时间：03/09/2024 03/10/2024
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：Otto Huang
佛法修行
弥醯的独修挫折
有一次，尊者弥迦奢罗问佛陀：
「世尊！怎样才是独住？怎样又是有同伴同住？」
佛陀回答说：
「弥迦奢罗！当眼等六根，认识了色等六境时，如果因合意、可爱、愉悦而诱发了欲爱，以致对境界喜悦、赞美而念恋不忘，这就是生起爱染心了。一旦有了爱染心，就有了障碍系缚。像这样，被喜悦、爱染系缚的比丘，即使独自在树林等僻静处居住，也还是有伴同住，为什么呢？渴爱就是他的同伴。
反之，如果对合意、可爱、愉悦的境界，不喜悦、不赞美、不恋着，没有爱染而心不被系缚，这样的比丘，即使与其它比丘同住，或住在一般人的村子里，也叫作独住，为什么呢？因为他没有渴爱这样的同伴。」
有一次，佛陀游化到摩揭陀国境内的阇斗村，住在村落外的庵婆林内，尊者弥醯为佛陀的侍者。
这天一早，尊者弥醯进入阇斗村乞食。回程时，路过金鞞河边，看到一片环境幽雅的庵婆林，心想：这片林地地势平坦幽静，又有清澈的河水流过，对一位精进的修行人来说，实在是一个理想的好地方，我应当来这里修行，好好精进一番。
尊者弥醯回去吃饱后，就收拾了随身物品，将坐垫披在肩上，来向佛陀请求允许他前往。
然而，当时只有尊者弥醯随佛陀同住，其它比丘都还没到，所以佛陀要求尊者弥醯暂缓几天，等其它比丘到达后再离开，以免身旁没有侍者。可是，尊者弥醯却等不及赶着要去那个他认为的好地方，所以对佛陀说：
「世尊！您已经是个解脱者了，应修应证的，都已修已证，再也没有什么作为可以对您有所增益了。而我呢，当修当证的还很多，如果能到一个好地方，让我好好地精进修行，一定会很有进步。请世尊允许我离开，到那一片庵婆林去精进吧！」
佛陀还是希望尊者弥醯暂缓离开。可是，坚决的弥醯尊者，仍然作了第三次请求。这时，佛陀只好说：
「弥醯！你一再说要去精进修行，我还能说什么呢？就随你的意愿去吧！」
辞别了佛陀，尊者弥醯来到那片幽静的林地，选在一棵树下禅修。
禅修中，尊者弥醯还是禁不住生起欲念、恚念、害念等三恶念来。此时，尊者弥醯心想：怎么会这样呢？我这么有信心地出家精进修学，还是断除不了这三恶念的染着。想着想着，尊者弥醯又想念起佛陀来了，所以又回去见佛陀。
见了佛陀，尊者弥醯将他在独修中，不禁生起三恶念的情形，诚实地向佛陀报告。显然，从进入解脱修习的层面来看，尊者弥醯还不够成熟，没有能力独修，所以，佛陀说了：
「弥醯！有五法，可以让尚未做好修行解脱准备的人，趋于成熟：
一、亲近善知识，在善知识指导下修学。
二、遵守波罗提木叉，举止符合威仪，即使对微细罪，也以戒慎恐惧的态度遵守。
三、熟悉佛法各种法义、论理，并且深入理解、接纳。
四、坚定精进，主动学习各种方法，以断除自己的恶行，增长善行。
五、善观生灭无常，成就趣向灭苦的智慧。
弥醯！有了这五法的修学后，还要继续修习四法：
一、修习不净观，以断除贪欲。
二、修习慈悲观，以断除瞋恚。
三、修习入出息念，以断除散乱心。
四、修习无常想，以断我慢。
弥醯！如果能够亲近善知识，有善知识的指导修学，那一定能够勤修净戒，遵守波罗提木叉，举止符合威仪，对微细罪以戒慎恐惧的态度遵守；熟悉佛法各种法义、论理，深入理解、接纳；坚定精进，主动学习各种方法，以断除恶行，增长善行；善观生灭无常，成就趣向灭苦的智慧；勤修不净观断除贪欲；勤修慈悲观断除瞋恚；勤修入出息念断除散乱心；勤修无常想断我慢。
弥醯！如果比丘修得无常想，必定可以由此而建立无我想，若比丘得无我想，就能够由此而断除我慢，成就涅槃解脱了。」
Date: 03/09/2024 03/10/2024
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Otto Huang
Dharma Talk
The Solitary Practice Setbacks of Mihira
Once, the venerable Mikkasara asked Buddha:
”Lord! What is solitary living? And what is living with companions?”
