Spiritual Practice Takes Place in the Mind
人生就是这样，时时我们都要以不变的心境来看千变万化的人生。有什么是不变的？不变的就是我们的本性，而佛的本性也是清净无污染的本性。
但是我们都已经让清净无污染、应万物而不变的本性，受到外在万物所缘的境界，一层一层的覆盖上去。人人本来都有不变的本性，就是受境界诱惑我们，所以有了一点的偏差。于是当万境现前，本该不变的心境，就被这些境界不断传变。
或因三业而生罪，或从六根而起过，或以内心自邪思维，或借外境起诸染着。
我们也说过了，我们内心有这种「自邪思惟」，人云：「很多事情境界归境界，心境归心境。偏偏我们自己的心境被外面的境界所转。」古人有句话说：「花不迷人，人自迷；酒不醉人，人自醉。」很多的境界都是在外面，只要你的心不动摇，什么样的境界和我们都没什么关系，就不会和他互动。
同样的意思，我们人「自邪思惟」，是我们自己的内心，自己长久以来习气累积的影响，所以看到外面的境界，自己的内心就会作怪，思想、观念，自然会往偏激的方向走。所以一偏差，就容易受外面的境界、声尘、色尘、味尘等等的诱引。
六根：眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意；
六尘：色、声、香、味、触、法。
六根受外面的六尘牵引，我们就受他转动了。在转动中，我们的意识也跟着他转动。所以六根、六尘转我们的六识，六识就转动我们的七支。
身业：杀、盗、淫；
口业：恶口、妄语 绮语、两舌。
七支之前也说过了「身三、口四」，有我们里面的心识去转动，所以会去造做「杀、盗、淫」等等恶业，还有「妄言、绮语、两舌、恶口」这些不好的行为，就是我们的心识中观念偏差，自邪思惟。因为你接触了之后，就由不得自己起诸思惟，思维若偏差，因为它邪，邪就是偏的意思，所以就往偏的方向去了，观念就偏差了。
各位，我们修行真的要好好收摄自己的身和心。
收摄的意思就是，我们平时要时时反省、再反省，反省刚才的一句话有没有说错？反省刚才我们的一个行为有没有过失？当前面造作过后，我们在后面要能够自觉去修正。
因为我们人人都是凡夫，过去所累积的习气，我们在无形中都会表达出来，这叫做习气。无论是动作、表达，种种的习气与外面的境界常常都在互动。我们的习气若是爱发脾气，外面的境界若是稍微让我们不顺心意，那个脾气就起瞋了，形态就不好了，声调也都不好了。像这样，这叫做习气。
时时保持警觉心，当习气出现时，马上能制止下来改正行为，就叫做修行。
「修」，就是说出去了，我们就会有警觉性：「我怎么说话这么大声？我怎么口气这么差？怎么这么快一句恶口就针对人？」我们如果能赶紧收摄住，收摄回来，将我们这分心赶紧收摄起来。把那分嗔恨、嗔气、嗔怒的习气，赶快把他收摄回来，不要再不断的放射出去。
在法譬如水「听闻佛法，认真修行」也说过了，七支就好像放射线一样，一放射出去就不断往前扩张去了。修行就是当这个习气显露出来的时候，我们就要赶紧把他收摄起来，马上改过来，这就叫做修行。
其实佛陀早就已经发现了，只要转一个心念即清净。所以有句话说：「烦恼即菩提，菩提即烦恼。」我们若是被他动摇了，我们本来的觉性一反，它就没完没了。这种烦恼，这种习气，不断搅进去，一直受污染，被污染的东西，其实是清明的觉性。
各位，以这么多种不同的方式，对大家说，无非就是要对大家说这一项：「正思维。」思维正，就是我们的道场；思维偏邪，那就是我们的业、造罪的源头。
或借外境起诸染着。
再来就是说：「或借外境起诸染着。」心借着外境起染着，刚才说过：「外面的境界，看你用什么样的思想、什么样的观念、什么样的心态来看外境。」外面的境界，一花、一草、一木，我们若是用「静寂清澄」的心境来看，一切的境界都很美啊。
我们能尊重大地万物、感恩大地能生长这么多各形各色的花花草草，或是不同的树木。看到这个境界，心生感恩。感恩有大地，感恩有这样的气候，感恩有这样的水分、这样的空气，使我们所居住的地方，这个境界就很美。你看，用这种感恩的心态来看待大地万物，这也是能法喜充满。我们用感恩心走路，踏地怕地痛，那种疼惜大地，也是由于你能感恩、你懂得疼惜。你想我们若整天都用这种心境来面对，每一项境界都能让我们很欢喜！
心去转境，称做智慧；让境转心，叫做烦恼。
