鼠目寸光的想法总是令人惋惜

♦ Wholesome motivation

（3）善的动机：

This is the most superior of the three motivations. It can be further divided into the motivation of an inferior，an average and a superior practitioner.

这是三种动机中最上乘的。但是，善的动机又可分为低、中、高三种层次：下士道、中士道、上士道。

The motivation of an inferior practitioner is the lowest of the three. Those who cultivate virtue with this kind of motivation do not think about liberation from samsara. They are only concerned with not being reborn into the hell, the ghost, or the animal realm but the realm of celestial beings or human; and as human, better be born as someone with good health, long life, high position and wealth. Their actions, albeit virtuous, will not bring them any closer to enlightenment. Hence, this type of motivation is relegated to the bottom level.

第一是下士道，这种动机是三种善的动机中层次最低的。具有这种动机的人不是考虑解脱，而仅仅是为了下一世不堕地狱、饿鬼、旁生道，希望得到人、天的果报，为了来世能得到健康、长寿，获得有地位、有财产、有名誉的人身而去行善。这虽然是善，但仍与解脱没有关系，所以是最低层的。

Some people may wonder why, as mentioned above，a motivation to pursue health and long life is considered unwholesome, but here it turns up in the section of wholesome motivation. The previous one is unwholesome in the sense that it only aims to take care of things for this life; whatever of the next life is not its concern. The inferior practitioners, on the other hand, do not seek enlightenment or rewards for this life. Their goal is to obtain temporal blessings for the next life，which makes it a wholesome motivation.

有人会想不明白，前面讲追求健康、长寿的动机是不善的，而现在又讲这是善的，其原因何在呢？因为，前面的动机根本没有考虑后世，所有的目的都是为了今世，所以叫不善。而作为下士道发心的人，虽然没有追求解脱，但是也没有顾及今世，而是希求下一世的世间圆满，所以叫善。

However, for those seeking enlightenment, this should not be the motivation for virtuous actions. Nowadays many lay practitioners make it a habit to chant Buddha’s name, burn incense, do prostrations and so forth every day. But please ask yourselves honestly why you do all these. Is it to gain health and longevity for this or next life and to make sure not going to the hell realm? If so, nothing that you do will ever free you from samsara, not if you practice for one hundred, one thousand, or even ten thousand years. Good karma resulted from this kind of motivation cannot be made the cause of liberation. Neither can it yield the fruit of liberation when matured. To practice with such intentions will not result in much virtuous karma other than some temporal benefits like health and long life, or avoiding rebirth in the hell realm.

但对希求解脱的人而言，也不能以此动机来行善。现在很多居士每天都在念佛、烧香、拜佛……请你们扪心自问，自己的目的究竟是什么？是否是为这一世的健康、长寿？抑或是为下一世的健康、长寿、不堕地狱？如果是这样，则一切所作永远跟解脱无关。在这样的基础上修行，即或修一百年、一千年、甚至一万年，也绝不可能解脱。因为这些善业都不是解脱的因，此因成熟时，也不可能获得解脱的果。以这样的修法除了能使下一世健康、长寿、不堕地狱等等之外，没有其他善报。