佛法是要能學以致用的活學
楊郁文 老師


教學相長的快樂

  一般認為學校、研究所老師在教學生,幫助學生成長;實際上如果學生和老師之間有良好的互動,老師也在成長。二十多年以來,每年都有些學生會提出特別的問題,這些問題經常刺激我思考。同學們經過一學期學習,結束後可以發現他們的成長;私底下我也發現自己和同學們一起成長,感到「教學相長」的快樂。

  《雜阿含經》中,有一位羅睺羅(Rāhula)尊者問佛陀:「要如何才可以快速成佛,達到漏盡涅槃?」佛陀先問他:「那麼你有沒有向同學說過『五陰法門』呢?」尊者回答:「沒有。」於是佛陀請他去和同學說。尊者回來後,佛陀又再請他分別和同學說「六內外入處法門」、「尼陀那法門」。談完後回來,佛陀發現他的根機還沒有成熟,不再交待他教同學法門,而直接說:「如果要得到快速漏盡,成就阿羅漢的法門,那麼多想一想為什麼我要你教同學們陰法門、處法門、因緣法門?」

  假設我們要研究一個問題,只需要自己弄懂,想通了就可以;但由他人提問,我們就不會單一的看問題,而會準備多方面回答。佛陀在這故事告訴我們,透過教導別人自己也會成長。有的時候我們會自以為懂了,但在教導別人的時候,才發現其實某個部分還沒有完全懂。所以在準備教導別人的時候,自然會把視野擴大,深度加深或程度加高。

  我在佛研所的推廣部教了十幾屆,有學生是從第一屆開始學習到現在,我想這些學生發現第一年老師這樣說,第二年老師又用另外一種方法說,對「阿含要略」的講解越來越吸引人,發現老師也在進步、成長。現在一個禮拜的三天教學,我在這三天比較沒有煩惱,心情非常愉快,時間好像縮短了一樣。佛研所匯集各類學生,當中只要有一位同學值得栽培─實際上往往是一半以上的同學─,我就覺得足夠了,值得把以後的棒子交給他。現在看到許多畢業的學生,已經投入教學,想到「這是我的學生」,身為老師也感到與有榮焉。

  老師與學生是一個緣份。在我心目中有好學生,那是我的福份;對學生來說,我是一個好的老師,也是學生的福氣。因果是通三世的,這樣的福份、緣份,應該不只這一世,前世彼此間就有良好互動關係,埋下好的因緣,所以這一生相處融洽,學生認為老師好,老師認為學生好。以學習的立場來說,學佛、學法的是學生,主要的因素在學生,老師只是幫忙學生瞭解佛法的增上緣,因材施教,提供學生需要的材料。做為一個學生,應該思考佛法的法義,然後做到。我都和學生說:「這一生你們是我的學生,但下一生你們是我的老師,我不把你們教好,那以後就碰不到好的老師了。」所以我現在認真的教,希望學生能更青出於藍。

佛法研究的正確態度─無常、無我

  對於佛法的認識研究,應該要抱持著無常、無我的心態。「無常」指佛法研究會隨著時空的移轉,不同的地區、不同時代會有不同的解釋。「無我」是指法的真理實相,雖然有永恆性、普遍性,但在研究上,描述真理實相的這些符號、用字遣詞應當有所改變,用不同時代可以懂的方式,不是一成不變。

  如一般傳統中國佛教認為《阿含經》是小乘,專門為阿羅漢們說,大乘才是為菩薩們說,這其實有很大的問題。從歷史的角度來說,大乘佛法的出現是佛滅之後三、四百年,如果了解佛教史,就不會被這樣的說法套住而信以為真。也有人說,佛陀在菩提道場先說《華嚴經》,《阿含經》是後來才到處說的,這些也都不符合佛教史。佛教史是代代相傳下來,有許多考古的資料可以做為佐證。

  要知道佛法本來並沒有大乘、小乘的分別,只有和自己根機相應、不相應的問題。如果學習佛法的心態是小心眼,固執己見,那麼這是「小」;相反有大胸襟、能包容、不固執己見,才是「大」。真正認識佛法的佛教徒,都不會單單為自己學佛,都是想自利利他、利他自利,不會不關心別人。簡單推理一下,假設學《阿含經》或是部派佛教的人真的都自私,那麼這些教法應該傳不了一代、二代,為什麼還會傳的那麼久遠,每個時代都有許多人都想傳遞下去。當代在南亞的許多法師們,不但弘揚佛教教義,也同時負擔社會衛生、福利,這些事情不都是在為他人嗎?

