Devotee: During meditation, when you guide us to ask your body and your mind if they want to meditate, many people find it fascinating that we treat them as separate entities to “yourself.” When I ask these questions, I can feel like I’m just talking to myself with no one responding. How do we come to realize that the body and mind can feel separate?
Ajahn Brahm: It’s just a useful perception, nothing more.
It’s a bit like learning how to be mindful of your mind, or how to become aware of your body. Right now, how do you feel in your body? You have to ask your body, don’t you? That act of asking brings awareness to the state of your body. The mind, however, is something quite different.
What actually is the mind? Usually at this point I play a little trick question, but please go along with it—it’s not embarrassing. Put up your right hand if you’re more happy than sad, and your left hand if you’re more sad. Great, keep it up for a moment. Now, please point to that happiness for me. Are you imagining it? It’s real, isn’t it? You know what happiness is. Where is happiness located in your body? Many people say “in my heart,” but the point is that happiness is not located in your body at all. Happiness lives in this thing we call the mind.
Fear, anxiety, excitement—these are real emotional qualities, yet where do you actually feel them? Not in the body. They live in the mind. Think of a garden: we know it’s a garden because of what’s in it—trees, bushes, flowers, paths. In the same way, we know what the mind is by what’s located in it.
That thing you can call your mind is not the brain. The brain is something completely different. Many years ago I came across the work of Professor John Lorber at Sheffield University. In the 1980s or 1990s he was researching whether abnormally shaped skulls affected intelligence, social behavior, or other qualities. He was always on the lookout for students with unusual head shapes—too long, too short, or otherwise distinctive. One day he found a graduate student in mathematics working on his PhD. The student had a girlfriend, lived an ordinary life except that he was quite clever—and his head was slightly misshapen.
【A person with no brain】
When Professor Lorber took a CT scan of this young man’s brain, he was shocked. He repeated the scan several times. The student had virtually no brain—only about 1% of a normal cerebral cortex, with the rest being mostly cerebrospinal fluid. The case became known as “the boy with no brain.” Yet this young man was alive, intelligent enough to earn a degree in mathematics, and appeared completely normal. I later discussed the case with a doctor at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney who had seen the scans and confirmed it was true. When I asked why more research wasn’t being done, he said it had simply been filed away as an “anomaly”—too difficult for people to accept or explain.
[terminal lucidity]
The brain and the mind are two different things. Similar evidence comes from cases of terminal lucidity. In palliative care units, nurses, doctors, and carers have witnessed patients in coma or with severe brain damage—where the brain is no longer functioning—suddenly open their eyes near the end of life, recognize family members, speak clearly, and hold conversations when it should be physiologically impossible.
One well-known story involved a man in a New York hospital with a massive brain tumor that had overtaken almost all functional brain tissue. Doctors could even predict the day he would die. As he lay in a deep coma, unable to respond or speak for many hours, his entire family gathered around him. Then he suddenly opened his eyes, greeted everyone by name, and conversed normally for about 45 minutes before passing away. The doctor present said it simply couldn’t be happening—yet it did.
The same phenomenon appears in advanced dementia or Alzheimer’s: someone who hasn’t recognized anyone for months suddenly becomes clear-headed and lucid at the very end, remembering names and holding conversations. Terminal lucidity is now an accepted term in medicine because the brain is no longer workable, yet something else is clearly functioning. That something is what we call the mind.
[natal lucidity]
same kind of topic not just terminal lucidity but even like what you might call natal lucidity when you're born. this first came up when this young Aussie couple had two children, two boys—Peter and Paul I call them—and the youngest of the children had just come back from hospital. you know, she had just recently given birth; now they could go home, the mother and child, and so they were at home one evening.
they told the eldest son, Peter, to go and say good night to your brother Paul. and just quite obediently, the younger kid went over to the pram or whatever you call it where his young brother Paul, only just born, and said, “good night, Paul,” and then Paul said, “good night, Peter.” he was only a few days old—nothing, yeah, a few days—which is impossible; they haven't been to kindy yet; but he could speak so clearly.
and apparently when the parents told me this, the parents were already shocked. without asking, their eldest son Peter said it again to his young baby brother: “good night, Paul.” and this time, with both of them paying full attention, they were in shock; the little baby said again, “good night, Peter,” clear. that's not supposed to be possible.
and there's this other case I remember reading about where this boy just born, almost fresh out of the womb, he took seven steps and said, “this is my last life.” I know, many of you read that sort of stuff and think that's impossible, that's just in a hagiography; you build up these stories.
but hearing that other story, and many other incidents about little children who aren't supposed to be able to speak yet can speak—and the interesting thing I remember from this couple, they said the young baby did not talk in like a toddler's voice; talked in an adult voice, you know, the intonations of someone who's much older than just a few days. and that sort of shocked them so much, and I was happy they weren't Buddhists, but they said, “we thought you might understand,” because they knew the Buddhists believed in rebirth more than anybody else—which was true.
and another couple who go to Nara Center, they were Malaysian Buddhists, they had the same experience with their kid, Tau, when it wasn't supposed to be able to, just born, and they didn't want to tell anybody because they thought no one would believe them. so anyway, that's the mind.
[asking the mind]
so that's why when you realize that's a real thing—it's an entity, it's a process yes, but it exists—then it's not a hard thing to ask. it's like the mind now is asking the mind in the next moment, “can you please tell me how you are, what you need?” it's just a nice way of introducing what mindfulness is: you're aware and you can find out what's going on, and you trust that more than anything else. same, you ask your body; I ask my body at the beginning of meditation, “am I comfortable? do I need to be adjusted?” and if I ask the question, my mindfulness goes there; I can feel that it did need to be adjusted, so I adjust it.
anyway, the body and the mind are very separate—that's what actually we do in meditation. the five senses and the body vanish in meditation, and that's really cool, because with the five senses and the body vanish in meditation, you get all these amazing experiences and effects.
[A man in meditation whose body turned off]
to give you one example of that: I usually for many years haven't talked about this guy's name, but it's so many years ago now—maybe about 30 years ago now—so I don't mind mentioning his name; his name is Greg (won't say his surname, but Greg). he came up and told me that he had an experience on the weekend: he was meditating at home; he was watching the TV with his wife on a Sunday afternoon, and it was a boring program, says, “I'm just going to go into the bedroom to meditate.” he'd only meditate for 40 minutes, he told me—that's usually his max—but after about an hour and a half he hadn't come out of the bedroom.
so what does the wife do? goes and checks on him, and she saw him in their bedroom sitting perfect posture, perfectly still—too still—couldn't detect any breath. to all extents and purposes, he looked like he was dead. so what did she do? over here in Australia, you ring 000, the ambulance, Emergency Services. what do you ring in Singapore? 999. so she was panicking; she thought her husband was dead; she rang the ambulance.
fortunately, she didn't live too far away from the hospital; ambulance came really quickly with the siren, and then the medics rushed into the bedroom; he wasn't breathing; they checked his pulse—it was no pulse—so they put him straight into the back of the ambulance and rushed him to the hospital, his wife with him. to all extents and purposes, he looked like he was dead. but let's just check; the triage nurse put him, all his machines on him—the ECG and EEG. ECG was flat, EEG was also flat. he was dead.
except his good fortune was that the doctor on duty that afternoon was an Indian doctor. that was his good fortune. if it wasn't an Indian doctor on duty, they'd probably have sent him to the morgue straight away, and when he later came out of his meditation, the mortuary attendant would probably have died of shock.
but anyway, according to his wife, she said they put defibrillators on him, you know, the electric shocks to try and get his heart going again. apparently they don't do that anymore; they put, I think, adrenaline or something and check you. but anyway, they tried the electric shocks many times; every time didn't work. the defibrillators didn't work at all; ECG was still flat. and the other thing which was interesting—they told me they didn't know that this was like Buddhist teachings—the other thing they told me was the doctor noticed something strange: when he wasn't breathing and his brain wasn't working, a flat line, his body was still warm. that was an anomaly.
that's what it says in the Sutta: the difference between somebody dead or someone being in a jhana is, you're dead, your body goes cold; you're in these deep meditations, your body is warm. so please, if venerable Chandha is sitting there and she's not moving, don't send her to the morgue yet; just make sure if she's still warm she's still alive; leave her there having a nice meditation. still warm.
so eventually they kept on doing the defibrillators because nothing—it was a Sunday afternoon, so there's not much business in the hospital—and eventually he just came out of his meditation, and the screen showed that the heart and the brain started to work again. and he didn't know anything which was going on at the time; he was just blissing out.
and the interesting thing I like quoting that story, with his permission, number one: that he didn't hear the ambulance, didn't hear the sirens, didn't hear the people talking about him—they were right next to him—couldn't even feel the electric shocks on his body. his body had vanished; five senses had totally stopped for a while. he wasn't unaware—he wasn't like in a coma—he was perfectly aware, but only in the sixth sense of the mind. and it didn't harm him at all.
and I did specifically ask him: was there anything unpleasant about that experience at all? he said, “to be honest, yes. the only unpleasantness was the doctor allowed them, because they came in an ambulance, and gave him a full check-over; they couldn't find anything wrong with him, so he walked back home with his wife. and the only unpleasantness was the scolding he got from his wife: ‘don't you ever do that again; I thought you were dead!’” wasn't so. that's what happens, and the body and the mind are two different things. so sometimes the body could be just so still it disappears; it turns off, but the mind is still very alert inside.
I love stories like that; I don't make them up, I just report them with the person who experiences that, uh, permission. that's exactly what it says in the suttas as well. there was this monk in the jungle, in the forest; he was sitting meditation, and while he was sitting meditation, two villagers looking for mushrooms or something came past and they saw him sitting so still they thought he had died.
[a monk who comes back to life]
and being quite good Buddhists, they thought it's really bad karma just to let this monk get eaten up by the jungle animals; we should cremate him. there's wood in the forest anyway; it took them about half an hour to make a funeral pyre, put the monk on top, did some chanting—whatever chanting they knew, and chanting wasn't that good because they're just villagers, but it's good enough—and they lit the fire. and they'd already spent so much time; once the fire was lit, they walked off.
and the next day they were very surprised and impressed that that monk, same monk, walked into their village unharmed, not even his robe was burnt. that's in the suttas. these things actually happen, rarely, but you know, in where I sort of circulate, you get all these stories, and sometimes you check them out—you know, the people involved—and they're true.
anyway, do you get inspired by stories like that, or does it challenge you too much? because I remember some years ago people said, “don't talk too much about that; it will scare people.” don't need to be scared; you're totally safe; an amazing experience about, you know, who you are and what life is.
