消除傲慢，清净罪业

中英文连载

Are You Ready for Happiness? (79)

如何面对痛苦和幸福

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。

4.Purify Negative Karma

4.清净罪业

Faced with suffering, those of us who believe in cause and effect and samsara will think: although I have not committed any wrongdoing in this lifetime, suffering cannot possibly descend on me without a reason. All suffering is dependent on objective and subjective factors. Because of bad actions I committed in the past, I now suffer the consequences. Even a small amount of suffering can cause me so much pain. If I come upon even greater suffering in the future, how will I be able to face it? If I continue to create bad karma and do not repent now, I will have to bear even harsher retributions in the future. I will never be freed from samsara if this cycle is not broken. Just like getting to the root of the illness in order to be cured, if we do not want suffering, we must purify bad karma created in the past.

遇到巨大痛苦时，相信因果轮回的人就会去思索：虽然我这辈子没有做错过什么错事，但痛苦不可能无因无缘地从天而降。每个痛苦都有一些客观和主观的因素：因为我过去造罪，现在才会承受这个果报；仅仅这么小的一点痛苦，都把我折腾得这么厉害,如果有一天更严重的罪业果报成熟，我将如何面对？如果现在仍不悔改、继续造罪，以后还将承受更大且无穷无尽的果报，这样恶性循环下去，将永远无法摆脱轮回。就像生病必须清除病根一样，如果不想要痛苦，就必须清净过去所造的杀、盗、淫、妄等罪业。

There are two ways to purify karma: one is to repent past actions before karmic retributions manifest to eliminate karmic obstacles and the likelihood of future retributions; the other is to accept karmic retributions to settle past karmic debts.

清净罪业的方法有两种：一是在未受果报之前忏悔罪过，从而消除业障，以后不再承受果报；二是接受罪业成熟后的果报，从而消除往昔所欠的业报。