佛法是能學以致用的活學

  研究佛學不是為研究而研究,如果只是以純學術研究佛法,不運用在生活上,那樣就太可惜。研究佛法應該要能學以致用,不但自利還要利他,這樣才是最理想。學以致用是指學習後能運用在生活上。佛學是活學,是生活的學習,不能在生活中學習的佛法,那不是活的佛法,佛陀不會說沒有用的佛法。佛陀曾經說過:「凡我所說,都是要讓學生們成就涅槃。」

  我們的貪瞋癡會製造十惡業,十惡業會帶來八苦,導致在六道中不停輪迴,成就涅槃是把貪瞋癡的惑、業、苦都捨離,清除乾淨。佛陀說法不是為了給學生當做學術研究,或是當消遣用的。如果佛陀還在的話會說:「我說了四十多年,你們怎麼用到這來!」我認為佛陀會傷心才對。所以我們聽聞佛法,應該先聽進去,瞭解當中說了什麼,接著思維在生活上應該可以怎麼發揮出來。

以戒學修身,以鎮伏五蓋修心

  簡單來說,日常生活要處理食衣住行育樂,應以「無漏戒學」為原則。仔細思維,我們的煩惱可不是冤家塞給我的,也不是仇敵加給我的,煩惱都是自己製造。但為什麼自己會製造煩惱呢?因為沒有正見,不懂得因果,不能現觀緣起性,不能瞭解無常性、無我性,所以有我、我所見而生貪瞋癡。貪瞋癡都和人、事、物有關,喜歡的就占有,不喜歡的就生氣、破壞。五戒的不偷是為防止貪的禍害,不殺是為防止瞋的禍害,所以在還沒有具備很高的智慧之前,我們應該用佛陀所施設的戒條,知道應該怎麼獨處、怎麼與人共處,怎麼接待事物。



  如果能在生活中都不犯戒的話,就是把佛法運用在生活當中。日常生活應以修身為主,宗教生活則以修心為主,當可以修心安定,也就是「修定」了。我所認識的修心安定,不是入定,而是五蓋不起。五蓋比貪瞋癡更為細膩,分別是貪欲蓋、瞋恚蓋、昏沉睡眠蓋、掉舉惡作蓋、疑蓋。這五種容易擾亂我們的心,單靠持戒雖然可以減低,但不能壓制,全部壓制必須修心、修定。法鼓山聖嚴師父的禪七,以及經典的三昧或止觀的止,都是針對這些修心。

  許多人參加禪七,第一天還很難過,但第二天之後就感到舒服。這是因為禪堂的氣氛不一樣,有法師、佛像、燒香,氣氛協助心安定下來,就以為好像很容易。其實這都只是暫時的,離開禪堂又不一樣了,馬上恢復打禪七前的狀態。所以我們要瞭解,修心不只是在佛堂念佛,在大殿拜佛,在禪堂打禪七而已,應當是在生活中符合宗教要求。

  如早上起來在佛堂供養清水、燒香、插花,也能使心安定。做早課或日常誦經也一樣,注意不要成為形式,一旦形式化就和生活脫節。例如誦經時,應該口誦心惟,一句句的讀入心,每誦過一句都重新思考一次,也許昨天不懂,看看今天可以懂嗎?或是將念過的某句話存在心裡,生活中剛好可以運用,於是把某件事做的很完美。這樣昨天念不太懂,但今天已能夠體會法義。當口誦心惟,誦經才有功德。這樣每天誦經,實際也一直配合生活,在生活中改過遷善。

