| 中 台 山 月 刊 194 期 |
|
| 本期主题：
众生欢喜 诸佛欢喜 |
|
慈由心生
Compassion Starts with Me 文／美国佛心寺英文中级禅修班学员 Paul Nightingale 我的生活由于慈悲心的培养与慈悲观的修习，有了正向的改变。我对慈悲心有较深刻的了解，是从三餐改为吃素开始的，它让我有很多机会思惟素食与培养慈悲心的关联。 刚开始吃素是基于健康因素，但是当我深入思惟时，我体认到许多生命被残忍地宰杀，只为了满足肉食者的口腹之欲，这样的体会让慈悲的种子在我心中滋长。重拾素食习惯、持守不杀生戒，令我确信：此生不会再有任何生命因我而死。我对自己说：“我无法为众生做所有的事，但是我至少能做到一些；事实上，我能够做的事，远比想像的还要多。” 慈悲观的修习，也从不同的层面帮助了我。以前在遭遇不顺心的事情或是面对难以相处的人时，我总是很容易发怒。现在，透过慈悲的心量来看事情，即使无法认同他人的意见，我也比较能够了解对方的观点，我不再坚持一定要证明自己是对的，这对我而言是一种解脱。对于阻碍自己成功的人，我开始接受对方的缺点，并试着原谅对方。至于不如意的事，我则开始省思：什么是自己真正需要的，什么是想要但是不需要的。这些修习方式为我带来平静。不只自己，我体会到他人也想拥有平静的心。现在的我，比较能感受到内心的宁静，也能将这份祥和带给他人。 当瞋恚在心中生起时，我明白瞋心将为自己与他人带来苦痛，因此在我的心中能生出制止瞋心的力量。我开始了解，如果说了伤害性的话，这些恶语对自己的冲击比对他人的冲击还大，而我何苦伤害自己，让内心骚动不安呢？慈悲与瞋恨，萌发于同一念心。如果我们能学习对自己慈悲，也就能对众生展现出更深厚的慈悲心。 (My life has been affected and changed for the better due to the seeking and the practice of compassion. A deeper understanding of the idea of compassion started with my vegetarian lifestyle. Just not eating meat gave me many opportunities to contemplate the connections between a vegetarian diet and the practice of compassion. At first it seemed simply a healthy choice, but as I continued to contemplate I realized that many lives suffer to satisfy the meat diet. They are brutalized and killed for the sake of the palate. For me this is where a seed of compassion met fertile soil in my life. Going back to vegetarianism and not killing I gained a perspective that during life beings will not die because of me. “I can't do everything but I can do something, and in fact much more than I ever dreamed possible.” One more example of how the practice of compassion is worked in my life. My angry bouts tend to be more about not getting my way or having to deal with others that seem cantankerous. Using compassion as a lens I am much more able to see somebody else's point of view even if I still disagree with their final perspective. Allowing me the freedom to not have to “prove” myself as being right. I can show kindness compassion to those who cross my path. I can show forgiveness and acceptance to others for shortcomings. As far as being upset about not getting my own way, I now contemplate what I really need, what I really want. That really comes down to just “peace”. And not just me, others want peace as well. I am now in a much better place to experience and to give peace. When I start to become angry or upset I know that I have the ability to stop the train of thought that will only bring misery to myself and to others. I have come to believe that if I am saying things that are hurtful or unkind, truly those words are closer to me than others. Why would I want to hurt myself and disturb my mind? Compassion and anger both start in my mind. I am realizing that the more I show myself compassion the more I am able to show it to others.) |