2023 October- November (8/22) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxDIHR-6ntI&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M6GlBVBdYU5_zus2c75tyWv&index=8
**信眾：**
在禪修時，當您引導我們「問問你的身體、問問你的心是否想要禪修」時，許多人覺得很有趣，我們把它們視為與「你」分開的個體。當我這樣問時，感覺就像在自言自語，沒有回應。我們如何能體會到身體和心可以是分開的呢？
**阿姜布拉姆：**
這只是一種有用的認知方式，僅此而已。
這有點像學習如何對你的心保持正念，或如何覺知你的身體。現在，你感覺身體如何？你必須問你的身體，不是嗎？這個問的動作，會將覺知帶到你身體的狀態。然而，心則是相當不同的東西。
究竟什麼是心？通常在這裡我會問一個小小的陷阱問題，請配合一下——這不會讓人難堪。如果你此刻快樂多於悲傷，請舉起你的右手；如果悲傷多於快樂，舉起你的左手。很好，請保持一下。現在，請為我指出那個「快樂」。你在想像它嗎？它是真實的，不是嗎？你知道快樂是什麼。快樂位於你身體的哪個部位？很多人會說「在我的心裡」，但重點是快樂根本不在身體裡。快樂存在於我們稱為「心」的這個東西裡。
恐懼、焦慮、興奮——這些都是真實的情感特質，但你實際在哪裡感覺到它們？不在身體裡。它們存在於心中。想想一個花園：我們知道它是花園，是因為裡面的東西——樹木、灌木、花朵、小徑。同樣地，我們透過其中存在的事物來了解心是什麼。
那個你可以稱之為「你的心」的東西，並不是大腦。大腦是完全不同的東西。許多年以前，我接觸到雪菲爾大學約翰·洛伯教授的研究。在1980或1990年代，他研究異常形狀的頭骨是否會影響智力、社交行為或其他特質。他一直在尋找頭部形狀奇特的學生——太長、太短，或與眾不同。有一天，他發現一位正在攻讀數學博士學位的研究生。這名學生有女朋友，過著普通的生活，只是他相當聰明——而且他的頭部形狀有點異常。
**【沒有大腦的人】**
當洛伯教授對這名年輕男子進行腦部CT掃描時，他震驚了。他重複掃描了好幾次。這名學生幾乎沒有大腦——只有大約正常大腦皮質的1%，其餘大部分是腦脊髓液。這個案例後來被稱為「沒有大腦的男孩」。然而，這名年輕人不僅活著，還聰明到足以獲得數學學位，而且看起來完全正常。我後來與雪梨聖文生醫院的一位醫生討論過這個案例，他看過掃描片並證實是真的。當我問為什麼沒有進行更多研究時，他說這個案例只是被歸檔為一個「異常」——太難讓人接受或解釋。
**【臨終清醒】**
大腦和心是兩種不同的東西。類似的證據來自臨終清醒的案例。在安寧療護病房，護士、醫生和照護者都目睹過處於昏迷或患有嚴重腦損傷——大腦已無法運作——的病人，在生命接近尾聲時，突然睜開眼睛，認出家人，清晰地說話並進行交談，而這在生理上本應是不可能的。
一個著名的故事發生在紐約一家醫院，一位男士患有巨大的腦瘤，幾乎侵占了所有功能性腦組織。醫生甚至可以預測他死亡的日期。當他處於深度昏迷，數小時無法回應或說話時，他的全家人都聚集在他身邊。然後他突然睜開眼睛，叫出每個人的名字打招呼，正常地交談了大約45分鐘，然後離世。在場的醫生說這根本不可能發生——但它確實發生了。
同樣的現象也出現在晚期失智症或阿茲海默症患者身上：一個數月來誰也不認識的人，在最後時刻突然變得思路清晰、神志清明，記得名字並進行對話。臨終清醒現在已是醫學上公認的術語，因為大腦已經無法運作，但顯然有別的什麼東西仍在運作。那個東西就是我們所稱的「心」。
**【出生清醒】**
同樣的話題，不只是臨終清醒，甚至像你可能稱之為「出生清醒」的情況，當人剛出生時。我第一次聽到這個，是關於一對年輕的澳洲夫婦，他們有兩個孩子，兩個男孩——我稱他們為彼得和保羅——最小的孩子剛從醫院回來。你知道，她才剛生完孩子；現在母親和孩子可以回家了，所以一天晚上他們在家裡。
他們叫大兒子彼得去跟你的弟弟保羅說晚安。這小孩很聽話地走到嬰兒車或不管叫什麼的東西旁邊，他的小弟弟保羅才剛出生，他說：「晚安，保羅。」然後保羅說：「晚安，彼得。」他才出生幾天——沒錯，才幾天——這是不可能的；他們還沒上過幼兒園呢；但他說話如此清晰。
顯然當這對父母告訴我這件事時，他們已經震驚了。未經詢問，他們的大兒子彼得又對著他的小嬰兒弟弟說了一次：「晚安，保羅。」這一次，兩人全神貫注地看著，他們都驚呆了；小嬰兒又說了一次：「晚安，彼得。」很清楚。這應該是不可能的。
我還記得讀過另一個案例，一個男孩剛出生，幾乎是剛出娘胎，他走了七步，然後說：「這是我最後一世。」我知道，你們許多人讀到這種事會認為那是不可能的，那只出現在聖徒傳記裡；是編造的故事。
但是聽到這個故事，以及其他許多關於本不應該會說話的小孩子卻能說話的案例——有趣的是我記得這對夫婦說，那小嬰兒說話不像幼兒的聲音；是用成年人的聲音說話，你知道，那種語調像是比僅僅幾天大得多的人。這讓他們非常震驚，我很高興他們不是佛教徒，但他們說：「我們覺得你可能會理解」，因為他們知道佛教徒比任何人都更相信輪迴——這倒是真的。
還有另一對去那羅中心的夫婦，他們是馬來西亞的佛教徒，他們的孩子陶也有同樣的經歷，在他剛出生本不應該能說話的時候，他們不想告訴任何人，因為他們覺得沒人會相信他們。總之，這就是心。
**【詢問你的心】**
所以這就是為什麼，當你意識到那是真實存在的事物——它是一個實體，也是一個過程，是的，但它存在——那麼去問它就不是一件難事。就像現在的心在詢問下一剎那的心：「請告訴我你怎麼樣，你需要什麼？」這只是介紹正念是什麼的一種好方法：你有覺知，並且可以了解發生了什麼，而你相信這勝過一切。同樣地，你問你的身體；我在禪修開始時問我的身體：「我舒服嗎？需要調整嗎？」如果我提出這個問題，我的正念就會去到那裡；我能感覺到它確實需要調整，於是我就調整它。
總之，身體和心是非常分開的——這實際上是我們在禪修中所做的。在禪修中，五感和身體會消失，這真的很酷，因為隨著五感和身體在禪修中消失，你會獲得所有這些奇妙的體驗和效果。
**【一個在禪修中身體關機的人】**
給你舉個例子：我通常很多年沒提過這個人的名字了，但這已經是那麼久以前的事了——大概現在是三十年前了——所以我不介意提他的名字；他叫格雷格（不說他的姓，就叫格雷格）。他來告訴我，他在週末有過一次經歷：他在家禪修；那是個星期天下午，他和妻子在看電視，節目很無聊，他說：「我要去臥室禪修了。」他告訴我他通常只禪修40分鐘——那是他的極限——但大約一個半小時後，他還沒從臥室出來。
那他妻子做了什麼？去查看他，她看見他在他們的臥室裡，坐姿完美，一動不動——太靜了——探測不到任何呼吸。從任何角度來看，他都像是死了。那她做了什麼？在澳洲這裡，你打000，叫救護車，緊急服務。在新加坡打什麼？999。所以她驚慌失措；她以為丈夫死了；她叫了救護車。
幸運的是，她住得離醫院不太遠；救護車鳴著警笛很快就來了，然後醫護人員衝進臥室；他沒有呼吸；他們檢查了他的脈搏——沒有脈搏——所以他們直接把他抬上救護車後座，火速送往醫院，他妻子也跟著。從任何角度來看，他都像是死了。但還是檢查一下吧；分診護士給他接上所有儀器——心電圖和腦電圖。心電圖是平的，腦電圖也是平的。他死了。
除了他的好運是，那天下午值班的醫生是一位印度醫生。那是他的好運。如果值班的不是印度醫生，他們可能就直接把他送進停屍間了，而當他後來從禪修中出來時，停屍間的工作人員可能會被嚇死。
但不管怎樣，根據他妻子所說，他們把除顫器放在他身上，你知道，就是電擊試圖讓他的心臟重新跳動。顯然現在他們不那麼做了；我想他們會注射腎上腺素之類的再檢查你。但總之，他們嘗試電擊了很多次；每一次都沒用。除顫器完全沒用；心電圖仍然是平的。另一個有趣的事情是——他們告訴我他們不知道這就像佛教的教導——他們告訴我的另一件事是醫生注意到一些奇怪之處：當他沒有呼吸、大腦沒有運作、是一條平線時，他的身體仍然是溫暖的。這是一個異常現象。
經文中就是這麼說的：一個人死亡與處在禪那中的區別是，你死了，身體會變冷；你在這些深度禪定中，身體是溫暖的。所以請記住，如果尊貴的禪達坐在那裡一動不動，先別送她去停屍間；只要確認如果她還是溫暖的，她就還活著；讓她在那裡好好禪修。還是暖的。
所以最終他們繼續嘗試除顫，因為沒用——那是星期天下午，醫院沒什麼事——最後他剛好從禪修中出來了，螢幕顯示他的心臟和大腦又開始工作了。而他對當時發生的一切一無所知；他只是沉浸在極樂中。
我喜歡引用這個故事的有趣之處，在他允許下，第一：他沒聽見救護車，沒聽見警笛聲，沒聽見人們談論他——那些人就在他旁邊——甚至感覺不到電擊在他身體上。他的身體消失了；五感完全停止了一陣子。他並非沒有知覺——他不是像在昏迷中——他完全有覺知，但僅僅是在心的第六感中。而且這對他毫無傷害。
我特意問過他：那次經歷有任何不愉快的地方嗎？他說：「老實說，有。唯一的不愉快是醫生允許他們，因為他們是救護車送來的，給他做了一次全面檢查；他們沒發現他有任何問題，所以他和妻子走回家了。而唯一的不愉快是他挨了妻子的罵：『你以後再也不准這樣了；我以為你死了！』」其實不是這樣。事情就是這樣發生的，身體和心是兩種不同的事物。所以有時候身體可以靜止到消失；它關機了，但心在裡面仍然非常警覺。
我喜歡這樣的故事；我不編造它們，我只是在得到當事人允許後轉述它們。
**【一位死而復生的比丘】**
這也正是經文中所說的。有個在叢林、森林裡的比丘；他正在坐禪，而當他坐禪時，兩個尋找蘑菇之類的村民路過，他們看到他坐得那麼一動不動，以為他死了。
作為相當好的佛教徒，他們想讓這位比丘被叢林野獸吃掉業報會很重；我們應該火化他。反正森林裡有木柴；他們花了約半小時搭了一個火葬柴堆，把比丘放在上面，念了些經文——不管他們知道什麼經文，念得也不太好，因為他們只是村民，但足夠了——然後他們點燃了火。他們已經花了那麼多時間；火點著後，他們就走了。
第二天，他們非常驚訝和佩服地看到那位比丘，同一位比丘，毫髮無傷地走進了他們的村莊，連他的僧袍都沒燒著。這記載在經文裡。這些事確實會發生，雖然罕見，但你知道，在我活動的圈子裡，你會聽到所有這些故事，有時你查證一下——你知道，涉及的人——它們是真的。
總之，這樣的故事會激勵你，還是讓你感到挑戰太大？因為我記得幾年前有人說：「別太多談論那些；會嚇到人的。」不需要害怕；你完全是安全的；這是關於你是誰、生命是什麼的奇妙體驗。
2023 October- November (8/22) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxDIHR-6ntI&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M6GlBVBdYU5_zus2c75tyWv&index=8
Even when I was a kid going on a bus to school, you know, as a 14-, 15-, 16-year-old, sometimes you'd imagine, you know, what is that—the end of the universe? If you can go fast enough, what would the end of the universe look like? You know, would there be these big signs like they have at Singapore with somebody looking like they're being shot: "Don't go any further"? Or would it be a big brick wall or razor wire? Or how can you have an end of the universe—there has to be something on the other side?
