神秘經驗 About mysterious experience

神秘經驗 About mysterious experience

相信很多人都有求神拜佛的經驗，不管你的祈求內容是什麼 ?  應該都會想知道究竟有沒有神在聆聽你訴說?

About mysterious experience
I believe many people have worshipped Buddha at temples to pray to gods for blessing before. No matter what you earnestly pray for, you may wonder if there is a god listening to your prayer.

 

神給你好運氣，是祂製造出來的?! 還是祂去別的地方拿的，人們一定肯定說，祂製造出來的，因為神無所不能(請注意，神的定義是廣泛包含各民族被祈求的神)，在這裡 我不想探討神是不是存在? 我比較有興趣說說人性。

在很多神話裡，都記載說有些特殊人格但也屬於人的人，祂們一生下來，就是無敵鐵金鋼，既不怕水也不怕火，因為掌握水與火甚至大地一切的，正是祂們。

一般人生下來就有人性，會貪婪，膽小，陷害別人，這些特質無敵鐵金鋼一點點都沒有，祂有的是權勢，勇敢，智慧，而且不需要歷練，徹頭徹尾的天生麗質，還好像，應該說是屬於祂的資源永遠都用不完，誰站在這樣人的面前，都顯得渺小，自卑，除了頂禮膜拜加祈求祂給自己一些什麼外! 還能想些什麼?

Does god himself make the good luck he gives you? Or does he take it from somewhere else? People will certainly say god makes it himself because he is almighty. (please note, the definition of god here extensively includes gods that people of various nationalities earnestly hope to) Here, I don’t want to probe into if god exists. I am more interested in talking about human nature.

A lot of myths speak of some humans with special characteristics. They were born almighty and fearless of fire and water. It’s they that control fire, water, and even everything in the world.

Ordinary people are born with human nature, such as greed, timid, and framing others. In contrast, the almighty, born perfect in power, brevity, and wisdom, seem to own endless resources effortlessly.

Whoever standing in front of such people appears insignificantly small, inferior. What else can he think of other than worshiping or praying?

 

世界上各個宗教所寫著的書，我看是數也數不完，既然要寫這麼多書，還發明一大堆修持的方法，基本上就是承認誰都是人，需要透過磨練才有較令人滿意的樣子.

如果說一個教主或導師一生下來就跟我們不一樣，祂沒有人性的麻煩跟無能，請問我如何跟祂學習，克服人性的本領，就算只是祈求祂給自己一些什麼 ! 那也要祂聽的懂(哈)，比如說，一個醫生從來沒有過生病的經驗，從來沒有喔! 那 他真的知道你身體的痛苦，真的知道什麼叫做痛(因為他沒有痛過)。如果你是他的病人，他會允許你的病他治不好嗎?  治不好一定是病人的問題 !?  因為他沒生病過。

同樣的，如果你祈求好運，那好運就來臨，你不必負擔任何支出，你真的可以就這麼放心享用，因為神特別眷顧自己，因為自己實在是長的太可愛了，還是自己已經淪為魔鬼的人員，還很高興在享用大餐。

There are countless religious books about all kinds of methods for practicing in the world. These books basically admit that Practice enables humans to become better and more satisfying. If a founder of a religion or a mentor were born differently from us and free of human weakness, could he teach me how to overcome human weakness? How can he answer my prayer? He should at least understand what I lack and am praying for. For example, if a doctor is never ever sick, not even once, can he really understand the pain of your body or what pain is? (because he has never experienced pain before). If you are his patient, will he accept that he is unable to cure you? It must be your problem if he can’t cure you. Because he doesn’t get sick. Similarly, if you get whatever you pray for at no expense every time, can you enjoy your good luck at ease? Why do you always get what you pray for? Is it because you are so adorable and God favors you? Or is it just because you have sunk down into being a member of devils unconsciously?

 

 很多的神話敘述把人性這部份抽離，一抽開人性後，讓有人性的人無從對應(不知道沒有一般人性格的人，是長什麼樣子?)，無從對應當然更無法分辨祂是誰? 那如果說我很怯懦，需要能力，也承認自己是這樣的人，等於把精神體從看不見的世界，拉到自己摸的著的眼前，也就是清楚知道自己欠缺的是什麼!?這時候很多神秘的幻想應該會消失。

In many myth stories, human nature is drawn out, letting a man with human emotions not know how to deal with his human nature.(I wonder what a person without human nature looks like) If I confess that I am coward and need ability to overcome it, I drag myself from the invisible world to face problems at present.

And much mysterious imagination may disappear at this instant.

佛教自己常說佛陀是大醫王，能治癒眾生一切病(指心理病)，卻也不允許說他是從人修學成功的，也是認為一生下來就有神蹟，結果很多本來可以談的清楚的修法，硬被說成神秘經驗。

Buddhists regard Buddha as King of the doctor, who can heal all mental sicknesses. They think he was great because he was born of miracles, not because he succeeded in elevating himself from a human being. This attitude forces many practicing methods which can be clarified originally to become mysterious.

