長養菩提心　　　林鈺堂　簡繁轉換 - 繁體

 

 

一個人即使很早便能全心全力投入修行
並且精勤努力，又活得長久
一生能做到的畢竟很有限
所以要有成就是很難的
更不容易企及廣渡有緣的眾生
除非能掌握佛法一切修持的樞紐
願一切眾生早日成佛的菩提心
纔可望契入一切佛法聖眾的無盡慈悲
而在超越思議中奇妙地達到證悟與渡眾

長養菩提心的主要障礙
一是私心自限
　　放不下對與己有關的一小範圍的人與事的關懷
一是心眼狹窄
　　老是計較高低說長道短偏愛憎恨羨嫉輕蔑
因而無從安心於菩提大業上
這些惡習　除非自願放捨　無以根除
真摯行者應自行覺悟而修習放捨

若能再致力於隨緣盡力
修習對眾生的供養承事禮敬關懷幫助隨喜
以漸引入佛法之研習
則菩提心之茁長
必會順暢而可期

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　二○一四年一月卅一日
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　馬年元旦
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　養和齋　　　　於加州

Cultivating Bodhicitta

 

Yutang Lin

 

 

For a person even if he can start very early in life
To engage whole-heartedly and full-time-wise in Dharma practices
And remain diligently exerting all his efforts and live a long life
What he can accomplish will ultimately still be rather limited
Therefore it is very difficult to attain accomplishments
And even more difficult to realize widely converting sentient beings that one runs into
Unless one can grasp the key to all Dharma practices
        The Bodhicitta wishing all sentient beings to attain enlightenment soon
Only then could one be expected to merge into the boundless compassion of all holy ones
And thereby inconceivably and miraculously attain realizations and salvation of beings

As main hindrances to cultivation of Bodhicitta
One is self-limitation by self-centeredness
        One cannot let go of caring for persons and matters of a small sphere that is related to oneself
One is narrow-and-shallow-mindedness
        Always comparing high and low, speaking about others' ups and downs, being partial and antagonistic,
        envious and contemptuous
Consequently one cannot settle one's mind on the great mission of Bodhi
Sincere Dharma practitioners should realize this point and practice their renunciation

If one can further, whenever opportunities arise, exert all one's efforts on
        Cultivation of making offerings and attending to, showing respects to, caring for,
        helping with and rejoicing in the good deeds and merits of sentient beings
        so as to gradually lead them into study and practice of Dharma teachings
Then the growth of one's Bodhicitta will definitely be smooth and can be expected

 

January 31, 2014
Chinese New Year, Year of Horse
El Cerrito, California