meditators. Desire to see the truth. It”s there in the heart of every person. The Buddha didn”t lay any exclusive claims to it. All that”s needed is that you practice. Don”t doubt the paths, fruitions, and nibbana. When are the defilements ever out of date
They”re in our hearts at all times. Why don”t we ever see them being accused of being out of date
”Every kind of defilement is old-fashioned. The defilements are out of style, so don”t have anything to do with them.” I don”t see us ever give a thought to criticizing them. So how is it that the Dhamma that remedies defilement is out of existence
The Dhamma is a pair with defilement, but defilement simply lulls us to sleep so that we won”t use the Dhamma to defeat it. It”s afraid of losing its power -- because defilement is intimidated by the Dhamma, which is why it deceives us into not heading towards the Dhamma. So remember this.
Very well, then. I”m tired of preaching to meditators who Kilesam saranam gacchami.
《Things as They Are - The Middleness of the Middle Way》全文阅读结束。