Why Do We Need to Endure Suffering?

为什么要受苦呢？

Why do we need to undergo pain and suffering when we cultivate? If you do not break through the pain barrier, you will not be able to get out of the cycle of birth and death. Imagine Shakyamuni Buddha in his initial cultivation sitting in the Snow Mountains (Himalayas) for six years and eating only one sesame seed and one grain of wheat a day. Wasn’t this suffering? He sat for six years. Do you think his legs or back didn’t ache? He experienced the same kinds of pain and suffering, but he managed to break through them and become a Buddha. Suppose we want to become Buddhas or emulate the Patriarchs. If, without bearing any suffering, we expect to easily attain enlightenment and become Buddhas, then our cultivation and roots of virtue must be deeper and greater than those of the Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha “cultivated blessings and wisdom for three great asamkhyeya kalpas and perfected his hallmarks and subsidiary characteristics for an additional hundred kalpas.” The Buddha had to sit for six years in the Snow Mountains (Himalayas) and sat under the Bodhi tree for 49 days. Upon seeing a bright star at night, he attained enlightenment and became a Buddha. Just take a look at our own foundation. It is definitely shallow compared to the Buddha. Our good roots and virtue certainly cannot compare to those of the Buddha. Therefore, if we cannot even suffer a little pain, it would be a fantasy to think we can attain enlightenment.

为什么我们要受苦、修道要受痛呢？因为你打不破痛苦的关，跳不出去轮循环。你想释迦牟尼佛当初修道，都在雪山坐了六年，一天只吃一麻一麦，那不痛苦吗？他坐了六年，他的腿不痛吗？腰不痛吗？一样痛；但是他把这种痛苦打破了，所以成了佛。我们想成佛、想学祖师，要是一点痛苦也不受，容容易易就开了悟、就成了佛，那我们真是比佛的根基都深厚了、德行都大了。释迦牟尼佛「三祇修福慧，百劫种相好」；尚且要在雪山六年，菩提树下坐了四十九天不起于座，然后夜睹明星悟道，正式证得佛的果位。我们算一算自己的根基，一定不会有佛的深厚；我们的善根德行都不能跟佛比，我们一点苦都不能受，那真是妄想来开悟。