Regarding the citta, the mind, it is the knowing conscious element that doesn't break apart and decay, though it does arise and cease. There is arising and ceasing. When one mind moment ceases, it conditions the next mind moment to arise. ...... it is the knowing element that receives and is conscious of sense objects.

If one is reborn in the human realm, one enters a mother's womb and is born as a human being. If through the bad results of karma that are low or lacking morality, one may be born in the womb of a dog, a pig, a cow or various pets. If one clings strongly to pets, the mind becomes bound. Even if it is metta, loving kindness for the pet, the mind still clings. One has worry and concern and one may be reborn in the womb of a dog or a cat. This is something to be careful about.

Even a virtuous monk who had practiced for a long time whose elder sister wove a very beautiful new robe to offer him and he became attached to that robe thinking tomorrow I'll get to wear this new robe. But a person's life is uncertain. While death is certain, we must die. The ultimate certainty of life is death. Life is uncertain. Death is certain. And at that time, the monk became careless and didn't reflect on death, but delighted in that robe. And he died and was reborn as a tiny creature, a louse, living right there in that robe. Usually it is customary that when a monk passes away his eight basic requisites the alms bowl, robe, outer robe and other items are distributed among the Sangha. But when they came to divide up that robe, the louse cried out as if to say, "Don't take it yet." For the robe was still mine, belonging to the monk reborn as that louse. Out of great compassion, the Buddha pitied that louse. If the robe were divided, then its mind would become distressed and its state of mind would fall even lower. So the Buddha said, "Wait first, wait for 7 days, then divide this robe." After 7 days the louse died. The wholesome qualities accumulated when he had been a meditating monk ripened. He was reborn in a good state as a deva, a celestial being.

Therefore, we must be most careful with the mind, especially when we're about to leave this world, especially people who often indulge in entertainment and gambling such as fighting. There is a story of a man who loved fighting and his fighting rooster he called Galong whom he loved so much. The rooster would always win in every ring. His mind loved and was very attached to the rooster. And when Galong died, his mind remained deeply attached to it. He loved the sport of cockfighting. Day after day, he lived for his roosters, raising them, tending the coops, bathing them, wiping them down. He loved them dearly. And when he fell ill, he would strike his hand down on the table or bed until it bled and still would not stop. He kept striking it like that. In his mind, through the mind door, he was watching a cockfight, cheering the fighting roosters. His hand kept hitting hard things, and so it bled. No matter how they tried to stop him, he would not listen because the mind was in the time of a kammanimitta, a sign of karma which had appeared due to his attachment. In such a case after death one goes to an unfavorable realm or birth to a lower realm than humans which can be an animal or a hungry ghost or an asura demon. Or if the karma is heavy, then one can fall into the hell realms.

So we must examine which unwholesome sense objects harm our minds. If our minds cling to those bad sense objects or moods, then that becomes demerit or bad karma. Then we should let such objects in as little as possible and try to receive wholesome sense objects and moods of merit and virtue a lot. Then we will find happiness. Though the mind does indeed arise and cease throughout each day, we must regularly accumulate merit and wholesome qualities so they are easy to recollect. And we must take utmost care of the final mind that will lead on to the next birth. This is important because if we go to a bad destination, we may be stuck. Like if at death one clings to one's house, one may be stuck in that very house, unable to go anywhere.

There's a story of once when I went on Tudong to Caoai National Park in the province of Nakhon Ratchasima. There were staff quarters there called the TV house. It turned out the employee's father had lived there and passed away and his mind was still lingering there. Monks went to stay and practice meditation in the forest and used that house as temporary shelter when it rained. They could keep their requisites dry in that house. The monks would see an old man who was wearing white because the deceased had habitually worn white. The daughter asked for the monks to spread metta, loving kindness for her father. She invited monks to make merit and dedicate it to him because her father was still there. Groups of monks came one after another to radiate loving kindness until one day that spirit was finally able to be reborn. Had the daughter not invited the monks or had the monks not come or not radiated loving kindness, the mind would have remained there a long time lost there unable to go anywhere. So after death it is hard and difficult to remedy.

Even if it is something meritorious, it can still be like this. There was someone who was building a stupa, a chedi, and the founder of the Thai forest tradition, Venerable Ajahn Mun saw, I can't remember if it was a man or a woman, but they were still attached to wanting to build the stupa that was as yet incomplete. They were lingering on in that area because of the worry. So even regarding merit, it is important not to be worried. So the monks radiated loving kindness and instructed that person not to cling on otherwise the mind would keep circling around it like that. And we must be careful about this as well because we could end up being reborn like that instead of being reborn to enjoy the fruits of the good that we have done.

This is why there is a tradition of making merit for the ancestors. In Thailand, it is called Sat Thai or the ghost festival which falls on the 15th waning day of the 10th lunar month each year. The names differ by the region in Thailand. In the south, it is unernip merit making orqing pred, the merit sought after by the hungry ghosts. And in the central region called sat thai. In Isan, the northeast of Thailand, it is called ca brad dinin or placing rice upon the ground. When I first stayed in the northeast of Thailand, I didn't know what it was about. Hey, what kind of merit making is this? A lot of people came to offer food on that day at Wat Nongapong. They said they were making merit called Kaabdin. I'd never heard of that before. And when I asked them, they said they were in fact making merit for their departed, which was the same as Sat Thai from the district I was from. In the north, it is called Dan Salah and so on. Amongst Chinese people, there is also Ching Ming Day. There are different names but the same purpose which is to make merit and dedicate it to departed ancestors.

We have probably heard the story of King Bimbisara who made merit and did not dedicate it to his ancestors who had been hungry ghosts since a past Buddha's dispensation. The hungry ghost cried out throughout the palace and King Bimbisara awoke thinking some calamity was about to befall him. When he went to ask the Buddha, the Buddha said there was nothing wrong. There was no danger to his royal wealth or throne. It was about those hungry ghosts who were his relatives and who had waited a very long time for merit from him. Since a time of previous Buddhas, they had not received that merit. But the relatives had earlier received the compassion of a past Buddha who foretold that they had to wait first for their relative who would be King Bimbisara in the dispensation of the Sumedha Gotama. Then they as hungry ghosts would receive merit. Hence it can be called bunqing bread, the merit that is sought after by the hungry ghosts. So we also make merit in accordance with tradition. When the time arrives on the 15th waning day we perform the customary merit making.

When we have loved ones and those we respect, we wish to remain together for a long time. Being born, we want to stay for a long time. We don't want to have anyone separated from us. This is precisely what prompted the Buddha-to-be who would become the fully awakened Buddha to set out in search of the such dharma, the truth, for the Buddha-to-be had completeness in all aspects. So why should there be separation? He had a perfect body, loved ones complete, had Princess Yashodhara and he was going to inherit the royal throne. The Brahmans even predicted he would be a great wheel-turning monarch. But he saw that these ties and concerns are themselves suffering. When Prince Rahula was born, Rahulo meaning a fetter. He recognized a fetter had arisen. It was suffering to know that one day he would have to part from what he had now. He saw suffering even the slightest amount, but in his heart it loomed large. This is the mark of one with wisdom. Those without wisdom do not see it. No matter how great the suffering, they just don't see it. The Buddha's mind was exquisitely refined. Thus, he sought the way beyond suffering.

Accordingly, there are many people suffering greatly today who see no way out. Many seek the wrong way out. There are those who even destroy their own life, thinking that leaving this world will end the suffering. But suffering lies in the mind, not the body. The body is a tool of the mind. We merely take it to be suffering. If the body is damaged and its systems fail, the resident mind becomes disturbed. When the chemicals are not in balance, there can be heavy depression and the mind receives these sense objects and moods too. Hence, it is dangerous. If one departs by destroying one's life, the mind is defiled. Then it becomes hard and difficult to find the way to a new wholesome birth. Some people think simply and short-sightedly, I should just die and the suffering in the present will end. But one only meets suffering in another world, the world of the mind. So it doesn't end like that. Therefore, we must be careful and train the mind. A well-trained mind naturally brings one happiness.

Therefore, we must also reflect. Lay people must reflect as well. We may live every day in a beautiful house and it's normal that we like it like that. But we must be careful because after death we may well remain in that house.

So please set your hearts on meditation and regularly make merit and goodness. Make merit a habit that's easy to recollect. We chant, meditate, practice, listen to dharma, and keep the precepts. This is even better. These are deposits stored up in our hearts. Yet we must guard the very last mind. Don't get angry at anyone or bear grudges. When the time comes to go, we must lay everything down so that the heart is not obstructed or offended by anything. At that time, we need not even rush to make merit or give. Otherwise, if something goes against what we want, the mind may become lowered again. Instead, quietly meditate and practice within our own minds, as you have been practicing in the present. Merit will bring us happiness in this life and the next. May you grow in blessings.

----Ajahn Anan

Realms of Rebirth, Effects of Kamma and a Lesson on Attachment | Friday Dhamma | 05 Sep 2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQHsfkWT9i0

關於心，它是了知、覺知的元素，不會破碎毀壞，雖然它會生起與滅去。有生起，也有滅去。當一個心念滅去時，它會緣起下一個心念的生起。……心是接收並了知感官所緣的覺知元素。

若投生於人道，便進入母胎，生而為人。若是因低劣或不道德的惡業果報，則可能投生於狗、豬、牛或各種寵物的胎中。如果一個人強烈執著於寵物，心就會被束縛。即使是對寵物的慈心、善意，心依然是在執著。一個人會有擔憂和掛慮，並可能投生到狗或貓的胎中。這是需要謹慎注意的。

甚至一位修行已久的善德比丘，他的姐姐織了一件非常精美的新袈裟供養他，他對那件袈裟產生了執著，心想明天我就能穿上這件新袈裟了。但是人的生命是無常的。死亡是確定的，我們終有一死。生命最終的確定性是死亡。生命無常。死亡是確定的。那時，這位比丘疏忽了，沒有修習死隨念，而是對那件袈裟心生歡喜。結果他死了，投生為一個微小的生物——一隻蝨子，就住在那件袈裟裡。通常習俗是，當比丘去世後，他的八種基本資具——缽、袈裟、外衣等物品會分給僧團。但是當他們來分那件袈裟時，那隻蝨子叫了起來，好像在說：「先別拿。因為那件袈裟仍然是我的」，屬於投生為那隻蝨子的比丘。出於大慈悲，佛陀憐憫那隻蝨子。如果袈裟被分了，牠的心就會苦惱，心態會墮落得更低。所以佛陀說：「先等等，等七天，然後再分這件袈裟。」七天後，那隻蝨子死了。他過去作為禪修比丘時所累積的善德成熟了。他投生到一個善趣，成為一位天人。

因此，我們必須非常謹慎地守護我們的心，尤其是當我們即將離開這個世界的時候，特別是那些經常沉迷於娛樂和賭博（例如鬥雞）的人們。有個故事是關於一個熱愛鬥雞的人，他有一隻他非常珍愛的鬥雞，名叫加隆。這隻雞在每場比賽中總是獲勝。他的心深愛並執著於這隻雞。當加隆死了，他的心仍然深深地執著於牠。他熱愛鬥雞這項活動。日復一日，他為他的鬥雞而活，飼養牠們，打理雞舍，幫牠們洗澡、擦拭。他非常疼愛牠們。當他生病時，他會用手猛擊桌子或床，直到流血也不停止。他一直那樣敲擊。在他的心裡，通過意門，他正在觀看一場鬥雞比賽，為打鬥的雞加油。他的手不停地用力擊打硬物，因此流血了。無論別人怎麼試圖阻止他，他都不聽，因為他的心正處在業相顯現的時刻，這是由於他的執著而出現的業的徵兆。在這種情況下，死後會投生到不善趣，或是比人道低劣的界域，可能是動物、餓鬼或阿修羅。或者如果業力深重，則可能墮入地獄道。

所以我們必須審察，哪些不善的所緣會傷害我們的心。如果我們的心執取那些不善的所緣或心境，那就會成為不善業。那麼我們就應該盡可能少地讓這些所緣進入內心，並試著多多領受善的、有功德和善德的所緣與心境。這樣我們就會找到快樂。雖然心在每一天中確實生生滅滅，但我們必須定期累積功德和善德，使它們易於憶念。而且我們必須極其小心地守護那最後一刻、將導向下一生的心。這很重要，因為如果我們去往惡趣，我們可能會被困住。就像如果在死亡時執著於自己的房子，就可能被困在那房子裡，哪裡也去不了。

有個故事，有一次我去頭陀行，到了呵叻府的考艾國家公園。那裡有員工宿舍，叫做電視屋。原來，那位員工的父親曾住在那裡並去世了，他的心還滯留徘徊在那裡。僧侶們到森林裡修行禪坐，下雨時會用那間屋子暫避風雨。他們可以把資具放在那屋子裡保持乾燥。僧侶們會看到一個穿白衣服的老人，因為逝者生前習慣穿白色衣服。女兒請求僧侶們為她的父親散播慈心。她邀請僧侶們做功德並迴向給他，因為她的父親還在那裡。一組組的僧侶接連前來散播慈心，直到有一天，那個鬼魂終於得以投生。如果女兒沒有邀請僧侶，或者僧侶沒有來，或者沒有散播慈心，那麼他的心就會長久地迷失在那裡，無法去任何地方。所以死後是很難補救的。

即使是善業功德，也可能會這樣。曾經有人在建造佛塔，泰國森林傳統的創始人，尊者阿姜曼看到（我記不清是男人還是女人），那個人仍然執著於想要建造那座尚未完工的佛塔。因為這份掛慮，他們一直滯留在那個區域。所以即使是關於功德，不擔憂也是很重要的。所以僧侶們散播慈心，並教導那個人不要執著，否則心就會像那樣一直圍繞著它打轉。我們也必須小心這一點，因為我們最終可能會那樣投生，而不是投生去享受我們所做善業的果報。

這就是為什麼有為祖先做功德的傳統。在泰國，這被稱為 Sat Thai（施食節）或鬼節，每年落在陰曆十月十五日（譯注：應為泰曆十月十五日，即解夏節次日）。名稱因泰國地區而異。在南部，稱為 unernip merit making 或 qing pred（餓鬼求功德）。在中部地區稱為 sat thai。在伊桑（泰國東北部），稱為 ca brad din 或在地面上放飯。當我第一次住在泰國東北部時，我不知道這是什麼。嘿，這是什麼功德法會？那天很多人來到農阿蓬寺供養食物。他們說他們在做一種叫做 Kaabdin 的功德。我以前從未聽說過。當我問他們時，他們說實際上他們是在為亡者做功德，這和我家鄉地區的 Sat Thai 是一樣的。在北部，稱為 Dan Salah 等等。在華人中，也有清明節。名稱不同，但目的相同，都是做功德並迴向給逝去的祖先。

我們可能聽過頻婆娑羅王的故事，他做了功德但沒有迴向給他的祖先，那些祖先從過去佛的教法時期以來一直是餓鬼。餓鬼在宮殿中哭喊，頻婆娑羅王醒來，以為有災難將要降臨於他。當他去問佛陀時，佛陀說沒有什麼不對。他的王國財富或王位沒有危險。是關於那些餓鬼，他們是他的親屬，等待他的功德已經很久了。從過去諸佛的時代起，他們就沒有收到過功德。但是這些親屬早些時候曾蒙一位過去佛的慈悲預言，他們必須先等待他們的一位親屬，他將在須梅達喬達摩佛的教法時期成為頻婆娑羅王。然後他們這些餓鬼就會收到功德。因此，這可以稱為 bun qing bread，餓鬼所求的功德。所以我們也按照傳統做功德。當時間到了陰曆十月十五日，我們就進行慣例的功德法會。

當我們有親愛和尊敬的人時，我們希望長久地在一起。生而為人，我們想要長久地活著。我們不希望任何人與我們分離。這正是促使即將成為完全覺悟的佛陀的菩薩（釋迦牟尼佛的前身）出發尋求正法、真理的原因，因為菩薩具足一切圓滿。那麼為什麼會有分離呢？他擁有完美的身體、圓滿的親眷，有耶輸陀羅王妃，並且將繼承王位。婆羅門甚至預言他將成為一位轉輪聖王。但他看到這些束縛和牽掛本身就是苦。當羅睺羅王子出生時，Rahulo 意為「束縛」。他意識到一種束縛產生了。知道自己有一天將不得不與現在所擁有的一切分離，這是苦。他看到了苦，即使是微量的苦，但在他的心中，它卻顯得巨大。這是有智慧者的標誌。沒有智慧的人看不到它。無論苦有多大，他們就是看不見。佛陀的心極其細膩敏銳。因此，他尋求超越苦難之道。

相應地，今天有許多遭受巨大痛苦的人看不到出路。許多人尋求錯誤的出路。有些人甚至毀滅自己的生命，認為離開這個世界就會結束痛苦。但痛苦存在於心，不在身體。身體是心的工具。我們只是把它當作是苦。如果身體受損，其系統故障，居住於其中的心就會受到擾亂。當化學物質不平衡時，可能會有嚴重的抑鬱，心也會接收這些所緣和心境。因此，這很危險。如果一個人以毀滅生命的方式離開，心是染污的。那麼就很難找到通往新的善生的道路。有些人思想簡單且短視，我應該就這樣死去，當下的痛苦就會結束。但只會遇到另一個世界的痛苦，心識的世界。所以痛苦並不會那樣結束。因此，我們必須謹慎並訓練我們的心。一個訓練有素的心自然會帶來快樂。

因此，我們也必須思維。在家眾也必須思維。我們可能每天都住在漂亮的房子裡，我們喜歡那樣是正常的。但我們必須小心，因為死後我們很可能會滯留在那房子裡。

所以請大家專注於禪修，並定期做功德和善行。讓做功德成為一種易於憶念的習慣。我們誦經、禪修、修行、聽聞佛法、持戒。這就更好了。這些都是儲存在我們心中的存款。然而，我們必須守護那最後一刻的心。不要對任何人生氣或懷恨在心。當離開的時刻來臨時，我們必須放下一切，以便心不受任何事物的阻礙或冒犯。那時，我們甚至不需要急著做功德或布施。否則，如果有什麼事違背了我們的意願，心可能會再次變得低落。相反，就在我們自己的心中靜靜地禪修和修行，就像你現在一直練習的那樣。功德會帶給我們今生和來世的快樂。願你們增長福慧。

---- 阿姜阿難

輪迴諸界、業果與執著之教誡 | 星期五佛法 | 2025年9月5日

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQHsfkWT9i0

Devotee: Most venerable Ajahn Anan, I am a veterinarian who uses medicine or poison to kill parasites and worms such as fleas, ticks, and mites on pets such as dogs or cats. Is this act considered breaking the first precept? Should I change jobs or is there another alternative? As the pets also suffer from parasites, the pets can die from parasite infection, so we try to save or help them.

