Failing the Test

受不了考验

Last year, during the Chan session, there were those who practiced a watch session and kept glancing at their watch. They looked at their watches so often that within an hour they glanced at it a hundred times. What do you think they were meditating on? That is why I said that during next year’s Chan session, all participants should leave their watches at home. Whoever wears a watch will not be allowed to participate. I did not look during the Chan session this year to see if there were people who looked at their watches everyday. However, I believe nobody looked at their watch this year. This is really not easy. We always say that we cultivate, but when we put ourselves to the test, we fail. All of you should try to remember my words, “Everything’s a test to see what you will do. If you mistake what’s before your face, you’ll have to start anew.” Although there are not that many participants in this year’s Chan session, all of you are very hardworking and watch over yourselves well. You are not as lazy or talkative as before.

去年有的人打禅七，有的人就打「表」七，坐在那儿老看表，左看一次表，右看一次表；坐一个钟头，他会看一百次表。你想他打什么坐？所以我说：「明年打七，谁也不准戴表，谁戴表就不能参加。」我们今年打七我也没看，谁愿意看表就天天看，我也不管，但是我相信今年没有人看表了。这是不容易的，你看平常说修行修行，真要是考验一下，就受不了了。所以我有几句话，你们应该时时刻刻都不要忘了「一切是考验，看尔怎么办；对境若不识，须再从头炼。」今年禅七人虽然不太多，但是都很精进，每一个人都知道自己管着自己，没有像以前那么懈怠、那么懒惰，讲那么多话了。