All of our thoughts and behaviours in this life can bring about karmic obstacles. Greed, hatred and ignorance, and attachment to self and others, are all sources of karmic obstacles. But how can we prevent them from forming?
今世的每个想法每个行为都有可能产生业障，贪瞋痴，我执他执，都是业障的来源。怎样才能使业障不生呢？
First, we need to rely on moral discipline. Moral discipline helps us change our shortcomings, habits, temperament and to rid ourselves of greed and hatred. Humans have a wide array of habits and temperaments. Some people justify their behaviour by saying things like: “I am a straightforward person and I always speak my mind.” But is that acceptable? Even pretending you know something when you do not is regarded as the committing of verbal karma – let alone showing disrespect to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. If you do not make any changes, you do not morally discipline yourself, and you continue to drink and consume meat, how could you cultivate your mind? Moral discipline forms the foundation of the Buddhist teachings of Morality (Precepts), Concentration and Wisdom. Only when we change and discipline ourselves can we reduce the formation of karmic obstacles and maintain concentration, so that we are able to resist temptations and shun ignorance – and develop wisdom.
第一靠戒，戒就是改，改掉毛病，改掉习惯，改掉脾气，去掉贪和瞋。人都有这样那样的习惯，或者是脾气，“我这个人就是直，有啥说啥”，能行吗？连不懂装懂都是口业，更别提不敬佛不敬菩萨。不改不戒，照喝酒照吃肉，怎么修心？戒是戒定慧中的基础，只有改了戒了，才能减少业障的产生，才能定住，才能不受诱惑，才能不痴，有智慧。
After taking action to overcome our major shortcomings, the next step is to “battle against selfish thoughts in an instant”, which is a high level of practice. It is a Buddhist saying meaning that while our malicious thoughts or negative intentions are still in the subconscious mind, we can have an instant realisation that they are unwholesome and therefore nip them in the bud before they form. With this method, we can prevent karmic obstacles from ever forming. Conversely, should we allow these thoughts to lead us by the nose, malicious thoughts will then take shape, resulting in the formation of karmic obstacles. Apparently, this step is far more challenging than refraining from the consumption of alcohol and meat.
大毛病戒了，下一步就是高层次的“狠斗私心一闪念”。这其实是佛家的一句话，就是说在恶念或不好的意识还在下意识的时候，就要马上意识到它是不对的，将其掐灭在没形成的状态中，这样一来就不会变成业障。如果顺着它想下去，恶念就形成了，变成业障了。这一步明显比戒酒戒肉食要难得多。
Moving on to the next phase, we will need to face an even greater demon within us: our inner demon. It is caused by our karmic obstacles, and also serves to bring about more major karmic obstacles. This is the exclusive domain of the highly cultivated person. Only by facing it, seeing through it and becoming enlightened are we able to eliminate our inner demon.
然后就是更高一层的心魔了，心魔是由业障引起的也会带来更大的业障。这只有修为很高的人才能有，也只有面对、看破，悟了才能灭心魔。
Needless to say, seeing through the nature of things is not simple. It encompasses a highly advanced cultivation philosophy, such as getting rid of attachment to self and others, eliminating attachment to forms, seeing that all sentient beings are equal, and so on. However, we cannot simply resolve our problems through learning theory. To illustrate: when one sees a beautiful young lady, an ordinary person will admire her superficial beauty and outward appearance. However, for one with a certain level of spiritual practice, they would see this physical body as “a sack of skin”. In other words, there is no attachment or grasping to forms. This is what wisdom is all about.
当然看破也不是那么简单的，这里包括很高的修为理念，像除我执除他执，破除相，无众生相等，单单从理论上学习是不能解决问题的。举些简单的生活中的例子：见到一个漂亮的姑娘，平常人只会看到她表面的美，欣赏其外表，但修为到了卢台长的地步，会说：哎，一个天女下来了，犯错了，要好好修啊，不然回不去了，可怜哪。因为我能看到她的前生，接收的信息多理解更全面，所以卢台长就能看破“皮囊”，去掉“执”，不着相，这就是慧。
另外对钱财功名有几个人能看破能放下？卢台长看得破，因为卢台长看到了轮回，看到这位老人家会转生为男，而且下一世是搞科学的，看到了人家有财是累世福报，这人一生坎坷是因为上一世作恶太多，也看到人生是一个人的短暂的一部分，修行是真正能带走的东西。
Wealth should also be perceived in the same way – as a “sack of skin” – because there must be a reason for its gain or loss. Just like a professional mountaineer makes their way to the top of a snowy mountain, they understand that stamina is very precious. To avoid any possible waste, every step they take must be carefully considered. Even the weight they carry needs to be accurately calculated – not too much, not too little. At the same, they are fully aware that before nightfall or in the face of an incoming snowstorm, they will have to make their way to a safe campsite.
钱财和皮囊一样，得之有其原因，失之也有其道理。这就像一个专业的登山运动员正在往雪山顶上攀登，他知道体力非常珍贵，每一步都要精确地使用，不能浪费，负重也要精确计算，不能少也绝不能多，同时知道天黑暴风雪就要来临之前，必须赶到下一个安全的宿营地。
At this moment, if they see the rest of the group taking the wrong route – some enjoying the scenery, others chasing after antelopes – they will urge them not to waste any more energy and instead embark on the correct route. After all, the antelopes will not be able to save their lives should a snowstorm hit! This underlines the significance of being able to see through the nature of things. To have this ability, one must have wisdom, which needs to be cultivated through moral discipline and concentration. The second tool to prevent karmic obstacles from forming is to possess gratitude. In this context, gratitude does not simply refer to a state of mind, but to its nature as a tool – a Buddhist practice. With humanity’s throng of desires (“seven emotions and six sensory pleasures”), every passion and desire forms karmic obstacles which can only be prevented through gratitude. Gratitude is the only emotional response that is able to prevent the formation of karmic obstacles. It is therefore an effective weapon against greed, hatred and ignorance. As you gradually adopt gratitude in dealing with the people and matter around you, your karmic obstacles will be reduced.
这时候他看到周围有人走了错误路线，有人在看风景，有人在追赶羚羊，所以他就要告诉这些人要走这条路，不要浪费精力，快走吧，暴风雪来了羚羊救不了你。这就是看破与看不破。所以要看破就要有智慧，而要有智慧，就要通过戒定去修。
第二个阻止业障产生的工具是“感恩心”，这里说的感恩心，不是单指心态，它是一个工具，这是一个修行的法门。在人的七情六欲里，每一情每一欲都会产生业障，只有感恩心才可以断绝业障，是“唯一”可以使业障不生的一种心情，也是对付贪瞋痴的有效武器，所以当你逐渐习惯用感恩心去看周围的人和事，业障才会越来越少。
发表于 2022-4-16 09:51:55
