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Lingshan Hermit: On Crazy Wisdom
Someone once told me how much they admired Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's crazy wisdom. Though they expressed it subtly, I knew what they really meant. They wanted to play that way too, to act crazy because it would make them seem unique and different - something that would greatly feed their "ego." The very fact that they thought this way shows they could never truly be crazy, because any crazy acts they planned would be within their ego's precise calculations, occurring within a rational framework. When you deliberately display "craziness," the ego constantly monitors and regulates your crazy behavior. True crazy wisdom can only emerge in those who have almost completely eliminated both types of ignorant habits. Many supposed crazy wisdom practitioners I've met were merely pretending to be crazy - it was their selling point. Even while acting crazy, they maintained certain boundaries and self-observation to avoid going too far. They cultivated a limited craziness that wouldn't scare people away while still displaying their "crazy wisdom." But this isn't crazy wisdom. Crazy wisdom is about living totally, completely dropping all pretense, refusing to entangle with or compromise with any intellectual constructs. Therefore, it's irrelevant to most people.
In this era, some people try hard to play the role of a good practitioner, while others try to play the role of a crazy practitioner, styling themselves as Parisian beasts or whatever crazy image - but whether you're trying to play the good practitioner or the crazy one, both are expressions of weakness. You lack the courage to be yourself, so you put on what you think is a good act.
In today's age, what most people lack is normal wisdom. Many don't know how to love, how to write a love letter, how to fold socks - some don't even know to say thank you when receiving kindness. So these are what they should learn. If possible, they should learn how to grow a flower, learn to be honest with themselves and others, learn to observe the subtle greed, anger and delusion within themselves - these are what they should study. They need normal wisdom, not crazy wisdom. Unless you can walk into your living room right now and defecate without inhibition in front of your wife and mother-in-law, then smear that fresh excrement on your wife's nose, and finally lick your fingers clean one by one - unless you can do that, crazy wisdom is absolutely not for you. Besides, crazy wisdom usually only feels good when viewed from afar. If you actually ended up with a teacher like Chögyam Trungpa, you'd quickly discover it's not what you want. Unless you enjoy being woken up at 2 AM to perform Maori war dances in the kitchen. If you were given complete and total freedom, your first reaction would definitely be fear and retreat. Because you're not ready to take that step, not ready to break with the world - you still care about too many people and things. You just want to play around, not actually be seen as crazy. Because you don't possess true crazy wisdom.
First published on November 18, 2024.
Copyright Notice:All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.
灵山居士:谈谈疯智狂慧
以前有个人跟我说他很欣赏秋阳创巴仁波切的疯智。虽然他表达的很含蓄,但我知道他真正想说的是什么。他想说的是其实他也想这样玩,他也想表现的很疯狂,因为这样会显得自己非常与众不同,很能喂饱他的“自我”。他会这么想表示他其实永远也不可能真正疯狂,因为他想要做的一切疯狂之举都是在“自我”精密的计算之内,都发生在理性框架内。当你展示“疯狂”的时候,“自我”会一直在旁监视、规范你的疯狂。而真正的疯智只有在两种无明习气几乎消失殆尽的人身上才有可能出现。我见过的很多疯智者,他们其实只是在装成疯狂的样子,那是他们的卖相,他们在装疯的时候依然会保持着某种尺度和观察以免不小心玩过界。他们在营造一种既不会把人吓跑又能展示自己疯狂的有限疯智。但这不是疯智。疯智是全然的活着,是全然的离戏,疯智是不和任何戏论纠缠妥协。所以,这和大多数人无关。
在这个时代,有人在努力扮演一个好的修行者,而另一些人则在努力扮演一个疯狂的修行者,他们把自己打扮成巴黎魔兽或是任何疯狂的样子——但是无论是哪一种,无论你是想扮演好的修行者还是疯行者,其实都是虚弱的表现。你没有勇气做你自己,所以才会装出你认为好的样子。
现今这个时代,大部分人所缺乏的是正常的智。很多人不知道如何去爱,不知道如何写一封求爱信,不知道如何叠袜子,他们有的人甚至不知道��人恩惠要说声谢谢。所以他们应该学习的是这些,如果可以的话,他们应该去学习如何种出一朵花,学习对自他诚实、学习观察自己身上发生的那些细微的贪嗔痴,他们应该学习这些。他们需要的是正常智慧,而不是疯智。除非你现在就能走到客厅在你老婆和丈母娘面前毫无障碍地拉上一泡屎,然后把刚拉的屎抹到你老婆鼻尖,最后再把手指一根一根地舔干净,否则疯智就绝对不适合你。而且疯智在大多数时候只是远观的时候很爽,如果你真的摊上秋阳创巴这样的老师,你很快就会发现那不是你想要的。除非你喜欢经常在半夜两点钟被叫起来在厨房里跳毛利族战舞。如果真的给你完全彻底的自由,你第一感觉肯定是害怕,你会退缩。因为你还没准备好踏出这一步,没准备好和世界决裂,你还在乎很多人很多事,你只想玩一下,并不想真正被当成疯子。因为你没有真正的疯智。
2024 11 3
首发于2024年11月18日。
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What Most People Don't Know About Themselves
By Lingshan Hermit
When you see others' happiness, do you genuinely wish for their joy or not? Does their happiness offend you? Does it make you extremely uncomfortable? Perhaps because their joy stirs up unhappy memories deep within you, and their abundance intrudes upon your scarcity, making it unbearable. Often, you don't want to see others happy - you want to see them fail, be humiliated, face setbacks, accomplish nothing, and suffer in sadness. You want them to taste what you've tasted before. This is what we typically call the mind of malice. Usually, when someone isn't doing well themselves, they're unlikely to wish for others' wellbeing. Most people are only willing to make space for others when their own "self" is satisfied.
You don't want to see them have beautiful relationships, don't want them to get good positions right when they start working, don't want them carrying expensive phones or bags. You have these wishes largely because you don't have these things yourself - you've never experienced such love, no one has treated you that way, you've never received flowers, never used Chanel lipstick, you've never even bought clothes over 3,000 yuan. So when others' happiness appears before you, it becomes an offense, and you put on a stern face to criticize their actions. Many things, because you've never had them, you express contempt for them and harbor hostility towards them. This helps maintain your fragile self-esteem. Usually, what you criticize are things you want to do but never had the chance to do, or things no one was willing to do with you. And those things you once yearned for but couldn't obtain - you hope others can't get them either. If they already have them, you wouldn't mind destroying them.
Generally, the mind of malice isn't an easily recognized or admitted mindset. It's the cousin of jealousy. Most people won't admit they're jealous, let alone admit they want to destroy something because they're jealous - because they don't have it themselves. The "self" will automatically rationalize and justify their actions. Those manipulated by malice observe others in an extremely uncomfortable state of mind, and if others are doing well, they rush to destroy it. They hope to see others lose their loved ones or possessions, hope to see them suffer. Basically, this is the result of the "self" being in a long-term state of hunger. Their "self" has long been unsatisfied, so they must seek a sense of existence in other ways. The human "self" needs to be fed, and if someone's "self" remains unfulfilled for long, they easily become full of resentment, easily find fault with everything, and gradually view everyone as enemies. If this continues, they may develop to the point of taking pleasure in others' pain. They want to see others suffer, want to take away others' beloved possessions - only then will they feel comfortable, only then can they feel their own existence.
As humans, we've all had such thoughts to varying degrees. Most people just haven't had the opportunity to develop to such extremes. Although you might not be so extreme most of the time, you still get upset when your friend's mother-in-law is especially kind to her and buys her things daily, get angry when someone shows off their bag bought in France, and especially angry at strangers on Xiaohongshu displaying their bold behavior - traveling the world alone. These people have things you don't have, do things you dare not or cannot do, which threatens your self and makes your self uncomfortable. So you don't want them to be comfortable; you hope they encounter obstacles - you'd be happy if they got robbed in Paris or broke their leg while hiking.
For practitioners, admitting to having such thoughts isn't easy. Many practitioners' "selves" have evolved a strange kind of self-esteem over years of practice. For them, face is incredibly important, and admitting to having such thoughts would mean their years of practice were completely wasted, especially if you've been practicing for twenty-plus years and everyone thinks you're doing well. Admitting these things would feel shameful and might even end your standing in others' eyes. So you won't admit it to yourself or others. The "self" will bury all these thoughts of not wishing others well, intentionally avoiding deeper examination of these thoughts because they don't align with your self-image. Shouldn't you be a person free of anger and full of tolerance?
When you first began practicing, you had the purest compassion, truly hoping everyone would be well, truly hoping everyone could be free from suffering and find happiness. Then the demon king came and began creating rifts between you. Humans are complex; we're easily provoked, sometimes not even understanding our own sudden emotions. So it wasn't difficult for the demon king to turn you against each other. One day, you showed a special string of beads given to you by the master in your social media circle. Your dharma brothers and sisters all saw it - they saw that the master gave you prayer beads they didn't have. The demon king began whispering in their ears, stirring their pot of jealousy, beginning to make them envious of you, and this envy triggered many other behaviors. You gradually began to notice their attitude toward you was different from before, noticed their hidden hostility, noticed they began deliberately neglecting you, began subtly expressing their contempt for you. Although you weren't visibly harmed and didn't make any substantial counterattacks, your heart kept churning over this matter. You minded such things greatly, minded their attitude toward you, and couldn't let it go. Every now and then, you'd take it out to think about it, getting hurt all over again. Your compassion was initially directed toward all beings, but now you've quietly kicked them out of your sphere of compassion - those who deeply hurt you. In your subconscious, you hope they have bad luck, hope they encounter troubles. When you have such thoughts, you've distanced yourself from compassion. Deep in your heart, you don't want these people to do well; you hope they have misfortune. So later, when you heard they failed in investments, their company went bankrupt, they got involved in lawsuits, and finally jumped off a building, you felt no sympathy. You thought they deserved it. The demon king destroyed your bodhicitta, made you lose your compassion, and simultaneously destroyed your Mahayana practice because you developed thoughts hoping for others' misfortune, and you were completely unaware of it. Because all this happened where others couldn't see, in the deepest recesses of your heart. On the surface, you remained undisturbed, appearing the same as before, but inside you had changed. If you weren't someone accustomed to being honest with yourself, someone capable of self-examination, you might never discover this in your lifetime. Your self-deception system would keep it very hidden, letting you live in the illusion of your own magnanimity, never letting you know you were someone who harbored such deep resentment toward others. Besides you, no one else knows about this thing that happened to you. Only you know, and only you have the ability to dig it up, so, in the end, only you can change it.
Written by Lingshan Hermit on November 11, 2024
First published on November 12, 2024
Copyright Notice:All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.
灵山居士:大多数人所不知道的自己
当你看到别人的快乐的时候,你是希望他们快乐还是不希望他们快乐?他们的快乐是否冒犯到了你?让你极度不爽。因为他们的快乐搅动了你内心深处那些不快乐的记忆,而他们的丰盈则侵犯了你的匮乏,让你无法忍受。很多时候,你不希望看到别人快乐,你希望看到他们失败,希望看到他们出丑,希望他们受挫,希望他们什么事情都干不成,希望他们因此而悲伤痛苦,希望他们去品尝你曾经品尝过的滋味。这就是通常我们所说的恼害心。通常当一个人过的不太好的时候他就不太可能希望别人能够过的好。大多数人只有在“自我”被满足的情况下才愿意给别人让渡出一部分空间。你不希望看到他们拥有美好的爱情,不希望他们刚来上班就有那么好的位置,不希望他们用那么贵的手机背那么贵的包。你之所以会有这种希望,很大程度上是因为你没有,你没有过这样的爱情,也从来没有人对你这样过,你没收到过花,没用过香奈儿口红,你甚至没买过超过3000块的衣服。所以当别人的幸福展现在你面前,于你就是一种冒犯,你会摆出严厉的面孔,去批判他们的做法。很多东西,因为你从来没有得到过,所以你才会对它表示不屑,才会对它们充满敌意。这有助于你维持自己脆弱的自尊。通常你所批判的都是那些你想做却没机会做或是没有人愿意和你做的事。而那些你曾经渴望却又无法得到的东西,你希望其他人也一样得不到。如果他们已经得到了,你不介意毁了它。
一般来说,恼害心并不是那么容易被发现和承认的心态。它是嫉妒的表兄。大多数人都不可能承认自己在嫉妒,更不可能承认自己之所以这么做是因为嫉妒、是因为自己没有所以才想要毁掉它。“自我”会把他们的行为自动合理化正义化。那些被恼害心操纵的人,他们会在一种极不舒服的心态下,观察别人在干什么,如果别人过得不错,他们就要跑去破坏。他们希望看到对方失去心爱的人或物,希望看到他们痛苦。基本上,这是“自我”长期处于饥饿状态的结果。他们的“自我”长期没有被满足,所以必须以其他方式寻找存在感。人类的“自我”需要被喂食,如果 一个人的“自我”长期未被满足,就很容易充满怨气,很容易看什么都不顺眼,慢慢他就会把所有人都视为敌人,如果继续这么发展下去他们就会发展到以别人的痛苦为乐。他们想要看到别人痛苦,想要夺走别人的心爱之物,这样他们才会��坦,才能感觉到自己的存在。
作为人类,我们或多或少都曾有过这样的心。只是大多数人没有机会发展到这么极端而已。虽然大多数时候你不会这么极端,但你一样会因为闺蜜的婆婆对她特别好天天给她买东西而生闷气,会因为某人晒自己在法国买的包而生气,更会因为在小红书上展示自己大胆行为的陌生人而生气——她一个人在周游列国——这些人,他们有你没有的东西、做了你不敢做也不能做的事,这威胁到了你的自我,让你的自我很不舒服,所以你不希望他们那么舒服,你希望他们遇到障碍——如果她们在巴黎被抢劫,或是爬山的时候摔断了腿你会很高兴。
对于修行人来说,承认自己有过这种心理并不容易,很多修行人的“自我”经过多年进化养成了一种奇怪的自尊。对他们而言,面子是无比重要的,承认自己有过这样的心意味着自己多年的修行完全白费了,尤其是当你已经修了二十几年,每个人都觉得你修的还不错,承认这些会让你觉得丢脸,甚至会终结你在众人眼中的地位。所以你既不会对自己承认也不会对别人承认。“自我”会把这些不希望别人好的念头全都深埋起来,它有意不去深究这些念头,因为这和你对自己的定位不符。你难道不应该是一个毫无嗔心宽容大度的人吗?
