The Buddha talked about desire and the six things by which desire is gratified: sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touch and mind-objects.

Desire and lust for happiness, for suffering, for good, for evil and so on, pervade everything! Sights... there isn't any sight that's quite the same as that of a woman. Isn't that so? Doesn't a really attractive woman make you want to look? One with a really attractive figure comes walking along, ''sak, sek, sak, sek, sak, sek'', - you can't help but stare! How about sounds? There's no sound that grips you more than that of a woman. It pierces your heart! Smell is the same; a woman's fragrance is the most alluring of all. There's no other smell that's quite the same. Taste - even the taste of the most delicious food cannot compare with that of a woman. Touch is similar; when you caress a woman you are stunned, intoxicated and sent pinning all around.

There was once a famous master of magical spells from Taxila in ancient India. He taught his disciple all his knowledge of charms and incantations. When the disciple was well-versed and ready to fare on his own, he left with this final instruction from his teacher, ''I have taught you all that I know of spells, incantations and protective verses. Creatures with sharp teeth, antlers or horns, and even big tusks, you have no need to fear. You will be guarded from all of these, I can guarantee that. However, there is only one thing that I cannot ensure protection against, and that is the charms of a woman2. I can not help you here. There's no spell for protection against this one, you'll have to look after yourself''.

Mental objects arise in the mind. They are born out of desire: desire for valuable possessions, desire to be rich, and just restless seeking after things in general. This type of greed isn't all that deep or strong, it isn't enough to make you faint or lose control. However, when sexual desire arises, you're thrown off balance and lose your control. You would even forget those raised and brought you up - your own parents!

The Buddha taught that the objects of our senses are a trap - a trap of Māra. Māra should be understood as something which harms us. The trap is something which binds us, the same as a snare. It's a trap of Māra's, a hunter's snare, and the hunter is Māra.

If animals are caught in the hunter's trap, it's a sorrowful predicament. They are caught fast and held waiting for the owner of the trap. Have you ever snared birds? The snare springs and ''boop'' - caught by the neck! A good strong string now holds it fast. Wherever the bird flies, it cannot escape. It flies here and flies there, but it's held tight waiting for the owner of the snare. When the hunter comes along, that's it - the bird is struck with fear, there's no escape!

The trap of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touch and mind-objects is the same. They catch us and bind us fast. If you attach to the senses, you're the same as a fish caught on a hook. When the fisherman comes, struggle all you want, but you can't get loose. Actually, you're not caught like a fish, it's more like a frog - a frog gulps down the whole hook right to its guts, a fish just gets caught in its mouth.

Anyone attached to the senses is the same. Like a drunk whose liver is not yet destroyed - he doesn't know when he has had enough. He continues to indulge and drink carelessly. He's caught and later suffers illness and pain.

A man comes walking along a road. He is very thirsty from his journey and is craving for a drink of water. The owner of the water says, ''you can drink this water if you like; the color is good, the smell is good, the taste is good, but if you drink it you will become ill. I must tell you this beforehand, it'll make you sick enough to die or nearly die''. The thirsty man does not listen. He's as thirsty as a person after an operation who has been denied water for seven days - he's crying for water!

It's the same with a person thirsting after the senses. The Buddha taught that they are poisonous - sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touch and mind-objects are poison; they are a dangerous trap. But this man is thirsty and doesn't listen; because of his thirst he is in tears, crying, ''Give me water, no matter how painful the consequences, let me drink!'' So he dips out a bit and swallows it down finding it very tasty. He drinks his fill and gets so sick that he almost dies. He didn't listen because of his overpowering desire.

