劝勉

Advice and Encouragement

修行的人不仅要时常观自己的内心，方便之时也要度化有缘之人，如自己的家人、朋友及同事，令其皈依、学佛甚至出家学道。很多人也曾尝试过，但因一两次的努力，效果并不明显，便“知难而退”。其实，这也是菩提心尚未真正融入自己相续的原因。

As practitioners, besides paying attention to our own minds constantly, we should also lead others to embrace the Dharma at the proper time. For instance, we can encourage our family members, friends, and colleagues to take refuge and study Buddhism, or even to enter a monastic life. Many people have tried to do so but gave up the “difficult task” when seeing no results after one or two attempts. In fact, this is also the reason that we fail to truly merge bodhichitta with our minds.

释迦牟尼佛在因地时转世为精进力比丘，为劝勉吉祥宝王子弃恶行善、皈依佛门，用了84000年(那时众生寿命很长)。其间，他时常坐在王子院子门口的阶梯上，受尽了众人的无端攻击，尝够了王子的傲慢无理。为度化众生，孜孜不倦、锲而不舍，终于感动了王子，使之对佛法生起了强烈信心，并皈依佛门。

When Buddha Shakyamuni was Bhikkhu the Power of Diligence in a previous life, it took him 84,000 years (at a time when beings had long life spans) to advise Prince Auspicious Treasure to abandon evil, adopt good, and take refuge in Buddhism. During that period, the Bhikkhu often sat on the steps of the Prince’s garden gate, endured unjustified public insults and learned much about the Prince’s arrogance and insolence. But for the sake of benefiting beings, he persisted assiduously and never gave up. Eventually the Prince was deeply touched and he embraced Buddhism with strong faith.

《经庄严论》云：“佛子依胜勤，成熟诸众生，为生一善心，千万劫不厌。”无垢光尊者也说：“应当发心乃至仅有一个有情未从轮回中解脱之前，愿为度之而生生世世住于轮回，日日夜夜无有厌倦地精进。纵然是百俱胝劫中令一个众生相续中生起一刹那的善心，也应当以最大的勇气尽力而为。” 作为追随佛陀足迹，担当如来家业的大乘佛子，我们应该如此而行。

The Ornament of the Mahayana Sutras says: “With matchless diligence, the Bodhisattva ripens sentient beings; to kindle merely one altruistic thought in them, the Bodhisattva strives for eons.” The Omniscient Longchenpa also says: “Even if there is merely one being left behind in samsara, be willing to stay in samsara life after life and strive day and night tirelessly to bring that being to liberation. For the sake of kindling one moment’s virtuous thought in one sentient being, be willing to work on it with utmost courage, even for hundreds of thousands of eons.” As followers of Buddha’s footsteps, and as the Mahayana heirs to carry on the Tathagata’s activities, let us do as instructed.

能够调服一个众生令其生起菩提心，功德也是极为可观的。《中观四百论》云：“若有建宝塔，高与世间等，调服使发心，说福胜于彼。”

The merit of causing bodhichitta to arise in one being’s mind is tremendous. The Four Hundred Verses of Madhyamaka says: “Comparing the merit of building stupas as high as the world with the merit of causing bodhichitta to arise in one being’s mind, the latter is far superior.”

说着容易做着难，这里就有几个刚强难化的医生，我天天给他们宣讲佛法，至今却一个皈依的也没有，真令人惭愧。

Well, it’s easier said than done. I have right before me a few doctors who are quite unreceptive. Despite my daily preaching to them the Buddhadharma, none of them has taken refuge yet. How embarrassing!

壬午年二月初五　　
2002年3月19日

5th of February, Year of RenWu
March 19, 2002