在最初开始修行的时候,你有着最纯正的慈悲心,那时候你真的希望每个人都好起来,真的希望大家都能离苦得乐。后来魔王来了,他开始在你们之间制造罅隙。人类是很复杂的,我们都很容易被挑动,有时候连我们自己都不能理解自己那些突如其来的情绪。所以魔王想要让你们反目一点也不难。某天,你在朋友圈展示了上师给你的一串很特别的珠子。你的师兄弟们都看到了——他们看到的是,上师给了你一串他们没有的念珠。魔王开始在他们耳边低语,开始搅动他们的醋坛子,开始让他们嫉妒你,嫉妒又引发了很多其他行为。你慢慢开始觉察到他们对你的态度和以前不太一样,觉察到他们隐藏的敌意,觉察到他们开始故意冷落你,开始含蓄地表达对你的不屑。虽然从表面上看你并没有受到伤害,你也没有做出什么实质性的反击,但你的内心一直在为这件事翻腾。你很介意这样的事,很介意他们对你的态度,对此你一直无法释怀。隔一段时间你就要拿出来想想,然后再受一次伤。你的慈悲心刚开始是针对一切众生的,现在你悄悄把他们踢出了你慈悲的范畴,你的慈悲开始不包含他们——那些深深伤害过你的人。潜意识里,你希望他们倒霉,希望他们遇到麻烦。当你有了这样的心,你也就远离了慈悲心。在内心深处,你不希望这些人过得好,你希望他们倒霉。所以后来当你听到他们投资失败公司破产还惹上了官司最后还跳了楼你一点也不同情。你觉得他们活该。魔王破坏了你的菩提心,让你失去了慈悲,他同时也毁掉了你的大乘修行,因为你生起了希望别人倒霉的心,而且对此毫无察觉。因为这一切都发生在别人看不到的地方,发生在你内心最幽深之处。表面上你毫无波澜,看上去还和过去一样,但是你内里已经变了。假如你不是一个习惯对自己诚实的人、不是一个有能力审视自己的人,你大概一辈子也发现不了这件事。你的自欺系统会把它藏的很隐秘,它会让你活在自己很大度的幻觉里,不会让你知道自己是个对别人有着如此深的怨念的人。除了你之外,没有第二个人知道这件发生在你身上的事。只有你知道,也只有你有能力把它挖掘出来,所以,最终,也只有你能够改变这件事。
灵山居士写于2024年11月11日,首发于2024年11月12日。
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Lingshan Hermit: In Fact, You May Have Never Stopped Harming Others
In life, you'll meet people who are puzzled by their misfortunes. They consider themselves good people who never harm others, saying "I wouldn't even hurt a little bird" - these are their exact words.
Yet these "good people" encounter unfortunate and difficult fates. (I once met someone whose house was demolished; when I learned that he used to enjoy destroying birds' nests, I wasn't at all surprised by his experience.) They want to know why. Why are they harmed by others when they never harm anyone? Why don't good deeds bring good rewards?
Without a reasonable explanation, they might turn to becoming bad people, because sometimes it seems that bad people live better lives.
Sometimes you really need to examine your life, to examine whether you are truly as good as you think you are, whether you are really someone who never harms others. It should be noted that the harm we're talking about here isn't just about physically attacking others - Buddhism doesn't consider harming others to be limited to such actions.
You might not take a knife to kill someone or hurt a little bird, but the same you eats eggs, orders hairy crabs, takes supplements containing animal ingredients (like deer antler), wears shoes made from animal leather and fur, often has roast lamb leg with beer for dinner, and eagerly discusses neighbors' private matters. So you have, consciously or unconsciously, harmed many animals and many people.
If you examine your life carefully, I believe you might find many aspects that aren't so innocent - you're not as blameless as you think. You've been taking supplements containing deer antler, using leather products, using certain famous cosmetics brands whose manufacturers regularly conduct cruel animal testing and use mink oil to ensure their product quality. You might also frequently go fishing.
If all these exist in your life, I don't think you should consider yourself someone who never harms others - you have never stopped harming others. Many animals have been killed because of your lifestyle. Just because you want to improve your health, many deer have their antlers cut off. You should know that deer antler is sawn off from the deer's head, and this process is neither comfortable nor painless.
You might say, "I didn't cut off that deer's antlers myself," which is true - you didn't do it personally, but if there was no demand from you, no one would be interested in doing this. Hiring someone to kill and killing someone yourself carry the same legal consequences. So you've been harming those deer, albeit indirectly. But you are equally responsible.
If you want to improve your fate, one of the things you need to do is stop harming others (including animals). The harm mentioned here includes both direct harm (like catching a fish) and indirect harm (like taking deer antler supplements). Buddhism believes that if a person harms so many beings, it's natural for them to receive a bad fate. If they want to improve their fate, not harming others is the first thing they need to do.
You might say that one person not using leather products won't change anything, won't make our world better. This is true, but if many people stop using any products from animals, the situation would be different.
I believe there are many people who want to improve their fate. If everyone refuses to use animal products, many animals would be spared from slaughter. You don't need to go to Kekexili to protect Tibetan antelopes, because without demand there would be no killing. Of course, you might say that slaughterhouses don't kill just for one person - they kill for many potential customers. This doesn't make your behavior any more justified. You won't be absolved just because many people are involved. When a hundred people kill one sheep, each person receives a complete killing karma.
As practitioners, we have an obligation not to harm beings, even if it's just reducing one killing that comes from demand. Even if you're not a practitioner, you shouldn't harm beings if you hope for a good future. Besides these things, you also need to pay attention to some subtler matters.
When you're walking on the street, you might spit chewed gum on the ground, which harms those responsible for cleaning the streets, because removing a piece of dried gum stuck to the ground is very laborious. You might also buy pirated books and DVDs, thus harming many people, including writers, directors, and actors, because you get their work without paying any price (or rather, you didn't pay the right people). If you play music very loudly when you should be in bed, you harm your neighbors, even though you might not intend to.
It should be pointed out that not harming others isn't easily achieved. Many people harm others every day without realizing it. For example, when you open a window on a bus, you might harm those who prefer the windows closed. When you close a door too forcefully, you might startle someone next door who is meditating. These are all forms of harm.
I once met someone who thought he was a good person. While describing himself as a kind person who loves animals, he was removing a freshly caught fish from his hook. I think that fish would certainly disagree with his self-assessment. His kindness probably only extended to his pet dog and not to fish.
Many practitioners can avoid such harmful actions (like eating a fish), but they also need to learn to avoid many subtle forms of harm. Because subtle harm is still harm and will still produce karma. Moreover, some harm that you don't notice isn't subtle at all - it might involve enormous consequences.
First published in November 2007.
Copyright Notice:All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.
灵山居士:事实上,你可能一直没有停止过对别人的伤害 (修订)
在生活里你会遇到一些为自己的遭遇感到困惑的人,他们认为自己是个好人,是个从来不伤害别人的人,“我连一只小鸟都不会伤害”-这是他们的原话。
但是这样的“好人”却遭遇不幸命运坎坷。(我曾经遇到过一位房子被推平的人,当我了解到他以前是个非常喜欢捣毁鸟窝的人时候,我就丝毫不为他的经历感到奇怪了)他们很想知道为什么。为什么他们没有伤害别人,却总被别人伤害。为什么好人没有好报。
如果没有合理的解释,他们可能就要改行去做坏人。因为有时候看起来好像坏人生活的更好。
有时候你真的需要审视一下自己的生活,审视一下你是否真的如自己所认为的那样,是个好人,是个从来不伤害别人的人。需要说明的是,在这里我们所说的伤害并不是说你经常殴打别人,佛教并不认为伤害别人指的只是这些。
你也许不会拿着刀去杀人,不会去伤害一只小鸟,但是同一个你,你会吃鸡蛋,会点大闸蟹,你每天服用的是含有动物成份的补药(例如鹿茸),你脚上穿的是动物的皮毛制品,你的晚饭经常是烤羊腿加啤酒,你热衷于谈论邻居的隐私。所以你在有意无意中伤害了很多动物,也伤害了很多人。
如果对你的生活加以审视,我相信你可能会发现很多地方并不那么如人意,你并非你所认为的那样清白无辜。你一直在服用含有鹿茸成份的补药,一直在使用牛皮制品,一直在使用某种知名化妆品,而那种化妆品厂商为了保证他的化妆品质量经常使用动物进行残忍的实验并且含有貂油成分。你可能还经常去钓鱼。
如果这一切存在于你的生活中的话,我想你不应该觉得自己是个不伤害别人的人,你一直没有停止过对别人的伤害。有很多动物因为你的生活而被杀。仅仅因为你希望自己的身体变的更加健康就导��很多鹿被割下鹿角。要知道,鹿茸是从鹿的脑袋上锯下来的,那种过程并非舒适和毫无痛感的。
也许你会说,我并没有去割掉那只鹿的鹿茸,事实也是如此,你没有亲自动手,但是如果没有你的需求,也不会有人有兴趣这么做。雇凶杀人和自己杀在法律上需要承担同样的后果。所以你一直在伤害那些鹿,虽然只是间接的伤害。但你同样需要负责。
如果你希望可以改善命运,你要做的事情之一就是停止伤害别人(也包括动物)。这里所说的伤害包括那些直接伤害(例如钓上来一条鱼)也包括间接伤害(服用鹿茸之类)。佛教认为,如果一个人伤害了那么多的众生,他获得不好的命运也是理所当然。如果他希望改善命运,不伤害别人是首先要做的事。
你也许会说,只是一个人不用牛皮制品改变不了什么,不会使我们的世界更美好。事实也是如此,但是假如很多人都不使用任何来自动物的制品,那么情况就会有所不同。
我相信希望改善自己命运的人绝非少数,如果大家都拒绝使用动物制品的话,就会有很多动物免于被屠杀。你不用去可可西里保护藏羚羊,因为没有需求就没有杀戮。当然你可以说,屠宰场并非只为我一个人而杀,他是为很多潜在的客户而杀。这丝毫不能让你的行为变的更加正当。你不会因为人多而获得赦免。一百个人杀死一只羊,每个人都会获得一个完整的杀业。
作为修行者,我们有不伤害众生的义务,哪怕只是减少一个因需求而产生的杀戮。即使不是修行者,你也不应该去伤害众生,如果你希望有一个好的未来的话。除了这些事情之外,你还需要注意一些比较细微的事情。
当你走在大街上的时候,你也许会把嚼过的口香糖吐在地上,这就伤害了那些负责清理街道的人,因为把一块沾在地上已经干了的口香糖搞掉是很费力气的一件事。你还会去购买盗版书盗版DVD,这样你就伤害了很多人,包括作家,导演,演员,因为你没有付出任何代价就得到了他们付出努力的作品(或许说你没有付钱给该付的人)。如果你在应该上床睡觉的时候把音乐开的很大声,你就伤害了你的邻居。虽然你可能并非有意。
这里需要指出的是,不伤害别人并非轻而易举就可以做到。很多人每天都在伤害着别人却浑然不觉。例如,你在坐公交车的时候打开一扇窗户就可能伤害那些喜欢关着窗户的人。你关门的时候过于猛烈也会吓着隔壁正在打坐的人。这些都是伤害。
我曾经遇到一个认为自己是个好人的人,他在向我描述自己是个对动物具有爱心的好人的时候正在把一条刚钓上来的鱼从鱼钩上弄下来,我想他刚钓上来的那条鱼一定会反对他对自己的看法。他的爱心大概只限于自己的爱犬而不包括鱼类。
很多修行者能避免这类伤害众生的行为(吃掉一条鱼),但是他们同样需要学习避免很多细微的伤害。因为细微的伤害也是伤害,也会产生因果。何况有些你注意不到的伤害并不细微,它可能牵涉巨大。
本文首发于2007年11月。
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Lingshan Hermit: Extensive Experience Does Not Equal Wisdom, Yet It Makes One Think They Are Wise
The greatest affliction of our time is the affliction of excessive exposure; the most destructive force to a person today is also, first and foremost, excessive exposure. Throughout history, people have praised the virtue of being well-informed and knowledgeable. However, in our present day, this has become a major affliction. Excessive exposure has become a fast track to demonic possession for the masses. In my years of observation, those who are well-informed yet remain unaffected by demonic influences are countable on fingers. Among tens of thousands today, barely one possesses right view. They cannot distinguish between righteous and evil teachings, simply accepting what pleases them and what gratifies them – all the while consuming dishes personally prepared by the demon king.
For practitioners of spiritual cultivation, excessive exposure easily leads to loss of focus and generates scattered thoughts. It's like a cat chasing multiple mice – with one in its mouth while pursuing another, gaining one territory only to covet another, eventually losing both. Today's practitioners, compared to ancient times, are exposed to far more. Yet they cannot attain enlightenment – why? It's the affliction of excessive exposure. If one were to place themselves among Guru Rinpoche, Shakyamuni, Avalokiteshvara, and Manjushri, choosing and following just one would surely lead to enlightenment. However, people harbor feelings of insufficiency – after obtaining Avalokiteshvara's teachings, they yearn for Manjushri's; after following Shakyamuni, they look toward Guru Rinpoche. Never single-minded, they ultimately gain nothing. Moreover, while all Buddhist teachings lead to the same destination, their entry points differ, and their methods of exposition vary. Those of shallow wisdom hear these differences and rank them as superior or inferior, pursuing the "higher" while abandoning the "lower." Before mastering one method, they switch to another; before growing close to one teacher, they seek another, causing their practice to remain stagnant. Some practitioners pack up and leave at the slightest dissatisfaction, seeking another place to settle. They see many options and have many choices. If one place doesn't suit them, they switch to another. Having too many choices becomes the very reason they cannot achieve enlightenment. Such people, though appearing to practice their entire lives, ultimately accomplish nothing – this is the reason. Unlike ancient practitioners who relied on a single teacher, harbored no other thoughts, faced no interference from other teachings, and had nowhere else to go, they committed wholeheartedly and thus could swiftly attain enlightenment.
This principle applies not only to spiritual practice but also to worldly affairs. To succeed in anything, one must focus on that single thing. I've observed that those who fail in various endeavors do so because of excessive exposure. Such exposure leads to endless desires, which in turn leads to lack of persistence in any single pursuit. Those without persistence become scattered and divided in attention, and those divided in attention lose everything, ultimately failing. Therefore, the foolish should not be allowed excessive exposure – it leads to desires for change, greed for more, and the abandonment of all pursuits.
Furthermore, everyone has a tendency to compare and compete. In ancient times, women mostly stayed within deep courtyards and grand mansions, seeing little and having few opportunities for comparison. The demon king had no leverage, and thus there was less gossip and more peaceful lives. Today's people, with their vast exposure and knowledge, inevitably develop a comparative mindset, which breeds feelings of insufficiency. From insufficiency springs all manner of troubles. It's no wonder we see stories like Wu Song killing his sister-in-law or Pan Jinlian causing Xi Men's death – such tales become mere dinner table gossip. Many of today's misfortunes stem from this. With advanced technology, one needn't leave home to see Xi Men's type, as screens are filled with Pan Jinlian and Wang Po figures. Various demonic technologies break down barriers of communication, allowing predators to entrap young women and girls from thousands of miles away. Human desires are like dry grass – one spark sets them ablaze. With such tools at hand, combined with insufficient hearts and bodily desires, how many can resist such temptations? Thus, many fall from virtue. When women develop a comparative mindset, they easily become dissatisfied, wanting what others have, their demands multiplying. If unsatisfied, they either seek fulfillment elsewhere or threaten divorce, or both – a situation more dangerous than walking on knife's edge or grabbing treasures from a burning house. If they encounter a man who loses control, they may end up like Yan Poxi from Water Margin, becoming a ghost under the blade. These are the fruits of today's excessive exposure.
Modern people see a hundred thousand times more than their ancestors; even young children know affairs of hundreds of nations. But is this beneficial? From my observation, it merely increases ego-clinging. Seeing more only increases what one sees, not one's wisdom. If one could truly see everything, across all directions and three times, then one could judge matters correctly, seeing all dharmas and their causes clearly, distinguishing right from wrong. But seeing through just one hole only generates misconceptions. Though modern people consider their vision vast, it doesn't even amount to seeing through one hole. Thus, extensive experience does not equal wisdom, yet it makes one think they are wise, believing they can judge all matters under heaven and evaluate right and wrong. From U.S. presidential elections to street fights between Liu Er and Zhao Si, they comment on everything. Regrettably, the masses lack wisdom, cannot distinguish right from wrong, cannot recognize true demons, and follow those whose words match their desires, release moral constraints, and pave the way for evil under the guise of righteousness. Such speakers often have hundreds of thousands of followers, further inflating their momentum and ego. Like the blind leading the blind, all enter the path of demons. Those revered by today's masses are mostly of this kind. These ant-minded people, with their inch-deep vision, destroy the path laid by sages, pave smooth roads for evil, lead practitioners astray, and cause people to fail in all endeavors. These are all the consequences of believing oneself to be knowledgeable and well-informed.