我们有很多机会，其实都可以用心境去转外面的境界，不要常常让境界来转我们的心境，那就苦不堪言了。我们如果被外面的境界所转，我们就容易染着，染着就是烦恼。外面的境界不断的现前，我们的心去贪着了，自然这个境界就在我们心中。这是外面侵入我们心中很深，这就做「染着」。
我们平时看着境界，很美、很感恩，这样就过去了，没有什么。但是我们若是被那个境界污染的时候，它会很深地侵入进去。譬如我们一般人会说：「你戒烟吧！抽烟会伤害自己的身体，也会污染周围的环境。戒掉吧！」戒个烟很痛苦，
我们都常常想不通，烟是有什么好抽的呢？要戒掉为什么会那么困难呢？只是这样吸一下，里面又没有什么东西。只是那缕烟、一个气氛而已，为什么戒不掉呢？一个人的志气就是那么的单薄，内心本来有那种无污染清净的潜能，我们这种清净无污染的潜能，就是醒不过来，所以就会迷了。
之前美国有一则很大的新闻，有一个女人抽烟抽到得了肺癌，当她知道得了肺癌之后，她知道这就是因为抽烟的关系，所以让她得到肺癌。所以她就向一间美国当地很大的烟草制造公司要求赔偿。要赔偿多少呢？美金二百八十亿，折合台币是九千多亿。
这则新闻很轰动，在美国这场官司打了很久。到底是这个女人抽烟四十年，她的女儿叫她要戒烟，她对她女儿说：「我已经成年了，我有我的自由。」当然在她很年轻的时候，才十几岁的时候就开始抽烟，猜想当时她的父母应该也要叫她要戒除。但是她没有戒除，一直抽到她的肺出问题了，病入膏肓之后，医师宣布已经是肺癌末期，那时她就向烟草公司提出告诉。
烟草公司说：「这种东西我们本来就有加注警语在盒子上，警惕人在烟当中有哪些成分？对人体的伤害在哪里？你自己不肯改，这样要来向我要求赔偿，哪有道理可言！」就是因为这样，这个官司所要求赔偿的数目那么的大，当然就打了很久的官司，到了最后虽然烟草公司败诉，但并没有赔偿那么多。
看，这是不是染着深侵？外面香烟不过三寸而已，放在那个地方，它又没有叫你一定要抽它，但是我们自己的心被它染着，所以她不听医师的警告，也不听孩子的警告，她到了最后还是因为这个「染着」致病而往生了。
要时时将自己的心照顾好，开口动舌、举手投足之间，无不是业、无不是罪。
人生总是在这种烦恼中度过，人生心灵的三毒，这种病态在日常生活中，因为我们内心有了这种病毒，有这种心态，所以我们所行动的步步皆错。
讲话，逞一时的口快，说不定会惹来潜在性的危机。开口动舌是这么轻易，开个口、舌头动一下而已。但是我们要知道，有很多团体当中，无论是在「人与人之间」、「家庭与家庭之间」等等，同样我们现在轻轻一句话，可能逞一时之快，就会惹来我们一生中的污点。
各位，烦恼的根源在我们自己的内心，所以希望大家要记住。我们的内心，本来就有以不变应万变的本能。我们有自己的本性、有自己的本能，无论有什么样的烦恼境界，我们都有排除烦恼的本能在。只要你的智慧开启，将我们原来的本能、本性觉醒过来，其实都能够排除很多不必要的是非。
就像我们身体有抗体、有免疫力可以对抗病毒。我们的内心如果也有抗体、有免疫力，自然人生的是非来到我们这里就消失了。所以常常说「一笑笑开天下烦恼」， 所以要常常以很开心，以很开朗的心境来面对人生。所以希望诸位，我们要以开朗的心，以清净的本能，来面对日常生活种种的境界、人我是非。
所以请各位要好好用心，把我们的本性和烦恼做个隔离。我们有时候开口动舌，和人说话的时候，习气是否有跑出来？有的话就要即时赶紧改过，赶紧停止。倘若有习气升起的时候，没有赶紧制止，这样自己的损失会很大。
修行就是需要修在这种，习气上来的时候，马上自己就可以制止下来，这就是修行。所以道场在我们的内心，日常生活中，无不是我们修行的助缘，所以我们要时时多用心啊！
As we face the ever-changing events of life, our minds should remain unchanging. What is meant be unchanging? It refers to our intrinsic nature, the Buddha-nature, the pure and untainted nature. However, our pure, undefiled, unchanging nature has been obscured, layer after layer, by everything in the world.