And then only later on you started to understand this universe is only a certain volume. This universe has a limited volume. And it's—I'll tell you—it was about 36,000 million light years radius, a sphere of that size. That's the volume of this universe. I may have the figures a little bit wrong, but it has a limited volume, the universe in which we live. But it's got no edges. It doesn't have an end, but it's limited.
And first of all, that seems to make no sense. It's only a limited volume—why doesn't it have any walls or edges or something? And of course, the answer is just given by looking at this planet Earth. Planet Earth has a limited area space. We don't have—you know, often we're running out of good space to build houses or cities in—it's limited area, but it's got no edges to it. It's like a sphere. The sphere has limited surface area but no edges.
And now you know what space is: limited volume but no edges. It's curved. It's harder for us to imagine that because we are basically two-dimensional beings. Beings can understand two dimensions; three dimensions is much more difficult. And when you have three dimensions curved in the fourth dimension, that's almost impossible for us to visualize. But we know that's what it is.
And then—so that's khandhas—but then we have space. What about time? That's important in spirituality. So many spiritual religious traditions really worry about the beginning of time and the end of time, and that's, you know, where we have gods and creators and all sorts of stuff. Does Buddhism have anything like that? No, because even time is limited but it has no beginning or end—no edges—like planet Earth: limited area but no beginnings, no ends.
Have I confused you? Yes? Excellent. But it shows you where we're going. You know, the reason why we think this world, this universe, is infinite when it's not is because of our conceptual framework has not been allowed to interpret the world properly. Of course, now we know the planet Earth is not flat—it's round. The universe is round. Time is round, which means you don't need any beginnings or ends.
That's to me—that's really cool. That's kind of beautiful. And I've sure bamboozled you all now. So that's kind of wisdom.
----Ajahn Brahm
2024 March - April (9/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXQ7enorLVo&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4SpK06V5lfdyKBS5dr4jtP&index=9
甚至在我小時候搭公車上學的時候——你知道，那時我大概14、15、16歲——有時候會想像：宇宙的盡頭是什麼？如果你能飛得夠快，宇宙的盡頭會是什麼樣子？你知道，會不會有像新加坡那樣的大標誌，畫著一個人好像被槍擊的樣子，寫著「不要再往前了」？還是會有一道大磚牆，或是鐵絲網？或者，宇宙怎麼可能有盡頭——另一邊一定有什麼東西吧？
後來才逐漸明白，這個宇宙其實只有一定的體積。我們所生活的這個宇宙有有限的體積。我告訴你們——大概是半徑360億光年的一個球體，那麼大的球體就是這個宇宙的體積。我的數字可能稍微有點錯，但它確實有有限的體積，我們所生活的宇宙是有限的。可是它沒有邊緣。它沒有盡頭，卻是有限的。
一開始這聽起來完全沒道理。只有有限的體積，為什麼沒有牆、沒有邊緣之類的東西？當然，答案只要看看我們這個地球就知道了。地球的表面面積是有限的——我們常常覺得好地方不夠蓋房子或城市——面積有限，但它沒有邊緣。它就像一個球體。球體有有限的表面積，卻沒有邊緣。
現在你們明白空間是什麼了：有限的體積，卻沒有邊緣。它是彎曲的。這對我們來說比較難想像，因為我們基本上是二維的生物。我們能理解二維，三維就困難得多。而當三維在第四維中彎曲時，我們幾乎完全無法想像。但我們知道就是這樣。
然後——這就是蘊（khandhas）——我們有了空間。那時間呢？時間在靈性修行的領域裡很重要。許多靈性與宗教傳統都很在意時間的開始與結束，那就是為什麼會有諸神、造物主之類的概念。佛教有這種東西嗎？沒有，因為即使是時間，也是有限的，卻沒有開始也沒有結束——沒有邊緣——就像地球：面積有限，卻沒有起點也沒有終點。
我把你們搞糊塗了嗎？有？太好了。這正好顯示我們要往哪裡去。你們知道，我們之所以認為這個世界、這個宇宙是無限的（其實不是），是因為我們的觀念框架沒有被允許正確地詮釋這個世界。當然，現在我們都知道地球不是平的——它是圓的。宇宙是圓的。時間是圓的，這意味著你根本不需要任何開始或結束。
對我來說，這真的很酷，也很美。我現在肯定把你們全都搞得暈頭轉向了。這就是一種智慧。
----阿姜·布拉姆（Ajahn Brahm）
2024 年 3 月 - 4 月（9/19） | 9 天禪修營 | 阿姜·布拉姆（Ajahn Brahm）
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXQ7enorLVo&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4SpK06V5lfdyKBS5dr4jtP&index=9
Devotee:I'd like to ask: is it okay or normal to cry during meditation when certain unpleasant emotions surface, e.g., guilt, sadness? I don't think I'm depressed, but I feel better after I've been cleaning these emotions. Any advice on this?
Devotee: Yes, that's why we have tissues here—I don't use them. So it's okay to cry. But the best crying is when you cry from inspiration. Sometimes the meditation is so beautiful, and then afterwards: oh, this is gorgeous, this is amazing. Or sometimes you cry because you've heard this joke so many times—not again! (laugh)
Of course it's okay to cry. And if I've confessed that there's a couple of places in this world I always cry: one is at Vulture's Peak. I always burst out—that's where the Buddha meditated, and just to me it's inspiring. Not crying out of sadness, but of being uplifted.
The other place is the Dharmachakra Buddha statue at Sarnath—the first sermon. That's my favourite Buddha statue in the world. I don't know why, but I see photos of it and it's gorgeous. Then once when I went over to India on pilgrimage and went there, I made a beeline for the museum, and there was no plan or people I could ask, so I just explored. Then I turned around one of the corners, and at the end of the hall there was this gorgeous Dharmachakra Buddha statue, and I just burst out crying. I couldn't help myself. No one else was there, so I wasn't embarrassed at all.
But then the next time I went there, I told everybody this happened to me last time, so this time I'm restrained. So I turned around the corner with all these disciples—I couldn't help it. I don't know why, but it was inspiring for me.
And the third time I went there, I had all my tissues ready, and I told people this is going to happen. And I turned around the corner—were any of you there with me when this happened? When I turned around the corner, I never cried. I sighed. They were doing renovations, and there was a big tarping over this Dharmachakra Buddha statue while a worker was painting the roof. I was really looking forward to having a good cry, and everyone expected it. I was so disappointed.
And what happened next? The worker took one look at me—he didn't say anything, I never said anything to him—and he took the tarping off so I could see the Buddha statue there.
And I remember another time over in Bodhgaya when I was leading a pilgrimage over there, and I told everybody beforehand, you know, the briefing ceremony before we left Australia to go there: look, some of these places are really powerful. They just really grab you. I'm not sure why, but if that happens to you, let it happen. It's a beautiful feeling to have this inspirational joy come up.
And one of the people who was there—her husband, you know, was a good Buddhist; she was actually a Christian (she's a Buddhist now)—but this is what happened to her. You know, she was from the UK, and when I told her that some of these places are so powerful you burst out crying, apparently she told her husband, "This Buddhist monk is crazy. You know, how come you cry? There's only ruins." She came from England—there's ruins all over the place: old castles and places. What's the big deal? There were any sort of archaeological monuments.
And the first day when we landed in Gaya airport and just went over to Bodh Gaya, first evening we were in time just to go and have a quick look. And when she went into the Mahabodhi Temple, she cried uncontrollably. It totally shocked her: what am I doing that for? She couldn't resist it.