Written by Lingshan Hermit on November 8, 2024.
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灵山居士:见多非智多,然见多可令其自以为智多
今日之大患者,乃见多之患也;今日之最能毁人者,亦属见多为第一也。见多识广一事,历来为世人所赞崇。然今时今日,此事已然成为一大患。见多已成众人成魔之速道。余历年所见者,见多识广而又不着魔不为魔所控者,屈指可数矣。今人中万人亦无一有正见,于诸多言说何者邪何者正皆无从辨别,见乐己者则收,见悦己者则收,所食所饮皆魔王亲自所烹之肴也。
于修行人而言,见多则易失要点、易生散乱。如一猫逐数鼠,口中噙一鼠而又逐另一鼠,得陇后复又望蜀,后陇失蜀亦不得。今日之修行者比之古时,所见可谓多矣。然终不能得道,何以故?见多之患也。如一人置身于莲师释迦观音文殊之间,择其一位而从之,必可成道。然人皆有不足之心,是以得观音后又贪恋文殊,从释迦后复又望莲师。终不能一心,是以终一无所得。复诸佛教法,虽其所归处虽同,然入手处皆不同,说法亦有差异。浅智者闻后自行分高下,后逐高而舍低,一法未成又修一法,一师未热又依一师,令其修行常驻于原位。又有修者于一处受气则卷铺盖,另寻一处安身,其所见者多,可选者亦多。此处不爽则另换一处。可选者众,乃其终不能成道之因也。如是之人,虽一生都似在修行,后终一事无成,其因在此。不若古之修行人,依于一师,不作他想,无他说之扰,亦无他处可投,死心塌地,方能速速成道。
修行之事如此,凡��之事亦是如此。若要成事,则必注心于一事。余见诸事不成者,皆因见多也。见多则不一而足,不一而足则于一事无恒心,无恒心者则乱、则左右兼顾,左右兼顾者则左右皆失,终至于事败。是以愚人不可令其见多,见多则思变,则贪多,则诸事废。
又人人皆有比攀之心,古时妇女多居深庭大院,所见者少,无从比攀,魔王无处可着力,是以多人闲是非少,一生静好。今之人见多识广,见多则必生比攀之心,比攀而后生不足之心,不足之心生则诸事生,后若生出武松杀嫂、西门横尸之事,亦不为怪,辄成众人下饭之谈资。今日人间之诸般不幸,多出于此也。今时科技发达,不需出门庭即可见西门,因满屏皆西门金莲王干娘也。又有各类魔引科技,破交往之障,令登徒子可于百千万里外,诱少妇少女入其彀中。人之欲望皆如干草,一点即着,有此利器辅佐,又兼有不足之心身体之望,世上又有几人可禁得住此诱惑?是以败德者众。又妇人生比攀之心,则易生诸多不满,见他人有者,自亦需有,所求者亦倍增。若未得餍足,若不另寻他人满己之望,即是以离婚告讼相胁,或二者并行,然此事之凶险胜于刀口磨颈火宅取物也。若遇男人一时不控,则必成水浒阎婆惜,沦为刀下之鬼。此今人见多之果也。
今人所见多过古人百千万倍,即垂髫小儿亦能知百国万邦之事。然此事善否?以余之所见,徒增其我执耳。见多只增其见,而不增其智。若能见所有,见十方三世,则可断事。于万法因缘,历历在目,可断是与非。若只见一孔,则徒生谬见。今人之所见,虽自以为广大,然一孔亦不及也。是以见多非智多,然见多可令其自以为智多,自以为可断天下事,可评是与非。上至花旗国总统选举,下至刘二赵四街头互殴,无事不置喙。可叹大众无智,不辨对错,不识真魔,见其所言者中己之下怀、释道德之捆缚、为邪行正名铺路,谓其所言者深得我心堪为我用,乐其言而后从其人。如是之人,从者常有百千万众,益发增其气势,长其自我。以一盲而导众盲,皆入魔之道也。今日大众所尊崇者,皆此类也。此类蚁智之人,以其方寸之见,毁圣人所布之道,铺��恶之坦途,引修者顾此失彼,令众人百事不成。此皆自以为见多识广之过也。
灵山居士写于2024年11月8日。
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Lingshan Hermit: We Have All Been Hijacked by This Lifestyle of Electric Wires and Plugs
On this day, everyone is waiting in anticipation, eager to know whether Harris or Trump will ultimately win. This shows that many people consider this matter important, indicating that the whole world has become deeply interconnected, and also revealing that many people harbor deep-seated inferiority complexes. If you fundamentally admire Western culture, it's unlikely that you'll have genuine faith in Buddhism and Eastern culture. Deep inside, you feel quite inferior. You have no confidence in the culture of your birthplace. You probably don't truly believe that Milarepa and Bodhidharma could stand on grass tips. I've met many practitioners before who, while claiming unwavering faith in Buddhism, were deeply enthusiastic about Western culture at their core. It's like being married to Buddhism and professing love for it while constantly thinking about another woman. Although they might never realize it themselves or admit to being followers of Western culture, careful observation reveals their true thoughts. Their logic is Western logic, their life philosophy is Western philosophy, and their criteria for judging progress and right versus wrong are likewise Western - these cannot be hidden. In their subconscious, they believe people who use paper shredders and irons are more civilized than those who use abacuses. They automatically assume Westerners are the world's leaders, hence their intense focus on this matter. They have always evaluated the world, Buddhism, and right and wrong through Western eyes. In my view, this proves their complete lack of faith in Buddhism, because only those who completely misunderstand or insufficiently understand Eastern culture would worship Western culture. If you truly understood Buddhism and Eastern culture, your gaze toward Westerners would be one of compassion and sympathy rather than admiration.
Why not? These people weren't born in regions where Buddhism flourished. Their history is one of constant warfare and plunder. They worship figures like Caesar, Kant, and Napoleon, and value dominating others. Their lives lack Zhuangzi's wisdom and the understanding that "life rarely goes as wished; be content with half of what you desire." Their understanding of their own minds remains primitive, so they believe satisfying desires brings happiness. They spend all their time and energy seeking happiness externally and trying to conquer others. For this, they invented weapons capable of destroying each other and created one thing after another that they believed would bring happiness, ultimately leaving our lives hijacked by various electrical appliances and bills. Without electricity, gas, or internet, we cannot survive a single day. We must work hard to maintain this lifestyle, suffocating under its pressure. Yet this group of people, who have outsmarted themselves into failure, who dig up suffering while searching for happiness - you feel inferior to them, even crossing oceans to live their life, trying to learn their language and way of thinking. This only proves your complete ignorance of Buddhism and Eastern culture. You don't understand its profundity and greatness, nor do you know what Western culture will ultimately bring you. You're swept along by popular opinion, believing this is the life of superior humans. And all this is rooted in your deep inferiority and lack of understanding of your own true nature.
From another perspective, although I use a German electric razor, read news on an iPhone, and type on a keyboard, this doesn't prevent me from considering it a low-level lifestyle. Just as language is a low-level form of communication, we must use it because others do, and it's currently the only thing they understand. So I have no choice. In our lives, traditional Eastern lifestyle has nearly disappeared, and we have all been hijacked by this lifestyle full of electric wires and plugs. Therefore, we need to use language, electric razors and dental floss, need to know that Taylor Swift is T-Swift, need to know how to brew pour-over coffee, so we can better communicate with various people to help them understand themselves.
Written by Lingshan Hermit on November 5, 2024. First published on November 5, 2024. Copy
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灵山居士:我们所有人都被这种充满电线和插头的生活方式绑架了
在今天这个日子里,每个人都在翘首以待,每个人都想知道最后到底是哈里斯赢还是川普赢。这说明很多人都觉得这件事很重要,说明了全世界都已经被深度捆绑在一起,也说明了很多人的骨子里相当自卑。如果你从骨子里就是个崇尚西方文化的人,基本上,你不太可能对佛法和东方文化有真正的信心。内心深处,你相当的自卑。你对自己出生地的文化毫无信心。你也不可能真的相信密勒日巴和达摩祖师能站在草尖上。以前我见过很多修行者,虽然他们都号称对佛法有着无比的信心,但他们骨子里却相当热衷于西方文化。这就像是虽然你和佛法结了婚虽然你嘴上一直在说爱她但是心里却一直想着另外一个女人一样。虽然他们自己可能从未察觉,也从不会说自己是西方文化的拥趸,但是只要稍加观察,你就能知道他们的真实想法。因为他们的逻辑是西方的逻辑,他们的生活理念是西方的理念,他们对先进与否对错与否的评判标准同样是西方的,这些都是无法隐藏的。潜意识里,他们认为使用碎纸机和熨烫机的人群比使用算盘的人群更加文明,他们会默认他们才是世界的引导者,所以才会如此关注这件事情。一直以来,他们都是在用西方的眼光来评判世界、评判佛法、评判对错。就我而言,这足以证明你对佛法全无信心,因为只有当一个人对东方文化完全不了解或是了解不够的时候才会去崇拜西方文化,如果你真的了解佛法,真的了解东方文化,你看待西方人的眼神绝不可能是崇拜而更应该是同情和悲悯。为什么不呢?这些人,他们没有出生在佛法昌盛的地区,他们的历史是不断的征战和抢劫,他们崇拜的是凯撒、康德和拿破仑这样的人,崇尚的是压倒别人,他们的生活里没有庄子,也看不到“人生哪能多如意、万事只求半称心”,他们对自心的了解完全处于蛮荒状态,所以他们会以为满足欲望就能快乐。他们全部的时间精和力都用在向外寻找快乐,都用在想要征服其他人上面。为此他们发明了能毁灭彼此的武器,发明了一个又一个自以为能带给自己快乐的东西,最终却让我们的生活被各种电器和账单绑架,假如没有电没有气没有网络,我们一天也过不下去。为此我们必须去努力挣钱维持这种生活,我们被这种生活压的喘不过气。就是这样的一群人,这样一群弄巧成拙的人,这样一群想要快乐却挖掘出痛苦的人,你居然对他们感觉自卑,居然漂洋过海去过他们的生活,尝试学习他们的语言和思维方式。这只证明你对佛法对东方文化一无所知,你不知道它的深邃和伟大,不知道西方文化最终会带给你什么。你被大众的想法裹协着,以为这就是高等人类的生活。而这一切都根植于你深深的自卑和对自身实相了解的匮乏。
从另一方面来说,虽然我也会用德国产的剃须刀,会用iPhone看新闻,会用键盘打字,但这并不妨碍我认为这是一种低端的生活方式。就像是语言同样是一种低端的交流方式,但是我们必须使用它一样。因为其他人都在用。而且这是他们目前唯一听的懂的东西。所以我别无选择。在我们的生活里,传统的东方生活方式已经濒临消失,我们所有人都被这种充满电线和插头的生活方式绑架。所以我们需要使用语言,需要使用电动剃须刀和牙线,需要知道泰勒·斯威夫特就是霉霉,需要知道挂耳咖啡的泡法,这样我们才能更好地和各种人交流,以帮助他们了解自己。
灵山居士写于2024年11月5日。首发于2024年11月5日
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Lingshan Hermit: It's like one day suddenly discovering that your wife, whom you've loved your whole life and who bore you three children, is actually a demon.
Bodhidharma said his purpose in coming to the East was to find someone who could not be deceived by others. As humans filled with ignorance, we can be deceived by our peers, by media, by advertisements, and even by our own eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind - by our own hearts. Sometimes, even when we know something is false, we're unwilling to wake up. Because being deceived is comfortable, while awakening is cruel. So we'd rather live in deception than wake up to face reality. This is partly because self-deception is too comfortable, and partly because changing one's cognition is, for many people, almost equivalent to destroying everything they've previously built, which terrifies them. This is also why many people, despite years of spiritual practice, continue to live in self-deception. Because they fear reality.
America's Mark Twain said: "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled." Indeed. Many people I've met find it far more difficult to admit they've been deceived than to be deceived in the first place. They would rather lose everything, rather be abandoned by everyone, than lose the feeling that they're clever. This is true for spiritual practitioners, and even more so for those who don't practice. Their stubbornness is no less than that of practitioners. Just look at the 2020 U.S. election to see how stubborn our habits are, how unwilling we are to wake up. Four years ago, the whole world watched in astonishment as Biden turned defeat into victory in an instant, surpassing Trump, giving birth to the famous "Biden curve." The whole world was shocked by this scene. When this happened, it should have been time for everyone to change their thinking. But this didn't happen - you didn't see many people protest afterward. Biden ascended to the presidential throne without hindrance. Most people pretended nothing had happened. Because in this world, the most firmly established and hardest thing to change is what a person has already accepted as truth. Most people lack the courage to face facts. When facts are presented so blatantly before them, they become cowardly, choosing to turn their faces away and pretend they haven't seen. Because for many people, this is practically asking for their lives - imagine what it would be like for devout Christians to discover Jesus Christ was a fraud - this is the situation facing the entire Western society and those in Eastern society whose thinking has been completely Westernized. Acknowledging these things means denying Western civilization. It also means their decades of effort have been in vain. So it's not surprising that many people choose to bury their heads in the sand.
In my teens, I once thought Western society was democratic and free. Back then, I thought Westerners were of higher quality than Chinese people, that they were pure and kind. Many Chinese people who grew up in the 1980s had religious-like aspirations toward the West. Later, as I grew older, I slowly realized this wasn't the case. Westerners are human too; like us, they also have human greed, anger, and delusion. They too can be tempted, play various schemes and tricks, be conquered by devils and ally with them. Imagining them as either angels or demons is disrespectful to reality. When they possess great wealth and power, they too cannot resist temptation; devils whisper in their ears just the same. Thinking about it now, those people in Western society who live behind the scenes at the top of the pyramid don't have true faith. They possess enormous wealth, and now they have technological means to control the whole world. If they could still give you freedom and democracy, they would practically be saints.
I still remember how I felt when I first watched "The Godfather Part III" in my teens. I was surprised that the Vatican in the movie could be so corrupt. Now thinking about it, a religious organization that has existed for over a thousand years, which at certain periods in history had power even greater than kings, possessing huge donations from all sectors of society, having enormous discourse power and influence - if after more than a thousand years they could still maintain purity, resist corruption, and not be conquered by devils, everyone there would have to be a saint and master practitioner. But are they? Actually, this kind of thing doesn't just happen in the Vatican, it happens to high-ranking lamas in Tibetan Buddhism, in Taoist temples, to anyone who has dominion over others, and it happens to Buddhist teachers as well. When you have power, devils whisper in your ear, they set traps for you, tempt you to fall into them, urge you to use your power to take small advantages: "It's just a little bit, don't be so nervous." But if you do that, you've boarded their ship, and afterward it's very hard to get off. You'll start from a little and progress to more and more. Any practitioner, as long as your right view takes even a slight nap, as long as you don't watch yourself constantly, as long as you're not firm enough, you might be pulled down by devils, fall into their trap. Spiritual practice is like carrying a bowl of water that's about to overflow while walking on uneven ground - one careless moment and water will spill. So I can't imagine how those who haven't truly practiced and yet possess great power can resist such temptation. Of course, some of them might not want to resist at all; they were after this from the beginning. If this happens to people in the temple, it certainly happens to those playing cards in the house of cards.
