《靜思晨語。法譬如水》487. 身是載道器

The Body is a Vehicle for Spiritual Practice

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我們的身體是載道器，人人的身體都是一個道場；我們若能善用這個道場，我們就能很快一步一步向前前進，靠近聖賢、靠近佛的淨土；所以我們的身體是一個大用。

Our bodies are vehicles for spiritual cultivation. Everyone's body is a spiritual training ground. If we use it well, we can quickly progress step by step and approach the sages.

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健康有力時
以無私大愛志願付出
應用身體利益人群
一念善當下是淨土
一念惡立即是地獄

When we are healthy and strong, we vow to give with unselfish Great Love. Let us use the body to benefit people. With a good thought, the Pure Land instantly manifests; with an evil thought, Hell immediately appears.

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趁著我們健康有力這個時候，好好將我們的身體要應用在有益人群，這叫做身體大用；這也就是讓我們修行唯一能運用的功能。

The saints and the Buddha's Pure Land. The body has a marvelous function, so treasure the time you are healthy and strong, and use your bodies to benefit other people. This is the marvelous function of the body. It allows us to engage in spiritual practice. The only way to make use of this function, is to put the teachings into practice.

修行，就是要身體力行，要不然只是聽，聽了之後只是說：「有啦！有啦！知道啦！」雖然知道，但你做不到，同樣還什麼都沒有，什麼都不知道！要做得到就是要身體力行。

Otherwise, we just listen "I get it, I get it. I know, I know." But if you do not practice, you do not "get" anything, you do not know anything. Spiritual practice means putting it into practice.

所以常常有句話說：「一念善，當下即是淨土；若是一念惡，立即就是地獄！」所以這念心，我們要小心謹慎培養，培養之後我們就要即時運作。

It is often said, "With a good thought, the Pure Land instantly manifests. With an evil thought, Hell immediately appears." So, we need to cultivate good thoughts and then put them into practice right away.

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墮大地獄 無有出期
是故今日 至禱稽顙
向十方三寶 皆悉懺悔

We will descend into the Great Hell with no end to our sentence. So today, we sincerely prostrate to the Three Treasures of the Ten Directions and repent completely.

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再來又說－－「墮大地獄無有出期，是故今日至禱稽願，向十方三寶皆悉懺悔。」

"We will descend into the Great Hell with no end to our sentence. So today, we sincerely prostrate to the Three Treasures of the Ten Directions and repent completely."

這段懺文就是承上文，本文我們就是要好好培養，一定要信因果、信果報！

This section of the repentance text is connected to the previous passage, about how we must believe in cause and effect, and karmic retribution.

這些因緣果報，過去也花了很長的時間和大家分享過。我們凡是來人間，不論你信佛不信佛，或是信仰其他的宗教，都不能缺一個信字。

I have spent much time talking about causes, conditions, effects and retributions. When we arrive in the Human Realm, whether or not we believe in Buddha or in another religion, we cannot lack faith.

這個信字就要信善，不要去信惡。有的人，好人說的話他接受了，接受了好話，好人來牽引教育我們，我們跟著他走，方向就對了。假使好人說的話我們都不相信，偏偏去相信那種不好的，或是邪教、邪法，跟著邪教、邪法走，或是跟著撥無因果的人造作，這樣一定要「墮大地獄」！

Have faith in goodness, not evil. Some of us accept the words of good people. Then when good people come to guide and teach us, we follow them to go in the right direction. If we do not trust the words of good people, and instead trust in unwholesome individuals, or deviant teachings and methods, if we end up following them and act like those who deny cause and effect, then we will "descend into the Great Hell."