Ajahn Anan: So, this occupation that you have of being a vet is one where you help the lives of animals. And so you establish your intention that you're doing this for the sake of caring for and helping the lives of pets, of dogs and cats for example, and the guides to the parasites that they're just a part of nature for them to be there. But when you do your work, you establish that you have this intention just to be helping these pets. And if you're going to take it to such a detailed level where you don't want to harm any of these parasites or cause them any death, then one can't really act in this world. And say if you want to walk, but then you're afraid that you'll step on some ants and kill them. And if it's like that, then we just can't act in this world. We can't stay in this world. So you need to get it balanced and bring it just to the right level and establish that you have this intention not to be killing any beings, but what you want to do is to bring these pets and animals to safety from these infections and parasites. And so that's not bad karma and you aren't breaking precepts.

excerpted from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cOjHYgzg7c

信眾：最尊敬的阿贊阿南尊者，我是一名獸醫，使用藥物或毒藥來殺死寵物（如狗或貓）身上的寄生蟲和蠕蟲，例如跳蚤、蜱蟲和蟎蟲。這種行為是否被視為違犯第一戒？我應該換工作，還是有其他替代方案？由於寵物也遭受寄生蟲的折磨，牠們可能因寄生蟲感染而死亡，所以我們試圖拯救或幫助牠們。

阿贊阿南：所以，你所從事的獸醫職業是一份幫助動物生命的工作。因此，你確立你的意圖是為了照顧和幫助寵物的生命，例如狗和貓，而須知這些寄生蟲的存在只是自然界的一部分。但當你工作時，你確立你的意圖僅僅是幫助這些寵物。如果你要將其提升到如此詳細的層面，以至於你不想傷害任何這些寄生蟲或導致牠們死亡，那麼一個人在這個世界上就真的無法行動了。比如說，如果你想走路，但又害怕會踩到一些螞蟻並殺死牠們。如果是這樣，那麼我們就無法在這個世界上行動，我們無法停留在這個世界上。所以你需要取得平衡，將其帶到恰當的程度，並確立你的意圖不是要殺害任何眾生，而是你想要做的是使這些寵物和動物從這些感染和寄生蟲中獲得安全。因此，這不是惡業，你也沒有破戒。

節錄自：

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cOjHYgzg7c

Merit is something that purifies the mind and makes it pure. However, for merit to truly purify the mind, it must be connected with wisdom. If merit is still filled with greed—our desire to gain something more—it can still purify the mind to some extent. But as long as desire remains, that very desire will prevent the mind from becoming fully purified.

To completely purify the mind, we must also purify whatever things cause problems for it, such as stinginess or excessively cherishing the wealth we have acquired to the point that we cannot give anything to anyone. A person with such a mind refuses to make merit and refuses to give offerings at all. Though giving offerings makes one loved by people, refusing to give anything at all means no one loves them.

There was once a wealthy man who was extremely stingy. He never gave offerings and buried all his wealth in various places. After he died, the karmic result of his stinginess led him to be reborn in the womb of a beggar. Wherever the pregnant woman went to beg, no one would give her anything. This was because of the powerful karmic result of her child, who had never given to others in his previous life.

After the child was born and still very young, even when he followed his mother to beg, no one gave them anything. Eventually, the leader of the beggars had to expel the woman from the group, because ever since she became pregnant with this child, she had caused great hardship to the entire beggar community. This shows that the leader of the beggars also possessed wisdom.

The little child could not get anything even when begging with his mother. When he grew older, his mother told him, “You cannot live with me anymore. If we stay together, we will starve to death.” So the child wandered aimlessly here and there and eventually arrived at his own home from his past life. When he tried to enter the house, the servants drove him away.

The Buddha, feeling compassion, reflected on the matter and spoke about it with Venerable Ananda. Venerable Ananda then went to inform the owner of the house, saying, “This child here, in his past life, was your father.” Even with Venerable Ananda himself saying this, the house owner was still hesitant. He couldn’t believe that his father, who had been a wealthy man, had been reborn as a beggar. So they tried to verify it. The child went and pointed out all the places where the wealth had been hidden. When they dug them up, they truly found the treasure. Only then did the owner believe that this person had indeed been his father in the past life. So he took good care of his father reborn.

Had they not encountered the Buddha, what would have happened? He would likely have suffered for many lifetimes because he had never practiced giving. Therefore, generosity—giving—is what overcomes the defilement of stinginess.

But sometimes there are wealthy people who also possess great spiritual potential. Even though they may be extremely stingy, their accumulated spiritual merit may reach the level of a stream-enterer (sotāpanna). For example, there was one wealthy man who wanted to eat fried sweets, so he fried them on the seventh floor of his mansion. This came into the Buddha’s divine insight, so the Buddha sent Venerable Mahamoggallana to go and teach him. Using his supernatural powers, Venerable Mahamoggallana instructed the wealthy man so that he would gain faith. The man was then persuaded, developed faith, paid homage to the Buddha, and brought the fried sweets as an offering to the Buddha along with 500 monks. After listening to the teaching of the perfectly self-awakened Buddha, he attained the level of a stream-enterer. It was fortunate that his past spiritual merit supported him; otherwise, he would have faced difficulties in future lives.

Therefore, generosity and giving are what overcome stinginess in the heart. All of us regularly make merit by offering alms. We feel fulfilled and delighted; our minds become bright and pure. We also share this merit with our close relatives and friends, those who have passed away, and even those we have harmed in the past—which everyone has. We then spread and share this merit, which is our own inner happiness, with them. When they receive it, they feel fulfilled and rejoice in it. Their joy increases their merit as well, and their complexion and radiance can even become brighter. This is a matter of merit.

As for kusala (skillfulness), it refers to what brings about skillfulness—making the mind skillful, safe from all enemies, strong, firm, and free from faults or defilements, so that it remains clean, pure, and serene. One has wisdom, knowing causes and results, knowing good and bad, knowing merit and demerit. The mind becomes bright and radiant, not dark or dull. The word kusala means intelligence and skillfulness. Its result is happiness of the heart, a feeling of lightness and ease. After doing it, the heart becomes refreshed.

When we undertake the precepts, sit in meditation, chant with mindfulness, or perform acts of giving with mindfulness guiding us, this is both merit and kusala. The mind is not unsettled. Sometimes when offering alms here, the mind thinks over there—then the merit becomes less. When offering alms, be fully intent on the act, with proper graceful mannerisms. Keep mindfulness with the act of giving, incline the body and mind respectfully—then the merit increases and becomes kusala as well. Therefore, kusala becomes the tool that helps cut off defilements.

The three unwholesome roots—greed, aversion, and delusion—are what we call unskillful and unwholesome. Practicing kusala cuts off greed, aversion, and delusion. These very things cause the mind to wither and decline in various ways. So let the defilements end; cut them off.

It can be concluded that merit is what makes our hearts uplifted, satisfied, and pleased, while kusala makes our hearts more intelligent and skillful. Thus, giving, keeping precepts, and all such practices uplift the heart. In being born in this present life, our hearts have already changed, and this wholesome result will continue to follow us into future lives as we wander through saṃsāra, the cycle of birth and death. We practice merit and kusala together.

Kusala is like something that eliminates what obstructs our minds, what binds and entangles them, holding them tightly. It helps release those bonds little by little. When eliminated more and more, it can remove the sense of self as well. In the end, one can abandon self and ego through kusala—through generosity, morality, and meditation.

Therefore, practicing both merit and kusala, externally and internally, is essential. It will help us be freed from the cycle of birth and death without difficulty. Keeping precepts in particular is not easy. Among a thousand people who give generously, only one or two may truly keep precepts. It is rare. But those who can maintain precepts have surely cultivated merit and spiritual qualities from past lives. Then keeping the five precepts isn’t difficult; even keeping the eight precepts at times can be done comfortably. Some aim to practice more deeply, meditating seriously for several hours a day. This shows that we have trained and accumulated generosity, morality, and meditation in past lives, which is why we are able to continue practicing them in this life.

The great result of merit and kusala is that it enables us to abandon the sense of self—which is called seeing with wisdom that all conditioned phenomena are impermanent, unsatisfactoriness, and not-self. This is the wisdom that leads toward Nibbāna. This is our practice within the Noble Eightfold Path: sīla (precepts), samādhi (stillness), and paññā (wisdom).

We do no harm to anyone. We do not wish to oppress anyone. We seek to abandon our own sense of self so that we will not wander and drift along this cycle of birth and death, which is suffering. Having been born with this body and these aggregates, they are the nest of diseases and always a mass of suffering. Sickness and pain arise in this body. It deteriorates. We rely on this decaying, crumbling house and try to repair it, but it is suffering all the same.

Therefore, we must meditate so that this wisdom may arise. Sometimes practitioners say, “This year I’ve been sick. I haven’t meditated at all.” Venerable Ajahn Chah asked, “Then when will we meditate?” It’s exactly when we are sick that we must meditate even more. We must know the truth that this is the body—it is suffering like this, it cannot be controlled like this, it is not-self, not ours. This is why we must meditate even more, especially when the body deteriorates and comes to an end.

We will see that people we know—even the young—have passed away. These conditioned things are impermanent. They cannot be controlled at all. So we must try to cultivate wisdom. This kusala is entirely of the nature of wisdom—pure merit that will lead our minds out of the mass of suffering, out of the cycle of birth and death.

Therefore, we are instructed to be determined to perform both merit and kusala, developing them abundantly. When our mind is light and our heart is happy through goodness, we radiate loving-kindness to those who have passed away, to close relatives and friends, to karmic debtors, and to the deities who protect us so that they may receive this happiness. When we see people making merit, giving, and keeping precepts, we rejoice and say “sādhu,” and our heart becomes bright and joyful. This too is a form of meditation.

All these things that arise in our life are good opportunities. Our minds, coming from being born as ordinary people who at first do not know anything, have greed, aversion, and delusion. At times we are not greedy, not angry, not deluded—until we see the harm of greed, anger, and delusion, at how they disturb and trouble the mind.

Seeing the harm of stinginess, we then give according to our ability—not excessively, but according to what we can afford without causing ourselves difficulty. It shouldn’t be that we want to make so much merit that we even borrow money from others to do so. Because there is merit that does not require giving at all: keeping precepts is also merit; repeating “Budho” in the mind, keeping the mind still—this is the highest kind of merit.

Furthermore, when we see external forms, objects, belongings, or natural things as suffering, impermanent, and not-self, that becomes kusala and an excellent form of merit. Seeing arising and ceasing—even for a brief moment—the teacher said that it brings great results indeed. We will come to understand, seeing both material and mental phenomena arise and cease with no self, no owner. The mind sees conventional reality and experiences liberation. When this happens, we are joyful, fulfilled with rapture arising day and night. This is something practitioners may sometimes experience, or while sitting in meditation, one may feel content and fulfilled for many hours. This is when greed, aversion, and delusion move far away from the mind, or when they are partially destroyed.

Let us continue training and cultivating like this always. Eventually we will see the truth that giving is truly good. A giver naturally receives love—even if giving only small things—when they are given with thoughtfulness, kindness, and compassion. So as practitioners, we train the mind, cultivate the mind, and let our hearts remain rooted in merit.

Though unwholesome mind states do try to arise in the form of thoughts, we simply abandon them. They are natural. When unwholesome mind states arise, we strive to abandon them. When wholesome states arise, we strive to practice and maintain them. When unwholesome states arise, abandon them and refrain from acting on them. Don’t let them arise again. Try to practice like this—this is called right effort.

When there is effort, determination, and steadfast intention, then one day the mind will surely become calm. Be diligent in practicing meditation. But while meditating, let the mind be there as well. It’s not walking meditation for one hour while the mind thinks of other things the entire time, or sitting for an hour and not really being there—no mindfulness, only thoughts about other subjects. Sitting meditation like this will never bring calm.

You must sit with the breath, remain with “Budho” a lot, and firmly determine in your heart that this meditation word-object is what will bring your mind to peace. Then continue repeating the meditation word all day and all night. When we recite the meditation repetition a lot, the mind will become still and peaceful. Samādhi (stillness) will appear. Wisdom will then arise and know clearly. We will then be freed from suffering little by little until we truly see the Dhamma and are able to close the door to the lower realms.

May everyone practice with sincerity. May you grow in blessings.

---Ajahn Anan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj3pG5qLqVs

功德是能夠淨化心靈、使心變得純淨的事物。然而，要讓功德真正淨化心靈，它必須與智慧相連。如果功德仍充滿貪婪——我們想要獲得更多東西的欲望——它雖然也能在某種程度上淨化心靈，但只要欲望還存在，那個欲望就會阻礙心靈完全淨化。

要徹底淨化心靈，我們也必須淨化那些對心造成問題的事物，例如吝嗇，或過度珍惜所擁有的財富，以至於無法給任何人任何東西。擁有這種心態的人，拒絕布施功德，也完全拒絕供養。雖然布施供養會讓人受到人們的喜愛，但什麼都不給，則沒有人會喜歡他們。

從前有一位非常吝嗇的富人，他從不布施供養，將所有財富埋藏在各個地方。他死後，因為吝嗇的業力果報，使他投生在乞丐的胎中。那位懷孕的婦人無論到哪裡乞討，都沒有人給她任何東西。這是因為她腹中孩子的業力極強——他在前世從未布施給他人。

孩子出生後還很年幼，即使跟著母親乞討，也沒有人給他們任何東西。最終，乞丐團體的頭目不得不將這位婦人逐出團體，因為自從她懷上這個孩子以來，就給整個乞丐社群帶來極大困擾。這顯示那位乞丐頭目也擁有智慧。

這個小孩子即使跟母親一起乞討，也得不到任何東西。等到他長大一些，母親對他說：「你不能再跟我一起生活了。如果我們還在一起，我們都會餓死。」於是孩子漫無目的地四處遊蕩，最終來到了他前世的家。當他試圖進入房子時，僕人們將他趕走。

佛陀生起慈悲心，思惟此事後，向尊者阿難提起。尊者阿難便去告知屋主，說：「這個孩子，在前世是你的父親。」即使尊者阿難親口這麼說，屋主仍然猶豫不決。他無法相信自己那位曾是富人的父親，竟然轉生為乞丐。於是他們試圖驗證。孩子走去指出所有前世埋藏財寶的地點。他們挖掘後，果然找到了寶藏。這時，屋主才相信這個人確實是他前世的父親，於是好好照顧這位轉生的父親。

如果他們沒有遇見佛陀，會發生什麼事呢？他很可能會在多生多世中受苦，因為他從未修習布施。因此，慷慨——布施——正是克服吝嗇煩惱的方法。

但有時有些富人擁有極大的靈性潛能。即使他們極度吝嗇，他們累積的靈性功德可能已達到入流（sotāpanna）的程度。例如，有一位富人想吃油炸甜點，便在自家大宅的第七層樓煎炸甜點。這件事進入佛陀的天眼智，於是佛陀派遣尊者大目犍連去教導他。尊者大目犍連運用神通力，指引這位富人，讓他生起信心。富人因此被說服，生起信心，向佛陀頂禮，並帶著油炸甜點供養佛陀及五百位比丘。聽聞圓滿自覺的佛陀說法後，他證得入流。這是幸運的，因為他過去的靈性功德支持了他；否則，他未來生中將面臨困難。

