Spiritual Virus
我们上回说了：「我们就是因为三业而生罪，或是六根而起过，或是外面的境界，使我们内心染着。」像这样不断「乃至十恶增长。」
或因三业而生罪，或从六根而起过，或以内心自邪思惟，或借外境起诸染着。
无论是外面的境界，污染了我们的心，就会由我们的心，缘着外在的境界，起贪、嗔、痴。只要贪嗔痴的意境浮现，我们的身、口七支就动作了，杀、盗、淫、妄言、绮语、两舌、恶口等等，这七样就跟着我们的内心所起的贪、嗔、痴，如前所说，所以就会制造十恶。
十恶包括
身业：杀、盗、淫
口业：恶口、妄语、绮语、两舌
意业：贪、嗔、痴
这十种恶，只不过是总数大类的分别，其实总数再分下去，有很多细项，有很多微细的恶。其实业的累积不只这十样而已。
如是乃至十恶，增长八万四千诸尘劳门。
经文这样说「乃至十恶增长」，十恶不断增长，达到「八万四千诸尘劳门」。八万四千就是由于心灵的染着而起造十恶，从十恶不断地累积，不断微细地增长出去，能增加到八万四千如此多的尘劳门。因为尘劳就是烦恼，因为烦恼不断复制、不断复制，所以从三而十，从十能扩展到八万四千多，其实八万四千多，这只不过是一种表达很多的意思。
在古印度若是要说有很多很多，就以一个代名词「八万四千」。像读到《地藏经》当中提到「八万四千劫」、「八万四千恒河沙数」。烦恼就像这样，有很多，然后不断复制出八万四千种烦恼。
我常常说：「烦恼就像心灵的病毒。」佛陀说心灵三毒，乃至五毒。三毒就是「贪、嗔、痴」，五毒再多两项：「慢」与「疑」。
三毒：贪、嗔、痴
五毒：贪、嗔、痴、慢、疑
「贪、嗔、痴、慢、疑」，这就是人人内心的烦恼，这种烦恼生起时，我们「身、口、意」就造作很多无量无边的罪业。
比如这句话不该说，但是逞一时口快说出去了，说出去之后，我们内心又不想忏悔，不肯认错，可是自己明明知道「我已经错了」，像是这种要怎么办？自己内心的懊恼：「说错话了。」但是这个烦恼只是不断地在内心打转，但是他却不肯向人说：「我莽撞了，我所说的那句话真的很不对。」
有时候说出去之后，就已经造作了很多的烦恼。那时候，我们内心的烦恼又不断复制，这就是我们人。有的人有意计谋去犯罪，有的人无意，但所做的事情又不断地覆藏、又在覆藏，这就是我们凡夫。这都是从我们的心不断做出来的。
所以佛陀告诉我们：「内心的病有三毒、五毒。」我们好好想想：「毒，不就和我们现在所知的病毒一样？」我们常常说心里病态，为何心理会有病态？就是烦恼不断地累积，所以他有心里病态，这叫做烦恼复制，也叫做病毒复制。
你看，现在病毒不断扩散，医学科技不断发达，不断在研究，我们可以知道病毒是从哪里来的？一个人的身体中，倒底有多少复杂的细菌？细菌如何交叉、交配后，又会产生什么病毒？人和动物之间病菌的交叉，又会变成什么毒？这种毒只是一点点的东西，放射出去就这么多。
我们之前也听到，光是我们的唾液喷出来，拿一点点去培养，里面就含有一亿种以上的病菌。你看这样一出去，就已经有无量无数的病毒。看，这是从微生物上解释的病毒。
我们内心那种十分微细的烦恼，和这种微生物的病毒，不是一样吗？所以我们要如何预防，使人生没有病态？要如何使身心健康？就要从我们的心开始。我们的内心如果有这种病毒，心灵中「贪、嗔、痴、慢、疑」这五种病毒，如果常住于我们心中，我们也会去影响别人。别人的观念，会受我们这五种病毒感染。
常与智者为友，以智慧对治五毒，就不会成为心灵病毒的带原者。
你看，在人与人之间，我们若是和「是非的人」在一起，将来我们很快的也是一个是非的带原者。假使我们和好人在一起，好人就是智者、有智慧的人，我们若是和有智慧的人常常在一起，是非止于智者，很多的是非来到这群有智慧的人当中，慢慢他就会善解，慢慢他会教我们如何包容。对环境他会教导我们，如何知足？如何感恩？这叫做智者。自然我们的贪、嗔、痴在这个团体当中就会被消灭掉了。这就是我们内心不要有这种心病，这种五毒或是三毒。
