【慧灯中英文连载】《Are You Ready for Happiness?》(75)痛苦可以消除傲慢心

3.Eliminate Arrogance

3.消除傲慢心

Ordinarily, when people have money, power, talent, education or other qualities that are worth boasting about, they become very arrogant; they think they are superior to others and belong to the social elite. Some Buddhists, not being studious practitioners, may also feel disdainful of other people after having acquired just a slight understanding of the teachings and upheld certain precepts. However, when suffering strikes, everything falls apart. Only then do they realize they have nothing to be arrogant about — after years of practice, they are no more able to withstand even a small amount of suffering. With this realization, their arrogance dissipates; they also become many times more diligent at listening, contemplating, and practicing the teachings.

平时如果有点钱财、权利、才华、学问或其他值得夸耀的东西，就会非常傲慢，自以为了不起，是上层人物、社会精英；有些佛教徒因为没有好好修行，稍微闻思了一点佛教理论，或守持了某些清净戒律，就会有高人一等的感觉。但当痛苦来临的时候，一切都崩塌了，那时就能深深体会到：虽然修了这么长时间，但遇到这么小小的痛苦，我都承受不了，可见自己的修行是多么的差劲，我有什么好值得骄傲的？如此一来，不但傲慢心荡然无存，而且以后也会加倍努力地闻思修。

Without personally experiencing suffering, it is very difficult to eliminate arrogance by simply relying on visualization practice. Therefore, we should take joy in suffering since it helps us strengthen our mind. With a strong mind, we can withstand any suffering or negative affinities; difficulties not only do not obstruct our practice, they help us progress along the path.

如果没有亲历难以承受的痛苦，仅靠观想式的修行，是很难达到这个效果的。所以我们要对痛苦充满欢喜心，通过痛苦的磨砺让自己的内心真正坚强起来。从此以后，再大的痛苦和违缘都不怕，任何困难都非但不能阻碍我们的修行，反而促使我们的修行有长足的进步。