So that evening she came to me and bowed three times, asked forgiveness, said, "I never understood. Some of these things are so incredibly inspiring." Why? All sorts of reasons. Just burst out crying. And it's beautiful. There's nothing—it's not sadness. It's inspiration. You're seeing something really incredibly beautiful.
2024 March - April (5/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yfCY8_hknE&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4SpK06V5lfdyKBS5dr4jtP&index=6
信徒：我想問一下，在打坐時，當某些不愉快的感情浮現，例如內疚、悲傷，哭泣是否正常或沒問題？我不覺得自己憂鬱，但清理這些感情後，我感覺好多了。有什麼建議嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：是的，這就是為什麼這裡備有紙巾——我自己不用。所以哭泣是沒問題的。但最好的哭泣，是因感動而哭。有時候禪修太美妙了，出來後：哦，這太美了，這太驚人了。或者有時候你哭，是因為聽這個笑話聽太多次了——不要再來了！（笑）
當然哭泣是沒問題的。我承認，這世上有幾個地方我總是會哭：一個是**靈鷲山**（Vulture's Peak）。我總是忍不住爆哭——那是佛陀打坐的地方，對我來說非常感動人。不是因悲傷而哭，而是因被提升、被啟發而哭。
另一個地方是**鹿野苑**（Sarnath）的**轉法輪佛像**（Dharmachakra Buddha statue）——佛陀第一次說法。那是我世界上最喜歡的佛像。我不知道為什麼，但看照片就覺得美極了。有一次我去印度朝聖，直接衝去博物館，沒有地圖也沒人可問，就自己探索。轉過一個彎，在走廊盡頭看到這尊美妙的轉法輪佛像，我就忍不住大哭起來。完全控制不住。當時沒人在旁邊，所以一點都不尷尬。
但下一次去那裡，我告訴大家上次發生這種事，所以這次我要克制。帶著一群弟子轉過彎——我還是忍不住。我不知道為什麼，但它對我來說就是很感動。
第三次去，我準備好一堆紙巾，告訴大家這次一定會發生。轉過彎——你們有誰當時跟我在一起嗎？那次我沒哭。我嘆了口氣。他們正在装修，佛像上蓋了大塊帆布，一個工人在刷屋頂。我本來很期待好好哭一場，大家也都期待，我超失望。
然後呢？那工人看我一眼——他什麼也沒說，我什麼也沒說——他就把帆布掀開，讓我看到佛像。
我還記得另一次在**菩提伽耶**（Bodhgaya）帶朝聖團，我事先告訴大家，在澳洲出發前的簡報會上說：有些地方力量很強大，會深深抓住你。我不確定為什麼，但如果發生在你身上，就讓它發生吧。那是種美好的感覺，讓啟發的喜悅浮現。
團裡有一個人，她先生是很好的佛教徒，她當時其實是基督徒（現在是佛教徒了）——她來自英國，我告訴她有些地方強大到會讓你爆哭，她顯然告訴她先生：「這個和尚瘋了。怎麼會哭？只有廢墟而已。」她從英國來，英國到處都是廢墟：古老城堡之類的，有什麼大不了？那些考古遺址而已。
第一天我們抵達伽耶機場，直接去菩提伽耶，第一晚剛好有時間快速看一下。她走進**摩訶菩提寺**（Mahabodhi Temple）時，忍不住大哭起來。這完全嚇到她：我這是在幹嘛？她無法抵抗。
那天晚上她來找我，三拜求原諒，說：「我從來不明白，有些東西是如此令人感動。」為什麼？各種原因。就這樣爆哭。很美妙。不是悲傷。是感動。你看到了真正無比美妙的東西。
圖片致謝：Buddhist global
2024 年 3-4 月（5/19） | 9 天禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yfCY8_hknE&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4SpK06V5lfdyKBS5dr4jtP&index=6
龍普Chob Thanasamo曾告誡弟子們關於誦經之事，說道：
「各個地方的天人，所喜愛的誦經內容並不相同。」
有的地方，天人喜歡……
《轉法輪經》（Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta）
有的地方，天人喜歡……
《應作慈愛經》（Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta）
有的地方，天人喜歡……
《論母》（Mātikā）
有的地方，天人喜歡……
《慈愛功德經》（Mettanisamsa Sutta）
當誦到他們所歡喜的經文時，天人們便會齊聲發出震天動地的「善哉！善哉！」（Sāthu）之聲！！
天人們會紛紛前來，極其歡喜、極其讚歎。
龍普特別強調關於誦經的態度，說道：「禮佛誦經時，切不可當作玩笑，或只是嘴巴上的消遣。佛陀的正法是至高無上的，極其值得恭敬。若把正法當作兒戲，便會成為自己的罪業；智者聽了會責備，天人聽了也會責備。」
「禮佛誦經時，一定要真正用心去誦；誦經時要專注，把心安住在經文之中，如此功德利益才會在自己身上生起。」
「禮佛誦經本身就是一種修定；有時，經中的義理、法義，也會在誦經的當下自然浮現出來。」
「諸天人，過去也曾是人類，與我們並無不同；他們的心傾向於善業與功德。命終捨離此世後，便隨自己在人間所累積的福德，投生到不同層次的天界，有高有低。」
「即便已成為天人，他們的心仍然安住於善業之中；當聽見或見到有人行善積德時，他們便會前來一同隨喜。若我們具備較為細膩的心與定力，甚至能夠看見他們前來與我們一同隨喜。」
「以較粗顯的層面來說，我們能夠覺察到的現象，例如：汗毛豎立、遍體生寒等。」
由於龍普對誦經的重視，絲毫不亞於對禪修的重視，在深夜時分，他仍會坐著輪椅，在寺院內繞行，傾聽寺中僧侶、沙彌與後輩們禮佛誦經，這既是關懷，也是在無形中給予他們鼓勵。
在某些夜晚，禮佛誦經結束後，僧侶、沙彌們便會頂禮請問長老：「龍普啊，今晚天人有來一起禮佛誦經嗎？」
龍普通常會回答：「每天都有來。」
若當天來得特別多，他還會告訴具體數量；有時甚至會點名個別僧侶或沙彌，例如：「天人稱讚某某比丘、某某沙彌——誦經非常悅耳，聲音清亮洪遠，天人聽見了，也前來隨喜。」
當僧侶、沙彌們聽見龍普如此開示時，內心皆歡喜踴躍、充滿法喜；到了禮佛誦經的時間，便更加全心全意、恭敬專注地誦念……
Judge翻译
cred. to 中泰佛法 คำสอนปฏิบัติธรรมจีนและไทย
Luang Pu Chob Thanasamo once admonished his disciples regarding the matter of chanting scriptures, saying:
"The devas in different places do not all favor the same chanting content."
In some places, devas like...
The Discourse on Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dhamma (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta)
In some places, devas like...
The Discourse on Loving-Kindness (Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta)
In some places, devas like...
The Mātikā (The Matrix / Topics of Abhidhamma)
In some places, devas like...
The Benefits of Loving-Kindness (Mettānisaṃsa Sutta)
When the scriptures they favor are chanted, the devas will collectively let out earth-shaking cries of "Sādhu! Sādhu!" (Well said! Excellent!)!!
The devas will flock to the scene, filled with immense joy and profound admiration.
Luang Pu particularly emphasized the proper attitude toward chanting, saying: "When paying homage to the Buddha and chanting scriptures, one must never treat it as a joke or mere verbal pastime. The Buddha's True Dhamma is supreme and supremely worthy of reverence. If one treats the True Dhamma as child's play, it will become one's own bad kamma; the wise who hear it will reprove, and the devas who hear it will also reprove."
"When paying homage to the Buddha and chanting scriptures, one must truly chant with heartfelt intention; while chanting, remain focused and settle the mind in the scriptures—only then will the merits and benefits arise within oneself."
"Paying homage to the Buddha and chanting scriptures is itself a form of cultivating stillness; sometimes, the meanings and principles in the scriptures will naturally emerge in the moment of chanting."
"The various devas were once human beings, no different from us; their minds inclined toward wholesome actions and merits. After passing away from this world, they are reborn in heavenly realms of varying levels—high and low—according to the merits accumulated in human life."
"Even after becoming devas, their minds remain settled in wholesome actions; when they hear or see someone performing good deeds and accumulating merits, they will come to rejoice together. If we possess a relatively refined mind and stillness, we may even be able to see them coming to rejoice with us."
"On a coarser level, phenomena we can perceive include: hairs standing on end, goosebumps all over the body, etc."
Because Luang Pu placed no less importance on chanting scriptures than on meditation practice, even in the deep of night, he would still sit in his wheelchair and circulate around the monastery, listening to the monks, novices, and younger generations paying homage to the Buddha and chanting scriptures—this was both an act of care and an invisible form of encouragement for them.
On certain nights, after the homage and chanting concluded, the monks and novices would prostrate and ask the elder: "Luang Pu, did any devas come to join in the homage and chanting tonight?"
Luang Pu would usually reply: "They come every day."
If an especially large number came that day, he would even mention the specific count; sometimes he would name particular monks or novices, for example: "The devas praised Bhikkhu So-and-so or Novice So-and-so—their chanting was very pleasing to the ear, with clear and resonant voices; when the devas heard it, they came to rejoice."
When the monks and novices heard Luang Pu teach in this way, their hearts were filled with joy and delight, overflowing with Dhamma joy; when the time for homage and chanting arrived, they would chant with even greater wholeheartedness, reverence, and focus...
