境異理同_Environments Different but Principles the Same

因緣千差境萬異，糾結脫纏理則一；
觀彼順逆皆己事，隨波能游賴自力。

跋

眾生因緣懸殊，因而境遇各別。在種種遭遇中，陷入糾纏或脫縛出困之道理則有一定之原則。明乎此等，則所有眾生之苦樂、悲歡，皆可能即是自身之遭遇，而感到同樣的覺受。至於在種種境遇中如何能走出纏縛的陰霾，則有賴當人各自的努力與學習。佛法所說之慈悲、智慧，並非空洞之理念，而是各人依「無我」、「去執」、「開闊」、「利他」的原則，在生活中日復一日，年以繼年的修習，而後慢慢養成的。別人只能說明這些道理，每個人需要自己摸索出在各種情況下如何運用，才是漸趨圓滿。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　一九九九年八月七日
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　養和齋　　　於加州

Environments Different but Principles the Same　Yutang Lin

Conditions vary thousand folds leading to situations even more diverse;
Falling into entanglements or freeing from bondage by same reasons.
Seeing others' ups and downs to be the same as one's own matters;
Floating on waves to swim around is a matter of each one's own ability.

Comment:

Sentient beings are of very divergent causes and conditions, and hence encounter drastically different environments. Under all various situations the reasons for falling into entanglements or freeing from bondage are certain ones. Once this point is understood, then all the suffering and pleasure, sadness and happiness of sentient beings could well have been one's own, and hence could be deeply felt. As to how to get out from under the gloomy clouds of entanglements in various situations, it depends on each one's learning and efforts. The compassion and wisdom as mentioned in Buddhism are not merely empty ideals. They are qualities to be cultivated through practices in daily life for a lifetime in accordance with the principles of "non-self," "no grasping," "opening up" and "benefiting others." Others can only help by explaining these principles; each one needs to figure out how better to apply them in all kinds of situations in order to approach completion.

Written in Chinese: August 7, 1999
Translated: October 12, 1999
El Cerrito, California

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