舍眾 Abandoning Beings

舍眾

Abandoning Beings

如果發了菩提心，則意味著無論眾生如何加害于我們，我們也不能有舍棄之心。

Having generated bodhichitta means never forsaking sentient beings, no matter how they may be harming us.

此話說起來容易，做起來卻困難重重。業障深重的人們常常令人失望，即使你對他恩深如海，他卻視而不見，甚至恩將仇報。這就會使一些菩提心不堅固的人心灰意懶，滋生出舍棄眾生的青苔，蜷縮進利己的蛋殼中，原本搖搖欲墜的菩提心，也在頃刻間化為齏粉。

These words are easier said than done. Repeatedly, we have been disappointed by people who, due to their heavy obscurations, never care to show any appreciation, even though we have gone to great lengths to help them. Worse, they return our kindness with enmity. Thus with only a feeble bodhichitta, we are likely to become disheartened and recoil back into a shell of self-interest; as the thought of abandoning sentient beings creeps in, our wobbling bodhichitta collapses into fine dust in no time.

金厄瓦曾想閉關，但又怕舍棄眾生，就帶著舍棄眾生界限的問題，專程趕到熱振詢問仲敦巴尊者。尊者回答說：「一旦你生起對此等眾生不饒益的心，就是舍棄眾生。眾生遭遇損害，甚至全部毀滅，自己也幸災樂禍。無論黑茶、白茶也不給，就犯了舍棄眾生罪。對自己周圍的眷屬，你盡心利益他們，換來的卻是仇視。這樣，你就會發願再不利益他們，就舍棄了菩提心。所以，即使對此等人，也應恆時以大悲心利益他，以善妙心攝持他。」

When Chengawa was contemplating a retreat, he was worrying it might constitute abandoning sentient beings. To make sure he would not step over the fine lines of bodhichitta, he made a special trip to Radreng to request Dromtonpa』s advice. The master explained to him: 「The moment you think of not benefiting beings is the instant you abandon them. When beings suffer or are losing everything, if you take pleasure in their calamities and offer nothing, great or small, to help, you are committing the downfall of abandoning sentient beings. From your relatives and friends you have assisted wholeheartedly, you get nothing but hostility in return. Discouraged, you swear never to help them again. In this case, you』ve lost your bodhichitta. Therefore, your compassion should be vast enough to embrace even these sorts of beings, accepting them with your good heart. 」

《大日經》云：「佛法以菩提心為正因，以大慈悲為根本。」與眾生樂，除眾生苦是我們義不容辭的責任，沒有任何附加條件。正如慈父不因頑子的難教而失教子之念，我們也不能因眾生的難度而懈度生之心。即使阻礙重重，即使道路崎嶇，也要沿著利益眾生的道路披荊斬棘、勇往直前。

The Mahavairocana Sutra says: 「The source of all the Dharma is bodhichitta, its root is the great compassion.」 Our obligatory responsibility is to bring happiness to sentient beings while removing their misery with no strings attached. A father does not give up the tough task of educating his unruly son; likewise, we must not shrink from the difficult task of benefiting beings. Even if this path is winding and full of thickets and obstacles, we must forge ahead by blazing a new trail through the brambles.

如果你已視某人為仇敵，那麼就應捫心自問，自己相續中是否還具有菩薩戒？

When you start regarding someone as an enemy, you should search your soul, 「Do I still uphold the Bodhisattva』s Vows in myself?」

壬午年七月十六日 2002年8月23日

16th of July, Year of RenWu