 

是不是人性本來就希望有救世主，由救世主去承擔一切，才是神話形成的主要原因，希望有救世主當然不希望祂是人，如果是人怎麼來救我，甚至於承受自己的罪。

回頭看人也太小看自己了，人性雖然很麻煩，對有心去對治自己的人，依然可以走出一條大道，比如說；我每次做錯事就讓自己做討論，還付出努力要赳正自己，時間一久應該可以見到不一樣的自己，這種有成就的改造自己，相信會讓人覺的活著很重要，因為要花很多時間塑造自己，自己創造的自己，意義上來說，遠遠勝過一切神蹟。

Is it humanity to hope for a savior to shoulder everything for us and thus forms mythology? We don’t expect the savior to be a human being. How can a human save us and shoulder our sin? Actually, human beings underestimate themselves. Though human nature is troublesome, those who are determined to cultivate themselves can still walk their own paths. For example, every time when I do something wrong, I reflect on my behavior and take actions to correct it up. I may see a different me after doing this for a long time. The achievement of self-remolding makes living worthwhile. Spending long time remolding and constructing ourselves means far more beyond the miracles of gods.

 

 

如果佛陀真的是遠勝於一般人的人，那他的偉大來自教學與修行成功，不是生下來就跟我們不一樣。

Should Buddha be greater than ordinary people, it’s because he succeeded in cultivating himself by Practice, not because he was born differently from us.

 

 

看不見的空間可以付予許多的想像，愈神秘人們愈有興趣，但一個人通過努力讓怯懦變勇敢時，那也是夢寐以求的。

Things beyond sight leave much space for imagination. The more mysterious it is, the more interested we are. Making efforts to elevate ourselves, to turn cowardliness into brevity is also what we seek eagerly.

  Master Ban Ji
  Translated by Grace Tsai
  Proofread by Sophiea Kuo   

忍耐 About tolerance

忍耐  About tolerance

有人跟我說，有宗教信仰後，對別人的不好態度都用忍耐面對，結果弄得自己疲乏，事情也沒有解決。

自古忍耐就是一種美德，不斷被讚頌著，其實每一種對人事的看法，都無法臆測真正實行以後，它會呈現的面貌，也不見得是被提倡的想法不對，用幾個角度來看看，1 如果對別人的不友善，都無法忍受，那有可能自己也得常陷入跟人紛爭的世界，2 如果每件不愉快的事都用忍耐的態度去承受，誰都會被壓垮，3 有良心的人反擊別人以後，通常會自己先難過

About tolerance

Someone tells me a view that a religious practitioner should tolerate all the negative attitudes from others. However, tolerance doesn’t solve the problem, only to make one exhausted.

Tolerance, in Chinese culture, has been a virtue for long and is praised constantly. No one can predict exactly what will happen if we bring our ideas toward people/ things into action. The view mentioned above may not be wrong. However, let’s consider it in some angles. First, if we can’t endure unfriendliness from others, we may often have to conflict with others. Second, whoever collapses if he takes everything negative with tolerance. Third, after fighting back, a conscientious man usually feels sorry first.

有宗教信仰的人，通常認為我不犯人，別人也不要犯我，這是一種事情還沒發生，就已經想好了的立場，結果往往是挨打，因為別人不是你可以掌握的，別人也不見得認同你，但認同忍耐的人，也不會輕易相信忍耐是沒有用的，那是不是會造成一種現象，被攻擊後一直安慰自己，我這麼忍耐事情一定會自動解決，我相信有天理的制裁。

A religious man usually presumes that if I don’t attack people, they won’t attack me. But he often suffers. You can’t control others because they may not see eye to eye with you. People choosing to tolerant don’t accept tolerance is useless easily. After being attacked, they comfort and persuade themselves that things will be solved by themselves if they keep tolerating. They believe attackers will be punished by justice.

剖析一下，被攻擊是動態，有動作的，靜待事情被解決是靜態的，哪一個會產生作用(結果)，如果自己完全清楚事情要解決，是要去想辦法做的，這樣的話，對自己的遭遇是不是會有不一樣的看法，至少比忍耐多出幾種想法，做法。

Just to analyze, being attacked is dynamic and in action, while waiting quietly for things to be solved is static. Which can cause an effect (a result)? Once you know clearly something needs to be solved, you should try to solve it. This way, you will take your situation differently. And other than tolerating, you will have more ideas and ways of facing it.

