The Adherence and Abiding of the Mind
古人云：一寸光陰一寸金，寸金難買寸光陰。時光一去不回頭，人之生命「是日已過、命亦隨減」，短促的生命而不自覺，剎那間，一去皆不復返。
石住為礙 水住成腐
氣住則滯 血住為毒
心有所住而成見，見住而為執，由此而立「我」之根，遂成百病。一切業源，由此而生。彼與彼相因，人與事成緣，各個相依而動，顛倒無窮矣。
是故，以無住為貴，天下無過不去之事，之所以過不去的人，皆緊握各自所住與所執而不釋懷，至以不通也。
人活著誰無煩惱，只是不自知煩惱當求出離也。致以隨波流轉，沈淪於認為一切為實的假相中，讓妄、惑、業相伴，為之苦也！
求佛如問路求醫，在過程中，走路、吃藥，還是要自己。學佛者，是學與佛不二，成為覺者，同樣無煩惱、清淨自在。修學，旨在斷一切苦，求究竟樂。
行者要開智慧，求智慧在定，得定在坐。要能安住心，住心方顯慧觀，明佛所說之真實義，在修行途中才能不疑退。
學佛本旨，在去執見。眾生習氣未除，在見境上即被境奪，自無主張、流浪生死。是故，須練習此心，不被流轉。
所以二六時中，專心不雜心，善用心則得自在，直證心源、歸於不二。學佛，說教說宗，惟在明心見性，兩無染習，塵說剎說、盡得融通，如見真性人，則圓轉自如。
感恩吉祥
資料來源：心靈甘露(三)，隆門圓通法師著。英文翻譯：張惠平。
The Adherence and Abiding of the Mind
The ancient saying goes, “An inch of time is worth an inch of gold, but an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time.” Past time will never return. In people’s life, when a day has passed, the lifespan will reduce accordingly. People do not notice that life is short. Things will never return when they are suddenly gone.
When the stone abides, it will become a hindrance. When the water abides, it will decay. When the air abides, it will obstruct. When the blood abides, it will become poison.
When the mind abides in something, it will become a view. When the view abides in something, it will become an adherence. Then, the root of the self will form and hundreds of diseases will arise. All the origins of karmas will arise from this. Two things may become the cause of each other, and people may form affinities with matters. All of them rely on each other and then act, causing endless reversals.
Hence, the non-abiding is more precious. There is nothing that cannot be overcome. If there is something that cannot be overcome, it’s because people abide in and adhere to it ad will not relieve from suspense.
Who has no afflictions? People do not know that they should get out of them and thus drift with the waves, sinking into the false phenomena that they think are real. They live a painful life by staying with fantasies, delusions, and karmas.
Asking for help from the Buddha is like seeking medical care by asking for directions (on the roads) in which you have to do it yourself for walking and taking the medicine. What Buddhism learners do is to learn to be the same as the Buddha and become enlightened, free from worries, pure and unrestrained. To cultivate Buddhism is to sever all sufferings and seek the utmost happiness.
In order to develop wisdom, a spiritual practitioner has to be in Samadhi by meditating. To manifest the views of wisdom, he has to abide in a peaceful mind. To prevent himself from doubting and retreating, he has to know the real meanings of the Buddha’s lectures.
The purpose of learning Buddhism is to get rid of self-adherence and prejudices. When the habitual tendencies of sentient beings still exist, their views will be taken away by circumstances, and therefore they will have no viewpoints of their own and may roam until they die. So the spiritual practitioner has to train his mind and keep it from drifting with the waves.
So he should be attentive when practicing. If he can be mindful, he will become unrestrained, confirm directly the origin of the mind, and finally belong to non-duality. Learning Buddhism or talking about religions aims at knowing the mind and seeing the nature without being contaminated. When talking about the boundless realms, one should be penetrating, like a man with real nature, consummate and unrestrained.
Gratitude and auspiciousness to you all.
Source: Sweet Dew for the Soul (Vol. III), Written by Master Shih Longmen Yuantong. Translated by Huei Ping Chang.