一貫道郭明義

Gradually, we may have the habit of awareness. When illusions enter, we aware and eliminate them right away. It is like putting out fires before the fire spreads. Don’t wait until the big fire happens. We deal with it at the very moment. This is the same situation when we deal with our illusory thoughts. It also reflects in the Diamond Sutra “One should use one's mind in such a way that it will be free from any attachment.”          

「無所住而生其心」是禪門極高境界，許多高僧一輩子沒有嘗過個中滋味，一般修行者更是連意思都不懂。但我們只要有得道，試著修持，都可以達到這最高境界「無所住而生其心」。

“Using one’s mind in such a way that it will be free from any attachment.” is a very high-leveled practice in Zen school. A lot of monks never experience it for the whole life. Common practitioners can’t even understand its meaning. However, as long as we have been initiated and try to practice, we can have the chance to achieve it. 

重點：Notes

˙記住一個口訣－「取念於前」把念頭抓在眼前。

  Remember the tip: focus your thoughts on a certain point or on the line in front of your wisdom door.

˙調整眼睛與佛燈的距離在最舒適的位置。

  Adjust the distance between your eyes and Buddha lamp. Make yourself feel comfortable.

˙佛燈模糊時要察覺，而且趕快把心收回來看清楚。

  Be aware when the lamp turns vague. Concentrate your thoughts again as soon as possible.

˙佛燈的位置要在視線正前方，至於高低以眼睛舒適能持久為原則。

  Arrange the lamp right in front of your sight. As for its height, as long as you can focus for a long time, it will be the most suitable.  

˙昏沉想睡或散亂胡思亂想時，儘可能將心再專注回佛燈。

  Try to focus on the lamp again when feeling sleepy or having a distracting mind.

˙若真的很睏，可以閉眼休息一下不要勉強睜眼模糊的看。

  Try to take a short break by closing eyes for a while if you are really sleepy. Don’t make it too difficult.

˙若看佛燈時出現異象，眼睛看到些幻像或腦海出現幻覺，不要理會它。不要去

  看，專注回佛燈，異相自然會漸消失。

  Neglect any illusions or images. Don’t try to make the illusion more clearly or sensible. Just focus back on the lamp, and the illusions will disappear.

˙在家中若要進行這個修持要注意火的安全，將蠟燭點在安全的地方。

  Pay attention to the safety of fire. Be sure to light the candle in the safe place.

好！那我們現在就開始半個小時，專注，專注在這盞佛燈上面，看清楚，沒有什麼方法，就是看清楚，模糊了再把它看清楚。

    Now let’s start the concentration practice. Focus on the lamp and see it clearly. No other ways. Just look at it clearly.

三十分鐘結束

修後開示

    半小時的凝視佛燈，只是點燃你生命中不滅的心燈的開始。回去以後，有機會不論在家中、在佛堂，都可以反覆練習。

    純熟了以後，有一種身心都得到充電的感覺，而不會覺得它很枯燥、不會覺得越看越愛睏。

    你會看得津津有味，然後不由自主的微笑，像石頭投進水裡面，這個水的漣漪慢慢散開，那個煩惱就這樣散掉了，這就表示你平心靜氣看佛燈的功夫，已經差不多純熟了，可以隨時隨地把念頭放在眼前，可以讓生命、情緒保持一種最佳狀態..

    記住這是一盞佛燈，不是一支蠟燭，

    在我們的中堂（玄關）把它點著了，從中燈引燃，所以當它點著的時候，老中的光芒照耀你的生命。

現在把燈熄滅，下課休息！

看佛燈的修持意義The meaning of concentrating on the Buddha lamp

活在當下"live in the moment!"

    活在當下是一句流行語，似乎是現下禪修、生活哲學的最高境界。體會生命中的每一個「當下」。但如何活在當下？怎樣叫做活在當下？卻很少人說得清楚。

    "To live in the moment!" is a common motto nowadays. It seems to be the highest level of meditation and philosophy of life. Try to sense every moment of our lives deeply. However, how can we live in the moment? What is it? Few people can explain it well.

