┌─见───心境事───思想诤执──┐

│ ＞＜ ＞＜ │

自心痴闇─┼─慢───我他事───法制诤执──┼─人类颠倒

│ ＞＜ ＞＜ │

└─爱───我物事───经济诤执──┘

by 印顺法师

一个贫穷的人，拿着唯一的一块铜钱到店里去购买食物，可是，当店里的人接过铜钱一看，发现那是假的，于是将钱退还，不肯把食物给他。穷人听说钱是假的，急得眼泪都掉下来，心想：家里的老母亲又要挨饿，怎么办？

正当他伤心难过的时候，一位军人从门外经过，问明了原委，随即拿出一块钱来给他，那块假铜钱随手就往上衣口袋里放。穷人感激涕零的买了食物回家，军人也随军队上前方作战。

有一天，敌人的一颗子弹射过来，这个军人来不及卧倒，只感到前胸像被震了一下，可是并没有受伤，他摸摸全身，从上衣口袋里掏出一块铜钱，发现铜钱的正中央凹了下去，这时他才明白，原来是这块铜钱救了他的命。

从这个故事我们可以知道，这是一件利人又利己的事情，救人的急难，等于救自己一样。

by 星云法师

According to the Pali Canon, the four foundations of mindfulness are :

1) Mindfulness of one's body in stillness and in motion.
2) Mindfulness of one's sensory experience as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
3) Mindfulness of one's mental afflictions: desire, anger, and delusion.
4) Mindfulness of all mental contents, including the teachings of the Buddha. Being mindful of the constant changes in one's physical and mental states, one comes to the insight that phenomena are impermanent and there is no self in control.
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The Mahayana doctrine also includes a set of four remembrances:
1) Observe that the body is impure.
2) Observe that all sensory experiences come down to misery.
3) Observe that the mind is constantly changing.
4) Observe that all dharmas have no selves.

Everything is interdependently arisen. Everything comes into being by depending on something else. For us as humans to experience goodness or benefit, we have to depend upon others to experience that goodness, benefit or happiness. Without depending on others, it is very difficult for anything good to happen to us.

Since we all live in a human society on one single planet, we have to depend upon each other. The best way to depend upon and communicate with each other is through having loving kindness and compassion. If we have these qualities, we will be able to relate with each other, we will have connections with each other, and we can depend upon each other. But if we don't have any loving kindness and compassion, the entire path of depending upon, communicating with and having connections with each other will become destroyed.

If we have loving kindness and compassion with an attitude that we are contributing to this interdependence of humans, things will come along well for ourselves, things will come along well for others and the whole world will benefit. When that happens we will not need armies or a lot of laws or police.

by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

佛陀说：「生命在呼间。」人无法管住自己的生命，更无法挡住死期，让自己永住人间。既然生命去来这么无常，我们更应该好好地爱惜它、利用它、充实它，让这无常、宝贵的生命，散发它真善美的光辉，映照出生命真正的价值。

by 证严法师

讲修行，讲不修行，都是一句空话。你我透彻 自己这一段心光，当下了无其事，还说什么修与不修。试看本师释迦牟尼佛的表现，出家访道，苦行六年证道，夜睹明星，叹曰：“奇哉!奇哉!大地众生皆有如来智慧德相，只因妄想执着，不能证得；若离妄想，则清净智，自然智，无师智，自然现前。”

by 虚云法师

Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back.

They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck. This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it’s with us wherever we are.

by Pema Chodron

The sense bases include two sets of six: six sense organs (or internal sense bases) and six sense objects (or external sense bases).

Based on these six pairs of sense bases, a number of mental factors arise.

The twelve sense bases, that is, the sense organs and their objects are :

1) Eye and Vision
2) Ear and Hearing
3) Nose and Olfaction
4) Tongue and Taste
5) Skin and Touch
6) Mind and Thought

Thus, for instance, when an ear and sound are present, the associated consciousness arises. The arising of these three elements – ear, sound and ear-related consciousness – lead to what is known as "contact" which in turn causes a pleasant or unpleasant or neutral "feeling" or "sensation" to arise. It is from such a sensation that "craving" arises.

