2018年4月11日 星期三

楞嚴経与生活”之三 | 色即是空,空即是色

楞嚴経与生活”之三 | 色即是空,空即是色 

Sitanshu Kumar
作者:Sitanshu Kumar
译者:River

Sitanshu Kumar来自印度,他写了一个对《大佛顶首楞严经》的注解。以下是开头部分(后续具体解释经文的部分尚未写成)的一些注解,这里以英汉对照的形式贴出。

今天发出的是第三篇:色与空。
Form and Emptiness
色与空
“Form is emptiness and emptiness is form” is a famous Buddhist saying. In this section we will discover its relevance to our daily life.
“色即是空,空即是色”,这是一个佛教名言。在这一节我们要去发现它与我们日常生活的关系。

Our civilization places a good deal of emphasis on form. From the shape and color of razor blades to latest model sports car, vast sums of money and effort are spent to give physical matter the “right” form for consumption. In the same mold, we work on our bodies to reach a predefined form which can be acceptable and likable to the members of the opposite sex. Our minds do have an intrinsic sense of beauty and we do seem to get a temporary blip in our state of consciousness when our senses are exposed to pleasing influence. Our effort for the continuation of good effects of form has created the value system, relentless pursuit of “formatic” perfection.
我们的文明对色给与了高度的重视。从剃须刀的颜色与形状到最新款式的跑车,巨大的资金与人力被投入进去,为了给物质对象赋予“正确”的形式(色),可供人们消费。同样地,我们努力改造自己的身体,使之达到预定的形式(色),从而让异性接受与喜  欢。我们的心灵确实具有一种内在的美感,当我们的感官受到一种令人愉悦的影响时,我们的内心似乎确实会出现某种短暂的亮点。

But what is form? If we go by the modern atomic theory, all matter, including the various colors we see, the textures we feel and various pleasing, are all composed of atoms. These atoms are in turn composed of sub-atomic particles. The nucleus of the atom is heaviest structure, and it occupies only a fraction of the volume of the atom. Most of the atom is inherently empty. Of course the argument can be repeated with regards to sub-atomic particles. When physicist conduct experiments with sub-atomic particles, many of these entities (sub-atomic particles) are destroyed, merge into empty space, and are reborn as different particles. The only knowable thing during this process is that certain mathematically definable quantities (like energy and momentum) remain constant, but the exact dynamic of “emptiness and form” eludes human conception.
但是什么是色?如果我们跟随现代原子理论,所有的物质,包括我们看到的各种颜色,我们能感受到的各种物质的质地,各种愉悦的感受,都是由原子组成的。这些原子又是由亚原子粒子组成的。原子核是最重的结构,而它仅仅占据原子体积的一小部分。原子的一大部分是空的。当然,这个论证同样适用于亚原子粒子。当物理学家对亚原子粒子进行实验时,发现许多这些实体(亚原子粒子)会自己淹灭,融入无物的空间,并重新产生不同的粒子。在这个过程中,我们知道的只是某些数学上定义的量(例如能量与动量)是不变的。但是“空与色”的确切机制却未能被人类智力掌握。