Over these years, I've practiced many dharmas, read many books, and experienced many people and events. My thoughts are very different from when I was young. The more I encounter Western culture, the more I discover things aren't so simple; the deeper I understand Western culture, the more I can see their problems. Many things in Western culture that seem correct reveal huge loopholes and risks when carefully analyzed. For example, as mentioned before, in Western ideology, as long as you don't harm others, you can do anything, and others have no right to interfere. But what they don't know is that harming others is a broad concept, and many harms are invisible. Some people can cause many deaths just by saying something online. But the law won't pursue them. Current laws only lock onto physical harm. They can only punish this kind of physical harm, but there are many non-physical harms that existing laws completely fail to recognize. In recent years, you can see many people teaching women how to get money from men, and you can also see many women being killed. I believe these women were harmed by those who taught them. They made women feel they could escape punishment if they were clever enough. But the law won't find them guilty, and most people don't think they should be held responsible. This allows them to continue harming many people. Devils hide here, hide in these theories that seem correct but conceal huge traps. And what has liberty, equality, and fraternity ultimately brought us? The death of traditional culture? The birth of gender self-determination laws? Or that you can increasingly trust no one? These are also questions that need deep thought.
In recent years, we've all seen Western society become increasingly abnormal. Many things that were completely impossible in the past are happening now, things that are completely contrary to what they used to advocate. These things all reveal to us - the world is not what you've always thought it was. Fortunately, many people in American society have begun to reflect, they've started to wonder what's really going on, whether they've been deceived from the beginning. Besides ignorance being the biggest deception, this should rank among the top three deceptions in human history, with countless Eastern and Western people deeply trapped within it. For more than a hundred years, they've been reveling in this man-made illusion. For Westerners who are accustomed to living comfortably and showing superiority to Easterners, it's not easy to accept that they too, like Easterners, have been enslaved and deceived all along. Especially for Americans, who have always lived in the illusion of democracy and freedom, so when they vote for Trump on the voting machine but get Harris instead, it shakes their souls. For so many years, they've always thought they elected their president themselves, always thought the media was free, and always felt their country was the best. But the various chaos of recent years is enough to make many of them start having huge doubts, but doubting is one thing, having the courage to admit being deceived is another. In fact, not just Western society, but all human society faces a huge ideological impact. After the dust settled on the 2020 U.S. election, I deliberately observed China's cultural circle, and I saw they basically ignored it, or rather they pretended not to see, pretended all this didn't exist. This is like one day suddenly discovering that your wife, whom you've loved your whole life and who bore you three children, is actually a demon. You don't know how to explain to everyone, you haven't figured out how to face it, so you can only pretend not to know. I know what this means to them - they grew up sucking on Western nipples, their thought systems all come from the West, the ideologies they promote all come from the West. If they admit it's all a scam, admit that even the best systems cannot resist human greed and self-interest, and will ultimately be corrupted, then their future survival might face problems. Based on my understanding of how firmly human ego is established, I don't believe they have the possibility of changing their minds in their lifetime. Most likely, they will die like the remnant adherents of the Qing dynasty, clinging to their old-era cognition.
Patriarch Bodhidharma said he came to the East to find someone who could not be deceived by others. Actually, being deceived isn't the most frightening thing; what's most frightening is not admitting you've been deceived. Such people don't admit they have problems, so they won't seek solutions, and thus they will forever live in a state of being deceived. As ordinary beings, we are all imprisoned in our own cognition, locked in the cage of our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, so we will be deceived, tricked, make mistakes, and be led by the nose by others - this is a basic fact. But it's okay, as long as we know we're being deceived, admit we're being deceived, then there's still hope of awakening. What we need is the courage to admit - this is more important than anything else.
Written by Lingshan Hermit in February 2023, first published on November 3, 2024.
Copyright Notice:All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.
灵山居士:这就像是有一天你忽然发现你爱了一辈子还给你生了三个孩子的妻子是妖怪
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Lingshan Hermit: This Theory Is Irrelevant to Most People Living on Earth
Many people like to say: "In absolute terms, there is no beauty or ugliness, no good or evil, no right or wrong." They not only enjoy saying this themselves but also like to share it with non-practitioners to demonstrate their profound understanding. While this statement may be valid from an absolute perspective, it becomes problematic from a relative viewpoint. Although there might be no beauty or ugliness, good or evil, right or wrong in absolute terms, that is the realm of the enlightened and irrelevant to most people living on Earth. Most people's lives don't involve the absolute or enlightened states - they exist in a solid material world. They cannot walk on water or perceive walls and empty space as the same thing. To them, their emotions, body temperature, and the raised logo on their shirt are equally real. Their lives consist of TikTok, overtime work, traffic jams, endless messages, and countless responsibilities.
This theory is not only irrelevant to most people on Earth but also to those of us who are still far from the absolute state. Although many of us consider ourselves practitioners, most of us probably haven't even touched the edges of true practice. In the foreseeable future, we likely won't need to deal with the absolute state because truly understanding practitioners are rare, and those who can achieve enlightenment through practice are even rarer. Moreover, even if you do achieve enlightenment one day, 99.99999999% of people in this world will still remain in the ordinary state, living in their solid material world, in what they consider to be reality. Therefore, they need relatively normal standards of beauty and ugliness, good and evil as reference points. For instance, they need to know what blue is, understand the differences between men and women, know which brand of cat food is safer, understand what "the smaller basket" refers to, and know what Trump's or Harris's election would mean for us. If one day their child pushes a neighbor's child to the ground out of jealousy over a new bicycle, they need to know this is a serious mistake requiring an apology. These are all necessities for our life and practice, as essential as toilet paper, toilets, and drinking water. If our standards of good and evil, beauty and ugliness are disrupted, deconstructed, or nullified, we will gradually lose all our reference points. We'll feel nothing is absolutely correct, and then all rules, standards, and moral systems will be corrupted and decay.
Let me correct what I just said - we don't lose all reference points, but rather those we need. Most people's foolishness will make them lose precisely the reference points they need, not all reference points. So I'm not saying you will achieve enlightenment, because enlightenment is sometimes described as having no reference points. Unfortunately, many outsiders take profound Buddhist theories and transfer them to the general public, spreading them everywhere, which is highly inappropriate. Many profound Buddhist theories are not applicable even to most practitioners, let alone ordinary people. Transferring such theories to ordinary people and spreading them among them will ultimately be exploited by evil forces, evolving into a massacre of social rules, morality, and aesthetics. For the general public, having a relatively normal set of standards for beauty and ugliness, right and wrong, and morality is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, they can easily fall into various forms of nihilism. Moreover, this problem will continue to spread to Buddhist practice, providing endless excuses for foolish people. Once a fool grasps this trick, they can refute all requirements from teachers. They always have ways to prove they're right and don't need to do certain things, because nothing is absolutely correct. Such theories in the hands of intelligent people can help them kill the ego and recognize true reality, but in the hands of fools, they only serve to instantly kill all well-intentioned advice.
Twenty years ago, someone told me: "You don't know, foreigners are very naive, they don't understand these things." I really hope her romantic interest was genuinely naive, rather than pretending to be naive to avoid responsibilities and obligations as a boyfriend. During my growing years, most people either imagined foreigners as devils or angels. But both assumptions are equally absurd. Although foreigners might be different from us in some aspects, they are still human, sharing the same greed, anger, and delusion. Therefore, they can be tempted, act foolishly, and take advantage of situations, and if pretending to be naive brings them great benefits, they won't firmly refuse either. Someone once told me: "This is Hollywood's aesthetic, this is what they consider beautiful. Maybe this actor looks ugly to us, but this is Western aesthetics. This is what they like." For a while, I somewhat believed it. But when I saw Anne Hathaway, Tallulah Riley, and Emilia Clarke, I developed deep doubts, suspecting they were pretending and actually shared our normal aesthetic standards. Especially when I saw that they cast Emilia Clarke rather than Awkwafina as Daenerys Targaryen, I knew this was another beautiful lie. They do know what beauty is. Of course they do. They know who is beautiful and who has an unusually long neck. They know what normal aesthetics are. They just want to reshape the public's perception of beauty, first reshaping aesthetics, then making gender ambiguous, then dismantling right and wrong, dismantling family and morality, dismantling your practice. I guess this is another trick of the devil.
Written by Lingshan Hermit on October 25, 2024.
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灵山居士:这个理论跟生活在地球上的大多数人无关
很多人喜欢说:“从究竟上来说,没有什么美丑,也没有什么善恶,没有对也没有错。”他们不但喜欢自己说,还喜欢到处跟不修行的人说以彰显自己的高明。虽然从究竟上来说,这话没什么问题;但是从不究竟的角度来说,它就很有问题了。虽然究竟上没有美丑、也没有善恶、没有对也没有错,但是那是证悟者的境界,和生活在地球上的大多数人无关。大多数人的生活里没有究竟,没有证悟的境界,只有坚实的物质世界。他们无法在水面上行走,也不会认为虚空和墙壁是一种东西。对他们来说,自己的情绪、体温和衬衫上凸起的logo都是同样真实的东西。他们的生活是抖音加班堵车回不完的消息和无尽的责任。
这个理论不止是和地球上的大多数人无关,它跟离究竟境界还很遥远的我们也无关。虽然我们多数人��自认是修行者,但其实我们大多数人可能连修行的边儿都还没摸到,在可预期的未来,我们大概率也用不上究竟的境界,因为真正懂修行的人很少,能通过修行证悟的人就更少��。而且退一万步讲,即便是有一天你真的证悟了,这世界上依然还有99·99999999%的人还停留在凡夫境界,他们活在坚实的物质世界,活在他们认为真实的世界中,所以他们需要相对正常的美丑善恶作为参考点。譬如他们需要知道蓝色是什么,需要知道男人和女人的区别,需要知道哪个牌子的猫粮比较安全需要知道“那个小一点的筐”指的是哪个,需要知道川普或是哈里斯当选分别会带给我们什么。如果有一天,他们的孩子因为嫉妒邻居孩子有了新的脚踏车而把他推倒在地他们需要知道这是严重的错误必须去道歉。这些都是我们生活和修行的必需品,和卷纸马桶饮用水一样不可或缺。如果我们的善恶美丑标准被打乱、被解构、被虚无化,慢慢我们就会连带地失去所有的参考点。我们会觉得没有什么是绝对正确的,然后所有的一切规则标准道德体系都会被腐蚀朽坏。修正一下我刚才的话,我们不是失去所有的参考点,而是失去我们所需要的那些参考点。多数人的愚蠢会让他们恰到好处地失去那些他们所需要的参考点,而不是所有的参考点。所以我不是在说你会证悟。因为证悟有时候会被描述成没有参考点。非常不幸的是,很多外行会把从佛教里听到的高深理论搬运到社会大众那里,他们会把这些东西到处说,这实在是很不应该。佛教里的很多高深理论别说是对普通人,就是对于大多数修行者也不适用。把这样的理论搬运到普通人那里,在普通人那里传播,最后就会被魔鬼利用,演变成对社会规则道德审美的屠杀。对社会大众而言,有一套相对正常的美丑是非道德标准是绝对必要的。否则他们就很容易会陷入各种虚无主义。而且这种毛病会一直延烧到佛法修行上,为那些蠢人提供源源不断的借口。只要一个蠢人掌握了这种窍诀,他就能驳斥所有来自老师的要求。他总有办法证明自己是对的、是不需要做那些的,因为没有什么是绝对正确的嘛。这样的理论在聪明人手里可以帮助他们杀死自我认明实相,但是到了蠢人的手里就只会秒杀一切善意的建议。
二十年前有人跟我说:“你不知道,外国人他们都很天真的,这些他们都不懂的。”我很希望跟她谈恋爱的那位是真的天真,而不是为了躲避责任而假装天真,假装不知道男友的义务。在我成长的年月里,大多数人不是把外国人想象成魔���就是把他们想象成天使。但是这两种假设都同样荒谬。虽然外国人某些方面和我们不太一样,但他们也一样是人类,有着人类共同的贪嗔痴,所以他们会被诱惑,会犯蠢,也会贪小便宜,如果装傻对他们有很大好处的话他们也不会坚拒。以前还有人跟我说:“好莱坞的审美就是这样,他们认为的美就是这样。可能在我们看来这个演员很丑,但是这就是西方人的审美。他们就喜欢这样的。”有一段时间我是有点信的。但是当我看到安妮海瑟薇、塔莉雅·莱德、艾米莉亚.克拉克时我就产生了深深的怀疑,怀疑他们又在假装,其实他们是和我一样有着正常的审美。尤其是当我看到他们并没有让奥卡菲娜出演丹妮莉丝.坦格利安而是让艾米莉亚.克拉克出演时我就知道这又是一个美丽的谎言。他们并非不知道什么是美。他们当然知道。他们知道谁长得美,知道谁是长脖怪。知道正常的审美是什么。只是他们希望重塑大众对美的认知,他们先是重塑审美,然后让性别变的模糊,继而瓦解是非对错,瓦解家庭和道德,瓦解你的修行。我猜这又是魔鬼的伎俩。
灵山居士写于2024年10月25日。
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Lingshan Hermit: Destiny Locked by Values
In the past, when I talked to others about precepts, I would ask them after explaining if they could observe these precepts. A few people would always answer without hesitation that they could. Coincidentally, whenever I finished teaching and asked if they understood what I had taught that day, these same individuals would always claim they understood. However, many subsequent events proved that they actually couldn't do it and didn't understand. Later, I gradually discovered that it wasn't just this issue; they often behaved similarly in other matters and in interactions with others. They were accustomed to making casual promises, seeming to agree to everything readily, but never asking for specific details. The end result was always a mess—they either didn't do it well or didn't do it at all. And they would have various excuses and pretexts to brush it off.
After encountering many such people, I slowly realized that the reason they agree to everything so readily isn't because they're easygoing, nor because they understand their own abilities—in fact, it's quite the opposite. It's precisely because they don't understand their own abilities at all that they agree so readily. It's also because they completely don't understand what I'm saying that they think they've understood. In their view, admitting they don't understand is very embarrassing, and repeatedly confirming details is also embarrassing. Because of the image they've created for themselves, they can't accept that they don't understand, nor can they accept that there are things others can do that they can't. For them, answering "I can't do it" or "I don't understand" makes them look incompetent. They need to maintain this image for themselves and others, and over time they really start to believe they are this way. Self-deception and deceiving others are their means of self-protection. They are accustomed to creating a false image in front of others, wanting to appear better and stronger than they actually are, wanting to seem more excellent, resourceful, and capable than others. So they've developed the habit of making casual promises. They think this will make them look better. But it doesn't make you better. It only makes you further from reality, eventually falling into an inextricable situation.
Later, when I encountered such people again, as long as they said they could do it without thinking—I knew basically they couldn't do anything well. If it's not that they don't understand their own abilities, then it's that they're not taking the matter seriously and don't know the gravity of the situation. The reason they make casual promises is that they have no intention of doing many things, so they readily agree. It's like that famous joke where a reporter interviews a farmer: "If you had a million dollars, would you donate it to the country?" The farmer says, "Of course." The reporter then asks, "If you had a car, would you donate it to the country?" The farmer still answers affirmatively. Finally, the reporter asks, "If you had a cow, would you donate it to the country?" The farmer says no. The reporter is puzzled and asks why he can donate a million dollars but not a cow. The farmer says, "Because I actually have a cow." Of course, there's no pressure for things they don't intend to do. In fact, such people aren't just like this in Buddhist communities; they're like this in all situations. They're accustomed to making casual promises, accustomed to creating a false image of being generous and magnanimous. In their view, not observing a Vajrayana precept is no more serious than standing up a friend for a mountain hike. If they don't show up at the agreed time, no one will behead them in the street. But, unfortunately, it's not the same thing; the consequences of standing up a friend and not observing precepts are completely different.
