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宣化上人開示錄(七)
Venerable Master Hua's Talks on Dharma Volume Seven　

上宣下化老和尚開示 Lectures by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua

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家賊難防

It's Hard to Stay on Guard against Thieves inside Your Own House
終日隨六根、六塵向外跑，不能迴光返照，這就叫做漏。
All day long, our six sense faculties lead us in external pursuit of the six defiling objects,
so that we are unable to reflect upon ourselves. This is called having outflows.

自無始劫以來，凡夫的六根，隨著外邊的六塵跑，尋聲逐色，造成很多不清淨的業。人的眼、耳、鼻、舌、身和意，就像六個奸媒，勾引賊人，打劫我們自性的家珍。我們都以為眼耳鼻舌身意，是自己的好幫手，其實這六種都是壞東西，招賊入室，劫去我們自性的法寶，而我們自己還不知道，這真是家賊難防！

  

Since time immemorial, ordinary people's six sense faculties have been following the six external defiling objects, seeking for sounds and chasing after forms, creating tremendous impure karma. Our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are like six treacherous accomplices inside our house, who let the thieves in to plunder the family treasures of our own nature. We consider the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind to be our good helpers, but these six are actually villains who let the bandits come and rob the Dharma treasures of our own nature, and we're not even aware of what's going on. It is truly hard to stay on guard against thieves inside our own home.

現在就拿眼和耳來說：「眼不見，口不饞；耳不聽，心不煩。」一看見人家吃好東西，口裏就想嚐嚐，生出貪吃的念頭。耳朵聽見順耳的好聲音，便生歡喜；聽到逆耳不合聽的話，就生出瞋怒。不要以為眼睛是好東西，幫忙你看見，就是因為它的幫忙，才生出種種的煩惱；好像看見美色而貪美色，貪到手也煩惱，貪不到手也煩惱。其他鼻舌身意，也是一樣，會使你生起種種煩惱。

 　

Take the eyes and ears as an example: “If the eyes don't see it, the mouth won't be greedy for it; if the ears don't hear it, the mind won't be afflicted.” When we see people eating delicious things, our mouths want to have a taste, and so the mind entertains greedy thoughts about food. Pleasant sounds make us happy, while unpleasant sounds make us upset. Don't think that the eyes are that great, just because they help us see things. It's exactly because of their help that we give rise to all kinds of afflictions. For instance, when we see an attractive person of the opposite sex, we become greedy for sex. If we get what we want, we'll be afflicted, and if we don't, we'll also be afflicted. The other faculties, nose, tongue, body and mind are the same way. They make one give rise to many afflictions.

你一生煩惱，就失去自性法寶，所以說：「千日砍柴一朝焚」，砍了千日的柴，一朝就把它燒盡了。修養了千天的坐禪功夫，得到輕安境界，忽然生了煩惱，就把你的功夫都燒去了。所謂「星星之火，燒盡功德之林。」所以修道人要──

眼觀形色內無有，
耳聽塵事心不知。

　

Once affliction arises, one loses the Dharma treasures of one's own nature. That's why it is said, “The firewood chopped over a thousand days can be burned up in a single morning.” This is like skill in meditation that has been cultivated over a thousand days, resulting in a light and peaceful state. But when affliction suddenly arises, the skill is burned out. It is also said, “A tiny spark of fire can burn down a forest of merit and virtue.”

有這樣的定力，就不會被劫去家寶；要不然，終日隨著六根、六塵向外跑，不能迴光返照，這就叫做漏。漏到哪裏？漏落在三惡道裏，永無了期，這豈不是很可怕！所以我們要斷煩惱，必定要先尋求根源。

 　

Therefore cultivators must have the samadhi power where “the eyes see shapes and forms, but inside there is nothing; the ears hear mundane affairs, but the mind does not know.” Then the family treasure won't be plundered. Otherwise, our six sense faculties lead us in a constant, external pursuit of the six defiling objects, so that we are unable to reflect upon ourselves. This is called having outflows. We flow out and fall into the three evil paths for an endless length of time. Isn't this terrifying? So we should cut off affliction and look for the original source.

佛說六識是家賊，就是因為六根和它串通，由六根對六塵而引發六識，所以便起惑造業。所以六根就是媒人，有如介紹人一樣，勾引我們去做惡事。

 　

The Buddha called the six consciousnesses thieves inside the house, because the six sense faculties collude with them. When the six faculties meet with the six defiling objects, the six consciousnesses are brought forth, causing delusions to arise and karma to be created. The six faculties are matchmakers, enticing us to do evil things.

什麼是你的家寶？家寶就是如來藏常住真心，妙覺明性，而不是世間有為有相的金銀財寶。你的自性具足了佛寶、法寶和僧寶，這才是真正的財寶；還有勤修戒定慧，成就三無漏學，這也是你真正的寶貝。有人說：「這種財寶看不見，不足相信。」這也難怪，因為它無形無相，看不見；但是這還是可以感覺到的，有慧根的人便會知道，無慧根的人就不知道，因為他的根性還未成熟，所以不能明白，也不能生出信心。

 　

What is your family treasure? It is the eternal true mind of the Treasury of the Thus Come One, the wonderful enlightened bright nature. It is not a worldly treasure which has forms and marks. Your own nature is replete with the Buddha treasure, the Dharma treasure, and the Sangha treasure—these are the real treasures. The accomplishment of the three non-outflow studies of precepts, samadhi, and wisdom through diligent cultivation is also your true Dharma treasure. Some people say that this kind of treasure isn't visible and thus cannot be believed. Well, I can't blame them. Since it has no form or appearance, it can't be seen. But you can still feel it. People with wisdom roots will know. People who have no wisdom roots won't know, because their potential has not ripened yet. That's why they can't bring forth a mind of faith and understanding.

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