Cultivating the Soul–II
《法句經》云：
若起精進心、是妄非精進。
若能心不妄、精進無有涯。
一般人有努力修行的意念，卻容易起妄想、容易著相，就不容易單純的修行。如果能不起貪妄想的心念，單純面對生命去修行，才能進入生命無涯的光明之中。
經云：
諸根如幻、境界如夢；
一切諸法、悉皆空寂。
剛開始學佛的人，還不能清靜自在，最怕貢高我慢。必須放下已有的成見，平息佛法的自滿意念。如海靜下來，才知道有波濤，水清淨了才映出影像。
學佛到一個階段後，斷除所有雜亂妄想，捨棄欲念、雜念，心思專注凝靜，則能撥開雪霧見青天。
境由心造、心隨境轉，心不再被萬事萬物牽累，就是人間最真實的智慧境界。
我問菩薩：「所有有情都有佛性，那如何才是學佛、修佛，成就佛道？」
菩薩說： 「人皆有佛性，卻用執持的心念來對事情，才會有衝動和惡念產生。修行就是要在每個對境上都賦予善念，產生光明。這迴向在法界，可以擴充光明。學佛，就是學念念善念。」
資料來源：心靈甘露(三)，隆門圓通法師著。英文翻譯：張惠平。
Cultivating the Soul–II
The Dharmapada Sutra states, “If one gives rise to a determination to be diligent, but still has false thoughts, then he won’t be diligent. Without false thoughts, he will be boundlessly diligent.”
When a person has the intention to cultivate, he may have wishful thinking and cling to forms easily. Then he won’t be able to cultivate purely. If he doesn’t give rise to wishful thinking but cultivates purely by facing life, he will enter the light of boundless life.
The sutra goes, “All roots are illusory. All situations are like a dream. All Dharmas are empty and silent.”
A beginner of Buddhism learning is still unable to be pure and unrestrained. The most terrible thing is that he is arrogant. So he has to let go of his prejudices and suppress his complacency. Only when the sea is calm can we see the waves, and only when the water is clear and pure can it reflect things.
When one has cultivated Buddhism to a certain extent, he has to eradicate all the chaotic wishful thinking, abandon desires, focus his mind on serenity so that he can break the clouds and see the blue skies.
Situations are created by the mind, and the mind turns according to situations. It will be the most real realm of wisdom when the mind is not bound by myriad of things.
I ask the Bodhisattva, “All sentient beings possess the Buddha nature. Then how do I learn to be a Buddha, cultivate to be a Buddha, and attain Buddhahood?” The Bodhisattva answers, “Everyone has the Buddha nature, but they face things with adherent thoughts and then give rise to the impulse and evil thinking. To cultivate is to have kind thoughts and radiance in every situation. This can expand the radiance when turning toward the Dharma realms. To learn how to be a Buddha is to learn how to make every thought a good one.”
Source: Sweet Dew for the Soul (Vol. III), Written by Master Shih Longmen Yuantong. Translated by Huei Ping Chang.