力量Strength

 力量

（南禪潮州讀書會洪雅玲老師回饋文）

在3月的讀書會，有同修問：
為何在雜阿含經時代，修行人聽聞諸法因緣生，諸法因緣滅，就可以證果？

為什麼自己也聽聞也懂得其中道理，也相信了，卻無法證果？

師父說：證入果位，需要有力量，不是只有理解。證入是要和自己博鬥過的。
沒有和自己博鬥過，沒有力量，便無法證入。
聽了師父的說法，關於修行的力量是什麼？
如何定義？
如何形成力量？這問題像ㄧ團謎霧，在腦中徘徊。
我想，修行必需在人間鍛煉。
所以我想看看自己的經驗，是否能應用在修行上。

今年的前三個月，我有一個非常難過傷心的事，那就是女兒對我的挑戰。
從年初我們ㄧ家四口到釜山旅行，
到家族旅行和我的弟妹家人ㄧ行11人到日本10天，
到回桃園過年期間，
所有我的一言一行，ㄧ舉一動，女兒都持反對意見，
好像我既笨又蠢，她也不跟我說話，只是用無奈又銳利的眼神看我，
她對其它人都溫柔和善，唯獨對我不爽。

只要我一靠近她，她就閃開。到後來，我都不敢看她的臉，只要和她相處，我的心就像被刀割過，
心在淌血，

但在親友面前我卻必須笑笑裝沒事。之前，她回家，我會邀她一起去遛狗散步，她會跟我說一些她的事，

但後來，我根本不敢邀她。除夕夜的晚上，我蓋著棉被，默默留淚，她就睡在我旁邊，
但心裡的距離卻好遙遠。

過年後，我幾乎放棄和她互動了，我想也想不通我到底做錯什麼？我想，我應該是一個失敗的媽媽吧！

但自憐自艾也沒用，有一天，我找先生談一談，他說我做事太急了，
有時沒用大腦。（先生和女兒很合，
他們倆個同頻率，ㄧ樣聰明）

舉個例子：去日本自駕，先生開車，本來是我要坐副駕，但女兒瞧不起的說：
妳確定妳可以嗎？
她知道我會緊張兮兮又沒方向感。
而她看一眼導航就知道要往哪裡走了。
後來女兒坐副駕，她們父女倆果真全程合作順暢。

除了太急以及沒用大腦，我慢慢思索自己的其它問題，發現自己好多的問題，
像：容易預設立場、責任感太重、沒有安全感、容易緊張、
太著急想幫別人解決問題（沒有給別人時間和空間）、
希望每一個人都好、認爲自己能幫別人達成最佳利益而忽略別人的想法、完美主義、圓滿的想法、犧牲自己來迎合別人。

我又發現，我之所以會有以上的想法，來自於我的成長背景所形成。
總覺得好像肌肉和血液會有記憶，它們已深刻在身上的每一處。僅管已時過境遷，它們依然頑固的跟隨著我。

當我覺察這些，我好像忽然明白，女兒為什麼不喜歡我了。
她應該是覺得我又急又煩、又笨又緊張吧！

於是，我開始慢慢修正自己，當內心的念頭出現，我開始思考那些念頭，
並告訴自己不要那麼做。

要扭轉那些念頭很難，但值得試一試。

那些念頭是代表我，我就是那些念頭所組成的，
如果我有能力觀察並打破那些念頭，
是否也代表我有力量衝破一點點「無我」的概念。

對我而言，「無我」的概念在一次次的自我認識與挑戰中完成。

心理學可能可以分析為什麼我會有那些念頭的由來，
但它卻無法導向至「無我」的層面。
這是我覺得佛法最厲害的地方。
4月女兒生日，我和先生北上找女兒吃個飯，
我心裏其實很怕面對她。

沒想到，她這次竟然很溫和，沒有動不動就批評我或給我銳利的眼神，或許，當我開始意識到問題點並改變時，她可以感受到，然後她也有可能改變。這時，諸法因緣生、諸法因緣滅，因緣是否會有所不同了？

文/洪雅玲

半寄：雅玲應該脫胎換骨一次了！

雅玲：沒有、沒有啦！哈。

痛到底，只好自己想辦法找通路。

看清前因後果不容易，卻可以讓自己往正確的道路前進。

Strength

(Feedback from Teacher Hong Yaling, NanZen Chaozhou Study Club)

 

At our March study club, a fellow practitioner asked:

Why was it that, in the time of the Samyukta Āgama, practitioners could attain enlightenment simply by hearing that all phenomena arise from causes and conditions, and cease due to causes and conditions?