For a scientist dealing with intricate laws of nature, form and emptiness are very close. All this is at a very minute scale, will say the skeptics, after all I can not see it with my naked eyes. Is there an example at a larger scale, one a bit more tangible? Yes there is, and it is our universe itself. According to the popular “Big Bang” theory, the universe was created by an energy fluctuation in empty space. Is it not, that the universe itself is a manifestation of emptiness? There are some scientists who believe that matter is continually being created from empty space. Not only tiny sub-atomic particles, but gigantic galaxies with millions of star systems are coming out of the womb of emptiness. Whichever theory you may like, it seems that there is no escape from the suggestion that form and emptinessare closely related.
对于关心自然界内在规律的科学家来说,色与空是非常近的。怀疑者可能会反问,这都是在非常小的尺度,我的肉眼又没有看到。有没有一个大尺度的,更加直观的例子呢?确实有,那就是我们的宇宙本身。根据著名的“大爆炸”理论,宇宙是被虚空中的某种能量波动起伏所创造的。宇宙本身难道不就是空的显现吗?有一些科学家相信物质在不断从虚空中被创造出来。不仅是微小的亚原子粒子,而且是有着数以亿万计的星星的巨大的星系在从虚空的母腹中被产生。无论你喜欢哪种理论,似乎都无法逃避这样的迹象,色与空是紧密相连的。
That is all in the external world, how are form and emptiness related inside me? What is form and emptiness in the mind? Form in the mind consists of two aspects, sound (“Nama” in Sanskrit) and visual image (“Rupa” in Sanskrit). The foundation of our consciousness rests on these two aspects of form together with their dormant static appearance, memory. If one examines carefully, associated with most “forms” are emotional responses (common feelings like fear, anger, pleasure, calmness etc) either positive or negative.
这些都是外在世界的事,那么在我心中,色与空是如何相联系的呢?什么是内心的色与空?内心的色由两个方面组成,声音(梵文中的“Nama”,名)与视觉形象(梵文中的“Rupa”,形)。我们意识的基础就是色的这两个方面,以及它们潜伏的静态形式,记忆。如果你仔细地审视,多数的“色”都关联着某种正面或负面的情绪反应(常见的感觉,例如恐惧,愤怒,快乐,平静,等等)。

The name-image and associated feelings are not fixed but keep changing with time. For example one person may be a darling friend, but becomes a bitter enemy once his treachery is discovered. A chance encounter with him could evoke a totally different emotional response. The same unknown energy which manifested itself as friendship or love was transformed, now manifesting as revulsion or hatred.
名-图象,以及相关联的感觉不是固定的,而是随时变化的。比如说一个人可能是你亲密的朋友,但是一旦你发现他背叛了你,他就变成了可恨的敌人。你再遇到他时就可能会产生完全不同的情绪反应。那个显现为友谊或爱的未知能量转变了,现在显现为冷漠或仇恨。

The dormant memories are another manifestation of the same energy. The situation is not very much unlike than when we described external reality in terms of sub-atomic particles and their interactions. Just as many sub-atomic particles can combine together to form an atomic particle, many simple feelings can combine together to form a complex feeling. For example, take the image of another person that you have built up over the years. This image consists of many hundreds (maybe thousands) of impression, all merging and playing up on each other.
潜伏的记忆是同一种能量的另一种显现。这里的情况与我们用描述的外在世界,亚原子粒子以及它们的相互作用,没有太大的不同,就像许多亚原子粒子可以组合起来形成一个原子,许多简单的感觉可以组合起来形成复杂的感觉。比如说,你多年来建立的关于另一个人的形象。这个形象由几百个(也许几千个)印象组成,这些不同的印象也在相互游戏与融合。

It is much harder to be aware of these image-feelings than the simpler feelings like fear, jealousy, anger etc. The image-feeling complex loads our brain. Our brain have more intrinsic capacities (the fundamental amongst them is happiness), but as long as they occupied (the content of the occupation being form, or image-feeling complex) it does not function freely, its movement become haphazard.
觉知这些复杂的“图象-感觉” ,要比觉知那些更简单的感觉,例如恐惧、嫉妒、愤怒,等等要困难得多。这些“图象-感觉”的复合体是大脑的沉重负担。我们的大脑具有更加内在的能力(其中基本的能力之一是幸福),但是只要它被占据着(占据的内容是色,或者说“图象-感觉”的复合体),它就没法自由地运转,它的运动变得混乱。