To overcome craving and its resultant suffering, one should develop restraint of and insight into the sense bases.

The Buddha's Great Disciple Sariputta shares that the actual suffering associated with sense organs and sense objects is not inherent to these sense bases but is due to the "fetters" (here identified as "craving") that arise when there is contact between a sense organ and sense object.

Buddha states that one abandons the fetters "when one knows and sees ... as impermanent".

If you want to understand suffering you must look into the situation at hand. The teachings say that wherever a problem arises it must be settled right there. Where suffering lies is right where non-suffering will arise, it ceases at the place where it arises. If suffering arises you must contemplate right there, you don't have to run away. You should settle the issue right there. One who runs away from suffering out of fear is the most foolish person of all. He will simply increases his stupidity endlessly.

by Ajahn Chah

从许多事情看，一个人作恶作善，不但佛菩萨和天地鬼神都知道，并且多少年也不会消失，好象有个档案袋，详细记下善与恶，随着业识一世一世地流转，切不可说因缘果报是迷信，正象经说：“假使百千劫，所作业不亡，因缘会遇时，果报还自受。”

by 净空法师

What is the difference between complaining and discussing certain topics in a constructive way?

It lies in our attitude - our motivation - for speaking. Discussing a situation involves taking a more balanced approach, in which we actively try to understand the origin of the problem and think of a remedy. In our mind we become proactive, not reactive. We assume responsibility for what is our responsibility and stop blaming others when we cannot control a situation.

Thus, we can discuss our health without complaining about it. We simply tell others the facts and go on. If we need help, we ask for it directly, instead of lamenting in the hopes that someone will rescue us or feel sorry for us.

Similarly, we can discuss our financial situation, a friendship gone awry, an unfair policy at work, the uncooperative attitude of a salesperson, the ills of society, the misconceptions of political leaders, or the dishonesty of CEOs without complaining about them. This is far more productive, because discussion with knowledgeable people can help give us a new perspective on the situation, which, in turn, helps us deal with it more effectively.

For Buddhist practitioners, several meditations act as healthy antidotes to the habit of complaining.

Meditating on impermanence is a good start; seeing that everything is transient enables us to set our priorities wisely and determine what is important in life. It becomes clear that the petty things we complain about are not important in the long run, and we let them go.

Meditating on compassion is also helpful. When our mind is imbued with compassion, we don't see others as enemies or as obstacles to our happiness.

Instead, we see that they do harmful actions because they wish to be happy but don't know the correct method for attaining happiness. They are, in fact, just like us: imperfect, limited sentient beings who want happiness and not suffering.

Thus we can accept them as they are and seek to benefit them in the future. We see that our own happiness, in comparison to the problematic situations others' experience, is not so important. Thus we are able to view others with understanding and kindness, and automatically any inclination to complain about, blame, or judge them evaporates.

Meditating on the nature of cyclic existence is another antidote. Seeing that we and others are under the influence of ignorance, anger, and clinging attachment, we abandon idealistic visions that things should be a certain way.

As a friend always says to me when I mindlessly complain, "This is cyclic existence. What did you expect?"

Well, I suppose that at that moment, I expected perfection, i.e. that everything should happen the way I think it should, the way I want it to. Examining the nature of cyclic existence frees us from such unrealistic thinking and from the complaining it foments.

In his Guide to a Bodhisattva's Way of Life, Shantideva counsels us, "If something can be changed, work to change it. If it cannot, why worry, be upset, and complain?"