怎樣可以迅速得到許多非人、天神的守護？
非常簡單😂
我們每次布施、持戒、禪修後，
都迴向給所有鬼魂、天神、我們歷代的祖先
鬼不像我們那樣，做完功德可能要等很久善業才成熟
Luang Por Lersi Lingdam 說：‘如果當下立刻回向功德，他們當下便能立刻得到’
帕奧禪師曾說過這樣的一個故事：
有一位禪師名叫Insein Sayadaw。
有一次他去了一位施主家接受居家應供，用齋完畢後在給信眾說法時，在座的一位女眾忽然坐立不安，左擺右晃，開始神識不清。接著女眾向Insein Sayadaw說她是他們其中的親戚，已經死了，是一名肢解慘案的受害者。也許她對自己的色身存有貪愛與執著，她現在投生為一個沒有四肢的鬼。
這時候 Insein Sayadaw就很自然的為她傳授三皈五戒，當這女鬼念完三皈依之後，就很高興的向Insein Sayadaw說她的雙腳長出來了，可以正常的坐，不會跌倒了，接著念完五戒過後，她的雙手也長出來了。後來女鬼的親戚買了一些掃帚供養緬甸大金塔（Shwedagon Pagoda），並把功德迴向給她。過了不久，女鬼向親屬托夢說她現在過得像天人一樣快樂了！
我們做功德後迴向功德給遊魂野鬼，就好像給一張中頭獎的彩票給他們，他們就立刻收到億億萬萬的財富。
就好比喻為，他們一隨喜功德，生活素質就會斷崖式上升，甚至能夠媲美天神
有大師父說，那些沒有親戚的遊魂野鬼，是可以隨喜並且收到的。
當他們原本還很痛苦，但一收到我們的功德後變到像天神一樣過活，還不感動流淚，來感激我們？
所以很自然地，這樣就會得到非人的守護
我們的歷代祖先，假如還處於鬼魂的狀態，也同樣道理
天神也不用說，我們一迴向功德給他們，他們必定也會很開心的；然後為了報答我們，來守護我們
這是最快獲得非人守護的方法。
但前提是，我們要有大量功德，不斷在布施、持戒、禪修
怎樣知道自己有沒有功德？ 看看自己現在內心是否飽滿開心就知道咯。因為佛陀說， 功德是快樂的同義詞（AN7.62)
大師父說，好人都受到天神的守護
How can one quickly gain the protection of many non-human beings and devas?
It's very simple 😂
Every time we practice generosity, observe precepts, or meditate,
we dedicate the merits to all ghosts, devas, and our ancestors throughout generations.
Unlike humans, ghosts do not have to wait a long time for their good karma to mature.
Luang Por Lersi Lingdam said: "If merits are dedicated , they receive them instantly."
Pa-Auk Sayadaw once shared a story:
There was a monk named Insein Sayadaw. Once, while accepting alms at a devotee's home, he was giving a Dharma talk after the meal when a female attendee suddenly became restless, swaying left and right, and began losing clarity of mind. She then spoke through the woman, revealing herself as a deceased relative of the family—a victim of a dismemberment case. Perhaps due to attachment to her physical body, she had been reborn as a ghost without limbs.
Insein Sayadaw naturally guided her to take the Three Refuges and Five Precepts. After reciting the Three Refuges, the ghost joyfully exclaimed that her legs had regrown, allowing her to sit properly without falling. After reciting the Five Precepts, her arms also regrew. Later, the family purchased brooms to offer at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar and dedicated the merits to her. Shortly after, the ghost appeared in a dream to her relatives, saying she was now as joyful as a deva!
When we dedicate merits to wandering spirits after performing good deeds, it’s like giving them a lottery ticket that wins the jackpot—they instantly receive immeasurable wealth.
It’s as if, merely by rejoicing in the merits, their quality of life skyrockets, even rivaling that of devas.
Some great teachers say that wandering spirits without relatives can also rejoice in and receive these merits.
When they were once suffering but suddenly receive our merits and begin living like devas, wouldn’t they be moved to tears of gratitude?
Naturally, this will earn us the protection of non-human beings.
The same principle applies to our ancestors, if they are in the state of ghosts.
As for devas, when we dedicate merits to them, they will undoubtedly be delighted and, in return, protect us out of gratitude.
This is the fastest way to gain the protection of non-human beings.
However, the prerequisite is that we must accumulate vast merits through continuous generosity, precept observance, and meditation.
How can we know if we have merits? Just observe whether our hearts are full of joy now. As the Buddha said, merit is synonymous with happiness (AN7.62).
Great teachers say that good people are always protected by devas.
《Dreams》
when you go to sleep, the mind still function
It uses memories to create dreams for it to experience
good memories or bad memories
Good memories was produced by good kamma.
Bad memories was produced by bad kamma
whichever one is stronger-- if your bad kamma is stronger, then you produce bad memories bad dreams
.....
If you have bad dreams, you are going to hell , becoming hungry ghost or scary ghost..
If you are still alive, and you keep having bad dreams; then it is a sign that you are going to the undesirable realm of existence.
If you have good dreams, then you are going to heaven
So if you have bad dreams, you had better do a lot more good kamma to counter your bad kamma
...
you can still keep the balance when you are still alive
But once you die, you cannot change
---Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto: Dhamma for the Asking
《夢境》
當你入睡時，心仍在運作。
它利用記憶來創造夢境供其體驗，
好的記憶或壞的記憶。
好的記憶是由善業產生的，
壞的記憶則是由惡業產生的。
哪一種更強烈？——如果你的惡業更強，那麼你就會產生壞的記憶和壞的夢。
.....
如果你經常做惡夢，你將會下地獄，成為餓鬼或可怕的鬼魂。
如果你仍然活著，卻不斷做惡夢，那麼這是你將進入惡道的徵兆。
如果你做好的夢，那麼你將會上天堂。
所以如果你發惡夢，最好多做善業來抵消你的惡業。
...
當你活著的時候，你仍然可以保持平衡，但一旦你死去，就無法改變了。
---阿姜·蘇查
舍利子是怎樣的一回事？
白父答：只有阿羅漢,其體物才會成舍利子
Question: Is it true that only arahants’ remains will become relics after they passed away?
Than Ajahn suchart （well practised monk in Thai forest tradition) : That’s according to the common wisdom. Everybody accepts this truth that once a person became an arahant, part of the remains would turn into relics. But it doesn’t mean that every arahant will have his remains turned into relics because it depends on how long he lived after he became an arahant. If a person died right after he became an arahant, then his pure mind hadn’t had time to purify his body. So, if a person died right after he became an arahant, then his remains might not turn into relics. But if an arahant lives for many years after he attained arahanthood, like the Buddha who lived for 45 years after he got his enlightenment, then after he died, some of his remains would become relics right away. So, it depends on how much time his purified mind purified the bones to make them to become relics.
But, there is no guarantee to assume that once a person died, if his remains didn’t turn into relics, he wasn’t an arahant. You can’t assume that because he could be an arahant, but he didn’t have enough time to purify his body to make the remains to become relics. But if one’s remains became relics, then you can assume that he must be an arahant.
“Dhamma in English, Mar 25, 2019.” By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
When Luang Pu Doo was alive, his disciple used to ask him – “Is it true that only bones of an Arahant will give rise to relics?”
Luang Pu replied, “Phra Sotapan, their bones can also manifest relics. But the appearance is different from that of an Arahant.”
But how about Bodhisattas who are full of baramee like Luang Pu Thuad. Bodhisattas in the Theravada tradition are not considered enlightened at all, as they have neither attained the Path nor Fruition. So will their bones turn to relics?
Luang Pu revealed that “A Bodhisatta whose parami is already full, can be compared to an ‘Anagami Special Class’.”
《舍利子出現的原因》
你感覺到嗎，2號。心有正確的禪定的時候，就會有一個感覺很亮堂，那個光明可以清洗身體。即便我還未證悟到初果，但是·如果我們有禪定，不斷地清洗身體，死了後有時候會有舍利子出現。因此我們看到舍利子之後別以爲他就是阿羅漢。
有很好禪定的人同樣也會出現舍利子，因爲這個心是可以清洗身體的
----隆波帕默
4-3-2023
《1：08：13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyN662gBfeg
會由於心的清淨而影響了身體元素
因為這樣使阿羅漢的體物化成舍利子
---luang ta maha bua
信徒：師父，我看到你們的介紹，看到luang ta 的頭髮會變成舍利，我覺得很神奇，我自己都是舍利的重道愛好者，我想問luang ta 在香港這段時間會剪頭髮嗎？我想請啊，放在家裏供奉
、
Luang ta siri ：頭髮你要請是可以的，是有一些印尼的，今次我們去過印尼。印尼的居士他們之前請了過去，請了幾條頭髮過去之後，都是變成舍利子的，他們都有送回給luang ta 的。
之所以變成舍利子，是因爲我修行能去除邪見，能去除五蘊是我、‘我的’錯誤的見解，不再執著五蘊有個我的存在。所以心不會往外跑，心一直在自己那裏。所以這個心都影響到讓到身都清净，所以變成舍利子出來。
因爲我的心已經去除邪見、錯誤的見解，已經能斷除五蘊是我的邪見，所以不再執著有個我、‘我的’存在在這個五蘊、種種的行蘊入面。‘我’ 或者‘他們’、我能夠斷除這個邪見，心就能超越對五蘊的執著，心就得到自在
誰想要就去上白泥寺去請
52：00-56：00
5-4-2023 HK 講座
《每一位阿羅漢都有舍利子嗎？ All arahants have relics?》
信徒：是不是每位阿羅漢都是這樣？ （體物變成舍利子）
Luang ta siri: 不是每一位都像....這樣變成舍利子。就看那一位尊者，他修行的本身。每個人圓滿過來的修行也不一樣的。
**Disciple:** Is it like this for every Arahant? (That physical objects become relics)
**Luang Ta Siri:** Not every one like... becomes relics like this. It depends on that particular venerable one, on his own practice. The practice each person perfects is different.