Why is it that we also hear this teaching, understand it, and even believe it—yet still cannot attain realization?

 

Master Banji replied: To attain a stage of realization, one must have strength. Understanding alone is not enough. Realization requires struggling with oneself.

Without that inner struggle, without strength, one cannot attain it.

 

After hearing this, I kept wondering:

What exactly is the “strength” in spiritual practice?

How should it be defined?

How is it developed?

These questions lingered in my mind like a fog.

 

I thought that true practice must be refined in everyday life.

So I reflected on my own experiences to see whether they could apply to practice.

 

In the first three months of this year, I went through something very painful—my daughter’s rejection of me.

 

From our family trip to Busan at the beginning of the year,

to a 10-day trip to Japan with 11 family members,

to returning to Taoyuan for the Lunar New Year—

in everything I said and did, my daughter disagreed with me.

 

She seemed to think I was foolish and incompetent. She barely spoke to me, only looking at me with sharp, helpless eyes.

She was kind and gentle to everyone else—just not to me.

 

Whenever I approached her, she would avoid me. Eventually, I didn’t even dare to look at her face.

Every time we were together, it felt like my heart was being cut by a knife.

 

Yet in front of relatives, I had to smile and pretend everything was fine.

 

Before, when she came home, I would invite her to walk the dog with me, and she would share things about her life.

But later, I didn’t even dare to ask.

 

On New Year’s Eve, I lay under the covers, quietly crying. She was sleeping right beside me, but emotionally, we felt worlds apart.

 

After the New Year, I almost gave up trying to connect with her.

I couldn’t figure out what I had done wrong. I thought maybe I was just a failure as a mother.

 

But self-pity didn’t help. One day, I talked to my husband, Wenzong.

He said I tend to act too hastily and sometimes don’t think things through.

(He and our daughter get along very well—they think alike and are both quick-minded.)

 

For example, during our self-driving trip in Japan, he was driving. I was supposed to sit in the front passenger seat, but my daughter said dismissively,“Are you sure you can do that?”

 

She knew I get nervous and have a poor sense of direction.

She, on the other hand, could understand the navigation at a glance.

 

In the end, she sat in the front seat, and the two of them worked together smoothly the entire trip.

 

Besides being too hasty and not thinking clearly, I gradually reflected on other issues I have.

I realized I have many patterns, such as: jumping to conclusions, taking on too much responsibility, feeling insecure, getting nervous easily, being too eager to solve others’ problems (without giving them space), wanting everyone to be well, assuming I know what is best for others while overlooking their feelings, perfectionism,wanting everything to be “just right,” and sacrificing myself to please others.

 

I also realized that these patterns came from my upbringing.

 

It felt as if my body—my muscles and blood—carried these memories. Even though time had passed, they still stubbornly stayed with me.

 

When I became aware of all this, I suddenly understood why my daughter didn’t like me. She probably found me anxious, overwhelming, foolish, and stressful to be around.

 

So I began to slowly change myself.

When certain thoughts arose, I started to observe them and tell myself not to act on them.

 

It’s difficult to reverse these patterns, but it’s worth trying.

 

These thoughts represent me—I am made up of them.

If I can observe and break through them,

does that mean I have some strength to move closer to the idea of “non-self”?

 

For me, the concept of “non-self” is gradually realized through repeated self-awareness and self-challenge.

 

Psychology may explain why I have these patterns, but it cannot lead to the level of “non-self.” That, to me, is where the power of the Buddha’s teachings truly lies.

 

In April, for my daughter’s birthday, my husband and I went north to have a meal with her. I was actually quite afraid to face her.

 

But unexpectedly, she was gentle this time. She didn’t criticize me or give me sharp looks.

Perhaps when I started to recognize my own issues and change, she could feel it—and she began to change as well.

 

At that moment, I wondered:

If all things arise and cease due to causes and conditions,

then when the causes and conditions change, wouldn’t the results also change?

(Written by Hong Yaling)

 

Banji: “Yaling must have gone through a complete transformation!”

 

Yaling: “No, no, not really! Haha. When the pain reaches its limit, you just have to find a way through.”

 

It’s not easy to clearly see causes and results,

but once you do, it can guide you onto the right path.