在人生当中，我们要知道，我们若是感染上SARS这种病毒时，对于个人而言，最坏的情况是几天内就会往生了，这一生就结束了。若是心灵的病毒，不是一辈子就结束，这种心里的病毒，「贪、嗔、痴、慢、疑」合起来的业无量无数，将来我们万般带不去，唯有业随身。从我们的心灵不断复制出来的这些毒，这些烦恼，有多少呢？八万四千。我们生生世世不断复制、不断烦恼、不断带去。
所以佛陀告诉我们：「恶世末法时，这种浊世、恶世，就是法已经到达人心的最末端了。」大家现在感觉：「哪有呢？现在要阅经很简单，藏经很多。甚至不只是白纸黑字的藏经，现在的电脑，只是一片电脑光碟，我们想要看哪一本经，要找什么字典，很快就找得到，很容易啊！」是很容易，但是我们的心是否尊重呢？
白纸黑字所印刷的藏经是很充足，有形的经书很多，科技发达已经是这么方便，你可以随身携带。一张电脑光碟随身带着，到处你都可以参考，但是所参考的是什么？就是工具。将佛法拿来当工具，说给大家听，让人以为我已经懂很多了。到底懂得很多，用的有多少呢？真正用了多少？真的用的其实很少，这就是法已经不住在内心。
我们谈修行，但修行是否有按照规则？按照戒律、规矩在做？无论是在家的五戒、十善是否有在遵循？或是出家人，对于该守的规则有没有遵循？或是人伦道德、礼仪等等，是否照顾好？这可能自己才知道。能够真正知道的人，就会赶紧自我反省，赶紧自我改过。这样还不迟，这就是真的找到药来对治病毒了。
法如果存在我们的心中，无论过去有多少的烦恼，都能点点深侵入我们的心中。既然外面的外境，会深侵入我们的内心，难到佛法无法点点滴滴深侵入我们的心吗？
我们的心会受人我是非很多烦恼的染污，无论是真的或是假的，都会制造我们内心很多真的烦恼。我们常常说：「一人吐虚，万人传实。」只是一个人，不太清楚的一句话说出去，谣言就满天飞，造成多少人中毒烦恼？
贪嗔痴慢疑，如病毒般侵蚀人心，带来八万四千烦恼不断，惟有法水入心，才能洗涤。
这就是心灵的秽垢。因为不清楚，所以不注意，无心而犯错，但是这个错已经变成一个谣言。所以我们应该在学佛后，外面的境界缘于心境，境界过后，没有什么好留在我们的心中。但是有一样很重要，必定要时时都入心中，就是法水。法就好比甘露，好像是在清除我们内心的烦恼。
每天早晨都是清新一天的开始。我们若是能每天早上起来，我们无论是听到诵经声，或是经典看到的经文，我们若能好好的灌入我们的心版中，以这一天一开始的清心，时时不断反省，将我们的愿、法的心、要行的愿，恢复在这一天的生活中。若能这样，就是用法水疗治我们的心灵。
我们若没有用法水来疗治，这种病毒不断复制，生生世世，业会愈造愈多，也就是众生共业。众生的共业就是你也不断复制，我也不断的复制。彼此不断复制的烦恼，又互相交叉，这种业愈来愈变种、愈来愈毒。如同病毒一般，这种病毒愈来愈复制，愈来愈交叉，病毒也就愈来愈毒。
这「八万四千的烦恼」，我们就要想：「很有可能是否当时佛陀所指的是：我们每一个人，每一日，每一秒钟，都不断在复制烦恼。」若是这样，各位，我们正要好好警惕，每一个心念，每一秒钟。
所以我就跟大家说：「把握当下，恒持刹那。」这个道理就是治病。我们有这个身体，就是每一天当中、每一秒钟都在复制烦恼。我们现在已经在修行，所有该做的该改的，要把握当下，该做的要赶紧做，该改的要立刻改。
心念如果我们要改，我们就要赶紧开始恒持这一念心。这个好念如果保存住，坏的念头就不会不断复制，所以我们要如何能心灵免疫？唯有时时顾好这一念心。就如同开头所说的：「法，点点滴滴要深入心版。」我们才能时时刻刻都是法喜充满。
所以请大家时时要多用心啊！
As we mentioned last time, wrongdoings arise from the Threefold Karma. Due to the Six Roots or external conditions, our minds create defiled attachments, causing the Ten Evils to continuously proliferate.
