(隨阿贊平)阿贊平長老-問與答

師父: 阿贊平長老 Ajahn Paen from Malaysia
時間: 下午茶, 四時 afternoon tea, time of Q&A

問: 襌修方法很多種, 如何知道自己適合那一種?
答: 那種令你舒服、快樂的方法, 就是與你有緣。
Q: There are many meditation methods, how's to know which one suitable oneself?
A: Which method makes you feel comfortable and happy, this method is suitable for you.

問: 在行路時觀呼吸, 是單純的觀呼吸還是看呼吸的長短?
答: 知道呼吸就好, 不要看長短。
Q: While walking and doing anapanasati, does it only observing breathing in and out or observing breathing long and short?
A: Only know breathing is enought, don't observing long or short.

問: 在來時有隻瘦狗跟着行, 想吃東西, 但食物是供師父的, 該如何?
答: 迴向功德給牠, 叫牠跟着來, 來到這裡就可以有大利益, 你們供了師父後, 師父捨出食物, 你們給牠吃, 牠就可以有大利益。那狗也有財富的, 肥與瘦沒關係。
說: 牠跟到半路, 見另一婆婆行出去, 牠就沒再跟我們, 而跟那婆婆出去了。
答: 牠跟你們的緣很短。有緣, 牠是會來的。
問: 但這樣會否引來更多狗?
答: 牠們來會有大利益。
Q: When we are coming, there is a dog following us and want to eat something. But the food is for Venerable. How should we do?
A: Transferring merit to it and ask it following you to come. If it comes to here, it will get great merit. After you offer food to me and I give back to you, then you give it to eat, it will get great merit. That dog has wealth, not related to its fat or lean body.
one says: it follows us half way and it sees an old lady, following her to go back, not following us.
A: Its nidana with you is short. If there is nidana, it will come.
Q: If it comes here, will it let many dogs to come?
A: They come will get great merits.

問: 不喜歡那個人, 一見對方就不喜歡, 應該避開對方還是去面對對方?
答: 過去生, 做善緣或惡緣, 現在就有果報, 這是結果, 要知道。有兩種方法: 一是修慈悲觀, 一是迴向功德給對方的護法神及自己的護法神, 剪斷惡緣。
問: 心接受對方是不是就可以了?
答: 不是。它是惡緣, 要剪斷它。每日二次修慈悲觀, 迴向給對方的護法神及自己的護法神; 要快就每日五次或十次。
Q: Don't like that one and when I see that one, just don't like that one. Should I escape that one or face to that one?
A: In the past, we do good or bad behaviour and then we get result now. This is the result and you should know it. There are two ways: One is metta bhavana and the other is transferring merit to that one's protecting deva and your own protecting deva, cut the link.
Q: Can mind accept that one, that's ok?
A: No. it is bad nidana, need to cut it. Metta bhavana twice everyday, transferring merit to that one's protecting deva and your protecting deva; if you want quickly, 5 or 10 times everyday.


問: 我想帶個仔過來, 但他不願來。
答: 可以叫他做伴。
Q: I would like to come with my son but he is not willing to come.
A: you can ask him as a companian.

問: 修到知道他人的心, 知道很多人好苦, 這種能力可不可以不要? 是不是一定要過這過程才可以前進?
答: 不是。有這個杯, 可以不拿來用。
問: 但它自己來。
答: 對, 知道, 每個人都很苦, 拿它來教自己。
問: 那是不是不理那個人, 他苦他的事?
答: 你一手拉他, 一手游泳, 是不是很辛苦?
說: 是呀, 就是覺得很辛苦。
答: 每個人都有自己的因緣果報, 見到他人的苦, 要教自己, 要游上岸。沒有佛法的人在游泳, 會浮會沉, 有佛法的人會在船上, 船大小沒關係, 但也是在海中, 遇到風浪還是會沉的。
Q: bhavana to know other mind's status and know so many people in suffering, is it able not to have this ability? Is it a process one must pass it to move forward?
A: Not. There is a cup and one is able not to take it for use.
Q: But it comes itself.
A: Right. Just know everyone is suffering and let it to teach self.
Q: So not take any action for that one, his suffering is his matter?
A: You give one hand to save that one and the other hand to swim, do you feel exhausting?
one says: Exactly, just feel exhausting.
A: Everyone has their cause and result. When we see other in suffering, need to teach ourself, swim to the shore. One without Buddhism as one swims, will be float and sink; one with Buddhism as one is in a ship, big ship or small ship doesn't matter, still at sea. When the ship meets great wave or storm, sometimes, sink also.

襌師說:
讀書的佛法是想, 是記憶力, 當下是法。
修得幾高, 都是會翻船的, 要上岸, 在岸上的人是與我們不同的。
慈悲是要對自己先, 一手拉人, 一手游, 會很辛苦, 也會沉。
正念是電筒, 照到什麼就見到。
在當下就是知道呼吸。
住在村屋做窮人是減低我慢。佛陀離開皇宮後, 與馬及車夫離開, 脫了衣服給車夫, 就做窮人。
問: 佛陀脫了衣服不是修行了嗎?
答: 未, 做窮人減少我慢先。
Ajahn Paen says:
- Study Buddhism from book is saññā, memory only. The present is dhamma.
- Like a ship at sea, not arriving the shore, meeting dangerous will be sink. So one should step on the shore. People on the shore is different with us.
- Compassion is for self first. One hand pulls the other and one hand swims, one will feel exhausting and will drown.
- Mindfulness is like a torch, to shine on what one sees.
- In the present is to know breathing.
- Living in village as a poor is to deduce conceit. After Buddha left royal palace with horse and chariot, he took off the cloth to the chariot, to be a poor.
Q: After Buddha took off the cloth, was he not to bhavana?
A: Not, he was to be poor to deduce the conceit first.


問: 什麼方法可以減低我慢?
答: 布施可以減低我慢, 持戒可以減低我慢, 高一點是止襌, 然後是觀襌, 觀襌可以斷我慢。要逐點斷。
問: 是不是觀的力量來斷我慢?
答: 是, 止襌是磨刀, 將刀磨利, ñāṇa斷我慢。
Q: What method we can deduce the conceit?
A: Donaion can deduce the conceit. Taking precepts can deduce the conceit. More higher is to practicing jhana meditation, then is vipassana. Vipassana can cut the conceit, cuting a little bit progressingly.
Q: Does it the power of vipassana to cut the conceit?
A: Yes. jhana meditation is like to sharpen the knife, then ñāṇa put an end the conceit.

這段與師父的對話, 大部份是不純正的普通話, 兩個人輪流做翻譯, 師父又提及兩個巴利詞, saññā與ñāṇa。
各自得益。
The conversation with Ajahn Paen is using not quite right Mandarin, two persons translate in turn.