Follow Your Teacher

　　追随你的老师

As you grow in Dharma, you should have a teacher to instruct and advise you. The matter of concentrating the mind, of samadhi, is much misunderstood; phenomena occur in meditation that otherwise do not normally arise. When this happens, a teacher's guidance is crucial, especially in those areas in which you have wrong understanding. Often where he corrects you will be just where you thought you were right. In the complexity of your thinking, one view may obscure the other and you get fooled. Respect your teacher and follow the rules or system of practice. If the teacher says to do something, do it. If he says to desist, desist. This allows you to make an honest effort and leads to making knowledge and vision manifest in your mind. If you do as I am saying, you will see and know.

　　在佛法中成长时，应该要有一位老师来指导、忠告你。关於定心或三摩地这档事，是常被误解的，平常不曾发生的现象，在禅修中都会发生。当这种情形发生时，一位老师的指导是非常重要的，特别是在那些你误解的领域里。通常，他纠正你的地方，正是你认为是对的地方。在你错综复杂的思想中，一个见解中也许会隐藏另一个，而使你受蒙骗。尊敬你的师父，并遵从其修行规矩及方法。如果老师叫你去做事，就去做；如果他叫你停止，就停止。这使你产生一个挚诚的努力，并引导你去产生智慧，及内心明晰的洞察力。如果你照著我的话去做，你就会明白和了解。

True teachers speak only of the difficult practice of giving up or getting rid of the self. Whatever may happen, do not abandon the teacher. Let him guide you, because it is easy to forget the Path.

　　真正的老师只谈关於“舍弃”和“除去自我”的困难修行。无论发生什么事，都不可舍弃你的老师。让他指导你，因为我们很容易就会忘了“道”。

Alas, few who study Buddhism really want to practice. I certainly urge them to practice, but some people can only study in a logical way. Few are willing to die and be born again free. I feel sorry for the rest.

　　唉！学习佛法而想真正去实践的人太少了。我的确鼓励他们去修行了，可是，有些人只能以一种合於逻辑的方式修行，很少人愿意去死後再自在地再生一次。对於这些人，我只能深感遗憾。