How does description given above help us in dealings of our daily life? A lot of us suffer from emotion overload. Our feelings have becomes complex and interdependent. It is increasingly hard to balance ourselves. When our senses pick up any input (sound, light etc.) so many neurons fire together that peace evaporates quickly. If we learn to look at our feeling one by one, and understand that they are the manifestation of the same energy, hopefully we can learn how to transform them into positive vibrations.
上面的描述对我们的日常生活有什么帮助呢?我们很多人都因为情绪负担过重而痛苦。我们的感觉已经变得复杂且相互依赖。保持自身的平衡变得越来越困难。当我们的感官收到任何的输入(声,光等等),如此多的神经元都会受到刺激,以致平静迅速的地蒸发了。如果我们能学会一个一个地看我们的感觉,并理解到它们是同一个能量的显现,或许我们能学会如何把它们转化为正面的东西。

For example take the case of a person making a rude gesture while driving. As soon as this visual gesture hits our eyes, feeling offended (the “I”gets offended, see the chapter “Where Am I”) and threatened, we respond out of our conditioning. I say “out of our conditioning”, because a person from Mars may not understand this at all, and completely fail to react. Our response can be different, some may make a doubly rude gesture, or some may slow down so as not to make a bad situation worse (in most cases the driver is possibly already disturbed even before he makes a gesture). The low diagram below depicts some possibilities.
比如说有人一边开车一边做了一个粗鲁的手势。当这个视觉的手势进入我们的眼睛时,感觉到被冒犯(“我”被冒犯了,参见“我在哪里”那一节)与威胁,我们会根据我们受到的局限来做出反应。我说“根据我们受到的局限”,因为一个从火星上来的人也许根本不理解这个手势,因此就完全没有反应。我们的反应可以很不相同,有的人可能会做一个更粗鲁的手势,或者有的人会把车速降下来,以避免让情况变得更糟(多数情况下,那个司机可能在做出手势以前就已经是心烦意乱了)。下面的图表示了几种可能性。(图略)

Hold Back Reaction
忍住自己的反应
If for some reasons you hold back, you may form or reinforce some opinions about the driver (in terms of drives race, social class, gender etc.) Notice that this opinion is also “form” in the sense we are discussing in this chapter. The incident has further conditioned our brain and will flow in the “alaya” of habits (see chapter on alaya).
如果你由于某种原因忍住自己的反应,你或许会形成或者加强你对那个司机的某种看法(关于司机的种族、社会地位、性别,等等)。注意到这些看法也是“色”,在本节讨论的意义下。这个事件进一步局限了我们的大脑,而且会流入习惯的“阿赖耶”(参见关于阿赖耶的那一节)。
Rude Reaction
粗鲁地反应
In this case, either you are also disturbed, and react out of irritation, or you have an opinion that “tit for at” is a valid response. Opinions are a great cause of disturbing the flux of mind and in turn, a disturbed mind creates multitude of opinions. Opinions are also complex feelings born out of the base of sound visual image along with active principle in the mind.
在这种情况下,要么你也是内心混乱的,从你自己的愤怒中做出反应,或者你有这样的观点,认为以牙还牙是合理的。观点是导致内心之流混乱的主要原因之一,反过来,一个混乱的心则会制造出无数的观点。观点也是一种复杂的感觉,它是从声与光的图像以及心中的活跃要素等基础上产生出来的。
Acute Awareness
敏锐的觉知
As the visual image is captured by the eyes and the mind starts to go in overdrive, if you can observe very acutely the activity of your mind, then at that instant, you and your reaction merge. When there is no division between the two, instead of damage, a creative energy is released. Instead of anger and irritation, the creativity produces thoughts of compassion and love. You have been successful in not falling into the trap of habits, and move one step closer to clearing the stream.
当视觉图像被眼睛捕获,心开始快速地转动时,如果你能非常敏锐地观察你内心的活动,那么在那个瞬间,你和你的反应就融合了。如果没有这两者的分离,那么不是破坏性的,而是创造性的能量就释放了。没有烦躁与愤怒,创造性会导致爱与慈悲的想法。你成功地避免了陷入习惯,向清洗意识之流又走近了一步。




Meditation
冥想


Let me take one step at a time
the one be many
Recognize that form is emptiness
Emptiness is form
Let the formation of complexes cease
The already existing one come to light
Let me take one swipe at a time
The one be many
Let me clear my mind
让我每次走一步
而一就是多
意识到色就是空
空就是色
让内心的复合体形成停止
已经存在的显露出来
让我每次来一次重击
而一就是多
让我把心灵打扫干净

楞嚴経之五 | 如何应对内心的受伤感?