Though we possess this unchanging nature, we are tempted and influenced by various conditions. With a slight deviation, many conditions manifest. Thus our unwavering mindset changes continuously due to these conditions.
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.
We have spoken about how our minds have the tendency to give rise to deviant thinking. It is said conditions are conditions, mind is mind. Yet we allow our minds to react to and be affected by external conditions. There is an old saying, “it's not the wine that intoxicates but the drinker who gets himself drunk.” The conditions we encounter are external. If our minds are unwavering, no matter what conditions we encounter, we will not be affected by them.
In the same way, our deviant thoughts come from within, from the habits accumulated over a long time. When we encounter external conditions, our own minds begin to cause trouble. Our views and thinking thus deviate toward the extreme. Once our minds deviate, we are easily affected by external conditions such as sound, form, smell, etc.
The Six Roots are: the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind.
The Six Sense Objects are: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and thought.
When the Six Roots are tempted by their corresponding sense objects, our minds move under their influence. As our senses move, our consciousness moves too. The Six Roots and Six Sense Objects move our Six Consciousnesses and arouse the Seven Branches.
Body: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct.
Speech: harsh words, lies, flattery, gossip.
We explained the Seven Branches before: the three wrongs of the body and four types of speech. Stirred by our internal consciousness, we kill, steal, engage in sexual misconduct, lie, flatter, gossip and speak harsh words. These unwholesome actions are the result of our deviant thinking. When we come into contact with external conditions, thoughts inevitably arise. This is beyond our control. If the thoughts are deviant and evil, we become misguided and develop deviant beliefs.
Everyone, in our spiritual practice we really must subdue our body and mind. That means to examine ourselves at every moment and reflect on whether what we just said is correct and whether what we have just done is faultless. After we've spoken or acted, we should correct our wrongs immediately.
As ordinary people, we carry habitual tendencies accumulated over lifetimes. These tendencies often take hold and are expressed in our actions without conscious control when interacting with the outside environment,
If our habitual tendency is anger when circumstances are not in accordance with our wishes, anger will arise. Then our manner becomes unpleasant with our wishes, anger will arise. Then our manner becomes unpleasant, our tone harsh and unkind. This is how habits affect us.
Constantly remain vigilant. When habits manifest, subdue and correct your actions. This is spiritual practice.
In our practice, we must be highly aware of whatever we say “Why am I talking so loud?” “Why is my tone so negative?” “Why do I react so fast and harm others with harsh words?” In this way we can quickly collect ourselves to take command of our minds and subdue these tendencies of hatred and anger. We should promptly rein them back in, instead of letting them out.
As we have mentioned before, the “Seven Branches” are like rays that once shot out, will travel onward endlessly. Spiritual practice is, when our habits manifest, to quickly subdue our minds and correct ourselves. That is spiritual practice.
The Buddha discovered and taught long ago “By changing one thought purity arises”. There is also the saying, “Affliction is Bodhi” Affliction and Bodhi are the same if we are caught up in affliction, we lose our originally enlightened nature. Then troubles will never end. When entangled in such afflictions and habits, we will continually be contaminated. It is our pure enlightened nature that is defiled.
Everyone, I have brought up so many examples and spoken from different angles to tell you this central message. Spiritual practice lies in proper thinking. Deviant thinking is bad karma and the source of all transgressions.
From external conditions, defilements arise.
Next, it is written, “From external conditions, defilements arise”. The mind is defiled by external circumstances. As I said earlier, the way the external environment afflictions us depends on our thinking and perspective in viewing the external environment.
In the external environment, be they flowers, grass, or trees, if our minds are in a serene and tranquil state, they are all beautiful. If we can respect everything and be grateful to the land for providing us with so many different varieties of flowers, plants, or trees, we feel gratitude to the environment. We are grateful for the land and climate, the water and air which enable us to live. Such a state is very beautiful. You see, if we can extend gratitude toward all things on Earth, our hearts will be filled with Dharma-joy.