2025.11.16 night
信徒：舍利子是代表什麼呢？
Ajahn Golf:…..大家想要舍利子，還是想要佛法？
對於舍利子，如果我們沒有親自看到的話，疑惑還不能被消除。
有些已經證悟的阿羅漢，有些是有舍利子的。有些是沒有舍利子的。因為有些人會發願：願自己不要有舍利子。對於舍利子，就是要大家想一下。
有兩個部分會，一個會帶來好處的，一個是不會帶來好處的。
就第二個，不會帶來好處的先講。就會生起疑惑，相信和不相信的人就會有爭執，明白嗎？ 有些相信的人，就會吸引那些人來佛教找生意。他會去賣舍利子。有些人可能還不是已經解脫的僧人，可能會用這些舍利子去贏得別人的信心。這是一個沒有益處的部分。
有益處的部分，就是能夠為我們的禪修帶來信心還有鼓勵。當我們看到這些大師父已經禪修到一個階段，他的一個部分就變成舍利子，就會給我們鼓勵和信心。這其實也是法上一個殊勝的東西。因為當一個阿羅漢已經是純淨、沒有煩惱的人，他身體上骯髒的東西也就不存在。他體內流出的東西就會變成舍利子、乾淨的。
那我們應該要以怎麼樣的心去對待舍利子？我現在就教導大家，大家想聽嗎？
如果我們得到了這些舍利子，我們不需要去感到懷疑。我們不需要去找尋這些舍利子，就讓這些舍利子自己過來。那我們就去想像一下佛陀的善行福德，不需要去取一些舍利子的美、神奇的東西。當我們得到了佛陀的舍利的話，就應該想起佛陀的教法。當我們得到了一些大師父的舍利子，例如頭髮，那我們就去憶念起大師父的教導—他教導了我們什麼？
這個舍利子沒有辦法讓我們從世間解脫。但佛法可以讓我們從世間解脫。當我們得到這些舍利子過後，我們就以平常心對待，視為一個吉祥，以平常心對待。當我們能夠禪修，禪修到最後的階段，我們就會自然而然地知道舍利子的事情。
真的舍利子也有，假的舍利子也有。也不需要太過去理會、在意這些東西，因為如果能夠以法作為我們修行的標準，這會更好。然後就是不管是誰供養舍利子，阿贊也一樣接受，不管是真的還是假的舍利子，然後把祂供奉在吉祥的地方。大師父的，也不會去懷疑這些是真是假的，只是去憶念起他所教導過吉祥的法。
Disciple: What do relics represent?
Ajahn Golf: … Do you all want relics, or do you want the Dharma?
Regarding relics, if we haven't seen them with our own eyes, our doubts cannot be dispelled.
Some enlightened Arahants leave behind relics. Others do not. This is because some people make a vow: "May I not leave any relics." Concerning relics, I'd like everyone to reflect on this. There are two aspects: one that brings benefit, and one that does not.
Let's talk about the second aspect, the one that doesn't bring benefit, first. It gives rise to doubt. Those who believe and those who don't believe will argue, understand? Some who believe may attract people who come to Buddhism seeking business opportunities. They might sell relics. Some may not even be liberated monks, yet they might use these relics to gain people's confidence. This is a non-beneficial aspect.
The beneficial aspect is that it can bring confidence and encouragement to our meditation practice. When we see that a great teacher has practiced meditation to a certain stage, and a part of him becomes relics, it gives us encouragement and confidence. This is actually something special within the Dharma. Because when an Arahant is pure, free from defilements, the impure elements within his body also cease to exist. What flows from within him becomes relics—pure.
So, with what kind of mind should we approach relics? I will teach you all now. Do you want to listen?
If we obtain such relics, we do not need to feel doubt. We do not need to seek out these relics; let the relics come on their own. Then we should contemplate the virtuous deeds and merits of the Buddha. We don't need to grasp at the beauty or miraculous nature of relics. When we receive relics of the Buddha, we should recall the teachings of the Buddha. When we receive relics from a great teacher—for example, a strand of hair—we should recollect the teachings of that great teacher: what did he teach us?
These relics cannot liberate us from the world. But the Dharma can liberate us from the world. After we obtain these relics, we treat them with equanimity, regarding them as auspicious, and treat them with a normal mind. When we can meditate, and our meditation reaches the final stage, we will naturally understand about relics.
There are both genuine relics and false relics. There is also no need to be overly concerned or attached to these things. Because if we can take the Dharma as the standard for our practice, that is better. So, no matter who offers relics, Ajahn also accepts them—whether they are genuine or false relics—and enshrines them in an auspicious place. For those of great teachers, I also do not doubt whether they are real or fake; I simply recollect the auspicious Dharma he taught.
— Ajahn Golf
2026.1.18 afternoon
（依上座部佛教，佛陀誕生、成道、涅槃的日子都同樣在毗捨佉月（vesakhamasa）的月圓日。有人將此日翻譯為衛塞節（vesakha day）。毗捨佉月相當於陽歷的四月或五月。）
釋迦牟尼佛在竹林村度過他最後一次雨安居時，他生了一場嚴重的疾病。在雨安居前一天那個月圓日，佛陀因過去的業而感受到非常刺骨、難忍的背痛。
在過去的某一生中，這位將成為釋迦牟尼佛的菩薩是位摔跤者，那時他將對手摔在地上，而使對方背脊斷裂。當時機成熟時，也就是佛陀般涅槃前的十個月，這個惡業的果報現起了。此業的力量非常強猛，它的果報將一直持續到死亡才停止。這種痛苦稱為“至死方終之苦”，唯有在死亡來臨時它才會停止。
佛陀以他的決意來制止這病痛的生起，這不是一種普通的決心。首先，佛陀修行色七法及非色七法的觀禅進入阿羅漢果定。阿羅漢果定是指：以涅槃為對象的阿羅漢果心，長時間地持續生起。由於觀禅的修行強而有力，佛陀的阿羅漢果定也強而有力。從該定出來之後，佛陀立定決心：“從今日乃至般涅槃日，願此病不再生起。”因為此業的力量強，所以佛陀每天都必須發如此的決心。這種果定稱為壽行果定（護壽果定或命行果定）。壽行果定指維持壽命的果定；護壽果定指保護壽命的果定；命行果定指維持命根的果定。佛陀每天都如此修行。
雨安居後，佛陀四處游方，最後到達毗捨離。於毗捨佉月月圓日之前三個月，也就是陽歷二月的月圓日，在遮波羅塔，佛陀決定捨棄生存的意願（捨壽行）。這是什麼意思呢？在那天，佛陀作了如此的決定：“從今日至毗捨佉月的月圓日，我將修行此果定；之後我將不再修行此果定。”這個決定稱為“捨棄生存的意願”。
Pa Bah（泰文）直譯是森林布,即供袈裟白布,而泰國現在最主要多為借此供Pa Bah與其範圍東西如金錢來籌集寺院需要的經費,通常一些寺院缺乏建設費用等都會舉辦Pa Bah的供養來幫助寺院的起建或所需。
刹那是什麽？剎那是指心識剎那(心識生uppāda、住ṭhiti、滅bhaṅga 的時間)。這是佛教中分到最細小的時間單位。
那麽一刹那有多長？
SN12.61 義注中就這樣說：
一彈指刹那間，有許多千萬百千（=10^12 =萬億）的心生起
ekasmiñhi accharākkhaṇe anekāni cittakoṭisatasahassāni uppajjanti.
In Thailand you may visit many temples which house the bodies of great ajaans that seemingly do not decompose. It seems rather mystifying to us, staring at the monks lying there in their glass coffins. Luang Pu Doo ever once commented that there are 3 reasons as to why a monk's body would not decompose.
The first is that the master could have been an expert in spells and incantations, and he could have blessed his rice before eating everyday, which is converted into an indestructible body. The second is someone who soaks in herbal baths or eats certain kinds of herbs (read Luang Phor Jumnean's story of how his father turned invulnerable if you are interested).
Then there is the third kind, someone who has reached high stages of enlightenment, such as arahants who adithans (make a strong determination) that his body does not decay after his death. It so happens that the disciples of Luang Pu heard Luang Pu saying that LP Phrom Wat Chong Kae has reached the stage of arahantship. Thus they understood why his body does not decompose.
問：請問是否能夠透過神通去知道別人證得什麼果位的？
有些人可以透過神通、禪定，來知道他是阿羅漢、他是聖者。
有些人他是透過交流佛法
就是可以兩個途徑。第一個途徑就是一些人透過禪定，來知道那個人證得什麼果位。好像說luang por plien ,他能夠透過禪定來看到比如說比丘好像一個黃金，那就是阿羅漢。
有些人就是透過法談，聊天，來知道對方到哪個程度。就好像說博士，如果問那些知識，如果他回答不了，就知道他到什麼層次
問：用神通，除了可以看到是阿羅漢，可以知道時初果二果三果嗎？是不是低階的聖者看不到高階的聖者？
ajahn golf：就是那些底階段的人不能知道那些高階段的人到什麼果位。就好像一個乞丐他們不知道有錢人的那些珠寶。那些開大車的人很難去感受那些開 benz 的人的感覺。
因為那些阿羅漢已經經歷過了，所以他可以知道開benz 的 感覺是什麼，全部都知道
問：剛才說是以神通的方式嗎？
ajahn golf : 不論用什麼方法，低階位的人不能知道高果位的人
那些低階位的人（對於高階位的人雖然）對他們的佛法有認同、好的感覺，但沒有100% 肯定這個師父到什麼果位。就好難好像高果位的人很確定他們到什麼程度
"The 'Physiognomy' of Buddhism"
Does the reality of physiognomy exist? Yes, it does.
In DN30, the Buddha mentions the 32 marks of a great man that he shares with the Wheel-Turning King, each representing the good things one will manifest in life. But the buddha only mentions these 32 marks, not any more.
But who are we? In any case, we won't have them, right? (laugh), so there's not much practicality in that.
Now, I will share the truly useful 'physiognomy' that can help us discern how well a person has cultivated their practice.
Luang Por Pramote once said: "Luang Por's gaze is quick; when I sees this photo, I know—
the mind is not in stillness; it’s merely posing to deceive others, claiming to be in meditation."
How does Luang Por Pramote know this so well? His ability to understand others' inner thoughts is known to everyone. But sometimes he will avoid trouble and says, "This isn’t some kind of telepathy; sometimes you can tell just by looking at the face."
Why can Luang Por know by looking at the face?
Por Khao Wanchart Yimme once said: "If a person practices to let go, look at their face—they will be energetic and smiling. It's not that some have mental issues; rather, they are relaxed and comfortable.
...
So you observe these two types of situations: the more one lets go and the more one practices for the sake of letting go, these people tend to look lighter and have better complexions."
Those who practice well share a common trait: their faces are bright and clean. It’s like how the Buddha is often praised by ordinary people for having 'pure sense faculties and a clear complexion' (AN3.64, MN26).
Once, when the Buddha saw Ven. Sariputta's complexion being so bright and clear, he asked him what kind of dwelling he resided in.
Ah, it turns out Ven. Sariputta had just entered a dwelling of emptiness (interpreted as entering the jhana of fruit of Arahantship with the perspective of non-self) (MN151).
In the Buddha's time, Ven. Pakkuna had a very clear complexion at the moment of his death, prompting curiosity among others about why this was so.