This is how it is for a person caught in the pleasures of the senses. He drinks in sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touch and mind-objects - they are all very delicious! So he drinks without stopping and there he remains, stuck fast until the day he dies.

by Ajahn Chah

暇满人身中的“暇”指闲暇，即是远离了八种无暇之处，包括非人中的四种、人中的四种。

首先是转生为非人的四种：

1）地狱：恒时有寒热的痛苦，根本没有修行的空闲。
2）饿鬼：整天有饥^[1]渴的痛苦，不可能有修行的机会。
3）旁生：有愚痴和被役使的痛苦，也没有修行的机会。
4）长寿天：在四禅广果天的附近，转生于此的天人，很多大劫中一直处于禅定，没有任何意念，故也不会有机会修法。如果转生为非人中的这四处，根本没有修法的空闲。

转生为人中的四种：

1）边地：转生到偏僻的地方，佛法一点都不兴盛，在那里，人们把佛教当作神学，当作一种很奇怪的东西，甚至有些地方连三宝的名号也听不到；还有些人，虽 然生于佛法兴盛的中土，但由于家庭的关系，对佛教一无所知，这些人都没有修法的机会。

2）佛不出世：虽然没有转生到偏僻的地方，但佛没有出世，就像暗劫一 样，所以也没有修法的机会。

3）持邪见者：即使转生到佛出世的地方，但相续中生起了邪见，对佛教的所作所为不相信，这样也没有机会修法。

4）喑哑：虽然没 有生起邪见，但自己特别愚痴，怎么听经闻法也没有思维能力，这种人也没有机会修法。
　　
远离了以上八种无暇，就具足了暇满中的“暇”。暇也可理解为空闲、闲暇。

“满”是具足十种圆满——五种自圆满、五种他圆满。

首先是五种自圆满：
　　
1）转生人中：修菩提心的 所依最好是人身，如果连人身都得不到，修法的机会确实是没有的，世间上的动物哪怕再高级、再聪明，让它念一句观音心咒，也是念不来的；

2）转生到佛教兴盛 的中土：一定要转生到具足三藏十二部、四众弟子的佛教中土，否则，生于偏僻的边地，就连佛教最基本的取舍也不可能了知；

3）诸根具足：诸根就是指眼根、鼻 根、耳根等等，如果耳根不具足，则没有方法听闻佛法，眼根不具足，看不到电视屏幕和法本上的文字，鼻根不具足……。

4）业际无颠倒：很多解释为没有造五无间 罪，如果造了五无间罪，死后马上会堕入无间地狱，不可能有解脱的机会。还有一种解释是，以前是真正的修行人，后来生邪见还俗了，或者不好好学佛了，这叫做 业际颠倒，与此相反则为业际无倒。

5）对佛法有信心：佛法不可思议、甚深难测，如果你对佛教没有信心，是不可能品尝到其中妙味的。这五种自圆满，是依靠自 身因缘而具足的。

五种他圆满:

1）佛陀出世：佛陀没有出世的话，众生虽然来到世间，也没办法了知佛法的道理。

2）佛已说法：佛出世了还不行，如果没有讲法，众生也得不到真实的受益。 

3）佛法住世：如果佛法的住世期已过，比如释迦牟尼佛五千年的教期湮没，或者根本不存在善知识讲经说法的现象，法本、录像什么都没有了，那么，尽管佛陀曾 经说过法，对众生也没有利益。

4）自入圣教：虽然佛已出世并宣说佛法，佛法的住世期也没有过，但自己没有进入佛门的话，纵然佛法广大如大海，也是品尝不到 一滴的。

5）师已摄受（也有种说法是具足施主等顺缘）：入了佛门之后，一定要有善知识的悲愍摄受，否则就没有办法进行取舍。这五种他圆满，是依靠他方的条 件来具足的。

远离八种无暇、具足十种圆满，总共要具足十八种条件，才能叫做“暇满”人身。

眼见色时，不染于色；耳闻声时，不染于声；皆解脱也。

眼不著色，眼为禅门；耳不著声，耳为禅门。总而言，见色有见色性，不著常解脱；见色相者常系缚。

不为烦恼所系缚者，即名解脱，更无别解脱。

by 达摩大师

Devotion is the purest, quickest, and simplest way to realize the nature of mind and all things.

As we progress in it, the process reveals itself as wonderfully interdependent: We, from our side, try continually to generate devotion, which itself generates glimpses of the nature of mind, and these glimpses only enhance and deepen our devotion to the master who is inspiring us.