佛學裡邊提供了打坐(增強定力，進而產生抗壓能力)思考能力(想辦法解決事情)，定與慧交換使用，但對一般人來說，太遙遠了，摸不著，然而人際關係本身就是一個大題目，自己沒有一些思想內容，怎麼能讓自己過上好日子?! 更何況大部份的教學都傾向清心寡欲，不與人爭，讓人不選擇忍耐都不行，外面都說:退一步海闊天空，但退一步所帶來的傷害，要自己承當得起來。跟進一步都是一樣的，進一步也不容易。

Buddhism provides meditation (to build up concentration and the ability to resist pressure) and thinking ability (to have wisdom to solve problems). Concentration and Buddhist wisdom swap to use in Buddhism practice. But it’s too distant and untouchable for ordinary people. The interpersonal relationship itself is a big issue. How can you live confidently and freely if you don’t think and work out your own philosophy of life? Most teachings require us to have less desire, not to conflict with others, and thus force us to tolerate. Some may preach, “One step back, all troubles away.” But when stepping back, you need to face the music just as progressing further. Neither is easy.

 

 

真實的釋迦佛陀帶著一個大團體在活動(出家，在家二眾)，不可能只教人忍耐，如同孔子帶三千子弟，教學方式也是面面俱全，大家都期盼帶出智，仁，勇的弟子，絕非只是一個教學觀點而已，後世的人自己懶惰變得只喜歡簡易的，自以為瀟洒的哲學，我說；退一步海是藍的，進一步海也是藍的，不要再隨意給別人口號似的哲理，一個帽子一扣，扣死所有人的腦袋，偏偏喜歡給人帶帽子的，一大堆。

再有，人傾全力去解決事情，事情也不見得就被解決，這也是有智慧的人必須接受的。

半寄

 The real Buddha led and taught big groups of people (monks/nuns and Buddhists at home), and he definitely not taught them to tolerant only. Just as Confucius had 3000 pupils, his teaching methods were well considered in every respect. Both hope to train their pupils to be wise, kind, and brave, instead of teaching them only one viewpoint. The later generation tends to like simplified and (what they think) smart philosophy because of their laziness. I say, “When stepping back, the trouble is there. And when progressing further, the trouble is also there. “Don’t teach people slogan-like philosophy easily because it stops many people from thinking. Unfortunately, many people like to preach such philosophy.

Furthermore, sometimes things just can not be solved even when we try our best to solve them. A person with wisdom also needs to accept this fact.
 

 Master Ban Ji

 Translated by Grace Tsai

 Proofread  by Sophiea Kuo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

論佛學念頭(想法) About the notion in Buddhism

About  the notion in Buddhism
我用新的，易懂的觀點再來寫一些內容，讓佛學更易於一目了然
論佛學念頭(想法)

生 老 病 死 人生四大階段，前面三個階段容易看見，唯有死亡孤單而且看不到，也無法再跟旁人交代什麼感受，一切任憑活著的人想像，於是有人認為死亡前有了什麼想法 (也就是所謂念頭) 是會引導人去投胎在那邊的，比如說；我死亡前很生氣(瞋恨心)不管生氣是為了什麼 ? 都可以導引我去投胎在所謂瞋恨世界裡。
 I will write some articles in a new and easy to understand viewpoint to make Buddhist teachings easier and clearer.

About the notion in Buddhism

Everyone experiences four stages in his life ---birth, aging, illness and death. We can observe the first three stages easily. Only death is lonely and invisible. Since a dead person can not tell how he feels to other people, everything about death is but the imagination from the living people. Therefore, some people may suppose that what a man thinks (so-called a notion) before death may lead him to reincarnate in a certain world. For example, if a man were angry before his death, he would be led to a world of anger and hatred, no matter why he was so angry.

 

佛教講輪迴也就是一部份學說認為人有下一世；有下一世去哪裡投胎，出生，就變的很重要。但是佛教也講因，緣，果，一生的努力應該是最重要的，比如說；我一生樂於助人，累積了100分的助人果實，不可能因為我要去世時跟人有些不愉快，便一切化為烏有，反之，我一生不樂於助人，也不可能去世前做了一件1分的善事，就可以得到100分的果。
Some Buddhist teachings discuss transmigration (of the soul) and an afterlife. If there’s an afterlife, where we may reincarnate becomes important. However, Buddha also taught us about Causes, Conditions, and Karmic results (Karma). According to Karma, all the efforts in our life should be the most important. For example, if I am glad to help others in my life, I may accumulate 100 points of Karmic results of helping people. The 100-point Karmic result will not disappear completely just because I have something unpleasant with other people before my death. Contrarily, if I am not happy to help others, I will not get a 100-point Karmic result just because I have done a one-point good deed before my death.

人一生的行為就是一個記錄器，你(妳)耕耘的一切帶著你(妳)走向自己的路，自己的前途，這才是佛法要說的，死亡，人生最後階段，也是最無力的階段，真能引發什麼下一世的後果嗎 ?

