Ending Doubt
断疑
Many people who have studied on a university level and attained graduate degrees and worldly success find that their lives are still lacking. Though they think high thoughts and are intellectually sophisticated, their hearts are still filled with pettiness and doubt. The vulture flies high, but what does it feed on?
很多拥有大学文凭和世间成就的人,发现他们生活似乎仍然少了什么。虽然他们思想高深,聪明世故,心却依然充满了小气与疑惑。兀鹰虽然飞得很高,但它吃的又是什么?
Dharma is understanding that goes beyond the conditioned, compounded, limited understanding of worldly science. Of course, worldly wisdom can be used to good purpose, but progress in worldly wisdom can cause deterioration in religion and moral values. The important thing is to develop super mundane wisdom that can use such technology while remaining detached from it.
“法”,是超越因缘和合事物和世间科学的有限知识之领悟的。当然,世间的智慧可以用在好的目的,但是,世间智慧的进步会造成宗教与道德的腐败。重要的是,要去增长能够运用这些技术,同时仍保持不执著它们的超俗智慧。
It is necessary to teach the basics first-basic morality, seeing the transitoriness of life, the facts of aging and death. Here is where we must begin. Before you drive a car or ride a bicycle, you must learn to walk. Later, you may ride in an airplane or travel around the world in the blink of an eye.
刚开始教导基础是必须的──基础的戒,彻见生命的短暂,彻见老、死的真相。这里就是我们必须开始的地方。在你开车或骑车以前,必须先学会走路。未来,一眨眼间,也许你已会乘坐飞机或遨游世界了。
Outward, scriptural study is not important. Of course, the Dharma books are correct, but they are not right. They cannot give you right understanding. To see the word hatred in print is not the same as experiencing anger, just as hearing a person's name is different from meeting him. Only experiencing for yourself can give you true faith.
外在的经典研究并不重要,当然,经典是正确的,但它们也不尽正确。它们无法给予你正确的知见。看见文字上的“嗔怒”和经验嗔怒是不同的,就好像听到一个人的名字和遇见其人并不一样。唯有亲自经验方能给你带来真实的信心。
There are two kinds of faith. One is a kind of blind trust in the Buddha, the teachings, the master, which often leads one to begin practice or to ordain. The second is true faith-certain, unshakable-which arises from knowing within oneself. Though one still has other defilements to overcome, seeing dearly all things within oneself makes it possible to put an end to doubt, to attain this certainty in one's practice.
信心有两种:一种是盲目地信赖佛、法、僧,通常因此而导引一个人开始修行或出家。第二种是真实的信心──稳定、不动摇,是从认识自己内心而生起的。虽然我们仍然有其他的烦恼(杂染)须去克服,但是,我们还是得清楚地彻见自我内在的一切,使我们能够断疑,进而达到个人修行中的稳定。