广钦老和尚(一八九二―一九八六)福建省惠安县人, 因家贫幼时即与人为养子, 未受教育故不识字。二十七岁于泉州承又寺出家, 苦行念佛十馀年始受比丘戒, 后入山中独目潜修十三年, 禅定功夫深厚。一九四七年来台, 创建许多道场,。
Master Guang-Qin (1892-1986) was born in Hui-an Country of Fu-chien province in China. He was given up for adoption when he was four and was not educated, hence, illiterate. He became a monk at the age of twenty-seven, but did not receive the formal bhiksu (monk) precepts until the age of forty-two. Meanwhile, he practiced asceticism and recitation (of the name of Amitabha Buddha). After receiving the full bhiksu precepts, he dwelled in a cave in the mountains where he practiced meditation alone for thirteen years, attained an elevated level. He came to Taiwan in 1947 and founded several monasteries.
修道是去除贪、瞋、痴,使身、口、意清净。
The purpose of practice is to eliminate our greed, anger, and ignorance so that our deeds, words, and thoughts will be pure and clean.
不去除贪、瞋、痴的人,无法开智慧。
Wisdom will not unfold for those who do not eradicate their greed, anger, and ignorance.
如果贪着于色、声、香、味、触、法,也是不能开智慧。
Likewise, those who cling to the pleasure of the six gunas (sense objects, i.e. sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma [ideas]) cannot unfold their wisdom.
带来的业,善少恶多,所以才要修苦行,以期消业障。
Most of the karma we are born with is negative, little is virtuous. Therefore, we must practice asceticism to eradicate our karmic obstructions.
唯有去掉坏念头,正念才会现前,才能断烦恼。
Only after the evil thoughts have been expelled can right mindfulness come to the fore in us and steer us away from Klesa (vexations, i.e. attitudes, views, emotional states, or conditions, arising from attachments that cause suffering or disharmony).
(野鹤无粮天地宽),它随处而飞,飞到哪里就停到哪里,是最(自在)的一种鸟。修行就是要像这样,随处而安,动静无挂碍;心能寂静,如如不动,才是真(定)。
"With no designated time and place to feed, wild cranes have the whole wild world for themselves to find food instead." They fly and rest as they please and are truly at ease. Our practice ought to be like that: remain tranquil wherever at rest or in action. With no attachment and hindrance, our mind remains still and unmoved. Such is the state of true "Samadhi" (true Buddhist concentration).
我们从无始以来,所造的业就像山那么高,如今来修行,就是要消这些业。若不好好修,反而更造新业,这座业障山就越堆越高,会使我们永远无法跳出生死圈。
The negative karma we have accumulated in the eons has grown as high as a mountain. The purpose of practice is to eradicate such karma. If we fail to practice diligently and continue to create more negative karma, that mountain of obstruction will grow to even more formidable height, barring us from escaping the cycle of birth and death.
修行不争对不对,即使自己对,人家偏说你不对,你也要接受。凡事能承认自己不对,就不会起烦恼,否则心不安,烦恼立刻跟着来。
Practitioners should not quibble over who is right or wrong. When being wronged, we accept it even when we think we are right. If we are ready to admit mistakes and accept the wrong deeds that we are accused of, we will remain untroubled. If not, our mind will be disturbed and vexation will follow.
修苦行是要训练自己能舍身,要体会出这个身是假的,一定会坏,再怎么照顾也照顾不好,所以不要过于执着这个身体。再说(舍身),舍身是什么?就是要粗衣淡饭,生活简单,不追求吃好穿好。修行要先从这些衣食住的放下、淡泊修起。
Ascetic practice means training ourselves to "renounce the body" (i.e. renounce physical desires and cravings). We should realize that no matter how well we take care of it, this body is created and will eventually decay. What does it mean when we speak of "renouncing the body"? It means to wear coarse clothes and to eat simple fare, and in general to live a simple life. To stop craving for lavish clothes, meals, and living conditions is the first step into practice.
修行的路要越苦,才会开智慧。不是希望人家对我好,否则和世俗没两样。
The harder the path of practice, the closer to enlightenment we will be.
Do not expect people to treat us well, otherwise we will be no different than a lay person.
修行要学吃亏,凡事忍让不计较,才会有进步。
Learn to be willing to take losses or be taken advantage of without resentment. Be tolerant rather than calculating so that we may progress in practice.
修行要修到动静无挂碍。什么叫做动静无挂碍?就是在动境中心不动,不被(动)转;而静时也没有(静)的念头,不执着(静)相。
Keep on practicing until we are capable of remaining tranquil and unfettered whether in action or stillness. What does this mean? It means that while we are active, our mind should stay calm and unswayed by our concerns. While we are in stillness, we must not cling to the thought, or to the appearance, of the stillness.
(念佛扫尘埃,莲花朵朵开。)就是说修行人要有正念,随时以念佛转我们的心,把恶念都转为正念。
"Sweep the dust by chanting the name of (Amitabha) Buddha, and the Lotus will blossom and flourish." This stanza means that we practitioners ought to be guided by right mindfulness, purify our minds and turn all evil thoughts into proper ones by incessant mindfulness of the Buddha.