This is an important point of practice for us. If we contemplate 
the holes and entrances of our nose and ears and the rest, we 
can see that they are all the same, just orifices filled with 
unclean substances. Or are any of them clean? So we should 
contemplate this in the way of Dhamma. The truly fearful is 
here, nowhere else. This is where we humans lose our minds.

對我們而言，這是一項重要的修行課題。用心去檢視自己耳、鼻以及身體上其他的
孔竅，會發現他們其實大同小異，不過是身體的上的小洞，裡頭還藏污納垢。 所
以，用佛法的觀點來看，沒有別的地方，比這兒更可怕，我們的心就是迷失於此。


Just this is a cause, a basic point of practice. I don’t feel 
that it’s necessary to ask a lot of questions of anyone or 
interview a lot. But we don’t investigate this point carefully. 
Sometimes I see monks heading off carrying the big glot, walking 
here and there under the hot sun, wandering through many 
provinces. When I watch them, I think, It must be fatiguing.

這是一個因，一項修行的根本重點。我認為沒有必要逢人便問一堆東西，也不必花
太多時間和禪師晤談。問題就出在，自己沒有好好地慎思明辨，有時候，看到比丘
頂著大缽，不畏烈日當空，川州越省四處雲游。我看了看、想了想，他們一定很疲
累吧。


“Where are you going?”
“I’m seeking peace.” 
 I don’t have any answer for that. I don’t know where they can 
seek peace. I’m not disparaging them; I was like that too. I 
sought peace, always thinking it must be in some other place. 
Well, it was true, in a way. When I would get to some of those 
places, I was a little bit at ease. It seems people have to be 
like this. We always think some other place is comfortable and 
peaceful. When I was traveling I saw the dog in Pabhakaro’s 
house. They had this big dog. They really loved it. They kept it 
outside most of the time. They fed it outside, and it slept out 
there too, but sometimes it wanted to come inside, so it would 
go and paw at the door and bark.

“你們要去那兒？”
“我們在找平靜。”
我既沒給予指引，也不知道他們到那兒可以找到平靜，並非是瞧不起，而是自己以
前也跟他們差不多，總以為可以在別的地方找到平靜，就某個角度來看，那倒也沒
錯。我也曾在別的地方獲得些微的自在，大家好像都是這樣的，老是覺得別的地方
舒適又寧靜。有一回旅行途中，在巴哈卡羅寺裡看到一條狗，這隻大狗是寺內裡所
豢養的，而且頗得眾人的疼愛，狗兒大半都養在寺外，吃睡也都在外頭，不過，這
狗三不五時想溜進寺裡，就在門口又扒又吠的。


That bothered the owner, so he would let it in, then close the 
door behind it. The dog would walk around inside the house for a 
while, and then it would get bored and want to go out again: 
back to the door, pawing and barking. So the owner would get up 
and go to let it out. It would be happy outside for a little 
while, and then want to come back in, barking at the door again.

此舉令狗主人困擾不已，只得讓它進來，再把房門關上，狗兒在房裡繞來繞去，沒
一會兒工夫，就開始無聊起來，又想要出去，走回大門，又是扒，又是吠，狗主人
只好下床，把它放出去。狗在門外快活一陣子，又想要進來，於是再度對著門扒
啊，吠啊。


When it was outside, it seemed like being inside would be 
better. Being inside was fun for a spell, then it was bored and 
had to go out again. The minds of people are like that--like a 
dog. They are always in and out, here and there, not really 
understanding where the place is that they will be happy.

狗兒身在屋外，覺得待在屋裡似乎更好些，進了屋子樂沒幾下子，又感到無聊，非
出去不可，我們的心就像那樣- 就像那條狗，總是忙進忙出，這兒也不是，那兒也
不是，搞不清楚何處才是快樂的所在。


If we have some awareness of this, then whatever thoughts and 
feelings arise in our minds, we will make efforts to quell them, 
recognizing that they are merely thoughts and feelings. The 
grasping attachment to them is really important.

一旦對此有了些許的覺察，不管心裡頭升起什麼念頭，什麼情緒，我們要設法去平
息，體認到念頭不過是念頭，情緒只是情緒，那個抓著念頭、情緒不放的執著，才
是真正的重點。


~~未完待續~~