修行是「改過遷善」

  修行是要能改過遷善,把不完美的行為再充實,錯誤的行為改正。一般北傳佛教認為:由戒修定,由定發慧。仔細說來,不是持戒就一定入定,入定之後就會開悟。入定、出定之後要能將法義內正思維,那麼才有機會開悟。也就是參禪學定之後,回到生活中,發現自己終於可以在五蓋不干擾情況下解決某些問題,這樣才是具有「般若慧」。

  在日常生活中,我們應該配合佛陀所施設的戒律來生活,並遵循佛陀教導,將佛法運用在生活中,把自己的小善提昇中善到大善,直到完美的善(成佛)。當生活中發現問題,要能夠把問題跟緣起、無常、苦、空、無我,配合起來思考,抓住開啟般若慧的契機,將惑業苦逐漸掃除,脫離六道輪迴。當惑業苦掃除一分,減少一分的障礙,十分掃除,生活中就完全沒有障礙,達到真正解脫自在的生活。

選擇契理契機的正方便

  修行還需要有正方便,所謂正方便是種種的方法中,採用最適合自己,也就是在真實生活中選擇最恰當,契理、契機、契法來修改自己行為。「正方便」是《雜阿含經》的翻譯,後來也翻譯為「正精進」。要注意,正方便應該是努力而平等的精進,不要過與不及。佛陀的時代有位二十億耳(Soṇa-Kolivisa)比丘很用功,但是過份的用功,為了要趕快成就三菩提,比任何同學都更努力。眼看比他不努力的都成阿羅漢,怎麼自己還沒有,感到氣餒而想還俗。佛陀知道後,便以他所擅長的弦樂器比喻告訴他:修行過份的努力,就好像過於緊繃的弦樂器,無法彈出美妙的音色,而且容易彈斷琴弦;琴弦放鬆,彈不出聲音;琴弦緊緩適中,才可以彈出美妙的樂曲,又不容易斷弦。所以努力應該是適當的努力,精進應該是平等的精進。



  平等的精進有信、進、念、定、慧五根平等的精進。以念根在上,評估信根與慧根有沒有平等,信太強沒有慧會迷信,慧太強沒有信不會持戒,信慧必須均等。「信慧均等」也就是「信智一如」。過份的精進會掉舉,讓心散亂,而定過頭又會造成懈怠,所以進根和定根也要平衡。用念根維持信與慧,進與定處於平衡的狀態修行,這樣才能出世間。

在生活中運用「七覺支」

  佛陀教導我們,要以平等的精進的修行來修改、修補行為。以我所瞭解的佛法,《雜阿含經》中說到的三十七菩提分法都可以提供修行成佛。三十七菩提分以四念處為首,八支聖道為終,來圓滿成佛之道。初學的人透過四念處入手,以念身、念受、念心對動靜明明白白,再以「法念住」分善法、惡法。惡法指五蓋,善法便是七覺支了。

  我個人認為「七覺支」是最容易在生活中運用佛法修行。「七覺支」分別是念覺支、擇法覺支、精進覺支、喜覺支、輕安覺支、定覺支、捨覺支。法念處的形成是以七覺支的「念覺支」為基礎,然後交給「擇法覺支」。擇法覺支是種「評估」,以種種的方法評估現在應該要以哪一種方法進行。確定了以後,交給「精進覺支」來改過遷善。當精進覺支改過遷善之後,逐漸產生效果而生起成就感,成就感帶來「喜覺支」。喜覺支帶來身心輕安,「輕安覺支」也就是身體和心裡本來的那些煩惱負重感都消失。心裡感到很清爽,五蓋不容易起而有「定覺支」,接著再進一步開發「捨覺支」。「捨」指捨棄惑、業、苦,躍入沒有惑、業、苦的涅槃境界。

  當生活中有貪瞋痴、有五蓋,就馬上起動七覺支對付。以四念處維持言談舉止的正念正知,以精進覺支改過遷善。精進覺支就是「四正勤」,四正勤是:阻斷過去的惡行,壓制還沒有付諸行動的惡心,啟動還沒有付諸實行的善心,延續本有的善行。

以所學的自利利他

  佛法分為勝義諦和世俗諦。勝義諦是人生的真理實相,古今中外人的性格會變,但本性不變,佛陀以勝義諦說明本性,這不論是《阿含經》、《阿毗曇》,或是大乘初期、中期、後期的經典,怎麼說都是一樣。當中如果有不一樣的話,那是權宜而說,權說的佛法是對「世俗諦」談的。世俗諦是對世俗而言,應地、應時、應人,依著社會風俗民情有所調整、改變,如果不變就會不相應。


本所最熱門的推廣教育課程之一,阿含經。
Teaching a class at the Continuing Education Center.