Those who really intend to do it will be very cautious about the issue of precepts. They will ask very detailed questions, asking what specific behaviors this precept refers to, where are the exceptions to this precept? Where are the boundaries of breaking the precept? They will seriously consider whether they can do it, what to do if they can't, and how to repent if they violate it. As for those who respond the fastest saying they can do it, I can't say they never intended to do it from the beginning. I think they want to, but because they're used to making big talk, they don't understand themselves at all; they're very unfamiliar with themselves. So they don't understand their own abilities, and they don't understand the consequences of not being able to do it—or rather, they're unwilling to believe there will be such serious consequences. If a person is unwilling to believe something, they always have a way to make themselves not believe. So they don't treat it as a very serious matter. They often say they have a fluke mentality. I actually don't quite understand their logic. Because they're saying, "Although I'm practicing, although I'm trying to accumulate good causes and eliminate bad causes, karma might not exist." I can't imagine what kind of logical education they've received. Such people always end up making everything a mess.
On one hand, I attribute this to the result of their long-term self-deception. On the other hand, it's also because they've grown up in an environment where saying something doesn't necessarily mean you have to do it. I didn't understand why they were like this before, but after meeting more people and seeing that many of them are like this, I slowly understood why. Because everyone around them doesn't think it's a big deal to say something and not do it. When they say "Let's have a meal together sometime," they don't really intend to have lunch with the other person. So when this habit extends to their spiritual practice, they face serious problems. Because this time, the object they're standing up isn't ordinary people but the Three Jewels and Three Roots. What's worse is that although they may not intend to carry it out, they feel they must say it, and must say it in a high-sounding way, must say it as if it's real. They think this will give them face. If I agreed with someone to go hiking at 6:30 the next morning and I thought I might not be able to get up, at least I would say I might not be able to get up and if I'm not there by the time, don't wait for me. But they would never say that. They would say, "Don't worry, I'll definitely be there on time," and then you wait until the sun is high in the sky and they still haven't shown up.
The power of culture is quite terrifying because it has long been welded tightly to our "self," dignity, habits, values, and other things we cherish so much. We view it as part of ourselves. So in the absence of powerful external forces and strong self-reflection, it's basically impossible to reverse. Asking a person to abandon their existing thought patterns and values is equivalent to cutting off their legs. It requires great courage, insight, and self-reflection ability, and requires the cooperation of both teacher and disciple, which is precisely what most people lack. Because first, for a person to perceive the problems of their own culture requires great insight and courage, and most people get stuck at this step. They are accustomed to blaming their suffering and experiences on others, so it's difficult for them to understand that this is a problem caused by their own values and culture. After the first step, to further associate one's own suffering with these cultures requires super wisdom, and then to make a firm decision to change is a long-term painful process of being ground down. So few people can hold on until the end. Over the years, I've seen many people try to change their fate, but they ultimately couldn't break free from the established thinking and values brought by culture, because these things are tied to their dignity. Once touched, it triggers a strong self-reaction leading to termination. At certain moments, these established thoughts and value systems determine the direction of their fate. They ensure that they make the wrong choice at every critical juncture. It can be said that the culture in them has locked their fate from the very beginning.
Written by Lingshan Hermit on October 3, 2024. First published on October 17, 2024.
Copyright Notice:All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.
灵山居士:被价值观锁定的命运
以前我给别人说戒律的时候,说完之后会问他们这条戒律你们能不能遵守?有几个人总是会毫不犹豫地回答��能遵守。无独有偶的是,每次我讲完法问他们今天讲的能不能听懂的时候,他们几位也总是能听懂。但是后来发生的很多事情证明他们其实是既做不到也听不懂。后来我慢慢发现不止是这件事,他们在其他事上、在和其他人的互动上也经常如此,他们很习惯于随口承诺,每件事他们似乎都会答应的很爽快,但是却从来不问具体细节,最后的结果都是一地��毛——他们不是没做好就是完全没做。而且会有各种理由和借口搪塞。
这样的人接触多了我慢慢发现他们之所以什么事都答应的这么爽快不是因为他为人爽快,也不是因为他了解自己的能力——事实恰好相反,正因为他完全不了解自己的能力才会答应的这么爽快。也正是因为他完全听不懂我在讲什么所以才会觉得自己听懂了。在他们看来,回答没听懂是很丢脸的事,反复确认细节也是很丢脸的事。因为他们给自己的人设,他们不能接受自己没听懂,也不能接受有什么事情是别人能做到自己却做不到的。对他们而言,回答“做不到”“没听懂”会让自己看上去很无能。他们需要对自己和他人都保持这样的人设,时间长了他们就会真的相信自己就是这个样子。自欺和欺人是他们自我保护的手段。他们习惯于在人前塑造虚假的形象,他们想让自己看上去比实际情况更好更强大,想让自己看上去比别人更优秀更有资源更有执行力,所以他们养成了随口承诺的习惯。他们以为这会让自己看上去更好。但这不会让你更好。只会让你更加远离真实,最后陷入无法自拔的境地。
后来再遇到这样的人,只要他想都没想就说自己能做到——我就知道基本上他什么也做不好。如果他不是不了解自己的能力那就是他根本没认真对待这件事,不知道这件事的严重程度。他们之所以会随口承诺是因为很多事情他们根本没打算去做,所以才会一口应承下来。就像是那个著名的笑话说的,一个记者采访一个农民:如果你有一百万会将捐给国家吗?农民说当然会。记者接着问如果你有一辆车会捐给国家吗?农民还是肯定的回答。最后记者问:如果你有一头牛会捐给国家吗?农民说不会。记者很奇怪,问他为什么一百万可以捐一头牛却不能捐。农民说因为我真的有一头牛。没打算去做的事情当然不会有什么压力。其实这样的人并不只是在佛教团体里才这样,他们在所有的场合都是这样,他们习惯于随口承诺,习惯于给别人制造自己豪爽大气的假象。在他们看来,不遵守一个金刚乘的戒律的严重程度并不大于和朋友约好一起去爬山最后却爽约了的严重程度。假如在约定的时间他有没出现,也没有人会把他当街斩首。但是,很遗憾,这并不是一回事,对朋友爽约和不遵守戒律所要面临的后果完全不同。
而那些真正打算做的人,他们会很谨慎对待戒律的问题,他们会问的很细,会问这条戒律具体指的是那些行为,会问这条戒律的开遮在哪儿?犯戒的界限在哪儿?会认真考虑自己是否能够做到,万一做不到的话该怎么办?如果有违犯应该如何忏悔?而那些以最快的速度回复说能做到的人,我不能说他们从一开始就压根就没打算去做,我认为他们是想做的,但是因为说惯了大话,导致他们完全不了解自己,他们对自己很陌生。所以他们不了解自己的能力,也完全不了解做不到的后果——或者说他们不愿意相信会有那么严重的后果。假如一个人不愿意相信一件事,他总是有办法让自己不相信。所以他们没把这件事当成很严重的事认真对待。他们经常挂在嘴上的是:有侥幸心理。我其实并不太懂他们的逻辑。因为他们是在说:“虽然我在修行,虽然我在努力累积善因摈除恶因,但是因果也可能是不存在的。”我无法想象他们所受的是一种什么样的逻辑教育。这样的人最后总是会把一切都搞的一塌糊涂。
一方面我会把这归结为他们长期自欺的结果。另一方面也是因为他们从小就生活在一个说了并不一定需要去做的环境里。以前我不了解为何他们会这样,后来接触的人多了,看到他们很多人都是这样,我慢慢明白了为什么会这样。因为他们周围的每个人都不觉得说了不做是什么大事,当他们说“有空一起吃饭”的时候并不真的打算要和对方一起共进午餐。所以,当他们的这种习惯延续到修行上,就会面临严重问题。因为这次他们爽约的对象不是普通人而是三宝三根本。更要命的是,虽然他们可能并不打算去执行,但他们觉得必须要说,还必须要说的冠冕堂皇,必须说的像真的一样,他们觉得这会让自己很有面子。假如我和别人约好第二天早上6点半去爬山而我又觉得自己有可能会起不来至少我会说我有可能会起不来如果到时间我没来你们就别等我了。但是他们绝对不会这么说,他们会说放心我一定准时准点到,然后你等到日上三竿他也没有出现。
文化的力量是相当可怕的,因为它早已和我们的“自我”、尊严、习惯、价值观这些我们无比珍爱的东西牢牢焊死在一起。我们视它为自身的一部分。所以在缺乏强大的外力和自身强大的反省力的情况下,它基本上不可能被扭转。要一个人抛弃他既有的思维模式价值观约等于切掉他的两条腿,那需要极大的勇气洞见和反省能力,需要师徒双方通力合作,而这恰好是大多数人所不具备的。因为首先一个人要觉察自身文化的问题就需要极大的洞见和勇气,大多数人在这一步就卡住了。他们习惯于把自己的痛苦和遭遇归罪于他人,所以很难让他们明白这是自己价值观文化所导致的问题。在第一步之后,能再进一步把自己的痛苦和这些文化关联起来需要的是超级智慧,之后能再痛下决心改掉更是一种长期被搓磨的痛苦过程。所以没有几个人能撑到最后。这些年我见过很多尝试扭转命运的人,但是他们最终也没能挣脱文化所带来的既定思维价值观,因为这些东西都是和他们的尊严绑定的,一旦被触碰就会引发自我强烈的反应而导致终止。在某些��刻,这些既定思维和价值体系决定了他们的命运走向。它们确保他们在每一次关键选择上都做出错误的选择。可以说,他们身上的文化从最开始的时候就已经锁定了他们的命运。
灵山居士写于2024年10月3日。首发于2024年10月17日。
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Lingshan Hermit: Jumping Between the Absolute and the Relative
In 2014, I was at Dzongsar Monastery. One afternoon, the Rinpoche suddenly appeared in the hallway of the reception area without warning. At that time, the monastery was holding a month-long empowerment ceremony, and the reception area was full of people seeking teachings. When the Rinpoche appeared, some were practicing, some were reading, and others were sleeping. But upon seeing the Rinpoche's grand arrival, everyone hurried to get up and greet him. Oddly, one person remained lying in bed until the Rinpoche reached his doorway, with his feet pointing towards the Rinpoche. He wasn't asleep and unaware; he was playing with his phone, for which he was reprimanded by an attendant.
Later, when I mentioned this incident during a teaching, a new student said, "Isn't the Rinpoche a great accomplished master who shouldn't care about such things?" Of course, he doesn't care. He's a saint dwelling in the state of the Great Perfection of luminosity. Whether you stand up or not, his mind won't be affected at all. He won't get angry or upset if you don't stand up. Your not standing up doesn't harm him in any way. But this doesn't mean you shouldn't stand up. Nor does it mean that your lack of manners is correct. As a disciple, you should have the etiquette and decorum of a disciple. When the teacher appears, you should stand up and greet him. This is basic courtesy and protocol. The state of an enlightened being is the state of an enlightened being. Whether they care or not has nothing to do with what you should or shouldn't do. Their not caring doesn't mean you can forgo doing it. Moreover, even among enlightened saints, they pay great attention to various etiquette details between themselves. They don't omit various courtesies just because they think the other "probably doesn't care." If this argument held, then all protocols could be omitted. You wouldn't need to prostrate to him, send him holiday greetings, give him an Italian electric kettle, make offerings to him, or even use respectful language. For enlightened saints, sitting on the floor is no different from sitting on a gilded throne, so why not let him sit on the floor when he visits your home? If you've visited monasteries in Tibet, you'll know that the thrones in the main hall have different heights and positions. During ceremonies, different people sit in different positions based on their seniority and practice. No one stands up and says, "Aren't we all equal?"
I've seen many people who are keen on jumping between the absolute and the relative. When they hurt others, they advise others not to be attached. When others point out problems with their behavior, they express shock: "You actually care about such things? Can such things really make you unhappy?" At these times, they act like great accomplished masters, making you feel like you're overreacting, making you feel that getting angry is your fault, making you feel as inferior as ordinary people, making you feel that although they've taken advantage of you and hurt you, you shouldn't be petty—because as a practitioner, you shouldn't be petty or get worked up over small matters. But if your roles were reversed, if next time they were the ones being hurt, they would immediately switch to the relative mode. At this point, their absolute view and broad-mindedness would all disappear, and they would accuse you and nitpick like ordinary people. I'm really ashamed of such people. I hope none of us will be like this.
So, as a disciple, there are many things you should do. You should send holiday greetings to your teacher, buy him birthday cakes, give him nice phone cases and facial cleansers, and if he visits your home, you should prepare the best tea and snacks. Don't deceive yourself by saying he probably doesn't care about these worldly rules and courtesies, or that he has transcended concepts of good and bad, beautiful and ugly, more or less, and won't be excited by these things. That's just your self-deceptive excuse. Of course, you have the freedom to choose, and I absolutely don't mean to force you. Whether you do these things or not has no impact on him, but it will have a big impact on your future.
Written by Lingshan Hermit on October 13, 2024.
Copyright Notice:All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.
灵山居士:在究竟和相对之间横跳
2014年的时候,我在宗萨寺。有一天午后,上师仁波切忽然无预兆地出现在接待处的楼道里,当时寺里正在举行为期一个月的灌顶法会,接待处住的全都是来求法的人。上师出现的时候,有的人在修法,有的人在看书,还有人在睡觉。但是看到上师大驾光临,每个人都赶忙爬起来问候上师,奇葩的是有个人一直到上师走到自己门口的时候还躺在床上,用脚对着上师,他并不是睡着了不知道,他是在玩手机,他因此而被侍者呵斥。
后来我在某次讲法时说到这件事,有个刚来的学生说上师是大成就者所以应该不会在乎这些吧?他当然不在乎,他是安住在光明大圆满境界的圣者,你起不起身他的心都不会有任何的波动,他不会因为你不起身就生气起嗔心。你不起身对他也没有任何伤害。但这不表示你就可以不起身。也不表示你没有礼貌是对的。你是弟子,那就应该有弟子的礼仪和规矩,当上师出现的时候你就应该起身问候。这是起码的礼节和规矩。证悟者的境界是证悟者的境界,他在乎不在乎和你该做什么不该做什么完全无关。他不在乎,不表示你可以不做。而且即便是证悟的圣者,他们互相之间也非常注重各种礼仪细节。他们没有因为觉得对方“应该不在乎吧”就省去各种礼节。如果这个说法成立的话,那么所有的规矩都可以被省略。你不用向他礼拜,不用给他发节日祝福,不用送他意大利电热水壶,不用供养他,你甚至连敬语都可以省下来。对证悟的圣者而言,坐在地板上和坐在鎏金的法座上并无差别,那他来你家做客的时候你何不让他坐在地板上呢?如果你参观过藏地的寺庙就知道,大殿里的法座是有高矮前后之分的,开法会的时候,不同的人根据不同的资历不同的修行坐的是不同的位置。没有人会站出来说:我们不是平等的吗?
我见过的很多人,他们热衷于在究竟和相对之间横跳。当他们伤害到别人的时候,他们会劝喻别人不要执著。当别人表示他做事情有问题的时候,他们会很震惊地表示:“你居然还在乎这样的事?这样的事情还能让你不高兴?”这个时候他们表现的像个大成就者一样,他们会让你觉得自己反应过度,会让你觉得生气是你的不是,会让你觉得自己像普通人一样差劲,会让你觉得虽然他占了你便宜伤害了你但是你也不应该斤斤计较——因为你是个修行人,所以不应该斤斤计较,不应该为了这点小事而大动肝火。但是假如你们的角色互相对调一下,假如下次受伤害的是他们,他们马上就会切换到相对的模式,这个时候他们究竟的见解和宽广的胸怀全都不见了,他们会指责你,会像凡夫一样锱铢必较。我实在是很为这样的人感到羞愧。希望我们都不要是这样的人。
所以呢,作为弟子,很多事情你都应该去做,你应该给上师发节日祝福,应该给他买生日蛋糕,应该送他好看的手机壳和洗面奶,如果他来你家做客,你应该给他准备最好的茶叶和点心。不要自己骗自己说他应该不在乎这些世俗的规矩和礼仪,或是他已经超越了好坏美丑多少的概念,不会因为这些事情而激动,那不过是你自欺的借口罢了。当然,你有选择的自由,我绝对没有强迫你的意思。你做这些或是不做这些对他而言都没有任何影响,但是对你的未来会有很大的影响。
灵山居士写于2024年10月13日。
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Lingshan Hermit: These Are All the Works of Demons
I first heard the term "emotional value" a few years ago while having lunch and scrolling through TikTok. A professional woman was discussing this so-called "emotional value" at length. My immediate intuition was: this is a term invented by the devil. I also had a feeling that it would mislead many people, causing breakups and lifelong loneliness.