    「活在當下」Real Moments原作者安吉麗思(Barbara De Angelis)認為：用心體會眼前的每一個經歷，品嚐當下的每一分喜怒哀樂，生命的意義就在其中。

    Barbara De Angelis, the author of the book “Real Moments” thinks : try to concentrate on every experience in the moment with your heart, and just experience its joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, and this is the meaning of life.

    我們多數人的痛苦來自於「無法脫離過去心、現在心、未來心，」

    Most people’s pain comes from the fact that they cannot escape their minds of the past, of the present, and of the future.

    為什麼要活在當下？因為一般人的心都用在回想過去、擔憂未來，因此，我們看不見綻放在路旁美麗的花朵，聽不見耳邊流動的美好音樂；吃飯食不知味；睡覺夢境連連…無法享受生命的任何一分一秒。

    Why should we live in the moment? It’s because we always use our minds to reflect upon the past and worry about the future. Therefore, we cannot see the beautiful flowers on the roadside. We cannot hear the wonderful music through our ears. We cannot enjoy delicious food or sound sleep and may even have nightmares. We will lose the joy of life.

    金剛經說要掃除過去、現在、未來，三種心，一般人也許不了解三心有何不好？舉個例子，我童年時家境很艱困，三餐溫飽都成問題，還記得當時父親和母親就是二個極端，父親放眼未來，母親活在過去。但不論過去或未來都解脫不了當下的苦。

    Diamond Sutra recommends us to let go our minds of the past, minds of the present, and minds of the future. Perhaps you cannot understand what’s wrong with these three minds. Take my parents for example. In the childhood, I lived a hard life. Our family sometimes had difficulty getting enough food to eat. I still remember my parents had different points of view about the situation. My father always looked forward to the future, while my mother lived in the past. No matter what they focused on, they couldn’t solve the problem at that time.

    父親總是告訴我們吃得苦中苦，未來才能成為人上人。為了未來，要熬過現在的苦，但似乎苦沒有因而減少反而增加。

    My father always told us to endure the harsh life and then we could succeed in the future. For the success of the future, we needed to overcome life’s hardship at the present.

    母親剛好相反，她小時候家境很好，所以當生活陷入絕望的艱苦時，她總是在回憶兒時的甜美，至今我仍記得她說，她小時候家裡有很大的花園，水池裡的烏龜每天都排隊來吃她餵的飯，小鳥都飛來和她玩…回憶的表情如今我都還能記得，但過去的美好，只凸顯現況的無法忍受，尤其在受不了生活壓迫而分裂時，便遁逃到過去。不論父親的展望未來，母親的緬懷過去，他們臉上的苦絲毫未因憧憬或追憶而減少。

    On the other hand, my mother always lived in her past. She grew in a good family. Our hard life made her reflect upon her sweet childhood all the time. Up to now, I still remember she kept telling me that she used to have a big garden in her house when she was young. The turtles in the pond would wait in line to be fed by her, and little birds would play with her every day. Such sweet memories made the present difficulties even more unbearable. Now I can still remember her sweet smile when telling me those good old days. No matter what perspective my parents have, past or future, they cannot reduce a bit of the hardship at the present.

    我印象中童年的快樂卻都來自於忘記一切過去、未來，玩到瘋，玩到忘我、甚至忘了回家的時間，也忘了會被處罰的經驗。我想孩子才是真正懂得「活在當下」的。但當我們長大以後，就完全不再有那種不管昨天、不管明天，只活在當下的能力，就陷入無邊的痛苦，直到修道。

    However, I was totally different from both of my parents. I was very happy then because I lived at the present and forgot anything about the past or the future. I just kept playing. Sometimes I even forgot the time to go home and the possible result of being punished. All my memories are those of playing and playing. Now I think perhaps children are those who really know how to “live in the moment.” It’s a pity that when we grow up, we lose the ability of this. We will focus either on the past or on the future and then suffer from a great pain until we start to practice.