楞嚴経之五 | 如何应对内心的受伤感? 

Sitanshu Kumar
作者:Sitanshu Kumar
译者:River

Sitanshu Kumar来自印度,他写了一个对《大佛顶首楞严经》的注解。以下是开头部分(后续具体解释经文的部分尚未写成)的一些注解,这里以中英文对照的形式贴出。

今天发出的是第五篇:心的受伤感
I AM HURT
我受伤了
(I wrote this after hearing John Mccain say 'I am hurt'.)
(当我听到约翰•麦凯恩说“我感到受伤”之后,我写了这些。)

Watching the presidential debate, I heard one of the candidates say “I am hurt”. It is one of the very difficult feelings to resolve. If left by itself, the intensity of hurt seems to abate, but like a hidden thorn, it is ready to pop up any time. On the other hand, if we play with hurts without understanding the genesis, we run the risk of magnifying the problem and give rise to host of other disturbances.
在看总统竞选辩论的时候,我听到一个候选人说“我感到受伤”。这是一个非常难以解决的感情之一。如果不管它的话,受伤感的激烈程度似乎在下降,但是就像一个隐藏的荆棘,它随时准备跳出来作怪。另一方面说,如果我们去处理伤害,但是却不了解它的根源,我们就有可能把问题放大,并由此因此一堆其它的混乱。

It is almost physically possible to locate it, somewhere right around the heart. It may bring with it depression or rage, a burning sensation in the mind, an impulse to get even, as the hurt tries to purge itself of the toxic content. In the following section we will examine what goes behind the making of  hurts and if it is possible to transform this gnawing feeling into something else.
我们几乎可以从生理上找到伤害的位置,大约在心脏附近。它可能带来抑郁或者愤怒,一种内心燃烧的感觉,一种要报复的冲动,因为那个伤害在试图清除自身的毒素。在这一节,我们将审视伤害形成背后的过程,以及是否有可能将这种令人苦恼的感情转化为其它东西。

What takes place inside our minds when we experience hurt? To illustrate this let us consider an example. Assume that I am leading a very virtuous life, I am honest and hardworking, never indulging in what is held taboo by the society. As I live, day by day, I do think about myself, compare my life to the ideals that I have held, make some adjustment either to positive or negative, and come to a conclusion that I am doing O.K, the image that I constructed for myself corresponds to reality I live.
在我们感到受伤的时候,我们内心发生了什么呢?为了说明问题,让我们看一个例子。假设我活得很道德,我诚实,努力工作,从来不做社会认为是禁忌的事。我每天这样生活,我也想我自己,将我的生活跟我的理想进行比较,做出正面或负面的评判,并得到结论说我活得还不错。我为自己建立的形象与我的真实生活是吻合的。

I have a good friend whom I have known for years. He thinks very highly of me and the ideals that I hold dear. One day, without myexpectation, he comes charging, and accuses me of being a hypocrite, dishonest and self centered. I am in state of shock. As far as I know, I did hold up to the ideals I held dear. An instant after that, I feel hurt. The deep pain at the center of my heart arises. How can I understand this?
我有一个认识多年的好朋友。他对我和我所崇尚的理想都赞赏有加。有一天,出乎我的意料,他跑来指责我说,我是一个伪君子,不诚实,自我中心。我震惊了。因为据我所知,我确实遵循了我所崇尚的理想。我立即感到受伤了。我内心深深的痛苦升起了。我如何来理解这个呢?

