时间：03/02/2024 03/03/2024
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：Otto Huang
佛法修行
善知识与精进不放逸
有一次，尊者阿难从禅修中起来，去见佛陀报告他的心得：
「世尊！我刚才在禅修中这样想：如果能有善知识的引导，解脱涅槃的修行，就完成一半了！」
佛陀指正尊者阿难说：
「不要这么说，阿难！为什么呢？因为有善知识的引导，必能圆满完成清净的修行。我也是因为有善知识的助益，才证得了无上等正觉，然后成为他人的善知识，教导众生以『依远离、依离贪、依灭、向于舍』修七觉支、八正道，度化无数深陷于生、老、病、死的众生，让他们超越而免于生、老、病、死的。
又，阿难！如果善男子、善女人能跟随善知识修学，就有助于信、闻、施、慧等德行的增长与成就，就像月亮从初一到十五渐渐地变圆、变亮一样。由于跟随善知识修学，有这样的方便与利益，所以说，具足善知识，是全梵行者。」
有一次，佛陀来到憍萨罗国的首都舍卫城游化，住在城南郊外的祇树给孤独园。
这天，憍萨罗国的国君波斯匿王，来拜访佛陀，想要佛陀印证他的一个看法。波斯匿王说：
「世尊！我独自沈思，认为世尊所教导的正法，可以让人当生就远离苦迫烦热的烧灼；没有时节的限制，就能自觉自证。佛陀实在是我们的善知识、善同伴，不是恶知识、恶同伴。」
「是啊，大王！依我教导的正法与戒律去修学，就是结交了善知识、善同伴，而不是恶知识、恶同伴，因为我可以引导深陷生老病死、忧悲恼苦的众生，趣向解脱，成就解脱。
大王！过去阿难比丘曾经来告诉我，他在独自沈思时，认为有善知识的引导，就可以算是修行的一半了，我告诉阿难比丘说，有善知识的引导，不只是修行的一半，而是修行的全部，因为善知识能引导比丘依远离、依离贪、依灭、向于舍而修七觉支、八正道的缘故。
大王！所以，您不能没有修学的善知识、善同伴，您应当这样修学。
大王！要有善知识、善同伴，则不能不依于对善法的不放逸。
大王！不仅您应当依着不放逸，安住于不放逸，也应当要让国王的后宫眷属、文武百官、平民百姓们常常想到：我们的国王依着不放逸，安住于不放逸，我们也应当依着不放逸，安住于不放逸。这样，国王不但以不放逸护卫着自己，也护卫了您的后宫与库藏。」
有一次，佛陀在舍卫城祇树给孤独园教导比丘们说：
「比丘们！在我们自身以外的所有因缘中，除了善知识、善同伴外，我不见有任何其它因缘，能让恶不善法不生起，已生起的断除；能令善法生起，已生起的增广。
比丘们！善知识、善同伴，能让贪欲、瞋恚、贪睡、掉悔、疑惑，邪见、邪思惟、邪语、邪业、邪命、邪精进、邪念、邪定等恶不善法不生起，已生起的断除；能令念、择法、精进、喜、轻安、定、舍觉支，正见、正思惟、正语、正业、正命、正精进、正念、正定等善法生起，已生起的增广。
比丘们！相反的，除了恶知识、恶同伴外，我不见有其它外在因缘，能让恶不善法生起，已生起的扩大；能令善法不生起，已生起的萎缩、消失。」
Date: 03/02/2024 03/03/2024
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Otto Huang
Dharma Talk
Good Spiritual Friends and Diligence Without Negligence
Once, the venerable Ananda rose from meditation and went to see the Buddha to report his insights:
”World-Honored One! Just now, during meditation, I thought: if one can have the guidance of a good spiritual friend, then the practice towards liberation and Nirvana is halfway accomplished!”
The Buddha corrected Ananda, saying:
”Do not speak so, Ananda! Why? Because with the guidance of a good spiritual friend, one can fully complete the pure practice.
It is also because of the help of good spiritual friends that I achieved supreme enlightenment, and then became a good spiritual friend to others, teaching sentient beings to practice the seven factors of enlightenment and the Noble Eightfold Path by relying on renunciation, abstaining from greed, cessation, and relinquishment, thus liberating countless beings trapped in the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and helping them transcend such sufferings.
Furthermore, Ananda! If good men and women follow and study with a good spiritual friend, it helps in the growth and accomplishment of virtues such as faith, hearing, giving, and wisdom, just like the moon gradually becoming full and bright from the first to the fifteenth day.
Because there are such conveniences and benefits in following and studying with a good spiritual friend, it is said that having a good spiritual friend is complete monastic practice.”
Once, the Buddha came to the capital of the Kosala kingdom, Shravasti, and stayed in the Jetavana Grove, the Park of Anathapindika.
That day, King Pasenadi of Kosala visited the Buddha, wanting the Buddha to confirm his view. King Pasenadi said:
”World-Honored One! I have been reflecting alone and think that the Dharma taught by the World-Honored One allows one to be free from the tormenting heat of suffering and distress in this very life; there is no fixed time for one to realize and verify it by oneself. The Buddha is indeed our good spiritual friend and companion, not a bad one.”
”Yes, great king! By practicing the Dharma and precepts that I teach, you are associating with good spiritual friends and companions, not bad ones, because I can guide beings who are trapped in the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair towards liberation and achieving liberation.
Great king! In the past, the monk Ananda came to me and said that he thought, upon reflection, that having the guidance of a good spiritual friend is half of the practice.
I told Ananda that having the guidance of a good spiritual friend is not just half of the practice but all of it, because a good spiritual friend can guide monks to practice the seven factors of enlightenment and the Noble Eightfold Path by relying on renunciation, abstaining from greed, and cessation, and relinquishment.
Great king! Therefore, you cannot be without the study and companionship of good spiritual friends. You should practice in this way.
Great king! To have good spiritual friends and companions, one must not neglect the Dharma.
Great king! Not only should you abide in diligence, but you should also make your queens, officials, and common people frequently think: ‘Our king abides in diligence, so we should also abide in diligence.’ In this way, the king not only protects himself with diligence but also his queens and treasury.”
Once, the Buddha told the monks in the Jetavana Grove, Anathapindika’s Park in Shravasti:
”Monks! Among all external conditions beyond ourselves, except for good spiritual friends and companions, I see no other condition that can prevent unwholesome states from arising and eradicate those that have arisen; that can give rise to wholesome states and enhance those that have arisen.
Monks! Good spiritual friends and companions can prevent the arising of unwholesome states such as greed, anger, sloth, remorse, doubt, wrong view, wrong thoughts, wrong speech, wrong actions, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration, and eliminate those that have arisen;
they can give rise to wholesome states such as mindfulness, investigation of Dharma, effort, joy, tranquility, concentration, equanimity, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, and enhance those that have arisen.
Monks! On the contrary, apart from bad spiritual friends and companions, I do not see any other external conditions that could cause unwholesome states to arise and increase those that have arisen; nor any that could prevent wholesome states from arising and cause those that have arisen to wither and disappear.”
