机会只此一次

我们也许常有这样的念头：虽然实际上我不太愿意发菩提心，只想利益自己，但我不得不发心。因为如果不发菩提心，所做的一切就不能成为大乘法。这就是造作的菩提心。

How to differentiate between something contrived and uncontrived? For example, when you are very thirsty, you want to drink water. Drinking, in this case, is uncontrived. When you do not feel like drinking water, but drink it anyhow for reasons other than your own wish. This drinking is contrived.

怎样区分造作与不造作呢？比如说：你非常渴的时候想喝水，这是不造作的。在你不想喝水的时候，其他人却勉强你喝，你虽然喝了，但不是出于发自内心的愿望而喝的，这就叫作造作。

If in this life we only have contrived, not genuine, bodhicitta, just as the Venerable Atisha said, “Those who have aroused contrived bodhicitta in this life will become great bodhisattvas in the next life and be able to deliver as many sentient beings from samsara as there are in Jambudvipa.” Why is that? That is due to the fact that simply arousing bodhicitta is already a supreme Dharma practice. Based on infallible karma, it is only logical for those people to attain equally supreme result in their next lives.

如果这一世没有真实的菩提心，只有造作的菩提心，那就如阿底峡尊者所说，这一世发造作菩提心的人，下一世就可以度化南瞻部洲那么大世界的众生，他就可以变成这样的一位大菩萨。这是为什么呢？因为，发菩提心本身是非常殊胜的修法，因果从来都是不错乱的，所以，在他的下一世也会有这样殊胜的果报。

It is a common phenomenon nowadays to see people keep putting off practicing the Dharma and just idling the days away, as if they are sure of a second chance to be born a human again or to listen to Mahayana teachings and encounter Mahayana teachers once more. But there is no guarantee of that second chance ever coming through. Now in this life, we, the fortunate few, have met basically all the necessary conditions required for the journey to enlightenment. We ought to treasure this truly rare opportunity and immediately set about the task of practicing the Dharma.

如果现在不开始做，今生就这样荒废，等到下一世，谁都没有把握再能得到人身，没有把握再能听大乘的佛法，没有把握再遇到大乘的善知识。现在已经有了这个千载难逢的机会，我们一定要抓住不放，一定要去做。