有的人就說：「地獄又看不到！」地獄看不到，但是感覺得到！現在的人，做好事每天都很歡喜，心都很自在；假使沒有做好事，去欺詐騙取，或是身體去做那種逞強霸道，這種人雖然人家被他欺負過、人家被他打過、人家被他種種設計過，雖然得逞，心裡會歡喜嗎？應該心裡不會很歡喜。即使洋洋得意，也會有那分不安的感覺，怕他所做的案件被人發覺，怕他做過的事破案；他要受苦、受刑罰，也害怕，怕人知道，知道他所做的一切都是不法，如此心中都是一個驚惶！無論到哪裡去，心都是不安。

Some people say, "We cannot see hell." We cannot see it, but we can feel it. If modern people do good deeds, they are happy every day. Their minds are free. But others do not do good deeds, they lie and cheat or flaunt their superiority with great force. But even if they can take advantage of others, beat them, or set them up, though they may succeed, are these people really happy? They are probably not very happy. Even if they feel proud, there is still a sense of unease. They are afraid their crimes will be discovered, those cases will be solved. They are afraid of pain and punishment. They do not want people to know everything they do is illegal. So, they are in a constant state of panic. Wherever they go they feel uneasy.

這種驚惶不安，生活無法很自在，這也是心靈的地獄！也是心靈的煉獄！所以不是沒有地獄，在心中不得自在，或是受盡很多煎熬，這就是心靈地獄。

With this panic and unease, they cannot feel free in life. This is a spiritual hell, a mental purgatory. It is not that hell does not exist. When people cannot feel free or experience much torment, that is a spiritual hell.

所以不是心靈的地獄就過去了，確實要相信還有大地獄！這個大地獄，說不定是今生，在現在的人生中就會受報；說不定在來生會受報。

The spiritual hell will not just pass. We must truly believe that there is a Great Hell. Maybe this Great Hell exists as retribution in this life, or perhaps it will be actualized in a future life.

看看在這個世界上，多少餓鬼地獄呢！什麼是地獄？受盡苦難叫做地獄。現在世界上還有幾億人飢餓，沒有糧食，飢餓、貧窮、病苦這種我們常常在看現在的媒體報導，非洲方面或是很多地方，我們現在就看得到俄鬼地獄！手腳像枯枝一樣，肚子像大鼓，餓得蒼蠅、蟲在身邊，在眼睛周圍，他都沒有力氣眨個眼！或是用手去趕蒼蠅，或是驅趕蟲，這是不是人間的餓鬼煉獄呢？

Look at how many hell beings and hungry ghosts there are in this world. What is hell? Extensive pain and suffering is hell. Millions of people are starving in the world. They have no food. They are starving , poor and ill. We often see them in news reports from places like Africa or other places. We can see the hell beings and hungry ghosts now. Their arms and legs are like sticks, their bellies bloated like a drum. They are so hungry that though their bodies and eyes are covered with flies, drive off the bugs. Isn't this hell on Earth?

我們也常看到生活在垃圾堆中，或是在那種糞尿周圍，一有病痛之下，沒有人照顧，自己的身體，浸在自己的糞尿周圍。我們的慈濟人，常去幫這些孤苦無依的人、病痛的人打掃，我們就能看到，這就是糞尿地獄。

We also often see those who live among garbage or are surrounded by human waste. When they are ill, if no one cares for them, their bodies will be covered in their own waste. Tzu Chi volunteers often help those who are alone and without support. They aid the ill by helping them clean. We then see the Hell of Feces and Urine.

地藏菩薩的願——不捨地獄眾生苦，地藏菩薩在哪一座地獄呢？說不定他在這群人間菩薩中，常常都是去為這些苦難人去拔除他的苦難、去清除他的環境，讓他的心靈能乾淨，能享受一個環境的清境。

The Earth Treasury Bodhisattva made a vow because he could not bear to let sentient beings suffer in Hell. So which hell is he in? perhaps he is among these human Bodhisattvas. They often help relieve the pain of those who are suffering by cleaning up their surroundings so their spirits can be pure and they can enjoy a clean environment.

