Q36: Venerable Sir, is it true that for learned persons, their knowledge forms an obstacle to the progress in their practice?

问36：尊者，真是这样吗，有学问的人他们的知识会形成禅修进步的障碍？

No, it’s not suitable to say so. It is impossible that one’s knowledge is an obstacle to the practice. As you may know, a highly learned monk called Potthila became an Arahat sooner rather than later by practicing under the guidance of a young novice. In view of this, it is clear that one’s education or knowledge cannot be an obstruction to the progress in the practice. As a matter of fact, the real obstacles are pride in one’s education or knowledge, little or no faith in the practice, skeptical doubt, failure to follow strictly the guidance of the teacher, lack of heroic effort, and so on. Such are real obstacles to the development of concentration and insight knowledge.

不，这样说不合适，一个人的知识不可能是禅修的障碍。你知道，一个叫帕提拉(Patthila)的极有学问的比库，在一个年轻沙弥的指导下修行，他更快地成了阿罗汉而不是相反。就此而言非常清楚，一个人所受的教育或其学识不可能是修行进步的障碍。实际上，真正的障碍是以学历或学识为骄傲，缺少对修行的信心或没有信心，疑，没有严格遵循老师的教导，缺乏英勇的努力，等等。这些是培养定力和观智的真正障碍。