浩然正氣The Moral Force of Righteousness

 浩然正氣（只問蒼生）

讀書會上名列優良教師的雅惠老師，
已經多次提到，為什麼儒家思想（華人傳統思想）講的「浩然正氣」沒有辦法保護她？

她遭遇家長詛咒般的惡靈糾纏，滿腔熱血被澆熄退休了！
我說：佛法提出的「觀察」，可以補儒家教育的不足，
而且佛法講的「不定法」，可以提醒我們不要被先前的教育制約，
話雖如此，但遭遇冷酷摧殘的對待，當事人是難以平息怒火的。

讀書會上，老師們往往會提起課堂上家長的刁難，以致於，現在願意擔任教職的人越來越少，
這種惡性循環令人擔憂！

好的教育，循環出優良的力量，是善良人們的立足基礎點保護。

久違的鳳玲老師意外的現身，她家很辛苦的在照顧行動不方便，唸成大航太系博班的女兒，
都不太能自由活動了，還跑去買台南排隊時實麵包來送我，
消保官退休的國禎，在幫我們送讀書會午餐，昨天又買了新的冰品非常好吃。

這群老師們跟我建立了一定的思想默契，什麼都可以討論，一場讀書會下來，總是非常舒心！❤️

惠宜家的醫學背景，也可以跟我在醫學到政治上產生一種認同的溝通，
感謝這一群緣聚。

以及基金會執行長芳純提供的溫暖場地。
半寄

The Moral Force of Righteousness

 

During our study club, Ms. Yahui—an award-recognized educator—has repeatedly questioned why the Confucian idea (traditional Chinese thought) of “moral, righteous energy” failed to protect her.

 

She experienced serious harassment from a parent, almost like being haunted by something evil. In the end, she lost her passion and had to retire.

I explained that Buddhism teaches “observation,” which can help where Confucian education is limited. Also, the idea of “non-fixed teachings” reminds us not to be restricted by what we learned before.

Even so, when someone is treated with such cold cruelty, it’s only natural that anger is hard to let go of.

 

In our discussions, teachers often bring up how difficult parents can be in the classroom. As a result, fewer and fewer people are willing to enter the teaching profession. This vicious cycle is truly worrying.

 

Good education creates a positive cycle and provides protection for kind people.

 

After a long absence, Ms. Fengling showed up unexpectedly. Her family has been under great pressure, taking care of her daughter, who studies for a PhD in aerospace engineering but now has limited mobility.

Despite these difficulties, she still bought famous bread from Tainan and brought it to me.

Mr. Guozhen, a retired consumer protection officer, has been helping deliver lunch for us. Yesterday, he also brought some new desserts, which were very delicious.

 

This group of teachers and I understand each other well. We can discuss anything, and every meeting feels relaxing and comfortable. ❤️

Huiyi’s medical background also allows us to communicate well, from medicine to politics.

I am grateful for this group of people,

and for Executive Director Fangchun for providing such a warm place.

 

Master Banji

法眼淨The Purification of the Dharma Eye

 法眼淨

我相信大部分想追求生命真理的人們，都有著對生命很大的疑惑，

而這部分的修行與學理只有佛陀提出來，

（Buddha）意為「覺悟者」，指釋迦牟尼佛（約公元前6至5世紀），是佛教創始人，，

那請問佛陀要相信誰？

佛陀相信的是祂自己的證悟，也就是「四聖果」的內容。

對生命的懷疑，當然是在生命裡看見真相，才能得到解脫。

（如說；我有前世的負債，也得我自己親眼看見才行，這個包括能了解原因，才能解開束縛。）

這不是玄學，也不是神通而已，是真真實實的大智慧。

半寄

（以下AI資料）

簡單來說，「法眼淨」

意指**「清淨的真理之眼」

1. 核心定義：見到「緣起」

經典中描述法眼淨的標準格式通常是：

「遠塵離垢，得法眼淨：凡所有法，皆是生滅法（或集法），皆是滅法。」

這意味著修行者不再只是從文字、邏輯上理解，

而是親自證悟了萬事萬物（法）的運作規律：凡是依條件而生起的（集），

也必然會依條件而滅去。

這種對「緣起」與「無常」的深刻直觀，就是法眼淨。

 

The Purification of the Dharma Eye

 

I believe that most people who seek the truth of life carry deep questions within them.

 

This kind of teaching and practice was only clearly explained by Gautama Buddha.

The word “Buddha” means “one who is awakened,” referring to Śākyamuni Buddha (around the 6th–5th century BCE), the founder of Buddhism.

 

So, whom did the Buddha rely on?

 

He relied on his own realization—specifically, the insights described as the Four Stages of Enlightenment.

 

If we have doubts about life, we can only be free by seeing the truth for ourselves.

For example, if I have karmic debts from past lives, I need to see them directly and understand their causes before I can truly be freed from their constraints.

 

This is not mysticism, nor merely supernatural ability.

It is authentic and profound wisdom.