聖人在我們的周圍、菩薩在我們的身邊，說不定我們自己也是地藏菩薩的分身之一！只要你發地藏菩薩的大願，人間的地獄都是這群菩薩進去在拔除苦難。

Saints are surrounding us. Bodhisattvas are by our sides. Perhaps we ourselves are an incarnation of the Earth=Treasury Bodhisattva. If we make the same vow as his, we are one of the Bodhisattvas who enter hell on Earth to relieve others' suffering.

所以說來，無論是餓鬼地獄、糞尿地獄、燒腳地獄、耕犁地獄…有的肚子就是這樣，把它鋸開、剖開，抽腸割肚，那個剎那間難道不是嗎？

So, we see hungry ghosts, the Hell of Feces and Urine, the Hell of Burning Feet, the Hell of Ploughing [Tongues]. We have seen people's bellies sawed and cut open, their intestines pulled out. Don't we see hell in that instant?

所以在這個人間，有的是帶業來的。在這個人間，共業聚集在貧窮苦難中，無水無糧、缺水缺糧食的地方，這都是共業的人生！在一個共業的地方，在受地獄苦。

So, some people come to this world because of their karma. Those with the same collective karma gather together in places of poverty and suffering. They live in places without water and food. These people are living out collective karma in a place where they collectively experience the suffering of hell.

有的是福中地獄！像在我們台灣經濟很好，難道真的沒有貧困的人嗎？難道真的沒有苦難人嗎？常常都聽到人說：「慈濟都在救濟國外，台灣怎麼不救濟呢？」看了看資料，二ＯＯ七年當中，光是關懷個案就有五千多戶！

Some who live among wealth are still in hell. Taiwan's economy is doing very well. Does that mean that no one is poor? Really, is no one suffering? I often hear people say, "Tzu Chi just provides international relief? Why don't they help Taiwan?" Looking at our data, in 2007 alone, we provided special support to over 5000 families.

什麼是關懷個案？就是像剛才說的——無人照顧的、病苦、家庭的環境；不是缺錢，是缺人關懷、缺人幫忙，缺人…等等；這就是光在一年的時間，五千多戶！急難救濟有四千多戶；還有長期平時在救濟的，累積下來也有三萬多戶。你說：「台灣去哪裡找的呢？」因為人群中有人發現通報過來的。有這群人間菩薩，無論山上或是很偏僻的地方；或是在鬧市的陃巷裡比比皆是！

What are these special cases? Like I said previously, these are people no one cares for. They are ill and though they may not lack money, they lack comfort and care, people to help them, etc. in one year alone we helped over 5000 families. Over 4000 families also received emergency relief. And then there are people who are long-term cases. All together, there are over 30,000families. You may ask, "How did you find them in Taiwan?" people discover them and report them to us. These Living Bodhisattvas go into mountains, rural areas, ans also the alleys of busy cities. They are everywhere.

所以人生苦難便是地獄。這種地獄要出離很不容易，除非有好因緣，否則就「墮大地獄無有出期」！所以我們現在知道了，這種不信因緣果報的人；或是不親近善友，他身心去造惡，如此，未來會墮入大地獄的機會，不是沒有！

When people suffer, they experience hell. It is not easy to escape this hell, unless they have good affinities. Otherwise they "descend to the Great Hell with no end to their sentence." So now we know, people who do not believe in karmic retribution and who do not make good friends create evil with the body and mind. In this way, there is a chance they will descend into the Great Hell.

所以我們要趕快懺悔，從今天開始我們就要懺悔，時時都要懺悔，要「至禱稽願」。「至禱」就是很虔誠，發自內心虔誠；「稽願」就是要身體好好虔誠禮拜。

So, let us repent at once. Starting from today, let us repent constantly. We must "sincerely prostrate." Sincerely means having great reverence from within. To "prostrate" is to reverently pay respect with our bodies.