  佛法需要研究教義教理,研究的結果要明理、明義,懂得意義之後拿來修正自己、修正有情界,自利利他。將佛法落實生活中,待人處事接物能符合改過遷善的要求,知道有過失趕快改過,一步步的修正。修正之後會逐漸生起喜行,也就是七覺支的喜覺支。喜覺支帶動身心輕安,輕安引發五蓋不起的近行定或安止定。進入安止定,出定之後心理有了成就感,再次生起離諸不善法的喜行。喜行以醫學的立場來看,腦部會分泌血清素,血清素讓人充滿生命力,覺得生活有意義。下次再修正自己的行為,或做了一件善事,又激起喜行,如此每個段落每個段落做好事情,分別生起喜行,而有成就感。

  許多人對佛教不瞭解,參禪、拜佛或念佛無法瞭解意義,往往只是形式。佛研所的一切是信眾所樂捐,能在佛研所學習應該要有回饋。最好的回饋是把佛法的義理帶給信眾,讓大家多少能體會,知道怎麼運用到生活。如果所做的佛學研究,只是純學術,不能把成果融入生活,帶給自己和他人益處,將會愧對提供栽培、供給一切的研究機構和信眾。









Buddhism is a Living Knowledge to be Applied in Daily Life
Yang Yu-wen




The Pleasure of Learning from Teaching

Normally we’d think that it’s the teachers or the instructors at graduate schools that are doing the teaching to help the students to learn and grow. In fact, the teachers also grow in the process if they have a great rapport with their students. In the more than twenty years of my teaching career, every year I always get asked by students really special questions that make me think. By the end of each semester, the students always felt that they had grown, and I also felt that I had also grown along with them, and I was glad because teaching in itself was in fact a learning experience.

In the No. 200 sutra of the Samyukta Agama, Rahula asked the Buddha: “How can I swiftly achieve Buddhahood and attain nirvana?” The Buddha then asked him: “Have you explained the doctrine of the five aggregates to your classmates?” Rahula replied: “No.” Thereupon the Buddha asked him to explain the doctrine to his classmates. After Rahula finished teaching, the Buddha asked him to explain to his classmates the doctrine of the six internal and external entrances and the nidana doctrine. However, the Buddha felt that his capacity for enlightenment had not ripened yet. So he did not ask him to teach his classmates any more doctrines. Instead, he told him: “If you want to quickly eliminate all your faults and achieve arhatship, then think carefully why I asked you to teach your classmates those doctrines.”

When we try to figure out a problem, it will suffice as long as we have a thorough understanding of it. But if we are to teach others, we’ll have to assume that they may have all kinds of questions, and so we shouldn’t be satisfied with the answer with only one perspective; instead we have to prepare to provide answers from all angles. In the above story, the Buddha tells us that we can develop ourselves through teaching others. Sometimes we think we already know something, but it’s when we are teaching that we realize there are still some things we don’t quite understand yet. Therefore, while we prepare ourselves to teach others, we naturally broaden our perspective, deepen our understanding, and make improvements.

I have been teaching at the Education Division of the Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies (CHIBS) for more than a decade. Some students have been studying with me since the first year of the Institute and they may have discovered that I taught them in one way in the first year but used a different approach in the following year, making the lectures on The Essentials of Agamas more interesting to listen to, along with the growth and improvement of the teacher. Now I teach for three days a week. In those three days I always feel very happy and with little afflictions, and time just flies by. We have many kinds of students at CHIBS, even if there’s only one student worth teaching—I feel that it is worth my while to hand the torch. Now I see many students have graduated and have themselves embarked on a teaching career and doing research work. I feel truly honored as a teacher knowing that they were once my students.