因此，慷慨與布施正是克服內心吝嗇的方法。我們大家經常透過供養托缽來修功德。我們感到滿足與喜悅，心靈變得明亮純淨。我們也將此功德迴向給親近的親友、已故之人，甚至過去我們曾傷害過的人——這是每個人都有的事。我們將自己的內在喜樂——這功德——散播分享給他們。當他們領受時，感到滿足並隨喜。他們的喜悅也增長他們的功德，他們的容色與光輝甚至會變得更明亮。這就是功德的事。

至於善（kusala），它是指帶來善巧的事——使心變得善巧、安全無敵、堅強穩固、無過失或煩惱，讓心保持清淨、純潔、安詳。擁有智慧，知道因果、善惡、功德與非功德。心變得明亮光輝，不黑暗、不遲鈍。「kusala」這個詞意味著智慧與善巧。其結果是內心的快樂、輕安與自在。做完後，心變得清新。

當我們持戒、坐禪、以正念誦經，或在布施時有正念引導，這就是功德與善巧。心不會散亂。有時在這裡（供養）托缽，心卻想到那裡——功德就變少了。（供養）托缽時，要全心專注於托缽行為，舉止優雅得體。保持正念於布施行為，身心恭敬傾斜——如此功德增長，也成為善巧。因此，善巧成為幫助斷除煩惱的工具。

三種不善根——貪、瞋、痴——就是我們所謂的不善巧與不善。修習善巧能斷除貪、瞋、痴。這些東西正是讓心枯萎、衰退的原因。因此，讓煩惱結束；斷除它們。

可以總結說，功德使我們的心提升、滿足、喜悅，而善巧使我們的心更智慧、更善巧。因此，布施、持戒等一切修行都能提升心。在今生出生時，我們的心已有所改變，這善果將繼續跟隨我們，在輪迴（saṃsāra，生死輪迴）中流轉。我們一起修習功德與善巧。

善巧就像消除阻礙我們心的東西、解除束縛與糾纏、緊緊抓住心的東西。它一點一點幫助釋放那些束縛。當消除得越來越多，也能去除自我感。最終，透過善巧——透過布施、持戒、禪修——能捨棄自我與我執。

因此，內外兼修功德與善巧是必要的。它將幫助我們輕鬆從生死輪迴中解脫。特別是持戒並不容易。在一千個慷慨布施的人中，只有少數一兩個真正持戒。這很稀有。但能維持戒律的人，一定在前世已培養功德與靈性品質。如此，持五戒就不難；有時持八戒也能輕鬆。有些人志在更深修行，每天認真坐禪數小時。這顯示我們在前世已訓練並累積布施、持戒與禪修，因此今生才能繼續修行。

功德與善巧的偉大結果，是讓我們能捨棄自我感——這稱為以智慧見一切行無常、苦、無我。這是導向涅槃（Nibbāna）的智慧。這是我們在聖八正道中的修行：戒（sīla）、定（samādhi）、慧（paññā）。

我們不傷害任何人。不希望壓迫任何人。我們尋求捨棄自己的自我感，如此才不會在這充滿苦的生死輪迴中漂流。生而擁有此身與諸蘊，它們是疾病的巢穴，總是苦的聚集。疾病與疼痛在此身中生起。它衰敗。我們依賴這腐朽崩壞的房子，試圖修補它，但仍是苦。

因此，我們必須禪修，讓這智慧生起。有時修行者說：「今年我生病了，完全沒禪修。」阿姜查尊者問：「那我們什麼時候才禪修？」正是在生病時，我們更要禪修。我們必須知道真相：這是身體——它是如此的苦，它無法如此控制，它無我、非我。這就是為什麼我們更要禪修，尤其當身體衰敗、走到盡頭時。

我們會看到認識的人——甚至年輕的——已去世。這些行是無常的。它們完全無法控制。因此，我們必須努力培養智慧。這善巧完全是智慧的本質——純粹的功德，將引導我們的心脫離苦的聚集、脫離生死輪迴。

因此，我們被教導要堅定修習功德與善巧，大量培養它們。當我們的心輕安、透過善而喜悅時，我們向已故之人、親近親友、業債者，以及保護我們的護法天神，散播慈心，讓他們領受這喜樂。當我們看到他人修功德、布施、持戒，我們隨喜說「善哉」（sādhu），心變得明亮喜悅。這也是一種禪修。

生活中出現的一切，都是好機會。我們的心，從出生為凡夫、起初一無所知，擁有貪、瞋、痴。有時我們不貪、不瞋、不痴——直到我們看到貪、瞋、痴的害處，看到它們如何擾亂與困擾心。

看到吝嗇的害處，我們便依能力布施——不過度，只依自己能負擔、不造成困難的方式。不應該為了想修很多功德，甚至向他人借錢。因為有不需布施的功德：持戒也是功德；在心中重複「佛陀」（Budho），讓心安住——這是最高等的功德。

此外，當我們見外在色、物、財產或自然事物為苦、無常、無我，這成為善巧與極佳的功德。即使只在一剎那見生滅，師長說這帶來極大果報。我們將理解，見物質與心法生滅，無我、無主。心見世俗諦與解脫。當這發生，我們喜悅、充滿法喜，日夜生起。這是修行者有時會體驗的，或在坐禪時，一連數小時感到滿足與充實。這時貪、瞋、痴遠離心，或部分被摧毀。

讓我們永遠繼續如此訓練與培養。最終我們將見到布施確實是好的真相。布施者自然受到愛戴——即使只給小東西——當以體貼、慈悲與慈心給予時。因此，作為修行者，我們訓練心、培養心，讓心根植於功德。

雖然不善心所確實會以念頭形式生起，我們只需捨棄它們。它們是自然的。當不善心生起，我們努力捨棄它們。當善心生起，我們努力修習與維持它們。當不善心生起，捨棄它們、不隨它們起作用。不要讓它們再生起。試著如此修行——這稱為正精進。

當有精進、決心與堅定意樂時，有一天心一定會安靜。精進修禪。但禪修時，要讓心真正安住。不是走經行一小時而心整小時想其他事，或坐一小時卻不在當下——無正念，只有其他主題的念頭。這樣坐禪永遠不會帶來安靜。

你必須隨息而坐，多多安住於「佛陀」，在心中堅定決心：這個禪修字（對象）將帶我的心到寧靜。然後整日整夜繼續重複禪修字。當我們大量重複禪修字，心將變得安靜平和。定（samādhi）將出現。智慧將生起，清楚了知。我們將一點一點從苦中解脫，直到真正見到法，並關閉下三惡道的門。

願大家誠心修行。願你們增長福德。

——阿姜阿南（Ajahn Anan Akiñcano）  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj3pG5qLqVs  

更多關於阿姜阿難：

https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E6%B3%B0%E5%9C%8B-thailand/ajahn-anan

我有一個故事要與大家分享。從前有七八位僧侶住在農巴蓬寺，他們托缽獲得的食物會按比例分配。每位比丘理應只拿一份，但有些人卻拿了超過自己應得的份量。因此，當輪到站在隊伍最後的沙彌時，已經沒有剩餘的托缽食物了。

沙彌因未能從托缽中得到任何食物而感到難過。他心想：「為什麼這些比丘缺乏慈心與悲心呢？」通常寺院中的沙彌會尊敬並侍奉資深比丘，沙彌吃完飯後，會負責清洗並擦乾資深比丘的缽，這是他的日常職責。

但由於部分比丘缺乏慈心，這位沙彌拒絕再為他們洗缽。這件事引起了隆波查的注意，他看到僧侶和沙彌都放棄了原有的職責與修行方式，意識到問題源於一些比丘的自私——他們拿了太多食物，沒有留下足夠份量給沙彌。

因此，隆波查決定改變分配制度，讓所有食物先供給沙彌。他規定沙彌在比丘之前先取用食物。然而，這位沙彌卻不敢在比丘之前先取食。

【法友備註：這是因為泰國僧團傳統上遵循階級結構，比丘優先，其次是沙彌，最後才是身穿白衣的八戒居士。因此，沙彌在師父之前先用食是相當罕見的。】

由於不敢先取食，沙彌決定將所有食物供養給隆波查。於是隆波查親自食用了這些托缽食物。他這樣做了大約三天，這正是他想傳達給所有僧侶的教導。隆波查希望他們明白，他們所獲得的一切供養都源於佛、法、僧的功德與福報——既然如此，為何還要爭搶，而不是捨己分享呢？

居士們獻出自己的一部分食物來供養僧侶，他們實踐了捨己之德。如果你們這些比丘不願捨己，那麼你們的心境甚至比居士還要低。居士至少還願意捨棄部分財物。因此，如果我們缺乏和合，團隊合作必然會出現問題，因為缺少捨己與分享的精神。

隆波阿南

馬哈查安寺，羅勇府

來源：[watmarpjan.org]

And I have a story to share with you. Once there were 7 to 8 monks living in Wat Nong Pah Pong. The food received from almsround was divided proportionately.

Each monk should have taken just one portion, but some took more than their share of food. So when it came to the novice who stood at the end of the line, there was no more alms food left.

The novice felt upset that he didn't get to eat any food from the alms round. He wondered, "Why did the monks lack metta and karuna?" It was usually the case in monasteries where novices would respect and serve the senior monks. After the novice monk would finish eating, he would take the senior monk’s bowls to wash and wipe the bowls dry, this was his regular duty.

But because some of the monks lacked metta, the novice refused to wash their monk bowls anymore. This came to Luang Pu Chah's attention, when he saw that the monks and novices were abandoning their usual duties and practices. He realised it started because some of the monks were selfish - they had taken too much food.

They didn’t leave some behind so that it would reach the novice.

Therefore Luang Pu Chah decided to change the system by having all the food offered to the novice first. He had the novice take the food first before the monks.

But it so happened that the novice did not dare to take the food first before the monks.

[note by dhamma friend: This is because traditionally, the Thai Sangha tends to follow a hierarchical structure, where the Bhikkhus take first priority, followed by the Samaneras then finally all the lay 8 preceptees wearing white. So it is quite unheard of for the novice to eat first before his Kruba Ajaans]

Not daring to take the food and eat first, the novice then decided to offer all the food to Luang Pu Chah. So Luang Pu ate the alms food himself. He did this for about 3 days, which was the teaching he wanted to convey to all the monks. Luang Pu wanted them to see that all the offerings they got was because of the parami and merit of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha - so why are they fighting over it instead of self-sacrificing and sharing them?

The lay people have offered a share of their food to honour the monks. They have practiced self-sacrifice. If you monks do not self-sacrifice, then your hearts have fallen even lower than the lay people. The lay people at least have sacrificed part of their possessions. So if we lack harmony, then working as a team will inevitably result in problems, because there is a lack of sacrifice and sharing.

Luang Phor Anan

Wat Marp Jan, Rayong

Cr. [watmarpjan.org]

Knowing the in-breath and out-breath along with silently reciting “Buddhi” forms the main foundation of the practice. This is part of satipatthana, the four foundations of mindfulness. By repeating the meditation word, knowing the breath, knowing the bodily movement—we establish the foundations that prevent the mind from wandering outward. We must train in this diligently.

Right now, while sitting, we can train well. Later, when walking, we maintain mindfulness with every step. When receiving food, we are mindful. While eating, chewing, and swallowing, we also try to stay mindful without thinking of other things.

If we come to the monastery to offer alms and wait for the monks to arrive, we can recite “Buddho Dhammo Sangho” and speak only about wholesome, meritorious things. The mind feels at ease. Even while driving to the monastery, we can chant in the car, allowing the mind to become bright and increasingly uplifted.

Upon arriving and seeing the trees, the mind becomes refreshed. Joy and happiness may arise naturally. 

Offering alms brings happiness. We have already prepared our mind since home—since cooking rice the night before, since preparing and buying food. These are all acts of merit. The merit of a peaceful mind is truly great; it brings coolness and serenity. Even when the weather is hot, the mind can remain cool.

[sense restraint]

Through this peacefulness, energy gathers together and the mind becomes still. Every time we think, the mind loses energy. Each time we receive a sense impression, the mind grasps it, and its strength becomes weaker and weaker, yielding little result in practice. Therefore, we must set the intention to receive fewer sense impressions—only as much as necessary—and then observe. We come to see that this world is chaotic without morality. When morality is violated, fighting, killing, and chaos arise.

[Recollection of the Buddha]

As Buddhists, we seek peace. We train the mind to be calm. In the beginning it is difficult and troublesome. Sometimes after sitting for an hour, the mind may be peaceful for only five minutes. When I was training, it was also difficult. I wanted the mind to be still, but it wasn’t yet still. So I used perceptions and memories, recollecting the Buddha whose great compassion is vast and immeasurable, without limit or boundary. I continued with that recollection, silently repeating “Buddho,” and contemplated that this body must die.

[contemplation of body]

After death, the body changes its condition. In its current state we still see it as beautiful, as something real, as a self. But we must take it to the end—to death. After death it decays, is no longer beautiful, is not a self; it breaks apart and dissolves. Doing this repeatedly, the mind enters a good state. Then it sees the present moment clearly. It no longer sees the body as a self. It may see just a walking skeleton. When touching the hand, we recognize it is just bones—not truly us. The breath comes in, stays for a moment, and then ceases. This too is not ourselves.

[recollection of generosity and precepts]

The more we practice, the more we may see the true state of the Dhamma. We recollect that truth of Dhamma we have once experienced, and the mind becomes peaceful, rapturous, and joyous—like when we recollect the precepts we have kept, the taking of precepts, or even on days when we didn’t formally receive them at the monastery. We can recollect that we have offered sadhana, triple robes, alms bowls, and food, and feel a sense of fulfillment. Everything we do each day is arranged so that we can recollect it easily—actions that become easy to remember. Then the mind becomes radiant and bright.

[the joy stemming from wisdom]

If we have seen into the truth of the Dhamma, beyond conventions and into liberation, we recollect that moment when we saw material and mental phenomena as not-self—even if only for a flash. The mind fills with joy: there is no self, no “me” at all. Seeing people walking back and forth, they may appear like robots.

We continue to recollect. If we are not yet able to do so, we first train the mind to be peaceful. We can use wisdom to develop samadhi (stillness) or use stillness to develop wisdom. Keep trying, cultivating the mind again and again, and wisdom will arise.

When thoughts become distracted, remind yourself: it is uncertain, impermanent. Bring the mind back. Guard and observe the mind. Whatever it thinks, fabricates, or constructs, it is ignorance creating stories, existences, and births. When receiving pleasant or unpleasant impressions, the mind fabricates something for us to see. So watch right there—keep watching, keep knowing.

Right here we train the mind so that the “one who knows” arises. For now, we can hold onto the one who knows as “us.” We are the one who knows. But one day we must even let go of the one who knows. Use it to train the mind. The one who knows is the Noble Path: sila (precepts), samadhi (stillness), and panna (wisdom). It trains our minds. If we don’t train the mind, it becomes deluded, clinging to self, to “me” and “them,” and suffering arises.

[counteract the sense of self]

The five aggregates are like a glowing red-hot iron ball—touch any part and it’s all hot. The body, the mind, memory, mental formations, feeling, consciousness—all are the same. Consciousness performs its function normally: the eye sees form and feeling arises; hearing, smelling, tasting occur. But it is extremely quick—the sense of self arises right away. The moment seeing happens, the self arises. The moment hearing happens, the self arises.

So we practice and ask: Is there really a self? Is there really a “they”? We train to have knowing in time with things as they arise—slowly, gradually, little by little. Then peacefulness improves, doubts lessen. Some people have much doubt; I myself had so much doubt and restlessness. But through the teachings of Venerable Ajahn and by listening to the Dhamma and practicing, little by little it got better.

One simple method is to silently repeat “buddho.” For those who think too much and want to stop thinking, just repeat “buddho” a lot—or “Buddho Dhammo Sangho,” or the verse beginning with “Itipiso” for 108 times. All of this is for calming the mind. Once the mind is calm and only the single word “buddho” remains, you’ve got it: breathing in “budd,” breathing out “dho.”

[contemplation of death]

If the mind keeps thinking and won’t stop, alternate with contemplation. Some people can’t stay with “buddho” alone. When it becomes too much, contemplate death: life is uncertain, death is certain. We definitely must die. The end of this life is death. Life is not sure; death is for sure.

When we contemplate death, the mind becomes still and a sense of dispassion arises. Truly, life is uncertain and we don’t know how much remains. So let us create goodness first. No matter what, we must die—so why be greedy? Why be angry? Why hold grudges when we will soon die? Why be deluded and cling to this and that as “mine”? This world only lets us stay temporarily. No one can own anything forever. For a period of time we have the right to use things, but we must eventually leave them behind—even those we earned or built ourselves. They still belong to this world.

Thinking and contemplating in this way, the mind can become peaceful. When anger or resentment still arises, reflect: Who am I resenting? Their ignorance causes problems in their mind, and our own ignorance causes problems for us. We cannot destroy someone else’s ignorance; we must destroy our own. The perfectly self-awakened Buddha only showed the way. If the Tathagata could do it for us, ignorance would already be removed from the world and we would all be arahants. But it doesn’t work that way. The Buddha showed the path, and if we practice according to it, we can become arahants. We must persevere and do it ourselves.