From the Threefold karma, transgressions arise. Through the Six Roots, mistakes arise. From the mind, deviant thoughts arise. Through contact with external conditions, defilements and attachments arise.
External conditions can defile our minds. Our minds, in response to external conditions, will give rise to greed, anger and ignorance. When those thoughts arise, the Seven Branches of Body and Speech will move, resulting in killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lies, flattery, gossip, harsh words, etc. These seven acts follow thoughts of greed, anger, and ignorance. We have spoken about this earlier. This is how we commit the Ten Evils.
The Ten Evil Karma: Body: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct; Speech: harsh words, lies, flattery, gossip; Mind: greed, anger, ignorance.
These Ten Evils are just the broad categories. They can be further broken down into many detailed and subtle evil actions. We accumulate karma from more than these Ten Evils.
The Ten Evils will proliferate into the 84,000 types of defilements.
The text indicates, “The Ten Evils will continuously proliferate into the 84,000 types of defilements.” Due to these defilements in the mind, from the Ten Evils, we continuously commit evils in a myriad of subtle forms. We can sum them up into 84,000 acts. There are many ways to create defilements. Defilements are afflictions.
Afflictions multiply unceasingly; they expand from 3 to 10, then to 84,000. Actually, the number of 84,000 simply signifies a very large figure.
In ancient India, to convey “numerous”, they used the term 84,000. For example, the Earth Treasury Sutra refers to 84,000 Kalpas, 84,000 grains of sand in the Ganges. The number of 84,000 is used in many places.
I often say that afflictions are like viruses of the mind. The Buddha said there are three or five poisons to the mind. The Three Poisons are greed, anger and ignorance. You add two more for the Five Poisons: arrogance and doubt.
Three Poisons: Greed, Anger, Ignorance,
Five Poisons: Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, Doubt
Greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt are afflictions we all have in our minds. When these afflictions arise, through our actions, speech and thoughts, we create immeasurable, boundless bad karma.
For instance, in the heat of the moment, we may have said something we should not have. But after we said it, we were reluctant to admit our mistakes and unwilling to repent. But we clearly know that we were wrong. What should we do if we said something wrong? Inside, we are very upset about our mistakes. The affliction keep churning in our minds but we refuse to tell someone, “I was rash” “What I said was really wrong”
Sometimes, what we have said has already created many afflictions. Then our minds continuously multiply those afflictions. This is how we humans are. Some commit offenses intentionally, others commit them unintentionally. They keep holding and covering up their deeds. This is the way of ordinary people. This is all continuously created by our minds.
So the Buddha told us that illnesses of the mind come from the Three Poisons or the Five Poisons. I often think, aren't these poisons just like viruses today? We often talked about illnesses in the mind. What makes the mind ill? The unceasing accumulation of afflictions. So illnesses in the mind come from the multiplication of affliction, just like viral replication.
Look at how viruses spread. As medical technology advances, research has been done continuously. We were able to learn how viruses come about, how many complicated germs there are in a human body, how the germs cross and combine to created different viruses, and how viruses cross between humans and animals to create other types of viruses. The virus is such a tiny particle, yet it multiplies and spreads quickly.
As we have heard previously, if we culture bacteria from drops of our saliva, they can grow to colonies of over 100 million. The process can result in innumerable, countless numbers of viruses. Look! This is the microbiological perspective of viruses.
Aren't the tiny, subtle afflictions in our minds just like these viruses? How do we prevent such illnesses in our lives? How do we maintain physical and mental health? We must begin with our minds. If these five types of viruses, greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt, are always present in our mind, we will also affect other people. Their perspectives will be infected by our five types of viruses.
Always make friends with wise people. Apply wisdom to treat the Five Poisons, so you will not become the source of spiritual viruses.