Teachers have karmic affinity with their students. It’s my blessings to have good students; likewise the students are blessed to have great teachers. Karmic connections last through three lifetimes of the past, present and future, and such blessings and affinity are not the result of only one lifetime. People who are able to get along with each other and who have high regards for each other must have had great interactions in previous lives that lead to the favorable karmic connections they share in this life. As far as learning is concerned, since it is the students who are studying Buddhism, so it all comes down to the students; teachers are only a contributory factor whose job is to help the students understand the Buddhadharma by teaching them according to their capacity, and providing them with the reference materials they need. The students, on the other hand, should reflect on the Dharma, and apply the Dharma in their life to experience the Dharma a real treasure. I often say to my students: “In this life you are my students, perhaps in the next life we’ll switch places and you will become my teachers. If I do not teach you well now, in the future I won’t be able to have good teachers.” Therefore, I always teach with a wholehearted effort with the hope that my students will all outshine me one day.

The Correct Attitude for Studying Buddhism—Impermanence and Selflessness

One should first understand that the concept of impermanence and selflessness also apply in our approach to the study of Buddhism. The study of Buddhism varies according to the different time and space in which it exists, and thus people in the different regions and from the different time periods may have a different understanding of Buddhism. This is the understanding of impermanence. To accord with the concept of selflessness, we should know that though the ultimate teaching and the real form of the Dharma is eternal and universal, in research, the labels and the terms for expressing such truth can be different so that the Dharma is explained in a way that can be understood by people of that given time. In short, we should not cling to the self or the object, and refuse to change our ways.

Traditionally Chinese Buddhism regards the Agamas as the Hinayana scriptures specifically expounded for arhats, and considers the Mahayana scriptures to have been taught to bodhisattvas. Actually this is a problematic. Historically, Mahayana Buddhism appeared 300 to 400 years after the Buddha entered nirvana. However, those who know Buddhist history well, might take the theory with a grain of salt. There are also some people who assert that, under the bodhi-tree where the Buddha achieved enlightenment, he first preached the Avatamsaka Sutra before he preached the Agamas. But such a view is not in accord with the history of Buddhism. There are archeological data to back this counterclaim since Buddhist history was transmitted from one generation to the next.

Originally there was no distinction between the Buddhadharma of Mahayana and that of Hinayana traditions. It is how people respond to different dharmas due to their own capacity. If the person’s attitude of learning Buddhism is narrow-minded, attached to one’s views, and seeking self benefit only, then he or she is considered a small-minded person who practices the Small Vehicle. Conversely, if the person is broad-minded and tolerant, and does not cling to his/her own views, and seeking to benefit both him/herself and others, or even putting other people’s interests before his/her own, then he or she is an open-minded person who practices the Great Vehicle. Buddhists who truly understand Buddhism will never practice Buddhism for their own sake because they care about the well-being of others; and so they set out to benefit both themselves and others. Just consider this simple question: If those who studied the Agamas or scriptures of sectarian Buddhism were really selfish, they wouldn’t have transmitted the doctrines beyond one or two generations. The doctrines have lasted for such a long time because in each time period there were always many people who made the effort to pass on the teaching. Nowadays many Dharma masters in South Asia are not only spreading Buddhist doctrines, they are also engaged in social education, promoting hygiene, or running welfare programs. After all, aren’t these efforts aimed at benefiting others?

Buddhism is a Living Knowledge to be Applied in Daily Life

With respect to Buddhist studies, we don’t just study it for the sake of studying. It would be a great pity if we treated Buddhism as an academic study and not something to be applied in daily life. Ideally, we should apply the Buddhist teachings we learn about in our daily life, so that we benefit not only ourselves, but others as well. Buddhism is a living knowledge applicable to our life if it cannot be practiced in daily life—it is not Buddhism. The Buddha couldn’t have taught Dharma that is useless. In the No. 110 sutra of the Samyukta Agama the Buddha says, “The World-honored One explains the Dharma to his disciples for the sake of nirvana.” Our greed, anger, and ignorance give rise to the ten evil deeds, resulting in great sufferings and which keep us bound to an endless cycle in the six realms of samsaric existence. To attain nirvana means to have completely relinquished all of our greed, anger, ignorance, delusion, karma and sufferings. The Buddha did not teach the Dharma for the students to do academic research, or as a hobby. If the Buddha were still alive today, he would say, “I taught the Dharma for over 40 years; how could you just regard it as an academic study?” I think he would be very sad if that were indeed the case. So in learning Buddhism, we should listen to the teachings and understand the meaning first before we think about how to put them into practice in our daily life.