Wise advice. We need to remember it when the urge arises to complain.

by Thubten Chodron

依佛法说：内有不和（不平）的心因，外有不平（不和）的事缘，彼此相互影响，这
才兴风作浪，造成从来难得和平的局面。 不和，佛典称之为诤。诤，见于语言文字，
见于行动，而实深刻的存于内心。

扼要来说：内心的诤有二：一、见诤；二、爱诤。这二者又根源于「受」与「想」，
所以称受想为「诤根」。

见，是见解，这里专指主观的成见、偏见、倒见、邪见。当人类触对对象时，必然
的摄取境相。所取的境相，有著局限性，片面性；摄取境相时，必觉有异于其它的
特性，如此而并不如彼（「取境分齐」），这才成为一个个的心象。

爱，是贪欲。权力、名誉、生命，都是人类所贪著的；而衣食住等经济生活（及男
女性生活），尤为欲界人类贪求的对象。在我们触对对象时，内心必起反应而领
「受」于心。这一内心的反应，有自己主观的标准，起著合意的，不合意的，或无
所谓的领受。合意的乐受，即引起爱欲而恋恋不舍。没有得到的，一心一意的去追
求。得到了，一心一意的希望增多，无限的增多；保有，永远的保有。所以说：受
为爱欲的根源。

见与爱，为精神生活与物质生活中的两大诤执，而这实根源于认识中的受与想。佛
说五蕴，特立受、想为二蕴，即重视他是见诤与爱诤的根源。 如广泛的说，内心的
一切活动，无论为感情的，意志的，知识的，凡不能正确而恰当的，一切是诤，一
切是「烦动恼乱」，不得和谐的安宁。

所以说：「一切烦恼，皆名为诤」。尤其是狂喜时，愤怒时，渴想时，失望时，悲
痛时，恐怖时，忧虑时，内心是：烈火一样的在焚烧，狂飙一样的在震动，山一样
的险峻，海浪一样的汹涌，电一样的闪烁，烦动恼乱到极点。

然一切烦恼中，重要而根本的，是「爱」、「见」、「慢」、「无明」。

爱有自体爱、境界爱；或色（性欲）、欲（资生物）、定境爱。

见有我见、我所见，常见、断见，一见、异见，有见、无见等执见。

慢，主要的是我慢，这是个性（人格性）的特征。每一生命，虽为前后的不断似续，
同时的相互依存，而现为一合相，即形成一个个的单位。由于个体独存的错觉，在
接物待人时，总是自他对立而着重自己，流露自尊自大的我慢。即使是事实所逼，
自惭形秽，自卑中也不脱「卑慢」的因素。从深细的自尊自重感，发展为妄自尊大
的优越感，控制一切的主宰欲（权力欲）。

现实是不能尽如人意的，因而转化为镇恚、忿怒、敌视、仇恨、怨结、残酷。甚至
见到他人的境遇良好，虽无关自己，也要嫉妒而心里难过起来。这比起执见与物欲，
要严重得多。在同一思想，物资平衡分配的场所，每因意气、权力的争夺而事态恶
化，即因慢而诤的实证。见从识别而来，爱从领受（情）而来，慢从形成个性的意
志中来。

这三者，同为不能正确而恰当的心理活动，无明是这一切的通相。如约特殊的意义
说，无明是不能觉了事事物物的真相，特别是不能认识自己，不觉自我（无我的假
我）的真相。

无明或称愚痴，虽似乎重于知识的谬误，而实形容知情意的共同错乱，心意
的盲目活动。因此，归根结底的说，内心的根本诤因，是无明──不能觉了自我的
迷蒙。这是世间不得和平的诤因，也是人生不得解脱的错乱根本。

by 印顺法师

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.

by Buddha
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I would like to explain the meaning of compassion which is often misunderstood. Genuine compassion is based not on our own projections and expectations, but rather on the rights of the other: irrespective of whether another person is a close friend or an enemy, as long as that person wishes for peace and happiness and wishes to overcome suffering, then on that basis we develop a genuine concern for his or her problems. This is genuine compassion.

Usually when we are concerned about a close friend, we call this compassion. This is not compassion; it is attachment. Even in marriage, those marriages that last only a short time, do so because of attachment - although it is generally present - but because there is also compassion. Marriages that last only a short time do so because of a lack of compassion; there is only emotional attachment based on projection and expectation. When the only bond between close friends is attachment, then even a minor issue may cause one´s projections to change.

As soon as our projections change, the attachment disappears, because that attachment was based solely on projection and expectation. It is possible to have compassion without attachment, and similarly, to have anger without hatred.

