不懂修行到处跑　若真修行何用跑

Not Knowing How to Cultivate, People Run Everywhere;

If You Truly Cultivate, There's No Need to Run Anywhere.

 

余痴记录 Transcribed by Yu Chr

 

我们学佛的人啊，不要跑空路，跑了一辈子佛教的道场，然后是一无所得。经也不会讲，佛也不会念，忏也不会拜，为什么呢？拜忏也没有专心，在这儿拜啊就想着，啊！我要到另外的道场去，那个地方也拜忏，我到那个地方也试一试，看一看。

 

你们打念佛七，譬如念佛，在这里打了两天半，说啊！另外那个地方也是打念佛七呢！我到那地方再参加两天半，那么两天半两天半就去了五天了，那么最后就剩两天。啊，另外还有一个地方在打佛七，我去参加两天都好的，不要在一个地方种善根啊，我各处都种一点，各处看哪个地方生了，我都有善根。啊！你看这一边念佛，一边贪心这么大，啊，要做这个游击司令，游击队的司令，不单自己各处这么打游击，还叫旁人跟着我去打游击，因为人一多了，这个伙计多了，这个帮就大了，到什么地方都有势力，一看！这个游击队长来了，带了这么大一班部队，哦！这个地方就特别欢迎，特别招呼，到处都受人欢迎，受人招呼，吃斋也吃得好，什么什么都好，到哪个道场都是另眼相看他，啊！都看他这是大护法，你看这游击队长来了，这不得了，他有一大班人，要把他拉住啊，那么这一班的队伍都来了。你看！这个念佛是这样子，拜忏是这样子，讲经也是这样子，哦！从这个地方跑到那个地方，从那个地方跑到这个地方，结果是一无所成。念佛、听经、拜忏，无论干什么，你专一在一个地方好好拜。譬如你在什么地方拜，你就在什么地方拜。可是，你要有择法眼，你要认识哪个是真的，哪个是假的，哪个是正的，哪个是邪的，要懂得这个，你懂了这个，你到什么地方都是正确的；你若不懂得这个，你各处乱跑乱跑的，跑了一辈子，那是一无所成的。

 

这是我和你们讲真理，你们不要以为我到多一点地方就种多一点善根，结果一个地方也不出，这个善根都种到灰堆上了，没有东西长出来了。你要把那个善根种在那个肥沃的土地里头。什么是肥沃的土地？就是那真正修行的地方。我这儿不敢说我是真正修行。你到各处去看，哪个地方若有比万佛圣城，比金山圣寺更好的地方，你们大家都去，我都不留的。可是你们要睁开眼睛看，不要盲目盲从，以为到什么地方，人家对你们好，讲几句给你们戴高帽子，或者给你们吃点好斋菜，或者有一点什么甜头给你吃，你就认为这个就是了。

 

真正佛教的地方，不诱惑任何人，不是说：「啊！你到我们这儿来了，我们这儿怎么好怎么好。」我们这儿什么也不好，什么都是不圆满的，因为我们正在学习期间呢！这是我今天告诉你们的几句话。你们认为我讲得真的也好，假的也好，你听也好，不听也好，我尽了我的心了。我在什么地方，我不怕没有居士，不怕谁不到我这儿来，我什么也不怕，我怕什么呢？就怕我是骗人的，我不是真的，我若不骗人，人都有眼睛的，不要怎么说好，他也往这儿跑。你们信不信啊？

 

In studying Buddhism, don't pursue futile paths. You may spend your entire life going from one Buddhist temple to the next, only to find in the end that you haven't gotten anything out of it: you haven't been able to really lecture the Sutras; you haven't been able to really be mindful of the Buddha; you haven't learned how to bow repentances—or when bowing them you can't be singleminded. Why? While bowing, you think, "I want to go to another temple. That place is also bowing a repentance. I think I'll go there and try it out, take a look."

 

For another instance, in reciting the Buddha's name, you spend two-and-a-half days here reciting, but then you say, "Oh! That place is also holding a recitation session. I'll go there to recite for another two-and-a-half days." Two-and-a-half plus two-and-a-half makes five days, with two days left. "Ah, there's yet another place holding a recitation session, so I'll go to participate for a couple more days. I don't want to plant good roots in just one place; I'll plant good roots all over the place. Then wherever they grow, I'll have good roots." Oh! Do you see? On the one hand you are being mindful of the Buddha, while on the other hand you have such massive greed and go around acting like a guerrilla commander. Not only are you running around yourself, you convince others to do the same. The more people there are, the bigger the band, and the greater the aid. Everywhere you go, you have influence. As soon as people see that the guerrilla commander has arrived, and has brought such a large gang, immediately they give you a special welcome and special treatment. Wherever you go, you are welcomed and treated well. You are served the best vegetarian food, and given the best of everything. At every temple you go to, you are regarded with distinction: "That's a great Dharma Protector! The Commander-in-Chief has arrived! Wow! He's got a big gang of followers, so we want to keep him here." So all those followers come. You see! Whether it's being mindful of the Buddha, bowing repentances, or lecturing Sutras--it's all the same: they go from this place to that place, and from that place to another place. And they end up with nothing at all. Whether it's reciting the Buddha's name, listening to lectures on the Sutras, bowing repentances, or whatever else you might be doing, you should do it in one place and do it singlemindedly. But you must use the Selecting-Dharma Eye. You must recognize what is true and what is false; what is proper and what is deviant. You must understand this. Once you understand, then wherever you go will be right. If you don't understand this, you may go running around at random for your entire life to no avail.

 

I am speaking true principle for you right now. Don't think, "I should go to more places and thereby plant more good roots," for in the end there is no growth anywhere, and the good roots planted in a pile of ashes will not produce anything. You should plant good roots in fertile ground. What kind of ground is fertile? Places where genuine cultivation takes place. I don't venture to say that ours is a place of true cultivation. You yourself go anywhere else and see if you can find a place that is better than the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas or Gold Mountain Monastery. I don't try to hold people. But you should take a good look. Don't let it become a case of the blind leading the blind, where you think people are good if they say a few nice words to you, flatter you, offer you some delicious vegetarian food, or lure you with a bit of sweetness.

 

Those who reside in a genuine Buddhist place do not try to get on the good side of anyone. They would never say, "If you come to my place, we have all kinds of good things." At our place, nothing is good and everything is imperfect, because we are all still learning. This is what I wanted to tell you today. If you think what I have said is true, that's fine. If you think it's false, that's fine, too. Whether or not you listen, it's fine. I have done what I think I should do. Wherever I am, I am not afraid that no laypeople may come. I'm not afraid that people won't come here. What am I afraid of? I only fear that I might cheat people, that I might not be true. If I am not cheating people, people all have eyes, and without this place being praised, they will come here. Do you believe what I've said or not?