看在西藏，那邊人的觀念，大家一生中都知道，為什麼我們會這麼苦！這輩子來這裡要趕緊懺悔、趕緊頂禮、趕緊接近佛的境界。人生來就是要讓我們修行，所以一生中一定要有一次，無論花幾年的時間，他就是幾千里的路，繞著喜瑪拉雅山去朝山、去禮拜；你看，這叫做「稽願」。

Look at Tibet. The perspective of the people there is that they know why they are in so much pain. So, in this lifetime they quickly repent and prostrate to approach the state of the Buddha. They know the human body is form spiritual practice. So, at least once in a lifetime, no matter how long it takes, they travel thousands of miles to circle the Himalayas. They make the pilgrimage to pay their respects. So, when we are prostrating, we must show reverence through our actions.

要將虔誠的心，身心虔誠，心的虔誠當然知錯不造惡；既然知道過去錯了，我們再來絕對不能再做錯造惡。

With reverence, we recognize wrongs and do not create evil. Since we know we did wrong, in the future we will absolutely not do it again.

所以我們現在要趕緊身體力行，虔誠來禮拜。所以我們要「至禱稽願」向「十方三寶皆悉懺悔」。懺悔即清淨，我們要時時有懺悔的心，說不定我們輕輕啟動一個念頭，或是動作不注意，我們難免就會在人與人之間結了不好的緣，所以我們要時時有懺悔心！

So, now we put that idea into practice by sincerely paying our respects. So, let us "sincerely prostrate to the Three Treasures of the Ten Directions and repent completely." Repentance brings purity. So, let us always be repentant. Perhaps a fleeting thought or a careless action will inevitably causes us to create bad affinities with others. So, let us always be repentant.

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向來所有一切眾罪
若輕若重 若粗若細
若自作 若教他作
若隨喜作

All transgressions we have ever committed whether mild or severe, obvious or subtle, whether we committed them ourselves, caused others to commit them, or rejoiced in the action.

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再來這麼說－－「向來所有一切眾罪，若輕若重、若粗若細、若自作、若教他作、若隨喜作。」

The next section says, "All transgressions we have ever committed whether mild or severe, obvious or subtle, whether we committed them ourselves, caused others to commit them, or rejoiced in the action."

這一段大家要用心看，我們用心了解。我們向來，從過去一直到現在，所有一切的罪障，到底是怎麼生起的？

Please mindfully read this passage. Let us understand how the hindrances of transgressions arose from the past up to today.

「若輕若重」無論是輕的罪障或是重的罪，這都是無論粗或細，無論是自己作，或是教別人作；或是別人在作，我們看了歡喜，也和人一起作，這都是從內心起的。這種眾罪，起心動念、舉手投足，有時是從自己內心產生出來的！自己自作，自己去作，有的是自己作還不夠，他還去唆使別人一樣一起來做！或是看了隨喜去作。

"Whether mild or severe." Whether this is a mild transgression, or a serious transgression, whether it is obvious or subtle, whether we do it ourselves or cause others to do it, or whether we do it because watching others do it makes us happy, so we follow along, this all arises from our minds. These transgressions can occur through even the slightest thoughts or actions. Sometimes they are produced by our minds and we do them ourselves. Sometimes that is not enough and we manipulate others to do them with us, or we rejoice in the action and follow along.

我接到一通電話，有一位老人他就是自殺！這位老人為什麼會自殺？他是在南部去相信詐騙的集團；被騙之後，可能他自己也有負債，害怕拖累到他的子孫，所以他自殺了。

Once I received a phone call about an old man who committed suicide. Why did he commit suicide? He trusted a grout of scammers, so after he was cheated, he probably had amassed a lot of debt. He was afraid of dragging his relatives down, so he committed suicide.

這位老人是我們慈濟人的至親，聽到這個消息，也實在是很不捨！能一了百了嗎？可惜他在之前若能了解道理，信因緣果報，應該他就不會去做這種自殺，尤其是年紀那麼大了，自殺還是一樣殺人！

He was a family member of a Tzu Chi volunteer. When I heard this news, I felt great sorrow. Could this really solve everything? Perhaps if he understood this truth previously, and believed in the karmic law of cause and effect, he would not have committed suicide. He was so old. Suicide is a form murder.