Therefore we need to clarify the distinctions between compassion and attachment, and between anger and hatred. Such clarity is useful in our daily life and in our efforts toward world peace. I consider these to be basic spiritual values for the happiness of all human beings, regardless of whether one is a believer or a nonbeliever.

by Dalai Lama

Dhamma is in your mind, not in the forest. Don't believe others. Just listen to your mind. You don't have to go and look anywhere else. Wisdom is in yourself, just like a sweet ripe mango is already in a young green one.

by Ajahn Brahm

It is through the five aggregates that the world is experienced, and nothing is experienced apart from the five aggregates.

The five aggregates are :

1) "Form" or "Matter"
External and internal matter. Externally, "Form" is the physical world. Internally, "Form" includes the material body and the physical sense organs.

2) "Sensation" or "Feeling"
Sensing an object as either pleasant or unpleasant or neutral.

3) Perception", "Conception" or "Cognition"
Register whether an object is recognized or not ( for instance, the sound of a whistle or the shape of a flower ).

4)  "Mental Formations"
All types of mental habits, thoughts, ideas, opinions, prejudices, compulsions, and decisions triggered by an object.

5) "Consciousness" or "Discernment"
The base that supports and discerns all experiences.

一切唯心造，只要人人心存善念，人间就是净土，清净的景象就在周围。

by 证严法师

Training this mind... actually there's nothing much to this mind. It's simply radiant in and of itself. It's naturally peaceful. Why the mind doesn't feel peaceful right now is because it gets lost in its own moods. There's nothing to mind itself. It simply abides in its natural state, that's all. That sometimes the mind feels peaceful and other times not peaceful is because it has been tricked by these moods. The untrained mind lacks wisdom. It's foolish. Moods come and trick it into feeling pleasure one minute and suffering the next. Happiness then sadness. But the natural state of a person's mind isn't one of happiness or sadness. This experience of happiness and sadness is not the actual mind itself, but just these moods which have tricked it. The mind gets lost, carried away by these moods with no idea what's happening. And as a result, we experience pleasure and pain accordingly, because the mind has not been trained yet. It still isn't very clever. And we go on thinking that it's our mind which is suffering or our mind which is happy, when actually it's just lost in its various moods.

The point is that really this mind of ours is naturally peaceful. It's still and calm like a leaf that is not being blown about by the wind. But if the wind blows then it flutters. It does that because of the wind. And so with the mind it's because of these moods - getting caught up with thoughts. If the mind didn't get lost in these moods it wouldn't flutter about. If it understood the nature of thoughts it would just stay still. This is called the natural state of the mind. And why we have come to practice now is to see the mind in this original state. We think that the mind itself is actually pleasurable or peaceful. But really the mind has not created any real pleasure or pain. These thoughts have come and tricked it and it has got caught up in them. So we really have to come and train our minds in order to grow in wisdom. So that we understand the true nature of thoughts rather than just following them blindly.

The mind is naturally peaceful. It's in order to understand just this much that we have come together to do this difficult practice of meditation.

by Ajahn Chah

You are not the limited, anxious person you think you are. Any trained Buddhist teacher can tell you with all the conviction of personal experience that, really, you’re the very heart of compassion, completely aware, and fully capable of achieving the greatest good, not only for yourself, but for everyone and everything you can imagine.

The only problem is that you don’t recognize these things about yourself. In the strictly scientific terms I’ve come to understand through conversations with specialists in Europe and North America, most people simply mistake the habitually formed, neuronally constructed image of themselves for who and what they really are. And this image is almost always expressed in dualistic terms: self and other, pain and pleasure, having and not having, attraction and repulsion. As I’ve been given to understand, these are the most basic terms of survival.