The acts in one’s life are like a recorder. All your efforts lead you to your own path and to your own future. This is what Buddha really tried to teach us. Can death, the last and the most helpless stage of one’s life, result in any consequences in an afterlife?

在所有的佛經裡，都要求修學者必須要有智慧，有智慧的第一個條件是大腦要動，但是大部份的人都是照單全收，比如我前面說的，有人說動一個唸頭(想法)便可以引導你去哪裡 ?!

All Buddhist texts require practitioners to have wisdom. The pre-requisite to be wise is to have your brain question, think and distinguish. However, most people accept things without doubt, such as the argument I discussed before “a notion before death determines where you may go”.

事實是人的大腦24小時都在動，請問諸君哪一個想法會這麼可怕，一下就把人帶到一個世界，能一下就把人帶走的，只有一個，不管好與壞，是想法加執行力造就的力量。

In fact, our brain runs twenty four hours a day. What kind of inking, may I ask, is so powerful that it can lead a man to a certain world right away? Only one thought, whether good or bad, can do this. It’s the power of putting a thought into practice.

為什麼念頭(想法)在修行路上變得這麼重要，稍有練習過打坐的人都知道，一坐下來整個腦袋亂七八糟，所謂妄念紛飛，這時候自己通常會嚇倒，好像從來不認識自己一般，從來不知道自己的腦袋這麼亂。

Why does a thought become so important in practice? A man who has the experience of meditation knows that once sitting down, he has all kinds of thoughts in his brain. He may be shocked by the unfamiliar self and his chaotic brain.

 很多修學過的人，都希望自己能有一顆清晰的腦袋，一個聽從自己的大腦，叫它不要亂想它就要乖乖入定(專心)，於是在修學過程中有念頭(想法)是不對的，漸漸形成共識，還有在極端安靜的氣氛裡，哪怕一個呼吸都顯得很清楚，沉重，混濁，更何況來自內心的一切想法，就算是妄念紛飛都顯得可怕。

Many practitioners hope to have clear brains.  They hope to have brains that listen to themselves and can concentrate right away when they ask. Therefore, it becomes a common consensus that it’s wrong to have thoughts when in practice. In a silent atmosphere, even a breath appears so obvious, heavy and loud, not to mention of all the thoughts in the brain. The chaotic thoughts in the brain appear so horrible.

  

被自己嚇一大跳後，對大腦裡的念頭開始感到可怕，從起初練習打坐，到跟自己的想法拉扯，反反復復訓練自己專心，兩三年後有些人大腦專注力獲得提升，站上高一層的修學者開始覺得大腦蘊藏無限寶藏，延著大腦產生的學問，大量大量出現。

After being shocked by themselves, people start to feel horrible about the thoughts in their brains. From practicing meditation, torn by their own thoughts, to training themselves to concentrate over and over again, some people elevate the concentration of their brains after two or three years . The high-level practitioners start to feel the brains contain endless treasures and numerous knowledge emerged.


人自我發現自己，進一步築構成學理，過程也像歷險記，有血有淚有歡樂。

The process of a man finding himself and further forming a theory is just like an adventure. It’s full of tears and joys.

用腦的人相信腦,用身體的人相信身體,其實一個念頭（想法）就衹能是一個因（起頭）,不管是平時的想法或者是打坐中有的念頭，都需要緣（動力作用）的助長,緣是條件成立的関鍵,更可能是一件事情或者修行成不成功的主要因素，比如說; 我想自己種菜吃，想有什麼？是一個因, 再下來從擁有種子到播下種子，到灌溉，除蟲,施肥，種種緣的條件促成，才能再論及果的收成.

Those who use their brains trust their brains, and those who use their bodies trust their bodies. Actually, a single thought can only be a Cause( start). A notion, whether in ordinary times or in meditation, needs the help of a Condition(the power of putting a thought into practice). The Condition is the crux to determine whether a condition is valid or not, and even, to determine whether a thing /practice is successful or not. For example, I want to grow some vegetables to eat. What kind of vegetable I want to eat is a Cause. The following steps of having seeds, planting seeds, watering, getting rid of bugs, and fertilizing bring about the harvest. All kinds of conditions, the Condition, contribute to Karmic results.

如果有人在大腦裡耕耘成功，那真是可喜可賀，要不然平常人的一個念頭，真真是太薄弱了，怎可能決定自己的命運。

It’s worth celebrating if a man succeeds in cultivating his brain.  Otherwise, how can a man’s notion, I fit were so weak and powerless, can determine his own destiny

我住的這地方傳播一個念頭的說法，影響很多人最後一口氣。

半寄

The statement that notion before death affects the last breath of many people is widely spread in the place where I live (here in Taiwan).
 

Master Ban Ji 
                                                                                                         Translated by Grace Tsai
                                                                                                         Proofread by Sophiea Kuo