廬山蓮宗寶鑑 1.61

1.61

古德云：「生我者父母，成我者師友。」是知師者，迷途之明導、暗室之慧燈、苦海之舟航、人天之眼目，恩逾父母、德重乾坤，弟子所以事師不敢慢易也。豈不見捨全身而求半偈、斷一臂而扣真乘，以身為座而奉師、腰石負舂而續祖，賣心肝而學般若、投火聚以證菩提，方之古人深為慶幸，奉師學道可不勉哉。應知出世投師須求正見、參方請益莫附邪宗，要明罪福之因由、審辨正邪之利害，正則成佛、邪則成魔，打頭不遇作家，到老翻成骨董。是以如來知師非而捨去、夫子擇善者而從之。觀古聖之如斯，何今人而不爾？況當末運多有邪師，凡欲修行切莫親近，但存正念終值明師。要了大緣慎勿容易，是故弟子事師即同事佛也，可謂四事供養敢辭勞，萬兩黃金亦消得。

The ancients said: "Those who gave birth to me are my parents; those who brought me to completion are my teachers and friends." Thus we know that a teacher is a luminous guide on a straying path, a lamp of wisdom in a dark room, a vessel upon the sea of suffering, and eyes for gods and humans. Their kindness surpasses that of parents, and their virtue weighs heavier than heaven and earth; for this reason, disciples dare not serve their teachers with neglect or disrespect. Have you not seen the one who cast away his whole body to seek half a verse, or severed one arm to inquire after the True Vehicle; who made his body a seat to serve his teacher, or bound a stone to his waist to pestle rice and succeed the patriarch; who sold his heart and liver to study prajñā, or threw himself into a mass of fire to realize bodhi? Compared with the ancients, we are exceedingly fortunate; in serving a teacher and studying the Way, how could one not exert oneself? One must know that in renouncing the world and taking a teacher, one must seek right view; in travelling to seek instruction, do not attach yourself to heterodox schools. One must clarify the causes of sin and blessing, and carefully discern the advantages and hazards of right and wrong: the right leads to buddhahood, while the wrong leads to māras. If from the very beginning one does not encounter an adept master, then into old age one turns out to be nothing but worthless bric-a-brac. For this reason, the Tathāgata, knowing his teachers were flawed, abandoned them; and the Master [Confucius] chose those who were good and followed them. Seeing that the ancient sages were like this, why should people of today be otherwise? Moreover, in this final age there are many false teachers; whoever wishes to practice must never approach them. Merely maintain right mindfulness, and in the end you will meet an enlightened teacher. To resolve this great matter, take care not to treat it lightly. Therefore, when a disciple serves a teacher, it is identical to serving the Buddha. It may indeed be said: 'Offering the four necessities, dare one begrudge the toil? Even ten thousand ounces of gold would be fully deserved.'