Hurdles of Hardship, Suffering, and Pain

难关.苦关.痛关

In the Chan Hall, why don’t we have samadhi? It is because when it hurts, we can’t stand it; when there’s a bit of suffering, we can’t take it; when there’s a bit of difficulty, we can’t bear it. This is the case even to the point where we want to break out in tears. It is because we do not have concentration power or samadhi that we cannot overcome the hurdles of hardship, suffering, and pain! If we can overcome them, we will be free. When you feel pain to the extreme, to the point that you forget about others and the self, there will then be no more pain. No matter what you do, you have to do it to the extreme. Then you can experience the “extreme quietude and unhindered brightness.” That means you experience quietude and pureness to the ultimate point. The light of your wisdom will then naturally begin to shine through, and you will be enlightened. Every day you say you want to get enlightened, but if you can’t endure a little pain, what kind of enlightenment are you going to attain? It is shameful!

我们在禅堂里，为什么我们没有定力？我们痛一点也受不了，苦一点也受不了，难一点也受不了，甚至于就要哭起来，这就因为没有定力，才没有打破这个「难关」，没打破这个「苦关」，没打破这个「痛关」。我们现在都要把它打破，过了关你就得到自在了。你痛到极点，痛到忘人无我了，怎么会有痛呢？就没有痛。无论做什么事情，你一定要做到极点，就会「静极光通达」也就是你清静到极点、静虑到极处，你自然就现出智慧光开悟了。你天天说要开悟开悟，连一点痛都忍不了，你开个什么悟？真是无惭无愧！