Today, many women have made emotional value an important criterion for judging men. It seems that men who cannot provide emotional value are considered completely useless trash. In their view, men must provide a house, car, and spending money, be good to their families, do housework, have strong sexual abilities, and finally, be able to provide emotional value. They seem to think ordinary men are Superman.
The devil has always been clever, always able to see things from your perspective and appear to have your interests at heart. Everything he does seems to be for your benefit. "Emotional value" sounds like something that would make you happier, something you think men should provide. You certainly wouldn't think it would lead to lifelong loneliness. But I dare say that most Chinese men cannot provide the emotional value you need. Moreover, good men, those truly masculine men, are even less likely to provide emotional value. Most men exhaust all their energy working to support their families and dealing with people outside. Expecting them to come home from work every day with the energy to create emotional value for you is like expecting to find sapphires on a cat.
See? With just one term, the devil has successfully created a rift between you. Before, you didn't know there was such a thing as emotional value, so you didn't have this requirement. But now the situation is different. Because the other person can't often provide emotional value, you have one more reason to despise him. Not only that, it also brings up all sorts of bad memories, such as when he insisted on buying this house against your wishes and now the kitchen leaks when it rains, or that time you were sick and he couldn't rush back from out of town so you went to the hospital alone for an IV drip, and how lately he just stares at his phone or drinks sullenly when he gets home. All of this increases your dissatisfaction. The more you look, the more you see him as a failure, the more you regret marrying him. You want to divorce him and find someone who can meet all your needs. You don't know that he's struggling at the breaking point. You might be the last straw. This is the consequence of a single term, and the consequences of these consequences will ultimately hurt you too. The terrifying thing about this is that it sets a standard that most people cannot meet. But once you've established such a standard, it becomes very difficult to abandon it later.
So, terms like "emotional value" and "freeloading" must have been invented by the devil. He delights in inventing such terms to destroy the most precious feelings in human society. If you hear words like "emotional value" and "freeloading" every day, you'll gradually be assimilated and accept such notions. You'll start to put a price tag on our most precious things. Eventually, you'll use "emotional value" and "freeloading" to measure your relationships with everyone (not just marital relationships). This means you'll start turning all your relationships into transactional ones, into business dealings. You'll no longer be pure in your interactions with anyone. All emotions will become exchanges of benefits. You'll look at what others can bring you, and they'll look at what you can bring them. You're not loving, you're trading, you're doing business.
If you're a spiritual practitioner, this habit will spread to your practice. You'll find yourself unable to develop true faith, unable to trust anyone. You won't be able to believe that the earth will disappear and space will crumble. You won't be able to believe that your own mind is the Lotus-Born Guru. Because you've been spoiled by terms like emotional value. It prevents you from positioning yourself correctly. Basically, you won't see yourself as one who should supplicate and receive blessings.
I feel very sad for such people. Because they trust no one but themselves, yet they themselves are completely untrustworthy. They have a mind that is not self-governing, a mind that can be invaded and controlled by the devil at any time, yet they believe themselves to be clear-headed in this world.
Written by Lingshan Hermit on October 12, 2024.
Copyright Notice:All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.
灵山居士:这些都是魔王的杰作
我第一次听到“情绪价值”这个词大约是在几年之前,当时我正在吃午餐,刷到tiktok上一位职场女性正在大谈所谓“情绪价值”。我当时的第一个直觉就是:这是魔鬼发明的词。还有一个直觉是:它会教坏很多人,很多人会因为这个词分手决裂孤独终老。
在几年后的今天很多女性已经把情绪价值作为评判男人的一个重要标准。似乎不能提供情绪价值的男人就是完全无用的废物垃圾。在他们看来,男人要提供房子车子零花钱,要对自己家人好,要会做家务,要性能力强,最后,还要能够提供情绪价值。她们大概是把普通男人当成超人了。
一直以来,魔鬼都非常聪明,他总是能从你的角度出发,总是能为你着想,他所做的一切都像是在为你谋福利。就像是“情绪价值”,听上去是会让你更幸福的东西。是你认为男人应该提供的东西。你肯定不会认为它会害你孤独终老。但是我敢说,大部分中国男人都不能提供你所需要的情绪价值。而且好男人,那些真正的男人,他们能提供情绪价值的可能性更是微乎其微,因为大部分男人工作养家和外面的人周旋就已经耗尽了他们全部的精力,幻想他每天下班回来还有心情给你制造情绪价值就像是幻想能在猫身上找到蓝宝石一样。大部分能提供情绪价值的人如果不是别有用心就是因为他们专门从事这样的职业。很多职业骗子都擅长提供情绪价值,他们提供给你你最想听的话,让你自我满足情绪高涨,然后掏空你的钱包。
看到了吧?魔鬼仅用一个词就成功在你们之间制造了裂痕。以前你不知道还有情绪价值这种东西,所以你不会有这种要求。但是现在情况不一样了。因为对方没有能经常提供情绪价值,所以你又多了一个嫌弃他的理由。不但如此,它还勾起你各种不好的回忆,譬如他之前不顾你的反对执意要买这个房子现在厨房下雨天就会渗水,某次你生病的时候他在外地没能赶回来你自己去的医院一个人打的点滴,还有他最近这段时间一回家就低着头刷手机要不就是喝闷酒。这些都在增加你的不满,你越看越觉得他失败,越看越后悔嫁给他。你想要和他离婚,然后找一个能满足自己各种需求的人。你不知道他正在崩溃的临界点挣扎。你可能是最后那根稻草。这就是一个词所造成的后果,而这种后果所造成的后果最终会伤到你自己。这件事的可怕之处还在于,它让你建立起一个标准,而这个标准是大多数人所无法跨越的。但是如果你建立了这样的标准,之后再想放弃它就很难了。
所以,像“情绪价值” “白嫖”这样的词一定是魔鬼发明的。他热衷于发明这样的词来破坏人类社会最珍贵的感情。如果你每天听到的都是“情绪价值”“白嫖”这样的话,慢慢你就会被同化,你就会接受这样的说法,接受“情绪价值”或是“白嫖”,然后你会把我们最珍贵的东西标价计量,最终,你会用“情绪价值”“白嫖”来衡量你和所有人的关系(不止是夫妻关系),那意味着你开始把你和所有人关系都变成利益关系、变成买卖关系,你和任何人在一起都不再单纯,所有的感情都会变成利益交换,你会看对方能带给你什么,对方也会看你能带给他什么。你不是在爱,是在交换,是在做生意。
如果你是修行人,你的这种习惯会延烧到你的修行,你会发现自己无法发展出真正的信心,无法相信任何人。你无法相信大地会消失,虚空会粉碎。无法相信自己的心就是莲师。因为你已经被情绪价值这样的词宠坏了。它让你无法摆正自己的位置,基本上你不会认为自己属于祈请和接受加持的一方。
我很为这样的人感到悲哀。因为他谁都不相信,只相信他自己,而他自己又完全不可信。因为他有着一颗不能自主的头脑,一颗随时可以被魔鬼入侵左右在里面建东西却又认为自己是人间清醒的头脑。
灵山居士写于2024年10月12日。
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Lingshan Hermit: Shallow Acquaintances Should Not Speak of Deep Matters, How Can One Ask for Things Without Any Connection?
The recent decline of Confucianism has led to the decay of Chinese cultural traditions and etiquette. Many people no longer know how to conduct themselves properly, often engaging in shocking behavior. I have observed some newcomers who, having just arrived and without any achievements to their name, greedily seek the method to attain Buddhahood. These individuals, whose cushions have barely warmed and who have not yet become fully acquainted with their fellow practitioners, already desire to be treated as equals and obtain the supreme dharma. But have you ever offered tea to your teacher? Have you ever placed a candle before the Buddha? You have no connection to anything in the temple, from the chairs and incense to the food and utensils. Without having made even the slightest contribution, how can you expect to be treated as an equal? In the past, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng pounded rice for eight months under the Fifth Patriarch at Huangmei; Milarepa endured countless humiliations from his teacher before receiving instruction. Moreover, when Elder Sudatta invited the World-Honored One to preach, he paved the ground with gold bricks. Where are your merits? This is a place for selecting Buddhas, and every morsel of food and drink is the result of the merits of donors from all directions. Those who have served their teachers and paid homage to the Buddha for years cannot be compared to you newcomers. Since ancient times, the dharma has not been lightly transmitted, nor have teachers been easily found. In the past, those who sought to become Buddhas or immortals abandoned their families and businesses, served tea and swept floors, attending to their teachers for decades before attaining anything. If this could be easily granted, the dharma would cease to be the dharma.
I have also observed a group of people who, despite being complete strangers and never having shown any courtesy, suddenly appear when there's something to gain. Without even the connection of a simple like or greeting, they immediately ask for things or merits. The recent decline of Confucian studies has led to the prevalence of such people in the world. Even street vendors and porters of ancient times knew that shallow acquaintances should not speak of deep matters, yet these people are ignorant of this principle. If those with shallow connections should not speak of deep matters, how can those with no connection at all brazenly ask for things? Although great virtuous beings may not mind, such actions only deplete one's own blessings and virtues. What you take does not come from thin air, but is the result of the heartfelt contributions of the masses. Gaining without effort is not truly gaining, but losing. These people, ignorant of human relationships and social norms, know neither how to act nor when to stop, and have lost the way of being human. For such people to become Buddhas is not impossible, but it will only happen after the cypress tree in the courtyard has become a Buddha first.
Written by Lingshan Hermit on July 10, 2024.
Copyright Notice:All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.
灵山居士:交浅不可言深,无交焉能索物
近世儒家之衰,令华夏文脉礼仪俱废,人多不知进退行止,常有惊世之举。余见有新进者,初来乍到,尚无尺寸之功,贪求成佛之法,其人坐垫尚未捂热,道友尚未识全,即欲同众人等,欲得无上之法。然汝可曾于师前呈奉一茶,又可曾于佛前置一烛。庙堂诸物,上至座椅香烛,下至饮食碗筷,皆与汝无干。未建尺寸之功,又何堪��众人共?昔卢行者于黄梅五祖处,舂米八月;密祖于其师处,受百般折辱,后方得教授。又有须达多长者请世尊讲经,以金砖铺地,今汝之功德何在?此乃选佛之场,一饮一啄,皆十方檀越之功。其经年累月,事师奉佛,岂汝新进者可比。自古法不轻传,师不顺路,古人中求成佛成仙者,抛家舍业,端茶扫地,事师数十载方能得者。此事若能轻授,法亦不法矣。
又见有一班人等,素昧平生,平素无问候,见利则冒头,点赞之交尚无,开口即索物索功德。晚近儒学之衰,致令世间多有此辈,古人贩夫走卒之辈尚知交浅不可言深,其不知也。交浅者尚不可言深,素无交情者又安能坦然索物?虽遇大德之人,不予计较,然此举徒损汝自家福德。汝所取者,非风刮来,乃十方大众心血所成,不出力而得者,非得也,乃失也。此辈人情世故尚不知,不知行亦不知止,失之为人之道。如是之人,待要成佛,亦非不可,然须等得庭前柏树子成佛后方可行也。
灵山居士写于2024年7月10日。
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Lingshan Hermit: Wrong Views Will Give You the Pleasure of Rebelling Against Authority
We live in an age filled with misconceptions, where traditional values have long been shattered and various bizarre theories run rampant. Many people have begun to believe that their spouse's parents are strangers with no relation to them. Women are taught that no one truly loves or cares about them except their parents. Some demand that elders must cover their lips with plastic wrap before kissing children to prevent bacterial infection. Others say, "As long as you're not embarrassed, it's others who are embarrassed."
If you can't immediately see the fallacy in a viewpoint, can't see what it will bring you, can't instantly identify it as a wrong view, then for you, it's not a wrong view but a right one—or at least you'll think it's an interesting idea. You won't feel it's an idea from the devil, let alone be on guard against it.
Today, most wrong views are carried by clever language and videos, entering the minds of billions worldwide through mobile internet. It's almost impossible for ordinary people to distinguish between right and wrong views. Even those who have practiced for many years often fall for these. Because to sell wrong views, the devil uses many tricks. In different times and places, they use different packaging and disguises. Today, many wrong views are wrapped in the cloak of love, equality, and freedom, and many are disguised as or hidden within Buddhist teachings. Unless you truly possess great wisdom and rich experience, you have no way to identify them. Some better practitioners might vaguely feel something is off when they see these tightly packaged erroneous views, but they can't pinpoint exactly what's wrong. They can sense the wrongness because their inner virtue instinctively warns and rejects it. In contrast, the general public isn't so lucky. They have no right views at all, so when they see these ideas, they only feel they're satisfying and make sense, finally finding theoretical support for their behavior. If you think a view makes sense, you're already accepting it, and it will gradually become part of you, part of your values and way of thinking, starting to influence your thoughts, guide your decisions, and thus affect your life. Once your brain has stored enough wrong views, your tragic life begins.
For the general public, accepting wrong views is far easier than accepting right views. Right views always appear as preaching, telling you what you can't do, making you extremely annoyed. Wrong views, on the other hand, are catchy, instantly resonating and unforgettable. They respect our ideas, release our desires, justify everything we were previously ashamed to say out loud, and provide solid excuses for our degradation, showing immense affability. They find a huge outlet for your long-suppressed "self," so you'll derive great pleasure from them. As opponents of traditional culture, wrong views will give you the pleasure of rebelling against authority, the pleasure of deliberately breaking rules and laws, and a sense of revenge in seeing authority's dignity swept away. Once you start not following rules, you can't return to your previous state. Because of your rule-breaking, you'll gain an advantage in struggles with others, bringing you huge short-term benefits. Once you've tasted the pleasure and benefits of not following rules, you basically can't turn back; you'll go further and further down this path. Most people have only tasted the benefits of wrong views but never experienced the pain they bring—not because wrong views don't bring pain, but because they don't connect them. And the reason they don't connect them is that they lack the ability to establish a link between the misfortunes they encounter and the wrong views they've accepted. So they blame heaven and earth, blame everyone else, but never blame their own values.
All wrong views are incredibly tolerant of our degradation, gentle towards our faults. They encourage our laziness, cater to our "self," and appear infinitely loving, so it's not at all surprising that we like these devilish things.
Written by Lingshan Hermit in August 2024.
Copyright Notice:All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.
