Present Online

目前

Inspiring personal stories, and practical guidance for navigating life’s challenges with mindfulness and compassion.

Present Online

目前

Inspiring personal stories, and practical guidance for navigating life’s challenges with mindfulness and compassion.

Present Online

目前

Inspiring personal stories, and practical guidance for navigating life’s challenges with mindfulness and compassion.

What to abide in?
Slide3
February 1, 2024
Vol 30
By Venerable Shi Fa Qian
释法谦
Translated by To Kuo Ling

依什么而住?

What to abide in?
We can practice the Dharma when we are still, when we are standing.

The sharing of these few stories is not to argue right and wrong, but to discern cause and effect. Whether it's cause or effect, hopefully we can all gain some insight.

1. Stand for days and nights for a desired car, "abide" in satisfying the desire, or "abide" in a necessary means of transport, the persistence and patience during the process is worth it, and finally obtained the car key.

2. The military police stand on guard for hours. Their positions are not moved by any psychological or mental changes, they “abide” in their reputation and maintaining the dignity of the country.

3. Angulimala was misled by the teachings of heretics to believe that he will attain enlightenment after he killed 1000 people. He wore a necklace made from the cut fingers of the 999 people he had killed and everybody hid from him in terror. He was looking for the last person to kill to complete the mission and even thought of killing his own mother to make up the number. In order to guide him to the right path, the Buddha walked slowly in front of him. However, no matter how hard he chased, he could not catch up with the Buddha. He called out: “Stop! Stop” and the Buddha replied: “I have stopped, but you have not stopped your intent of killing”. After listening to the Buddha’s teachings, Angulimala threw away his weapons and followed the Buddha (he discovered awareness) and became a monk. When faced with the wrath of the villages, he “abides” in awareness: he did not wallow in thoughts, did not entangle in emotions, did not indulge in pleasures, did not torment himself in suffering, and was firm and unshakable.

4. Before the Buddha entered Parinibbana under the twin Sal Trees, Venerable Ananda asked the Buddha four questions on behalf of the public, one of which was "Where will the Buddha's disciples abide in the future?" The Buddha replied," Abide by the Four Foundation of Mindfulness." Maintaining "Right Mindfulness" according to the body, feelings, vexations and thoughts, and further establish "Right View" (observing and contemplating) on the impermanence of the phenomena of birth and death of the body, feelings, vexations and thoughts, is non-substantial and without self. Let go of your attachment to your body, feelings, vexations and thoughts, and you will be free from form, sound, smell, taste, touch and mental objects (6 sense objects), willing to return and live your life in a state of right mindfulness and not engaging to your attachments. What is more, even at the end of his life, the Arahat whom has attained enlightenment still abides in the Four Foundation of Mindfulness, that is, "Abides Nowhere", just as the Diamond Sutra expounds “Produce the Thought Which Abides Nowhere”, and “Produce the Thought without entering into form, sound, smell, taste, touch and mental objects.

5. The place of residence after renunciation is called “Abode”, there is a saying of “abodes made of iron, monks who come and go like water”; superficially it means that the abodes are erect like pine, while monks come and go like the water flows; the ancient temples are still there but not the people.

From the perspective of practice, "abode" refers to abiding in the Dharma body (awareness), abiding independently in awareness (awareness not corresponding to the clinging mind). It can be interpreted on two levels: one being that Dharma lineage passed on through generations of monks, which is to continuously propagate the Dharma of awareness; the second is to deeply realize that "monks" signifies that our thoughts and emotions rise and fall like flowing water, while in relation, the awareness signified by the "abode" means that awareness is like iron, neither rising nor falling. The true meaning of “Renunciation” is “to renounce the root of vexations”, which is “Home is nowhere, home is everywhere”. When travelling, roaming the world, even to the end of life, one still “abides”, this is the real “home”.

What to abide in? The choice is mine.
静止、站立,也可以修行。
分享几则故事,不是为了争辩对与错,而是要明辨因与果。不论是因是果,希望我们都能够从中得到启发。 一,为一辆心仪的轿车,站了几天几夜,“住”在满足欲望上,或是“住”在真的需要交通工具上,过程中的坚 持、忍耐都是值得的,最终赢得轿车的钥匙。

二,宪兵站岗不动,一站就是几小时。无论是生理或心理上的变化,都动摇不了站姿,“住”在美誉、维护国 家的尊严中。

三,鸯伽摩罗 因为误听外道的教导,以为杀了1000人后,砍下他们的指头,串成指蔓来佩戴,就能得到解 脱。他已经杀了999人,因为大家都害怕躲起来,找不到人可杀,他甚至想杀自己的母亲来凑数。佛陀为了 度化他,缓慢地走在他的前面,但无论他怎么追赶,始终追不上佛陀。他说:“止!止!”佛陀回答:“我已经 止了,是你还没停止杀害的心。”受教后的鸯伽摩罗,放下屠刀,立地成佛(发现了觉性)。出家后,面对村 民的泄恨打骂,他“安住”在觉性中:不在念中打滚、不在情绪中纠缠、不在乐受中放逸、不在苦受中煎熬, 坚定不动摇。

四,佛陀在娑罗双树临入涅槃前,阿难尊者代表大众向佛陀请问了四个问题,其中一个是“佛弟子今后要依什 么而住?”,佛陀回答“依四念处而住”。依身体、感受、烦恼和念,保持“正念”,并进一步“正知”(观察和思 考)身体、感受、烦恼和念的无常生灭现象,是无实质,是无我的。放下对身体、感受、烦恼和念的执着, 也就能不入色、声、香、味、触、法(六尘),愿意回来安住在正念和不与执着心相应的状态来过一生。更 有甚者,四果阿罗汉走到生命的尽头,也还是以四念处而住,也就是“无所住”,就如《金刚经》所说的无住 生心,不入色、声、香、味、触、法而生其心。

五,出家后所住的道场称为“常住”,有所谓的“铁打的常住,流水僧”的说法。表面的意思是:“常住”指道场如 松般常住挺立,僧人则是如流水般来了又去;古寺名刹还在,但人已非。从修行的角度而言,“常住”更指法 身(觉性)常住,觉性独立正住(觉性不与执着心相应的状态),可以作两层解读:一是僧人代代相承,就 是为了延绵不绝地弘扬此觉性之法;二是深入体会到:“僧“喻指我们所动的念和情绪似流水般生灭,而“常 住”所喻指的觉性相对而言是不生不灭的就像铁打一般。“出家”的真意就是“出烦恼的家”,就是“无家处处家”。 就算是云游、走江湖,甚至到生命的尽头,还是要不离“常住”,这才是真正的“家”。

依什么而住?选择在我。

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法梁法师 - 禅门浴自性佛

导师简介
About the Instructor

  • 哈达瑜伽 - 美国瑜伽专业联盟200小时认证教师
    Hatha Yoga Teacher 200-hr Yoga Alliance

  • 哈达流动瑜伽 - 英国瑜伽专业联盟200小时认证教师
    Hatha Yoga Flow Teacher 200-hr Yoga Alliance

  • 10余年阴阳瑜伽和舞蹈疗法研习
    Yin Yang Yoga and Freeform Dance-Play Exploration

  • Breadthwork疗法和禅修指导
    Breathwork Therapy and Meditation

  • 6年从事禅法结合瑜伽的教学工作
    Engaged in teaching work combining Zen and yoga for 6 years