If we walk with gratitude, each step we take will be gentle so as not to hurt the land. We cherish this great land because we are grateful and appreciative. If we face everything with such an attitude every day, what wouldn't bring us joy?
When the mind transforms conditions, this is wisdom. When conditions transform the mind, this is affliction.
There are many ways we can transform the outside environment. Change your state of mind. Do not let external states sway your mindset. Otherwise, we will suffer unspeakably.
If we are influenced by external conditions, we can easily be defiled by afflictions. As various conditions manifest, if our minds cling to them and get attached, these conditions naturally enter our minds. When external conditions deeply penetrate our minds, it is defiled attachment.
Normally when we look at our surroundings, we just appreciate beauty. If we let go, then nothing remains. However, if we let conditions contaminate us, it will penetrate deeply into our minds. Let us take smoking for example. Some urge you to quit smoking because it is harmful to your health and the environment. But quitting is very painful.
We often wonder, what is so attractive about smoking and why it is so difficult to quit? It is only a puff, with nothing but some smoke. It's just a feeling associated with the act. Why can't they give it up? But people's willpower is very weak. Our true nature has the potential for purity, but we are not able to awaken and bring forth this potential. Thus, we become deluded.
There was a story in the US that made headlines about a woman who smoked, and later suffered from lung cancer. After she was diagnosed with lung cancer and realized that it was due to smoking, she sued the tobacco company, a large corporation. How much compensation did she seek? 28 billion US dollars. In Taiwan dollars, this is over 900 billion.
It was a big story, the lawsuit went on for a long times. This woman smoked for 40 years. When her daughter asked her to quit, she insisted, “I am an adult I'm free to do as I wish.” She was quite young, in her teens when she started smoking, I imagine her parents also asked her to quit, but she did not. Then she had problems with her lungs which became life-threatening. She was diagnosed with terminal stage lung cancer. Only then did she begin suing the tobacco company.
The tobacco company claimed, “We've always put labels on our products warning people about the contents of cigarettes and how they could be harmful to people's health. You didn't seek to change your own habits. Instead you seek damages from us. How is that reasonable?” Since both parties made their cases and the asking amount was so great, the lawsuit dragged on for a long time. In the end the tobacco company lost, but she didn't receive much money.
Wasn't she deeply defiled by desire? The three-inch cigarettes were there, no one asked her to smoke them. But because her mind was tainted by desire, she did not heed the doctor's warning or her child's plea. In the end this defiled attachment brought her illness and death.
We must constantly look after our minds. Every word we say, every action we take, is karma and transgression.
We pass through life with such afflictions. The Three Poisons of the mind manifest in our everyday life. Due to these spiritual poisons, all of our actions are wrong.
In the heat of the moment, we lash out with unkind words that may cause a dangerous crisis. It is so easy to say something, we only need to open our mouths. But we must know that, whether within an organization, between people, or within a family, the simple utterance of a few words in the spur of the moment can create problems that plague us for life.
Everyone, the source of afflictions lies within our mind. I hope all of you will remember that we all inherently possess an unchanging nature that can cope with any kind of conditions. We have an inherent ability to eradicate all kind of afflictions.
As long as we develop our wisdom and allow our intrinsic nature to be awakened, we can dissolve many unnecessary disputes. It is like having spiritual antibodies. If we have immunity, then unpleasant conflicts will naturally dissolve when they reach us.
It's often said, “Laugh away all your troubles”. Let us always keep a joyful heart and face our lives with an open, positive attitude. I hope that you will have a positive mindset and apply your pure potential in facing the various conditions and interpersonal conflicts of everyday life.
Please be mindful and work to quarantine your intrinsic nature from afflictions. When we open our mouths to speak, if we feel habitual tendency arising, we must correct it immediately. Stop it right away. When our habits manifest and we do not stop them quickly we will lose greatly.
Spiritual cultivation is about developing the ability to check and overcome our habits as soon as they arise. This is spiritual cultivation. The mind is the place of cultivation. Everything we encounter in life is a supporting condition for our cultivation.
So everyone, please always be mindful.
出处：http://moya.iyard.org/bin/view/Blog/BlogEntry2219
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