Over time, by repeated thinking, consciously or unconsciously I have made an image about myself by identifying with my ideology, lofty principles and notions of the right course of actions. With thought revolving around theses mental objects, there is a center building up in the psyche, which gives me a feeling of solidity. This solid center is constantly gaining momentum (taking up my energy), assigning itself various qualities like wisdom, goodness etc.一段时间以来,通过不断的思想,有意或无意的,我为自己制造了一个形象,将自己认同于自己的意识形态,高尚的原则,以及正确行动的概念。我的思想围绕着这些心理对象,在我的内心形成了一个中心,它给了我一种厚实的感觉。这个坚实的中心在不断获得力量(吸收我的能量),并给自己赋予各种品质,例如智慧,善良等等。

A couple of harsh sentences from an old friend act like a needle in a balloon causing the air inside gush out at a great speed. The sudden deflation of the balloon is the immense pain I feel, as my psychic energies try to re-distribute themselves. The shaken center wants to come down, to disintegrate, and my resistance to it is the pain, a revolt against the sudden emptiness.
一个老朋友几句刻薄的话,就象一根针刺到了气球上,导致里面的空气迅速的排出。气球的突然破裂,就是我感受到的巨大痛苦,我的心理能量在试图重新分配。那个被动摇了的中心要降下来,要解散,而我对此的抵制就是那个痛苦,一种对突如其来的空虚的反叛。

Immediately following the pain is the justification and recrimination. My friend after all, harbored a secret jealousy towards me, he could not countenance my high ideals, he was always critical of me at my back. It is the fault of my judgment, but there is nothing wrong with me.
痛苦来临后,我立即开始辩护与反责。于是我想,我的朋友不过是在偷偷的嫉妒我,他不认同我的崇高理想,他总是在背后批评我。是我认错朋友了,我本身并没有错。

All this is an attempt by the center to re-inflate itself. This whole process may go onfor days, or months, sucking a large quantity of energy. Slowly it may taper off, as the mind gets entangled in other problems. The center is bruised, but still intact, and the next time it will be more careful.
所有这些都是那个中心在试图把自己重新吹起来。
这个过程可能会持续很多天,很多个月,吸走大量的能量。慢慢的它可能逐渐减弱,我们的心开始纠缠于其它的问题。那个中心被擦伤了,但是它还在那,下一次它会更小心。

What is the solution to this unfolding drama? Is it possible to be aware of the pain and the ensuing reverberations in the mind? The reverberations are an escape from the pain. Is it possible to be in direct contact with the searing pain? I think it is very difficult for most of us. Why? As a living species we instinctively try to deflate physical pain. At the psychological level, it is also part of what society teaches us. By avoiding pain once, it may make it doubly worse the next time.这个闹剧如何能被解决呢?我们是否有可能觉知到这个痛苦以及接下来的内心余波呢?那些余波是对痛苦的逃避。是否有可能与灼热的痛苦直接接触呢?我认为这对我们多数人来说是非常困难的。为什么呢?作为一个生物的物种,我们的本能是立即消除生理的痛苦。而在心理层面,这也是社会所教给我们的。但是一次对痛苦的回避,它会使得下一次两倍的糟糕。

面对受伤感,我们可以怎么做?

01
Step1:尽量保持中立
Be aware of the pain and your reaction to it (pretty much everything that arises in your mind after the initial pain is a reaction). Be as neutral as possible, neither tilting towards the pain nor towards the escape. See all the tricks the mind is spinning into.
觉知那个痛苦以及你对它的反应(在最初的痛苦之后,你内心升起的一切基本上都是反应)。尽量保持中立,既不倾向于痛苦,也不倾向于逃避。观察内心围绕它施展的所有伎俩。