The Buddha then asked how Ven. Pakkuna could not have pure sense faculties ? since he had already become a non-returner (AN6.56).
Another time, Ven. Sariputta asked Ven. Anuruddha: "Your sense faculties are pure, your complexion is clear and radiant; which dwelling do you now reside in?"
Ven. Anuruddha replied that he was dwelling in the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (SN52.9).
There was also a celestial being who asked the Buddha why those monks residing in the wilderness had such clear complexions.
The Buddha replied that they do not lament the past nor crave the future; they nourish themselves through the present, thus their appearance is clear.
Craving the future and lamenting the past leads the foolish to wither, just like green reeds being cut (SN1.10).
So we can see that a truly well-practiced person has face that radiates with vitality, is energetic, and easily smiles. Conversely, if one is weighed down by worries, as Luang Por Ganha said, "This self is more stressful than a stomachache. Practicing Dhamma with a face that looks like you have a stomach ache."
Therefore, sometimes you can tell just by looking at the face! But it's not good to look at others; it’s better to observe our own face or to look more at our own mind (laugh)
《佛教的‘面相學’》
面相的真實性存在嗎？ 存在～
在DN30中，佛陀就提到自己和轉輪王的32偉人相，各代表著人生會有什麼樣的福報顯現。僅僅提到這32相
但我們是誰？反正不會有就是了（笑）所以沒有什麼實用性
現在這裡分享真正有用的‘面相學’ ，專門能夠讓我們分辨出一個人修行修得好不好的。
隆波帕默曾說：【隆波的眼神是很快的，隆波看到這張照片，就知道——
心並沒有禪定，僅僅只是擺個姿勢欺騙他人，稱自己有禪定。】
為什麼隆波帕默能這麼厲害知道？ 隆波能夠知曉別人內心的能力，這個人人都知道了。但有時他會避開而說：‘這不是什麼他心通，有時看面就知道了’
為什麼看面會知道？
Por Khao Wanchart yimme (白父) 曾說：【如果那個人修是爲了放的話，看他的臉，他會精神飽滿、會微笑出來。不是一些人有精神問題，而是他很鬆、很舒服
……
所以你去觀察這兩類情況，越捨、越放的人，修行爲了捨、爲了放，這些人會比較輕、臉色也會比較好】
修行好的人，都有一個特徵，就是面色會明淨乾淨。 好像佛陀常常被普通人讚說他‘諸根明淨,膚色清淨’ （AN3.64,MN26）
有一次，佛陀見舍利佛尊者感官（或者說面色）那麽明亮、膚色那麽清净，便問他多住在怎麽樣的住處？
啊，原來舍利佛尊者剛進入完空住處 （義註說是以無我角度進入的阿羅漢果定）(MN151)
佛陀時代的帕辜那尊者臨死時面色很明淨，那些人便好奇為什麼會這樣？
佛陀便反問尊者帕辜那怎會諸根不明淨呢?他已經成為三果聖者了(AN6.56)
又有一次,舍利弗尊者問阿那律尊者: 你的諸根明淨，臉色清淨、皎潔，現在你多以什麼住處住呢？
尊者便答原來是安住於四念住當中（SN52.9）
也曾有天神問佛陀為什麼那些住在林野的比丘們面色那麼明淨呢？
佛陀便回答說，他們：
不悲嘆過去、不渴望未來
透過現在的而滋養，因此容色明净
渴望未來，悲嘆過去
愚人枯萎，就如綠蘆葦被切割（SN1.10）
所以我們可以看到，一個真正修得好的人，會容光煥發，精神飽滿，容易笑出來。相反，假如煩惱厚重，就會如隆波間夏所說：‘這個自我比肚子痛更大壓力。我們修行佛法弄到面好像你有肚子痛那樣’
因此，有時看面就知道了！但看別人就不太好，看自己的面，或者多多看看自己的心會更好（笑）
<<關於風水命理、相學，法術神通、徵相、佛牌聖物>>
一般來說,有很多人會相信風水命理這些
但它們究竟是怎麼一回事呢？
在這裡配合聖典和行內各專家的經驗，分享一下它們實際上是什麼來的。
【算命】
大家有算過命嗎？ 算命師跟您說過什麼？ 準確嗎？
一個命盤在我們出生時已經定了，算命師充其量只是用我們的時辰八字， 來推測我們的種種。
假如是這樣， 算命最多只是算到我們過去世帶來的業力， 但並不能看到我們今生所作所為所帶來的業力和影響力。
如果以佛教的說法，未來並不是完全確定的。除了看我們的過去世的業，也看我們今生的業。
假如這樣知道的話， 算命會有 100%準確這回事嗎？ 試過有一位經驗豐富， 富有名聲的命理老師宣傳自己， 他說他的紫薇斗數算命準確率達到 80%。如果不是100%也敢拿出來說， 那麼表示大部分命理師的準確率會是比 80% 更差。假如不是100%，不一定是真的，信來有什麼好處？
認識一些命理師， 他們說其實術數這些， 只是大數據分析學。 古人都是依循不同人在某一個時辰的數據， 而整合出不同的推測。 現代社會相比起古代社會變了許多， 所以有時古書所記載的已經不合時宜了， 他們唯有再從他們的顧客中再提取新的資訊， 而再整合他們新的結論。
術數本身的參考度很有限。 比如說， 在同一個時辰出生的人， 一個生在美國， 一個生在非洲一個落後部落； 他們的遭遇會是一樣的嗎？
試過有人追踪著兩個同時辰出生的人。 在他們成長中， 便發現他們一生之中所遭遇的性質有些類似， 但準確來說當然不同。 他們家裡有多少個兄弟姐妹已經不同了。
聖典中也記載了一個故事：大財長子出生在佛陀時代巴拉納西的一個巨富之家，娶了一位娘家富有的女子為妻。
他沒有運用智慧去管理自己的財產，也沒有付出努力去工作投資， 而是將所有的財富都揮霍於美酒、鮮花、塗香、音樂和歌舞等，終至一貧如洗。
只有在他們老去，前往仙人落處精舍乞食時，才得以遇見佛陀。
有一天，佛陀見到了大財夫婦，他告訴阿難尊者：
如果大財年輕時好好經營生意，他會成為巴拉納西的首富；若年輕時出家，他會成為阿拉漢，而他的妻子會是不來聖者。
同樣地，如果他中年時妥善打理事業，他會是城中的第二富者；若出家，他會成為不來聖者，而他的妻子會是一來聖者。
即使在他上了年紀後，如果可以這麼做，他依然會成為城中的第三富人；若出家，他仍能成為一來聖者，而他的妻子會是入流聖者。
然而，由於疏忽大意，如今他一無所有，既沒有在家人的財富，也空無出家人的法財，而且死後，他必定再生於地獄。
所以， 就算命理師說您會多麼富有，也不要相信。 今生的行為可以讓您從原本的富豪變到成為一個乞丐。而且， 從這個故事可以看出， 他們兩夫婦在那一生是在家還是出家， 根本說不定。未來是不確定的。
如果算命說我們是一個易怒、小氣、吝嗇、喜歡妒忌、貪婪的人。 但我們出家修行然後成為阿羅漢根斷一切不善與煩惱呢？
佛陀時代也有一個名叫“昔不給” adunnapubbako的婆羅門， 在他一生之中從來沒有佈施過任何東西。就算他兒子要病死了， 他捨不得用錢找醫生來。 後來佛陀向他說法， 他便證悟初果了。 他的心完全改變了， 開始會慷慨佈施了。 假如算命師說這個時辰出生的人特別吝嗇， 那麼又算不準了。
又比如說， 算命師算到某人的壽命是這樣長的。 但如果他成為聖者然後修四神足延壽， 又算不準了。
一切事物都要條件的配合才得以發生。 算命師說我們會做總統， 但同一個地方同一個時辰出生的人多的是。 假如我們造了很大的惡業然後壽命立即中止， 又不能應驗了。不是在吹牛，在佛陀時代的確有發生過壽命提早中止的事例：佛陀的叔叔Suppabuddha因為佛陀拋棄妻子，和提婆達多對頭，因此非常怨恨佛陀。他在一次飲醉酒時便故意對佛陀無禮，要和佛陀作對，於是叫手下擋住佛陀的去路。結果因為這個大的不善業，佛陀預言他將會在七日後從上層平台樓梯掉下來，被大地吞沒，最後墮入地獄。雖然Suppabuddha絞盡腦汁讓這件事不要發生，但七日後他真的如佛陀預言那樣被大地吞沒，掉入地獄了。
又比如說，算命先生說我們一生人都會受人厭惡。但假如我們由現在開始具備一切美德，對人好，幫助別人，救助貧苦，布施給同僚，具備戒行，常常散發慈心。我們的人際關係真的會那麼差嗎？
佛陀說，一個喜歡布施的人，在今生起碼會得到以下利益：
1.受到許多人的喜愛
2.能夠結交寂靜的善人， 例如修行人、聖者
3.會有很好的名譽
4. 在大眾中會很有自信(AN5.33)
所以命理術數雖然也有他們的靈驗事蹟，但如果不是100% 準確的話，信來對我們也沒有太大利益。
【相學】
但關於面相，佛教徒又不敢否認。因為在DN30經中，佛陀的確有提到相學的真實性。 佛陀說，具備三十二個大人相的人，只有二個結果，並無其它：如果是在家人的話，將會是轉輪王；如果是出家人的話，將會是佛陀。 在那篇經中，佛陀將三十二個大人相逐個解釋：過去曾經做過什麼業，就會得到這個相；而如果有這個相，在家做轉輪王時會怎樣，出家做佛陀時又會怎樣。
如果佛陀也這樣說，我們也不能夠否認相學的真確性。一個人長什麼樣子，的確代表著他某些命運。
但一個人的面相有時會轉變，那再次說明其實我們的未來一直在轉變。
【風水】
古人都說一命二運三風水。看來風水也影響著我們的命運？
無可否認，我們身處的地方或多或少都會影響我們的心。假如我們處於一個寧靜氣場好的地方，我們的心會很舒服很有力量。 《慈經》的義註中提到，有一班比丘曾經在佛陀那裡取得業處後，佛陀指示他們要到某個樹林那裡打坐；因為佛陀知道那個地方將有利於他們的修行。除了那裡之外，再沒有適合他們的修行地方。 後來就如佛陀所預見的，他們就在那裡證悟阿羅漢果了。
但除了佛陀以外，風水師所說的建議是否真的值得相信？
之前有一位在泰國很有名的道教師父，現在已經去世了。人們都相信他有天眼通，能夠預知未來，和神明溝通。他也懂得風水。在香港的娛樂圈也頗有名氣，常常有明星走去泰國請他指點迷津。這位師父曾替一位香港的明星為他的商舖選址看風水。然而，一年後就關門大吉了。
也聽過有例子，有人造了一個五鬼運財局的祖墳。風水學來說原本是速發暴富的，但卻沒有應驗。
所以假如大家有二十萬港幣，大家會請一位頂級風水師看風水，還是布施給阿羅漢的僧團？ 看完風水後沒有保證一定百分百會好，但我們供養給阿羅漢僧團的話，那個善業肯定100%有，我們未來肯定會有很大的善果報，得到很大的快樂。
【法術神通】
關於法術神通，要說一個故事給大家聽：
