佛垂般涅槃略說教誡經 1.10

1.10

are free from seeking and free from desire, so they do not have this trouble.

You must still cultivate practice to lessen your desires. What’s more, lessen-

ing desire can engender the various virtues. People with few desires do not

use flattery and deceit to seek other people’s favor. Nor are they dragged

around by the senses. Those who practice the lessening of desires have minds

that are calm and free from anxiety and fear. When they come in contact with

things, there is more than enough—they are never unsatisfied. Where there

is the lessening of desire, there is nirvana. This is called having few desires.

“You monks who want to escape from all the various afflictions must

contemplate [what it means to] know satisfaction. The method of knowing

satisfaction is the locus of prosperity, of bliss, of peace and security. Even if

they are lying on the ground, the people who know satisfaction are happy and

at peace. For the people who do not know satisfaction, it does not suit their

fancy even if they are in heaven. The people who do not know satisfaction

are poor even if they are rich. The people who do know satisfaction are rich

even if they are poor. Those who do not know satisfaction are forever dragged

around by the five desires and are pitied by those who do know satisfaction. This is called knowing satisfaction.

“If you seek the peaceful and still, secure bliss of non-action, you monks must distance yourselves from the hustle and bustle and dwell at ease wherever you are. People who dwell in peace are honored by Indra and all the devas (gods). Thus you must abandon your own group and all other groups and live alone in peace, contemplating the annihilation of the root of suffering. If you take joy in groups, you are subject to the afflictions of those groups. It is like a great tree: if too many birds gather in it, there is the danger that the tree will weaken and break. Worldly bonds and attachments sink you down into the multitude of sufferings. It is like an old elephant sinking into the mud, which cannot get itself out. This is called detachment.

“Nothing will be difficult for you monks if you work hard and make energetic progress. Therefore, you must work hard and make energetic progress. It is like a small stream flowing against a rock all the time, so that [eventually] it can bore through the rock. If the practitioner’s mind often slacks off, it is like drilling for fire but stopping before it gets hot. Even if you want to get fire, it is impossible. This is called energetic practice.

“You monks should seek out enlightened teachers and good protectors and aids, and do not forget to be mindful [of the Dharma]. If you do not forget this mindfulness, then the thieves of affliction cannot enter. Therefore, you must always gather in your attention on the mind. If you lose mindfulness, then you lose all virtues. If the power of your mindfulness is strong, even if you enter among the thieves of the five desires you will not be harmed by them. It is like wearing armor into battle—you have no fear. This is called not forgetting mindfulness.

“If you monks collect the mind, your mind is in meditative concentration (samādhi). Because your mind is in meditative concentration, you know all the characteristics of the worldly phenomena of birth and annihilation. Therefore all of you must always diligently cultivate and assemble all the various states of meditative concentration. If you attain meditative concentration, then your mind is not in confusion. It is like a family concerned with water control that takes good care of the dams. Practitioners are also like this. For the sake of the water of wisdom they constantly cultivate medita-