“One is one’s own refuge.” Our refuge is goodness itself. Therefore, recollect goodness often until the mind is free from restlessness and becomes peaceful. When the mind and heart are calm, inner radiance arises and peace appears. We realize how important this is. The mind becomes cool and at ease; the body feels light, the mind feels light—empty. When we reach this point, we see the result of years of devoted practice. Stillness arises, and faith grows to practice on our own.

In the beginning we may need to force ourselves to sit and walk in meditation, but later we see the benefit of a trained mind and the harm of a chaotic one. Sometimes the chaos even continues in dreams—anger, resentment, cruelty appear, and sleep is not peaceful. So we must cultivate metta (loving-kindness) meditation so that sleep becomes peaceful and untroubled. We must be diligent and train the mind to stay with the inner Buddha.

We want our mind to become the inner Buddha. In the beginning, we recollect the Buddha—the one who knows, who is awake, who is radiant: the perfectly self-awakened Buddha. When our heart recollects the one who knows, who is awake and radiant, our heart gradually awakens from delusion. Defilements prevent the heart from being radiant. When we are greedy, angry, or deluded, the heart is not radiant. Worldly radiance is not true radiance: happiness from obtaining something is followed again by suffering when separated from it. It never ends.

Observe: will desire ever end? A person may have a million dollars and feel comfortable, then want five million, then ten million—and still not stop. Craving is greater than any river, however wide or vast. Therefore, we must train the mind to have loving-kindness and compassion. Otherwise hatred, resentment, and ill will—long-present as latent tendencies—keep arising.

We train the mind to be peaceful. These defilements are obstructions, Mara the destroyer of peace. We must train until the knowing, awakened, radiant one arises in our hearts. When the mind becomes peaceful, we see: “Ah, the heart can truly be like this.” Before it was chaotic and we didn’t even know what peacefulness was. Once peace is there, we have something to compare to—before it was hot, now it is cooler.

When our mood is calm and we enter a chaotic society, we immediately notice how heated it is: people talk only of wars, fighting, killing, politics, and conflicts—all mind states of greed, anger, and delusion. That is not what we want. We seek peace and coolness. Then we will associate with good friends and companions who follow the path, who also seek peace and coolness. Everyone’s face is smiling, radiant, joyful—there is only giving, only forgiving, only wishing for merit.

May you all set your hearts on this. May you grow in blessings.

---Ajahn Anan

Train So Buddha-Nature Will Arise Within the Heart | Friday Dhamma | 07 Nov 2025:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEPiQZP54aA

了知入息與出息，同時默誦「buddho」，是修行的主要基礎。這是四念住的一部分。通過重複禪修用語、了知呼吸、了知身體動作——我們建立防止心外馳的基礎。我們必須精勤地訓練。

此刻，坐著時，我們可以好好訓練。之後，行走時，每一步都保持正念。受食時，保持正念。進食、咀嚼、吞嚥時，也試著保持正念，不想其他事。

如果我們來寺院供養並等待僧侶到來，可以默念「buddho、dhammo、sangho」，只談善的、有功德的東西。心會感到安適。即使開車前往寺院的路上，也可以在車中持誦，讓心變得明亮，越來越提升。

抵達後，看見樹木，心變得清新。喜悅與快樂可能自然生起。

供養帶來快樂。我們早已從家中——從前一晚煮飯，從準備和購買食物時——就準備好了我們的心。這些都是善行。一顆寧靜的心所帶來的功德真的很大；它帶來清涼與安詳。即使天氣炎熱，心也能保持清涼。

**[守護根門]**

透過這種寧靜，能量聚集起來，心變得平靜。每當我們思維，心就流失能量。每次我們接受感官印象，心就執取它，其力量變得越來越弱，修行成果甚微。因此，我們必須發願，只接受必要的、盡可能少的感官印象，然後觀察。我們開始看到這個世界因無道德而混亂。當道德被違犯，爭鬥、殺戮與混亂便會生起。

**[佛隨念]**

作為佛教徒，我們尋求寧靜。我們訓練心保持平靜。起初很困難且麻煩。有時坐了一小時，心可能只平靜五分鐘。我訓練時也很困難。我想要心靜下來，但它還不靜。所以我運用認知與記憶，憶念佛那廣大無邊、無量無際的大悲心。我持續那樣的憶念，默誦「buddho」，並思惟此身必死。

**[思維身體]**

死後，身體改變了狀態。在目前狀態下，我們仍視其為美麗的、真實的、是「我」。但我們必須將其推向終點——推向死亡。死後它會腐壞，不再美麗，不是「我」；它會分解、消散。如此反覆修習，心會進入善的狀態。然後它會清晰地看見當下。它不再視身體為「我」。它可能只看見一具行走的骨架。觸摸手時，我們認識到那只是骨頭——並非真正的我們。氣息進來，停留片刻，然後停止。這也不是我們自己。

**[布施與戒隨念]**

我們修習得越多，越可能看見法的真實狀態。我們憶念曾經體驗過的法之真理，心變得寧靜、充滿法喜與愉悅——就像我們憶念曾持守的戒、受戒，甚至是未在寺院正式受戒的日子。我們可以憶念曾供養袈裟、三衣、缽與食物，而感到滿足。我們每天所做的一切都安排得易於憶念——那些變得容易記住的行為。然後心變得光輝明亮。

**[源自智慧的喜悅]**

如果我們曾洞見法的真理，超越概念而觸及解脫，我們憶念那個將物質與精神現象視為非我的時刻——即使僅是剎那。心充滿喜悅：沒有自我，根本沒有「我」。看見人們來來往往，他們可能像機器人一樣。

我們持續憶念。如果尚無法做到，先訓練心平靜。我們可以用智慧發展定（平靜），或用定發展智慧。不斷嘗試，一再培育心，智慧就會生起。

當思緒散亂時，提醒自己：它是不確定的、無常的。將心帶回。守護並觀察心。無論它想什麼、造作什麼、建構什麼，都是無明在編造故事、存在與生。當接受悅意或不悅意的印象時，心為我們編造出某種景象。所以就在那裡觀察——持續觀察，持續了知。

就在此地，我們訓練心，讓「知者」生起。目前，我們可以執持知者為「我」。我們就是那個知者。但終有一天，我們甚至必須放下知者。用它來訓練心。知者是聖道：戒、定、慧。它訓練我們的心。如果我們不訓練心，心就會迷惑，執著自我，執著「我」與「他」，痛苦便會生起。

**[對治我見]**

五蘊猶如燒紅的鐵球——觸碰任何部分都是熱的。身體、心、記憶、行蘊、受蘊、識蘊——全都一樣。識執行其正常功能：眼見色，受生起；聽、嗅、嘗發生。但它極其迅速——我感立刻生起。看見發生的瞬間，自我感生起。聽聞發生的瞬間，自我感生起。

所以我們修習並反問：真有自我嗎？真有「他」嗎？我們訓練在事物生起時同步了知——慢慢地、逐漸地、一點一點地。然後寧靜提升，疑惑減少。有些人疑惑很多；我自己也曾有很多疑惑和不安。但透過尊者的教導，以及聞法與修行，一點一點地好轉了。

一個簡單的方法是默誦「buddho」。對於思維過多、想要停止思維的人，就多誦「buddho」——或「buddho、dhammo、sangho」，或誦「Itipiso」偈108遍。所有這些都是為了讓心平靜。一旦心平靜下來，只剩下單一的「buddho」，你就掌握了：吸氣時「bud」，呼氣時「dho」。

**[死隨念]**

如果心一直思維不停，可以交替修習隨觀。有些人無法單獨安住於「佛」字。當感到太沉重時，思惟死亡：生命不確定，死亡確定。我們必定會死。此生的終點是死亡。生命不確定，死亡是確定的。

當我們思惟死亡，心變得平靜，離欲之心生起。的確，生命無常，不知還剩多少。所以讓我們先造善業。無論如何，我們終將一死——那又何必貪？何必瞋？不久將死，何必懷恨？何必愚癡地執著這、執著那為「我的」？這個世界只是讓我們暫時停留。沒有人能永遠擁有任何東西。一段時間內我們有權使用事物，但最終必須留下它們——即使是我們自己賺取或建造的。它們仍屬於這個世界。

這樣思惟和觀想，心可以變得平靜。當瞋恨或怨恨仍生起時，反省：我在怨恨誰？他們的無明給他們的心帶來問題，我們自己的無明給我們帶來問題。我們無法摧毀他人的無明；我們必須摧毀自己的。正等正覺的佛陀只指示了道路。如果如來能為我們做，無明早已從世間消除，我們都會是阿羅漢。但事情並非如此。佛陀指示了道路，如果我們依之修行，可以成為阿羅漢。我們必須堅持，自己去做。

「自己是自己的依怙。」我們的依怙就是善本身。因此，常憶念善行，直到心脫離不安，變得平靜。當心平靜時，內在的光明生起，寧靜出現。我們認識到這有多重要。心變得清涼安適；身體感覺輕盈，心感覺輕盈——空。當我們達到這一點，就看到了多年精進修行的成果。平靜生起，信心增長，能自己修行。

起初我們可能需要強迫自己坐禪和行禪，但後來我們看到了訓練有素的心帶來的好處，以及混亂的心帶來的傷害。有時混亂甚至在夢中持續——憤怒、怨恨、殘酷出現，睡眠不得安寧。所以我們必須修習慈心禪，讓睡眠變得安寧無擾。我們必須精勤，訓練心與內在的佛同在。

我們希望我們的心成為內在的佛。起初，我們憶念佛——那位了知者、覺醒者、光明者：正等正覺的佛。當我們的心憶念那位了知者、覺醒者、光明者，我們的心逐漸從迷惑中覺醒。煩惱障礙心，使之不光明。當我們貪、瞋、癡時，心就不光明。世間的光明並非真正的光明：得到某物的快樂，隨之而來的是與之分離的痛苦。永無止境。

觀察：欲望有盡頭嗎？一個人可能有一百萬美元感到舒適，然後想要五百萬，接著一千萬——仍然不會停止。渴愛比任何河流都大，無論多寬多廣。因此，我們必須訓練心擁有慈心與悲心。否則，長久以來作為潛在傾向的憎恨、怨恨與惡意會不斷生起。

我們訓練心保持寧靜。這些煩惱是障礙，是破壞寧靜的魔羅。我們必須訓練，直到那了知、覺醒、光明者在我們心中生起。當心變得平靜，我們看到：「啊，心真的可以這樣。」以前它是混亂的，我們甚至不知道平靜是什麼。一旦有了平靜，我們就有了比較的基準——以前是熱的，現在比較清涼。

當我們心境平和，進入混亂的社會，立刻會注意到它是多麼燥熱：人們談論的只有戰爭、爭鬥、殺戮、政治與衝突——全都是貪、瞋、癡的心態。那不是我們想要的。我們尋求寧靜與清涼。然後我們會親近善友與同行，那些同樣追尋寧靜與清涼、走在道上的人。每個人的臉上都帶著微笑，光輝、喜悅——只有給予，只有寬恕，只有祈福。

願大家發此心願。願你們的福慧增長。

---阿姜阿南尊者

《訓練，讓佛性在心中生起 | 週五佛法 | 2025年11月07日》：

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEPiQZP54aA

When we are together with others and there is deference towards the elders in the group, then there is orderliness arising. If each person has different thoughts and views, they attach to their own views and don't have a foundation of respect; then it's hard and troublesome to be together.

Venerable Arjenta gave a deep teaching of someone who comes to ordain as a monk. The monks who sit in on the ordination ceremony are gathering in the group who give that ordination. He taught that those who come to ask for ordination should have respect for those monks because they have given us ordination. They have guaranteed us to be a monk or novice. So Venerable taught deeply about having a foundation of respect, and with this, humility will arise. When there is respect, then humility arises. Then happiness arises from being together with others.

The qualities of humility and respect will have some differences. Humility, humbleness, modesty—its meaning is to be not inflated, having no air or being uninflated. Its Pali word is *nata*, which means no air, to not be inflated. This is controlling ourselves to be at a normal state, from being like an inflated air balloon to being a balloon that hasn't been inflated. Humility has similar characteristics to respect, but it has a different meaning.

We can notice that when we have respect—like we respect the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha—we are recognizing the goodness and virtue of the Triple Gem, or recognizing the goodness in others, of what goodness they have. It can be other things, like a tree giving shade. The Venerable Elder Sariputta saw the goodness of one tree that gave shade to him all the time. He saw the goodness in Rada Brahman who had given him one ladle of rice so that he could maintain his life. The Venerable Elder Sariputta had beautiful virtues; he recognized the goodness in others. So this is a quality that is correct and sincere, because this recognition expresses itself in our actions and speech.

Here, humility means one has skill, but one conducts oneself correctly. Like, we have a high level of knowledge, we have a high skill, but we conduct ourselves appropriately—not being arrogant, not boastful, not showing off beyond the truth. Or, when people have something good already in themselves, they may elevate themselves to control others. This is bad-mannered behavior. But those who have this virtue of humility will have well-mannered behavior and give honor to others at every time and occasion. So this is emphasizing on the mind.

When I was in Wat Nong Pah Pong, Venerable Ajahn Chah said the monks who come to ordain need to put down what they have and have been in the world and leave it in front of the monastery. Don't bring it into the monastery. He taught us not to inflate ourself in the self that we have. We won't be able to stay in the group thinking, "I am higher, I have more than others in the world." If we go stay there being like that, then we won't have humility.

There were the group of Venerable Elders, such as Venerable Ananda and Venerable Nanda. When they were going to go ordain together with Venerable Upāli, who was the son of a barber, they saw that if the barber ordained after them, then they would hold on to that and have him respect them like before. So they had Venerable Upāli ordained first so that they would bow and respect Venerable Upāli. So they had put down and abandoned what they had. Coming from the highest family lineage, they put down the many things that they had. They raised Venerable Upāli to ordain before them so they could give up their own views and conceit.

Venerable Ajahn Chah took this to teach the monks that were coming to ordain and live. They had different languages and dialects, coming from different places, but not to attach to it. To enter the market means to enter the city. They buy *glua* means to buy salt. The words used are conventions, but the meaning is the same, not different. It's not that we think one language is better and then we go boasting about ourselves and look down on others.

And societies in the world are like this. The rich may look down on the poor. Those with knowledge look down on those with little knowledge. Those with a high position and work look down on those who don't have wealth, rank, praise, and happiness. So having humility will bring up prominent characteristics, which are actions, speech, and mind that is humble. And then this will lead on to developing a foundation of the mind which has *muditā*, sympathetic joy—joy at others' goodness.

This is training the mind to have the Brahmavihārās, the four sublime abidings. If we have humility and good speech, then we have *mettā*, goodwill, and compassion. We have a mind that is tender and pliant, which is the mind that has sympathetic joy. If one can develop this, then they will enter a very deep samādhi, meditative concentration. So it's not something that is small.

So can we notice the characteristics of those who come to the Buddha Sāsana, the dispensation? Whatever nationality they come from—Europe, America, Asia—they will have the characteristic of having Dhamma arising in the heart. They will have humbleness. Their actions are humble. Their speech is humble. Their mind is humble—humble in giving *dāna*, keeping *sīla*, the precepts, and in *bhāvanā*, mental cultivation. They are polishing their minds. They have respect for elders in the Dhamma, for those who have sīla and Dhamma. They are not holding on to and measuring through worldly qualifications, and they don't hold themselves up: "I am from this country, from this high family status, have wealth and money, am attractive and good-looking, have skill, knowledge, position, rank, and many followers."

So we can see that all the lay people coming to the monastery, though in the world they may have a high status, wealth, knowledge, work position, skill—they put it down when they come to the monastery, and they feel light and at ease. Coming from something that is a convention that we have, we then can enter into the social group that is present there. Because if we are deluded and attached to what we have, then we'll go attaching to it all the time, and we won't know that these things are not lasting and enduring. And especially the *saṅkhāra*, the bodily form of ours, is not lasting or enduring. When the body does not last or endure, then the other things that we can have, which are dependent on having a body, then it's all not lasting or enduring. It can change. A millionaire or billionaire, one day they may not have it. The ones who don't have and are poor, one day they may have it. Some people who have no position or rank, one day they may have a high position. Someone with a high position, one day they may lose that position and lose the people under them as well. It's not a sure thing. It's a worldly condition.

So, we can't attach to what we have. And what we do have, we don't look down on others, but we instead use what we have to give benefit. We have mettā and compassion to others. We have humility, and then even more people will respect us. They will recognize our goodness. So this is important.

Because if we people hold on to our self and ego, what's that like then? We can even lose close friends because of it. Because from something we shouldn't get angry about, we can get angry at friends over. We lose friends and the feelings of friendliness. Or, we are not good and we don't have things, and we go boasting that we are good. We have conceit that we are good; then we may lose our goodness.

There are those who are born into a high-status family, a rich family, and they may not gain success in studies and in their livelihood because they are stubborn, because they hold that they are good. Whoever advises them, they don't listen to. They have wealth, and they spend it excessively until they are like the many who lose it all. In the time of the Buddha, there were people like that. And in this era, there is this as well.