以前馬來西亞慧光法師的師父是降頭師來的。他有他的波羅蜜，他20歲出家，22歲他就跟別人醫病。很多人中降頭了，許多人病了，都來排長龍來找他。他每天看的病人有百多個。開始是幾個幾個，慢慢越來越多。開始是灑聖水，灑灑灑，到後來太多人了，不能灑了，就用水龍頭噴。奇怪了，噴了會好的。為什麼會好？因為他的禪定力量強，他的心力強，他散發的慈心也強。但這個方法不是永久的方法，只是暫時的。
他跟別人醫病，醫了一年多。到後來，有一次，他無緣無故，忽然間不能站起來，不能走路。在地上一直爬，一直爬。他說心裡面像地獄的火在燃燒。足足一個禮拜。後來他聽到一個聲音：你違反了這個因果。人家業報現前要受報，你違反了這個因果。現在你要受懲罰了。你假如不再放棄這個行業的話，你將會終身不能走路。他聽了之後，七天過後他慢慢開始恢復。那時他捨掉了，一切的東西都捨掉了
也認識一位有神通的人士，他具備天眼通，能夠預知未來發生的事情。有一次，他看見他朋友的弟弟在第二天出海後將會遇上海難，因此而喪命；於是他好心地提醒了他，叫他不要出海。 弟弟聽了他的建議，第二天沒有出海。然而另外一個人出海了，就到他遇上海難死去了。
很快那個有神通的人士立刻生重病，足足病了一個星期，受了很大的痛苦。
神通法術，佛陀是完全具備的。然而佛陀不會隨便用。因為干涉了因果會帶來災難。人們原本要受這個報應，然後我們貿然改變了它，這還符合天理嗎？ 所以佛陀都不會教導弟子法術這些。一來對滅除我們內心的痛苦沒有一丁點兒幫助，二來就是我們不知道用了去幫人之後有什麼後果。佛陀知道，但我們不知道，這樣會出事。
就算是一些法術師父，聽過他們也會提醒弟子，假如見到別人的債，不要說出來，不然就會去了你那裡。
違反因果法則，本來就是在違反天理。
再說一個故事給大家聽。大目揵連尊者曾經遇到一隻 臉色青白、惡臭的、空中行走的女鬼，鳥類一一降臨她後，拉裂她，使她發出痛苦的聲音。(SN19.14)原來她曾是女占相者。義註說，她之所以有這樣的惡果，是因為她欺騙大衆，接受香水和花朵。她對他們說，只要他們做某些儀式能夠變得富有，讓大衆接受了邪見。她變得惡臭，是因爲接受了香水和花朵，醜陋因爲讓他們接受了邪見
【徵相】
在AN5.175中，佛陀說，具備五法的在家男居士是卑賤的居士。其中兩點是興奮於吉兆，和相信吉兆而非業。
義註解釋，所謂的興奮於吉兆是指，看到一些什麼東西後，聽到一些什麼東西後，感知到什麼東西後，便說 ‘’這個人將會怎樣怎樣‘。
但JaA.4 中卻記載著一個故事。從前，當梵與王住在迦尸國波羅奈京城治國時．我們的菩薩生於財務官之家。長大後做了財務官．人名之為小財官。他為人聰明伶俐．能解一切預兆。有一日，他跟隨國王行走，途中看見一隻死鼠．當即配合了星象想道：『倘有聰明的男子把這鼠取去．可以娶妻立業呢。』
當時一位窮困的男子聽了這位財務官的話．忖道．『那人想不會毫無所知而說這樣的話的吧．』於是將鼠取去，漸漸開始了他娶妻立業之道，應驗了菩薩的說話。
假如只是單憑看到什麼，聽到什麼，感知到什麼，而說這是吉兆惡兆，今天會行好運或行衰運，那就是邪見。 就算是菩薩，他也是配合了星象而說出預測。但既然佛陀沒有教導，那即表示沒有百分百準確的這樣的知識給我們去學習。 所以理性來說，這些資訊對我們也沒有多大的幫助。
【佛牌和聖物】
在泰國，有許多大師父都會派佛牌和聖物給大眾，有些甚至是公認的聖者。
有位信徒聽說某大師父的佛牌很靈驗，而且師父說可以用來發願。那位師父是具有定力與神通的。於是那位信徒便拿來天天發願了。 但他發現發願後他的願望並沒有成真。
他也借給他認識的人用來發願，祈求能夠通過考試，但也沒有成真。
也有信徒收過一些聖物。大師父保證放在錢包裡錢會用不完。那位信徒就把它放到錢包裡。但過了不久，他的錢卻被電騙騙光了。
問說佛牌聖物有沒有用？ 可能有吧，因為有時出自聖者之口，聖者的心意，他們不可能騙我們；可能是一些禪定的祝福力量。但用處有多大，能否勝過業力？相信不能。這世上，沒有什麼神奇力量勝得過業力。
"Dreams"
According to the 《A Comprehensive Manual
of Abhidhamma》 and 《the Questions of King Milinda》, there are several reasons for dreaming:
1.Due to various physical stimuli, such as diseases and bodily imbalances.
2.Based on past experiences.
3.What we think about during the day manifests in our dreams at night.
4.Divine messages in dreams.
5.Omens.
Reasons 1-3 are meaningless.
If it’s a divine message, but we believe it blindly, it can also be dangerous.
How can we know if it is truly a divine being giving us hint ? or a dream constructed by our mind? How can we discern if the god intends to harm us or help us?
There is this story: It is said that in the Nāgamahā Vihāra in Rohaṇa, a senior monk, without the consent of the monastic community, ordered the cutting down of a nāgarukkha tree.
The spirit residing in that tree was angered by the monk's actions. It gained his trust and then told him in a dream, "In seven days from now, your king will die."
The monk believed this and informed the king's queens. They all cried out loud. The king asked, "What is this about?" They told him, "The elder said this and that." The king had the days calculated. Seven days later, the king was still alive, and he became very angry, ordering the monk's hands and feet to be cut off.
So, as everyone can see, blindly believing in things can lead to dire consequences.
However, some dreams are genuine omens. For example, when the Buddha was still a Bodhisattva, he had five dreams, which he later explained in detail, revealing their meanings and implications (AN 5.196).
Ajahn Mun also had a prophetic dream and understood its meaning through his wisdom. His interpretation was later proven correct.
But we are not the Buddha; we do not possess omniscient wisdom. We lack deep mindfulness, stillness, and wisdom. Only with stillness can we see and understand many things that ordinary people cannot know.
Ajahn Golf also said: "When we cultivate mindfulness, stillness, and wisdom, continuously improving; if we dream, our minds can discern the benefits, meanings, and relevance of these dreams, or whether they have no significance or are destined to occur. Our minds will grasp this and differentiate whether these dreams are meaningful or not."
Therefore, for us, dreams? Just let them be dreams, as most dreams typically hold little significance. Plus , we wont know whether our interpretation is correct. Ajahn Golf also mentioned that he does not pay much attention to these dreams.
《夢》
根據《阿毗達摩概要精解》和《彌蘭王問經》，有幾個做夢的原因
1. 因為各種身體物質的刺激，例如各種疾病，身體失調等的
2. 因為以前的經驗
3. 日有所思，夜有所夢
4. 天神託夢
5. 預兆
1-3都是沒有意思的
如果是天神託夢，但我們隨意相信，也是危險的。
我們怎樣知道這真是天神託夢還是是心建構出來的夢境？
我們怎會知道他是想害我們還是幫我們？
有這個故事。據說在羅哈娜（Rohaṇa ）的龍大寺 （Nāgamahā Vih ā ra ），有個大長老沒有得到比丘僧團的同意就叫人把一棵龍樹 nāgarukkha 砍掉。
住在那棵樹的神生氣長老，就先獲取他的信任，然後在夢裡告訴他：「從現在起再過七天，護持你的國王將會死亡。 」
長老相信了他的話，就告訴國王的王妃們。她們一起大聲哭泣。國王問：「那是什麼？ 」
她們告訴他：「長老如此這般說。」
國王叫人算日子。七天後，國王還在生，於是他便很生氣，就叫人把長老的手腳砍掉了。
所以大家看到，胡亂相信東西是可以害死人的
但有些夢是真的預兆來的。 例如佛陀還是菩薩的時候， 就曾經發了五個夢，佛陀以他的全知之智在後來解釋了每個夢所帶來的含義和預示。（AN5.196）
阿姜曼也有發過一個預兆夢，他也用自己的智慧而知道了那個的含義。後來也證明他的解讀是正確的
但我們不是佛陀，我們沒有全知的智慧。我們沒有很深的正念、定力和智慧
一旦有定力才會看清並且知道凡人不能知道的許多東西
Ajahn Golf 也說：【當我們修正念，定力跟智慧，不斷提升的時候；如果我們有做夢的話，我們的心就能區別，這些夢有什麼益處，有什麼意義，有利益，還是沒有利益，還是以後一定發生。我們的心就會抓到，然後去分別到這些夢是有意義還是沒有意義】
因此對於我們來說，夢？就當發夢算了，因為大部分的夢通常就沒有多大的意思,我們也不知道自己解讀得對不對。 Ajahn Golf 也說，他其實也沒有太在意這些夢