灵山居士:邪见会让你有反抗权威的快乐
我们生活在一个充满谬见的年代,在这个年代,传统价值观早已被击溃,各种怪论甚嚣尘上。很多人开始相信丈夫的父母是和自己没有任何关系的陌生人,女性们被教导除了父母之外没有人会真正爱你在乎你,有人要求长辈在亲吻孩子时必须敷上保鲜膜以免细菌感染。还有人说:只要你不尴尬,尴尬的就是别人。
如果你不能一眼就看出一个见地的错谬之处,不能看出它会带给你什么,不能一眼就识别出它是邪见,那它对你而言就不是邪见,而是一个正见——或者至少你会认为它是个很有意思的想法。你不会觉得那是来自魔鬼的想法,更加不会对它严阵以待。
现今大多数邪见都以巧妙的语言和视频为载体,通过移动互联网进入全球几十亿大众的头脑。普通人几乎完全不可能分辨出什么是邪见什么是正见。就算是修行多年的老人儿也经常会栽在这上面。因为魔鬼为了推销邪见,使用了很多障眼法。在不同的时期,不同的地方,它们会使用不同的包装和伪装。今天很多邪见被裹上上爱、平等和自由的外套,还被有很多被伪装成佛法或是被隐藏在佛法中,除非你真正具有大智慧且经验丰富,否则完全无从识别它们。有些比较好的修行人看到这些包装的严丝合缝的错误见解可能会隐隐觉得有什么地方不太对,但是又说不上来到底是什么地方不对。他们能感觉到不对是因为他们内在的功德在本能的预警排斥。相比之下,社会大众就没有那么幸运了,他们完全没有正见,所以他们看到那些话只会觉得这些话很爽而且很有道理,他们总算为自己的行为找到了理论支持。如果你觉的一个见地很有道理,其实你已经是在接受它了,它就会慢慢成为你的一部分,成为你价值观和思维方式的一部分,就会开始影响你的想法左右你的决策,进而影响你的人生。只要你的大脑里储存了足够多的邪见,你的悲剧人生也就开始了。
对社会大众而言,接受邪见远比接受正见要容易的多。正见总是以说教的面目出现,告诉你这不能做那不能做,让你无比的心烦。而邪见总是琅琅上口,让你一听就入心入耳挥之不去,它尊重我们的想法,释放我们的欲望,把我们之前羞于说出口的事情全部都正义化,并为我们的堕落提供了坚实的借口,展现了无比的亲和力。它为你长期压抑的“自我”找到了巨大的渲泄口,所以你会因此而产生极大的快感。作为传统文化的反对者,邪见会让你有反抗权威的快乐,会让你有故意违规犯罪的快乐,还会让你有看到权威尊严扫地的复仇感。一旦你开始不遵守规矩,你就无法再回到之前的状态。因为你的不守规矩,你会在和他人的角力中占据优势,这会让你在短期内获得巨大的收益。一旦品尝过不守规矩所带来的快感和收益,你基本就无法回头了,你会在这条路上越走越远。大部分人只品尝过邪见所带来的好处却从未体会过它所带来的痛苦——这不是因为邪见不会带来痛苦,而是因为他们不会把它们联系在一起。而他们之所以不会把它们联系在一起则是因为他们不具备在自己遭遇的不幸和自己所接受的邪见之间建立联系的能力。所以他们会怨天尤人,会怪罪所有的人,却唯独不会怪罪自己的价值观。
所有的邪见都对我们的堕落无比宽容,对我们的过失态度温和,它鼓励我们懒惰、随顺我们的“自我”,看起来无比慈爱,所以我们会喜欢这些来自魔鬼的玩艺儿一点也不奇怪。
灵山居士写于2024年8月,
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Lingshan Hermit: They Have Always Been Exploring the World in a Clumsy Way
Mathematics originated in ancient Babylon, physics in ancient Greek philosophy, and chemistry in medieval Islamic alchemy, later developed and expanded by Europeans. Thus, some say that mathematics, physics, and chemistry were all invented by Westerners, considering this a symbol of Western civilization's advancement. I have always believed that the emergence of physics and various inventions in the West is unrelated to their intelligence or advancement, but directly linked to their values, cognitive systems, and lack of quicker methods to understand the universe. In my view, Western society has been exploring the world in a clumsy way since the time of Thales in ancient Greece. Using this clumsy method to explore the world, they gradually derived mathematics, physics, and chemistry, yet even today, they have not truly understood the rules and reality of the universe.
Physics tries to understand the laws governing the world by observing phenomena, summarizing the world's rules through one phenomenon and experiment after another. However, this approach lacks the ability to see the big picture, and the scope of observation is very limited. Often, their observations are confined to the realm of tangible matter. Therefore, they cannot understand invisible qi, cannot comprehend magic, and even less can they understand miracles. All of these are attributed by them to illusions and delusions from humanity's ignorant period.
Most people do not realize that all conclusions of modern physics are only temporary. So when many people discuss scientific conclusions, they don't know that what they're talking about are just temporary conclusions, merely the current understanding of the scientific community. They treat these as final conclusions. But if those were truly final conclusions, physicists would no longer need to work.
Unlike the ancient Europeans, the ancient sages of China and India also observed the laws of the universe and explored the reality of the universe and their own minds, but the methods they used were vastly different from those European counterparts. They started from investigating things and extending knowledge, beginning with the inner mind. The pioneers of exploring truth in ancient China didn't need laboratories, petri dishes, or large electron colliders; sometimes they might only need a meditation cushion. Through meditation and observing the inner mind, they gradually discovered the rules of the universe, found that everything is cause and effect, discovered the invisible connections between all things that cannot be seen with the naked eye, found that nothing is as we imagine or define it, and discovered the eternal rules of the universe. So if you have the right lineage and teachings, and you can practice correctly, with strong determination and perseverance, you might understand reality in just ten or twenty years. The difference between this approach and the Western approach is this: The Eastern way is like curing a blind person and letting them see with their eyes; in an instant, everything in the room can be seen clearly - the sofa is on the left, the clock is on the wall, a black cat is lying in the corner of the room. So you know where the door is, where the hallway is, and where the cat is. The Western way of exploring the universe's rules is like a blind person stumbling around the room, groping. You must reach out and repeatedly feel your way forward, guessing what it is after touching it. It's an enormously huge house with millions of items. And they've only just touched a few. Usually, what we call physics, chemistry, and mathematics are the products of Western society in this groping process. Some have said that Chinese society hasn't given birth to science in thousands of years, which is like criticizing a person with good eyesight for not using a white cane or walking on a tactile paving.
The exploration of India and China, being entirely based on personal experience and occurring completely within the mind, is unknown to outsiders, and the results of exploration are too special to be replicated and verified in a laboratory. If you really want to replicate it, you must find a true teacher, then accept their teaching and training, and spend decades or even many lifetimes to verify. So this is much, much more difficult than replicating an experiment in a laboratory. Moreover, for ordinary people, the realms of those who have attained enlightenment are too lofty, and their writings are completely mysterious to ordinary people, so it's hard to be recognized by the general public. Also, in the Eastern-style exploration process, there won't be by-products like cars, electric fans, or vitamin B that can bring practical benefits. Many explorers don't appear successful; some even live by begging. From the perspective of ordinary people, their exploration seems to be of no help to their own lives. The achievements of Western-style exploration, on the other hand, are the kind that can be seen and verified by ordinary people. After all, compared to a dryer, the merit of dedicating one's practice is not so intuitive.
The Western exploration was initially also to understand the world, but later they discovered a huge gold mine in the process of exploration, finding something more attractive than truth. So although many respectable scientists are still persevering, many research purposes have shifted towards pragmatism and commercial interests. Today, most people don't care about what the laws of the universe are (although this is closely related to each of them; if you don't understand the rules of the universe, don't understand how the world operates, even if you can earn a mountain of gold, it will be emptied overnight). They care about practical issues like how to lose weight, how to retire, how to profit from this AI wave.
That being said, although I think their method is not smart, it doesn't prevent me from respecting their exploration and achievements, doesn't prevent me from respecting the pioneers of Western physics, because what they did is also one of humanity's efforts to understand the universe. And even if their method is not smart, it has to some extent touched the edge of truth, which provides the best corroboration for the Dharma.
Written by Lingshan Hermit on October 7, 2024. First published on October 9, 2024.
Copyright Notice:All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.
灵山居士:他们一直都是在用一种笨笨的方法在探索世界
数学最早起源于古代巴比伦,物理学起源于古希腊的哲学家,而化学则起源于中世纪伊斯兰的炼金术,后来在欧洲人手上发展壮大。所以有人说数学物理化学都是西方人发明的,并且以此认为这就是西方文明先进的象征。我一直都认为物理学和各种发明创造之所以会出现在西方和他们聪明与否先进与否无关,但是与他们的价值观、与他们的认知体系、与他们缺少更快捷认知宇宙的方法有直接关联。在我看来,西方社会从古希腊泰勒斯时期开始就一直都在用一种笨笨的方法在探索世界。他们用这种笨笨的方法探索世界,所以就慢慢衍生出了数学物理学和化学,而且至今他们也没有真正了解宇宙的规则和实相。
物理学通过观察现象来了解世界运行的规律,他通过一个又一个现象和实验来总结世界的规律。但这种方式缺乏综观全局的能力,而且观测范围非常有限,很多时候他们的观察只限于有实体的物质领域。所以他们无法理解看不见的气,无法理解魔法,更加无法理解神迹。所有这些都被他们归结为人类蒙昧时期的幻觉和妄想。
大多数人并不了解现代物理学的所有结论都只是暂时性的结论。所以很多人在谈论科学结论的时候并不知道他们所谈论的那些只是暂时性结论,只是科学界到目前为止的暂时认知。他们会把它当作最终结论来谈论。但如果那真的是最终的结论,物理学家们就不需要继续工作了。
和古代欧洲人不同的是,中国和印度的古代圣贤也在观察宇宙的法则,也在探索宇宙和自心的实相,但是他们所使用的方法却和那帮欧洲人大相径庭。他们是从格物致知开始,从内心下手,中国古代探索真理的先驱们不需要实验室,不需要培养皿,也不需要大型电子对撞机,有时候他们可能只需要一个蒲团。经由禅定和观察内心,他们慢慢发现了宇宙的规则,发现了一切都是因缘果,发现了万事万物之间那些肉眼看不见的关联,发现了没有任何事物是我们所想像所定义的样子,发现了宇宙永恒的规则。所以如果你有正确的传承和教授,而你又能正确修行,凭借强大的决心和毅力可能十几二十年就能了解实相。这种方式和西方人方式差别在于:东方的方式就象是治好了一个眼盲的人让他用眼睛去看,屋子里的一切一瞬间就都能看的清清楚楚,沙发在左边,闹钟在墙上,屋子的角落里卧着一只黑色的猫。所以你知道门在哪儿,知道过道在哪儿,也知道猫在哪儿。而西方探索宇宙规则的方式就像是一个瞎子在屋里跌跌撞撞地乱摸,你必须伸着手反复试探着往前摸索,摸到之后再去猜那是什么。那是一间巨大无比的宅子,有上千万件物品。而他只是刚摸到了几件而已。通常我们所说的物理学化学和数学就是西方社会在这个摸索过程中的产物。以前有人说中国社会几千年没有诞生过科学,这就像是指责一个眼睛完好的人不走盲道不用白手杖一样。
印度和中国的探索由于完全是基于个人的体验,探索过程也完全发生在内心,所以外人不得而知,而探索成果也因为过于特殊而不可能被实验室所复制和验证。如果你真的要复制,你就必须寻找一位真正的老师,然后接受他的教授和训练,花上几十年甚至很多辈子来验证。所以这比在实验室里复制一个实验的难度大得多得多。而且对于普通人来说,那些证悟者的境界太过高远,他们的著作对普通人来说完全就是个谜,所以很难为普罗大众所认可。而且在东方式的探索过程中不会出现如汽车电风扇维生素B之类可以带来现实利益的副产品。很多探索者看起来并不成功,他们有些甚至以乞讨为生。从普通人的角度来看,他们的探索对自己的生活毫无帮助。而西方式的探索所取得的成绩则是那种可以被普通人看到和验证的。毕竟,和烘干机相比,回向的功德并不那么直观。
西方人的探索最初也是为了了解世界,但是后来他们在探索过程中发现了巨大的金矿,发现了比真理更具吸引力的东西,所以虽然很多可敬的科学家还在坚持,但是很多研究的目的已经偏向于实用主义和商业利益。在今天大多数人完全不关心什么是宇宙的规律(虽然这和他们每个人都息息相关,搞不清楚宇宙的规则、搞不清楚世界是如何运行的,即便你能挣到一座金山,也会在一夜之间被搬空。),他们关心的是如何减肥如何养老如何在这波AI浪潮中获利这样的现实问题。
话虽如此,虽然我认为他们的方法并不聪明,但并不妨碍我尊重他们的探索和成果、不妨碍我尊重西方物理学的先驱,因为他们所做的事情也是人类为了解宇宙而做的努力之一。而且即便他们的方法不聪明也在某种程度上触摸到了真理的边缘,这为佛法提供了最好的佐证。
灵山居士写于2024年10月7日。首发于2024年10月9日。
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Lingshan Hermit: Western Values and the Ever-Shrinking Hamburger
Most of the time, we only see the most superficial causes and effects. We fail to perceive the intricate causal relationships between things, unable to identify which factors are influencing us, directing us, or harming us. A few years ago, I wrote an article titled "Harm and Influence," which discussed how movies and TV series affect the course of our lives, the invisible connections between things, and those elements that most people are unaware of yet continuously influence and harm us.
Nowadays, we generally lack a sense of security. We don't trust anyone, we don't believe in any authoritative statements, and we even distrust our food. We worry about carcinogens in beer, whether the meat on skewers is really from sheep, and if fluoride toothpaste might damage our brains. Every day, you can see various exposé videos and people teaching us how to avoid consuming toxic substances, making us anxious even when eating a meal. We are perplexed: when did the world become like this?
Since the 16th century, Western culture has gradually begun to influence China. By the 20th century, Western culture started to affect every Chinese person. We began to realize how unfree we were before and felt that we needed more freedom. At the same time, our greed was fully awakened, and possessing vast wealth was no longer viewed as a sin. Today, most people have a Western-style mindset. They believe that we only live once, that having more possessions leads to greater happiness, and that because we only have one life, we should strive to live for ourselves and try various new experiences and meet new people. In this regard, women seem to be more easily influenced than men and have gone further (thus, they have become the biggest victims of this ideology. Although it appears they are benefiting, gaining freedom and elevated status, in the long run, they are the greatest victims).
This is why movies like "The Decision to Leave" are so popular. Many women are indoctrinated with these ideas daily. They are completely different from their grandmothers, having broken through the seal of traditional culture. They no longer believe in emotions, focus on one man, conceal their desires, or suppress themselves. They want to fully enjoy life and live for themselves. In a sense, this is one of the reasons why your food is becoming increasingly unhealthy and your stress levels are rising. Because women want a better life, and for many, "a better life" is not a goal with limits: it can mean higher income, men who are more willing to spend money on them, shopping in Japan, traveling to Florence, or owning a luxury apartment in Mid-Levels, Hong Kong. The key is that it's boundless. So their men must start adding things to your food, find ways to get money from others, and put knives to people's throats. If they don't do this, they have no way to satisfy women's ever-expanding greed. In this increasingly complex society, you need to deal with all kinds of people, pay various fees, face different forms of extortion, and ultimately satisfy your woman's growing greed (many women are quite insensitive in this regard, completely unaware of social changes and oblivious to the pressures and predicaments men face). For this, he has no choice but to harm others. He can only steal money from other people's wallets, use cheap meat to pass off as lamb, make hamburgers smaller and smaller, and this is the profound change that Western culture has brought us. And each of us is a victim of this value system.
September 27, 2024
Copyright Notice:All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.
