自修為先_Cultivate Oneself First

學了一些佛法的道理
有的就拿來說別人該如何
但是這些說法中
難免有自己一偏的選擇
　那是無以自覺的盲點
世界如此廣闊
眾生品類複雜又繁多
先管其他就無暇淨心了

悉達多太子
想解生老病死的謎團
發心是為一切眾生
修行卻是先修自心
慈悲及於一切
實行卻是先捨私愛
他是成佛的榜樣
學佛者莫忘了倣效

自心淨化了
自身的纏縛鬆盡了
纔能真正教導他人
纔能救渡一切眾生
所以先顧自修並非以自了為是
而是腳踏實地的修法
至於面臨問題時的抉擇
則依菩提心來考慮及決定

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　二○一○年二月二日
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　養和齋　　　於加州

Cultivate Oneself First　Yutang Lin

Having learned some Dharma teachings
Some would apply them to demand others to become such and so
But in such demands it is unavoidable to have implicit
Personal choices that are biased
　　　　And those are blind spots that one could not be aware of
The world is so wide and vast
Sentient beings are so numerous and of extremely diverse varieties
If one minds others first, there will be no time for cleansing of one’s mind

Prince Siddhartha Gautama
Intended to resolve the puzzle ball of birth, aging, sickness and death
His aspiration aimed at helping all sentient beings
His practice began with his own cultivation on the enlightenment path
His compassion encompassed all sentient beings
In deeds he first renounced personal love and ties
He is undoubtedly the epitome of full enlightenment
Subsequent seekers of enlightenment should not forget to imitate his fine example

Only after one’s mind have been purified
And all bondage on one’s body have been untied
Can one genuinely guide others on the path to enlightenment
Can one save all sentient beings from transmigration in suffering realms
Hence, cultivating oneself first does not imply complacency with self-attainment
But a solid way of practicing Dharma
As to choices made when facing real-life situations
A practitioner should ponder and decide in light of Bodhicitta

Written in Chinese and translated on February 2, 2010
El Cerrito, California

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