May everyone’s wishes come true ——
索达吉堪布精彩开示录
Highlights of questions and answers in Khenpo Sodargye’s teachings
How does one strike a balance between abstinence and lust?
Question: You mentioned that suffering dominates human life and happiness is fleeting.
我虽然才二十几岁，但已深刻地体会到了这一点，因此很赞同您的观点。Even though I’m barely in my twenties, I know the feeling all too well and totally agree with you.不过，我有个疑惑是：痛苦是欲望太多导致的，但如果要禁欲，则会带来新的痛苦。However, I do have one question: Suffering is caused by having too many desires, but abstaining from desire will bring its own suffering.
比如，佛教主张吃素，但让我不吃肉的话，我会感到痛苦；如果不让我结婚，我肯定也很痛苦。For instance, Buddhism promotes vegetarianism, but if I can’t eat meat, I’ll feel horrible. If I can’t have a married life, I’ll be utterly miserable.
因此，为了消除痛苦，就要减少欲望，但减少欲望本身又带来了新的痛苦，这个矛盾怎么解决？In order to eliminate suffering, desire must be cut, yet cutting desire can cause other kinds of suffering. How can this dilemma be reconciled?
堪布答：吃素或者持戒，如果对你来说非常痛苦、难以做到，佛教也并不会强迫你必须做，而是可以根据每个人的根基，循序渐进地进行。Khenpo: If becoming a vegetarian or keeping precepts makes you feel miserable and you just can’t do it, the Buddhist doctrine will not force you to conform. Rather, it encourages you to take a graduated approach according to your own capability.
比如，佛教中的居士五戒，你可以只受一条，也可以受两条、三条、四条，或者五条全部受持。For instance, among the five precepts for lay followers, you can choose to take only one, or two, or three, or four, or even all five of them.
在五戒都能做到的情况下，假如因缘具足，还可以受更高层次的戒律，比如八关斋戒、菩萨戒等。When you’re successful in keeping all five, then you can consider taking higher precepts, such as the one-day fasting vow, the Bodhisattva vow, and so on.
并不是你自己不想受戒，非要让你受；或者自己根本做不到的事，非要让你做，没有这样的要求。However, you do not need to accept any of the precepts until you are ready to do so. Nor are you forced to undertake any task beyond your ability.
因此，佛教的戒律和修行，是根据各人的根基来选择的。Hence, it is each individual’s capacity and inclination that determines what Buddhist precepts and practices to undertake.但你如果没有受持戒律，行持一些不如法行为，果报也是不虚的。However, even if you have not vowed to uphold any precepts, any unethical action of yours will still bring its corresponding consequence without fail.
因此，即使没有受戒，对于伤害众生、危害社会的行为，还是要尽量制止。So whether you have taken precepts or not, strive to refrain from any deed that harms sentient beings and hurts society.
It’s said that we should feel contentment in our life, but not become complacent in work.
How do we balance between these two?
问：从小到大，妈妈给我讲了很多佛法道理，让我明白做人要有感恩之心、满足之心。Question: Ever since I was little, my mother has been teaching me the Buddhadharma and encouraging me to live my life with a sense of contentment and gratitude.
但现在身为一个大学生，我经常和老师做些课题研究，在此过程中，要有一颗不满足的心，才可以继续坚持下去，往更深的科学领域发展。Now, as a college student, I often help my teacher with research projects, and I find that it’s necessary to have a hungry and insatiable mind in order to persevere and explore science more deeply.
请问，一个要满足，一个要不满足，这二者的矛盾该如何平衡呢？How can I strike a balance between being content on the one hand and staying “hungry” on the other?
堪布答：佛教所提倡的有满足之心，是指减少一些没有意义的欲望，Khenpo: The contentment encouraged in Buddhism refers to restraining meaningless cravings.
For instance, in regard to wealth and sensual pleasures, one should have fewer desires and be content with what one has.
But when it comes to knowledge acquisition, there’s no curbing it.
藏地特别伟大的萨迦班智达也说过：即便汇集百川之水，大海也不厌其多，The great Tibetan master Sakya Pandita says, “The ocean will never mind if hundreds of rivers converge into it.”
同样，即便学习再多的知识，智者也不会有满足的时候。In the same way, the wise will never be content with their level of knowledge, no matter how much learning they have been through.
所以，你们现在学习知识、研究科学，包括学习佛法，这些方面都不应该满足，Thus in your academic work, scientific research, as well as Dharma study, you should never become complacent.不要认为大学毕业就像成佛了一样，从此什么都不用学了，再也不用看书了。Graduating from college does not mean you have nothing left to learn or no more books to read, as if you’ve attained enlightenment.
The more meaningful knowledge one gains in this world, the more benefit one brings to self and others.
That’s why contentment is not applicable when it comes to knowledge acquisition.
这是我们佛教的观点，也是探索科学不可缺少的一种态度。This is the Buddhist stance and is an indispensable attitude in scientific quests as well.
索达吉堪布《做，才是得到》
Khenpo Sodargye《Achieve by Doing》
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