So in the end devotion springs out of wisdom: devotion and the living experience of the nature of mind become inseparable and inspire each other.

by Sogyal Rinpoche

For most of us, our natural mind or Buddha-nature is obscured by the limited self-image created by habitual neuronal patterns - which, in themselves, are simply a reflection o fthe unlimited capacity of the mind to create any condition it chooses. Natural mind is capable of producing anything, even ignorance of its own nature.

In other words, not recognizing natural mind is simply an example of the mind's unlimited capacity to create whatever it wants. Whenever we feel fear, sadness, jealousy, desire, or any other emotion that contributes to our sense of vulnerability or weakness, we should give ourselves a nice pat on the back. We've just experienced the unlimited nature of the mind.

by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

This momentum of practice leads us towards freedom from the cycle of birth and death. We haven't escaped from that cycle because we still insist on craving and desiring. We don't commit unwholesome or immoral acts, but doing this only means that we are living in accordance with the Dhamma of morality: for instance, the chanting when people ask that all beings not be separated from the things that they love and are fond of. If you think about it, this is very childish. It's the way of people who still can't let go.

This is the nature of human desire - desire for things to be other than the way that they are; wishing for longevity, hoping that there is no death or sickness. This is how people hope and desire, then when you tell them that whatever desires they have which are not fulfilled cause suffering, it clobbers them right over the head. What can they say? Nothing, because it's the truth! You're pointing right at their desires.

When we talk about desires we know that everyone has them and wants them fulfilled, but nobody is willing to stop, nobody really wants to escape. Therefore our practice must be patiently refined down. Those who practice steadfastly, without deviation or slackness, and have a gentle and restrained manner, always persevering with constancy, those are the ones who will know. No matter what arises, they will remain firm and unshakable.

by Ajahn Chah

「南无」这个名号是从印度梵文音译过来的，一定要念汉唐时候的音才准确，念「nā mó」，这是古音。 「南无」是恭敬礼拜的意思，亦是皈依的意思，所以此二字是恭敬之词，就是我们顶礼、敬礼、皈依、皈命等义。

『起信论』说∶信心成就──发菩提心成就，才不退菩萨位而能次第进修。

初学发菩提心，学修菩萨行的，是在修学信心的阶段。

by 印顺法师

世人心悭意固，这个悭是悭吝、舍不得，至为顽固。财物有失，则心中更增愤恨，忧怨愁苦，意无解时，

故云无能纵舍，纵舍就是放下。真肯放下， 他就得自在。学佛明白这个道理，可是还放不下。有很多人来给我诉苦，这怎么办？

我说有办法，你多听经。一年放不下，再听一年；两年放不下，再听两年，听上个十年、八年，自然就放下了。有些人听到二十年、三十年，自己差不多六、七十岁，觉悟了，放下了，来得及！你只要一放下，身心愉快。

一定要懂得，我不是饿死的命，我一文没有也饿不死，到时候自然能吃得饱；我不是冻死的命，冰天雪地我也能够度过，相信命运。古人对于这个是坚定信心，他相信自己。现在人没有信心， 对别人都怀疑。 

你自己拥有的财富，一天到晚提心吊胆，怕失掉，那又何必！为什么不拿这些财富去布施？你布施一个乡，一乡人感恩你，你布施这一个城，一个城市感恩你，那个功德多大！那么多人来照顾你，你愁什么？

by 净空法师

迷时有佛有法，悟无佛无法。何以故？

悟即是佛法。夫修道者：身灭道成。亦如甲折树。

生此业报身，念念无常，无一定法，但随念修之；亦不得厌生死，亦不得爱生死；但念念之中，不得妄想；则生证有余涅槃，死入无生法忍。

by 达摩大师

Just as a mirror enables you to check if your face is dirty, and to see where the dirt is, so, too, being constantly present in every situation and looking within at your own mind allows you to see whether or not your thoughts, words, and deeds are in accordance with the dharma.

by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

如《华严经》云：“善男子，1) 汝应将自己作病人想，2) 法作妙药想，3) 善知识作名医想，4) 精进修持作医病想。”