 

Master Banji

 

(AI Data)

 

In simple terms, “Purified Dharma Eye”
means “a purified eye that sees truth clearly.”

1. Core Meaning: Seeing Dependent Origination

In the Buddhist texts, the standard description of attaining this state is:

“Free from dust and defilements, one gains the pure Dharma Eye:
All phenomena that arise must also cease.”

This means that a practitioner no longer understands things only through words or logic.
Instead, they directly realize how all things (phenomena) work:

Anything that arises due to conditions will also pass away when those conditions change.

This deep and direct insight into dependent originationand impermanence
is what is meant by the “purified Dharma Eye.”

思考Reflections

 思考

（你能接受就好）

台灣有大德碎碎唸說：我解釋的佛法「四聖果」跟AI資料上的不符合，

我看這位大德也是有教育水準的，

是不是想一想，如果像AI這樣的解釋，那貪、瞋、痴怎麼個「薄」法？

還有你到色愛、無色愛（肉體與精神層面）要怎麼解脫？

從初果的解釋就已經發生嚴重矛盾了，你都已經這麼有心了，請自己去思考吧！

「疑」是對因、緣、果，的「懷疑」破解，
如果只是對僧團的信任解讀，憑什麼思考破除「我見？」

從沒有要求人家要聽我的，太奇怪了？
又何必把我扯進去呢？

我個人書寫的佛法，
是寫給用功於佛法的大德一起探討的，
不是大眾讀物，請務必了解。

「疑」字再解

讀佛法費腦、費心，耗費心血，
如果聖人只是用信任的，其實儒家的聖人也很好，也不用讀那麼多，
都快累死了。

佛法提出「業力」問題，如果有人說：你前世有負債，你相信嗎？
這一定是要通過釋疑的，

就佛法本身的修行者而言，自己也一定要用到。
無庸置疑，一定是對「前因後果」的懷疑破解。

證入初果「法眼凈」才能看到前因後果，
解開自己的「疑」才是最重要的吧！
半寄

「AI內容，1. 須陀洹（Sotapanna）— 初果

意譯為「入流者」，指修行者已進入聖道之流，不再退轉於生死苦海。

• 斷除結縛： 斷除前三結：

1. 我見結（身見）：不再執著五蘊為「我」。

2. 疑結：對佛、法、僧及戒律不再有任何疑惑。

3. 戒禁取結：不再執著無助於解脫的宗教儀式或禁忌。」

 

Reflections (Accept It If You Can)

 

In Taiwan, some readers say that my explanation of the “Four Stages of Enlightenment” is different from what AI sources say.

I believe this reader is well-educated.

However, this raises an important question:

If we adopt such explanations, by what mechanism are greed, aversion, and delusion actually reduced?

Furthermore, how is one to transcend attachment to both the sensual (form) and formless (mental) realms?

 

In fact, significant inconsistencies already emerge at the level of explaining the first stage of enlightenment.

Since you are clearly sincere, I encourage you to reflect on this yourself.

In Buddhist practice, “doubt” refers to resolving uncertainty about causes, conditions, and results.

If it is interpreted merely as trust in the monastic community, then it is unclear how this alone could dismantle the view of a permanent self.

 

I have never required anyone to accept my views.

So there is no need to involve me in such discussions.

 

My writings on the Dharma are intended for dedicated practitioners to explore together.

They are not for general readers. Please understand this clearly.

 

A Further Explanation of “Doubt”

 

The study of the Dharma demands significant intellectual and mental effort.

If awakening were based merely on trust, then the sages of Confucianism would suffice, and such intensive study would be unnecessary.

 

However, Buddhism raises the issue of karma.

If one is told, “You carry debts from a previous life,” can this simply be accepted without question?

Such claims require resolution through inquiry and understanding.

 

For Buddhist practitioners, this process is not optional but essential. Doubt” means understanding clearly how causes and results work—how the past leads to the present.

 

Only after attaining the first stage of enlightenment—when the “Dharma Eye” is purified—can one clearly see how past causes lead to present results.

Therefore, the most essential task is to resolve one’s own doubt.

 

Master Banji

 

AI Data
1. Sotapanna — First Stage of Enlightenment

“Sotapanna” means “stream-enterer.” It refers to a practitioner who has entered the stream of the noble path and will no longer fall back into the cycle of suffering.

 

Eliminated Fetters: The first three fetters are cut off:

1. Self-view (identity view): No longer seeing the five aggregates as a fixed “self.”

2. Doubt: No more doubt about about the monastic community and the precepts.

3. Attachment to rites and rituals: No longer clinging to religious practices or rules that do not lead to liberation.