To Harmonize One’s Bodily Actions with Precepts and One’s Mind by Suppressing the Five Covers

Simply put, we should observe the principle of “precepts without outflows” when dealing matters related to food, clothing, housing, transportation, education, and entertainment in our daily life. If we really think about it, we will see that our afflictions are not caused by the people we don’t get along with, or by our enemies, but the results of our own making. But why do we cause ourselves all this grief? It’s because we do not have right views, nor have we embodied the concept of cause and effect. We can not perceive the dependent origination of phenomena, or realize the impermanent, no-self nature of all existence. Therefore we are attached to the notion of self, subject and object, which gives rise to greed, anger, and ignorance. Our greed, anger, and ignorance affect every way we deal with people and things. As a result, we want to own the things we like, and we get angry at or try to destroy what we dislike. Of the five precepts, no-stealing is to prevent the occurrence of damage from greed, and no-killing keeps the harm from anger at bay. So, before we attain great wisdom, we should observe the precepts set by the Buddha, so that we know how to behave while alone, how to interact with people, and how to appropriately handle the matters at hand.

If one can refrain from breaking the precepts, one’s applying Buddhadharma in life. One’s focus in daily life should be placed on harmonizing one’s behaviors and actions, while in one’s spiritual life the emphasis should be placed on cultivating the mind, which can in turn be conducive to stilling the mind, or cultivating samadhi. Calming the mind, as far as I know, does not mean entering meditative concentration, but that the five covers do not arise. The five covers are more distinguishable than the three poisons. They refer to the hindrances of greed, anger, drowsiness, wavering, and doubt, which can easily disturb our mind. Observance of the precepts alone can reduce their influence, but cannot subdue them completely. We need to cultivate our mind and practice meditation in order to completely subdue the five covers. In the Dharma Drum Mountain’s 7-day Chan retreats guided by Master Sheng Yen, the “huatou’’ of the huatou method, the “silent’’ of the silent illumination method, and the samadhi mentioned in sutras or the “samatha’’ in samatha-vipashyana (calming and contemplation method) are all meant to keep the five hindrances from arising or to cultivate the mind.

Many participants in the seven-day Chan retreats find it to be unbearable on the first day, but feel pretty comfortable by the second day. This is due to the different atmosphere in the Chan hall. With the presiding Dharma masters, the Buddha statue, and the incense burning in the hall, the overall atmosphere helps our mind to settle down and makes us feel that it is actually quite easy to still our mind. However, this is only a temporary effect. Things are different once we leave the Chan hall, and before we know it, we return to the way we used to be before the retreat. So we have to understand that cultivation of the mind does not only involve reciting the Buddha’s name in the Buddha hall, or doing prostrations before the Buddha statue, or taking part in seven-day Chan retreats. It means that we should live by the religious practice.

For example, after getting up in the morning, we can help calm our mind by offering water, burning incense, and placing flowers in the Buddha hall. The same is true with doing the morning service or daily sutra-chanting. But we should be mindful lest these things become merely formalities, because once this happens, our actions become deviate from our real life. When reciting a sutra, we should put our heart in it, allowing every word to become part of our being. And we should think once more about every sentence chanted to see whether something we didn’t understand yesterday can be understood today. Or we may keep in mind a sentence we have recited, and apply it in our life to help us to appropriately deal with any task at hand. This way we may come to understand the meaning of the doctrine that we learned about but didn’t quite understand before. Only when we really contemplate and strive to understand the doctrines while reciting will merit be derived. In this way our daily sutra-chanting is incorporated into our life and we will rectify our behaviors for the better.

