拥有知足感恩的当下

中英文连载

Are You Ready for Happiness? (92)

如何面对痛苦和幸福

Third: Recognize, Appreciate, and Share our Happiness

第三、拥有幸福的当下，要感知、感恩，并懂得分享。

We should contemplate: I must recognize the blessings in my life now. At the same time, I should cultivate gratitude and live a simple and unpretentious life; I should also learn to moderate my desires, be content with what I have, share my happiness, and give to the needy. A simple act of giving even in small amount can also be endowed with all the merit of the six paramitas. To give on the basis of renunciation and bodhicitta results in the accumulation of substantial merit. In this way, the mind will gradually settle down and feel free and happy. I must always remember not to be intoxicated with the few blessings I have; I must exert even greater effort in listening, reflecting, and practicing the Dharma.

还要思维：当拥有幸福的时候，一定要能感知到当下的幸福。同时要学会感恩，习惯于朴素、低调、低碳、简单的生活，并懂得少欲、知足、感恩和分享，学会布施多余的东西。虽然这只是钱财上的微小布施，但也可以同时具备六度，在出离心和菩提心的基础上做布施，可以积累很大的资粮。这样，心就会慢慢平静下来，在这个平静当中，可以感受到自由、幸福与快乐。还要随时提醒自己：我不能沉醉在这小小的福报当中，我要用更多的时间去积极闻思修行。

Unfortunately, ordinary people do not think this way. After they have attained material well-being, they are still not satisfied; not only do they not feel happiness, they try to look for other kinds of happiness. Controlled by desire, they can never attain true happiness!

可惜的是，所有的凡夫却不会这么想，当他们获得世间的幸福之后，仍然不以为足，不但感觉不到幸福，还想再去寻找另外的幸福。身体和语言被贪欲心操纵、支配着，这种人永远得不到真正的幸福！

Fourth: Exchange Oneself for Others

第四、遇到幸福的时候，也要修自他相换。

When we encounter suffering, we can practice exchanging oneself for others; when we experience happiness, we can also practice exchanging the self for others.

遇到痛苦的时候，可以修自他相换；遇到幸福的时候，同样也要修自他相换。

From a mundane standpoint, we are enjoying our happiness when we have good health and material comfort; but from a liberation standpoint, we are wasting our blessings and happiness. In the sutras, the teachings remind us over and over again not to waste our happiness. Hence, when we are successful in our career or feel great joy in life, we must practice exchanging the self for others.

从世间的角度来说，身体健康，生活舒适，叫做享受幸福；从解脱的角度来说，这叫做浪费福报、浪费幸福。佛经中一再提醒我们：千万不要把幸福浪费掉！所以，在事业成功、心情舒畅、幸福无比的时候，一定要修自他相换。

As we breathe out during meditation, visualize our happiness and the causes of this happiness -- the virtuous actions and merits of the past, present, and future -- transformed into a white gaseous substance which is then dissolved into the minds and bodies of all sentient beings. Visualize all sentient beings receiving this happiness and its causes, and thus being free from suffering.

呼气的时候，把自己当下的幸福，与幸福之因——过去、现在、未来三世所有的善业、福德，全部观想成白色气体呼出去，融入天下所有众生的身心。观想天下所有的众生，都得到自己分享的幸福与幸福之因，并远离一切痛苦等不幸。

Without this visualization practice, many Buddhists are no different from non-Buddhists — when they encounter the slightest bit of suffering, they grieve and fall apart, unable to manage even a basic normal life. If they are more fortunate than other people, they become conceited and self-important. Therefore, we should really put this visualization method to practice in our daily living. In time, we can even do this practice when we experience happiness or suffering in dreams. If we persevere in our effort, we can maintain equanimity under the most difficult of circumstances and advance in our practice without hindrance.

如果没有这些窍诀的指引，没有尝试着去观修这些修法，很多佛教徒的心也与不学佛的人一样——只要遇到一点点微乎其微的痛苦，就伤心欲绝、一蹶不振，不但修行无法正常进行，连基本的正常生活都无法维持。稍有一点强于他人的福报，又洋洋自得、目空一切，谁都看不起，事事唯我独尊。所以，我们应该从生活的点点滴滴去做、去落实。这样长此以往，以后即使在梦中遇到苦乐境况，都会下意识地这样观修。若能持之以恒地不懈努力，则不管以后的生命中遇到再大的起伏落差，都能保持平稳的心态，都不会阻碍自己的修行。