Because of the momentum in the sub-stratum, this can go on for a while. If not the pain, then try to experience the escape fully, noticing all the nuances, subtlety and swiftness of the mind. Also notice that how the mind is unable to pacify itself. In the end, it can give up because of sheer exhaustion, when it runs out of the fuel propelling it forward.
由于内心底层的冲力,这可能会持续一段时间。试图充分去体验那些逃避,注意到内心的所有细致,微妙与迅速。也注意到内心在安慰上的无能为力。最后,它可能会因疲惫不堪而放弃,当它耗尽了推动它的燃料。

02
Step 2:充分去体验它
Once the mind has emptied itself of experiencing the escape, it may move back to the pain. This time on, try to experience the pain fully. It may last some days,may be more, try not to shake it off, but be with it. The remarkable thing is that pain is like a dragon which changes its form depending on how you perceive (approach) it. The closer you can get to the pain (the mind will try to distract you, closer here means lesser distraction) the better the chances are for it to get resolved sooner.
当你的心在体验逃避方面清空了自己,你就可以回到痛苦本身。这一次,试图充分体验那个痛苦。它也许会持续一些天,也许更久。
不要试图把痛苦去掉,而是要与它在一起。有意思的是,痛苦就象一条变色龙,它的形态随着你看它(对待它)的方式而变化。你离它越近(你的心会试图转移注意力,这里的近是指不被转移),它更早的消散的可能性就越大。

As I have remarked earlier, there is a great resistance to pain. In the case of physical pain, it is somewhat understandable, all living creatures have it. If you have noticed, children recover from psychological hurts much more quickly. Adults, since they analyze, dissect, plan and brood over the pain, show much less flexibility in dealing with it.
我前面说过,我们对痛苦有巨大的抵抗。对于生理的痛苦,这多少是可以理解的,所有生物都会如此。如果你注意的话,你会发现儿童能从心理伤害中快得多的恢复。

The root cause of hurts is the mind getting conditioned to making images, and doing it with remarkable efficiency. In fact, a lot of our interaction with people happens through images, as if we are wearing colored glasses which is filtering everything coming in. Our experience of hurts adds to this filter that we carry, strengthening, expanding and making it more sensitive.伤害的根源,是因为心习惯于制造形象,而且对此极为擅长。事实上,我们与他人的许多互动都是通过形象完成的,仿佛我们是戴着有色眼镜,过滤我们所看到的一切。我们受伤的经验进一步加在这个过滤镜上,加强它,扩大它,使它更为敏感。

Since there is no pill we can take to get rid of this pain, we may as well work through it.因为世界上没有灵丹妙药能让我们去掉这个痛苦,我们还不如充分去体验它。


Meditation
冥想


May all be protected
愿所有人都被保护
from a wounded heart
免于心灵的伤害
may the ensuing flames of
愿那随之而起的
anger, revenge and numbness
愤怒、复仇的火焰,以及冷荒感
be transformed into
被传化为
all embracing love
拥抱一切的爱
mother divine
神圣的母性
show us your benevolent form
显现你那慈善的面目
beings suffering from hurt
在伤害中痛苦的众生
how can they become
他们如何能够变成
vehicles of peace?
和平的载体
let my hurt transform into
让我的伤害转化成
strength to embrace
all creation
拥抱整个宇宙的力量



