深思

Deep Reflections

名副其实的大德们修行时，从不希求名声、财富及世间妙欲。恒常以身体力行来断除世间贪欲，希求来世解脱。

Sublime beings who are worthy of their names never seek fame, wealth, or other worldly enjoyment on their spiritual path. Instead, they always practice what they preach in order to cut off mundane desires and attain liberation.

藏传佛教噶举派大译师慈祥(绰迫罗杂瓦1173-1225)，曾到印度、尼泊尔依止克什米尔班智达等大成就者，其间风餐露宿、夜以继日地精进研学，终得精通显密教言。回藏地后，广建寺院、弘扬佛法，使佛法之精妙甘露得以沐浴四方。他说：“不知身寿似水泡，不念死主已迫近，纵然修善极众多，仍为此生之武器。不晓名利乃幻化，未弃贡高利牵缚，纵然被奉为圣者，仍为八法之仆役。今生残体未放弃，纵然励力勤修善，终将赤手奔来世，前途渺茫真可怜！不懂轮回之过患，欲妙享乐不知厌，夸夸其谈空口言，亦为狡诈伪君子。”

Tsultrim Trophu Lotsawa (1173－1225), a master translator of the Kagyu lineage, went to India and Nepal to study Buddhism under the tutelage of great siddhas such as Pandita Kashmir. During that period, he endured severe hardships of deprivation and hunger, yet around the clock his incredible diligence never flagged. In the end, he became vastly proficient in the teachings of exoteric and esoteric schools. Upon returning to Tibet, he founded many monasteries and spread the Dharma, nourishing people in various places with the exquisite nectar of Buddhism. He has taught:

Failing to see that life is just like a bubble, one is oblivious of the imminence of death.
Although one performs numerous good deeds, the intention is to better this life only.
Failing to see fame and wealth as illusions, one covets prestige and is ensnared in profit making.
Being respectfully regarded as supreme, yet one still succumbs to the eight worldly concerns.
Striving to do good deeds without first renouncing the corporeal body, one inevitably heads to future lives empty-handed.
How downright miserable is this bleak prospect!
Unaware of the defects of samsara, one craves worldly enjoyment untiringly.
Prattling hollow words all the time, one is nothing but a deceitful hypocrite.

他的大弟子《布顿佛教史》作者布顿仁波切在《自我教言》中也说：“为了即生亲怨之利益，贪嗔积财摄受诸眷属，死时眷属受用不跟随，业果苦痛唯有己承受。梵天帝释转轮之王等，所获轮回乐果不稳固，死时未必不会堕恶趣，当于轮回生厌仁亲哲(布顿名)！”

His main disciple Buton Rinchen Drub, the author of The History of Buddhism in India and Tibet, also says in his Self-Instructions:
For the sake of friends and foes in this life, you amass wealth and retinues with avarice and aversion.
None of your subjects will follow you when you die, you must bear the painful karma all by yourself.
Brahmins, Indra, or Universal Monarchs enjoy great pleasures that are unreliable samsaric happiness.
When they die, there is no guarantee to avoid lower realms, so become weary to samsara, Rinchen Drub!

读到这些言教，联想到自己一生中虽然表面行善，但仔细观察，归根结底往往是为了自己今生的利益。为众生、为来世的成分究竟有多少，没有很大把握。前辈大德们的高尚心行真令人羡慕。

Reading these, I reflected carefully on the seemingly good deeds I have done so far. Most of them boiled down to self-serving for this life only; I am not even sure what portion of them has been devoted to others or to future lives. How I admire the high realization and conduct of the accomplished sages!

与其临渊羡鱼，不如退而结网。从现在做起，也许还不是很晚。

The adage goes: “Instead of wasting time longing for the fish by the pond, it’s better to go back and prepare fishing nets.” I may as well take actions from now on; perhaps it’s still not too late!

壬午年二月初七
2002年3月21日

7th of February, Year of RenWu
March 21, 2002