断根
Cutting the Root
米拉日巴大师曾送弟子寂光一首道歌：“弟子若欲诚修法，应自心坎生信心，切勿瞻顾今生事。尔若欲随吾修行，应知亲友乃魔网，故应掀开此屏障；饮食财物乃魔卒，故应舍弃恶故交；妙欲享受乃魔索，故应遣除此羁绊；知己佳友乃魔女，故应谨防此诱惑；家乡故土乃魔狱，故应速离此囹圄。死时一切必放弃，不如此时舍最佳。若听吾教且修持，汝儿即有胜法缘。”
Jetsun Mila once imparted a song of realization to his disciple Repa Shiwa:
My son, should you sincerely want to practice the Dharma, arouse strong faith from the depths of your heart, and never cherish the affairs of this life.
Should you want to follow me to practice, recognize friends and relatives are Mara’s net; so you should remove these hindrances.
Food and possessions are Mara’s minions; abandon these evil old companions of yours.
Sensual pleasure and enjoyment are Mara’s chains; so you should eliminate these fetters.
Intimate buddies and good friends are Mara’s daughters; be sure to guard against their temptations.
Native land and hometown are hellish prisons; quickly run away from being incarcerated.
Giving up everything you must at the time of death; now is the best time to leave them behind.
If you listen to me and do the practices, my son, you are connected to the supreme Dharma!
噶当派大德塔波仁波切(索南仁钦)修持境界极高，可连续十天一直处于禅定中不动摇，他非常强调修持，说道：“现境有如恶人不恒常，幻身恰似借物速灭失，财物幻化欺诳痛苦因，故乡如同魔狱束缚源，何人贪执此等漂轮回，当断轮回命脉我执根。”要消除痛苦，远离魔障，获得解脱，必须断除对轮回的贪着。
The great Kadampa master Dapo Rinpoche (Sonam Rinchen) attained a high level of accomplishment; when in deep Samadhi, he could remain immobile for 10 days straight. He strongly emphasized actual practice and once said: “Appearances are as unreliable as evil-doers; this illusory body, on loan to us, is easily lost. Wealth, flimsy and deceiving, causes suffering; hometown, a demonic prison, entraps you to no end. Those who enjoy drifting in the rounds of samsara should cut samsara’s lifeblood and root—self-attachment.” To be freed from suffering, to demolish obstacles and attain liberation, the only recourse is to sever the grasping to samsara.
唐代的道林禅师常年在一棵松树上习禅，被人们称为“鸟巢禅师”。一日，白居易慕名前去拜访。见他住在树上，便说：“禅师住的地方太危险！”
Zen master Dao Lin of the Tang Dynasty often practiced meditation up in a pine tree and was known as the “Bird Nest Zen Master.” Poet Bai Juyi once paid him a visit out of admiration. Seeing the master living high up in the tree, he said: “Master, the place where you are living is quite dangerous!” The Bird Nest Zen Master replied: “The way I see it, Sir, it is you who are in danger!”
鸟巢禅师回答说：“我看大人才危险呢！”
Perplexed, Bai Juyi asked: “I am an official in the royal court, why am I in danger?”
白居易不解地问：“我身为朝廷命官，何险之有？”鸟巢禅师说：“世俗缘业相煎，冤冤相报，烦恼不息，难道不危险吗？”
The Bird Nest Zen Master replied: “People in the secular world, driven by karma, harm each other continuously; they take turns avenging one another and breed endless afflictions. Aren’t these situations dangerous?”
一句话，说得白居易哑口无言。
This simple answer rendered Bai Juyi dumbfounded.
是啊！世间之人时时为功名利禄所累，烦恼丛生，难道不是生活在看不见的监狱、魔网中吗？难道不是很危险吗？
It’s so true! Ordinary people are always toiling for fame and wealth; they are constantly confused and worried. Aren’t they living in an invisible prison or in the devil’s web? Couldn’t it be said that they are in grave danger?
速速逃离此险境吧！
Hurry! Run away from this dangerous place!
壬午年正月二十六日
2002年3月9日
26th of January, Year of RenWu
March 9, 2002