Unfortunately, when the mind is colored by this dualistic perspective, every experience—even moments of joy and happiness—is bounded by some sense of limitation. There is always a but lurking in the background. One kind of but is the but of difference. “Oh, my birthday party was wonderful, but I would have liked chocolate cake instead of carrot cake.” Then there is the but of “better.” “I love my new house, but my friend John’s place is bigger and has much better light.” And finally there is the but of fear. “I can’t stand my job, but in this market how will I ever find another one?” Personal experience has taught me that it’s possible to overcome any sense of personal limitation.

by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

十八界， 即"六根"、" 六尘"、"六识"三者。

十八界是以人的认识为中心， 对世界一切现象和事物所作的分类。

一人一身即具此十八界。 其中的六根有认识功能； 六尘作为认识对象； 六识则为随生的感受与观念。

总起来说， 此十八界依次为：

"六根" : (1)眼界、(2)耳界、(3)鼻界、(4)舌界、(5)身界、(6)意界；
"六尘" : (7)色界、(8)声界、(9)香界、(10_)味界、(11)触界、(12)法界；
"六识" : (13)眼识界、(14)耳识界、(15)鼻识界、(16)舌识界、(17)身识界、(18)意识界。

四安 ：提升人品的主张
安心—在于少欲知足
安身—在于勤劳俭朴
安家—在于敬爱互助
安业—在于服务奉献

四它 ：解除困境的主张
面对它—正视困境的存在
接受它—接受困境的事实
处理它—以悲智处理困境
放下它—处理后心无牵挂

四要 ：安定人心的主张
需要的不多
想要的太多
能要，该要的才要
不能要，不该要的绝对不要

四感 ：与人相处的主张
感恩 —使我们成长的因缘
感谢—给我们历练的机会
感化—用佛法转变自己
感动—用行动影响他人

四福 ：增进福祉的主张
知福—是最大的幸福
惜福—是最好的储备
培福—时时都有福
种福—人人都享福

by 圣严法师

学佛的人，心有所求最好劝人求佛菩萨，求「人」求不到，我们会生烦恼。

求佛菩萨、相信佛菩萨，缘成熟的时候，佛菩萨自然会为我们安排一切。

by 净空法师

六识: 眼耳鼻舌身意。各有识也。

谓依五根。能见五尘而为五识。于五尘境而起分别。为第六识。

识者了别之义，以能了别诸尘之故。

(1) 眼识谓眼根若对色尘。即生眼识。眼识生时。但能见色。而未起分别也。
(2) 耳识谓耳根若对声尘。即生耳识。耳识生时。但能闻声。而未起分别也。
(3) 鼻识谓鼻根若对香尘。即生鼻识。鼻识生时。但能齅香。而未起分别也。
(4) 舌识谓舌根若对味尘。即生舌识。舌识生时。但能尝味。而未起分别也。
(5) 身识谓身根若对触尘。即生身识。身识生时。但能感触。而未起分别也。
(6) 意识谓意根若对法尘。即生意识。意识生时。即能于五尘之境分别善恶好丑也。

平常一般人总喜欢把苦和乐，难和易，分得很清楚，因此，苦的时候难过，乐的时候欢喜；有收获的时候雀跃鼓舞，困难的时候伤心颓丧。假如一个人能够把这些对待的事情调和，不偏激、不极端，那么生也好、死也好、苦也好、乐也好、难也好、易也好，这不是很洒脱自在的生活吗？

by 星云法师

We were there before, will we be back?
No form...no birth, no he no she so no
desire no lust. ...no sickness, no old age so
no pain no suffering... no death so
no fear no stress
We were glowing, bright, beautiful...
in the dark... no day no night, no month no year...
no concept of time, its perpetual.
Plenty of us around, millions, billions.
Happy to be in each other's company, immersed in joy.
Since there is no form... there are no senses. No smell,
no sight, no feel, no sound, no taste, therefore
there is no desire no craving.
Since there is no form, there is no self... I, me, my.
"I am good, I am better,
He hurt me. He betrayed me. He does not respect me.
My property. My money. My idea. My territory..."
No I, no me, no my so there is no dispute,
no war, no killings...
We were there before, so quiet, peaceful and tranquil,
because there is no sound... no speech, no lies.
We were there before, so empty,
no need for procession...
no need for stealing, no need for clinging.
We were there before, so bright
so beautiful so much joy.
Silently watching the other creatures of
the other realms... with a gentle smile
and... sigh, there you go again...
We were there before,
will we be back?

by James Khoo
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Art by Dean Forbes