Or, we are in a social group and we boast, we put on airs, we like to have special privileges and have no rules and discipline. Then the group can be separated and have divisions. So there should be rules that make it harmonious to be within *sīla*, like flowers that are strung together into a garland, which looks neat.

So the way to overcome the boasting, stubbornness, the conceit in being good is that we need to have *kalyāṇamittatā*, good friends, to constantly advise and develop our characters. Like having a teacher—the monks take dependence on a teacher, a preceptor, in order to keep polishing off our defilements, to not be boasting or holding ourself to be good. Because if we people don't have wisdom and do not listen to anyone, then there will be people who will praise and flatter us insincerely, and we will be lost in it easily. And then we will like it when others praise and flatter us that we are generous and kind-hearted. Then we can lose opportunities and lose work. We will lack wisdom and go attaching to various things, becoming deluded in worldly conditions, which is having gain, rank, praise, and pleasure. We don't think and contemplate that these things are of the world. They are things that are illusions in the world. There is gain, loss, rank, loss of rank, praise, blame, pleasure, and pain. When they arise, we have to be careful. It's the faults coming from being conceited and boasting, arrogant, and of not being humble.

So it's like this. As for respect, like explained, we recognize the goodness in others. We show respect sincerely and deeply. Having respect means the goodness is deeply embedded within our heart. It makes people to have a tender heart, unstubborn, graceful, and refined. This is important. When we have this respect, then we have virtue. We have mettā—not thinking of finding faults in others, not mocking others, not thinking we are as good as them. Then we have good virtue. We look at things as being good. These days we call it thinking positively. We train in thinking positively often. Then we will have happiness.

Thinking positively consistently is mettā. When we have mettā, we can get along with others easily. We have mettā and compassion for each other. We always see the good in others. We don't see the faults of them. Then our mind is at ease. We only see their virtue and goodness that they have done. And we won't be able then to stop ourselves from recognizing, respecting, praising, admiring, and esteeming them in body, speech, and mind. We do it with sincerity. We are not pretending. This is our mind being *muditā*, joyful with others. There is respect here. We do it, and it's deeply embedded within our heart. We do it often, and our mind will be a mind that is good and excellent. And if we don't do it, then we lose out on our happiness.

So train in this. When we have respect and admiration like this, then it will show itself in our facial features. Our features are more fresh. Our face looks beautiful. Our wisdom has come up. The benefit of having respect is mettā. It makes us lovable, and people are more affectionate to us. People are more deferential to us. They praise us. We have happiness in body and mind. We have no troubles and no problems or grudges with others.

When we do good to others and they do bad to us, we may feel saddened. We may feel slighted, but we can maintain our even state of mind. We don't see fault with them. We have done the good act and have gained the goodness from that already. Don't look at it that they haven't repaid that act of goodness. Because in the society in the world, those who have mettā to others and don't expect anything in return are few, and there will be even less people that will be grateful to us. It's the way it is. People are looking out for just themselves and only looking for their own benefits.

So when we have done good, whatever the act is, our goodness will make others want to help us in the times we are struggling and will be able to pass and resolve it. We will have people who support, attend, and look after us without fail. So don't waver. Have *sati*, mindfulness, well established. Be a person who is not careless. Doing this, then our minds will have refined wisdom and be born in a high-status family in every life until we attain Nibbāna.

So we can see the difference between respect and humility. So may we contemplate it. In conclusion, we recognize the goodness of others that we meet and see. We rejoice in their goodness. We have respect and deference to them. Humility is making our minds have deference. The body, speech, and mind is humble. We are not arrogant, not raising ourselves to control others, and so on. And it's a blessing to our life. The Buddha taught that respect, humility, being of few wishes, and gratitude are the highest blessings. So all Dhamma practitioners, may you follow this, and you will have virtue and goodness. You will have generosity, sīla, and mental cultivation, and ultimately you will have wisdom. You will know and see the Dhamma. May you grow in blessings.

當我們與他人共處，並對團體中的長者心懷恭敬時，秩序便自然產生。如果每個人都執著於自己不同的想法與觀點，缺乏尊重的基礎，那麼相處就會變得困難而令人煩擾。

阿姜查尊者曾針對前來出家受戒者給予深刻的教導。參與受戒儀式的僧眾，是共同授予戒體的團體。他教導求戒者應當敬重這些僧眾，因為他們為我們授戒，保證我們得以成為比丘或沙彌。因此，尊者深入教導了建立尊重基礎的重要性，並指出由此謙卑之心便會生起。有了尊重，謙卑自然顯現，與他人共處的喜樂也隨之而來。

謙卑與尊重這兩種品質雖有相似之處，但意義不盡相同。謙卑、謙遜、質樸，意指不膨脹、不虛浮。其巴利語 "nata" 意為沒有空氣、不膨脹。這是將自我從如同充氣的氣球狀態，控制回歸到未充氣的正常狀態。謙卑的特質與尊重相似，但含義不同。

我們可以觀察到，當我們生起尊重時——例如對佛、法、僧的恭敬——我們是在認識三寶的功德與美德，或是認可他人所具有的良善。它也可以延伸到其他事物，例如一棵提供蔭涼的樹。聖者舍利弗尊者便始終看見一棵常年為他遮蔭之樹的功德；他也看見曾供養他一勺飯食以維持生命的拉達婆羅門的功德。舍利弗尊者具足優美的德行，他總能看到他人的優點。這是一種正確而真誠的品質，因為這種認可會透過我們的行為和言語自然流露。

此處，謙卑意味著一個人雖有才能，但舉止得體。例如，我們擁有高深的學識與技能，但行為適宜——不傲慢、不誇耀、不炫耀超越事實。或者，有些人自身已具備優點，卻可能抬高自己來控制他人，這是不得體的行為。而具足謙卑美德的人，行為會合乎禮儀，時時處處尊重他人。這強調的是內心的狀態。

我在巴蓬寺時，阿姜查尊者說，前來出家的僧眾必須放下世俗的一切，將其置於寺院門外，勿帶入寺中。他教導我們不要膨脹自我。如果總想著「我比別人高尚，我在世間擁有更多」，懷著這樣的心態，我們就無法在僧團中安住，因為我們將無法擁有謙卑。

例如，聖者阿難尊者和難陀尊者等一行長老，當初準備與出身理髮師之子的優波離尊者一同出家時，他們考慮到：如果這位理髮師在他們之後受戒，他們內心可能仍會執著於過往的階級觀念，期望對方如以往般恭敬自己。於是，他們讓優波離尊者先受戒，以便他們能夠向優波離尊者頂禮恭敬。就這樣，他們放下並捨棄了所擁有的一切。儘管出身高貴望族，他們放下了諸多世俗的牽絆，推舉優波離尊者先受戒，以此捨棄自身的見解與慢心。

阿姜查尊者以此教導前來出家修行的僧眾。大家來自不同地方，語言方言各異，但不要執著於此。例如「去市場」和「去城裡」，「買 glua」和「買鹽」，所用的詞語只是約定俗成的符號，其意義是相同的，並無差別。我們不應認為某種語言更高級，從而自我誇耀、輕視他人。

世間的社會也是如此。富人可能輕視窮人，博學者可能看不起知識淺薄者，地位高、工作好的人可能蔑視那些缺乏財富、地位、名聲與快樂的人。因此，擁有謙卑會顯現出顯著的特質，即行為、言語和意念上的謙和。這將進一步引導內心發展隨喜的基礎——對他人的善行感到歡喜。

這是訓練內心達到四梵住的修持。如果我們具備謙卑和善妙的言語，我們就擁有慈心、悲憫。我們的心會變得柔軟、調順，這即是具足隨喜的心。若能修習至此，便能進入甚深的禪定境界。所以，這絕非小事。

那麼，我們能否辨識出那些進入佛陀教法（Sāsana）中的人的特質呢？無論他們來自歐洲、美洲還是亞洲，他們都有一個共同特點：心中生起了法。他們會擁有謙和的品質：行為謙和、言語謙和、意念謙和——在布施（dāna）、持戒（sīla）和禪修（bhāvanā）時皆懷謙卑。他們在打磨自心。他們敬重法中的長者，敬重那些具戒行和德行的人。他們不執著於、也不以世俗的資格標準來衡量，不會自恃：「我來自這個國家、出身名門、擁有財富、相貌俊美、才華出眾、知識淵博、地位崇高、追隨者眾。」

我們可以看到，所有來到寺院的在家眾，儘管在世俗中可能擁有高地位、財富、知識、職位、技能，但他們在踏入寺院時都將其放下，感到輕鬆自在。當我們能從這些我們所擁有的世俗約定中脫身，我們便能融入當下的僧團社群。因為如果我們痴迷執著於所有，便會時時牽掛，無法了知這些事物皆是無常、不持久的。特別是我們這個身體（saṅkhāra），它本身即是無常、不持久的。當身體敗壞時，我們所擁有的一切依身體而存在的事物，也全都變得無常、不持久。它們會變化。百萬富翁或億萬富翁，可能一朝傾覆；一無所有的窮人，也可能一朝致富。沒有地位官階的人，可能會身居高位；身居高位者，也可能失去權位、眾叛親離。這並非確鑿不變，而是世間的常態。

因此，我們不應執著於所有。而對於我們真正擁有的，我們不應輕視他人，反而應利用所有去利益他人。我們對他人懷有慈心與悲心，我們保持謙卑，這樣反而會有更多人敬重我們，認可我們的優點。這至關重要。

因為如果人們執著於自我與我執，結果會如何？我們甚至可能因此失去親密的朋友。只為一些本不該動怒的小事，我們就可能對朋友發怒，從而失去友誼與友善之情。或者，我們本無過人之處，卻誇耀自讚，心生「我很好」的慢心，那麼我們現有的優點也可能失去。

有些人出生於豪門富戶，卻可能在學業和事業上未能成功，因為他們固執己見，自以為是。無論誰給予建議，他們都聽不進去。他們擁有財富，卻揮霍無度，最終如同許多人一樣傾家蕩產。佛陀時代便有這樣的人，這個時代也不例外。

或者，我們在一個社群中自誇、擺架子，喜歡特權，不守規矩紀律，那麼這個團體就可能分裂、產生隔閡。因此，需要有戒律（sīla）來維持和諧，如同花朵被串成花環，整齊美觀。

因此，克服自誇、固執、自以為是的慢心的方法，就是需要善知識（kalyāṇamittatā）時常勸誡，以培養我們的品格。如同依止師長——僧眾依止師長、戒師，以便持續淨化煩惱，不驕傲自滿。因為如果人們沒有智慧，又不聽取任何人意見，就會有人不真誠地讚美奉承我們，而我們很容易迷失其中。我們會喜歡別人稱讚我們慷慨、善良，從而可能錯失良機、耽誤正事。我們會缺乏智慧，執著於各種事物，沉迷於世間的順境——即利得、名位、稱讚與安樂。我們不去思惟觀察這些都是世間法，是世間的幻象。世間有得就有失，有榮就有辱，有稱就有譏，有樂就有苦。當它們生起時，我們必須謹慎。這些都是來自驕傲自大、狂妄、不謙遜的過患。

關於尊重，如前所述，是認識他人的優點。我們真誠、深切地表現出尊重。懷有尊重意味著善德深深植根於我們內心。它使人內心柔軟、不固執、優雅、文雅。這點很重要。當我們擁有這種尊重時，我們就擁有德行，我們擁有慈心——不去想著找別人的過失，不嘲諷他人，不自以為與他人一樣好。這樣我們就擁有良好的德行。我們看待事物總是朝向善的一面。現今我們稱之為「正向思考」。我們應經常訓練正向思考，這樣我們就會擁有快樂。

持續的正向思考就是慈心。當我們擁有慈心，我們就能輕易與他人和睦相處。我們彼此間懷有慈心與悲心。我們總是看到他人的優點，不看他們的過失。這樣我們的心就會安穩。我們只看到他們已實踐的德行與善美。屆時，我們將自然而然地發自內心、透過身口意去認可、尊重、讚歎、欽佩和敬重他們。我們真誠為之，毫不虛偽。這是我們內心具足隨喜的狀態。這裡存在著尊重。我們這樣做，並且讓它深植內心。我們經常這樣做，我們的心就會成為良善、卓越的心。如果我們不這樣做，我們就會失去快樂。

因此，要訓練這一點。當我們如此懷有尊重和欽佩時，它會顯現在我們的容貌上。我們的氣色會更為鮮活，面容顯得美麗，智慧也會增長。擁有尊重的好處是慈心。它使我們變得可愛，人們對我們更為親近，更加恭敬，讚美我們。我們身心安樂，沒有煩惱，與他人沒有問題或怨恨。

當我們善待他人，他人卻惡待我們時，我們或許會感到傷心，感到委屈，但我們能夠保持內心的平靜。我們不挑剔他們的過錯。我們已行了善行，並從中獲得了那份善業功德。不要執著於他們沒有回報那份善行。因為在世間的社會中，能以慈心對待他人且不圖回報的人本就稀少，而會對我們心懷感激的人則更少。事實就是如此。人們往往只關心自己，只尋求自己的利益。

所以，當我們行了善，無論是何種行為，我們的善業會讓人在我們遭遇困境時願意伸出援手，幫助我們度過難關。我們會有人支持、照顧、護持我們，絕無例外。所以不要動搖。要穩固地建立正念（sati）。做一個不懈怠的人。如此修行，我們的內心將擁有清淨的智慧，並在每一生中都投生於高尚之家，直至證得涅槃。

由此，我們可以明瞭尊重與謙卑之間的區別。願我們都能細加思惟。總而言之，我們要認可所遇所見他人的優點，對他們的善行心生隨喜，對他們心懷尊重與恭敬。謙卑則是讓我們的內心保持恭敬，使身、口、意皆顯謙和。我們不傲慢，不抬高自己來控制他人，等等。這對我們的生命是一種祝福。佛陀教導說，尊重、謙卑、少欲知足與感恩是最高的福祉。

願所有佛法修行者都能遵循此道，你們將擁有德行與善美，具足布施、持戒與禪修的功德，並最終獲得智慧，如實知見法。願你們福德增長。

---Ajahn Anan

2025年6月5日

from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW1pNmhutyo

So we see that we've come together. We've gathered as a group and we've come from many countries, many places, many families. And so we have different thoughts from one another, different ways of thinking. But we practice not to find fault with one another, but instead to have harmony, to live together as one. So this quality of harmony is important. Finding fault it's an obstacle in dharma practice. So there's one occasion it was a disciple of Venerable Ajahn Mun. So he had this habit of fault finding and when they were on alms round Venerable Ajahn Mun taught that this quality of fault finding it's an obstruction to seeing Nibbana. It's an obstacle. And so hearing this teaching, this individual had mindfulness arise. And so he changed himself to no longer find fault with others.

So in terms of dharma practice, this finding of fault, it's an obstruction to realizing peace and collectedness, to realizing samadhi. The samadhi doesn't gather. And when the samadhi doesn't gather then wisdom does not arise. So therefore in the beginning we have to change our minds, change our habits. So we practice not to have bad intentions or wishing to harm. So we're in society and we look at the present day society. There's a lot of wishing to harm, a lot of ill intent. But at least on this retreat, we strive for goodness and wholesomeness. We strive not to have unwholesome behavior, not to seek out hurt or harm, but instead striving to make our minds peaceful, peaceful and collected in samadhi.

是故當知，我們雖來自不同國土、不同地方、不同家族，如今卻能共聚一堂。各人思想各異，觀念有別，但我們修行不是為了相互指責，而是為了成就和合，如一體般共同生活。這種和合的特質至關重要——指責挑剔實為修行路上的障礙。

昔時阿姜曼有一位弟子，習氣慣於挑剔是非。當他們托缽行腳時，尊者開示：「這種挑剔習氣是證悟涅槃的阻礙，是修道的絆腳石。」聞此教誨，此人正念頓生，從此改變自己，不再苛責他人。

就修行而言，挑剔過失會阻礙我們體證寧靜與禪定，障礙禪定的成就。若禪定無法凝聚，智慧便無從生起。是故初修之時，即當轉變心念，革除舊習。我們修行不應懷抱惡意或損人之心。觀現今社會，處處可見惡意氾濫、害心橫流。但至少在這次禪修期間，我們要努力踐行善法，培養清淨心，避免一切不善行持，不尋釁傷人，專注令自心安住於三昧的寂靜與安定之中。

---Ajahn Anan

29 July 2025 Morning.

from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGrcETlcP4Q

As we see that we've had the good fortune to meet with these teachings just like Venerable Ajahn Mun, Venerable Ajahn Chah, they've given us these practices, these teachings, and so we've been able to meet with the dharma and so now it's up to us to do the practice to pay homage through our practice, and when we're able to practice and pay homage through our practice then we can meet with success in our practice, we can meet with the Buddha just like the great masters before us managed. They practiced to the point of Awakening and taught the dharma.