Buddha replied:
”Mikkasara! When the eye and the other five senses perceive forms and the other five objects, if desire, likability, and pleasure arise, leading to joy, praise, and attachment to these objects, this is the arising of the mind tainted by love.
Once the mind is tainted by love, obstacles and constraints arise. In this way, a monk bound by joy and love, even if living alone in secluded places like forests, is still living with a companion. Why? Because craving is their companion.
Conversely, if one does not take delight in, praise, or cling to likable, pleasing objects and is not bound by love, such a monk, even if living with other monks or in a village among laypeople, is considered to be living alone. Why? Because he has no companion like craving.”
Once, Buddha traveled to the village of Jotu within the Magadha kingdom, staying in the Anupama forest outside the village, with the venerable Mihira serving as Buddha’s attendant.
One morning, venerable Mihira went into Jotu village for alms. On his way back, passing by the Kinpiya river, he saw the serene Anupama forest and thought: This forest, with its flat terrain and clear river, is an ideal place for a diligent practitioner. I should practice here and make progress.
After eating, Mihira packed his belongings, placed his sitting mat on his shoulder, and asked Buddha for permission to go there.
However, since only venerable Mihira was staying with Buddha at the time, and the other monks had not arrived, Buddha asked Mihira to wait a few days until the others arrived to avoid being without an attendant. But Mihira, eager to go to that place he considered ideal, said to Buddha:
”World Honored One! You are already liberated, having practiced and realized all that is to be practiced and realized. There’s nothing more to be done for you. As for me, there’s still much to practice and realize. If I can go to a good place and practice diligently, I will surely make progress. Please allow me to go to that Anupama forest to practice.”
Buddha still wished for Mihira to wait. However, the determined Mihira made his request a third time.
Then, Buddha said:
”Mihira! You insist on going to practice diligently, what more can I say? Go as you wish!”
After bidding farewell to Buddha, venerable Mihira went to the serene forest and chose a tree for meditation.
During meditation, Mihira could not suppress the arising of greed, hatred, and delusion. He thought: Why is this happening? Despite my confident renunciation and diligent practice, I still cannot eradicate these three poisons. Thinking this, he longed for Buddha and returned to him.
Upon seeing Buddha, Mihira honestly reported his inability to suppress the three poisons during solitary practice. Clearly, from the perspective of liberation practice, Mihira was not yet mature enough for solitary practice. Thus, Buddha said:
”Mihira! There are five practices that can mature those not yet prepared for the practice of liberation:
One, associate with good spiritual friends and studying under their guidance.
Two, observepramukha meticulously, act with dignity, and maintain a cautious attitude even towards minor offenses.
Three, familiarize oneself with various Buddhist teachings and logic, and embrace them deeply.
Four, diligently learn various methods to eradicate unwholesome actions and cultivate wholesome ones.
Five, contemplate the impermanence of life and death to cultivate wisdom that leads to the cessation of suffering.
Mihira! After mastering these five practices, continue to practice four more:
One, practice the contemplation of impurity to eliminate greed.
Two, practice loving-kindness and compassion to eliminate anger.
Three, practice mindfulness of breathing to eliminate a distracted mind.
Four, contemplate impermanence to eliminate ego.
Mihira! If one can be close to and guided by good spiritual friends, surely one can diligently uphold percepts, maintain thepramukha, act with dignity, and observe even the minor offenses with caution and fear;
become familiar with various Buddhist teachings, theories, and deeply understand and accept them; firmly progress, proactively learn various methods to eradicate evil actions and cultivate good ones;
skillfully contemplate the impermanence of life and death, and achieve the wisdom that aspires to the cessation of suffering; diligently practice the contemplation of impurity to eliminate greed;
diligently practice the contemplation of loving-kindness and compassion to eliminate anger; diligently practice the mindfulness of inhaling and exhaling to eliminate a distracted mind; diligently contemplate impermanence to eliminate pride.
Mihira! If a monk accomplishes the contemplation of impermanence, he will surely be able to establish the notion of non-self from it, and if a monk achieves the notion of non-self, he will be able to eliminate pride from it and achieve the liberation of Nirvana.”
