前世今生2Past lives, present life2

前世今生2

Past lives, present life 2

修習佛法，個人總認為藉由佛法的智慧，看透自己不是單獨的個體，進而在複雜的人際脈絡裡，找到自己的立足點，這比去追尋飄渺虛無的前世更加有意義。

許多可以直接觸摸的佛法，一旦被帶往看不見的世界做著墨，徒增修行者無謂的疲憊感。一件事情藉由佛法弄清楚該怎麼辦才是最好的，實地去做，一旦衝開個人的極限，將感受到生命成長的喜悅，每一次對的著力點，步步在劃開前途，這種個人心靈的茁壯，應該是千金不換的。

修行志在追求對佛法的清楚與實踐，自己前世是誰！除了修行者本身有能力解開生命的枷鎖以外，一般人連立足點都無著落之際，探索前世也只是讓自己對時空更加錯亂而已！

個人很慶幸在年輕時候，紮下一些清楚的觀念，足以抵擋昏暗言論的襲擊，不在錯誤的信息裡窮打轉。

One thing I’ve learned from my study and practice of Buddhism is that we are not unitary individuals, but rather multifaceted beings. Add to this the complexity of interpersonal relationships and the task of figuring out your fundamental view of life, and it’s all much more meaningful and interesting than trying to figure out who we might have been in a past life.    

There’s so much in Buddhism that is directly accessible in the here and now that there’s not much point in groping around for things that we can’t directly experience; doing so is an exercise in futility. The best approach is to use the teachings of Buddhism to make things clear so that we can deal with them in an effective manner. Whenever we come up against our limitations, we should be pleased to have an opportunity to become more mature; every time we make some effort in a skillful way, we go a bit further on the path. This kind of spiritual growth is priceless! When you are sincere in your intention to understand the Dharma and put it into practice, you won’t take any interest in who you might have been in a previous life. Sure there are some highly advanced individuals who can recollect their past lives, but for most people there are much more pressing issues to be dealt with, in which case trying to figure out who you might have been in a past life only exacerbates your confusion. In my own case, I was lucky enough to have understood this clearly when I was still young, so I didn’t get involved 

with dubious or heterodox teachings.

 

王國維‧《浣溪沙》

山寺微茫背夕曛，鳥飛不到半山昏，

上方孤磬定行雲。

 

試上高峰窺皓月，偶開天眼覷紅塵，

可憐身是眼中人。

Wang Guowei, “Sands of the Washing Stream”

Mountain temple, hazy silhouette in the fading dusk behind; flying birds’ shadows disappear halfway up the darkening slopes; above, a solitary chime pins down the moving clouds.

Let me mount the summit, to gaze upon the moon so bright; the divine eye---let it open that I may see the red dust; alas, it is only me I see.

 

年輕時這首《浣溪沙》常伴著苦思佛法的自己，一心拼命的想解開眼前的障礙，哪裡會想到前世！哈哈！

This was the poem I frequently recited in my youth, while struggling to wrap may brain around some abstruse Buddhist doctrine. So when your full attention is occupied with solving the conundrums that are right in front of you, the question of past lives doesn’t even come up!

Master Ban Ji

  Translated by Ken Kraynak