And so we take their teachings as our primary practice, as our foundation to give rise to wisdom, to give rise to knowing because they taught that this materiality and mentality, it's something that we have to let go of. We're not able to cling to it. It's actually not self in truth. It's not me or mine. It is not yours in truth. When we lack wisdom, then these thoughts arise. And whether the thoughts are wholesome or unwholesome, we cling to them as mine. So whether it's wholesome, whether it's unwholesome, we need to let go of that as well. Because if we cling to the wholesome as self, we cling to that skillfulness and think I really am good. I really am doing good. Then people come and criticize us. Then we feel upset and agitated. We can feel that well, I am right, I am good, I'm doing good. So this is the defilement of attachment arising. So we have to be careful right there.

我們有幸能聽聞這些教法，就像阿姜曼、阿姜查這些高僧大德將實修法門傳承給我們，使我們得以接觸正法。如今實踐修行以踐行供奉之責已落在我們肩上——當我們能透過實修來實踐供奉時，便能在修行中證得成就，如同歷代祖師般親見佛陀。他們通過實修直至覺悟，並廣弘正法。

我們應以祖師教誨為根本修行基礎，藉此生起智慧、了知。因其開示：這名與色，終須放下。我們無法真正執持它們，究其本質皆非「我」亦「非我的」。實相中這一切本不屬你。當智慧未開時，種種念頭生起，不論善念惡念，我們皆執為己有。故不論善惡，皆需捨離。若執善為我，緊握善巧而自矜「我實修善業」，一旦遭人批評，便生煩惱躁動。心念「我本正確，我本清淨，我本行善」時，這正是貪煩惱的顯現。於此關要處，我們務必警覺。

--Ajahn Anan

29 July 2025 Morning.

from;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGrcETlcP4Q

Being a yogavacara, one who is intelligent, they must have a mind that is very firm and focused. Here we look and see: why is it normal for the mind to be stubborn and rebellious? Why isn't it tender, malleable, and yielding? Why is there still conceit, holding on to a self? We have a little and we are conceited. We have a lot and are conceited. We have a little bit of samadhi and are conceited. And the more that one has people's respect, having fame and recognition in society, then they are even more conceited.

Like Uruvela Kassapa, Gaya Kassapa, and Nadi Kassapa, each of them had their own followers—500, 300, and 200 respectively. They had the people's faith and confidence, and they were conceited. They felt that they were the most outstanding; they were big teachers. Imagine if we were them, having 500 followers—that's not a small number. With his brothers together, there was 1,000 hermits, and the whole city of Rajagaha had faith in them. So were they conceited? They had to be. But when the Samma Sambuddha, the perfectly self-awakened Buddha, could lower their conceit, their views and ego, then they could listen to the Dhamma. Then their minds became easy to teach; their minds were tender and yielding, and they could attain to becoming arahants, fully enlightened. They gave homage to the Buddha; the Buddha was their teacher and Sasada, the founder of the dispensation. But all of the lay people's faith was still stubborn, still fixed; they had no confidence in the Samma Sambuddha. Here, Uruvela Kassapa bowed his head on the Samma Sambuddha's feet; he cried with joy and praised the Buddha as his teacher. Then the conceit and all the stubbornness of the public was lowered, and they listened to the Dhamma, and many attained to sotapanna, stream entry.

作為一位聰慧的瑜伽行者，必須具備堅定且專注的心念。在此我們應當思惟：為何心念常習於頑固叛逆？為何不能柔軟、可塑而順從？為何總存有傲慢、執持我見？稍有成就便生驕矜，擁有眾多更增傲慢，略得禪定即起自滿。若再受人敬重，享有社會聲譽名望，傲慢之心便愈發熾盛。

猶如優樓頻螺迦葉、伽耶迦葉、那提迦葉，各自擁有門徒五百、三百、二百。他們深受百姓信仰尊崇，因而心生傲慢，自認是最卓越的大導師。試想若我們處其境，擁有五百徒眾——這並非小數目。三兄弟合計便有千名修行者，整個王舍城百姓皆對他們深信不疑。如此豈能不起傲慢？這本是必然。但當正等正覺者——世尊能折服他們的傲慢、見解與我執時，他們方得聽聞佛法。此後他們的心變得易受教化，柔軟順從，終能證得阿羅漢果，成就究竟覺悟。他們歸禮世尊，奉佛為師及教法奠基者。然而當時民眾的信仰仍固執難化，對正等正覺者缺乏信心。直至優樓頻螺迦葉俯首頂禮世尊雙足，喜極而泣尊稱佛陀為師，民眾的傲慢與頑固才得以消融。他們由此聽聞佛法，多人即證須陀洹，得入聖道之流。

---Ajahn Anan

from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akUsCOndQeE

So someone who is going to enter the Dhamma, when their mind has gained peace, it will be straight and direct to go towards the paths and fruits of Nibbana. There will be someone who is easy to tell and to teach and is yielding as well. So here we can think: if we have a lot of duties and responsibilities, a lot of distractions in our life, can we become peaceful? We won't be able to be peaceful in body and speech. We have to receive all types of information and things from outside, and it brings in agitation. But someone who has wisdom will do less work and duties. Oh, sometimes getting higher positions and more to manage brings in more agitation and restlessness. Our time is used up on managing work; we have no time for ourselves, and that which has the highest benefit is time. But if we have no wisdom in order to earn a living, then we can also be in trouble and in difficulties. So we need wisdom to be able to earn a living, but we have to have time to find peace in the mind. We become someone who is sense-restrained and is careful of their actions and speech, not getting too involved and caught up with a lot of things. We must be able to make this mind peaceful.

是以，即將契入正法者，當其心獲得平靜時，便會直趨涅槃道果。這樣的人易於勸誡教導，且能隨順受教。由此我們可思惟：若生活中充斥諸多職責牽掛、紛擾雜務，我們能否獲得內心平靜？身語皆難以安寧。我們不得不接收來自外界的各類資訊與事物，這只會帶來擾動。然有智慧者，必當減省事務與職責。啊！有時職位愈高、掌管愈多，反而增添焦躁不安。光陰盡耗於處理事務，無暇安住自身，而時間實為最珍貴資糧。但若缺乏謀生智慧，亦會陷入困頓艱難。故我們需以智慧謀生，更需騰出時日讓心尋得安寧。當成為防護諸根、謹言慎行之者，不過度涉入與糾纏諸多俗務。我們必須令此心臻至寂靜。

----Luang Por Anan

from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akUsCOndQeE

we practice until "Buddho" encompasses everything; it has gathered together in the heart. There is rapture and samadhi. The rapture and bliss fuels the heart; we are at ease. Then when we contemplate this body as being a heap of elements, a heap of aggregates, then the mind is uplifted and joyous and sees the body as being anatta, not-self. It sees it as being impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not-self. The mind exits the world; it floats. It's like it escapes from the world and goes to be in another world. It's another world; we see it; it exists. That's the world of Lokuttara, that which is beyond the world. This here is the world of conventions; it's a world that we will cycle through births and deaths. This is Lokiya, mundane; that is transcending the world, Lokuttara. Then the samadhi that we do is samma samadhi. The mindfulness that knows is samma sati. The wisdom that knows is samma pañña. The effort is samma vayama. Here we have right thoughts to renounce attachments; it is samma sankappa. There is sila, samadhi, pañña gathering together.

When we see like this, then our effort is full. Mindfulness comes and wisdom arises. Our efforts have no laziness and boredom. We believe fully and certainly in the Dhamma teachings of the Samma Sambuddha. Here we will put forth effort without fail, doing it continuously and sustaining it. And one who gets to this point, they can't do a lot of work; they can't have a lot of distractions and work; they can't speak a lot; they can't sleep a lot, because the mindfulness and samadhi will keep on poking, poking, poking them onwards. And ultimately, how is it? We will see clearly. Oh, the body is just a body. This knowing builds more and more; it damages sakkaya-ditthi, the self-identity view, every day. Every day, every day, the mind is empty. Every day we see Nibbana being over that side; this side is Lokiya, the mundane world. And then we come back here again, and the question arises: why is it like this? We have seen that side, Lokuttara, so why do we come back here? Why do we come back to the side of Lokiya again? The answer is that we are currently building parami; our parami is not full yet, so we can't go there yet. We have seen it, but we can't go stay there yet; it's not clear; we haven't seen it in its entirety.

我們修習直到「佛陀」涵蓋一切；它已匯聚於心中。有喜悅與禪定。喜悅與極樂滋養著心；我們自在安住。接著當我們觀照此身為元素堆聚、蘊聚之時，心便振奮歡喜，視身體為無我。它見其身是無常、苦、無我。心脫離世間；飄然超逸。宛如從世間逃脫，前往另一世界。那是另一重境界；我們親見其存在。那就是出世間界，超越俗世的境界。此處則是世俗界；是我們輪迴生死的世間。這是世間法，而那是超越世間的出世間法。此時我們所修的禪定是正定。知道的念是正念。照見的智慧是正智。精進是正精進。於此我們生起捨離執著的正思惟；即正思維。戒、定、慧在此匯聚。

當我們如此照見時，精進便圓滿無缺。正念現前，智慧生起。我們的努力毫無懈怠厭倦。我們對正等正覺者的法教生起全然堅定的信心。於此我們必當持續不懈地精進實踐。達此境界者，無法從事過多事務；無法多有散亂與勞務；無法多言；無法多眠，因為正念與禪定會持續推動、督促、策勵前行。最終將如何？我們會清晰照見：此身僅是色身。這份覺知日益增長；日日損減身見（自我存在的見解）。日日、日日，心皆空明。我們每日見涅槃在那邊；此岸是世間俗境。而當我們再度回到此處，疑問便生起：為何如此？我們已見彼岸的出世間，為何仍歸返此岸？為何再次回到世間這邊？答案是：我們仍在累積巴拉密；我們的巴拉密尚未圓滿，故未能常住彼岸。我們已見其境，卻未能安住；所見未臻清晰透徹，尚未窺其全貌。

----Ajahn Anan

from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akUsCOndQeE

《The mind of a stream-enterer》

nibanna is pure emptiness . If we want to realize nibanna, we bring our mind to let nibanna to be the sole object of our mind. A stream-enterer has nibanna as the object of the mind all the time. When one still have family, children, grandchildren, husband and wives, and still have the duties: the duties of a mother, the duties of a child and so on; even for monastics , there are duties for the monastics and teachers. But one has the intention to be close to nibanna. 

And one sees with wisdom this clinging to one's body or others bodies, and seeing it with wisdom one suffers less . So seeing nibanna as the object of the mind, and the practice to make the mind not suffer. This is able to bring the mind to not cycling around in the cycle of birth and death, the cycle of samsara, which is very long. And a stream-enterer has no 8th life. A stream-enterer still has delusion, but for no more than seven life times.

A stream-enterer has the desire to bring the mind to purity, and has the object of the mind  as nibanna all the time as the faith ; and the practice of generosity , virtue and meditation as the wish to bring the mind to this pure liberation. Has dana , sila and bhava as the quality of the mind.  The one who wants freedom from sufferings doesn't  want suffering. We all wish to not have suffering, and to be free of suffering. But just wishing that we still get sufferings, because we don't have knowing, becuase it's what we're familair with. Even little things, we can cling to those.

Ajahn Chah has given an example, once there was a senior monk gifted a special expensive chinese teacup. And whenever the monk used that teacup, he would be afraid that it would break. But he didn't want to not use it at all, becuse then it wouldn't value so we see that a lack of wisdom gives rise to suffering ; then one day a novice broke that teacup and then that Elder monk exclaimed, ' well now I can be free from suffering!'  so we see that he had the wisdom not to suffer when it broke . 

so this is an outer thing, material thing ; so we tend to cling to these valuable items like that;  things that we own and then when they're lost or gone , and we feel ill, not at ease and we suffer. We have sadness or disappointment ;  we get these things and we don't know when our clinging to them arises.  the Mind clings to things that it likes has attraction or Affinity to and the mind is born already ; the mind is born into that right there.

It's like we grow a tree,  and we or plant a tree or grow a tree and we like that tree;  so the mind is born right there already , if we like anything ,the mind is born right there it's very quick like this. And we get things where we get used to them as well ; for instance ,for Lay people having children,  the mind is born right there with clinging ; we feel that it's our child, we feel close to them ; it could be a husband or a wife

Or monastics cling to the four requisites. Cling to robes, shelter , food or medicine ; so the Buddha taught the monastics to contemplate this all time; we use these requisites, and we practice to not cling to 

them, like not clinging to a robe for instance.

There's a story of one monk who was having clinging towards a robe and he hung it up thinking that tomorrow he would get to use that robe, and he went

to sleep. But then he died in the night and  he got reborn as an insect on that robe. So even a monk like that would practice for a long time, still had clinging to this robe that was beautiful . 

So we see that using the corpse cloth or the cloth that

covers a corpse as our robe has great value, because we don't have any liking or attraction towards that 

corpse cloth;  we don't cling to it , so it has a lot of benefit. There's no clinging there. 

Just like staying at the foot of a tree, there's no clinging there,  cuz where we cling, there is liking and attraction that's where it's dangerous ; like valuable items, things that we use to care for the body;  or could even be something like a glass of orange juice ,the mind clings to it and that's where the mind dies right there, there's a sense of me and mine, sense of self. So we have to be careful with this, also be careful with the people that are close to us, like friends or family, mother, father, siblings ,children . The Mind clings, the mind's not aware of itself, doesn't know itself, so we have to contemplate, contemplate that we must separate from all that we love.

This is something the monastics are taught to contemplate all the time,  to give rise to wisdom. But not to give rise to sadness. 

So for ourselves as Dharma practitioners, we have virtue, we have Dharma; so we have to practice, we recollect the qualities of the Buddha, or one quality of the Buddha that led to the Buddha's Awakening as the fully self-awakened Buddha.

This quality of giving , the Dana Parami,  the spiritual Perfection of generosity and giving material wealth without measure, without count over a great long period. The Buddha had a great amount of faith in this practice as a bodhisatta  , and gave his life as a Bodhisatta as well; gave his wife , gave his beloved

children, his little children.

This is something very difficult to do, no one else could do it, but the Buddha did it . A great giving , a great act of  giving, in order to reach the quality of generosity to make that full, to make that Parami full, for the sake of teaching all sensient beings. 

So we see that the virtues of the Buddha are truly great and immeasurable without bound or limit; so we contemplate this. Sometimes we may see we have loving kindness, but it's filled with attachment, we have this quality and feel we have happiness. For instance some people have children may give everything to their children, but they don't give mindfulness and wisdom; give convenience and give their child the things that they didn't get when they were a kid. And they felt like they had suffering before ,so they want to give their child what they didn't have . But then having done that , the child can end up being weak or Not Strong,  just attached to pleasure and convenience. 

So we see that Venerable Ajahn Chah,  he taught torture, he taught suffering , to bring disciples to wisdom, not to follow the wishes of the heart and mind ,not to just follow after one's own desires.

In the past, there was one time about traveling,  traveling in those days from uban ratchatani Province where Ajahn Chah lived in Bangkok. It was not easy, and if one didn't have any reason to go, one wouldn't

go.

There was one monk he wanted to go with venerable Ajahn Chah, and he was very happy that he could go, but venerable Ajahn Chah said, 'don't be happy cuz

it's not sure, the train might not leave ,are you sure that you'll go?  '

so that monk who had felt happy, very pleased with this , it was like a strike of lightning to hear that teaching. That teaching meant that there was no need for him to go , so the teaching was not to be stuck in pleasure, not to be attached to happiness; because Dukkha , unpleasantness or pain we are not attached to that we're not stuck in it because we don't want it.

But this pleasure we get lost in it, so we have to be careful about it. For a laity it's normal to get lost in pleasure, we have to be careful about this; because it leads to suffering to arise. So we may not know

ourselves,  the mind just gets stuck and attached like that. 

So we have to contemplate to give rise to wisdom; so it's a  children , or other beings we know ; we see it as

impermanent, it's not lasting, unstable; and it's normal like this, and then we train the mind to become peaceful,  in samadhi, to be able to be firm.

To cling to the budhha Dhamma and Sangha as our

refuge, this pure emptiness is the Buddha.

we see everything being non-self , and the Buddha and all things  are empty. 

So we bring the mind to be empty, to realize emptiness. 

So we contemplate material form, mentality of ours or others , and then we contemplate that all the beings we care for, we must separate from. We have to experience that separation.

so we need to train, need to practice to make the Mind empty a lot, in order to reduce our suffering.

We see that the stream-enterer sees everything as

empty, has nibana as the object to mind all the

time and is one who respects the budhha ,dhamma and sangha. And desires not to suffer,  to walk the path of virtue, stillness and wisdom,  to see nibanna in this life.  And at least one can be confident that one won't be born into the lower Realms, into the woeful states, and one won't have an eighth lifetime.

So in this life, may you strive . 

We see that that which covers the Mind,  wraps around the mind is sakkāya-diṭṭhi, view of self,  deeply embedded in the heart . 

So whether it's materiality ,mentality, one's child one's wife or husband,  one's wealth and family and so

on.

 The Mind clings to these already , so we have to contemplate to practice, use wisdom to see it as not self,  to give rise to the experience of dhama .

This experience of dhama is something miraculous, because when we don't know, we see everything in terms of self; so to see it as not self is truly amazing; we've never thought that seeing it would be like.

