二利

Two Benefits

作为凡夫，尽心尽力利他的最好方法就是修慈悲菩提心。如果能在相续中生起菩提心，并且不失坏，则不会堕三恶趣，即使业障深重，不幸堕入，时间也短如弹指。

For an ordinary person, the best and heartiest way to benefit others is the practice on bodhichitta of love and compassion. Once bodhichitta is generated and maintained in the heart, a rebirth in the three lower realms will be prevented. Even if the person inevitably falls into the lower realms because of past evil karma, its duration will be as short as it takes to snap the fingers.

一位居士曾问仲敦巴：“若不舍离菩提心，是直接或间接利益众生的因吗？”仲敦巴回答说：“这是利益众生最好的因。若不舍离菩提心，则不会堕三恶趣，并成为不退转者。若因前世业力深厚等特殊原因而转生恶趣，也会因一刹那忆念菩提心的威力立即得以解脱，获得人天善趣果位。”

A layperson once asked Dromtonpa: “Is the aspiration to uphold bodhichitta the direct or indirect cause to benefit beings?” Dromtonpa answered: “It is the best cause to benefit beings. One who embraces bodhichitta will not fall into the lower realms and will become a non-returner on the spiritual path. Even if specific heavy karma leads rebirth into the lower realms, one can still be liberated at the instant of recalling bodhichitta, the power of which will propel one to the higher realms of human and god.”

某些自诩为大乘佛子的人，虽然在表面上做了一些利益众生的事，实际上只是为了自己不堕三恶趣，或仅仅考虑自己的成就。虽然他在修法之前也发所谓的菩提心，最后也将善根回向菩提，但主要的原因是因为他害怕如果不发菩提心，就不能成为大乘法；如果不回向，一旦生起嗔心，善根就会失坏，自己的功德就浪费了。这样自己就不能成佛，就不能消除痛苦。这样的发心，只是表面上的大乘法，实际与声缘无异。

Many self-proclaimed practitioners of Mahayana may have performed outwardly activities of benefiting beings. But in fact they do so only to prevent themselves from taking rebirth in lower realms or merely to ensure their own achievement. At the beginning of a meditation session, he may go through the motions of arousing bodhichitta, but the driving force is the fear of being disqualified from Mahayana practice if arousing bodhichitta is missed. At the end of the session, he will also dedicate the merit to enlightenment, but it is only for securing his own merit, knowing that undedicated merit is destroyed by a single burst of anger. He only worries about wasting his good deeds or failing Buddhahood and the inevitable, endless sufferings. Practice done in this way is only a superficial Mahayana practice; it is no different from that of the Sravaka or Prakyabuddha.

我们不能妄图利用菩提心来达到个人的目的，这样做的结果只能适得其反。无始以来，我们就是因为考虑自己太多，才会生生世世流转轮回。而诸佛菩萨却将个人得失弃置于不顾，反而获得了佛菩萨的果位。由此可见，所谓的二利是相辅相成的，仅仅考虑自利，不但不能利他，连自利也是痴心妄想。

We should not vainly attempt to usurp bodhichitta for personal gain; the result will definitely be just the opposite. It is exactly our excessive concern for ourselves that has caused us to cycle in samsara from time without beginning. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, on the other hand, have never thought about themselves, yet they attain the level of enlightenment. This proves that the so-called two benefits enhance each other; with selfish desires, not only is one unable to help others, but also one is hopeless to fulfill self-interest.

所以，在做任何善事之前，我们都应该扪心自问，自己发的究竟是什么样的菩提心？是否能做到问心无愧？自己相续中是否真正具有菩萨戒？

Therefore, before we perform any virtuous deed, do a little soul searching to check: what kind of bodhichitta are we trying to generate? Are we able to maintain a clear conscience? Do we really uphold the Bodhisattva’s Vow in our mind?

2nd of July, Year of RenWu
August 10, 2002

壬午年七月初二　　
2002年8月10日