    為什麼我們小時候什麼都沒有，卻能夠快樂。長大後追逐一切自己所要的，卻不快樂？生命本身應是無限美好但我們卻享受不到。這種現象就如一個人泡在溫泉池裡，卻在池裡面放了幾條毒蛇，無法享受溫泉的美好感受，全神貫注在擔憂毒蛇的游動。過去、未來，所帶給我們的痛苦擔憂就像兩條毒蛇一樣，在我們生活的溫泉中遊來游去。

    Why can we be so happy in childhood when there are not many entertainments? Why do we become unhappy when we make efforts to pursue what we want after growing up? Life should be unlimitedly wonderful, but we seldom enjoy it. This can be compared to the situation that a person is taking a hot spring bath in the pool, but there are several poisonous snakes inside. Therefore, he can’t enjoy the hot spring at all, but can only focus on worrying about those snakes. The pains and the worries brought by the past and the future are like two poisonous snakes. They prevent us from enjoying the wonders of life.

    實相人生應該是，生命是甜美的、世界是奇妙的、生活是幸福的。即使貧窮如顏淵，只剩下一碗飯、一瓢水，一樣快樂無憂。

    The reality of life should be sweet. The world is wonderful. Life is happiness. Even though we are as poor as the poorest student of Confucius, Yen Huei, and only have a little rice to eat, a cup of water to drink, we can be as happy as fairies.   

    為什麼要活在當下？就是把過去、未來二條毒蛇拋出我們生命，真正享受我們生命本自具足的美好。生命的每一刻，如果能專注的去體驗，是何等豐富深刻甜美，只要能在剎那間離開過去心和未來心二條毒蛇。

    Why should we live at the present? It’s to take away the two poisonous snakes of the past and the future from our lives. Then, we can really enjoy the beauty and wonders of life itself. If we can concentrate on every moment, how rich, deep, and sweet will it be! The point is to keep our minds  at the moment.

    這也是禪師們叫我們：「吃飯時用心吃飯，睡覺時專心睡覺。」的道理。

    This is why many Zen masters recommend us to “concentrate on eating when you eat and concentrate on sleeping when you sleep.”

    但是這些道理知道容易做到談何容易？我們吃飯時想著工作、是非、睡覺時夢境連連，醒來還帶著黑眼圈，因為睡覺時還在思慮。

    However, it’s easier to know than to do it. Very often we think of our work and worries when eating. Very often we have so many dreams when sleeping and wake up with dark circle. It’s because our minds are still working when we sleep.

    究竟如何才能真正活在當下？不再被過去、未來；回憶、憂慮綑綁？

    So, how can we really live in the moment and no longer be obstructed by the past, the future, or our memories and worries?

    有一個很簡單的活在當下的方法：「取念於前」，將心念維繫在玄關前一直線。近則在眼前，遠可放到視線盡頭。不論做什麼事，心都在眼前當下，這是最好的一種「活在當下」，而不是空洞的一句話。

    There is a simple method to live in the moment: to focus on a certain point before your eyes. Try to form a line stretching from your wisdom door and keep your mind in this line. We can focus on the line either near the wisdom door or at the end of the line. Whatever you are doing, you keep your minds before this line. This is the best kind of “Living in the moment.” It can prevent you from distraction. And “Living in the moment.” is no longer a meaningless slogan.

    看佛燈就是一種訓練我們能夠活在當下的方法，經常做這個修持，久而久之就可以時時刻刻「取念於前」真正活在當下，享受眼前一杯茶、一口飯…享受人生的每一時每一刻，而不再總是掉回過去及憂慮前途。

    Concentrating on the Buddha lamp is a method to train us to live in the moment. If we keep doing this practice, it will be possible for us to live in the moment. Then, we can have “real moments” to enjoy the tea we drink or the food we eat. We can enjoy every moment of our lives instead of always reflecting on the past and worrying about the future.