There's this Rapture and happiness, to seeing nature, seeing the truth of the way things are; so therefore we need to strive and have effort and perseverance to abandon that which we cling to,  to cut off those attachments, so we have to train in mindfulness ; bring the mind to be firm to give rise to wisdom,  so we need to practice and train in this way .

If we don't do it, we won't be able to see the Dharma ; we'll just be stuck in suffering in this life and the next

life. We see that in this life, we've had the Good Fortune to meet with the teachings of the fully self awaken Buddha. 

So therefore may you strive , may you practice,  may you have effort.

The great teachers have been able to do, so we must be able to do it as well. So we train and practice in order to realize it for ourselves.

So may you all saset y your hearts on this ; all monastics and all Laity, may you all grow in blessings

---Ajahn Anan

《初果聖者的心》

涅槃是純粹的空性。要實現涅槃，我們需要將心思專注於它，作為唯一的對象。

初果聖者始終將涅槃作為他們心的目標。即使在擁有家庭、孩子或責任的情況下——例如作為母親或孩子，或對於出家人，他們要履行他們的職責——他們仍然存在著接近涅槃的意圖。

通過智慧來看待對自己或他人身體的執著，會減少痛苦。專注於涅槃有助於心靈避免痛苦，擺脫漫長的生死輪迴，即輪迴。初果聖者不會經歷第八世；他們可能仍有愚癡，但僅限於七個生命之內。

初果聖者渴望淨化心靈，始終將涅槃作為他們心的目標，並以信心為支持。他們實踐布施、戒德和禪修，以實現這種純淨的解脫，體現出布施（dāna）、戒德（sīla）和禪修（bhāvanā）的品質。雖然每個人都希望擺脫痛苦，但僅僅是希望並不能消除痛苦的。我們常常因為熟悉感而執著於微小的事物。

阿姜查舉了一個例子，講述一位獲得昂貴中國茶杯的資深比丘。他害怕打破茶杯，但又想使用它。當一位沙彌意外地打破了茶杯，這位高僧驚呼：“現在我可以擺脫痛苦了！”這顯示出缺乏智慧會導致痛苦。

這些是外在的事物，物質的東西。 假如我們執著如此名貴的東西，當失去它們，就會引起不適和不自在，我們就會受苦。我們也會有悲傷和失望。我們獲得這些東西，然後我們甚至不知道執著已經生起。心會對自己喜愛、具吸引力或親近的事物產生執著，而心已經在那裡誕生了；心就在那一瞬間誕生了。

就像我們種樹一樣，當我們喜歡那棵樹時，心就在那裡迅速誕生。如果我們喜歡任何事物，心靈就會立即誕生。我們對某些事物會逐漸的習慣；例如，對於在家人來說，擁有孩子時，心就在那裡伴隨著執著；我們感覺那是‘我們的’孩子，與他們感到親近；這也可以是丈夫或妻子。

出家人則會對四種必需品產生執著，執著於袈裟、住所、食物或藥物；因此，佛陀教導出家人時刻反思這些執著。我們使用這些必需品，並訓練自己不對它們執著，例如不執著於袈裟。

有一個故事講述一位僧人對一件袈裟產生了執著，他把袈裟掛起來，心想明天可以用它，然後就去睡覺。可是，當夜他去世了，轉世成為那件袈裟上的昆蟲。即使是這樣修行了很長時間的僧人，仍然對這件美麗的袈裟有著執著。 

使用屍布作為袈裟具有很大的價值，因為我們對它沒有執著。住在樹下也是類似的——沒有執著，就沒有危險。然而，對貴重物品，甚至是簡單的一杯橙汁，可能會導致強烈的自我感和執著。

所以我們必須對這一點謹慎，也要小心與我們親近的人，例如朋友或家人、母親、父親、兄弟姐妹和孩子。心會執著，卻對自己沒有覺知，不知道自己，因此我們必須反思，思考我們必須與所有所愛之物分離。 出家人被教導要反思與所愛之物的必然分離——這不是為了滋生悲傷，而是為了培養智慧。

作為佛法修行者，我們擁有德行，應該透過反思佛陀的品質來實踐，這些品質導致了他的覺悟。其中一個重要的品質是布施波羅蜜（dāna pāramī）。佛陀在身為菩薩時對於布施擁有很大的信心，他甚至布施了自己的生命，布施了妻子，親愛的兒女，等等

這是一件非常困難的事情，其他人無法做到，但佛陀做到了。這是一次偉大的付出，一次偉大的施予，為了達到慷慨的品質，使那個 波羅蜜完滿，為了教導所有有情眾生。因此，我們看到佛陀的美德確實是偉大且無法衡量的，沒有邊界或限制；所以我們要思考這一點。有時我們可能會看到自己有慈愛，但它充滿了執著，我們有這種品質，覺得我們有幸福。例如，有些人有孩子，可能會把一切都給他們，但他們不會給予正念和智慧；他們給予方便，給孩子他們在童年時期未曾擁有的東西。他們覺得自己曾經受過苦，因此希望給孩子他們所沒有的東西。但這樣做後，孩子可能會變得脆弱或不堅強，只是執著於快樂和方便。

因此，我們看到阿姜查，他教導苦難，教導受苦，帶領弟子走向智慧，而不是隨心而行，不要追隨自己的欲望。在過去，有一次出行的故事，要到阿育王省，當時阿姜查居住在曼谷。那並不容易，如果沒有理由，誰也不會去。

有一位僧人想和阿姜查一起去，他很高興能夠去，但阿姜查說：「不要高興，因為還不確定，火車可能不會開，你確定你會去嗎？」這位感到高興的僧人聽到這教誨時就像閃電一樣。這教誨意味著他沒有必要去，因此教誨是不要陷入快樂，不要執著於幸福；因為苦，厭惡或痛苦我們不會執著於它，不會被困在其中，因為我們不想要它。但這快樂我們卻迷失在其中，所以我們必須小心。對於在家人來說，迷失在快樂中是正常的，我們必須小心這一點；因為這會導致苦的產生。我們可能不意識到自己，但心就這樣被困住和生起執著。

因此，我們必須思考以產生智慧；所以對於孩子或我們認識的其他眾生，我們看到它是無常的，不持久的、不穩定的；這是正常的，然後我們訓練心變得平靜，在定中能夠堅定。

要緊緊依附於佛、法、僧作為我們的庇護，這種純淨的空性就是佛。我們看到一切都是無我，佛和所有事物都是空的。

因此，我們使心變得空，去體現空性。我們思考物質，我們的心靈或他人的心靈，然後我們思考所有我們關心的眾生，我們必須與之分離。我們必須經歷那種分離。

所以我們需要訓練，需要練習使心變得空，以減少我們的痛苦。初果聖者看到一切都是空的，心中始終把涅槃作為對象，並且尊敬佛、法、僧。渴望不受苦，走向戒德、禪定和智慧的道路，在這一生看到涅槃。至少我們可以有信心，不會出生到惡道，也不會有第八世。

所以在這一生中，願你努力。我們看到覆蓋心靈，包裹著心靈的是「我見/身見」，這種自我的觀念深深根植於心中。不論是物質、心靈、孩子、妻子或丈夫、財富和家庭等等，心已經執著於這些。因此，我們必須思考並練習，透過智慧看到這些不是自我，從而產生對法的體驗。

這種對法的體驗是很棒的，因為當我們不知道時，我們看到一切都是自我；因此，看到它不是‘自我’真棒；我們從未想到過這樣看會是什麼樣子。看到自然，看到事物真相時，會有這種狂喜和快樂；因此，我們需要努力和堅持，放棄我們所執著的東西，切斷那些執著，因此我們必須在正念中訓練；使心堅定，以產生智慧，所以我們需要這樣的練習和訓練。

如果我們不這樣做，我們將無法看到法；我們只會在這一生和下一生中困於痛苦。我們看到在這一生中，我們有幸遇到圓滿自覺佛陀的教誨。

因此，願你努力，願你修行，願你有毅力。偉大的老師們能夠做到，我們也必須能夠做到。因此，我們訓練和修行，以便為自己實現它。

所以願你們都將心意寄託於此；所有的僧侶和在家居士，願你們都增長福德。

--- Ajahn Anan

video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNt8bQJ9SaQ

当我们的心跑到过去或未来时，禅定就不稳固，正念也不在当下。我们就觉知，心正在散乱就知道心散乱着。如果正念非常稳定，当我们知道心散乱时，散乱的心就会停止。这就被称为“心只是心”，不是生命（众生）、人、我们或他们。

就看到散乱也只是生起，存在和灭去的法。这可以观照成为法，但是大多数时候我们的念力和禅定是不够的。我们可以来诵念《忆念三宝》的偈子（Itipiso/Svakkhato/Supatipanno) 诵108遍，或诵念《吉祥胜利偈/胜利吉祥偈》或《胜利之阵偈子Jinapañjara/金那般川经文》。

要诵念到心平静。有些比丘能背诵《比庫巴帝摩卡》，他就会背诵巴帝摩卡。因为背诵需要记忆力和注意力。如果你到一个恐怖，荒凉的地方，诵念巴帝摩卡45分钟，心就会感到安详。

那有些人在广阔，空旷的地方时，心也会飘忽不定。就像黄昏时分可能发生这种情况，某种力量冲击心，让你有那种感觉。当我们观心时，就会知道心开始不安了，不平静。在数千亩的森林里，像是只有你一个人，听着鸟儿歌唱和长臂猿嚎叫，在森林中回响。

很静谧，非常非常静谧时，就会感到孤独。这时，就要背诵经文了，忆念佛陀，忆念佛法和僧伽。因此，我们诵念的这些偈颂，早晚课的诵念，要牢记在心中。当面临种种危险时，我们可以提起这些偈颂让心平静。

摘自【佛教眼中的快乐】

阿姜阿南 法谈开示

滅盡定是一種滅，一個人可以進入

但這已經超出你認知的範圍了

它來自很純潔和很高的禪定

心是空的，它不再接收所緣。

只是充滿快樂，其他所緣止息了

這比無色界禪那更高

Nirodha指滅盡

透過擁有強大的禪定力量，一個人甚至可以一次過進入十五日。

---ajahn anan

不要對修行感到灰心

因為一些對感官所緣有許多papañca 迷執，心的混亂的人

他們可能很接近體證法

因為那一點是聖道（magga）去和煩惱搏擊

假如我們取得聖道的力量，那麼我們的心可能能夠克服所有感官所緣

所以我們不斷修行，那些明白法的人，好像阿羅漢。他們看所緣只是所緣，就好像水不粘著蓮葉那樣。

所以你要不斷訓練禪定。

因為當您有禪定的時候，你便能夠看見這些所緣的滅，這就是禪定的力量。

之後你便能夠以vipassana （觀）思維到，就算這個狂喜也是生起然後滅去。

所以你不斷一點一滴地修行，慢慢漸漸地。

有時心變得激動，會有許多所緣。但請看它們為不是我，不是我的

你要不斷努力，不要放棄。到最後，你便能清楚地看到法。

----ajahn anan

我們要有非常大的功德與波羅蜜，才會出生在有佛教的時期，

然後還有跟隨著法與律修行的僧團，跟隨著佛陀的教導----一直傳到阿姜查。

我們有文獻和經文，和覺悟師父們的傳記，讓我們學習和生起信心

阿姜曼是泰國森林派的創始人，然後傳承到不同弟子，例如阿姜查，luang ta maha bua

他們跟隨著法與律，和阿姜曼的修行方式；直至他們證得阿羅漢果

他們是真理的見證人。

所以在這一生，我們既然有這麼好的機會，我們要有毅力和決心。

信心的促進，是透過思維修習法的利益，然後看到我們懶惰的壞處。

我們已經有信心了，但讓我們專注與更多地修行的信心是很重要的。

因為這個世間的事物，已經讓我們享受和愉悅了。

所有的色聲香味觸法，它們讓我們很愉快。我們亦浪費了許多時間—身處在這個已發展的時代。

摘錄自<2：48：

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvuwEFyFbvA

更多關於ajahn anan

https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E6%B3%B0%E5%9C%8B-thailand/ajahn-anan

堅定地放下，然後精進！

無論什麼生起，當心有喜歡或不喜歡

有什麼情緒生起時，就捨棄它

假如你有憤怒，惡意，害人的思想

說：那不確定的，那是無常的

看著這個心。假如你這樣對心說，但心不聽，那就繼續解釋：

你對誰人憤怒？你對誰人有惡意？

你愛誰？你嗔恨誰？

這是否我們的身體？誰是生氣的人？

誰愛？誰恨？

我們厭惡的人，是否真的在那裡？

它不是只是四大元素嗎？

它只是剛剛在這個世間生起。

100年前，那個人並不存在

100年後，不再有我們或他們。

所有都會消失

所以我們看，我們愛什麼？我們怨恨什麼？

它們從哪裡來？

噢！是從元素那裡來，四大元素。它們生起，停留，然後止息，它們壞滅…

我們就這樣有智慧

摘錄自 <14:00：

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvuwEFyFbvA

更多關於ajahn anan

https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E6%B3%B0%E5%9C%8B-thailand/ajahn-anan

信徒：我聽見一些師父說，當一個人證初果時，他們不會再有自我感，就算他們的心迷失都好。但另一個師父說，這個我只能在證悟阿羅漢時去除。請問初果和阿羅漢所去除的我，有什麼分別？謝謝！

Ajahn anan: 所以讓我們看看 ‘結’的性質。 這是束縛心的東西。

首先，我們以身見結（SN22.82:認為色/受/想/行/識是我; 或我擁有色/受/想/行/識; 或色/受/想/行/識在我中; 或我在色/受/想/行/識中）, 戒禁取結，疑結

這些是三結。

身見是一個牢固地束縛心的見解， 這個自我的見解。

然後疑結，看不清修行的道路，去去除煩惱。

然後那些不是為了涅槃的儀式戒條。

這些會在證初果時被捨棄。

比這些更微細的，是貪欲結和惡意結。這些會在一來果/二果時被減少

然後在三果的時候，這第四和第五個結會被摧毀，三果聖者再不會回來這個世間。

還有五個更多的結，三果聖者需要捨去的，為了體證阿羅漢果，最終的覺悟。這些是五上分結。

這是所有煩惱的摧毀，和自我感的捨棄。我們看見阿羅漢是遠離煩惱的，沒有自我的。

從一開始，到最後，阿羅漢摧毀了自我感，沒有對自我的依附，再沒有對任何東西的依附。心是完全清淨的，心被完全淨化。所以不再投胎到人間，天界，梵天界。心不再去那裡。

初果是那些切斷三結的，身見，依附儀式和戒條，懷疑。

所以那些有較弱的波羅蜜，他們捨棄了三結，他們生為（天神或）人七次。但沒有第八次。在第七個生命中，他們證悟阿羅漢，完全的覺悟

有多些波羅蜜的，他們只有三次再生。

有更多波羅蜜的初果聖者，他們只有一次再生。

然後二果/一來者，他們也只剩餘一次（人類）生命--在證悟阿羅漢之前

然後三果聖者，他們不會在這裡有任何生命，他們會去到梵天界，他們會在梵天界證悟阿羅漢果

所以當初果聖者捨棄這三結時，他們看見法，看見涅槃，他們已看見了，所以他們進入法流。但他們還未抵達法，他們已經捨去一部分煩惱；把邪見轉變為正見。但他們仍有自我感，雖然初果聖者看見無我，所以見解已被轉變了。之前，他們依附這為自我，現在看見它不是我，我的。所以這是捨棄煩惱到一個點。 這些是把心帶到下界的煩惱，例如阿修羅道，動物道，鬼道，地獄道。心不再去到那些下界，它們太粗糙了。心已經有念了，但仍然有自我感。仍有憤怒，但沒有傷害的念頭，因為這樣的有情，初果聖者看見惡意的壞處，看見貪嗔癡的壞處，所以心不會去到下界。

但仍有一個自我。但那是好的自我，是聖的自我，不是有厚重煩惱的有情。他是美麗的有情。但比這個更上的，是有智慧。那是看見輪迴的過患，那是有涅槃作為心中所緣的有情。他們不再想要煩惱，他們努力去捨棄煩惱。

我們可以看看給孤獨長者和維薩卡的例子。他們仍有自我感，仍有家庭，有孩子，孫子，伴侶。他們仍有執著，有惡意，有愛，有苦有樂，根據因果。

而他們二人也有親戚和孩子死去的經驗。

我們可以看看維薩卡的例子。她有一個孫兒死去。然後那個孫兒很絕倫，很善巧，做功德。但那個孩子死去了。然後那個孩子工作得很好，他很好地對佛陀和僧團去布施，做功德；然後真的去幫忙做功德分擔工作。這個孩子就如維薩卡的右手。但他死了。維薩卡很傷心。雖然她知道老病死是很正常的。但她已經明白了它。她看到這個孫兒的死亡，他是個很好的人，很幫得忙，他死了真的很可惜。但當聆聽了佛陀的說法後，正念生起。假如所有人都是她的孫兒，她就會接受大量苦