Spiritual Practice is About Making Rectifications and Improvements for the Better

The reason we engage in spiritual practice is to reform and better ourselves, and to correct our wrong behaviors. This, according to Mahayana Buddhism, can be achieved by observing the precepts to cultivate samadhi, which in turn generates wisdom. However, specifically speaking, observance of moral precepts does not necessarily lead one to enter samadhi, and entering samadhi does not necessarily lead one to enlightenment. After entering and reemerging from samadhi, we have to reflect upon the doctrines and act in accordance with the doctrines for there to be a chance for enlightenment. That is to say, when we return to our normal lives after practicing Chan meditation, we should be capable of solving troublesome problems without the disturbance of the five covers. Only then can we be said to have attained prajna or wisdom.

In daily life, we should live in accord with the precepts laid down by the Buddha, follow his teachings, and apply Buddhadharma in our life, so that we may cultivate our virtue from doing small good to medium good, and to great good until we reach perfection (the attainment of Buddhahood). When we encounter problems in life, we should reflect them through the understanding of dependent origination, impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and no-self. Seize this opportunity to obtain prajna-wisdom, and gradually eliminate our delusion, karma, and suffering, and thereby be relieved from the six states of samsaric existence. The fewer our delusions, afflicted activities, and suffering, the fewer hindrances we have in our life. When they are eliminated completely, there will be no hindrance at all, and we will be truly liberated and live a life of ease.

Choose a Right Method in Accord with the Dharma and One’s Capacity

It is necessary to have a right method of practice. This means, among the various methods of practice, we should choose one that is the most expedient and the most appropriate for us to practice in our daily life, so we will be able to rectify our behaviors in accord with the Dharma and our capacity. The term “right method” is a translation from the Samyukta Agama, and was subsequently translated as right effort. Here we should note that, right effort refers to putting in vigorous and balanced effort that’s neither too much nor too little. In the time of the Buddha there was a venerable named Sona, who worked so hard that he went overboard. In order to quickly achieve perfect enlightenment, he worked harder than all of his peers. Seeing that those who had made less effort had already become arhats, and he himself had not, he was discouraged and so planned to return to lay life. Knowing this, the Buddha explained to him by comparing spiritual practice to string instruments, which Sona was good at playing: If one works too hard in one’s practice, it is like playing an instrument whose strings are too tight that they cannot play beautiful music, and the strings may snap easily. However, if one does not work hard or is even lazy, it is like playing an instrument with the loose strings and as a result it cannot produce any sound. By the same token, one should put in the appropriate amount of balanced effort in one’s spiritual practice.


攝於祥智法師的論文口試 。
Prof. Yang at Ven. Shingtze’s Thesis examination.

A balanced effort means an effort with equal amount of the five roots: faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. With mindfulness as the basis, faith and wisdom must be balanced. Too much emphasis on faith while lacking in wisdom will lead to blind faith, whereas a person who overemphasizes wisdom but lacks faith will fail to observe the precepts. Thus, faith and wisdom must be balanced. Moreover, to have an equal balance of faith and wisdom also means that faith and wisdom should go hand in hand. Excessive exertion will lead to wavering, which disturbs and distracts the mind, while excessive concentration will wither the mind, making one slack. Hence diligence and concentration must be balanced. In spiritual practice, one should use mindfulness to maintain a balance between faith and wisdom, as well as between diligence and concentration. Only in this way can one be free from this world with outflows.

Application of the Seven Factors of Enlightenment in Daily Life

The Buddha teaches us to correct and revamp our behaviors with a balanced effort. From what I know about the Buddhadharma, all the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment mentioned in the Samyukta Agama can be a method of practice leading to Buddhahood. The thirty-seven aids to enlightenment begin with the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and conclude with the Eightfold Noble Path, leading the way to Buddhahood. A beginner may start with the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Being mindful of the body, sensation, and mind, one is perfectly aware of all phenomena in motion or stillness. Then, with “mindfulness of dharmas” he clearly distinguishes the good dharmas from the unwholesome ones. The unwholesome dharmas refer to the five covers, whereas the good dharmas refer to the seven factors of enlightenment.

