时间：02/21/2026 02/22/2026
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：龙示林
佛法知识
学佛与弘法
在佛教修行中，“学佛”与“弘法”常被视为两个不同阶段，仿佛先要完成个人修行，随后才能承担弘扬佛法的责任。然而，从佛法的真实精神来看，二者并非先后割裂的过程，而是一体两面的展开。没有真实学佛的弘法，容易流于形式与口号；没有回向众生的学佛，也容易变得封闭与狭隘。
学佛，首先是向内的道路，是对自身生命的如实观照。通过学习佛法，人逐渐认识到苦的本质，觉察贪、嗔、痴如何在身心中运作。学佛并不是为了积累知识或获得身份，而是为了减少颠倒、松动执著、转化生命。若这一基础尚未建立，谈弘法，往往只是重复概念，而非传递觉醒。
弘法的真正起点，并不在于讲台、文字或身份，而在于一个人是否真实地被佛法改变。当佛法在生命中发挥作用，言行自然趋于柔和、清明与负责，这种转变本身，就是最有力量的弘法。许多时候，不必开口说法，一个稳定、慈悲、不造作的人，已经在无声中弘扬了佛法。
佛法强调，弘法并不是“我来教导他人”，而是“法因缘而流动”。若弘法建立在自我表现、成就感或优越感之上，反而会背离佛法精神。真正的弘法，是在适当的因缘中分享，在对方需要时回应，而非强行灌输。弘法不是扩张自我，而是让法得以被听见。
学佛者若急于弘法，容易出现两种偏差。一种是以未成熟的理解误导他人，另一种是用佛法语言包装自我执著。佛法并不鼓励“抢着度人”。佛陀强调“自觉觉他，觉行圆满”，自觉并非自私，而是对他人负责。唯有自己走得稳，才能指路不偏。
从佛法角度看，最稳健的弘法方式，是以身作则。守戒、正念、忍辱、慈悲，都是活生生的教法。一个在生活中减少伤害、增加理解的人，比千言万语更能让人感受佛法的真实力量。弘法不是把佛法说得多漂亮，而是让人看到佛法如何解决真实的人生问题。
佛法也提醒人，弘法需要智慧，而非热情 alone。不同的人有不同的因缘、文化与心理状态，佛法并非一套统一说辞。善巧方便，是弘法的重要原则。真正的弘法者，会倾听、观察、尊重，而非急于表达。能不说时不说，能简说时不繁说，正是智慧的体现。
在现代社会，弘法并不局限于传统形式。工作态度、家庭关系、社会责任、公共言论，都是弘法的场域。当学佛者在复杂环境中保持正直与觉知，便是在展示佛法如何在现实中运作。这样的弘法，更容易被理解与接受。
同时，弘法也是检验学佛是否真实的重要镜子。当一个人试图分享佛法时，很容易看见自己是否仍在执著名相、是否渴望认同、是否害怕质疑。这些显现，并非错误，而是继续修行的材料。若能在弘法中反观自心，学佛便会不断深化。
佛法并不要求所有学佛者都成为弘法者。沉默修行、护持正法、支持僧团，同样是弘法的重要形式。关键不在于“做什么”，而在于“是否让正法延续、是否让苦减少”。弘法不是角色分配，而是因缘成熟时的自然承担。
最终，学佛与弘法的关系，可以概括为：学佛是根，弘法是果；学佛是内化，弘法是外显；学佛重在转化自己，弘法重在利益他人。当根深时，果自然成；当内在真实时，外在分享才有力量。
因此，真正的弘法，并不是离开学佛之后的任务，而是学佛不断成熟后的自然流露。当一个人以佛法安顿自身，以觉知回应世界，他的一举一动，已在弘法之中。这样的弘法，不刻意、不张扬，却深远而长久。
Date: 02/21/2026 02/22/2026
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Shilin Long
Dharma Knowledge
Studying Buddhism and Spreading the Dharma
In Buddhist practice, studying the Dharma and spreading it are often seen as two separate stages, as if one must first complete personal cultivation before taking on the responsibility of teaching others. From the true spirit of Buddhism, however, these are not sequential or divided processes, but two aspects of the same unfolding. Without genuine study and practice, spreading the Dharma becomes hollow; without sharing and benefiting others, practice can become inwardly closed.
Studying Buddhism is fundamentally an inward path, a process of honestly observing one’s own life. Through learning the Dharma, one begins to understand the nature of suffering and see how greed, aversion, and confusion operate in the mind. Studying Buddhism is not about accumulating knowledge or acquiring identity, but about reducing distortion and transforming experience. Without this foundation, spreading the Dharma risks becoming repetition of ideas rather than transmission of awakening.
The true starting point of spreading the Dharma is not a platform, a title, or eloquence, but whether the Dharma has genuinely transformed one’s life. When the Dharma takes root, conduct naturally becomes gentler, clearer, and more responsible. This transformation itself is the most powerful form of teaching. Often, without saying a word, a calm and compassionate presence already communicates the Dharma.
Buddhism emphasizes that spreading the Dharma is not “teaching others,” but allowing the Dharma to flow according to conditions. When sharing is driven by self-display, achievement, or superiority, it departs from the spirit of the path. Authentic spreading arises in appropriate moments, responding to genuine needs rather than imposing ideas. It is not an expansion of self, but an expression of the Dharma.
When practitioners rush to spread the Dharma prematurely, two risks often arise. One is misleading others through immature understanding; the other is disguising self-clinging with Buddhist language. Buddhism does not encourage “saving others” hastily. The Buddha taught that self-awakening is not selfish, but responsible. Only when one’s own footing is stable can guidance be reliable.
From a Buddhist perspective, the most grounded way of spreading the Dharma is through example. Ethical conduct, mindfulness, patience, and compassion are living teachings. A person who reduces harm and increases understanding in daily life conveys the Dharma more effectively than eloquent speech. Spreading the Dharma is not about beautifying doctrine, but demonstrating how it addresses real human difficulties.
Buddhism also reminds us that spreading the Dharma requires wisdom, not enthusiasm alone. People differ in background, temperament, and readiness. There is no single formula for expression. Skillful means are essential. True teachers listen, observe, and respect conditions rather than rushing to speak. Knowing when not to speak is as important as knowing how to speak.
In modern society, spreading the Dharma is not confined to traditional settings. One’s conduct at work, within family, in social responsibility, and in public discourse are all arenas of teaching. When practitioners maintain integrity and awareness in complex environments, they reveal how the Dharma functions in real life. This form of teaching is often the most accessible and credible.
At the same time, spreading the Dharma becomes a mirror for one’s own practice. In the act of sharing, attachments to reputation, approval, or certainty often surface. These are not failures, but material for further cultivation. When practitioners reflect inwardly while sharing outwardly, study and practice deepen continuously.
Buddhism does not require every practitioner to become an explicit teacher. Silent practice, protecting the Dharma, and supporting the community are equally valid forms of spreading. What matters is not the role one plays, but whether the Dharma continues and suffering is reduced. Spreading the Dharma is not a fixed assignment, but a natural response to conditions.
Ultimately, the relationship between studying Buddhism and spreading the Dharma can be summarized simply: study is the root, sharing is the fruit; study internalizes, sharing expresses; study transforms oneself, sharing benefits others. When the root is deep, the fruit arises naturally; when practice is genuine, sharing carries weight.
True spreading of the Dharma is therefore not a task added after practice, but a natural expression of mature practice. When a person lives grounded in the Dharma and responds to the world with awareness, every action already teaches. Such teaching is quiet and unforced, yet enduring and far-reaching.