既然過去已經隨喜作，這就是隨喜作，因為那種不對的人來唆使他，他被騙了；說不定他被騙之後，是不是有和他做了什麼？不知道。現在什麼都不知道！但是他自己又犯了自己自殺，年紀這麼大了，同樣他的身體也是來自父母，父母給他的身體；他一輩安分守己也是撫養了子女，他的子女無論是兒子、女兒，都很有成就了，現在應該能安享天年了；不過就是人生不到最後自然的法則以前，真的也說不定會受到這種惡人惡法，來引誘他、來教他！所以說不定就是被教；或是見作隨喜，說不定是和人參加了什麼，不知道！現在不明不白這樣子自殺，殺了父母給我們的身體，這也是殺人！也是自毀掉父母給的身體。雖然他的父母應都不在了，因為他本身也七十多歲了，雖然父母都不在了，但是父母的血統還是在他身上，所以有了這個殺字，就已經是造業！可惜一時的心念轉不過來，就把我們身體的大用毀掉了！

In the past, perhaps he happily went along with the wrongdoings because the scammers persuaded him. He was conned. Perhaps after that, he did something else with them. We do not know anything now, but he committed suicide. Although he was old, his body still came from his parents. He led a dutiful life. He raised his children and they were all very accomplished. He should be enjoying his later years. But before life naturally ran its course, he was seduced and led astray by people with evil methods. Perhaps he was told to do it, or just happily went along. Perhaps he participated in doing something. We do not know. He committed suicide under unclear circumstances. Suicide is harming the body our parents gave us; it is also murder. It is destroying the body they gave us. Although his parents were probably dead, since he was over 70 at the time, their blood still flowed through him. When he killed, he created karma. Sadly, he could not change his negative thoughts, and destroyed the marvelous functions of his body.

所以我們要好好自我警惕，常常保護好我們這念心；不要輕的、重的業去作了，不要粗的、細的業去作了，也不要自作，更不要教人作，更要注意，不要隨喜作！

So, remember to be very vigilant and always protect your minds. Do not commit mild or severe wrongdoings. Do not create obvious or subtle karma. Do not do them yourselves, and especially do not cause others to do them. We must be careful of not just going along happily.

這個「作」就是以身體去造作，所以我們要常常保護我們這念心念；心念若無私大愛，相信人家怎麼教我們，我們都不會犯錯。

We commit these transgressions with our bodies. So, let us always protect our minds. If our minds are filled with unselfish Great Love, no matter how others exhort us, we will not make mistakes.

最怕的是有私念、有貪念，自然我們不去自作。但是被教作，自然他就會隨喜作！所以這就是我們心中還有貪，或是有私，所以我們常常要起這分身體的大用。心若無私，我們就是利益人群；也不會損害自己，也能利益人群，所以要時時保護這念心。

Selfish and greedy thoughts are most frightening. We may not have initiated the transgression, but we were led to do it, so we went along with it happily. This happens if we are greedy or selfish. So, we must always utilize the marvelous functions of the body. If we are unselfish, we will benefit people. We will not hurt ourselves and can benefit others. So always protect your minds.

當然我們年輕健康，無論是否年紀大，健康時我們也要趕快做；我們要時時立信願行，毅力要及時付出。若能如此，念念都是在淨土中。

While we are young and healthy, actually no matter how old we are, while we are still healthy, we must act quickly. We must establish faith, vows and practice and be determined to give right away. If we can do so, all our thoughts are in the Pure Land.

說不定有什麼惡念，來讓我們心煩惱，所以我們要把握時間修行，時時要多用心！

Then there are no evil thoughts to afflict our minds. So, in your practice, always be mindful.