一盲引盲:学佛的人越来越多,明理、受益的却很少

一盲引盲:学佛的人越来越多,明理、受益的却很少 

 果戒法师 
现在全国各地学佛的人越来越多,可是明佛理的,真实受益的却很少,其原因就是乱跑,乱信,乱学,没有方向,只知道事相上用功,不知内心觉悟,没有依止师。
如何依止师父,是一个非常关键的问题。学佛过程中必须要依止善知识,才能逐渐明理,这一点,汉传佛教和藏传佛教的说法是一致的。
并没有说学藏传佛教必须要依止法师,学汉传佛教就不需要依止师父,没有这样的说法。每一个教派、每一个宗派都有他们的师父。依止善知识在学佛过程中是非常重要的。
在学佛的弟子中,有很多人在依止师父的心态方面还是会出现一些问题。有些人为了想学习东西而依止善知识,有些人亲近师父是想要得到加持除去工作、生活上,感情上的挫折,有些人依止师父是为了能得到消灾免难,有些人依止的目的是想要得到权力,有些人(尤其是女众)是为了解决感情上的问题。
所以从依止师父这方面来说,不同的学佛人带着不同的目的来依止不同的善知识,这是正常的事情,能否成就,遇缘不同,因为我们都是凡夫、都被错误的思想所污染,所以要让每个人都带着正确的心态依止善知识是很难的。
现代社会里,人们受到环境的污染、电视,电脑,报纸的影响,真的以虔敬、纯净的心依止师父是很难的。我们学佛的人如果不能以正确的心态依止善知识,是很难受益的。在佛陀的教法里,依止师父的目的是为了在善知识那里能得解脱的方法。这样的心态才是正确的。 
佛的经典中谈到过很多关于善知识的内容。虽然学佛必须要亲近善知识,但是在依止善知识、亲近善知识之前必须先要观察,因为在现在末法时代要能遇到具德的善知识还是很难的,不明佛理,搞迷信的很多,魔强法弱,如果不鉴别,就容易出现以盲领盲,最后都掉进六道的大坑里。
一方面是末法时代的关系,诱惑力无处不在,另一方面是自己慧少,福浅的关系。所以,在找依止师的时候要善于观察,第一个就是他通达大乘佛法,另一个是他具有菩提心,他具备为了菩提心、守戒律甚至可以失去生命的信心。具备这样两点就可以。但是这位善知识有没有通达佛法的真实义,弟子却是很难观察到的。
佛法方面弟子自己都不懂,又怎么能观察善知识是否在佛法方面通达呢。要观察善知识是很难的,说难也不难,首先看他是不是真正为众生破迷开悟,宣扬佛陀的教育,我们可以通过事实来观察。
是否慈眼视众生,讲出的法是否于经论一致,是否不见世间过?对众生做出了什么样的奉献?他的一举一动是不是真正为了众生,还是贪生怕死?有没有自私自利的心,有没有贪嗔痴慢,名闻利养,能否真正吃苦了业,还是贪图享受?要在实际生活中观察,这是很重要的。 
我们依止善知识是为了了脱生死,为了离苦得乐,为了成佛,我们不用找一个年青的相貌好的师父,不需要找一个声音好的会唱的等等的师父。哪一位师父能引导我们走佛法解脱的道路,哪一位师父具有开示佛法的智慧,我们就应该依止哪位师父。
这些特质(德行,愿力)都具备的话,他长得不好看也没问题。对佛法有正确、通达的认识,具备慈悲心,不管他是年轻的、老的、有钱的还是贫穷的,都是值得依止的。 
佛陀讲,在依止师父的时候要像对待医生一样。举例来说,师父就像医生,专治众生心病的心理医生,佛法像是良药,修持佛法像是治病,自己则是病人,这是种比喻。
自己在生病的时候找医生,不管他漂亮不漂亮,身材好不好,声音好不好,只要这位医生有能力治疗我们的病,我们不管他长相怎样,不管他是否贫穷,都会请他治疗我们的疾病。
所以我们要以了生死的心态来依止善知识,虔敬心、菩提心,出离心非常重要的,没有善知识指导修行怎样精进也不会受益的,不可以把师父当做明星、歌星来崇拜。现在追随师父的信徒很多都像追明星、歌星一样,这是一种不正确的心态。 
我们得了烦恼的心病,只有善知识才能化解心灵的病苦。我们要看哪一位师父有佛法的良药,就去依止他,不管他年老、年轻,依止善知识就要像找大夫一样,找到真正的大夫才能解除心灵的病苦,才能找到方向。果戒敬勉有缘的同修。阿弥陀佛!