她的正念生起，開始沉思。然後她便能夠接受這個無常。雖然他真的很好，他也要死。那不會持續的。裡面有自我感，但那是一個崇高的自我感。那是聖者，和凡夫不一樣。凡夫有自我感，但沒有戒，不明白它。但維薩卡看見無我的真相，奮力發展心更高。

但阿羅漢，不再有自我感。他們已經抵達法。沒有任何東西餘下。任何生起的東西，他看它們為生起；停留一會兒，然後滅。沒有依附或者什麼。這就是分別。

我們可以看到凡夫—有厚重煩惱的人，他們的心情和感官印象。沒有戒，沒有美德。他們的感官印象，就如在硬石頭那裡畫線。線很深，很難去刪除那條線。念頗弱。心追隨情感和感官印象，有惡意，有憤怒，想報復，缺乏美德。

有戒德的人，有戒有法。他們也如硬石，但不是石頭，而是一團緊聚在一起的污垢。那是改善，不是石頭，只是一團緊聚在一起的污垢。在它上面畫線，也要一段長時間才可以抹掉。但不是石頭，所以是一個改善。

但來到美麗的人，善人（kalyanajana）。他們也有貪嗔癡，也有自我感。但他們也有戒有法，有美德。 那也如硬的污垢

來到聖者。從初果開始，也如硬的污垢。但不再是石頭，只是污垢和泥土。還剩下七次生命的初果聖者，就如硬的污垢

三次的，就如比較軟的污垢

餘下一次的，就是開始變軟的污垢

對二果來說，那個污垢已經比較軟了。如果你在那上面畫線，那條線很快便消失了。貪嗔癡一生起，很快便消失了

對三果聖者來說，就如在沙上劃線。不久那條線便會消失

對阿羅漢，完全覺悟的人。就如在水中劃線。你看見，當你畫線的時候，有線在嗎？有，但很快便消失了。線完全地消失了，所有東西完全地消失了。沒有任何東西餘下了。 可以比喻為在蓮葉上的水。水不粘著，心和情感和感官印象分離。沒有我在那裡。這是一個例子

摘錄自：

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAzrh7dL-Fg

（背景：有信徒頻繁聽法和參加禪修營，開始對朋友失去興趣。問luang por anan 怎樣取得平衡）

Ajahn anan: 當我們聆聽法時，我們的生命開始轉變是很正常的事。然後我們在世間找不到和之前一樣的喜悅。我們反而對法有興趣，為了發展智慧，和尋找平靜。所以我們繼續修行。那是通向明白和知道混亂，不平靜和在世間事物尋找快樂的壞處。所以從朋友之中尋找到的快樂，經歷這些是很正常的。

但是，獲取新朋友也是很正常的。有和我們相似見解的朋友。雖然仍有想要尋找樂趣和喜悅的慾望，但不再像之前一樣。你會看到你心中的改變。然後那是開始明白法的時候。

就如佛陀那兩位上首弟子，舍利佛和目犍連。他們還是在家人時，他們每年也會去週年慶典，在那裡找到快樂和樂趣。他們每個人都各有五百人追隨一起去。但當他們的波羅蜜圓滿，他們生起了厭倦的感受。因為他們看到所有人

--表演者，觀看者，他們都要死。所以他們心中生起離欲，和清醒的感覺。所以他們都生起了智慧。所以他們沒有追尋樂趣，而是成為了阿羅漢—當聆聽了佛陀說法之後。

但我們還未到那個點時，我們要讓一切平衡。所以找一些樂趣，那是可以的。那是為了調整你的心情。但假如你只是禪修，一開始那會很難。但當一直修行，智慧生起，你就會看到每個人都注定死亡。

翻譯自：

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAhVMZLW8MQ

（背景：信徒的同事常常說是非，他自己不想說，在考慮應否辭工）

Ajahn anan: 假如你離開你目前的工作，你是否能夠找到一個新的工作？或者你還有其他工作在做？ 假如你不，那麼事情便會比以前更糟。如果你沒有錢，事情便會更難。假如你找到一個新工作，但那裡的同事就如你現在的同事那樣說是非，你也要和他們一起，但你看到他們所做的東西不是好的，就會離開找新工作，不斷重複這個循環。

因為這個世間的人類就是這樣。這個世間本來就有讚美和是非。這是一個持續的事宜。所以你應該在心中思維正見，那是更好的，去看到世間是這樣是很正常的。有時別人和我們說是非，有時別人說我們是非。但要有知識和正念，去看見這不是一件好事。所以不用去逃離他們，只是把你的心帶到平衡，中立的位置，接著繼續禪修。

所以人們這樣說是非，你不用一起說是非。但你也要有正見和態度，不要對他們所說感到難過。所以先轉變你的心，有慈心，看見別人之所以這樣說是非，是因為他們有無明，在向他們的心施加條件。所以讓你的心確立在慈愛當中—對雙方也是。

雖然人們在說是非，你仍然能夠和他們一起坐。就如那些持戒的人，也有那些喝酒的人，他們也可以一起坐。那些持戒的人可以喝水或喝汽水，但他們仍然可以互相談話。那些持戒的人，之後便能夠駕車回家。所以利益能從他們那裡生起。

翻譯自：

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAhVMZLW8MQ

問：尊敬的ajhan anan ,在經文中提到，在涅槃中沒有名和色。這意味著當阿羅漢入滅時，將不會·再有名色生起。然而，一些著名的阿姜卻說，涅槃是一個在梵天界之上的地方。涅槃中有一種存在，心（citta）不會消失，而是會入涅槃。但心不是名法嗎？有一位ajahn 甚至說，他騎著一匹玻璃馬去了涅槃，那是一個閃耀的地方，阿羅漢和佛陀都有透明的身體，城市也是透明的。這與經文中的描述似乎相矛盾

Ajahn anan:根據經典，涅槃沒有名和色。沒有物質，沒有精神現象。如果仍有這個名色，就會有出生到任何一個存在。所以可以去到人道，天神道，或者動物道，或者地獄道，鬼道，阿修羅道。 所以如果有名和色法在那裡，就是這樣。

所以天神們，他們有微小的精神現象和物質現象。

人類有中等粗幼的精神現象和物質現象

動物有粗糙的精神現象和物質現象

地獄眾生經歷著痛苦和受折磨的精神現象和物質現象

而阿羅漢，他們遠離煩惱，那是貪嗔癡--這成為出生到任何道的存在。人道，天神道，梵天道--那是對於進入到色界禪或無色界禪的人。他們再生到梵天道。他們的心是很細微的，但仍然未摧毀煩惱。所以佛陀未覺悟前的老師，他們就再生到無色界。但他們仍然有煩惱。如果他們缺乏所有煩惱，那就是阿羅漢了。在他們的情況，沒有名和色再現。

所以當我們問涅槃是否一個地方？涅槃是否存在？在哪個方位？你不能確立一個方位，你不能說它是遠或近，但它是存在的！涅槃是純潔。那些有純潔心的眾生，他們能夠證悟涅槃。所以涅槃是真的！它存在！

但沒有進入涅槃的眾生。假如仍有一個‘我’，他們不能去到那裡。所以我們需要一個沒有自我的人，沒有煩惱的人，他們的心是純潔的，那就是涅槃。

所以識，這是在說蘊中的識。它接收聲音，或者標誌等等。但成為純潔的，是心。它不再依附，那是純潔的覺知元素。但它不是名的一部分。

所以‘念’，是用作捨棄貪嗔癡。當它發展得很強時，我們可以用上念和智慧。當它們發展到圓滿時，它只是一個存在的特質，它不屬於任何人，不由任何人所使用。那裡沒有依附，說這個念是我或我的；那是生，住，滅的東西。那些已經發展了的人，他沒有依附，或依附任何東西。這是來覺知的念。

所以涅槃被描述為一個玻璃城市，水晶城市，然後有人騎在玻璃馬上。這可以是一個形式去描述涅槃，所以我們可以獲得一種理解，有一種關於它的影像。有一個最高快樂的地方。那裡沒有苦，進入它的人不用死亡，不用再生，不再入輪迴。再沒有苦樂生死的交替。因為涅槃沒有生和死。

因此，那不是任何一道，不是任何一個存在。它存在！但要進入它，一個人需要有純潔的心。所以那只是一個城市的譬如。但事實上，阿羅漢，它們有最深入的快樂在心中了。它們有純潔的心，沒有苦。為了完全明白這個。一個人需要修行。因為就算你聆聽法談，你會疑惑。讀經，你疑惑。你聆聽這個答案，你會更加疑惑。你的疑惑不會離開的。因為這樣，所以你需要修行。戒，定，慧。 讓心平靜，有強大的念；然後用它們來思維這個身體，只是四大，不淨，是空的。你經常地這樣做，你的心就不會被世俗諦所迷惑，解脫就生起。 所以會生起這樣的理解，去到一點，它就會能清除苦。佛陀就是這樣教，當我們看到世俗諦的真相。心就會自由，解脫。我們所有的信心，就會堅固。在最後，我們就會體證到這個純潔。所以我們看到阿羅漢心中的純潔

透過這樣禪修，就會導向涅槃。這的確給我們結果。所以我們不再有疑惑，因為它是由修行而來的。願你大量地禪修。

所以目前你仍然有這些疑惑，你應該把它們放在一邊，然後先修行。當你這樣，你的信心會增長。終有一天，你會看見施設法的真相，會解脫。所有疑惑都會消除。

我們看到佛陀的確沒有苦。這是他教導中的一部分，那導向苦的終結。所以願你的修行變得穩固。當你這樣做時，最終，你將會體驗更上更上的純潔

2024.10.6 網上禪修營

做功德的行為，是把快樂帶到心的行為。但如果我們做功德時，有對功德的貪欲，對它的飢餓。那就太多了。 有貪愛在那裡，那是飢餓，渴愛。 所以當我們產生功德，我們做功德。我們有動機去無私，去捨棄自私，捨棄自我感，捨棄貪欲。那是大功德。

所以當我們做功德，但希望得到結果，那仍然具有功德。那也可以，我們會獲得鼓勵鼓舞去做功德。這樣會有利益來到我們這裡，我們就會有鼓舞。

但當我們繼續做好事，我們會獲得智慧，更加有智慧。我們會看到我們在渴求功德，（這是因為我們開始）為了捨棄貪欲。但一開始時，我們對功德有貪欲，但我們產生功德而不去傷害任何人。如果有飢餓，那就是渴愛，那就不平衡了。有些人太想要功德，他們以不善巧的方式去做。有些人帶來食物去寺院供僧。但其他人拿了他們的食物，然後替代他供養了。然後帶來食物的那個人便會不高興：有人拿了我的食物了！所以會有對功德的飢餓和渴愛，那是比wanting 欲 更多的東西，是貪。

為了讓我們正確，那麼，我們做這些善事，為了無私；我們也一樣能夠獲得它的利益。所以我們有機會去產生良善，然後我們做那個，我們以不同的方式去做。我們也以智慧去做。我們可以去幫助有困難的人，或者社會上的人，我們可以做到什麼，就做。假如我們可以分享這些善事給別人，邀請他們製造功德，那會更好，那是正見。那是Kusala，善巧的。然後當我們繼續做時，我們感受到什麼？我們的心會感覺放鬆，自在。

我們有這樣的感覺：如果我們有許多錢，然後我們想以它們來做善事。到最後，一個問題生起在心：我會獲得更多財富，但我會用這些財富來做什麼？我會用它來做功德？因為我們看到我們不會留在這個世間太久，我們不能拿走在這個世間的任何財富。所以我們用財富來做良善的因，去帶來微細的財富，那就是功德。因為這個功德在於我們的心。所以我們供養食物給僧人，我們做這些，然後功德便會儲存，收集在心。有不同的善良：建築寺院的設施，例如戒堂，幫助遇到困難的人，為了社區的利益而布施給大眾，幫助水火災的受害者；跟隨我們的心，能力和能量。這些都是我們在創造的善業。

當我們做得更多，更多。那麼我們都會看見別人做這些好事，然後我們隨喜他們的善良。當我們有方式去做時，我們也做。我們不斷這樣修習時，我們就會看見比布施更高的功德，就是持戒。有持戒的人，是那些有定期布施的人。他們就會有堅固的戒德。

為了增加功德，他們禪修。因為這個禪修會產生智慧，我們可以看到世間的施設的真相；然後捨棄這個自我感。當我們開始布施的功德層次，讓它成為我們內心的特性，我們一直去做。然後當我們做這個，我們看到從平靜心所生起的功德，是更高的。所以有戒德的心，那是比布施更高的功德。有平靜的心，是比戒德更高的功德。有智慧的心，那是比平靜心更高的功德。為什麼？因為智慧能夠為心帶來純潔

---ajahn anan

Venerable Ajahn Anan spoke of a time when someone asked Venerable Luang Pu Chah if he taught concentration meditation or insight meditation, and Venerable Luang Pu Chah answered, he taught torturous meditation. That is, to torture the defilements, torture the cravings. But it’s a torture to end all sufferings. If we do not go against the stream, just always giving in to our desires, we will not see the Truth. We will not have the wisdom to realize liberation from suffering. With his great compassion and deep wisdom, Venerable Luang Pu Chah tortured the defilements until none were left, and thus attained to true peace and purity. 

阿姜阿南尊者談到，有一次，有人問龍普查尊者是否教導定禪或內觀禪，龍普查尊者回答說，他教導折磨禪修。 也就是說，折磨煩惱、折磨貪愛。 但結束一切痛苦卻是一種折磨。 如果我們不逆流而行，只是總是屈服於我們的慾望，我們就看不見真理。 我們不會有智慧去解脫痛苦。 龍普查尊者以大悲心與深智慧，將煩惱折磨殆盡，從而證得真正的平靜與清淨。

There are a lot a lot of boddhisattvas out there, in their realms and universes , for example avalokitesvara, or they call kwan yin. That there are many forms of boddhisattva existing. There are a lot that therevada don’t really know about , because they don’t exist  in their suttas .

but I also explain the difference of bodhisattva  in Mahayana and therevada. In Mahayana , they explains in mahayan sutta that a bodhisattva is able to reach nibanna, but he restrains to enter nibanna in order to help beings. That’s from the sutta, no one can confirm that it is right or not.

Different kruba ajahns experiences, they confirm that there are many bodhisattvas that exist . Kuan yin , for example . But you cant say if bodhisattva is the meaning of Mahayana or therevada . But they just saw that there are bodhisattvas out there, accumulating spiritual merits and accumulations  over many lives to become   buddha to  help beings in their defilements in their hearts.

Actually it points to one of this mahayan aspects , when we do meditation or chanting , or we chant avalokitesvara(kuanyin ), that can be a manifestation of emptiness. The bodhisattva avalokitesvara kuan yin his name can also be the name to lead to emptiness, all leads to nibanna , or the cleansing of the heart .

----AJAHN ANAN 

外面有許多菩薩，在他們的領域和宇宙。比如説觀音。有許多不同形態的菩薩存在著。上座部有許多不太知道，因爲那不存在在他們的經典。

但我也解釋菩薩在大乘和上座部的分別。在大乘，他們在經典中描述，菩薩能夠抵達涅槃，但他們抑制自己進入涅槃，以幫助衆生。那是經典所說的，沒有人能確認其真僞。

不同的師父都經歷過，他們都確認有許多菩薩存在，比如説觀音。但你不能夠説菩薩是大乘的意涵還是上座部的意涵。但他們見到有許多菩薩在外面，在多生多世纍積精神上的功德，以成爲佛陀來幫助衆生（去除）内心的雜染

其實那指向大乘的其中一個面向：當我們打坐或念誦，或我們念誦觀音，那可以是‘空’的顯現。他的名字是一個導向空、涅槃、清洗自心的名字

------AJAHN ANAN 

20-2-08

觀音菩薩不只是我們世俗諦所看到的.

但他是更高的。

當我們去到更高，更高，那就是純淨的空了。

我們看一下，那是純淨的空，和終極的純潔接近。

但還有點遺下，那就是對一切眾生的慈悲。但那是準備好體驗空的心。

所以問到我們怎樣去接受他的祝福和能量？

當我們去隨念菩薩，純淨的能量已經在那裡。佛陀已經取得圓滿的覺悟了，菩薩則累積了大量的波羅蜜。所以我們的心有擁有皈依處的感覺，有東西去依靠。

所以這是我們可以連結的能量，我們可以把這種能量用到修行和法的傳播裡。所以那是取決於我們的心去到哪個層次，去連結。

就如現代我們用科技，密碼等等去連結。所以我們有信心等這些特質，然後我們去連結那個波羅蜜

28：17—30：25

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7TDXu3BHb8&t=2s

（我們）要發願來讓增加自己的信心。

佛陀已經取得覺悟了，願我也能成就我的xx (學業，事業，修行成就等等)。

佛陀已經完成了他的任務，我也一樣能夠完成我的任務和xx (學業，事業，修行成就等等)。

做許多次，把它牢固在心中，給你自己信心的促進。不用依賴任何人

那是很強的發願，因為佛陀是真理。透過使用這樣的聖諦，你的發願會很強大

---ajahn anan