In my opinion, among the different practices of Buddhism, the seven factors of enlightenment are the easiest to apply in daily life. The seven factors of enlightenment are: mindfulness, investigation, diligence, joy, tranquility, concentration, and equanimity. The practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness constitutes the factor of mindfulness in the seven factors of enlightenment. With this practice as a foundation, one then proceeds to the factor of investigation. The factor of investigation enables one to evaluate and make decisions as to how one would respond to a given situation by using various methods. After one has made a decision, the factor of diligence comes into play, which is when one makes the effort to correct one’s behavior and to live an ethical life. When one’s effort gradually produces results, this in turn gives one a sense of achievement and joy or the factor of joy. Joy allows one to feel ease in one’s body and mind, whereas one feels all the afflictions and burden in one’s body and mind vanishing. When one feels very relaxed and at peace, without the disturbance of the five covers, the factor of concentration is at work, and then one proceeds further to develop the factor of equanimity. “Equanimity” means one relinguishes all delusions, karmas, and suffering, and thereby making the leap into the state of nirvana.

When one finds that one is afflicted with greed, anger, and ignorance, or with the five covers, one can immediately arouse the seven factors of enlightenment to deal with them. Moreover, one can use the Four Foundations of Mindfulness to maintain the awareness of one’s words and actions to be in accord with right understanding and mindfulness, and tap into the factor of diligence to correct one’s behavior. The factor of diligence is equivalent to the four right efforts, which refer to refraining from committing wrong-doings, preventing an ill intention from being acted upon, bringing into existence the good that has not been performed, and persisting to do good.

Apply What You Have Learned to Benefit Both Yourself and Others

The Buddhadharma can be understood through ultimate truth and the conventional truth. The ultimate truth refers to the reality of life. Although the character of people in ancient and modern times, and those who come from different places of the world may vary, their original nature nevertheless remains the same. The Buddha used the ultimate truth to explain original nature, the meaning of which is identical wherever you find it in the sutras—whether in the Agamas, the Abhidharma, or the Mahayana scriptures of the early, middle, and later periods. If there is anything that seems to be different, it’s because the Buddha adjusted his teachings according to the different needs of the time. The Buddhist teachings that were taught to adapt to the society at different times were the conventional truth, namely they were spoken for people at large, adjusted to the people of a particular place and time and were adapted to suit social customs and local culture. Without such expedient changes the Dharma might appear irrelevant to them.

In practicing Buddhism, we need to study its doctrines and its philosophy. After we have understood the doctrines and philosophy, we should use them to rectify ourselves and other sentient beings so we all will gain benefits. We should apply the Buddhadharma in our daily life, so that whatever we do is in accord with the guidelines of living a wholesome life, and this goes for whether when we are alone, when we’re interacting with people or when it comes to handling matters. As soon as we discover our own mistakes, we should vow to never make them again so as to better ourselves in a step by step fashion. This effort will gradually give rise to the so-called action of delight—or the factor of joy among the seven factors of enlightenment—which brings ease and peace to our body and mind. Ease and peace will in turn lead one to the state of access to concentration where none of the five covers ever arises, and advance to that of absorptive concentration. When one reaches the state of access to concentration or of absorptive concentration, one will inevitably feel a sense of achievement, which will once again give rise to the action of delight that enables one to part with the unwholesome. From the medical point of view, when we are performing actions of delight, our brain automatically secretes a substance in the blood which gives us delight and vitality to make us feel that life is meaningful. Next time we correct our behavior or perform a good deed, the sense of achievement we get will give rise to yet another action of delight, which is the best reward that we can give to our body and mind.

Many people do not understand Buddhism. When engaging in Chan practice, doing prostrations before the Buddha, or reciting the Buddha’s name, usually they are just going through the motions, without understanding the true meaning. The construction and operation of the CHIBS are funded by the donations made by the followers. Those of us who can study at the Institute should have a sense of gratitude and seek to return the favor. And the best way to return the favor is to share the Buddhist teaching with them so that they can experience and know how to apply the teaching in life. If we don’t regard Buddhist studies as merely an academic endeavor, but incorporate what we learn from the teachings into our daily life to benefit ourselves and others, then we will not let down the institute and the people who have supported us and provided us with everything we need.



與聖嚴法師及全體教職員上法鼓山。
Master Sheng Yen takes Staff and Students to tour DDM in 1994.