Look at our interactions with others. If we spend time with people who create disputes, very soon we will also become a source of conflict. If we spend time with good people, if we spend time with wise people, we become the wise people who stop conflicts. If conflicts are brought to this group of wise people, they will become understanding and gradually teach us how to be accommodating, be content with our circumstances, and be grateful. Such is the way of the wise. Then our greed, anger, ignorance will naturally be eliminated.
Do not harbor these illnesses, the Five or Three Poisons, in the mind. If we physically contract viruses, the worst case scenario is that we die after a few days. We as an individual die within a few days and this life is over.
Spiritual viruses, however, do not simply disappear at the end of a life. These viruses of the mind, greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt, collectively generate innumerable bad karma. When we leave this world, the only thing we take with us is karma. We bring along these poisons, these afflictions that our minds have continuously produced. How many are there? 84,000. Life after life, we continuously produce afflictions and take them with us.
So the Buddha told us, when this evil, turbid world is in the Era of Dharma Decay, Dharma is at the farthest end of people's minds. You may think, “How can that be? It is very easy to read Sutra now. The Canon is widely available, not just in print; they can all fit on a single computer disc. If we want to read a certain sutra or find a certain dictionary, we can do so quickly and easily.” It is very easy. However, are we truly respectful in our hearts?
There is an abundance of the Canon in print. Not only are hard copies available, but with technological advances, we can conveniently carry it all on a disc and refer to it anywhere we go. But how do we refer to it? We need tools. Some treat Dharma as a tool. They expound it to show how much they know. Even if they have a good understanding, how much do they actually practice? This is the Dharma not abiding in the mind.
In our spiritual practice, are we following the rules, upholding the precepts and practicing accordingly? Are lay practitioners following the Five Precepts and the Ten Good Deeds? Are we monastic practitioners following the prescribed regulations and abiding by ethics, morality, etiquette, etc? Only we know the answer. Those people who are aware will quickly self-reflect and correct their mistakes. It is not too late. We are ill but we have found the medicine, we have found Dharma.
If we have Dharma in our minds, then no matter how many afflictions we have had, Dharma can gradually penetrate our minds. If external phenomena can penetrate our minds, why can't Dharma also do so, little by little?
Our minds are easily defiles by interpersonal conflicts and afflictions. Whether they are real or illusory, we turn them into really afflictions in our minds. It is often said, ”One man's lie is 10,000 people's truth.” One man says something ambiguous and then rumors start flying. It poisons and afflicts so many people.
Greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt are like viruses that invade the human mind and bring an unending stream of 84,000 afflictions. Only when Dharma-water enters the mind can we wash them away.
This becomes a spiritual defilement. The person was unclear on the facts, so he unwittingly and unintentionally misspoke. But this mistake turned into a rumor. After we learn Buddhism, we know that external conditions are merely conditions that we come into contact with. After those conditions pass, nothing should remain in our minds. But one important thing should remain in our minds at all times — Dharma-water. Dharma is like sweet dew. It washes away the afflictions in our minds.
Every day when we wake up in the morning, we should treat it as a brand new day. Whether we hear the Sutra recitation or read the text, we pour it into our minds. Constantly self-reflect with a pure mind and restore your vows to learn and practice Dharma. By doing this throughout the day, we are using Dharma-water to cure the illness in our minds.
If we do not thoroughly heal ourselves with Dharma-water, these viruses will continuously multiply. Life after life, our karma will grow. The collective karma of sentient beings come from what all of us are continuously producing. When our afflictions continue to interact, this type of karma grows in strength, just like viruses. When viruses cross and reproduce, they become more virulent.
When we see any reference to 84,000 afflictions, we consider whether the Buddha was referring to how each of us, every second of every day, is constantly reproducing afflictions. Everyone, if this is true, we need to be highly aware of our every thought in every second.
This is why I tell you, “Seize this moment, maintain the resolve forever.” This Truth can cure our illness. If we are producing afflictions every second of every day, our practice should be to seize this very moment to quickly do what we need to do and change what needs to be changed.
If we wish to transform our hearts, we must firmly hold on to our resolution, to the vow we make now. If we can hold on to this vow, we will stop producing unwholesome thoughts. So how can we immunize the mind to illnesses? By always taking good care of it.
As I said in the beginning, Dharma needs to thoroughly penetrate our hearts, bit by bit. Only then can we constantly be filled with Dharma-joy. So everyone, please always be mindful.
出处：http://moya.iyard.org/bin/view/Blog/BlogEntry2227
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment