爱欲是修道的绊脚石

Love and Desire: The Stumbling Blocks in Cultivation

我们还有这口气在，就要对人好，可是不应有情爱的思想掺在内。

As long as we still have a breath left, we should be good to people, but there shouldn't be any thoughts of emotional love involved.

生死爱情的海，就是障道的根本。修道人，无论对人或对物，生出爱欲之心，都会障碍修道的发展。详言之：爱欲就是生死，生死就是爱欲，爱欲就是生死之根。若是不破爱欲无明，终不能离开生死大爱海。如何能离开生死？简单得很，就是「断欲去爱」，别无他法。

The sea of the emotional love of birth and death is the fundamental obstacle to the Way. If cultivators feel love and desire, whether for people or objects, it will hinder them from making progress in cultivation. To discuss it in detail, love and desire are just birth and death, and birth and death are just love. Love and desire are the root of birth and death. If you don't break through the ignorance of love, you can never escape the great sea of love which is birth and death. How can you escape birth and death? It's simple─just cut off desire and get rid of love. There is no other way.

修道人，不要有情爱的思想，更不能有情爱的行为。对任何人，不要生出一种情爱心；有了情爱，苦根不断；有了情爱，生死不能了。

Cultivators shouldn't have thoughts of emotional love, even less should they engage in acts of emotional love. Don't give rise to thoughts of emotional love for anyone, no matter who it is. Once you have emotional love, you cannot cut off the root of suffering. Once you have emotional love, you cannot put an end to birth and death.

有人说：「人是有感情的动物，食色性也。」就因为这样，所以才要修道！在《四十二章经》上说：

想其老者如母。长者如姊。少者如妹。

稚者如子。生度脱心。

息灭恶念。

Someone says, “Humans are creatures of emotion. The desires for food and sensuality are part of their nature.” Precisely for that reason, we must cultivate the Way! The Sutra in Forty-two Sections says,

Think of those women who are elderly as your mothers, those who are senior to you as your elder sisters, those who are junior to you as your younger sisters, and those who are young as your children. Resolve to save them, and quell unwholesome thoughts.

我们修道人，就须存这种的观想。如果无情无爱，见到人是不是就把嘴堵起来，不理睬人呢？这样也不对。我们不执着情爱，不生情爱之心，但还不能讨厌人，也不能说我不爱人，我就憎恨人，这样也不对。那么，要怎样才对？就是不爱，也不憎。不爱不憎为中道。

Cultivators should contemplate in that way. Does having no emotion and love mean we should keep our mouth shut and ignore people when we see them? No, that's also wrong. We shouldn't cling to emotional love, or have thoughts of love, but we shouldn't loathe people, either. You can't say, “I don't love people, so I'll hate people.” That's wrong, too. Well, what's the right way to act? Neither love nor hate. Not loving and not hating is the Middle Way.

修道，修什么道？就是修这个中道，对谁都是平等相待，慈悲为怀，但要谨慎行事，不可落在情爱樊笼里。

What is the Way that we are cultivating? We cultivate the Middle Way, by treating everyone equally, showing kindness and compassion to all. But we must be careful not to get trapped in the cage of emotional love.

各位注意！不要被情爱所迷惑。有人写封信给你，你的心就好像小兔子在怀中，乱蹦乱跳，以为有人爱你，这是好事，其实这是想把你拖到地狱去！

All of you should pay attention! Don't let love confuse you. If someone writes you a letter, your heart thumps like a bunny hopping wildly in your chest─you think it's wonderful that someone loves you. In reality, that person is just trying to drag you into the hells!

各位善知识！要在这个地方用功夫，要真真实实地了解：「爱欲，是一件很麻烦的事。」从无始劫以来，生死不了，为什么？就因为被「情爱」二字所害。若能「断欲去爱」，才能超出三界，了生脱死。

All Good and Wise Advisors! You must apply your efforts here, and truly understand that love is a very troublesome affair. From beginningless eons until now, we have failed to end birth and death. Why? It's because we have been harmed by emotional love. Only by cutting off desire and getting rid of love can we transcend the Triple Realm and be liberated from birth and death.

凡是你所愿意的，就是爱；你所讨厌的，就是憎恨。我欢喜这个，就生出爱心；我厌恶那个，就生出憎恨心，这都是感情用事。修行人不应该用感情来处理一切事。可是也不能像关帝公似的，坐在那里蹦着脸，给他叩头，他也不理睬。对人要和蔼，要有礼貌，不可贡高我慢，目空一切。

Whatever you are fond of, you love, and whatever you dislike, you hate. If I like this, then I have a thought of love. If I am annoyed by that, then I have a thought of hate. This is to deal with things on an emotional level. Cultivators should not handle matters emotionally. But nor should they be like Lord Guan Y? sitting there with a wooden expression. Even if you bow to him, he'll ignore you. We should be amiable and courteous to people. We cannot be arrogant and look down on everyone.

总之，对人要以慈悲为怀，方便为门，处处为人着想，令人生欢喜心，我们还有这口气在，就要对人好，可是不应有情爱的思想掺在内。各位！切记切记！这是很重要的法门。

In general, we should treat people with a spirit of kindness and compassion, and use expedient methods. We should always be considerate of others and make people happy. As long as we still have a breath left, we should be good to people, but there shouldn't be any thoughts of emotional love involved. Each one of you should be sure to remember this! This is a very important Dharma-door.