灵山居士:西式价值观与越做越小的汉堡
大多数时候,我们都只看得到那些最浅表的因缘。我们看不到事物之间错综复杂的因果关系,看不到是哪些因素在影响我们、在左右我们、在伤害我们。几年之前我写过一篇《伤害与影响》,里面讲到了电影电视剧对我们人生走向的影响,讲到了事物之间那些隐形的关联,讲到了那些大多数人都毫无意识却一直都在影响伤害我们的东西。
现在我们普遍都没有安全感,我们不相信任何人,不相信任何权威说法,我们甚至不相信食物。我们会担心啤酒里有没有致癌物,担心烤串的肉是不是来自真正的羊,担心含氟的牙膏是不是会损伤我们大脑。每天你都能看到各种曝光视频,看到各种人在教我们如何才能避免吃到毒物,这让我们吃个饭都心惊胆战。我们很困惑,世界什么时候变成这样了?
从十六世纪开始,西方文化开始慢慢影响到中国。到了二十世纪,西方文化开始逐渐影响到了每一个中国人,我们开始觉悟到自己以前多么不自由,开始觉得自己需要更多的自由,同时我们的贪欲也被彻底激活,拥有再多的财富也都已经不再被视为罪恶。到了今天,大多数人都有一个西式的头脑,他们相信人只能活一世,相信拥有的越多越幸福,因为只有这一生,所以应该努力为自己而活,应该去尝试各种新鲜事物各种新鲜的人。在这方面,女性似乎比男性更容易受到影响,也走得更远(也因此,她们成为这种观念最大的受害者。虽然看起来她们是在受益,看起来她们得到了自由也提升了地位,但从长远来看,她们却是最大的受害者。)。所以《出走的决心》这样的电影会大受受欢迎。很多女人每天都在接受这种观念的洗礼,她们和她们的祖母完全不同,她们突破了传统文化的封印,不再相信感情,不再专注于一个男人,不再掩饰欲望,也不再压抑自己,她们想要充分享受人生,想要为自己而活。从某种意义上来说,这就是你的食物越来越不健康你的压力越来越大的原因之一。因为女人们想要更好的生活,而“更好的生活”在很多人那里并不是一个有止境的目标:更好的生活可以是更高的收入、更愿意为她花钱的男人,也可以是去日本购物去佛罗伦萨旅游或是香港半山的豪宅。但重点是,它是没有止境的。所以她的男人就必须开始在你的食物里添加一些东西,就要想方设法从别人那里弄钱,就要把刀架在别人的脖子上。如果他们不这么做的话,就没有办法满足女人日益膨胀的贪欲。在这个日益复杂的社会里,你需要应对各种各样的人,需要交各种费用,需要面对各种勒掯,最后你还要满足你的女人日益增长的贪欲,(很多女人在这方面相当钝感,她们对社会的变化完全无意识,对男人所面临的压力和困境也毫无感知。)���此他别无选择,只能去伤害别人。只能去从别人的钱包里偷钱,只能用便宜的肉来冒充羊肉,只能把汉堡越做越小,而这就是西方文化带给我们的深刻变化。而我们每个人都是这种价值观的受害者。
2024 9 27
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Lingshan Hermit: What is "Boundless and Infinite"?
I shared a video that begins by comparing Earth to other planets in the solar system. You can see that the Sun's volume is 1.3 million times that of Earth. Then, the video compares the solar system to the Milky Way galaxy, making the solar system appear insignificant. We can see Antares, the main star in the constellation Scorpius, which is 690 million times larger than the Sun—a concept that is beyond our comprehension. The video then compares the Milky Way to other galaxies and star clusters—like comparing a grain of sand to the entire Earth. In the end, we feel that Earth—and even the Milky Way—is as small as a speck of dust in comparison. I saw my friend comment that this gave him a concept of "boundless and infinite." However, this is not boundless and infinite. As long as you are still measuring, as long as you are still confined by size, as long as your concept of boundless and infinite is derived from comparison, it is not truly boundless and infinite. Only when you no longer measure, when you no longer have a reference point, that is boundless and infinite. A minute can be an eternity, while a trillion years can be just a moment.
Written by Lingshan Hermit on the night of May 15, 2016
灵山居士:什么是“无量无边”?(修订)
我分享了一个视频,视频刚开始的内容是将地球与太阳系其他星球作比较,你可以看到太阳的体积是地球的130万倍,然后视频将太阳系与银河系作比较,这样比较之后,太阳系就显得微不足道了。我们可以看到比太阳大6.9亿倍的天蝎座主星——这相当超乎我们的概念。再之后视频将银河系与其他星系星团作比较——就像是拿一粒沙子和整个地球作比较。最后,我们会觉得相形之下地球——乃至银河系就如同一颗尘埃一般渺小。我看到我的朋友评论说这使他对于“无量无边”有了概念。但是,这不是无量无边。只要你还度量,只要你还被大小所困,只要你的无量无边还是比较出来的,那就不是无量无边。只有当你不再度量,不再有参考点,那才是无量无边。一分钟可能是很久很久,而一万亿年只是一刹那。
灵山居士写于2016 5 15夜
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Lingshan Hermit: The Last Straw on the Camel's Back
There's a story about a camel whose daily mission was to help its owner transport grass from one end of the city to the other. One day, out of greed, the owner placed more grass on the camel's back than usual. The camel began to feel overwhelmed but could neither express its distress nor resist. When the last straw was placed on its back, the camel could no longer support the weight and collapsed with a thunderous crash.
This story offers insights to practitioners. Of course, different practitioners will derive different meanings from it. I'd like to attempt to view this story from various angles.
I've noticed that many practitioners, often claiming to practice Zen, have an ambition to attain enlightenment directly without any foundational practice. Such efforts are like believing that placing just the last straw on the camel's back will cause it to collapse. Undoubtedly, this idea is not commendable. I believe you must know whether your back already carries many straws. If there are already numerous straws, then adding one or two more might lead to your enlightenment. However, most people's backs are completely empty, yet they try to achieve enlightenment with just one straw.
They believe there's a precedent for this. During the Tang Dynasty, there was a layman surnamed Lu whose journey to enlightenment seemingly involved placing just one straw on his back. He was then called the Sixth Patriarch. However, I don't think most people qualify to compare themselves to the Sixth Patriarch. You must first examine whether you have enough straws on your back. Many people see that the Sixth Patriarch was satisfied after eating just one bun, and they try to imitate this. But beyond their field of vision, the Sixth Patriarch had already eaten many buns. You might not see these; you only see him eating the last bun, creating an illusion. You might think the Sixth Patriarch only ate one bun. Attempting to imitate the Sixth Patriarch's behavior will only leave you hungry. You might wonder why you're still starving after eating the same bun as the Sixth Patriarch. This is the first insight this story offers us.
The second insight is to never let your karmic obstacles accumulate to an unbearable degree. Sometimes, it might just take one straw to ripen your negative karma, causing you to collapse. Such a straw is called the triggering karma. Therefore, it's crucial to unload those karmic obstacles you don't need in a timely manner. Sometimes, a seemingly insignificant factor can lead to your entire downfall. You can't try to ignore a smoldering cigarette butt (a single straw) just because it's small. If conditions are right, one cigarette butt can burn down an entire forest. But we can also disrupt the conditions for the forest to burn. For instance, we can regularly patrol the forest and extinguish any unattended cigarette butts we find. This prevents them from becoming the last straw. Alternatively, you can prevent anyone who might bring sparks from entering.
The third insight this story offers us is to never measure others by your own capabilities. Clearly, the person who placed too much straw on the camel's back wasn't particularly aware of the camel's capacity (though he might have been hoping for the best). This can lead to misjudgment. He might make the camel bear a weight it cannot support, try to put elephant shoes on an ant, or attempt to fit ant shoes on an elephant. Before adding straws for others, it's crucial to fully understand their capabilities. Otherwise, you'll make such mistakes. You must understand that elephants and ants are different consumer groups; they don't need the same shoes. If they did, we wouldn't need to ask for shoe sizes when buying shoes.
First published on April 14, 2007
Copyright Notice:All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.
灵山居士:骆驼背上最后的那根草
有这么一个故事,故事里有一只骆驼,它每天的使命是帮助主人把草从城市的一端运到另一端。有一天,这位主人由于贪心的缘故,他在骆驼背上放置了比平时更多的草,骆驼感到自己已经开始不支,可是他无法表达自己的意图也无法反抗。当最后一根草放上去的时候,他再也无法支持,他轰然倒了下去。
这个故事会给予修行者启示。当然,不同的修行者会读出不同的意义。我想试着从不同的角度来看待这个故事。
我注意到很多修行者有一种企图,这一类人往往声称自己是在修禅宗,他们企图不经任何基础修行就直接证悟,这样的努力就象是认为只要把最后的那根草放在骆驼背上,骆驼就会轰然倒塌一样。毫无疑问这样的想法并不值得赞赏。我认为你必需知道自己的背上是否已经有很多稻草,假如已经有非常多,那么可能再加上一两根草就可以让你证悟,不过多数人的背上是空空如也,他们却试图只用一根草就证悟。
他们认为这是有先例可循的。因为在唐朝的时候有一位姓卢的居士,他的证悟之旅似乎只是往背上放上一根稻草。然后他就被人们称为六祖。不过我不认为多数人都有资格把自己和六祖相提并论,你首先要检视一下你背上是否有足够多的稻草。很多人看到六祖只吃了一个包子就饱了,他们也试图对此进行模仿,不过在他们的视野范围之外,六祖已经吃了很多包子,但是你可能看不到这些,你只看到他吃了最后一个包子,这就造成你的错觉,你会认为六祖只吃了一个包子。你试图模仿六祖的行为只会让你饿肚子。你会奇怪,为什么我和六祖吃了同样的馒头,我却还是饥肠辘辘。这是这个故事给予我们的第一个启示。
第二个启示则是,永远不要让你的业障积累到无法承受的程度,有时候,可能只是一根稻草,就可以让你的恶业成熟,让你轰然倒塌。这样的稻草被称为引业。所以及时卸载那些你并不需要的业障非常必要。有时候一个非常不起眼的因素可能会导致你整个崩盘,你不能因为一个没有熄灭的烟头(一根稻草)不是很大就尝试着忽视他,假如因缘具足,一个烟头可以烧掉整座森林。但是我们也可以破坏森林被烧的因缘,比如我们可以经常巡视森林,发现没有及时熄灭的烟头就把它熄灭。避免他成为最后一根稻草,或者你也可以避免任何可能带来火星的人的进入。
这个故事给予我们的第三种启示则是永远不要以自己的能力去衡量别人,很显然那位在骆驼背上放上过多稻草的先生并不特别清楚骆驼的承受能力,(不过也可能他怀着侥幸心理)这可能导致他的误判,他会让骆驼承受他无法承受的重量,他会给蚂蚁穿上大象的鞋子,也会试图给大象穿上蚂蚁的鞋子。在你为别人添置稻草之前,你非常有必要对他的能力有充分的了解,否则你就会犯这样的错误。你必需明白,大象与蚂蚁是不同的消费群体,他们并不需要同样的鞋子,否则我们在买鞋子的时候就不需要问鞋子的大小。
首发于2007年4月14日
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Lingshan Hermit: This Itself Is the Best Practice of Non-Self
Generally, what we consider meaningful are things that yield some gain after completion. After doing them, you might increase your knowledge, learn a skill, strengthen your body, or make new friends. For those things where we can't see results or gains, we tend to categorize them all as a waste of time. We are reluctant to spend time on such things. If a gym's advertisement said, "We guarantee that after working out, nothing will change. Your thigh muscles will remain as flabby as before, your belly won't disappear, and your bulky figure will persist." Would anyone patronize it? Of course not. Because it's meaningless, because it's a waste of time. We are accustomed to doing things that produce results, and these results must be visible to us.
In the practice of taking the guru as the path, you might be asked to recite ten million wrathful Guru Rinpoche mantras, or to create a hundred Buddha statues, but you might also be asked to do many things you consider meaningless and unrelated to Dharma. But always remember: what you consider meaningless is just your opinion. You can't see the meaning because you are a student. Thus, you have no understanding of how the Buddha and realized masters dismantle a student's ego. The one who designed this practice is the person leading you to enlightenment (many people with rigid minds simply understand practice as sitting there reciting something or meditating; telling them that cooking noodles is also a practice is tantamount to challenging their minds). Moreover, as a student, you don't need to see the meaning. It is meaningful for you if you can earnestly do and complete what you consider meaningless. Besides this, you might also be asked to do some unimportant things, even things that waste time. You might be asked to learn how to cook kelp and clam soup, to accompany the guru shopping, to wander aimlessly without buying anything. You might sit for an entire day while the guru says nothing, neither discussing emptiness nor the "Words of My Perfect Teacher," just looking at his phone. You might feel you've wasted a day sitting there. But in the practice of taking the guru as the path, wasting time is actually quite meaningful, because no time is wasted; all the time you "waste" is an entry ticket to future enlightenment. If you are willing to do those meaningless things, willing to do those unimportant and time-wasting things, willing to stay in the corner, willing to become the background in the distance. For this, you gave up the tennis open, gave up rest, gave up dinner with your daughters, gave up the weekly must-watch "King of Comedy Stand-up Season." All because of someone you believe to be a Buddha. I believe this itself is the best practice of non-self, and also demonstrates your utmost respect and confidence. All of this that you do cannot but cause enlightenment to occur for you in the future. This is the practice of taking the guru as the path.
Written by Lingshan Hermit on September 16, 2024.
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灵山居士:这本身就是对于无我最好的修持
一般我们所认为的有意义的事,是那些你做完了之后会有所收获的事。做完之后你会增长见识会学会技能,或是强壮了体魄认识了新朋友。对于那些看不到结果和收获的事,我们会把它们通通归类为浪费时间。我们不愿意在这样的事情上花费时间。如果一家健身房的广告是:“我们确保你健完身什么也不会改变,你的大腿肌还是像之前那样松垮,你的肚腩也不会消失,你臃肿的身材会继续保持。”会有人去光顾它吗?当然不会。因为没有意义,因为那是在浪费时间。而我们习惯于做那些有结果的事,而且这个结果还必须是我们能够看得到的。
在以上师为道的修持中,你可能会被要求念诵一千万忿怒莲师心咒,可能会被要求造一百尊佛像,但是你也可能会被要求去做很多你认为没有意义和佛法无关的事。但是要始终牢记:你认为的没有意义,只是你认为而已。你看不到意义是因为你是学生。所以你对佛陀和证悟的大师们瓦解学生自我的方式毫无认知。而设计这一套修法的是引领你证悟的人(很多人僵化的头脑会把修法简单理解为坐在那里念诵一些东西或是禅定,告诉他们煮面条也是修法对他们的头脑而言无异于挑战。)。而且作为学生,你也不需要看到意义。你认为没有意义的事还能认认真真地去做去完成对你而言才有意义。除此之外,你还可能会被要求去做一些不重要的事,甚至是浪费时间的事情。你可能被要求学习煮海带蛤蜊汤,会被要求陪着上师逛街,会漫无目的地逛一圈什么都没买到。会坐一整天上师什么也不说,他既没有讲空性也没说《普贤上师教言》,只是在看手机。你可能觉得自己白坐了一天。但是在以上师为道的修持中,浪费时间其实是相当有意义的事,因为没有时间会被浪费,你浪费的所有时间都是未来证悟的入场卷。假如你愿意去做那些没有意义的事,愿意去做那些不重要的事和浪费时间的事,愿意呆在角落里,愿意成为远处的背景。为此你放弃了网球公开赛,放弃了休息,放弃了和女儿们一起共进晚餐,放弃了每周必看的《喜剧之王单口季》。因为某个你相信他是佛的人。我认为这本身就是对于无我最好的修持,也体现了你最大的尊重和信心。你所做的这一切都不能不令证悟在未来发生在你的身上。这就是以上师为道的修持。
灵山居士写于2024年9月16日。
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